Alright so here it is, the editing complete, and as you can see we are nearing the end of the real movie. The only question is, where should I end it? I am unsure. I may write a vague epilogue and then consider a sequel or a bunch of short stories. Not sure, what do you guys think? I hope you guys like it! Please tell me your thoughts and opinions, thanks for sticking with me. And as always enjoy, review, fave and follow.
My eyes welled up as I cried anew for the millionth time in the last eight hours. Mother had left me after a while, letting me cry and glare at her in intervals as I was taken over by different emotions and horrors. I still couldn't wrap my head around the lie that was my entire life. All the time that I had lived in the tower I had thought it was for my own safety, for me, and yet it wasn't. It was for her. She had kept me here so that I wouldn't leave her tower and live my own life, because she had lived too long to die just for stupid old me, I was only her daughter right? Then again even that was a lie.
Tears streaked down my face and I leaned my head against the wall exhausted, it was impossible to sleep in the position I was in; my arms bound behind my back, my mouth gagged. I cried, my heart in my chest beating sporadically, it was too broken to beat normally, to beaten and abused to just do its job. I wondered if it would just stop, just cease its beating, if someone could die from a broken heart. I figured it wouldn't matter anyways, it would be better to die than to live on the rest of my days alone and in pain; a slave to the witch who had claimed to be my family, even after she sentenced him to- my thoughts cut off as a new wave of pain rolled over me.
"Eugene." I gasped under my gag, it coming out more like "uuugagnn."
I breathed my eyes too tired to cry as if they had run out of tears. I leaned my head back on the pillar resining myself to my fate. My eyes fluttered closed as the gray of early morning settled over the meadow, I was too tired to survive, I decided that if Gothel wanted me alive, she was going to have to try damn hard to get me to live.
The sound of hoof beats on dirt snapped me out of my light sleep and for a moment, a brief and blissful moment, I forgot where I was, and then the horrors of the last twenty four hours came crashing back to me and I sucked in a breath through the gag in my mouth, almost choking on it.
At first I thought I was hallucinating the rapid sound of hooves connecting with dirt, but it soon became apparent that there really was someone approaching the tower, especially when moth- Gothel came back into the room.
I noticed a flash of silver as she tucked a dagger into her dress. I swallowed and followed her with my eyes. Gothel looked over at me and smiled sweetly as if she thought I would cooperate.
I glared at her and then started thrashing hoping whomever was out there would come up so that I could show the witch what it felt like to be tied and gagged. Gothel's eyes darkened and she came back to me to tighten my knots and gag, I leaned forward and tried to bite her hand but she pulled it away too fast and tightened my gag so that it covered my mouth instead of going between my teeth, then she promptly slapped me across the cheek to shut me up.
I leaned back shocked, mother had never hit me, not once. I swallowed and looked away from her my heart re-breaking.
Suddenly the hoof beats stopped and a soft thud resonated up to the top of the tower. My ears perked and I leaned forward curious as to who could have possibly discovered this place. The person's footsteps were barely a whisper in the room but I could still hear them. Gothel and I were standing silent in anticipation.
"Rapunzel!" a desperate voice called out, it's deep and familiar timber laced with worry and fear.
I gasped and jerked against my restraints. It couldn't be him, he was- he was supposed to be… My heart thumped loudly in my chest as if it sensed his presence.
"Rapunzel let down your hair!" Eugene called up. Tears streaked down my face as I thrashed and kicked trying to get to him. Mother glanced at me and then at the doors to the tower anger flashing across her feminine features. Slowly Gothel approached the window and touched the wood frame tilting her head to the side as if in thought, and then she turned to me a dark and sinister look crossing her features. I stalled my blood turning cold.
"It seems the young man wants to see us." She whispered stroking my cheek, I jerked my chin away from her. She just grinned grabbing the end of my hair and going over to the window to wrench it open.
I was confused, why was she letting Eugene up?
She threw my hair out the window and I felt it tug as the weight shifted. And then he was climbing up and my heart filled with hope, maybe… maybe she would at least let me say good bye.
I could feel him moving upwards and I was almost shocked at how fast he was moving, except it was Eugene, and he had been a notorious con artist for years, so I really shouldn't have been surprised at all.
Gothel laughed taking out her dagger as he progresses closer to the top and the smile slipped from my face. No. no. no. no. no!
