Okay! Sooooo this chapter is twice as long as all the other ones :O I've actually seen some fanfics where the author apologizes for the chapter being long, but I actually don't see the down side of it... Well anyway, this is where we find out how Eugene got in the castle... as a servant! Enjoy!
Eugene's POV:
"I'm telling you, Rider, It'll be fun! There's no need to be shy!" says Chuck as he pours some water in my cup. Red nods his head vigorously with a goofy grin plastered on his face.
"I don't think so, guys. I'm not going to stay here too long." I say. I can't imagine just settling in Corona living as a fisherman until, "your writing gig takes off!" according to Chuck. I did not go through the world's crappiest childhood to play house. Princess or no princess, I did everything I could to live as Flynn Rider, nothing's going to take the thrill of adventure away from me. Still, I haven't seen Rapunzel in three days. Believe me I've tried, but Chuck and Red always have something planned. Today they want me to go meet their fishermen friends to make me 'part of the gang'.
"...and we're gonna cook some fishies! Grab some beers and just have the bestest party this here kingdom's ever seen!" Red says enthusiastically.
"I just don't want to bother anybody..." I lie. I just don't want go. One whack-job? Fun. Two whack-jobs? Even better. But a crowd of them? I don't think so.
"Don't be a loon! They're gonna love yah! Hey. You should tell a campfire story!"
Honestly, that's a little tempting, but Rapunzel... "What time is it?" I sigh, partially genuinely eager, and partially annoyed that I always end up giving up with these guys. I'm very good at persuading people, just not these two.
"8 o'clock tonight!" exclaims Red. Chuck smirks, like he knew for sure I'd cave.
"Fine. But I want the rest of the day to hang around the city by myself, if y'all don't mind."
Y'all? Where the hell did 'y'all' come from?
"Knock yourself out!"
I nod and thank them for breakfast before walking out the door. The instant the door is closed, I break into a sprint for the castle. With every step, I just get more and more anxious. Adrenaline courses through me as I slowly inch closer. I can't wait to tell her everything. My alibi for Red and Chuck, some of the stuff they taught me to do and all that. But mostly, I want to see if this prince is treating her right; that he's not the jerk that I was to some other girls I was with in the past.
I freeze when I reach the front of the palace gates. This where I have to start being careful. A line of about 50 guards stare at me suspiciously, waiting to see if I'm trying to pull something. I stand up straight, put my hands in my pockets and whistle as I turn around trying to look casual. I peek back to see if they've stopped looking at me and they haven't. I grunt and walk quickly out of their sight. Why are there so many of them? I'm going to have to go around the whole thing.
Half way to the back I realize something that scares the crap out of me. What if she doesn't want to see me? What if she's fallen in love with that Armgenedo guy, or whatever his name is, so much that she won't want me there anymore? For a second, anger and hurt flush through me and I stop. No. I can't think like that. All the other girls I've met always came crawling back for more Rider.
But would they have done that with Eugene? I doubt it. But Rapunzel's not all those other girls. She's not anything close to being a little like other girls. She knows what I've been through. Suddenly, I hear something.
"It's just, you know her better," I hear someone say; a man. I snap my head up and look to see that I've already made it to the other side of the palace and two people are walking in the garden. I can tell by the way they're both dressed they're royalty.
The girl laughs and the man talks again, "What can- Is there anything I can do to, you know, make her, well us- all of us more comfortable with... everybody in general?"
The girl rolls her eyes, but she's still smiling, "She's just a girl, Amegendo!" She says, "It really is the little things."
Right, Amegendo, that's his name. Now I can only assume they're talking about Rapunzel. I step out and there aren't any guards blocking the back of the castle. So that's why there are so many. They're from three different kingdoms. Really? Fifty guards and you cramp them all in one area? I swear, the lack of security I see in all the places I've robbed is just amazing. Well, except Haldane. I pick up a stone and throw it in the bushes behind them. When it lands, they look back and I haul myself over the gate and dive into more bushes in one fluid motion, because I'm just that impressive and continue watching them.
"Bird... I guess..." says Amegendo.
