The Trickster's Test {Prinxiety}

Chapter 7

Third Person

Unease smothered the room like a blanket, the air becoming heavy from the suffocating atmosphere the assassin put upon the room. No one contradicted him, and only a few dared whisper. Even that sounded too loud.

"I wonder if you can pass the test, or if you will be swallowed whole like those who have come before you," They couldn't see it, but the failed assassin smiled wistfully, just as they weren't close enough to see the purple veins that stretched towards his eyes. If they were capable of seeing his face clearly, they would see a haunted man.

An arrow crashed through one of the glass panes, and he briefly glanced at the guards below like one would a small pest. Despite his lack of fear, he still figured it was time for him to leave, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Most of the spectators recognized the use of magic immediately, desperately hoping he didn't come back. A spare few could boast a basic understanding of magic, but there was a fair chance that someone who could teleport with such ease was entirely capable of killing them all. If he decided he wanted them dead, there was little they could do to stop it.

The assassin's parting did nothing to relieve the tension he had created, people only snapping out of their fervor when King Edrick's authoritative voice filled the ballroom, "May everyone rest assured that my guards are handling the situation. If any of you still believe your lives to be in danger, feel free to leave. I can provide you with an escort to your carriage should you find it necessary."

His words appeared to comfort many, and a few others made their ways to the doors. Among those choosing to call it a night were Prince Samuel and Tamara, the former of which forced the younger to leave. Roman swept his gaze across the room, as if trying to find the hooded figure in the room with them. He hadn't been able to relax since hearing from the guards that an intruder was spotted outside, only sheathing his sword when Virgil gestured for him to do so.

That didn't mean he was bursting with approval when the prince silently made his way over to a set of doors off to the side, "Roman, I know you're just doing your job but I'd like a minute to myself to gather my thoughts after nearly being killed."

"While normally I'd respect your wishes and let you go, you were nearly killed a minute ago," Roman pointed out, obviously not up for leaving him alone.

"Then it's a good thing I wasn't asking, isn't it?" He retorted harshly. Noticing the way his guard's face fell, Virgil calmed himself down enough to not be a complete jerk, "Look, you can stand right by the door if you want, but I just heard a lot of weird sh!t I need to process from whoever that was. I am still capable of defending myself, you know."

Virgil continues on past the door, Roman watching frustratedly as it shuts behind him, "I know."

The hallway Virgil had chosen to retreat to offered quite a beautiful view at night, the starry skies and open landscape perfectly visible on this side of the castle. At times like this it's almost always deserted, given how little purpose it serves. There are only a couple doors visible in it, not counting the ones that led him into the hall in the first place, and a staircase at one end. The little use it served apparently didn't stop someone else from coming here.

"Shouldn't you be playing host right about now?" Virgil's head snapped over to the feminine voice, managing to not have a heart attack from the surprise. He wasn't sure how he hadn't noticed her sooner, and judging by her outfit she was royalty, which made the encounter arguably weirder.

"I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met," He started off slowly, reasonably embarrassed at not recognizing her when the same was not true for her.

"Princess Melanie Sidero of Harcshall. It's a pleasure to actually meet you, Prince Virgil," She greets.

"Same here," For once, he was more than glad at his uncanny ability to be completely unmemorable. This way, she would almost certainly forget every embarrassing thing he's done and will do in this conversation. Also known as, every single thing he's going to do during this conversation.

"That was quite an interesting turn of events, wouldn't you say?" She asks, glancing towards the door that led back to the ballroom, "I guess that's preferable to having just another schmooze fest. Definitely intriguing, the near end of your life was a bold touch, given the amount of guards visible. And it's always fun to see such a powerful magic user outside of Raythen."

"I think I would have liked it better if my life hadn't been put in danger like that, but that could just be me," He mumbles, making sure to keep an eye on her despite his urge to examine the floor for what would be the millionth time in his life.

She laughs quietly, "Yes, that would make it much less entertaining for you, I suppose. But surely even you found what he was talking about interesting, no? To even accuse us of such things makes me wonder what sort of connection to royalty he has to think up the 'Trickster's Test'."

"Yeah, it was pretty weird," Virgil agreed, not entirely sure if there was something for him to agree to.

She looked him over, the prince tensing under her gaze. He wasn't sure what she could be looking for, but felt her results wouldn't be good for him, "Weird indeed."

Virgil no longer felt comfortable. Actually, he hadn't been comfortable at all since realizing Melanie was out here with him, "It was nice meeting you, Princess, but I should be getting back to the ball now."

"Of course, your guard doesn't seem like the patient type," Melanie comments off-handedly, watching him leave with a tentative expression.

As suggested, Roman had been waiting in front of the door. He probably believed he had kept anyone else from entering the hall, and Virgil wasn't going to be the one to burst that bubble. Instead he decided to take advantage of how the guard's shoulders relaxed when he returned, "And here I was thinking I'd be the paranoid one in this duo."

"It's not paranoia if it's completely warranted," Roman argues.

"Sure it is," Virgil half-heartedly teases, his gaze trailing over to Melanie Sidero, who had slipped out past them and was chatting casually with the prince of Correo.

Apparently, the obvious shift in his attention managed to avoid Roman's notice as the guard continued to look around at the guests around them, only paying the prince any mind during the occasional 'let me make sure you're still alive and well' glance. He was fine with that though. If Roman wasn't going to take notice of his plight, he could at least attempt to pretend he wasn't extremely perturbed. It may not work for very long, or be completely convincing, but at least it'd bring him some comfort. He'd had years of experience with the strategy to keep from spiraling into panic attack after panic attack about various topics such as the fact he's going to become king in a matter of months, his lack of knowledge about how to interact with people, and what sorts of things his father has had to do that made him into the man he is today.

Of course, if anyone asked, Virgil didn't have to worry about any of that.

A/N: So it looks like Patton's not the only one demonstrating some repression techniques to cope with life