I jerked trying to break my bonds and save him. Gothel wasn't letting me see Eugene, she was making sure I would never see him again! I sobbed trying to break free.
"Rapunzel." Eugene called to me as his head appeared over the windowsill, he wasn't looking at me, busy getting up over the window. "I thought I'd never see you again." he laughed happy, and oblivious as he stepped into the room, it almost killed me that he was going to have that happiness torn from him.
Eugene looked up and his eyes widened as he saw me chained to the wall and gagged, my eyes swollen from crying all night. His smile was replaced with shock.
"Eugene!" I cried out to him trying to warn him as Gothel slipped up behind him, even stealthier then Flynn Ryder himself.
Gothel sneered as she stabbed Eugene in the side. He crumpled to the ground holding his wound as she stepped over his prone body.
I tried to call out his name, but still the gag prevented me. I gasped heaving my vision going blurry with tears and pain.
"Now look what you've done Rapunzel." Gothel sneered looking down at him, I was only vaguely aware of her talking as I called out to him. He was just lying there holding himself as she towered above him. I kept waiting for him to do something, to jump up with a witty retort and a smile telling her I hadn't done anything, reassuring me that I wasn't all my fault… and yet it was. I had brought him into this mess, I had told him everything, I had practically forced him to come with me. I sobbed watching her glare down on hm.
No Eugene, I thought. Watching my hero lose his might before my eyes, crumpling like the daisies outside my window in the cooler seasons, turning grey.
Eugene groaned and Gothel stepped over him as if he was nothing, "Oh don't worry dear," she told me returning to her motherly façade, although now I could truly see the venom and cruelty in her eyes, the viper hiding in the dark, "our secret will die with him." She walked over to me her skirts swooshing. She had won, and Eugene… He was gasping on the ground curled up into a ball to try and stop the pain. I gasped trying, trying to just get away from her.
"Eugene!" I tried to say, I cried out going as far forward as I could with my chains. The pain that whipped across the skin on my wrists was nothing like the pain in my heart, clenching and soul crushing.
"And as for us," Gothel murmured from behind me, "we are going where no one will ever find you again." She undid my chains and I immediately jerked towards Eugene, I could save him, if only she would let me sing to him, I just needed to sing to him!
Gothel yanked me backwards the rough metal chaffing against my wrists painfully.
I glanced back to see her kick away Pascal, Pascal, my best friend, had tried to save me, and she had kicked him aside as if he was vermin. My vision flashed red and I jerked away from her even harder.
"Rapunzel Really!" she scolded bringing me closer to the trap door in the ground. "Enough already!" she screeched.
"Stop fighting me." I turned back around to look at her twisting away and using my elbows, my gag slid down and I was able to speak. I tripped backwards scrambling away from her. The woman, she was a monster, not even close enough to sane to justify calling human, even looking at her disgusted and terrified me. Looking at her just split my heart in two.
"No!" I gasped crying out, "I won't stop, for every minute, for the rest of my life, I will fight! I will never stop trying to get away from you!" I glared at her anger coursing through me. I heaved angrily when an idea unfurled in my mind.
"But…" I trailed off looking up to her, it was my last hope, "If you let me save him." I breathed. "I will go with you."
Mother loosened the chain slightly narrowing her eyes as if trying to see the catch.
"No." Eugene called out from behind me, his voice soft and breathy.
"No Rapunzel." He heaved trying to pull himself towards me.
I didn't listen to him, he had to live, he had to have a life, for both of us. And every time he looks up on my birthday and sees those lanterns, he would think of me, and that's the most I could ever hope for, Corona would never regain it's princess, but they would survive, just like Eugene.
"I'll never run, I'll never try to escape," I told her trying to gauge her reaction, I glanced down at the floor desperation thrumming through me, "Just let me heal him." I pleaded, noticing Eugene had gone silent, "and you and I will be together," I swallowed dryly, "forever, just like you want, everything will be the way it was." I looked up to her, hoping her overly cautious side would force her to accept, "I promise, just like you want" I said, giving her my word and sealing my fate, "Just let me heal him."
Gothel was silent as she looked me up and down. Slowly she took a deep breath glancing over to Eugene and narrowing her eyes.
