Chapter 17: Varian meet Prince Lars

In another corridor in the castle, Xavier walked with slow steps till he came outside. He approached his wagon again, but he didn't start unloading them at first. Instead, he sat down on the back of it, for a moment resting his arms on his knees. He bed his head down and let out a heavy sigh.

"Hanna, I am sorry. I have failed you! I should have done more..." He looked down at the goggles he had brought with him. One glass had a crack, and one was missing a few shards. He clenched the fist holding the leather reins hard till his hand shivered. "If only his father hadn't been so... Why?" He shook his head. "I just don't get it?"

He sat like this for about ten seconds, then he took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes before clearing his throat. Then he shook his head and rose, giving his back a crack before he walked to the front of the wagon. There, he opened the seat of the front and put the goggles inside and closing it.

He heard the horse neigh, and he walked up to give it a stroke n it's mane. "I'm sorry, I'll be as quick as I can. Promise."

Then he walked back to the pile of wooden boxes in front of him. "To do some work then!" He placed one on top of the other, and lifted it up, clenching his teeth as he did. "For goodness sake, how did you carry all these things, Phineas?" He muttered as he began walking towards the castle again.

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"No, Ruddiger!" Fredric cried out as the animal flew out of his hiding place and disappeared past both Karen and Nigel.

Nigel gave a cry and jumped away in shock and Karen looked after him with wide eyes. Behind them, Annabelle screamed and grabbed a hold on Jonas so hard that the red haired man almost stumbled.

"Somebody get him!" Arianna cried.

"After him!"the Captain said as he grabbed a hold on Nigel and dragged the slender advisor with him, the latter barely able to run properly on his own feet.

Karen looked after them, blinking in confusion. "That was Ruddiger?"

"The beast came back!" Annabelle yelled. "Uncle, you were supposed to get rid of that monster!"

"Oh for goodness sake, he is not a monster!" Fredric replied, on the edge of getting angry.

"But uncle..." she yelled. "That thing..."

"QUIET!"

Fredric's outburst had the same effect as earlier in the garden. Total silence. Annabelle stood horrified, Jonas stiff as a stick, Arianna silent, but on alert, and poor Karen didn't dare to make a move. Fredric hadn't meant to be so loud, but the situation did not become any better with his niece making more commotion than was already made. "Arianna! Take her to her room immediately!"

"But..."

"No my dear, I think it's better that we go now. Come with me." Arianna said as he took her arm gently.

Jonas on the other hand did not follow them. While Arianna were busy trying to calm her niece down, he stayed behind. He noticed young Karen, standing by the wall, holding a hand around her left arm and her head down. The king seemed to have forgotten she was here, as he clenched his teeth together and tried to get his breath under control. He calmly stepped past the King and kneeled down at her level before he spoke gently to her. "Hey little one." he said with gentle voice and looked at her. "Is everything alright?"

Karen blinked to prevent her eyes from running over. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause such..." she broke herself off and sniffed, wiping her nose with the back of her hand.

"Now, this wasn't your fault, hun." he said as he reached for his pocket of his pants, found his handkerchief and started wiping her tears that started running down her cheeks. "You only did what you were told. You can't be blamed for that. I hope you will excuse my fiancé though. She was a little upset because her father had to leave so soon, but she really is a nice person once you get to know her. Here, blow now!" he said as he covered her nose with the handkerchief. A little startled at the unexpected act, Karen nevertheless obeyed as he refused to remove it. Then he lifted her chin up with a finger, making her face him.

"It's not easy being so young and having so much demands hanging over you, right? I used to be the youngest of many where I come from, and... I felt rather alone at times." he sighed. "Not to mention underrated." For a moment he looked like he was lost in thoughts and got a rather painful look on his face and clenched his jaw. Then he seemed to recall where he was and shook his head slightly before he smiled towards her again, noticing the slightly sorry expression she gave him.

"But I know it wasn't you the King got angry at, or what, Sire?"

