"Royally Sick"-Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure-King Frederic-M

[SleepingPhlox]

In my latest adventures of getting really into something nobody else cares about, it's...Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, specifically King Frederic.  I have my reasons, don't judge me.  Or feel free to judge me, actually, it makes no difference.  I'm happy doing my thing.     So this show teased me with two scenes where I thought something good was going to happen but it didn't, so I took to the internet to find sickfics.  And when I saw that nobody in the history of the internet had seen fit to write the sickfics I wanted, I realised I was going to have to write one myself.

In short, this is a tale of how when King Frederic of Corona gets a cold, it's everyone's problem.  Fair warning, this is going to be ridiculously self indulgent, there will be mess, sneezing on people, on things, noseblowing into things that were never intended for it at all.  I mean, it's not going to be graphic but it will be there because I figured if I'm going to get freaky I might as well go all out.

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Chapter 1

Was it the sudden, eardrum-shattering sneeze that woke her or the shaking of the bed that had accompanied it? Queen Arianna wasn't sure, but what she did know was that she was well and truly awake. Lying next to her, her husband King Frederic looked as astonished as she was, as if he were confused as to what had just happened, though he had unmistakably been the source of the commotion. There was no one else in the kingdom that sneezed quite like he did. For a brief, blissful moment, she could have written the single event off as a fluke, a one-off...

But then his expression changed and his chest began to rise and fall and she flinched despite herself.

"hhhhhehhDTCHHeeh!"

Now he just looked dejected, his features drooping as the reality of his situation set in. Arianna clucked in sympathy as she sat up and pressed a soft, delicate hand to his forehead. His forehead was, of course, warm. Considerably so. She was not terribly surprised to discover this. She had been startled by his outburst at first, but entirely unsurprised. And, truth be told, she felt more than a little guilty about it She had been the one to insist on an evening ride far from the bustle of Corona, to see the stars, despite Frederic's utter lack of horse-riding ability, and despite the chilly weather which was unusually cold lately, even for the time of year. And when he fell, and his horse bolted off into the great unknown and the heavens opened with some of the most intense rain in recent memory as they walked back home together, she should have insisted a little harder that he keep his cloak for himself rather than use it to keep the rain from soaking her. After all, though one wouldn't think it to look at them - her with her dainty and slight frame, and him tall and broad and strong - she was the one with the sturdier constitution. And it was him that tended to catch cold if he so much as overheard a conversation about the slight breeze that happened last week. And though she had plied him with tea and sat him by the fire wrapped in blankets the moment they got home, it seemed the damage had been done.

"The timing isn't ideal," she mused thoughtfully, pausing as she saw him gasping for air as if his life depending on it, and waiting until he had reached the culmination, releasing a "hahhhRRGHdtchh!" into the open air. That was another thing. Despite her years and years of effort, he still hadn't dropped the bad habit of forgetting to cover his mouth and nose. She wasn't sure how someone so usually concerned with appearance and decorum could be as utterly unconcerned with the hygiene of sneezing as he was. She waited a moment to make sure he was finished before completing her thought. "Since today is our weekly meeting with the subjects, after all. But it can't be helped. It will just have to be cancelled this week."

Frederic's tired blue eyes widened and he sat up abruptly - a little too abruptly. He stopped to wince and touch his head tenderly as he swung around to perch on the side of the bed.

"Out of the question," he declared, though he was a little too weak to have anything sound as resolute as a declaration. It was more an attempt at a declaration that fell flat and ended up as more of a whine. "The success of our kingdom depends on the happiness of our subjects and the happiness-" He interrupted himself to cough. "-of our subjects depends on them having a voice and being heard. No, I...I...hahhhh...hahhhNNGHHdtchh!...oh dear. I require a handkerchief."

Arianna was already one step ahead, which meant several steps toward the dresser where the ample supply of fabric squares was kept. In truth, she had darted towards it the moment she'd seen his shoulders start to heave, hoping to retrieve a handkerchief in time - but his nose was far faster than she could ever be. She pulled out a stack of them and offered them to him. Though most people could use the same handkerchief a few times before it became unfit for use, Frederic was not most people. His nose was a peculiarity. And, as if to prove her point, he helped himself to the top one, wrapped his nose in the fabric and unleashed a long, deep blow into its embrace. He cleared one nostril, then the next, then both again in turn. And that was it for the hapless handkerchief. It was fit for nothing but the laundry now.  The palace maids were not going to be very happy, that was for certain.

And he was already gearing up for the next sneeze. Though he held a stack of handkerchiefs in his hand, he made no move to use one, just rearing his head back as he gasped and his nostrils flared.
"Cover your-" Arianna exclaimed, but she was cut off by a sudden spray aimed directly at her neck. She nearly lost her legendary patience and scolded him, but the sight of him looking up at her sheepishly, sniffling as a shiny dribble made it's way out of his left nostril, melted her heart. Was there really any harm done? She needed to perform her morning wash and change into her gown anyway.

