Tangled 1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Rapunzel twirled giddily in front of a mirror, her handmaid having just finished dressing her in yet another new dress. In her old life, Rapunzel had only had the one, ill-fitting, pink and purple dress, and had screamed when she had come to the castle and seen her closet full of dresses in every style and color imaginable. Today's dress was a deep teal color with white embroidery at the cuffs of the sleeves and the neckline, and the skirt had a small amount of tulle underneath it that caused it to flare out slightly as it reached the floor.

"That color is just lovely on you, Miss," Penny said with a smile. Rapunzel turned to her handmaid with one of her characteristically bright smiles.

"You really think so?"

"Of course, Miss."

"Oh thank you, Penny!" Rapunzel squealed, leaping forward to throw her arms around the small, timid girl. Penny attempted to explain to her that such behavior towards someone lower in class than her was inappropriate, but Rapunzel argued, as she had before, that they were _friends._

Rapunzel hummed quietly as Penny brushed her short, choppy hair, the sensation still calming to her even though the only other person to brush her hair had been Gothel. Rapunzel tried her best not to think about her false mother, but it was hard sometimes. After three months of living in the castle, however, it was getting easier. Her days were busy, with lessons in the morning and afternoon and her nights spent playing chess with her father and doing needle point with her mother. The weekends she spent with Eugene, exploring the castle, shopping in town, or sneaking back to the Snuggly Duckling to talk to their ruffian friends.

Once Penny was done brushing Rapunzel's hair – Rapunzel was amazed each time at how easy it was, when before she would spend hours brushing her long, blonde hair – she escorted the princess down to the main dining hall for breakfast. Her parents, the king and queen, were already seated on one side of the large table, and Eugene was seated opposite the king. He looked up when she entered, hiding his true expression with a calm nod of approval.

After being known as a notorious – and handsome – rogue who stole crowns and hearts, Eugene didn't like to admit to the mushy, goopy feeling he got whenever the princess looked at him. He had been able to seduce women with just a twitch of his eyebrows. He could make them swoon with a single glance. He had been _Flynn Rider_, damn it, and now look at him! Weak kneed and wide eyed for just one girl.

She had him wrapped around her finger, and subconsciously, she knew it. He tried to stay cool when she walked up and sat next to him, but she was wearing this dress that was like _whoa_ and he was struggling just to stay an appropriate distance from her in front of the king and queen. Even the small smile just for him and the bright, "Good morning!" for everyone caused his stomach to flip. If the old Flynn Rider could have seen this, he'd be laughing hysterically.

Yeah, he was in love. That old part of him that abhorred attachment, that instinctively urged him to keep moving, hated the idea of it. But that part was slowly growing quieter, was being crushed by the new man he was becoming. The new him was content to wander around the palace grounds until Rapunzel got a break from her lessons for lunch, and was content to read only half interesting books in the library until her lessons were done for the day and they could steal a few kisses before dinner. Ugh.

"I had a wonderful dream last night!" Rapunzel announced after taking a sip of her goblet of water. Her parents looked up from their breakfast plates in amusement, continuously in awe of their excitable daughter. "I dreamed I was getting married! My dress was long and white and more beautiful than any of the ones in my closet and I had a bouquet of all of the best smelling flowers! And I was walking down an aisle, and there were so many people, and I looked up from my flowers to see someone waiting for me at the end…" She trailed off, her expression changing to something odd and unreadable before continuing, "except I woke up before I saw who it was."

Her parents exchanged a glance, their eyes hard with some knowledge only they were privy to. Rapunzel looked to the man sitting beside her, however, giving him a small, close lipped smile. Eugene only squirmed in his seat, the idea of marriage so foreign to him that it might as well be a different language.

The queen cleared her throat delicately, drawing attention to her. She looked at her daughter with a warm expression. "I had a lovely dream as well, that you and I went into town and tasted the most delicious apple pie! What do you say we go looking for it after your lessons today?" Eugene wanted to argue that the time after her lessons was for him, but the excited look on Rapunzel's face shut him up.

"Really? I've never tried apple pie before!" She seemed to bounce in place in her seat. "Can Eugene come? Can papa come? Can we all go together?"

The queen smiled, but Eugene recognized the usual expression her parents got when the topic of his involvement in her life came up. Sure, they were grateful to him for returning her safely to them, and thus allowed him to live in the castle and eat meals with them (only after her insistence), but that didn't mean they had to like him. In fact, the air in the dining hall had been thick with tension right up until Rapunzel had entered the room. It was just a matter of time before they kicked him back onto the streets.

"Well dear," the queen began, searching for some excuse. "Well, I was thinking it could be just the two of us. Wouldn't that be nice? We could go look at jewelry, too, and you know the boys wouldn't be interested in that."

Rapunzel nodded, seeming to accept it but still looked put out. "Don't worry, Blondie," Eugene piped up, reaching for her hand under the table. "I don't like apples anyway."

Rapunzel tried to ignore the way her parents and everyone else treated Eugene, but she wasn't stupid. She knew they only allowed him to stay in the castle because she had asked them to, and was prepared to throw a crying fit the moment they tried to get him to leave. She knew that if she wasn't the lost princess who they insisted on spoiling to make up for the eighteen years of her absence, Eugene would have been on the streets long ago.

The rest of breakfast passed quietly, silent except for the scraping of forks against porcelain. Rapunzel and Eugene respectfully took their leave, heading outside to enjoy the bright morning sun and some fresh fall air before Rapunzel's lessons began. They laid together in the palace garden, very aware that at least three pairs of eyes were on them at all times but trying not to care.

"I wish I wasn't a princess," Rapunzel mused, holding a small flower closer to her face to inspect it carefully.

Eugene couldn't help but agree, but still he asked, "Why's that?"

She thought for a few moments before speaking again. "Well, if I wasn't a princess then it would be okay for us to be together. And I wouldn't have to go to lessons and learn etiquette and all that boring stuff. I mean, I like all my clothes and I like exploring the castle and I love the garden but…"

She didn't finish, and Eugene was still stuck on her first sentence. He wanted to explain to her that things wouldn't be _that_ different, that any parents would disapprove of their daughter cavorting with the likes of him, but he didn't have the heart to. And besides, they were right. He wasn't good enough for her, and everyone knew it but her. The only good thing about him was her. Without her, he was a thief. He had only changed _because_ of her and _for_ her.

She was still staring intently at the flower, but he could tell that her thoughts were far away. He never knew the right thing to say to help her feel better, and this time was no different than any other. The only thing he could think to do was slide his hand through the grass to meet hers and give her small fingers a squeeze. She rewarded him with a smile that crinkled the edges of her eyes.

For a few, blissful moments, they laid together, eyes closed, until they were interrupted by Rapunzel's handmaid. "Miss, it's time for your lessons!" Penny called apologetically. Rapunzel groaned, but obediently followed her back into the castle after quickly kissing Eugene on the cheek. In her absence, he rolled over and picked up the flower she had been holding. It was a pale purple something-or-other with rounded petals, but it was wilting from the cool nights that were increasing in frequency.

The rest of the morning seemed to drag by, with Eugene wandering down to the stables and Rapunzel sitting diligently through her lessons. There was a blissful hour between lessons where Rapunzel bounded down to the kitchen to gather up some bread and cheese for lunch and then hurried out to the garden where Eugene was waiting for her. They spread a blanket in the grass and ate together, giggling and chatting and enjoying the last bit of warmth that autumn would allow.

Unlike the morning hours, however, lunch ended too soon and Rapunzel was sent back into the castle for the rest of her lessons. Occasionally, she would glance out the window of the study and see a figure in a blue vest waving up at her. It was utter torture, Rapunzel thought, to be trapped indoors learning the difference between a salad fork and an entrée fork or a soup spoon and a tea spoon when there was so much to do and see outside. Yes, she was free of her confining tower, but now it almost seemed as if she were trapped in another, larger prison.

After her lessons ended, Rapunzel was promptly escorted out of the castle and to the waiting carriage, with absolutely no chance of sneaking a kiss from Eugene on the way out. Her mother was waiting in the carriage for her, and the queen tried to act light and carefree, but still seemed pensive to the princess. Their trip seemed to last for hours, the driver taking them to the bakery on the furthest edge of town upon the queen's insistence. Rapunzel was not disappointed; the apple pie was delicious, a mixture of tartness and sweetness coming together in perfect harmony on her tongue. However, despite the queen insisting on having some one-on-one bonding time with her daughter, she seemed withdrawn and distant the entire afternoon.

They returned to the palace around sunset, just in time for dinner. It seemed a little odd to Rapunzel that they should eat dinner after having a slice of decadent pie each, but she certainly didn't mind. Gothel would never have let her have desert first. Well, Gothel had never let her have desert, period, but still. Rapunzel couldn't deny that her real mother was a significant improvement from the woman who had kidnapped her, despite her shy timidity and, now, distance.

When the queen and princess arrived at the dining hall flanked by the two guards that had accompanied them on their trip, the king was already waiting. Rapunzel hesitantly sat in her usual seat beside Eugene's empty chair. She tried to calm herself – maybe he was just late. Maybe he had tripped and fallen in mud and had to wash up before dinner. Maybe he was out buying her a gift and got lost. Maybe he was sick and went to bed early. She came up with something, anything to ease the suspicion that he had left or been kicked out.

Meanwhile, Eugene was pouting in his room. He had showed up to dinner early, hoping to beat everyone there, but the king was already waiting. He gave Eugene a stern look that almost sent him running in the opposite direction – not because he was a coward, but because he was smart – and told him that he had "important" matters to "discuss" with his "daughter" over "dinner." Whatever. He had been escorted back to his room by a waiter with a covered tray of food like a damn child, where he was left to sulk like a damn child. Part of him was also nervous. What could be so important that they needed to speak with her alone? Was the bakery trip a distraction?

The latter question was highly likely. The queen may be a kind and gentle woman, despite her reservations regarding him, but she was not whimsical in any way. Usually, she was very busy doing whatever it was queens did, and so an impromptu bakery trip on a whim was highly suspicious. He guessed that one of the likely topics would be Eugene's presence in the castle. They hadn't said anything yet, but with the way they regarded him it was only a matter of time.

An uncomfortable silence between Rapunzel and her parents was broken when three waiters entered the dining hall, each carrying a silver tray with a lid on it. Despite her uneasiness, Rapunzel found it difficult not to get excited about dinner. After spending three months in the castle, the chefs _still_ hadn't made the same dish twice, and each evening was a new culinary adventure for Rapunzel. Tonight's main course was a hearty soup with dark broth and chunks of meat and vegetables. It was savory and delicious, and Rapunzel was digging into it in earnest when her father cleared his throat.

She looked up from the spoonful she had been preparing to shove in her mouth and wondered if she had done something wrong. Was she using the tea spoon again? Was she slurping? Did she forget to place her napkin in her lap?

"I'm sure you've noticed," the king began in his deep, booming voice, "that we wanted to have dinner alone with you to discuss a few things."

Rapunzel nodded, slowly placing her spoon back in her soup, the spoonful she had eagerly been awaiting still on it. She had learned in the first month that it was impolite to eat when someone was directly addressing you, especially if it was her parents.

"Dear," the queen piped up, her eyebrows drawing together over her eyes, "there's no easy way to say this – any of this. We know that you're still adjusting to your new life, but you have to know that there are certain duties that a princess must fulfill when she comes of age."

An uneasy silence fell around them. Rapunzel was confused, as she often got when her parents or anyone else talked about her duties as a princess. She didn't even know how to _be _a princess yet, how was she supposed to carry out princess duties? And there were so many! "What…what sort of duties?" She asked timidly, her eyes flickering from her parents to her clenched hands in her lap.

She looked expectantly at her mother, but the queen seemed to be speechless. The king sat up straighter in his seat and again cleared his throat. "Primarily," he began, "marriage."

Was that it? Rapunzel relaxed visibly. Why were they acting so grim and serious? Marriage was supposed to be a happy thing, right? She began to talk excitedly, "Oh that would be lovely! Of course we haven't talked about it yet, but I would love to, and I'm sure he'll ask eventually right? And oh, it would be beautiful! Could I design my wedding gown? Could I make decorations? Could I pick which type of cake we had? Could we have apple pie instead of cake? Could we –"

Uncharacteristically, the king cut his daughter off mid-sentence by raising a hand. She tried not to look hurt, but her large, expressive eyes betrayed everything. Actually, she was thinking of the gesture, and how Gothel had used it many times when she thought Rapunzel was being annoying.

"We're not talking about _Eugene_," he said, his sentiments towards the ex-thief evident in the way he said his name. And now…Rapunzel was confused again. She didn't know any other men besides Eugene and her father, and she _liked_ Eugene. Aren't you supposed to marry people you like? Isn't that how it works?

The queen placed her face in her hands before speaking, a gesture that Rapunzel often did, beginning long before her return to the kingdom. "A princess must marry someone of noble blood, dear."

The king continued for her. "Often, marriages are used to make peace and form alliances between two kingdoms. As you know from your studies, Corona has been trying for years to form an alliance with the kingdom of Sylvania, and they have a prince not much older than you."

The truth was beginning to come together for Rapunzel like the pieces of a puzzle, but it took her father saying it for her to fully realize it. "We've arranged for you to marry the Sylvanian prince."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

In his room, Eugene was growing restless. He wanted to know what was going on in the dining hall, damn it! What could they have needed to discuss with their daughter? Whatever it was, how was Rapunzel handling it? He knew from experience that she could get very emotional very quickly, and without someone there to pull her aside and calmly explain the situation in a way she would understand, things could get bad. He had half a mind to go down there this instant, to barge into the dining hall and demand to be a part of anything that concerned Rapunzel, but he knew that wouldn't end well. He was going to do it anyways when movement outside his window drew his attention.

He approached the window and looked down three stories to the ground to see a small figure dart out of the castle and head for the small forest that flanked the palace. It was dark and difficult to see details, but he knew without a doubt that it was Rapunzel from the way her hair bobbed and how her dark dress flared out behind her. As soon as she made it into the trees, a handful of guards came pouring out of the castle. They split up and began heading in all directions – except for the forest. Before he could even consciously decide to do so, Eugene was throwing open his bedroom door and running through the palace hallways and leaping down entire flights of stairs.

Rapunzel didn't think. She just ran until her feet stung and her lungs ached and still she kept going. Her mind was swirling with thoughts, half of them indiscernible in the tangled chaos. She recalled with perfect clarity, however, the conversation that had just passed between her and her parents. She had argued, crying, "But I don't want to! I don't even know this prince!"

And, the part that hurt the most, what her mother had said in response... The queen had raised her voice towards her daughter for the first time ever, and said, "You don't have a choice." Each word had been forceful. Each word cut deeply. Each word seemed to be a cruel echo of Gothel using that very phrase anytime Rapunzel had argued or spoken out. It was that moment that Rapunzel had panicked, her mind returning to that place she had been not all that long ago, and, feeling suddenly claustrophobic, she had run from the dining hall. She ran from her parents, ran from the castle. She ran.

She stumbled over rocks and tree roots and pushed away branches as they scraped her face and tugged at her clothes. When she heard someone calling her name, at first she thought it was the wind playing tricks on her. She stopped to listen, and this time very clearly heard Eugene calling her name. A mix of confusing emotions pulled her in opposite directions. One part wanted to keep running so that she wouldn't have to face him. Another part wanted to turn back and run _to_ him so that she could feel his arms around her. Yet another part felt like she was going to explode.

Either way, he would have caught up with her eventually since he was far more physically fit than a girl who had been stuck in a tower for eighteen years, and because he had a lot of practice running from palace guards. Eugene found her sitting on the forest floor against a tree, her arms wrapped around her legs and her face pressed into her knees. He was about to speak when she let out an uncontrollable sob.

Again, he was at a loss for what he should do. Should he say something? Should he wait? He didn't know, so instead he just did what felt right and instinctive. He sat down on the ground beside her and draped an arm around her shoulders. Almost immediately her cries grew in intensity and volume and she turned to him, collapsing against his chest. Sure, he'd seen her cry before, but never like this. She was so distraught and upset and he had no idea what he should do or say. So he didn't do or say anything. He put his arms around her and held her, and it was exactly what she needed.

After a long time, Rapunzel seemed to quiet. Whether she was actually calming down, or she was just out of energy, Eugene wasn't sure. He decided now was as good a time as any to find out why she had acted so dramatically, so, very carefully, he asked, "_Now_ can you tell me what happened?"

She sniffled and wiped her face with her sleeves before looking at him. Her eyes were irritated from crying and red around the edges, and her cheeks were flushed. "Father and…mother…they said," her lower lip trembled and he was afraid she might start crying again, but she continued, "they said we couldn't get married."

He held back a snort. Of course they wouldn't. He had already known that – not that he had even _thought_ about marriage, no siree. "What else is new?" He offered in a light hearted tone, hoping that he could cheer her up.

But it did the opposite. She pulled away from him and looked down at her hands as they twisted together in her lap. "A lot."

"Hey," he began, fumbling to try to fix what he thought was his fault, "I'm sorry. I was trying to help you feel better, I didn't mean to upset you. But really it's no big deal. I mean, we knew this, right?"

"Eugene," Rapunzel said quietly, but still he rambled on.

"Plus that's not the end, I mean, it's not the only thing there is. As long as you want me here they'll have to let me stay, right? And anyways it's their loss because they'll never see the amazingly beautiful offspring that would come from my superior genetics –"

"_Eugene_!" Rapunzel nearly shouted. He stopped, because he had just been babbling anyways and wasn't making sense, and had he _really_ been talking about children?! "There's more."

He sighed to calm his nervousness and waited. He just wanted to see her laugh at him and smile, but she was staring at him, her big eyes completely serious and sad. He had never seen her so intense before, and it was unsettling.

"They've arranged for me to marry a prince," she said, breaking eye contact and looking back at her lap.

And Eugene? All of his breath escaped him in a singled _whoosh_ and he thought his heart stopped beating for a second. It was too much for him to even comprehend and he was so confused. Had she really said that, or was he imagining it? It was true that the king and queen didn't like him, but when it came to their daughter they were so kind and supportive. Right? But this…this was cruel. This was horrendous. He didn't think that anyone, let alone the parents who had thrown a week long party when their daughter returned could do such a thing. He was horrified.

And he was angry. Beyond angry, he was _livid._ Abruptly, so quickly that it startled Rapunzel, he leapt to his feet and began pacing. His hands clenched into fists. He wanted to hit something. Particularly, he wanted to have a round with the jolly old king, but he knew that was a losing fight, with the entire Corona guard against him. He had no words, so instead a wordless, angry shout escaped.

Rapunzel had never seen him like this. It was terrifying, seeing the usually sweet and gentle Eugene clenching his fists and hollering. Sure, he had a short temper, and would often snap at guards or playfully chide her, but this was completely different. This was a pure, fiery rage that she had never before seen. He continued pacing, but the set of his shoulders indicated that he was calming down slightly.

"Are you mad at me?" She asked timidly, still curled on the ground. He spun around to face her, and the expression on her face was enough to bring him to his knees in front of her. She was so hurt, so frightened… How could she think such a thing?

"Why on earth would I be mad at you?" He asked, but he made sure that his voice was gentle and reassuring. She shrugged weakly, but kept her gaze low. He closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms once more. "This isn't your fault. I'm mad at them. But don't worry, okay Blondie? We'll figure this out."

He said the words with so much conviction that Rapunzel could almost delude herself into believing it was possible. And oh how he wanted it to be possible, too. All he could think of was to just get past this moment, to get through this night and this feeling.

When they both sensed that it was getting late, they decided to head back to the castle, Rapunzel insisting on being tucked securely under his arm. When she saw her parents standing just outside the garden door, she shrank back into Eugene, as if she could disappear completely and not have to face them. Eugene realized that they looked _guilty_, as they should.

The king opened his mouth to say something, but Eugene silenced him with a poignant look and said, "Princess Rapunzel is very tired. _I_ will escort her to her bedroom." Every word was harsh and staccato. Every word dripped with anger. Every word just _dared_ for them to object, to make one comment against him. They said nothing.

Within the castle, it was quiet. There wasn't a single soul around, as if the king and queen had dismissed everyone. That was just as well; neither of them much wanted to talk to anyone else. Rapunzel was unsteady on her feet, completely exhausted from running and crying. Eugene, however, was completely on edge and wide awake. Each nerve pulsed and throbbed, urging him to be hyper-aware of his surroundings.

When they reached her bedroom door, Eugene moved forward to turn the knob, but Rapunzel stopped him, turning to bury her face in his chest and wrap her arms around his torso. She squeezed him as tightly as her muscles would allow and still it wasn't enough to feel okay again. He closed his eyes and held her tightly for a brief moment before gently pushing her away to open the door. Obediently, she went inside, but turned back to look at him with huge, sad eyes.

"Will you stay with me?" She asked, her voice feeble and quiet. And really, how could he say no? There was no one around to scold them, and they'd certainly have no right to after what she was going through.

