Chapter 1: Break Free

Prologue: Break Free

So, this idea just won't leave my head and I had to get it out.

I must warn you that this entire story is an AU and will be much darker than the original Tangled. Featuring a slightly Dark!Flynn and an older Not-So-Naive-Rapunzel; I plan to add some mature themes and play a little with our favorite characters in a way that would tell the story in a much more mature note.

I don't know yet if the rating will change to M in the future chapters so be prepared okay? I'll let you know first if I plan to change it but for now it's a safe T.

Okay, now that that's settled, let's start this. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: pfft if only I owned Tangled...

Wanted to belong here

But something felt so wrong here

So I prayed

I could break away.

~Breakaway

"Rapunzel, dear, would you please stop daydreaming when I'm talking to you?"

Rapunzel started at her mother's slightly exasperated voice. Her eyes reluctantly settled over the Queen's elegant figure, her mouth quirked in a fond smile, although she appeared to be fighting her amusement to look a bit more stern if the slight frown on her brow was any indication.

She suppressed a sigh. She had the habit of spacing out whenever something in particular held her interest, and her mother's boring droning wasn't doing anything to help her situation. What was she supposed to do when the bright colors of the flowers and chirping of the birds was far more interesting than whatever political matter her mother was babbling about? Of course, she wasn't about to tell her that.

"I'm not daydreaming, Mother. That would be most unladylike." She did her best to imitate her etiquette tutor's snobby accent. Those same words had been spoken to her a thousand times, along with the usual stern remarks about her posture. She could almost hear Mrs. McLean's voice telling her she was slouching, again.

Queen Anne pursed her lips against a smile. "Oh really? Then tell me, what was I just talking about?"

Rapunzel bit her lower lip, a guilty grin spreading on her face. Of course she hadn't been listening, she had been far more preoccupied with the exquisite blooming rosebuds and the fresh smell of pinewood the elegant palace gardens provided in the early afternoon, wondering which exact combination of colors would be best to capture the shade of amethyst in the blooming violets spreading over the grass in her canvass.

She tipped her head enough for her bonnet to hide her guilty smile. Holding her teacup with a display of impeccable manners her etiquette tutor would be proud of, she took a small sip of her tea, the warm liquid gliding through her throat was a pleasant distraction.

Her mother raised a questioning eyebrow, patiently waiting for her response.

"Something or another about the Northern Kingdoms, perhaps?"

The Queen let out a defeated sigh. "Have you not been listening to absolutely anything I was just saying?" There was a slight edge to her voice that made Rapunzel's smile vanish. It was clear that her mother wasn't exactly looking forward to repeating everything she had just said and for some reason that made Rapunzel's stomach churn unpleasantly.

"As a matter of fact I was listening. I just got lost when you started mentioning the council." And it was true, the moment her mother started talking about the council's meeting she had deliberately averted her attention from the already boring conversation and instead focused on whatever else was remotely more interesting than a bunch of old bitter men discussing political situations.

It wasn't that she was completely uninterested about the treaties and alliances going on between her kingdom and the neighboring nations, it was more the fact that she was becoming the object behind those alliances what bothered her.

Apparently she had missed the important part of the conversation. Queen Anne took a deep breath, her lips pursing until they became a thin line. "I was saying that today's meeting with the council was a success. Lord Everard insisted on pursuing a stronger alliance with the Northern Isles."

Wasn't that exactly what she had just guessed? She couldn't understand why there would be a reason to repeat the whole conversation all over again. Was it really that important? And if it was, it couldn't possibly be anything good. Rapunzel busied herself nibbling at the buttercream cupcakes the maids had provided for their impromptu tea party, hoping her mother's conversation would turn out as boring as she had predicted.

"The Kingdom of Cygnus graciously invited us to meet their prince, King Horace's youngest son; Prince William."

Rapunzel bit back an exasperated groan. She should have known this was were the conversation was going. Instead of voicing her not-so-pleasant thoughts, she merely lifted her eyebrows inquiringly. "Oh?"

Her mother continued unfazed. "Unfortunately, your father and I are much too busy at the moment, and we have no intention to send you on your own, of course."

