Chapter 21

"So, it's true then," says Donovan, eyeing Eugene from across the deck. "You aren't dead, despite what the rumours may say. Not that I ever believed them."

"You're him, aren't you?" Eugene assumes. "The prince of Ashford."

Somehow, he's exactly how Eugene had pictured him – young, charming, and irritating. They've only just met, and Eugene already doesn't like this where this is going. He's unusually casual about the situation considering Eugene had just been caught sneaking aboard his ship. It's almost as if the prince had expected him to be here.

"You figured it out," says Donovan, slowly wandering across the room, "I gotta say, I'm impressed."

It isn't until Eugene lays eyes on the dagger in Donovan's hand that he notices all the blood, practically glowing within the shadows. It stains the sleeve of his jacket from his shoulder all the way to his hand. It trickles down the blade at his side and drips onto the floor, forming a small puddle at his feet.

Eugene would recognize that dagger anywhere. It's Rapunzel's. She's had it since before they met, always keeps it hidden in her right boot. Eugene has never seen her without it.

A darkness flickers over Eugene's eyes as he recognizes it.

He glares at Donovan as he demands, "Where's Rapunzel?"

That blood is fresh. The fact that he has her dagger only proves what Eugene already knew. She's on this ship, somewhere. He's so close. But why does Donovan have it? Whose blood is it? What happened before Eugene got here? He refuses to believe she is hurt, and that he may be too late.

"You mean the lost princess?" Donovan asks, unbothered. "I suppose I have you to thank for breaking her out of that cabin. I was afraid that would've been the last I'd see of her, but lucky for me, I got her back."

He briefly lifts the dagger, the blade glistening beneath the moonlight shining through the ceiling. He turns it over a couple times in his hand, eyeing it while replaying the memory of Rapunzel attacking him with it just a few minutes earlier.

Now that Donovan has her knife and she doesn't, he supposes he can thank her for that. It'll just make things easier for him.

"She's a feisty one, I've learned. Proven to be much more difficult than I thought," Donovan continues. "Oh, but don't worry. She's safe and sound. All set to go back to Corona to be reunited with her precious parents."

Eugene blinks in confusion.

Corona? He thought this ship was going to Ashford. Why would Donovan bring her home? To turn her in? Did the king send him? Shouldn't that be the last place he should go, considering he's just kidnapped their princess? Or maybe he is just another bounty hunter, out for Rapunzel's reward. No, there has to be something else to it.

Thunder rumbles from outside, the sound drowning out the low creaking of the ship beneath their feet.

"What do you want with her?" Eugene almost doesn't want to know.

Donovan chuckles darkly, staring up at the ceiling in thought. "Where do I even begin?" He continues to slowly pace back and forth in front of Eugene on the other side of the room. "Let's be honest. A low-life like you was never meant to be with a princess like Rapunzel. Do you have any idea how humiliating it was to learn that my fiancée left me for some thief, just weeks before our wedding? And not only that, but for Flynn Rider of all people."

Eugene's expression hardens.

They had hoped no one else knew what happened, but of course, there's no way people wouldn't have figured it out. But that isn't the whole story, and it isn't how Rapunzel would describe it either.

The prince meets eyes with Eugene, noticing his reaction. Donovan scoffs. "Yeah. I knew that was what happened. You think everyone in the seven kingdoms wouldn't have been able to put two and two together? The princess of Corona and the notorious thief facing death row - both managed to go missing on the same day, never to be seen again?"

Anger overcomes his voice as he continues, "Everyone knows what happened, and for the past two years, no one has ever let me forget it." He briefly raises the dagger again, weakly pointing it at Eugene. "From that day forward, I swore I wasn't going to let someone like you take away what is rightfully mine ever again."

Thunder crashes again. There's a flicker of lightning, momentarily illuminating the dark room, before they're encased in shadows once more. Rain begins pattering onto the deck above them.

"I would've had everything," Donovan reflects, hopelessly. "The title of king. I could've ruled not only my own kingdom, but all of Corona too. And now, I can only imagine how grateful the king and queen will be when they learn that I've finally found their long-lost daughter… and returned her home where she belongs. They'll be so pleased with me, they'll surely grant me a generous reward in return, not to mention their daughter's hand in marriage. You see, I'm the one they wanted her to marry… before you came along. But of course, having Rapunzel as my wife is just the icing on the cake."

"She would never marry you," Eugene scowls.

"But you think she'll marry you?" Donovan retorts, almost laughing at that. "According to Rapunzel, Flynn Rider is the most dangerous criminal in the world that will stop at nothing to try and hurt her."

