2 — Joezand's Choice

"P-Prince Joezand!" She kneels before him. "I've finally found you!"

"Wait, what?" He flinches, taking his hand back from hers. "What are you talking about?"

"Lorelai! Pult!" She doesn't register his words, getting up and turnining around to scream at the two knights. They stop on their tracks, looking back at her. "I found His Highness! Come back here!" The knights start running back to the center, their armor clinking loudly as they run. The maid turns back to him. "Prince Joezand! It's been so long. I thought I lost you, and I just couldn't bear—" Her hands rub her eyes as she takes a big sniffle. "I'm sorry. I know it's not proper for a lowly maid to worry so much."

"Hold on. I'm not..." He starts to say, but stops himself. This seems fishy. He doesn't want to reveal anything too early. He starts thinking at Sunnaria again. 'Did you, by chance... put me in someone else's body?'

'Oh wow, right on the money! That's precisely right!'

'Why, exactly—' He starts to reply, but the loud clanks of iron meeting stone capture his attention. He looks to his sides, both of the knights running towards his location, their heavy boots stomping over closer to him.

'You don't have time to ask questions right now.' Sunnaria says.

'Are you kidding— Ugh, fine. I guess I'll have to work with this, then.' He thinks before holding his head with a pained expression. "Joezand?" He says out loud. "That name sounds familiar, but I don't seem to remember who you are."

"Stop kidding around, Your Highness." The maid replies, still wiping her eyes. "It's been almost a month! Duchess Cecilia has been worried sick!"

The two knights arrive, both of them taking off their helmets. One of them is a man in his late twenties with short black hair and a rigid expression, the other is a woman in her mid thirties with cascading blonde hair.

"What is going on here, Anneliese?" The male knight says to the maid. "The Prince looks weak and malnourished, and the rags he's wearing are inexcusable."

"Don't be rude to royalty, Pult. He's probably had a rough time." The female knight says. "You really gave us a workout there, Princey. Empress Agatha is furious at your antics."

"Lorelai, please. Prince Joezand already has enough on his mind. We can tell him about the situation at the palace later." Anneliese, the maid, says. "Tell us, Prince Joezand. What happened?"

"I wasn't lying. I really don't remember." He feigns weakness, tumbling towards the wall. The blonde knight moves to catch him. "Who are you people? Why are you calling me Joezand?"

At his words, there is immediate silence. He quietly wonders if he blew it, and they'll somehow know that he is a fake. But if he is really in the prince's body, there should be no way for them to know for sure that he was lying, right? The three of them look at him with not a word coming out of their mouths. Anneliese, the maid, furrows her brow in a disturbed look. Pult, the male knight, rolls his eyes and lets out a annoyed groan. While Lorelai, the female knight, just sighs and shrugs.

"This was bound to happen eventually." Lorelai says. "It was weird that our little Joezand never showed any symptoms of the curse until now."

"Why now, of all times?" Pult grumbles. "I don't think that explanation will please Empress Agatha."

"We can at least talk to her. I'm sure she'll figure something out." Anneliese turns to the boy in rags. "Please, Prince Joezand. I know you're confused, but come with us. We'll tell you everything."

'Great save!' Sunnaria's voice rings out in his head. 'Pretending to have amnesia? Oooh, such a smart boy you are, little lamb!'

He takes a deep breath and starts to think. 'They accepted this way too easily. What's going on?'

'Does it matter?' Sunnaria argues. 'It got you out of trouble. And just think about the life of a prince! Doesn't that sound exciting?'

'You brought me here for a reason, right? Are you sure this won't interfere? I'll probably won't have much freedom in a palace to do whatever it is that you want me to do.' He thinks.

'Nothing I do is without reason! Including your appearance. Don't bust a vein thinking about it. Just follow what I say and you'll be golden. It's not like I'm going anywhere, hehe.' Sunnaria says in a sing-song voice. 'Besides, after all you've been through... You really needed a fresh start. Go ahead, take up that new identity!'

He closes his eyes for a minute. Time seems to stretch out.

Akira Suzuki. The boy who never did anything right. A failure, a useless waste of space. Less than nothing. Bad grades, no future prospects. He never made an impact on anyone's life, and lived and died a disappointment. The moment he tried to do something for someone else, he left his world— Like a cruel joke of the universe, a curse that prohibited of being thought fondly by anyone.

And this was his chance. A do-over. A chance to try again at life. He could be better.

'What about the people I left behind?' He asks her. 'What about the people I've disappointed over and over? Don't I get the chance to say I'm sorry?'

'You could still see them if you want to.' Sunnaria replies. 'After you've completed my quest, I'll give you the option of going back. Safe, sound and alive. Hours before your death. Think of your time here as a... boot-camp! To shape yourself into the person you want to be. Become this new person, little lamb. You won't regret it.'

He sighs and opens his eyes, a slight smile on his face and a determined glint on his blue iris.

"Alright." Joezand says, stepping towards the trio. "Let's get back to the palace, then."