Don't You Fret, My Dear

The Party is Over

"YOUR HIGHNESS!" The guard yells. I see the torches lit along the doc shining against his gold-colored chest plate. 

Rapunzel had just rowed the boat up to the foots of the doc, and I was getting out so I could help her up, when I get a sinking feeling in my stomach. 

"Eugene..." I begin to realize what may be going on. Does Rapunzel know? I don't mention anything, just in case I'm wrong. I doubt it, but I wish so hard to be wrong. 

We run up the dock to meet the guard. And it's not just a guard; it's the captain. This can't be good. 

"Your highness," he says between breaths, "It's, It's your husband. He's not well, you're needed in the castle immediately!" 

Rapunzel's face falls, my stomach twists even more. The guard tries leading us through the village, but Rapunzel outruns him; there's no stopping her. I completely disregard the Captain, knowing I may pay for it dearly later, and run after her. 

I can barely keep up, but we manage to burst into her bedroom door just seconds from each other. she immediately goes to a bedridden Eugene and throws herself at him. 

"Eugene, what's wrong?" she asks, her voice wavering. I can barely move, but I force my stiff legs over to him. He looks terrible. Sweaty, dark circles around his eyes, grimacing from pain. But that's where the natural-looking symptoms end. This man is turning grey...

He coughs, and grabs his wife's hand. "Raps..." his voice is raspy and weak. His eyes, they flicker black every few seconds, as is whatever terrible force that's overtaken him he is still trying to fight. "You have to fight them..."

"Who? Eugene, tell me who!" Rapunzel begs, she's not even fighting the tears now, they slip out as she speaks. 

"Promise me..." he whispers.

"I-I promise." she tells him. She lays her head on his chest. 

"Rapunzel, I love you." he says. She starts shaking. 

"I love you, Eugene..." she says, and breaks down crying. Eugene's eyes close and he exhales one last time. 

Rapunzel's parents try to reach their daughter, but she has her arms wrapped around her husbands neck like a vice. She's not crying, she's just laying there, silent. Then, the strangest thing happens. It's like Eugene is disappearing. Slowly fading, fading. Like dust blowing away. The cloud of dust swirls around the room and forces the window open, then blows away in a gust. 

The windows slam shut and we all sit there in silence, unable to comprehend what just happened. All that's left of him, shining in the light of the lantern by the bed, is Eugene's wedding band, sitting on his pillow. Rapunzel lifts up her head, looks at it, and begins bawling. Her parents go to console her, but she sounds way past that. I go to hug her, to grab her hand, to do anything, but I hesitate; I know I can't help her. 

King Frederic lifts his daughter off the bed, Queen Arianna pulls back the covers, and the king lays Rapunzel down where Eugene had been laying. Rapunzel doesn't react to any of this. She just clutches the wedding band to her chest as they work like a team, arranging the pillows around her head, tucking her in, making sure she's in a comfortable position. The king and queen each place a kiss on her forehead, pat her back, then head to the door. 

They turn to me, empty sadness on their faces. I hold out my hands and the queen takes them. 

"Watch her for the night, will you, Katt?" Arianna asks. I nod. I hug both of them, not caring about etiquette. They wish me a goodnight, and head on to bed. I sit in a chair across from the bed, watching Rapunzel sleep silently. I feel weird just sitting here, but I don't know what else to do. I keep thinking about...whatever is was...that just happened. I feel partially responsible for it; I was brought here for extra security, after all, and now Eugene is gone by the hands of the very thing I was here to watch for. This is all my fault, I begin to think. "No, you idiot!" I whisper to myself. This causes Rapunzel to stir. 

"Katt?" she calls out. "Katt, is that you?"

"Uh...yeah..." I answer back, quietly. "The queen wanted me to-"

"Will you lay with me?" she asks, sounding like a small child scared of a nightmare. I don't answer, but I get up and walk over. I go to the right side of the bed and crawl under the covers. She scoots over to me and I end up holding her. I freeze for a second, nervous, but eventually I calm down. I just stroke her hair, shushing her to sleep. I feel her clutching me like a vice, warm tears falling on my arms. Eventually, we both find sleep. 

I'm woken by a beam of sunlight shining through the window. I blink a few times to adjust and then realize where I am. I hear Rapunzel snoring softly in my arms. The events of last night start flooding back and I feel bricks drop on my chest. I want to wake Rapunzel, so I don't have to be up alone, but I drop the idea. Today is when we face the situation we've been put in, but for now, I let her sleep. 

It can wait...., I think, 

It can wait.