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Rapunzel could still feel her heart beating loudly inside of her chest, unable to calm down since she fled the ballroom- since she fled Eugene, kind, loving, incredible Eugene, with his terrifying ring and heartbroken expression.
"It's not that I don't want to marry him," she rambled to Cassandra, "I want to! At some point, for sure, but- I don't know Cass, it felt so- he was talking and I felt so scared and-"
Rapunzel stopped and took a deep breath, still not looking at Cassandra. Her mind kept circling back to Eugene and his eyes, and how she had made them go from sparkling and hopeful to confused and sad. She never made Eugene sad before, how was she supposed to deal with that? What would he say, when they finally talked about it together? What would she say, how could she explain her actions?
"I- I love him so much, Cass," she sighed, turning toward her friend just in time to see her roll her eyes.
Right. Cassandra hated Eugene.
Suddenly, Rapunzel felt like an idiot - she wouldn't usually complain so much, but it was all so confusing and she thought that Cassandra would… understand. How much had she been talking again? Self-consciously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Rapunzel smiled, hoping it was convincing.
"I should- I should sleep," she tried uncertainly, and her friend finally raised her head.
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I mean, tomorrow's a better day, right?" Rapunzel made finger guns, but she wasn't sure Cassandra believed her. She closed her eyes. "I… I just want to be alone, Cass."
"Okay," Cassandra smiled, putting a hand on Rapunzel's shoulder, "but I'm here if you need me."
Rapunzel smiled as her lady-in-waiting closed the door behind her, but it fell off her lips quickly after. She sat on her bed, before simply falling back to lie down on it. Pascal's sad squeak made her pet his head for a moment, but her focus was elsewhere and he could feel it, laying down next to her to hopefully bring her comfort.
She didn't know what to think anymore. Talking about it out loud had helped a little, but she didn't even notice how bored poor Cassandra was when she did, so she wasn't sure it was the right thing to do. Her thoughts were so tangled together that she sincerely wanted to go outside and clear her head out, without guards or duty getting in her way, but she knew she wasn't allowed to do that - and she knew she shouldn't want to escape her problems anyway… Right?
Rapunzel didn't know how long she stayed on her bed feeling sorry for herself, but a knock interrupted her swirling thoughts. She was ready to tell Stan or Pete that she didn't need them tonight, when Eugene's unmistakable voice echoed from behind her door.
"Rapunzel?"
Her eyes popped open and she sat up swiftly, giving herself a bout of vertigo with the too quick movement. Which is why she didn't answer immediately, causing Eugene to call her again, this time sounding even more worried.
"Rapunzel?" Her door clicked at the same time she got up, worriedly fiddling with her hands. "There you are," Eugene smiled shyly, before hesitating.
She didn't say anything, every half formed sentences seemingly caught in her throat. She never fought with Eugene - well, she wasn't sure this was a fight, but still, they were both upset and she didn't… She didn't know how to deal with that. Eugene was only looking at her for now, brown eyes duller than usual, and she saw his shoulders sag as he turned back to close the door. Rapunzel wondered if she was supposed to say something first, but Eugene turned back toward her quickly.
"Um... look, Rapunzel, I am sorry," he said in a breath, sounding as anxious as she was. "I am so sorry, I should never have put you on the spot like that. But I want you to know, I-I- I meant it. I want to marry you, I love you!"
"Oh, Eugene, I love you too," Rapunzel said, feeling like a weight had disappeared from her shoulders. Of course she loved him - and of course he loved her, no matter what. "I- I'm sorry for running out like that-"
"No, Rapunzel," Eugene interrupted, walking until he was right before her. He softly took her hands in his. "I'm sorry I left you with no other options."
Before she could think about it, she threw her arms around him and hugged him, so relieved that, whatever the state of her thoughts, she knew they could solve it together. He squeezed back tightly enough for her to know he must feel the same and, together, they went to sit on the bed, still in each other's arms.
"Can I- Can I explain what I was thinking? And then you could explain to me what you are thinking?" Eugene asked in a whisper, sounding scared.
She nodded against his chest. One of the things she loved about Eugene was that they could always talk. She wasn't used to communicating - Gothel had rarely wanted to hear what she had to say - but she knew Eugene would always give her the opportunity to speak, even when she forgot herself it was an option.
"Okay," he said, taking a deep breath. "Look, I know there's still a ton of details we need to figure out... and I may have jumped the gun a little, it's just that... Growing up poor and alone, I got used to having nothing." His hand stroked her cheek and she raised her head. Their eyes met, and she could see clearly the emotion in his as he gently put a strand of her hair behind her ear. "But now, with you, I finally have something you know, we have something, something that is amazing... and I guess tonight, I was just trying to keep it that way. And I thought that's what you wanted too…"
"I do want that," Rapunzel said, her own hand going to Eugene's face, trying to make him look in her eyes again. "Eugene, if there's one thing I'm sure about, it's that I want to spend the rest of my life with you- I can't imagine my future without you. But…"
She opened her mouth, but the words still wouldn't come to her. Eugene, whose eyes were suspiciously shiny after her declaration, patiently waited for her to talk.
