My first fic, reviews and critics are very much appreciated. It could help me improve my writing skills.

BTW, I changed Jazz's age for the sake of the plot. I made Jazz and Crescendo the same age, and just in case you don't know, Crescendo is two years older.

It was an old tradition for princes. An old, cruel tradition. Whenever the prince reaches the age five or six, he is assigned to a non-noble boy. The boy will be prince's only playmate, and they will grow and study together. Because of this, they form an emotional bond. The stronger their friendship is, the crueler the tradition becomes. Because whenever the prince commits a mistake, his playmate will be punished in front of him.

The tradition still lives on.

Once upon a time, there's a prince residing in the snowy kingdom of Baroque. His name is Crescendo, and he's about five years old. He's a very lonely boy. His father is too busy as king, and his mother died in a tragic accident about a year ago. He's currently in his playroom, drawing various things. He's quite an artist (for a five year old), and this is one of the things his mother is so proud of. He heard a knock on the door and he said 'Come in'.

"Prince Crescendo" said the man who came inside. It's Adagio, the king's second in command. "It's time for you to meet your playmate."

Crescendo stood up from where he is sitting and walked towards the man. Adagio gestured somebody from outside the room to come inside. It's a young boy, about Crescendo's age. He has short black hair and brown eyes. The boy looked at Crescendo and flashed a friendly smile. The prince can't help but smile back.

"I'll leave you two alone so you get to know each other." said Adagio as he left the room.

"Hey there, my name's Jitterbug, but you can call me Jazz for short." said the boy, reaching his hand out for the other to shake.

"Hello, my name is Crescendo." said the prince as he shakes Jazz's hand.

They had a long conversation. They talked about their parents, their hobbies and anything you would expect a five year old will talk about. Then they went outside to play with snow. They made sculptures with the snow. They made a snowman, an igloo, a dog, a rabbit, a house. They kept on doing that until their hands are numb due to coldness. They ate dinner, had another long conversation, and went to bed.

This kind of comfortable lifestyle continued for three years.

And then one time, Jazz and Crescendo are chasing each other inside the castle. Crescendo tripped and broke a vase. It's an expensive one, and it's a special treasure. Adagio saw this and dragged the two boys to the basement. In the basement, a masked man wielding a whip is present. The two boys are immediately scared. Adagio threw Jazz to the masked man and chained him up, and then he started hitting Jazz's back with the whip.

"Jazz!" exclaimed Crescendo as his friend screams in pain. He is about to aid him but Adagio stopped him.

"Please, stop!" pleaded Crescendo, but the masked man didn't heed his words.

Jazz's screams of pain echoes throughout the basement. It pains the prince hearing it. The lashing continued for a few moments until Jazz passes out due to pain.

"Enough." commanded Adagio. The masked man stopped hitting Jazz. "Take him to the infirmary."

The masked man dropped his whip, unchained the boy, and carried him to the infirmary. Crescendo is about to follow him but Adagio grabbed his shoulder, stopping the prince to advance any further.

"Prince, this is what happens whenever you make a mistake." whispered Adagio on Crescendo's ear. "The same rule will be applied when you're finally the king. Make one mistake and your subjects will suffer for it."

Upon saying those words, Adagio left the basement. Crescendo didn't follow. He just stood there with blank eyes. Make a mistake and your subjects will suffer for it. These passed three years; he's living like a normal boy as long as he's with Jazz. He's grown fond of the comfortable lifestyle, and he wants to live like this forever. But he can't runaway from what he really is. A prince. The sole heir of his father's throne. The future ruler of his country. It really gives you a great sense of superiority and power. And with great power, comes great responsibility.

Then Crescendo realized that this tradition is also a practice. The prince acts as a ruler, and the playmate acts as the subjects. You learn to take care of your subjects, face the consequences of your every mistake, and share the burden of your subjects whenever they are suffering. After having this epiphany, he runs to the infirmary.

As he reaches the infirmary, he saw Jazz lying on the bed, sleeping, with bandages covering his torso. He ran to the bed's side and held his friend's hand. As the doctor walked into the room, coming from another room, Crescendo looked at him with worried eyes. The doctor immediately knew what he will ask.

