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Roman huffed, running a hand through his hair as he looked out the carriage window. The scenery was pretty, he supposed, but it wasn’t enough to distract him from the annoyance that had slowly been building in his chest since Patton had arrived in his kingdom.
Now, this annoyance wasn’t at Patton, of course not, that man was a sweetheart. No, the annoyance sat at his employer, Roman’s fiancé.
Prince Virgil of the kingdom of Anslem had been betrothed to Prince Roman of Aristeia for all of two months, and Roman had yet to even see the other man. The kingdoms had decided to merge on the basis of need: Aristeia had plenty of resources that Anslem needed, and Anslem had the protection and strength that Roman wished his kingdom had. So, the two kingdoms set their two eligible heirs together in a betrothal that would unify the kingdoms.
Virgil, as the sole heir to the throne of Anslem, was the only choice. Roman, on the other hand, was second born, and not for the first time wished that his older brother Logan wasn’t so focused on his studies and duties to the crown to be the one chosen. Or even his younger twin brother, Remus, could have been a good choice, if he ever stepped foot on land and off his naval ship. As it were, Roman was captain of the guard, and, as his father had calmly explained to him when he had whined, he would be able to provide a strategic and analytical perspective to the Anslem guard after his wedding.
The betrothal hadn’t been a problem then, when Roman had learned he would still be able to be the captain of the guard. He was actually excited for it; getting to see a whole new kingdom, meet his future husband and see if he would have the fairytale life that he had read about when he was younger. When he learned that Virgil was supposed to come to Aristeia first, he did all he could to prepare a welcome that befit a prince, especially one that would later be his husband.
When the carriage inscribed with Anslem’s crest had first arrived, Roman wasn’t sure what he should expect from Prince Virgil. He knew the other was serious, but kind, and that Virgil always took time to make decisions. So maybe, he was calm, confident? Would he be tall and serious, only to be sweeter behind closed doors, away from prying eyes? Or would he be kind on all fronts, unafraid to show affection and love to those he cared about?
Whatever it was, the short, bubbly young man that stepped out of the carriage hadn’t been it. The man had introduced himself not as Prince Virgil, but as one of his advisers, Patton Mayfield. He had apologized on behalf of the Prince, stating that he had been caught up in his lessons and wouldn’t have been able to step away for too long. Patton had also said, quietly enough that only Roman would hear, that Virgil had been worried about making a fool of himself in an unfamiliar land, and that had been enough to quell the initial burst of hurt that Roman had felt when Patton had first arrived.
The annoyance stayed, though Roman couldn’t focus on it long as he showed Patton the kingdom. Patton was too kind and bright to keep any negative feelings the focus for too long in his presence. Even if he wasn’t, the way he had zoned in on Logan when they were first introduced and had seemed to make it his mission to shamelessly flirt and turn Logan varying shades of red whenever they talked was too amusing to keep Roman’s annoyance at Virgil the forefront of his mind.
But here, alone in a carriage that was carrying him to his betrothed’s kingdom, Roman let himself feel annoyed. He understood the importance of learning how to run a kingdom, he had seen Logan stress out about everything he would have to know to run Aristeia, but he still would have liked some warning about Virgil not coming. Even just a messenger before the carriage pulled in, so that Roman wouldn’t have had half the guard pulled to greet who he had thought would be the Crown Prince of Anslem.
As the carriage began to go through the village that surrounded the castle, Roman took a deep breath. As he exhaled, he let the annoyance in his chest go out with it. He knew that meeting Virgil annoyed would not be a good foot to start their future together with, and he wanted to avoid conflict if he could.
Roman looked back out at the village and smiled. It didn’t seem so much quaint as it did homely, and the friendly people and children running after the carriage with laughter reminded him so much of the town by his own castle that Roman couldn’t help but have a joyful disposition as he pulled into the castle gates.
Stepping out of the carriage once it had stopped, Roman had expected some fanfare, or a small collection of the guard, but there was only one other person in the small courtyard, who Roman could only assume was the other advisor that Patton had mentioned. They couldn’t have been more Patton’s opposite if they were actively trying, Roman mused has he walked the short distance to greet the other. Tall, sleek, and with a splash of lighter skin around the left side of their face, the other advisor would have been intimidating if Roman wasn’t convinced that he could easily use them as a weightlift.
They looked him up and down, brown and green eyes flickering over his form before meeting his gaze.
“Greetings, Prince Roman. My name is Dee, my pronouns are they/them. Come along.”
With that, they turned and moved towards the castle. They began to talk over their shoulder as Roman scrambled to follow them.
“Your belongings will be brought to your room shortly. Prince Virgil apologizes that he could not greet you personally, but he has other matters to attend to that could not be put off. He will meet you at dinner tonight.”
Dee led him to his chambers, a large bedroom with a washroom and separate office connected on either side of the bedroom. As Roman set his own satchel down by the bed, Dee stayed in the doorway.
“Is there anything you need at the moment, your highness?”
“No, thank you, Dee. That would be all.”
Dee nodded, the perfect example of professionalism. “I will be back to collect you for dinner.” With that, they shut the chamber door, leaving Roman alone once more.
Roman stared at the door a moment, then snorted. “Truly Patton’s opposite.” he muttered.
Patton hadn’t been professional at all, unless he was in the presence of Roman’s parents or one of the servants. If it was just Roman or Logan with him, he had been friendly and over excited, barely forgetting to properly address either of them, unless he was trying to get Logan to fluster. Dee, though, seemed like they had no other mode but to be an advisor to royalty. If Patton had not told Roman that they were related before he had left, Roman would have assumed that Dee and Patton had never even existed in the same vicinity.
Sitting on the bed with a sigh, Roman looked around the room again. It was nice, and the bed was comfortable. Glancing over at his satchel, Roman decided that his next course of action would be to take a nap before he even looked at any of the work he brought with him.
***
Roman woke with a start, blinking in bewilderment at his door, which was now swinging wide open. Dee stood in the threshold, smoothing down they’re shirt as if they hadn’t just thrown the door open.
“Can I help you?” Roman asked, sitting up. For a moment, Dee looked embarrassed, but they’re face quickly smoothed back out to indifference.
“You weren’t answering the door when I knocked.” They said, as if that explained anything.
“I was sleeping?” Roman replied, though his voice lilted up at the end in confusion.
Dee nodded once, then began to usher Roman out of bed and make him look presentable.
“I apologize if I disturbed you, your highness, but we do have to get going to dinner. Prince Virgil will be in attendance.”
Roman brightened, and quickly smoothed out his hair. Changing into something nicer than his travel clothes, because it appeared as if the servants had gotten all his belongings unpacked and ready for him while he was napping, Roman followed Dee out the door and to the dining hall.
It was small, being the familial hall rather than the banquet hall, but it was warm and still seemed lively, despite only one other person sitting at the table. Prince Virgil was alone at the table, sitting across from the only other place set up for a meal.
If it weren’t for the fact that Roman was tired and somewhat annoyed at how he had been woken up, he felt that he would have fallen for the other prince right then.
Because Roman has eyes, and Virgil was gorgeous. Pale skin, dark hair that looks like it would swoop into his eyes if it wasn’t held back by the small circlet that he was wearing. And those eyes, dark and mysterious and just the perfect shade of oak brown that would have had Roman weak at the knees if it weren’t for the way they were darting back and forth across the room as if Virgil was looking for an escape route.
Dee gave him a small push further into the room and announced Roman’s presence, and Roman didn’t miss the way that Virgil tensed. He tried to give the other prince a reassuring smile, but from the way Virgil broke eye contact, he assumed it didn’t work.
“Dinner will arrive shortly.” Dee said, pulling out Roman’s chair and pouring him a glass of wine. They swept out of the room, and it descended into a silence that was not so much uncomfortable as it was awkward.
