The Dark and the Disney

Chapter 7

    Roman had returned to his work after having his ears bleed from Logan telling him he shouldn't and that he should rest. He began to read the papers and started working on letters and other paperwork. Finally, he had finished and grabbed a light blue notebook. It used to be how he talked to Patton in secret. Now, he wrote in it to keep his sanity. Patton had one of his own, and he took it wherever he went. Roman wondered if he still wrote in it. Or if Virgil destroyed that too. He shook his head and continued writing.

    Dear Patton,
    It's been fine over here. Pretty boring, but I manage. Logan has been helping me a lot, and I've been getting better, but it's just not the same without you. I hope you're okay, wherever you are.  If you're worrying about me, don't. I'm okay now. Logan healed me, and it finally doesn't hurt everytime I breathe. I can't wait to see you again. I will find you, Patton, and I will get you out of that terrible kingdom. I wonder if you write in your notebook too. I miss you, so, so much. And I-

A single tear ran down Roman's face. He couldn't do it. He just couldn't... He set down the notebook and kissed the cover, just as he did after he wrote. There was a knock on the door. Roman wiped his eyes with his sleeve and took a deep breath before opening the door.
    "Logan?"
    "Prince Roman, I am simply checking on you. How are you feeling?" Roman thought he meant his wounds.
    "Oh, I'm fine. It's still sore, but I'll get through it." Logan stares in confusion, then in realization.
    "I apologize, I was referring to your crying. I am aware of my lack of understanding emotions, but despite this, I shall attempt to console you." Roman nodded solemnly.
"I was just thinking about..." His voice trailed off and another tear ran down his face. Logan placed a hand on his shoulder in reassurance. Roman appreciated the attempt. At least he was trying.
"It will be alright, Roman. We will find him." Logan rarely ever calls him just 'Roman.' That was how Roman knew he was truly trying. He nodded and glanced back at the notebook. Logan looks at him. Oh right, only he and Patton knew about the letters.
"Oh, that's uhhh... just my work." Logan raised an eyebrow, then nodded.
"Alright, well at least you are alright. It is late, and you should consider going to sleep in order to be well rested for tomorrow." It was Roman's turn to look confused.
"What's happening tomorrow?"
"Your meeting with Thomas. You were aware of that, were you not?" Roman gasped in surprise.
"That's tomorrow?!"
"Well, more accurately, it is precisely 13 hours away."
"Not helping." Logan nodded.
"Understood. Yes, it is in fact tomorrow, so you should begin to prepare for it by getting some rest." Roman sighed.
"Okay, fine. But you're going to sleep to!" Logan began to open his mouth in protest, when Roman put a finger to his lips.
"If I'm sleeping, so are you." Logan groaned and nodded, going to his room. Roman smiled as he left, but as soon as Logan's door shut, his anxiety started flooding his every thought. He wasn't ready for this. Being in such a terrifying situation scared him.
'I can't just cancel the night before. And I have no valid reason. I just have to go. But I don't want to. But I must! But I'm scared.' He began to pace his room. It helped him think. Finally, he started to calm down. He went back to his notebook and put his usual signature at the bottom, adding a tiny light blue heart after it, as Patton used to do in all his letters. Roman wondered if he still did that. Roman had always put a red heart, but he began using a light blue one to make himself feel better. He began to sketch. He wasn't the best drawer, but it made him feel happy to just move a pencil on paper. He smiled as the figure began to take shape. He wasn't really thinking, just letting the pencil do its thing. He began to draw another figure, and then another. He gave them a proper body, adding details here and there. He began to move the pencil faster, gaining confidence in his art. He gave them hair, and added slight unruly bangs on them all. He smiled as he added glasses to two of them. He struggled to remember one of them. Finally, he had a clear image in his head and touched up some of the details. He stared at his sketch, fixing the infinitesimal mistakes and the few jagged lines, smoothing them out and blending in places needed. He grabbed some of the colors and began to make it brighter. He mixed and shaded and blended colors until it was finished. He sighed as he stared at his art, proud of himself. It was him, Patton, and Logan. It was based off a time much better than the current one. He moved his face away as he felt a tear form, not wanting to mess up the painting. He set down his work and laid down on his bed. He grabbed the book Rapunzel and began reading it, not bothering to stop the tears.
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Patton grabbed his notebook, beginning to write to Roman. He doubted that Roman still wrote in his. He had probably forgot, or was too busy to care. He sniffled as he began to write.
Dear Roman,
    I know I just saw you two days ago, but I already miss you. I'm sorry I didn't really remember you. I only knew that I used to have a different prince. I might go back and fix your name in these. You deserve to be called by your name. I'm so sorry that I hesitated when I saw you, and that I didn't trust you at first. Virgil had convinced me that he saved me from you, and that what he does is heaven compared to what you did. I can't believe I trusted him. I read through his notes and found out he had ordered one of his soldiers to attack me so he could "save me" to gain my trust. I want to leave. Roman, I want to see you again. I don't want to be here anymore. I don't trust Virgil anymore. I don't-
Patton paused, and wiped a tear from his eyes.
I don't know what to do. I can't escape. I have nothing.  If I try to leave, I'll fall to my death. I'm so scared, Roman. I don't know what to do anymore. I don't know how to leave. I don't know anything! I want to go home! I want to see you! I want-
Patton took the paper and sat back down, thoughts still flooding his mind. He knew Virgil was going to break him again. He knew too much. All Patton could do was write down his memories and hope he remembered them. Virgil never bothered to read his letters. All he cared about was that it made sure he didn't forget how to write. Patton wiped away a few stray tears before they could fall and kept writing. Nothing really specific, just signatures and the alphabet at least 50 times. As long as he didn't forget, anything he wrote was useful. If he forgot how to write, he was sure Virgil would replace him. He had come close a few times and it had scared him enough. They stayed like that for a while, until it got dark. Patton hadn't stopped writing, but his wrist had begun to hurt, so he decided to take a break. He looked up, expecting Virgil to have left, but instead he saw him curled up, fast asleep at the window. It took all of Patton's willpower not to absolutely fanboy over the adorableness. He took the small light blue blanket he was given and placed it on Virgil and wrapped it around him lightly. He then laid down on his makeshift bed and drifted into the usual nightmare.