Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

---1---

Varian stumbled over the stairs and dropped the lantern. His tiny legs couldn’t keep up with his excitement. But before he could fall right onto his nose, he felt harsh leather grasp his arm.

“Hey, slow down Varian! I wouldn’t want you to have a bloody nose when we release the lantern.”

The five-year-old looked up on his father, embarrassment burning in his chest. Although there wasn’t anyone else to see it, the one who really shouldn’t have seen him do something foolish was his Dad. The figure towered over him, holding his arm in one hand and a candle in the other one. Varian could feel force pull him up onto his feet, and then up into the air so that he could stand right. His Dad always flung him around as if he was a piece of candy.

“Yes, Dad, I’m sorry...” Varian muttered.

He glanced back at their house. A majestic mansion, almost like a palace. Although his Dad was basically the Major of the village of Old Corona, he thought it was a bit too much. But he liked it nevertheless, especially the basement. Sometimes, he would slowly step down the stairs and read a book down in the dusty room filled with spiders and cobwebs.

But today, he couldn’t sit inside and read, no. Today was the ninth anniversary of the Princesses disappearance. He knew the stories and thought about how unlucky she was. He only had his Dad, but the Princess had both parents and couldn’t be with them. Varian felt a shiver run down his spine at the thought of being departed from his Dad.

And yet, could it happen? What if someone took Varian too or... what if something happened to Dad?

No, Varian thought, I and Dad will forever be together. It was enough that he only palely remembered his Mom. Sometimes he just broke down crying, because... well, he missed her. And although he loved his Dad, sometimes he couldn’t give his son all the love he needed. He wondered how it would be if Mom was there, giving him attention and softness when Dad couldn’t. Dreaming, he closed his eyes and immediately tripped over his own legs.

“Varian, what are you doing? Pay attention to where we are going. You’re not a toddler anymore.”

“I know Daddy, I’m sorry...”

Varian looked down at the ground, and to chase away his dark thoughts, continued thinking about the little Princess. Where was she? Would she ever return? Could the lanterns guide her home? The lanterns were beautiful. Sometimes Varian wished people sent out lanterns for him. The Princess was loved so much by people that didn’t even know her... did she know it? Was she thankful?

Varian would be thankful, but, well, he was just a pawn, no one to send out lanterns for. But he figured out he could be content with having his Dad by his side. As long as they were together, he didn’t care that no one liked him.

They arrived at the hill where all the people of Old Corona gathered to see the lanterns rise up from the palace. They were waiting for the signal. And once the lights began rising from the streets, it has begun. Chattering spread through the crowd. As his Father instructed him, Varian held the lantern tight, just above his head. Meanwhile, Quirin lit it up with the candle. He smiled and nodded to Varian to let it go.

As soon as Varian let go of the lantern, it set off into the night sky. Their was the first, joined by the others.

“Daddy?”

“Yes, Varian?”

“Does it go up because of the amount of hot air trapped inside which’s density is smaller than the cold air’s?”

“Varian, you should not read so many books. Do you have any that would help you learn how to pick apples, or not trip on the stairs...”

“No.”

“Well, you have me to teach you. Don’t worry, you’ll learn all those things in a few years. And you won’t even think about reading books anymore.”

After a moment of silence of looking at the beautiful night sky, covered in lanterns, a squeaky voice asked again:

“Daddy?”

“Yes, Varian?”

“If I ever got lost, would you send out lanterns?”

“Varian, I’d do everything I’d be able to do until I’d find out.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I’m your Dad, remember?”

Varian put his soft, cold hand into his father’s palm. He looked up once again. He knew how to explain that the lanterns went up, and he didn’t believe in magic. He wasn’t a kid, he didn’t read fairytales. But despite all of that, he quickly made a wish upon the yellow lights shining in the starless sky

I wish things stayed this way.

---2---

Varian stumbled down the stairs, his thin legs unable to keep up with the guards holding him. They were in the third and deepest level of the dungeons. Varian assumed it was the place where they kept their worst prisoners. Varian murmured spiteful words as the guards dragged him through the hall, back into the last cell, cut off from any other being in the world.

