A one-shot about how Eugene got his permanent living arrangements in the palace. I hope you enjoy it! A million apologies about any typos - I can never catch them all.
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It had been remarkable that the King and Queen of Corona had so graciously allowed Eugene to stay in the palace. Given his quite colorful history with the small Kingdom and its constituents, they'd had more than enough reasons to send him packing and banish him from the city forever. But, to no one's greater surprise than his own, Eugene was offered a room. A room near the kitchen and as far away from Rapunzel's as possible, but a room none the less. Even the castle's most paltry bedroom was more luxurious than anything he'd ever seen in his life.
But Rapunzel was really the one who deserved the credit for his new sleeping arrangements. After Eugene had been abruptly pulled into the family's group hug, it wasn't long before the Queen noticed the long gash on the side of his vest. "Oh!" the Queen exclaimed, covering her gasp with her palm. "You're injured. Let me call a physician."
Rapunzel lifted her head from her mother's shoulder. "He's okay, mother."
The Queen flushed with happiness at the word 'mother'. Then her eyes clouded with genuine worry. "But... your vest." She lay a hand on Eugene's shoulder maternally, forcing him to swallow the lump in his throat. "You aren't in any pain?"
"No-," he paused to clear his voice, "Uh, no, your majesty."
Rapunzel pulled herself away from her mother's arms and took both of Eugene's hands, urging him to stand with her. The King and Queen followed suit. "Mother, Father," Rapunzel began confidently, keeping one hand in Eugene's and laying another possessively on his shoulder. The Queen observed their stance quizzically. "This is Eugene Fitzherbert." She looked at him with a large grin. "He saved me."
Uncertain of what to do, Eugene looked at the floor. There were a few beats of silence, and he wondered if they were considering whether or not to hang him after all. Then, at length, the King spoke. "Eugene Fitzherbert did you say?"
Rapunzel squeezed his hand. "His real name. He told me after we nearly drowned."
The Queen gasped.
Rapunzel backtracked quickly. "It's actually a really long story..." And so it began.
It was especially remarkable that the King and Queen accepted Rapunzel's wild tale of their daring adventure as the truth. There was no proof to present. Gothel had been incinerated in a way that Eugene still didn't understand (but thought best not to question.) Even the skin of Eugene's abdomen was smooth and unmarked, thanks to Rapunzel's tears (another thing Eugene thought best not to question.) But nonetheless, the King and Queen drank in their daughter's every word.
The King looked at Eugene with pride. "Thank you, for saving my daughter. " He clasped a hand suddenly on his shoulder and gave him a friendly shake. "Well then, Eugene Fitzherbert, what do you say we find you a room for the night and a place to clean up?"
Rapunzel moved her hands in a little 'ta-da' motion and mouthed, "yay!"
And so Eugene was presented with his current sleeping arrangements in the east wing. He could hear pots and pans clanging all evening as the cooks cleaned up after supper, or the servants gossiping as they wandered past his door to their quarters down the hall. The sun rose too early and streamed over his face through inconveniently large windows. But for once he was warm, on an actual mattress rather than the dewy grass, and there wasn't any need to worry about someone trying to do him in during the night. In short, it was the best night's sleep he'd ever had in his entire life.
The next morning he was presented with new clothes and a pair of boots that, unlike his old ones, didn't smell like manure. He gladly changed, glancing at himself in the mirror for a moment and noticing that he actually looked presentable and proper. A pudgy servant with a monocle led him down the hall to the dining room and waved him towards the table (which was more the size to feed fifty people, not four). The King and Queen smiled at him welcomingly. Rapunzel, wearing a new green dress that complimented her eyes, burst out of her seat and ran over to give him an excited hug.
"Can you believe this?" she whisper-shouted.
He honestly couldn't.
Eugene was presented with a plate of eggs benedict, buttermilk waffles, sausage links, apple muffin, and a bowl of oatmeal. It was more than he was used to eating in three days. He grabbed at spoon and munched on the oatmeal, because at least that was familiar. He'd had a bowl of oats every morning back in his years at the orphanage. But it hadn't been sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar or mixed with fresh fruit. It hadn't even been warm most of the time.
Eugene put down his spoon and glanced at Rapunzel who was sitting opposite him, chatting happily with her mother about how she used to cook every morning. The Queen looked a bit shocked, even awed. She'd probably never lifted a pot or pan in her life.
"Is everything to your liking, sir?" a servant asked as he bent over Eugene to fill his glass with some strange, thick pink liquid from a pitcher.
"Uh, yeah," he muttered, picking up the glass and looking at it strangely.
"Juice, sir," the servant informed him. "Orange, banana and strawberry. Would you prefer something else? Coffee?"
"No, it's fine," he replied awkwardly, setting the glass back down.
Rapunzel was asking the King about the difference between a cupcake and a muffin. The Queen turned in her seat to Eugene a smiled maternally. "Did you sleep well, Eugene?"
"Very," he answered quietly, unsure if he should look her in the eye or not. He settled for appearing very interested in his oatmeal.
"You're clothes fit you well. Are they comfortable?"
He cleared his throat. "Yes, ma'am. Thank you."
"Eugene." He looked up and the Queen was smirking at him with narrowed, knowing eyes. He was starting to get the feeling she could read him like a book. "There's no need to be so humble. You deserve this."
He blinked. Did she realize who she was talking to? Maybe she wasn't aware of his former profession? His lips twitched to formulate a response, but the Queen had already turned back to her eggs.
