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Being a king, despite popular belief, is not a privilege. There are few, if any good days. Oh, there have been miracles – they’ve been blessed with the Power of the Sun; the queen and their unborn child had been saved; their daughter had returned to them, unharmed, after nearly eighteen long years – but the trouble with miracles is that they are coveted by others.
"Please, enjoy the refreshments," Prince Banale says to both the king and the queen of Corona. "I’m sure your daughter will be joining us soon, but there’s no need to stand on ceremony. She won’t mind so long as you save something for her, I’m sure."
With a smirk, the prince pivots smartly on his heel. The king glowers at his back, wishing the bruise on the man’s jaw – courtesy of Rapunzel’s admirable skills with her frying pan – prevented him from speaking. The door to their dark, gloomy room closes with a resounding thud! An iron lock is engaged. Only after that does the king reach for his wife. She comes into his arms, tears at the ready.
"I’m so foolish!" she hisses into his velvet vest. "Eugene tried to warn me but I did not heed him!"
The king pets her hair, taking comfort in the fact that they are together and their daughter is safe. "Rapunzel will have reached the castle by now. Everything will be all right."
"Yes, Eugene will look after her."
The king cannot deny that. "Yes, I know." His wife is not the only one who feels foolish. How silly he’d been to assume that a prince or a lord would look after Rapunzel, would treasure her properly. Clearly, not all of royal blood or privileged status can be trusted.
"Rapunzel is safe and the guard will respond to this treachery," he counsels her.
The queen nods, takes a deep breath and straightens. What is to come will be the hardest part and they must be strong. The king wipes away her tears and kisses her gently on the forehead. Now, they must wait and hope for silence, for with every silent hour that passes, they will know that Rapunzel is still out of Banale’s reach.
*****
"Are ye sure ye don’t want me men to come with ye?"
Rapunzel smiles sweetly at the captain who, despite his roguish exterior, is nearly as tenderhearted as Hookhand. She wishes she could invite some of them along on the adventure, but she and Eugene had already discussed the idea of them showing up with these ruffians to save her parents. It was decided, much to Rapunzel's disappointment, that it was best for all parties involved to not involved Bigbeard or his men. "We’ll be fine, but thank you." She leans forward and gives him a soft peck on the cheek.
Catcalls sound around her.
"Come on, Blondie," Eugene says, pulling on her arm.
"Ye’ll be needin’ these." Bigbeard holds out a lit lantern, which Eugene takes. He then gestures for a deckhand to come over and squat down a bit. Pulling out the lacey handkerchief and a stick of charcoal, the captain places the square of linen on the man’s back and begins to sketch. "Ye’ll need this," he explains as he works, "as well as that lantern to find yer way through the secret entrance into the castle."
"There’s a secret entrance?" Rapunzel responds, nearly busting with intrigue.
"Well, there was…" The captain pauses, takes a moment to consider the issue, and then says, "But I’m supposin’ it innt too secret now that we know about it." The man gives Rapunzel a wink. She giggles. Eugene looks longingly at the shoreline just a short boat ride away. She bites back a smile.
"There ye be. Ye’ll be comin’ up into that castle right under Banale’s bumbucket, if ye’ll pardon me French, so douse that lantern like so—" He demonstrates as Eugene holds the light aloft. "—or he’ll clap peepers on ye."
"I understand," she promises, accepting the map on the used handkerchief. "Thank you, Bigsy." Out of the corner of her eye, Rapunzel sees Eugene roll his eyes. This time, she has to hold in a bubble of laughter.
Then it’s into the boat with two oarsmen. As Rapunzel swings over the railing of the ship, a battered pirate stops her and, grinning a cracked-tooth smile, hands her back her fry pan. "Frying pan," he grunts. "Now that was a surprise, ma’am."
"I’m sorry about your…" She gestures eloquently to her own jaw and cheek.
"He’s seen worse," one of his fellows reassures her.
"Now, I think ye look a mite better this way, Rupert."
Rupert, the battered sailor grins and helps Rapunzel into the boat. Eugene is already there waiting for her with one hand braced on the edge of the boat and the other reaching out to steady her. Rapunzel takes her seat and Eugene accepts the lantern back from the crewmember he’d elected to hold it for him and they’re on their way. The captain and his crew lean over the edge of the ship to watch their progress. Many wave goodbye. The farewells continue even after the boat has been lowered into the water and reached the shore. Eugene, of course, doesn’t notice. He’s a bit busy breathing deeply and grinning like a man who has encountered his very first crème brulee.
"We’ll be seein' ye soon," Bigbeard shouts.
Rapunzel waves back grandly, hoping the man can see them at this distance and in the light of the setting sun.
"Land, at last," Eugene sighs happily. "Here, Blondie. Show me the map." He hands her the lantern and stretches out the square of linen within its circle of light. "Right, so—"
"Aren’t you going to congratulate me?" she butts in.
He pauses and looks up at her in mock affront. "Why on earth would I tell you how amazing that was and that we’re all—" He says this with a glance at Pascal. "—still alive because of you?"
"Because it’s true?" she ventures.
"Hm. I don’t think your ego needs to hear it." Despite the words, he leans forward and gives her a gentle kiss on the lips. "But thank you," he murmurs.
She shivers.
"Cold?" he asks, frowning slightly with concern.
This is not the time or the place to inform him of the amazing sensations his voice inspires in her, especially when he uses that tone. "Where are we on the map?" she asks instead, referring to the rocky and desolate beach.
"Ah, well, if this scribble is the shore and this smudge is the ship, then we’re here so we should head…" Eugene looks up and nods in a northerly direction. "That way." The going is slow in the dwindling light and the jagged rocks give way to burr-infested forest. In the distance, the ominous growl of thunder rolls. Rapunzel peers up through the gnarled and half-dead tree limbs and sees dark, foreboding clouds looming overhead. She smiles widely.
Eugene, who now seems to be fully recovered from his seasickness, steps up next to her and observes quietly, "That's an unusual reaction to stormy skies. Especially while they are directly above us."
She clasps his arm. "It means that Banale hasn't discovered the crowns’ true power. If he had figured out how to use my parents’ crowns, these storm clouds wouldn’t be here." She glances down at Eugene’s satchel and muses, "He must still think that my crown is the only one with power." Again the thunder rumbles, perhaps grumbling with reluctant agreement. She releases Eugene’s arm and pirouettes in the narrow space. "We still have time to save my parents!"
