Why Don't You Love Me?

Chapter 1: Cold, Cold Heart

"Absense makes the heart grow fonder? Yeah, of someone else?" ~ Wendy Webb

"Hey, Blondie." Rapunzel jumped and spun around, her arms flailing as they tried to grasp an absent frying pan.

She giggled in embarrassment when she saw that the sudden break in her silence had been orchestrated by none other than the kingdom hero Eugene Fitzherbert, who was formerly known as the fugitive thief Flynn Rider. An irritating strand of golden hair flopped into her eyes, and she tucked it back, smiling at one of her two closet friends. The other one was perched on her shoulder, teasingly poking her, and no doubt, lightly scolding her for acting so uptight.

She laughed. "Hi, Eugene!"

Pretending to be upset, Eugene crossed his arms and frowned, whispering, "Aww, Blondie, don't use my real name."

Rapunzel shook her head and rolled her eyes. She turned back to the window, staring out over the icicle-laced town, and beyond that, the frozen wide, beautiful, teal sea. Her green eyes narrowed as she stared at the horizon.

Eugene watched his fiancée with a bit of confusion. "Rapunzel?" He asked.

His smile faded and his eyebrows raised as he stepped toward her. Leaning over to look her in the eye, he saw her gaze become cloudy. Strange, he thought, because Rapunzel's eyes never became dull or cloudy.

They only grew brighter and brighter, and Eugene sometimes thought he was staring at the sun itself than a princess who held some of its' powers. Her powers were more than just lovely singing, glowing skin and hair, or even the magic of healing. Eugene would notice that even when she was in a rare glum mood, her presence could brighten up everyone else's day.

Sometimes, he swore that he could see her in the dark, just by the glow of her golden skin. Animals befriended her, nervous people calmed in her presence, and normally bold and brash people averted their eyes as if her gaze would burn through them. Perhaps the tower, now with its' limited sunlight, had been dulling her powers? Eugene realized, with a small chuckle and a shrug, that he too had gotten lost in thought.

"Rapunzel," he softly called, laying a hand on her shoulder.

Pascal, who had been admiring the scenery outside, nudged his longtime friend, and perkily squeaked.

She jerked out of her stupor and sheepishly grinned. "Sorry, Pascal, Eugene, I was just thinking..."

Her voice trailed off, and Eugene would have bet every dollar he'd ever made, from stealing or otherwise, that her glow dimmed a bit.

A heavy thought was clinging to her heart, and knowing her, everything of her was as stubborn as Maximus.

"Thinking? About how handsome I am, suppose," Eugene said, smirking and throwing an arm around her shoulders.

She grinned up at him, and his heartbeat sped up. He looked closely at her skin, noting that it seemed not only a bit dimmer because of her thoughts, but dimmer because...

"Rapunzel, when have you last been outside?" Eugene asked.

Rapunzel shrugged as she studied her bare feet. Pascal answered the question for his friend by slightly frowning and shaking his head. The message was quite clear, Rapunzel hadn't smelled fresh air in a while.

"You need to get out more," Eugene jokingly laughed, trying to steer her toward the staircase, but Rapunzel stiffened, her eyes wide, and to Eugene's shock and horror, they seemed to be brimming with tears.

"You need to get out more," Jack said, twirling the magical staff between his fingers as he grinned at her.

Rapunzel blew out some air and smiled at the floor. As she clasped her hands around her back, she began to pace.