Hey all, thanks for reading the story chapter after chapter after chapter. Are you excited for season 3 to begin ? I know I am ! My concern is that I would like my fanfic to be consistent with canon stuff, so I might change my ending plans (which have been in my head for more than a year, but well...). But that will be for later. I'll see how it goes.

It's quite late, so just a few comments on my behalf, but I'm sending my deepest thanks for your comments your way !

EALM528, what can I say ? Um, you're right ? I will stop torturing the boy one day, I promise !

Aperson, this is no silliness at all ! And I should have written "latest" instead of "last", hence the confusion. My bad !

CHAPTER 71

Arianna clenched her shaking hands into fists. The procedure wasn't new to her. In the case of a contagious disease within the palace walls, the members of the royal family were to be kept as far as possible from the sick person, and she knew it.

"Besides, you haven't slept all night, Your Majesty", Remyus went on, convinced that the Queen would need more persuasion given the circumstances, "and the lack of sleep severely compromises your system's capacity to defend itself. Which is what probably happened to Varian. That, and…"

Remyus seemed to be at war with himself for a moment. Should he go on ? He cast a glance to the Queen, and the daggers her eyes were sending his way gave him the answer. He had spoken too much to turn back now.

"…well, the fact that his goggles had kept some water on the top of the lenses and the way his hair was plastered around his face… would tend to prove that he was wet at some point, and was probably left that way for hours in the damp cell."

Arianna's eyes went wide. She remembered she saw a bucket in the cell that looked like it had been tossed aside without much care, but hadn't paid much attention to it.

"Hans…" she muttered, anger rising inside her.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for understanding", Remyus sighed while handing her her dressing gown (she was still wearing only her shift) and motioning her towards the door. "There is no need for 2 people to be at risk of being contaminated anyway. I will keep you informed, of course."

"No need….," she mustered, lost in her thoughts. She wasn't a doctor, but everybody knew that, although medical knowledge in Corona was one of the most advanced in the seven realms, they still couldn't cure everything. Statistically, one person out of three would perish from pneumonia. Especially the weak, the infants, and the elderly.

The elderly…

Arianna's posture stiffened as she planted her bare feet into the floor with determination.

"You're right. There is no need for two people to stay. You may leave, Remyus. I will stay here with Varian."

"Your Maj –"

"Listen to me, Remyus, I'm begging you. I can do this. Just tell me what I must do, prepare all the medication he will need, and I will take it from here."

"But –"

"I've spent several hours right next to him anyway. I've slept a bit, I'll be fine. You should take care of yourself, Remyus. You're more at risk than I am, and you know that." She felt bad for using the argument of age against the loyal physician, but she had to convince him. "What would we do if you got sick ?"

"I can't let you, you're the Queen and –"

"That's an order, Remyus", she stated with a calm, royal voice, "and I'm taking full responsibility for this." Her eyes softened as she braced herself to tell the true reason. "Besides… I'm not leaving him, Remyus. I just can't. I won't fail him again." She stepped forward and took his wrinkly hands in hers. "Please understand, old friend. He needs me."

Remyus looked at the Queen intently, realizing his Queen was willing to put her own life on the line for the boy, a peasant boy, one of her subjects. He let out a defeated breath and held out the dressing gown for her to take. He knew he couldn't change her mind, because this wasn't about social status anyway. This was about a woman who cared so much for a child that she would cross every line to follow her heart… and do the right thing for his sake.

"Keep the rag on his forehead cool and wet. Don't cover him too much, even if he has chills. We want that temperature of his to go down. He also needs fluids in his system, so make him drink regularly some water or linden infusion. If he's too unconscious to do so, at least keep his lips moist. I'll be back with some potions."

Arianna simply nodded and let Remyus make his leave. She turned to the sick boy, who was sleeping or unconscious, she wasn't sure. His skin was clammy with all the sweating and his lips held a blueish color. Short, panted breaths were the only sounds that could be heard in the small room. There was even something lingering in the air that felt sickly. She gently took hold of his wrist – the one not shackled to the bed – and felt his racing, irregular pulse.

