Hugo and Amber's Guide to Crashing a Wedding

The day was bright and sunny, with not a cloud in the sky. A slight breeze rustled through the bushes, ruffling the hair of anyone not fortunate enough to have it covered. Everything was painted in a warm, buttery light, giving a sense of hope and optimism to everyone walking around outside. 

Everyone, that is, except for two people, alone in the Coronan palace gardens. 

“What should I even say to her?” Nuru asked, her curly hair bouncing as she paced around. The Kotoan princess was anxiously wringing her hands, trying to sound out what to say next. “You know how much this marriage means to our families. How do I tell my mother that I can’t go through with it?”

Sitting under a tree a few feet away, Varian watched his friend pace. He himself was biting his lips nervously, nearly making himself bleed. He would’ve been doing the same thing to his nails if Ruddiger, his faithful raccoon, hadn’t been taking up his hands by demanding pets. 

“I don’t know. I’m trying to think of possible ways to break it to them, but nothing I’ve come up with would work,” he said helplessly. “I don’t think they’d listen if we told them right now, either. They didn’t listen to me when I tried to talk to them before, and they’re so caught up in trying to prepare for the ceremony now that they’d probably just push our conversation aside.” 

Nuru shot him a grin. “Still recovering from that run-in with the decorators this morning, huh?” she said, watching him deflate in embarrassment.

The two of them had been walking in the halls of the palace together, talking in hushed whispers, when the royal decorators had cornered them and ushered them into the throne room. Servants had innocently piled dozens of bouquets of flowers around them for them to choose from. Poor Varian had spent the morning looking like an imbecile as he sneezed his head off before Nuru dragged him outside in a desperate attempt to calm his raging allergies. 

“Rapunzel wasn’t there, she would’ve told them that I’m sensitive to pollen if she had been,” Varian said. Even then, he still felt slightly skeptical. His sister had been so busy preparing for the wedding that she had missed their weekly drawing session. She never did that! She was always so intentional about setting aside time to spend together, so the fact that she’d miss something like that was truly a warning sign about just how much she was invested in the wedding. 

There was a poof of purple skirts, and then Nuru settled herself down next to Varian. “They just want the best for us,” she said, but she sounded more like she was trying to convince herself rather than him. 

Varian snorted. “Really? Honestly, it was Fred who came up with this whole bogus proposal. He just wants to make some powerful friends. Rapunzel and Eugene are only on board because they think I’m in love with you. As for your mom, well, I don’t really know what her deal is…” Varian trailed off. For all her complaints, Nuru still deeply loved her mother, and he didn’t want to risk offending her by making assumptions. 

Nuru blew the breath out of her cheeks. “She wants me to be safe. She’s said it before, but she didn’t want to give us away to whatever suitor came calling. I guess… I guess she thinks that you’re a safe person for me to be with,” she said, twisting the edge of her skirt in her fingers. “Besides, Koto needs alliances. Even with the magnets you and Hugo built to deflect the meteorites, our kingdom is still incredibly damaged. Having an alliance would help us to rebuild even faster.” 

As much as Varian hated to admit it, Nuru was right. Her kingdom needed this. And he speculated that Frederic would just be happy to finally have another secure alliance. If it got Varian under control at the same time, well, even better. 

Sun above, he hated that guy. 

He slumped over, resting his head on Nuru’s shoulder as his gloved hands softly carded through Ruddiger’s fur. The raccoon chittered in pleasure, rolling over onto his back so that Varian could rub his belly. 

“So we can’t tell them,” he said softly. “What does that mean for us? Do you have any ideas?” 

Dark fingers reached up, reassuringly rubbing circles on Varian’s back. “We’ll figure it out. Who knows? Maybe we’ll be able to hire Amber and Hugo and have them sneak into the palace,” Nuru said. Varian could hear the sly grin in her voice. 

“Pfft, like that would go over well. Do you have any idea how much of a snoop Freddy is? He always thinks I’m going to do something bad again. I swear he has guards posted in the walls to make sure I stay in line,” Varian said exaggeratedly. Nuru giggled before twisting to poke him in the side. 

“Okay, so we wouldn’t hire them here. Maybe if we moved to Koto…” The look on Varian’s face killed that idea as soon as it left her mouth. “Okay then. No moving away.” 

For a moment, the two of them just sat in the quiet, sunny morning. Varian hesitated, then sighed. “We could always… you know… run away.” 

Nuru tensed, and he automatically knew it was a bad idea to offer that. “I can’t abandon my kingdom. Do you have any idea how much shame would be brought on my family if I ran away? On my mother? My sisters? My brother? I can’t do that to them!” she said, sounding hopelessly resigned. 

“There has to be something we can do!” Varian said, feeling old frustration well up in his chest. 

“What can we do, Var? I mean, you’ve tried talking to Rapunzel. I’ve tried talking to my mother. Neither of them listened! Short of just rejecting each other at the altar, there’s not much we can do to stop this!” Nuru said, her own tone rising to match Varian’s. 

“I-” A sudden rustling in the bushes cut him off. Varian whipped his head around, his hand automatically reaching for his belt where he kept his alchemical bombs. Nuru herself launched upright, settling into a defensive position. 

“Who’s there? Come out!” Nuru said, her voice ringing with the confidence of a princess who knew how to kick ass. 

The bush rustled for another moment, then a second later, a red haired girl fell out of the vegetation. “I like girls,” she said, grinning up at them through a soot smudged face. 

Nuru’s face lit up, and she rushed forward. “Amber! Are you okay?” she said, helping the redhead to her feet. She immediately hugged her, resting her chin on her shoulder despite the leaves and grease covering the girl’s clothing. 

Amber let out a laugh, hugging Nuru back gingerly so as not to mess up her dress. “I’m fine, Ru. Just sneaking in to see my favorite people.” She looked around Nuru’s shoulder at Varian, who had relaxed back against the tree. Her eyes, bright and blue, matched his own. “Hey, cuz!” 

“Hey, Amber,” Varian said, smiling softly. Nuru pulled away from hugging Amber and immediately began to pluck the various leaves out of Amber’s unruly ponytail. Amber swatted at her hands, the two of them giggling all the while. Varian watched the two of them with a happy smile, gently scratching behind Ruddiger’s ears. 

He had been the one who had first introduced Nuru and Amber. Back when he and Nuru had first met, the two of them had traveled to visit his mother’s family in the Earth Kingdom. The second they had walked into the door, Amber had bounded to meet them, enthusiastically shaking Nuru’s hand. One look at Nuru was all it took to realize the princess was smitten. 

And Varian wasn’t a true friend if he didn’t take the time to wingman for her.

Varian had discreetly spent that week leaving the two alone together, letting them spend time together in his family’s makeshift lab, down at the lake behind the house, or sitting on a hill beneath the starry sky. On their last night there, Varian risked a peek at the two of them. 

Amber had been staring at Nuru with an awestruck expression, stars in her eyes as the princess traced out every constellation in the sky. 

After that, the two of them had kept in close contact for a few months before officially becoming a couple, with Amber taking up an internship with a blacksmith in Koto in order to stay close to Nuru. Varian was the one of the two people who knew about their relationship. Once Nuru had moved to Corona about a month ago, she had immediately dropped everything and came to work with Xavier. The old blacksmith was more than happy to have the bubbly redhead helping out, and her proximity to the palace made it easy enough for Varian to sneak her in on account of ‘deliveries for his lab’. 

Although that wasn’t always necessary. Amber, with her thirst for adventure, had taken it upon herself to find ways to sneak into the palace on her own. Varian finally knew how his father felt when he participated in dangerous experiments. Amber had nearly given him a heart attack on multiple occasions when she had just barely escaped being caught by the guards. 

Nuru finally relented and stepped back, leaving Amber’s hair slightly less messy than it was before. She grinned, then trotted over to plop down next to Varian. “You look miserable,” she said bluntly, reaching over his arm to pet Ruddiger. 

He winced. “Is it that obvious?” 

Amber laughed, gently nudging his shoulder with her own. “Yeah, but don’t worry. I’m sure Hugo finds it cute when you sulk,” she said, her grin shifting into something teasing. Varian flushed, then looked at her hopefully. 

“Is- is he here? Did you two come here together?” he asked, peeking past Amber towards the bushes, hoping that his mention would send the blonde tumbling from the bushes just like Amber. 

“No, he had stuff he needed to do. Xavier wanted his help around the smithy since I was going to take a break,” Amber explained. Her smile grew a little more sympathetic as Varian visibly deflated, and she reached over to take his gloved hand. “Don’t worry, he said he was coming by later. He’s not just gonna leave you,” she said firmly. 

Varian was still disappointed, but he believed her. Hugo hadn’t given him any reason to doubt before. He didn’t see a reason to start doubting now. 

Nuru had been sweeping the garden, making sure no one was watching before striding over and sitting down next to Amber. “So, what’ve you got for us? I know you aren’t showing up just to show up. Did something happen?” she asked, leaning forward eagerly. Varian noticed the excited expression on his cousin’s face, and he too leaned forward to hear what she had to say. 

Amber hesitated for half a second, glancing around to make sure no one was listening, before leaning forward. “We have a plan to get you out of this marriage,” she said, her eyes glinting with mischief. 

“Really? Do you actually?” Varian said, tightening his hold on Amber’s hand. Ruddiger chittered in annoyance at the disappearance of attention, but Varian ignored him, resting his weight on his free hand. Nuru had grabbed Amber’s other hand, her face alight with hope. 

“Yeah. Me and Hugo, we have a plan, and we think it’ll work. But we need your help to make it work, Var,” she said. Varian felt a tingling in his fingertips, nerves alighting at the promise of alchemical mischief. 

“What do you have in mind?” he whispered, leaning so far forward that their foreheads were practically touching. Nuru was leaning in, too, scooting so that they formed a huddle around each other. Amber smirked, then shook her head. 

“I can’t say it now. It’ll be easier to explain when we all are together. Plus, I don’t wanna tell you and risk someone hearing,” she breathed, her voice barely loud enough to hear. “All I can say now is that we’ll need your ship designs. We’ll meet in Varian’s room at midnight to explain, alright?” 

The sudden cutoff in conversation took Varian aback. “Wait, Amber, what else do we need to do? Is there anything else we should do?” he asked, rushing to get the words out as his cousin backed away. Amber just smiled, pressing a finger to his lips. 

“Tonight, midnight, your room. Be ready,” she said, backing towards the flower bushes she had come from. After a pause, she swiped a daffodil out of the garden bed, then passed it to Nuru with a wink. She dove into the foliage a second later, disappearing into the brush as quickly as she had appeared. 

Nuru and Varian sat together, stunned. Nuru glanced down at the flower, a blush painting her cheeks. She tucked it above her ear with a soft smile, where it glowed a bright yellow against her dark curls. 

“Did you hear her right?” Varian asked slowly. “They have a way out of this?”

“Knowing them, it’s probably going to be some harebrained scheme that makes absolutely no sense and yet somehow still works in the end,” Nuru said, smiling fondly. “Whatever we need to do, I’m willing to do it. I’ll do it for her.” 

Varian couldn’t help but admire the quiet determination in his friend’s voice. Nuru had always carried herself with confidence, and he never once doubted that she was more than capable of doing anything she put her mind to. He reminded him a lot of Rapunzel that way. 

Maybe that was why he and Nuru had never hit it off romantically. He reminded her too much of his sister, and apparently he reminded her of her younger brother. 

He was perfectly fine with having that kind of relationship, if only their families would stop trying to make them get married. 

The sound of a gate rattling caught his attention, and both he and Nuru whipped their heads around to look behind them. Rapunzel and Eugene walked into the garden, with Nuru’s mother, Queen Ahdra, right behind them. The trio caught sight of Nuru and Varian and began strolling towards them, Rapunzel with a brilliant smile on her face. 

“Hey, you two! We were looking all over for you!” she said, waving brightly. Varian couldn’t help but smile back, despite the nerves twisting in his gut. He stood up, with Nuru following him quickly. Rapunzel immediately bounded forward, wrapping him in a hug. She pulled back, holding him by the shoulders, then shot a significant glance at the flower in Nuru’s hair. “Aw, look at you, spending quality time together. You two are just so cute!”

Varian’s smile tried to twist into a grimace, but thankfully, he kept his face under control. “Yeah, yeah, princess,” he said, shoving her lightly. Rapunzel just giggled. 

An arm wrapped around his shoulders, and he was pulled backwards into Eugene’s hug. The older man affectionately rubbed his knuckle against Varian’s head, causing him to let out an indignant shriek. “Eugene! Hey! Stop it!” he said, his laugh sneaking into his words. Eugene started laughing too, then released him. 

“Sorry, kid. I couldn’t help it! Look at you, my little boy, growing up so fast,” Eugene said, wiping away a fake tear- wait. 

“Are you actually crying?” Varian asked, leaning in to squint at his brother/cousin’s face. 

“No!” Eugene said, dragging his arm across his face in a desperate attempt to keep up the lie. “It’s just you’re grown up now… my little bro is going to get married… it seems like yesterday you were geeking out in the lab over Demanitus… and now you’re so much older… ” 

Rapunzel smiled at her husband, gently rubbing his shoulder. “Alright, there’ll be enough time for that on the wedding day,” she said teasingly. She looked over at Nuru, who was hugging her mother. “It’s only two weeks until the big day, and everything is coming together so well! I bet you two are so excited!” 

Nuru and Varian shot a glance at each other. “I’m honestly more nervous,” Varian admitted. It wasn’t a lie. But it wasn’t the entire truth either. Rapunzel, thankfully, didn’t pry. 

“Aw, don’t worry. We’ll be right there with you. It’s normal to feel nervous, but you’re gonna have everyone here to support you,” she said, reaching out to rub his arm. He smiled shyly at her, then flinched when she pulled back and clapped her hands together. “Oh! I almost forgot! The decorators tracked me down and said they still needed you to choose a flower for the wedding.” 

“Apparently, the two of you left in quite a rush earlier. They had no idea where to find you,” Queen Ahdra said, smiling gracefully. 

Varian sighed. “My allergies started getting really bad, we had to leave so that I could stop sneezing for a few minutes,” he explained sheepishly. Rapunzel frowned, then patted his shoulder. 

“Hm. I told them that you were sensitive to pollen… or did I? I can’t remember,” she admitted, running a hand through her short brown hair. “There’s been a lot going on. I’m so sorry I forgot about that. Do you want me to pick for you guys?” she asked, looking between the two of them. 

Nuru nodded. “I’m sure you’ll know what will look best,” she said, smiling brightly. Varian had to admire her poker face. She knew how to put her best face forward no matter what, which was a skill that he was severely lacking in. 

