Varian didn't get any sleep that night. He was far too angry, scared, frustrated, and about a dozen other emotions for his mind to rest enough for him to sleep. Ruddiger nuzzled up against his chest, snoring quietly. Lance stayed up and kept him company for a few hours, but he eventually couldn't keep himself awake. Varian was on his own, save for the guards that were taking turns keeping watch outside his cell.
Varian hated the presence of the guards, but at least he hadn't seen the harsh guards who took far too much pleasure at being on the other side of the bars. Varian would much rather be ignored or treated with indifference by the guards then be taunted or a punching bag.
Varian had no idea how much time had passed when he saw the captain come down the stairs and approach their cell. He frowned when he saw Varian.
"Were you able to get any sleep?" The captain asked, though he knew the answer. Varian shook his head. The captain sighed. "Well, that will change in a few hours." The captain unlocked the cell and stepped inside. "Come along, you have a meeting with the physician. He'll help you."
Varian didn't resist as the captain unlocked him from the chains in the cell. He also unlocked the chain around Ruddiger, freeing him. He gave Varian a stern look. "I don't want to lock up your hurt hand again, but if you start causing trouble then I'll have no choice."
"I'll behave." Varian said. He knew he wouldn't be able to escape from the captain. Besides, he really did want to get his wrist taken care of. It really hurt. Varian held his wrist protectively against his chest, as well as Ruddiger, who was still sleeping.
Varian glanced towards Lance nervously. He imagined hte man would be more than just a little panicked when he saw that Varian was gone. Hopefully the guards would tell him where he'd gone.
Varian was led up the stairs and out of the dungeons. Varian blinked rapidly and his vision went white when they stepped out and Varian saw the sun shining brightly through the windows. It looked like it was midmorning. Varian had no idea whether that felt too early or too late to him.
As they passed guards and servants they all gave Varian anxious or furious looks. He didn't like the attention they were giving to him. He subconsciously leaned closer to the captain, who gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"Don't worry about them." The captain said quietly. "Nobody will lay a hand on you as long as I'm here." Varian knew it was supposed to be reassuring, but he'd heard such false promises before. He gave the captain a disbelieving look and simply gestured to his black eye. The captain gave a small grimace. "That shouldn't have happened, and I will be disciplining the one responsible. I always have to remind my men that it's our job to deliver justice, not to take it upon ourselves to decide just what that means.
They walked through the castle halls before the captain stopped in front of a door. He pushed it open and guided Varian through. The boy was immediately reminded of his lab, though it was brighter and the tools were unfamiliar. This must be the medical wing of the castle. Varian would have loved to explore and figure out just what these medical devices were for, but he wasn't given the chance.
The captain led him to a small bed in the middle of the room. Varian climbed on top of it and the captain handcuffed his uninjurred hand to the side of the bed.
"I'll go get the doctor." The captain said. "Don't go anywhere." Varian didn't know exactly where he would go. He was handcuffed. Still, he nodded. The captain went to another door at the back of the room. Varian caught a glimpse of what looked like an office or workshop before the captain stepped in and closed the door behind him.
Varian looked around the room, trying to theorize about what everything he saw would be used for. He considered asking Ruddiger to go investigate things for him, or bring some things closer so he could get a look at them for himself, but he didn't want to let the raccoon out of his grip any time soon.
Varian just looked around curiously, admiring everything from a distance. He could have probably done this for several hours, but his enjoyment was interrupted when the hallway door opened and a very familiar woman cautiously let herself in. Varian didn't think he would recognize most Coronans, but Queen Arianna was someone he didn't think he would ever forget.
"Y-your highness." Varian stammered. He ducked his head in what might have been a bow, but was actually him just feeling ashamed and nervous.
"Varian." Queen Arianna approached him. Varian stiffened, and she stopped where she was, a regretful look on her face. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"I never thought you would." Varian said quietly. He tightened his grip on Ruddiger as much as he could, even though it made his wrist ache. He wished he wasn't handcuffed to the bed, just so he could properly hold onto Ruddiger.
The queen stared at him for a long moment. She seemed sad, though there was just a bit of righteous fury in her eyes. "I hope you didn't get those additional injuries in the dungeon, because otherwise I'll have to speak with the guards about proper treatment of criminals."
Varian shifted uncomfortably. Why did she seem worried about him, after everything he'd done to her? "The captain said he'd take care of it."
"I'll be holding him to that." The queen said sternly before her face softened. "I'll understand if you don't want to talk about it, but can I ask about the voice I know you've been hearing in your head?"