Eugene doesn’t seem as convinced as she is. "Well," he shrugs, "that's one way to look at it. But, I wouldn't be so sure about the number of eggs in the basket just yet, Blondie."
As soon as she words leave he mouth, he winces. Rapunzel recognizes that look; it's the one he gives when he thinks he has just said Too Much. "Eugene..."
He tries the Flynn Rider method of ignoring her. Back straight, eyes narrowed, self-important oozing from his pores, he gestures grandly and declares, "I think we should get under those trees. It looks like the skies are gonna open up any minute."
He should know better than to try that! It has never worked on her before and it’s not about to work now! She crosses her arms and stops walking. "We're not going anywhere until you tell me what you mean."
Pascal scurries out of the safety of her collar to her shoulder. She can see him give Eugene his most intimidating look.
"Fine," he huffs. "I recognized the man who came to talk to your mother about your engagement to Prince Banale." Eugene nods in the direction of the castle, which they have yet to catch a glimpse of. "Lord Rein was the interested buyer for the crown, er, your crown, three years ago."
He crosses his arms as if to say There, happy now?
She frowns at his confession. "Didn’t you tell Momma this before she left to go with that man?"
Eugene sighs deeply, running a hand through his hair and thoroughly tousling it. Rapunzel actually prefers it this way. "I tried. I just didn’t try hard enough, obviously. The fact of the matter is, when it comes down to it, it’s still hard for your parents to trust a former thief." He fidgets with the map in his hand. "Not that I blame them."
Rapunzel doesn’t know how to reply to that. She can’t rush in to reassure him that what he thinks isn’t true because she’s not sure of it herself, especially after her conversation with her father on the first day of the tour. She reaches for his hand and gives it a squeeze. "I believe you."
He offers her a thin-lipped smile. "I know you do, Blondie. And that’s enough for me."
"Come on," she says, pulling on his hand. "I can’t do this by myself and they need us."
"Us?" he checks with a halfhearted smile, falling into step beside her. "Your grand speech on Bigbeard’s boat didn’t mention anything about an ‘us’."
"I should have mentioned it. It’s true. And after we rescue them, things will be different, Eugene. I promise."
His response is another squeeze of her hand.
The northward trail winds and twists through the wilderness, leading up an incline. The forest is too dense to determine if they’re climbing a mountain or merely heading inland. Rapunzel shivers as peals of thunder clap and boom – one after the other – in the rapidly chilling air. The wind whips around them, curling its bitterly cold fingers around her body. Big, fat drops of rain tumble down, splattering the canopy of sickly leaves above them. Thankfully, the dense overgrowth deters most of the rain.
Where these the storms the king had told her about? She shudders helplessly. She actually longs for the potato sack now; she could have fashioned a vest from it at least…
A strong arm wraps around her. She sighs gratefully as Eugene's warmth spreads over her chilled body. She looks up into his concerned face and smiles appreciatively.
"Don't worry. We're almost there," he rumbles in her ear, his voice dark and deep like distant thunder.
They walk in silence for another quarter hour. Finally, they reach the position marked on Bigbeard’s map. The mouth of the tunnel looms before them. "According to this," Eugene says, nodding towards the paper, "there is a passageway that leads directly to the castle."
"Eugene…" she asks carefully, drawing out his name.
"Hm?"
She glances at the handkerchief still clutched in Eugene’s hand. "Why did Bigbeard know about this secret tunnel?"
He gives her a rueful smile. "I’ll give you three guesses."
"He’s stolen from the king and queen of Trist before?"
"Maybe," Eugene replies. "But there could be another reason."
She bites her lip, looks at the tunnel and says, "Bigbeard or his family has worked for them before?"
"Bingo," he replies with a wink. "Having a shipful of pirates on your payroll can be mighty—"
"Pirates?!"
"—profitable." Eugene blinks at her, startled by her outburst.
Rapunzel feels a huge grin stretch her lips wide. "Bigbeard and his crew are pirates? Actual pirates?"
Eugene, rather than laughing with her at the discovery, scowls. "If Gothel were still alive, I’d have her thrown in jail for denying you picture books as a kid." He shakes his head, sighing. "Come on, Princess. We’ve got work to do."
Lantern held before them, they step into the darkened cavern. Tiny, black shadows dart here and there, just within the range of the lamplight. She’s terribly thankful for the tattered leather boots Eugene had foisted upon her, but she stays close to his side. So close she treads on the edges of his boots as they cross the uneven stone floor.
"We must be getting close," he whispers, fiddling with the screw that controls the flame. "We’d better turn down the light."
"What? No!"
Rapunzel fumbles for the lantern and coaxes the fire brighter again as she tries to ignore how very close those tiny dark shadows are now, darting in and out of her sight. She nearly knocks Eugene over when one of the rats nearly runs across her shoe.
Luckily, she thinks to clamp her lips shut on the squeal of revulsion.
Eugene tucks her closer against his side and chuckles. "You’re afraid of rats?"
"I’m not afraid of them," she says defensively. "I just don’t like them. There’s a difference."
The truth is she still has nightmares about the stories Gothel had told her about rats. They carry disease that eats your skin! If we don’t keep our tower clean, they’ll climb up the stones, come in through the windows and watch you from the shadows, waiting until you’re asleep to…!
With a sharp shake of her head, Rapunzel slams the door shut on that memory. She’s beginning to see why Eugene always looks so irritated when the subject of her childhood or her ignorance of the world comes up. Picture books would have been much better than stories meant to frighten her into spending every hour of the day cleaning instead of dreaming about the world outside. It hadn’t worked forever, but it had worked for nearly eighteen years. It might have worked for longer yet if not for the lanterns the lit the night sky on her birthday, every year without fail.
"Hey," Eugene calls, bringing her back from her thoughts, "you alright?"
She shrugs off her thoughts. It’s been a long time since she has allowed herself to think of Gothel, but something about this tunnel seems to be bringing forth all sorts of less-than-pleasant things. Lies disguised as truths meant to keep her up in that tower. Willingly.
She forces out a breath, pushes away her thoughts and pastes on a smile. "I’m fine."
He doesn’t seem convinced, but he thankfully lets the subject drop.
Pascal peeks from under her collar. Apparently he doesn’t believe her either. He, unlike Eugene, understands where Rapunzel’s fear of the hairy rodents comes from. He nuzzles into the side of her neck. "There’s not that many," she whispers to her chameleon friend. "Besides, I’ve got my frying pan."
