Golden Prison (English)

VII

BEFORE YOU KEEP READING, AN IMPORTANT REMINDER:

Even if it's based on a TV Show, this fanfic isn't for children. It contains mature language, blood, violence, curses, deaths, abuse, and sexual advances.

Please don't read it if you're not used to reading these topics. Remember this is just a story and we don't support any kind of abuse.

Finally, we hope you like it.

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The silence reigned. Varian and Cassandra walked through the immense hallway ahead of them. Ariadna remained lost in a deep weariness in the arms of the young alchemist, who also carried his loyal friend, Ruddiger, on his shoulder.

Cassandra looked over at him persistently. Although she wasn’t able to see what was happening when the little princess freed Varian, she could clearly see the tears that he had shed before waking up. Now, he said not a word, and it seemed he was staring into nothingness, with a million things swirling around his head. She sighed.

Varian walked on in a mechanical way, simply putting one foot in front of the other, not placing any attention to any of his surroundings. His mind was in a mess. He thought about Rapunzel, he thought about his father, and he thought about every single one of his decisions during those years. He thought about the moment when he betrayed the princess right in front of her: “I used you!” He had said with such scorn. “My life in exchange for Quirin’s!” He heard her scream in those moments of the memories. He bit his lip forcefully and with a sigh, stopped in his tracks. Cassandra walked ahead a few more steps until she also stopped. She turned to look at him. Varian looked like he was about to break.

“Varian?” She called, not receiving a response. “Hey Varian, are you okay?” Again, nothing.

She released a chuckle and began walking towards him. She stopped in front of him and bent forward, trying to look him in the eyes, while also moving his bang away from his face so that it wouldn’t get in the way.

“Hello? Anyone there?”

Varian lifted his gaze to only meet the woman’s eyes, and, in an instant, looked away again, escaping any visual contact. She sighed with a smile.

“How can I?” He claimed in nearly a whisper.

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“How can I continue? How can I keep moving forward after what I’ve seen? How could I do that to her?"?”

“Oh, come on, Varian. You didn’t know, it’s not your -”

“Of course it’s my fault,” He interrupted, moving away from Cassandra. “She...tried to fulfill her promise. She was a good friend. And what did I do!?” He let out a hollow laugh. “I paid her back in the worst possible way. For ten years I hated her, wishing for her death while she was used like an object for trying to save my father. This is…” He sighed defeatedly and lowered his head, hiding his face with his bang. “It’s too much.”

Cassandra watched him and swallowed. What Varian was saying is true, it was too much to handle. She lowered her gaze and observed the little girl in Varian’s arms. That girl was an innocent victim of an unfortunate, crazy reaction to a chain of events that all started on the day of that terrible storm. Cassandra lifted her gaze and could see the confusion and regret on the man’s face, and she also saw the little racoon stroking Varian’s face, releasing faint chitters in an attempt to calm him down. Cassandra pressed her lips together. She saw the man, but remembered the boy.

“That day…” The woman said in a clear voice. “In that storm, I’m sure you were -”

“Scared?” He interrupted in a calm voice. “Distressed? Broken!? Alone!?” He began to yell, looking at her in the face. “Yes, Cassandra! I was terrified! I was alone in the middle of a storm, looking face to face at a damn unbreakable crystal that became my father’s tomb!!” Cassandra backed away a few steps. “I desperately needed someone by my side and nobody was!!”