Chapter Text
When Simon heard that the Prince of Sweden was coming to his school, he almost didn’t believe it. He thought it was courtyard gossip by the elite children who had nothing better to do than to make up stuff. But, on a random October day, he was proven terribly wrong.
The day started out like any other, he got into his first class with Mr Englund, sat down and pulled out his supplies. He had no table mate as of a few weeks ago when his sister got buddy buddy with the “Queen Bee” of the first year girls, Felice Ehrencrona. Simon didn’t mind this, as it meant less distraction, which was always a good thing.
Though, this effort of normalcy was completely shattered as soon as the teacher stepped into the room. Everyone stood up and greeted him, but he instructed them to not sit down yet, and then he went out into the hallway for a moment. His classmates broke out into whispers, wondering what was going on. He himself was also wondering what was going on. This didn’t occur often, if at all.
When Mr Englund stepped back inside, Simon’s, and probably the rest of the classes jaws dropped to the floor. It was fucking Prince Wilhelm himself. No fucking chance. Simon thought he was genuinely hallucinating, it couldn’t be him. He thought that all of the rumors were false, fabricated lies that people made up for fun after the news of the Prince’s club fight two weeks ago broke out.
Oh boy, but it was real. Prince Wilhelm was standing there in all of his princely glory. His long dirty blonde hair styled neatly, but still trendy for the time. He had on a sweater that probably costed more than Simons rent, and jeans that also most likely matched that criteria as well. He also had a pair of blue tinted sunglasses perched atop his head. Also, the black ring around the Prince’s right eye did not get past Simon’s gaze, it looked pretty gnarly, and he suspected that it was from the club fight, which was likely the reason he was even here in the first place.
“Prince Wilhelm has recently made the decision to attend Hillerska, and let’s welcome him here warmly. We will be having a formal ceremony tomorrow morning, so please attend. Orders from the Headmistress.”
Everyone said a quiet and meek “Welcome” to the Prince, and then were all instructed to sit back down. Simon was still fucking flabbergasted, and he had to remind himself to pick his jaw up and make his eyes shrink back down to normal size before someone, especially the Prince caught on.
However, the feeling came back ten fold when the Prince waltzed right over to the chair next to Simon’s, and sat right down. Mind you, there were still three other open seats across the classroom,and he happened to choose the seat next Simon. The self proclaimed “Non-res loser”, hell his sister had more popularity than him because of her friendship with Felice and her frequent party appearances.
Nobody at Hillerska never talked to Simon, let alone spare him a second glance. But here he was, sitting next to the Prince of Sweden who was the second in line currently to the throne. Wow. He’d obviously heard the rumors swirling around the Royal, how he made everyone address him formally, how he would hardly spare people below him a look, how his violent temper was so out of control that not even the Queen herself could control it. It was mad to him.
The teacher started the lesson,something about Triangle Theorem. Simon took his notes, making sure they were neat and organized as always, no equation out of place or wonky shape. What he had failed to notice was that the whole time, the Prince next to him had not been doing the same but instead staring at him. Like the whole time.
Simon didn’t find this out until after the class concluded. When he met his sister in the hallway outside of the class, she was giving him a smirk and her arms were crossed,he did not like that at all. It meant she was about to say something completely off the rails.
“Already enchanting the Prince Charming?” Sara asked in a sing song voice, her eyebrow flicking up in amusement as well as curiosity.
Simon gave her a confused look and shook his head, “No? What the fuck are you talking about?”
They started to walk and Sara opened her mouth again, and Simon was this close to just walking away,because what the fuck was she saying? He knew his sister had a wild imagination, but damn.
“The Prince was eyeing you like a piece of meat, it was honestly creepy even for me, and I sit across the room.”
Simon’s face fell further, “No way! You need to get your eyes checked,” Simon replied defensively, glaring at her. There was absolutely no way the Prince of Sweden, who was notorious for hating literally everything and everyone and hardly even acknowledged the teacher was doing that to him.
