Another week, another chapter. As I am updating this chapter I'm also beginning to write the climax of this tale. I have a few chapters backed up before that but it won't take up too long to get there. We still have a few more months worth of content before we reach the end and I'm hoping to do it justice. Thanks to everyone who has read up until now both old and new readers. Now let's get on with the fic.
Content warning: Stress, anxiety, victim blaming, denial and guilt.
Chapter 22
Trust Falls and Fails
The morning after talking things out with Adrien Varian got what had to be the strangest phone call he'd ever received. It was from himself or someone who claimed to be him from an alternate world like Emilie and his Dad were.
"I know wild right? So this giant crack appears in the sky and my quick trip home takes me to France where the multiverse Varians are having a gettogether." Varian blink. It sure sounded like him and after already meeting people from an alternate world it was plausible but still.
"Ah, I guess. So ah…Varian 2?"
"You can just call me Vee to keep it simple. The redheaded Varian likes to be called Vari anyway." Varian's eyes shot wide open.
"Wait! There another…me?" Adrien was half listening to the conversation trying to piece together what was going on while Varian was getting frustrated.
"According to Ladybug four beings came through during the cracked sky incident. She said two were sent back via another Ladybug and she wants all other world travelers to meet in the park. That includes your Rapunzel, Eugene, Cassandra and Lance. That's all of them right?" Varian looked at the Brotherhood unsure if he should alert Ladybug to their present or not. But if the dimensional barrier was getting weaker like he thought it was probably best she knew.
"Actually there are three more."
"For real? Who?"
"The Brotherhood apparently followed Eugene and the others when they came though. They're with me now."
"Oh cool! It's been a while since I've seen them. Well I guess they'd be your relatives not mine but still." Varian paused for a moment.
"So your Dad told you about them?" There was a pause on the other end.
"Of course he did, why wouldn't he?" Once again another Varian was told about his family and not him. Why was that?
"I don't know, I seem to be the variant in all these other…Varians when it comes to my family."
"Well definitely bring them." Varian sighed at this too perky and chipper version of himself.
"I don't think that's a good idea. I'm kind of a wanted criminal right now and Ladybug is likely to bring me in."
"Oh wow, my first evil version of me from another dimension!" Varian scowled.
"Hey I'm not…evil I'm just…going through a tough time right now and yes I've made some mistakes but I'm trying to fix things." This guy was way too chill about all of this.
"Oh, well we already have a reformed Varian here, that's Vari. Guess you're in the pre-reformed stage right now?"
"What in the seven kingdoms are you talking about?"
"Sorry, hanging out with superheroes in New York you see some pretty weird stuff all the time. This situation is only about a…4, 4.5 out of 10 I think."
"I'm scared to think what a 10 would be in your book."
"Anyway, Ladybug's offer a truce, something about you honoring the one before?" Now Varian was paying more attention. He was half convinced this was a weird prank of some kind but only Ladybug, the holders and Shadow Moth knew about the truce. And this didn't seem like Gabriel's style at all. He sighed heavily.
"Alright, I'll talk to the others. Does she have a plan?" The others were all looking at him curiously now.
"Right now get all visitors together and we'll see about getting rid of the rocks the way I did in my world." Varian nearly tripped over the cat as he shot to his feet hearing that.
"Are you serious! You know how to get rid of the rocks! And it worked!" He shouted out and now everyone was eager to hear what this strange conversation had been about.
"In my world yes but…" there was an uncomfortable pause. "We need to touch base and find out all the details before we can try it out. It's kind of a one shot." Cautious hope bubbled up in his chest. If this was true, it could save the city! Maybe even…he shook his head. He didn't want to go down that dark path again. Best to get all the details before getting his hopes up.
"Alright I'll be there and I'll talk to the Brotherhood."
"Cool. South side of the park at 8:00 AM. See you there!" Varian hung up and everyone was staring at him.
