Varian and I sat on the roof of the caravan. "Hey Varian?" I said and he looked over at me. "Yeah?" I took a deep breath and looked up at him. "We never got to finish talking about...about last night." I said and he turned to face me completely silently telling me to fess up. "L-look before I explain anything I just want you to know that I would've gotten you out of there anyways. I-I had already seen myself breaking you out of that jail cell before Rapunzel had even talked to me. A-and I think I'm on Fate's good side right now and I'd really like to keep if that way if I want to work with them in the future." I heard him sigh and he nodded. "Okay. Now tell me the full story." He said and I nodded.
"After the whole...um...incident with the whole, uh, kidnapping the queen Rapunzel invited me to go on a journey with her to follow the black rocks. Way before she had asked me I had been told that someone was going to invite me on a journey and I'd need to accept it. I-I didn't want to leave you there alone. A-and I was really scared that they might have decided to...y-you know." I said looking down at my lap. "I don't think anyone in Corona would resort to that, but the doubt will always be there for me. I just wanted to make sure you were safe, a-and I wanted to be with you. I know you're mad at me for not telling you everything, but you wouldn't have come if I told you." I said biting my lip softly.
I felt fingers on my chin and they gently lifted it up so I stared into soft blue eyes. "You're right. I probably wouldn't have come if you had told me. I also agreed to come to protect you. When Death was you, he told me that if I didn't accept your offer that I wouldn't see you again. I'm honestly very happy that you got me out of there. Who knows what might be going through my head if I found out you were leaving on a journey for who knows how long. While I still hate the princess, I don't hate you. In fact, I don't think I ever could. I'm glad you told me everything though. I, as well as some of the others, might not be exactly keen on this agreement you and the princess made, but I'm here to be with you and protect you." Varian said before kissing my cheek softly.
I stared up at him before I pulled him into a tight hug. He hugged me back just as tight. We stayed like that for awhile before we finally pulled away from each other. "You said something about Death telling you that you wouldn't see me again. What does that mean?" I asked tilting my head to the side and Varian shrugged his shoulders. "He kind of just pulled out a scroll and pointed to your name and the day kept changing on it. I'm not sure what it meant though. My mind was hazy during that entire interaction." He said and I nodded. "I'll ask him about it later." I said before leaning my head on his shoulder.
Varian leaned his head on top of mine and I stared out into the road ahead of us. Not too long after we arrived at a house on a hill. We all got off the caravan and made our way to the door. "Alright we're here." The girl I now know as Vex said. Rapunzel knocked on the door and a man opened it slightly.
"Captain Quaid?" Rapunzel asked. "Who's asking?" Rapunzel smiled wide. "It's Rapunzel!" She said only to have the door slammed in her face. "Told you everyone hates you." Vex said. We all watched as Rapunzel turned to face the door again.
"Uh, Captain Quaid?" Rapunzel said before knocking and leaning over to look into the mail slot. "If you don't open this door I will, uh, I'm just gonna keep knocking. And knocking!" She said before pounding her hand on the door causing her to pull it back. "Ow! And when my knuckles start to hurt, I'm just gonna knock with my other hand! You do not want to test the commitment of these knuckles, mister." She said before going to knock again, but the door had already opened. I covered my mouth to hold back my laugh.
The man held up an hour glass and flipped it over. "Three minutes. Not a grain more." He said and Rapunzel gestured us to come inside. I held Varian's hand and pulled him inside. Varian and I looked at everything around the mans house while Rapunzel explained her plan.
"Hello Aphrodite!" I said as a bee landed on my arm. "U-uh milady...don't move...you have a little, uh..." I heard Varian say and I giggled. "Calm down Sapphs. They're just bees." I said as I watched a few bees land on my hand. "Looks like you have a way with the bees." I looked up and saw Quaid looking at me with a soft smile. "O-oh Uh thanks." I said as I rubbed the back of my neck.
"What's this?" I looked up and Vex was holding up a jar. "Funny you should ask." The man said standing up. We all followed him outside. He placed down a jar on the table. "Best honey in Vardaros. My friends here work like a single, well oiled machine. Together, they gather all sorts of varietals. We make buckwheat honey, orange blossom honey, kudzu honey...oops." He said and we all looked up to see something covering Max's face.
