"Something for you?" Eugene asked. "Pfft! Please!"
"Really, Ryder?" Weasel asked. "Still using your silver tongue? Didn't you learn that gets you in trouble?"
"With who, might I ask?" Eugene asked.
"The Baron, for example, unless you want more?" Weasel replied. Eugene didn't think of a comeback fast enough. "What do you want Weasel?"
"For the last time, it's not Weasel! It's Anthony!" Weasel cried.
"And mine's Eugene, but who cares?" Eugene replied smug. Weasel growled. "Enough chit chat, Ryder! Hand over the princess, and you and this kingdom will get to see another day."
Eugene raised his eyebrow, hesitated, and laughed. "You...you want Rapunzel?" Weasel's face turned a bright red the longer Eugene laughed. "Why would someone like you want the princess?" Eugene said through his chuckling.
"That's none of your business, Ryder!" Weasel said.
"No one messes with the princess!" the Captain of the Guard said, charging at Weasel with his sword. Weasel swiftly dodged the sword, with both hands behind his back, knocking the captain to the ground with his foot. Eugene narrowed his eyes. "Blondie, stay back," he whispered to Rapunzel. "I don't know who this is but it's not Weasel."
Rapunzel nodded and moved away from Eugene. "Where are you sending the princess, Ryder?" Weasel asked, kicking the captain's sword away, over the palace wall.
"Why do you want the princess for, Weasel?" Eugene asked, more seriousness in his tone.
"Ah, now we're talking. Done laughing, Ryder?" Eugene didn't answer and narrowed his eyes. Weasel stood straighter. "The Baron wants her," Weasel replied, walking closer to Eugene. "For a reason he never told me. Eugene scoffed. "And why would he tell you? You think you're something special, Weasel?"
"Of course I am!" Weasel yelled. "I'm his right hand man!"
"Hmm, is that because you took the stuff that Lance and I stole?" Eugene asked.
"Well, no," Weasel said. "Yeah, I mean...ENOUGH ABOUT THAT!"
"I know you aren't Weasel," Eugene said, leaning closer to him. "Who are you?"
"Smarter than you look, Flynn," Weasel said.
Eugene took steps backwards. No one calls him Flynn. Rapunzel did, but they were on better terms than anyone he's ever been on. Lance called him Eugene unless he was near guards or the Stabingtons. The only other person who called him Flynn is...
"Stalyan?" Eugene asked.
"Clever," she said. She tossed a beaker filled with blue liquid on the ground. It exploded in smoke around her, revealing her true form. Her red hair is tied up in a bun, which she quickly released. "Stalyan, what do you want?" Eugene asked.
"Who is she?" Rapunzel asked.
"She doesn't like me," Eugene replied.
"Oh, you have it wrong, Flynn," Stalyan said. "I do like you. I don't like her," she said with venom, looking at Rapunzel. Eugene moved in front of Stalyan, blocking her view of Rapunzel.
"Hand her over, Flynn, and we can walk away with no one getting hurt," Stalyan said.
"You have to get through me first, Stalyan," Eugene said. King Frederic stepped closer to Queen Ariana, putting a protective arm around her. "You know I don't want to fight you, Flynn," Stalyan said.
"Well, you better get over that," Eugene said. "You're not going to put a single finger on her."
"Hm," Stalyan said. "You've gotten soft."
"And you haven't changed," Eugene replied.
"Fine then," Stalyan said. "If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get." Stalyan pulled out a rapier. Without hesitation, she charged at Eugene, who grabbed her wrists and pulled them up. "Answer me this, Stalyan," Eugene said, forcing her arms up, "why do you want Rapunzel?"
"I don't want her," Stalyan said. "I want her dead."
Eugene's hands slipped from Stalyan's wrists. Her rapier went down, nearly slicing his arm doing so. "What?" Eugene asked. "Why?"
"I heard about the brave Flynn Ryder saving the Lost Princess!" Stalyan cried. "I heard they fell in love!"
"Why does that matter to you?" Eugene asked.
"Don't you remember?" Stalyan asked, swinging her rapier at Eugene again. This time, he grabber her forearm and pulled it away from him, but keeping her close. "Don't you remember that promise you made to me, Flynn?" Stalyan asked.
"Promise?" Eugene asked himself.
"Don't tell me you forgot, numbskull!" Stalyan cried. Eugene paused for a moment, fighting Stalyan, keeping her rapier away from him and anyone else. "You promised to marry me," Stalyan said, lowering her voice. She pulled away from him and raised her rapier above her head, charging towards Eugene again. Max tossed Eugene a sword, who caught it, and used it to stop her. "Marry you?" Eugene asked.
"You even said that we'll marry the night after, but you ran away and never came back," Stalyan said. "And when I found out you fell in love with the Lost Princess, well...you can figure the rest out, can't you?"
Eugene stared at her for a moment. "You wouldn't dare," he said.
"Oh, I would," she replied. Stalyan kicked Eugene to the ground, knocking the sword out of his hand. "Eugene!" Rapunzel cried.
"Ah, ah, ah, princess," Stalyan said, pointing her sword at Eugene. "Don't try anything or he gets it."
Rapunzel stepped backwards, towards her dad, who put a protective arm around her as well. "Frederic?" Queen Ariana asked. "What are we going to do?"
"I...I don't know," King Frederic said. "But...we can figure something out."
"Back away from the princess, Your Majesty," Stalyan said.
"Over my dead body," King Frederic said, stepping forward, in front of Queen Ariana and Rapunzel. Stalyan scoffed. "As you wish." She moved her rapier away from Eugene and pointed it at King Frederic. "This will be easy," she muttered.
Eugene pushed himself up off the ground, and grabbed Stalyan from behind, pulling her back. "Stalyan, let them go," Eugene said.
"Why, Flynn?" Stalyan asked. "Did you change your mind?"
"Yes, I did," Eugene replied. "But it's not in the way you might think." Stalyan growled and pulled from Eugene, who changed his grip and continued to hold her. "I did fall in love with the princess," Eugene said. "She saved me from myself. She made me a better person, and you've seen that, haven't you, Stalyan?"
She yelled and pulled away from Eugene. She charged her rapier at Eugene, who grabbed her wrist and pulled it up behind her, pinning her still. She yelled and fought him for a little before she stopped. "Rapunzel is a lovely woman and you can't change that. So yes, I did fall in love with her. Can't you accept that?" Eugene asked.
Stalyan pulled herself free from Eugene, backed away, and wiped her eyes. "No!" she cried. She charged at Eugene, cutting his arm. "Stalyan!" Eugene cried, holding his arm.
"Ryder!" the Captain of the Guard called. "Catch!" He tossed his sword at Eugene, who caught it. Stalyan took that chance to turn towards Rapunzel. "How dare you?!" she cried.
She charged at Rapunzel, who screamed, and covered behind her father. Eugene jumped up and knocked Stalyan's rapier out of her hand, tumbling to the ground below, over the palace wall. "Stalyan, enough!" Eugene yelled. "This isn't like you!"
Stalyan stayed silent and turned away from him. "What happened?" Eugene asked.
"And why would I tell you?" Stalyan asked. "Leave me alone! I never want to see HER again!" Stalyan ran off, shoving Eugene as she did so.