She holds it up so her chameleon friend can see. He nods approvingly. Nothing, not thief or rodent or pirate, can stand a chance against her kitchen weapon of choice.
The lizard waddles back under her collar, safe from the dark dankness that surrounds them. She envies him that. At least he can pretend to be somewhere else, she thinks wistfully.
She follows Eugene’s lead through the darkened tunnels, trying not to listen to the pitter-patter of little, sharp-clawed rat feet.
Perhaps it’s the grip she has on Eugene’s arm – glancing down she notices that her knuckles are white with the strain – that clues him in to her continued distress. He clears his throat and asks softly and with cheer that is obviously manufactured, "So, is there anything I should know about this prince guy before we inevitably meet up with him?"
Eager to distract herself from their furry companions, she blurts out, "You and he are a lot alike."
His hold on the map falters slightly, and for an instant Rapunzel fears he’ll drop the wilted square of linen. She breathes a sigh of relief when his grip tights on it again and then holds her breath when he suddenly stops walking and faces her. If she didn’t know him as well as she does, she would have thought her words hadn’t had the slightest effect on him. He looks absolutely passive.
"Oh really?"
She winces. "That… came out badly. Um…" she glances around the cave before closing her eyes and muttering, "can we keep walking while I try to explain what I really meant?"
He nods, resuming the trek.
"You’re both trying to make something of yourselves, build a life that’s separate from the one you grew up in. Dashing and brave and in control…"
She glances at him from under her lashes. He doesn’t look too angry. He doesn’t look pleased, either.
"That’s not to say that you’re exactly the same because I despise him – even before he turned against my father and I! – and, ugh…" Really, there are no words that would reflect her loathing. "But he’s a prince and he has responsibilities. Did you notice the forest? The shoreline? Where are the animals, the crops and farms? Trist has none of the prosperity that Corona does. He’s desperate."
"Rapunzel…"
"Oh, I know, I know! It doesn’t excuse his actions. And I want to pull each and every perfect hair out of his head one-by-one! But… Eugene. Taking care of a country is a big responsibility."
His shoulders relax. He swallows audibly. "I know."
"I don’t know if I can do this. Be a princess, I mean, and one day a queen."
"You can."
He sounds so certain! If only she could share his confidence. "But I…"
"When you’re ready – and you will be ready – Corona will be the happiest country in the whole world."
"I hope so…"
Eugene clears his throat. "So, we have Banale’s motivations. And we know what his choices were."
"Kidnapping."
"And thievery."
"What?"
He pats the satchel. "Are you forgetting about the fact that I was hired to steal your crown three years ago?"
"Oh."
"Yeah, oh." He takes a deep breath. "So how is it you can hate this Banale guy and not me, even though we’re so much alike?"
She gapes at him. "Eugene…"
"I mean, the guy uses people to further his own goals, right? And I’ve done that. The Stabbingtons could tell you all about it—"
"Stop it."
"So what’s really got me wondering here," he continues a bit too loudly, "is why you love me even though I’m just like him?"
"But you’re not! Don’t you see? You—!" Clutching his arm, she turns to give him her full attention. That’s when the shadows just beyond his shoulders begin to stir. Only this movement isn’t small.
"Eugene?" she whispers, horror choking her.
Another second passes before a shape separates from the gloom. A very large shape. She gropes blindly for his hand and shakes it insistently. Clearly frustrated with the interruption, he glances over his shoulder, turns back around, freezes, and then whips back toward the stirring shadows again.
"Whoa!" he announces, his voice booming and ringing in the tunnel. Clutching Rapunzel’s hand in his, he starts walking backwards towards the passage entrance. Rapunzel stumbles along with him, her curiosity making her feet move slower than his. With the creature heading their way, she both longs for and dreads a glimpse of it. Its footsteps thunder towards them slowly and steadily. Had she and Eugene been of one mind about escaping, they might have evaded it, however…
"Rapunzel!" he hisses.
She halfheartedly moves a bit faster, but it makes no difference. The gap between them and the creature is now very narrow. She gasps as the beast steps out of the shadows and into the lantern’s light.
It is enormous.
It is green.
"It’s a giant lizard," sputters Eugene, not taking his eyes off the enormous creature.
"Actually," booms a deep voice, "I am a dragon."
"It’s a giant talking lizard," Eugene squeaks.
"Dragon," she corrects him absently. "But I thought Banale killed—"
"Run now, speculate later," Eugene scolds her, trying to pull her bodily back down the tunnel.
"But my parents!"
He huffs out a breath and something that must have been a curse word but it’s too muffled for Rapunzel to catch. "Right. OK." Without another word, he thrusts the map at Rapunzel and grabs the frying pan from her hand. "I’ve got this. You and the frog get inside the castle."
"I’m not sure that’s such a good idea…" she mumbles. Rapunzel recalls reading about dragons. The castle has an extensive library and the subject is well-represented in the stacks, but despite her studies, she’d never imagined one being so… gigantic! The poor lighting from the lantern doesn’t let her see many details of the hulking beast except for the fact his scales seems to glisten and he seems to have a very large—!
"Are those wings?" Eugene sputters.
Rapunzel nods. Pascal scrambles under her collar, presumably diving for cover. "It will be alright, Pascal," she whispers. But she can’t imagine how it will be. There’s no way they can get past the beast if it decides to block the passage by unfurling its wings!
Despite Eugene’s command to run for the castle, she stays right where she is.
"Rapunzel…" he growls in a warning tone as he hefts the pan. "Get ready."
She ignores him. She watches the dragon. The dragon watches her back. Eugene takes his chance. Diving, ducking and dodging a dragon attack that does not come, he brings the pan down with all his might… on the creature’s largest toe.
The dragon appears decidedly unimpressed.
Eugene is undeterred. He readies himself for another attempt. Pan held high, he glances briefly over his shoulder at her and frowns furiously. "Go, Rapunzel!" He punctuates his statement by hitting the dragon squarely in the belly.
"I’m not leaving you!" The man is clearly still suffering from those knocks on the head that she’d given him in the tower if he honestly believes she’ll just dash off without him! She looks around the cavern to find something to fight with. In the corner she sees a large rock. That could work.
"Now is not the time to argue," he retorts. Swinging the pan.
Clang!
This time the flat bottom of the pan connects with his chin. The dragon sighs with boredom.
Eugene glares at the dragon and then at the pan. "This… is kind of an off day for me," he mumbles, but prepares for another go.