Roman opened his mouth to say… anything, really, but Virgil beat him to the punch.
“I apologize for not being able to meet you this morning or go to your kingdom.” He said, his voice deep and smooth. He plowed on before Roman could say anything in response. “I had lessons, and then this morning there was a small meeting about a crop failure in one of the outer villages, and then I had to get ready for another meeting, and at that point you were already here and—”
“Virgil.” Roman interrupted gently. He hadn’t been annoyed before, and even if he was, it would have disappeared in the face of Virgil’s clear nervousness at meeting Roman.
Virgil’s mouth clicked shut, and he ducked his head. When he didn’t attempt to say anything else, Roman began.
“It’s okay. Patton was great company, and he had explained that you couldn’t get away. Believe me, I’ve seen what those lessons are like, I don’t blame you for not being able to escape.” He smiled, then shrugged. “As for today, I was able to take a nap, though I didn’t get any work done like I had planned.”
Virgil had lifted his head as Roman had talked, and now looked interested.
“What work do you have to do?”
Roman beamed, pride coursing through him. “Training regimens. I’m the captain of the Aristeia guard.”
Virgil’s eyebrows shot up, and he looked impressed. Roman did his best not to preen, but it was a close thing.
“What led you to being captain of the guard?” Virgil asked, leaning forward in interest.
“Well, with Logan being trained to rule the kingdom, Remus and I were taught to command different parts of the country under him. I took the land-based militia, while Remus trained to lead our naval division.” Roman explained, glad that they were getting along.
“Right, you all have some of the largest ports on the southern end of the continent.” Virgil said, seemingly proud of himself for remembering that. Roman bit back a grin, inexplicably pleased that Virgil was knowledgeable about his kingdom.
The rest of dinner passed like that, light conversation to get to know each other. Virgil went on about the tediousness of some of his lessons, doing a rather good impression of Dee telling him that it would be “important to the future of the kingdom, for Virgil to actually know the history of it,” while Roman explained Patton’s increasingly obvious attempts to woo Logan, and Logan’s increasingly amusing embarrassment and confusion at said attempts.
After dinner, Virgil took Roman on a small tour of the castle, hitting the main areas that he might interact with during his stay, namely a library, a ballroom, some smaller rooms like studies and reading rooms. It ended in the garden, a small, rather sparse area with a few neatly trimmed bushes and trees and some flower beds.
It was a far cry from the large garden that Roman’s mother tended to when she had less busy days, that was teeming with every bush, tree, and flower that she had wanted. Roman ran a hand over one of the bushes, smiling at a memory of his mother elbow deep in soil, with her handmaidens flitting around like bees, distressed at how dirty she was making her dress.
He laughed a little, casting a small smile over at Virgil. “My mother would have a field day in your garden. She loves gardens overflowing with life and plants, and I think she would try to add about a hundred more trees if she saw how few there are.”
Roman had hoped it would cause Virgil to laugh, or talk about his own fathers, who he had yet to meet. Instead, though, Virgil bristled, a frown flitting across his face.
“She must worry more about her garden than her kingdom’s defenses, hmm?” Virgil’s voice was barb wire wrapped in cloth, and Roman startled, confused irritation lancing through him.
“At least we have the resources to have a large garden.” Roman shot back, brows furrowed.
Virgil didn’t hide his anger this time, opening his mouth for a moment before suddenly deflating. He ran a hand down his face, shoulders dropping.
“We’re getting married.” He muttered, sounding like he was reminding himself that rather than telling them both.
Roman couldn’t keep his mouth shut, though, and he always had a bad habit of needing the last word.
“Can’t even take a compliment.” He muttered, loud enough for Virgil to hear him. Virgil immediately reared back up, anger and confusion fighting for dominance on his face.
“Where was there a compliment in any of that?” He demanded, shoulders hiking up as he stepped closer.
Roman matched him step for step, and soon they were almost nose to nose. “I don’t know, maybe when I said my mother would enjoy your garden?” he asked, unable to keep the condescending tone out of his voice.
Virgil scoffed, “You said she would want to change it!”
“That’s how she shows her interest!” Roman through his hands up, moving around Virgil to head back inside.
“Where are you going?” Virgil asked, whirling around.
“To my room. I’m not going to argue with you about this.” Roman replied, without turning around. Footsteps followed him, and Virgil appeared at his side.
“I’ll show you the way back.”
That was the last Virgil said to him, leading Roman back to his room and leaving without so much as a goodbye. Roman huffed, crossing his arms as he stared after Virgil. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to be married to someone who would so easily argue with him over such small things.
***
The next week continued the same, the two trying to talk and ending in arguments. Virgil had apologized the very next day, stating that the garden was something he and his fathers had worked on when they all had the chance to meet together, and Roman had apologized for continuing the argument instead of trying to deescalate it. Virgil had made a small comment that he had liked Roman’s passion, which made Roman turn red, but the apology didn’t solve every problem.
They were still arguing about anything they seemed to disagree on, from simple things like what type of pastry was better to more complicated, like what Roman should be doing in his training or what Virgil should focus on in lessons. Most of it was inconsequential, nothing that couldn’t be smoothed over with an apology or a few hours away from each other, but they still seemed to argue more than they talked.
It was during one such argument that Roman met Virgil’s fathers. Later, he wouldn’t be able to say what the argument was about, but Roman would say it probably wasn’t the best way he could have met them, but hindsight is only twenty-twenty.
They had been in the dining room again, having just had lunch, when Dee had come in, more serious than Roman had seen them be in the week he had been in Anslem. They had simply announced that Kings Remy and Emile wanted to have an audience with both princes, before walking out, expecting Virgil and Roman to follow.
Virgil furrowed his brows, muttering, “Why couldn’t they have just met us in the dining room?” but followed Dee none the less.
Roman couldn’t keep his nerves at bay, thoughts racing through his head. Why had they wanted an audience instead of just having a meal with them? Patton hadn’t made them out to be incredibly formal, saying that the kings were kind and just, though Remy could be a bit sassy. Had something happened? Were they calling off the betrothal? Was his family in danger?
The latter thought made Roman feel a weird mix of sick and protective, but the former made him oddly upset, more so than he thought he would be. As much as he and Virgil argued, he was beginning to enjoy the others presence. He couldn’t think of anything he had done that would make them call off the betrothal and future wedding.
They entered the throne room, both kings sitting regal and serious, making Roman’s nerves double. King Remy was the more intimidating of the two, lean and tall enough that he seemed to be towering over Roman, even as he sat on his throne. His clothing was dark, a black cloak resting over his shoulders and gray tunic. His husband was the opposite, a cream-colored vest over his white tunic. Patton had claimed that King Emile was bubbly enough to rival himself, but the serious gaze and worried eyes hidden behind his glasses was anything but.
Roman took Virgil’s lead, walking in time with him until they were just in front of the thrones, though Dee held back, standing near the door. King Emile gave him a quick smile, but it did nothing to untie the knot in Roman’s stomach.
“Prince Roman, it is a pleasure to meet you,” King Remy began, “though I wish it were under better circumstances.”
“What’s wrong?” Virgil demanded, his shoulders tense. Remy gave his son a look, and Emile picked up where his husband had left off, cutting to the chase.
“We’ve received word from your parents that Prince Remus and his men were attacked coming into port.” Emile said. “His ship and a few others made in back, but several where taken captive.”
Roman had frozen, his whole body going cold. Was Remus injured? What if it was severe, or fatal? What if he didn’t make it? Roman faintly registered a hand on his back, and felt a brief flash of gratitude for Virgil checking in with him, but it was quickly swallowed by his fear. Emile had continued talking, either not noticing or ignoring Roman’s expression.
