Chapter Text
The dashing prince dodged the flames being blasted towards him and dived behind a boulder of rubble. His hands were shaking and bloodied, but nothing he hadn't experienced before. He tightened the grip on his sword, his reflection gleaming in the polished metal. "God, I need to bathe," he mumbled under his breath.
A thunderous, hoarse roar erupted as the dragon's barbed tail swung and broke the boulder into pebbles. The hero jumped to his feet with his sword raised. When the beast attempted to fry him with yet another fiery blast the young prince slid under the dragon's torso with his sword between his teeth. He lunged on top of some stable looking debris and jumped for the second-floor ledge a few feet above his head. Heat radiated against his back as he struggled to pull himself up by the fingertips. Burns simmered into his skin like a million bee stings. His vision became momentarily spotty as he ground his teeth together in uncontrollable pain. The smell of his own burning flesh filled the room.
The hero pulled himself up and started to double over, but he couldn't, not with the dragon ready to burn him to a crisp. He dragged himself across the floor until he grasped a shield he kindly borrowed from a victim of the beast. Shakily standing he met eye to eye with the dragon. A shame really. Such beautiful majestic creatures with such black hearts. Yellow scales rippled across its whole body, and white horns curled around its slim face. The most magnificent red eyes really. If only they weren't trying to kill the young hero. The prince sprinted head-on at the dragon. An anticipated blow of fire came rushing at him. Using the shield to deflect the flame, he jumped on the dragon's snout and ran up to the top of its head. The dragon froze a moment in confusion. In its moment of paralyzation, the young man raised his sword above his head and plunged the point into the dragon's skull. A howl of agony pierced through the silence of the castle. The prince quickly ran and jumped safely back onto the second floor as the beast collapsed lifelessly on the cold stone below. He fell to his knees gasping for air. His now dirty sword cluttered to the ground beside him.
After a moment to gather his composure, he stood and started running up the many flights of stairs. A single wooden door stood alone at the very top. He knocked lightly on the door, "Princess Harmony?" He said breathlessly, "I've come to rescue you my fair maiden," the knob started to turn.
Stepped out a beautiful young princess. Short fierce curls made their way down the sides of her face and swept just above her lush ebony shoulders. Her lips were glossed and full, only to match with her dark brown eyes full of life and intelligence. No doubt one of the most beautiful women the prince had ever rescued.
She let out a squeal squeezing her eyes shut and throwing her arms around his neck. The prince hugged her for a moment before scooping her up bridal style and carrying her down the long flights of crumbly stairs. Harmony kept her eyes watching the prince's face, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. How he hated what was inevitably coming next. He stepped out of the tower and placed the princess on her own two feet. She smiled and looked up at him with his great height of 6'1. The princess took handfuls of her red dress into either hand and curtsied deeply towards her savior. "May I know the name of my hero?" She asked sweetly, standing back upright. "My name is Prince Roman King of the Amaregena Kingdom," he bowed and kissed her hand.
The princess smiled and gained a light blush, "well Prince Roman, as you know I'm Princess Harmony, and it would be my honor to give my hand to such a nobleman. You shall escort me home and I will introduce you to my parents, and after that, with your father's blessing we shall get married at the first sight of dusk," she smiled, her eyes spaced out as if dreaming of the wedding. "Um," he laughed nervously and began rubbing the back of his neck, "I cannot my lady. I'm afraid I'm uninterested in romance at the moment, however, I know of many courageous princes that would give their right hand to be your husband," Roman smiled apologetically.
It never felt great. He'd turned down twenty-three princesses just that year. They all looked the same after getting rejected, a mix of sadness and anger. "Am I not good enough for you?!" He remembered one of the princesses screaming at him red in the face, but for his own sanity, he could never bring himself to accept.
Her face dropped for a moment before shooting him an icy glare. "Fine, I didn't want you anyway!" She stormed off before he could get in another word.
Although she was lying horribly. Roman was every princess's dream. Tanned dark skin with a lean muscular build. Dark burgundy hair swept effortlessly to the side out of his face. Piercing green eyes brighter than fresh summer mint leaves, filled with excitement and bravery. Last but not least his smile. The most princely smile any man could possess. The perfect balance of confidence and charm to go along with one dimple that made the village women swoon.
