Harry had his head lied on Louis’ chest, the older man played with his long curls. It was nice, to be there with Louis.
Harry barely remembers a life where he was not at the brothel. He was six when his mother gave him as payment to her debts. He doesn't blame her. During the years he saw the same happening to other boys and girls. As time passed by he started to be grateful, in a weird way.
He didn't enjoyed the lifestyle he had. If he could he would drop everything and live a normal boring life in the field. However, his family was there, in the Red House. He just couldn't drop Eleanor, Niall and Ed. That was until the day he met Louis.
The man came with a group, a usual behavior for young men. While his friends were having fun in the rooms with the girls he and Niall chatted in the grand yard. He didn't slept with anyone that day.
Two weeks later the group came back. This time Niall was busy and Harry was in charge to entertain the weird man.
“What are you thinking about?” Louis asked noticing that Harry's mind was not there.
“The day we met” Harry answered snuggling closer to Louis, inhaling the man's scent.
“It's been what? A year?” Louis questioned pecking Harry's lips.
“A bit more I think… something like 14 months” Harry answered trying to hide the fact that yes, he was counting.
“I didn't took you as a date saver, Harold” Louis mocked him. Harry never minded Louis mockery, he always made it with a sweet look in his eyes that had Harry's heart melting.
“I just have good memory” he sticked his tongue in response to the mocking tone.
“Will you tell me what are you remembering?” Louis caressed his cheeks, in moments like this Harry felt like he was truly loved “Or it's a super secret thought like the ones you were having last week?”
It was not secret to anyone, except Louis, that Harry was in love with him. And sometimes during these moments when both of them were exhausted from the orgasms and Louis held him like he was the most precious thing in the world, Harry let himself wonder. He thought about a little house, a couple of kids they could adopt. He planned his life with Louis but he knew it was in vain.
“No, it's not” Harry smiled looking for the pair of blue eyes he adored so much “I'm just thinking about what you do for living.”
When they met Louis decided they should play a game. Louis would tell Harry a story and Harry should guess if the story was real or not real. First Louis told him he was son of a baker and that his father was really famous on the court. Harry knew it was not real, Louis frame was not the frame of the son of a baker. Then Louis told him he was actually a letter boy who worked in service of the princess Charlotte.
He told his letter boy story so well that Harry accepted that as real. The story maintained itself during a month when Harry noticed Louis didn’t delivered any letters since he could visit him at the brothel two times a week. He had met other letter boys and they used to disappear for two to four days.
Nowadays, Louis is the son of a court adviser. Harry wish Louis name was less common so he could search more about his lover real life. Since the first-born of Queen Johannah was named Louis it popped - specially on the poor families - tons of babies Louis whose are now at the same age of his Louis.
All Harry know about his Louis is that he has four sister, which he names to Harry as trouble one to four. Zayn and Liam, were the one that made Louis go to the Red House the first three times. They’re best friends and always present on Louis’ stories. There also these small facts like, during his first sword-fighting class he was knocked out by the trainer daughter or how he once woke up with makeup and nail polish thanks to his sisters.
“Well young Harold” Louis started kissing Harry’s hair and breathing the boy scent “Do you want to know the true?”
“Yes” Harry answered to zipped for another lie.
“Okay” Louis breathed out holding the bridge of his nose “But you have to promise me you won't tell a soul about it.”
“I won’t. I already told everyone you’re just another son of a noble who has too many sons to care about you.” Harry said biting a smile.
“Smart one” Louis pinched Harry’s cheeks.
“Just the usual” Harry shrugged.
“Do you mean you have—? You know what— I don’t wanna know” Louis said shaking his head trying to push the thought away. They had this conversation before. About the other men Harry slept with. Louis just couldn’t claim exclusivity above Harry because that was reserved only to the high aristocracy.
“Hey” Harry said shooting Louis and kissing him on the lips “What were you about to say?”
“Okay but you have to promise me you will believe in me this time” Louis said taking a smile dimple smile as answer.
“Alright. So do you remember the day I came here for the first time?” Harry shook his head “It was right after prince Louis came back from his years in Andalasia.”
“Of course I remember. The city was a chaos! The week I had to work the most in my life. I was grateful when it was over” Harry said remembering how everyone, everywhere were talking about prince Louis and how they were dying to see him after ten years away from home.
