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[malinthebodyguard]

I really enjoy how skilled Young Royals was at taking a seemingly background character and imbuing them with history and personality with just a few lines. For example:

Poppe Ehrencrona.

Before we ever meet him, we know from Madison that he is one of the richest men in Sweden and according to August the Ehrencrona's are "modern nobility.'

When we see him in person, he comes across as somewhat full of himself, holding open his arms to receive his daughter like a lord awaiting tribute. And the fact that his wife is The Worst does not reflect well on Poppe.

I dismissed him as vaguely nice but also so fully immersed in the upper class' mores that he was blind to any problems or issues, including those his daughter faced.

But then Season 3 gave us this:

To me this indicates that he was not part of the class system until he went to Hillerska. Maybe his parents were the first to get rich, or he was from a wealthy family that just immigrated to Sweden. Either way Hillerska and the society it embodied was a shock to him. And I wonder how long he held on to his own style before concluding it was futile. But even then, he didn't give up, not exactly. He goes on:

"I learnt early on that I . . . I had to be ten times better than everyone else. Then they had nothing on me. That's how you win."

And OMFG, that hit hard. Because I was told that growing up, and internalized that, and it was true that especially and sadly it remains true to this day in America. A person of color's failures are judged more harshly and result in harsher consequences and penalties, and in many environments we have to be exceptional to even be placed in the same category as an average white dude. The concept of beating them at their own game is definitely a THING.

Poppe decided to do just that, apparently, best them at their own game and make sure he outshown them all. And he succeeded! He survived Hillerska, he excelled, he became richer than every person who called him a slur or denigrated him, and he married the beautiful, blonde, blue-eyed noblewoman (who was surely a sought after prize). And I bet they hated and resented him for Symsan because that marriage opened doors that his riches alone would not have. Now his daughter is good enough to be Hillerska's Queen Bee and a strong and valid contender for marrying into the royal family. What a coup that would have been.

But in beating them at their own game, he lost something too. He recognizes the racism (unlike some) but has just accepted it as The Way Things Are and no barrier to enjoying everything else. He tells Felice "play by the rules ..." and is cut off and I can imagine several ways he could have finished that sentence. It puts a different context to Felice saying in S1 that he dad just wants her to get good grades: he expects her to follow his path by excelling and thus rising above any adversity.

Poppe has lost the ability to conceive of a world that could be different, where someone could have their own style and still succeed and be accepted. That conformity to the system is not the only choice.

I really hope that Felice will be able to tell her dad what she did and why because I really want to hope that he, above anyone, could understand and accept and even be proud. Because Felice outpaced him. She went to Hillerska in conformity but then developed her own style and flourished after doing so, ultimately fighting back in a way he gave up trying. She succeeded where he couldn't. And isn't that what every parent should want for their child?

[malinthebodyguard]

one of the things i love about young royals is that the s1 tagline being “love or duty” leads you to believe this is going to be like all of the other cliche royal/commoner modern romances where the journey ends with wilhelm realizing he can have both

but then the show is actually an interrogation of how the protagonist cannot maintain his role within the monarchy and have a healthy relationship because no one can be a fully realized individual within a hierarchical colonial institution AND coming into queerness is a stepping stone to the self realization that ultimately frees him AND it is actually the antagonist who gets trapped within the monarchy (while also losing love) proving that upholding the power of the ruling class is a narrative punishment instead of a reward… perfect show

[malinthebodyguard]

The reason why Simon couldn't spend the night or even make love in Wille's bed is because it would symbolise a royal future for him.

The Royal bed is filled with interruptions and pain. It has no space for queer love. Simon will never sleep there, and Wille will move out as soon as he can too.

Hillerska is a metaphor for the monarchy too, that's why Simon never became a boarder either.

[malinthebodyguard]

young royals rewatch: season 1, episode 3

-Do you thint that maybe I could come to Bjärstad instead? .To my house? -I just want to hang out with you. -With me and Mom? Or what? -Exactly. She was awesome.

[malinthebodyguard]

I never know how to say this without sounding condescending but when it comes to social media you can simply choose not to be around people who make you unhappy.

[malinthebodyguard]

Compilation of clues that August would get the crown

Many of these have already been discussed, but I was trying to think of how many there were and decided to put them together in one place. If there are others, please add!

The baggage metaphor. August trying to take the suitcase from Wille. Wille's unwillingness to let it go until Erik tells him to do it (possibly Wille finding out about Erik which allowed him to finally let go of the obligation he felt to be crown prince). And in the end August and Erik have the baggage and Wille has no baggage.

This discussion about how August would be better with crown prince duties and Wille suggesting they trade places

August holding the King when he plays chess (can anyone else confirm? I've seen different people say he's holding the King in both scenes, but I know absolutely nothing about chess)

The not so subtle lyrics

The crown imagery

And finally, the queen giving the frog (frog prince) necklace to August.

[malinthebodyguard]

The four parallel stories in YR - short version

In season 2, Felice gave up on the "royal" fullbred horse, just as Simon gave up on the royal family in season 3.