So, Donovan's been putting lies into Rapunzel's head about Eugene this entire time. He shouldn't be surprised.

Eugene's mind reverts to the reverse potion Varian had given him. It's been in his satchel this entire time, looped around his torso even as they speak. Rapunzel may not remember who Eugene is, but that potion is going to fix all that.

"And what will her parents think of you when they realize you brought her back without her memories?" questions Eugene.

"Anything could've happened while she was out there in that cruel, dark world… fighting to survive," he responds. "For instance, she could've fallen and hit her head. And I could've been the one to save her. After all, people suffer from amnesia all the time."

A voice shouts suddenly from somewhere above them, "Sail ho! Pirates inbound!" A bell rings out in the distance.

They both peer upward toward the noise, a sense of panic striking Eugene's face. Pirates? That can only mean one thing.

Lance.

Donovan looks to Eugene again after a moment, raising an eyebrow, "Friends of yours?"

This isn't good. The Strongbow has been spotted, and there's still no sign of Cassandra. Eugene can't help but worry for her.

He has no idea what's going on above them, and it doesn't seem like Donovan is going to let him get away any time soon. In any case, Eugene is not leaving until he gets what he came here for.

There's a rising commotion overhead. Footsteps shuffle hurriedly along the ceiling as more voices call out, "They're in pursuit! Turn her about! Hard to starboard!"

"As much as you think you've planned this out… you're not getting off this ship," Donovan slowly steps toward Eugene. "And your friends are going to regret ever coming to your rescue."

"Yeah?" challenges Eugene. "We'll see about that."

"You're determined. I'll give you that," Donovan smirks. "It may take some time, but Rapunzel will warm up to me one way or another. She'll have no choice but to believe that her and I had a life together, before she ever forgot who she was. After that, we'll go back to Ashford. Our new home… together."

Eugene stumbles as the ship rocks. Some of the cargo surrounding them begins to shift and slide along the floor. They're turning around.

Eugene plants his feet, steadying his stance.

"Now, I know what you're thinking," Donovan continues, hardly reacting to the ship's movement. All he does is continue to stare Eugene down, creeping across the room while the floor tilts beneath his feet. "What makes me so sure that my plan will work? Of course, the possibility that the king and queen might deny me Rapunzel's hand in marriage did cross my mind. And they might have, that is… if it weren't for the baby."

Initially, Eugene has no idea what Donovan means. Then his body and his mind turn rigid as the words begin to dwell in his clouded mind. His eyes widen as he slowly begins to realize.

Rapunzel's… pregnant?

Eugene's heart stops.

Suddenly, he finds himself completely stunned, and he begins to doubt that any of this is even happening.

His first thought is that this is just another one of Donovan's lies in an attempt to manipulate people into getting what he wants. But the more Eugene stares back at the satisfied look on the prince's face, like he's having fun with this entire thing, the more Eugene convinces himself that it is true.

"I'm sure they would hate for their daughter, the belovedprincess, to have a child out of wedlock," Donovan is circling Eugene now, like a predator stalking its prey. The sound of his footsteps is practically echoing in Eugene's head.

And all Eugene can do anymore is stand there, vulnerable, unable to do a thing, feeling like the weight of the world is crashing down on him all at once.

"I imagine it would be quite frowned upon, especially for a member of the royal family," says Donovan.

Eugene's breath quickens.

It isn't the pregnancy that puts him in a panic, but rather the mere thought of whatever the prince's intentions may be with it.

"Once they learn of Rapunzel's bastard child, they'll have no choice but to marry her off to the first man they see in order to save their public image. And what better candidate than the one that had returned her to her home, after two long years of endless searching and despair? The one she was meant to marry in the first place."

The sound of booming cannon fire can be heard in the distance, causing the ship to rumble. The rain is coming down heavy now. It seeps through the cracks in the ceiling and drips to the floor, forming puddles at their feet.

"Even if the king and queen did figure out it was yours, they would be too ashamed to admit to the world that the father of their own grandchild was a poor criminal that should've died in prison years ago."

No.

No, no, no…

Whatever ruckus is happening upstairs is far from Eugene's mind as he realizes what Donovan intends to do.

Eugene clenches his fists at his sides. He clenches them so hard his fingernails might have pierced his palms, though he doesn't notice whether they bleed.

"I gotta admit, I never wished to be a father. But I'll gladly pretend to be one if it will grant me all the honour and glory that you'll never have." Donovan pretends to be deep in thought. "Come to think of it, raising a family with a woman like Rapunzel doesn't sound all that bad."

