Taming the Rider (4/4)

[yappichick]

Together, we start walking again. We have covered most of the kingdom by now; there is only the east village left. The people are less dense here. Most of them are starting to congregate in the town’s center.

When we walk by the town’s library, I don’t miss Blondie’s lingering look.

“Wanna go inside?” I offer.

She nods her head eagerly and pulls my hand, leading me to the large building. With a stumble and a huff, I enter into the library. Mr. Leser looks up from his reading to see who has interrupted his favorite pasttime.

“Eugene Fitzherbert,” he greets warmly. He takes off his glasses and studies me for a second. “It’s been a while, lad.”

I shrug. “I’ve been staying busy.” Stealing a priceless crown, running from guards, climbing up mysterious tower...becoming Corona’s most notorious thief takes up a lot of time.

“I see you brought a friend with you,” he gestures towards Blondie who is scanning the shelves with unabashed interest.

I nod as Blondie flashes a grin at the two of us.

He looks at me with a slight crease in his forehead. “I was going to leave for the day to prepare for this evening’s celebration.”

The disappointment on Rapunzel’s face is impossible to miss. “Would you mind if we stayed here for a while? I’ve never seen so many books in one place before!”

Mr. Leser glances at me. I give him my most sincere Eugene Fitzherbert look (which is nothing like the suave smolder of Flynn Rider, let me tell you. It’s more like a cross between a lost puppy and the sad look of a child who hasn’t had dessert in a week.) and say, “You can trust me.”

It’s true too. The kindly librarian is one of the very few people who will never be burglarized by Flynn Rider. After all, I owe my alter ego all to Mr. Leser. He is the man who introduced me to The Tales of Flynnigan Rider so many years ago.

For a second or two, it seems as if he is going to say no. Finally, after looking at Blondie’s pleading look, he lets out a sigh. “Aye, the two of you can stay here. But,” he says, pointing a slightly crooked finger at me, “no snooping through my desk drawers.”

Oops. I guess that means he figured out what I was doing that last time I visited. I hold my hands up in innocence. “I promise. Your desk is safe.”

I turn back to Blondie who is already holding a half dozen books in her arms. I rush over to her and take several from her hands before she drops them on the ground. Mr. Leser might overlook my questionable lifestyle, but he can’t tolerate anything happening to his books.

She looks at me appreciatively before turning towards Mr. Leser. She holds her arm open and takes two steps, crushing him in a half-embrace. “Thank you!” she enthuses.

He returns her embrace with a grin. I’m starting to wonder if anyone is impervious to Blondie’s charm. Mr. Leser releases him and faces me. “Quite a friend you have here, Eugene.” He wisely exits before I have a chance to stammer out some sort of response.

I watch him walk down the road as I set the books on the ground. Blondie takes a seat in the center of the room and grabs my wrist, pulling me next to her. She starts to fan out the books around the two of us, studying each cover carefully. “Where should I start?”

I look at the large assortment of book she has gathered. There are books about mathematics, reptilian anatomy--that figures, I think, amused--, astronomy and physics. Heavy reading for someone who has lived in a tower her whole life. I shrug as I glance at the booking, trying to figure out which one will be the least boring. My eyes land on the cover of the astronomy book. How bad could a book about stars be?

“Let’s try that one,” I say.

She reaches over and picks it up before setting it in her lap. “This is so exciting!”

I don’t say anything as she opens the book to the front page and starts reading out loud. She’s not even past the first page and I’m already in danger of slipping into a boredom coma.

Oh, this is bad. Really bad.

I force myself to not start drooling as I sit there, uninterested and indifferent. It was almost impossible, but somehow I manage not to drift off to sleep as Blondie continues to read. I won’t bore you with the details (for the concern of my well-being) but let’s just say that astronomy not only has the misfortune of having everything tied to Greek mythology, but mathematics as well.

Oh Galileo, I think as I refrain from rubbing my eyes, you must have been real smooth with the ladies.

