Chapter 33: Lars and the Majesties
And so I was done with this chapter at last. It's funny. The next from here was actually going to be this one, but then I realized that I needed this little treat in between in order to fill some gaps. I was actually planning to jump right to Varian, but I figured out that fitted better for the next chapter perhaps after adding this. But... the little detail I've added is gonna be of importance to our young friend. I hope you'll like it. Forgive me for making it a bit long, but I hope you'll enjoy it even more.
In the grand dining room, it was a rather tense atmosphere. It was only Frederic, Arianna and Prince Lars, and the dinner wasn't the most flattering one would expect in royal company. The impressive turkey with potatoes and vegetables and sauce that was intended and extended for the evening worthy of any important guests had been reduced to a rich, but yet simple stew with whatever was left to make anything of. Even though Frederic had been looking forward to the dinner, formal or not, he was hungry after a long day of stress, as neither he or Arianna had managed to eat much after Varian's ridiculous play during the lunch. But neither he or Arianna found themselves in dire need of enjoying any meal at all. Only Lars seemed to eat with a certain appetite, and they hoped this was the reason for his silence. At last, Frederic wasn't able to hold himself and tried to break the ice.
"Well... This was not the worst I have had. It's not so extravagant, but it's certainly... tasty."
"Yes, Violet deserves credits for saving... whatever was left of it." Arianna replied, glad for the excuse for a conversation. "Poor thing, she had enough on her mind. I'm impressed she managed so well."
"If you ask me..." Lars said after swallowing a spoon, and the King and the Queen held their breath in waiting for his reply.
"I have always hated extravagant. So this fits me rather perfect." he smiled honestly. "Please tell Violet I was most satisfied."
Both of them let out a silent breath of relief, and Arianna managed to return a smile. "I'm sure she'll be happy to hear."
They kept on eating in silence for a while, but the invisible ice wall seemed to have thawed a bit and after a while, Frederic asked out of simple curiosity.
"So... Annabelle will not join us for dinner tonight?"
Arianna on the other hand, became a little stiff again at the mentioning of their niece. "Eh... no. She was so... exhausted that she... didn't feel for it. Besides... she was rather upset about... her father's leaving and... Ruddiger's interference." Arianna tried to sound steady, but her flicking eyes and trembling voice gave away how nervous she was.
Lars looked up and rose an eyebrow. "Ruddiger?"
"Varian's raccoon that..." Fredric begun, but Lars interrupted him.
"That Daniel found and just picked up like that?" Lars suddenly found himself chuckling when he thought back on the moment in the garden. "When I think of it now... It's so ridiculous." He kept on laughing.
Frederic too had to smile from it and joined his laugher. "Yes, I can't avoid to see the humor in it now."
Arianna on the other hand had trouble to see the humor in it and remained silent, something Frederic noticed after a while and so did his best to calm down when he got a look from her.
Then after a minute laughing, Lars gathered himself and became serious and put his elbows on the table. "But one thing to another... Since you have been honest with me today, I might as well be honest with you, Frederic." The look he gave him, made Frederic feel worried at sudden.
"Ruddiger..." Lars begun and led his spoon up, pointing it towards Frederic. "...saved you today."
"Ehm... What do you...?" Frederic didn't get a chance to finish before Lars spoke again.
"Before Ruddiger's sudden... appearance, Valponce had in mind of getting you alone..." Lars held his look. "To interrogate you!"
"What? About what?" Frederic bursted out, and Arianna chocked a gasp.
"About Corona's current situation." Lars kept on, letting his spoon float around like it helped him sum up. "The black rocks, your daughter's disappearance and return along with her magical hair, the attacks on the Kingdom, and... a certain young man!"
Arianna went pale and discreetly looked at her husband, who met her gaze briefly, but enough to tell her that this wasn't going to be good.
"You should be glad that Valponce didn't learn of Varian's escape today. There's no telling to what he could have said about it. Duke Valponce is not unfamiliar with what Varian has done towards the Kingdom. But he has also heard rumors about the so called wizard that has been dwelling in Old Corona long before all this has happened. Dangerous explosions, mystic happenings..."
"But Varian is no wizard of any sort! You have seen so for yourself." Frederic said, getting frustrated as this was a subject they had already been through.
"Try to tell His Grace. My brother-in-law is actually convinced that there really is magic going on there." Lars looked up again. "Valponce hates magic. He despise it. To him, magic is an illness. That is actually the real reason why he and Annabelle never came to meet Princess Rapunzel when she returned, even though they should have been the first in line to be there. And when her magical hair came back so mysteriously... and all these black rocks started to spread all over the Kingdom... it has only helped to straightened his already strong suspicion."
"Of what?" Frederic asked shocked.
"That Corona is... How am I suppose to say it... corrupted by magic. And..." Lars tried to calm his look, but the words came as sharp as the edge of a glass no matter how softly he said it. "He blames you for it!"
