(Also posted on my tumblr, which is the same username. I do not own Tangled or the characters, that belongs to Disney. Also, I will be taking some artistic license with the Dark Kingdom, since it isn't really shown in the show how things were in the Dark Kingdom before the Moonstone destroyed it. As always, Constructive Criticisms are welcomed and I hope you enjoy the story)

Summary: As part of the Royal family of the Dark Kingdom, Prince Eugene and Princess Cassandra were taught at a young age by their Father, King Edmund, that it was their duty to guard the Moonstone and keep it from anyone who would abuse its destructive powers. This burden is especially heavy on Eugene, as the crown prince. Eugene only wishes to be free from that cursed opal and live his life. One day, the moonstone's power starts causing trouble outside the Dark Kingdom, Eugene and Cassandra, along with Princess Rapunzel of Corona, Alchemist Varian, and Guard-in-training Lance, begin their quest to finally rid the world of the moonstone once and for all. However, along the way, they learn some secrets about their family and themselves that they wished they never had, and relationships are put to the test.


"Your Majesty!" A servant shouted to King Edmund. "The Prince is not in his bedroom!"

Breakfast was starting and most of the royal family, King Edmund, Royal Consort Gothel, and Princess Cassandra, was there. When Prince Eugene hadn't shown up, Edmund had sent a servant to wake the prince up.

The king sighed. "Of course he isn't." He wasn't surprised. "Cassandra, can you go fetch your brother?"

Cassandra sighed, getting up from the dining table. "Yes, Father."

"And bring Quirin with you." Edmund added. "If Eugene is gone, then there's no doubt he dragged Quirin's son with him as well."

Cassandra groaned. "Yes, Father."


"Another muffin, Flynn?" A cook in a local pub in town asks.

Flynn Rider smiled. "Tempting, but I'm gonna have to say no. I'm already stuffed."

"I'll have another!" Lance eagerly said.

"Me too!" Varian agreed.

The cook chuckles. "As pleased as I am that you all enjoy my food, shouldn't you three be getting ready? Something pretty important is happening today."

"It's still early." Flynn declared. "It isn't happening until this afternoon and the people from Corona haven't even arrived yet."

"Still, you should be getting ready." The cook argued. "After all, today is your-"

A scream from outside the pub interrupted what the cook was about to say. Flynn gets out of his seat and walks out of the pub to see what was going on, along with Lance and Varian.

When they were outside the pub, they saw a pair of tall, muscular men with red hair, one had sideburns while the other had an eye-patch. They were cornering a young girl.

"Hey! Back away from the girl!" Flynn shouted at the men. The men's attention turned away from the woman and to Flynn and his friends.

"What did you just say, little man?" The one with the side burns asked.

Flynn glared at him. "You heard me, Sideburns. You and Patchy leave the girl alone before I get the guards."

The men glared at Flynn, leaving the woman and approaching them. Lance and Varian stood behind Flynn as the men got closer, but Rider stood his ground.

"You gotta a lot of nerve for a small man." 'Sideburns' growled. "You know how it easy it would be for us to snap you and your friends in half?"

Flynn smirks at the taller men. "I'd actually like to see you try."

Then the men unsheathed their swords and pointed it at the trio, giving them dark smirks.

Flynn takes a deep breath. "Now!"

Before either of the men could react, Varian threw a smoke bomb onto the ground, engulfing the men in a cloud of purple smoke. As the smoke blinding the two thugs, Flynn, Lance, and Varian were able to escape. But not before Varian threw another batch of chemical compounds at the thugs feet

When the smoke finally cleared, the thugs looked around. When they noticed that the three young men were standing several feet away from them. the two thugs immediately charged at them. However, the thugs ended up falling over onto their stomachs. They looked at their feet and saw the compound at their feet, keeping them in place. They tried to pull their feet out, but they were stuck.

"Not bad, Hairstripe." Lance said with a grin as he watched the thugs struggle. "What is that?"

"A new chemical compound I've invented." Varian stated proudly. "I heard of the pest problems going on at the farms and I thought this would be a more humane way to trap the animals that break into the farms."

"Well, it certainly took care of these pests." Flynn said, ruffling Varian's hair. "So I say this is a success. I think the farmers will love it."

"That's not your choice to make, Eugene." A woman's voice declared, causing all three of the men to tense up.

Flynn, AKA Eugene, was the first who dared to turn around. Standing behind them were two familiar faces.

"Cass! Quirin!" Eugene said nervously, trying to smile. 'What, uh, what brings you two here?"

Hearing his father's name, Varian turned around to face his father. "Uh, morning, Dad?"

Quirin sighed as he looked at the scene in front of him. "Not again, Varian..."


"Of all days, why did you have to pick today to start a fight with people in town?" King Edmund asked.

After returning to the castle, Cassandra and Quirin led Eugene, Lance and Varian to the throne room, where Edmund and Gothel were waiting for them. Cassandra and Quirin stood by Edmund's side as the young men stood in front of the frustrated king.

"We didn't start that fight!" Eugene said. "Those men were threatening someone! What was I supposed to do?"

"You should've gotten the guards!" Edmund replied. "Speaking of which, Lance, I allowed you to train in the royal guard to keep Eugene out of trouble. Not help him get into it!"

"Well, technically, I was keeping him out of trouble." Lance tried to excuse. "He wanted to go horse racing in the forest, but I said-" Eugene elbowed Lance in the stomach to keep him from saying more.

"And technically, Eugene, you didn't really do anything." Cassandra said. "From what I saw, all you did was talk while Varian did the actual work."

Varian blushed a bit as Cassandra mentioned her and he gave her a small, shy, smile. Cassandra rolled her eyes.

King Edmund groaned. "So, it wasn't enough to simple start a fight today of all days, you decided to use Varian's magic-"

"Well, actually, its not magic, Your Highness." Varian interrupted. "Its alchemy, which is-" His father shot him a look that said 'not now', which caused Varian to shut his mouth.

Gothel stood and smiled at her husband and spoke gently. "Now, now dear. No need to be so harsh. "You heard them. They were only trying to protect someone who was being threatened. And as the crown prince, it is his job to protect his subjects."

Eugene rolled his eyes as Gothel spoke. The only person who seemed to notice was Cassandra, who glared at him. Eugene shrugged at her before they both returned their attention to their father.

"True, but he could've handled it differently." King Edmund said. "The royal family from Corona is going to be here soon and I don't want them to think badly of Eugene and leave."

Gothel smiled more. "Nonsense, when they here how hard Eugene tries to protect his subjects, they will be more pleased about all of this."

Edmund thought about it for a moment. Then he sighed. "Very well, I suppose you have a point." Then he turned to the three young men. "I still say you three could've handled it differently, but given that your heart was in the right place, I will let it slide today."

Looking back at his sister, Eugene could see the annoyed expression on her face at her father's decision, Eugene knew she wanted to speak up, but wouldn't.

"For now, Eugene, take off those common clothes and come back looking like a Prince before King Frederic and his family get here." Edmund ordered his son. "After all today is-"

"I know, Father." Eugene groaned. "Today is my wedding day."


(I apologize if this chapter isn't that great, first chapters are not my strongest, I will try to make the next chapters better. Any constructive criticism, feel free to share. If anyone doesn't understand, Eugene being Flynn Rider is an open secret in the Dark Kingdom, pretty much everyone knows about. He isn't a thief in this AU, but he does have the skills. He uses the Flynn Rider persona as a way to escape life as a prince and pretend to be a normal person. I have more stuff posted about this AU in my tumblr, so go check it out. Its under the same username as here.)