"What was that all about?" Hector asked, scooping up Amber. Varian took a deep breath.
"So apparently there were two other visitors from alternate worlds and they're both me." The group looked at him wondering if he was kidding. He wasn't.
"So, two other Varians came in the night the sky cracked?" Adrien asked, trying to get a clearer picture about what was going on.
"Yeah, Ladybug is trying to organize a meet up to try and see about fixing the dimensional barrier." Adira looked at him with interest.
"You said something about getting rid of the rocks?" The other members of the Brotherhood looked skeptical but waited to hear what Varian learned.
"So Vee, the Varian I was talking to, says they already took care of the rocks in his world." King Edmund put a hand under his chin thinking.
"Did he say how?" Varian shook his head.
"Just that it was a one shot but he wanted to compare notes to make sure the same method can be used here." Hector scoffed.
"It's a trick, I say we skip the meeting and go right to the source." Adira shook her head.
"What if it's not? If he found a way-"
"There you go again chasing fairy tales with no proof!" Sensing another fight was brewing Varian tried to get their attention.
"GUYS!" All eyes came back to him. "I don't know if what the other Varian said about the rocks was true or not but the fact of the matter is everyone crossing dimensions is weakening the barrier. If that breaks it could be a situation more dire than the rocks.
"I'm going, I hope you'll all come with me so at the very least everyone is on the same page and we can try to fix this problem before it gets worse. Are you with me?" The Brotherhood looked stunted for a moment but then quickly smiled.
"That takes me back." Hector said with a smile with Adira agreeing with him for once.
"That's just what Quirin would do." Varian blinked in surprise.
"It is?" Edmund smiled fondly.
"He was usually soft spoken most of the time but in urgent situations he could command the room by showing everyone the bigger picture." Varian supposed it kind of was like his Dad. The village would always gather around him looking for leadership. Something that came naturally to his Dad but it wasn't something he was very skilled at. Or so he thought.
"Well does that mean you're coming?" They still looked skeptical but all nodded. Adrien came up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm coming too. I'm anxious to get back with my partner." Varian smiled, glad for the backup in case this all went south.
"Alright then. Let's go."
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Vee and Rapunzel were the first ones at the meet up. The Princess was ringing her hands in anticipation but also dread. According to Vee Ladybug instructed him to contact the other Varian since he blocked her on his phone. He was a redhead Varian who preferred to be called Vari. Apparently had met up with Eugene and the others from Corona and were on their way here after a long talk.
Vee had to explain that Ladybug wasn't going to blast him on sight like usual. She was the hero of this world while Shadow Moth (also known as Betterfly to Vari) was the villain. This threw him for a loop at first but he said something about Eugene and the others not being the same so it was possible.
Rapunzel was still a little confused but was relieved to hear that the others were coming, she missed them so much. Vee also informed her that her Varian was on his way as well. She wasn't too thrilled about that. After hearing how her counterpart acted and seeing how Vee turned out she was wracked with guilt. She knew she had to do something to make it up to Varian but what? A simple "sorry" wasn't going to cut it.
"Did he sound OK?" Vee looked back at her.
"Who, you're Varian?" He sighed. "It's hard to say I know he's me but we've lived pretty different lives. I do know he's with the Brotherhood."
"So he's not alone, that's good. You said they're family right? So he should be alright with them. I mean family is supposed to…" she trailed off her thoughts going dark remembering what both Varians said about her father.
"Rapunzel!" She was brought out of her own dark thoughts when she saw the love of her life running towards her.
"Eugene!" she cried jumping into his arms. They spun around a little bit before they were joined by Cassandra and Lance who all joined in the hug. Vee was watching the happy reunion and quickly spotted his red haired doppelganger.
"Hey you're Vari right?" The other boy was stroking his ponytail nervously.
"Ah yeah, that's right. Are you Vee or the other Varian?"
"I'm Vee!" He said eagerly, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet…me." He gave a crooked smile back.