They threw him in and chained him up so that he almost couldn’t move. Hands handcuffed, foot chained to a heavy iron ball, and a long chain around his waist leading up to the wall. He sat down on the cot and glared as they locked him in. He hated the chains, the guard, he hated Rapunzel, everyone. He hated everyone. Now he was trapped, just like his Dad, and could do nothing to get himself or Dad out.

No, there had to be something he could do to get out of there. But not earlier than he got rid of those chains. Handcuffs didn’t go off no matter how much he pulled his hands apart from each other. The chain kept hurting him each time he pulled. And the iron ball was so heavy he had to roll it, he couldn’t even lift it up. He sat down on the cot in defeat, fury radiating through him.

What he hated the most was the sound of steel jingling every time he moved. He wasn’t  going to live with this under any circumstances. If he just had his lab here, it would be quite easy to make the chemicals he needed to burn through the steel.

But he didn’t have it here, it was back in his basement, which he’d probably never see again, which was destroyed and with a big crystal in the middle of it, in which his Father  was.

The thought of it made him want to either screech or try to get his current restriction of movement off, from which the latter he did, what resulted in a wave of noise spreading through the dungeons. He yelped in pain at the cold steel burning deep into his skin, knowing it wouldn’t take much longer for it to make bruises and draw blood. But that didn’t matter, because...

Varian screamed in rage and agony when he felt his leg was aching too much for him to keep going. He sat down on the cot, panting, infuriated. If he didn’t get out- if he couldn’t- then, then he would rot down here for eternity, wouldn’t he? And then, he’d never see his Dad again, he would never be happy again...

No no no. This wasn’t the end. It couldn’t be. He’d get out, and he’d get his happy ending, one day and finally...

He wondered why the other prisoners didn’t say anything. Were they used to it by now, or were they enjoying the show so much?

The Sun began setting. How could  you let them throw me in like this? What kind of friend are you?  Didn’t matter. He was going to get out of this terrible place soon. All he needed was a plan, it was that easy. He felt tiredness settle inside of him from all the breakdowns, all the tears, all the pain he went through that day. The Princess got her lanterns, a happy ending, people by her side... and Varian, Varian was alone. Completely, utterly alone.

As he laid down on the cot, chains all over him, without a blanket or pillow, he sighed deeply, a raspy sound coming from his throat. The pressure he put his lungs through that day was too much for a boy. And there deep inside, there was a feeling he covered, transformed, and hid from himself, that he’d never ever admit to having. He shoved it aside into the corner and left anger, anger and hatred.

“Dad will come for me if he ever gets out. And then- and then he’ll get me out of here. Everything will be alright,” he reassured himself quietly, before falling into the darkness which was deep, dreamless sleep.

---3---

Queen Rapunzel sat on her throne, holding tightly onto its arms to stop herself from trembling. She heard heavy footsteps through the hallway. After the door opened, she stared at the guards dragging the thin figure with them. Varian wasn’t resisting, it just seemed he wasn’t fast enough to keep up with them. Rapunzel quickly pushed back the pity. Think about what he tried to do.

The guards threw Varian onto the ground. He landed on his hands, his knees on the carpet. He panted and coughed a bit as well. Rapunzel was thinking: had she really not seen him for three years? Yes, he was taller, skinnier, and certainly more exhausted... and it was showing he did not get enough sunlight. His skin was paler, permanent blush on his cheeks now less reddish, but freckles still visible around his nose.

He looked... frightened. Like when the guards took him away that stormy night. Messy black hair, thick gloves. It was still him. And although he had handcuffs on his hands and guards behind him, Rapunzel couldn’t resist the wave of fright that ran through her.

“V-Varian.”

“Yes, your... Highness?” he seemed scared and uncertain. No hint of bitterness or hate inside his voice.

That made Rapunzel even more nervous. How could this be the person she was supposed to hate and fear, who didn’t deserve any second chances? How dare he be just a frightened child, not a hateful villain she is free to put back in the dungeon whenever she wants?

Remember what he did? Remember what he tried to do? He is a selfish, cold-blooded murderer, a deranged and dangerous boy.