"Don't worry, Prince. His wounds aren't directly inflicted since his shirt was protecting him." said the doctor in a reassuring tone of voice. "He'll be okay in no time."

Crescendo sighed in relief. The doctor walked outside the room and into the halls.

The prince stared at Jazz's face with a guilty expression. After a few moments, the black haired boy slowly opened his eyes.

"Crescendo…" is the first thing that Jazz uttered.

"Oh, Jazz…." said Crescendo as tears formed on his eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"What do you mean?" asked Jazz, getting into an upright position, flinching a little as he did so.

"I'm the reason why you got punished like that. Because every time I make a mistake, you'll get punished in front of me." Crescendo looked away, as if ashamed and his tears started flowing. "You must hate me right now."

"Now why would I hate you?" said Jazz, trying to comfort his crying friend.

"Why? Why, you ask?" said Crescendo finally looking at Jazz. "You're the one who's carrying the burden of my sins. You'll be the one who'll be punished whenever I commit a mistake. Isn't that enough for you to hate me?"

Jazz wiped away Crescendo's tears and said:

"I don't hate you."

He asked Crescendo to come closer. The prince obliged and then Jazz wrapped his arms around Crescendo.

"I have a responsibility, too, you know?" whispered Jazz to Crescendo's ear. "Before we met, your dad talked to me. He told how lonely you are ever since your mother died. So he begged me. He begged me to keep you happy. At first I thought it was some sort of obligation. But as time passes, I realize that I do want to be your friend. I want to keep you happy and from any type of sorrow. I'll be damned if I'll make you cry."

Crescendo then wrapped his arms around Jazz's neck, avoiding his wounded back.

"But for now, cry all you want. Let all your sorrows of the past come out."

Then the prince silently sobbed on Jazz's shoulder.

All this time, the doctor was eavesdropping. He didn't felt like this ever since he was married.

Five more years passed and they are finally thirteen years old. Crescendo and Jazz are currently in the playroom, playing chess. They both heard the knock on the door and they simultaneously said 'Come in'. The door opened, and it revealed Adagio.

"Prince, Jitterbug, I have something to report to you and I don't think you'll like it." said Adagio.

"What is it?" said Crescendo as he stood up, Jazz following him.

"Since you're currently living the tradition of the princes and both of you are in your teens, I'm afraid it's time to say goodbye to each other."

Shock is immediately written on the boys' faces. Jazz suddenly grabbed Crescendo's hand.

"But I don't want to leave Crescendo!" said Jazz.

"And I don't want to leave him, either." said Crescendo.

"I'm sorry but it's part of the tradition. And I guarantee you that Jitterbug's family misses him, too." said Adagio.

Jazz looks down on the floor.

"What do you say?" asked the man.

"I'll think about it." said Jazz after a moment of silence. He slowly lets go of Crescendo's hand and walks out of the playroom.

"Adagio, if he does leave, will I ever see him again?" asked Crescendo.

"That, I am not certain." replied Adagio as he leaves the room.

Crescendo also walks out of the room to look for Jazz. And the last place he searched is the Castle Gardens. Jazz is there, sitting on one the lonesome garden's benches. The prince sits beside him.

"Have you made up your mind?" asked Crescendo.

"No." Jazz admitted. "I do miss my family, but I don't want to leave you."

"Well… If you do miss your family, then I think that you should go home." said Crescendo.

Jazz looked at him.

"You still have your mother, right?"

Jazz nodded.

"And you told me amazing things about her. My mother is about the same. She's beautiful, she's a great story teller and she's very talented. She's the ideal mother. I love her so much; I want to spend my entire life with her. But she died in a tragic accident. I was so sad. Then I realized that I never told her how much I really love her, and I regret it." said Crescendo sounding like he's holding back his tears. "I don't want the same thing happen to you, Jazz. You shouldn't take your family for granted. Because someday, they will go away and never come back. And they won't hear the words you longed to say."

After this conversation, Jazz made up his mind. He'll be going back home. They will have to wait for summer so Jazz can board the ship to Forte. Summer is still two months away, and Jazz and Crescendo spent the most time with each other within these two months.

Also, Crescendo promised Jazz that they will meet each other again someday.

Then, it's finally summer. They brought Jazz to the ship terminal by carriage. Crescendo is with him, of course. When they arrived Crescendo helped Jazz with some of his luggage.

