The Alchemist's Princess | Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure

Chapter II

Varian waited for a little over a week, hoping to see Aquaria once again. She was his only friend and he wished she could be around more often.

One night, he was about to fall asleep when the window opened.

He sat up and saw Aquaria come through the window. He shot out of bed and hugged her tightly.

"You're back!" He whispered excitedly and she giggled, hugging him happily.

"I'm sorry I took so long. I missed you too," she said before pulling away.

"I want to show you my laboratory. My dad's asleep though so we have to be quiet. I don't want to wake him," Varian said and she nodded.

The two of them snuck into Varian's workspace and she smiled.

"Wow... I knew you loved science, but wow. This is so cool," Aqua looked around and Varian smiled proudly.

"Why thank you, princess," he chuckled as she checked out a few of his machines.

"Don't call me that, Var. You know I don't like it," Aqua said as she grimaced at him.

"Sorry, your majesty. I'll never make that mistake again," Varian joked and she stuck her tongue out at him.

The two were in there for hours and they had a lot of fun. When Aquaria left, Varian went to his room and fell asleep, dreaming about what they would do the next time they hung out.

They got away with it for a while and they were both really happy that they were able to play together.

However, one night in June, Aquaria was sneaking into her room and came face to face with her mother.

She froze and Arianna hummed.

"And where were you, miss?" She didn't sound mad, just concerned.

"I-I went to see Varian..." Aqua looked down, but Arianna then smiled, not wanting Aqua to think she was mad.

Yes, she was upset that Aquaria had been sneaking out, but she was more relieved that nothing bad had happened. She had snuck out when she was young, not when she was eight, but she understood that Aqua just wanted to be with her friend so she wasn't mad.

"I see. How long have you been going to see him?" Arianna asked.

"Since February... please don't tell dad... he won't let me see Varian again and he's my best friend... I only get to see him on my birthday... I've never even gotten to see him on his birthday until this year but I had to see him at night..." Aqua didn't want to be told she could never see Varian again. She didn't have any other friends and if she lost Varian, she didn't know what she would do.

"I won't tell your father, but you need to be careful. If anything happened to you we'd be devastated. We already lost your sister. We can't lose you too." Arianna hugged her and Aqua smiled.

"Rapunzel will be okay, mom. I just know it," Aqua said and Arianna hummed softly.

"Now, go to bed. I won't stop you from sneaking out, but be careful. Promise me that you'll be careful," she said and Aquaria nodded.

"I promise I will be careful," Aqua said softly and Arianna let go of her.

Aquaria climbed into bed and snuggled in.

"Goodnight, mom," Aqua said as Arianna walked over and kissed her head.

"Goodnight, darling. Sleep tight." Arianna left and Aqua fell asleep.

🧪

Varian was sitting on his bed one night and he hugged his knees to his chest. He had messed up and now his father was disappointed in him.

He was upset and wanted to make his father proud of him. It was keeping him awake.

Aquaria came through his window and smiled, but saw that he wasn't smiling back.

"Varian?"

"I think you should leave Aquaria..." Varian murmured, though he didn't really want her to leave.

"Why? What's wrong?" She sat beside him, not about to leave when her best friend was upset. She hugged him and he immediately buried his face in her neck as he started to cry.

"I messed up again and my dad is disappointed in me... I just want him to be proud of me and what I'm doing, but I always mess up..."

Aquaria frowned and ran a hand through his hair gently in a soothing manner.

"Varian, any parent would be disappointed if you messed up, but I know your dad is proud of you. Whenever he comes to the palace I always talk to him about you," Aquaria comforted and he sniffed.

"But he's always upset when I blow things up or my experiments backfire," Varian cried.

"He's worried about you, Varian. He loves you. The whole reason he doesn't take you to Corona with him is that he wants you to be safe. I don't know him as well as you do, but I know that he loves you and he will always be proud," Aquaria said with a smile and he nodded.

"Thank you, Aqua," he murmured with a small smile.

"Of course, Var. I'll leave you be now." Aquaria got up to leave, understanding if he didn't want to hang out.

"Aqua, wait. I don't want you to go. I can't sleep," Varian grabbed her hand and she hummed softly, sitting back down on his bed.

"Do you need me to help you get to sleep?" She asked softly and he hugged her with a nod.

"Can you sing for me?" Varian asked, wanting to hear a lullaby.

"Of course," she said before starting to sing the lullaby her mother used to sing with her music box.

"Where the northwind meets the sea, there's a river full of memory. Sleep my darling, safe and sound, for in this river all is found."

Varian laid down, curling into her side as he listened to her voice. He held onto her waist as his eyes closed, like a child clutching a teddy bear.

"In her waters deep and true, lie the answers and a path for you. Dive down deep into her sound, but not too far or you'll be drowned," Aqua sang softly as she watched her friend.

"Yes, she will sing to those who hear and in her song all magic flows. But can you brave what you most fear? Can you face what the river knows? Where the northwind meets the see, there's a mother full of memory. Come, my darling, homeward bound. When all is lost then all is found."

Aqua looked down at Varian who was out like a light. She smiled and slipped out of his arms. She pulled the blanket over him and went to the window.

"Goodnight, Varian," she murmured before she left through his window.

She ran through the night towards the shore and smiled.

"Hello, can I please get a ride again?"

The Nokk rose out of the water and she giggled, getting on the horse.

"To the palace, please," Aqua requested softly and the Nokk took off. "I think I'm gonna call you Delta," she said to which the Nokk whinnied.

She rode back to the far side of Corona and got off of the Nokk.

"Thank you, Delta," she murmured as she put her forehead to the Nokk's muzzle, gently stroking its neck. She then ran into the kingdom and snuck by the guards. Once she was below her room balcony, she summoned some water from the sea to lift her to her room.

She quickly changed into her nightgown and climbed into bed, falling asleep quickly.