30 Days As A Substitute Prince

Chapter 2

Zadkiel was over the moon with joy when the day had finally come.

They had spent two weeks finalizing his trip, ensuring all was ready for his departure, and every day he grew more eager. His dream was finally set into motion. He could finally be free to sail the open seas, see the wild blossom of the flowers and interact with strangers who could become lifelong friends.

Sleep had barely visited him on the night before, nor Queen Vivian as she anticipated the departure of her dear boy. She tried to remember that he'd be safe, and that no harm will ever come to him as he would be in Oryn, one of the safest and most peaceful kingdoms in all the earth.

Still, she would miss his beaming smile at the dinner table, asking her how her day went even when he had spent it fully with her. But Zadkiel is a grown young man now, and nothing will bring her more joy than attending his wedding in a little over a month.

So, their goodbyes weren't as sad as they thought it would be. It was more of a 'see you later' type of thing and Zadkiel was set on his way.

"Isn't this wonderful, Joshua?" Zadkiel asked his first in command royal guard as he watched the dancing lights of Oryn coming into view.

The two days they had been on sea had finally come to an end and Zadkiel had spent almost every passing second admiring the splash of the waves on the royal ship's base, and the open blue seas of The Pacific.

Never in his life had he thought that they'd be so beautiful, and he thought he couldn’t have ever parted with it, that is until the hint of Oryn came into sight.

At first Zadkiel was a bit uneasy, seeing the palace on the far hills where his princess and bride awaited. But he also noticed that it was a whole new city that he could explore and never be locked away ever again. Eventually the uneasiness of his new entanglement ‘to be’ got lost in the bliss of adventure and he simply couldn’t wait until he set foot on land.

"Indeed it is, Your Highness. You will surely love Oryn."

"You've been here before, Joshua? And oh please, lose the formality." They both chuckled as Joshua patted Zadkiel's back.

Despite the fact that Joshua was his royal guard, he had been Zadkiel's only true friend since he was 16. They were both young, and he never understood how his parents set such a young man to be his lead royal guard.

But then it occurred to both of them that his parents simply wanted Zadkiel to have a friend, and 30 year old guards wouldn't necessarily view young Zadkiel as an acquaintance. However, a 19 year old Joshua at the time had a greater chance at becoming more acquainted with the young prince, whilst still doing his job.

At first, Joshua tried hard to be formal and professional, but he soon grew attached to the young prince, and Zadkiel to him. They've been inseparable ever since, and they only displayed professionalism with each other when they were in the presence of other guards or Zadkiel's parents.

"I have been to Oryn once, but it was only for a day. A beautiful city is indeed, and with the friendliest people in all the Kingdoms."

"Do you think we would have time to go sightseeing before we go to the palace?" Zadkiel asked like an enthusiastic child.

"Maybe. We are to stay at an Inn tonight and arrive early tomorrow to meet the royal family. There will be a carriage awaiting us at the port, but maybe we could take a spin around town first." Joshua had a mysterious glint in his eyes as his lips pulled upwards.

Zadkiel knew this look quite well. He only ever saw it when Joshua was willing to bend the rules and risk his job for a while, in order to grant Zadkiel some crazy request.

"When I should have my first child, I will surely name him Joshua," Zadkiel joked with a glint in his eyes, as the two men gazed at the outgoing waves of Oryn's shores.

The sun had already set on the West as the ship drew to shore, and the carriage had already been waiting when Zadkiel and Joshua alighted the ship. Their luggage was sent on a separate cargo and had already been sent to the palace. Joshua was the only guard sent with Zadkiel, as they entrusted King Andreas’ guards to do the job just as well. Besides, Queen Vivian didn’t want her son to feel as if he was a child being followed. She trusted him to be the adult he was trained to be.

A man who looked like he was about forty years old stood tall beside the carriage that had been waiting. He wore a red tunic and crisp black trousers as he stood with his hands folded behind his back and his shoulders squared. His face held a gentle smile, and it was quite obvious that he was one of the King's guards.

"Your Highness." He bowed respectfully as Zadkiel approached. "Welcome to Oryn. The King and Queen are pleased to have your acquaintance. I believe your trip was good, despite the setback?"

Indeed, their trip was a few hours late, as they were meant to arrive at noon. Instead, it was well after six p.m. when they arrived.

"The trip was lovely, my kind sir. Thank you."

Joshua cleared his throat, feeling grateful that it was only one man instead of a legion of guards. If that was the case, his and Zadkiel's plans would've been threatened. "Thank you for your patience thus far. I will take over from here and take His Highness to the Inn until morning. If you don’t mind."

