The Fake Husband In a Strange Palace Vol. 1: The Fake Husband In a Strange Palace, #1

By Shujichel

 

Two weeks before his wedding, the prince Eusel serves has become a runaway groom. Now Eusel is stuck pretending to be the prince and is shipped off to the wedding in his liege's stead. As if impersonating royalty wasn't enough, the lowly knight is plunged into a marriage with the crown princess of the Gishuen Empire, and the fate of his home country depends on how well he can play the part. Everything is happening at lightning speed despite Eusel's worries about getting caught. On top of everything, his new wife, Princess Aethenia, is colder than Eusel thought she would be, and the twists and turns of life in the imperial palace are starting to take a toll on him. Will Eusel be able to survive?

• Language: English
• Publisher: WordExcerpt
• Release date: Oct 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9781954707726

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

FAKE HUSBAND

The palace was anything but peaceful. A looming disaster hung over their head as it dawned on them that the prince was nowhere to be found. The servants searched high and low yet their frantic efforts proved futile. 

Eusel’s mind blanked out, unable to think of anything other than the prince’s sudden disappearance. Standing rigidly in place, he inhaled a deep breath and sighed. Your Highness, please stop with the foolishness. I know you’re there. There was tremor in his voice as awkward silence gravitated towards him.

As he stood waiting with bated breath, the only passing sound he could make out of was the wind and rustling of leaves. No matter where he searched, Eusel could not find a trace of the prince—not even a strand of his satin blond hair. 

Nervousness filled his core. His fists clenched and opened repeatedly, almost monotonous. 

He couldn’t have… he couldn’t have run away.

An awkward laugh escaped his lips as reality slowly creeped in. No… it can’t be… His Highness wouldn’t do something so stupid… 

The breeze was warm and gentle; the sweet scent of flowers hung in the air. 

…No, he would do something like this.

The prince was a reprehensible rogue who’d flee should anything slight him. Why did he think differently for a moment? 

Eusel raised his head. Cobalt eyes that spoke of truth focused on the sky kissing the ground. He picked up his feet and began running at accelerated speed.

Rumors of the prince’s sudden disappearance spread like wildfire. Meanwhile, the ever restless Eusel stood before the queen, head bowed.

It’s my fault, Your Majesty.

He was met with a deep sigh.

The Knight-Captain quickly approached the throne with a gait almost similar to a sprint and bowed in haste. Your Majesty, I’ve made preparations in advance. His Highness will escort him back to the palace once we’ve determined his location. He couldn’t have gotten far.

That bastard. A mutter escaped through the queen’s gritted teeth. As custom dictates, the queen called others by their given name or status. It was common sight. But neither of that happened today. 

Eusel shrank in her presence.

"I can’t believe I gave birth to that fool."

"His Highness is an intelligent man, Your Majesty. He’ll return soon. I’m sure of it. Perhaps he had briefly strayed due to the upcoming wedding.

"Is that what you think?" the queen snarled under her breath. 

The Knight-Captain zipped his mouths. In spite of their hopeless desires, the truth was cold and harsh. The prince wouldn’t dare return on his own volition. Even a passing servant could guess that.

We’re doing our best, Your Majesty. I believe we’ll find him soon. Please ease your worries.

"I can’t believe he’s my son." Exasperated, the queen sunk into her chair. Irritation marked her elegant face. She grabbed the crown on her head and hurled it onto the floor. The weight of the crown was too much to bear. 

A restless servant hurriedly approached the crown and examined it meticulously for any signs of damage. 

"I can’t believe I gave birth to that oaf!"

Your Majesty…

What’s he trying to do? Ruin this kingdom?

His Highness likely did not plan that far ahead. The Knight-Captain, a spokesperson for the prince priori, began sympathizing with the queen.  

She let out infuriated sighs while Eusel hung his head low—to the point of aching—and twiddled his thumb.

I’d rather be anywhere than here.

   Why did the prince have to slip away on the day Eusel was assigned as his escort? Nevermind the prince’s sudden disappearance, he was uncomfortable in a room full of powerful figures that could very well end his life if they so pleased.

Eusel.

He quickly raised his head. Yes, Captain!

Do you know of any place His Highness might’ve gone to?

I’ve already mentioned the ones I know of.

Perhaps he’s gone to any one of those places mentioned.

