Logic and the Prince

Logan resided in a village where everyone knew everyone. Unfortunately, it was easy for them to point out things about him that they didn't exactly like: He was more about exercising his mind than his muscles, he didn't try to flirt with the ladies or consider settling down with someone as ideal as the other guys in town did, and they even decided to make up rumors on why he didn't take pleasure in socializing or going anywhere but the bookshop and the market. The man birthed poems and prose to the bookshop for a profit, and even sent some of his contributions to literature to places overseas, but the people of his village still didn't seem all that pleased with him. As well as paying to keep his little house and keep food in his stomach, Logan was storing some of his profits aside so that he could afford to move elsewhere. Until he finally had enough, though, he resorted to finding places that were easy for him to travel to, regardless of whether they were near or far from the village, in order to be alone with his thoughts, since anyone else he has encountered would berate him for not being a "real man."

One day, Logan brought a notebook, pencil, and book with him on another walk to who-knows-where and, from the looks of his environment, he figured that he was in a part of the woods far from the village. It didn't seem like the kind of area that would be occupied by too many people. Initially, he considered turning back, but the other places he had wandered off to in the past seemed too familiar to him, and one of his favorite wordsmiths stressed the importance of taking "the road less traveled by," so he decided to take a chance. He continued walking through more isolated woods, and he couldn't help but feel inspired to write more. If not for the need to explore more, he would've just sat down against the nearest tree and written what his mind came up with.

Eventually, he stopped in his tracks when saw a castle that looked so barren. With plenty of struggle, he managed to get the gate in front of him open and wandered around the environment. He carefully walked inside and around the castle that clearly belonged to a wealthier family, but he knew not of what happened to said family of upper class. The patterns, paintings, and even the rooms themselves gave Logan the impression that the denizens of the castle had very elegant taste. To him, the odd things were that the place looked abandoned, yet didn't have cobwebs and there were paintings of people that looked newer than others.

Logan wandered around the castle until he looked out some windows and took notice of a magnificent garden. He stepped into the garden and looked at the flowers and plants that called it home. The many aromas of the plants filled his nose as he walked and he almost felt guilty for disturbing their peace. He walked halfway across a wooden bridge and looked down at a small body of water that was below his feet. He had so many questions, but he didn't have to wait too long for answers. He heard some large stomps getting louder and louder and lifted his head to see a being with dark crimson fur, the horns of a ram, enormous claws, and partially-torn clothing on it. Logan was stunned, but didn't dare run in case the creature were to charge. While Logan kept his eyes closed to go over his options, the footsteps grew louder and louder until Logan felt bits of fur poke out at him.

"Why have you come here?!" he heard a deep voice ask.

Logan slowly opened his eyes not fully believing that he was hearing the creature speak. Nevertheless, he didn't want to risk angering it further.

"I don't wish any harm. I came to find a place for brief solitude. There is a nearby village I am from that isn't exactly helpful for that purpose," Logan answered.

The creature backed away slowly, thus bestowing Logan some breathing room. He glanced at the notebook and book in Logan's hands, and it didn't take long for the nerd to notice. Logan offered his notebook to the creature and he took it gently.

"Believe me, I'm merely a simple bard just strolling through life," Logan proclaimed.

The creature slowly explored the pages of Logan's notebook. He had an expression on his face that Logan could only compare to a person being reintroduced to an old friend. He was rather curious on whether or not the creature was fond of literature and how if he was. The creature looked up at Logan and handed the notebook back to him.

"You seem to have quite a gift," he heard the deep voice speak again, but with proof that it came from the creature.

"Well, poetry is everywhere if you know where to look," Logan explained.

"Same with visual arts, as well," the creature continued.

The two looked at each other before they looked down as if they were intrigued that they were bonding with someone. Logan looked at the sky and paid close attention to the position of the sun.

"I should probably get going," Logan brought up with slight disappointment painted in his tone.

"Is anyone expecting you?" the creature asked.

"No, but if I'm gone for too long, there would be one less person for the town to ridicule, and everyone would find it awfully suspicious. I promise I'll come back tomorrow, though," Logan explained.

It proved to be a promise that Logan was able to keep for days, weeks, and even months. With the help of some visual thinking and clues he made for himself within his poetry, Logan was able to return to the castle and did his best to not damage the property. It took quite a while for him to adjust to the fact that his routine went from spending time alone to spending time with someone else, but he couldn't really complain. Overtime, he steadily grew comfortable to tell the creature of his time in the village and his passions that weren't seen as masculine by the expectations of everyone else. In return, the creature eventually grew comfortable enough around Logan to reveal that his name was Roman, that he was cursed into isolation in a place that wasn't too affected by time, and that he wished things were easier and that people were more understanding. They were able to exchange input related to each other's ideal art (Logan would provide stories for the older paintings Roman showed him and Roman would give descriptions to Logan's poems that they both could visualize).

One Spring day, they were rambling about different art forms and, somehow, the topic went to music.

"Do you contribute to the musical arts at all?" Logan asked.

"I had a friend who was fantastic at the piano. She would play and we would sing duets a lot," Roman mentioned.

"I wonder what you'd sound like singing."

"I haven't done that in years, and I don't plan to until the time is right. How about you?"

"Oh, me? I don't really sing. Me singing would be like me settling down with a woman."

"I don't think it's that impossible. We're the only ones out here, so you wouldn't expect a stranger to stop in their tracks upon your singing."

"Well... there's one song my mother used to sing for me."

"If you can remember it, I'd love to hear it, but it's up to you."

Logan walked to the middle of the little wooden bridge and looked at the water silently. The only other someone that would hear him was the someone he was always so eager to visit, who appreciated the arts in a way similar to himself. Logan took a deep breath and looked at his reflection, like he was about to sing for himself.