"Sure I will, Blondie," he said tenderly, reaching forward to push a lock of hair behind her ear. In response, she gave him a little smile. It didn't reach her eyes, and she still looked sad, but it was certainly a start. She hurried off to her closet to change into her nightclothes while he waited.

When she was ready, she climbed under her blankets and patted the empty space beside her. He pulled off his boots, but only laid beside her on top of the blankets. When she protested, he argued that she _knew_ he couldn't stay the entire night, though he so wished that he could. It was something, however, and Rapunzel forced herself to accept it as she curled up beside him and rested her head on his chest.

She was quiet, and her breathing became slow and even, so Eugene thought she was asleep. He, on the other hand, was wide awake, still equal parts angry and scared. He was frustrated, he was livid, he was outraged. He knew that it happened all too often, but he couldn't comprehend how two parents could just agree to marry their child off to someone they'd never met. Especially when they knew it would make them unhappy. More than unhappy, Rapunzel had been, and probably still was, miserable.

And he was afraid. Afraid for her, and afraid for himself. What if this prince was an awful guy? What if he didn't treat her the way she deserved to be treated? What if he was mean and distant and cruel? What if he hurt her?

But then…what if he wasn't? What if he was a wonderful guy and what if the moment she saw him Rapunzel left Eugene for him? What if she fell in love with him? What if everything worked out in the end, and their wedding was perfect and beautiful and Rapunzel didn't care about Eugene anymore? What if this prince was one thousand times better than Eugene could ever be and could give Rapunzel everything she deserved?

Rapunzel was not asleep. She laid awake along with Eugene, but instead of grumbling to herself she quietly thought and stared at the insides of her eyelids. Every part of her ached. Her feet hurt from running, her eyes hurt from crying, her head pounded. And her heart ached. She couldn't think about loving another man. Not when Eugene was laying beside her, absent mindedly stroking her hair. Not when her heart was so full of him that she could hardly see anyone else. And her parents wanted to marry someone she'd never met?

How could they? The question repeated in her brain over and over again. Her real parents had been so loving and supportive of her up until today. Her mother taught her needle point and her father hung her paintings in his study. After telling them how awful Gothel had been to her, they had always strived to be the opposite. Until now. Her father had tried to explain to her that this marriage was for the good of Corona, but what about her? Did she get absolutely no say in this?

All her life, she had never made decisions on her own. She had wanted a green dress, but her mother made her wear pink and purple instead. She had wanted to leave the tower and see the floating lights, but her mother had said no. And now, she wanted to marry Eugene and her parents were making her marry someone else instead.

And if she did marry this prince, what would happen to Eugene? Surely her new husband wouldn't allow her boyfriend to stay in the castle. He would be cast out, and no amount of arguing or crying on Rapunzel's part would be able to keep him there. And what would happen to him then? He'd have nowhere to live. He'd have to go back to stealing and running and hiding for the rest of his life. Or he would have to leave Corona and she'd never see him again.

She felt like she was going to cry again. She so wanted to be brave and strong, but she only felt weak and afraid. She scooted closer to Eugene and wrapped her arms around his neck, startling him, but causing him to wrap his arms around her tightly.

"Are you still awake?" He asked very quietly, his voice barely above a low rumble that she felt vibrate through her.

She nodded, unable to speak. He sighed and brought a hand up to stroke her hair again, keeping the other firmly around her waist as they curled together. "Will you tell me a story?"

She felt him laugh, a quiet, little chuckle that buzzed in his chest. The sound relieved her so much that she couldn't help but smile a bit. "Alright. Once upon a time," he began, putting his lips close to her ear, "there lived a man so handsome that everyone went blind. The end."

Rapunzel pulled away from him, laughing hysterically and smacking his chest. She could feel the tension inside her chest alleviate as she laughed and felt the vibrations of him laughing along with her. For a moment, they could feel like everything could be okay. Maybe. She relaxed back against him as he told her a real story, one of a beautiful princess who fell in love with a pickpocket and together, they slowly drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for the long break! I've been so busy and stressed with school that I haven't had much time to write, let alone come up with inspiration. I hope you guys like this chapter! I'm afraid I may have made the king and queen out to be a bit meaner than I intended, but I'm just going with the flow here. Please leave me some feedback if you have time!**

The pair awoke to a light knock at the door. Rapunzel rolled over, groggy and mumbling, and elected to ignore it. Eugene however, sat bolt upright, realizing the bed he had fallen asleep in was not his. The plan had been to stay until she had fallen asleep, then to leave and sneak back to his room. But somewhere in the exhaustion and comfort he felt holding her in his arms, he had fallen asleep too.

"Miss?" Penny called in, knocking louder this time.

Rapunzel opened her eyes and squinted up from her pillow to see Eugene scanning the room wildly. She was, at first, happy to see him in her bed, his hair mussed and his clothes rumpled, but she realized the severity of the situation they'd be in if anyone else knew. Suddenly awake, she leapt out of bed and pulled him along with her towards her closet. They kept their footsteps as quiet as possible as they passed in front of the door. Once he was securely in the closet, Rapunzel held a finger up to her lips before closing the door.

_I've got a person in my closet_, she thought, quoting herself with a smile. Then, trying to look and act calm, she opened the door of her bedroom. Penny was standing outside, wringing her hands together nervously.

"Oh, good morning miss!" The girl said, stepping forward as if to enter, but Rapunzel did not move. "The king and queen will be expecting you for breakfast any moment now, miss," Penny continued, trying to sidestep her way into the room.

"I'm sorry Penny, I'm not feeling well today. Please tell my parents that I will not be joining them or attending my lessons," Rapunzel said as she began to close the door.

"Wait, miss! Is this about the engagement?" Upon saying this, the girl clamped her hands over her mouth and her eyes bulged.

Rapunzel's thoughts spun in circles and she stumbled backwards slightly. "What?" She breathed, but it wasn't a question. It was a gasp, it was surprise, it was…betrayal. "How did you…who told you?"

"R-really miss, I truly am sorry! It's not what you think at all, it was just…gossip. Someone overheard the king and queen discussing it, and they told someone else, who told someone else and–"

"Everyone knew but me," Rapunzel whispered, her hands falling limply to her side. Her eyes, suddenly fierce with anger, flashed up to glare at her handmaid. "You knew?! You knew, and you didn't tell me!"

The girl tried to recover, to think of something to say, but just stared at the angry princess with wide eyes. "Penny, I thought we were friends," Rapunzel said quietly, turning away from the door. "Please tell my parents what I said," she added coldly, pushing the door shut behind her. She waited until she heard the sound of retreating footsteps, then leaned heavily against the door. Her knees gave out and so she sank to the ground, tipping her head back against the door and staring at the ceiling. She felt like crying, but no tears came.

After a few silent moments passed, she heard the creak of the old hinges on the closet door and felt Eugene's warmth settle beside her. Neither had to say anything, even if they had had the right words. Rapunzel leaned against him, and he wound his arm around her back, his hand rubbing her shoulder in an attempt to comfort. She felt like crying, but her eyes only stung from yesterday's emotional outburst. He wanted to hit something, but at the same time he wanted to hold her so tightly that he could never lose her. Instead he settled for rubbing her arm and turning to press his lips to the top of her head.

Before she even realized she was still tired, Rapunzel was nodding off. Somehow she couldn't help it – he was warm and soft and strong and comforting. She couldn't help but think how impossible it would be to ever feel this way with someone else. No one was like her Eugene. No one's hair was as soft and perfect in all its messy glory. No one could rub their short stubble against her cheek and have it feel quite the same way. No one's eyes were quite the same – flat brown from a distance but when seen closely, flecked with a million other colors all working in perfect harmony. No one had the same build, muscular but still slight. No one had the same smell, a complicated mix of woodsy pine and mint. No one was like Eugene.

"Let's get you back to bed, huh Blondie?" He said softly beside her, rousing her from the light sleep she had sunk back into. She nodded sleepily, allowing him to scoop her up in his arms and carry her back to bed.

"Stay with me?" She asked, her voice quiet but still fragile. Her large eyes stared at him from her bed, and he knew he could never say no. He pulled off his vest, which had cut into him uncomfortably in the night, leaving his undershirt and trousers on, then climbed under the covers beside her small form. Immediately, she pressed against him, her small fingers clutching his shirt and her bare legs brushing against his.

From the brink of sleep, Rapunzel felt the urge to say one last thing. "Eugene," she breathed, too tired to even open her eyes, "I love you."

And Eugene? He just kind of…flinched. They had been together for many months now – the summer had passed and fall was quickly waning – but never had he heard her say those words. To anyone. Her parents would send her off to bed with a warm, "We love you, dear," but she had yet to return it. He sensed that it had something to do with the witch who had raised her, and was probably correct. For her to say it to him made him feel triumphant, in a way, but also a confusing mix of emotions that he couldn't discern.

She was already lightly snoring beside him, but he was wide awake. He tried to make sense of what he was feeling and why he felt so short of breath. Hearing her tell him she loved him made Eugene feel…happy, certainly. He had already known long ago that he was in love with her, completely head over heels and in way too deep to ever be saved. But it meant something entirely different for her to be in love with him. He knew that she adored him, that her face lit up the moment she saw him and that she was always rushing off excitedly to meet him, but this was different. Surely, he thought, her parents hoped this was some passing affection – that she would be over him soon enough and they could be rid of him.

Her words repeated in his mind, causing him to grin from ear to ear. Why should this make him anything but elated? Flynn Rider felt foolish for being so easily affected by the words of one girl, but Eugene didn't care. That one girl was his entire world, and she wanted _him_. She loved _him._ Of course, this also raised a few problems, especially considering she was already promised to some prince from wherever and that her parents hated him, but he tried to ignore it for now, and felt himself resting easily along with her.

The pair woke sometime later when the sun was already high in the sky. Rapunzel refused to leave, and Eugene was inclined not to argue. They passed the time mostly by talking – Rapunzel seemed to never run out of questions to ask, and Eugene was happy to answer them. When they ran out of things to say, Eugene read from one of the many books stacked around the room and Rapunzel drew sketches of him in the sketchbook her father had given her. At various point in the day, other servants came and attempted to lure the princess out – no doubt at the command of the king and queen – but she vehemently refused or outright ignored them.

The sun was beginning to set when Rapunzel's stomach growled so loudly that Eugene could hear it clearly from across the room. She glanced up from her drawing, embarrassed, as it growled once more. Eugene was more used to going one or even two days without a meal, but he too was feeling hungry.

"Hey Blondie, I know you're all set on holing up in here and becoming a hermit, but maybe we should go to dinner," he offered, trying to keep his voice light since he knew she was anxious.

"I don't want to talk to them," she declared, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.

"You don't have to talk to them, but you do need to eat." As if in involuntary agreement, Rapunzel's stomach growled once more.

Her shoulders slumped and she peered sheepishly up at him. "I guess you're right."

Eugene stared out the window as Rapunzel got dressed in the adjoining room, for nothing else but to keep him from peering in through the slightly ajar door. He tried to behave himself when he was alone with her, but she was always tempting him without even realizing it. It could almost be cruel, if she wasn't so innocently unaware of the affect she had on him.

Suddenly, she stuck her head out through the opening in the doorway, her hair mussed from changing and her dress slightly askew, revealing a smooth, bare shoulder. Her eyes were wide with panic as they focused on him. "You're coming too, right?" She nearly shouted, her voice high and anxious.

He couldn't help but laugh at her overreaction. "Of course I'm coming. I'm starving!"

She relaxed and sent him a playful glare before disappearing back into the dressing room. When she re-emerged a few minutes later, her dress – a light mint green this time – was properly adjusted and laced in the front, and her hair was brushed down into some semblance of order.

A knock came at the bedroom door. "Princess, dinner is served. Will you be joining their majesties for supper?" It was a male butler this time.

Rapunzel tensed, wringing her hands together, and shot a glance at Eugene. He gave a slight nod, and the steady look in his eyes seemed to calm her. She cleared her throat before calling out, "Yes, I'm coming. And Eugene will accompany me."

"Very good, miss," the butler responded, before shuffling away down the corridor.

"Don't worry, Blondie," Eugene said quietly, stepping forward to take her clenched hands in his. Their eyes met, hers searching for reassurance, in his. He looked down at her with that half-lidded, adoring gaze that she loved before leaning in towards her. "I love you, Rapunzel," he whispered in her ear, the words filling her with a lightness she had never felt before. He kissed her on the cheek before leading her through the door.

Together, they slowly made their way to the dining hall. Rapunzel was nervous, despite feeling a little better with Eugene by her side. Eugene, on the other hand, was focusing on not being angry. Yelling at the king and queen would do nothing to help Rapunzel's case, and anything more would get him thrown out. No, he had to at least _try_ to be calm. And first and foremost, he should let Rapunzel stick up for herself.

Finally, they reached the doors of the dining hall and Rapunzel stopped in her tracks. She was angry at her parents, though she didn't want to be. She was scared, though she didn't want to be. She wanted to obey them, but at the same time she wanted to defy them. And desperately, she wanted to stop seeing parallels between this life and her life with Gothel. Sensing her tension, Eugene squeezed her hand tightly in reassurance, a silent, "No matter what, I'm here for you," before pushing the door open.

At the sight of their daughter in the doorway, the king and queen stood at once. Both opened their mouths to speak, but after exchanging a glance decided that neither knew quite what to say, and instead stayed silent. The four were seated and the first course of dinner was placed before them, but still no one spoke. Rapunzel didn't even touch her food, despite how hungry she felt, and instead stared down at her hands in her lap.

Finally, it was the queen who cleared her throat and spoke. "Rapunzel, dear, I know this must be hard for you. You've been through a lot of changes in such a short time, and you've adjusted well, but this is entirely different. But you must know that this is hard for us too. As your parents, we don't want to do anything to upset you."

Eugene began to interject, only opening his mouth and getting out half a syllable of defiance before Rapunzel placed a hand on his arm and said, very quietly, "Let her finish."

"But we also have a duty to our kingdom. As you know from your lessons, Corona has had problems with Sylvania for decades. We almost came to blows several times. This marriage is a way to create an alliance between the two nations." The queen then fell silent, her gaze resting on her daughter solemnly.

There was a long pause before Rapunzel spoke. The king placed his hand over his wife's, but didn't offer any words of his own. Both Rapunzel and Eugene had long since learned that the queen was the more soft spoken of the two, and that the king often spoke harshly without meaning to. Eugene had several things he wanted to say, but he knew that Rapunzel would stop him if he tried. She tried not to let on, but it was her way of protecting him. His temper could get him thrown out of the castle, and then where would they be? Rapunzel gave herself a few moments to collect her thoughts into coherent sentences before speaking.

"I know that you and papa don't mean to hurt me, but this _does_ hurt. How can you expect me to marry someone I've never met? Even if Eugene wasn't here, I would still be against it. All my life, I've been kept locked up, as little more than a prisoner. I've finally gained some bit of freedom, and this… I don't have a choice. I'll have to go somewhere where I don't know anyone. This feels like I'm becoming a prisoner again." Rapunzel finished, wiping away a tear from her cheek.

"Dear, it's not like that!" Her mother interjected, her eyes wide and pleading. "This prince will be your husband, and he will take care of you. One day the two of you will rule Corona as king and queen. You won't be trapped!"

"But I won't love him!" Rapunzel shouted, standing up abruptly and causing her chair to scoot back with a loud scrape.

Her father let out a frustrated sigh before finally speaking up. "You're just a girl, Rapunzel. You don't know what love is!"

The queen scrambled to come up with something more gentle. "What your father means is…well, you haven't even met the boy, dear. Why not give him a chance?"

"I don't want to meet him! I don't want to marry him. I didn't ask for any of this!" Rapunzel cried, sidestepping her chair and backing away from the table. Eugene quickly leapt up to stand by her side, ready to stand up for or comfort her if needed.

"Dear, you have to understand –" The queen began, but was silenced by the king's fist banging against the heavy wooden table.

"Listen here!" He shouted, his booming voice filling the hall and causing Rapunzel to jump in fright. "A princess does as she's told. A princess marries a _prince_, not some treacherous thief turned hero. Love is no consequence. It is either a silly whim or something formed after years and years of marriage. You will marry the Sylvanian prince whether you like it or not, for the good of your kingdom!"

When the king finally fell silent, the entire hall was so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop. The guards and servants had all left a long time ago, so that the four were left alone for their argument. Rapunzel stood frozen, her mouth agape and her eyes wide, filled with fear and tears. She had no words. She was the girl in the tower again, being admonished and told what to do and how to act. She was the girl in the tower, being screamed at because she could never be what anyone wanted.

Eugene put a strong arm around her shoulders, as if he knew that she'd collapse at any moment. He held her close to him, as if to protect her – no, _specifically_ _to_ protect her – from anything and everything. "Rapunzel is a person," he said, his anger causing his voice to be low and deadly, "not a political pawn. She is not a tool and she is not an object. She's your _daughter_. She needs to be loved and supported, not marginalized and scorned. And if you force her into this, you're no better than that witch who locked her up for eighteen years."

"I will not be spoken to in such a manner by the likes of you!" The king thundered, standing up so quickly and with so much force that his chair toppled over behind him and caused the queen to squeak in fright. "Rapunzel, we've tried to be gentle with you and give you time to adjust, but this behavior simply will not do. You will stop this foolishness at once, or I will have this man," he pointed a trembling finger at Eugene, "arrested for the crimes I previously forgave."

Rapunzel let out an involuntary gasp, covering her mouth with her hand. She knew what that meant. Before escaping prison to help her, Eugene had been facing execution for his numerous thefts – most notably, that of her crown. If he was arrested again, he'd face the same fate. And it would be all her fault.

"You're really so desperate that you'd _threaten_ her in this way? Unbelievable! How can you call yourselves parents? This is beyond manipulative, it's…it's just plain wrong!" Eugene shouted angrily, his hands curling reflexively into fists.

"Eugene," Rapunzel said quietly, attempting to stop him.

He continued on, his anger getting the best of him. "And another thing, you've barely given her any time at all to adjust! She's only been here for a few months, and you're all ready to marry her off? And what about free will? Do what you want to me, but I won't stand to see you –"

"_Eugene!_" Rapunzel shouted finally, her voice high and quivering. He shut up, finally, and turned to look at her. She stood beside him, tears streaming down her face and her breath catching with sobs. Frantically, he brushed tears away and tucked her hair behind her ears, anything to help her feel better, but she pushed his hands away before stepping forward, towards her parents.

He stared after her, feeling slightly stung, but mostly confused. Just moments before she had jumped away from them in fear, and now she was approaching them? Didn't she know that they were beyond reasoning? Eugene reached out to her, his fingertips inches away from her shoulder.

Finally, she spoke up in a small, broken voice. "I'll do it."

"Rapunzel, no!" Eugene shouted, but she raised a hand to silence him.

"I'll do it. Just don't hurt him. I'll do whatever you want. I promise."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks for the positive feedback, guys, I really appreciate it! This is just a short chapter, because if I had kept going it would have been too long, so I thought it best to just stop where I did and leave it on a happy note. Enjoy!**

Chapter 4

Silence had fallen once more in the dining hall. Rapunzel was shaking, her small hands curled into fists and her mouth clamped shut in a stubborn attempt to quiet her crying. The king was standing with his arms folded, the expression on his face unreadable. The queen was visibly angry, giving her husband a scornful look. Eugene was frozen in place, a few paces behind Rapunzel, and completely dumbfounded.

"Is that enough?" Rapunzel finally asked, her voice small and wavering. She was trying so hard to stand upright and maintain some semblance of composure, when all she wanted to do was run and cry.

"Yes, Rapunzel. I'm very glad that you've seen some sense. The Sylvanian prince will be visiting next week to meet you, and I expect you to be on your best behavior at this time," The king responded, his voice taking on a normal volume level.

Rapunzel turned to leave, and Eugene instinctively reached after her. She began to take a step towards the doors, then stopped and said, "One more thing." She turned her head to give her parents an even and surprisingly forceful look. "You _will_ let Eugene continue to live here."

Rapunzel forced herself to stand up straight and take even strides as she left her parents staring after her. Eugene opened his mouth as if to say something, but instead followed her when he realized that he, in fact, had no idea what to say.

Once they were through the doors and out in the corridor, Eugene lunged forward to grab Rapunzel's hand, pulling her to a stop. "Rapunzel, you can't seriously be going along with this."

She didn't turn to look at him. "I am." She tried to conceal her emotions, but couldn't keep her voice from cracking on the last syllable.

"But this isn't what you want!"

A long moment of silence passed before she sniffled and said, her voice barely above a whisper, "No, it's not."

His breath came out in an exasperated sigh as he moved to stand in front of her. She didn't move, her eyes cast downward and her hands limp at her sides. Eugene placed a gentle hand under her chin and slowly tilted her face upwards, until she was forced to make eye contact with him. Her green eyes were wide and brimming with tears, her expression so sad that it physically pained him.

"It doesn't matter," she cried, finally allowing herself to come undone. "I don't have a choice. There's nothing I can do about it!"