"So this…Ladybug is going to help us get back? Are you sure she can be trusted?" Vee wasn't surprised by this.
"Well yeah. I did some research when I first got here. Well after calming down a hysterical Rapunzel but Ladybug was a big hero in my world and from what I gathered she's one here too. So she's like, evil in your world?" Again Vari fidgeted with his hair.
"Definitely. Only she was called Shady Bug in the Paris, France I landed in. Her and Claw Noir aren't the nicest folks out there."
The two continued to chat as Rapunzel and her friends caught up on everything that had happened since they became separated in the House of Yesterday's Tomorrow.
Meanwhile Ladybug eyed the two new Varians along with his old friends she now knew were from his original world. She and Luka had kept to the shadows observing them and making sure they weren't dealing with another wild Tanuki.
As Ladybug informed him of what she had learned from the other two travelers, Luka also informed her about his talk with Varian and how he planned to return the ring to Chat Noir.
"So…Varian knows Chat Noir's identity?" she said, starting to panic before he reassured her.
"He's known for a while now but was in denial. He told me everything and I believed him when he said he regretted his action and how he needed to make things right. Last I heard he planned to give the ring back to Chat Noir. I wasn't expecting an alternate version of his Dad to kidnap him and out him in front of you." Ladybug sighed that felt so long ago even though it was just yesterday.
"Luka, you're the best at reading people and I trust your opinion. Do you really think Varian has left his villain days behind him?" Luka thought for a moment and smiled.
"I honestly think he deserves another chance. I have a feeling he'll be eager to prove himself." He glanced up at the crack in the sky trying to determine if it had gotten any bigger since last night. "And right now we're going to need all the help we can get."
Even though Ladybug wanted to trust Varian again, taking the ring was a huge blow for them and felt like an act of betrayal. She trusted Luka's opinion but she'd have to ask Chat Noir his opinion as well. He was the one Varian hurt the most after all. And she hated thinking about how much Adrien was hurting right now.
Yes, she knew.
She figured out who he was when he'd tried to warn her about Tanuki in that bad disguise. Knowing it was Adrien was one of the reasons she kept him away from the fight, she didn't want to see him hurt. But even if he had gotten his ring back she now knew his identity and that was dangerous. Maybe less so now that Shadow Moth was on the run and not likely to want the Miraculous any more but she knew from Bunnyx that he wasn't the only villain they would have to face during their careers as superheros.
Still, she saw how losing Chat Noir hurt the boy she loved and the thought of her having to be the one to take it away from him again made her heart ach. There had to be a way around this that could still keep them safe. After all it wasn't just her who knew now.
Varian knew and she strongly suspected Luka knew as well. Maybe all their identities if the incident with Wishmaster played out like she thought. But then the rocks attacked right after and Luka had only just woken up from his coma.
They would have to talk about that too but later. Right now she needed to make sure no one was going to be drawing swords or triggering anyone so they could all get on the same page. Fortunately Luka was thinking the same thing as he eyed a nervous looking Rapunzel.
"Let me try and talk to Rapunzel. I know Varian has a history with her but I think she's dealing with some issues of her own." Ladybug nodded.
"True, apparently she was locked in a tower for the first 18 years of her life and then discovered she was a princess. I've seen with Adrien what happens when someone becomes too sheltered. It was probably worse for her." He could imagine.
"Would you make sure Cassandra doesn't try and attack anyone while I have a talk with Rapunzel please?" She agreed wholeheartedly.
"Sure thing. I know you're a miracle worker but I can understand not wanting to talk to the one who held Varian at knife point while protecting your sister." An unusually dark look crossed his face.
"I appreciate that, thank you."
"One more thing." She pointed to the Snake Miraculous she had given to him. "Only use that in an emergency. I really don't want to see you wind up back in the hospital again." He nodded and promised her he'd be careful.
