Aquaria went to give Rapunzel breakfast in bed for her birthday when she saw Rapunzel on her window seat.

"Morning, sis. I made you birthday breakfast," Aqua said softly with a smile before frowning when she saw Rapunzel's expression. "Rapunzel? What's wrong?"

"Oh, uh... well..." Rapunzel sighed and turned to her little sister. "Last night I helped Varian steal the sundrop flower..."

Aquaria's eyes widened and she nearly dropped the tray of food. "Y-you what?"

"H-he said he only needed one petal, but he took the whole flower and he used some mixture derived from Xavier's mood elixir. He said that it was the key to saving Corona and-"

"Getting his father out of the amber... he asked me to help him and I told him no..." Aquaria set the tray down on Rapunzel's window seat before hugging herself.

"Aquaria... I... just wanted to help Corona..."

"And what's gonna happen when father finds out? You could get in trouble and Varian... h-he could be punished and I can't let that happen..." Aquaria felt tears prick her eyes.

"Dad knows... he's angry, but Aqua, Varian isn't safe to be around! I mean, he lied, tricked me, tried to get you to steal the most powerful object in the seven kingdoms, and now he has that object! Who knows what he could do now!"

"I-I... I'm sorry..." Aquaria started to cry as she dashed out of Rapunzel's room, not seeing Eugene about to enter as she left.

She ran to find her mother, her heart being ripped apart.

Arianna frowned when she saw her daughter crying.

"Aquaria? What's wrong, sweetheart?" She immediately took Aqua into her arms.

"Varian... h-he... I... I just don't know what to do..."

Aqua was terrified about what was happening. She couldn't stop thinking about what Varian had said.

'I can't believe that I actually liked you!'

She sobbed herself to sleep in her mother's arms, wishing that she had said yes and just helped Varian steal the flower.

💧

"I'm awake!"

Aquaria shot straight up when she heard a door open.

Arianna walked in with some tea for Aqua. "It's about time you woke up."

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Aquaria asked immediately when she saw that her mother looked distressed.

"Aqua... Varian, well... he attacked your sister, Eugene, and Cassandra... Rapunzel is under strict surveillance and your father has requested that you are not to leave your room either... not until Varian is stopped..."

Aqua choked out a soft sob and stared at the wall.

"This is all my fault..."

"No, sweetie. It's not your fault," Arianna said quickly as she sat beside Aqua.

"How is it not my fault? He needed help and I couldn't go with him! Then he asked for me to help him steal the one thing that could save his father and I told him no! I'm supposed to have his back and help him with everything, but I let him down! I'm his girlfriend... or at least I was... I don't even know if he wants me anymore, but it was my job to support him and be there... but I wasn't there..."

"Darling, I know you're hurting, but you were doing the right thing. I'm sure once Varian sees reason he will still want to be with you." Arianna handed Aquaria the cup of tea.

"Even if he does, father won't let me see him... I just... I should've done more... I should've been there... what if he never forgives me? What if he hates me? I-I can't have him hate me..." Aqua trembled as she held the cup in her hands.

"Come on, let's go for a walk. I'm sure your father won't mind and if he does, I'll talk to him," Arianna said softly as Aqua sipped the tea.

"Okay..." Aqua nodded and got up. She couldn't stop thinking about what she would do if she never saw Varian again after all of this was over.

"It's gonna be okay, sweetie. I promise. We'll work this out," Arianna assured as she walked out of the room with Aquaria.

🧪

Varian worked at his desk after finally getting back into his lab since the guards had left.

He kept looking at the picture of him and Aqua as he worked on his plan to get Rapunzel so he could use her hair to drill through the amber.

He growled as he grabbed the photo. He threw it against the wall as he yelled. The glass of the frame shattered as the frame broke apart. He grabbed the picture from the rubble of the frame. He was about to burn the photo but he just couldn't.

He looked at the drawing and a few tears trickled down his cheeks.

"Why couldn't you just help me when I needed you most? I thought you loved me..."

He felt so betrayed and just wanted Aquaria by his side.

He held the photo gently and then had an idea as he looked at it.

"Hmm... Rapunzel will be heavily guarded so maybe if I go for the heart..." Varian looked at Ruddiger, a smirk crossing his lips.

"I'll go after the queen and Rapunzel will come running."

Ruddiger made a whimpering sound as he nosed Aqua in the photo.

