Mosaic Windows

Chapter 17: A Lot Happens Here

CW: blood

Roman cursed his broken leg because all he wants to do is pace around. He has to fix this, he needs to! Virgil's been so kind to him, and he goes and hurts him. He's been a royal jerk ever since he's arrived.

There was a knock on the door and he didn't know how to feel. Hopeful that it was Virgil? Dreadful because any of them would be angry at him for breaking a boundary? It made him feel sick and he wasn't sure he could find his voice, but he managed. "Come in."

Patton walked in, his usual cheerful aura was gone. He didn't look angry, more sad but hopeful. He was probably hoping to understand why Roman went into the room, that he would have a reason. Roman does too.

"Hey, I heard what happened..." he told Roman, the obvious question hanging in the air.

"I-I am so sorry, I know I shouldn't have gone in there! I just want to make it up to Virgil, do something. I don't know what to do, or why I went in there."

Patton had a look on his face as if he tasted something sour. "Virgil doesn't forgive easily. It'll be hard to win his trust back. You might not ever. Logan is upset too."

Roman suddenly wondered when Patton and Logan met Virgil and why they live here. "And you?"

He didn't look Roman in the eye, but Patton nodded. "We're not very secretive, but we do ask for some privacy about our past. I'm sure you already assume something bad happened in that room... It affected all of us. Changed everything. Some memories are best locked away."

"How can I make things better? I understand not forgiving me and not trusting me, but I don't want you all to be upset with me forever. I want to fix this."

"I don't know... I think right now Virgil needs some time. Just give him some space for the night. We can figure things out in the morning. I... I still want you to be friends with us, so I want to fix this too."

Roman sighed, "I hope Virgil feels the same way."

Patton turned back to the door. "I hope so too. I'll bring you something to eat later." He hesitated like he had something more to say but kept his mouth shut.

He closed the door behind himself, leaving Roman alone in his room. The guilt and dread hung around his shoulders and sat in his stomach like a hard rock. He felt miserable, but he only has himself to blame. Now he needs to figure out what to do.

So he grabbed his bag, pulled out his pencil and some papers, and went straight to planning. He didn't expect to mend Virgil's trust for him, not right away anyway, but he just wanted to get his friend back.

~~~

Virgil was still upset the next day. One part of his mind was telling him it was ridiculous to be this upset that Roman went into a room. It wasn't like he did anything after all. But another part of his brain was telling him he had every right to be upset. After all, he had asked the human not to go into that room, someone he had taken in while hurt when he didn't have to, and Roman went in there anyway. He broke his trust, it's as simple as that.

To avoid him, Virgil stayed in his room for the rest of the day. Logan brought him dinner, and he himself had also seemed upset. Possibly for the same reason as Virgil, or maybe the room also brings him bad memories. After all, Virgil wasn't the only one that lost his parents that day.

The prince is still avoiding Roman. He stayed in his room all morning before leaving to go to the garden. He was worried about running into Roman on the way there, and honestly debated jumping out of the window, but he went down there the normal way.

There wasn't much to do, the roses all seemed healthy. All Virgil did was tear off dead leaves and looked for any pests, but there usually aren't any in the winter. The grass was covered in white, it must have snowed last night. It probably did with his emotions. It was still bone chilling cold, his breath puffed out in front of him like... well like a dragon's flame.