A Substitute For The Crown.

"It is time for you to awaken, your highness." A lady stated, after giving three quick taps against the door. Upon hearing no response, a dramatic sigh escaped her lips. "The potential heir to the throne, indeed-How I wish he could behave more like royalty!" She cursed, staring at the door intently, nearly making One to presume that her vision could permit her to stare through solid objects. She slicked her blonde hair elegantly beneath her ears; all the while maintaining the item which she brought up with the other. "What causes you to rave so early in the morning, Indel?" A man inquired, as he made his way towards her. Indel's green eyes furrowed lightly when she noticed who It was that approached. Putting on the uniform of the imperial guards, his black hair slicked back, a sword dangling from his waist, was none other than.. The man that irked her the most. "Zephyr." She muttered, while eyeing him. "If only you knew how responsible that uniform made you look." She stated, as the man came to stand beside her. "Well, thank you for that compliment- how rare of you." He stated, a smug look on his face. Well, there was aspect of the clothing that made it exceptional from the rest- and that was the golden tag, which was shaped like a diamond. It was attached to his left chest area. The maid also had a gold tag as well, which was pinned to her apron. This symbolized the servitude to his royal highness- The crown prince.

 "Is he still not awake yet?" Zephyr asked, as he stared at the door. Indel glared at him. "You noticed me standing before the door- does that not pose an indirect answer to your question?" She replied, while gazing at him. "Who knows, perhaps the reason why reason he is yet to open the door is due to that obnoxious face of yours." He muttered, while folding his hands. "Zephyr." A voice that sounded as though it came from a bottomless abyss called out to him. The man turned his head, only to behold his nearest neighbor glance at him with a grin on her face. "Do you see what It is in my hands?" She inquired, tilting the medium sized silver bowl at him. Zephyr arched a brow. "It is a bowl; what else could it be?" "And what does it constitute?" She asked once more. Zephyr glanced at the colorless fluid, before sighing. "It is water." He responded, in a monotone voice. "Thank goodness, you are not half as dimwitted as I assumed you would be." Indel continued. Zephyr shot an unkind glare in her direction. "I wonder what would happen if I 'accidentally' tripped and poured this boiling hot water on you?" She asked, in a voice full of curiosity. Zephyr glanced at her for a while, before increasing the distance between them Both. If she was intent on performing an action, then she will surely do it. The maid ignored him; and proceeded to knock on the door for one final time. This time, the door creaked open slowly. "You had me worried, your highness. What took you long to respond?" Indel asked, as he glanced at the man who had opened the Door halfway. "Just come in." He said, in an exhausted voice.

