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“Rapunzel, can you come here for a moment, dear?” Queen Arianna called out to her daughter, who had just come bounding through the halls, playing a gleeful game of chase with her chameleon friend. It was a crisp autumn day in the kingdom, and as it got colder outside, combined with Rapunzel’s unfailing dislike of wearing shoes, she had had to move her games indoors.
Rapunzel slowed herself down and spun around on her heel, turning to walk towards her mother. Her chest was heaving slightly from all the running she had been doing, and there was a small sheen of sweat resting on her brow. Pascal, who hadn’t noticed her change in direction, continued down the hall at full speed.
“Is everything alright, mama? I didn’t bother you with my game, did I?” she asked cautiously, twisting her fingers together nervously behind her back. She had only returned home a few months prior, and she was still learning what a princess should and shouldn’t do.
“Oh dear, of course not. I just wanted to talk to you about the upcoming ball,” Arianna said with a smile, ushering Rapunzel into the parlor she had been reading in. She sat down on the chaise and patted the seat next to her, which Rapunzel dutifully filled.
Since Rapunzel’s return, the King and Queen had been planning a fabulous ball to celebrate her return with their various neighboring and allied kingdoms. It had taken many months to prepare, and now, it was set to begin in just three days. The servants had been working almost non-stop to finish decorating the ballroom, fixing up all the rooms for the guests, and preparing a glorious feast. The whole kingdom was abuzz with excitement at the prospect of all the visitors who were coming to see their newly-found lost princess and her ex-thief rescuer.
“Rapunzel, dear,” the Queen began, holding Rapunzel’s hand in hers, rubbing her thumb gently into her skin, “You know that your father and I love you very much, and we don’t ever want to upset you, right?”
Cautiously, Rapunzel nodded, her eyes growing slightly as she worried what her mother was going to say. In her experience with Gothel, talks like this didn’t seem to go very well. She bit her lip as anxiety caused butterflies to flutter rapidly inside her stomach.
“Well, you see… there is a tradition in our kingdom when it comes to balls. When a ball is hosted in the honor of a prince or princess who has come of marrying age, they must dance with every eligible prince or princess of age who is in attendance, and no one else,” her mother finished, giving Rapunzel a sad and solemn look. Confusion coated Rapunzel’s features for a moment, as she saw no problem with that; she had been practicing nearly every day to learn how to dance like royalty, and her teacher had finally given her praise at how well she had improved just last week. But when the queen gently squeezed her hand and looked her directly in the eye, Rapunzel realized what her mother had meant.
“So… what you are saying is that... I can’t dance with Eugene at the ball,” she said softly, breaking eye contact with her mother as emotion rushed over her. “But, mama! He and I are…!” she said before catching herself. While her parents knew that there was at least an infatuation between their daughter and the ex-thief, they didn’t know just how much the two had gone through, and that they weren’t just infatuated with each other; they were deeply in love.
“I know, sweetheart. But it is tradition. We’ve never had a situation like yours before. I’m sorry, Rapunzel,” her mother said softly, patting her hand in a loving gesture. But Rapunzel’s mind was elsewhere at this point, as she realized that this ball that she had been looking forward to for months, was going to be quite possibly the most boring of all, because she wouldn’t be able to spend the evening with her new dream.
After a moment, Rapunzel let out a sigh and turned her head so she was once again meeting her mother’s gaze. “It’s… I’m okay, mama. Please excuse me, I need to go speak with Eugene,” she said softly, standing up from the chaise, giving a quick curtsey to her mother, and then leaving without another word. Once the door was closed to the parlor, Rapunzel began to run in the direction of the stables, where she knew Eugene was attending to Maximus.
As she entered the stables, she saw Eugene conversing with Max, whilst he brushed his mane and fed him the occasional apple. When Eugene noticed Rapunzel, who was huffing in the doorway, her hands in fists, he cocked his head while giving her a worried look. And that’s when the dam broke.
