Scoundrel - Prinxiety [COMPLETED]

Chapter XII

Roman's heart was in his throat as the neared their next location. Luis' ship had previously pulled up beside theirs, and the captain's brother had given his farewells as they'd directed their vessel in the opposite direction. They were now drawing closer and closer to the island that apparently housed the treasure that Virgil sought, along with the emerald key. Unfortunately, he hadn't realized their bearings; the closer they had gotten to the island, the more he recognized the structure of the castle that was near the northern coast.

The castle belonged to a neighboring kingdom he'd visited numerous times in previous years. He felt nervous running up and down his spine, accompanied by chills and goosebumps. The prince had hoped he'd never have to come back here.

"Are you okay, Princey?" Virgil questioned, the sound of his voice pulling him away from his thoughts. He looked around with a new awareness, noticing that they had reached the docks and the crew was already tying up. Swallowing, he forced himself to nod. The pirate looked skeptical, but didn't push it further as he led the way down from the helm. "Well, we're here. This is where you and I disembark. I have reason to believe that the emerald key is in possession of the prince who lives here."

Roman nodded again, clasping his hands together as he attempted to calm himself down. His thoughts ran wild as Virgil instructed his first mate where to go and where to meet them. The prince was one of the few things he remembered vividly about this place. I doubt he remembers you or what happened, it's been three years, he thought, trying to wave off his worries. He's got to have better things to do than dwell on past encounters with boys like me...

"Princey, come on," the captain said, jerking his head in the direction of the dock as he stepped onto it. Nodding, he followed quietly, not trusting himself to be able to speak without his voice wavering. They walked calmly through the bustling streets of the kingdom, still not daring to say a word. He was terrified someone would recognize him, that word had gone around of his disappearance already; the last thing he wanted was to give the pirate a reason to be harsh with him again. He seemed to notice his silence and discomfort, chuckling a little with a smile. "Don't worry, this will be much more like what you're used to."

"What- What I'm used to?" Roman questioned, confused as they stopped in front of a tailor shop.

Virgil smiled, leading them inside. The pirate was right to a certain extent about this being he was more familiar with. There were racks and racks of suits available to try on or have fitted in minutes. Though the shop was busy, there were a couple workers available to take in the suits on the spot should the buyer need them to. An awed expression crossed the prince's face, earning a laugh from the man beside him.

"The prince is holding a ball this evening, and you are going to get us in," he explain as he moved toward the darker suits. Like a stray puppy, he followed with wide eyes, unsure of himself as he continued. "You should be able to tell them who you are and get us in, right?"

Roman bit down on his lip, nodding a little with a small noise of affirmation. Though the captain was looking at him with concern, he refused to let on what was wrong as he moved toward the lighter suits on the other side of the shop. He took deep breaths, trying not to think about the fact that he had to see the inhabitant of the palace again after three years of no contact or acknowledgement of the each other's existence. The prince exhaled, looking through the white suits halfheartedly. Within a few moments of him just pacing back and forth with no real purpose, Virgil joined him at his side with slightly encouraging smile on his face. He didn't really acknowledge him until he handed him a white suit off the rack that looked an awful lot like his old one back on the ship somewhere. Giving him a grateful glance, he moved toward one of the dressing rooms.

At least you're going to be back in what you look best in, he thought, trying to be optimistic as he put on the very form fitting white suit. And maybe he's changed. You never know with people, I thought Virgil was going to kill me and now it feels like he understands me better than anyone else ever has...

"Come on out Princey!" the captain said with a knock on his door. The prince slowly emerged from the dressing room, running his fingers through his wind tossed waves with nervousness. Virgil's eyes widened as he looked him up and down. "Whoa..."

This looked so much better on Roman than the loose white shirt and worn pants he'd been wearing around the ship. The clothing hugged his form, accentuating the wideness of his shoulders and other attractive features of his body. What the pirate found to be the best part, was that the prince's body had naturally slipped back into the behaviors of a royal. While aboard the ship, he'd been acting like a normal person, well-mannered but not a stiff in the slightest. His posture was usually relaxed and he didn't seem very confident most of the time. As if by subconscious instinct upon putting on the suit, Roman's back straightened and his shoulders were drawn back. His chin was slightly higher than it was before even if his gaze was still lowered. Virgil stared, barely even recognizing this change in physical appearance simply brought on by a suit.

As he looked him up and down, the prince did the same to the pirate, who was wearing the all black suit he'd picked out. He couldn't help the flustered thoughts that surfaced in his mind. The captain looked sexy, the black suit perfectly hugging his slim form. It made his pale skin pop more noticeably seeing as coal had been mostly wiped away from under his eyes.

"Wow..." he breathed, not knowing how to react to how good Virgil looked when he cleaned up.

"You look good, Princey," the pirate said before he could say anything else, smiling genuinely as he headed back into the dressing room. Roman blushed as he did the same, grinning a little to himself as he changed back into the casual clothes. He offered to pay for the suits, but Virgil refused to let him, making him pout as they left the shop. The man next to him scoffed. "Why would I let you buy me a suit?"

The prince shifted uncertainly. "I don't know, I've got plenty of money back home, and don't you steal what you don't typically have?" he asked with a guilty look on his face. He received a slightly pitying look from him in response.

"You know I'm fine right?" the captain asked as they headed into an inn. It wasn't until they entered a room that he realized he was carrying a rather large bag; he mentally reminded himself to ask later about it. "Yeah, I may not always be living like a king, but I'm okay."

"Yeah, I know, I shouldn't even be worried about it, I guess I just can't help but worry about others," Roman said with a bashful shrug. There was quiet between them as the pirate looked at him thoughtfully. He then cleared his throat, allowing for his curiosity to break the silence. "So, what are we doing here, like in this inn?"

Virgil nodded to the bathroom attached to their room. "We're going to freshen up a little and head to the ball at the palace," he said, smirking a little confidently. "That's where we'll find the emerald key."

The prince nodded along with him, feigning excitement as the dread resettled in his stomach. "That sounds like a plan then," he said, flashing a smile as he stood up. "Do you mind if I shower first? Princes have a lot of vanity and all."

The pirate chuckled and waved him off as he slipped into the bathroom and closed the door. His facade fell as he slid down the back of the wood, sighing heavily as he thought about going into that castle again. Three years... he told himself. Surely he's forgotten...