He was getting better, though. Hugo's insistence on playing strip poker on game nights certainly motivated him to keep his face under control. Though it didn’t get any easier when he won…

Rapunzel nodded, snapping him out of his thoughts. “Of course! I already have some ideas. I’ll bring them by once I’ve made a choice just to make sure you guys are okay with what I have in mind,” she said. She pulled Varian into a hug once more, and he could feel Eugene wrap his arms around the two of them as well. “We’re gonna get through this, okay? Just two more weeks, and then you can be happy to do your own thing without any of this fancy ceremonial pompousness,” she assured him. 

Despite the twisting feeling in his gut, Varian laughed. “I can’t wait for it to be over,” he said, leaning into the hug. A quick glance to his right told him that Nuru was hugging her mother as well, the Queen gently stroking her daughter’s hair and whispering something to her. 

When they finally pulled back from the hug, Rapunzel beamed at them brighter than the sun overhead. “Well, we’ll leave you guys to it! There’s plenty of preparation that needs to happen- you guys deserve to have a little peace and quiet,” she said, stepping away. Eugene shot Varian a stern look. 

“That doesn’t mean you can just avoid everyone forever! I will tell the servants how to get into your lab if you try to lock yourself in there!” he warned. 

“Eugene, you don’t even know how to get into my lab,” Varian said, placing his hands on his hips. 

“Oh ho ho, was that a challenge I heard?” Eugene said, raising an eyebrow. He puffed out his chest importantly. “Don’t worry, my young alchemist. I’ll find a way past your cunning traps yet.” 

Varian glanced around his cousin to Rapunzel. “Call me if you need me to get him out,” he said, grinning impishly. Rapunzel gave him the OK sign before dragging her husband out of the garden. 

“See you guys later!” she called, striding away with Eugene at her side. Nuru’s mother watched them go, then glanced over at Varian. He quickly remembered to give a slight bow, to which she smiled in approval and gracefully followed her fellow royals. 

It was tense and silent for a moment, and then he and Nuru let out twin sighs of relief. 

“I hope Amber knows what she’s doing,” Nuru said, biting her lip nervously. 

Varian nodded in agreement, reaching down to pick up Ruddiger. The raccoon chittered happily as he settled onto his perch around Varian’s neck. “We’ll find out whatever they have in mind later. For now, let’s just try to enjoy today. It’s pretty nice out, and I don’t want to have to spend my day worrying,” he said, reaching up to stroke Ruddiger’s head. 

Nuru still looked nervous, but she sighed. “Seems fair,” she said. After a pause, she shot a grin at Varian. “Wanna steal some cookies from the kitchen and crash the library for some books to bring out here?” 

He smiled back, pivoting on his heel to walk inside. “You read my mind,” he said, slowing to match Nuru’s pace as she came to walk next to him. 

For a while, he could relax. They’d have a way out of the marriage soon enough. 

He just hoped he could survive for two more weeks.

-o-

The moon was high in the sky, a slim crescent that barely did anything to brighten the landscape. 

In the night, a figure took full advantage of the darkness, moving around freely without any fear of detection. 

The figure slipped into the castle courtyard, keeping confined to the shadows. The guards took no notice of the figure as they clambered up the side of the castle, hooking their feet and hands on windowsills to pull themself up further. After a pause, the figure leapt off of the wall, jumping for an open window on the wall directly across from them.

For a brief, exhilarating moment, the figure hung weightless in the air. 

Then, they landed heavily against the wall, hands clutching the windowsill as their feet thumped lightly against the stone. Quickly, they pulled themselves up, settling into a crouch on the windowsill as they scanned the room. 

It was empty, but for a young dark haired man sitting on the bed, his back facing the window. 

The figure smiled. Perfect. 

Silently, they crept forward, avoiding the numerous diagrams, vials and beakers scattered across the floor. In the corner, a raccoon lay on a plush pillow, only rolling over to get more comfortable as the figure passed by them. They paused, calculating the best way to proceed, then lunged, wrapping one hand around the young man’s mouth and the other around his waist. 

Varian let out a muffled shriek as he was pulled backwards, and he immediately tried to twist out of the figure’s grasp. A second later, he felt familiar lips on his neck, and he relaxed, only for the kiss to turn into a light bite. 

“Mhm, hmph, hm!” he said, though his protest was lost in the leather of the figure’s glove. Slowly, the hand slid from his mouth to pin his arms in place. “ Hugo, ” he hissed as soon as he could talk again. “ What are you doing? ” 

Hugo hummed, trailing his lips along Varian’s neck while simultaneously ignoring Varian’s shuddering breathing. “I missed you,” he said quietly. He pressed a kiss to the spot where Varian’s jaw and neck met, sucking at the skin despite Varian’s quiet struggle. “What, am I not allowed to do this?”

Varian’s breathing hitched, and he struggled to twist and face Hugo despite the iron arm keeping him in place. “I- I mean- Nuru and Amber are supposed to be coming too-” His words died when Hugo’s teeth ghosted along his ear before returning to his jaw. As tempting as it was to continue letting Hugo maul his neck, it would be midnight in about 20 minutes. Nuru would be showing up soon, and he wanted to preserve what little dignity he still had from the whole wedding ordeal. 

He wiggled his hands behind his back, then dug his fingers into Hugo’s side in a fierce tickle. The blonde let out a yelp, immediately letting go. Varian finally twisted around, facing the intruder who just so happened to be his favorite human. Hugo grumbled, wrapping his arms around his middle protectively. The light from the candle on Varian’s desk glinted off of Hugo’s glasses, giving him an almost owlish look. At the moment, he looked adorably grumpy. 

“Aw, what’s wrong? Sad I’m not letting you keep being improper?” Varian teased. 

Hugo huffed. “I snuck in here early just so that I could spend some time with you, and this is what I get for it,” he said dramatically. He flopped backwards on the bed, stretching out with a grunt before side eyeing Varian. “You wound me, Goggles. After everything I’ve done for you.” 

“Oh, you’ll live,” Varian said, rolling his eyes. He leaned forward, laying on his side next to Hugo. He reached over and took one of Hugo’s hands in his own, twining their fingers together. The blonde smiled softly, bringing his hand towards his mouth to kiss his knuckles. The leather of Hugo’s fingerless gloves was smooth and comforting, a familiar sensation against Varian’s own ungloved hand. For a while, they didn’t say anything, just lay there, happy to be with each other. 

Hugo shifted, pulling Varian on top of him so that they could lay chest to chest. “How was it today?” he asked, his usual snarky tone replaced with concern. Varian sighed, resting his head in the crook of Hugo’s neck. 

“It sucked, ” he said honestly, earning a chuckle from Hugo. “The decorators either didn’t know or forgot that I was allergic to pollen, so that was fun to deal with… me and Nuru just kinda hung out in the garden for most of the day after that. Amber told us to meet you guys here, so at least I’ve had that to look forward to.” 

“How’s your family been during all of this?” Hugo asked, reaching up to trail his long fingers through Varian’s hair. Varian had to resist the urge to close his eyes and doze off with the gentle contact. He was already exhausted from the day. Falling asleep with his boyfriend’s comforting warmth sounded really good.

“They… they still don’t realize I don’t want this,” he said sleepily. “I figured ‘Gene would pick up on it, but… I guess he’s been too busy to notice. Captain of the Guard and all that. And Raps… she really thinks Nuru and I are a cute couple, and she’s the princess, so she has to go along with it anyway.” 

“And you still haven’t told them,” Hugo said, more of a statement than a question. 

“I tried, ” Varian said, his voice more whiny than he would have liked. “I literally sat Eugene down and tried to tell him! But he got called away at the last second for something by Rapunzel. I haven’t gotten a chance to tell him again,” he said helplessly. He buried his face in Hugo’s neck, closing his eyes. “I want to tell them, but this means so much for them… and it’d look really bad if me or Nuru pulled out at the last second.” 

“So you’re telling me that your family, who cares about you and your wellbeing, wouldn’t try to stop this marriage if they knew you didn’t want it?” Hugo said, sounding equal parts skeptical and angry. 

Varian tensed. It wasn’t like he hadn’t heard that argument before. “It wasn’t their idea. It was Frederic and Queen Ahdra’s idea. Political alliance and whatnot,” he muttered bitterly. Hugo sighed, and he wrapped his free arm around Varian. 

“Well, it just sounds like bullshit,” he said bluntly, causing Varian to laugh. “Seriously, though. I know we’ve talked about this before, but I still say it’s worth a try to at least mention to one person in your family that you don’t want this.” 

“I think we both know that it’s gonna be too hard to call anything off now,” Varian said shortly. He leaned back, looking up at Hugo. “But that’s why you and Amber are here, right? You know how hard it’d be to call this off conventionally, so you two came up with an unconventional way for us to get out of it.” 

The excited glint in Hugo’s eyes only confirmed that statement. “It’s a crazy plan, Sweet Cheeks, don’t get me wrong. It’ll be a hell of a job to pull off. But with my charming genius, your machines, and Amber’s techy know-how, I’m willing to bet we can make it work,” Hugo said enthusiastically. Varian laughed, reaching up to brush Hugo’s blonde bangs from his face. 

“I’m excited to hear what you have in mind,” he said softly. He savored the way that Hugo’s face lit up from the attention, how his green eyes shone like emeralds in the candlelight. He leaned forward, pressing a chaste kiss to the blonde’s lips. For half a second, Hugo looked surprised, but then his face melted into a dopey smile. He leaned forward, his gloved hand coming up to cup Varian’s face as he brought their lips together in a longer, deeper kiss. 

Varian felt like he was going to melt. He adored this feeling, the feeling of being wanted so intimately by someone who understood him better than anyone. Rapunzel assumed that he and Nuru got along well because they both loved science, but Nuru had her heart in the stars. Varian’s passion was alchemy, and the only other person who’d ever been able to keep up with him was Hugo. 

At first, he had hated the older boy, who schmoozed his way into palace life under the guise of a loyal, annoying library assistant. It was even more aggravating when Hugo somehow managed to track down his lab, intruding dozens of times and messing around with Varian’s very carefully calibrated experiments. Over time, though, he grew to appreciate how Hugo was able to balance him out, offering him insights that he never would have thought about, each of them offering support when the other fell short. Eventually, he finally realized that normal friends didn't give him butterflies every time he saw them, or made his heart swell when he heard them laugh. 

All it had taken was one tense night with that realization before Varian had broken, tracking down Hugo and spilling out his heart to him. 

And just like before, Hugo was there to support him.

He hadn’t told anyone, of course- his family would never approve. Hugo’s personality wasn’t exactly popular among the royal family, especially Eugene. Plus, there was the small issue of Hugo being a thief. The only reason he had come to the palace was to steal the royal jewels to send off to his mentor/kinda adopted mother, Donella. He had reluctantly told Varian about it a few days after they had confessed to each other, and, well, Varian was nothing if not stubborn when it came to protecting those he loved. 

Besides, it’s not like he hadn’t stolen from the royal vault before. 

Once the crown jewels were sent off, as well as a message from Hugo saying that he was staying, a letter arrived at the palace. Donella herself had written back, giving her blessing and insisting that Hugo be careful. 

So Hugo had stayed, taking up residency with Xavier alongside Amber and regularly sneaking into Varian’s room once the royal family had retired for the night. Those late nights were some of Varian’s favorite times, when they would laugh over the stupidest things and talk about everything that came to mind. It was even better when Hugo would fall asleep with him, glasses smushing against his face in a way that was unfairly adorable. 

Unfortunately, that couldn’t happen tonight. 

A knock at the door snapped him out of his kiss-induced stupor, and he pulled back quickly. “Hide,” he hissed, but Hugo was already moving, clambering into the wardrobe and pulling it shut behind him. Varian quickly brushed out his hair and smoothed out his shirt, trying to make it look like he hadn’t just been making out with someone. 

As soon as he cracked open the door, however, his nerves dissolved into relief. “Hey, Nuru,” he whispered, opening the door just enough for her to slip inside. Once she was in, he let out a breath, quickly locking the door behind her. 

“Are they here?” Nuru asked, drawing her robe tighter around herself. Varian walked over and tapped rhythmically on the wardrobe, prompting the door to open and Hugo to come tumbling out, landing in a heap on the ground.

“Hey, Starlight,” Hugo said, grinning up at her with a nonchalant wave.

“Hey, beanpole,” Nuru shot back, matching his smile. Her smile faded somewhat, and she glanced at the window. “Are… you the only other one here?”

“What, am I not enough for you?” Hugo teased. He sat upright, running a hand through his hair. “Amber’s on her way. She said she needed to grab a few things- for what, I don’t know. But she’ll be here soon.” 

“Oh. Okay,” Nuru said, sounding slightly disappointed. Hugo snorted, then pushed himself to his feet. He marched back to the bed, jumping onto it and seizing one of the pillows to bury his face in. He let out a sigh as he sank into the feathery fluff.

“Goggles, can I steal this from you?” he asked, his voice muffled by the fluffy pillow. Varian rolled his eyes, moving to sit back on the bed. He had to bite his tongue to keep from saying something sappy like You already stole my heart, what does a pillow matter now? 

Suns, Rapunzel’s romantic side was wearing off on him. 

Nuru joined him a second later, patting his shoulder. “How are you feeling?” she asked, her golden eyes bright with concern. Varain thought for a moment, then shrugged. 

“Better. Still nervous, obviously, but better.” He sighed. “I just want Amber to get here so we can talk about how we’re getting out of this.” 

There was a shuffling sound from behind them, startling the trio into turning around and facing the window. The sound continued for a few moments, and then a duffle bag was thrown over the windowsill, landing heavily on the floor. Ruddiger startled awake from his bed, hissing in alarm. A second later, a hooded figure followed the bag, flopping onto the ground. 

“Ask and you shall receive, cuz,” Amber said, throwing back her hood with a broad smile. Nuru rushed forward, helping the redhead to her feet and guiding her over to the bed. 

“Are you okay? You’re not hurt?” Nuru asked, worriedly brushing off Amber. Amber shrugged and waved her off, a half grin on her face, before snagging the handle of the duffle bag with her foot and dragging it towards them. Varian stared at it, then glanced at his cousin curiously. 

Hugo had slid off the bed, and he scampered over to grab the bag and unzip it. With a dramatic flair, he pulled out a collapsible easel, quickly setting it up in front of the bed. Amber reached into the bag next, pulling out a stack of posters. She set them up meticulously, then stepped back, allowing Varian and Nuru to see the posters. 

The first poster in the stack, in big, bold lettering, read CRASHING A WEDDING 101: HOW TO RUIN AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE. 

Varian raised an eyebrow, shifting his gaze between Amber and Hugo. “How straightforward,” he said dryly. Hugo held a hand to his heart, a mock wounded expression on his face. 

