"Horace, what are you doing?"
"Looking."
"At what? Max's neck?"
"No. Just looking."
"Alright." A small smirk crossed the older man's face. Chocolate brown hair, now laced with a small amount of gray, fell over his ears. Eugene Fitzherbert scratched absentmindedly at his also-graying goatee. A decade ago, the gray would have disturbed him to no end, but as he and Rapunzel had grown older, his relentless self-appreciation had withered. At forty-five, he and his wife had settled into a happy tempo at the castle. She was all he needed, and he didn't need to look perfect for her to love him.
The sixteen-year-old riding in front of him hadn't said anything during his musing. A look of conflict and annoyance was prominently displayed across his face. This recently acquired demeanor stemmed from a recent argument with his mother.
Just give him time, Sunshine. He'll figure himself out. Thinking back to his teenage days as Flynn Rider, Eugene knew that sometimes, patience was the only solution to angst. Their only child would have to rule a kingdom one day, the most powerful kingdom in the world. It couldn't be easy for a boy to comprehend fully and certainly hindered him from doing many things kids his age enjoyed.
Like competing in the Challenge of the Brave. Horace had asked for months to compete, but the royal council was adamant that he not participate. It seemed that the advisors did more parenting than he or Rapunzel was able to.
"I'm sorry about the Challenge. I know you wanted to compete. But your mother and I-"
"Mom competed when she was younger! Why can't I? It's not fair!" Horace was finally letting some emotion slip. Like taking a chisel to a dam.
"I know son, it's just... different, now. With all of the instability going on in the kingdoms, the royal council doesn't think it's a good idea to-"
"I don't care! It wasn't a good idea to be a thief for two decades but that brought you to mom! This my chance to prove I have what it takes to be like the other knights!"
Ouch. The mention of the life he had once lived stung.
"Being a knight? Horace, you are going to be king one day. We can't take the risk-"
"Can't take the risk?" Horace was visibly angry now. "Was it risky to climb the tower for mom, dad? To get stabbed? You and mom used to be all about risk! What happened? I'm tired of the council!"
"Horace-"
"Save it, dad. I've heard enough excuses. Come on, Max, let's go." As he kicked at Max to speed up, the loyal horse looked back at Eugene questioningly. Eugene nodded covertly to give his approval, and his son raced away on the white stallion.
Oh, Rapunzel... He sighed. Who knew our biggest adventure would be parenting?
He kicked at his horse to make his way towards the castle.
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"Mooooom!"
Anna perked up from her book. A mother just knew when something was important.
"Coming!" She replied to the concerned voice upstairs. As she ascended the steps, she was suddenly whisked away to the past. Her fingers traced the same oak patterns as they had so many times on the way to her sister's room as a child.
We were so naive then. She mused. Now, as a Queen and as a matriarch, she had the opportunity to impart her motherly wisdom to her daughter. Whatever obstacle had been encountered, Anna's motherly love and guidance could overcome-
"Purple and Gold? Do I seriously have to wear this?" The exasperated princess of Arendelle was holding a poofy dress, with ornate satin wrapping around the sleeves.
So much for the wisdom of a mother...
"These are the royal colors of Corona!" Anna's fingers now cradled her forehead. "It's only for a day! You are representing our kingdom! What better way to show unity than to wear the colors of our sister nation?"
"This was your idea, not mine! You've never even met the King and Queen of Corona! They're thirty years older than you, and now it's up to me to bridge your gap?" The princess let out a large sigh and melodramatically fainted onto her bed.
"I think my fifteen-year-old Anja can handle a wardrobe change for a day!" The teasing in her father's voice caught the girl on the bed's attention. Kristoff mock saluted his daughter and lunged towards her screaming figure with a fit of tickling. Fairly soon, the family was drawing battle lines for the pillow fight that was rapidly eroding the room's cleanliness.
The brawl was getting underway as a servant interrupted.
"The horses and carriage are ready, your highness." The portly assistant slid his glasses up his large nose.
"Thank you, Geoff," Anna replied. The trio made their way through the halls and out into the courtyard.
As they reached the carriage, Anna gripped Kristoff's hand tighter. Kristoff squeezed back and held the door for his wife and daughter as they entered.
"The kingdom is in good hands, your majesty" Kristoff playfully reassured Anna.
"The whole kingdom to yourself, eh?" Anna returned his joking gaze.
Kristoff made a big show of scratching his chin. "I've always wanted to change out your tulip garden for some good old fashioned carrots..."
"You wouldn't dare!" Anna feigned disdain before grabbing his hands and planting a kiss on his lips.