"Fine." She told me in a crisp tone, "If lover boy over there is really worth more than your own freedom," she spat with a smile, "Then go ahead." She unwound my chains and walked over to Eugene who had propped himself up against a post.
I rubbed my wrists and scrambled after her.
Gothel took the chains and wrapped them around the post behind Eugene before cuffing him.
"Just in case you get any ideas about following us." She sneered strutting away with a flip of her cloak, Eugene responded only by coughing and wheezing.
The second she had left his side I rushed over to him falling to my knees at his side.
"Eu-Eugene!" I cried as he fell into another coughing fit still clutching his side. I cupped his cheek trying to make him look at me, I needed to see him, one last time, to at least say good bye. I hadn't gotten the chance… I hadn't said goodbye before.
He was beautiful, I saw that now, I recognized that even though I had only known him for a few days, he was everything I had. My one and only. And if I lost him… while I wouldn't need a knife to the side to end me.
Eugene tried to support himself with his hands but he only fell down farther gasping as he returned his hands to his wounded side. The ice in my soul seeped farther, closer and closer to my heart threatening to choke me.
I carefully plied his hand from his side to inspect the wound, I jumped back at the vast amount of blood, my heart ripping in two; this was all my fault.
"Oh," I whispered, "I'm so sorry." I sat back too guilty to look at him properly.
"Everything is gonna be ok though," I reassured him as I grabbed my hair, "No Rapunzel." He gasped putting his hand over mine.
"I promise you have to trust me-" "no." he said cutting me off.
"C'mon just breathe." I instructed ignoring his ridiculousness.
"I can't let you do this." He said his breath laboured.
I looked into his eyes understanding of his reluctance settling in, he didn't want to let me, because he didn't want me to trade my life… for his. He had somehow got it in his head that he wasn't worth as much as I was.
But how could he not understand, he was… Eugene was an angel. The truth was easy in my mind and made perfect sense. I watched as the angel tried to put all other life in front of his own, as he slowly returned to heaven, but it wasn't his time yet, he still had to let his light shine down on us all, brightening our world, the world that I could now see truly was full of pain and cruelty, but also life and love that was worth saving, not hiding away.
"And I can't let you die." I whispered to him my throat clogging up. I wouldn't lose him. Not again.
"But if you do this," he began, shaking with the effort of just talking, I placed my hand on his cheek trying to quiet him, he grabbed my arm looking into my eyes, "then you will die."
"Hey." I told him silencing his thoughts, I wasn't going to change my mind anyways, "It's gonna be alright." I assured him softly.
I looked down, I could do this, I could save him, I took a breath but Eugene cut me off before I could start singing. "Rapunzel, wait." He murmured brushing my hair away tenderly, I searched his eyes wondering if this would be our first kiss, it saddened me for if it was it would also be our last.
I wished I could read the thoughts behind his eyes, but he had always been so hooded and mysterious, even now I wasn't sure. Eugene leaned in cupping the back of my head, and then suddenly he slashed his arm back and I felt something. I gasped reaching my hands back to find my hair short and cropped.
Eugene collapsed backwards a shard of the mirror mother had broken falling out of his hands.
"Eugene." I gasped clutching my shortened hair.
"No." Gothel choked from behind us. I wasn't paying attention. I watched in pure shock and terror as my hair turned brown before my eyes the colour draining from it quickly.
I watched Gothel as she clutched the hair that was still blond muttering to herself.
"What have you done!" she cried grasping a hand that I now noticed was turning old and shriveled. Her hair was also graying at a rapid pace.
"What have you done?!" she wailed stumbling backwards.
She rushed over to the shattered edges of the mirror, vain until the end.
"No." she choked upon seeing her reflection.
She pulled her cloak up covering her face as her body became older and more shriveled, the years catching up with her.
She stumbled backwards constantly screaming and crying out "no" as if it would stop the process. Suddenly she stumbled towards the window and then her ankle caught on part of my hair and she was falling through the window down, to what I would imagined, would be her death. I reached out to her, wishing I could save her. Despite the fact that she had been cruel and wicked Gothel was the only family, asides form Pascal that I had ever had. And now I was going to lose the only person I had ever imagined could fill that position. I suddenly whipped back around to see Eugene collapsed on the floor, I had almost forgotten about him as Gothel had… died. I couldn't lose him too!