The overbearing queen adjusted her posture and added burden on Eusel’s shoulder. Perhaps.

Cold sweat dripped from his temples. Oh, how he loathed the prince for his undoing. Eusel rubbed off the sweat with the back of his hand. I’m not sure.

Eusel sobbed internally. If he had any clue to where the prince had run off to, he’d be there in a heartbeat. But every effort committed resulted in failure. It was as if he didn’t exist. If he had eloped from the palace, his plans were detailed and intricate, quite unlike his usual self. The prince wasn’t a covert man; he was a chatterbox. Yet Eusel couldn’t find discrepancies prior to the prince’s disappearance.

Maybe it was out of impulse.

If that were the case, the issue was far more malignant than originally thought. It meant that he was out of control. The matter posed a growing headache for Eusel.

Is anything missing inside the walls of the palace?

We still have the same number of horses.

There’s nothing different about his room, either, Eusel hastily added.

The queen rubbed her temples. Damn it… Drained from the worries that troubled her, a sigh escaped her lips. Pray tell me what am I to do with his upcoming engagement?

Why don’t we hold him captive until the day of the wedding and send him off in a carriage? the woman who sat quietly in the corner suggested, her voice indifferent.

Silence followed, but the atmosphere indicated agreement. 

Eusel clasped his hands together and lightly lifted his head. Your Majesty, I’ll continue searching for His Highness’ whereabouts.

The queen nodded. She had forgotten of his presence until now.

The Knight-Captain tightly grasped both his shoulders. "Eusel, you must find him in secret."

Eusel nodded and left the room, free from the stifling atmosphere.

Outside was pandemonium—everyone and their mothers poked through the bushes and veils, speculating whether he was hiding inside the palace. The knights ran back and forth on horseback restless. Everyone shouted the prince’s name—Eusiel—or Your Highness!

Eusel jumped on a horse and led it through the gates.

He’s probably not here.

Given the prince’s personality, he had most likely left the room for business and ran away on a whim. Dealt with far too little clues, Eusel made his way to the outskirts of the city.

Several days had passed. The palace had been turned upside down and bent over, yet the prince couldn’t be found. One person suggested an ominous theory: he was dead. But it was quickly overturned and concluded that he was alive. Hopefully. The rambunctious palace went back to normal after a few days. Those who’d lost sleepless nights over the prince’s disappearance grew exhausted. They’d long given up.

The wedding was in two weeks, and the first to surrender was the queen.

Give up.

Pardon, Your Majesty? There’s still time.

Eusel stood quietly in the corner of the conference room. Since he was present around the time of the prince’s departure while serving as an escort, he involuntarily answered all questions regarding the prince. It was the same old questions. Did he display strange behaviors? Did you notice anything amiss? Where might he have gone off to? The questions faded after a few days, but he hadn’t been dismissed. He idled his time away, standing like a statue.

It’s been ten days. He’s probably past the borders by now.

But we’ve been tracking him, Your Majesty. He couldn’t have gone far.

We’ll have to search far and wide as time passes, expending more manpower and resources we lack. Besides, we don’t have a clue the direction he ran off to.

Eusel lowered his head as guilt washed over him.

Then, what will we do, Your Majesty?

It’s too late to apologize to the Gishuen Empire.

Eusel let out a quiet sigh. The problem was the marriage. 

Prince Eusiel couldn’t refuse the arranged marriage, much less the Syan Kingdom. He was to marry the Gishuen Empire’s crown princess. No one had a clue why the empire wanted a tiny prince as the crown princess’ spouse, but they knew rejecting the offer was unwise.

Once the Syan Kingdom accepted the marriage proposal, preparations for the ceremony went without a hitch as if they had long agreed to marry. The necessary documents were expedited and exchanged, including portraits of the prince and princess. The royal families donned a cordial mask while gauging the true motive behind the marriage. 

Their marriage had cracks from the get-go.

Eusel recalled the day the prince was engaged to the princess. He found the prince frozen cold from the aftershock before scurrying off to the queen. He threw tantrums here and there and declared outright refusal to marry the Gishuen Empire’s crown princess. The queen could do nothing to appease her son. The marriage proposal was a matter of national security. It had its advantages too. Syan was a backwater kingdom. They had a lot to gain marrying the prince off to an empire. 

