Pretending To Be Gilead's Prince and Master Wizard

-LUCAS-

The moment I heard this girl earlier narrated the made-up story behind the dream catcher, I was stunned for a split-second back there at the orphanage.

It's as if… I am really seeing a glimpse of the prince himself.

It really got me into thinking where did she get the story from so I asked, "Say… where did you get the idea of the dream catcher earlier? Have you heard it from someone else, maybe?"

Waiting for her answer patiently, I turned to look at the girl and smiled genuinely at her.

When she answered, "I made it up myself." with that sheepish smile of hers, that got me mentally facepalming myself.

Of course, Lucas. She made it up herself. Did you really expect she'd hear it from the prince himself? Unbelievable.

I unconsciously combed my hair before saying, "Oh… I thought you have heard that from someone else." that caught her attention all of a sudden.

An awkward silence starts to prevail after that, and I regret saying it the moment it escaped my lips. But anyway, I have already said it and there is nothing else I could do if she starts questioning me after.

After a few more seconds of silence, she indeed asked me "Who is that someone you're referring to?"

To be honest, I was quite hesitant to talk about the prince himself in front of her.

It's like, the life of the prince is a taboo subject for all of us that we are trying to avoid talking about.

We grew up to be close to him, and it only worsens our longing the more we talk about Prince Arthur.

But since we are asking her to assume the role of the prince in the meantime, isn't it her right as well to know something about the one we are asking her to impersonate?

With that thought stuck in my head, I was compelled to answer her question,

"Well, a long time ago… the prince had also told me about the same story of the dream catcher as well," I responded and smiled at the thought.

The memories of that day flashed at the back of my head like it just happened yesterday, when in fact it was a year ago when I first heard it from the prince himself.

I immediately halted in my place when the girl I am with today suddenly stopped walking. Her pair of amber eyes looked at me with full of confusion… and a hint of anxiety mixed into it.

"Could you please me tell me more about the prince? What is he like to everyone, what are his ways, and so on? Because honestly, I… I don't know what to do from here. "

Krisella tilted her head down and looked quite exasperated.

"I do not know much about him. When I try to be like him, I do not know if what he's usually saying to the people he meets, or what are his attitudes that captivated each and every heart of persons he was with in his past life. I don't even know if I am doing this right. I just… don't know what to do basically. I am so lost."

A wave of sympathy starts to overwhelm me as I looked at this poor girl standing in front of me, looking so sad and lost for trying so hard to do as what we are telling her to do.

It is indeed selfish of us to force her to be like the prince when she knows little about him. After all, she is just an ordinary girl whom Alex found at the subway station and who happens to look exactly like Prince Arthur for some unknown reason.

With a sympathetic smile plastered at the corner of my lips, I stretched forth one hand towards the girl's head and gave her a gentle pat to somehow ease the pain or stress she might be feeling right now. Well, it works on my younger sister but I don't know if it will work on her.

"Krisella, forgive me if I will say that we cannot let you stop assuming the prince's role for the meantime just because you're hurt or anxious about it, but believe me when I say that you are doing great with your job."

With this statement, Krisella then decides to lift her head, and that's when our gazes met.

"Really?" she asked with a quizzical look written all over her face.

"Yes. I really mean it. And remember when I said countless times already that we are seeing a glimpse of the prince in you, so that means you are doing perfectly fine. Just a little bit of practice and with a little faith in yourself, I know that you can do it perfectly."

I ended my statement with a genuine smile on my face, that somehow made her smile back at me and her face lit up with happiness.

"Thanks, Lucas!"

"Well, since we're still a little farther away from the castle, I would tell you something about the prince as a bonus," I added while doing a wink and an okay sign to lighten up the mood in here, which made her jump in delight.

"Really? I would like to hear it!" the girl says, excitement is all over in her tone right now.

"This story that I will tell you was when Prince Arthur and I first crossed our paths with each other…"