"How can you be afraid of horses?" Roman asked as he laughed at Virgil.

Virgil's face was a bright shade of red, he deeply regretted sharing that information with Roman, 'It's not my fault. Remus and Dee trained all the castle horses to try and bite me anytime I got close' he wrote the words down on the notepad he had been given. Roman laughed again.

"That doesn't surprise me. But these won't bite you here I'll show you" Roman said, he reached forward and grabbed Virgil's wrist. Virgil froze at his touch and was unable to pull away from him as Roman placed his hand onto a horse's neck. "See? They're friendly." Roman turned back to Virgil, "Hey are you okay?"

"Roman!" Patton yelled as he handed the reins of his horse to a stable boy before quickly approaching, "Let Ann go right now, you're scaring him. And say sorry."

Roman looked back and forth between Patton and Virgil before dropping his hand, "Sorry Ann, I forgot about the whole touching thing."

Virgil pulled his hands close to his body again and stared at the ground, "Come on Ann, you can ride Lucy. She's the sweetest horse you'll ever meet and she's really fast, just like you. And she gets along great with Molly" Patton said before starting towards a horse farther down the stables. He gently led the horse over to Virgil. "Roman's right, none of the horses here will try and hurt you unless you do them wrong. Do you still know how to ride?"

Virgil nodded as he found his courage to approach the horse. Lucy was a tall American quarter horse with a long black mane that came in front of her eyes. She moved forward, making Virgil jump a little until he realized she was just searching him for treats. Patton laughed lightly before leading them towards his own horse. He took the reigns back from the stable boy and smiled. "This is Molly" he announced to Virgil, "I've had her since I was twelve. She's almost as sweet as Lucy is."

Virgil nodded as Patton spoke. Molly had a grey coat and was taller than both Lucy and Poe, Logan's horse, she came towards Lucy as if checking on her before staring at Virgil. "... but be careful, Lucy and Molly are a team. They help each other all the time, Molly distracts people while Lucy takes their apples and sugar cubes. It's kinda cute."

Virgil laughed a little at what Patton said. "Roman's horse is named Jezebel, she thinks she's the leader. So does Logan's horse. But the truth is that Molly's the only one they'll all listen to. Jezebel and Poe are always fighting or competing, it's hilarious." Virgil nodded again, smiling lightly at Patton as he continued to talk about the horses.

A few minutes later Patton stopped talking and looked towards the king and queen who were starting to say their goodbyes to Roman, "Stay safe Roman and be smart. Listen to the others and work with them" His mother said as she placed her hands on Romans shoulders, "We want your brother back just as much as you do but losing one son in exchange for the other isn't any better..." the king and queen continued saying their farewells, reminding Roman countless times that they loved him before handing him a letter to give to Remus when they found him. Roman smiled before giving his parents one more hug.

The king and queen then turned to Virgil and Patton, "Prince Virgil, we're sorry about what happened to the Dark Realm. When you return, no matter the outcome, the Light Realm will offer you support. Remember to send your refugees across the border, we will protect them"

Virgil nodded, 'Thank you, I will. I'm grateful for everything you've done'

The queen smiled sadly at him and reached out towards him, she placed a hand on Virgil's face and it took every ounce of strength in him to not jump away or smack her hand. "What we said to our son applies to you too. Your people will need a ruler, please don't do anything too dangerous"

Virgil nodded and the queen pulled her hand away. Virgil let out a deep breath once she was far enough away. Patton helped him onto Lucy before boarding his own horse. Roman and Logan were already on their horses. "Ready Ann?" Patton asked him. Virgil put a hand over the emblem on his bag and gave a thumbs up, "Than lead the way," Virgil nodded before asking the horse to move forward, the horse listened and the others followed behind him as he moved towards the place that just four days ago he had been running away from.

*****

It had taken hours to arrive but finally, Virgil pulled back on Lucy's reigns until she began to slow down, "Ann," Logan began, "Is something wrong?" Virgil pointed above the trees and the others looked to where his finger pointed but didn't see what Virgil was pointing to, "There is nothing there Ann"

'Exactly. It's gone' Ann continued to stare at where he had pointed, the others did not know what was supposed to be there but they could all see how his attitude shifted and how he became anxious and scared.