“I came here two weeks later” Louis said and Harry hummed in confirmation “And I came here with a couple of friends and while they did their shenanigans I had the pleasure to hold a conversation with Niall. And Niall quit noticed who I was but I made him promise me he won’t tell a soul. The first time we met I was afraid Niall had told you about me but he didn’t — Hey, don’t make this face! He didn’t told you because I asked him to.” Louis said tickling Harry so he stopped the pouting.
“I just can’t believe my best friend had been keeping this secret from me!” Harry whined.
“First: He doesn’t even know if he was right. Second: If he was right it would be better for both of us if he kept quiet. He was being a good friend.” Louis justified.
“Alright!” Harry said quitting the pout but folding his arms “Get to the business.”
“Bossy” Louis poked Harry's tummy that growled “Alright, alright! I came back from Andalasia that week—”
“With the prince?” Harry asked animated.
“Kind of— I mean… Look Harold, you have to believe me, okay?” Harry gave him a goofy smile that could be read as ‘silly, of course I will’. “Okay, so I didn’t came back with the prince because I’m... basically the prince.” Louis said slowly.
“Wait so you’re telling me you’re Prince Louis Tomlinson?” Harry asked shocked.
“Yes…” Louis answered carefully.
“Prince Louis Tomlinson? The heir of the Lands of North and South? Basically the most important person in the kingdom except for our majesty Queen Johannah? You’re telling me that?” Harry questioned without taking a breath.
“Yes” Louis answered again not getting Harry’s point but he got it pretty well when Harry cackled.
The curly boy started to have a laugh attack, his whole body was shaking, face was red, eyes watering.
“Oh my lord, I think I’m going to pee” was all he said in the middle of the absurd - yet lovely - sound that was his laughter.
“I was being serious” Louis said sheepishly.
“I’m so sorry love” Harry answered wiping his tears away “I just think I could take more seriously when you were a friar.”
“Now tell me. What on earth makes so impossible to you the fact that I’m the Prince of Nihil Land?” Louis asked insulted.
“I’m sorry Lou, but you’re not that… How can I say? Royalish?” Harry said holding the older man’s hands.
“So I don’t look like someone who can be take seriously?” he asked still mad.
“No! I mean… after I knowing you for real… I truly can’t take you that seriously but at the start I used to—” Harry said blushing what made his still redden face for the laughing, reder.
“That’s it Harold. I’m going home, to my palace.” Louis said but this time Harry knew he was pretending to be mad “You can ask Niall about this later.” He said while he dressed himself and Harry kept lying on the bed watching him.
“I rather to see you undressing” he said when Louis finished to button his jacket.
“You can’t say tell me this type of thing when I’m ready to go” Louis said sitting on the bed and caressing the silk golden sheet Harry were laid in.
“Maybe I don’t want you to go” Harry whispered really low like he was afraid Louis would listen and at the same time afraid he wouldn’t.
“I have too” Louis whispered back and crawled till he was face to face with Harry.
“Prince duties?” Harry asked holding his laugh.
“It is what it is, my dear” Louis affirmed kissing Harry who just laughed.
Kissing Harry was one of Louis favorite activities. The way it was so sweet and calm, their tongues meeting in the middle. No pressure. Just the two. It was slow but sensual. It made every fiber of Louis body beg for more, more, more but with no rush. He wanted to savor it. Take every drop Harry was willing to give. Appreciating every shift, every wet sound it made, every moan Harry let him mute with his lips. Louis could do it forever. But he couldn’t. He had a life to manage that was outside the bubble he and Harry created during the last months.
“I have to go love” He said giving one more peck on Harry’s lips.
“Go, you have a kingdom to rule” Harry mocked biting Louis earlobe.
“I will” was all that Louis said before closing the door. He found his friends on the reception room with two fairies on their lap.
“Time to go gentleman” he said while Zayn and Liam threw the two women away and marched to Louis side.
+
The small council had just finished the meeting. Louis was ready to go to his chambers put his worn out clothes and take the patch to Red House. Two weeks had passed since the last time Louis had visited Harry and he was almost throwing everything to the air and running to see the green-eyed boy.