"Are you certain?" she said softly. "I can look after meeting the subjects. After all, we have Rapunzel here with us now. She can help me."

"She's new to this whole thing and she's still learning. I want her to observe the proper way to conduct these meetings a few more times before I give her that level of responsibility. No, Arianna, my mind is made up. I haven't missed one yet since I came to the throne, and I have no intention of starting today."

He hadn't ever missed one, Arianna knew that well, even when there were times when he really should have missed one. And times when he really, really should have missed one. She sighed. Frederic could be stubborn at the best of times, but once he had decided that something was "the right thing to do" there was no moving him. No matter what.  Being resolute was at once his most lovable and most infuriating quality.

Then, she brightened suddenly. Of course, she had Rapunzel here with her now! Sweet, kind, caring Rapunzel, who would no doubt be more than happy to lend a helping hand. If there was ever anyone in need, Rapunzel was always there to offer assistance. And that went double for friends and family. Arianna breathed a sigh of relief. A sick Frederic could be a handful, but she would have a helping hand this time. Her cheerfulness returning, she ruffled her husband's hair playfully, and then smoothed it carefully back into place before turning away.

"I'm going to get myself ready for the day," she said warmly. "I'll make sure that you're served something nice and piping hot for breakfast. And plenty of hot tea and some orange juice." She paused thoughtfully. "I'll arrange to have it served in the dining room today.  We don't want you outside in the cold in your condition."

Arianna hadn't thought Frederic's face could get any more pathetic, but somehow, it found a way to do just that.

"But I like having my breakfast on the balcony," he whined in protest. "That's how we always do it. Breakfast outside to greet the s...the s-...hahhhRRGHHtchhu!... the sud id the bordi'g and didder idside."

"But, Dear, you aren't in any shape to be out there in that freezing weather and..." She let her voice trail off. He was doing the Sad Eyes and she was powerless against the Sad Eyes. They alway had been his most formidable weapon. Her shoulders slumped in resignation. She turned back to him and ran the tips of her fingers against his fiery-warm cheek with tender concern. "Don't worry. We'll have breakfast on the balcony just the way you like it. But you must make sure you are properly bundled up well against the chill. Will you promise me that?"

"I promise," he replied. And though the sulk in his voice might have made him sound reluctant, he meant his promise. He was stubborn, but he wasn't the sort to cause himself discomfort with no good reason. He snuffled thickly to himself before helping himself to the handkerchief from the top of the pile and subjecting it to the same treatment the first one had endured, before discarding it, limp and soaked, onto his bedside table.  He sighed.

He greatly disliked being sick.

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To be continued.

[SneezyHolmes]

I'm not familiar with the fandom but I AM familiar with enjoying sick kings! Lovely writing as always, Phlox! Interested to see where this goes!

[Reader]

This is great! 

[SleepingPhlox]

@SneezyHolmes @Reader Thanks you guys!  I definitely figured there wouldn't be a heck of a lot of people that knew what this was, but that's what is great about this place is I post my mad fandoms and y'all will still give it a chance.  Which is great because I am absolutely not done putting this character through the wringer.  I'm only just getting started!

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CHAPTER 2

"Good morning Mom! Good morning Dad! Mmmm, breakfast smells delicious!" Rapunzel's cheery voice sounded as she ran up behind them, so light-footed and dainty her movements would not have been out of place in a dance, and threw her arms around both their shoulders at once, giving a hearty squeeze. She did not notice something might be amiss until she skipped over to the other side of the table and began to pull out her chair. She looked at her father's woeful face, and her mother's slightly apologetic smile, and began to put the pieces together.

Eugene, Rapunzel's boyfriend and perpetual irritating thorn in Frederic's side, was much quicker on the uptake. "Good morning, Your Majesties," he greeted boisterously as he swooped in, then stopped in his tracks. "Whoa. No offense, but that is the reddest nose I've ever seen." He jumped as Rapunzel elbowed him in the side perhaps just a little too hard. "What?" he protested. "Look at it! It's huge and it's red and it's staring right at me. Come on!"

While Frederic glared balefully at Eugene, Arianna did her best to suppress an amused smile while she attempted to appease her slighted husband by patting his arm comfortingly. While it was true that Frederic's nose had certainly begun to turn an angry shade of red thanks to repeated sneezing, rubbing, wiping, and blowing, she knew from years and years of experience that this was nothing. It had the capacity to get much, much worse. And she was certain it would-it was still only early morning after all. And of course she adored her husband and everything about him, even his nose, but it was undeniably large and when colds or springtime allergies had their way with it, it was a little hard to miss.