Rapunzel seemed to be catching on with the whole muffin/cupcake debacle. "So muffins never have icing? That's it? That turns it into a whole different food for a different kind of meal?" She raised an eyebrow, as if she found the whole concept very silly.
The King threw his head back and laughed heartily. "By jove, I think she's got it!"
Rapunzel looked over to Eugene for reassurance. He shrugged, sending her a half smile. Her cheeks turned pink and she grinned back before looking down at her plate.
Half an hour later, the servants has already started clearing the table as the royal family stood from their seats. Eugene watched as an entire tray of apple-cinnamon pancakes was taken away to be disposed of. His fingers twitched, wanting to take something for after he left the palace. How many times had he been forced to go without food? ― and these people were throwing away bucket-loads. Quickly, he grabbed a blueberry muffin and stashed it in his pocket. There. No harm done. Just a snack for the road.
"Eugene?"
Eugene flinched in his seat, his first thought being that the Queen had caught him. Why did he suddenly feel so guilty about a stupid muffin?
"Are you coming?" the Queen continued.
"Oh, uh, yes." He stood from his seat, rushing towards the door to follow after the King and Rapunzel.
"Wait," the Queen said quietly. Eugene stopped in the archway. "May I speak with you privately?" She motioned for him to follow.
"Yes, ma'am." He couldn't possibly say no. He followed down the hall nervously, trailing behind the voluminous train of skirt. The further they went, the more aware of his distance from Rapunzel he became. This would be so much easier if she was here.
The Queen opened a door and waved her hand for him to enter. The room was large and empty, only occupied by a few chairs lined up against the wall. She closed the door behind her and turned to face him.
"You love her."
Eugene choked on air. "Uh... what?"
"Don't act so shocked. For a thief, you really do wear your heart on your sleeve." She smirked.
If he'd been Flynn Rider and this was anyone but the Queen, he would have laughed. But he wasn't Flynn anymore― this was one hundred percent Eugene. And this was the Queen. And he loved Rapunzel. Of course he did. He'd do anything for her, die a thousand deaths for her. He took a deep breath. "Yes, your majesty," he admitted quietly, "I do."
The Queen nodded. "In that case, we have some things to discuss." Then she held out her hand in front of her, palm facing the ceiling. Eugene stared at it, unsure of what to do. Did she want to shake his hand? Then her fingers curled slightly, and he realized she was waiting for him to give her something.
He looked at her quizzically. She responded by thinning her lips in a deadpan expression. Her eyes glanced at his pockets, and then back to his face, raising an eyebrow.
Eugene paled. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the crumbled muffin. "Uh..." The Queen twitched her fingers. Tentatively, he dropped the food into her hand.
"If you want to be treated as anything else but a thief, you best not act like one."
He looked at the floor, mortified. "Yes, ma'am."
"Could you tell me what possessed you to think swiping a pastry was a good idea?"
He'd give anything to have the floor swallow him whole. Under the Queen's steely glare, he found it hard to imagine anyone defying her. "I'm sorry... I just thought it would be useful..."
"If you were hungry, we would have been happy to leave more food out. Or you could have asked a servant."
"...after I left."
At last, the Queen's eyes softened. "I see." Releasing Eugene from the power of her stare, she traveled across the room and set the muffin on the seat of one of the chairs. Wiping her hands of any crumbs, she walked back to stand in front of him.
"So, Eugene Fitzherbert," said the Queen. "You've rescued the lost princess. You haven't requested any reward."
He grimaced. "I don't want any reward, your majesty."
"Surely there's something you desire."
The only thing he desired at that moment was to be done with this conversation and find Rapunzel. But he'd have to shake that thought away. He needed to get used to living without her again. Only four days of knowing her and going back to the way things were before seemed impossible. But the Queen was still waiting for a response. He sighed. "I just want Rapunzel to be happy."
Her lips twitched with a hint of a smile. "That's very noble of you."
Noble. That may have been the first time anyone had ever referred to him with that word. It implied respect.
"Well then, Mr. Fitzherbert, may I take that as your request?"
What in the world was she talking about? Was she expecting more? "Um, yes?"
She nodded. "We'll start with pardoning your crimes," she told him slowly. "Don't make me regret it."
His eyes widened. For a moment, his shock made his throat go dry, but he forced out a gravelly, "No, ma'am." That didn't seem enough, so he added a quick, "Thank you."
"And as for your impending departure from the palace," she looked toward the muffin for a moment, "perhaps you should begin acclimating yourself to life here. I expect you'll be staying with us for a while."
"I... I am?"
She nodded. "You did request Rapunzel's happiness, Eugene. I believe your presence is required for that."
He could hardly believe what the Queen was saying. He was going to stay... he was being given a second chance. "Thank you." His voice was thick with emotion.
The Queen looked at his face, her green eyes, so much like Rapunzel's, piercing into his soul. "I've had to listen to complaints about the thief Flynn Rider for years. Trust me, Eugene, no one is more surprised than I that you're actually quite easy to like. Or that I actually approve of you pursuing my daughter. Please, reassure me that I'm making the right choice in trusting you."
He sucked in a deep breath. "Yes, ma'am, you are… I've changed."
"I think so too." The Queen gave him a genuine smile. "Now, you should go find Rapunzel. I'm sure she's worried about you."
Eugene's shoulders sagged with relief. "Yes, ma'am." He rushed to the door and eagerly flung it open.
"She's in the library!" the Queen called after him. "Fifth door on the right!" She laughed heartily as she saw Eugene's form dart past the open door in the other direction.
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Flynn's not so dashing when he has to face down the wrath of the Queen.
Hope you enjoyed it. Leave a review if you can :)