He wanted to argue that there was, that protesting it and allowing him to be arrested would help her, but he knew it wouldn't. Either way, she would be forced into the marriage. If she went along with it quietly, he could stay by her for as long as they allowed it, and he could try to come up with something. If she protested and fought it, they would arrest him and she'd be all alone. Really, Rapunzel had made the smarter choice. He couldn't do anything for her from prison.

But still, he hated feeling so…powerless. There had to be something he could do, or something they could figure out together. However, things were still looking extremely bleak. He had to admit to that much.

"We'll…we'll figure something out," he promised, hoping it would be enough. She tucked her arms up to her chest and leaned against him, pressing her face into the fabric of his clothing and crying. And all he could do was put his arms around her and stroke her hair in a small offering of comfort. "Don't you worry, Blondie. We'll get through this."

At some point in the night, Rapunzel was finally able to drift to sleep and this time, Eugene had the strength of will to leave and return to his own bed. However, he did not find sleep as easily as she did, and instead laid awake for most of the night, his thoughts so loud that he could not find peace.

He never thought that Rapunzel was feeling trapped in the castle. Sure, she had a busy schedule of lessons to fill her day, and she wasn't allowed out without an escort, but weren't those freedoms, in a way? In her old life, she never had lessons, and now she was being exposed to so much knowledge. She was free to explore, so long as she wasn't alone, and that was solely for her protection. But when he really thought about it, she was still being confined, just in a larger space. He never thought she'd be drawing parallels between her old life and this one, but now he could see it.

And he was the one who brought her here. Sure, she had wanted to come, after hurriedly explaining to him her revelation, but he could have warned her just how difficult it was to be a princess. The story books all romanticized it, but everyone knew that a princess was raised from birth to be a wife to the future king. Everyone knew that, except for Rapunzel. It had been his responsibility to warn her, but he hadn't. Honestly, after the way her parents had acted when she had returned home, he thought that maybe they would be different, that after being without her for so long they would make her happy and allow her more freedom. He was wrong.

_Enough with the lame self-blame_, he thought, running his fingers through his hair and sighing in frustration. There was no point in regretting decisions already in the past. It was too late now to change any of it. All he could do now was try to solve these problems, to come up with some plan to stop the marriage.

Hell no, he was not about to sit back and let some prince marry _his_ Rapunzel. He didn't want anyone else to hold her when she cried. He didn't want anyone else to kiss her. He didn't want anyone else to sleep beside her. He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't. He'd come up with some way to sabotage this, to protect Rapunzel.

Yes. Sabotage, he could do.

The next few days passed without incident. Rapunzel sat through her increasingly boring lessons, obediently going through the routine expected of her. Mealtimes with her parents were quiet and tense, especially as the prince's visit drew nearer. Her evenings were spent going through countless dress fittings – of course, none of the dresses she owned were good enough, and several new ones would need to be made for the prince's visit – so Eugene saw frustratingly little of her. Rapunzel focused on going through the motions and not showing the growing anxiety she felt towards the prince's visit.

Finally, it was Saturday, and the princess had no lessons or dress fittings scheduled for the day. After breakfast, Eugene pulled her aside in a hallway, well out of earshot of anyone else.

"Hey, Blondie, why don't we get out of here for a while?" He suggested, knowing that the promise of fresh air was too much for her to resist.

She brightened visibly. "Where are we going?"

"Just around. Anywhere you want," he said, relieved to finally see her smile.

The days were growing chilly, so Rapunzel wore a light cloak over her long sleeved dress. Eugene was content to go out in his usual outfit with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, but Rapunzel insisted that he either roll the sleeves down or wear a cloak. He thought the sleeves looked stupid rolled down, so he begrudgingly agreed to wear the "dumb cape."

Together, the pair snuck out of the castle and off the grounds to the city that wrapped around it. Saturday was the busiest day for commerce in the city, and so unattended and dressed modestly, the two were able to go about uninterrupted. It was wonderful. It felt normal. Rapunzel led Eugene around by the hand, excitedly hurrying from storefront to storefront to point out anything that caught her eye.

Around noontime, Rapunzel bought a bit of bread and cheese for the both of them and they sat together on a ledge to eat it. Really, all she would have had to do was reveal her identity and they could have eaten much more for free, but Rapunzel grew anxious when townspeople fussed over her just because she was the princess. Instead, she kept her hood up and her face downturned whenever she thought someone might recognize her. And it was much harder to sneak about when everyone was demanding her attention, so Eugene didn't argue.

After a few minutes of eating in silence, Rapunzel sighed and said, "I wish we could do this more often."

"What, eat bread and cheese? We do that all the time," he replied playfully, giving her a light shove with his elbow.

"No," she said, laughing slightly before her face turned serious once more. "I mean being normal. This feels like when you took me around the city on my birthday, before I was the princess and before I had responsibilities."

He didn't know what to say, so instead he covered her hand with his own where it rested on the stone ledge. She leaned her head against his shoulder and watched as people bustled about, trying to get lost in the activity that swirled around her.

Suddenly, Eugene stood, causing Rapunzel to nearly topple over. "Wha-?" She began, but was cut off.

"I'll be right back," he said, a strange look in his eye and a hint of a smile on his lips. He ducked down to kiss her on the forehead, then hurried off, quickly getting lost in the crowd. Rapunzel didn't even have time to call after him. She thought about trying to follow him, but now that he was out of sight, she had no idea where he could be. So she waited. And waited.

After nearly twenty minutes of waiting, she was about to go and look for him, but he chose that precise moment to re-emerge from the crowd. When he saw her, he gulped and slowed his pace. And Rapunzel was…incredibly confused. She stood when he reached her, waiting for some explanation. Except he didn't say anything. He just stood there, staring down at her with his hands tucked inside his cloak.

"Well?" She asked, acting slightly annoyed when she was really just relieved. And confused. Still so confused. "What did you need to do?"

Eugene fidgeted. He wanted to smack himself for it. Or at least, Flynn did. "I…uh…had to get something," he stammered. _Stammered_. He stifled a groan. _Damn it, pull yourself together,_ he thought angrily. She was just staring at him, her eyebrows drawn together in a mock scowl that was surprisingly adorable. She'd probably get mad if he told her that.

"What did you get?" She asked, relaxing slightly, but still skeptical.

He didn't answer. He kept fidgeting with something in the inner pocket of his cloak, the movements stirring the fabric. He looked upwards, breaking eye contact, and heaved a sigh, as if to prepare himself.

"Close your eyes," he said, looking at her once more.

"What?"

"Just do it!"

Rapunzel obliged, squeezing her eyes shut. She tried to stay calm, but the excitement of a surprise was just too exciting. A smile curled her lips. She felt a cool breeze lift her hair and cause her to shiver. She felt his warm, calloused fingers around her left hand, lifting it from her side. She felt him squeeze her hand lightly, his thumb stroking her knuckles.

And then, she felt the cool touch of metal against the finger beside her pinkie. Everything seemed to stop. The pounding of her heart drowned out the voices in the crowd. Every hair stood on end as she felt him slide the ring very slowly down to the base of her ring finger.

She drew in a shaky breath before opening her eyes. She looked down to see a small, silver band of metal encircling her finger, her hand still resting in Eugene's. When she glanced up, their gazes locked. His eyes were warm and tender, and it seemed as if she were staring right into his soul. He looked incredibly honest and vulnerable.

He stared back at her, lost in her eyes, trying to count the different shades of green in her irises. She looked happy, but at the same time terrified. He held her small hand in his, relishing in the softness of her skin. He saw uncertainty and fear in her eyes, but above all, he saw trust.

"Eugene," she breathed, her voice so low it barely made a sound, "what is this?"

He leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "A promise. I _will_ protect you. And I _will_ marry you, Rapunzel, if you want me."

As if to answer, she threw her arms around his neck and nearly leapt up to kiss him full on the lips, hard.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I've been working on this a lot recently, so this chapter is out a lot sooner than I expected! Thanks for the great reviews and all of the follows and favorites! I'm glad you guys like my story. :) **

**Prepare yourselves for some drama, guys.**

Chapter 5

Rapunzel watched the sunrise from the window in her bedroom. There was a cushioned bench instead of a window ledge, and it was the perfect place to sketch or read. And right now, it was the perfect place to curl up and pretend that she wasn't terrified.

Today was the day. The sun rising confirmed it. Any minute now, several handmaids in addition to Penny would barge in and prepare her to meet the Sylvanian prince. Her parents had sent her off to bed the previous night, telling her to get plenty of rest for the day, but Rapunzel hadn't slept a wink. She was too afraid, too nervous, too angry, too sad, too everything to sleep.

She kept replaying her last kiss with Eugene in her head. He had held her ring in his hand – she had been wearing it on a long piece of string that she wore around her neck and had been tucking it into the front of her dresses each day – then kissed the cool metal. He then cupped her cheek in his palm, stroking just below her eye with his thumb, his eyes sadder than she had ever seen them. He had blinked quickly, so she couldn't be sure, but she swore she had seen him tear up. Then he kissed her softly on the lips and it was beautiful, but it tasted wrong. It was sad and painful and it felt as if it was the last kiss they would ever share.

For what seemed like the millionth time that night, Rapunzel reached her hand down the front of her night gown and pulled out her ring. It glinted faintly in the dim light of dawn. It was simple, just a band of shiny silver, but it carried so much meaning that it felt as if it weighed a million pounds. She pressed the ring to her lips and squeezed her eyes shut as a tear slid down her cheek.

In his room, Eugene was laying in bed and staring at the ceiling. A shaft of sunlight had entered through a crack in the curtains, lighting the room dimly. So it was morning. He hadn't been able to sleep at all, and had eventually lost track of the hours that had passed. He couldn't stop thinking about how Rapunzel had looked when he had left her the previous night. She looked fragile and breakable and above all, like she didn't want to be alone. And he hadn't wanted to leave her, but some stupid instinct in him had urged him to run.

He held his hand up to look at the object he had been clutching in his palm. It was a small, vaguely heart shaped rock. Grey in color, smooth, with small bits that sparkled in the faint light. Rapunzel had given it to him one day when they were having lunch in the garden, when it was still warm enough for that. He could remember the look on her face when she brought it to him. She had been so happy and triumphant, and she had run up the hill to where he was sitting and watching. She came up to him, panting and excited and said, "_Close your eyes!_" She instructed him to hold out his palm, and when he did, she carefully placed the stone in it. She probably didn't even know he still had it.

He desperately wanted today to not happen. He wanted to just skip the entire twenty-four hours and not have to deal with any of it. He wanted to hit something. He wanted to hug her as tight as possible and refuse to let go. He wanted to scream. He wanted to drink until he passed out. But more than anything, he did not want this to happen.

There was a knock at Rapunzel's door. She banged her forehead against her knees, a sudden panic swelling in her chest. There was another knock. Somebody called in, but she barely heard the words. She sighed and held the ring in her palm once more, squeezing it as if she could pull strength from it, before kissing it again and quickly stuffing it under a cushion. The person outside her door knocked once more, then, when she still didn't answer, opened it. It was Penny, leading three other handmaids in behind her.

Penny gave the princess an apologetic look before saying, "We're here to get you ready, miss."

Rapunzel couldn't say anything, so she just nodded and stood. The ladies rushed her off for a bath, and then to her dressing room, one of them carrying a deep purple gown. She stood quiet and still as they tugged and pulled at her, pulling the laces of her corset so tight she could hardly breathe and tugging on her most voluminous petticoat. The dress they forced over her head was gorgeous, a deep purple silk that matched the kingdom's flag color, with gold accents and embroidery. They sat her down to pull a comb through her hair and then pin it up elaborately and with some pieces pinned into curls. She wasn't quite sure how they managed it, but they got even the shortest pieces of her hair to stay pinned up.

She hated all of it.

Rapunzel looked into a mirror and with all of the makeup and the elaborate hairdo she looked like a different person. Pulling her hair out of her face only seemed to make her look smaller and more vulnerable. It made her eyes look huge and strange. She hated it, but she didn't say anything.

One of the handmaids offered to bring her something to eat and she wanted to laugh but instead politely declined. She felt sick, even though her stomach was empty. And how could she eat when her corset was so tight she could hardly breathe? It seemed funny, in a cruel and twisted way.

Finally, they were finished and it was only ten in the morning. They expected the prince soon, but they couldn't be sure when. Rapunzel asked if she could be alone for a while, and the handmaids, thankfully, obliged. When they had all left, she grabbed the ring from its hiding place and pulled it over her head. She held it in her palm for a moment before stuffing it into her dress, under her corset, and then checked in the mirror to make sure none of the string was visible.

In his room, Eugene had finally forced himself out of bed. He dressed in his old clothing that had long since been replaced, but was much more comfortable for sneaking around. The previous evening after dinner, the King had pulled him aside and warned him to stay out of sight for the day. Well, "warned" is a bit of an understatement – it was much closer to a threat. He had said, specifically, out of sight, but hadn't said anything about staying _away_. After hours of lying awake, he had finally come up with a plan, and it was time for phase one: observation. He would stay hidden, but keep a close watch over Rapunzel and see what the prince was like. Depending on what he gathered from that, he would then choose how to proceed.

Silently, he slipped through his door and down a back staircase that no one used. He knew that when the prince did arrive, they would formally meet him in the throne room, and that seemed as good a place as any for Eugene to stake out. But first, he had one stop to make.

Rapunzel paced between the window and her door, wringing her hands anxiously. She nearly jumped out of her skin when there came a small, quick knock at the door. It was different from the loud knock of the servants and maids which was always followed by a statement of their intentions, so she knew it could only be one person. Her heart raced as she quickly hurried to the door and opened it.

Eugene stood in the doorway in his old clothing, the faded blue vest and worn brown pants and boots that she had met him in. When she opened the door, he silently slipped in before closing it behind him without a sound. Wordlessly, he pulled her into his arms and gently stroked her hair, careful not to pull any strands free. She collapsed against him, wanting so badly to break down and cry, but trying to be strong.

"I love you," she said, her voice muffled by the soft, worn fabric of his vest.

"God, Rapunzel, I love you too. Don't worry, okay? Everything's gonna be fine, I promise."

She desperately wanted to believe him. "I wish you could be there with me," she whispered.

He pulled back to meet her eyes, a mischievous smile twisting his lips. "Oh, I'll be there alright. I've got a plan."

"But papa said–" She began, her voice high and urgent.

"He said to stay _out of sight_," Eugene said, winking. "I'll be watching over you all day, don't worry."

Knowing that he'd be there, somewhere, made her feel a bit better. "What did they do to your hair?" He asked, lightly touching a pinned curl. "I don't like it."

"Me either," she grumbled. He laughed a small, quiet laugh, because her pouting face was absolutely adorable, and it felt good to distract himself from what the rest of the day had in store for them.

He lingered for a few moments more, wishing he could just lock the door and keep them there until the sun set. But he knew that the palace guest – he thought of the prince with contempt – would be arriving any minute now and that he needed to get to his hiding spot before then.

"I have to go," he breathed, cupping her cheek with his hand. She nodded, looking down sadly. Once more, to give himself courage and to give her comfort, he tilted her face upwards and kissed her softly. Then, although his bones screamed at him not to, he released her and slipped out the door as silently as he had come in.

Not long after he left, a maid came to escort her to the throne room where her parents were already waiting. She sat beside them in her stiff, uncomfortable, high-backed throne that was decorated with hundreds of purple stones and featured the sun of Corona just above her head. She had never had a reason to sit in it until now.

Her eyes scanned the walls, the drapes that framed the windows, and any other dark hiding spaces for Eugene, but she couldn't find him. Somehow, though, she felt his presence and knew he must be there, somewhere. She tried to focus on that thought to calm herself.

She tried to remain calm, but before she could manage to, the large doors at the far end of the throne room were being pulled open by two members of the guard and she didn't have time to tell herself not to panic. A line of several Sylvanian guards entered, then, clad in silver armor with green and brown accents. Behind them was the prince, followed by more guards.

The prince wore the silver and emerald green clothing of his kingdom, but the elaborateness of his clothing caused him to stand out like a peacock among pigeons. He wore a large brimmed hat that was dark brown and had a large plumed feather sticking out of it and pointing backwards. His clothing consisted of a rich emerald green and silver embroidered billowy vest that was cinched at the waist with a deep brown long sleeved undershirt and matching trousers. At his waist, a gleaming silver sword was holstered, but was mostly for show rather than protection.

He was tall, with blonde, curly hair that peeked out underneath his hat. His facial features were narrow, his nose pointed and his chin with a slight cleft. His eyes were a bright, gleaming blue. His guards parted when they reached the thrones of the King, Queen, and Princess, and he approached through the middle, removing his hat respectfully and holding it over his heart. He bowed deeply, almost theatrically, before the royal family.

"Your majesties," he said, still in his bow, his voice prim and smooth, "allow me to introduce myself. I am Prince Rowan of Sylvania. I am humbled to be in your presence. Thank you for allowing me into your lovely kingdom."

"Please stand," the King said, motioning for the prince to then come closer. "I am the King of Corona, and this is my wife, the Queen, and my daughter, Princess Rapunzel," he continued, gesturing to each in turn. When he introduced Rapunzel, Prince Rowan turned his gaze to her, giving her a quick head to toe assessment. She noticed that he smiled slightly, seeming to like what he saw. Her cheeks reddened with embarrassment and indignation. "It is a pleasure to have you in our kingdom, young prince."

Her mother turned her head slightly to give her a sharp look, raising her eyebrows expectantly. Rapunzel had nearly forgotten that she was supposed to stand now and formally greet the Prince. Quickly, but with every nerve in her body screaming for her to sit back down, Rapunzel stood and carefully descended the few steps and approached Prince Rowan.

She curtsied deeply, slightly lifting her skirt as she bowed her head. "Prince Rowan, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Her voice was tight and pinched, and above all, nervous. She straightened from her curtsy, preparing herself for the next part. She held out her right hand, not making eye contact with the blonde-haired prince.

The hand that he extended to grasp hers was cold, causing her to flinch slightly. He cupped her fingers in his palm, then leaned down to press damp lips to the back of her hand. Even after he released her and she withdrew her hand, she could still feel the pressure of his lips, as well as the lingering moisture of his saliva. She subtly wiped her hand on her skirt.

Eugene watched from the rafters in a dark corner of the room, slightly behind the thrones. The moment the frilly prince had walked into the room, he had hated him and his stupid feather and his stupid pretty-boy looks. When he had kissed Rapunzel's hand, Eugene had gripped the wooden rafter so hard that he left impressions from his nails. He tried not to focus on his hatred for the prince and instead tried to collect information on him that could be useful later.

Calm and self-confident. More like pompous and cocky. A handsome sword holstered at his hip, but half a dozen guards around him. That meant he probably didn't know how to use it. Gaze focused on the princess. More like undressing her with his eyes. Tall, probably taller than Eugene himself, but lanky and most likely weaker. If he needed to, Eugene could take him.

Rapunzel felt unsettled by Prince Rowan's gaze. His blue eyes were piercing, and it felt like he was staring right through her. His gaze kept trailing down over her body, covered by layers of clothing, but still defining her waist and breasts. The neckline was modest, but she still caught him staring. Even though she had been washed and scrubbed clean that morning, Rapunzel felt dirty.

After what seemed like endless pleasantries and formalities, the Queen announced that she had arranged for a carriage to take the Rapunzel and Prince Rowan sightseeing around Corona. Rapunzel hadn't known that she would be the one to show him the kingdom, but somehow it wasn't surprising. The idea of being alone with him, confined in a carriage, unsettled her stomach. She wondered how Eugene would manage to follow them.

Before she could react, she was being swept out of the throne room and out into the palace courtyard. As soon as the room was cleared, Eugene slipped out a window and climbed down a nearby tree – the same way he had gotten there previously. He stayed close to the castle, stepping lightly even though there was no one close enough to hear him. When he was close enough to see the carriage, he waited and planned his course to follow it.

Soon enough, Rapunzel was guided to the carriage. Prince Rowan held out a hand to help her into the carriage, but she pretended not to notice it and got in on her own. Eugene tried not to laugh at the look on the prince's face at her rejection. He followed her in, and the thought of the two of them in such close proximity was enough to cause Eugene to sober up.

Rapunzel felt almost claustrophobic inside the small carriage. Surely the palace had larger carriages. Or maybe it was part of her parents plan to get her to fall in love with, or at the very least not outrightly detest – the prince. It seemed like he sat intentionally closer to her, his hand brushing hers on the seat before she quickly withdrew it.

Soon enough, the carriage was rolling, and Rapunzel's stomach was churning. She didn't feel up for polite conversation, so an awkward silence fell between them as she stared out the window. Pretty soon, they had entered the town and Rapunzel could see a crowd forming around the carriage. The driver had to slow his pace just so the horses wouldn't trample anyone.

Prince Rowan cleared his throat before speaking. "I must say, Princess, I didn't know what to expect when my parents announced that I was betrothed to the lost princess of legend. It must have been dreadful to be raised as a commoner, but you still look quite beautiful."

