A.N. Hi everyone. I am extremely sorry for the long wait for this chapter. I hit a rough patch recently, and put a few things on hold. But I'm out of the deep and slowly resurfacing, and here's the proof. I'm nearly done editing my own novel, so I am glad to say that I'm ready to put more focus on this fanfiction and some of my others. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and put this story on alert. I really appreciate it and I hope this is up to standards.

And without further ado…

Chapter Seven:

"Die?" Eugene repeated, disbelief radiating through his entire body. "No." He could not look the woman in the eye as he continued to sit dumbfounded on the mattress, "I don't believe you. I don't even know you." Frustration was guiding his words. "I demand that you release me immediately."

The woman remained calm under his sudden outburst. Setting aside the half-empty glass, she reached for something in her robe. Pulling it out, revealed a gold chain with a star dangling from it. "Do you know what this is?"

He shook his head, scowling.

"It's a talisman. A pentagram."

The last word rang a note of recognition in Eugene's mind. "You're a witch," he breathed.

"No; I'm a seer."

"A seer?"

She nodded. "My name is Kaylee. I have been watching you carefully for some time now."

"Okay; creepy." Eugene regarded the woman, Kaylee, with discomfort settling ever deeper in his body. "I have a lot of questions; I don't even know where to start."

"What is it that you want to know most?"

Eugene did not need to take a pause to figure this one out. "I need to know if I can trust you enough to believe you, to believe that…I don't want to believe you." The image of Rapunzel dangling in his arms, so dead-like in appearance resurfaced. Bitterly unfriendly, he wiped it away. If this woman was indeed telling the truth…but he still couldn't accept it.

"In a week's time you will know that what I spoke today was truth. And in a week's time it will be too late. If you do love her, you must trust me now." Kaylee's voice fell to a low decibel level, layered with a piercing sincerity he'd only ever heard before in Rapunzel's.

Wringing his hands together, he released a heavy sigh. Okay Eugene. Think. What do you do? Look at her. You read people well enough, right? He found her electric blue eyes. They were steady, willing to undergo his extensive observation. His heart fell. He needed to get out of there. Now. "How did you make me dream?"

"The scent induces the mind, helps to clear your thoughts and focuses your energy. But I did not make you dream. I only led you to it. You did the rest."

"And how did I get here?"

Kaylee hesitated slightly. "What's the last thing you remember?"

He pulled through his memories: Rapunzel fainting, the crowd turning on him, the king coming to his rescue, the sharp pain in his head… "I passed out. Something hit me. But I don't know what happened after that. What did you do?" His anger was returning in full force. He stood up, his fists clenched. "What have you done?"

She did not seem at all perturbed by his pulsing ire. "I did nothing to you, Eugene. You were attacked and I saved you, brought you here and led you to the truth." She paused, her own emotions starting to take hold.

"And I'm supposed to believe all that. I'm supposed to believe that you care, that Rapunzel is going to die. Well, guess what: I don't." He shoved past her, half expecting resistance. But none came.

"Leave if you want, Eugene. But you will be back. I promise that."

Rapunzel's head was spinning, a constant pounding echoing achingly without reprieve. There was a ringing in her ears too, faint but persistent. Her mind was a muddle of indistinguishable thoughts. Confused, she could not quite remember where she was or even who she was as her brain continued to struggled against the hazy fog. And then, through the grey cloud, a face appeared. It was a man with thick brown hair that fell in his deep, hazel eyes. A tiny tuff of hair covered the edge of his chiselled chin. Eugene. The name pounded in her head and the dense haze lifted.

Her eyes flew open as her breaths came in ragged gasps. "Eugene." She shouted his name as she recognized her room in the palace. Strong hands gripped her arms, hands that were not Eugene's. She whipped her head to the side to see her father sitting by her side.

"Rapunzel? It's alright. You're safe." He squeezed her tight, his cheeks shimmering with fallen tears, his eyes red and puffy.

"Phillip?"

"She's awake," he replied as Adelaide awoke from where she had fallen asleep in her seat. They had both spent the night here, dreadfully fearful for their daughter. To see her awake, filled their hearts with joy, though a certain amount of panic ripped at the back of their minds. She had called his name first, but he was not here.