"I love you. Stay safe, and bring me back some of those famous pastries from their head chef, please!" Kristoff pleaded as he broke away. He was serious about everything he said, including the deserts.
"We'll be safe, and I'll bring enough cupcakes for you and Sven" Anna promised sincerely. "I love you too!"
The carriage slowly rolled away, leaving Kristoff to his thoughts. As he walked back to the castle, he breathed a shaky sigh outwards. It always concerned him for his family to be away, but he knew Anna and Anja could take care of themselves.
"Come on, Sven," He called to his trusty partner, who snorted in return.
"We've got a lot to do before dinner now that Anna isn't here."
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The ride out of Arendelle was uneventful, to say the least. Anja watched, half dozing, as the dark green grass and wildflowers of the fjord slowly faded into the brighter, warmer colors of the inland.
At least the weather will be warmer, She mused. Corona was the most important trade partner Arendelle had, according to her study books. The capital was situated on an island, while the outlying towns provided plentiful crops to supply the merchants and businesses of the city. Arendelle provided many northern resources like ice and lumber, and Corona sent processed the materials back to create a healthy, mutually beneficial system.
Ugh, even textbooks seem interesting compared to this.
The ride was boring, but at least the prospects of tomorrow were interesting. The "Contest of the Brave" was world-renowned, bringing in fighters from across the Kingdoms. It was one of the few remaining events that brought them together, rather than wedge them apart.
Anja looked across to her mother, who was already passed out against the windowsill, sucking on a long strand of her rapidly growing bedhead. She couldn't help but laugh, and her semi-awakened mother mumbled something before collapsing again into her slumber.
The sun was setting, and it was growing dark outside. Anja watched as the mountains in the distance slowly moved under the stars until she finally succumbed to her sleep.
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Eugene was currently busy trying to console a slightly anxious brunette.
"Where is Horace? He should be here! What if he got angry and decided not to come?! What if I-"
"Shhh, it's okay, Sunshine," Eugene soothed as he placed his arm around her. "He's probably running late from practice. Give him some time!" His confident grin was always enough to calm Rapunzel's fears. She took some deep breaths as she began to relax. It was her job to be worried. He was her son. It was Rapunzel's top priority to keep him safe and happy, but as of late, the two priorities had been clashing...
"Did you talk to him about the council's decision on the Contest?" She asked.
"I did, and he wasn't happy." Eugene's smile lessened somewhat. "I think it's ridiculous, personally. It's a moderated event, and he should have the chance to compete and blow off some steam."
"The council might have been a good idea, but for the last five years it feels like my parents have had less and less control over the kingdom." Rapunzel quietly stated. It was true, they couldn't even permit their own son to compete in an event, for heavens sakes!
Eugene started to add his thoughts on the matter but was interrupted by the sounds of trumpets filling the square.
"Presenting, his royal highness, King Trevor I of Equis!" The announcer standing on a podium declared. Eugene tensed up as he waited for the King to exit his vehicle. He was greeted by a small, elderly man with a large, grandiose crown.
"Prince Fitzherbert, Princess Rapunzel? In true Coronian fashion, the King sends his pets to do even his greetings." He stated with a look of distaste on his face.
"The King and Queen are attending to important business at the stadium. Sorry for any inconvenience, your majesty" Rapunzel curtsied with a pained, grinding smile on her face.
Trevor may be a jerk, but we still need to treat him well to preserve international relations. Her thoughts mourned.
As the tiny king made his way up the steps behind them, Eugene straightened his back.
"Only five more to go. Shouldn't be too hard!" He nudged Rapunzel with the heel of his boot.
"I'm just dreading the dinner tonight," Rapunzel gloomily replied.
"Oh, come on, Blondie! It won't be that bad!" Eugene reassured her.
"I don't think you realize how hostile the Seven Kingdoms are right now, Eugene," Rapunzel stated flatly. "This is one of the only times we will have all of the leaders in one place for the next year! Dad wants this to run perfectly to keep the peace."
"Yikes, that's a lot of pressure. The old man is what, seventy now? How much longer is he going to keep at it?" Eugene wondered aloud.
"He says he's going to retire once my mom turns seventy, in around two years. Who knows what will happen with the council, though," Rapunzel sighed.
Eugene saw her perk up as another figure entered the square.
"Sorry I'm late," Horace stated plainly as he took his place next to Rapunzel, just in time to shake the hand of the Griffin of Pittsford.
"I see your son is showing his true Coronian colors with this display of tardiness." The portly Griffin stated with a scowl as he grabbed Eugene's hand. His eyes looked up and down Horace's outfit.
"Sloppy."
Horace flushed a bright red and looked down at his boots. Eugene was about to retort to the rotund, short man in front of him but was cut short by Rapunzel whisking the Griffin away from them and up the stairs.