Rapunzel rushed over to Eugene, jumping into his arms so fast and hard that he fell into the haystack that thankfully lay behind him. Confused, he wrapped his arms around her now shaking form as she heaved sobs into his shoulder, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. He hugged her body as close to his as possible as he began to caress her back soothingly, whispering calming words into her ear.
“Blondie? What’s wrong? Are you okay?” he said softly, leaning his head down to place gentle kisses upon the now heated skin of her neck. She didn’t respond, only crying harder, and Eugene really began to worry. Had someone said something insensitive to her? Had someone hurt her? These thoughts swirled around in his head for just a moment before everything in his mind stopped as Rapunzel pulled back slightly, placed a hand in his hair, and smashed her lips against his.
The kiss was warm, and tasted salty from the rivulets of tears still coming from Rapunzel’s eyes, but it was still one of those classic Rapunzel kisses that Eugene loved the most. It was slightly rough but incredibly loving, almost like Rapunzel was trying to make them into one single entity. Eugene didn’t protest in the slightest, and soon one of his hands was in her hair, pulling her in closer, while her other hand had also moved into his hair.
But the kiss ended all too soon, as both of them were in need of air. They didn’t pull too far away from each other though, their breaths mingling together as their foreheads rested together. After a moment of regaining his breath, as well as his reasonable mind that wasn’t just screaming her name, he pulled his head back slightly and turned his eyes up so he could look at her face.
“Rapunzel, please tell me what’s wrong. I’m really worried about you,” he said softly, placing his index finger on her cheek, trailing it down her jawline until he reached her chin, slowly lifting her head so that she was looking at him.
“Can we run away?” she muttered in a near-silent whisper, her large green eyes meeting his honey ones with a pleading look. His eyebrows knit together as he frowned at her, cocking his head once again in confusion.
“... May I ask why you want us to run away?” he said gently, not wanting to upset her further by saying the wrong thing or saying anything in the wrong tone of voice.
“Because… if we stay… then I can’t dance with you at the ball…”
Eugene’s expression softened as he pulled her back into his embrace. The King had informed him a few weeks ago about Corona’s tradition at balls, and he let Eugene know that the whole night was completely under Rapunzel’s control; she could determine the length of each dance, she could reject any advances by any of the suitors, and, the one thing that both made Eugene happy but also nervous, was that she could reject any marriage proposals from any of those pompous puffy princes that Eugene already knew he wouldn’t like.
“Oh Blondie,” he murmured, placing a sweet kiss on her temple, “Your dad informed me about this tradition. I’m not exactly thrilled about it either, but this ball is in your honor, and it’s important to your parents.”
“I know… that it’s important to them, but… you’re more important to me than this is. I don’t want to dance with anyone but you,” she said boldly, looking him directly in the eye. Eugene sighed, moving his hand up to push a stray lock of her short brown hair behind her ear before he let his hand rest gently on her soft cheek. She nuzzled against his hand, turning her head to place a kiss in the center of his palm, and he smiled at her.
“I know we can’t dance together during the ball,” he began, his hand trailing down until it rested on the back of her neck, slowly pulling her closer to him, “But afterwards, once all the guests have gone to their rooms, we can share a dance. Is that okay with you, Rapunzel?”
Rapunzel, who was now close enough that her nose was touching his, gave him a slight nod before leaning in to press her lips against his in a much softer, but just as loving kiss. Neither of them were completely happy with this arrangement, but it was better than not dancing together at all.
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And so, on the day of the ball, Rapunzel stood in front of the long mirror in her room, admiring the dress she was wearing. It was quite long, enough so to hide her bare feet, and mostly yellow in color with hints of gold, which made her look like she was made out of sunshine. She laughed softly to herself as she walked over to her vanity and picked up her crown, placing it on her head. Just then, there was a knock on the door, and she called out to whomever it was that they could enter.
In walked the man of her dreams, dressed in a pair of tight grey pants, a white shirt, and golden vest that matched her dress perfectly. He smiled as he closed the door behind him and breezed over to her, his eyes raking over her form. As he reached her, he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning down so his head was resting on her shoulder.