“You judge so quickly, Hairstripe! At least let the masters lay out the plan,” he said, gesturing to himself and Amber. Amber grinned, then swiped the first poster off and slid it to the back. The second poster took him a second to decipher, and judging by Nuru’s expression, she wasn’t sure what it was either. A moment, later, though, his eyes widened.

It was an exact diagram of the royal hall. The hall where the wedding in question was meant to take place. 

The various doodles across the diagram, however, drew his attention. 

He recognized a few of the symbols from his lab- various markings that he used to label certain compounds- stenciled on specific areas of the hall. There were also some symbols he didn’t recognize, around the edges of the hall. Varain tilted his head, squinting at them. 

“We have a plan to get you two out of this wedding,” Amber said, her smile glinting in the candlelight. She reached behind the posters, pulling out cutouts with cartoony drawings of his family, as well as Nuru’s. Seconds later, drawings of himself and Nuru followed. 

Hugo reached over, posting the drawings on certain sections of the poster. “With our entirely professional diagrams, we shall reveal our master plan to you, including how we plan on kicking your cousin’s ass- sorry, Varian- and successfully distracting all the guards so that we can sneak you out into freedom!” He slapped on a drawing of himself and Amber, right above the ones of Varian and Nuru. Varian snorted at how exaggeratedly handsome Hugo had drawn himself, and he only started laughing harder when he saw Amber had given herself a suit of armor and huge biceps. 

Amber giggled, then reached behind the poster with a devilish grin. “However, before we do that, there’s one more piece of the puzzle we need…” 

With a dramatic flourish, she whipped out one final cutout. 

Varian’s heart plummeted to his stomach when he saw it. 

“That’s… that’s the ship I built for the Saporians,” he said, his voice shaking. Even years later, the memory of Andrew, the leader of the Saporian insurrectionists, made his pulse quicken. It didn’t help that Andrew had dangled him over the side of said ship, threatening to drop him as a punishment for his betrayal. 

Andrew was still in the dungeons, somewhere below him, likely plotting his revenge at that very moment…

Hugo seemed to pick up on Varian’s sudden unease, because his smile faded. He walked over to Varian, crouching down in front of him and taking his hands in his own. “Hey. We’re not going to get them involved, okay? We just need the ship. Just that design, that’s all,” Hugo said, gently tracing circles on the back of his hands. When Varian didn’t respond, he sighed. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to. We can change the plan. As long as you’re comfortable with that.” 

Varian tightened his grip on Hugo’s hands, sighing. “I’m not sure what you have in mind for the ship, so I’ll hear out the rest of the plan. But, if I can’t go through with this…” his voice trailed off. Hugo only nodded, then stood back up, his excitement a little more subdued than before. 

“Anyways…” Amber said slowly, breaking the silence. “We have a plan, and yes, cuz, it does involve the ship. But only the ship. No Saporians in this here scheme, no sir,” she said firmly, tapping the poster. “Again, if you can’t do it, then we’ll figure something else out. But sit down and buckle up, because you need to hear the rest of this first.” 

As she and Hugo launched into the details of their plans, complete with a mock puppet show Amber did with the cartoon cutouts of each of them, Varian could feel his anxiety starting to ease. The plan was insane- of course it was, his mentally unstable cousin and practically-brain-dead boyfriend had come up with it- but the most important part was that it could work. 

That thought struck him with such clarity that he nearly fell back on the bed. “This could work,” he murmured, excitement growing. He glanced over at Nuru, a wide grin breaking out on his face. “Nuru, this could work! We won’t have to go through with the wedding if this works!” 

Nuru’s smile was just as wide as his, and she turned to fix her golden gaze on Amber. “Whatever you need me to do to make this work, I’ll do it. Just tell me,” she said, confidence and determination echoing in her tone. Varian usually forgot that she was a princess, given how much he saw her as just a friend, but it was moments like that that truly revealed her nature. 

Amber grinned ruefully. “Sorry, hon, but we don’t exactly have a specific role for you… All we need you to do is sit there and look pretty in order to distract the rest of the royal family while Varian over here works on the ship. That is, if he wants to,” she said, looking over at him. 

Hugo was watching him, too. Despite his carefully guarded expression, Varian could see the desperate glimmer of hope on the blonde’s face. He steeled himself. “I’ll do it,” he said. “If that’s what it takes to get us out of here, I’ll build the ship. I just need the materials, and a secluded place to work on it… we only have a week until the wedding, so I’m guessing it would be easier for us to take one of the old ships and reframe it…” he trailed off, his mind already spinning away into calculations. 

He was knocked out of his thoughts, however, when Hugo tackled him in a hug. He yelped slightly as the momentum threw him on his back on the bed, Hugo flopped on top of him, hugging him tightly. “We’re gonna make this work, Goggles,” Hugo said, his expression bright and hopeful. “We’re gonna do this. Then, once this works, nothing will be able to keep us apart.” 

Varian’s nerves dissolved completely as he listened to Hugo, and he began laughing. “It will work. I trust you two,” he said, gently brushing the blonde’s bangs out of his face. Hugo’s smile was so brilliant that it made Varian’s heart hurt, and he pressed their foreheads together. 

Off to their left, Amber laughed. “Well, once you finish with that, I can tell you where all the materials are,” she said. Varian glanced over at her, nodding at her to continue. Hugo just shifted slightly so that he was next to Varian, still holding onto one of Varian’s hands. Amber rolled her eyes, a crooked grin on her face, then marched to stand in front of them. 

“We already have the old ship. We were able to use Xavier’s information to get it delivered to us from the scrapyard, and me and Hugo snuck it to a nice safe spot out in the woods. Not telling you how- that’s a trade secret. All we need is for you to find a way to sneak over to work on it,” Amber said. Varian nodded again, slower this time. It would be nearly impossible to sneak out, what with so many people wanting his say so for the wedding…

“I’ll cover for you,” Nuru said, reaching over to hold his free hand. “I can say that you needed some space to clear your head, or that you went to visit your dad. If you get out there and fix that ship, then I’ll find a way to help keep you hidden. Trust me.” 

Varian met her eyes, blue and gold locking onto each other with steely intensity. “I do. And I will,” he said. He could feel the confidence from his companions seeping into him, making him feel a little braver, a little more reckless. If they were going to do this, then by the sun, he’d do his part and do it well. 

“What are we waiting for?” he said, sitting up and cracking his knuckles. “Show me where to find the ship.” 

-o-

Bells were tolling merrily, echoing throughout the streets of the kingdom. It seemed that everyone in Corona was gathering in the courtyard of the royal palace, mingling with the visitors from Koto. Everyone was chattering happily together, excitement lacing each conversation. It seemed that with the oncoming wedding, everyone was in a good mood. 

Everyone, that is, except the bride and groom to be. 

“I don’t know if I can do this, Gene,” Varian said, tugging nervously at his collar. As much as he wanted to tear off the thick suit jacket and change back into his apron and gloves, the royal tailors would never allow it. They had spent far too long on his appearance to let him mess it up only half an hour before the wedding. They hovered around the perimeter of the royal hall, occasionally swooping in to rearrange his hair or smooth out his clothes. 

At his side, his cousin Eugene nudged his shoulder companionably. “Hey, kid, don’t worry,” he said reassuringly. “I felt nervous on my wedding day, too. But trust me. As soon as you see that girl walk down the aisle, everything else will fade away. Nothing else is gonna matter, not even your own nerves.” 

Varian grinned, but it was shaky. Snap out of it, he scolded himself. You have to at least PRETEND to be happy about this. It’s the only way they won’t suspect anything. He shrugged, reaching up to tug at his collar but deciding against it when he caught the stern look one of the tailors sent him from across the room. “I just can’t wait for this to be over,” he said. It was as close to a confession as he could get.

Eugene snorted. “I get it. I never really liked all this royal business. All pompous, showy decor that doesn’t really mean anything. Me and Lance only went to weddings for the free food after,” he said. He ducked his voice, whispering to Varian conspiratorially. “That’s Lance’s excuse for coming and bringing the girls, anyway. I know they want to see you get married, but they’d never admit it.” 

Despite the tension wound up in Varian’s chest, he couldn’t help but laugh. Of course Catalina and Keira would make excuses to make it seem like they didn’t care, when in truth they actually did. Well, Keira would. Catalina was a little bit more transparent in her emotions than her sister was. Still, the two former thieves were just like little sisters to him, and he felt a little lighter knowing that they and Lance would be there. 

Why do all the people I trust most have some kind of a criminal background? Varian thought wearily. Rapunzel, Amber and Nuru were probably the only people he considered close that hadn’t committed some type of felony. Even then, Rapunzel and Nuru tended to bounce around their parent’s rules, and Amber was constantly pushing her luck.

He had strongly considered including Lance and the girls in his plan, given that they would absolutely fight for him if they knew he didn’t want the marriage, but he decided against it. Not only would they want to stop the wedding in the most outrageous, conspicuous way possible, but they’d probably end up offending like 50 different political dignitaries on the way. Better to leave it to the people with some semblance of stealth. 

Guests started to file in, slowly filling the seats. Varian felt his anxiety grow tenfold when he saw just how many people were going to be watching him. Nuru and I won’t have anywhere to hide, nowhere to escape their eyes… A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. There was no way someone wouldn’t be able to tell that he didn’t want to go through with the wedding. He was certain that all the nobles were watching him, judging him, sniffing out his fear and apprehension and weakness just like they always did in court…

“Son.” 

The low, calm voice knocked Varian out of his thoughts and into a flood of relief. “Dad!” he said, turning around. Quirin stood two steps behind him, a soft, tired smile on his face. He couldn’t resist jumping forward, wrapping his arm around the old farmer in a hug. His father gently rested a hand on his back, holding him close. The soft fur of his father’s vest was familiar and comforting, and he finally felt his heart rate slow.

“Look at you,” Quirin said, a hint of pride echoing through his voice. “You look incredibly handsome. See, it doesn’t kill you to dress up every once in a while.” 

“But it does! I’m sweating buckets in this jacket and my hair is so stiff and they made me leave behind my goggles! I always have my goggles! What if something happens and I need them?” Varian protested. 

“Well, then, I suppose we’ll just have to hurry through the wedding so that you can change back into something more comfortable,” Quirin said, chuckling. Varian knew he meant it as a joke, but it still caused his anxiety to swell again. 

“Dad… What if I can’t do this? What if I can’t go through with the wedding?” he asked, stepping back slightly. His father’s look shifted from one of pride to one of gentle concern. 

“You can do this. You’ve been strong through so much. A wedding won’t be the end of you,” Quirin said. 

Yes, it would, Varian’s heart whispered, straying to the memories of green eyes and blonde hair. 

“Once this is all over, you’ll finally have someone who can help you through all of the difficult parts of palace life.” 

But I already have someone. 

“I’m proud of you, son. You’ve come so far over the years, and I’ve never been more honored to call myself your father.” Quirin paused, hesitating, then sighed, his smile growing a little more sad. “I know your mother would be proud as well.” 

Varian’s heart ached. Every time Ulla was mentioned (which was incredibly rare), his heart ached for what could have been. What his life would be like if he had a mother to raise him. His father had done his best, however, and it would be a dishonor to him to back out of something so important now. 

“Your aunt, uncle and I are all cheering you on,” Quirin said, giving him one final pat on the back before walking away. Sure enough, when Varian followed his path, he saw his Aunt Adira and Uncle Hector sitting in the pew, looking thoroughly out of place with their hulking statures and face paint. He shuddered slightly, but still waved slightly to them. Adira cracked a half smile and waved back, while Hector was too busy glaring at the nobles in front of him to notice. 

They weren’t in the front row, Varian realized. They were about two rows back- sure, they were Varian’s family and members of the Brotherhood, an ancient group of knights from the Dark Kingdom- but they weren’t royalty, per se. The rows in front of them were filled with nobles from Corona and Koto, as well as a few ambassadors from other kingdoms. Varian thought he even spotted the crest of Ingvarr, Hugo’s home kingdom, amongst the various colors. 

One thing was certain, though. All those nobles would slow down his family if they ever had to hurry up to the front of the hall. 

He ran his thumb over the cuff of his suit jacket, feeling the small spheres within. Hopefully it shouldn’t come to that, he thought, but he wasn’t certain. 

Eugene tapped his shoulder. “C’mon, little man. It’s almost time,” he whispered. Varian’s heart constricted, but somehow he managed to move next to the altar without passing out. Eugene gently reached over, loosening Varian’s collar ever so slightly. “Just so you’re a little more comfortable,” he murmured before stepping back. 

It was a bit strange that his cousin was more excited about his wedding than he was. 

The bells in the streets slowed to a stop, and an organ began to play. Varian glanced over to see Hookhand pounding away on the keys, stirring up a graceful melody. When the music reached its climax, however, everyone turned to look back at the door as it slowly creaked open. Varian didn’t realize he was holding his breath until his head started to hurt, and he quickly released it. 

Nuru looked stunning. 

Her long, off-the-shoulders white dress reached down to her ankles, the back a bit longer than the front. She held a bouquet of white lilies, and Varian could catch a brief glimpse of an apologetic expression on her face before it shifted back into a regal smile. Not her choice to carry those, then- servants forgot I was allergic again. She wore silver sandals that wound around her ankles, and a silver tiara with a translucent veil hanging from it rested on her head. Varian knew her well enough to know that the different phases of the moon were embroidered into the veil. To top it all off, a moonstone pendant hung around her neck. 

He remembered Nuru telling him about it. “It was a gift from my dad, when I turned eight,” she had said, showing him the box where the necklace was kept. “If I ever get married, I want to be wearing this. Like a little piece of him is still here, walking me down the aisle.” 

It seemed that she was going through with her promise to herself. Even if this wasn’t the marriage she wanted. 

Slowly, she walked down the aisle. Ahead of her, Ruddiger trotted with a pillow in his mouth. A pair of rings rested on them. The raccoon looked incredibly grumpy, having been washed and brushed within an inch of his life, but at least he was being careful. Varian couldn’t imagine it would go over well if his beloved pet lost a pair of royal rings. 

Finally, she stopped, right across from him. He couldn’t deny that she looked enchanting. He grinned slightly, and she grinned back before passing the flowers to her older sister in the front row. 

The priest cleared his throat, then began reading from a book, addressing the crowd. “We are gathered here today to celebrate not just the union of two lives, but the union of two kingdoms,” he said, his voice strong despite how old he was. 

As he waxed on, Varian’s eyes unconsciously flicked to the clock tower outside of the royal hall. He could feel the seconds ticking away, along with his life, his anxiety rising with every moment. It wouldn’t be long before the priest finished his speech, and then they’d have to say I do, and then everything would never be the same-

A dark shape flew outside the window, blocking out the light. The priest paused, and all the guests looked up, muttering in confusion.