Raunzel leaps over to the stone lying on the tunnel floor and sets down the lantern. Ignoring the very idea of an animal smaller than the dragon existing in the tunnel, she heaves the rock up from the floor and into her arms, bracing it on her shoulder. She stumbles forward until she’s within range.
"Eugene! Duck!"
In mid fry pan swing, he does and Rapunzel twirls once to build momentum and then hurls the rock at their adversary…
… but it bounces off of him as if it were nothing but a pebble. The dragon issues a grumpy snort, lifts up his mighty tail and knocks the frying pan out of Eugene’s hand. With the fry pan once again out of reach, the rock lying at the dragon’s enormous feet and only a handkerchief map and a low-on-oil lanter between them… well…
They’ve had better odds.
Eugene stumbles over the dragon’s tail, trying to reach Rapunzel. She reaches out her hand for him to take, but before their fingers meet, the dragon spreads its huge wings and flaps them. The force of the wind causes Eugene and Rapunzel to lose their footing on the slippery floor.
She falls to the ground, landing precariously close to the dragon’s large clawed toes. Pascal flies out of his shelter and ends up on the floor next to the frying pan.
"Rapunzel!"
She tries to spin out of the way of the dragon, but her breeches are caught on the dragon’s claw. "Eugene!"
He scrambles over to her, grabs her arm and pulls. The fabric rips slightly. That and no more. He braces himself against the rock floor and heaves, but the cloth stubbornly refuses to budge.
The dragon slowly lifts up his enormous tail, ready to strike. Rapunzel winces into Eugene’s chest. This will be a killing blow, she doesn’t doubt. She should push Eugene out of the way! He should run, save himself and—!
And then, suddenly, the dragon stops.
Rapunzel opens her eyes and sees Pascal, standing between her and the great beast, holding up his hands in a clear gesture to stop and desist.
For a long moment, nothing happens. No one moves. And then the dragon lowers his head and studies the chameleon closely. There’s the sound of a delicate sniff, a surprised lizard squeak, and before Rapunzel can panic over the fate of her friend, the dragon wonders aloud, "Brother? Is that you?"
An astonished squeaky exclamation is the reply.
Rapunzel gapes. "You… you know Pascal?" she asks, her fear forgotten.
The dragon looks up, confused for a moment. "Pascal? Who is that?"
The chameleon starts chirping to the giant leaning over them. Rapunzel does her best to keep up with Pascal’s expressive squeaks, but he seems to be far too excited to enunciate properly! She can only just barely get the gist of what is being said.
"You have got to be kidding me." Eugene sinks to his knees and begins to tug at the fabric itself while the dragon is clearly distracted. His efforts, however, are in vain. He raises his head and opens his mouth to bark some order or other at the chameleon.
Rapunzel hushes him with a look before returning her attention to Pascal.
And then the dragon laughs. "It is you, big brother!" He lifts Pascal up and brings him close to his face. "I haven’t seen you since you left Berk!"
Stuck breeches forgotten, aggravation forgotten, all crises and imminent disasters forgotten, Eugene’s jaw drops. "Whoa, hold on. Did he just say big brother?" Eugene whispers.
Pascal, who had apparently overheard Eugene’s question, nods.
"Of course he and I are family. Anyone can see the family resemblance!"
Eugene looks from Pascal to the dragon and then back again, his expression droll. "Of course."
The dragon places Pascal carefully on the ground. "Though it has been years since I have seen him." Speaking directly to Pascal, he accuses, "Look at how big you’ve gotten! I almost didn’t recognize you!"
"And you are his brother?" Rapunzel asks the dragon.
"Of course, but where are my manners? My name is Witzig." He holds out an enormous clawed hand for her to shake.
She hesitates only slightly before clasping the tip of his forefinger in greeting. "I’m Rapunzel… of Corona."
"Rapunzel… Rapunzel…" The dragon mules the name over. "Where have I heard of you… Ah hah! Now I remember! You’re the princess!"
She nods, wondering at how this could be significant to a dragon.
He tells her proudly, "You are the beautiful young woman who has ensnared the heart of my prince!" Witzig examines her closely. "Strange, but he never mentioned your excellent sense of fashion."
Her eyes narrow. She lets the comment about her attire slide. "I do not believe the prince’s intentions are as pure as you think, Witzig."
"Whatever do you mean? I’ll have you know that out of all the princes in the land, he is the most charming!" argues the dragon, back up a step as he pulls himself up to his full height. The motion has the additional effect of releasing her breeches from beneath his massive, rock-like toes. Eugene hastily pulls her to her feet.
Pascal takes the opportunity to set the record straight. With a firm shake of his head, he starts chirping.
Rapunzel watches as the dragon intently listens to Pascal’s recount of everything that has happened. She looks at Eugene who seems to be trying to understand this most interesting exchange.
Finally, the chameleon is finished giving their side of the story. The dragon studies Pascal for a second before he starts pacing. The floor underneath them rumbles and shakes with his of his mighty steps. "And you believe this princess?" he asks, nodding towards Rapunzel.
Pascal nods emphatically.
Witzig rubs his chin, thinking. "The story the prince has told me is quite different from yours, brother. When he found me and hired me on as Guard of the Secret Tunnel, he said that he would bring the King and Queen of Corona to the castle because their palace had been infiltrated by a notorious thief."
Pascal crosses his arms and points at Eugene with his tail.
"This is the thief he was talking about?" He studies Eugene for a second. "He hardly looks fearsome and sinister."
"Hey!"
Rapunzel lays a hand on his arm. Blows to his ego are always the most painful for Eugene.
The dragon turns to Rapunzel and bows before her. "My sincerest apologies, your Grace. I have been misled. I hope you will find it in you to forgive me."
"Of course," she replies. "But we need to save my parents before Banale does something drastic."
"No harm will come to the King and Queen of Corona, I assure you. The prince seemed quite convinced that you would agree to marry him once you heard his side of things."
The nerve of that… not-yet-a-monarch! She crosses her arms. "I will never marry him!" She feels Eugene’s arm settle on her waist and she is instantly glad for the warmth.
She doesn’t miss the appraising look Witzig gives her and Eugene. "Yes, I can see that."
Rapunzel doesn’t understand what he sees (maybe as a dragon he sees things differently), but a spark of hope starts to bloom in her chest.
"Will you… will you help us find my parents?"
Witzig looks at her, then at Eugene, and finally at Pascal. He nods. "I can lead you to the dungeon. The key, however, is in the Prince’s possession. It will require someone with rather… unsavory skills to retrieve it." His gaze settles on Eugene once more.