Frederic felt a pang in his heart by the words, and lowered his gaze as he sighed. "Oh well. I cannot deny that he... was one of those who objected rather harshly when I decided to..." he leaned back on his chair and lowered his head, not really able to speak about when he removed the magic golden flower, as it reminded him of Rapunzel - and of Quirin. "If only I..."
"Frederic!"
Frederic looked up to face him, and there was nothing but understanding in his brown eyes. "I would have done the same... to save Helga." He lowered his head and suddenly gave a heavy sigh. "And I imagine the boy would have done the same if it could save his father."
"He did!"
The sudden sharp voice of Arianna cut like a knife in the air, and both men faced her.
"He stole it from the vault with the intention of using it to rescue his father."
"Perfectly understandable!" was Lars' short reply.
Arianna however was starting to get frustrated and looked at him with stern, green eyes. "Dear Lars, I am glad you understand our problem with Varian, but..."
"Honestly, Your Majesty... sorry for interrupting, but... the way I see it, it's not Varian that is the problem here." Lars gave a stern look back. "It's the way he's been handled."
"What do you..." Arianna asked, and Frederic too felt the sting in his comment.
"What I mean is, now with no memory of his wrong doings, he seems like such a nice, bright young man. A personality like his doesn't change over the night without something... provoking it." He became rather dark when he said this, and suddenly it was like a shadow covered his face.
As the day had been a rather harsh test for her already, Arianna felt she was about to have enouh and became a little stern when she spoke. "Lars, forgive me for being so directly, but it seems to me like you're not taking this seriously."
"And what about the boy?" Lars looked up, his normally mild brown eyes were cold as stones. "What about him? Doesn't he have any rights?"
Frederic looked at Lars, then at Arianna, who's green eyes war looking for a little help, and so he looked back at Lars. "Listen, Lars. I don't want to be too hard on the boy, especially not in his current condition, but sooner or later the boy will eventually have to face the consequences of his actions. Once in the future, there must be a trail, and..."
"What am I hearing?!"
Frederic wasn't able to continue his speech as Lars suddenly rose from the chair with a look in his eyes that were shooting daggers and his teeth clenched like a furious animal. "Frederic! You said yourself that you had wronged him severely! How can you go back on something so serious when the consequences are so severe? He was one you your subjects, and it was your duty to protect him. Instead you turned your back on him just as much as the Kingdom itself! How DARE you speak of justice?!"
Lars' suddenly harsh tone made them withdraw back in their chairs. Lars however seemed to suddenly get to himself and seemed to notice their reactions. Getting his panting breath under control, he calmed down, letting out a deep breath while lowering his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... I too have my moments of appealing to the famous... temper of the Westergaards."
They weren't certain if it was laughter or chocked sobbing they heard as he rose from his chair and walked towards one of the windows. There he stood for a while and got his breath under control. The King and the Queen exchanged looks and turned back at him, not certain of how to handle the situation from there. After almost a minute in silence the red haired Prince turned around, walked back towards the table with slow steps. By the table, he sat down and poured himself more wine in his cup and drank some sips before he spoke, with a deep sadness in his voice.
"I'm sorry. I..." He pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled heavily. "Maybe... you'll understand it better if... if I tell you something. It might... make you both understand... my point of view... about Varian!"
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Outside the Castle walls, the Captain of the guards were leading a group of men around the courtyard. The Captain himself seemed more dedicated than ever as he silently led his men around the courtyard, past the stables and towards the next corner. There he stopped, and his men, all eight, stopped in unison.
He turned around and faced them with a certain pride, along with a solid doze of determination. When he spoke, he didn't raise his voice, but all his men knew that when the Captain of the Guards spoke, one remained silent. Especially if you were one of his guards.
"Men. Today there were made a mistake. Such a severe mistake that it cannot be forgiven. A prisoner escaped today, and not just anyone! The dangerous Varian slipped out of our hands like a slippery fish!"
They all mumbled silently, but they remained calm.
"This was a dreadful miss that I expect NOT to happen again. Not under ANY circumstances. "
"However... this prisoner happens to be in the medic's apartments. The very same place as he sent many of you for recovery not more than a month ago!"
"Including you, Captain!" one of them marked out, causing the Captain to glare at him, making him regret his words and hide under his helmet.
"As I was saying... he is in there, recovering from an injury, getting a taste of his own medicine. And..."
The Captain stopped himself when he heard a couple of the men chuckling and cleared his throat, making them look up.
"And what is so funny, gentlemen?"
"Well, it's just..." one of them covered a snort behind a hand. "He's in the medic's and you said taste of his own... medicine..." his voice faded as he saw the sharp look the Captain gave him. Then the Captain drew his breath silently and appeared milder, but when he spoke, they went all stiff when they heard what he said.
"Tell me, is there anyone here who fancy joining Pete and Stan for potato peeling and boot polishing the next two week?"
All the guards went nervous and shook their heads rapidly.
"Well then!" He couched. "Like I said, it's a dangerous prisoner we're dealing with here. The Court Medic has forbidden us to interfere with him in person, but we cannot be too careful with this one. Therefore, this is what we will do..."
