"I love the sun festival," Rapunzel said, twirling in her purple gown. Her long hair had been braided with colorful flowers, and at the top her maids had placed her crown.

"Yes," Her father chuckled. "Try not to get into too much trouble."

She stopped stooping, erecting her spine so she stood her full height. One of the maids rushed over with a pin in hand. When it was safely attached to her dress, she glanced down at the glittering piece of gold shaped into a sun. "Okay, I'm ready."

The weather was warm and crisp, the sun a gentle orb in the sky. Rapunzel danced and sang while walking towards the festivities. She grabbed her fathers' hand, pulling him with her where several people were dancing in form around a mosaic of the sun. "Maybe I could get some chalk and draw for the children," She said aloud to him. "They'd like that, don't you think?"

"Of course, my little flower," He said, and she ripped herself away from the dancing and music, leaving him with a chubby villager. She ran to the place where the children were scribbling with chalks and charcoal, and she eagerly found the colors she wanted.

Finding a big enough canvas on the road was easy, except on her rush to get over to it, she bumped into someone, her drawing utensils flying. She started to grab them, but the man she'd bumped into stooped first to collect the broken fragments of purples and yellows.

"I'm very sorry," She said, chewing her lip. He looked up at her, holding the shattered pieces.

"I'm the one who should be sorry, /princess/," He said, voice charming and kind. His brown eyes drifted across her body, stopping at her eyes. He stooped slightly this time, grabbing her hand and kissing it. She always thought it felt a little degrading, but she let him. "Again, I'm sorry, my princess."

She smiled, watching him leave. He seemed very nice and was definitely handsome. She looked at the broken pieces of chalk, bending down to start on the picture.

She did so in silence for several minutes, listening to the thud of feet and the melodies of the music. She let her imagination wander free, imagining what it'd be like to dance with the stranger.

"Rapunzel," Her father said, joining her. She figured the dance must've finished and he had had enough. She added a pronounced line to the sun she was drawing.

"Yes?" She asked. She felt a little tingly after talking to the stranger.

"Did you set your crown down?"

A rush of panic flooded through her. Her crown? She'd had it on seconds ago- hadn't she? Unless it'd fallen off when the chalk had scattered. She rushed back over to the area, frantically searching for a glint of the finely woven gold and jewels. She let out a heavy sigh, finding no sign of it.

She hadn't set it down-

She remembered the stranger. It was hard to think someone would just swipe it like that. And he'd seemed so nice.

"Rapunzel? Flower?"

She walked back over to the half completed drawing. "I think a man stole it."

"A man?" He asked, frowning. "What did he look like?"

She described him the best she could- leaving out the part about dreamy chocolate brown eyes- until her father hummed for her to stop.

"Rider. I'll send out word for the guards to look for him."

Her father had several guards go look for 'Rider' while they enjoyed the rest of the festivities. By dusk though, when everyone was starting to go home, cold wind blowing across the sea, it still hadn't turned up.

He set out a notice saying her crown had been lost, and anyone who found it would be rewarded handsomely. She hoped it had just fallen in the grass while she had been dancing, not wanting to believe the nice stranger had tricked her and stole from her. But by the end of the next day, with no sign of Rider and the crown still missing, she faced her only option.

Flynn Rider obviously took the crown. He might've sold it or lost it in a game of cards- she didn't know. All she knew was she hated him for making a fool out of her.

A few days before her eighteenth birthday, she was being fitted for her celebration dress. It was pink with lace. She absolutely loved it, twirling for the seamstress and in front of the mirror, humming a tune. During that certain session of fitting, a maid showed up and requested her in the garden.

She didn't think much of it. Probably just picking out the correct colors to match her dress better. So she stepped carefully out into the hot garden, fully dressed in the gown.

The maid was holding a bouquet of flowers farther off so she started to cross the well cared for garden.

Before she can make it though, something smashes against her head, and everything goes black around her.

When she finally opened her eyes, shying away from the harsh light, she was surprised to be moving. And surrounded by beautiful and expensive items. She seemed to be closed in, so she busied herself by looking at the stuff.

Most of the stuff seemed extremely valuable, except one thing which seemed to not belong at all. It was a worn out leather satchel with the initials E.F. starting to wear out. She grabbed it and flipped it open.

/Her crown/.

She put her crown on quickly, glad to have finally found it. She hadn't thought Flynn'd keep it that long. She looked at the initials again, and frowned. Flynn must've stolen the satchel from some poor soul.

She put it aside, looking through more items. Pearl barettes, antique plates, and ruby pendant were a couple of things she found before everything jostled to a stop. She lurched into clothing, listening to loud scuffling outside of the wagon. After a couple of minutes the back opened and she picked up the nearest thing to use for a weapon.

"Hi, princess."

She lifted the heavy kitchen utensil, swinging at him and his stupid pretty face. She was aiming for a black eye, at least.

"Jesus," He said, gripping onto the side of his face. An angry red mark was already surfacing and when she lifted it again to hit him again, he grabbed it and flung it out of her reach.

"I'm just getting my thing that was stolen," He said, not even looking at the expensive jewels or the fact that she had her crown back on. He grabbed the leather satchel, throwing it over one shoulder. "Now if you'll excuse me-"

"You can't just leave me here," She protested, moving out before he could close her in again.

"I can't?" He asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes. His eyes looped up to where her crown was and he frowned.

"No, you can't. If you left a princess to die, you'd be committing quite the crime," She said. Though at this point nothing would point to him, but rather the unconscious men slumped who were previously driving.

Thankfully, Flynn didn't ponder her obvious loopholes. "What's in it for me?"

"Name your price." She doubted he'd want anything she couldn't give him. He probably wanted petty things like gold and diamonds. And that she could give.

"A royal pardon; a clean slate."

She laughed. "No."

"Ah. Well. Have fun with the wolves tonight," He said, walking off.