Chapter 9: Mystified
Dear readers, I don't have enough words to express how much I appreciate your lovely reviews. Believe me when I say this story wouldn't continue without your support, so I want to thank each and every single one of you who left a review. I really appreciate every single one!
Now, this chapter is mostly fluff cause I think it was long overdue, but don't get too used to it. We'll be back to the scheduled angst and drama shortly so I suggest you enjoy it while it lasts.
Also, because you asked for it, this story will now be upgraded to an M rating. This chapter however is still a safe T. Enjoy!
Put your lips close to mine, as long as they don't touch
Out of focus, eye to eye, till the gravity is too much
And I'll do anything you say, if you say it with your hands
And I'd be smart to walk away, but you're quicksand
(...)
I can't decide if it's a choice getting swept away
I hear the sound of my own voice asking you to stay
And all we are is skin and bone trained to get along
Forever going with the flow, but you're friction
This hope is treacherous
This daydream is dangerous
~Treacherous
Sleep was hard to come by that night. Rapunzel kept tossing and turning trying to find a remotely comfortable position as she lied upon the forest ground, tightly curled up in a cocoon made of her own hair. Beside her Pascal slept soundly, completely unaware of her restless attempts to fall asleep.
But try as she might, her thoughts kept wandering to dark places, a burden heavy in her mind preventing her from losing consciousness. Every time she closed her eyes images from the day's tragic events would flash before her mind's eye; the shipwreck, the pirates, the crew's shouts and the overwhelming sound of the cannons deeply resonating within her. She would startle awake as soon as she felt herself drifting off. She had tried to block the horror of it all for as long as possible, but as the hours passed and her mind had nothing else to occupy itself with, she couldn't prevent the mournful memories from invading her brain any longer.
She gave up on her attempts at rest after a few hours of fitful sleep, and sat up with a deep sigh. The campfire that had once lit up the space around them had long since burned out, and was now nothing but a pile of dying embers at the center of their impromptu campsite. Her blurry eyes slowly wandered toward the large lump lying all the way across the other side of the once burning fire, and she felt a glimmer of relief wash upon her soul.
Eugene's motionless body was nothing but a large silhouette that she could faintly make out in the dark, but just the knowledge that he rested just a few feet away from her, safe and sound and mostly unharmed was a consolation to Rapunzel. The realization that they could have easily lost each other in the wreckage that had been the pirate attack was suddenly all too real, and the mere thought made a shiver run down her spine.
Rapunzel had to admit that she would have felt much more comfortable had Eugene decided to lie down much closer to her resting place. Instead he had chosen a spot to sleep all the way across the campfire, completely opposite to her and as far away as he could possibly be. She tried not to feel snubbed by that seemingly arbitrary decision from his part.
She wondered for a moment if he was having the same difficulty as her, if the events of the day haunted his mind just as much as they haunted hers, if he startled awake plagued by half-formed nightmares. If he craved her comfort and her company half as much as she craved his. His back remained turned to her, there was no way she could possibly know if he was indeed asleep or just faking it to keep from looking at her, but she thought he looked more tense than usual.
She hadn't really realized how used she had become to his close company while they journeyed in the merchant vessel. With such a tiny cabin, and an even smaller bed to share it was inevitable, really, that she would grow used to him sleeping close enough for her to hear his deep breathing, and eventually to feel the heat of his body lying right next to her when they shared that tiny cot. Her body had unconsciously grown used to his close presence, drawing confort from the sound of his faint soft snores and the knowledge that he was close to her reach if she needed him.
Was it too much to ask, she thought, for the feel of his arms wrapped around her frame in a comforting embrace? Now she desperately craved the sweet gesture he had granted her before, just like he had done when she nearly drowned at sea in the storm, or when they sailed that tiny rowboat to safety just a few hours ago.
It was a bittersweet change, Rapunzel supposed. A few weeks ago the thought of having a wanted criminal sleeping so close to her presence that she could almost feel every breath he took would have been appalling to her. She had initially been so reluctant to have him sleep in the same room as her, let alone share the same bed. And now that the situation didn't demand for them to be in such close proximity and Eugene had taken the decision to lie as far away from her as humanly possible she couldn't help feeling... well, dejected.
She supposed it was for the best. Perhaps having him so close to her again would only help to reawaken the rush of feelings that had surged within her some hours ago, feelings she had desperately tried to bury deep in her chest not to be felt again.
...And there went her treacherous mind, replacing the horrid memories of the shipwreck with equally disturbing images of her encounter of Eugene in the lake, which was most definitely not a better option to help her fall asleep or even offer some comfort to her already disturbed spirits.
Apparently it couldn't be helped. She felt a deep blush creeping up her cheeks at the thought of his bare skin, slightly glistening with the droplets of water rushing down his chest, and a strange but not entirely unwelcome warmth enveloped her, settling deep in her stomach and spreading lower and lower down to the tips of her toes, stirring her chest and setting fire to her skin. She felt somewhat breathless and agitated all at once and she didn't even want to think about the effect the mere sight of him had on her.
Biting her lip she turned her back to him and settled once more upon her makeshift cocoon of golden hair, resolving to not let those thoroughly inappropriate thoughts plague her mind any longer. Rapunzel had travelled all the way here with one purpose only, and it was to fulfill her long awaited dream and explore the world beyond Corona, to enjoy her relative freedom however long it lasted. Her plans could not afford to include falling for the handsome rogue turned good-guy Eugene Fitzherbert, no matter how much her heart seemed to betray her.
With that in mind, Rapunzel settled into an uncomfortably light sleep, her dreams plagued with sinking ships and crashing waves threatening to drown her in a sea of unexplored sentiments.
It wasn't long before dawn broke over the horizon, and the warm rays of sunshine filtered through the canopy of trees surrounding them. Rapunzel awoke at the faint sound of bells ringing in the distance, the tinkle clashing with the natural chirps and sounds of the woods around them. Abruptly springing into an upright position, she was quick to cross the now dead campfire with a reluctant Pascal in tow, and shake a sleeping Eugene awake.
In any other circumstances she would've probably felt guilty for disturbing his perfectly peaceful sleep, but right now her eagerness far surpassed her remorse, and so she persisted despite Eugene's annoyed groan. "Eugene, wake up! Do you hear that?"
