A/N: I planned to wait a few more days to release the new chapter, but I finished this chapter sooner than I expected so here it is! My creative juices have been flowing lately, which will hopefully allow me to update more often! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, despite it being a bit too long oops XD
(Edit: I added a minor change to Rapunzel's first reaction to seeing Flynn, just to add more context)
Chapter 2
Rapunzel's POV
When the two women exited the shop, the coachman was stroking the horse's long black mane as he fed the animal an apple from his pocket.
Gothel cleared her throat in order to get his attention. "Coachman, help us into the carriage."
"Of course, madam." He walked away from the large Clydesdale horse, moving towards the carriage door and swiftly opening it. Once the both of them had been assisted into their seats, the coachman expertly climbed onto the saddle and had barely grabbed onto the leather reins when a loud shout pierced the air.
"Stop, in the name of the law!" Followed by the command was a group of policemen, their navy blue uniforms smudged with dirt as their steeds gave chase after a pair of men. With her heart racing in her throat, Rapunzel watched wide eyed as the men sprinted nearer to the sitting carriage. As they dashed on by, one of the criminals backtracked and headed towards Rapunzel, to her great bewilderment.
The man who had run ahead briefly glanced over his shoulder to yell at his partner. She caught a brief glimpse of his features: he sported a thick black beard, with a shorn head and the darkest shade of coffee brown eyes she'd ever seen. His ebony coat reached his mid-thigh, and he wore matching slacks with patches on the knees. She noticed, with a slight twinge in her chest, that the soles of his shoes were barely hanging on.
"We've got to go, Rider! This is no time to be flirting!" His deep voice was clearly agitated as he hurried away, slipping behind a nearby alleyway.
The man named Rider shouted back to his partner. "I'll catch up with you!"
He gave a charming grin to Rapunzel, who could only stare at him with a blush creeping up her cheeks. He was quite handsome, what with his athletic physique, chiseled jawline and trimmed goatee. His eyes were the most captivating shade of cinnamon, with the slightest hint of honey. A lock of chestnut hair fell into his eyes as he propped his arms on the door of the carriage, his faded blue coat stretching at the elbows. He wore a loose fitting cotton white shirt with a plunging neckline, revealing his toned chest and thin line of chest hair, which Rapunzel tried desperately to ignore. It didn't help that his brown pants, though sewn with patches at the knees, accentuated the curves of his legs. When he noticed Rapunzel's gawking, he sent her a subtle wink before speaking.
"How are you, this fine afternoon? The name's Flynn Rider." He didn't seem to care that the policemen were steadily approaching.
Gothel scowled at the stranger, narrowing her grey eyes in suspicion. "Leave right this instance, and don't you dare speak to my daughter." Flynn all but ignored Gothel's warning, moving to take Rapunzel's hand in his. A shiver ran up her arm when his warm, tanned fingertips touched her slender ones. She knew it was far from appropriate to let him touch her, particularly once the realization of who he was hit her after learning his name. She might be a sheltered girl, but she'd heard his name angrily yelled in the streets, seen the wanted posters. Despite his reputation, it was thrilling to see him up close, and she tried to suppress the butterflies swirling in her stomach.
"I couldn't help but notice you as I passed by." He gently lifted up her hand, his lips softly gracing her pale skin. "You are quite beautiful, sunshine."
After she realized she'd been silent for a beat too long, she cleared her throat and managed a response, trying to sound indifferent. "Thank you, but I must be going. Please let go of my hand."
He did as he was told, his hand slipping back to his side. "It was a pleasure." With that, he slipped away as quickly as though he'd never stopped in the first place. Not a moment later, the sounds of hooves and shouting grew nearer as the policemen pursued their targets. Clouds of dirt flew into the air as the horses galloped and startled the passerby; it didn't take long for them to recede into the distance.
"Take us home, coachman. We've had enough excitement for one day," Gothel sighed in irritation, a vein popping on her smooth temple. Once they started moving, she rounded on Rapunzel with her red lips pursed into a thin line.
"What were you doing speaking with that filth? You should've let me handle it!" Her voice had grown in volume as she spoke, making Rapunzel wish she could crawl into a hole. She hated it when her mother talked to her like that.
Rapunzel's brow furrowed. "It's not as if I flirted with him, Mother. I wanted him gone as much as you did." She would never admit to her mother that she hadn't been completely bothered by the attention.
"But you didn't do enough! For goodness sakes, Rapunzel, you allowed him to touch you! You are not ready for―"
"For what, Mother? I'm turning eighteen in a month." Rapunzel's exasperation grew by the second. "How am I supposed to meet anyone if you will not allow me to have a courtship? You say it's because men are indecent, but I don't know if I believe it anymore."
