Horace had thought he would never get used to the idea of his official bodyguard being a young child, but it wasn't nearly as bad as he had thought it would be. He still didn't like that a child had been pulled in to be his babysitter/bodyguard, but most days he was able to push it to the back of his mind. It felt like Varian was just his companion.
Horace appreciated having a sparring partner that wasn't a few decades older than him. Varian wasn't very strong, even with all the training he did, and Horace felt bad about all of the bumps and bruises he left the kid with, but despite his young age Varian had put him in his place a few times. The kid was fast, and sly, and definitely not afraid to pull his punches like Horace was.
It was also nice to have somebody to talk to. Horace wasn't about to dump all his issues on a kid that had only turned six a few weeks ago, but he liked being able to complain about at least a few of his daily troubles.
And, of course, it was awesome to be able to read The Tales of Flynnigan Rider almost every night. Especially when they were able to act out some of the scenes together. For just a few minutes Horace was able to pretend that he wasn't a prince, and Varian could act like the kid he was.
Of course, things weren't perfect. Horace still didn't like being stuck in the Dark Kingdom. Varian had helped distract him, but it was always there in the back of his mind, just waiting for the right time to force its way to the surface and make him restless again.
Horace had been doing so well, but then Varian went and got himself sick. Really sick.
Illness was never a good sign in the Dark Kingdom. One of the moonstone's powers was plague, which was a big reason why the citizens had evacuated all those years ago. All of them were scared for the worst. Even Horace's dad, who was usually the master at putting his responsibilities as king over the good of a single individual, was worried enough about Varian to let Horace take some time off from his princely duties.
He wasn't allowed to go anywhere near Varian, who had been brought back down to Quirin's room so his dad could keep a better eye on him. As much as Horace's dad was worried about Varian, he was still more worried about Horace. If Varian's sickness was contagious he didn't want to put Horace at risk as well. However, nothing could keep Horace from lingering in the hallways outside of Quirin's room and interrogating the man about any updates he had whenever he stepped out of the room.
"Your highness," Quirin opened the door to his room and Horace paused in his pacing to look at him.
"Is he okay?" Horace asked.
Quirin sighed. He looked exhausted, but not as terrified as he had been this past week. Horace hoped this was a good sign and not just Quirin wearing a mask of professionalism.
"He's still weak, and he's still complaining of chills," Quirin said. "But his fever broke, which hopefully means that his body is starting to recover."
Horace let out a breath of relief. For the first time in a week he felt like a massive weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "So it wasn't the moonstone?"
"Not this time." Quirin said. "Just a regular illness."
"Thank the moon." Horace said. "Can I see him?"
"He's sleeping." Quirin said. "And though he's doing better he's still sick. It's still not safe to be around him." Horace deflated slightly and Quirin gave him a small smile. "Don't worry, your highness, in a few days he'll be well enough for visitors. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you. He's been begging to read about Flynn Rider, but he refuses to let me read it to him. According to Varian, it's your thing."
Horace chuckled and swept his hair back. "Yeah, it kinda is." He knew he probably shouldn't be, but he was proud that he had something with Varian that the kid didn't want to share with even his dad.
Quirin chuckled and gave him a slightly exasperated, but mostly teasing look. "Go get some rest, your highness. I know you've hardly slept since Varian fell ill."
"Neither have you." Horace crossed his arms and tried to look as wise and in control as he could. Quirin gave him an unimpressed look.
"Yes, but I'm not a growing teenager or a prince." Quirin said. "I'll rest once Varian is better and is running around the castle, driving you crazy with all the energy that's been building up for a week."
Horace grimaced at the thought of all the work in front of him. Varian was a very active kid on a normal day. Not being able to train or do chemistry for a week was probably getting to him, and Horace knew for himself just how much cabin fever could mess with one's judgement.
"Yes, sir." Horace said. "Tell Varian I said hi."
