Arranged (COMPLETED)

Chapter 1

He looked up at the sky which had turned (and stayed) black. Black as if it was the middle of the night. Black as if there was a great force pressing down on the sky. Black and threatening. He sighed slightly and looked down at his shaking hands, forcing them to stop. Today, he was finally going to meet the Prince of Andasey who he had been betrothed to since he was 5. Really, he was happy that his parents had sensed that he and his brother (who had already been married off to the Prince of Anguis) didn't like girls but that didn't stop him being incredibly nervous.

He really, really hated formal occasions even though he looked like he was fine. He could put on a mask easily and pretend that he was having fun when really he wanted to go back to his room and write poetry. He loved poetry. Looking back up at the black sky, he sighed again. There was something coming, he could feel it.

The black sky wasn't the only ominous sign his parents had kept from him. The sudden killings, unexplained explosions and fires, people losing their sanity left and right, his brother suddenly trying to hurt himself and others even though he had always been relatively stable. It wasn't right and no matter how hard they tried, his parents couldn't stop things reaching him through the grape-vine.

One of his best friends had been killed by this dark, ominous force. He still wore a black band on his arm to show Patton that he was not forgotten. Sighing for a third time, he turned his back on the dark sky and looked around his room, trying to find some comfort in the familiar surroundings. Everything seemed dark and twisted, however. From the blood red covers on the bed to the golden crown sitting on his vanity table, everything had a twisted feel about it. The gold of the crown seemed to move and darken under his gaze before he blinked and it was just a normal crown again.

This darkness had been around for a year or so and the killings had gotten so terrible that a curfew had been introduced. The ornate clock on his wall struck 6:30, signifying the beginning of curfew. Hearing the beat of wings, he turned and looked back out of his window.

There was a black pegasus hovering outside his window, indistinguishable from the sky if not for the purple markings surrounding it's face and hooves. A darkly clad man sat on the back of the pegasus, surveying the castle before the winged horse swerved away. He was awe of the creature. Pegasus' were supposedly mythical animals but, in this world of magic and mystery, nothing stayed mythical for long. But still, they were one of the rarest creatures on the planet and yet this one had a rider who sat so calmly on its back despite being high off the ground.

A loud rumble from the sky signified the start of another storm and the prince pitied anyone who would be caught in the downpour. As if on que, rain started to pelt his windows as if trying to knock them down. Lighting flashed but he no longer flinched at the sharp light. Thunder storms and hurricanes were an almost daily thing for the people of Ceanly and the prince had grown accustom to the loud noises and sharp flashes of light. Still, he sometimes wished he could see the sun again. He had almost forgotten what natural warmth felt like and he was becoming paler by the day. Walking away from the window, he thought the thunder outside sounded awfully like laughter but he shook the thought away. No use letting his imagination run wild now. He had to keep his head out of the clouds if he wanted to make a good impression on his betrothed.

Picking up the golden, ruby-studded crown, he thought that something moved in the mirror. Carefully, he looked into it. A flash of lightning lit up his room and his reflection had changed.

Everything was twisted and black. He reeled back but another flash lit up the room, showing that his reflection was completely normal.

"Stop it, Roman." He told himself firmly, placing the gold crown gently on his head. "Stop letting your imagination run away with you."

"Roman!" His mother called.

"Coming mother!" He yelled back before sneaking another glance in the mirror. Even by the faint light of the candles by his bedside, he could see that his reflection was normal. He scolded himself again for letting his creativity get the better of him before running out of his bedroom and down the stairs to the main hall, excited and nervous to meet his betrothed.

***

"Roman dear, this is your betrothed, Virgil of Andasey."

Roman bowed to the other prince who seemed to be sizing him up.

"If you are sizing me up, your Highness, then I would advise not to." Roman said before he could stop himself.

"I wasn't sizing you up, I was simply seeing who I had to live with for the rest of my days." Virgil said with a slight edge to his voice.

"Your Highness, that is no way to speak to your to-be husband." Another man said. Virgil sighed.

"I am aware of that, Logan." He turned back to Roman and bowed again. "Apologies." He muttered. "Is the sky always this dark, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Usually, yes."

"Oh. I just thought that maybe it would be different." Virgil mumbled to himself before turning to the Queen. "Thank you for letting me and my advisor stay here, your Majesty."

"It isn't a problem. I believe we have two rooms set up for you. Roman dear, would you show Virgil his room?"

"Of course mother." Roman said, trying to conceal a sigh as he led Virgil through the castle. Virgil rubbed his arm as if to comfort himself. "This boy looks as awkward as I feel." Roman thought.

"This is my room and yours is just there." Roman said. Virgil tilted his head to the side.

"So you were the person who was staring at me when I landed here."

"You were the one on the pegasus?"

"Yes. They're very common in Andasey."

"I wasn't staring at you."

"You certainly seemed to be."

"Well I wasn't!" Roman protested. Virgil hissed at him and stalked off down the corridor. "Spoilt brat." Roman thought as he slammed his door closed. "I can't believe I have to get married to him."

Virgil sighed and slid down the door, hugging his knees. He hated being apart from Logan who had been his best and only friend growing up. Virgil felt distinctly uncomfortable in the unfamiliar castle. He hated it here. Nothing was making him feel at ease. The sky was still black here and the rain was still cold and painful. Virgil let out a little sigh of content as he ran his fingers over the familiar cover of his sketchbook. That little book always seemed to calm him down somehow. Virgil hissed slightly again. He couldn't believe he had to get married to that.

Lighting flashed, making the small prince jump. He hissed slightly, remembering the entitled look on the other prince's face.

"Spoilt brat." He thought as he heard a door slam. "I can't believe I have to get married to him."