Varian hadn't said a word in almost a week, and Lance was concerned. The kid was isolating himself, or at least trying to. Horace forced himself into Varian's company as often as he could. Lance had been furious at first, but when he'd tried to confront Horace about it the prince had said that Varian had been feeling very lonely, and he thought that was at least part of the reason why he had erased his own memory. Horace admitted that things between him and Varian were awkward, to say the least, but he didn't want Varian to feel alone.
Lance thought about pushing himself between Varian and Horace, and protecting the kid from interacting with him. There was a very insistent voice in his head telling him that Horace couldn't be trusted, and that he was just going to hurt Varian again, just like he always seemed to do. Lance listened to the voice, because he knew that it was right, but he also wasn't going to take Varian's will away from him.
Varian didn't trust Horace, that much was clear, but he seemed to enjoy his company right now, at least sometimes. Lance had been worried that Varian was opening himself up to be hurt again, but then he realized just what was happening. Varian was just empathizing with Horace. They were both very depressed right now, and though they didn't quite find comfort from each other, they at least found understanding and camaraderie.
Lance didn't want to take that from Varian. The kid had enough of people making decisions about his life for him, and Lance had seen how much it hurt him. Lance wasn't going to add to that pain, no matter how loud the voice in his head was when it told him that Varian needed to be kept safe from anybody that might hurt him, even himself.
So Lance didn't interfere, but he didn't leave them unsupervised either. He watched Horace and Varian as they just sat together. The boy still didn't say anything, and Horace didn't seem to say much either, they just sat there.
Nothing could cheer Varian up, not even Ruddiger. Both Lance and Rapunzel had tried to secretly bring the raccoon to Varian, just to give him a few minutes of comfort, and he appreciated it, but even Ruddiger couldn't bring a smile out of him.
Varian wouldn't train. He wouldn't read. He barely ate, even when Lance made his favorite food. Varian just climbed on top of the carriage and cuddled with Zmeya as he stared blankly ahead.
Adira tried to talk to both Varian and Horace once or twice, but they both gave her the cold shoulder. Varian seemed to be more mad at Adira for assisting Horace in trying to hurt Ruddiger than he was at Horace himself. As for the prince, he was hurt that Rapunzel and Adira hadn't trusted him. Horace did not begrudge Lance and Varian for doubting him, but he felt like Rapunzel and Adira should have known, if not better, then at least differently.
It was painful to see Varian suffer. Especially since there seemed to be nothing that Lance could do to make things better. The best that any of them could seem to do was travel at an unforgiving pace, only resting enough that they didn't completely collapse from exhaustion. The sooner they reached the Great Tree and reunited Varian with his father, hopefully the sooner he'd be back to his normal self.
They were just getting ready to stop for the night, or at least just for a few hours, when they heard a wild animal call in the night. It sounded like a demon cat that had its tail stepped on. The sound sent shivers down Lance's spine, but Varian seemed to perk up when he heard it.
"Hector." Varian said quietly, barely audibly. Lance was so shocked to hear him say anything that he wasn't on his guard and didn't react in time when Varian jumped to his feet and shot off into the darkness.
"Varian!" Lance called out.
"He's fine." Horace said with a small, exhausted smile, even as he sent Hamuel off to follow the teenager. "Those were just the bearcats. They must be patrolling the tree."
Lance was still worried, because hearing that Varian had run off after creatures called bearcats was not nearly as comforting as Horace seemed to think it was. However, he couldn't help but feel relieved that they were so close to their destination. The finish line was in sight…metaphorically speaking.
Lance wanted to go after Varian, but he didn't know these lands, and he wasn't nearly as good at traveling in the dark as the boy was. Lance reluctantly decided to stay with the carriage and trust that they would catch up to the kid.
Lance started to get nervous when half an hour passed and they didn't see or hear any sign of Varian or the bearcats, which was odd. The animals hadn't sounded that far away, and from what Lance understood the bearcats helped to protect the tree and Dark Kingdom, and they wouldn't let intruders get anywhere near it. Shouldn't the bearcats have come to stop them by now?
