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 little girl's outfit revealed her position as a servant, but what was odd was that it revealed too much skin (Which was also filled with scars and bruises). It wasn't really appropriate for such a little girl. The man averted his eyes far away from her. Cassandra noticed this act and could almost place it as "Respectful" and she smiled to the side. She took the little girl's cape and covered her up again, later ruffling the little girl's hair with her hand and smiling at her.
"Your eyes remind me of a friend of mine," said the woman nostalgically.
"Oh. Really?" A sweet blush lit up on her face.
Right then, a small animal emerged from the darkness and climbed the man's leg until it reached his shoulder. It was his raccoon, Ruddiger. Cassandra noticed him and watched as Varian stroked his head while the small animal purred. He surely was safely hiding before getting out when he saw it was safe to show himself. She turned again towards the girl.
"Yes, she is a very dear friend. Constantly smiling and friendly, always wanting to help everyone."
"Ha!" Varian laughed behind her. "Almost everyone." Cassandra turned towards him, furious.
"She did!" She told him boldly, without yelling. "She helped you and you betrayed her!"
"Only when I reminded her and it was already too late."
Cassandra got up and stood face-to-face with those blazing light blue eyes that didn't scare her in the slightest. Cassandra was really surprised to see how Varian had changed. It was straightforward, as well as threatening, to see who that sweet boy she had met years ago had become. The silence was heavy, no one stepping back nor tearing their glare away from the other. The tension made the little girl swallow saliva.
"Uh..." The little girl looked towards the adults a little nervously. "If both of you are doing well, I'll ask that you please excuse me, but I must be on my way..." She turned to go, but Varian called her.
"Hey, wait! For all of this, what are you doing here? You're very young, aren't you?" His voice sounded very gentle in comparison to a few seconds ago.
"I'm already 10 years old. I am old enough to do my job," She responded without raising the tone of her voice, although it held much cautiousness.
"Seriously?" He said while rolling his eyes, a bit annoyed. "Your job?"
"I'm in charge of the chimeras that escape the palace." Said the girl after sighing.
"You, all alone? And the guards?" Asked the woman in disbelief.
"Over there." Varian pointed at a corner where there was a pile of human bones. He let out a chuckle and instantly shut up. Cassandra sighed in annoyance.
"Those who are still alive are dedicated to protecting the nobles." Her tone of voice was filled with bitterness. "They don't want anything to do with these monsters, and I don't blame them!" She let out a dry laugh.
"So these creatures can escape and hurt the villagers?! Just like that?!" Exclaimed Cassandra.
"How surprising that they prefer to defend the stupid royalty!" Said the young man with an obvious indignation, with his remembrance of the past. "Let the town get fucked up, right?!" He almost yelled.
"Silence, Varian!" Yelled the woman. "This doesn't have to do with you!"
"No, I know it doesn't. It always has to do with the royals." He said without yelling, and yet, his voice was filled with fury.
"It is exactly as you say, Sir." Ariadna interrupted. "The nobility is scum. No! They're worse than scum!" Her face was tinted red in anger.
"And the worst of all of them is that damn bastard sitting on the throne..." Cassandra whispered in rage. "That wretch..."
"The king Luzbel?" Asked the young man incredulously.
"Of course!" Yelled Cassandra in response. "What happened to everyone, what happened to my father! He sent him on a mission that he couldn't even win! He killed him! He's a wretch..."
"He's a monster..." Added the girl in a broken voice. "He doesn't do anything else besides tormenting my mother...She's his wife, for God's sake!" Ariadna lowered her head so that they wouldn't see a pair of tears roll down her cheeks.
"Wife?!" Varian exclaimed forcefully. "Did you say, wife?!"
"Varian, don't yell, damn it!" She turned towards the little girl and placed her hands on her cheeks, wiping away her tears. "Ariadna, you said that he hurts your mother? You're the Queen's daughter? But that...That means that -"
"That you are Rapunzel's daughter, isn't that right?" Varian finished the phrase in a stoic voice, his face devoid of any expression.
"Yes...I am..." She pinned her eyes, which were now lacking any radiance, on the young alchemist. "What are you going to do now that you know, enemy of my mother?" Her tone was dry and very worn.
