Put back together

51. Departure from Yunip

Patton watched Roman's breathing even out. He wanted to do something, help somehow but couldn't think of a way how to do that.
He barely payed attention to Logan answering Elliott's many questions.

While Roman had been outside they had explained their situation to Emile, carefully leaving out the fact the they were in fact the pieces they had been looking for.
Emile seemed nice but he'd have to prove himself to be trustworthy before they told him about that.

In turn he had told them everything he knew about the revolution.

"Remy said that people must've been planning it for a while, with how many were in on it from the start," Emile had begun. Patton still couldn't believe that he was married to the mage that had gotten them into this whole mess. "That's why the fires were spread so quickly. Someone set the stables on the castle on fire to cause a distraction and they stormed the castle."

"So they probably had someone on the inside," Logan had interjected. "Probably a servant or something."

The thought didn't sit right with Patton. He knew most of the people working for the royal family, except maybe for the consultants or knights. He couldn't picture any of those people committing treason.

"Most likely," Emile had nodded," but like I said, I wasn't there. The knights fought against the intruders while Remy tried to get the royal family to safety. But nobody except for the king knew where Roman was, so his siblings didn't want to leave him behind and by the time his majesty told them he also declared that he wouldn't hide from his subjects. That they couldn't harm him in any way that would matter now."

That was another part that seemed weird to Patton. Sure, the king was old but when Patton had met him he had still seemed like a strong smart person. In his opinion there were plenty of ways the revolutionars could harm him. On the top of that list was killing him. Surely the king must be aware of that? So why would he say that they couldn't harm him in a way that would matter. What did that mean?

"Remy said that he was very close to cursing the king but decided that I would probably lose my funding and didn't," Emile had looked absolutely smitten at that sentence before regaining his composure. "Apparently that's when a small group of revolutionars burst into the room. Prince Damian fought to protect his family and according to Remy without him the king would be dead but..."

Emile had trailed off and looked over to the bed where Roman had been sitting before he stormed out.

Patton sighed. He wasn't sure which of the princes Damian had been. Any of the options were far too young to die.

He wondered what would have happened if he hadn't stopped Roman from going back on that day. Would he have been able to safe his brother? Or would he have simply died himself?

Roman shifted in his sleep.

Patton didn't want to think about him dying. He wanted to stay with Roman for a long time. He didn't want to see Roman leave this world.

With shaky legs Patton stood up and moved over to Roman's bed. Gently he draped the blanket over the prince's sleeping body and pushed a lock out of his face.

Again Roman shifted, pulling the blanket tighter around himself.

Patton went to bed not long after. Elliott curled up on his chest, letting out small puffs of smoke as they slept.
He wasn't sure how much later Logan and Emile decided to call it a night.

When he woke up he couldn't remember what he had dreamt but it left the aftertaste of a nightmare and he remembered feeling a cold pressure choking him.
Patton sat up, shivering.