Varian hunched his shoulders. Ruddiger squinted an eye open and glanced at the queen curiously. "Why don't you ask Horace? He seems to know more about it than I do." Varian didn't exactly like the occasional voice he had heard, but he didn't know why everybody was acting like it was the end of the world. It was probably just his own loneliness manifesting in an auditory hallucination, which was why he remembered this voice from when he was a child, as he'd been quite lonely before he'd started spending time with Horace.
"I'm just concerned." Queen Arianna said quietly. She sat on a chair close to the bed. "I want to make sure you're safe."
"Why should you care?" Varian asked. The queen gave him a gentle smile.
"I'm not sure you'd understand even if I explained it." Queen Arianna said. "Being a parent, it can give you a new outlook on life." She leaned forward, her eyes sympathetic and kind. "I believe your father really misses you, and as a parent who has been separated from her own child, I swear to do anything I can to return you to his side."
Despite himself, Varian's eyes filled with tears. He sniffled and ducked his head, burying it into Ruddiger's fur as much as he could. He was embarrassed to be showing this kind of emotion and weakness, especially to someone who had every reason to see him as an enemy. He wasn't normally this vulnerable, but it had been a long day.
He was hurt. He was exhausted. He was scared about just how Horace felt about him. He didn't seem mad at him, but Varian knew that Horace had a decent diplomatic mask. He could despise Varian and he wouldn't even know it. And though he'd known that he'd been away from home for far too long, it wasn't until today that he'd learned just how long it had been. A year. One year since he had seen his dad, the thought of that was terrifying and made Varian's chest twist up in a panic.
Varian whimpered and bit his lip to try to stifle his sobs. He knew that once they started they wouldn't be able to stop. He thought he was saved when he heard a door open. He wiped his eyes and lifted his head just enough to see the captain and the doctor come in. The captain's full attention was on the queen, but the doctor seemed oblivious to her presence. He just looked at Varian.
"So this is my patient." The doctor said. "He doesn't look like a threat." Varian flinched when the doctor grabbed his face just a bit too harshly and made him lift his head so he could get a better look at the bruise and small cuts. "It looks like he's being threatened."
The captain sighed tiredly. "I'll worry about the boy's safety. It's just your job to think about his health."
The doctor gave the captain an annoyed look. "As I've told you before, captain, my patient's safety is for their health."
"Gentlemen." Queen Arianna said sternly. "You can have this discussion again later, but now when you both have something else to worry about."
The doctor gave the queen a small bow. "Of course, your highness." He released Varian's face and took his wrist instead, though with much more care this time. He took off Lance's makeshift brace and carefully examined Varian's wrist. The boy tried hard not to flinch, but he couldn't hide his pain for too long.
The doctor gave him a sympathetic look. "I can give you something for the pain before I start treating it." The doctor walked to a cabinet that had some vials. He pulled out one of them, which was a brownish color. The doctor took the stopper off and Varian's nose immediately felt like it was being assaulted. The stench was hard to explain, but Varian definitely didn't like it.
"What is that?" Varian asked, both in disgust and out of curiosity.
"It's a pain reliever." The doctor said. Varian shook his head, unsatisfied.
"I'm not taking anything unless I know exactly what it is." Varian said. He was generally curious about everything, but this was also some common sense that his dad and the Brotherhood had taught him. They had made sure that he knew when his curiosity was dangerous, and when he was using it for his own good. "And it doesn't look like any pain reliever I've ever had."
The doctor looked like he didn't know whether to be annoyed or amused. He looked at the vial. "We have other pain relievers, but I thought this one would work best considering your other condition."
Varian narrowed his eyes. "What condition?"
"The supposed voice I've been informed you've been hearing." The doctor said. Varian barely kept himself from growling. Did everybody know about this little problem of his? Why couldn't his business just remain his own? "This particular pain reliever can also calm the concerns in your mind."
It sounded nice, in theory, but something about this rubbed Varian the wrong way. Something that he'd remembered hearing his dad talking to Hector about. "What's it made of?" Varian asked slowly.
"A flower." The doctor said. Varian's breath got caught in his throat. He stared at the vial like it was about to attack him, because, in a way, he believed that it would.
"A poppy?" Varian asked. The doctor raised an impressed eyebrow.
"Why, yes." The doctor said. Varian's breath quickened and his chest tightened. He clutched tightly at Ruddiger and twisted his other hand to try to get it out of the handcuff. "I assure you, there is nothing to be afraid of."