But she still couldn’t hate him, despite all the voices telling her to. And so she was just scared. But she couldn’t let the fear show. Because you’re only really afraid if you accept you are, right?

“I called you because... Eugene is sick and although it’s just a fever... he had it for almost a month now and no one knows what to do. He cannot fulfil his responsibilities of a King. I know you are no doctor, but would it be possible for you to find the cause and try to make us a recipe for a cure?”

Varian was staring at one of the windows to get adjusted to the daylight again. After three full years... locked up for three years, that sounded like a nightmare. She knew how being locked up was, although not under the ground, alone, chained up, in the cold, without any light. No, stop it, no pity. He could’ve killed your mother, Eugene, everyone you love...

A single memory of that horrid day was enough for her for now. But would it last? That doesn’t matter. I’ll just forget about him once this is over. I won’t need more reasons. My fear is fully rational.

“Um, I mean ye-yeah, I could try to do that,” Varian stammered. He was afraid, he was afraid and it showed. He was afraid of Rapunzel, the people, the guards, the world he’s been isolated from for years now. The worst thing was that he himself truly couldn’t do anything, he couldn’t fight or hurt anyone, all he could do was wait what the others decide to do with him, and then get thrown back into his cell in which he would spend the rest of his life. It seemed cruel, crueller than anything he could ever do...

Stop it, you’re not thinking clearly.  The guards lifted Varian up to stand on his own feet. His legs trembled for a bit, then stopped. He stared at the ground, unable to look into Rapunzel’s eyes. It was as if he was thinking- She must hate me for what I did , as if he was feeling guilty, which he clearly wasn’t because, because...

Because it was Varian, and he was reckless and didn’t mind hurting others. He must’ve wanted to make Rapunzel feel bad. Yes, it was all a trick to make pity swallow her, as he couldn’t hurt her physically, he decided to make the few moments they were together the worst they could be, and that had to be it, yes. That was what Varian wanted. And he wouldn’t find out how to heal Eugene, and this was a waste of time and energy...

“Aha! Y-your Highness, I think I got it.”

Or not.

Chapter Text

---1---

Just one last drop of the substance inside his tube- and the substance inside the flask should have the properties of liquid helium, which means it would crawl up the walls of the glass and then drop down...

The world went silent for a few milliseconds, and then exploded in a terrifying sound resonating through his ears. He was completely paralyzed by shock and pain, and he felt force throw him down from the chair he was standing on, flying across the room. It was filled with thick, green fog, pieces of glass flying through the air. They crashed into Varian’s bare hands, causing his eyes to water uncontrollably. Unpleasant smoke filled his nose, and his lungs fought for fresh air.

The child crashed onto the ground, all his air knocked out of him. He couldn’t see anything, eyes prickling, hands hot and hurting, and for a moment he as if forgot how to breathe.

He heard his Father’s voice from above him, but his ears were deafened from the noise of the explosion.

“Da-Dad!” he cried out, gasping for breath.

In a few seconds which felt like an hour, his Dad lifted him up from the floor and carried him up the stairs into his room. Varian felt like he could breathe again, although his back and hands hurt, his head ached and there was some sort of continuous screeching in his ears. And...

“Dad, I ca-I can’t see anything!”

“Come on, we’ll go outside and wash your eyes out.” His Father’s voice was calming and strong, as always. There was a hint of worry though, which somehow calmed Varian down even more.

Varian hardly stood up, legs trembling, and began coughing. His Dad led him down the stairs and outside. For a moment, he was happy he couldn’t see his hands. Blood- blood scared him. Varian leaned onto the well awhile his Dad quickly pulled up the bucked of water. He took Varian’s hands and put them into the cold liquid. They hurt, and they burnt a lot. Dad took a bit of the water and splashed it onto his face. His eyes teared up even more, but it seemed the chemicals were coming out, and he wouldn’t be blind forever.

After a few more splashes, he could finally somewhat see the world around him. The light blinded him, and he saw the water going pink. With trembling hands and a nauseous feeling in his stomach, he quickly picked the glass out of his skin. Luckily, the shards weren’t too deep inside his flesh. There were also two chemical burns on his palms that would probably leave long-lasting scars. His Dad held him tight throughout the process, in case he did pass out.

