𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐀! 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐬

ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ

Appearances

The Palace was always freezing. Wilhelm followed Malin through the familiar halls, wondering if could quickly make an escape, but ultimately knew it would be for nothing. Instead, he allowed his thoughts to fester inside his mind as he mindlessly wandered after Malin.

Wilhelm's parents were seated together at the end of the long, wooden dining table. Knowing he would be scowled for chewing his nails, Wilhelm rubbed his fingers together as he moved towards the dining table. Sitting down, he hid his hands under the table, letting them rest in his lap; his parents could scowl at him now.

"We have been over security measures, Wilhelm," The Queen began - she didn't look pleased. Her tight pulled face was almost expressionless, but her eyes reflected the anger she felt. "Next time you wish to exit the palace, you must inform either myself or your father. Do you understand?" Her voice was thin and sharp; Wilhelm nodded wordlessly.

"Another thing," his father followed, leading off after his mother, "We want to check in with you, with the whole scandal situation". Wilhelm shifted uncomfortably in his chair, and began picking at his nails from under the table. Simon was not a topic he wished to discuss with his parents at the present moment.

The Queen must have sensed her son's discomfort, because she added, "We're just doing this to ensure we are all on the same page. Appearances are important, Wilhelm. We do not want to give out the wrong message, now would we?"

Wilhelm chose pointedly to not reply.

His father sighed, as the Queen took hold of his hand encouragingly. "Have you made contact with that boy since the video's release?" The King asked. Wilhelm, once again, said nothing. "We're doing this for your own good, Wilhelm. Have you had contact with him?"

When Wilhelm continued his silence, the Queen released a frustrated sigh. "We are doing the best we can, Wilhelm, to protect you from this horrible situation. We're unsure how else we can help you". She sounded sincere, but Wilhelm wasn't fooled by her false kindness.

"Release a statement that August was the one to leak the video," Wilhelm said, finally breaking his silence since sitting down. "That would be a start".

"You know that we cannot do that," The King replied, almost immediately; it was as if they knew he would reply with this defense. "We are trying to protect our entire family, Wilhelm, and that includes August. We have to present as a united front, show the public and the media that we stand together through this scandal".

"August isn't family," Wilhelm snarled. He stood up abruptly as he spoke, the chair squeaking terribly against the tile flooring. "And that was his choice".

With fire in his eyes, and one final disgusted look at his parents, Wilhelm stormed from the dining room. The King and Queen looked at one another; a united front would still stand, whether their son decided to participate or not. 

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(500 words)