Arranged (COMPLETED)

Chapter 2

TW: Panic attack

Virgil sighed and hugged his knees. He had thought that sketching something in the garden would be interesting and calming but everything here was dead. Just like back at home. Leaning his head back, he looked up at the black sky. It was even darker here than it was back in Andasey. Virgil closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. He concentrated on the image of the sky getting lighter, even if it was just some of the clouds disappearing. He felt energy crackle around his fingers and he was blinded by a quick flash of purple from inside his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, the sky hadn't gotten any lighter but it looked like something had weakened the force pressing down on the kingdom.

Trying to stand, Virgil was hit with a wave of dizziness and clutched his head, leaning against the tree for support.

"Shit." He hissed, the dizzy feeling in his head turning to acute pain. "Logan warned against this." He focused on dulling the pain in his head slightly and felt his hands glow a little. The sharp spike of pain in his mind lessened but didn't disappear. "That's good enough for now. If I'd only brought the books in father's library." Virgil thought bitterly. He turned and looked at the castle, the blinding white marble a beacon against the black sky. "I'd better go back." He thought before slowly making his way back to the castle, trying to ignore the pain that came with every step.

"You did what?!"

"Logan, please quieten down." Virgil said, wincing as he put his head in his hands again.

"Your Highness, you promised that you wouldn't over-exert your magic. Especially in an alien kingdom. What if someone saw you and assumed that you were the cause of this?"

"Logan, you know full well that I wouldn't use magic if there was someone around." Virgil sighed and looked out of the window. "Besides, nothing changed. The sky didn't change. You know what that means." He said, looking at Logan sharply. Logan nodded and starting pacing, running his fingers through his usually neat hair.

"Whatever is causing this is here."

"And that means I have to kill whatever is here."

"Your Highness, with all due respect-"

Logan was cut off by a yell of fear. Virgil looked at Logan and bolted from the room.

***

Roman was curled up in the corner of his room, as far away from the mirror as he could be. He had seen something, something terrible, and punched the mirror. There were shards of glass all over the floor and some were imbedded in Roman's fist, making his whimper and he hid his face in his arm. He heard the door slam open and footsteps crunch over the glass. Someone put their hand on Roman's shoulder.

"Roman, Roman, calm down."

Roman shook his head frantically.

"Can you name me five things you can see?" The voice asked. Roman unburied his face and looked quickly around the room.

"Bed, mirror, crown, window a-and table." He said, his breathing not slowing down.

"Roman, breathe. You're alright. Can you name me four things you can feel?"

"P-Pain, glass, blood a-and," Roman's breathing quickened slightly as his eyes darted towards the mirror, the figure still grinning at him, "a-and ring."

"Roman, try and breathe. What are three things you can hear?"

"R-Rain, my voice and laughter."

"Roman, there's no laughter, you just need to calm down."

There was laughter. Awful, echoing and cruel.

"What are two thing you can smell?"

"The roses on my vanity table a-and clean bed-sheets."

"Finally, what is one thing that you can taste."

"S-Salt from my tears." Roman had calmed down slightly but tears were still running down his cheeks.

"Logan, can you get a First Aid Kit? I think Roman's hurt."

"Yes, your Highness."

Roman looked up at who was talking. It was Virgil. Except he didn't look awkward and he wasn't sneering at Roman. He looked... worried.

"Roman, let me see your hand." He said softly. Roman whimpered slightly as Virgil carefully took his wrist and inspected his hand. "Can you try unclenching your fist?"

Roman shook his head. It would hurt too much. "I'm going to have to do it for you." Virgil said, carefully easing Roman's hand open. Roman whimpered again. "Did you punch the mirror?" Virgil asked, inspecting the bleeding cuts on Roman's knuckles.

"Y-Yes."

"Why?"

"You-You'll think it's stupid."

"I assure you, I won't."

Roman was going to protest but the other prince looked at him with such sincerity in his gaze that he felt like maybe he would be believed.

"I saw someone. Something. Something that wasn't me."

"Can you tell me what it looked like? Thanks Logan." Virgil said as Logan returned with the Kit. "This might hurt a little but focus on telling me what the thing in the mirror looked like and not on your hand, okay?"

"Oh-Okay." Roman nodded as Virgil started carefully picking tiny shards of glass out of Roman's wounds. "The thing was dark and looked... etheral. Ow, it was wearing my crown. A-And it pointed at me and then at itself as if to say that it was me. Ow. It was dark, too. Black like the sky."

"Did you punch the mirror to get rid of it?" Virgil asked, now wrapping gauze around Roman's hand.

"Y-Yes." Roman laughed shakily. "I don't know why I thought it would work. It's still there."

Virgil whipped around to face the cracked and broken mirror. He stood up and inspected it closely. Roman thought he saw Virgil's eyes glow purple but dismissed it as a trick of the light.

"Is there something in the mirror right at this second, Roman?"

"N-No."

Virgil nodded and looked back at Roman who was still curled up in a corner. "Do you need any help standing up? You've had quite a shock."

Roman didn't like the other prince's patronizing tone. "I can stand up on my own. I'm not a toddler." Roman snapped, using the wall to prop himself up. Virgil looked slightly taken aback by Roman's sudden change of tone.

"Roman, what's wrong?" Virgil turned back towards the mirror. "Is there still something there?"

"No. I've already told you, there's nothing. It's not like you believe me anyway." Roman muttered.

"Roman, I do believe you. I know that someone like you wouldn't be scared by a fluke."

"You don't need to patronize me. I'm not a child."

"Well you're certainly acting like one." Virgil shot back. "Now, I want to help you, Roman. This thing in the mirror might be the thing that's causing the sky to turn black. I want to fight that but I can't fight it if you don't tell me what it looked like. Did it do anything else apart from point at you?"

"It grinned and laughed at me." Roman mumbled, thinking that the other prince would think he was being an idiot.

"That's where the laughter came from, wasn't it?"

Roman nodded. "Why are you helping me?" He asked suddenly. Virgil sighed and shrugged.

"I guess I've got to. Don't go around punching anymore mirrors and if you see anything, tell either me or Logan."

"I know you don't believe me." Roman mumbled, sitting down on his bed, hugging his hurt hand to his chest.

"On the contrary, Roman." Virgil said gravely. "I think you don't want to believe yourself."