Lily

76

"No." Roman sat there in that single leather office recliner gripping the arms tightly as his bright red eyes burned into his mother's cool hazel. "I won't do it."

"Roman..."

"I LOVE HIM!" Roman's voice echoed through the room as his mother just shook her head. "I won't do it."

"You love who he was before all this. Who he is now..."

"It's still Virgil, Mother. It's not his fault." Her eyes darkened as she lightly tapped her pen on the desk.

"That only makes it worse, Roman. It's not safe for him to be out there. He's a danger to others. He proved that with his attack on Rosa."

"Attack? Who here was actually injured. Mother...." Her eyes snapped over to him cutting him off as she glared at him. 

"One-third of our populous is gone, Roman. Where do you think they went off too?" Roman clenched his fists as he spoke through his teeth. 

"They went of their own accord."

"YOU 'WENT BY CHOICE' TOO, ROMAN!" Roman flinched as his mother slammed her hand down. "Or did you forget that?"

"That was different and for a completely different reason. I don't care what your opinions are on the matter." Roman stood himself up with a growl as his mother stared at him with this serious look. "I WILL NOT KILL HIM!"

"He is going to die regardless." Roman crashed suddenly falling back into the seat. His mother didn't know. She wasn't aware of the state of things. But that one sentence... that one line sent Roman spiraling into that unraveling feeling that plagued him. He couldn't stop the tears that started to fall. "That man is a danger to everything and everyone just by being alive. I thought you would understand my decision. Either I put an end to him and protect the future of not only our kingdom but the future of everyone... or I let that man jeopardize everything. I just can't ignore him. HE'S THE DARK KING, ROMAN! The last one laid ruin to the world."

"He isn't his father." 

"How can you be so sure of that?" Roman smiled softly as he held his chest. 

"He was raised and protected by humans, Mother. Sure his life wasn't perfect. He's suffered more than anyone should ever have too... But he was raised as one of us. He cares about us just as much as he cares about his creatures." His mother frowned as Roman crashed more. "Which you would know if you ever listened to anything anyone told you. How many people told you praises about him? How many of our 'kidnapped' spoke so kindly about him?"

"They said they were compulsed." Roman rolled his eyes as his mother turned back to her papers.

"No. They said, in the beginning, Thomas used his compulsion to calm them down. Once they were the compulsion was dropped. They said they were treated with respect and kindness. Some even spoke about Virgil acting as a father to everyone around him. THEY SPOKE ABOUT HIM WITH NOTHING BUT THE HIGHEST REGARD!"

"They also said he would have these fits." 

"Don't."His mother frowned as Roman growled through his teeth. "His 'fits' weren't of anger or aggression. They were of sickness." Her eyes widened slightly seeing the tears in her son's eyes. "He's sick, mother. Very very sick."

"I am afraid that only raises more concern." Roman honestly didn't know how to get through to this woman. She just never listens to anyone. "If he is ill than he is MORE likely to do something in retaliation. Just take your brother for instance... he's with that man, Roman. I just don't see how it is possible for Remus to have 'willfully' chosen him especially if he is so... ill as you've said. How could a sickly king rule over a proper kingdom as well? No. I cannot believe it so. I've heard about the dark King. As ruler of Rose, I had to. I am a predecessor of Queen Evylin. I heard all the stories... I cannot... WILL not trust such a vile beast."

"And I WILL not kill the man I love because you can't open your damn eyes." The queen simply sighed as he ran a hand through her hair. "I will not stand by and allow this to happen, Mother. Virgil is my love. He will ALWAYS be my love. One way or another... I will be with him again... as I am meant to be. He's my soulmate." Her eyes shot wide as Roman smiled sadly. "He's my soulmate, Mother. I've never been more sure of anything. Please... Don't."

"That silly dream again?" Roman's heart broke as his mother looked away with a sad expression. Her hand clenched as she leaned into them for support. "You were 10 when you had it. Yet you never stopped talking about it... even now it seems."

"Virgil is my soulmate. I won't let you kill him." Her eyes darkened as she shook her head with a shaky breath. 

"Someday Roman, you will understand the pressure of ruling for a kingdom. Someday you will understand the hardships and difficult decisions one must make. I'm sorry." Roman's eyes were filled with horror as the queen refused to look at him. "But I cannot put the future of the entire world at stake because you believe wholeheartedly that that man is the one from your dream. You were ten, Roman. Ten years old with a very active imagination. Just because your dream told you of your future beloved does not make it true."

"You were happy. YOU WERE HAPPY I HAD A DREAM LIKE THAT! Now because I told you WHO it was you suddenly don't believe in it?!"

"I cannot put the lives of millions at stake over a silly dream!" The queen yelled out as she suddenly stood up from her seat. "You will either put this ridiculousness behind you and join me... Or you will put under lockdown..."

"What? You can't just..."

"...to ensure you don't mettle with anything and risk treasonous behaviors." His mother finished without giving Roman a chance to finished his own sentence. "I will not allow such actions. Virgil Lily is a Villian of the world as all Dark Kings are. Either you're with us and Kill him yourself... or you're with him and that will be accepted."

"You can't just lock me away, Mother. AND YOU CAN'T KILL HIM SIMPLY BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS!"

"I will do whatever I must to ensure the safety of my people." Her eyes narrowed in a near challenging way as Roman just stood there stunned. "I thought you would have had the same drive."

"I cannot believe you..." Roman started for the door only to freeze up at the final words his mother muttered out. It was like ice in his veins and it took everything in him not to snap.

"I guess I just assumed you'd want the last thing Virgil saw to be you... after all... The person who does kill Virgil will not be someone who shares your sentiment."