30 Days As A Substitute Prince

Chapter 2

“This will never work.” Chad huffed with nerves dancing all over his body as Joshua adjusted the tunic on his shoulder. The navy blue suited him perfectly, and he couldn’t believe that only 12 hours ago, he was merely an artist wondering what his next painting will be.

Now, he was dressed as a prince with a carriage on its way and a princess in a castle waiting to see him.

“Well if you have doubts now, you’re a bit late, my friend. Zadkiel is already across the Atlantic by now.” Joshua chuckled as he adjusted his own uniform.

“Why did I agree to this again?”

“Because you and Zadkiel had been rather foolish. But I am willing to aid as best as I can until we get discovered.”

Chad gulped. As if his nerves weren’t in a shingles of mess already, Joshua just had to say something like this. But Joshua simply found pleasure in teasing him like this. Their plan had a high probability of failure, but it was indeed exciting to imagine how it would unfold.

“Do you believe we’ll fail before Zadkiel returns and sets things straight as he insisted he could?”

“Perhaps,” Joshua said, not sure about what will happen. “But if we work together, we might just do this right. Zadkiel was confident in you. So why not? Besides, you look like a prince more than Zadkiel himself.” Joshua’s attempt to lighten the mood with humour, but it fell on unfertile ground. All Chad could think about was his conversation with Zadkiel last night.

Flashback

“I would like to offer you all that your heart desires, if you do a simple favour for me,” Zadkiel said eagerly as he stared at Chad.

At first, Chad didn’t mind. If Zadkiel needed him to do something, he didn’t have a problem helping a friend. He surely didn’t need to grant him something in return to attain his help either. Chad was more than willing to help him with whatever issue without price.

“What is it that you desire for me to do?” Chad asked, his eyes shining in excitement, simply because Zadkiel’s held the same emotion.

Zadkiel then went on to explain to the artist that he was to marry a princess, and they would have a month to court before marriage. However, even being a prince, he has never set foot out of the castle.

Chad pitied him. He couldn’t begin to imagine what it must’ve been like for Zadkiel growing up, simply because a woman had all intent to hurt him and his family. All the times Chad had been on the open seas, he suddenly wished he could share it with Zadkiel. And he could, if he simply agreed to his plan.

“How may I help? I will in any way.” Chad stated confidently, feeling honored that Zadkiel trusted such an experience with him. Zadkiel’s smile grew impossibly wider as he stared Chad deep in his eyes.

“I would like for you to be me for a month. Nobody in this kingdom and mine has ever seen my face or know how I look. You could easily pass as me. You’re even more handsome.” Zadkiel laughed, but Chad found no humour in it.

He was still processing what Zadkiel had suggested. Be him? For a whole month?

Chad suddenly felt pressured and terrible, knowing he couldn’t help his friend in this way.

“With all due respect, Your Majesty, I will have to decline your request. I simply cannot. I am an artist, not a prince.”

“Oh but you could be,” Zadkiel insisted. “Think about it. If you could pretend to be me for a month, I could finally get to see the world like you and so many people have, and I promise you Chad, that when I return, you will never have to wait another year to go on a trip again. I will cover your expenses in this life and the next.”