"I miss her too, buddy, but she doesn't care about us... maybe I'll grab her too... I'll make her pay for turning her back on us," Varian said harshly, although deep down he really just wanted to see her again.

"I know just how to distract them."

Varian smirked as he slipped the photo into his pocket. He grabbed a vial and then looked at Ruddiger who chittered.

💧

It was late and Aqua was with her mother as she got ready for bed.

"Tomorrow will be a better day, sweetheart," Arianna said as she finished braiding Aquaria's hair.

"I hope so..." Aqua looked down, unaware of what was happening outside until she heard yelling. "Mom? Is something happening?"

"I'm not sure," she said with worry.

Aqua got up and ran with her mother down the hall. They caught sight of some guards, Rapunzel, Eugene, Max, Lance, and some of the thugs through a window.

"Captain! Get more men!" Aqua heard her father's voice and she became very worried.

"Hello, your majesties."

Aquaria whipped around immediately when she heard the familiar voice. She saw Varian in his heavy coat and welding mask.

"Sleep." Varian let a dust fly at them from his hand.

"Varian..." Aqua murmured as her eyes fluttered shut.

💧

Aquaria woke up with a start and looked to see that she was in Varian's lab. She tried to move, but she felt weak.

"-their backs on me... and that's when you should start worrying," Varian spoke to Arianna who looked so worried and afraid.

"Varian! Stop!" Aqua struggled against her restraints.

"Oh, you're awake." Varian glared at her as he took the queen over and put her with Aqua, shackling her leg so she couldn't run away.

"Please! Don't do this!" Aqua looked at him pleadingly, her heart hurting so much.

"I have to do this, Aquaria! I have to free my father! I thought we were partners! I thought we were gonna be with each other forever, but you don't care!" Varian sneered at her.

"I do care, Varian! I care so much!" Aqua defended herself.

"Liar!" Varian gritted his teeth. "If you cared, you would've helped me! You wouldn't have left me to fix this by myself!"

"Varian, I-"

"Just shut it! I don't wanna hear it!" Varian slammed his fist on his desk and Ruddiger looked at Aqua with fear in his little eyes.

"This isn't you..." Aqua murmured as she cried. She watched him start welding parts on what looked to be a giant robot.

"Believe me, I know. I've sunk pretty low, but whatever I've done you've deserved." Varian looked at Aquaria with hard eyes.

"Varian-"

"Quiet!" He cut off Arianna before setting his welding mask on his desk.

Ruddiger scampered away and ran to Aquaria. She hugged Ruddiger close to her as she watched Varian with fear.

"I'm the bad guy, that's fine. It's no fault of mine and some justice at last will be served."

"Please, listen," Aqua pleaded as she stroked Ruddiger's fur.

"Now it's time to step up or it's time to back down and there's only one answer for me." Varian climbed his ladder and started to hammer in one of the nails.

He started making some balls of his sticky formula after climbing down and Aquaria curled up against her mother.

"And I'll stand up and fight 'cause I know that I'm right."

Varian looked at Aquaria and then quickly looked away.

"And I'm ready," he told himself as convinced himself that he was ready to do this. "Ready as I'll ever be."

"I'll make them hear me," Varian said with determination as he lowered his robot into a hatch. "I'm ready as I'll ever be."

Aquaria let out a soft sob and Varian felt his heart clench, but he tried his best to ignore it.

"Please, Varian... just... please... don't do this..." Aquaria begged.

"Why shouldn't I?! You clearly don't care what happens to me or my father!" Varian snapped.

"But I do care! I really do! I love you, Varian!"

Varian froze and he turned to her with a hard glare.

"Do you really expect me to say that I love you back after you betrayed my trust?! After you were gonna just let my father stay stuck in this amber forever?!"

"I-"

"I may have loved you once but I will never love you again! We are over, Aqua! I hate you!"

Aquaria trembled and Arianna hugged her tight as she broke down completely.

Varian closed the curtain and Ruddiger was trying to cheer Aqua up.

"No... h-he can't hate me... this is just a bad dream..." Aqua whimpered as she started to hyperventilate.

"Honey, calm down. It's gonna be okay." Arianna hated seeing Aqua this distraught.

"No it's not! H-he hates me! I made him hate me!" She sobbed into her mother's neck.

"Ruddiger!" Varian called and the raccoon started to leave the curtained off area, looking back at Aqua sadly before running to Varian.

Aquaria felt so heartbroken as she murmured, "I love him so much..."