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Harry Styles was many things; smart, brave, a decent alpha, a good provider, a bastard... but by any means, he was part of the monarchy. At least not legitimately, which of course, changed five years back when his father, the king of Wiijen decided he needed an heir for his title to rule the kingdom.

What his father didn’t anticipate was Harry's designation. He expected an omega, just like himself, considering that the monarchs visioned alphas as too volatile, too feral, never thinking with their heads, just with their guts and knots. Without a mate, Harry was simply a liability and a risk for the kingdom. People could say the king had tripped twice on the same rock. 

However, not many could say monarchs weren’t prepared for the worst and that was how Harry, with nearly twenty-two years of life, was now soon to be married to omega prince Louis Tomlinson of Leembal.

“You don’t have to do this, there must be other options,” Bryce enquired with a deep furrow between his eyes.

Harry met the boy during the first winter he spent at the castle. Bryce knew all the secret passages and best spots inside of it, he made Harry feel less alone in several ways. It also helped that he was as beautiful as he was clever and Harry had always had a soft spot for wicked minds and blue eyes.

“Then tell me my options, my dear Bryce,” Harry said calmly as he adjusted his red wine frock coat.

“We could run away.” 

Harry chuckled, “I must have misheard you, for a moment I thought  you said we could run away."

Bryce's frown deepened. “Do not make fun of me, don’t behave like them,” he spat the last part with venom.

One of the things that drew Bryce and Harry as close as they were was their distaste for the rich and the royalty. They had taken away from them too many possibilities, too many options.

Harry’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry, god, I’m so sorry,” he said as he walked close to the boy. “Where do you want to run away?”

Bryce’s eyes opened big with incredulity. “Do you mean it?”

“Yes,” Harry said with conviction. “Fuck the prince, I want to have a last day where I can be myself, where I can pick my destiny. Today I’m choosing running away with you for a day.”

The small smile on Bryce’s face fell as the light of his eyes dimmed  “Just for a day?”

“I wish I could offer you more, but you know the king would search for me anywhere I went and if you disappear with me they’d hunt you as well. I wish only the best for you, with or without me. If you want to leave now, I wouldn't blame you, not for a second.”

Bryce shook his head. “If you’re staying, I’ll stay too,” his voice was fierce and his eyes sure.

“Then we’re staying together.”

♔

Louis Tomlinson was many things; determined, cunning, loyal to his family, extremely charming, however, by any means, he was someone else’s housewife. That was, of course, until the utter imbecile of the king of Wiijen used a very old treaty which called for a political alliance between their counties, meaning now Louis had to go and become exactly what he swore he would never be.

The possession of an alpha.

He felt rage overcome his body, crawling and trying to escape, seeking a way out in any way or form from his body. He felt useless, a feeling he was taught to fight all his life but when your choices are stripped from you without any questions or options, there aren't many positive emotions left to feel.

However, Louis was still a prince and he might have been burning inside, creating monsters out of thoughts, but he wasn’t going to let anyone see how much it hurt, how humiliated he felt. His pain was his and that was something no one but him was allowed to see or have. 

“Where is he, then?” Louis’ father said exasperatedly.

The king of Wiijen looked pale and nervous. “My good sir, he must be attending some really important matters, you know how this is.”

“No, I don’t. If I have an important meeting, it is my responsibility to tend to my duties first. How do you expect me to leave my only omega child here all alone?”

The king of Wiijen looked at Louis’ entourage formed by three of Louis’ companions, his piano and dance tutors—things Louis refused to learn until the moment they told him he had to marry an alpha—eleven of his guards and his chef, all omegas, all dearly beloved by Louis.

“I understand this, good sir but—” The king was interrupted by a frightened beta who requested to talk to him. After a few seconds of a hushed interchange of words, the king dismissed the beta and cleared his throat. “It seems my son is tending his horse, apparently someone... shot the animal in the leg.”

“Shot him? ” Louis asked alarmed, the first words he said since their arrival to the castle. “Why are people shooting at innocent animals?”

“That’s it, we are leaving!” Louis’ father said with an indignant tone.

“ You can leave, good sir, but I’m afraid the prince must stay.”

Louis’ father looked enraged at those words, brows furrowing. “Says who?” 

“The treaty, of course. You must not break it or else you’d have to give part of your kingdom to Wiijen.”

“This is a scam, a kidnapping!” Louis’ father slammed his fist on the table, shaking it with force.

Louis cursed to himself as he straightened his back even more. Another of the things he was taught was that there was nothing worse than showing your weakness to your enemies and his father had just shown his own. Louis.

In all his years alive, the prince had never seen his father that upset, probably because no one had dared to threaten him using his very own son as a piece in a very badly played chess game.

“It goes by the law and you know it. Otherwise you’d have left ages ago.”

“You and your bastard son are a disgrace,” Louis’ father sneered, mouth twisting and teeth showing. “We will find a way out and you will have to let that alpha son of yours rule your decaying kingdom.”

Things at Leembal were far from perfect, there were still major issues which needed to be solved, but nothing could compare to the disaster Wiijen currently was. The actual problem wasn’t that the king’s son was illegitimate as his father mentioned, the problem was that he was an untrained alpha, who knew next to nothing about ruling kingdoms or giving fair treatment to omegas. Not to mention the castle was already filled with alphas and betas as part of the court and staff. The kingdom was indeed decaying systematically, and there was no one to blame but the king sitting in front of him, and his predecessors.

“Perhaps, but for now, the prince stays,” the king said with a pained smile plastered onto his face.

Louis’ father stood up from his seat with so much force his chair fell down, making Louis wince internally.

“Papa, please, ignore his taunts,” Louis said with a controlled and calm voice. “I’m staying. I suppose I could make this kingdom better with my sole presence.”

“See? The prince wishes to stay.” 

Louis brow twitched upward just a bit as a small gift for himself, a millimeter of a real feeling. “You shall not twist my words, king. I’m staying out of duty to my kingdom and my family, but I do not wish to stay and I hope for the day my father and his advisers find me a way out of this shameful situation.”

“How colorful. In Wiijen we omegas are raised to be more polite than this.” 

“Sadly,” Louis gave the king a polite smile. “you did not wish for a Wiijen omega to be the husband of your son, but a Leembal one. And in my kingdom, we— omegas are raised to be respected and listened to , and if I’m going to be the future king of this place, things shall change.”

The jaw of the king twitched but a smile flourished at the end. “I’d love to see you try, prince.”

♔

Harry spent his afternoon eating and fucking in a small cottage very close to the one where he and his mother used to live. A house he wasn’t ready to go back to, filled with memories he wasn’t ready to revive of a life that would never be his.

He felt free for the first time in ages, almost happy, but everything came to an abrupt stop when one of the guards of the king shot Ferdinand, his horse, causing Harry to fall off the horse, losing consciousness. 

“I certainly don’t know what I did to deserve a son like you."

“Is that why you shot my horse? So you didn't have to deal with an heir like me?

“Don’t be idiotic, no one shot your horse, someone simply fired a gun and your horse got scared because he isn’t trained for war. He’s completely fine, you on the other hand, had to get stitches in the head and were in bed for two entire days with high fevers.”

“Are you this upset because I woke up?”

The king’s chin wobbled. “You’re irresponsible and don’t care for your kingdom, I accepted that years ago. I also accepted your hatred towards me, but what I’m not going to accept is you risking your life just to make me angry. We both have duties to fulfill and do not have much say in the matter, but that doesn’t mean you have to be this selfish. There’s people who care about you for heaven’s sake.”

Harry snorted and averted his eyes from the king’s red rimmed ones. “The only person who actually cares about me was with me that day and we both were fine until one of your guards decided to shoot me.”

“ No one shot you! ” The king snapped. “Yes, I told people to look for you. Yes, I told them to bring you back, but this doesn’t mean I ordered them to hurt you. It was an accident."

“Just like the one you had with my mother?”

The king’s face hardened. “You have no idea what happened between your mother and I. You have no right—”

“Of course I have no right, I don’t have any kind of rights! You took that away the day you decided you needed an heir."

“Things are far more complicated than that.”

“I’m not going to refute you, I just want to know what happened with Bryce.”

“He’s on kitchen duty."

“He hates to cook…”

“Well, then that’s more than enough punishment for being reckless and irresponsible.”

“Aren’t you going to throw him out from the palace?”

The king sighed. “No, Harry, no one is going to be kicked for this week’s incident. No one is at fault.”

“We were going to run away and never come back,” Harry lied.

The king fixed him with a bored stare. “You and I know that’s not true. When you’re ready, the prince is dying to finally meet you."

Something sour grew inside Harry’s chest at the mention of that brat. “You must know I’m never going to consummate the marriage. We will not bond."

“That will be completely up to you as will be who you let in inside your chambers. Just don’t go around telling other people."

“Good, at least we have one thing clear.”

“Alas, you still have to meet the prince and publicly court him,” the king said as Harry abruptly sat up on the bed, making his head go dizzy. The king stood up from his chair and grabbed Harry’s shoulder. “Slow down, will you? You’re still recovering from the fall."

“Pardon my audacity, sir,” Harry said as he lightly pushed the king’s hand. “but it feels as if I’ve been free falling since I left my home years ago. How am I supposed to court a person I don’t even know or like?”

“Prince Louis is a remarkable person,” the king said with a small but proud smile, a gesture that made Harry’s stomach recoil. If the king saw the prince as a remarkable person, it could only mean he was as selfish as him. “I have the feeling you two will get along just fine, or at least you will find a way to be cordial with each other. And do not worry about the courting, there are rules and procedures. It doesn’t have to be something that comes from the heart.”

“What a surprise,” sarcasm dripped from every word coming out of Harry's mouth.

“I thought you would enjoy knowing you wouldn’t have to fake your appreciation or love,” the king replied. 

“I’m certainly glad this farce only requires the minimum of effort and ability to pick my future spouse.”

The king sighed one last time before walking towards the door of his chambers. “Well, I’m happy you’re glad about something, son. If you’re feeling better, supper will be ready in a few hours.”

Harry felt fury fill his body and fog his vision, and it took him almost an hour to calm down, to feel as if he wasn’t drowning. He was just another piece of a game he never asked or wanted to play, a game he was born to lose. 

Before he was fully recovered, a very angry Bryce stormed into his room.

“You need to talk with the ice prince, put him in his rightful place,”

Harry took a deep breath. “The what?”

“Your soon to be husband,” Bryce spat out with disdain.

Harry frowned, the anger he felt an hour ago coming back to his body. “Did he say something to you? Did he disrespect you?”

Bryce sniffed. “Yes, he disrespected me and all your staff.”

“What did he say?”

“He gave orders we shall not touch his omegas, nor look at them and say that we ought to attend to all their needs. He wants me to serve omegas…”

“His omegas?”

“He brought an army of them, even his guards are O’s,” Bryce said with a baffled tone. 

“Oh… and did he give those orders out of nowhere?”

“Yes!” Then he paused. “Well... there was an insignificant incident, but it could have happened to anyone.”

“What happened?”

“A guard tried to scent one of his companions.” At seeing Harry’s properly horrified expression he quickly added. “but it was an honest mistake. None of us are used to this number of omegas. What are the alphas going to do when all of them go into heat?”

“That’s not how it works—”

“This is not the reason why I’m here,” Bryce cut him off. “You ought to talk with the prince! I refuse to serve any of them as if they were better than me. We all are servants, I’m not being remunerated for serving servants."

Harry sighed. “Come here,” he patted his leg. “I have missed you,” he said when the beta finally sat on his lap. 

“You did not,” Bryce turned his face away from Harry’s. “You were out of it.”

“Did you come to visit me?” Harry asked as he kissed Bryce’s neck.

“No, the king spent a lot of time here, he seemed really worried,” he shrugged. “I also was a bit worried.”

“Just a bit?” Harry whispered as his hands caressed the beta’s leg.

“If you believe you’re going to distract me with your hands or lower parts you have mistaken me. You need to put the ice prince in his place.”

“He’s going to be the future king, where’s his rightful place?” Harry asked with a playful tone.

“As you said, future, he’s still not the king and he is not the prince of Wiijen and as far as I know, he is a visitor and as a visitor he should respect the rules of the castle and be polite to its servants. I can serve him but I will not serve his staff.”

Harry chuckled as he continued to kiss his neck. “Alright, I’ll talk to him.”

After a few minutes Bryce spoke again. “Did you know he’s frigid?”

“What?” Harry asked, stopping everything he was doing. 

“That is one of the reasons why people outside his kingdom call him the ice prince,” Bryce purred as he turned his face to kiss Harry’s jaw. “They suspect he can’t bear children.”

“Is this true?” Harry grabbed the beta by the shoulders. “Bryce, where did you hear that?”

“There’s rumors going around the castle,” he smirked. “Stories about his beauty and his cold attitude. They know he is an omega only because of his scent, but he has never had a heat.”

“Do you know what this means?”

Bryce smirk grew into a big smile. “He can’t give you an heir.”

“There’s no point for the marriage if he can’t give me a child.” Harry with big eyes. “Bryce, this changes everything.”

The beta laughed. “I’m aware, but you ought to be careful. If you accuse him of that without proof you could  bring trouble not only for the kingdom but also for the commoners who are spreading the information. They will want names... and heads.”

“Yes of course, of course, but how am I supposed to get proof before the wedding?”

“I will befriend his guards, tutors, everyone close to him, seduce them if I must, but I’ll get you the proof you need.” 

“I don’t want you to put yourself at risk, I can always ask the prince, befriend him.”

Bryce quickly shook his head, sour expression returning to his delicate features. “He is cruel and cold, he only cares about money and status. He would never want to be your friend or trust you, he knows your upbringing and he doesn’t like it. Apparently… someone heard he called you a bastard to your own father.”

Harry straightened his back. What the fuck was he thinking? Befriending royals when he knew they all were snakes, ready to attack. And Harry was just too tired to play pretend, let alone befriend a brat who only cared about money and titles. “You’re right, I don’t know what I was thinking,” he parroted his thoughts out loud.

Bryce’s face softened. “Your heart and intentions are good, which is why we need to be careful so you won’t end up hurt." 

Harry nodded, giving a small kiss to Bryce’s mouth. “Can you tell him I want to meet up with him in the gardens?”

“What are you planning to do?” 

Harry gave Bryce a small smirk. “I’m going to put the ice prince in his place.”

♔

Since he arrived at the castle, Louis spent more than half of his time inside its big library, making acquaintance with every book about Wiijen’s politics and history he could find. He needed to be as prepared as he could to help his family come up with some sort of plan, and he also had to find a way to travel to Kanan—the place where two of his family counselors were staying in order to be as close to Louis as they could—without making any fuss or raising any suspicion.

“You know what would be marvelous?” Zayn asked with a bored tone as he played with the pages of an old book.

“That we could find an easy way out of this mortifying situation? I’m glad we both share the same worries and priorities, my dear friend.”

Louis had known Zayn since they both were kids, and he wasn’t just Louis’ companion but also his very best friend and part of the reason he still had his head over his shoulders.

“I wish for alphas to stop stinking everywhere they go, forever. I mean, we could exterminate them all but think about the amount of work that would be, there are so many and quite honestly, who has that amount of free time?”

Louis snorted. “Certainly I don’t…” 

A knock at the door broke their quiet afternoon, making them both hurry and hide all the books surrounding them. 

“Just a minute,” Louis said as he pulled the romance novel he usually read in his free time and the dagger his father gave him before leaving. “You can come in.”

A tall and slim man walked inside the library with the confidence of a royal. “My lord, Mr. Styles is requesting to see you in the gardens as soon as you are free,” he said with head high and chin up, he didn’t bow for Louis or address Zayn’s presence.

Louis smirked and closed his book. “Ah… so you must be the future consort.” He rested his cheek on his hand.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, my lord,” the man countered back without looking at Louis.

“I mean, that you’re fucking Mr. Styles, do you wish for me to be even more clear?” 

The man straightened his posture, cockiness completely vanishing from his features.

“Oh my goodness, you are . This is just riveting, don’t you think, Zayn?” Louis turned slightly to his friend, who had a judging stare in his eyes.

“Very riveting indeed,” Zayn nodded slowly. “Are you a beta? Your only smell is the faint stink of an alpha, but that must be because of other reasons.”

“I am not a harlot, and I’ll not let your servant imply that... my lord, ” the man hissed, eyes finally meeting Louis’.

“A harlot , as you call them,” Louis said smiling politely, “makes honest money out of their work… but, do you?” Louis arched a brow at him. “Tell your alpha I’ll meet him where and when I please. You may leave now.” 

The beta looked as red as the cover of the book Louis was holding, jaw tense and body ready to attack. Louis squeezed his dagger, just in case. “Yes, my lord.” he finally said, pushing the words through his teeth before walking out of the room.

“That was... interesting,” Zayn mumbled close to him.

Louis narrowed his eyes, thinking. “I think I might be able to make a deal with Mr. Styles."

“Are we going to kidnap the beta and ask for your freedom as ransom?” Zayn wondered, looking at him. “I don’t want to disappoint you, my dear, but I doubt  Mr. Styles is that interested in that beta."

