Chapter 1

Eugene had never imagined that he would be famous, that his name would be known in the entire kingdom of Corona and beyond. Whenever and wherever he was spotted, people craned their necks to have a peak. They were gossiping and whispering everywhere he went, so much so that he was hounded and chased. His likeness was all over the village and its outskirts making him the most sought after person in the entire kingdom.

But they just couldn't get his nose right.

Well, it didn't really matter, did it? They still knew who he was and they were still after him. He was the handsomest thief in Corona. The woman loved him and the men wanted to get their hands on him. Something just was right about all this. It was unfair wasn't it?

But what did he expect after all? He used his wiles to get what he wanted and it had worked as if by magic.

And now he was headed for the tower. It was the old water tower deep in the forest that he discovered not too long after he handed the princess back to the Captain of the Guards. Eugene shook his head. He was only 8 years old when he discovered the witch's body outside the castle gates. They dragged her into the castle just long enough for the King to identify her. No matter what she had done, the King wanted to give her a proper burial, but not before the court physician could determine her cause of death. After all, she was a witch wasn't she?

But something strange happened after they dropped her off. Gothel's body started to age; her hair turned snow white and her skin grew wrinkled until she shriveled up into nothing. By the time, the court physician returned to perform his examination, she was gone leaving nothing but her cloak and a pile of dust.

No one could ever figure out what happened.

Eugene turned, losing his train of thought. What did all that matter now? That was then; this was now and they were after him. He ran into his hiding place, a cave covered by a curtain of vines. That's where he always lost them, it was as if he'd disappeared into thin air.

Eugene ran for tower. He looked to see if the rope was still dangling from the window and luckily it was. He smiled as he quickly climbed up to the open window and crawled inside pulling the rope in after him.

When he first got here, he couldn't believe that the place was already set up. Why, it looked as if someone had planned to live there. It was already furnished and set up to accommodate two people. It was the perfect hideout.

Eugene had set up house in here, at first by himself; later on the Stabbington Brothers joined him. How long ago was that now? He couldn't remember. All he knew was that he was 26 years old and a lot of time had passed by. He had been out his own for a long time. Right after he returned the baby, he ran into the woods with nowhere to go. Exhausted, hungry and wet from a raging rainstorm, he sought refuge in a barn that had seen better days. He thought the place was deserted until he woke the next morning and found an old woman smiling down at him.

She thanked her lucky stars that a boy had been sent to help her and she raised him as her long lost nephew. By then he was going by Flynn Rider, never giving away his true identity. She needed help on the farm and asked if he would help out. She would pay him and he accepted. Eugene wasn't a fool; as much as he hated it, he stayed where he was. When he was 16, Elvira, the old woman who had taken him in, visited the local bank where she deposited his coins. She told him when she returned that the money would grow with interest and he would be rich someday.

Eugene continued to help Elvira at home and tended to her friendly white horse, Maximus. The two had become quite friendly and would do anything for Eugene, if he asked. With Elvira's permission and after his chores, he would take Max for a daily workout. When they returned she would have dinner ready. After dinner, he would help Elvira with the dishes and clean up the kitchen while she went to bed. He would read a little from The Adventures of Flynnagan Rider, always dreaming of a better life and what that money would do for him.

But today, she hadn't come to call him for dinner. Eugene waited but she was later than usual. He rushed into the house, calling for her, but there was no answer. Finally, he found her in the kitchen on the floor; her breathing shallow. He said he'd take Max and go for help, but she did want that. She kept saying she was an old woman and her time had come. All she wanted now was to be at peace and he abided by her wishes.

Eugene buried her on the farm and marked her grave with a small cross. He was 18 and wandered off into the woods again. That's when he remembered that tower. He had passed it by wanting to get out of village as quickly as he could.

He was lucky to have found it again after all these years and even luckier that no one had taken up residence inside.

And so he had lived here for 8 years of his life, 2 of them alone before the Stabbingtons showed up looking for shelter.

He had forgotten all about the money that Elvira placed in the bank and began his new life as a thief. The three of them made a great team and they even had a stash, well enough for the three to retire. But it was in Eugene's blood and he kept going. After all, he wasn't caught, not yet and he was enjoying this.

And so Eugene was content. Everything was in order and in its place.

He just wasn't prepared for what was about to happen next.