Chapter 8
The next morning, Rapunzel slowly woke up. She glanced at Flynn who was still asleep and kissed him gently, waking him with a soft smile.
"Morning, beautiful." He mumbled.
"Good morning." She replied with bright eyes. "Are you ready for today?"
Flynn nodded. "Absolutely. Let's show the kingdom that our love is worth fighting for." With that, they got up, put on their disguises and set off towards the castle with their children, Pascal and Maximus. As they approached the castle, they saw guards patrolling in front of the gates. A few steps ahead of them, Flynn and Rapunzel took a deep breath. Flynn pressed her hand and gave her an encouraging smile. "On three, okay?" Rapunzel nodded and Flynn started to count. "One, two...three!" With that, they both pulled off their wigs, revealing themselves to the guards. They gasped, as Rapunzel and Flynn smiled at them nervously.
Suddenly they heard a voice call out behind them: "Look! It's Princess Rapunzel and Flynn Rider!" They turned around to see a crowd forming outside the castle, cheering them on. Rapunzel was deeply touched as she saw the smiles on the faces of her people. Even Flynn felt the warmth of acceptance from them. The townspeople approached, not with anger, but with gratitude that the princess had returned with her family.
Then the king and queen came out of the castle and hugged them both. Afterwards, they turned to their children. "Oh, they are beautiful!" The queen said as she knelt down to hug the twins. She also picked up their youngest daughter, Lilly and hugged her. "I am so glad you decided to return! You are all welcome here! And we will make sure your growing family has everything it needs! Come in, come in!" With that, they led them inside.
Later that afternoon, the king and queen hosted a great feast to celebrate their daughter's return. Laughter and music filled the air, and Rapunzel watched as her two-year-old twins played with the other royal children.
"Look at them!" Flynn said, smiling as he watched the twins chase each other. "They fit right in!" Rapunzel smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
Then, to their surprise the king raised his glass. "Everyone, I propose a toast to my daughter and her wonderful family. And a special toast to my son-in-law. A man to whom I owe an apology." He looked at Flynn and sighed. "I am truly, very sorry, son. It was so wrong to try to force you apart. I was pressured by all the other royals. They told me that my kingdom would be lost if I allowed a former criminal to marry my daughter. So, I just lost it and made a huge mistake. I'm sorry! But I can see now that you are not just a criminal. You are a very fine man, and I can see that there could be no better husband for my daughter. You have all my blessings!"
Flynn blushed at his words. "Thank you, your majesty. This means a lot to me. And I forgive you."
"Oh, you don't have to call me that anymore. You can call me dad."
Flynn stared at him. "Yeah, no. That would be too soon."
"Yeah, I agree." They all laughed.
"Thank you for finally seeing how wonderful he is, dad. I really couldn't imagine my life without him. And I don't know if mum told you, but we're expecting another baby." Rapunzel smiled.
"That's wonderful! Another toast to our fourth grandchild!" They all cheered and drank their juice.
After the feast, Flynn and Rapunzel made their way to their new shared room while their children slept in their new nursery. Rapunzel opened the door and looked inside. Beautiful tapestries hung on the walls, and the windows opened up to a breathtaking view of the gardens below. She was impressed how cozy it felt, a perfect sanctuary for their growing family.
"It's perfect." She said, turning to Flynn with a gentle smile.
"So are you."
"Then let's make the most of tonight." She grinned. With a shared look of understanding, he stepped closer to Rapunzel, their fingers intertwining.
Flynn gently caressed her cheek. "Let's celebrate our new beginning, shall we?"
Rapunzel nodded with a wide grin and leaned forward to kiss him softly. The kiss deepened, filled with all the passion and longing they had felt during their time away. As their lips moved together, Flynn's hands pulled her closer until there was no space left between them. Rapunzel melted into him as she felt the warmth of his body against hers. "Eugene." She whispered, her voice filled a mix of longing and affection.
"Just us, Rapunzel." He murmured against her lips, before capturing them once more in a passionate kiss. With gentle urgency, Flynn led her to their bed and laid her down carefully, his hands exploring the familiar curves of her body as he kissed his way down her neck. Rapunzel gasped at each tender caress. "I love you, my sunshine." He whispered, looking deeply into her eyes.
