He Belongs To ME. (Cassandra x Varian)

Warning Shot

(This chapter has a few mentions of spoilers for what I have planned for the story before this one. Read with caution.)

Cass grunted through her teeth as her sword struck the dummy again and again and again. All her frustrations fueled each blow as she fought to clear her mind. For three days now, ever since that painfully awkward moment on the Royal Lab's floor, every time she closed her eyes, she saw his. A pair of wide eyes, permanently stained by the moon that had resurrected him, and framed by thick, dark, lashes. Eyes full of lingering pain and bitterness, full of obvious intelligence, full of deeply buried innocence and child-like hope. Eyes that revealed everything that made up who Varian was. This made her severely frustrated. What was wrong with her?? She'd seen those same eyes for over a year now!! This boy had tried to kill her!! Then...he'd tried to sacrifice himself...when they'd all been turned into birds....using the last egg on her. He was kind of cute with his freckles, his big blue eyes, and his beaver-like front teeth..

No! He's so much younger than her! He's not even of consenting age yet, which is sixteen years old! Just two more months, her traitorous mind added helpfully. No! You can't think this way about a child!!! Especially not that child!!! 'Even though there might be a possibility that he still likes you after everything he's been through..? You did read his personal journal, you know. You saw how bad he had it for you...', her inner voice whispered from the back of her mind. 'He created a brand new element and then named it after you....doesn't that count for something..?'

She stabbed her sword through the dummy with all of her strength, growling at herself. She didn't notice a certain blonde princess walking up from behind her.

~~~~~~~~

Varian looked up at his encased father from where he was seated on the floor of his old lab. It was cold and empty, everything covered in a fine layer of mostly undisturbed dust. There was no change in his father's amber prison. "Hey, Dad. Um...it's been four hundred and fifty-six days since I've heard your voice now.." He swallowed, eyes burning. "I made a small step closer to freeing you...I managed to break off a chunk of my rock sample with a serum I named 'Rapunzium', after the Princess....now I just need to figure out if it would work on the amber I made with that other serum.." He sniffled, a few tears falling. "I fixed my mistakes and I have my friends back..but a piece of my heart is still missing. That piece is you, Dad.." He took off one of his gloves and touched the amber with his bare hand. "I miss you, Daddy..." His aching heart twisted and clenched inside of his chest. His dad had missed almost two years of his life now. He hadn't gotten to see the ceremony where the King and Queen had officially declared Varian the "Royal Alchemist" in front of the entire kingdom. He'd been given a golden pendant shaped like the sun with his official title engraved into it. Queen Arianna had put it over his head and around his neck herself, smiling at him proudly. That was the best day of his short life so far, considering the emotional turmoil he'd gone through not long before that point. That was a day that his father should have been present at, but he wasn't thanks to his own son.

The blue streak in his hair began to glow faintly, but he paid no attention to it.

He was a horrible son. His dad loved him so much that he went after a flower that'd had a possibility of not even existing, just to bring his dead son back to life. What does he do to repay him? Constantly disappoint him, trap him in amber, and then attempt complete regicide in a misguided attempt at freeing him. His dad would be disgusted if he knew what he'd almost succeeded in doing. He would've destroyed the kingdom if given the chance. That was how angry and vengeful he'd been then. Obviously, he'd calmed down a lot since then. Regaining Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra's trust had probably been a major contributor to that. He'd gotten an actual support system, two people who'd tried to make him smile and laugh as well as one who'd just put her hand on his upper back and offer silent support. He appreciated all of it from the bottom of his heart. He really did! It's just not the same without his dad..