Chapter 18

Cassandra and Eugene crouch silently in the bushes next to each other. They pull back the branches in front of their faces, peering through the leaves at the scene before them.

Through the brush, on the other side of the forest, is a maze of wooden docks lengthening along the shore. Various ships and boats are stationary in the water, their masts swaying in the afternoon breeze.

The vast ocean shimmers in the distance, bright blue and endless on the horizon.

Barrels, wooden crates, and nets are stacked along the docks as well as a few small shacks. Vibrant green palm trees line the pale sand below. Waves overlap the shore and can be heard crashing softly against the hull of the vessels.

Sailors dressed in rags and covered in dirt walk between the ships and the dock, unaware of the two pairs of lingering eyes. Voices can be heard as they mill about, transferring cargo and handling fishing nets. Seagulls squawk from overhead and a bell from one of the ships rings along with the rhythm of the wind.

From their spot in the bushes, Cassandra notices one of the vessels docked in the harbour, with white sails and masts that tower toward the clear blue sky. "The Strongbow," she reads the golden lettering on the back of the hull, eyeing it with a grimace. "Huh. Looks better than it sounds."

"Yeah… Lance was pretty insistent on the name," Eugene says as he crouches down next to her, sounding disappointed.

It's the same ship Lance had commandeered when they'd all escaped Corona. They spent many months sailing on those decks alongside Rapunzel.

"I told him he should go with a much more well-known name such as my own—whoa, whoa, wait a minute!" He springs to his feet when Cassandra stands up and begins to walk out into the open.

He pulls her back by the arm, stopping her from being seen by anyone.

"What?" she whips around to face him, annoyed.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" He glances down at her and makes an awkward gesture with his hand.

Cass peers down at herself too, wondering what on earth he is talking about that should be so obvious. Not noticing anything amiss, she crosses her arms across her chest. "You're gonna have to be a bit more specific than that."

"You can't just walk out there looking like a guard!" he whispers aggressively, waving his hands everywhere. "This place is crawling with pirates. Unless you wanna add another problem to our already very long list of problems."

She glances over her shoulder at the bustling harbour in the distance, clearly not as phased by it as he is. "What, you want me to pretend to be a criminal?"

"I know it's hard for you, but we need to at least try to be civil here." Eugene pinches the bridge of his nose, shaking his head. "If you just blend in with the rest of us, then we can get in and get out, easy. No one will ever know."

She thinks about that for a moment, not entirely liking the idea of it. Though, she supposes Eugene is right. Cass can't say she's ever dealt with pirates before, and he probably knows better about them than she does.

Considering everyone here is an enemy of the very law Cassandra stands for, they may react badly to somebody dressed in full royal guard armour, just walking out into their territory.

After a moment, Cass groans loudly, "Fine." With an eyeroll, she reaches a hand over her shoulder and begins fiddling with the clasps of her chest plate armour.

"Thank you," Eugene sighs with relief, stepping out of the trees with an eased mind. He stops to face her once more, lowering his voice, "And, uh, by the way… Lance doesn't need to know about the whole guard thing. It'll just make things too complicated."

As they enter the harbour a few minutes later, Cass walks alongside Eugene feeling wary of the various eyes that seem to watch them.

She'd ditched her armour in the bushes, careful to hide it in case any of the other guards were to ever come across it.

Now, she's dressed in the maroon long-sleeve she'd been wearing underneath that covers her neck and clings to her slim torso. The dark cloak draped around her shoulders remains the same, as well as her black trousers and the sword holstered to her hip. Though she doesn't exactly look like a pirate, they hope it's a good enough disguise for the time being.

It doesn't seem like anyone here is overly suspicious of her, but Cassandra keeps an eye over her shoulder just to be sure.

As they approach The Strongbow, it doesn't take long for Eugene to recognize the man sitting at the end of the dock that branches off behind the vessel.

It's quieter back here. With the vast ship towering next to them, the dock is completely shadowed by it from the bright afternoon sun.

Lance leans all the way back in his chair, only the back two legs touching the ground. The back of it is propped against the wooden post behind him. His legs are outstretched, ankles crossed overtop the opposite post as he rocks back and forth.

One hand holds out a fishing rod in the water while the other is limply cradling a tankard of ale. He looks like he's having the time of his life doing absolutely nothing important, enjoying a moment of peace under the sun.

Lance takes a large swig just as Cassandra and Eugene approach him.

He perks up in his seat immediately, eyes brightening as he notices them, though his voice remains casual. "Well, well, look who it is. Long time no see, Rider."

It may have only been a few months since they'd last seen each other, though it feels longer.

"Lance!" Eugene beams, gesturing to Cass next to him. "You remember Cassandra. The, uh… the real one."

It takes Lance a moment to recognize her, and to decipher what Eugene means by that. He'd called Rapunzel by the same name before she told him she was the princess.

Then he remembers the day Cassandra had first found him two years ago, notifying him that Eugene was about to be executed in Corona. The memory suddenly becomes clear.

Rapunzel had spoken of the girl many times since then.

"Well, I gotta say I never thought I'd see you again," Lance greets her as he reels in his empty fishing line. He sets the rod down on the dock, rising to his feet. "Weren't you the princess' handmaiden? What are you doing all the way out here?"

"I'm, uh… I'm helping Flynn look for her." Cass glances over at Eugene, remembering what he'd told her about her being a guard. She meets eyes with Lance again, her tone serious, "Rapunzel is missing."

"What?" Lance's eyes widen with worry, his burly shoulders deflating. "What happened?" He had been about to ask where Rapunzel was. It isn't often he sees Eugene without her.

