The Miracle
A/N: For those of you who have read "Favorite Things," by 9r7g5h, you might recognize my plot bunny. I give full credit for the idea to her and recommend her stories!
A/N#2: This story "kind of" follows my other stories, so you might recognize a few of my OCs here that are still awaiting their full development there… I am also providing this spoiler alert. That said; I hope not to spoil things too much.
A/N#3: This is my own tear transference story. I hope you enjoy it; it has expanded quite a lot from my original idea. But, then again, as my Muse and friend (you know who you are) would state; most stories do sometimes grow legs, as this one currently has. Do not worry, though, the next few chapters (less than 2, I think) will bring us to the end. And, oh yes, I do not own Tangled or its primary characters, though I do own mine and the idea…
A/N#4: Sorry for the delayed posting. Got busy with work and my MBA…
Chapter Twenty-Two: The Savior of Corona, His Amazing Tale; Part 6
The Present…
"So as I was saying…" Eugene stated as everyone calmed back down from his unique wit and humor and looked on upon the future Prince Consort with baited breath. He paused and patiently waited as the new couples of Stephanie and Marcus and Chelsea and Robert decided to sit down for the epic to come and found comfortable outcroppings of rock to sit on with the two crown princesses blushingly accepting offers to sit on the lap of their new beaus. William and Catherine, as well as Mistress Cassiopeia, Lord Marcus and the others from Avandell, happily grinned at the new found familiarity of these two new couples. Amanda and Rupert, she also sitting quite comfortably on his lap, were imperceptibly leaning forward as they eagerly awaited the next words. Andrew, with Annabella sitting beside him with her head leaning against his shoulder looked on with unmistakable gleams in their eyes; as did their parents. Rapunzel and Becky, on the other hand, knowing how much Eugene loved to story tell, could hardly wait to hear of what they were sure would leave all flabbergasted beyond belief.
Five Years Previous…
The sun was about 10 degrees above the horizon as Flynn reached the base of the massive peak. It was about 7:30 pm as he, making one last check of his appearance and equipment, hid the remainder of his gear and began the long trek up the disused but serviceable road that led up the five hundred foot peak that the castle was located on.
The next eight hours were to change the history of Io in ways no one else could ever have predicted…
Flynn quietly strode up the disused road, occasionally stopping to listen to the sounds of the city far below and behind him as well as the fauna as they moved about the forest. He took the apparent normal activities of the local wildlife as a hopeful sign as he knew that most animals would flee from the sounds of humans as they carelessly moved about.
Satisfied that he could make it all the way to the castle with no issues, he picked up the pace and, while still somehow masking his own presence, ran right into the first obstacle of the mission.
The Present…
"What was the obstacle?" Rapunzel asked as she had not yet initially picked up on it; ever worried for her dream but knowing that since he was standing before her that obviously it was not too daunting.
"Well…" Eugene began as his cheeks reddened. He did not know how to describe it without harming his fake reputation, yet knowing he had to tell the entire tale to cement his reputation as the hero of Io; something that Rapunzel, having the deepest connection and having reestablished the link, quickly picked up on.
"Come on! Eugene!" Catherine chimed in; ever impatient to hear the story and not realizing that Rapunzel already knew.
Every one suddenly looked at the Coronian Crown Princess as this newfound knowledge she discovered through her new link with her dream caused her to burst out laughing; much to everyone's surprise.
"What?!" Everyone else asked as they looked at the Coronian Crown Princess and then to Eugene. The wonder of the link these two shared so evident to everyone else.
"Well, if you must know, he ran right into a skunk!" Rapunzel gasped out between fits of laughter; little Becky and Pascal beginning to laugh themselves.
"And…, Rapunzel?" William asked, attempting yet failing to hide an ear to ear grin as he too broke out in a fit of laughing.
"He snapped his fingers and the skunk disappeared!" Rapunzel stated, quite categorically.
"He what?" Rupert senior asked, as he too was drawn into the neatly woven tale of intrigue.
"Can I tell the story, Punzie?" Eugene asked with a loving smile on his face.
"I guess so, Genie." Rapunzel replied with a similarly bright and loving smile on her face as well.
"As I stated, I ran into what could have been a major obstacle to the success of the mission…"
Five Years Previous…
Flynn; having run up on, but not having startled the skunk; reflexively snapped his fingers all the while wishing the skunk away. He was quite surprised when it worked.
