Fantasizing a war - A Sanders Sides Trilogy

Day 14.5

"You can't leave us!"

"Roman, it's Joan's' choice, not ours-"

"No, Pat, we need them!"

"We got along just without them for the first couple of days, though, didn't we, Princey? Besides, in my Realm, it's custom to let the guards have free reign over their retirement decisions!"

"Well, this isn't your Realm, is it, Virgil? We need Joan, they're the strongest and we'd have failed quickly without them! Remember they moved that huge tree which blocked the only route down here?"

"We would've, eventually, found a way around. Whether we flew over it one by one as we did with that chasm several days back."

"Shut up, nerdy wolverine! We need Joan!"

"It's their choice!"

"GUYS!" Joan shouted and their four companions turned back to him. "I'm staying here. I can't go into the Dark Realm, not with the problems I've brought onto the team."

Virgil pointed at the knight, head snapping back to Roman. "See? They're standing down for the good of the mission, and it's not like you'll never see them again! We don't have time for this, Roman!"

"Virgil is right." Logan nodded. "We're running out of time. King Deceit's' deadline of a month is almost upon us - he'll burn this whole Realm to the ground, and then none of us will be safe!"

Patton grabbed Roman's hand sympathetically. "Ro, I know you and Joan are really close and you probably will hate this but we have to let some people go! Like... Your mother..."

Roman tensed and Virgil looked up curiously. The two princes made eye contact. "You... lost your mom?" Virgil asked awkwardly.

"Yeah... Did you?"

Virgil nodded. "And my dad."

Roman scoffed quietly. "And here I thought I had daddy issues..."

"You have more than me," Virgil smirked. "Can't have daddy issues if you don't have one."

Joan watched on for a moment. "So... Am I cool? Can I go?"

Roman sighed, turning to them. "You know I don't want you to."

"Yep."

"But this group is run like a democracy,"

"It seems so."

"So I will have to go against every instinct in my body,"

"I'm sorry about this, Ro."

"And let you go."

The two stared at each other for a moment, silent understanding passing between them. Patton couldn't help it and went aw. Logan smiled at the two friends reconciling and Virgil huffed slightly, looking down at his sleeves.

Roman smiled sadly. "Stay safe, okay? We need to leave now."

"I'll always stay safe. I'll see you on the other side of whatever this is."

Virgil looked up. "It's a war."

Patton frowned. "How?"

"We're all in a state of war. Haven't you seen the big posters on side of the buildings in each village we've stopped in? They've said stuff like 'Rationing will begin on the something of whatever', or 'Join your local guard and stop the Dark soldiers from hurting your family'. Your King is putting us all in a state of war and if anyone knew who I was they'd either kill me or hand me into Dee who'd make me wish I was dead." Virgil shrugged, looking back down at his sleeves as he fiddled with them.