PROLOGUE

They had nothing to do. There was nothing left to do except waiting. After all those years, the Stabbington brothers had been caught. One of them, sat on the dusty floor of the cell, looked up to his brother's eye and sighed. So, this is how it ended. Not rich, not even free. The only thing they had ahead was death. He unconsciously put his hand on his neck, nervous.

The door at the end of the corridor opened. Something told them it was time. But when they looked up, they saw someone they didn't expect to see anymore: a man once they knew as Flynn Rider.

"Here they are," said the captain of the guard, who had come in behind him.

Rider looked down to them with grudge in his eyes.

"The king already gave the order for them to be hanged".

"I had a word with the king," Rider said, without talking his eyes off the twins.

"I know. He told me you might speak on their behalf".

The two prisoners looked up again, surprised and skeptic. After what they had done to him, there was no way Rider helped them.

"No," he firmly answered, but then he hesitated. "You said they'd be hanged?"

"Yes. You disagree?"

"Doesn't matter. I have not authority to revoke the sentence".

"A personal friend of the princess? You and I know you could, if you wanted".

Rider started walking to and fro. The Stabbingtons followed his every movement but they wouldn't dare to say a word. Finally Rider said:

"Most of the crimes they are condemned for, I have committed too; many of them, together".

"You don't have to tell me," the captain rolled his eyes.

"It's also understandable they tried to take revenge. After all, I did betray them," he shrugged his shoulders. "But they tried to take Rapunzel" his tone change as he pierced them with a fierce look. "That I will not forget".

"So… Will you let them be executed?"

The seconds he took before answering lasted an eternity for the brothers. They were holding their breath and looking at him.

"No," Rider finally answered.

"I doubt the king agreed to set them free".

"I don't wanna them free. They do belong locked up… but not dead".