"I love you too, my Eugene." She replied. "More than anything." They continued to lose themselves in each other while the world outside faded away. They were lost in their passion, their bodies entwined as they created a new passionate memory. It was a moment filled with laughter, soft whispers, tender kisses and endless love.
Later, as they lay tangled in the sheets, Rapunzel nestled against Flynn's chest, her fingers gently caressing his skin. But as they held each other, she sighed softly with a faraway look in her eyes. Flynn noticed immediately and looked at her tenderly and lovingly.
"What is it, sunshine?" He asked quietly, brushing a lock of hair away from her face.
"I was just thinking." She whispered. "Now that we're back… I'm happy, of course. It's just…" She bit her lip, struggling to put her feelings into words. Flynn continued to stroke her hair, waiting patiently.
"I'm afraid I'm gonna miss the simple life." She confessed. "Out there, it was just us. No royal duties, no expectations. We were free. I… I don't want to lose that, Eugene. What if this life, with all its responsibilities, takes us away from each other? What if I lose the closeness we had when it was just the two of us?"
Flynn pulled her closer and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Rapunzel, you'll never lose me, no matter where we are. I promise. We don't have to be bound by anything here. If you ever feel trapped or like you're losing that simple life, we'll leave. We'll travel wherever you want, whenever you want. We'll see the world together, just like we dreamed. This time, we don't even have to live in fear when we travel. And even if we stay here, we can still be free in our hearts, in our love."
"Do you really think we can still be happy here, even with everything that comes with it?"
Flynn leaned in and kissed her softly. When he pulled back, he looked into her loving eyes. "I promise I will do whatever it takes to make you happy. You're my home, Rapunzel. No castle or crown could ever change that." Tears of love formed in her eyes. She reached up and kissed him, deeply, passionately, pouring all her love into the kiss. Flynn responded, pulling her to him as the kiss deepened, their bodies pressing against each other and their hearts beating in union.
When they finally broke the kiss breathlessly, Rapunzel whispered: "I love you so much, Eugene."
"And I love you more than anything, sunshine." They kissed again. When they finally pulled apart, Rapunzel rested her head on his chest once more, feeling his heartbeat. "We'll make our own rules." Flynn said softly. "We'll live the life we want, together. Whether it's here, out there, or somewhere in between. As long as we're together, we'll always be happy."
Rapunzel smiled and snuggled closer to him. "I believe you. As long as I'm with you, I know everything will be perfect."
And with that, they drifted off to a peaceful sleep, wrapped in each other's arms, ready to face whatever came next, together.
Six months later, their fourth child, another boy named William was born. With Rapunzel's cousin now being the next heir to the throne, she felt a lot better. Now, she could become an artist and raise her children with Flynn in peace without too many expectations. Flynn could now become a writer as he loved to read and could now imagine his own stories while of course still spending most of his time raising their children with Rapunzel. They also made sure, they still had as many romantic and passionate moments as possible. And for Rapunzel's next birthday after that, they decided to travel to a faraway kingdom by the sea. One evening, after putting the baby to bed, Rapunzel joined Flynn on a cozy couch near the window. They snuggled together and looked out at the sea.
"I've missed this." Rapunzel whispered, looking up at him with a soft smile.
"Being away? Just the two of us?" Flynn asked, smiling dreamily at her.
She nodded. "Yes. No duties, no expectations. Just you and me."
Flynn gently kissed her. "I've missed it too. Missed you." Their kiss deepened, filled with passion and affection.
They pulled apart for a moment, and he looked into her eyes. "Are you happy, Rapunzel? Here... away from the palace, from everything...with me?"
She smiled and put her hand on his chest. "I'm happy wherever you are, Eugene. We could be anywhere in the world, and I'd still be happy... because you're my home."
Flynn pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. "And you're mine, my sunshine. Always."
As they held each other, their kisses became more urgent and their touches more tender. They made love quietly, savoring each other. Afterwards, they lay tangled together, with Rapunzel resting against his chest.
"We can have this, you know." He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "We can travel whenever you want, escape when we need to, but still have our lives at the castle. I'll make sure of that."
Rapunzel smiled. "That sounds perfect."
Flynn kissed her forehead and pulled her closer. "We'll always have the best of both worlds, Rapunzel. Whatever makes you the happiest."
"And being with you is what makes me the happiest." She whispered, as they fell asleep in each other's arms. Their vacation was a reminder that no matter where they were, their love was all that mattered.