Siblings of Corona-B3:Life On the Road

Chapter 2

Eugene opened a box, holding an engagement ring.  "All right, boys, we're gonna try this proposal thing one more time, and where better than Vardaros, one of the most beautiful cities in the world?! It's perfect!"

"Didn't she say "No" the first time you proposed?" Lance asked brightly and Eugene passed him a dark look. "I-I-I'm just sayin', you probably thought that would be perfect, too."

Eugene snapped the box shut.  "Thank you.  Lance."

"It makes perfect sense to me.  'Punzel is out in the free world for the first time in her life.  It's the perfect time to ask her to make a life decision like settling down," Varian retorted sarcastically.  He was leaning against the back of his chair and had his feet on a table.

"Yes.  I bet she's itching to settle down," Andrew added.

"Jerks," Eugene pouted.

Before the conversation could continue, Cassandra called from outside.  "We're here!"

"Yes!" Lance was the first one out the door with excitement.

"Hey, wait for me!"  Varian laughed and followed after Lance with Andrew and passed Rapunzel who was standing outside.

Eugene sighed, standing with the ring.  "Come on, Fitzherbert! Forget the others! This is Rapunzel we're talking about; of course she wants to get married and, besides, I'm not asking her to settle down and throw her life away, I'm just asking her to… settle down… Oh, ok… Enough already, you just have to ask her flat out."  He kneeled down on his knee to practice. "Rapunzel, will you marry me-"

The door flew open and Rapunzel fell in with a startled cry.  Eugene immediately snapped the box shut and hid it behind his back and gave a guilty, nervous smile.

Rapunzel stood up.  "Eugene, did… did just ask me to marry you?"

"Wha-hat?! Ha-ha. No. That's… crazy-no, I just-I dropped something, and-and I got it, that, that something that I dropped, that I knelt down, and I picked it up, which would explain why I was on one knee… I could see how you would, uhhh… hh-mmmm, you know…"

"I thought I heard you say, 'Marry me'…"

"Ohhhhhh, I see, now there's the confusion, because I didn't say, 'Marry me', I said … Laramie!  I was talking about my old dog Laramie…"

"You were talking about your old dog Laramie… to yourself?"

"Yup!  Good ol' scruffy, totally real, and totally not made-up Laramie…"

There was a long agonizing silence for a moment.  Suddenly, they heard Varian scream from outside the wagon.  The two completely threw the conversation to the side and rushed out the door, grabbing their frying pan or sword on the way out.

"What's wrong?" Rapunzel held up her pan, ready to hit the threat.

Varian was sitting on the grass by the food compartment with the door swinging open.  Cassandra's head was turned to the woods as if she were watching after something.  "Was there literally that many squirrels in there?" She breathed.

"Seven?  Yeah.  Scared the living heck out of me," Varian muttered as he stood up and dusted himself off.

"Oh, no!  The food!" Lance cried with terror as he threw himself at the compartment, digging to find any food in the bags.  "Nooooo!  It's gone! It's all gone!"

"Relax, drama queen," Cassandra huffed.  "We have a town a few minutes walk away."

"Yeah.  We could go to pick up some more supplies," Rapunzel offered.  "Do you want to come?"

"Yeah.  Would you like to?" Eugene began.

"Would you?"

"Ye-I mean-would you?"

"I'm confused-"

"Ugh!  Just send the guys.  Raps, you can help me with the wheel to the wagon," Cassandra retorted.  "Varian, go with them so someone responsible is there."

"Wait." Andrew's head popped out from the other side of the carriage. "Am I not responsible to you, babe?"

She shrugged.

"I'll take that as a no, buddy," Eugene teased.  Andrew's shoulders slumped.

"Meh.  Don't take it personally, it's hard to earn her trust.  Took me a lifetime and several traumatic events until she trusted that I could take care of myself," Varian said.  "Of course, I say that after I was kidnapped.  Anywho, you get the picture."

"Yeah.  We got it, kid," Eugene retorted.

"I may not be visible, but we can hear you guys very clearly," Cassandra said.

"Yep.  Hearing every word," Rapunzel agreed.

"Well, what are we waiting for?  Let's head out before I die of starvation!" Lance exclaimed.