Unlike me, Blondie seems to soak up everything she is reading and enjoy it. Finally, when she finished the first chapter, I still her hands from turning to the next page by laying mine on top of them. “About we try something else? Something that doesn’t require intimate knowledge of mathematics.” I punctuate my plea with a smolder for good measure.

Maybe my good looks are starting to charm her (but, more than likely, she just wants to read something as “fun” as calculating the circumference of the moon) because she agrees to my request. Without hesitation, she picks up the book on reptile anatomy.

I make a face. I already know too much about a certain chameleon's tongue, thank you very much. Fortunately, she seems content to skim through the pages before grabbing another book. What was she doing?

I must look as confused as I feel because she looks up at me and gives me a small grin. “I want to see them all!”

I feel my stomach do a flip flop at the sight of her smile and I start to wonder if Gusto slipped something into my cupcake earlier. I watch as she goes from book to book. It doesn’t matter what topic she is reading, she is equally as excited about any topic.

As she gets to the end of the pile (which has now been fanned out across the entire floor of the room), I get inspired by an idea. “About some geography?” For some reason, I want to be the one who shows her just how big the world is. I am her guide after all.

Her eyes light up and she claps her hands together. “OK!”

Honestly, I had no idea that it was possible to encapsulate that much excitement into one word.

I move to stand and Blondie is close on my heals. Apparently, she is really as excited as she sounds about the prospect of looking at these maps. “If I remember Mr. Leser’s filing system correctly, they should be over here,” I say, nodding to the shelves in the far corner of the room.

Blondie practically skips across the room. She approaches the shelves and starts looking at the titles. Unfortunately for her, she’s just too short to reach the highest shelf where the books are. I quickly make my way across the room before she tries to climb the shelves herself.

I reach up for the large book with the gold binding. I remember glancing at it the last time I was here (I may or may not have been using the detailed maps for nefarious purposes.) and I’m pretty sure Blondie would like the artistic aspect of the maps, especially seeing her creation earlier.

“What about the blue one up there?” she asks. She pushes herself up on her tiptoes.

The sight of her with her eyebrows pressed down in concentration combined with seeing her tongue peeking from between her lips causes my stomach to flutter again.

Time to get a grip, Rider.

But I can’t. Not when she looks like this. Not when she’s so close to me.

So, I do the only thing I can think to do.

I start to move away.

Fate, however, seems to have other plans.

Suddenly, Rapunzel starts to lose her balance and falls towards me. One second, I am holding an old book, the next, I have an armful of Rapunzel.

I don’t know how it’s possible--maybe I should grab a book on physics--but time suddenly slows down and the world around me fades away.

There is nothing beyond the fact that Rapunzel is quite close to me. My one arm is solidly wrapped around her tiny waist. Her soft breath tickles the skin on my neck. Our chests are pressed together tightly enough to where I’m pretty sure I can feel her heart beating.

I let the book fall to the ground and bring my other hand to her hip. You know, to keep us from falling to the ground. Really. It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she feels so good --too good-- in my arms and I find myself unwilling to let her go.

I lean my head forward and inhale. She smells like sunshine, flowers and happiness. And, for a blissful few seconds, I’m able to fully appreciate what it feels like to hold Rapunzel.

“Eugene.”

Have I mentioned how much I enjoy hearing my name--my real name--on her lips?

At the thought of her lips, my mind demands that I kiss her. She’s so close. So perfectly close. All I have to do is released my hold of her hip and tilt her head up just slightly. I pull my hand away from her and start to move it towards her cheek. I notice her big, green eyes widen and wonder if she knows what I’m thinking about doing.

“Eugene.” This time it’s a little more urgent.

Oh, don’t worry, Sweetheart, I won’t make you wait much longer.

I’m a breath away from framing her freckled face when she pulls back slightly. “You dropped the book.”

And, like that, time comes rushing back at its normal pace.

I push away from her. What am I doing? More importantly, what was I thinking? Sunshine and happiness? Honestly, Eugene Fitzherbert can’t be more of a sap if I tried.

