Chapter 11-Love

The months following the ball passed happily for Lottie. She was finally on good terms with everyone in her family and she and Rapunzel were grower closer ever day. Besides that, she was beginning to speak up more for herself at Tom's urging, and sometimes she would say no when people asked her to do something she felt like she just couldn't handle. The first time she'd said no to Mama, she'd been surprised, but Mama hadn't said anything more. Tom had been enormously proud of her. She was fairly proud of herself too. She was finally learning to stick up for herself when she needed to. She still did plenty of princess duties, but she and Mama worked out a plan where she'd finally had free time.

She usually spent it with Tom, Eugene, and Rapunzel. Tom and Eugene had actually become quick friends, spurred by their obsession with The Tales of Flynningan Rider and their love for their respective princesses. Both Lottie and Rapunzel were thrilled. Rapunzel had liked Tom at once, but Rapunzel had the wonderful tendency to like everyone until they gave her a reason otherwise. That didn't happen particularly often and so Lottie hadn't been surprised when Rapunzel had immediately accepted Tom (as had her parents). Eugene was much more jaded, and he tended to be more cautious. So it had been a happy day when Rapunzel and Lottie had meet up with Tom and Eugene and they'd immediately started talking. Besides that, Rapunzel had confided to Lottie that Eugene had been lonely and she was very glad that he'd finally found a real friend.

Life was good, scarily good even, and sometimes Lottie had to remind herself that this was really her life. She truly had a wonderful family, friend, and beau. She and Tom became closer and closer every day. The months passed by pleasantly for her, and one day in the fall, Tom said that he'd like to do something special with her the next day. She agreed immediately, of course. She cherished any time she could spend with him, and Mama had quickly agreed to let her have the day to herself. In fact, Mama had a slight twinkle in her eye that made Lottie think that she more than she was telling. Rapunzel had been there too, and she'd giggled as if she knew the same secret.

But she pushed that out of her mind, and focused on enjoying her day with Tom. They walked around town for the morning, just poking in and out of shops. Then for lunch, they headed for the lake and had a little picnic. Afterward, they decided to stroll around, hand and hand. Lottie stopped for a minute to look at the beautiful leaves. Fall was definitely one of her favorite seasons, and she was enjoying the beautiful crisp day immensely. She wanted to ask him if he knew what any of these trees were. She turned around to talk to him, only to see him kneeling behind her with a soft smile on his face. Immediately she started shaking. "Tom, what-…."

"Lottie," he said. "Since the moment I met you, I knew you were special, and that feeling has only increased the more I got to know you. I love you very much, and so I wanted to ask you something." He held out a beautiful diamond ring. "Will you marry me?"

All Lottie wanted was to throw her arms around him and say yes. But she found herself shaking even more instead, and she nodded her head. She hoped he understood that meant yes.

He did. He stood up and pulled her into his arms, his lips brushing her hair. She began to cry happy tears, because with her parents, Rapunzel, Eugene, and now Tom, she knew she'd never be lonely again. Her heart burst with joy.

Tom drew away, eyes concerned. "Are you okay, Lottie?" he asked. "I mean, I know you said yes, and I'm so happy about that, but you're crying and I-…"

She shook her head. "No, Tom. I'm crying because I can't believe it. I'm so glad you asked me. I've been dreaming of a moment like this my whole life, and now that's happening…" She paused and blinked. "It's a little overwhelming." She gave him a smile. "But I love you and I want to marry you."

At that, he leaned in and kissed her. After several more nice kisses, he sat behind her with his arms around her. She put her own hands on his and his lips brushed her hair. "We're going to be happy, you know," he whispered. "Really happy."

"I believe it."

And she did, with all her heart.

XxXxXxXxXx

Lottie and Tom spent another hour together, just laughing and making plans. Lottie hated leaving him to get ready for dinner, but he consoled her by telling her that a day would come where they'd never have to be apart. Ever.

On her way back to the palace, she went by the garden She saw Rapunzel and Eugene sitting close to each other, talking quietly and holding hands. She wasn't sure if she should interrupt, but Rapunzel looked up at her with a questioning look on her face.

Lottie knew what the question was. She nodded, a grin splitting her face from ear to ear.

Rapunzel let out a squeal and jumped up to hug her, leaving a confused Eugene on the bench by himself.

"Let me see it, let me see it!" Rapunzel begged.

Lottie was only too happy to oblige. She held out her left hand with her ring on it.