"Is everything okay?" Rapunzel asked, her eyes wide with concern. It was only a year ago that she had learned that people could even become sick- a lifetime of isolation held captive by a witch in a tower would do that to a person - and she still found the concept of it strange and a little frightening. But her mother smiled at her calmly and that went a long way toward assuaging her fears. Her mother was the bravest woman she knew - well, besides her best friend Cassandra - and if she was here to help, it would be fine.

"Your father caught a cold from being out in the rain last night," Arianna explained. "It's not serious. He just needs some time to recover, plenty of rest, and to be kept warm."

"Oh, I see," Rapunzel replied, her face falling and then instantly brightening up again. "Well I was looking forward to meeting the subjects today. I think I'm really getting the hang of that! But I'm happy to help Dad feel better instead. Just tell me what to do and I'm there! Both me and Eugene! Right Eugene?"

That was answered by an entirely unenthusiastic "meh", followed by a quick dodging of another attempt to elbow him.

"We're still meeting the subjects," Arianna assured her. "So I'm going to need your help both with that and with looking after him. Making sure he stays comfortable and doesn't get too tired, takes enough breaks, that sort of thing." She mentally added and making sure he stays out of trouble, but wouldn't have been so unkind as to say it out loud. As it was, Frederic made his woundedness at the current conversation known, hunching over his plate and mumbling glumly:

"You know I'm right here, right? I can hear you talk about me. And for your information, I can run an entire kingdom, you know. So I think I can look after myself."

"We're not talking about you, Dear. We're discussing the situation. And you don't run an entire kingdom. WE run an entire kingdom," Arianna cooed, patting his arm gently.

Frederic huffed and huddled even further into himself, trying to protect himself against the biting cold. It was, indeed, uncomfortably chilly out here, even with his winter clothing and his cloak made of thick, glossy black fur, and the blanket he'd brought out for extra protection. Maybe, just maybe, eating breakfast indoors would have been a better idea after all. Indeed, did they need to greet the sun every day? It would still be up there in the sky tomorrow. Why had he decided that was so important to stick to today?

And he found that although the breakfast looked delicious, he didn't have much of an appetite, and not being able to taste any of the food hampered what little desire he did have to eat. The normally enjoyable ritual of breakfast, for him today, was just mostly shivering, sniffling, and staring at a perfectly good meal that was going to waste. He looked up at Eugene, sitting across from him, cheerfully eating sausages and eggs without a care in the world. It seemed so unfair that Eugene should be enjoying himself while he was suffering so badly. He sighed and poked a hand out of his blanket to stab listlessly at his scrambled eggs with his fork as he used his other hand to smother a cough.  At least he remembered his hygiene when it came to coughing - most of the time.

Eugene did not stay cheerfully enjoying his breakfast for very long. One quick glance up and his gaze fell upon a trickle escaping from Frederic's nose, glinting in the early morning sun. Then in the next moment, Frederic snuffled deeply in an attempt to curtail the escape attempt, flashing Eugene a vivid, and entirely unwanted, view of the contents of his nose. The little trickle was nothing. There was plenty more where that came from. And suddenly, Eugene's appetite had vanished. He wouldn't be surprised if it was gone forever - that was an image that was going to stick with him for a while.

Rapunzel looked up as Eugene set his fork down. She was blissfully oblivious to the reason he had stopped eating, and he had made enough of a dent in his breakfast that it wasn't immediately obvious that he hadn't eaten to his heart's content. Her father, on the other hand...

"Dad, you haven't touched your breakfast," she said with concern. "You have to eat something."

"Sweetheart, it's just that I'm not that hungry," he said, faking a huge smile to try and soothe her worry. He couldn't bear to see her worried, or upset, or anything less than full of smiles, really. He hadn't gotten to see so much of her life and hadn't been there to watch her grow and though here she was as a bright and strong young adult, he still couldn't help but try to protect her as if she were the child that had been stolen from him so many years ago-even though she was no child and needed no protection. But his smile had no effect on her as she continued looking at him with worry.

"You have to eat to keep your strength up. So you can get better," she insisted.

Arianna put down her own fork and dabbed at her mouth primly with a napkin. She could see Frederic beginning to fret over his daughter fuelled by the fact that his daughter was fretting over him, and it was time to intervene before he got himself too worked up. Stress and worry wouldn't help his health any.

"He'll be okay, Dear. Sometimes people just don't feel like eating when they're sick, that's all. We'll get him to eat some nice hot soup later. Soup is good for a cold."

 She was so focused on reassuring Rapunzel that she hadn't noticed when Frederic had gasped in a large lungful of air. Or the second lungful. It was only at the third one that she noticed, when Frederic's head was reared back. His reddened, glistening nostrils were pointed menacingly at Eugene, who was now nervously wondering if he should take cover behind his chair or something. Judging from how much Frederic's nose was running, he probably didn't want to be on the receiving end of what was about to happen.