Anger flared within Rapunzel. He didn't know _anything _about her life or what she had been through. How dare he say something so rude! "Thanks," she scoffed, because it was expected of her. "I've never met a prince before, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect either, but you're not as ugly as I imagined," she quipped, feeling suddenly snarky. Eugene would have been proud of her.

Prince Rowan snorted and gave her a thinly veiled glare, "Clearly you haven't been in the castle long enough to learn your place."

Rapunzel narrowed her eyes, but said nothing. She turned away from him to look out the window once more. She heard him sigh beside her. "Forgive me, Princess, I've forgotten my manners. Your kingdom is very beautiful." His voice was softer this time and he sounded like he meant it. Rapunzel stayed cautious, but acknowledged his compliment.

"Thank you, Prince Rowan. I think so, too."

"Please, call me Rowan. It feels silly to have you so formal with me." To be honest, Rapunzel wanted _only_ to be formal with him. Still, she realized his place of power and had no option but to oblige.

"Well then…Rowan," the name felt strange on her tongue, "what is your kingdom like?" Rapunzel didn't much want to talk to him, but she couldn't suppress her curiosity.

"I come from south of here, so it's a bit warmer. The city is also bigger than Corona, but with less water. It's louder though. Corona seems much more peaceful."

Eugene weaved through the crowd, able to follow the carriage easily at its slow pace. He could just barely glimpse the prince on the left side of the carriage; his head turned towards Rapunzel, who Eugene couldn't see. He wished he could get close enough to hear what they were saying, but the crowd was too tight and too loud anyways. That prince seemed to be keeping to himself, physically, anyways, so Eugene wasn't too worried.

The prince continued speaking. "I have two elder brothers, so the chances of me being able to rule my kingdom are slim. The eldest is already married and his wife is with child, and the other, like me, has an arranged marriage with a princess in a different kingdom."

Rapunzel had almost been able to forget the topic of marriage until he brought it up. She felt a tight pinching sensation in her chest and she felt short of breath, but she tried to ignore it. Instead of commenting on that bit, as Rowan expected her to, she chose a different topic. "It must be nice to have siblings," she said, struggling to sound conversational.

He snorted, making a sound that was becoming increasingly obnoxious to Rapunzel. "Not at all. They teased and picked on me my entire life, and because of them I have to rule a different kingdom."

_Your life must be _so_ hard,_ Rapunzel thought dryly. His statement left no need for response, so Rapunzel allowed silence to fall once more. She hadn't realized it until he stopped talking, but his voice was rather annoying. It wasn't altogether unpleasant, but it often sounded childish and whiny, perhaps because he himself was childish and whiny. His voice was higher pitched than she was used to hearing from a man, and slightly nasal.

"Say, Princess," he said, grabbing her attention once more and starting a slight pulse of a headache behind her eyes. She turned her head to look at him, because she had been taught in her etiquette lessons that it was rude to not make eye contact with someone who was speaking to you, and found him much closer than she had expected.

He was leaning towards and slightly over her, so that she had to look up to meet eyes with him. Those unsettling eyes of his bore straight through her. She was uncomfortable and confused, because he was much too close to her for her liking and she didn't know why. Then, she felt a bony, claw-like hand on her thigh.

Rapunzel's instincts flared within her and she forced herself backwards, towards the door of the carriage, and above all _away_ from him. Her shaking hand found the latch of the door and forced it open. The carriage was still moving, but not fast, so when she fell backwards out of it she wasn't hurt. She tried to catch her breath, but her corset was laced too tightly for her to draw a deep breath. She looked up to see Rowan shouting at the guards for them to stop the carriage.

The only thought in her mind was escape. She stumbled to her feet and tried to run, but her shoes pinched her toes and the heels made it hard to balance. She was breathing rapidly, but her lungs couldn't expand far enough to accommodate it. Black spots bloomed at the corners of her vision and her head spun. She looked around for help, and saw the blurry shape of a man forcing his way through a crowd of citizens.

Her head ached, her chest was tight, and her throat hurt from her labored breathing. The dark spots were consuming her vision, until she couldn't see anything at all. She heard a familiar voice call out her name just as her legs gave out beneath her.

She was unconscious before she even hit the ground.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Sorry for the long wait, guys! I got busy with school and also got hit by some serious writer's block. Randomly, I got this urge to write and went with it, and managed to finish the chapter! It's mostly fluff and comfort, after the drama of the last chapter, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!**

Chapter 6

Before he even consciously decided to, Eugene was running. He had known something was wrong the moment the carriage had lurched violently to one side, and he could make out signs of a struggle through the small window. The carriage had kept moving, passing to reveal Rapunzel kneeling on the paved road after falling out of the door on the side opposite him. It was then that he began shoving through the crowd who had gathered to stop and gawk at the royalty, but he started running when he saw her sway on her feet and gasp.

She hit the ground before he could close the distance, her head striking the stones with a dull _thunk_. He rolled her onto her back, checking her pulse at her neck and making sure she was breathing. Her skin felt hot and her cheeks were flushed, a fine sheen of sweat on her forehead. He knew she would be okay, that she had only just fainted, but that wasn't enough to stop him from worrying.

A shrill voice buzzing at his side like a wasp, however, was. "What are you doing, ruffian? Unhand the princess this instant! What have you done to her?" The Prince was standing above them, shouting and hysterical, but making no move to defend Rapunzel from what he thought was her attacker. "Guards! Guards, stop him!"

Eugene tilted his head to glare up at the detestable, and quite annoying, prince. It wasn't just any glare; it was one Eugene reserved for special occasions. Think of the meanest, the most terrifying, and the most furious look you can imagine. Then multiply that by ten, and you still couldn't match the look of blind fury and resentment that Eugene wore on his face.

"_Back. Off_," he growled through clenched teeth. Surprisingly, but also not, the prince took a few steps back, but shouted for the guards once more. It took their reassurance that Eugene was a "close confidant" of the princess to finally get the scrawny prince to shut up. He wanted to be angry at that term, to say that "boyfriend" was much more appropriate, but he was already ignoring them.

Rapunzel remained unconscious, but she was breathing normally and her pulse was slowing back to a normal pace. In a few deft motions, he slipped his arms under her and lifted her from the ground. "She needs medical treatment at the palace," he said, addressing only the guards and ignoring Rowan completely. They nodded in agreement, one hurrying back to the carriage to hold open a door, and the other climbing on the front and grabbing the reins. Without so much as a glance back at Rowan, Eugene climbed into the carriage, careful not to allow her head to hit the doorframe. Rowan scrambled in behind him, even though it was clear he didn't want to be anywhere near them.

A steely silence settled inside the carriage. Prince Rowan sat primly on one side of the carriage, his legs crossed and one hand on the handle of his gilded silver sword. Eugene sat on the other side, holding the still unconscious Rapunzel securely in his arms and glaring across the cabin at the man he had decided to be his arch enemy. Rowan squirmed nervously, but attempted to hide it.

"Are you going to tell me who the devil you are?" The Prince demanded, his voice attempting authority, but his posture indicating fear. Rowan was certainly taller than Eugene, but he incredibly scrawny, his biceps half the size of Eugene's.

Eugene had to think about his answer for a moment. He knew that the truth – what he _really_ meant to Rapunzel – was meant to be kept a secret. Surely the King and Queen weren't advertising the fact that their daughter had a boyfriend. But now…he wasn't even that, anymore. However, he knew that _fiancé_ would probably go over just as well. So what was he, officially?

He looked at Rapunzel, her head resting against his chest. Her face was not relaxed into the peaceful expression she wore when she slept, but instead looked…troubled. He felt a small pinch of worry inside his chest. He had to clear his throat before he said, "Just think of me as her unofficial body guard."

Rowan narrowed his eyes and glowered at Eugene, but said nothing.

Soon enough, the carriage arrived at the palace once more. As soon as it stopped, Eugene climbed out of the cabin, holding Rapunzel securely in his arms. They were met with a flurry of attention, and Eugene was hardly thinking as he pushed past maids and servants and barked for someone to get the palace doctor. Before he could react, she was wrenched from his arms and the mob that surrounded her hurried off into the castle. He didn't even bother to cast a parting look at the prince before hurrying after them.

Rapunzel was carried to her bedroom and Eugene tried to follow, but was forced by the doctor to wait outside. Thankfully, he had thought to snatch the ring from around her neck – _Once a thief, always a thief_, he thought sourly – so that the maids wouldn't discover it when undressing her for the doctor's examination. With nothing else to do, Eugene clutched the ring in his palm and waited.

An immeasurable amount of time passed where he paced in front of her closed door and tried to hear what the maids and doctor were saying. The king and queen arrived some time later, looking tired and worried. Though they didn't speak to him, Eugene noticed the queen give him a small but grateful nod.

When the doctor emerged from the princess's chambers, the king immediately began bombarding him with questions, his deep voice booming in the confined hallway. His wife placed a hand lightly on his arm and gave him a look to quiet him. The doctor calmly explained that Rapunzel had fainted from dehydration. The maids had reported that she had refused meal and drink that morning, and Eugene recalled that she hadn't eaten much at dinner the previous night. That, combined with the restrictiveness of her corset, placed her body under so much stress that she fainted. He ordered that she be confined to bed-rest for the rest of the day, and that she drink a full pitcher of water and eat a full meal at suppertime.

Rapunzel was not yet awake, which the doctor said was unusual, but did not indicate that there was anything more wrong with her. After peeking in the door to reassure themselves that she was resting soundly, the king and queen left, the doctor following. Eugene pretended to walk away, too, but hid behind a corner within viewing range of her bedroom door. Shortly after, the maids all left, since the doctor had ordered for her to be allowed to rest quietly. When he was sure they were all gone and out of earshot, Eugene snuck back to her door and crept inside silently.

Rapunzel was laying in bed, dressed in a nightgown and with the covers draped over her. A damp rag was folded and placed on her forehead. When he got closer, he could see that the pins had been removed from her hair and it had been brushed out. Very carefully, so as not to disturb her, he sat down on the edge of her bed and grasped her hand.

At his touch, Rapunzel's eyes jolted open, startling him slightly. "You're awake?" He asked, sure that the doctor had said she was still unconscious.

She gave him a sheepish smile. "I've been awake since the carriage. I just didn't want to talk to anybody, especially that prince." She made a face, clearly expressing her disgust, causing Eugene to laugh a little. Her voice was a bit hoarse though, so Eugene got up to pour her a glass of water from the pitcher at her bedside.

"The doctor said you have to drink all of this water, and I'm not leaving until you do," he said, his protectiveness clear. She took the glass from him after sitting up and removing the rag from her forehead. At first she took a small sip, but then she gulped it down greedily after realizing how thirsty she was. When she had drained the glass, Eugene poured her another. This time, she sipped more slowly.

"So," Eugene began, giving her a characteristic cocky grin, "before, you said you pretended to be asleep because you didn't want to talk to anybody. I guess I don't count as anybody?"

She giggled a bit. "Nope." She took another sip of water, and her expression became more serious when she said, "I always want to talk to you. But other people…sometimes there are things that they don't understand and it's easier to just not talk to them about it."

"Like what happened to make you fall out of the carriage?" He probed, glancing up at her to gauge her reaction.

Her eyes dropped to her hands curled around the glass of water and her lips curved into a small frown. She glanced up at him through her eyelashes to see if he was angry, but he only looked concerned. Still, she wasn't sure how to tell him what had happened with Rowan.

"Rapunzel, did he do something to you? Did he hurt you? Because if he did, I swear to god I'll–"

She cut him off quickly, saying, "No! No he didn't hurt me, he just…"

"He just what?" Eugene asked, his mind spinning in circles and jumping to hundreds of different conclusions.

She peeked up through her lashes again, looking shameful. "Promise you won't be mad at me?"

He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. He looked her straight in the eyes, hoping he could convey his emotions accurately. "Rapunzel, I've told you a hundred times. I'll never be mad at you. I promise, okay?"

She gave a small smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Okay," she said quietly. "Well see, what happened was…" She found it hard to speak when she was making eye contact with him, so she looked back down at her hands. "We were talking, and…and he put his hand on my leg. I guess I just…overreacted. It startled me, so I kind of jumped up in the carriage and I tried to get out and ended up falling when the door opened. Then I tried to get up again and I got really dizzy and everything went black."

When she finished speaking, she looked back at him. His shoulders were stiff and his nostrils were flared in anger, but his eyes were gentle when they met with hers. "He touched you?"

She felt mildly confused that that was the particular bit he was focused on. "Yeah, but only on my leg. It was my fault really, I shouldn't have gotten scared. I just–"

"Rapunzel, no one should ever touch you without your permission. Don't ever blame yourself for being upset by it. Do you hear me?" His voice sounded angry, and she instantly felt bad.

"I'm sorry," she said, looking down at her hands again.

Very suddenly, he moved forward and grabbed her hand, taking the glass of water and setting it down on the table beside her bed. She flinched slightly when Eugene raised a hand towards her. Her shoulders raised and she clenched her eyes shut as if preparing herself for a slap. But Eugene's touch was gentle as always as he placed his hand under her chin and tilted her face upwards. She opened her eyes to look at him, and the anger was gone from his features. Instead, he looked sad and worried.

"I'm not angry at you, Rapunzel," he said softly, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "I'm angry at _him_ for upsetting you. Understand?"

She nodded, relaxing. He leaned in closer to her and kissed her softly on the lips. When he pulled back, she had a small smirk on her lips. "I didn't give you permission to kiss me," she said coyly.

He returned her smile and feigned apology. "Forgive me your highness. I'll never do it again."

She regarded that for a moment, looking up at the ceiling as if contemplating his words. "You may kiss me," she declared finally, closing her eyes and pursing her lips. He laughed quietly and obeyed, giving her another, deeper kiss.

"Will you lay with me?" She asked, scooting over and patting the space beside her. A small part of his brain told him that he should say no, but a larger part told it to shut up as he kicked off his boots and climbed up beside her. He put an arm around her and she nuzzled her head against his chest, sighing contentedly.

Absent mindedly, she reached her hand up to her neck to play with the string that held her ring, as she did when she was idle. When her hands found bare skin, Rapunzel jolted upright, panicked. "My ring! It's gone! Did the maids find it? Oh no, what if they tell my parents! Eugene, I–" She glanced at him, her eyes wide with panic. She relaxed, however, when he held up his closed fist, then opened it to allow the ring to dangle from his fingers. "How did you–?"

"Once a thief, always a thief," he said with a smile.

Sometime later, when the room began to grow dim with the sunset, Eugene had to hide in the closet when a maid brought her dinner. The maid offered to send for her parents, who were worried and would be glad to see that she was awake, but Rapunzel politely refused, saying that she was still very tired and wanted to rest after she finished her meal. The maid left the covered tray of food on the table beside the now almost empty pitcher of water and left.

When Eugene returned, she was uncovering the tray of food. "Wow," she remarked, taking in the heaps of food on her plate, "they gave me a lot!"

"You need to eat more to recover," Eugene said sternly, picking the tray up and placing it on her lap. She had to smile – his concern was cute. She began eating, realizing then that she was actually _ravenous_. She was surprised when she ate almost everything on her plate, urging Eugene to finish it for her.

"Wait," she asked, after he took the empty tray and placed it back on the table, "have you eaten anything today?"

He brushed off the comment and busied himself with refilling her glass. "Don't worry about me, Blondie. I'll sneak down to the kitchen later and grab something." When he turned back, she was giving him a mock glare. "What?"

"Hypocrite!" She accused. "You made me eat everything and drink all this water and you haven't had anything yourself!"

"Yeah, but _I _didn't pass out today," he teased, reaching over and mussing her hair.

"Are you leaving?" She asked after a moment passed.

"You should get some rest…" he began, even though he selfishly wanted to stay.

He eyes dropped to her hands in her lap and her lower lip protruded into a pout. "Okaaayyyy," she said, making her voice small and disappointed.

Eugene groaned and fell backwards onto the bed, draped sideways. "Alright," he said, exasperated, "I'll stay for a _little _bit longer."

"Yay!" She exclaimed, jumping up and crawling down to meet him at the foot of the bed. She hovered over him, her hands on either side of his face and her hair flopping down to frame hers. He stared up at her, mesmerized by the twinkle in her vibrant green eyes and the curve of her lips. A moment passed where he had the desire to reach his arms up to encircle her neck and pull her down for a kiss before he realized the compromising position they were in.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Blondie," he cautioned, his voice cracking slightly. He tried to bring his arms up to his chest so he could gently push her away, but she was quicker, moving her arms and allowing her body to flop down on top of his.

Still innocently and blissfully unaware of the affect she was having on him, she smiled up at him with her chin propped on his chest. "What?" She asked, a happy lilt to her voice.

"Uh, well…it's just that…well you see…" He stammered trying to come up with an easy way to explain this to her. Leaning her head on his chest as she fell asleep was one thing, but laying on top of him, every inch of her body pressed against his, with only a thin nightgown covering her, was an entirely different thing. "Oh hell," he breathed, gritting his teeth in frustration.

"What's wrong?" She asked, genuinely concerned now. "Did I do something wrong?"

He ran a hand through his hair, something he did when he was anxious or frustrated. "No, of course not. You did nothing wrong, and that's the _problem_."

Her eyebrows knit together in confusion. "I don't understand."

"You seriously overestimate my self-control, princess." He breathed, giving her a small, reassuring smile.

Her face lit up with understanding. "Oh! You want to kiss me again."

He rolled his eyes at her naivety. "Something like that," he sighed. She giggled and shifted her position, sliding herself upwards so that her lips could meet his. At first it was sweet and innocent, but he quickly became unable to prevent himself from deepening and quickening the kisses. She was surprised by this new way of kissing, but found herself enjoying it.

He brought a hand up to weave his fingers into the short hairs at the nape of her neck, and wrapped his other arm around her waist. Following suit, she reached a hand up to thread her fingers through his hair and cupping his neck with the other hand. He groaned softly, but kept their mouths connected. She felt a strange sort of urge that made her want to keep kissing him and running her hands through his hair.

After what seemed to be both a long time and no time at all, they broke apart, gasping for air. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were bright. "I like this kind of kissing," she breathed, giggling a bit. A huge grin spread across his face as he panted.

"Me too," he laughed, "but maybe we should leave it at that for now."

She felt genuine disappointment well inside of her. "Why?"

He groaned lightly, draping his arm across his eyes. "Rapunzel," he said sternly.

"Don't you _Rapunzel_ me! I'm not a child and I _like_ kissing you!"

He chuckled a bit. "I'm very aware that you aren't a child."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Whatever you want it to, Blondie."

A small silence fell between them. Rapunzel waited, hoping he would return to kissing her, but he remained with is arm covering his eyes and his mouth set in a firm line. She huffed and rolled off of him, crossing her arms over her chest. After a while, she felt her disappointment morphing into worry.

In a quiet, small voice, she asked, "Is this because of the marriage? Is that why you don't want to kiss me more?"

He removed his arm from his face so he could look at her. She was staring up at the ceiling, her arms limp at her sides. Her lower lip trembled a bit. He sighed. It was never his intention to upset her. Just the opposite, he was afraid of hurting or scaring her.

"Of course not, love," he said, hoping that he could convey the truth in his soft tone of voice.

"Are you sure? Because…I guess I would understand it. I'm being forced to marry someone else. That hurts for me, and I'm sure it hurts you because the person you love has to marry someone who isn't you. I don't know if I could deal with that, if it were me." She still wouldn't look at him.

"Rapunzel…I'll be honest with you, it does hurt. Every minute of every day it hurts because you're being forced to do something you don't want to and I can't protect you from it. And…I feel jealous too. I don't want you to kiss someone else. I don't want you to look at someone else the way you look at me. I don't want to marry someone else. But most of all, I don't want you to be unhappy."

She turned her head and finally met his gaze. His eyes were warm and comforting as always, and she felt her heart give a little squeeze. "I don't want you to hurt," she whispered.

"It hurts because I love you," he said, reaching out a hand and lightly caressing the side of her face.

"Would it…" her eyes clouded with tears. "Would it be easier if we weren't together? If you could live somewhere else and find someone else to love?" Her voice broke towards the end, and she felt foolish for it.

"No," he insisted. "Don't ever think that, not for a second. It would hurt me more to be away from you."

"Really?" She asked, a tear falling from her eye and hitting the bed sheets.

He rolled towards her onto his side and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Really. You are my happiness, Rapunzel, and I'll do anything to keep you safe and happy."


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Thanks for the few reviews I received since I posted the last chapter...yesterday! I don't know what's gotten into me, but I love it! I just hope I can keep this creativity flow up long enough to crank out a few more chapters! Get ready for some drama, folks. Enjoy!**

Chapter 7

The next morning, Rapunzel awoke alone in her bed. It seemed to her to be too big and empty when she was alone, and it was never warm enough. She rolled over and pressed her face into the pillows, inhaling deeply and searching for Eugene's musky pine scent. She filled her lungs with it and held her breath, as if she could trap it within her and never lose it. Soon, however, her lungs ached and she had to release her breath.

Predictably, a knock came at the door. "Miss, breakfast will be served soon."