She couldn't help rolling her eyes this time. Of course they wouldn't, they didn't let her go anywhere on her own. She always had to be either accompanied by an escort or by the king and queen themselves. And they sure had never let her leave the kingdom for any circumstances. She supposed this was working on her advantage in this particular situation. She had no intentions of dealing with their excuse of political alliances all on her own. Rapunzel knew perfectly well what all this was about.

"That's why Lord Everard so conveniently suggested that we invite Prince William to spend a few days here in Corona."

Her short-lived relief instantly vanished. "What?" She exclaimed, aware of the hint of panic behind her slightly squeaky voice.

"King Horace has mentioned how much his youngest son would like to meet you, dear." Her mother smiled kindly, clearly missing or choosing to ignore Rapunzel's distress.

Rapunzel exhaled through her nose. "I bet he does." She muttered under her breath. Just like more than half the suitable bachelors and unmarried noble men in the surrounding kingdoms. They were all eager to meet the princess of Corona, only heir to the throne and promising young maiden. Just who were they trying to fool?

"Prince William is a respectable man, not much older than you, in fact." Her mother gave her a knowing look. The conspiratorial glint in her eyes was beginning to make her feel dizzy.

Rapunzel rose to her feet abruptly, accidentally rattling the fine porcelain tea set resting over the embroidered tablecloth.

"I'm not feeling well, Mother. It must be the afternoon sun, it's giving me a headache. If I may be excused..." She trailed off, already making a move to dart back towards the castle as fast as her legs would carry her.

However, her mother's voice stopped her in her tracks. "Rapunzel, you can't keep avoiding the subject forever, you know that?"

She knew that, of course she knew that. But that didn't mean she wasn't determined to try. "See you later, Mother." She replied curtly before heading towards the palace, her head held high as she walked without turning back towards her slightly baffled mother.

She didn't stop until she reached her bedchamber. Once she had locked the door, she walked over to her bed, slumping against the mattress with a defeated sigh. A cheerful chirping came from the corner of the room, and a little chameleon came creeping from the other side of the bed, stopping right next to her and resting his little head against her knee.

The corners of her mouth lifted in a small smile. "Hey, Pascal!" She cooed, scratching her finger against the smiling chameleon's head.

Pascal squeaked in reply. "I've missed you too." She giggled, wishing not for the first time that having a weird-looking lizard perched over her shoulder wasn't such an offending sight to the people in the palace. The bitter thought that not even her only real 'friend' in the world was allowed near her made her smile vanish, replaced by a gloomy scowl.

With a heavy sigh she stood up, taking her bonnet off her head and dumping it on the mattress behind her. She marched towards her vanity table, stopping to watch the mirror, her reflection staring back at her with an expression as hollow as her soul.

She was the picture of elegance and wealthiness, the perfect image of a rich girl, the proper noble lady she was raised to be. A princess through and through, born to be a queen. Her impossibly long golden locks were tied back in a combination of elegant plaits, forming one big braid cascading over her back and grazing her ankles. Her lavender gown was simple yet elegantly designed, sleeveless to accommodate her in the warm summer afternoons, but with fine embroidery over the bodice and a silk skirt long enough to barely show her feet. She wasn't very fond of jewelry, so she usually didn't wear much more than a simple golden necklace her parents had given her for her eighteenth birthday and a pair of little diamond earrings.

She had anything a girl would desire. So then why did she feel so miserable? A sudden urge to mess that perfect image overcame her, and soon she had her hands buried deep in her hair, her fingers carelessly disentangling the perfect braid her lady-in-waiting had so thoroughly tied that morning. Rapunzel's hair cascaded past her back, tumbling in a messy pile at her feet. She massaged her scalp, feeling strangely relieved as she kicked her slippers off her feet; she had always preferred to walk barefoot.

Her eyes swept over her vanity table looking for her hairbrush, but instead paused at the glinting sight of her tiara, resting gracefully over a purple velvet cushion. The shining diamonds blinking back at her seemed to be mocking her, reminding her of exactly who she was and what was her responsibility to her kingdom. The Crown Princess of Corona, who was still refusing to get married even though she should have announced an engagement a long time ago. Her betrothal was already a few years overdue, but she still refused to pick a husband. Something that seemed to be bothering the council to no end.

