The Timeless Prince

67

"You sure you want to do this?" Virgil asked already seeing the way Roman hesitated. The darker prince had been here many times prior and knew the state it was in were as Roman was seeing it all with fresh eyes. And despite it being his childhood home, he knew Roman loved it just as much as he did. Yet... Roman only nodded as he smiled and squeezed Virgil's hand. 

"It's been well over 2 millennia, Virge. Plus with how obsessed I was over the timeless prince legend... I knew what I was walking into when I offered to take us home. I just..." Roman hesitantly stepped forward but moved all the same as he neared the broken down castle gate. "I had to. WE had to. There's something I have to do... properly this time."

"Oh?" The two slowly made their way down the now dusty and dirt ridden pathway as Roman hummed a soft lullaby beside him. "And what exactly do you have to do that required you to do it here?" When they stopped again Roman had brought them right to where the castle doors would have been. In his mind, he was seeing it all as if it right there in front of him. As if he was looking at it again for the first time... back when he been called on by the king. "Roman?"

"The doors." Roman mumbled quickly as he stumbled forward and tried to pinpoint where everything would have been. "Where exactly were the doors?" Roman snapped his fingers and laughed as he jumped to grab this large chunk of marble rock, placing it upright at the edge of where the doors should have been. "There..." He slid his foot in the dust creating a line before running back over to Virgil with a smile. "Doors!"

"Hun, what are you doi- HEY!" Roman laughed as he quickly picked Virgil up bridal style making the smaller have to latch onto him. "Roman, what are you doing?"

"You asked what was so important I had to do here." Virgil nodded as Roman slowly walked towards the line he had created. "I have to walk my husband across the threshold." Virgil's eyes shot wide as Roman smirked carefully carrying him past the marble rock and into the ruins, where he safely set him back down. "Ruins or not... This was our first home. It'll always be our home. If I was going to do that... I was going to do it right."

"You are so sappy." Roman's smile only grew as Virgil leaned into him. "It's a good thing I love sappy." 

"Come one, Love." Roman took Virgil's hand and started to lead him through the ruins. For the most part, they were actually enjoying themselves. They'd reminisce and bring up stories they'd both laugh too. It was a good time... until they wandered a bit too far in. 

"Oh boy." Virgil chuckled to himself as he stepped further into the throne room. This was the one room time hadn't touched. And there was a reason for that, that was certain. When Eva had cursed Virgil like she did the room was also affected. This room... This is the room where Roman had died... Patton and Logan too. Virgil smiled sadly as he walked over to the stain on the floor. No matter what he did he was never able to get rid of them. "Roman, maybe we shouldn't..." Virgil froze, this sudden sense of panic filling his blood, as he spun around to see Roman in tears. "Roman."

"I'm sorry." Virgil was over to him within seconds. The lighter prince had latched onto him, sobbing his heart out, as he desperately tried to get the flashbacks to end. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I couldn't save you."

"Roman, you're the one that need to-..."

"I don't care that I died, Virgil. I cared that it hurt you." Virgil just frowned as Roman trembled in his arms. "I care that I couldn't stop her. What she did to you... forced you to go through... I did all I could to make it better but it wasn't enough. I'm so sorry. I should have been stronger. I should have..."

"Roman, I need you to listen to me ok? Can you do that?" Virgil forced him to look up at him and broke at the pain in those emerald eyes. "I love you. I know it hurts... these memories you've regained. I know it's hard. Your in pain and I can tell. Even still... I love you."

"Virg-..."

"You believe you're weak. That you can't protect me. That because you couldn't stop her what happened is your fault, Yes?" Roman nodded as Virgil gently brushed his tears away. "Even still, I love you." Roman frowned as Virgil smiled softly at him. "You feel responsible for the pain I've went through. You always have. You blame yourself for Eva tricking me. You blame yourself for leaving when I ended our engagement. You even blame yourself over my father's passing because you for some reason thought if you had helped more then maybe he wouldn't have gotten so sick. You always do this. You burden yourself with the blame... even still with all that on your shoulders... I still love you."

"I should have done more."

"We can only do as much as we are capable of..."

"I have magic too, Virgil." Virgil frowned as Roman shook his head and forced himself to step back. "Yes, I'm not as strong as you but I AM a sorcerer. How do you think I healed Mel? I have magic... I could have done something. Instead, I WATCHED as she forced you to ki-... to..." Roman stopped cold as he looked away and shivered. "I can't stand the fact that you went through so much and I didn't do anything."

"Even still..." Roman faltered as his eyes darted back up to see Virgil smiling at him. "I love you."

"I didn't save you."

"I love you."

"But I died and left you."

"I love you."

"You lived for so long.... alone because I couldn't stop her."

"I love you."

"Virgil, god damn it... LISTEN TO ME!" Virgil just chuckled as he shook his head and took Roman's hands in him.

"No, Roman. Listen to me... Even after everything you've said... after everything that's happened... I am still here telling you I love you. You might never forgive yourself, but my feelings for you have never changed. All this is is just a blip in our history. Right here... right now we are together. We are happy. And we are loved... right?" Roman melted entirely into Virgil who held him firmly as the other broke down again.

"I'm sorry. I just... I'm sorry, Virgil." Virgil just smiled as he held him close, breathing calmly to help give Roman something to focus on.

"I know and even if you never forgive yourself... I'll forgive you. Even if you never learn to love yourself... I'll love you. And even if you'll never learn to forget the past... I'll be here to remind you of the present." Virgil felt as Roman squeezed him tighter. "Forever and always..."

"Not even death and keep us apart."