"Yeah," she agrees still looking a little confused. She shakes it off, "anyway, the little things! Rapunzel's not as scary as you think." He thinks she's scary? "She's strong, and it's hard to change her mind, but that just means she's driven. Good qualities," Couldn't agree more! "You're a lucky guy!" Couldn't agree more...
He chuckles, "Thank you."
There's a silence, "Yeah, well, she's pretty lucky herself..." she says looking away.
He scrunches his nose and gives something of a snort, but not quite, "Thank you again, Patriala."
Patriala looks back at him and gives a toothy grin in reply then looks away again. I see a hint of longing in his face, but it's gone in an instant. I decide not to think too much of it.
"Ahem... So what I'm saying is, that you should just try to move past the first night you two met, and try to make a fresh start." She says
"And how do you propose I do that?"
"Things like, telling her she looks nice every once in a while and pulling her chair out for her, you could do that at breakfast later!"
I follow them through the row of bushes as they continue to talk about Rapunzel, and I'm not going to lie, I'm listening very intently to all of Patriala's tips. They continue this for about ten minutes until a boy in clean white servant's uniform comes.
"Prince Amegendo, your majesty," he says politely, "Your parents, the king and queen request your presence in their quarters."
Amegendo frowns, "Thank you," he tells the man before turning to Patriala, "Would you like me to walk you back to your room or-?"
"No, no. I'll walk out here for awhile." She says
"Well, alright. I'll see you at breakfast then." They bow slightly at each other and Prince Amegendo departs with the boy. Patriala begins to walk by herself and I return my attention to finding my way in. I continue in moving forward until I see Rapunzel's balcony... shut. I sigh knowing that is definitely not how I'm getting in. My eyes travel downward where I see an open room, in the middle is a large wall of crates. On the right of the crates are a large number of people, some squeezing grapes, others peeling grapes, in short, I see people with a whole lot of grapes. On the left of crates, it's just an empty hallway that leads into the castle; a part of the castle I know is just under Rapunzel's room. I consider making I break for it right there and then, but I know better than hope no one will see me. I pick up another stone, and just when I'm about to throw it...
"Excuse me!" I hear Princess Patriala yell. At first I think she saw me, but then she run into the room with grapes, "What are you making?"
An old man smiles at her, "Welcome princess, we are making this morning's grape juice."
Her eyes light up and she starts talking really fast about something grape related. This could be my chance. I jump from one bush to another, behind a tree and all that. After that I run for the left of the crates and try to remain as quite as possible. I hear what the princess is saying as I try to sneak away.
"I make juice back at home sometimes!"
"Oh," the man says, "would you like to try?"
"Could I?" The man nods and she smiles, "Alright! Could you please bring me your freshest grapes? And you," she points to someone else, "please bring me some strainers. And you please bring me a bucket. And... you!" I feel her eyes on my back just as I'm about to reach the clear, and I turn my head back ever so slightly. Every pair of eyes in the room is directed at me. Their faces blank.
"Please bring me a pan!" She says smiling, "Since you're on your way to the kitchen anyway!"
I try to look less nervous. Nobody says anything. No, "Hey! He's not from here!" or anything of the sort. Nobody recognizes me, but they all believe I must work here.
"Right away, your grace." I say backing into the castle opening. When I reach inside, I see the kitchen door just across the hall and walk in, confident no one will care. I go inside and I see a busy kitchen. Nobody is fazed by my entrance. I look around a few times around for a pan. I find one sitting by a row of chefs and pick it up. I'm about to leave when I take better look at it. The pan Rapunzel nicknamed me after, on that first night. My need to see her is just re-ignited. Suddenly, someone grabs my shoulder.
"Oy! You have to put the uniform on!" a servant lady says, "The chef will serve your head for dinner if you don't put it on. She turns around, grabs a uniform and shoves it at me, "Hey Clyde! Help this guy out!"
Everything is so loud and crowded in the kitchen. In what could easily be a minute or an hour, Clyde helps me put the uniform on, I'm able to ask someone to give Princess Patriala the pan, and I'm told to, "Mix this!", "Boil that!", "Salt it, now!" My head hurts. All these orders, I hate it. But that's why I don't live like this. I would have never done this for just anyone, just a really special friend like Rapunzel. Maybe I'd do it for Chuck and Red, but I'd certainly be grumpier about it. After awhile, somebody pushes me out of the kitchen.