After a few more shakes he opened a bleary eye to glare at her, looking more than a little bit miffed by the rude disturbance to his sleep. "I really do hope you have a good reason for waking me up."
"Shhh. Listen!"
Blinking away his drowsiness he sat up straight and stifled a tired yawn, looking like he was trying very hard not to fall back asleep and ignore whatever she was going on about. After a few moments of silence he finally seemed to focus on what she was talking about.
"Bells...?"
Rapunzel nodded eagerly, a delighted smile threatening to split her face. "The town must be nearby. Come on!"
She shoved him to his feet and practically dragged him through the woods, following the sound of bells growing louder and pointedly ignoring Eugene's protests of it being entirely too early to be this energetic.
After a few minutes of treading upon the underbrush covered ground, they finally broke through the deep foliage of the forest and came upon a clear path leading to the docks and the town beyond.
Rapunzel felt the air leave her lungs at the sight awaiting her. The harbor extended over the rock covered bay, piers upon piers spreading into the dark waters allowing enormous trading vessels and merchant ships to dock safely on port, despite the relentless ocean waves characteristic of these parts of the north.
The docks were only the first place her eyes settled. Beyond them the port town could be seen, houses and buildings of varying sizes spreading over the imposing jagged hills so common of the kingdom. And towering at the top of the highest cliff was the grand palace of Cygnus, with it's majestic towers that seemed to reach the very sky.
The whole scene seemed to Rapunzel like something taken out of her favorite books. The sounds of shouting sailors at the docks, the waves crashing upon the harbor, seagulls squawking as they took flight and the flourish of activity already taking place upon the town mixed with the previously faint sound of the bells ringing, now almost drowning them in a heap of chaos characteristic of big cities.
She hadn't even realized she had walked several steps ahead in her excitement, and she turned around with an amazed smile toward Eugene, mouthing her marvel with an astounded 'wow!'.
An indulgent smirk settled on Eugene's lips as he watched with amusement as Rapunzel excitedly bounced in the balls of her feet. And she promptly turned back around with a sprint in her step, walking past the docks and into the town beyond, her eyes traveling eagerly through every corner that caught her attention.
She couldn't make it much further, however, as her impossibly long hair proved to be a hindrance this particular time. Rapunzel yelped as she was almost run over by a rushing cart, a painful gasp escaping her lips as her hair was tugged this way and that by the myriad of people hurrying through the narrow streets.
No one spared her a second glance, apparently deeming a confused and startled foreigner too unimportant to even grant her an apology as they pushed her quite rudely out of the way. She had never felt more invisible, or more like an outsider. However she found that she actually quite welcomed the anonymity that came with people not recognizing her as royalty.
Eugene was quick to catch up to her, helping her gather up her long golden locks on his way. "Well this is bound to be a problem."
They exchanged a thoughtful glance, before his eyes swept over their surroundings with calculating determination, soon settling over a group of little girls sitting upon the edge of a fountain, braiding each other's hair.
A triumphant smirk set over his lips and he lead a hesitant Rapunzel toward the girls.
Once upon a time, Rapunzel would've thought Flynn Rider the king of smooth-talking, he had a certain charisma that was hard to ignore. She was, therefore, weirdly surprised that this particular trait of his wasn't just limited to the fake persona that Eugene had managed to build over the years. No, Eugene's brand of charm was certainly different than the one she had experienced firsthand from one infamous Flynn Rider. Whereas Flynn could sweet-talk almost anyone into doing his biding, she had always detected that distinctive hint of manipulative selfishness hiding underneath his empty flattery. She discovered however, that Eugene's way of charming people stemmed from a much more genuine perspective. He walked up to the girls, good-natured smile plastered over his face, and lightly asked them if they would be so kind to help them with the little predicament that was Rapunzel's seventy feet of loose hair.
The girls needn't be asked twice. With an excited gasp they were quick to approach Rapunzel with enthusiastic energy, urging her to kneel before them as they swiftly set to work over the tangled mess that were Rapunzel's golden locks. Meanwhile, Eugene settled quite comfortably on the spot they had previously occupied by the fountain, content to watch as the girls dutifully ran their little hands over knots and gnarled strands of hair, animatedly chatting with them with an ease that only a person that had been quite used to spending time with little kids would manage.
Rapunzel wondered for an instant, why she had yet to see that tender part of Eugene until then. The girls were quick to take a liking to him, as much as any kid would when they were fairly certain the person they were talking to could very easily be persuaded into giving them piggyback rides, play a round or two of hide-and-seek, and give them quite an entertaining storytelling time. She wondered briefly, if his time at the orphanage had given him this playful easiness to interact with little kids. She watched, with an increasing fuzzy feeling akin to tenderness swelling in her chest, as Eugene joked around with the little girls making them giggle heartily with his occasional goofy comments and overdramatic antics.
It was clear by their shared traits of freckled cheeks and redhead braids that the girls were sisters, varying between the ages of 5 and 10. After a few minutes of painstakingly combing their fingers through any knot in Rapunzel's hair, the eldest one finally asked, "So, were are you guys from?"
Rapunzel and Eugene shared a hesitant look. At the brief silence, the girl continued unfazed, "I mean it's obvious from your accent you're not from around here. You sound like southerners."
"We do in fact come from south." Eugene didn't elaborate, and the girl didn't seem interested in knowing more than that simple fact.
"Is this your first time here?" The second eldest asked curiously while the rest of them made a game of hopping over each other as they weaved the impossibly long strands into what looked like the beginnings of an elaborate braid.
"It is for me!" Rapunzel smiled.
"Ooh! You're just in time for the festival tomorrow!"
The rest of the girls exclaimed their agreement, loudly talking over each other about the marvel that was this festival they mentioned. Eugene held up his hands in a calming gesture. "Whoa, whoa, okay one at a time. What is this festival you talk about?"
"Sollaria, the Summer Solstice festival." The eldest girl replied. "There are tons of activities to celebrate."
"And lots of food stands!"
"And the lighting candles ceremony!"
"Oh! Oh! And the masquerade!"
