I think this is the quickest I have ever updated! This chapter is very short and I apologize for that, but there will be more coming very soon. No time to write like a quarantine! (Stay safe and healthy everyone... these are scary times, but we're all in it together.) - Cate

"Varian." said the judge. "Are you, therefore, admitting guilt to:

Treason, on multiple accounts:

Stealing from the royal vaults and conspiracy thereof

Kidnapping, reckless endangerment, assault and attempted murder of Queen Arianna

Reckless endangerment and attempted murder of Princess Rapunzel

Also:

Attack on the royal guard and volunteers, and conspiracy thereof

Destruction of public property

Assault of Lady Cassandra"

Judge Benson listed once again, raising his voice an octave at the end, in question.

Varian shifted in his seat, eyes turned downward. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, and he curled and uncurled his toes inside his palace issued shoes, all the while every pair of eyes in Corona burned into the back of his head. He finally cleared his throat a little and used the voice that he had such trouble finding. "Um. I- I guess so…" mumbled Varian, uneasily.

The Judge sighed. "I'm sorry, Son. I need a yes or no answer. If you say yes, the trial will still carry on as planned, as to decide the right plan for you. Don't be scared." he said.

Varian knew that Judge Benson meant well, but his words somehow only made Varian more scared. "Um, okay, uh… Yes." he said, then glanced at the Judge, who repeated the expression of pressing his lips into a straight line and staring at the boy, as if trying to read his thoughts. Varian looked back down at his hands, bound together in his lap.

"Okay. Thank you for your candor." said the Judge, finally. "Next order of business: I have here a written testimony from Princess Rapunzel, and there are various citizens prepared to make victim impact statements." he said, shuffling through some papers.

Varian felt saddened. Rapunzel wrote her testimony in a letter, while others would be delivering them in person… had his friends… ex friends, he reminded himself, been so disgusted by him that they couldn't bear to see his face? Varian was hurt by the notion, but he understood. He wouldn't want to see him either.

Varian, The King and Queen, and all the citizens listened closely as Judge Benson read aloud the letter sent from Rapunzel. She recounted all the events leading up to… that night.

Varian hadn't known that Cass had been put in charge that night. Setting aside for a moment that the attack was against him, he felt a swell of pride for Cassandra. Varian sometimes felt like he was the only one who truly 'saw' Cassandra. She has so much to offer but is never given the opportunities. He felt proud that she was finally granted one. However, Varian's pride turned into a pang of guilt very quickly. Too bad he had ruined her chance to show her worth when he targeted her in the stupid automaton… Varian turned his attention back to Judge Benson.

Next, a line of Corona's citizens formed to take their turn giving impact statements. Varian listened regretfully. He had caused damage to people's homes and businesses… one woman said her dog had been frightened by the noise and got out of the house and she never was able to find him. Varian felt such guilt. He hadn't considered, at the time, who else he would be hurting. He hadn't cared. He felt like such a child. A tantrum-throwing child.

The Coronian's had many different ideas of Varian. Some folks thought he was a mad scientist/evil genius sort of type… others thought he was a trouble making punk, or a menace. Some claimed his actions had to have been political, and he cringed at the word "terrorist". Varian didn't know which one of these, if any, actually suited him. He did know, however, that not one citizen who spoke had anything positive to say of him.

Varian could only relate that feeling to one past experience. In school, when his regular bullies had grown tired of their usual acts of chasing him home, yelling taunts about his intelligence, or his blue-ish streak, sometimes even about his mother, or lack of one, more specifically. So eventually, when the old jokes got, well, old, they had made it their goal to turn all of the other kids against him too. And they had succeeded… and then everyone hated him.

Varian's eyes glazed over in tears at the memory, but he managed to blink them away. The matter at hand was much more dyer than his experience with school bullies four years ago.

The line of citizen's had diminished at last, and all of the speakers had returned to their seats, so Judge Benson turned his attention back toward Varian.

"Varian, if I may, I'd like to ask you a few questions now." he said as a statement, yet he paused and looked at Varian for a response.

