Angel: I have news! Apparently the newest episode is called Pascal's Dragon, and it's not coming out until January 12th of 2020. I'm not even on the season finale, so there's no way I'll catch up until then...but at least the special is coming out the week after Pascal's Dragon! As for the question I got, I won't spoil. Sorry! I haven't even started Queen for a Day yet. I do have 8 episodes left to write for the 1st season, though.
Happy Holidays, everyone! See you Thursday!
"Okay guys..." Rapunzel puts on a flower headband. "Wait for it...how's this?" She's sitting on the ground holding a guitar near books and incense burning near her.
"Well...it's not...bad," Varian rubs the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Hmm, too bohemian," Cass rubs her chin. Rapunzel sighs at this, turning towards Harmony who also had a flower headband, but was holding a sitar. Her sister shakes her head slowly, taking the books and balancing them on her head.
"What about this?" She has glasses over her face, holding an open book near a bouquet of flowers. Pascal puts his own book on top of his head. Harmony sits on top of a stack of her own books, opening her journal. Daisy is nestled into her hair, holding a feather.
"Way too uptight."
"Not to mention it doesn't say you," Varian offers Harmony a small smile. Rapunzel hums as she and Harmony gesture to busts.
"Too..."
"Lighten up, Cass," She turns around to Eugene, who's throwing up an apple in his hand. "It's just a painting."
"It's more than a painting, Eugene. This is the princess' royal portraits," Cass gestures to Rapunzel holding a tennis ball racket.
"Mr. Rider, we're literally standing in the hallway full of portraits, I mean, come on," Varian chuckles a little.
"I keep telling you, it's Eugene."
"They're right, I mean every one of these portraits says something about what made that particular king or queen unique," Rapunzel gestures to a queen's portrait.
"It's tradition, and they've gotta decide on their looks soon. The Giovanni gets here in two days, and from what I hear, that guy is as famous for his temper as he is for his art," Cass smirks a little in amusement.
"Even though I never did mine since my sister was...well," Harmony glances away sheepishly. "I still have no clue on what I'm gonna do..."
"I'm sure you'll figure something out, Mona," Varian smiles at her slightly. "If anyone can figure this out, it's you."
"Thanks Vari," She returns the smile.
"Well, look at this guy," Eugene gestures to the portrait behind him. "He's not doing anything, and he seems pretty happy."
"Whoa, careful!" Cass rushes over as he had tipped it over. "These paintings are priceless, especially that one. That's the only known painting of Robin the 11th."
"Wait," Rapunzel comes over, "This kingdom had 11 Robins?"
"Nope. Just this dud," Cass points to the painting. "They called him Robin the 11th because the only thing interesting was that he had nine, ten..."
"11 fingers," Rapunzel finishes for her. "That's right, I remember reading about him."
"Listen Raps, Harmi, if you're trying to find your defining activity, don't listen to this dud," She jerks a thumb to Eugene, "Whose whole work history is being a two-bit hood."
"Cass, don't you know how many battles he's been in?! Flynn Rider is-is a legend!" Varian immediately defends and Harmony shakes her head at the lady-in-waiting.
Eugene just laughs at her. "Two-bit hood?! Hold the pastry, I'll have you know Cassandra, Flynn Rider was a legend, just like he said."
She chuckles at this. "Key word being 'was.' And what is it you do now?" She smirks, crossing her arms.
"I, uh, I do many things. You know, important things. So important, you wouldn't understand them. Sometimes, I don't even understand them! Tell her, Blondie, Brownie," He gestures to the princesses. Rapunzel tries to think of something while Pascal is bouncing off of the tennis racket.
"What?" She asks in confusion.
"Well...um..." Harmony rubs her chin.
"He, uh..." Varian glances at her, clueless on what does he do. Besides being a thief...he doesn't really have a job. Cass looks at Eugene smugly.
He goes to the Snuggly Duckling, laughing as he paces around. "Can you believe that Cassandra? Two-bit hood? I mean, she acts like the only things I've ever been good at are lying, cheating, and stealing. Which, in fairness, I am very good at."
"Hmm," They all murmur, staying silent. Hook Foot, Big Nose, Shorty, and Ulf are all playing cards.
"So you guys agree with Cassandra?" He asks with a frown.
"No, no, no, no, no," Big Nose waves his hands rapidly. "We don't agree with her. We've simply arrived at a nearly identical assessment, is all."
"Oh, okay," He nods slowly. "Okay, I see how it is. You know, I am capable of being more than a handsome, devil-may-care rouge. In fact, I can be a handsome, devil-may-care anything I want!" His eyes widen at a new idea and he smirks. "Maybe I'll just have to find a way to prove it. Boys, Eugene Fitzherbert is gonna find his new calling!"
He gets no response whatsoever.
"Does no one in this kingdom have an attention span? Come on!" He replies as he leaves the establishment.
