A/N: Would have had this out sooner, but Amtrak lied about how the Wifi really works on their trains. (Only in the Cafe car. Hmph.) Oh but I've finally been to Disneyland! Had 1 whole day there, just me and Hunny. ;)

Now onto the um, unhappy couple... :(

Suitors of Rapunzel

Ch15 □ Day 2 ⌧

playlist on YouTube as SoR - Ch15: Day 2

Rapunzel woke up at her usual 7 A.M., but only briefly.

The only other time that her heart had been hurt this deeply, was a little over a month ago. She had watched Eugene awkwardly walk away, then been told he had abandoned her. But that was quickly cleared up come dawn. This had been two nights and a whole day. So far.

No one else spoke ill of him, not even her mother as soon as he had left. Then yesterday, the guards had been so extra helpful, but no one breathed a word about her previous constant bodyguard. At dinner, her father had even praised his name again for his intervention the day before, assuring her that he would not be discharged as a guard, merely moved. He seemed curious about her reaction, but she remained catatonic.

Now, her heart was so heavy, that even the morning rays looked depressing again. As they spilled in through her balcony doors, there was nobody there to routinely turn over, groaning towards her, his back to the light beckoning his still-sleepy eyes. Her caresses on his cheek were a much better wake up call.

She turned over this time, and cried herself back to sleep.

Eugene opened his eyes to a pounding headache, and a stone-masonry wall.

Prison… he immediately thought. What happened…?

He tried to remember the previous night and day, and it all came flooding back. Including his latest embarrassment right before falling asleep.

…oh.

He rolled over to see his room: foreign to him in this morning light.

Tom was gone.

He rolled back over to the wall, groaning.

"Oh!" Eugene jumped at the unexpected sight of the Queen.

This outdoor garden path was lovely in the beautiful summer weather. Flowers everywhere and vine filled trellises were bursting after the rain the other night. It was also the best path for avoiding anywhere the Princess might be around now, now that he had finally decided to join the living, if only to get out of that wretchedly lonely bedroom.

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty!" He smiled with honest cheer and bowed with delight. Ah, a neutrally friendly face! –even if you do look so much like her…

"Good afternoon, Mr. Fitzherbert," she said with a concealed edge.

But Eugene noticed, and turned tense himself. "Uh, Your Majesty? Is everything alright?"

"Ohhh," she openly sassed him, "Well why wouldn't it be?"

He gulped. The other night. "N-no reason, I don't think…"

"You're so clever and can't think of one?"

He bowed his head. "I have already given my apologies to the King for the incident the other morning. Rapunzel was alright, and she still doesn't know I'm on the committee. I was just worried to speak up myself, for fear of being judged as biased." He looked up, a fiercely sharp and hard as stone look in his eyes, piercing hers to testify his conviction. "I personally guarantee that will NOT happen again."

The Queen waved it all away. "I'm not talking about any of that." She glared at him knowingly.

He froze again, terrified. I know she knows something, like that I was there, but what else?! And please don't be mad! I really like you, and I've liked you liking me! "Your Majesty- whatever you know, please-"

She held her hand up.

"I didn't-"

"Eugene."

He finally bit his lips, eyes pleading with her.

"I know plenty."

He bowed his head again, waiting.

"Rapunzel told me what happened the other night. I've come to ask for your side."

"Am I in trouble anyway?" he mumbled to the ground.

"No." She crossed her arms. "And Rapunzel made me promise not to get you in trouble, and even to not tell the King. So I can't do anything to you, but I want to hear it from you. The truth, please."

He sighed. "I know you know I was there, but I was there to check on her, after the whole incident that morning. She even knew I was coming. I'd commissioned a small knife and thigh holster specially for her, that I gave her. And I told her… That we should probably stop sneaking around." He glanced up to see her judgment.

She was stoic and serious as ever.

Double down. "All we've ever done is kiss, really, and it's not like it was much. Ah- so, I guess, that's something?"

The prideful point hit him. He respectfully held the honor of her first kiss, that first touch of her innocence, that would forevermore be guarded and cherished by him now. It gave him courage to look her directly in the eye again.

"Don't worry about, like- that creep the other morning wasn't her first kiss; it was me. And! And actually, it was she who grabbed me and kissed me first…"

He could not keep his smirk down for the life of him, but the Queen smirked just as well.

"We never told you that, uh," he ran his hand through his hair. "Sorry…"

The Queen nodded and finally sighed with relief, laying her guard down completely. "That, actually, is extremely relieving to hear. It's hard to tell exactly how she's been handling it all, both just being here, and that, but I haven't wanted to pry or upset her more. So I am glad to hear that, that incident, was not her first experience there."

"No, Your Majesty, um, none of it really was, but obviously I've…" I cannot believe I'm just confessing all of this to her mother! "I've always treated her with the utmost respect. I've never overstepped her wishes, never upset her." -a little exaggeration; but she was ultimately fine- "And again, it wasn't very far at all. I know, pretty much anyone who's seen us thinks I have a thing for her, and I've denied it, but…" Doesn't matter now… "I do."

