1: A Substitute

It was a beautiful summer. The sun shone and shimmered on the pond right in front of the garden. Butterflies flew beautifully, with lots of colors.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" a gentleman stood in front of the window, smiling. He put on his silver silk robe with a velvet lining around the sleeves and tied the rope around his thin waist.

The view looked spectacular from his bedroom. As he sipped the fresh air, his green blueish eyes glimmered by The Sun that brushed his skin furiously.

"It is true, Your Highness," answered a maid with a smile on her face. She was wearing a gown in emerald green and a hairpiece matching the wardrobe.

"Carla, how long did you think I could see this beautiful sight?"

"I hope for eternity, sire," hearing the confident replied by Carla, he chuckled a bit. Carla was such a nice lady. She spurred only good words, even though the reality was much different. He won't blame her. Carla was from Auro, a country with nothing green but snowy all through years. She was the Northern people. Watching some sunlight and green, of course it excite her.

The man watched the view as much as he wanted. He knew that sooner or later, he won't get the chance to embrace the scenery anymore. That was the reality he had to accept, for better or worse.

"You should finish up your breakfast, Your Highness," said Carla.

"Just leave it there. I want to catch this moment. I can eat later, but this kind of scenery... it is something I shouldn't miss," Carla nodded. Silently, she left him alone in the room.

It was the first day of summer. He had wanted to catch that moment with a full heart. He knew that from this moment on, he would appreciate every single thing or event that happened to him. Who knew, maybe there would be no next year for him. He had already set his mind. He would enjoy it until the last breath.

:::

"I'm sorry Your Highness... but your condition is getting worse," the physician put down his head.

He just smiled, lying on a bed with a weak face but still able to move at ease. He stared at his mother, who had been sitting beside him, crying her heart out.

"It's okay, mother. I am ready. Stop crying! You will make me weaker," he had held her hand and kissed it, a tear dropping from his eyes.

"Oh, this is too much, my son! I can't accept it!"

"Mother, it is okay. We should accept it. I've been holding on for so long. I knew I would never recover," he tapped her hands softly.

Queen Anise wiped her tears with a piece of silk handkerchief.

"Does the King know about it?" he asked the physician.

"Well, Your Highness... His Majesty... I still need some time to explain to him about your condition. This is a serious matter, and you know... this... and that..."

The man rattled like a fallen leave.

"You're talking about finding my replacement, aren't you?" he smiled while casually raising the question.

"Uh..er.. yes, Prince Hadrian. It would be a huge mess if the other side knew about it,"

Hadrian just nodded. It hadn't been just a matter of his life, but also a matter of the kingdom as well.

"We do have some on our side. It should be enough, I think," Hadrian woke up slowly from his resting bed. His mother had been trying to help him, but he insisted on waking up on his own. Slowly, he walked to his table and stood there, looking straight at the physician.

"Your Grace, that might be no worry. But, to tell you the truth, it's kind of a problem if they know that The Crown Prince is dying. Even any side would walk away in this kind of situation," Eunuch Caleb, the assistant of Prince Hadrian, had spoken with a huge burden inside his heart.

"It's their choice. Besides, I wouldn't be surprised if they did. From what I know, they would... with or without me," Hadrian took a glass of water and sipped it slowly. "Those barons and lords... they are sneaky and wicked," he threw his sight outside the window.

"But, there's one thing that they don't know. But we know,"

Everyone focused at the prince now. He stood in front of the table for a moment, caressing a portrait placed on it. He looked at it with a smile on his face, thinking about those jolly days with the person in the portrait.

"Mother, you knew how much I loved him, didn't you?" Queen Anise's mind had been puzzled. She couldn't see the portrait from her spot, so she hadn't known.

"He had everything that I didn't have: energetic and independent. He was more mature than me, too. So, I guess it's about time we had him as our successor."

When Hadrian turned around and showed everyone the portrait, all eyes get wide.

::;

The door was open. Somebody walked in from outside and brought along lots of small potion bottles.

"How was today, Had?" he smiled and put the tray beside his bed. Prince Hadrian just looked at him with a big grin.

"I was healthy... and strong too..." the man smiled widely. He walked towards Prince Hadrian and touched his cheek with his fair hand.

"You were doing so well. So, that potion worked! I blended it with some herbs and chamomile to soothe your body... I think I need to go out and scavenge a new herb that the physician told me about before..."

"How about I follow you to the market? I would love to meet the people," Prince Hadrian took a sip of the potion. It tasted refreshing, but he knew this potion was just to calm and relax him rather than cure him.

His disease was impossible to be cure.

"No, you should probably stay! There were lots of germs, you would get sick again. I'll tell you what, we'll spend our free time tomorrow, okay?" he grabbed his bag and smiled.

"Then... I'll see you tomorrow,"

He waved at Hadrian and slowly disappeared from his sight.

Never mind, I'll give you plenty of time to do whatever you love, my brother. Because one day you will have to get ready to become my successor and you can't randomly wander anymore.

He looked at himself in the mirror.

Pale. And dying.

He knew he should began coun downing.

The time is ticking.