Louis scoffed. “Not everything has to be that violent, Zayn. But you are deadly wrong about something. He does care for him, to the point where he made him believe he is special and above you and other omegas."

Zayn snorted. “I think you’re a hopeless romantic, Louis. They probably spend their time sharing  sheets and body fluids, but nothing more.”

“Oh, don’t be so crass. Cover me while I go to check which horse I can sneak out.”

“How am I the crass one? Your very own mother, the queen, can back me up in the fact that you own the mouth of a sailor.”

Louis rolled his eyes, goodheartedly. “Are you going to cover for me, yes or no?”

Zayn puckered his mouth. “You owe me two cherry pies now… two, Lou.”

“Yeah, yeah,” the prince waved his hand dismissively. “I promise, now go tell Liam and the other guards.” 

Zayn groaned. “Liam is going to make such a big fuss, I refuse to tell him.” he crossed his arms when he finished talking, tone set.

“Then tell Niall to inform Liam about it while he’s giving him head or something.” Louis said as he walked out the library.

Zayn spoke at his back, indignantly. “But I’m the crass one!” 

♔

“I despise him!” Was the first thing Harry heard in the quiet garden. “He thinks because he holds a title and his upbringing was privileged he’s better than me, as if we don’t defecate in the same places!”

“What happened? He isn’t coming?”

“He called me a whore, Harry!” Bryce hissed furiously. “The prince called me a whore to my face!”

“ What?” Harry asked, dumbfounded. 

“He insulted and ridiculed me in front of all his omegas, all of them!” he said, trembling with rage. 

“Why did he do that?” Harry asked incredulously, he knew how royals could get to be but he had never encountered one that was bluntly vile. 

“Isn’t it obvious? He is like this with every single beta and alpha who doesn’t belong to his court or holds his social status."

“Did he call you a whore because of that?”

Bryce nodded fervently. “Yes!”

“Where is he?” Harry said with a low and dark tone, the rage Bryce was radiating finally hitting him fully. 

“He plans to steal one of the horses, I overheard them. He also wants to blackmail you, using me as bait. Don’t let him, Harry, he is evil.”

“Bryce, where is he?” the alpha asked, accentuating every word of the question.

“With the horses! I just told you he plans to steal them for god knows what reason!”

Harry rubbed his eyes, sighing. “Go to my chambers and don’t let anyone in unless it’s me.”

Bryce grabbed his wrist. “Harry, be careful. He is devious, he’s really bad news.”

“Don’t worry about me, I know how to handle people like him.”

♔

Only a few could really understand Harry’s hatred for royals. They were selfish and ruthless and didn’t care who they had to stomp over to get to their final goal. They took and took and took until there was nothing left to give, and when that happened, they hopped onto their next victim. They were never satisfied, always wanting more. All of them were despicable humans, and Prince Louis, of course, couldn’t be the exception to that rule.

Harry was aware of the fact that the way he treated the prince could affect not only his future but Bryce’s too. But he couldn’t give less fucks about that after the cruel things he had said to the beta. 

Reaching the stables he heard Lucas—the old beta in charge of the horses—laughing with someone. Which made Harry frown in confusion, because Lucas never smiled that much, let alone laugh.

What Harry found inside the stables confused and shocked him even more. Lucas was crouching down beside a boy as they both checked the pulse of Harry’s horse, Ferdinand.

“What is going on here?” Harry spoke, voice sounding loud in the silent stables. 

“Harry, the little prince wanted to check if your horse was okay. Apparently he got shot.” Lucas' face was the very picture of amusement at the look on Harry’s face.

“This is a marvelous recovery, indeed.” The prince turned around to face Harry. With flushed cheeks, sparkly blue eyes, dirt on his hands and leaves in his hair, he looked exactly like a beautiful nymph.

In front of him, the ice prince seemed anything but cold. He was one of the most gorgeous creatures Harry had ever encountered in his entire life. His face was warm and open, enticing Harry to get close, close, close . Shaking his head at his thoughts, Harry’s frown returned to his face. 

‘Was the omega hypnotizing him?’ 

“I need to speak with the prince, now.” Harry ordered. 

Lucas’ smile disappeared as the prince’s turned into one full of mirth.

“Why, good afternoon, Mr. Styles, I’m sure I told your… butler, I’d make him aware of the day and place we can finally and properly meet,”

“Now, princeling, I must talk to you now.”

“Mr. Styles, if the little prince—”

“I said now,” Harry commanded, using his alpha voice.

Lucas’ lips twitched, almost forming a sneer but he still bowed his head down out of instinct, while the prince simply tilted his head, not affected at all by Harry’s command.

“It’s okay, Lucas,” the prince softly touched the beta’s shoulder. In all his five years in the castle and treating the monarchs, he had never seen any of them touch people in lower ranks than them. “We will continue our talk later, and you can gush about Emerald’s babies as much as you want,” he said as he helped the old man get to his feet.

Lucas smiled at the prince. “Of course, little prince, I’m gonna be just around the corner if you need something, alright? You just have to call my name.”

Harry looked at both men with an incredulous expression. Was that the prince’s plan? To turn the loyalty of the people inside the castle against Harry and to his favour instead?

“I can only guess you weren’t pleased with the message I sent your lover to give you.” He said with a stoic face, not a single feeling or emotion showing in his beautiful features. Harry could finally see where the ice prince name came from. 

“How many more offensive names do you have saved for Bryce, princeling?”

“I didn’t know calling someone ‘lover’ was offensive,” the prince flashed a beautiful yet clearly fake smile as he tilted his head, looking vulnerable and innocent. Harry was aware it was a farce, yet his alpha was enchanted by his quirks.

“It’s the condescension of your words,” Harry said, trying to focus in his anger instead of how fascinated he already felt by the omega. “That, of course, changes when you call him a whore.  When you do that you don’t need to put any tone to it to know your aim is to hurt and offend.”

Louis laughed, throwing his head back, exposing his beautiful, unmarked neck to Harry. “I’d never call anyone that, and as I told him, courtesans earn money for their service just like any other honest worker. Do you pay your lover for sucking your cock and receiving your knot, Mr. Styles?”

The fake innocence of Louis’ eyes was a shocking contrast to the dirty words coming from his mouth. Harry was fascinated by it. He had never met someone quite like Louis, royal or not.

Harry licked his lips, suddenly thirsty for something. Focus, he needed to focus. “Are you calling Bryce a liar?”

“Why, Mr. Styles,” Louis said with a bored tone as he carefully pulled the leaves from his hair. “I don’t know for sure if your lover actually told you that,” he shrugged one shoulder. “as far as I know, you could be the one making up stories.”

“I’d never lie about something like that,” Harry said fiercely, desperately trying to grab any residue of hatred and mistrust he had for the prince.

“I don’t know what you are or aren’t capable of, but solely based on how you unfairly treated Lucas, I don’t have very high expectations,” the prince drawled.

Harry’s face heated with shame, he’d never lost his temper quiet like that. “I am sorry for that, I shouldn't have used my alpha voice.”

“Don’t apologize to me, your alpha voice is nothing but a puppy growl in my ears. Lucas, on the other hand, will have headaches all day thanks to your temper.” 

“I’ll… it’s just—” Harry huffed. “with all due respect, princeling, you represent the very few things I had left and that I’m about to lose,” he allowed himself to be as blunt as he could, appearances and mental games be damned. 

Louis’ blank stare cracked for a split of second, and any other person who hadn’t been as focused on every single one of his gestures would have missed that. Luckily, Harry was drinking in every single detail of Louis. “You don’t want to marry me,” his eyes narrowed shrewdly.

It wasn't a question, but a statement. A statement Harry couldn’t deny. “Do you?”

“As much as I want my socks to be soaked by the rain,” Louis deadpanned.

Harry laughed loud and free for the first time in weeks, it was a shock to his system. “Then you must understand how I’m feeling,” he said right after he finally recovered. “Besides, someone told me you were about to steal my horses.”

Louis snorted. “By someone you mean your lover?” he shook his head. “I wasn’t planning to steal anything and now that I know you're as against this madness of marriage as I am, I can tell you, you wish me to leave as fiercely as I want to. I need the horse to meet my father’s counselors in Kanan. A letter could take days to reach them but I’m a good rider and can get there in less than a day.”

“Do you plan to disappear for an entire day without causing any revolt?”

“The plan isn’t quite polished yet but yes,” the prince shrugged.

Harry let out another amused laugh. “You’re out of your mind if you think that could be possible. I’m coming with you.”

“What? Why?” Louis narrowed his eyes again.

“Because, if we leave together, we could pass your escape as me taking you to explore Wiijen, and no one will suspect you.”

“That makes sense,” Louis sniffed. “I still don’t trust you and I ought to tell you, I might be small and look delicate but I was trained to fight in wars and take down alphas of any size, so I can kill you if you try to do something.”

“You’re lying."

Louis arched one perfectly sculpted brow, a mischievous smile back on his face. “Am I?”

“Fine. I also have to tell you, I’m a bastard so I didn't have any of those training, so be gentle with me when you stab me in the back.”

Louis touched his arm, a touch that set Harry‘s skin on fire. “Don’t worry, I will be,” he said solemnly, earning another laugh from Harry.

The alpha refused to think about the fact that Louis was the first person in a very long time that made him feel that alive and bemused. The first person that made him laugh freely.

There was something intriguing about Louis, something in the way he spoke, with none of that flourish language and disdain royals usually talked with. Instead Harry was met with blunt honesty and wit that Harry couldn’t help but like.

As soon as he entered his bedchamber, Bryce was all over him. At first Harry let himself enjoy the kiss, basking in the feeling of familiarity, but after a few seconds he gently pushed the beta away.

“Bryce, I ought to ask you something,” Harry said with a cautious tone.

“What happened?” Bryce asked him before pushing him forcefully. “Did the prince bewitch you with his scent and pretty face?”

“What ? What are you even saying?”

“Everyone knows omegas are descendants from witches, that’s how they got to be on the top of everything and everyone,” Bryce frantically said as he began to pace. “Royals train their omegas to beguile innocent people into doing whatever they want, it’s all in their scent."

Harry‘s brows knitted together, thinking about how he felt close to Louis, how he went from being furious towards him to laugh and do exactly what he wanted to do. How he felt entranced by his beauty since the first moment he looked at Harry.

Harry was right, he was being hypnotized. 

“Fuck…” Harry breathed out.

“Good heavens, he did try to seduce you!” The beta screamed accusatory as he kept pacing. “He tried to twist my words so you cut ties with me. He wants you all to himself.” 

Harry shook his head. “No, he—he doesn’t want me, he doesn’t want to stay. He wants to leave,”

Bryce stilled. “What?” 

“He convinced me to help him escape.” 

“Oh… that’s…” The beta stammered, seeming as if he was struggling to describe how he was feeling. “that’s still an awful thing to do, bewitch you into doing whatever he pleases but… I didn't expect him to want that.”

“He wants to meet his father’s counsellors in Kanan, that’s why he needed the horse,”

Bryce nodded. “If he wants to do that, I can help distract people.”

“No,” Harry shook his head. “It would be too risky for you. I’m going with him.”

“You what ? Harry, I just told you he can control you as he pleases, you just accepted he did just that, so why on earth are you still open to be alone with that witch?”

“Because it's the only way we both can find a way out. I want him gone, Bryce,” he pulled the beta close to him. “and if he has the smallest chance to find a way to leave without causing any trouble, I’ll help him with that.”

The beta huffed indignantly. “Fine, but you need to tell him things ought to be on your own terms,” he poked Harry’s chest. “There's some herbs you need to give him, they suppress omega... powers, as soon as he takes them, you and anybody else won’t be able to smell him.”

“Smell him?”

“His scent, he won’t be able to control you with it.”

“But he didn’t smell like anything.”

Bryce frowned. “Now that you said that, I could only smell one scent when I entered the library this morning.” his eyes widened. “Harry… what if he’s a beta? What if he's just hiding his designation?”

“Dear,” Harry pulled him close by the hips. “slow down, he’s an omega. I don’t know how I know it, but I just do.”

“You’re a fool,” Bryce pushed him away again. “He’s bewitching you already.”

“Are you even listening to yourself?” Harry said, exasperated. “If he’s a beta how is he bewitching me? Betas cannot do that, can they?”

“Then he’s an omega and he’s making us fight!”

Harry closed his eyes, trying to not lose his temper. “No, you’re being difficult and that’s causing us to fight, not the prince.”

The betrayed look Bryce gave him made his skin prickle. “Well then, enjoy your future plans with that witch, but do not cry for me later because you made yourself very clear,” he spat as he crossed his arms.

Harry let out a tired sigh. “Alright."

“What?” Bryce whispered with alarmed eyes.

“You also made yourself clear,” Harry said with a calm voice. “You just want to do things in your own way, without asking me how I feel about the situation,” he shrugged. “We are clearly not agreeing about this and to be completely honest, the little free will I have left is currently being taken away from me. The last thing I need is you screaming at me every time we talk.”

“Harry I—” Bryce at least had the decency to look ashamed. 

“I think it’s better if we continue this talk in two days.”

“Two days?” The beta raised his voice again before stopping himself. “Why two days?” he said with a modulated tone this time.

“I told you, I’m leaving with the prince tomorrow.”

Harry could see the beginning of a scold on the beta’s face. “I see… alright, well,” Bryce gulped, eyes filled with tears. “Good luck with the ice prince, I guess.”

“Thank you. Have a good night,” Harry curtly said as he walked to his bathroom. 

Harry’s chest felt tight and heavy, he didn't like to fight with Bryce, the beta was his closest friend and ally inside the castle. However, he needed to put himself first for once, there was a lot at risk and he couldn't just let the opportunity to fight for his future.

♔

Through his life, Louis had met several alphas, imposing and mean looking ones, but no one prepared him to meet Harry Styles, heir of the king of Wiijen.

The alpha was bigger and broader than Louis expected, way much taller, with big biceps that bulged under his clothing, a defined jaw, a thick reddish stubble and clear green eyes. He looked more appealing than frightening. He looked like a dragonslayer, ready to kill monsters for his lover. Unfortunately for him, he saw Louis as the monster that was threatening his beta.

“You were not only careless and irresponsible, but thoughtless and imprudent. What made you believe it was a good idea to go to the stables alone?” Liam chastised as Louis ate his breakfast. “This palace is full of uneducated alphas and you are by no means prepared to fight them properly!”

“I was trained for wars and to defend myself,” Louis sniffed offended.

“Yes, with your people backing you up! You could kill one or two but if they attack you as a group, Louis, they can really hurt you. I worry for you, and I’m not telling you this as your guard but as your friend.”

Louis' eyes softened. “Oh, Liam,” he grabbed Liam’s hand. “I promise I’ll be more cautious next time."

“Next time? Louis, you can’t tell me you will be cautious right before telling me there will be a next time!”

Louis giggled. “I talked with Mr. Styles yesterday, he told me he will travel with me to Kanan."

“Alone?! Louis that’s—”

“You said so yourself, I don’t stand a chance in the middle of a group of them but I can easily take one alpha down. I’ll be fine and he will let everyone know I’m leaving with him. It will be an official outing, so if something were to happen to me, it would be on him.”

“How many days?”

“Less than two, I hope. I’m fast and lite but he’s big Liam, so big,” Louis said, taking a big bite of his croissant. “I think that could affect a horse…” he said with his mouth full before gulping. “anyone I suppose, ride that—I mean,” he shook his head. “ride him— fuck no—him—you get what I meant!” he said, closing his eyes. 

“No?” Liam said horrified. “I’m—Louis… are you attracted to that alpha?”

Louis scoffed. “Of course not, what? Liam… that’s just not—his temper is awful,” he ended up saying. “he even tried to use his alpha voice in front of me."

God, that voice, Louis has tried to ignore it, not only his alpha voice but, his voice in general, because it was the kind of voice that could pull you under, make you lose your train of thoughts. Low and powerful. And his laugh felt like a rolling wave, deep and warm. Two very dangerous combinations Louis should be extremely careful about..

“He did what?! ” Liam growled alarmed. 

“Easy,” Louis sniffed. “it didn’t affect me, poor Lucas on the other hand…”

“Who is Lucas?”

“Can you both shut up? I’m trying to sleep!” Zayn groaned under the covers.

“You’re supposed to be preparing Louis’ bath…”

“I gave Niall my apple tart, I can sleep as much as I want.”

“That’s not how our duties work?” Zayn ignored Liam and snuggled again against Louis’s leg as the omega kept eating his croissant. Liam sighed.  “At what time are you leaving?”

Louis didn’t have time to reply to Liam when Niall opened the door of his chamber. “Your bath is ready, Lou... also, a beta from the king’s court told me the alpha is ready for your trip,” Niall wiggled his brows.

Liam let out a defeated sigh. “Go take your bath, I’ll get some weapons ready for you.”

“Liam I don’t think it will be n—”

“Go to take your bath, my lord.” Liam said stoically, fully knowing how much Louis hated when any of them called him that. 

Louis huffed as he got up from the bed. “I’m not feeling quite fond of you right now."

“My chest feels heavy because of the news, my lord.”

