Sorry it took so long, but I'm back with a new chapter. I'm still reeling from the Roe v. Wade decision, so I needed a distraction.
I edited the first chapters since I changed some names and characters. I advise going back and reading those chapters to get current information.
Anyway, on with the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the Tangled franchise. I only own this story idea and any characters I create.
'This is awkward.' Connor thought bluntly, looking around the table.
He wasn't sure why it had started to feel that way when the lack of conversation earlier had felt strangely peaceful. The only sounds that had filled the kitchen had come from the stove, bacon sizzling as the air became warm with the smell of breakfast, and the quiet hiss of a physical examination, forcing his body to move in directions it didn't want to move in.
Maybe it was because they all had something else to focus on earlier. There wasn't a need to have a conversation.
Now, the scraping of utensils on plates was far too loud in the quiet kitchen.
Anticipation had taken its place at the table, all waiting for something to happen or for someone to speak.
Shoving another bite of pancakes into his mouth, Connor looked between his two hosts. Silence usually didn't bother him, but he'd been expecting some explanation about what the plans were for the day. Even a light conversation, at least between the family, if they didn't include him.
Instead, he was treated to silence that stretched to the point where he suspected there was no end.
He'd thought about complimenting Varian, he was actually a good cook, but his blue eyes were fixed firmly on his plate while he ate. The only interaction they had managed was when Varian offered him the syrup and butter and then gave him a strange look when he said a few words in his native language before eating. He had looked like he wanted to ask, but then he'd looked over at Quirin and immediately averted his eyes. He'd barely made another sound since.
Connor didn't know what that was about, but he didn't like it.
Speaking of Quirin, the prick was acting like absolutely nothing was wrong. Occasionally he'd look up between them, seem to consider something, then turn back to his meal without a word.
"So," Connor said, trying not to visibly falter when two sets of eyes focused on him. Sun above, did it need to be this difficult? "What happens now?"
"We can talk about that after breakfast," Quirin said without pause, turning back to his plate.
"Why?" Connor asked. "If you have something figured out, I want to hear about it. It does concern me after all."
Quirin closed his eyes briefly, a heavy sigh pulling his shoulders down.
Connor didn't bother to hide his scowl of annoyance, ignoring Varian's nervous stare and switching between them. They were almost finished with breakfast anyway; he didn't understand why it was such a problem to bring it up now.
"Varian, are you finished?" Quirin asked.
It wasn't a question so much as a significant hint to 'get out,' so Varian quickly shoved the rest of his pancakes in his mouth, confirmation muffled around the sticky mess.
Connor did his best not to grimace, he can understand being in a rush, but that doesn't excuse forgoing table manners.
Quirin looked like he was going to say something, then thought better of it. "Alright, get your chores done and head off to see Marc. I told him you would be helping him while you were grounded. Sorry, I forgot to mention it last night."
Connor froze, fork hanging in mid-air over his plate. Grounded?
"It's fine, Dad," Varian said, hurriedly taking his plate to the sink. Placing it inside, he removed what looked like a small, pink ball from his pocket and dropped that into the sink, too, causing bubbles to suddenly appear.
Connor would have had several questions if his mind weren't stuck on that one word.
Slowly putting his fork down, he watched blankly as Varian and Quirin chatted, something about chores, what help this Marc was going to need, and dinner. He couldn't focus on that, his mind scrambling around that one word, tugging it apart to understand its meaning.
Varian was grounded. Was it because he brought a stranger home? Was it because Connor wasn't playing nice? A combination of the two?
Anger and guilt wrap around his neck, making breathing difficult as red tinges the edge of his vision. He focuses on his plate, glaring daggers at the remaining slices of pancake, hands curling so tightly into fists he thought he would draw blood.
The whole thing brought to mind stories he had heard of people who helped his kingdom being thrown in prison, or worse, branded as traitors for sympathizing with "rebels." If Varian was being punished because of him, that would explain why he clammed up after Quirin had appeared. He probably didn't want to get into any more trouble.
The very thought made Connor clench his teeth so hard they were grinding. That wasn't fair! Varian shouldn't be punished for helping somebody in need!
Then a horrible thought dawned on him.
If Varian was being punished for helping him because of who he was, that would mean Quirin figured out where he was from. For all he knew, the older man could be planning to hand him over to the Royal Guard!
Suddenly, it felt like Connor couldn't breathe, fear putting his lungs and airway in a vise grip. He could hear his heart beating loudly, deafening in his ears.
Old warnings and horror stories from his childhood, of people being arrested and never seen again, passed through his mind so quickly that the words blended together into white noise, leaving him rattled worse than he was the previous day.
The terrifying thing was that they weren't just stories. Something like that had happened to someone Connor knew.
Someone he loved.
A woman appeared in his mind, and it took what restraint Connor had left to not start crying right then and there.
"Connor?"
Reacting to his own panic, he shot back away from the older man. His momentum caused the chair to tip over, leading him to crash to the floor.
The impact with the floor jarred Connor from his scrambled thoughts, gasping in renewed pain as he tried to reorient himself.
Blinking the black spots out of his eyes, his blue eyes met Varian's matching concerned ones. The other teen was kneeling at his side, unsure what to do but not wanting to leave him.
Quirin stood behind them, on the other side of the table, frowning, looking him over with a pinched brow.
