Kudos if you got the reference to Cassandra – not our Cassandra, but the daughterof King Priamand of Queen Hecubaof Troyin Greek mythology. A hint to the beloved character of the series, and a metaphor of Varian being misunderstood (starting with his Dad, his village…)

Also, Elora's nightmare is very important - and you probably have guessed Varian's responsibility in this. But he'll have to find out and deal with that later on…

Enjoy the last moment of reprieve before the angst comes back ! (you didn't think I would let things be easy for Varian forever, did you ? *evil laugh*)

Chapter 22

The wheels were rolling noiselessly on the thick carpets in the castle hallways, Ruddiger scurrying along, happy to go for a walk.

The wheelchair was definitely very handy, thought the Queen. It had been very useful when Cassandra broke her leg, several months ago. And useful to Fredric, after he twisted his ankle on that dreadful snowday…

Of course, Varian had looked very uncertain when he first saw the thing – couldn't prevent a "What ?!" from passing his lips - quickly adding he was feeling much better and that he could walk just fine. Arianna had firmly replied that she didn't want him to get too tired and she assured him that what was coming next would be worth it. Of course, Varian's curiosity took the best of him.

Arianna smiled to herself. She was getting good at this. Getting Varian and how to talk to him so he doesn't shrink back into his shell at the slightest prod.

Remyus had been informed by the Queen that Varian would be out of his room for a couple of hours. Ethel decided that this was a great opportunity to clean it from floor to ceiling (not without a spicy remark about how Remyus was not the best person at household chores), including letting the windows wide open and changing the bedsheets.

Arianna and Varian came across several people, mostly servants, who glanced at the boy with expressions that were difficult to read. Gossips were spreading fast in sculleries or halls, and everybody knew that the Queen was spending a lot of time with the alchemist, who was, as far as they knew, a traitor to the crown. So, they were all the more surprised when they saw the skinny boy in a wheelchair with an arm in a sling. And since Varian's blurry mind didn't allow him to remember the day he spent doing Cassandra's chores or the one when he came to beg Rapunzel for help, it felt like he was inside the palace for the first time. So there he was, gaping, wide-eyed and awe-stricken, at the beautiful decorations that could be seen as far as the eye could see. Was that kid the biggest threat Corona had faced since…forever ?

Turning round a corner, they literally ran into a lanky figure dressed in a crimson coat.

"Oh, Nigel ! Good morning", gasped the Queen in surprise. Given the hectic relationship between Fredric and her at the moment, she was not so thrilled to be face-to-face with her husband's closest advisor.

"Your Majesty", answered Nigel coldly. His gaze darted from the Queen to Varian and it turned into a scowl. The young teenager felt a cold shiver run up his spine. Without knowing why, he shrank slightly, shoulders hunched and teeth clenched with sudden stress he couldn't understand.

A low-pitched growl was suddenly heard, and it gave Varian a good reason to look away. Ruddiger was nearly twice his regular size, his fur bristled. His fangs were bare, and his eyes were flashing with anger.

Nigel looked down, his expression tense for a second and then back at the Queen. "Actually, it's past noon, Your Majesty, so good afternoon. If you'll excuse me…"

Queen, boy and raccoon watched him leave without a word. Once he was out of earshot, Varian mildly scolded his furry friend.

"Hey, what was that, Ruddiger ? Look, I know he doesn't look super friendly, but what did he ever do to you ?"

Ruddiger let his fur come back to normal and relaxed a bit, only to glance up at his human with a deadpan expression (if raccoons could make one). Varian could have sworn he felt like that look clearly meant something like : "Are you kidding me ?"

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"So, um, where are we going, Your Majesty ?" the alchemist ventured.

"I'm afraid it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, would it, Varian ?" she replied with a wink, stopping in front of a set of doors. They were so tall, as all the doors in this castle were, Varian had to crane his neck to see the top. From his sitting position in the wheelchair, he had the feeling he was very small.

"Ready ?" Arianna asked him with a beaming smile.

Varian mereley nodded, too puzzled and too impatient to make out words.

A sudden splash of light poured down on Varian's slight form. He squinted his eyes, raising his good hand in front of his face to block the bright flow. Outside laid the castle's back garden, so colourful and welcoming with multiple shades of green. There were soft hills, and trees, and an elegant pavilion where the Royal Family enjoyed some meals whenever they could.