The path now clear, Flynn continued up the service road and reach the outer door of the castle within minutes and noted the first real obstacle to his mission. As he crouched in the shadows of the overgrown vegetation while he waited for the perfect time to strike, two guards rounded the far corner of the building. Their path would come within a foot of Flynn's hidden location. As they approached, Flynn noted several key factors to be exploited to his advantage. First; the two appeared very young, perhaps no more than 14 or 15 years old. Second, the uniforms and armor worn by both were too large for their small frames. This would serve to hinder their movements. Third, the weapons carried by the two were obviously very heavy as both were having trouble holding the weapons steady. Fourth, neither child soldier was paying as much attention to their surroundings as they should. Finally, and most importantly, he sensed the extreme depression and longing for home that both felt. Flynn thought about it for a moment and decided to get rid of the threat in a peaceful way and one that would serve all Io…
The Present….
"What did you do?" Rapunzel asked, genuinely curious.
"Well, Punzie, the last thing I wanted to do was to hurt the innocent. These two children were conscripted against their will to provide protection to the emperor's castle, while the mercenary army did his bidding outside the borders of Olvassia."
"Awww…" The three Crown Princesses sighed as they looked upon the future Coronian Prince Consort in an even better light than before. Indeed; with each passing moment, each and every individual present was developing an absolute love and affection for Eugene that closely matched that of little Becky and, of course, Rapunzel.
"And….?" Catherine asked; her intense interest in her future son-in-law evident for all to see.
"Well, Catherine, I pulled one out of Lord Andrew's book." Eugene replied, grinning at the looks of absolute confusion on all but Lord Andrew's face.
"Hmmm…" Lord Andrew softly muttered. His quiet muttering came to Lady Annabella's attention as she was sitting closest to him.
"Awww; Eugene! Did you do what I think you did…?" Lady Annabella asked Eugene after she got over the surprise of it all and thought back over 25 years. She was slowly realizing the depths of Eugene's connection and recognizing the absolute wonder of it all.
"Well, I refused to hurt the innocent or to allow them to be hurt by others, so I decided to get them all out of the way in the easiest way possible." Eugene replied, the cryptic nature of his words bring a loud chuckling out of Lord Andrew.
"I see you know what happened next, Andy?" Eugene asked. The others looked longingly to Lord Andrew for a reply.
"Let me guess. You snapped your fingers…?" Lord Andrew asked with a smirk gracing his features that matched that of the one worn by an equally cognizant Lady Annabella as she again thought back 25 years.
"That would be correct." Eugene confirmed as he went on with his tale...
Five Years Previous…
Flynn waited until the young pair were almost upon him before snapping his fingers and wishing them to a safe place away from the terror of the Empire. The abrupt disappearance of the young pair barely gave Flynn time to grab the twin swords before they clattered to the ground. Deciding that being more heavily armed was to his advantage, Flynn took the twin scabbards and wore them in an "X" pattern across his back. He was not aware, however, that his finger snapping had done far more than just gotten the two youngsters out of the way. Indeed, all throughout Olvassia, it would soon be noted that every conscripted soldier had disappeared so abruptly as to leave many perplexed.
The Present…
"They did what?!" The group asked; incredulous that such an event was even remotely possible.
"Each and every conscripted soldier returned to their homelands, much to the surprise, I would think, of their loved ones who had had no idea what had happened to them." Eugene answered.
"Awww; Eugene, need I tell you again how special you are not only in my eyes, but in the eyes of all the citizens of Io?" Rapunzel asked with a look of absolute adoration.
"Umm. No, Punzie. I do get it now." Eugene remarked, much to the amusement of those present.
"Why does it seem to me that this mission did not evolve the way it was described to me five years ago; even by my own trained operative?" An obviously confused monarch, King William asked.
"Well, I guess that is my fault, your highness." Lord Marcus meekly replied as all eyes turned towards him and focused intently on an obviously uncomfortable First Lord of Avandell.
"What?"
"I knew that you were to be told a lot about the success of the mission, but I could not let word of Eugene's power spread beyond; basically, him and me."
"I fully understand and concur with your thought processes. I am willing to bet that you knew of the events of the past ten hours at that time as well?" King William asked as he heard the clock tower in the village square ringing up the six o'clock hour.
"Yes; or at least I had an inkling of it. Mistress Cassiopeia, on the other hand, did know. And, as it is getting late, let's get on with Eugene's descriptions as he was the man on the spot; and yes, he did a WHOLE lot more than he has led us to believe." Lord Marcus replied as everyone looked yet again at a blushing future Coronian Prince Consort.
