Neal looked back and forth between Peter and the man beside him, not believing what he'd heard.
"Are you serious?" he said incredulously to the European man.
The man nodded solemnly. "It is true. We have looked over official documents and records, and it is all fact."
Neal gave a disbelieving sort of laugh. "Don't you think that I would know if my uncle was a king?"
The man shrugged and said, "Who can say for sure?"
Neal laughed again and looked at Peter, who had remained silent through the whole explanation. "Well," he said, "It looks like I didn't have to forge one after all – it's really true."
"Forge?" the man questioned with a puckered brow.
"He's forged bonds and things before," Peter said, knowing what would come next. "And stolen art."
"Allegedly," Neal said, completely unaware of what the man was getting at.
"Well," the man said, straightening, "Your Highness, you must get back to your country right now. I understand that this is very sudden, but King Wilhelm is dying, and you are the rightful heir to be king."
Neal's eyes bugged out, and for once, he didn't know what to say. "King," he said a little dazedly. He considered it for a moment; riches, power, freedom…
"He's on a tracker," Peter said. "He can't go two miles out of New York City, let alone to Parasa."
"He is king, he will be set free," the man said with conviction. "Look at your law books, Agent Burke – he has every right to leave to better our humble country of Parasa."
"Do you really want a con to be your king?" Peter said skeptically.
The man looked at him solemnly. "It is a king's responsibility to be there for his country. Prince Neal Caffrey will be king within the year, and he has to come to Parasa right now."
Okay, so...short chapter, I know, but this is really more of a prologue than anything else. Later chapters will be longer, I promise!