"I'm not taking that." Varian said. He glared at the captain when he started to step closer to him.
"It's for your own good, kid." The captain said. "It'll make you feel better." Varian scoffed darkly. If his memory was serving him correctly, this pain reliever may just make him feel better, but then it would make him feel worse in the long-run. He'd heard about the dangers, and he wanted absolutely nothing to do with it.
"I'm not taking it." Varian repeated with a growl. The doctor sighed in disappointment and the captain gave Varian a regretful look before he stepped closer until he was standing right next to the bed.
"I don't want to do this, Varian." The captain said quietly. "But the doctor knows what he's doing. Are you going to cooperate with him, or are you going to continue being difficult?"
Varian snarled, his face darkening to hide the growing fear in his eyes. "I won't do it."
The captain sighed. "Then I have no choice." Quickly, before Varian could react, the captain used one arm to pin Varian down on the bed and the other to keep his mouth open. The doctor came closer, vial in hand. Varian panicked.
He screamed, shouted, and tried to squirm out of the captain's grip, but it was firm. No matter how much Varian kicked his legs and twisted every-which way, the captain held him still. Varian gasped and the tears in his eyes started to fall as his fear became too much to contain.
"It's not that bad, Varian." The doctor said in a gentle tone. The boy squeezed his eyes shut tight so he couldn't see the false concern in their eyes. Even the queen, who had seemed worried about him, wasn't doing anything to stop this. Either they were all conspiring against him, and they'd just lulled him into a false sense of security, or they had no idea just what harm they were about to be doing.
"What is going on in here?!" A furious, concerned, and familiar voice said. Varian had grown to be cautious about this voice over the past year, but he couldn't remember the last time he'd been so happy to know that Horace was right there.
There was the sound of shattering glass, and the stench from the vial got stronger. Varian flinched and whimpered. A moment later the pressure of the captain holding him down vanished. With his mouth freed, Varian began to openly sob. He curled his legs close to his chest and buried his face in his knees. Ruddiger sat next to him, licking his hand, but it did little to calm him.
Varian could hear shouting and arguing around him, but he couldn't really understand what was being said. He was too busy panicking in his own mind. Maybe he was just overreacting, but he really didn't want to find out. His mind was his sharpest tool, and Varian was terrified that if he took that stuff then his control over his own thoughts would be taken from him. He couldn't handle that.
Varian felt a firm hand on his shoulder. He flinched and aimed a sharp kick towards whoever dared to come close to him, but his foot was just gently grabbed before he could hit his target. "It's alright, melen'kiy voin, you're safe. Nobody's going to hurt you. Not while I'm here."
Varian shook his head and kept his eyes closed tight. This had to be another hallucination. He was just hearing a voice that he was desperate to hear, one that meant safety and security. She couldn't actually be here...except that Varian was very familiar with the calloused fingers that were now rubbing his arm in an awkward but comforting way. He didn't know anybody else whose hands felt like that.
Varian reluctantly opened his eyes and dared to peek at the person at his side. His tears only increased when he saw her actually standing there. Either he was dreaming, or his hallucinations had become visual as well, or he and Horace were no longer the only members of the Brotherhood here in Corona.
"A-aunt Adira?" Varian said breathlessly. Adira gave him a small smirk. "Y-you're here? You came?"
"You're a smart kid," Adira said. "Smart enough to know better than to think that neither of your fathers would send someone to find you after your latest disappearing act."
Varian gave a shaky laugh, which just dissolved into more tears. He sobbed and lunged into his aunt's arms as much as he could while his hand was cuffed. Adira was stiff and obviously startled, but she gradually relaxed and held him close. This didn't even feel like Adira's usual hugs, where she was just tolerating the touch. She seemed to want it just as much as Varian did.
"Your father's mad with worry." Adira said. Varian's sobs got worse. Adira rubbed his back, trying to comfort him.
"I-I miss h-him." Varian stammered. "I-is he...is he h-here too?"
Adira sighed and stroked his hair. "I'm afraid it's just me right now. Hector's watching the tree, somebody needed to stay behind to protect the moonstone, and King Edmund didn't want to risk sending Quirin after Horace, because he would rather his son be brought home alive."
Varian whimpered. He wanted his dad. He understood and respected the king's decision, but the selfish part of him just wished that his dad had come anyway.
"It's alright." Adira said comfortingly. "I promised your father that I would bring you home, and I know better than to ever break a promise to your father."
"Is everything okay over here?" Varian flinched when he heard the princess' voice. He buried his face in Adira's neck. He didn't want to see Rapunzel. "Is something wrong?"
