Tangled: The Series

A Speculative Continuation

Part I: The Road to Redemption

Chapter 1: Imprisoned

It had been a month since the battle of Old Corona. In that month, Varian had been given the sentence of solitary confinement under the pretext that the other prisoners would provide a negative influence on the young boy. Varian preferred to believe it was because they were afraid of what he would accomplish with extra hands. Despite his arrest, he knew that he had caused a lot of damage for the royal family. After the storm and the rejection he had faced from the royals and their subjects, it felt empowering to know that they couldn't ignore him anymore. He had become too big a threat. He'd gotten their attention and they knew why he had done everything.

You failed. It didn't work. Father is still stuck in the amber.

Varian violently shook his head. His stomach felt hollow and he struggled to breathe. He forcefully pushed the thought out of his mind. It was easier to hate Rapunzel and her friends than to think about—that.

He stood up and began to pace the length of his cell. Other than the fact that he was imprisoned by the very people who had betrayed him, he couldn't complain about his treatment. Based on the food he was being given, he was pretty sure he was eating like nobility compared to his fellow inmates. He had been permitted to keep Rudiger with him, and was given a selection of books to read. He even thought his bed was nicer, but he wasn't sure, he had only caught a glimpse of the other cells and their leering occupants. The only thing that was unbearable was that it was too easy to let his thought return to his home in Old Corona. Every time he thought back to what had happened to his father, he forced himself to think about how everyone had betrayed him. If he didn't, he feared he would go mad. He nearly had the following weeks following the incident. Down deep he knew he was projecting his guilt onto Rapunzel, but better to blame others than to go insane.

He heard a door open down the hall. Probably the queen coming to talk reason with him. He supposed he ought to appreciate the fact that he wasn't being left in complete isolation. As much comfort as Rudiger brought him, he'd be lying if he said that having a conversation with another human wasn't welcome. The first week he had refused to speak to anyone, except for one instance.

Rapunzel had come to visit him. In some twisted effort to reconcile with him, she'd brought a cupcake. Feigning innocence she'd told him, "Eugene brings these to me when I'm feeling down." She said other things, but Varian had been too offended to listen. He had been so livid that he couldn't help but yell at her.

"Feeling down! Is that what you call the pain and agony that I've been feeling, knowing that my father is still trapped! Feeling down!" He'd been shaking. "Oh, how I wish that a cupcake was all I needed to fix my problems, princess!"

She hadn't been able to reply and left, leaving the cupcake on its little plate. It didn't take long for Rudiger to snatch up the treat. Varian didn't mind, the "peace offering" had been too insulting for him to even fathom consuming. Later, he heard that she had left with her friends to go follow the rocks. The thought of Rapunzel free to explore was agonizing to Varian. He was wasting away in his cell. He finished pacing and sat down on his cot, awaiting his visitor.

Isn't it a little late for visitors?

The footsteps came to a stop in front of his cell and he heard muffled voices. Something wasn't right, he didn't recognize the voices of the guards. With a jangle of keys, the door creaked open and someone slipped in. Varian stood up in shock. Two masked men stood before him and in one of their hands, a long knife.

"Say a word and I'll cut out your tongue." The man with the knife approached Varian and pushed him against the wall, the knife against his throat. His companion stepped forward and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. He quickly put them on Varian's wrists.

"What about the creature?"

"Put it in a bag!" The man at Varian's throat rasped out to his partner.

Varian watched as the other intruder pulled out a bag and cornered Rudiger. Terrified, the raccoon tried to escape. His frightened chittering was getting louder, causing the man to curse at him and pull out his own knife.

"Please—," The knife bit into his neck, "don't hurt him." Varian whispered.

The men snarled at him. "Then why don't you tell it to get in the bag and shut up or else it dies!"

Varian felt his heart pounding against his chest. What did these men want with him? They obviously had broken into the dungeons to get to him. The concept of dying was terrifying to him. Despite not wanting to go wherever these men were going to take him, Varian knew he and Rudiger would be dead if they didn't cooperate.

Voice trembling, Varian softly called out to the raccoon, "Rudiger, I—I need you to do what they say. Go into the bag and be quiet."

Rudiger's large eyes looked at his master in fear. Varian had to look away as the man roughly grabbed the skin behind his head and shoved him into the sack. With the bag tied up, Rudiger had gone silent.

"Now for you." The men's attention was fully on him now.