I stammer out some kind of apology as I bend down to retrieve the book. When I sneak a glance at Rapunzel, I’m pleased to notice she seems a bit flustered herself.

Maybe she’s not immune to the Flynn Rider charm after all.

No, I immediately correct myself, she’s not immune to the softie otherwise known as Eugene.

As I straighten, Rapunzel reaches for my free hand and drags me to our original position. She takes the book from my fingers as I lower myself to the ground. Before she opens it, she turns to me and does something completely unexpected.

She kisses me on the cheek.

Her lips are soft and warm and gone before I have a chance to really enjoy the sensation. I’d be willing to bet a half a dozen crowns that I have that same idiotic smile on my face that the owner of the Snuggly Duckling had on his face yesterday when Rapunzel gave him a peck on his cheek.

“What’s that for?” I hope my voice doesn’t sound as breathless as I think it sounds.

She gives me a grateful smile. “To thank you for keeping me from falling.” She shrugs slightly and suddenly seems embarrassed. The smile is gone and replaced with a grimace. “Mother says that I’m clumsy.”

I think back to the previous twenty-four hours. Rapunzel had managed to deftly escape the royal guard, perform quite the song and dance number and help me claw our way out of our watery grave. That didn’t seem particularly clumsy to me. “I don’t think you’re clumsy, Blondie,” I start without thinking, “But, if you do fall, I’ll always be there to catch you.”

My eyes widen --and she does hers-- at my statement.

I panic. And stutter. “Um, you know, until tomorrow, when, er, I go back to, um, running from Max. And the rest of the the royal guard.”

It’s impossible to miss the disappointment in her eyes, but she quickly pushes it away. She smiles a little too brightly. “So, you were going to show me some maps?”

I am relieved by her question. Thinking about running from the guards is bad enough. Thinking about running from the guards without Rapunzel is much, much worse. “Um, yeah.”

I open the book and start showing Rapunzel the drawings inside the book. Any awkwardness is eradicated by Rapunzel’s unbridled enthusiasm at the maps I show her. When I turn the page, a map of the entire world is displayed.

She lets out a gasp and grabs my forearm. “The world is so big!” She releases her hold of my arm and trails her finger along the page. “Have you been to all of these places?”

I let out a laugh. If she only knew how I felt about sea travel. “No. I pretty much stay in the Corona area.” I point the kingdom’s position on the map. “Though I have ventured to Trist a couple of times.”

She stares at the map for several seconds before proclaiming, “I want to see it all!”

Somehow that doesn’t surprise me. She turns to the next page and gushes about the next map. It goes in the same pattern for the rest of the book. When she’s finished looking at the last page, she looks around the library, sheepish. “I didn’t realize I had gotten so many books.”

“Don’t worry, Blondie,” I say with a wink, “I’ll help you put them away.”

It takes the better part of ten minutes, but we finally have the library looking like its former self. She looks out the window and her eyes widen. “Eugene, it’s almost evening!”

Which means it’s almost time for the lantern show. I give her a smile as I hold the door open for her. “Come on. Let’s go find your frog.”

Her face brightens at the mention of the frog as I realize that this has probably been the longest time they have been separated since he found her tower in the forest. And to think, he has had to be stuck with Max all day long. Fate is a cruel mistress sometimes.

There are even more people on the street now that some of the shops are starting to close for the day. We find Pascal and Max walking through the west gates where I notice Max eying the trough of water with a gleam in his eye.

Rapunzel notices him too because she rushes to his side. “Does somebody need a drink because they are all thirsty from standing in the hot sun all day?”

He nods as if he has been completely incapable of getting water himself. Pathetic, really.

She turns to Pascal. “Do you want a drink?”

He shakes his head.

“He can stay with me,” I offer.

I get three looks of disbelief for my attempt at kindness. “Or not.”

