Pretending To Be Gilead's Prince and Master Wizard

"Daddy! It's good to see you home already."

An image of a child suddenly comes up to me, probably around six years old I believe, with straight silky beige hair swaying behind her as she runs towards her father wearing like he is some sort of a farmer in his set of overalls. 

The latter spreads his arms and receives his daughter with all the love that he could show for her. What a sweet thing to do, actually. I remember my own dad being that sweet to me…

Wait… Wait a minute.

"I've got you some strawberries. It's your favorite, isn't it?" The man took out a basket full of the delicious and freshly-picked strawberries from their family farm. Another young lad in the same set of overalls is currently standing behind their father.

"Sissy really loves strawberries, doesn't she?" that young lad spoke, the timbre of his voice pretty much sounded like my older brother. Even his looks are kind of similar to him.

Or is this really him? 

"Yes…" the young girl replied with a wide grin plastered on her face. "I like them very much."

Did my brother address this young girl as his sibling? But as far as I know, I was the only sibling he got. 

If that is the case, then… who the bloody hell is this beige-haired child that often keeps on appearing in my subconscious mind too often these past few weeks?

…

"Kris…"

My train of thoughts were put into an immediate stop and my senses came back to me after I heard the voice of my friend Ariella just now. 

"Kris, wake up!"

My eyes snapped open when Ariella called my name twice but even louder this time. I heard a person not far away from where we are currently sitting warned us about being too noisy inside the school library.

Wait, school library? What the heck are we doing in a school library? As far as I am concerned, I seldom visit such school facilities, not until we have an important thing to research on.

And most importantly, did I just sleep in the school library? That is so unlikely for me…

"Thank goodness, you are awake." Ariella sighed in relief. "Our next class is about to start in a few minutes, so we better move out of here if we want to make it in time."

My mind was still stuck from the vision that I had not too long ago, but seeing the serious expressions on all of my three friends' face at the moment means I have to pull myself together and get myself back to reality as soon as possible.

On the way to our class, we happen to pass by my childhood friend Dexter Woods who also looked as if he was also on his way to his class. I've never seen him since the last time I have returned his jacket to him, and that's also kind of weird for me. But I guess the school is only too big for the both of us huh.

Thankfully, he spotted us and waved his hand to greet. I did the same thing, and that's pretty much about it since we both seem to be in a hurry for our next classes. But every time I think about how my childhood friend gets a bit weirder and weirder every single time, he starts to turn into a complete stranger to me bit by bit.

My day in school is still a bit the same. Same boring classes, same strict and (mostly but not all) boring teachers either are on their task of teaching us or letting us report on certain things by group, basically us taking over their job and not getting paid for it except for our grades. 

Then after classes, my friends and I would walk together going to the school gates, if it is not our duty to be part of today's cleaners that is, and have our separate ways once we are in it. I would still need to make some lame excuses just to ditch them whenever they ask to hang out after classes and be on my merry way taking the secret route towards the rear portion of the castle.

Inside the castle, once I am done getting dressed as the fake prince, I would eventually start my daily training sessions with my mentors in every field deemed to be of importance to be his perfect impostor. 

My day would have been the same boring cycle over and over again, if it weren't for the princess of Cordova who literally shows up unannounced just like she always does before she knew that I am her fake fiance', but this time she does it more often than what is necessary.

This time, she did it one more time.

We are now in the drawing room to say our greetings to the royal visitor who currently wears a bright smile to her cute face as she looked at us with great interest… especially me.

"Do you have to show your face every single day here in the prince's castle?" Alex said, looking really annoyed seeing the princess come to visit here once again. I could understand why though, and I can't blame him for it.

"What? I brought you some food that you might like..." she still continued to play innocent while motioning for one of her servants to bring in the food that she mentioned about.

It was not much, but one servant brought in a huge picnic basket containing some of the best pastries that could only be afforded by the rich people and placed it on top of the small table between the couch facing each other.

"Look, you don't need to be so hostile towards me." she said when she sensed our growing silence around her. "I am your ally here."

"How sure are we that you are someone that we could trust, hmm?" Alex interrogated, his eyes demanded for an answer.

"Because Prince Arthur is my fiancee'." The princess said, like that should clear things up instantly. 

"Don't you ever… EVER… forget that." 

"I don't really forget…" Alex countered her words. "Yet I don't also trust somebody just because of the title they are holding."

And he started going for the door to go out of this drawing room. Yet it surprised me when he turned his head and even more when he looked into my eyes with the same pissed look he had a while ago.

"Are you coming with me or not? We have a lot to do before this day ends." he asked, quite irritated. 

"C-coming right up!" I replied. I excused myself to the other persons in this room and tried to keep up with Alex's pace as we both left the room.

Outside the castle, at the back part of it, Alex and I were really having some one of a kind intense fight that I have never experienced ever since he started training me in using my magic more accurately. And maybe, that has to do with the prince's fiance' finding out who I was.

"Are you worried?" I asked, out of nowhere, while also trying to evade one fireball thrown by the lad right towards my direction.

"Worried for what?" he asked back, his eyebrows drawn together.

"That she might turn us in and have the world know of our secret?" 

After my last statement, Alex ease up a bit and stopped throwing counter attacks on me, and so I did the same thing. He just stood there, a few feet away from me, his eyes focused on my direction.

"No…" he finally replied, looking deadly serious right now. 

"I am more worried about you…"

"Why? It's not as if she already knows who impersonates the prince, right?" 

"Not yet. But she has all the resources stored in her sleeve if she wants to."

"Right. I almost forgot about her being a royalty. How shameful of me."

After that, none of us talked for a while, and the air was filled with complete silence. It's just the chirping of the birds and the gentle howling of the wind that tries to interrupt the serenity between us at the moment.

"I am worried about something that might happen to you, now that someone already knows about you being the fake prince, worse it's a royalty who happens to be the prince's fiancee'" Alex genuinely said, her eyes screaming deep concern towards me.

And I can't help but feel grateful for that… and guilty at the same time.

"This is all my fault. You are right, I am being too reckless with my actions lately. Now, look what I got myself into." And then I ended the statement with an exasperated sigh.

"Maybe," he agreed, slightly stabbing me in the heart for admitting it. "But don't feel sorry for something that has already happened."

My eyes made their way back to his eyes once again.

"I want you to remember this day and be extra careful from now on. But you don't need to worry a damn thing…" he continued, never letting go of his stare.

"...because we all got your back, Krisella."