“Prince Louis” Oliver, the son of the festivities planner called him. Louis huffed in annoyance but turned around with the polite smile Mrs. Jordan thought him with the help of a ferule.
“Sir Oliver” he said hiding all the fact that he wanted to do everything but talk about what they were about to talk.
“Prince, I apologize for disturbing you” I don’t accept them, Louis thought “But father wants to have a few words with you about the Spring Festival”
“I thought that this subject was under our Majesty instructions” he said trying to skip away from his responsibilities.
“Most part of it, my prince. However, there’s this event during the festivity that are more appropriated for a male to decide what should and shouldn’t be… you know” Louis knew exactly what Oliver was talking about but he was being a little shit making the other one stumble to find appropriate words to define The Lord's Banquet.
“No need to further explanation, Sir Oliver” Louis patted him in back with a grin on his face “Please, take me to your father”
“I’m glad you are a reasonable man” Lord William said after two hours of discussing buffet and musicians “Now, I promise my prince it’s the last subject” he said after noticing Louis was almost jumping out of his chair “I need to know which Houses should we call for the entertainment”. Lord William had displayed on his face one of those smiles that without saying a thing says everything.
“Which Houses we usually call for?” Louis asked. Since his firsts weeks on the capital he went to the Red House, once or twice he went to Mrs Janeth or Myrrh House but he never found there what he had on the Red House. He never found Harry.
“Usually we call for Mrs Janeth, they always gave us the best, and of course we can find a few gems on the Myrrh and Lily’s House” Lord William held the conversation as the small council discusses fruit.
“Call for them” Louis said and Lord William with help of his son started to exit the room when Louis made a last minute decision.
“Yes, my prince?” Lord William asked after Louis calling.
“I heard that the Red House have some that can shine the eyes” he said like he meant nothing.
“I will look for them if you wish, my prince.” Lord William said with a confused look.
“That’s it. You’re dismissed.”
*
“What are you so fidget about?” Louis asked Harry after the boy got lost on his own thoughts for the third time.
“I’m sorry Lou… It’s just that” Harry tried to find the words while he looked to his big hands and played with his rings (most of them that were gifts from Louis) “A court commissar came here today. And… I don’t know if you know about this but here we have this big festival during the spring and there’s this big party for all the noblemen and they ask for you know.. entertainment and—”
“Harold” Louis said taking Harry’s hands.
They were seated on a table taking tea on their room private garden. Somedays Louis was in mood of having a nice and long talk with Harry. It was so pleasing to talk with him. He had this slow, deep voice and his eyes would always be so alert on everything he were saying. Absorbing everything, humming in agreement to show that he was paying attention. And the best thing was that Harry was not making it because Louis was a prince, or because he had some interest on his relationship with Louis. Of course, Louis would pay for his time with Harry but the boy had none obligation to be kind and watchful over Louis like he was.
“Relax, love” Louis said containing his laughter “I know what the Spring Festival is and I also know what The Lord's Banquet is. Now, please tell me what’s bothering you.”
“Okay” Harry said taking a deep breath “They came here. Court Commissars. To the Red House. It never happened before and god, Grimmy went to the clouds. It’s like win a noble title for whorehouses. Anyway, they asked to see us. And they choose me.” he said pained “I wish I could say no! But I can’t! It’s a royal invitation, more like an order! I’m so sorry Lou!” he finished quickly.
“Hazz” Louis said fixing the loosen curl on Harry’s forehead “I’m happy for Grimmy. And I’m going to be on The Lord’s Banquet. It’s going to be nice to see you there, if you’re with me all the time. Not with anyone. Just with me.”
“You’re going to be there?” Harry asked with a hint of hope and curiosity in his eyes.
“Yes. I told you there’s a bit of true in every story I tell you.” Louis said kissing Harry lightly.
“This mean I can ask around about you?” Harry questioned like a kid asks her mother if they can play in the mud with their new clothes.
“I don’t think this going to be necessaire” Louis smiled in crook of Harry’s neck kissing the spot behind the boy’s ear and making him quiver.
“Hmmm…” Harry hummed and knowing the boy like Louis did he was already with his eyes closed enjoying the kisses Louis dispensed on his neck.
“Do you want to enjoy your tea?” Louis asked Harry right before starting to suck a mark on the younger neck and tug his curls.
