The rest of the day went by as smoothly as it could've, given that Virgil was constantly on edge. The idea of slipping up in front of everyone kept him tense and nervous. This edge only intensified when it came to the banquet that night. All the royals from the kingdoms sat down together to dine while the citizens dined in the other room before the evening celebration. Virgil was sitting uncomfortably, eating silently next to his brother as he tried to calm down.

"You'll be fine, okay?" Luis murmured as he leaned toward him, the way you'd see siblings whispering at the dinner table. "I'm right here if you need me to vouch for you. Just remember to breathe."

The dark prince nodded, giving him a grateful look as they went back to eating. "Your Majesty Patton, you rule alone, correct?" one of the other kings asked, clarifying. Virgil looked over at his father as he laughed hollowly.

"Yes, I rule alone," he said, stealing a glance in the direction of one king in particular. "My wife passed away in childbirth when she had Luis."

The table said their condolences before the king who brought up the subject continued. "Do you intend on ruling with another at some point? Or are you simply planning to pass it down to your son and his spouse? Virgil's next in line, correct?"

Virgil felt his body go cold as his mouth went dry. Everyone looked in his direction; the attention made him want to run. He could hear the rain outside, trying to focus on that. Luis gave him a sympathetic and worried look, seeing the way his hand was shaking under the table.

"That is correct, Virgil is my eldest, however nothing is set in stone," Patton replied calmly, internally wishing this obnoxious king hadn't brought up the topic. He could see through his son's facade of calmness, noticing the tenseness in his shoulders and how his gaze never left the plate in front of him. "There is no way to know what our futures hold."

The king who asked looked back toward Virgil, raising an eyebrow. The dark prince felt intimidated and terrified, his gaze going low as soon as they made eye contact. "In my opinion, he's got a long way to go before you can hand the kingdom to him," the king said snidely. "He doesn't look fully stable in the head."

Virgil's breathing was quick and shallow as his pulse raced. All he felt was cold, cold and tense, as if something was building up. Roman and Luis could see his panic escalating, both princes helpless to do anything as the king continued.

"Perhaps my daughter could teach him a thing or two," he said, smiling with confidence and pride. The princess looked unfazed, but Luis caught the concerned look she sent in Virgil's direction. The young prince was extremely observant, making him a little relieved that this princess was more concerned with his brother than she showed in front of their elders. "Have you ever considered a marriage union with one of the kingdoms, your Majesty? While we are allies in trade, we could be even more powerful and wealthy unified-"

"I wish to drop this discussion," King Patton said, voice firm and authoritative, but it was too late.

The king had gotten the attention of the other rulers with his tentative proposition. "Now hold on a minute," a queen interjected. "What gives you the right to go suggesting such an idea? My daughter could just as easily wed the prince as yours."

"Please! You think that King Patton would be interested in your tiny little speck of a kingdom?" the king sneered back.

Uproar started among the rulers, each yelling and arguing why their kingdom would be better to unify with Patton's. Virgil was shaking more now, squeezing his eyes shut as he clenched his fists. "B-Brother, breathe," Luis murmured, desperately trying to calm him.

Virgil opened his eyes briefly to meet his, showing his little brother the fear that was tearing him apart for a moment before he shut his eyes again. His head hurt from the lights of the room and voices of the royals. They seemed to get louder and louder, like the rain falling heavier outside.

"My daughter should be his wife!"

"Your kingdom isn't even worth King Patton's time!"

They got louder and louder.

"Well, I'm not offering my daughter to be married to someone like him until I know he's stable in the head!"

"Oh, because your daughter is so much better than the rest of ours? Let him decide!"

Louder and louder.

"THIS SHOULD BE THE PRINCE'S CHOICE!"

"THIS ISN'T ABOUT WHAT HE THINKS!"

Snap.

"ALL OF YOU SHUT UP!"

A crack of lightning accompanied by a deafening clap of thunder lit up the room as Virgil stood up suddenly. His breathing was labored and he was shaking, desperately holding onto his consciousness as cold seemed to suffocate and surround him. Everyone stared at him, mouths agape in shock and eyes wide. They looked almost scared.

"I will not sit here, and listen to you all discuss my life and future, disrespecting my father who requested the subject be dropped," he said, clenching his fists at his sides as he kept his gaze hidden by his bangs. "Feel free to continue your conversation once I've excused myself from the room, seeing as whether I'm present or not does not matter."

The dark prince turned away from the table and walked out of the massive dining room with haste. Luis watched him go, flinching as the door slammed shut behind him. "Brother..." he whispered sadly, looking down as he fought to keep his emotions in check.

Roman had been fighting to keep his mouth shut since the beginning, wanting to avoid causing a scene. Now, he didn't care. He looked to King Patton and his father for permission, who both nodded. The prince stood up without a word and followed him, setting his jaw with determination as the royals watched him. His step didn't falter as he left the room, closing the door forcefully behind him.

His pace quickened, wanting to find Virgil. He checked his room first, heart racing as he realized he wasn't there. He tried to think, it dawning on him as he looked out the window at the pouring rain. "He wouldn't..." he murmured, racing down to the gardens. Sure enough, Virgil had. The dark prince was on the ground, seemingly unconscious when Roman found him on the path they'd been walking just that morning. He looked as though he'd passed out while walking. The prince's heart raced as he checked his pulse to make sure he was just unconscious and not worse. He sighed in relief, reaching down to pick him up bridal style, battling the rain as he made his way back into the palace.

Pulse still rushing, he hurried to Virgil's room where he laid the limp dark prince on his purple sofa. He grabbed towels and dried him down, lit the fireplace with a snap of his fingers, and wrapped him in blankets, but Roman couldn't calm down. Seeing him so pale and in this state made him scared, worried, concerned, upset, and mad. He was so mad at the rulers of the kingdoms; he was gritting his teeth and clenching his fists in an attempt to contain it.

"R-Roman...?"

He looked down to see Virgil's eyes open slightly, making him quickly kneel down to his level and take his hand. "Hey Virge," Roman murmured, offering a sad smile. The dark prince started crying once more, breaking the other prince's heart. He sat down on the couch with him, hugging him as he clung to him tightly, sobbing. "I know, I know... I've got you."