"What do you want with me?" Varian breathed. A drop of blood slid down his neck.

"You'll find out soon enough." In a flash, a piece of cloth was violently shoved into his mouth and a bag pulled over his head. His captor removed the knife from his throat to sling him over his shoulders. The door creaked open as they slid out of the cell.

Varian tried to make a mental map of where his abductors were taking him, but with all the jostling he couldn't focus. The gag made it impossible for him to think; his entire mental capacity was laboring to keep him from asphyxiation. He was beginning to feel light-headed when they came to a stop. While the bag stayed on his head, a hand came from below and ripped the cloth out of his mouth. Air had never been so beautiful.

After taking multiple gulps of air, Varian was able to tune into his surroundings.

I don't know where we are, but from the chilly breeze and the bouncing motion, we're outside the castle in a wagon.

Compared to the escape from the castle, the ride in the wagon was quite pleasant. If he hadn't been afraid for Rudiger and his life at that moment, Varian would've been able to sleep. Instead, his dread kept him alert. Calculating, from when the soft warm rays of the Sun fell upon him, he surmised that they must have been traveling for at least eight hours. With the exception of one moment where he had been roughly shoved under a blanket at the arrival of Coronan guards, those eight hours were uneventful.

Through the weave of the bag, Varian could tell they had entered someplace dark. After a few more minute, the wagon came to a stop. He was painfully pulled up by his shackled hands and led about, tripping upon the uneven surface, until he was brought to a halt. His eyes shut tightly as the bag was pulled off his head, the sudden influx of light jarring him. He heard a soft chuckle as he slowly forced his eyes open.

There was tall man in the center of a room illuminated purely by candlelight. He appeared to be middle aged and well groomed, but his attire was worn and starting to fray. His hair was pulled back into a bun. Apart from his hair, he reminded Varian achingly of his father.

"Welcome to our hideout, great sage" He gave with a bow. Varian couldn't tell if he was being respectful or scornful. "I hope my compatriots treated you well?"

Varian remained silent. The question put him on edge. He had NOT been treated well. He had been threatened, nicked, and kidnapped. Sure, he didn't want to stay in Corona's prison, but this wasn't his ideal escape either.

"You have permission to speak. Jerome, why don't you take these shackles off our guest."

To Varian's right, a stocky man approached and unlocked his chains. He looked at his wrists and wasn't surprised by the red abrasions they left behind.

The man in front, glanced sorrowfully at them. "I am sorry about all this, my dear boy. But we couldn't risk anything happening along the way. We are wanted men. You're a wanted man. I cannot begin to fathom the hatred you must have for Corona."

"Where is Rudiger?"

"I beg your pardon?" The man furrowed his brow in confusion.

"I won't care about what you have to say until I know that my raccoon is safe." The man's expression lightened and he gave another chuckle.

Never mind, he doesn't remind me of my father. Father doesn't find humor in these situations.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about your little friend. My men will place him in your chambers. I wouldn't be surprise if he's being fed right as we speak."

Varian knew he hadn't been himself since the 'accident', but his desperation and anger had fine-tuned some of his weakness, namely his willingness to trust. Nothing about this man said trustworthy. First, he'd sent men to kidnap him and they hadn't been all too polite about it. Second, he was laying on the kindness way to thick. The chuckling was unnerving. Third, he was a man of authority and people with authority use others that are advantageous to them, until their worth is compromised. Varian thought bitterly of his "old friends".

"I must confess, I'm surprised at how young you are. I expected the wizard who nearly defeated the Crown to be a little more—wizened."

Two strikes. I'm not a wizard and I'm certainly capable of more than he thinks. But he doesn't need to know that.

The man must have gotten frustrated with Varian silence, "You have my permission to speak. You can ask me all sorts of questions. A brilliant mind, such as yourself, must be full of curiosity."

"Alright! Who are you and what do you want with me?" His tone was anything but cordial.

Affronted, the man's face darkened before he seemed to catch himself and offered a faux smile. Varian's hunch had been correct; this was not a man without a temper. "My name is Alrick and I am the leader of the Separatists of Saporia."

He pulled an ovular pendant out of his shirt. There was a latch on the side. Alrick flipped the golden locket open and showed Varian the symbol inside: a crimson stone inlaid with symmetrical golden swirls. The craftsmanship was admirable, but the stone reminded Varian of something he had read in his alchemical texts. The possibility of staring at one of the legendary philosopher's stones made his heart leap in a way it hadn't for the past month. The idea of conducting experiments with the stone was beyond exciting for him. Gold had so many scientific uses!