“Stop calling me that! Give me all the weapons you want but they have to be small or else I’ll get tired of carrying them halfway through.” Louis said as he walked out the room following Niall’s steps.

He could still hear Liam snort and say. “As you wish, Lou.”

Louis bathed in rose water with a bit of honey and dressed casually for his trip, opting to not use his vest and only wearing a simple white shirt made out of linen, a cravat and a pair of knee-breeches which fitted his body like a glove.

Liam gave him a pocket pistol and sharpened his dagger, he also pointedly growled at Harry before leaving, the alpha discretely rolling his eyes before mounting his horse.

“Are they always that overprotective?” Harry asked as soon as they were away from Liam’s ears.

“I wouldn’t call any of my friends that. They worry because the world is a dangerous place for people like me.”

“Do you call your servants friends?” Harry snorted. “And did you really imply the world is a dangerous place for monarchs?”

Louis frowned. “I call my friends friends. And, no? It’s a dangerous place for omegas…”

“Oh… is it?” The amusement of Harry's tone didn’t sit well with Louis.

“Of course,” Louis said firmly. “Alphas often hurt us and then throw the blame on us, they call us names, they behave worse than animals solely because of our scents, then they refuse to make themselves responsible for their actions.”

“But all of you are sheltered.”

“Do you know the reasons why omegas are currently in power? How many omegas were killed during the decades before we fought for our rights? We didn’t want power, we wanted to be treated with respect, to be protected. It wasn’t our fault alphas had no other strategy against omegas than use brute force. We won fair and square and we are smart enough to not let our rights go. The problem with the monarchy isn’t the fact that it's filled with omegas but that it's filled with classist bigots.”

“But you omegas are still the most protected out of all of us.” The statement sounded more of a question, almost as if everything Harry knew and was taught was crumbling down inside his brain.

“What do you think happens with the omegas that are born in families of commoners, Mr. Styles? Do you think they magically become part of the royalty?”

Harry’s face looked shocked and confused. “I—”

“They are continuously abused and humiliated, not only by alphas but also by betas. Omegas in and outside the monarchy are still vulnerable to the attacks by alphas if they aren’t trained correctly. That’s why our responsibility as people in the power is to train and hire as many of us as we can. Of course some omegas don’t follow the rules and selfishly fill their castles with alphas and betas so they can feel more protected. As you can see, even between us, there are people who see us as less.” 

“I—I didn’t know about any of this, I don’t really know much about omegas.”

“You don’t say?” Louis sneered before shaking his head and taking a few deep breaths. “Sorry, that was rude. But you must understand how frustrating this whole situation is for me. There will be no actual change unless we start educating people since they’re young, until everyone is aware about the reality of our assignations, not for the royals but for the ones who can’t be protected by a title.” 

“Do you see alphas as animals?”

“Animals have no sense of reasoning, humans do. You cannot blame an animal for what he does out of instinct, yet humans scold their pets every time they make mistakes. Then why shouldn't humans be punished or shamed for their despicable actions?” Louis took a deep breath to calm himself down. “But to answer your question, I see bad people as bad people, not as animals.”

After a few minutes of complete silence a loud thunder followed by a few drops of water made both of their horses halt. 

“I reckon the weather will only get worse.” Harry murmured.

“Do you think we should go back?”

Harry seemed to contemplate the possibility for a moment before he spoke again. “No…” he visibly gulped.  “I know a place where we can stay until the storm passes.”

♔

Harry felt unsettled; he knew next to nothing about omegas. Before that day, he hadn’t even thought about the omegas who were born outside the court. As an alpha, he received his education from his peers. There were mixed schools with omega professors but not precisely close to where he used to live. The information about how they got to be in power was short and sometimes recited as if it was a chore with a hint of bitterness in his teachers’ voices.

They never spoke about the struggles omegas must have gone through before and after the war and even during current times. Harry had so many questions that he wasn’t really sure they were right to ask.

However, all his thoughts and questions flew away rapidly as soon as they arrived at his mother’s cottage. He still wasn’t sure if it was the right decision, but it was either to stay there or in the cottage where Harry used to stay with Bryce, where fluids and other much worse were probably still on full display. He still didn’t like or fully trust the prince but no one deserved to see that.

“Where are we?”

Harry cleared his throat. “My old house. I used to live here with my mother until she passed away when I was seventeen. Soon after that I was called to fulfill my duties as the heir.”

“It’s really nice,” Louis said looking at his surroundings.

Harry shrugged. “I know it’s not a palace but it will keep us dry.” Before Louis could reply he added. “Wait here, I’ll see if any of the neighbors have extra wood.”

With all the times he has stayed in the other cottage, he had never visited his old neighbors since he left town, but he always remembered to send food and materials they could work with. It was hard to see them again, proud and teary eyed faces. Every single one of them thought Harry was living his best life, that he was happy and where he should be. He didn’t have the heart to break that fantasy so he took the wood and some of the food they offered him and went back to his mother’s cottage, to hi—the prince.

To his shock, he was received with a soaking wet Louis and a basket full of flowers, berries and other fruits.

“I found a basket to pick some things to nibble but I forgot to look out for towels,” Louis said, slightly trembling. 

The omega looked like a sweet vision, every inch of him looked wet and ready to eat.

Harry shook away his improper thoughts and stripped himself off his jacket. “Here, cover yourself with this while I try to find some towels,” he rasped as his knuckles grasped Louis’ neck by accident while trying to adjust the jacket. 

Louis shivered as his eyes fluttered. 

Harry liked his lips. “I—I’ll go for the towels…”

The house was still well cared for thanks to Harry’s neighbours, but he didn’t exactly know how long it had been since the towels were last  changed and just the idea of the prince getting any type of reaction on his skin made Harry’s stomach churn. It wasn’t as if Harry was worried about the prince getting hurt or feeling uncomfortable, but it was really nice skin, soft looking, delicate, it just… it would be a shame if something happened to it. Harry was a very thoughtful person, that was it.

“I found these,” he  said, entering the cozy living room holding a pile of towels and some clothes. “They’re clean but they aren’t as expensive and I don’t—”

“Mr. Styles, quite honestly, I couldn’t care less if the towels haven’t been washed for over a decade, I’m freezing and the last thing I would want is to die before reading all the books I’d love to read.”

The corner of Harry’s lips ticked up in amusement. “I also brought you some of my old clothes, are you also okay with that?” 

“Oh yes, my clothes, I...” Louis’ cheeks turned a lovely shade of crimson. 

“You can change in the bathroom if you want.”

“Yes, I’ll—” he cleared his throat. “I’ll go and do that, thank you Mr. Styles,” he nodded before turning to the bathroom. 

Harry walked where the prince left the basket full of wildflowers and fruits. The mere idea of the prince struggling to pick the apples and pears made a smile bloom on his face. 

Louis was surprising in a lot of senses. In only two days, Harry found out he was scarily clever and goal focused. Since their talk the day prior he had several plans to make peace agreements between Wiijen and Leembal, he even had ready an emergency one—that he refused to share with Harry just yet—if none of the others worked out. His exterior was cold and stoic but yet there were moments, small but very telling moments, where the sweetness overpowered the cold.

He chuckled as he put all the berries in one single bowl. 

“I picked what I could. It’s not like we will be staying here for days, just for a few hours—”

“Princeling—” Harry began with a smirk on his face but all the words flew from his mind at the sight of Louis swimming inside his clothes. “You… uhm…”

The prince shuffled in his feet. “It’s a bit big, but it’s really soft,” he scratched his nose. 

“Soft…” Harry parroted like an idiot without being able to look away from the prince and how good he looked wearing his possessions.

Louis gasped and flushed, probably noticing he wasn’t talking just about the clothes. However, he quickly recovered, eyes filling with mirth. “Would you like to touch, Mr. Styles?” he asked, fluttering his eyelashes.

The question was innocent but the look in his eyes was enticing, and the smile on his face was mischievous. And god, Harry wanted. He wanted to feel the soft skin against the thin fabric, he wanted to see it up close. In that moment, he also discovered he wanted to see Louis’ smile, not a calculated smile, not a seductive one, he just wanted to see him smile. 

Just like magic and as if heavens could hear him, a small genuine smile appeared on Louis’ face, it only lasted a few seconds but Harry treasured and imprinted it on his mind to savour it later, just like he was starting to hoard every bit that Louis shared of himself with him. 

That small smile now belonged to him only.

“Did you know raw berries could kill you?”

Louis frowned, looking genuinely lost by the question but recovering seconds later, letting out a loud scoff. “Don’t be silly, I know how to pick them, same thing with mushrooms. I might not be the best at cooking but I know how to pick ingredients.”

“Would you like to learn?” Harry asked as he walked to the kitchen to pull out his mother’s favorite flower vase.

“To cook?” Louis followed him to the kitchen. “Yes, there wasn’t a lot of time back at Leembal, with my training and my other lessons, but I loved to go to the kitchens in my free times. There were always smiles there.”

“Is that the reason why you brought your chef to the castle?”

Louis bit his bottom lip. “No, that was because my father was concerned about your staff poisoning me.”

“Pardon me, he thought what?”

“Don’t take it personally, Mr. Styles, it’s an honest concern.” Louis rolled his eyes playfully as he took the vase from Harry’s hand and filled it with water.

“But that doesn’t make any sense. Why would they want to poison you if they need you alive so you can rule Wiijen?”

“Oh no no, they don’t think you wanted to kill me, just to make me ‘fall in love’ with you.” Louis put the vase—now full of pretty flowers—in the middle of the kitchen table. He looked at Harry’s confused face and chuckled. “Allow me to explain a bit better; some types of herbs and flowers are sometimes used to... drug people. For example, many people use the jimson weed in teas and pass it as a love potion. When in reality, the only real effect it has in people is hallucinations and euphoria, they don’t fall in love. Mr. Styles, they get confused and used ,  and just like a  tiny little plant can cause that, there’s many others who can take away my right to consent or think for myself.”

“That’s terrifying.” Harry murmured more to himself than to Louis as his mind couldn’t help but remember what Bryce told him about omegas. “Are you the descendant of a witch?”

Louis knitted his brows before letting out a loud full body laugh. “Are you really asking me if I’m a witch, Mr. Styles?” he asked with an amused smile, head tilted and playful smile in full display. 

Harry was so mesmerized by every single one of the gestures of the prince that no one could blame him for believing he was being enchanted, because he was. With or without magic, Harry Styles was being enchanted by Louis Tomlinson.

Harry shook his head. “No, well… there’s—heavens, how can I say this without sounding like an ignorant cretin?”

Louis’ face softened before grabbing the bowl filled with berries and walking to the living room, Harry followed the prince like a lost puppy. “Let’s do something,” he said, sitting on one of the couches as if he not owned, but rather belonged there. Harry sat close to him. “While we’re here, in this lovely cottage, any question is fair. There will be no risk of sounding silly because it’s only us and I’m also very curious about so many things about you—well, alphas in general.”

“Okay…”

“Now give me your hand, let’s shake on it.” 

As soon as Harry grabbed Louis’ delicate, very gloveless hand he felt goosebumps explode all over his body.

Louis made the faintest of sounds as a pretty blush suffused his cheeks. “Okay you can ask whatever you need,” he whispered with curious eyes.

“Are you a witch?” Harry asked, still holding Louis’ hand. 

Louis' smile was radiant. “No, Mr. Styles, I’m not a witch,” he whispered conspiratorially. 

“Can you call me Harry?” He asked trying not to focus on the pleasantly warm weight of Louis’ hand on his.

“Is that a question or a suggestion?” Louis asked, letting Harry’s hand go.

“Both, I guess,” he said, feeling a bit disappointed at the loss of contact.

“Yes, I can, Harry.”

There was something about the way he said his name that was mesmerizing. It was a way his lips moved when he spoke. It was probably inappropriate for Harry to have those thoughts, but he could spend hours just looking at Louis’ lovely mouth.

“Why can't I smell your scent?”

Louis bit his lips. God, that boy would be the death of Harry.

“I drink some herbs that help me suppress my scent.”

Harry nodded, trying to not push the omega too much. “Do you want to ask me something?”

“Yes, do you knot your lovers very often?”

Harry choked on air. “Jesus , I—I didn’t expect that question.” He really wasn’t. It was so far from what he was expecting he momentarily needed to rein control of his needs, as primal instincts fought to surface to simply show off his attributes as alpha.

“We said no judgments,” Louis frowned. “Harry, we shook on it, you have to answer.”

Harry chuckled amused by Louis’ betrayed look. “I never said I wasn’t going to reply, princeling, it just caught me off guard."

“Then?”

“No, I’ve never knotted him,” Harry said, assuming Louis was referring to Bryce, not even trying to correct him, already suspecting the prince wouldn’t believe him if he told him they were just simply friends who helped each other. “His body is not prepared for that, I assume."

Louis frowned as if he was trying to resolve a complicated mathematical problem. “But have you knotted other people?”

“That’s two questions, I’m afraid.”

Louis gasped indignantly. “But you also asked two questions!”

“The other was a suggestion, not a question.” 

“No, you asked about my scent, two questions, now you have to reply.” Louis poked Harry’s arm playfully. 

Harry laughed again, finally losing count of how many times Louis had made him react in a positive way since they met. “No, I’ve never knotted anyone,” he said when he recovered.

“Oh… I haven’t bedded anyone,” Louis said bluntly and without an ounce of shame. “Zayn, my best friend, told me there’s nothing to be scared of but I’m not going to lie and say I’m not worried about the idea of a knot inside of me. Does it get really big? Your knot, I mean,” the prince asked as he took a few cherries from the bowl.

“That’s three questions and I think it’s my turn to ask.”

Louis huffed. “Fine, but my memory is marvelous and I’ll ask again after your two questions.”

“What’s your favorite flower?”

“That’s an easy one,” Louis said brightly as he ate cherries. “Daffodils.” 

“Daffodils? Aren’t they a bit too simple?”

“I disagree, they are one of the first flowers who bloom after winter and help to brighten even the saddest places. They represent new beginnings.” 

“I never thought about them like that but I guess you’re very right."

“I’m often always right,” he said smugly.

Harry chuckled. “What’s your favorite animal?”

“You just made several questions but I’m feeling generous today. I like pigs,” he said proudly. 

“To eat? No I meant—”

“I know what you meant, pigs are my favorite animals."

“Princeling, that’s…”

“Whatever mean spirited thing you have to say about pigs, please save it. I’ll not accept any type of slander for such a magnificent animal. Did you know they’re smarter than dogs?”

“They’re literally pigs."

“Actually,” Louis sniffed haughtily, “contrary to popular belief, pigs are extremely clean. They don’t even soil where they eat. Can you say that about dogs or cats?”

“Thinking about it… I used to have a cat who loved to piss in the sink.”

“See? Pigs are purely misunderstood.”

“A prince who loves daffodils and pigs, how interesting.”

“Don’t think I have forgotten about my question."

“It’s this big.” Harry said, closing his fist and showing it to Louis.

“What?” 

“The answer to your question, my knot is this big and this wide.” 

“Oh… that’s really big...” Louis trailed off, big and curious eyes focused on his fist.  “Do you think it would hurt?”

Harry’s heart sutters in his chest before picking up its pace, beating so hard he was sure Louis must have been able to hear it. “I don’t really know, I guess it depends how careful you are.”

Louis licked his lips. “Are you afraid to hurt your lover?” 

“That’s three questions.” 

“Now we're doing three.”

“Do you like to change the rules of the games as you please, princeling?” Harry teased.

“Love it. That was a question, now reply to mine."

“If you’re talking about Bryce, I know I’ll hurt him, no matter how careful I am, but that’s not the only reason why I haven’t knotted him or anyone else."

“What’s the other reason?”

“Because I want to bond with the first person I decide to knot. I want to be sure they will be my future and my home. My family."

Louis parted his lips and Harry noticed how his eyes turned slightly hazy. Another new gesture, another new treasure. 

“Do you want pups?” Louis asked softly like if he was in a daze. 

“Do you want them?”

“I’d love to have pups.” Louis sounded a bit breathless but that also could just be the roaring of blood pounding on Harry’s ears. 

“I’d love that, too,” The words sounded so much like a promise to Louis that he had to avert his eyes and clear his throat. “Do you like it when people call you the ice prince?”

Louis snorted. “I haven’t put much thought into it, if I’m being honest. Do you want to ask why they call me that?”

“Yes.”

“Ask away,” he popped another cherry in his mouth. 

“Why do they call you ice prince? You seem everything but cold to me.”

“That’s nice to know,” Louis’ ducked his head modestly, reddening at the praise. “Foreigners believe my way of thinking is not omega-like, that I should be sweeter, less practical. I like to investigate things before making my decisions. They assume I don’t have any instinct, that my heart is too cold for that. You see, instincts are good with small things, but when more lives are at risk, I firmly believe you need to be aware of every possible outcome.” he waved his hand. “Then there’s also the fact I suppress my heats and they think I’m broken, and frigid.”

Harry felt his face heat up at the thought of Bryce calling Louis that and how he allowed the beta to do so, without sparing a single thought for the omega in front of him. “I think it’s your turn to ask,”

Louis hummed before licking clean his cherry stained fingers. “Would you quit your title in exchange for spending the rest of your life here? With all the commodities, of course.”

