Episode 1

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The car came to a stop in front of the castle, Queen Kristina waiting on the steps for her son. Wilhelm sat in the car, staring out at his mother with puffy, tired eyes. Thinking he had already cried all of his tears over Simon, he wasn't prepared for the secondary heartbreak after saying goodbye. He spent most of the drive back to the castle fighting back tears, that ultimately won and left him crying alone in the back seat. But now he had to face his mother, and he couldn't allow her to see him in such a state. He knew all she would remind him of was how he made the right choice, and her classic, "Being a prince is a privilege, not a punishment." Though, he couldn't feel angry towards her, he was the one who ultimately decided to lie about being in the video. To say that it was someone else, and that whoever posted it just wanted to stir up drama since it was well known he attended Hillerska. Yet, he felt as the advice, if that's what one could call it, she had given drove a wedge into their relationship. Wilhelm knew what she was trying to say at the time. That if nothing was said people would follow not only him, but Simon and possibly anyone from the school, until they got answers. Although, that didn't change he was upset at the fact that his own mother was more comfortable lying than letting him be who he was for the sake of the family reputation. Then again, she did hide the fact she knew August was the one responsible for the video being leaked. Who knew what other things she could be keeping from her son.

A few sharp thuds against the window pulled Wilhelm from his thoughts, looking out the window to see Malian about to open the door. He shook his head and fumbled with the seatbelt, his clumsy fingers finally finding the button to release himself. Sucking in a breath as he climbed out of the backseat, "Thanks, Malin," the prince mumbled out. Why did he feel so nervous to see his mother again? His fingers anxiously messing with the button on his jacket as he climbed the stairs towards her.

"Hello, Wilhelm," Queen Kristina chirped as she reached out to hug her son. Though, he didn't seem to thrilled to return it. His arms slowly reaching to wrap around his mother, a lazy, half-hearted hug at best. "Hello, mom..." he replied eventually, his voice hushed. The Queen pulled back, holding his shoulders, searching his face for an answer as to why he was acting this way. The answer, however, should've been obvious but Wilhelm wasn't going to say anything. Kristina drew in a sharp breath, patting his shoulders before perking up herself. "Well, let's get you settled in, you know how busy the holiday season gets for us," she turned, making her way up the remaining steps and into the castle, Malin still at the bottom of the steps waiting for the prince to lead the way. Wilhelm sat there for a moment, looking around, glancing down at his bodyguard before dropping his head to look at his feet as he made his way inside.

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Bright light flooded the room suddenly as the curtains were pulled back from the windows, earning a groan of disapproval. Wilhelm yanked the blankets over his head, desperate to shield his eyes from the morning sun. "Come on, get up, we have to get ready for today," Kristina ordered as she walked over to his bedside, pulling at the blankets. "What do you mean? This is my vacation. You know, when I'm supposed to be able to sleep in because I don't have practice or class!" Wilhelm protested as he finally let go, letting the blankets come down. Through squinted eyes, he looked up at his mother who was already dressed, hair and makeup done as if she had been up for hours. "Well, that may be how it is for others at your school, but you are the Crown Prince. You have responsibilities, and you can't just sleep them away," she informed him, as if this was something he wasn't aware of already. Being reminded he was Crown Prince was beginning to get on his nerves. It's not something someone could do easily forget, especially with how it seemed to be running his life for him.

"Now, get up. The news crews will be here shortly and I'm sure you will want to eat beforehand," the Queen slipped out of the room, leaving no room for protest. Though, Wilhelm didn't think he'd be able to fall asleep again if he tried. He grumbled the whole time he got dressed, wanting to be able to relax and maybe spend some time getting his mind straight. The traditional Christmas activities of the royal family were the least of his worries. He wanted to figure out to make things up to Simon, how to make him realize what he did was a mistake and that he regretted it. He wanted to fix it, and a simple "I love you," wasn't going to do it.

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