AN: YAY! Another chapter. And finally something has happened? What has happened? I don't know, you'll have to read to find out. I really enjoyed writing this chapter so I hope you enjoy reading. Thank you so much for the overwhelming response to this story. You all make me so happy :D And you all inspire me.

I'm happy to see many new reviewers too :) Welcome and I hope you stick around. Big thanks to xbecbebex, Princess Shahrazad, crazy-casey-1167, NikkyPickles, the139Blossom, PampleMousse07, Luna Vampire Princess, Melora and Goem5313. Hope this lives up to expectations 3

So without further ado: here is Chapter five of Destinies Entwined.

Chapter Five:

"Can't I talk to him, Daddy?" Rapunzel pleaded as they finally came in from the brisk air. With Eugene taken away, the king had called his subjects' attention back to his daughter. A few minutes they had remained, Rapunzel trying to act happy, while her heart ached something horrible.

She could not quite comprehend their reaction to seeing Eugene waving out at her. He hadn't done anything to hurt her, and yet everyone seemed so upset. She'd seen it in their eyes, the deep anger, the hatred. They'd wanted to hurt him.

"Let me talk to him first, sweetheart. The festivities are going to begin soon."

Rapunzel nodded, looking slightly disheartened by her father's order. Seeing the sudden downward shift in her demeanour, the king drew her into his arms, hugging her tight. "Everything will be fine, my dear. Don't you worry."

"Okay." Rapunzel stood up on her tiptoes, reassured by her father's gentle voice, and kissed him on the cheek. His beard scratched against her skin, but it left more of tickling sensation than one of pain. "I love you, Daddy."

The words flowed easily from her lips. Even Rapunzel was taken back as they jumped from her mouth. But it seemed so natural, to say these words. She'd said them all the time with Gothel.

I love you.

I love you more.

I love you most.

But with Gothel, they'd become empty words without real meaning; just three phrases they shared upon parting. Saying them to her father though, she felt the words sink into the depths of her heart, echoing feelings similar to the one she felt only when embracing Eugene. Not even a day had passed, but time seemed so unimportant compared to the truth her heart was shouting to her mind.

"I love you too, sunshine." It was the not the first time he'd used the nickname. When she'd first been born with radiant gold hair, he'd affectionately given it to her. But Rapunzel did not know that, and she didn't need to; because she loved it and wanted him to call her it all the time. Beaming, her worries disappeared. With one final hug, she skipped over to her mother and whispered those three words again with an equal amount of honest affection.

Phillip watched with tender eyes as his wife and daughter walked away. From this angle, he could hardly tell them apart. Oh, how light his heart felt to know that she was safe once more. Eighteen years he'd held the pain of guilt in his heart, the ache of her loss tearing at his soul. He'd watched helplessly from his bed as that horrible creature wrangled his newborn daughter from his crib. Barely awake, the terror managed to sink in, his body frozen in a nature of disbelief and angst. Only when she'd gone from sight had he finally been able to dash about, his cries echoing out for help, Adelaide's own screams wrenching through the air like some wounded creature.

He'd blamed himself for everything, but Adelaide, darling Adelaide, had not allowed him to sink into depression. She's been the strongest of them, had kept him alive. She was his rock, his hope. He would be nothing without her.

"Rider's waiting for you."

Vincent had been wonderful for him too, a true ally in Corona's darkest days. From dawn to dusk, his team had spent the first three years searching endlessly for his daughter. The fourth year, he'd gone alone, traveling the various countries, hoping to bring the princess back. But he had failed. They all had failed. Except for him.

Striding into the throne room, Phillip stared hard into the back of Flynn/Eugene's head. This young lad, this renowned thief, had done so much to harm his subjects and himself, and yet he alone had found his daughter locked in a tower. He had returned her, had done what everyone else had failed to do. The amount of gratitude he felt towards Eugene far outweighed the animosity he'd garnered for Flynn. But he would never tell the boy that. Eugene needed to believe he was on the line, needed that push to do what was right and prove to Corona that he was a changed man. Today's skirmish was only proof of the wounds Flynn had inflicted. Eugene had a lot of work to do if he ever hoped to rid himself of Flynn's past crimes.

"Mr. Fitzherbert."

Eugene turned in attention, immediately bowing low. "Your majesty."

"Please," Phillip raised his hand to ease him, "There's no need for that. You may address me as Sir. Far less formal."

Eugene nodded, swallowing hard, "So, about how much trouble am I in?"

