Epilogue

There wasn't much to be found in a life at sea for a chameleon.

He wasn't quite sure how'd come to be aboard the ocean liner, since he'd fallen asleep sunning himself and woken when they were already well out to sea. He was not much for swimming and did not have any idea which way to go anyway, and resigned himself to a voyage of discretion.

He'd hidden from enormous bilge rats and the even larger felines that hunted them; he had avoided being trodden on by sailors and shipmen alike. He'd thought he'd gained some peace when he'd sojourned to the ship's upper decks, which were enormous and clean and well lit, but found he was not as welcome among the other passengers as he would have hoped.

The days were long, and arduous, and exhausting. It was only his ability to change color to suit his surroundings that had saved the little lizard from becoming someone's lunch, or a green smear in the halls. There did not seem to be any relaxation to be had, until long last the ship reached its port of harbor, emptying its load of people out onto a strange and unfriendly looking place. It held no interest to the chameleon, who wiggled his way into a now-empty room, sun streaming in through its porthole.

He had not gotten proper rest in weeks, and now he was finally alone with a brilliant opportunity. The reptile perched before the circular window, sighing in relief as its warmth soaked into all of his limbs. Though there were noises outside that told him he should stay awake and alert, he could not help the exhaustion as it settled on his eyelids, insisting that it would be alright to rest here, if only for a minute…

Spring in New York City was always pleasant, and that year, it came approximately at two-thirty in the afternoon on the seventh of April, and lasted until around four. After that, the sun was blisteringly hot, the air astonishingly humid, and the only relief came in the shade of the RMS Aquitania as it waited for passengers to make their way on board.

Rapunzel could not quite believe that they would be on such a ship themselves in only a matter of moments, and it would carry them across the Atlantic, to Germany, to what remained of her family. All of it was in dusty records and bank vaults of course, but carefully worded letters had been sent ahead to the lawyers that had managed the Corona estate, and they awaited her arrival, to see if she really was the lost heiress they had been looking for.

Eugene had not been as eager to return to Europe, and she could understand why. He had nothing left there since his mother's death, and all of his memories were of war and destitution. But he would not leave her side.

And she would not leave his, even in the weeks of anger-fueled depression that had followed the Gala last December. He had been confused by the truth of his father's death, and the knowledge of Arceneau's betrayal, but he had emerged relieved and grateful. His own feelings of guilt were assuaged, and Tatiascore had vanished from New York City, never to be heard of again.

They now stood on a busy waterfront, surrounded by crowds of people coming and going from the Land of Opportunity, protected by a ring of their own friends. Hook and Tambor were grinning like proud parents, clasping hands with Eugene and telling him to stay out of trouble. Rapunzel missed what they said next, crouching down to embrace Maximus, his white fur gleaming in the sun.

"I'll miss you, Max," she said, giving him one last scratch under the chin. He whined, but she could only smile sadly. "I wish you could come with us, but I know someone else who needs you."

She straightened and found Stella waiting, arms outstretched. The younger girl was growing, and would need a new wardrobe of dresses for the summer, but there was no fear that she wouldn't get them. Mr. Tagnoski doted on her like a favorite grandchild, and Rapunzel was glad to see that she was going to be well looked after.

Stella sniffled as they hugged, and her eyes were red-rimmed. "You'll keep practicing, right?" She said firmly, and Rapunzel chuckled wetly.

"Of course I will. Next time we're together, we'll be able to put on such a show, we'll be famous the world over."

Wiping at her face to maintain some sense of dignity, Stella could only manage a nod. Rapunzel could say no more, finding herself crushed between Hook and Tambor, who were surprisingly more free with their tears.

"They grow up so fast," Hook wailed loudly, much to Eugene's embarrassment.

"You'll write?" Tambor asked, and Rapunzel nodded. She'd wished that Vlad and Ulf and the others could have come to see them off, but she would write them, too.

"Where are you guys going to go?" She asked. The Tagnoski had hinted over the winter that perhaps rebuilding the Duckling would not be their next step, and that they would try their fortunes elsewhere.

"Thanking of maybe heading west," Hook said thoughtfully. "Maybe California. There's bound to be something out there that we can find."

"Maybe Hollywood," Stella interjected proudly. "I've got the talent. Do you think I could make it?"

"I know you can," Rapunzel squeezed the younger girl's shoulder as a whistle sounded behind them. A man in uniform stood at the walkway that would take them onto the Aquitania, and the whistle had been the last call for stragglers.

Rapunzel smiled through her sadness, at the ache of leaving friends behind, and the joy of having made friends at all. Friends that would miss her as sorely as she missed them, and a home that they would surely be able to come back to.

"'Bye," she said, her throat too choked to say more. Eugene only offered a short, stiff nod, and his usual sly grin before taking her hand and leading her to the gangplank.

"Ladies first," he said softly, and Rapunzel sucked in her breath.

It would be another first step, the same as when she had left the Ansonia, had taken the reins of her life into her own hands. Now it was six months later, and she was about to do it again.

Excitement bubbled up between her shoulder blades and burst out of her mouth in a laugh, and she ran up the steps despite the ship officer's shouted warning. Eugene followed somewhat more slowly, catching her as she spun on her heel to take in the ship around them.

The Aquitania was one of the biggest ships she'd ever seen, though she'd read about larger ocean liners and cruise ships in the newspapers. Below decks would be hundreds of rooms, some for public, others the private quarters of the passengers. People passed by her, talking and laughing and nodding their heads in greeting, and she couldn't wait for the chance to get to know them.