"Brownie!" Eugene bursts into Harmony's room, stopping short. The princess is surrounded by chemicals, sitting at a table in front of Varian.
"Um...Vari, I like this idea for my portrait, but...um...it's too much."
"No, it's fine," He chuckles at her, "I get it. Now that I'm looking at it...you should go simple."
"Kids!"
They turn around to Eugene. "I need your help."
"Did you clog your toilet again? I told you, you have to tell the maids that, not me," Harmony rolls her eyes at the memory.
"No..." He pauses for a second. "No! I need a job."
Their eyes widen at him, gasping in surprise.
The two lead him to where job listings are posted and he decides to try to be a baker's assistant...then he messes it up badly as smoke fills the room. Harmony and Varian cough, exiting the kitchen.
"Well, you said bake the pie at 300 degrees for an hour, but I figured save time and do 600 degrees for a half hour! Math!" The baker opens up the door to see a badly burned pie. "Hey hey!" He winces under the baker's glare.
The next poster is for cab driver. He comes to a stop in front of an elderly woman, helping her inside. "Thank you," She smiles, waving across to Harmony and Varian. "Oh, what lovely children you have."
"Oh, no, we're not related to him or each other," Varian waves his hands, "We're just here to support him."
"Well, isn't that sweet? You and your little girlfriend helping a friend."
Both of them blush profusely and they have no time to correct her as Eugene snaps the reigns.
"Hi yah!"
He takes off so fast that the two teenagers have to hang onto the carriage. He stops in an area of Old Corona. "Record time!"
The woman stumbles out of the carriage, all three heads spinning. Eugene takes off and she stares at the cottage in front of her. "But this isn't my house..."
After many blunders with the other postings, the last one is for cobbler...and actually, he makes a perfectly good shoe. He hands it to Feldspar.
"Impressive clobbering," He stares at Eugene and glares. "Whoa, whoa, wait a minute! Now I know where I know you. You stole a crate of boots once!" He pushes the boot into Eugene's hands, causing his friends to facepalm.
"Does this mean I'm getting the boot?"
"No, it means you're getting fired!" Feldspar snatches the boot from him.
Pascal lands on a pillow, nuzzling into it to take a nap. Suddenly the door opens, causing him to wake up.
"Who knew having a job would be so much work?!" Eugene asks tiredly, slumping into the chair.
"Hey Pascal," Harmony smiles at him, nuzzling his head with her finger.
"I mean, with all those rules and responsibilities. You should've heard some of these guys I worked. Like hey buddy, who died and made you boss?! Ugh," He puts his head into his hands. "Maybe Cassandra was right...ugh, just saying those four words sent bile into my mouth, oh that-ugh!"
"Oh come on," Varian pats his back. "It's not that hopeless...even though you've tried every single job and you failed at them...not to mention some of them you ended up stealing from..."
"It's true," Eugene puts a fist to his cheek. "Maybe the only thing I was meant to be was a-"
"Thief!" They all suddenly hear a woman's voice, looking out the window. "Stop, thief!"
A man in a dark cloak is running through the castle courtyard, holding a sack over his shoulder. Eugene notices the direction he's going in.
"I know where he's headed," He murmurs, looking at the teenagers. "I know where he's headed!"
They glance to each other before running after him. The guards are in the crowd, trying to find him. "Guys, he's headed for the dock!" Eugene informs the Captain.
"We'll handle this, Rider, and besides, he ran in the opposite direction, genius," He retorts back.
"Captain, wait!" Harmony calls out after him, but he doesn't listen.
"No one calls me genius and gets away with it! Come on, kids!" Eugene declares, running towards the dock. Varian grabs Harmony's hand and runs after the former thief.
The thief gets onto the dock just like Eugene had predicted, glancing behind him with a smirk once he sees that no one is following him. A black boot suddenly appears in front of him, tripping the man onto the wooden planks. He looks up to see Eugene and the teenagers. Eugene kicks a knife into his hands, cutting a rope. This releases a bunch of fish and a net onto the thief.
"Psh, amateur," Eugene scoffs at him.
"That was so cool!" Varian exclaims in excitement, Harmony chuckling at him.
"Rider, what are you doing here? And you brought kids with you?" The Captain shows up with the other guards, and stares at Harmony and Varian.
"Well, Captain, I don't wanna say I just did your job for you, but I just did your job for you. It was the old distract-and-run-to-the-dock-to-catch-the-last-ferry tactic. I know because I invented it. Nice hustle, though. Keep your chin up," He walks past them smugly, Varian bouncing after him. The princess smiles lightly, following after them.
"I don't believe it. Flynn Rider on the side of law and order," Stan comments, causing Eugene to beam in realization.
"You're gonna become a royal guard?" Rapunzel asks her boyfriend in surprise.
