Blizzards and Betrayal

"Varian, what's wrong?" Rapunzel asked after pulling him aside from the audience in the other room.

"Please, please the rocks. They're-they're encasing my dad." Varian begged.

"Encasing? Wha- what are you saying?" Rapunzel asked, trying to piece together what the pleading boy was trying to suggest.

"Co-come see for yourself!" He replied as he turned to leave, expecting Rapunzel to follow. "You can help! I ju--I know you can, you have a connection to these rocks-"

"Varian, it's a state of emergency here." She cut him off. Varian stopped walking away to face her again. "I'm sorry, I.. I-I can't help you." She said apologetically. "Not right now."

"No! No no no no!" He cried as he ran back to Rapunzel, a look of pure dread and terror in his eyes. "Listen to me! My dad doesn't have much time, you are the only one that can help! Rapunzel please!" He pleaded, clasping his hands together.

Nigel walked up to the two, interrupting them.

"Your Majesty, please, whatever the boy's problem, it must be set aside!" He barked. "The storm is getting stronger by the second!"

Varian shook his head desperately, grabbing the Princess by the shoulders in an attempt to get through to her. Nigel signaled for the guards to come and take him.

"No! No no no, please! Please, Princess y-you...wha..." He said, stumbling for words. "You promised you'd help me! You promised!"

The guards quickly came over and aggressively took Varian by the arms.

"Rapunzel! Gah!" He cried as the guards forcefully dragged him away from Rapunzel.

"Princess! My dad needs help!" He shouted, the guards pulling him further and further away.

"No! Don't hurt him!" Rapunzel called to the guards, who were being everything but careful with the small boy.

"Rapunzel! You promised! You promised!!" He cried as he turned the corner, disappearing out of Rapunzel's sight. His desperate cries echoing through the halls.

And Rapunzel was left standing there alone.

-

"Get lost kid." The guard snarled as he threw Varian to the snow-covered ground.

He landed in the snow with a thud, and for a moment, he just sat there, watching the guards as they marched back to the castle. He couldn't believe the events that had just unfolded before him.

He felt his cheeks start to burn as anger started to build inside him. Rapunzel had promised to help him, but when he really, truly, desperately needed it, she had other things to attend to. How convenient.

Varian stood up quickly, brushing the snow off of his clothes.

"Maybe my dad can still be saved. I can..I can figure something out. There's still time, I just need to get back home. Now." Varian thought to himself as he started trudging back toward Old Corona.

If Varian was being honest, he was completely terrified of what he would find when he got back to his house. He hadn't had any time to analyze the amber.

No, he had been a little preoccupied with the horrifying sight of his last remaining family member being consumed by his own creation...

"No. It's not my fault. It's not...I was misled. Deceived. Betrayed. By the one person I thought I could trust."