Sorry about the delay between chapters. I've been on vacation for the past week, but we're back on schedule now. Thank you for all the reviews/favs/alerts! You guys are totally awesome! As always, we'd love to know what you think! :D :D
The northward trail winds and twists through the wilderness, leading up an incline. The forest is too dense to determine if they're climbing a mountain or merely heading inland. Rapunzel shivers as peals of thunder clap and boom – one after the other – in the rapidly chilling air. The wind whips around them, curling its bitterly cold fingers around her body. Big, fat drops of rain tumble down, splattering the canopy of sickly leaves above them. Thankfully, the dense overgrowth deters most of the rain.
Where these the storms the king had told her about? She shudders helplessly. She actually longs for the potato sack now; she could have fashioned a vest from it at least…
A strong arm wraps around her. She sighs gratefully as Eugene's warmth spreads over her chilled body. She looks up into his concerned face and smiles appreciatively.
"Don't worry. We're almost there," he rumbles in her ear, his voice dark and deep like distant thunder.
They walk in silence for another quarter hour. Finally, they reach the position marked on Bigbeard's map. The mouth of the tunnel looms before them. "According to this," Eugene says, nodding towards the paper, "there is a passageway that leads directly to the castle."
"Eugene…" she asks carefully, drawing out his name.
"Hm?"
She glances at the handkerchief still clutched in Eugene's hand. "Why did Bigbeard know about this secret tunnel?"
He gives her a rueful smile. "I'll give you three guesses."
"He's stolen from the king and queen of Trist before?"
"Maybe," Eugene replies. "But there could be another reason."
She bites her lip, looks at the tunnel and says, "Bigbeard or his family has worked for them before?"
"Bingo," he replies with a wink. "Having a shipful of pirates on your payroll can be mighty—"
"Pirates?"
"—profitable." Eugene blinks at her, startled by her outburst.
Rapunzel feels a huge grin stretch her lips wide. "Bigbeard and his crew are pirates? Actual pirates?"
Eugene, rather than laughing with her at the discovery, scowls. "If Gothel were still alive, I'd have her thrown in jail for denying you picture books as a kid." He shakes his head, sighing. "Come on, Princess. We've got work to do."
Lantern held before them, they step into the darkened cavern. Tiny, black shadows dart here and there, just within the range of the lamplight. She's terribly thankful for the tattered leather boots Eugene had foisted upon her, but she stays close to his side. So close she treads on the edges of his boots as they cross the uneven stone floor.
"We must be getting close," he whispers, fiddling with the screw that controls the flame. "We'd better turn down the light."
"What? No!"
Rapunzel fumbles for the lantern and coaxes the fire brighter again as she tries to ignore how very close those tiny dark shadows are now, darting in and out of her sight. She nearly knocks Eugene over when one of the rats nearly runs across her shoe.
Luckily, she thinks to clamp her lips shut on the squeal of revulsion.
Eugene tucks her closer against his side and chuckles. "You're afraid of rats?"
"I'm not afraid of them," she says defensively. "I just don't like them. There's a difference."
The truth is she still has nightmares about the stories Gothel had told her about rats. They carry disease that eats your skin! If we don't keep our tower clean, they'll climb up the stones, come in through the windows and watch you from the shadows, waiting until you're asleep to…!
With a sharp shake of her head, Rapunzel slams the door shut on that memory. She's beginning to see why Eugene always looks so irritated when the subject of her childhood or her ignorance of the world comes up. Picture books would have been much better than stories meant to frighten her into spending every hour of the day cleaning instead of dreaming about the world outside. It hadn't worked forever, but it had worked for nearly eighteen years. It might have worked for longer yet if not for the lanterns the lit the night sky on her birthday, every year without fail.
"Hey," Eugene calls, bringing her back from her thoughts, "you alright?"
She shrugs off her thoughts. It's been a long time since she has allowed herself to think of Gothel, but something about this tunnel seems to be bringing forth all sorts of less-than-pleasant things. Lies disguised as truths meant to keep her up in that tower. Willingly.
She forces out a breath, pushes away her thoughts and pastes on a smile. "I'm fine."
He doesn't seem convinced, but he thankfully lets the subject drop.
Pascal peeks from under her collar. Apparently he doesn't believe her either. He, unlike Eugene, understands where Rapunzel's fear of the hairy rodents comes from. He nuzzles into the side of her neck. "There's not that many," she whispers to her chameleon friend. "Besides, I've got my frying pan."
