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A whole day had come and gone, full of last minute wedding preparations and fussy servants. Not once had Rapunzel been able to see her husband-to-be and make sure that he had recovered from his sadness from the previous night. Now that the day was over, she decided to see if she could find him before they went to bed. The problem was where he would be. Normally after supper he went out to the gardens, but he wasn't there when Rapunzel checked.

She strolled towards the library, hoping to find him along the way. She had to retrieve a book she had left in there anyways. She hardly expected him to be in there, but to her surprise, he was. She didn't see him at first, but after she had found her book, she spotted him sitting on the sofa with his back to her. She came up behind him and saw that he was hunched over, holding something in his hands and studying it carefully. He didn't notice her even when she was directly behind him.

"Nathaniel?" she finally said.

His head shot up and and his hands flew in the air. Whatever he had been holding was flung into the air. Rapunzel, without time to think, stretched out her hand and caught whatever it was. Nathaniel looked at her, his blue eyes wide with surprise, then he looked at her hand that was holding whatever he had been studying.

Rapunzel opened her hand and saw a silver necklace resting in her palm. It had a long chain and a small, circular pendant about the size of her thumbnail on the end of it. There was a heart engraved into it and there was something written on it. Roseanne. Nathaniel held out his hand. "Could I have that back, please?"

Rapunzel handed it over to him. "What is it?" she wondered.

"It's... nothing," Nathaniel stammered.

Rapunzel was not convinced. "I think that if we are going to be married tomorrow, you should probably start trusting me with things," she said gently.

Nathaniel didn't say anything. Rapunzel saw the sadness reappear in his eyes again as he rolled the pendant around in his hands. "Was it your... mother's?" Rapunzel asked cautiously.

Nathaniel bit his lip. "It's nothing really," he said, "Roseanne was... someone I knew before I came here. She was... a good friend and I'm just sort of missing her, that's all."

"She gave you the necklace?"

"Yes. Well, I exchanged her a ring for the necklace..." Nathaniel trailed off.

Rapunzel understood perfectly. "She sounds like she was very special to you," she urged him on, "More special than just a friend?"

Nathaniel's eyes sagged and he put all his focus on the necklace in his hand, refusing to look at Rapunzel. "I don't want to bother you with this. I'll be over it by tomorrow. She was just a commoner, I-"

"I'm in love with a commoner too," Rapunzel interrupted him suddenly.

Nathaniel finally looked at her. "Who said I was in love with her?"

"Well everything you've said and done implies that you were. Am I wrong?"

Nathaniel hesitated, but finally answered. "Yes... My father doesn't know about us. I've been seeing her for years... ever since I met her when I was sixteen."

"How did you meet her?" Rapunzel asked tenderly.

"She stumbled into a garden party my father was holding. I was particularly bored and had decided to go for a walk on my own. I was by the fountain. She came up and tapped me on the shoulder wanting to ask me the way out, but you may have noticed that I'm a bit jumpy sometimes, and well... let's just say that after a bit of flailing and screaming, we both ended up in the fountain."

Rapunzel smiled at him. It sounded just about as romantic as her first encounter with Eugene. Whacking him over the head with a frying pan and then stuffing him in a closet. "And?" she pressed.

"We became good friends after we forgave each other for the wet clothing. I saw her whenever I could..." Nathaniel sighed, "Eventually, I gave her a promise ring and she gave me her necklace. I wasn't sure how to tell my father about her. I kept trying to send him the message through hints, but he didn't pick up on any of them. I couldn't bring myself to tell him. He has always had such high expectations for my marriage. He would never accept my feelings for a commoner. Then the next thing I knew, he was telling me that I was going to get married to the princess of Corona."

Rapunzel's heart ached for him. They were both in a similar position. Nathaniel suddenly scoffed at himself. "I don't know what it is about you," he said, "but you somehow managed to get so much information out of me in a few minutes than my father has managed in all 20 years of my life."

