Nine months later, Rapunzel lies awake on her bed, sweating, feeling so old, so tired. Eugene sits in a chair that has been pulled close to the giant bed and holds her hand, soothing her best he can. Dr. Parkston has warned them that it was getting close to the end and Eugene intended on spending every possible second with his wife. He would not leave her side for anything.
"Water" Rapunzel manages to croak out the request.
Gretchen rushes to get fresh water for the princess and hands the glass to Eugene. He lifts it to his wife's lips, assisting her in sipping at the cool liquid. Rapunzel sighs and leans back against the stack of pillows against her back.
"It hurts, Eugene. So bad. I think it's time. Is my mother close by? Can you have her come?" Rapunzel manages to choke the words out amidst gasping through the pain.
"Of course, love. Gretchen will fetch her. And the doctor." He set the glass aside and motioned for Gretchen to do his bidding. "Rapunzel, would you care for a backrub? Let me sit behind you and help ease the pain a bit."
"Oh sweetheart, that would be lovely."
Eugene scooches her forward in the bed a bit and arranges himself behind her. His hands have become experts over the last few months at the art of massaging just the right spots to relieve the tension in her back. Peacefulness falls over the both of them as they began to reminisce about that day 7 months ago when everything changed forever.
"Eugene, remember the day I told you about the baby?" Rapunzel smiles at the memory. "You were so scared, but excited. You aren't very good at hiding emotions from me even if I can no longer see your face."
"I remember, Peach. I remember. You were thrilled but also disappointed, I could tell. You so wanted that pregnancy to heal you and yet there you were two months pregnant and still sick. We were all disappointed. But a baby is always exciting news, especially a royal baby. You still okay with this whole thing? Having this baby even though you now know she or he isn't the miracle you hoped for?"
"I'm wonderful. This baby is my gift to you and my parents." She places his hands on her swollen abdomen. "I would love to watch this wee one grow up, but knowing that she will be here with you, with my parents? That means so much to me. Promise me you'll never take her away from this castle. This is her home and it would kill my parents for her to be taken away like I was. They must have the opportunity to watch her grow, influence her life. Please, Eugene."
"I promise." Eugene could no longer hold back the tears. "And when I promise something, I never ever break that promise. Ever." He hugged her tight. "I love you, my Peach."
"Rapunzel, darling, tell me how the pain feels." The Queen rushes into the room, not even pausing for formalities like hello, how are you. "Is it tightening pain that is increasing in frequency and duration?"
"Yes, how did you know?"
"Because it may have been 24 years next week but I still remember exactly how it felt." The Queen sits down beside her daughter and smoothes back her hair. "Darling, just breathe, you're doing great. And it's getting so close to time."
Dr. Parkston approaches Rapunzel's other side and takes her pulse. He then sets his hands on her stomach, palpating to feel the position of the baby. "Everything seems to be going just fine, Rapunzel. I don't anticipate that your brain growth will cause you any troubles during the delivery. But just to be sure, I'm going to stay in here with you the entire rest of the time.
Four hours later, everyone in the room is weary, but none more than Rapunzel. Contraction of contraction gripped her body, causing the headache to increase in intensity. Nothing could be done for her pain. They spoke in hushed tones, attempting to keep her as comfortable as possible.
"Sweetheart, it hurts!" Rapunzel cries out as yet another pain hits.
"Squeeze my hand, tight as you want."
She squeezes through it and pants "I can't believe you did this to me! I hate you for putting me through this!"
Eugene's eyes widen, shocked at the vile words spilling from wife's lips. She has never spoken to him this way before.
"Oh Eugene, don't fret." The Queen reassures him with a small chuckle. "that's just the pains talking. I remember saying all sorts of things to my husband in the throes of labor. Don't take anything she says to heart. She doesn't mean any of it."
Relief washes over the soon-to-be-father. "What can I do for you, my love? Name anything and I'll do it."
"Oh, I'd really love some of that chocolate pudding from yesterday. Could you please go down the kitchen and get it for me? Don't send Gretchen. You go get it yourself." Her demands are simple and easy to read. He could see through them and recognize that she wanted him out of there for a few minutes. Since she probably just wanted some time alone with her mother, he acquiesced.
Rapunzel waits a minute and then whispers "Is he gone, Mum? Are we alone?"
The doctor and Gretchen step out in the hallway and then the Queen assures Rapunzel of their privacy.