Gothel's eyes widened at her words. "That man was clearly a thief, the lowest form of life. Do not question me again, my flower."
Rapunzel opened her mouth to retort, when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She lifted her left hand from where it had been resting on her skirts, and her mouth opened in shock.
"My-my ring. It's gone," she whispered, her face blanching. The sapphire ring had been a family heirloom, a priceless item. Her mother had entrusted it to her on the eve of her sixteenth birthday, and Rapunzel had promised to always keep it safe. Now as she stared at her bare finger, she began to wonder how she'd managed to lose it.
Gothel rolled her eyes, her lip curling in distaste. "Oh Rapunzel, you know how I hate the mumbling. It's very annoying."
"The ring is gone," Rapunzel repeated, her chest constricting with panic. She mentally braced herself for her mother's response, dreading what she was going to say. To Rapunzel's misfortune, Gothel's reaction was far worse than she'd anticipated.
"Gone?" Gothel's voice had turned venomous. "That ring is worth more than your life, my dear. How could you have lost it?"
Rapunzel's eyes prickled with tears, but she forced them back. She would not cry in front of her mother, not now. "I don't know. I swear I―" Her sentence died in her throat when she caught sight of a lone figure lurking in the alleyway of a liquor store. The person locked eyes with her, and when she realized who it was, she released an involuntary gasp. It was the man from the earlier, the one who had kissed her hand before escaping from the policemen. She suspected in that moment he had taken that opportunity to steal the ring from her, right under her nose. The alleyway soon vanished as they began to pass multiple store fronts, and if she didn't take immediate action, the ring would be lost forever.
Before Rapunzel could think through her rash decision, she swiftly untied her boots and tossed them on the floor of the carriage. Gothel stared at her in confusion, temporarily distracted from her anger.
"What do you think you're doing?"
The young girl did not reply; instead, she threw open the door of the moving carriage and jumped, landing hard on the beaten path. Her feet hit the ground at a sprint as she raced towards the alleyway, gathering up her long skirts to prevent from tripping on them.
"Come back here, Rapunzel! Stop!"
However, Rapunzel refused to slow down her pace and continued running past each business before she spotted the correct alleyway. Her feet stumbled on loose pebbles as she came to an abrupt stop, clutching her chest in an attempt to catch her breath. The man startled at her presence, springing from where he was leaning on the brick wall to face her.
Rapunzel pointed an accusatory finger in his direction. "You stole my ring, so I demand you give it back!"
"Me?" Flynn feigned innocence, putting a hand on his chest. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
For the briefest moment, Rapunzel considered the possibility that perhaps he hadn't stolen from her, and that her ring had somehow slipped off her finger during the bumpy carriage ride. However, this moment was short lived when she detected a slight bulge in his shirt pocket. It was the exact circular shape of her ring.
"I know you're lying to me. Give. It. Back." Rapunzel enunciated each word carefully, extending her arm towards him.
An instant passed before he huffed in indignation, placing his hands on his hips. "Oh c'mon, it's not like you need it. You have everything you could possibly want."
"Just hand it over, already!" Rapunzel's anxiety mounted in her chest; any minute now, the carriage and a whole force of policemen would come around the corner, though she was more afraid of her mother's wrath than anything else. When Flynn did not budge from his spot, an idea struck Rapunzel. It was reckless by every definition of the word, and could land her in serious trouble, but she was willing to take the risk.
Rapunzel sighed, levelling her gaze with Flynn's. "I have a proposal for you."
"A proposal?"
She could tell by the confusion in his voice that he hadn't been expecting that particular response; nonetheless, he nodded his head for her to continue. "If you return the ring to me, I will allow you to walk free. The police will never know you were here. And that is something I can promise you."
Flynn narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Why should I believe you?"
The skepticism in his voice told her he was not a man who trusted easily, but she was confident she'd be able to persuade him. She'd become desperate to have the ring in her possession once more, even if it meant striking a bargain with a thief. That ring meant the world to her, and she couldn't bear the thought of disappointing her mother.
"Because―" Rapunzel set her brow in a determined line―"when I make a promise, I never, ever break that promise. Ever."
Flynn regarded her with an unreadable expression for what felt like ages. The clopping of hooves and shouts of policemen were just around the corner. She twisted an unpinned strand of blonde hair around her finger, tapping her foot impatiently.
"We don't have a lot of time, if you hadn't noticed!"
"Fine, here you go!" Flynn conceded, drawing out the ring and tossing it into her open palm. "Are you happy now?"