"Not enough to have you thrown in prison," the king's lips curved slightly into a small smile.

No laughter fled from Eugene at the king's playful teasing. He was far too worried that his actions had been graver than he'd like to believe. And he was equally worried for Rapunzel's sake, anxious to see her, to apologize. "How is she?"

"She's fine," the king answered him. Standing beside Eugene, he towered a good three inches above him, "She's worried about you."

"She shouldn't be."

He would not respond to that particular statement. Try as he could, Phillip was still unable to fathom the amount of love she for her rescuer. Then again, people had once questioned his own love for the local baker's daughter. He and Adelaide had proved them all wrong. "Now, to discuss your mishap."

"I didn't intend…"

"I know," he interjected before Eugene could properly launch himself into a rambling apology, "I appreciate what you were trying to do, but the villagers' response to your presence is not a very promising start to your redemption."

Eugene agreed wholeheartedly. "I still don't understand it, though. The day of the lanterns, Rapunzel and I were in and out of the square and no one said a thing."

"Perhaps you were not drawing attention to yourself as you were today."

Flashes of Rapunzel dancing through the people, pulling him into the motions, breaking his resolve. He'd fallen for her hard in that moment, as her hair twirled around in wild abandon, her bare feet hardly touching the ground as she spun with angelic grace, lost to the beat of the music. He'd bought a lot for her that day from people he'd once stolen from when he was younger, less handsome. But surely someone would have noticed. "We weren't as discreet as you might think."

"Then perhaps they simply did not recognize you from your wanted sign. The artist certainly did not do your nose justice."

It was this comment that finally led Eugene to relax his racing nerves. The king was not here to reprimand him. He was to be considered an ally in this pursuit for justice. "Most people probably could not recognize you from where they stood today, either. It's a commonality though, for mobs to pick up a rallying cry, especially when spurred on by someone as charismatic as Mr. Hendricks."

"Sir Hits-a-lot," Eugene muttered under his breath, finally able to recognize the man who'd called him out. No doubt he was still smarting from the loss of that necklace.

"A more affection name," the king mused kindly.

"A tell-tale name. He knows how to hold a grudge."

"He has every right to." The lighter part of their conversation was diminishing. "And he will not be the only to want to hold you accountable. Twice now they've seen you arrested. If they see you dancing through the streets with their princess, we'll have a riot on our hands."

The solution seemed extremely simple in Eugene's mind. "Just tell them I saved her. That'll explain almost everything, don't you think, Sir?" He added the title for good measure.

The king cocked on eyebrow, the attempt to honey up to him not missed. "Don't hold your breath. It'll explain why we're forgiving you, but it won't heal the injuries you've caused."

"I know."

"And they may attack you if they feel my decision unjustified."

This thought sounded an awful lot like treason in Eugene's mind, but voicing his concerns aloud, he found the king in sold disagreement. "They're my people, Mr. Fitzherbert. The world is changing. The rule of the monarchs is no longer enough. They are calling for assemblies of lords and commoners. It's more complicated, but it means more freedom for the people. That's something you should appreciate."

At another time, it would have been, but at the moment, it could just as easily spell his death. He'd heard rumours of a system called democracy, where the power was to be placed in the hands of the people, but they were just circulating whispers. Indeed, the notion had fascinated him, but as a wanted thief, he'd hardly be an acceptable candidate.

"In any case, I intend to formally announce your pardon tomorrow, late morning. Until then, I suggest you remain within the confines of the castle."

The king's words held little reassurance, and the mere thought of staying in the palace while celebrations raged on caused him severe indigestion. Even the image of Rapunzel dancing with young lords pushed him to grief. But trying to convince the king otherwise proved impossible.

"It's for your own safety and hers. They know you're back. They'll be looking to see if you've managed to escape again. If you will not do it for yourself, do it for her."

With those last words, he had Eugene stuck. Making another public appearance could very well lead to another angry outburst and if Rapunzel was to get caught in the fray, even by accident…He shuddered at the thought.

Sighing his acquiescence, he bowed once more and dismissed himself from the room.

In the end, he joined the festivities anyway. It wasn't his fault to be completely fair. For an hour he managed to keep down the urge to run out of his suffocating room and escape to a more upbeat atmosphere. But every time he felt that overpowering itch to abandon reason, he thought of Rapunzel and her distraught expression, her round green orbs, her quivering lips and the need subsided for a moment or so.

And then the knock came. Taken by surprise, he almost toppled off his bed. Quickly composing himself, he hurried to open the door, expecting Vincent or the queen or the king. He was not expecting her.