“The pirate in charge of the attack seemed to imply that they weren’t finished yet. The next day, Prince Logan and Mr. Mayfield were attacked just outside the city gates,” there was a faint gasp from the back of the room, and Roman could empathize with Dee. “Though the attacker wasn’t caught, they were able to injure Prince Logan, leaving a similar message as the pirates.”
First Remus, now Logan? Roman’s ears were ringing slightly, and the pressure on his back grew as Virgil stepped closer to support him.
“Your parents are requesting that your visit be extended to keep you out of harm’s way,” Remy said, eyebrows furrowed in concern. “They also requested assistance from our guard, and implied that you would be able to accurately describe what they would need to bolster their protection.”
That snapped Roman out of his daze, and he squared his shoulders in determination. This, he could do in his sleep.
“They’ll most likely need whatever they can get.” He said, looking King Remy in the eye with a seriousness that the king matched. “Any guard you can spare, as well as any navy you may have. If these would-be attackers are truthful in saying that they’re not done yet, then Aristae will need proper protection.” He was quiet for a moment, then nodded once.
“Which also means they’ll need their captain of the guard.”
It took a moment, but Virgil caught on to way Roman meant.
“What? No, Roman, you’re not going back there!”
“Yes, I am!” Roman snapped back.
“No! They attacked your brothers; you could be next!” Virgil exclaimed, sounding both worried and desperate for Roman to agree with him. Roman looked him dead on, steel in his voice.
“Exactly, they attacked my brothers. I protect my own, and I’m not going to let them go without my help.”
Virgil studied him for a moment, and Roman didn’t waver. Virgil huffed, then nodded.
“Alright. Then I’m coming with you.”
“What?”
“Really?”
Remy and Roman spoke over each other, though Roman sounded more delighted by Virgil’s response than Remy did. Roman beamed at Virgil, happy to have him willing to assist his family. Remy looked ready to lock Virgil in his room.
“Virgil, no, you can’t go. What if you get hurt?”
“What if Roman does?” Virgil shot back. A small zing of fondness shot through Roman, but he ignored it for now. They still argued too much, Virgil’s apparent protectiveness over Roman none withstanding.
Remy looked ready to argue with his son more, but Emile put a hand on his shoulder to quiet him, a strange, small smile on his face. Roman couldn’t tell if it was amused or fond or both, but from the way he was studying them, he softly assumed it was both.
“Relax, love. If Virgil goes, he’ll get to see the kingdom, control our guard, and protect his betrothed all in one go. He’ll be okay.”
Remy pursed his lips, but finally nodded. Virgil grinned at his father, and Roman stared at his smile for longer than he meant too. He snapped back to attention when Remy spoke.
“Alright. Okay. Okay. You can go, if!” He pointed at his son, leveling with a soft glare, “if you promise to be careful.”
“I will, don’t worry.” Virgil smiled softly, and Roman found himself distracted once more. “Worrying’s my job, remember?”
Remy only hummed, amusement shining in his eyes. Emile grinned at his son, then addressed Dee in the back.
“Dee, will you help them gather what they need? I assume you’ll be joining them as well?”
Dee stepped forward, shoulders tense but voice steady. “Yes, your majesty. I will go begin preparations now.” They swept out of the room, and Roman bowed while Virgil thanked his fathers before they both quickly followed after them.
Within the next few hours, they were able to get a sizable guard ready to go, with more scheduled to follow in the next few days. The kings of Anslem stood on a balcony watching over the preparations.
Remy was still unsure of Virgil joining Roman, and even of Roman going, but Emile reassured him that it would be fine.
“Besides,” Emile say, watching Virgil gather the guard with Roman’s help, “You really think we’d be able to keep either of them here? They’d sneak out as soon as we looked away.”
“I know,” Remy sighs, watching as the two argue over what weaponry they should pack. “They seem to work together as much as they argue.”
“It’ll serve them well, I think.” Emile muses, a smile at the corners of his mouth.
***
The ride back to Aristeia was quiet and tense. Roman knew he should be planning, or at least doing something other than looking out the window, but he couldn’t keep the worry in his chest at bay. Were his brothers truly alright? What if his parents hadn’t mentioned everything?
Across from him, Dee wasn’t much better, sitting ramrod straight and looking forward at nothing. There was some sympathy for them, as Roman’s parents’ letter hadn’t mentioned much about Patton past him being with Logan, but no mention of his being hurt were good, right?
Roman could feel the unease and concern radiating off of Virgil next to him, but he couldn’t bring himself to reassure the other prince. After a few more minutes of silence, Virgil leaned forward to put a hand on Dee’s knee.
“He’ll be okay,” he said. He leaned over a bit, just enough to put some of his weight on Roman’s side. “They all will.”
He gave them both a small smile, then leaned up and away. Roman briefly missed the weight and heat of Virgil leaning against him, but turned his focus back to his brothers. He found he had enough focus now to start planning how he was going to assimilate Virgil’s guard into his own, and sent Virgil a small smile of his own in thanks for the help.
***
When they arrived at the castle, they’re immediately ushered into the infirmary. They’re greeted by Roman’s parents, King Mitchell giving him a quick hug while Queen Raya—a dark, short woman with a strong grip and confident tone—greeted Virgil and Dee. They switched, the queen kissing Roman’s cheek and moving him further into the infirmary as the king shook Virgil’s hand.
King Mitchell was tall, closer to Dee and Virgil’s height, as tan as Roman, with kind eyes and crows-feet that spoke of joy and energy, a close-cropped beard covering the matching laugh lines around his mouth. That joy and energy wasn’t present now though, as Virgil followed him to where the queen had taken Roman
Dee followed close behind them, and Virgil could tell that the only thing keeping them from pushing past Virgil and the king was their deep-rooted sense of professionalism. That didn’t seem to last though, as they came up on the two beds occupied in the private infirmary room.
Dee finally moved around the royals, all but running to where their brother was seated by Logan’s bed. Virgil watched their hands flutter around Patton’s head, and he winced in sympathy at the large bruise on the side of Patton’s face, then he turned his attention to the bed-ridden princes of Aristeia.
Logan was lean, sharp features and dark eyes that surveyed the room, though they softened when he saw Roman. His eyes also softened when he looked at Patton, though Virgil filed that away for later.
“Roman,” Logan began, trying to sit up, “It is good to see you again. I trust your trip was satisfactory—”
He cut off when he moved up further than a few inches, wincing as his hand flew to the opposing shoulder, which was wrapped in gauze. Patton turned away from Dee to gently push on Logan’s good shoulder, admonishing him quietly.
“Lo, you know the doctor said you had to stay still until the gauze could be removed.” He slid his hand down, squeezing Logan’s arm.
Logan flushed at the contact, but laid back. Looking back at Roman, he quirked an eyebrow.
“Well? How was your trip?”
Roman laughed, more of a slightly panicked bark than any of the laughter that Virgil had come to look forward to hearing in the week Roman had been in Anslem.
“My trip? It was great, lovely, who cares about that right now? You and Remus were attacked!”
At the mention of Roman’s twin, Virgil turned his attention to the one brother who hadn’t said anything yet. Remus had gauze in various places, though most looked hastily wrapped, as if they were done in a hurry. At the way Remus was picking at one on his arm, Virgil hazarded a guess that it wasn’t the first time they’d had to rewrap Remus’s injuries. That didn’t surprise him, from the crazy stories Roman had told him in between the times they were arguing. Remus was energetic, almost too much so, and had a hard time focusing on anything that wasn’t his boat, crew, or family, so seeing him not caring about keeping his gauze intact wasn’t surprising. What was though, was what he currently focused on.
Remus had an almost intense focus on Dee, tracking his eyes up and down their form as they fretted over Patton. Dee turned, probably feeling eyes on them, and made eye contact with the youngest Aristeia prince.
Virgil watched them crook an eyebrow at Remus, and Remus’s responding Cheshire grin and wink. He almost snickered at the way Dee flushed and rolled their eyes, but quickly grimaced when Remus started wiggling his eyebrows and Dee only smirked. He tuned back into what Roman and Logan were discussing before Dee and Remus got any worse.