Ladybug then introduced herself as well as Luka. She said hi to the other two Varians, noticing the one with red hair flinched upon seeing her. She'd have to unpack that later. It took a bit of convincing but she got Rapunzel to go with Luka while she had a chat with the others. Understandably they were reluctant to leave her alone with anyone but Luka was very convincing and assured them that they weren't going very far.
Once alone Luka tried to get Rapunzel comfortable and open up to him. He started with small stuff like what her hobbies were, her favorite colors and before long she started gushing about her interest and friends. They then transitioned to her life now and before she was rescued. It was eye opening to say the least.
"That sounds like a rough transition. You went from living practically alone to living in a palace and expected to take over and rule an entire kingdom one day." She frowned at that.
"It's…it's a big adjustment. There's so much I need to learn and everyone is looking to me as a future leader when I don't have a clue what I'm doing half the time."
"I'll bet." He agreed. "Normally you'd learn this stuff over time. Not just the facts and school stuff. Things like making friends and learning how to interact with people. Those are all learned pretty early as children. Relearning all that, all at once must have been exhausting." She sighed.
"It's not just that. Growing up in the tower I was told the world was a horrible place and that everything and everyone wanted nothing more than to hurt me." He remained quiet as she told her tale. How a young thief broke into her home and changed her view on life. She learned the world was not filled with only monsters and there was so much beauty to behold. Then she learned the truth. Her mother was her kidnapper and her real parents had been sending out the lights every year on her birthday hoping their daughter would see them somehow and follow them home.
"It was supposed to be a happily ever after and a new beginning." she paused looking troubled. "But even though the world isn't full of monster there are still some out there even in my own home." she paused again. "When Dad lied to me the first time and told me it was to protect me I was angry. It was exactly the kind of thing Mo-Gothal would have done. But…this was my real Dad there isn't another one coming to take me away again"
"You wanted to believe him, give him a second chance." He nudged pleased to see her heading in the right direction.
"Yes!" she exclaimed, tears now forming in her eyes. "He made a mistake but he promised me he'd get Varian help and keep him safe. I wanted to believe that so much I didn't stop to think that Dad might still be mad at him." Luka remembered Varian telling him how the King had treated before and after he was tried for treason. He wondered if there was another reason behind it. It seemed strange to be so vindictive towards a child. He'd have to revisit that later though. Right now Rapunzel was the one who needed to confront her feelings if they had any hope of working together.
"It's also possible you might not be able to recognize lies as easily as the average person. The woman who raised you used them all the time and I'll bet they sounded true even just a little." She nodded.
"Yeah, thinking back she sounded the same even if some of the things she said I knew were lies. I…I hate that Dad sounded the same way. He sounded so sincere." She paused looking at the other two Varians. "Vee told me his Rapunzel actually took over the kingdom from her father. She saw it, why couldn't I?" she wiped a tear away angrily.
"The circumstances were probably different for her."
"Yeah, she came to help Varian when the storm was over!" she shouted angrily at herself. "I love helping people and making friends. Why was I so scared that I couldn't even bring myself to check up on him?"
"Maybe because you knew something bad had happened to him? It's hard to see people you care about hurt or in pain." He remembered all the well wisher he had gotten. It warmed his heart to know so many people cared about him but more than one said it was hard to see him so close to death's door.
"I was alone save for Pascal most of my life. When I left the tower I was afraid but I really wanted friends. And I made a lot of them. It was easy, everyone seemed to like me."
"I feel the need to point out, you're their princess." Rapunzel paused wondering what that had to do with anything. "I hear your Dad had a reputation for punishing people for even small things. I can't imagine what he might do to someone who made his daughter upset."
"So…not everyone was really my friend?" she asked with a worried look on her face. "I know Monty doesn't like me but were any of them real?"