Varian’s heart pounded. 

Then, with a burst of shattered glass, smoke poured into the hall. 

Immediately, guards started yelling, and Varian nearly felt someone grab him. He reached out, seizing Nuru’s hand, and nearly got a kick in the groin for his trouble. “ Hey, hey, it’s me, ” he hissed, and Nuru’s attack immediately ceased. 

“Sorry, force of habit,” she said. She leaned close, glancing around with watering eyes. “Where did everyone go?”

It felt like they were alone in the cloud of smoke. He could still hear shouting, could still see blurry shapes rushing about, but no one seemed to be able to locate them. He slipped one of his spheres from his cuff into his hand, running his thumb along it. Ruddiger scampered up his leg and onto his shoulder, where he hissed nervously. 

Suddenly, a tall figure in a dark hood appeared from the smoke. “Time to go,” they said, seizing both Varian and Nuru’s wrists and dragging them through the cloud. 

Varian heard a shout of fury, and he tugged himself backwards. There was a squadron of guards rushing towards them, with his uncle Hector in the lead. 

He looked back towards the figure and raised his arm, making the goo bomb visible as he prepared to throw it. At the last second, the figure yanked him forward, and the bomb fell to the ground, ensnaring the soldiers that got close. Hector tried to leap over it, but he landed short, his boots squelching firmly into the trap. He caught sight of his uncle’s furious glare before he was yanked away. 

Without warning, he was swept off his feet and thrown onto the figure’s shoulder. “HEY! What are you-” he tried to protest, but then the figure was running, Nuru on their other shoulder. They dodged the various guards and nobles that tried to stop them easily, the smoke cloud providing the perfect cover as they raced along.

After what seemed like an eternity but was probably only a few seconds, he and Nuru were practically flung against the wall. Nuru’s crown and veil had fallen off during their ride. A rope was dropped through the window, and the figure threw some leather straps around them to hook them to it before tugging it three times. 

The rope started upwards so quickly that Varian fell forward, slumping against Nuru in an attempt to not get motion sick. He kept his eyes pressed tightly shut as they were pulled up and out the window. When he finally risked opening his eyes a peek, he regretted it. 

The rope was attached to an airship with the Saporian crest on it, and they were dangling hundreds of feet in the air. He quickly reached over, holding Nuru’s hand tight.

The figure was above them, and as he glanced up warily, they scaled the rope faster than a monkey. Once they reached the deck, they grabbed the rope and pulled them up the rest of the way, dumping them in a heap on the deck. Ruddiger immediately ran away across the deck, climbing up the mast to hide in the crow’s nest. Another hooded figure was at the helm, and they immediately began pressing controls and spinning the wheel. A few seconds later, they were flying away from the palace and everyone inside. 

Varian could hear furious shouts coming from the palace, with cries of ‘kidnapping’ echoing through the streets. A few archers tried shooting, but it barely did anything against the solid wood of the ship. They were soaring away into the clouds, where nobody on the ground could see them. 

Once they were sure that they were far enough away to avoid being spotted, Varian and Nuru got to their feet, brushing off their outfits. “You look great,” Varian said, grinning at her. Nuru huffed.

“I’m sure I would look better if some gangly buffoon hadn’t mussed up my outfit!” she said indignantly, but there was a smile on her face. 

“Hey, this ‘gangly buffoon’ just saved you two,” the figure said. He threw back his hood and pulled down his mask, revealing Hugo’s shining green eyes and triumphant smirk. With a few quick strides, he was in front of Varian, his hands coming up to gently cup Varian’s face. His expression slowly faded into one of soft admiration. 

“You look incredible,” he whispered, one of his hands slowly moving to the small of Varian’s back. Varian grinned, allowing himself to be tugged closer to Hugo. Hugo’s other hand moved to rest on Varian’s head, gently trailing through his hair. 

“I can’t believe it worked, ” Varian whispered. The full weight of the situation hit him, and he began laughing maniacally. “Hugo, it WORKED! It worked! Nuru! We don’t have to get married! We’re free!” He leaned back, seizing Hugo’s hands in his own, and began spinning wildly. His laughter floated freely on the wind as they soared through the clouds. 

Next to the wheel, Nuru was hugging Amber tight. His cousin had removed her own hood and mask, and she had one hand on the steering wheel and one wrapped around Nuru. “We’re not out of the woods yet, cuz. There’s still one last step of the plan,” she said, but she sounded just as happy as he did. 

“It doesn’t matter. We’ll figure it out,” Varian said, stepping close to Hugo again. The blonde happily reciprocated, wrapping his arms around Varian and hugging him close. Varian closed his eyes, content to simply stay still and listen to Hugo’s steady heartbeat. 

Too soon, Amber was steering the airship down towards the forest. They were just beyond the walls of Corona. Varian felt a twinge of guilt when he saw his father’s home in Old Corona. It would hurt, leaving his family behind, but if it meant he didn’t have to be forced into a marriage he didn’t want, then he’d push through it. In a few years, when the search for him and Nuru died down, he’d find a way to contact his father and let him know he was alright. 

For now, he needed to disappear.

They touched down in a clearing, tall trees providing some semblance of a covering for the ship. Hugo tossed bags towards him and Nuru, then jerked his head towards a door that presumably led below deck. “Get changed while me and Amber hide the ship. We’re gonna be moving fast, and I don’t think you’ll want to be moving around in full wedding outfits,” he said. With a wink, he said, “No matter how dashing you look.” 

Varian rolled his eyes, unable to resist the small smile that tugged at his lips. He and Nuru hurried through the door, ducking into different rooms. Varian was more than happy to unbutton the near stifling suit jacket, the rush of fresh air hitting his sweaty skin in a gust of relief. He was slightly glad that Eugene had loosened his coat collar- he might’ve ended up passing out from a lack of oxygen in the smoke cloud if he hadn’t. 

Opening the bag Hugo had given him, he felt a twinge of relief at the sight of his trademark goggles. Of course Hugo wouldn’t forget to grab them, even though Varian had been rushed out of his room to prepare for the wedding before he got the chance to slip them into his hidden travel bag. Hugo knew just how much those goggles meant to him; naturally he wouldn’t forget to bring them. Just another small thing that made Varian fall in love with him all the more.

Quickly, he changed into regular clothes, settling his goggles on top of his head. A cloak was in his pack, and he grabbed it, pulling the hood over his head in order to hide his distinctive blue hair stripe. He was willing to bet that that would be one of the most obvious features that Corona would put out in order to try and track him down. Maybe there’s some temporary hair dye or charcoal I can rub in it while we travel, he mused. For now, the cloak would have to do. 

Ruddiger scampered into his room, quickly crawling onto his shoulders and chittering about the fabric in the way of his favorite perch. Varian laughed. “It’s only for a little while, bud. As soon as we get far enough away, I won’t wear this as much,” he promised. The raccoon chittered, then settled on top of the cloak, seemingly satisfied. Varian took the opportunity to stow the wedding outfit into a barrel in the room, somewhere where he didn’t have to look at it. 

He strode back out onto the deck with his pack on his shoulders, shocked at how dim it had gotten. Amber had created some kind of net, drawing the branches of the trees surrounding them down into a dense canopy. It was good, strong work, and from above, Varian was certain that it would be nearly impossible to spot the ship. Hugo was hard at work dropping a net of branches, leaves, and other natural materials in order to hide the ship. It wasn’t nearly as solid as Amber’s canopy, but it would work from a distance. 

Varian stepped off the ship, running a hand along the net. I know it’ll work from a distance. Dad taught me everything I know about the land… I’m glad he taught me what would work to hide something too, he thought. The net itself was strong, and Hugo had followed his directions for creating it exactly. It would work long enough for them to escape, he was sure of it. 

Footsteps crunched across the ground, coming to a stop next to him. “You ready to go?” Hugo asked, one hand wrapping around his waist. Varian sighed, leaning into the contact. 

“They’re gonna be so worried,” he said sadly. 

“Maybe if they had bothered to ask if you wanted this, we wouldn’t have to do this,” Hugo said firmly. He shifted to cup Varian’s face in his hands, looking deep into his eyes. “Listen. You’re not a bad person for wanting to be free. You’re not a bad person for not wanting the things they want for you. You’re not a bad person for wanting to be happy.”  

Varian was about to protest, but he caught a flash of something in Hugo’s eyes that made him pause. Nobody else would’ve noticed it, but Varian knew those eyes, could read them like one of his science novels. 

Hugo was nervous. 

All at once, it made sense. While Hugo was no stranger to breaking the law (neither was Varian, who was he kidding), they had still just done something huge. Something that would change the course of Varian’s life for the foreseeable future, if not forever. By asking Varian not to feel bad about escaping, he was asking Varian to reassure him that he wasn’t a bad person for spiriting him away. 

It made too much sense, and it hurt to see his beloved’s insecurity, but Varian knew how to fix that. He leaned into Hugo’s touch, smiling. “I know,” he said simply. “I don’t regret it.” 

Those emerald eyes flashed again, this time with relief, hope, and excitement. “Let’s go, then,” Hugo murmured, a genuine smile spreading across his face. Hand in hand, the two of them stepped away from the ship, then started through the forest. 

The two of them were extra careful to cover their tracks as they moved along. It likely wouldn’t be too long before soldiers swept through here, and they wanted to make sure their path wouldn’t be followed. Soon, they were stepping out of the woods onto a beaten path, where Amber and Nuru stood waiting for them. 

An old barn had been constructed near the path, and when they approached, Amber slowly began leading a donkey with a cart attached to it. Ruddiger leapt off of Varian’s shoulders, padding towards the cart with his tail held high like an honor guard. Once they reached the cart, Varian stroked the donkey’s neck, grinning at him. “Does he have a name?” he asked. 

Amber laughed from her vantage point on the driver’s seat. “Yup! This boy here is ol’ Prometheus. I tried calling him Prom for short, but he didn’t like that, so we’re stuck with the full thing,” Amber said, resting her head on her hand. 

“I like it,” Varian said, still petting Prometheus. The donkey nickered, tail swishing. “We’re gonna be friends, right, bud?” he asked, getting a slight bray in response. He laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes.” 

“Hey Hairstripe, are we going or what?” Hugo asked, standing next to the cart. Varian rolled his eyes, but stepped away and pulled himself into the cart without argument. Hugo hopped in after him, settling close. Amber snapped the reins, and the cart lurched, Prometheus pulling them onto the road and away. 

Once they really started moving, the reality of the situation hit Varian like a beam of sunshine. “We did it,” he whispered, afraid that if he spoke too loud, it would break the spell, that he’d be back in the royal hall in a too-tight suit waiting to vow his life away. From the driver’s seat next to Amber, Nuru turned back to him, flashing a moon-bright smile at him. 

“We sure did, Varian,” she said, her own hood pulled over her curls. Varian’s face started to hurt, and he realized he was smiling so wide that his face was hurting. 

Next to him, Hugo shifted. Varian turned to look at him just as he opened one of his pockets, the one right over his heart. A little golden head poked out, wire-thin whiskers twitching curiously, and Varian’s smile somehow grew a little wider. “Hey, Olivia,” he said, reaching out a finger to the mechanical mouse. She squeaked, then clambered onto his finger to settle on his hand, a comforting weight in his palm. 

Olivia truly was a mechanical wonder. My masterpiece, Hugo would refer to her as, fondness in every syllable. It was hard to argue about that- she behaved exactly like a real mouse would, tiny gears and golden filigree all working together perfectly. Varian’s smile softened, and he gently transferred her to Hugo’s shoulder, where she curled up contentedly. 

Hugo grinned down at her, then slid his arm around Varian’s shoulders. Varian leaned against him, careful of where Olivia was. “We really did it,” he said softly. Hugo’s arm just tightened around him, a kiss pressed to the top of his head through his hood, a silent promise that yes, we did it, and I’m always gonna be here. 

“I’m gonna need to dye my hair,” Varian said, a hint of sadness creeping into his voice. Hugo hummed slightly. 

“Any ideas on how you want to dye it? Or if you just want to cut it off and wait for it to grow back?” he asked. Varian flinched. 

“No, I want to dye it. Not permanently, just temporarily. Until we get far enough away from Corona that people won’t be looking for us as much,” he said. He reached up, unconsciously running his fingers across the unusually colored strands of hair. It was a reminder of his heritage, a gift from the moonstone before he was even born. Cutting it off would feel too painful. Too permanent . 

“Okay. We can probably find something in the next town, or make something when we stop for camp,” Hugo said reassuringly. Varian nodded, grateful that he understood. 

Exhaustion began to set into Varian’s bones, and he slumped further into Hugo’s embrace. He was already tired from getting up early, and stress over the plan to escape had only served to wear him out further. Now, with the warm sun beating down on him, the comforting rock of the cart, and Hugo right next to him, Varian finally felt at peace enough to fall asleep. 

The last thing he remembered before drifting off was Hugo moving so that they were both flat on the cart bed, Varian laying against his chest, one hand draped carefully over the small of his back. A warm feeling bloomed in his heart, and he let sleep take him, feeling perfectly secure as they rolled away into the unknown. 

-o-

It barely took two weeks for their escape to catch up with them. 

It started small- a few rumors here and there throughout the villages they stopped in for supplies. Then, it got worse when missing posters started appearing in those towns. Varian was both a little amused and insulted when he saw that his poster was just a repurposed version of his wanted poster. He started keeping his hood on all the time, checking the dye on his stripe daily to make sure that it wouldn’t wear off. 

The others were also on high alert. They never went into town alone, with Hugo or Amber sticking close to Varian and Nuru in case something happened. Hugo had plenty of alchemical concoctions hidden in various places on his person, ready for a fight should one arise. Poor Nuru stayed at their camps more often than not, refusing to risk being seen by going into town. 

Unfortunately, they couldn’t be everywhere at once. They still needed supplies, and it took people to get those supplies. Amber finally convinced Nuru that it was healthy to get out and see the world, and Varian had opted to stay back at camp while the others were in the small Bayangorian village, working on making sure their cart was in tip-top shape in case they had to run fast. 

Naturally, the one time he was left alone was the one time that something actually happened. Just his stupid luck. 

He was crouched down next to the wheel when Ruddiger suddenly hissed, scurrying underneath the cart. He could hear footsteps crunching towards him, and he kept his head down, not risking looking back. There were enough of his posters around for someone to be able to tell who he was if they got close. He was kind of glad that they had used his old wanted posters- he looked far more sinister in those pictures than he actually did in real life.

His heart was in his throat by the time the person stopped walking. He heard a slight shuffling, then a light, female laugh. “Well, kid, you have no idea how to stay out of trouble, huh?” she said, amusement lacing her voice. 

