Dear (Yn),
I'm not quite sure when you'll be receiving this, so I sent this letter early to make sure it gets to you in time!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
I can't believe that you're fifteen! Even though I've only known you for a short amount of time, you are truly the best sister I could've ever hoped for. When I arrived at the castle for the first time and found out that I not only had parents but a sister too, I couldn't even believe my luck. Even then, I knew you would be one of my dearest friends.
I can only wish that I could spend your birthday at home with you.
Love,
Rapunzel
~•~
My dad warmly smiles at me as we eat breakfast outside in the gazebo. "So, (Yn). Is there anything you'd like to do for your birthday?"
I take a bite of my food and ponder the idea for a moment. Typically, it was Coronian tradition for a member of the royal family to have a big gala on their birthday. All of the citizens would come to the castle for a night of festivities. Since nobody knew about my existence until about a year ago, I was never allowed to participate in the tradition. To make the situation a little bit better, mom would always send a carriage to Old Corona to pick up Varian and bring him to the palace so we could celebrate together. Those birthdays were some of my fondest childhood memories.
"(Yn)?"
I'm quickly snapped from my thoughts and turned my head to look at dad. "Sorry, I was just thinking..." I take a deep breath and cross my fingers. "Could I have a birthday gala this year?"
Mom smiles. "That sounds like a wonderful idea!"
"You could meet some new people your age as well." My dad adds. "It'll be good for you."
I nervously laugh. "Yeah...about that..." I nervously play with a strand of my hair and avoid my dad's eyes.
"What is it?"
I bite my lip, feeling unsure about it all. After a few moments, I finally spit it out. "...could I invite Varian?"
The king chokes on a bite of eggs, and his wife quickly pats his back. "(Yn)...are you..." he coughs and clears his throat. "sure about this?"
I nod. "Varian has always been here for my previous birthdays, and I don't want this one to be any different."
"But bringing him to a Royal ball?" My dad shakes his head as though the very thought of it was blasphemous. "The guests would be horrified!"
"That's why inviting Varian is so important! This could be the perfect opportunity to prove that he isn't a threat anymore!" I counter.
"We don't even know if he's not a threat anymore! It'd be risking too many lives!!" Dad says.
"You never listen!!" I blurt. I quickly cover my mouth with my hands, not meaning to become so loud. "Dad, the last time you didn't trust me about Varian, he kidnapped me and almost destroyed the kingdom. It's time to make things right with Varian."
Mom places her hand on her husband's arm and gives him a knowing look. "Fredrick, I think we should trust (Yn). She's almost fifteen; she's not a little girl anymore."
Dad sighs once he realizes that mom is right. "(Yn), if you're sure that you can take this on, then I'll allow Varian to come."
I quickly hop up from my seat and rush to my father. I throw my arms around him and smile. "Thank you, dad!! I won't let you down, I promise!"
Varian's gonna love this!
:-:-:
"WHAT?!"
I happily smile. "Isn't it great? This is the opportunity we've been waiting for!"
"NO, IT'S NOT!!!" Varian nervously runs his fingers through his black hair. "This is like throwing a lamb to a bunch of hungry wolves!!!"
"I don't follow-"
Varian cuts me off. "I'M THE LAMB, (YN)! I'M THE LAMB!!" He wails, frantically shaking my shoulders.
"Varian, what are you even talking about?" I shake my head.
"The people coming to this gala don't want to see me there! They'll be watching my every move; waiting for me to screw up!" He sighs. "The people of this kingdom saw me as a danger long before I tried to attack their princess. The battle of Old Corona only further proved that I'm a hazard to everything and everyone around me..." Varian begins to pace. "Not that I blame them..."
"That's all the more reason for you to do this Var." I try to reassure him. "You need to prove to everyone that you aren't that person anymore."
The boy looks me square in the eyes. "How am I supposed to do that?"
I tap my finger against my chin, pondering over the options. "What if..." it hits me. "What if you put on a show?"
"Excuse me?"
"You could show off some of your alchemy! Maybe create fireworks, or bring flowers back to life, something like that." I grin. "If you demonstrate that your alchemy can be used for good, maybe the guests will start to see you as good too."
Varian looks at me with a slightly annoyed expression. "(Yn), alchemy is meant to be taken seriously, not used as a stage show. I'm a man of science, not a performer!"
"This might be our only chance. This is the best way to prove that you can be trusted." I sigh. "Look, all you'll have to do is come up with a couple of small party tricks that won't cause any damage. We'll set aside a couple of minutes after dinner for you to show the people what you got, everyone will see that your alchemy isn't a threat, and you'll be one step closer to mending the damage from the battle Old Corona."
Varian ponders the idea. "Where am I going to get the supplies that I'll need to create my alchemical compounds?"
"Ugh, I haven't thought about that yet," I say with a groan. "I don't think my parents will be on board with the idea of you having access to anything involving alchemy anytime soon, but maybe I could smuggle a few of the necessities to you from your lab?"
Varian looks at me as though I had a snake growing out of my head. "You'd bring me stuff from my lab? Really? Aren't you afraid that I'll try and break out or something?"
I don't respond at first. Of course, I was worried about what Varian could do if he had access to even the smallest amount of his equipment, but something deep inside was telling me that Varian wasn't going to do that. I could tell that he wanted to try and patch up his mistakes and finally leave his reputation of being a menace to the kingdom behind. "Can I trust you?"
"You can trust me, (Yn)," Varian says, giving me a look that told me he was telling the truth. "I promise."