"Let's give the horses a break. Jez look's tired Roman, and she's the strongest of all of them. Is it much farther Ann?" Patton asked as he got off of Molly, his heavy bag nearly making him tip over before he caught himself.

Virgil shook his head and climbed off of Lucy, landing on the ground with a small thump. He froze slightly when ash was thrown in the air. More fear began to fill him but he forced it down as Logan and Roman joined them on the ground. Lucy began to repeatedly push her head into him and Patton laughed as Virgil continued to back up. He pulled Molly forward with him until they stood next to Virgil, "She just wants a sugar cube, she probably saw me give one to Molly. Here" Patton said before handing him a few small sugar cubes from a small pouch in his bag.

"Patton, you spoil those horses," Logan said as Virgil fed the horse the sugar cubes. Virgil smiled at how the horse's mouth felt against his hand. It kind of tickled.

Patton shrugged his shoulders and Virgil motioned for everyone to follow him. With every step that had been put down with to much force, a cloud of ash would fly up It had begun to stain Roman's clothes, and the coat of all the horses, except for Lucy whose black coat was darker than the night sky. As they grew closer to the nothingness Virgil had pointed out, they began to smell it. They began to smell chaos. They smelled the fire, the burning wood. They could smell the gunpowder from canons, Virgil didn't remember the sound of canon's but the smell was obvious. They could smell blood, and bodies and each step closer to it all made Virgil want to sprint forward and leave the others behind in the woods so he could discover the destruction that had been caused.

But he restrained himself and walked at the same pace as the others did. His fingers pulled at the cuff of his sleeves. He found himself staring at the farthest trees with large longing, he wanted them to end and he knew that his wish would soon be granted and he feared for what he would see. "Ann," Roman said, and Virgil's head flew towards the speaker, "You can go ahead if you want"

Ann didn't wait a moment longer, practically shoving Lucy's reigns into Patton's hands and taking off towards the edge of the trees. Each step sent ash flying up behind him, it only urged him to run faster. Finally, he broke free of the trees, he hadn't been too far from the tree line before he began to run and now he was past them. His breath shook as he saw what was left of the castle.

Everything that could be burned had been burned. The stone castle was falling apart. The whole south wing was utterly destroyed, it would never be safe again, the south wing was the side of the castle the royals and their guests slept in. Cannons had been shot towards the castle if the stones weren't beginning to tip over they were on the floor. They covered bodies of guards, of servants, of those who had not been lucky enough to have escaped. Dark ash and charcoal had stained the stone, had stained his once beautiful home.

The gardens had been reduced to nothing. The horses that hadn't been taken from the stables had choked to death on the smoke, their bodies laid lifeless on the floor. The odd-looking building to the side, that used to house the squires and knights had been raided, two bodies of young squires that Virgil had once known were on the ground. Their hand forever intertwined in one last act of love for each other.

Virgil heard the others finally break through the trees, Patton gasped at it all and whimpered at the sight of the bodies. He buried his head into Logan's shoulder, refusing to look and see any more than he needed to. "Oh my god..." Roman said as his eyes took the same route Virgil's had, "Who could've done this?" Nobody answered him.

Virgil continued forward, the farther he walked into the destruction the more he saw, and the more he wanted to cry. Virgil sniffled, he hadn't realized he had already begun. He continued to hold it back though. He turned at where one of the remaining castle walls stood, and then he stopped. He stared at a body, much different than the others in the large number. He felt his knees give out and he heard a sob leave him. He felt everything he had been holding back since they had entered the forest flow out of him. And than he screamed.

"Ann!" He heard the others yell before they began running towards him. They stopped when they saw him uninjured, hanging over a dead body as tears poured down his face, and as the feeling of grief began to radiate off of him.

"That is the king," Logan said to Roman and Patton. They nodded, they already knew.

Virgil paid them no attention. He hung to his fathers body and cried onto his ash stained robes. Memories of the jolly man filled his head. He remembered how his father had reacted when Virgil had decided that he didn't want to talk anymore. He remembered how he spoke to Remus when they first met, and when Dee had told him they were dating about three months later. He remembered birthdays, and holidays spent with the man. How his father had read stories to him and Dee, how even if he was their king he was always their father first.

