Chapter Text
King Fredrick and Queen Arianna sat beside eachother on their thrones, filling out and answering questions or requests the citizens of Corona had.
The Moon provided little light due to the stormy clouds preventing it from shining in through the glass windows, so the couple had opted to light a candle and place it infront of them.
After many moments of silence Fredric stood. "I'm going to my study to finish up." He announced.
Queen Arianna hummed in reply and watched as her husband walked out of the open throne room.
Silently, she went back to reading. Thankfully however, she was pulled out of her melancholy mood by the familiar tapping of shoes on tile.
"Hello, Nigel," She greeted, "What do you need?"
Nigel approached the queen and bowed. It appeared he was carrying a small basket of blankets with a not atop of it.
"Greetings, Your Majesty." Nigel raised his head and began to strut towards the queen. "We had a rather unexpected surprise waiting at the door step to the castle just now. This note should explain everything," Nigel handed her the slip of paper and backed away, still clutching the basket loosely in his arms.
Queen Arianna opened the folded piece of paper and read it silently.
Dearest Arianna and Fredrick,
As much as I wish I could tell you this message was of good news, I am not one to lie. In truth, mistakes I have past made have reached me and forced me to pay my due. As I've told you in my previous message my wife Ulla has decidedly left to embark on a journey- a journey I sadly do not believe she will survive. Her 'fate' as she calls it. Consequently, this has left me alone with my son Varian. You must not have known it before but when first born my son was ill, and in a desperate attempt to save him, I took hold of the MoonStone, which is now stored inside of my boy. This caused a fear not yet come true until only days ago. A strange woman came and tried to take my son. I fended for him but I believe not for long and would rather him safe. I know he will never replace your daughter you have lost, but I hope he may fill part of your heart that has been taken. I can only hope that you love him half as much as I do, he is a good child after all. I can only pray I return one day, once it is safe, to see him. Until then...
Dearest regards, Quirin
Arianna stared at the letter for some time before she heard the tapping of shoes once more.
"Your Majesty," Nigel spoke as he outstretched the basket in his arms. Arianna took it from him and lifted out the bundle to cradle the small inhabitant.
The baby only stirred as it was picked. The queen lifted part of the blanket from his face to take it in. The infant had tan skin with freckles scattered across. On his head black hair appeared, an odd teal streak to the side.
The baby slowly began to open his eyes and Arianna gasped as she saw bright blue eyes. She cooed at the child as she softly rocked him.
Queen Arianna glanced up as Nigel cleared his throat, "If I may suggest Your Majesty, we should really bring him to the nearest orphanage. No person should be dropping peasant children off at a castle!"
"No..." Arianna murmured softly, wiggling her finger over the child's head.
"But Yo-" Nigel started before being cut off. "No 'Buts'. Go fetch me Fredrick, will you Nigel?"
Nigel simply bowed his head and left to go find the king. While Arianna waited for her husband she stood and cooed at the child, cradling him in her arms.
Varian reached up to grab at the gem in Queen Arianna's necklace. It was a oval gem with swirling orange and teal colours. She removed it from her neck and set it in the small child's hand. He immediately put it in his mouth and began to chew on it.
Just then Fredrick walked through the doors, a pen tucked behind his ear. "What do you need darling?"
"It's best if you see yourself..." She replied quietly.
She handed Fredrick the note as he stared confused at the child in her arms.
After reading it he was silent.
"...I assume you want to keep him..?" He asked.
"Well of course. He will never replace our Rapunzel but he will certainly try to fill up our hearts..."
King Fredrick hummed in response, "And what shall we tell the maids and subjects?"
"Just tell them... We did not want a lost prince either...." She said somberly.
~~~
The next morning maids were gathered in a circle around the queen cooing. They were mesmerized by the young child that giggled and tried to grab at their fingers.
"Oh, why did you hide him from us, Your Majesty?" One of the maids asked.
Queen Arianna was quiet for a moment before replying, "We didn't want the same thing that happened to the princess to fall upon the prince..."
The maids all went silent and dipped their heads in sorrow.
~~~
Queen Arianna and Friendrick were huddled over a small desk, pencil and paper in hand. They whispered quietly to eachother before they heard a door opening.
They turned and their eyes fell upon Nigel.