Sooner or later her parents would have to give in to the council's pressure, and announce her arranged marriage to the finest suitor they could find. She was beginning to suspect that was exactly the purpose of Prince William's spontaneous visit.

Pascal squeaked inquiringly from his spot on the mattress, looking over at her with a concerned frown on his reptilian features. Rapunzel smiled sadly. "I'm fine, Pascal. I just need some fresh air."

Making her way towards the floor-length windows on the side of the room, she opened the glass door leading to her balcony and stepped outside, letting the fresh breeze grace her face and sweep her hair. She took a deep breath and spread her arms, wishing the wind could carry her away to wherever it desired.

Her eyes roamed over the sight of the entire island at her feet, she could see anything from here, and she had to admit, the sight was beautiful. Her eyes lingered at the stone bridge leading towards the woods. That foreign destination she had never set foot on. Her parents didn't exactly keep her captive inside the palace's walls, they let her explore the village as long as she was always accompanied. But the bridge was off-limits, the woods the only thing she was under no circumstances allowed to explore. And despite her curious personality, she wasn't one to defy her parents' orders. So she had settled over the years with just admiring the vastness of the forest from afar, under the protection of her room. Freedom seemed so far away from over here.

She longed to explore the world, to run free through the canopy of trees enveloping the vast forest. To escape the palace's clutches and her parents' overprotective sight and finally allow herself to do whatever her heart desired. She longed for freedom, but that was the one thing she couldn't have.

As she gazed at the setting sun, the sky tainting with splashes of pink and purple hues, she smiled bitterly at herself. She was always waiting, but waiting for what, exactly? For her knight in shining armor? For her Prince Charming to come galloping on his white stallion and rescue her from her boring misery so they could both ride into the sunset together?

She snorted. Of course that wasn't going to happen. Rapunzel had learnt long ago that kind of stuff only happened on the fairy tales she had loved reading when she was younger. But she wasn't so naïve now. Her days of wishful thinking were long gone, disappearing with the wind along with her fading hope and a long list of dreams she once had believed could come true.

Like she could ever break free from her luxurious prison. Nevertheless she was somewhat content as long as she wasn't tied down. And that was a vow she made to herself as she gazed at the fading sun. They could keep her locked inside the palace, make her behave and act like the perfect princess she was supposed to be, but she was never going to subject to any man that came sauntering to claim her as his wife. She was a free spirit, she would never be tied down to any man she didn't love. Ever.

That was something she promised to herself, and she knew better than anyone that she never broke a promise.

She was ready to turn back and head inside when she saw a shadow moving out of the corner of her eye. She whirled around, her eyes darting back and forth across the balcony and its surroundings, but there was no hint of movement anywhere near. Rapunzel stood there for a moment longer, then shrugged and dismissed the thought. It probably was a bird that flew away just when she had been turning to leave.

With one last searching glance, she headed back inside her room, closing the glass door behind her with a dull thud. If she had stayed just a moment longer she would have been able to catch a glimpse of the shadow of a man climbing on the adjacent tower, right beside her balcony.

Flynn grunted as he pushed himself over the edge of the roof. He paused for a moment, panting as he tried to catch his breath, only to have it leave his lungs once more. As soon as he turned around he was mesmerized by the sight below him. The entire island of Corona and the vastness of the woods regarded him from bellow, the setting sun blinking back at him in the horizon, almost tempting him to race across the kingdom to catch the last rays of sunshine before they disappeared. It was sure a sight to behold.

"Woah, I could get used to a view like this." He muttered to himself, glad that no one could hear his almost breathless remark.

"Rider!"

Well, he sure could've enjoyed the view much better if he hadn't such undesired company. Not even bothering to turn around, he held up a hand, signaling the unpleasant man behind him to shut his mouth for a moment.

"Just a second. Yep, I'm used to it." He crossed his arms over his chest, a smug grin spreading over his face. "Guys I want a castle."

The idea hadn't crossed his mind until now, and he had mostly said it just to annoy his counterparts, but the thought of his own castle in an isolated island was quite appealing now that he thought about it.

