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Eugene has only been inside the castle once before.
Though, at the time, he had been with two other thieves and spent the duration dodging guards then proceeding to run from them.
If someone had told him that one day, he’d be roaming freely through it without the threat of being caught and arrested, he would’ve laughed in their face. That’s why standing in the palace gardens with an absolute peace of mind doesn’t feel remotely real.
The amount of brightly colored flowers and perfectly tiled floors is like a dream – pristine and beautiful.
He finds the Queen standing a distance away, with her back turned to him as she stares out over the vast balcony. The village below looks small and insignificant from up here as the evening sun glistens on the horizon, it’s bright orange light hugging her silhouette.
He clears his throat, “Your Majesty?”
She turns at the sound of his voice, wearing a pleasant expression. She had been lost in thought.
Eugene briefly glances away, “You… wanted to see me.”
“Yes, I did.” She walks around the marbled garden bench that had been behind her, clasping her hands in front of her as she walks. She gracefully takes a seat, leaving space next to her, “Sit with me.”
He does after a moment of hesitation, finding no other choice but to respect her request. When he sits down, he attempts to rub the sweat off his palms against the fabric of his pants.
The Queen takes a breath once he’s settled, and Eugene waits in anticipation for what she is about to say.
Lively birds chirp overhead as a warm breeze rattles the leaves of the various flowers that surround them. The silence is almost too uncomfortable for Eugene.
She opens her mouth, then momentarily covers it with her hand. “I’m sorry,” she gasps, creasing her brows and attempting to compose herself.
Eugene peers over at her with concern.
She releases a breath of laughter, despite the sudden emotion, “Today has been… overwhelming, to say the least.”
Eugene chuckles too, finding that to be a huge understatement. It’s a relief knowing that was what she was thinking about. “It sure has,” he agrees, recalling everything that has happened in the past day.
She blinks away the tears, staring aimlessly ahead as her grin slowly fades. “For so many years, we searched for her,” she begins in a soft voice. “I didn’t sleep. I didn’t eat. They told me she was gone. But my husband and I, we… we persisted. Just when we were beginning to lose hope, the most wanted criminal in Corona shows up with our daughter on our doorstep,” she finally looks over at him, wearing a peculiar expression as if not even believing her own words.
Eugene wants to wince at that description of him, suddenly so much more nervous.
Yeah. He’s a criminal who is somehow having a full conversation with the Queen right now – the very same Queen he had stolen from and ordered a bounty on his head. It sounds just as unbelievable to him as it does to her.
He expects her to throw him out or worse, probably because that’s all he’s grown used to. Instead, her eyes shimmer as she gives him the warmest smile.
“Thank you… for bringing her back to us,” she concludes.
Eugene blinks in surprise. He hadn’t expected that. He doesn’t deserve it. But the longer he looks into her eyes, the more he sees those eighteen long years of endless hurt. Somehow, he feels for her. He can only imagine what that must have been like.
She’d lost her child. He lost his childhood.
“You’re welcome,” Eugene grins softly.
Suddenly, every crime he’s ever committed is suddenly so present in his mind knowing that she’s probably heard of all of them. Despite it all, he couldn’t have made a worse first impression on them.
“I, um… I understand if—if you want me gone,” he scratches the back of his neck, “I know I haven’t… been the most trustworthy person, lately. Just say the word and… you’ll never have to see me again.”
Eugene could never bear the thought of being without Rapunzel, and he hopes he never will be, but he wouldn’t blame them for not wanting a thief roaming their castle, considering what he’s done. He wouldn’t forgive himself either. Besides, no matter how much it’d hurt him, he’d gladly walk out of here knowing that Rapunzel is safe and taken care of.
The Queen only smiles at his ridiculousness. “Oh, Flynn…” she touches the top of his hand with her fingertips. It feels like nothing but motherly to him, and he’s suddenly reminded of what he never had. “You found Rapunzel. You saved her when nobody else did, from that horrid witch. That is a debt that cannot be repaid.”
He smirks at his own accomplishment, guessing he did, in fact, do that. “It’s, um… it’s Eugene now, actually.”
She observes him with admiration, “Well, Eugene. For that, I’m granting you full pardon. We welcome you here with open arms.”
“Oh,” he says. A full pardon? That’s… that’s too generous. Still, if it means he gets to stay here with Rapunzel, then he’ll accept it in a heartbeat. He’d be a fool to argue with that. “Thank you… your Majesty.”
“Call me Arianna,” she smirks, retracting her hand.
Eugene nods respectfully, once again taken aback at how nicely she is treating him. He wouldn’t mind getting used to this.
They gaze out at the vast castle walls on the other side of the peaceful garden. There are no guards around them, only birds, yet the silence is suddenly so much more comfortable that it had been a few minutes ago.
He sits with his knees apart, leaning forward on his elbows as he fidgets with his own fingers. Her hands are folded neatly in her lap as she sits poised with her shoulders back. They couldn’t be more opposite from each other, yet somehow their two worlds have collided.
“Do you love her?” Arianna asks, her tone altering.
Eugene’s lips part, surprised at the sudden question, “I, um…” Love Rapunzel? He clears his throat.
Well… he hasn’t really thought about it before. Or maybe he has, he just hasn’t fully admitted it to himself. At least not out loud.
A part of him wants to joke his way out of answering it. Then he recalls sitting in a boat with Rapunzel the night before, plucking flowers out of her hair and watching her become absolutely enchanted by something he would’ve never given a second glance.
Eugene sighs contentedly to himself, “More than anything.”
“Well… regrettably, I haven’t known my daughter for long,” the woman begins, “But something tells me she’d want you to stay, too.”
Eugene chuckles softly, staring aimlessly at the ground, “Yeah.”
After a while, Arianna takes a breath as she rises to her feet, snapping herself out of her thoughts, “Well,” she brushes her hands down the front of her dress then turns to face Eugene, “I hope you’re hungry. The kitchen is cooking up a special meal for us tonight.”
With that, she saunters down the path and back toward the castle.
As she leaves, Eugene smirks to himself.
Yeah. He could get used to this.