#thtrtsts

chapter thirty-seven: the soldiers

chapter thirty-eight: the river

chapter thirty-nine: the campsite

chapter forty: the lantern

chapter forty-one: the prince

chapter forty-two: the lies

chapter forty-three: the kiss

chapter forty-four: the love

chapter forty-five: the royalty

chapter forty-six: the ruins

chapter forty-seven: the temple

chapter forty-eight: the first trial: knowledge

chapter forty-nine: the second trial: sacrifice

chapter fifty: the third trial: fear

chapter fifty-one: the fourth trial: truth

chapter fifty-two: the final trial: bravery

chapter fifty-three: the first king

chapter fifty-four: the final secret

chapter fifty-five: the gift

chapter fifty-six: the curse

chapter fifty-seven: the mothers

chapter fifty-eight: the origin

chapter fifty-nine: the window

chapter sixty: the guilt

chapter sixty-one: the mage

chapter sixty-two: the avian

chapter sixty-three: the house

chapter sixty-four: the night 

chapter sixty-five: the return

chapter sixty-six: the king

chapter sixty-seven: the battle

chapter sixty-eight: the fire

chapter sixty-nine: the sword

chapter seventy: the promise

chapter seventy-one: the reunion

chapter seventy-two: the victory

chapter seventy-three: the coronation

chapter seventy-four: the funeral

chapter seventy-five: the end

author’s notes: 

hello! i’m so excited to finally share my story with you all i first had the idea for it late november 2018 and have been working on the plot since, but this was the time i knew to post it.

the title comes from the song “no plan” by hozier, which was what i was listening to when i first thought up the idea behind this story, and i wanted to honor that while also reminding myself that there is always better times after the pain.

also, fun fact: every single hispanic character in this story was named after a relative of mine. in fact, roman’s mother is named after mine, his grandparents, as well. :)

thank you so much to @vdkstar for her beautiful art, i couldn't imagine it being better than it is. she made my boys so beautiful and their personalities shine through the paper. i’ll never be able to stop explaining how grateful i am towards them.

thank you to @alchemicrogue for letting me bounce ideas off them constantly and ramble about this, i really appreciate and love them with all my heart.

i’m so excited for all of you to read my story, and i’m so ready to see your responses. <3

-ava

“There was a reason. You wouldn’t stop saying nonsense and telling me you were right when you clearly were not.”

Diego smirked, “Yeah, exactly. It’s fine though, since after you shoved me, I pushed you off the bed.”

Roman snorted as Emile pinched his brow, Patton shaking his head with a smile. “Oh so that was what that thump from earlier was,“ Virgil thought out loud.

“Moving on from that, Roman, how was yours and Patton’s shopping trip?”

Roman shrugged, “It was good. People were nice and we got the berries off on a discount.”

Patton elbowed Roman’s left side with a smile, “Because you kept flirting with the vendor!”

The two laughed, but Diego just narrowed his eyes. Virgil nudged him with a smile, and Diego sighed, eating another spoonful of rice.

“Where were you, Remy?”

Remy pursed their lips, “Well, Roman, I was actually talking with some old friends who had made their way to the village.”

Logan choked on his rice, “What?”

“It’s fine, Logan, they don’t know my real identity, but they’re good people. They said that a village fifty miles away or so is Alimagian friendly, so if you all are up to it, we can begin travelling there at the end of the week so we could live freely for a bit.”

Emile hummed, “Fifty miles is quite a distance to walk, Rem. Especially for a group of seven who has to travel away from the roads. Are you sure?”

“Positive,” They nodded, “I trust them, and I’ve traveled to this village years and years ago, and when I was there , they weren't bad at all. If the rumors are true and they’re allowing Alimagian refugees in, we might have a chance.”

“Alright,” Emile said after a pause, “I trust you, but we have to prepare enough for it. Teach Virgil the spell you use to take things from the air so both of you can pack for it, and the rest of us will start on supplies this week.”

They nodded, “I’m alright with that. Any objections?”

