True Deceit

Chapter 46: Roman

TW- mild violence (also I was tired when I wrote this, so expect bad writing sorry.)

Remus picked at the Disney posters covering Roman's bedroom walls, tasting clumps of glue-tack from each paper thin corner. "Not bad," he noted, nodding his head.

"Can you stop," Roman groaned, pressing his face in his hands. "Your distracting me, I'm trying to think."

Remus smirked, strutting beside the wooden chair he sat in. "Well that is kinda my job. Say, do you want to do something fun?" He snapped his fingers, turning the imagination palace into a sheet of white. "What would you be interested in? A Battlefield, Hogwarts, a murder scene? oh! A medieval dungeons with dead bodies inside? We can play any scenario you like, it's your pick!"

The corners of Roman's lips lifted a fraction. "Sorry Remus, medieval role play does sounds fun, but-"

"Well, let's do it!" Tall cobblestone walls stretched above their heads, and knight's armour slapped against Roman's chest. For himself Remus contoured and long black robe and a maniacal clown mask. "I will be a traitorous clown with the intention of slaughtering your king, and you have to try and stop me!"

"No, Remus, cut it out! I'm worried about Vir-" He let out a yell as Remus ditched a smoke bomb at his feet, sending suffocating fog into his face. He drew his claymore, running towards his twin. 

Remus cackled villainously. "We can't stop until you've defeated me, your trapped in the mind palace until I release you!"

"Remus-"

"Come and get me!" He bolted into the distance, scaling a flight of stone stairs. Roman followed after, muttering with frustration as he entered the castle. A crimson carpet lined the floor and yellow torches brightened the corridor.

"Get back here you bastard!" Roman growled as he pursued his target, hastily thrusting his shoes against the floor. Remus turned, throwing several daggers in his direction. Roman deflected with his sword before turning a sharp right, watching as Remus snatched a torch from the wall and set the carpet ablaze. The knight gasped, sweat trickling down his neck as he swerved through the meter high flames. He perpetuated himself forward, rolling atop the ground in an effort to stamp out the burning fire. "Your going to pay for that," he puffed.

Roman dashed into the grand hall in which sat a frail old king on his throne, seated beside none other than Remus. He had a fist full of the king's wispy white hair in his hand and a knife pressed against the kings throat, cackling madly. "Ha! You should have come sooner! How could you leave this poor, frightened, defenceless man in my presence?"

Roman gasped. How could I have left a poor, frightened, defenceless... Virgil? What if he was being abused, hurt, lied to, and here he was playing dress up with his stupid brother? 

"I don't want to play anymore!" He shouted abruptly, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I hate you!"

Remus tore the mask from his face, revealing a pair of shocked eyes. "Oh, okay," he murmured, clicking his fingers and bring the bedroom back into view. 

Roman rose into the dark side, bolting down the corridor and pressing his ear to Deceit's bedroom door. However, the timing couldn't have been worse for in that moment the knob twisted. Roman jumped backward, lifting his eyes to scan Deceit who had opened the entrance. 

"Virgil and I asked for privacy, did you not get the message?" His hands were clenched into fists, and his teeth were gritted. "Oh I get it, you're just trying to catch me in the act of harming my son, so you can strap me to a cell wall again, is that right?" 

The prince turned a bright red, stammering breathlessly, "I, I only wanted to check on Virgil."

Virgil stepped forward with his sleeve rolled up to his elbows, exposing his scars. "Roman! you shouldn't have been eavesdropping." 

"But-"

Deceit sneered. "But what, you thought I might have hurt him, that I might have lied to you?"

"Well, you can't blame me," Roman swallowed,  "your name is Deceit-"

"My name is Janus!" He seethed, reaching out his fingers and clutching the prince's sash. 

"Your scaring him," Virgil spoke sharply, noting Roman's flickering eyes, "let him go."

"I'm not scared," he retorted hotly as the snake released him, his heart pounding in his chest. "I'm leaving now."

"Good." Janus agreed, slamming the door in his face.

"Don't be angry with him," Virgil pleaded, "he's afraid of you, he can't help it." Janus marched over to the nearest wall before striking it with his fist, yelping in pain. "Father!" He grabbed his wrists in his hands, standing before him. "Don't hurt yourself, it's okay."

"I'm so sick of everyone hating me!" Janus cried, water flooding his eyes. "Why can't people just forgive me!?"