"no no no no no." I told him supporting his head on my lap as I cupped his face in my hands, "Eugene." I said as if to call him back to me. He coughed lightly his eyes opening for a brief short moment. "No." I whispered my throat clogging up. His face was turning pale and I could feel his breathing become shallower.
His wings were leaving him, I was losing him, he was almost… gone.
"Look at me," I cried to him "look at me, I'm right here." His body slumped slightly his will to go on was slipping away, I could feel it. "Don't go, stay with me Eugene!" I cried grabbing his hand, I pressed it to my hair my eyes welling up.
"Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine," I sobbed rushing through the song.
"Rapunzel." Eugene gasped the hand in my hair moving to cup my head. "Hey." He breathed.
"Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine." I gasped my heart feeling like someone was squeezing it in their hands.
"Rapunzel." Eugene said trying to add force to his voice, I looked to him tears threatening to break loose.
"What?" I cried softly, the realization that I couldn't save him slowly setting in.
"You were my new dream." He whispered so softly I had to strain to hear it, and yet the words ripped my heart to shreds. "And you were mine." I whispered back, still trying to hold the tears at bay. The corners of his lips tilted up and he took a breath as if to say something but then his eyelids fluttered closed and his breathing just… stopped. The hand I had been holding loosened and Eugene slumped backwards. He was just gone… the light and energy I had felt every day for what felt like months was just… gone. He had been my light, my energy, showing me how to live, how was I supposed to live without him?
I stopped trying to not cry, it didn't matter anymore. The tears silently slid down my face, as I looked into his eyes, not daring to blink.
I let go of his hand, placing it silently by his side as I cupped his face looking at him, just one last time.
I don't know why I started singing, perhaps one part of me couldn't accept he was gone.
Heal what has been hurt
Change the fates design
Save what has been lost
I paused taking in a breath as my hand slid down from his face.
Bring back what once was mine
My voice cracked as I tilted my face to his,
What once was mine
I whispered closing my eyes to let the tears escape, one sliding down my nose and falling onto his face.
I sat there crying over him, the room dark and dull with only the one window open. Suddenly light flared behind my closed eyelids and I opened my eyes to look around me. Eugene was… glowing. The place where he had been stabbed had golden light flaring up from it, it almost resembled… my healing powers.
I leaned back confused as the light flared out from his stomach spiralling upwards. The light unfurled and danced around us as if it had a mind of it's own. A flower of light bloomed over him as his face was illuminated. Slowly, the light disappeared and my hair which had been swirling around me settled down.
The light shone softly from Eugene's side and then disappeared completely.
I touched his side confused and then swivelled to look into his eyes, hope blossoming in me. His eyelids fluttered and he breathed in lightly, my heart stuttered in my chest, "Rapunzel?" he asked quizzically. I gasped looking into his eyes, "Eugene?" I whispered, it was too... too good to be true.
Light blossomed in my chest like a swallow singing its first song.
"Did I ever tell you I've got a thing for brunettes?" he whispered his lips tilting up into a coy smile. I barked a laugh, shocked at his use of humour, then again I was talking to him, so why was I surprised?
"Eugene!" I laughed happily, I rushed forward and fell into him hugging him tightly.
I clung to him, determined to never let him go. At first he held me lightly, but then he sat up and held me just as tight. I laughed and then pulled back so I could look at him. I smiled, happier then I had ever been in my whole life. I laughed and then pulled him forwards kissing him like I had read about in my books, it was more magical then any of them had ever described.
At first Eugene just sat there unmoving, but then his hand came up and cupped the back of my head drawing me in. His mouth parted and it quickly became something I could have never imagined. My heart beat sped up and my cheeks turned pink as I clung to his collar and drew him closer.
Eugene smiled against my lips and then drew me back to look into my eyes his smile soft and sweet, it was Eugene's real smile.
Then his eyes slid to behind me and his expression darkened.
"Rapunzel." He murmured looking me in the eye again.
"Yes?"
"Was that woman… was she your mother?"
I looked away part of my heart chipping away. I swallowed thickly. "I only thought she was."
Eugene caught my chin making me look at him. "What do you mean?" he asked me.
"She always told me she was my mother, but I realized last night…" I took a deep breath and looked him in the eye, "I realized who I actually was."
Eugene scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion. "And who is that?"
