Young Royals - Season 3 (Version 2)

30. Wilhelm at Hillerska

The previous night...

Jan Olof stepped out of the passenger's side door of the black sedan onto the gravel driveway. 

Wilhelm made his way steadily down the steps from Forest Ridge House to the gravel road to join Jan Olof at the car.

Wilhelm wore a long scarf and clutched his phone inside the pocket of his wool coat as he approached.

The sun had already begun to dip below the horizon.

"I still don't understand why I need to go speak to my mother in person." Wilhelm had a strong sense of foreboding but could only suppose that this was the moment the Court had chosen to inform him that he was being brought back into the role of Crown Prince.

"You've been avoiding her calls, Kronprinsen.  She has something important to tell you."

"What is it she wants to speak about?"

Ever since his Jubilee speech he'd begun to trust Jan Olof and the rest of them even less than before.  He'd been avoiding his mother's calls again because he was trying to delay the confrontation he knew was coming.

"She'll explain once you're there, Kronprinsen."

"Alright... but I'm coming back to Hillerska tonight."

Jan Olof nodded, held the door open for Wilhelm and waited as he climbed in.

They drove off in silence, Wilhelm watching absentmindedly out the window.  Night began to fall and there wasn't much he could see anymore.  It was as if there were an enormous black curtain being slowly drawn across the landscape as they drove.

_________

As they pulled up to the Palace, Wilhelm looked out the window and up at the oppressive facade of his childhood home. He felt empty and anxious.

His bodyguard stopped the car but kept the engine running while Jan Olof walked around to Wilhelm's door to tug it open and hold it for him.

"Kronprinsen, Her Majesty is waiting in Her office."

"Thank you." He stepped back out into the crisp air, pulling his coat tighter around him.  

After climbing the stairs and making his way inside he continued down the corridor to his mother's office and knocked.

"Come in, Wilhelm."

"Hej, what's going on, mamma?"

He sat down in the chair opposite her and looked at her apprehensively across her desk still holding his coat tightly around him.

"It's about August, Wilhelm."

Wilhelm shook his head slightly and squeezed his eyes shut momentarily as he chewed the inside of his cheeks.  This was just what he'd been anticipating.

"We've decided that it's best if the Royal Court doesn't defend August if this goes to trial.  It appears he's likely to be convicted based on the evidence they've gathered against him."

Wilhelm felt his heart drop.  He began taking deeper breaths.  He even felt somewhat tearful from frustration because he knew what this would mean, and didn't know how he could fight against the entire Royal Court, even just for the next few years.

"So you can't defend him anymore... and that means there's no backup...?" The question came in increasingly halting breaths.

"That means we need you to come back and continue preparing to take on your duties fully.  Before then we have a lot of work, and we've decided that the education you're receiving at Hillerska isn't essential to you as Crown Prince.  Besides that we can't afford any more incidents, like the video, and there you'll always be at risk of others trying to take advantage."

Wilhelm narrowed his eyes as he listened to her and it dawned on him what she was saying. He could feel his heart beating faster.

"You're taking me out?!"  Wilhelm was aghast as he looked at his mother.  He hadn't expected this.  He didn't see how it was necessary or even true.  The video had happened months ago and they'd left him at Hillerska with no problem.

"Since there's no longer a backup, it's safer to have you receive private tuition here at the palace."

Wilhelm could feel his rapid breaths begin to halt as he sat forward. He began to rub his chest, trying to steady his respiration and slow his pounding heartbeat.  

"I can't leave Hillerska..." The panic was becoming noticeable in his voice.  He said the word but meant Simon.  He could see what they were trying to do.  They wanted to separate him from the person he cared the most about in the world.

"Wilhelm, I know your friends and Simon seem like the most important things in the world right now, but you have a duty to your family that's more important."

"You can't be serious...There's got to be some way I can stay...Mamma, what do I have to do?!"

He felt desperate as he pleaded with her.

"Wilhelm, I've already sent a couple of aides to pack up your room and bring your suitcases back to the palace tonight."

He began to feel hopeless as he saw her unchanging expression. It did seem that she really wanted to punish him for telling the truth, for his speech and for wanting a way out of this life.  He breathed deeply then continued as calmly as he could.

"You had me see a psychologist, and now you're taking away everything I care about. Why even bother to try and help me if you're just going to do everything to make sure I'm miserable?...and what makes you think I'll agree to any of this?"

Wilhelm continued taking deep breaths attempting to remain calm.

"Wilhelm, it's not up for debate.  We can speak more later but this is happening now."

He realised this was supposed to be his cue to leave.  He didn't say anything more to her because he knew she wouldn't listen. He shook his head, stood up and left her office quickly. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and opened Felice's contact to begin writing her a message as he rushed to the car. 

He reached the top of the stairs at the main entrance and realised it was gone.  He put his phone away without sending the message he'd started, then turned to Malin who was standing outside just off of the main entrance.

"Malin, I need you to take me somewhere."

"I'm sorry, Kronprinsen.  We've been given orders not to go anywhere tonight."

He didn't see any reason to get angry at Malin but he did stop and frown at her for a moment, wondering how things could come to this.  He knew that she really meant they'd been given orders not to let him go anywhere.

He went down the stairs slowly, turned and looked down the road, contemplating walking, but he knew that the guards would follow him and bring him back if he went too far.

He sighed deeply and slowly turned to head back inside where he went directly to his room and slammed the door behind him.  He pressed his back against it and slid down the door, ending up in a sitting position on the floor.

He could feel the sob of frustration and hopelessness rise in his throat. His breath halted as he tried to breathe deeply and calm himself again but this time it didn't work. 

He rested his elbows on his knees as he sat against the door and held his forehead in his hands.  He felt a tear slowly run down each cheek while he covered his face with his hands.