"Of course, your highness." Quirin said. He nodded at Horace and retreated back into his room, closing the door behind him. Horace sighed and made his way upstairs. It was odd. Horace had grown up in this castle, he was far too used to the isolation of it, and yet he felt uncomfortable with how quiet and empty the hallways were. He hadn't realized how much he had gotten used to Varian's constant presence.
Even before Varian had been assigned to be Horace's bodyguard of sorts he had rarely been completely alone. When Horace wasn't training with the Brotherhood he was learning his responsibilities as Prince of the Dark Kingdom. In what little free time Horace had he still passed either his dad or the Brotherhood in the halls.
Now though, the castle was completely silent. With Quirin busy with Varian and Adira watching the Great Tree Hector was the only one who could guard the moonstone. Knowing how vigilant Hector was, Horace wouldn't be surprised to learn that he had only eaten or slept this week when Edmund had insisted on covering for him for a few hours every day.
As for Horace's dad, even in a practically abandoned and desolate kingdom a king's work was never finished. Horace didn't think he had seen his dad in more than passing all week. It was weird. For the first time since Horace could remember, not only was he completely free, but nobody was giving him a second thought. For once, they were all far too busy to worry about the wayward prince.
Horace froze at the realization. Nobody was watching him. Nobody would check in on him for several days. This was the perfect opportunity to get out and get some fresh air.
Horace wanted to hit himself for even considering it. Was he really going to take advantage of the fact that a kid was sick? Not only was it unprincely behavior, it was cruel for anybody. The idea had slipped into his head though, and Horace couldn't shake it.
This was the very opportunity he'd been looking for for so long, and he couldn't just pretend it wasn't there. Barely aware of what he was doing Horace made his way up the stairs to his bedroom. He knelt next to his bed and pulled out the trunk that he kept his survival gear in. Horace pulled everything out one at a time and laid it on his bed so he could take a closer look at everything.
Half of Horace's mind was screaming at him to shove the trunk back under the bed and forget about this selfish plan. Varian was sick. Horace was supposed to be thinking about how to help him feel better, not running off out of a force of habit.
The other half of his mind reasoned that it wasn't so bad. If he left now with the plan of only being gone for a few days he could be back before anybody even realized he was gone. Horace hoped that by having the chance to stretch his legs without the Brotherhood breathing down his neck he'd be able to tide over the sometimes overwhelming desire to leave the Dark Kingdom and never return.
"Just a few days." Horace muttered to himself. He started to fill his satchel with flint, nuts, dried meat, and a small canteen that he would fill with water at a nearby stream. He grabbed some basic healing herbs and bandages, just in case. He also put a small notebook and charcoal pencil in his bag, a gift from Varian.
If Horace was going to be leaving the kid he figured the least he could do was take some notes or something about what he saw. Maybe he'd be able to tell Varian a story about him instead of one about Flynn Rider.
The last thing Horace grabbed from his room was a dagger that Adira and Hector had given to him for his last birthday. The blade was made from some of the black rocks that Adira had cut with her own black rock blade. The handle was bone with intricate Dark Kingdom designs carved into it.
Adira and Hector had made him swear to not tell Quirin or Edmund about the dagger, and Horace was all too happy to keep his promise. He loved his dad, but it was a little thrilling to have an innocent secret from him.
Horace made a conscious decision to not grab his winter boots or cloak. He only intended to be gone for a few days, and if he packed too much he would easily be tempted to stay out for longer. Horace would rather come home early because it was too cold than really run away and abandon Varian. At that moment, it just didn't feel right.
Horace put the satchel over his shoulder and quickly left his room. He made his way down the empty hallways and towards the exit to the castle. He usually put more planning behind his running away attempts, but this was a very spur of the moment kind of thing. Horace knew that if he stated longer he might change his mind and either decide that he wanted to stay out for longer, or not leave at all, and he didn't want either of those things.
