Blood of my Brother

Reunion

Trigger warning: touch aversion

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All Corona was in a buzz. Everywhere anyone turned, all they could see was the hastily-generated wanted posters for the escaped prisoner and his accomplice. All anyone could hear was the horrified whispers, whispers of vengeance and treachery. No one knew where the traitor was. No one knew what he would do, where he would go. Would he return to Corona for revenge? Would he try to attack the princess or the king and queen?

Arianna didn't think so. No, from what he had looked like the last time she saw him, he wouldn't be seeking revenge anytime soon. She shuddered to think of what that poor child had been through since his arrest! It had been about six months since the battle. Had he been suffering down there that whole time?

She had returned to her room around midnight, a few minutes after the stranger had spirited the boy away. It had only been about ten minutes after that when the captain had knocked on their door to inform them that there were three unconscious guards being taken to the infirmary and the boy prisoner was gone. The entire castle was up in arms over the situation. She and Frederic had been politely ordered to stay in their room until further notice. It had given her plenty of time to think.

And plenty of time to get angry.

Frederic, of course, was oblivious to her mood. She had long ago learned to control her emotions, as was necessary for a queen, and all he saw was the same calming façade she had been showing for years. He had assured her that his guards were more than capable of finding the boy and that they had no reason to worry.

No reason to worry! The thought was almost laughable. The child probably could not even stand on his own at the moment. He had been so fragile when she saw him. She could hardly believe he was the same hyper boy who used to run around at the science expos or tag along with his father to the palace every once in a while. It also seemed so implausible that he was the same bold child who had kidnapped her and threatened her family, though she could see the brokenness in his mind when he did.

Perhaps that was why she let him go. The mother's heart in her reached out for this kid. He had been alone and hurting when he did what he did. Though she was scared of him at one point, it seemed so long ago now as to belong to a distant dream. All she saw was a boy who wanted his father back.

And she could understand that.

She remembered well the days her calm mask had failed her and she had filled her husband's ears with rantings about what she would do to the witch who stole their daughter. She remembered the overwhelming drive to go out there and hunt her down herself. She remembered the despair that had crushed her spirit in the dark nights when she had dreams of holding her baby close to her and woke up to find her arms empty. She remembered the fleeting hope that would strike her anytime she saw a tiny head of blonde hair flitting through the crowds and the agony that replaced that hope every time she was wrong.

Yes, she understood Varian. Perhaps better than anyone. Fred, bless his heart, was not compassionate to criminals, especially those who came after his family. All he saw in Varian was a threat.

Was that why he had allowed Varian to be treated the way he had been? In a desperate attempt to eliminate a threat? Why had he not just had him executed, if that was the case? He had promised to help Varian. Why hadn't he?

Now it was the morning after, and Arianna and Frederic were in the throne room listening to the captain's report. One guard had been found outside Varian's cell, and the other two were in the courtyard. There was no evidence of tampering with the lock, and it appeared that either Varian or his accomplice had managed to get ahold of a key.