The Queen scoffed, chuckling. "I should hope you're aware of that. If not, I was about to tell you."

He chuckled into a blushing mess. "I… Yeaaah, I fell for her the night before her birthday, around the campfire that night, just talking… We almost kissed under the lanterns…" His daydreamy eyes almost wandered off.

But he noticed the Queen's pert smile.

"But she ended up kissing me first, right after she brought me back, and only after that then, did she actually tell me that she'd figured out she was the princess..." A deep breath. "We've kissed and, like…" He shrugged. "I know it's not like any of it matters. I do love her, and I've told her so countless times, but, she's not in love with me."

The Queen's brow arched; taken aback. "She's not?"

He shook his head. "She'd never actually said she does love me, and when I outright asked her other night…" He choked, looked down, and just shook his head harder.

She sighed and looked away, nodding concession of the news.

"Look," Eugene smiled sadly and reached a hand out to her, "I'm sorry that you've been so extra worried about her, but please, this is what I meant by- you have nothing to worry about from me. I know I left her crying that night, but I let her down as gently as possible, and I only even ran out and disappeared like I did because you were at the door. I still care about her, more than anything, really. As for us not being together at all, well, we all know that can't be helped."

She looked off to the distance, then gulped. "I'm, ah, sorry about that, too. All of this, then… But, she has seemed happy this past month, even if she couldn't return the words."

He shrugged again. "Yeah, but I dunno. She's a lot younger, and so new to 'the world' at large… I guess I was just the first guy she met."

The Queen chuckled. "Well, you're a cute one. No one's been surprised she was taken with you, to any degree."

He pouted. 'Cute.' Great. 'Taken with me.' Yeah… and only that… But that's not enough to wanna keep me. So- Thaaanks- it's only my personality that people can't stand…

"And you've been the finest example of a gentleman I think I've seen in years."

"Your Majesty," he nodded curtly to thank her for the compliment, with the line of his lips hardened. Good enough for if they were regular nonroyal parents, at least, maybe? But, I wanted YOU to be my mother-in-law… He blinked to put it out of mind. "At the end of the day, you know she's been safe with me."

She grinned back. "That, is the one thing I do know best. Thank you, Dear." She reached out to hug him. "Ohh, you're a good man, Eugene."

Eugene fell hard into the hug, surprised how desperate he was for the motherly comfort. "I will always protect her," he swore through his waterlogged voice.

"I know. I do trust that you will." She leaned away, still holding his arms as she continued. "And I've heard you've actually requested off her guard detail, but still wish to remain on the committee?"

He cleared his throat and glanced around. "Uh, that's correct, only I let Rapunzel believe that it's still just that the King took me off, and she's never known about me being on the committee at all."

She smirked. "You know, that bias you're so worried about, is precisely why you were put on that committee."

He winced. "I thought that might be the case. That, or to root out a crush and get rid of me."

She chuckled and patted his arm. "Oh my, no! No, I assure you, it's the former."

At that, he could at least relax, albeit with a sad smile. "Well, still then. Don't have to worry about me ever 'getting in the way.' I just want what's best for her, and I want her to be happy."

"And we can't thank you enough for that."

"Well, thank you for, everything. I'll, let you get on your way then." He bowed his head again with a small smile and stepped away.

But the Queen carried on. "You've met another young lady, though, I hear?"

He faltered, then tried his goofy smirk. "Uh, only just last night. But I didn't think gossip traveled in that direction?"

"It does when it's so close to the royal family."

Eugene could only frown and shrug. "She's nice. Maybe it'll be a good distraction."

The Queen shrugged as well. "Maybe you'll like her."

He nodded, though his face strained. "I hope so."

While trying to avoid areas and pathways he knew Rapunzel might be found, Eugene did not think to track the other person he also wanted to dodge forever, or at least til he ever lived down last night's major fail.

So, heading to the mess hall, Eugene unexpectedly caught sight of Tom - looking right back at him.

Eugene quickly averted his eyes, groaning, as he whirled around and started heading in a different random direction.

"Fitz!" Tom called jovially.

He stomped to a halt, then hesitantly turned back, cringing. "Heyyy…!"

Tom walked right up to him, and comfortably threw an arm around him in a half-hug.

Eugene barely returned it, mostly stiff with shock, the rest being anxiety.

"Hey," Tom chuckled, "You sleep that off alright?"

"Uhhh," Eugene turned red, "Y-yeah… haha… ahhh…" As he studied him, though, he began to question whether that part had even been real. "Um, listen, about last night, I-"

"Don't worry," Tom closed his eyes momentarily as he waved a hand out to wipe it all away, and cheekily explained. "The King doesn't need to know about any other extracurricular activities, no matter how disreputable, so long as nothing happened."