That voice. He knew that voice, hadn’t heard it in a few years but would still recognize it anywhere. 

“Cass!” he said, delighted. He jumped to his feet, whirling around. Sure enough, his old friend and Rapunzel’s old handmaiden stood there, sword on her hip, Cassandrium necklace on her neck and scarf tied around her upper arm. Above, Owl circled for a moment before swooping down to perch on the edge of the cart, watching them with a wide yellow gaze. 

He started to step forward, hoping to hug her, but then froze. Cass. There’s only one reason she could possibly be here. 

Cassandra must have seen the panic start to grow on his face, because she stepped forward with her arms held out placatingly. “I’m not here to take you back,” she said quickly, shaking her head slightly. “I mean, yeah, Raps messaged me in a panic about you disappearing, and I did agree to find you, but I think that there’s a little more going on here that I should know about.” 

Varian let out his breath slowly, untensing. “Yeah, there’s definitely a lot that’s happened…” he said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. 

“Well, I’ve got plenty of time. Care to tell me why Raps’s letter said you were kidnapped by Saporians?” she asked, an amused half-smile on her face. Varian’s cheeks flushed, and he led her to sit behind the cart, out of view of the road. Then, he took a deep breath, and blurted out everything. 

When he finished his story, Cassandra didn’t look angry. She looked thoughtful, rolling the Cassandrium between her fingers. Varian could tell from how smooth it looked that she did that as a nervous habit often. “So, you didn’t want to get married, so you two ran off in a ship disguised to make people think it kidnapped you?” she said in that calm, even tone of hers. 

Timidly, Varian nodded, then flinched slightly when Cassandra started laughing. “Wow, I honestly- that was not what I was expecting,” she said through her chuckling. “I- that was kind of genius. They’ve been interrogating Andrew and the others trying to get a lead on where you are, and most searches are happening within the kingdom's walls, so I’m guessing you’ll be covered for a little while.” 

For the first time in a few weeks, Varian finally relaxed. He had been so worried that their cover would be blown, that people wouldn’t believe it was actually the Saporians, that he had been carrying around some kind of invisible weight. He grinned at Cass. “What can I say? Certified genius, right here,” he said, jabbing a thumb at himself.  

Cass rolled her eyes, but then her expression grew serious. “Do you have any plans? Like where you’re going? As far as I can tell, your current strategy is ‘get as far away from Corona as possible’. That’s valid, but it won’t work forever,” she said logically. 

Varian sighed. “Yeah, but… it’s on the way to where we’re going,” he said. He felt slightly apprehensive- why would he tell Cass where they’re going, nobody was supposed to know, especially if Rapunzel specifically asked her to find them- but he trusted Cassandra. He looked up at her. “We have a place in Nesdernia. Far away, where hopefully no one will find us,” he said. 

“Hm,” Cass said, looking at him. “That’s a pretty good place- far enough away from Corona and Koto that it’d be a pain to send troops there, and big enough that there are plenty of places to hide. Plus, if anything happens, you could always sneak onto a ferry to escape to Ingvarr,” she said. 

It was unexpected enough that Varian was stunned into silence. Cassandra was approving of their plan to run away? He must’ve looked incredibly confused, because Cassandra grinned slightly. “I know what it’s like to be forced into a life you don’t want. To be forced to play by the rules, just because of where you are. The last thing I want is for you to have to go through that,” she said. She paused, then sighed. “And I still feel bad about all the Moonstone business. I know that it’s in the past, but nothing I do is ever going to really make up for kidnapping you and forcing you to help me,” she said. 

“You don’t have to make it up to me. That was years ago. I already forgave you, you know that,” Varian insisted, but was cut off by Cass leaning forward and taking his hand in one of her own. 

“I mean it, Varian. Even if the Moonstone thing never happened, I want to help you get out of this. If you don’t want to be found, I’ll make sure to help you not be found,” she said, determination in every word. 

It took a moment for her words to sink it, but once they did, Varian lunged forward to give her a hug. “Thank you so much, Cassie,” he whispered, trying hard not to cry. Cass laughed, then reached up to pat his back, and the gesture alone was almost enough to make him break. 

“I’ve got your back, Varian. Don’t forget that,” she said. 

After a moment, he pulled back, and Cassandra pushed herself to her feet. “I’d better get on the road. It wouldn’t be good if someone saw you with me. I’ll travel to Nesdernia, then I’ll message Raps and say that I haven’t found anything. That should help you stay undiscovered for a while,” she said, dusting off her tunic. Varian smiled, then got to his feet as well. 

“Thank you, Cass. Really. I can’t say it enough,” he said. Cassandra smiled at him, then turned to walk away. Her horse was waiting, and she leapt into the saddle, giving him one last grin before she snapped the reins and rode off in a cloud of dust. 

Varian was left standing alone, practically lightheaded as his brain whirled around this new information. 

Clearly, Rapunzel and the others were grasping at every straw they had in order to find him and Nuru. Sure, she kept up with Cassandra fairly regularly, but she must be desperate to message her for help. The idea that she was gathering every connection she had was nerve wracking, and Varian knew they had to get moving. 

As soon as the others came back, Varian was standing next to the cart, everything packed and ready to go. “We need to hurry,” he said, quickly stowing materials into the cart and helping his companions in. “We have someone covering for us, but our families are still looking for us. We have to move fast if we want to make it to Nesdernia.” 

Thankfully, the others didn’t complain, loading up and moving out with silent efficiency. Hugo’s hand found Varian’s, and he squeezed it comfortingly. “You wanna talk about it?” he asked softly. 

“Cassandra found me. I’m glad it was her. She said she understands being forced into a life that she doesn’t want, and she said that she’d try to divert Rapunzel’s attention away from Nesdernia,” Varian whispered. Hugo’s grip tightened. 

“I thought we’d have a little more time,” he muttered darkly. Varian shuddered, 

“Me too. Apparently they haven’t searched very far beyond Corona, so at least we have a while before they move on,” Varian said, mostly trying to reassure himself. Hugo, for once, stayed quiet. When Varian glanced up at him, he could see that Hugo had that pensive expression on his face- the one he got whenever he was trying to think his way around a problem. Varian reached up, gently rubbing underneath Hugo’s eye. 

“Hey. It’ll be okay. We just need to get to Nesdernia, and we’ll be alright,” Varian said. Hugo didn’t respond, but he relaxed somewhat. That’s good, at least. Hopefully he’s not wound up for the entire trip. 

Their ride away from the small was much less enthusiastic than it had been when they left Corona. As much as he trusted Cass to cover for them, he couldn’t help but wish that Prometheus would move a lot faster than he was going. 

-o-

The cart jolted to a stop, stirring Varian from his sleep. He blearily rubbed his eyes, sitting up from where he had been laying on the wagon bed. Nuru was curled up next to him, sleeping soundly, with Ruddiger flopped on her stomach. One look upwards told him that the moon was high in the sky, bright beams poking through the forest canopy. 

He glanced up at where Amber and Hugo were sitting on the driver’s bench. “Guys? Where are we?” he muttered, slowly growing more awake. “Why did we stop? Is something wrong?” 

Moonlight made Hugo’s glasses flash as he turned around, a broad smile on his face. “Nothing’s wrong, Goggles. If anything, things are finally turning out right,” he said, excitement lacing his voice. He leapt off of the cart, running around to Varian’s side. His emerald eyes were bright as he said the words that Varian had been dreaming of for the past six weeks. 

“We’re here.” 

Varian was fully awake at that moment, and he stumbled to his feet before trying to jump out of the cart. His coordination was muddled from sleep, however, and he ended up awkwardly tumbling into Hugo. Luckily, Hugo caught him, spinning him around bridal-style before setting him down. Varian’s bare feet dug into the cool dirt, grounding him and waking him up further. 

“Careful, sweet cheeks, don’t need you dying before you see it,” Hugo said teasingly. Varian rolled his eyes, but smiled back nonetheless. Hugo’s arm wrapped around his waist, and he slowly walked forward, guiding Varian along the small dirt road. The forest surrounded them, creating a tunnel of greenery around the path. When they walked in front of the cart, however, the forest opened up into a small clearing. 

In the middle of the clearing were two houses. 

They both looked similar- log cabins with stone foundations, and large porches that stretched across the entire front of the building. They were both single stories, and there was a large building in between them. When Varian looked closer, he realized that it was a storage shed large enough for their cart and Prometheus, with space for a lab to be set up as well. 

Varian crept forward silently, afraid that he might break the spell if he was too loud. “Is this really where we’re staying?” he whispered carefully. 

Hugo pulled away, moving to stand in front of him. “It’s ours, hairstripe. All of this here is for us to be safe. To be happy,” he said softly, reaching forward to cup Varian’s face. His thumbs trailed underneath Varian’s eyes softly, and Varian realized with a jolt that he had been crying. “We’re safe. We made it. We’re finally going to be okay.” 

That quiet promise alone was enough for Varian to break down completely, wrapping his arms around the blonde and hugging him tight. These were happy tears, though- tears that flowed after weeks of apprehension, of fear, of being so tense that he could barely sleep at night. It wasn’t perfect, and there was always the risk that he and Nuru’s family would find them, but it was enough that he could finally relax. 

“You wanna come explore?” Hugo asked. Varian leaned back, wiping his eyes with a beaming smile on his face. 

“Yes. Yes, yes, c’mon, let’s go see it!” Varian said, his veins lighting up with excitement. Hugo let out a yelp as he was tugged forward, Varian gleefully making a beeline towards the house with Hugo’s hand held firmly in his. As soon as he reached the door, he shoved it open, stepping inside quickly as if the house would disappear if he didn’t explore it instantly. 

They stepped into a small living room, with a kitchen behind it. A hallway branched off, and Varian slowly crept forward. There was a bedroom on one side with a bathroom next to it, and on the other side of the hall, there was a much larger bedroom, with a master bathroom connected to it. At the end of the hall, there was a door, and when Varian pushed it open, he stepped out onto a large back patio, nearly identical to the front porch. The area around the back of the porch was cleared, with garden beds prepped on one side of it. The forest was beyond that, and Varian could see the telltale glow of fireflies floating around. 

He heard soft footsteps behind him, and he turned to see Hugo, standing there looking both proud and nervous. “Well? Do you like it?” he asked, twisting his fingers together. Varian smiled, then reached forward and slid their hands together. 

It never gets old, feeling how perfectly we work together, Varian thought. Out loud, he laughed. “Yes, Hugo. I love it. It’s perfect,” he said, meaning every word. 

Sure, the house was small. But it was theirs. They could build a life here, out of the way from the world, in their own quiet bubble. Nobody would be telling him what to do, and he would be able to work on his alchemy without worrying about making a mess or accidentally hurting anyone. Not only that, but his best friends would be there, and they would be happy . This place could truly be a home for them. 

“Oh, good,” Hugo said, deflating slightly. “I was worried that Don wouldn’t get the plans right, or that the builders she hired would be idiots, but it looks like they did a good job. I mean, if you want anything changed, we can bring them back, but-”

“Hugo,” Varian said, effectively cutting off the blonde’s rambling. “It’s perfect.” 

For a moment, Hugo stared at him, then he smiled. “Right. Yeah. Of course it is,” he said. Varian rolled his eyes, then tugged him down into a kiss. As he gently trailed his tongue across Hugo’s, he could feel Hugo relaxing, sinking into it, finally believing that Varian was telling the truth. Once he pulled back, he gently flicked Hugo’s nose. 

“You’re so high maintenance,” he murmured, but there was no venom behind his words. 

“You love me anyway,” Hugo said, grinning. 

That made Varian roll his eyes, but he was still smiling. “Of course I do, idiot,” he said. “Am I gonna have to remind you every day?” 

“I mean, I wouldn’t mind hearing that every day,” Hugo responded, his posture much more loose. Those words sent a thrill down Varian’s spine. Knowing that he could be with Hugo, see him and spend the night with him and talk to him every day, was such a relief, and it made him feel practically giddy.

He was about to lean forward to kiss Hugo again, but Amber’s voice rang through the quiet clearing. “Hey, BOYS! You gonna help us unload or what?” 

Hugo grumbled a few choice words under his breath, then jerked his head towards the door. “Well, let’s not leave her alone, she’ll kick me in the shins if we do,” he said, wincing at the memory of Amber’s vicious attacks. Varian smiled, then looped his arm around Hugo’s and began leading him back through the house. It sent another burst of joy through him as Hugo followed without complaint. We really would do anything for each other. 

Amber grinned when they emerged, already moving various packages to rest on the ground. “We’ll run into town in a few days if we need anything, but all the supplies we picked up along the way should hold us over for a while,” she explained, nudging one with her foot. Varian grabbed it and tried to pick it up, but only succeeded in nearly throwing out his back. 

“What the- Amber, what’s in this?” he gasped, stepping back and massaging his lower back. Amber giggled, then pried open the lid to the package. 

“Just a few things for us to mess around with,” she said lightly, her smile widening as Varian’s jaw dropped. 

There were so many chemicals. Different acids and bases, elements in liquid or solid form, chemical compounds, and a few measuring instruments. They looked well worn, and a few of them looked strangely familiar. When he picked up one of the beakers to peer at it closer, he realized why. “Did- did you take some of my instruments?” he asked incredulously. 

Hugo nudged him, startling him into glancing up. “We weren’t able to grab everything- I didn’t want anyone to notice that things were missing- but I got some of your personal sets. I figured you’d rather have your tried and true materials, instead of those shiny new ones that were shoved in a corner in the lab,” he explained. Varian’s heart swelled. 

“That’s so sweet,” he said, his voice much more wobbly than he would’ve liked. He swiped at his eyes, trying to clear the moisture from them before responding. “Honestly, Hugo, thank you so much. It’s really gonna start to feel like home, having these,” he said, his smile shaky. Hugo just wrapped his arms around him, burying his nose in Varian’s hair. 

“Now that we’re not on the road anymore, we can probably wash the dye out of your hair,” Hugo suggested. That statement alone just really drove in the fact that they were safe. They were hidden, they hopefully wouldn’t have to worry about anyone tracking them down for a while, and he could finally just be himself. 

He sighed, leaning into Hugo’s contact. “I can’t wait,” he whispered, the beaker still clutched in his hand. He rolled it over, relishing the familiar weight, and grinned when Ruddiger scampered towards them, Olivia riding on his back. He held out his arms, and the raccoon jumped, landing heavily in his person’s grip. Olivia leapt from Ruddiger to Varian to Hugo, crawling up to curl onto his shoulder. 

From the cart, there was a shuffling noise, and then Nuru sat up. “Hm? Where are we?” she groaned, her hair poofing up in a dozen different directions and her eyes bleary. Varian laughed. 

“You’re a little late, but we finally made it,” he said. 

