He led indefinitely with his shoulder. Understand how you want.
But Alexander did not want to leave the question open.
- Admit it! - He strongly demanded it.
The Grand Duke... The Emperor's son can order anything. At least jump out of the window. And to confess to something, it is too much.
Alexander hmuckled quite a bit.
- Then do as I tell you. Draw! Draw for me. And my father will think that I am making progress. And it will never drive you away!
Andri stubbornly pressed his lips. He hated lies. Even in the name of friendship.
- You won't? - The resentment rang in Alexander's voice. Andrew squeezed his teeth to avoid dropping the irreparable... He fought painfully with himself.
- Al... - Words were barely given. - Can we only meet in class?
Now the prince will say that at other times he can be friends with more interesting guys... Andrew ate his lip. What a good day it was, and it turned out so stupidly...
Alexander sighed.
- Yes, we can, of course, - he said with unexpected straightforwardness. - Only if you leave, the old ointment will be put on me again. And this great master will pull all my veins out of me! And my father let my mentors even whale me if I didn't work hard enough...
Andri ate. He wasn't touched at home or with a finger. He could hardly have imagined a blow with a birch or a slap in the face. Antonia used to slap the kids in the ass, but it didn't even hurt...
- Well, well," he surrendered. - I will tell His Majesty from time to time that you are making progress...
- Yay! - Alexander exclaimed and immediately turned Andri face to face the easel. - Then quickly finish this damn vase and go to the roof!
- They scold... - Andri doubtfully stretched out, automatically correcting most of the curves in the drawing of his student.
- Do not zagaet! My father himself flew snakes from there when he was a minor! As long as they see it from the street, but report to the bate... We will have time to run over the palace halfway!
The wind has swept Andri's hair up on the roof and inflated a thin shirt with a sail.
- Wow!" Alexander exclaimed joyfully. - That's the power! Hurry, let's go to the other side! - Without waiting for his friend, he ran across the roof, unwinding the thread as he went. As if he was reluctant but faster and faster, the snakes started to climb. - Hey, gay! - happy cry of the Grand Duke has swung up after the elastic white wing directed to the sky.
Andrew wanted to catch up with Alexander, but suddenly he changed his mind and stayed in place, watching his unusual friend from afar. Here on the roof, the smiling heir with serious gray eyes turned into a carefree Alka. His short hair, gently combed sideways, was shattered, and the jacket of a strict gray uniform was thrown aside. Bent backward, Alexander stood almost at the very edge...
Andri suddenly became unbearably anxious. Not because the prince risked falling off the roof... No, it was a strange unexplained alarm that originated somewhere deep inside. Andri had never felt anything like it before. And while his friend was balancing at the top of happiness, he himself ate his lip and, without taking his eyes off, looked at the low silhouette of the heir. He desperately wanted to shout at Alexander, stop him, call him down... return to the gloomy rooms of the imperial apartments...
Andrew shook his head and, resisting a stupid feeling, hurried to a friend.
He remembered the day when his father had called him to his office with a stricter voice. He turned around in a big leather armchair and put Andri between his knees, looking closely into his eyes...
- Do you want to meet the Emperor's son?
Andrew blinked confusedly and shook his shoulders. He had never thought of such a thing. He had enough friends in the street and at the gymnasium...
- Well, don't chew," the professor stood up and broke his son's blonde hair. They were as bright as his own. Andri was an exact copy of the famous chemist Goran. - Alexander is very nice. You will like him.
- But why? - perplexed, uttered by Andri.
My father smiled, his blue eyes sparkled with joy behind the windows of square glasses.
- The emperor despaired to fascinate his heir with love for art. He wants to find for Alexander a mentor for drawing... The same boy.
Andri has been in the palace many times with his elders. The father was a famous man, who entered many of the noble homes, including the Emperor's. But, going to the first lesson with the Grand Duke, Andrew was terribly worried. Before, he had only seen Alexander from afar. The heir to the throne seemed to be a very adult... He was too smiling and serious.
Only until the minute when Alexander pulled out the whole regiment of tin soldiers from the table drawer and offered to play cannons instead of a lesson...
Continuation in the next part 5.