“I am perfectly alright, Roman, there is no need for dramatics. It is only a minor graze and a non-deadly puncture wound.” Logan was saying, ignoring the affronted scoff Roman gave.
“A non-deadly puncture wound,” Roman mocked, taking on an air that seemed to be his way of imitating Logan. He dropped it though, and let some worry and panic seep into his tone. “A puncture wound is still a puncture wound! What if it wasn’t non-deadly? What if you seriously got hurt? They were targeting you and Patton!”
“Actually,” Patton said, “they were only going after Logan.”
Roman’s brow furrowed, confusion written on his face. “The bruise?”
“Oh! I got that from—”
“From when he saved my life.” Logan interrupted, fondness and pride in his voice.
Patton flushed, ducking his head, “I didn’t-no, I just—”
Logan talked over him, a proud smile on his face, eyes trained on Patton only as he recounted what had happened.
“We were taking a walk, when we were attacked. The attacker got a hit on my arm, and the only reason he didn’t succeed in stabbing my chest was because Patton deflecting the hit to my shoulder.
“It earned him a bruise in the process as the attacker knocked him to the side, but it gave the guard enough time to get to us and chase the attacker away.”
He reached forward to grab Patton’s hand, giving it a squeeze.
“You saved my life, Patton. Be proud of that.”
Patton blinked at him, seemingly stunned. “Ok.” He breathed, face red.
Roman lean over and whispered in Virgil’s ear, “The flirtee has flustered the flirter.”
Virgil tried to keep his snickers quiet, but from the way both Roman and Queen Raya were grinning at him, he didn’t think he succeeded. Logan and Patton didn’t hear him though, too caught up in each other, so that was a plus.
Roman turned to his twin, snorting at the way he was picking at his gauze. He smacked Remus’s hand away from it, effectively breaking Remus out of whatever silent conversation he had been having with Dee. Going off the flush on Dee’s cheeks, Virgil guessed he didn’t want to know.
“What about you, Ree? Are you good?”
Remus grinned at his brother, looking slightly maniacal with the light bruising around his eyes and bandages.
“Yep! I just want to go find the idiot who thought they could take my ships and get away with and it kill them, but, you know, can’t quite do that when they won’t let me out of this bed.”
“Your leg is broken, dear,” Queen Raya said mildly, not seeming fazed by her youngest’s claims of violence.
Remus’s face scrunched, and he stuck out his tongue at his mother. Roman and Logan both snorted, used to their brother’s antics, but Virgil and Patton looked mildly scandalized while Dee laughed lightly.
Remus brightened at the sound. “Here’s an idea: you all let me out of the bed, and the tall drink of water over there can help me around! Win-win for everyone.”
Dee flushed again, sputtering, and Virgil outright laughed at that.
“Win-win for you maybe,” He said, smirking at Remus, “but I think Dee would either go to fast for you, or get fed up with being a crutch.”
Remus shrugged, smile still in place. “I like a challenge.”
Dee choked, and Patton was grinning slyly at his sibling. The Aristeia family looked amused, and Roman reached over to squeeze Virgil’s hand. Virgil’s heart skipped a beat in his chest, and he chose to ignore it. After all, they had bigger things to worry about right now.
***
After ensuring that his brothers were okay, Roman had been about ready to go out on his own to find and fight the people that had dared to attack his family. He pulled himself together quickly though, and got right into planning with his second-in-command and the captain of the Anslem guard.
Virgil was a little impressed. He had seen how quickly Roman could get riled up, and to see him focus in like that so quickly startled him. Seeing how calmly and confidently he led the subsequent meeting also impressed Virgil, and made his chest stir with something he wasn’t willing to identify yet.
“We’ll need to up the amount of guards that are in each rotation.” Roman was saying, looking between his second and the Anslem captain.
His second-in-command, a young woman named Teri, nodded. “With the guard provided by Anslem, it should be relatively easy.”
Virgil’s captain of the guard, Norma, cut in. “My soldiers are used vigilant and are used to the heavy protection that Anslem needs. It might be easier to just replace your guard with my own.”
Teri looked mad and opened her mouth to say something that no doubt would start an argument. Virgil prepared for just that, but Roman lifted his hand to cut Teri off, not breaking eye contact with Norma.
Roman studied them for a moment, then said, “I have no doubt that your guard is capable, and that they will be a benefit to our guard at this time. However, my guard knows the castle and surrounding city, and would know what to look for regarding an ordinary thief or ruffian, and what we are currently facing.”
He smiled at Norma, though there wasn’t much brevity in it. “Your guard will work with my own, and when in doubt, they will defer to me. Should I not be available, I expect that you and Teri will work together to lead them.”
Norma bowed their head, though they didn’t seem pleased. Virgil made a mental note to check in with them, as he knew that they liked to be listened too and respected. He couldn’t help the pride in his chest, at how easily Roman averted an argument that, knowing Norma, would have lasted much longer than they could afford.
“What about the naval forces, sir?” Teri asked.
“They’ll be on the look out for anything that looks like the symbol Remus and Logan described, just as the guard will. Norma, would you be willing to lead that charge, as Remus isn’t currently sea-worthy?”
Norma nodded, determination clear in their features. “And should we find anything?”
“They’ll be brought in, questioned, and brought to justice.” Roman easily replied. “I want this taken care of and handled as quickly and easily as possible.”
He smiled, this one more easy-going and lighter. “I do have my own wedding to worry about, after all.”
Teri laughed, and Norma grinned slyly at Virgil, who could feel his cheeks warming. Roman was too pretty to handle, sometimes, and the easy-going smile that was now directed at Virgil wasn’t helping.
***
It had been two weeks since the pirates had appeared, and they hadn’t made much progress. There had been glimpses of the symbol throughout the kingdom, but most had been too quick for the guard to catch. At sea, there had been just as much luck, as the ships would disappear before they could track them.
Though the search had somewhat stalled, the growing feelings between Virgil and Roman hadn’t. They had been in close quarters those two weeks, making sure that their respective guards behaved themselves and got along. They had also been planning the wedding, in between moments of searching, at the king and queen’s request.
Virgil was… conflicted to say the least. They had been in close quarters in his own kingdom, after all, and those feelings hadn’t been as intense then. Sure, there were some at the beginning, Virgil wasn’t blind and Roman was insanely pretty. Honey-blonde hair that swooped over tan skin and hazel eyes… Roman was beautiful, and Virgil had felt his heart going like crazy when they had had that first dinner. It never really stopped, even as they argued and bickered. None of it had been truly malicious then, and now it had softened further.
They were arguing over what color the flowers should be, or what the reception should be like, for goodness’s sake! That was a far cry from when they had been in Anslem, and Virgil wasn’t sure what had changed. A part of him, that suspiciously sounded like Dee, said it was due to time and closeness, that they had simply gotten more comfortable around each other to let those harsher arguments end before they began.
Another part of him, though, one that had to be Patton, said it was because he was seeing Roman in a new setting, surrounded by his family and friends, and he was getting to see a Roman who was comfortable enough to be goofy and friendly and as energetic as he wanted to be.
Virgil decided it was a mix of both. Roman was willing to be loud and laugh and would smile at him more because he was in his home, with his family, and they were talking and arguing about inconsequential things. But Roman was more comfortable with him, willing to show the reserved part of him, that one that was tired and worried and just wanted to be done with the whole pirate problem.
That was another part; how Roman would work to put everything together to make their different resources and approaches to the guard work, the strategy and quick mind that would find a solution to what new problem the guard was having before it truly became a problem. His respect for his guard, and the respect they showed him in return. All of it was making the fondness in Virgil’s chest grow, and he didn’t know what to do.
