You poked your food with your fork as you listened to Rapunzel and Frederic talk. You were somewhat Rapunzel's adopted younger sister. You were the princess of the Dark Kingdom, but your dad, King Edmund, made you leave about a year ago on account of it being too dangerous there.
Luckily, you didn't leave alone. Varian was sent with you. He was the son of the kingdom's finest knight and was assigned as your bodyguard for the longest time. Varian was treated as if he were higher in status than a knight. It was probably because your dad caught the two of you kissing and found out about your secret relationship.
You and Varian had actually only stayed in Corona for a few months before Princess Rapunzel was found. It had now been six months since that day. Since you were born a princess, you were kind of expected to help Rapunzel train to be one after being locked in a tower for eighteen years.
Rapunzel's coronation to officially be crowned as the princess of Corona was tomorrow. Her dad did give her the day off since she had been slightly under stress, but she wasn't able to enjoy it with a big group of palace guards following her around.
At that moment, you were sitting at a table facing the rest of the banquet hall with Varian, Arianna, Rapunzel, and Frederic. Varian was seated on the leftmost seat with you to his right. Next to you was Arianna. Next to her was Rapunzel. And next to Rapunzel was Frederic.
You suddenly felt someone gently hold your hand under the table. You turned your head to look at Varian, who was giving you a worried look.
"Are you okay?" Varian asked. "You haven't really touched your food."
"I'm fine," you said. "Just a little stressed I guess. Trying to help Rapunzel learn to be a proper princess is a lot of work."
You suddenly heard Eugene clear his throat and saw him stand from his seat. "Ladies and gentlemen," he said. "Dukes and Duchesses, Barons and Baronesses, Marquis and, you know, the female version of those, may I share a moment of history with you." Eugene turned to look at Rapunzel. "Princess, would you join me up here? Tonight, we celebrate our love for the princess. I, for one, can think of no better way to celebrate the love I have for this woman than this." He got down on one knee. Your jaw dropped as well as everyone else's.
"What the heck is he doing?" you whispered in slight panic in Varian's ear.
"Apparently," Varian said looking unamused. "He didn't take our advice when he asked about proposing to Rapunzel."
"Oh no," you said face-palming.
"Oh, Eugene!" Rapunzel said id shock. "Did you drop something?"
"No," Eugene said with a smile as he held out a small box and opened it to reveal a ring. Rapunzel gasped as a smile spread across her face.
"Rapunzel," Eugene said. "From the moment I first met you and you knocked me out with that frying pan, I knew it was love. You're my light, you're my best friend and I want to be your partner in all things. I can't wait to laugh with you and share with you. I see us raising our children here, and our children's children, and celebrating banquets of our own in this very hall for many, many, many, many years to come. I want to ride our horses out to the Corona wall together each and every morning until we're both very, very old and gray. I love you, Rapunzel, and I want to spend the rest of our lives here together."
You looked at Rapunzel and saw that her smile had disappeared.
"Here?" Rapunzel said starting to sound nervous and uncertain. "In this castle forever?"
"I mean, unless you want to rent," Eugene said with a small laugh. "But I hardly see how we're going to top this."
Rapunzel had gone silent and her eyes were wide. You and Varian knew this wasn't going to end well.
