Pretending To Be Gilead's Prince and Master Wizard

Chapter 81: A Sudden Invitation

My weekends started with the loud voice of the prince's fiancee', Princess Marionette, barging in the castle like a spoiled brat she is, bellowing my name in the process. 

And I stood by the doorway of the prince's chamber, newly awake, as I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. Clearly, it was still too early for her to bother me this way. What does she want from the prince this time?

Well, since it already came to this, I did my best to prepare and dress myself as the prince as quickly as I could. Once I was done, I went out of the room in haste, only to hear the grumpy captain of the magic army chastising the princess for being too loud this early morning and barging in without notice. 

The princess, on the other hand, countered, saying something about the prince being her fiance' and she can do anything that she pleases here before sticking her tongue out to him.

Lancelot motioned me with his eye that I should do something to stop them from further arguing. And so I did.

"Good morning, my princess," I greeted, interrupting their little, childish argument in an instant. "Apologies for arriving so late, I just woke up, to be honest."

I once assumed that the haughty princess would find it annoying and would start complaining about me getting late to see her. But surprisingly though, all she did was to beam at me sending sparkes of light right in my direction.

"I can also see that you haven't rubbed much sleep in your eyes, haven't you, my prince?" she smilingly said, but that only caused my forehead to wrinkle in front of her.

"I am not exactly sure if I understand what you mean, my princess," I replied. Confusion is surely evident in my voice right now.

The princess, on the other hand, only smirked at me before lifting her right hand up until it made its way towards my right eye and rubbed something from it. I wasn't able to hide my surprise successfully as I felt my lips parted in astonishment.

"There" she said once she thinks she's done wiping the dirt from my eye. "You are all set for the day."

Even though I do not know this girl quite well, I am pretty much sure that the prince-- wherever he may be right now-- surely is lucky enough to have this girl as his fiancee'... and later on his wife.

"T-thank you," I cursed myself mentally when I felt a stammer in my words.

Everyone was silent for the next few seconds, even my mentors who are currently standing to my left and carefully watching the scene. But when no one dared to pause the awkward silence, I decided to ask her the purpose of her sudden barging inside the castle.

I cleared my throat first before I proceeded with my plan, "Clearly, you are not only here to listen to Alex's lectures nor simply greeting me this morning. May I ask the purpose of your visit, my princess?"

And I swore, the moment after I said those words, I saw a temporary hurt flashed in her olive green round eyes before she decided to conceal it with her wide smile.

"I'd expect you'll forget, my prince, because I know you're a very busy person yourself," she said, her voice cracking a little. "But please remember that seven days from today will be my birthday, and I have invited you over as early as now."

Eh? If that is the case then her birthday would fall next Saturday!

I saw them look at each other, maybe asking if they have already told me about it, but I resisted the urge to glare at them. They always make sure to keep such details like this from me.

"...so if you don't mind and if you are not busy with your state affairs," the princess carried on with the conversation even if my mind temporarily drifted away from our conversation. 

"I was hoping you could make it to my birthday party," Princess Marionette ended with her puppy-like, olive-green eyes widening, as she pleads with all her might.

Gosh, what a cute girl she truly is. 

My right hand moved on its own and made its way towards the top of her head. And the next thing I knew is that I was gently caressing her hair for the next couple of seconds.

"My, my, I feel so helpless if you have that look that I so much admire," I blurted out of the blue. "But of course, my princess, I would be so delighted to attend your birthday party next week." 

That gesture of mine made her jump right at me and hugged me with all her might.

"What a natural playboy he is..." Lancelot mumbles something like this to the other two lads standing beside him, one hand resting on his lips.

Lucas quickly agreed. "Perhaps he is."

"Thank you, my prince!" The princess beamed before deciding to give me a peck on the cheeks all of a sudden.

Lancelot and Lucas seemed to be laughing in my peripheral vision, so I immediately turned my attention in their direction, looking right at them. How dare they mock me in situations like this.

Then I forced myself to plaster a smile once again when Princess Marionette decided to pull away from me. 

"I actually just came here to give you the invitations for my birthday. I shall not take my prince's time any further and best to take my leave right now," she said while giving each one of us her curtsy nod.

I returned the nod. "Very well then, my princess. I guess, I shall see you on your upcoming birthday."

"I look forward to seeing you on my 15th birthday next Sunday." She smiled one last time before turning around and bolting for the door. Her entourage followed right behind her in a flash.

Once I am sure that neither the princess nor her servants are present, it is time for me to confront my forgetful mentors in the prince's office.

"So, how much information about the prince's fiancee' or the people around the prince himself that I hadn't come to know yet?"I asked all three of them, feeling frustrated every time they make me a complete imbecile from situations such as this.

"Apologies if we haven't been able to thoroughly discuss such pieces of information during your orientation." Lancelot began explaining their side, looking genuinely apologetic for the lapses they have overlooked.

"But if there are things that you need to know, especially the important ones, then rest assured that we have already tackled those during your first week's stay here," he added. Still, that doesn't make any difference in our current situation.

"Until we already have found the prince yourself, you better discuss to me even the tiniest of the details so that I won't end up an imbecile in front of his acquaintances ... " I uttered, eyeing them one by one." 

My last statement ended up quite rude, I was surely aware of it. But I am beyond frustrated to mind it now.

Alex crumpled his face and looked quite upset in that spot, but he chose to stay silent. Lucas, on the other hand, pressed his lips together and looked like he was thinking of what he should say at the moment.

While they were taking their time thinking, Lancelot, on the other hand, chose to interrupt this momentarily awkward silence and speak his thoughts in a calm manner.

"I understand what you feel, and I can't blame you for feeling like that, especially since we are to blame here," he said, his voice calm and poised. 

"So let us talk about the things we haven't told you about lately so that we can equip you with proper knowledge in dealing with these important people in the prince's life."

I smiled at this kind gesture given by the archbishop despite my rude behavior earlier, "Okay. Thank you, Lancelot. And I would like to apologize for my behavior earlier. I did not mean to lash out to you like that."

He waved off his hand dismissively. "Nonsense. I know you didn't mean those things."

Aww, he truly is a man of God! An angel directly sent from heaven!

"Now, let's proceed to the discussion, shall we?" Lancelot smiled.

I returned the gesture. "Ah! Yes, please! I would love to hear more from you."

From there, we started to address important details I had to remember. 

Starting with the princess of Cordova...