Who am I?
By David Lundquist
Contents
Note:
This Story does not pretend to be about the real Royal Family in Sweden. All the characters in the story are pure imagination and have nothing to do with the members of the Royal Family.
Please remember that Nifty needs your donations to provide these wonderful stories -- go to https://donate.nifty.org/.
Joav searched for his trousers. "I think I have to call my aunt and tell her where I am, I'm sure she is worried sick." Joav managed a weak smile to Filip. "I'm staying at her place over the weekend."
He dug out his cell phone and typed his aunt's number.
"Where are you??!!" Aunt Lisa almost yelled in the phone.
"I've been sleeping over at a friend; I thought it was too late to call you to tell you."
"But you could have texted me a message, I've been so worried when I saw that you have not been home tonight."
"I'm sorry, really sorry, but I'm all right." Not quite, he thought to himself.
"But where are you?"
"I'm at Filip's."
"Filip who, what's his surname, where does he live?"
"I don't know his surname. Wait, I will check."
He looked too Filip; he was listening in to Joav's call to his aunt.
"I don't have a surname." Filip smiled to him.
"He says he does not have a surname." Joav told his aunt on the phone. She was quiet for a sec, then: "You are not making fun of me, are you?"
"No, sure not! Wait a sec, Filip want to talk with you." He gave the phone to Filip.
"Yes mam, yes, I'm that Filip, and yes, we are in the Royal Castle."
The phone was not on loudspeaker, so Joav could not hear what aunt Lisa said, but it was not difficult to figure out what she said.
"Yes mam, yes of course. It's all right, yes, sure it is." Filip managed to get in between then flow of words from Aunt Lisa.
"I will give the phone back to Joav. Have a nice day Mrs. Bonde."
Joav took the phone from Filip. "Yes, Aunt Lisa, I will come home later today. I don't know when; Filip's mother wants to talk with me first. No, I do not know about what, but she asked about my family name; Bonde. Bye Auntie."
He put the phone down on the table and started crying again.
"Come. Let's have the shower." Filip brushed Joav's tears away from his cheek while looking into his eyes. Joav's cheeks burned where Filip's hand touched them.
Of course, Filip had a big bathroom with a spacious shower. Before Joav's surprised eyes, Filip stripped and stepped naked into the shower. Joav was not used to nakedness and did not know how to react. He hesitated.
"Come on, it's room for two!"
Joav stalled. Filip looked out of the shower. "What is it with you? Do you have a problem with being naked??"
"It's not that." Joav explained. "I'm just not used to be naked when I'm not alone." He showed his boxers down and stepped out of them. He stepped naked into the shower, blushing furiously. He tried to avoid looking at Filip, but he could not help looking at him. He was beautiful, and nice to look at. Especially his butt was nice. He could see that Filip was not as far in puberty as himself, at least if he should judge after the size of his penis and his pubes. Joav felt a nice tickling on his crotch, and turned his back to Filip so he should not see that he was chubbing up.
"Didn't you have PE in your school in Israel, and having showers afterwards?" Filip asked him.
"Yes, and no." Joav tried. "We had physical exercise, but I did not shower afterwards. I lived so close to the school that I showered at home." With glowing cheeks Joav stood under the running water. He felt that he owed Filip better, so he continued; "besides the other boys thought I was weird."
"How come weird?"
"I'm not circumcised, all the other boys in my class were."
"Oh." Filip managed, but Joav did notice that Filip looked at first his and then his own junk."
Then he smiled to Joav, "But neither am I, so you are not weird here! But we better hurry up. Mom does not like to wait."
"Yes, I thought she looked like that." Joav smiled.
They hurried with the shower, given the short time they had to disposal. They could not avoid bumping into each other. Joav thought it was nice to feel Filip's naked skin against his
Soon they were dry and dressed in Filip's casual clothes.
Breakfast was served in a small dining room. Joav was not used to have breakfast served by a waiter, a man in a kind of uniform that asked him what he wanted to drink, and what to eat. It was strange, but nice.
Joav was well into his second piece of bread when Filip's mother joined them at the table.