The king and queen held back, waiting for their daughter to remember what had happened. Her wide eyes spoke of mild confusion, but as her mind worked to furiously to recall the events that had transpired as she slowly fell into a lull of security.

"I…fainted?" she questioned, still trying to piece everything together. She'd been dancing, lost in the music, spinning around and around without ever growing dizzy because he held her safe and tight. And even when the music had finished, she had remained lost in the sound, swept up in the excitement. He had kissed her in that moment with passion she'd never known before. Her own heart had melted in desperation, wanting to have him, a powerful feeling of longing laying heavily upon her. It had awakened new and exhilarating sensations within her. And then the blackness had come crashing down over her. "Where is he?"

Adelaide and Phillip shared a quick glance, but were saved the trouble of answering when a knock came at the door. "Come in," he called out welcomingly, glad for the disruption.

Vincent entered first, followed by a man Rapunzel could not recognize. She had been half-expecting Eugene, but as she watched her parents' faces, she began to fear the news they were trying to conceal.

"The physician has arrived," he declared, allowing the older man to sweep into the room. He was a good inch taller than Vincent with greying hair that grew sparse over his balding top.

"Your majesties." The man bowed low. "I came as soon as I could."

"We appreciate your speed, Doctor," Adelaide spoke up gratefully, "She just woke up."

The man glanced over to the bed where Rapunzel was now moving into an upright position. She regarded the Doctor carefully, trying to assess her. His face was full of wrinkles that softened his otherwise hard features. His eyes were grey and did not hold much warmth. But as he saw her staring, he smiled with a certain gentleness that set her mind at ease.

"Princess," He bowed again, focusing solely on her, "I am glad to see you awake. If you do not mind, I would like to examine her alone." He directed this last bit at her parents who nodded rather hesitantly before walking out of the room with Vincent on their tail.

Outside in the hall, they remained for a couple seconds as the soft murmur of voices floated through the door. "Do you suppose she'll be alright?" Adelaide asked fearfully, her hands wringing nervously together.

"She'll be fine, dear," Phillip promised, hoping it to be true as he took her hand in his. She smiled gratefully, but it faltered again as panic flitted through her features.

"What of Eugene?" she enquired softly, turning to Vincent for a response.

He shook his head, a deep frown lining his features. "My men have scoured the entire town without any luck. In the scuffle, it was hard to see what happened. For all we know…"

"Don't say it…" Adelaide interrupted him fiercely, "I can't even begin to imagine how Rapunzel will…if he really is…We only just got her back." Tears were beginning to slide down the queen's cheek as silent sobs echoed inside her. To see her daughter in a frail state was difficult enough to endure. She knew how much love Rapunzel felt for the boy who had shown her the world. If anything happened to him, she would be heartbroken.

Phillip was a sturdy figure as he sensed his wife's despair. She needed him to be the strong one now. "Redouble your efforts. I refuse to lose hope now."

Vincent nodded resolutely, though his eyes revealed a sense of qualm. "Sir, if I may just question…what if Rider has run off on his own accord?"

"He wouldn't. He loves her," Adelaide insisted as her tears began to subside. She was deathly certain of this fact.

"But perhaps his love for her is what pushed him to leave," Vincent suggested. He was not nearly as convinced of Rider's love for the princess. But try as he might, he could not ignore the fact that the boy reminded him of a young version of himself. And if he were in Rider's position, he knew exactly what he would do. "Perhaps he blames himself and does not want to be found."

The king and queen remained silent. Neither had considered the possibility of Eugene running, but with Vincent's words left to resound in their heads, they were beginning to see it as a very likely solution.

Meanwhile, Rapunzel was wondering too about Eugene and where he was. Doctor Gofford, as he was known, had only just finished his examination. She felt slightly weird after his examination, despite his reassurances and gentle treatment.

"All done," he smiled at her as he scribbled a few things on his paper. "Let me get the king and queen to join us again."

They came eagerly into the room, just the two of them, anxious to hear the news. "Yes, Doctor."

"She's fine," he assured them, immediately brining relief to their troubled minds, "I blame the fainting spell on fatigue. From what I hear, she's had a dreadfully exhausting week." He had asked Rapunzel about her activities and she had eagerly told him about her adventure to see the lanterns and her reunion with her parents. When she had mentioned healing Eugene, he had been disbelieving at first. But thinking on the renowned healing qualities of the flower her mother had ingested, he knew that it made sense. "I would severely recommend bed rest for the next few days. No celebrations, no dancing, just pure relaxation and in a week she'll back to her old self."