In season 2, Sara clung to Rousseau despite the pain, just like Wille thought being a perfect crown prince would make everything better in s3.

But in the end Sara and Wille let go too. They all let go of what hurt them.

Which gave them something else instead: love, friendship and found family.

Look at them all! No more ties of any kind, no more red suit jackets of pain. Shirt buttons open, voices free, love blossoming.

[malinthebodyguard]

Suddenly it hit me the huge drama that Wille and Simon lived the night Simon broke up with him. I imagine Wille apologising a thousand times and begging Simon to spend the night there at least. Both of them in tears and Simon hurting harder than ever before but not changing his mind. Omg...

[malinthebodyguard]

I literally just commented this on your recent fic, but I had to reiterate how thankful I am that you helped bring Daddy Simon to life and how WELL you write him too?? I love daddy kink, but when I got into the yr fandom I wasn't sure if it was going to work with wilmon. But then I saw your fic (along with goldenwilmon's) and it all just fell into place. I know there's not a ton of "out there" explicit wilmon fics yet (but you've definitely inspired me to start some more), so I just have to thank you for bringing the tender, loving, incredibly hot food 💜💜 and just to say that I love all of your fics so so much

gah i've read this message so many times and it still makes my heart FLUTTER i'm so grateful ?? thank you for taking the time to tell me, it means the entire world to me ??

because look... look. @goldenwilmon and i had this massive shared conniption for the Longest Time as we were both writing and beta'ing those first Daddy Simon fics, wondering if there was even an audience for this here, so receiving a message like this is the BEST present like, there is an audience ?? it's lovely people like you ?? that Get it ?? that understand in the shared vision and creative conundrum that is Daddy Simon ?? get all the way fucked it's so greattttt

hopefully if my inspiration persists there's plenty more where this came from !! and i'm so side eye emoji about whatever you're working on that's "out there" like mmm yes gimme gimme

anyway, my messages are always open if you need to yell about Daddy Simon his desperate baby Wilhelm or anything else filthy and/or feelings-ey

[malinthebodyguard]

First & Last Line Edvin Ryding, Young Royals

[malinthebodyguard]

What do you think Wilhelm’s job will be now that he’s no longer Crown Prince?

Well, he's gotta graduate high school first, no?

My personal head canon is that Wille is going to spend the next year deconstructing from The Monarchy tm , as well as become more interested in queer/social justice issues. I want him to go to Uni and major in gender studies or sociology.

I like the idea of him becoming a writer, although I don't necessarily see him as a fiction author. His first book would be his autobiography. I feel like Wille would find that process very helpful, and by publishing he could "kill" the public image Prince Wilhelm, while on his own terms. But after that he'd move on to other works, maybe non-fiction essays (gender and sexuality, maybe even politics) or poetry.

He's probably substantially wealthy, even without the monarchy coming into pay (his dad is probably rich and old money too) so I don't think he'd have to worry about money. I do like to think he'd try to use his excess wealth for good causes and maybe start a foundation he actually cares about in the future.

[malinthebodyguard]

“So why is Hillerska getting shut down?”

These two:

[malinthebodyguard]

This is why the take that 'Wille needed to treat his mental health, not abdicate' feels so contrived to me. Wille's mental health issues were always linked to the expectations that were put on him to be "the Prince".

His mental health was never going to improve under that, unless he simply found a way to completely disassociate. Which honestly, is the saddest ending imaginable.

I feel like every step Wille took, especially after his brother died, was with the massive weight of tradition and expectations, and that's what causes his anxiety - to always be percieved, yet never seen, because he was forced into a mold that hurts, that shrinks him, that would never allow him to show or even be his authentic self.

[malinthebodyguard]

Can you share some Malin headcanons?

she's a lesbian

she knew form pretty early on that Wille was queer and was secretly rooting for him

she didn't seek out the royal family assignment so being security for the Crown Prince is a little different than expected.

She feels a lot of guilt for Erik's death even though there was physically nothing she could have done. There's also a lot of grief for her there-- this was a person who she had to follow around 24/7 and even though the relationship was v professional it's still quite painful

she's secretly rooting for Wille and is not so secretly giving him tips so he can stay safe post-abdication

[malinthebodyguard]

Reblog if you want random YR-related asks in your inbox

[malinthebodyguard]

i love love love the happy ending wilmon got in canon, but I'm such a glutton, or slut, or glutton, for the idea that their graduation day goodbye really was goodbye, for years, and wille tries a while longer but the role continues to break him, and maybe five or ten or fifteen years later he reaches a breaking point and leaves the monarchy, and a month or two later he turns up at simon's apartment unannounced, and they share tea in simon's tiny, bright kitchen, and when wille reluctantly drags himself to leave, he stops at the front door and turns to ask his high school sweetheart - still the love of his life - "are you sure you're over me?"

[malinthebodyguard]

just a reminder that THIS is the guy y'all are hating on