The guard's lips pulled into a forced smile as he too cleared his throat. "Forgive me, but I have strict orders to protect and take His Highness to-"

"Do you dare suggest that I cannot protect my own Prince? I have, a matter of fact, been doing so for years."

The guard looked conflicted, and Zadkiel remembered how harsh Joshua could be at times. " I'm sure you must be tired after waiting here for six and a half hours. What my dear friend is trying to say is, he will assure my safety at the Inn, and my early arrival at the palace in the morning to meet the royal family and get settled in. Isn’t that what you had tried to say, Joshua?"

Joshua forced a smile and nodded. "You must head home. Get something to eat."

"Do you know where the Inn is?" The guard couldn't hide how much he loved the idea. The last thing he wanted to do was drive them to the Inn in the heart of the island, drive all the way back to the palace and then only would he get to go home. He could see himself passing out from exhaustion and hunger.

"Of course. The most prestigious Inn that only houses the most exquisite of guests. Imperial Inn, I presume?"

"Why, yes."

"You need not fret yourself. I personally will ensure your job's safety if this should cause a problem to arise," Zadkiel added, taking the persuasion all the way home.

"Very well then." He beamed, loving the idea of finally getting to return home to his wife and beautiful children. He hoped to run home and enjoy some of his wife's famous stew, and the thought alone sent his empty stomach rumbling.

"I'll see you kind sirs in the morning then." The guard beamed, already appreciating the kindness of the man who will surely reign as king one day. "Have a great night."

"Oh we surely shall," Zadkiel mumbled under his breath as the guard turned on his heels. He shared a look with Joshua as they gazed at the awaiting carriage.

The horses huffed and kicked their hooves against the ground impatiently, apparently being sick of standing in the same spot for so long.

Zadkiel and Joshua felt like two fifteen year old brothers, who just talked their parents into doing something rude and mysterious, and had finally gotten their manipulative way.

"Where shall we go first?" Zadkiel asked in glee as he joined Joshua in the front seat.

"We can simply go sight seeing. The town is especially alive at this hour."

Zadkiel knew that he would've agreed with whatever Joshua suggested. He was so eager to enjoy this one night of freedom before he is swept away to perform yet another duty that might, but doesn’t have to tie him to the inner walls of a palace once again.

Joshua hadn’t been lying when he said the town would've been alive. It was the most beautiful thing Zadkiel had ever seen.

Music filled almost every corner as beaming villagers conversed and danced with one another. Illuminated lights hung from lines, which magically lit the streets. They seemed different from what he was used to. Unlike the boring fire that he knew, these were different. The people managed to carve out colourful lanterns and set the fire in each one, making them a unique glow of red, blue and even green.

It all made him wonder, was his kingdom back home just as alive and wonderful as this? Was this what he had been missing out on all his life?

He hated that one woman caused him to miss out on so much. One woman who he had never met and didn’t even have a motive for hating his family...

"What's that?" Zadkiel asked as his eyes caught something.

They had left the carriage to rest about a mile back, and had been walking through the town since then. Joshua followed his friend's gaze to the center of Maoz Bridge where a man stood with a huge canvas in front of him as he furiously drove a small brush over it, making strokes swiftly and skillfully.

The act drew Zadkiel's attention, and he found himself inching closer to the man. He had his back turned, but the tenseness in his shoulder showed anyone that he was focused and was putting more than enough passion into his art.

Zadkiel stood a few feet away as he watched the man go, and he even caught glimpses of his other works that sat beside him on the ground. The one he had been painting was a beautiful picture of the open seas, along with the castle that was far off in the view in front of them.

Swiftly, the picture became clearer, and Zadkiel knew he just couldn’t stay quiet any longer.

"Excuse me," he called softly, grabbing the man's attention from his work. Zadkiel thought he would've been annoyed by the interruption, but instead, the man beamed brightly at the both of them.

Sudden nerves rose in his chest. Zadkiel had never had a normal conversation with someone out of the royal staff before. The artist's eyes were warm and welcoming, greeting them silently under the radiant moonlight.

He was about to speak to a stranger. This was what he had wanted, but when he was put in the position, he felt nervous.

He noticed Joshua retreating with a knowing and playful look on his face as he prompted his friend to make acquaintance with this stranger. Joshua wanted this for Zadkiel too--to have a normal life. As normal as a royal's life could get.

"Uh. Forgive me for interrupting. But I couldn’t help but notice your art," Zadkiel said, mentally praising himself for a start in conversation. So far so good.

"Thank you. I try to make each work in its own beauty. I never try to make one like the other. Each piece requires its own technique and its own level of love." The way the man spoke shocked Zadkiel. He had a passion for what he did, and it was quite obvious.

It made Zadkiel wonder, what was he passionate about? He had no passion, as he had barely gotten the chance to explore his true self.

