Hi! Sorry, this chapter was a little bit shorter because I was pressed for time, but hopefully, it will be just as good. Got a great idea for Chapter 3 but depending on how much work I have it might not be up for a while. Still, I will try my best. When I get wrapped up in writing my story, it usually turns into some obsesseve hobby, so...
But anyway, here it is!
I do not own Tangled...there, I said it. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
"Your highnesses!" Flynn called as he tore down the hall. "Your highnesses!"
Suddenly, a palace guard stepped right out into the hallway, blocking the frantic Flynn's path.
"Rider!" he barked. "What do you think you're doing out this late?" an angry gaze came across his face as he unsheathed his sword. "Your tricks won't get you anywhere here…"
"Please!" Flynn begged, desperately trying to get by. Ordinarily, he would have no problem playing a trick on one of his old foes, but this was important. "It's an emergency!"
The guard wouldn't budge. "I don't know who you think you are—"
Before the guard could say anything else, Flynn grabbed his wrist and gave a piercing gaze into his eyes. "It's Rapunzel. Let me through." he ordered sternly.
A strange, unreadable look—probably one of shock—glinted in the guard's eye, and then he reluctantly but quickly stepped aside, allowing Flynn to race by, straight towards the flower-adorned door that led to the king and queen's room.
He banged against the huge door as loud as he could, yelling just as loud. For once, there was no need for stealth. He needed to get their attention as urgently as possible.
"Your highnesses! Your highnesses!"
Suddenly, when Flynn was just about to burst through the door after lack of reply, the king yanked the door open, a tired but upset look on his face.
"Rider!" he said, confused. "What—what is it? Do you know what time it is?"
"Rapunzel's gone," Flynn breathed, still overcome by the shock of it himself. "I went to her room to visit her—the bed was in shambles, and the window was open." He held forward Pascal. "The fro—chameleon—explained that someone took her."
The king's eyes widened in fear, and he didn't even bother to ask why Flynn was in his daughter's room in the middle of the night, or how on earth Flynn learned to communicate with a chameleon. Instead, he quickly rushed over to his wife, whom he quickly roused out of her sleep.
"What…? Honey—" the queen mumbled, just as confused. But as the king urgently spoke to her, she jolted up, her eyes wide in terror. "No…" she gasped, "No…"
"Come with me," Flynn nodded, and the queen quickly scrambled to her feet and threw on a robe, the king doing the same. Then the two fear-stricken parents ran after Flynn, who began hurrying down the long winding hall.
As they ran, a few guards caught sight of them and began to follow close behind. Flynn couldn't blame them. I mean, it must have looked pretty suspicious, an infamous criminal leading the two most important people in the kingdom down a winding hallway.
Suddenly, a thought hit Flynn. What if I'm wrong? What if it was just another terrible nightmare, and I was just imagining things? To be honest, he wished that was the case. He would rather be reprimanded by the king and queen for complete foolishness if it could mean Rapunzel would be safe from any harm.
For some reason, his thoughts switched to the diamond ring he had been observing moments ago. If only he had told her he loved her—or better yet, if he hadn't been bothering with that stupid ring in the first place. Maybe those few moments could have changed anything.
However, when the group rushed into the princess's room, they found it totally empty; the sheets were still everywhere, the windows wide open. The king lit a lantern on the wall and began to search the room, to no avail. The queen stood in the doorway and sobbed. "No…oh, no, not again…no…" and Flynn felt sorry for her. She had already gone through this pain once, when Gothel kidnapped Rapunzel as a baby. And now…Flynn was sure the hurt was indescribable.
The guards that had followed them began flooding the room, inspecting every which area of the room—the closet, under the bed, inside the wardrobe—but there wasn't a trace of Rapunzel.
She was gone.
The thought was too much for Flynn, and he had to force himself not to cry. He was Flynn Rider—he never cried! But it just wasn't right. Rapunzel should be safe, warm in her bed…if only he had been there…
Flynn barely noticed as the king's whole emotion burst into infuriation, and he whirled around to face Flynn.
"Rider, where is she?" he strode towards Flynn, his anger-red face stained with tears. "Where is my daughter?"
The king's question threw Flynn completely off guard. He had no clue where she was! Why else would he go to the king and queen to find help? Suddenly, he realized what he meant. "Oh, no…you don't really think I—"
"I'm not falling for your lies, Rider!" the king growled, "I have proof that you are guilty!"
Flynn backed up, completely puzzled. Proof? What the heck was going on? "Sir, you have to believe me! I would never—"
The king would have no more. Instead, he turned, enraged, to his guard.
"Arrest him!" he ordered. "Arrest him at once! By order of your king! Take him to the dungeon, and we shall have his trial immediately at dawn!"
"No!" Flynn objected, as guards seized his wrists and dragged him out against his will. He was completely baffled at what was going on, and the last place he needed to be was the dungeon while all this was going on. What about Rapunzel? He had to help find her. He had to save her! There was no time!
"You can't do this! I—No!" Flynn struggled with all his might against his captors, but he made no success. He was trapped, as he was forcibly dragged down the hall. The guards showed no mercy to their prisoner, as Flynn desperately pleaded to be freed. He had to be freed! He had to find her! He was innocent, for once! And now…
Still, the guards paid no attention to Flynn's cries for freedom as they dragged him away to the dark, lonely place he thought he would never have to face again.
