Chapter Text
It was supposed to be a normal day of running errands – a trip to the grocery store, dropping off mail at the post office, and maybe getting ice creams as a treat on the way home. But, no, Simon should have known better than to think that his life would somehow go back to normal during Christmas. After all, the prince had denied his involvement in the viral video and Simon had broken up with him to give both of them some space. This all happened only a week ago.
But, even after all that trouble and heartbreak, here he and his family were, being chased down their own street by paparazzi with their stupid cameras and fake sympathy.
“Simon, won’t you tell us your side of the story?”
“Is Prince Wilhelm lying? Are you in a relationship?”
“Mrs. Eriksson, how did you react when you found out your son may have been involved with the prince?”
“Don’t say anything,” his mother hissed in Spanish, clutching Simon and Sara’s arms tighter against her side.
The plastic bag of groceries was digging into Simon’s skin and he wished he could adjust his grip but he didn’t dare slow down. Those hyenas at his heels could catch them and he didn’t want to give them that satisfaction.
But, then, Sara let out a startled scream. A reporter had grabbed her arm, making her drop the groceries. Clementines rolled out of the bag and onto the pavement.
And, just like that, Simon saw red.
“Let go of her!”
He ripped his arm from his mother’s hold and lunged at the reporter, pushing him away from his shaking sister. The reporter, a middle-aged man who had probably been doing this for a long time, released Sara. But, before Simon could pull her away to safety, searing pain exploded at his cheek. He tasted the blood before he even realized what had happened.
His mom and Sara screamed.
The other reporters began to yell at the first one. Things like “What is wrong with you?!” and “Fuck, you can’t touch our sources like that! We’re gonna get sued!”
His name was being called. It sounded like Sara.
But, Simon, feeling dazed and tired, just stared up at the bright blue sky. He didn't even realize he had fallen to the ground. It was a nice day, though.
It should have been an ordinary nice day.
“Thank you, officer, we really appreciate your help.”
“Just doing our job, ma’am. Please don’t hesitate to call us over if you see any more suspicious individuals around your home. We’ll send someone over, immediately.”
“Thank you.”
Linda bid the police officers a good day and shut the door. With them gone, she finally lowered her mask and allowed the weariness of the day to manifest in her bones. She leaned back against the closed door, letting out the breath she had been holding.
No matter how many times she had dealt with the police, it never failed to make her exhausted. She should be used to this by now.
When she and the kids still lived with Micke, it wasn’t uncommon for neighbors to call the cops to complain about her ex-husband disturbing the peace. Mostly because he was yelling at her and the children. Sometimes, even hurting her. (He never touched the children. Linda never let him. The one and only time he almost laid a hand on Sara was finally when Linda gathered her children, important documents, and a few meager possessions and fled into the night.)
Linda believed that they were past all that. That in this new life she built for herself and her children, they would never have to call the police to their home or worry about their safety ever again. But, after what happened to Simon today, she could no longer hold on to that dream. Not for the time being.
She knew what she had to do to keep her son safe, even if it hurt her. Even if Simon would resent her. She hoped he wouldn’t. That he would see that she was doing this for him.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Linda straightened her shoulders, lifted her head, and began to make her way back to the living room, where she could clearly hear her children bickering on the couch.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Sara asked her brother.
“I’m fine,” Simon answered, sounding annoyed. “He didn’t even hit me that hard.”
“You could have hit your head!”
“But, I didn’t.”
“You should have left him alone.”
“He touched you!”
Sara pressed her lips together and looked away as she dabbed ointment to her brother’s bruised lip. Simon flinched, which made his sister’s lips quirk to an amused smile.
But, despite her children looking seemingly okay, joking around and teasing each other the way they always did, Linda couldn't stop looking at that dark mark marring her son’s handsome face.
Clearing her throat, she stepped into the living room.
“Mi amor, how are you feeling?” she asked, sitting on Simon’s other side.
“I’m fine, mama,” he replied, immediately. “It’s just a scratch, it will heal in a few days.” He grinned. “It makes me look badass though, right?”
Sara snorted. “More like reckless.”
“A reckless badass.”
“Mi amor,” Linda interrupted, gently, not wanting them to start bickering again. “There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
Simon straightened up, looking serious. Linda’s chest felt heavy as she took his hand in hers and stroked it. Sometimes, she wished her children were still small and had no other care in the world except for what candy they could get at the grocery store that week.
“It’s about school,” she began.
“I’ll transfer back to Marieberg,” Simon said, misunderstanding where the conversation was going. “I don’t mind. Sara can stay at Hillerska, she has friends there now, I’m sure she’ll be fine. Besides, Rosh and Ayub are excited to have me back.”
Linda shook her head. “I don’t think you should go back to Marieberg either.”
At that, Simon’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean? I should go to another school? There aren’t any others close by.”
Linda sighed as she looked her son in the eye. “When the… video… first came out...”
Simon flinched and looked down at his feet.
“... I thought about how to… protect you. Especially after what happened today-.”
“Mama, I can handle it,” he interrupted, still unable to look at her. “I was fine today.”
