Chapter 8

"Rapunzel, are you alright?" Her mother asked, coming behind her and smoothing her hand over her shoulder. The princess sighed; nerve wracked, weary, pained by how everyone was treating her, and by the fact the Eugene had not improved. It had been more than two weeks now. The doctor had just left, and Rapunzel hadn't gone back in to Eugene yet.
"Yes, mama." She answered quietly, not looking up.
"Rapunzel, I - I can't pretend to know completely what you're going through, but I want you to know that I understand-"
"Mama, he's worse." She blurted. She still didn't look up. "How can I - mama, what can I do?!" Rapunzel asked. Her mother held her shoulders tight and kissed her cheek. Her daughter was holding back. Her heart was breaking and she refused to cry; at least, she refused to do so in public.
"Just...we'll just-"
"Pray." Rapunzel gasped. "No one will listen to me. Everyone in this household is telling my children that their father is going to die! If they were going to hear it from someone, mama, it should have been me!" Her tone was frustrated and had gotten higher and louder as she went on. Her hands were up in her hair like she was ready to pull it out. No one believed her. No one. Everyone just whispered behind her back, caring nothing for Eugene, depressing and confusing her children - how could they? "How can they do that to my children?!" She gasped, sinking to her knees. The queen followed her down and pulled her close.
"Is someone sitting with Eugene?"
"One of the guards." Rapunzel mumbled off - handedly. She may know them all, but she hadn't paid attention. It was like she no longer cared. "I'm going in-"
"No, you're not." The queen answered sternly. "You're going out for some air before you get sick again."
"But mama, you said that once you've had scarlet fever-"
"You're already sick with worry, Rapunzel! Cooping yourself up in one room so you can worry more is not going to help! Take some time for yourself. I'll go sit with Eugene."
"But-"
"Go." She ordered, pointing to the door. Rapunzel let out a tremendous sigh. Her shoulders slumped and her head bowed.
"Alright, mama. Tell Eugene that I'll be back soon."
"Of course, dear." He mother whispered, kissing her forehead. Rapunzel forced a smile and stepped out the door into the hall before her mother went into the couple's suite. The guard looked up idely at first and than sprang to his feet - which made the queen wonder if he would have stood out of respect when Rapunzel came into the room.

"Carsen, you can leave now. I'm sitting in here for a while." She sighed. Carsen bowed, sliding the chair forward for her. The queen realized that maybe he had misjudged the guard for not being at attention. He had a more concerned expression on his face than most of the guards she had stationed there. He could be another of Eugene's friends. Since he was captain of the guard they all knew him.
"If there's anything I can do, your majesty." He muttered with his eyes down, twisting his gloves in his hands. "If there's anything that I can do, I...just say the word! He saved my family from freezing and starving last winter, your majesty. You can't repay-"
"It's alright, Carsen." She smiled, laying her hands on his to stop the nervous twitching. "Thank you. You can go about your duties."
"Yes, your majesty. Thank you." He whispered. "Bye, Eugene." He said, turning toward him. Eugene didn't raise a hand, but he smiled and nodded vaguely. The guard bit his lip and walked out quickly. Isabel sighed. And in her turn forced a relaxed smile.
"Well, I'm guilty of making Rapunzel get some air, Eugene. She said to tell you that she would be back soon, though. I'm afraid that you're stuck with me for a while." Eugene smiled at that. She needed to get out, to get some air. That stuffy doctor would never let him open a window. "How are you holding up, dear?" The queen whispered as she sat down. Eugene sighed quietly. It was impossible for him to be more relaxed than he already was. He forced himself to smile and to not say the first frustrated thing that came into his head.
"Alright, I guess." He rasped. His mother-in-law smiled back. Her face, though, was just one pained expression, and Eugene felt he knew why. How could anyone do this to her daughter? She put her hand on his chest to feel his breathing. She wasn't looking at his face anymore. She reminded him at the moment of the doctor who had just finally left him alone. Her eyebrows were creased like she was trying hard to remember something from a long time ago.
"Dr. Fredrick just told me that -"
"Yeah, apparently pneumonia on top of this." He answered. "I saw a lot of kids get that. It was winter then."
"I don't see it, though." She muttered, still touching his chest. His breathing was weak to be sure, but every time her hand passed over or near his heart it just didn't correspond to what she thought it should be. It was - strong. So strong. "When you were taking care of the children in the orphanage years ago," she droned almost to herself though it was directed at Eugene, "the king's brother fell ill of the same thing while he was here. He contracted pneumonia a little later too." She whispered, feeling his neck and then his forehead. She settled back in her chair, shaking her head. She was confused.
"How much later?" Eugene croaked. That wasn't worry in his voice. Eugene was still ridiculously stoic about the whole thing. It was plain curiosity.
"The second week he had it." She whispered. She didn't look at him, it was like she couldn't look at him.
"Well than, I'm good." Eugene quipped. Isabel turned her face up in surprise to look at her son-in-law. How exactly could he still be joking at the point where most people just get to be a nuisance? "Because I've had it for almost three weeks." He explained.
"But, Eugene!" She started and then cut herself off. That was the worst thing she could tell him.
"He died." He had said it anyway. Of all things, why? Why was he so very different? Was he just not afraid - a frontier that he had crossed once before and balanced over and with many times? Or was there something else? He vaguely cleared his throat and continued. "I know. I'm not dumb. And I remember hearing about it." His brow furrowed just a little bit as he remembered. "There were some people - a lot of people - who were glad. It was terrible."
"It was." Isabel agreed. "Those people only knew him before. Jealous of Nicholas, greedy, loose around women, the whole lot. You probably knew or cared for one or two of his children. But that wasn't why he came back, Eugene. He was changed when he came back. I'll never know what he did or what he saw, but I know he was changed. It was in his eyes."
"And me?" Eugene asked. His eyes were half closed now. As she looked at him he seemed to be just a child asking for a bedtime story. She smiled and smoothed his cheek like she would Matthew's or Estelle's.
"I never saw you or knew you in the least before you brought my precious daughter back to me." She whispered. "But I saw how you looked at her and gazed into her eyes. I saw the look of fear on your face when my husband called the guards to take the horse, when you thought they were going for you, but you stood strong beside Rapunzel. There wasn't the slightest look of regret in your eyes. I knew you were the perfect man for my daughter before I even got to know my daughter. So it doesn't matter, Eugene, how much you changed. Deep, deep down that Eugene Fitzberbert was always there; alone and afraid. You'll never be alone again, Eugene." The queen wiped the tears out of her eyes with her free hand and kissed his forehead. He was her son now, almost just as much as Rapunzel was her daughter. Eugene moaned softly, trying to shift his position. Isabel realized he had fallen asleep. Good. That was good. Her brother-in-law hadn't been able to sleep after he took a turn for the worst. Eugene was just...entirely different. Maybe the doctor was wrong. Could he be wrong?

