Summary: Queen Arianna as Varian's prisoner
"Varian, please! Just think about the people of Corona -" her chains rattled in the dark and the alchemist's face grew grim. Immediately she noticed her mistake.
"Of Old Corona," Arianna hurried to correct. "You're endangering all of them. War -"
"What are you talking about?" Varian interrupted dangerously. The child's eyes were half-lidded and lined with exhaustion, but his voice cracked like a whip.
"Look around! There are no people," he accused louder. A wave of anger rose higher and higher, swallowing his rational thoughts. "The village is deserted. The people left months ago."
The silence struck like a hammer. Ruddiger chirped beside him, pushing for attention. Varian ignored it.
.
.
.
The villagers had found him 3 days after. They took him in, brought him food while he'd returned to the loneliness of his laboratory, and offered him shelter when soldiers came for him. He remembered watching everyone he'd ever known, abandoning their homes, packed with all they could carry. They were farmers at heart and Corona got no land to work.
"We have to go," a familiar face told him. "I am sorry Varian. We stayed as long as we could."
The boy's eyes were cast down to the ground. No matter where he turned, there were only bad options.
"You sure you don't wanna come?" He offered once more.
Varian shook his head while muttering," I just cant leave him behind…"
"I understand son. I wouldn't expect anything less," his voice was filled with emotion and he put his hand on Varian's tense shoulder. "Take care, and if you change your mind you know where to find us."
"Thanks."
Varian watched them moving towards Corona's wall, not sure if he would ever see any of them again. The path back to the house that was illuminated just hours before became lost in a blackness that even moonlight couldn't help.