Eugene's jaw is firm. His eyes are piercing. His heart is pounding. He can hardly breathe. A fire pulses through his veins, races into his every muscle until it feels he may burst with rage.

Donovan's footsteps have stopped now. Eugene can't see him, but he feels his presence lingering somewhere behind him, hears his voice mocking him, scorning him, haunting him. And all Eugene does is beg for it to stop. All of this feels like a nightmare that he can't wake up from, just pulling him down further into the abyss.

"As for you? Well, I'm gonna kill you. So, you'll be dead long before we even get to that." The prince's voice is like poison as he taunts over Eugene's shoulder, "And your child will never even know that you existed."

In an explosion of fury, Eugene whips around and lunges toward Donovan.

He aims to grab him, punch him, hurt him, do anything to get him to stop talking. But before Eugene can, there's a loud crash as the entire vessel jolts. It quakes violently as shards of wood spring from the walls around them.

The sudden, deafening boom of cannon fire causes them both to double over, stumbling away from each other as the ship sways abruptly. Debris flies across the room, shattering against the floor. The sound of it is so loud it pierces their ears.

Eugene squeezes his eyes shut as he braces himself from the impact. It takes him a moment to even register what just happened. A puff of smoke erupts through the now blown-out wall, obscuring his vision.

Just as he regains his footing, he feels Donovan roughly grab him from behind.

Thunder crashes from above.

Next thing Eugene knows, he's being thrown against the wall with his back slamming against it. Donovan lunges toward him, slashing the dagger across his chest.

Eugene grunts from the sharp and sudden pain in his abdomen. The edge of the blade had nicked his ribcage, forming a shallow cut that bleeds through the ripped fabric of his shirt.

Eugene clutches Donovan's wrist as it dives down toward him, stopping him from jabbing the dagger toward his face. He shoves the prince's arm away with every bit of strength he has, both of them grunting as they fight desperately against the other.

"I just… hope thief… doesn't run in the family!" Donovan strains through clenched teeth, their faces inches apart.

Eugene roughly throws Donovan off of him with a grunt.

Another explosion erupts next to them. The vessel jerks abruptly. Pieces of wood fly through the air. Smoke seeps through the holes in the walls.

The impact throws both of them across the room, falling to the ground this time.

After a moment, Eugene feels himself sliding across the floor as the ship begins tilting beneath them.

He reaches out as he lays on his stomach, attempting to grab onto anything he can as he finds himself losing grip of the floor. He tumbles downward as cargo slides along the deck all around him, crashing against each other.

Waves splash violently against the hull as the vessel rocks back onto the surface of the water, leveling out again. Eugene is thrown onto his side, his movement halted along with the ship.

Cannon fire continues all around them – booming and crashing against the ship. Voices are shouting from above deck and yelling words that Eugene can no longer decipher beneath the pounding of the rain.

Lightning strikes again, flickering within the night and momentarily blinding him. The sound of metal rings out beneath the storm, weapons clanging repeatedly against each other.

As Eugene rolls onto his back, Donovan dives down on top of him with an enraged shout.

He kneels over Eugene, pinning him against the floor and raising the dagger above Eugene's head.

Eugene clutches onto Donovan's arms, stopping him from bringing the weapon down any further. They fight against each other with all their strength, their muscles quivering. The tip of the dagger hovers just inches above Eugene's face.

"I wouldn't worry myself over it," growls Donovan, leering over Eugene, "I'll be sure to take good care of them."

Eugene quickly veers to one side, dodging the blade just as it strikes down toward him. The tip of it plunges into the wood of the floor beneath him, landing just inches away from Eugene's head.

With Donovan still clutching the handle, Eugene takes that opportunity to strike his fist into the side of the other man's head.

Donovan jerks away from the blow, momentarily stunned. The dagger clatters to the floor.

Eugene rolls over on top of Donovan before either of them even processes what's happened. Eugene kneels over him, now pinning Donovan to the ground.

Eugene clutches the man's collar and rams his other fist into Donovan's face. The prince's head snaps to the side.

He pummels his arm down again, and again, and again. He punches him with all the pent-up rage and disgust he has felt ever since he learned Donovan's name.

He almost doesn't realize what he's doing, because all Eugene can think about anymore is Rapunzel.

He thinks about her with Donovan, and the fact that this man has put so many lies into her head that she has learned to fear Eugene instead of him. He thinks about how Eugene failed her, by allowing her to fall into the hands of someone as cruel as this. He thinks about what else Donovan did to her while Eugene was searching for her. He thinks about how much he misses her, how long it's been since he last saw her. He thinks about everything Donovan had just told him – his greed, his lies, his plan to take everything away from Eugene in the blink of an eye without Rapunzel ever knowing a thing.