Five Years Previous…
Flynn, sensing something extraordinary going on within the castle, slowly and gingerly opened the service door and snuck inside the rectangular room. He found it to be exactly as Lord Marcus had described. He calmly, taking the time to carefully analyze his surroundings, walked over to the wall and counted down the proper number of bricks and tapped the center of the wall with the special ring as instructed by Lord Marcus.
To say he was amazed by the sudden transformation of the apparently plain wall into the unusual entryway was to understate the matter. Remembering where he was, however, and the importance of the mission, Flynn regained his intense concentration and slowly entered what was, in reality, a spiral stairway leading all the way up to the highest platform within the seemingly isolated tower. As he watched, he could see the golden eggs as they slowly rolled down a channel build parallel to and attached to the staircase. He quickly made the decision to go down to the smelting chamber to collect all the eggs that had gathered that day. He quickly and effortlessly loaded the 26 burlap sacks he found in an antechamber with more gold eggs and gold coins than even the richest kingdom possessed.
The Present…
"So, what did you do with the gold?" Rapunzel asked.
"Well…"
"Come on! You can tell us."
"Let's save it to the end, ok? I promised I would tell all."
"Ok. But don't think you will get away without telling me!" Rapunzel stated with a look in her bright emerald eyes that would melt lead.
"I Rapunzel promise. Ok?"
"Ok." Rapunzel replied as her face broke into an ear splitting grin. The others looked longingly at the couple and asked themselves what in the world was a 'Rapunzel promise,' to which Rapunzel replied, much to their surprise. "It is an unbreakable promise. Isn't it, EUGENE?"
"Umm… Of course, Punzie. Let's see, where was I? Oh, yes. The eggs and recently minted coins safely loaded in burlaps sacks, I snuck the sacks outside the castle wall and covered them with my special cloak."
"What!?" Rapunzel asked, shocked.
"I realized two important factors as I carried the sacks outside."
"What were they?" Catherine asked as she realized the risk that Eugene was taking by unencumbering himself of the cloak and the protection it afforded him.
"Well…" Eugene began as he went back to his story.
Five Years Previous…
Flynn, realizing that the activity he sensed in the castle was that of absolute shock and some dismay, decided the time was right to change his tactics and go for the kill. He was sure that his appearance, dressed in all black as he was, was sure to so startle his opponents that the emperor would be an easy target for his twin blades.
As he formulated his plan, he made his way to the upper most level of the tower where he quickly dispatched the two attendants minding the goose. He snuck up on them and, using a power that he suddenly sensed flowing through him, touched them both at the junction of the shoulder and neck as he whispered 'sleep.' The two soundlessly dropped to the floor, not to wake up for several hours.
The goose, sensing the benevolence of Flynn, allowed herself to be carefully lifted off her perch and into his warm embrace.
The goose now safely in his arms and gently leaning into him, Flynn compassionately stroked her neck and allowed some of the energy flowing through him to enter the goose's body, causing her to faintly glow in an azul light and healing her as completely as if she had never been harmed and giving her the power of flight again as her flight feathers healed themselves.
"Fly, my sweet, for you are finally free of the evil that sought to destroy your beauty. Go find Lord Marcus in the darkest forest, he will care for you as you fully recover and thrive. I have work to finish here." Flynn whispered as he brought her to the balcony right outside this highest room of the tallest tower. He also cloaked her in a protective cocoon that would conceal her as she flew to safety and found a new home in Avandell.
The Present…
"So that IS how she got there!" Lord Marcus and Mistress Cassiopeia excitedly shouted as the revelation came to them, simultaneously and quite suddenly.
"That's how she..., what?!" Stephanie and Chelsea shouted, the looks gracing the faces of Cassiopeia and Marcus surprising them as if a slap to the face. The looks of awe on their faces matched by that of the look gracing the faces of their new beaus, Marcus junior and Robert as they had never seen their father or favorite aunt so shocked as they were at this time.