"Rapunzel?" he stammered, half surprised by her presence, have stunned by her beauty. She was wearing a long-sleeved garnet dress that held tightly to her torso, fitting ever curve down to her hips where it billowed out like a bell, swinging back and forth as she swayed with excitement. Perched atop her frayed chestnut hair was the crown that had essentially led him to her. She was more gorgeous than anything else in the world. All dolled up for the night's events, she looked regal and only made her seem that further from his grasp. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be outside, dancing?"

Rapunzel nodded as she bounced past him. She gazed at his room in wonder. "It's blue," she commented, touching the walls gingerly, "Mine's violet."

"Fantastic," Eugene mumbled as she glided over to his bed and brushed the imprint his body had left in the plus covers. It made him dizzy to see her fingering the outline, caressing it as if it were him. "They're going to come looking for you. They're going to wonder why you're here."

Rapunzel looked up, smiling weakly. "I want to go. But I want you there with me."

"I don't have anything to wear." Eugene pointed out the stain of blood on his shirt.

Bad move. Rapunzel took one look at the horrible reminder of Gothel's cruelty and stumbled backwards, her eyes fluttering close.

Fearful that she'd fainted, Eugene hurried forward to steady her, helping her to sit on the bed. "Sorry," he said as her eyes opened and slowly descended his torso.

Not wanting to disturb her any further, he wrenched the shirt off and tossed it into the corner, leaving him bare-chested. Not his best idea either.

Rapunzel's mouth fell open in astonishment as she revelled in his nakedness. She'd never seen his skin like this before. She was fascinated by the curves of muscles in his arms, the chiselled form of his chest, the line of hair trickling down his middle. But there were things on his skin that disturbed her, too. Red lines ran across his shoulder. Scars. And there were more across his side, below his ribs. And then there were spots of purple and blue scattered across his skin, marking places where he'd been beaten…recently. She reached forward, as if to touch them, but Eugene jumped out of her reach.

Racing around his bed, he yanked the covers, wrapping them around his torso. The door was wide open. Any could pass by at any moment. Peeping in, they would jump to the wrong conclusions and he'd ben in even worse condition.

"You have to go now," he hissed urgently.

Rapunzel frowned, confused. God, why does she have to be so innocent? "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," he reassured her, hating himself for putting her in this situation, "You never do. But you should go have fun, dance a dance for me."

"But it won't be any fun without you," she pouted.

"I can't go. I want to, but it's better if I don't." Eugene hoped this was enough to send Rapunzel on her way, but everything he said only seemed to strengthen her resolve.

Her face scrunched up ever so slightly, as her mind began to whirl frantically. He loved how cute her tiny nose was as it stood up in attention, pushed by her clenched lips. Finally, she jumped up. "I'll be right back." She promised and then quickly hurried out of the room.

Too late, Eugene tried to stop her. If anyone was there, if anyone saw her dashing out of his room…He inched carefully to his door, too afraid to see what could be there. But peeking out behind his doorframe, he saw only an empty corridor. Sighing in relief, he closed the door and flopped down on his bed, too exhausted to chase after, half-naked.

Ten minutes later, Rapunzel reappeared. Not bothering to knock this time, she barrelled into his room, clutching what looked like a black sack in her hand. He stared at it curiously as she hurried to the bed and dumped its contents out for him to see.

Clothes. That was what she had brought with her? He looked at the assortment. There were three pairs of pants (grey, black, brown), four shirts (white, blue, black, brown) and four vests (black, blue, green, brown). There was also a long back cape, a feather hat and a mask.

"Rapunzel…"

But she would not let him change her mind. She wanted him there, needed him there, even if she was being greedy. Without Eugene, it all seemed to be a grand waste of time. "No one will recognize you."

He picked up the black face, examining the holes for his pupils and the elongated part for his nose. "And you don't think this will freak them out?"

"They won't care if you're in disguise, and they'll hardly be able to tell in the darkness," Rapunzel insisted.

"Except when they see me dancing with the princess."

"Eugene…"

"Your father told me not to."

"But I need you." And when she said it, she spoke with intense honestly, appealing to him through her love.

Blast the moral dilemma she was putting him in. On one hand he had the king, swearing him to stay away for her sake and now here she was insisting that she would not go if he did not accompany her. She was stubborn and as she placed her hands firmly on her hips, thrusting them out ever so slightly – an unconscious manoeuvre on her part – he knew that she had won out again.

