With Rapunzel's nineteenth birthday having passed just recently, there were many rumors about when she would be getting married. Rapunzel never knew just how old nineteen was until now. She still felt rather young, but apparently she wasn't in anyone else's eyes. Apparently, nineteen was a suitable age to settle down and find a husband.

"Well, how old were you when you got married?" she asked her mother, trying to prove a point. She was trying to convince others that she was perfectly happy by herself. At least, for the moment.

"Seventeen," Queen Ena replied.

"Oh." Rapunzel frowned and put her tea cup on the table. She didn't feel like drinking anymore. She guessed with royals, it wasn't uncommon to get married young. "But Mom," she said, "I just don't want to get married. Why should I?"

"Because you're going to be Queen someday. That's a very big responsibility. It will make you look better if you have a husband. Someone to share the responsibilities with. The whole Kingdom would be so excited, too." Ena smiled faintly at her daughter. "I'm not saying you have to do it right away. I'm just saying it wouldn't be a bad idea."

"I know," Rapunzel muttered. Her head was swimming. Marriage. The idea seemed prosperous to her. She was already so immature for her age – getting married would definitely force her to grow up, that was for sure, but would that really be such a good thing?

"Would you…let me marry Eugene?" Rapunzel asked impulsively. She had never asked specifically. She knew that her parents thought they were a good couple, but did they want them to get married? After all, he wasn't of royal blood. In fact, he was very far from it. And his reputation, only it had faded, had not entirely vanished yet.

"Well, sure, sweetie. That's what you want, isn't it?"

"I don't know," Rapunzel said before she could stop herself. She stood up, shaking her head. She felt stupid. Her mother wasn't supposed to know about what was going on between her and Eugene.

"If you'd like, we could arrange a marriage for you. But that might not be the best idea."

"No!" Rapunzel said. She ran a hand through her choppy hair, beginning to pace around the sitting room. "Oh god no. I don't want that." The idea of an arranged marriage had always been scary to her. But most of all, she was ashamed of the ideas that started forming in her head. She could tell Eugene that her parents made her get an arranged marriage, that she didn't want to do it but she had to, and they simply couldn't be together. Eugene would have to find someplace else to live. She might never see him again.

She felt sick. Never seeing Eugene again. If she were to marry someone else, he would try to find a way for them to be together anyway, wouldn't he? He loved her enough to do that, right?

"I just mean," Rapunzel said, taking a deep breath and trying to calm herself, "I want to marry someone that I love. That much I'm sure of."

"Like Eugene," her mother said calmly.

"Yes. Yes, like Eugene," Rapunzel said, nodding a bit. She smiled at her mother and straightened out her dress a bit, embarrassed by the fact that she had lost her composure for a second there. "I'm, um, not really in the mood to talk anymore, I'm afraid. I'm sorry. I'll see you at dinner." And she promptly rushed out of the room.

What was wrong with her today? All of this marriage stuff was getting to her head. Her mother had even said that she didn't need to get married! So why was she worrying about it so much? Rapunzel walked mindlessly through the halls, heading towards Eugene's room. His room. That implied that he would be here permanently. Why would the King and Queen bother giving him his own room if they didn't intend Rapunzel and Eugene to get married one day?

She knocked feverishly on his door until he opened it, his hair disheveled, wearing nothing but his boxers.

"Jesus Christ, Eugene, it's eleven AM," Rapunzel said, rolling her eyes. She walked into his room as Eugene closed the door behind her.

Eugene scoffed. "Sorry for not getting up earlier?"

"Sorry, I'm…not in a good mood today," Rapunzel said, sighing. She sat down on the edge of his bed, looking down at the floor.

"Something wrong?" Eugene asked as he began pulling on clothes. He didn't sound very concerned.

"No, of course not," Rapunzel said quickly. "I've just been thinking a lot, actually… Have my parents ever talked to you about marriage?"

"Um…no. Why?"

"Because they've been talking to me about it. Well, sort of. They've mentioned it. And people around town have been mentioning it too! Surely you've heard them?" He looked as blank as ever, so she went on. "They say I'm getting old," she said, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. "That I should, you know, already be producing heirs to the throne and all that."

"Well I'm pretty sure they don't want you to have my kids," Eugene said as he sat down beside her. He clenched his fists in the sheets, like he did when he was nervous. She and Eugene had never really talked about marriage before, and this was not the best way to bring it up.

Rapunzel shrugged. "You've become reputable enough. You're pretty well-liked, all things considered…"

"Yeah, I suppose so. Not around some parts, though."

"How do you mean?" Rapunzel's eyes narrowed slightly. She still wasn't quite sure what he did whenever he wasn't in the castle.

"Nevermind," he said. "So you want to do it, then? Get married?"

"I never said that," Rapunzel said quickly. Was he crazy? He wasn't…he couldn't be seriously asking her to get married. Certainly not like this. It wasn't even what she wanted!

"It sounded like you wanted to," Eugene said quietly.

"No! I was just discussing it."

"Because they're right, it's probably a good idea." He talked a little slowly, like he was thinking it over.

"No," Rapunzel said. She was scared. When she got scared, she panicked. "Not you too?" It was like everyone was teaming up against her all in the matter of days. And Eugene? She had never ever seen him as the marrying type – he'd sure never mentioned it before.