"Do you sell them?"

"I do." The artist nodded with a chuckle and Zadkiel felt dumb for asking such an obvious question. “But when I meet someone who looks at my work like that, I can't help but gift it to them."

Zadkiel's eyebrows shot up in shock at his generosity. “You’re gifting it to me? But why?"

"Just a hunch," he said as he turned towards the painting with his paintbrush in hand. "And who should I make it out to?"

"Uh, Prince Zadkiel," he provided, and the local artist froze as he whipped his head around with wide eyes.

Prince? He had been speaking to a prince this causally? Surely, he had recognized his attire and acknowledged that he wasn’t a local, as he didn’t recognize his face. But the artist's mind was far from someone as great as a prince.

"Forgive me, Your Highness." He bowed respectfully, but Zadkiel quickly brushed it off. The last thing he needed was another person viewing him as a prince and not a friend.

"No need. I apologize for misleading you. And if you don’t mind, I would like to purchase this piece. It is surely too lovely to be gifted without price."

"I insist. It would be an honour simply to have my work hanging on a palace wall. Please, let me gift it to you," the man insisted, and Zadkiel smiled even wider at his kindness. He quickly signed the painting, addressing it to Prince Zadkiel before laying his signature beneath.

"What is your name?" Zadkiel suddenly realized that he had been speaking to a nameless person.

"Chad," he replied swiftly. "Chad Gastin, Your Highness."

"Please, lose the formality." Zadkiel laughed. "I've had enough to last me a lifetime, and I see you as a friend now, Chad."

"Me?" Chad chuckled. "But why?"

"Your kindness for sure." Zadkiel gestured to the now drying painting before meeting Chad's eyes again.

They were bright and blue as the night sky in excitement and honour. He had met a lot of people in his time painting here on Moaz Bridge, some unpleasant but most lovely and friendly. But he had never met someone of such high status before, not to mention offering him friendship!

"It's the least I can do. Your humble nature would've fooled me into thinking you were a mere villager like me. I would be honoured to accept your proposal of friendship. Are you here temporarily?"

A small frown replaced Zadkiel's smile when he remembered why he had been to Oryn in the first place. He wasn’t dreading marriage to the princess, but the simple yet lovely meeting of Chad and the formation of a new friendship made him long to explore and gain more. This had been one of the most ecstatic experiences in his life--meeting a friend and speaking as a normal person would.

But soon, he'll be married and soon after be coronated as king, and he would only have his wife and guards as his friends, much like his life prior to marriage.

"I am here to stay." Zadkiel finally provided, but Chad couldn’t understand his sudden fall in mood.

"That is good, is it not?"

"It could," was all Zadkiel said, but desperately wanted to change the subject. He didn’t want to spoil his only night of freedom with thoughts about what tomorrow will bring.

Luckily, Chad noticed the drop in topic and they fell into a moment of comfortable silence.

Zadkiel eyed each canvas that was leaned against the base of the bridge, and something in each painting stood out. They all seemed like they had been painted in different parts of the world, as no two paintings looked the same, neither did they resemble Oryn.

"Tell me, Chad. Do you travel?"

The mention of travel sparked life in Chad's thoughts as he followed the prince's gaze to the paintings. "Indeed. I try to make a trip every year. I save as much as I can, and book my ticket to some far away place. Each place I go, I paint my favorite feature. The Americas were my favorite."

A pang of jealousy took Zadkiel by surprise, but he couldn’t help but admire it all. There were eight paintings in total, meaning Chad had been traveling for eight years.

"My first trip was when I was only fifteen. My elder sister took me away with her, as she was planning on leaving Oryn to find a new home. I couldn’t stay away from my home, but I fell in love with the seas and new places."

"And you are planning a new trip this year, I assume?"

"I am," Chad confirmed. "I have almost saved all the money I need."

Zadkiel nodded in admiration for what he does. He was surely a man of adventure, someone he hoped to be all his life. And then, a crazy idea invaded his thoughts, and he thought he had been losing his mind. But the very essence of it stirred excitement and hope in his body, until he felt like laughing when his stomach churned in joy.

He took a while to study Chad's features. They both were somehow of the same build and height, except Chad towered over him a little by at least an inch. He was a handsome man indeed, and he carried himself quite decent too. His features were soft but held a keen masculinity and trust that could easily win anybody over.

He was a perfect match for Zadkiel's crazy thoughts, and who else to ask than a man who had proven to be a kind, well rounded man with specks of similarity in both their personalities?

It was settled then. With a beaming smile and hunch that it could possibly work, he turned towards Chad rested his hand on his shoulders.

"My dear friend, I think I might have a proposal for you."