He was wrong, but none could have known at that moment.

When the doctor had left the room with heavy thanks from the king and queen, Rapunzel turned to her parents, prepared to ask them the one question haunting her thoughts. "Where's Eugene?"

A long, contemplative silence followed her response. In the time that it took for them to reply, she began to consider the various possibilities. Her first thought was that he was dead, but she stiffly rejected the idea. He cannot be dead, she ordered fiercely to the universe. The next and more probably cause for his absence was that he was injured. She could not know what had transpired after her fainting. Had someone recognized him? Had they possibly attacked him? There was a third possibility that crossed her mind, one that seemed incomparably worse than even the thought that he was dead.

"We're not certain, sunshine," her father told her softly, "After you fainted, some of the villagers…confronted him. We tried to help, but we lost sight of him in the scuffle. But we're looking; I promise. We'll find him."

Rapunzel remained quiet as the news sunk in. "He didn't leave me, then?" she enquired in a low whisper, trepidation evident in her voice as she expressed her main concern.

Her mother shook her head. "Of course not. He would be here now, if he could."

"But…he's alive?"

The king looked solemn, finding it difficult to decide between being honest and maintaining Rapunzel's hopes. "We believe he is, but we don't know…"

"I need some sleep," Rapunzel interrupted him quickly, "I'm tired."

"Rapunzel…"

But she would not listen to their please. Casting her head down on the pillow, she turned to stare into empty space. They did not believe he had left her, but if she were to listen to them, it would mean believing he was someone's captive or dead. A lose-lose situation, it yanked angrily at her emotions, causing the tears to form in her eyes before pooling over in waves. She could feel her parents staring at her. She was grateful that they did not speak, but at the same time she was glad that they did not leave. Loneliness was already threating to drown her as she longed after Eugene, somehow knowing that he alone would dispel the exhaustion withering her limbs.

Eugene emerged in a damp alleyway, shrouded in darkness. Light was streaming in delicately through the lamp that hung overhead, but it was hardly enough to dispel the dreariness of the place. Passing out of the stifling area, he took a grateful breath of air, glad to feel the sun beating down upon him. Here, he could regain his senses, could think clearly, could feel in control.

The woman had not pursued him, and he seriously doubted that she would. Her words were still resounding in his head, but he would not let them consume him. Here in the open air, he could be certain that her promise of Rapunzel's death was nothing more than a heinous lie composed to torture him. He would not dwell on it.

But still his stomach burned with uncertainty, and his heart ached with fear. He needed to see her, to know she was alright. Glancing around, he was aware that people were beginning to stare. He could not for the life of him recognize this part of Corona, but the turrets rising to the east were at least pointing him in the right direction, leading him back to Rapunzel.

Vincent found him ten minutes later, looking half-relieved, half-angered. "Where have you been?" he hissed darkly as he grabbed Eugene by the arm, "I've had my men out looking for you all morning."

"I'd rather not talk about it," Eugene grumbled, not at all pleased to see the captain, even if he had tried to protect him.

An eyebrow rose curiously, but scowling, he let it drop. "Fine. Come on." Without another word, he turned his back on Eugene and began to storm towards the castle.

In silence, Eugene followed, aware of the dreadful emptiness of the square. He wondered what had happened after he had fallen unconscious, but could hardly find the courage to ask Vincent.

They reached the castle within minutes where they were eagerly greeted by the queen. She wrapped her arms around him instantly, holding him tight. "I was so worried," she whispered as she released him, "Poor you." Her hand fell softly on his cheek.

He flinched as even the gentlest of touches prompted a sharp pain.

The queen's eyes flickered sadly. "I am sorry. I cannot believe what they did…they do not understand…"

"It's fine," Eugene reassured her, suddenly beginning to feel the pain of last night's attacks. Soreness was settling in, but he would ignore it for now, as long as she was alright. "Rapunzel?" he asked delicately.

"She's doing well. She will be very glad to see you."

Eugene's heart lightened considerably as he followed the queen to Rapunzel's room. She was fine. The doctor had examined her carefully and she would be fine. The words echoed with a hint of elation. The witch had lied. She would be fine.

