Author Note: Happy Thanksgiving to all you wonderful people who celebrate it! And those who don't, why not? It's a day to give thanks AND eat a ridiculous amount of food! *BURP* Excuse me! Ha ha anyhoo, this was just a little something to show that yes, I am alive and I am still writing. I'm just super busy with grad school, especially with the end of the semester zooming up. Your prayers would be greatly appreciated as the year draws to a close and projects start needing to be turned in! ALSO something really exciting happened to me this month! I got to see Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl series as well as various other books, speak at an event in town AND a friend of mine got my book signed by him! :D Super cool, right? Just thought you'd find it interesting...

P.S. Thank you for continuing to read, review, fav, follow, and check up on me with your messages :) I appreciate your concern for my well-being!

P.S.S. I've no idea when I'll update on this one again, but hopefully I'll be able to post something before the end of the year.

Soli Deo Gloria

Disclaimer: Disney owns Tangled, its characters, and its story


It was late morning, and the queen, her husband, and her father were sitting in the conference room along with the Coronan royal council and two of the country's top generals. General Fergus was speaking, detailing the results of a skirmish that had occurred two weeks previously. Corona's troops had inflicted heavy casualties against a set of barracks, taking over a hundred prisoners and at least twelve enemy officers. It was counted as a victory, but the amount of soldiers lost dampened any mood for celebration. The general's voice was grim as he concluded his report.

"We've interred the captives in one of the camps along the border. The superior officers will be moved to the prison at Florence for further questioning. Major Derrick feels that the information they give us will help with the front against the stronghold at Armagh."

"When is the attack going to take place?" Rapunzel asked, looking up from the map stretched over the table.

"As soon as we learn their numbers. We suspect close to four hundred Midlanders and a thousand Lock."

"How many men does Major Derrick have after the losses at Sheelin?" One of the council asked.

"A thousand and two-hundred. We have Salisburian reinforcements on their way, but there's been some difficulty maintaining contact. They may not make the rendezvous in time, and if that happens, the attack will be delayed."

Rapunzel shook her head. "General, we can't afford to wait. The Lock is sending more men to Armagh. If they get there before the city is secured, we will be unable to sustain our hold over the southern section of the Midlands."

The general winced. "I know, your Majesty."

"We do that, and we might as well be inviting the Lock into the up country. That is something I will not stand for."

"Yes ma'am. We will do our best to make the scheduled attack."

"Thank you. Now, Duke Hadrian, where are we with the armor shipments from Livesley?" she asked, turning to a red-haired gentleman further down to her right.

"They should be approaching the border as we speak, your Majesty. I did have a question, however."

"Yes?"

"Wot if the raiders attack again? I don't want to lose another set of fine chaps."

Rapunzel's father looked at General Neptune, asking, "Do we still have recruits training outside of Gavin?"

"Yes sir, we do. But they're not particularly—"

"Send them to protect Hadrian's caravans. We can't afford to lose valuable resources to Midlander scavengers."

Neptune glanced at Rapunzel, and at her nod he replied, "Of course, sir. I will send a message to the lieutenants after this meeting."

"Very good."

"What about the towns we've taken at the borderlands? Have there been any more attacks?" the duke of Calscon asked.

Neptune shook his head. "Not lately. It seems the recent activity of our men in the eastern cities has drawn their attention."

"Then let's try to keep them there," Rapunzel said. "Which means we will need another target to distract them…"

Brigadier Titus pointed at section of land just north of Armagh. "There are four towns here that are known for producing grain. They are also way stations for supplies coming in from the Lock. If we cut off the enemy's access, that should keep them interested enough that they will pull away from our holdings at the border."

"How many men will you need to accomplish this?" the queen asked.

"Two regiments would be best, but if only one is available I think I could work with that."

"And supplies?" Eugene asked, checking the lists by his right hand.

"Enough for a three week campaign."

"So we're talking food for at least a thousand soldiers, horses included…" the prince consort made quick calculations and shook his head. "With the resources we have now, I can only give you enough for seven hundred men and two hundred horses."

Rapunzel's father frowned. "What about the foodstuffs from Sarphona? Wasn't a shipment due to come from there?"

Eugene fought the urge to roll his eyes. "The baron said that with all the refugees Sarphona has taken in recently, he hasn't been able to assess how much the barony could continue to donate to the war effort. Shipments have, for lack of a better term, stalled until further notice."

"I'll write to him," Rapunzel's father said.