"I'm sorry," she said again, "I don't know why I'm so confused. I think… I think I'm scared. My life has changed so much since I met you, and it has been so amazing, but there's still- I-"
"Hey," Eugene said, "you know you can tell me anything, right? If something is bothering you, I want to know about it, even if it's me."
"It's not you," Rapunzel laughed, mulling over her answer. There was so many things she was grateful for - it still felt incredible to suddenly become a Princess, to have everything she could ever want and more, but… But she wasn't as happy as she thought she'd be, and she felt guilty about it. "I'm terrified of being a prisoner again," she blurted out, squeezing his hands in hers. "I want to see the world, I want to go on adventures, I want- I wish- I know my Dad wants to protect me, and I'm not ungrateful, but I wish I could go outside without being followed by an army, I wish… I wish I could just be me, for once."
"So, when I proposed to you…" Eugene breathed out, understanding in his eyes.
"At first, I was overjoyed, because I want to spend my life with you Eugene. But then, you were talking about staying in the castle forever and suddenly all my other issues felt so much more real and- I guess it was my fault, because I bottled everything up but-"
"Hey, none of that," Eugene interrupted as Rapunzel felt herself choking up again. "I'm glad you're telling me now. Yes, communication could have avoided this, but communication could have come from both of us. I should have talked to you about the proposal…"
"... and I should have told you that I wasn't as happy as I pretended," Rapunzel finished with a small smile.
They lapsed into silence for a moment, and Rapunzel snuggled into Eugene's side contentedly, feeling better with his arm around her waist.
"You know," he said, breaking the silence, "we could sneak out tonight."
"What?"
"You said you feel trapped and, of course, this isn't going to fix everything but… we could sneak out, together, with no guards to trail you," Eugene explained, his free hand waving in the hair to add to his point. "We'll go take a walk through the forest, or whatever you want to do really, and no one has to know about it!"
Rapunzel thought back to earlier, when she wished she could go outside to clear her head, and she couldn't help but smile at the fact that Eugene had guessed exactly what she needed. "I'd like that," she said, "but how are we going to get past the guards?"
"Oh, Blondie, you forget who you're talking to," Eugene exclaimed, raising his eyebrows. Rapunzel laughed and took his collar to kiss him, overwhelmed by how much she loved this man.
All in all, sneaking out was only made difficult by their constant chattering - with Eugene's skills and Pascal's help, it was still child play but they nearly got caught because Rapunzel laughed at one of Eugene's jokes.
"How do you know the guards' rounds so well?" Rapunzel asked in a whisper as Eugene made her stick to a wall to escape being seen.
"Would you believe me if I told you they nearly didn't change a thing since I first came to Corona?" Eugene laughed. "Plus, I'm used to noticing their new patterns, you know, being a thief and all."
"You'd teach me?"
"And possibly get killed by your dad for being an awful influence? Yeah," Eugene grinned, his hand warm on her arm contrasting sharply with the cold wall she was leaning on, "of course I'll teach you."
They fetched Maximus and Fidella, who seemed more than happy to accompany them on their little outing - Max didn't even protest about breaking the rules, since Rapunzel was the one asking. Eugene did joke about that, but Max simply kicked his shins and decided to be rode by Rapunzel, while Fidella accepted Eugene on her back with good grace.
Of course, any complaint he might have had died on his tongue as soon as they reached the forest.
Rapunzel was beautiful. She always was, of course, but seeing her being so happy and carefree, running around radiating pure joy… It did things to Eugene's heart. He had always been a very practical and down to Earth man, but the love Rapunzel held for everything made him melt. She jumped into a river with her always bare feet, dancing and glowing as the droplets reflected the moonlight - and Eugene fell in love all over again. He didn't think it was possible.
"Eugene!" she called, eyes shining, "you should get your boots off and come here!"
He didn't even think about saying no. The water was cold under him but he didn't care, joining Rapunzel in the middle as she twirled on herself.
"Look, it's so beautiful," she breathed, "it looks like we're walking on the sky!"
Eugene did look around him, but no matter how amazing the sight, he knew that the brightest star tonight was the one laughing in front of him, freed from the weight from earlier. He was still beating himself for not noticing how stifled Rapunzel had felt - but he knew now, and he wouldn't let it happen again. Tonight, she would have as much fun as she wanted, and tomorrow, they'll find a way to convince the King of letting go a little. After eighteen years as a prisoner, Rapunzel deserved to enjoy the world and her freedom however she saw fit, even if she was a princess.