"Yeah, that's—that's kind of a long story," Eugene scratches the back of his neck, stepping toward him. "One that I'd love to catch you up on over a couple of drinks." He hooks an arm around Lance's shoulders. "Whataya say, buddy? Just like old times."

Cassandra, Eugene, and Lance sit around a long wooden table below deck of The Strongbow, each hunched over a tankard of ale.

There are other empty tables and benches around them. The walls are lined with cannons and cluttered stacks of cargo. Sunlight beams down from the opening at the top of the stairs, leading up to the main deck. A large metal grate is positioned in the ceiling above them, providing more light from outside. The walls are lined with fire-lit glass lanterns, flickering softly.

The lower decks are empty of other crewmembers, with only a few footsteps heard from above. The ship rocks gently with the waves rushing into the harbour. The hull creaks and groans over the distant sound of seagulls cawing outside.

"So, let me get this straight," begins Lance, peering at the two sitting across from him, "Rapunzel's ex-fiancée erased her memories with some kind of potion, and you think he may have kidnapped her in order to get revenge for… not marrying him?"

Eugene shrugs. "To be fair, we don't actually know why."

Cassandra takes a heavy swig from her tankard as she sits next to him.

Of course, revenge is one possibility. But the thought that Donovan is out for Rapunzel's bounty had crossed Eugene's mind.

Most everyone is after her these days, no doubt with the hefty reward the king has promised in exchange for her return. At least with that theory, Donovan would have to return her unharmed, which eases Eugene's mind somewhat. Still, it seems unlikely that the one to collect that bounty also happens to have history with her.

On the other hand, Eugene knows how insistent the king is on getting his daughter back. Maybe he'd sent Donovan out here to bring her back for him. But why erase her memories?

Whatever it is, Eugene figures there has to be some sort of personal reasoning behind it. Something else he's missing.

Though, he supposes it doesn't much matter. All that matters is getting Rapunzel back.

Lance shakes his head in disbelief, "I gotta say, Flynn… out of all the crazy stories I've heard about your life, this one is by far the craziest." With that, he takes a big gulp of his ale.

Cassandra pulls out the piece of parchment from her pocket, unfolding it onto the surface of the table. "We found this… in the house he was keeping her in." She flattens the captain's log beneath her hands, turning it around so Lance can see. "Ever heard of a ship called The Scarlett Storm?"

Lance leans forward with intrigue, studying the page in front of him. After a moment, he slowly nods his head. "Yeah. I've seen her." He stares hard at the name, trying to remember correctly. "She was at the trading post just a few days ago."

"Do you have any idea where she is now?" asks Eugene, hopeful that they might be getting somewhere.

"Not sure," Lance shakes his head. "Though, if she came from Ashford, she'll most likely be on the Western docks across the mainland. That's where all the kingdoms get their shipment of supplies."

"And how does a pirate such as yourself know all of this?" challenges Cass, skeptical why he happens to have such information.

"My guys have eyes all around this place," he explains confidently. "We kind of make it our business to know exactly who and what is sailing into our waters."

"You said they might be on the Western docks?" wonders Eugene.

"Yeah. The last shipment goes out tonight. If this guy is planning on leaving with Rapunzel, she'll be on the next ship back to Ashford," Lance explains.

Eugene feels his stomach drop. "So, he is taking her back," his gaze paces back and forth, piecing it all together. "That means we only have a few hours left."

"You think they're there right now?" asks Cass.

"Don't know," says Lance.

"Maybe we can reach them before they board," Eugene suggests.

"Not if you wanna make it before nightfall," points out Lance. "It's a bit of a trek from here, even by ship. They'll most likely have already boarded by the time you get there."

"So… if they are, we what? Sneak on board?" Eugene wonders.

"It may be the only option we've got," Cass chimes in, sounding less than amused by the idea of it.

Lance clicks his tongue thoughtfully. "It's a risk, I'll tell you that. But I'm afraid Cassandra's right. Either you get on that ship tonight, or your princess will be long gone by tomorrow, along with her memories." He raises his tankard to his lips, taking another swig.

"Then we'll need a ride," realizes Eugene. He shoots a devious smirk at the other man across the table, raising his eyebrows. "Whataya say, Lance? Think you're up for a rescue mission?"

"Do you even have to ask that? That girl is like family now," he scoffs, as if it is obvious.

Somehow, he feels like Rapunzel is partially his responsibility. The three of them have been through thick and thin these past two years. There's no way he wouldn't try to help get her back.

"Besides, been a while since we had a good adventure together." Lance raises an eyebrow, quoting what Eugene had told him earlier, "Just like old times, right?"

Eugene chuckles, beyond happy to hear that, "I'll owe you one."

Cassandra swallows her ale and sets her tankard down. "So. It seems we have a means to board The Scarlett Storm." She rises to her feet, leaning forward as she presses her palms against the surface of the table. Dreading this already, she looks over at Eugene sitting down next to her, "You sure you wanna do this, pretty boy?"

An unsettling feeling nestles in Eugene's stomach at the thought of whatever might end up happening. The possibilities are terrifying.

They can't be entirely certain Rapunzel is even there, or whether they can make it to the ship in time, but it's the best lead they've got. They have to try.

Locating her will be one thing. Getting her to drink the reverse potion will be another. Eugene doesn't even want to think about what might happen if they get caught. Despite it all, there's no hesitation. All he wants is to see Rapunzel again.

"For Rapunzel, anything," says Eugene.

"So, it's settled then," Lance springs to his feet as well, his chair scraping across the wooden deck as he announces with determination, "We're getting our princess out of there. Tonight."