Horace would usually head towards the west, It was where the Great Tree was, and the closest towns were in that direction as well. Whenever Horace tried to run away that was where he went. This time though he went east. He knew there was nothing out there but a barren wasteland for miles until he finally reached the ocean, but he didn't intend to get that far. Horace just wanted to explore the borders of his kingdom a little bit.
Even though the whole reason why Horace was leaving now was because he knew that nobody would notice he was still alarmed and a little unnerved about how easy it was to get out.
His dad wasn't going to pop out and drag him back to the throne room to scold him. Quirin wouldn't be giving him a disappointed look. Hector wouldn't hunt him down like prey and mock him for all the mistakes he had made in his escape attempt. Adira wouldn't be waiting on a stomp just in front of him, like she had known exactly where he was headed and making him feel like an idiot.
For once Horace was completely free to leave, and nobody was going to stop him. It was almost unfair. The first time he would probably be able to get away with leaving more permanently and he had already decided that it was just going to be a short trip.
Oh well, there was always next time.
It was a nice day...alright, that was a bit of a stretch. It was incredibly dreary, as it always was in the Dark Kingdom because of the curse of the moonstone. However, Horace saw blue skies just peeking in over the horizon. As gloomy as it was here, it was nice weather just beyond the borders, so it counted.
Horace swore to himself that somebody he would make it beyond the borders of the Dark Kingdom. He would be just like Flynn Rider and find out how to get himself everything that he had ever wanted. Who knows, maybe he would even bring the kid with him. Varian didn't deserve to be stuck in the Dark Kingdom for the rest of his life any more than Horace did.
The kid deserved to see the world, not just imagine what it could be like based off of what he'd read, and Horace was determined to give it to him. It was only a matter of time.
Varian whined and squinted his eyes open. It was dark, though he didn't know if that was because it was nighttime or because the Dark Kingdom was always dark. He wanted to go back to sleep, but he felt too sticky and stiff. It was so uncomfortable. He was also really cold, but curling up into a ball did little to make him feel better. In fact, it just made his body ache more.
Varian whimpered and rolled over, as though to try to get away from the pain. But, of course, it didn't go anywhere.
"D-daddy," Varian whined for his dad. It was something he'd been doing a lot lately, but he was too tired to really be embarrassed about it. Usually his dad was immediately at his side, but not this time. Varian rolled over onto his stomach and lifted himself to look for his dad. He didn't see him anywhere in the room. "Daddy?"
Varian heard some quiet rumbling. He turned to see that his dad was sitting in a chair right next to the bed. He was fast asleep.
Varian didn't think he had seen his dad sleep at all since he'd gotten sick. His dad was always right there to comfort and help him whenever he needed it. Varian's daddy hadn't left his side. Of course he was tired, and Varian didn't want to wake him up. But he didn't want to be alone either.
Varian wrapped his blanket around his shoulders and climbed out of bed. His legs wobbled a little, but he caught himself before he could fall. Varian's head swam a little, but it cleared up after a long minute until he felt well enough to move.
Varian dragged his feet as he left the room. He would let his daddy sleep and go find somebody else to help him, and maybe get him a drink of water. Hector and Adira were probably working, and Varian's dad always told him to never bother the king, but maybe Prince Horace would be available.
Varian hoped he was. He loved his daddy, but he hadn't seen Horace in so long and he missed him. Maybe the prince would even be willing to read about Flynn Rider and help him go back to sleep.
Varian stumbled up the castle stairs. He felt dazed, like a mix between half asleep and being hit really hard in the head. Somehow he was able to get his feet to keep moving. He felt like he wasn't controlling his body and it was just moving without him, but somehow he soon found himself standing in front of Horace's bedroom door, which was wide open, for once.
Varian adjusted his blanket and let himself in. He didn't see Horace right away, but it took him a long moment to understand he wasn't in there. It took him an even longer moment to notice the trunk in front of the bed. That was Horace's runaway trunk. Three different glances (one to check, another because he hadn't understood what he was looking at, and a third to act as a double checking) confirmed that his satchel was missing.
