These chapters are getting longer… but we are coming to the thick of things. Hope you like it, although I should warn you, it's getting a bit dark.
Angie, wow, thank you so much for you nice review ! It made my day ! Hope you'll enjoy the rest of the story as much !
Guest, sorry, but not sorry… well you'll know why after you read ! :) Don't worry, Varian means so much to me, so I'm not leaving him like that forever !
So let's finally see who this mysterious visitor is ! Has anyone guessed ?
Chapter 3
Within the deepest levels of his mind, Varian's emotions were still torturing him. But soon some voices inside started to speak louder than others.
"I will make you proud"
"No matter what becomes of me"
"It's their fault"
"It's her fault"
…
"NO !" The scream was torn from him, as his body suddenly lunged forward from its kneeling position so his arms extended and his hands, clenched into tight fists beneath the black gloves, slammed onto the stone floor. Rudiger tumbled down from the boy's lap in the process, not that said boy noticed or cared at that point.
If Varian had though, he would have seen the same scared look on his pet's face as the day when he changed. The day when his emotions took the best of him. The day when his kind, innocent, loving self decided he would never hurt like this again. The day he started to blame and hate the world.
No, he shouldn't be the one crying miserably now. They are the ones who should be sorry. Rapunzel, Cassandra, Eugene, the King and the Queen… everyone. Not him. For what they've done…
Again Varian retreated in this dark place where, to keep a last speck of sanity, it was better to blame everyone… but himself. Better to say they failed, but not him. Better to lose faith in everyone, but him. Better to hate…
"I will make you proud, Dad… if it's the last thing I ever do !" he repeated once again to himself in a deep growling voice.
Footsteps. Clicks of chains or keys. People talking. Coming closer. This time he heard the noises, and even if it sent a shiver up his spine, he would not show it. He glanced at Rudiger, who shared the same puzzled look. His jaw set tight, his hands clenched, Varian stood up and turned around to face the bars. He motioned Rudiger to back up under the bed just in case, but the loyal animal wouldn't leave his friend's side.
A guard came first. A guard he didn't know – there were so many of them in the castle. But their faces were not important in Varian's eyes. For him, they were just people who could throw him out of a castle into a raging storm or lock him up behind cold bars.
And then, a figure with a cloak and a hood. Who is that ? The person is slim, and tall but not so much, with polished shoes. Furrowing his brows, he was wondering who it would be to come down there to him. The Queen ?
No. Unless she traded her usual long dress for leggings. Not to mention, what would a Queen would have to do with him, when a princess let him down ?
"The shackles" commanded the person. A man's voice. Not too deep, with a slight nasal flare Varian was sure he heard before.
The guard, who was Phil, obeyed. He got the shackles ready in one hand while opening the cell door with the other.
"Hands out" he simply said to Varian.
Not wanting these two people to see him flinch or back down, Varian complied and lifted his hands, his gaze not leaving his mysterious visitor who was now entering the cell. The heavy chains were mercilessly locked around his slender wrists. Varian lowered his arms, hating the clicking sound they made and reminding him of his new condition.
Rudiger bared his teeth at the stranger.
"You may leave us", the hooded figure said. The guard turned around to face him, a look of surprise on his face.
"But Sir…" he started.
"King's orders" came the sharp reply. "Back to your position. Oh and" he added as Phil started to leave the cell, "you may leave these to me. I won't be long", pointing the ring holding the keys of the cells on this floor.
The guard started to open his mouth to retort, but he remembered "King's orders". So he undid the ring from his belt and handed them out to the man.
"I will be waiting on the main floor, Sir. Be quick" he boldly added, not completely comfortable with the whole thing, but having no other choice.
Inside the cell, Varian hadn't moved an inch. He kept his angry face, his violent emotions inside making it easy. He had no friends, he knew it, and if this person wanted some explanations, he would be glad to oblige and tell him how the people of Corona treated him.
But Varian wasn't given the chance to say a word or be asked a question. The man approached, his face still hidden, towering him since he was much taller than the boy who still had to hit his growth spurt. Then without the slightest warning, he backhanded Varian so hard that he sent the boy tumbling on the floor, chains and all.