"Mum, I made Eugene promise he wouldn't take this baby away from the castle. I want this child raised here with you and Father to help to guide and raise her. Is this okay? Because this means that he has to be here, too. And I know that you love him, but if you think you'll get tired of having him around, tell me now. Because as much as I want this little one to grow up here in the palace, I want her to have her father more."
"Oh Rapunzel, why are you even asking these things? You're going to be fine! Just wait and see. No matter that this didn't work, something else will. Don't lose hope yet, my dear." The Queen's tears flow freely, knowing that Rapunzel can't see the fear and hurt on her face.
"Mum, just tell me. I want to get all of this worked out…just in case." Rapunzel reaches out, trying to find her mother to hug. The Queen draws her into the circle of her arms, holding her close, watering each other's hair with their waterworks.
"That sounds perfect, Rapunzel. We will never tire of Eugene or our grandchild. He will always be family and welcome in this home no matter what."
A sharp knock on the door brings them back to the present and what is happening. "Rapunzel, it's your father, may I come in?"
Rapunzel's mother quickly rearranges Rapunzel back against the bed, checking to be sure she is decent and then rushes to the door to let her husband in. She quickly places a finger on his lips to keep his question over her tears to himself.
"Father, you're here! Mum said you probably wouldn't make it home from your trip in time. I want you to be close for when the time comes. I want, I want you to see the baby right after she comes."
"Don't you mean right after he comes?" her father teases, a long-standing joke between the two of them over whether the baby would be a boy or a girl. Each insisted they knew. "And I came as soon as word reached me. I rushed home as quickly as I could. It felt as though your horse had wings." The King had taken to using Maximus on these trips, wanting to keep the horse active and useful.
"I'm so glad you're here. But I think it's close to the end now so you probably should go. But will you stay close? In the hallway? I want you close."
The King bends down and places a small kiss on her forehead. "Of course, my daughter. Of course."
The King slips out and Eugene, the doctor and Gretchen slip back in. Eugene immediately goes to his wife and sits beside her on the bed. "Here's your pudding, Rapunzel. Would you like a bite now?"
She shakes her head no. A pain has come, the worst one yet and she is concentrating on her breath. The room goes still, everyone worried for her health. Eugene helps Rapunzel lay back and prepare for giving birth. Everyone is silent as Rapunzel works harder than she has in her entire life.
In the hallway the King notes the silence. He occasionally hears "Push, push!" and then "Waaaaaaa".
The cry breaks the silence and everyone rejoices. The King lets out the breath he didn't even realize he had been holding as he collapses against the doorway.
Inside the room, the doctor is too busy cleaning the baby and getting her wrapped to notice what Eugene notices. Rapunzel's eyes focus on the small bundle and a smile creeps across her face. She sees her daughter, she can see! "Eugene!" She cries out.
"Oh my Rapunzel, you're healed! You can see her!" Eugene's words bring everyone to a halt. The doctor rushes over and sets the newborn in Rapunzel's waiting arms and stares into her face.
"Rapunzel, you're seeing? For how long? And what about your head? How does it feel?" Dr. Parkston checks her over. How is this possible, he wonders?
"I could see her as soon as you held her up. I could saw all her hair first. Wait, she has blond hair?" Rapunzel laughs. "My head doesn't hurt at all. Oh Eugene, she is my little miracle baby!"
The King has been let in at this point and he and the Queen surround the new family. "It worked. It really worked." The King is shocked, excited, in awe.
"Of course it worked!" The Queen laughs, "I just knew it would!"
Rapunzel and Eugene smile down at their little blue-eyed baby, her long blonde hair spilling out of the blanket she's wrapped in. Rapunzel picks up her hair and begins to sing:
Flower gleam and glow
Let your power shine
Make the clock reverse
Bring back what once was mine
What once was mine
The glowing hair causes everyone in the room to gasp in amazement and delight. The King and Queen had never seen Rapunzel's hair light up so this is a new experience for them. The magic has been found.
Eugene and Rapunzel stand on the balcony overlooking the Kingdom of Corona, the rest of the Royal Family standing behind them. Rapunzel holds the sleeping baby tighter to her chest. Karishma's first lantern ceremony falls on Rapunzel's 24th birthday, a double celebration. Eugene and Rapunzel each grab a side of the lantern with the insignia of Corona emblazoned across the side. They lift it up together letting it fly, smiling into each other's eyes. Thousands of lanterns from all over the countryside float towards the sky in honor of not only the birth of the new princess, but also of Princess Rapunzel's miracle healing. In that one moment, everything is perfect.
"Eugene, let's take a vacation!"
The End