Young Royals

Chapter 3

Erik and I stood on a field infront of the building just so the photographer could take some more pictures of us together.
"A little bit closer, please.", the photographer asked us. We moved even closer together and Erik put an arm around me.

But I wasn't really concentrating and bit my nails which was something my mother always criticized about me. It was one of my ticks when I was nervous or got distracted by something.

Erik pulled my hand away from my mouth and laid it on his shoulder. Our pose hopefully looked relaxed and showed some of our brotherly love. The people loved to see the two princes together since my parents only had two kids. Erik as the first born, favourite of the people and me, Wilhelm, the second born and the disappointment.

"We run away on three! Alright?", my brother whispered. Confused I looked at him from the side while I still smiled into the camera. He smirked at me and started counting. "Three, Two, One, Go!" Erik started sprinting towards a little hill behind us and after a few seconds I followed him as fast as I could. When I looked around I saw the photographer and our bodyguard just standing there like they were frozen and looking very confused.
"Faster, Wilhelm!", Erik yelled while laughing. My legs were speeding up and I followed him into the little forest next to the school.

My mood was exuited, but was clouded by the thought of my childhood. Back then my brother and I always played in the woods and chased after each other. We haven't done anything like this in years and it wakened old memories.
I had a happy childhood but as I got older I was burdened with more and more duties of being the prince and didn't have that much time to be a child anymore.

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"Did you get the alcohol?", August asked quietly so that none of the other students or teachers could hear him.
"No, the whole prince thing made everyone nervous and they tightened the security. I couldn't even get my meds in without an official permission."

"Fuck! I promised Erik to take care of Wille and that means we have to give him the best initiation ever! The future king should remember us as party legends and not as losers who can't even get some alcohol."
The two other boys looked at each other as if they had an idea and then glanced at someone behind August. "What? Do you guys have an idea or not?"

August turned around slightly and could finally see what the boys were looking at.
The boy with the angelic voice was walking down the isle of the church.
"What about the non-res?"
"He probably has some contacts where he can get us alcohol.", the other boy said.
"Nice voice.", August exclaimed at the boy who was walking by. He turned around with a confused look in his eyes.
"I guess that is a yes?"
August nodded, still watching the boy leaving the church.

Meanwhile the two others gossiped about him, talking about how the boy named Simon spoke to them the first day of the school year.

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I walked through a hallway with a lot of doors on both sides, Erik happily laughing infront of me.
"You're lucky that you don't have to share a room. When I was at Hillerska I shared a room with August and some other students.", he said excited.
Erik is way more optimistic than me, even as a kid he always saw the good sides of people or situations. And then there is me,  most of the time I look angry or sad and that's honestly what I feel. I'm not a happy person like Erik.

I layed down on the single bed which was placed in my small dorm. There wasn't much room for other furniture than a wardrobe, the bed and a small desk with a chair. Erik sat on the chair right infront of the big window. The view from the window looked beautiful from my place on the bed. I could see the barn and some fields, along with many trees which swayed in the light wind.

"I won't survive this school. Not without you and not for three years.", I bursted out what I was thinking the whole time since we arrived. But Erik just smiled amused at me as if he didn't take my words seriously.
"Just try to copy the first graders and listen to what the third graders want you to do."
"You mean I should do what August and his stupid friends tell me to do? He's fucking annoying and probably insane!"

Erik glanced at me surprised.
"August is family and he's not insane. I know he can be a bit annoying but you can trust him. He's like a brother for me and he can be that for you too.", he tried to convince me, but I would never trust August. Not even with my bags.
"Who the fuck can live like this for three long years?!", I yelled a little too loud. My gaze wandered to the door, the bodyguards waiting outside the door probably heard me but it doesn't matter. They know I'm different in private than I am in public.

"It's not just for you! Everything you do has consequences for our whole family and the crown. And you’re just throwing a bad light on us right now. It isn't that hard to keep up the appearance so don't be so selfish!" Erik said this in a very serious tone and it hurt me that he thought I was being selfish, but when I heard a knock on the door, which was the sign Erik had to go, we both hugged tightly.

"We'll see each other really soon, alright?", he whispered into my ear.
"Do you really have to go? Can't you just stay here with me?"
I could feel his smile but his tone stayed formal. "Yes Wilhelm. I have to go now."
Erik tried pulling away from me but I held him even tighter.
"No! Don't leave me.", I shouted while trying to pull him back into my room.
"Stop Wilhelm! You know I can't stay here.", he said, trying to open the door. But I couldn't let him go. When he was gone I had no chance of going back to the Palace and I would be stuck at Hillerska.

The security outside the door looked at us confused but didn't say anything. Erik finally pulled out of my hug and straightened his suit.
"Try to find some friends. Then it will be a lot easier here.", my brother said. He then turned around and left the hallway without looking back. "Say hi to Mom and Dad!", I called after him, but he didn't even turn around.

Now that he was gone, I had nothing to do, so I just stood in the hallway looking around really lost.