Rapunzel glances up and shares a grin with the man at her side. In a playful tone, Eugene admits, "I might be able to help with that."
Chapter 8
"Please, enjoy the refreshments," Prince Banale says to both the king and the queen of Corona. "I’m sure your daughter will be joining us soon, but there’s no need to stand on ceremony. She won’t mind so long as you save something for her, I’m sure."
With a smirk, the prince pivots smartly on his heel. The king glowers at his back, wishing the bruise on the man’s jaw – courtesy of Rapunzel’s admirable skills with her frying pan – prevented him from speaking. The door to their dark, gloomy room closes with a resounding thud! An iron lock is engaged. Only after that does the king reach for his wife. She comes into his arms, tears at the ready.
"I’m so foolish!" she hisses into his velvet vest. "Eugene tried to warn me but I did not heed him!"
The king pets her hair, taking comfort in the fact that they are together and their daughter is safe. "Rapunzel will have reached the castle by now. Everything will be all right."
"Yes, Eugene will look after her."
The king cannot deny that. "Yes, I know." His wife is not the only one who feels foolish. How silly he’d been to assume that a prince or a lord would look after Rapunzel, would treasure her properly. Clearly, not all of royal blood or privileged status can be trusted.
"Rapunzel is safe and the guard will respond to this treachery," he counsels her.
The queen nods, takes a deep breath and straightens. What is to come will be the hardest part and they must be strong. The king wipes away her tears and kisses her gently on the forehead. Now, they must wait and hope for silence, for with every silent hour that passes, they will know that Rapunzel is still out of Banale’s reach.
*****
"Are ye sure ye don’t want me men to come with ye?"
Rapunzel smiles sweetly at the captain who, despite his roguish exterior, is nearly as tenderhearted as Hookhand. She wishes she could invite some of them along on the adventure, but she and Eugene had already discussed the idea of them showing up with these ruffians to save her parents. It was decided, much to Rapunzel's disappointment, that it was best for all parties involved to not involved Bigbeard or his men. "We’ll be fine, but thank you." She leans forward and gives him a soft peck on the cheek.
Catcalls sound around her.
"Come on, Blondie," Eugene says, pulling on her arm.
"Ye’ll be needin’ these." Bigbeard holds out a lit lantern, which Eugene takes. He then gestures for a deckhand to come over and squat down a bit. Pulling out the lacey handkerchief and a stick of charcoal, the captain places the square of linen on the man’s back and begins to sketch. "Ye’ll need this," he explains as he works, "as well as that lantern to find yer way through the secret entrance into the castle."
"There’s a secret entrance?" Rapunzel responds, nearly busting with intrigue.
"Well, there was…" The captain pauses, takes a moment to consider the issue, and then says, "But I’m supposin’ it innt too secret now that we know about it." The man gives Rapunzel a wink. She giggles. Eugene looks longingly at the shoreline just a short boat ride away. She bites back a smile.
"There ye be. Ye’ll be comin’ up into that castle right under Banale’s bumbucket, if ye’ll pardon me French, so douse that lantern like so—" He demonstrates as Eugene holds the light aloft. "—or he’ll clap peepers on ye."
"I understand," she promises, accepting the map on the used handkerchief. "Thank you, Bigsy." Out of the corner of her eye, Rapunzel sees Eugene roll his eyes. This time, she has to hold in a bubble of laughter.
Then it’s into the boat with two oarsmen. As Rapunzel swings over the railing of the ship, a battered pirate stops her and, grinning a cracked-tooth smile, hands her back her fry pan. "Frying pan," he grunts. "Now that was a surprise, ma’am."
"I’m sorry about your…" She gestures eloquently to her own jaw and cheek.
"He’s seen worse," one of his fellows reassures her.
"Now, I think ye look a mite better this way, Rupert."
Rupert, the battered sailor grins and helps Rapunzel into the boat. Eugene is already there waiting for her with one hand braced on the edge of the boat and the other reaching out to steady her. Rapunzel takes her seat and Eugene accepts the lantern back from the crewmember he’d elected to hold it for him and they’re on their way. The captain and his crew lean over the edge of the ship to watch their progress. Many wave goodbye. The farewells continue even after the boat has been lowered into the water and reached the shore. Eugene, of course, doesn’t notice. He’s a bit busy breathing deeply and grinning like a man who has encountered his very first crème brulee.
"We’ll be seein' ye soon," Bigbeard shouts.
Rapunzel waves back grandly, hoping the man can see them at this distance and in the light of the setting sun.
"Land, at last," Eugene sighs happily. "Here, Blondie. Show me the map." He hands her the lantern and stretches out the square of linen within its circle of light. "Right, so—"
"Aren’t you going to congratulate me?" she butts in.
He pauses and looks up at her in mock affront. "Why on earth would I tell you how amazing that was and that we’re all—" He says this with a glance at Pascal. "—still alive because of you?"
"Because it’s true?" she ventures.
"Hm. I don’t think your ego needs to hear it." Despite the words, he leans forward and gives her a gentle kiss on the lips. "But thank you," he murmurs.
She shivers.
"Cold?" he asks, frowning slightly with concern.
This is not the time or the place to inform him of the amazing sensations his voice inspires in her, especially when he uses that tone. "Where are we on the map?" she asks instead, referring to the rocky and desolate beach.
"Ah, well, if this scribble is the shore and this smudge is the ship, then we’re here so we should head…" Eugene looks up and nods in a northerly direction. "That way." The going is slow in the dwindling light and the jagged rocks give way to burr-infested forest. In the distance, the ominous growl of thunder rolls. Rapunzel peers up through the gnarled and half-dead tree limbs and sees dark, foreboding clouds looming overhead. She smiles widely.
Eugene, who now seems to be fully recovered from his seasickness, steps up next to her and observes quietly, "That's an unusual reaction to stormy skies. Especially while they are directly above us."
She clasps his arm. "It means that Banale hasn't discovered the crowns’ true power. If he had figured out how to use my parents’ crowns, these storm clouds wouldn’t be here." She glances down at Eugene’s satchel and muses, "He must still think that my crown is the only one with power." Again the thunder rumbles, perhaps grumbling with reluctant agreement. She releases Eugene’s arm and pirouettes in the narrow space. "We still have time to save my parents!"
Eugene doesn’t seem as convinced as she is. "Well," he shrugs, "that's one way to look at it. But, I wouldn't be so sure about the number of eggs in the basket just yet, Blondie."