They tiptoed around the fishes a little longer, until Eugene gently suggested exploring more, worried they would catch a cold if they stayed in the water too long. Thankfully, Rapunzel was more than happy to do that, racing to the next place with a whoop as Eugene scrambled to get his boots back on. Pascal climbed up in one of his pocket and, thankfully, Fidella was up to the challenge, catching up to Max and Rapunzel in no time so Eugene could admire her some more.
The wind was whipping through her hair and her cape, making it seems like she was flying as she opened her arms wide. Despite the fresh evening air, his love for her was keeping Eugene warm, as he kept watching her hair undulating with the wind.
They made a lot of different pit stops, letting their hearts guide them without trying to follow a particular trail. Rapunzel gushed over the flowers and the insects, she ran along the water and climbed trees, trying to enjoy everything nature had to offer. And for each step she made, Eugene was right behind her, only helping if she asked to be helped. Well, he did get his dagger out when they met that wolf, but he had no reason to be scared, after all, since Rapunzel befriended it in five seconds tops. Eugene shook his head, bemused, but Maximus snorted and he suddenly remembered that she was able to calm this horse in his murderous -if righteous- rampage as he was trying to catch him… A wolf was nothing.
"Eugene, look!" Rapunzel whispered excitedly as she pointed toward a illuminated part of the forest.
They smiled at each other before creeping quietly toward the light source. Eugene pushed part of the bushes open cautiously, and peered closer at the scattered fireflies. He could feel Rapunzel above him, and he thought she would be careful too, but she pushed the vegetation away in a grand movement that woke every firefly up, illuminating the pond fully. Eugene had to admit it was even more beautiful that way, especially when he could see the light bounce of Rapunzel's skin, making her shine even more in the night. She ran again, and Eugene ran at her side, but this time the fireflies were following them, marking the way behind them. This was such a beautiful sight that Pascal didn't even eat one.
As they rode Max and Fidella again, Eugene couldn't help but notice how much these little creatures seemed to dance and wave like Rapunzel's hair, but she said his name again while laughing, and the remark was forgotten.
The wind and the laughs and the adventure - all of that was exhilarating, and Eugene himself hadn't felt quite that good in a long time. He knew his happiness laid with Rapunzel but maybe, what he hadn't understood in his proposal, was that he didn't need to make it permanent - it already was. Marriage, if it came, shouldn't be about securing their love, it should be about celebrating it - and he was glad she said no, in the end, because she deserved the best proposal ever, and this one wasn't it. No matter - they were each other's dream, it could all wait.
They arrived to the Corona walls without even meaning to. Rapunzel jumped to the top without breaking a sweat, still surrounded by the tiny floating lights provided by the fireflies. It seemed like she was dressed with sunlight in this instant, and Eugene was awed enough to lag behind for a bit. When he climbed next to her, he saw her look to the other side, yearning clear in her eyes. He wondered how he had missed it earlier, when it was clear as day now that she wished to go further - to explore the world.
"I- I guess that's enough for one night of sneaking… out?" she finished, losing her sentence as he handed her the rope he had packed.
"After you, Princess," he said, and her wide smile was enough to make his cheek heat up - thankfully, the night hid it well. She didn't even hesitate as she placed the rope and jumped, soaring through the air again.
It was more of a pickle to get the horses over, but together, they were good problem solvers. Rapunzel kept exploring these new sights, going from one tree to the next excitedly. She described to him the different types of plant they were seeing, rambling their names and common usages while Eugene added his expertise from time to time - he knew a lot about how to survive the wild, and plants were a huge part of that knowledge.
"Wow," he cringed after they walked for a while, "I do not like the look of this bridge."
Indeed, the bridge seemed old and crumbling, a fact that was made all the more obvious when Maximus stepped on it. Pascal squeaked anxiously and Eugene was ready to turn back, when he caught a glimpse of Rapunzel's eyes. She seemed deep in thought as she stared beyond the bridge.
"Sunshine?"
"I don't know why, but I want to go there," she said, before biting her lips. "That's irresponsible, isn't it? There's plenty to explore here."
Her heart wasn't followed her words, though, and he could see the disappointment in her gestures. He might not know why she wanted to go there, but he had promised that tonight, she would be free to do whatever she wanted - it didn't matter to him what it was.
"Let's cross the bridge then, shall we?"
"Really?" Rapunzel brightened. "Oh, Max, Fidella, I'm sorry but you'll have to stay there." Pascal made a worried sound from Eugene's pocket, and Rapunzel extended her hand toward him, nodding as he squeaked. "Yes of course, you can stay here too Pascal. "Keep an eye on the horses," she joked, winking at Maximus' affronted expression.