Prince Eusiel grew livid and outright declared he was merely used goods whose only purpose was to be sold as commodity. He soon stopped his ramblings and turned docile—that was over a month ago. He quite liked the woman after seeing a portrait of her and immediately prepared for the upcoming ceremony. Everyone and their mothers were relieved. But he had the masses fooled. His schemes moved at breakneck speed through betrayal.

The conference room’s sentiments were unified. They went from informing the truth of the matter to finding another solution. Chaos ensued, and in the midst of it, the princess glanced at Eusel. He quickly lowered his eyes after a brief moment of eye contact.

Her eyes reminded him of the queen, overbearing and observant. His heart thumped rapidly. Cold sweat trickled down his back. Every fiber of his being stiffened. 

Mother. Her voice was calm and collected.

The rowdy conference room hushed. 

The prince and crown princess have already exchanged portraits. We cannot replace who she will marry.

…Yes. That’s the issue.

It isn’t like we can inform the empire that he passed away. Where he is and what he’s doing is unbeknownst to us—though I’d love to hear news of his death. Oh, a happy occasion. Her menacing tone was laced with poison. She looked like she’d choke her brother if he appeared in front of her. 

Feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand up, Eusel rubbed his nape. 

How about we find a replacement?

Replacement? Ridiculous. How can anyone replace the prince? The masses tightened their lips, seeming as surprised as Eusel. 

The nonchalant princess shrugged her shoulders. We’ll have to find someone who looks like him. Though the portraits are life-like, mistakes abound.

"And pray tell will we find our replacement?"

The princess pondered. Well, it’s not like we can place a random man to act as the prince.

A voice suddenly objected. What if we get caught? This is absurd!

Eusel nodded faintly. The proposal was outlandish. The rest agreed, though they weren’t loud about it.

Don’t get caught.

Your Highness, it’s easy in theory—

In the end, they’re a foreign country. That bastard—I mean, my brother—has never been to Gishuen Empire. So long as our replacement behaves well, the plan is foolproof.

What will we do after tricking them? Will the replacement live in Gishuen Empire forever?

I would think so.

This is getting out of hand.

The replacement must be willing to undertake the task. We’ll compensate them well, of course. The princess remained firm and steady as a rock. She had long prepared for this.

The murmurs grew louder.

What will you do if His Highness returns?

Simple. If he returns before the wedding, we’ll send the bastard away to the empire. She didn’t bother addressing her brother with the proper name. She rapped on the desk and added, But if he comes back after the wedding…

We’ll lock him up, the queen joined in unison.

Both mother and daughter duo chuckled.

There was no other choice. The nobles locked gazes with one another. They had come to a decision. 

Will you accept the replacement as your son, Your Majesty?

Yes.

Of course. If he marries the empire’s crown princess, it’s only proper that he’s named the prince of this nation, the princess added.

But…

"We can’t just give away the title of Syan’s prince to just anyone, Your Majesty!"

"But it won’t be anyone. It’ll be the person who saved our kingdom from the brink of ruins," the princess noted with a grin.

If Syan told the Gishuen Empire that their prince became a runaway groom, war would ensue. They could brush over the incident, sure, but in the worst case scenario—Gishuen Empire would be made a laughing stock and declare war in acrimony.

We can’t risk that, the princess noted. Better safe than sorry. Syan was a small fish in the sea compared to the Gishuen Empire. The best thing to do was keep quiet of their shenanigans and make best use of what they had.

Who will be replacing the prince?

I will… leave that to the Knight-Captain.

The Knight-Captain jumped from his seat. His jaw dropped to the floor. Me, Your Highness?

Mother, that should be fine, right? Knights are loyal to their lord. That reminds me of the time my bastard brother trained to become a knight. She clicked her tongue. Anyway, I think it best to pick a replacement among the knights.

Things had turned in a strange direction.

Anxious, Eusel trembled. A chill ran down his spine. His instincts warned him of foreboding fright coming his way. 

The queen looked at her daughter and nodded. Yes, that sounds like a perfect plan. I believe the captain will make a wise decision.

Your Majesty, the burden is too much.

You’ll do well. The queen smiled. Aren’t most of the knights around Eusiel’s age?

None could refute her. Eusel prayed that his Knight-Captain deny the order, but he was out of luck. The Knight-Captain accepted his fate and bowed.