He turned to look up at Fredric, who had watched them and suddenly felt rather awful on her behalf and gave Jonas a grateful look for taking action. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "Now little one, I am sorry you had to witness this. And Jonas is right; this was not at all your fault, and I'm not the least angry at you, I can assure." He knelt down at her level and stroke away the last tear that had escaped the corner of her right eye. But then he became serious again. "But anyway... I need you to tell be about this boy you were talking about. Alright?"

Karen cleared her throat and nodded.

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Lars ran so fast through the corridors that he barely put notice anything else around him. His heart was beating faster than his breath. "Daniel! Daniel!" he kept saying to himself. He didn't actually see anything in front of him and ended up bumping a maid in the shoulder and would have made them both fall hadn't she been so quick to move out of the way.

He gathered himself and looked up at her, panting. "Where... is the sick room?"

"Eh..." Millicent tried to gather herself. "My lord, you have run past it. It's the first pair of double doors. To the left from here."

"Thank you!" Lars said quickly and kept on running, leaving poor Millicent rather confused.

He reached the doors, but ran past them and almost fell backwards when he stopped and turned around. One of the double doors were slightly open and he flung it up ad ran into the reception room. He stopped a moment looking around as he caught his breath. Then, despite his beating heart, he heard voices in the room to his right. He turned to see the next set of double door slightly open, and thought there was a familiar one that made his mind go all blank and made him fling up the double door in a rush as he cried out loud.

"DANIEL?!"

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Fredric listened with wide eyes and disbelief as Karen explained how she had met Varian in the kitchen, struck him down and how he had been taken to the sick room and she had met with Phineas. Jonas almost chuckled at the rather comical story, covering his mouth with one hand to prevent himself from laughing too loud. But he arched an eyebrow when the King suddenly asked her.

"So he... doesn't remember how he got here?"

"No, he don't." Karen shook her head. "Phineas called it... something I don't remember." Karen sighed when she failed to recall the word the physician had used earlier.

"But... did he try to hurt you?"

"No, Your Majesty. Why would he?" Karen didn't seem to understand why this would have been possible.

"No eh... You said he snuck up from behind."

"Eh... When I think back on it, I'm not sure I should call it sneaking actually. I... Truth is, he just appeared behind me, and he did say 'Excuse me.' I..." she sighed heavily. "I guess I kind of overreacted. It's just that... ever since the assault at the Castle, I've been so... sensitive about everything." She blinked away more tears, and Jonas was quick to kneel again, and took her hand an placed the handkerchief in it before he closed it with his own hand.

"Here, keep it. You seem to need it more than I." he said with a warm smile.

"But..." she said shocked. "I couldn't..."

"No no, I insist!" he said as he rose and smiled determinant at her. "Now, maybe it would be an idea if I go and look for my little rascal nephew before he too causes any trouble for someone? I doubt my brother has found him. Maybe you can help me? I don't know my way around, and I could use a guide."

Karen's unhappy face broke up in a smile at this request. "Of course... I mean, I'd gladly help you find him!" She suddenly remembered her manners and knelt again. "Your Grace."

"Is this alright, Your Majesty?" Jonas asked the King.

"Yes yes, by all means. Go and look for Daniel you two, and then I will have a look at this... other boy." Fredric said. And as Karen led the way, blushing, smiling widely and hiding the handkerchief inside her corset, Fredric walked up to Jonas and whispered.

"Listen, young man?"

"Yes, my Lord?" Jonas said looking at him.

"I would actually appreciate if you eh... kept this to yourself for now. I... I will explain later, but now..."

"Now is not the time?" Jonas finished for him and smiled. "I am sure Your Majesty has a good reason for it." He smiled as they walked. "If there is anything I need to know, I am certain Your Majesty will tell when time is right."

Fredric silently let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Thank you, son. Trust me, I will."

"Although, I believe my brother will expect some sort of explanation before me. You see, when it comes to Daniel... Ever since Helga died, he's been rather... I know he's trying, but being a father alone is not always..."

