The Trickster's Test {Prinxiety}

Chapter 31

Third Person

He understood that it was nothing short of a miracle that Janus not only saw the letter he left, but managed to send Kai his way in time. The pinkette obviously wasn't expecting Patton's company, but returned his chatter in kind as the trio sat around a small table inside a quaint bakery Kai had recommended. Convincing Patton to sneak out with him hadn't been easy, especially when Roman wouldn't be coming with. Assuring him that they wouldn't be in danger because of it hadn't been the issue, but more so that he left Roman a note to keep him from freaking out instead of telling him in person.

It also probably didn't help that Virgil hadn't been speaking to him as much since their departure from Correo, because he didn't know what to say, but he preferred not to think about that part.

When Virgil uncrossed his legs and sat up, drink finished, Kai signaled the man that had been tending the counter. With a nod, he locked the doors and put up the closed sign, walking to the back. They didn't choose this place just for the good pastries, it seemed.

This obviously hadn't escaped Patton's notice, who muttered, "Serious talk time?" Getting a nod from Virgil.

"You can go to the back and help Pitch with stuff if you want," Kai offered, taking his hesitance as discomfort. They had been to every country in the world, half of which they got into illegally, but they still managed to be ill-equipped for the emotions of other people.

Patton looked to Virgil for guidance; he wasn't sure if he was supposed to stick around, "You're alright to stay if you want," He mutters, not exactly sure if he's ready for the confusion and worry that will surely come, "The walk home may be a little awkward, though."

After giving Patton plenty of time to decide, Kai continued on, "So, why did you want to see me? And what do you have to offer me in return, because surely you want something."

"Information," He started, "How long do you think it would take you to get proof the Sidero family hired Captain James Clemons's crew, a trained assassin, and a man named Dallas?"

"A week should be fine, two if my Keljian contact is back in prison," They decide.

"I'm choosing not to question that," Virgil says, more to himself than anything, Patton quietly agreeing.

"And that's probably for the best," They encourage, "Which now leaves us with the question; what do you have to pay me for this information? The Sidero's don't take kindly to people digging into their business, and I would rather avoid more treason charges on my record."

Virgil held an object up, letting the pendant fall as he adjusted to hold the necklace up by the chain. The gold initially caught Kai's attention, especially since it certainly looked real, but a single golden necklace wouldn't have been enough to buy them. Knowing that, Virgil could see the exact second they recognized the image of the phoenix carved into the front, if their astonished smile was anything to go off of, "How about access to the most profitable underground betting arena in the world?"

They laughed, a real, genuine sound that Virgil wasn't entirely sure that Kai could produce, "I don't know where you got that, prince-boy, but I've gotta hand it to you. You know how to make good offers."

"I try."

- - -

Party planning had never been an activity Virgil went out of his way to partake in. If he was needed in some decisions because his father was too busy, or because he was supposed to be learning hot to, then he would, but he let the people with a wider variety of liked colors take over more often than not. So, he could safely say this was simultaneously the most he'd ever participated, and the most eager he's ever been to help out. Maybe that was because it was arguably the most nerve-wracking event he would ever go to, as the attention would surely be on him for a large portion of the time, and not just to watch a too-heavy crown be set on his head.

"Do you think we should do a lighter purple than this? I think the darker shade matches your outfit better and looks more 'royal,'" Patton had, thankfully, not brought up their conversation with Kai a few days ago. He'd also covered for Virgil every time he'd ventured out with or without Roman to check for their note Kai said they'd leave.

"What we have now works fine," He decides.

Kai's research had been thorough, but in the end, it wasn't definitive. They weren't able to find any physical evidence or gather willing witnesses, largely because most of them were criminals whose testimony would also lead to their own incarceration. Still, the pinkette was sure that the Sidero's were, to some extent, responsible for Virgil's kidnapping and assassination attempt. So while it wasn't the undeniable handwritten letters or origin-traceable weapon, Virgil, and to a greater degree Roman, could still use the information to carry out their plans.

It all came down to the night of Virgil's coronation, which had been moved up several months at the suggestion of King Edrick and Virgil's agreement. Many late nights were had, conversing with Roman, his father, Logan, and various members of the king's most trusted. Everything had to be perfect, and to truly do so Virgil was caught between deciding to do it all himself and letting other people handle tasks.

"You know that a lot of them are going to bring gifts, right?" Patton asked, looking a bit worried, as the prince was notoriously bad at accepting them.

"Yeah I know, but most of them are probably going to be useless, expensive garbage that's going to decorate random parts of the castle and that I'll never notice," Really, he wasn't too upset at the prospect of having to awkwardly pretend to like whatever jewelry or paintings he might receive. All his worry was currently more directed to other things, like if he and everyone he loved would be dead before a too-heavy crown could ever be set on his head. Blood wasn't easy to clean up, and leaving a war in wake of his attempts to keep his kingdom was far from ideal.

"You know we're making history, right?" His smile turned strained, an anxious tilt in his eyebrows.

"Why did you have to phrase it like that?" That made it all sound so...important. It obviously was important, at least to him it had been, but knowing that this could be leaving an impact, that one day his name might be written in history books, not just as the forty-third king of Ouranious, was terrifying.

"Sorry, kiddo." 

A/N: It was so hard to get this chapter up to length and even now it's short. But hey, I got to use Kai again, but now I want to explore whole "betting arena" place which isn't possible in this book