Hello again! I've been thinking lately about how weird it is that people who I don't know at all, read my writing. Like, you all live just as full and vibrant lives as me but I don't know anything about it and none of you know anything about mine. I'm not suggesting you should care about my life, it's just... strange.
Okay, existential crisis over. I have way too much time to think lately, haha. But if you do want to know anything about my life, shoot me a message! I want to know about your lives! (But not in a creepy way, I swear.)
Alright, enjoy the chapter!
"Order! Order!" Judge Benson called out.
It didn't happen. Discussion had overtaken the court. "Just a boy-" "should be put down now-" "good." "Fair" "unfair" "a child-". There were no shouts of glee, and no calls of protest, and only bits and pieces of the noise was discernible.
Varian looked at the Judge, standing at his podium with a flustered expression, as he demanded quiet with no success. He then looked at the King, who sat ignorant of the commotion. He pointed his gaze to the ceiling, an almost bored expression on his face. Then Varian looked at the Queen. She appeared to be flustered as well, as she watched Judge Benson hopefully.
Queen Arianna noticed Varian's gaze, and their eyes met. He looked distraught and terrified. She may have imagined it, but she swore she saw a look of pleading in his sad blue eyes. The Queen knew she needed to do something! There was more he needed to hear!
Queen Arianna stood up from her throne. "QUIET!"
And then the room was silent.
Arianna cleared her throat, brushed the skirt of her dress and said. "Thank you." Before pointedly ignoring her husband's surprised expression, and taking her seat again. In fact, she ignored all of the surprised faces staring at her with wide eyes. She nodded to Judge Benson to continue, before stealing another glance of Varian. He wasn't watching her anymore, but instead staring at his hands in his lap. The Queen noticed that Varian's lap was covered by the coat of a guard's uniform. The Captain's, she connected, upon glancing at the Captain who stood behind the boy, missing his coat. How peculiar.
The Judge shook off his surprise quickly and addressed the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen! Please contain yourselves until I am finished. There is much more to hear!" He said, pausing for a moment, before he continued.
"Varian." he addressed.
Varian's gaze didn't move from his hands, but his eyes were wide and his shoulders were visibly rising and falling with each heavy breath.
"For the crimes you committed, a death sentence is standard. We must follow the law here and write in your sentence that you are scheduled for execution."
Varian still didn't look, but Judge Benson paused, awaiting some kind of confirmation that he understood. Varian rapidly nodded his head up and down. He understood. He wouldn't argue that he didn't deserve it. He hurt people. He scared people. He was dangerous. Who would take care of Ruddiger…?
"However, it is also law that said execution can not take place until you are of age to be recognized as an adult. Therefore, you are currently scheduled to be executed four years and four months from now, on November 8th. Exactly one week after your 18th birthday." The Judge explained, reading off some parchment in his hands.
Hearing the words helped Varian to process, and with the shock wearing off, a single tear rolled down the young teen's face. He mourned the loss of the rest of his life, and oh how it ached.
"And on your 18th birthday, you will be retried." the Judge added.
Varian and the Captain both perked their heads higher. Say what?
The Judge allowed himself to continue, addressing everyone. "At the time of the crimes, Varian was in a very dark place. He was grieving a significant loss and he was incredibly frustrated and lonely. All of this trauma for someone so young, it can explain Varian's action."
He turned his gaze back to Varian. "But Varian, it does not excuse any of them. And you are a very intelligent young man so I am sure you understand that. We want the next four years to be rehabilitating for you Varian. Any progress that you make in that time, as well as any misbehaviour and re offences will all be taken into account at that time." the Judge finally explained.
Queen Arianna sighed a breath of relief. Could he possibly have taken any longer getting to the point?
"The goal here is that you learn to bea functioning member of society. And more importantly, a kid." said the Judge. Then he looked at the Queen and gave a light chuckle. "In our discussion we had used the term 'normal kid' but decided that that is unrealistic for a boy such as yourself. So I suppose what I mean is, we want you to feel like your old self again." The Judge explained with a humorous smile.