Next to Varian, Ruddiger crooned sadly. He knew something was wrong with his boy, and the furry animal looked up, seeking reassurance in the lady's eyes. But she didn't seem to notice him, worry and sadness plastered on her face. So the raccoon laid down against Varian's side, ears pulled backwards. After a few seconds, though, he blenched when the teen's body suddenly shook with a violent fit of coughing. It jerked Varian awake, the combined pain in his head and his lungs unbearable. Arianna helped him turn onto his left side, letting the damp cloth on his head fall off, and rubbed soothing circles on his back. After many agonizing coughs, Varian let his body fall limply on his stomach, his chained arm stuck under his body. He closed his eyes and let out a rale. Every muscle in his small body was hurting, but the consuming burn in his chest was the worst and he felt unspeakably weak.

"…hurts…"

"Shhh… Don't speak, sweetheart", he heard the familiar voice whisper as he was flipped over to his back and propped into a half-sitting position against a steady arm, his head resting in the crook of an elbow. "I know it hurts, but you did very well. Here. Drink this." Varian felt a metal cup was pressed against his lips and soon afterwards the coolness of fresh water calmed the burning sensation in his mouth and throat. He took a couple of sips and then turned his head to cough some more, which left him unable to drink. Breathing was difficult, excruciating even. His whole body was shaking with chills and fatigue. He instinctively snuggled against the warmth of the body next to him – even if he was much warmer himself because of the fever, he felt he was very cold. But to his dismay, the soft arms laid him back down and within seconds, the cold and wet rag was placed on his forehand again. He moaned in protest and felt a soft hand stroke his cheek in response.

"Keep holding on, Varian. I'm here with you, you know I am. Rest now."

That simple touch against his face felt like it was the best thing in the world and if he had enough strength, Varian would have cried for it. The soothing words helping, he let himself drift off back to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

At dusk on the following day, the pneumonia reached its height. If Varian seemed in a horrible condition to Arianna when she first saw him, it was nothing compared to what she was witnessing now. Of course, Remyus told her that it would happen, that it was a natural process that was to be expected. But even with all the information she needed to be able to tend to the young teen properly and not to panic, the force of the sickness in such a scrawny frame was scary.

The acute fever was raging on, radiating from him alarmingly. His breathing was loud and ragged. His eyes remained shut and he didn't respond to Arianna's or Ruddiger's touch anymore. From time to time, a few whimpers that may or may not have been words passed his blueish lips.

Frederic had come back from Epoisses earlier that day, and to say that he wasn't pleased with the situation about his wife was an understatement. Although part of him did admire her dedication, the perspective of her getting sick with pneumonia was highly reminiscent of the time he almost lost her, 19 years ago. And this time, there would be no magic flower. No miracle. But it was too late to turn back, now.

So ironic, he thought. His wife's life being in jeopardy for Varian's sake, him turning rogue, the black rocks invading Corona, the boy's father warning about the consequences of using the flower, Frederic's choice to ignore that because he was too scared to lose his family… So the circle comes back around.

Desperate not to let fear and anger in, the King kept himself busy. He made sure that Remyus would check on Alden's wound after their journey, while getting as much information from the physician as he could. He listened to the Captain's report with the greatest interest, barely concealing his frustration when the highly ranked soldier couldn't depict the entire picture. He sent for Hans, who answered with practiced serenity and chose his words wisely to justify his actions, just the way he did with the Queen.

There was something unnerving about the red-haired man, in his smug posture, his over-the-top confidence, or his lopsided smile when he spoke. As king, Frederic had learned years ago not to be deceived by appearances or fine words. He remembered the incident that occurred between Hans and Varian in the hallway a few days ago, when the boy was assigned to fix the crack his automaton made in the wall. He could never forget the raw anger and the obvious irritation of the teenager that day and wondered how much the lanky man could be trusted. But then again, the kid had been unpredictable before and Frederic didn't know what to make of those mood swings, no matter how hard he tried.

After hours of discussions and reflections, Frederic sat back in his throne and sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. As long as Varian would be unable to communicate his own version of the incident, there would still be too many grey areas.

But then, the King dropped his hand, his eyes lit with a new brightness.

There was one more person he needed to talk to.