Scoundrel - Prinxiety [COMPLETED]

Chapter V

Roman didn't want to get in that dinghy with him, not after how he'd reacted to his prodding. There was a thick tension between them as the pirate rowed them toward the shore. He felt guilty, realizing that it was incredibly rude of him to press and tease him about something he knew nothing about it. Whatever he'd poked at was clearly a sensitive subject, and his anger was most likely fueled by grief of some kind.

"I'm sorry..."

Virgil looked at him with a raised eyebrow as the prince looked up from his hands. "I'm sorry for what I said, earlier," he said quietly, the guilt evident in his voice. "It's none of my business, and I shouldn't have acted as though it was."

The pirate gave him a curious look that seemed to be something between anger and intrigue. "Whatever Princey," he mumbled, looking away with his eyes still narrowed.

There was a silence between them once again, the prince looking down guiltily. He knew he was still angry with him, and it made him feel useless. This was his first time meeting someone who understood him and he'd managed to piss him off within a couple days of being around him. It seemed that any progress they'd made together was erased. When they reached the shore and stepped onto land, he was surprised when the pirate handed him a sword.

"I trust you won't run off or try to kill me, as that would not be in your best interest," Virgil told him sternly, not even looking his direction. "Unless you'd like to remain stranded on this island for who knows how long."

Yeah, I messed up big time... he thought gloomily. He'd be joking with me about this if I hadn't said those things back on the ship. Roman took the sword, looking the blade up and down. In front of him, the pirate had begun to head into the trees of the island, making him gasp and jog to catch up. He didn't acknowledge him as he fell in step beside him. "S-So how are we going to find this key?" The prince asked cautiously.

"I sent a friend of mine to find it," Virgil explained coolly. "I believe he's found the key or a clue to where its location is. I've sent him a message to alert him that I'd be coming for it, but never received a confirmation letter from him."

The prince gripped his sword a little tighter, looking around fearfully. "You think he's dead?" he asked worriedly.

"God no, Luis a far too clever to get himself killed," he replied, shaking his head. "Forced into hiding? Probably... likely in fact."

"B-By what?" Roman dared to ask, feeling his unease growing.

The captain stopped, turning with a mischievous look in his eye. He froze when he met his gaze, not sure of what he was about to say and extremely scared about what he was about to tell him. "You might remember that I'm a pirate, and you're on the quest of one," he said, a tiny glint of smugness in his voice. "Let's just say, if we happen to bump into those who've managed to scare Luis away, you'll remember to be glad it was me who found you."

The prince didn't know what to say in response as his skin prickled uncomfortably at his words. He just nodded in understanding, swallowing. Virgil nodded and turned back to the path. There was a heavy silence between them as they walked it. Roman was tense and worried, realizing how truly clueless he was about what he'd been dragged into.

"There it is," the captain said suddenly, pointing to a small house at the end of the path. "Come on."

He knew better than to question him, following him as they swiftly sneaked into the house. They searched around, finding it empty as promised. Virgil rummaged through all the drawers just in case his friend left the key behind. Roman was looking in the bedroom when there was suddenly a hand over his mouth. The hand held a cloth to it, covered in a strange smelling substance. He let out a muffled scream as he was dragged backwards, and fell unconscious.

Virgil could sense something was wrong, backtracking into the main room of the house and finding a single man standing there. That single man was all too familiar in all too many ways. Chills ran up his spine though he repressed his discomfort.

"Ah, Virgil, we've been expecting your arrival," he said with a low laugh.

That's when several other pirates emerged from their hiding places, all around him. His hand immediately fell to his sword, prepared to draw it should they engage. His voice was poisonous as he replied. "So you have."

"I could kill you right now you know," he said, fiddling with a dagger as he grinned evilly at him. "I should, given what you did to me."

He turned his head, revealing the eye patch over his left eye. There was a painting of a snake's eye on it, an successful attempt to make him look more intimidating even with the missing eye. There was a frightening scar running along his cheek bone, put there by Virgil himself. Their history together was messy and ugly, leaving both of them disgusted and bloodthirsty for vengeance.

"But you won't," the captain said with a knowing smirk.

The man held his dagger up threateningly with a growl. "I will, unless you've something to trade for your life," the pirate he knew as Captain Drake said savagely. "Perhaps a key? I would love an addition to my collection."

Virgil forced himself not to react as the man revealed a sparkling silver key with a yellow topaz embedded in the handle. He had no idea how he already had a key or where he got it, but he needed to somehow get it and get out of here alive. At the moment, Captain Black kept up an expressionless face as the other laughed deeply.

"Perhaps I could take him in exchange."

With his words, a member of his crew revealed to be holding up an unconscious prince. His head was hanging limply and his limbs were bound in case he were to wake. Virgil felt a surge of anger from a place unknown. "Release him, he's nothing to do with any of this," the captain demanded.

"Yes, but he's very pretty," he continued, reaching out to brush Roman's bangs out of his face and lift his chin to see his face better. He ran a gloved hand along the prince's cheek, humming to himself. The actions made Virgil want to slit the man's throat more than he'd already wanted to, disgusted with the clear lust and want in the pirate's tone. As Captain Drake inspected his features, oblivious to the key hanging beneath his shirt, he smiled. "Actually, I think I'll take him and spare you, for bringing him to me."

"You can't do that, we don't have a bargain, De," Virgil growled, hand gripping the sword at his side tighter now as his heart rate sped up.

The pirate, De, grinned, tracing his fingers along Roman's jawline and down his neck. "Does he belong to you?" he questioned. When he didn't answer, he sighed triumphantly. "I thought not. Therefore, you've no say in what happens to him."

Virgil's jaw was clenched in fury as he drew his sword. His opponent just laughed, a round of chuckles coming from the other crew members. "Look, Virgil, you can either leave while I'm still in the mood to let you," he said. "I'll take him, and you'll have some more time to live before we meet again."

Looking at the fact that he was outnumbered and had no leverage, Virgil squeezed his eyes shut in frustration and put his sword back in its holster. "Good boy, now, we'll be going. Until we meet again," De said with a bow as he and his crew left the house with the prince.

He let out a angry growl as he clenched his fists. What was he supposed to do now? Roman and the key he had were now in the possession of his worst enemy. Look what you've done now, you idiot, Virgil thought to himself. You got a key, and you've lost it and the prince it happened to be attached to. You can't keep a hold of anything important in your life, can you?