Even without Rapunzel and Henry in the ballroom, the celebration was still in its full swing. Though it was more boring than an actual celebration, several figures engaged in certain discussions, which is the exact opposite of having fun.
Perhaps the only people actually having fun were King Maximus and King Frederic. The two were dancing and singing ballads of heroes and kings. Earning glances from the others who were starting to become unsure if they were the ones doing something wrong.
"Ah~ it's been a while since I had fun like this…" Frederic wiped off the sweat between his brows, sliding his arm off of Maximus's shoulders as they both found an empty table to sit on.
"Can't blame you. Being a King is different from being a prince. We don't bear any responsibilities aside from existing so we could inherit our father's chairs once they pass away…" Feeling his throat parched, Maximus grabbed a glass of wine and drank it in one go.
"Speaking of Prince. Where's our little Prince and Princess?" There was a tinge of worry in Frederick's tone which Maximus noticed.
He slapped his shoulder and interrupted his thought process, "…Bah, who cares about them? Just let them do their thing while we do ours."
———
The center of the two kings' topic was busy inside Rapunzel's room. With the princess's request, a servant bought them several buckets of paint and brushes.
"Let's start decorating my room!" Rapunzel loudly declared while raising her brush above her head. Her hair was tied in a huge single braided tail with a flower-stitched apron covering her fancy dress from getting paint on.
Meanwhile, Henry was also wearing one but he still took off his coat, showing a fancy long-sleeved shirt with the said sleeves rolled up past his elbows, which highlights the veins and muscles on his forearms.
The upper part of his shirt was unbuttoned, showcasing his hardened neck and collarbone.
"I'll take this entire wall! You design the ceiling!" Rapunzel quickly assigned the hardest part of the room.
Honestly, Henry doesn't have any complaints. He might not be that good at art but at the same time, he's not bad either. Perhaps if he had actually focused on practicing his artistic skills, combined with his talent, he might have been the youngest world-renowned painter in the world.
Before Henry could say anything else, perhaps a quip or a comment, Rapunzel was already busy with the wall, mixing several paints into one and dipping her brush.
On the other hand, Henry also wasted no time and did his own thing. Since the ceiling was quite high, Henry had to resort to magical means.
Two bursts of flames erupted from his foot soles, not strong enough to burn everything on the ground but enough to lift him in the air.
Rapunzel noticed this and gawked for a good few seconds before shaking her head and shifting her focus back on her artwork—more focused and determined than before.
If someone were to enter the room right now, they would be surprised to see their beloved Prince and Princess covered in different shades of paint while happily painting the room.
At the same time they were finished, the celebration party in the ballroom began to cease. The two Kings, Maximus and Frederic were dead drunk on the ground.
Frederick's wife, Queen Arianne has taken the helm and driven out the guests with a smile on her face, all while commanding the servants to carry the two men upstairs to be cleaned.
'Where's Rapunzel and Prince Henry?' She murmured under her breath. She gave out a few more instructions before making her way upstairs.
She sauntered through the hallways, passing by a few servants who greeted her with bows. It didn't take long for her to arrive in front of Rapunzel's room.
"This is so hard!"
"You can do it. Just do it up and down gently."
"Okay. Hold me still…"
"I got you. Don't worry, I won't let go."
Her ears pricked in an instant as soon as she heard those words. Her eyes widened in surprise as her body moved before she could think.
Arianne's left hand bolted towards the doorknob, twisting it open. What greeted her however, was not what she was expecting.
Her perverted thoughts about what she thought was happening between Henry and her daughter turned out to be the opposite.
Henry was flying in the air with flames on his feet while carrying Rapunzel by wrapping his hands around her waist and hoisting her up as the girl was busy painting the upper part of the wall.
The sudden barging through the door snapped them out of their focus and made their heads snap at the door.
When Rapunzel saw her, the little princess's face contorted into shock, "Mom! Wait! You're not supposed to see this yet!" She spread both her arms and legs and tried to cover the entire wall with her petite body.
All while still being carried by Henry with flaming soles.
"Good evening, Queen Arianne." Henry politely greeted the woman.
Just as Arianne was about to point out the fresh paintings on the walls and ceiling, Rapunzel begged her, "Mom can you please not look? It's supposed to be a surprise for you…"
The hint of sadness in her tone riled up Arianne's motherly instincts. In an instant, she covered both her eyes and yelled, "I didn't see anything yet dear! I'll go now!" With that being said, she stumbled out of the door, closing the door behind her with a loud bang.
"Did she really not see anything?" Her question was more of curiosity rather than rhetoric.
Henry's lips twitched several times but for both her and her mother's sake, he responded with a nod of his head, "She definitely didn't see anything. Her eyes were focused on the two of us, not on the artworks."