"That's the trouble with not growing around too many people. Learning who is a friend and who is just someone you know is something people learn over time. Some have more trouble than others. Unfortunately being royalty can kind of skew that. You have an air of authority that makes it hard to say no to. A simple request or suggestion could be perceived as an order." Rapunzel had a thoughtful look on her face.
"Is…is that what I've been doing? Everyone seems so eager to follow me…was I giving people orders without realizing it?" she thought back trying to think of a time someone had told her no, even among her friends. She could think of very few. Thinking about her trip she had taken so many detours because she was so excited to be out in the world. Some of those detours had landed them in some serious trouble. Especially when she stubbornly used the decay incantation injuring Casandra's hand. She gasped realizing something.
"When I told Varian we would figure out the secret of the rocks together, did he think that was a command from his princess?" Luka sighed, this was now making so much more sense. "Oh no! I really am the reason his Dad…" she looked like she was about to cry again.
"I can't say that wasn't a factor. Maybe you subconsciously remembered that fact and maybe that's why you were afraid to see Varian after the storm." She paused, looking serious for a moment.
"That…kind of feels right but…it's still no excuse." She sighed and looked at Luka. "You're his friend right, a real friend I mean." Luka smiled.
"Yeah, Varian and I have gotten close since he came here. I consider him a good friend." She smiled back.
"I'm glad he's found some real friends here. I…I need to talk to him."
"What are you going to say?" She paused for a moment thinking it over.
"I know a simple apology isn't going to be enough and he's not going to believe any promises I make to him but I want to try and make things right. Vee told me how his Rapunzel used the decay incantation to free his Dad. I know the spell and while I won't promise anything, I owe it to him to give it a try." Luka smiled hoping this plan would work for Varian's sake.
"I think that's a great idea."
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Ladybug approached Varian's old friends from his home world only now realizing just how much older everyone was compared to him. She knew he had trouble making friends back home but was surprised none of them were really close to his age. He seemed like a nice enough guy if you forget he was doubling as Tanuki, and he made a number of friends here.
Maybe his high intelligence really was alienating him from the rest of his peers. Max often stood out as a genius to her and she knew he struggled with making friends until he met Kim. Still she couldn't see Max's mother allowing her son to hang out with people 4-10 years older than him.
"OK just so we're all on the same page. I'm gathering you all together to:
A: Try and send everyone home,
B: See about getting rid of the black rocks and
C: Stopping the crack in the sky from breaking open and destroying our worlds.
"I'm going to need everyone's cooperation to make this happen, including your Varian. He's agreed to a truce so I'm asking you to do the same." She was mainly focused on Cassandra when she said this, noting she had her sword back. Cassandra rolled her eyes.
"Fine." she said, eyeing Vari. She knew he wasn't the Varian from her world but it was a little unnerving to hear how quickly he seemed to have reformed when they took him on their journey instead of locking him up. It weirdly seemed like the king forgave him which was something she knew to be untrue in her world. The King had given her specific instructions to bring him back alive but now she was questioning what for.
Vari's tale of his Cass taking the Moonstone for herself was even more disturbing. Not because of the odd look Eugene and Lance gave her when he told them this but because it almost blew her cover.
It was the first mission given to her by the king himself. He told her about the Moonstone and instructed her to let Rapunzel lead her to it but for her to take it back to him. He was worried she might not survive if she joined with it so she was to bring it back so that it could be safely disposed of. She was also instructed to tell no one of this, especially Rapunzel. It was for her own safety.
She'd never encountered any spirit that was trying to trick her into stealing it. Vari didn't specify what it said to her other self, just that it was probably not true and gave her an uneasy look. Against her better judgment she decided to let it go. With all these differences between the worlds, who knows if it was true or not.
And then there was Vee the third Varian. He'd introduced himself even more eager to meet them than Vari. He briefly told them about his world and now the guilt was really starting to eat at her. This one wasn't left alone after the blizzard and now he was some kind of hero in some magical warrior battalion in a distant land. He'd never even been their enemy at all.