Lance wasn't the only one who was feeling a little uneasy. Horace glanced around anxiously before turning to Adira and addressing her for the first time in almost a week.
"Do you think it's more likely that the bearcats and Hector brought Varian back to the Great Tree right away, or that they're on their way to tear us apart limb by limb even as we speak?" Horace asked.
"It depends on his mood." Adira said simply. "And it depends on what Varian has told him." Adira tightened her grip on the carriage reins. She flicked them, increasing their speed. "Everybody stay close. These woods aren't safe for the enemies of the Dark Kingdom."
"But we're not enemies." Rapunzel said.
"Hector thinks that everybody that isn't family is an enemy." Adira said simply. "And if Varian so much as mentions the incident with Ruddiger to him, I'm not sure if being family will be enough to keep us safe from Hector's wrath." Adira hummed slightly to herself. "Perhaps it wasn't wise to let Varian run off on his own."
"Looking to a child to protect you, sister?" A cold voice said from the darkness behind them. Lance turned to see bright yellow eyes watching. He shrieked and stumbled back, surprised. There was a low growl behind him, making Lance freeze in his tracks. He didn't dare look away from the yellow eyes, but he didn't have to look behind him to know that it was one of the bearcats.
"Hector." Adira jumped down from the carriage. "It's good to see you again. It's been so long."
A man stepped out from the trees. Hamuel was sitting on his shoulders, and Varian was clinging to his side. "I wish I could say the same thing, sister. I really wish I could." Hector took a menacing step towards the group. Lance couldn't help but flinch when the man's gaze briefly fell onto him. The man seemed to peer into his very soul. The only thing keeping Lance from running for the hills, screaming his lungs out, was that Varian trusted Hector.
Besides, Lance had heard all kinds of stories from the kid about his family, and he knew that Hector just acted a lot scarier than he actually was.
"What did Varian tell you?" Adira asked.
"A lot less than I wanted." Hector sent a concerned look at Varian. "He wouldn't tell me why you left, or why he ended up in another kingdom's dungeon." Hector looked at Horace coldly. "Your letter didn't say a whole lot. It had just enough information to scare Quirin witless and cause another fight between him and Edmund."
Hector started pacing around the group, holding onto the edge of a cloak that Varian was now wearing, which was way too big for him and he definitely hadn't been wearing before. Lance figured the cloak was Hector's. Varian followed Hector, clinging to him like he was terrified of letting him go.
"All that Varian told me was a panicked apology about being responsible for the spear being taken out of the heart of the tree." Hector said. "In between apologies he begged me to not hurt Ruddiger. Do you want to tell me why Varian thought I would ever lay a finger on his raccoon?"
Adira stiffened. "Brother, the matter is far more complicated than-"
"Actually, it's really easy." Hector cut in. "Yes or no, did you do anything to hurt Ruddiger?"
Adira was quiet for a long moment, and Hector seemed to take that as an answer in and of itself. He snarled and looked ready to attack.
"You're so lucky that I don't want to keep Quirin or Varian waiting any more, or else blood would paint these lands." Hector said. "Where's Ruddiger?"
"I've got him." Lance said quickly. The raccoon was currently nuzzled against his shoulder.
Hector held out his hands expectantly, and Lance didn't hesitate to pick up Ruddiger and hand him over. He was not eager to get on Hector's bad side. The man pet Ruddiger, treating him much more gently than Lance had expected. Hector handed Ruddiger to Varian, who held him close.
Adira and Horace both jolted forward, but one glare from Hector made them freeze in their tracks.
"Don't even think about it." Hector growled. "You're not going to hurt him. Either of them."
Adira sighed. "Just…keep a close eye on Varian." Adira said.
"Like I'm going to be taking my eyes off of him." Hector ruffled Varian's hair, giving the kid an almost soft look before the glare returned to his face. "Now let's move. I want to get to the Great Tree before midnight, and you guys have just earned yourselves a personal escort" Hector whistled and suddenly a rhino came stomping out of the trees.
Hector lifted Varian onto the back of the rhino before pulling himself up as well. Adira, seeing that her brother was done talking, got back onto the carriage. They began moving forward again, with the rhino following them from behind and a bearcat on either side.
