There was a shriek of laughter from above Roman, making the sharp pain in his head even worse. He let out a quiet hiss of pain.

"Has the prince finally figured it out?" A high-pitched voice asked.

"I don't know. He doesn't seem to have much of a brain." Another replied.

"Shush sisters." A quieter voice scolded. "He's going to say something."

Roman let out a low growl and tried to pull his sword out of its holster.

"Oh no, we'll be having none of that." The first voice said and suddenly Roman's sword felt as if it were made out of stone. Roman dropped it and it made a clattering sound on the forest floor. Three voice shrieked with high-pitched laughter. Roman clutched at his head, screwing up his eyes in pain.

"Do you suppose he's looking for the other prince?" The second voice asked. It was shushed very harshly.

"Hush Myrtle. The boy will have to ask us first before he wants answers." The third voice said and Roman could imagine the witch smirking.

"Stop it." He hissed through gritted teeth.

"What's that, Princey?" Roman winced, half out of pain and half at the use of the nickname Virgil had given him. "You'll have to speak up."

Roman growled again. "Stop it!" He yelled, his anger getting the better of him. Forcing his eyes open, he glared at the three witches who hovered around him, grinning and just out of his reach.

"Aw, can the poor prince not take a little pain?" The witch Roman assumed to be Myrtle asked, giggling. Roman glared at her.

"Normally, madam," he said, putting as much venom behind the words as he could, "I would be able to. But I've just fought a dragon and it feels as if you are driving an ice pick into my skull."

Myrtle let out a noise of anger and disappointment and turned to her sister.

"Roseline." She whined.

"I've got it, Myrtle." Roseline said before turning to Roman and snapping her fingers. The pain in his head eased a little. "We know you killed a dragon. We aren't deaf you know."

"What do you know about another prince." Roman asked, carefully taking his hands off his head. The three witches grinned at each other before swooping down upon Roman, circling him.

"Black hair?" One asked.

"Small? Slight?" Myrtle giggled.

"Grey eyes?" Another asked.

"Exceedingly handsome-"

"-If you're into that sort of thing?" Roseline finished. Roman nodded excitedly, feeling a slight blush rise in his cheeks when he realised he'd just agreed to the fact that Virgil was handsome.

"Haven't seen him." The unnamed witch said, leading the other back up into the treetops. Myrtle giggled, lingering in front of Roman.

"Better luck next time." She mocked, grinning before going after her sisters.

"Now wait just a second!" Roman yelled, stopping the three witches. "I have been questing all day, trying to find my friend, and you describe him perfectly yet you lie straight to my face and tell me that you haven't seen him."

The three sisters looked at one another before the unnamed witch looked down at Roman.

"It's not us that's lying to you, Princey."

"Well, it is." Roseline said, laughing slightly.

"But we aren't the only ones." Myrtle finished. Roman growled. Did witches always have to be so cryptic. Roseline giggled.

"Catline, I think the prince is getting angry." She said to her unnamed sister. Catline threw her head back and laughed.

"All you need to do, dear Princey, is accept that he means more to you than you let on. Then you'll be able to find him, easy."

"I've already accepted that!" Roman protested. The three witches laughed.

"Then why call him your friend?"

"Why insist to yourself that this quest is nothing more than friendship?"

"Why not say anything when you are never one to hold back your feelings?"

The questions kept coming, their high-pitched noise getting louder and louder until they were nothing more than a sharp buzz of noise.

"Shut up!" Roman yelled and the questions disappeared with a bubble of explosive laughter. Roman looked up to find himself alone. He shook his head, grabbed his sword which no longer felt like it was made of rocks and ran on, conscious of the time.