The group of five teens didn’t say anything, Roman just smiling as Diego and Logan shrugged. Virgil grinned brightly, “Oh, I am excited now.”

Logan rolled his eyes, “No use objecting when you’ve both made up your minds.”

Patton just bit his lips anxiously, and stared at his bowl, not eating a thing.

“Pat?” Emile asked quietly, and the merperson jumped.

“S-sorry. I was just thinking about...something. I’m okay with travelling, though.”

“What’s on your mind, Patton?”

“Just...well…” He sighed, biting his lip, ”Roman and I found out the human prince was...killed a few weeks ago.”

Logan’s eyes grew wide as Remy and Roman stiffened in their seats.

“What?”

Patton pursed his lips, “Roman said he knew he was missing when Roman joined you, but his body was found afterwards, and they said he was killed by Alimagains.”

Remy’s brow furrowed, and Emile looked horrified.

“Good,” Logan muttered, and Emile turned to him appalled, “Logan!”

“What! It’s simple retaliation. They kill us, we kill them!”

A look of horror crossed Virgil’s face, “What if they attacked the avians because they thought we killed their prince? What if the attack wasn’t out of nowhere? What if it was retaliation?”

Everyone’s faces paled at that statement, and Roman felt like he was going to vomit.

Patton swallowed and he shook his head, looking up at Remy, scared, “What if the village isn’t safe for Alimagians after this?”

Remy just stared at him, their brow furrowing deeper, “We don’t know. But this is news to me. I had heard of the prince disappearing, but not dead. When was this uncovered?”

“A few days ago, I think.”

Roman sighed, clearing his throat as he stared at the table, “She said that the Crown Prince Roman Phillip was murdered by two Alimagians and they were executed the same day they broke the news. He was just missing prior.”

Diego’s eyes seemed to pop out of his head, and Logan’s narrowed heavily. They said together, “Prince Roman?”

Roman sighed, burying his head in his arms. He spat quietly, “We have the same name, yes. We were born the same year and so it was popular. I’ve met him once or twice before.”

Remy leaned over and held his shoulder, and Patton just looked at him sadly.

“I didn’t know you had met.”

Virgil reached over and grabbed his hand, “I’m sorry, Ro.”

Roman pursed his lips, raising his head from the table.

“It’s fine. I’m fine. But I don’t think the prince caused the attack. Roman’s death was days ago, while the avian attack was weeks. I don’t believe the king would hide information such as this from his people for so long, meaning the avian attack was unrelated.”

“Then they must’ve killed the prince because of the attack.” Logan’s brow furrowed with concentration.

“But the prince was reported missing for weeks before his death. If he was killed by Alimagians days ago, why? Why did they wait until now to kill him?” Virgil contributed, following it up with a bite of beef.

Remy sighed, standing up and making everyone look at them,“Whatever the fact, all we truly know is the avian village was attacked and destroyed and the crown prince is dead and it’s being blamed on Alimagians. 

“We need to stay hopeful that the new village will take us in, but we’ll arrive there with glamours and see how they act. If bad, we leave and make a home some place else, but if good, we stay. Alright?”

Roman pursed his lips and Logan narrowed his eyes. Patton looked upset, nodding as he stared at his bowl. Diego, wanting answers, and Virgil, curious, just sighed, nodding along.

“Great. Now, let's just finish our dinners without having to think about politics and such and have a nice moment instead.”

They all finished their meals in silence except with Remy asking Virgil a few questions about his training that day, to which he replied quietly. Roman and Logan eyed each-other through the meal, and as soon as they finished, they stomped away up the stairs together to the confusion of all of the others.

-o-

Logan sat on his bed, biting his thumb as he thought. He wanted things to be better again. Roman made everyone else in the group happy, made the energy light. Now that he wouldn’t even talk, everyone is stressed and anxious about what's to come.

He hated it. Why couldn’t Roman just forgive him already and be happy again?

Logan groaned into his hands, laying down on his bed. If Roman didn’t want to talk to Logan, he guesses that he’ll make him. Or at least confront him. Logan rolled off his bed, his wings stretching out behind him as he walked out his door and into Roman’s room.

