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Varian watches in horror from the rooftop Rapunzel had left him on as the airship goes up in smoke.
“No,” he breaths, not able to comprehend what’s happening. “No. Oh, suns, no. This can’t be- no. Sun, no.”
The smoke starts to dissipate and the reality of what’s happening hits him. She’s gone because of him. Princess Rapunzel, the only one willing to forgive him, even though she should be the least open to the idea, just went up in smoke. And it’s his fault.
Just as he starts to look away, a bright yellow ball begins to fall from the sky.
“Rapunzel!” Varian yelps, and unthinkingly leaps from the roof to the sidewalk.
From the second his heel collides with the ground, his ankle flares with pain, but he doesn’t stop. Sore feet pounding against the ground as he ignores the pain in his ankle,Varian darts through the dark streets, following the glow of her falling form.
He has to get there before she hits the ground. What if she’s alive? What if he didn’t just destroy her?
Rounding the corner, he sees Eugene and another man (Lance was it?) reach her side.
Rapunzel. She’s alive. Breathing. Doesn’t even look harmed.
“Suns.” He breathes, and falls to his knees, a flood of emotions washing over him.
Excitement and joy fills his chest at the thought that he hadn’t just killed Rapunzel immediately after they made up. Sort of made up? Confusion on just where he sits in the princess’s book swirls in the back of his mind.
The biggest emotions, however, are guilt and fear. How could he do that to her? To his kingdom? To his father? Suns, how could he have done what he has? How could he let any of this happen? The princess probably wants him dead.
Oh. Oh suns. She probably wants him dead, and she has the power to do that. They’re going to execute him. He deserves to be executed. He’s a threat to the kingdom. Suns, he’s a threat to humanity.
Chest tightening, tears start to roll down his cheeks as he crumbles from his knees into a ball on the cold stone street.
“I didn’t mean. I never wanted to. Suns, I’ll never see him again. I’ll never see him again!” He stammers to himself, mind racing with thoughts of his father, his kingdom, his life that he’ll never have. All his hopes and dreams. Down the drain.
“Varian?” Rapunzel’s soft voice cuts into his thoughts. He can’t even bear to look up at her. “Varian, can you hear me?”
Without a word, he leaps up and wraps his arms around her neck. “I’m so sorry. I’m so, so, so sorry. Suns, I’m sorry. I know what you want, and I don’t blame you. Just do it fast. Please, please just do it fast.”
The flood of tears continues, only worsening with each moment that passes.
Rapunzel, on the other hand, is confused. “Varian? What do you mean? Do what fast?”
Varian gasps for air through the tears. Barely able to choke out the words he replies, “Kill me.”
Rapunzel jolts, “Varian, no! Why would I kill you?”
Varian lays his head in her lap, face in his hands as he sobs. “So the kingdom is safe. So I don’t hurt anyone. As a punishment for what I’ve done.”
A hand that isn’t Rapunzel’s grabs his shoulders and pulls him to his feet. Eugene.
“Eugene! Or, Sir! Mister! Mister Fitzherbert!” He stammers, not sure what to call the man.
Eugene purses his lips and closes his eyes, looking torn between anger, exasperation, and laughing at the boy’s behavior.
After a moment, Eugene pulls himself back together, and stares at Varian sternly. “You are not going to be executed, do you hear me? The next few months might be the hardest of your entire life, but that entire life is going to be long. You did a lot in a really short time, and I did a lot over the span of a long time. We’re even now. Am I dead? No. And you’re still a kid.”
Varian nods.
“This doesn’t mean you’re getting out of this without consequences. You’re going to have to work to clean up your mess, it’s not just going to go away at the wave of a hand, understand?”
The younger boy’s eyes dart around, looking everywhere but the other’s eyes. “Yes, sir.”
Silence ensues for a moment, and Varian wipes his face clear of tears, waiting for someone to say something.
Rapunzel speaks first. “Varian, I have an idea to get your father out of the amber, if you want to try it.”
The idea startles Varian. A way to free his father after all this time?
“Yes, of course! Anything! Anything. Just,” he pauses. “Promise if it doesn’t work you won’t let me snap again. Please. And if I do, don’t let it all happen again. Stop me. Please.”
Rapunzel and Eugene look to each other and nod. “We can do that.”