"Yes, now leave before they catch you!"
"Oh, right." Flynn darted past her, about to run inside a hidden doorway when he paused for a brief moment. "Thank you."
She didn't have time to reply before he made himself scarce, and the police came charging into the alleyway. All at once, she was bombarded with questions.
"Did you see where he left to, miss?"
"Are you boys ever going to catch that damn Rider?"
"What on earth were you thinking, you foolish girl?!"
The last inquiry came from Gothel, who was in near hysterics with an askew bonnet and fire in her steely grey eyes.
Rapunzel cast her gaze to the ground and took a deep breath. She could hardly believe she was about to lie for the sake of a thief, yet here she was. "I apologize for my actions today, Mother. I saw him between the buildings and thought I could catch the criminal myself. I wanted to save the police some trouble, but he'd been long gone by the time I arrived."
"Is that so?" Gothel questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Well, that was very irresponsible of you. You're grounded for the rest of the week, am I clear?"
Rapunzel nodded meekly, secretly relieved that her punishment hadn't been worse. "Yes, Mother."
Moments later, after the two women had given their statements to the police, they climbed back into the carriage and sat in silence. Rapunzel realized her mother would likely give her the silent treatment for the rest of the night, and for good reason. She'd disobeyed her mother and gone after a dangerous criminal because she thought he might've stolen her ring.
Thank the Lord I was right, Rapunzel thought to herself, clasping the ring in the pocket of her skirt for comfort. The gesture reminded her of one last fib she needed to tell her mother, and though lying brought no such satisfaction, she knew her mother could never know the truth.
"Mother?" Rapunzel asked tentatively, attempting a smile. "About the ring, it turns out it was in my pocket all along. I'd forgotten I put it there this morning."
Gothel merely shook her head, scoffing at the girl's forgetfulness. Finally, she spoke. "How you manage to function everyday is beyond me."
Rapunzel said nothing, feeling more guilty by the second for lying to Gothel about what had really happened. There was no telling what Gothel's reaction would be if she discovered her daughter had allowed a wanted criminal to escape, and she did not intend to find out. Unfortunately, there was no turning back from the hole she'd dug herself in.
The lantern's light flickered on the bedside table, casting a soft glow around the otherwise darkened room. Night had fallen hours ago, with silvery moonlight seeping through the windows and the stars burning brightly in the twilight skies. Cassandra's fingers worked deftly as she pulled countless pins out of Rapunzel's long blonde tresses and brushed out the gnarls that had formed throughout the day. She remained silent for most of the task, purely focusing on completing her duties for the night.
Swallowing back a nervous lump in her throat, Rapunzel glanced towards her handmaiden whilst instinctively clutching a piece of her hair. It had become a nervous habit developed over the years, one that she couldn't seem to break. She averted Cassandra's curious gaze in the body-length mirror, instead staring at the intricate frame of delicately carved leaves and fleur-de-lis.
"Cass?" Rapunzel muttered quietly, the nickname now familiar on her lips. It had become a symbol of their unconventional friendship, when their bond was growing and her handmaiden awkwardly suggested that they address each other more informally. Rapunzel had been ecstatic at the idea; after all, Cassandra was her only friend besides her pet chameleon, Pascal. Her mother had forbidden her daughter from bringing her reptilian creature outside the house, except for when she took her daily stroll in the wide acreage of their backyard.
Cassandra's hand stopped mid-brushing. "What is it, Raps?"
"Well...there was an incident today, after Mother and I left the dress shop."
"What kind of incident?"
"There was a police pursuit today." The image of Flynn's charming grin crossed her mind as she spoke, and she had to restrain herself from smiling. Did the thought of him make her feel giddy? "They were going after two criminals, and one of the men stopped to talk to me."
"He what?" Cass' posture had gone rigid, and her eyes widened in disbelief. "What did he do to you? I swear if he tried anything―"
Rapunzel shook her head vigorously. "No, I was fine. Nothing happened." She paused for a moment, considering whether or not to mention the stolen ring. "Though, he kissed my hand before taking off with my ring. But don't worry! I got it back...once I chased him down and convinced him to hand it over."
"And how on earth did you persuade a thief to return a valuable piece of jewelry?"
"I have my ways," Rapunzel smiled, deciding to keep the deal a secret for the time being. She wasn't exactly in the mood for explaining to Cass how she'd made a pact with a notorious lawbreaker. Despite the fact that she knew he was exactly like the type of man Gothel warned her about, she secretly hoped she'd have the chance to see him again.
The next chapter will feature the ball, so be on the lookout for that one! Leave a review if you wish :)