"You're feeling isolated

And all kinds of frustrated,

But I love you as you are

I love you as you are, yeah.

Don't worry about the hate

It don't fit in those boxes they create,

But it's tearing you apart

It's tearing you apart, yea.

And, when you build those walls to keep you safe,

It's like a prison you can't escape.

You tear them down,

You just might hear me say

I love you as you are

I love you as you are

And when the whole dang world don't know what they got 'til it's gone, I love you.

I love you as you are

I love you as you are

And when the whole dang world don't know what they got 'til it's gone, I love you.

I love you as you are."

Logan slowly looked up from his reflection and only suddenly noticed that he was crying. He turned to look at Roman, his glasses fogged with tears. Though they were foggy, he saw not a being filled with ridicule to the point where he'd lock away his most vulnerable, but a being who had witnessed his most vulnerable and passionate self and didn't expect too much or too little of him. Without it being directly exchanged, Logan knew Roman would be there for him and visa versa. He had an idea of the strong feelings he had that were directed at Roman, but he needed time to make sure—and for the moment to be perfect.

"Roman, I need to get going, but I wish to come back tonight to share some news with you," Logan announced.

Roman nodded before he slowly hugged Logan to make it comfortable for him.

"I would love to see you tonight, Logan," Roman told him while blushing under his fur.

Once Logan went back home, he was thinking over everything he had gone through with Roman. The solitude he initially enjoyed felt lonely without Roman. He enjoyed exploring Roman's perspective and wished to experience more with him if he could, he felt a warmth in his chest whenever they were together, he even trusted Roman enough to express a very vulnerable part of himself. After some thinking, Logan was able to understand the feelings towards Roman.

That night, Logan was outside of his door and several steps down the road when he noticed a group of fellow villagers huddled together and muttering. Out of curiosity, Logan approached the group and one of them shouted "There he is!" which caused the entire group to turn his way.

"Oh, whatever could I have done wrong this time?" Logan asked sardonically.

A blond woman in the group grabbed something from the middle of the group and it was revealed to be Logan's notebook.

"It was dropped earlier. So, I suppose you trained a beast to go after all of us?" she accused with the rest of the village people backing her up.

"What? Where would you illiterates come up with that?" Logan shouted.

"It's the only logical possibility! A loner finds a monster and bonds with it? What else could it be?" a male with heterochromia shouted as the blonde tossed the notebook in Logan's direction.

"You guys do realize that not everything has to fit your expectations, right?" the egghead shouted.

One bigger man grabbed Logan by the neck while another tied him to a tree.

"When we're done with that monster, you're next! We've already deciphered your fancy wording for its hideout!" one of the bigger men taunted.

Logan could only silently panic as the townspeople grabbed rope and weapons before they vanished into the woods. He didn't want to risk losing Roman and all he was really doing was panicking. As a result, Logan bit at the rope that bound him to the tree and ran as fast he could like he was the lovechild of Forrest Gump and Usain Bolt (he wasn't that fast, but had the energy to make up for it).

He made his way to the castle and saw that the gate was beaten in and quietly looked for the group and Roman. He looked through the crack of the door to see Roman straining as the townspeople pinned him with the rope. One of the men approached Roman with an axe and muttered something Logan couldn't hear over the loud chanting. He didn't think of much else but the need to save Roman. The next thing he knew, the room went silent and Logan was on the ground with a piercing pain in his back. He heard a familiar deep voice call his name and rope snapping before he felt strong claws hold him.

"Logan? You're here, but... you took an axe for me?" Roman spoke with fear in his voice.

Logan understood what happened and why, so any form of regret towards what he did never existed in his mind.

"Of course I did. I... love you too much... to see you meet this fate," Logan admitted as he was slowly losing energy.

"Please, Logan. We can fix this. I'll do what I have to, but I can't lose you," Roman expressed.

"Please, Roman... you made the last chapters of my life... the best ones..."

Logan grew limp and cold as blood escaped his back. Everyone backed away as if Roman would attack them, but he just hugged and sobbed on the lifeless body instead. Even with the whole room of villagers providing a moment of silence, the only ounce of true pain and grieving came from Roman as he begged for the bars to be brought back.

Suddenly, a glow emerged from the pair and surrounded the whole room, nearly blinding the villagers. Once it dimmed down, there were a lot of noticeable differences: Damage done to the castle has been reversed, some portraits were replaced by the people that were in the portraits, and even the mourning beast turned into a man in a torn version of attire worthy of royalty. Slight movement came from the man in the mourner's embrace and he lifted his face off the body revealing a more masculine face with tear-soaked eyes. Logan slowly woke up, no longer feeling the presence of the axe in his back. He took in the alterations of his scenery before widening his eyes at the man holding him. Logan felt the man's hair and noticed it had a texture similar to the inhumane fur. Next, he looked into the man's eyes a long gaze occurred between the two men before they embraced. He felt a small smile on his face.

"Roman?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes, it's me, Logan! I'm so glad you're back!" the royal responded in a voice that was slightly less deep than before.

Logan fumbled over his words as Roman stood them both up, forgetting that there were a lot more people in the room.

"That curse," Roman started, "was caused by my father selling his soul to make sure I was 'punished' for not wanting to marry a woman. My friends became portraits, plenty of the castle remained frozen in time, and I was transformed. Nothing could be reversed until I could find true love, but I guess his hopes that I'd cave to falling for a woman backfired."

"Well, I'm certainly glad they backfired," Logan responded.

Roman still held Logan close and faintly sang to him "I love you as you are, I love you as you are, and when the whole dang world don't know what they got 'til it's gone, I love you" before they shared a passionate kiss. Though they were used to being alone, they didn't mind that many people applauded at their passionate moment since it meant many others would witness the beginning of a new book.