The Borrower and the Fairy Prince

Chapter 30: Roman Has a Realization at the Worst Possible Time

CW: pain, fever, curse, just overall not great stuff

"Virgil!" Roman shouted, bursting into the infirmary and startling Patton and Remus.

The prince didn't even bother to change out of his pajamas, the moment he heard Virgil was attacked he headed straight to the infirmary. He didn't hear the whole story, instead too worried about the borrower. It wasn't even morning yet, but he couldn't care less.

The moment he saw Virgil, he knew he had a good reason to be scared. Virgil had been changed into a thin short sleeved shirt, giving the prince a good view of the black webbing that had spread to his neck by now. The borrower was covered in sweat and was trembling hard, his face was flushed with a fever and a rag was placed on his forehead.

Roman was by his side in only a second, his hands hovering over the borrower uselessly. "What- why isn't he healed! Why hasn't he been healed by now!"

Remus grabbed his brother's hands before he could use any magic, pulling him away from Virgil. "Don't try to heal him!" he warned. "It'll only make the curse worse!"

"Curse?! What- what happened to him?!" The prince was hyperventilating, tears flooding his eyes and starting to spill down his cheeks.

"Roman, breathe," Patton tried to calmly say, but his voice was shaking. "It's going to be okay."

"No, no it's not! He needs to be healed, he's in pain!" Roman tried to tear his arms out of Remus's grip, but the nature fairy held on tight. The prince had to do something, he had to help Virgil! Hearing the ragged breathing, seeing his face screwed in pain, it felt like someone was twisting Roman's heart.

"It's dark magic!" Patton explained. "It's not a normal injury, it's cursed!"

Roman stopped fighting, letting the words sink in. Cursed? This was a curse?! Then how... How will he be healed? What can be done?

Ignis, all he had heard was Ignis had attacked Virgil. The elder had to have done this. How could he stoop so low as to use dark magic?

Patton cupped Roman's cheeks, wiping his tears away. "We're doing everything we can, Ignis's chambers are being searched as we speak. Hopefully we'll find something in there that can help."

"Unfortunately, that fucking moth got away," Remus growled, finally letting go of Roman's arms. "I couldn't stop him."

Roman looked at his brother with a hurt expression. "You fought him? Why didn't you stop him from hurting Virgil!"

"By the time we got there it was already too late!"

"Roman, you know we would never allow anyone to hurt him if we could stop it," Patton reminded him. "We got there when we could. I'm afraid if it had been any longer, Virgil would be worse."

Roman took a step back, pulling away from Patton's hands. The tears came faster, and he fell to his knees, one hand grabbing onto Virgil's bed.

"Is... is he going to be okay?" he asked with a shaky voice.

"Oh, Roman..."

"Is he going to be okay?!"

Patton couched down next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We... we don't know."

"Oh stars..." Roman covered his face with his hands as he sobbed.

Patton felt tears come to his own eyes and Remus looked away as the prince cried harder, shaking with every sob.

They all felt their hearts stop when they heard Virgil whimper, so quietly they almost missed it. "R-ro..."

Roman stood up as fast as he could, turning to the borrower. "Virgil?"

The borrower frowned, panting as he tried to just simply open his eyes. How could such a small action be so hard? Roman had to choke back a sob when he saw how much pain was in Virgil's eyes. "Ro- Ah...! Roman..."

"I'm here, I'm right here." The prince reached over and cupped Virgil's cheek, wiping away a small tear that had escaped from the borrower's eyes. "Everything's going to be okay, you're going to be okay."

"Y-you're... you're s-safe?"

The prince felt his stomach twist. How could he still be so concerned about the prince when he can barely even form a sentence! "Oh, Virgil... Yes, yes I'm safe. I'm okay, and we're going to make sure you will be too."

The borrower closed his eyes and let out a small sob. "It-it hurts... it hurts so... so much." Tears fell from Roman's eyes as Virgil cried, but he had to try to be strong. "It... it feels like... like fire."

Patton winced. "Hold-hold on," he said, using his magic to make water from a nearby bowl to float. It was what he had soaked the cloth on Virgil's head in, but he could use it to ease some pain.

Roman watched as Patton made the water cover Virgil's arm and chest. The prince wondered just how far the webbing had spread, and prayed that it wouldn't grow. However, since it's a curse it probably will.

He was just glad when Virgil seemed to relax at the relief of the cold water. He became less tense and breathed easier, he still looked like he was in pain but it was better.

Virgil tried to give them a small smile, knowing he probably worried them. But it was wobbly, and only lasted for a moment as he fell back asleep.

Remus and Patton turned when they heard the infirmary door opened, and they saw the queen. She gave them a worried smile before it dropped when she saw the state Virgil was in. The concern was clear in her eyes as she came forward.

"How is he?" she asked, making Roman look up for only a moment.

"He's... not doing good," Patton answered truthfully. He sighed, "I don't... I honestly don't know if he's going to make it."

"He has to!" Roman shouted. Virgil had to make it, he had to survive! There's no way he could... They should have something to heal him!

"Roman, we don't know what to do. All we can hope is that there's some answer in Ignis's room, but... If not... If he stays like this then he won't be able to make it. There's no way he could eat or drink in his condition, and that's if his body doesn't give out and the curse takes over completely."

"He has to make it! He-he can't die!"

"I know you're worried, honey," the queen said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We're doing everything we can. Your father is helping the search for Ignis, and we're looking for any help we can find. But..."

"We don't know how long it will take," Patton finished for her.

The queen sighed as she pulled out a white note from her pocket. "We found this in Virgil's room. It's a note from Ignis."

Roman took it from her, opening it and reading it. Then he read it again, and again. Was this why Virgil was worried about him? Once again, the borrower sacrificed himself for the prince.

"From what I could tell from the fight scene, Virgil fought back," the queen explained. "He didn't go down without a fight."

"No, no, don't say that! He's still alive! There's still time to save him, we have to save him!" Roman cried, hating the tears in his eyes. "I won't let him die! I love him!"

The queen felt her heart drop, and the other two must have felt the same way since they both looked shocked or worried.

Roman wasn't quite sure why he said it, but he knew it was true. He just hated that it took this long to figure it out. The prince continued to plead, "I love him too much! He-he can't die... I just- I need to tell him! I want to hold him and be with him! I want him to be by my side for the rest of our long lives, I don't want him to... He can't..."

The queen pulled her son into a hug as Roman broke down into tears, sobbing loudly as he once again fell to the floor. She held him tight as he pressed his face into her shoulder.

"I promise you," the queen whispered, "we won't stop until we find something to help him."