"Yeah, but…" Eugene winced, "Did anything… happen last night? I mean, did I really…?"

Tom kept careful eye contact. "If you say nothing happened, then nothing happened."

Eugene finally took a big deep breath, sighing with relief. "Oh my God thank you- really? 'Cause I am so sorry, man. Please, I just wa-"

"Eugene," he interrupted, commanding his attention back. "If you keep tawrking about it, then…" He nodded his head off to insinuate the rest.

"Right," he chuckled.

"Come on, then," he smiled and gestured for him to follow.

They both walked in together, as normal as ever.

After dinner, Eugene returned to his room.

He stood there, looking around, completely uneasy with every inch of it.

It was an easy decision.

He got out his satchel, another sack, and pulled his top sheet off but laid it back out again.

And he began packing.

About halfway through, a knock came at his door.

He froze, heart thudding in his ears. No… No- Blondie- Don't make ME push YOU away- Don't pull me back in, just to-

"Fitz?" Tom's voice called through.

Eugene breathed easy again. "Yeah?"

"I've uh, I've brought something for you. May I come in?"

Eugene looked back at his bed. Well this looks bad… "Uhhh, just a sec!" He had been ready as ever to ride right back out, but began quickly undressing.

"Shor."

Barefoot, left in only his navy guard pants and cream peasant shirt, Eugene slipped out his door, and quickly closed it behind himself. "Hey, man, what's up?"

Tom blinked at the odd occurrence of not being invited in, but shrugged it off, especially after Eugene's lingering unease about the previous night. "Listen, ah…" He brought a small package from behind his back to hold in front of himself. "If yor shor- If you are ab-so-lute-ly shor, that she doesn't want you…"

Eugene rolled his dead-inside eyes. "She wants her comfort zone."

Tom nodded sadly. "Right. Well, then, um, I just wanted to say, that," he surprisingly seemed nervous, "I'd like us, to remain friends, still?"

Eugene smirked at his ridiculous, adorably pleading face, and chuckled. "Yeah, of course, man. Why wouldn't we?"

"Well, I thought that with me still being so close to her, if you might find that too much."

"No, I want to keep tabs on her. So that's fine. Oh- but I mean- not that that's the only reason, of course. You're like… my best friend." Now he pleaded adorkably.

Tom chuckled. "Yes, and uh, guess yor mine, too."

They settled a minute in their awkward mushiness.

"So!" Tom burst, "I've brought you a little something else to help, getting over her."

But I don't wanna, Eugene internally, immediately protested. But he joked, "That sure is a strangely shaped bottle."

Tom laughed.

"Or if it's a box, I think that's wayyy too much powder."

"No, no. Here." He held out the small parcel, wrapped in brown paper.

Eugene took it and opened it. "A book?" He checked both pliable leather sides for a title; none. He flipped through it. "A blank book- a diary?"

"I know yor in deep," he gently explained. "I know yor really hurting. I don't expect you to stop caring about her. So this, is for you to have an outlet for all of that. Just let it all out. Someplace to dump all those thoughts and feelings. And in a year… everything will be different."

Eugene took a deep breath, looking down at it in his hand. But he smiled back, sincerely hoping. "Thank you."

As it began turning dark, Eugene locked his door, covertly carried everything out to the stables, and packed up the same black horse.

Max shoved the back of his shoulder with his snout.

Eugene held up a finger to who he knew was behind him. "I am NOT leaving. I'll be back tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after that." Suddenly his voice choked up. "Forever. Because I promised that... But I can't sleep here." He punctuated his final emphasis with pulling the last strap tight.

Max stepped back as Eugene climbed up on the other horse.

He glanced back at him. "See ya, Max. And don't worry, everyone else is looking after her." And he took off.

Despite Pascal's desperate attempts, Rapunzel had spent the entire day in her room. Lying about. Tearing up. Dozing. Idly shuffling through her paints, but never painting.

Back to this…

Pascal urged her to the door several times.

"No, Pascal… There's nothing out there for me. He was my New Dream; not being a princess. He… He was my freedom…"

Eventually, she found his pajamas, stuffed in the pot from the other morning. Suddenly the stark absence of him was materially real again. His lingering scent on the clothing still engulfed her, invaded her senses, deluding her that he must be present still.

She saw how touched and thankful and excited he was when she first presented them to him – And she saw how crushed and betrayed and hurt he looked right before he disappeared back out into that storm.

I don't deserve how wonderful he's been to me… I'm so sorry, Eugene! But how could he leave me?

That night, she curled up with those pajamas, clutching their emptiness close.

A/N: We did get most of this in the diary overviews, but we love the Eugene & Queen scenes, don't we folks?! & it just didn't fit into his emotional flow of Day 1. Plus, Day 1 had to end with him back in his horrible own bedroom, so he could know he never wants to do that again, and instead, in that painfully heartsick move, purposely relocate to her old tower. =(

A lil more housekeeping on Day 7, then a much longer Day 30.

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