“I-I’m sorry Dad, I’m sorry-“ he said, still trembling from the shock.

“Varian, what did I tell you? You shouldn’t mess around with chemicals! If you aren’t careful, it can explode, like this. You could get hurt! And you did!”

“I-I’m so sorry.”

Quirin pulled him closer to himself, and Varian finally found comfort. Coughing up the last of the chemicals he inhaled, he took the bucket of water and spilt it besides a nearby tree.

“Varian, you’re just seven, you have a lot of time until you can do things like this. I’ll teach you other things that can keep you busy, okay? Just... don’t do this anymore. At least for once, you yourself can see the consequences.”

Varian sobbed and nodded. He probably calculated something wrong, it was not supposed to explode. It was supposed to be nice, and interesting... and he failed, he failed and hurt himself. What if he hurt someone else? What if he hurt Dad? He didn’t want that  to happen.

Quirin picked him up and placed him onto his arms. Varian closed his eyes and smiled. His Dad was there, they both were alright. Everything would be alright. He just had to be careful, he just had to listen to Dad...

But once they got back to the house, just in a few minutes, Varian slipped back into the basement, into his favourite place in the mansion. The windows were open and the semi-toxic gas was no longer there, although it didn’t smell normal either. It smelled like chemicals, it smelled like a lab-

Varian put on oversized gloves that he found laying around the house, and a pair of goggles that were to be used in case of travelling during a snowstorm. Both accessories were old and worn, and Varian never saw anyone using them. So he put the goggles onto his eyes, the black gloves onto his hands, and walked towards the table. It was broken in half. The chemical was on the floor and both flasks were shattered.

Varian took a mop and cleared the mess up, carefully as his Dad would’ve wanted. But no, he didn’t leave. He sat down on the ground and began thinking about creating some sort of super-strong glue he could repair his table with.

The boy knew he wouldn’t stop. This was just the first of many explosions he would face during his work as an alchemist. But this was his interest, his hobby, his passion- this was what he wanted to study, who he wanted to be. Alchemy was amazing, empowering, magical even. He could use it against enemies and help Old Corona become the best home anyone could ever want. No matter how many times things exploded, one day he would get it right.

One day, his Dad would be proud of him.

---2---

Waking up for the past few months with a head on the desk wasn’t too comfortable, but this , oh boy, this  was a nightmare, even without having an actual nightmare. Varian woke up all sweaty and trembling and cold at the same time. The first few weeks in the dungeon have already passed, and he hated it, oh how he hated the prison he was thrown into.

His cell was nothing but a cubic piece of an excuse for a room, with an excuse of a bed, with an excuse of a human living inside of it.

That was at least what he seemed to the people who decided to put him there. Varian hadn’t cried since coming here, no, he hadn’t, because he wasn’t mourning, he was hating  and he would continue to hate for the rest of his life if that was what the world wanted for him.

Because despite the noise he caused and the infuriated shrieking and the jingling that drove him mad he still couldn’t get out, and he wouldn’t ever get out, even if he sat down onto the cot and tried to make a plan, there was no escape from this place even for him- even for him, who made a truth serum and built tenths of automatons, who transformed his pet into a savage beast. Because without supplies, without his tools and chemicals he was weak, weak and useless, and...

With a yell of a desperate person, Varian began trusting himself towards the bars, the chain cutting deep into his waist. He shouted and tried to get himself free once again, although he knew the iron was too strong, although he knew he couldn’t get out- because he knew, and he hated it, he hated that he knew that he couldn’t do anything. He coughed and tattered backwards, falling onto the floor.

His eyes teared up, not because of grief, but because of pain. He hated the chains, that he couldn’t almost move, that they hurt him, that he had to sleep with them. He couldn’t even put his gloves down because the cuffs pressed them firmly against his wrists.

His eyes were running red, and if he saw himself in a mirror he would be scared, or maybe rather laughed at how miserable he was himself. Because as much as you can cry in happiness, you can laugh in pain.

