The Mark of A Cursed King

12

"Stormy?" Virgil's eyes narrowed as he just focused on his reps trying really hard not to look over at the Prince staring at him with such a desperate expression. "Stormy please?"

"Am I holding the sword correctly?" Roman's desperation only grew as Virgil twisted his wrist hoping to catch the dummy right. "Roman? Am I doing this right?"

"Stormy stop." Roman crashed as tears started to fill his eyes. "Stop ignoring me and talk to me."

"I am. Now... Am I doing this right?"

"VIRGIL!" Virgil jumped, dropping the sword with a clatter, only to freeze up in shock at the tears falling from Roman's eyes. The prince was literally panting as he gripped his arms tightly to hold his attention. "Please?" His voice cracked making Virgil's heart drop. "Please, Stormy? I can't take this. I can't take you ignoring me. I can't take you hating me."

"I don't hate you, Roman. I'm just happy with you right now." Virgil pulled his arms startling Roman who stumbled forwards. "You should have told me."

"I couldn't."

"That's the problem, Roman. That right there... you 'couldn't'? Why?" Roman's eyes darkened as Virgil shook his head. "I'm not going through this again. I don't want to talk about it right now. I just want to focus on training. I only have 3 more days Roman."

"Please don't hate me." Virgil faltered as Roman whined softly. "I didn't want you getting hurt. You know how I am. I wouldn't have told Pat or Lo either if I had the choice. But that would only have hurt Thomas and I couldn't do that. I just... I didn't want anyone else getting hurt for MY curse. Not them... Not you, stormy. Please understand."

"You never answered if I was doing it right?" Roman's whole body just seemed to crash as his expression fell to a tired one. Virgil gently picked the sword up again trying to hold it right only for Roman to start laughing, scaring him completely. "Ro?"

"The dragon witch should have just burned me alive." Roman flared as he spun around and just walked off.

"ROMAN?!"

"Just leave me alone, Virgil! It's not like it matters anyway. I'm not real!" Roman yelled out only to pause a bit, making Virgil zero in on the tears streaming down the prince's face. "I'm just a clone. If you won't listen to me... please listen to him. I'm trying, Virgil. I really am. I'm panicking and I don't do well with that. You know this. I just... I need to be alone." Before Virgil could say anything else Roman disappeared into a back room leaving him stunned. He honestly didn't know what to do.

"Great..." Virgil sighed as he gripped the sword as tight as he could and swung sticking the blade into the dummy as he screamed. What else was he supposed to do? He had all this pent up frustration. He was hurt, angry, desperate... He was losing his mind. "Roman, I... " Virgil crumbled to his knees as he just stared at the ground and laughed at himself. "Three days. Three days and I'm going against another monster. What am I supposed to do? I can't even THINK about you without it hurting. I just... I want to let this go but I just can't. I'm sorry." Virgil staggered to his feet only to freeze up feeling this ghostly touch on his cheek as if brushing his tears away. Virgil couldn't help the way he melted. Thank god, he's gotten used to hiding his gay reactions. "Roman?"

"I don't mean to..." Virgil tensed feeling this pressure fall over him only to sigh softly finding a red jacket draped over his shoulders. He carefully pulled it around him more as he nodded as slowly walked himself out of the training room. He needed a break anyway.

"Hey, Kiddo." Later that day Virgil decided for once to join one of the family dinners since Roman was gone. Patton lit up seeing him walk into the dining room and already Virgil wanted to bolt. "How is everything?"

"Welp... The timer says three days so I'll tell you in four." Patton's happy smile dropped instantly making Virgil crash and groan. "I'm sorry, Pat. I don't mean to be like this. It's just... it's a lot."

"That's ok, Kiddo. We've all been a bit... Out of it." Patton deflated as he just collapsed into the chair. "We still haven't found the mark bearer yet and... I'm getting worried." Virgil frowned as his eyes darted to his wrist. "To be completely honest, Kiddo... I'm not entirely ok with Roman's choices myself."

"What?" Patton nodded as he looked away.

"He chose not to give us information that could save him. He chose not to go down a route that could have saved him. He chose not to do ANYTHING that could save him." Virgil's fists clenched as Patton smiled sadly. "But it wasn't my place to judge him. He made his choice for a reason and I had to accept it."

"I just don't want him to die." The words spilled out of his lips before he could stop them. "If I knew about it all, I would have told him to chose me. I would have done everything I could to prepare for it. That... That's what upsets me the most." Patton's eyes widened as Virgil's head dropped into his hands, body overcome with shaking. "He kept me out of it when I would have done anything to keep him safe. He chose not to include me and now what am I supposed to do."

"Oh, kiddo... I knew you cared about him but..."

"Don't." Virgil's eyes narrowed as he shook his head. "He can still hear everything we say. He's still conscious."

"Virgil..."

"I said don't." Virgil shot Patton this look that clearly meant that was the end of it. "I just... I don't understand why he wouldn't trust that one of us would have fought for him. God even JANUS would have for Remus's sake!"

"I don't think Roman would want to kiss Janus."

"He didn't want to kiss me either but look what happened." Virgil instantly slapped a hand over his mouth face pale as Patton just sat there looking unaffected. For about 2 seconds... then the realization filled his face.

"HE WHAT?!"