“I’d quit my title if I could, no bargain needed.”

“You don’t want to be a king?” 

“I’m a bastard, princeling, I’d never be a real king. You will be.” Surprisingly, the statement didn’t hold any kind of resentment behind it. He was now actually looking forward to seeing Louis in charge of a kingdom, fully trusting he was going to succeed at it. 

“But even if you could, you wouldn't want to.”

“Three questions again.”

“That wasn’t a question but an observation.”

“Someone told me you couldn’t have pups,” Harry stupidly blurted out and as soon as the words were out of his mouth he wished to take them back.

“That isn’t an observation but a rumor,” Louis said teasingly. 

“I know, I’m very sorry, that was uncalled for, I just—” Harry broke off. “I wanted to tell you.”

‘I want to come clean.’ Harry thought. He wanted to start all over with the prince, no judgments, no rumors, just the two of them in his mother’s cottage. 

“It’s okay, as I said before, I don’t really think much about what they have to say. Why would I? They all created this image of me, but none of them have had the decency to sit and ask me if any of those things are true.”

“If they can’t see you for you, that’s their loss,” Harry said with conviction in his voice. “I don’t think you need to hear this from me but, you’re so good, Louis. It only took me a few hours and you might think it is completely idiotic of me to come to this conclusion, that it maybe is a bit primal and instinctual but you are, and I don't mean you’re a good omega, or a good monarch. You’re a good person.”

“No one has ever said that to me. Ever.” Louis’ eyes looked so incredibly blue and clear, Harry could drown in them.

“Then, allow me to be the first of many,”

In that moment, Harry promised himself that he’d never let anyone speak ill about his—the prince, not if he could stop them. 

“I can bear children. I can get pregnant,” Louis whispered very quietly as if he was sharing a secret. 

And maybe he was.

“I’m glad you can, because it seems like something that gives you joy,” without thinking much, Harry dared to caress Louis’ cheek with his knuckles. “But even if you couldn’t, you’re still precious.”

“Precious?” Louis' voice was filled with awe as he leaned to the touch. “I thought I was only good.”

“You’re many things, princeling.”

“A witch even?” Louis' eyes danced with mirth.

Harry shrugged. “Someone could say you’re magical.” After realizing what he said and how close he was now to the prince, the alpha gritted his teeth and shifted discreetly. “It seems like the storm has passed,” he said after he fully recovered. “shall we continue with our trip?”

Louis giggled with knowing eyes, probably fully aware of what Harry was feeling.  “Yes... yes we shall.”

♔

The trip to Kanan was filled with easy talks and smiles. It was almost scary how quickly they clicked, how many similar opinions they shared, how much Harry understood Louis like no one else had before. 

It seemed Harry’s questions weren’t just because, he actually cared about what Louis had to say, he listened to him, he paid attention to every single one of his words and the prince felt drunk with the attention. Part of him craved to stay in the cottage, to keep getting to know Harry, however he couldn’t be that selfish. Now that his suspicions about Harry not wanting to be part of the monarchy were correct, he had to do something to lessen his sorrows.

Louis had to collect himself before entering the cottage where the elders were staying. He wasn’t very close to them but they still were familiar faces and the closest thing he had to his own family. He felt overwhelmed and a bit melancholic. The feeling only grew when they handed him letters from his parents and some traditional sweets from his kingdom. Louis’ favorites.

For another part, it took some time until the elders slightly warmed to Harry’s presence, and even after that, wary eyes followed every single one of the alpha’s movements.  

“Your plans are quite clever, my prince, but the king of Wiijen is fully covered and refuses to sign any peace teatry."

Harry grimaced. “So there’s no other possibility?”

“I’m afraid there isn’t at the time, but we will keep working hard to fix it, my lord,” one of the elders told Louis.

“I have another option,” Louis said quietly, purposely avoiding Harry’s gaze. “There’s a clause that stipulates that if we marry but won’t consummate the marriage under six months we can annul the union, church in our favor and all.”

“My lord,” said one of the elders with a worried tone. “I personally wouldn't suggest that, you’d be… misjudged by the commoners."

“I don’t care what people have to say about me, they already talk either way. Would that work, yes or no?”

“It would work, but—”

“I don’t want to,” Harry said with a harsh and final tone.

Louis’ stomach sank, he completely understood that the last thing Harry wanted was to marry Louis. He probably felt betrayed by him, seeing Louis as an ally that at the end also wanted to trap him. “I understand you don’t want to marry me, I really do, but believe me, it’s our only way out.”

“No,” Harry shook his head as he wrapped his hands around Louis’. “I won’t let people think wrongly of you, I cannot let you take the blame.” 

Louis felt something warm spread inside his chest at the alpha’s words. “Harry,” he allowed himself to use the name despite the wary looks of his father’s counselors, “we don’t have other options. I want you to be able to marry and spend the rest of your days with someone you love, don’t you want the same for me?”

“Would that make you happy?” Harry asked, looking conflicted.

“Yes.” 

Harry blinked a few times before squeezing Louis’ hands reassuringly. “Very well, then I think it’s time to start planning the wedding.” he announced to the room, eyes never leaving Louis’.

♔

It was almost midnight by the time they reached the village, opting for staying a little longer with the elders to eat and plan better strategies that could make Louis not look so bad at the end of the marriage.

“Do you reckon my clothes have dried?” Louis asked as he walked inside the cottage.

“Let’s hope so, what should we do if they haven’t?”

“I was thinking... would it be too bad if we stay the night?” Louis asked hesitantly. “We still have three hours left to go and I told my friends it would take us around two days to come back anyways—”

“Yes! We can absolutely do that,” Harry said quickly. “Are you hungry? I can wake some of the neighbors and ask if they have something to eat."

Louis chuckled. “No, no, I just need a good night of sleep.”

“I can see if they have clean sheets,” Harry pointed with his thumb at the door.

“Harry, it’s okay, I promise. To have a nice and peaceful night I just need a bed inside a home.” Louis said without putting much thought in his wording.

“Home…” Harry said with a low voice. “okay, this is a home and there’s a bed, okay. But if you feel your skin is itching, please let me know.”

“You have nothing to worry about.”

“Please." 

Harry’s face looked so worried that Louis had no other option than to comply with his needs. “Alright, I’ll tell you. See you in the morning Mr. Styles.”

“See you in the morning, princeling.”

In the small bed, Louis slept soundly for the first time since he found out he was betrothed to Harry. Things were going to be okay. They had to.

♔

The next morning, he woke up early, trying to surprise Harry with a small breakfast as a thank you for his patience. He got to meet the famous neighbors who were as lovely as he imagined. 

They shared stories with him about Harry’s childhood and from when he was a teen. Unsurprisingly, the alpha was a heartbreaker back when he was younger, and even left two or three betas dreaming about how he’d someday come back for them. They also talked about the omegas in town or, more precisely, the lack of them. However, Louis couldn't help but notice how interested some of the neighbors were in knowing the specific herbs he used to mask his scent. 

Louis had seen that type of interest before, back in his hometown, in some omegas who still were afraid to disclose what they were out loud. He made a list with all the herbs needed to brew the teas and to make the oils, and made a mental one to send all the herbs in the list as soon as he could.

In the end, they gave him milk, bread and a bit of cheese. In exchange, Louis promised he would bring Harry more often to visit.

He was distracted slicing some cheese when he felt Harry’s scent getting close to him. 

The first time he smelled Harry’s mix of pine, rain and dark chocolate, he felt a bit overwhelmed by it. It was strong and demanding and Louis’ training kicked off as soon as he felt his body react to it. He closed off and put all his guards up.

Now, he welcomed the smell, letting himself enjoy all the dark and musky tones of it.

“What are you doing?” the alpha asked behind him, voice low and raspy due to misuse. 

The back of Louis’ neck prickled, he bit his lips as his heart began to beat rapidly against his ribcage with excitement. 

“I’m making us some breakfast,” he replied breathlessly, shivering at the feeling of the alpha’s breath close to his neck.

“You brought my favorite types of cheese and pastries,” Harry gently touched Louis’ hip. It was the faintest of touches, but it alighted something inside Louis.

“Your neighbors are really sweet, they genuinely care for you and miss you a lot,” Louis whispered. Every part of his skin the alpha was touching felt warm, body-meltingly so. “I promised to bring you back more often."

“Are we coming back again?” Harry asked, smooth lips grazing his ear. 

Louis nodded. “I promised.” He twisted his face to look at Harry’s, not expecting how close it actually was from his.

“Then we have to keep that promise.” The alpha smiled bashfully and openly at Louis, and he felt dizzy with new feelings he had never experienced before, with new wants. 

Louis nodded, not fully trusting his voice, smile wobbly at the edges as visions of them coming back to the cottage, sharing more secrets, smiles and breakfasts flashed in his mind. In theory, it was a pretty innocent fantasy, but taking into consideration how his heart throbbed every time Harry simply smiled at him and how the alpha was already taken by someone else, the fantasy turned a bit more on the dangerous side. 

With a last squeeze on his hip, Harry stepped away from him. Louis had to concentrate really hard to not whimper at the loss.

After a few minutes of silence, Harry asked out of nowhere, “Do you like strawberries or just cherries?” He looked intensively at Louis as he peeled an apple with a knife.

“I like all kinds of fruits, I’m not very picky.” Louis put a plate of food in front of Harry. “Have you tried watermelon? Is isn’t very common around here.”

“Thank you,” Harry whispered. “And yes, I have, do you like it?”

“I love it. Once I saw at a gala used as a bowl for orange blossom ice cream and other frozen fruits, I’ve always dreamed of eating it.” Louis knew he sometimes tended to ramble about the silliest of the things but Harry always made him feel as if it was okay to talk and to ask about stuff he was curious about. 

“You didn’t eat it at the gala?” Harry asked as he efficiently cut the apple. 

“I couldn't, papa bought me some ice cream later but I’ve always wondered how it tasted mixed with fruits.” Louis said as he drank a bit of milk, everything tasted wonderful and fresh, he could easily picture his friends loving this breakfast even more than the ones served at the palace. Louis’ brows knitted at the thought of his friends. “Do you think they’re worried about us?”

“Doubt it, they probably think we stayed here all day.” Harry said, finally putting a perfectly sliced apple on Louis’ plate, right beside his pastry. “I will not let them say anything ill about you, don’t worry,” he added with a serious and earnest tone.

Louis shrugged. “I’m not really worried, I’m actually looking forward to it, it would be a nice change."

“Nice?” Harry’s brows flew to his hairline. 

Louis giggled. “The ice prince melted by his alpha, doesn’t that sound nice?”

“Yeah, very…” Harry breathed softly, looking at Louis with such intensity that it made his toes curl as a warm feeling unfurled inside him.

Being with Harry Styles was a very dangerous fantasy, indeed. 

♔

As Harry suspected, the rumors reached the castle way before they arrived. He felt his shoulders tense as soon they entered the castle, ready to snap at anyone who dared to even look at Louis curiously.

The prince put on his cold and stoic mask and Harry felt a bit lost at the sight, already too used to the soft and happy Louis he got to know in the cottage. He still felt an alarming sense of pride at having Louis walking beside him, with him.

When they were close to Louis’ chamber, the prince let out a small giggle at the sight of some alpha guards scrambling to know what to do.

“What’s wrong with them?” Harry grumbled exasperated. Why were they the ones making Louis giggle?

“I think your growl is scaring them, Mr. Styles.” Louis covered his smile—that soft and sweet smile that lately kind of made Harry feel like someone was stabbing him on the chest-- as he kept walking to his chamber.

“Was I growling?” Harry asked, ashamed.

“Very loudly, to anyone who tried to come close to us. It was quite endearing,” Louis let out another amused giggle.

His face slipped into a big smile. “I’m the one who’s making you giggle…”

“Don’t you look so smug, I’m giggling at you not with you.” Louis poked Harry’s arm but then he rested his hand on top of it. 

“You’re giggling because of me.” The alpha discreetly flexed his muscle just to see the prince’s reaction, and he was rewarded with a gentle squeeze and a prettily flushed face. 

“Well, I think this is officially the end of our adventure,” Louis said as they finally reached his room. 

“This is where you’re wrong, princeling,” Harry rasped before holding Louis’ hand and gently kissing his palm. “This is just the beginning.” 

♔

Harry’s lips were still tingling from the innocent kiss and he probably was still smiling like a fool when he opened his chambers’ door to find a fuming Bryce sitting on one of his couches. 

“Did you sleep with him?” the beta asked with a monotone tone, not looking at Harry. 

“Good afternoon, Bryce,” Harry took his jacket off. “I‘m great today and you?”

“Don’t play dumb, Harry,” Bryce snapped, his eyes red rimmed. “Did you or did you not fuck the frigid?”

A sensation of ice burning through Harry’s veins sent a shiver rolling down his spine, one moment he was at his door and the other he was towering the beta.

“Call him that or any other name and I’ll tell the guards to not let you get inside my room ever again,” he darkly growled.

“You did fuck him,” Bryce said with a horrified expression.

“No, I didn’t, what part of ‘he doesn't want to stay’ didn’t you get?” Harry spat with a bitter tone.

“The part where you agreed to fucking marry him in a month!” Bryce sat up from the couch to be on Harry’s eye level.

So news did travel fast after all...

“It’s not what it looks like. We’re going to separate in six months."

Bryce let out a hysterical laugh. “You’re being trapped and you aren't even aware of it.” Then, as if he was talking with a toddler, he added. “Harry, this is a trap.”

“I know what I’m doing."

“No you don’t know! You have absolutely no fucking idea... you spend a single day with him and now you’re suddenly okay with marrying him? Do you see how weird that is? Did you even listen to what I told you the other day?”

Harry sighed. “About him being a witch?”

“Yes, I told you and you didn’t fucking listen and now you’re—”

“Am I what? Bewitched? He’s not a witch, he’s a perfectly normal human being, just like you and me.”

“He told you that?” Bryce crossed his arms.

“Yes.”

“And you believe him?”

“Yes.”

“Just like that.” He snapped his fingers.

“That’s correct.”

Bryce nodded. “Let’s put this in perspective, shall we?” he continued without giving Harry any time to reply. “You have known me for over five years but an omega comes and you finally decide I’m lying and he's the beacon of truth?”

“I’ve never said that. It’s just, all the things I felt for him felt natural.”

“Because he’s bewitching you!”

“No, because he’s clever and he knows what he wants,” And he is beautiful and has the warmest of the smiles. But Harry reckoned saying that wouldn’t help his case much. “I admire him because he’s handling an extremely difficult situation in a smart and mature way but I’m not dying with love for him,” he said as chants of yet filled his mind. 

“Look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t want to fuck him.”

“If you can’t control your mouth about him, I’m gonna ask you to leave.”

“That’s a yes then. Do you actually think he can give you what I do?” Bryce said with a mock seductive voice as he caressed Harry’s chest. “That he would even want to please you the way I do? He’s a f—”

“Bryce,” the alpha growled warningly.  

“Are you really picking him over me?” Bryce looked betrayed and heartbroken and Harry felt like an asshole because of it. 

He knew he wasn’t being fair with the beta, that Bryce had all the right to feel wary about the prince. He didn’t know him and just because Harry got the opportunity to spend a few days with him, didn’t change all the years they both mistrusted people with power. Harry wasn’t picking Louis over him, because there was nothing to pick. Louis didn’t want him and he… he was just a bastard, so it really didn’t matter what he wanted.

 “What’s my favorite fruit?” Harry asked finally.

“What?” 

“What’s my favorite animal?”

“What are you—”

“Have you noticed we never talk? You come here and we fuck, you complain about the people working with you and then ask for stuff you know I’ll give you because I like your company, Bryce, I really do, but do we know each other?”

“For over five ye—”

“No, yeah, I know that part but do we actually know each other? Do you know me?”

“Of course!”

“Then tell me what pet I had back in the cottage?” Silence filled the room. “Thing is, I don’t know you either but I’d love to finally meet one of my only friends here, so why don’t we just do that instead of fighting and hurting each other? Let me know you and I’ll let you know me.”

Bryce laughed. “That’s the type of gibberish the ice prince filled your head with?”

“No, that’s actually the type of gibberish my head is filled with but I wasn’t able to share with anyone until him. I shared more stuff with that prince than with you or anyone else in this castle in the past five years." 

“And whose fault is that?”

“Mine. I fully take responsibility for that, this is me making amends. Let’s try to do this right. I care for you, I really do.”

“You care for me yet if I dare to say something close to rude to your prince you will cut me out of your life, right?”

“Yes,” Harry said without hesitation. “I care for you but I also care for him, and I will not let you or anyone keep dirtying his name without actually getting to know him.”

Bryce averted his eyes. “Alright, let’s get to know each other. But you have to bring me some of that chocolate cake they were making for that prince.”

“Deal.” Smiling at himself, Harry couldn’t help but think how proud his prince would be at how well and maturely he handled the situation. 

