Chapter 11: Varian in the medics.

"Alright. Get on!" Prince Lars said to the coachman as the Duke himself was far to stuffed up and out taken with his allergy to give orders himself.

"Good bye, Sire. And... get well soon!" Nigel said as he waved towards the Duke's wagon as it the begun rolling towards the gate. The two princes exchanged looks; while Lars looked disturbed and concerned, Jonas looked like he found the whole matter a bit comical, even though he said out loud.

"And poor Daniel who has always longed for a pet."

"Oh well..." Lars said and scratched his beard as a smile showed up on his freckled face. "He's got you now, hasn't he?"

"And what is that supposed to mean?" he chuckled and gave him an arched eyebrow.

Lars' reply was a sly smile, and a neigh. This made Jonas roll his eyes and moan.

"Veeery funny, brother. I play horse and rider with him once in a while, but that does not make me your son's pet!"

"Well, I hope you gentlemen will allow me to be excused. I... I am afraid there are far too many preparations to be made for the prison... No - eh, the... the... dinner! Yes, the dinner. There's gonna be far more at the table now, so..." Nigel made a bow, far deeper than necessary, he actually almost touched the ground with his ponytail which fell right down, causing he two princes to give eachother a look. "I'll be on my way!" he said as he rose.

"Nigel, what on earth is the trouble?" Prince Lars said.

"Trouble? No! No trouble here, no no, not at all!" Nigel said and turned away, hoping with all his heart he was not sweating visibly.

"Look my friend..." Jonas approached before Lars were able to say anything. "I really hope that we haven't caused too much commotion with our sudden arrival. I know that the King got a little disturbed by Duke Walponce's request, and I admit, I feel a little guilty for being the cause of all this, I mean, by marrying Annabelle and all. If I had known it would cause so much fuzz..." He got a guilty look in his green eyes and looked down with a sad expression.

Nigel immediately broke in. "No no no! Not at all, sir. Not at all. We were all thrilled to hear about Annabelle's engagement. The Duke has worked so hard to find a proper suitor for her, and that she was to end up with such a fine young man as yourself... I believe that is more than we could have hoped for. If I may say so, I am most pleased to have gotten acquainted with you, Sir!"

Jonas looked up and met Nigel's face with a warm smile. "Then I can say that the pleasure is mutual. And please..." he said before putting both hands on his slender shoulders. "Call me Jonas. I hate to be too formal around my friends."

Nigel seemed a little whipped off the branch by such friendliness, and he had to clear his throat before he spoke. "Well, I... I will remember that."

A cough in the background made them both turn to face Prince Lars, holding his tied fist up to his chin while looking them with lowered head. "Nigel, will you be kind and inform Annabelle that her father is well off? And..." he gave an excusing smile. "It's not necessary to tell her he stumbled into the wagon like he did."

"Oh no, I see no reason for that!" Nigel made another deep bow before he made his way towards the stairs.

Jonas were about to follow when Lars grabbed him gently, but steady by his right shoulder. "We're right behind you, Nigel. I... just need a word with my brother."

"Very well, Gentlemen! Take all the time you need!" Nigel said before he disappeared.

Once he was out of sight, Jonas turned around to face his elder brother. "Alright, what is it now?" he said smiling, putting his hands on his hips.

Lars on the other hand, was not smiling. On the contrary, he gave his brother a strict look and lowered his voice when he spoke. "What are you doing? I thought we agreed that you would keep a low profile! And what is it you're doing? All the way you were overdoing it in there, practically licking the King's boots..."

"I am only making a good first impression. There's nothing wrong with that!"

"It's not a matter of giving the right impression; it's about going through with the plan like we agreed!" Lars was talking between clenched teeth out or frustration.

"Lars, you're putting too much into this!" Jonas held up his hands and tried to calm him down.

"Oh you think so?" he looked at him with wide, brown eyes. "I am actually putting not only my reputation and my honor at risk here, but my family's trust as well. I was married to King Fredric's cousin, and my son is next in line to become ruler of Corona next to the Princess. And as the situation is now, that may just be the case! I don't think I need to tell you that I have a certain dignity to preserve and stand up to!" Lars was breathing faster now, and had gotten face to face with his young brother by now, brown eyes meeting green eyes as he continued. "And I am putting it all at risk-I am risking everything... to give you a chance! To give you a future! So don't tell me how to handle this!"

The younger brother stood still, growing more and more tense and stiff as he was preached. Jonas looked for a moment like he was to give a biting respond, but then he let out a heavy sigh and lowered his shoulders.

"You're right. I... I may have overdone it a little. I guess I was a little... nervous in the presence of His Majesty, and... perhaps I wanted to prove myself to Annabelle. I sometimes feel like I can't live up to her expectations. I mean, weren't you feeling that way when you were engaged with Helga? I remember you were so violently in love with her that you would have brought her the moon if she asked you."

