You've chosen to find Virgil! If this isn't the decision you wanted, feel free to return to Chapter 12!
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The story you are reading was written by Jay, or TheBroadwayJay.

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Roman sighed.

He needed to find Virgil, that was a priority.

"Let's go, Buttercup," He steered the horse down the trail before parting off. He began to follow what he remembered to be the place in which he first saw Virgil.

Virgil had always been the one to find Roman first... whether it be at the head of the woods, or deep within them, Roman had faith in being found.

However, today was quite different, as the prince continued deep into the forest, he heard no footsteps or tree branches stretching to meet him, nor any regular indication of Virgil at all.

"Virgil?" Roman called, slowing Buttercup down. "Virgil, where are you?" He neared a row of bushes, and thought he heard the sound of a twig snap behind them, "Virgil!" He cried happily and tapped his heel to Buttercup's side, causing the horse to speed up and lunge over the row of bushes - this was quickly realized to be a mistake as the mare was faced with a deep river, the sound of snapping twigs coming from that of how it bent.

The large creature came to skidding halt that threw Roman over her head and into the water below.

Roman gasped but air was soon taken as an option as he was pushed under water.

He could hardly see or make sense of anything as he was twisted and turned, thrown above and below the surface.

As his body began to surface, the prince sputtered for breath."V-Virgil!"

He was thrust back under water before he could hear any response - not that there was one.

The royal knew how to swim fairly, Virgil had taught him that, but not even a prince such as himself could fight against rapids like these.

Roman let out a cry under the water as his shin hit a jagged rock, gashing it up deeply.

He began to flail his arms around to little avail, just barely getting his head above the water to gasp out. "Vir- Virg- Virgil..!" Before he was swept away another time.

This time, the water seemed to pull him down harsher.

The royal struggled against its current, but could not find the strength to resurface.

His eyes opened and stung against the water around them... he could see the rush of light before it left the surface above.

He saw a mass above him and reached a weak hand up towards it before everything went from blue to black.

***

Roman coughed up multiple mouthfuls of water and began to gasp and heave for breath as he writhed around in pain.

His chest ached from where he'd nearly drowned himself, and more than that, his shin stung more than anything he'd felt in a very long time.

"Don't move," A familiar voice murmured.

The voice of which that seemed to give Roman a grasp on reality, and his grip on the front of a black robe tightened as he looked up with blurry eyes at the outline of Virgil.

He was currently in the Nymph's lap, held up by him, with the front of his black robes balled up in tight fists.

Roman longed to nestle up into a tight ball against the other and get lost in his embrace - but refused to show such futile behavior.

Instead, he reached a hand up to touch the other's face. "Virgil.." He felt the boy's cheek.

His touch lingered for a moment before he felt Virgil brush his hand away.

Roman furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and blinked the water out of his eyes so he could get a good look at Virgil's face.

The nymph did not meet his gaze, but glared towards the rushing river that they currently laid by, beyond the row of bushes, which helped block out the sound of the water.

"Virgil...?" Roman whispered, holding his rejected hand as a weak fist to his chest.

"How was the wedding?" Virgil remarked bitterly.

"What are you on about, dear - " Roman paused mid-sentence as he thought over the sentence. "You - "

"When were you going to tell me you were engaged?" Virgil moved his glare down to Roman's face.

Roman's eyes widened.

"Or were you just going to keep it from me and hope I wouldn't find out?" Virgil hissed.

"I - I - this wasn't how you were supposed to hear about it -"

"Well, I did," Virgil shuffled back so that Roman now lay on the grass before him.

Roman sat up shakily, pain shooting through his leg as he looked down to see it bandaged, "Thank you..."

"Just because I hate you, it doesn't mean I want to see you die." Virgil rolled his eyes.

Roman felt a pain worse than his shin stab his chest. "You... you hate me?" He whispered.

"You were engaged to another man this entire time!" Virgil snapped, "You loved someone else! Was I - just some background boytoy for your pleasure?" He narrowed his eyes at Roman.

"N-Not at all, dear!"

"Don't call me that," Virgil spat. "I'm not your dear."

"I-I don't love him, I don't even know him!" Roman scoffed.

"Yet you're engaged?" Virgil sounded unamused.

"Yes!" Roman defended himself.

"Why should I believe that? You lied to me," Virgil crossed his arms over his chest.