♔

The preparations for the wedding began as soon as Harry—Louis supposed—told the king they were okay with it. It was only a supposition because once they got back from their trip they didn’t speak with each other again. Still, the next morning after their arrival, there was a new group of betas at his entire disposition that were in charge to actually show him Wiijen and his customs. 

Louis was glad to find out all the reading he did about Wiijen wasn’t all in vain. Now instead of using it to find a way out, he was going to use it to fit in. When they mentioned Wiijen’s alliances he named each and every one of them, when they mentioned its enemies, he named all their most obvious weaknesses. During an entire week, besides choosing the flowers, food and guests for the wedding, the betas took him to schools and the biggest factories and farms so he could see how the kingdom worked. 

He also got to meet a lot of people, none of them were omegas. At first, Louis didn't think much about it but when he realized the only omegas besides the king who were born in Wiijen were royals and currently married and living outside the kingdom, several red flags raised inside him.

It just didn’t make sense. Throughout his whole life, he visited several countries with his parents, some of them with a clear disproportion between omegas and betas/alphas but every country paled in comparison to Wiijen’s situation. It was more than a genetic phenomenon, something wasn’t right. 

Where were the omegas?

“No, no, no!” Zayn said pushing a simple vanilla cake out of his sight. “I want the velvet cake again and then bring the devil’s food one.” He turned to Louis. “I think I'm onto something with this mix.” He frowned as soon as he saw the omega quietly playing with his food. “Hey, are you still thinking about the omegas situation?”

“Yes… do you think I’m over-exaggerating?”

Zayn hummed as he got up from his favorite spot in the large library and moved close to Louis. “No, it’s quite odd, I can see the douchey reasons behind a king making all his staff AB but to not have a single omega in town… it’s not normal.”

A soft knock interrupted their conversation.

“That must be the cakes!” Zay said elated.

“At least there’s one sweet thing about this whole wedding fiasco,” Louis mumbled. “Come in."

To his and Zayn’s surprise what the betas were carrying wasn’t cake at all but three flower arrangements, daffodils ones to be more exact.

“What’s this?” Zayn whispered with wary eyes.

“Flowers,” Louis said with a hint of awe in his tone. 

“I know they’re flowers, I’m not blind but why and who sent them?”

The three betas looked at each other as if they were scared to speak. 

“No one sent them, sir,” one of them broke the silence with a shy voice. “we normally change all the flower arrangements in the palace every seven or twelve days, we received orders to change all the arrangements with daffodils this time. Your highness,” she said looking at Louis earnestly. “if you find them too plain, we have a lovely peonies and roses arrangement ready for your chambers.” 

“Oh no, I love these,” Louis said looking at the arrangement. “did you make them?” 

“My aunt makes them!” The smaller of the three betas said enthusiastically as the other two scolded him with their eyes. 

Louis smiled. “Your aunt is very talented, I’d love to meet her one day.” 

The beta flushed. “There’s not much science behind that, your highness, it’s just flowers in vases."

“What’s your name?” 

“Charles,” he whispered.

“There’s love and talent behind each and every one of these arrangements. You should feel proud of your aunt, Charles, really proud.”

“We are, your highness,” said the beta who hadn’t talked before. “She makes the most amazing things. She also is in charge of the east side of the gardens, which is the best side if I may say.”

Louis’ smile was big and sincere. “I cannot wait to visit it and such a talented woman. I hope any of you can let her know how much I loved these."

“We will!” Charles said enthusiastically.

“Thank you, Charles and...” 

“My name is Florence” the beta said. “and this is Joshua, your highness.” The three bowed down to Louis at the same time.

“Those are very lovely names and please, call me Louis."

The three betas froze in their spots. “As you please, your hi—I mean, L-Louis?” Joshua said.

“There we go,” Louis chuckled. “That wasn’t so hard, wasn't it?”

“Can I just say, I never called you ice prince, I told the others Lucas was your friend and Lucas would never be friends with someone who’s mean.”

“Charles!” Joshua and Florence said in unison.

Louis laughed, loud and freely. “It’s okay,” he said when he recovered. “I like honest people."

“Oh good because I’m very honest!” Charles said with a proud smile.

“If there’s nothing else, we will be leaving, your—Louis,” Florence said with a flustered face. 

“Oh no, that’d be all, thank you so much.”

The three betas bowed down to him before turning to the door.

However, before exiting his room, Florence stopped in her tracks. “If you allow me to say this,” she said, looking at Louis with honest eyes, “your presence in the castle and the way you have treated us, means quite a lot to me. You can call us for anything you need, no matter the time or what it is, you can fully trust us."

“I am most happy to hear this and about your offer… I might need a favor from you.”

♔

The next morning, Louis was awakened at seven by Joshua as Florence and Charles got ready for everything they would be needing in the kitchen.

Zayn didn’t understand why he was doing that. He thought Louis was just wasting a nice morning of sleep and maybe he was right. But after finding out that Harry gave orders for the castle to be filled with Louis’ favorite flowers, he couldn’t help but wish to repay the nice gesture with a nice breakfast.

“Good morning,” he announced his presence to the busy kitchen with an easy smile.

As soon as the betas and alpha working there noticed Louis, everyone froze.

“Good morning,” Florence smiled back as she made a little bow. “I have several easy options we can try to make today."

“Good, good, I just…” Louis hesitated as he felt heat crept his cheeks. “Do you know which food Mr. Styles enjoys more?” 

The beta’s eyes bulged. “Well, I… no, not really,” she replied sheepishly. “But Mrs. Walkers probably knows, right Mrs. Walkers?” 

Mrs. Walkers, a tall and sternly looking beta, nodded curtly. “He enjoys pancakes,” she said with a firm tone as everyone else continued looking at them with curious eyes. “He would eat two dozen if he could."

“That’s marvelous, can you teach me how to do it?”

“You want to cook, your highness?” Mrs. Walkers knitted her brows in confusion. 

Louis nodded eagerly. “I’d love to learn if you aren’t too busy.”

“Very well…” Mrs. Walkers said after a few beats cleaning her hands on her apron. “We can start with the dry ingredients,” she said, finally noticing the people surrounding them. “And what are you all doing standing there? There’s things to do, come on, move your hands and feet!” She clapped her hands.

After that, it was as if a spell had broken, everyone politely ignoring Louis’ presence, only paying attention again when he began to cook the batter. Quiet giggles began to fill the kitchen as soon as oddly shaped—and sometimes slightly burned—pancakes started to come out.

“Heavens,” Louis covered his mouth as he giggled with them. “I hope he doesn't get ill with this."

“Nonsense,” Mrs. Walkers said as she tried to suppress a smile. “The batter tasted just fine and it was made with fresh products. If he doesn’t like it, he can make his own breakfast., You did well."

“They don’t look that bad,” a beta said as the same time another mumbled, “I think I’d like anything my wife prepared for me and god knows the poor thing can’t even boil an egg.” An alpha—Louis assumed was his wife—slapped his arm playfully. 

“If you wish I can take the food to his chambers,” Joshua said. “Do you want me to tell him you made them?”

“I was thinking of taking them myself?” Everyone stilled. “Is that not allowed?”

Mrs. Walkers cleared her throat. “Of course it is, you can do whatever you please, your highness, it’s just… well...” she shook her head. “It’s nothing really important, but maybe someone can enter the chambers first? Just in case Mr. Styles is not decent.”

“Oh of course, of course,” Louis said, genuinely surprised by his lack of care. He just planned to enter the room of an unbonded alpha who could be in several stages of nakedness.

“I can go with you, if you like?” Joshua said unsure, looking at Mrs. Walkers.

“If the prince agrees, I think an alpha could also go with you… Maria, did you finish chopping those vegetables?”

The beta’s wife replied. “Yes, Mrs. Walkers.”

“Very well then, are you okay with Maria and Joshua scorting you to Mr. Styles’ chambers?”

“I’m very okay and very grateful,” Louis held Mrs. Walkers’ hand. “I really am.”

She gifted him with a small but warm smile and a gentle squeeze of the hand. “Now hurry because everyone knows the best way to eat pancakes is when they still are warm.”

♔

As they walked to Harry’s chambers Louis couldn’t help but notice how Joshua and Maria’s nervousness grew as they got closer to them.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to wake him up,” Louis said once they were outside Harry’s door. “We can knock and run or I can make him lunch and we can eat these,” he reassured them.

Maria shook her head. “No, it’s not that, is—”

“Can you turn around?” Joshua interrupted her. “It’s just as Mrs. Walker said, what if he’s… you know."

Louis snorted before shrugging. “Sure,” he said easily as he turned his back from them.

After a few seconds, Louis heard a few knocks and a door opening and closing, he moved to turn back when Joshua stopped him. 

“Not yet, please, just stay like that." 

Louis frowned and opened his mouth to ask why, when the door was yanked open. Startled by the harsh movement, Louis couldn’t help but turn around, despite Joshua’s protests.

What Louis saw wasn’t Harry with or without clothes, but a sleepy looking Bryce, closely followed by a worried Maria. 

So that was the real reason why everyone was worried...

With obvious fake modesty, the beta tried to fix his hair and clothes. “I’m so sorry, my lord, I was just… checking if Har—Mr. Styles needed something.” 

Louis would have been lying if he had said he didn’t feel embarrassed by the whole situation. He knew how must he look for all of them, the desperate omega trying to please his future husband as he fucked his lover. 

Was he that? No, he was just trying to reciprocate a simple gesture, he was raised like that. The breakfast didn’t mean anything for him.

Louis tilted his head. “I guess you gave him what he... needed all night long?” 

Maria and Joshua gasped. 

“I’m here to serve,” the beta said with a haughty tone and a tiny smug smile. 

Louis snorted. “Sure you are,” he said dryly. “Here, you can give Mr. Style this.” 

Bryce shifted his gaze from Louis to the tray he was holding as a horrified expression filled his features for a few seconds before quickly morphing into a forced smile. “As you w—”

“What’s going on here?” A deep and hoarse voice interrupted the beta. Louis’ breath hitched at the sight of the alpha. “What’s this?” Harry frowned at the pancakes.

Louis felt his cheeks heat up with shame. 

Maria cleared her throat. “Joshua was bringing your breakfast but he—”

“It’s okay, Maria,” Louis softly touched Maria’s arm. “I made you pancakes as a thank you for the flowers,” he said to Harry with a resigned tone.

“Flowers...” Bryce said as he was shushed by Joshua and Maria. 

“You made me breakfast?” Harry breathed out softly. 

“As a thank you for the flowers, a retrib—”

“You made me breakfast, again.” Harry whispered looking at Louis with intense eyes.

Louis averted his. “Yes, I did,”

“Thank you, I—thank you, they look delicious."

“They do?” A frown tugged his brows down slightly as he looked at the oddly looking pancakes.

“Yes, I can’t wait to eat them,” Harry gasped. “Have you eaten yet? Please, please, come in,” he said as he lightly touched Louis’ shoulder. “Let's eat, would you like honey or blackberries jam? Bring the prince some cherries and strawberries,” he told the workers, eyes still focused on Louis. “do you want any other food?” 

“I… no, I’m fine,” Louis said distractedly as he looked around Harry’s chambers, they were composed of what seemed to be four rooms. The antechamber walls were hung with apple-green damask bordered with a wide gold stripe and was filled by modern and refined furniture. “It’s okay, you don’t have to bring anything,” he said to Maria and Joshua, then, looking directly at Bryce he added, “Thank you for your services.” 

♔

Before Harry, Louis wasn’t aware people could eat pancakes so… erotically. Tongue darting out over shiny lips, licking up traces of sticky honey, grunting and growling appreciatively every time he took a new bite. Louis bit his bottom lip, just in time to stop a pitiful whimper ready to slip free out of his mouth. 

Harry’s eyes focused again on Louis as his thick thumb swiped the corner of the prince’s mouth before he pressed it into his own, tongue sucking clean the digit.

Louis let out a small gasp, making Harry freeze. “Oh god, I’m so sorry, that was… I don’t even know what that was, you had a bit of honey there and I…”

“It’s okay,” Louis said softly as his cheeks burned. “You’re still waking up and don’t know what you’re doing,” he shrugged as he tried to suppress his disappointment.

Harry didn’t correct Louis, he just simply hummed and kept eating his food. “This really tastes delicious.”

Louis preened at the praise. “I’m really glad you liked it, I tried my best but I’m sure you have to thank Mrs. Walkers for the taste,” he scrunched his nose. “She was the one reciting every ingredient.”

“But you were the one doing it. You didn't have to, but you did."

“You also didn’t have to fill the castle with my favorite flowers but you did.”

“I heard you had a really busy and hard week, I thought that’d make you smile at least a bit.” It could’ve been the morning light, but Louis was almost sure he saw Harry’s cheeks redden.

“It did make me smile, thank you… but my week wasn't as hard as you might think.”

“Really? I heard you had to take several lessons about Wiijen."

“Yeah, but they were quite fun, I’m a quick learner. Besides I already knew about the majority of the stuff so it was more of a recap of what I knew.”

“You’re something else, princeling,” Harry smiled, tilting his head as curious eyes judged Louis.

“I just like to know stuff…” Louis sniffed defensively, keeping his head high. “talking about that…” he cleared his throat.  “Have you noticed there are no omegas in the kingdom?”

Harry frowned. “Well, Wiijen is known for being a land of betas, there’s even more of them than alphas."

“Sure, but we’re talking about almost zero omegas, the few ones I could find were part of the monarchy and they are no longer living here. Outside from those isolated cases and your father, there are no other omegas."

Harry’s frown deepened. “No that can’t be, that’s not…”

“Normal? Yes, I’m aware of that, that’s why I wanted to know if you were aware too."

“We never talked much about assignations in the village where I grew up. I had a friend though, he was almost sure he was going to be an omega but at the end it turned out he was a beta, like the majority of them. I remember how relieved he was...”

“Huh…”

“What? Don’t get him wrong, even you told me how hard it is for omegas around the world, let alone a very small and sometimes conservative town."

Louis shook his head. “I wasn’t judging him, I understand the sentiment, I really do."

“Then?”

If Louis was right about his suspicions, he needed to be as careful as he could be. He was starting to trust Harry but this wasn’t just about him anymore. He needed first do a bit more research before saying anything, to cover all his bases so no one would end up hurt.

“Then,” Louis put a fake cheerful smile on his face. “How do you feel about chocolate cake for the wedding?”

“Princeling…” The word had an edge on it that Louis refused to explore in that moment.

“This is a very serious question,” Louis said with a solemn tone. “Did you know they’re making me pick all these things with absolutely no help?”

Harry’s face visibly softens at Louis’ words. “If you want… I could help you pick some stuff, I just—I didn’t know if you wanted my input, I don’t know much about fancy decoration or fine cuisine."

“Harry, it’s our wedding, if we want pancakes for the reception, we will get pancakes for the reception."

“Aren’t you worried about what the people might say?” Harry asked, running a hand through his hair, confusion splattered all over his face. 

“I told you before, I couldn’t care less, it’s our day, it’s our rules, it will be our kingdom."

Something unreadable flashed in Harry’s eyes, black almost eclipsing green. “ Ours."

“Uh-huh, now let’s finish our breakfast because I still have to take a few more lessons about Wiijen."

Harry’s husky laugh pulled goosebumps from Louis’ skin as his mouth watered at the sigh of his unmarked neck in full display. That was bad. Having a slightly infatuation for his soon to be husband who also happened to be in love with someone else wasn’t part of Louis’ plans and quite honestly? Wasn’t the smartest of the choices. Either way, he didn’t have time for those types of silly feelings which would only help to distract him from his main goals. 

He couldn’t let them grow, no matter how funny, kind or disgustingly handsome the alpha was, with all his thigh muscles and—focus, he needed to clear his head, he needed to survive those six months of marriage with his heart intact. He had a huge possibility to leave the kingdom with a big alliance and a sincere friendship, he couldn’t risk that because of a silly infatuation. 

♔

Harry had the feeling Louis was avoiding him.

Other people could think he was just busy with lessons and his trips to the nearest towns but not Harry. He felt it as soon as the prince put his cold mask on in front of him, politely telling him he didn’t have time to see the horses but that they could pick what type of decoration they should use for the wedding on Friday.

He felt disappointed but still waited for Friday to arrive so he could talk with Louis with more calm. Only when the day arrived, the prince only looked at him twice and all his smiles and gestures felt small and controlled. 

During their encounter, Harry tried a bit too hard to make light conversation. He wasn’t ashamed to admit his talks and the time he spent with the omega were now the highlight of his weeks. He drank in every single one of his words, he even was trying to learn a bit more about his own country as he began to read other information, only so he could keep up with the prince and impress him a bit.

But nothing he said or did made Louis drop his mask. They picked some flowers and color schemes, before the prince said a polite good night and exited the room.

“Mr. Styles, I’ve told you, they’re off season,” said a slightly distressed alpha. 

“There must be another way."

“What on earth is happening here?” Mrs. Walkers said with a curt tone.

“Mr. Styles says he needs a watermelon, but they aren’t ripe yet."

“But there are watermelons, right?”

“Well, yes, but they aren’t ready yet."

“I want one of those."

