Chapter 3
Lance walks through the dark woods in silence. It's deathly quiet, without a soul in sight. His boots brush softly against grass beneath the rhythmic sound of chirping crickets in the night. The sky is black, and the full moon peeks out behind a misty cloud, emitting a deep blue glow among the forest of still pine trees.
He wears a red leather vest overtop a dirt-stained tunic and buckled belt. Black studded cuffs cover his wrists, his one gold earring glistening in the moonlight.
A twig snaps from somewhere behind him.
Baring the sword from the holster on his hip, Lance whips around and quickly aims it at the silhouette of a leaning tree.
"Whoa there, buddy. Watch where you're pointing that thing." A shadowy figure emerges calmly from behind the tree trunk. "You can seriously hurt someone."
Lance lowers his weapon upon recognizing the familiar face. He beams with relief, lowering his sword. "Flynn! Where the hell have you been?"
The darkness makes it difficult to decipher anything out here as Flynn saunters into the clearing and beneath the cold moonlight. A thin layer of fog hovers over the forest floor, parting as he walks through it. An owl hoots hauntingly in the distance, and something about it seems eerie.
Flynn holds up a brown leather satchel in his hand, one he's never seen without. The strap dangles off his two fingers as he says, "Let's just say I got a little sidetracked." He opens it briefly, exposing a shimmering golden crown.
Studded jewels line the intricate design, curving into a shape that resembles three diamond flower petals.
"No way!" Lance excitedly leans in for a better look with a wide grin on his face. "You actually pulled it off!"
Flynn turns away from him, closing the satchel again. "Uh-uh, keep your voice down! We don't know who could be lurking around out here." He glances around themselves cautiously.
"Ha ha! You sly fox!" Lance punches the other man in the arm, practically shouting and doing the exact opposite of keeping his voice down. "I gotta admit, I didn't know you had that in you."
Flynn wraps the satchel back around his torso. "I may or may not have had some help. But hey, I'm happy to take all the credit," he smirks proudly.
"Help? Help from who?" He watches Flynn for a moment who pretends not to hear him, then his face twitches in dreadful realization. "Wait, you don't mean the Stabbington's, do you?"
"Ehh, don't worry about it," The pitch rises in Flynn's voice as he wanders through the forest, avoiding eye contact.
Lance follows him impatiently. "Where are they now?"
"Lance, seriously. All that stress is gonna clog your pores," says Flynn without looking back at him.
Lance cuts in front of him, stopping Flynn from walking. "You double crossed the Stabbington's? Are you insane?" He asks in bewilderment, assuming what had happened considering the type of person Flynn is and his previous relationship with said criminals.
"Relax! I left their scent right in the guards' trail. They've long been arrested by now, trust me," Flynn chuckles with satisfaction. He hooks an arm around Lance's burly shoulders, gesturing to the satchel wrapped around his torso, "Besides, now that we have this, the two of us will be living like kings! Now all we have to do is scrounge up a ship, get the hell off this rock and we're golden! The sea will be ours, just like we always planned! What did I tell ya, huh? Am I amazing or what?"
Lance ponders that for a moment, unable to resist the smirk that forms on his lips. He does like the sound of that. "You have your moments, Rider." He lightly shoves Flynn away from him, crossing his arms. "All I'm sayin' is, first round tonight is on you."
Flynn claps him hard on the back, grinning excitedly, "That's the spirit!"
Rapunzel pokes at her plate of food with her fork, seated quietly at the dinner table.
The sound of scraping silverware rings awkwardly throughout the vast dining hall. She sits with her shoulders heavy, and her stomach caved. But she has no desire to eat. It feels like she hasn't had an appetite in days.
Her father clears his throat, the sound echoing within the grand walls. Rapunzel perks up at the sound, her eyes finding him seated across the table. She notices Frederic meeting eyes with Arianna next to him.
After a moment, the queen sets her fork down and places her hands in her lap. "Rapunzel," she begins, breaking the silence. "There's something your father and I would like to discuss with you."
Rapunzel glances between the pair seated across from her. She can't read the tone of her mother's voice, but the serious expressions on both their faces make her heart stop. "What is it?" she asks, afraid of the answer.