Varian offered a tiny nod, but otherwise made no move. From behind him, the Captain tapped Varian's shoulder and whispered "Stand." Varian slowly rose to his feet, acknowledging the sharp stab of pain in the ribs it caused him, and keeping his eyes trained on the floor. He cringed as the chains clanged together with his movement, and he felt himself blush.

Judge Benson began. "Can you confirm that Princess Rapunzel's timeline is accurate?"

Varian thought for a moment, quickly going over it once more in his mind, and nodded.

"Alright, that would mean that you were left alone with no adult for several weeks before any incident took place. What were you doing during that time?" he asked.

Varian felt the urge suddenly to defend himself, and claim that he is not a child and he manages just fine on his own. However before any words could actually bubble, he considered the fact that he really hadn't managed well on his own at all; he could make no defence there. Instead he uncomfortably said "I was um- preparing, mostly."

The Judge nodded, while Varian noticed the King turn his head away in disgust. The Queen however, just watched him softly, as she had been throughout. "Did anyone other than yourself know what happened to your father?" Judge Benson asked.

Varian's felt like there were cotton balls in his throat all of the sudden. He shook his head.

"Was anyone by to see you in during that time? Friends? Neighbors?" said the Judge, gently.

Now Varian cracked. He choked back the noise that had made its way into his throat, and tears sprung to his eyes, spilling down his cheeks before he had the chance to stop them. He hid his face away as much as possible.

"N- no." Varian squeaked.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that all alone." the Judge said, kindly.

Now, a small sob did escape Varian and he wished so badly that he could pull himself together. It was just all too much. Too much. Too much. The room was very silent now, making Varian's badly concealed gasps and sniffs echo unpleasantly.

After giving Varian a few moments, Judge Benson spoke again. "I'd like to offer you the floor now, Son. To defend yourself as you deem fit." he said, with a gesture to Varian.

Varian stared at his hands, and swayed his weight from foot to foot. Hot tears were still making their way down his cheeks, and he didn't know what to say. He was meant to think about this, and plan it in advance. He hadn't. He couldn't. So, here he was, speaking from nothing but the thoughts that he had been pushing to the back of his mind for weeks now.

"Um, well…" Varain took a steadying breath. "Um, there isn't much I can say, to, uh… defend myself. Other than, I guess, I wasn't thinking clearly. And um, I really didn't know what to do." Varian's voice cracked with a small sob. "Or- or how to deal with what had happened. And um, I thought about telling my neighbor, Mrs. Wheatherbee… and you know, asking for help… but I didn't know what I'd even say… so I didn't." Varian sniffed. "But anyway… I know that I- I really messed up- no, sorry, I um- I more than messed up, I- uh… I don't know, but um, I guess I just wanted to say that, um, I'm really sorry." Varian looked at Queen Ariana as he spoke those last three words. Her soft and gentle eyes met his anguished ones for just a moment before he dropped his gaze again. "I'm really sorry, to, uh, to everyone who I hurt. Or- or who I scared. Um, just, uh, yeah. I'm sorry." he rambled a little bit, then pinched his lips together and sat back down on the bench.

"Okay. You've done well today, Varian. Thank you." said the Judge.

"I feel we have much of the information needed for their majesties and I to make a decision. However, we must take some time to look over the details. I ask that we meet back at noon time tomorrow for my verdict. Your majesties, and people of Corona, the time to worry is over, rest tonight. Excuse this, but you all look like you need it." Judge Benson said, with humour in his voice. And then, without humour he continued. "Varian, the same goes for you. Try to get some sleep, it'll do you good." he offered Varian a small smile, then addressed the entire room once more. "Okay everyone, dismissed until tomorrow." he announced, with a tap of his gavel.

Thank you for reading, and please let me know your thoughts! I really love hearing from you all and I always try to reply.

The next chapter is one that I have had many drafts of written for months now. It's kind of the part in which the rest of the story all stemmed from, so you can expect that probably within the week!