Once again all the girls rushed to exclaim the variety of activities to be done during the festival but the last one caught Rapunzel's attention. "Masquerade?"
"Oh that one is one of my favorites!" The oldest girl took the initiative once again, a dreamy look on her face. "Every year the King and Queen host a masquerade ball to celebrate. It's the most lavish event of the year, all the lords and ladies and every important highborn in the kingdom dress up with magnificent attire and beautiful masks adorning their faces. But it's been a tradition for ages that the whole kingdom gets to participate, even us commoners.
We dress up in our very best outfit and you either buy or make your own mask, and we go to the town's Main Square, near the Palace's courtyard, and there are musicians playing and people can dance and parade around the streets like a masquerade ball of our own."
Rapunzel was fascinated by the idea, and she could feel the excitement already bubbling inside her threatening to burst out of her. The girl eyed her delighted smile with teasing grin of her own and added almost as an afterthought, "You two really should go. It's a perfect activity for couples, very romantic."
An awkward sputter from both Rapunzel and Eugene interrupted the peaceful atmosphere, and then they rushed to correct the misunderstanding in the most embarrassing series of babbling they could have managed.
"No! We-We're not..."
"We're not really a..."
"We're not together... like..."
"We're just..."
"Friends!" They finished in unison, and there was a tense silence in which the girls all exchanged disbelieving looks before they burst out in a fit of giggles. Rapunzel didn't much appreciate Pascal's added sniggers, which only she seemed to notice.
Eugene sighed. "Why don't you girls tell us more about this festival?"
They spent the next few minutes filling them in on the details about their ancient tradition, after a while Eugene rose from his spot on the fountain and walked over to the wall a few feet ahead, claiming he needed to stretch his legs a little and entrusting the girls with Rapunzel for a while as they finished up the last touches to her elaborate braid. Surprisingly enough Pascal decided to join him, settling comfortably on his shoulder while Eugene seemed content to ignore him.
Meanwhile the girls talked with Rapunzel animatedly while plucking flowers into her hair, and Rapunzel could count on one hand the amount of times she had felt so at ease while conversing with another group of people, regardless of their age.
When they finished Rapunzel rose to her feet and spun around in a circle, admiring the girls' magnificent handiwork with a delighted smile. "Oh, thank you!"
The little girls bounced on their feet, clapping their hands in excitement. "You look very pretty."
"You think so?" Rapunzel's smile softened at the sincere compliment. The girls nodded their agreement.
"I think he thinks so too."
She turned around at the comment, her eyes following the girls' amused gaze, and her heart fluttered at the sight of Eugene leaning against the wall across from them, a soft, almost tender smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he looked at her. The sight was short lived however, as he seemed to snap out of his reverie when his eyes met hers, determined to avoid both her inquisitive stare and Pascal's teasing reptilian smile.
"You should really consider going to the Masquerade parade, even if it's just as friends." The eldest girl spoke once more. "You two would make a cute 'not couple'." she giggled, and Rapunzel forced an amused smile despite the feeling akin to disappointment settling in her heart.
The first thing Rapunzel insisted on doing before she got swept away by the flourish of activities that could be done around town was get some well earned money of her own. She really wasn't keen on the idea of letting Eugene steal a single thing for the remainder of their trip.
Miraculously so, the pair of tiny sapphire earrings she had tried to trade before in exchange for passage outside Corona had remained with her until now. Rapunzel would never really understand how they had managed to stay clipped to her ears all this time, despite the numerous times she should've lost them during their tumultuous trip. She decided fate must have granted her a chance to seize the opportunity and sell them now that they were in dire need of some local currency. It was not like she was going to have any other need for them after all.
Eugene was slightly appalled at the suggestion, however Rapunzel wouldn't be swayed. As soon as she found a jewelry shop available she was quick to to sell the pair of earrings. Eugene was reluctant to let her part with them to a price that was definitely much lower than their original value, but the money they would acquire from them would be more than enough to last them until they returned to Corona. The jeweler kept shooting them suspicious glances when he thought they weren't paying attention, surely wondering where on earth a pair of seemingly humble commoners had acquired such fine pieces. It didn't help much that Eugene did look like he had just come out of a brawl, what with his torn bloodstained shirt.
Which was precisely what led them to tend to the next matter at hand. It really wouldn't do to have Eugene walking around like he had just murdered someone, and she really didn't want to keep wearing a torn dress with the hem completely stained in mud. They parted ways as Rapunzel entered a dressmaker's shop and Eugene, for his part, went to the tailor down the same street.
It didn't take long for Rapunzel to find a set of dresses appropriate for the remainder of her trip and this time she was sure to check that each of them could be properly laced and buttoned at the front, which would certainly save her a lot of embarrassment. Once she had them properly packed in a neat bag and paid for she promptly made her way towards the tailor's shop where Eugene had disappeared before.
In hindsight, it shouldn't have surprised her that Eugene would take twice as long as her to pick his new set of clothes. She supposed his vanity too, wasn't a trait limited to his Flynn Rider persona.
He found him in front of a body length mirror, inspecting every angle of the new outfit, not much different in style to the one he had before, save for this doublet being a darker shade of blue than his previous one. And also, the fact that the pants were trendier and, to Rapunzel's slight dismay, a bit tight-fitted. Not that she was paying too close attention to that one detail, of course.
"Eugene I swear, you've been looking at the mirror for ages!" Rapunzel sighed after a while. "The outfit isn't going to change, however much you glance."
Eugene seemed pretty unfazed by the remark. "Well Blondie, some of us are careful to maintain our good reputation and a pristine image."
"The good reputation of a thief?" She raised an amused eyebrow.
"I prefer dashing rogue, thank you very much."
"Honestly, I'm quite sure you've tried every single outfit in this shop." Rapunzel crossed her arms over her chest, already impatient to explore the rest of the town. Pascal chirped in agreement. "That one looks good enough."
He looked thoroughly offended by the idea of looking just 'good enough'.
"Good enough doesn't cut it, Sunshine."
Rapunzel rolled her eyes, not quite sure why she felt more fondness than annoyance at his dramatic antics. "Fine, you look handsome enough. Who are you even trying to impress anyway?"
