Dear readers, I cordially invite you to check out Rain4evah's artwork on tumblr ( rain4evah-art or my blog). They did a splendid job on some characters and costumes ! Thank you, Rain4evah for bringing Phil to life and design Arianna's gown and way more !

Thanks for your reactions too ! Some people were getting mad at Hans from the lastest chapter... Will this chapter calm things down . ?... or not ?...

Chapter 58

When Frederic and Arianna reached the castle of Epoisses, the place was already swarming with guests, carriages and servants running here and there, bringing luggage inside or carrying heavy trays of food for the evening banquet. There were banners and decorations of all sorts everywhere, showing a full moon in a starry sky, foreshadowing the magnificent sight that the evening would bring.

The busy but merry atmosphere was contagious, and Arianna's worries seemed to have melted away as Frederic noticed with relief that her eyes were sparkling in wonderment. When was the last time she allowed herself to be relaxed and carefree like this ?

The royal carriage came to a halt in front of the palace doors. The Captain raised his gloved hand to motion Pete and Stan to hold their horses. As on cue, they quickly dismounted, Pete taking both horses' reins while Stan went to open the carriage door.

Arianna got down first, her slender feet treading a thick velvet carpet that would lead them inside. Before her stood the Duke's palace, not as big and sturdy as Corona's castle, but a beautiful place nonetheless.

As she walked looking up, the Queen of Corona suddenly felt her ankle getting caught in something, but couldn't stop in time. Before she knew it, she lost her balance and sprawled face first on the carpet, her hands reaching out in the nick of time to prevent her from breaking her nose.

"My dear, are you alright ?", inquired a very alarmed King Frederic. But his concern was soon replaced by irritation as he heard giggles around him. The sight of a tumbling person always made people laugh spontaneously, even more so when that person is royalty. But one voice in particular got his attention on his right. It was high-pitched, and seemed somehow exaggerated just to openly mock the Queen.

It took Arianna a few seconds to recover from her unexpected fall, but she too turned her head towards the jibe, and they both saw with wide eyes black ringlets whip around and a full skirt swish as a short giggling figure turned around and ran away.

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Hans was a clever man.

Every now and then, he cast side glances to check the guards were still busy with their small talk and not paying attention to the silent battle of wills that was taking place. Except that Hans was sure to win this battle, fully aware that the boy had no choice but stay put. It was almost too easy to force him to keep quiet and obey, but it still amused the older man beyond reason. As the youngest of 13 brothers, he never got the upper hand during the first years of his life. Time for the tables to turn.

He failed to understand why this boy would get such a lenient treatment in the castle after the acts of treason he committed. He probably gave the Queen the big puppy eyes, and she fell for that old trick. The king himself was way too indulgent with his wife's weaknesses. Someone had to rein the brat in.

On the cold floor, Varian was biting his lip to contain the anger that threatened to rise. Hans was getting under his skin, for sure, but he also nearly got him to be in disgrace once. Varian knew the trust the King had in him was a flimsy thing – if there was any trust at all.

And then there were these words the Queen whispered to Phil's ear but that Varian overheard by chance.

Keep an eye on him.

"You'd better get used to it."

The sharp words jolted Varian from his thoughts. His spontaneity and his curious mind got the best of him and he looked up at Hans.

"What ?"

The man was still leaning back, gazing at ceiling nonchalantly.

"You being kneeling down and cleaning my boots. I could get used to it," he replied with a smirk. "From now on, you'll scrub them every night. I'm sick of that nauseous smell in my bedroom."

"Not in your wildest dream." The words left Varian's mouth between clenched teeth before he could think. "Phil wouldn't let it happen."

A soft laugh escaped Hans' throat. He lowered his head and locked eyes with Varian.

"Because you think he cares ? For you ? Come on, you can't be that stupid. As long as you don't get him in trouble, he'll be fine with anything. He might even be glad that someone teaches you a lesson."

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The day was fading gently, the sky getting nice shades of blue, orange and pink. There were no clouds in sight, as if the moon itself prepared the stage before its grand entrance.

After many, many apologies from the Epoisses guards and the chamberlain, Arianna and Frederic were shown to their guest apartments to get ready for the Festival. The Duchy of Epoisses was part of Corona, and the duke was Frederic's direct vassal. Needless to say, the ruler of Corona was the Duke's most important guest, and the lavishly decorated rooms were a vivid proof of all the respect due to the King and his wife.