“No, you weren’t,” Sara interjected. “You got punched.”
Simon glared at her. “They’re just reporters, I can handle them.”
Linda squeezed his hand. “It’s not just the reporters, Simon. It’s also… the others. Remember that boy from the other day? He followed you home! He could have hurt you!”
Simon's eyes flashed in anger at the memory. “But, he didn’t, you drove him away. And I would have been fine, I could take him.”
“That doesn’t stop me from worrying!”
Linda ran a hand through her hair, frustrated and cursing her son’s stubbornness. Unfortunately, that was one thing he inherited from Micke.
“Anything could have happened and I can’t protect you! Not at school, not at the grocery store, not even here at home! And do you know what that does to me?! I worry about you every time you’re out of my sight, Simon!”
Unbidden tears brimmed at Linda’s eyes but she refused to let them fall. She had to be strong. She was making the right decision.
“A few weeks ago, I called your Tia Elena. She already knew what happened, the news reached them...”
“Oh, God!” Closing his eyes, Simon groaned and fell back against the couch.
“… and she actually suggested that… you go to live with her for a while.”
Almost immediately, Simon’s eyes snapped open and he sat up. “What?”
“I wasn’t sure, before, because I don’t want you to be away from us. But, after what happened with that boy from the other day and the reporters today… I think this is the best thing for you.”
“To send me to America?! That’s the best thing for me?!”
Simon pulled his hand away from her hold and stood up, presumably to stalk off to his room.
Linda tried to blink away the tears. “Simon, mi amor, please! This is the only way to keep you safe!”
“You’re sending me away! From you and Sara and my friends! My whole life is here!”
“It’s only until this all dies down, I promise. You can transfer back to Marieberg next school year. But, just for this term. Please, Simon.”
She watched Simon’s stiff back as he processed her pleas.
“W-What about a visa?” he asked and the hope in it broke her heart. “Don’t I need one of those? And they take time, don’t they? By the time they process it, school’s gonna start and I still have to travel and-.”
“You have an appointment with the U.S. Embassy the day after tomorrow,” Linda interrupted. “Your Tia Elena took care of everything. She even sent some money along to help with the fees.”
“Oh.” Simon’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “W-Would they even have room for me?”
“There’s only her and Ana now ever since Ricardo left them. And she says you can work at her store to earn some extra money, if you want.”
From the corner of her eye, Linda spotted Sara, who was unusually quiet. Her daughter was staring at her brother, her face unreadable. It was difficult to read Sara these days. But, Linda hoped that her daughter understood why she was doing this.
Sara didn’t want to leave Hillerska and that was fine, she had gone ahead and applied for that Grant to be a resident. But, even if Simon applied for a Grant too and became a resident, he would still get chased by reporters. He would still get recognized and followed by creeps and people who wanted to do him harm in Bjarstard. But, in America, with Linda’s older sister, he could be safe from the scandal.
“Is there really no other way?” Simon asked, softly.
Getting to her feet, Linda moved towards her son and wrapped him in her arms.
“Mi amor, I know this is difficult for you. It is for me, too. I want nothing more than for you to stay here in Sweden with me and your sister. But, I want you to be safe. I want people to stop stalking you and bothering you about something so… traumatic. You don’t deserve that. You deserve to go to school and live your life in peace. In America, no one knows who you are. You can live normally again, go to school, and even… date someone new.”
Simon flinched in her arms and she regretted her words.
What Simon had with Wilhelm was truly special, something for the books, the kind of love story you often watch on T.V. and read about in books. She had never seen Simon as happy as he had been when he was with the prince, even if they thought Linda didn’t know. (Of course, she knew! She was his mother!) It was only a shame that their story ended in a tragedy that not only broke her son’s heart but also brought negative and unwanted attention onto his life.
“Simon, please,” she begged. “Just for a few months, I promise, mi amor. And, then, you can come home and life will be back to normal, I’m sure. Please.”
Time felt like it was slowing down as they stood there in the middle of the living room, Simon slowly breaking in her arms and Sara only watching helplessly.
Finally, her son let out a breath. “Okay,” he said in a soft voice. “I’ll go.”
Linda burst into tears and buried her face against the fabric of Simon’s orange sweatshirt.
Despite her own heart breaking into pieces at the thought of being away from her son, she was also so incredibly relieved.
The Christmas break was too long, in Wilhelm’s opinion.
He spent most of it making required public appearances, sitting in on council meetings, and attending royal parties. He went about his duties like a robot, his emotions numb and something in him broken. His mother thought he would get over it if she threw enough things at him to keep him busy enough to not think of Simon. But, obviously, it didn’t work.
Simon was the first thing on his mind when he woke up in the mornings and the last thing he thought of before he slept at night. He had tried texting but his texts went unanswered. His calls would result in just ring after ring after ring until voicemail picked up. He spent many hours just scrolling through Simon’s Instagram, not seeing any new posts. Rosh, Ayub, and Sara had all blocked him so he couldn’t even see any posts of Simon, if there were any.