“How are you doing, Rapunzel?” he said softly, placing a few lazy kisses on her neck and jaw before his eyes met hers in the mirror of her vanity. She sighed deeply, placing her hands over his and tilting her head so it rested against his.
“I’m alright, I guess. I’m nervous. What if… What if I screw something up? Or embarrass my parents? Or what if I-” she began to babble anxiously, until Eugene cut her off by spinning her in his arms and kissing her soundly, dipping her, while also catching her crown with ease. When he brought them both back up so they were standing straight, he broke the kiss, placed her crown gently back on her head, and looked her straight in the eye.
“Rapunzel. You are going to be just fine. Everyone will love you, you won’t screw anything up or embarrass anyone, and if anything goes wrong, I will be there,” he said seriously, his honey eyes intense.
“Thank you. I love you so much,” she said, leaning up to capture his lips in another kiss, “Oh, and you look incredibly handsome.”
“Why thank you, Princess,” he said, pulling away to give her a completely over the top bow, “And my I just say, you look incredibly beautiful. The man who holds your heart is a lucky one indeed.” Rapunzel giggled at his silliness, and she kissed him once again as he pulled her back into his arms.
“I think we need to go,” she whispered against his lips, their lips never truly separating. Eugene made a noise of agreement, but didn’t release his grip on her or break their kiss. After a few minutes, Rapunzel finally did, pulling away, and Eugene noted that her face was quite flushed, which made him smirk.
“Shall I escort you to the ball, Princess?” he said, holding out his elbow for her to take. She smiled at him and slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, holding it lightly. Giving each other a reassuring smile, Eugene led Rapunzel from her room and down to the ball. As they approached the door, one of the attendants stopped them in their tracks.
“I apologize, Mr. Fitzherbert, but her highness must enter the ballroom on her own,” he said, actually sounding quite genuine in his apology. Eugene nodded, and turned to Rapunzel, who released his elbow. She twisted her hands together nervously and then unconsciously reached up to grab her long hair, as she did when she was nervous or scared, but with met with only air.
Eugene immediately noticed this and, with zero concern for who saw, pulled her tightly into his arms, clutching her against him, hoping to somehow ease her fears. Rapunzel nuzzled his chest, breathing in his own unique smell, hoping it would calm her nerves and reassure her that everything would be alright.
He pulled away after a moment, giving her a look as if to say ‘Are you okay?’ which she responded to with a nod, pecking his lips lightly before he walked away to enter the ball alone. Once the grand doors had been shut behind him, Rapunzel approached it and stood patiently at the front, trying to focus on her breathing.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the announcer began as he entered the room, “it is my honor to present to you, Her Royal Highness, the Lost Princess of Corona… Princess Rapunzel!”
Taking one final deep breath, Rapunzel walked slowly through the doors and into the bright ballroom, deafened by the thunderous applause by all the guests. As she began to make her way into the room, she spotted Eugene standing a bit away from her parents, smiling happily at her and clapping louder and harder than anyone in the room. As she reached her parents, she curtseyed to them before they both embraced her tightly. When they finished hugging her, they turned her back around to face the crowd.
“Let the ball begin!” King Frederic bellowed, causing the musicians to begin to play a joyous tune, making many couples begin to dance. As Rapunzel tried to absorb it all, she was distracted as a finger gently tapped her shoulder. She turned, expecting it to be Eugene, but was sorely disappointed when she saw it was one of the many princes she was required to dance with.
“Your Highness,” the prince began, giving her a small bow, “My name is Prince Adrian of Theovaria. May I ask to share in your first dance?” Rapunzel gave him a small smile and a nod, letting him lead her out onto the dance floor. They made polite conversation, but Rapunzel was quite bored by it. As they continued to dance, she felt his hand on her back begin to shift downwards, but just before she stopped him, he pulled away from her like she had shocked him. He coughed nervously, and apologized quickly to her before skittering off.