Varian chuckled at how ridiculous this was, at how dumb they were thinking they could just forget him, restraint him, push him aside just like he was pushed aside his entire life- and yet, that was exactly what they did. He sat in the corner of the cell, curled up, his arms holding his knees.

And there were scars, there were scars he could see even through the thick gloves, chemical burns that would never go off. But in his mind, they were pretty, they were beautiful because back when he got them, even those moments of irreversible trauma and pain, they were still happy compared to when he sat in his cell, because he had his Dad to scorn him, and his Dad to tell him what was right or wrong.

Because Varian didn’t know anymore, and he didn’t care, because this was just unfair, and the fair thing was for him to get his revenge and that was it for him. Nothing else worked, nothing else supported the facts that he wasn’t the one to blame, that this all was Rapunzel’s fault, and that the world had wronged him.

“I-I’m not afraid,” he said. “I’m not afraid of anything. I’m getting out of here, and Corona, oh, Corona should be afraid, because they will feel my pain soon, and I will make them pay for everything they made me go through,” his voice faded into an ominous whisper.

The months alone in his basement had broken his moral compass way beyond repair, and the weeks alone in his cell had broken him , and he knew, but he couldn’t fix himself, no, he needed someone else to fix him, someone like his Dad - and his Dad was gone, trapped in the amber prison, alone, just like Varian.

He heard the Princess left the Kingdom, he heard the Guards talking, and he knew now she was even freer than before, free and adventurous, free and happy - and he wasn’t, and he hated it, he hated it so much.

And Varian- Varian was alone. Completely, utterly alone.

---3---

The room was filled with doctors and scientists of all kind. It was big, as big as the royal bedroom should be. In the middle of it, there was a bed with the ill King, and a boy chained to that bed looming over him. Eugene seemed to accept his presence, coughing and blowing his nose every now and then.

Rapunzel loved her husband so much, and would never want to lose him. She would also prefer if it hadn’t been a criminal who just said he found a way how to heal him. But if it had to be that way...

“What is it, Varian?” Rapunzel asked in a cold voice. Maybe he was joking. Maybe he was wrong. Afterall, why would he  want to help Eugene?

“Stress fever, your Majesty. T-the King’s newly gained duties seem to have produced a lot of stress which has gotten combined with bacteria and- and weakened immunity.  Stress fever isn’t deadly but can last up to three months of the body demanding peace and rest.”

Some of the doctors stared in confusio, the more prestigious ones seemed to be thinking how in the world did they not think of that; either way, Varian knew what was happening from a single checkup. And he was still stuttering, still trembled awhile he was checking up on Eugene, still almost an adult but still a small and fragile boy.

Queen Rapunzel gestured for the doctors to leave. “Thank you for trying, but now I’d like to discuss this with Varian alone.”

They bowed and left the room. The guards stayed, of course. Rapunzel was far too afraid Varian would hurt her- hurt Eugene. Varian was far too close to him for Rapunzel’s liking.

“Three months?” she asked after the doors closed, “that can’t be right. What’s the cure?”

“Uhh... I-I’m trying to remember... I think it’s some sort of a chamomile flower decoction. Yeah. Three apples, five flowers decocted in a bucket of water, two teaspoons of honey. Some-something like that. M-my Dad had it once, me and a few villagers had to make it from a recipe an elderly woman that lived in Old Corona told us. She is long dead, but, uhh, I think I remember it right, y-your Majesty.”

Would you stop that stuttering? What happened with that bitter, hateful boy throughout those three years? He seemed scared, he seemed sad, but nothing like he’s been before. Rapunzel was as confused as she could ever be.

“Well, where do we find those chameleon flowers?”

Varian’s eyes sparked, the corner of his mouth twitching. Rapunzel’s whole image of the villain was shattering in front of her eyes.

“Ri-right, well, uh... bad news, they don’t grow in Corona, more to the south. On some plains there should be some. It’s a bit dangerous as the paths don’t belong to any Kingdom and there might be bandits...”

Oh well, isn’t this lucky for me. You would really want me to go there, wouldn’t you?