But most of all, he thinks about the baby. Rapunzel's baby – their baby. He doesn't even want to know how long Donovan knew of it before Eugene did, and the fact that Eugene almost never knew.

The reality that Donovan had aimed to not only take away everything that is important to Eugene, but to steal it – to make it his own. To pretend he is the true father of Rapunzel's child. To pretend he is the one she loved all along. To pretend he has any right to their family, Rapunzel, Corona, being king… And to pretend that he himself had no part in any of it. Then proceed to live on his life in endless glory.

It makes Eugene furious. It makes him sick to his stomach at the mere thought of any of it becoming true.

And the way that Donovan looks so far down at Eugene - practically spits at his feet for being born into a life of poverty… It only reminds Eugene how horrible his childhood had been. It makes him feel like a useless, weak, starving kid again stealing scraps on the streets of Corona. Like he's nothing.

But Eugene refuses to believe that is all he will ever be. He refuses to die knowing that Rapunzel will never remember him, and his own child will never even know he existed.

And the worst part of it all is that Donovan's plan has no flaws. If Eugene were to die right here and now, and he were to live on instead, there would be no way to stop any of what he said from happening.

And so, Eugene slams his fist into Donovan's face over and over again until his entire body and mind becomes numb.

Blood drips from the prince's nose and mouth. It coats Eugene's knuckles and splashes onto the deck beneath them, but Eugene doesn't feel the pain of it.

He has never in his entire life, possessed the desire to kill someone. Not like he does in this moment. And right now, it's all he can think of. He wants it more than anything. He wants to make sure that this man never shows his face in his or Rapunzel's life ever again.

"Flynn!"

Eugene doesn't know how to stop, or how long it's been. All he knows for sure is one thing – if his child will have any father, it's going to be him. Nobody else.

"Flynn, stop!"

Suddenly, he feels someone grabbing him from behind. He recognizes Cassandra's voice, feels her hands trying to pull him off of Donovan's weak figure. But the distant sound of her words does nothing to slow him down.

They struggle against each other until eventually she manages to pull him to his feet.

"That's enough," she tells him sternly.

Eugene stumbles away, stopping at last. He stands over Donovan.

Cassandra hovers behind him, holding her sword in one hand and watching him with concern. She's panting for breath, as if she'd just been fighting.

But all Eugene does is stare down at the man by his feet, panting for breath and holding the same fiery scowl on his face that he'd worn before.

Donovan's face is bloody and bruised. He's writhing on the ground in pain, coughing, gasping for air.

"The ship is going down," Cassandra's voice is panicked, "We have to get out! Now."

The vessel jerks as another explosion erupts against the hull. There's a loud crash and a sudden wave of heat. Cassandra and Eugene both stumble from the impact, doubling over and covering their heads with their hands.

It isn't until then Eugene notices the fire.

When he looks up again, the ship is beginning to burn. Corners of the lower deck are encased in bright orange flames that only seem to spread by the second. The wood around them is crumbling into glowing embers. The ceiling creaks loudly as a large beam crashes to the floor. Sparks erupt as it falls, disintegrating into the smoky air.

Snapped back to reality, he hears the cannons again. He hears the same shouting he'd heard before, beneath clanging swords and violent thunder. Only this time it's all so much louder.

A thin layer of water floods the deck, swishing past their boots.

The cut in his abdomen stings again. As he looks down, he notices the throbbing pain in his knuckles and the fact that his hands are covered in blood. Suddenly, Eugene realizes what he's done.

Donovan scrambles to his feet. As the chaos continues to unfold around them, he stumbles away from Cass and Eugene and races toward the staircase.

"I'll get him," reassures Cass with determination. She locks eyes with Eugene, shouting over all the noise, "Find Rapunzel and get her out of here!"

With that, Cassandra bolts in the opposite direction with her sword in hand and disappears above deck.

For a moment, Eugene only stands there alone as the ship continues to burn all around him.

The walls are falling apart. The ceiling is crumbling. He's panting heavily. The air is hot. His mind is clouded. His blood is still boiling with anger. He can't think anymore. None of this feels real.

Then he remembers Rapunzel.

She has to be down here, somewhere. Recalling what he came here for, a dark and determined expression appears on Eugene's face.

With all the strength he has left, Eugene races down the hallway.

He runs further into the fire and the shadows - away from the exit, away from Cass, and away from Donovan.

He stumbles into the walls as the ship continues to jerk and rumble beneath him, but he doesn't slow down as he tells himself – he is not dying today, and he is not leaving this ship without her.