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Wilhelm couldn’t say that he wasn’t expecting it when he ended up sitting in his mother's office the day after his speech. He was a little surprised he hadn’t end up here earlier, but evidently the court needed some time to figure out what to do about him.
So Wilhelm got one night alone in the castle, shielded from whatever was happening outside. Simon wasn’t with him, but they’d been texting all night. They were both giddy with the possibility of the future, dreaming up big plans for dates once everything had settled down (again).
No one bothered Wilhelm all night, but he was woken up at 8am by Malin telling him that his presence was requested by the queen as soon as possible. He had a feeling it wasn’t a request he could refuse. So that’s how he ended up here, sitting across from his mother in her office.
Kristina sighed. She looked exhausted, and Wilhelm felt a little bad. They were all still grieving Erik, and Wilhelm knew that he’d caused a lot of trouble lately. As much as they butted heads, she was his mother and he still loved her. He just sometimes wished that she wasn’t also queen.
Finally, Kristina began, “Well, the whole country knows about you now. I do wish you would have told us what you were planning ahead of time. It would have made this much easier to deal with.”
“Would you have let me if I told you ahead of time?” Wilhelm countered. He already knew the answer, having had this conversation before. It was always that he could announce his relationship, after he turned 18.
His mother seemed to have had the same realization. “I suppose not,” she paused, like she was choosing her words carefully, “It was a wonderful speech. You’ve improved a lot, and it’s clear that you were passionate about what you were saying. The court was impressed, even if they weren’t happy about what you said.”
That wasn’t what he was expecting. Wilhelm sat there, in slight shock. He’d been speaking on impulse, following his emotions. He’d never been good at public speaking before. It had always terrified him. Public speaking was Erik’s thing. All of this was Erik’s thing, except for disappointing the court. Wilhelm didn’t know how to fill Erik’s shoes yet, but maybe he could figure it out. That statement alone gave him hope that he wasn’t a lost cause. However, his mother wasn’t finished yet.
“I’m proud of you too,” Kristina declared, “You followed your heart and did what you felt was right. That is the kind of son I am proud to call my own.”
“So you’re not mad?” Wilhelm asked, cautiously. She hadn’t seemed mad at all. She actually seemed the opposite of mad. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d done something to make her proud, always the family screw-up. A warm feeling was spreading in his chest from the knowledge that for once, he may not have messed up.
Kristina laughed, “When I was your age, I would have done the same thing. I might have even done worse. So no, I’m not mad. I just want you to be happy, and if this is what you want, then I am happy for you.”
“I am happy, mom. Happier than I’ve been in a long time.”
Kristina got up, moving towards him and pulling him into a hug. Wilhelm collapsed into it. It felt like love and family and everything he wished he could have had when the video was first released.
He would’ve stayed in his mother’s arms forever, but she pulled away after a minute. They both settled back into their seats, grinning.
“You should invite Simon over. I want to meet him properly.”
“I’ll ask him. Just, maybe give it a few days to blow over?”
Kristina laughed. “You’re going to have a very busy week. You didn’t think you could drop a bomb like that and then not do an interview or two? I’m not letting you off that easy.”
Wilhelm sighed. As far as punishments went, he could handle this. Because he knew that at the end of the day, he could be with Simon, as openly or privately as he wanted.
“So how’d it go?” Simon asked him over the phone later that night.
“Really well,” Wilhelm replied, “But my mom wants to meet you now, so be prepared.”
“Why am I getting punished for your stupidity?”
“It’s fine! She’ll love you.”