He didn’t even know why he was freaking out so much! They were getting married, of course Virgil would feel something for Roman; he just didn’t expect it to be this fast. Virgil had agreed to this marriage to help his kingdom, and knew that he might eventually fall for Roman, given enough time, but it had barely been a month, and Virgil was already feeling like he could say he loved Roman. And that was terrifying, wasn’t it? What if Roman didn’t feel the same? They were engaged, yeah, but Roman could just few him as a friend, or someone that he would have to work with. Virgil didn’t want to mess anything up by going to fast.
He watched as Roman laughed with his mother, batting away her hands in an attempt to keep the flowers she had picked out of his hair, and felt the bundle of feelings in his chest pulse. He took a breath, and let the feelings go to the wayside for the moment. When this pirate mess was all said in done, then he would ponder on his feelings, and see how Roman felt.
Maybe he should also talk to Patton and Dee about this as well, if Virgil could pull them away from their respective Aristeia princes. From the way Patton was flirting heavily with a bright red Logan, and how Dee was struggling to not fall over from the way Remus was draped over them, talking to them might have to wait as well.
***
They finally caught a break a few days later. Someone was seen ducking into an alleyway near the ports bearing the pirate’s symbol, and they were apprehended fairly easily, as the alleyway they had gone in was a dead end.
They were brought it, and now Roman was pacing just outside the jail cell, were they couldn’t see him, or see Virgil leaning against the wall watching him pace. They were just waiting for Norma to get to the castle, as their ship had been in port when the pirate was apprehended.
After a moment, Virgil pushed off the wall and caught Roman’s arms in his hands.
“Calm down, it’ll be fine.” He said quietly, giving Roman a reassuring smile.
Roman smiled back, glad to have him with him. He still couldn’t keep the worry out of his expression though.
“I know, I know. It’s just, why was it so easy? If they know enough of our city to keep from getting caught for so long, why would they go into a dead end? Part of me is worried it’s a distraction for something bigger.”
Virgil rubbed his hands up and down Roman’s arms, mouth scrunched to the side.
“Well, we still have the guard on rotation, so if anything happens, there’ll be someone to stop it while we’re alerted. Plus, if this isn’t a distraction, we’re one step closer to ending this!” His lips quirked up a little, and he squeezed Roman’s arms. “Gotta look on the bright side a little bit.”
Roman’s heart swelled with affection, and he laughed a little. “Yeah, yeah, you’re right. Thank you.” He smiled at Virgil, delighting in the pink that flushed his cheeks.
Virgil scoffed lightly though, looking to the side. “Wow, you’re saying I’m right? That’s a first.”
Roman chuckled, then hummed. “Maybe, but it’s true.”
Virgil got pinker, and he dropped his hands as he leaned against the wall again. “Yeah, ok.”
Roman grinned. He knew that he was falling for Virgil, and he wasn’t as freaked out about it as he thought he would be. He was a bit of a hopeless romantic, and he had always hoped he would have a fairy tale romance, one where he swept his love of his feet, and they would have a future of love and happiness and fun.
And he did have fun with Virgil. They bickered and argued and snarked at each other, but it was harmless, and Roman honestly looked forward to it. Plus, they worked well together, and Roman loved getting to see the respect Virgil had for his people, and how he would take Patton and Dee’s advice seriously. Virgil had also been willing to show Roman his vulnerable side, and how he was truly always anxious that he would do something that would hurt his people; yet, he pushed through that anxiety to provide a calm level-headedness that worked well for his people, and that worked almost in tandem with Roman’s energy and strategic mindset.
His looks were also something that Roman had been enamored with since they first met, and that hadn’t lessened in the slightest, though Virgil’s smirk should be illegal, as it was too attractive and had almost distracted Roman a handful of times.
So no, Roman wasn’t worried about how quickly he was falling for the man he would be marrying after this was all said and done. His only worry was moving too fast for Virgil. He would flirt, yes, but he wouldn’t push the other prince into anything. He would wait to see if Virgil felt the same after the pirates were dealt with.
Roman was knocked out of his thoughts when Norma turned the corner, their face blank. He nodded at them, and they simply nodded back. He made eye contact with Virgil, threw him a quick smile, and then turned toward the jail cell that held their captive, head held high. Norma followed his lead, and in unison they stepped into view of the cell.
The captive looked young, and Roman felt his heart twist at the way they were shaking in the corner, but he ignored it. He had to look at this as a ruler protecting his people, not as a young man who wanted to help everyone.
The captive’s hair was hanging in their face, and the bags under their eyes spoke of little sleep and high stress, and their cloak seemed to dwarf them. They looked between Roman and Norma with fear in their eyes, and Roman decided to go with a gentle approach.
“We don’t want to hurt you,” he began, plowing on when the captive flinched, “and we have no intention of doing so. We just want to know what you know and figure out where our ships are.”
The captive was silent for a moment, then quietly said, “I don’t know.”
Norma sneered. “If you won’t be cooperative—”
The captive interrupted, hands up and voice panicked. “I swear! They don’t tell me much, I new to all of this! I didn’t even want to do this!”
“Then why are you doing this?” Roman asked, stepping closer to the cell. He wasn’t entirely happy with how Norma immediately got aggressive, but it was getting them somewhere.
“My parents had some debt they couldn’t pay off, and the lady said I could work with them to pay it off. I didn’t want to, but I needed to help my family!” The captive was gesturing frantically now. “They sent me here, I was given the basics of this side of it, and then was sent out to go grab supplies. You guys got me before I could do anything!”
“What lady? And what do you mean by ‘sent you here?’” Norma had gentled, seeming to understand that the kid, for they did look like they couldn’t be older than 15, didn’t know much.
“I don’t know her,” The kid began. “All I know is she’s in charge of the Anslem part of their group. That’s where I’m from, Anslem.”
They rubbed the back of their neck, “That’s why I got caught so easy. I didn’t realize I was going into a dead end until it was too late.”
Both Roman and Norma had frozen, and out of the corner of his eye, Roman could see that Virgil was now standing as close to the cell as he could without being seen.
“Anslem?” Roman repeated.
The kid nodded, though now they looked nervous again.
“Yeah, Anslem. From what some of the others explained, there’s two sides to this whole thing? Like, most of the sea stuff is Aristeia based, since you all have the ports, while most of the land-based stuff is from Anslem.”
Their brow furrowed, “I don’t really know what their goal is? In Anslem, they were mainly just stealing stuff and putting people in debt and stuff. My parents worked with them a lot and would usually pay them back with our food.”
They rubbed their arm, their eyes a million miles away. “I usually had to give my little brother and sister my portion of food, so they wouldn’t be hungry and bother my parents with it. I wonder how they’re doing right now…”
Roman’s heart twisted again, for this kid’s situation. What kind of parents would willing put their children in danger to help scoundrels like these pirates? He wanted to help this kid, and their siblings, he just didn’t know how.
“What’s your name, kid?”
Roman and Norma started, as Virgil come around the corner to stand right behind Roman.
The kid’s face paled, and they breathed out, “Prince Virgil…”
Then, they dropped to the ground, their body trembling as apologies poured out of their mouth.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I didn’t want to, please don’t keep me here forever or punish me, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
Virgil looked stricken for a moment, but he crouched down to be on level with the kid. He reached a hand through the bars, just barely able to place it on the kid’s shoulder.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. What’s your name?”
They froze, slowly looking up. “Elliot.”
Virgil smiled at them, giving their shoulder a quick squeeze. “Hi Elliot. How old are you, bud?”
“Fifteen.”
Virgil nodded, standing up. Elliot stood too, though they looked terrified out of their skin.
“Here’s what’s going to happen, Elliot,” Virgil began, “You’ll tell Prince Roman and Captain Norma everything you know about the pirates, even if you think it won’t be helpful or useful. What they look like, where they frequent, even what they like to steal. After that, with Prince Roman’s permission, you’ll go home to Anslem.”