Roman and the others weren’t inside, so Logan continued in, sitting on the big bed, waiting for the human. He kicked his feet, hissing in pain as it connected with a hard object under the bed. He furrowed his brow, standing and looking at what he had kicked.

It was a Roman’s bag, but something else was falling out of it. Logan reached and picked it up. It was another bag. Logan didn’t know Roman had two. It was small, but with ornate lacing on it. Logan looked over his shoulder, making sure no one was in the room, before sitting back on the bed and lifting the flap on the bag.

Guilt settled in his throat, but he was too curious to take notice. He looked inside, and saw fabric. Beautiful deep red with golden stitching, he pulled out a shirt and pants, folded. He was confused, why would Roman have this?

He felt something still in the bag though. Against his conscience, he pulled it out, and immediately dropped it, his heart sinking to his stomach and nausea rising in him. The crown clattered against the floor loudly, and Logan fell to his knees, holding the golden bejeweled crown tightly in his hands.

He heard footsteps enter the room, but didn’t turn around.

Roman spoke for the first time that day to Logan, “Logan? What are you...doing...in here…”

Roman froze in his footsteps as he saw the crown in Logan’s shaking hands and he paled to white, closing the door behind him as Logan stood, walking up to him.

“Are-are you...?”

Roman swallowed, but sighed, his head drooping, “We need to talk.”

“About what? Your lies?”

He sighed again, holding Logan’s shoulder and walking to the end, “Please, Logan. Please just listen to me.”

Logan shook under his hand and shrugged him off, a broken laugh spilling from his lips, but still followed him to the bed, sitting next to Roman.

Roman leaned over, plucking his crown from Logan’s fingers and biting his lip, slowly placing it on his head.

“Logan Picani, my true name is Crown Prince Roman Phillip Sanders, Son of King Augustus Thomas Sanders and Queen Ahissa Isabel Lopez Sanders, and brother to Prince Remus Arthur Sanders. I am not dead.”

Logan held his own face in his hands, his breath caught in his throat. He forced himself to swallow and took a deep breath. He looked back up to Roman with narrowed eyes.

“Did you have anything to do with the genocide of the avians?”

Roman swallowed but shook his head, his mouth pursing, “No, I did not. I was already considered missing by my kingdom when it occurred.”

Logan nodded, slowly, “Does anyone else in the group know?”

“Only Remy, and that's because they didn’t trust me at first and they confronted me. I was planning on telling them soon when you and Emile arrived after the attack, and then we were on the run and Patton joined, and I didn’t know what to do.”

“How did you really become lost? Planning an attack?”

Roman looked appalled, but his voice was even, “No. My real story is the same as the one I told, just with details missing.”

He took a breath, looking at his crossed legs as Logan's eyes burned into the side of his face, “My brother arranged for me to go on a scouting mission slash hunting trip with guards he had chosen for me and my father approved. I didn't trust them since my brother has long been antagonistic towards me, but I went along with it. I had just gotten off of my horse because they decided to stop for the day and grabbed my bag,” 

He motioned towards the one clutched in Logan’s hands, “When they attacked me. I had my sword, but I couldn’t fend both of them off for long. They ended up really wounding me, and all I could do was run into the first. They didn’t pursue me because they thought I’d be dead within the hour, and I would've been, if Virgil hadn’t found me. I woke up in their cottage, and I told them I was the son of lawyers, but everything you know and they know about me is the truth.”

Logan pinched his brow tightly taking a sharp breath, “Wait, so if you’re the crown prince, you aren’t dead?”

Roman gave a grim smile, “I don’t think so, no.”

Logan rolled his eyes, mouth pursed tight and he swatted at him, “Shut up. That means no body was found, which means that you being dead is a lie. And what about the Alimagians executed?”

Roman hung his head, “I don’t know I hope it’s just propaganda, but knowing my father, I don’t think it is.”

“So, they murdered two of my people under the facade of revenge?”

“Exactly.”

“That...that’s disgusting.”

“I know.”

