You're The Only One - Prinxiety [COMPLETED]

Chapter Seventeen: Doubts

The day came for the first race. Along with the champions selected by the royal families, there were other riders racing to make it more a spectacle. Each kingdom was permitted to have five racers. With a total of thirteen kingdoms, there would have to be several races for them all to have a chance to compete. The Champions' Race wasn't until the end of the week, giving the selected thirteen racers more time to prepare.

Virgil felt uneasy as he got dressed for the day; as the Champion of Sun Glade, he would be sitting with the royal family to watch the races. He was now staying in the guest chambers in Roman's wing of the palace.

The prince not only arranged for his belongings to be moved from his residence, but also had his closets filled with nicer clothing. He'd told him that he would be expected to look formal whenever he was with the royal family. He was currently buttoning up a black silk shirt that was higher quality than any shirt he'd ever owned. The trousers he had on were tailored perfectly for him to tuck them into tall black boots he'd been given.

As Virgil looked at himself in the mirror, he blinked. He didn't look like himself.

A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts. He called for the person to come in, and turned to see Roman entering the room. He smiled at him warmly. "Hey, you look great!" he said. "Ready for today?"

The stable boy nodded a little and turned back to the mirror. The prince could sense something was wrong and furrowed his eyebrows together. "What is it?"

"Just a bit of crippling self doubt and anxiety, nothing major," Virgil replied wryly. He sighed and moved to sit on one of the sofas in his room. "It's just that this feels so weird... I'm not a royal. I'm not meant for this life. All this luxury and fine clothes and being waited on... it's not me. I'm just a dragon trainer Princey."

"Well, just because you've never had any of this before doesn't mean you're not meant for it," Roman replied, sitting down beside him. "I think you could get used to it."

Virgil sighed heavily and put his head in his hands. "I'm so worried. These dragons... these trainers... I'm not sure this was such a good idea to have this competition... Someone could get hurt, or killed. Dragons are unpredictable when they've been trained poorly."

The prince was silent and looked down at his feet. A pit settled in his stomach. "Are you worried about the Fire Stone Champion and his dragon?"

"I'd be a fool not to be worried about that beast, Princey," he said seriously. "I know I'm capable of taking care of myself. If I get hurt, I'll be fine. That thing won't kill me, but someone else? These racers seem to barely understand their dragons. If the Champions are anything like them, they'll be in danger during our race. That dragon could kill someone."

Roman felt the pit growing. He could tell how serious this situation was and guilt was starting to rise up in his throat like bile. This was all being done so he wouldn't have to get married.

"Well... there's still time to call it off..." the prince said softly.

Virgil tensed and looked toward him in confusion. "If we call it off, you'll be forced to marry some princess," he murmured. Roman forced a smile and nodded with a shrug. The stable boy's eyes widened in realization at what he was suggesting. "No, no, you're not going to marry her. I can- I'll- I'll make sure that no one gets hurt-"

"Virgil it's alright, I knew that this was part of my responsibility, and if marrying her will prevent anyone from getting hurt, I'm willing to do it."

He shook his head and grabbed the prince's hands forcefully. He frowned with determination. "No, I refuse to let you do this," he snapped. "I will stop you from calling this off myself if I have to. I don't care if you're royalty. No one should have to marry someone when they're not in love with them."

Roman's eyes were wide as he stared into Virgil's. He felt butterflies dancing in his stomach as he looked down at their hands. He smiled sadly and brought their hands to his lips. He didn't do anything else, simply holding them close. "That's incredibly kind of you..."

"Your Highness..." he murmured cautiously.

The prince shook his head. "I'm alright," he reassured him. "It's just that no one's expressed such care for my personal feelings. My mother has a responsibility to look after her kingdom whether I like how she does it or not. Logan is responsible for helping her. He keeps in mind my personal beliefs, but ultimately would tell her to do what's right regardless. You said yourself that the Fire Stone Champion's dragon could kill someone, but you would rather I take that risk than do something that will make myself miserable."

"If that dragon kills someone, it's no one's fault but that bastard who brought it here," Virgil said forcefully, squeezing his hands gently. "I'll do my best to stop that from happening, but I'd rather take that chance then watch you throw your life away."

"And if you get hurt?" Roman countered, looking up to meet his eyes. "How will I live with the guilt?"

The stable boy smiled and leaned forward a little. "I won't get hurt," he said. "And even if I do, you'll live with the guilt because if you marry that princess I'll never get to see your annoyingly perfect face again."

The prince laughed, feeling the tension and worry easing up a little. He lowered their hands and smiled at him.

"Thank you," he said sincerely. Roman then stood from the sofa and released his hand. He beckoned for him to follow him as he headed for the door. "Now come on, the race will be starting in just over an hour."

Virgil nodded and moved to follow as the prince turned. Though he had told the truth, he couldn't help the feeling of dread still lingering in his chest.