I smiled at him ducking my head bashfully, what if he didn't believe me? I decided to answer with a question instead.
"Eugene," I still didn't look at him straight on, "what do you know about the lost princess?"
I stared at her confused, what did Corona's missing heir have to do with this?
"Rapunzel?"
She smiled bashfully, flitting her eyelashes like they were butterfly wings.
I swallowed and ran my hand through my hair, "While she was born um… eighteen years ago… she was a blond, and she uh went missing… no she was kidnapped, by some old lady…" suddenly something stirred in the back of my mind, some old lady…
My thoughts kept swirling around me as simple facts tied themselves together to form an obvious truth, something I should have seen from the beginning. It made sense, why she was so drawn to the lanterns, why they were on her birthday, even her powers made sense, the queen had been saved while pregnant with a magic flower…
I stared at Rapunzel shocked into silence.
"I know it's hard to believe." She breathed, she was right, it was hard to believe, that the girl I had fallen for, had travelled and escaped the freaking palace guards with, was Corona's own lost princess.
"Gothel always tried to keep me here, she said it was to keep me safe from people who would use my powers but…" she trailed off tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. I sighed ruffling my already distressed hair, slowly understanding how manipulative this woman must have been.
"But the only one who was using you was her." I finished for her softly.
She looked up at me and nodded, her eyes filled with tears.
"What am I supposed to do, Eugene?"
I exhaled knowing the obvious answer, she had a family, a home, who was I to keep it from her. I knew what this meant; Rapunzel couldn't be with me; she was too good for me. I had known that from the beginning, this just proved all that nonsense.
"Rapunzel," I told her lifting her chin so that she looked me in the eye, "you have to go to them."
She nodded pulling her face away to look out the window, I knew what she was thinking of.
"Rapunzel, she was evil, don't mourn her." She looked to me her eyes watering.
"That doesn't matter Eugene, she was still my mother."
I nod, if anyone would understand, it was me, I hadn't even met my real parents, but when I had lost Nana...
"I know… just try to not agonize over it, and if I can… I'll be here for you." I knew it was an empty promise, she probably wouldn't even be allowed to see me after she met her parents…
Rapunzel sobbed and clung to me crying for her loss, for the lies, for her mother, and for all those years. I held her as she wept letting her forget, letting her move on.
After a while she drew back and wiped her now red and swollen eyes. I smiled and wiped a stray tear away, half expecting it to glow and swirl like before.
Death had been… well not what I expected. I had been nothing, floating above billions of lights, some bigger and brighter than the others, floating there just looking down. I felt drawn to a few of them, I was being separated from myself, and yet it wasn't painful. I hadn't known who I was or where I was or what I was, and yet I hadn't cared. And then… Rapunzel.
I had heard her voice. Her voice coming over everything else.
It wasn't really words, but I knew that the melody meant something and the light it came from… it was more beautiful than anything I had ever seen. She drew all of me in, pulling me back to life, not one part of me didn't want her, and maybe that's why she was able to save me even when she had lost her hair, because she was the only one I wanted, and I… I was the only one she needed.
I looked up at her, not sure how I felt, it had been only a few days, and yet it had felt like my entire life. I would do anything for her. Even… even if it meant letting her go.
"C'mon Blondie." I told her pulling her up beside me.
"Let's go find the source of your light." Rapunzel smiled beside me stooping low to pick up Pascal. She went to put him in her hair when she realized it was too short, she froze her hand wavering. I smiled and placed Pascal on her shoulder and then ruffled the pixie cut, "I told you Blondie, I like the hair."
She laughed and cocked her hips, always able to stand up to me, it was one of the reasons I liked her so much. "You might want to use my name now, people might call you crazy." I smiled and rolled my eyes shrugging at the Frog, he even smiled back, perhaps a perk of me having died and all. I knew that once I left, he would hold her back, make sure she didn't do something crazy. Keep her happy. And maybe one day, she would find some prince of a neighbouring kingdom who shared her love for adventure… and then, the kingdom would finally be whole again. My heart clenched at the thought but I pushed it away, it was better this way.
I grinned and suddenly my old Ryder charm came back, "ah," I said with a sly smile, I couldn't ruin her bad mood, "I am crazy," I responded to her previous retort, "crazy about you." I reached forward pulling her close.