"It makes total sense, right?! I tried to have a normal job, but I'm just not great with authority. Being a guard, I am the authority! Plus I'd look great in a uniform!"
"Varian, Harmi, you agree with him?" Rapunzel points towards the two.
"You should've seen him Rapunzel!" Varian smiles widely. "It was typical Flynn Rider thinking!"
"Well, he did seem to know how to catch the thief," Harmony offers and then Eugene notices something.
"What's all this?" He sees that the crown princess is surrounded by books, an easel, vases, flowers, instruments, and more. She lets out a sigh, glancing at her journal.
"I was having a lot of trouble picking just one interest for my portrait and then it hit me. I'll pose with all of them, right?! What do you think?"
Eugene offers a small smile, the teens glancing at each other. "Umm," Harmony rubs the back of her neck, unsure of how to think about the idea. It seems a little...much.
"We, uh..."
Eugene turns to the duckling and chameleon. "Pascal? Daisy?"
The two pets offer no help whatsoever. "Maybe not your best idea, but I've heard worse."
"Like you becoming a royal guard?" He frowns, turning around towards the woman in the doorway.
"Ho...How long have you been standing there?!" Eugene demands to Cass.
"Long enough to know you're about to make a fool of yourself. You really think you have what it takes to be a guard?"
"Hmm," He taps his fingers against his cheeks. "Let me think...superior athletic ability, razor sharp acumen, impressive stature, making all around the world, including Corona, look like bozos for decades? Yeah, I think I can swing it."
"Flynn Rider can do anything he puts his mind to, Cassandra!" Varian holds up a finger.
"You wanna know what I think?"
"That I care what you think?" Eugene laughs at his witty remark. "Let me save you the trouble. I don't."
"I bet you don't even make it through basic training," She smirks as she walks past him.
"Training?" Eugene scoffs at the thought. "Like school? I was great at school! Easiest three days of my life!"
"What kind of school did you go to?" Harmony murmurs in confusion. She's been in princess school ever since she was born and she still has to learn a lot.
"Who's the teacher, anyway?"
"My dad."
His eyes widen at her answer.
"Alright maggots!" The Captain exclaims the next morning. "Line up!" Three students, including Eugene stand up straight, hands behind his back. The Captain makes it clear by the look of his face that he doesn't want Eugene here.
"You got this, Mr. Rider!" Varian calls out from the sidelines, Harmony waving to Eugene. Cass and Maximus are next to them, glancing at each other skeptically.
"This boot camp will push you to your very limits. By the time I'm through, you'll be sweating tears and crying sweat! But if you make it through camp and pass the final exam-" He stops to look at Shorty who appeared out of nowhere. He lets out a yawn, smacking his lips. The Captain just laughs at him. "And for some of you, that's a highly unlikely if, will receive probationary trainee status."
"Shorty," Eugene whispers to him. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry, is this the line for the men's room?"
"Well, well!" The Captain whips around to him. "Looks like I got a couple of aces in the mix."
"Captain, sir, I know we've had our differences, but I'd just like to say-"
"Quiet, maggot! You are a loathsome, pathetic excuse for a human being, and it is my full intention to make your life a living nightmare."
Harmony and Varian frown towards each other. Because of Eugene's past, the Captain is going to be especially hard on Eugene...
"You know, I've never said this to another man...but you have handsome teeth," Eugene smiles widely, trying to appeal to the Captain, but it doesn't work.
First, the trainees have to face a wall to climb over. The Captain blows the whistle and the first trainee attempts to climb, sliding onto the ground. The second one tries to use the other to jump over it, but he's still too short to reach. Eugene lands on one of their shoulders, jumping over the wall successfully with a smile.
"Whoo hoo! Yeah!" Harmony cheers as Varian claps for him.
The Captain pokes him and points to a much taller wall. Eugene looks up in dismay as he can't even use anything to increase in height. The Captain blows the whistle again and Eugene runs over.
They do push-ups next, Eugene doing it one-handed. He winks up at the Captain, the teenagers smiling proudly from their spots. The Captain just glares at him for this tactic.
Then they have to practice using weapons and when a cutout appears, Eugene fires an arrow from his crossbow at it. He fires twice, the horse and Cass staring in shock. She smiles in approval while Harmony jumps up happily, Varian pumping his fists. The Captain cheats by using a wire that's not normally pulled, tripped Eugene and causing an arrow to hit a cutout of the King...
The Captain laughs at him. "Crossbow procedure number one, Rider. Always keep the safety on." He revels in Eugene's failure.
"Captain, that wasn't supposed to be part of the training," Harmony steps up to him with a glare.
"Our sessions have changed, princess. Every trainee needs to expect the unexpected, but it seems like even a thief can't do that."
She balls up her fists, the other three frowning in disapproval. Daisy chirps in anger.
Eugene climbs up another wall, losing his grip for only a second before he continues on. He struggles with push-ups, the Captain smirking as the heaviest guard is on top of Eugene.
