Savage - Prinxiety [Sequel To "Monster"] [COMPLETED]

Chapter Nineteen

Roman froze in his tracks and immediately drew his sword, waiting for the beasts to lunge at him and the dark prince. He wasn't sure how he'd be able to protect the both of them if they attacked, but he'd die fighting. They didn't move. They seemed eerily still compared to the last time he'd seen them. 

"Are they dead?" he wondered, daring to take a step forward. With a shift in their flanks to indicate breathing, he lurched back. "Definitely not dead, we need to be quiet."

"No we don't," the cursed Virgil murmured. He stepped forward toward them.

The prince didn't have time to stop him as he approached the nearest of the guardians and placed a flat palm against its forehead. "What are you doing?! Are you trying to get us killed?" he harshly whispered as he readied his sword again. "I can't fight five of those things without Thorn and Luis!"

"You won't have to fight them," he said. His voice was soft as he spoke and he let out an exhale.

A shiver went through the dark prince's body as his hand got a faint purple glow where it was on the guardian's head. The beast startled a little, but let out a pitiful whine. It sounded like a whimper one would let out while crying. Roman paused, confused.

"They're in mourning," Virgil said quietly as he looked back at him. "They're protectors. They failed to protect someone."

"I... how do you know this?" he asked as he lowered his blade.

The dark prince sighed heavily and withdrew his hand. "Because it was me that they were protecting," he said, sending a chill up Roman's spine. "Virgil is connected to their life force. Their sole purpose is to protect him, us,  I guess, now that we're separate. They know he's not safe."

"But... but he's not d-dead, right?" the prince stammered, feeling his throat close up.

The cursed Virgil shook his head. "If he was, I don't think I'd still be here," he said before he stopped. "Actually... I'm the physical Virgil, he's the astral one... if he dies, I don't know if I'd die or just become soulless. I'm like an empty shell of him right now because our connection has been disrupted but he's still there. I don't know what would happen to me if he was killed."

Roman swallowed with difficulty, gazing at the mourning creatures with a new understanding. They were scary before and dangerous, but they had only been protecting Virgil from what they were told was a threat.

He sighed and stepped toward one. "Be careful," the dark prince warned. "I can touch them because I have his essence, I don't know if they'll react the same to you."

"I'll be careful," he promised, moving closer.

The beast stirred as he approached, looking up at him with half lidded eyes that showed so much sadness his step almost faltered. "I'm sorry," he murmured, kneeling down and reaching out. It sniffed at his hand suspiciously. "I'm going to save him."

It cooed and let him touch his head. Roman sighed and stayed silent for a moment. These creatures weren't the monsters he'd thought they were. "I'm going to go tell Thorn and Luis that it's safe," the cursed Virgil said after some time, heading out of the palace. "They won't attack while I'm here, and clearly they can be communicated with to outsiders."

The prince nodded to him as he walked back toward the exit, leaving him alone with the beasts. He wondered why they'd been so aggressive the year previous; then he remembered the spirit of some kind that had been possessing Virgil.

"You only attacked us because he told you to I bet," he murmured to himself, petting the guardian's head gently.

The creature relaxed under his touch and he pulled his hand back. He figured it was best to let them continue with their mourning. Once Virgil was safe, he'd try bonding with them. He'd read up on the legends of dark magic in the year that his love had been away and he vaguely remembered the chapters on guardians. He hoped they were more like guard dogs than just impulsive protectors. 

Thorn, Luis, and the cursed Virgil made their way into the palace and the group set up their camp in the grand entrance. Luis had pointed out that it would be dangerous to sleep in the actual bedrooms if something were to attack them in the night, so they agreed to just set up their came as usual. The only difference was that they stole any bedding they could find. 

"Who wants to take first watch?" Roman asked as he draped a silky black blanket over his cot. 

The princess and her fiancé raised their hands at the same time and began to bicker about who should go first. "I'm going first because you need to be well rested in order to use your magic, and your magic is the most important one," Luis said firmly. 

"I'm taking the first watch because I want to and you literally almost passed out on your horse earlier," she argued. "You'd do no good watching if your eyelids are closed, Luis."

They continued their bickering as the cursed Virgil watched with a slightly amused expression. "What if I took first watch?" he said, attracting the attention of all three of them instantaneously. Shrinking away, he quickly fumbled for an explanation. "I-I uh- I don't know why I said that, ignore me, I'm being stupid... my head's just kind of a mess right now."

Roman blinked as the other two continued their bickering, watching the dark prince closely. That was the first time he'd really seen his Virgil in the dark prince's behavior. It gave him hope, and made him look forward to speaking to him in his dreams. 

Eventually, the watch situation was worked out and the prince was allowing himself to slip into the void of unconsciousness. When his eyes fluttered open, he was in the gardens. He wasn't sure if he should be relieved or concerned that he didn't have to witness any of Virgil's torture this time.

"Virgil?" he called, turning around. 

The dark prince was kneeling on the ground and staring at his hands. At the sound of his name, he looked up, relief immediately flooding into his features. "I was so worried something had happened to you," he gasped out as he tried to get to his feet.

"Whoa, whoa, don't over extend yourself," Roman said, rushing forward to catch him as he attempted to stand on malnourished legs. "And why would something have happened to me?"

"There's a new man here," he hurried out, looking terrified. "He was trying to convince me that everything was fake, and that he was you, and that I should help them, it was so confusing, but I managed to keep a level head and tell him no. The problem was the fact that he said I'd sentenced you to death by not agreeing."

The prince felt worry gnaw at his stomach, but he pushed it down for Virgil's sake. "I'll be fine. Just focus on keeping yourself alive," he instructed. "I'm getting close to finding you, I can feel it. Just hold on a little longer, okay?"

He nodded and hugged him tightly. With a heavy sigh, Roman hugged back, hoping that he was right.