Nine: The Crown
"Is everything okay?" Rapunzel's voice brought me back from the green light on shore.
"Huh? Oh! Yes. Uh…" I stammered. There wasn't an easy way to explain. "Yes. Of course. I just…" My eyes landed on the satchel with the stolen crown. I tried to think of the best way to give the crown to the Stabbingtons so they wouldn't follow me anymore.
"Okay." Rapunzel said quietly as I picked up the oars and started to row us toward the shore.
"I'm sorry. Everything is fine." I tried to reassure her as I pulled the boat up onto the land. "There's just something I have to take care of." I said, knowing full well that I was being vague as I picked up the satchel.
Rapunzel's eyes darted from my face to the bag in my hand and back. "Okay." She nodded but didn't look convinced.
"I'll be right back." I promised, trying to ease the look of mild fear in her eyes. I turned away from her and toward the break in the rocks where I'd just seen the Stabbingtons disappear into. Behind the stones was a smaller little beach with a docked ship.
"Ah, there you are!" I said cheerfully as I walked toward my previous cohort. "I've been searching everywhere for you guys since we got separated. Hey, the sideburns are coming in nice, huh? Gotta be excited about that." I cleared my throat as he looked up from his whittling. "Anyhow. I just wanted to say- shouldn't have split. The crown is all yours." I tossed the bag and it landed at his feet, the crown sliding out of the bag a little. "I'll miss ya but i think it's for the-" As I turned I ran straight into Eyepatch. "Best." I finished, feeling anxiety rise in my throat.
"Holding out on us again? Ey, Ryder?"
"What?"
"We heard you found something. Something much more valuable than a crown." The other brother stood up and kicked the crown out of his way as he closed in on me. "We want her instead."
"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to buy time as I tried to think of how to get out of here and get back to Rapunzel. At two to one my odds weren't looking great.
Eyepatch grabbed my arms and I struggled to break free. The other slammed his fist across my jaw three times before he smashed his fist into the side of my head.
I blinked a few times. "Rapunzel…" I muttered. My surroundings registered suddenly. I was at the dock on a ship. Ropes were holding me up and the crown was tied to my hand. "Rapunzel!" I shouted even though I knew she was nowhere near me. My heart raced as I heard the brothers' words in my head. We want her instead.
Suddenly guards were leaping off the dock and onto the ship that I was tied to. "Nonono! Wait! Wait! Guys! Guys!" I shouted as they untied me and pulled me off the ship and up onto the dock. I struggled against the four guards that had me while the fifth had taken the crown. "Rapunzel!" I shouted hoping that somehow she could hear me and know that I didn't mean to deliver her to danger.