Chapter Text
Varian shivered underneath the thin carriage blanket the princess had given him, watching Old Corona grow smaller and smaller as they rode away. Soon, it was merely a silhouette of wooden rooftops and jagged spikes; a nearly indistinguishable sight from the quaint farming town it once was. The black rocks turned it into something else—a haunted and fruitless plot of land that to Varian, although it was the place he once called home, had been reduced to no more than a trigger for memories he’d rather forget. It was only a matter of time before everyone else started moving away, much like he was now. There’s nothing left in Old Corona, for anyone.
Even the blizzard had taken its leave; the only thing that remained of it were the splotchy patches of half-melted ice along the road and relentlessly bitter winds. Varian fumbled around in his pocket for the handkerchief Rapunzel had given him earlier that day, and upon pulling it free, used it to dab at his runny nose. Despite wearing not one, but two of Eugene’s winter coats on top of his own, the chill persisted. It had graduated from the tingly numbness in his face and fingertips to a sharper, icy feeling that seemed to come from inside his bone marrow, rocking his fragile body each time a shiver ran through his spine. Varian had not yet decided which one was more miserable.
After hiding a sneeze behind it, he folded up the handkerchief and shoved it back into his pocket before curling up into a ball on the carriage bench.
Ruddiger peeked his head out from inside the cardboard box of Varian’s belongings and climbed out, snuggling up beside Varian. He softly pawed at his forearm, almost as though he was trying to comfort him. Varian smiled weakly. He appreciated the critter’s sweet little gesture, even though it was useless in the grand scheme of things.
A particularly strong breeze washed over the carriage as it passed through a narrow trail, and Varian shivered again, wishing, for just a moment, that he had never been born.
Cassandra craned her neck to steal a glance at Varian from the driver’s seat of the carriage. After having been helped upright by Eugene due to a coughing fit some time ago, he was finally laying down. Hopefully he’d be able to get some rest before they arrive at the castle, where there would no doubt be a great deal of commotion.
Before turning back around, Cassandra made eye contact with Eugene. “How is he?” She tried to conceal just how worried she was.
Varian flinched ever so slightly as Eugene reached over to the opposing bench and gingerly patted him on the back.
“Hang in there kid,” he said softly, and the tension in Varian’s shoulders relaxed. “We’ll be there soon.” Eugene directed his attention back to Cassandra. “He’s alright. We’re just going to have to keep an eye on that cold of his.”
Cassandra nodded her acknowledgment, having already spun back around to steer the horses. She paused before asking a second question. “How… How’s Rapunzel?”
Eugene sighed. Rapunzel was asleep beside him, her cheeks stained with tears. He could only imagine how terrible she must be feeling. The blizzard, her parents, Quirin— all of that happened under her temporary rule. The often twisted and unfair realities that came with the responsibilities of leadership were obviously not something the princess was expecting to have to deal with so soon. It has definitely rocked her optimistic worldview.
“She’s resting right now,” he answered finally, moving closer so that her head could rest comfortably on his shoulder. “I think she’s gonna have a lot to say to the king, though. He owes her a pretty big explanation.”
Cassandra scoffed. “He owes everyone an explanation. My dad didn’t say anything about it while we were in Old Corona, but he’s actually kind of pissed. The guards have been kept out of the loop just like the rest of us, and the rocks have started to become a problem for them, too.”
“I…” Eugene shook his head. “I just don’t get it. I don’t understand what he’s hoping to accomplish by lying to everybody! What is he really hiding?”
-
The castle was cold and dark. The servants quietly went about their duties, not daring to even look at the king, who slowly marched down the hall to the throne room, his head held high.
Nigel, the castle steward, stood at the front of the double doors. He pushed one side open, then quickly scurried off, far enough away that he wouldn’t be seen, but close enough to the throne room to eavesdrop.
If Nigel were to help the king make a decision about whatever was to come next, of course it would make sense for him to at least hear what Princess Rapunzel and her father were discussing. Besides, who doesn’t like a bit of juicy gossip?
Queen Ariana greeted her husband at the door. “Frederic,” she began, not looking directly at him, “she’s back.”
The king sighed. “She’s alone?”
Ariana nodded. “At the moment, yes. She arrived with Eugene and Cassandra, but has since gone off to her room to prepare for the meeting.”
“Hm.”
“There’s something else.” Ariana swallowed hard and wrung her hands. She wasn’t exactly sure how her husband would react to what she was about to say next. “They… Well, they brought the boy.”
Frederic caught his breath. “The boy…”
“Yes, Dear.”