Here, Virgil softened, and his lips quirked up in a slightly nervous smile. “But, with your permission, you won’t go back to your parents. You’ll go to the castle and stay with mine. Your brother and sister, too.”
Elliot’s face was pale, but there was hope there. Roman’s heart swelled, and he grinned.
“You absolutely have my permission to go back to Anslem once we have all the info we need.”
“Prince Virgil, you don’t have to-I mean, if you want, I’m not going to say no, but-I don’t want to inconvenience you, I just-what if—” Elliot stumbled over their words, but they were fighting down both tears and a hopeful grin.
“You don’t even know me,” they breathed.
Virgil cocked his head to the side, a small smile on his face. “No, but I know a bad situation when I see one.” He put his arm through the cell bars again, squeezing Elliot’s shoulder. “I want to help you, Elliot. Okay?”
They nodded, a large smile firmly in place as their eyes welled with tears. “Okay.”
Roman grinned brightly. “Alright! I think for the purpose of our investigation, it would be better somewhere more comfortable, yes?”
He quickly unlocked the cell door, ushering Elliot out of the cell and down the hall, Norma and Virgil following behind.
“There’s this wonderful little reading room that’s out of the way of the main center of the castle. I think that would do well, for this, don’t you think?” Roman didn’t give Elliot time to answer, “Also, would you like something to drink? I make a mean green tea, though we can get something from the kitchen if you would like something else.”
Elliot wiped their eyes, quietly saying, “Tea is fine.”
“Perfect! I’ll have the supplies sent to the reading room shortly.”
They paused before they fully exited the dungeons, and Roman turned toward Elliot.
“Would you also like to take that dreadful cloak off? We can get you something else if you get cold.”
Elliot was already taking the cloak off before Roman had finished talking. “Yes, please.”
Roman laughed, taking the cloak and folding it, before handing it off to Norma.
“When I send for tea, hand that off and tell them to burn it.” He explained. Norma nodded, their face curiously blank.
Later, after they got all the information they could and Elliot had been shown to a guest room to sleep, he found out why.
“Sire, are you sure you’re making the right decision?” Norma asked, their arms crossed and face stony.
“Yes, Norma.” Virgil said. “I want to help them. They’re scared and don’t know anything, and I don’t feel comfortable sending them back to their parents.”
“What if it’s fake? They could just be playing us all.”
“Well, we’ll find out when they get home to Anslem, won’t we?” Virgil had crossed his arms, and he met Norma’s stormy expression with his own. “If it’s real, we just pulled three children out of a bad situation. If it’s fake, we pulled a fifteen-year-old out of a life that would only get worse.”
“Your highness—”
“Norma.” Norma’s mouth clicked shut. Virgil sighed, running a hand down his face. “Trust me, alright? I know the risks; I still want to help them.”
They nodded, and Roman cut in to say, “If it will make you more comfortable, we can set a guard up by their room, and send both Anslem and Aristeia guard back with them.”
Norma’s shoulders relaxed, and they nodded again. “If you are willing, your highness, I would like to go with them. Captain Teri can take my place on the ships.”
Virgil nodded, and Norma swept out of the room to make preparations. Virgil sighed again, his shoulders slumping. Roman stepped closer, running his hands up and down Virgil’s arms. Virgil dropped his head onto Roman’s shoulder for a moment but lifted it shortly after.
“I know Norma means well, but sometimes they’re more suspicious than me, and that’s saying something.”
“They’re trying to help,” Roman said, studying his tired expression, “But I do think you’re making the right choice.”
Virgil smiled, some of the tiredness leaving his face. “Thanks.” He groaned suddenly, his head going back. “I’m going to have to send my parents a message explaining all of this. That won’t be fun.”
Roman laughed, shaking his head. “I’ll leave you to that while I go help Norma pull some of the guard to go back to Anslem.”
He rocked onto his toes to kiss Virgil’s cheek, then turned and left the room, calling “Good luck!” over his shoulder, laughing quietly at Virgil’s stunned face.
***
With the knowledge that Elliot had shared, they were able to raid a few different bars and inns near the ports within the next two weeks, capturing a handful of pirates at each establishment.
Each pirate seemed to have different information on why they were attacking Aristeia and Anslem, though each said the same as Elliot: There was a woman in charge of the Anslem side, and a man in charge of the Aristeia side. They would usually pass information through a chain, meeting in bars and inns and alleyways so that the leaders could never be caught or traced. Roman feared that they would be at a standstill, just getting repeat information over and over again, until they raided a hole-in-the-wall bar that had been overlooked during the last raid.
It was only a handful of the pirates, but there was one interesting addition to the bunch. The man was tall and broad-shouldered, salt-and-pepper hair swept away from his face, with a close-cropped beard that made him looked distinguished. He had a scar that went through his left eyebrow and over the top of his eye, and he had the stature of a man that knew his abilities.
More importantly, though, he was the previous naval admiral before Remus.
Johnathon McLock had been forced to step down due to overconfidence that led to misconduct that verged on treason, as he had defied direct orders from the King that resulted in the loss of several hundred pounds of food and resources that were being sent to an island village that had just been made a part of Aristeia’s outer borders. He had thought that he could best the severe storm coming into port and had gone out despite King Mitchell’s orders. They had lost no men, but the loss of resources hurt the island village more than waiting a few days for the storm to pass would have. After he stepped down and Remus took his place, McLock had disappeared, though there was word that he had popped up in Anslem a few times. The last time Roman had seen him, he had been angry, his naval uniform still on and his hat crumbled and thrown into the trash.
Now though, he was wearing a torn and dirtied shirt that had been ruined in the scuffle that brought him in, his clothing dark and foreboding. The symbol was plastered on his cloak and in the breast pocket of his shirt, and McLock seemed to hold a pride in that symbol. He no longer looked angry, but more confident and defying, as if he held no fear in his capture or the consequences he would be facing.
Roman stood outside his cell, Virgil and Teri on either side of him. McLock looked back at him, smirking, and Roman felt the anger and rage he had been holding back since he had learned of Remus and Logan’s attacks surge up and threaten to pour out in waves.
A hand was placed on the small of his back, and he leaned into it, grateful for Virgil’s presence. He had told him the he didn’t need to be there, but Virgil had disagreed, saying he wanted to know who was hurting Roman’s kingdom.
Roman took a breath, let it out slowly, then asked, “Why?”
McLock seemed confused at such a simple question for a moment, but it smoothed back out into the smug confidence from before. “Why what? Come now, Prince Roman, I thought you were smarting than that.”
Roman didn’t show any reaction, and McLock’s eyebrows dipped down for a split second. Roman only cocked an eyebrow.
“You thought correctly, Mister McLock. My question wasn’t toward why you attacked Aristeia, as I can assume that it was fueled by anger over the fact that you were forced to step down for your misconduct and direct opposition to orders. My question of why was more aimed at why you attacked Anslem, and why now? You stepped down over a year ago.”
McLock looked shocked, and Roman could hear the muffled snort from Virgil. McLock seemed to have heard it too, and it seemed to be the breaking point for the man.
“You want to know why, Prince Roman?” he began, anger now teeming off his body in waves. “I attacked Anslem because they were getting smug! They boast this protection and strength, but the pirates had been stealing from them for two years! Aristeia had it coming with that incompetent brother of yours in charge of my navy. Anslem just needed to be put in their place.”
He grinned, though it looked more crazy than anything else. “I chose now because of your little engagement. What better time to tear you both down then do it when your kingdoms would be joining together? Hurt your kingdoms and get my ships back in one go.”
Roman clenched his fists, taking another breath to relax them and keep his composure. McLock was angry and disillusioned if he wasn’t willing to see that he was at fault for his removal, and that Remus was doing a fantastic job as the leader of the navy.