"Looks like he just got a face full of pheromones." He said. "What are those?" Rapunzel asked. "It's like a love potion for bees." He said and Varian looked over at me. "Have you made any love potions?" He asked me while we watched the bees chase Max and I rolled my eyes. "No because love potions are crazy and they can easily go wrong." I said and he nodded.
"Listen, Vardaros' heyday is long gone. And now, so's your sand." He said and everyone but Rapunzel walked out. "Hey Sapphs, remind me later to get some of his honey for Apollo." I said and he looked down at me confused. "Why do you need honey for Apollo and I don't think he's going to let us back here." He said and I shrugged my shoulders. "I have a feeling we're going to be around him a lot today." I said smiling as I heard Rapunzel talking to Quaid.
Rapunzel had convinced him to give it a shot. He had gotten into his old uniform and we set up a target outside. Rapunzel shot an arrow at the target getting a bullseye. Varian leaned against the fence as I sat on top of it. "Alright let's start easy!" Rapunzel said before pushing him forwards and giving him the bow and arrow.
"Three silver pieces says he's more than a little rusty." Varian said smirking at me and I returned the smirk. "You're on Sapphs." I said and we shook hands locking the deal. We both watched as his arrow wasn't even close to the target and Varian held his hand up to me. "Pay up, milady." He said and I smirked at him. "Actually, Sapphires, if you would recall last nights events you'd remember that I won the bet for five silver pieces. You never paid up so technically you just owe me two silver pieces." I said smirking and he rolled his eyes smiling lightly.
"I saved my damsel in destress and this is the thanks I get for it?" He said and I pushed his shoulder lightly as we both laughed. We then watched as Cassandra threw an apple into the air and sliced it multiple times. The pieces landed in her hand to make a bee.
"Alright, Quaid the Blade, let's go." She said and Vex threw an apple into the air and Quaid started to cut it, but then lost his grip on the sword causing it to go flying. It was headed straight towards Varian and I. My reflexes acted faster than my brain and blue flowed through my hands and deflected the blade causing it to hit Shorty's yam and become stuck to a tree.
Rapunzel then demonstrated lassoing with her hair and making it go loosely around Max's neck. When Quaid tried, he only wrapped himself up in the lasso and fell backwards causing us all to grimace. We decided to take a break and I was able to buy some honey off of Quaid. I put it in my satchel and made my way back to the group.
I stood next to Varian and he was trying to stay calm as a bee was on his arm. "Sapphires don't tell me you're afraid of a tiny little bee." I said and he faced me with wide eyes. "I-I'm not scared! I-It's just that I-I'm not familiar with them." He said trying to play it off and I laughed as I placed my finger in front of the bee and it climbed up my hand. "There's nothing to be scared of. It's just a bee." I said and he rolled his eyes. "Yeah says the girl who had like 12 on her earlier today!" He said and I laughed.
"Just don't give them a reason to sting and you'll be fine. Plus she probably was just looking for some food." I said and he rolled his eyes. "Sapphires if it makes you feel better I hate beetles." I said smiling and he nodded. "That's reasonable." He said and we smiled at each other.
Rapunzel soon rounded us all up again. "So, princess, just so we're all clear here. The guy you chose to re-inspire the people needs to be re-inspired himself?" Vex asked. "We just need to get the ball rolling." Rapunzel said and Vex crossed her arms. "And how do you plan to do that?" She asked. "I'm not. You are." Rapunzel said pointing Vex.
Vex held her hand out for more money and once Rapunzel handed it to her she bit it to make sure it was real. "So, what's your plan blondie?" Eugene asked and Rapunzel turned to face Varian and I. "What's our plan guys?" She asked and Varian and I looked at each other. Varian and I both started trying to think of a plan. I snapped my fingers and smiled bright.
"Lance! How's your acting?" I asked. "My acting?!" He said before laughing. "You are looking at the star of Vardaros' own, 'A walk in the bushes'!" He said before spinning around in a bush skirt and a bouquet of flowers. "I was the bush." "Please tell me you have a backup plan." Eugene asked me and Varian smirked. "Oh trust me, we won't need a backup plan. My only question is why you don't want to do it yourself, milady?" He asked and I smiled. "Because I want to see how this will pan out."