the only son

Ludvig och Blomsterparaden 2024(Ludvig And The Blossom Parade) - Me!!

Absolute favourite book illustration!! Ludvig is having dinner with his dads, one of which is a slightly burnt out landscape artist. Dw about the hole in the floor, that’s for the text haha

I may just be over analyzing this, but I can’t stop thinking about the scene in s1 ep3 of young royals when Wilhelm and Simon are walking out of the building and all the students around them start whispering. Wilhelm is (understandably) confused, and that confusion only intensifies when the headmistress pulls him aside with Wilhelm’s mom on the phone. Basically, Kristina tells Wilhelm that Erik, his older brother, is dead, and Wilhelm is completely surprised. The reason I think this is such a big moment is the fact that the student body of Hillerska knew about the death of Wilhelm’s brother before Wilhelm did. The Royal Court took the time to make a social media post or announcement or something before they thought to let Wilhelm know that one of the people Wilhelm loves most in the world is dead. I know we all knew that Kristina prioritizes the monarchy over the family, but I think this scene just highlights that.

Edit: As a few people have pointed out, the students of Hillerska probably knew from a leaked source rather than an official announcement. However, it still says something that the country knows about Wille’s private life before Wille does.

I find Wille’s dad so fascinating. He doesn’t do anything but offer the occasional meaningless platitude and passively back his wife up. He might as well be part of the horde of Court Administrators

He never features in any of Wille’s calculations or discussions. Wille doesn’t even think to call him for support at the beginning of the season when he has no one to talk too and so calls his mum to rant.

It’s like because Wille’s role as Prince subsumed his role as Son he stops being son to anyone, not just the Queen as his superior and predecessor but also to his dad.

Something is in there about the way power imbalances mess up intimate relationships. Wille’s dad can’t be his dad and stand up for his son against his wife, because his wife is his Queen. Wille’s parents can’t have a mutual marriage because she is Queen first.

I wonder if part of Wille is drawn to Simon is because of how outspoken he is. Simon has and expresses opinions. Simon is the soloist in the choir. Simon tries to be his own person first before he is anyones partner. The complete opposite of the dynamic he sees with his parents.

Ludvig: Are you okay?

Wilhelm: I’m sad

Ludvig: Hmmm, me too

Ludvig: No, wait, hi sad i’m dad

Ludvig: Wait no, what’s wrong?

So I was watching the coat room scene and then the jubilee speech yet again. As one does. And I just noticed that Ludvig is wearing a shirt with no tie, and what’s more, the shirt collar is open!

Why????? All the other men and boys are wearing ties. And as the prince consort, surely Ludvig is expected to match the formality of the occasion, and not be the only man who’s underdressed.

He’s not even wearing a cravat in the open shirt collar. I know that’s an old-fashioned thing to wear in lieu of a tie (my grandad used to wear one, on days he just didn’t feel like a tie. He died in 1994).

But it just seems odd that the third highest ranking person at this entire event has no tie, and even has his shirt collar unbuttoned. There are TV cameras filming Ludvig! TV cameras he knew in advance would be there. I know his wife and son are the people the TV cameras are most interested in, but surely they would take note of him pairing an expensive tailored suit with a shirt that has no tie.

It’s not like Ludvig knew beforehand that Wilhelm would blow up the speech, and nobody would care that the queen’s husband isn’t wearing the right clothes for the occasion. Where’s his tie?

The amount of hate for Ludvig I’ve seen today is honestly ludicrous. Y’all need to cut that man some slack. He ran an entire drug operation with two absolute idiots for several years, complete with a second family, where he also left Wille’s twin. On top of that, he had to deflect all of those comments about how similar his alias, Fredrik Ek, looked to Ludvig. And then, when things got a little too hot, he had to fake his own death, which, believe it or not, wasn’t fun either!

Of course he’s still trying to lay low! I’d like to see you attempt to be more involved in the life of his other son and the royal stuff while not being recognized by criminals when on TV. Not that easy.

For @grapehyasynth 💜

Shelter Days: Obidience training. 🎶

imagine ...

It's a warm summer morning. Kristina and Erik are away on official duties. The sun is shining, birds are chirping, and the gardens are in full bloom.

Ludvig has recently gotten a shipment full of his favorite foods from home, and is feeling a bit homesick, so he decides to have a proper traditional breakfast which reminds him of his hometown together with his youngest son, who always enjoys hearing tales from Ludvig's childhood and youth.

They speak in Ludvig's native language, and Wilhelm enjoys that. It is part of his heritage as well, and a soothing reminder that he doesn't just belong to Sweden, that he's more than that.

Also his Pappa's home has the best breakfast.

Ludvig has been growing his mustache over the past few days. He'll have to shave it off again soon, but for now he proudly wears it just like his brother back home.

He raises his glass in salute and Wilhelm does the same, if a bit less fondly. It, too, is from his hometown, and the first sip of the fresh, cool drink is glorious, even if it leaves him with a second, much paler mustache on his upper lip.

Wilhelm takes a bite of his pretzel, before turning to the veal sausage and dipping it in sweet mustard.

Wilhelm has been raised to take pride in tradition, and while that's not always easy or necessarily his thing, he'd also never disgrace his heritage, especially not when his Pappa is proudly looking on, and so he picks up the sausage and starts sucking out the filling, just like he was taught. He's no heathen after all, would never peel it, and veal sausage from his Pappa's hometown is his favorite.

"An Guadn!" Ludvig says, as he takes another large sip of wheat beer, and Wilhelm replies in perfect Bavarian as he asks his Pappa when they'll next go visit uncle Schorsch.

"Huh," he thinks, months later, his head between Simon's thighs.

Maybe Weißwurst isn't his favorite thing to suck on after all.

This nightmare inducing horror of epic proportions was prompted by the lovely and most wonderful amypond, who suggested that Ludvig is actually Bavarian and didn't realize that by doing so they would trigger this vision and traumatize me for life.

                                  🕯        🕯       🕯  

                      🕯                                           🕯 

                🕯  manifesting a spine for ludvig  🕯 

             🕯      in season 2 because wille       🕯

              🕯     needs a parent and kristina      🕯

                  🕯      clearly isn’t gonna do it      🕯

                        🕯                                       🕯 

                                 🕯        🕯       🕯 

Some big news! I’ve signed contract for a new book!

It’ll also be released here in Sweden under the title ”Ludvig och Blomsterparaden” (Ludvig and the blossom parade) and it takes place in an animal world! Have a couple of sketches as a little preview!

And when the royal guard has to shut down a whole entertainment center because the prince consort wants to experience laser tag what then

So Ludvig.

After last season I did an analysis of Ludvig and how he doesn’t seem to be his own character. How he isn’t a dad to Wille because he has to be the Queen’s consort before all else

And this season just proved it.

This season had Wille actually reaching out to his dad but only because he couldn’t reach his mum. And everytime he did see his dad he’d just end up being passively dismissed with idle chatter.

Ludvig is a great consort, but a terrible father.

.:Originally made June 6th, 2023:.

Just some chibis of charas I haven't drawn in a hot minute~

[left character uses she/xey pronouns, center and right character uses they/them]