"When you do, please tell the baron that I want an audience with him and his lords, Dad," Rapunzel said.

"Very well."

She then turned to Titus. "Brigadier, I suggest you further discuss this plan with your fellow officers and see if you can streamline it a bit. The idea is sound but you will need their backing before I sign off on it."

He nodded. "Understood, your Majesty."

"Thank you." Rapunzel smiled, gathering up her reports. "All right, gentlemen. I believe that is enough to be getting on with for this morning. Does anyone have anything else to say?"

"Yes, your Majesty." Fergus leaned forward, staring at a knothole in the table. "Some of our soldiers committed—shall we say—atrocities when taking the town of Lough Gael."

"That battle was a month ago. What sort of atrocities?"

"The kind deserving of court martial, dishonorable discharge, and potentially death. Here is the report." The general slid a set of papers across the table to his queen.

She scanned the documents, green eyes narrowing the further they traveled down each page. Rapunzel looked up, steel in her gaze. "And I'm only now just hearing about this because?"

"One of the perpetrators confessed to the crimes this past week. Guilty conscience."

Rapunzel sighed, placing the papers onto her pile. "Very well. General, you know the law. I'm assuming the men have already been put on probation and are on their way back home to be tried?"

The general winced. "Probation, yes. The trial—I wanted to ask leniency."

"Why?"

"Two of them are officers. Good officers. Smart, well trained—decorated, even. It would be a shame to lose their expertise on the battlefield."

Rapunzel stared at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. When she finally spoke, her voice was as cold as ice. "If the confession turns out to be true, General, those men have violated my trust. They have forsaken the pledge they took when I asked them to go to the Midlands. They will be tried and duly awarded for their crimes."

"But, your Majesty—"

"The moment we start ignoring such actions we have lost all moral ground in this war. I will not allow that, sir. And should you disobey me I will have you stripped of your rank and replaced. Understood?"

The general's face flushed angrily, but he nodded.

"Thank you for the report, General. I will personally follow up on this matter within the week. Now, I think that adjourns this morning's meeting. Good day, gentlemen."


"I can't believe he actually asked for leniency," Eugene muttered, watching the last of the council file out of the room.

His wife shook her head. "No, he has every right to ask for it. I am the only person who can pardon such crimes."

"All the same, he's an idiot."

Rapunzel's father rose from his seat. "Unfortunately, Eugene, that's not the case. General Fergus is an intelligent man. He just has misplaced values."

"Much like everyone else in this whole mess," Rapunzel said.

Her father nodded. "Indeed. Now, my dear, if you wouldn't mind, I think I will go join your mother for midmorning tea."

She hugged him. "Thank you for your support. You know you don't have to come to these meetings."

"Old habits are hard to break. Besides, there is some selfishness involved. Watching you makes me prouder every day."

"Dad..."

"I only wish it was for something other than war councils." He squeezed her hand. "Dear girl, you were never supposed to deal with this."

Rapunzel shrugged, giving him a half-smile. "Someone has to, so why not me? Say hello to Mom, please."

"I will. Good morning." Her father bowed and left the room, his footsteps disappearing up the hallway.

"He does know that he doesn't have to come to these meetings, right?" Eugene asked.

Rapunzel nodded. "He does. Dad's just—concerned, I think. Because I'm a woman."

"He shouldn't be. Your response to General Fergus was so cool I thoughtthe ocean had frozen over."

Rapunzel laughed, and Eugene was pleased to see the first real smile on her face in a long time. He continued in this vein, "Seriously, there were snowflakes in the air. Reminded me of that time we visited—oh, what was that country called again? Edenvale? Orrinville? Arren—"

"I remember. And as interesting as that story is, I need to go to the next meeting."

He snapped his fingers, following her out of the room. "Right. And I have to go through yet another pile of inventory accounts. And then I need to talk to Chef Armando."

"Why do you need to talk to Chef Arnold?"

"Apparently food has gone missing from the kitchens. I mean, what are the odds? We end up with some servant nicking loaves and desserts while half the kingdom is in uproar about rations."

His wife frowned. "I'm sure that can be resolved quickly, though it is surprising. Chef Arnold has always had loyal workers."

"Yeah, but he always seems to think I'm the one who—oops, I forgot my notes."

"Go ahead and go back for them. I'll wait here."

"You can't afford to wait."

"You can't afford to lose your notes."

"Point taken."

Eugene headed back into the room and retrieved his bundle of paperwork. He came outside to find his eldest talking to her mother.