Cassandra looked at Varian in surprise. She noticed that flicker of hatred in his eyes, and she stood in front of the girl, taking the handle of the sword on her back. The gaze of the young man turned away and reached the grey eyes of the soldier. He smiled to the side without saying a word.
"I won't let you hurt her." She gripped the handle more firmly.
"I won't do it." He directly said. "She is not who I hate and killing her won't help me with anything. She's only a brat who wasn't even alive when all of that happened. For what I am concerned, you are more guilty than she is." He claimed while frowning.
The girl sighed heavily and gazed towards the lady, her eyes full of sadness.
"Miss, what are you looking for in this rotten kingdom?"
"In fact, I'm looking for Luzbel. I...want to kill him for what he did to my father, to the kingdom and to Rapunzel. That is what I want." She said with sincerity to the girl.
"Say that more clearly, Cassie." Released Varian without much sensitivity. "You want Revenge." He said, smiling in the irony while crossing his arms.
"You're saying that like you know how I feel."
"The funny thing is that, in fact, I do know." He walked towards her in soft, gentle steps, almost playful, before this revelation. In reality, it humored him.
"I'm not like you." She fiercely declared.
"Oh, Cassie." Now he was so close to her that he had his face right in front of hers. "Of course you are," he whispered, immediately then turning around and outstretching his arms and raising his voice. "Both of us being here proves it."
Cassandra stayed silent. "But well..." He turned and looked at her. "Attacking a member of the royal family is certainly fun. Do you want a co-avenger?" He teased, but with a tone serious enough to make her shiver in the directness of his words.
"Ariadna, if you hate Luzbel, lead me to him. I'll finish him." Assured the woman.
"Then, allow me to guide you." Said the girl after kneeling on the ground on one knee, her eyes filled with determination.
"Perfect!" Varian said, almost giving a little jump. "Nothing like murdering someone to relax for the night."
"Hold on a minute," Said Cassandra. "I don't trust you."
"You don't have to, I'll only accompany you to kill him and we're done."
"Fine."
"So," The young man approached the girl. "Go ahead. Take us to the king."
"Okay." Said the girl with green eyes, and immediately after, she heard a voice in the distance.
"Princess! Princess Ariadna!"
"Please, hide yourselves behind the chimera until this person leaves." The little girl asked them, almost pleadingly.
Cassandra and Varian obeyed without further comment, there was no time to ask questions. They both threw themselves on the ground behind the chimera, each on one end of it to listen as to what was occurring on the other side. Between the shadows emerged a figure the pair recognized: it was Nigel. The old advisor of the king, who, judging by his fancy clothes, was living off very well. Varian lifted an eyebrow, amused by his presence.
"Heh, I thought these things would have already feasted on this long-nosed," he whispered jokingly.
"Shut your mouth, they'll hear us." Cassandra whispered.
"Mister Nigel," The princess spoke. "What is it you want?" She asked, trying to keep her voice from trembling.
"Princess," He said in a disapproving tone, "Have you forgotten that you are prohibited from leaving the castle without warning ? You really are a problematic little girl," He claimed, looking at her over his shoulder.
"But...There was a loose chimera, and my job is to detain them..." The little girl tried to defend herself, only this time unable to stop trembling.
"Dirty bastard! How dare you talk back to me!? Perhaps you've forgotten that I'm the one who gives you money so that you can distribute them amongst those dirty rats you call subjects!?" The man yelled, hitting her with a hard slap. The girl shut her eyes from the pain. "As it seems, I may have to remind you of your place again..."
After saying this, he proceeded to give the little creature a beating, accompanied by various insults. Cassandra looked at the scene with hatred and was very tempted to get out, but the girl had implored they hide, and everything they worked for would go to waste if they got out. She tightened her jaw. She averted her eyes and observed the young man at her side. His expression was stoic, firmly fixed towards the front, where Nigel and the little girl were. He seemed troubled, very troubled, but he also didn't move. Maybe he was thinking the same thing. Cassandra returned her eyes towards the front and bit her lip in order to handle that scene. Finally, after a few minutes, Nigel let her thrown on the floor. Before leaving, he released her with these words:
"You really should stop sacrificing yourself for these peasants. They only like you because thanks to you, they don't die of hunger. But you stop giving them money, and they'll turn their backs on you in the blink of an eye."