“I wasn’t there myself, but the elderly woman had some dried flowers and she told me where she got them.”

But did she really have any other choice? “Okay, we’re leaving in an hour. Varian’s coming with us though. Just to make sure. Get him some clothes.”

The earlier they left, the earlier this was over with. Varian’s clothes were already worn too much, he looked like a child from an orphanage. Maybe new clothes would ease her pity.

“Raps, this isn’t a good idea...”

“Eugene, we’ll be right back, you’ll not even notice. Just rest okay? We’ll bring those flowers here and everything will go back to normal. See, I’m still a born adventurer, even with the Sundrop no longer inside of me, and even with short hair.”

Rapunzel watched as Varian walked away with the guards. It was suspicious, very suspicious. Because Varian- he was changing, he was destined to change, but it seemed this time for the better. And Queen Rapunzel needed a reason to believe he was still evil, and vengeful- because her conscience was going hard on her, and it was simply getting worse.

But still, how could she find a reason that Varian didn’t deserve  to be happy?

Chapter Text

---1---

It was a long journey to the capital of Corona. The several detours, forests and bridges he had to take took more than he expected, but as he had woken up early and he travelled on a cart powered by horses, he was just in time for the costume contest. A farmer from Old Corona reluctantly agreed to take him with him as he wanted to sell some wheat in the busy town. Varian was especially excited because this was the first time he had gone to the capital alone, without his Dad.

He inhaled the fresh air filled with all kinds of different smells. It was so exciting, the houses taller, the streets narrow, nothing like the village Varian lived in. But his village was where his home was, and he already looked forward to the moment when he’d be back with his Dad. Varian loved his home.

But despite all of that, Varian shivered in excitement at the sight of the city. He quickly got off and began walking through the streets. There were other people that were visibly attending the costume contest too. Varian turned his head at every sight of something new, but he managed to come to the place where the contest was held.

He was taken in the atmosphere, standing at the entrance of the festival. It was amazing that he could see the sea around the Palace, that he could see the Palace - the one the King and the Queen had lived in. He remembered staring at this place each and every year from the hill, and seeing the lanterns.

Can you imagine  how amazing it would be to see the Royals let out the first lantern from here?  he asked himself in his mind. The amount lanterns the villagers let out during the tradition was incomparable with the streams and the rivers of bright light coming from the palace.

Varian unconsciously closed his eyes, just to experience for a few seconds the sky lit up with uncountable lights when suddenly he heard someone say: “A nice costume you got there, boy, you’re dressed up as Gatlyn, right?”

Varian immediately snapped out. Did he really  look like that? He glanced down at his clothes. He thought they were a pretty accurate representation of his hero.

Yet this boy was mistaking him for the man who just swam the river with a chicken on his head without getting it wet. One of those silly celebrities for a few weeks until it plopped. Not nearly as cool as Flynn Rider.

“No, Flynn Rider,” Varian replied.

The boy asking him was a teen, about five years older than Varian. He scratched his hand in confusion. “Who is that?”

“Oh, have you really never heard of him?” Varian couldn’t believe his ears. Wasn’t Flynn the most amazing, brave, heroic person ever? How come some people not heard of him?

“Uh... no.”

On one side, it was strange this person didn’t know Varian‘s idol, but on the other, Varian could talk about him without annoying the whole village, especially Dad.

“Well, glad you asked! Flynn Rider id the heroic traveller from the books ‘Tales of Flynnigan Rider’. He travels around the world, fighting evil. Sometimes he gets into trouble and has got wanted posters in some Kingdoms. He was in Corona before a few years. You ought to read the books!”

The boy chuckled. “Well then. Sounds good. Have fun!” he said.

Oh, and Varian did have fun. Despite having to explain to a few people all over again who Flynn Rider was, he enjoyed the contest, the other people’s costumes, the fact he could be someone else  for a while- someone cool and interesting , unlike himself. He didn’t win. The blue ribbon travelled to some girl dressed in a lot of glitter- although she didn’t explain what it was. All she snapped back was: “The real question is, kid, what am I not  dressed as.”