Fortunately for Eugene, and everything on the table, Arianna noticed at the last minute. She only had time to shriek "Wait!" as she grabbed for a handkerchief and pressed it over Frederic's nose and mouth. Her tiny hand could barely cover both at the same time, but it was better than the alternative. She cringed as she felt the warm blast hit the thin fabric that stood between his nose and her hand, and breathed a sigh of relief when the ordeal was all over.

"You'll need to blow your nose after that," she said. A perfectly innocuous statement, an observation, nothing more. Nobody in their right mind would take it as an invitation to blow their nose at that exact moment, into the handkerchief that she still held, in her own hand. Yet, somehow, he came to the conclusion that that was exactly what he was supposed to do. She yelped in surprise, and instantly Frederic realised what a horrible mistake he'd made. He wasn't even sure why he'd done it. It had just happened, without any real thought on his part. His cheeks turned nearly as red as his nose.

"Arianna, I...I...I..." he stammered, complete and utter shock leaving him unable to finish his sentence. But the words did not have to be uttered for the meaning to be understood.

"It's okay," she said, forcing a smile through her intense desire to grimace. "Mistakes happen." Her voice was wavering, and she was losing her ability to keep as level and calm as she wanted to, and the effort in keeping her voice measured became more evident with every word she spoke. "I'm going to go wash my hands...Rapunzel, honey, would you look after your father once everything is finished here. He needs the correct clothes, and his crown...well, you know what to do."

Rapunzel nodded and watched as her mother scurried away. Frederic, this time, knew better than to argue that he was capable of looking after himself. That assertion would just bring an air of foolishness to this entire moment. He couldn't believe he had just done that! And he could just imagine Eugene deciding that this would be a funny little story to tell his annoying friends. So you think the King is all high and mighty, do you? Well, let me tell you all about what he did the other day...

No, he could not permit that to happen! He glared at Eugene, his eyes steely and stern.

"We will never speak of this moment," he grumbled. "Because it never happened. Got it?"

"Oh, I don't know, Your Majesty," Eugene said airily. "Because I might need a favour from you one day and you might not be inclined to give me that favour and if this story should happen to come up at the right time..."

"It. Never. Happened." Frederic growled, in a tone that even Eugene knew to back off from, his eyes fixed with a stare so fierce it would set fire to a wet log. Frederic took a deep breath, and Eugene mentally prepared himself for the angry words that were sure to follow.

Wait, another breath?

Oh. Oh no... No, no, no!

"Dad! Not on the breakfast!" Rapunzel exclaimed in horror, reaching diagonally across the table in an attempt to reach the handkerchief pile next to his plate. To her dismay, she found her reach fell short, and her subsequent desperate plea for him to please cover his mouth and spare the delicious food went unnoticed, Frederic's entire attention was now completely occupied elsewhere.

Well it was a good thing Eugene had a plan! He was so incredibly good at this saving princesses thing, it should be criminal!

"Never fear, Blondie," he proclaimed, standing up from his seat. "I know what to do."

He reached forward with a swoop for dramatic effect, and jammed an extended index finger under the king's twitching nose. A little warm and slimy, yeah that was gross, but it was for the greater good and for the sake of saving Rapunzel's breakfast he could put up with-

"hehhhAHHHdtchhhuhh!"

Oh, what just happened? Had the King really just..? All over his hand? Yep, he sure did. And oh look, the table as well. Well that was some impressive lung power. Gross, but impressive.

"Bless you, Your Majesty," he squeaked through gritted teeth as Rapunzel looked on in horror at the ruined food. "Okay, note to self, for future reference, that trick does not work, and storybooks lied to me. Good to know." He backed away from the table, holding his hand out as far away from his body as he possibly could - if he could detatch his arm right now to get it farther away from him, he would. There were a lot of things about royal life he loved - royal food, royal foot massages, royal bubble baths, those were all fantastic. Royal snot on his hand, not so much.

"In my defense he put his hand right on my nose at the worst possible time!" Frederic protested as soon as Eugene was out of sight, and Rapunzel turned to look at him reproachfully. He wasn't entirely sure he could bear his dear daughter's disapproving gaze. "How was I supposed to..." He sighed in resignation, letting his shoulders slump. "I do think it is time for me to go inside and get warm now.”

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To be continued.

[Selene]

22 hours ago, SleepingPhlox said:

I figured if I'm going to get freaky I might as well go all out.

Just wanted to tell you that I'm here for it! ^^ *grabs popcorn* Kings with impossibly messy colds certainly have a spot on my list of fetish-weaknesses. 

 

I especially enjoyed the following two paragraphs because they sum up the premise so nicely and I loved reading the queen's private exasperation over why her husband is somehow unable to keep his nose and sneezes in check:

22 hours ago, SleepingPhlox said:

Despite her years and years of effort, he still hadn't dropped the bad habit of forgetting to cover his mouth and nose. She wasn't sure how someone so usually concerned with appearance and decorum could be as utterly unconcerned with the hygiene of sneezing as he was.