Roman sighed and looked at Virgil with sad eyes. "It was a planned marriage from the moment I was old enough to understand what being royalty was - it wasn't my choice!"

"You. Still. Lied."

"I didn't want to hurt you!" Roman pleaded.

"Excuses. And look where that got you anyway..." Virgil muttered.

"I - Virgil, please - I didn't want this anymore than you do -"

"So what? You're married now and you came to say bye?" Virgil glared.

"What? No! I'm not married!" Roman sputtered.

Virgil looked confused, "The snakes told me -"

"Well, they were wrong!" Roman snapped.

Virgil flinched and looked away. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Roman frowned, "I didn't want to face it - especially after meeting you..."

Virgil snorted in disbelief.

"It's true! I..." Roman grew quiet. "I couldn't image loving anyone else..."

Virgil stiffened and his eyes grew wide.

"I was stalling - I was looking for a way out of it, but - but I couldn't find one... so... when the wedding came... I ran..." Roman sighed once more. "I couldn't bare the thought of marrying someone who I could never love... I didn't need to meet him to know he would never be as magnificent as you..." Roman looked up at Virgil who had turned away from him. "I never... meant to hurt you..." He scooted towards the Nymph best he could. "Please, believe me when I say that... I never meant for you to be hurt..."

Virgil was silent before he shook his head a few times.

"I love you too much to do that," Roman whispered.

Virgil sat up right in some shock.

There was a long silence before Roman felt something wind around his finger, and saw a few dozen flowers sprouting from the ground. He couldn't hide a quiet chuckle.

Virgil was alerted by the chuckle and looked down to see the flowers. His face lit up red and he shooed a hand at them, "Stop! Stop that! Go back into the ground you- you goddamn- stop! You're exposing me you pric-prickles-!" Virgil growled.

Roman felt the flowers wind their way around his fingers a final time before disappearing back into the ground.

"You'd leave your kingdom for me...?" Virgil murmured after a few moments.

"I already did," Roman moved a hand to gently place atop Virgil's. "I would leave every ounce of power and pride for you."

"Do it," Virgil whispered with a smirk.

"Pardon?" Roman furrowed his brow.

Virgil stood to his feet, turning to Roman, "Well, kingdom is a check - pride? Let's see it."

"Wh-What do you mean?" Roman fretted.

Virgil bent down into a squat and held Roman's chin in his hand, "How much do you love me?"

"Quite a lot," Roman smiled sheepishly.

"I know. But the forest doesn't," Virgil shrugged as he let go of Roman's chin and stood up.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Roman scoffed.

Virgil spread his arms out wide. "Yell it out, you're a Nymph's bitch."

Roman's face flushed red. "Most certainly not!"

"Then you're lying," Virgil's face hardened into a light glare. "You love your pride more than me."

"Th-That's not!" Roman reached out for Virgil as the nymph turned towards the edge of the clearing they were in, striding out. "Virgil!" He cried, to no avail, as the nymph soon became one with the grass, and left the royal alone to his thoughts.

Roman sat there, dejected, before he felt his face flash red. "Virgil!" He pleaded.

No response.

Roman groaned and thought for a moment.

No way out.

He sighed.

"I-I'm a Nymph's Bitch..." The royal muttered.

Nothing.

"I'm... a Nymph's bitch." Roman growled in embarrassed frustration.

No response.

"I, Roman Princeton, am the bitch of Nymph Virgil!" Roman cried out loudly.

There was silence - and then the sound of rustling grass - and then the presence of a very smug Virgil who grinned at the flushed royal with upmost amusement. "Yeah you are."

"Shut your mouth," Roman growled.

"Make me," Virgil purred as he crouched before Roman.

Roman smirked and leaned forward, planting a very delicate and innocent kiss on the other boy's lips.

Virgil couldn't suppress a wide smile at this.

Roman moved a hand to caress Virgil's cheek, the Nymph slowly leaning into the touch. "Who needs a kingdom... when I can have the entire world in the palm of my hand."

Virgil scoffed and pushed Roman back by his forehead, only to have the previous royal grab him around the waist and pull him down with him.

Virgil fell on top of Roman and their noses bumped together.

The two boys stared at each other for a moment before grinning and breaking out into melodic laughter.

And for the first time in what Roman felt to be his entire life, he truly felt as if he had made the right decision.

After all, for the first time, it had been his own.

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