The bright summer sun shone over a golden field of wheat. A babbling brook of crystal clean water reflected the sapphire blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds. The air was crisp and cool against the skin of the boy sitting under a great pine on the hill overlooking the meadow. He smiled and tossed his head back and closed his eyes, still unaware of the bear that slowly approached him from the lavish woods behind him.
Then the creature unleashed a mighty growl and charged at him. The little boy's eyes snapped open and jolted to his feet. He swiftly twisted to the side at the last second and grabbed the bear by the neck. He lifted the bear into the air and flipped it onto its back. It landed with a grunt.
"Silly Misha. You know you can't beat me like that," the boy laughed and flopped down onto the soft grass beside the pouting beast.
He was going to be in a lot of trouble when he returned home as he was breaking the rules that his father enforced on him.
And common sense dictates that the tsesarevich shouldn't be wrestling bears.
"I shouldn't even be outside palace grounds at all. Well, according to father," the boy thought, annoyed.
He didn't care. He loved this meadow and he visited it everyday without his father knowing of course. He had discovered it by accident while running from his own guards three years ago and he soon realized that the meadow was quite peculiar. Snow never fell, the plants never died, the river never froze and the sky never greyed. Not even in the middle of December! And strangely, no one else seemed to have known about this place. Soon, it became the prince's haven he visited everyday.
"It's a never ending Summer," he smiled to himself.
The tsesarevich was born on Earth as the threat of war loomed over the Russian Empire. Because of that, he had been banished and resided in the grand Winter Palace, a place the young prince grew to hate later on. But for now, he found his place within the walls.
Before his discovery, the only parts of the outside world he knew of were the ones he could see through the windows and the funny shapes he studied on paper. He wasn't even allowed to go to the small village right on the outskirts of the Winter Palace. The boy was isolated. And so very lonely. He was the Empire's only child- correction, only unmurdered child. Strangely enough, it was his father who murdered his mother and siblings. He always stated that they were weak, imperfections staining the royal blood.
"You must obey me at all times. Understood? You are perfect. You are strong. That is why I didn't kill you too. I hope it stays that way, so don't disappoint me."
And he never did. He was the perfect prince in every way, completing every task he was given. He never dreamed of disobeying his father but every passing day, he felt his emotions dimming. That is, until a young village boy came crashing through his window one night.
The dazed boy lay on the floor, with glass littering the floor beneath him. His breaths were unsteady and his life had flashed before his eyes.
"This is why you don't catapult yourself at castles," he grumbled to himself.
But in his mind, he was celebrating the fact that he survived. Until the plain pajama wearing prince jumped on him.
His name was Stepan. The tsesarevich found that out by pinning the poor boy to the ground with his arm twisted behind his back. After he was sure Stepan wasn't a threat, he let him go but that wasn't the end of their encounters.
Stepan had a terrible habit of randomly popping out of the bushes in the royal garden and scaring the crap out of the prince but soon, his highness began to warm up to the peculiar kid. One might even say they became friends.
"Hey... Can I ask you something?" Stepan said one day.
"What is it?"
"What do you do in the Palace?"
"What do you mean by that?"
Stepan shrugged, "The Winter Palace is home to the royal family right?"
"Yes. And?"
"Well what are you doing in there?"
The tsesarevich let out a snort, "Guess."
Soon, the two of them were inseparable and what remained of their walls between them crumbled to dust. He revealed the Endless Summer to Stepan, who punched him for not showing him earlier and Stepan snuck him to the village to meet the old couple who adopted him.
The little peasant boy attacked them with joy,"Mama, papa! I'm home! Look, it's my friend I was talking about! Can he stay for dinner? Please?"
His exhausted parents gave him a weak smile, "We'll do our best. Let him in now, we would love to meet him."
Stephan ran outside and dragged the silent prince into the house.
"Here he is!" cried the village boy. The prince gave a shy smile.
"Please please, make yourself comfortable. Forgive the mess, we haven't had a guest in ages. Our son talks a lot about you-"
But soon, their expressions turned into panic once they realized who was standing in the room. They slammed their foreheads to the floor.
"YOUR HIGHNESS! FORGIVE US, WE DIDN'T RECOGNIZE YOU," they sobbed.
Stepan just looked puzzled. "Mama? What are you talking about?"
"Oh, dear boy. Don't you know who that is? It's the tsesarevich of Russia!"
His eyes widened and turned to the prince, who was trying to calm the frightened old couple.
"Is it true? Are you the tsesarevich?"
The prince gave him a guilty little nod.
"Why... why didn't you tell me?"
The prince cringed slightly. "I thought you knew. Why else would I be living in the Palace?"
"I don't know, I thought you were a servant who worked there or something! Like, I've never seen you wearing fancy stuff or anything! "
"I'm sorry and I honestly hate wearing those things, but please don't let this ruin our friendship ok?"
Stepan was silent, a million thoughts ran around in his head.
"I... I have to go," Stepan whispered and without another glance, he raced out of the house.
He never saw Stepan again, for the next year or so. He visited his adoptive parents often, asking where Stepan was but he was never home. The pain of loneliness began to surround him once more. Everyday, he would tell Misha about Stepan. He would tell jokes Stepan told, sing the songs Stepan sang. But in the end, nothing felt right without his friend by his side.
This continued for another year until the prince's 12th anniversary, when he woke to find a note on the floor next to his bed. The place where a goofy village boy landed on one night, about two years ago...
To be continued...
Author's Notes: Correct me if I'm wrong, but tsesarevich is the title for the "heir to the throne" while tsarevich is for the tsar's sons. Right?
Next chapter will mark the beginning of Part 2: The Training. See ya next week :)