Rapunzel wanted to spend another day in bed, but duty was literally calling. She called for Penny to let herself in as she pushed herself up and out of bed. Her limbs felt heavy and weak, and there was a dull ache on one side of her head she hadn't noticed before. Still she stood, adjusting her nightgown around her as the young maid entered the room.

Today, thankfully, Rapunzel was allowed to choose a dress for herself from the many in her closet, and she chose a simple one that was a light green color. She remembered Eugene telling her once that it was the exact color of her eyes, and she felt a small smile touch her lips. Penny laced her up in a light, less restrictive corset and petticoat before she pulled the dress over her head. As she laced up the back, Rapunzel ran a brush through her short hair. And, as always, Rapunzel slipped the ring under the collar of her dress before leaving.

She was met in the hall by Eugene, who put on a light hearted smile just for her. Truth was, he was feeling anxious about seeing the snobby prince at breakfast, as he suspected Rapunzel was as well. After Penny was gone, Rapunzel slipped her small hand into his and the two slowly made their way down the corridor. Rapunzel tried not to feel too anxious about breakfast with her parents and Rowan, but she thought that she could handle anything as long as Eugene was with her.

Reluctantly, Eugene pulled his hand from hers when they reached the dining hall. It stung, but Rapunzel knew it was necessary. Briefly, she wondered if maybe knowing that she was in love with someone else might put Rowan off of her, but it would likely only make things worse. He seemed more the type to get jealous and act childish than to be understanding. She wondered also if maybe his parents were forcing him into this as well, and if he was just as against it as she was.

When they entered the dining hall, the king and queen were already seated, but Rowan was nowhere to be found. This caused both Rapunzel and Eugene to relax significantly as they took their usual seats. Eugene could tell by the look on his face that the king had half a mind to send him away, but a stern look from the queen kept him silent. Rapunzel's parents were not bad people, he knew, even if it seemed that way, and if they could do this one small thing to keep their daughter happy, then they would. He knew that their duty to their kingdom and their love for their daughter conflicted with each other, even though they rarely let it show.

Rapunzel's stomach growled lightly, but she knew that breakfast could not be served until everyone was present. It was mildly irritating that Rowan was late, and she knew that Eugene would be personally holding it against him. After a full twenty minutes had passed, Rowan waltzed into the dining hall as if he were fully aware of the fact that everyone had been waiting on him, but didn't care in the slightest.

"Prince Rowan, good to see you," the king said, not seeming to be irritated in the slightest. He even offered a warm smile to the blonde haired prince. Eugene had to resist the urge to snort in indignation, for Rapunzel's benefit only.

"Yes, it's nice of you to finally grace us with your presence," Rapunzel said sarcastically, only casting him a small glance. Her nose turned up in disapproval so clear that it made Eugene smile with pride. _Atta girl_.

The prince seemed a little miffed to see Eugene seated at the table, still unsure of exactly what his place in the kingdom was. "I hope you weren't waiting too long, your majesties," Rowan said, although it was clear from the tone of his voice that he didn't fully mean it. It seemed, however, that the king and queen didn't notice.

Rapunzel had to suppress a groan when Rowan took a seat on the other side of her. Eugene full on glared at him, but he pretended not to notice. Soon enough, butlers brought out their breakfast and everyone ate in an uncomfortable and stifling silence.

Rapunzel rushed through her breakfast, finishing long before anyone else. She stood up from the table and Eugene set down his cutlery to follow. "Well," she announced, "I should attend to my lessons. I wouldn't want to be late! So sorry I won't be seeing much of you today, Prince." She started heading for the door as Eugene stood to follow her.

The king cleared his throat, causing Rapunzel to stop and turn back. He gave her a stern look, but her mother spoke up before he could say something hard or stern. "Dear, we've cancelled your lessons for the day so that you and Rowan can spend some time together."

Rapunzel had never looked so upset to not have her daily mathematics or geography lessons. "But…but!" She stammered, incredulous.

"Wonderful," Rowan exclaimed, finishing his last bite of breakfast. "I'd _love_ to spend some quality time with you, Princess." Something in the tone of his voice set anger flaring within Eugene and caused his hands to clench into fists.

"If I may interject, you highnesses," Eugene said, uncharacteristically polite so as to earn their good favor, "in light of the princess's health complications yesterday, I believe that I should accompany them today. Someone who knows the princess as well as I do would be able to sense if she were feeling weak again." He turned his head slightly to wink at Rapunzel. She hid her smile with her hand.

Her father narrowed his eyes, already wise to Eugene's sneakiness, and opened his mouth to object, but the queen stopped him by placing a hand on his arm. "Very well, Eugene. Rapunzel's health is very important to us."

He blinked in surprise. Had she really fallen for it? The look she gave him suggested no, that she was only allowing it to avoid conflict with Rapunzel. That was just fine with him. He didn't want to leave _that guy_ alone with her, because he simply did not trust him. And why should he, after what had happened yesterday? Eugene gave prince Rowan a look that he hoped said, _Lay a hand on her and I'll cut it off myself._

Rowan didn't disguise his distaste for the situation, and instead gave Eugene a thinly veiled glare. He strode forward and linked his arm through Rapunzel's, causing her to jump slightly. However, her parents were watching, so she tried to ignore it and allowed him to lead her out of the dining hall, Eugene close behind. She gave him an apologetic look over her shoulder.

Rapunzel led them out through the back of the palace and to the garden. Inside and with Rowan so close to her, she felt claustrophobic. Outside, she found it a little easier to breathe. Trying to be as subtle as possible, she slipped her arm out of his and took a small step away from him. Autumn was creeping in, and the flowers in the garden were beginning to wilt, but the sun was bright and there was only a slight chill in the air.

"So tell me, Princess," Rowan began, casting a high-nosed glance back at Eugene before continuing, "is your…_body guard_ always so…overbearing?" Eugene glowered at him, but Rowan pretended not to notice.

Rapunzel gave him a distasteful look that she didn't try to cover. "Eugene is very important to me, Prince Rowan. He has done a lot for me and I don't take kindly to people insulting him. Am I making myself clear?" Eugene felt himself smiling smugly. _Take that, fancy pants._

"My, you certainly are feisty," Rowan countered with a detestable grin that revealed rows of gleaming teeth. "Fine, fine, I'll be nice. You don't have to call your _dog_ on me."

Rapunzel glared at him and strode through the rows of wilting flowers. Rowan sauntered along behind her, not even being subtle about staring at her rear. Eugene wanted to follow but instead held back to have a better view of the situation. He had keen eyes and wouldn't hesitate to act if the prince tried any funny business.

Time slowly passed as Rapunzel busied herself with tending to the flowers. Rowan made an offhand comment about leaving such work to the servants, but she ignored him. Eugene knew that she did it to calm herself, because keeping herself busy distracted her from feeling anxious. He made sure to stay close to them but kept his distance, as if daring Rowan to try something.

After about an hour, a maid, Penny, came out to the gardens and hurried over to Eugene. "I'm sorry, sir, but the King requests a word with you in his study." She really did look sorry. Rapunzel looked up from the flowers, her eyes wide with worry.

"Now? But they said that I could stay with Rapunzel to monitor her health," Eugene argued, returning to his excuse.

"I truly am sorry, but he said that he must speak with you now," the young maid replied.

"Don't worry, Eugene," Rapunzel said, though her voice trembled slightly. Had he not been so attuned to her, he might not have noticed. Rowan, clearly, didn't. "I'll be fine." She tried to give him a reassuring smile.

Grudgingly, he followed the maid back into the palace, but only giving Rowan a firm look that he hoped told him to keep his hands to himself. And then he was gone. Rapunzel went back to the flowers, suddenly very nervous that she was alone with Rowan. He seemed not to notice.

"Princess, perhaps you'd like to join me on this bench? You've been working for a while and must be getting tired. I wouldn't want you to test your health again so soon." She looked up at him, and he patted the space beside him on the stone bench. He sounded genuine enough, and she _was_ feeling a bit tired… She accepted, but made sure to sit as far away from him as the bench would allow.

Meanwhile, Eugene was arriving at the king's personal study. He'd only been there once before, shortly after he and Rapunzel had arrived in the kingdom and her father had wanted to clear the air and ascertain whether or not Eugene was really as reformed as Rapunzel claimed he was. He had tried to make a strong case for himself, but Eugene could tell that the king of Corona was still skeptical and judgmental of him. He wasn't sure if it was the normal fatherly protectiveness or some other grudge, but he tried to deal with it.

He knocked lightly, but firmly, on the door. "Come in," the king said, his deep voice gruff but not angry.

"You asked for me?" Eugene asked, keeping his tone respectful.

"Yes, I did. Please, sit down," he was seated at his desk and gestured to a chair across from him. Reluctantly, Eugene obeyed. "You're probably wondering why I called you here," he said, looking at Eugene with an unreadable gaze.

"Well…yes," he admitted, "but I think I have an idea."

"And just what might that be?" The king sounded amused.

"You wanted to get me away from Rapunzel and that prince. You wanted them to have time alone."

The king chuckled slightly, which annoyed Eugene. "You don't miss much, do you?"

"I'm quite observant."

There was a pause before Rapunzel's father continued. "Yes, I called you here so that Rapunzel could be alone with Prince Rowan. But I also wanted to talk to you."

"About?" He couldn't help it, his voice came out harsh and angry. If he weren't so close with Rapunzel, the king would probably have him thrown out for insolence.

He seemed unfazed by Eugene's characteristic shortness. "My daughter, of course." He allowed Eugene a chance to interject, but he only crossed his arms and waited. "I suppose it's no use trying to convince you to leave her?"

Eugene couldn't help but scoff. "I'm here as long as she wants me. I have no intention of leaving Rapunzel."

"Right. It's clear that you…care for Rapunzel."

"I love her, sir," Eugene interjected, his eyes completely serious as they maintained eye contact with the king. A lesser man might have cowered, but Eugene was not afraid of him.

"That's quite bold of you. I have to admire your tenacity, Eugene." But his tone did not sound admiring at all. It sounded frustrated.

"Is that all? Because if it is, I really must get back."

The king chuckled slightly, but it was anything but lighthearted. "You aren't off the hook that easy. You know that Rapunzel is to marry Prince Rowan, yes?"

"I know that you're forcing her to, if that's what you're asking."

The king narrowed his eyes, but continued. "Do not insinuate that I do not care for my daughter, Eugene. But I also have a duty to my kingdom. My hands are tied, as you can see. We have already signed contracts with the Sylvanian king and queen."

Eugene couldn't think of a response that wouldn't get him kicked out of the castle, so he remained silent.

"Tell me, do you not approve of the prince, or do you just dislike him simply because he is Rapunzel's fiancé?"

The hairs on the back of Eugene's neck stood on end. _Fiancé?_ That was _his _title, but of course he couldn't say that. "Honestly?" The king nodded. "Both. I find him to be pretentious and rude, and I don't like the way he looks at Rapunzel."

"Funny," the king countered, "but I seem to recall you looking at her similarly. Am I wrong?"

"That's different!" He insisted, his hands clenching into fists in his lap. "For us, the feeling is mutual, whereas _Rowan_ looks at her like a piece of meat and _she_ can't stand him."

The king seemed to brush it off and changed the topic. "Why do you insist on fighting a losing battle?"

"Because I love her! And I will continue to fight for Rapunzel as long as she wants me to. Unlike you, I care about her happiness." He meant every word he said, but he could tell that his words stung the king. "Are we done here?"

After a long pause where the king could not look at Eugene, he said quietly, "Yes. You may go."

Eugene stormed out of the office and hurried down the corridor, muttering angrily under his breath. He tried to push away his anger and hurry back to Rapunzel, who he hoped was safe.

Down in the gardens, Rapunzel was growing uncomfortable. Rowan was going on about something and slowly inclining himself towards her. "Say Princess," he began, leaning even closer to her, "you actually are quite pretty. If you filled out some, you could look even better."

He sure had a way with making a compliment sound like an insult. Still, out of the necessity of being formal, she gave him a half-hearted, "Thank you."

"You're very welcome, Princess. I very much look forward to marrying you, as well as the things we could do together _afterwards_." His lips turned up into a cocky grin. Rapunzel didn't like this at all. She scooted away from him, but was nearing the edge of the bench. If she moved much farther, she'd fall off of it completely. She hoped that Eugene would hurry back.

She couldn't think of an appropriate response to that, and instead tried to change the topic. "The, uh, leaves on the trees are quite beautiful this time of year, don't you think?" She stammered, looking off at the forest behind the palace.

She sensed, however, that Rowan had ignored her and looked back at him. He had moved even closer to her, his face only inches away. "I wonder," he said softly, his moist and, frankly, odorous breath fanning over her face, "what your lips taste like, Princess Rapunzel."

Before she could even react, he closed the space between them and planted his lips on hers. Her eyes opened wide in fright and she tried to back away, but his hands were at her waist, a little too low for comfort and holding her tightly in place. She panicked, trying to push him away by his shoulders, but he was stronger than he looked.

What could she do? His lips were much too wet and his breath came hard and hot through his nostrils. His hands felt like claws at her hips. She had never kissed anyone other than Eugene, but she was sure that this was not a good kiss. And furthermore, she hadn't even wanted it! Eugene had told her the day before that no one should ever touch her without her permission, but how was she supposed to stop it?

She didn't have to worry much longer, because suddenly she heard the sound of quickly approaching footsteps – running, actually – and then she was thrust apart from Rowan. She stumbled backwards, wiping her lips on the back of her hand and looking up to regain her bearings. Not surprisingly, she saw Eugene glaring up at Rowan, who was slightly taller than himself, but with the prince's shirt balled in his fists.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He roared, his eyes fierce and angry. He thought he even saw Rowan tremble a bit. He turned to look at Rapunzel, who was shaken and frightened, but thankfully appeared to be unharmed. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

She merely shook her head, unable to speak.

"But did you give him permission to kiss you?" Again, she shook her head.

Eugene turned his attention back to Rowan, who looked like he was about to pee himself with fear. His instincts and fury took over, and he pulled back one arm into a fist, keeping a tight hold on the prince's shirt with the other. And without a second thought or regard for nobility, Eugene punched him in the face.

He then released the prince, who fell to the ground whimpering and clutching his now bleeding nose. He had to admit, he felt a _lot_ better. Was he still angry? Sure. But he gained some satisfaction at hearing the snobby, over-entitled prince crying like a child.

Rapunzel stared in horror, covering her mouth with her hands. She was startled at Eugene's actions, but she didn't exactly feel bad for Rowan. She recalled the feeling of his lips on hers and shuddered. Some part of her felt that he deserved it for forcing himself on her. Maybe now he'd learn a lesson.

Eugene approached Rapunzel slowly, gauging her reaction. When he was certain that she wasn't frightened by him, he placed his hands lightly on her shoulders, feeling them shake slightly. "Are you okay?" He asked again, looking deeply into her eyes.

She nodded, but it was clear that she was still shaken and upset. She threw herself into his arms, taking comfort in the warmth that emanated from him and the smell of his clothing. "Oh, Eugene," she breathed, her voice tremulous. "I'm sorry! I tried to get away, I tried! But he…"

"Shhh," he said, rubbing her back soothingly. "It's not your fault."

"You!" The prince shouted suddenly, startling the pair and causing them to separate and turn to look at him. "I knew there was something more here!" He accused, though his voice sounded comical with the nasal tone from his injured nose.

"What are you talking about?" Eugene demanded, stepping slightly ahead of Rapunzel as if to protect her.

The prince removed his hands from his nose, grinning up at them and revealing blood-stained teeth. "You've got a…a _thing_!"

"_What_?"

"You know," he insisted, jabbing an accusing finger at them. "A secret relationship! Do their majesties know?"

Rapunzel and Eugene exchanged a look, dumbfounded. He was just now getting this? It was almost…comical. "Just wait until my parents hear about this!" Rowan went on, laughing cruelly.

This caused them to sober up. Eugene wondered what exactly that could imply, but he knew that whatever it was, it wouldn't be good. "Oh they definitely won't be happy about this. This breaks our contract!"

Rapunzel felt a glimmer of hope. If that was true…would she not have to marry him anymore? Could she be rid of him? It seemed all too easy. Eugene was thinking the same thing, and the two shared another, hopeful look.

"But that's what you want, isn't it?" He spat, grinning again. "No, I'll make sure they enforce the contract, and have you thrown out, you peasant _scum_. If the king and queen want to keep their alliance with Sylvania, they'll be forced to oblige!"

No, this was definitely not good. Rapunzel stood frozen in shock, but Eugene decided he'd heard enough. He placed an arm around her protectively and began guiding her back to the castle. "Come on, Rapunzel. We don't have to listen to the likes of him." She was too shocked to speak, so she allowed him to pull her along. When they were inside the castle, Eugene grabbed the attention of a butler. "Hey, Goldilocks out there tripped and broke his nose. You might want to bring him a towel."

Quickly and silently, they hurried through the castle and up to Rapunzel's bedroom. Once they were inside, Eugene locked the door and guided Rapunzel to the bed. She was still shaky, and it worried him slightly. "Rapunzel, talk to me," he pleaded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

There was a moment of silence before she turned her petrified, wide eyed stare on him. She looked up into his deep brown eyes, searching for comfort. "I'm scared," she managed to croak, her eyes welling up with tears.

He pulled her into his arms, holding her small, trembling form securely. "Don't worry, Blondie. Everything's gonna be alright." He said automatically, rubbing her back again.

She pulled back slightly to look up at him. "But what if he's right? Do you think they can do that?"

Honestly, he didn't know. He didn't want to lie to her, so he said nothing.

"I don't want them to throw you out! None of this is your fault!" She cried, pressing her face once more into the angle of his neck and shoulder. She tightened her arms around him, pulling herself tighter to him but feeling like she still wasn't close enough. His arms were steady around her.

"We'll figure something out, okay?" She nodded a little bit, because she wished it could be true. But everything felt hopeless and she could still taste _him_ on her lips and she felt sick to her stomach.

"I hate him," she cried, feeling an angry tear drip down her cheek.

"I gotta admit, Blondie, I like hearing you say that," he said with a small laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

"I really hate him!" She insisted, pulling back, her eyes bright and serious. "He's awful! I can't stand him! He's rude and arrogant and his breath smells and I don't ever want to kiss him again!"

Part of him wanted to laugh at her fury, which was actually kind of cute, but the severity of the situation weighed on him. It would be bad enough if she was being forced to marry a decent guy, but Rowan was detestable and Eugene knew that he'd never treat her with the respect she deserved. "I know, love," he sighed, taking her hands in his and rubbing circles into her skin with his thumbs.

She squeezed her eyes shut, another tear leaking down her cheek. "What are we gonna do?" She cried, her voice small and desperate.

He hung his head, giving her hands a light squeeze. He hated feeling so helpless and weak. He said he'd protect her, but what could he do? "I don't know, Rapunzel. I…God, I wish I could _do_ something. I wish I had the power to help you."

She shook her head stubbornly. "This isn't your fault. We both tried, but my parents have too much power over us. Even _he_ has more power than me in this situation. It all just feels so…hopeless."

A heavy silence hung in the air around them. Rapunzel moved to lay down on the bed and curl up, placing her head in his lap. He stroked her hair as she cried, wishing he could do more for her. He hated feeling so weak and helpless. He felt like he should be able to protect her, but he didn't know what to do. Above all, he wished that he could just take her away from all this and to somewhere better and happier.

After a while, Rapunzel calmed down and wiped away the last of her tears. She rolled over onto her back, keeping her head in Eugene's lap but looking up at him with her big green eyes that were rimmed with red. He stared back at her, feeling her hurt that was almost tangible in the room. "Eugene," she asked softly, her lips curving around the syllables.

"Hm?" He responded, carefully moving a strand of hair out of her face.

"Will you kiss me again?" She asked innocently. He wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it. As if she even needed to ask him! "My mouth still tastes like him and I don't like it and it makes me feel sick."

"Of course," he whispered, leaning down to cover her lips with his. She was right, something tasted different, but he kissed her until it was gone. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him there.

Within minutes, she was kissing him as feverishly as she had the day before, hoping that he wouldn't stop her. She knew that there were boundaries, but she didn't care. All she wanted was to be closer to him, to feel completely wrapped up in him and safe. She felt her heart racing and her breath speeding up, but she kept kissing him, and he didn't object.

She shifted so that she was sitting up, draped across his lap, his arms encircling her. He kissed her, returning her passion gratefully. A nagging thought in his mind told him he should stop, but it felt wonderful and he _wanted_ her to want him. He wanted to kiss her until the image of Rowan all over her was erased from his mind.

Rapunzel ran her hands down his chest, feeling the worn fabric of his classic blue vest. It was rough from wear, but at the same time soft. She felt the cool metal of the clasps, and was delighted at how easily one popped open beneath her fingers. Her hands slipped down to undo the next one, but he stopped her, placing his hands over hers and gently pulling them away.

"Whoa there, Blondie. Do you know what you're doing?" He chuckled, his voice soft and husky and sending shivers down her spine.

"Yes," she breathed, stretching up to try to capture his lips once more.