Alright, I’ll be honest. My reasoning for wanting Pascal is not entirely selfless; ever since Rapunzel brought up her mother during lunch, I want to know more about the woman who has ingrained the idea that living in a ninety foot tower is a healthy lifestyle.

Pascal exchanges a look with Rapunzel and finally shrugs. I guess that means I’ve got his approval.

I hold out my hand like I’ve seen Rapunzel do and let him climb on it. As soon as his scaly feet touch the palm of my hand I have to refrain from the impulse to flick him off my hand. No one ever told me it was going to be so ticklish.

Quickly, I place him on window edging in front of me and wave on Rapunzel and Maximus. When they are out of earshot, I tilt my head towards the chameleon. “So, Blondie told me you guys aren’t going back to the tower after today.”

He lets out an exaggerated sigh of relief. Well, I guess that means he isn’t going to miss his old bachelor pad.

“She says I can come with you two.”

He doesn’t seem as happy about that news. He crosses his tiny arms and scowls slightly.

“Oh come on! I’m not that bad...”

He points at Max with his tail and chirps.

“Yeah, well, Max’s opinion of me doesn’t count. He’s still mad at the fact that he can’t drag me to the royal guards until tomorrow.” I look at Rapunzel who is standing by the horse, scratching his back. I know I don’t have much time to get my answers so I ask, “What’s the story with her mother anyway?

Pascal unleashes a chirping tirade, emphasized by frowns, scowls and dirty looks. He points to Rapunzel and grins, then flicks his tail behind us where their tower is and shakes his head.

Ok, so obviously Rapunzel hasn’t been raised by mother of the year material.

Our conversation is cut short by the reappearance of Rapunzel and Max. She looks at Pascal. “Did Eugene tell you the news?”

Pascal gives her an approving nod.

Rapunzel reaches for him and places him on her shoulder. He touches her hair then chirps questioningly.

Her smile falters slightly. “I don’t know what happen to her, Pascal,” she says quietly.

“With who? Your mother?” I ask, butting into a conversation that I should really not be a part of.

Rapunzel nods. “It’s just that if I don’t sing to Mother every few days, she gets very tired. Her hair starts to go gray and her skin begins to get wrinkled.”

Now, I’ve been on the run from the law for so long that I have become intimately acquainted with exhaustion, but my hair has never changed colors. I suspect there is something else going on, but without proof, there’s no reason to upset Rapunzel more.

She draws an unsure breath. “I’m sure she’ll be alright.”

I sneak a glance at Pascal who shrugs.

All right, enough maudlin thinking. We manged to go almost a whole day without any tears and I don’t want to buck the trend now. “Let’s get moving,” I say as I start walking back to the main part of town.

“So, all of this is for the lost princess?”

I look around at all of the flags and the vendors selling paper lanterns and nod. “Yup.”

She casts a sideways glance at me. “How long has it been since she went missing?” She asks the question softly as if the king and queen could hear her speaking.

“I think I was five.” Or six. Or maybe even eight. It’s sort of hard to keep track of your birthday when the orphanage headmaster--Mr. Knitler--doesn’t believe in celebrating the fact that a kid has managed not to get adopted within a year’s time. “The queen almost died when she was pregnant with the princess. Somehow, she got better and she and the baby were fine. The king and queen brought out their miracle child and showed their little bundle of joy to the masses. The whole kingdom celebrated.”

Even though I was rather young, I can still remember the laughter (both sober and drunken) of the villagers as they paraded in the streets, rejoicing over the recent events. The queen was alive! Their beautiful baby girl was born! There had been dancing and merriment until the sun had gone down.

She leans closer to me and whispers, “How did...how did the princess get...lost?”

I face her and notice how entranced she is by the story. It’s easy for me to forget how much she doesn’t know about current events since she seems more than capable to hold her own. “That same night after the celebration, she was kidnapped.”

Rapunzel gasps and I swear I see tears forming in her eyes. “Who would do such a thing to an innocent baby?” she demands.

