Both reader and Varian are 20 or so. Based off of wonderful older Varian fan art. Art below made by hmm_yes_art on instagram, give them a follow!
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The sun rose in the sky, pouring a pink hue across the landscape. Birds began their songs from the tops of trees and rooftops. A rooster crowed brashly, waking up the village of old Corona. The rattling of armor and crunching of stones underfoot echoed through the empty street. Guards held a downtrodden looking young man tightly, as they escorted him to the furthest building in the village.
"You have to believe me." the messy-haired guy croaked out, as if he had been saying it for hours on end.
"If you set foot anywhere near the palace, we will not hesitate to remove you to somewhere with bars." one of the guards explained with power. The group of three stopped at the end of some stairs, and one of the guards ascended the stone steps that led to a house's door.
"You have to let her go." the other guard turned to the dejected lad with compassion. It was clear the guard didn't want to see someone waste their potential by making a wrong decision. The alchemist raised his head and looked at the guard with desperation. His blue eyes were bloodshot and puffy, exhaustion showing so clearly on his face.
"She's in danger." he forced through his hoarse voice, causing the guard to close his eyes and sigh. Soon the clanking of a lock sounded, and the wooden door opened with a creak. A dark-haired man frowned in confusion when he saw the royal guard standing in front of him.
"Quirin, it's your son." the guard said quietly, and panic spread on the middle-aged man's face. He looked behind the uniformed guard and spotted his son at the bottom of the stairs.
"Varian?" a look of confusion and disappointment replaced the shock. He walked down the steps and observed the fatigued expression on the alchemist's face.
"Dad..." Varian lifted his head and breathed out emotionally.
"Keep him away from the palace for a while, Princess (Y/n) ordered it." the guard explained, then turned to the raven-haired young man. "Don't do something you'll regret - respect the princess's wishes." he warned, before handing Varian back to his father. The guards watched as Quirin took his son inside, and then left to return to Corona. The burly man shut the door softy behind him and turned to Varian, ready to give him a talking to. Instead, he saw his unstable son running into his lab, followed by the sound of clattering.
"Son." Quirin stated with a serious tone as he stepped into the hectic lab, "Son." he repeated when he got no answer. Varian continued to gather chemicals and weapons, shoving them into a side bag. "Son!" Quirin exclaimed, causing Varian to snap out of his dizzy. "What is going on?" his father asked with concern plastered over his aged faced.
"Dad, she's in trouble. I-it's Rupert! Nobody would believe me, dad- dad, you gotta believe me!" Varian ran a hand through his tangled black hair in frustration, "You gotta believe me..." he approached his father, his voice breaking mid-sentence.