"Come on! Not fair!"
He reaches the top of a wall, panting in exhaustion. He jumps, but lands on a seesaw. The heavy guard jumps onto the other end, catapulting him back up the wall, now dangling from there. All the guards laugh at him.
"This is totally unfair. Can't you do something?" Varian gestures to the Captain as he looks at Harmony.
"Unfortunately, no," Harmony crosses her arms. "Unless Eugene gets physically injured, I can't ask him to stop. And no matter what I do, he'd just convince my Papa that he didn't do anything wrong."
"Alright Pascal," Rapunzel speaks up, "I think this is everything." Stacks are everywhere as she plants a rose in a vase. The chameleon smiles at her. "I'm gonna be more than ready for The Giovanni tomorrow morning." She takes a deep breath, but one of the stacks start to slip. "Oops!" She catches it just in time, but the other one tilts, causing everything and herself to fall.
"Darling!" Arianna steps up to her as she's just arrived. "Is everything okay?"
Rapunzel lifts a bowl off her head, frowning up at her mother. She chuckles as she realizes what's going on.
"Let me guess, your portrait? Let me show you something." She walks away and takes Rapunzel to a secret room, moving something and removing the cloth.
"Oh!" Rapunzel couldn't help but giggle as her mother joins her. "Sorry...Mom, come on. It's just..."
She's looking at a tacky picture of her mother holding a sword, a bird on her arm, surrounded by animals, books, a spear, and a harp. In other words...it's the most ridiculous portrait that Rapunzel has ever seen in her life. And she was in a tower for 18 years.
"Horrible? Yes, horrible, it's horrible," Arianna rolls her eyes playfully, giggling a little. "My point is, we're not always defined by the things we can do, Rapunzel. But rather...by the people we are. That's what your portrait should communicate."
Pascal looks up at her knowingly. "I know, I know. Don't be so smug, Pascal. I'll tell Harmony the advice, Mom. Thanks."
"She's out?" Arianna raises a curious brow.
"Oh, um...I'm not supposed to say anything, but...she's out with Varian supporting Eugene for the guard training."
Arianna gasps sharply, smiling happily. "Ohh...my daughter is finally being social and making friends her own age!"
"I know, right? But I promised I wouldn't interfere...at least, not until we're ready."
Both of them giggle at the thought.
Eugene flops onto his bed as Harmony twitches a little. "Why do I have suddenly have a bad feeling about something?"
"Ready to give up?"
The three look up to see Cass leaning against the door. "Oh, you'd love that, wouldn't you?" Eugene retorts back.
"Honestly...I don't care," She admits to him.
"Look, it doesn't matter anyway, okay?" He closes his eyes. "No matter how hard I try on that final tomorrow, your dad will cook up some cheat shot to make sure I fail. He wants me out, end of story."
"And apparently, no royal can interfere," Harmony holds up a book. "I've checked."
"He has his reasons," Varian chuckles awkwardly. "You did steal the princess' crown and eluded them multiple times!"
"Hey, I brought that crown back and reunited Rapunzel with her family! ...But the second part, yeah, there's no arguing that one."
Cass decides to leave, but not before she says something. "You know...for someone who's spent most of his life bending the rules to get what he wants...you're having an awful lot of trouble dealing with someone who is breaking the rules to get what he wants," She smiles a little, leaving the room. The two teens glance to each other before Harmony stands up.
"Goodnight Eugene. We'll see you tomorrow. I'll take Varian back home to Old Corona."
"W-Walk me home?" Varian suddenly stutters, Eugene smirking in amusement. He may feel downtrodden given his situation, but even he can tell when a guy likes a girl. "Mona, you don't need to do that. I can get home just fine!"
"Oh no, you are not walking home alone," Harmony smirks, crossing her arms. "I'm the princess, remember? It'd be rude to turn me down."
"I-It is?" He stammers, blushing in embarrassment. "Well, in that case...I accept your offer, princess."
They wave to Eugene as they leave his room as well, leaving him alone to think. If the Captain was going to play hardball...
Then it was time for him to change tactics.
The very next morning, it's time for the final, but only two of the participants are there. Varian and Harmony look at Maximus and Cass in concern for Eugene, who had not shown up. Cass lets out a deep sigh.
"Where is Eugene?"
"He was gone when I went to go get him this morning," Harmony whispers to them. "Rapunzel said she didn't know where he went."
"I hope he's not thinking about missing the exam," Varian crosses his arms, raising a brow.
The Captain steps up to them, an hourglass sitting on a piece of wood. "The rules are simple. Obstacle course. Whistle. Complete the course before the whistle blows." He gives a pleased look to himself when he sees that Eugene is absent. "Is that clear?"