A few moments later she began to dance with another equally boring suitor, Prince Walther of Cageworth. This time, when he asked if she could show him around the palace gardens, he looked wide-eyed at something over her shoulder, and then quickly changed his mind and went over to the snack table. When Rapunzel looked in the same direction he had looked, she didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
As the ball wore on, the same thing kept happening. A prince would ask her to dance or to talk, everything would seem fine, and then suddenly, they’d get spooked by something and run off as politely as they could. It wasn’t until she was dancing with Prince Kylian of Vasan that she finally noticed what was going on.
He twirled her around the dance floor, which surprised Rapunzel, and she slipped a little on her dress. She fell backwards, but Prince Kylian caught her, holding her close and smiling at her. As she was about to ask him to stand her up straight, she noticed his eyes go wide and his face pale. Her curiosity spiked, and she dipped her head back to look at whatever kept scaring the princes away from her.
There, upside down from her current view, was her new dream, giving Prince Kylian the most menacing death glare she had ever seen. Seconds later, she was upright and listening dazedly as the prince quickly apologized before running away faster than any of the others had. As a smirk grew on her face, she stalked through the crowd to find her man. When she found him, he was casually leaning against a wall by the dessert table, finishing off a piece of marzipan as Rapunzel came to stand in front of him.
“Good evening, your highness,” he said casually, smirking down at her. He knew she had caught onto what he was doing, but he still wanted to play it cool.
“I know what you’re doing, Mr. Fitzherbert. You know, I can fight my own battles,” she said, placing her hands on her hips and looking at him with her eyebrow quirked. He smirked down at her, pushing off the wall so he was standing closer to her, before moving past her to snag another piece of marzipan off the table.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Princess. But I promise, I know that you can fight your own battles. I’ve got a couple dents in my head from a frying pan to prove that fact,” he spoke with a hint of laughter, winking at her.
With a smile, Rapunzel plucked the piece of marzipan from his fingers just as he was about to put in it his mouth, and she popped it into hers, winking back at him before making her way back to the dance floor, her heart fluttering as she realized just how much he cared for her.
As she got back to the floor, she was swept into the arms of yet another prince, who introduced himself as Prince Aulis of Bellan. He, like all the others before him, began to make polite conversation that Rapunzel dutifully responded to, but as their dance went on, he said something that nearly stopped her in her tracks.
“It appears I have some competition for your hand,” he began with a slight chuckle, “That man over there is giving me quite a deathly glare.”
As they spun, Rapunzel caught sight of Eugene, who was once again staring down her dance partner with a menacing glare. But unlike all the others, Prince Aulis seem unfazed by it; Eugene’s glare was actually making him laugh, indicating to Rapunzel that there was something different about this one.
“I umm… I don’t think he is your only competition, Prince Aulis. I have danced with quite a few princes this evening, all of whom seem quite interested,” she said, a hint of nervousness in her voice. All the other princes were not only scared of Eugene’s glare, but they seemed to know who he was.
He was the notorious thief Flynn Rider, who had stolen from royalty and dignitaries all over the continent. He knew how to get out of tricky situations, he knew how to fight, and there were even rumors that he had killed a few people; these claims were of course false, as Eugene assured Rapunzel, but his thief reputation was still important to him, so no one else would ever be the wiser.
But Prince Aulis didn’t seem to know who Flynn Rider was. Rapunzel reasoned that he must be from one of the northern kingdoms across the sea, for his hair and skin were quite fair, and Flynn Rider had never gone across the sea to the north. As the music ended, they stopped dancing, but the prince still held her hand tightly in his.
“Would you be willing to give me a tour of the gardens? I hear they are quite lovely, even in the colder months,” he said, his hand currently not holding hers moving to the small of her back, which made Rapunzel stiffen for a brief second. She was nervous, but she knew she could take care of herself, and if something happened, there were many guards and a certain ex-thief who would be willing to throw the prince in the dungeons.