I shrug. Rumors about the mysterious kidnapper had swirled around the kingdom since the day the baby was taken. “Some people think it was enemies from the north. Others say it was Fate herself that took the princess in retaliation for the queen avoiding death.”

“That’s horrible! Her parents must be heartbroken.”

I guess they are. Honestly, as an orphan the idea of my parents missing me seems absurd.

She looks around and the decorations, the smiles and the general feeling of joy that permeates the kingdom. “If they are so sad, then why does everyone look so happy?”

“That decree came from the royal family themselves,” I explain as we turn the corner. “The kingdom mourned for their lost princess for a long time, but it was decided by the king and queen that the princess’ birthday would be a day of hope. That maybe one day she will return to Corona.”

She considers this for a second. “I’m sure she will. If I can see the lanterns from my tower then she will be able to see them wherever she is.” She fidgets slightly. “Do you think she’ll come back?”

Forty-eight hours ago, I wasn’t a believer in happy endings. But after everything that has happened to me since I met Rapunzel--a frog that practically talks, magical hair that can heal wounds instantly and realizing the importance of dreams, even to pub thugs--I’m starting to think that anything is possible.

Before I can reply, she grabs my arm in excitement. “If she does come back, we could come for the celebration!”

A warm feeling starts to spread in my chest. She’s already planning out future together. Really, I should feel more panicked than I do, but the only thought that runs through my mind is that Rapunzel Fitzherbert is going to be a real mouthful for people to say.

Er, I did not just think that.

Thankfully, I am distracted by my thoughts when I see a cart full of breads and cheeses. I nod in its direction. “Got a preference for dinner, Rapunzel?”

She stops walking in the middle of the path and pins me with a Look. “What did you say?”

Maybe asking for her opinion is offensive. I’ve never dealt with a woman who has been locked in a tower her whole life. “I asked if you had a preference for dinner.” I raise my eyebrow to further illustrate my confusion.

She crosses her arms and gives me a smirk. “You called me Rapunzel.”

I did? I replay the question in my mind. I did. Oops. I’m not going to confess it was a slip of the tongue though. “Well, that’s your name, isn’t it?”

She drops her arms. “Yes, it is,” she says, smiling. “I’m just surprised you remembered it.”

Honestly, I am too. After the second wallop to my head, I’m surprised I was able to walk straight, let alone recall her name. I guess she had my interest before I realized it.

Rapunzel smiles kindly. “I like hearing you same my name. It sounds...nice.”

“Well, er, I’m glad that you like it.” I nod towards the growing line. “I, um, should really get something for us.” I hop into line before the conversation starts going in a direction that neither of us are ready for.

A few seconds later, Rapunzel moves away from me. Apparently the enormous mural of the the royal family has caught her attention. I can still remember the day it was revealed to the kingdom ten years after the princess had been taken. Some of the villagers had left flowers at the base of the mural and it had become a tradition since.

When I finally make my way to the front of the line, I get two servings of bread and cheese. I turn around to where Rapunzel was last standing, but she’s not there. Before I can wonder where she wandered off to, I see her in the middle of the cobblestone sun, dancing happily to the music played by the performers. It doesn’t take long for her to pull in a group of people to join her in her dance.

I vaguely register Max and Pascal coming up to me because most of my attention is on Rapunzel. Her smile is contagious; everyone who is dancing with her shares her grin.

For a few minutes, I’m able to watch her dance amongst the people. She spins around and gets handed off to another dance partner. That’s when she looks at me and waves me over with her free hand.

I shake my head and hold out my hand to stop her line of thinking. Singing in the pub yesterday was bad enough. She is certainly not going to have me go out there and dance in front of the masses.

Unfortunately for me, Max has other ideas. The next thing I know, that equestrian beast shoves me forward in the crowd. The food goes flying out of my hands and lands on the ground with a plop.

Doesn’t he realize how much work it took to “earn” the coins that paid of the meal in the first place?

I turn to glower at him. Both he and Pascal are yukking it up. Oh, tee hee. Really funny. Let’s just see how many apples I get you for dinner tonight, buddy.