"Go away." Varian growled.
"Rapunzel, please, just give him a little space." Horace said.
"Sorry," Rapunzel said quietly. "I-I just don't know what's wrong. The doctor was just trying to help."
Varian whimpered and hunched his shoulders. Adira's grip on Varian tightened, and Horace scoffed in irritation.
"Help?" Horace sounded like he was trying to contain his temper. "Do Coronans actually think that opium helps anybody?"
"It's a pain reliever." The doctor said defensively.
"It's addictive." Horace snapped. "And you were trying to give it to a terrified child! Do you not have anything less dangerous you can use?"
"It's a good treatment for ailments of the mind." The doctor said. "The queen is concerned about the voices the boy has been hearing."
"Voices?" Varian could hear the frown in Adira's voice. She pulled away enough so she could look Varian in the eyes. "What voices?"
I'll explain it later." Horace said. Adira seemed even less satisfied with that answer than Varian had been. The prince sighed. "Look, the really important thing to remember right now is that this voice that Varian's been hearing probably isn't just a construct of his own mind. I-I think that magic is involved."
"Magic?" Varian frowned slightly. That was news to him. "Why would you think that it's because of magic?"
"That's what sorcerers do." Rapunzel said. She looked at her mother. "Eugene says that an evil sorcerer has been talking to Varian."
Evil sorcerer? But the voice sounded like it belonged to a little girl. That wasn't exactly the first voice that came to Varian's mind when he imagined someone who was either evil or a sorcerer, let alone both.
Adira closed her eyes and sighed. Varian grimaced. He knew his aunt well enough to know when she was losing her patience. She was mad, and she was probably mad at Varian. He hated when people were mad at him, but especially when he had no idea why.
Adira let out a slow, stiff breath. She ruffled Varian's hair, trying to appear less angry than she surely was. "I guess I no longer have to ask which of you took the spear of Demanitus out of the tree."
"Wait, took it out?" Horace gave Varian an alarmed look. "I thought you just touched it. You took it?"
Varian shifted uncomfortably. He looked at Adira with wide eyes. "W-was I not supposed to? Why? What's so bad about it?"
"There's nothing wrong with the spear itself." Adira said.
"I didn't want to tell him yet." Horace said quietly. Adira gave him a sharp look. "He's still a prisoner in the Coronan dungeon. Maybe let's just give him one thing to panic about at a time?"
Adira frowned. She clearly disapproved of Horace's plan, but despite the prince's quiet tone he spoke in a tone that commanded respect. Horace may have run away from home, but he was still prince and heir to the Dark Kingdom. Adira still needed to listen to him.
"Well then," Adira straightened. "I guess we'll have to get you out of here." She looked at Varian's wrist. "Just as soon as we get this taken care of."
"Can you do it?" Varian asked. He didn't want that doctor to come anywhere near him, whether he had more pain medication or not. "Please?" Adira wasn't a healer, but all of the members of the Brotherhood knew more than just the basics of taking care of injuries and broken bones.
Adira gave Varian a small smile. "Of course I'll do it. I wouldn't trust anybody else to do it." She took off her belt and handed it to Varian, who knew the drill and put it into his mouth, clenching his teeth firmly around it. He closed his eyes and felt as Adira felt carefully at his wrist before she gripped it firmly. She didn't ask Varian if he was ready, she just gave a sharp pull, shifting his bones into the right position.
Varian began crying all over again as his jaw clenched painfully. It hurt so much, but the burn only lasted for an agonizing moment before the pain went back to its constant, dull, manageable level. Varian sniffled and leaned against his aunt, even as she began to wrap his wrist up in a brace.
"It's okay, Varian." Horace said quietly as he took Varian's unhurt hand, letting the boy squeeze it. "You did so good. The hard part is over. Now it's just a waiting game, and you're so good at those. You have far more patience than I ever could."
"Y-yeah." Varian sniffled. He didn't know whether it was because of his pain, his lingering fear, or his exhaustion, but he couldn't stop crying. Adira stayed right by his side, and Horace didn't let go of his hand. Varian was still aware of the Coronans in the room, just waiting them, probably judging them, but he didn't really care.
His prince had helped protect him from the Coronans. Adira was here, and Varian felt like she could fix anything. Things were still far from perfect, but Varian allowed himself to appreciate this small moment where things almost felt okay.
He dared to hope that soon he'd be able to go home, see his dad, and put this bright, frightening kingdom behind him.