Young Royals Season 3 (Version 3)

54. Kristina and Ludvig

The black sedan sped through the outskirts of Bjärstad.  There was one van full of security personnel in front and one behind them. 

Ludvig observed Kristina as she looked out the window and watched the scenery go by.  She saw pedestrians turn their heads to follow the motorcade as it passed probably wondering which member of the Royal Family was inside.  

Almost as soon as her meeting with Minou and Farima had finished that morning she'd received a phonecall from Jan Olof.  He told her that Wilhelm was ill and being taken directly from the police station to the hospital in Bjärstad.

She and Ludvig hadn't had any information apart from the news that he'd lost consciousness and that they should go to see him as soon as possible. 

Ludvig sat beside her observing her as she looked out the window seemingly detached from what was happening.  

"Are you alright, dear?" Ludvig asked, reaching out to touch her left hand that rested on the seat beside her.

"Mm."  She had been giving him the silent treatment all morning and he supposed that her advisors must have figured out how Wilhelm had left the palace the previous night.  

"I'm sure he'll be alright.  He was probably just overwrought. It's a lot...he's still only sixteen." 

She refused to look at him. there was another long silence between them then she finally spoke.

"Why did you help him do this?"  She turned and glowered at Ludvig then continued when he didn't reply right away.  "We agreed that we couldn't report August. We'd managed to reassure everyone there would still be an heir to the throne even after Wilhelm's speech, but if it's actually not possible to change constitutional law to allow him to be with a man, and if Wilhelm doesn't decide to marry a woman, where will the heir come from if not August?!"

Ludvig listened patiently then hesitated, considering his words carefully before replying. 

"Darling...we've failed our son..."  He spoke quietly and avoided meeting her eyes as he said it.

Kristina's eyes got wide and her jaw dropped as she watched him.  She was shocked and the anger was about to boil over but Ludvig continued quietly. 

"I think we failed Erik too.  He didn't want this role either, but he eventually bent to the pressure and accepted it because he didn't have a choice..."

Kristina continued to listen in stunned silence becoming more infuriated as she did.

"But Erik still had it easier than Wilhelm because he was a straight man, and he was prepared for his role from the time he was born.  Wilhelm doesn't meet the expectations of what a Crown Prince is supposed to be, and what he's supposed to provide his country...because you know as well as I do that he's never going to have an heir with a woman."

She turned to look at him then and replied.  "Do you think I haven't considered this?  I was born into this, and I can't even count the times I wasn't able to choose how my life would be." 

As he listened this time, Ludvig thought that she seemed forlorn and hurt for a moment.  He regretted being so blunt with her but he didn't regret what he'd said.

"I understand you...but it's worse for Wilhelm...for him to fulfill his duty, it means that he has to deny who he is...and who he loves...for the rest of his life." 

"He wouldn't be the only one in our family.  He's not special."  Kristina replied dismissively, turning away to look out the window again.

Ludvig furrowed his brow, uncertain of what she meant, then he continued.

"We haven't protected Wilhelm."

"You don't think that I protect him?!  I've always supported and protected my son!"

Ludvig bit his lower lip for a moment and hesitated, considering whether he should continue, then decided to just say what he'd wanted to say for such a long time. 

"We support him as long as he does what's expected of him as the Crown Prince...but we haven't protected him.  August leaked a sex tape of our son...and Wilhelm was treated as if he was the one who'd done something wrong...we failed him..." 

Ludvig looked away from her then, disappointed in himself and wishing he'd done everything differently.

She replied then.  "Of course we all know it wasn't Wilhelm's fault, but that's the way our life is...it matters what the public thinks, and what the press says about us...because they can make our lives Hell if they choose to.  We've always known this, and there's no choice but to accept it! I can't protect him from reality!" She scoffed and shook her head.

Ludvig was thoughtful then continued.  "Erik didn't ask for this, and Wilhelm most definitely didn't.  Not only did he lose his brother, but then he had to take over the role he was never prepared for and never wanted."

He heard Kristina sigh next to him but she didn't speak so he continued.

"Besides all of that pressure and tragedy...Wilhelm was the victim of a sex crime that a family member committed against him...and we didn't protect him."  

Kristina furrowed her brow, ready to explode at him, but she took several deep breaths and tried to calm herself.

Ludvig paused, still thoughtful, then concluded,   "Once Wilhelm decided he was going to tell the truth about he and Simon, that was the beginning of the end.  It doesn't matter what the press or public thinks or where an heir will come from, or not.  August belongs in prison."    

He was surprised at himself but he felt a sense of relief at having said it finally.  He thought of Wilhelm and realised that if his sixteen year old son could be brave in front of the world, Ludvig could be in front of his own wife.

He'd seen the damage inflicted on Wilhelm and the unreasonable sacrifices his role of Crown Prince demanded.  Wilhelm had never been allowed to live a normal life.  He'd never had the choice, but he could at least have one parent who stood by him no matter what, Ludvig thought.

Kristina waited a moment, then decidedly gave her final opinion.  "It does matter, otherwise what have we all been doing?  Giving up now would make all of it pointless, and I refuse to let that happen.  I refuse to let the sacrifices we've all made be for nothing.  If you don't think it matters, maybe you don't need to participate in making any of these decisions anymore."

Kristina suddenly leaned forward and told the driver to stop and let the Duke out.  Ludvig raised an eyebrow at Kristina, perplexed, but didn't protest.  He stepped out once the door was opened for him from the outside.  

He glanced around but tried not to make eye contact with the few passers-by that watched and recognized him.  He shook his head as he thought of the interaction he'd just had with his wife, then he stepped over to the van that followed the Royal Family's car. 

They immediately opened the door for him to climb in, closed it behind him as if nothing had happened, and the motorcade continued on to the hospital.