“Of course. Please, follow me,” she replied in an even tone, not letting any of her trepidation show through as she smiled at the prince and began to lead him towards the doors that led to the gardens. As they exited the ballroom, Rapunzel saw Eugene out of the corner of her eye, weaving his way through the hordes of people, a concerned look on his face.
As they entered the gardens, they began to chat idly again, until eventually, they reached a secluded bench that Rapunzel knew all too well; she had spent many evenings on this particular bench with her love, talking about everything and nothing, cuddling, and kissing. She wished in that moment she wouldn’t have to share this bench with anyone but Eugene, but that wish was not met as the prince ushered for her to sit down beside him.
“Princess Rapunzel, may I just say, you look incredibly lovely this evening. I have never met a princess as lovely as you,” he said, his voice dripping with over the top flattery, which made Rapunzel want to roll her eyes.
“Thank you, Prince Aulis. That is very kind of you to say,” she replied, trying not to sound off put by his ridiculous flirting. As she smiled at him, his eyes began to flutter closed, and he started to lean in towards her. Just as Rapunzel was about to push his completely unwanted kiss away, he jumped up with a yelp, his hand covering his ear.
Rapunzel looked him with intense curiosity at his sudden and abrupt outburst, but then she felt something begin to scurry up her arm. Looking down at her shoulder, she saw a very red Pascal, who was looking at the prince with a menacing glare of his own. Rapunzel smiled down at her chameleon friend, who had become very fond of Eugene over the last couple months, and was clearly working with him to keep her suitor’s in check.
“Thanks Pascal,” she whispered, giving him a little pat on his head before taking him off her shoulder and placing him on the ground. He ran off back to the ballroom, probably to collect some kind of reward from Eugene, for the good deed he had done.
“I… I’m sorry, Princess. I don’t know what that was,” the prince said, having not seen the exchange between Rapunzel and her chameleon, “Forgive my outburst. But, I do have a question for you.”
Suddenly he was down on one knee, clutching her hands in his, gazing up at her with a look of adoration, as if nothing had just happened. She knew what was coming, and she was already formulating the nicest way to say, ‘Hell no,’ to his marriage proposal. She listened to his lengthy explanation on just why they would be perfect for each other (even though he knew next to nothing about her), and when he was finally done, she did her best to turn him down easily.
As he left her dejectedly, Rapunzel sighed and placed her face in her hands; she just wanted this night to be over. She didn’t want to pretend anymore that she had any interest in any of these princes. All she wanted was to spend the evening with the man she loved. She wanted to walk with him, talk with him, introduce him to everyone as her one and only suitor, and most of all, she wanted to dance with him in front of every single one of those pompous princes.
Looking up with another sigh, she was greeted by a comforting sight; standing there with a very happy Pascal on his shoulder, was Eugene, who gave her a sad smile as he approached her. Sitting down beside her, he wasn’t at all surprised when she crawled into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck, gazing up at him with sad eyes.
“I hate this stupid ball,” she whispered as she leaned in to nuzzle against his cheek and neck. He knew that if anyone found them like this, he’d be in huge trouble, but at this point, he didn’t give a damn. He had watched the love of his life dance with countless men all evening, his fists clenching in anger every time he watched as one of them tried to kiss her, or touch her indecently, or lead her away for privacy.
“The food is amazing, but otherwise, I completely agree with you,” he said with a chuckle, kissing her neck a few times, breathing in her flowery scent as he pressed a kiss to the small bit of exposed skin on her shoulder. She giggled softly, relishing in the feel of being in his arms, which he now had tightly wrapped around her waist.
The pair sat there for what seemed like hours but was only just a few minutes, soaking in the feel of each other and trying to convey to the other just how much they loved them. A few minutes more, and Pascal broke their tranquil state by poking Eugene’s cheek with his tail, pointing towards the ballroom, indicating that they needed to rejoin the festivities.
“Blondie, we should get back in there before someone comes looking for us,” he murmured, placing a kiss on her forehead. Sighing against his skin, Rapunzel pulled back to look at him, her eyes dotted with small tears that threatened to escape. Eugene leaned in and gently wiped them away, leaving her looking the same as before, and then, without warning, she jumped up on her knees and kissed him soundly.