As soon as she words leave he mouth, he winces. Rapunzel recognizes that look; it's the one he gives when he thinks he has just said Too Much. "Eugene..."
He tries the Flynn Rider method of ignoring her. Back straight, eyes narrowed, self-important oozing from his pores, he gestures grandly and declares, "I think we should get under those trees. It looks like the skies are gonna open up any minute."
He should know better than to try that! It has never worked on her before and it’s not about to work now! She crosses her arms and stops walking. "We're not going anywhere until you tell me what you mean."
Pascal scurries out of the safety of her collar to her shoulder. She can see him give Eugene his most intimidating look.
"Fine," he huffs. "I recognized the man who came to talk to your mother about your engagement to Prince Banale." Eugene nods in the direction of the castle, which they have yet to catch a glimpse of. "Lord Rein was the interested buyer for the crown, er, your crown, three years ago."
He crosses his arms as if to say There, happy now?
She frowns at his confession. "Didn’t you tell Momma this before she left to go with that man?"
Eugene sighs deeply, running a hand through his hair and thoroughly tousling it. Rapunzel actually prefers it this way. "I tried. I just didn’t try hard enough, obviously. The fact of the matter is, when it comes down to it, it’s still hard for your parents to trust a former thief." He fidgets with the map in his hand. "Not that I blame them."
Rapunzel doesn’t know how to reply to that. She can’t rush in to reassure him that what he thinks isn’t true because she’s not sure of it herself, especially after her conversation with her father on the first day of the tour. She reaches for his hand and gives it a squeeze. "I believe you."
He offers her a thin-lipped smile. "I know you do, Blondie. And that’s enough for me."
"Come on," she says, pulling on his hand. "I can’t do this by myself and they need us."
"Us?" he checks with a halfhearted smile, falling into step beside her. "Your grand speech on Bigbeard’s boat didn’t mention anything about an ‘us’."
"I should have mentioned it. It’s true. And after we rescue them, things will be different, Eugene. I promise."
His response is another squeeze of her hand.
The northward trail winds and twists through the wilderness, leading up an incline. The forest is too dense to determine if they’re climbing a mountain or merely heading inland. Rapunzel shivers as peals of thunder clap and boom – one after the other – in the rapidly chilling air. The wind whips around them, curling its bitterly cold fingers around her body. Big, fat drops of rain tumble down, splattering the canopy of sickly leaves above them. Thankfully, the dense overgrowth deters most of the rain.
Where these the storms the king had told her about? She shudders helplessly. She actually longs for the potato sack now; she could have fashioned a vest from it at least…
A strong arm wraps around her. She sighs gratefully as Eugene's warmth spreads over her chilled body. She looks up into his concerned face and smiles appreciatively.
"Don't worry. We're almost there," he rumbles in her ear, his voice dark and deep like distant thunder.
They walk in silence for another quarter hour. Finally, they reach the position marked on Bigbeard’s map. The mouth of the tunnel looms before them. "According to this," Eugene says, nodding towards the paper, "there is a passageway that leads directly to the castle."
"Eugene…" she asks carefully, drawing out his name.
"Hm?"
She glances at the handkerchief still clutched in Eugene’s hand. "Why did Bigbeard know about this secret tunnel?"
He gives her a rueful smile. "I’ll give you three guesses."
"He’s stolen from the king and queen of Trist before?"
"Maybe," Eugene replies. "But there could be another reason."
She bites her lip, looks at the tunnel and says, "Bigbeard or his family has worked for them before?"
"Bingo," he replies with a wink. "Having a shipful of pirates on your payroll can be mighty—"
"Pirates?!"
"—profitable." Eugene blinks at her, startled by her outburst.
Rapunzel feels a huge grin stretch her lips wide. "Bigbeard and his crew are pirates? Actual pirates?"
Eugene, rather than laughing with her at the discovery, scowls. "If Gothel were still alive, I’d have her thrown in jail for denying you picture books as a kid." He shakes his head, sighing. "Come on, Princess. We’ve got work to do."
Lantern held before them, they step into the darkened cavern. Tiny, black shadows dart here and there, just within the range of the lamplight. She’s terribly thankful for the tattered leather boots Eugene had foisted upon her, but she stays close to his side. So close she treads on the edges of his boots as they cross the uneven stone floor.
"We must be getting close," he whispers, fiddling with the screw that controls the flame. "We’d better turn down the light."
"What? No!"
Rapunzel fumbles for the lantern and coaxes the fire brighter again as she tries to ignore how very close those tiny dark shadows are now, darting in and out of her sight. She nearly knocks Eugene over when one of the rats nearly runs across her shoe.
Luckily, she thinks to clamp her lips shut on the squeal of revulsion.
Eugene tucks her closer against his side and chuckles. "You’re afraid of rats?"
"I’m not afraid of them," she says defensively. "I just don’t like them. There’s a difference."
The truth is she still has nightmares about the stories Gothel had told her about rats. They carry disease that eats your skin! If we don’t keep our tower clean, they’ll climb up the stones, come in through the windows and watch you from the shadows, waiting until you’re asleep to…!
With a sharp shake of her head, Rapunzel slams the door shut on that memory. She’s beginning to see why Eugene always looks so irritated when the subject of her childhood or her ignorance of the world comes up. Picture books would have been much better than stories meant to frighten her into spending every hour of the day cleaning instead of dreaming about the world outside. It hadn’t worked forever, but it had worked for nearly eighteen years. It might have worked for longer yet if not for the lanterns the lit the night sky on her birthday, every year without fail.
"Hey," Eugene calls, bringing her back from her thoughts, "you alright?"
She shrugs off her thoughts. It’s been a long time since she has allowed herself to think of Gothel, but something about this tunnel seems to be bringing forth all sorts of less-than-pleasant things. Lies disguised as truths meant to keep her up in that tower. Willingly.
She forces out a breath, pushes away her thoughts and pastes on a smile. "I’m fine."
He doesn’t seem convinced, but he thankfully lets the subject drop.
Pascal peeks from under her collar. Apparently he doesn’t believe her either. He, unlike Eugene, understands where Rapunzel’s fear of the hairy rodents comes from. He nuzzles into the side of her neck. "There’s not that many," she whispers to her chameleon friend. "Besides, I’ve got my frying pan."
She holds it up so her chameleon friend can see. He nods approvingly. Nothing, not thief or rodent or pirate, can stand a chance against her kitchen weapon of choice.
