Some time later, when the commotion over Rapunzel's coronation had died down, Rapunzel and Eugene were poring over Corona history and law. Suddenly, Rapunzel's mouth dropped, and she looked at Eugene, obviously shaken.
Eugene noticed it, and he ran over. "Punzie?" He put his arms around her and held her close. "What—what's wrong?"
"Eu—Eugene," she stammered, her finger stalled where she had stopped reading, "look at this."
Draping an arm around his wife's shoulders, he peered where she was pointing. It was a fairly recent change in title protocol, which, in essence, said: "…spouse of a reigning sovereign shall henceforth inherit appropriate title."
When Rapunzel had acquired the throne, she had seen to it that her parents acquired a sizable amount of land nearby. So at her earliest convenience, she had them summoned. When they arrived, the guards had them sent to the library where Rapunzel and Eugene were still looking at the books and scratching their heads.
"My daughter—your Majesty," her father stammered, still so proud of his daughter's ascent to the throne, "what—what can we do for you?"
"Father—Mother," Rapunzel said, beckoning them over, "look at this."
Pulling some chairs in closer, they also looked at the passage in question, then at the date during which this amendment to protocol had taken place. "Well, Rapunzel," the former King said, rubbing his beard, "it looks pretty official to me." Standing, he smiled and extended a hand. "Congratulations, King Eugene."
Eugene's eyes widened, as in olden days when, having first met Rapunzel, he was in the habit of "freaking out." But he regained his composure long enough to stammer, "You—you don't mean—"
"Eugene," Rapunzel just grinned. "I think we owe you an apology—and a coronation."
New tears—tears of joy this time—rolled down Eugene's face. Even as Prince Consort, he had proven a worthy advisor to his Queen, and more often than not, his advice was right on target.
All too soon, Eugene's coronation day had arrived. By special consent, the former King and Queen were to give introductory remarks. "It was our honor to serve as your King and Queen," the former King began, "and it is our hope that Queen Rapunzel is serving you well." At this, the crowd cheered, assuring him that she was doing an excellent job.
"At the time," the former Queen added, "we were sorry that Prince Consort Eugene could not reign by her side as King."
"But in recent days," the former King remarked, "it has come to our attention that the decision not to let him ascend as well was—" He paused and hung his head, lest the people see the tear rolling down his face. When he had regained his composure, he faced Eugene and added, "—well, it was in error. Prince Consort Eugene, would you please step forward?"
When Eugene had done so, Rapunzel approached, taking the crown from its perch. "Eugene Fitzherbert," she proclaimed, "you have been more than I—and all of Corona—could ask for in a Prince Consort and overall advisor. We are truly sorry you did not have the opportunity to reign with an equal title. And now," she said, tenderly placing it on his head, "we hope you will accept this crown as a token of our esteem and our deepest apology." Turning to face the people, she smiled and brought him forward. "People of Corona," she announced, "it is my greatest pleasure to introduce to you your King, King Eugene!"
The applause was truly deafening, but Eugene could still hear intermittent cries of "We love you, King Eugene!" When the commotion had died down, Eugene was grinning from ear to ear. Raising a hand, he began to speak. "People of Corona," he began, "as you may well know, when Queen Rapunzel ascended to the throne, I was so proud of her accomplishment—yet at the same time, I was a little jealous that she was to reign alone," he added, a tear sliding down his cheek. "How could we know that an overlooked volume would show us that I was, in effect, to join her in this great honor. I assure you," he concluded, "that I hold no grudge for this oversight, and I hope to be as good, as kind a ruler to you as your Queen has ever been."
The crowd cheered as Eugene first took Rapunzel in his arms for a romantic kiss, then turned to his mother- and father-in-law and took their hands before offering them each a grateful hug. "No harm done," he assured them.
Indeed, King Eugene proved to be a worthy ruler himself—and on occasion, he switched roles, turning to Rapunzel for advice. But with a little experience under her belt, Rapunzel was able to guide him to the best of her ability, pointing him in the right direction. Thus, Eugene grew to be as loved a King as Rapunzel was as Queen. These were their people, whom they hoped to serve for years to come!