“For what reason are you so desperate to get a watermelon?” Mrs. Walkers asked, exasperated.

“I wish to make something. Do we have ice cream?”

Mrs. Walkers looked at Harry as if he grew two heads. “We don’t have it but we can make it. Have you ever tried ice cream before, kid?”

“Never. I need an orange blossom ice cream."

“Blo—I don’t know what are you trying to make but you can have a vanilla ice cream by tonight, I don’t know about the other flavor."

Harry made a face. “Wouldn’t that taste weird with strawberries and other fruits?”

“How can you know that if you have never tried it before?”

“That’s why I’m asking?”

Mrs. Walkers closed her eyes. “I can get you a semi-ripe watermelon and vanilla ice cream, Mr. Styles, take it or leave it."

“I’ll take it,” Harry said hurriedly. “I’m also gonna need cherries, strawberries, grapes and some other fruits.”

“Do you want me to mix them all with the ice cream?”

“No, for the watermelon I’m just gonna need the peel."

“And what are we supposed to do with the rest?”

“I have a recipe for pickled watermelon,” the beta beside him said helpfully.

Mrs. Walkers threw the alpha an exasperated look. “Very well, now, what should we do with the other fruits and the ice cream?”

“Don’t worry you can leave the rest to me."

“‘Don’t worry’ and ‘leave the rest to me’ don’t go really well together."

Harry laughed. “I promise I—”

“Mr. Styles, can I have a word with you?” Bryce asked, walking inside the room, closed off look on his face. “It’s important.”

Mrs. Walkers looked at both of them disapprovingly but didn’t say a word.

“Alright, go to my chambers, I’ll catch you up,” Harry said before turning to give Mrs. Walkers an apologetic smile. “Thanks for helping me with this, I know it’s too sudden and—”

“Don’t you worry about that,” Mrs. Walkers said with a stony look in her eyes. “Mr. Styles,” she added, gaze focused on Bryce exiting the kitchen. “Pardon me for daring to speak about such private manners but if you’re doing all this for Bryce, I’d suggest you do it in a more discreet way. Behind his cold facade Prince Louis is…” Mrs. Walkers’ gaze turned gentler, “compassionate and doesn’t deserve the gossip it will come after such a nice gesture. I know your heart means well and you do deserve to express your care for Bryce freely but now there’s a third person who is also in the same situation as you do and he is trying and everyone notice how hard he’s trying—”

“Mrs. Walker, no,” Harry interrupted her. “you… Bryce and I—what I asked isn’t for Bryce, it’s for the prince, he told me he once saw that at a party but never got the chance to eat  some… I just wanted to give him something nice."

“Oh…” Mrs. Walkers brows knitted together. “That’s such a thoughtful thing to do."

“I don’t know if it’s that thoughtful but I hope he likes it."

“I’m very sure he’ll love it,” she said with a very rare warm smile. “Now that we have settled that, if you excuse me I have to send Charles to the icehouse, we have an ice cream to make and a prince to please.” 

As he walked to his chambers, Harry couldn’t help but think about what Mrs. Walkers said. Was Louis being talked down because of his relationship with Bryce? Was he being part of the reasons he was being judged?

“Took you long enough…” Bryce huffed out, sitting on his favorite chair. “Don’t even think I came here to please you. I’m still very offended by the way you kicked me out the other day, so forget about me sleeping with you for a very long time.”

Harry felt a pang of guilt at the realization, not only because he did kick Bryce from his chambers in a very impolite way but by the fact he didn’t think about him at all in the past week. 

“I’m very sorry for that,” he said honestly. “I wasn’t thinking very clear, but there is still no excuse for my lack of manners.”

Bryce rolled his eyes. “That doesn’t really matter anymore, I’m still not sleeping with you. Besides, I didn’t call you to talk about that but about your ice prince.”

“Bryce, he wasn’t at fault, he—”

“It’s not about that!” Bryce shot up from his chair and threw his hands up in the air. “My god, stop defending him for a second. I came here to tell you he’s up to something…”

“Something…”

Bryce nodded. “He’s getting close to people just to ask stuff, not only inside the castle but in towns…”

“What kind of stuff?”

“About omegas, where are they, if they know them, I think he’s planning something."

“He’s not planning anything, he just finds it weird there’s no omegas in Wiijen. He thinks it needs to be checked and I agree we should investigate a bit more deeply into that."

“You agree? Fuck… you—of course you do,” Bryce snorted sardonically. “You both are privileged selfish pricks , who don’t care about the consequences of their curiosity just because you two are bored to death in your big chambers filled with all the things you need. Why don’t you focus on your lavish life and leave us commoners alone!”

“Bryce, what the fuck?”

“You think the prince is made of gold when in reality he’s rot and now he’s rotting you too!”

“He just wants to help…”

“Help?! Tell me how is he helping dig the location of people who don't want to be found? You want to know where the fuck are the omegas in the kingdom? Fine, I’ll tell you, they left because none of them wanted to stay in this old boring kingdom because there’s no opportunities for them here! There’s your big mystery, are you happy now?”

“I didn’t know any of this,” Harry furrowed his brows.

“Because they didn’t want any of you to be aware of this!”

“I’m… deeply sorry, how can I help?”

“You can’t, no one can’t.”

“Are there people in your family who had to leave Wiijen because of it?”

Bryce snorted. “You could say so, yeah.”

“I’m really sorry…”

“It’s okay,” Bryce shrugged. “It’s life.”

“It shouldn’t be…”

“But it is… are you going to tell your prince to stop digging?”

“Yes, I will.”

“Good,” Bryce adjusted his vest. “I know you’re not like him, but I’m just scared of how much influence he has in you with such a little time.”

“I’m not being influenced."

“Alright, I’m not gonna fight about that, I have some things to do. Come looking for me after you talk with him?”

Harry nodded. “I will.”

♔

Putting distance between Harry and himself was a task that Louis never thought to find difficult, yet there he was, missing an alpha who was living under the same roof as him, an alpha who wanted to talk and listen to him, an alpha who looked crushed every time Louis came with a silly excuse to avoid him.

However, if Louis wanted to have any type of future friendship with Harry, he had to rein in his feelings first. In theory, it was an easy task. Sure, everything indicated his infatuation for the alpha was a bit stronger than he initially imagined—solely basing his theory on the beating of his heart, his wobbly legs, the feeling on his stomach and pelvis… his slick…—but, he also just met the alpha and Louis was sure he could easily learn how to desensitize himself from all of it before the wedding. 

The one thing Louis didn’t take in mind was Harry being… well, Harry. To see the alpha genuinely hurt by the imaginary walls he imposed between them, to see him try to be nice to him even after that, gifting him tiny flowers and sweets. To be everything Louis wanted in a mate.

“Uh… Lou?” Niall said with an uncertain tone.

“Not now Niall, I’m painting Louis’ nails, I need to practice or else mine will look awful the day of the wedding."

“Hey, what about mine?” Louis said with a mock scowl.

“Your fingernails are so pretty, it doesn’t matter how bad the nail polish is applied, everyone will love it,” Zayn smiled before kissing Louis’ index fingernail.

Louis giggled as Niall rolled his eyes. “Lou, Maria brought something for you."

“She did?” Louis perked up. “What is it, let her in!”

“No she…” Niall scratched his neck. “She is making something on the table of the antechamber."

“Oh?” Louis tilted his head.

“Heaven’s sake,” Nial rolled his eyes. “Just come to the antechamber, please."

Zayn and Louis looked at each other before darting out of the room. What they found on the other side, made Louis’ breath hitch and his heart skip a bit.

“What is that?” Zayn whispered.

“Good afternoon, your majesty,” Maria said brightly as she bowed her head for Louis. “This is a fruit bowl with vanilla ice cream, the bowl is a watermelon!” her eyes danced between Zayn and Louis. “Oh… yes, before I forget,” she frowned. “We are really sorry we couldn’t get the orange blossom ice cream, we only know how to make one flavor but we will learn to make it before the wedding!”

“Maria… Did Mr. Styles tell you to do this?”

“Not only that, your highness, he also helped to make the ice cream. He said he wanted to learn just like you the day of the pancakes!”

“Where is—”

“The ice cream?” Maria asked excitedly, not even letting Louis finish his words. “Inside the watermelon bowl, the fruits are on top of it!”

“No, no, Mr. Styles, where is he?”

“Oh, he was in the Blue room with the king and some other people from the court but I think they finished the meeting not so long ago. You still can catch him because he likes to re-read treaties there.”

“Thank you, I’ll hurry to thank him so I can come back to eat this beauty,” Louis gave her a grateful smile before sprinting out of the room. 

With his heart racing, Louis threw all precautions away, his alpha remembered something so small, so simple just to make Louis smile and wasn’t that something?

What if Harry was feeling the same? What if they could try for real? What if that tiny bit of hope that Louis felt every time Harry softly smiled at him, every time he talked about the things he found interesting wasn’t as out of place as he thought? What if—

“I’m glad you listened to me for once and decided to follow the protocol,” the voice of the king made Louis stop in his tracks before entering the room. 

“What protocol?” Harry asked.

“The courting—no let me finish, I know that was the last thing you wanted and that you’re doing it out of duty, not for me but for the kingdom, but I’m glad we didn’t have to fight too much about this. Lord Johan will give you the right protocol and the gifts you have to give the prince. I know you meant well but there should be a procedure or else the courting ritual isn’t as valid.”

Louis felt his throat and chest tighten, stomach pumpleting. All the flowers, all the details, all the tiny little moments and smiles, none of that was real. To Harry, everything was part of a protocol he didn’t even want to fulfill. Feeling a bit dizzy, his hand raced ahead, desperately seeking the first thing he found to hold on to and failing miserably, making a vase crash down the floor.

“Who is there?”

‘Breathe, get yourself fucking together, do not let them see you like this.’

Taking a deep breath, he re-adjusted his clothes.

“Louis…” Harry’s face looked startled and worried and if Louis wasn’t in so much distress he’d have laughed at the sight. 

“King, Mr. Styles,” Louis bowed graciously. “Sorry to interrupt but, I ought to talk with Mr. Styles about some final decisions for the wedding.” 

“Ah, naturally,” the king said. “I’ll leave you to it. Harry, remember you have to visit Lord Johan as soon as you can. Prince, have a good night.”

“Likewise,” Louis vowed again to the king.

After his father left, Harry shifted uncomfortably. “Listen, I don’t know how much you listened but—”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Mr. Styles, I didn’t hear a thing.”

“Oh, okay,” Harry said, shoulders slightly relaxing but eyes still wary. “I’m glad you’re here though, I also needed to speak to you.”

“You did?” Louis drawled and arched a brow.

“Yes,” the alpha hesitated a bit before continuing. “It’s about the questions you’re asking around town…”

Louis felt his already tense muscles tense even more. “What about it?”

“You must stop.”

Louis blinked, ears ringing and body filling with a mix of confusion, embarrassment and now fury. “Pardon?”

“Someone who I trust told me you’re making them uncomfortable, that they wish for you to stop."

“Did they now?” Louis asked, trying to swallow the thick swell of hurt and rage in his chest.

“Yes, I know you want to help the omegas but we also should think if they want to be helped or not.”

“May I ask who told you that?”

“It doesn’t really matter who told me, I trust this person.”

And just like that, Louis knew… “Ah, so it was your lover…”

“Louis—”

“Prince Louis,” Louis corrected the alpha. “We aren’t friends.”

Hurt clouded Harry’s eyes and Louis despised how much his chest constricted at the sight. “I see… well, Prince Louis, as I said, it really doesn’t matter who was the one bringing the news, but that you must stop.”

“You don’t have to worry, Mr. Styles,” Louis gave him his best impression of how strangers saw him. He gave him the ice prince. “I gathered all the information I needed and got my answers, I’m still going to  visit them because the people on those towns have asked me to come back to help them, because, you see, I actually interact and listen to them instead of following my dick and believing every word the person who is sucking it is gospel.” 

Harry let out a guttural growl, it probably was supposed to scare Louis but the only thing it was making him do was to piss him off more and amp up his needs to climb the alpha like a tree. “Louis—”

“Now that we’re talking about your lover, I came here to ask you if you were going to make him your consort but I guess I don’t really have to ask. I also needed to tell you, there will be no dance and the reception will be minimal. We will fake the bond, Joshua got the herbs to help us with that, you will have to scent mark me still, I’ll do the same, we can have a schedule for that or I can give some clothes to your lover so you can scent mark him wearing them, I don’t mind either way. Now for the wedding night—”

“Heavens, Lo—your highness, slow down, where is this coming from? We can talk about this with more calm heads tomorrow.”

“No, I think today is fine, let’s just get things clear tonight.”

“We still have a month of planning.”

“I’m not planning one more thing for this farce.” Louis hopes he could mask well enough the hurt in his voice. “I have things to do, important things, because I actually care for the people in this kingdom."

“And I don’t?” 

“You should ask yourself that, not me. And if you don’t want to discuss strategies for the wedding night, I think I have nothing else to tell you.”

Harry nodded. “That’s it?”

Louis shrugged one shoulder.

Harry snorted. “I’ll give you this, princeling,” his tone was now as cold as Louis’. “You had me fooled, for weeks, you actually made me believe there was a heart behind all that coldness.”

The words stung so badly Louis felt them as a punch in his guts, leaving him almost without air. Still, he refused to give the alpha the pleasure of seeing him hurt. “And for a moment I thought you were actually going to protect me from stupid rumors and hurtful words. I guess we both were wrong.”

Louis hid himself in the first room he found open. He allowed himself to cry for five whole minutes. Because every prince and princess knew that if you cried more than that, there would be a big risk to get red eyes, and to show such type of emotions in front of strangers was a privilege they didn’t have.

Fuck that marriage, fuck that alpha, Louis had bigger issues he had to deal with. A heartbreak wasn’t one of them.

♔

An entire month passed and Harry only saw Louis three times, three very hostile times. 

Louis spent his days in different towns of the kingdom and in the kitchens but Harry never dared to cross paths with the omega, too ashamed to even look at him after the last words they exchanged that night. 

He didn’t mean to offend him but Harry felt so betrayed by him, so hurt, just after his feelings for him were laid out in front of the prince. He expected a polite rejection, he expected better from Louis, not harsh words about his incompetence—never asking why he wasn’t allowed to dig more about a kingdom that will never be his to rule—or call the friendship he so much cherished a farce. He was cruel and unfair and he regretted every single word, and it wasn’t as if the prince actually cared about what Harry felt or thought.

On the other hand, things with Bryce got infinitely better as soon as Louis backed off It was like no issue had happened between them. They stopped sleeping together. Harry didn’t notice when the excuses started but Bryce just accepted them. They still snogged from time to time, the most intense ones being the nights he saw Louis. 

Harry refused to think about what that actually meant.

Also since then, an influx of new betas began to work in the castle, and when the king was asked about it, he only shrugged saying he trusted the prince and that new staff always was needed.

The talks in the Blue Room about Louis already overpowering the king increased each day, but the king didn’t seem fazed by any of the warnings. It almost felt as if he was ready to give his kingdom to the prince, a thing that made the court visibly worried and uncomfortable. 

The wedding day came and Harry wanted to kiss the floor Louis walked on. In Harry’s eyes, no matter what he was wearing, the omega always looked beautiful, but on their wedding day, Louis looked like straight out of one of the fairytales his mother used to read him when he was younger. He looked ethereal and Harry felt like he was dirtying him just by looking at him. 

The omega politely smiled at his right cues, recited perfectly his pre-made—by others—vows and kissed Harry’s hand when he was indicated to do so.. 

He was the perfect bride. 

Harry, on the other hand, kept messing up his words, accidentally dropped the ring and kissed Louis’ wrist way longer than he should.

He was, as always, a mess. 

The reception was simple and the things they chose at the beginning made something akin to longing grow inside his chest and spread over his body. If he squinted, it almost felt real. 

True to his word, they didn’t dance and retired to their chambers early in the night. They have another show to fake now.

“You can take the bed, I’ll sleep on the chaise,” Harry said politely.

“Do you know how many people are outside right now, Mr. Styles?” Harry shook his head. Truthfully, the last thing on his mind while he was following Louis’ steps was the people outside their new chambers. “Nine. All nines are patiently waiting for us to show them proof of our bond, proof that if you go to comfortably sleep on your chaise lounge, will not get,”

“I thought we wouldn’t consummate the bond.”

“We will not and we will be extremely vague about what’s about to happen tonight. We will make them believe we bonded without explicitly saying so. In this way they will stay off our backs and will only find out we aren’t actually bonded when we ask for the annulment.”

“You have thought about this a lot.”

“Well, yes, it’s also my future we are talking about. I don’t plan to spend the rest of my life in a loveless marriage, do you?”

The words hurt so much more than Harry wanted to admit. “Yeah… no, you’re right,” he murmured, collecting himself.

“Do you want to release first or should I start?”

Harry’s heart speeded up. “What?”

Louis blinked. “They will check our sheets so we have to soil them…” he trailed off, probably waiting for Harry’s reaction. “they need to at least see spunk on the sheets, it needs to smell like arousal,”

“Oh…”

Louis’ eyes softened drastically at Harry’s reaction. “I know it will be a bit hard but we can close our eyes if that makes you feel better.”