Oh! Sweet silence! In the quiet, spacious hallway, I sigh with relief. A line of servants to my side are handed one pitcher of grape juice each. I get one, and they all start moving to the dining hall. Rapunzel will be there. Oh my god. She's going to be pissed. I don't care. I'd rather see her mad then not see her at all.
We enter the room and I see her, sitting beside Prince Amegendo, listening to Princess Patriala tell a story. My heart-beat goes mad. The other servants spread out and I speed walk to Rapunzel, to make one hundred percent sure she sees me. I can't wipe the grin off my face. Her reaction is going to be very entertaining.
Princess Patriala finishes her story and I pour in her juice and wait. She takes the glass and looks up, "Thank you." She says before her eyes bulge and she screams, "Oh my! Eu-!" She stops herself.
"Dear what's wrong?" King Harold says.
I watch her. My heart is beating so fast it's going to explode. The joy and amusement is just too much! I can't stop grinning. She stares at them then goes, "This grape juice tastes different! It's amazing!"
Right there.
The single most difficult thing I've ever had to do in my entire life.
I use every fibre I have in my body to hold in that laugh. And even though she isn't looking, I can see the death glare directed at me in the corner of her eye. It just makes everything funnier.
King Edmund is the first to move. He takes a sip and says, "It does taste familiar... Patriala, did you make this?"
Wow. Lucky girl, because...
"I did!" Princess Patriala starts giggling, "I saw them making it in the kitchen, so I stepped!" Well, not the exactly the kitchen, but whatever, "Wow, Rapunzel. I'm so glad you like it!"
Rapunzel laughs nervously, "Yes. I do." She shoots me another look.
I just wink at her and leave. In just a few minutes, she'll come find me. I'm sure of it. I'm distracted while waiting for her; standing in the kitchen staring at the door. I think I get yelled at for not doing anything a few times, but they stop talking to me when I end up never responding. I was right about the wait not being long, because very soon, the door swings open to reveal a very angry princess turning her head left and right. I push through the crowd and as soon she sees me, I decide to open with a little joke, but she forcefully yanks my arm. All of a sudden I feel guilty.
"Rapunzel, I-"
"Shh! Don't talk!" She mutters angrily.
"I just wanted-" I try again
"Quiet, Eugene!" she says
I decide I'll just explain when we get to her art room, but we end up in her bedroom instead. She throws my arm down when we're inside, then shuts the door and closes the balcony. I'm about to explain when she turns around, and I'm lost for words.
"Have you lost your mind?!" She starts, but I'm no longer paying attention. I'm suddenly very aware that after a crazy morning, I'm here, standing in front of her. And she's yelling at me, because she cares about what could have happened to me. Meaning she cares about me. Period.
"You could have gotten caught and they would've-"
In one big stride and lock her into an embrace. I missed her so much, "Hi." I say
I don't care if she keeps yelling, I'm not letting go. But to my surprise, she ends up sighing and hugging back, "Hey Eugene."
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to see if you were okay."
She giggles buries her head in my chest and I smile, "Of course I'm okay," She says, "Couldn't you have waited until night?"
"No." We laugh, but I'm serious. I couldn't come tonight partially because of Red and Chuck, mostly because I was getting very impatient and I just had to see her already. Just talk to her.
She steps back and looks at me, "What are you doing here?'
I scratch that back of my neck, "That's quite a story..."
She sits on the chair behind her, "Tell me, and I don't care what it is, I don't think it justifies you coming in here like that!"
I smile and tell her everything from the last time we saw each other, to now.
NOTE: Um, an issue I want to discuss. Someone asked me if I stole my plot from the new Disney movie, 'Brave'. Well, I actually started this story before the first trailer of Brave came out. And also, Complications of a Princess is more on the relationships, and it's sort of a romance. Brave is based purely on family ties. So, no, I didn't get this idea from Brave.
BUT! I just watched Brave a few hours ago, and I love it! If you haven't seen it, I think you should! Alright, now you can review! Thank you dears!