Fearkeeper: Book 2 (Keeper Trilogy)

9

"Roman what are we doing..." The prince frowned as he knelt down cutting Logan off as he started to dig a hole in the garden. Patton stood there watching with growing concern as Roman opened the box and sighed. "Roman?"

"You read the card, Logan. He said I had to care for the flower." Logan's eyes narrowed as Roman carefully pulled the potted flower out of the box. "I thought it should be here."

"Are you sure about this, Kiddo?" Patton moved closer making the usual emotional pressure people felt around him a little bit stronger. "This is where you..."

"Yeah. I know." Roman's frown grew as he looked up to see the engraved stone and sighed. "That's exactly why I want it here, Dad. Virgil gave me this flower to care for."

"I'm not saying you shouldn't. You've turned this small piece of the garden into a very beautiful and touching memorial." Patton knelt down beside Roman as the prince just stared at the flower. "What I mean is... Are you sure you want to be here right now?"

"There was no body Patton." Roman narrowed his eyes as the tears started to fall. Patton just smiled sadly as Logan squeezed Roman's shoulder supportively. "There was no body for either of them. Whatever Colt did... it killed them and made them fade." Roman wiped the tears from his eyes as he shook his head. "He's not really here. This grave... he's not here. It's empty. I buried a box of our things in his stead."

"Roman..."

"I'm ok." Roman smiled softly through the pain as he started to carefully take the flower out and place it into the hole. "Besides... this flower is so... him." Roman laughed as he gingerly brushed his fingers against the purple and white lily petals. "He always said his favorite flowers were lilies. Why not have it here? It's almost as if... through it, he really is here now."

"He was always here..." Logan smiled as he knelt down on the other side of Roman. "...through you."

"Wow." The three jumped up to find Remy standing there sipping his... soda? Remy glanced down at his cup and laughed as he pulled his glasses down to reveal shining silver eyes. "They were out of coffee. Not happy, BTW's. Anywho, you planted a flower? Also, when was Logan the sappy one?"

"I'll try not to take offense to that." Remy just smirked as Roman frowned glancing around at everything.

"Remy, what are you doing here?" Sleep just shrugged before pulling an envelope out his bag making everyone freeze up as he handed it to Roman. 

"Found it in my room, for some reason. I thought it was important considering our talk the other day. " Roman snatched the envelope tearing it open as he yanked the card out not even bothering to be careful. "Jesus, Ro... It's not going anywhere."

"As I said last time, You are my light. Every smile you gave me just seemed so bright. You made everything better by just being there. You turned my night into day and made the shadows disappear." Roman froze up and bit his lip as his hands shook. Knowing who it was now made every word actually hit Roman... and it was a lot of emotional damage. "I miss that smile that made everything right. I miss how you'd smirk after every fight. Roman, I hate seeing you like this. I can't stand that frown so permanent on your lips."

"Why present tense?" Roman paused as Logan narrowed his eyes in thought. "What exactly was going on when this was being written?" Remy's eyes darkened as Roman looked away with a frown.

"Honestly with the amount of fights Virge and I had... It could have been anything." Roman tensed as he had to choke back a broken laugh. "God I was horrible."

"Don't you dare say that." Remy snapped before Patton could cut in. Roman's eyes went wide as Remy flicked his hair back. "Yes you guys had your fights but you were always there for him. You loved him and he knew it. Every relationship has its issues. You two fought and worked on yours though. You tried Roman. That's what matters."

"Yeah well... When you have no more time to make it all up to them... you start to focus on everything you've done wrong." Remy sighed as he shook his head.

"Does it say anything else?" Roman nodded as he continued to read. 

"The lesson I teach although you might miss is that light is needed for true happiness." Roman faltered a bit as he reread the line over. Virgil just flat out told him the lesson this time... why? "Your task won't be easy no not at all I want you to do something you haven't done in so long. I want you to smile, love. Just one genuine smile is enough."

"A smile. Well, should be easy. You smile all the time kiddo." All the others cringed as Patton just stood there smiling himself.

"A genuine smile, Pat." Remy called as Roman's face fell more. "You gonna let this be the one that stops you?" Roman's eyes narrowed as Remy shot him a look. He sipped his cola some more as he shook his head. "I feel sorry for you."

"Hey now..." Remy held his hand up cutting Logan off as Roman moved to hug himself.

"I feel sorry for you Roman. You lost the man you love... but don't let that destroy the light you have. You're such a bright person. Your aura was so bright in the dark realm." Roman's eyes went wide as Remy frowned. "Do you even know how your aura is now... how dim it's gotten?"

"No... I haven't..."

"Keep on swimming, babe. That's all I can tell you. If you just keep on keep on keeping on you'll reach the end soon enough. Until then... work on that smile of yours." Remy smirked as he turned away to leave. "You know how much Virgil loved it."

"Got it." Roman laughed a bit as he spun around and waved his hand over the flower. Small little pink lilies dotted up around it making the purple one look like a giant. Roman snapped summoning a spray bottle filled with water and plant food. He sprayed the flowers before holding his hand up in the air and watching the clouds part to let a stream of golden sunlight to shine down and bath the flowers. "For now let me at least work on this."

"It's absolutely stunning, Roman." The prince nodded as his lips curled up ever so subtly, not a smile but enough to know he was proud. Patton took his hand and Roman's eyes widened slightly at the pain he felt from the contact. He noticed right away it wasn't as strong as it usually is and he felt happy to know Patton was getting better.

"Roman, we have to go over..."

"I know." Roman took a deep breath before spinning around and smiling wide. "Let's go. I'm sure we've been annoying Virgil enough." Patton laughed as he nodded wiping some tears of his own away. Roman brushed his hand over the tombstone he had created and sighed. "Hope you like it, Virgil."

"I have a concern." Logan called out as he and Roman started making their way to the prince's room. "Virgil's dead. I saw it. I know, so... how are the gifts and cards getting to you?" Roman stopped short as Logan frowned. "All of this had to have been planned long before Colt. I'd even suspect... more than half a year of just planning." Roman's eyes narrowed as Logan looked lost. "Someone had to have been a part of the planning. Someone who knew what Virgil was going to do and had access to it after his passing. Someone who cares about you enough to see your pain and set Virgil's carol in motion. Someone whos able to do all this in his stead..."

"Remy." Logan's eyes widened as Roman frowned. "He's Virgil's best friend. He's the only one that Virgil would have gone to besides Deceit but..." Logan's eyes darkened as Roman sighed. "Plus one of the gifts I got was some of his dream sand."

"And he did just give you the next card." Roman nodded as they continued on with this look in their eyes. "It does make sense to think it would be him."

"He also told me what the dream task was meant to teach me... It's the only thing that makes..." Roman opened his door and froze upon sight. His eyes were wide and reflecting the sparkle of his room. Fairy lights were hung all over his walls and ceiling. His bed had glass ice fractals hung up around it catching the light and making everything just glow. Gold and silver embellishments, ribbons, and bulbs littered the air serving only to reflect the fairy lights. The entire room was lit up. "To think Virgil could have planned this."

"What?" Logan peered over Roman's shoulder and everything just froze up. The lights were arranged with the ribbons and everything to cast a shadow on the wall. A shadow in the form of two people locked in an embrace. It was crude and hardly as detailed as if Creativity had done it but the form was still there. They knew what it was. Two people locked in an embrace surrounded with lights. And for the first time in an entire year...

Roman actually smiled.