If that was supposed to be his concerned face, then that made Connor feel physically sick. He wishes he could snap at the man and tell him to drop the pity act, that Connor knew what he was up to.
How much of an idiot did he take him for?
However, if Varian was being punished because of him and if Quirin did know the truth, then getting into any more fights with the man, physical or verbal, could just make things worse. This meant he would have to play nice, as much as that wanted to make him hurl at this point.
Connor takes a deep breath through his nose and forces himself to sit up, pushing down nausea the situation created. He slowly got onto his knees, trying to stop the shaking in his hands.
Varian didn't leave his side, hands hovering a few inches away from him in case he collapsed again.
"Are you okay?" He asked once the brunette seemed stable again.
"Yeah," He answered, hoping his voice wasn't shaking as badly as it felt. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Quirin watches for a moment, studying them as if working through a puzzle. Eventually, he lets out a sigh. "I'll take it from here, Varian. You go do your chores."
Varian hesitated, not taking his eyes off Connor. He can see the shaking clear as day as much as the other tried to hide it. He has no idea what just happened or what set Connor off, but he didn't want to leave him after that episode.
The teen alchemist slowly moved onto one knee, ensuring not to startle Connor. He offered him a hand to help him back up, which he took after a moment's hesitation. Varian gently pulls him to his feet, helping him steady himself and regain his balance. Once he was standing, Connor let the other teen guide him to another chair to sit down while he picked up his old one.
Varian looked at him one last time, giving him a small reassuring smile before leaving the room. Connor almost called him back, nearly reaching out to stop him, but his throat was still in knots from the panic earlier.
Once the other was gone, Connor looked anywhere but at Quirin, who was still watching him. He seriously didn't want to be alone with the man, but he didn't have a choice.
"Like I said last night," Quirin said after a minute. "You're welcome to stay here for as long as you need, but we should probably get you to the doctor first so he can check you for any injuries or possible infections. Plus, a check-up, in general, might be good for you."
Connor nodded, not trusting himself to speak, dropping his gaze back to the table.
"After, I was thinking of telling the town about you. We were supposed to have a meeting in a couple days anyway; it won't hurt to move it up."
That got his attention.
"Why do you need to do that?" He asked, fear returning like a gust of wind.
"People will have questions if they see an unknown child running around, especially if he's staying with the village leader. It'll be better to address them early instead of letting them run wild with their imagination," Quirin explained, a touch exasperated. For once, it didn't sound like it was directed at him. "Besides, if you don't want to stay with me while you recover, I would like to see who would be interested in taking you in. A lot of good people live in Old Corona; I'm sure somebody wouldn't mind stepping forward."
"Aren't you going to hand me over to the Royal Guard?" Connor asked without thinking, confused about why that wasn't an option.
That was the first choice for people like him.
"Is that what you want?" Quirin returned.
Connor paused but eventually shook his head no.
Now that he was calm again, he was starting to think that Quirin didn't know the truth after all and that Varian's grounding was about something else. However, now he felt like an idiot for freaking out in front of two strangers.
Quirin seemed pleased with that answer, shoulders loosening up. "I'll also need to tell them you have alchemy and magic. Corona isn't known for mages or alchemists. If the townspeople see you casting spells or using chemicals, they could become frightened."
Connor's thoughts came to a screeching halt when he mentioned magic. He finally looked at Quirin, shock all over his face.
"What was that about magic…?" He asked in a quiet voice.
Now it was Quirin's turn to be confused, and it actually showed on his face in the form of a blink.
"Last night when we… fought, you seemed to be trying to… summon fire," He explained as best he could. "Your hands were… sparking, for lack of a better word."
Connor turned his attention to his hands in confusion and awe, like they would burst into flames if he stared at them. "That's… not possible."
Quirin didn't know it, but Connor hadn't been able to use his magic in six months. It was part of the reason his team was out here n the first place.
If what he was saying was true, he wasn't sure what to think anymore.
"Well, regardless, I need to set some ground rules while you're here."
Connor stilled, gaze shooting up as Quirin, after moving his plate aside, set his clasped hands on the table and looked him in the eye. His face was set back into that stony calm mask, eyes boring holes into him as his voice dropped closer to a growl.
A tiny sliver of fear shot through him, remembering the feeling of hands pinning him to the wall, too weak to break free or defend himself.
"One: Under no circumstances are you to cast any spell or use any chemical on a person without my or another adult's supervision and permission. Two: You are not going to summon fire, lightning, beasts, or anything that can pose a threat to the village. If any of these rules are broken, there will be consequences. Do I make myself clear?"
Connor held his gaze, hands shaking in rage this time. If his hands were sparking again, neither were reacting to it.
Did he think Connor would attack the village the first chance he got? Unbelievable!
"Understood," He said, stubbornly avoiding the 'yes, sir' Quirin was looking for.
Screw this; he was leaving tonight. He'll find the river and follow it back upstream.
"Good. Once you're ready, we'll head down to see Doctor Theo."
I intended to jump right into the doctor visit during this chapter, but I decided to break it up for next time. Hopefully, I won't wake up tomorrow and discover the world has turned into the Handmaiden's Tale.
The following story I'm working on is for the series "100% Wolf." It's going to be called "100% Lost and Found."
Stay tuned for the story premiere and the next chapter of "The Light Guard."