So….
Indeed, Varian has a partial amnesia, due to the beating (remember, something snapped that moment) and he doesn't remember anything after the science expo we saw in season 1. It could be a chance for him to heal better for the moment…. but I can't promise that I'll make things (too) easy for him, ha ha ! And yes, Nigel is in an awkward situation now, and this too will have consequences on our cinnamon roll… he's not out of the woods yet !
Chapter 16
Arianna was beside herself because of the unexpected turn of events, but thankfully, her experience as Queen helped her through it. Almost automatically, she sent two guards out to find Remyus and another one to the kitchen for fresh water and food for Varian in no time. She didn't want to leave the boy alone longer than necessary.
She headed back to Remyus' chambers, hoping the physician would be back quickly. She entered the main room, but, just as her hand was about to reach the handle of the second door, she hesitated. What if his memory was back ? What if he was going to lash out at her again ?
Come on, Arianna, she told herself. This is ridiculous. You are an adult, behave as such.
Upon opening the door though, she could hear some laboured breathing and all those doubts were gone in an instant. She flung the door open to find a very active Varian, wearing the only shirt they could find that wouldn't be ridiculously huge on the scrawny kid (but it was still too big), trying to roll over on one side, his legs curled up probably to help him sit up in his bed, despite the angry chittering of one angry raccoon.
"Varian !" she shouted before she could think of it, and the boy froze. He felt like a small kid caught in with his hand in a jar full of sweets. His eyes opened wide and his lips sealed shut. He suddenly looked younger than he had in ages.
"Varian," sighed the Queen, " I thought I told you to stay still. There, lie back, and be patient please. The physician will be here soon." Her tone had softened. Inside her, she couldn't help but be impressed by such will power. Weak and injured as he was, that teenage boy wouldn't let anything stand in his way. For the best or for the worst, apparently.
"Y-Your Majesty", asked Varian with a feeble voice and concerned eyes, "why… ?" He trailed off, not sure how to ask what was on his mind.
"What are you talking about, Varian ?"
"Why is it here ? The… the chain, I mean. I felt I couldn't move my left arm, and I… I was trying to see..."
Arianna looked down on Varian's left wrist. The chain was so short, it only allowed a little bit of slack, but the boy couldn't touch his own face in his lying position. And since his right arm was in a splinter, he could use neither of them. The Queen's eyes went unfocused for a split second, as she struggled to find something to say.
"Well… we had to… make sure you wouldn't move." She said simply. In a way, that was the truth, even if she intentionally kept the true reason vague. "Didn't work so well, as I can see", she added with a smile, trying to make her tone casual, but knowing at the same time what a terrible actress she could be.
Weary, Varian actually bought Arianna's fib and looked away, thinking hard. Well, any thinking was hard at that moment, because his head was still hurting him so much. It was like someone decided to play the drums beneath his skull, and made him wish he was still asleep. Maybe for once he should listen and take it easy.
After that, they spoke no more. Arianna dipped a rag in a bowl of water, and gently wiped the boy's face, trying to relax him. Varian blushed at the attention, but felt too drained to protest and closed his eyes. Being nurtured that way was new to him, having lost his mother when he was very young, and his father… well, his father wasn't too keen on such affectionate gestures, or words for that matter. And of all people, why was the Queen doing all this for him ? But to say the truth, he was too tired to bring himself to care right now. He just wanted to rest.
No dark thought was taunting his conscience anyway. In his confused and foggy mind, there was never a broken promise. There were never guards throwing him out in the snow. There were never weeks of solitude, working out on plans to get the flower. There was no revenge on the royal family. There was no Dad encased in amber. The last day that he had seen, as far as he knew, was the day of the Science Expo at the castle.
At last, Remyus came and began to examine Varian straight away, checked his eyes and his throat, asked him questions about how he felt and touched him to find out if it hurt here and there. The old physician didn't speak much, which made Varian feel even more uncomfortable than he already was. They hardly could afford a doctor's visit back in Old Corona and he wasn't used to being touched. In the meantime, some freshly fetched water was brought, and Varian drank it eagerly with Remyus' help. Arianna seized that moment to lock eyes with Remyus and, with a slight movement of her head, let him know that she wanted to talk to him privately.
"Varian" said the physician as he laid his patient back on the bed. "I will get a painkiller to help with your headache."
"M'kay", muttered Varian, on the verge of dozing off and grateful that the examination was over for the moment. His devoted Ruddiger, getting the cue, wasted no time to resume his usual place close to him.
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In Remyus' main room, the Queen spoke in a low voice.
"Remyus, I didn't want to tell you in front of Varian, but he has obviously lost part of his memory."
Remyus raised an eyebrow at this statement.
"Mmmm. It explains why I didn't have the impression to deal with the wanted criminal he is. It was unnatural he was so calm and compliant. I wonder…"
"What ?" inquired the Queen.
"Amnesia usually has physical causes. It could be due to the concussion he had on the head. It's always tricky to know what happens inside our skull, but it seemed to heal pretty well."
"What are you saying, Remyus ?"
"Well, I think we shouldn't overlook the possibility of a psychological cause. From what I know, the boy has been through a lot, and after the abuse he has endured, we could have a coping mechanism at work here. He may have built high walls around the most painful memories when they became too hard to bear. Not willingly, of course. It could be his brain trying to protect him."
Arianna was trying to process Remyus' words.
"But… how much time will it take for him to be back to normal ?
"Who knows ? Two days, a month, years, maybe ? Your Majesty…" Remyus hesitated before he carried on. "He might never recover."
