Rapunzel, Eh? {To Be Continued Soon!}

~Chapter 9~

 Far away, in a land we have not yet seen...

 The footsteps echoed down the dark, empty hallway. The sound of fabric dragging came from a long cape, which was coloured black to match the darkness. There was only dim light, coming from a candle, its orange flame ceasing to dance, the air deathly still. 

 A hand reached up to the doorknob, pale and strong. A click and a creak, as the door was opened. Red eyes scanned the room, and the hood was pulled down, as the door shut behind the man. The flame disappeared in a small puff of smoke. 

 A soft glow emitted from his skin as he changed his form. He became smaller, thinner, and his hair grew longer. A smile came from thin, red, dainty lips that weren't his, yet always had been. His hand was smaller, more fragile. 

 She was herself once more. 

 The woman's strikingly green eyes wandered, recognizing the lair she stood in. Shedding her cape, she walked over to a mirror, her dark dress contrasting against her fair skin. She lifted a hand, pressing it onto the smooth, cold surface, energized with power greater than most had ever seen. Her grin stayed unchanged, as she uttered the words she'd kept in her head. 

 "Mirror, mirror, glowing with loyalty...show me the destruction of this kingdom's royalty."

 The grin faded into laugh, maniacal and grand. 

 "How they've yet to see my power..."

 -

 Arthur was tapping his fingers again. It was just a regular evening, save for the guest that sat directly in the middle of his two sons at the dinner table, and they were awaiting the dishes that the chef had mastered. 

 That tapping sound, that echo bounding off the walls from the simple action, could drive a man insane someday, if it already hadn't. Nobody else seemed to care, the three across the table chattering away about god knows what. It repeated, and repeated. Taptap. Tap. Taptaptap.

 ...

 Taptap. 

 The rougher, stronger hand was placed over his own suddenly. It was very familiar, and Arthur had memorized its feeling along his for years. The soft palms pressed against the back of his hand, sliding down to grab it delicately, fingers intwined perfectly. The blonde didn't have to look up, nor did he have to hear the voice coming from beside him. 

 "Mon amour," The Frenchman said softly, worry starting to spill through his eyes, a deep blue tinted violet. "What's wrong?"

 Arthur glanced over at his husband. "It's nothing to be concerned about..."

 "You only tap whenever somezhing important 'as come up, and you're anxious about it." 

 "Well, it's nothing." Three pairs of eyes turned to them as the younger king raised his voice slightly. 

 "What's nothing?" Alfred asked, his expression full of innocent confusion. Alice and Matthew had both gone silent, looking at Arthur intently. 

 "None of your concern, Alfred. It's...a small matter which needs no further discussion at the dinner table. Now come on, the food's here, eat up. You have lessons after." 

 Arthur tried to ignore the pair of eyes that lingered on him whilst he picked at his food, those knowing eyes that had always understood, always figured out the truth. They saw past his lies every time. 

 After dinner, his two children, accompanied by the girl, left for the courtyard for sword training. Arthur went to the large window that overlooked the lesson, and had a nice view as the sun was setting, fading the blue of the sky into a warm orange with pink hues, clouds white and almost non-existant. 

 "Will you tell me now?"

 The man turned. "Well, you already know, don't you?" 

 The confusion left from Francis' eyes. "Zhat's what you're worried about?"

 "You know it will happen. If I've seen it, there's no way to stop it...stop her from finally getting what she wants." Green eyes met blue, in a locked gaze from across the room. 

 Francis walked forward to the man's side. "Not everyzhing. Zhere's still somezhing she won't be able to get, no matter how 'ard she tries."

 Both men looked at their sons in the makeshift arena, made of dirt, sticks, and rope. 

 "We'll have to tell them soon, won't we..." 

 "Oui, I'm afraid so, mon cher. But it will be for the best." Their eyes wandered to the girl, sitting on the planks of wood made into a bench, who was smiling and laughing at the show before her, her eyes lit up with hapiness, everything bad about the world gone, in that single moment. 

 "Someday, they'll find out the truth." Tears brimmed forest green eyes, eyes that had been passed down from generations. "Just...not from me." 

 Warm arms wrapped around Arthur, and he clung to his husband, while the sun inched closer to the horizon, those tears falling down onto rosy cheeks, rolling off the base of the man's chin. 

 "Shh, everything will work out. Even if zhey find out, even if zhey wonder why...zhey'll know it was for zhe best." 

 And once more, Arthur watched his children play like Matthew and Alfred used to, when they were small and the world was bigger than imaginable, when nothing could break the bond they shared. When they would collect strange bugs, play knights, and crawl into eachother's beds when they were scared of the thunder at night. 

 That girl. Alice. 

 What she would've been like if she'd been able to spend her days in her rightful place.

 As the sun set, and the foolishness was over with, the trio went back inside, and got ready for sweet dreams in the realm of sleep, where nothing could hurt them, and where they could become those children they were once more, together. Boots were arranged, swords hung up, and heavy heads fell onto pillows, as the world around them falling into a deep sleep.

 Maybe sleep isn't a good thing, though. Because, after all, when you sleep...

 You aren't in control. 

 Vulnerable.

 Weak.

- 

This was my favourite chapter to write so far. It was so easy!!! Maybe I'm just way too into mama Arthur...

Anyways, ooooh, new creepy person and stuff! 

Arthur and Francis' mysterious knowledge about the future!

Swordfights at sunset!

Almost 2k reads!

And more to come... *hums Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This*