It lasted less than a minute, but it left them both feeling elated, with a sense that everything was going to be okay, and that they could make it through this night. Eugene stood up, his arms holding Rapunzel tightly against him until he was upright, setting her down on her feet. She looked up at him and whispered a quick, “I love you,” before she turned around, walking back towards the ballroom. Eugene stood there, waiting a few minutes before heading back inside as well, where he was immediately met by the King.
“Thank you for letting me check on her,” Eugene said, giving King Frederic a grateful smile. “She’s doing okay.”
“You’re welcome, Mr. Fitzherbert. Thank you for looking after her,” he replied, clapping Eugene’s shoulder firmly, smiling at him briefly before walking off to go find his wife. As Eugene was left alone with Pascal, he gave the chameleon another grape before letting him down so he could head back to Rapunzel’s room.
As Eugene ventured further onto the dance floor, his eyes searching for Rapunzel, he felt someone put a hand on his arm. Turning around, he was met by the piercing green eyes of a woman with red hair wearing a dark blue dress, which was cut very low, exposing a large amount of her chest.
“Good evening. My name is Princess Ryana of Ovarris. Would you care to dance?” she said in a seductive voice, her eyelashes fluttering so quickly that it seemed as if they were the wings of a bird.
“Uhh, sorry, but no thank you,” Eugene said, gently pulling his arm from her grasp. “I’m already taken.” The princess quirked an eyebrow up at him, a smirk on her lips.
“Hmm… Well, I don’t see your betrothed around anywhere, so I think you can manage just one little dance,” she replied, grabbing hold of his hand and leading him to the middle of the dance floor, pulling him against her as she forced him into a dance. As he begrudgingly moved this woman around the dance floor, his eyes searched for Rapunzel, wanting to make sure she was still okay.
When he finally caught a glimpse of her, she was being led onto the dance floor by another stuffy prince, and he could instantly tell just how fake her smile was. As the prince began to lead her in a dance, her eyes locked with Eugene’s for a brief moment before they moved down to see the woman in his arms. He watched as Rapunzel gasped, causing the prince to ask her what was wrong, but she quickly brushed him off with a smile, which he accepted.
As both pairs moved around the floor, Rapunzel and Eugene noticed that they gradually began to move closer and closer to each other, until finally, both the leads spun their partner at the same time, and the couple’s backs just happened to brush together ever so slightly, making them both smile.
When the dance finally ended, Eugene couldn’t tear himself away from the princess fast enough, and he rushed over to the table adorned with food and drinks. He gratefully grabbed a glass of wine and began to idly sip it while he browsed the food selection again. A moment later, he felt a hand on the small of his back, and he watched as a petite hand reached far across the table to grab the last piece of asparagus from its dish.
Turning around, Eugene watched as Rapunzel took a bite of the asparagus, a coquettish smile on her lips as she chewed. They two just stood there, Rapunzel eating while Eugene took the occasional sip of his wine, the two of them never breaking their eye contact. When they had both finished, Rapunzel moved closer to him, reaching to grab a napkin. She smiled up at him as she dabbed the sides of her mouth, and they both smiled at each other as the clock struck eleven. “One more hour,” she whispered to him before they parted ways again.
Rapunzel danced with five more equally dull princes in the next hour, and when the clock finally struck midnight, most of the guests began to head off to their respective rooms, leaving a few stragglers behind. As the king and queen filed out with the last guests, they both smiled as they saw Rapunzel and Eugene slowly making their way to each other from opposite ends of the room.
When they met in the middle, they stared at each other silently for a moment, before Eugene bowed to her, putting his hand out and looking up at her through his eyelashes. She bit her lip as she accepted his hand, placing her other hand on his shoulder as he stood upright, pulling her against his chest whilst placing his other hand on her waist. Eugene began to lead her in a slow dance around the ballroom, not caring as he noticed some of the servants staring at them.
