Chapter 1

The King stood inside the small portico, which was usually reserved for the lantern festival every year. He could see the entire kingdom below him and it usually lifted his spirits, but nothing could lift them today, at least that was what he thought. Corona was in trouble again, the thief that had plagued the kingdom was back again and searching for the hidden gold, the same ones that he had tried to keep secret. And it was hidden, for eighteen years no one had known about it, until Rapunzel and Eugene appeared. Not that he was blaming them, they already pardoned Eugene and confirmed that Rapunzel was the "lost princess." But there was something, something that was left undone, something that was…

"There you are," a female voice called softly. The King turned and smiled sadly.

"I've been looking for you all over the place." Seeing the look on his face, she stopped smiling and reached out to caress his cheek. "Something wrong, my lord?"

"I'm not certain, my lady," he whispered, reaching out to touch her hair. "The guards have been seeing someone or something near our hidden treasure."

The Queen shook her head. "We've been all over this, my lord. I don't think it has anything to do with our daughter or with her intended. Eugene has been nothing but helpful since he arrived with Rapunzel two years ago. I think you're feeling nervous now that the wedding is approaching."

The King brightened a bit. "I agree, my dear. Eugene has made a quick turn around and I know our daughter believes in him and I have made every effort to accommodate that. I've made him Captain of the Royal Guards and he hasn't failed me yet. Even with that bunch of ruffians he hangs out with."

The Queen nodded. "They've done an excellent job with security, my lord. They have been protecting our treasure without calling attention to it."

The King shook his head. "I'm not sure, my dear. Eugene has had to move the treasure to new locations at least three or four times now. His thieves have been the ones who have done the moving. Granted, they don't know what they're moving around, but I'm sure they have an idea. And now with this merchant coming…"

The Queen narrowed her eyes. "You mean Sir Nicholas? The one who's been after Rapunzel since she returned? My lord, how could you?"

"He's been invited to the wedding," the King said, turning away from her. "Someone here has invited him." He turned back towards the Queen. "The guards tell me that ever since he arrived two nights ago, they have seen someone leaving his room. One of the guards followed him and saw him meeting with those Stabbington brothers out by their camp. He reported back to Eugene with the information."

"Where is Eugene now?" the Queen asked.

"Off riding with Rapunzel. They've taken Max and our new mare Esmeralda. I've asked one of the guards to go after them. I want to meet with Eugene to discuss strategy, find out what he knows and to move our gold to a new secret location. I'm sure they can manage that."

The Queen nodded. "I'm sure everything will be alright. I'm sure this is nothing at all, but if it is, I'm sure Eugene can take care of this."

The King smiled and touched her cheek. "I'm sure you're right, my love. You always are." He looked into her eyes. "Remind me again, my lady, how you knew that Rapunzel was our long lost daughter."

The Queen smiled. "Beside the obvious fact that she looks just like me? She has a mole behind her left ear, sire, the same one as yours. And don't forget those freckles on her nose either. "

The King nodded. "Yes a family trait, the mole on my side, the freckles on yours. I've always wondered how you knew so quickly."

The Queen nodded. "Eugene was very brave in bringing her back to us. He faced his demons and brought Rapunzel back knowing what would happen when he did. He deserved your pardon after all he's been through."

"We soon shall see, my lady. We shall see."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Eugene was bored. He was sprawled out on the grass next to a small pond. They rode here often lately, Eugene teaching Rapunzel how to ride. She had never learned how to do anything stuck up in that tower except to cook and clean. Basically she had a been a maid to Mother Gothel beside keeping the old woman young for 18 years. No one knew that she had been around centuries before that; long before the Royal Family had taken possession of her "flower."

He missed his meetings with the King, they were the only excitement he had. The assignments were few and far between lately. Besides, the wedding was fast approaching; it was only a week away. He should have been excited about that, right? But no, that wasn't enough apparently. He needed something, he wasn't sure what; he just couldn't put a finger on it. It was like he missed something, the excitement he felt when he was running from the law and escaping them. How long had that been exactly? Two years? But at the castle, he was not in need of anything really. He had what he wanted. He had his fantastic castle view and he had a real family now, the finest in the world. They had accepted him and trusted him. The King had researched his humble beginnings and even explained his family background to him.

He had been the son of a Captain of the Guard and one of the Queen's Ladies in Waiting. The wife died while giving birth to him a few days after her husband died of pneumonia. Eugene was taken from them and was deposited at the orphanage where he grew up. Everyone there thought he was cute and intelligent and expected that he would be adopted immediately. When no one came, Eugene struck out on his own at 12 and had begun thieving to support himself. He hooked up with the Stabbington twins when he was 18 and the rest, as they say, was history.

The Royals had also pardoned him for all his crimes. And they were many. Nothing major, though. The crown was the biggest heist he'd pulled off, nothing could top that.

Except maybe what the King had him move around what he called his "treasure", his gold, his secret stash. The funny thing about this gold was that it wasn't heavy and it didn't move around like coins did, unless these were those new bills that the kingdom was experimenting with. But he really didn't think that the King and Queen hoarded away tons of gold and silver. No, there was something else he was moving from place to place and he was determined to find out.

"Eugene," Rapunzel called. "Where are you?"

"Over here, beautiful," he said, turning to face her. He sat up. Rapunzel turned toward the voice and smiled.

"Do you see Essie and Max?" she said running over to him. "Look at them."

Eugene straightened up to see. They were nuzzling each other. "I think they're falling in love, Princess, just like the two of us did."

Rapunzel smiled. "Did you fall in love with me first or did I fall in love with you. I think you only wanted this crown on top of my head."

Eugene smiled and brushed her cheek. "I think I fell in love in with you in that boat, the night of the lantern festival. I think I knew then that you were my future. And that was before I knew that you were the lost princess."

Rapunzel shook her head. "The princess and the thief, that's what the kingdom called us. Apparently, my parents knew who the Fitzherberts were even before you did."

"That surprised me," Eugene said. "I hadn't the slightest idea who I was. It was you who believed in me and you made me believe in myself. You saved my life, Rapunzel, and I'm forever grateful to you for that."

"Your Highness?"

They broke apart and Eugene cringed. Those two words again. He hated the sound of them.

"Yes guardsman," he said, looking into his eyes. "Something I can help you with?"

"The King requests a meeting right now, I am to escort you and Rapunzel back to the castle."