Chapter 10

The palace halls glinted brightly underneath the morning sun. The maids scampered around, smiling to themselves as the prince walked down the halls. He held a bag of frozen peas over his bruised nose. When his guards had found him collapsed on the ground with a giant gash on his princely nose, they suspected it was his usual antics so they paid no mind and carried him swiftly to his room. When he woke up, he was just as stunned to find himself on his comfortable bed. After taking a very uncomfortable shower, he headed to one of their four kitchens to grab an ice bag for his nose, but the cook was not having it today and tossed the peas at him. With the way everyone treated him, you wouldn't believe he was the crown prince's younger brother.

"Marco, what happened to your nose?" A small woman holding a duster came over to touch his chin. She pulled his chin forward and Marco couldn't help sneaking a look at her cleavage.

"I thought you weren't speaking to me anymore?" He threw his arms around her shoulders and she giggled, pushing him off.

She turned to look around to make sure no one was watching and indeed there was no one in the hallway.

"Are you trying to get me fired?" She elbowed him and walked back to the vase she was cleaning. "You should use your senses and get married already, like your brother is doing," She turned to stick out her tongue at him.

"If I get married, then I'll miss our late night rendezvouses. What would you do without my love?" Marco winked at her.

The maid turned back to look at Marco with a blank expression. "I'll survive," she deadpanned, then moved on to wiping some window sills. "I'll have the medic get you something for that nose of yours."

"Aww you still care about me!" Marco wrapped his arms around her, making sure to give her right buttock a light squeeze.

"Marco, let go of me! With all the women prancing around here last night, I'm sure you had your way with a few." She tried to shove him off but he pulled her closer to his broad chest and kissed her lower neck, which made her giggle. "Seriously, do you never get tired?"

They both heard a loud booming cough and when they looked up, Marco saw his older brother looking down at them. He always had the same regal and blank expression on his face, but this time it was skewed with disgust.

"I do." Lorenzo responded for him.

"Lorenzo!" Marco exclaimed, only to be corrected by his brother's advisor.

"Prince Marco, you shall refer to your brother as Crown Prince." Their advisor snapped at him; he was a small old man that always slouched over. Marco was sure that even a slight breeze could blow the man off his feet- he was as skinny as a twig. Yet this man and the other advisors that made up the royal court had been dictating their lives long before they were born. Marco simply rolled his eyes; he wasn't one to take corrections, especially from old men that never left his brother's side.

"Or he could not refer to me at all." Lorenzo pushed past Marco and the quivering maid. When he got to the french doors, he placed his hand on the golden knob and spoke to the advisor loud enough for everyone in the hallway to hear him. "Also, have that maid escorted off my property. Her services are no longer needed here."

Marco's eyes widened and he turned to look at the maid who already had tears welling up in her eyes. He turned his fury back to his older brother. "Lorenzo you can't be-" He began but was cut off by the advisor.

"Crown Prince, Prince Marco." The old man clapped his hands to insist on the correction.

"Like I give a shit!" Marco growled at her.

"What's new?" Lorenzo scoffed.

"It's my property as well, "crown prince"...or did you forget that this is my home too. You can't just fire people whenever you want. She isn't going anywhere!" Marco shoved past the advisor to glare at his brother.

Lorenzo looked past his brother at the maid who was wiping away her tears and shaking like a wounded fawn. "Why? So you can go on rubbing against each other like animals in heat?" He shoved his brother away and pushed the doors open with both arms, striding into their dining room.

He was fed up with Marco's proclivities; it was like trying to teach an old dog new tricks. The more Lorenzo told Marco not to do something, the more he went out of his way to do just that. It was infuriating.

"Brother!" Marco followed after him. "Just because you are stuck being a royal virgin doesn't mean you have to be a royal pain in the ass!" He slammed his hands on their breakfast table hard enough to rattle the entire thing; a jug of orange juice almost spilt over.

Their food was already laid out for them and was getting colder by the minute. Lorenzo picked up his napkin and placed it onto his thighs. With the events of last night, he was exhausted and just wanted a day of peace and quiet.

"Don't say such disgusting things while I'm eating." Lorenzo glared at Marco as he picked up his fork and stabbed his eggs. "You will do as I say or find somewhere else to live when I become king." He didn't even look up from his plate as he said that.

"Right...I guess once you are king, you can finally fire me too." Marco pulled his chair out and dropped himself into it. He pulled another chair and placed his legs on it. Lorenzo simply rolled his eyes at his brother's terrible manners. Marco picked up a sausage from his plate with his hands and bit into it.

"Prince Marco, that is no way for the future king's brother to eat." The advisor appeared in the room. He sluggishly made his way to Marco's side then he picked up a gold fork and handed it to the prince. "Manners maketh a man, Prince Marco."

"Advisor Giovanni, ensure that my brother does not leave the palace today," Lorenzo chimed in and when he was done speaking, he lifted his coffee to his lips. "He will attend all his missed lessons." Lorenzo took another bite from his meal while still ignoring his brother.

"You must be joking. I'm not a child, I don't need any stupid lessons!" Marco shot up from his seat. He squeezed a fork in his hands and furrowed his blonde brows.

"If you aren't a child, then go to your lessons like you are supposed to and stop making me have to fucking mother you over and over again-" Lorenzo was cut off by the advisor who let out a loud cough. Both brothers knew what that cough meant. "I meant...stop making me have to mother you over and over again." Lorenzo took another bite of his food.

"This is ridiculous! First, you threaten to kick me out, now you won't let me leave my own house? You really seem to forget you aren't king yet, elder brother. You don't have any control over me," Marco grabbed half a loaf of bread and bit into it. "The maid isn't fired and I'm getting out of here. Period." Marco stumped over to the doors and the advisor signalled to the guards to block his path.

"The Crown Prince has given you a decree, Prince Marco. You must oblige or I will be forced to use force." The advisor picked up a plate of butter and walked over to Marco.

He took the bread out of his hands and spread some butter over it before handing it back to him. Marco took an unwilling bite out of it.