"Actually, sir," His eyes widen and he turns around to the man himself. "Can you go through that one more time? It's just that my brain is so used to tuning your voice out that I-"
"Line up, Rider," The Captain interrupts as the four look to each other in surprise. "I can't believe you've made it this far, but I'm glad you did, because I made this course especially difficult just. For. You."
"I'm touched," Eugene actually gives the man a hug, who pushes him off.
"Get off me! Go!" He starts off the finals, the three running off. He steps over Shorty, who has been asleep the entire time and turns the hourglass. He smirks to himself, glancing at the short man.
Eugene steps through mud, jumping to the grass as a net threatened to capture him. "He's doing it! He's actually doing it!" Varian beams, hands on Harmony's shoulders from behind. The Captain growls, pointing to the other guards who are holding bags of sand. Eugene steps onto the wooden beam, shuffling a bit. The guards throw the bags, but Eugene runs past them like it was nothing.
"Whoo hoo! Yeah!" Harmony cheers, waving her hands in the air. The Captain's mouth is open in shock as he glances to the hourglass, which is already half full. Eugene looks up to the wall and smiles lightly, holding two arrows out of nowhere. He jumps up and stabs the wall with the arrows, using those to climb up further. He flips to the other side, landing on the seesaw, the large guard jumping. Eugene gets off before he's catapulted in the air, leaving the guard stuck in the mud.
"Come on, Flynn!" Varian calls out, "You're almost there!"
He can see the finish line in his sights, except more guards are blocking his path. Eugene smiles and slides underneath Stan, pantsing him. He uses the belt to pull the middle guard into the last one, jumping on them and running towards the finish line. The teens continue to cheer as Maximus and Cass smile.
He's about to cross when his foot rests about the line. "Almost forgot something."
This confuses the four as he runs towards the Captain and picks up Shorty. "Someone had to make this challenging." He sniffs the air and gags. "Ugh, you never did find that men's room, did you, Shorty?"
Baffled, the Captain glancing at the hourglass and smiling when he sees that time is almost up.
Eugene is almost to the finish line, but the last grain of sand drops, causing him to look back. "Ha! You lose!" The Captain laughs while Harmony and Varian look on in dismay. He reaches for his whistle, but doesn't find it. "Where's my-"
Eugene blows the whistle, having crossed the finish line. "Complete the course before the whistle blows, right? Look at that! I can follow rules," He tosses the whistle back to the Captain. "I'll take a medium uniform, sir. Athletic fit."
The other two participants cheer for him, Cass crossing her arms with a look of approval. Max whinnies as the two teens run up to him.
"You did it, Eugene!" Harmony shouts happily.
"That was amazing! The Flynn Rider is now a royal guard!" Varian bounces up and down.
"It's Eugene."
The Captain looks on with a glare.
A man in clogs walks up to a hallway door that leads to the princess' rooms, which is guarded by Pete and Stan. "Hey Pete," Stan leans in to whisper. "Look alive. This must be the guy. Look at him. Mr, uh, The Giovanni. Johnny-Johnny. Johnny, welcome!" He holds the door open for the man. "Corona is happy to have you."
"Well, at least someone is happy," He retorts back as he walks past them. "Now, where's Princess come si chiama?"
"Uh, she and her sister will be here shortly," Pete smiles nervously. The man is definitely...high-esteemed.
"The Giovanni, he don't like to wait!" He warns the guards. "Now leave me here..." He examines the bust in front of him. "Ah. Maybe the Giovanni, he learn something... by studying how not to paint." The guards close the doors, leaving him alone like he asked.
Eugene puts on white gloves, his belt, and his helmet before proudly stepping into the guard room. Everyone stops short at the sight of him and he basks in the attention. "Hey. Nice," He salutes to the Captain. "Reporting for duty, Cap. What do ya got, huh?" He chuckles at his words, they were actually fun to say.
"Remember, you stay here and make sure everything goes smoothly while I go get my portrait done," Harmony whispers to Varian as they're standing next to the doors outside.
"Um...Mona," He rubs the back of his neck, "No matter how it looks...just don't take it personally, okay? He could never capture your looks, anyway..."
She smiles softly at him. "Thank you, Vari. Bye," She waves at him, taking off down the hall. Varian gives a love-struck smile. Even if it was the ugliest portrait in the world, she still looks beautiful in his eyes, and that would never change.
He snaps himself out of it and peeks through a crack in the door.
"Bad guys to be nabbed? Uh, mysteries to be solved? I'm ready for anything."
The Captain smirks at him. He did say anything...
Eugene looks down the hallway of cells, Varian frowning from a few feet away. "Dungeon duty. Great."
"This is your post. That main entrance is to remain locked all times," He points to a door across the room. "You are to patrol this entire block every five minutes. Do you understand?" Of course he wasn't going to give Eugene the satisfaction of doing real guard work. That'd be giving him another win.
Eugene looks around the dark area to see only one person. It's so quiet he can hear the mice squeaking. "There's only one prisoner?"