"You get this crown, and then you get your castle." The burly redhead man muttered with a dark grin as he gestured over the edge of the building. Flynn rolled his eyes, heaving a dramatic sigh as he glimpsed towards the adjacent towers bellow. The job would have been so much easier if they hadn't changed the location of the goddamn crown in the first place.

The theft of the princess' crown would be the pinnacle of his thieving career. If they did this job right, his name would become legend for years to come; Flynn Rider, the best thief in the entire kingdom of Corona. They had planned this particular scheme for months, calculating every move, every secret passageway, every entrance and corner in the castle. The Stabbingtons had found a servant willing to act as their spy, giving them inside information about the location of the crown and the guards' patrolling shifts, even providing them with information of a few passages they could use to sneak into the palace undetected, all of this in exchange of a reasonable reward of course. One they were more than willing to pay. After all, the stolen crown would provide them with more money than they could have ever imagined to have.

Flynn grumbled to himself as he leapt over the rooftop towards the adjacent tower, his feet barely catching the edge of the windowsill protruding from the stone. They had had everything perfectly planned when the palace servant informed them of the unfortunate change of the crown's location, which had been conveniently moved from the throne room to none other than the Princess' bedchamber.

Flynn grunted once more, his hands scrapped against the hard stone as he slid from the tower's edge, getting closer and closer to his intended destination; the princess' balcony was already visible from where he dangled, his body precariously hanging from the stone bricks.

As he leapt across rooftops and slid through the rough tower's exterior, a hint of annoyance made its way to the pit of his stomach. If the spoiled little princess hadn't decided that she needed to admire more closely her precious crown, they wouldn't have had to change almost every aspect of their plan. Just another reminder of how much snob rich people annoyed him.

With one final graceful jump, he glided towards the balcony's marbled floor, landing in a crouch, his feet stealthily brushing the ground with not so much as a sound. Straightening, he brushed his hands against his pants, adjusting his satchel before marching towards the glass door that would lead him to the inside of the Princess' bedroom. If his sources were correct, the Princess would be enjoying a fine tea party with her mother on the other side of the palace for the whole afternoon. That would give him enough time to sneak into the room, take the crown and escape undetected. By the time someone realized the expensive tiara was missing, Flynn would be far enough away, on his merry way ready to finally leave Corona and his bitter memories behind. This crown would be his one-way ticket to his new life.

Now his only problem was to find a way to get rid of the Stabbington Brothers along the way. But that wouldn't be that difficult once he had what he wanted.

Flynn carefully opened the glass door, sighing softly in relief as it slid open without a single creak. He slipped inside, his footfalls soft and almost inaudible. Everything in his demeanor indicated his experienced years of thievery and mischief. This was only his last job, after this one he would finally be free. He couldn't fail.

The room was dimly lit, illuminated only by the very last rays of sunshine penetrating through the floor-length windows. His eyes didn't even have to search the room to find what he was looking for.

There it was, resting in all its glory over a fluffy velvet pillow. The enormous gems glinting with the sunlight, almost too magnificent to be real. The Princess' Crown.

Flynn's legs seemed to be moving on their own accord as he carefully approached the vanity table where the crown rested, his hands already itching to touch it, the answer to all his problem, his passage to his dreams. Unfortunately, in his astonishment, he missed the shadow creeping stealthily behind him. Maybe if he hadn't been so absorbed by the crown's elegant beauty, he would've noticed the slightly alarming trail of golden locks of hair curling all over the floor.

But Flynn was too preoccupied studying the magnificent crown to notice every dangerous hint telling him that something was about to go awfully wrong. He stretched his hands, his fingers almost touching the gleaming diamonds, when a distinctly female voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Just what do you think you're doing?!"

He froze. An uncomfortable chill spread all over his limbs, as if someone had just dropped ice-cold water on his back. Wincing slightly, he braced himself for what was about to come. He didn't go through all this trouble just to be stopped now! Oh, no. He was going to fight whoever stood on his way, he was going to steal that crown, whatever it took.

But this, oh this was definitely not part of the plan.

Hope you enjoyed the first glimpse of this story. Please let me know if you liked it, remember that reviews always encourage an author to keep writing ;)

Also, be prepared guys. This will have little to do with Tangled's original lovable story. The fun is about to begin, so let me know what you think of this.

Until next time!