"I understand. I got that impression when he ran off." Fredric replied.

"And when he heard of your Majesty's demand of young Daniel in the future..." he whistled slightly as he rolled his eyes. "He is so frustrated about that, and fears everything will go wrong and that he's to blame. I mean..." he cleared his throat. "I'm not gonna lie, Your Majesty, but Daniel is... a handful." He gave an excusing smile. "In any way."

Fredric only smiled. "Oh, I am quite certain he's not more than we can handle. I dare to bet my beard on that."

"I could..." Jonas said and let a finger stroke one of his sideburns. "If you count this in."

They both chuckled at this, and Fredric felt a bit relieved when he got the feeling he could actually trust this man. He had immediately liked Jonas when meeting him earlier, and the kind way he handled Karen after this accident with Ruddiger gave the impression of an unusually fine young man. Fredric was looking forward to get to know him better; once this issue with Varian was over.

The King didn't see it, but the young red haired man had gotten a rather curious look in his green eyes and seemed for a moment lost in his own thoughts.

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In the sock room, Varian sat and listened with wide, blue eyes at Daniel, who sat opposite to him on the bed and spoke with great enthusiasm, but he broke him off one moment. "Alright, you have to say that again, cause you lost me a moment. Your dad could what...?"

"My dad could have been king of Southern Isles if both my eldest uncles died, but my uncle Caleb has two sons himself, and my other uncle Franz has even more sons of his own, so..."

"DANIEL?!"

Both the boys, and Master Phineas were startled at the sudden outburst of Prince Lars' sudden cry along with the doors slamming in the walls when he came through them. Daniel froze by the sound of his father's voice, and slowly turned to face him. But before he was able to utter a word, as his panting father approached and grabbed hard by his shoulders, kneeling down to his level. He was breathing heavily and could barely gather himself through his coughs. "How... could you just... run away like that? I... I was worried when I heard someone was... hurt."

"That wasn't me, dad. It was him." Daniel said, pointing towards Varian, who was witnessing the whole scenario. Lars quickly gathered himself and cleared his throat and coughed a few times. "Oh."

Feeling like he was the cause of something, Varian only bit his bottom lip and tried to figure out a way he could literally sink into the earth.

"If I may, Sire? I realize the youngest here is your son? Well, I am sorry I kept him here, but if I can explain? Phineas rose from his place on the bed on the other side of them and led Lars gently away from the boys as he whispered.

"You see, this other young man here..." he turned his gaze towards Varian. "He has hurt his head rather badly, and I needed the other boy's help to figure out how bad it really is. He has a rather severe case of amnesia, a loss of memory. He seem to have forgotten over half part the last year, and I have to figure out what other kind of damage he might have. So I have had your son conversing with him so I can analyze his mental state."

"Eh..." Lars was uncertain what to reply. The relief of seeing his son alright after all had put a veil over his worry and now he was almost numb. But as he turned to look at the other boy, who sat there half bandaged and, if he were to describe it simple, a rather dreadful condition, he realized that it had to be something in what the old physician said. He took a breath and nodded. "Alright. I see. But you're sure that my son..."

"He is well, as you can see for yourself, Sir. His only problem is that he needs more vegetables, but that is easily solved." Phineas assured him.

Lars blinked at this. "How did you figure out of that?"

"Simple!" Phineas said. "I saw it on his tongue." When Lars' only reply was more confused blinking, Phineas kept speaking. "But I hope I will be allowed to keep him here a while. We're doing such a progress and it's dreadfully important to see how he reacts. I actually fear for the boy's mental health."

Lars was so thrown of the branch at the moment that he was unaware of what to do. The relief of seeing his son in one piece hadn't sunken in yet, and now he was faced with another sudden problem. But as he looked again at the wounded boy, he got a feeling inside that sort of told him to agree with the physician. There was something about him, he couldn't put his finger at what, but he felt a need to follow the old physician's instructions. So he turned to look at him again, nodding. "I... I suppose it's alright..." Then, realizing what kind of a scene he apparently must have made, he took a breath before he walked back and spoke. Poor Varian shrieked at his approach, but Lars smiled.