Rapunzel was nearly at her wit's end. Eugene had pneumonia. On top of scarlet fever. How did someone get two illnesses at once?! And now her mother had chased her away from Eugene. Fresh air? Who needed fresh air?! She couldn't think of anything but Eugene. She finally realized how he had felt for that one week when the rest of them had been ill. No wonder he hadn't gotten any sleep the entire time! Rapunzel sighed and leaned wearily against the wall, her forehead against her hand. What could she do? It was a common complication, so the doctor said. Well, according to the doctor, everything that Eugene was going through was typical. So why didn't he think Eugene could make it? Or was he just leaving out the fact that this complication is a common one leading to death? Seventeen days! It had been more than two weeks since Eugene had fallen from his horse. Dr. Fredrick's told her that he should have rounded the curb by now. He should have, but he hadn't. Oh, Eugene! The princess bit her lip, running her hand over her hair. It was a mess. She should redo it for her husband. She wanted to look nice. Suddenly she heard a tiny hiss, and a gasp, and she whipped around just in time to see Matthew covering Estelle's mouth with his hand, trying not to be seen. A second later the covert operation was exposed by a yowl from Matthew as his little sister bit his hand. Rapunzel raced forward to calm the spies, holding them each in an arm.
"What are you two doing up here?" She whispered, leaning down and nibbling Estelle's ear with her lips.
"Mite seeing dada." She said proudly.
"No we weren't!" Matthew snapped.
"Shush ut, Cap!" Estelle pronounced, jumping foreward and covering her brother's mouth quickly. Rapunzel grabbed her hand and pulled it from Matthew's mouth.
"Hey! Hey! Enough!" She scolded quietly, letting her voice break in a chuckle. "Estelle, that's enough. Leave your brother alone! Now; Matthew, what are you two doing up here? You know you're not supposed to be here!"
"She was showing me how to get up here."
"But you-"
"Mite's 'ecret ways, mama. Shhh. Secret to see dada." Estelle whispered with e devious giggle.
"Excuse me, baby?" Rapunzel gasped in surprise. "You've been sneaking up to see dada?" Estelle grinned and nodded.
"You sleep lots, mama." She said rather seriously.
"And what about your father?"
"Sometimes he sleepin'. Mama, why do you cry lots?"
"Estelle...not - not now. Matthew, why were you finding a secret way to get up here?"
"To go to the chapel." He muttered.
"The chapel? Well, dear, since you aren't supposed to be up here you can ask Eugene or Leora to take you to the Cathedral."
"They won't, mama."
"Why?"
"They said there are too many people."
"Too many people." Rapunzel repeated. She doubted very much that it was the sheer number of people that deterred them - Corona barely merited a Cathedral of that size. Those two were old enough to be stopped, to be pointed out, and they were probably tired of hearing condolences about their father when he wasn't even dead. "Matthew, go get the others and bring them up to the chapel. Estelle and I will be waiting there for you."
"Alright, mama. Mama?"
"Yes?"
"Can I take the secret way?"

me again. Sorry, this chapter was already set in stone when the last reviews were posted. Please stay tuned, though! I know I'm being cruel, but I'm trying to get done as fast as I can! Patience is a virtue...