Young Royals: After season 1

Chapter sixty seven: Wilhelm

Our honeymoon passed too quickly and things were back to normal. At least my duties as a king. Simon was learning about his duties as the prince too, so he was hanging around in the same corridors as me during the days. That particular day we had several meetings together. Meetings that were as entertaining as maths had been in high school. Simon sat next to me, doodling in his notebook. He pretended to take notes I supposed. I did not rattle him out. I was just as bored as him. Time seemed to go backwards in that meeting room. Everytime I watched the clock on the wall in front of me the hands were at 2 PM, it seemed like.

"When we are talking about upgrading the royal castles in the country, we could also discuss Drottningholm palace," Richard said. Richard was one of my mothers old colleagues. Her right hand, in decision making. His hair was turning grey and his face was wrinkled. When my mother died and I became the king to be, he took over my mother's responsibilities with my father. Thankfully my father had been there, looking out for my interests. I knew Richard had been the driving force when the question about renovating my brother's room had come up a few years ago. Since I had been so upset by it they never brought it up again when I was present. And my mother had some mercy in her heart and never touched Erik's room.

"What about Drottiningholm palace?" I said. I became defensive as soon they wanted to discuss my childhood home. I knew there were forces that wanted to change it. Change it back to how it had been before Erik and I had lived there. None of us did anymore. If they wanted to demolish my old bedroom, I couldn't care less. But my brother's room was kind of a holy place to me. When I missed him I went in there. Sat on his bed and smelled the faded scent of him. His old bedroom was the place where I felt close to him. Sometimes I spoke to him. Or rather a picture of us that was on his wall. His grave could never replace what his bedroom was to me. My mother's bedroom was safe, as my father still lived in it. And he had refused to change anything there.

"We would want to discuss a renovation, his majesty," Richard said. I shook my head. Simon looked at me with big eyes. He remembered how I reacted when we had this conversation the last time. He had comforted me on the floor for hours. I felt him put a hand on my thigh under the table. He was with me. It comforted me to know I was not alone in this. I tried to keep calm, but I felt my heart beating hard in my chest. I felt a rage growing inside me. I had already told them no. But in their eyes I was still a rebellious teen. A child.

"A renovation of what, exactly?" I replied.

"We would like to restore his majesty's old bedroom. And his older brother's room too, his majesty," Susanne said. If Richard had been my mother's right hand, Susanne was her left hand.

"Do what you see fit with my old bedroom. But if you even touch Erik's room, I will have all of you fired. Is that clear?" I said. Just because they were older and in their minds wiser than me and Simon, they would not bully me into letting them destroy the only thing I had left of my brother.

"But," Richard began.

"But what?" Simon interrupted. "I don't see any reason to go against or even question my husband's wishes. That bedroom is everything he has left of his brother. That is everything our future children will have of their uncle. I am united with Wilhelm on the matter." I saw a fire catching in his eyes. He was serious about this. It warmed my heart that he cared so much about a person he had barely met, only because he knew how much Erik meant to me. I took his hand in mine under the table. Thanking him for standing up for me.

"But none of you live here anymore. So why does it matter?" Richard questioned.

"Was I unclear in some way? If you are looking to get fired Richard, you can pack your things and seek yourself a new job," I said. Old Richard had never heard such a threat in his life, I supposed. He and my mother had always come along well. But I was not my mother. And Richard and I had never seen eye to eye. He had never liked Erik. I had always wondered why he disliked my brother. Everyone adored Erik. There was nothing to dislike about him. He had been the golden crown prince. But Richard had not liked him and therefore I did not like Richard very much.

"No, no. You were not unclear, his majesty. We will move on with the meeting if that is alright with you?" Richard replied. Even though I did not like him very much and he knew it he was clearly fond of his job. At the end of the day my brother's room was not worth getting fired for.

"I would very much appreciate it. Do we have any other things to discuss?" I said, neutrally. Susanne looked into her papers and shook her head.

"It looks like we are finished for today, if you don't have anything to add, his majesty?" she said. I shook my head.

"Then we are finished for today. See you on Monday," I said. They all nodded. I took Simon's hand and led him out of the meeting room. We still had twenty minutes until the next meeting. We walked up to the next floor, which was empty. I led him into an office that had probably not been used for at least ten years. And I wondered if it had been cleaned during that time at all. It was very dusty there. I took Simon in my arms. I needed him close. He hugged me close.

"It will be alright, Wille. They won't touch Erik's room, okay?" he said. I nodded against his shoulder.

"Richard is an asshole," I muttered. "I am so sick of him." Simon patted my back.

"He is," Simon agreed. "But we won't let him destroy what you need to keep. He is not in charge here. You are. It is your childhood home and it is your family that have lived here for generations. And it is all you have left after your mom and Erik. He has no right to take them away from you."

"Thank you, Simon," I said. "You are the best."

"Says the best human being I know," Simon said. He let go of me a little bit and smiled at me. Then he pressed his lips onto mine. I kissed him back and made him back up against a wall, so that we would not be seen from the little window out to the corridor. He was without a doubt the best person in this world. My person. I was the luckiest man in the whole world that had the privilege to be his. To call him my husband. Being a king was not so bad when you had the most beautiful prince by your side.