This was going to be a long evening...
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Anja was getting impatient. Their carriage had ground to a halt as they waited in line to be greeted by the monarchy.
"This is going to be soooo boring." She whined. Her mother seemed to share her sentiment.
"Ever since becoming Queen, I have always been the youngest of my peers. It gets tedious trying to be heard when everyone thinks you're inexperienced." Anna was obviously annoyed. Her emotions were never a secret, and a scowl was plastered on her face.
When even Mom wasn't looking forward to something, you knew you were in trouble. Anja let out an enormous sigh and slouched in her seat. At least the Contest tomorrow had the potential to be interesting.
As her mother finished wrangling the last strand of bed-head back into a tight bun, Anja straightened her dress out as well. They were up next, after the Duchess of Quintonia. A slight bubble of worry formed in her stomach and her brow creased ever so slightly. Suddenly, she felt a reassuring hand on her back. Feeling better already, she gave a small smile to her mother and walked out into the bright noonday sun.
As Anna exited the carriage, she congratulated herself silently. Motherly wisdom finally had a chance to shine. Her small celebration was interrupted by the loud voice of the announcer.
"Presenting Queen Anna and Princess Anja of Arendelle!" The man yelled to the audience below. Waiting to shake the hands of the duo were the monarchs. Younger monarchs. Anna's confusion was visible as she reached to shake the hand of the teenager in front of her.
There is no way these are the rulers of Corona. She worked these new figures over in her mind.
The teenager in front of her was doing his best to remain stoic and collected but was giving away his discomfort with the rapid tapping of his boot behind him. His deep hazel eyes reminded her of Kritoff's, almost amber. His most striking feature was his brilliant gold hair, tucked tidily behind his ears in a pony-bun. He was dressed in a smart-looking but plain traveling tunic, which she found slightly odd, but didn't question. As she enthusiastically shook his hand, he introduced himself as Horace, young Prince of Corona.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Horace," Anna told him sincerely before moving to the older couple to his left. The two adults couldn't have been much older than her. The excited lady with stunning green eyes and suave gentleman with a goatee were both dressed properly in purple and gold attire.
"Welcome, Queen Anna," the lady greeted. "It's our pleasure to host you for the next couple of days. My name is Rapunzel, Princess of Corona, and this is my husband, Prince Eugene Fitzherbert"
A prince and a princess! This made sense now.
"It is absolutely my pleasure to be here!" Anna replied warmly. "Is something wrong?" She was questioning the huge look of relief crossing the trio's faces.
"Your Majesty, you are the first arrival today that has been even remotely pleasant to talk to," Prince Eugene told her flatly. He was promptly elbowed in the ribs as the Princess Rapunzel told him to "shush."
"I can only imagine. We hosted two coronations within four years of each other! King Trevor is certainly a force to be reckoned with..." She snickered. "And please, call me Anna."
"The first-name basis is a two-way street," Eugene smiled. "I believe we attended one of the coronations... eighteen years ago?" His eyes widened as he realized how old he was.
"It was the best honeymoon ever!" Rapunzel added. "Arendelle is so beautiful!"
As Anna and Rapunzel started talking excitedly about loving isles by the sea, Horace was struggling with factors beyond his control. Namely, his face and how red it was now that the Queen of Arendelle's daughter, Anja, was it? was staring at him.
"Uh, hi," He immediately wanted to hit himself. That's not how you greet a Princess!
"Hello," Princess Anja's voice sounded like laughs. Was that possible? Could people sound like laughs?
After a few moments, he was brought back to his circumstances. Instantly his mind started working furiously. He needed conversation material, quick!
"So, um, how are you?" He was getting really good at finding out how talking to a Princess shouldn't be done.
"I'm doing well, and... you?" The Princess paused as she stared at his face. The young Prince quickly realized that his internal cringing at himself had quickly become external.
"I, uh, no! It's something- I mean nothing! Really- I'm fine." he smiled weakly. The Princess just stared at him with a bemused look on her face. Finally, he was relieved of his torture by Queen Anna as she called her daughter up the stairs. A huge sigh escaped from him, and he turned to his parents.
"Really hitting it off with the princess, eh?" Eugene joked as he settled back into position next to Rapunzel. His comment darkened the pink on Horace's face by a few shades. It gradually faded as he steeled himself for the next guest.
As the rest of the afternoon wore on, however, he couldn't get Anja out of his mind. He wondered absent-mindedly if she'd be at the contest tomorrow.
That will mean she'll get the chance to see me compete. He smirked and let his mind fly to the dreams of tomorrow.