It took a second for Nuru to process his words, but soon she was leaping out of the cart to run over to Amber and spin her around in the grass. “We did it we did it we did it we did it!” she cheered, bringing the redhead in for a hug. Amber just laughed, letting Nuru pull her around as the princess danced in glee. 

Once Nuru let go of Amber, she dashed forward, dragging Hugo and Varian into a hug as well. Ruddiger chittered in protest as he was squashed between the three of them, but Varian just shifted so the raccoon could climb onto his shoulder instead. Amber came and joined the hug a moment later, the four of them slotting together like they were meant to be there.

There, surrounded by scattered packages, moonlight, and the people that Varian cared about most, everything was perfect. 

-o-

Sunlight streamed through the window, sliding between the curtains and landing squarely on the face of one of the people sleeping peacefully inside. 

Varian groaned, rolling over in a half-awake attempt to get the light out of his eyes. Unfortunately, he rolled the wrong way, and the sunlight just beamed onto his face even brighter. He let out an indignant snort, then quickly rolled to his left, where the sun couldn’t get into his eyes. He could still feel the heat on the back of his head, though, and he knew it was only a matter of time before he needed to get up. 

For the moment, he was content to reach out and curl against his bedmate’s side. 

Hugo was passed out next to him, chest rising and falling evenly. His blonde hair was free from its usual ponytail, framing his face, and his glasses were placed carefully on the nightstand next to the bed. As Varian snuggled up next to him, he shifted slightly, his arm sliding along Varian’s back before resting on his hip. Varian sighed contentedly, resting his head in the crook of Hugo’s neck. 

It was shaping up to be a good day. 

Of course, practically every day had been a good day ever since they moved in nearly three months ago. Nesdernia was a colder kingdom than Corona, but the sun still kept it warm, despite the air growing cooler and the leaves changing from green to orange and yellow. The area that they lived in was relatively uninhabited, meaning that they were mostly unbothered. It helped that Donella had chosen the spot herself, adding the expertise of a crime lord into their disappearance. 

They weren’t too far from a village, however. Hugo and Amber would go on supply runs, and they’d bring back whatever news they could find about the search. It was still ongoing, but apparently the royal families of Corona and Koto still believed that the Saporians had been responsible for kidnapping the two young nobles. Nobody thought that Varian and Nuru had run away of their own free will, and that they were living happily. 

He had been right when he thought that the secluded area would be good for his scientific experiments. He and Hugo had been whipping up a plethora of different compounds and machines, and the clearing was large enough that they could test them out without too much collateral damage. The same had been true for Amber’s inventions, which tended to be slightly more unstable and a lot more destructive when they imploded. 

That didn’t mean that every test they ran went poorly, though. Some of their inventions, including the cleaning compound that Varian had made ages ago for Cassandra, had been wildly successful. Hugo and Amber would travel a few towns over for the day to sell them in the market, then come back home with their earnings at night. The first time they had gone, Hugo had come back with some gorgeous silver earrings for Varian, but Varian had made him turn around and take them back when he heard that the blonde had stolen rather than bought them. 

“The gesture’s sweet, but the goal is to not have you be a criminal,” he had said, hitching Prometheus to the cart again as Hugo sputtered in protest. “Bad enough that we have two kingdoms looking for me and Nuru- we don’t need another looking for you, too.” 

After whining for about an hour, Hugo had eventually set off, coming back around sunset with the same earrings in one hand and an empty wallet in the other. “I want you to have something nice,” he had murmured, hands gentle as he helped to clip them onto Varian’s ear. “If we ever need to go somewhere fancy, it’d be a shame if you didn’t have any accessories for it. Besides, these really accent your eyes.” 

The gesture had made Varian’s cheeks flush then, and it did the same thing now as he lay in bed thinking about it. Hugo, despite his aloof exterior, really did care more than Varian could ever know. 

Outside, he could hear footsteps shuffling around, as well as the clank of machinery being moved. Amber must be up, he thought lazily. It drove him slightly insane, how early Amber liked to get up to work on things. His cousin might have been a morning person, but it didn’t run in the family at all. He was more of a night owl, staying up to positively unholy hours of the morning when he was working on a project. 

It was only a matter of time before Amber called him for help. With a sigh, he slid out from under Hugo’s arm, moving to hop off the bed. He walked over to the curtains, drawing them closed so that the beam of sunlight would attack Hugo as well. Behind him, Hugo whined slightly, rolling over into the spot where Varian had been laying, fingers splayed out on the covers in an attempt to absorb his residual heat. It was such a domestic, affectionate sight that it made Varian’s heart warm.

“You’re adorable,” he whispered, striding over to brush some of Hugo’s hair out of his face. Hugo leaned into the contact, relaxing as Varian began to gently card his fingers through the blonde strands. As much as he would’ve liked to stay there forever, the footsteps outside were getting louder, and he wanted to hurry outside before Amber yelled for him loud enough to wake the dead- and, more importantly, Hugo. 

Nuru would probably sleep through it, at least. Zhan Tiri could return and she wouldn’t wake up. 

He pressed a kiss to Hugo’s forehead, then stepped away. He quickly changed clothes, then ran a brush through his hair so that it looked slightly presentable. He grabbed his gloves and goggles from the dresser, then began walking purposefully towards the front of the house. In the corner of their bedroom, Ruddiger chirruped sleepily, and Varian put a finger on his lips in a shushing motion. Apparently that was good enough for the raccoon, because he immediately rolled over and fell back asleep. 

Once he got to the living room, he went to pull on his boots, but he paused. The footsteps were still moving around outside- but they weren’t Amber’s bounding cadence. These were heavier, more uncertain. As if they were poking around the property, rather than having the layout memorized by heart. 

Varian just barely lifted the windowshade to peek out. What he saw made all the moisture in his mouth evaporate. 

Soldiers. Lots of them. All with either the Corona crest or the Koto crest. 

Surveying the group was a trio he knew well- The Brotherhood, armor and face paint in place as they carefully surveyed the area. He couldn’t see his father’s expression under his helmet, but from the way his shoulders were set, it was clear that he meant business

Finally, in the middle, Rapunzel and Eugene, as well as Lance, the girls, Cassandra (who looked more tense than he’d ever seen her), and the royal family of Koto. 

Thankfully, Frederic and Ariana were nowhere in sight. Varian didn’t want to imagine how well it’d go if the king he’d never liked, and who had never liked him, found out he skipped out on the arrangement. 

No no no no how did they find us did Cass sell us out no she said she wouldn’t I trust her so then how? Varian’s mind flew all over the place, nearly as fast as his feet as he darted into the room and shook Hugo awake. One look at Varian’s panicked expression was all it took to get the blonde moving, grabbing their emergency packs as well as a few alchemical solutions before slipping out the back door with their pets on their shoulders. 

They darted into the woods. Varian thanked every power in existence that the guards hadn’t made their way to the back of the house yet. The rough ground hurt his bare feet, but he didn’t dare stop to put on his shoes for fear that they’d make too much noise. Hugo had his hand in a death grip, practically dragging Varian along as they wove their way between trees and up a small outcropping of rock. 

Their home was backed up close to the tip of Nesdernia’s mountain range, just a few miles from the coast. During their exploration, Varian and Nuru had discovered that there were several large, flat plateaus of rock, easy enough to reach with a little climbing. They had gone on several picnics as a group to those outcroppings, and now it would serve as he and Hugo’s lookout. 

Varian flopped down onto the rock, panting desperately as Hugo set his pack on the ground and pulled out a telescope. The blonde made a strangled noise in the back of his throat, then wordlessly passed the telescope to Varian when he sat up. Varian immediately knew why as soon as he put it up to his eye. 

Amber was surrounded by a small regiment of guards, and was talking animatedly, using her hands to gesture wildly. She was clearly lying out of her ass, from the way the guards were staring at her, but it was enough. She had the attention of almost everyone in the clearing, with the only exception being his uncle Hector. Hector was standing with his bearcats, and the two creatures were sniffing along the ground. 

His heart constricted when they started toward his and Hugo’s house. Oh no. 

The bearcats, Rikki and Kikki, were rather intelligent animals, and Varian knew for a fact that they were exceptional tracking animals. It would only be a matter of time before Hector sent them out to find him, and he didn’t want to be herded back to his family by two massive furry animals. 

He let out a sigh. “Hugo,” he whispered, fear drying up his voice. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Hugo, we have to go back.” 

There was a soft touch on his shoulder, and he looked over. Hugo’s face was tight with worry, his careful mask of carefreeness shed in light of the new situation. “We don’t have to,” he said, urgency lacing his voice. “Look, Amber’s holding them off. She must be stalling for Nuru to sneak away. We can run to somewhere else- I know Don will take us in if we need to travel to Ingvarr- we can take the ferry. We’ll get away together, where they won’t try to separate us,” he said, his words tumbling out in a rush. 

There was a pause, then Hugo lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Varian and tugging him close. “I can’t lose you,” he said, his voice cracking. “I can’t lose you. You’re one of the only good things that’s ever happened to me, you make me feel like I’m worth something, and I-” his voice broke off, and he hugged Varian tighter.  

Varian’s heart broke just a little bit more. Surely, if he explained everything to his family, if they saw just how much it would destroy him and Nuru to be married… surely they wouldn’t force the marriage on them. Surely. 

A flash of purple caught his eye in the clearing, and his heart sank. He picked up the telescope, and the pit in his gut only opened further when he saw that Nuru had stepped out of her house, standing next to Amber with her back ramrod straight and her head held high. She looked every inch the commanding princess that she was. 

“Nuru’s talking to them,” he said flatly, and he could feel Hugo tense. 

“If she’s talking to them… maybe just the two of us can sneak off,” Hugo murmured, but he didn’t sound incredibly hopeful. “It’s a lot easier if just the two of us leave, and I know that Don would take us in, we just have to run.” 

“I don’t want to have to spend my life on the run,” Varian said quietly. “They know we weren’t kidnapped now. It’s only a matter of time before my family tracks me down. I want to face them on my own terms, not be dragged back to face the consequences of my actions.” 

“On- on your terms? Varian, they trespassed on our land! They brought soldiers to our home! This isn’t our terms, it’s theirs, and they know that you’ll come back to them right now. Why else do you think they brought soldiers? They might try to take you and Nuru away. I can’t live with that,” Hugo said, sounding more desperate than angry. The fact that he had actually used Varian’s name lodged in Varian’s mind, a testament to how close he was to breaking down completely. 

Varian reached out, gently brushing Hugo’s hair away from his eyes. The blonde hadn’t had time to grab a hair tie, so his hair hung freely, drifting slightly in the early morning breeze. “It’s as close as we’re gonna get. I won’t let them separate us. I promise,” he said, letting his hand rest on the back of Hugo’s neck. A sharp grin spread across his face, and he brought their foreheads to rest together. “Besides, you forget that I’m the Alchemist. I’m the one who brought Corona to its knees the first time, and I’ll sure as sun do it again if it means that we stay together.” 

Hugo’s expression shifted, a blush coloring his cheeks. “I forget how hot you are when you get dangerous,” he muttered, a half smile tugging at his lips despite his poor mood. 

“Well, I guess if push comes to shove, I’ll get to remind you,” Varian said playfully, pressing their lips together in a quick kiss before standing up. “Now come on. I don’t want Amber and Nuru to be alone down there, and I want the chance to explain my side of things.” 

They stopped for a minute to put on their shoes. Varian’s feet were already protesting from running across the hardened ground. Ruddiger and Olivia were sitting on top of their emergency packs, and Varian held out his hand for Ruddiger to climb onto his shoulder. Olivia quickly took her place on Hugo’s shoulder, and together, they began to make their way back down into the forest. Varian slid his hand into Hugo’s, and it didn’t escape his notice just how cold the blonde’s hands had gotten. 

Their packs were still on the rock. Varian hated to admit it, but if they ended up needing to run, it would be easier if they had the packs stashed further away instead of on their person. He desperately hoped it wouldn’t come to that, but he also wasn’t sure. His family was… a little difficult to read. 

When they were about to walk into the clearing, though, Hugo stopped. “Maybe I shouldn’t go. I’m not sure… I’m not sure I’m prepared enough to make a good impression on royalty,” he said hesitantly. Varian knew exactly what he was trying to say- I’m not sure I’m good enough for your family. 

“Enough of that,” Varian scolded, squeezing his hand reassuringly. “I’m not going to let them separate us. If they don’t think you’re good enough, then they don’t ever have to see us again. I won’t let anything happen. ” 

Hugo still didn’t look reassured, but he at least looked a little bit less nervous as they walked forward. When they finally stepped into the clearing, however, Varian could feel Hugo’s grip tighten into something deadly. 

One by one, all the eyes in the clearing shifted to him. 

The following silence gave Varian enough time to read the expressions of everyone around. 

The guards- confused and curious. The Brotherhood- a mix of relief, concern, and anger. The Kotoan family- confused and concerned. Amber and Nuru- relieved, but disappointment was worming its way in there (were they really hoping that we’d leave them? Of course they were, of course they’d rather some of us be free than all of us be trapped) . Cassandra- relief, concern, and worry ( is she worried I’ll be mad at her, or worried I’ll get in trouble?). Eugene- relief, confusion, and anger, especially when his gaze shifted to his right, to Hugo. Rapunzel- a mixture of pretty much every emotion he saw on everyone else, shifting constantly so he had no idea exactly what she was feeling. 

When the tension started to stretch for just a little too long, Varian hesitantly lifted his free hand and waved. “Uh, hey, everybody,” he said, his voice cracking just slightly. 

It was a horrible introduction, and definitely not the best thing to say to his family after not seeing them for about five months, but it was enough. Rapunzel darted forward, immediately seizing him in a bone-crushing hug. He felt Hugo step away, but his touch still remained. 

“Good to see you too, princess,” Varian wheezed, sucking in a breath as Rapunzel’s grip loosened. 

“I was so worried! I thought Andrew had planned something- I thought you might’ve been hurt- I had no idea where you were- I’m so glad you’re okay, ” Rapunzel said, her words tumbling out in a rush like paint flowing from her paintbrush. 

Not a single word about how angry she was. Nothing about continuing the wedding. Just her concern for him and his well being. 

Not for the first time, guilt stabbed through him. “I’m so sorry, Rapunzel,” he said, reaching up with his free hand to hug her back. “I just- me and Nuru- I couldn’t- it wasn’t-” 

“I know,” Rapunzel said, startling him into silence. “Nuru was telling us about how it wasn’t what you two wanted.” She stepped away, gesturing for Varian and Hugo to come closer. As soon as they were closer to the center of the clearing, Amber and Nuru immediately moved to stand next to them. Even if the four of them were pressed close together, Varian finally felt like he could breathe a little easier.