"Do you understand?" The Captain repeats sharply.
"Yeah...but I just thought, you know, given my skill set, it would make more sense for me to be running and jumping."
"You're not being paid to think, Rider. Every five minutes," The Captain walks off, Varian hiding behind the wall as the man walks past him. When he's gone, the alchemist approaches Eugene from behind, his friend frowning.
"Wow...he's pretty set on making this hard for you," He looks to where the man left.
"Yup...that's the story of my life," Eugene deadpans as he glances at the cells. "What are you doing down here, anyway?"
"Well, Mona and I wanted to see how you were doing, and since she's getting her portrait done...I thought I might just pop in?" Varian smiles nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.
"You followed me here, didn't you?"
"...Yeah," Varian admits slowly, Eugene sighing. "Sorry he's so tough on you."
"Eh, nothing I can't handle...but thanks, Varian."
Varian blinks at him in surprise that he got his name right this time. "For what?"
"For not giving up on me," Eugene smiles down at him, the boy returning the sentiment.
Rapunzel and Harmony enter the hall, The Giovanni already ready with canvas and paint. "Hey! It's about time!" He exclaims as he watches them enter.
"Sorry, The Giovanni," She tucks a hair behind her ear. "I was, um..."
"The Giovanni, he doesn't care! Now how you wanna look?" He raises a brow at them, noticing that they have nothing on them to show a specific thing like all the other portraits have.
"Oh, um, we thought that we would keep them simple," Rapunzel smiles softly, confusing him as Harmony steps back.
"Huh? They're gonna pose with nothing?" He facepalms himself and says something in Italian. "Don't blame The Giovanni when the paintings, they're no good!"
"Oh. Okay," She raises a brow towards her sister, who just shrugs. The girl's never actually met the Giovanni before, so she'll just accept his...different personality. "I definitely won't."
He's about to start when Varian and Eugene burst into the room. "Oh, The Giovanni. Can I call you The? You're the best!" Eugene smiles towards Rapunzel. "Hey Blondie, I see you went with the simple choice of beautiful."
"Aww. Thank you," She smiles back at him. "At least someone thinks so."
"Yup," Varian rubs his chin as he stares at Harmony. "That's exactly how I see you in your portrait."
"Vari!" She giggles, pushing him away slightly. "Stop looking at me like that, it's making me blush."
"Wait, what are you doing here? Cass said you had dungeon duty," Rapunzel says to Eugene in confusion.
"Oh, I do. The Cap told me to walk the block once every five minutes, but it just seemed like a waste standing there, so I walked it twice in a row, and now, I can take a ten-minute break. Math," He points to his forehead.
"Ugh," Harmony facepalms at this.
"Yeah, I-I just stopped trying after I heard it back in the dungeon," Varian pinches his nose.
"Yeah, uh, I don't think that's right," Rapunzel decides to tell him, smiling nervously.
"Oh no, no, trust me, Blondie," Eugene replies as The Giovanni is gritting his teeth. "I worked it out all in the brainium."
"You go now!" The Giovanni shouts in frustration, pushing them away and saying more things in Italian.
"What did you say?" Eugene asks in confusion. He says something in Italian again.
"I can no concentrate!"
Eugene is about to say something when a loud voice shouts his name.
"Rider, where are you?!"
"That doesn't sound good," Varian cringes as he sounds mad.
And he's right because the only cell is now open, with no prisoner in sight. "He escaped?! How?"
"Apparently, someone didn't follow regulation, and left the main door unlocked, so they could go visit their girlfriend," The Captain retorts to him and Eugene groans.
"Math."
"And because of your delinquency, the prisoner was able to seize the opportunity to pick his cell lock and escape!" He shouts, slamming the door closed.
"Uh...I know this looks bad," Eugene smiles sheepishly up at him.
"You bet it does! Turn in your helmet and shield, hotshot. You're off the guard," He storms off, Eugene looking towards the ground dejectedly.
He walks down the hall, followed by Harmony, Varian, and Shorty. "Oh, I should've just done what I was asked. So stupid!"
"Aw, Eugene, I'm really sorry," Harmony places a hand on his arm. "I know how much you wanted to prove yourself to Cass."
Shorty pulls out a yam that has a bite in it, sniffing it. "Why don't you drown your sorrows in a yam?" He holds it out to Eugene, who cringes.
"Uh, thanks buddy, but I filled up on yams earlier." Not true, he just didn't wanna eat it. "Who wants to be a guard anyway?"
"We'll find you another job, Flynn," Varian speaks up in sympathy and Eugene sighs, not even bothering to correct him.
"Thanks kids, but this is something I should be dealing with on my own," He replies, the two glancing at each other in concern. "All those responsibilities and rules. Plus, the Captain is a total je-whoa!"
