The young lad Jonathan feared to be good-for-nothing. He didn't really had the competence, power or attitude of a hero. He had some creativity and fantasy, but was failed as a bard. Now the old man, his mentor for some time, was traveling without him, while he received speech-lessons from the beautiful Elven princess.
She once heard his voice while shouting and was convinced of the hidden power in it, which was merely hidden because of all Jonathans defeats in live.
"Why did that boy grow up to be so low of confidence and timid?" she asked herself, while Jonathan entered for his lessons.
While entering, Jonathan knocked over some of her candles. He quickly tried to pick them up without putting out the fire first, so he terribly burned his hands.
"Ah, now I get the idea" she said.
Jonathan's clumsiness had caused a serious lack of confidence inside of him. He had become someone who agrees with just about everyone, who tries to please the others and sees himself fail time after time.
The wise princess noticed this and treated him with patience and friendliness. She encouraged all his ideas and he brought in more and more to each lesson. They seemed to match pretty good and enjoyed each other's company.
With various voice-exercises, while putting as little pressure on Jonathan as possible, she taught him how to use his voice as to be better hearable. While sometimes talking to guards and other people in and around the castle, Jonathan noticed them taking him far more seriously because they could hear him better. It made a world of difference. Jonathan's confidence grew along with his voice. Now all the times he had to explain what part of the castle had had accidentally demolished he quickly and funnily could tell where it has, how big the damage was and how it had happened against his will.
The king however pressured his daughter a bit to hurry, since the cost of repair took quite a bit out of him.

After some time Jonathan happily went to his speech lesson. He sat down with the doorknob in his hand.
"Hello, that doorknob already was loose for a while, I guess, since every time I tried to open the door it simply..."
"Jonathan, would you like to have your first performance for an audience next week?" she asked suddenly.
"Well, I did perform before, but I was knocked down with a chair quite sudden, and..."
Jonathan suddenly got quiet. This was a real new chance! Probably for quite important people, even!
"It's for the big party next week, in honor of..."
Jonathan did not hear any more. He was too thrilled. He could perform!

That night he was dreaming of fame and thinking of his big new performance for all those important people, and mostly, his princess-teacher.
"A letter for you" a man said to him.
A letter was pushed underneath his door.
"Fanmail in advance!" Jonathan thought happily. "Or a letter from..."
He accidentally totally ruined the envelope while getting the letter out.

"Dear Jonathan,
I have heard from the Elven king that you're lessons are about to come to an end. Please do not do anything stupid before I will pick you up, so that you will have to leave the castle before I'm there, or I will not know where to find you.

Greetings,
Gandalf.
(just kidding)"
Jonathan tried not to do anything stupid, but his love-filled mind kept getting back to the charming princess.

That night loads of important people were gathered. The princess was in the middle of the attention, but strangely everywhere accompanied by an annoying man. Jonathan performed with great success. Everyone laughed at his jokes, liked his stories and even danced with his songs. He knew the castle and a lot of people around real well by now, which gave him a safe feeling. He was under the impression he could do anything, because of the nice surrounding and mostly to impress her.
She seemed to see how he was doing real well, but she also kept giving attention to that other man.
Jonathan's irritation about that grew along the night and his success gave him a feeling of power over the situation. That's how the warning words of the old man started to fall from his mind.
"Ladies and gentleman, now, before all of you, I would like to tell one thing. I love the princess and I will do anything for here. And just looking at her I know she must feel the same."
Jonathan looked at the crowd. They were all completely dazzled for some minutes. Their mouths were open. The princess looked totally shocked. The first one to move was the king, who called for his guards.

Only minutes later Jonathan was rudely thrown out of the castle. His suitcase was thrown after him, on his head.
"Like it was all that obvious it was a wedding-party" Jonathan mumbled to hide his grief. "I never liked her type of clothing anyway. Were should I go?"
Jonathan just followed the road away from their, without a home or mentor.

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