As they moved in perfect synchronization with each other, the servants took the hint and they left the ballroom to let the princess and her suitor have their dance together. Rapunzel smiled up at Eugene when she realized that they were alone, moving her hand from his shoulder to the back of his neck, pulling him in for a searing kiss. Moments later, they both stopped dancing and focused solely on the kiss, clinging to each other as it grew ever more passionate. Rapunzel began to push him backwards with her petite but strong form until his back was pressed up against a wall.
“Eugene…” she began, her hands tangled in his short brown locks, “There’s only you. There’s only ever been you.” She stared up at him, her eyes darkened as she conveyed her message to him. A satisfied grin spread across his face, and he leaned down to capture her lips again fiercely, making her let out a satisfied groan.
“I love you Rapunzel.”
“I love you Eugene.”
They broke for air after a few moments, both of their lips kiss swollen and their hair messy. Pushing off the wall, Eugene pulled her back into his arms and began to lead her in another dance, humming a slow and sweet-sounding song that echoed throughout the nearly empty ballroom, surrounding them. Rapunzel lay her head against Eugene’s chest, listening to the steady beating of his heart, and he rested his head against hers, closing his eyes as they relaxed into each other.
Dancing together finally, they moved slowly together until Eugene finished the tune he was humming, at which point Rapunzel pulled away slightly to look up at him. Moving away from him, sliding her hand down from his shoulder until both her hands were in his, she began to move as if to spin them, and he played along, first spinning slowly until finally they were going around in a not-quite-perfect circle, both of them laughing out loud.
Finally, Eugene’s foot slipped, and he began to fall, taking Rapunzel with him, leaving both of them in a pile on the floor, giggling wildly as they held each other close. As their giggles subsided, Rapunzel sat up slightly in his lap, her hands lying flat on his chest, giving her leverage as she leaned down to kiss him again.
“I’m never going to dance with another woman again. Only you. I promise,” he whispered as he moved his lips to her neck and earlobe, his teeth nibbling her skin gently, not hard enough to leave any marks.
“And I will never ever ever dance with another stuck up, stupid prince again,” she replied against his ear in a small gasp as he sucked on the soft skin of her neck, “Or any other man, for that matter.” Eugene smiled against her skin before she pulled away, yawning loudly, which made him smile as he sat up, brushing her hair out of her eyes.
“Time for bed, Blondie?”
“Mmm yes,” she replied with another yawn before placing her arms around his neck, “Will you carry me?” He chuckled, shifting her off his lap so he could get on his knees before wrapping her legs around his waist and pulling her flush against his chest, his hands holding her up by her thighs as he started to carry her from the ballroom, her skirt making a curtain around his legs.
When he reached her room, he opened the door before shutting it behind him, the only light in the room from the moonlight shining in through the window. Carrying her over to her bed, he sat her down on the edge, placing a kiss on her forehead as he pulled away.
“Do you need anything else, Rapunzel?”
“Hmm… a nightgown and a goodnight kiss, please,” she murmured softly. Eugene nodded and went over to her wardrobe, pulling out a long-sleeved flowy pink nightgown and placing it on the bed beside her. He then put both his hands on her cheeks and leaned down to place a deep kiss upon her waiting lips. Her mouth opened against his, her tongue gently trailing against his upper lip, and he eagerly accepted her tongue, his twisting and twirling with hers in a seductive dance.
He pulled back after a few more minutes, the kiss leaving his head spinning and his eyes dark, which Rapunzel could see, even in the small amount of light. His breathing had changed as well, as had hers, and she wasn’t sure what she was feeling at that current moment, but she definitely loved it.
“Goodnight, Rapunzel.”
“Goodnight, Eugene,” she replied, watching him leave her room, shutting the door behind him. She flopped down onto her bed, beginning to unlace the ties on the front of her dress, her head still spinning from the kiss.
The evening may not have started out very fun for either of them, but the dance they had shared at the end had made up for it in the end.