My Soul Mate
The long journey back to home was very awkward. Quirin could tell that Varian was upset and confused about his decision to "lie" to the king. He couldn't blame him. He would probably have a similar reaction if he was in his place. Still, despite what Varian thought, he was only 14 years old and needed to trust that his father knew better. There was so much in this world that he still didn't understand. Some things, he hopes that his son would never find out.
Once they got back to Old Corona, Varian immediately went home. As the town's leader, Quirin didn't have the same luxury. First, he had to reassure his people that the king had given them more land. Then, he had to hug or shake their hands. They treated him like he was a hero, but he didn't feel like a hero. The rocks were still a problem. He had simply moved them to a safer location for the time being. It brought him pain knowing that the danger wasn't over yet, but at least he was able to give them some hope for a little while. It wasn't always easy to be in charge or hide secrets from those who were close to you. In a way, his position made him more sympathetic to what the king had to go through.
There were still things that he didn't agree with, especially that one decision that the king had made eighteen years ago. But after becoming a father, he had come to understand the king's actions. He still thought that he had brought danger to the kingdom, but at the same time, it was for a noble cause. He couldn't be entirely angry at his friend. He was happy that the Queen had recovered, and he was sad for both when the lost princess was taken. It was both a joy and miracle to know that she was not only alive after all these years but that she was also back where she belonged. He couldn't have imagined what it would have been like if Varian had been taken.
Somehow, he eventually managed to escape from the citizens and headed home. Once he got inside, he heard a loud bang from the basement. His blood grew cold. "Varian! Son, are you okay in there!?"
He heard his son call out "Yes, Dad! Yes, yes…I just dropped a book." Quirin heard another loud commotion. "One of my…one of my big boo…books."
Quirin had some doubt that what the noise really was, but he decided to give his son this one moment of trust. Still, to be on the safe side he called out "Well, be careful down there." He then headed to his bedroom.
When he got there, he made sure that nobody was around before taking down some bricks off from a wall. Behind it was a chest that he hadn't thought about for some time. He dragged it out and dusted off the top of the chest. There was a circle symbol with three small lines on the left side, just like the mark that was on his hand. After making sure once again that nobody was around, he opened it. Inside of it were many things, but on the top was his former helmet with the symbol right in the middle and a scratch mark on the right side. So many thoughts about his former life raced through Quirin's mind. It had been filled with so much fighting, secrets, and traveling. He had certainly never expected to settle down and become a family man.
He got up and started making his way to bed when he noticed the castle outside of the window. Maybe, he should go back to the castle and talk to the king again? Suddenly, his eyes landed on a picture that was hanging next to the window. It was a family portrait of him, his wife, and a baby Varian. He smiled lovingly at his dear Daphne. Many years ago, he had been traveling through the kingdom when a storm hit. He had escaped inside a bookshop where he was greeted by a beautiful librarian with long brunette hair that was tied into a bun and beautiful blue eyes that had reminded him of the ocean. She wasn't just the most beautiful woman that he ever saw but also one of the most intelligent people that he had ever met as well. She knew everything about Shakespeare and Greek Mythology, knew much about both Art and Corona History, and loved poetry, especially poems that were about love. She was never cocky about her knowledge. She believed that knowledge should be taught to others and that it should be used to make society a better place.
Quirin agreed and disagreed with her about that. True, knowledge can be used for good, but it can also be used for bad. In his opinion, some things should be left alone. Despite the different opinions, Quirin had enjoyed their long talk greatly and once the rain had stopped a couple of hours later, he found himself not wanting to leave. A few months later, he quit from the organization, befriended the king who made him the leader of the village outside of Corona, and later married Daphne. Daphne quit her job at the bookshop to become a home-maker in their new home, but in her spare time she often taught the village children to read. She would also often help him find solutions to problems he couldn't solve. Also, when they would visit Corona to get supplies, she often stopped and rented a couple of books from the bookshop to read in her spare time in the evenings.
The first two years had been wonderful, but then the rocks appeared. Despite feeling angry over the situation, he had little choice in the matter. So he focused on his job, farming his land, and being a husband. Four years later, they were blessed with a son.
Quirin suddenly frowned as he turned his focus on his then gleeful infant son that was in Daphne's arms in the portrait. He was so proud of being a father and had vowed to be a good parent, but some things were easier said than done. Varian had proven at a young age to be extremely intelligent and had inherited his mother's love of learning. However, unlike her, he was more interested in science and alchemy, rather than literature. Quirin didn't quite understand where Varian had picked up these interests from, but he was concerned on how far Varian would take it. He had either unintentionally damaged or nearly damaged the village several times in the past few years while trying to find ways to improve it.
He knew that Varian meant well and never meant to hurt anyone, but the boy was also careless, reckless, and irresponsible. It also doesn't help that Varian had his mother's blue eyes. Every time he looks at him, he is reminded on how much he misses his beloved wife. Varian was also incredibly stubborn just like his father. Maybe that was part of the reason that they never truly had a strong bond with each other. Varian wanted to prove that his inventions work and that they can be used for good, while Quirin was wary of the inventions and simply wanted to live a quiet life. However, with the rocks becoming more of a danger, he doubted that was even possible.
Maybe he can tell Varian at least a little information about the rocks. Just enough to keep him satisfied and make him understand that the rocks were dangerous and not to be played around with. After all the boy hasn't caused much trouble during the past few months. Maybe he was starting to become more responsible and trustworthy. If that was the case, then he should start trusting him with more information. No matter how much he drives him crazy, he will never stop loving or protecting his boy. He was the only family that he had left. He put the helmet back into the chest and then hid the chest behind the wall again. After making sure that everything was clean and put away, he headed downstairs to the basement. It was time for a serious and truthful talk with his son.