Rapunzel sighed in relief and resumed with her painting. This was the last wall left and the rest had already been painted by the two of them.
The ceiling—the first part that Henry painted, was a masterpiece. No glaze, just pure facts. The ceiling was decorated with a realistically looking sky with the large chandelier having a sun painted around it. Making the entire ceiling look like a real sky with a bright sun casting down its sunlight.
Meanwhile, Rapunzel's walls were unlike Henry's art style. While his artwork is borderline realistic, Rapunzel's art was like a child's fantastical imagination. It was the opposite of realism and filled with pure creativity instead.
Trees, mountains, grasses, funny-looking animals, and a surprisingly well-drawn castle from a distant hill. What caught Henry by surprise earlier was a knight in shining armor without a helmet, showing his face that looked a bit like Henry's, with sharp features and golden hair.
All while the said painted knight was carrying someone in a bridal carry, a dirty pink dress, and long golden hair that trailed down on the grassy ground. Behind the two of them was a tall tower piercing through the skies.
If one were to look from afar, they would immediately piece things together and realize what Rapunzel was painting about.
It was obviously Henry saving her from the tower, their fronts were facing the distant castle on a hill which means their destination was the said structure, which represents the Corona Kingdom.
Finally, Rapunzel finished the last touches, putting on a distant flock of birds flying freely in the sky, with the painted Henry and Rapunzel below them which indicates something.
"Let's get down…" Rapunzel murmured while her eyes stayed glued on the birds.
Henry heeded her words and slowly descended on the ground, flawlessly manipulating the flames to reach as low in temperature as possible so it wouldn't harm the carpet on the floor.
Rapunzel twirled around in place, her head held up high as admiration filled her eyes. Her gaze lingered the longest on her and Henry's painted figures.
"If I haven't met you. Would I still be stuck in that tower? Forever being used by Mo—Gothel."
Henry went silent for a brief moment after her question. He wanted to tell her the truth but he was afraid it would just cause pain and unnecessary confusion for her.
So he simply replied, "Perhaps. While they say that Fate is cruel. But it can be kind to you sometimes. Perhaps if you didn't meet me, someone else would save you."
"I can't imagine another man saving me. Only you." She craned her head towards him, staring directly into his eyes as she finished her words.
Henry gulped, "Be careful with your words, Rapunzel. It might cause misunderstandings and confusion."
"What do you mean by that?" She cutely tilted her head in curiosity.
"It's nothing. The words you just said might make anyone who hears them, or me specifically, assume that—" Rapunzel interrupted him before he could finish his words.
"That I like you? So what? It's the truth. Lying is bad isn't it?" All of a sudden, Rapunzel stepped forward towards him, to which Henry instinctively took a single step back.
'Not this again!' Henry's mind suddenly starts getting flashbacks. More specifically Ariel-centered flashbacks.
"What's wrong? You saved me, didn't you? It's how the story goes, right? After saving the princess, the princess falls in love with her saviour. I read it in several books."
'Goddamit Gothel! Even in death, you're still causing trouble! What have you been feeding Rapunzel all these years?!' Henry silently cursed under his breath.
"…Well, Rapunzel. I appreciate it but you see. I'm already promised to someone. And besides, a story is just a story. It shouldn't be something that dictates your own story." Henry's words however, failed to persuade her. She didn't even hear the next sentence after the first few.
She took another step forward once more. "Promised to someone? So you're already married?"
For some reason, even though she doesn't mean to look intimidating, her actions along with her adorable curiosity, make a terrifying combination that instills an unusual sense of terror down to Henry's spine.
"Not exactly. She's my fiancée. I already promised to marry her."
"So she's going to be your first wife?"
"Yes, that's right. She's going to be my first wif—Wait what do you mean by first?" Henry's words immediately stopped when he realized.
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
Rapunzel puffed her chest up and placed her hands on her waist, "Then I've decided!" She pointed her finger at Henry and loudly declared, "I'm going to be your second wife!"
Henry panicked, "Wait! Just wait a second, Rapunzel! That's not how it works! You can't just be a second wife! A man can't have more than one wife!"
Rapunzel tilted her head, "What do you mean? I'll just marry you after you marry your first wife, right?"
"You don't seem to understand yet, Rapunzel. And I understand that. So I'll properly lecture you about these kinds of things…" Henry forced himself to calm down.
'Good. As long as she, Ariel, and Elsa don't meet with one another. I can still fix th—' Before Henry could finish his thoughts, a memory flashed within his mind.
His birthday. And he just invited Rapunzel while Elsa invited herself. As for Ariel, there's no way the girl would miss his birthday especially when she already knows when.
'Fuck!'