“Who oversees the Anslem portion of your operation? Why have they been stealing from Anslem for so long?” Virgil asked, barely contained anger clear in his tone.
McLock simply shrugged. “You won’t get it out of me. You won’t get the whereabouts of your missing ships and men either.”
Teri sneered, but Roman raised his hand to keep her from lashing out. “Oh, we will.”
McLock laughed, sounding deranged. “And how will you do that, your highness? Torture it out of me? Beat me half to death to get what you want? Will you stoop to my level to get it?”
Roman cocked his head to the side, letting a cold smile onto his face. McLock faltered at it, and Roman almost reveled in that flash of fear.
“No, we won’t do any of that. Remus will simply talk with you, and he won’t stop until you share the location of our men.” As McLock went to say something else, Roman continued, “Mind you, he hasn’t slept in a solid three days, too concerned about his men to get a proper night’s sleep. And we all know how he gets when he’s sleep deprived.”
McLock looked properly afraid now, as he had trained Remus for a while, and had seen how Remus got more wild and all over the place when he got less and less sleep. Now, the part of Remus being worried about his men was true, but he had actually been sleeping better since he and Dee had seemingly gotten together. He had been told to just let his mouth run with any thought that came through it and had been warned that McLock would think he hadn’t been sleeping. McLock didn’t need to know that though.
The door behind Roman opened, and Remus entered with a joyful call of, “Heya Cap’n! Or should I call you Pirate Cap’n now? Did you know that pirates are really at danger of scurvy? Do you know what scurvy does?”
McLock looked between Remus and Roman, disbelief and fear clear on his face. “You wouldn’t.”
Roman and Virgil were already halfway out the room. “I would. Captain Teri will be here to collect any statements you have.” With that, Roman and Virgil left the room, closing the door behind them.
Virgil immediately started snickering, and he had to lean on Roman to keep standing. Roman grinned, wrapping an arm around his waist to keep him upright.
“Did you see his face?” Virgil gasped in between bouts of laughter. “He looked downright scared! Remus can get pretty bad, granted, but that was too good.”
He wiped a tear away from his eye, grin bright. “That was a good idea, Roman. How long until you think he’ll crack?”
Roman shrugged, using the arm around Virgil’s waist to lead him to a small room off to the side that they could wait in. He settled on a small couch, pulling Virgil down with him. Virgil went easy, laying an arm along the back of the couch as Roman leaned against him.
“It’s really up to Remus. If he plays it up, it could be 10 minutes. If he doesn’t, maybe an hour? I don’t know how much of it McLock got used too when he trained Remus, and how much that went away in the time we haven’t seen him.”
Virgil hummed, bringing the arm on the back of the couch down around Roman’s shoulders to play with his hair. Roman grinned, leaning more on Virgil. Over the past two weeks, they had gotten closer, and Remus and Dee getting together in that time only helped. It lead to them trading info about Remus and Dee to give to the new couple, and that led to long conversations late into the night that would delve into random topics, eventually leading one of them to fall asleep in whatever reading room they had holed up in that time.
For Virgil, this meant grabbing a blanket and letting Roman use him as a pillow, and for Roman, this meant either carrying Virgil to his room, or laying him out with more blankets and pillows than either of them needed, squeezing into the small space between Virgil and the back of the couch.
Now, Roman was feeling a bit sleepy due to Virgil playing with his hair, and he tried his best to not fall asleep. He did doze lightly though, and time seemed to pass slowly and to fast all at once, as it didn’t seem like more than a few minutes had passed before Remus and Teri were entering the room, both with a proud smile on their faces.
Roman sat up, looking between them. “So?”
Remus’s grin broadened out, and he looked ready to leave right then. “We know where the ships are being held, and he made it sound like we’ll have to fight for them! Oh, it’ll be so much fun!”
Teri nodded in agreement. “He wouldn’t share who was in charge, though we think they’re either related or together. Supposedly, she’ll be watching over the ships, as most of the stolen goods will be in the same place. As soon as we can muster an attack force, I say we should go.”
Roman nodded and stood, Virgil standing with him. “I agree. The sooner this is over, the better. We can figure out who she is once we capture her.”
He turned toward Virgil, giving him a reassuring smile. “Virgil, you don’t have come with if you don’t want to. I don’t know how much combat training you’ve received, and I don’t want you hurt if I can help it.”
Virgil snorted, giving him a small smirk. “I’ll be fine, Ro. I trained with Norma when I had a moment between lessons.”
Roman studied him for a moment, then grinned. “I hope you realize you just signed yourself up for us sparring and sword fighting after this is all said and done.”
Virgil laughed, shaking his head. “I hope you realize you’re going to lose.”
Roman made an offended noise, ignoring Remus’s cackling and Teri’s quiet snickers as he swept out of the room. “I’ll have you know, I am a master of the sword. You will not be the victor in that fight!”
Virgil hummed, jogging slightly so that they could walk side-by-side. “We’ll see about that, Ro, we’ll see.”
***
Roman took a deep breath, letting the smell of salt and sea wash over him. He rarely got to ride on Remus’s ship, with all the things he had to do with the guard, but he enjoyed it every time he got the chance to be at sea. Something about the waves and fresh air made him feel more adventurous and creative, and even now Roman felt the urge to write about or draw the sun on the waves and the feel of the air blowing through his hair.
But, he thought as they got closer to where the pirates where supposedly hiding, he would have plenty of time for that soon. He looked to his right as Virgil and Dee stepped up next to him, and he held back a grin as he was reminded of the almost argument they had when Virgil found out Dee was coming with them.
“You’re not going!” Virgil had said, arms thrown wide. Dee had looked unimpressed.
“My prince and my partner are both going, and we both know that I could beat you in a fight easy. I’m going.” Dee had said, and Virgil had only huffed before turning away. Remus and Roman had laughed at how easy Virgil had been shut down, but Roman knew that Virgil was just worried about Dee getting hurt.
Now though, Virgil looked glad for Dee’s presence, and Roman felt a bit better himself to have more people with them. Remus and Teri were at the mast, putting together a smaller crew to wait in a smaller ship to catch any pirates that tried to escape either by boats or by jumping into the water.
Teri saluted and went below deck, and Remus made his way over to the group at the edge of the deck. He stepped up on Roman’s left, looking oddly serious. Roman nudged his shoulder, shooting his twin a grin when Remus glanced at him.
“It’ll be alright, okay? We’ll get your ships and crew back.”
Remus nodded, giving a small grin. “I know. I’m just… oddly nervous. But it’ll be fine! I’ve got you and my crew,” he looked around Roman to give Dee what Roman assumed was supposed to be a sultry grin, “and I’ve got my lucky love with me.”
Dee flushed, and Virgil snorted. “That wasn’t even that good, Dee. You’re a sap.”
Dee hissed lightly at Virgil, stating, “You won’t be much better, soon.”
Virgil turned pink, and asked, “What does that mean?” but he was never given an answer as a crew member called that they were approaching their destination.
It was a cavern in a cliff face, not far off from one of the outer islands in Aristeia’s control. They pulled in nearby, and quickly made their way over in some of the rowboats. Roman gripped his sword as they entered the cavern, taking in the line of ships with Aristeia’s insignia painted on the side, and the few that had the pirates’ symbol. He couldn’t see anyone on the ships, nor on land, but he didn’t let his guard down.
They pulled up near the largest of the pirate ships, as some of the other rowboats went to the Aristeia ships to untie them and sail them out. Hopefully this would be hassle free, and they could set up a guard to wait out the pirates’ return.
Remus and Roman went up first, Dee and Virgil following close behind. They got to the deck, and Remus said, “Kind of weird how empty it is, right?”
Roman nodded, but couldn’t reply as a woman’s voice called out, “Not empty at all, your highness!”