Since you understand our current predicament, please bring the replacement to us as soon as possible. 

The queen left the conference room with the princess. The nobles looked at Eusel and the Knight-Captain with pity before leaving.

Eusel.

Yes, Captain.

Gather everyone.

Yes, Sir.

Eusel ran to gather his comrades. 

Time was ticking.

Gathered in a small room, the victims glanced at each other. They were deemed worthy of the Knight-Captain’s trust. 

Eusel stood in the corner of the room, back glued to the wall. 

"You understand that this doesn’t make any sense, Captain."

The knights let out a forced laugh.

If anyone has a better idea, come to the front. Enlighten us with your wisdom. I’ll relay it to Her Majesty.

The room was reticent. Sure, the plan was ridiculous—comical, even—but there was no other way. No sufficient alternative. And so they were forced to jump into a bottomless pit for the sake of the kingdom.

Then, I’ll take your silence as unanimous agreement. If anyone wants to volunteer, raise your hand, he said firmly. 

The knights tucked their arms tight to their torso and glanced at each other, nudging one another forward. A silent war ensued.

I have a fiancée, Captain.

I’m married.

Envious gazes and sighs followed. 

They shrugged their shoulders and moved away from the crowd; they had nothing to be guilty of. 

Among the restless men left behind, one woman looked oneward with devilish eyes. Her hand shot in the air. Umm… I’m a woman. I’ve no reason to be here. I understand you’re looking for a replacement, Captain, but you’re not planning to trick them about our gender, are you?

She’s right. We’ll have to live with the princess. It’ll be impossible to hide our gender, another woman added with a cheeky grin.

The opposite sex clamored before disappearing to the back.

Eusel was nervous. I need a reason why I can’t be a replacement for His Highness. But what sensible reason did he have? There was none.

Half a number of knights were left after the opposite sex scurried to the back. 

The women donned relaxed smiles on their faces. Their beating hearts squealed. 

The leftover men glanced at one another, tension arising.

I’m too tall.

I’m too short.

The Knight-Captain’s eyes glinted hints of surprise. Rotten excuse for a man, he had thought. But he agreed. They were right. 

The two knights of extreme heights rejoiced as they rushed to the back.

I don’t think I’m cut out for it. My hair color is too different from His Highness. Knights with charcoal-black hair blurted out as they excused themselves.

Another set of men—and different hair color—made the same excuse and backed out. A weight was lifted off their shoulder.

There were now four men left.

I have a scar on my face! one knight exclaimed, face flushed. He praised the Lord and the Almighty for his luck. The knight moved his bangs and revealed a long scar above his eyebrow.

Three people. 

Eusel racked his brain inside out, but nothing came to mind.

I can’t go on like this.

He had previously played as Prince Eusiel’s body double a few times, but it’d be nothing compared to what he’d be plunged into. Eusel’s eyes swept over the remaining knights while thinking of the horrors awaiting him. Marrying a princess from the Gishuen Empire? This was a burden he couldn’t face alone.

What will my sister do once I leave Syan? She’s only ten, one knight said calmly. 

Everyone knew that his parents passed away while he was young; no one stopped him.

Two left.

Martis turned to Eusel and grinned. I think Eusel will be a good candidate.

Wh-What are you talking about?!

My father is a count, Eusel.

And what of it?

I’ve visited the Gishuen Empire a few times with my parents. Even befriended some nobles along the way.

Eusel gulped.

"And unfortunately, I look just like my parents. Martis sighed wistfully. Once Her Highness sees me, she’ll immediately know that I’m from the Gisette family."

Eusel tried to refute, but was tongue-tied. He’d met Martis’ parents before and the resemblance was uncanny. Martis had gone to the empire, too. Eusel was at the losing end. 

Yes. Eusel will make a good candidate.

Captain, I— Eusel fumbled his words trying to find a proper excuse. He had almost mentioned his family, but he grew up an orphan. He wanted to say that he looked nothing like the prince, but he looked exactly like him. Eusel had slightly darker blond hair, though it was hardly noticeable. They had identical aquamarine eyes and similar build and height. Eusel had even acted as the prince in public.

Still, this and that are different!

This wouldn’t be over within a day. No, this involved marriage and commitment. Eusel looked around, tears welling in his eyes, hoping someone