Lance had experienced his fair share of threatening escorts from guards and the security personnel of people who had way too much power and money, but this was probably the most intimidating escort he'd ever been subjected to.
They traveled in relative silence. Whenever any of them tried to say something the bearcats would growl and stalk closer to them. Apparently they didn't want any conspiring to happen.
Lance would regularly look back over his shoulder to check on Varian. The kid nuzzled up against Hector. It was hard to tell if he was sleeping or if he was just finding comfort from his uncle's presence.
Lance would frequently see Horace looking back towards Varian too. The prince would give the boy a small, bittersweet smile. He didn't seem to care at all that he was going to be in trouble as soon as they were reunited with their family. Horace just seemed to care about Varian's happiness.
The hours passed slowly until they finally saw a massive tree ahead of them. It was a beautiful sight. Lance stared at the tree in awe as they came closer and closer until they found themselves at the entrance of the tree. Hector shook Varian awake. He'd been asleep after all, and, as far as Lance could tell, he'd been unbothered by nightmares. At least something good happened every once and awhile.
Varian blinked and looked around. He mumbled something that Lance couldn't hear. Hector nodded and helped Varian get down from the rhino. "Yeah, kid, we're here. You're home. It's over."
Varian gave a very small smile. He looked like he wanted to run inside, but Hector kept a firm grip on the cloak he was wearing. "Just wait a second. We'll get you to your dad, but I said I wasn't going to take my eyes off of you, and I meant it, but I can't just let these weirdos wander around the tree unsupervised. We're all going in, alright?"
Varian groaned and pulled Ruddiger close, burying his face in his fur. The boy reluctantly nodded.
"Atta boy." Hector grinned proudly. "You know where your responsibilities lie." Hector looked back towards the others. "Alright, guys, get moving, and stay in sight." Hector herded them into the Great Tree, which was just as beautiful and awe-inspiring on the inside as it was on the outside. It was really ominous and frightening looking in the dark, and Lance imagined that it was just as dangerous as it looked, but that didn't make it any less beautiful.
Hector brought a hand to Hamuel, encouraging the bird to climb onto his fingers. "Alright, bud, go find Edmund." He looked towards his bearcats. "As for you, I need one of you to go find Quirin, and the other needs to protect the moonstone." Hamuel and the bearcats all ran off to do as they were told.
"What's the moonstone?" Lance asked.
"That's something I've been wondering too." Rapunzel gave Horace a playfully scolding look. He shrank back, looking genuinely chastised.
"I meant to tell you." Horace said quietly. He sounded ashamed, though it was hard to tell if it was because he hadn't told Rapunzel, or because he'd intended on telling her when he knew that he shouldn't.
"Well, it's a good thing you didn't." Hector said casually. "You've already abandoned your people. Were you really going to betray us too?"
"I wouldn't call it a betrayal." Horace said. "I mean, Quirin told Ulla about the moonstone, didn't he?"
Hector frowned slightly and eyed Rapunzel critically. "And who are you?"
"Oh, my name's Rapunzel." The princess held her hand out in greeting. Hector didn't take it, but Rapunzel took it in stride. She lowered her hand and didn't lose her smile. "I'm the princess of Corona."
"Corona?" Hector's frown deepened. He glared at Rapunzel. "The kingdom that locked Varian up?" Rapunzel looked almost sheepish. Hector scoffed as he looked at Horace. "That's a real keeper you got there, your highness."
Horace looked like he was about to defend Rapunzel, but he stopped when they heard a weird sound, almost like a bleating goat, or perhaps a child that was impersonating a goat. Lance had only heard the sound a few times in his life, but he didn't think he'd ever forget it. The sound was just as ridiculous as the creature that made it.
Horace beamed as he looked ahead of them, down a tunnel. "Nelovko?" They heard more bleating in response, closer this time. A short while later Nelovko came trotting out of the tunnel, running right towards Horace. The prince wrapped his arms around the antelope's neck, embracing it. "Oh, bud, I've missed you."
