Chapter 24

Over the years, Arabelle had become increasingly curious as to how her old nanny had gotten separated from her sons. For one reason or another, she hadn't been able to hear the whole story because everyone just kept saying she was too young to understand.

At 12, Arabelle decided that she was more than old enough to understand, no matter what other people said. With that thought in mind, she confronted Sofia.

"Miss Sofia, I know you keep saying that I'm too young to understand how you got lost and separated from Eugene and Flynn. Please tell me. I know there was a fire and you told the twins to run and get away. How come you didn't go and try to find them the next day?"

"Arabelle, you really don't need to hear this story." Sofia stalled. "It's in the past. We can't change it. We have to look forward to the future."

"Tell me anyway. Maybe telling it to me might help you feel better." Arabelle cajoled. "Come on, please. Besides, for all we know they're roaming around somewhere nearby. What could it hurt to tell me?"

"Fine, I will tell you just this once, and then I don't want to talk about it and I won't answer any questions. Ok?"

"YES!" Arabelle responded enthusiastically. "I promise."

Later that evening, Arabelle was busy thinking about the story she had been told. It's sad how Miss Sofia got separated from the twins. I bet, she thought to herself, I could find them if I looked. But I don't know where to start looking. No one will just let me go out and look for them. I am going to have to sneak out. I have gotten pretty good at sneaking out.

Arabelle was so busy thinking about just where she would look for the twins once she snuck out of the palace that she didn't notice Edmund come into the room looking for Sofia.

"Arabelle, how lovely to see you. Have you seen Miss Sofia this afternoon? We have a meeting with your parents later and I want to talk to her before we go in."

"An important meeting, Duke? I could.." Arabelle was unable to finish her sentence as Sofia walked into the room.

"There you are, Edmund. We need to hurry if we want to talk before meeting the king and queen." Sofia said softly.

"Yes, yes. Let's go. Bye, Princess. Behave yourself."

Be good? Really? It's not like anyone will notice me. I'm good at fading into the background. Arabelle's thoughts revealed just how forgotten she felt she had become.

As is the case with many preteens and teenagers, Arabelle wasn't worried about getting hurt. On one of her jaunts out of the castle, she ran across Flynn.

"Flynn, is that you? I've missed you. What happened? Where did you guys go?"

Flynn was slow to respond. The last thing he wanted to do was let the princess know that he had had to resort to stealing in order for him and Eugene to survive. He knew she wouldn't like it and didn't want her to look at him differently.

"Um, just around. We had to leave 'cause the orphanage was really bad. Now, Eugene and I have a small place where we raise most of our own food." Flynn was uncomfortable and didn't want Arabelle to know exactly where they were. Uppermost in his mind was protecting Eugene, even if it meant hurting others.

Arabelle soon realized that Flynn was hiding something but she had no idea how to make him tell her. Something about his explanation didn't make sense, but she didn't have time to question him. As soon as he could, he said goodbye and left.

Later that evening on her way back to the palace, Arabelle looked around the town square. She realized that this was the first time she had bothered to really look around. After a few minutes, she saw the wanted poster. The likeness was enough to allow her to figure out that Flynn or Eugene, or maybe both of them had begun stealing things.

I wish he told me. I would have made sure they were taken care of. It's sad that they had to resort to theft to survive. Hmm, I think I can help him though. He doesn't have to be a criminal. She had become so lost in thought after Flynn left that she forgot to tell him that she thought she found not just his mother, but his father as well.

Arabelle continued to sneak out of the palace and managed to run into Flynn almost every time she did so. Every time she snuck out, she told herself that today would be the day she told Flynn that she knew where his parents were. Unfortunately, it had become more about seeing Flynn than about reuniting the twins with their parents.

One night a few months later, Arabelle ran into Flynn again. This time, he wasn't quick enough to hide the fact that he had stolen something. Arabelle wasn't about to tell him she had caught him though. Instead, she made note of the shop he had taken the items from so she could send payment to him the next day.

"Hi, Flynn. How are you and Eugene doing? How is the little farm you two had started?"

"Oh, hi, Arabelle. It isn't so much a farm. Just a little cabin where we have a small garden we can grow food in." Flynn's response was curt, not wanting Arabelle to continue her line of questioning, just in case she figured out he was a wanted thief. "You shouldn't be out here you know, Princess. You could get hurt."

"Who would want to hurt me? No one even thinks about me. Haven't you figured out that I am the INVISIBLE princess? They know I exist, but no one ever talks about me. It's always about Rapunzel, the lost princess, the heir to the throne. It's never about me."

"You could still get hurt, princess. How about I escort you home? That way no one can get you."

"But I'm not ready to go home. I just snuck out."

"Arabelle, you shouldn't sneak out. Your parents have enemies and one of them could decide to hurt you in return – or kidnap you to make them do what they want."

Arabelle gasped. That was the last thing she had even considered happening. Struggling, she finally agreed to allow Flynn to escort her to the castle. She did, however, refrain from actually agreeing not to sneak out. It's always better not to promise something if I have no intentions of not sneaking out, she thought to herself.

It continued this way for a number of years, with Flynn escorting her back to the castle every time they ran into each other, until soon, Arabelle was almost 18 years old. They had learned a lot about each other, although Flynn still did not realize that Arabelle knew exactly who he was and what he had had to do to survive.

About a month before the princesses were to turn 18, the brothers Flynn had refused to join up with 6 years previously, approached him again. This time they had information they knew could be used to blackmail Flynn into doing what they wanted.

"Flynn, imagine running into you here." The Stabbington brothers managed to cut Flynn off before he could get away. "You never agreed to work with us before, but we know you are going to help us now. If you don't help us, your precious little brother will get hurt. I didn't know you had a brother till recently, but I don't mind hurting him if it will get you to help. I might even have fun hurting him. I know my brother will." The Stabbington brother without the eye patch was the one to tell him this. The other one simply nodding his agreement.

"Guys, you know I don't steal the bigger stuff. I just take little things to help me and my brother survive. I have never tried to take anything big. You know that." Flynn was quick to answer.

"So, what? Now you are going to help me and my brother steal the dumb lost princess's crown. It's worth a fortune. Imagine how rich we will be. Besides, if you don't agree to help, we'll just go bully Eugene into helping."

"Leave Eugene out of this. Fine, if you leave him out of this, I will help you. But only if you promise to leave Eugene out of this whole business."

"What kind of brother won't even let him have a little fun – besides, Eugene is already going to help – we cornered him before we went looking for you. It's a little late to keep him out of it. The way I see it, you have two choices. You can help us steal the crown, or we can tie you up and you can watch us torture your brother."

Flynn was torn, should he help the ruthless Stabbington brothers steal the crown, or watch them hurt his brother. Neither option held any appeal for Flynn, but he soon decided that stealing the crown was less harmful than Eugene getting hurt because of him.

"Ok, guys. It appears you've made me an offer I can't refuse. What is the plan for the theft?"

"A plan, huh? We figured that's what you were for."