The Swan Prince {Sanders Sides Analogical AU}

Chapter 10

Emile then dropped to the ground, acting as it he was injured and drawing Logan's attention. Logan knelt next to Emile with a concerned expression, gently nudging the downed hummingbird. Virgil saw Emile flick his wing and silently flew out of the tree and towards his lake, Emile zipping up to join him a moment later.

"Okay! That'll put some distance between us," Emile chirped as they continued flying, Logan following a decent ways behind them.

The pair made it to the lake, where they met up with Remy and Remus. Virgil saw that Logan had made it as well, and was standing just a bit away from the weeping willow at the water's edge, taking in the scenery. Virgil saw the moon rising and knew that he had to get to the lake.

"I-I can't do it," Virgil said, shaking his head.

"But... you have to!" said Emile, perched on Remy's back, once again while sipping on a flower.

"He'll kill me, Emile!" cried Virgil, looking down at his lover.

"Oh... but if you don't do it now, Virgil, then you've lost your chance for life," Emile said, his big eyes full of emotion.

"All right. I'll do it," Virgil sighed, flapping his wings and soaring gracefully down to the lake.

"Pardon?" he heard Logan mutter to himself as Virgil landed in the lake water.

Virgil waited for the silver glow to start, but the moon was blocked by clouds. Virgil gasped and flapped his wings as Logan took aim at him. Thankfully, a certain ruby-throated hummingbird slammed into his bow, drawing the prince's attention away from the swan. Logan looked at the tiny bird, who Virgil knew to be Emile, before his attention was drawn back to the lake at the sound of water sloshing. He watched in amazement as the water around the black swan glowed silver and started to swirl around him, taking on different shades of purple and blue before descending back down to the water.

There, standing where the swan once floated, was Virgil.

He smiled shyly at Logan before saying, "Hello, Logan."

Logan dropped his bow, completely forgetting about it, and ran into the water, picking Virgil up by the hips and spinning him above the lake's surface in sheer delight. He then set him down and they leaned in for a kiss, their lips meeting perfectly. They parted and rested their foreheads against one another's looking deeping into each other's long-missed eyes.

"Logan, I've missed you so much," Virgil breathed, tears of joy running down his face as they walked to land.

"No one believed me, but I knew," said Logan, brushing his knuckle lightly on Virgil's pale cheek. "I knew you couldn't be gone."

Virgil leaned into the touch before his eyes widened, remembering the whole reason he was trapped there, and what might happened if the other man found out.

"You can't stay," Virgil said, lightly pushing Logan away.

"Can't stay? Nonsense, I'll never let you out of my sight again," said Logan, stumbling slightly in confusion.

"Listen to me, Logan," Virgil started, but he could hear Hrothbart calling for him.

"Who is it? What's going on?" Logan asked, adding to Virgil's panic.

"It's him!" whispered Virgil.

"Who?" Logan asked again.

"He has me under a spell," Virgil tried to explain.

"Who does?" said Logan, looking around.

"Virgil!" Hrothbart shouted, causing Virgil to panic more, his quick breathing becoming quicker.

"Logan, you have to go!" Vigil insisted, pushing him away.

"Then come with me!" Logan said, taking Virgil's hand.

"I can't! When the moon sets, I'll turn back into a swan. Please, Logan, you have to trust me. Go! I can't let him hurt you!" Virgil said in distress.

"There must be some way to break the spell," reasoned Logan.

"Yes, there is. You must make a vow. A vow of everlasting love—" Virgil explained.

"I"ll make it. It's all I've ever wanted," said Logan.

"But you - you have prove it to the world," said Virgil, his hands shaking as he heard Hrothbart drawing closer.

"How? How?" Logan asked, his deep blue eyes wide, desperate for any way to help Virgil.

"I don't know!" Virgil said, trembling slightly.

"Virgil!" shouted Hrothbart, getting even closer.

"Go!" Virgil urged.

"The ball!" Logan said, "Tomorrow night, come to the castle. Before the whole world I will make a vow of everlasting love," not stopping to think that there would be no moon out the next night.

"VIRGIL!" the enchanter roared.

"I'm coming!" Virgil shouted back, barely managing to control his rapid breathing, "Go!"

"Tomorrow night," said Logan.

"Yes, yes. Tomorrow night. Now go!" pleaded Virgil.

Logan nodded before tossing something to him, then left as quickly and quietly as he could. Virgil caught it before looked down at it. It was the necklace Logan gave him as an infant. Virgil held it firmly in his hand, hiding it behind his back as Hrothbart came out of the brush.

"Virgil! Didn't you hear me calling?" hissed the enchanter, his eyes narrow.

"I... I..." Virgil stuttered, his heart beating at a rapid rate.

"I thought I heard... voices," the man continued peering around the clearing.

"Well, you do hear a lot of things, some you don't want to hear," Virgil said, using his typical sass to cover up his panic.

"Well, that may be true. It's not important anyway, but... Virgil, you wouldn't happen to know who this belongs to, would you?" Hrothbart asked, holding up the bow Logan dropped.

Virgil froze in terror, his eyes wide and hands trembling at his side. Hrothbart threw the bow away, letting it fall into the lake and sink to the bottom.

"'Come to the ball?' 'I will make a vow of everlasting love...'" Hrothbart laughed before continuing, "Thought you could fool 'ol Hrothbart, did you?"

"I'll never let you hurt him, you ass! I'm marrying Logan and you can't stop me!" Virgil shouted at his kidnapper.

"Oh, then I hate to tell you this, Virgil, but you won't be able to attend the big ball tomorrow night," the enchanter cackled, grabbing Virgil by the wrist and somehow managing to pry the necklace out of the prince's iron grip.

"Well, if you want to stop me from trying, you'll have to kill me," growled Virgil, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No, I don't think I will have to. You see, you've forgotten one very important little thing... Tomorrow night, there is no moon," Hrothbart said, grandly gesturing up to the starry sky.

Virgil whipped around to see he was correct, the tiny sliver of moon clearly not going to be present at all tomorrow. Virgil cupped his hands over his mouth and tried not to cry. The prince sank to the ground as he sobbed, having been so close to being able to be with Logan again, then cruelly stripped of this simple happiness yet again. He ended up crying all night, his friends trying — and failing — to give him any small comfort they could.