When the prince saw the poor boy in the street, he knew he’d found his freedom. At his word, guards singled the boy out of the crowd and whisked him away.

The pauper had been abused by the guard before, and feared for his life. It was a bewildering surprise that they took him without harm to a lush garden, greeted by a rich-dressed figure’s back. “We have something in common,” said the prince, and he turned to reveal his face, identical to the pauper’s.

His scheme was simple: change clothes in the privacy of the garden. The prince enjoys a taste of the common life, and the pauper experiences a day of noble luxury. The exchange remains secret from everyone except the prince’s bodyguard, who would accompany the prince.

Overwhelmed by his good fortune and the presence of majesty, the pauper agreed. Within the hour, they had made the exchange, the prince and his bodyguard making their way through the city incognito, the pauper easing himself into the royal life with a royal bath.

It was there that the royal guard found him, ripping him from the water and arresting him for the crime of murdering his royal brother.