The waiter filled a cup of coffee for her. She looked intensely at Joav. "I'm sorry", she said when she saw that Joav blushed under her staring at him, bit this is difficult for me too. You see, you look so much alike my late husband, Joav's father."
The room became very quiet.
"Don't you think so too, Filip?"
"Yes." Filip answered in a small voice looking at the floor.
"You see, Filip's father died two years ago, and you are not the only one here that tries not to cry."
Nobody said anything. Tears rolled down Filip's cheeks.
"I do miss him so." Filip said in a small voice.
Filip's mother continued: "It's ok that I call you Joav, yes?"
"Sure."
"So Joav, please tell us about yourself. How old you are."
"I'm 14, ma'am."
"When is your birthday?"
Joav thought it was a strange question but answered "15 March."
"And where in Israel are you from?"
"I lived in Tel Aviv with mom."
"Are you Israeli?"
"I have both Israeli and Swedish passports, mam."
"And your mother is Swedish, we know that. But your surname, Bonde, is that your mother's name?"
"Yes."
"And you know nothing about your father?"
"No, mom would not talk about him at all."
"What did your mom do?"
"She was a teacher. She worked part time in a grammar school in Tel Aviv."
"And you started at the Sigtuna Humanistiska this autumn?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Who decided that?"
"My guardian."
"And who is your guardian?"
"It's a lawyer here in Stockholm."
"And his name?"
"But mom, you sound like you're interrogating Joav!" Phillipe looked angry at his mom.
"Sorry Joav, but I need to know." She smiled a sad smile to Joav.
"It's difficult name, but I think I have it right: Axel Oxenhjelm.[i]"
"How come I'm not surprised." She exclaimed quiet.
"Excuse me for asking, but the Sigtuna is a very expensive school, who pays for you now that your mom is dead?"
"Mom!" Filip stared angry at her.
"It's OK. I don't mind talking about it. I it's some kind of fund in Sweden that pays it. I even get an allowance every week from it."
"And you stay by your aunt in the weekends?
"Yes, She is my only relative."
"We will see about that." She said, looking at him.
Filip started crying softly. Joav sat down beside him and held his head to his chest.
Joav asked the question that had been on his mind the whole morning "Can I ask you a question ma'am?"
"Sure Joav, go on."
"Who are you, where am I?"
"Oh, Filip has not told you?"
"No ma'a m."
"I'm very sorry. This is very rude of both of us." She looked accusingly at Phillippe.
"I wanted to be an ordinary boy for once!" Filip tried.
"Yes, I understand that. But we must tell Joav, especially now that we know that he had the same birthmark as you."
She looked to Joav with sorry eyes. "You see, Filip is a prince. He's Crown Prince Karl Filip of Sweden, and I'm his mother, Princess Christina of Sweden."
"Real prince and princess?" Joav looked at them both with big eyes. "Prince and princess like in the fairytales?"
"Yes! I'm a fairytale freak! I'm so sick and tired of it!" Filip exclaimed angry.
"I'm sorry Filip. But that's how it is, it cannot be helped." She looked fondly at Filip.
"Was Filip's father King then?" Joav asked.
No, the king is Filip's uncle, his father's brother."
"Oh."
"But let's us talk about you Joav, ok?"
"Yes mam."
"Have you lived all your life in Israel?" Christina started.
"Yes."
"You know about kibbutz?"
"Sure!"
"Do you know if your mom worked on a kibbutz
anytime?"
"Yes, I she did, mom mentioned it a couple of times."
"Do you happen to know when and in which kibbutz?"
"Yes sure. It was kibbutz Mishmar David, and it was in 1992." Joav looked confused at her.
"Why do you ask?"
"You see, Filip's father also worked in a kibbutz one summer. I must find out what kibbutz and when."
The room became very quiet.
"Does that mean that Filip's father is my f...." Joav could not say the word.
"Not necessarily. You see, Filip's father was not alone then, he did the kibbutz thing together with one of his brothers." Christina sighed.
"I guess we must do an DNA-test on you to find out who's whom. Do you think that's ok with you?"
"I don't know, I guess I have to ask my guardian."
"Yes, of course." She answered.
This was too much for Joav, he started crying big again. And this time Filip joined him. They embraced, both crying. Filip buried his face in Joav's chest, that soon was soaking wet with his tears.