"Don't worry." Hector said, addressing Horace gently for the first time. "I've been keeping an eye on him. He wanted to go running back after you, but even Quirin thought it would be best if he stayed here and relaxed after such a long journey."
Nelovko nuzzled against Horace for a long minute before it left his side and walked over to Varian, nudging against him. Varian smiled shyly and pet the antelope.
Hector watched Varian fondly for a minute before he turned his attention to Lance. "And who are you?"
"Lance." He introduced himself. "I'm-"
"My brother." Varian said quietly. "He's stayed by my side, even when maybe he shouldn't have. He wouldn't let me down."
"Your brother, huh?" Hector eyed Lance almost as much as he had done with Rapunzel, though his judgment seemed much less harsh. "I guess that makes you family."
Lance relaxed and Varian smiled. Out of the corner of his eye Lance saw Horace watching them. He was smiling, and it looked genuine, but there was a sadness in his eyes too.
Horace took a deep breath and adjusted his clothes, trying to pull himself together and look more composed than he surely felt.
"Maybe we should let my dad tell you guys about the moonstone." Horace said. He looked at Hector. "Should we go find them or go somewhere more comfortable or something?"
"I already brought strangers into the Great Tree." Hector said. "I'm not bringing them any further until we get permission from his majesty." Hector sat on the ground, proving his point. Varian sat next to him, still hugging Ruddiger, as well as Zmeya.
Feeling awkward, as well as anxious and just a little hungry, Lance started grabbing some food from the carriage. It didn't feel right to cook inside of a tree, but there was still plenty to eat. Lance found something for himself, and then brought a few apples over to Varian.
"Here, kid." Lance said. "You've barely eaten today, and you need to get some food in you."
Varian reluctantly took the apples. He gave all but one of them to Ruddiger. The boy took a small bite out of the apple, chewing it slowly.
They all stood or sat for a few minutes, trying in vain to relax. Eventually they heard the sound of someone approaching. Varian immediately lost all interest in his half eaten apple. He looked down the tunnel that the sound echoed through. The boy had an intense look of hope on his face.
When the person approaching was finally visible through the darkness Varian drooped and swallowed thickly, looking like the image of disappointment. Hector gave him a sympathetic look and scooted closer to him.
Horace stared at the approaching man, who Lance guessed was his father. The man stopped as he and Horace just looked at each other, both uncertain and not wanting to overstep unspoken boundaries.
Horace made the first move. He took a cautious step forward, and then another. The king took a deep breath and continued onward, meeting Horace at the entrance to the tunnel.
"Father, I-I…" Horace's voice broke. He sounded more vulnerable than Lance had ever seen him. The prince ducked his head and hunched his shoulders. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"
Edmund put his arm on Horace's shoulder and pulled him in tight, embracing him. Horace broke down, sobbing against his father's shoulder.
"It is alright, my son." Edmund said. "You do not need to apologize to me. I understand. I'm just happy that you're home."
Their moment was interrupted by the call of a bearcat above them. Lance looked up to see the beast on a ledge above them, and by the animal's side was a broad shouldered man, heaving and looking at their group desperately.
"Varian?" The man, Quirin, said. Varian looked up, tears falling from his eyes. The poor kid looked so tired.
"D-dad?" Varian got to his feet and stumbled as he started to run towards the ledge. "Daddy!"
"Varian." Quirin practically jumped off the cliff, catching himself on vines and small footholds. Lance didn't know why he was surprised. He'd seen what Varian could do, and the kid was trained by these people. It made sense that they were fairly agile themselves.
Quirin landed on the ground roughly, with just enough force and Lance imagined that his feet were hurting from that landing. The man seemed completely unbothered. He continued forward and opened his arms to grab onto Varian as the teenager barreled into him.
"My son." Quirin held Varian close, looking like he was never going to let him go again. "My boy, you're okay. You're home."
Varian was shaking. Quirin hushed him and ran a hand through his hair, comforting him. Lance knew that things were far from over, and there was still a lot that needed to be figured out, but Varian had finally been reunited with his father, and he took comfort from that. The thing that Lance had been working towards for a year and a half was done. Varian was home. He was safe.
…now what?