"Oh, Flynn Rider is quite famous outside Corona, let me tell you." He replied rather proudly.
"I thought you weren't posing as Flynn Rider now." Her voice came out more softly than she'd intended, which succeeded in catching his attention.
He met her eyes through the reflection in the mirror, his features softening. "Oh... yeah." He shrugged, looking almost sheepish all of a sudden. "Force of habit, I guess."
There was a somewhat tense silence, and then a teasing smirk graced his features, breaking the awkward moment. "So... handsome enough, you think?"
Rapunzel thought she should've been more successful in restraining the girlish blush that crept up her cheeks.
The streets in Cygnus, much like in Corona, were incredibly steep and somewhat narrow, due to the fact that both towns spread across rolling hills. And that was about as much as both kingdoms had in common. The lands of Cygnus were much more rocky than the fairly soft woodsy areas surrounding Corona's capital city, and its weather was far chillier than what Rapunzel was used to, even in the midst of summer. Whereas Corona was warm and sunny for the better part of the year, save for a few weeks of snow over the winter, the sky in Cygnus was clouded with puffy clouds and a crispy marine breeze left slight goosebumps on her skin.
However, Rapunzel enjoyed the geographical differences as much as she enjoyed the cultural ones. The buildings, made of a special kind of dark stone Rapunzel had yet to see before, towered over them in narrow constructions tall enough to make her crane her neck in an effort to see their decorated rooftops. It was obvious the city was celebrating an esteemed holiday, as every street was decorated with blue flags hanging over balconies and lampposts, the swan that constituted their royal sigil adorning each of them.
Rapunzel and Eugene reached the Market Square, situated not far from the docks, where all the goods disembarked and were promptly transported to the town's market to be sold as fresh as possible. Rapunzel didn't waste time trying to familiarize herself with the local food. She was delighted to try a variety of things she had never even seen before, fruits and vegetables that were not common in Corona's warmer soil.
The rich flavors were much spicier than what Rapunzel had been used to until then, and she couldn't decide yet if she found the change to be a good one. However she never shied away from trying new things, quite unlike Eugene, who was content to stick with the familiar foods he managed to stumble upon. Pascal, for his part, was partial to the town's famous berries, content to sample them and turn a color that matched each of them with a cheerful squeak.
They entered a tiny bakery when the need to try something sweeter proved too overwhelming, the scent of baked goods filling Rapunzel's nostrils and making her mouth water.
"Good morning, what can I offer you?" A plump, kind-looking woman asked them from her place behind the counter.
Rapunzel, as usual, asked for every traditional pastry the woman could produce, an overenthusiastic gleam in her green eyes.
"Ah! Foreigners are you?" The woman chuckled good-naturedly, rushing to offer them a variety of pastries and baked goods that looked entirely too delicious in Rapunzel's opinion. "We have all kinds of flavors, you can choose whatever suits you best. But, might I recommend our specialty."
She offered them a peculiar looking pastry, covered in chocolate and big enough to make Rapunzel think she would be full for the rest of the day should she eat it. "This one is perfect for sharing. And you know what they say, chocolate is the food of love. Very popular between lovebirds."
A teasing wink and cheeky grin later had them exiting the shop with a pair of vanilla and strawberry cupcakes instead.
"Is it just me, or are people around here particularly fond of romance?" Eugene complained once they were at a sufficient distance from the bakery.
Rapunzel was about to reply when she was suddenly yanked by the arm with unexpected force and swiftly led to a shallow archway between a narrow and rather dark alleyway. She didn't even have time to utter so much as a squeak of surprise before she was shushed by an alert Eugene. They both stuck their heads out to inspect their surroundings, Rapunzel in confusion and Eugene in caution. Her bewilderment was cleared once she noticed the pair of guards patrolling the street they had been walking through a moment before.
She raised an unamused eyebrow. "Are you wanted here too?"
"Let's just say, better be safe than sorry."
She really, really shouldn't have smiled at his apologetic grimace.
The sudden realization that they stood way too close to be entirely appropriate as they hid from the guards had her feeling a bit awkward, and she took a bite from her cupcake just to have something other than Eugene's closeness to occupy her mind.
He let out an amused chuckle.
"You have some frosting on your nose."
Rapunzel was infinitely glad he didn't take the cheesy route to try to wipe it off with his thumb and left her to do it herself. She was sure she would've exploded in a fit of jitters if he had so much as brushed his skin against her own.
Turns out, while he might have done some transgressions to earn him a wanted warrant from the guards, Flynn Rider wasn't quite as infamous in Cygnus as he had been in Corona. Which was a relief as they didn't need to be as cautious as they had been back home while they strolled the streets of the norther kingdom.
She had to admit her absolute favorite part of town was the Handcraft Market. Rapunzel, always enthusiastic when it came to anything artistic, was overjoyed to see the variety of stands full to the brim with breathtaking crafts, from pottery to jewelry and much more. Some vendors were already selling beautifully handcrafted masks that would be used the next day for the Masquerade during Sollaria - as the locals referred to their summer festival.
Rapunzel lingered just a bit longer in a particular stand, where an intricately designed pendant caught her eye. The half of a sun made up part of the pendant, the other complimented by a half-moon, adorned with an opal-like stone at the center, too little to be worth much but still breathtakingly fascinating to her. She was debating whether buying it would be much of a waste of money when movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.
A group of kids knelt a few paces away, hands stained with colorful chalk dust as they worked quite enthusiastically on drawing over the cobblestoned ground. It was quite clear that particular space was designated just for that purpose, already displaying a variety of doodles of differing style and complexity.
She didn't waste time joining them with a delighted gasp, kneeling on all fours without a single regard for the fact that, were she in Corona everyone around her would surely gasp at the impropriety of it all. She almost giggled thinking about her etiquette tutor's reaction to it.
Eugene's wasn't much different.
"Uh... what are you doing?"
"Drawing." She answered matter-of-factly.
"Huh." Rapunzel could feel his stare in the back of her head as she started drawing the outline of her sketch. "Didn't know you had a penchant for arts."
Rapunzel paused for a moment. She thought he would know that about her by now given the fact she had spent the first days of her captivity in the tower drawing on whatever surface would be available to pass the time. Then she remembered he hadn't cared much about what she did or didn't do back then.