"Rapunzel," he warned sternly, leaning away.

"_What_?" She exclaimed, her voice exasperated.

"You know we can't do this," he argued, though his heart wasn't in it.

"Why not?" She insisted, her voice almost sounding whiny. "We love each other. What else matters?"

He sighed. _Nothing_, he thought, but he didn't say it. "You're a princess."

"Why does that matter?"

"It just does," he argued. "Don't they teach you this stuff in your lessons? How ladies are supposed to remain pure and chaste until marriage and all that crap?"

"I think it's stupid," she said simply, crossing her arms resolutely, closing her eyes, and tilting her nose into the air. She opened one eye to peek at him, a small smile on her lips. "And you think so too, don't you?"

"That doesn't matter," he insisted, trying not to be charmed by her.

"Eugene," she said, her voice pleading and sad. He knew he'd have trouble resisting her. "I love you. I want to be with you. And I…" her voice took on a morose edge to it. "And I don't want…I don't want _him _to be my first, if I have to marry him in the end."

That struck him. The thought of _him_, in bed with Rapunzel…it hurt him. It disgusted him. He didn't want to let that happen. No, he _wouldn't_ let that happen. "It's not going to happen."

"But what if it does? What if nothing works and in the end I'm still forced to marry him? I don't want him to be the first person I make love to. I don't even think you'd be able to call it that, because I wouldn't love him! I wouldn't want to do it but I think he would force me. And I'd be his wife, and there'd be nothing I could do to stop it and…" She was getting emotional again, her voice breaking.

His heart gave a painful squeeze. "I'd kill him before I'd let that happen."

She wrapped her arms around his neck once more, leaning in and burying her face in his shirt. "Eugene, please. I want to feel as much love as possible before it's taken away from me." Her voice was barely more than a whisper, but it was enough to make his breath catch in his throat.

"Rapunzel," he whispered back, "do you know what you're saying?"

She nodded, keeping her face pressed into his shoulder.

"And you're sure about this?"

She pulled back, looked him straight in the eye, and nodded again. He'd never seen her so determined, her eyebrows pulled together and her mouth pressed into a firm line. He looked at her for a long moment, searching her bright eyes for any sign of doubt or uncertainty, but he found none. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before kissing her again.

**AN: And then they did it. I considered including more detail in that part, but I wanted to keep the rating down so I decided not to. If that's something you're interested in (and you're old enough!), then you may want to check out my one-shot "Of Weddings and Consumation" about Rapunzel and Eugene's wedding night. Please leave me some nice reviews, and I'll try to get another chapter up soon!**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: So sorry that I've been gone for so long! I had a lot of things going on this summer - summer classes, work, moving, Otakon - but that's really no excuse for how long I've put off working on this! I was just kind of stuck, because I wasn't quiet sure yet how I wanted this story to progress. I had only thought it through to a certain point, but then I got to a place where I couldn't continue before planning out the next big events. So here you go! I really hope I have the motivation to work on this and get the next chapter out in a timely manner! Thanks so much for sticking with me!**

Chapter 8

It wasn't until the sun began to set that they forced themselves out of bed and back into their clothes. Rapunzel felt a continuous blush settle into her cheeks, which deepened every time their eyes met. She felt herself giggling and smiling more than usual, if you can imagine it. She felt tingles go down her spine when he helped her lace up her corset. She shivered when his fingertips lingered on her skin. She let out a small, quiet gasp when he gently pressed his lips to her shoulder blade.

She turned around, looking up at him through her eyelashes and biting her lip. He loved the pink glow that seemed permanently etched onto her cheeks. Rapunzel stretched up on her toes and kissed him softly, teasingly. He chucked quietly and put one hand on the back of her neck and the other on her waist, holding her in place as he kissed her back deeply. In that moment, everything was perfect. He felt tired, but happy and so very, very alive.

She felt a warmth inside her chest, a bright, glowing happiness that filled her. For that moment, she didn't care about anything else than being there with him. She didn't feel anything but the happiness inside of her, his hands on her skin, and his lips on hers. She reached up and cupped his neck in her hand, feeling his strong pulse beating just under his skin. Her other arm wound around his waist, still bare, relishing in the warmth and softness of his skin.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as they paused between kisses.

She sighed in contentment and leaned her head on his chest. "I feel perfect," she breathed, smiling.

"That's because you _are_ perfect," he said, twisting a strand of her hair around one of his fingers, "but that's not what I meant." He let the lock of hair go, and it sprang back to place on her head. She looked up at him, confused at his sudden change of tone. "Did I…are you…hurting? Did I hurt you?"

"Of course not!" She insisted, standing straight so she could look him in the eye. "I know you'd never hurt me." She gave him a small, reassuring smile.

That made him feel a little better. "So did…uh…" _Christ_. He was stammering like an idiot again. He covered his face with his palm and groaned.

Rapunzel giggled. "What?" She reached up and tugged lightly at his hand.

He didn't budge, keeping his face completely covered. But Rapunzel still noticed his cheeks and ears turn red when he finally managed to ask, "Did you…enjoy it?"

She laughed quietly. "So that's why you're so uncharacteristically not smooth. My, the great and powerful Flynn Rider is flustered!" She laughed again.

He groaned again, but she could tell he was holding back a laugh. "Just answer the question and stop making fun of me!"

"Let me see your face first," she flirted. After a moment, he obliged, showing his pink cheeks and his moth set in a scowl. He looked absolutely adorable, she thought. She couldn't help but laugh at him again, but this time she stretched up on her toes once more to kiss him on the cheek before whispering in his ear, "Yes, I enjoyed it very much." Now _she _was blushing too.

As they tugged on their last bits of clothing, they were blissfully unaware to the chaos that had slowly consumed the palace. They were unaware of it right up until it came barging up to their door, knocking loudly with a heavy fist. The pounding noise caused both of them to jump. Their eyes locked as the color drained from their faces. They both knew this was different from the polite knocks of the maids and butlers, even before the shouting.

"OPEN THIS DOOR AT ONCE," came a booming voice from the hallway. Rapunzel recognized it as belonging to one of the higher ranking palace guards. "WE'VE SEARCHED THE ENTIRE GROUNDS AND WE KNOW HE'S IN THERE."

"_Shit_," Eugene breathed, his eyes wide. And at once, he knew what this was about. Rowan may be filthy, and lecherous, but he wasn't stupid. It hadn't taken any though for Eugene to punch Rowan, and he hadn't given it another thought since. Sure, he had deserved it, but Eugene had left him to tell the story any way he liked.

Rapunzel's eyes flickered from the door back to Eugene. Her mouth was agape, but she had no idea what to say. Panic flooded her body, twisting her stomach into knots. She desperately searched for an escape, but there was only the door and the window, which was three stories above the ground.

There was more shouting in the corridor. Instead of shouting in to them, the guard was barking orders at the others. Then, there was an eerie silence. Rapunzel looked back to Eugene, a small glimmer of hope in her eyes. Had they left? Had they given up?

Eugene was thinking the same thing, but he was much too suspicious to relax. They had searched everywhere else, until they narrowed down the one place that he could possibly be. Now that they knew he was here, it didn't seem like they were going to leave. Although it still seemed that they were stupid as ever – why would this be the last place they checked? Why would they wait hours to realize he might be in her room?

Suddenly, there was a crash at the door. It was so loud and so sudden that Rapunzel screamed in fear. Someone had kicked in the door. Once the dust from the crash settled, the guards came charging in. Before they could react, one guard was pulling Rapunzel away while the others descended on Eugene. He struggled, but there were five of them and one of him. Soon enough, they were slapping shackles on his wrists. All the while, Rapunzel was being restrained by the other guard, shouting for Eugene, telling them to stop, crying out in panic.

The higher ranking guard, indicated by the gold inlaid on his armor, stood off to the side, regarding the scene with a stern, blank expression. "Flynn Rider," he said, his voice loud and hard enough to be heard over the ruckus, "You are being charged with physical assault on a royal. You will be taken to prison to await sentencing."

Rapunzel felt her stomach drop. How could they do this? He had been defending her! If anything, he deserved to be praised for what he had done! "Please," she shouted, her voice high and panicked, "don't do this! He was protecting me! Please, you can't take him away!" But no one was listening. She struggled, but the guard restraining her had a tight grip on her arms. She kicked and squirmed, but she couldn't get away.

The other guards pulled Eugene, struggling, to his feet. He fought and kicked, and he was strong enough to send a few of them off balance. But they didn't let go. One swift punch to the gut, however, was enough to knock the air out of him and send him to his knees. Again, the guards tugged Eugene to his feet and began to drag him from the room. He craned his neck to look back at Rapunzel who stood defeated, staring after him.

"I love you," he called back to her, forcing a half-hearted smile. He saw tears well in her eyes before the guards finally yanked him out of the room.

Rapunzel stared at the open doorway with its door hanging slightly crooked on its hinges long after they had left. It was just her, the guard restraining her, and the guard who had given the orders, standing in the dim, empty room.

After a few minutes, the higher ranking guard walked calmly to the window and looked down upon the courtyard. From where she was standing, Rapunzel could make out a group of figures heading away from the castle. The guard watched for a few minutes more, until the figures were out of sight, and then told the other guard to release Rapunzel.

As soon as she was free, she scrambled away from the men until she was backed against her bed. The higher ranking guard – what was his name? – turned to cast his cold gaze upon her. "I knew all along that man was no good. It was only a matter of time before he screwed up. Reformed? Don't make me laugh."

"How could you?" Rapunzel said quietly, her voice quivering.

"Please, Princess. I was waiting for an excuse to lock him up again. Trash like that needs to rot where it belongs."

Rapunzel felt a fiery rage well inside her. It had been a long time since she had felt this way, but she let it consume her. Without thinking, she leapt across the room, her small hands balled into fists. She pulled her right arm back and let it whip forwards and upwards, striking the guard on the chin.

He stumbled backwards, but only gave her an amused look. Searing pain spread from her knuckles and through her hand, but Rapunzel tried to ignore it. The guard said nothing more and turned to leave, the other following behind him.

When Rapunzel couldn't ignore the pain any more, she sought the aid of Penny. The girl gave a small, surprised yelp when she saw how much the Princess' hand had swollen. It was late – too late to send for the doctor, and Rapunzel desperately begged her not to – so Penny found some strips of cloth, placed a thick wad of them inside Rapunzel's fist to prevent her from moving it, and then bound more around it to bandage her hand.

After that, Rapunzel was at a loss for what to do. She wanted to scream and cry and lock herself in her room, but she knew that wouldn't do any good. She wanted to turn back the clock and do everything differently, but it was impossible. Instead, she wandered the castle aimlessly; unsure of what she was looking for.

She found herself in the hallway leading to her father's study when she heard voices and laughter coming from within. Silently, she crept closer to listen, but couldn't make out the words. However, she heard the distinct, nasally (even more so now) voice of Rowan among the deep, booming voice of her father. They were laughing.

Rapunzel knew she shouldn't intrude. At least, that's what she had been _taught._ Her instincts and indignation won over, and she found herself knocking sternly on the door. The laughter stopped, and she heard her father call out, "You may enter."

She opened the door and stepped inside, the room illuminated by several lamps. Both men seemed shocked to see her – so shocked that neither said a word. After a long, uncomfortable silence, her father spoke. "Now, Rapunzel, I know you must be upset but–"

"I can't believe you!" She shouted, cutting him off. Her anger burned inside her, fueling her words. "After everything he's done for me, how could you have them arrest Eugene? He saved my life! Even today, he was protecting me! You pay guards to follow me around all day and none of them has ever done what he has! How could you do this?"

"He assaulted me!" Rowan shouted indignantly, clutching his bruised nose.

"YOU!" Rapunzel screeched, turning on him and towering above him, jabbing a finger of her non-injured hand at him. "DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK AFTER WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!"

"RAPUNZEL!" The king shouted, slamming his fists down on the table, causing one of the lamps to fall over and come tumbling down to the floor. It shattered upon impact, sending shards of glass flying. Rapunzel fell silent, her anger transforming into fear. She didn't want to, but she was reminded again of the way Gothel would admonish her and yell at her, and even throw things at her when she was angry.

"Rapunzel," the king repeated, this time at a normal volume. "You will apologize to him right this instant. Prince Rowan is your fiancé and your future husband, and you will respect him. You will learn your place and stop this foolishness!"

Rapunzel's eyes narrowed and her hands automatically clenched into fists. The injured hand stung sharply, causing her to flinch slightly. Despite the pain, she maintained firm eye contact with her father. "No. I have no respect for a man who disrespects me and touches me without my permission."

She turned to Rowan, looking down on him in disgust and hatred. "I hate you. I hate you, and I will _never_ marry you."

Without another word, Rapunzel turned on her heel and stormed from the room. Earlier, she had felt like crying, but now she only felt angry. She wandered the castle once more, this time with a clear goal in mind. She didn't know what she would do after, but she knew she had to get out of the castle and go find Eugene.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Hello readers! Sorry again about the wait, but it wasn't as long of a break this time. I've been thinking about this story a lot, and I'm starting to work out how I want the rest of this to go. Get ready for some real action coming up in the next few chapters!**

Chapter 9

Eugene was back in prison again. Not all that long ago, he had been locked away as he struggled to tell the guards – anyone who would listen – that they needed to let him go, that Rapunzel was in trouble. And here he was again, but everyone already knew she was in trouble. And no one cared. They were paid to protect and serve, not to question or speak out. And they didn't seem inclined to fight it.

He sat in the back corner of his cell, propped up against the wall. There was a narrow bench for sleeping, but he didn't feel like moving. He recalled the last time he had been there, the blinding fury and panic that caused him to pace and shout. He felt none of that this time – only an empty uselessness. He tried to think of a plan, some way to escape, but what then? He could escape and go back to the palace and what? Get kicked out again?

For once, the great Flynn Rider did not have a plan.

Rapunzel, on the other hand, had a plan. She hurried back to her room, where she grabbed a heavy cloak – it was getting colder now that it was late October. A gleam from across the room caught her eye, and she found her ring where she had placed it on her nightstand earlier. Cursing her forgetfulness, Rapunzel quickly pulled the cord over her head. She listened at her door until she was certain that no one was around, and then snuck out. Instead of heading left towards the main entrance, she headed right. Eugene had taken her this way once, on a warm day in late August when she had skipped her etiquette class.

At each corner, Rapunzel paused and listened before continuing on. She crept along quietly and made no sounds, but moved quickly through the darkened palace. At the bottom of a long staircase she saw a door that had small amounts of light flooding through the cracks. Rapunzel quickened her pace, nearly tripping down the last of the steps, before reaching the door and pushing it open.

Quickly, she scanned her surroundings, but saw no one. The door had opened onto a far corner of the palace grounds, not very far from the courtyard. Rapunzel pulled up the hood of her dark cloak and ran for the trees, using them as cover as she edged around the courtyard and headed for town.

Rapunzel had never been inside of the prison, but knew its location from her many explorations of the city. Whenever Eugene was with her, she made sure to steer clear of it – the thought alone of what he had gone through there too much for her. This time, she made a beeline for it, hurrying through the empty city. There was no one on the streets but a few guards, which she made sure to steer clear of. If any of them found her out of the palace this late at night, they'd drag her back and her father would be sure she was monitored enough that it didn't happen again. Luckily, she had her dark cloak to hide her face and figure from view. It was plain enough that no one would mistake her for royalty.

It was eerie to see the town so empty and quiet, all of the stores and shops closed for the night and the townspeople tucked into their homes – save those that were in one of the few pubs strewn across the city. Rapunzel tried not to think about it too hard as she hurried to the prison.

Navigating the town had been easy, but the prison was more of a challenge. Certainly, she should be able to stride right up to the door and demand to see Eugene. Since she was the princess, they would have to obey, but not without alerting her parents. Right now she didn't much care what they thought, but she knew they'd make it harder for her to see Eugene again.

From her spot about a hundred yards from the prison, Rapunzel was able to spot a familiar, gleaming white horse. Maximus was standing alert, scanning the area for possible threats, while the guards chatted idly by the prison entrance. Rapunzel crept closer, pressing her body up as close as she could to the buildings to remain in the shadows. Once she was close enough, Rapunzel let out a small whistle.

The whistle was quiet enough that the guards didn't take notice, but loud enough to catch the horse's attention. At once, his keen ears picked up the noise and his head whipped around to stare straight into the shadows where she was hiding. Checking again to be sure that the guards were all facing away, Rapunzel lowered the hood of her cloak so that Maximus could recognize her. Instantly, the horse relaxed and his tail wagged in excitement.

Rapunzel held up a finger to her lips to quiet him. The horse obeyed. Through a series of complicated hand gestures, Rapunzel communicated to the horse what she needed him to do. Maximus was a very smart animal, and nodded in understanding. Rapunzel drew her hood back up and waited.

The horse walked slowly to where the guards were standing. One turned to idly pat him on the nose, murmuring something condescending like, "Good boy." Maximus regarded the guard's hand for a moment, then promptly opened his mouth and bit down with his large teeth. Immediately, the guard began to yowl in pain and struggle with the horse. Maximus released the man, only to then turn around and kick him in the gut with his hind legs. The force of the horse's kick was enough to send the guard flying backwards and into the two others, knocking them over into a heap several feet from the door.

Seeing her chance, Rapunzel ran for it. She made a mental note to come back later with a whole bushel of apples for Max. The guards, dazed, confused, hurting, and stupid, didn't even notice her. She paused in each doorway to check for more, but apparently it seemed that it had just been the three guards on duty that night. Much to her disdain, she did not see a set of keys anywhere. Sure, she wanted to get Eugene out of there, but she had no idea what she would do with him after that. She couldn't bring him back to the castle – they'd bring him right back and he'd face an even worse sentence. As much as it pained her to admit it, he was better off there until they came up with another plan.

Now she was faced with the task of locating him in this maze of jail cells. Luckily for her, it was late and it seemed that most of the prisoners were asleep – many of them snoring loudly. The halls were dark, with just enough light that she didn't trip over the uneven stones that paved the floor. Rapunzel crept along silently, pausing to listen every so often for voices, footsteps, any indication that the guards knew she was there. She peered into each cell, carefully studying the shape of each figure until she was certain it was not Eugene.

Rapunzel began to think she had made a wrong turn when she began to near the end of a corridor. Finally, there was only one cell left, and she almost turned around without looking hard enough. She could make out the vague outline of a man slumped in the far corner of the cell on the ground. When she peered closer, she noticed the shape of a familiar set of shoulders and a familiar, tousled mop of hair. She felt a tight squeeze in her chest as recognition set in.

"_Psst!_" She hissed, approaching the iron bars. The figure didn't move. "_Psst! Eugene!_"

The figure stirred, as if he were waking up. He mumbled a bit, and she was certain it was him. She called to him again, this time a little louder.

Eugene stirred from his light, uneasy sleep at the sound of a familiar voice. She called to him in a hushed, urgent voice. He blinked, his eyes adjusting slowly to the darkness of the prison. From the far end of the cell, he could make out a small, hooded figure crouching by the iron bars that kept him inside. "Rapunzel?" He murmured, his voice low and groggy.

"Eugene, it's me!" She whispered back.

Suddenly completely awake, he scrambled across the dirt floor to the iron bars. As he came closer, she pulled down the hood of her cloak. In the dim light, he could see the vague shapes of her features – her hair, the outline of her jaw, the curve of her lips, the sparkle of her eyes. Despite knowing full well that she should_ not_ be there, he was so relieved to be able to reach through the bars to touch her face. She reached her good hand into the cell to cup his cheek, keeping the injured hand in her lap.

"Rapunzel, I'm so glad to see you, I – what are you doing here?"

She glanced over her shadow. "I know, I know. I had to see you. I couldn't think of anything else to do."

He nodded. He knew he should tell her to get out, to go back home, but his heart wasn't in it. The prison was cold and dark, and she was a warm light of comfort. Even if only for a few minutes, he wanted her to stay.

He reached through the iron bars again for the hand that was resting in her lap. In the darkness, he didn't notice it was bandaged until he touched it and Rapunzel flinched, sucking in a sharp breath.

"What's wrong? What happened?" He asked, panicked, his voice rising slightly.

"Shhhh!" She hissed, glancing around to be sure no one had heard. "It's nothing," she promised, her voice low.

"It's not nothing," he argued, trying to get a better look. She withdrew her hand inside her cloak. "Tell me what happened. Did someone hurt you?"

Rapunzel smirked at him, her eyes glinting with triumph. "I punched a guard."

"You _what_?"

"I punched him. That old mean one. On the face." She tipped her chin into the air, clearly proud of herself.

His eyebrows were still drawn together in worry, but Eugene found himself chuckling quietly. "That's my girl. One of these days I'll have to teach you how to throw a punch without hurting yourself."

"Oops," she said, giggling half-heartedly.

A thick silence fell between the pair. Rapunzel tried to keep the tears she felt brimming in her eyes at bay, and Eugene tried to think of something to say. Something, anything, to make their entire situation seem a little less hopeless. Coming up short, he instead tipped his head forward so that his forehead rested on the iron bars. Rapunzel leaned forward too, the gap in the bars just wide enough for their foreheads to touch slightly. She let out a small, defeated sigh.