"You see, Stephanie and Chelsea, Mistress Cassiopeia and I were in the dark forest about a day before we were expecting Flynn's arrival. As we were quietly discussing some matter of little importance, mere idle chat as it were, we both sensed a great disturbance in the Wirkungen, although we were not able to discern it identity or source as it was apparently unconsciously masked by Eugene himself; contained within a protective cocoon, as he himself just stated. Thus, you can imagine our shock when before our eyes and in perfect health should appear the very goose that we were so concerned about. It was then that I realized that Eugene's power had indeed become even stronger than I thought. And…"
Marcus, abruptly stopped, looking out at the group as they beckoned with their eyes for him to continue. Finally, the silence was broken...
"What…?" King William asked.
"It is just that I then also and quite suddenly realized that Eugene was going to do far more than just free the goose and cause the total loss of any semblance of trade that the theft of the goose would signify for Olvassia."
"What do you mean?" Rapunzel and her mother, Catherine, asked, simultaneously.
"It is just that I realized that Eugene was not going to rely on the mercenary army to overthrow the empire; he was actually going to take on both an army of over 15,000 soldiers, and the emperor himself and end his rule once and for all; singlehandedly, as Mistress Cassiopeia alluded to."
To say that the group was flabbergasted by this was to seriously understate their shock. The former Olvassia Empire was among, if not the, most evil of all regimes to have ever existed on Sonnen 3 in general, or Io in particular. Their cruelty knew no bounds, and all feared what it might do. That Eugene was willing to risk all to destroy it, with no thought of his own safety or a reward spoke volumes for the true self of Eugene, and reinforced his standing among the esteemed group. Needless to say, everyone eagerly beckoned for him to continue.
Five Years Previous…
Flynn stood for a moment on the balcony. He looked down into the royal compound and saw his first target over 100 feet below him, the mercenary army commanding general casually strolling across the courtyard, seemingly invincible and reeking of an arrogance never before sensed in any other man by Flynn. Knowing that he did not have the time to go down the spiral staircase to reach this quarry, he did the next best thing and…
The Present…
"What?! You did what...?"" The group shouted. Rapunzel and Catherine were almost hysterical with worry as displayed on their massive emerald eyes, despite the fact that Eugene was standing before them, unharmed.
"Hmmm…" Eugene sighed before returning to his story; he was always hesitant to discuss himself whether it was something good or bad. Doing back story was definitely something that would take getting used to.
Five Years Previous…
Flynn took in a huge cleansing breath, and jumped; dove would probably be a more accurate verb. His leap, face first, caused him to rapidly pick up speed. As he accelerated ever faster towards the ground, he took the two swords out of their scabbards and held them shoulder width apart. As he grew ever closer to the ground, he somehow connected with the Wirkungen and used it to not only slow his terminal velocity back to something more manageable but to properly position himself to strike the general.
Flynn, having flown down from the tallest tower in the compound in mere seconds, gently landed directly in front of the mercenary army general, swords at the ready, dressed in all black.
"Who are y…?" The general asked, greatly surprised at the sight before him; the words dying in his throat as the twin swords, in an absolute blink of an eye, came down from their raised 45 degree angles to briefly rest on the general's shoulders, the sword held in Flynn's left hand on the general's left shoulder and the sword held in his right hand on the general's right shoulder, before slashing their way across his neck an inch below his ears. The neat decapitation left a remarkable lack of blood, as if the two blades were heated to several hundred of degrees and serving to neatly cauterized the wound.
"Does it matter?" Flynn asked himself, his normally hazel eyes turning an ominous fiery red, as feelings of vengeance, anger and absolute hatred for anything Olvassian began to overcome him and consume him, before answering, "I guess not."
The general, minus a very important part of his body, silently fell to the ground. Flynn, looking very satisfied with himself and ready to unleash an absolute horror upon the people he sought to free, suddenly heard a voice calling out to him and beseeching him to be calm and remember his purpose in Olvassia … seemingly coming from nowhere and everywhere at the same time.
The Present…
"A voice…?" Kimberly asked; the look of quiet amazement mirrored by that of Katelyn and the others.
"Yes, a voice." Eugene quietly replied as he thought of how his destiny could have been so very different.
"Did you recognize this voice, Eugene?" Stephanie asked as a thought suddenly entered her mind.
"Why, yes, my dear Stephanie. Although I could not connect it with anyone I could readily remember; until today, that is."
"And…?" Chelsea prompted.
"Before I answer, let me begin by stating this voice saved my soul from eternal damnation. It reached into the deepest recesses of my entire being and kept me from doing something I would regret later. The source of the voice that redirected my actions in attacking the mercenary army and served as the savior of my soul was…." Eugene began, so quietly that the others imperceptibly leaned closer towards Eugene.