“I think… I’m…” Harry mumbled “I’m fine.”
“I think I’m fine too” Louis answered detaching from the boy’s neck and looking for the pair of green eyes he learned to adore so much.
“Thank goodness” Harry groaned before Louis took him to bed.
*
“Are you nervous?” Zayn asked while Louis finished to wear his attire.
“Just a bit” Louis answered. It was his first great appresentation since his comeback. It’s been almost a year and a half since he came to the capital. Since then, Louis avoided this moment when he noticed that a open festival, where every one of his subjects could give a look on him, would mean the end of his sneaking to the Red House.
“Harry is going to be here?” Liam asked fixing the small slips on Louis garments.
“Yes” Louis answered with a smile. They both knew about Harry and how Louis feelings towards the boy were more than a carnal desire.
“You know people can’t know about this, right?” Zayn said looking Louis in the eyes over Liam’s shoulders.
“I know” Louis sighed “I won’t do anything too alarming.”
“Did you tell him?” this time was Liam who made the question.
“Tell him what?” Louis sent his friend a confused look.
“That you’re going to have the time of your life in front of the guest, you’re going to drink, to play, to dance and to kiss the girls who are going to sit on your lap” Liam said highlighting each sentence with a hammering precision.
“It’s for your own good, Lou” Zayn said with sad eyes.
“I know” Louis answered with eyes on the floor.
*
“Don’t set your hopes too high, Harry” Niall said fixing his hair “He may won’t be able to be with you.”
“I know” Harry said shaking his leg to contain the excitement “But he said he would. He said I could be by his side during the whole party.”
“If he said so” Niall answered with a weird look on his face.
“Nini, do you have something to tell me?” Harry asked to his best friend “You are acting weird the whole day.”
“Nothing, Harry” Niall said giving a warm smile “You know I don’t enjoy male companies” he finished wrinkling his nose.
“I could say the same for the females” Harry laughed and went out of the room to see how Eleanor and the other girls were dealing with the expectation.
*
The room was filled with people nobles and prostitutes as far as the eyes could see. The Tomlinson family standard decorated the walls with it’s silver blue reflecting the lights. It was an unusual sigil the Tomlinson house had, a brown hedgehog with a red rose in it’s mouth, their words were even weirder ‘It is what it is’.
After the big war the Tomlinson’s got the throne (they had the money and the alliances) and their words became something used on the daily life. Did you got the flu? It is what it is. You husband have another bastard? It is what it is. Are you a prostitute? It is what it is. Two centuries passed since this and the Tomlinson’s remains strong in the throne.
But that night was not a night to think about history, it was a night to make it. The festival started five days ago but Harry and the other boys and girls who were selected to the feast were instructed to stay the week inside moisturizing, resting, making themselves pretty and fuckables, as Grimmy said. That was another reason why the murmur won’t die on the ladies room. Everyone wanted to know how the prince looked like. According to ones he had sharp cheekbones and bright blue eyes. Other would say he was too short but his personality made him outstand in the crowd. And all would affirm that he was by far one of the most handsome man in the court, beating even Sir Terence Jones, the eye candy of every female in the capital.
For more excited Harry was to meet the prince he was even more thrilled to finally put a last name on the man he had be loving in secrecy for almost a year. But the hall was already full and Harry had walked around it more times than his fingers could count and till now no sign of Louis. The only empty table was the royal table and for a moment Harry let himself wonder that maybe, just maybe, Louis was actually someone of importance to the kingdom.
“Did you found him, lover boy?” Eleanor crooned on Harry’s ear. The girl’s brown curls were loosen, her ivory silk dress out of place showing her nipple areola. Eleanor was always a success.
“Not yet” he said looking around “And you?”
“Wasted my time with a couple of nobles who have nothing but their title to hold on to, but I’m saving myself for the prince or his friends. I need someone with money” She said fixing her appearance.
Eleanor was the one that had a bigger debt with Grimmy, when she was ten a fever took her and if it was not for the cares of one of the greatest healers of the capital she would be gone. At the time she was a good business to be kept. One of the kingsguard, who had a taste for young ones, was just waiting her first blood. It came when she was eleven, eight months after the fever, and then Eleanor became his exclusive. Four years ago the man died in a hunt, a boar fang was the last thing he felt in his life. The poor girl went in grief, during six months she roamed around the Red House, living there but producing nothing, that until the day Grimmy showed her her debt.