Joav did not know if he cried of happiness or by sorrow. Earlier today he had no family at all, except for Aunt Lisa, but now he had a lot more family, or did he? It was so confusing, but he was so happy he had Filip to hug. It made it a bit easier for him.
And the hug was so nice. Filip's strong arms holding him hard against his own body. He could smell Filip's smell. It was a boy's smell, not strong, but sweet in a way. Joav enjoyed the hug, and it stopped his crying.
"What do I do now? Joav asked Filip's mother.
"I think we should talk with your guardian." She answered him. "I know him well, and we need his help. Joav agreed and dug out his phone. After a short search through his contacts -- he did not have that many yet - he found it.
"Yes, advocat Axel Oxenhjelm's office. Who do I have the honor to speak with?" a woman answered the phone at once.
"This is Joav Bonde. I want to speak with Axel. Tell him that it's urgent." Joav was not sure it was so urgent, but it sounded better.
"Do you have an appointment?" Her voice was like she was on her way to end their conversation.
"No, but Axel said that I could call him any time." He tried again.
"And who are you again?" Her voice was not so arrogant anymore. Joav could sense some uncertainness.
"Bonde, Joa...." She stopped him before he made it to the end of his name: "Joav Bonde?" Her voice was almost friendly.
"Yes."
"I'm so sorry, I did not get your name. I will set you over to Axel once.
After a few seconds he got Axel's calm voice on the phone: "Hello young friend, are you ok?"
"No, not really." Joav's voice showed the stress he was under now. He longed so much after Axel's reassuring arms around him.
"Something wrong Joav?"
"Yes..." Joav started crying.
"But poor Joav, can I help you in any way?"
"Yes, tell me who I am!"
Axel did not answer him at once. The only sound in the room was the sound of an unhappy boy crying.
"Why do you ask, Joav? Have something happened?"
"Yes, I have got a new friend at the school."
"Yes, and..."
"I have the same birthmark as he."
"And his name is Filip, right?"
"Yes."
"I see. I did not think it would happen so fast."
"You knew, and you did not tell me?" Joav stopped crying, and his voice started to be angry.
"No, I did not tell as I had promised never to tell anybody."
"But how come you know his name?"
"Where are you?" Axel asked.
"I'm home in Filip's place."
"Are you alone?"
"No, Filip and his mother is here."
"But please Axel, I have one more question."
"Ok, I'm listening."
"Is Filip my brother?"
Axel waited a bit before answering: "I don't know Joav. I'm sorry I cannot tell you. You can be sure I would have told you if I knew."
"But who am I then? Nobody knows who I am!" I'm 14 years old and I'm nobody!" He started crying again." I have no father; I have no mother and I have no family!"
"No, you have family!" Filip came over to him and held round him.
"Joav, Joav!" Axel's voice came from the phone that Joav had dropped in his chair.
Joav picked up the phone and answered the worried old lawyer. "Yes Axel, I'm still here."
"We will find out who's your family. I promise you! I suggest you come to my office today, let's say at 2 PM? And bring Filip and Princess Christina with you, ok?"
"Can we wait till tomorrow? I feel kind of drained now."
Both Filip and his mother nodded their heads."
"Yes, of course Joav."
"Ok, tomorrow at 2 PM, that's ok for all of you?"
"Yes, ok."
"And Joav, take care, will you?" the old lawyer sounded really worried.
"I'm fine, Axel. Filip will take care of me." Filip nodded his head vigorously.
When Joav had turned off his cellphone, Filip's mother suggested that Filip should take Joav to Dottningholms so they could relax there and stay the night till tomorrow.
When Filip's mother saw Joav's confused face, she told him that it was a castle not far from Stockholm where she and Filip lived. They agreed.
She then suggested that Joav should call his auntie and tell her that he would not come home today. And then she added: "The king, Filip's uncle wants to meet you before you leave. That's ok for you, Joav?"
"Sure." What else could he say, although he was not very happy about it.
"He has his office here in the building. Filip can take you there, he knows the way." She added with a smile.
Joav called his auntie, telling her the news. She was very agitated about everything but promised to keep it quiet when Joav insisted.