Rapunzel squealed again. "Oh, it's beautiful. I'm so happy for you!"

By now, Eugene had gotten up and stood next to Rapunzel. Rapunzel grabbed her hand and waved it in front of his face. "Look, Eugene," she said happily. "Lottie's engaged!"

He grinned at her. "I'm happy for you, Lottie," he said. "Tom's very nice."

"Yes, he is," she said softly.

Rapunzel took her hand and Eugene's and began pulling them toward the castle. "Come on," she said. "We have to tell Mama and Papa!"

Lottie let herself be dragged, but Eugene quietly took hold of Rapunzel's hand. He walked himself to the dining room. By then, Rapunzel had managed to calm herself down slightly, and Mama and Papa came. Soon they began to eat quietly, but Rapunzel couldn't keep herself contained for long. Right before dessert, she looked at Lottie questioningly. Lottie nodded. "Mama, Papa….I have some exciting news."

"Lottie's engaged!" Rapunzel blurted.

She watched Eugene frown at Rapunzel, and whisper something in her ear. Rapunzel flushed. "I mean…."

"Is that true, Lottie?" said Mama with a smile.

Lottie felt a rush of happiness come over her. "Yes. Tom and I are engaged."

Mama and Papa both left their seats to hug her. "That's wonderful, Lottie," Mama said.

Papa smiled. "He asked me a few days ago. He's a nice young man."

"Yes," she said. "He is."

After dessert, Mama, Lottie, and Rapunzel talked over wedding plans. Rapunzel was very enthusiastic and even offered to draw an engagement portrait of them. Lottie thought it was a marvelous idea, and she agreed. They continued talking for at least another hour, and Lottie was very tired when she went to bed. But she felt happier and more content than she had in a long time.

XxXxXxXx

Lottie thought later that the months leading up to her wedding were the best of her whole life. Every day she felt so happy that everything was funny to her, and she found that those things that used to bother her didn't anymore. She didn't even notice them. For instance, Selena and Simona came to visit again, and she didn't even pay any attention to them. She was barely even aware of their presence. They could say mean things to her, and it would change her happiness. Besides, she was too focused on her relationship with Tom to really care what they said. They were growing closer and closer as the wedding drew near and Lottie couldn't help but notice that Eugene and Rapunzel were too. It wouldn't surprise her if Eugene proposed to her soon.

And her hunch proved to correct. About a month before her wedding in May, Eugene came to her and told her excitedly that he planned to propose to Rapunzel. She smiled widely when he told her.

"That's wonderful, Eugene," she said. "You both are perfect for each other.

He grinned. "Will you help me pick a ring?" he asked her.

She gave him another smile in return. "Of course I will."

The next afternoon, they went to store after store and she did her best to help him. She suggested ring after ring, and hr shook his head after every one. "No," he said. "They just don't….look like her to me."

She tried not to get frustrated. They'd been looking for over two hours! But she didn't want to yell at Eugene. He just wanted to find the perfect ring for her sister. She could understand that, but she still decided to go look in a different part of the store. "Okay. Well, I'll be looking over here. Let me know if you see something."

Lottie perused the rings, and she saw a lot of pretty ones. Yet she knew he'd probably find something not quite right with all of them. She sighed, and her mind drifted to her own wedding plans. She wondered what kind of flowers she should have. She loved roses, but it seemed everyone would have roses….

"What do you think of this one?"

She blinked. Eugene was standing there, holding out a ring. She looked at it- a small diamond with two amethysts on the side. She thought it was perfect and somehow…it looked just like Rapunzel too. She knew how much her sister liked purple. She smiled at him. "I think that's the one you've been searching for, Eugene."

He grinned. "You think she'll like it?"

"She'll love it," she said.
Suddenly, a look of anxiety passed over his face. "Do you…do you think she'll say yes?" he said in a hushed voice.

Lottie just stared at him. Was he serious? She examined his face closely, but all she could find was boyish excitement and nervousness. He looked surprisingly vulnerable, like he wasn't quite sure if she would.

She reached out and touched his arm. "Yes, I'm sure she will," she said reassuringly. "Don't you know how much she loves you, Eugene?"

He blinked. "Yes, I know…," he said. "But marriage….it's a big deal, Lottie."

"Yes, it is," she said slowly. "But I'm sure Rapunzel would be happy to marry you." She paused and bit her lip. "I mean, do you have any reason to think that she won't?"

