"You're right," Flynn exclaimed, looking at Gothel with a smirk as he sized her up. "Thank you so much, lovely lady. If we ever cross paths again, I'll be sure to offer you something in return."
"Oh, haha, thank you," Gothel replied with a soft laugh that masked her true intentions, feigning interest in Flynn's charms.
Without wasting another second, Flynn turned around and began to move quickly away. Gothel watched him go, and as he vanished among the trees, a cunning smile spread across her face.
With a satisfied sigh, Gothel allowed herself a few moments to reflect before turning toward another part of the forest. Her mind was already spinning with new ideas. Meanwhile, Flynn continued on his way.
He followed the clues Gothel had provided, heading deeper into the woods toward a bandit hideout he knew well. Although the crown was still missing, his intuition told him he wasn't far from getting it back.
***
"Come on, don't worry. This is a dream you've always had," Orion said, gently pulling Rapunzel into a comforting embrace. She had gone still for a moment, a knot forming in her stomach from having left the tower without telling her mother.
"I'm a horrible human being... Mother must be so worried if she can't find me in the tower," Rapunzel whispered, hugging her knees as guilt washed over her.
"You're not. Look, trust me," Orion replied softly, picking her up in his arms and continuing through the woods.
"There's a saying: 'No man is truly brave until he has walked a hundred miles. If you want to know who you are, walk until no one knows your name. Traveling puts us in our place; it teaches us more than any master. It is as bitter as medicine, as cruel as a mirror. A long stretch of road will teach you more about yourself than a hundred years of silent introspection,'" Orion said, his gaze drifting into the distance for a moment before he sighed and continued. "I understand you're having a bit of an internal struggle because it's the first time you've ventured so far from the tower, but it's something you have to do eventually. Or would you rather stay locked away forever?"
Rapunzel looked at him, a flicker of contradiction crossing her face before she shook her head.
"No... I really wouldn't want to stay locked in that tower forever," she admitted, her words now carrying a newfound sense of determination.
"See? So, don't worry—just be happy and free. That's how it's meant to be," Orion continued, helping her to her feet. "Your mother will understand."
Rapunzel looked at him, her eyes shining with newfound hope. After a moment of reflection, a smile began to spread across her face.
"You're right!" she finally said, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. "She'll understand."
Orion watched Rapunzel as she skipped through the forest with an expression of pure bliss. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, admiring every tiny detail of her surroundings. However, inside Orion, a shadow of dark thoughts began to loom. For a brief second, his eyes turned cold.
He knew the real reason Gothel didn't want anyone to know Rapunzel existed. Gothel's obsession with staying young forever was the only reason she had snatched the girl from the royal palace and kept her prisoner.
Orion had uncovered the whole truth, and as his mind churned, a plan began to take shape.
He knew Gothel possessed no special abilities other than her cunning. He had already considered, more than once, getting rid of her at the first opportunity. Of course, he wouldn't do it immediately; it would have to be a discreet process, without Rapunzel noticing. He knew she wouldn't accept something so abrupt.
His plan was to wait until they reached the castle and Rapunzel saw the lanterns glowing in the sky. There, slowly, Orion would reveal her true identity and take her to meet her real parents. Rapunzel would have no reason to miss Gothel at all.
Furthermore, Orion planned to slowly sow seeds of doubt in Rapunzel's mind about her "mother," until she eventually grew to despise her. With all of this in mind, Orion kept walking, maintaining their course while keeping a watchful eye on Rapunzel.
After a long stretch of traveling without a fixed destination, they spotted a tavern nearby. The place looked somewhat neglected, with a massive tree serving as one of its side walls. The creaky wooden sign displayed the name: The Snuggly Duckling.
"How lucky! Maybe we can get a map here," Rapunzel commented, pointing excitedly at the establishment. They had been walking aimlessly for quite a while, so a map would be useful.
Orion looked at the sign with a slight smile and shook his head. He wasn't worried; no matter what was inside, he knew nothing could happen to them. So, without hesitation, he walked toward the tavern.
As they entered, they were met by a group of ruffians and thugs who turned instantly, their eyes full of threats. On impulse, Rapunzel rushed to hide behind Orion. In an almost instinctive move, she pulled a black frying pan out of her bag, ready to defend herself.
That's the frying pan that took down several guards... Orion thought, recalling the scene from the movie. He couldn't help but smile, finding the whole situation rather funny and interesting.
"Don't worry," Orion said, gently prompting Rapunzel to lower the frying pan. "Wait for me outside for just a few seconds."
With a calm smile, Orion closed the door behind Rapunzel and carefully sized up the bandits surrounding him.
"Alright, it would be best if you all behaved," he said in a low voice, just as one of the bandits began to slowly approach him.
Before the bandit could utter a single word, Orion shoved him with a single motion. The man went flying, crashing through several tables and chairs before falling unconscious to the floor.
The other bandits froze, stunned by the speed and sheer force of the move. Their eyes locked on Orion, who was watching them with a satisfied smirk.
Suddenly, two massive fire-dragon heads emerged on either side of Orion, causing the temperature in the tavern to skyrocket. The bandits scrambled back, clearly terrified by the appearance of the elemental beasts.
"So... will you behave?" Orion asked in a tone that was calm yet deadly.
After a tense silence, every single bandit nodded frantically, almost in unison, keeping their eyes glued to the floor to avoid Orion's gaze.
"How easy it is when things are settled peacefully," he remarked with a grin before opening the door to let Rapunzel back in.
She peeked inside, looking around curiously. Spotting the unconscious bandit on the floor, she furrowed her brow and quickly walked over to Orion.
"What happened?" she asked, a hint of doubt in her voice. Her gaze shifted to the fallen bandit. "Did you do this?" she inquired, arching an eyebrow.
"No, no," Orion replied with a mischievous smile. "He just tripped over his own feet. Right, boys?"
Rapunzel looked to the bandits for confirmation. The men, still shaken by Orion's implicit threat, nodded rapidly. Though they were ruffians and drunks, they weren't stupid enough to challenge someone who could summon fire dragons.
"Oh, alright then," Rapunzel said, letting the matter drop without pushing further. "We're looking for a map. Does anyone have one?"
One of the bandits, who had a hook in place of a hand, stepped forward cautiously. With a wary look, he pulled a rolled-up map from his belt and handed it to Rapunzel.
"Uh, I've got one," he said, handing it over with a fair amount of uncertainty.
Rapunzel took the map with a grateful smile.
"Thank you!" she said, paying no mind to the bandit's nervousness, her focus already shifting back to her goal.
.........................................................................
NOTE:
Hi everyone! Author here. I recently remembered this fanfic and came back to check on it, and boy, was I in for a surprise! I realized I had nearly 40 unreleased chapters and the entire first volume of the story completely finished.
Honestly, I didn't remember having so much material saved up. Because of that, I'll be uploading the chapters over the next few days or weeks; it all depends on the translation process and any corrections I need to make to the upcoming chapters. I hope you enjoy them, and Merry Christmas to everyone! hahaha.