 Zephyr blinked at the man, who just sat before the table, his hands folded, a desperate expression on his face. Before him on the table laid a parchment and a quill, but there was nothing written on it. Indel however, did not care too much about her master's countenance, she just carried about performing her usual duties. The basin which she brought had already been placed at his bedside; it was his choice if he wanted to use it or not. "Is there something that bothers you, your highness?" Zephyr inquired, as he glanced away awkwardly. When he raised his head, his eyes came into contact for a brief moment with that of Indel's , but she was the first to break her gaze. "You just had to inquire, didn't you?" She muttered to herself, although the two men did not overhear her. Regaris threw his head back, while sighing. "Nothing of importance. It is just that a certain persona is ignoring me, at the moment." He groaned, as he ran his fingers through his Hair. "And I do not know the best way to address her." He mumbled angrily, as he stared at the blank paper before him. Indel gave a light exhale. 'What could be the issue with her at the moment?' Zephyr thought, as he walked towards the prince. "Your highness, you need not bother yourself over such an issue." He began, with a smile on his face. "Who would dare to ignore you by the way? The future king of Agerintia?" Zephyr stated, his voice rising. "If you so permit, I shall find them, and deliver a punishment to them personally; even hang their heads upon the castle.." "You shall do no such thing." Regaris exclaimed, his voice grave. "Your highness?" Zephyr uttered, in a slightly confused tone. He meant to comfort Regaris, not serve to infuriate him further. And the manner in which Regaris glared at him, made him feel a slight sense of unease. "I have never stumbled upon someone who is more pleased at the sound of his own voice as you are." Indel, who had just finished spreading the bedding, chimed in. "Well, unlike you, I am actually trying to show some concern here; as a testament of my loyalty." Zephyr quoted, a proud smile on his face. Indel decided to ignore his rambling tongue, and proceeded to walk up to the man instead. "Your highness, this is not the time to fixate your consciousness upon such trivial affairs."The latter quipped, as she placed a small towel on the table. "You detest when your water is cold, correct me If I am wrong?" She interrogated, inserting her finger into the water. "You speak as though you know the identity of the one who made his highness despondent." Zephyr stated, rendering a suspicious gaze towards Indel. "Well, I am aware, and you would not have ran your tongue off like that, if you knew the bond his highness shares with that person." Indel replied, with a shrug of her shoulders. "Indel." Regaris Called out to her lightly. Indel glanced at the prince for a brief moment, before shifting her gaze to a random object in the room. "Why won't I? That person is the only one that was so much opportuned to receive a letter from his highness anyways." Indel commented, before gazing from one man to the other. "It would have been much better if he attempted to form diplomatic ties with the other nations, rather than whiling his time away." Indel continued, all the while avoiding eye contact with the prince. "If someone heard you at the moment, they may mistake me for some miscreant." Regaris stated, with twitching lips. "I only seek to increase your productivity, your highness." Indel replied, blinking innocently at him. "Of whom do you speak of?" Zephyr stated, nearly vociferating due to the suspense his two colleagues had imposed on him. "You do not need to know." Regaris stated, solemnly. "The only reason why Indel is Come across this knowledge is due to her cunning nature." The prince stated, in addition. A smile came upon Indel's face as soon as she heard that. "But your highness.." Zephyr came before him, a wronged look on his face. Regaris stared at him for a while, before sighing. "It is a damsel I have taken a liking to." He responds curtly, while Zephyr's eyes became as wide as a saucer. "I have sent her countless letters numerous times, but she has not responded to one." He added, in a melancholic tone. 'This is going to prove counterproductive at the end.' Indel sighed inwardly, as she glanced at the prince. 'If his mental state remains like this for too long, I am afraid..' "Why do we not use the policy we implemented the previous time, your highness." She spoke suddenly. Regaris cast his gaze at her. "Are you certain? But.." "The issue is that I am more engaged with daily routines, in contrast to the previous time." She said, with a smile. "But perhaps they might be someone else who may be of assistance?" She turned towards Zephyr as she said this.

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 "Your highness, I am afraid that I cannot do this." Zephyr stated, with a pale face. "Why not?" Indel asked, as she tilted her head at the man, her hands folded. "Was it not I who disguised as his highness the previous time? And you were even by my side during the whole period; did you expect that I was an infiltrator?" She asked. "No, I did not." Zephyr replied, as he gazed at her direction. "And I may have still been delusional have you not informed me." He added. "Can you not do this one favor for his highness? It is not as though your schedule is frozen today." She pressed on, before a smile came to her lips. "I was of the opinion that you were loyal?" She asked. Zephyr involuntarily clenched his fists, before peeking at Regaris, of whom had a displeased expression on his face. "Alright." He stated finally, after having to endure the internal battle for so long an interval. Indel was inwardly jubilant; this man had always succumbed to pressure. "That is settled, then." Regaris said, as he gave a light clap; a smile slowly forming since the first time they had entered the room. "You know my daily routine, do you not?" He asked, as he glanced at the latter. Zephyr shook His head. "I do, your highness." He said, while glancing up. 'I literally follow you everywhere.' "It is not about knowing the routine; but can he perfect your mannerisms?" Indel asked, as she walked up Close to the man. Zephyr flinched- that was, another problem of his own. "I shall make my best attempt." Zephyr muttered, in a low tone. "When I cosplayed his highness, no one suspected a thing, from the advent of it all towards its conclusion." Indel stated, as she lightly placed her hand on Zephyr's face, before whispering softly. "Not even you, his loyal aide." She added, gazing at the knight pitifully. "You do know that we could be both executed by impersonating a member of the imperial family." Zephyr complained, through gritted teeth. "Which is exactly why you have to remain vigilant, darling." Indel said with a smile, rendering two small pats to the man's face. Regaris however, fumbled in his closet; not according any sort of attention to his knight and maid. "Zephyr, I shall be needing of your clothing." Regaris told them, after emerging from his closet. It was spacious, large enough for him to even sleep in. "The ones within my possession are too extravagant." He added, while scurrying over to the silver bowl at his bedside. A slight frown came to his face as his skin made contact with the water within. "Indel." He called out suddenly. "This will surely have to be reheated- it is frigid." The poor maid could only glance at her master, her eyes trailing to the basin, before a helpless sigh escaped her lips.