 

22 hours ago, SleepingPhlox said:

And he was already gearing up for the next sneeze. Though he held a stack of handkerchiefs in his hand, he made no move to use one, just rearing his head back as he gasped and his nostrils flared.
"Cover your-" Arianna exclaimed, but she was cut off by a sudden spray aimed directly at her neck. She nearly lost her legendary patience and scolded him, but the sight of him looking up at her sheepishly, sniffling as a shiny dribble made it's way out of his left nostril, melted her heart.

Lovely description of the royal pre-sneeze desperation ❤️ Of course a king can't be bothered to cover if his nose is assaulted in such a way....

Thanks for going all out with this one and sharing the fic with us!

[SneezyHolmes]

Lovely and fast update! Poor Frederic! Or perhaps it's poor Eugene? Hmm...

[SweaterWeather]

DANG this is seriously awesome! Although I'm only a passing fan of the show, I've always loved the art style, mainly due to the fact that all the character's noses/eyes are shaded in such a way that brings so much life to their features. Especially Eugene, woof. Poor Frederic, he really does have it bad, doesn't he? Especially after Eugene's 'help' XD

[SleepingPhlox]

#finishtheunfinishedchallenge

First of all I just want to say that I'm so grateful to Reader for coming up with the idea for this challenge.  I had been thinking about continuing some of my old writing for so long but it felt so daunting.  But calling it a challenge and giving it a deadline made it so much more do-able.  I wanted to continue all of them, honestly, but this one had a special place in my heart (and also an outline for where I wanted the plot to go) so I just had to return to it!

Thank you to the people who read this when I first posted.  Sorry it took just shy of two years for an update and also for me to thank you.

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Chapter 3

Getting inside was such a simple concept. Yes, get inside. They should all get inside. Inside would be so much simpler. Yet Rapunzel and Eugene did not even have time to finish sharing their look of relief before the next challenge presented itself. They were walking in the right direction, but their company was sans one king.

“I got this,” Rapunzel said, breaking her stride to perfectly execute an about-face turn on her heel and catch up to a very befuddled Frederic, who was certain he knew where he was going, but could not for the life of him understand why the walls had changed since he saw them last.

“Dad,” Rapunzel said, putting her hands on his arm gently. “It's this way.”

“Don't be ridiculous,” Frederic huffed. “I have lived in this castle all my life and I know every part of-...oh. Hmmm. Perhaps you are correct. How very strange. I was certain that...well, never mind that. Come now, you two, we must retire to the sitting room so that I may warm up and rest before the day's events.”

 

He turned around, with some difficulty though. His coordination wasn't entirely what it should be. Neither was his stamina. Yet, he gathered himself as best he could, straightened his back and pulled his shoulders back – there was still a slight slump to his posture despite his best efforts – and strode down the hallway.

“Quickly, quickly,” he admonished.

“He does know that we're not the ones that made this take longer?” Eugene whispered into Rapunzel's ear. Before she could answer, a cough from Frederic made Eugene jump. And maybe also yelp. A little. He thought for one brief moment that the sound was one of those pointed throat-clearing noises people make at times, for example when they want to let you know they heard you talking about them even though you were being very quiet. But no, just a cough. Followed by even more coughs. Eugene breathed a sigh of relief. He was still walking that fine line of making sure he was on the king's good side.

Rapunzel, on the other hand, only grew more worried at the sound.

“He should be in bed,” she fretted.

“He should be anywhere but around me,” Eugene said, by way of agreement.

“I'll insist I take over for him. I have some experience now, and mom will still be there. Between the two of us, we could handle it.”

“Absolutely out of the question,” Frederic called back to them. Okay, so he definitely could hear them talking. Good to know. “I've never missed a meeting with the subjects in my entire time on the throne. Not once. And I do not intend to start now. Is that clear?”

He stopped walking when he came to the door of his sitting room and stood, stoically, arms behind his back. The guard at the doorway immediately took his cue and opened the grand wooden door, bowing and gesturing for the three to enter. Which they did, with Rapunzel popping her head back out the door to offer a cheery “thank you!” before disappearing back inside for good.

The room held any bit of comfort that anyone could want, and every bit of luxury was, as the saying went, “fit for a king”. There was a fireplace (unlit as yet) and a table for setting out a refreshment tray (unfortunately now bare), a grand window letting in a remarkable stream of bright early morning sunlight (that caused Frederic to wince and turn away) and high-backed, plush chairs that would beckon anyone to come and sit in their tempting softness, let alone someone suffering from illness and in need of a rest.