Rapunzel just raised her eyebrows, rolling her eyes, "Come on Eugene, use that on the other girls." My smile softened as I pulled her back again, despite her sudden chilliness, "There are no other girls."
Our second kiss was just as perfect as our first, and I didn't even notice when the frog, sorry I mean Pascal, hopped off Rapunzel's shoulder, fuming red (literally).
I finally pulled away after some time, we had stalled enough, the king and queen had gone 18 years without their daughter, I wasn't going to keep them from her for another minute.
I took a deep breath and looked over to the small window that, as far as I knew, was the only way out, and then at Rapunzel's severed hair. I swallowed slightly appalled at the thought of climbing down her dead brown hair. For whatever reason now that it wasn't glowing golden and part of her, the idea didn't seem radical, it just seemed disturbing.
"Um Rapunzel…" I said glancing over to the curved window set into the stone walls. I hoped she had another way, any other way.
Rapunzel giggled softly, and rolled her eyes pulling me away from the window, I glanced over to her and for a moment I was confused, still not used to her short brown hair.
Rapunzel lifted a small hatch in the ground and I peered down through the hole to see a completely sturdy set of stairs.
"Oh." I said, "Well that would have been helpful to know about before."
We trekked back to the castle in what felt like minutes, even though in truth it took several hours, even riding on Max.
I sat behind her silently, just holding her.
After a while I noticed her sniffling and realized she was crying, I swallowed thickly trying to remember that even though that woman had tried to kill me and had tormented Rapunzel her entire life… My thoughts started to tinge red and I almost forgot what I was trying to remember. I looked away from Rapunzel and clenched my jaw.
Even though that woman had been a, well for lack of a better word a stone cold bitch, she had also been the only person Rapunzel had ever loved, except for, well, me. My cheeks warmed and I leaned my head down on hers as we road along breathing in her familiar smell of honey and citrus.
I knew I had to savour this. After I brought her back I would be lucky to get away with my life, let alone be allowed to ever see her again. If I was lucky they would banish me, I just hoped they would let Rapunzel down lightly, she had had enough pain for one lifetime.
I didn't cringe at the thought of dying anymore, it hadn't been all that bad in the first place. The worst part had been being away from her, but that was inevitable, at least when I was dead I didn't know who I was missing or why I missed them so much. Anyways, thinking I had lost her, thinking she was dead, that had hurt a millions times more, I doubted that anything would ever hurt as much as that had.
The castle was, in all its grandeur, just as I had always remembered it, except this time it didn't seem elegant and lovely, it looked like my grave. I swallowed and hopped off Max as we approached the archway that led into the palace courtyard.
Max neighed indignantly stomping his foot when I pulled him back. Rapunzel hopped off looking to me confused. We were standing under a stone arch with red paving stones hard beneath our feet. I couldn't look her in the eye as I turned to Max and leaned in to whisper in his ear.
"Max, I can't tell you how thankful I am for your presence, but you have to understand, if your found to be associated with me… while… bad things will happen, ok?"
The horse looked me in the eye studying me, but unlike when I first met him, I realized he wasn't judging me, he was just truly seeing me, and a part of me hoped that what he saw was worthy of living.
Max nodded his head and turned away from us. A heavy lump formed in my throat, I guess I had hoped he would disobey me.
Taking Rapunzel's hand I guided her up the ramp that led to the main doors, I knew they would let us in, even though she was with me, but in the event that I needed to leave, I would willingly sacrifice my freedom to let her have the life she always wanted.
Eugene had been acting strangely, at first I had been too wrapped up in my own despair to notice, but as we stepped up to the front doors of the palace I couldn't help but wonder why he would have sent Max away.
The guards at the door stood tall and straight, looking forward as if no one had approached them. There were two of them and they didn't even flinch when we stepped up the stairs, but the moment we reached the top step there were lances in our faces, apparently we had crossed some kind of invisible line.
"Step back please." The first guard with a thick, curly mustache and large nose intoned in a droning voice, as if this happened all the time.
I cleared my throat and looked down, not sure what to say all of a sudden. I mean, would they believe me if I just came out and said it?
When we didn't move the guards' eyes locked on me and then flicked over to Eugene, they froze on his face. Suddenly Eugene's weariness all made sense.