The mentioning of his wife made Lars loose his strict expression. His eyes got misty and he looked down with his lips tightly pressed together.

Jonas got a regretful look on his face and grabbed his brothers shoulders gently. "Lars, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned Helga. That was thoughtless of me! Please forgive me!"

Lars shook his head and removed his right hand from his shoulder and held it tightly in both his. He shivered a little as he drew his breath slowly with closed eyes, then looked directly at him. "Don't... Just... promise me to not make too much of a figure while we're here? I'm not just talking about me, it's just as much about you. For your own sake, it's important that we do like we agreed. I hope you understand that this is the only opportunity I'm able to give you. And therefore I need to know that I can trust you."

"Brother..."Jonas looked him in the eyes and drew his breath. "I won't do anything to disappoint you. I will take this opportunity you have given me and do my best... in the most modest way I can. That's a promise!"

Lars seemed to calm down by this, and let out a sigh of relief and gsve his brother a smile. "Thank you." He pulled him into a hug, and Jonas returned it. "I wish I could have helped you sooner." he whispered loosely.

"Don't..." Jonas tightened the grip around him. "You've always been there for me. I just... want to find a way to repay it all." he said as they let go of eachother. "And one day, I will!"

"Don't think of it." Lars said and looked at him, smiling. "Just stay out of trouble, and you've repaid me more than enough."

"No, I mean it! How about I name my first son after you?"

Lars chuckled as they begun walking up the stairs. "Well, that's a start. But you'll have to have a son first. For all you know, you'll end up with thirteen daughters instead!"

"Oh, don't mention it!" Jonas said, waving his brother off in a joking way while he held a hand on his forehead, shaking his head while laughing. "Thirteen Annabelles..."

This made Lars giggle, and the two brothers went inside, like nothing had ever happened.

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Karen and Violet didn't have the worst trouble getting the fainted Varian through the corridors, but Karen had trouble explaining to Violet how he just showed up in there without her noticing.

"I keep telling you, I don't know where he came from!" she said and she was dragging him along. "He startled me, and I..."

"Well, it doesn't matter!" Violet sighed, shaking her head. "Let's hope his damage aren't worse than that one of the medics can manage it."

They approached the chambers of the royal medics. Violet knocked the door as hard as she could, three times. They stood a moment, waiting with Varian still hanging between them.

"No one's answering." Karen said, looking at Violet.

"Of course they're not." the elderly maid replied. "Everytime Phineas aren't present the two others act like they have no duties as all. We will have to handle ourselves then." Getting a better grip around Varian's skinny waist with her left hand, she used her right hand to find her keys and opened the door.

"Grandma!" Karen's blue eyes went wide as she watched.

"What, my dear?" Violet said and smiled. "I have keys for every room in this castle, so we can get to them and clean them whenever it's necessary. You know that."

"Sure I know! But doing it like this? It's like breaking in." Karen said frustrated, but nevertheless she followed when Violet walked right in. The first room was the reception room of the medics where a desk was put, alongside with a bench and a shelf with many papers and books. There were three entrances in the rectangular room. There were one to the left beside the shelf that led to the medic's sleeping apartments; one right in front of them once they got in to the laboratory, and in the end of the room to the right was a set of double doors.

"Go and see if anyone is at the laboratory. I will take the boy to a bed."

"Okay..." she said insecurely and lifted Varian's arm gently off her shoulder.

Violet dragged him with her towards the double doors to the right in the room. She needed no keys for this and opened only the knob before grabbing Varian's hand again and pushing the door open with her hip. The room had about six wooden beds, placed three and three opposite each other. Each of them made simply with a madras, one pillow, sheets and blankets of wool. There were four huge windows in the huge room, three of the beds placed between each of them. Violet choose the bed in the middle, opposite of the windows, and placed Varian on top of the blanket, placing his head as gently as she could down on the pillow, then took the pillow from the bed next to them to support him better.

But his head barely met the second pillow before he moved it, moaning in the process. He opened his blue eyes and his foggy gaze met Violet's. "Eh... Hi... Again." he said husky, and he seemed to recall her from earlier.

"Welcome back, hun." Violet said gently to him and stroke away the bangs from his face. "Now don't move. We're gonna get you back in shape in no time, wait and see!"

"B-but I shouldn't be here, ma'am. I..." The confused boy tried to get himself up on his elbows, but Violet pushed him gently, but sternly back down.

"Don't you argue with me, boy! You stay there! I will be right back, and I will get really cross if I find you with your feet on the floor!"

The boy was laying down, but he seemed to sink even deeper as she instructed him strictly. His lips became a thin line and he as he looked around, getting more and more insecure at this situation.

Neither of them had seen that they had been followed.

