Reunion at Sea

Puzzle

The Capital was abuzz with everyone setting up activities, some of them already active. Rapunzel giggled as she watched kids playing on the bouncy house and then turned to Eugene when he brought her some candy. "For you." He said with a grin. "When did you want to go out riding?"

"Oh, I don't know. I was thinking of checking out all of this stuff, actually." Rapunzel smiled. "I mean, if you really want to, we can go--"

"Nah, it's fine. Nothing to see out there, anyway." Eugene brushed it off.

Rapunzel heard the sound of wheels on stone and looked over to see someone parking their cart. Wait, why did she feel compelled to look over? Especially since Eugene was still talking to her. Her eyes widened as the man helped down the teenager in the cart with him, a teenager with black hair with a teal streak.

"Could go see the art show, I think that's almost done setting--Sunshine?" Eugene waved his hand in front of her face. "You with me?"

"Oh, uhm..." She looked back at him, then over at the cart again as the man took the teenager's hand and led him along into the crowd. He was wearing different clothes, but that was definitely the same freckled boy from her dream. "Uhm, excuse me." She said, hurrying after them.

Eugene shrugged and followed her.

"Do you want some candy, Varian?" She heard the man ask.

"Sure." The boy replied.

They went into a store called Monty's Sweet Shoppe and Rapunzel stopped outside it, watching them. The boy picked out a lollipop and she saw the man talking and laughing a bit before the boy walked out with his father again. He stopped short when he saw her and she could swear she saw recognition in those blue eyes.

"Uhm...hi." She smiled.

"Princess Rapunzel." The man said, bowing low. The boy followed suit and she felt an ache as her mind superimposed another image of him in the same pose, in different clothes.

"Oh, uhm, it's okay, you don't have to bow." She said, smiling awkwardly. They got back up. "I don't think I've seen you around! You weren't there at my birthday celebration, were you?"

"We always do the Lantern Festival festivities from our home." Her father answered for him. "Varian, why don't you say 'hello'?"

"H-Hi." He glanced away, looking...guilty? Confused, for sure.

"It's nice to meet you, Varian." Rapunzel smiled.

"Nice to meet you, too." He nodded.

"You will have to forgive him, Princess, he doesn't do well around people." The man - Quirin, her mind supplied, he was in the dream - said apologetically.

"Oh, well, I'm still getting used to people myself." She admitted. "Eighteen years in a tower, heh..."

"Hey, Sunshine." Eugene walked over and kissed her cheek. "Who's this?"

"Oh! Eugene, this is Varian." She looked at him.

"Ahhh. Did you ask him your weird question yet?" He asked teasingly.

"Weird question?" Quirin asked.

"It doesn't matter." Rapunzel said awkwardly. "I don't want to upset him."

"I'm okay." Varian assured her. "What is it?"

"Okay..." She took a deep breath, then moved closer. "Uhm...can we talk privately, actually?"

"My son doesn't keep any secrets from me." Quirin assured her. "Whatever it is you have to say can be said in front of me."

"I just meant, you know, away from the crowd." Rapunzel assured him.