Varian was seeing stars, and it took his mind a second or two to process what happened. Holding his stinging cheek, he just laid there, gaping with wide eyes.
"Get up", said the man, pulling his hood back, revealing brown hair held backwards in a catogan with a bow and a thin moustache above a lopsided, despising grin.
Varian couldn't help but drop his scornful mask as he gasped in realization. That day… The man who advised the princess to put aside his problem like he said. The man who had the guards take him away as he desperately was trying to get help. Well, that man was standing right in front of him.
"You…" the boy snarled.
Suddenly, all the rage in Varian's heart ate up the tiny remains of logic left, and with a cry of rage, he got up and lunged at the man with a cry of rage.
It was a bad move, though, as Nigel –although Varian didn't know his name- expected this to happen and with one swift movement of his arm, blocked his attack, pinned the boy's arms to his sides as we wrapped Varian's upper body with surprising strength with one arm, the other one threateningly under the boy's throat, making it hard for him to breathe.
Rudiger who had been scared by the violent slap a few seconds before now saw his friend in danger, and jumped at the man's leg, biting it through his silk tights.
"Ouch", screamed the man, but he kept holding Varian against him. He shook his leg, and managed to kick Rudiger away. The poor animal was sent a few feet away and rolled on the floor until he was hidden under the sturdy bed. Varian wanted desperately to call his pet's name, but he couldn't as his throat seemed to be more and more constricted.
"Now, you listen to me, boy. You have kidnapped the Queen, shown the greatest disrespect to the King himself, and almost killed several people, including the Princess. I didn't want to believe that a tiny teenage boy was the cause of all this, but now I see you, I am believing it." Varian was thrashing against the man's grip, but he was tired and hadn't eaten a thing since the day before, having not touched the tray of food, and couldn't get away as Nigel went on.
"And you know what ? You are going to regret this, especially because you are such a brat. You are a criminal, and after what you did, I don't want to imagine what will happen in the future. I don't trust our good King to be ruthless enough to punish you as you should be, especially if he listens to the Queen, or the Princess. He had softened so much since she arrived" he added, drifting for a second in his thoughts. "So", he started again, tightening his grip, "this is why somebody has to do it. And even if I'm wrong and the King eventually has you hanged, well, at least some justice will be served" and with these words, released Varian who fell to his knees, trying to get some air back into his lungs with shallow, irregular breaths.
Justice ? How ironic, thought Varian, still unable to utter one word. The day before, he had almost said these very words himself, firmly believing he was doing the right thing. And where was the justice now, for him ? How could this man be talking of justice ?
"We've wasted enough time. Let's go." He said, grabbing Varian's collar on his back, bringing him up on his feet and dragging him out of his cell.
"Wh.. Where are we going ?" the boy managed."Wait ! Rudiger ! Rudiger !"
But his cries were ignored. Nigel kept walking along the corridor, passing a certain number of cells, most of them empty (or only inhabited by rats). After what seemed an eternity to Varian, they stopped in front of one of the darkest cells. He couldn't make out what was inside at first, his eyes having to get used to the lack of light. Very soon, he was able to see two forms who looked identical.
Nigel took the ring of keys he got from the guard, searching for one key in particular. Then, unlocking the barred door, he said :
"This brat is a friend of an old pal of yours… Flynn Ride. He's yours. Make sure he's sorry for even being born."
And with that, he pushed Varian inside, so hard that the young boy couldn't help but fall down in the dust. He could hear Nigel locking the door after him.
Panic suddenly seized the boy's entire being. In front of him, the two forms had started to move and were coming closer to him. As they came into the light, he saw two huge men, looking very much like one another, except that one of them had a patch on one eye. The other man spoke :
"Well, well… would you look at that, brother ? Looks like we're finally getting a chance for revenge on Rider after all."
"No, no, no, no, no !" the boy repeated, -to whom, he wasn't sure. He frantically scrambled on his knees to turn around and seized the bars as high as he could in spite of his chains. "No, you can't leave me here ! Don't ! Please don't ! Please….Argh !"
Varian was suddenly ripped away from the bars by a strong, heavy hand who grabbed him by his shirt and threw him to the middle of the cell.
Nigel smiled and walked away.