She shrugged. "Just a hobby."
Just a hobby would be a modest way to put it if you asked anyone else. After an hour or so of concentrated work Rapunzel had managed to turn the center of the designated space into a work of art. A giant sun that was unmistakably the royal sigil of Corona over a purple background adorned the cobbled ground. Around the central sun Rapunzel depicted scenes from the market place surrounding her, from cute couples taking a stroll to a group of playing children, all painted in faint hues of varying shades of purple which blended perfectly with the background.
She rubbed a chalk-stained hand over her forehead brushing a few strands of hair off her eyes, while Eugene admired her handiwork with a look of barely restrained wonder.
"Blondie, that is amazing! Where did you even learn to do that?"
"Oh well, when you are not really allowed to leave the palace you get a surprising amount of free time." Rapunzel replied, a modest smile gracing her lips.
She rose to her feet as a growing gathering of people settled around them to openly admire and exclaim over Rapunzel's work. And she couldn't quite decipher the look on Eugene's eyes, but if she were to put a finger on it, she would almost say she detected a hint of pride in his affectionate smile.
"Look what I got us!" Rapunzel held up a pair of beautifully designed masks, an excited smile plastered on her face.
She had wandered off to a stall nearby while Eugene lined up to buy them some food for the day, when the intricate designs of the various masks offered in said stall caught her attention. She admired them aimlessly, just content to watch their different styles, until her eyes stumbled upon a pair of matching masks; one with the clear design of a sun and the other an elaborate half moon, both parted in the middle so as to cover only part of the wearer's face, and with the same color scheme and similar design to make them a half of a whole. They were so beautifully breathtaking and so reminiscent to the pendant she had so liked a few hours ago, that she really couldn't resist buying them.
Eugene looked a bit startled for a second, before he raised an amused eyebrow. "Is this your way of asking me to the Masquerade Ball?"
Had it been too forward of her to buy matching masks?
Instead of blushing for what seemed like the tenth time that day, she opted for playing along.
"Dear sir, would you do me the honor of going with me to the Masquerade Ball?" She gave him a mockingly low curtsey, suppressing a teasing smile.
He returned an equally low bow, the corners of his lips lifting up in an amused smirk. "The honor would be all mine, your Royal Highness."
Rapunzel didn't even bother to swallow her laughter this time, shoving his shoulder to shake him out of his mocking bow. "Don't call me that!"
There was no hint of irritation in her voice this time around, quite unlike the previous times when she had asked him to stop calling her 'Princess'. And there was a moment, a tiny, minuscule moment, as they shared a good-natured smile, where Rapunzel could've forgotten about the rest of the world if only he would close the already small gap between them.
That is of course, until her eyes were drawn away by something else, and her soft smile faded away. Glancing over Eugene's shoulder, her eyes caught on the intricate mosaic adorning an archway in the wall across them. She slowly walked up to it, recognizing the people depicted in it in an instant.
She was required to know the couple by name of course, despite the fact that she was sure she had only ever seen them in person once or twice in her life, when her parents hosted lavish balls or royal events in which foreign royals were invited. Cygnus' Royal Family remained proudly immortalized in the mosaic, the King and Queen standing tall and regal at the center, their children flanking them, standing on either side of the couple. The youngest of the King's sons Rapunzel knew well, if only by name. Prince William, the one her mother had mentioned before, the last one of her suggested suitors. The one she was quite sure her mother had graciously picked to be Rapunzel's future fiancé.
Well at least that had been the case before she was kidnapped the very same day her mother had mentioned it.
"Rapunzel?"
She was snapped out of her thoughts by Eugene's concerned voice, now standing directly next to her. His brow furrowed in a questioning look. "What's got you so entranced?"
Rapunzel considered for a moment withholding her thoughts. She ultimately decided against it, letting out a deep sigh. "You see that one?"
Eugene's eyes followed the direction her finger was pointing at, setting on the tall, pristine-looking young man depicted in the mosaic. He tilted his head in question.
"Prince William." Rapunzel continued, her face taking on a pinched quality. "I'm quite sure my parents pretty much betrothed me to him before... well, before all this."
Her mother's insistence on her meeting the prince of Cygnus couldn't really suggest otherwise. Rapunzel was too slow to fully notice, but she could've sworn she saw Eugene's face fall for just a moment before he recovered his usual carefree manner.
"He looks..." he tilted his head in contemplation.
'Bland?' Rapunzel thought initially, before chastising herself for her unkind thoughts.
"...Pleasant." Eugene settled for a half-hearted smile, clearly trying to make the idea easier on her.
It worked about as much as he was convinced of his assessment, which is to say not at all. Rapunzel looked back at the mosaic, not quite sure yet what she thought about the stiff-looking prince who could potentially be her future husband.
The rational part of her thought she shouldn't really be one to judge a book by its cover. Her treacherous heart however whispered she would never be able to love him if there was someone else vying for the same place in her affections.
When the sun set over the horizon and dusk fell upon the kingdom, Rapunzel and Eugene decided it was about time to call it quits. After a full day of eagerly exploring the town and adding a bag or two to their already increasing pile of aqquired supplies, which were definitely slowing them down considerably, they set on the task of finding lodgings for the night.
They found a quaint little inn by the name of The Winter Rose, near the docks, modest but still a far cry from the seedy inn they had stayed in the night before leaving Corona. Although to be perfectly honest, Rapunzel was almost sure she would've accepted even that seedy inn if it meant she would be able to rest her incredibly sore feet.
As soon as they entered, the warmth of the fireplace in the common room chased away the slight chill the windy night had brought. Rapunzel was quite sure she would drop unconscious any second when the innkeeper greeted them with a disinterested nod.
The innkeeper for her part, was a tiny haggard-looking woman, clearly not interested in making small talk with her guests save for the prize for a room and duration of their stay.
She gave them an almost curious once-over, her mouth set in a perfectly thin line. "Room for two?"
"Actually we were looking for two rooms, please." Eugene spoke before Rapunzel even had a chance to nod.
This earned them a raised eyebrow and a disbelieving stare from the innkeeper. "Inn is packed, there's only one room left."