The men gathered closer as they listened to the Captain's plan.
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Lars was walking up the stairs towards the bedrooms when he realized that he had taken a sip too much of the wine. He held towards the railing and felt his head was getting heavier the further up he got. He felt dizzy, but he wasn't certain if it was because of the alcohol or if it was because of the subject he had just spoke of. His thoughts were tumbling around about the rather peculiar conversation he just had with the King and Queen in the dining room. The delightful, simple stew suddenly felt like a heavy lump in his belly, and he feared that it would return up if he went too fast.
"Now you know." He stood still beside his chair, looking away from them. He hadn't been able to either sit still or look them in the eyes when he spoke, and he wasn't able to face them now either. It was a wild mixture of shame, sadness and anger in his eyes, and he was afraid he wouldn't be able to hold back anything if he looked up too fast.
"Oh dear..."Arianna said, sitting completely numb in her chair. Her anger had faded and she looked guilt ridden and sad. "I am so sorry. I... I don't know what to say?"
"I think it's best to say nothing. Especially when Jonas is around." Lars looked at them at last, being able to, if not change the subject, then turn it a bit. "You see, Jonas and Hans... They were eachother's only friends and companions. But Jonas wasn't able to stop him from doing what he did in Arendelle... And his... accidental death in the stables didn't make it easier as it left him all alone as a mocking victim to our other brothers." He drew his breath. "And that is why I want to help Varian." Lars drank some water to moisture his throat. "You see... He reminds me of... my brother... when he was at that age. He had such a good nature, but his desire to please our father... and to prove our brothers they were wrong about him... led him to do those things. It was wrong, but... he was driven..." He gave a heavy sigh, leaning on his chair while resting his upper body on his elbows.
"That's why I brought... Jonas here. To give him a fresh start. I couldn't help Hans, but... I could help him. I explained the situation for him, and... I know he too feels the same... for Varian." He led a hand up to his face and rubbed his tired eyes. He looked tired and heavy in mind, the Majesties didn't think it was wise to bother him.
Frederic grabbed the word after he realized Lars was finished. "I can assure you that Jonas is as welcome as any of you. And we... understand this. I wish I could say anything to console you both."
"I have to admit, I already like your brother allot. I got a very good impression of him, and I think we will be friends." Arianna said, at last able to smile as the subject were a little changed. "We will take good care of him, I promise. And... we won't mention Hans while he's present. That I can guarantee."
"Thank you. I appreciate that." Lars said, chocking a yawn. "If there is nothing else, then I bid Your Majesties good night."
"Good night, Lars. I hope you manage to sleep despite of this." Frederic said.
"Thanks so much, Your Majesty!" Lars bowed politely and begun walking towards the door, but stopped himself and turned around as he suddenly realized something. "By the way, I think it isn't necessary to mention that we don't have to include Annabelle in this. She would only tell her father, and... she simply cannot keep secrets. She's horrible at it."
"Then that is nothing more to discuss." Frederic said and smiled. "We will avoid the subject whenever she's present."
Lars was able to smile at last. "I am glad we agree!"
Now he had gotten worried if he had gotten too far. As he struggled himself up the stairs, he started mumbling to himself, completely lost in thoughts.
"They would have figured it out sooner or later... Nigel is so well informed... But it wouldn't..." He sighed and stopped in the stairs for a moment to gather his thoughts."Of all things... In one hand, this could be just the thing to help them both. On the other hand, it could lead to disaster in both directions. Or maybe just one... " He clenched his fist towards the railing and pulled himself to walk again. "I should have asked him first, but... the situation got out of control. How could I...Quiet, Lars, you're talking to yourself again, and- AAAGH!"
He had just reached the last step in the staircase when he stopped and would have fallen backwards hadn't he been holding so hard to the railing wit one hand, and the shest of his jacket with the other, when he realized someone was standing at the top of the staircase, staring, directly at him. The tall, slim figure gave him an intense look in his direction, standing all still. But Lars managed to let the air out of his lounges when he recognized the well known characteristic features of the face, and the huge green eyes that didn't really look at him directly.
"Friedborg! You certainly gave me a scare now." he said as he walked the last steps up and appeared beside her. She followed him with her look, not replying.
"I'm sorry. I seem to have had too much to drink." he laughed nervously. "You won't tell anyone, will you?"
The silent lady-in-waiting stood all still and just observed him, but her red lips were slowly curving up towards a smile. Other ladies-in-waitings' and maids and servants would have turned their looks down in the presence of a Prince, but Friedborg kept her gaze fixed on him with no shyness or modesty at all.
"Thanks! I knew I could rely on you!" Lars replied, still a little shaken. "I hope you'll excuse me. I... It's been a long day." He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. I won't disturb you anymore. Ehm... I'll see you in the morning. Good night." He gave a light nod towards her and turned to walk away.
The silent and reliable Friedborg didn't reply, but she followed him with her eyes, and as she saw him disappear past the next corner, her smile widened to its fullest.
