*silently posting a chapter and tiptoeing away*...

Nah, I'm kidding, although I'm kinda embarassed, popping up after all this time :) ... I never planned staying away for so long. Not the right time, not the energy or the spark... I can only write from the heart, and I guess I needed a hiatus. I'm sorry about this, bear with me, and thank you for your patience !
Also I've just been sick with Covid, and recovering atm. Guess it helped me slow down and think of what I really wanted to do... and writing is one of the answers!

Anyway I loved writing the ending of the trial arc. Well not quite the ending. There is the fate of one man that is still pending, if you see who I mean, hahaha!

And what do you think tangleboi is going to do next?...He is free now (yeah!) You are welcome to read to find out!

CHAPTER 104

Arianna stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Varian kneeling down before she could go to him and hug him like she intended to. Her mind briefly wondered if the boy was scared of her husband or feeling guilty about something but she quickly dismissed that idea. Every part of Varian's body was showing respect, honesty and above all, peace. Peace towards them, peace with himself. Even Ruddiger was uncharacteristically calm, content with watching his boy, a sparkle of pride in his eyes.

It was like the events since that fateful storm never happened.

Well, of course, they did happen, and none of them was trying to deny it. Those dark times had taken their toll and left their mark, and they may come back in their memories from time to time (Arianna knew Varian well enough by then to be sure that it will be hard for the teenager to completely forgive himself), but now, it was clear they will never be a barrier between them again. The Varian that was bowing in front of her and her husband, far from kneeling by force or submission, was willingly showing them that he had grown past all anger and resentment and was accepting them as his Queen and King again. And now that he had been officially pardoned for his crimes, the sky was clear. Nothing that could stop them from moving onward.

A deep voice jarred her out of her contemplation.

"Please rise, Varian of Old Corona".

The raven-haired boy stood up with as much composure as before at the order from his King, his two feet strongly planted into the ground. He had to raise his chin so he could look at the man in the eyes, which he did without hesitation. Arianna gasped. Varian seemed… taller.

"So, Varian," Frederic continued solemnly, "I am pleased to see that you are feeling better and apparently enjoying your newly regained freedom. Have you decided what you are going to do now?"

Varian's young, brilliant mind, just like a bird that just flew out of the open door of its cage, had instinctively spread its wings and had already elaborated multiple plans on the blank page that was his future. He couldn't stop his hands from clenching into fists though. He knew that there were big changes and challenges ahead.

"I have, Your Majesty… and my Queen", he quickly added, bowing respectfully to Arianna. He knew this would be hard for her as much as it was hard for him. "There are answers I need to find. My father… is still trapped in that amber rock, and I have to save him. I don't know how yet, but I will find a way."

Suddenly it was impossible for Varian to stay still any longer. He turned on his heels and started to pace back and forth, alternately looking at imaginary things in the air as his thinking got wild or glancing briefly over Frederic and Arianna. A breeze started to blow, playing with his hair and nudging his thin body towards the horizon.

"I will go back to my house first. I will need as many alchemical supplies as I can get for my journey. I have tried everything I could back then, so the answers lie out there, somewhere in the world. They have to be. The black rocks, they… they came from beyond the walls of Corona. I need to follow them, to find the source of their power. Only when I understand them completely can I hope to find how to undo the amber. It doesn't matter how far I will have to go, I'll just…"

Varian stopped his rambling, mouth gaping and eyes lost as his eyes caught a glimpse of Frederic's arms wrapped around his wife's waist, as if to support her. She was still pale and weak after her long illness, but there was something else.

Although she was smiling, her eyes were glistening with fresh tears. Varian felt his heart sink and he hugged himself with one arm.

"Arianna, I… why, I… you guided me when I lost my way. You gave me so much love when I believed I didn't need… nor deserve any. And now I wouldn't trade what we have shared for anything in the world. But…"

He heaved a deep sigh and stepped forward to take her slender hands in his.

"I need to do this."

"Oh Varian," Arianna breathed, her voice thick with emotion, "you don't have to justify yourself. Of course, I understand, and I knew you would leave this castle one day. I am just… Oh Varian, I am so proud of you today." She wanted to lean forward and pull him into a tight embrace, but there was something they needed to do first and she wasn't sure she could keep talking. "Fred?"

"Of course, darling. Varian," Frederic let go of his wife and regained his royal posture, hands clasped behind his back. "there is one very important matter that we would like to discuss with you."

Varian's eyes were rounder than ever but he kept his mouth shut, unsure what to make of those words.

"Today you are a free young man, and we encourage you, from the bottom of your hearts, to follow the path that you have decided to follow. We hope that you find what you are looking for. However, before we let you go explore the big wide world out there…"

Varian shrank at the words. Conditions? Restrictions? He didn't know if he could bear anything like this now he had earned his freedom at last.

"Will you consider becoming our ward?"

Varian was speechless. His legs felt they had lost their bones. This wasn't something he had expected, and it sent his head spinning with questions and his eyes watering at the same time.

"…y…your ward?" he stammered, his lips suddenly numb.

"Indeed, son," Frederic added with a warm smile. "We would like you to be officially under our protection. Of course we have your safety on your journey in mind, but" – and with that the King of Corona laid both hands on the boy's frail shoulders – "first and foremost we want you to know that no matter what happens, you will always have a home here."

Varian felt the moisture of his own tears trailing down on his cheeks but he did nothing to stop them. He felt torn between mixed, bittersweet feelings, because he understood right away what hid behind the King's words. "No matter what happens" was a nice way to say "if your father doesn't make it". But he couldn't ignore the indescribable burst of hope and joy at having a home again, with people who loved him and cared for him. Even if being a ward wasn't exactly the same as being "family", that was more than Varian would have dreamed of, and it was far enough for him. He was relieved that they didn't ask for him to be adopted by them or something like that. As strong as the bond was now between them, especially with Arianna, Varian knew he still had a parent, and there was no way he would replace his father as long as there would be a chance for him to be alive and come back one day in Varian's life.

Varian let the tsunami of emotions take hold of him and held his gaze to the King and Queen again. With a smile brighter than a million suns, he answered, as he flung himself into the four awaiting arms:

"I will."

And the three of them let themselves gently sink to the ground.