Jonathan POV:
I was born into the family of the Dukes of Krakow, being the son of the younger brother of the King of Poland... Well, there's not much I could say about myself, except that I'm quite unsociable... Why? Because no one lives up to my expectations, and I believe that's for the best. Anyway, who needs friends when I can buy whatever I want with the money I have, right?
However, I think it's important to mention that the Polish King, my uncle, has no heirs since his wife is sterile... I feel sorry for them, though not too much. That's because ever since the age of 4, I've been living in the royal palace, adopted by the King and his wife, and I am the direct heir to the royal throne... So, as they say, one's misfortune is another's advantage, right?
I've always believed I would live alone with my family and servants... It seems I was mistaken...
"Jonathan, can you come here for a moment?"
"Uncle, is something the matter?"
"Well, I believe I told you about our alliance with the Duchess of Kyiv, Olga, right?"
"The Emperor's secret love? From what I remember, yes... Why?"
"She will be visiting us today, so I ask you to be present and behave like a true prince... Anyway, don't forget that childhood connections can last a lifetime..."
"You mean that-"
"Yes... She will come with her heir. I heard he's the same age as you, so I think you should get along to continue the alliance, don't you think?"
"I-I will do my best, uncle..."
In the afternoon, we received a visit from the Duchess of Kyiv and her grandson, Maurice. Olga was a charming woman for her age, and even though she was almost 60, she still looked like she was 30... Anyway, what caught my attention was her grandson, especially his behavior...
"Welcome to our humble kingdom, Your Highness," my uncle addressed the Duchess, kissing her right hand.
"How noble of Your Majesty. Anyway, I am honored to meet you after all this time that I have been busy ruling the duchy following my husband's death... Oh, this is my grandson, Maurice..."
"Your Majesty, I am honored to be able to come to your residence in this wonderful kingdom. Also, I hope that the friendship between Your Majesty and my grandmother will continue through us, the heirs on both sides," the Duchess's grandson said, looking at me as he spoke to my uncle.
"How nice of you... Anyway, this is my nephew, Jonathan. I believe you are around the same age, aren't you?"
"It seems so," I began to stutter, seeing Maurice approaching me.
"It seems that you are Prince Jonathan, right? I am Duke Maurice, but you can call me Maurice."
"I-I am Jonathan... I mean, you can call me Jonathan if you want..."
At the adults' urging, we went to my room to talk and probably form a superficial friendship as my uncle would want... Anyway, this guy with black hair like coal and eyes as blue as the ocean is quite attractive. I think we could become friends... Honestly, my parents hold the same noble rank as his family, so that wouldn't be an issue.
"Oh, how nice to finally escape the protocol matters... Anyway, as I said, I am Maurice. I've never liked protocol stuff and such. I would rather live a more peaceful life... That being said, it's better if we get to know each other, don't you think?"
"Yes... I'm tired of these kind of formal meetings too. It's always fake conversations or, if not, there are always rules and-"
"That's exactly what I thought too... Anyway, I think I'm sort of a black sheep in the nobility because of that..."
"It seems I'm not the only one, right Maurice? I think we could become friends..."
"Sure, and it wouldn't hurt to have a noble friend... In our country, we have a saying... Good friends and old wine are known in times of need..."
"Um... Interesting, but I think you're right... Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy your time here. I'm not the type to play with different dolls... I'm more the type who studies and-"
"Hm, it seems I've come across another bookworm like myself... I'm glad to meet you, brother Jonathan..."
It seems we have a lot in common with this guy. After we started talking, I realized he was just as lonely as I am... Maybe it's not a bad idea to become friends, especially since we're both very selective when it comes to friends.
"It seems today's meeting is over, isn't it?"
"Yes, it seems so... Anyway, we'll come again in the future now that we know each other. Plus, we can exchange phone numbers, right?"
"Yes... My phone number is-"
After exchanging phone numbers, we bid farewell in a more protocol-like manner than when they arrived. Only this time, it didn't seem as boring...
"So, how did you find the young duke?" my uncle asked me after the guests left.
"We exchanged phone numbers, and I think we have a lot in common... Anyway, I believe the alliance is safe with the two of us as heirs, right?"
Days went by, and we started to become closer. I always wanted a brother, and now I have one. I'm immensely glad to spend my time talking to him or enjoying the winter together.
Our relationship grew closer and closer until the point where we swore to be the two pearls of the Empire. Maybe it was just in our childish minds, but we didn't want to be separated by anything.
Everything was normal until one day when we received a visit from a lesser-known noble. His name was Marcus, and he was six years older than us... Anyway, we got along well with him, and we spent summers together when he visited during his breaks from the Noble Academy.
