Chapter 3: Creating Frederick

Wendell 

To mark the number of shops they stopped in would be endless, or at least that's what it felt like to him. Nevertheless, the two are done at last buying different pieces to create a southern style. Saelufu patiently waits as he puts together her masterpiece in the dressing room. First checking to see if his clothing is on properly, the prince steps out and she quickly jumps to her feet. 

"Finally finished now?... Wow, I must say I'm rather impressed with my work. Feel free to have a peek yourself." She gestures towards the long mirror, and Wendell hesitantly takes a look.

For just a moment, he is surprised by his own reflection. Dressed in blue jean overalls that match the poor boy's cap sitting on his head. Under it, a realistic sandy-colored wig covers up every inch of the prince's ash-blonde hair. The final touch is thick rectangular framed glasses helping to hide his ocean eyes. He can hardly believe she managed to accomplish such a transformation. 

"So whaddya think?" 

"...Seeing everything put together like this is a good disguise." 

"I told you I would handle it. I'm confident you can even fool Kana as well." 

That statement has his face fall, and she lets out a huffing breath. 

"I didn't go through all this trouble just for you to return it! Come on, I have utmost faith you can pull this off." 

"...Alright, but nobody else can know about this besides us. Excluding those in the castle who will notice me, but the more people are aware the greater chance it has of reaching Kana." 

"Of course! It's not the biggest secret we've kept. I never snitched till this day when you broke your mother's favorite tea set and blamed it on the dog." 

Saelufu doesn't fail to remind him of her trustworthiness. Actually, he does hold guilt about that incident, but his mother is serious when coming to her collectibles. The punishment would've been brutal if she discovered he was responsible. 

"Secondly, I'm simply doing this act until I've reached my answer. I refuse to keep a double life any longer than need be," he further notes, the dwarf nodding. 

"Right, the minute your mind is made up it'll all become history." 

He purchases a few more outfits along with what they already have before heading back towards the town square. The orange hues skies above are clear proof of how long they've been at this. Kana's job should be finished by now, so he truly hopes they don't run into her again. 

"Before tomorrow a couple of crucial facts need to get sorted. Most important on that list is to decide on a fitting name. Have to be called something cool for your new persona. What do you wanna go with?" 

"...I would really like Frederick then. One of my favorite stories my father used to read when I was younger had a protagonist by this name. Though a mere abandoned child on the streets he fought to change his fate and that of others. His courageous spirit always did inspire me."

"I see, Frederick's not so bad. Also, we must create some kinda backstory to give you. She's bound to be a little curious eventually if you plan on getting closer to her. I figured you can say you're from a village in Quincy, and staying with my family temporarily. We can just leave it as your parents are busy working and won't be at home."

"It isn't necessary for you to go to such lengths. I don't want you getting tangled up in all of this," Wendell protests, with a frown. The cover story is a good one but he can't fathom why she'd involve herself any further. Saelufu has already done so much and now she would be fibbing as well to top it off.

"I am involved since I gave you the idea, to begin with. Besides, let's say she wants to visit your house or meet your parents. What answer could you give her then?" 

"Oh, I didn't think that far ahead..."

"Lastly I'd suggest changing your tone of voice," she declares, and the prince wasn't expecting this as her final order. 

"What's wrong with the way I speak? If I act like a completely different person around her, the whole thing will be inaccurate." 

"When you talk in such a charming proper speech she'll see right through your disguise. Therefore, you should alter your voice just a tweak, maybe even adding a hint of a country accent. That would definitely throw her off!" 

The prince raises an eyebrow at his friend's thorough scheme, and she has covered loopholes he would've missed. "Are you certain this is your first time pulling a stunt like this? It is awfully planned out." 

The teasing remark has her give him a playful shove as they come to walk, though her comment on his speech is a valid point. There's no purpose in changing his personality, but he still can't afford to give any reason to raise her suspicion. The whole accent idea is pushing it but he has until morning to decide. 

"Well, I can't promise the latter but I'll try to work on that." 

Reaching the entrance to the capital her feet suddenly stop which causes him to glance back. They passed the turn to her house a while ago so she must be heading home. Preparing for their little operation dragged on to where he kept his friend out the whole day.

"Well, it's getting pretty late. This is where we part ways since I don't wanna keep my fam waiting for supper." 

"I understand. Thanks for your support, Saelufu, and I'm sorry this took up so much time." 

"It's fine, that's what friends are for. Remember schoolhouse starts at nine o'clock sharp tomorrow," she reminds, sprinting the opposite direction with a wave. "Be ready!" 

💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌

Early morning Wendell chooses to redress in the overalls outfit he bought yesterday. Making sure to pack up a few supplies to the best of his ability, given that Saelufu never exactly specified what to bring. With one last dart in the mirror, he's ready to head out. 

I wonder what going to a schoolhouse is like? Furthermore, will this act truly fool Kana?

A sudden knock on the door slowly creaked open revealing none other than his personal aid. The ginger-haired plump woman greets him with the usual enthusiasm she has every sunrise. Margaret was assigned to look after the prince since he was a kid, and is almost like a second mother figure in his eyes. 

"Margaret, good morning." 

"Your Highness, I see you're already awake. Ah, where on earth are you going to dress like that?!" 

"There's somewhere I need to visit in Opal Forten. Since I'm leaving shortly, I will just grab something quick for breakfast today. I promise to return before lessons start in the afternoon." Wendell grabs his bag and exits before she can say a word in protest. He'll be tardy explaining this all now, so best to push it off until classes are over. 

...

"I think this is it..." 

The prince finds himself standing in front of a small brown house. It looks the same as normal homes, despite being a bit worn down. Teens rushing inside remove any doubts that the location is wrong, and he's fast to follow in behind them. 

The interior for one is much smaller than he expected. Only a medium-sized area with three rows containing an equal amount of desks. These are long enough to hold two people and the teacher's bigger desk gets more space in the left-hand corner. A large furnace has been placed directly in the middle of the room to keep warm through the winter. The last element that grabs his attention is a dusty chalkboard towards the front which could use an upgrade.

"There he is now! This is Frederick Muller. He'll stick around for a few weeks until his parents finish their overseas work." Saelufu talking with whom he assumes to be the teacher waves him over. 

"I-It's a pleasure to meet ya! I was told to pass this letter to ya from my school teach back home."

Wendell mentally hopes this accent he spent the entire night practicing on isn't a complete fail. Though he can see Saelufu stifling a laugh out of the corner of his eye, their teacher for one doesn't seem to have noticed. Instead, she releases a deep sigh as the woman stares him up and down. 

"I can't believe I'm expected to just take another brat under my wing," she grumbles snatching the envelope and small baggie tied to it. 

He asked the castle scribe to write a fake letter requesting Ms. Grumphan to accept him into her schoolhouse. It's filled with words of flattery on her excellent teaching ability, and there's a small bride of silvers to further persuade her. I know informing of the plan would've made this guaranteed but... The experience will be ruined if she secretly knows his identity, and Wendell doesn't want her to accidentally slip around Kana. 

After a minute, she nods tucking both the letter and slivers away. "Very well then. My name is Ms. Grumphan and word of warning--I don't tolerate any misbehavior in my school. The class is practically full so you'll have to wait until the other kids arrive to find a place to sit." 

The prince lets out a sigh of relief and takes a moment to absorb her strict appearance. She is an older woman who comes across to be around Margaret's age, though perhaps the stress of watching demanding kids adds to those wrinkles. A classic long beige dress hangs down to the floor and black hair in a high tight bun. Her hazel eyes have such a sharp gaze it makes his body stiffen up. 

"U-Understood, Ma'am. I won't be causin any trouble." 

"Hmf, you better hope so. Even if I can't use the paddle on you older kids there are other punishments to deliver. I'll hand over your books after class ends."

When the last remaining students walk in, the bell rings with two seats left unoccupied. One of those spots is near the teacher's desk next to Oliver. A sour pit forms in his stomach now painfully reminded he also attends this school. 

Well, I'm not choosing that seat...

"Frederick, you can sit here!" Saelufu calls, her being positioned toward the back of the classroom. The free space is to the right of her and behind a cute brunette. Taking a second to calm his rising nerves, he slowly approaches them. "Guess what, Kana? We have a foreign visitor and new student."

"Really?" 

This draws the girl's attention who is busy setting up for class. 

"Yup, Frederick here is from Quincy and will be staying at my residence while his folks go overseas. Our parents are old friends so they don't really mind having an extra mouth to feed. He's plenty old to have survived a few weeks on his own, but this last year of education is important. They want to make sure their son doesn't slack with his studies. That and Frederick is a hopeless cook so he'd probably starve by then." 

"I see, well it's nice to meet you," she greets with a giggle, offering the kind smile he never grows tired of seeing. "I hope you enjoy your time in Opal Forten." 

"Likewise, I've heard a lotta great things so I'm lookin forward to it." 

Before the conversation can proceed much further the teacher starts up the first subject being mathematics. Wendell and Saelufu exchange smiles as it seems her disguise is quite a success. Hopefully, he can talk some more with her when school ends for the day.