"Mom, have you seen Tom at all?"

Rapunzel shook her head. "No dear. He didn't come to breakfast."

Annabelle sighed, folding her arms. "I know but—well—he didn't come to study in the library before his classes, either."

"Maybe he just went to University." Eugene suggested, motioning Rapunzel to start walking. "Don't worry, he'll be back in time for lunch."

"No, Dad—he didn't go to University either."

Both of her parents stopped walking, glancing at each other.

"You don't think—" Rapunzel started.

Eugene looked up in the direction of the royal apartments. "He's probably just sulking in his room. I'll go check up on him."

"How about we both go check on him?"

"But you need to go talk to the Salisburian ambassador and—"

"Tom comes first. His Excellency Cadwell won't mind if I'm late," the queen said, already heading towards the stairway.

Eugene exchanged looks with his daughter. "All right."

The three royals ascended the staircase. Eugene asked Annabelle how she knew Thomas had not been in the library since she was supposed to be down in the kitchens taste-testing wedding cakes. His daughter turned pink and primly stated she was just dropping off some books she had borrowed. Eugene pointed out that she could drop off books any time she wanted, and by the way, how was his future son-in-law? He wasn't getting cold feet, was he? Rapunzel hushed him and said probably not since their daughter had knitted Stanley socks last Christmas. Annabelle groaned, Eugene laughed, and Rapunzel once again scolded him.

They reached Thomas's bedroom. Rapunzel knocked on the door, asking quietly, "Tom? Are you there?"

"'Yes, but leave me alone to mope in private,'" Eugene mumbled in a passable attempt at his son's voice.

Rapunzel slapped him with the back of her hand. "Stop. Don't tease him."

He shrugged, grinning sheepishly. "All right. I'm sorry, Thomas. You can come out. No one's going to make fun of you."

There was no answer.

"Tom?" Annabelle said.

Silence.

Rapunzel frowned and tried the door, finding it unlocked. She entered. "Tom? Are you here?"

Eugene walked into the room after his wife, his daughter coming in behind him. Immediately, the hairs on the back of his neck rose and his jaw tightened. Something was not right. He looked around as Rapunzel knocked on the closed bathroom door. The drawers of the dresser hung open, and the wardrobe door was ajar. Clothes scattered across the floor. The toolkit he knew Thomas kept by his bed was missing. And something sparked in his memory. The food that had disappeared from the kitchens…

Eugene stepped forward and his foot landed on a textbook. He picked it up, noticing the torn out pages. His heart dropped.

"Rapunzel."

The queen came out of the bathroom. "He's not there either. Where could he be?"

"Do you think he went out riding?" Annabelle asked.

"Yeah." Eugene swallowed, closing the textbook. "Yeah, maybe he did."

"Dad, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Listen, Rapunzel, you need to get to that meeting. Annie and I will—"

There was a knock at the door, and all three of them turned to see one of the stable groomers. He appeared out of breath.

Rapunzel's eyes widened. "Parker? What's wrong?"

"Your Majesty—the—the prince's horse. Maximus II—he's gone."

"So Tom did go out riding after all. Well then," she turned to Eugene, "it looks like we just have to—what's the matter?"

Eugene shook his head. "He's not out riding."

"What do you mean? Of course he is."

"He's not out riding here, Rapunzel. Thomas—he ran away."

"How could you know that?" she asked, following him out into the hallway.

"Because I've done it before and I know what it looks like. Parker," he pointed at the groomer. "Get the palace guard out searching the city. But tell them to be quiet about it."

"Eugene, there's no reason to think—"

"Remember when I said food was missing from the kitchens?"

Rapunzel frowned. "You don't mean…"

"Exactly. No one's seen him all morning, his horse is gone, and so is his toolkit." He nodded at the groomer. "Parker, please tell Captain Bill what I said."

"Yes, your Highness." The man bowed and jogged away, wheezing.

"But—but—why would he run away?" Rapunzel asked, staring back into the room. "Why would he—what made him want to—"

Eugene took her by the shoulders. "Doesn't matter why. We just need to catch him before he's gone too far."

"Eugene—Eugene, what if—" She looked up at him, her expression worried. Gone was the confidence she had displayed to the council. Right now there was only fear.

He squeezed her shoulders. "No, don't worry, Rapunzel. We'll find him. You go ahead to that meeting with the ambassador. I'll take care of this." He glanced at his daughter, instructing, "Annie, go with your mom."