They're sent falling to the ground as something falls near them. "So sorry, The Giovanni. Let me help," Eugene offers as Harmony helps up Varian.
The man grumbles and says something else in Italian, "Watch where you're going!" He runs off, Varian shrugging at the princess.
"Something smells fishy," Eugene rubs his chin, Shorty pulling out a fish from his beard.
"That would be me."
"Hey, if he's leaving, that means your portrait's done!" Varian grins at Harmony and they run off towards the rooms.
Rapunzel inspects her portrait, Eugene opening the door, Varian peeking behind his back. "Hey Blondie. Portraits done already? That's...great. Those were quick. How did it turn out? Holy horribleness!"
"I don't know," The princess shrugs as Varian's eyes are wide with horror. "I don't get it, it's just...mm."
The portraits in front of them are not even close to resembling the princesses. It looks like little kids painted them.
"Really bad. Right?"
"Yeah, I'd say. Those are really terrible!" Eugene comments as he continues staring at them.
"That is so bad, I don't recognize them," Varian gestures to the portraits. "I thought this guy was a professional?"
"He's supposed to be," Harmony raises a confused brow.
"Some world-famous artist! I could do a better..." He suddenly sees the Robin painting and gasps sharply. "I gotta go see the captain! Kids, come with me," The man grabs Harmony and Varian, pulling them out the doors.
"Whoa! Where's the fire?" The princess exclaims as he races down the hall.
"No time to explain, you'll hear it when I see him!"
The Captain is standing next to Cass, glaring at the man in front of him. "Look, Cap, I know I'm not on your good side, but the portrait of Robin the 11th has been stolen!"
"What?" Harmony gasps, Varian staring up at him in shock.
"No, it hasn't," The Captain narrows his eyes. "You wanna know why it hasn't? Because my men can adhere to procedures. Procedure dictates that the gallery be patrolled every five minutes. I don't know how you got the princess and her friend to be on your side."
"Captain, you two may have your differences, but it wouldn't hurt to listen," Harmony pleads with him.
"Flynn's not a liar," Varian gestures towards his friend. "If he says something's been stolen, then we believe him, and you should too."
"Stan? Pete?" Eugene looks towards the two guards to support his claim.
"Umm, I'm sorry, Eugene. We just checked two seconds ago before you three arrived. Everything was fine," Pete bites his lip.
"But it's a counterfeit!" Eugene insists to the man, who slams his fist onto the table.
"Enough! Get lost before I lock you up. And I won't hesitate to do the same to your friends!"
Eugene frowns at him, escorting the disappointed teens away. Cass stares after him, narrowing her eyes. "Come on, Shorty. We're just gonna have to stop him on our own."
"What? Eugene-" Harmony protests and he places a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.
"Brownie, you mean a lot to Rapunzel, so if I let you or Varian risk yourselves doing this...something might happen to you, and I can't allow that to happen on my watch."
"But we can help!" Varian looks up at him with pleading eyes.
"We can be just as tough as you are," Harmony pouts at him. "Don't you remember who helped you when Lady Caine invaded? Uh, me!"
"That was because of the circumstances involved, but you're still a kid," Eugene ruffles the top of her head.
"They're helping, because you won't be entirely on your own."
They turn to the new voice and see Cass emerging from the guard room. "Cassandra?" Eugene asks in surprise. "You believe me too?"
"You may be arrogant, self-centered, inconsiderate-"
"Poorly dressed," Shorty holds up a finger.
"Bloviating, tremendous waste of space windbag-"
"Okay, okay, can we just cut to the 'but' in this sentence?" Eugene interrupts, both teens giggling behind his back.
"But I'm guessing you didn't become a legend by not trusting your gut. So if you say something's not right, I might believe it," She says the last four words reluctantly before gesturing to the people behind him. "Not to mention these two have stuck with you regardless of what's happened. Strength in numbers could help."
The two smile proudly up at Eugene, who smiles in defeat. "Cass, I..."
"Plus, if you are wrong and fall flat on your face, I'll be the first to see it," She smirks at him.
"I can work with that. Okay, come on, everyone. I think I know where he's headed," He leads the way down the hall, leaving Shorty behind.
"Uh...wait. What are we doing again?"
"Sir, we found this nut by the palace gate," Stan announces as he and Pete drag someone gagged over to him. "You want us to lock him up?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down. Who are you?" The Captain raises a confused brow, and Stan removes the gag.
"I am the real The Giovanni!" He says after some Italian. His mouth opens in shock and they inspect the painting in the hall...only to find the portrait has ten fingers.
"Ten fingers..."
"Captain, that means Eugene was-"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence," The Captain interrupts, glaring at him. Pete and Stan glance to each other. Well, he was right...and so were Varian and Harmony. "Now, come on."
Max escorts Eugene and Varian while Fidella has Cass, Harmony, and Shorty. "He's gonna try to catch the last ferry out of Corona."