Varian watched as the Sun cast its last rays onto the castle. The cart trembled at every bump in the road. Corona was beautiful. It was stunning, as bright as the Sun- it was home.

---2---

The dungeons were such a nightmare, it was unbelievable. The prisoners at the deepest level were mostly quiet, but sometimes they screamed- mostly Varian- or chatted with each other. Varian never joined the talks, mostly because he hated the prisoners as much as the prison itself. I don’t belong here! he told to himself, I’m not like them.

And yet, was he really so different? He always despised the criminals, the evil-doers and the villains- and he still got it coded deep inside his mind, in the broken, dark corner called conscience. He really did become one, very quick.

Didn’t matter. Varian knew this, he knew the people of Corona thought he was wrong , unreasonable and deranged. But he  knew that they  had wronged him, and deserved every bit of pain they had to go through because of him. And still. It felt like... he might have been the villain.

It’s fine. That’s no fault of mine. But the worst thing about being there, the worst thing about the prisoners, was that they were failures . They failed to get their happy ending, revenge, whatever they wanted. And Varian- Varian was here with them, failed , helpless, screaming at the chains.

The fact that he had failed Dad again, that he failed again, as always- that he failed to make people see he was powerful, failed to make people listen to him, even consider him- failed to make Dad proud.

“Agh!” Varian jerked his hands, chain stretching as long as it could go and torturing Varian once again with terrible jingling. “I’m not  a failure, I’m not  a villain, I’m not  like you!”

“Hey, who’re you tellin’ that, kiddo? ‘Course you are. That’s why you down ‘ere, remember?”

It was not even like they didn’t know who he was. They knew very well of his crimes, story, and conviction. But everyone who ended up in the deepest level had a lifetime, so it didn’t really matter. Although at first, they were a bit off about him being ‘a child’. I am not  a child .

“No! I wasn’t wrong! It’s all her fault. She hurt her own people. She made me do this. I mean, why should she even care? She abandoned me, so why care about the other subjects? Was I and my Father really so worthless to her?”

He had no idea why he was telling them , the anger simply came bursting out in spiteful words.

“Look, kid, the Royals are all messed up. They think pawns are worthless. If you wanna vent, no one’s stopping you or something, but we know this too well ourselves,” another prisoner said. Her voice was almost as hateful as Varian’s, and it didn’t seem she was new to the place.

“Really? And see, did the Royals take your Dad from you?” Varian snapped back.

“Oh, they sure did. And didn’t seem to feel any remorse, other than having to deal with me and my anger. They’re  petty, they’re overreacting. Someone does something a bit off? Shove them to jail to die. Do you think it’s wrong? Your problem, because they  don’t care.”

Varian sparked with interest. Who is  that? Varian shoved himself into the side of his cell, just into an angle to see the woman. Angry stare, red hair, a tattoo on her arm.

“You’re the woman who showed up on Rapunzel’s coronation, aren’t you.”

“You heard the stories, it seems.” She stared right at him.

This is ridiculous. “What a failure! Silly you thought you would make your Dad proud. The Princess didn’t even need the Rocks to stop you, just her silly, long hair. I don’t believe-“

“Oh, shut up!” Lady Caine cut him off, “you’re as much as a failure as everyone else in here. What, do you think your Dad is proud of you, huh?” her voice was as sharp as a blade, prone to cut deep. But towards the end, her voice almost broke.

Varian sat down to his cot again, dragging the ball behind him. He was breaking inside. No, I’m not a failure! I will make Dad proud of me.

“I did everything I could to make him proud. I did everything I could to save him,” he said quietly.

But it wasn’t enough. You couldn’t save him, a voice inside of him added, it WASN’T ENOUGH.

“Rapunzel isn’t right , she isn’t perfect , and she should be dead , she never should have been born, and the Queen should’ve died too. Oh boy, I hate magic. It messed up everything, gave an unfair advantage to those who don’t deserve it. Why couldn’t my  Mom get the flower?”

Caine chuckled. “Because the world doesn’t like us, it likes pretty princes and princesses with flawless smiles, perfect lives and endless riches.”