“…Quirin’s boy?”
“Quirin’s boy.”
“I see. What’s his name again?”
“Varian, if I’m not mistaken. Apparently she’s been with him all this time.”
“Why? And why did she bring him here?”
Ariana let her hands fall at her sides in exhaustion. “I don’t know, Honey. I haven’t had the chance to have a conversation with her yet… and I won’t, not until you have said everything you need to say to her first.”
Frederic drew in a deep sigh and let his eyes fall shut. He really had no idea what to say to his daughter, or what she might say to him.
“You’ll be fine. Just be honest and speak from the heart. She’ll appreciate that.” The queen gave him a kiss on the cheek, then headed off in the opposite direction, leaving Frederic alone in the dark hall.
Princess Rapunzel slammed her hand onto the light switch, illuminating the room in a warm yellow glow as she entered the room.
“Your majesty.” She didn’t make an effort to cloak the anger in her voice, something she knew her father would most definitely point out. “I have some questions for you, and I’m not leaving until you give me an answer to every last one. The truth.”
King Frederic drew in a long breath. He should have seen this coming. “How can I help you, Rapunzel?”
Rapunzel felt an indignant flush spread across her cheeks, and she rapidly blinked back tears of rage. This blatant disregard of her emotions was somehow more insulting than the patronizing comment about ‘having an attitude’ that she expected.
She walked forward, dragging a stool along in her hair. Once she was close enough, she motioned for Pascal to move the stool over to her and stepped up in order to meet her father at eye level.
“Rapunzel—” Frederic began, but stopped abruptly when his daughter held up a hand in protest and cleared her throat.
“I’m only asking you this once,” she warned.
Frederic looked on expectantly.
“What are the black rocks, and where did they come from?”
The silence was frightening. The king stared at his daughter stone faced, and Rapunzel fought the urge to scream. “I’m not going to say it again.”
Frederic looked down. “Rapunzel, I—”
“Tell me!”
The king started walking over to the front of the room, and Rapunzel followed. He fell into the largest of the three elegant thrones and shook his head. Slowly, he began to finally tell his daughter the truth.
“Right before your mother gave birth to you, she became very ill. There was a very slim chance that she would survive. In order to save my wife and child, I sent my guards on a search for what many believed to be an impossible solution.
“The sundrop was a manifestation of pure solar energy— a single golden flower with the power to heal the sick and injured.”
Heat crept up the back of Rapunzel’s neck. “Don’t waste my time! I already know this,” she interjected, unable to fight back against the fury clouding her mind. “You’ve already told me this story. It’s the story of how I got my hair… what does any of that have to do with the black rocks?”
King Frederic stood and started pacing in place. “If you let me finish, you’ll hear about it, but allow me to make myself clear on one thing: Continue to be disrespectful and this conversation is over. Do you understand me?”
There it was. It was only a matter of time before the king would revert to speaking to her like she was a child.
Rapunzel ran her fingers through her bangs impatiently. They were so far beyond the issue of respect, but she knew that arguing further would solve nothing.
“Fine,” Rapunzel conceded reluctantly. “I’m sorry.”
“The sundrop could not exist without its cosmic counterpart— the moonstone, an opal filled with pure lunar energy that possessed the power to decay and destroy,” Frederic continued. “When I had the sundrop flower uprooted and converted it into an elixir to heal your mother, I had knowingly created a magical imbalance. Removing the sundrop caused the moonstone to react, and it sent the black rocks to locate the sundrop, which, since the flower was converted into the elixir to heal your mother, has become a part of… ”
“... me,” Rapunzel concluded.
Her mind was racing. Did her mother know about any of this? If so, why hasn’t she done anything about it? Was she planning to?
Did Quirin know?
“That’s why my hair grew back when I touched one of those black rocks, and why they’ve been following me.” She swallowed hard. “But why?”
Frederic sighed. “Because one day, the sundrop and the moonstone must be reunited, or the magical imbalance will persist.”
Rapunzel nodded slowly, taking everything in. For a moment, she said nothing. Then, the anger returned, stronger than before.
“Why didn’t you just tell me?”
“I… I was ashamed.”
“You should be!”
Frederic shook his head. “Rapunzel, you’re still too young to understand this—”
“Don’t talk down to me!”
“As you wish: I was ashamed that I wasn’t ashamed.”
“What does that even mean?” Rapunzel demanded.
“I knew I was throwing the world out of balance when I uprooted that flower, but I chose my family. I chose my family and I would do it again. I always will. Choose. My. Family. I will always choose you, Rapunzel.” The king moved to embrace his daughter, but she jerked away.
