Pretending To Be Gilead's Prince and Master Wizard

-KRISELLA-

It was still relatively cold when I got out of the castle and started walking my way towards the school, but the signs of the snow from last winter season have already vanished from the streets to every roof of the concrete houses built in the city.

I was humming happily to myself as I walked down the path where it will lead me towards the school. Well, I have a good reason to be happy right now, since I got my monthly pay from Lancelot from the job that I am tasked to do.

But lately, this work that I am doing right now doesn't seem like work to me anymore. I am starting to enjoy it by embracing every moment that I've got to spend with my three mentors while I am still inside the castle. 

However, some part of me also wonders if what will exactly happen to me once the task that is assigned to me ends and the real prince shows himself at last? I'm sure I will be forced to move out of the castle since it is not my home after all. 

That is why I've been saving my money from my salary these past few months in case I will be asked to move out of the castle and will have to go look for a new place to stay.

Yet I wonder if that would be all that I need to worry about when that fateful day comes.

Before I knew it, I arrived in the front of Gilead Academy.

Along the hallway going to my classroom, I happen to pass by my childhood friend Dexter Woods who didn't seem to notice my presence the first time I called out his name. 

"Dexter!" I called out for the second time around. And this time, I saw him pause for a moment from thinking whatever it is as of the moment and looked in my direction.

A smile appeared on the corner of his lips.

"Krisella. Good morning." he greeted me like what he usually does whenever he sees me around. 

"Good morning to you as well," I greeted back. "It seems that you have some important thing going on inside that head of yours huh."

"Yes, there is," he replied. But I kind of notice the way he avoided having eye contact with me now and instead putting his gaze on the floor like something very interesting is placed there.

"I was thinking of a task that was given to me yet I don't actually want to do it," he continued almost in a whisper.

My forehead creased upon what he said. I wonder what kind of task is that though.

"Whatever it is, Dexter…" I said, putting a smile across my face. "Do what you think is the right thing to do in that situation." 

He looked stunned by the time he heard these words from me, but saw to it that he recovers as soon as possible.

"Thanks. I think that is kind of helpful for me," 

That was the last statement he said before excusing himself to go to his first-class. I did the same and then we immediately separated ways.

By the time I reached the classroom intended for class 1-A students like me, I greeted my classmates as enthusiastically as I could before heading out to my seat. My friends Ariella and Cailin have already been sitting in their seats by the time I arrived, but no signs of Maggie at the moment.

"That is kind of odd," I uttered as soon as I was able to walk near my friends. "Maggie has always been early for school like you guys."

"I know, right?" Ariella said with a hint of worry in her tone. "I wonder if something urgent came up to her house."

Yet despite being curious about what took her so long to go here in school, I tried not to worry that much. Maybe she happens to doze off in her sleep and lost track of time for a while. Something like that.

All of us continued to enjoy our spare time hanging out with our friends for a moment when one guy classmate of mine, to which I honestly forgot what his name is but I am seeing him being at the class president's side most of the time, suddenly entered inside our classroom looking bewildered first thing in the morning.

"Guys, something odd just came up and is currently the talk of the town!" he announced like he can't wait to spill what he knows to the whole class.

Every single student's attention who is currently inside the classroom with me was piqued and patiently waited for whatever news this guy is about to deliver to us.

"This came as a piece of official news that both Citrus Town and Siria were attacked yesterday. The incident with Citrus happened during the afternoon, and the one with Siria happened yesterday night."

I already knew about the incident with Citrus Town since I was present on the scene so I was not really surprised by it. But Siria?! Did that same black wizard attack the whole village?!

Though I already know about the first incident, I have to pretend that I was totally shocked to hear about it.

"A-and the residents?" I blurted out of nowhere, feigning my surprise. "What happened with the residents of each place you mentioned?"

It seems that my classmates were also interested to know about that matter so they stayed closer to where the guy is.

"Well, you don't have to worry about them since the prince and the magic army came to their rescue…" the guy replied happily. "They were able to rescue all of them."

I was stunned for a moment. Remembering all the dead bodies that I got to see when we visited Citrus Town, I believe we haven't really saved all of them. Yet how can the news say lies such as this? What will it gain from the people?

But then again, I need to pretend as if I didn't know any of these things I am currently thinking, or else they will raise their suspicion at me. They must not know my connection with the members of the royal council, or else I will be screwed.

"R-really? That is good news, indeed." I responded, trying my best to sound convinced with the news he had just delivered to us.

The conversation then needed to end when Mr. Pumpkin entered the room and started to have our discussion for the day. And yet when two of our classes are over, the school bell rang indicating our first break for today.

And yet still no sign of our friend Maggie in school up until now.

"I wonder where Maggie is now and why hasn't she contacted any of us about her absence from school today?" I asked the moment we all settled down at the school cafeteria.

"Yeah. I hope she is doing fine by now," Cailin seconded.

It was then when we heard Ariella sighed. 

"Maggie's family is originally from Siria but she moved here in Citadel alone to study magic at our school, at least that's what she said to me," Ariella narrated. "That is probably why she hasn't come to school today. She must have heard about the attack in her home village, and decided to go there and see how her family is doing."

Oh yeah. Based on what I already know, Maggie and Ariella have already been the best of friends ever since they were still in their elementary years. It is already not surprising to know if Ariella has some idea why Maggie is nowhere to be seen around school today.

I suddenly felt sorry for Maggie and I sincerely prayed for her parents' safety and that the magic army was there in time to save them.

"We don't have to worry about anything," I said, putting a wide, reassuring smile on my face to ease the tension. "I'm sure that the prince and the royal council are already doing something about it to keep us all safe and sound."

However, I am also not sure about that though, but I would like to place my one hundred percent trust and faith in my mentors and to the royal council that they would somehow do something about this even in the prince's absence.

"Yeah

"Yeah, Kris is right." Cailin immediately agreed to support my statement. "The Magic Army and the Royal Council would all protect us from harm, so we must not panic." 

"I really hope so," Ariella doesn't seem convinced, well given the fact that she already has trust issues once on the Magic Army and to its captain.

"I hope that this time...they would all be able to fulfill their jobs successfully."

And somehow, I understand where she's coming from…

It was nearly five in the afternoon when I came back to the castle and immediately got dressed by the time I arrived at the prince's chamber. 

By the time I arrived at the prince's office, I was already fully-dressed as the prince and caught my three mentors discussing some important matters during my absence. 

"... she mustn't know any of this to keep her safe " was what I heard from Lancelot by the time I entered the room.

Upon entering, they stopped conversing with one another.

I wonder what it is that they talked about just now.