"Fine. But I'm not taking the blame for this, and I'm definitely not wearing this silly mask."

They decided to walk out separately. Rapunzel went first, accompanied by her parents while he waited in the shadows dressed in black pants, his new white shirt and a new black vest. The cape was draped over his shoulders and the hat was perched on his head, casting his face in obscurity. No one would be able to recognize him unless they were inches from him, and he wouldn't let anyone get that close. Except her.

Focusing in on her, his heart skipped a beat. Descending in the moonlight, the silver light seemed to shine off her skin, showing her beautiful perfection. She was radiant, his very own star, shining through the darkness. Yeah, and that's not cheesy at all.

Men were tripping over themselves as they saw her glide into the square. Her head held high, her emerald eyes open wide to the world, full of wonder and joy, a golden smile spread across her lips, she looked every part the princess she was.

Eugene felt a ripple of what he could only describe as jealousy erupt in his stomach, but he easily pushed it aside. Dream away fools. I'm the one she wants.

Rapunzel paused in the middle of the floor, following her parents lead. They hugged her close while the crowd ahhed in well-timed harmony and then the music began to swell once more. As couples collided in the center, Eugene lost sight of Rapunzel. Drawing his hat further over his eyes, he plunged into the crowd to find her.

She was easy enough to spot, dancing with her father to a lively jig. Peopled brushed past him as they danced in circles around. Content that she was fine for the moment, he escaped the crowded floor to find reprieve, always careful to keep away from wondering eyes.

Pulling back from the lights, he suddenly caught sight of the Snuggly Duckling thugs standing together at a distance from the group. Drinking from large tankards, they seemed extremely at ease as they swayed to the beat.

"Fancy seeing you here." Eugene shimmered over to where they stood, fairly certain that he could some find some safety here.

"Rider!" Big Nose exclaimed, enveloping him in his arms and squeezing the life out of him. "We were so worried about you."

"Yeah, you nearly got us in trouble again," Hook Hand piped up, clapping a hand on his shoulder, "Have a sip."

Before Eugene could protest, a mug was forced to his lips. With his mouth already partially open, the liquid poured easily through. He swallowed and sighed inwardly as it left him feeling warm and tingly. It had been a while since he savoured anything this good. He relished in the taste, licking the remaining drops off his lips and letting them melt off his tongue. "Delicious!"

The thugs applauded vigorously as he took another swig. Flynn Rider would have succumbed to a full mug of this and many, many more, but as amazingly savoury as it was, Eugene Fitzherbert had to keep his wits sharp. It was bad enough that he was here; it would be a disaster if he drank himself senseless.

"So, where's Blondie? Or should we call her Brownie now?"

Eugene laughed. "Call her Rapunzel," he suggested, tempted to take another swallow, "She'll like that better. And she should be out there dancing." He hadn't yet realized that the upbeat music had stopped, or that the girl in question was weaving through the crowd, excited to have seen Vlad's towering form, knowing that meant the thugs were in the vicinity.

"There she is!" Attila exclaimed, the first to see the princess wandering through the crowd. Reaching forward, he took her by the hand and spun her around, before pulling her into a giant bear hug.

"Don't hog her," Hook Hand reached for her next and tugged her away before wrapping his arms around her.

"Let me have a turn!"

One by one the thugs took their turns to squeeze the life out of her, passing her like a doll. Vlad was the last to hold her. He was so big she almost disappeared under his hefty arms. And then he released her and she fell, slightly dizzy into Eugene's hands.

"Hi," he whispered. Holding her close, he could smell vanilla on her. The scent clogged his nose, clouding his mind. His entire body was tingling now as he longed to claim her lips.

"Hi," And suddenly he didn't have to long anymore. Reaching up, she gave him a quick peck. It wasn't nearly enough, but it was something to ease his racing heart.

The thugs booed. "Come one! You can do better than that!"

People were turning their heads to see the commotion now. So much for keeping a low profile. Eugene needed to hide and fast.

Releasing Rapunzel, he ducked behind Vlad as a man stepped forward from the crowd, a lord. It was easy enough to tell that he was of noble birth, if only by the questioning eyebrow that rose as he took in the company she kept.

"Your highness," he bowed low, his blond hair almost sweeping the ground. His misty blue eyes shone as his head lifted once more, and he reached for her hand, taking it in his, pressing his lips to it ever so gently.

Leave her alone. Eugene grumbled inwardly as his jealous feeling return, gnawing at him with more intensity than before. Get away.