I don't know why, but I started to develop feelings for him. Maybe it was because he was the third piece of our group and it was something unusual. Maybe because he helped me fall asleep by playing the violin or with his sublime voice? I don't know what the reason is, but unfortunately, the wonder didn't last long.
One autumn, shortly after Marcus left and Maurice was in his homeland, I had an accident. The impact was so severe that I fell into a coma for a whole month, and when I woke up, I didn't remember much except for three people: my uncle, my aunt, and Maurice.
When I woke up and saw Maurice's sad face, I felt sorry for him... Anyway, I don't know what would have happened without me or me without him... We were inseparable throughout our childhood, so I couldn't forget him.
One day, someone came to visit us. When Maurice saw that person, he went to talk to him and returned looking gloomy. The person who came looked at me from a distance and then left. The doctors told me that I had partial memory loss due to the shock and impact during the accident and that I might not remember much from my past, probably ever...
Two years later, Maurice and I entered the Noble Academy together. I wasn't a very good student from the beginning of the Academy. Intellectually, I didn't have much trouble, but I can say that after the accident, I became a bit rebellious... Parties are held in discreet bars and such... Anyway, I had Maurice's support...
"Jonathan, I have an idea. You know, my grandmother is the Duchess of Kyiv, and thanks to her, I have connections all over the world... Just yesterday, I received a visit from the Emperor of Korea and his son, Yohan, so I can say that everything is going well... What do you say we do something interesting and probably illegal?"
"What is it? Whatever it is, count me in!"
"Listen... I was thinking that every month on the 13th, we could have an exclusive and wild party. You know... Sex, alcohol, maybe some illegal stuff, and black market products... We'll call it the House of Nobles and invite only kings, emperors, princes, and dukes... Nothing below that rank."
"Great idea, Maurice. I have an idea... What if you become the leader of these parties, and I become your right-hand man?"
"That's exactly what I was going to ask you... Anyway, if you agree..."
For three years, Maurice never declined any fun. Sometimes we would have fun with three or four girls at once, other times it would turn into a wild orgy that lasted until dawn... But suddenly, something changed... Emily, the daughter of the Duke of Milan, was the reason. Because of her, Maurice hardly even talked to me anymore...
Then suddenly, he started to follow the new guy who joined our class from Venice... A count... It seems strange to think that he could fall in love with a count. But I guess I became just as strange after one of the parties at the Academy.
Our teacher, Marcus, my nemesis who forced me to study extra while my classmates were out in town, was sitting in the chapel crying his eyes out.
"Maurice, come quickly..."
"What's wrong, Jonathan?"
"It's Marcus... He's sitting here and crying, and..."
"And why are you telling me this? Although I'm his favorite student, you could talk to him yourself, don't you think?"
"Do you think he would talk to me?"
"I'm sure he would. Now, Jonathan, go and talk to Marcus. I have more important matters to attend to, alright?"
I approached Marcus with small, calculated steps. I hoped not to scare him or make him hate me even more...
"Father Marcus, is something wrong?"
"Jonathan, you were... I suppose you're happy to see me like this, aren't you?"
"No... Even though you're a scoundrel when it comes to classes, I would never let you cry alone... So, tell me what happened."
"I'll pretend I didn't hear you calling me a scoundrel... Anyway, I think you're right. I feel extremely guilty for not being able to set someone straight some time ago, and now I want to guide the young ones around me..."
"Oh, come on. It sounds like an 80-year-old reminiscing about past mistakes... You're still young, and you're only 27. It's not like you have 2-3 years left to live, right?"
"I know, but still, if it weren't for that accident..."
"What accident?"
"It doesn't matter anymore... Anyway-"
"If you're upset because of me and my mistakes, know that I can change. I don't care how difficult it will be, but Maurice has already done it... I don't want to be one of the reasons you sit here crying... I wish I could do something to cheer you up..."
"Hm, I think I have an idea..."
"Seriously? What is it?"
"Come with me..."
I followed Marcus to his room. He told me to sit on the bed, and although I was a bit skeptical, I did. To my surprise, Marcus took the violin from its place and began to play, accompanied by his tenor voice that seemed to come from the heavens... Something felt strange. It was as if I had heard that voice and violin before...
Before I could figure out what it was, I fell asleep. Hundreds of images passed before me like a film reel... Places from my childhood, things I did with Maurice, my new friend, and the one I told Maurice I wanted to marry, Marcus... Wait, were my memories from before the accident coming back?
The doctors said they would never come back... Could they just be simple dreams? It's impossible, they feel too vivid... And my teacher, my greatest enemy... Was he my childhood crush? It seems that I was the reason for his tears... It seems that he tried to change me in childhood, and if he had been by my side, things might have been different... Now I know what I have to do...