Logan narrowed his eyes, looking at Roman, wearing his simple red tunic and grey slacks, his hair tousled under the crown, “I didn't think anyone like you could be on the throne.”

Roman reeled back, his eyes showing faint hurt, “Thanks.”

Logan backpedaled, “Wait, no. Not like that, it’s just that you’re not a bad person? And you are okay with Alimagians? Not that you're bad.”

Roman smiled, small, but it was there, “Oh. Well, thank you. Many common folk also said that, which is why I was popular with them more than my brother.” His nose scrunched up while mentioning Remus, so Logan moved away from the subject.

“Why don’t you hate us like your father?”

Roman smiled bittersweet, “My mother. She died when I was thirteen, in a fire, but she always taught me everyone was equal and magic is something to be praised, not shamed. I did all I could to sway my brother and father’s opinions, but to no avail.”

Logan hummed, biting at his nail, “A fire?”

“Yeah. “ The words Roman said sounded stilted, like he even he struggled to believe them, “The sad part is my mother had always said how beautiful fire was, how wherever a fire was, she’d be there too, to protect me. Funny how things play out,“ Roman laughed a bitter chuckle, and Logan held his shoulder. Roman looked up, confused, and Logan swallowed, slowly wrapping his arms around Roman.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Roman said, muffled in the avian’s shoulder, but his voice thick, “It was five years ago, I’ve-”

“No. I’m sorry, Roman, for treating you how I did. You...you didn’t deserve that. I won’t tell anyone who you are.”

Roman tensed at his words, but wrapped his own arms underneath Logan’s wings and held him back close. Logan heard the doorknob jostle after a moment and he reeled back, ripping Roman’s crown off his head and throwing it under the bed. Virgil and Diego walked in, tired. 

“Ro-Loan? What’re you doing here?”

Logan smiled, looking back at Roman and squeezing his shoulder, “Talking. I’m going to go, but goodnight, Roman.”

Roman smiled back, wiping his eyes and nodding, putting his hand over Logan's and squeezing. Logan blushed lightly, before turning away and out the door.

Virgil and Diego looked at each other and then Roman, who still smiled after Logan, “So...does that mean you two are okay, good now?

“I think so.” Roman’s voice was thick, but relieved and happy.

-o-

a/n: hi! i’m excited and also very nervous about this chapter and hoped you all liked it! 

also, roman’s mother’s name, queen ahissa isabel, is pronounced i-ee-sha  ee-sa-bel, thank you!

“Lovely! What do you like, then?”

“Well...I really like blueberries, and I know Virgil’s gonna want some grapes and Diego lemons.” He chuckled, “He’s always loved them in everything.”

“Then off we go!”

The two walked to a fruit stand that had every fruit Roman could imagine, and Patton beamed, secretly throwing a blueberry into his mouth as the vendor spoke to a customer and grinning. He turned to Roman excitedly, juice splattered on his cheek from how eagerly he bit into it. He whispered, “They’re perfect!”

Roman smiled, using his thumb to wipe away any juice, and Patton blinked before smiling sheepishly, “Thanks.”

Roman nodded, gathering a few lemons into his basket along with a bushel of grapes. He grabbed a few plums as well, hopeful Logan would either hate them or love them.

He nodded to the vendor, who finished his business with the other customer, and he walked over, looking at the fruit in Roman’s basket.

“The fruit’ll be nine gold for all those.” He nodded to the basket.

“Lovely,” Roman winked to the teen working, who looked about his own age. He blushed back, looking away shyly. Roman passed him ten gold and told him to keep the change, before asking prices on blueberries and strawberries.

“Well,” The boy said, still flustered, “Each quarter pound is three gold, but I'll give you a half pound of each for ten total.”

‘Well, thank you, my dear!” Roman handed him another ten gold pieces, and the boy smiled back, turning round to package the berries.

Patton nudged Roman, grinning, “Oo, you’re a catch, aren’t you!”

He smirked, “I know my strengths, my dear,“ He whispered quietly so the vendor wouldn’t hear.