She looked back at Eugene who looked about as guilty as she felt. Regardless, the spotted knight Ladybug was right. They had much bigger problems right now. They'd just have to figure out what to do about Varian later but one thing was certain. She didn't trust their Varian and she still planned to complete her mission. But right now there were too many people around who were eying her with suspicion. She'd have to bide her time and wait for a better opportunity.
Speaking of which, it seems like their Varian had just arrived along with the Brotherhood and a person in a black leather suit with cat ears. This was such a weird world.
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Ladybug jumped seeing Chat Noir especially since he was arriving with Varian.
"Chat Noir!" she was about to race to him but stopped herself "Wait, how do I know you're the real one this time." He just smirked.
"I'll just tell you something only the real Chat Noir knows." He leaned over and whispered something into her ear. She looked confused for a moment before turning beet red, nearly matching her suit.
"AAH! OK OK I believe you!" Varian looked at the black clad hero.
"What on Earth did you tell her?" He just continued to smirk.
"That's between us and us alone." Varian just shrugged and then did a double take seeing the two other versions of himself.
The moment the three of them got together the one with the glasses started doing this odd pointing gesture at the other two and looked like he was waiting for them to join in.
Neither of them had any clue what he was trying to do and eventually he lowered his hands disappointedly.
Turning back to the other one he kept getting flashbacks of his mother. Varian knew he took after his mother in looks but seeing Vari with his long red hair just drove that point home hard. Vari, as it turns out, was absolutely delighted to see that he had brought the Brotherhood with him. Turns out this one had joined them back home.
At first Varian was annoyed that yet again there was another Varian that knew his family but not him. That quickly changed when he learned why they were so close. His Dad didn't survive the rocks and the Brotherhood had taken him in. His heart broke for the boy especially since he got a chance to say goodbye to the other Quirin and not him.
Vee on the other hand was apparently the one who called him and he was just as upbeat as Varian had been before meeting Rapunzel and his life went downhill from there. He had to really control his temper when he learned that Vee's Rapunzel was not a heartless flake and actually came back after the blizzard and took care of him while he was sick. Not only that but his Dad was alive and living with him in New York city where Vee was a superhero.
No wonder he seemed so chipped this guy rolled a nat 20 on life and got the best out of all of them. He'd rolled a 1, it wasn't fair. But then he looked back at Adrien and thought about everything he'd gained since coming here. And while Vari wasn't in prison for long he did lose his Dad altogether while Varian still had a sliver of hope. Maybe he was being unfair, and maybe he didn't have it so bad. If he wasn't arrested by Ladybug in this world that is.
As if hearing his thoughts she came up to him. He had to fight the urge to look away.
"Chat Noir says you gave him back the ring." Varian was extremely grateful Adrien was vouching for him. Ladybug had little reason to trust him but she trusted her partner.
"You honored the truce last time so I'm offering you a similar one. Help us fix all this and swear that you'll give up on trying to obtain the miraculous and afterward we'll…discuss your past…behavior." Well it wasn't a get out of jail free card but at least he wasn't being sent right to jail. He supposed that was fair. He did have a lot to answer for after all.
"I'm more than willing to help. We did just meet the living embodiment of why making the wish would be the worst decision in history. Besides, I had already given up on that idea before that." He spared a glance at Chat Noir. Ladybug seemed appeased by this answer but still had a question she needed to ask.
"And what about…Shadow Moth? Do you know where he is?" He couldn't say he was surprised by this question but even after everything he had seen he still felt conflicted. Was Gabriel irresponsible to offer him the wish and recruit him? Probably, but Varian also knew what they were doing was wrong. Even if Gabriel was the adult in this situation he still made the choice and had to deal with the consequences.
"No I don't but I'll be honest with you. If I did I'm not sure I'd tell you." Chat Noir raised an eyebrow.