Pascal took it seriously, even doing a little mock salute as Rapunzel and Eugene made their ways across the bridge. Eugene wasn't that comfortable with the rubbles falling under their feet but, overall, the thing seemed to hold well enough. It was strange, though - Rapunzel was still exploring, but her feet seemed to guide her in a specific direction. Eugene didn't comment on it, but he kept a close eye on her.
Especially when she led them straight to a cliff.
"What is that…?" he muttered, seeing a weird structure down there, surrounded by just as weird pointy black rocks.
"I don't know, but I'm gonna check," Rapunzel laughed, making her way down as Eugene gingerly followed her.
"Is that..."
"... the place where the found the sundrop?" she breathed out, awed.
Eugene went closer, a little spooked by the rocks. He put his hand on its smooth and cold surface, surprised to see it wasn't really black but a deep blue, revealed by the moonlight. It seemed incredibly solid, which he said to Rapunzel, but she didn't answer and, when he turned back toward her, he saw that she was approaching the rocks, hand outstretched.
"Sunshine?" he called her worriedly, but she didn't seem to hear him.
As she grew closer, the weird rocks started emitting a pale blue light, brightening up with each seconds. Before he could try to grab Rapunzel, she touched a rock with her finger, and a wave an energy exploded from within it, making both of them topple down.
"Rapunzel!" Eugene exclaimed, getting back up only to see her look at… one shining strip of hair…? "Wha-"
Next to him, a rock surged from the ground, making them jump to their feet. Then, another made them back off a little more; then another, then another and, freaked out, Eugene tried to strike it with his dagger.
The blade broke immediately.
"Uh-oh," Rapunzel breathed, right as Eugene yelled that they should run.
They climbed up again in a hurry, the rocks following them, unrelenting. Eugene yelled at her again to keep moving forward as an idea popped up in his head, telling her he would be right behind to quell her protests. She took the lead and he managed to bring a tree down in the rocks' path, hoping to slow them down a little.
"Eugene?" Rapunzel called, her voice a little far away.
"Keep running Rapunzel," he answered, arriving on the same clearing where she had stopped, "we have to get to the hor-oh-oh holy... hair?"
Hair. Blond hair strewn everywhere, and his eyes could clearly see that it was connected to her head, and his memory told him that it was exactly as it had been before but- but his brain refused that information.
"Don't freak out!" Rapunzel exclaimed worriedly when it seemed like he had stopped breathing for a moment. "I don't know how this happened, but we need to get away from here!"
Eugene nodded dumbly, and they started running again, Rapunzel's hair like a trail behind her. Because she now had seventy feet of hair. Again. Because she touched some weird murderous rocks which were now chasing them through the woods?
Oh, magic. How Eugene hadn't missed it.
They arrived to the bridge just in time for him to remember how brittle it was, which it seemed to take as a challenge as it started crumbling around them. They should have been able to make it, but Rapunzel was yanked backwards by her own hair, stuck in one of the bridge's many cracks. Eugene thought about cutting it, but his dagger was gone and they had no time, between the rocks and the clearly unstable bridge. He ran to the place it was stuck, jumping above the cracks because he wouldn't let Rapunzel get hurt because of this.
"Eugene!" Rapunzel screamed as he nearly fell, but he caught himself and slid in front of the stuck hair. With one sharp movement, he yanked it out, glancing in time to see Maximus grab Rapunzel as she nearly fell herself.
Heart in his throat, he started running again, in the good direction this time as he tried to ignore the threatening sound of the rocks popping up behind him. Or the unstable surface he was walking on. The bridge was giving out under him and, with one last jump, Eugene realised that he wouldn't make it across. Gasping, he closed his eyes as he felt himself fall, before something tight around his waist stopped his fall short.
Hair. Of course. Eugene raised his head and saw Rapunzel smile, before she and the horses dragged him up. He scrambled for the rest of the way, happy to feel solid ground under him, before Rapunzel scooped him up in a kiss. If he was surprised, he didn't take long before Eugene melted into it, pushing his hands through her long hair - he'd miss her short haircut, but he did love this one too. Actually, he loved Rapunzel, no matter what weird magical things happened around her. He could handle a heart attack or two.
"I- I guess our outing won't be as secret as I'd hoped," he muttered as they were still hugging, feeling some kind of dread flaring up again - which only heightened by Rapunzel's gasp as she pushed him away.
"Oh no, my father is going to kill me!"
Eugene cringed, feeling like they might both be in big trouble for it. And, Cassandra will probably gloat forever about his mistake.
"It's okay," he still said, "we'll face everything together, won't we?"
Pascal squeaked, Maximus and Fidella neighed, and Rapunzel smiled and kissed him again - and just like this, they knew it would all be okay.