A few weeks ago the news would've made Rapunzel blanch in dismay. Now, she really couldn't care less as long as she had a roof over her head. She assumed Eugene would feel the same way, that he would dismiss the slight problem and accept the room offered.
When her eyes met his, she was not prepared however, for his sudden reluctance to share a room with her.
"Perhaps we could keep looking elsewhere?" He suggested with a seemingly unaffected shrug
A derisive snort from the innkeeper told them that wouldn't be such a great idea. "Good luck trying. Sollaria is tomorrow, the whole town is full, every inn you encounter will be equally booked. You'd be lucky to find only one room."
"We can manage sharing a room for another night." Rapunzel replied.
For some reason Eugene looked uncharacteristically hesitant. "I seriously doubt there's not a single inn in town that could give us separate rooms."
"I'm really tired, my feet are killing me and I don't really want to to keep walking." Rapunzel sighed. "I'm sure sharing a room won't be the end of the world."
Pascal, who had been content to sit quietly and observe from his spot perched upon her shoulder the whole day, decided this would be a good time to interject in her favor. The idea of walking for heavens knew how long until they found a suitable inn looked as unappealing to him as it did to her.
And the innkeeper looked like she really didn't have the patience to wait around for them to decide. "Room for two or are you leaving?" She grunted.
They ended up sharing a room once more.
As soon as they entered their designated quarters Rapunzel made a beeline for the bed and promptly flopped down, letting out a heavy sigh. The room itself wasn't anything impressive, rather small actually and with little to no decorations save for the tattered curtains blocking the window, a small vase filled with fresh water over the only nightstand next to the bed and a tiny mirror pegged over the wall. Certainly nothing even remotely close to the luxury Rapunzel had been used to her whole life, however after spending every single night since her kidnapping sleeping in less than stellar conditions, this was a more than welcomed change.
She felt like she had not slept in an appropriate bed in ages, and she was infinitely glad that at least this time she wouldn't be worried that she might catch a weird disease for sleeping over dubious-looking bedsheets. Feeling strangely relaxed and content, she stretched leisurely across the bed, a soft satisfied sound resembling a moan escaping her lips.
"Oh I am so glad we'll be sleeping in a proper bed for once."
When only silence met her comment she lifted her head up to look at Eugene, who had been acting most bizarrely since the innkeeper informed them of the single room available. For some reason he looked a bit tense, pointedly avoiding looking at her as he snatched a pillow -the only pillow might she add- and dropped it unceremoniously on the floor right in front of the bed.
Rapunzel frowned. "Uh, what are you doing?"
"What does it look like? Setting my place to sleep on the floor." He shrugged. His tone hadn't been biting or irritated, just... matter-of-fact. In fact his whole demeanor seemed out of place. He still avoided her eyes, but not in a dismissive way, it looked more like he felt almost inadequate. As if the suave confidence with which he carried himself had suddenly deserted him, leaving a very stiff Eugene in its place.
Rapunzel narrowed her eyes. "Why... would you be sleeping on the floor?"
"Because it wouldn't be appropriate for me to sleep on the bed with you?" This time he did look at her, and spoke slowly as if he were talking to a child.
Well that was rather ridiculous in her opinion.
"We have shared a bed before, in fact we did so more than once when were on the ship." She raised an unconvinced eyebrow.
"That was different."
He shook his head as if to dismiss the idea, and she furrowed her brow in confusion.
"How was it different?" He was talking nonsense, she knew, and since when did he even care about propriety anyway? She was trying to decipher what exactly was his point, but he wouldn't look at her anymore.
"It just- it just is, okay!" Eugene waved her off, his words laced with a tone of finality that indicated he wouldn't be discussing this any longer. "Trust me Rapunzel, it's better this way."
He settled on the floor, disappearing from her line of view and she let out a dejected breath.
"Okay... good night." Her response sounded rather meek, which she hated.
With a heavy sigh of his own, Eugene took just a moment longer than necessary to reply. "Night, Blondie."
Burying herself under the covers and curling up with Pascal comfortably lying on the spot next to her head, Rapunzel closed her eyes, trying not to feel more than a little bit rejected.
Eugene felt like he had unconsciously dug a hole in which to bury himself, and the more he tried to climb out of it, the deeper it got. His initial plan had been oh so very simple; steal the Princess' crown, get rid of the Stabbingtons, escape Corona, sell the crown and get filthy rich.
So why, oh why had it all gone so wrong?
Here he was, crown-less, certainly not richer, and at the risk of developing feelings for the very same princess he had stolen from. A princess he had kidnapped.
Whom, by the way, was completely and utterly clueless about his growing affections.
She really had no idea the effect she had on him. Just one of her adorable and often-given smiles was enough to make him feel the corners of his lips lifting into a goofy grin.
And she didn't even realize it; how he was no longer indifferent to her, how he was now constantly at her beck and call ready to follow her in whatever she wanted to do like a lost lovesick puppy, how much he was trying to put some distance between them and failing miserably.
And he had tried, heaven knew he had tried to distance himself from her, to go back to not feeling a single thing when he looked at her.
But goddamn, it was so hard to manage it when he had to be around her day and night. Besides, Rapunzel herself made it hard, with her sweet demeanor and charming smiles, and okay! Maybe she was a girl hard not to love.
Because let's be real, everyone who met her was bound to adore her. Turns out he wasn't completely immune to her charm.
He had thought himself successful the night before. Now that they wouldn't be forced to act like a couple whenever they weren't alone, or to share a room to keep up appearances, he would be able to put his ridiculous feelings behind and go back to not caring quite as much. Eugene just had to block his slight infatuation until it eventually disappeared, it was just the constant closeness that had clouded his judgement.
He thought he had been doing a pretty good job of it during the day.
But then the innkeeper had told them there was only one room, and Rapunzel had been too tired to keep walking, and the whole city was full due to the festival, and he had been forced to share a room with the clueless princess again, and of course that would be just his luck.
As if that hadn't been enough, Rapunzel had then decided it would be such a great idea to stretch quite enticingly across the bed right in front of him and make that sound, making his insides stir uncomfortably and his heartbeat quicken and his skin catch fire, and he suddenly didn't know how to think straight anymore because his mind was elsewhere.