Eugene made a beeline for one of the chairs, throwing himself into it and allowing himself to be ensconced in it's luxury. Of all the things he'd never dreamed he'd do, considering where he came from and what he'd been, sitting in a chair like this was high up there on the list. Okay, pretty much everything he'd experienced since helping Rapunzel return to her rightful place in the castle was on that list. And man, he was enjoying going through everything on that list!

Frederic, on the other hand, bypassed his chair entirely and made his way to the window. There, he tried – unsuccessfully – to close the curtains and ease the strain the light caused to his throbbing head. However, he'd never closed these curtains in his life. Someone always took care of that for him. When they didn't give way with a simple tug, he began searching for some sort of trick to them. Perhaps there was a mechanism of some sort? But he couldn't figure it out. And with every passing moment the light became more and more troublesome and his limbs became more and more heavy. He gave another tug on the curtains. They still remained steadfastly in place. He huffed his disapproval.

And then, one side of the heavy, elegant fabric, swung itself toward the middle of the window. Instantly, the room became just that little bit more bearable.

“There's a sash,” Rapunzel explained, as she lifted said sash from its hook on the other side of the curtains, and expertly slid the curtain into place. Now the room was nearly in darkness, the candles not lit at this time of day. Frederic found it an immense relief.

Now if only there was a way to relieve the pressure and discomfort in his nose. And the tickle! Oh good heavens, the tickle! He contorted his nose this way and that in an effort to stave off the inevitable, even though he knew he was destined to lose the battle and he knew what the end would be.

“Hehhh...GHDTCHH!. Pardon m-...hehhTCHHyyhhh!...me.”

Rapunzel took his arm gently to guide him once again, steering him in the direction of the chair. To her relief, he sat down without any argument.

“Just rest until mom gets back,” she soothed. “We'll get some tea sent in and get the room warmed up. You don't need to worry about a thing.”

Of course Frederic found it impossible to “not worry about a thing”. He was usually occupied with several things to worry about at once. He was never without a worry over at least one thing. But, he would concede, at least getting some tea would be the least of the worries. He allowed himself to sink into the back of his chair.

Rapunzel clapped her hands together. This was going so well. She practically danced her way over to the fireplace and knelt down at the hearth. Time to get one more task out of the way. She was so great at handling things. She was the champion of handling things!

“I'll look after that,” Eugene said, having left his oh-so-comfortable spot on the chair and sidled up to her. Rapunzel bit her lip and raised an eyebrow, standing up again so she could look him eye to eye.

“I can light a fire,” she said, in that slightly defensive tone she got when she felt underestimated. “I've done it lots of times. I even have a technique for making it more efficent.”

“I don't doubt that,” Eugene agreed. “But your dad is all about royal appearances and protocol, and soot on your clothes while greeting the citizenry might not be his idea of a proper image.”

“Oh...I guess you're right. Oh well. I'll show you my special technique another time. I'll go ask the guard to call someone to bring in some tea. Build the fire as big as you can. We need to make sure it's warm enough in here.”

She nodded toward Frederic, who was now huddling into himself, visibly shivering, and pulling his arms in toward his body in an attempt to conserve as much body heat as possible. The shivering sequed seamlessly into a massive, shuddering inhale and then...

“HahhhhGRRRKtchhu!”

He shifted in his chair slightly, enough to retrieve a handkerchief from his pocket and buried his nose in it. The noise that followed soon after made Eugene wince. It was so loud that it filled the rather large room, drawing attention to itself, and it gurgled like a...well there really was nothing it could be compared to. It was a noise unique to itself, and unmistakable for what it was – a large, relentlessly runny nose being emptied of its copious and unpleasant contents into a waiting cloth. It was not what Eugene wanted to think about, yet it was impossible to keep the thoughts out of his mind when confronted with the sound. Oh god, the sound.

After what felt like forever, but was only mere moments, Frederic lowered the cloth, and sniffled. Now he had a problem. The handkerchief had already been used to it's absolute limit, and it was the only one he had. Now he would need to ask for help, which was one of his least favourite things to do. Still, dealing with his nose without any handkerchiefs did not even bear thinking about. His pride would have to live with the situation.

“I may require more handkercheifs,” he said, loudly in no direction in particular. Perhaps his logic was that if he simply voiced his concerns into the air, and anyone decided to help of their own accord, it wasn't technically asking for help.

“We'll look after it, don't worry,” Rapunzel called cheerfully, then lowered her voice to add “Okay, fire, tea, and handkerchiefs. And that's just for now. Once I'm in the throne room I won't be able to help...you'll be left on your own.” She sighed. Then gasped in delighted realisation. “I know! I'll ask Cass to help out! I bet she'll know all sorts of things to do to help.”

“You think Cass will be good at helping a sick person?”

Then, a slow smile spread across Eugene's face.