"Ann? Do you want us to give you a minute?" Patton asked him, his hand hovered over Ann's shoulder not quite touching him. Virgil didn't give any sort of answer, he was grieving and could not respond. "Ann, we'll be by the... gardens. Okay? Take your time" The other three walked away, leaving him alone and giving him a moment to himself to grieve over a wonderful man.

Virgil held hugged his father, laying over him. "Dad..." he said after a long moment. "Dad I'm sorry. Please Dad, please Dad, please come back. Please, please, come back." But his father remained motionless and lifeless and did not return. Virgil fell back into his silence, his lips pressed together tightly as he realized something. Virgil had not spoken in years. The voice he had used just now was not the one he remembered. It was deeper, more grown, and more mature. But even then it was not his voice. The voice he had spoken with was unnatural, he hated it he realized. He hated his voice. He hated how it sounded and how it had been filled with... too much. He hated everything about it and he gladly fell back into his wordless life.

An hour passed, and Virgil had run out of tears to shed. Nobody had come to get him, the three continued to let him grieve. Virgil pulled himself away from his father's body and looked down at it. His father's eyes, a once vibrant green color, were now dull and they stared up at the sky unblinking. His dark purple robes had been stained red wear a sword had been mercilessly plunged into him before being ripped out. The blood was dry and flaky, his skin was pale. Virgil's hands shook as he closed his father's eyes and moved his father's dark hair out of the way. Virgil wrapped his arm around his midsection and closed his eyes as he said his final goodbyes to his father.

One minute passed, then two, he was edging on three when something flashed in his mind. A dark form and shadow approaching, a dangerous one. His eyes flew open and he grabbed at the sword that was in his dead father's hand before swiftly turning around. He heard a man curse loudly as his sword just barely missed the unfamiliar form. Virgil shot to his feet and the man lunged at Virgil, a sword in his hand.

Once again Virgil felt thankful to his father who had taught him that just because he had been gifted with magic did not mean he should not train with a sword. He was thankful to the teacher who had pushed him over and over, and who was responsible for multiple anxiety attacks but who had taught him well and who had promised him that one day these skills would save his life. He was right. The man kept coming at Virgil with his sword, he was quick but Virgil was far quicker. It was easy for him to dodge the attacks and to send his own. Unfortunately, the armor the man wore was very good armor and Virgil had yet to find a weak spot in it.

Virgil walked forwards, pushing the man backward and towards where the other three had been waiting for him. "Ann!" Patton yelled once they saw him fighting off the other man. Neither of the fighters wavered or became distracted by his shout. Roman drew his sword, ready to help Virgil, he had begun moving forward when the man swung his sword. Virgil stepped to the side, barely dodging away from the sword before he found himself behind the man. With all his strength, his recent grief only fueling it, Virgil kicked the man down. Roman came forward, taking the sword from the man's hand and handing it to Patton. Roman pointed his sword at the man but seemed to be waiting for Virgil to move.

Virgil dug a hand into his bag and pulled out a small white leather pouch and opened it. His hand reached in and came out with a small amount of yellow powder. He didn't hesitate to throw it on the man. The man rocked back and forth before falling forward. "Is he dead?" Roman asked him.

Virgil shook his head, 'Asleep.' He signed before putting away the small pouch, 'I don't kill.'

The others only nodded and Logan leaned over the man, searching him for anything that could help their journey. Virgil wiped sweat and tears from his face before returning to his father's body. He stared down at it before taking the sword sheath from the body. "What are you doing?" Roman asked him

'The sword belongs to Janus now' Virgil signed before he put the sheath and sword around his waist.

"You called him Janus," Roman said. Virgil only nodded, "You always call him Dee so..."

'My father's dead. We use our real names now'

"Oh... do you want us to call you by your real name?" Roman asked him. Virgil paused than shook his head. "Okay, Ann it is... you're really good at that" Virgil looked up at him, confused. "Sword fighting. You were good. And fast... I didn't know you could do that."

'Magic isn't everything'

"Are you okay?"

'My fathers dead'