Pretending To Be Gilead's Prince and Master Wizard

Another boring day has come at the castle. Being stuck in here with nothing to do but to train and to impersonate someone else could be a little bit more draining than what I had imagined.

I was eating breakfast with my mentors Lucas and Lancelot when Alex decided to show up at the last minute where our food is almost consumed. My eyes momentarily went up and met his gaze for a split second before he looked away.

Well, I am so glad that he is okay now.

"Feeling better now?" I asked curiously with a smirk plastered on my face.

He just sat down on his chair when he heard me and immediately froze to his place. Well, honestly I almost forgot that he doesn't want to let the others know that he has been sick for a day and also the fact that I took care of him.

Oopsy, slip of the tongue, I guess.

"I'm fine," he said, as cold as ice and ignored me for the rest of our breakfast.

However, Lancelot started asking questions of his condition yesterday like a worried father to him.

And for that reason, I did not miss the chance to see his pissed face as he sneaked a glance in my direction. I am definitely lying if I say that I do not enjoy watching his distress at the moment.

I faced Alex's wrath earlier the moment we began our magic training sessions. He started being so aggressive during our practice fights that I was beginning to think that he was actually planning to kill me right here and there.

"Okay, let's take a break… let's take a--- Woah!"

I attempted to ask for a momentary break from our intense training when Alex decided to throw his one last fireball right towards me. I was lucky enough to dodge it on time and hit the fire-proof wall of the castle.

"Are you actually planning to kill me?!" I asked in disbelief.

"No," he said, pausing for a moment to catch his breath. "But I know your enemies are, so you got to stay prepared and alert all the time."

"Glad to know you are finally well huh." 

Alex motioned one of the servants to bring us some refreshments before the woman left our presence to get us something to replenish our thirst. It was then when the atmosphere between us went in silence.

"Am I being too rough on our training?" I was slightly shocked to hear him ask this question all of a sudden.

"Hell yes!" I bellowed without having second thoughts. He looked at me nonchalantly.

"You don't have to shout, you know. I'm just a few feet away from you."

"Oh, right. Sorry."

After that, no one dared to speak. It's as if the surroundings between us went from being casual to being awkward all of a sudden that it's making me somehow uncomfortable. Is it my time to depart from here and let him be alone?

With these thoughts running inside my head, I was about to get back on my feet and walk back inside the castle when I heard him clear his throat. By the time I turned to look at him, he looked like he had something to say to me. And so I waited patiently for him to spill it.

"Before I forget, I just wanted to say that my grandmother's birthday is coming right up… this coming Saturday. Usually, it is only us that celebrates her birthday, but…"

From the floor, he lifted his face up and met my gaze once more. That made me curious of his parents' whereabouts, or if his parents are still with us up to this moment. But I figured out it is best for me to not ask that particular question straight in his face.

"... I did not know what came into her head to include you into our small celebration this time. And she really insisted for you to come when I visited her once last week, or else I will be kicked out of the house if I didn't bring you around," he added, his face reeking of annoyance upon remembering his grandmother's words to him when he once visited her house to check on her.

I chuckled secretly at the back of my head upon imagining Alex's grandmother threatening him for real. Oh, that must be so cute for her. And I feel really touched to know that she did invite me on her birthday this year.

"Sure, I will be glad to come," I said, smiling wholeheartedly in front of him. That made him look away instantly for some reason.

"Good. I just don't want to disappoint my grandmother, that's why I invited you in the first place. That's all."

"It's not like I asked for a reason, right?"

"Will you just shut up?"

From a smile, it turned out to be a heartfelt laugh for seeing the captain of the magic army acting this way in front of a commoner like me. 

Our conversation had to end there when the same servant from earlier came back with the refreshments Alex asked from her earlier. And then after that quick break, we went back into training.

That night, I had another odd dream. Something that I really don't understand about.

In my dream, I am seeing a figure of a stranger walking in the middle of the woods. His face is kind of blurry, but I could definitely tell that this is a man I am currently looking at right now.

This little man, for he is not that tall like Alex or Lucas, is passing at the heart of the forest when something delayed him all of a sudden. There were hundreds of soldiers, all looked like they are not from our country, now blocking this man's path, preventing him from further going to wherever his destination is.

"Let me through!" the man demanded. Funny, it seems that I am hearing slightly of my voice from him.

"No,"said the leader of the soldiers whose face is hidden under his helmet.

"Your life ends today!"

As I tried my best to examine the face of this stranger, it was then when my senses instantly woke up, making my body arising from the bed in an instant while blurting out the name that I didn't even expect to hear from my mouth.

"Prince Arthur!"

Ever since that weird dream I had, I can't seem to bring myself to sleep. Hence, I decided to get out from the prince's chamber and looked for the captain of the magic army to consult with him about the dream that I just had and asked what that might possibly mean.

I grabbed the invisibility cap that Alex gave to me the other day from my bag and started walking down the hallways towards Alex's room. I know it is really not appropriate to go into someone else's room just like that, especially a guy's room, yet I don't have a choice either.

"Alex--"

As soon as I went to his room, I was really surprised not to see him there. My forehead creased in an instant.

Where could he be at this time of the day?

By carefully thinking about it, a place suddenly pops out inside my head. He must be in that place, I am sure of it.

I spent the next few minutes walking down the castle hallways once again to look for Alex and the prince's secret hideout. For a second, I nearly forgot where to locate it if it weren't for my clumsiness pressing something against the wall that opened the passageway towards their secret hideout.

Looking at it, I wasted no time and hurriedly went inside, making the entrance closed as soon as I got in. After minutes of struggling to climb down the steep staircase, I finally reached my destination. And I thankfully found Alex scribbling down some notes inside his notebook.

"Alex!" I called out.

His eyes widened upon seeing me here.

"Why are you here at this time of the day? You should be sleeping!"

"That goes the same for you, mister," I countered.

He only sighed then ignored me once again and went back to what he was doing.

"As you can see, I am pretty much busy right now. So if you have something to say, just tell it to me right away to avoid wasting each other's time here."

Alex said these things without sparing me a look.

I tried to think of how I should deliver the reason why I am here in the first place, fearing that he might think odd of me by the time I spill it. Dreaming of someone that you are not even related to is kind of weird, right?

"Well?" Alex asked, his tone being impatient already.

"I…" My mouth paused for a moment. What the hell is wrong with me?

"Hmm?"

"I dreamed of Prince Arthur just now!" 

I finally spoke what's on my mind without stopping. That immediately caught the captain's attention.

"What did you just say?"

"I said I dreamed of Prince Arthur just now, whether you believe or not… I saw him in my dreams, Alex."

His attention was piqued, a good indication that he is willing to listen to me now for whatever I am going to say next.

"Alright. Let's hear it."