Chapter 18

Eugene's mind raced as they led him down corridors in the palace. They hadn't said where they were taking him and why. It wasn't the day of his execution, so he had no conceivable notion as to why they were moving him.

The guards halted at a set of doors. Two turned to face him, while another unlocked the shackles around his wrists. Eugene stared at them in surprise. One guard twisted the knob of the door and held it open, gesturing for him to step inside.

Eugene briefly wondered if it was a trap. But seeing as he had no other choice, he stepped into the brightly lit room. The door swung shut behind him, leaving him alone in the room. Or so he thought.

He barely took in his surroundings before an achingly familiar voice broke the silence. "Papa!"

He whipped around to see the tiny form of his son dashing madly across the floor towards him. Eugene grinned automatically, dropping to his knees and holding his arms out. Jacques flew into his arms, the powerful impact knocking both of them to the floor. Eugene laughed loudly, tightening his grip on his son as the boy shrieked in delight.

"Oh, Jacques," he murmured, kissing the boy's head and face. "I missed you so much!" He had honestly thought he'd never see his son again. It had been a dark and terrifying thought. "Are you alright?" He shifted to a seated position, his son perched on his lap. He studied Jacques intently.

"I fine, Papa!" he said, a huge smile taking over his face. "I stayed with Auntie and Uncle but I miss you and mama." His smile turned to a frown over the last part. Then, turning serious, he gripped both sides of his father's face and stared at him. "You okay, Papa?"

Eugene chuckled and planted a kiss on Jacques' nose. "I'm wonderful, kiddo. Where's mama?" he asked.

Jacques turned around and faced the direction he'd come. Eugene turned and looked too, as another figure stepped out into the light.

Rapunzel dashed across the room, much like her son did, and Eugene scrambled to his feet to catch her in his arms. He lifted her off her feet and spun her around several times before setting her on the ground and planting a kiss to her lips. When he pulled away, he grabbed her face in his hands and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Oh, Rapunzel," he breathed. "I didn't know if I would see you again. I –" he searched for words to say. Finding none, he settled for kissing her again. "I love you," he whispered.

"Eugene," she said back, running her hands through his hair. "Oh, Eugene, so much has happened and I don't know how to tell you this!"

He pulled back slightly, a frown creasing his handsome features. "What's going on, Rapunzel?" he asked suddenly. "What am I doing here?" He looked around the room, empty save for the three of them. "They let me out of the cell and I'm here alone with you, with no shackles…" he looked bewildered.

"It was the King's orders," Rapunzel told him.

"What?"

"The King told them to leave you here with me, so that Jacques and I could see you."

"Oh," he said, still confused.

"Eugene," Rapunzel cried, grasping his hand tightly. "I have some amazing news."

"What is it?"

"I'm the Lost Princess."

Eugene stared blankly at her for several seconds. "Uh – what?" he finally managed.

She jumped up and down. "I'm the Lost Princess!"

"You – uh – Princess?" Eugene stammered, still trying to grasp what she was saying. The enormity of the situation hit him then, the blow sending him staggering sideways a few steps. "Oh gods," he swore. He laid a hand on his forehead. "Oh gods. You – are you sure?" he asked. Not that he believed Rapunzel would ever lie to him.

Rapunzel nodded enthusiastically. "It all makes so much sense, Eugene. It's real. The queen figured it out. They told me yesterday."

"Oh," Eugene moaned, still clutching his forehead. "That's – oh wow, Rapunzel, that's…that's…"

"I know," she replied softly, dipping her head. "It's a lot."

"A princess," he breathed, looking back at his wife. "Well, you were always a princess to me," he said with a grin. "But a real princess…" He let out a breath. Then another thought hit him. "But – what happens now? What happens to you?"

"They're going to announce me to the kingdom as the returned princess. Declare me heir to the throne." She swallowed audibly, the task set before her already feeling difficult.

Something inside of Eugene lifted. "So you'll be taken care of," he said. "Both you and Jacques. You'll have money and a place to live." His mind had immediately been put at ease knowing his family would be fine without him. It was all he could think of while in prison.

Rapunzel gripped his arm. "No, Eugene," she said urgently, "you don't understand. We'll be taken care of. All of us," she emphasized. When he only stared at her blankly, she shook his arm. "They can't hang you. You're a prince, Eugene. A prince! You married me. And I'm a princess."

Rapunzel watched as her words set in. He went from confused to stunned. His brown eyes widened and his jaw fell to the floor. If Rapunzel being a princess surprised him, then he was completely floored now.

He realized now why the queen had come to visit him. Why she'd asked if their marriage was legal and if he had papers to prove it.

He was a prince.

Eugene Fitzherbert, alias Flynn Rider, was a prince.

It just was not possible.

Suddenly, the doors opened behind him and in stepped the king and queen. Eugene immediately fell into a deep bow.

"Please rise, Mr. Fitzherbert," the king commanded in his deep tones.

Eugene righted himself and stood stiffly, watching as the royals approached the three. No guards had followed them in, Eugene had noticed. He also noticed that the king had called him Fitzherbert.

The couple stopped just in front of the family. The queen smiled warmly at Eugene, while the king regarded him with a stern face.

"Mr. Fitzherbert," the king began, "I trust that Rapunzel has filled you in on these new, ah, developments?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Eugene answered.

The king nodded. "Good. You see…" For once the king seemed to be at a loss for words. He'd never been in this sort of situation before. "You see, this has put us in a difficult situation. However, it is also a critical one, and I see only one proper action to take.

"You know that Rapunzel is our daughter, correct? And you have the marriage licence? Good, good. Because now, Mr. Fitzherbert, this makes you Prince Consort of this kingdom. And I have decided to invalidate your death warrant for several reasons: you brought our daughter back to us. It matters not the years that passed in which you lived together. The basic fact is that had you not met Rapunzel, we likely would have never seen her again. With that action alone I would nullify the death warrant. As it stands, you are also legally the Prince Consort, so I could not have you killed without the signatures and acceptance of several dignitaries and members.

"And lastly, the death warrant is written for a Flynn Rider. As I see it, the man who stands before me is Eugene Fitzherbert."

Eugene gaped at the king, unsure of how to respond. He was saved of the trouble when Marie laid a hand on his shoulder. "I told you," she said with a smile. "I told you I would find a way to fix this."