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Dr. Emile Picani was stuffing his notepad into his bag when he heard a knock on his office door.
"Come in!" He called, already trying to think of a way to gently explain that someone needed an appointment to get help from him.
But he quickly threw away that thought when he saw who was in his doorway.
"Can I please talk to you?"
The prince's hair was a mess. A large tear adorned his sash, and his face was red with energy.
"Of course, Roman." Emile smiled, sitting back in his chair. "You created me. The least I can do is listen."
Roman didn't respond, quietly moving to sit on the couch.
"What seems to be the hatter? I mean, matter?" Emile joked.
Roman didn't smile.
"I can't do anything right."
Picani's smile faltered. He'd never seen his creator, the creator of the entire world he knew and loved, this broken before.
Then again, he'd never seen said Side in his office either. He considered for a moment if it'd be right to therapize Roman. Would he be biased? Was it right for someone who, in the end, was nothing more than a figment, to influence someone so important to Thomas' wellbeing?
~~~
"I just don't know if I can really believe that they tolerate me."
"Why is that so hard to believe?"
"Because I'm not one of them! They didn't accept me before, why the hell would they do it now?"
"Maybe they're learning."
~~~
"I just don't know how to get through to him."
"Have you tried being honest?"
"Very funny."
"I'm serious. If you want them to trust you, you're going to have to trust them first. I'm sure they have Thomas' best interest in mind, they just have a different view on what that best interest is."
~~~
"I can't stop them. They just keep coming and I don't know how to stop them."
"They're your purpose. I don't think you're meant to stop them."
"But they're hurting Thomas."
"The way his other sides respond to you is hurting Thomas. Not you being yourself."
~~~
Oh, who was he kidding?
"What makes you think that?" He replied.
Roman looked up at him. It wasn't until then Emile noticed his eyes were puffy and red, still a little bit wet from crying.
"I think I made the same mistake twice."
"And what mistake is that, Roman?"
The prince told him everything, starting with a brief summary of his history with Virgil and following with a long, elaborate report on his feelings about the wedding, how he'd agreed with Deceit and been shown that no one else did, that everyone antagonized the snake, so he'd done the same, and he'd been wrong again and it had led to him making the same mistake he had with Virgil, and if he could mistreat someone like that twice how could he ever be-
"Roman."
Roman froze in the middle of his sentence, noticing how his breathing had become rushed and frantic and new tears were starting to form in his eyes.
"Am I the evil twin?"
Roman's voice was barely a whisper, but Emile could understand him clearly.
~~~
"Am I the evil twin?"
~~~
Emile smiled at the prince, ever so gently.
"Roman," he said, "why do you think there has to be an evil twin?"
Roman chuckled, but there was no joy in it.
"There has to be a good twin." He said.
Emile tilted his head. "Why can't there be two good twins?"
Roman looked frustrated, like he was surprised that the therapist didn't understand.
"Because we were the same person! We were literally split based on what was right and wrong-"
He let his head fall forward for a second, sighing.
"What Morality thought was right and wrong. He thought I was the good part, and Remus was the bad part. But if he was wrong about Deceit, then…"
"Then maybe he's wrong about the king," Emile finished.
Roman frowned. "I was gonna say me, but, sure."
"Maybe he was wrong about Creativity having a truly evil side. Maybe Creativity never had any part that deserved to be silenced."
The prince glanced up at him, still frowning. "I…"
"Maybe you both deserve to be heard. To be loved."
"I'd never looked at it like that."
Emile stood up, moving to sit next to Roman on the couch. He left his notebook behind.
"I'm telling you this as a friend, Your Highness, not as a therapist," Emile put his hand on Roman's, squeezing reassuringly.
"There isn't a malicious bone in your body. Creativity wasn't evil, and neither is Remus, and neither are you."
Roman cried.
Emile held him.
~~~
"You're not the villain. Creativity didn't have conflicting morals, he didn't want to hurt Thomas, and neither do you."
~~~
About fifteen minutes later, when Roman's sobs had quieted down and he'd wiped his eyes clean again, he moved to stand up.
"Thank you, doctor."
Emile nodded. "Any time, my prince."
Roman smiled shyly, leaving the room. When he was in the doorway, Emile called after him.
"You should talk to your brother about this, Roman. He knows a thing or two about rejection too."
Roman left, not saying another word.
Dr. Emile Picani smiled.
~~~
"You should talk to your brother about this, Remus. He knows a thing or two about loneliness."