“I hope you found him Harry” she patted him in back “but don’t waste your time. Look around you! You’re desired here. Don’t be a fool. Take the chance. I’ll take mine” Eleanor said fixing her hair one last time and wearing her best smile. She was going to hunt.
Harry walked around the hall another couple of times till he found Niall in table with northerners nobles. They all came from Kida and were excited to understand how summer truly felt like, even though they were on spring. As the hours passed by it came closer and closer to the moment when Prince Louis would appear and give a start for the real banquet and so Harry’s anxiety started to grow.
During the first hour he was coping with the hands of Lord Jackson on his tight but with the time passing he started to grow bolder and Harry annoyance was getting harder to hide. Niall notice this and with the more gracious of the smiles he pulled Harry out of the table.
“Look” the blond boy said after they reached the corner of the room where the dogs were fighting for pieces of food “I need you calm down.”
“I’m calm, Nini—”
“No, you’re not” Niall cuted him “I may not know what’s going exactly to your head right now but I have an idea. I’m just going to said it once, Harry. You need to ready to see him with another person that is not you. Someone in his position can’t have the luxury to be seen with another man.”
“What do you mean ‘someone in his position’?” Harry asked holding Niall’s forearm “What do you know about him that I don’t?”
“Just speculation, Harry” Niall said like it meant nothing, but Harry could see that the other one knew more than he was appeared to.
“If it was something important, would you tell me?” Harry asked, eyes sinceres “Would you?”
“I would if I could” was all that Niall said before pulling his arm away from Harry’s grip.
After a few minutes watching a pair of dogs fight over a bone and reflecting if he was going to be the bone — inanimate, letting life throw him around without asking his opinion first — or the dog — fighting for what he wanted and making his existence more than the roll of the gods dices. He decided he was going to be the dog. He would not surrender. He would get what he wanted. And for a moment he fully understood Eleanor.
He was back for the northerners table, this time with the aditional of Ed’s company. He found a place next to one of the nobles who had a blondie in a rosé satin dress adoring his legs. He enrolled in a conversation about the archery competition and when the men discovered he hadn’t had the pleasure to watch it they started to narrate it.
The group talked over each other, laughing and drinking. Suddenly the mood in the whole room changed, the voices quieted down and Harry, how was sited with his backs to the royal table, turned around and he just could not believe what he saw.
*
Louis was a nervous wreck. Since his announcement he had just a glimpse of Harry's face and then after he finished the amenities he couldn't found the curly haired boy anywhere. He knew he was unable to hold Harry and look at Harry or smile at Harry in the wrong way. He knew he need to act like a king should act and kings do not lay with men. However, he thought that having the younger boy next to him would make it much easier. He just wish he could find him.
Two hours after the official start of feast and Louis lost it. He found Niall in a table with a couple of nobles from Andalasia he met during his years away from the capital, he saw it as a opportunity to ask the blond boy about Harry. He approached the table and in a second everyone was on their feet and making pleasantries. A few moments later a brunet girl threw herself on Louis lap taking his breath out for a few seconds and making the browns of all of the table arch, specially Niall's.
It was Eleanor and the girl had too many wine cups to have an idea of what was polite or not. The tension of the moment went away with a joke Niall made about big opportunities landing on great men laps. Eleanor started to shift uncomfortably on Louis lap a few moments later she started to kiss Louis neck what made the man stiffen.
"Don't worry" she said against his skin "I'm just making sure it will be someone Harry's trust not just any of those stupid girls from Madame Myrrh."
"Where's Harry?" he asked noticing that the table had their eyes on Lord Jonas that was at the top of table singing his lungs out.
"Was not feeling really well. Something about 'he should have told me' and 'I can't believe he didn't tell me' and all that" Eleanor talked in a slow tone that could make any man melt in her hands but Louis was not that type of guy.
"I can't go out and see him, Eleanor" Louis said while a wave of curls blurred his view.
"Neither can I. I need to make my name today, Louis or should I say 'my prince'?” she had a contained mockery on her tone “And what would crown me would be sleeping with you." the girl stated looking him in the eyes.