"No, I guess not," he said. "But I just…" His voice trailed off. "Anyway, thanks Lottie. Can I ask you something else?"

"Of course."

"I'm thinking of taking her out on a boat ride, and proposing to her there," he said. "Do you think that's a good idea?"

"Does a boat mean something special to you both?" she asked.

He smiled dreamily. "Yeah, it does. It's when I knew I loved her."

She smiled back at him. "Then I'm sure it's perfect, Eugene. And relax. She will say yes."

"Yeah," he said. "Thank you so much for your help, Lottie."

"You're very welcome." He started to walk away, but she felt like she needed to say something else. "Eugene?" He turned back to look at her. "I'm really glad that you'll be a part of our family."

He smiled again, one that all the way to his eyes. "Thank you, Lottie."

He walked away then, but Lottie continued to smile. She was glad that he would be part of their family, and she was so thankful to him. He'd brought her sister back, true, but he'd done something else as well.

He'd brought her a brother.

XxXxXxXx

The night when Eugene proposed to Rapunzel, he tried to keep Lottie's optimistic words in his head. But his stomach still felt tied up in knots even though the evening so far had gone very well. After dinner, he and Rapunzel had walked down to the lake and he took her on a canoe ride like the night of the lanterns. That, of course, was intentional because he was trying to recreate the night of her birthday. He'd even brought two lanterns to send up, after she said yes. He tried not to think about the possibility that she would not. Because he was rather anxious, he couldn't think of anything to say.

Rapunzel stared dreamily into the water, and he couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking about. She was quiet, and he knew that this could be an opportune moment to ask her. But he felt so nervous. Why did he feel so nervous? Lottie had assured him that she would say yes, so why was he freaking out? Maybe it was because he wanted her to say yes so badly.

Rapunzel caught his eye, and she smiled. "Everything all right, Eugene?"

He swallowed. "Yes, of course," he said. "I just…"

"Yes?"

"Rapunzel, I-…"

She gazed at him with a hopefully look in her eyes. "Yes?!"

Just say it! "Are you having a nice time tonight?"

She looked visibly disappointed. He felt the same. How could he have chickened out like that? "Of course I am, Eugene" was all she said though. "I always have fun with you."

Okay, here was the moment he'd been waiting for "Do you, Rapunzel?" he asked softly.

"Yes," she said, giving him a smile. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Rapunzel," he said. "And I brought you out here tonight because I wanted to ask you something."

Her eyes widened slightly. "What's that, Eugene?" she whispered.

"Do you remember the night of the lanterns?" he said. "When we sat here together just like this?"

"Yes…."

"It was then that I knew that I loved you, and it's only grown over the months that I've known you," he said. "So the question I wanted to ask you is this." He held out the ring. "Will you….marry me, Rapunzel?"

She smiled a little and took his hands. Before he knew it, she was gently kissing him.

He guessed that meant yes. His heart warmed and he felt a rush of happiness. Still, he had to make sure. "Does that mean yes?"

She giggled, then smiled sweetly at him. "Of course it does, Eugene."

He laughed, partly out of sheer relief. "I was afraid you'd say no."

"You big silly," she said affectionately. "Why would I say no?"

He could think of several reasons, but he wasn't going to let his doubts ruin this moment. She'd said yes, and he was going to marry the most wonderful girl in the world. He leaned in and kissed her again. "I love you, Rapunzel," he said softly.

"And I love you, Eugene."

Suddenly he remembered the lanterns. "Oh, I almost forgot!" He took out the lanterns, and held one out to her. "I brought these."

She smiled again, another sweet and tender one. He loved it when she looked at him like that. Hopefully, he'd see it the rest of his life. "You brought lanterns?"

He smiled too now, sheepishly. "Yeah. I thought we could send them up to…celebrate."

"That's a great idea," she said eagerly. "Lets!

At her suggestion, they both sent their lanterns into air at the same time. As they did, he couldn't help but think that as great as their relationship had been so far, the best was still yet to come.

XxXxXxXx

The next morning at breakfast, Lottie had a feeling Eugene had proposed to Rapunzel. They both beamed at each other, and she guessed that Rapunzel had said yes. But Lottie knew when to keep quiet, and she would until Rapunzel or Eugene would mention it.

As it happened, she didn't have to wait long. They had barely started eating before Eugene said something. "So we have something to tell you all."

"What's that, Eugene?" Mama asked.

"Eugene and I are engaged too!" Rapunzel said happily.