"I guess I don't need to escort her home," Roman mumbled to himself as he mounted his steed.
He gripped the reins tightly with his blistered hands and sighed in remorse for the princess. Roman straightened his back out, his burns screaming in protest.
He quickly flicked the reins, "home Maximus!" He commanded. Maximus took off into the forest the way they had come. This gave the prince a moment to be alone with his thoughts. Riding had always given him a sense of freedom. Being away from his parents, feeling the sting of the wind whip past his face, his steed's strong gallop. It felt like he was flying. If only he could feel this way all the time. Alas, like every prince before him, he was destined to marry a princess.
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The dark prince ran as fast as his legs could carry him. His heart pounded and breathing hitched to a hundred. He hid behind a small pillar in hopes to capture the fearsome creature that roamed his land. A menacing shadow stretched across the earth as the beast approached further. He stood in hiding, paralyzed, and held his breath in anticipation. Three... he thought, two...one! The young prince jumped out and grabbed his sister around her waist, lifting the small girl off the garden lawn. "Virgil!" She laughed as she tried to squirm out of her big brother's grasp.
He smiled a tad as she calmed down from her giggle fit. "Ah-ha! I have finally conquered the mighty beast!" He proclaimed, spinning her around a few times before settling the petite princess back on the ground.
The little girl attempted her best stab at a roar before Virgil started chasing her around the garden playing a small game of tag. The two were nine years apart, Virgil being seven-teen and Charlotte being eight. Their whole family was very close despite their mother having to focus all her time into ruling the Vigorium kingdom. The prince picked up the princess and carried her back inside.
Their mother, the queen, sat elegantly on a throne of gold and velvet. Her arms folded in her lap as a proper woman of respect, yet, despite her vulnerable appearance the village learned to fear her scorn. Everything about Vigorium was strange and different. It was ruled by a single queen with two adopted children. Unlike every other prince, her son was not off fighting beasts and saving princesses in hopes to find a wife. Nor was he honing his skills with a sword or bow. He was studying how to become a proper king like all princes should be. Not taking advantage of kidnapped princesses to find some silly wife.
She smiled warmly at her approaching children, "hello," she greeted. "Hello mother," Virgil said, bowing his head. "I have work for you two," the queen declared, "the healers are running out of confervo berries, and you two need to get some time out of the castle walls. Tomorrow you'll venture into the forest and retrieve them." The dark prince groaned in protest, "why can't a guard come with us? It'd put me so much more at ease," the elder complained. "You must learn to fend for yourself Virgil, if you're going to be king one day you must learn with experience" she explained calmly.
Virgil sighed and nodded, setting Charlotte down.
He made his way up the stairs to his chambers. The prince looked around the familiar room. His bed was large and in the center of the room, to the side was a small dresser that held various knick-knacks. In his closet, many rows of royal clothing lined the space. Robes made of the finest Latin cloth, crowns woven from gold and amethyst, and most importantly in the very back a set of the strongest amor, of course, he's never gotten to use it.
He strolled out onto the balcony, the sun was starting to set and it was the most beautiful sight. Dark blues and purples bleeding into the orange of the setting sun. The thick trees that marked the castle walls were blocking the view of the outside world. At a young age, Virgil learned if he were to stand on top of the railing he could see over the trees and gawk at the world before him, although he longed to see the beauty he never stood on the barrier again. He was always too afraid to fall.
The prince sighed and ran his hand through his almost raven black hair, what am I doing here? He thought, I'm not even an actual prince, just a lucky orphan. She could have picked any other boy to be the prince, but no, she chose me, damn. He leaned on the rail and hummed an old nursery rhyme his mother used to sing him. Suddenly, something as small as a leaf floated down and landed beside Virgil's hand. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was not a leaf, but a red butterfly. He scoffed at the insect.
His mother used to say red butterflies were a sign of love and life long-happiness. She would laugh and say, "I saw a red butterfly just before I saw you at the orphanage. That's how I knew you were my son," younger Virgil would smile proudly, believing every word that came out of his mother's mouth.
He gently blew on it and watched it flutter away into the twilight sky. A warm breeze ruffled his hair as he spoke his last words before turning in for the night. "If any chance of love is waiting for me," he closed his eyes and parted his pink lips, "let yourself be known."