Arianna knew that the boy could use some fresh air and sunlight. It didn't take a doctor to guess by his currently pale complexion that Varian hadn't been outside in a long time. Not only since being arrested, but obviously weeks before that, maybe more. Even his freckles had faded from the lack of sun.

Once his eyes got accustomed to the light, Varian lowered his hand, blinked a few times and tried to take this beautiful sight in. After being bedridden in a small, dull room, feeling the warmth and the light was like being born again. He could actually cry with joy. The air he was breathing held so many fragrances. It all made him dizzy and he was actually grateful for the wheelchair.

Arianna drove Varian to one of the nicest places to be at this time of day, under big chestnut trees that provided some necessary shade. There on the grass was spread a huge tablecloth, littered with delicious food of all sorts. Mouth-watering salads, sandwiches and fruits seemed to shimmer in the daylight, providing a wide range of colors like a rainbow. It was a feast for the eyes, and no doubt it would be for the mouth too.

"You… you prepared a picnic... for me ?" Varian asked in awe. "Wow, ham sandwiches !" he exclaimed before she could reply. His eyes sparkled with a carefree joy Arianna had never seen. His big, childlike eyes.

"Well, not just me, the cooks and the maids did most of this, actually !' Arianna explained with a soft laugh.

"Yes, but… this is your idea, isn't it ?" Varian ventured, turning his head around and looking up to make eye contact with her. Arianna shivered. Was it the brightness of the sun or sheer emotion that made suddenly his blue eyes water? The way his voice wavered gave out the answer anyway.

"I just thought you needed some fresh air, Varian" she replied like it was nothing. "I hope I didn't do wrong. And what better place than this to go for a walk ? Just for you to take a few steps."

Varian didn't know what to say. He lowered his eyes and resumed his position, facing the lunch that was there, barely able to believe this was real. His stomach felt churned, both from hunger that started to gnaw at him, and from another feeling, deep and overwhelming, but not unpleasant. No, not unpleasant at all.

He quickly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

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The nice weather and the soft breeze did wonders on Varian's appetite. Even with an arm still secured in a sling, he could grab the ready-to-eat food with one hand and pick whatever he liked himself. He had his fullest meal in days, especially because he didn't have the feeling he had to force the food down for once. He felt more relaxed than ever and his usually busy scientific mind was oddly at rest.

However, while he was eating, he started to ponder on the three days that just passed. He knew he had a huge gap in his memory, he knew he had been found injured and unconscious, he knew his father was not with him at the castle… and yet, as agreed with the Queen, he never asked questions, which was very unusual of him. He wasn't sure why... but he had the feeling he needed not only the time for his body to heal, but also the reprieve, the rest, and the peace of mind. And to be honest, being taken care of, with such gentleness as the Queen, Elora, Ethel and even Remyus showed, made him feel safe somehow, and wanting more.

As he was eating and thinking, his eyes landed on a swing a short distance away, a small yet sturdy swing made out of carved wood. It was probably designed for a child, he decided, because the swing had a back for safety. Connecting the seat and the back, the sides had a particular shape. Narrow at the top, large at the bottom, they had been hollowed and curved to look like an…

"R", Varian said aloud without realizing it. Arianna looked up and understood at once.

"R for Rapunzel", she specified. "We – I had it made by the town carpenter for her third birthday."

She felt silent as the words sank in into Varian's mind.

"But… but when she was three years old, she was….". He couldn't finish that sentence, the painful unspoken truth dawning on him.

The Queen had this made even though her daughter was still far from home. When she was nowhere to be found. When she still tried to maintain hope, against the odds, that she would be returned to them to play and laugh on this very swing. And yet, it had remained used.

Varian had always lived with his Dad. He knew he couldn't imagine his world without him.

He didn't know his greatest fear had come true.

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In a place much higher that the grass of the garden, away from the sun and the soft breeze, behind closed windows, little did Queen and boy know that eyes were watching them.

"Sire, this is going too far", snarled Nigel as they watched Varian take with Arianna's support a few unsteady steps towards the swing. "May I remind you that the boy is a ticking bomb ? He could attack the Queen any day, and she's growing far too attached to him to be on her guard."

Fredric was standing straight, his hands behind his back, brows furrowed and his features tensing.

"I am afraid you are right, Nigel." Part of him didn't want to see the mentally unstable boy take place on her precious daughter's swing, but he was unable to look away. "Something has to be done."

Note : I've posted some art on tumblr (mycove01) for the swing design if you're interested.