The lizard waddles back under her collar, safe from the dark dankness that surrounds them. She envies him that. At least he can pretend to be somewhere else, she thinks wistfully.
She follows Eugene’s lead through the darkened tunnels, trying not to listen to the pitter-patter of little, sharp-clawed rat feet.
Perhaps it’s the grip she has on Eugene’s arm – glancing down she notices that her knuckles are white with the strain – that clues him in to her continued distress. He clears his throat and asks softly and with cheer that is obviously manufactured, "So, is there anything I should know about this prince guy before we inevitably meet up with him?"
Eager to distract herself from their furry companions, she blurts out, "You and he are a lot alike."
His hold on the map falters slightly, and for an instant Rapunzel fears he’ll drop the wilted square of linen. She breathes a sigh of relief when his grip tights on it again and then holds her breath when he suddenly stops walking and faces her. If she didn’t know him as well as she does, she would have thought her words hadn’t had the slightest effect on him. He looks absolutely passive.
"Oh really?"
She winces. "That… came out badly. Um…" she glances around the cave before closing her eyes and muttering, "can we keep walking while I try to explain what I really meant?"
He nods, resuming the trek.
"You’re both trying to make something of yourselves, build a life that’s separate from the one you grew up in. Dashing and brave and in control…"
She glances at him from under her lashes. He doesn’t look too angry. He doesn’t look pleased, either.
"That’s not to say that you’re exactly the same because I despise him – even before he turned against my father and I! – and, ugh…" Really, there are no words that would reflect her loathing. "But he’s a prince and he has responsibilities. Did you notice the forest? The shoreline? Where are the animals, the crops and farms? Trist has none of the prosperity that Corona does. He’s desperate."
"Rapunzel…"
"Oh, I know, I know! It doesn’t excuse his actions. And I want to pull each and every perfect hair out of his head one-by-one! But… Eugene. Taking care of a country is a big responsibility."
His shoulders relax. He swallows audibly. "I know."
"I don’t know if I can do this. Be a princess, I mean, and one day a queen."
"You can."
He sounds so certain! If only she could share his confidence. "But I…"
"When you’re ready – and you will be ready – Corona will be the happiest country in the whole world."
"I hope so…"
Eugene clears his throat. "So, we have Banale’s motivations. And we know what his choices were."
"Kidnapping."
"And thievery."
"What?"
He pats the satchel. "Are you forgetting about the fact that I was hired to steal your crown three years ago?"
"Oh."
"Yeah, oh." He takes a deep breath. "So how is it you can hate this Banale guy and not me, even though we’re so much alike?"
She gapes at him. "Eugene…"
"I mean, the guy uses people to further his own goals, right? And I’ve done that. The Stabbingtons could tell you all about it—"
"Stop it."
"So what’s really got me wondering here," he continues a bit too loudly, "is why you love me even though I’m just like him?"
"But you’re not! Don’t you see? You—!" Clutching his arm, she turns to give him her full attention. That’s when the shadows just beyond his shoulders begin to stir. Only this movement isn’t small.
"Eugene?" she whispers, horror choking her.
Another second passes before a shape separates from the gloom. A very large shape. She gropes blindly for his hand and shakes it insistently. Clearly frustrated with the interruption, he glances over his shoulder, turns back around, freezes, and then whips back toward the stirring shadows again.
"Whoa!" he announces, his voice booming and ringing in the tunnel. Clutching Rapunzel’s hand in his, he starts walking backwards towards the passage entrance. Rapunzel stumbles along with him, her curiosity making her feet move slower than his. With the creature heading their way, she both longs for and dreads a glimpse of it. Its footsteps thunder towards them slowly and steadily. Had she and Eugene been of one mind about escaping, they might have evaded it, however…
"Rapunzel!" he hisses.
She halfheartedly moves a bit faster, but it makes no difference. The gap between them and the creature is now very narrow. She gasps as the beast steps out of the shadows and into the lantern’s light.
It is enormous.
It is green.
"It’s a giant lizard," sputters Eugene, not taking his eyes off the enormous creature.
"Actually," booms a deep voice, "I am a dragon."
"It’s a giant talking lizard," Eugene squeaks.
"Dragon," she corrects him absently. "But I thought Banale killed—"
"Run now, speculate later," Eugene scolds her, trying to pull her bodily back down the tunnel.
"But my parents!"
He huffs out a breath and something that must have been a curse word but it’s too muffled for Rapunzel to catch. "Right. OK." Without another word, he thrusts the map at Rapunzel and grabs the frying pan from her hand. "I’ve got this. You and the frog get inside the castle."
"I’m not sure that’s such a good idea…" she mumbles. Rapunzel recalls reading about dragons. The castle has an extensive library and the subject is well-represented in the stacks, but despite her studies, she’d never imagined one being so… gigantic! The poor lighting from the lantern doesn’t let her see many details of the hulking beast except for the fact his scales seems to glisten and he seems to have a very large—!
"Are those wings?" Eugene sputters.
Rapunzel nods. Pascal scrambles under her collar, presumably diving for cover. "It will be alright, Pascal," she whispers. But she can’t imagine how it will be. There’s no way they can get past the beast if it decides to block the passage by unfurling its wings!
Despite Eugene’s command to run for the castle, she stays right where she is.
"Rapunzel…" he growls in a warning tone as he hefts the pan. "Get ready."
She ignores him. She watches the dragon. The dragon watches her back. Eugene takes his chance. Diving, ducking and dodging a dragon attack that does not come, he brings the pan down with all his might… on the creature’s largest toe.
The dragon appears decidedly unimpressed.
Eugene is undeterred. He readies himself for another attempt. Pan held high, he glances briefly over his shoulder at her and frowns furiously. "Go, Rapunzel!" He punctuates his statement by hitting the dragon squarely in the belly.
"I’m not leaving you!" The man is clearly still suffering from those knocks on the head that she’d given him in the tower if he honestly believes she’ll just dash off without him! She looks around the cavern to find something to fight with. In the corner she sees a large rock. That could work.
"Now is not the time to argue," he retorts. Swinging the pan.
Clang!
This time the flat bottom of the pan connects with his chin. The dragon sighs with boredom.
Eugene glares at the dragon and then at the pan. "This… is kind of an off day for me," he mumbles, but prepares for another go.
Raunzel leaps over to the stone lying on the tunnel floor and sets down the lantern. Ignoring the very idea of an animal smaller than the dragon existing in the tunnel, she heaves the rock up from the floor and into her arms, bracing it on her shoulder. She stumbles forward until she’s within range.