After walking through some long corridors and up and down some stairs, Filip knocked on a big, impressive door. A young woman opened the door and greeted Joav with a smile. "You must be Filip's new friend. Come in, the King is waiting for you."
She led them into a big spacious room. A middle-aged man rose from a big table and came towards them. For some reason he could not explain, Joav suddenly became very nervous.
The man reached out his hand to Joav while looking at his head, but then stopped and stood still. He opened his mouth and started so say something, but he stopped mid-sentence and only stared on Joav with a half-opened mouth. Then he apparently took hold of himself and said in a shaky voice: "I know who you are, you are my brother's son, that cannot be any doubt about that! You look exactly like Gustav." He closed the distance between them and hugged Joav hard. "Welcome home to your family!" he said and kissed Joav on both cheeks.
"So, who is Gustav?" Joav picked up all his courage.
The King looked at him with fond eyes. They were misty now.
"Gustav was my older brother. He died in a car accident together with one of my other brothers, Filip's father."
"Oh," was all Joav managed. Bu he HAD to know, and with thoughts racing around in his head he said in a small shaking voice: "So, whom am I then, are you my uncle?"
"Yes! And Filip is your cousin!"
Joav stood still, but his brain did not. His life was turned upside down. Tears started running down his cheeks. He lost his only family three weeks ago, and now this man said he was family, that he had lots of family.
"But how.... Why didn't I know? Why did not mom tell me anything?" He almost whispered the last words. He started slowly sobbing. Sore sobs that tore through the people present.
"I'm not sure I know all of it, but so much do I know; my family treated your mother very bad, and I can understand why she did not want to have anything to do with us. But I will do my best to make it good again to you."
Joav felt dizzy and sat down hard on the nearest chair. Filip came fast over to him with a worried face and sat down on his knees beside Joav's chair. He dried Joav's tears away from his cheeks with his hand. "Welcome cousin!" he said and kissed him. The king stood down on his knees and embraced them both. The king's secretary that had opened the door for them, was crying quietly in the corner. The door to the anteroom opened and a man from the security asked if everything was ok.
"Yes!" the King proclaimed, drying tears off his cheeks. "But get me my chief of staff."
A serious man in uniform materialized in the room before long.
"We have a new member of the Royal Family." The king told the Serious Uniform.
"Of course, it has to be confirmed my DNA or whatever, but there is no doubt in my mind, he is my late brother's son." The king looked at Joav with soft eyes.
"But this might have constitutional consequences." The Serious Uniform said. "Your brother was the oldest of you three brothers."
"Yes, I know. But the constitution does not have any regulations of a situation like this, as far as I remember my constitutional law, but we'll have to sort this out. But however this turns out, Joav is my nephew and shall be regarded as an undisputable member of the Royal Family. I want you to do what it takes to make that a formal fact!" this time direct to the Serious Uniform.
"Ok, as a start we must issue Joav with a Royal ID. I can fix that today if necessary." The Serious Uniform added.
"Yes, do that!" And then to Filip; "your mother told me that you are going to Drottningholms and stay there till at least tomorrow. I think that is a fine idea. And you will fix transport for the boys, yes?" This time to the Serious Uniform.
"Sure Carl." Joav noticed that the Serious Uniform addressed the king with his first name. How should he address the king? Uncle? Your Majesty? He had read somewhere that a governing king is Your Majesty, and the rest of the Royal Family is Your Royal Highness, or was it your Majesties?
"And to you all" the king was serious now: "what's you have seen or heard in this room today stays in this room. By the authority that's been given me in the constitution, I declare everything that's happened or said in this room today to be covered by the State Secret Act. We want to have total control over how this is presented to the Swedish People. And I do not, I repeat, I do not, want that Joav should read in the papers tomorrow or see it on the Evening News on TV today that he is a Swedish Prince. Is that understood by everybody here?" He looked around at each person present.
All nodded with their heads, except Joav. He sat in his chair, more confused than ever. Swedish Prince? Was this a joke on him, or was it serious? What would this mean for him? What will his life be like? Thousands of thoughts churned around in his head.
When they left the castle for the limo that waited for them, a single journalist took pictures of them.