Speaking of respect, the incident that occurred earlier really didn't sit well with Frederic.

"I wonder who played that silly trick on you," ventured Frederic with a frown that wouldn't leave his face. "Way to welcome your guests !"

"That's all right, dear, she was only a child,", the Queen replied while opening her trunk. "The Duke and the Duchess can't possibly control every subject, can they ? Besides, we'll never find out who she was and will probably never see her again."

She paused, her thoughts back to Varian for a moment. Although he was older, he had proved capable of making bad choices as well. Not just for the sake of a prank, though. Which made her wonder, why would such a young child do something like this ?

She sighed, hoping once again that the boy would be safe while she was gone, and pretended to be thoroughly interested in unfolding and preparing the gown she was going to wear for the Festival.

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Varian sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.

"Phil would never let you use me as your servant", he said blankly, his tone not as convincing as he wanted.

"Oh, do you really think you can trust him ? Or that he trusts you ? Ha ! Tell me, boy, has he told the Queen about your little stroll outside the library ? On the cornice ?"

Varian's blood was like frozen in his veins.

"Don't you dare…", he growled, his teeth bare.

"He has failed to watch you properly, and he could be dismissed for that. Surely he must hate you for this."

Hans knew his barb hit home by the way the kid blanched.

"See ? My point exactly," Hans went on as he leaned back again. "You want to convince yourself he's your friend, but you're nothing but a nuisance to him. A mere burden to everybody in fact, from the very start. Haha, I wouldn't like to be in your father's shoes right now. What would he think of you ?"

There was a growl followed by a scream of rage and Phil whipped around, only to see Varian lunge at Hans with enough speed and strength to topple the man over despite his skinny frame. Caught by surprise, Hans felt he was falling backwards along with his chair and landed painfully on his back.

Varian couldn't think. Blinded by anger, teeth clenched hard and his eyes darting daggers, he fell with Hans, not quite processing what was happening. He didn't let the man get back to his senses as his left hand closed into a tight fist, rose in the air and went down violently to punch Hans on the nose, spilling blood.

"Varian, stop !", Phil yelled, not believing what his eyes were seeing. Alden and the other guards they were talking with stared in shock, dumbfounded.

But Varian didn't hear his friend's voice, his fist ready to strike again. His heart seemed to swell in his chest that had suddenly become too tight for it. His ragged breathing wouldn't let him shout all the words that came to his mind. They were stuck in his throat anyway, just like a crowd trying to squeeze through too narrow a door.

Before Phil or any other guard could run up to Varian, Hans clasped his gloved hand around Varian's wrist. He had been trained since childhood to fighting, and not only for battle. For as long as he could remember, he had to fight against his brothers. For a long time, he had always been the one who lost, at least until he got strong and cunning enough.

Had he have known all those lost fights would be so useful one day, he would have thanked them. The palm of his hand wide open, he pushed Varian on the side in one swift move and sent him rolling on the stone floor. Varian barely registered the clinking noise that could be heard as he was tossed like a rag doll, an uncomfortable sensation flooding in his body. He instantly knew what it was : the memory of his father pushing him away from the rapidly growing amber. Reviving that stress made the boy twice as dizzy as the fall should have made him. Varian's powerless frame stopped and he laid there on his stomach, his head spinning.

He yelped in surprise when he felt his wrist was being gripped again, so tightly it was sure to leave bruises. He didn't have time to linger on it, as his arm was violently yanked backwards and pressed against his back. Hans immediately straddled the boy, pinning him to the ground and earning a cry of pain as the weight of the man seemed to choke every last bit of air out of him.

Hans wiped his nose and he frowned as he saw his glove matted with his own blood.

"You… are going to pay for this," he growled.

An arm's length away, something glistened on the floor with a purple glint, catching Hans' attention. Not bothering to mind the boy under him, he shifted his weight to get it between his fingers. Varian gritted his teeth to stifle another cry as the pressure of the man's knee on his shoulder was nearly unbearable. His eyes were still closed as he heard Hans' snarling voice mixed with a wicked smile :

"My, my… What have we here ?"