#he plays suite française d'apres Claude Gervaise: Pavane

[youngroyals-hc]

Wille and Simon are at the castle their final night before returning to Hillerska after the Jubilee day speech and Wille takes Simon's hand and starts to direct him to a wing they haven't been to yet. Simon follows along a little bemused because Wille seems so intent, but they reach a door that Wille pushes open to reveal a beautiful Fazioli grand piano in an airy sitting room. Wille tugs Simon over to the piano stool and they sit together. Wille's gaze darts around before settling on Simon's gaze and asking "will you play the song for me?" And Simon says "you mean the one from the ball?" And Wille nods his head and Simon huffs out a little laugh and says "it's not very happy Wille" and he replies "I don't care, you wrote it about me. No one's ever done that before" so Simon sings it for him while Wille closes his eyes and gently sways. When he finishes Wille opens his eyes and grins, clapping for Simon who laughs and hides his head in Wille's shoulder. He sits up and looks at Wille and says "now you play something for me." And Wille groans a little and says "but you're so much better than me, I was just made to learn for ages because apparently that's something a prince has to do." And Simon says "well at least you can read music! Surely you can still remember something" and Wille looks a little nervous but nods and settled his hands over the keys. He plays Simon Poulenc, and his fingers are sure in the movement. Simon almost stops breathing from concentrating on the sound Wille makes. When the piece finishes he just turns to Wille and stares before gently shoving him and saying "what the fuck Wille I thought you said you weren't very good!" And Wille goes pink and says "I'm not, I don't have the music... In me like you do. I mean 11 years of learning and that's all I've got to show for it? You've never had one lesson and you write these incredible songs!" And Simon just has to laugh because he knows Wille won't change his mind. Instead, he turns and says "maybe we could write a song together? With your theory and my so called innate talent, we could be the new Leonard and McCartney!" And Wille just barks out a laugh and says "oh yeah, you really think so? Well guess we better get started!"

As they laugh and make up silly lyrics and melodies together, Kristina walks by and stops when she hears them. She pokes her head around to glance at Wille and Simon at the piano, smiling and teasing each other. Her façade drops slightly, seeing for the first time her son interacting with someone who wasn't Erik so carefree and brightly. Something clicks inside her, and she realises that Simon isn't going anywhere. This isn't some little sexual exploration that Wille would eventually grow out of. Her son was in love, and nothing would change that.