After a long wonderful kiss, Rapunzel broke off the kiss and hit Eugene with her fist, "Why did you do that! Why did you leave me!" she cried.

He caught her arm, the shackle clanking, "Ouch, That wasn't my idea. The Stabbington brothers knocked me out, tied me to the boat and shoved me off. They knew about you and your hair. I tried to warn you but they hit almost as hard as you do." He rubbed his head with his free hand.

"I didn't mean that, why did you cut my hair? I couldn't heal you. You were dying and I couldn't do anything about it!. You died!" Rapunzel was crying hard now.

Taking her in his arms. "I'm sorry, death was better then seeing you enslave yourself to your mother. If you were free I knew you'd be okay, I saw how wonderful you became when you were free. You are too amazing to leave trapped in a tower forever. I love you too much to let you do that even to save my own life."

Rapunzel looked somewhat mollified, "And why did you come back?"

"At first, because I thought the Stabbington Brothers had taken you. To sell you as a slave. I couldn't allow that. I was pacing my cell going crazy with worry about you, how had they known? What they would do to you even before selling you?"

"Then the guards came. They were going to hang me. I just wasn't surprised about that, I had stolen the Crown of the Lost Princess after all, but as they were taking me to the gallows I saw the Stabbington brothers in another cell. I was so angry at them that I knocked away the guards and grabbed Dirk. They told me an old lady had told them about you. It took me a second but I realized that they must have meant your mother. You were being betrayed by your own mother. I tried to tell the guards but they swarmed me, then the Pub Thugs were breaking me out. Max raced me here to save you. Your mother was betraying you and she would have killed you in the end. I'm sorry." He touched her cheek.

"She wouldn't have killed me that would have destroyed the power of my hair and that would have killed her too. And she isn't … wasn't my mother." Glancing toward the window.

"She's not? Then who..."

"Actually, I am the Lost Princess." Moving some hair that wasn't in her face.

Eugene gave her an incredulous look.

"No, really, I figured it out this morning, because of you really. That little sigil banner you got me helped me remember who I am. Then I told Mother, I was so angry at her I told her I would never let her use my hair again and then she attacked me and chained me up. She was just getting ready to take me somewhere else when you showed up."

"If you really are the Lost Princess then we'd better get you back to the kingdom, but first, do you know where the key to these shackles are?"

"She put it in her bodice, I guess I better go down and get it." She said pensively, looking out the window and then to the hatch.

"I know it must be hard, be brave, you can do it." Eugene gave her a hug. Pascal padded over and gave her encouragement.

Rapunzel steeled herself and went down the ladder to the spiral stairs. Once past the first turn there was no light, she knew it was safe as she had climbed the stairs only hours ago but she shivered remembering when they had been trapped in the mine.

Coming around the side of the tower she saw the pile of dirty clothes that were all that was left of Mother. Rapunzel slowly knelt. Gently lifting the neck of the red dress she saw a glint of metal, slowly she reached in and found the key, she quickly pulled the key out and let the dress collapse.

As her body gave an uncontrollable shake, she heard the panting. It was Maximus, standing a little ways off. He was sweating and panting, his head lowered.

"Oh, Maximus. Are you alright?"

Max's look told her that he was not.

"If I still had my hair I could help you. Wait, my tears helped Eugene, maybe they'll help you."

She thought about how she had lost the person who had raised her, not just to death but to betrayal, and also how she had lost Eugene who loved her in a different, deeper way. How she had never known her true parents and all that they had missed. The tears came and she sang the healing incantation:

Flower gleam and glow

Let your power shine

Make the clock reverse

Bring back what once was mine

What once was mine

Heal what has been hurt

Change the fates' design

Save what has been lost

Bring back what once was mine

What once was mine.

But there was no glow or light, and Max continued to sweat and pant. "Oh, I'm so sorry Maximus. It didn't work, I don't know how to help you."

Feeling the frustration and despair welling up inside her she felt the key in her clenched fist. Looking blankly at it for a moment Rapunzel said, "Oh wait, Eugene might know, I'll be right back." She hurried around the tower and back up the stairs.

Panting herself, Rapunzel soon emerged at the top of the ladder. Eugene was sitting on the stairs to her room with Pascal on his knee. "I was wondering what was taking so long."

"Eugene, Maximus is not feeling well. He is panting and sweating badly and he looks bad. I tried healing him with my tears like I did you but it didn't work. I don't know what to do."

"Oh, no. I think he may have overextended himself, I asked him to show me how fast he could run so we could save you. And boy did he. It was the fastest I've ever gone. Here, give me the key, we need some wool to rub him down with, and some apples would be a good idea, if you have any."

Tossing him the key Rapunzel moved to the kitchen and filled a basket with apples from the barrel, then went to the chest with the winter blankets and gathered those. Helping Pascal onto her shoulder they all went down together.

They found Maximus in the same place. He had stopped panting but was still soaked with sweat and his legs looked like they were shaking.

"Here, take a blanket and rub him down, we need to dry him off." said Eugene to Rapunzel. To Max he said, "It's going to be fine, Max. We're here for you."

As Rapunzel and Eugene rubbed him down, Pascal rolled an apple over to Max. Max just looked at it, but with some encouraging motions from Pascal he took it and slowly ate it.

By the time they were done rubbing him down Max was looking better, but still seemed very tired.

"Well, that's the best we can do for him with what we have. Can you make it to the stream for a drink?"asked Eugene. Moving slowly they lead Max to the stream and he gratefully drank his fill.

"We are going to have to get him back to the palace where they can take proper care of him, but it will take most of the day to get there. We'll have to walk him slowly so he doesn't get hurt. You know, he is a very smart horse. He got the thugs from the Snuggly Duckling to break me out of prison and then ran me here as fast as he could. After chasing me for the last couple of days, I am not surprised he is tired. You're a good, brave horse. Thank you." Eugene addressed Max and Max nuzzled him back.

"And we have to get you back to the palace too, since you are the Lost Princess." Max gave Eugene a sharp look. "Well, that is what she told me, after she brought me back from being dead." Max gave him a disbelieving look and turned to look at Rapunzel.

"It's true. I figured it out this morning. I confronted Mother about it and she confirmed it."

Max stared at her for a moment and then wrapped his neck around her for a hug. Rapunzel hugged him back. Max began to walk with his head held higher.