During the yearly Christmas party hosted by the Royal family, it was normally Erik who had to socialize and make nice with all the nobility and distant relatives who came. But, this year, Wilhelm had to do it. And it was fine, at first. He managed to remember some names and those he didn’t remember, he managed to sidestep with a polite “sir” or “ma’am.” But, then… But, then!
His mother introduced to him the daughter of a Duke whose name he couldn’t remember. With the way his mother smiled and practically pushed the girl to his side, Wilhelm knew exactly what she was doing. It ruined the rest of the party for him, as well as that poor girl’s Christmas. Wilhelm was so annoyed that he ignored her when she tried to make conversation. Eventually, he caused her to break into tears when he bluntly said that he didn’t care who designed her dress.
The Queen tried to scold him, called him a disgrace, and demanded that he get himself together. Wilhelm only shot her a blank look, excused himself, and left the party.
There were no more attempts at setting him up after that.
So, when Christmas break ended and it was time to return to Hillerska, he was relieved. He dutifully packed his things, including the small Christmas gift he got for Simon. He was hoping that even if they couldn’t restart their relationship, they could still be friends. Wilhelm would take anything Simon was able to offer him right now, even if it wasn’t what he wanted.
“Your Royal Highness,” Malin called through the door. “You’re supposed to be at the church in ten minutes.”
“Thanks, Malin!” Wilhelm called back to her.
The prince looked over his appearance in the mirror one last time, making sure his school tie was tied properly and his jacket free of lint. Not that Simon would care about those, but Wilhelm wanted to look his best, for once. He even got a haircut over break. He wondered if Simon did, too. He couldn’t wait to see him.
Feeling the anticipation brimming inside him, Wilhelm made his way out of his room. He joined the others in leaving Forest Ridge to head to the church. Ahead of him, Henry and Walter waved, pausing to let him catch up to them.
Despite their initial impression on Wilhelm, they really did mellow out the more he got to know them. And when the video came out, they were the only ones who didn’t look at him weirdly (at least, not blatantly to his face) and never once asked about the video. They even texted him a Merry Christmas over break. He would take their company over August’s.
And, speaking of the devil, there was his traitor of a cousin now, pushing through the other boys to get to him. Wilhelm quickened his steps, not wanting to get caught in a conversation. He had successfully avoided him during the Christmas party at the palace after giving firm instructions to Malin and Johan to ensure that he didn’t get close to Wilhelm.
Luckily, his bodyguards were most likely doing exactly that as Wilhelm made it to the church and slipped into a pew without August catching up to him. Henry and Walter slid in after him, chatting about their holidays.
“Wonder what they’re singing this time,” Walter wondered aloud.
“Hope it’s something good,” Henry added.
Wilhelm only smiled, his annoyance at August finally melting away and replaced by excitement to see Simon and hear him sing again. Christmas break was too long.
Finally, the whole church had filled up and the Headmaster signaled for everyone to be quiet.
The choir entered.
Wilhelm spotted Felice and gave her a small wave. She had remained a great friend to him throughout the break.
As the choir began their song, Wilhelm scanned the heads, looking for that familiar head of curls. Someone else was doing a solo this time, a girl he didn’t know and her voice was nice but it wasn’t Simon. Why wasn’t Simon doing the solo?
Wilhelm couldn’t even hear the song or decipher the lyrics. His eyes desperately scanned all three rows but he couldn’t spot Simon.
Where was Simon?!?! Did he miss the first day of school?!?!
But, Sara was just a few pews ahead. She wouldn’t leave home without her brother.
The excitement that had earlier filled him turned into fear.
Did Simon quit the choir?!
Not caring about how it looked, Wilhelm scanned the pews across from them and the pews behind him, trying to spot those curls. But… he couldn’t see them. Not one strand.
The choir had finished singing now and the Headmaster had stood up to welcome them to another semester, go over the rules of the dorms, and list the school administration’s expectations from their students.
All of it went over Wilhelm’s head.
And, finally, they were dismissed to go to their first class of the day.
Wilhelm shot up and, muttering apologies to Henry and Walter, made his way out of the pew. He ignored the “hello’s” sent his way and hurried to the front.
Sara and Maddie were chatting with each other as they made their way down the aisle, all excited smiles and talking about how wonderfully Felice sang.
“Sara!”
The girl slowed down and froze upon seeing him. He saw the anger flash in those normally calm eyes. Then, she turned her gaze away and walked past him.
Wilhelm was not giving up.
He turned around and gave chase. “Sara! Sara, wait! I just need to ask you something.”
“I have nothing to say to you, Prince,” she seethed, not stopping.
He hated to do it but he gently grasped the arm of her school jacket. “Please, I need to ask you. Where’s Simon?”
Sara pulled her arm away, glaring at him. “Why do you ask?”
Wilhelm swallowed. “He didn’t sing with the choir. And I can’t find him anywhere and I just-.”
“He doesn’t go to Hillerska anymore.”
Wilhelm’s heart stopped. “What?”
Sara shrugged, turned on her heels, and walked away. Maddie shot Wilhelm a pitying look before hurrying off after her.
His chest felt tight. And it seemed like there wasn’t enough air for him to breathe.
Simon... left?