“No! You don’t get to use that excuse anymore! You always choose me? If that’s the case, how could you leave me in charge of Corona without telling me the truth! You put people’s lives; the whole kingdom in danger!”
King Frederic was silent.
Tears streamed down the princess’s cheeks. “And what about Varian?”
“What about Varian?” The king demanded. “What does he have to do with any of this?
“Because,” Rapunzel cried, “You’re responsible for what happened to him! You’re responsible for ruining his life! The black rocks you lied to me about completely destroyed Old Corona and killed Quirin! Varian’s just a kid, and he lost his father because of you!”
Frederic raised his voice. “Now just a moment, young lady! When Quirin approached me that morning, he didn’t mention a word about the rocks. If he knew about them and didn’t ask for help, wasn’t that his mistake?”
Rapunzel held back an angry shriek. Why did her father have to make this so difficult? Why didn’t he understand the gravity of what happened? It was infuriating.
“He wouldn’t have had to lie if you didn’t pretend like nothing was going on! You want to talk to me about maturity? If you had just been mature enough to suck up your pride and address the problem, none of this would have happened! The blizzard? Xavier told me that it struck because Corona was at its most vulnerable, and he was completely right! I spent so much time blaming myself, but it had nothing to do with my filling in as queen at all. The rocks are invading this kingdom!”
“Listen to me, Rapunzel,” the king warned icily. “If you had done what I asked and remained within the borders I set for you, this may not have happened. You are the trigger for the moonstone’s power, so where you go, the rocks will follow.”
“Are you serious? You can’t be serious.” Rapunzel shot back. “You are such a hypocrite!”
“Rapunzel!”
“I’m not made of glass, Dad. I have to be free to make my own choices and explore my kingdom! Dangers or no dangers, I cannot stay confined in this castle for the rest of my life. Otherwise I might as well be a prisoner! I won’t do that again!”
“Excuse me?”
“You are not the first person to lie to me and tell me that I’m not ready for the real world.” Rapunzel felt her stomach twist as soon as the words escaped her lips, but in the moment, she couldn't hold back. If she expected it from her father, it was only fair that she speak her own truth.
The king nearly fell backwards, the words clearly taking him by surprise. “How… How dare you? How dare you compare me to that woman?”
“What is going on?” Queen Ariana demanded, barging into the room and abruptly putting a stop to the conversation between the king and princess. “Why is it that I can hear the two of you from down the hall?”
Upon seeing her mother, Rapunzel burst into tears. Desperate for comfort and understanding, she jumped down from the stool and raced over to her, falling into her arms.
“Oh… Oh, Rapunzel.” Ariana stroked her daughter’s head, slightly taken aback by her outburst. “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Rapunzel. You’ve been through so much. You’re so young, and you’ve been through so much. What I think we all need—” she paused to flash her husband a disapproving look, “is a little patience. Now, I can tell there’s something you need to say, isn’t there?”
Rapunzel slowly lifted her head and nodded. After taking a moment to catch her breath, she turned around to face her father. “Yes, there is.”
“I thought so.” Ariana gave her daughter a consoling squeeze before addressing Frederic again. “Don’t talk. You do so much talking, Fred. Just listen to her.”
“I… I couldn’t save him,” Rapunzel admitted tearfully. “I used my hair to free Quirin, but it was too late. He was… already dead.”
“Oh, Sweetie…” Queen Ariana placed a hand over her heart. “That must have been awful.”
Rapunzel nodded somberly.
“…Good heavens,” the king said slowly, genuine horror reflected in his eyes. “Rapunzel… I didn’t realize you went through that.”
For a moment, she thought her father might actually start to understand where she was coming from and maybe even see the error of his ways.
“Nevertheless, Quirin didn’t—”
Never mind.
“I’m not interested in discussing what Quirin did or didn’t do,” the princess retorted. “It doesn’t matter anymore. He’s gone. And… w-well, we couldn’t just leave him alone. We couldn’t leave Varian.”
King Frederic’s eyes went wide. “No. Absolutely n—”
“It’s already been decided,” Rapunzel declared, folding her arms. “Varian is going to stay with us for the foreseeable future.”
“Ariana, you’re okay with this?”
The queen sighed. “I am. We have no other choice, Frederic! The child is alone and afraid, and I quite frankly don’t feel comfortable sending him into the system.”
“There’s nowhere else he can go?”