Lottie, Mama, and Papa all had the same idea. They got up and hugged Rapunzel. She looked and saw Eugene smiling at them, and she pulled him into the hug. After all, he was a member of their family too. She felt so happy for Rapunzel, as happy as she had when she got engaged herself.

Well, almost. After all, nothing could be better than that wonderful moment when Tom had proposed to her.

XxXxXxXx

One Month Later

Sun streamed into Lottie's room, and it quickly woke her up. She shifted onto her back, and stared up at the ceiling. I'm getting married today! She giggled happily to herself. This was going to be the best day.

And it was, though she spent a fairly quiet day with her immediate family until she got read for the wedding. In the afternoon, Mama and Rapunzel helped her dress and stayed with her until the moment that she'd walk down the aisle with Papa.

About a half an hour before the ceremony, a knock sounded on the door and Mama answered. She heard her talk quietly with someone before shutting the door. She came to Lottie with a smile, an envelope in her hand.

"Here," Mama said. "You got this from Tom."

Mama handed a small piece of paper to her. She took it, unfolded the letter and started to read:

My dear Lottie,

Well, the day that we've both been dreaming about is finally here! I don't know about you, but I couldn't be happier. Yet when the time came to write this letter, I wasn't sure what to write. I could tell you how much I like the way your nose wrinkles up when you laugh, or how I always want to hear your truthful thoughts- because I know what it's in that beautiful head of yours. I could say that I can't wait to wake up beside you every morning, and kiss you before I go to sleep. Or how I eagerly await sharing every day with you for as long as I live.

I could go on and on, but all of it means one thing: I love you, now and forever.

See you at the end of the aisle!

Love,

Tom

By the time she finished, tears were welling up in her eyes. "He has such a way with words," she said softly.

Rapunzel sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "Don't cry, Lottie. Not on your wedding day. You should be happy."

She smiled, and reached over to hug her sister. "I am happy, Rapunzel. They're happy tears."

"Oh," she said, her expression brightening. "Well, I guess that's okay then."

Lottie laughed slightly. Then she reached over and took Rapunzel's hand. She touched her third finger where she had her own engagement ring. Rapunzel had told her how much she'd liked it and Lottie couldn't help but feel a little flicker of pleasure because she'd helped Eugene. "It'll be you and Eugene soon."

Rapunzel smiled then, a soft and sweet smile. "I know," she said. "But it's your day today."

Lottie smiled back at her, and her heart burst with happiness. It was her day, the day she'd been dreaming about for years.

Mama broke in then. "Yes, it is, and you need to get ready! It's that time."

Lottie looked at Rapunzel. Each of them reached out and hugged the other.

"You look beautiful, Lottie," Rapunzel said. "When Tom sees you, he's going to kneel over."

Lottie smiled at that, and she followed Rapunzel and Mama out to where Papa was waiting for her. Papa smiled when he saw her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "You look beautiful, sweetheart."

"Thank you, Papa," she said. But as he took her arm and they began to walk toward the chapel, she couldn't help but realize that their relationship was going to change. She'd always be her daddy's girl, of course, but their relationship wouldn't be quite the same after today. Judging by the look on his face, he knew it just as well as she did. Another man would be the center of her life instead of him. But he still continued to smile, and she smiled back. They both watched Rapunzel walk down the aisle, beaming a smile the whole entire time. Lottie felt a rush of love for her family, but more for her sister. It meant the world to her that Rapunzel-who had been lost for so many years- could be here to celebrate this day with her.

Rapunzel reached the end of the aisle, and Papa took her arm. She took a deep breath. It was time. She and Papa began to walk down, and her heart started to pound After all these years, after all that waiting, hoping, praying for a day like this, she was finally getting married. Happy tears blurred her vision, but she still could see Tom at the front of the church and Eugene stood with him. On the other side, Rapunzel was waiting with the hugest smile on her face.

At that moment, she and Tom met each other's eyes. He smiled at her with such tender affection that she wanted to cry again. She knew beyond any doubt that Tom really and truly loved her. He mouthed something to her, and she easily caught it. You look beautiful.

She smiled back at him with the most joy she'd ever felt. She and Papa walked closer and closer to him, and soon Papa was giving her one more kiss on the cheek. And she was face to face with Tom.

"Dearly beloved," the priest began. "We are gathered together…."

Lottie didn't catch what he said after that; she was too focused on the first thing he said. Dearly beloved….