“Actually, you know what? We should absolutely ask Cass to help. If I have to experience this, she should have to too. And maybe she'll be so bad at it she'll get fired. Ooh, or exiled!”

Rapunzel rolled her eyes and playfully punched her love on the arm. Behind them, they heard a resounding:

“HehhhDTCHHHgghu!...oh...oh dear.”

“Oh dear?” Eugene said under his breath. “That's not a good sign, is it?”

“You better go check on him,” Rapunzel whispered back.

“Nonono. 'Oh dear' means there's probably something gross. And I am too handsome to handle gross things.”

“You know,” Frederic's voice boomed, cutting into their conversation. “My nose is stuffed up, but my ears work perfectly fine. I do not need to be checked on. I simply need a fresh handkerchief.” He paused. “Urgently.”

Eugene grimaced and flashed Rapunzel a look that clearly communicated “see, I told you, gross” without the need for spoken words.

“Okay. Okay. You get the fire started. I'll arrange for tea to be sent in immediately and for Cass to be called for. And for her to bring handkerchiefs.”

“A lot of handkerchiefs.”

“A lot of handkerchiefs.”

[Reader]

This was so fun and so arousing to read from start to finish. The era dialogue and era thinking that shapes the characters is so descriptively wonderful and you write it so well.  Eugene is hilarious! I relate so much to the wife and I love her inner dialogue. 

And the star of the show, the king, is just filled with fetishy goodness. I love how involved everyone is with his cold and how it’s going to be this huge elephant that everybody has to deal with. And his personality is amazing for a cold. Both stubborn and whiny and grumpy and sarcastic and noble and embarrassed but bold.

The part where the wife was holding the king’s nose like a bomb was about to go off 🤩
 

I’m looking forward to the next part!

[Snez gud]

You have no idea how happy I was when I saw that this had updated! It’s just as great as it was when I first read it!

[Katzoo12]

This is so cute! Poor Frederic…

[SleepingPhlox]

Thank you so much you guys who have read it after the last update and thank you so much for your comments.  I am grateful beyond belief for your readership and comments.  It's been a little while since my last update, every time I say I think I'm getting back into the swing of writing it turns out to be a little too optimistic!  But I mean it this time, for reals.  I am going to get this story to it's conclusion no matter what.

Chapter 4

In the hallway, Rapunzel paced back and forth in front of the imposing heavy wooden doors that stood between her and her boyfriend and ailing father. Who were in that room. Together. Alone. She should be in there to help, or to act as a buffer between their diametrically opposed personalities, or...

At the sound of a resounding, bellowing "hehhhhDTCHHGKU!" that the solid, thick doors seemed to do little to block the sound of, she bit her lip and quickened her step. She hoped Cassandra would appear soon. The worry would have her tearing her hair out, if it weren't for the whole her hair being magically unbreakable thing she had going on. She really needed to start making more progress getting to the bottom of that. That of course, was a whole different thing to worry about...but it would get her mind off worrying about the current situation. Which one would be best to worry about? She could weigh the pros and cons of each one and...

And maybe, just maybe, she should take a deep breath and not worry about anything. She stopped her pacing and did just that, taking a slow calming breath and letting it out slowly through pursed lips. It not only worked to calm her racing thoughts, but it also seemed to summon Cassandra too. Or that could just have been a coincidence.  Rapunzel was split 50/50 on whether it was magic or a coincidence.  She'd seen some pretty weird stuff in her lifetime.  It was pretty hard to be a skeptic when one was born with magic hair.

“I came as fast as I could,” Cassandra said, slightly out of breath. She was dressed in her lady-in-waiting outfit, which gave her an air of softness and serenity, surrounding her in floating folds of white and pale blue, but it didn't entirely feel truly her. Rapunzel much preferred to see her beloved friend in the attire Cassandra chose for herself when not on duty, the practical tunic, trousers, and boots and usually with a dagger strapped to her side.  Or a sword.  Or the crossbow that one time. That was when Cassandra seemed the most comfortable and authentically herself and it made Rapunzel happy to see her that way.  But right now, Rapunzel was just happy to see her at all, and even happier to see the stack of handkerchiefs she carried, which reached from her waist to her collarbones. Rapunzel raised an eyebrow, and also her lips in a playful smile.

“That is a lot of handkerchiefs,” she said. “Did you bring every single one he owns?”

“Pretty much,” Cass returned, deadpan. “Every single one I could get my hands on. Well, good luck. I'll leave these in your capable hands-”

The abrupt opening of a door interrupted, and Cassandra instinctively straightened up, adjusting the expression on her face to be a suitable one to be worn by castle staff in the presence of royalty. But, it was just Eugene, and she instantly relaxed again.

Thank goodness these are here. There is a...situation...in there. Eugene mouthed silently, but still looked over his shoulder, expecting the king with his freakishly good hearing to have overheard him somehow. It seemed, this time, he was safe.