"…me." Mistress Cassiopeia stated, to the utter amazement of all present.
"You?!" King William and Queen Catherine blurted out.
"Yes, my good king and queen, me. As you know, now; I knew, even back then, of Eugene's ultimate destiny as the soul mate of a very special Coronian. Given his preordained connection with your daughter, I could not sit idly by and let him destroy himself with both the self-hatred and self-loathing many hundreds, if not thousands, of times greater than we see in our future Prince Consort today had he not altered his interim destiny. The diminishing regret he feels within himself today is miniscule compared to what it would have been had he killed several tens of thousands of innocent and potentially innocent victims. And yes, he did have the power to do just that! I knew that I must provide a guiding hand as he delivered on his promise of ridding Io of the Olvassian threat with a minimum of bloodshed."
"So, you…" Catherine softly began; feeling a real appreciation for Mistress Cassiopeia and Lord Marcus as she realized how they led Eugene to her daughter.
"…decided to give him a little nudge in the right direction and provide encouragement to him as I guided him in selectively and carefully choosing his targets and ensuring that he maintained the calmness we see today and, most importantly, his honor; as I knew it would serve him in good time.
"So that is why I only targeted the senior officers and the senior non-commissioned officers and basically ignored over 97 percent of the army and all of the citizens I felt had aided the emperor?" Eugene finally asked as the revelation became apparent to him and his self-esteem rose even higher in himself, and the shame he felt almost completely disappeared.
"Yes, my dear Eugene. You as effectively rid Io of this threat, and provided a way out for those who had been coerced to aid the emperor, as your future father-in-law did the threat that faced him 25 years earlier."
"Well then," Eugene replied with a wink to Will as they both grinned at each other with the realization of a shared destiny, "Let's get to the big finale, shall we? Where was I? Oh, yes. I was to take on the senior leadership..."
Five Years Previous…
The darkness, covering the compound as it did, served to hide Flynn's movements as he moved towards a portion of the compound that obviously served as the headquarters and barracks for the mercenary army cadre. He snuck to a nearby window and looked in, quickly taking in the sight and formulating a plan of attack. He realized that it would be to his advantage for the soldiers to be forced to fight within the tight confines of the armory.
He suddenly decided that he would only attack the senior ranking non-commissioned officers and the field grade officers. The others he would encourage to leave Io, never to return; in his own unique way, that is.
Flynn took in another cleansing breath, took a final look into the ample mess hall and leapt into action…
Flynn; landing at the head of the table, with swords drawn; did not even give the junior enlisted soldiers serving as mess attendants the time to do much of anything before the bloodbath began, if it could even be called that. As if a hot knife through the warmest butter, Flynn rapidly and with great and almost surgical care, effortlessly dispatched those senior members of the mercenary army as if they were mere toys. Of the one hundred individuals in the room, only 35 felt the sting of his twin blades. This included only those non-commissioned officers in the rank of master sergeant and above and those commissioned officers in the rank of major and above. The army's discipline and bearing quickly faltered before failing completely. The junior ranking officers that remained standing in stunned silence and immobilized and those junior enlisted soldiers also present within the mess hall and throughout the compound, and attempting to flee, he quickly exiled to Ganymede with a snap of his fingers.
The Present…
"You did what…?!" Rupert and Amanda blurted out, looks of wonder adorning their faces.
"Well, I exiled them all to Ganymede as I was quite sure the remoteness and bounty of that Sonnen 3 continent would provide them ample space and work to absorb any and all excess energy, not to mention the abundance of the fairer gender who, while tough enough to protect themselves, would also prove an ample distraction for them from martial pursuits towards those that were far more benign." Eugene replied, with a wink.
"Umm…, Eugene…?"
"Yes, my beloved Punzie?"
"How many individuals did that include?"
"Well, I believe, all told, that it amounted to about 14,750 soldiers."
To say that the group was completely and absolutely stunned was to understate the scene before the shyly smiling Eugene. For each and every individual, save little Becky who was distracted by the multitude of colors Pascal was capable of mimicking, was standing there with their mouths open so far as to literally be touching the ground. They, it was needless to say, impatiently awaited Eugene to finish his tale.
Five Years Previous…
The army, so completely destroyed or evicted as to leave scant evidence of its existence, would no longer be a threat to the security of Io. The entire 250 soldier cadre of the most experienced and ruthless warriors Sonnen 3 had ever seen was completely eradicated, leaving Flynn to take on and kill the evil emperor himself.