"What are we going to do?" She asked hopelessly, her voice small and fragile.

There was a small moment of silence where Eugene tried to figure out if her question had been rhetorical or not. Either way, he didn't have an answer. So he told her the truth. "I don't know."

He pulled back slightly, only to tilt his head up to press his lips to her forehead. She wanted to feel comforted by the gesture, but it only made her heart ache. She wanted to feel his arms around her, to feel completely safe and warm. But the bars prevented that. Rapunzel wished she could just wish them somewhere else, somewhere far away from the kingdom and all of the problems of their lives. Well, it was really just _her _problems, and she had dragged Eugene into them without even realizing it.

"This is all my fault," she whispered, feeling tears well up in her eyes. She sniffled quietly and cast her gaze downwards. And it was. After Gothel had died and Eugene had brought her back to the kingdom and to her parents, after all of the ceremonies and parties, he had planned to leave. She had caught him packing his things one morning, gathering his few belongings into his worn leather satchel and preparing to leave. He had told her that he had no place there, in the castle, and no place with her, but she had begged him to stay. And, seeing the loneliness and sadness she felt at the thought of him leaving, he agreed.

The warmth of a calloused hand on her cheek pulled her from her reminiscing. "Hey," he said quietly, his voice low and soothing. "None of this is your fault. Neither of us knew this would happen. And I certainly don't regret what I did - that pompous clown deserved it."

"But..." she mumbled, her voice still strained with tears, "I made you stay with me. If I hadn't, then none of this would be your problem and you wouldn't be in jail and you -"

"Rapunzel, listen," he said forcefully, but not angrily. He tilted her face up so he could look her straight in the eyes, so she could see the truth in his and understand just how serious he was. "I love you. I have always loved you. I was going to leave because I thought you didn't need me anymore. You had found your family, and you were a princess, and you didn't need some criminal hanging around you. But when you asked me to stay...you weren't forcing me. I had a choice, and I knew that deep down, if you wanted me by your side, then that was where I wanted to be. I don't know what I'd do without you, and I have been so lucky to love you. It was my choice to stay, and I won't let you feel guilty about what's happened. We're in this together, understand?"

She stared into his deep brown eyes, searching for any trace of a lie, but she knew he was telling the truth. The tears she had been holding back escaped, and she allowed them to slip down her cheeks. When he pulled her face closer to his, she let him, and though the bars pressed against the sides of her head, she kissed him and never wanted to stop.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Sorry again for the wait! As you may have noticed I've been working on a little side project rather than this. Please check it out! It's a series of one-shots for Tangled based on different prompts I find online, and it's called "A Thousand Ways To Fall In Love." Anyways, I decided that I've put this one off for too long and I might as well work on it while I've got time! Some parts of this are filler, but I kind of used them as padding for the more actiony bits. Enjoy!**

Chapter 10

It was very late when Rapunzel finally snuck back out of the prison and hurried back to the castle. Or rather, it was very early. When she glanced at the dark horizon, she could see a slight tinge of purples and pinks and oranges, signifying that the sun was beginning to rise. She tried to memorize it quickly to paint later - whenever she felt inspired enough to paint again. Sadly, she had no idea how long that might take.

She entered the castle the way she had left - through the back entrance that lead immediately to a staircase. She paused at the top of the staircase to catch her breath and check for guards. Seeing and hearing no one, she hurried on and back to her bedroom. She was exhausted and her bones ached from the lack of rest, but she knew she would do it again.

Rapunzel rounded the last corner and made a beeline for her bedroom, too enticed by the prospects of sleep to notice a figure leaning against the wall beside her door. When she did, it was too late - he had seen her. A sneer spread across his pointed features, and even in the darkness she could make out a dark bruise covering his nose. She skidded to a stop, her breath catching in her throat.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded when she recovered from the shock.

Rowan merely chuckled - a low, dark sound - before saying, in an even tone, "Why, Princess, I could ask you the same thing." Through her anxiety and panic, Rapunzel was unable to think of a response. Her heart hammered in her chest so forcefully that she was sure it must be audible. Rowan pushed himself away from the wall and took a step towards her before saying, "What's a good girl like you doing out of bed?"

"I was...I was reading in the library," she lied, stammering. "That insomnia, it sure is a pain!" She attempted a laugh, but it came out as awkward and forced as the rest of her lie had.

He knew she was lying. She could tell by the look on his face. He took her lie in stride, continuing without pause. "I see. And I suppose it must be very drafty in the library for you too need such a heavy cloak." He had come even closer to her, and lifted a hand to lightly touch the edge of the hood as it spilled over her shoulders.

She gulped. "Well, I'm sure you know how drafty these castles get." He took another step closer to her, close enough to cause her to automatically take a step backwards. He pressed in further, and she recoiled accordingly, until she was pressed against the wall and there was nowhere left for her to go. She was trapped, like a mouse in a lion's den.

Very quickly, before she could even react, Rowan's hand flashed up to grab her firmly by the jaw. His bony fingers pressed into her skin painfully. With his face mere inches away from hers, he spoke in a quiet voice. "I sure hope you aren't lying to me, Princess. Because it seems an awful lot like you crawled out to visit your little boyfriend in prison." Her eyes widened in fear and her mouth dropped open, but still he continued. "Why, wouldn't you know it, I saw someone running from the castle wearing that _very same_ cloak as you several hours ago! My, that certainly _is _a coincidence, isn't it?"

She knew better than to attempt another lie. He could see right through her. Instead, she looked up at him with hatred in her eyes and hissed, "Last I checked, Prince Rowan, you weren't in charge of keeping track of me. What I do is my business."

He laughed again, and the sound chilled her down to the bone. "I'd be careful if I were you, Princess, your body guard isn't around to protect you this time."

"I can defend myself from the likes of you just _fine_ on my own," she retorted, but she didn't feel as confident as she sounded. She was terrified, but she tried not to let it show.

Rapunzel braced herself for his next move, but he merely released her with another detestable chuckle. She scrambled away from him, tripping over the hem of her long cape and falling backwards in the process. On instinct, she threw out her hands to catch her fall, and the pain that erupted from her injured hand was enough to cause her to cry out.

"I simply cannot wait until we are married, Princess. It will be so much fun to break that spirit of yours." With that, he turned on his heel and left without so much as a backward glance. A few moments passed before Rapunzel was finally able to collect herself and stand, cradling her throbbing hand to her chest.

When Rapunzel finally made it into bed, shivering and shaken, she prayed for sleep. However, her eyes seemed almost incapable of relaxing from her wide eyed, petrified gaze, and her nerves were too on edge for her to relax. It wasn't long before she gave up on the prospect of sleep entirely and moved to sit by the window and watch the sun rise, her blankets draped around her like a cocoon.

Somehow, watching the kingdom become slowly illuminated was relaxing to her, and she managed to doze off until she was woken by a knock on the door and Penny's familiar voice calling her name. She called for the young girl to enter, her voice coming out much raspier than she had expected.

"Oh Miss, you don't look so good," Penny said, her voice tinted with genuine concern. Penny placed a cool palm to Rapunzel's forehead and with a small, almost imperceptible wink, continued, "I believe you have a fever, Miss. I'll tell their majesties that you'll be staying in bed for the day."

Rapunzel was so grateful she could cry. She gave the maid a small smile and whispered, "Thank you, Penny."

"You're very welcome, Rapunzel."

Penny left and returned with a small pitcher of water and some bread, leaving them on a table close to the window where Rapunzel was still curled up. After a sympathetic look and a small smile, she left Rapunzel alone. Again, she began to drift out of consciousness, before a sudden thought caused her to leap up from where she was sitting and drag a chair over to the door. She then propped the chair up under the knob so that the door couldn't be forced open. She tugged on the door several times to be certain before dragging her blankets back to the bed and collapsing upon it, losing consciousness almost instantly.

Rapunzel slept through the rest of the day, waking only to eat the supper that Penny brought up to her room in the evening before promptly going back to sleep. She was completely exhausted, and sleep kept her from having to think and worry about all of the troublesome things in her life. After sleeping off the initial exhaustion however, her deep, dreamless sleep turned into fitful nightmares. Most of these nightmares were vague, yet so deeply unsettling that she woke up shaking. The last nightmare Rapunzel had before giving up on sleep entirely, however, was frighteningly clear.

It began like the nightmare she had been plagued with since her return to the castle. She struggled to escape, but ropes bound her arms. She tried to shout, but her mouth was covered. She felt suffocated by panic and confinement. Around her was the familiar painted walls and furniture of the tower, but her childish paintings morphed into sinister creatures with gleaming red eyes. A voice called her name. "_Rapunzel! Rapunzel, let down your hair!_" A dark, shadowed figure gathered her long, golden hair, and tossed it through the window. Her panic grew. Her heart beat so quickly that her chest ached. A familiar silhouette appeared in the window, and she felt a moment of relief before the panic returned. Again she struggled against her restraint. A knife glinted in the faint light, and Rapunzel watched helplessly as the man she loved was stabbed. The dark figure loomed over his body a moment before stepping into the light.

"_Now look what you've done,_" Rowan sneered, the knife slipping from his fingers and clattering to the floor.

Rapunzel awoke instantly, a scream caught in her throat. She sat bolt upright in bed, her body covered in a thin sheen of sweat. It was then that she abandoned any hope of sleep. Again she returned to her window seat, wrapped in a blanket, with a book in her lap and a candle casting a small amount of light. She tried to immerse herself in the novel, but found herself easily distracted by her thoughts.

For the thousandth time, she recalled the scene in the hallway. Rapunzel hadn't felt physically threatened by him until that point. Sure, he had power over her in more ways than one, and she had been unable to pull away from his kiss in the garden the other day. But it wasn't until his fingers had gripped her jaw tight enough to leave marks that she realized that he could hurt her. And it hadn't been until her latest nightmare that Rapunzel realized he could hurt Eugene, too.

She had to do something, soon. Rowan was pretentious and manipulative, but also clearly not afraid to get his hands dirty, so to speak (she guessed that he probably was legitimately afraid of actual dirt). She didn't want to guess what he might do to her if she went through with the marriage. But she had no way of stopping it. She couldn't simply refuse to marry him - she'd already voiced her rejection, but neither he nor her parents would accept it. What other choice did she have?

And then it hit her. Why hadn't she thought of it before? A clear and simple solution to her problems. Well, it wouldn't be easy, but now that she knew her main goal, it wasn't long before a more detailed plan formed. She spent the pre-dawn hours in silent thought, going through every step of the plan in her mind over and over until she was sure that there could be no mistakes. She belonged to the richest family in Corona and yet, mistakes were something Rapunzel could not afford to make.

Once the sun had risen, Rapunzel got dressed for the day. Now that she had a plan, she found herself relatively calm. When Penny knocked on her door to wake her, Rapunzel was already awake and dressed. She cast one last look in her mirror and tucked her necklace into the collar of her dress before turning and leaving.

Rapunzel had imagined that she would be nervous to have breakfast with just her parents and Rowan, with Eugene's comforting presence missing, but she was not. Silently, she entered the dining hall and took her usual seat across from her mother. She was not irritated when Rowan arrived fifteen minutes late and sat in Eugene's seat. In fact, Rapunzel didn't even acknowledge him. Instead, she pretended to be fascinated by something just outside the window.

She felt his cold eyes bore into her, and although it made the hairs on the back of her neck raise, Rapunzel didn't give him the pleasure of seeing her cower. She ate her breakfast as quickly as was considered polite, and refrained from participating in the light breakfast small talk. In fact, she was so focused on her meal that it took her mother clearing her throat several times to grab Rapunzel's attention.

Rapunzel jolted to attention and blinked in shock. "Yes, mother?"

A small, empathetic smile graced the queen's features. "Are you still feeling ill, darling?'

"No, I'm fine," Rapunzel managed.

The queen's gaze bore into her daughter for a long moment, assessing her response. "Well then if you're feeling up to it, dear, I was thinking that maybe you and I could go shopping in town today. Just the two of us. What do you say?"

Guilt twisted in Rapunzel's stomach. She thought of the plan she had come up with in the early hours of the morning. She couldn't go through with the plan until the evening, so what harm could it do? She didn't have plans otherwise, since her tutors had been dismissed for the week. "That sounds wonderful," she finally said, a genuine smile spreading across her face.

Once breakfast was finished, the queen sent for a carriage to be prepared for them. Rowan was not pleased - Rapunzel couldn't begin to imagine what his plans for the day had been - the arrogant prince wore a very unbecoming scowl on his pointed features. Soon enough, the carriage was ready, and the queen and princess donned their heavy cloaks before departing the castle.

The pair made their way from the palace to the town in an awkward silence. Rapunzel hadn't spoken much to either of her parents in weeks, and she felt guilty for it. Sure, she was angry at them and that probably wouldn't change. But she knew that, deep down, they loved her and thought they were doing what was best for her. If they only knew...

Once they had made it to the center of town, the queen asked the driver to stop and let them out. They day was warmer than it had been in weeks, and the mother and daughter left their heavy cloaks behind them in the carriage. Spotting her daughter's favorite bakery, the queen smiled, grabbed Rapunzel's hand, and pulled her along.

Rapunzel and her mother both selected a slice of pie - the queen chose rhubarb, while the princess chose chocolate pie with a thick layer of whipped cream on top - paid the baker, and found a place to sit by the large fountain, which had been shut down for the winter. Another awkward silence. Rapunzel had no idea what to say to her mother, especially in light of what she planned to do that evening.

The queen paused in her eating, wiping her mouth with a handkerchief before speaking. "Dear, I know that the past few weeks have been hard on you. And I know that sometimes it might not seem like it, but I want you to know that your father and I love you very much." Her expression was soft and her eyes warm, and stark contrast from the cold expression she had worn lately.

Rapunzel swallowed hard. "I know," she said quietly. "I love you, too."

"And Rapunzel," the queen continued, "I know that sometimes we may not say the right things, or know what to do. Even though you're eighteen, we've only been parents for just a few months. We're trying, I promise. And I know that all of this may not seem fair - everything with Prince Rowan, and Eugene - but please remember that there are things that we have to do. Being the monarchs of a kingdom means making sacrifices for your people, even if it means that it is at the cost of those you love."

Unable to think of a response, Rapunzel took another bite of her pie and chewed silently.

"Your father and I are just thankful that, once you marry Rowan, you won't have to leave Corona." Rapunzel looked up to meet her mother's eyes, which showed a deep, motherly love that she hadn't known until recently. "We've only just got you back, my dear. We don't want to lose you, like my parents lost me when I married your father."

That phrase echoed through Rapunzel's head. _We don't want to lose you_. She tried to swallow, but her throat was too tight. She felt as if she were choking on her bite of chocolate pie. But no, it was the sudden rush of guilt and sadness that caused her throat to close. _We don't want to lose you. _She blinked back tears and forced herself to swallow the food in her mouth.

She managed to smile at her mother, and the queen believed her when she said, "You won't lose me, mother."

When Rapunzel and her mother returned to the castle, it was nearly supper time. Rapunzel quickly brought her purchases upstairs - a small glass figurine of a cat and a small sketchpad - before washing up and returning to the dining hall. Everyone was already seated and waiting for her, and again Rowan was in Eugene's seat. Rapunzel ignored her irritation and sat at his side once more. If she could just make it through this meal, if she could just keep quiet and ignore him...

Rapunzel choked down her meal as soon as it was placed in front of her. Her parents exchanged a look, but neither said anything. Rowan tsked and mumbled something about manners, but he was ignored. As soon as she had finished her meal, Rapunzel asked to be excused.

Her mother gave her a puzzled look, but seemed to accept it. "Very well. Are you sure you're feeling alright, dear?"

It took Rapunzel a long moment to answer. The truth was that no, she was not. She was wracked with feelings of panic and guilt and nervousness. But eventually she managed to choke out, "Yes, mother. I'm just tired."

Before leaving the dining hall, Rapunzel rounded the table and stood beside her parents. "I love you, mama," she said softly, leaning down to kiss her mother's cheek. She moved to her father, and planted a kiss on his cheek as well before saying, "I love you, papa."

After a confused "We love you too," from both monarchs, Rapunzel slipped away from the dining hall, feeling the suspicious gaze of Rowan hot on her back.

Rapunzel hurried to her room, locking her door behind her. For what seemed like the thousandth time that day, she reviewed her plans in her head. They were simple, really, but she was sure to account for every way they could go wrong and every obstacle she would face.

Step 1: Pack.

Step 2: Sneak out of the castle.

Step 3: Break Eugene out of prison.

Step 4: Flee Corona.

That was as far as she had gotten. The first two steps should be easy, though she would make sure to leave later, to assure that Rowan wouldn't see her leave. She didn't know exactly where his bedroom was, but she knew it had to be one of the guest suites in the wing directly below her bedroom.

Step three would be the most difficult. Part of her princess training had involved getting to know each member of the royal guard. By now, she knew them all by name, as well as their favorite colors and hobbies. Regardless of this familiarity, she knew that they wouldn't just allow her to leave with a prisoner. Only the king had that authority, and he had been the one to authorize Eugene's arrest in the first place. This part of the plan would have to be made up as they went along. Eugene had escaped prison before - Rapunzel was confident he would know how to do it again.

And as long as they escaped unseen, the last step would be easy. Easy, but not simple. Rapunzel had come to see Corona as her home. She loved the town and everything in it, and it would be hard to leave. It was harder still to think about leaving her parents behind. She knew it would hurt them. For eighteen years, they had waited for their daughter to come home, fearing the worst. And she was finally home once more, but they had no idea what was about to happen.

Rapunzel felt guilty when she thought about the pain she was going to cause her parents. Even with everything that had happened in the last few weeks - the arguments, Rowan, and Eugene's imprisonment - she loved her mother and father dearly. And she knew that they loved her, but they were bound by their duty. In another life, one where she was not a princess and they were not the king and queen, things could be different. But this was the reality she faced.

Quickly, Rapunzel packed her most important belongings. She picked a few plainer dresses from her closet and folded them neatly, placing them in the bottom of her bag. She added a comb and a bar of soap. She also added her new sketchbook and her pencil set. Remembering the oncoming winter, she added a few thick pairs of socks and a pair of leather boots to her bag. Satisfied that she had everything, she went next to her window seat knelt on the floor, her fingers searching for the loose piece of wooden flooring. When she found it, she pried it up and grabbed her hidden stash of money.

Every time Rapunzel had asked for permission to go into town, her parents had given her a small amount of money for spending. She usually bought something small, but never felt that she needed to spend all of it. She had tried a few times to return the left over money to her parents, but they had waved her away. So she began saving it. It wasn't until recently that Rapunzel had felt the need to hide her stash.

She counted her money quickly, estimating that they would have enough to hold them for about a week. She would make sure to stop by the kitchen on her way out - that way they could hold off on buying food for a while and make the money last longer. Rapunzel decided to add most of her jewelry to the bag as well for good measure - they could sell it or use it to barter. She did not, however include the crown or her ring. The ring was much too precious to her, and the crown would be a dead giveaway to her identity. And if she was being honest with herself, she wanted to leave it behind for her parents.

Rapunzel surveyed her room one last time, making sure she wasn't forgetting anything. A quiet squeak from the window drew her attention, and she rushed over happily when she spied her best friend.

"Pascal!" She exclaimed, picking up the chameleon and hugging him close to her. "Where have you been?" Thinking back, she hadn't seen the reptile in weeks.

He merely shrugged and, through a series of complicated squeaks, communicated that he had gotten lost looking for the kitchen. She shook her head, but Rapunzel was relieved that he had turned up. She had been worried that she would have to leave without him.

Quickly, Rapunzel reviewed what had happened in the last few weeks before proceeding to detail her plan to Pascal. The chameleon nodded and climbed onto her shoulder before giving a thumbs up. Rapunzel slung her bag over her shoulder and donned her thickest cloak. Before leaving, she grabbed her old cast iron skillet from where it was stashed under her bed. And with that, she snuck out into the quiet palace.

First, Rapunzel headed for the kitchen. Hours had passed since dinner, and the kitchen was now empty of cooks and maids. She grabbed a few loaves of bread, along with some cheese and wrapped it all in a large handkerchief before stashing them in her bag. At Pascal's insistence, she grabbed a few oranges and some apples and added those too.

It was then that she realized she hadn't packed anything for Eugene, aside from some food. Cursing her carelessness, she hurried through the dark corridors, hoping she could make it to his room unseen. Since he wasn't in the castle, his bedroom was unguarded and unlocked, and Rapunzel made it in without incident.

Rapunzel knew all of his hiding places, and was able to locate his trusty old satchel and load it quickly. She grabbed a thick shirt from his wardrobe, along with another vest and another pair of pants. She found some thick, winter socks in a drawer and added those, too. She hoped the boots he was wearing would be enough to keep his feet warm in the winter, because there wasn't room for another pair. And, although it made her uneasy, she packed a knife that he had stashed under his mattress. She grabbed his cloak and bundled it in her arms before sneaking back out of his room, closing the door softly behind him.