"I am sorry, young man. I... didn't mean to make such commotion. I see now that my worries were... nothing to worry about." He looked at Daniel, who bent his head slightly down while peeking up at his father. "I hope my son hasn't been bothering you too much."

"Don't worry, Sire... eh, my lord... " The patient obviously had no idea of what to address him as, and held a hand over his arm. "My Grace?" he said in one last try with a nervous laugh.

Lars smiled and chuckled lightly of the boy's attempt of polite behavior. "I would prefer if you just call me Lars. I can't stand too much formality. And you are?" he asked and reached out his hand.

"My name is Varian... Lars." he replied, reaching out his own hand and let Lars give it a gentle shake for introduction.

The young alchemist on his side didn't know how to feel in present company. His detail fixed eyes did not fail to notice the fine outfit of the newly arrived gentleman. Father and son were dressed quite similar, but the father were a little more decorated than his son. The marine blue jacket with golden collar and stripes on the edge of the sleeves had double set of golden buttons down all the way down to his waist with lines crossing the chest all the way down. A board on both shoulders ended in long fridged epaulettes. His dark grayish blue pants had golden lines running all the way down the leg, and the tall, black boots were so well polished that the golden buckle by the knee seemed unnecessary.

On the other hand, Daniel's father was a tall and steady figure with a rather friendly appearance. His sharp red hair were brushed to his left side, the same hairdo as his son, and had two grey streaks at both sides of his head, and whenever he turned his head around, more thin, gray stripes were visible around his head. His long sideburns went all the way down to his chin with a little length, and ended a little bushy down the cheeks, and a short cut beard ran around his square shaped chin and framed his face. He had brown, quite narrow, but friendly eyes, a straight nose and were slightly freckled on his fair skin. Despite the awareness of rank, his appearance made Varian feel rather comfortable.

The largest difference between father and son were that Daniel had far more freckles than his father and that his front teeth had a huge gap between them. Except this, there were no doubt that they were related.

I don't look like my father like he does, Varian thought to himself, but said nothing. Instead he said: "I can tell you that your son has been all but a bother. He's been telling me about your huge family, and I must say..." he chuckled. "I'm impressed!"

"No no, son." Lars sat down on the bed beside him where Daniel had been sitting a moment earlier. "The impressive part, is to live with all of them."

Varian couldn't help but laugh when Lars rolled his eyes towards the roof and shook his head. "Wow. And you have only uncles in your family." he said to Daniel.

"I have a cousin too, but she's so dumb! She's only thinking about dresses and jewelries and how her nails looks like." Daniel said with a frown.

"Daniel..." Lars said strictly to his son. "Annabelle cares about allot more than that."

"Sure." Now the boy rolled his eyes. "Now all she cares about it Uncle Jonas, cause she's gonna marry him."

"What? Your cousin is marrying your uncle? Is that legal?" Varian blinked, not getting the connection. "I'm sorry, but I fell off the trail long time ago."

Now it was Lars' turn to laugh. "Don't worry, son. Everyone falls off the trail when talking about our family. You see, Daniel's cousin Annabelle is actually adopted into the royal family by my brother-in-law, so she could in theory have married me. He actually asked me of that before I brought my younger brother with me."

"Eewww..." Daniel hid his face in his hands at the thought.

Phineas looked up as there were a voice speaking from the reception room. "Phineas? Where would you like these instruments? I don't dare to leave them anywhere, whatever heck you have here!"

"A moment, my friend!" The Physician replied as he hears Xavier's voice again. "Sire, do you think I can leave you alone with my Patient for one moment and go and check if my friend out there manage to put my luggage right?"

"You can trust me, Master!" Lars said smiling ad watched as the physician left the room.