One strong factor Wendell learned from the past two hours is that the lessons are very boring. The prince assumed going to school with a bunch of other peers would be fun, but they don't even interact and he can hardly keep his eyes open. On a different note, there aren't as many subjects rather than his own lessons. Between getting taught other languages, playing the harp, and instructions on proper etiquette the load is easier. 

With the limited knowledge he obtained about this setup classes get split into two groups. Younger kids attend in the afternoon when the older students' four core subjects are over. Just like Saelufu mentioned before, everybody gets taught different lessons depending on their age. The eldest group is the fifteen and sixteen-year-olds with this their last year prior to completion. At home, it's one-on-one making the process far smoother, but there it's a single person running around to help the whole classroom. It is going to take him some time for adjustment. 

Once noon hits he is released from this torturous boredom, and though only there for three hours it feels longer than that. Many children are already starting to run inside as the teenagers still pack up to leave. All but Oliver since he didn't do the previous homework assignment must now serve a suspension. 

"I can finally stretch my legs! The lectures dragged on for a while but in actuality, it's shorter than I thought."

"Yeah, we don't have as much to learn so it doesn't last that long. The little guys are here from now to five, minus their hour lunch break," Kana explains, putting away her belongings. 

"I was thinking we could show Frederick around town. Give him a grand tour of Opal Forten!" Saelufu suggests, and the brunette's face falls.

"I would but I have my package delivery job to hurry to... Oh, there is somewhere I'd like us to go tonight though! A gorgeous hotspot every newcomer has to see."

"Where do ya have in mind?" 

Honestly, it's clear what special place she is speaking of, but to play along he must act oblivious. 

"It'll be a surprise. We can all meet right here in front of the schoolhouse at midnight. The view is best at that hour." 

"Alrighty, it's a plan. Good luck at work today," Saelufu wishes, as the brunette quickly departs ahead of them. 

Next, she turns to the boy standing beside her with a cheeky smile. "That went by flawlessly! Of course, considering my makeover skills though your accent did make a difference." 

"I'm shocked that this worked so well. Now we're going to Greendale Hill tonight..." 

"Seems like it. Don't be in such a rush you forget your disguise. I'll see you then." His friend heads out with a bounce in her step. 

Wendell detours to the teacher's desk as instructed this morning. Being assigned several books and vaguely caught up on their current chapter. It's going to be quite tiresome doing homework and still needing to complete his lessons. Nevertheless, this new arrangement is only temporary so he just has to push through it. 

Everything soon taken care of Wendell goes towards the exit only to be suddenly weighed down. Someone throwing an arm around his shoulders having a little break from their punishment. He was close to reaching the sweet freedom that now feels so far away. 

"Hold it, new boy, I haven't got the chance to introduce myself yet. I'm Oliver Kensun, the soon-to-be ruler of all Calestra. Don't waste your time socializing with those girls who are friends with that lousy prince. It would be wise to follow me instead, and we can seize this kingdom together!" 

How exactly is he supposed to respond to this? Knowing the irony of the situation almost makes it kinda laughable. The royal attempts to break free from his grasp slowly edging back for the door. 

"Ah, I'll be sure to consider ya offer, but I gotta get movin." 

Once Wendell steps foot outside the stuffy classroom he can breathe again. He must reach the castle in haste for his literature lesson, and have all homework done before their outing tonight. The male speeds off to get home and start right away.

...

When the moon lights the sky he secretly leaves through a bedroom window. His mother never cared for him going out after dark, though with the recent events that's understandable. However, as of now, the war is finally over, and Greendale Hill is a short distance from the capital.

Thereupon meeting at the schoolhouse they walk down the quiet road toward their destination. Barely anyone is out given the late hour, and this does add to the rather awkward air. The prince blanks on a topic of conversation, and luckily Kana breaks the silence. 

"Um, Saelufu said you're from the neighboring kingdom, right? What's your hometown like?" 

"Uh, it's a welcoming place back at Narrok. Everybody is kind and we live on the ocean side where ya can catch delicious fish," he responds, and thankfully he learned a bit about the village from his geography lessons.

"That sounds neat! There's a small river that runs through Aniex where people can fish, but I've always wanted to visit the sea. Oh, are you attending the palace ball this weekend? We could introduce you to the prince, Wendell Chestna. He's a good friend and around our age." 

Those words cause the boy in disguise whole body to turn numb. Wendell completely forgot the coming event, and now is left in quite the pickle. No way can both be present as he desperately struggles to form a reasonable excuse to give her. 

