An Island for a Cloud

2.3 How to be a Good Friend

Thank you very much for reading this chapter. If you spot any spelling mistakes or awkward sentence structures, please be nice and let me know :)

"Spoiling all the fun, as usual," said Jule and assumed a lazy pose.

"You should be glad it is me, Your Highness," told him the guard, barely containing his anger. He grabbed Jule by the collar of his coat and pulled him out from behind the table, knocking over the mugs.

"Let me go!" screeched the boy. The guard dragged him across the celler towards the door. He did not have to look back to know that the other boys were trailing close behind them. Few of the guests gave them amused side looks, but no one moved to stop them.

"I will tell my mother all about it!" shouted the prince.

"And what is it exactly that you plan tell your mother?" asked the guard. "Do enlighten me. Do you intend to tell her that I caught you drinking in an Orvatan den in Leivrat?"

"I am the Prince. I can do whatever I want!" Jule battled to free himself from the grip, to no avail.

"Is that right?" The Guard gave Jule a shove that made him fly up a few steps.

Jule's friends had to run to keep up until they emerged on the dark street.

The Orvat that had let them in was pinned against the wall by two other Aleutan guards. At the sight of Jule, both of them smiled broadly and released the Orvat, who did not hesitate to make a run for it.

"Look who came to visit us!" sang one of the guards in a sweet voice that did not fool anyone.

Jule looked now clearly alarmed at the sight of all of his cursed uncles standing before him. They smiled at him broadly and moved closer.

His hands began to tremble slightly, but then he remembered that he was the prince and had nothing to fear. He straightened his shoulders and raised his chin.

"We will take leave of you and we forget all about this. Naturally, I won't pass my mother any greetings from you. In fact, I will do you the favour and will never mention to her that I saw you. Let's go boys!" With that Jule turned fully intending to leave. Without even making as much as two steps, he ran into the eldest of his uncles, Stenen, who had dragged him out of the den and now blocked his path.

"As Captain of the Guards in Leivrat, it is my duty to make sure I never see neither you nor your friends here again, Your Highness," said Stenen.

"And it is our duty to help the captain whenever we can," added his second uncle Kulen, not even trying to hide his amusement. Kulen, a few years younger than Stenen, was someone who took life lightly and with a pinch of humour.

"And something tells us that this time we will enjoy ensuring that Aleutan laws are upheld," said Loan, the youngest of the three brothers, who had a melancholic air about him.

"What is the punishment for coming to Leivrat, Your Highness?" asked Stenen, his face a calm mask.

"How should I know?" Jule replied with a shrug.

"Of course you won't know. You believe, it is not something that will ever apply to you after all," said Kulen with a mocking voice.

"It is thirty lashes last time I checked, brother," offered Laon.

At that Jule paled slightly, but quickly composed himself again and put on his usual bored face.

"Tell me the truth," Stenen addressed Jule's friends. "Jule dragged you here?" The boys starred at their feet and swallowed the tears. The answer written on their faces.