What, was she trying to torture him or something?
And god, why was he acting like an awkward teenager all of a sudden in front of her?
It really wouldn't do, and she remained ever so unaware of it all, insisting that they could share a bed of all things! Completely nonplussed at his reasoning behind why it definitely wouldn't be a good idea. At least not if he wanted to keep his sanity.
Eugene didn't sleep much that night to say the least, drifting in and out of sleep and startling himself awake every time his dreams involving a certain princess started a detour into less than appropriate directions.
Needless to say they were off to an awkward start the next morning.
Rapunzel was uncharacteristically quiet, and if Eugene didn't know any better he would say she looked almost offended. He had a feeling he knew why.
It was not that he had been trying to avoid her for the better part of the day, it was just that... okay so maybe he had been trying to avoid her.
Now, to his defense he had a very good reason to do so. If his dreams were a reflection of his subconscious then he was way in over his head and he absolutely had to keep his mind entertained on anything that wasn't her. Because he categorically refused to have those kind of dreams involving Rapunzel ever again. The kind of dreams that made him wake up in a sweat, worked up and hot and bothered beyond belief, like he was some horny teen in the midst of sexual awakening. And with her sleeping just a few feet away! What was he, some kind of pervert?
No, he'd made up his mind and he would stand by his decision.
So he opted for a much more subdued way of interacting with Rapunzel. He followed her at a safe distance, letting her explore new parts of town to her heart's content and enjoy the festivities around her but without much interaction from his part, quite unlike the day before.
The only problem with this solution was that Rapunzel wasn't much of a fan of it. She seemed perplexed by his change in demeanor, but it wasn't like he could actually tell her the reason why he distanced himself was that he was becoming too enraptured with her.
This change was for the better, and Eugene honestly believed he was doing both of them a favor, even if she couldn't see it right away. So he continued with his somewhat aloof and distant behavior despite her better efforts to change it.
Rapunzel seemed to give up after a while, but now he was quite certain that she was rather miffed.
By mid-afternoon they stumbled upon a small library, and Rapunzel promptly walked inside with an offhanded comment about how his continued silence would be much more welcomed there.
Eugene felt just the tiniest bit stung by her words, but if Rapunzel's scorn was the price to pay for his efforts to keep his heart at bay, well then so be it.
He watched in quiet amusement as she gathered an inordinate amount of books in her arms, barely managing to balance them as she settled upon the floor, apparently prepared to spend the rest of the day reading them.
"Shouldn't you be out enjoying the rest of the festivities? I thought you were having a good time." Eugene sat a decent distance away from her, perusing one of the many tomes she had spread around her.
Rapunzel shoot him an unimpressed look. "Yeah well, I don't really have anyone to enjoy them with, and going alone is not as fun."
Now he was certain she was peeved. He let out a heavy sigh.
"Well, you do have the frog. I'm almost sure he's good company."
The comment earned him an annoyed glare from said frog, while Rapunzel chose to remain silent.
Almost half an hour passed before she spoke again, now very concentrated in a geography book set upon her lap. "How long do you think it takes to travel to the next closest kingdom?"
Eugene looked up from the book he had been reading himself. "Perhaps two weeks, depending how fast you want to go."
He was sure he had made less while he was on the run before. Rapunzel regarded him with a scrutinizing look, and he felt suddenly self-conscious
"Have you traveled to many places?" Her voice softened, and he could see the spark of curiosity shining through her eyes.
"I guess you could say I have." He shrugged.
"Would you show me?" He was confused for a second, until she set the book upon the ground and gestured for him to come closer. And because he apparently was a besotted idiot, he did.
And so he showed her. He pointed to every place he had visited in the maps that were depicted in the book, and told her about the lands he had been to, the adventures he'd had in them, the different cultures and different people he'd met, even a bit of the languages he had picked on during his many travels. And he felt his heart squeeze at the look of utter wonder in her eyes. Rapunzel seemed to hang on his every word, and he knew she was saving his tales in her memory, trying to live through his words what she would never get to experience for herself.
At some point, they had shifted closer to each other, until her head was almost brushing against his cheek as she pointed to another spot in the map, and it took all of his self-restraint not to brush a lock of her hair behind her ear.
It was lucky enough that the librarian announced in that moment that they would be closing due to the festivities scheduled for the night, else he was afraid his perfectly executed plan of crushing his growing attraction for Rapunzel would've been in very real danger if he continued to be this close to her.
If Eugene had the barest bit of sense of self-preservation, perhaps he would've avoided the following ordeal altogether. Then again, if he had any regard for his wellbeing he wouldn't have involved himself in this situation in the first place. Therefore, he didn't think much harm would come out of keeping his word to Rapunzel, and taking her to the Masquerade festival in town.
She had already bought them masks, as she had been so gracious to remind him.
So, masks quickly donned and after a change to a more formal attire -or as formal as their previously bought outfits could afford, which was to say not much- they made their way to the town's Main Square, following the growing mass of people parading down the streets.
When the little girls had informed them of it being the most lavish event of the year they hadn't been overselling it. Every single person wore an elaborate mask, a sea of colorful feathers and glitter and puffy gowns and suits made up the scene at the Main Square, making it look like a real masquerade ball fit for a king. Eugene couldn't even begin to imagine how extravagant the actual ball of the King and Queen of Cygnus would be, given their subjects didn't stay far behind in pomp and elegance.
The streets were alive with a flurry of activity, every corner, streetlamp, balcony and doorway were meticulously adorned with festive decorations. Vendors and traders offered their products behind fully stocked stalls, from delicious foods and snacks to beautiful handcrafts such as pottery, tapestries, blown glass figurines and jewelry. And of course, the town's most famous products; the masks and candles for the summer solstice festival.
Rapunzel practically dragged him across the streets, eager to see it all and bouncing from stand to stand like an overexcited child. Once they finally arrived to the Main Square, Eugene watched in amusement as Rapunzel skipped down the street ahead of him, her golden, flower-decorated braid bouncing with her step and purple skirts fluttering around her ankles, unmistakable to him despite the sea of masked people already crowding the area.