Varian forced himself to smirk, in recognition of the joke and the praise. How could he be his old self again? That felt so far away now, everything had changed. Dad… He couldn't be his old self without his father… could he? He was shaking fiercely, and his heart beated with such force, Varian wondered if it was about to explode.
The Judge replaced the smile with a serious look. "Varian, if all goes as planned, you will be pardoned for all crimes at your retrial, and the execution will be canceled. Okay?" he said.
Varian nodded, continuing to look at his shaking hands with wide eyes.
"Okay." said Judge Benson to Varian, before addressing the whole room again. "Court is now adjourned! I ask that spectators make their exit first!" he announced with the couple taps of his gavel.
Noise erupted in the room once again as conversation broke out amongst citizens while they all shuffled to leave. After all that just happened, nobody realized how unusual it was for the spectators to leave before the prisoner, and especially, before the King and Queen.
It took 10 minutes or more for the citizens to clear out of the palace. All the while Varian, the Captain and other guards, Judge Benson, the King and Queen and Nigel all remained in place.
Most of the guards stationed throughout the room wore stressed and shocked expressions, still reeling from all the chaos that ensued this afternoon. The King and Queen and the Judge just looked tired. Nigel and the Captain held straight faces, but neither were unaffected by the day. Varian sat trembling, the Captain's coat still draped over his knobby knees. Silent tears rolled down his bruised face. He was in shock, and struggling to process the information thrown at him.
Now that the room was cleared of citizens, Judge Benson spoke to him. "Are you okay, Varian?" he asked, his concern evident in his voice.
Varian didn't respond, but he closed his eyes and tried to slow down his breathing.
"I'm sorry to have frightened you." the Judge said.
Varian's bottom lip trembled as more hot tears came to his eyes. Addressing his emotions only made them worse.
The Captain clue in then, that Judge Benson asked everyone to clear out so nobody would see the evidence of Varian's accident. He appreciated that on Varian's behalf. The kid might be a genius criminal, but he is still 14. The Captain recalled when Cassandra was that age, embarrassment was the ultimate enemy. What others thought of her was incredibly important. He assumed Varian felt the same.
When Judge Benson dismissed them, the Captain removed his coat discreetly from Varian's lap and laid the soiled material next to him on a bench to retrieve later.
"Sir… I- I am so sorry- I don't know…" Varian stammered. What parts of his face weren't blue with bruises, were beet red.
"It's okay, kid. Let's get you to the shower." The Captain said, matter of factly while Pete and Stan took their places on either side of the boy.
He was brought directly to the prisoner's bathroom that he had used just a day before, and was permitted to wash. Varian felt absolutely mortified about the accident. Was he five? Surely that is what those who knew thought of him, and surely everyone has noticed. Ugh! Stupid stupid stupid!
After he washed, he was then taken to the palace infirmary, now just led by the Captain and Phillip. The doctor was a joyful woman, and she did not cower from Varian's presence as so many would have. In fact, when the group entered, she smiled brightly at all of them. "Good day boys!" she greeted. "Good day to you too doc." The Captain responded, before leading Varian further into the room. Varian was seated on an exam table, requiring a little help climbing up to it. The Guards then stood back a few feet to give the Doctor space. Varian remained shackled only at the wrists and ankles, so he was a little bit surprised they would take a risk like that.
The woman approached Varian with a smile. Varian had never liked visiting the doctor as a child, it just for some reason made him nervous. Even though at this point in Varian's life, he had been through much scarier things than a doctor's visit, he still felt those nerves.
"Varian. Hello!" said doc with a smile.
Varian responded with an unsure nod.
"What, you don't talk?" she pushed.
Varian blushed. "I do. I'm sorry." Varian said, his voice cracking.
"So you do. Alright then, you don't have to chat up a storm but you do need to answer my questions when I ask them, understand?" doc said. Varian started to nod and then remembered what she just said. "Uh- I mean, uh, yes. I understand." He stammered, looking down at his hands.