Yes, everyone here was beloved to her. Dear, sweet Mama who been such a support and encouragement throughout her growing up years. Steady Papa whose gentleness and quiet strength made him a wonderful king and father. There was her sister, Rapunzel- the perkiest, happiest girl you'd ever meet, who was able to be as happier for you as she was for herself. Eugene, who she hadn't even liked at first, but he'd grown on her with his quick wit and utter devotion to Rapunzel.

And Tom. Wonderful, wonderful Tom, who would always be her true love and best friend. Since she'd met him, he'd been a great supporter, but also a challenger- he challenged her to be better than she thought she would be, and more assertive than she thought she could be. And for that she would always love him.

It seemed like no time had passed at all, but she soon recognized the signal to hand her bouquet to Rapunzel, and Tom took her hands. She heard Tom say his vows. "I, Thomas, take thee, Charlotte…."

Soon it was her turn, and she repeated them after the minister. "I, Charlotte, take thee Thomas…"

And then they were exchanging the rings, the minister was declaring them husband and wife, and Tom was kissing her.

Afterward, he smiled at her and she smiled back. She was married!

XxXxXxXx

Lottie didn't remember much of the reception afterward, only little snippets of Mama, Papa, Rapunzel, Eugene….and Tom. Everywhere and everything Tom. Tom laughing with her, Tom dancing with her, Tom kissing her…

But she did know that Mama had been pleased with the party afterward. She'd told Lottie so, just after her last dance. "This wedding was perfect, Lottie," she said. "Everything…was perfect."

"Thank you, Mama," she said. "I couldn't have done it without you."

Mama gave her a smile, and then she felt Tom take her hand. "Let's go, Lottie," he said softly.

She followed him after saying her goodbyes. Once they were alone, Tom started kissing her again. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him back- kissed her husband. How she loved that word.

They broke apart and he pulled her close to him. "So, I have a gift for you," Tom said.

"Oh, Tom, you didn't have to do that," she protested. She tenderly put her hand on his face. "You're enough for me."

He took her hand and kissed it. "But I still wanted to give you something." He pulled out a wrapped package and handed it to her. "Here."

She opened it, only to find a book. She turned it over and read the title. In the Shadows. "Tom, you finished your book?"

"Yes," he said. "But I wanted you to read it first." He looked at her seriously. "It's our story, Lottie."

She smiled up at him. "That's wonderful. I can't wait to read it."

He grinned at her. "Look inside."

Obligingly, she opened it up to the dedication page. To my dear Lottie, in thanks for inspiring this story. I love you, my wife and my friend.

Tears pricked her eyes at the sweetness of the message, and the fact that he dedicated a book to her. To her! She'd never felt so special in her whole life. "I don't know what to say. I'm…honored, Tom. Incredibly honored." She paused. "I mean, to inspire a whole story….it's overwhelming."

"I wanted you to know how special you are to me," he said.

"I do," she said softly.

He smiled at her, and put his arms around her. "I love you."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "I love you too."

He began kissing her again then, long and deep. "Are you happy, Lottie?" he whispered in her ear.

"Yes," she said. "Oh, yes!"

And she was. She was happier than she'd ever been in her whole life. After all those years of wishing, waiting, and hoping, she was finally married- to the most amazing man. He was better and more wonderful than she could have imagined. She had a great family, with the best parents and the sweetest sister in the world. Soon she'd have a funny and witty brother in law, who made her sister smile.

Yes, she was happy. She'd learned to speak up for herself, to say no when necessary. She started telling the truth, even when it was hard. She'd fallen in love, with someone who was her best friend and supporter.

And with Tom around, she knew that she'd never be in the shadows again.

THE END

Author's Note:

I feel it incumbent upon me to share something important about this story. Princess Charlote "Lottie" is heavily based on a real person:

Me.

Lottie is me.

I am Lottie.

Her weaknesses, her insecurities, her fears, her hopes, her dreams...are all mine. Because Lottie is so much like me, this story was a very personal one to write but I'll always be glad that I did. Her lessons were ones that I had to learn too. As for Tom, there is no one like him in real life, though I pray he'll come along soon. With that, here are some thank yous:

... to Wolfram for doing art for this story. I am so excited to see it!

...to Airplane for running the Tangled Big Bang Challenge (Which this story is a part of).

...to those authors and books who inspired pieces of this story.

...to my own wonderful sister. I love you.

...to readers and reviewers for reading. I hope you enjoyed this story.

Solo deo Gloria!