Flynn, walking with great care through the carnage of evil dispatched, stopped briefly and picked up a new pair of swords, twin Katanas, from the body of a mercenary army colonel. Their beautifully adorned and surgically sharp blades would serve him well as he dispatched the final target. He quickly made his way back to the once prison tower of the amazing goose that laid golden eggs as he knew that was where he would find the emperor; or, the emperor would find him.
The night, having reached the three a.m. hour, was to see the final scene of the final act of the Battle for Olvassia. For the emperor, as was his custom, quickly strode through the hallways of the now eerily silent imperial palace. He thought nothing of it as he moved on with a single-mindedness towards his cash cow, his money pit, his… alright, his goose that lays the golden egg; or the goose that lays many golden eggs. It was with great satisfaction that Flynn was standing there in the shadows when the emperor arrived.
"What the H…!" The emperor shouted as he took in the sight of absolute emptiness. The anteroom that should have been filled to the ceiling with sack upon sack of golden eggs was completely empty. The emperor looked frantically around for any sign of any eggs, looking first in the darkest corners of the room, the trough that led from the laying chamber far above, to the area right behind him; the area that his executioner now emerged from.
"Are you missing something, your imperial scuminess?" Flynn spat out with great contempt for the emperor.
"Who are you?!" The emperor squeaked out as he took in the sight of the twin Katanas as Flynn brought them into the clear view of the emperor from where he had had them hidden behind his back.
"I am," Flynn began as he drew his twin Katanas over his head, "justice. I am justice for all you have served with such ill will and utter contempt."
"What…?" The emperor began to ask before his life ended in the silvery flash of the two Katanas as they moved in an absolute arching blur and intersected with the emperor's neck just below his ears.
The job done, all Flynn had to do now was to allow the citizens of Olvassia awake to a new dawn; a dawn of freedom of choice, and freedom from fear. He was still there, as the sun rose above a newly free peoples, ready to provide any and all assistance to an honorable people...
The Present…
The group looked at Eugene with absolute wonder. Knowing that his story was now over or very close to over, the group collectively turned to the Coronian monarch, waiting for the rest of the story.
"My turn, Eugene?" King William asked with a happy smile as he thought back to the freedom of fear Eugene's tale represented.
"Yes, I do believe it is. What happened in Olvastavia after the events of the new moon can be discussed later. I think."
"Well, needless to say, you can imagine my shock eight days after the new moon when Samuel, after conducting his follow-on mission, arrived with his follow-up report…"
Five Years Previous…
King William and Samantha were in his ample office, with Queen Catherine, when Samuel calmly walked in; with none of the earlier excitement from before. It was obvious that something extraordinary had happened to change the young Samuel, forever. The three looked up and smiled, for they had never seen such a look of absolute wonder upon the face of the most capable Ionian operative.
Samuel walked in quite slowly and deliberately, an ornately decorated white envelope with an unusual orange seal in his hand. He stood there, silent and unmoving for a minute while he tried to put into words what he had just seen.
"So, Samuel, what do you know? What is the status of the Olvassia Empire?" King William kindly asked as he broke what was becoming an uncomfortable silence.
"Your highness, I do not know where to begin…" Samuel began, with a hesitancy never seen in the confident young man before.
"The beginning is usually a good place." A good natured William remarked, unaware of the shock to come.
"Yes, my liege. That is the good place. So let me first present this to you…" Samuel replied as he handed the monarch an envelope that King William, Queen Catherine, and Samantha noted was adorned with the seal of the Oliveira family.
The present…
"Who are the Oliveira family?" The group asked, as if one voice.
"Before I answer, let me tell you about the rest of Samuel's report."
"Ok…" The group answered.
Five Years Previous…
"Before I open this letter, is there any information you can provide me?" King William asked; again, good naturedly.
"Yes, your highness."
"And…?"
"The actions occurred, but did not occur, just as I predicted."
"What do you mean by that? I do not understand how the events could do both."
"Well, both the emperor is gone, having been not overthrown but assassinated, and the army I spoke of have been destroyed."
"Assassinated?! Destroyed?!"
"Yes, the emperor is no more. And, the imposing mercenary army too has been destroyed; utterly and completely. It completely stunned me, as you undoubtedly have noticed. As I toured the palace and the grounds of a suddenly empty and ransacked imperial palace, I counted the graves of 251 individuals in the former courtyard."