 Not too long afterwards, the trio eventually met at the Same location. "But.. your highness, you know quite well that I do not possess magic." Zephyr commented, a slight smile on his face, as he took the ear-ring the prince offered to him. "There is no cause for agitation- I have already poured in enough essence to last the entire day." Regaris explained, as the man put the artifact on. A soft glow emanated from the item, spreading from his ear, before enveloping his entire being. Regaris nodded his head; before him stood his identical twin- it gave the feel of gazing at one's own reflection; same height,physique, complexion- not a single detail was left out. The artifact even enhanced the ligaments of Zephyr's vocal cords, to enable him sound similar to the crown prince. "But what shall we do about those?" Indel inquired, referring to Zephyr's deep blue eyes. "Here." Regaris simply stated, as he threw a bracelet into the knight's direction. "That brown magic stone at the middle should convert your eyes to my deep brown color." The prince explained, while Indel assisted Zephyr to secure the lock. Sure enough, there was a brown, jewel like structure at the middle of the ornament. Regaris had derived the concept after being fascinated by Natasha's ring. The knight immediate felt an irritating sensation in his eyes, which caused him to shut them temporarily. When he opened them, however, he noticed a black haired man with Red eyes standing before him. "All, the best, Zephyr." The man stated, as he hurriedly fastened a hood over himself. "I shall make haste to return, peradventure any mishap were to occur." He added, before jumping off his bedroom window. "I shall let you be now, your highness." Indel said with a smirk, before taking her leave.

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 "I have gotten this far without any difficulties; I should be able to gain entrance." Regaris mused, as he adjusted the hood on his head. But there was one thing that he had underestimated- and that was the high rate of security at the Raymond manor. The man exhaled a puff of air. "It cannot be helped then." He quipped, before walking up to the guard. He was by no means surprised therefore, when a baton was placed before him. "Halt. State your business here." An uncontrollable grin came to Regaris face, as he heard that. "My Business?" He asked, as he took off his hood. "Does this serve to answer your question?"

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 'Regaris' yawned loudly as he laid on the bed. "I never expected being a crown prince to be so uninteresting." He muttered, as he sat up on the bed. He had already completed half of the Crown prince's daily routine, and fortunately for him, nothing had made this scheme to come tumbling down hill. He had even lost Count of the number of times he had engaged with the mirror, out of sheer boredom. 'His highness needs a bit more entertainment in his life; no wonder he was so eager to sneak out of the castle." He spoke to himself, as he stood before the mirror, tugging at his left cheek. He had always marveled at the things magic was capable of; and It seemed like he was there was yet even more things that captivated him, which he was yet to learn about. Feeling a slight sting from the cheek which he had pulled, he proceeded to sit before the prince's table. But all the same, there were quite some advantages as well such as- all the exquisite cuisines which the crown prince was subjected to, which he shall never again get a taste of, unless Regaris decided to offer him some of the leftovers. Although, if he were to admit, he had to control himself from devour his food like an unrestrained beast, and also.. leave behind some leftovers- Regaris never once finished an entire meal, anyway. "I shall probably be hanged by the gallows tommorow." Zephyr said, as he rested his head on one hand, eyes closed, seemingly in meditation. "Or will I face the blade of the executioner instead?" He asked no one In particular, a slight frown nestling upon his feautures as he fantasized about all the possible ways he would likely die. This one thought was good enough to prevent him from making a blunder, which he would have performed countless times already. "Hmm?" He mumbled, as he heard a knock on the door. "Your highness, his imperial majesty would like to meet with you." A bulter reported, from the other end of the door. "Is that truly the case?" Zephyr asked, while trying to maintain Regaris's demanor. "Yes, your highness." The butler replied. "Do tell father to be patient; I shall see with him shortly." Zephyr stated, as he gazed at His own reflection. The butler bowed at the other end of the door. "As you wish, your highness." After ensuring that the butler had indeed departed, the reflection of Regaris in the mirror became contorted, as though he were holding back, an unspeakable pain. "Your highness.." His fist trembled on the table, while he conversed with the face he saw in the mirror. "I would have very much preferred, if you killed me instead!"