“No, there isn’t,” Rapunzel snapped. “He wants to be with us. With me and my friends.”
King Frederic huffed indignantly, then turned to his wife in hopes that she might argue in favor of his position. “Ariana?”
The queen smiled blankly in response. “You heard our daughter. He’s staying.”
Rapunzel opened her mouth to add something, but before she had the chance to get a word out, the king straightened his jacket and stormed past them out of the doors and down the hall.
“Stubborn fool,” Ariana muttered under her breath. She glanced over at Rapunzel, who looked as though she might explode. “I’ll talk to him.” She gently tucked her daughter’s hair behind her ear. “I hope you know that you’re doing the right thing.”
“Of course, I do!” Rapunzel blurted. “But it’s… you have no idea how hard this has been! Eugene and I have spent the better part of a week taking care of Varian while he’s been sick in bed! He was so sick, Mom. So sick that I was afraid to leave him alone for more than half an hour at a time!”
“Rapunzel…”
“And then we had to tell him about his father—that we couldn’t save him. Just looking at Varian is a reminder of that failure, of my failure! And none of it would have happened if Dad had just told me the truth!”
“Rapunzel!” Queen Ariana pulled her daughter into an embrace. After a moment, she pulled back a bit to look into her eyes. “Listen to me. You have such a tender heart, Rapunzel, but I need you to remember to take care of yourself. Nothing that happened is your fault. You need to give yourself some grace. Neither your father nor I decided to tell you about the moon rocks. We hold the responsibility.”
“I don’t blame you, Mom.”
“I admit that I didn’t know the full extent of what they are and what they do, but I could have told you what I did know.”
“Everything you knew, I probably knew too. I had been researching the rocks with Varian before all of this happened.”
The queen smiled. “Forging your own path, are we? That’s good. In time, your father will come to see that he’s wrong. You just keep doing what you’re doing. Just remember to give yourself the grace you deserve.”
Rapunzel exhaled deeply, stepping out of the hug. She held her face in her hands for a moment in an attempt to reel her emotions back in before eventually turning back to the queen. “I will, I promise. Thank you, Mom. I’m going to go get things ready for Varian.”
“Okay.”
-
“Hey, Varian. It’s time to get up,” Eugene said softly, gently shaking him by the shoulders. “Let’s get you inside.”
Varian sat up slowly, huddling deeper into his three jacket layers as soon as the temperature registered with his body. “Where are we?”
“In the courtyard, right outside the castle. Now come on.”
“O-Okay.”
”All right.” Eugene flung open the carriage door, and Varian climbed out, coming face to face with someone he didn’t recognize.
The man standing beside Eugene was tall and kind-faced, with a muscular, stocky build that reminded him somewhat of his father.
Varian tried to say something, but a sob caught in his throat when he realized that only days ago, he very easily could have mistaken the silhouette in front of him for Quirin.
Eugene’s heart sank, and he crouched down beside the boy. “Varian, it’s okay,” he reassured him, placing an arm around his shoulders. With his free hand, he gestured to the other man. “I want you to meet Lance Strongbow, my best friend. He’s here to help us with… well, you.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. There’ll probably be some days where Rapunzel, Cassandra, and I won’t be around to look after you, so Lance here is going to help us out.”
Before Varian had the opportunity to respond, Lance excitedly pulled him into a hug. “Nice to meet you, little buddy!”
“Lance, take it easy,” Eugene advised. “He’s still not feeling well.”
“Oh!” Lance immediately released Varian from the tight embrace, then moved to gently cup his face in his large hands. “Don’t you worry, we’re gonna take good care of you!”
Varian sighed and stifled a cough. “H-How old do you think I am?”
Lance paused for a moment, feigning serious thought. “You don’t look a day over… sixteen,” he said finally, smiling proudly.
A blush spread across Varian’s cheeks, and he allowed himself to smile. “Actually, I just turned fourteen in March.”
“Get out of here! You look so grown up!”
“Really? I always thought… I thought th-that—” Varian tried to talk through it, but the sudden tightness in his chest forced him to abandon the conversation altogether. He quickly thrust his face into the crook of his arm, furiously trying (and failing) to fight off the series of painful coughs that seemed to tear at his lungs.
“…S-Sorry,” he rasped finally, avoiding both Eugene’s and Lance’s eyes.
Eugene shook his head. “Let’s go Varian, now. You’ve got to get inside and back to bed,” he directed.
“Don’t have to tell me twice.” Without warning, Lance scooped Varian up into his strong arms, holding him like a baby. “I gotcha, little man.”