The girl had her eyes filled with tears because what he said was half true. The town really liked her thanks to her big heart, but truth be told, in the eyes of the people she is nothing more than just a little girl. That part killed Ariadna. And what's more, is the fact that she goes out of her way to help her town despite the lack of possibilities. "Could it be that nothing I ever do is enough?" She said while the tears invaded her face.
When there was no more danger, Cassandra and Varian stood up in silence, without looking away from the injured girl. How could someone be so cruel to hurt a child that way? That was what Cassandra had thought, shaking her head. Varian looked at the door with a frown. "That man hasn't changed in the slightest." The reaction could be read on his face. Cassandra had read it. She looked towards the front, remembering the rumor that Varian had attacked the princess, the rumor Nigel had started. She sighed. At that moment, Ruddiger jumped from the shoulder of the man and ran towards Ariadna. The small animal whimpered at her side while rubbing against her.
"Ruddiger never liked seeing a child hurt." Finally said the young man while he came closer. His voice had a calm tone. "I know that very well."
"But what the hell is wrong with that guy!?" Cassandra snapped while also walking closer.
"Nothing's wrong with him, he's only taking advantage of the defenseless, like always." He outstretched his hand towards the girl to help her get up.
Ariadna observed the young man with empty eyes. His behavior seemed very strange to her. She heard so much about him. She hesitated for a few more seconds, but in the end, she accepted his hand and, with his help, stood up.
"He's my guardian. When Luzbel is not around, I must obey him. Nigel didn't want my father around. He doesn't want me either..." The little girl did a long pause, thinking of something. "Hey....do you guys know what 'Bastard' means? They always call me that, but they don't tell me what that is."
"Nigel hates the king?" Asked Varian, a little confused.
"No. King Luzbel is not the father of Ariadna. She is the daughter of Eugene, right?" She turned to see the little girl's face. "That night, Raps must've ended up pregnant, isn't that right?"
"Huh?" Asked the little girl as she watched them, not understanding. "Yes, Eugene is the name of my father."
"Wait," added Varian in disbelief. "Are you trying to say that after the wedding with Luzbel, Rapunzel and Eugene had se-"
"Yeah, yeah. Shhh!" Cassandra interrupted him and covered his mouth with her hands so that he won't continue for another second. "You're old enough to understand this without needing anyone to explain." Cassandra looked towards the little girl, who had a confused expression on her face. The lady sighed.
"Ariadna..." She carefully thought of her words. "Bastard means that your mother has been with another man while she was married to the king. And from that unlawful relationship, you were born. That's why, although your mother is the queen, your father isn't the king, but Eugene. The man who your mother really loved."
"Oh...That means that I have caused problems for my mother..." The shine from the little girl's eyes had turned off.
"Oh, no, sweetie! Of course not." The lady took the girl's shoulders to look at her face with a motherly expression in her eyes.
"Technically, yes." Added the young alchemist without a problem.
"Varian!" Cassandra turned her face to look at him in irritation. "Do you want -!?"
"But actually, no," he continued. "You didn't decide to come, she herself got into those problems. She was always very clumsy."
"Well..." She said after giving a heavy sigh. "That idiot has a point...Although that last part was unnecessary."
"Yes, it's true...Mother is dumb sometimes!" A tiny smile was traced on her injured face. "But even so, I love her very much. I'm very anxious to see her again...Even though it may be the last time..."
"Last time?" Both adults repeated in unison.
"What are you talking about? How is it the last?" Added Cassandra. However, Varian looked away without saying another word. It seemed that he didn't care for everything being said.
"That man has not done anything else besides experiment on her...Mother is sick...Her body and her mind are damaged..." Tears strolled down her cheeks while she talked. "She has very terrible nightmares and frightening visions. She also has hurt herself...she even tried to take her own life! My mother is broken..."
Ruddiger climbed over the girl's shoulder and placed himself on her shoulder to rub against her cheek while purring, finding a way to make her feel better. Ruddiger was really sweet in trying to lift the little girl's spirits, but the young alchemist looked at him with an expression that could easily be read as saying "traitor". He later sighed and looked towards the ground.
"Broken, huh?" He repeated as if he only cared for that part.
