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It’s just after 10:30 when Philip gets the phone call. Martha is already in bed - she goes to bed at 9 on the nose every night.
If someone is calling now, then it’s probably some sort of national emergency, so he picks up the phone.
“Prince Philip speaking,” He says.
The voice on the other end is a little frantic. “ Thank God. Philip, I have no idea what to do. Please help me.”
It sounds like- “Erik? Is that you?”
“Yes, yes, it’s me. I didn’t know who else to call.”
“What do you need?” Philip asks as calmly as he can.
He and Erik are a little more than acquaintances but a little less than friends. That is to say, they don’t talk regularly, but there’s an unspoken expectation that they’ll always be there to help the other when necessary.
Philip supposes a lot of it has to do with being the crown princes of their respective countries and being relatively close in age.
“Have you seen the news? No, wait, it probably hasn’t gone international yet. I’ll send you the Aftonbladet article. Hold on.” Erik is definitely panicked.
Philip can be patient, though. He can be the voice of reason in whatever crisis this is.
A moment later, a new text pops up from Erik with a link. When he clicks it, it takes him to a news article that was only published ten minutes ago.
PRINCE WILHELM CAUGHT IN BED WITH MALE LOVER
“Oh my God. Erik.”
That’s all Philip manages to say as he skims the article.
He knows why Erik called him now.
Philip vividly remembers Henry’s own forced outing with the First Son of the United States, Alex. He remembers his less-than-supportive response, remembers getting his head out of his own ass and unlearning the homophobic rhetoric that Queen Mary spewed his whole childhood. He remembers the headlines and the press releases and all of the horrible things his brother went through.
And now Erik is in the exact same position.
On the other end of the line, Erik lets out a sob. “I don’t know what to do. I- How can I make this better?”
Philip’s heart breaks for both Erik and Wilhelm.
“Do you care that he’s gay?” He asks bluntly.
“No, no of course not. I just want to fix this. I’ve never done it before, but you have.”
“I have, you’re right. But I had a lot of deeply ingrained homophobia at that time, and I wasn’t the most supportive brother ever. Honestly, E, when I finally got my shit together, I didn’t think Henry would ever speak to me again because of how awful I was.” He takes a deep breath. “I’m not saying I can’t help. I can, and I will. Just don’t do what I did, yeah?”
Erik lets out a wet laugh. “I won’t.”
“The best thing you can do is be supportive. Treat it like you would with any other sex scandal. Meet with him and his partner. Don’t exclude either of them from the conversation and don’t try to baby them or hide things. They need all the facts, and they need to make a decision together.”
He gives Erik a moment to process everything he’s just said.
“What does Queen Kristina think?” Philip asks.
“Wille has already had one scandal this year. That’s what got him sent to Hillerska in the first place. She says it’s up to him whether we confirm or deny that it’s him, but I’m pretty sure she’s pushing him to deny it.”
Philip remembers trying to convince Henry to deny Alex and the terrible, terrible argument that ensued. Henry was so sure - and still is - that Alex was the right choice. That coming out was worth it, for him.
He remembers a conversation he had with Henry not that long ago. He told Philip that Ellen had asked Alex when the emails first leaked whether he felt forever about Henry.
Obviously, the answer had been yes. Unquestionably, yes.
He tells this to Erik. Asks him: “Does Wilhelm feel forever about this boy?”
“That’s what you need to find out,” He says. “And I don’t mean whether he thinks they’re going to stay together forever. Does he feel forever about the consequences of this? Does he understand that there’s no going back in the closet once he’s out? Does he realize the impact this will have - not just on his life, but on his partner’s?
“That’s the conversation you need to have with him. And if the answer is yes, then you need to do everything in your power to make sure he has the chance to prove it.”
Erik takes a deep breath. “Okay. I can do that. I’ll, um, I can pick Wille up from Hillerska instead of Mamma before the interview. We can talk about everything then.”
It’s quiet for a moment. The only thing Philip can hear is Erik’s breathing and his own.
“Thank you, Philip. I really, really owe you one.” He says eventually.
“You don’t owe me anything,” Philip replies. “Please call me if you need any more help.”
“I will. You can call too, anytime you need.”
“I know. I will.”
He’s not sure whether this is the right thing to ask, but honestly, the worst Erik can say is no. “How would you and Wilhelm feel about coming to England around Christmas? Henry will be home, and he’ll probably be bringing his whole flock of Americans with him. It might be good for Wilhelm.”
Erik takes a moment to think the offer over. “That would be great. I think Wille needs to get out of here for a little bit, and I could use a break too. I’ll talk to Mamma about making it happen.”
“It’ll be good to see you both.” Philip offers a bit awkwardly.
“It’ll be good to see you too,” Erik says - much less awkwardly than Philip. “Thank you so much for this. We’ll see you soon.”
“Anytime. Take care, Erik. See you soon.”
They hang up the phone, but Philip is frozen for a moment. Never in a million years did he think anything like this could ever happen.
He opens the super six + philip group chat. It’s the bane of his existence, but he’s also weirdly proud about being allowed in it.
super six + philip
Philip: I’ve just invited Erik and Wilhelm to Christmas. H, you and Alex are in charge of Wilhelm.
Of course, the first response is from Alex, who is always on his phone and awake at every possible hour.
ACD: who is that and why are hen and i in charge of one of them
Philip: Erik is the crown prince of Sweden and Wilhelm is his younger brother.
Philip: [link] Do NOT watch the video.
Beanie: oh that poor boy
ACD: okay yeah i see why we’re in charge
ACD: h and i got this
As much as Philip hates what Henry and Alex went through, he’s quite grateful that Erik and Wilhelm don’t have to go through this alone.
He hopes his conversation with Erik helps.
Privately, though, he thinks that Henry and Alex will be able to make the most difference.
He can’t wait for Christmas.