"Eugene! Duck!"
In mid fry pan swing, he does and Rapunzel twirls once to build momentum and then hurls the rock at their adversary…
… but it bounces off of him as if it were nothing but a pebble. The dragon issues a grumpy snort, lifts up his mighty tail and knocks the frying pan out of Eugene’s hand. With the fry pan once again out of reach, the rock lying at the dragon’s enormous feet and only a handkerchief map and a low-on-oil lanter between them… well…
They’ve had better odds.
Eugene stumbles over the dragon’s tail, trying to reach Rapunzel. She reaches out her hand for him to take, but before their fingers meet, the dragon spreads its huge wings and flaps them. The force of the wind causes Eugene and Rapunzel to lose their footing on the slippery floor.
She falls to the ground, landing precariously close to the dragon’s large clawed toes. Pascal flies out of his shelter and ends up on the floor next to the frying pan.
"Rapunzel!"
She tries to spin out of the way of the dragon, but her breeches are caught on the dragon’s claw. "Eugene!"
He scrambles over to her, grabs her arm and pulls. The fabric rips slightly. That and no more. He braces himself against the rock floor and heaves, but the cloth stubbornly refuses to budge.
The dragon slowly lifts up his enormous tail, ready to strike. Rapunzel winces into Eugene’s chest. This will be a killing blow, she doesn’t doubt. She should push Eugene out of the way! He should run, save himself and—!
And then, suddenly, the dragon stops.
Rapunzel opens her eyes and sees Pascal, standing between her and the great beast, holding up his hands in a clear gesture to stop and desist.
For a long moment, nothing happens. No one moves. And then the dragon lowers his head and studies the chameleon closely. There’s the sound of a delicate sniff, a surprised lizard squeak, and before Rapunzel can panic over the fate of her friend, the dragon wonders aloud, "Brother? Is that you?"
An astonished squeaky exclamation is the reply.
Rapunzel gapes. "You… you know Pascal?" she asks, her fear forgotten.
The dragon looks up, confused for a moment. "Pascal? Who is that?"
The chameleon starts chirping to the giant leaning over them. Rapunzel does her best to keep up with Pascal’s expressive squeaks, but he seems to be far too excited to enunciate properly! She can only just barely get the gist of what is being said.
"You have got to be kidding me." Eugene sinks to his knees and begins to tug at the fabric itself while the dragon is clearly distracted. His efforts, however, are in vain. He raises his head and opens his mouth to bark some order or other at the chameleon.
Rapunzel hushes him with a look before returning her attention to Pascal.
And then the dragon laughs. "It is you, big brother!" He lifts Pascal up and brings him close to his face. "I haven’t seen you since you left Berk!"
Stuck breeches forgotten, aggravation forgotten, all crises and imminent disasters forgotten, Eugene’s jaw drops. "Whoa, hold on. Did he just say big brother?" Eugene whispers.
Pascal, who had apparently overheard Eugene’s question, nods.
"Of course he and I are family. Anyone can see the family resemblance!"
Eugene looks from Pascal to the dragon and then back again, his expression droll. "Of course."
The dragon places Pascal carefully on the ground. "Though it has been years since I have seen him." Speaking directly to Pascal, he accuses, "Look at how big you’ve gotten! I almost didn’t recognize you!"
"And you are his brother?" Rapunzel asks the dragon.
"Of course, but where are my manners? My name is Witzig." He holds out an enormous clawed hand for her to shake.
She hesitates only slightly before clasping the tip of his forefinger in greeting. "I’m Rapunzel… of Corona."
"Rapunzel… Rapunzel…" The dragon mules the name over. "Where have I heard of you… Ah hah! Now I remember! You’re the princess!"
She nods, wondering at how this could be significant to a dragon.
He tells her proudly, "You are the beautiful young woman who has ensnared the heart of my prince!" Witzig examines her closely. "Strange, but he never mentioned your excellent sense of fashion."
Her eyes narrow. She lets the comment about her attire slide. "I do not believe the prince’s intentions are as pure as you think, Witzig."
"Whatever do you mean? I’ll have you know that out of all the princes in the land, he is the most charming!" argues the dragon, back up a step as he pulls himself up to his full height. The motion has the additional effect of releasing her breeches from beneath his massive, rock-like toes. Eugene hastily pulls her to her feet.
Pascal takes the opportunity to set the record straight. With a firm shake of his head, he starts chirping.
Rapunzel watches as the dragon intently listens to Pascal’s recount of everything that has happened. She looks at Eugene who seems to be trying to understand this most interesting exchange.
Finally, the chameleon is finished giving their side of the story. The dragon studies Pascal for a second before he starts pacing. The floor underneath them rumbles and shakes with his of his mighty steps. "And you believe this princess?" he asks, nodding towards Rapunzel.
Pascal nods emphatically.
Witzig rubs his chin, thinking. "The story the prince has told me is quite different from yours, brother. When he found me and hired me on as Guard of the Secret Tunnel, he said that he would bring the King and Queen of Corona to the castle because their palace had been infiltrated by a notorious thief."
Pascal crosses his arms and points at Eugene with his tail.
"This is the thief he was talking about?" He studies Eugene for a second. "He hardly looks fearsome and sinister."
"Hey!"
Rapunzel lays a hand on his arm. Blows to his ego are always the most painful for Eugene.
The dragon turns to Rapunzel and bows before her. "My sincerest apologies, your Grace. I have been misled. I hope you will find it in you to forgive me."
"Of course," she replies. "But we need to save my parents before Banale does something drastic."
"No harm will come to the King and Queen of Corona, I assure you. The prince seemed quite convinced that you would agree to marry him once you heard his side of things."
The nerve of that… not-yet-a-monarch! She crosses her arms. "I will never marry him!" She feels Eugene’s arm settle on her waist and she is instantly glad for the warmth.
She doesn’t miss the appraising look Witzig gives her and Eugene. "Yes, I can see that."
Rapunzel doesn’t understand what he sees (maybe as a dragon he sees things differently), but a spark of hope starts to bloom in her chest.
"Will you… will you help us find my parents?"
Witzig looks at her, then at Eugene, and finally at Pascal. He nods. "I can lead you to the dungeon. The key, however, is in the Prince’s possession. It will require someone with rather… unsavory skills to retrieve it." His gaze settles on Eugene once more.
Rapunzel glances up and shares a grin with the man at her side. In a playful tone, Eugene admits, "I might be able to help with that."
Chapter 8
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