"You're still loyal to him?" Varian could understand Adrien's anger. He was still dealing with the fact that his family home was a supervillain haven right under his nose.
"We both made some bad decisions but I want a chance to talk to him at least. This whole thing started because he was trying to fix what he thought was a broken family. I was kind of doing the same thing, not seeing what I had while trying to regain what I had lost. Now that he knows what would have happened if he succeeded I doubt he'd try again." Chat Noir still looked doubtful but Ladybug conceded.
"We'll have to deal with Shadow Moth later. If we don't have to worry about him trying to get our Miraculous we can focus on the bigger problem at hand." She gestured to the giant crack in the sky and glanced around at the rocks.
"Before we do that," Everyone turned to see Rapunzel nervously ringing her hands. "I think Varian and I should talk. Like, actually talk." Varian was about to tell her off but Luka put a hand on her shoulder and gave him a look. He may not want anything to do with Rapunzel but if Luka thought they should talk then he would. He trusted Luka unfortunately not everyone trusted Varian.
"I'm not leaving Rapunzel alone with him." Amber hissed at her from Hector's arms. He gave her a pet calling her a good girl while he smirked at her. Rapunzel turned to her.
"Cassandra, that's enough. If I am going to rule someday I need to learn to accept responsibility for my actions." Cassandra still didn't move.
"Whatever you two have to say you can say it here where I can make sure he doesn't stick a knife in your back." Varian rolled his eyes while Rapunzel doubled down.
"Cassandra I know you're trying to protect me but this is something I have to do."
"But he-"
"Please don't make me have to give you an order." Cassandra's eyes widened for a moment but reluctantly let her pass. "Varian, if you'll have me." After all that he really couldn't say "no" now could he?
"Alright fine." he said annoyed as he led them to a secluded area that hopefully would be far enough to drown out the inevitable shouting.
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Nigel hurriedly made his way through the castle to get to his private quarters. He was not looking forward to informing his mistress that they had lost the king and that he didn't know when Mathews could begin looking for him. He'd have to spin this in his favor and perhaps leave out the fact that he might have pressured the wizard into sending him too early. Maybe even-
"Nigel, there you are." He was forced to pause. Anyone else he could have ignored and claimed he had important duties to attend to. The Queen however demanded his attention.
"Yes your majesty, how may I serve you?" Ariana looked him over and the adviser wondered if she suspected anything.
"Is my husband with you?"
"I'm afraid not your majesty, he's still on the errand I mentioned earlier." She gave him a stern look.
"I was under the impression you were accompanying him on this sudden errand of his. Where exactly is he and when should I expect him back?" He had been hoping to avoid this. Unlike her husband the Queen wasn't as easy to manipulate. While she never voiced it out loud he got the impression that she didn't fully trust him. He had to be more careful around her.
"I apologize my Queen, but he asked me to keep this a secret at least until he returns. It was taking longer than expected so he sent me back to attend to some of the minor affairs."
"You left him alone?" Damn it, he was used to dealing with that buffoon; it must be dulling his intelligence. She was always too smart for the likes of that fool Frederic.
"Certainly not, a few of his trusted guards were with him to keep him safe." Great, now he was going to have to pull a few guards who were off duty that day and instruct them on what to say to keep his cover story intact.
"Does this have anything to do with Rapunzel? He was acting strangely after her last message?" If only she knew.
"Once again I apologize but the nature of the errand must be kept secret for the time being. I can assure you that he is safe and as much as it pains me I can not say any more." She was still eyeing him with an unreadable expression.
"Very well, please inform me the moment he gets home. I have something private of my own to discuss with him." As she left Nigel had a sinking feeling that whatever it was she had to say to the king was bad news for him.
After making sure he wasn't followed he entered his chamber ready to face his mistress.
This was going to suck.
To be continued…
Next time: Rapunzel and Varian try having a real talk this time but will they fare any better than last. Not only that but there is a hidden danger about to take root that no one saw coming.