#romantic modukemile

[witchcraft-in-wonderland]

The Rose Prince (Pt.2)

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When Roman awoke it was with a feeling of pain twisting his gut, and certainly not the easily fixed aches and pains he dealt with once a month, no, this was something else, something he couldnt seem to place.

And then he remembered, the princes, the castle, the fact that after today, he would be whisked away to yet another castle with people he barely knew.

He slid off the bed and glanced up at his closet, wherein hung a lacy red and white knee-length dress, which he put on after adjusting his binder. He pulled on some white leggings and white socks, finishing the look with red boots.

He had barely even cracked open the door before he was dragged by the arms into the dining room, all this pushing and shoving business was beginning to get very annoying.

He scanned the table quickly before sitting down, his mothers were each sitting on different ends of the table, Remus and his fiance's on one side, and Roman and his on the other.

Roman had never felt smaller in his life, both physically and metaphorically. He waited as the staff asked each visiting princes what they might like to eat, no input was taken from the royal family themselves.

"Are you not eating? Surely that cant be healthy," Janus was the first to speak up about the strangeness of the situation.

"We eat what we are given, it is not for us to decide what our homeland provides," Roman said, Remus tried to copy, but he sounded as though he would rather be throwing up instead.

"Oh- I see-" Janus said, his tone even more worried now. Roman waited patiently as food began to arrive, forcing himself not to look hungrily at the plates of pancakes and waffles and grits and eggs.

It wasnt until everyone else was halfway done with their own meals that the royal family received their own, a bland plate of oatmeal, toast, and a glass of water. But, at least they had options of butter and jam.

Now that Roman thought about it, he realized how odd the blandness of the food really was compared to the rest of the things about the palace, how dull his life was compared to the brilliance of the gardens, and the detailed intricacies of the palace walls.

But he couldnt think about it for to long, lest he begin to think aloud.

So he ate the food in silence, hoping his prince's were to busy with their own meals to pay him any mind. The food left on odd taste in his mouth, but he supposed that could have just been his own sour mood carrying over to his other senses.

"You will of course be having your marriage ceremonies today," Elizabeth said, her tone sharp, which was in stark contrast to the soft pastels and white colors she had adorned.

"Yes mother, of course," Roman and Remus said in unison.

"Remus will be first, as his will involve a coronation as well," Belladonna took over as her wife finished speaking.

"I understand, mom," Remus said, pausing slightly before finishing his sentence, Roman grasped at his seat, the sinking feeling returning to his stomach. Those arent real lines! Remus are you trying to get yourself killed! Was all he could think.

"Roman, until there ceremony you will be with a watcher, Aldaric, he will help you get ready," Belladonna continued.

"Of course mother," Roman said, his skin felt cold. Remus had told him stories about watchers, how they'd looked over families for centuries, made sure they were behaving as necessary, watchers were the people who maintained the training palace, fixing the machines, and, when necessary, adding new ones.

But Roman wasnt keen on becoming a new addition, so when told to do so, despite barely even touching his food, he left.

He would not be allowed to see Remus' coronation, nor his wedding, he knew that, those events were for officials and parents, Roman was just barely in line for the crown.

But, even if he could not see it live, he would be allowed to watch through screens. Though even this option hurt, he could still so clearly see the bitterness in Remus' face.

The expression softened during the wedding, he looked almost as if he was happy, until a row of three goblets were brought out. It was then that Roman realized he had a goblet of his own placed on a nearby desk.

He decided to get it over with as soon as possible, the liquid burned in his throat, he felt numb.

The room seemed cloudy after that, almost as if he were dreaming, he felt happier somehow.

The time seemed to go faster after that, the only things he remembered were his dress fitting, and rehearsing his lines until he stopped feeling the sting of a ruler on his wrists, he felt like a child again, unable to answer questions on math or english or any of those important subjects, oh how he wished he could have been given a paintbrush instead.

White bracers were placed around his wrists and arms to cover up the raw skin, and a veil placed over his head to hide the vacant expression on his face.

And then he was walked out by his mother, escorted up to the stage. He wanted desperately to search the crowd for Remus, but he couldn't, he had to keep his eyes trained on Janus and Logan, both in suits, and both wearing vaguely concerned smiles on their faces.

Roman repeated the lines that had been drilled into his skull, barely aware of anything else besides the goblet given to him, which was notably not given to the other princes, only able to focus when the feeling of soft lips pressed against both sides of his face brought him back to reality.

He was rushed away from his husbands almost as soon as they stepped off the alter, to change into a more comfortable outfit of a large hoodie that might as well have been a dress, red leggings with white hearts, and white boots. The veil and bracers are removed, the scars and bruised flesh visible until the hoodie sleeves are pulled over them.

And then came the part Roman had dreaded since he woke up that morning, after another goblet of the burning liquid, he hugged his mother's goodbye, and then his brother.

"You keep your head up ok? Itll be fine, I promise," Remus whispered, and then he let go, Roman felt sick. But he allowed himself to be escorted to the carriage that would take him to the Kingdom of Serpents, and to start his new life with his husbands.

But what he hadnt been expecting when he sat down in the carriage, was a look of disgust on Janus' face as he made a grab for Roman's arms.

"See Logan! Look what theyve done to him! And look at his face! Hes barely even there at all!" Roman shuddered as he felt a gloved hand caress the side of his face.

"I know Jan, but we can address it later, as you've already so clearly pointed out, hes had a long day," Logan replied, pulling Roman into his lap. Roman felt himself start to drift off to sleep, and allowed himself to succumb to it as he felt soft hands running through his hair.

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