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It had taken Eugene a long time to actually sit down in the library that lay deep within the castle to finally reread his favourite book. When Rapunzel and he had first arrived in the welcoming arms of the castle's residents, it became notably clear that very many rooms within had hardly been used since her kidnapping. Amongst many others such as the art studio, the library remained untouched; every shelf and book contained a layer of dust from lack of use over 18 years.
And even despite this setback, it hadn't taken Rapunzel long to put a more noticable taste to the room, allowing her creative flow to take flight which Eugene had always been deeply grateful for. But then everything else in their lives had gotten in the way, leaving no spare time to actually enjoy all that the space had to offer.
From Coronations gone wrong, to 70 ft of magical hair growing back magically overnight off his girlfriends head, a night to themselves reading until the early hours of the morning kind of slipped his mind. And even when they had time to spare, the threat of Varian was much more important and so the library would only be used for research purposes.
And of course he couldn't forget being on the road for a year, embarking on a journey where he found his real father and many other.....interesting new secrets that had been unveiled. But now, after all that chaos, after all those battles and defeating Zhan Tiri, after Rapunzel and he had gotten engaged (safe to say the best night of his life), he found himself surprisingly bored.
I mean don't get him wrong, he loved wedding planning with Rapunzel and getting excited for their future together, but when Nigel was chasing the pair down the hallway, holding what he could only believe to be table place mats that were exactly the same colour of a boring beige, the library suddenly seemed like finally the perfect place to escape and enjoy a night with his fiancé.
If he hadn't appreciated the room's decorative decisions Rapunzel had made what felt like so many years ago, he sure was in awe of it now. Every corner of the library was lavishly decorated with gold and deep red accents, the shelves that stood in rows and wrapped around corners were tall and filled with hundreds of books about literature, fiction, law - anything and everything related to reading was sure to be in here.
With the comfort of the warm lit room of the many candles, including hiding from Nigel who was still chasing after them, it was why him and Rapunzel were now lying together on the red, velvet lounge chair reading the 'Tales of Flynnigan Rider'.
She was resting comfortably up against his chest, his arms wrapped around her tightly as he held the book in front of both to read the tale of the swashbuckling rogue that started it all. He read aloud, his sunshine sighing contentedly every now and then as he kissed the crown of her head, or if he did the same on her cheek. He was reading to her a really exciting part, one he always liked as a boy where Flynnigan was fighting an entire ship of pirates, defeating them all easily and claiming the money from the ships cargo.
"Oh Blondie this is my favourite part! He plunged his shining sword forward! Each pirate dreading to be at mercy of the hands of the infamous Flynnigan Rider!" He read aloud even more dramatically, putting emphasis on some words which he liked to do, a trait he had especially picked up when he was younger.
"The battle was already won, yet they still continued such a fight! Blondie you're gonna love this part" he laughed and looked down from the book when he didn't get a response from his fiancé, only to discover that her lids were gently shut, a smile still lingering on her face as her breathing slowed in a sleeping state.
He chuckled, kissing her on the forehead again before looking back up to the book to continue reading the scene that was already coming to a close. But as he read the words in black ink across the tan page, he couldn't help but reminisce why he had always loved this book in the first place.
It was cold he remembered, it had been a harsh winter at the orphanage, the children remaining huddled close together one night especially as the candles had burnt to nothing and the horrid draft had filled the bedroom with a terrible chill. Every child would cry and sob, missing their parents terribly during Christmas time and wishing silently on some star, on some belief that they could finally be warm, be happy.
Eugene had always been the oldest, Lance only a few months younger, but after that night, he felt a need to be a leader, to be brave and take care of those children whose parents were not so lucky. And to ensure that the younger ones were at least feeling some sort of joy at what was supposed to be the happiest time of the year.
That next morning, the chill still lingered in the air, but little 9 year old Eugene had determination, bravery, and a new sense of protection over all the other boys and girls. Using the last of his coins he had collected over a few months on the cobbled streets, he went straight to the toy shop. He was determined to make this horrid winter a little more special.
It was rough and poor at the orphanage in clear comparison to all the richer kids and toys at the shop, especially the prices. He had looked and looked across the store, holding the coins out in his grubby hands to find anything he could afford. Of course, in this village, there was nothing he could buy for the 3 shining things he held. But just as he was about to leave in dissapointment, he spotted the book that would soon change the course of his life.
'The Tales of Flynnigan Rider' it read on the burgandy, large cover, the title written in incredible golden letters, unlike he had ever seen before. He had immediately ran to it and flicked through the many pages, seeing and reading pictures of adventure, of a man who seemed so incredible that Eugene sprinted to the counter and paid for it.
That was the first ever joy he had really noticed in the children at the orphanage; they had all enjoyed the book so much that they had asked Eugene to read it to them every night, so much so that by the end of the holidays, most could remember every word off by heart. And even though he shared it with the others, quite a lot of the time he had read it when they had gone to sleep, coming to love all the scenes that he loved now as rested still on the lounge chair of the Corona library.
It was funny really, this one book had completely changed his life, had altered his entire future at the hands of fate. If he had just one less coin, if the book had been bought by another, any other scenario could have meant Flynn Rider was never born and he forever remained that orphan boy suffering to get by.
He had seen fate, destiny, the lot on the road as Rapunzel followed her path, as he found his own destiny and he couldn't help but wonder sometimes if anything had changed, if his childhood had been the way it was supposed to be at the dark kingdom, would he have been where he is now? Would he have even met Rapunzel in the tower om that fateful day if somehow, the moonstone hadn't ever been a threat?
He didn't like to think what could have been if the love of his life somehow never met him, but it was hard not to wonder when he had a whole other life that could have become his.
Prince Horace of the Dark Kingdom, no Flynn Rider, no Eugene Fitzherbert, no Rapunzel, he would never wish it in any way, even if he always had a full belly, a warm night sleep, riches in which he never had to even work or steal for. Edmund would be his father, the Dark Kingdom would soon be his to rule and he would never have to worry about a single thing.
But he wouldn't have been happy.
Living in a kingdom where it was literally named after something so bleak and dull, in comparison to the sun kingdom that was Corona, it was highly unlikely that he would have ever met Rapunzel. Being in that life, sure it would have been luxurious, sure he would have never experienced hunger, thirst or pain, but then he would have never known Lance, Rapunzel, or even Cassandra.
And so that was why when now lying in the comfort of the library, in the safety of his sunshine's arms as she slept on his chest, as the candlelight flickered to a dim glow, he would never have to consider a life that could be different. Because he had everything he could have ever wanted.
Flynn Rider was his past, the book was his past, the orphanage was a part of who he was, of who he had wished to be and who he ultimately became on that day he returned Rapunzel home. He knew fate worked in mysterious ways, he knew so much could be different, his childhood could be altered with a powerful stone, with a book, but he knew that the life he was living now had made all that hardship worth every single moment with Rapunzel.
The orphanage was his home, The Tales of Flynnigan Rider was everything to him and who he was, and it would continue to be for as long as he lived, for his children and grandchildren and all the family after. Because of that fate, he would consider himself extremely lucky.