"I was wondering if I could ask for a dance?"

Say no. Say no.

But Rapunzel was far too kind to say no. Nodding, she allowed the man to lead her back to the dancing couples as a slightly slower tune began to play. Before disappearing in the throng, she threw a quick apologetic glance back at Eugene, only to see him watching her with sad eyes.

"You've got competition," Big Nose whispered teasingly, "He's handsome."

"You want him? By all means, go get him," Eugene shot back angrily before storming away, hating himself for being cranky, hating Rapunzel for being so beautiful, and hating that someone else had noticed.

The night was growing dark, and Eugene was wishing he could disappear. Rapunzel had come looking for him, but he was upset with her – for no good reason. He knew she'd done nothing wrong, and he was more upset with himself for being so easily disturbed. But it was easier to blame her with the spirits still coursing through his veins.

"You've been avoiding me."

So she'd finally found him. Good for her. Glancing at her, he was prepared to say something to upset her. But one look at her face and his heart melted. He was stupid for being angry. He was lucky he had paused before speaking. If he had hurt her again. God, I'm no good for her. "Sorry."

"I did something wrong." It wasn't a question on her part. Her voice was steady, as if it was a question she'd been pondering and finally come up with the correct answer.

"No," Eugene insisted fiercely.

Rapunzel hesitated, as if not perfectly satisfied with his response, "Do you want to dance?"

"No." This time the answer was perfectly honest. He'd seen her dance with ten men at least, and while jealously had emerged every time, he was not one for dancing. Not now. Not here. Not again.

"Oh." Her face crumbled as she fell into disappointed silence.

Damnit. "Okay."

"We don't have to…"

"No, let's," he asserted firmly, reaching for her hand. "I want to." He didn't really, but if it meant making her happy.

And indeed, her face lit up excitedly. "Give me one second."

He waited patiently as she ran off, wondering what she was chasing after this time, dreading the moment when she would return. When she finally did, she looked perfectly pleased with herself. Two seconds later, he understood why.

Piano music began to fill the open air, soft and slow, like raindrops falling against the water's surface, leaving ripples to echo each note. Hook Hand sat at the bench, his eyes closed in peaceful concentration, his body moving in time with the music.

Rapunzel was already swaying to the melancholy tune, her eyes closed too as she lost herself to her imagination. For a few seconds, he just watched her, knowing that she was somewhere far away in the past. The melody was threatening to pull him under too. And then, he reached for her and pulled her in.

He'd never really danced before, not like this, not in a very, very long time. Sure he'd done the jig thing with her, but to dance properly; with feeling and emotion…he was prepared to fail horribly as he held her in his arms. After ten dances, she was a pro. Placing her hands on his shoulder and back, she looked completely at ease. She was anxious to lead him and he was anxious to follow.

It took them a while to find some rhythm as the music continued to come, full of passion. It was gorgeous, really, something even Eugene could appreciate. His feet stumbled slightly, but Rapunzel was patient, guiding him into the flow.

And so they swayed like reeds in the wind, letting the morose sound tear at their hearts as it threw them into sorrows. They said nothing, but both were lost in the same moment: when he lay dying. The music carried them into the memory, evoking images of blood and helplessness as the wall of death came up between them. But infused in Hook Hand's song was hope and as that slowly permeated the surface of notes, their memories changed. Images of the fallen tear, the bring light, and his reawakening filled their minds as the music guided them on.

Their eyes flew open simultaneously as the music swelled and hope overcame the tragic. Spurred on by the magic of the music, Eugene spun her round and round, moving with sudden grace, taking her by surprise – taking him by surprise.

"Eugene," she whispered breathlessly, "Stop."

He paused, feeling dizzy himself as the song slowed to a close they stood perfect still, clinging to each other. And then they were embracing, their lips working with passion and tenderness as the notes died away and the world around them disappeared.

He held her close, pushing her in, wanting all of her. Clutching at her clothes, her air, her skin, he lifted her up, her feet dancing inches above the ground. She giggled faintly into his lips as her legs wrapped instinctually around him. And then suddenly she was pulling away, her eyes gazing into his, wide and fearful.

"Oh," she gasped and before Eugene could grasp the situation, her eyes rolled to revealed white before her lids fluttered closed and her head fell back and she fainted into darkness.

AN: So

We're finally diving into the thick of things. The main plot is about to take fold. And from here on out, anything goes. Expect the unexpected ;)

Love to you all,

Faith Rivens 3