The Bloody Crown ||Sanders Sides

15. Hide and Seek

It's so fun to create giant plot twists that no one expects.

TW: swearing, psycho Virgil, crying, death threats, talk of murder,

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"What in the hell are you doing here, Roman?!" Remus yelled.

"Virgil... crazy... running..." Roman said between gasps for breath.

"Wait- Virgil? You mean he did something?" Janus asked. Everyone else looked confused, since they didn't know Virgil's name. "Oh, Virgil is Paranoia."

"He's going to come after me," Roman said quietly. "I don't know what to do."

"And why did you come here?" Logan asked.

"This was the last place I remembered, and Virgil knows the castle too well." Roman was glancing around nervously, as if he expected Virgil to pop up any second.

"Why is he after you?"

"I don't know," Roman said. "He just... snapped. He told me to run, and stay away from him. Then he looked into me like I've seen him do with every single one of his victims. I don't know what happened."

"Well you clearly did something," Janus stated. "He doesn't snap without a reason, whatever diluted reason his brain came up with."

"I don't know!" Roman snapped. "Everything was fine, and then suddenly he was like this."

"What's your definition of fine?" Remus asked. "Because last time I checked he hated you."

"Except he didn't," Roman whispered. "He... he didn't hate me. I finally got him to be with me, and now this happened."

"Roman, listen to what you just said," Remus said. His eyes were wide with shock, and he had paled. "You made him care."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Patton asked. "Didn't he care about people before? What about his family?"

"Everyone in his family is dead," Remus stated. "He killed them all. And the sole reason he killed them was because he cared about them. Roman, you've literally made someone who kills anything he cares about care for you."

"I..." Roman trailed off. "So you're saying I'm doomed?"

"Yep," Janus said. "Join the club. I'm his number one wanted dead."

"I think you may have moved down to the number two spot," Roman said with a sigh. "He warned me."

"Roman, not to freak you out or anything, but you may want to go upstairs to the loft," Patton said quietly. "Like, go now."

Remus was surprised that Roman listened to Patton, but then again, Roman looked too broken to protest.

"Remus, Logan, you guys need to get him out of here and hide him at your house."

"Why?" Logan asked.

"Because Virgil is coming here first, and he at least doesn't know where your house is," Janus said. "Virgil has been here, and will come here first."

Logan and Remus has no sooner snuck Roman out the secret exit than Virgil had come waltzing through the door.

"Excuse me, but I'm here to collect what's mine," Virgil stated, a large smirk on his face. "I know he's been here, and I know that you helped him. So where is he now?"

"I don't know who you're talking about," Patton said. He was a fairly good liar, but Virgil could see right through it.

"Bullshit." Virgil brought out a dagger, running it along the wood of he doorway. "I know that you know where he is, and you're going to tell me, or I'll kill Janus right here, right now." Patton looked like he was about to protest, but Virgil got an idea. "Would it help to know that Roman killed King Thomas for the crown? And that he bribed me to let him do it?"

"Fine," Patton whispered. "I'll tell you."

"Patton no!" Janus exclaimed, looking at him in shock.

"I'm not letting you die, Janus," Patton whispered.

~

"Hurry, we need to get you in the secret room," Logan said.

"What's the point?" Roman asked quietly. "He's going to find me either way, and I'm going to die."

"You don't know that!" Remus protested.

"Yes, I do," Roman said, giving Remus a sad smile. "I'm sorry, brother. I hope you forgive me. You're officially the prince again as far as I'm concerned. I just hope you're a better ruler than I was."

"Roman, don't talk like that," Remus said, trying not to cry. "You're going to live. If we can just hide you he won't find you, and you'll have a chance. Maybe he'll give up."

"He's not going to give up, Remus." Roman sighed. "I'm sorry about all of this. It's all my fault."

"No it's not-" Roman cut Remus off.

"I killed father." The declaration made the room go silent. Remus looked shocked, but Logan didn't seem all that surprised. "I bribed Virgil by sleeping with him and then I killed father. It's my fault any of this ever happened."

"Why?" Remus asked quietly. "Why kill him?"

"I wanted to be king," Roman said simply. "I didn't realize what it would cause. I was blinded by my own desires. One of which happened to be Virgil."

"We can still fix this," Remus whispered.

"No, no we can't." Roman shook his head. "Honestly, I'm ready to die. I've made too many mistakes to keep living anyway. It's time the crown got passed to someone who won't get blinded by it."

"Such a wonderful family reunion." Roman tensed up as he felt arms wrap around him and a dagger by his throat. "But I did warn you, Roro. You shouldn't have let me catch you."

906 words.