“No,” Harry replied hurriedly. “I—I don’t want to close my eyes, do you?”

Louis visibly gulped. “I don’t mind either, so… shall we start?”

“Fuck … are you sure?”

“I am,” Louis nodded, determined. “I’ll start, is that okay?”

Harry’s mouth dried as he simply nodded his head, not really trusting his voice.

Louis took off his clothes, one item after another, until he was just in a simple champagne silk corset, a white lace almost sheer bottom and an ivory and gold flower patterned garter with a small bow in the middle. He looked like the most exquisite and expensive gift, a gift Harry didn’t deserve or could even afford.

The prince sat in the middle of the bed, “You can—uhm, you can sit here, close to me? That might... help me a bit,” he said with beautiful crimson cheeks.

Harry didn’t have to be told twice before he was sitting close to the omega. “Should I take my clothes off?”

Louis huffed. “It’s not really necessary but our scents must mix, the herbs I took to suppress mine should wear off in half an hour or so."

Just with the idea of finally smelling his prince, Harry let out a soft growl and accidentally set his own full scent free. The last time he accidentally did this he was only sixteen and still learning how to control it. Louis let out a small whimper and squirmed in his place.

“I’m sorry,” Harry said apologetically. “don’t be scared, I can fully control myself, I’ll not hurt you,”

The pretty flush on Louis’ cheeks intensified and reached his chest and ears. “I’m not scared, I… my omega liked your reaction a bit too much.”

‘Baby…’ 

“Do you want to wait for it to wear off or…” Harry asked with a husky low voice. 

“I want to touch myself now, if that’s okay with you…” Louis said shyly, eyes not looking at Harry.

The alpha softly grabbed his chin making Louis look directly at his probably very dark eyes. “I want you to enjoy yourself as much as you want, I’m okay with anything you want, anything.”

Another whimper escaped from Louis and Harry had to bite his inner cheeks to prevent himself from growling again.

Louis softly nodded as he fully laid all his body on the bed, small and shaky hand traveling to his pretty bottoms. 

“Have you touched yourself before?” Harry asked, mesmerized by the perfect image of innocence and lust who laid in front of him. Louis nodded. “Do you want to touch yourself now?”

Louis sucked his bottom lip and looked at him through his lashes before nodding again, very slowly. “Can I see?”

“It’s—I’m not very big…” Louis shyly confessed and if Harry wasn’t gone for the omega before that night, this whole new side of him, all pliant and timid sealed the deal.

“I’m sure it’s perfect. Let me see… let me see you, baby.”

The omega whined as goosebumps exploded all over his skin and trembling hands hesitantly pulled his bottoms down. His eyes followed Louis’ fingers, curious and hungry for the sight of Louis, Harry was completely right, his prince was perfect. 

“ God , look at you, you’re so gorgeous, tiny and gorgeous.” 

“Y-you don’t mind?”

“I mind but not for the reasons you fear. I mind because tomorrow I am not going to be able to think about another thing than you like this. I mind, because I will dream about touching it and feeling it inside my mouth—”

“Harry." 

“Touch yourself, princess.”

Louis let out a loud whimper.

“So pretty and delicate, all laid out only for me to see, so wet,” Harry said, eyes hungrily devouring even the tiniest of the movements Louis was making. From his pink mouth gasping for air to his dainty fingers playing with his tiny cock.

Louis ran three digits from his shiny tip to his base, he rubbed it up and down, teasing himself as his tongue darted out to lick his lips, half lidded eyes staring dreamingly at Harry. “Take off your clothes? I wanna see you.”

The words were said in a tiny whisper but they rang loud and clear in Harry’s ears. The alpha did what he was told fast and with no finesse, only hesitating when he was about to pull off his underwear.

“All of it, please,” Louis breathed as his fingers kept working a slow and steady rhythm, the pastel pink of his nail polish making a drastic yet beautiful contrast with his now flushed cock. But all his movements halted as soon as Harry got completely naked.

“I can cover myself if you want.”

Louis let out a small whine. “Please don’t, I… It’s really big,” he shifted his body and a wave of heat overpowered Harry. 

He could finally smell Louis and it was the most delicious thing he had ever scented. A mix between peaches and cream and candied flowers, Harry was pretty sure he was shamelessly drooling for the boy in front of him.

“Keep touching yourself,” he said in a dark growl he didn’t recognize. “I want to smell your come.”

“Alpha,” he said, and it almost sounded like a protest but his fingers continued stroking his length now with a more desperate pace. 

“That’s it, baby, you’re doing so good— fuck, you smell so fucking delicious.”

“Touch me, please?”

Harry made a possessive noise at the hint of hunger and desperation in Louis’ scent. “Are you sure?” he asked, his voice not sounding entirely human.

“No, I’m just smelling like I’m ready to make a house out of my mouth for your fat cock just cause I like to embarrass myself,” Louis spat out with a shaky voice.

Harry chokes out a laugh. “There’s my feisty princess,” he said in awe as one of his big hands touched Louis’ hipbone. “You’re as soft as I imagined.”

“Have you imagined me very often?”

“You have no idea,” Harry said, fingertips roaming Louis’ pelvis, fascinated by how the muscles constricted at his disposition. “Are you coming for me, princess?”

“I want to see you touch yourself,” Louis was panting and the movements of his hand had become a bit erratic.

Harry kneeled beside him on the bed, cock twitching as he scooted closer. “Like this, baby?” he slowly stroked his cock. “Want to see what you do to me? How hard and big you get me?”

There’s a wet patch on the bed, right under where Louis was moving his hips, he was so fucking wet and Harry had the wild idea of licking the wet patch until no drop of Louis’ slick remained on the fabric.

“Take your bottoms off, baby, I need to see you better.” Louis didn’t have to be told twice, with clumsy hands and shaky legs he quickly took it off, only leaving the garter and his silk corset on. “God, every inch of you is exquisite,” he said with raw honesty as he saw Louis’ slick dripping down his thighs.

The heat in his pelvis grew with a primal need to devour Louis, to mark him.

“Please, do it,” Louis moaned, making him realize he said the last thing out loud.

“Would you like that, baby?” Harry said as he pumped his cock on top of Louis, trying to keep up with the prince’s now frantic rhythm. “Want me to paint your pretty skin? You will smell like me for days , no matter how much you bathe, everyone will know you’re mine .”

“Alpha,” Louis sobbed, arching his back, one arm flinging over his eyes, knuckles white as they gripped the bedsheets. He shook through the orgasm, bursts of come coating his hand, pelvis and corset.

Harry could almost taste the sweetness of his release. “God, your smell, I could drown in it and I’d die a happy man,” he said as he dared to touch a ribbon of come that landed on Louis’ pelvis with his free hand.

The prince looked blissed out, a lazy hand smearing his seed all over his inner thighs, mixing it with his slick, enticing and teasing Harry with his eyes. Harry re-adjusted his position, planting his right knee in between Louis slick damp thighs, growling at the sensation of wetness touching his skin.

“Are you going to mark me?” Louis asked breathlessly as his delicate and dirty hand touched the alpha’s leg.

Harry went a bit wild after that, grabbing Louis by the hips with one hand, he lowered himself, cock almost, just almost, touching Louis’ soft one, his tip rubbing and wetting the smooth silk of his corset. There was a black spot clouding his vision, while the swell of his knot formed and he rode his orgasm, waves of thick come shooting out, dirtying Louis’  corset and collarbones.

The alpha collapsed on top of Louis, still being careful of not crushing him with his weight. He wasn’t really sure how long he stayed there, breathing in Louis and his scent and fluids mixing together, making him feel dizzy by how fucking good they smelled, he wished he could bottle it up. He felt Louis move under him. Fearing he was hurting the omega, Harry pushed himself off of him, the prince froze at the sudden move, tongue out and come covered fingers close to it.

Harry felt his cock twitch as his chest began to rumble. “Does the kitty want some milk?” Louis whimpered and nodded as his other hand grabbed Harry’s, leading it to where a pool of come rested on his collarbone. “Do you want me to feed you?”

Louis' only reply was to open his mouth wider for him, so Harry without waiting another second, scooped some of his come and followed his prince's orders. With sleepy eyes, Louis licked and meweled around his large fingers, until there was no trace of come on his skin. Harry was enthralled by the boy, by how soft and hot his tongue and mouth felt, how good he looked with Harry inside of him, how ready to take more he seemed.

“Are you full now, kitten?” Harry rasped out as he nuzzled his nose against Louis’ temple. The omega nodded. “Very good, now let’s unwrap you so you can sleep more comfortably,” Harry said as he carefully began to untie the ribbons of his corset. “Baby…” the alpha whispered with a frown in his face. “Do you like wearing these things?”

Louis shook his head. “Pretty…I want…” he murmured with closed eyes.

“Do they make you feel pretty?” Harry asked as his big hands rubbed the red angry marks the corset left on his omega skin.

“No, soft things... pretty with soft things…” Louis mumbled as he lazily guided Harry’s hands so instead of only stroking the red marks, he began to caress all his torso.

“You feel pretty with soft things? Then why do you use this? It doesn’t look soft at all, baby.”

“Like when you call me sweet things.”

“I like calling you sweet things,” Harry whispered back, hands continuing the ministrations all over Louis’ body now. “Now tell me why you use this,” he said before kissing the tip of Louis’ nose.

“Wanted to look pretty...”

“Baby… you always look pretty no matter what you’re wearing."

“You think I’m pretty?”

“You know you’re probably the most beautiful thing I've ever met,” Harry said earnestly, caressing Louis’ cheek.

“Yeah?” Louis leaned to the touch.

“God, you’re for real like a tiny sweet kitten,” Harry cooed. “Yes, baby, you’re very beautiful.”

“Give me a kiss then,” Louis breathed out, eyes still closed, looking close to be asleep.

Harry kissed his cheek tenderly. “Ask me tomorrow and I’ll give you as many kisses as you want.”

Louis hummed with a pleased smile. “Promise?”

His prince looked beautiful, hair sticking to his forehead, sheen of sweat glimmering all over his skin, cheeks pink from exertion and a satisfied smile on his face. Harry pulled Louis on top of him, wrapping his arms around him.

“I promise, my love."

“I want all the kisses,” Louis muttered as he snuggled closer to Harry.

“Then I shall give you all of them,” the alpha replied, before kissing the top of Louis’ head, heart swelling inside his chest.

“Tomorrow?”

Harry softly chuckled. “Tomorrow.”

♔

Louis woke up on top of a warm and strong body and an arm wrapped around his waist, every inch of him perfectly fitting against it. He had slept with people before—Zayn mostly—but it was never this intimate. However, to be fair with those people—Zayn mostly—, the situations couldn’t even compare because before that night, Louis had never done something like that with anyone and if he wasn’t so exhausted and his omega so content, he’d be more mortified about the things he said and the way he acted.

Face pressed against Harry’s chest, he couldn't help but lean his nose closer to the skin and breath in. Louis loved the alpha’s scent but he never had the opportunity to actually smell him that close. However, mixed with his distinctive forestry and dark chocolate scent, he also smelled sweet and tangy, he smelled like Louis. 

The arm wrapped around his waist tightened at the sound of a knock in their door.

“Lou?...” Zayn’s head popped behind the door. Louis felt how every muscle of the alpha under him tensed “I brought some food,” the omega walked inside the room with a big tray, then stopped in the middle of the room and began to chew the side of his thumb.

“What is it?” asked Louis, trying to make the—still half-sleeping—alpha under him relax at the intrusion of a stranger.

Zayn huffed. “This is embarrassing for both of us so we ought not talk about this ever again but I need your sheets or some kind of you know… item, so I can give those betas—” A warning loud growl cut the omega and made his eyes bulge. “Okay, that was quite the growl, I don’t know if I really liked it,” Zayn said as the growl got deeper and angrier.

“ Mine ,” Harry half mumbled, half grunted as he turned over so he could cover Louis with his body.

“Harry…” Louis whispered. “It’s only Zayn, it’s okay,” he reassured the alpha, caressing the top of his head.

Louis felt the alpha’s eyelashes flutter open against his chest and his body tense all over again. 

“Louis?” 

“Good morning, sleepy head, Zayn needs the sheets—”

“ No,” Harry replied, it was a choked out and desperate sound. 

Zayn huffed. “Did he say no? I don’t have time for this… There’s too many people out there and they’re asking for the sheets.”

“No, I can’t, I don’t think I can’t give them that, my alpha—” Harry gulped, eyes a bit lost. “ I don’t think we will like to… fuck."

“Hey… it’s okay,” Louis whispered soothingly as he continued stroking his hair. “Let me give them my corset, are you okay with that? We can stay with the sheets.”

Harry nodded but didn’t let Louis go away from his grip, head now nuzzled on the crook of Louis’ neck.

“So where’s the corset?”

“Check on the floor, it must be there,” Louis gave Zayn an apologetic smile, his best friend just rolled his eyes.

“Aw Lou, you ruined it...”

“Please tell him to get out, I don’t want to be rude, I—just please ask him to leave,” Harry whispered against Louis’ ear.

“He’s leaving, love, he only has to pick up the corset and he will be gone, it’s okay, we both are okay.”

Zayn snorted as he grabbed the garment and shook his head. “There’s fruit on the tray, please eat some.” Harry let out another growl. “Oh be quiet, until yesterday I was the one sleeping in his bed,” he said before leaving.

“Zayn!” Louis gasped as the alpha between his arms began to get up. “Hey, hey, where are you going."

“You—he—” Harry almost snarled at the door.

“He was my companion and still is my best friend, now stop your growling and let’s have something to eat,” Louis said, nipping Harry’s jaw playfully. It was such an intimate thing to do but Louis was feeling reckless and happy that morning.

Harry’s chest grumbled but now it was light and playfully, he nuzzled his nose against Louis’ temple. “Let me get the tray.”

The alpha stood up without an ounce of shame at his very naked body and Louis couldn’t help but admire all the skin and muscles displayed for his view. He was proud to say that when the alpha turned over to face him, he only let out a small gasp and a tiny bit of slick.

“They brought us fruit and french toast,” Harry said as he put the tray on the night stand before sitting on the bed, scooting back to sit against the headboard, some pillows propped behind him. He covered himself with the sheets and Louis finally was aware of his nakedness for the first time since he woke up. “Here, open your mouth” he said holding a grape. 

Louis felt his cheek heat. “I can feed myself,” he mumbled but still opened his mouth for Harry.

Harry hummed, grabbing a strawberry from the bowl. “I know, but you don’t have to do it today,” he rasped as he slowly fed Louis the strawberry, his free hand tucking some of the prince's hair behind his ear.

Louis’ eyes fluttered closed when he felt that same hand trail down his naked back before his arm surrounded his waist and pulled Louis to lay in his lap. “Alright,” he said softly, butterflies fluttering around his lower belly as soon he felt Harry’s body flush against his. 

The prince found out that instead of feeling grossed out by the sticky sensation of both their bodies, he welcomed and enjoyed the feeling.

“Open up, princess,” Harry repeated as his hand fed him a piece of french toast. 

“You also need to eat something,” Louis’ voice sounded shy. 

“You can feed me too,” Harry passed him the fruit bowl, free hand rubbing circles to his hip bone.

“Would you like that?”

Harry responded with his tongue darting out from his mouth, Louis watched fascinated as the fruit and his fingers disappeared inside of it. Slick gushed out of him, he knew he was probably soaking Harry’s leg but besides the pleased rumble of his chest and some low growls, the alpha didn’t comment about it.

They fed each other for several minutes, Harry repeating over and over again how beautiful Louis looked the day prior and how even more beautiful he looked that morning. Louis allowed himself to play with the alpha’s hair, to touch his arms and face, to really look at him up close. In exchange, he also allowed Harry to do the same with him, to scent mark him, to make him his like that. All of it was incredibly intimate and new to Louis, he felt dizzy with how much he was feeling, how much more he wanted. 

Harry’s lips looked incredibly tempting and now they were so close, Louis wondered if the alpha would let him kiss them at least once. He knew that wasn’t necessary, the kissing, that they only needed to scent mark each other to actually sell the idea that they bonded, but Harry’s lips looked so pink and soft, the omega couldn’t help but want .

After that, Harry slowly and carefully cleaned him up with a wet towel, as if he was made of the most precious and delicate materials, intense eyes completely darkened by arousal. 

‘Would it be okay if I offered myself to Harry again?’ Louis thought as his eyes fluttered shut and a shallow breath left his body at the feeling of his alpha cleaning his sticky thighs. “I think it would be easier if I bathed,” Louis whispered instead.

Harry only grunted and continued his ministrations, graciously ignoring Louis’ suggestion. Louis didn’t have the heart to tell him they eventually had to do so for that night’s dinner, he just let himself enjoy the feeling of being cared for in such a lovely and new way.

In the end and after taking a nap, they had to go out to “officially” announce the bond-not bond to the people in the palace. Just like Louis suspected, no one asked them to show any physical proof, only confirming for themselves how strong they smelled like each other, the biggest shock for the majority of them, being Louis’ scent and the confirmation that he actually was a perfectly healthy omega.  