Despite my annoyance, it doesn’t take long for me to find my rhythm--not that the group of dancing people will let me get away with anything less. If I don’t keep up with them, I’m going to end of trampled. I do my best to spot Rapunzel in the group, but everyone is moving so fast, I can hardly get a glimpse of her blonde hair.

The music continues to get a bit louder and there is a lot of spinning and skipping and blurred faces around me. It sort of reminds me of my last pre-Blondie trip to the Snuggly Duckling. After several minutes of dancing in the midst of this barely controlled chaos, I am swirled in Rapunzel’s direction.

Finally.

She flashes me a brilliant smile and I give her a hopeful one of my own. I hold out my hand for her to take, but Lady Luck isn’t on my side. Just as our fingers are about to touch, we get whisked away in opposite directions.

Rapunzel shoots me a sympathetic look before she twirls away from me. I do my best to tap down the aggravation of not having an armful of Rapunzel, but it’s not working.

The dance continues a little while longer. I watch Rapunzel along with several of the other dancers leap in the air. Did they choreograph this dance when I was standing in line or something?

The music’s temp starts to pick up and I have a feeling the end of the dance is approaching. I manage to find Rapunzel--she’s got her eyes closed as she spins around--and I do what it takes to make sure I’m going to end up her dance partner before the song ends.

She still has her eyes closed when she comes dancing in my direction. I watch her open them but her momentum is too great, she’s going to end up rather close to me.

Not that I mind.

Before I know it, I have my arms full of Rapunzel and time does that strange thing and slows down again. I am acutely aware just how close Rapunzel’s body is pressed against mine. Her freckled cheeks are flushed slightly, her green eyes are wide and searching my brown ones. I give a little huff and she lets out a small gasp of her own.

If I wasn’t so set on giving her our first kiss on the boat --hey, a man’s gotta have goals-- I would kiss her soundly right now, villagers or no.

“To the boats!”

The loud voice breaks our connection. With an embarrassed look, Rapunzel steps back as I let her go. If I’m not mistaken, I think she’s disappointed at the loss of contact.

“Come on,” I say, “I’ve got a surprise for you.” She and I walk a little closer than we have been all day. We make our way to where Max and Pascal are waiting.

Before we can go to the boat that is waiting for us, there is something I need to do for that horse. Sure he and I barely tolerate each other, but he did keep his word to Rapunzel, despite his oath to the guard. That kind of behavior deserves some kind of reward, I figure.

I look at Max. “Could you take Rapunzel to the docks for me?”

I don’t miss Pascal’s jaw dropping at the use of her proper name.

Max, however, looks at me suspiciously. I guess we’re still working on the trust issue. “I’ll be back,” I reply, holding up my hands in innocence, “I promise.”

Rapunzel, my heroine, comes to my aid. She reaches up and scratches under his chin. “He’ll be back, Maximus. It’s almost time for the lanterns!”

With a huff and a snort, the horse relents. I don’t even bother looking back because I know I don’t have much time to do what I have planned. Most of the shopkeepers have closed for the celebration, but I manage to find a singular woman who is about the close for the night.

“Hey,” I call out, slightly winded. “You’ve got any apples left?”

“I sure do.” She holds up a bag filled to the brim. Perfect for Max.

I drop the coins in her hand and snag the bag. It isn’t until I’ve walked several feet that I realized that I haven’t stolen anything the entire day. I can’t remember the last time that has happened voluntarily. I resist the urge to pocket something to prove to myself that Flynn Rider hasn’t gone anywhere, but I find my drive oddly lacking.

As I sling the bag over my shoulder, I think about Rapunzel and how I enjoyed spending the day with her much more than I ever expected to. I’m pretty sure these feelings goes beyond being smitten by a beautiful woman.

The problem is, I don’t know what to do with these emotions. Act on them? It’s not fair to pull Rapunzel into a life on the lam. Though she is out of her tower, she would be no less imprisoned if she were to follow me. No, I would have to come up with another idea.