"I don't see why not."

"I'm only nineteen, for one thing. I've been in the world for a year! Do you really think I'm ready to get…tied down like that?" She raised an eyebrow at him. It was like no one understood her. Eugene was supposed to be the one person who did, but even he hadn't been getting it lately.

"Well, I know. It's probably tough on you."

Yeah. You could say that. How would you like to go through this? Rapunzel thought bitterly.

"But it's probably going to happen someday."

Hmm, was it? Rapunzel guessed it would. She and Eugene had been together for a year now. Despite their problems, she couldn't really imagine them breaking up. She had always figured that they would get married someday. Spend the rest of their life together, have a family, the whole thing… But she had pictured it years in the future. Not now!

"Just because it's going to happen someday means we should do it now?" Rapunzel asked. That didn't sound right to her. This was too much pressure. "You're acting like we should just get married…just because! You're not even being the least bit romantic!"

"Well in my defensive, you're the one that brought it up."

"Does our relationship really mean so little to you?" Rapunzel asked. She was extremely frustrated was not really thinking straight. Sometimes all the pressures of princess life would build up for two long and she would have to take it out on somebody. Just little fights like this, of course, nothing major. "If I suggested getting married, you would just say 'okay?' Nothing else?"

"Rapunzel, you're not making any sense," Eugene said, lying back on his head, his arms sprawling out beside him. "Do you want to get married or not? It's a simple question."

"But it's not a simple question."

"I'll take that as a no, for the time being," Eugene said slowly, eying her. "Just as well. It doesn't matter to me if we wait."

Of course. Nothing seemed to matter to him. Rapunzel sighed, looking down at him. She leaned down to give him a quick kiss. "I'm sorry. I'll see you later."

Did she really need to be apologizing? She was never sure anymore. She could never tell what she needed to do. She got up from the bed and left him alone.

It turns out that Rapunzel didn't see Eugene until the following week. Something came up and she had to accompany her parents to a nearby kingdom to meet with some other royals. Something about negotiating over land. Rapunzel never cared much for these types of meetings and didn't especially want to go. She was usually very bored because she never understood what the adults were talking about.

She had to admit, though, it was kind of nice having a break from Eugene.

She had written a note telling Eugene where she was going, but she didn't get to actually see him before she left. When she returned after her four day absence, after putting her things back her room, one of the first things she did was ask the guards where Eugene was. She did miss him, after all. When they said they hadn't seen him in a while, Rapunzel wasn't surprised. In his mind, if she wasn't here, he was allowed to do whatever he wanted.

What did surprise Rapunzel was the manner in which he treated her when he finally showed up. He seemed irritated with her, and Rapunzel had no idea why. She would admit that their last conversation hadn't been perfect, but it was clear that he wasn't just feeling awkward. No, he was pissed. He wasn't making eye contact, and when Rapunzel tried to hold his hand during lunch, he pulled away.

Rapunzel tried not to concern herself with his childish behavior, but after dinner she couldn't take it anymore, and confronted him in the corner of the dining room after everyone left. "You've barely spoken to me all day. What's up?"

He shrugged casually, but he looked tense. "Just not in a good mood, I guess."

"Is this about our talk last week? Because if it is, well, I'm sorry," she said honestly, searching his brown eyes for answers. "I know I was being kind of unreasonable."

"No, it's not about that," he said. He pushed her away as he opened the door of the dining room and went back into the hallway. "It's more about the fact that whenever you and your parents have to take care of anything, I'm always left behind."

"What? But Eugene, you would hate those meetings. They're boring," Rapunzel said, following after him. She wasn't understanding how he could be upset over this. "You just can't go because you're not royal."

"You're right, I'm not," he said. He smiled a little. "So tell me, why am I even living here?"

"Because you're my – "

"What, Rapunzel?" He stopped walking and turned to face her. He was looking at her with such intensity than she felt her heart start beating faster. She felt small and foolish compared to him. Funny how he could make her feel so bad about herself in just a second.

"My boyfriend," she said quietly. That was all he was, really, she realized. Before she felt such a connection with him that she could have described him as numerous things; her lover, her best friend, her savior. But now, he was just a boyfriend.

"Exactly," he said, laughing. Rapunzel was scared of people laughing when they were angry. It must have meant they were even madder than normal. "So, I actually have no real connection to you."

"Well not technically, I suppose, but everyone knows we're together…" Rapunzel said. She looked at the ground timidly, just not wanting to upset him anymore.

"It's just frustrating," he said, sighing as he turned away from her, running his hands through his hair, "living in a place where you don't belong."

"Well that's how I feel every day," Rapunzel admitted quietly. She wasn't sure if he heard him or not, because he just kept walking. Rapunzel had so many things she wanted to ask him. Like why hadn't he told her this before? Or was the reason he left the castle so often because he felt more at home in the village?

She felt a bit sorry for him, because she knew how it felt. She wondered what it would be like if they were married. Then Eugene would have to become a prince. They would both be learning how to be royalty together, and neither of them would feel out of place. Maybe they would be happier like that. She almost wished they had gotten married a year ago, when they first got here, with no time to think it over.

Silently, Rapunzel slunk into the kitchen to help the servants wash the dishes.