Rapunzel shrugged. "It's happened before. I was able to get the most stuck up and reserved man to open up and reveal his soft center to me. I hardly had to try... I just asked about it."

Nathaniel nodded. "I believe it. Was this the commoner that you mentioned?"

Rapunzel nodded. She was sure her own eyes now displayed signs of sadness as she thought of Eugene. Nathaniel nodded again then sighed. "It really is a shame. It's difficult to be a leader of so many people that depend on you. You can't marry who you want, and you are expected to be this perfect idol for people to look up to even though you fell so insecure."

Rapunzel hung her head slightly. "Mm-hmm," she said, forcing back the emotion threatening to break loose and turn her into a blubbering idiot, "I guess all we can do is... just... ignore our personal feelings and think of what's best for our kingdoms."

"Yes. I agree," Nathaniel said. He patted her hand, "If I have to be forced to marry someone, I'm glad it's you, Rapunzel."

Rapunzel was touched. He stood up and headed towards the door of the library. "Good night," he said before walking out of the room.

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Eugene grumbled as the door closed to Sir Radcliffe's and Lady Vivian's room. He and Levi had been trailing them all day, trying to learn more about their plan. However, neither of the suspects had done anything remotely suspcious nor did they ever meet together to discuss anything in secret. It was enough to discourage Eugene and Levi greatly. The wedding was only a day away and they were not any closer to figuring out the plan in store for the kingdoms of Corona and Faldonia.

"Did they say anything?" Levi asked, coming around the corner.

"No. Just good night," Eugene said with a sigh.

Levi sighed in turn. "What are we going to do? We don't have much time left."

"I don't know," Eugene said, "All I know is that the kingdoms should not unite if that's what Radcliffe and Vivian want."

"You're right... but how do we stop it?"

Eugene tapped his chin in thought. "We need to tell someone."

Levi scoffed. "Who would believe us? Radcliffe could easily turn the proof we have on us." He held up the letter to emphasize his point.

"I know. That's why we should give it to someone who would believe us. Someone who could also do something about it."

"Like who?"

"Like Rapunzel."

Levi blinked. "The princess? You've got to be kidding me!"

"No I'm not. She would believe it. I know she would."

"How are we supposed to approach her with it?" Levi still remained unconvinced.

Before Eugene could answer, he heard some footsteps approaching. He turned and saw Rapunzel coming around the corner. In a panic, Eugene leapt behind a nearby plant. Levi looked at Eugene confused then nodded curtly at Rapunzel as she passed. As soon as she was gone, Levi leaned down towards Eugene who was squatted behind the plant. "What are you doing? No one can see you except me."

"No... she can see me too."

"What?" Levi asked, shocked.

Eugene shrugged. "Certain people can see me. You and her are the only ones that I know of who can see me."

"Well, what does it matter if she sees you?"

"I..." Eugene was suddenly at a loss for words, "Well... she... she and I... I rescued her, but on the way... well I came to think of her as more than just a strange girl I found and she..."

Levi nodded with a small smirk on his face. "I get it, but why don't you want her to see you?"

"I... left her."

"Left her?"

Eugene nodded. "It's complicated, but let's just say that if she sees me... she might, I don't know, fall over dead from heartbreak."

Levi seemed taken aback by such a statement, but he didn't make a comment. Eugene cleared his throat, forcing any thoughts about Rapunzel out of his mind, "So you need to give her this letter and explain everything to her."

"I can't just show up at the princess's bedroom door and give her a note!" Levi sounded scandalized.

"You can much more easily than I can get some more papers from Lady Vivian!" Eugene mocked the scandalized voice Levi used.

Levi was silenced. He had been giving Eugene a hard time about being a gentleman because he did not want to even attempt to get another letter from Vivian.

"Look, just go to her room. She'll be happy to oblige you. Tell her... tell her that 'an old friend' sent you."

Levi sighed in exasperation as he gave in to Eugene's suggestion. "OK," he said, "But it's your fault if I end up and ghost like you."

"Paranormal."

