30 Days As A Substitute Prince

Chapter 20

In the moment of truth, a lot can be felt. 

Guilt for whatever truth has been revealed to the surface, fear for the outcome of such events and shame of not knowing sooner. But most of all, it can be an eye opener.

Even with all the signs in front of you, sometimes it's easy to miss.

 Queen Sylvia and King Andreas were feeling that very thing when Aria told them all about Heather. They were frozen in their spot. 

“So are you saying that a woman has been in this castle uninvited, and no one has realised?” Andreas asked as he leant forward. 

Aria nodded. “Yes. The prince told me a few days ago, but he wanted to keep it quiet for Joshua’s sake.”

“Joshua?” Sylvia echoed in fear. She as well as everyone else knew what this could mean for Tina. 

The one time Tina embraced love, she could be heart broken. Everyone knew for sure that she would never try to embrace it again if their assumptions of Joshua are indeed true.

“Yes,” Aria whispered as she hung her head. Andreas couldn’t believe it. In fact, he didn’t want to. He kept his eyes shut as he spoke again. 

“He was just here, requesting pardon for a few days away from the castle. I should’ve known.”

“You couldn’t have, my dear,” Sylvia tried to assure him. She was right. They couldn’t have known. 

“A few days away?” Aria couldn’t hear anything else but that. “Whatever for?” 

“He claims it was personal. Family issues,” Sylvia sighed, feeling quite fooled for missing it. 

“Of course.” Aria pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. “Where is the prince anyway? He should’ve been back by- “ 

Aria’s words were cut off immediately when a deafening scream ripped through the air and got them all on high alert. It sounded like Liziath, and the three were out of the room before the scream even ended. 

They dashed for the end of the hall and were prepared to descend it, when they all stood frozen in their place. 

Liziath stood at the bottom of the stairs with her eyes wide and streaming with tears, with gathering staff inching closer after hearing the scream too. But what struck the most, was the prince who was laying in front of her with blood dripping from his forehead and his body still. 

Aria’s feet went weak, and she felt herself falling before her father’s arms caught her. 

Her eyes watered and her mouth parted. She wanted to scream and cry but nothing came. Silent rivers flowed down her cheeks as she watched him—just lying there, unmoving and bleeding. 

“Oh my God!” 

All heads turned to Tina as she entered the room, and the king and queen slowly began to descend the stairs with Aria still in his hands. The closer she got, the more her heart broke. 

He was pushed. She knew it. And she knew it was one out of two people. 

“Someone get Joshua!” Tina screamed as reality dawned on them all. A rare sight of Tina’s eyes watering could be seen in that moment, and Liziath was simply standing to the side—traumatised. 

She had been the one who found him and she had been frozen in her state ever since. 

Tina rushed into action and immediately stooped beside him. She quickly checked for a pulse, and sighed in relief when she felt a light thud.