The king was standing outside the door when they arrived. Looking distraught, his eyes revealed a glint of relief as he saw Eugene. "Well: the prodigal son returns."

"I am terribly sort for the mess I made…" Eugene rapidly launched into an apology, but with a raised hand was silenced.

"Rapunzel has already explained that she forced you to go and I will not let you take responsibility for the crowd's reaction. If anything, yesterday proved that we have much work to do. But right now, there is someone who desperately wants to see you. Go on."

With a quick thanks, Eugene pushed open the door, internally glad that he could face her alone. It showed a certain level of trust, if nothing else. Though the fact that they remained right behind the door also revealed a need for precaution. They needn't worry, but he wouldn't attempt to convince them of that.

"Go away, Daddy." Her voice was muffled, but forceful from where she lay hidden beneath her covers.

Relief washed through him, refreshing as it drained away his concerns. He could see the sheets rising and falling as they covered her tiny form. From the shapes, he could tell that she was curled in a foetal position. He could picture her perfectly in his mind's eyes, her hands gripping tightly to her knees, her head burrowed in her pillow, her brown hair splayed out in a messy fashion. For a few seconds, he relished in the situation of knowing that his voice would dispel her concern, would bring a smile to her face, and a glow to her eyes.

"Rapunzel?"

Even though she was hidden, he could almost see her eyes open wide, her breath catching in her throat as her arms released her legs. And then the covers were thrown off and she was sitting in bed, her canary yellow nightgown pulled dangerously up her legs, barely concealing her. But he was focusing only on her face and those twinkling emerald eyes. He had feared that he would never see them again.

"Eugene!" she cried happily and dashed from her bed to throw her arms around him. She leapt up as she did and wrapped her legs around him. Taken aback, Eugene stumbled back into the wall. A tingling sensation of pain wound up his spine, but he held it back as her lips found his. Heavenly perfection. He could hardly describe the mixture of emotions flooding him as he lost himself in his love for her. He held tight to her as her hands ran through his hair.

Oh how he wanted her. His feral instincts were crying out, but he fought them down. Not here. Not now.

Breaking away from Rapunzel, he helped her to the floor, just as her parents came into the room.

"We thought we heard something," the king started to explain, but lost his sentence as he saw Rapunzel standing there. "You should be in bed, sunshine," he chided her as he guided her away from Eugene.

"But, Daddy…"

"Doctor's orders," he cut her off before an argument could be devised, "Eugene can stay, but I want you lying in bed."

Rapunzel nodded, her faced pulled in an expression of disapproval as she sank into the mattress. "Fine."

Eugene could not help but smirk at the stubborn girl. Spunky. It was the perfect word for her. "I'll make sure she stays put," he promised, hoping they would leave again. The king seemed hesitant, but with a little coaxing from the queen, they disappeared from the room.

"Sorry about that," Rapunzel apologized as he took the unoccupied seat beside her. She was sitting up, not lying down, but Eugene couldn't see how it would make a difference, "The Doctor is insisting that I rest."

"Well, he knows best." Eugene would rather see her confined to bed if it meant her getting better quicker, than have her running around town, "And they more you rest, the better you'll get."

"But I feel fine," Rapunzel sighed heavily before noticing something on Eugene's cheek. "What happened?" she asked, brushing her finger lightly over the dark mark.

"Nothing," Eugene lied. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips. She giggled as bristles of chills swept through her. "It doesn't matter; you're okay."

Her arms flung around him once more, her head pressed into his chest. Everything was going to be fine. This morning had been nothing more than a terrible nightmare, one he would gladly forget. The king and queen knew she would be fine. The doctor knew she would be fine. And he believed them.

With gentle hands, he treaded through Rapunzel's short locks, loving the feel of them against his fingers. And then terror took hold.

Holding Rapunzel in his arms, he knew that he had been terribly wrong. Only he could see what the others were too blind or ignorant to notice. Only he could see the strands of white hair lost in the sea of brown.

A.N. So? What did you think? Still good? Getting more exciting. Is everything clear? Drop a review and let me know. The action is beginning to set in. The next chapter will see Eugene take initiative and then…well, you'll have to stick around to see.

Love you all,

Faith Rivens