Next chapter up! The famous lantern scene! I feel like the movie certainly made this scene iconic in a way that I could never possibly recreate in words, so please go and watch it. It's my personal favorite scene in any Disney movie. As far as what's coming next, I have to warn you the Chapter 17 is going to be divided into two parts...and part one is a lot shorter than you're accustomed to...but it will be worth it in the end. So get ready now! As always, I really appreciate your feedback and all of the people who continue to stick with me and this fic!
"Where are we going?" Rapunzel asked curiously as she stepped off of the dock and into a boat.
The sun had just dipped below the horizon, casting the kingdom into darkness lit only by the stars that sparkled above them. Eugene produced an oar from the bottom of the boat and began to maneuver away from the dock and out to the center of the bay surrounding the castle. Rapunzel turned to see that several large ships also sat in the bay some ways away, each deck full of townspeople.
"Best day of your life? I figured you should have a decent seat," Eugene said with a smile as he steered the boat out to what he deemed the perfect spot, the castle looming over them, casting a large shadow over the bay. Rapunzel gazed into the water, a sense of doubt creeping into her thoughts along with a startling mental image of her father. What if, after all of the incredible things she had seen and experienced, he was still right? She sighed deeply, plunging her hand into the water to interrupt her reflection at the surface.
"You okay?" Eugene asked, casting a concerned glance her way.
"I'm terrified," she admitted softly.
"Why?" he asked, confused.
"I've been looking out a window for so long, dreaming about what it might be like when those lights rise in the sky. What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be?" She turned to Eugene, who smiled reassuringly.
"It will be," he promised.
"And what if it is? What do I do then?" she asked, knowing that sooner or later, she would have to return to her father's castle. She had nowhere else to go. No one else to turn to. Unless that gleam that she saw when she looked into Eugene's eyes meant that he had begun to feel something for her, just as she had for him. She'd never felt this way before. The rapid beating of her heart every time their eyes met, the sudden loss of the ability to breathe, the flutter in her stomach. She barely knew him, and she was certainly no expert when it came to love, but it was as if Eugene filled a void within her heart that she never realized was empty.
"That's the good part, I guess. You get to go find a new dream," Eugene interrupted her thoughts, his smile growing.
Before either of them had a chance to say anything more, a small flicker of light appeared over the castle. Rapunzel's eyes shot up to the sky as the first lantern rose higher and higher. She nearly flipped the boat as she dashed to the other side to get a better look, sending Eugene flying backwards. She continued to watch intently, absolute wonder in her eyes as thousands more lanterns slowly ascended into the sky, filling the space in the air around them with light. She clung to the side of the boat, smiling with both relief and overwhelming joy. But after a moment, she noticed a brighter light directly behind her. She turned to see Eugene holding two lit lanterns he'd purchased earlier in the day and hidden from her as a surprise.
She sat down to face him as he handed one of the lanterns to her, and together, they sent them both into the night sky to join with the others, their lanterns spinning around each other as they climbed. Without hesitation, Eugene reached out and took Rapunzel's hand, unable to fight his own heart any longer. He knew that at any moment, she could be taken from him. Taken by a man too powerful to fight. But if it were to come to that…if he had to fight Rumplestiltskin…to die for Rapunzel to be free, he'd do it.
Because Rumplestiltskin had been right all along. Eugene had just walked into the Snuggly Duckling for a quick drink and some down time as he mulled over where to start searching for this traveling treasure he'd been sent after, but the second that his eyes had met hers, he knew that she was different. He had experienced his share of affection from women throughout his life, but not once had he ever considered revealing his true identity to them…his past. And he'd certainly never felt with them the way that he felt with Rapunzel. It was as if she had awakened a part of him that he'd long since forgotten...she saw in him the kind of man that he wanted to be before life got in the way. She saw Eugene Fitzherbert beneath Flynn Rider. And without knowing it, she had shown him what it felt like to be loved.
Lights rising and falling around them, Eugene and Rapunzel leaned forward and began to close their eyes, preparing for their lips to meet for the first time. But at the last second, Eugene looked up, past Rapunzel, to see a light on the shore held by Rumplestiltskin, who stood waiting.