Joseph's classes would return on January 16^th. The following fortnight after his encounter with “the prince”, he dedicated himself to reviewing his notes, finishing up some books he had borrowed from the library, trying to find some new patients in town - the money this month could barely pay his tuition – and doing a full winter cleaning of his home.

Soon the prince, if he was indeed a prince, became a picturesque New Year’s incident, one of the ones you talked about with your family on a Sunday after lunch. Indeed, if weren't for the scandal, Joseph would have promptly written to his family about him.

Joseph had been writing in his journal to keep his mind calm, and that event alone needed nearly 10 pages to be properly catalogued...

"I hope, in the end, he made his way back safely and healed completely from all those wounds," he concluded, closing his notebook for that day.

His most loyal patient, Mr. Brenner, had his gout flare up, most likely due to winter and Christmas food. Joseph had even spent four nights at his place in a row. It provided him with extra, secure funds for that month, but Joseph prayed for his condition to improve, both out of empathy and also because once he began his classes, it would be hard to compromise with such a demanding schedule.

If I weren’t attending college, I could dedicate more time to finding new patients. But I can become a much better doctor by completing the courses. I have to think long-term.

The bruise on his face was already gone, but his hands were still a bit irritated. Taking a deep breath, the boy put on his purple coat with a lavender suit underneath and an aquamarine fabric belt, and his gloves. Then he tied his hair back, threw the black robe of the Saint Legions Institution over his shoulders, and grabbed his leather pack. It was barely 5 a.m.

Locking the door behind him, he did the sign of the cross, asking for strength and safety to make the almost 2 hour trip to the university with a 30 centimetre layer of snow under his feet.

***

The sky was notably grey when Joseph reached the college grounds. The thin, bald linden trees formed a natural border around the old cemetery at the university's chapel. The grey-blue tombstones, mausoleums, and crosses all had white hats of snow.

CAW!

As soon as Joseph approached the road to the graveyard, a cloud of ravens flew at him. Some were just being noisy, flapping their wings, while others landed on his shoulders, nipping at his ears and pulling his hair, showing affection.

"Hey, you little bastards! No need to cajole me! I know what you really want!" the young doctor said, laughing as he took a handful of grain from the pocket in his bag's shoulder strap and threw it to the birds.

He watched them, satisfied. They would be safe this winter. But then he noticed something: a huge, gluttonous crow, trying to get as much grain as he could, with a scar in place of his left eye.

Oh! It's the crow who was bumping into the window on New Year's Eve... What is he doing here? Did he like the corn that much?

Then he remembered. The prince. That crow had stayed by his side.

Munin... stop...

I told it to leave.

Did you feed that crow?

The prince's words echoed in Joseph's head. He knew there was something he was missing, like the last piece of a puzzle, but he couldn't figure out what it was.

Well, it's just a coincidence.

"Well, well, well! Look here! The Raven Boy is back!"

Joseph turned around, just to confirm what he already knew. Standing behind him, smirking with that despicable nose in the air, was Filip Svoboda, son of the director of the Law Department. He had thick black hair pulled back into a ponytail and moss-coloured eyes. He was little taller than Joseph, and slightly bulkier.

Frowning, Joseph silently turned his back on him and kept walking to the college's entrance.

"Hey! I'm talking to you, Selden!"

"Fuck you, Svoboda."

That was when Joseph felt his hair being pulled back with such a violence that he stumbled and fell to the ground, which was muddy from the melting snow.

Here we go again...

He began to stand back up, only to feel Filip's foot driving him back onto the ground. The dark-haired boy stepped on Joseph's face.

The young doctor closed his eyes to the smell of grass and mud on the other boy's boot.

"Why don't you go back to your shitty England, full of mollies like you, Selden? Huh?"

Joseph tried hard to push the boy’s foot off of his face and managed. However, the other boy soon kicked him in his stomach.

"UGH!" Joseph cringed, trying to gather some air back into his lungs. He was dizzy because he hadn’t eaten anything that morning. He noticed some other boys already watching the spectacle.

"Do you really like those dirty birds? Huh, RAVEN BOY?" Svoboda pulled a slingshot out of his coat, grabbing a big rock from the ground.

A cold sensation settled in Joseph's chest when he saw the boy targeting the old, half-blind crow.

Svoboda pulled the rubber band back, giving it tension.

"Those pests are multiplying and becoming a nuisance because you keep feeding them. I'll have to get rid of some of th-"

Joseph grabbed his legs, making the other boy fall in the mud, hitting his back on the rocks.