They were suddenly swarmed by pirates, some crawling from below deck and others swinging from the raven’s nest above. A woman made her way through the crowd, her long wavy hair tied back with a gray strip of cloth. She had a sword sheathed at her hip, and random bits of gold and jewelry hanging from her hair and clothes. She was tall, and muscular, though she moved like she was made of wind and water.
“I see you found us through my dear brother!” She said, a bright and cocky grin on her face. Well, that answered how she and McLock knew one another.
“How’d you do it, I wonder?” she said, cocking her hip to the side, “Torture? Waterboarding? Maybe even hanging him upside down?”
“Nope!” Remus replied brightly, sword pointed at her. “I just talked at him a bit.”
Before she could respond, Remus swung at her. She took a step back, startled.
“I’d like my ships back, please!” Remus’s tone was still bright, but his grin was sharp and deadly. “I’d rather you give them willingly, but I’m willing to fight for them.”
The woman laughed. “Fight you will, your highness. Fight you will.” With that, she turned away to make her way back through the crowd of pirates, snapping once. The pirates descended on them, and Roman raised his sword to fight.
***
Roman shoved another pirate out of the way, breathing hard. They had been fighting for a while now, and while more of the guard had quickly come to help, they were still barely outmatched by the pirates. Roman and Remus had been working in tandem for a bit, but when one of the pirates had thrown a thin metal net at Dee and caused a series of cut on the left side of their face, Remus had quickly diverted his attention to help Dee.
Now, Roman once going one on one with the pirates, making his way towards the front of the ship were the female McLock was standing watch over the fight, her sword still sheathed.
Roman spun around when he heard a battle cry behind him, only to see a pirate get shoved off the edge of the ship by Virgil. Virgil’s hair was hanging in his face, and he was shining with sweat. His shirt was torn lightly, and he was breathing harder than Roman, but he still shot him a smirk.
“I’ve got your back,” he said, “let’s get her.”
Roman grinned, and with renewed strength he turned and charged through the fighting crowd, making his way towards McLock. He could hear Virgil right behind him, fighting back those that Roman missed or ignored.
They got closer to where McLock was standing, and he saw her stand up straight, now watching Roman and Virgil’s progress. Roman broke through the crowd, running up to steps leading to where McLock was standing. She had her sword out now, and Roman didn’t pause his stride as he ran and swung at her. McLock blocked it, but he kept pushing her back. She turned, making her way down the other steps of stairs as she blocked each of his attacks. They made it to the main part of the deck, and she swung at him. Roman dodged it, but it gave McLock an opening.
Now Roman was having to dodge and block her attacks. If it weren’t for Virgil standing behind her and blocking her path, he was sure McLock would have turned and run. She lunged, and Roman pivoted, taking a swing at her open side. She dropped and rolled to dodge it, and Roman took the chance to step on her sword arm and keep her down. He pointed his sword at her throat, taking a moment to breath as she froze.
“Why are you stealing from Anslem and Aristeia?” He demanded, brows furrowed. Roman blinked and his face went slack when McLock only shrugged and grinned.
“I like to steal.” She said, as if it were a simple grade problem. “John just gave me a bigger scope with his whole revenge plot.”
Roman didn’t know how to react to that, and he didn’t have time to as she used her free arm to hit the back of his knee. He buckled but rolled with it as she clambered to her feet. Roman turned, hoping to block her next attack, but he wasn’t quick enough as he felt a line of fire erupt on his side.
Roman staggered, holding his hand to the large cut that ran from his abdomen to his side, and McLock cackled.
“Not so quick now, huh?” She cooed in fake sympathy, “Aww, does it hurt, wittle Pwince Roman? Does it—”
She didn’t finish as a green blur body checked her, sending her flying off the edge of the ship, though McLock caught the edge of the ship with one hand. As Roman fell to his knees and Virgil ran to support him, Remus stepped up to where McLock was holding on.
“Don’t mess with my family again, bitch.” He snarled before stomping on her hand. McLock cried out, letting go of the ship. Remus didn’t pause to watch her hit the water, instead running over to where Roman was being propped up by Virgil.
Roman’s hand was still holding his side, and he winced as Remus knees smacked the deck when he dropped down at Roman’s side. Remus’s hands fluttered around where the cut was sluggishly bleeding, his face pale.
“I don’t-I don’t—” Remus tore off his sash but didn’t seem to know what to do with it.
“Breath, Ree,” Virgil said, though Roman could feel his hands shaking from where he was holding Roman up. Remus followed his instruction, though his hands were still clutching the sash tightly.
Dee dropped down next to Remus, the crisscross cuts on their face no longer bleeding. They took off their half-cloak, moving Roman’s hands from the cut to press the cloth to it. Dee gently took Remus’s sash from him, using it to tie the half-cloak in place.
They leaned over to kiss Remus’s cheek, and then said, “It doesn’t look deep. He’ll be okay.”
Roman grinned, using his now free hand to give Remus a thumbs up. “Right! It took me by surprise, mostly. Just a trip to the infirmary and some bed rest, and I should be in ship-shape!”
Remus laughed lightly at the pun, and Virgil snorted above him. Roman turned to look up at Virgil, grinning. Virgil stared down at him, affection shining in his eyes, and Virgil said, “I think I love you.”
He blanched immediately, as if he hadn’t meant to say that. Roman beamed up at him, and his voice was laced with amusement as he replied, “Well that’s good, because I think I love you too.”
He reached up and grabbed the collar of Virgil’s shirt, pulling him down into a kiss. He giggled into it at the squawk Virgil made, and he could feel Virgil’s responding smile against his own.
Later, they talked and shared a few more kisses as Roman laid in the infirmary suite, and they decided on what they would do in the future, though the plans for the wedding took the most precedence.
Their wedding was large, as most royal weddings are, and they both were grinning the whole time. Remus, Patton and Mitchell all cried, though Roman could see Logan and Dee wiping their eyes. Next to Remy and Emile, Elliot was grinning, looking happier and healthier in their new royal garb, though their brother and sister giggling about their new older brother kissing someone could have also been a part of that. When the priest announced them husbands, Roman dragged Virgil down into a kiss by his collar, and Virgil wrapped his arms around Roman’s waist. Their families cheered around them, and Roman fought back a grin, excited to see what his future would hold.
***
They didn’t move into the Anslem castle right away. Virgil was still learning to be king, and Roman was training Teri to take his place of Aristeia’s captain of the guard. In the meantime, they moved into what was more of a lord’s estate, one that bordered both of their kingdoms.
Virgil called it the Florimond Estate and said that it would be their summer home in the future. They toured the estate, taking in the large library and several reading rooms, and a dining hall that was big enough to house both of their families, when they visited. They settled in one of the reading rooms, Roman draping himself over Virgil’s lap on one of the couches.
“It’s too bad that this place doesn’t have a proper garden for my mother to dote on when she visits. I guess that’s something we can work on, when we have moment.” Roman said, stretching out.
Virgil snorted, running a hand through Roman’s hair. “Who said anything about her visiting?” He teased.
Roman gasps, more dramatic than offended. Virgil rolls his eyes as Roman seems to melt out of his lap onto the ground, lamenting over how his husband hates his family, and how did he not see it before? Was it too late to go back, to reverse this? Oh, how was he to break the news to Logan, who had become attached to Patton, or Remus, who had disappeared on to his ship with Dee shortly after they had moved into the estate?
Virgil laughed at that, interrupting Roman’s impassioned monologue. “We might want to avoid that ship for a while. It’s too late, love, you’re stuck with me.”
“Besides,” he said, grinning down at Roman, “you wouldn’t want to reverse this, even if you could.”
Roman smiled softly back up at him, taking in the way the sun seemed to light up like a halo around Virgil’s head. “No,” he agreed, voice soft and fond in a way that only Virgil got to hear, “No I wouldn’t.”