Suddenly, reality came tumbling down on Varian. The likelihood of Alrick having the philosopher's stone was highly improbable. He kept referring to Varian as a wizard instead of as a scientist. An individual with interest in alchemy would be able to tell the difference between magic and science. Alrick probably didn't abduct him to ask for his help in unlocking the secrets of an alchemical stone.

"I hope my men didn't rattle you too much, my young friend." Varian realized he must has been staring off absentmindedly as he got lost in thought. He shook his head, returning to the present.

"Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind. What do you want with me, Alrick?

The man's countenance changed. His eye widened and his friendly grin vanished. "The Separatists of Saporia are dedicated to destroying the kingdom of Corona and bringing to pass the reign of new empire, one fashioned after the mighty Saporia." He approached Varian, "One of our members attempted to recover the journal of Herz der Sonne to gain access to its detailed description of Corona's tunnels. We though the plan was perfect, but unfortunately he was captured." Alrick put a hand on Varian's shoulder, "I was devastated. We were so close to achieving a turning point in our silent struggle against the tyrants. Months passed and thoughts of success waned, but then you happened!"

He moved his hand to Varian's face. The uncomfortableness of the situation was almost too much for Varian. Only his father had ever touched his face in that manner. It felt too intimate as if Alrick was trying to make himself appear as a father to him.

"I happened? What did I do to restore your hope?" he said as he turned away from Alrick's hand.

"What happened? What happened! You attacked the kingdom! You kidnapped the queen and nearly killed the royal family and their allies!" Alrick had a frenzied look in his eyes. "I've heard about the monsters you created, the beast, the metal men, all of it! I couldn't believe the stories when I heard them, but multiple witnesses confirmed that the rumors were true! I knew that if I freed you from prison, I would get a powerful ally! Alrick grabbed Varian's arms and shook him. "With you, we can finally get revenge on Corona and bring her to her knees!"

It had slowly been dawning on Varian that not only was Alrick not as benevolent as he tried to appear, but he was also a lot less stable than a leader should be. He trusted this man far less than he trusted Princess Rapunzel, which was saying something. However, he couldn't just push him away. He was a captive of these separatists and they were sure to treat him far worse than King Fredric had during his month in the dungeon. There his life was the least of his concerns. Here, any misstep could be fatal.

"So, what do you want me to do?" Varian asked.

"Build your metal men, create an army of your beasts! Use your magical talents to bring down Corona!"

Yep! He's crazy alright!

With great hesitation, Varian said, "Wow! This is a lot for me to process right now! I'm exhausted and I can't think very well. Can I answer you after I've had time to ponder everything you've told me?" Varian gave Alrick the most exhausted innocent face he could muster. It wasn't hard, he'd practiced a lot to prepare to face Rapunzel after she'd betrayed him during the storm.

At first the fire in Alrick's eyes intensified, but soon they dimmed to be replaced with "fatherly" concern. "Of course, I should've let you rest right when you got here! I was too excited to me you that I forgot my manners." Turning to Jerome, he said, "Jerome, why don't you lead our young friend here to his room. And give him his raccoon."

Jerome pulled out the bag that had been on Varian's head previously. Varian blanched. Alrick noticed. "Sorry my boy, but when part of a rebel group, precautions must be made and followed."

The bag was pulled over Varian's head once more, but thankfully the shackles weren't. Jerome guided him around the subterranean tunnels. Varian could hear people talking ahead and behind him, but whenever they seemed to approach others, the talk subsided and he passed them in awkward silence. He was relieved when Jerome stopped to open a door and let him inside the room. The bag was taken off and Jerome left without a word, locking the door on the way out.

Varian turned to look at his accommodations. The room was small but far from bare. A table stood to his right. A wash basin was placed on top it. To his left was a small cot, not unlike the one from his cell in Corona. Underneath the cot was a chamber pot.

Well I sure have all the luxuries of life here.

Behind him, the door cracked open. A small, chittering sack was tossed into the room. Varian ran towards it and untied the rope keeping it shut. Rudiger scampered out and upon seeing his master, climbed up Varian's leg into his arms. Varian held him tight, stroking the terrified raccoon to calm him.

"Oh Rudiger, what have I gotten us into?