Scoundrel - Prinxiety [COMPLETED]

Chapter III

"You're sure you've had this your whole life?" the captain asked yet again. He'd backed Roman up to sit on the cot in the room, making him feel like a child being lectured for doing something bad as he questioned him about the key. He hadn't even been given an opportunity to  "You're absolutely sure you've had this your whole life?"

The prince rolled his eyes, sighing exasperatedly as he answered the question yet again. "Yes, I'm sure," he said, not even bothering to hide how annoyed he was. "I've said yes to that question like four times by now. No, I don't remember much of my childhood. I can remember up back to being ten in my father's palace. I don't know what the key does and I'd really like to know why you want it so badly; not to mention if you want it so badly, you could've just searched me for it on my vessel and left with. Now, I have to sit here terrified of if you decide just to kill me and take the stupid key."

Virgil searched his annoyed gaze for enough time for the annoyance to turn to confusion. He blinked a few times as his cheeks grew warm, slightly uncomfortable with his closeness and how strangely intimate it felt to stare into his eyes that long. 

The pirate suddenly blinked and pulled away as if snapping out of a trance. "I just need you to be sure," he said more quietly, pacing a little. "The last person I saw that key with... I haven't seen them in years... I just wish I knew how you got it."

Roman noticed him rubbing his wrist under the thick black cuff of his jacket, but he promptly stopped doing it and straightened his posture. "Alright, I've a proposal for you," Virgil said as he looked at him. "You are you going to help me get what I need, and once I have what I want, I'll sail you straight to your 'dearly beloved wife-to-be' if that's what you'd like. Does that sound fair to you?"

"What... What do you need me to do?" the prince asked cautiously. 

"As I mentioned earlier, you'd need to get me into the kingdoms nearby. I'm almost certain that at least one of the other princes of this area has another of the five keys," he explained. "To provide some explanation, there are five keys. The one you have is the ruby key, obviously as it has a ruby at its base. The other four keys have each an emerald, a sapphire, an amber, and a topaz. I need all five keys in order to open the chest."

He nodded in understanding, but still a questioning look on his face. "Okay, but what's in this chest, and why is it so important to you?" 

The pirate raised an eyebrow. "As if I have any reason to tell you either of those things," he said, looking almost amused that the prince thought he'd relay him that information. "I have my reasons for wanting what's inside the chest that are unimportant to your purpose here, understand?"

Roman sighed in annoyance, wishing he'd just explain what he'd been wrapped up in before nodding. As he looked up, he noticed the captain staring at the key, which was against his shirtless chest. He blushed furiously, looking down at his bare chest in realization of the fact that he was clearly staring at him rather than the key. "Um, may I put my shirt on?" he questioned somewhat nervously. 

The pirate blinked a few times, seemingly snapping out of his thoughts before a smirk crossed his face. "If you must," he replied, his flirtatious and suggestive tone from earlier returning. "Although, you look really good without one, your Highness, maybe it should be your uniform while you're working for me."

"You-" Roman started to say as heat rushed into his cheeks. He stood up, pulling the shirt on violently as he glared at him. Virgil was leaning forward, looking up at him with a smirk as he looked down, a red-pink tone to his cheeks that was clear as day. He glared as him with half-lidded eyes, trying to keep his heart rate under control as he met his gaze. "You're a scoundrel."