Sara giggled and shrugged, “Eyes don’t lie Simon!”
And with that,his sister was off. What the actual fuck.
Simon was not the type to loiter around the courtyard during his free period right after lunch. It’s where the rich entitled brats would congregate to take selfies and chat shit. But he had done all of his homework, studied his history notes until he went cross eyed the night before, and had nothing else to do. So he found a secluded spot near a tree to sit down and take a small break before having to go to Swedish class.
Despite the hustle and bustle, no one bothered him. It wasn’t that Simon was bullied or anything (for the most part), it was just that people forgot he existed, and honestly,he could live with that. Staying unknown and just getting through his three years at Hillerska. He cracked open his binder and looked through his sheet music he had produced at three in the morning, making some much needed adjustments to his semi shitty draft he had conjured up while running on a cup of coffee and the brain worms of something he had heard on YouTube not too long beforehand.
He eventually fell into a state of focus, and of course that’s when he felt a presence beside him. It freaked him out at first, then he realized he was probably fine, and then he looked over and saw who it was, and he was now properly freaking out. It was the damn Prince again. Apparently, he took notice of Simons discomfort, because now he looked beyond smug and looked like was about to say something that would make him extremely punch worthy.
“Sorry sweetheart, didn’t mean to scare you,” He said, half mockingly, half seriously, shit eating grin plastered on his face. Furthering Simons urge to punch him and give him a second black eye.
Simon scoffed, the nerve this guy had, “Do you need something? Here to beg for my notes or something? Or are you here to make fun of me for amusement?”
“Nothing like that. I’m Wilhelm, but just call me Wille,” Wilhelm held out his hand, and now Simon was even more confused.
Simon didn’t take his hand, just stared at him incredulously, because no way he was talking to him. There had to be another Simon at this school that looked like him, but was like a noble or something.
“Uh.. Simon.”
Wille didn’t even seem offended by being given the cold shoulder, he just laughed it off and leaned back against the tree, “Alright Simon, whatcha working on?”
Simon felt the heat rush to his face, this was probably by far the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to him. Only his Mamma, his sister, and his two friends knew about his song writing, and now the Prince, or “Wille”, Simons brain corrected, was asking him about it.
“Just some song, it’s stupid. Don’t worry about it.”
That did not seem to quench Wilhelms intrigue, but only fueled it. He attempted to take a peek, but Simon quickly slammed his binder shut and sat it down next to him. Wilhelm gave him a fake pout, and Simon just rolled his eyes, the Princes tricks weren’t going to work on him.
“Why don’t you go run along with your rich peers? I bet they are much more refined company than a broke guy from Bjärstad,” Simon continued, and he was serious, he was still not sure why Wilhelm was even talking to him, was this some weird set up to make fun of him? It had to be.
Wilhelm didn’t say anything but also didn’t make an effort to move. He just got on his phone, texting someone quickly and furiously, his expression going from the smug and curious one Simon had gotten to the expression that everyone else seemed to get, bitter and cold. Simon almost wanted to back away, starting to feel scared that if he said something or even breathed wrong he’d get the Princes wrath. No thank you.
However, it never came,and a few minutes later, Wilhelm stood up and looked back at Simon, “Nice to meet you, I have to go.”
Simon just stared at him, trying to pick apart his motives with his eyes, “Yeah. See you.”
It was fucking weird, but he tried to not look into it too much, or he might actually lose his mind.
The rest of his classes went by with no issue, and eventually he was back at home, cozied up in his room, playing video games with Rosh and Ayub. His Mama would be gone for the evening,and Sara was in her room, so it was quiet, almost too quiet. He almost thought about Wilhelm, and that stupid smile, and his stupid cool guy demeanor, and all the other things that made Simon annoyed but also curious. Luckily, the sounds of shooting and his friends screaming at each other was enough to make him not think about that. Atleast for now.