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Just as the Duke's wagon disappeared through the Castle gate, a wooden cart driven by a steady farm horse and a pair of elder men, were about to drive in. The one driving the wagon was a huge man, dark skin and white hair and beard around a plump face and a bald head. The village knew him well, Xavier the blacksmith, friends with almost everyone he crossed path with.

The passenger were a different figure, slender and small, a slim head with cheekbones, gray hair, and narrow squinting eyes, but nevertheless a friendly appearance. He kept his long, dark gray beard tied up in a long braid, and he had two long lines of mustache hanging like rat tails down each side of his mouth. He wore a long moss green tunic and a garment that for many would have appeared like a dressing robe with ridiculously wide sleeves, tied up with a belt around his waist, and he wore a round cap on his head covering the bald top, while the dark gray hair was shaved except from the back of his head, where he had let it grow and were tied into not exactly a braid, but gathered in a whip tied with a silk strap that went all the way down to his waist.

The two men were chatting cheerfully when they were suddenly forced to stop as the fancy looking wagon rode past them like they were never there at all. A row of loud, muffled sneezes were heard inside it as they passed.

"Hm..." said the slender man. "Seems like the Duke of South Corona had dropped by."

"You're certain?" Xavier said blinking after the dust had laid down.

"It sounded like it." the slender one said chuckling. "It seems like his so called allergy had stricken again. I'm glad I wasn't present right now."

"I have heard rumors about that man." Xavier said as he got the wagon going again, wrinkling his forehead when he gave the fancy wagon a look. "What do you mean with his 'so called' allergy, Phineas?"

"He has the impression that he is allergic to all kind of furry creatures. But it occurs to me that it only strikes whenever he is aware of their presence." Phineas explained as they rode a little into the courtyard. "Had he really been allergic, he would have gotten a reaction with any poor creature in the room. But I have seen him be right behind a dog without getting as much as a running eye or a sniffle. I am utterly convinced that this 'allergy' as he calls it, is all in his head." He pointed to his own head to indicate what he meant, and Xavier chuckled.

"I suppose you are right, old friend. Now, do you need help carrying all there remedies of yours?"

"I would mostly appreciate some assistance, even thought you have been more than helpful enough already. I can't thank you enough for picking me up in Old Corona. If I were of that nature, I would curse that driver for just dropping me off like that."

"Rubbish! What are old friends for?" the old blacksmith said and started to load off the wagon. I'll just give this animal here some water, and I'll be there."

"Do so, I will go ahead." Phineas said.

The old physician begun walking a sideway near the stables with a huge sack on his left shoulder and a leather bag around his right. Despite the weight he carried, the old man walked with amazing speed up the stairs. Despite his old and slender appearance, he was in good shape and wasn't even breathing heavily when he reached the door towards the corridor.

As he entered, a pair of guards ran past him in such a hurry that he had to look after them. He squinted his almond shaped eyes and arched an eyebrow. "What in the world could that be?" He shrugged and kept walking in the opposite direction. As he was about to cross a corner, he almost ran into Pete and Stan, who immediately stopped in time to not crash into him.

"Impeccable timed, lads." Phineas said without moving. "But maybe I should start to wear armor myself while walking here now?"

"My apologies, Master Phineas!" the Stan said, standing up straight. "I wasn't aware that you were back! We didn't expect you back for yet another week?"

"We could surely have needed you here."

"Oh?" He blinked. "Well, I was lucky to get a ride with an old friend." the old man said. "May I ask what the hurry is? You look awfully stressed."

"I might as well inform you. There is a dangerous prisoner on the loose in the Castle." Stan said, still panting from running.

"And, of all things,..." Pete said, also catching his breath. "...there are some guests here that we would avoid alarming at any cost."

"Loose here?" his almond shaped eyes became twice its size. "That is alarming indeed. But... Shouldn't the guests be informed? It would be dangerous if they were to encounter with him?"

"The King's orders." the Stan said shortly. "I advise you to take care, Master. He's most dangerous criminal Corona has ever stood against."

"I will remember that. Thanks for the warning, lads."

And by that, the two guards ran off. Phineas was left standing alone, blinking as he got his own thoughts about the situation. "That's what I get for being gone for two months. I suppose there must be a reason why His Majesty wants to put a lid over this. But..." He shook his head as he began walking again. "Recent experience has taught us that is seldom a good idea."

He approached the medic chambers, but stopped when he saw the doors were open. "What is this? I do not recall this to be a cleaning day? Have my assistants forgotten themselves, or were they in a hurry?" He walked through the doors and found the doors to his laboratory open as well.

"Well, what do we have here?" he said as he spotted a figure in his lab. He put the bag and his leather purse down by the door, and walked to face the intruder.

Phineas means 'oracle'. Fitting for a medic? In case anyone wonder, I hope I managed to describe him correctly, he is of chinese origin. You can see it on the poster I made of this story on my tumblr account.