I’m still trying to figure out a solution when I finally approach the docks. Rapunzel and our animals companions are waiting for me by the only boat tied to the side. I hide my gift to Max behind my back and make my way to where they are waiting.

While Rapunzel is busy talking to Max --”I told you Eugene would come back!”--I sneak the bag of apples in the boat. With one foot on the dock and the other in the boat, I hold my hand for Rapunzel to take. She grasps mine and carefully steps inside. Her eyes widen as the boat rocks slightly.

“It’s alright. I’ve got you,” I assure her with a soft smile.

She gives me a reassuring look and takes a seat. As I’m about to step inside, I feel the strangest sensation run up my leg. I look down and see Pascal scurrying up my body. I guess that means he’s going to act as our chaperon for the evening. I’m surprised to find that I really don’t mind. He’s probably looking forward to the lanterns as much as Rapunzel.

I step completely onto the boat. Under my seat, I can see the edges of the paper lanterns sticking out. So, Cupid’s helper did stay true to his word. I grab the oar and push the boat away from the dock.

Max, for his part, looks rather pitiful standing there all by himself. “Hey Max!” I call out.

He cocks his head to the side inquisitively.

With a one-handed heave, I toss the bag of apples onto the dock right at his feet.

He narrows his eyes at me. Hasn’t he ever heard of the saying “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth”? Sheesh. You would think he’s ungrateful or something.

“What? I bought them.”

This appeases him. He starts munching on the fruit immediately. I wait two heartbeats before adding a cryptic, “Most of them.” That will teach him to wake me up again, I think smugly.

I turn back to Rapunzel who is looking around, trying to understand what I have planned for the rest of the evening. “Where are we going?”

“Well, best day of your life...” I hold out my hand for Pascal to climb on it. I put him on the back of the boat where he won’t be in danger of getting crushed by my manly rowing. “I figure you should have a decent seat.”

She’s pretty quiet as I continue to row the boat away from the others. I would have thought by now she would have been impressed with the view of the enormous boats that are floating around us. As we float further out,I have to admit even though I have lived in Corona my entire life, the kingdom and its palace look amazing.

I finally steer the boat to the perfect position for viewing the lanterns when they go on their flight. From here, Rapunzel and I will be able to see every light that floats in the sky. We lean on the edge of the boat, looking at the silhouette of Corona.

I’m about to ask her what she thinks of the view when, to my surprise, Rapunzel lets out a sad sigh. This isn’t the reaction I am going for. “You ok?”

If I was surprised by her initial reaction, I am flabbergasted by her next words. “I’m terrified.”

I would understand if she had said nervous, excited or exhausted (especially after the past two days that we had), but terrified?

“Why?” I can’t help but to ask.

She doesn’t even turn in my direction. She keeps her eyes fixated on the kingdom before us. “I’ve been looking out a window for eighteen years, dreaming about what it might feel like when those lights rise in the sky. What if it’s not everything I dreamed it would be?”

“It will be.”

“And what if it is?” Rapunzel asked, finally facing me. “What do I do then?”

“Well, that’s the good part, I guess. You get to find a new dream.” I look at her meaningfully, wondering if she picks up on my double meaning.

She gives me a small smile and I’m not sure she understands what I’m trying to say without actually saying the words. For the first time in my adult life, I am wanting to walk away from that fake reputation I have established as Flynn Rider and embrace the man that I have always been. And I want Rapunzel to be part of that future.

I turn away from her, not knowing if I’m disappointed or relieved that she didn’t instantly comprehend what I meant. There will be time for heartfelt confessions later, I tell myself. Right now, it’s Rapunzel’s time to live out her dream.

We look out at the nighttime sky expectantly. She dips a finger into the inky water. “How much longer until we can see the lights?” she wonders.

I scan the sky, but it is lantern-free at the moment. “It shouldn’t be much longer. Once the king and queen release the first lantern, everyone else in the kingdom follows,” I explain.

