Warnings: Angst, mention of death

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A couple months later, on April 10th, Virgil decided to ask about something he'd been wondering for quite a while.

"Hey, Ro?" he said, currently chilling in Roman's room with him. "Yes, my love?" Roman responds. "If this is too personal, I get it but.. I've seen your dad plenty of times, but never your mom.. Why is that?" Virgil asks.
Roman froze for a moment, looking away slightly. "My mother..? She.. She died quite some time ago.." he answered. Virgil frowns and tilted his head. "I thought you said-"

"They can't, n-not.. Not with weapons or anything like that.. See, my mother.. Was kind. Too kind to be a vampire.. She died of starvation.." Roman said, looking back at Virgil with an almost sad expression.

Virgil frowns. "When you said she was too kind.." he said. "She wouldn't hurt another human being, she refused. But when she got pregnant with my brother and me, she knew she had to keep us alive, and she did so on the blood of animals. Of course, she didn't like that either.

"After giving birth to us, father says she stopped drinking even animal blood. Vampires can last a long time without blood, but not forever. She died when Remus and I were just six years of age. Father had tried and begged her to feed, even if on an animal, but she couldn't find it in her heart to do so." Roman said.

".... But.. How... How did she survive into adulthood if...?" Virgil asks. "My mother wasn't born, she was turned. Father fell in love with a human girl." Roman tells him. "Oh... What.. Did she look like..?" Virgil asked.
"You've seen my brother; black hair, green eyes.. He took after our mother. I took after father- brown hair, red eyes. Mother was actually the one who came up with the way to make our servants immortal without having to turn them.."

"I-i'm so sorry, I.. Shouldn't have asked..-" Virgil said, looking down. Roman looks at him, lifting Virgil's chin gently. "It's okay to have questions, my love." he says softly.
"But if you really want to know everything, I'd suggest talking to my father. He knew her better than I did." Roman says.

So Virgil did. He went to find the king, who was currently in the throne room looking at a painting on the wall.

"Um.. E-excuse me, Y-your Majesty?" Virgil said quietly. Romulus turned to him. "You're allowed to speak my name, Virgil. My son did mark you." he says. Virgil blushes, covering the mark with his hand. He forgot all vampires could see it.

"Um... I was just wondering about.. Y-your.. Wife..?" he says. "Vanessa.. She was lovely. I met her by the river, a very, very long time ago.. I was young, the equivalent of what you would call a 'teenager'.
"She had hurt herself swimming, and had a scrape on her arm. That's what drew me over, I smelled it. But when I saw her.. I couldn't feed on her. Not yet. Before I really knew it, we had become friends. Then one day.. She kissed me, and asked me to be in a relationship.

"Some time after that, after I turned her, she became pregnant with my two sons. Then, and only then, she agreed to feed on animals, but never a human. She couldn't." Romulus says.

"She only fed for the sake of her children.." Virgil mumbles, frowning a little. Romulus nods, then continued. "Once she had given birth to them, though, she stopped. I pleaded for her not to, I even warned her that she would die.. But she couldn't do it. So Virgil," he says, looking at Virgil with a serious, kind of intimidating look.

"If you are truly serious about wanting Roman to turn you one day, you have to understand what that entails. I won't allow you to put my son through the pain I had to bear." he said, and Virgil couldn't find his voice.

"You need to understand that you will need blood to survive. You will have to drink human or animal blood. And it will hurt them, regardless if they show it or not. Do you understand?" the king says.

Virgil had shrunk back a little, but nodded. "Ye-yes, yes I u-understand.." he said, more in a whisper. Romulus's face softened a little, sighing quietly.

"Then there are some things you need to know about being turned. As I'm sure Roman has warned you, it will be painful. You could very well pass out; many humans do, as their bodies cannot handle the pain. Secondly, once you are turned, it may take a while to get used to enhanced senses and speed. Third, you will be hungry once completely turned. Understood?" The king explains.

Virgil nods a little. "O-okay.." he says. "Please, don't hurt my son like that.. He loves you, Virgil. Dearly. For his sake, keep yourself alive when he turns you." Romulus says, walking away after.

Virgil walked back to Roman's room, still somewhat shaken by the story. And that's all he could do is hug Roman, tightly.
"Are you trying to say something with this hug, love?" Roman asked, hugging back. "I-i won't ever.. I won't.." Virgil mumbles, hiding his face in Roman's chest.

Roman knew what he was saying, and smiled sadly. "Thank you.. I wouldn't want to see you suffer like that.. Vampire starvation, it.. It makes us weak, slowly over time, until we can't even open our eyes anymore, and.." he trailed off, holding Virgil close.

Virgil clung to Roman tightly. "I promise I'll stay with you, forever.."