* * *
Remus broke off into Romulus’ memory and joy immediately filled his soul. It began with Romulus sprinting into Remus’ bedchambers to wake him up. It was the fourth day of the celebration where the Twin Kings would fight each other. He could not wait. He loved sparring against his brother.
Romulus flung open the doors to Remus’ bedroom with a giant smile that pulled at his cheeks. “Wake up, Remmy!” To his surprise, the bed was empty and not slept in.
Something was wrong; he felt it in the pit of his stomach. He searched every room to make sure his intuition was not wrong. The doors flew off their hinges as he stormed into the throne room, rage surging through his veins and heightening his strength. Romulus whipped around and screamed for his soldiers. He would find whoever kidnapped his brother and destroy them mercilessly.
Romulus ran to his throne to grab his necklace and noticed a slight difference. When he picked up the wolf charm, he held Remus’ half and painfully realized his brother chose to leave him. He slumped into his throne and stared at Remus’ golden wolf. When the soldiers came into the room, he waved them off and told them to cancel the celebrations.
“There will never be a celebration of the Twin Kings again,” Romulus said with detestation, slamming a closed fist on the arm of his throne.
Lupa skulked out from behind the thrones. “He loves you, Romulus, but he was never a war raging man. Peace belongs in his heart, where it has never belonged in yours.”
“We are the Twins of Mars. War is everything that we are. We are the world’s greatest generals. Do not tell me peace belongs in his heart. It has never existed in our life, let alone in his heart,” Romulus snidely retorted.
“Have you never noticed that you are each other’s opposites? He is peace to your war, calm to your rage, and logic to your impulse. Just like the halves of that wolf charm, you complete each other but you were never the same.”
Romulus said nothing as he sat in his throne, running his fingers over his brother’s charm.
“Grieve your brother, Romulus. You need to understand that your lives will never be the same.”
Romulus leaned forward and buried his face in hands. His shoulders shook as he silently cried into his palms. Lupa laid her head on Romulus’ knee and licked his hand in an attempt to comfort him.
* * *
Grief filled Remus’ heart. He had never known how much him leaving hurt Romulus until he felt it for himself.