“And also in his...” Cassandra added, leaving a pointed pause to emphasize the omitted word. “Hands. Well, good luck you guys. I'll see you around.” She thrust the pile of handkerchiefs into Eugene's unwilling hands and spun around on her heels to make a hasty exit.

“Wait,” Rapunzel protested. “I thought you might stay and help out.”

“Oh no, no, no. I have...duties...to attend to. Important duties. Really...important...ones.”

“Oh yeah?” Eugene challenged. “Like what?”

“I'd tell you, but since you don't understand the concept of work, the explanation would be lost on you. Look, Rapunzel, I'm begging you, ask anyone else but me. I will never, ever ask for another favour as long as I live and breathe if you just give me this one.”

“Is it really so bad?” Rapunzel said with a small laugh that was mostly confused, but ever so slightly nervous.

“Let me put it this way. You know in children's stories when there's a big dragon that gets really mad about something and breathes fire everywhere? It's like that. Except instead of a dragon it's the king. And instead of fire, it's...”

Cassandra paused for dramatic effect, curling her lips up into a grimace to emphasize her point. Rapunzel and Eugene took a moment to catch her meaning, but when they did their mouths mimicked her expression perfectly.

“You're exaggerating,” Rapunzel said. “And he hasn't really been in a bad mood either, so...”

From within the room they heard another "hhrrrrAAAHHHSHUUUU!" so powerful it almost seemed surprising that the doors didn't rattle. It was shortly followed by Frederic's voice, strained and hoarse but still commandingly loud:

“Where on earth are those handkerchiefs? Am I to be left to fend for myself? I require assistance!”

Cassandra's eyes widened and she nodded toward the door as if to say See what I mean? Now she meant to get out of here. Way, way out of here. Laundry duty, as loathsome as it was, was preferable to anything to do with dealing with a sick King. No amount of begging, or pleading, or bargaining would get her to stay. And that was that.

“Oh, Cassandra. How fortunate that you're here to help us!”

The Queen, however, was a different story. Cassandra gritted her teeth before turning around, with her head bowed and her hands clasped in front of her.

“Greetings, your majesty,” she said in the low, deferential tone she reserved for dealing with the royal family...except for Rapunzel, of course, who treated her as an equal and expected the same in return. “I was...just on my way back to the laundry room, you see.”

“It would truly be a help to have an extra pair of hands around to help out, especially someone who is as well versed in palace etiquette as you are.  Today is likely to be a delicate situation.” The queens voice was gentle, and almost as if she were giving a request, rather than an order, but Cassandra knew her fate was sealed. She could just feel Eugene's smug smirk burning into her without even having to look at him. Because, hey, why should he worry about behaving properly in front of the queen? It wasn't as if he suffered any consequences for anything. Ever. It was just so unfair.

But even Eugene jumped when the doors swung open again and Frederic glowered at the small gathering with an expression that wasn't quite anger or annoyance. It was more of an injured pout at the fact that everyone seemed to have forgotten that he was in urgent need of help. He tilted his head upward and glared down his nose at everyone, which had the effect of drawing attention to his nose which was precisely where everyone was trying to avoid looking. His dire need for a handkerchief was obvious and had only gotten worse since Eugene had deemed it a “situation”.

Frederic perked up when he saw the tower of handkerchiefs perched in Eugene's hands. He gracefully plucked the top one with his thumb and forefinger, and opened it until it was only folded over once. He placed it gently over his nose, holding it firmly into place with both hands. And then, with one deep breath, he unleashed one of the most unpleasant, thunderous noises anyone present had ever heard – even Arianna, who had been by his side through the worst of his colds through the years. And when he had thoroughly soaked the hapless cloth, he gave a sigh of immense relief.

Then, to Eugene's abject horror, returned the saturated handkerchief back to the top of the pile as if that were the most perfectly normal thing to do. Eugene stared at it in horror, then glanced around to everyone else in turn, to see if anyone would comment on it or...do anything really. Nobody did. Come on, someone had to have noticed! Or maybe they were all pretending not to realise because nobody else wanted to deal with it. That theory made sense.

Tending to his nose did seem to improve Frederic's mood slightly, at least.

“We should hurry,” he said, directing his attention toward Rapunzel. “Punctuality is very important, you see. If your subjects feel they can trust you for the little things, they will feel they can trust you for the big things.”

“Got it,” Rapunzel replied cheerfully. There was always so much to learn about this whole being royalty thing!  Good thing her parents were the best teachers ever! “Punctuality. But if that's the case then we really should hurry. We're already running late.”

“Oh dear,” Frederic fretted. Arianna looped her arm through his as a calming gesture as they made their way toward the throne room where, for better or worse but almost certainly worse, the weekly meeting with the subjects would commence.

______________________________________________________________

To be continued...