She bit her lip. "Yes sir. But—"

"I'll take care of this. Everything will be fine." He pressed a reassuring kiss to his wife's forehead. "I promise."

"No, I need to help find—"

"You need to convince Salisbury to help our boys out fighting, sweetheart. Remember who you are. Remember how many people are counting on you."

She took a deep breath, some of her resolve coming back. "You're right. We need to go, Annie."

Annabelle took her mother's hand, and both women began to go back towards the stairs.

"It'll be okay," Eugene called after them.

Of course, he didn't know that everything was going to be okay. Thomas could have left hours ago. He could've left soon after going to bed the previous night. He could be halfway across the country now. But Eugene shook his head, attempting to dislodge the thought. No. No, he couldn't have gotten too far. They would find him. They had to find him.

He waited until his wife and daughter had disappeared from view before breaking into a run.


The day drew on, the bright morning fading into a grey afternoon. Around three-o'clock the sun had disappeared completely behind a growing mass of clouds. Lightning danced between the layers as ships came back into port, their sails flapping in wild bursts of wind. It would be a big storm. Dangerous and cold. Certainly not something a person would want to be caught in, especially when there was no hint as to when it would end.

Eugene turned away from the window of his and Rapunzel's sitting room as the captain of the palace guard finished his report. Both their daughters were there; Ginger was beside Rapunzel on the couch, Pascal snuggled in her lap while Annabelle sat in the armchair. Stanley stood next to her, holding her hand. The former king and queen were also in attendance, sharing the loveseat, concern on their faces. It was probably something like a familiar nightmare to them.

The guards had not found Thomas in the city. And although they had expanded their search to the shoreline beyond the bridge, with the sky darkening there was little hope of locating the crown prince tonight.

"We will continue searching, your Majesty. However, with no idea of where he could have gone…" the captain shook his head, leaving the rest of his sentence unfinished.

Rapunzel nodded, her voice steady as she spoke: "Thank you, Bill. I appreciate your efforts and your honesty. As you continue your search, I only ask that you keep the matter a secret."

"What should I tell those who ask? We have already received questions."

"Tell them you're looking for a fugitive, Captain," Eugene answered, coming over to sit on his wife's other side.

"Fugitive?"

"It's the story that makes the most sense right now," Eugene replied.

The captain bowed. "Yes, your Highness. Is there anything else I can do?"

Rapunzel shook her head. "Not at the moment. We need to talk this over before we make any more decisions."

"Yes, your Majesty. I will await your summons." Bowing again, the captain exited the room.

The silence he left behind was heavy with uncertainty. There were so many pieces to consider, so many plans that had to be made. Thomas had run away, that was true, but he could not have chosen a worse time to do so. The war had created enemies both inside the country and out. Should knowledge of the prince's departure become widespread, his life would be in terrible danger. He could be captured, tortured, held for ransom, even killed. Not to mention the political fodder this would provide nobles unfriendly to the throne. After all, if even the prince wasn't going to stick around, why should they?

Eugene glanced at the faces of his family. He met Rapunzel's eyes and took her hand.

She cleared her throat. "Before we come up with a plan, does anyone know where he may have gone?"

Ginger and Annabelle shook their heads. Stanley replied in the negative. Her parents did the same. Eugene, however, picked up the textbook he had found in Thomas's room.

"He tore out maps for Corona, Orae, and the Midlands. That might not tell us anything, but it's a start."

"We don't have the time or resources to send men out to three different countries," Rapunzel groaned.

"Well, then let's just focus on this one. After all, if there is one place we know he's still in, it's Corona. He wouldn't have had time to get anywhere else except Salisbury and he knows they've closed their borders."

"That's true."

"Tom—Tom always did say he wanted to see more of the kingdom," Ginger said, petting her mother's chameleon.

Annabelle nodded. "He talked about Gavin all the time."

Rapunzel frowned. "Why Gavin?"

"It's one of the main arteries of the country," her father said. "I remember telling him about it once. If a man ever wants to get anywhere, Gavin is where he should go."

His wife looked at him. "But how do we know he hasn't left from here, Tommy? There are plenty of ships leaving from the city."

"With all due respect, your Majesty, I've checked with the harbor masters. No ships have gone further than upriver today, towards Gavin. They thought it wise not to chance the storm in the open ocean," Eugene replied.

Rapunzel bit her lip. "Okay, so it's safe to say he's in Corona, probably heading toward Gavin. How do we catch up to him?"

