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Prologue

So, unlike Rootbound, The Rise of Flynn Rider fits into the TTS canon and actually starts with the fall of the Dark Kingdom. We begin with the decisions King Edmund made leading up to sending Eugene away which I think is wonderful. Aligning with the show makes my desire to fit all of Tangled's media into one continuity much easier to manage.

A quick note, though, I really wish they would give The Queen of the Dark Kingdom a name. I know she died a long time ago, and she doesn't really play a role in the narrative, but I think it's kind of shit to reduce her to a plot device for Eugene's existence. Not caring enough to name her or give her any sort of personality takes away from the devastation of her loss. I'm still kind of excited to build her up myself down the line when I get more into writing Dark Kingdom stuff.

Into the actually story itself, I really like how this book opens up. I wasn't expecting to see Edmund's name at all, let alone get a chapter from his perspective, but it really shaped everything he did leading up to the Dark Kingdom's collapse. He's already reflecting by the first paragraph, looking back on his thought process and wishing he would have had the foresight to speak to his wife before he made the rash decision to try and destroy the Moonstone. His plan to destroy the Opal came about because of Eugene's birth, anxiety that his son would one day have to bear the cursed burden of watching over the stone pushing him past rationality and clouding his usually careful mind.

In fact, the Queen was perfectly healthy and well weeks after Eugene's birth. The Moonstone, a thing of destruction and decay, had no effect on Eugene's conception or his mother's health which is a direct contrast to Rapunzel's story. The only reason she died at all is because she happened to sneak after Edmund when he finally decided to follow through with his plan. He used a poisoned hatchet to deal the fatal blow— which seems like an interesting method for a stone— but it was the Moonstone's retaliation that killed the Queen. Even if the stone itself hadn't affected her pregnancy or Eugene's birth it was still directly responsible for her death. After Edmund attacked, the Moonstone was enraged and so began the fall of the Dark Kingdom. Rocks and earthquakes and disaster immediately followed. Edmund watched as the bridge his wife stood on collapsed and she plummeted to her death. Reading this from his perspective, knowing his future and how he laments his errors, it's very effectively painful. He's haunted by the fear in her last moments, even begs for death to take him too before he remembers that Eugene is still within the castle walls.

Edmund watched in horror as his beloved wife plummeted into the dark recesses of the cavern below. In shock, he collapsed against the wall next to him. Let death come, he thought, as the walls continued to shake. But then he remembered. The baby.

In the Vat7K Server I'm in (shameless plug), it's come up here and there how Edmund isn't a good father. Most commonly as a bit when generally shitting on the terrible way the parents had to be written for the sake of the plot but mentioned all the same! I don't necessarily disagree, but I don't necessarily agree either. A phrase that's become fairly popular in the last decade or so is "It's their first time living too." I'm quite a big fan of that phrase; it's a sentiment I've always held and it's a very empathetic way to word it. Edmund did everything that he's done out of love. Compassion for his son drove him to make the decisions he did and they backfired in ways he never could have fathomed. He's not a bad man, and everything he chose to do was with the intention of helping his son. He's not a bad father; he just didn't have the knowledge needed to know the consequences of his actions. Edmund is a man driven by grief and pain, his very role as a king is defined by the responsibility of watching over the Moonstone. He wanted better for his boy and, unfortunately, the Moonstone is cruel and powerful and does not care for justice or love. Edmund refuses to leave his self-appointed post, grief-stricken now that, in trying to abandon his role, his wife has died. He entrusts Eugene to his wife's most beloved handmaiden, Maeve, and he makes her promise to keep Eugene's lineage from him in hopes that Eugene would never have to learn of his duty to the Dark Kingdom. Even sending his boy away, his goal was to keep Eugene from the pain that has been passed down their family line. However, so so important to me, before they flee Edmund uses precious time to give Eugene a piece of him. Eugene's Flynn Rider collection started with Edmund.

He gathered a stack of books, dropped them into a sack lying on the floor, and then handed it to Maeve. "See to it that these stories stay with him. I always thought we'd read these together someday, but now... at least he will still have them." She took the bag and smiled. "He will like that, sire. Thank you." Edmund swallowed hard again and looked at the boy one last time. He bent down, and his lips grazed the child's forehead. The boy stirred. "May life treat you well, my son," he whispered. "Someday I hope we will meet again."

Edmund truly, deeply adores Eugene. He was desperate, maybe, in his actions but never did he ever act without thinking about his family's safety.

He was punished for crimes he didn't commit, cursed by generations he had no say in, and he wanted to spare his son that same fate. In turn, he kickstarted destiny. It's horrible that Edmund's life had to fall apart for Rapunzel and Eugene to meet and for the Sundrop and the Moonstone to resolve but without the fall of the Dark Kingdom, without him sending Eugene away with the Flynn novels, there would be no resolution. He had to lose everything for the world to win against Zhan Tiri and, sometimes, that's the inherent tragedy of a world plagued by so-called destiny.

I'm excited to finish up this book after just the prologue which is a good sign. I read the first piece on the walk into work today and have spent my shift writing up this post in between jobs, so I haven't had the chance to get any farther yet. I know from flipping through it when I first bought it that Lance is also present which is going to be loads of fun. I imagine I'll like this way more than the novel centered around Cass and Rapunzel but that will be for another post another day.

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Consequences of Worthlessness Universe

Starting from Rapunzel's Return, CoW exacerbates the suffering Varian faced during his incarceration and follows his journey of healing and growth from Season Three to long after Vat7K.

Main Storyline

Consequences of Worthlessness Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5 | Ch 6 | Ch 7 Eugene really should have known better. Finding out Varian was working with the Separatists made things infuriatingly complicated but it was finding out how they treated the alchemist that sent everything Eugene thought he knew up in flames. No amount of resentment he harbored for Varian could make Eugene stand by and let Varian suffer like this at Andrew's hands. Actually, he was beginning to question if he still had any anger left. Found Family | Hurt/Comfort | Angst with a Happy Ending | Redemption | Enemies to Friends to Siblings Warnings ☣︎! Blood and Injury / Grooming / Abuse / Torture / Violence

Independent Stories