Another way (Young Royals)

The meeting

We were all sitting around the table in the royal court's conference room. I held Simon's hand in mine under the table. My mother sat across the table and Linda sat next to Simon. The royal advisers and staff were also seated around the table. Minou, Jan-Olof and Fatima were the only ones I recognized but it was enough.

"We have to discuss how to handle this situation," my mother said. "We can't let the press harass you any more. But it has gotten out of hand and I am afraid this won't just disappear." This was why I hated being a prince. I just wanted a normal life. I wanted to be able to date whoever I wanted without it becoming world news. Simon did not deserve to go through all of this. I knew that it was too much to ask of anyone. Still he sat there next to me. He had not left yet.

"What do you suggest, Queen Kristina?" Jan-Olof asked my mother. He was an old man with lots of wrinkles. He had worked for the royal court as long as I could remember, but I did not understand what he was working with exactly.

"Well there are two options as I see it," my mother replied.

"And what are the options, mom?" I asked.

"You can break up with Simon publicly and Simon transfer's school until all of this quiets down," my mom said. I saw that she meant it.

"But mom I love him," I complained. "I hate being a prince. This would never have happened if I just was normal." I held back tears. My situation angered me. I was so tired of living with pressure from the press.

"Being a prince is a privilege, Wilhelm. Not a punishment," my mother said strictly. Her eyes were cold. She had stepped into her role as a queen wholly. That meant that whatever part of her that was still my mom had left.

"You keep saying that, but it is hard to see it any other way," I mumbled.

"I did not say the second option yet. Calm down, Wilhelm," my mother said.

"And what is that then?" I asked and rolled my eyes. If the first option was that bad, I could not imagine the second being any better. I realised that I was acting very much like a snorty teenager towards my mother. I knew that at the end of the day, my family were the only ones who could truly understand my position. Well, at least Erik. I could not really see my mother being young. To me, she could have been the way she was now all her life.

"Our second option right now is that Simon and his sister move in at Hilerska. Hopefully everything has cooled down until you are supposed to go on summer holidays," mom said. "The paparazzi can't reach either of you at Hillerska." I just looked at her. Was she being serious right now?

"With all respect, your majesty, but I don't have the money to put my children at a boarding school," Linda said.

"And that is fully understandable. As this has become a matter for the royal family, we would of course stand all costs," my mother replied to Linda. Linda looked at me and Simon.

"This is not up to me to decide," Linda said. "What do you want to do, Simon?"

"I don't want to leave Wille," Simon said. His eyes met mine. I gave him a small smile. "And if it could make things cool down for a bit, it might not be a bad idea."

"We would have to make it public that you move in at Hillerska, so that the press stop harassing your home. Maybe you could go home over weekends more unnoticed then," mom said. "I am going to call the school and inform them about you and Sara becoming boarding students from now on." We left the conference room after that. Simon embraced me. I felt his nose dig into my shoulder. My pretty boyfriend. I wanted him so badly. And I was not about to lose him. It did not feel like he was about to slip through my fingers anymore. But I felt guilty. He had to leave his home. His mother and everything that was his safe space. For me.

"I am sorry about all of this," I said to him.

"I am not," Simon replied and looked me in the eyes. He saw that I was surprised by his answer. "How could I be sorry about moving in to live with you? I know things are not perfectly how we would want them to be, but we do the best about the situation, okay?" I nodded and planted a kiss on his forehead. I loved that human so much.

"Do you want to be my roommate?" I flirted with him.

"Obviously," he replied and stood on his tiptoes to kiss me. "I would sneak into your room to sleep with you anyways if I was in a single bedroom." That made us both giggle. I could imagine him sneaking in through the window with his pillow under one arm and his old teddy bear under the other. Having him move in with me in my room would save us much sneaking around in the hallways. And everyone at the school knew of our relationship anyways.

"You are the cutest boy to ever exist, do you know that?" I told him. That made Simon blush.

"You are cuter," he replied. We had to agree to disagree on that matter, because I had never seen anyone more gorgeous than him in my entire life. After that I kissed him. And I could not or did not want to stop. At last I heard my brother cough in the doorway. We were still in the hallway close to the conference room. Simon and I separated quickly.

"Oh no, don't mind me while you are making out in the hallway, boys. Go on," Erik said teasingly. I gave him an eye. "It is nothing I have not seen before, Wille." He had a big grin on his face. He went down the corridor slowly.

"I hate you," I shouted after him.

"I love you too," he replied. I heard him laugh to himself. He loved making fun of me. That was apparently his job as an older brother. Simon just looked at me.

"Hey, be nice to your brother," he said before kissing me again. 

"I am," I defended myself. 

"Well, prove it," he said before kissing me another time. 

Author's note

Hi guys! I have had a lot to do recently and have not been able to update on here for a while. I hope you all are doing fine and that you liked the chapter  :)