Eugene shrugged. "We can continue having the palace guard search the surrounding area. But I thought—well, I could go."

"You can't go. I need you here."

"I could find him, Rapunzel. I know could."

"What makes you so sure?"

Eugene held out his hand. "Because I was in his position once. I left the orphanage when I was his age. I remember what it was like being young and stupid and angry and Thomas—"

"Had a very different childhood than you did."

"Exactly. He doesn't know how to keep his head down."

"I still don't see how that makes you any more able to find him than anybody else. Besides, I need you here to help handle domestic matters and the refugee situation."

Her father cleared his throat. "I could take over those duties."

"Dad, I don't want to do that to you."

"It would be my honor, dear girl. Besides, given the recent antagonism Eugene has experienced from certain dukes and barons, it may be opportune. I can command the respect that Eugene, fine man that he is, cannot as someone of common blood. I've been king for several decades and I know a thing or two about persuading Coronan nobility."

Eugene nodded. "It's true. They like him better than they like me."

Rapunzel's mother set her hand on her husband's arm. "Added to that, Rapunzel, Eugene is good at finding things. He's good at finding people. He found you—"

By accident, Eugene thought.

"And he has lived life outside of the realm of royalty. He knows the world in ways that our soldiers do not."

Eugene noticed she didn't say he knew the world 'as a thief,' but he appreciated her vote of confidence. Matter of fact, he deeply appreciated both of Rapunzel's parents voicing their approval. Now of course came the hard part: convincing his wife.

Rapunzel frowned, evidently thinking over what had been said. After several seconds of thought, she said, "I understand the idea and the reasons behind it. But I still want to talk to you," she added, looking at her husband.

"Of course."

"Alone."

"Yes dear."


Eugene shifted through the coats in the closet, trying to find something that didn't scream prince consort. It was turning out to be surprisingly difficult. When had he gotten all these fancy clothes? He couldn't remember the last time he had worn something that didn't have embroidery or velvet or silk or—was that gold?

"I think I'm going to have to raid the servants' wardrobes," he said, coming out of the closet with an armful of garments. "All of this is too expensive-looking."

"It will do for now," his wife replied.

Eugene glanced at her as he put more things into his bag. She was writing something at the desk, her forehead furrowed. They had just finished a lengthy discussion on whether or not he would leave to find their son. And, while they had agreed together that Eugene would go out to find Thomas, he knew Rapunzel wasn't happy about it. He wasn't quite sure why, and he was hesitant to ask.

The war had changed her. The emotions she had once displayed without reservation were locked away, kept in check by the necessity of her role as queen. She had to maintain an appearance of strength and calm. No matter what happened, she could not crack. Not yet. Not when there was so much at stake. Unfortunately some of that reservation had leaked out into her private life, making it difficult to find that tender heart incased in its armor. But maybe he could locate a chink…

Eugene cleared his throat. "So I was planning on taking a few men with me—just to start."

"To start?" she asked sharply.

"Well, I can move faster on my own."

Rapunzel turned to look at him. "You're also a better target that way. It's just as dangerous for you to be out there as it is for Tom."

"They're going to slow me down."

"They're going to keep you safe." Her eyes narrowed.

Eugene flicked his hand irritably. "Rapunzel, I can't move the way I'll need to when I've got five guys in chain mail following me around."

"It's for your protection."

"Forget protection. I need—"

"Just give me this, please!" she exclaimed, jerking in her chair and knocking the inkbottle onto the floor.

It made a loud sound when it hit the hard wood. Rapunzel sniffed.

Eugene knelt and picked up the bottle, setting it back onto the desk. Then he took her hand and stroked her hair back. "Okay. I'll take some men with me."

She straightened. "I just—I just want you to be safe."

"I know."

"I want Tom to be safe too."

"We both want that."

"Then why—why do I feel like I—I…"

Tears began to flow down her cheeks. She wiped at them, her lips quivering as she fought against the storm rising inside. Then her face crumpled and she broke down into sobs. Eugene stood up, bringing her with him so he could hold her shaking body in his arms. It was a moment before he realized she was mumbling something into his vest. Once his brain started deciphering what his ears were telling him, his heart almost broke.

"I failed him, Eugene. I—I've been spending all my time on w-work and I thought that he w-would be fine and—and he wasn't. T-tom is in danger and we—I want to go find him. I want to explain—explain things so he'd b-be okay. But I can't because I've got all these—everyone depending on me. He's m-my baby boy. And I'm so sc-scared. What if w-we never find him?"

