You Say Jump

Chapter 2: Queen Ariana

Hearing Rapunzel tell him she can't help, even though she is supposed to keep her promises– is known for keeping her promises, to everyone except him apparently– Varian feels hysteria bubble up and spill out his throat into begs and pleas. Her face is too uncertain, she's supposed to look different. She's supposed to be the supernatural princess who moves mountains for her friends. He sinks his fingers into her arms and begs, stumbling over words in desperation to imbue her with his need so she can understand, but instead of steeling and coming to his aid, her eyes flinch back and shut.

Never had he wanted so fervently to flip the obedience inflicted on him and use it on someone else. He wants this so bad that the edges of his vision tunnel in on her as he's dragged away.

His brain compartmentalizes when a door shuts between him and the princess; she can't hear him anymore, he has to ask someone else.

"Please," he says, fisting his hand in the coat of one guard who guides him. "Please, sir, my dad, he- in Old Corona, he needs help–"

"Kid, have you seen what it looks like out there right now?" the man interrupts incredulously. "This isn't the time for road trips."

"You don't understand!"

"Yeah, not the time," the other guard agrees, huffing in distaste. "And I don't think I want to help a guy who just attacked our princess."

What? Varian trips on his feet, trying to dig in his heels as he realizes they're heading for the castle doors he had pushed through not long before. They're throwing him out in the snow.

"Eu-Eugene? H-he's here, right? Cassandra? Anyone–"

He tries to lock eyes with every passerby he can.

None turn off their paths.

He has the whole trip home to go numb both inside and out, to regroup and gather his wits, panic still thrumming through everything but at least he can try to reverse the effects his own alchemy caused, right? That has to be enough. It has to.

...

It's not.

...

Varian isn't sure how much time has passed when he manages to peel himself off the floor of his lab where he'd collapsed following experiment after failed experiment- but when he does, his vision swims with spots and he has to steady himself on the amber prison encasing his dad. He quickly yanks his hands away like he's been burned and stumbles to the side.

He stands there for a long moment, blank. Outside the window, he hears the chittering of birds. The sky is blue and sunny. Days must have passed since the storm. Rapunzel has not come.

Through the heavy blanket of stupor settled over him like so much snow that forgot to melt with the winter outside, there is something rising. As it rises, it burns. It curls his fists.

"They will pay," he whispers.

It comes out feeling wrong, like he's not the one who said it. But the longer the silence that follows his words, the more surely the universe seems to say back, That's right. Yes. They should know how it feels to feel as helpless as you. It feels like a dangerous imitation of hope.

He nods. "They will pay."

And this is how Varian finds himself in the precarious position of being the bad guy.

...

"What does it matter? It's just sitting here rotting anyway!" he yells, closing his hand tighter over the dry flower.

"I defied a direct order from my father, the king! We both broke the law!" She sighs, and Varian almost feels guilt gnaw at him for the distress on her face. Until, that is, he hears her begin authoritatively, "Okay, Varian, give–"