Chapter Text
SIMON
“Well, we all know who this country’s biggest welfare receivers are.”
“Simon! See me after class.”
Simon had never had detention before, but he had a feeling it didn’t usually go like this. Just one more thing the prince was being coddled about. The entire week had been about making the prince feel comfortable. It was exhausting.
And now his professor was telling him that HE needed to help the prince adjust as a new kid? That was rich. No one had ever gotten detention for starting an argument with him over HIS parents’ financial background, and he certainly didn’t have a new friend assigned to him when he arrived at the school knowing no one.
August had never been punished for the things he said to Simon. The idea of doing these questions with August would’ve made him laugh if it wasn’t so fucking eye-roll inducing.
At least the prince had the decency to look sheepish about the whole thing.
“Simon, there is no excuse for making another student feel uncomfortable in the classroom. This is a learning space and I expect you to be respectful of your peers while you’re here.“
“Is there a reason Henry isn’t here right now?” He challenged.
“What happens to Henry is none of your business. I will deal with him on his own schedule. Right now the issue at hand is between the two of you.“
It was bullshit, of course. Henry had picked a fight with a scholarship student; Simon picked a fight with the prince of the fucking country. The expectations of respect were a little different.
“Now I want you two to stay here during workies and go through these questions until you’ve worked out your differences.“
Simon glanced down at the questions. They seemed deeply personal, not things he’d want to share on a first meeting.
“Isn’t it unfair to make Wilhelm stay for detention when it was me who caused the problem?” He resented having to say he caused the problem, but if it would get him out of detention maybe it would work.
“Wilhelm, I wanted to give you the option. You have a lot of work to make up in this class, and I’m willing to take this in lieu of a homework grade as completion. As I see it, you are a new student here and I think it would benefit you to have an ally on campus. More than anything I want my classroom to be a peaceful space for learning, and I’ve used these questions in the past for conflict solving and found them to be very useful. What do you think?“
Simon turned around. He hadn’t watched the prince standing behind him through this interaction. He looked very shy, as if he was the one in trouble and not the one getting a free grade just for talking to Simon.
“No, I’ll… I’ll do it.“ Something in the prince’s eyes made him look kind of scared. But that couldn’t be right, right? Why would he be scared of Simon?
“Good. I’ll expect you both back at workies. You’re dismissed.”
Simon adjusted his backpack on his arm to avoid eye contact as they shuffled out of the room. He could feel the prince staring at the side of his face as they walked, but he had no idea what to say to him. The boy cleared his throat.
“Are you, um, are you going back to Forest Ridge for lunch?”
“Yep. We non-residents have to eat somewhere.”
“Oh. I didn’t know that you didn’t live here.” He swallowed, looking as awkward as Simon felt. “We haven’t really been introduced. I’m Wilhelm.”
The prince stuck his palm out for a handshake and the gesture struck Simon as oddly formal in a school hallway. He took the prince’s hand, wondering if he should be bowing or something. It was soft, potentially moisturized, and when he looked back into Wilhelm’s eyes, the boy seemed to suck in a quick breath.
“Simon.”
He felt a weird jolt of energy in his fingers where Wilhelm had touched them. They tingled even after he dropped the prince’s hand. Weird. Probably some misplaced set of nerves from being around royalty.
“I liked what you said in there, Simon. Well said.”
The prince has a kind smile. What? Where did that thought come from?
“I… Okay? It just got us detention, but sure.” He laughed incredulously, and Wilhelm smiled back. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
Wilhelm’s smile faded as they approached the doorway of the dining room.
“’Cause I’m not… I’m not allowed to speak on political issues.”
“Wille! There you are. Would you please come here for a moment?” August beckoned to a seat next to him and Wilhelm acknowledged him uncomfortably before returning his gaze to Simon.
“See you at workies then?” Somehow, the prince looked nervous, as though it wasn’t mandated.
Simon nodded. “Mhmm.”
He watched the prince walk away, both bemused and bewildered by this turn of events.
How incredibly strange, to be assigned to be the fucking prince’s “ally” at the school, as though the whole damn school wasn’t gagging to be his ally. How incredibly strange that the fucking prince agreed to this arrangement. Getting out of work, I suppose.
Right then, Wilhelm turned around to look back at Simon again, before promptly tripping over the leg of a chair.
How incredibly annoying that he’s weirdly cute.