"Your Majesties.... I'd like to have a... discussion, with you.." He said hesitantly.
Arianna sighed, already knowing what was to come. "I have already told you, Nigel. Varian will not be going to an orphanage. We are keeping him and that's final." She said sternly.
Nigel's lips pressed into a thin line before letting out a forced, "Of course, Your Majesty." Before turning towards the door.
"Uh wait! Nigel, before you go, drop this off to Xavier. We need it forged." King Fredrick shouted out. Nigel walked over and outreached his hand in which the King placed a piece of paper into.
Nigel studied it for a moment. There appeared to be a crown drawn on and with little note on the side with arrows pointing to certain places. It was a silver Greek style tiara, part of it meaning to go under the hair while it came together at the middle front, swirling to hold a cyan and yellow marble patterned gem. The leaves were replaces with thin silver that swirled between eachother.
"Right away, Your Majesty." Nigel replied and walked out.
~~~
A few months later Varian was toddling quickly around the castle, chasing after people while shouting out words like "Momma" and "Dadda"
Varian crawled into his mother's bedroom over to her stool and pulled himself up, outreaching his arms to be picked up.
"Oh good job, Little Moon!" Arianna laughed, a wide grin on her face. It was a genuine smile that hadn't showed since the loss of the princess. However, they had been popping up more and more around the castle ever since Varian showed her his new trick.
She lifted Varian up into her lap and reached over her head to grab a small box which held the finished crown inside. The chest had a field of sunflowers painted on each side, similar to that of the lost princess'. This one, however, had a night sky rather than a clear blue one. The moon hung high, casting a warm glow over the sunflowers and fireflies that bounces about the box, blending in with small stars. In the center there was a jumble of pieces intended to be pushed together as a star.
She set it in Varian's small hands as he let out a noise of awe. He turned it over and around, studying ever inch of the box before fidgeting with the puzzle on the front.
Varian has just started teething recently, leading Arianna to worry he would chew on the ground. Hence the puzzle on the box.
Arianna had always known Varian was a smart child. He learned shapes and colours, even how to walk and talk, earlier than most children his age. Fredrick, however, seemed to doubt the child's intelligence, worrying the original puzzle would be too difficult and insisting they simplify it to this.
Arianna sighed in relief as she was proven right in her confidence as her turnedtogether the final piece to form the star.
The box clicked open and Varian squealed in delight and clapped his hand together.
"Good job Varian!" Arianna praised the child.
Varian lifted the lid of the chest fully open and picked up the all-to-large-crown and lifted it up as he turned to his mother. "What is?" He asked, his words slurred due to young age.
Arianna brushed hair out of the young boy's face. "It is a crown. Like mine and Dadda's." She told him.
He let out another awed garble and paused as if trying to remember something.
He let out a quiet gasp and then turned to his mother and hugged her, "Thank you!" He shouted out.
Arianna's heart melted. Oh, how she loved Varian.
~~~
"I really think you should spend more time alone with Varian. He needs his father." Queen Arianna said, breaking the silence as they lay in bed.
King Fredrick turned over to face his wife. "His father?"
Arianna had already tucked Varian into bed for the night, not wanting to hear them fight, even if he is young.
"Yes. His father." She said stiffly.
"His true father is gone... How could I ever take his place." He said somberly.
Arianna looked at him sorrowfully. "This isn't just about his father is, Fredrick...?" She asked though she already knew the answer.
Fredrick sighed, "I, I just feel so guilty. So horrible for replacing our daughter... and hes not even our birth son!" He exclaimed in a hushed whisper.
Arianna understood. She took felt some amount of guilt at seemingly replacing their daughter.
"Its just hard to think that while we're here spending time and loving Varian... she could be out there with someone bad, someone who doesn't love her nearly as much as we do..." Fredrick continued, looking away and laying down. Arianna layed back as well and stared up at the ceiling.
Arianna sighed and asked a question that had been bothering her recently. "If it was up to you would you have sent him to an orphanage?"
Fredrick turned to her surprised, "Of course not! Quirin entrusted the boy to us..."
"Would you still feel guilty?" She asked.
Fredrick was silent for a moment, staring up at the ceiling.
"Im not sure..." he said after a moment.