“So,” Nuru’s mother said, her hands folded gracefully in front of her as she surveyed their group, “Are you going to tell us what’s going on, and why we did not find you locked in a Saporian base?” 

Nuru glanced over at him, and Varian nodded back at her. Their hands slipped together, and a glance next to Nuru showed that Amber was holding her other hand, merging the four of them into an unbreakable chain. Varian lifted his chin, speaking with the courage and evenness that he never could find when he was in the royal courts.  

“Nuru and I are very close. All of you know that. I know for a fact that that’s why you chose to try and get us married,” he said. A gentle squeeze from Hugo prompted him to continue. He wasn’t just speaking for himself. He was speaking for all of them, for the life and the future that they all wanted. “But we don’t love each other like that. I love her like a friend, like a sister, but that’s all. And the truth is…” 

He glanced over at Nuru, and she took the hint to drop his hand and move closer to Amber. Varian did the same, shifting to press his side to Hugo’s. “My love belongs to someone else, and so does hers.” 

There was a murmur that rippled across the courtyard, the guards whispering to one another, but the queen silenced them with a stern look. She turned back to Varian, nodding at him to continue, which he did shakily. “The truth is… we didn’t want to make any of the kingdoms look bad. I tried to tell some of you that I didn’t want it, but everyone was so excited, and I knew how important it was for Corona and Koto to become allies… I didn’t want to let any of you down. So we decided that the best way to get out of the marriage was to make it seem like it wasn’t our choice not to get married. Then, once everything was in order… we would disappear to live our own lives, with the people we chose.” 

Varian steeled himself for his next sentence. “If you want to continue with the arranged wedding, I understand. But I refuse to go through with it,” he said, continuing despite the renewed whispers. His grip on Hugo’s hand tightened, and he stood taller as he spoke with the strength of the Alchemist, that dark side of him that knew how to make kingdoms tremble in fear. 

“I will fight for the life I have built here. I will fight with everything I have before I let this be taken from me,” he said, gesturing with his free hand to the clearing. He held up his other hand, the one that Hugo was holding, for everyone to see. “And I won’t be fighting alone. I’ll be fighting with the people I care about most, for the people I care about most.” 

The resulting silence was deafening, but Varian didn’t shrink. He remembered his lessons that Quirin had given him- Stand tall, and make eye contact with those that you are confronting. A knight does not waver, nor does he allow himself to fold under pressure. If you truly believe in what you are saying, then show it in how you carry yourself. Let them see how determined you are. 

It was Rapunzel that spoke first. “Oh, Varian, I’m so sorry. If I had known…” 

“Hey, aren’t you the kid who worked at the palace for a while?” Eugene asked, stepping forward. Next to Varian, Hugo shifted, shrugging. A glance over showed that Hugo’s easygoing smirk was back in place, disguising his unease. But I know him well enough to know he’s faking it . 

“Maybe. I must say, you guys have a nice place,” Hugo said, his posture more open and relaxed. Eugene narrowed his eyes at the blonde, whose grip tightened on Varian’s hand. That was the only signal that told Varian he was nervous- every inch of him looked perfectly at ease. 

“Yeah, I remember you. You were always sneaking down to Varian’s lab during the night!” Kiera piped up from where she stood next to Lance. She placed her hands on her hips, matching Hugo’s smirk. “Y’know, Var, you always looked so woozy walking out, I kinda figured you two were making out in there,” she said snarkily. 

“What!?” Varian yelled, his cheeks flushing, and at the same time Hugo said “Well, not every time I was in there-” 

“HUGO!” Varian yelped, whacking him on the shoulder with his free hand. Hugo grinned, a smug, self satisfied smile on his face. He raised his eyebrow in a way that perfectly stated you know you liked it. He buried his face in his free hand, ignoring how Kiera and Catalina began giggling and wolf whistling. 

Ahead of them, Nuru’s mother cleared her throat and gestured to Amber. “And who are you?” she asked, her tone both curious and firm. 

“My name is Amber Ventrice, your majesty,” she said, dipping into a perfect bow. Varian was surprised at how formal she was being, given how aloof she normally was, but he vaguely remembered Nuru promising to teach Amber how to carry herself in a royal court. Given how stiff her posture was, it looked like those lessons were paying off. “I’m Varian’s cousin. I met Nuru whenever she and Varian came to visit our family in Pittsford. We’ve been secretly seeing each other ever since.” 

She raised herself out of her bow, then looked the queen directly in the eyes. “I want to repeat and emphasize my cousin’s statement. I know I have no right to demand something like this, but I love Nuru more than anything. I’ll do whatever it takes, whatever you’ll have me do, in order to earn her affections- and, in turn, your blessing,” she said. 

Queen Audra looked stunned at Amber’s audacity. It was almost amusing to see her perfectly poised emotional mask shift so much, but it was also rather unnerving. Varian had no idea how she would react next, and given the tension he felt radiating from Nuru, he figured she didn’t either. 

He took a breath, about to say something, when the queen’s face broke into a smile. 

“Well, I can’t say I’m exactly surprised that you two hit it off. Nuru always did have a taste for adventure. I suppose that’s why she and Varian get along so well,” she said. She sighed, her expression dropping into something more melancholy. “I can’t apologize enough, Nuru. I know that I placed a lot of emphasis on your duty to the family and to the kingdom. While I do stand by some of the things I’ve said- you are a princess, after all- I realize that I’ve taken it too far with this marriage business.” 

She strode forward, her dress rippling around her ankles as she drew Nuru into a hug. “I should never have done this without confirming that it’s what you truly want. I assumed that it was, and that was a mistake. Can you forgive me, dearest?” she said softly. 

Now it was Nuru’s turn to be shocked, but she slowly hugged her mother back anyways. “You’re not mad?” she said meekly. 

Queen Audra chuckled, leaning back. “Honestly? If I had been in your position, I probably would have done the same thing,” she said, smiling wider when she saw how surprised Nuru was. She straightened up, looking around to address the people in the clearing. “I want to make it very clear right now- my daughter will not marry anyone that she doesn’t wish to. I formally revoke my support of the arranged marriage between Princess Nuru Stellavatis and Varian Ruddiger.” 

Varian felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Nuru hugged her mom with a vengeance, and the rest of her siblings all ran forward, asking a dozen questions to both her and Amber. Nuru glanced over at him, tears in her eyes and a beaming smile on her face. Varian couldn’t help but feel overwhelmingly happy for her, and he leaned into Hugo’s side unconsciously, resting his head on the blonde’s shoulder. Hugo’s hand slowly released his, moving to his waist to pull him closer. 

But they weren’t out of the fire yet. 

“Varian,” a low voice rumbled, sending a shiver of panic down his spine. Varian slowly lifted his head to look over at his father. Quirin stood just a few paces away, his expression unreadable. His helmet was held firmly in his hands, but for the first time, his posture didn’t look certain, fingers drumming along the metal. Varian would’ve said his father seemed nervous, but that was a foreign concept.

“Hi, Dad,” he responded, his voice embarrassingly small. At his side, Hugo stiffened. He had mentioned before that he found Varian’s father incredibly intimidating, and Varian would be lying if he didn’t feel the exact same way. He was all too aware at how his father’s frame towered over him, and the fact that he had at least half a foot on Hugo, who was already a ridiculously tall string bean of a man. 

His father looked between the two of them seriously. “How long has this been going on?” he asked, his tone firm. 

“About a year,” Varian said, nerves clawing up in his stomach. He had meant it when he said he would fight for what he had with Hugo, but he didn’t want to have to fight his own father. Especially not if his aunt and uncle decided to get involved. 

Given how they were staring Hugo down, he wouldn’t be surprised if they did. 

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Quirin asked, snapping Varian out of his thoughts. Even then, he had to take a few moments to process the question. It certainly wasn’t the one he expected to hear, but it was answerable. 

“I didn’t know how to tell you,” he answered truthfully. “And… I wasn’t sure how you’d react if you found out.” Hugo’s grip on him tightened, and he leaned into it, appreciating the grounding contact. “But I’m serious about this, Dad. I won’t let anyone take this from me. I don’t want to have to fight, but… I will if I have to,” he said, matching Quirin’s decisive tone. He tipped his chin up, trying to appear confident, but his mind was the exact opposite.

Please don’t fight us please don’t try to separate us I don’t want to fight you and Aunt Adira and Uncle Hector are very scary plus the bearcats and Hector’s rhino please don’t try and stop this, Varian thought desperately. His father’s expression was still inscrutable, but after a beat, his eyes softened. 

“You really are just like your mother,” he said, a wry smile spreading across his face. “She didn’t tell her family either when she decided to marry me. Not for a good while, anyhow.” He turned to Hugo, glancing up and down his wiry frame. Assessing him. “What was your name? You’ve been treating my boy well?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Hugo clearly seemed thrown by the question, but he recovered quickly. “Hugo, sir. And yes. I always have and I always will,” he said confidently. 

Well. That’s not always true. Varian could remember that during the first few months they had known each other, Hugo was constantly pushing around the lab, jabbing him in the ribs, using his head as an armrest, and overall just messing with him every chance he got. It wasn’t until that first kiss, when Hugo had pressed him into the wall and dominated every inch of him with his hands and lips, that Varian realized that Hugo simply liked expressing himself physically.  

Quirin was still staring at Hugo appraisingly, and Varian could feel the blonde’s grip starting to get sweaty. He squeezed his hand reassuringly, then stepped forward. “Dad,” he said, his stomach starting to twist nervously. “Do… do you have anything to say?” he asked hesitantly. 

There was another pause, which drove Varian’s anxiety to a fever pitch, but then his father sighed. “I want to apologize as well,” he said, looking uncharacteristically defeated. “I was barely around for you to confide in, and even then, I never thought to ask if you were happy. I’m sorry, Varian. I shouldn’t have tried to make you do anything you didn’t want to.” 

Relief flowed through Varian, and he let go of Hugo’s hand in order to step forward and hug his father. “It’s okay, Dad,” he said, feeling the warmth and security of Quirin’s arms wrapping around him. “I didn’t tell anyone, and besides, the wedding wasn’t your fault. Frederic and Nuru’s mom are the ones who came up with it, I just… never got the chance to tell anyone that I was already taken.” 

“Why not?” 

The question came from Eugene, who had started to walk forward with Rapunzel by his side. He was still looking at Hugo with narrow eyes, as if he were trying to remember him from somewhere. Varian blanked, trying to figure out what to say without offending Hugo or lying to his parents. He was about to open his mouth and start panicking when Hugo interjected. 

“Because I’m not good enough for him.” 

Varian’s head whipped around to look at him so fast that he felt it pop. He was about to stop Hugo, to refute the words that had just come out of his mouth, but Hugo shook his head slightly and continued. “He’s the Royal Engineer of Corona. He’s the brother of the crown Princess , for sun’s sake. He’s kind, he’s compassionate, he’s smart, and he’s more than I ever deserve.” 

His gaze shifted from Varian’s family down to Varian, green eyes locking with blue. “I guess I’ve always been a little selfish, though, haven’t I?” he said, more to Varian than to their audience. Varian grinned shakily, leaning once more into Hugo’s side. Together, they stood tall and faced his family. 

“Even if you don’t accept Hugo, I do. And I’ll fight for him every day for the rest of my life if that’s what it takes,” he said boldly. Eugene was still looking at Hugo, but with Varian’s words, his expression had faded from hostility into something a little more curious. 

It was Rapunzel who broke the silence first. “You don’t have to fight me,” she said, a wide smile on her face. She strode forward and threw her arms around both of them. “I’m just happy that you found the right one for you. And, if it means anything,” she said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, “I think you two are really cute together.” 

Varian was still stunned, but he grinned, hugging Rapunzel back before she stepped away and let the two of them lean against each other again. Eugene had started to walk toward them while they were hugging, observing Hugo carefully, and he snapped his fingers suddenly. “Hey, yeah, you did work at the palace! You were the librarian’s assistant” he said, rubbing his chin. “How did I not notice that you two were getting so close?” 

“We tried to keep it a secret,” Varian said, his cheeks starting to heat up. There was… a lot he had hidden from his cousin- and by extension, family- during Hugo’s time at the palace. All the late nights in the lab, plus sneaking him into his room, the moments where they locked themselves in a spare closet together… Yeah, Eugene would definitely hate Hugo if he knew about all of that. “I wasn’t ready to tell you all about that. Not until he got a little more settled in Corona.” 

“Well, there’s no need for that now,” Quirin said. He offered a small smile to Hugo, who looked completely blown away that Quirin was even acknowledging him. “We can get to know each other openly, now that this whole mess is over. And, I will admit, I’m rather excited to get to know the person who finally managed to tie my hurricane of a son down.” 

That made Varian bark out a laugh so harsh that it hurt his throat. “ Him? Tie me down? He’s the most chaotic person I’ve ever met! No offense, girls,” he said, waving in Keira and Catalina’s direction, who shot him finger guns in response. “If anything, I’m the one tying him down.” 

“I mean, you could if you wanted to~” Hugo murmured in his ear, causing a brilliant blush to erupt on his face. He buried his face in his hands and shoved the blonde half heartedly, who just laughed and held onto his shoulders tighter. Bastard. 

One thing that Quirin said stuck in his mind, however, and he glanced over at his father. “But… what about Frederic? He’s going to lose his mind when he finds out about this,” he said, shuddering unconsciously. He could too easily imagine Frederic throwing Hugo and Amber in prison when he discovered their relationship, along with an excuse about interference with royal marital affairs or some other political garbage. 

“I won’t let that happen,” Rapunzel said firmly, her green eyes shining with determination. Eugene nodded as well, but Varian still didn’t feel comforted. Not until the Brotherhood stepped forward. 

“If he tries anything, then he’ll have to face the full might of the Dark Kingdom. And from the looks of it, the wrath of Koto as well,” Adira said smoothly, her muscular build matching his father’s. Her normally calm expression quirked up into a small grin as she looked over at the two of them. “I have to admit I’m impressed, nephew. I always thought I was good at reading people, but you hid this from us quite well. Your poker face has gotten exponentially better than it was when we first met.”

“Yeah, well, I had motivation,” Varian mumbled. He could feel the smugness radiating off of Hugo. 

“Whelp, I can’t say I’m happy you hooked up with a beanpole,” Hector started, earning a sputtered protest from Hugo, “But if this is what makes you happy, then I’m all for it. Especially if it means I get to kick King Snooty around.” 

Varian grinned at his uncle, who shot him a teeth filled smile in return. Hector may not have been the caring kind, but he defended his family with a feral ferocity, and Varian even more so. Varian knew he could count on him if push came to shove. 