"What are their significance?"
"Well…"
"Please, Samuel, you know I trust you implicitly."
"I know, it is just that it is so unbelievable as to be dumbfounding."
"What is?"
"The fact that 250 of the graves are the apparent final resting place of the leadership of the army I spoke of earlier, the commanding general missing his head, the whereabouts of the other soldiers, those at and below the rank of staff sergeant and captain completely unknown. Even the citizenry, who first discovered the bodies and neatly buried them could not tell me where the other 14,750 soldiers had gone. It was as if they disappeared off the face of Sonnen 3."
"I see. And what of the other, remaining grave?"
"It is apparently the last resting place of the evil emperor, himself..." Samuel replied, softly and almost inaudibly.
"It is the WHAT?!" King William, Queen Catherine, and Samantha simultaneously blurted out.
"As I stated; it is the apparent last resting place of the emperor; his head also detached from the rest of the body. It is a very, and let me emphasize the word very, plain grave site. Additionally, the goose along with every last piece of gold, both egg and coinage, were gone. Everything; the money, the mercenary army, the imperial guard; everything was gone."
"What does all this mean?"
"It means that the letter I just provided you is from the new leadership of the new Republic of Olvastavia. They are requesting our assistance."
The Present...
"What did the letter contain, father?" Rapunzel asked.
"This letter, and three more addressed to the leadership of the Royal Kingdom of Constella, the Royal Kingdom of Estrella, and the Royal Kingdom of Orion, simply asked for the restoration of diplomatic relations with the newly founded Republic of Olvastavia."
"The Republic of what?"
"You see," King William began as he looked out at the entire group, the blushing Eugene included; "Olvastavia is the original name given to this particular region of Io. The kind hearted Oliveira family had owned the land for generation upon generation before the evil emperor stole the land and threw the family in jail."
"If they were in jail, how did they get you the letter so quickly?" Rapunzel asked.
"I will let Eugene finish his tale with that fact."
Everyone looked to Eugene, amazed.
"You see, thanks to Mistress Cassiopeia, I knew, just knew, who the original and rightful ruling family of this area was and that they could be restored to power. I also knew, instinctively, where they were. And, that I had to act."
"So, you broke them out of jail?" Rapunzel asked, with a smirk.
"Of course not! I simply walked into the now guard free jail and released all the political prisoners. And that, I must say is the end of the story. The grateful family, asking where I hailed from, decided to attempt to reconcile and rejoin the family of citizens on Io. They, even today, are a wonderful people who live in the same peace as do the peoples of the former Midlands. I enjoyed a very peaceful four years as an honored guest of the Oliveira family. I actually just realized that I unconsciously used my 'gift' for the good of all as they built their wonderful republic from scratch."
"So that explains it!" William and Catherine blurted out.
"Yes, that explains why Flynn Rider did not torment Corona for the vast majority of four of the past five years and roughly nine weeks; although there was that one time about four years ago when I was drawn back to Corona, ever so briefly..." Eugene confirmed with a shy smile towards Catherine.
"Ok, Mister!" Rapunzel firmly stated as she felt Eugene was avoiding the answering of her question.
"What, Punzie?"
"You know what! Where is the money? What did you do with it? I am sure you did not spend it all!"
"Well…"
"Euugeene!"
"Ok. You are right. I did not spend one bit of it, nor did the wrong people get their hands on it. The money is right behind you." Eugene replied as he snapped his fingers.
It was now Rapunzel's turn to freak out; as everyone else did. For, standing before them, were not only the 16 bags of golden eggs, and another 10 bags of gold coins; but also a happy family of golden geese.
"But…, but…, but…" The group stuttered out.
"I know, right? Who knew that golden eggs would hatch into golden geese?"
"How…?"
"Well, as I left the compound, the money safely hidden away as to hide the source of the evil emperors inexhaustible money supply and protect the legend of the goose so that it could fade back into the annals of children's fairy tales, I could not help but keep a couple of the eggs as souvenirs. I just did not realize what would happen. So, when I did meet up with Lord Marcus a couple of days later to return his horse, as promised, I gave him the eggs to care for as my interest had quickly waned. It was also then, that he told me of something that was to occur in the future."
"And…" Rapunzel asked.
Lord Marcus replied, "I told him that he should stay in Olvastavia for the next four years, and that the magical ring I provided him would serve another function in the future…"
A/N #5: Please review…