Chapter Text
Virgil didn’t enjoy appointments with the royal dressers, who were tasked to get him ready for formal events. It had been a year since he could call the castle his home, and while he had healed to the point that he wasn’t in physical pain anymore, he still held scars, and getting changed inevitably revealed them for all to see.
The dressers would pretend not to see but it only took Virgil one glance at the raised lines of the cross over his soulmark, or the large patch of reddish-brown skin that covered his forearm, for him to want to run away and hide under a rock. They sickened him, and as much as Roman would call them proof of his victories against evil, all Virgil could see was all the pain that they had caused him and those around him.
Usually he could clamp down on those thoughts, but this day was already making him nervous, as he and Roman were about to be introduced to the world as soulmates and, more recently, betrothed. When he reached his limit of the crowd around him he demanded the dressers leave him, and groaned into his hands once he was alone and half-dressed.
Virgil heard a knock at the door a short while later and he wanted to tell them to go away but he had already been impolite and he didn’t want to make the day worse, so he invited them in and expected yet another dresser who would pretend nothing was wrong, but was shocked when the person who entered was the king.
“King Thomas…” Virgil spluttered as he bowed awkwardly.
“Calm yourself Virgil,” Thomas reassured and laid a hand on Virgil’s shoulder, “I just came to see how you were before your first official reveal. Roman wouldn’t stop worrying, and to be honest I was worried for you too.”
Virgil shuffled on his feet and then realised that he hadn’t finished buttoning up his shirt. He busied himself with the buttons but when he was stressed his left hand would always lose some of its mobility, so he only got one button half in the hole before Thomas took over without a word.
“I’m sorry,” Virgil whispered, “I know it’s over and the scars shouldn’t affect me like this, but…”
“They’re scars, Virgil,” Thomas interrupted gently, “Scars last forever. It’s OK if they sometimes still hurt you.”
Virgil took a few breaths before continuing, “Honestly, sometimes I still don’t feel like this is real. I see the scars and I’m right back there. In Dracona’s home.”
“And I’m sure it doesn’t help that your life here is so incredibly different from your previous living conditions.”
“Hard to convince yourself it’s real when it’s straight out of a fairy tale ending.”
“You sound just like Nico,” Thomas laughed, and Virgil looked at Thomas directly.
“Your husband?”
“He also didn’t come from a noble family and struggled just like you with the realities of the life we lead.” Thomas explained as he began to fix Virgil’s tie without hesitation, “It never mattered to me – as I know it doesn’t matter to Roman – but he always worried.”
“How did he deal with… this?” Virgil asked and gestured to everything in the room.
“I often asked myself that,” Thomas answered, while he looked wistfully away in remembrance, “and when I asked him he always gave me the same answer. He said: Nothing else matters, except us.”
“Nothing else matters.” Virgil repeated, “I hope you know, that I truly believe that too. Roman is… the most special, important, and wonderful person. I love him so much.”
“I know that. I see it in every gesture and every word. I’m beyond happy that Roman met you and I know that Nico would feel the same way.”
“Even with all the trouble I brought with me?”
“Even with that.” Thomas brought Virgil into a hug and held onto him until Virgil pulled away.
“I wish I could have met Nico.”
“Yeah, me too, but he lives in all of us. You’ve met our family so you’ve met Nico too. Welcome, Virgil. Today, we let the world know that you are one of us.”
Virgil teared up as he hugged Thomas once more. Part of his brain still told him to stop because this was the king he was hugging, but the rest of him knew that this was only happening because Thomas wanted it. This was Roman’s father, who had shown Virgil nothing but kindness and a sense of belonging that he had desperately needed.
Thomas handed Virgil the dark purple blazer to finish his outfit, and Virgil pulled it on and looked in the large mirrors one more time. His eyes drifted to where the scars lay under the fabric, but he wasn’t going to run and hide. He would keep fighting, for himself and for everyone he loved.
“You ready?” Thomas asked.
“As I’ll ever be.” Virgil shrugged.
Thomas held out his arm and Virgil latched onto it. He didn’t know if it was the correct protocol but you didn’t deny the king, and the reassurance of someone beside him made him feel better. They reached a closed door and Thomas unlatched their arms and gave Virgil a once over.
“You’re ready. Roman will be waiting for you.” Thomas said with a smile.
Virgil smiled back, although far more nervously, then the doors were opened and his name was announced.
Virgil looked out into the dazzling room and the applauding crowd. He stepped out and down the stairs as he had rehearsed many times over the last week. When he reached the bottom step his mind reeled with a panic of what to do next. Was he supposed to walk further? Was he supposed to bow? Was he supposed to take a seat? Was he…
A hand slid into his own, and he turned to see Roman with his princely smile. Virgil sighed in relief and held on tighter to the hand. Roman stepped closer.
“You’re doing great,” He whispered into Virgil’s ear, “Follow my lead.”
Virgil did as he was told and the rest of the night was a blur. He nodded at people when Roman did, and moved about the room as Roman did, and only when people approached who he actually knew, did he break out of the shell of mimicry.
“I can’t believe we’re here!” Patton exclaimed, and Virgil came back to reality, “You both look so handsome! How’s the cake? I hope it’s OK.”
“How could you ever doubt it!” Roman responded with his usual excited tone.
“Virgil, how are you feeling?” Logan asked, his own arm looped with Patton’s.
Virgil smiled but found that no words came out. He had been smiling and nodding for so long that conversation seemed alien to him.
“Perhaps we should take a break,” Roman said, “Logan, Patton, please join us.”
Virgil followed along as the four of them walked into a room off from the ball and he immediately felt like apologising for being the cause of them all leaving. Before he could say anything though, Roman spoke up.
“Do you recognise where we are?” Roman asked as he gestured around the room like it was some big reveal.
Virgil took a moment to look around, and upon seeing the window he gasped. Patton and Logan both spun around to see what Virgil saw but were confused by a normal window.
“About one year ago you had a panic attack,” Roman said, completely serious as he continued, “All in an effort to save my life. You succeeded, and then I continuously failed to pay back the favour.”
Virgil made a sound of protest but Roman held up a hand and looked intently upon Virgil as he kept talking:
“But nothing else matters than the here and now. Virgil, I love you, and here, today, I get to say that, not only in front of your most important friends,” Patton and Logan each beamed at Roman and then Virgil, “But also, in front of the whole kingdom. And I couldn’t be more proud.”
“A year ago I would have told you not to say such ridiculous things,” Virgil replied, “But you… all of you… you made me believe in a future I never could have dreamed of... and now I actually look forward to what might come next.”
Patton jumped into hug Virgil first – which was a surprise as Roman was the one already with an arm around Virgil – but ignoring the mystifying powers of Patton and his magnetic draw to hugs, Roman was the next to wrap his arms around them, followed by Logan, who relished in the hug more than they would have expected.
“Love you.” Virgil’s muffled voice floated out.
The others immediately reciprocated the sentiment and the hug continued.