"So, I guess this is goodbye." said Jazz.

"Yes, I suppose it is." said Crescendo quite sadly.

"Aw come on, Crescendo, don't be so sad." said Jazz, putting his hands on the prince's shoulders. "We will meet each other again someday."

"But when will 'someday' come?"

"Don't be such a pessimist. When you wish hard enough and pour some effort in it, your wish will be granted." said Jazz, smiling, and then he frowned. "You wouldn't forget me, would you?"

"Jazz, you're my first and best friend, how could I forget you?"

Upon saying those words, Jazz cups Crescendo's face in one hand, and gently presses his lips onto the prince's. The kiss is chaste and innocent, but it's also sensual in a way. It lasted for minutes before Jazz pulls away. He almost laughed at Crescendo's expression: wide-eyed and his face is red as a tomato.

"J-Jazz! That was my first kiss!" said Crescendo, embarrassed.

"I know." said Jazz. "They say that you wouldn't forget your first kiss, right? Now surely, we won't forget each other."

"Well, I was expecting something more… material." said Crescendo, regaining his composure. "In order to keep my promise, that we'll meet each other again, I give you this." The prince takes the ring from his finger.

"Wait a minute," said Jazz as Crescendo gives him the ring. "Isn't this your mother's ring?"

Crescendo nodded.

"Isn't this precious to you?"

"I trust you, Jazz. When we meet again, I'll get that ring back." said the prince. "I'll definitely get it back."

"I can't wait to see the expression on your face when you get to my country. I bet you've never been to a tropical country before." said Jazz. He sighed. "I really miss that summer breeze." He sighed again. "Remember Italian?"

"Yes."

"I don't think I'll ever use that language in real life. So this is probably the last words I'll say in Italian. So, Crescendo…" Jazz hesitated. "Ti amo, Crescendo, e addio." Said Jazz with glassy eyes.

Upon saying that, he walked towards the ship with his luggage. Crescendo felt a pang of pain hit his heart. He didn't realize that tears are already flowing from his eyes. As soon as he noticed this, he wiped them away, only to be replaced by new tears. He walked back to his carriage hiding his face, and he looked at the departing ship.

Jazz is on his way to his cabin in the ship, but before that, he took one last look at Crescendo.

Their eyes met.

Jazz saw Crescendo's tears.

I'll be damned if I'll make you cry.

Jazz felt the sudden impulse to comfort the prince, but he can't do that right now. He felt helpless. So he just stood by the ship's railing and waved goodbye to Crescendo. The prince waved back. The boy finally felt the slightly belated sorrow in his heart. He stayed there until he completely lost sight of Crescendo.

He then looked at the ring Crescendo gave him, and wore it. The ring is made out of white gold, and it's shaped like a snowflake. Such beauty and detail carved on the material. He then continued his way to his quarters.

In his cabin, he reminisced the happiest times they spent together as he lies down on the bed. The time they gazed at the stars, they took care of a baby chicken together and it grew up as a rooster, they were telling each other funny stories while Crescendo is drinking milk and he laughed so hard, milk came out of his nose. Jazz laughed at the last one. He actually thought that was kind of cute.

Then he remembered their kiss. Such soft lips… He actually wanted to do more than a kiss, but he might scare the prince. He then remembered his first promise with Crescendo.

"Crescendo."

"Yes?"

"Do you like being a prince?"

"Actually, no. I don't like being a prince."

"Why?"

"Being a prince might be luxurious, but you're not free. I sometimes envy you, Jazz. You're able to live your life whatever you want to be. I can't escape the fact that I am the prince of Baroque. And other than not being free, the pressure sometimes stresses me."

"What pressure?"

"When I grow up, I'll become the king of Baroque. What if I'm not the great ruler everyone expects me to be?"

"Don't worry, Crescendo, you'll be a great ruler. You've got to believe in yourself."

"But what if believing is not enough?"

"You do know that you need to pour some effort in it. But you can't accomplish everything by yourself. So whenever you need some help or emotional support, you can come to me, anytime. I'll never leave your side."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Jazz covered his eyes as his tears flowed.

"I'm sorry, Crescendo." said Jazz, smiling sadly. "I broke my promise."

THE END.