"Experimented? Oh, God..." Cassandra looked at the other side. "...You think that if we finish with the king...She...She'll finally be free?" That idea sounded hopeful to Cassandra, but Varian frowned where they couldn't see him. He didn't take any pleasure in that idea.
"I don't know," Said Ariadna while she watched curiously at the animal on her shoulder. "I haven't seen her since I was five years old. I don't know how much worse she's gotten. But I am sure of one thing. Whatever it is that made her feel bad, it has to do with you." Her eyes pinned on Varian. "She always mentions you. She's always begging for your forgiveness."
"Huh?" Varian turned his face towards the girl. "To me?"
"I suppose that..." Added Cassandra. "She still feels guilty for what happened at that event."
"That event? Oh! Are you talking about the time she abandoned me in the storm, I lost my father, I became an outcast, then a criminal, and I finished being how I am today? Yeah, I suppose you're right. I'm sure that's what worries her." His tone of sarcasm and cynicism bothered Cassandra.
"Can't you stop being an imbecile for just one second?" She asked him after taking a long pause in attempting to control herself. The young man faced the other way.
"So that is how it all happened..." The voice and face of the girl were indecipherable. "Alright. If that is the case, then we better hurry...you must go."
The little girl tried to take a few steps, but her body was very mistreated from the hits. She didn't have the strength and she began falling back to the ground. Cassandra and Varian extended towards her to sustain her before she could hit the ground. The lady looked at the young man in surprise. Why he reacted like that? He was trying to hold this little girl keeping her away from the floor, a girl who was the daughter of the person he hated the most. Despite being a criminal, it seemed that he genuinely cared, and that greatly confused her.
"Are you okay?" He said in an instant. "Don't force yourself too much. I can hold you if you want."
"I don't want to be a bother, but...my body really hurts." The girl looked at the ground in shame. "I just remembered that we have to pass by my tower before going and looking for Luzbel and my mother. I must give you guys swords that work against the chimeras," she said with her cheeks reddening. "It doesn't bother you to fight them...Right?"
"Of course not, Princess," Cassandra responded, smiling at the little girl.
Before the woman could do anything, Varian took the girl in his arms and held her in front of his chest. Although his actions were fast, the movement was delicate enough to not cause any pain to the little girl. The soldier looked at him with wide eyes while an uncomfortable silence began to form. Varian glanced at Cassandra and rolled his eyes.
"What? If you don't have any problems, you fight with the chimeras. I'll take care of the girl, it's much simpler." He said while avoiding her look. Cass looked on in disbelief.
"Does it bother you that he takes you?" She asked, looking at the little girl.
"Huh?! Of course not," She glanced at the young man and woman. "Honestly, thanks...It's the first time I received help from adults...Nobody from the town wants to help me fight the chimeras. They are very afraid. I've offered them weapons and I've shown them how to fight, but they've refused. I know that I can't make them, but it's kind of frustrating to always fight alone...One time, I was left very injured after killing a very big chimera. I screamed and screamed, begging for help, and no one came...I was completely alone...Perhaps I did something wrong? I only tried to help..." Finished the girl, lowering her gaze.
Varian looked at the little girl in silence. His eyes did not hold annoyance, but they did not hold indifference either. What the girl had just said had created a feeling in his body. He understood those words, he felt them. Cassandra, on the other hand, looked at the young man. Perhaps it was hurt that she saw in his eyes? He sighed heavily and cleared his throat.
"You did nothing wrong. It's just that the people of Corona tend to be indifferent when someone needs help, no matter how good that person is. And they don't care if they are kids or not. As long as they are safe, the rest doesn't matter."
Cassandra started the other way. She knew that Varian was saying this for the girl, but it was also certain that it had to do with the situation he's lived through. Many years had passed and maybe he still has that pain living in his chest. She didn't know why, but she felt a want to apologize.
"Don't you worry, I'll fight with those things." Cassandra finally said.
The girl smiled at them in silence and she sank into her thoughts. Thanks to her guide, the three had sneaked inside the castle without making any noise or calling any attention. After all, even though the girl accompanied them, they were intruders. They continued moving forward and reached the tower that served as the chamber of the little princess...
Chapter Art
Art By: Kaede02mangaka