"Ugh!" Svoboda moaned in pain. His eyes closed and his hands dropped the slingshot.

The young doctor punched him, and with his arms trembling in anger, he picked up the rock Filip had tried to use to kill the bird, raising it above his head. The other boy’s eyes widened, his face twisted in complete dismay.

Then, something told Joseph to stop.

If you hurt him, you're done. You'll be thrown out immediately.

The adrenaline rush faded away and he felt his arms weaken. There were around 15 other boys watching them now.

Joseph stood up, letting the stone fall. He grabbed Svoboda's arm against his will and made him stand as well. Two wardens were keeping watch to prevent any trouble.

"You're so dead, Raven Boy... I swear on my mother, this is your last year here..." Svoboda hissed through his teeth. His eyes were full of red veins, almost popping out of his head, when Joseph, all covered in mud and dirt, passed by his side.

"Oh, fuck you, Svoboda..." Joseph said in a low monotone without looking back.

***

Joseph sat in a sunny room that was full of bookshelves, with a mahogany crucifix above the door. The windows, which were a mix of Georgian and Gothic style, were wide open.

The boy’s mouth was full of the ham sandwich he was finishing. He washed the rest of the meal down with a glass of milk that he drained in seconds.

Watching him from the other side of the table was a man in his late 40s. He had a light brown hair, almost grey, and deep brown eyes. He was dressed in black religious robes, similar to the ones the students wore. His face, full of thin expression winkles, broke into a smile when Joseph held back a burp.

"Was it good?"

"It was amazing. Thank you so much, Reverend Weber."

The priest nodded, his eyes still on the boy. He drummed his right fingers on the desk and grabbed a sheet of paper with his other hand, showing it to the lad.

"You got a warning for bad behaviour, Joseph."

"Only me, of course..." the boy sighed, holding the paper.

Of course Filip Svoboda wouldn’t be punished, since his daddy had his back. Throw it all on the English boy...

"You're far from violent. What really happened?"

Joseph shrugged, putting the paper in his bag.

"Svoboda was pestering me, calling me names, and when I ignored him, he tried to kill an old, half-blind crow I was feeding this morning..."

The reverend nodded.

"I believe and support your version, but you're already on your second warning. You know what happens after the third one, right?"

Joseph swallowed and frowned, nodding in silence. He let his head fall into his hands.

"If it was just me, they could do whatever. But I can't stand watching...anyone else suffering..."

There was a moment of silence. Then the older man took Joseph’s hand, lowering his head to the same level as Joseph's.

"I'll plead for you to the board. You have amazing grades and engagement in classes despite your living conditions. I'm sure they’ll purge at least one of your warnings."

Joseph forced a smile to his face.

Reverend Eckhardt Weber was a good man. He was the only soul in the school who would talk to Joseph like a human being. But he was just one man against the whole world.

The College Board was especially not fond of Joseph due to the conditions surrounding the reason why his father had enrolled him. He knew it. For them, sodomy - even without a witness - wasn't an easily forgivable crime.

He just pities me because he thinks I'm a good boy and he wants to make me pure again.

Dammit, Father... You just had to put me in an extremely Christian institution, didn’t you? Just to make everything even harder.

"Thank you very much, Reverend. I hope it works."

Someone knocked at the door.

"Excuse me, Joseph."

The reverend went over, and Joseph stayed in his place to avoid hearing what he was talking about with the other person. He kept staring out the window. The sky was blue, the sunlight giving some warmth to the room and bathing the boy's skin in gold.

So sudden...

Then, he felt the presence of the priest by his side, bowing down to talk to him discreetly.

"There is something I want to ask you, son. Hmm... There is...a new student. He was just transferred, for he had some...issues where he was studying before."

"Do you want me to be his mentor?"

"Would you? Please?"

Joseph shrugged.

"Nobody likes me here. I'm not even a native."

The reverend bowed down even more, lowering his voice.

"Exactly. That's why I'm asking you."

Joseph rolled his eyes, taking a deep breath and turning his face away.

"It would be my pleasure, then."

The reverend nodded to someone by the door, and Joseph heard the door opening. There was the sound of heavy steps, approaching slowly. Then, a tall figure stood by his side.

Joseph went pale when he raised his head to see the newcomer. Dressed in a marine blue coat with a cyan blue suit underneath, wrapped with a burgundy belt, and barely covered by the black robe of the institution, there he was. That warm caramel skin and dark wavy hair, and those amber falcon eyes, widening as they stared at Joseph...

The prince.