Eugene rubbed her back. "We will. I will."

"It's m-my fault."

"No it's not. Look at me," he leaned back, taking her face in his hands. "It is not your fault, Rapunzel."

"But why would he run? Wh-what did I do to—?"

"He chose to leave because he wanted to leave. He hurt you," Eugene's voice croaked slightly. "He hurt us. But I'm going to make this right."

She closed her eyes. "I want him back. I want him home."

"I know."

Thunder rumbled outside the palace windows.


The plan was relatively simple. Eugene would go out with a team of three soldiers on the pretense of a diplomatic mission to Salisbury. Meanwhile, to explain Thomas's absence at University they would take advantage of his latest fight at school to provide a reason for private tutoring. Rapunzel's father would take up Eugene's duties while he was gone, and the kingdom and war would continue to process as smoothly as possible. All in all, it was a good plan and Eugene was satisfied that it would work to keep off suspicion for at least a few weeks.

To make completely certain, however, he took his goodbyes upstairs in the sitting room rather than at the front doors of the palace.

"I'm going to miss you both so much," Eugene murmured, holding his daughters tightly.

Ginger was already crying, hiccupping as she said, "We'll m-miss you too, Daddy."

"There now." He kissed her on the head and squeezed Annabelle's shoulder. "It'll be all right. It's like a business trip."

"No it's not and you know it." His eldest drew back slightly, staring at him through reddened eyes.

His smile faded, and he said, "No, it's not."

She took a deep breath. "Dad, Stan and I talked and—and we decided that we're not going to get married until you and Tom are back."

"Your wedding is two months away."

"I know but—just in case. You don't know how long it's going to be."

"Annie, I don't—"

"Please." Annabelle set her head against him. "I'm not walking down that aisle without you."

Eugene nodded. "Okay. Yes, you're right."

"Besides," Ginger sniffed, "you'll need to see me in my dress."

He laughed. "Yes, I do."

"And dance with me?"

"Yeah, cause you know I'd break any boy's nose who'd try to dance with you first."

Ginger burst into tears again.

Eugene swallowed and hugged his girls closer to him. This was going to be a lot more difficult than he thought. Of course, both knew why he was going and understood the importance of it. They wanted him to find their brother—to bring him home. But sometimes it's hard to be brave when your father has to go away. It's even harder to leave your children behind, even if the logical part of your brain tells you that it's the safer option.

Someone cleared her throat, and he heard his mother-in-law's quiet voice. "All right, dear girls. Your father needs to leave before the storm gets any worse."

"Yes ma'am." After kissing Eugene's cheek, Annabelle came over obediently to stand with her grandmother and grandfather.

Ginger gave her father one last squeeze before going over to join them. When she turned back, Eugene was gone.


He met Stanley halfway down the hall, coming from the direction he was heading. The younger man jerked his thumb backwards. "Her Majesty is just finishing talking with the lieutenants who will be going with you. She asked me to see if you were done."

"I'm done," Eugene said. "It wasn't easy but—I need to get going."

"Better to start as soon as possible."

"Hmm-mm. Stan?"

"Yes, your Highness?" he asked.

"Did you and Annie really decide to postpone your wedding if Thomas and I aren't back in time?"

Stanley raised his eyebrows. "Yes sir, we did."

Eugene smiled. "Thank you."

"You're wel—"

"Don't."

Stanley frowned. "What?"

The prince consort shrugged, responding, "I mean—I guess if we're not back in two months then you could postpone it. But if it takes a year, I don't want you to wait."

"But sir—"

"You and Annie love each other and you should be married. Soon."

"She wouldn't want to without her father, you know that," Stanley pointed out.

Eugene sighed. "Yes, I suppose not. But even so, don't wait on my account. Please."

Stanley looked down, evidently displeased with the request.

Eugene adjusted the straps of his bag, the clinking buckles surprisingly loud in the corridor. "Can you promise me something?"

Unable to keep all annoyance out of his voice, Stanley asked, "Sure. What is it?"

"My family is my life. And I won't be here to protect them while I'm gone. So, I'm asking you to protect them. No matter what happens, make sure they are safe."

The younger man's face softened. "I will."

"Thank you." Eugene shook his hand. "Annie did well with you."

Stanley gave a wry grin. "She has impressive ancestry."

"Why, how nice of you to—"

"Especially on her mother's side."

Eugene smirked. "Yeah, I probably deserved that one. See you later, Stan."