I should've waited until Saturday passed to do this! What to tell her now? 

"Well, it's pretty short notice and that's a mere two days away. Since Frederick is still settling in he probably won't make it to the ball."

Saelufu covers for him and the brunette gaze drops.

"That's true. Suppose we can always have you meet some other time then," Kana mumbles, and he shoots his friend a look of appreciation as they arrive at the hill.

The grassy highland is covered with colorful flowers, and cute critters make their homes in the few trees. The trio reaches the top with a breathtaking sight of the entire town down below. The night sky is filled with shiny stars putting a cherry on the already gorgeous scenery. 

"Pretty isn't it? You can gaze at all of Opal Forten from up here," Kana says, emerald eyes holding a certain sparkle.

"I can see why ya like this spot so much. It's an amazin view!" Although his eyes drift from the houses below glancing at the brunette beside him. He does want to believe Kana would only accept his proposal if she holds the same emotions. Still, many people before have shown their real intentions of getting close to the prince...

A noble boy slowly approached some kids which ran around the marketplace with huge smiles planted on their faces. It was routine that the trio would come there to play every Saturday afternoon. For countless weeks Wendell had watched from the sidelines, but today he was finally going to speak to them. 

"I don't need to be nervous. Just repeat it exactly how Margaret told me." He took a deep breath and revealed himself from the shadows. This tiny action made the kids halt in their game and stared at the stranger with an annoyed look. The meek child already got off to a bad start when he hadn't uttered a word. 

"Who are you?" The taller boy questioned, and his gaze dropped to his folded hands. 

"M-My name is Wendell. I've noticed you three always have fun each weekend, and we seem to be around the same age so... I was wondering if, um, we could maybe be friends?" he shyly voiced, and it was silent for a moment before the girl suddenly gasped.

"Wait, are you that Wendell? As in the prince of this kingdom?!" 

"Y-Yes, I am." 

"Wow, I can't believe it! My name is Natalie and these are my friends Christopher and Miguel." The girl gestured while she introduced the two boys who gave a kind greeting. "...Do you wanna join us in a game of tag?" 

"Really, sure!" he agreed and ran behind his newly made buddies down the crowded streets. 

What started off as a beautiful connection soon showed the motives of their welcoming attitude. The trio often asked to come over to his home between playing with toys or fooling around in the castle garden. Most times the boy was excluded from this as if they simply forgot about his presence. They would borrow his belongings to never return them, and eventually, the prince could ignore their rude actions no longer. 

"I only wanted more friends so I wouldn't have to be so clingy with Saelufu. Still, I should try suggesting a different pastime today. I'm sure they'll understand if I talk to them properly." 

Once he finished with his lessons, Wendell hurried to meet those who waited by the castle gate. Their eyes lit up as he approached and pressed about going inside before he could even get out a greeting. The usual behavior wasn't much of a surprise to him at this point. 

"We wanna play in your bedroom! Since your birthday recently passed I'm sure you got tons of cool gifts," Natalie speculated. 

"A few I guess... Anyway, I wanted to suggest visiting Greendale Hill instead. It's a nice day out so let's see how many critters we can find!" 

"Are you saying we aren't allowed to stay?" 

"W-Well, you made a really big mess the maids had to clean up the previous time you visited. That's why we should maybe keep from playing in the castle for a while. Besides, I thought this would be a good change of pace..." 

"Isn't that their job? You're just making excuses! You get spoiled with neat toys and fancy clothes most dream to receive. Yet you wanna hog it all to yourself!" The older boy spat and he waved his hands in defense. 

"T-That's not-" 

"Right, we would've never accepted him into our group knowing he'd be this selfish," Natalie grumbled as she swiftly turned to leave. "Come on guys, let's go hang at the marketplace, and you're not invited so don't follow us!" 

Just like that, the three ran off and left him standing alone completely dumbfounded. Even after they tried to half-heartedly apologize later--as a tactic to get back in the castle, Saelufu chased the trio away. His aim to make genuine friendship had backfired, and from then on, Wendell became wary of new faces he came across. 

It was clear then they were only using the prince for his family riches rather than true friendship. He always has Saelufu but, besides a few noble boys, his social circle remains quite small. Furthermore, he developed trust issues and now keeps his guard up around new people. This includes the sweet brunette that has captured his heart. 

I will discover how you truly see me, Kana. I'm yearnin

g for you to pass this little test because I don't wish to marry anybody else. 



A/N This concludes another chapter with a bit quicker upload. Hope you enjoyed also Blanche will make her first appearance in the next update^^