 Not too long afterwards, after sighing and grumbling to himself, to the extent that he actually believed that he was raving himself insane, he eventually summoned the courage to go beyond the boundaries of his room, stepping into the audience hall. It was grand and magnificent; the very same room of which the King became acquaintance with the wife of Diego, Diane. It was so structured to be Able to contain several people at once; even if the advisor of the king, the ones to be trialed, and all twelve members of the council were to be present, alongside the sixteen members of the jury which advocated for the cause of those who were wronged, they would still be, an abundance of space. Seated on a flight of stairs, overseeing everything from above, was the king himself Wenesk Aerinth. "Your highness." A man called out, as soon as Zephyr had shut the door. Zephyr simply nodded at him, not having the time to identify who the persona was. He had already noticed a potential issue; which made him to delve into another round of inward cussing. "Fa- your majesty." He bowed, maintaining his posture. "You may have my permission to ascend." The king consented, although his eyebrows were still furrowed deeply. "What kept you for so long?" He heard that whisper in his ears, after he eventually ascended the steps. "Ah, forgive me, your majesty- but I was caught unawares by.. unforseen circumstances." Zephyr mumbled, while massaging the skin of his neck, his head bowed. 'I wonder If that is good enough for an excuse?' He said within his being, while giving a quick glance to the unfamiliar man, who stood before him. 'Stunted in height, murky hair of a brown color, a deceitful look upon his face... I Most certainly have not met such a person before.' He affirmed, before hanging casually placing his hands before his back, as the crown prince usually did. "Regaris." An infuriated hiss caught his attention once more. "Why do you stand there? Do you wish to bring shame upon the imperial name?" The king asked, while seething. Zephyr gulped unconsciously- if he was not careful, he might get incinerated just by the king's gaze. "Ah, Pardon me, your majesty." He muttered in haste, as he quickly altered his position. The king glanced at him for a while- his son had been standing beside his throne since he attained eight years of age. What was the probability of him making such an uncanny mistake? "Do you take recognition of who he is?" The king interrogated, causing Zephyr to Nearly tumble down the stairs. "Well, your majesty.. I.." Zephyr stumbled over his words for some time. "I am Oslan Kentrice, your highness." The man bowed. After introducing himself. "Minister of foreign trade and diplomacy. I had the privilege of making acquaintance with his highness, two months prior.. I am saddened that you do not remember me, I must say. " A bead of sweat rolled down Zephyr's face.

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 "Stay silent, by all means." Regaris said, while apprehending the young butler by the collar. He placed an index finger to his lips, as though the initial warning was not enough. The poor butler could only nod helplessly in return, anything that could release him from the clutches of death. He had not expected that taking a quick detour would lead him to this current situation. He did not even know who this red- eyed man was, irregardless of announcing to the Household that there was an infiltrator in the abode. "Goodness, I was at the brink of losing control for a moment, there." Regaris exhaled, as he dropped the terrified creature on the ground. Average humans could not be recklessly exposed to magic, without the appropriate protection. In the midst of a sudden explosion, their bodies would probable explode like a nuclear bomb- and this was no day to be cleaning blood off the hallways. "You." He said suddenly, making the man to flinch. "Get me a set a uniform of your kind, this instant."

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 A certain individual emerged from a corridor, glancing around cautiously, before stepping into the main hallway. Still In the process of adjusting his cufflinks, He could not Help but turn towards his newly formed accomplice, with a smile on his face. "I look good, do I not?" He asked, with a smile. "Sir look as majestic as ever." The butler gave a low whimper, while bundling the clothes in his arms. "There is no cause for you to worry; I do not intend to cause harm." Regaris stated, when he noticed the manner of which the man fidgeted. "Of course, understood." The poor man replied, glancing towards the pattern works on the ground. "Do you recall where we agreed to meet?" Regaris inquired, as while gazing at him directly in the eye. "Yes, at the orchard." The man replied, with much confidence this time. "You shall receive your clothing there, without fail." He assured the prince. Regaris nodded his head contentedly. "Now, would you kindly lead me to where the kitchen is?"

 Regaris could not Help but sigh. He was of the opinion that he would possibly meet with some butlers or two, but in actuality, he was the only one present. His uniform was already getting drenched from the amount of sweat he perspired. He did not know the reason the maids allowed him to Tarry though, although they were aware that this was not his area of jurisdiction. 'Well, at least he was competent to find one My size.' Regaris thought, while tugging at his sleeves. "Pardon me." One of the maids began, as she approached him. Regaris, who had actually busied himself with the facade of polishing the Glass wares, turned towards her direction. "Could you kindly assist me to bring down the bag of flour? It Is at the left corner of that shelf, you see, and I cannot seem to reach it." The maid said. Regaris glanced upwards, it was indeed beyond the reach of the women, especially Given the short statue of the lady. "Is it this one?" Regaris asked, as he pointed towards a brown bag. "Ah, no?" The maid responded awkwardly. "Then this one then?" Regaris asked, as he moved his hand from one bag to the other. The maiden delivered an uncomfortable smile. "That is salt, my dear sir." She added, her tone slight high pitched. Only then did Regaris pay prompt attention to his current vocation; and a wry smile came to his lips. 'Regaris, you fool.' He thought, as he finally brought down the approach bag. How did you not notice that it was labeled?' He continued to chastise himself harshly. "Thank you." The maid hastened to receive an item from him, as their fingers lightly made contact with each other. As soon as she ran off, there emanated from a sector in thekitchen, a delightful squeal. But Regaris could not bring himself to care more about what the ruckus was about; he was too busy patting down his hair. "Was that a blush just now?" The man muttered to himself, while staring at the glassware.