Varian didn’t reply. He stared up at the ceiling, trying to imagine the calming blue sky, but instead saw hundreds of lanterns flying across a dark, black sea.

Rapunzel doesn’t deserve it. She doesn’t deserve having people love her. She doesn’t deserve to have magical rocks protect her.

She doesn’t deserve to be happy.

---3 ---

Rapunzel walked through the autumn world dressed up in colourful clothing. The feeling of being outside and in close touch with nature made her even calmer. But as she sat inside the carriage, all she could do was stare at the open gate.

After a few minutes, Varian walked out, two guards holding him. He was changed, clothes new but similar, a blue shirt, brown coat, leather pants. He got seated into the carriage and chained to the seat. Despite the new clothes, he seemed far from a threat.

He was looking out of the window, eyes widened. “It’s... beautiful,” he uttered.

Rapunzel realized the last time Varian had been outside, Corona was getting destroyed by black rocks. Seeing it clean and untouched was honestly a pretty big relief for Rapunzel as well. Old Corona got repaired and was inhabited again, Quirin also joining the villagers. It must’ve been terrible for him as well as Varian, not being able to be together. The few times Quirin went to the dungeons to see him, he returned even more heartbroken than when he went there. He hadn’t been there for a while, though.

Rapunzel almost thought she could hear her heart crack. But what about the people of Corona? They were all afraid of Varian. It was her responsibility as a Queen to make them feel safe. And honestly, how could she be sure Varian was safe? How could she even trust him?

After all, could she ever trust again?

They crossed the walls of Corona. Both Varian and Rapunzel were staring out of the windows, determined not to meet the other’s gaze.

There were four well-trained guards with them, to make Rapunzel feel generally safe. She kept telling herself it was because of the bandits Varian mentioned, but it really wasn’t.

There were just plains of wheat, no sight of a meadow yet. They still had about an hour to get to the end of them, but the place they were in was pretty much wilderness already. The paths belonged to no Kingdom at all, the ground barely fertile, forests spreading and swallowing the land.

Rapunzel still felt terrible. Nothing bad could happen to her- she got far more of a happy ending than she deserved. Love, family...

And then there were people like Varian who weren’t so lucky.

“Everyone turned their back on me!”

A paralyzing sound caused both of them to startle. The horses were panicking and prancing. Rapunzel couldn’t see the cause from her side. Varian could

“T-the horse has an arrow in its leg!” he shouted, utterly terrified.

Queen Rapunzel stood up, grabbing a pan hidden under the seat. She opened the door with confidence.

“Who is there? We’re armed.”

“We too.”

They were in a pretty much undesirable situation indeed. About twenty well-armed bandits circled around them.

“It’s an ambush,” Rapunzel repeated what was clear. Other than being chained to the carriage, Varian was also stuck to the seat in horror.

The guards jumped out and the fight began. The Queen didn’t hesitate to join the fight with her trusty pan.

Rapunzel wished as much as ever to have her hair back. Until she remembered all the troubles and the pain it caused and decided she wouldn’t trade her peaceful and magic-free life for all the hair in the world.

The guards were getting knocked out pretty easily and it was visible they were losing. They were clearly outnumbered. In the rush, the pan slipped out of Rapunzel’s hands and flew all the way to the carriage, landing just a few steps from Varian.

“Varian, throw it back here!” Rapunzel yelled at him, dodging the strikes of the enemy.

Varian, as pale as the wall, quickly reached out to the pan on the ground. Then the chain jingled in resistance.

“I can’t reach it!” Varian shouted back, leaping and shaking himself desperately.

Rapunzel’s eyes widened. “Varian, watch out!”

He fell down at the seat, unconscious, taken out by a bandit now holding a pan in his hand.

Rapunzel shrieked in terror and automatically ran towards him. She couldn’t flee. Corona was far too far, she had no weapons, and Varian was knocked out. Despite everything, she couldn’t leave him to the bandits.

As she was making her way towards the carriage, one of them got far too close to her. Rapunzel, with blood full of adrenaline, didn’t manage to dodge.

She heard a dull, loud sound resonating in her brain and sharp pain in her head. Then everything went black and silent.