The Trickster's Test {Prinxiety}

Chapter 28

Third Person

Virgil learned pretty quickly that being kidnapped had its benefits. Granted, in comparison to the mounds of problems and conflict it had caused hadn't really been worth it, but he still appreciated having the excuse of being too shaken up to stick around in the dining room for the rest of the royal gathering. He had been warned of his departure with his father, so instead of mindlessly roaming the halls he went out to find the familiar ship that would bring him home. Roman had remained silent as they walked through the quiet streets, waiting for the other to make some sort of comment or observation. Once they had gotten onto the deck of the luxury vessel, and Virgil simply stared out at the water with his hands tucked into his pockets, he determined that if there was going to be anything said, he would have to start it.

"So, care to explain what all that was?"

Virgil looked over his shoulder at him as he approached, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I figured we were on the same page of getting mad at Janus for going against the plan that he made, but it seems not," It had appeared to be nothing short of a betrayal, albeit one that hadn't resulted in their deaths or capture which counted for something.

"If I had blown up on him that would have clued everyone in to the fact that we had some sort of plan going," He explained calmly, having accepted the less than ideal circumstances.

"Correction, we had a plan going. One that Janus went against, and could have completely screwed us over. He is so transparently untrustworthy and selfish, and you still seem to consider him our friend," A short glance revealed how frazzled he looked, "Did I miss some sort of apology on his part?"

Virgil chose his words carefully, overly aware of how many people could be hearing them, "I know he went against the plan, and I'm not excusing that. His original divergence was essentially betrayal, but in the end it didn't matter because I sincerely doubt our accusations against Melanie would have yielded anything. And yes, in a way he did apologize," His pocket suddenly felt heavier than before.

"Was there a reason I wasn't clued in on this, then? What did he even do that I could have missed that made it so I'm the only one upset with him here?" Virgil sighed heavily, "We're supposed to be a team, aren't we? That's how this is supposed to work, I have your back and you get mine. But right now, it's feeling like you've got your back to the wall."

"When was I supposed to tell you what was going on? Should I have done it in front of the two dozen people who were probably eavesdropping on our every word, or can you approve of me waiting until we got out here to explain?" Granted, he hadn't exactly planned on saying anything, but he didn't think admitting that would help his case, "It's not that I don't trust you or that I think we aren't a team," It's that I don't know if telling you everything would put you in more danger. There was no telling how easy it would be for him to slip up, and involving Roman in every single bit of his plans, especially when he wasn't specifically needed for them, couldn't be safe.

Roman's expression had softened as his anger receded, and placed a hand on his shoulder. Pointedly ignoring the way Virgil tensed slightly, he responded, "Virgil, I want you to trust me. Because regardless of what you do and don't tell me I'm still going to spend every second of my life making sure to block any bullet you are caught in the sights of. It would really help if I knew where to look. Can you trust me to help and not hinder you, to take a weight off your shoulders and assist in any way I can?"

"Why?" They stood by as the question settled between them. Virgil wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the answer, Roman wasn't too sure if he should give one.

Roman, with all the grace and respect he could muster, looked at Virgil as though he'd just asked where the sun goes when it sets, "Because I'm worried about you, genius! It's amazing you've gotten this far without dying, and I'm sure it'll only get worse once you're king. You do understand your life expectancy would be much higher if you weren't suddenly so determined to trust no one, don't you?"

If he was being honest, Virgil didn't really hear much of that, which was probably disrespectful, but he was a little too distracted to care, "You're...worried about me?"

"That is what I said, yes," He confirmed, releasing a surprised breath when Virgil stepped forward and hugged him, "Uh, you doing alright there, taikaso?" An endearing nickname relating to the moon and night that didn't have an exact translation.

"Roman, how much do you know about enchanted seals?" He asked instead of answering.

"Uh...I can't say I'm the most knowledgeable on the topic," He decided.

Virgil pulled back, grabbing a small object out of his pocket. He stared at it for a moment in his open palm before showing it, "This is an honesty seal. When applied to someone's skin, they're forced to tell the truth. For those with access to them, they're most commonly used on suspected criminals, particularly spies," He explains, "Janus gave it to me when we shook hands, his form of apology, I suppose."

"Why did he give you it?"

"You said yourself that he must have apologized in some way for me to not be upset with him," Virgil pointed out, "And the seal seemed like the closest he would get to one unless we had gotten somewhere with actual privacy. No matter what, he always planned to expose Melanie's corruption, and in truth the only reason you and I have any problem with how things went down is because he prioritized his own plans over ours. So, even though we didn't get to bring an end to all of this tonight, we do have the key to a better backup."

Roman's eyes lit up, "You mean we're gonna use the seal on Melanie and force her to admit to her own crimes!" Virgil's sheepish smile said it all, "This way, there won't be any doubt that she's evil and, like, totally a murderer. It's genius! Maybe you'll reach your thirties after all," His laughter traveled across the water.

"So long as you're there with me, I suppose," Virgil didn't think he'd ever been so grateful for the barely attended ship; the lanterns around them hadn't been lit yet.

"Doesn't sound like too bad a future," Roman muses quietly. Virgil looked over to find Roman staring at him with an unreadable expression, or maybe he was just bad at reading expressions, "Thank you for trusting me."

"Thanks for being trustworthy thus far," He responded, because he didn't know what else to say next. He was sufficiently burnt out on social interaction, and more than a little distracted.

"Hey, Vee?" Roman placed his hand over Virgil's, turning more towards him. Virgil knew he was probably supposed to respond right now, but he didn't think he was capable of forming words right now. Roman didn't seem to have any better of an idea what to say next, expression flashing as he tried to settle on a choice of words. He appeared to give up on finding the words, and moved his hand to Virgil's cheek. He leaned in slightly, their foreheads nearly touching, and the prince was frozen to the floorboards, staring wide-eyed at the other. Hesitating ever so slightly, eyes darkening for a moment, he closed the distance and pressed a kiss to Virgil's cheek, "Let's not keep any more secrets from each other, yeah?"

And the prince pushed himself to say or do something, because that definitely warranted some kind of response, but lady fate seemed to have other plans for the moment. Approaching footsteps brought an abrupt end to the moment, and Roman pulled away to face the newcomers. King Edrick and his company made it onto the deck, and he immediately waved everyone off, a clear dismissal. With a bow of acknowledgment, and a quiet goodnight, Roman went below decks with the crew.

Silently, the tired king walked over to where his son was standing, taking the place next to him. He placed his hand, that was still weighed down by a wedding ring, over Virgil's and let out a deep sigh that made him instantly look ten years older.

"I'm okay, dad," He said, and they would be. 

A/N: Just another little detail I'm too proud of: at the end of the last chapter, Virgil calls Janus a sly bastard, which you all probably took as some insult or snide remark to his 'betrayal' of sorts. In actuality, this chapter clears it up and inadvertently reveals that the real reason he did this was because he realized Janus had a backup all along; the seal.