He had started to walk away when Stanley spoke again.

"I love your daughter, sir."

Eugene looked at him. "I know you do."

"Then be careful out there. She'll be waiting for you to come back. We'll all be waiting."

The prince consort nodded before turning around to take the stairs. Soon he was walking in the semi-darkness, the only light coming from candles in their sconces. Questions and doubt rose, unbidden, in his mind. What would happen now? How long would it take to find Thomas? How long would his son be safe out on his own? Could he even find him and, once he did, would he be able to convince the boy to return back home?

Worst of all, how much of it was his fault?

Eugene shook his head, trying to dislodge these bleak thoughts. Now was not the time to be dealing with this. He had to be strong, to be focused. Emotional turmoil would have to come later, although he knew the next goodbye would most certainly break him.


Rapunzel was waiting just inside the open doors of the palace. She stood with her face to the falling rain, and did not turn around when he approached.

"The storm's started already," she said.

Eugene scratched his ear. "Your dad told me I should've left earlier."

"He was right. How are the girls?"

"Sad, but they'll be fine. Annie and Ginger-snap are amazing like that."

"Yes they are."

He cleared his throat. "Stan said you finished talking to the lieutenants?"

"I did. They're down in the courtyard waiting for you."

"Then I'd probably better get down there."

His wife finally turned to look at him. She was no longer crying, having spent her tears earlier in their bedroom. She looked every inch a high queen of Corona despite not wearing any shoes. Regal and kind, with a trace of rebellion in her green eyes.

Dear God, he was going to miss her.

"Um, before I go, Rapunzel, there's a few things I need to cover." Talk business. It would be easier if he just stuck to business.

She nodded. "All right. What is it?"

"You should have the report, but there's a new group of refugees coming into Wentworth that will need to be registered. We also still need to take inventory of the food coming from the Kingsland farms. And I was supposed to have a meeting with Colonel Meeks tomorrow."

"I'll make sure Dad knows about it."

"Annie asked me to pick out a color for my vest for the wedding." Oops, he wasn't supposed to mention his daughter.

"I'll take care of that."

"And—and there's a—uh—a proposal some of the lesser lords have been working on that you'll need to see. It's about refugee housing or something. Oh, and Ginger-snap needs help studying for that literature test that's coming up on Friday."

"Eugene—"

"And also—"

"Shhh." Rapunzel set her hand on his face, stroking his cheek as she gazed up at him.

Words died in his throat. He couldn't say anything more. And then she kissed him.

His fingers tangled in her short hair—hair that smelled like lavender and was the softest he had ever known. He drew her deeper into his embrace, holding her close and wishing he never had to let go. She felt so small. Just as she had felt when he held her for the first time in the tower all those years ago. He had promised himself then that he would never leave her. How could he leave her now?

Much to soon, Rapunzel pulled away to rest her cheek against his shoulder. "I love you, Eugene."

"I love you too," he whispered.

"Be safe. Find Tom and bring him home."

"I will. I promise."


Miles away, out over the wooded plains, rain had been falling for some time. It had been falling fast and cold, piercing the forest canopy and running rivulets down the knotted bark of the trees. It was a miserable rain, which seeped into every crevice available and pooled into the mire of crushed leaves and spongy earth. Cruel rain, making a darkened world only darker, briefly broken by bursts of lighting accompanied by roaring thunder and howling wind.

Rain that, at this very moment, was pouring onto the head of the crown prince of Corona as he sat upon a stump in the middle of the forest.

"You stink," Thomas said.

The white horse beside him snorted.

"Yeah I know," he muttered, pulling his cloak tighter over his head, "I stink too."

Perhaps he should have planned more in regards to this venture. And learned how to set up a tent properly. And carried tinder and flint and all the important things needed to make a fire. And packed more to eat than what he could snatch from the kitchens.

"Max, this is all your fault."

His horse neighed indignantly.

"Well if you had told me that then maybe we wouldn't be in this mess!"

Maximus II, his mane sopping wet and his legs muddied with leaves stuck to them, did not think much of this statement. He leaned over and gave his master a shove, knocking him into the dirt.

Thomas sprung up, eyes furious. "What'd you do that for?!"

The horse nickered in amusement.

"Yeah, well, laugh it up because there's no chance you're getting anything to eat tonight." He groaned, wiping at his face as his stomach gurgled. "No chance I'll get anything to eat, either."

