Hey ! It's great to see that more and more readers are enjoying the story ! Like some of you, I just miss him so much, and telling a story helps me from being constantly focused on tangleboi ! I am so hooked by his tragic story, and all the complex relationships between the characters, and all the mysteries we have in the show.

So, allow me to share this with you, as much as my English (not my first language) enables me, but when it comes to fantasy, there is no other language for me.

Chapter 20

"If I may, Your Majesty, this is a very good idea. We have three days ahead of us to figure out what we will tell the boy about the past months", confided Remyus as the two of them were searching through the physician's bottles and vials after Varian had some breakfast.

"What we'll tell him ? Remyus, we don't have too many options. Actually, the truth is the only one we have", she whispered back with a slight look of shock in her eyes.

"The truth ? But, Your Majesty, even in three days' time, the boy may not be able to handle that. He might be a little stronger physically then, but emotionally… As his physician, I must advise against this. "

Arianna took a deep breath.

"Remyus, the King saved my life using that flower, even though he had been warned of the consequences. He never told me anything about it, and even as the black rocks appeared in the kingdom, he continued to ignore them and kept the truth from me, from our daughter, and from his people.

"I'm still here", she continued, "thanks to the flower, but it came with a price. Whether I chose it or not, I am linked to the consequences we are facing. Varian… snapped, because he thought that everyone betrayed him. How can he learn to trust and love again if we keep lying to him ?"

Remyus didn't know what to say. The Queen had a point. In theory. But thinking twice, he couldn't bring himself to be convinced that a fourteen-year-old could cope with the brutal knowledge that his father was trapped in amber, that he betrayed the kingdom and tried to kill several people. Who could ?

"I know what you're thinking, Remyus, and believe me, I do not wish to hurt Varian. I'm not saying that his actions are forgotten and forgiven. It's hard for me too. But he deserves to know the truth, and the only thing I can do prepare him and be there for him."

"I understand, Your Majesty, and I respect that. Although, I still fail to see how we are going to tell him the truth."

"To be honest, so do I, Remyus. So do I…"

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Moments later, Arianna was back in Varian's room with a flask containing an oily substance and a hairbrush. The boy was sitting in his bed, looking thoughtfully out the window, Ruddiger sleeping on his lap.

"Longing to be outside ?" she asked gently.

Varian's head whipped around as he looked embarrassed, the sudden flush on his cheek making him look healthier than he actually was.

"Oh, um, um, no, I – I just… well, I was just looking at the trees in the garden and I was thinking… You said we were a few days after the lantern festival, didn't you ?"

"That's right, Varian."

"This is just so weird. I - I can't grasp that concept. For me, yesterday was the Science Expo, before winter, and now, it's –" he sighed- "it's summertime ! It doesn't make any sense." His shoulders slumped as his voice trailed off. For his scientific mind, such a gap was beyond any kind of logic.

"Varian, you know, nobody expects you to understand this right away. Give it some time. And remember, your only job for now is to take care of yourself."

She uncorked the vial, letting out a sweet flowery smell.

"What is this ?" asked Varian, who couldn't be in the same room as an unknown substance without inquiring about it.

"Oil, for your hair. I bet we will need that to untangled this mess. It's better to brush it through before it gets wet."

"Um, excuse me, wet ?"

"Remyus is making sure that everything will be brought swiftly for your bath, of course."

She didn't add "it's high time", but she meant it. Even if the wounds had been cleaned, a thorough wash was a good idea. Varian made a face.

"I'm not sure I can do much, with my arm and my ribs, you know." He tried to protest, but inside, he was actually longing for a hot bath. It sounded so much nicer than a quick wash at home or in the river.

"Remyus and Ethel will assist you, so you don't have to worry or strain yourself. I have some duties that are long overdue, but I will come back later in the morning."

Varian suddenly panicked at the idea of having these two around him – he wasn't sure what he feared the most, the lack of privacy or their constant bickering. But he didn't dwell on it, his mind quickly setting on another reflexion : how could the Queen be still spending so much time here, with all her duties ? He couldn't find a logical explanation why she would spend so much time with him.

Back at home, nobody was really spending time with him. He didn't have any friends his age, but he was used to it. He found out when he was very young that his interests were very different from the other children's, who were avoiding him. Books quickly became his only friends. As for family, well, it was just him and his Dad. As chief of their village, Quirin had his share of duties too, but even when he could spend some time with his son, it was something that rarely happened, Varian wasn't sure why. Because of his knack for alchemy ? Because communication never felt easy ? Or worse - and that was Varian's deepest fear deep inside -, because Varian wasn't the son that Quirin wanted to have ?

The boy was taken out of his thoughts as Arianna started to coat her hands with oil beore spreading the substance in Varian's raven hair. It was thick but shaggy and dull from the lack of care, his blue streak hardly visible. But the more she ran her fingers through it, the less tangled it became. A few strokes with the hairbrush and Varian's hair was smooth and shiny again – just a little greasy, but that would come off with the hair washing.

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Varian was amazed at how a hot bath could be relaxing.

He felt a little embarrassed at first, wearing only a loincloth around his hips, and not being used to having people around him for bath time. But Remyus and Ethel had been very gentle, making him feel at ease by reminding him they were just like a doctor and a nurse taking care of their patient. And once he slid into the water, he felt a pleasant warmth enveloping his weary body. Forgetting everything else, the alchemist relaxed and closed his eyes.

Later, Varian was back in bed, feeling exhausted and yet unbelievably good at the same time. He was able to have some broth with a piece of bread on the side. Full meals were still an issue, but his appetite was definitely back, and as long as he ate reasonably-sized portions every now and then, there would be nothing to worry about.

Elora dropped by with a big book under her arm, eager to share her favorite stories with Varian. She had grown very fond of the boy – and Ruddiger- and would spend all her free time with them. For some reason, she decided that Varian needed to hear nice stories to get better and was more than happy to read them aloud for him.

"All right, time to sleep", came the soft voice of a Queen as Elora finished a story about a young boy who felt cast out because of his unique strength, before he found out he was a demi-god.

"What ?" retorted Varian, forgetting his manners. It's early afternoon."

"And it's time you took a nap. Varian, you are still recovering, and that may surprise you, but at your age, your body needs a lot of rest – which means as much sleep as a young child. That's two good reasons for closing the curtains and laying back down", she replied with her queen-like demeanour as she was making the room as dark as she could.

"But I'm not tired, and I would like to read another story. Hey, do you have the Tales of Flynnigan Rider in your library ? Because if not, you really should, I mean, this guy…"

"Varian", Arianna chided. "Time to rest. I can't make you sleep, but you're at least going to stay still for a while." And with that, she gently took Elora's hand, hoping the little girl wouldn't make the same fuss as the stubborn teenager.*

Slightly disappointed but understanding at once, Elora chirped :

"I'll be back later. And I will bring a new book, okay ?". And with that she darted off, not without giving a pat on Ruddiger's head.

Varian, defeated, sighed, and laid back down. Arianna took away the dishes from his last meal and washed them in a bucket of water in Remyus' main room. When she came back in the back room just a few moments later, Varian was already sound asleep, his good hand resting on the raccoon, his breathing even and slow.

Arianna smiled. He did need that nap.

And thus started these fews days of reprieve, nursing Varian back to health – or as much as possible at least.