AN: Hi! This is my first story so I was really excited to write this! My favorite genre of books is romance especially anything that's enemies to lovers. So naturally, that's the first thing I looked for when I came on this website.

I was obsessed with Tangled back then and still am now and it was basically all I liked to read. I found a few really great enemies to lovers stories on here, but there wasn't that much. After trying to find more, and not finding any, I was like "Why don't I write one?" So here it is! I played around with this chapter for a while and I finally decided to publish it.

For some background info, Rapunzel is 5 and Eugene is 7 because I didn't want there to be too much of an age gap. They're best friends right now, but that's gonna change later on in the story when they're older. Also, Rapunzel was never kidnapped. That's pretty much it for this chapter.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Tangled. Also, there is a description of physical and emotional abuse in this story, although I tried to keep it mild for younger readers.

"Eugene, wait!" She struggled to keep up with him, her once useful long, blonde hair, now a burden, weighing her down. She gathered her golden locks into her arms in an attempt to keep up with her friend.

"Ha, last one to the ballroom is a rotten egg!" he yelled back.

"Wait, that's not fair!" she exclaimed.

"Why not?" he asked, as he sped down the hallway, barely in front of Rapunzel.

"Cause you had a head start," she told him. "And I have longer hair than you."

"But you're faster than me!" Eugene said.

"That's right, isn't it," she said, a mischievous hint in her voice.

"What do you mean?" Eugene asked as a look of confusion filled his face. He turned his head to look at her, wondering what she meant. But it turns out that running without looking where you were going wasn't a great idea.

Bang! Eugene crashed into a wall that didn't seem to be there before. It seemed to be almost in slow motion. He fell backward, his arms flailing, trying to grab hold of something to keep him up but grasping nothing but air. He fell flat on his back, ar

"Hey, that wasn't fair!" Eugene exclaimed, rubbing the spot on his forehead where he'd collided with the wall.

"Yes it was, just admit it, I'm better than you," she said laughing.

"Ha, never gonna happen!" he said jokingly in a cocky voice. She playfully shoved him, giggling.

"Well, it's the truth!" she exclaimed. They stared at each other for a few seconds, before falling into a fit of giggles.

"Rapunzel!" a stern voice yelled. She looked up and saw Gothel, her handmaiden looking down at her. Rapunzel quickly stood up, smoothing out her dress. She put her hands behind her back and looked down. "Look up at me" her handmaiden yelled. She looked up, not frightened by her voice, as she had gotten used to it. "Young lady, what do you think you are doing? You are a proper lady, you should not by sitting on the floor, laughing like some kind of wild animal," she exclaimed "And you should especially not be playing with the filthy servant's boy" she spat in her face.

"But aren't you a servant?" Eugene questioned, a cheeky grin on his face. She watched as Gothel's face turned a bright shade of red.

"Yes, but your mother is a lowly cleaning lady," she spat in his face. "Who knows what kind of disgusting filth you have on you?" she said with a disgusted look on her face. Rapunzel looked over to Eugene. He looked at her in anger, but Gothel didn't seem to notice.

"Don't talk about my mother like that," he muttered, too quiet for Gothel to hear, but loud enough for Rapunzel.

"You know, I deeply despise both of you," Gothel told them, as she grabbed Rapunzel's long blonde hair, and started to drag her away. "I think this accounts for a beating." No, not again, she thought to herself. She hadn't done anything wrong. That's when the fear set in. She tried struggling from her handmaiden's grip, but she wasn't strong enough.

Eugene saw Rapunzel struggling, so he joined in. He grabbed his best friend's other hand and pulled. She was out of Gothel's grip, but they had all fallen in the process. The pair quickly got to their feet and ran off.

"Is that the first time something like that has happened?" Eugene asked once they had gotten far enough to not be found. A look of concern spread over his face.

"No, she always hits me even when she has no reason and I don't know why" she answered softly. It doesn't cross her mind until a few seconds later that she'd only endangered him more by telling him this.

"Come with me, we have to go tell your parents.

"We can't," Rapunzel said, trying to make up an excuse, not wanting to tell him the real reason. "They won't believe us."

"Still, we have to try," Eugene said, trying to convince her.

"No, we're not telling them," she said firmly. "There's no point. They won't believe me."

"How would you know if you never tried?" he asked her.

"I've already said no, Eugene, please stop," she said in frustration.

'Why? Why not Rapunzel" he exclaimed

"Eugene, no!" she yelled.

"I'm sorry for bursting out on you about that it's just that what if they don't believe me, what if they think I'm lying? They think highly of her and she might hit me again when she finds out I told them and-" she was cut off from her rambling by a big hug from Eugene. He wrapped his arms around her. She held on tightly and started to cry. "Hey, it's okay," he said, trying to soothe her. He let go of her and looked her in the eye. "You're my best friend. I will always be there for you," Eugene said. "I promise." That made her feel guilty for lying.

1 year later

"Princess, you may come in now," her mother's handmaiden said. Rapunzel leaped up from her seat outside the castle's infirmary and followed her into the room. Her mother had just given birth. Nine months ago, when her mother had told her that she was going to be a big sister, she couldn't believe it! It was what she had always wished for. Besides Eugene, she didn't really have any friends, so Rapunzel was excited to have someone else to play with.

A big grin had settled onto her face. A few months ago, her mother had walked in on Gothel hitting her and when she failed to give her an explanation, she was fired. After being put on trial, she was sentenced to execution.

She walked in to see her mother hold an adorable baby. She had big, green eyes, just like Rapunzel, and wispy brown hair growing from her head. She had a tiny nose and small, pink lips. Her eyes lay closed, not bothered by the soft hum of noise around her. She was swaddled in a purple blanket with Corona's infamous sun symbol on the corner.

"What are you going to name her? Rapunzel asked, looking up at her parents. The queen exchanged a look with her husband, almost as if a silent agreement, before answering.

"Dahlia," she answered with a smile. "It's a pretty name, isn't it sweetie?" her mother asked.

"Yeah, it is" she answered, a small smile on her face.

When Rapunzel went to bed that night, she couldn't help but be excited about her new baby sister. Would she be fun? Would she cry all night? Would they be best friends? Rapunzel smiled as she pondered the idea. Maybe Eugene would play with them, too, the princess thought, smiling to herself, already excited by the idea of the near future.

Clash! Bang! What was that? Rapunzel stood up, grabbed her dark purple robe, and slipped it on. The sound had come from the baby's room. She crossed the hallway to her sister's room, only to find it empty. The crib had been turned over and the window was open. The room looked like a tornado had gone through it. The king and queen soon rushed into the room, wondering what the sound had been. As they entered the room, looks of horror spread on their face. Rapunzel didn't understand. What had happened? Her father called for guards and shouted a desperate order, something that she couldn't quite make out, although she could make out one name. Dahlia. Soon guards were spreading like ants through the street.

"Daddy, what happened?" Rapunzel asked, a confused look on her face. Her father looked down at her, his forehead creased with worry.

"It's your sister," he answered, his voice grave. "She's gone."

Sorry! Cliffhanger. I know, they suck. Also, I know this chapter doesn't exactly show them being enemies, but you'll see that later on in the story. This chapter was pretty short, probably because it's just a prologue, but the next one will probably be a bit longer. Idk, whatever you guys want. It would make me so happy if you could leave a review. I would love to hear any suggestions and questions. I also appreciate constructive criticism. R&R:) Also if you have any other suggestions for different stories you want me to write, feel free to P.M. me! Stay safe and have a great day!