"You have to get used to it. They are a nuisance, but usually do no harm." Joav did not like at all, and wondered how he should get used to them.
10 minutes later their limo stooped outside Auntie Lisa. Joav said he would just run in and pick up his things. Filip would have nothing of that but insisted on coming with him. Joav thought for a sec that Filip wanted to come with Joav just to impress Auntie. But then he said to himself that Filip was not like that.
Whatever, Joav was certain that Filip enjoyed meeting Auntie Lisa and fending off all the compliments she threw at him. He parred Auntie's praise of him that she should remember that her family, the Bonde family, was a far older noble family than his, the Bernadotte family. The Bernadottes came to Sweden as late as 1810, while the Bonde family was from 1310, five hundred years before Jean Babtiste Bernadotte was offered the position as Crown Prince of Sweden.
Aunt Lisa was very impressed over Filip's little lecture. Joav was certain that Filip had won a new member in his fan club that day.
Three quarters of an hour later the limo approached a large, impressive building in a big park. Filip told Joav it was the Drottningholm Castle, where Filip's and his mother lived in an apartment.
They stopped at a gate guarded by an armed soldier. The soldier looked at Joav's ID, and he was clearly informed about Joav. The soldier let them through without any more fuss.
The limo stopped at an impressive entrance. A man in uniform appeared from nowhere and opened the limo doors and insisted on bringing Joav's small carry on to his room, "Good Day master Filip. Is the young man staying?"
"Yes of course Hanson, I better introduce you, you are going to see a lot of him in the future."
Filip took on a more formal face: "Hanson, this is Joav. Joav, this is Hanson. He helps us with everything here at Drottningholms."
"And who is Joav, is he titled?" Hanson looked puzzled at Joav.
Filip smiled: "Yes, he is, but I'm not allowed to tell anybody yet."
Hanson grumbled something under his breath and followed them up the stairs to the first floor. Hanson stopped a bit way down the corridor and opened a door to a big room and suggested to Joav to enter.
"This is your room, young Master."
"Filip," Joav said in a small voice, "can I sleep in your room, Please?"
Filip had heard from Jan, Joav's roommate at the school about Joav's sleeping troubles, and answered a once: "Of course Joav. We can bring in a second bed, if you don't mind sleeping in mine, I have a double with lots of room."
Joav sighed a thank you, and Hanson raised his eyebrow. Filip looked him hard and told him to fix a pillow and comforter to Joav in Filip's bed, and to forget about the second bed.
They crossed the corridor and opened a door to an even bigger room. Hanson dumped Joav's bag on the floor and said in a rather stiff voice that the pillow and comforter would be there in good time before he left the room.
"What was that about, Hanson's sour mind.?" Joav asked when Hanson left the room.
"Don't mind him. He does not mean any harm. But he caught me and a friend that slept over in a rather delicate situation one morning, so now he believes that I brought you here to do dirty things with you."
"Oh" Joav turned beet red.
"Don't you want to?" Filip asked Joav smiling.
"No, I mean yes. No. I don't know .." Joav stumbled over his words.
"Relax, I will not rape you." Filip smiled to Joav. Joav blushed again. Suddenly he wondered if he wanted to be raped by Filip. The thought made him chub up, and he turned away so Filip should not see the enlargement in his trousers. This was the second time that day Filip made him feel tingling in his groin. Joav had never felt this way before, neither by a boy or by a girl. He showed his hand down in his trousers when Filip looked another way, to straighten his dick out. It was nice, and he crammed his dick before letting it go. It was even more nice, and his dick filled out. He drew his hand out of his trousers, hoping Filip did not see it. He was definitively hard now.
"We have a very nice pool; do you want to try it?" Filip asked him.
It was very hot, and a swim was just what he wanted. But he had no swimming trunks, which he told Filip.
"No problem, I have one you can borrow. He dug around in one of the drawers in a cupboard.
"Here." He threw a smallish thing over to Joav.
Joav held it up. It was a very small speedo. "What is this?" he asked.
"It's one of my competition speedos. I swim on the school's team. Try it on!"
Joav hesitated, "It's very small." He tried.
"It's elastic. It will cover everything I saw on you in the showers today!" Filip grinned to Joav.