“I hope that the princess can see the lights tonight wherever she is,” Rapunzel says softly. “After all, this is all for her.”

And you, I add silently. Sure the tradition may have started because of what happened to the lost princess, but somewhere along the line Rapunzel’s life became intertwined with these lanterns.

She starts to fidget, eager to see the lights. Subconsciously, she plucks a flower from her hair but before she can tug it out of place, her hair gets caught in it.

“Here,” I say, stilling her hand. I carefully pull the flower out of its position and hand it to her.

She smiles appreciatively as she takes it. Slowly, thoughtfully, she puts in on the surface of the water as if she is creating another masterpiece.

Without prompting, I take several more flowers out of her hair and put them in my palm for Rapunzel to use.

“Thank you,” she says earnestly before looking at the selection set before her. She chooses a purple flower and lets it float next to the orange one.

This continues for the next five minutes. I have to admit my hand is getting tired holding out these flowers for Rapunzel, but I really don’t mind. She already seems more relaxed, calming her nerves by tapping in to her creativity.

I’m too busy looking at Rapunzel (all right, I’m gazing, happy now?) to notice the lantern that starts to float in the sky so when she suddenly jumps and and nearly capsizes the boat, I am totally unprepared. I go flying back in a ridiculous manner, doing what I can to keep the boat from flipping over.

When I mange to pull myself up into a sitting position, I look at Pascal who is holding on to the boat for dear life. “You ok?”

He looks a little more green than normal, but he gives me a nod.

I turn back to Rapunzel who is holding onto the front of the boat, watching the lights fly in the sky with such intent interest, I doubt she knows that we are still here. She lets out of soft sigh and I just when I think I have control of my feeling concerning Rapunzel, I feel a burst of something --some would call it love-- run through me.

The lanterns are starting to float in our direction and even I have to admit, their reflection bouncing of the water is quite a sight. I really knew what I was doing when I sought the boat this morning.

I give Pascal a sideways glance and notice that even he’s getting rather teary-eyed.

While Rapunzel is busy gazing at the lanterns in the sky, I get our own pair of lanterns ready. I carefully use the long match that was next to them and light it using the lamp at the end of the boat. With my free hand, I put my fingers to my lips, hoping Pascal can keep a secret.

His chest puffs out and he gives a salute. It’s nice to know at least one animal is on my side.

I sit back down and light one lantern, catching it behind my legs as I light the other. Rapunzel must notice all of the movement because she turns from the show in the sky to me.

I hold the lanterns up with a hopeful smile.

With one of her own, she practically dances across the boat and sits right before me. “I have something for you too.” She reaches behind her and pulls out my satchel. Where in the world did she get that? “I should have given it to you before but I was just scared. And the thing is, I’m not scared anymore. You know what I mean?”

I know exactly what she means, but I decide to not confess my overflow of emotions. I shift one lantern to my left hand and push down the satchel with my right. I don’t need that anymore. “I’m starting to.”

Rapunzel grins broadly.

Together, we release the lanterns into the sea of lights above us. I watch as they dance and spin in the air, somehow managing to stay together despite the thousands of lights that are in the sky. I lose track of them as they continue to float in the sky and turn back to Rapunzel. She starts pointing to the side of the boat excitedly.

One of the lanterns --the lost princess’s lantern if I’m not mistaken-- is floating down to the water’s surface. She leans forward and taps the bottom of it, sending it sailing in the air.

That’s it. I can’t wait any longer. I take her hands in my own and let her know how I feel.

I really don’t want to get into the details, but I’ll just say there might have been some singing involved.

As we move closer together, I know this is the perfect time for out first kiss, a symbol of the birth of my new dream with Rapunzel.

I wish I would say that our lips met tenderly and I was able to give Rapunzel a birthday present that she would have never forgotten, but that’s not the way it happened at all.

I’d like to get into all of the details of what happened next, including my legendary acts of heroism, but that’s a different story: the story of how I died.