"I'm not going to sleep with you Eleanor" Louis affirmed starting to push the woman out of his lap.
"I know." she fake moaned "I know. I don't need you to sleep with me, I need people to think that you slept with me." her hands were now caressing his cheeks and her eyes analysed every inch of his face, looking for something.
"And how that would help me to have a word with Harry? He's gone isn't he?" Louis bellowed.
"I may or may not have told you a lie" she sing-songed "Now give me a proper kiss and I'll tell you where he is, better I will send you to him."
Louis considered for a couple of seconds which options he had and that one was the better one. He kissed Eleanor like he kissed all the other women that came before her, not really enjoying it. But she knew how to put on a show, making it look intense and sensual, thanks to her a couple of minutes later they were out.
*
Eleanor’s words were floating around his head. She was right isn’t she? Harry thought with himself. He was lying on a bed in one of hundred rooms that were open for the invites entertainment. After Louis arrival Harry had a breakdown. He never thought. Not even once. It was all ruined. His dreams, expectations, his life. He excused himself from the table for the second time that night with Niall giving him a strangled look and Ed not even noticing.
Eleanor found him. He was roaming around the room not knowing where to go and when the girl bumped into him and asked ‘What is this funny look on your face?’ he broke. He doesn’t even remember how Eleanor made her way to the private rooms, he was a weeping mess. He told her, he told her everything that people already knew but no one, with Niall exception, knew for sure. The girl just wiped his tears away listening carefully to his blabbering and when he finished she took a deep breath, the ones you take when you have a important thing to say.
“Harry, I don’t know why you’re overreacting like this.” she started “Louis is the future king? Yes, he is. But seriously, what’s the difference? You know, when Jonas was alive I used to think that he would drop everything to be with me one day. It was a stupid dream. I knew I wouldn’t be like his wife. No, never. But then after noticing I couldn’t live without him I had this crazy dream of being his official… mistress.” Eleanor said with this small smile on her face.
“I love him you know? Even after four years. I still love him. He was sweet, kind, he listened to my stupid young girl blabbering. I would take anything he offered to me, because I loved him. And because I was nothing but a prostitute.” her smile dropped after this “I’m not saying that this make us bad persons. I wouldn’t even if for a second say that you’re something away from the kindest person alive — at least here in the capital. However, our living make us less in front of other people's eyes. Even so, Jonas was willing to take me away. I was not less to his eyes. He started to talk with Grimmy about this when I made my sixteenth birthday, he started to pay my debts. We didn’t had lucky, unfortunately three months later he was took away from me.”
“He loved me. In his ways. But he truly loved me. Do you think that Louis would spend two days of his week with you during almost two years if he had nothing but a strong feeling towards you? Sometimes I saw you two from the balcony. Eating in the garden. And Harry, everyone in the house could see it. Don’t ruin it just because of a title. What is the worst that could happen?”
“What is the worst that could happen?” Harry asked himself after Eleanor departure to found Louis.
Minutes passed and he could not think about one truly good reason to quit what he was having right now. Eleanor was taking too long, but he understood. It was a hard work, take the prince out of the feast.
Three quarters of an hour passed by and finally they arrived. Eleanor had her hair in a messy halo and her and Louis lips were bruised. Before he could say anything Eleanor spoke “Don't give me that look! I doubt you had a better idea and our royal highness here” she patted Louis back “were not enjoying it that much.” the girl finished with a wink.
Eleanor exited the room and finally they were alone. For the first time Harry didn’t knew what to say. For his luck Louis was the one to broke the silence.
“I’m sorry, Harry” he said looking to his hands like a kid would after doing something naughty “I just didn’t knew how to tell you.”
“I was surprised” Harry said with his eyes on everything but the man in front of him “I thought you were someone important but not the prince, Louis!”
“It’s not that important…” Louis said calmly, raising his head and searching for Harry’s eyes “I tried to talk with you once. Do you remember?”
“I think so… I thought it was a joke” Harry admitted blushing.
“No, you thought it was the most ridiculous thing on earth.” Louis gave a small smile at the memory “I didn’t touch the subject again because I thought that—” “What?” “If you knew — like all the population know now — it would be harder to be around you.”
“Do you mean that we are not seeing each other anymore?” Harry green eyes finally locking with blue.
“No!” Louis jumped scared with such a suggestion.
