The Fallen Angel - Prinxiety (ON HOLD)

Chapter Five

As soon as his parents left the room, Roman and the other nobles began to mingle among themselves. The prince, however, headed toward one of the exits of the throne room. He attempted to slip away unnoticed, but a hand on his arm stopped him as he tried to get to the door.

"Where are you going, Prince Roman?" the familiar voice of the royal advisor asked.

He sighed and turned; Logan didn't look amused as he released his arm and arched an eyebrow at him. "I'm just a bit tired after my near kidnapping, Logan," he lied, huffing dramatically. He crossed his arms. "Thanks for asking how I'm feeling. You're the best."

"Your bitterness is not lost on me," he replied. The advisor reached up to adjust his glasses and cleared his throat. "My apologies, I am relieved you're unharmed."

Roman blinked in shock and nearly gaped at his friend's display of concern. He didn't have a chance to say anything before someone hurled themselves at him. He let out a gasp as Patton squeezed around his middle. "Oh my gosh, I was so worried, Roman!! This is why you're not supposed to go out without guards! Goodness, I was so scared!"

"I'm alright Patton," the prince managed. He felt guilt well up in his stomach for worrying the two of them. He patted his friend's back gently. "I'll be more careful from now on."

"You better! I was so scared!" Patton said as he pulled away. He stepped back to grab Logan's arm. "Logan was worried too, he came rushing up to me as soon as he heard. I've never seen him so worried before. You should apologize to him too."

Roman felt a tug in his chest as he turned to his advisor. "I'm sorry for worrying you, Logan, thank you for your concern."

"It's alright, Your Highness. Now, you mentioned being tired? I can get the guards to escort you back to your quarters if need be-"

"Oh no, that's not necessary, we're in the palace after all. I don't need escorts within my own home," Roman insisted, shaking his head quickly. Despite having ulterior motives for not wanting guards at the moment, he was also telling the truth. He'd been frightened by what happened, but not so much so that he didn't want the freedom to go where he pleased in the palace. He continued toward the door. "I'm fine, but thank you. I'll make sure to get the guards next time I want to go into the village."

His friends nodded after him as he left the throne room. He closed the door and heaved a sigh of relief. He was worried that Logan suspected something, but he was clearly preoccupied with what had happened.

The prince carefully made his way through the palace. He needed to avoid being seen by guards and servants; if his idea panned out, he wanted as few people as possible to account for his whereabouts. He also knew he was likely to be questioned if someone saw him heading for the dungeons.

Roman arrived at the staircase that lead down to the dungeons and swore under his breath. There were two guards standing watch. He tried to think of some way he could get them to leave.

Sunlight pouring through the windows of the palace interrupted his thoughts. He looked up, realizing that it was nearly midday. The guards would be changing positions any second.

He looked back toward them. Sure enough, the pair began to walk away from the entrance. The next pair of guards would be arriving in a few minutes, giving him the perfect window of time. A smile found its way onto Roman's face as he started his descent into the dungeons.

The royal dungeons were not an awful place to be sent to. Their prisoners were well taken care of in attempts to promote betterment. His mother had insisted on this practice, wanting the criminals that were charged to be given a chance to change and pursue better lives when their sentences were over.

There were more guards standing watch in the main chamber of the dungeon. Roman sucked in a breath and held his chin high. He was the prince. He had the authority here.

He walked through the hall, getting the attention of the guards. Many of them looked confused, but only the captain on duty stopped him. "Your Highness, what are you doing down here? Is something wrong?"

"Not at all, Captain," he reassured him with a charming smile. "I simply want to thank the young man responsible for saving me."

The captain relaxed and nodded. "He's down at the end."

Roman nodded in thanks and continued on his way, hoping that his plan would work. In the last cell was the mage. He was sat on the floor against the wall, his eyes closed as he breathed deeply. The prince wondered briefly if he was asleep. However, Virgil stirred as though he could feel his gaze on him. He looked toward him and blinked a little.

"Oh, it's you," he said quietly.

"Yes, I'm Prince Roman," he introduced himself, bowing a little. "I wanted to thank you for rescuing me from that man."

Virgil shrugged. "You're welcome, I guess. You should be more careful though. A ring like that is bound to get noticed by anyone with a good pair of eyes. You're lucky he was the only one willing to make a move."

"Well, I consider myself more fortunate that you were there to stop him," Roman countered, offering a tentative smile.

The mage arched an eyebrow and stood up. He walked forward, crossing his arms as he looked at the floor beneath Roman's feet. "So what? You don't mind magic even though it's illegal?"

"I'm trying to make it so that it's not anymore," Roman explained. He leaned forward and met Virgil's gaze as he looked up. "And I could really use your help with that, if you'd be interested."