Her first thought is that they know about the whole Flynn Rider thing that happened a week ago. She hasn't seen him or spoken of him since that day, but Rapunzel also knows that everyone watches her around here like a hawk and wouldn't be surprised if they somehow found out that Corona's most wanted criminal had helped her escape the guards that day.
Arianna glances nervously at her husband seated next to her. "Uh… we've received word from the kingdom of Ashford. They… uh…"
Noticing his wife's hesitance, Frederic looks pointedly from Arianna to Rapunzel, "Their king and queen will be arriving in Corona to meet with you. They and their… son. His name is Donovan. He is their prince and heir to the throne."
Rapunzel only stares at them blankly, wondering why they are telling her this. "Okay…" She's had to meet with plenty of royals before. Why are these people any different?
Frederic looks down at his plate, then over at his wife. He clears his throat once more, "Rapunzel. You and the prince are meant to be married… in three months."
Rapunzel's stomach drops. "What?"
"We know this must be hard for you to hear, but please, just listen," Frederic continues, but Rapunzel is too stunned to interrupt him. All she can do is stare blankly forward as she feels her entire world shatter around her, completely speechless.
"An alliance with our neighbouring kingdoms is essential for the future of Corona. And since you are now eighteen years of age, it is law that you marry a prince of equal social status. And… the rulers of every other kingdom have already chosen a spouse for their heirs."
"Darling…" Arianna adds, "One day we won't be here anymore, and we must ensure the kingdom is being taken care of in our absence. And most importantly, you."
Marriage? Three months? No… this can't be happening to her. Her heart is pounding now, fingertips quivering with nerves, confusion, and rage. Her chest is heaving now in a panic, fists clenching around the fabric of her dress beneath the dinner table.
Rapunzel stands suddenly, her chair scraping loudly across the tile. "So what? You're just gonna give me away to some strangers without even giving me a choice?" Her volume rises with anger. She can't believe this is happening right now.
"We know how it sounds," Frederic maintains a calm demeanor, his voice sounding defeated. They had expected her to react this way. "But we truly believe this is what's best for you and your future."
Rapunzel points an accusing finger at him across the table. "Oh, don't even start that, you know you are doing this for the kingdom, not for me! It's never for me!" She has never talked to her parents like this, not even to anyone. But eighteen years of being taught to hold her tongue has left her fuming and now all of it is pouring out at once, and the worst part of it all is that she doesn't even care.
"Rapunzel, please…" Arianna snivels softly.
"When is anyone around here ever going to ask me what I want?"
"I'm afraid it can't always be about what you want," Frederic tells her, becoming impatient. "You are the princess whether you like it or not and we have a kingdom to protect. You must consider your people and the future of Corona! We're sorry but this is the way it has to be."
"If you were sorry, you wouldn't make me do this!" shouts the princess, her eyes welling with tears.
"Rapunzel, that's enough!" The king bolts to his feet, his fists slamming down onto the table as he shouts, "I don't want to hear it anymore!"
Rapunzel flinches, startled by his booming voice.
Suddenly, she can't find the words to argue, because in this moment she realizes that there really is no point. This is it. There is no way she will be able to talk them out of this. The realization hits her like a ton of bricks that suffocate her to no end, and suddenly she finds it so much more difficult to breathe.
Rapunzel has never felt so helpless as she stands there in silence, beginning to sob softly. She looks pointedly at her mother with tear filled eyes, "But mom…" Her voice cracks painfully.
Arianna only stares brokenly at her with tears in her own eyes, as if she wants to say something but can't. She is so very sorry.
When it's clear that Arianna has nothing more to say, Rapunzel feels her heart wither. Of all people, she had expected her mother to be the one to tell her that she didn't have to do this - that this is all some sort of dream and that everything was going to be okay. But she doesn't. It breaks Rapunzel's heart as much as it breaks Arianna's to see her daughter like this.
"I can't believe you would do this to me," Rapunzel weeps.
The princess bolts out of the room as fast as her quivering legs can carry her.
A/N: At the time I started writing this story I had no idea the seven kingdoms already had names, so I made up my own. I happened to watch that episode of the series the day after I published this. xD