She holds it up so her chameleon friend can see. He nods approvingly. Nothing, not thief or rodent or pirate, can stand a chance against her kitchen weapon of choice.
The lizard waddles back under her collar, safe from the dark dankness that surrounds them. She envies him that. At least he can pretend to be somewhere else, she thinks wistfully.
She follows Eugene's lead through the darkened tunnels, trying not to listen to the pitter-patter of little, sharp-clawed rat feet.
Perhaps it's the grip she has on Eugene's arm – glancing down she notices that her knuckles are white with the strain – that clues him in to her continued distress. He clears his throat and asks softly and with cheer that is obviously manufactured, "So, is there anything I should know about this prince guy before we inevitably meet up with him?"
Eager to distract herself from their furry companions, she blurts out, "You and he are a lot alike."
His hold on the map falters slightly, and for an instant Rapunzel fears he'll drop the wilted square of linen. She breathes a sigh of relief when his grip tights on it again and then holds her breath when he suddenly stops walking and faces her. If she didn't know him as well as she does, she would have thought her words hadn't had the slightest effect on him. He looks absolutely passive.
"Oh really?"
She winces. "That… came out badly. Um…" she glances around the cave before closing her eyes and muttering, "can we keep walking while I try to explain what I really meant?"
He nods, resuming the trek.
"You're both trying to make something of yourselves, build a life that's separate from the one you grew up in. Dashing and brave and in control…"
She glances at him from under her lashes. He doesn't look too angry. He doesn't look pleased, either.
"That's not to say that you're exactly the same because I despise him – even before he turned against my father and I! – and, ugh…" Really, there are no words that would reflect her loathing. "But he's a prince and he has responsibilities. Did you notice the forest? The shoreline? Where are the animals, the crops and farms? Trist has none of the prosperity that Corona does. He's desperate."
"Rapunzel…"
"Oh, I know, I know! It doesn't excuse his actions. And I want to pull each and every perfect hair out of his head one-by-one! But… Eugene. Taking care of a country is a big responsibility."
His shoulders relax. He swallows audibly. "I know."
"I don't know if I can do this. Be a princess, I mean, and one day a queen."
"You can."
He sounds so certain! If only she could share his confidence. "But I…"
"When you're ready – and you will be ready – Corona will be the happiest country in the whole world."
"I hope so…"
Eugene clears his throat. "So, we have Banale's motivations. And we know what his choices were."
"Kidnapping."
"And thievery."
"What?"
He pats the satchel. "Are you forgetting about the fact that I was hired to steal your crown three years ago?"
"Oh."
"Yeah, oh." He takes a deep breath. "So how is it you can hate this Banale guy and not me, even though we're so much alike?"
She gapes at him. "Eugene…"
"I mean, the guy uses people to further his own goals, right? And I've done that. The Stabbingtons could tell you all about it—"
"Stop it."
"So what's really got me wondering here," he continues a bit too loudly, "is why you love me even though I'm just like him?"
"But you're not! Don't you see? You—!" Clutching his arm, she turns to give him her full attention. That's when the shadows just beyond his shoulders begin to stir. Only this movement isn't small.
"Eugene?" she whispers, horror choking her.
Another second passes before a shape separates from the gloom. A very large shape. She gropes blindly for his hand and shakes it insistently. Clearly frustrated with the interruption, he glances over his shoulder, turns back around, freezes, and then whips back toward the stirring shadows again.
"Whoa!" he announces, his voice booming and ringing in the tunnel. Clutching Rapunzel's hand in his, he starts walking backwards towards the passage entrance. Rapunzel stumbles along with him, her curiosity making her feet move slower than his. With the creature heading their way, she both longs for and dreads a glimpse of it. Its footsteps thunder towards them slowly and steadily. Had she and Eugene been of one mind about escaping, they might have evaded it, however…
"Rapunzel!" he hisses.
She halfheartedly moves a bit faster, but it makes no difference. The gap between them and the creature is now very narrow. She gasps as the beast steps out of the shadows and into the lantern's light.
It is enormous.
It is green.
"It's a giant lizard," sputters Eugene, not taking his eyes off the enormous creature.
"Actually," booms a deep voice, "I am a dragon."