A/N - Title taken from my favourite adventure game series Monkey Island's latest installment Tales of...

I finished this chapter during my lunchbreak at work, and I'm still inspired, so there could be a second upload later on tonight, if I can. R&R x


Chapter Six – The Trial and Execution of Eugene Fitzherbert

Max trotted through the kingdom gates a short time later. Eugene helped Rapunzel down from the saddle and she set off in an almost instinctive direction towards a large circular building. The smell inside was overwhelming, so Eugene waited outside, while Rapunzel disappeared inside to send a message to her parents.

Eugene was looking towards the sky to see the bird flying home when a voice shouted: "That's him!" and strong hands grabbed him tightly. Looking down and around desperately, Eugene saw Fergus standing a few feet away with the captain of the guard looking very smug.

"He kidnapped my girlfriend!" Fergus accused. "He's a dangerous man who beat me up and took her!"

"No!" Eugene protested, struggling against the guards, but it was no use. He was gagged before he could call out to Rapunzel, and dragged away.

Rapunzel heard the commotion outside and hurried outside. She could see the crowd closing around a huddle of guards, but no sign of Eugene.

She ran to where Max was standing patiently, sniffing at an apple stall. The horse saw the panicked look on the princess's face and placed his nose on the ground for Eugene's scent without being asked.

They reached the castle grounds just minutes after Eugene and his escorts. There was to be an immediate trial; Fergus had demanded it and the captain of the guards, with an evil leer, had readily agreed. Leaving Max outside, Rapunzel silently followed the group of men into the grand hall. She vaguely recognised the man sitting slumped in the throne from some portraits her father had shown her. He certainly didn't look very regal. He looked like a man beaten down and exhausted by the world. He barely looked up as the entourage entered.

"This man is accused of kidnap!" The captain of the guard began, striding forward. King Ulrich flinched at the sound of his voice. Rapunzel gasped and ran forward, straight into Fergus's waiting arms. She struggled, but then stopped when she felt something pointed pressed against her side. Fergus marched her forwards to join the rest of the trial.

"How do you plead?" King Ulrich asked in a bored tone of voice. The gag was removed from Eugene's mouth for him to answer, but he had seen the sun glint off the knife Fergus held, and bit his tongue; he couldn't risk Rapunzel being hurt.

"He does not deny it!" the captain of the guard said, gleefully. "Guilty as charged. Sentence to be carried out immediately, your majesty?"

There was something about the way he said 'your majesty' that gave Rapunzel pause. Something was wrong with the balance of power here. Eugene would never get a fair hearing. There was barely a movement of King Ulrich's head, but the captain took that as assent and dragged the struggling Eugene through a different set of doors, leading out onto a courtyard where, they could see, a gallows had already been prepared. This had been a foregone conclusion.

Rapunzel couldn't struggle against Fergus, even without the knife he was still much stronger than her. But she still had the element of surprise. Or, more accurately, the chameleon of surprise.

Unseen, Pascal had shimmied up Rapunzel's hair, crawled around to her shoulder, and with all the strength he could put into the muscle, slammed his tongue hard into Fergus's left ear. It was a moment that would have greatly gratified Eugene, had he been in a position to see it. Fergus yelped in shock and released his hold on Rapunzel, who took this as her cue to run.

She stood in front of the throne and glared at the man until he could meet her gaze no longer.

"You are kin to my father!" she yelled at him. "How could you do this?"

At this, King Ulrich looked up. He had barely recognised the princess, but now realisation dawned in his eyes and clanged around his head as his world, already broken, crashed down around him. He dropped his head into his hands.

"I am so sorry, princess," he sobbed. "There is nothing I can do."

Out in the courtyard, Eugene was marched up the gallows' steps and his arms were roughly tied behind him.

"Last words?" asked the executioner, a reasonably cheerful man, who clearly had no opinions one way or another on his guests' guilt or innocence, concentrating instead on getting his job done.

"Would you tell Rapunzel I love her?" Eugene whispered, so quietly the executioner nearly didn't hear him. For the first time, the man frowned.

"I will," he said. And he meant it.

A black hood was placed over Eugene's head, followed by the noose. As the rope was pulled tight, Eugene's breathing increased, as though aware that their number was limited. All Eugene could hear was his own heart beating hard in his chest. Then…. nothing.