In the meantime, Filip had undressed. Before Joav's saucer big eyes he skimmed his boxershorts down and stepped out of them. Joav could not help it, but stared on Filip's dangling dick that in the next moment was hidden under Filip's tight speedo.
Joav decided to jump into the pond. Before Filip could comment it, Joav had undressed and put on Filip's speedo. It was indeed small. Even though it covered everything he had, it also accentuated what he had. Everybody that wanted to know what he had between his legs just had to look. Luckily, he was soft again.
"Cute!" Filip said when Joav turned against Filip again. "You look really good."
Joav blushed, but secretly he loved Filip's comment.
Filip led the way down the stairs to a backdoor the led out to the pool. For some reason he could not explain Joav loved walking behind Filip, watching his muscles in his back, back and legs move and live. He had never seen anything so beautiful before. Joav's skin was so soft and smooth, and his butt so hot. Filip's speedo hugged his bum, it was almost like Filip was naked. It was so arousing, and Joav's dick chubbed up again. Joav was very confused. It was a boy walking before him, not a girl. But he wanted so much to see Filip's bum naked, to see the cleft between the two bum halves. This was wrong, it was girls that should make him hard. But it was not the first time. Several times in the school in Tel Aviv he had enjoyed watching other boys in his class. He liked looking at nice girls, but they never made him feel hot and gave him that special feeling in his groin as looking at certain boys in is class did. It was very confusing.
But it was not only that. Being together with Filip felt so right, it comforted him in a way he had not felt since mom was killed. Halfway down the stairs Filip turned his head towards Joav and asked if he was ok. The question made Joav warm all over and he just nodded yes. He did not trust his voice enough to answer Filip.
The pool was just outside. They went through a room that looked like a big kitchen, and through a door, and there a big open-air pool glittered blue in the sun. It did not take long before they both was in the water and having fun. Joav was really happy again, for the first time since his mom died.
When they sat at deck chairs catching their breath again, Joav's cell phone rang. It was his guardian, advokat Axel. The Royal castle wanted a DNA test taken from Joav. Axel recommended that Joav should say yes, which Joav did. Axel told him that a doctor would show up at Drottningholms later that day to take the test. Before they ended the phone talk, Axel asked if Joav was ok now.
"Yes" Joav answered. "I'm very happy, I feel so good now."
Joav could hear in Axel's voice that he was happy for Joav. "Seems like my assignment are to end really happy." Axel said.
"Assignment?" Joav asked.
"Yes, the Royal Castle hired me about 14 years ago to keep an eye on you, to make sure that you and your mom was ok, and to report every half year to the Castle about you. It was my task to be sure that you lived ok and had no money trouble."
"So that's why we lived in such a posh apartment, and that I always enough pocket money?"
"Yes, I was instructed that that you should have a generous allowance, but not too much! I can promise you that it was difficult for an old man to figure out what was a generous allowance but not too much for a young boy in Tel Aviv!" Axel laughed.
"You did ok." Joav said. "I had enough for being in Israel."
"But I can tell you that it was a very nice job." Axel added. "I enjoyed watching you grow up to a very bright and happy boy, and to see how you and your mother lived a good life. And then the terrible thing that seemed to destroy everything. That's why I'm so glad now to see that you are happy here, and that you and Filip get on so well."
"But you are not done with me." Joav answered. You say that your assignment has come to an end. But you are still my guardian, don't forget that! I want you to still be my guardian, I might need one now."
"Of course, you are right Joav. I'm still your guardian, and I promise you that I will take that responsibility very serious!"
"But who gave you the job to look after me?" Joav tried.
"I don't know. The assignment came to me from the Royal Castle, no name was given. My guess is that it was from the crown prince, the King's brother. As you know he was killed in a car accident together with his brother, Phillipe's father. The king is certain that you are his nephew, his brother's son. I have no reason to think otherwise, so according to this, you and Filip are cousins."
Joav and Filip looked at each other with warm and loving eyes.
"You know Axel" Joav said, "When mom was killed my life was over. Then you came and took me to Stockholm and put me on the school where I met Filip. I am so happy I cannot find the right words; you have given me a new life!" Joav started crying. Filip came over to Joav and hugged him.
.