The fake Giovanni jumps onto the ferry and Eugene whips the reins, Max going faster. They ride past people on the docks, turning the corner, and Max jumps onto the ship. Varian hugs Eugene as his eyes widen, landing on the ship. Fidella comes to a stop, Shorty landing in the water. Eugene looks back to the girls.
"I'm sure that my beard can be used as a float-" Shorty sinks into the water.
"I got it," Cass chuckles, jumping into the water to save him. She throws the man on shore, who spits up water and gives her a thumbs up. Eugene sends her a smile as Harmony gets off the horse.
"You can do it, guys!" She calls out, Varian nodding at her.
"It's just you and us, Max," Eugene gets off the horse, the boy jumping off. Eugene takes the crossbow, Varian holding out a hand towards his pocket. He gestures for the two to split up, and they do. The former thief takes a look around, not noticing a blue sleeve moving away. He looks behind a crate, only to be elbowed by the fake Giovanni. He grabs the crossbow, preparing to fire.
"Arrivederci, baby. It means goodbye." He fires, but nothing comes out. "Huh?"
"Crossbow procedure number one," Eugene smiles, "Always keep the safety one!"
The man then hears a whinny, Max kicking him. The real Robin painting goes flying and the man is suddenly covered in goop. Varian steps up to him with a smirk.
Eugene runs past the horse. "On it!" He jumps across the crates and leaps for the painting, catching it with his foot. "Yeah, baby!" He swings back onto the ship, Max dragging the thief over, who grumbles and crosses his arms. "Actually saved by one of the Captain's dumb rules."
He then gives a look to Max and Varian. "Don't you dare tell him. The last thing I want is to see that guy get a big head." The crossbow fires at Max's head, who narrowly ducks out of the way. He glares at Eugene, who smiles sheepishly.
"I'll go tell the captain to turn the ship around," Varian chuckles, walking off.
Once they return, the thief is escorted by Pete and Stan towards the dungeon. "See, I knew something was up when he cursed me out. His Italian was terrible. Subject-verb agreement was off," Eugene explains to the Captain. Harmony opens up a English-Italian translation book and her eyes widen in shock. She should've known those weren't real words.
Eugene notices the stares from the Captain and Varian. "What? I speak Italian. They have stuff to steal in Italy, you know. Anyway, the rest was just putting the pieces together. You see, you gotta think like a crook in order to catch one. You just can't teach that, Cap." He places a hand on the man's shoulder.
"Eugene was right all along," Harmony looks up bravely towards the Captain. "And we backed him up, but you let your personal feelings towards him get in the way. If you don't listen to him, where is that going to get you in the future, Captain?"
He frowns a little from her scolding. "...Perhaps I acted precipitously when I dismissed you, Rider."
"Ah, let me guess," Eugene playfully rolls his eyes. "You want me to join the Guard again. Well, I'm flattered, but-"
The Captain laughs at the thought. "No," He immediately denies. "Heavens no. You're a terrible guard, Rider...but I do have something else in mind."
The guards stand proudly as Eugene walks past them. "Good afternoon, gentlemen, and welcome to Thinking Like a Thief. I am your instructor, Eugene Fitzherbert. You may call me Mr. Fitzherbert. No, wait. Professor Fitzherbert. Let's add an honorable in there. The Honorable Professor Fitzherbert!" He grins at the name. "Esquire."
He holds out a black mask. "Masks on."
Shorty glances at him, wearing a guard uniform. He freaks out at Eugene's appearance and quivers. "Take the women and children! Don't hurt the money!" He runs away screaming.
"Shorty! Wait, Shorty, it's me!" Eugene chases after him, the girls and Varian watching from the balcony. "Come back!"
"Wow! My dad has no idea what he just unleashed. Eh, all's well that ends well, I guess."
"It seems to work for him," Varian shrugs at her.
"Hopefully this time he can keep it. All that job hunting was exhausting," Harmony murmurs, a hand on her cheek.
"By the way, are you sure you didn't want the real Giovanni painting your portraits?" Cass turns to Rapunzel.
"Yeah," Rapunzel smiles softly at her sister. "I had a better idea of how I wanted them. See, a wise person once told me, we're not always defined by the things we can do, but rather by the people we are and by those we love."
Arianna walks through the halls...and smiles at the sight. One portrait is Rapunzel, Harmony, and their mother in a group hug, smiling as they're surrounded by flowers and a dove. The other is Harmony and her father, standing next to each other with happy smiles as they're surrounded by birds and trees.
"Um," Varian scratches his cheek, glancing at the two older women. Thankfully they're too busy to notice as he grabs Harmony's hand and leads her away. "Mona, uhh…about what that woman said about us being…you know-"
"Oh that? Well, she was just making assumptions…and besides, we're friends…" She smiles softly, walking off. Varian sighs sadly as he watches her.
"Yeah…friends…"