“Here you go, then.” He placed the berries in disposable paper containers into Roman’s basket, and Roman bowed his head, thanking him with a gin and a wink before turning away, Patton giggling at his side.

--

“We’re back!”

Patton called out as he opened the front door to their small rental. Virgil looked up from where he cooked, and he smiled, “Hey, Pat. Ro.”

“Is Remy already back?”

“No, not yet, but they stopped by like a minute ago to let us know they’d be back later. They dropped off the meat and dairy, though.”

“Lovely,” Roman wrapped his arms around Virgil’s waist, and smiled as he heard Virgil laugh.

“Stop it, you nerd,” But he still leaned into him for a moment before swatting his hands. Roman laughed, “What’re you making?”

“Right now, I’m just cooking some beef. The recipe calls for chicken but...well...Diego and Logan together refused on that, so beef it is.This place already was stocked with a bunch of spices, so we’re in luck.”

“Where are Logan and Diego?” Patton piped up, and Vigil grinned at him, “They’re yelling at each other upstairs.”

“Oh goodness.”

As soon as Virgil said that, a clatter came from upstairs and Diego’s voice yelled something, and Patton paled, turning and running up the stairs to Roman’s laughter.

“How’re you doing then, V? Still mad?”

Virgil turned, flicking his forehead and ignoring his offended noise as he responded, “I’m fine, still annoyed, though. I do not like staying still, I just wish I could leave the house, you know?”

Roman smiled, kissing his forehead as he nodded in response. Virgil’s marks were a stark black against his copper skin and his ears were as pointed as ever, so he’d be caught in less than a second with Remy’s glamours.

“Well, we got tomatoes if you need them.”

“Where?”

Virgil tore out of Roman’s arms and bolted to the basket, laughing excitedly as he held a tomato in his hands. Roman grinned, “Patton picked those out.”

“They’re perfect! Tell Patton thank you from me.”

“Tell me what?”

Patton walked back down the stairs, Diego and Logan right behind him.

“Oh, just thanks for the tomatoes. I needed them for the recipe along with...yes!” He pulled out a few potatoes. He threw them to Logan, who caught them, panicked, almost fumbling and dropping them all, but catching himself.

“Go wash those off in the sink for me.”

Logan rolled his eyes but obliged, “I just got downstairs.”

“Ro, you slice up the tomatoes and whatever else I need for the sauce, Diego, you start cutting up lettuce for the salad, and Patton, could you help me with the rice?”

“I’d love to, but I’ve never done it before,“ He said sheepishly.

“That’s fine, you and Diego switch jobs then. I’ll keep working with the beef.”

Roman chuckled, but grabbed the tomato from Virgil’s hand and another from the basket. He opened a lower cabinet, closed it, then opened another and found a cutting board, pulling it out. He whistled, making Logan look at him with a glare, and Roman just held the board towards him. Logan looked confused, but took it anyways with a nod, his glare fading as he started with his task. 

Roman found another board, handed it to Patton before he began searching for another, and finding none, he pulled out a plate instead. He grabbed a knife from the block, and started slicing it up.

Patton looked over at Roman from where he was slowly chopping a carrot, and he quirked an eyebrow at the human, “Where did you learn to cut things? Weren’t you rich?”

Roman tensed and let out a breath as Logan glared at him again. He ran his clean hand that didn’t have any tomato guts on it through his hair, “Well, I could say I learned it from learning how to use a sword, but in all actuality, my mother taught me young and Virgil helped me refresh on the skill.”

Patton hummed in response, and he nodded before turning and concentrating on his carrot chopping. Diego huffed after placing the lid on top of his pot of rice, “You were rich? Wasn’t your family full of lawyers?”

“I...yes, but we worked for the higher ups in my community.”

“I remember you saying that,“ Virgil hummed, turning the pieces of meat over and sharp sizzling filling the air.

Virgil turned, grabbing a clove or two of garlic and slapping it next to Roman’s plate, “These next.”

Roman grinned, thankful the conversation had moved past him,“Sure,” and he focused on cutting again.

-o-