A ripple of surprise passes through his expression as Kelson supplies the very useful fact that he's a human lie detector. Wilhelm knows about the kind of magic you sharpen with your mind. He himself has learned the basics of mental defense from Istredd, and the Singularity has bestowed on him the power to shove some of his emotions into somebody else's head. That one he has mostly used by accident. It feels like a violation, an invasion. So he appreciates Kelson's honesty about his own abilities.

He wants to ask more, but Kelson's question commands an answer first. He feels the shift in Kelson, from a boy just coming into manhood to something stiffer and stalwart. It reminds him of how Erik, standing before the public, would shift from his big brother to the Crown Prince. Wilhelm never learned how to pull off the transformation.

"I don't know," he begins, buying time. The truth is, he has avoided pondering the question, because that weight is not his to haul anymore. "I guess...things would be chaotic for a little while, but my mom would figure out another heir. A cousin, or something."

A grimace, nose wrinkling, as he remembers August. He hasn't thought about the asshole in a while. His shoulders bunch in a shrug.

"Honestly, the country is probably...pretty much running as usual without me."