“So what do you want to do?” Harry asked.
“I thought about it, you know. Having a life with you. Unfortunately, I can’t have it the way that I want—”
“Which way then?”
“I could take you to the court. Make you important to be around but not important enough to drawn attention.”
“And I would what? See you get married and have kids in the backstage?” “You would too.” “What do you mean?”
“Harry, I can’t have people suspecting about us. I would marry and have children and so would you. I will love my wife in way men like us can love. But never in the way I love you.” Louis said exasperated, passing his fingers through his hair, Adam’s apple bobbing.
“I love you too” the boy whispered back reaching for Louis’ hand “However, I don’t know if I can do it.”
“How come?” the hope and happiness Louis felt seconds ago were gone.
“I don’t know if can live a lie, Lou” Harry said caressing Louis cheeks “I don’t want to hide, I never had to.”
“But I don’t know if I can live without you, Harry. Without your company.” Louis voice was cracking and eyes watering.
“No! Please, don’t even think about it!” Harry had Louis’ cheeks cupped on his hands “I’m just saying that… I don’t want to have a family. I don’t want pretend to want someone that is not you.”
“So you’re not going to leave me?” the young prince asked finally letting his tears flow.
“Never.” Harry answered kissing Louis’ lips.
+
Five years had passed and Harry didn’t regret his choice once. He was grooming the new persian horse of princess Charlotte. She was completing eighteen and, now, King Louis decided to gift her with this black beauty. Harry started as a stable boy a month after the end of the Spring Festival and quickly (with a help here and there) he became recognized by the others. Nowadays he’s the right arm of Lord Whitman or Lord of the Horses.
“Hello beauty” he heard the voice coming from the other side of the stall.
“Are you talking with me or with the horse?” Harry questioned wiggling his eyebrows to the man that walked on his direction.
“No that you mentioned it… I’m not sure. She’s a beauty, I can’t deny.” Louis said caressing the horse mane.
“I’m sure I can be a better ride, though” Harry whispered to his man.
“Maybe I’ll need you to remember me after I take this one out.” Louis said giving a look around and finally kissing Harry “You’re such a tease.”
“I can’t believe you’re going to use your sister’s present before she even receive it!” Harry slapped Louis arm but his eyes were tender.
“She will never know about it.” Louis said sticking his tongue “Except if a family friend decides to open his pretty mouth.”
“I would never do it.” Harry said with an innocent voice, fluttering his eyelashes.
“Good. We don’t want to have you on the king’s blacklist” Louis said giving a small bite on Harry’s cheek.
“As long as I’m out Queen’s Annie blacklist, I’m safe.” Harry mocked.
“Annie loves you.” Louis said taking hay out of Harry’s hair “Especially after the help you gave with Darcy. You’re such a better parent than I am.”
“Well... I’m also better at name choices.” he said smiling widely, remembering the day that he and Louis was lying in bed thinking about name choices for the upcoming royal baby. Darcy was a little girl with big blue eyes and long wavy ginger hair like her mother’s. Annie married Louis three years ago. It was a huge ceremony as it’s supposed for Kings to have. Everything with fine taste.
They met her when Harry made a travel to south. Lord Whitman wanted him to end some business while he rested from a flu. Annie was the daughter of Sir Jon Alexander, the protector of the Lands of the Est.
To Harry’s luck, he discovered her in most awkward situation he could think. Annie had hay all around her hair and skin and one of her servants on the top, riding her. A few months after the incident Annie went to the court and Queen Johannah fell into her graces. Everyone saw an opportunity on their bonding. They kept each other secrets so Annie could have Lauren and Louis could have Harry.
“You’re going to make me company or I’ll have to ask Niall?” Louis asked saddling the horse.
“I’m going. I’m going, hasty” Harry said making his way to his horse stall.
“You know what? Forget about the hurry! It would make me incredibly happy if you took longer than the necessary to get ready” Louis said eyeing Harry’s butt “I forgot how incredible you look on those pants.”
Harry cackled and blushed. “You’re such a fool.” the curly one said but even still he put up a show.
“I’m a fool, but you love me” Louis answered after Harry was mounted on the andalusian horse and stopped by his side.
“Of course I do” was all the boy answered before spurring the horse and starting to run.