For now, though, she held Eugene's hand and they walked along the ship's length, toward the stern, as it began to pull away from the docks. Rapunzel tried to find Stella and the others in the crowd below, but they were lost in a sea of upturned faces and waving hands. She thought she could hear Max barking, but wasn't quite sure.

The sun was red and ruddy behind the buildings of Manhattan, making them seem to glow from within. Rapunzel reached a hand to her front, feeling the lump of the Crown Diamond beneath her blouse where it hung on the end of a simple silver chain, out of sight, but safe. She had not sung her spell since that fateful day in December, but hadn't had to. The Tagnoski had remained hidden in Duncraggen and read about the mystery of the missing Diamond in the papers, snickering and beaming, glad to have pulled off one last grand heist.

The sky was darkening and Long Island was a green mass to the portside when Eugene grew bored of the view, drawing his arm around her waist and pulling her close. He must have seen the trepidation in her gaze, and asked, "You okay?"

Rapunzel smoothed the front of his jacket, contemplating the buttons of his shirt before she replied, "I'm terrified."

He understood. "There's a lot that has probably changed, you know. You might not like what you find."

She nodded. Rapunzel didn't know a word of German, but had a book of it packed for studying during their voyage. Though the Coronas were long dead, she needed to know more, and would prove, somehow, that she was their daughter. She was no longer the same blonde she'd been as a baby, but bore a resemblance to her mother that was unmistakable. Rapunzel kept the newspaper clipping of their photograph tucked in the front of her sketchbook, studying the faces of parents she had never been able to meet.

"We'll be all right," she said finally, smiling up at Eugene. He seemed pleased, meeting her lips with a contented kiss. To her disappointment, he was quick to pull away, eyes tipped toward the sky thoughtfully.

"Though, you know, it's a bit unorthodox to have the honeymoon before the wedding."

Rapunzel had to suppress another giggle. She knew very well that he was teasing, but two could play that game.

"Wedding? Who said anything about a wedding?" With a wiggle of her hips, she was free from his embrace, leading him back along the way they had come. "I didn't say yes."

"But you didn't say no, either."

Rapunzel remembered Eugene's clumsy proposal quite clearly. He'd obviously taken romantic advice from a number of the Tagnoski, driving her to the city and having dinner at a restaurant that had been quite beyond either of their tastes. It was an obviously painful gesture and conversation that night had been awkward and strained, leaving Rapunzel confused and unhappy. Things had improved somewhat when they'd gone to Central Park, walking the trails in silence.

She'd finally been able to see the menagerie, the one he'd promised to take her to when they'd first met. The big cats and the bears and the other animals had made better company than Eugene, and she found herself often several steps ahead. He had been brooding that night, but she grew tired of asking what was bothering him and had resumed her observations as usual. She regretted not bringing her sketchbook, but knew she would be able to draw from memory once they returned home.

It was in front of the circle of sea lions that he'd finally mumbled something that she didn't hear.

"What?"

"I said," Eugene repeated, meeting her eyes with a tense, level gaze. "We should get married."

She hadn't quite known what to say to that, and had probably looked quite foolish, with her mouth hanging open in a little O of astonishment. He hadn't seemed satisfied when she'd finally mustered up a startled, "Maybe."

It had taken a few days for his injured pride to recover, and for her to find the right words to explain. Where was their rush? They had the world before them, didn't they? And a lot to accomplish before Rapunzel could even consider the possibility of settling down somewhere. She loved him through and through, though, and that would never change.

The sensation of her feet being swept out from under her brought Rapunzel back to the present, Eugene plucking her from the deck and into a bridal-style carry.

"Maybe is practically a yes," he was saying confidently, striding toward the doors that would lead them below decks, ignoring the stares of people they passed. "And it's not like you're going to be changing your mind."

He paused outside the double doors, a line appearing between his brows as he glanced sidelong at her.

"Are you?"

Rapunzel only laughed, drawing her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. That seemed satisfactory enough, and he made his way inside, maneuvering down the steps and through the halls until they found the one that would lead them to their own cabin. Eugene's voice took on a more suggestive tone as he finally set her down, fishing in his pockets for the key that would allow them in.

"Of course, there are some traditions that I don't mind breaking before we tie the knot." He handed it to her with a grin, and Rapunzel rolled her eyes as she turned to face the door. The lock clicked open like a greeting, and the small room beyond, while it didn't look like much, it would be all theirs for the voyage.

A bed rested against one wall, twilight peeking in through the porthole above it. A small set of drawers stood beside the door, and their bags had been settled nearby. No sooner had she taken this all in when something small darted across Rapunzel's field of vision and disappeared under the bed.

"What was that?"

Eugene was suddenly wary. "What was what? A rat?"

"No, I don't think so," Rapunzel said quietly, stepping into the room, eyes on the space beneath the bed frame. "It looked like…"

Eugene watched her drop to the floor, rump in the air as she looked under the bed. He was acutely aware of people passing by in the all, and he did his best to obscure the view without closing the door, just in case it was something worse than a rat.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel breathed in delighted surprise. "I think it's a lizard. A chameleon, actually. Come here, little guy," she tried to squeeze in under the bed, cooing to whatever she had found there. "Come on. I won't hurt you."

Her beau suppressed a groan; it had been bad enough putting up with Max for so long, and now it looked like Rapunzel had found a new pet. He was never a big fan of lizards, but he knew that she wouldn't be able to resist making a friend.

Eugene stepped in a little farther, crouching, trying to see around Rapunzel's frame with little luck. "A lizard, huh?" He asked, but she was still trying to coax it out from under the bed. Her behind was still up, so he settled back on his haunches, mouth twisting in a wry grin. Might as well get comfortable and enjoy the view, he thought.

After all, it was going to be a very long voyage.