Return to the Great Tree

A New Princess (Rapunzel)

The chapter POV will be in parenthesis

Rapunzel sat in her bed, Eugene at her side, beaming. In Rapunzel's arms sat a bundle of purple blankets. The bundle stirred and a soft cry sounded from it. Suddenly, the baby's eyes blinked open. The little girl had sparkling dark green eyes and fluffy brown hair.

"She's beautiful," sighed Eugene, staring into the baby's eyes.

"And she's ours," finished Rapunzel, smiling at Eugene. She glanced at the door that lead to the sitting room. "Should we call the others in now? I'm sure they'd love to meet her, especially Opal." Eugene nodded. He walked out the door, into the sitting room. Suddenly, a terrible headache racked Rapunzel's head. Then, visions flashed through her mind at lightning pace. The Great Tree, regrown. A horde of- were those Saporians?- surrounding Varian. Cassandra standing protectively in front of Opal while Varian peered around her, an expression of horror on his face. Eugene and Lance fighting off glowing green vines. Rapunzel pressed the palm of her right hand to her eye to try to cope with the pain.

"Rapunzel?" Are you okay?" A voice asked from the doorway. The pain and visions left Rapunzel's head as quick as they had came. Rapunzel looked up to see Varian's sky blue eyes sparkling with worry. Rapunzel quickly removed her hand from her eye and nodded, plastering a fake smile on her face. Suddenly, Varian was knocked off-balance as a black-haired blur sprinted past him.

"Opal!" Rapunzel smiled. "Come meet your cousin!" The little girl climbed onto Rapunzel's bed and looked at the baby in the blankets with awe.

"What's her name?" The seven-year-old asked. Her father walked up behind her.

"Opal, don't go asking Aunt Rapunzel so many questions right away," Varian said, smiling.

"It's fine, Varian." Rapunzel smiled back. "She has a right to be curious." She turned back to Opal. "Her name is Eleni Arianna Fitzherbert."

"What does Eleni mean?" Opal asked, moving closer to Rapunzel on her hands and knees.

"It means sun ray, little gem," Varian answered.

"Rapunzel!" A shout came from the doorway, and Cassandra barreled in. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks!" replied Rapunzel.

"I would have came in earlier," Cassandra continued. "But Lance was blocking the door, insisting that we let you have your 'moment' with Eugene and the baby." She hooked a thumb behind her as he came through the door.

"In my defense," said Lance, putting his hands up in surrender, "I wanted Eugene to have a minute with the baby so she took to him instead of the most handsome man in the room." He framed his face with his hand as he said this.

"Thank you for that, Lance," Eugene grumbled, voice dripping with sarcasm. He walked around Lance and into the room. Then, Lance's adopted daughters, Kiera and Catalina, sprinted through the door.

"She's so cute," soft-spoken Catalina said quietly.

"Darn right she is!" Kiera added loudly. "Any member of our family should be!" Lance looked at Kiera questioningly.

"You're... not related," he said quizzically.

"She's my adopted dad's honorary brother's daughter," Kiera replied. Lance shrugged.

"Can't argue with that."

Opal looked up at Rapunzel with big blue eyes.

"Can I hold Eleni?" Opal asked.

"Of course, Opal," Rapunzel replied. She gently set the bundle into Opal's arms. Opal stared into the baby's tiny green eyes with awe.

"Hello, Eleni," she whispered. Suddenly, Rapunzel let out a huge yawn.

"I think it's time we leave the royal couple and their daughter for the night," said Varian, noticing. Everyone else filed out, leaving only him, Rapunzel, Eleni, and Eugene in the room. "Good night, Rapunzel," Varian said softly, closing the door.

A few minutes later, Rapunzel settled into bed, Eleni in a crib nearby. Life was good.

If only it stayed that way.

This chapter is rather short because I wanted to have a semi-fluff-centered chapter before uh... stuff goes down. The next chapter will be longer, I promise.