Horace had run away.
Varian was a little scared. He rubbed the back of his hand, where his Brotherhood mark was. For as long as he could remember the king had complained to his dad about Horace's habit. Varian saw it as just a regular part of life, so he wasn't all that surprised about it. He had known that it would happen sooner or later.
Only now that it was happening did Varian realize what it meant. The king had told him that it was his job to keep Prince Horace company and stop him from running away, but then he'd gotten sick. Varian hadn't been able to be around his prince, so he hadn't been able to stop him from running away like he should have.
Varian had only had only had this task for a few months and he'd already failed. He had to find Prince Horace and bring him back. It was his job.
Varian grabbed Horace's long cloak and put it on. It still dragged on the floor, but it wasn't as long as the blanket was, and it was a lot warmer. He hoped this would make the chill under his skin go away.
Varian wondered for a minute if he should go get Hector or the king. They knew a lot more about bringing Horace home than he did. Varian ultimately decided against it. His dad always told him to not bother the king, and Hector was keeping an eye on the moonstone, which was a really important job.
Keeping Horace at the castle was Varian's job. He couldn't drag someone else away from their work to help him with his. This brand on his hand was a reminder that he was a part of the Brotherhood. This was his chance to show the king that he hadn't made a mistake to make him a brother.
More importantly, he would show his dad that he was ready for this. Varian knew that his dad had his doubts. He didn't think that Varian was old or strong enough for this, but he could prove him wrong. Varian had been training for so long for this, and he needed to show his dad that it wasn't for nothing. Varian would earn a spot in the Brotherhood, and his dad would be proud of him.
Varian wouldn't ask any of the other brothers for help, but that didn't mean he was going to go alone. He hadn't put his shoes on before leaving his bedroom, and he didn't want to go all the way back down to his room. His feet were tough, but not tough enough to be walking around outside, so he grabbed some of Horace's boots. They kept his feet warm, but it was hard to walk in them. Because of this, Varian was going to try to do as little walking as possible.
It was a good thing he knew somebody who could help him with that. They were also better trackers than he was, so they'd be able to help him find Horace.
Varian stumbled over his feet and almost fell down the stairs as he made his way down. He had to keep a hand on the wall to keep his balance, and he went very slow, but eventually he got to the ground floor. Varian adjusted the cloak and left the castle. He made his way to the stables.
Varian walked past Domino's stall and said hello to Hector's rhino before letting himself in the bearcat's pen. They were resting, but when Varian let himself in they both opened a cautious eye and stared at him.
"Hi," Varian said cheerfully. He stroked their fur and grinned when they leaned into it. They were fierce creatures, and when Varian was really little he had been scared of them, but he knew they were secretly nice. He had helped Hector take care of the bearcats, so he was really familiar with their sweeter nature.
"I need help." Varian said. The bearcats were immediately alert. One of them stepped in front of Varian protectively while the other one curled close to him and started licking his forehead. "Wha-hey! Stop," Varian pushed at the bearcat, but it just ignored him and continued to lick him more aggressively.
"I don't need a bath." Varian protested. He knew his dad would probably disagree, but that wasn't the point. "Guys, I'm serious. Prince Horace ran away again."
The bearcats finally stopped, giving Varian the chance to straighten and do what he had come here for. "I need to look for him. Can you help me?" Varian pet the bearcat that had been standing in front of him protectively.
The two animals looked at each other. They growled and hissed, almost like they were talking to each other. After a long moment the bearcat he was petting nodded and lowered itself to let Varian climb on top of it. The other bearcat growled one more time before running off, leaving the pen. Varian didn't know where it was going, but he made himself not worry about it. He had to find Prince Horace. The bearcat could take care of itself.
"Thanks, buddy." Varian pet the bearcat's fur. It was so soft. He closed his eyes and leaned forward till he was lying on its back. He could have a better grip on it this way, and it was a lot more comfortable too. "Let's go find his highness."