Season 3 Young Royals (Version 1)

47. Crown Prince

The three of them were sitting in her office. Wilhelm wasn't exactly at ease in a business meeting setting with his own mother. Jan Olof being there made him feel even less so.

Jan Olof began once he judged everyone settled, and spoke directly to Wilhelm as if he were the Queen's spokesman to her own son as well as the public.

"I'm not sure how much you've heard about the most recent news on the scandal with Crown Prince Erik, Kronprinsen..."

Wilhelm was surprised that they were going directly into the sensitive subject, and wondered what worse thing could have happened now.

"I heard that it wasn't his." Wilhelm still acutely felt the loss as he said it.

Jan Olof folded his hands on his lap as he continued, "Right....well, the thing is...before the results were out, the press had already been making extremely disparaging remarks about the Crown Prince Erik, so we felt that it was necessary to do our best to stop that before it got out of hand and tarnished his reputation, and legacy. It only seemed fair as he's not here to defend himself."

Wilhelm nodded silently, furrowing his brow then and waiting for him to continue. He finally did after a long pause.

"Therefore, the Royal Court deemed it necessary that the results of the paternity test should be used to mitigate our concerns."

Wilhelm's looked skeptically at Jan Olof, not sure what he was getting at, then over at his mother who looked off to one side but whose expression didn't change.

Jan Olof almost appeared as if he didn't think there was a need to continue because his meaning must be quite plain. However, the look on Wilhelm's face told him otherwise, and he finally continued after a long, quiet sigh.

Wilhelm wasn't sure if he was exasperated at having to spell it out or if he might have felt embarrassed at what he was going to say.

Jan Olof suddenly spoke more quietly and cleared his throat as if it might go unnoticed.

"The reports about the results of the paternity test are false...the baby is in fact...Crown Prince Erik's biological son."

Wilhelm looked again at his mother suddenly to judge her reaction. She made no movement and said nothing. She looked at him, pressed her lips together and lifted her eyebrows slightly by way of an answer to the question he hadn't asked.

Wilhelm was so in shock that he couldn't actually vocalize any of the questions that were racing through his mind. Jan Olof continued.

"There has been a settlement reached with the young lady that will protect the Royal Family's and Crown Prince Erik's privacy for the foreseeable future."

Wilhelm was still unable to formulate a sentence. His mouth fell open.

"Wilhelm," his mother spoke to him in a soothing voice, leaning forward to look him in the eyes "we needed you to know because this concerns all of us. We need to close ranks to protect Erik's memory now. As Jan Olof said, he's not here to defend himself anymore, so we have to do it for him."

This entire situation seemed so surreal that Wilhelm immediately felt as if he might not in fact be there, or that he was possibly in the middle of an actual nightmare.

He looked around the room to confirm that the details were correct and as he'd remembered them in his mother's office. He snapped back to reality with Jan Olof and his mother looking at him, awaiting a response.

Jan Olof took over again in his business-like manner, "Part of the agreement with the young lady is that she will never reveal this information, that is, in exchange for financial support for the rest of her son's life."

Wilhelm finally found his voice,"I can't believe you'd lie about something like this..." He scoffed, looked over at his mother, then caught himself when he remembered she hadn't told him that August had leaked the sex tape and that she hadn't wanted anyone to know.

"Wilhelm," she continued in a calm voice, but as if she were scolding him lightly, "you can't use the Royal Court's influence when it suits you and then pretend to have the moral high ground when it doesn't."

He knew she was referring to Simon and the fact she'd made the drug issue disappear.

He knew now that it was her way of using Simon against him, that this meant she might not protect Simon anymore if Wilhelm didn't fall in line with the Royal Court's plan and pretend that his brother's son didn't even exist.

"Don't you feel anything knowing that it's Erik's son?" He was almost pleading with his mother to see sense but also to feel something. He could feel the tears coming and had to control himself. He knew that she absolutely would not listen to him if he got emotional.

She brushed it aside and managed to remain emotionless about the subject.

Jan Olof concluded their meeting by thanking Wilhelm for his understanding and discretion in this matter.

Wilhelm was aghast as he stood up and walked out of the office and down the corridors, almost as if he were having an out-of-body experience. He immediately went to ask his bodyguard to take him to Bjärstad.