The Trickster's Test {Prinxiety}

Chapter 9

Third Person

Virgil didn't remember going to sleep with a massive headache, nor did he recall moving to the floor, because the cold hard surface below him was most certainly not his bed. There was also the strange weight on his wrists, and the fact that the ground seemed to be moving beneath him.

Suddenly, he shot up, awake enough to realize that he was no longer in his room. Having his eyes open didn't help much though in the dark, windowless space. He found out pretty quickly that he was in a prisoner's carriage. They were made from solid iron, and often had no furniture. The idea was that with no view of the outside and nothing but whatever belongings the guards hadn't taken off you, it would be nearly impossible to escape. He also realized soon enough that he was alone in there, which was understandable since they'd be just as helpless as him. Not to say that helped him any; he wouldn't be getting out of these chains alone unless someone happened to drop the key into his lap. Actually, that may be a possibility. The majority of kidnappers were fairly stupid. But, his had already managed to take him, chain him up, and at the very least begin to transport him to their base of operations. At the sound of horses whinnying, and the slight forward jolt, he began to suspect they had made it way past beginning to take him to their base.

The door to the carriage was opened unceremoniously, a smirking man standing at the entrance, "Good evening, Your Highness. I hope our accommodations were up to your standards."

He thought about replying snidely, but figured that wouldn't help his chances of surviving until morning. Also, he couldn't muster up that level of confidence without being at least ten times more annoyed. He opted to stay silent, taking the time to look past the man with the hopes of recognizing the place. He first took notice that it was night, so he was probably still in Ouranious. It was possible too that he had been unconscious for an entire day, but they would've had to use a lot of medicinal herbs to keep him out for that long.

Unfortunately, all he could see were trees and the starry sky that provided minimal light. Even still, it was more than enough for him to make out the hilt of a sword at the man's side, giving him more than enough reason to comply. Then again, if they wanted a ransom they wouldn't kill him, which was a small comfort. There was no rule saying they wouldn't kill him.

"Dallas, hurry it up! We've got to get this thing back before sunrise and you will not be the reason we get arrested," Virgil couldn't see who was speaking, but they sounded far from happy.

"Calm the hell down, and what did we all say about using our names?" Dallas snaps.

"You know you're the only one that gives a damn about that, so my point still stands while yours is invalid," The other voice responds easily, apparently not bothered that Dallas's face appeared to be turning red with anger. Then again, it was pretty hard for Virgil to tell what the other's face looked like in such low light.

Dallas continues to grumble under his breath, grabbing the prince roughly by the chains. He was dragged into a building, which he could only describe as an abandoned mansion. The windows were nearly impossible to see through, and the small estate was overgrown. It amazed Virgil that the door didn't fall apart from Dallas simply opening it; the amount of rot present in the wood would have presumably assured that. It was even more surprising that the interior wasn't at the same level of disrepair as outside. The place actually looked pretty nice, with the plush carpet and unmarred walls, until he was led at knifepoint into the basement.

The original duke or duchess of the manor must have wanted a prison that doubled as a torture den, because that was about the only purpose this place could possibly serve. Unlike the pleasant ground floor, almost everything in sight was made of stone. It gave the dungeon a nice, hopeless atmosphere, effectively adding to the feeling that he wouldn't be escaping this place anytime soon.

Dallas shoves him into a cell , slamming the door shut behind him, "Soon enough I'll be back to collect you, you'll get to meet my employer, and then your short, pitiful life will come to a close. Don't go anywhere, it'll only make me angry, and I've been told I'm quite intimidating when I'm angry."

Virgil was inclined to agree, that is until he saw the man slip slightly on his way back to the staircase. There's no question that Dallas could kill him without remorse, but outside of that there was little else to worry about. Few things compared on a fear level to a good death threat. And with no reasonable way to get out of his chains or cell, it appeared Virgil had no choice but to wait as he had suggested.

He liked to think of himself as a patient person, but he could only put up with his own thoughts for so long; there was a reason he put up with Logan, after all. So, by the time Dallas returned hours later he was far past bored.

"Knock knock, Your Highness," He brought along a couple men, both of whom wore masks that covered the lower halves of their faces.

The masks themselves had the image of a golden scythe and loaf of bread on it, which he recognized as the emblem of a large group of Geminian thieves. With few things of value to steal in their home country outside of King Werther's castle, they often were sent out in groups to complete heists, and they recently started moving into hired work. And apparently, simply stealing from others wasn't putting food on the table anymore.

Virgil, more on instinct than anything, rose to his feet at the sight of them. His royal blood refused to give Dallas the satisfaction of watching him be picked up and dragged out of this cell. They'd drag him out no matter what, but at least this way he could maintain some dignity. He couldn't really tell if it worked or not, but he was glad that he didn't have to be hoisted to his feet roughly by the Geminians.

Naturally, Dallas led the way back up to the ground floor, and towards the back of the house. They stopped in a room that resembled a throne room, Dallas standing on the slightly raised platform. The tapestry with the founding family's sigil still hanging up, which had become an uncommon practice. It had also been outlawed by a tyrant from ages ago to possess such an adorned chair unless it was meant for royalty to be sat on, so if they came about after his rule, they would have been breaking the law. So, this manor was either incredibly old or home to nobles that were probably acquainted with the family that could have had them arrested.

Although, that wasn't what he took the most interest in.

"Alexia?"

A/N: So, updates are getting moved to Saturdays, there won't be one this Saturday (mostly because I need time to catch up/get over burnout, also because I can't always get to my computer on Mondays before 7:30 now). To clarify, that means the next update will be on September 4th, so have fun with this slight cliffhanger I guess. L.