The Mark of A Cursed King

10

"Your form, Virge!" Roman called out as he struck out with his staff catching Virgil on the arm who groaned in pain before hitting it away with his own. "Try again."

"You're an ass." Virgil hissed as he blocked Roman's attack before quickly shifting and striking back. Roman only laughed softly as he caught it with his own, giving the younger a smirk.

"Calling me names now huh?" Virgil only glared at the prince who beamed and winked before attacking again. The room fell into a... well, it wasn't quiet. The sound of the two's staff going back and forth filled the air. Roman's laughed was loud and joyous as he beamed stepping in time to match every attempt Virgil gave him.

"Why not? You're an ass. It's just fact." Virgil went to lung with the end of the staff only for Roman to catch it with his and push it up and over till it hit the floor making the younger grunt in annoyance. Roman just gave him a dopey smile. "You really like this don't you? Nothing but a fucking show off."

"Oh come now, Stormy... I'm just enjoying the time." Virgil jumped back spinning the staff about before once again moving to jab Roman in the gut this time suprising him and making him curl into himself. "Shit." Roman laughed as he looked up through the tears in his eyes from the impact. "Well you got the strength." Roman forced himself to take a few breaths before standing back up and laughing again. "Come on. Let's go again."

"ROMAN!" Virgil yelled out as his feet were kicked out making him fall back. He rolled back just missing the attack before hitting the staff out of the way and trying to attack himself. Roman was far more defensive this time around. Virgil didn't have a single opening, yet the prince kept finding plenty of his own. "Ow!" He whimpered lightly with a glare as once again Roman smacked his hand. He was getting very frustrated. Roman's eyes narrowed as he struck out with the side, getting blocked by Virgil, only to then hit Virgil's staff up out of the way, and try to strike him from above. Virgil was quick to thrust out his staff like a block catching Roman's with a cracking sound. "Shit." Roman just smiled as he fixed his footing. Virgil's eyes were wide in shock as Roman shook his head.

"Don't block the weapon with your staff. It could end up breaking it. When you go to block like that block my hitting the arm." Virgil's eyes filled with confusion only making Roman chuckle a bit. "You block like this..." Roman was quick. He suddenly jolted pulling his staff back before slamming it back down against the others staff snapping it right in two, making Virgil cry out in shock. "...and that happens." Virgil just stared at his now broken staff in horror as Roman stood up and sighed. "Now imagine I had a sword and did that." Virgil paled as Roman nodded. "That's why you don't block like that. Block by the wrist and arm." Virgil narrowed his eyes before suddenly throwing one of the halves at the other shocking him and making him jump back. "Virgil?!"

"Gaurd up, Princey." Virgil giggled as he ducked down and punched him right in the gut. "I'm better at close combat anyway." Roman gasped as Virgil spun behind him grabbing the half he threw just in time to block Roman who struck down, by crossing the two halves to catch roman's staff. Virgil quickly pulled Roman's staff down before kicking Roman back making him drop his weapon.

"You're cheating!" Roman yelled as he stumbled back trying to dodge Virgil who was attacking relentlessly with the two broken halves. Virgil groaned as he swept his right arm through the air making Roman fumble out of the way panting.

"Cheating? No I'm improvising." Virgil smirked as he brushed his hair back and laughed. "You broke my weapon. What was I supposed to do? Give up? In a real battle, I won't have a prince to conjure up more weapons for me."

"Actually you would." Roman mumbled as he resumed his dodging. He arm caught Virgils wrist before he could hit him, just managing to push the younger away. Virgil wasted no time jumping back into the fight making Roman laugh at how fast the tables had turned on him. "Besides it's not a real battle, It's trainning. AND YOU'RE CHEATING!" Roman yelled out again as he rolled back managing to grab his staff again just in time to sweep it under Virgil's leg forcing them out from under then just right... The younger's head smacked against the cold floor. "VIRGIL!" Roman desummoned the weapons before anything was even said. He quickly crawled his way over to the younger wincing as he heard Virgil groan in pain. "Virgil? Are you ok? I'm sorry. I didn't think you would hit that hard. Virgil?"

"I'm fine." Virgil choked out as he grunted and held his head. "Headache."

"Shit. I'm sorry, Stormy. I swear I didn't..."

"Roman, I'm fine!" Virgil snapped making the prince tense up. "I'm fine. I'm not fragile. I can handle getting my ass kicked."

"I-I know that. I just... I..." Roman sighed as he moved back a bit knowing Virgil would want his space. "Why don't we take a break anway? We've been going at it for a while. It's not good for you to be overworking yourself." Virgil sighed as he relaxed and just laid there staring up at the ceiling. "You can go eat or... take a nap. We can either call it a day or you come back later. I'll still be here so you don't have to worry about that. I just don't want you overdoing i-..."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Roman froze like ice as Virgil frowned. "I know you aren't the real him. You're a clone but... You're the closest I have to him to actually talk to so... Why didn't you tell me? I thought we were friends."

"Stormy, we are friends."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" Roman sighed as he laid down beside him, staring over at the younger with a sad look, who never stopped looking up. "I know friends don't need to tell each other everything. I would never judge you for that but... Something as serious as this? You didn't even tell me you had a crush." Roman paled as Virgil just sighed saddly. "That... that I don't mind as much. Like I said, you don't have to tell me everything. It's not like I tell you everything. But my secrets... none of them are as serious as this curse of yours Roman."

"I didn't want you involved." Roman couldn't help but tear up seeing the pain his friend was in. "I didn't want you getting hurt."

"Ro..."

"I didn't tell Janus either..."

"JANUS ISN'T ME!" Roman jumped, eyes wide, as Virgil choked back a sob and forced himself to look away before he calmed down enough to look back at the ceiling. "Roman... To me... You are my best friend." Roman's eyes darkened as Virgil just shrugged. "The ONLY person that matters anywhere close to you to me would be dad. Other than him... You're all I really have. Roman, if I had never followed you... If I never saw you leave... You would have been lost, unconsious, cursed, and none of us would have ever known what happened to you. A stranger would have died thus basically killing you and I WOULD NEVER HAVE KNOWN!"

"I couldn't let you get hurt." Virgil finally met the princes gaze with a very serious one as Roman smiled sadly. "I just couldn't do it."

"Roman had I not been the one you kissed... had I not known..." Virgil's eyes narrowed as he looked away and finally let his own tears fall completely. "That would have hurt me far more than this shit."

"Virgil..."

"I risk losing my best friend because he couldn't ever tell me what was going on with him. And worst yet..." Virgil laughed as he shook his head. "There's someone out there who you apparently fell in love with that you couldn't even trust to..."

"I trust him with my life." Roman shot up instantly, sitting there just staring at Virgil with this protective glare in his eyes. "He means everything to me. I love him FAR TOO much TO EVER risk him dying for me." Virgil's heart literally just broke. "I couldn't tell him. I couldn't tell you. I didn't want anyone else involved in this. It was my own fault-..."

"Than you sentanced yourself and a stranger to death without the desancy to at least explain it to those who love you!" Virgil was up and out the door without a single thought leaving the Princely clone there alone with tears in his eyes. He glanced over his shoulder as if looking at something that which could not be seen and he sighed just letting everything take over. He couldn't stop the tears even if he wanted to.

"I don't know what hurts more. Being me or... being you... huh, Ro?" Roman laughed at himself as he just laid down again. "He's not happy with you. You should have known better than to lock him out." Roman curled up as he let himself melt into the silence. "I just didn't know how else to protect him."