Although he worried on Hugo’s behalf for the inevitable familial interrogations… 

“Do you want to head back to Corona? We have plenty of carts, and we can bring all the things you have here back with us. Plus, we can talk on the way and get to know you and Hugo’s relationship,” Rapunzel said. A flash of homesickness shot through Varian. He had missed Corona, the bright, cheery atmosphere and the constant daylight. He missed his old lab, too. The clearing worked wonderfully, but it was nothing compared to the lab of Demanitus himself. 

But the thought of leaving their little clearing, the small homes with the soft grass and leafy canopy, stung just as badly. He didn’t want to leave the life they had built here. He felt safe, unable to be touched by the world. 

I think I know that’s not where I belong, though, he thought, looking around at his family. He glanced over at Nuru and Amber, who were standing arm in arm with the rest of Nuru’s family smiling around them. As lovely as the life they had made was, it wasn’t theirs. It was a life of hiding, of keeping to the shadows for fear of being caught. 

It was time to go back to the sunlight. 

With a quick glance at Hugo, who nodded at him affirmingly, he smiled back at Rapunzel. “Give us a few minutes? We still need to gather some things. After that, though…” He took a deep breath, releasing the tension in his shoulders before responding. “I’m ready to go home.” 

The brilliance of Rapunzel’s smile rivaled the sun. She drew both him and Hugo into a hug, and this time, Varian could feel the rest of his family gathering as well- his father, Eugene, Lance, the girls, Cassandra, and the strong hands of his aunt and uncle resting on his shoulders. 

Through it all, Varian could feel Hugo’s hand, gripping tightly onto his. Hugo still held firm, but it was far more relaxed. Varian could read the meaning of the gesture like it was a book. I trust you. I trust your judgment. I trust they’re not going to take you away. 

For the first time in months, Varian finally felt like his family was back together. 

-o-

Bells were tolling merrily, echoing throughout the streets of the kingdom. It seemed that everyone in Koto was gathering in the courtyard of the royal palace, mingling with the visitors from Corona. Everyone was chattering happily together, excitement lacing each conversation. It seemed that with the oncoming wedding, everyone was in a good mood. 

Within the palace, standing in the royal hall, Varian could feel the joyous energy flowing through the air. He sighed, letting himself relax, his face splitting into a smile. It really is a beautiful day, he thought. 

In reality, it was closer to night- the sun was just barely showing above the horizon, and stars were beginning to appear in the sky. Varian knew it was only a matter of time before the moon appeared, and from Nuru’s careful planning, he knew it was going to be full. 

It was a little funny that he was more excited about his friend’s wedding than he had been about his own. 

Granted, this time, both of them wanted to be there. Varian was dressed far more comfortably than he had been before, in a looser fitting vest and pants, and his goggles rested in his pocket. Not on his head, per his father’s insistence, but at least he had them on hand. Ruddiger wasn’t present, unfortunately. The raccoon was likely raiding the kitchen along with Kiera, Catalina, and Nuru’s youngest sisters. 

The sound of footsteps came up behind him, and he turned, silver earrings swinging slightly in his ears from the movement. His smile grew at the sight of Amber, who looked incredibly dashing in her velvety white suit. The coattails opened up into a wide, flowy skirt, dancing around her ankles as she walked. Clearly, her appearance wasn’t boosting her confidence. Varian didn’t think he’d ever seen his brazen, confident cousin look so nervous. 

“Well?” she said hesitantly, pausing in front of him. “How do I look? Be honest, I don’t want you sugarcoating anything,” she said, jabbing her finger at him.

Varian laughed. There she is. “You look great, Amber. Honest. That suit really fits you,” he said reassuringly. Amber still didn’t look convinced, so he reached over and gently straightened the tie around her neck. A sense of deja vu hit him, of his cousin doing something similar at the wedding nearly a year ago. Slightly poetic, that he was now helping Amber at her wedding. 

“There. Now we’re even,” he said, more to himself than to Amber. Nonetheless, his cousin looked slightly more at ease, but the tension wasn’t gone from her posture. 

“Maybe we shouldn’t do this,” she blurted suddenly. “Maybe Nuru isn’t ready for this like she thinks she is. Maybe I need a few more months of training to be in the Royal Court. I mean, it’d be a scandal if it turned out I was a complete disaster and humiliated the entire royal family of Koto-” 

“ Amber, ” Varian said sternly, gripping his cousin’s shoulders, “You are going to be fine. Trust me. Nuru wouldn’t have planned all of this if she didn’t want it. Believe me, you two are going to be fine. And your training has been coming along great. You won’t have to worry about embarrassing anyone. You’ll be amazing.” 

After a beat, Amber sighed, a wry smile twisting on her face. “It’s annoying when you’re right,” she said ruefully. Varian puffed out his chest, smirking. 

“Good that you finally admit I’m right. Hopefully life will be easier for you when you accept that,” he sniped. 

“Oh, please. You’re not always right,” a voice behind him snarked. Varian turned around, his face lighting up when he caught sight of the tall blonde striding towards them. Hugo’s words processed after a second, however, and Varian quickly shifted his expression into something more stern. 

“See, and that’s why your life is so difficult,” he said haughtily. “You still haven’t been able to process the fact that I’m always right, which makes things a lot harder for you.” 

Hugo swaggered up next to him, draping his arm over Varian’s shoulders. “Oh, yes, my life is simply horrible. Living in a palace, soon to be in-laws with the royal family of Corona, a dashing young inventor by my side at all times,” he said dramatically. Varian rolled his eyes, but his serious face was quickly falling away into something more amused. 

“There won’t be a dashing inventor at your side for much longer if you can’t accept that I’m right,” he teased. Hugo looked wounded for a second before throwing his hand on his forehead dramatically and leaning against Varian. 

“Well, I suppose I’ll just have to agree with every word you say,” he said, leaning more and more of his weight against Varian. “Not a free thought of my own as long as I’m with you.” 

“That’s right,” Varian said, his stern expression abandoned for a wide smile. 

Without warning, Hugo leaned on him just a little too hard, and Varian felt himself overbalancing. He flailed his arms, trying to regain his balance before he fell. Right before he hit the ground, though, there was a strong arm under his head and around his waist. He cracked open his eyes, meeting Hugo’s own. The blonde was dipping him, so close to the floor that Varian’s hair nearly brushed it. 

With a sudden twist, Hugo had pulled them both upright, tucking Varian close against his chest. “Careful, hairstripe,” he murmured, his breath hot against Varian’s hair. “Don’t want you dying before the wedding. It’d really put a damper on the party.”

Varian searched for a retort, but his mind came up empty. He settled for resting his head over Hugo’s heart, grumbling. Stupid flexible beautiful bastard, he thought, or maybe said out loud. Either way, Hugo laughed, hugging him tighter. The blonde’s heartbeat was strong and steady, and Varian could feel his own slowing to match it. 

Behind them, Amber cleared her throat. “Hey, guys, this is my day to be all mushy and emotional. Stop taking up my time,” she said teasingly. Varian reluctantly pulled away, but he smiled at his cousin nonetheless. She deserved to have a romantic day.

Guests had started to file into the royal hall while they had been talking. Varian saw his mother’s side of the family filing in, a crowd of red hair and blue eyes. Another glance showed that Queen Ahrda had arrived, guests parting respectfully to give her a clear path to the front of the room. She settled into the front pew, the rest of her children sitting down next to her. 

It was a little strange, seeing one side of the room glitter with poise, dark cloths and diamonds, and the other side shine with bronze armbands and fiery hair. But then, Varian couldn’t be one to argue for conventionality. The scene was just as imperfectly perfect as it needed to be. 

Hugo gently led him down to the front pew on the other side of the room, sitting down next to Amber’s family. Varian’s uncle cheerfully clapped him on the shoulder, leaning over to pat Varian’s shoulder as well. Varian looked back towards the front, where Amber now stood alone next to the altar. An old priest was standing behind the altar, and he whispered something to Amber. Whatever it was, it helped, because she stood taller and more confidently as she waited.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity but was probably only a few minutes, the organ began playing. Hookhand had been commissioned once again, drawing out gorgeous melodies that filled the royal hall. Once he paused, a high note playing especially long, everyone in the hall stood. Varian craned his neck, trying to see Nuru, and a quick glance next to him told him Hugo was doing the same (with more successful results, curse his ridiculous height). 

Once he caught a glimpse of the girl in the doorway, he gasped, and he could hear everyone else doing the same. 

If Nuru looked amazing when she was dressed up for their arranged marriage, then at that moment she looked downright miraculous. Her hair was done into beautiful braids, gemstones woven within them to give her hair the appearance of a meteor shower. She was still wearing the same outfit as before, but clearly she had put a lot more effort into her appearance- her eyeliner and eyeshadow glittered in the moonlight, highlighting her brilliant golden eyes. Her moonstone pendant was back in place, and this time, a bouquet of moonflowers rested in her hands. A wide smile was on her face, and she began walking with sure, confident steps towards the altar.

In the light of the full moon, Nuru looked like a goddess. 

Varian glanced towards the front of the room and saw Amber standing there with her jaw practically on the floor. He grinned, then turned to silently cheer for Nuru right as she walked past. She gave them a soft, reassuring grin. Varian had known her long enough to know that she was silently saying thank you. 

Finally, she stopped at the altar, standing across from Amber. She rested her bouquet on the altar, then reached out to join hands with Amber. 

After an eternity of waiting, of hiding, of sneaking around, Nuru and Amber finally began their vows. 

As much as he tried to hold it in, Varian could feel a few tears sneaking out. He wiped at his face hurriedly, before anyone could see him, but a quick glance at Hugo nearly made him start laughing out loud. The blonde was crying silently at the sight of their best friends getting married, dabbing at his face with a handkerchief. It was a sweet sight that made Varian fall in love just a little bit more. 

Where the last wedding had seemed to drag on painfully, this one went by in a rush. In only moments Amber and Nuru were sliding rings onto each other’s fingers, then kissing to the thunderous applause of everyone in the hall. 

Varian screamed until his voice hurt, the royal family and Amber’s family were crossing the aisle to shake hands and hug each other, Hugo was sobbing openly now with a huge smile on his face, and it was altogether a picture for the history books. Varian was more than happy to be a part of it.

-o-

Varian collapsed onto the grassy hillside, his head hurting from a combination of fine champagne and wild dancing. His chest still shook with leftover laughter, and he took a moment to catch his breath. A soft flump told him that someone had joined him, and he smiled over at Nuru. Her skirts were spread out beneath her, with the various layers embroidered with different constellations. She had discarded her veil and tiara, her braids hanging freely around her face. It was a nice hairstyle for her.

“Tired already?” she said, her grin wide. Varian groaned, pressing his palms to his eyes. 

“I just needed a chance to catch my breath,” he groaned. “Hugo didn’t want to stop dancing, and he’s unfortunately right about me being a lightweight.” 

“So what I’m hearing is that you’re not always right?” Hugo said as he strode up the hill, a full flute of champagne in each hand. Varian glared halfheartedly at him, but shuffled to rest his head on Hugo’s lap anyway once the blonde sat down next to him. Hugo drained the champagne in one flute, then set aside the glass and used his newly freed hand to card through Varian’s hair. The pounding in Varian’s head receded somewhat, and he closed his eyes. 

“Mm, you can be right just this once,” he mumbled. He felt Hugo’s chest shake as he laughed, and the feeling made his chest warm in a way not even the champagne could achieve. 

There was the sound of footsteps once more, and Varian cracked his eyes open just as Amber sat down across from him, next to Nuru. Varian watched as she slid her hand into Nuru’s, finally seeming relaxed. The finality of the wedding seemed to have driven home the point that nothing was going to separate them. 

Varian had felt slightly jealous, watching them be congratulated by everyone in the room, seeing them dance together for the first time as a married couple. The feeling faded when he leaned into Hugo’s side, his finger tracing over the band of silver on his left ring finger. Soon. In a few months, that’ll be us. 

The idea was enough to fill Varian with excitement, and he shifted to sit up and lean against Hugo. Hugo adjusted, allowing Varian to rest his head on his shoulder. His arm slipped around Varian’s waist, a comforting weight that helped to ground Varian. 

“Y’know, it’s kinda funny,” Amber said suddenly after they were quiet for a minute. Varian tilted his head in confusion, and she flashed him a toothy grin that reminded him of Uncle Hector. “We went from crashing weddings to attending them in the span of a year.” 

“Ah well, a year’s a lot of time, my friend. Myself, I’m quite pleased with the results of our criminal activity,” Hugo said smugly. Varian rolled his eyes, grinning when he saw Nuru rolling hers as well. 

“Keep saying that. I’m sure Freddy would take it real well.” The King of Corona had been absolutely furious when he found out that Varian and Nuru weren’t going to be married. After quite a bit of persuasion, backed by the Kotoan guards and the Brotherhood, he and Queen Ahdra had agreed to a normal alliance, not sealed by a marriage. Varian had been standing in the room when the document was signed, and he couldn’t help but feel slightly relieved as he saw the ceremony go down. 

Unfortunately, Frederic hadn’t been as accepting of Hugo as the rest of the royal family had been. He got hilariously twitchy when Hugo mentioned the staged kidnapping around him, which had not only been bad for the alliance, but for the reputation of Corona’s guard force as well. Varian couldn’t care less, and it was hilarious to watch Frederic’s face turn a lovely shade of purple when he thought about it. 

He nudged Hugo’s side. “Actually, on second thought, keep saying that. It’s funny watching you make him mad.” 

Hugo smirked, then pressed a kiss to the side of Varian’s head. “Whatever you say, sweet cheeks,” he murmured. Varian could feel his smile. 

“Hey, what did I say? This is my day to be all sappy and emotional! You guys can save it for tomorrow!” Amber interjected. Hugo turned his attention from nuzzling Varian’s head to arguing with Amber, who gladly reciprocated. Varian rolled his eyes, still smiling at how ridiculous his beloved- his fiance - was. 

When he looked up, Nuru was leaning on Amber’s shoulder as well, watching her wife bicker with a gentle smile on her face. She looked over at Varian, and she offered him a bright smile. He grinned back at her, reaching over to hold her hand, and she took it. “ Totally worth it, ” she whispered. 

Varian nodded in agreement. Even if he had worried his family, worried himself every day they had been on the run, it had all been worth it to achieve this. This moment, bathed in the bright light of the full moon, where they all sat together under the stars, the people they cared about most just a few paces away. Varian sighed, slipping his arm around Hugo’s waist to pull them closer together. 

It’s perfect tonight. 

Even if they had to wait a few months to officially be married, he and Hugo were together. Amber and Nuru had gotten their happily ever after. Their families still loved them, and weren’t trying to force them into anything they didn’t want. 

After months of planning, of worrying, of running, sitting with his beloved and their closest friends, Varian finally felt like everything was just right.