Eugene's room was located at one end of the guest wing. She had never realized it before, but his room was so close to Rowan's. The thought made her shudder, but she only allowed herself to pause briefly before continuing. Quickly, she located his room.

It was late enough in the evening that there were no guards patrolling outside the prince's door. No light escaped beneath the door, so Rapunzel took this as a sign that he was asleep. If he spotted her leaving, she was sure he would alert the guards and it would all be over. Rapunzel glanced at Pascal, but the chameleon looked uncertain and anxious.

"Calm down," she whispered to him, stroking his head with a gentle finger. "We just need to wait a few minutes and make sure he's asleep. Everything's going to be fine."

Before either could react, the door to the bedroom was thrown open. Pascal squeaked in fright, turning an alarmed shade of yellow. Fearfully, Rapunzel looked up from where she was crouched, her eyes wide with shock.

"My, what a pleasant surprise," Rowan sneered, his cold gaze like daggers as he loomed over her.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Rapunzel scrambled backwards in an attempt to escape, but soon found herself pressed against a wall. Her bags made it difficult to move, and her heavy cloak didn't help. When she shifted, she heard a heavy clang of metal as her frying pan slipped from the bag and crashed to the floor. Before she could even attempt to move, Rowan was in her face. His fingers gripped her shoulders like talons, and she was sure he would leave a bruise.

"Miss me, Princess?" He hissed, his breath hot and damp at her ear. She shuddered and reached blindly for something, anything to defend herself with.

"Let go of me!" She gasped, struggling. Rowan only gripped her tighter in response.

Letting out an angry squeak, Pascal scurried from her pocket and up to her shoulder. With a growl, he bit Rowan's hand with all of his might.

"Vile creature!" Rowan screeched, shaking his hand so hard that Pascal was flung through the air. In the dim light, Rapunzel saw her friend hit the ground with a small thud, unmoving.

Rapunzel took this opportunity to reach for her frying pan, which had fallen not too far from her. She gripped it in her injured hand, ignoring the pain. Rowan turned back to her, his cold eyes glinting in the darkness.

"Now, Princess, where were we?" He sneered, his mouth close to her face. "I suppose I'll take your presence here as your surrender to me. Won't you come inside?" His last sentence was a low whisper, almost a hiss.

"No!" Rapunzel gasped, struggling against him, her frying pan held tight in her hand. "I will never surrender to you, you disgusting pompous...jerk!"

Before she could react, Rapunzel felt the harsh sting of a slap across her cheek. "You'd do well to learn your place, Princess," Rowan growled. With one of his hands, he gripped a handful of her hair so tightly she was afraid he would pull it out. With the other hand, he gripped her neck.

"Never!" She cried, struggling to get away.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain as Rowan slammed the side of her head against the cool stone wall and held it there. "You are mine," he hissed, his breath hot on her ear. His hand at her throat tightened, making it difficult for her to breathe.

"I hate you!" Rapunzel sobbed, feeling a hot tear run down her cheek. "I'd rather die than marry you!"

"That can easily be arranged if you don't obey me," he hissed, tightening his grip on her throat until she couldn't breathe. Rapunzel gasped for air, but he held steady. Dark spots loomed at the edges of her vision, and her lungs ached. Ignoring the pain in her hand, Rapunzel tightened her grip on the frying pan and raised it above her head. Rowan was so focused that he didn't see it until it hit him - literally.

With a metallic clang, Rapunzel brought the frying pan down against the side of his head. Unconscious, Rowan released his grip on her hair and throat and fell limp on top of her. Coughing and gasping for air, Rapunzel pushed him off, not caring in the slightest when he fell in a heap onto the floor.

She rushed over to Pascal, who was still lying on the floor. He had been knocked unconscious and was slowly starting to wake up. After making sure he wasn't injured, Rapunzel tucked him safely into her pocket, collected her belongings that had fallen out of her bags during the struggle, and took off running.

She only slowed long enough to make sure there were no guards ahead. Rapunzel knew she could not stop running, even if her lungs ached and her muscles screamed from exhaustion. She couldn't afford to waste any more time. She quickly made it out of the castle through a back entrance and hurried into the forest that surrounded the castle. She stumbled a few times over rocks and branches, but she kept going, clutching Eugene's cloak to her chest.

Soon enough, she had made it to the prison. She paused behind a thicket of bushes to catch her breath. There were two guards stationed at the entrance, but both of them appeared to be asleep. Max was there too, though muzzled and chained to a post.

Silently, Rapunzel crept over to where Max dozed standing up. She woke him by softly stroking his nose, and his eyes flew open in shock. He calmed, however, when he saw who it was. Like an excited dog, his tail began to wag. Quickly, Rapunzel communicated to the horse that he needed to stay quiet. Max nodded his head diligently.

As quietly as she could, Rapunzel unchained the horse and removed his muzzle. When they made it out of the prison, they would need to make a quick getaway. In rushed whispers, Rapunzel explained the plan to the horse, who nodded attentively.

"Alright Max, wait right here," Rapunzel whispered, giving the horse a pat on his neck. Max grunted in response and planted his feet firmly on the ground.

Rapunzel pulled the hood of her cloak over her head, making sure her face was hidden. Quietly, almost on tip toes, Rapunzel crept around to the front of the prison and past the sleeping guards. The entry way of the prison was dark, so Rapunzel didn't see the loose stone until it caught her shoe and she tripped, a loud gasp escaping her lips.

Her free hand flew out to find something, anything to stop her fall. With a sharp twinge of pain, her fingers caught the edge of a doorway. She bit her lip, listening intently, holding perfectly still.

She heard the shifting of bodies and light clanking of metal as the guards stirred. With a snort, one awoke fully. "Oy!" He called to the other. With a grunt, the other guard snapped out of his slumber. "The captain'll have our heads if he catches us asleep on the job again!"

Rapunzel waited, holding her breath in anticipation and fear. After a few moments that seemed to last a century, she convinced herself that the guards hadn't heard her. As quietly as she could, she released her breath and continued walking, making slow progress to ensure that she didn't trip again. Once she was far from the entrance, she took off running, her light shoes making soft tapping sounds. She followed the dim path through the prison until she reached Eugene's cell. This time, he wasn't asleep.

"Who's there?" He called, squinting in the dim light. All he could make out was a stout, hooded figure.

"Shhh! It's me," Rapunzel whispered, pulling down the hood of her cloak.

Eugene scrambled to the bars of the cell. "Rapunzel! Oh, thank god. I thought something happened to you!" Rapunzel took a step forward into a shaft of moonlight. In the dim light, Eugene saw a dark line of liquid at her temple. His eyes widened in horror. "Wait, _did_ something happen?"

She placed her fingertips to her head and when she pulled them back, she saw thick, dark blood. "There's no time," she hissed, shaking her head and ignoring the pounding in her skull. Quickly, she located a handkerchief in her pocket and pressed it to her wound. "We have to get you out of here!"

"And then what?" He asked dubiously. "You'll hide me under your bed?"

"No!" She exclaimed, exasperated. "Eugene," she began, pausing to take a breath, "we're leaving Corona."

His eyes were wide as he regarded her. By now, he knew her well enough to know when she was serious. And at that moment, she was deadly serious. "Are you sure about this?"

She nodded. "You know I've thought it through. Even if I can get you released from jail legally, there's no way I can get out of marrying Rowan. And I can't do that." Her other hand went to her throat, remembering the night's events with a small shudder. "We have to leave."

He had thought about it as well, but had never mentioned it to Rapunzel. He knew he could never ask Rapunzel to leave her family, not when she had just come home to them only a few months ago. But he had thought she was safe in the castle. Gauging from her appearance now, that was no longer the case. He could only guess to the events that had transpired.

"Alright," he agreed. "How do we get out of here?"

"Max is waiting outside. All we have to do is unlock this door and get to the roof." Rapunzel pulled a few hair pins from her bag and went to the lock. In their time together, Eugene had taught her many things. And, at her insistence, lock picking had been one of them. Though she wasn't as good as he was, she managed to have the lock open in a few minutes.

The cell opened with a soft groan of the hinges. Both glanced around warily, but no one had heard. Hastily, Rapunzel passed Eugene his satchel and cloak. After a cursory glance through the contents of his bag, Eugene was impressed. She had thought of everything.

"This way," he whispered, taking her uninjured hand in his and leading her down the corridor. Rather than heading towards the exit, they took a sharp turn down a completely dark corridor. Aside from the snoring of the prisoners, they only sounds were their shuffling footsteps.

By memory, Eugene found the next hallway and led Rapunzel down it. The last time he had escaped, he had been catapulted onto the roof. Seeing as that was out of the question, he had to think back to his first prison escape, made at the ripe age of eighteen. That time he had been caught breaking into a duke's home and been promptly arrested. Quickly deciding that the prison life wasn't for him, the young Flynn Rider had hatched a plan to escape. And so began his reputation.

Finally, they reached a set of stairs. He gave Rapunzel's hand a squeeze and she returned the gesture, and then they silently made their way up the staircase. At the second floor landing, they turned and took the next flight of stairs up. On the third floor landing, there was a small window that let light in.

In the dim light, they searched for a way up. In the distance, they could hear footsteps echoing in the darkness. A guard on patrol. With a gasp and a tug on Eugene's sleeve, Rapunzel pointed to the ceiling. There was a square wooden door set in the stone ceiling - an exit to the roof.

Without speaking, Eugene motioned that he would boost Rapunzel up so that she could climb through the door. He held out his hands and she carefully stepped onto his palm, worried she would hurt him. Swiftly, he hoisted her up through the air and within reach of the ceiling. Within a few moments, she had pushed the door open and peered up through the opening, checking that the coast was clear. Then she began to lift herself up and through the hole.

Rapunzel had panicked at the thought of how she would pull Eugene up, since he was much heavier than she, but she found a rope ladder conveniently anchored to the stone around the escape hatch. She dropped the ladder down for him, and he quickly climbed up beside her. They pulled the ladder up and closed the door, thrilled that they had escaped unnoticed.

Peering over the side of the roof, Rapunzel quickly located Max. He danced around impatiently when he saw the princess looking down at him. "How will we get down there?" Rapunzel whispered, giving Eugene a worried look.

The rope ladder wasn't very long, and didn't quite reach the ground, but it was long enough that he would be able to lower her safely down onto Max's back and scale the wall the rest of the way. Swiftly, Eugene pulled Rapunzel against his side, and she linked her arms around his neck. Slowly but surely, they began to make their descent towards the ground.

Once the pair was settled onto Max's back, the horse took off running. His loud hoof beats drew the guards' attention, but they were left without a horse or projectile weapon to stop the fugitives. The adrenaline of their escape was coursing through them as they ran through the empty streets and towards the bridge that would carry them out of the city.

Rapunzel took one last look over her shoulder at the kingdom she was leaving behind. She could see the castle in the distance, standing tall above the city. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about what would happen in the morning when they realized she was gone.

Because of their timing and quiet escape, they made it out of the city and into the safety of the woods with no one in pursuit. Maximus slowed his pace from a full on gallop to a quick trot. Once the adrenaline left her, Rapunzel's emotions caught up to her. On top of being completely exhausted, she felt an overwhelming mixture of emotions. She felt guilty for leaving her parents. She felt relieved that she was with Eugene. She felt nervous that the guards would catch up to them. She felt grief for the life she was leaving behind.

She leaned heavily against Eugene's back and pressed her face into the scratchy wool of his cloak, breathing deep, calming breaths. She tightened her arms around him, as if he would be taken from her if she didn't hold on tight enough.

"You okay, Blondie?" He asked, looking over his shoulder at her. She nodded into his cloak, but her sniffling gave her away. Lacking the right words to make her feel better, he merely squeezed one of her hands.

Eugene steered Max in the direction of the Snuggly Duckling. It was a risk to stay so close to the kingdom, but he knew that the thugs would shelter them, and that Rapunzel needed medical attention sooner rather than later. When they reached the pub, they could hear loud music coming from inside, and warm light was spilling out through the windows. He stopped at the door, dismounting from the horse and pulling Rapunzel down with him.

Carefully, he pushed her hair back from her face so he could inspect the wound. The gash was a clean cut, about an inch and a half long. The bleeding had slowed considerably, which was a good sign."Go ahead in and have someone take a look at your head," he instructed, his voice soft and reassuring. She nodded silently, her eyes down cast.

"Rapunzel," he said, reaching down and tilting her face up to look at him. Her eyes were red with tears and wide with fear. "Everything will be fine. Trust me."

Staring up into his warm hazel eyes, she could not doubt his sincerity. She knew that what he _really _meant was that he would try his best to make sure everything was fine, but he didn't really know for certain what might happen. And that was all they could hope for, really. She nodded, attempting a small smile. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers before giving her a gentle push towards the door of the pub.

Rapunzel entered the pub, drawing the attention of the raucous thugs. The cheered when they saw her, but stopped when they saw the state she was in. In a flurry of activity, they pulled her over to the bar while Hook Hand searched for a first aid kit. Rapunzel felt herself smiling, genuinely smiling, at the way the big brutish thugs worried over her.

Meanwhile, Eugene led Max to the stable behind the pub. "You don't have to do this, you know," he told the horse. "You can go back if you want - we just needed help getting out."

The horse turned to give him a steady look before he shook his head.

"You really want to leave with us?"

The horse nodded solemnly.

Eugene smiled and gave the horse a pat. "Thanks, Max." In response, the horse whinnied happily and grinned. Eugene led him to the back of the stable, where no one could spot him from the road. Just for good measure, he laid his cloak over the horse's back to hide his stark, white fur.

He, too, was greeted warmly when he entered the pub. He quickly found Rapunzel seated at the bar and being tended to by Big Nose, who was not only a love expert, but very well trained in first aid. Rapunzel had a few small injuries, but was generally fine. The gash on her forehead would need stitches, and was already beginning to bruise. Her hand was definitely broken, and would need to be set with a splint so it would heal properly. Eugene also noticed a set of bruises on her throat, but he didn't mention them. His mind was going wild with the different possibilities of what had happened that evening.

"Just where are we supposed to get stitches at this hour?" He asked Big Nose, carefully inspecting the wound on her forehead. It looked worse in the light.

A voice piped up from the back of the crowd. "I'm a doctor!" The man proclaimed, before hiccupping and swaying in place. Rapunzel's eyes widened in fear.

"No way in hell," he quipped, turning back to Rapunzel.

"I'll do it, don't worry," Big Nose replied.

Eugene gave him a dubious look. "Have you ever given a person stitches before?"

"All the time," he assured them with a wave of his hand. "With this lot, we get a lot of brawls and no one's got money for a doctor so I clean 'em up."

"Alright, fine. But make sure everything's sterile. If this gets infected you'll have me to answer to. And we're gonna need some whiskey."

Rapunzel gulped. "What's the whiskey for?"

"To numb ya up," the hook-handed bartender answered, setting a bottle of amber liquid onto the bar in front of her along with a shot glass. "'Bout how many you think she'll need?"

The girl had never had a drink in her life, and she was a hundred pounds soaking wet. Accounting for size and alcohol tolerance, Eugene answered, "Two should do the trick."

Hook hand poured a shot and slid it towards Rapunzel. "Now, don't sip it, lass. It'll burn. Just gulp the whole thing down in one go." Rapunzel nodded and picked the glass up with shaking fingers. Quickly, she tipped the glass back and gulped it down, squeezing her eyes shut. She coughed a bit as the liquid burned her throat, but passed the glass back for her next shot. The second went down easier than the first, and she was beginning to feel tipsy within minutes.

Meanwhile, Big Nose was using rubbing alcohol to disinfect a needle. The alcohol was beginning to numb her, and her exhaustion was catching up. Rapunzel felt relatively calm, even though she was about to have her skin sewn back together. When Big Nose was ready, Eugene held her hand and she braced herself for the pain.

It hurt, but wasn't as bad as she had imagined. She guessed that was probably the whiskey helping. Within a few minutes, the whole ordeal was over. Big Nose splinted her broken hand and wrapped it tightly, giving her strict instructions to allow it to heal properly before using it.

While the thug turned medic tended to her hand, Eugene talked to Hook Hand off to the side. "So yer runnin' away, is that right?"

Eugene nodded soberly. "It's a long story, and we'll tell you tomorrow after she's had some rest. The palace isn't safe for her anymore, if you couldn't tell."

The thug nodded and stroked his chin with his hook. "Who did that to her?"

Eugene felt his fists clench automatically and his nostrils flared with anger. "She hasn't said, but I've got a good guess. If I could get my hands on him right now, I'd -"

"Alright, calm down, lad. You did the right thing, leaving."

"Actually," he admitted, glancing at the princess, "it was Rapunzel's idea."

The man chuckled softly. "She's a smart one. Now, I assume ye don't want any guards knowin' you're here?"

"No," he replied, shaking his head.

"We've got an open room upstairs where you can stay as long as you like, no charge."

Eugene smiled slightly. "Thanks, but I think it's best we get as far away from here as we can. They forest will be crawling with soldiers by tomorrow, and they're bound to come in here and search the place. We'll leave tomorrow evening."

"Come on, then, I'll show yers to yer room," Hook Hand said, coming around the bar. Eugene helped Rapunzel off her stool and supported her as they walked up the stairs and into the inn portion of the Snuggly Duckling. They could hear people in some of the rooms as they passed, going about their business. Hook Hand led them to the end of the hallway, giving them the key to the very last room.

"I figure this'll be the best room for ya, since you'll be able to hear any guards comin' a mile away," Hook Hand explained, opening the door for them.

"Thank you for everything," Rapunzel said quietly, stretching up on her toes to give the man a kiss on the cheek.

"Think nothin' of it," the man said gruffly, though the faintest hint of a blush could be seen on his cheeks.

With that, he left the two to settle into their room. Rapunzel hung her cloak by the door and pulled her bag off her shoulder, letting it hit the ground with a dull thump. Pascal climbed out of her pocket, fully recovered but extremely sleepy, and scurried onto the nightstand. She quickly undressed down to her shift, while Eugene pulled off his vest and boots. His clothes reeked of the prison, and he was glad to be rid of them. He made a mental note to wash them in the morning. He had planned to sleep in his shirt and trousers, but since both were so smelly, he pulled them off, leaving only his underwear.

Exhausted, they climbed into bed. Rapunzel laid down and closed her eyes, but Eugene remained upright, studying her closely. Gently, he brushed his fingers along her cheek, scrutinizing the purple marks on her neck. Four on one side, one on the other. All oval shaped. He knew these marks.

"Rapunzel," he said quietly, his voice low and worried. She opened her eyes and gazed up at him, looking almost guilty. "What happened tonight?"

She attempted to shake it off with a laugh. "You were there, Eugene, you know what happened!"

He shook his head, remaining serious. "You know what I'm talking about."

She sighed and sat up, fidgeting with the blankets. "Promise you won't get mad?

He let out an exasperated breath, prepared to go on a lengthy rant about how he had told her time and time again that he'd never be mad at her, but stopped short when he saw tears well in her eyes. "I promise," he vowed, linking his fingers through hers.

The warmth of his touch gave her courage, and he began her story. "Rowan saw me leave the last time I visited you, so tonight I wanted to make sure he was asleep before I left. That time he didn't tell anyone, but if he had this time we never would have made it out! So...so I went to his room to see if he was still awake."

"What did he do?" Eugene asked, his voice calm but his thoughts a raging storm.

"He caught me outside his door," she began, her voice trembling. "We argued. Stuff like I need to learn my place and that I belonged to him and all that. First he slapped me, then we argued more. Then he slammed my head into the wall and grabbed my throat. I told him I hated him and I'd rather die than be his wife, and then...he choked me."

There was a long pause while she gazed down at her hands as they rested uselessly in her lap. "But," she exclaimed, her head turning as she looked up at him, "I had my frying pan, and I grabbed it and hit him in the head! I knocked him out and ran away," she finished, looking slightly triumphant.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before," she mumbled quietly, looking back down at her hands. "I knew you'd get upset and we didn't have time and...I'm sorry. I was stupid, so it was really my fault. I-"

He cut her off, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her swiftly against his chest. "Don't apologize, Rapunzel. None of this is your fault. He hurt you because he's a terrible person. He deserved being hit with your frying pan. In fact, he deserved at least twenty more hits.  
>She giggled quietly. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you. I'll never let anyone hurt you ever again, Rapunzel. I promise."<p>

She pulled back to gaze up at him. "My parents will be so upset," she whispered, her tears finally spilling over.

He sighed, his brow furrowing with concern. "Yeah, they will be. But you're nobody's prisoner. You deserve to be free."

She nodded in silent agreement. "And we can be together," she added with a small smile. "Forever, right?"

He gave her a warm smile. "Forever," he agreed, leaning down and pressing his lips to her forehead. She tugged him down by his shoulders and claimed his lips. The young lovers laid in their borrowed bed, pressed together underneath the blankets as they drifted off to sleep.


End file.

Tangled, Hurt-Comfort, Romance