"Do I know you?" the guard asked squinting his eyes at Eugene trying to place him. I had been so stupid, so selfish. Of course I shouldn't have brought him, he was a wanted criminal and I had no proof as to who I was, the king and queen- I mean my… parents, could very well just think this was some kind of elaborate con. Before I could speak Eugene stepped forward getting in the guard with the moustache's face.
"You may not know who I am, but you sure as hell will want to know who she is." Eugene jerked his chin at me as he glared down the guard.
The guard looked me up and down and I couldn't help but feel my cheeks redden at his inspection. A muscle in Eugene's jaw jumped as if he was thinking the exact same thing.
Something in the man's eyes registered, as if he could see the resemblance between me and the baby pictures of the lost princess. "I do recognize you… I don't know how… It's something about your eyes…" I swallowed and looked at my feet.
"My-My name is Rapunzel." I stammered not knowing how to begin. I looked to the other guard, a younger man about Eugene's age who was looking at me with his head tilted to the side, this entire time he had stayed silent.
"My father… when I was younger was part of the king's personal guard, he was also the one to find that magical flower that saved the queen, and because of this he got to meet the baby princess before she was kidnapped, or so they say that is. It was my dream to follow in his footsteps and be part of the Queens guard when she grew older so he took me with him. I was only ten but…" He paused looking me straight in the eyes, "I never forgot that day."
I swallowed and looked into his eyes.
"I have lived the last eighteen years in a tower," I told him, "I never knew my real parents and my birthday is on the first day of summer, the day they rise the lanterns to the sky… all my life I've felt drawn to this place but until today, I was never truly able to come here freely." I looked him in the eyes "You know why we're here."
The man's smile broke out across his face and he bowed low at the waist, I blushed again tucking a strand of my short brown hair behind my ear.
The other guard twitched his mustache looking between us confused. He straightened his red black gold and white uniform obviously befuddled as to what he was missing. The younger guard just laughed and clapped the older man on the shoulder, "Mark this day in your calendar my dear friend, for I am sure it shall be celebrated for years to come!" He looked at me and grasped my hands in his bowing his head reverently, "I am so happy for your return your highness." I smiled and bowed my head in respect and bashfulness, "The pleasure is mine, kind sir."
He smiled and then looked up, as if he had been shocked, "Oh my!" he cried out, "I must inform their majesties!" and with that he ran off only pausing to call back to the other guard to take us to the sun terrace. The guard eyed us suspiciously looking me up and down as if trying to pinpoint what had made the other guard act as so.
I smiled and stood up straighter trying to look somewhat regal. Eugene blinked in surprise at my mood change and took my hand as if he somehow could see how scared I was behind my mask of calm. I was about to meet my whole family, people I would probably have to spend the rest of my life with, what if they didn't love me? What would I do then? Or what if they didn't even believe me? Or what if they hurt Eugene, I looked up at him wishing I could tell him to flee, but it was too late now, if he left the guard would become suspicious, the best I could do now was to never let him out of my sight.
I squeezed Eugene's hand and followed after the guard who had started to walk into the castle in a daze.
I stared around myself in awe, the floor was a shining pearly marble, the walls intricately carved stone covered with wood arches and panels in different places. It was gorgeous. Eugene looked just as awe struck as me, despite the fact that he must have been here before to have stolen the lost princess's tiara- wait that was mine. I looked at Eugene and swatted him. He blinked at me and furrowed his brow, I had obviously broken him out of some kind of reverie.
"What was that for?"
I smiled at him coyly looking around me, "That was for stealing from me." I stuck my tongue out at him.
At first he looked more confused, but then realization dawned in his eyes and he barked a laugh. The guard glanced back at us suspiciously before pulling open a set of large cherry wood doors with a golden design of Corona's sun.
He pushed the door open and we stepped out onto the terrace. It was stone and looked out over the entire kingdom, I realized it must have been the terrace where the first lantern was sent out over the city, the location was… perfect.
I slowly walked over to the railing trying to fathom what was happening at that moment. It still hadn't quite registered with me how much my life was about to change.
I looked out over the city thinking back on how the guard had reacted to meeting me, he had so quickly trusted me, I realized that even though I barely knew them, I loved my people, and I would do anything, anything, to keep them safe and happy.
Eugene squeezed my hand transferring some of his continuous strength into me. I sighed, bracing myself for what was to come.
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