Well, Loyals — we can't say we weren't warned. After weeks of hinting that Ted Pryce was the one who murdered King Simon, The Royals finally confirmed during "And Then It Started Like a Guilty Thing" that the head of security was the one who stabbed the king back in Season 1. Damn you, Ted Pryce! I always thought Pryce was so nice, but it turns out he is a bitter murderer. At least I can be consoled by the fact that Jasper figured out that his boss is guilty of the crime.
Although Pryce was accused of murdering Simon back in the fourth episode of Season 2, "What, Has This Thing Appear'd Again Tonight?," it was still shocking to see the video footage of the palace employee mercilessly stabbing the king. In the Jan. 10 episode, Pryce reamed out Jasper for continuing to investigate the murder of the king since Lucius was in jail for the crime (that doesn't make you look guilty at all, Pryce!), but Jasper got his hands on the footage, thanks to some skateboarding youth. Yet that doesn't explain why Pryce killed the gentle king.
Ophelia may have left her father for New York, but her dead mother has been haunting Pryce throughout Season 2 — sometimes the ghost of his wife even wears lingerie! While Pryce may seem crazy to be having visions, his wife's presence is really important to the plot since how she died is the motive for Pryce killing Simon. Years ago, when Pryce was protecting Simon at an event, there was an assassination attempt on the king and Pryce's wife got accidentally shot. Though Pryce has been playing nice with the royal family, he never forgave them for the death of his wife and thus, killed poor King Simon.
I think it would have been the healthier decision for Pryce just to quit his job — not murder his boss — after his wife died, but where's the drama in that? Perhaps Pryce had more than one reason to kill Simon, but it seems that just like Dominique Stewart's brother, Pryce is fueled by vengeance. However, it's ironic that Pryce's main duty was to protect the king and he was the one to murder him. Nor is it fair that he blamed the monarchy for the death of his wife when he was the one to take the job of protecting the king with his own life.
The Season 2 finale of The Royals takes place on Sunday, Jan. 17 and though Liam is furious with Jasper for plotting to steal from the palace, the prince will find out from Jasper that Pryce is the man who killed his father. And I cannot wait to see what Liam will do about this betrayal. Though I doubt this storyline will be neatly tied up by the Season 2 finale, Pryce better get a hint of what's coming to him.
For now, enjoy this video of the cast playing Bustle's emoji game:
Image: E!