 A few moments later however, he found himself leaning against one of the cabinets, an awkward smile on his face. Some of the younger maids had huddled themselves around a table, occasionally casting a glance In Regaris's direction, before giggling amongst themselves. No matter how the other maids tried to convince them to resume their duties, these group of maids however, chose to become as obstinate as a bullock. 'Perharps I should inform father to implement a new policy; the civilians of this country will now be required to pay tax if they so much as cast a glance one with royal blood.' Regaris thought to himself, which caused him to chuckle. His father would most probably render a deafening slap to his face, of course, for harboring such an idiotic thought, despite being the heir apparent to the throne- a disappointment. "Ah, even his laugh is pleasant unto the hearing!" One of the maids exclaimed, causing Regaris to heave a sigh. "Will the lord not be upset if he finds out that you do not pay attention to your duties?" He asked, as he walked In the direction of the maidens- a terrible mistake. "I- I am sure the lord shall pay no heed to it." One of the maidens began, as she fiddled with her hair, avoiding his gaze. "If you are so concerned about them falling into trouble, then it is best if you leave." One of the older cooks, long irritated by the presence of this male, stated. "Are you not also guilty of failing in your path, as well?" She inquired, eyeing the young male from head to toe. "By the way, what Is your name? Your face is rather unfamiliar.." The cook stated, while swinging her ladle around, the remaining droplets of the soup she stirred ending indiscriminately in all directions. "Lucas." Regaris said, while averting his gaze. "Is that so?" The cook began, peering closer to the young man. "What was your Date of appointment?" She asked once more, giving him a scrutinizing gaze. "I..." "Sien!" One of the maids suddenly called out, as she burst into the kitchen. The attention of the cook was immediately diverted. 'Is she the one that they know as Sien?' Regaris thought, while adjusting his tie. He had not expected the situation to take a dramatic turn- and how the current circumstances began to turn out of his favor. "Lady Natasha still awaits her tea! What Is the holdup for?" The cooks said, approached the plumper lady with hastened steps. "My goodness- it slipped my mind." Sien moaned, as she held a hand up to her head. Although she still glanced at Regaris from the corner of her eyes. "Ahem." Regaris cleared his throat, while attempting to re-knot his tie. 'Do not blame me for this as well, my dearest cook." He thought, matching her gaze without flinching. "Her tea is right here, In fact." Sien thought, as she took the cup alongside the saucer. "Would you kindly help me to deliver it to her?" Sien asked, as she presented the tea before her fellow maid. "I cannot at the moment, Sien- Lady Diane just instructed me to prepare some pastries for the children.. where could the flour be?" Her coworker continued to ramble on unconcernedly even ducking underneath the tables to check for the item she Searched for. "Do you mind If I take it up to her?" Sien turned, only to behold 'Lucas' with outstretched arms. "For what reason do you wish to do such?" Sienasked, as she placed the tea out of his reach. "Enough with your paranoid nature, Sien. Since he wishes to, why don't you let him? He is currently not preoccupied with a particular task, by the ways." The maid who had barged into the kitchen earlier, could not stop herself from reprimanding. Sien gritted her teeth. "Take it then." She said, placing the cup against his hand with such ferocity, which caused the tea to Nearlg spill. "And go up to her. We may be rid of your presence, in that wise."

 The man slowly ascended the steps, careful not to spill the tea as he did so. 'I cannot fanthom how her reaction will be as, when she sees me.' He thought to himself, as he walked through the hallways. 'This... is surely her room, I can perceive her aura from here" He muttered to himself, before knocking. "My lady, the tea has been brought." He stated, before pausing for a moment. "My lady?" He called out once more, before knocking. "You better have a good enough explanation for..." Natasha called out, as she opened the door. Perharps her actions were a bit too hastened, for she suddenly lost her footing. When she opened her eyes however, a red-eyed butler was holding her warmly. "Are you alright, my lady?" He asked. Upon hearing his voice, Natasha's gaze softened.