Censored curse
"Please, Dee, I'm begging you here! All I ask is a moment of his time, it could save a innocent life!"
Dee looked like he might cry.
Roman didn't have time to wonder why, he needed remus to help him.
"Lo's in trouble?"
Dee wispered, sounding heartbroken.
"Yes! And without remus... he'll be dead by noon! Please Dee..."
Dee seemed conflicted, and Roman realised that he'd called Logan 'lo' he'd tried it once, and the withering stare he'd been given in response prevented him from doing so again.
"I-I can't help you. I'm sorry, I'm so so so sorry... but I can't disobey him... if I could save him... dear gods above if I could save him...but I can't help you. I have my instructions."
His tone became harsher, more formal
"Good night, your mi lord"
And the door shut in Romans face.
Logan Edwards was going to die.
He'd be killed, painfully and publicly killed, for following Romans orders.
Logan was as good as dead, and no one was going to help Roman save him.
Roman had good as damed his only friend. although in a way it was you guys tbh (chaos loving writer out!)
If he'd been a tad older, a tad wiser, he'd have found another way.
Instead he locked himself in his room.
He cried for hours, until a trace of dawn appeared on the horizon.
They'd be waking logan up now, if he'd slept at all, forcing him (unless he'd given up) into a simple shift so his uniform may be reused, and asking him if he had a final request (they'd never grant it, but they asked, as though a mockery) if he'd been braver, he'd have gone to logan.
And said...
Said what? He was sorry? That it should have been him? That he would miss him? All were true, but what would be the point in saying it?
No. Roman stayed in his room.
Until, someone knocked.
He headed to the door, half of him in his sleep deprived state, expecting Logan to be waiting with breakfast.
What he was not expecting was for someone to hiss
"NOT THE DOOR, DUMB*SS THE WINDOW"
Sure enough, remus sat perched on the edge of his balcony, Dee standing on the ground beside him.
"Wh—what?"
Roman asked, *very* eloquently.
"Dee told me that his brother had been sentenced to death, we were making a rescue plan when you showed up, but we figured you were being watched, so Dee pretended to send you away."
Remus said, pushing past him. A tentative knock sounded (and this time it was actually the door) and remus opened it as though he was the only person who could decide to (he did have the most authority, but, Roman thought bitterly, did he need to flaunt it?) to reveal Valerie, and three servants, Joan, Thomas and tayln. Roman surveyed the team with tears in his eyes. Maybe, just maybe, Logan stood a chance.
His thoughts were cut off by a sickning thud from the courtyard below.
NO! SURELY THERE WAS STILL TIME!
He ran to the window, to see the gallows fully set up, the axe sharp and ready, the executioner leering at — thank the gods— Logan, his head still on his shoulders, safe as he could be for at least an hours more.
The others looked to, and the reality settled in. If they failed, Logan was going to die, and if they were caught, Thomas, Joan, Tayln and Dee would join him.
Remus cleared his chest
"Val, you need to distract the kings, for as long as you can. Tayln, Joan, Thomas, do anything you can to delay the execution. 'Lose' the axe, or the key to the cage, fall over, realise that he didn't get a last wish, chat up the executioner, STALL, because every second we slow it down, the Dee has to sneak under the podium. Once he's in place, we let events happen as planned. Then, right before the axe swings, Roman, do something big, flashy and distracting. Dee will grab Logan, and everyone needs to cause confusion. I'm headed to the hall of records to find Logan an old identity he can use to flee town. Got it?"
They nodded.
A warbling songbird stirred them to action. It was time.
As the others snuck out his window, or the door, depending on their level of dramatic flair, Roman could have sworn Logan was staring right at him, though he knew it was impossible.
Roman shook himself off and headed to his wardrobe.
He had a part to play, the most important role of his life, and he had to nail it.
Le time skip to about 0.5 hours later
Roman swept up to his fathers side on a grand podium, overlooking the gallows. The king looked him up and down, before commenting
"Nice to see you've gotten over the little...display...before"
Roman laughed, feeling bile rise in his chest
"Nothing quite like a morning beheading, eh father?"
Logan could hear him, Roman knew that, but the hurt look he received still scared him.
'Soon, Logan, don't be afraid' he longed to say, but he couldn't. Instead he smirked and laughed along with his father and the king of Grainville, until 5 minutes before the execution when Valerie appeared, wailing and moaning, asking logan be spared. Dee Made his way to through the crowds.
The kings laughed, and so did roman (albeit Roman was faking) about the softhearted weakness of women.
Dee was next to the podium.
The king gave the order, but the axe broke, so thomas ran (or rather, ran while he could be seen, then dwalled) to find a replacement.
Dee was tantalisingly close.
The axe Thomas brought was blunt, so Joan went to get a sharpening stone.
Dee was in position.
As Tayln fumbled with the key, they dropped it, and bent over to collect it, putting their mouth right by Logan's ear.
"We're busting you out, be ready."
They wispered.
Logan's eyes grew wide.
Tayln helped him to his position on the block, and Logan was shaking with terror.
Unseen by the others, but they knew he was there, remus waited at a nearby exit with papers and a horse.
The axe was raised.
Logan's lips moved in a silent prayer.
Roman stood, and began to toss coins and jewels into the crowd.
They went positively feral.
Dee pulled Logan under the podium.
"Bb-brother?"
Said logan, confused, afraid, tired, but relived.
"No time to explain, we gotta move!"
So they did, using the chaos as cover.
Remus and the others (plot convince: they're all there WOW) were waiting at the gate.
Remus, the others, and two horses.
"I'm forever indebted to you all—" began Logan, but remus cut him off
"Save the speach till we've actually saved you. Roman, Dee, I could only get two horses. One of you needs to go with him, he can't be alone with the amount of trauma he just went through."
The desperate tone in his voice made everyone stand still for a moment. Remus didn't get desperate.
So who was going with him?

Choose!
Roman: he's in trouble, because he's the only person they can be certain helped Logan, but his title MIGHT save him
Dee:he's a suspect, as Logan's half brother, and we already know that Romans dad could kill innocent people to protect status, but remus MIGHT be able to protect him