"I don't care, but if the king finds out I was in her bedroom..." Levi folded up the letter and began to make his way down the hall towards the princess's room.

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Rapunzel was so lost in thought as she walked down the hall towards her room that she almost didn't notice the young soldier standing by a plant. She could have sworn he was making faces at it, but she continued on without another thought on the subject. She was thinking about what Nathaniel had told her about the sacrifice he was making to marry her. What he was doing in order to help her kingdom was so noble. It was a trait worth admiring. She still could not understand why he thought so low of himself.

Suddenly there was a loud knock on her door and she then realized that she was standing in her room. How long had she been there? She turned and opened the door for whoever was knocking. It was the young guard she had passed in the hallway. He didn't look much older than her, probably no more than seventeen years old. She looked at him, confused. Soldiers never came just knocking on her door especially at night.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

The guard looked rather nervous about something. "Forgive me, your highness," he said, "But I have something to tell you from... an old friend."

Rapunzel was puzzled by this. "An old friend?" she repeated.

The guard nodded. "He regrets that he could not come himself, but he knew it was important that you heard this." He held up a folded piece of paper.

Rapunzel looked at the paper then back at him. "Who sent you again?"

"Euge-" the guard suddenly cut himself off, "An old friend."

Rapunzel's heart just about stopped. "Were you about to say Eugene?" she asked quietly.

"I... no... I was..." he didn't finish.

Rapunzel knew he was lying, but if he knew Eugene, maybe she could trust him. She looked him up and down. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Levi, your majesty."

"Come in, Levi." Rapunzel opened the door wider. He hesitantly stepped inside, though Rapunzel couldn't imagine why. She closed the door and eyed the paper in his hands asking, "What is that?"

Levi held up the paper. "This is a very legitimate reason why you do not need to marry Prince Nathaniel tomorrow morning."

Rapunzel's eyes flew to the paper again. "What?"

Levi then told her about how Sir Radcliffe and Lady Vivian had intercepted some letters to Corona that were excusing any debts that were owed. He also mentioned that the 'conniving couple' (as he constantly referred to them as) wanted Corona and Faldonia to be united, that they had set it up themselves. Rapunzel was shocked and she looked at the paper, one of the letters he had managed to get his hands on.

"...and they have something far worse planned. I think they might be planning to kill somebody."

Rapunzel's head shot up. She remembered the look she had seen on Radcliffe's face at the table. "Robert!" she cried.

"What?"

"Robert. King Robert!" Rapunzel repeated. Everything started to fall unto place. Everything made sense to her now. The debts, the marriage, the stolen letters, the planned murder of Robert, Nathaniel's supposed weakness.

"I know what they're planning to do!" Rapunzel cried, "It all makes sense. Go and tell Eugene, here's the plan..."

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Eugene paced up and down the hall. It was very late, he knew that. The time didn't worry him, he couldn't sleep anyways. He did worry about Rapunzel. Levi had been gone for a long time. What was the kid doing?

The sound of footsteps reached Eugene's ears. He turned and saw Levi appear. Levi was glowing with information to share, but as soon as he saw Eugene, he froze in his tracks. Eugene rushed up to him. "What did Rapunzel say?" he asked, "What are we going to do?"

Levi didn't answer. He was gaping at Eugene like he had just sprouted another head. "What?" Eugene asked, irritated with the lack of response.

Levi swallowed hard. "Your- your face," he stuttered.

"What about it?"

"It's all sunk in. Your eyes, they're so far back into your skull." Levi looked like he was about to faint.

"What?" Eugene touched his face, but then suddenly remembered that he couldn't feel anything.

"You're whiter than paper!" Levi exclaimed, "Look at your hands!"

Eugene looked at his hands, but they were not his hands. They were completely pale and he could clearly see the skeleton outlined beneath the skin. Eugene quickly lifted his shirt and looked at his stab wound. To his horror, it was completely black and he could easily count each of his ribs.

He looked back at Levi helplessly. "I'm decaying!"

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Dun dun DUN! What's going to happen? D8

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