He had to admit, the masks Rapunzel had bought for them were quite marvelous, their intricate design fitting perfectly with the equally elaborate ones around them, allowing them to almost blend with the crowd even if their clothes were rather modest given the occasion.
Compared to the somewhat elegantly clad people crowding the streets of Cygnus, Rapunzel and himself were painfully underdressed. Despite this, Eugene still thought Rapunzel managed to stand out in the myriad of people, the brightest soul amongst a crowd of thousands. He thought her mask quite fitted her personality, there was nothing better to capture Rapunzel's splendor than a sun adorning her face.
It should only be fitting, he thought with a wry smile, that he should be the one with a moon covering his features, always craving the light she irradiated to be able to cast the slightest bit of glow upon his once darkened soul.
He wasn't one to wax poetic about his circumstances, though, and so he made an added effort to keep his mind from wandering to more conflicting territory.
Eugene was, however, one to make numerous mistakes, therefore he didn't think much harm would come out of leaving Rapunzel to her own devices for just a moment while he lined up to buy them some food.
He heard a band of musicians playing an upbeat tune nearby first, then he paid for the loaf of bread and a piece of cheese he had selected from the food stall, and turned around expecting to find Rapunzel inspecting something or other nearby.
What he was certainly not expecting, was to find her dancing on her own in the middle of the Main Square, a carefree smile plastered on her face, eyes closed as she enjoyed the music and her feet moved to the beat of the flute.
He could've sworn his treacherous heart actually skipped a beat at the sight.
And of course, as Rapunzel was bound to do, she soon spread her joy to everyone around her. She had been the very first to openly dance in the middle of the town's square that day, but many others were quick to join her as she made an effort to almost drag anyone watching from the sidelines to dance too.
It wasn't long before a crowd of smiling people had joined her, all moving expertly to the rhythm of the music, following the steps of what appeared to be a traditional dance. They clapped to the beat of the musicians, forming a circle in the middle of the Main Square. All traded dance partners as the music progressed, twirling once or twice with their elbows intertwined before changing parters once more.
Eugene watched in a trance between bewildered and amused as the Main Square turned into a Masquerade Ball in every sense of the word, with twirling masked couples changing partners with the added mystery of not knowing who was who. He was content to just stare while Rapunzel had her fun, not really fond of dancing himself, but she had other plans.
She waved him over, delight evident in her sparkling green eyes, and he felt just the tiniest bit bad for declining her offer. The people standing alongside him around the impromptu dance floor, however, would have none of it. All of them seemed to be waiting their turn to have a partner ask them to dance, and they promptly pushed him forward with amused chuckles, intent on not letting him waste his chance.
He could do nothing but glare as he was quickly swept away by the whirlwind of dancing couples.
He supposed his situation would've been far less torturous if he had only had Rapunzel for a dance partner. But his luck just wasn't that great as of late. Eugene twirled around with the rest of the people, changing from partner to partner without really paying much attention to either of them. And despite his usually agile feet, he stumbled through the steps as the people seamlessly danced to the beat of the music, all moving like one. He couldn't really be blamed as his attention was solely focused elsewhere.
His eyes followed Rapunzel like a ship drawn to a beacon of light, completely enthralled by her. And despite the sea of masks and puffy feathers and colorful gowns, he could've recognized her anywhere. There was a blessed moment in between the tumultuous twirls and skips of the crowd that his eyes met hers, and both smiled, extending one arm in a silent agreement to be each other's next partner.
His fingers just managed to brush hers before they were both swept away by different dance partners. Eugene was sure it wasn't normal to have felt so letdown over that turn of events. She shoot him a small apologetic smile, and he attempted a nonchalant shrug, trying to hide his disappointment
Everything continued much the same way for a while, with him just following her every movement as he was swallowed by a flurry of dancing couples without making much of an effort to pay attention to neither the dance itself nor his current partner.
Rapunzel jumped alongside everyone when the music peaked, artfully kicking her feet in the air with a twirl of her skirts as the tempo increased. And Eugene was finding it ever so hard to ignore the flutter of his heart. She was like a magnet and he was completely drawn to her. His head turned towards her even as his body twisted the other way trying to follow the dancing crowd, watching mesmerized as she twirled to the last notes of the music, eyes closed in relaxed bliss and a soft smile playing upon her parted lips. And he unconsciously moved towards her, his mind, body and soul needing to have just one chance to dance with her while she enjoyed the music like this.
They finally met right as the music died, their bodies colliding almost unexpectedly in a perfect fit, with one of his hands resting on the small of her back, and the other securely grasping her hand. Rapunzel opened her eyes in surprise, her smile brightening at the sight of him as they both released an almost relieved breath.
Their eyes locked for just a moment, and the cheering crowd around them seemed to disappear to Eugene as his every sense focused solely on her. He wasn't sure if her cheeks were rosy by the exertion of the dance or if she was actually blushing, either way it made the urge to brush his fingers against her brightened skin almost irresistible.
"To the boats!" A boisterous voice startled them out of their short lived reverie, and Rapunzel instantly drew away from him, brushing a lock of hair off her forehead with a sheepish smile. Eugene suddenly felt like an awkward idiot for some reason, as he returned her smile with a small grin of his own.
He removed his mask just to have something to do with his hands and a reason to avoid her eyes. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she did the same, the atmosphere around them now charged with unspoken feelings.
He was about to break the awkward silence between them when an all too familiar voice spoke from behind him, sending a cold chill down his spine.
"Well, well, well, look what the wind blew in."
If he thought his luck couldn't get any worse, he was unfortunately dead wrong.
Ooh, who could our new guest be? Any guesses? I had to cut this chapter cause it was getting ridiculously long again, but fortunately I have good part of the next one already written, so I could be persuaded to update by next week, how about that?
Featuring next chapter: a cameo of a few known characters, more pining and suppressed feelings, and I think you know which beloved scene is due according to the original timeline. I'll let you guess.
So if you're excited for the next chapter, don't hesitate to leave a review on your way out. You know your comments are what keep my inspiration and will to write flowing, and I appreciate all of them! So, if I notice enough interest I will give you an update soon enough. Until next time and thanks for reading!