Fantasizing a war - A Sanders Sides Trilogy

A King In Love

Roman knocked on his fathers' door and helped himself in before Philip replied. The ex-king was lying comfortably in his large bed, a thick book in his hands that he was flicking through lazily.

"Well, Roman, you better have a good reason for barging in here! Your old man needs a rest!" Philip laughed, but his eyes narrowed when he saw the tears on his sons' face. "What's happened?"

Roman sat down on his father's' bed, curling his legs up to his chest. "Logan yelled at me..."

"Did you tell him you're the King?"

"He knows I'm the King, dad..."

"Then why were you fighting?" Philip sat up, setting down his book.

Roman sighed. "Virgil's' been taken by the guy who's stolen all the children. I wanted to travel to find him myself but Logan said I was shirking my responsibilities... He doesn't understand!" He flopped back onto his fathers' lap with a sour pout. "If someone had stolen Patton from him, he'd be kicking down every door in every Realm to find him. Why should it be any different for me?"

"Because you're the King. And we Kings have to make tough choices. Just ask Deceit why he isn't forcing every answer from that imp of his with his bare hands! He's got to put the people before his own needs." Explained Philip, brushing his sons' hair from his eyes softly but stiffly. He was getting too old.

"But when he found out that we had Virgil he tried to start a whole war over it!" Roman whined.

Philip smiled, rolling his eyes. "That was because he had the promise of his Realm being untouched by danger while he was gone. He could launch a surprise attack with the confidence he wouldn't get stabbed in the back. But now, with these grey guys stealing kids, he fears living his Realm would mean leaving it open for an attack."

"But Logan-"

"I know Logan has never been the best with emotions," Philip shushed his son, with a long sigh, "But you are the King. You swore your people would come first. When your mother died, I was prepared to grieve for months - I could only grieve for a week before I had to return to my duties. If you want to get Virgil back, you'd have to monitor it from here."

Roman thought in silence for a moment, then said slowly, "Or I could put you in charge temporarily while I join Patton and Logan in confidence that my Realms is safe?"

Philip laughed, but it was a sad laugh. "Roman, I'm old. I could die while you are out there in the wild and our people would have no one to lead them. Besides, you'll never learn how to be a good king if you have someone propping you up the whole way, will you?"

"I just want to see Virgil..." Roman mumbled, snatching a pillow from next to his Father and smacking it into his face. "After four years, I go to the  Dark Castle and he's been kidnapped... Now Patton is asking why I haven't seen him in four years."

"The people must come first, Roman. I can guide you through this, but you need to stay here in Cabina City. Do you understand?"

"... I understand."