When asked about the injuries, Varian and doc allowed the Captain to do all the explaining. When the doctor had gathered a general list of everything that needed attention, she stepped back and set aside the parchment she had been making notes on, and asked "Do you mind if I take a look?"
Varian felt nervous and uncomfortable, but knew he had to obey. "Ok." He said quietly.
"Ok, Varian. Let's lay you down," She said, placing her hands on his shoulder and laying him to the pillow, his chains clamouring loudly with the movement.
"Good, now can I lift up your shirt?" She asked.
"Mmhm.." Varian agreed hesitantly.
She did so slowly, and then stopped when his bruises became visible. The doctor gently applied pressure to the bruised area, watching Varian's expression for pain. When he winced, she focused on the area that had caused the pain, and asked him some questions about what movements hurt and if his breathing was affected. Varian was found to indeed have a cracked rib. Luckily, she deemed it was fine to be left as is. It would heal properly on it's own.
Upon examining him, doc brought up the fact that he appeared to be rather malnourished.
The guards swore to her that he was receiving proper portions, but he never ate more than a few bites.
When asked, Varian couldn't tell them why exactly. His stomach was filled with too much anxiety and dread to make room for food. He did not say that thought, he just said he wasn't hungry. They clearly did not believe him, but nobody pushed the subject any further.
After doc finished with his rib, she examined his nose.
She sighed, and informed Varian and the guards that it would require intervention in order to heal properly.
Varian was asked to sit up, and he did so with doc's help.
When the time came, he did all he could to stay silent and still as his broken bone was broken again at the doctors' hands, and then moved about until it's position was corrected. His attempts were unsuccessful however, as Varian whimpered in pain. He squeezed his hands into tight fists, and squeezed his eyes shut. The pain and the sounds of crunching bone made him feel nauseated and light headed.
When he opened his eyes again just a few seconds later, he was surprised to find that the room was spinning. Why is the room spinning? And now it felt like a blanket had been tossed over his head. He could see light and colour but there was no focus. He could hear a couple of muffled voices but no words. The air was hot and thin and the longer the blanket stayed over his head the less air there was. The blanket became heavier, and he could not hold himself up anymore. Varian felt a rush of motion. Falling. He waited for the impact but it didn't come, instead he felt strong hands catch him and lower him gently onto his back. He thought of his father as he fell unconscious.
.
.
.
.
Varian lied on the familiar cot in his cell. The last of the days' sun shone a strip of bright red through his window. Varian stared at the light, trying to picture what the sunset must look like this evening.
After he had fainted in the infirmary, he woke up about two minutes later to find the Captain and the Doctor hovering overhead. It had startled him, but both of them quickly put their hands out to stop him from jolting up. He had stayed in the infirmary for a total of two hours, resting and icing his now bandaged nose. He felt embarrassed that he had passed out, but to be honest he was surprised he hadn't done so sooner. He's never been good with pain or blood.
He was given his dinner there. It was some kind of bland soup and a bread roll. Each time Varian tried to quit on the meal, doc encouraged another bite, then another and another, until more than half of the meal was eaten.
Varian knew he had to do as he was told, so he kept trying each time she asked. Every bite made his stomach churn more and more. Doc had thankfully eased up on him when his expression grew stressed.
After that, and the two glasses of water doc had him drink, the pair of guards took Varian back to his cell, which brings him to where he lay now.
Varian felt more calm now, watching the sun, than he had in many months. So much happened in the last three days that it felt more like three weeks. He hadn't had time to stop and process much, until now it seemed. Now he had plenty of time, fours years and four months, to be exact. And after that…
Varian furrowed his brows and rolled over onto his side, grimacing when it hurt.
After that, he didn't know.
Pushing the thought from his mind, he watched the beam of sunlight become dimmer and dimmer, until night fell.
Thanks for reading! Things are going to start looking up for Varian, yay! Let me know what you think!