Given all the time he had been spending alone with his horse lately, Thomas had long since dismissed the idea that communicating with an animal was the mark of an insane person. Really, it would be insane not to talk to Maximus II. He was the only person who seemed to agree with him these days.

"At least I've got you, Max."

There was no response, and when Thomas looked up he was stunned to see that his horse had turned tail and was disappearing into the underbrush.

Thomas hurriedly grabbed his bag and ran after the animal. "Max! Max, wait up! Where are you going?"

A clap of thunder sounded, followed by a blaze of lightning. Maximus II froze momentarily, and Thomas took the opportunity to jump onto his back. Startled, the horse let out a neigh and reared, plunging headlong through the trees.

Branches flew past, and Thomas clung to the straps of the saddle for dear life. He had no idea where his panicked animal was taking him, and when he tried to grab the reins he almost fell off. Maximus II galloped forward, leaping over a dead tree and charging into a group of bushes. Thorns tore at the boy's clothing and skin. He shut his eyes and yelped, his teeth clacking together with every movement.

Prying his jaw apart, Thomas yelled, "Stop!"

Maximus II suddenly lost his footing, and they were skidding down a slope, both boy and animal screaming in terror. This was it. This was the end. He was going to die on the back of his stupid horse in the middle of the woods in a rainstorm. Some adventure this was.

And then, amazingly, everything slowed down. Thomas and Maximus opened their eyes, amazed to see they had reached the bottom of the hill unscathed.

Shaking, Thomas pulled himself upright in the saddle and took the reins. "Over—over there, Max. Try over there."

They walked past what looked like a great hunk of rock. They must be close to that old quarry he had seen on maps in the library. There was supposed to be a cave around here, wasn't there? If they could find it maybe they'd have someplace dry to stay for the night.

Thomas and Maxmius II rounded the corner. No cave—just a blank stretch of rock. Stupid map. Thomas pulled his horse to a halt and dismounted, running a hand over the wall. He could have sworn it was—whoa!

He jerked his hand back, troubled to find part of the rock moving beneath his fingers. Thomas reached out again, trying to focus in the darkness, and realized it wasn't stone shifting beneath his palm. No, it was leaves. A curtain of vines, stretching over—he stepped into the vines and under an overhang in the rock.

There was a cave!

"Max, get a load of this."

The horse obeyed, bending low so as to enter the alcove. He neighed gratefully and dropped onto the ground.

Thomas rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't be so dramatic. You're all right."

Maximus II turned his head away, disdain on his face. Then he started nibbling on the vines covering the mouth of the cave.

"Just don't eat all of them," Thomas warned, dropping his bag onto the ground. "You're going to want it to keep the rain out."

His horse ignored him, and the crown prince walked further into the small cavern. He wondered how far it went. Maybe they could set up a base camp here. Somewhere they could rest and think. A place to plan and—was that light ahead?

Thomas followed the bend and found himself staring into the rainy night once more. But there was something different about this night. He squinted at the tall, thin shadow blocking out the clouds. What was that? A massive tree?

But lightning flashed and he and realized… it wasn't a tree. It was a tower.

An old memory fizzed at the back of his mind, but dimly since his shivering body directed his attention to the light in the tower window and smoke coming from the squat chimney. There was a fire in there. A warm fire. Dry clothes. And food, maybe. Tasty food that didn't spoil due to rain. There might even be a bed…

Thomas stepped out into the clearing. It was a strange, circular place with walls of stone rising high on all sides so that there was no chance of seeing the tower from the exterior. The grass around here was really green for the time of year, and a brook, swollen from the rain, made a graceful curve before disappearing underneath the rock.

He approached the tower cautiously, staring up at its ancient bricks. Ivy covered the entire bottom half, but after a short walk around he discovered a wooden door. He tried the old-fashioned knob, jiggling it only to find it was locked. His picking kit was all the way back with Maximus II in the cave.

He hammered on the door. "Hello? Anyone home?"

No answer.

Growling, Thomas unclenched his fist and smacked his hand upon the wood again. It rattled in its hinges but remained very much closed.

"Hello? Anyone here? Anyone want to give a poor kid some hospitality?"

Still no answer.

Thomas kicked the door, yelped when his toe hit the iron hinge, and spent the next few seconds hopping up and down in agony.

Then he realized a glow was beginning to slip out through the cracks around the door. He could hear footsteps. Someone had heard his knocking.

Someone was coming down to let him in.


By the way, you will see a lot of Irish place names in this story since I kinda based the Midlands off of Ireland a bit... maybe one day I can go there! :)