Harry followed his steps all day long, either holding his hand or clinging to his back, arms wrapped around his waist. Louis told him everyone believed they bonded and that big signs of affections weren’t really necessary. Harry just tightened his hold around him and nuzzled his nose in the crook of Louis’ neck.

When it was time for them to actually clean themselves, Harry growled and grunted until Louis convinced him they had to do it or else he would get a rash, After hearing those words, it was like something switched inside the alpha. He then was the one hurrying everyone to assist Louis, but not before asking if he could bathe with him. Only to receive disapproving looks from all the prince’s companions. 

It was a good fantasy, until Louis had to wake up.

The infamous dinner arrived and everyone was just waiting for Harry to appear at the big dining hall, all of them pretending it wasn’t weird that the newly wed alpha wasn’t desperate to be close to his omega. After almost fifty minutes of waiting, a beta entered the room and whispered something to the king. 

Harry wasn’t coming.

In the end, it wasn’t the lame excuse the king gave to the table about Harry’s absence that made Louis snap from his silly fantasy but how the beta got closer to Bryce to probably inform the same thing he did to the king and not Louis, because Louis might be Harry’s husband but he was still not his lover.

The prince waited a few minutes after Bryce left to do the same, too tired to keep pretending for a group of people that already were pitying and mocking him and his situation. He was walking to his old chamber—deciding to leave their new one to Harry, to let him enjoy the room with the person he actually wanted to be with, as he took some deserving time alone to just get his armor back on—but screams made him stop his tracks.

“I said let me in!”

“Can’t let you, I have explicit orders,” one of the guards at the door drawled at a furious Bryce.

“From whom? If this is coming from the frigi—”

Louis coughed. “What’s going on here?”

Bryce's head snapped and all the guards bowed to Louis.

“Your highness, I’m afraid Lord Styles dropped,” the guard cautiously said.

Louis frowned. “Dropped?”

“When an alpha doesn't get enough pheromones from his… partners he has high risk to drop.” Bryce revealed with slight disdain. “Now he’s feral and just wants to fu—”

“His body just needs to stabilize, you highness, that’s all,” Florence said hurriedly from behind Louis. “Mrs. Walkers sent this brevage so you can give it to him, he will not listen to anyone but you… his mate ."

Louis has heard of feral alphas, how dangerous they could be. Having twice the amount of force a normal alpha had, they were pure strength and instinct and Louis knew Harry could easily hurt him if he didn’t plan a quick strategy.

“Heavens, how could I’ve been so foolish,” said Bryce with a hand on his chest. “Florence is very right, me or anyone who isn’t intimately close to Lord Styles could be easily killed by him in his state."

Louis’ blood boiled at the sight of a microscopic smile on the beta’s face. He never in his life had wanted to use his power over someone like he did in that moment. He wanted him gone from the palace, far from Louis and far from Harry.

“Where’s the beverage?” Louis asked, still looking at Bryce defiantly. 

“Here,” Florence handed him a bottle with a murky liquid inside. “He needs to drink two sips every three hours, he probably will refuse at first, but you have to insist. He will listen to you."

“Alright, I’ll…” Louis gulped. “I shall bear that in mind, thanks, Florence,” he grabbed the hands of the beta. “Can you do me a last favor?”

“Of course, anything you need.”

“Tell Zayn to inform everyone else that I got this.”

Florence’ eyebrows knitted together in confusion but still nodded. “As you wish, Louis.”

♔

As soon as he set foot inside the chambers, Louis heard a raw deep growl coming back from their room and for a split moment, he played with the idea of just walking out of the room, giving Bryce—Harry’s actual future mate—the bottle and just call quits to the entire farce. But he knew they both were in too deep already and it wasn’t only them inside their boat now but many many more people.

So far he had two options, jump Harry from behind before he could attack or wait until he pulled him and attacked while being under him. Louis took a few tentative steps inside the room trying to stabilize his wild heart so that the alpha couldn’t take notice of his presence but a snarl made him freeze. His heart was beating so loud that there was no way the alpha wouldn’t have noticed him. 

He knew he wasn’t alone anymore.

Harry still remained in his place, even after Louis got close to him. It was a beautiful vision, naked body and tense muscles moved by instinct, ready to jump. His head snapped up in the omega’s direction, nostrils flaring sniffing the air. Louis tried to relax his posture, looking as submissive as he could, now that the possibility of a surprise attack flew out of the window, he needed to get under him.

As if reading his mind, seconds later Harry was pulling Louis on the bed, mouth going straight for his neck. In all his years of training, Louis learned how to fight alphas’ commands, how to knock them off and even finish them, if necessary, but they never mentioned how good a feral alpha on top of him could smell, how much he’d want to be taken by him. Louis knew it was an uncommon reaction, that with any other alpha, he’d just react like he was trained to react, quick, automated, like a trigger. But there he was, trying to calm himself not to not smell scared but to not smell aroused . 

“Mine,” was the first coherent word Harry said out loud, it was a mix between a growl and a purr, before he rubbed his face all over Louis’ neck. “Safe.”

It was then that Louis noticed he wasn’t being pinned down but hugged, he could easily trap Harry like this, it was a few very simple steps, he just needed to… want to do them.

“How safe am I?” Louis stroked Harry’s hair. He knew Harry couldn’t understand him much at the moment, but he noticed how some of his muscles relaxed as soon he heard his voice. 

“Safe,” he repeated, licking a long stripe on his neck before dragging his face all over it. 

“But I was the kitten,” Louis whispered as his head fell back, allowing himself to enjoy for just a moment the feeling of Harry’s tongue running all over his jaw, neck and collarbones.

“My kitten,” Harry’s growl was low and Louis had to bite his bottom lip to restrain any embarrassing sound that dared to come out of his mouth, completely forgetting that Harry could easily smell the arousal growing inside him as easily he could smell the slick wetting his underwear. “Want pups?” he grunted.

“Fuck, I—” ‘Yes’, it was a very primal answer and the first thing that came to Louis’ mind, but it wasn’t the moment–with Harry it probably would never be the right moment. He wanted to feel offended by such a crass and invasive question but wasn’t that a logical thing to ask for a feral? He probably was smelling how much Louis was gagging for it, how much Louis wanted to be bred by him.

Mortification filled his body as he shifted, trying for the first time since Harry pulled him to be far away from him. 

“Kitten safe,” Harry let out a distressed grunt before nuzzling his neck again, however he easily let Louis move away from him.

“I know, I know, I just—” Louis whispered as he began to search with his eyes the bottle he dropped before Harry pulled him in. “I brought you something, a gift."

“Gift,” Harry repeated, dark eyes hungrily dancing all over Louis’ body.

Louis gulped, trying to suppress a shiver. “It’s uh— in the bottle over there,” he pointed a finger at the scarlett bottle on the floor. “you have to drink it."

Harry furrowed his eyes before looking at the bottle. “Mine?”

“Yes! It’s yours, I—it would make me very happy if you drink it.” Louis still didn’t know if Harry could fully understand him but at least he was going to try.

“Happy,” Harry purred before playfully nipping Louis’ jaw.

“Yes, it’d make me very happy,” He stroked Harry’s face with his knuckles.

Harry’s eyes sparkled before jumping from the bed to grab the bottle, quickly uncaping in.

“No,” Louis stopped him. “come here, it’s only three sips,” he grabbed the bottle and filled the glass on the nightstand, counting until three. “there you go."

Harry sniffed and growled at the smell but still drank the murky brevage. “Happy,” he repeated.

Louis felt a smile grow on his face so big his cheeks started to hurt. “Very,” he whispered. “Now come here, I think you have more scent marking to do.” 

The omega laid down pleasedly on the bed as his alpha began to lick, nip and suck all over his neck and chest, lapping over the marks he was leaving on him. Louis was getting so dirty, dripping down in saliva and slick. He was sure if someone had said to him even two months ago that he’d willingly let an alpha do that to him, he’d have laughed in their face. Scent marking was something he wasn’t looking for, someone slobbering all over him just to stake his claim wasn’t appealing at all but there he was, enjoying every bit of it.

Harry for his part, didn’t try to do more, seeming very content just scenting and purring at Louis, drinking what he gave him, every time, with no questions until both of them fell asleep.

Louis' feelings were beyond tangled and he was bracing for an imminent heartbreak but nothing and no one would ever take that night from him.

♔

Harry had the decency to acknowledge he should feel at least a little ashamed for the way his alpha acted the night before but it was really difficult to feel any other way than content when his prince was cuddling him on their bed, after spending an entire night taking care of him, letting him mark him, mixing their scents together, making the room smell like heaven. 

The alpha couldn’t believe his luck. His prince, by far, was the most beautiful person he had ever met, both mind and body, yet he decided to gift Harry with new and soft sides of him that no one else was privileged to see and that for as long their marriage contract was active would only belong to him. He ran his hand over his cheekbones before touching a perfectly trimmed eyebrow, slightly mischievous even in his sleep, admiring his long, honey-brown lashes, shaking with need to wake Louis up with kisses, trying to stop thinking how much he wanted to be inside him, to fuck him, to make him come undone.

It was awfully inappropriate and Harry hated himself for even thinking about that while Louis was still unconscious.

After taking a few deep breaths, Harry reluctantly detached himself from Louis before getting up from bed to alert their servants they could start their breakfast. He wanted to feed his omega as soon as he woke up, now it was his turn to take care of him. 

He put the first robe he found to cover himself and exited the room.To his surprise the antechamber was filled with Louis’ guards and his companions, alongside some servants from the castle.

“Uhm… good morning?”

“Lord Styles,” a nervous beta said with an apologetic tone. “we told them there was no need for them to stay here, that you both will be fine but…”

“You must understand us, my lord,” Liam said with a bit of edge in his voice. “It is our duty to protect our prince and and as you may or may not know there’s a high risk of things getting out of control while alphas are in the.... state you were last night."

“There’s absolutely no risk when both parts are mated to each other, we wouldn’t risk the prince like that, we’re loyal to him too,” the beta said indignantly as Harry’s body ran cold.

Harry took his time to actually look around the room, which is when he noticed the positions the omegas were standing; they weren’t just waiting for Louis, they were waiting to attack Harry. Ready to kill if necessary.

“How high is the risk?” Harry asked Liam.

“None at all, my lord!” The beta repeated at the same time Liam replied. “Very high. However,” he continued looking at Harry with calculative eyes. “Charles is right, nothing wrong could’ve happened between you two because you’re mated.”

Harry was ready to protest when he saw not only Liam was looking at him with wary and nervous eyes but some of Louis’ companions were on edge too. Of course, none of the castle’s servants knew the charade they were pulling, if he was being honest with himself, for moments, he also forgot too.

“You should really thank your friend, my lord...” Zayn drawled behind Liam, his eyes looked angry and still slightly scared. “Prince Louis was of course a bit hesitant, due to last night was his first formal encounter with a feral but thanks to him, who encouraged the prince to go in, in front of everybody, he had no other option than to fulfill his duties. He’s such a good friend, he really went from begging the guard to let him in to understanding his rightful place as just a mere consort.

“Zayn…” Liam probably said more but Harry’s ears were ringing, white hot rage rising within him.

“Where is he?”

“Your consort?” Zayn arched a brow, Liam chastised him again. “Why of course he is in your chambers.”

Without waiting another second more, Harry walked out to his previous chamber, horrified by his friend’s actions. Trying to imagine what could’ve happened in that room, how much Harry could’ve hurt Louis.

To his surprise, Bryce wasn’t the only one in there, he also was accompanied by other betas who were pampering him.

“I want everyone out now but you,” Harry roared pointing at a startled Bryce. “Why the fuck are you still here? I said get out!” he shouted using his alpha voice so all the betas didn’t have any other option than to obey. He knew he was going to regret doing that later but right now his mind had only one single purpose...

“You know I hate when you use your voice, it gives me head—”

“Why the fuck did you let Louis go to my room last night?” Harry snarled at the beta.

Bryce chuckled humorlessly. “Let… How much power do you think I have in this castle?”

“Don’t play stupid, you know what you did.”

“Then please, do tell me what did I do?” The beta crossed his arms diafiantly. One of the things Harry used to like about Bryce the most was that he never seemed scared of Harry but after the way he risked Louis, maybe it was time for things to finally change. “Did he tell you the mean bad beta forced him to—” 

“I could’ve killed him!” Harry snapped, hand clutching the first chair he found.

“Did you kill him?” Bryce asked with a fake bored tone. He was sweating and his chin was wobbling, he was scared, he finally was scared of Harry.

“No,” the alpha grunted.

“And did you hurt him?”

“No, he...” Harry gulped. “he actually took care of me,” voice betraying himself and turning soft at the memory.

“Oh…” Bryce frowned as if he wasn’t expecting that reply at all.

“Did you fucking expect me to hurt him?” Harry said through gritted teeth, fury slipping through his tone again.

“Of course not, he’s a well trained omega after all, I was actually expecting him to kick your ass.”

It was Harry’s time to frown. “Why?”

“Did you order the guards to not let me into your chambers?”

“No? Bryce...”

“Now who’s playing dumb, I was going to help you, that’s why I was there in the first place. One of the servants told me you were in bad shape and I was going to do you a favor but it seems since you have an omega now, I’m no longer needed."

“I didn’t give them any orders,” but deep down he wished he had.

“Ah.. so your prince must have done it,” Bryce got up from his chair and slowly walked towards him. “The question now is, are you going to let him do that?” he asked as a hand caressed his chest slowly.

“Do what?”

“Rule over you, become his puppet.” 

And those were the biggest questions, was he becoming Louis’ puppet? Was that how his mother felt around the king? Helpless and in love, dying to please every single need the king had even if it meant her emotional destruction?

“I—”

A voice interrupted Harry’s tumultuous thoughts.  “Harry, are you—”  Louis stopped in his tracks, gaze fleeing to the hands all over his chest and Harry had the sudden need to push Bryce away from him even though he knew they weren’t doing anything wrong.

“Good morning, your highness,” Bryce’s hands dropped to his sides.

Louis’ eyebrow twitched. Harry learned when he was in front of strangers he never showed much emotions but from time to time the tiniest of the gestures slipped. Harry loved to analyze and categorize all of them before going to sleep. The eyebrow twitch meant he was furious. “I’m very sorry, I thought you didn’t have company.”

“Do you need something?” Harry said with an even voice, avoiding sounding too desperate, he mentally patted himself on the back.

Louis' shoulders stiffened and he straightened his posture up. “Actually yes…” After a few seconds of silence he added. “I want a consort, as soon as possible."

Something clenched in Harry’s heart. “A what?” he asked with a flat tone as the back of the chair he was still holding made a loud crack sound.

“A consort, do keep up,” Louis sniffed, not even paying attention to the broken chair.

“Bryce,” Harry said with a low deep tone, eyes never leaving Louis’. “Can you leave my husband and I alone?”

“As you wish, my lord.”

After the door clicked Louis spoke. “I hope that chair wasn’t important to you.”

“I’m a bastard, princeling, nothing inside this castle really matters to me,” Harry said with a harsh tone, Louis’ eyes looked hurt but Harry was so confused he didn’t put much thought about it. “I’m trying really hard to not—what the fuck are you talking about? Did you meet someone? Are you in love?”

Just the thought of Louis with another man left a bizarre ache in his guts, an unfamiliar heaviness that he felt all over his body.

“I want things to be even and fair,” Louis demanded with a hard voice, gaze intense. “if you have a consort I want a consort too,” he huffed, his chin was high and if Harry wasn’t feeling so many things at the same time he’d have melted at how fucking adorable he looked like that.

“What consort do I have? And are you that spoiled that you're throwing a temper tantrum because you think I have something you don’t?”

“I’m not—I… It’s about fairness,” Louis refuted slowly, uncertain. “We are equals, if you’re going to be randomly fucking someone, I think the only fair thing would be me having someone too, I mean I have to practice because I do want to be prepared when I get married for real.”

Harry felt how something broke a bit inside him at the realization that Louis would never see him as someone worthy of his love. He felt so incredibly stupid to think he meant more to the omega. However, he still remembered the way he looked at him the night prior, how pretty he begged for him, the prince might not see him as a real husband but Harry still has a chance to be something else.

“Then,” Harry said gruffly as he walked closer to the omega. “You should've asked me, baby,” hands circling Louis’ waist.

“What are you doing?” The prince asked softly but let himself be pulled by Harry.

“You said,” Harry whispered leaning his head so close to Louis’, he could even feel his breath against his lips. “you don’t want to be inexperienced when you meet your first love.”

Louis licked his lips, just a hint of tongue wetting his pretty mouth. “I didn’t say that,” he breathed out, head lolling to the side, exposing his neck to Harry. “It’s just, it would be weird, me being married to someone and being inexperienced.”

Harry hummed, trying to swallow the pang of bitterness he felt every time he herard Louis talk about his future husband. “Then let’s give you the experience, princess,” he said, slowly running his nose over Louis’ neck.

“Don’t think I’ll forget about the consort thing,” Louis murmured, already opening Harry’s robe.

“Oh believe me, we will talk about that consort thing, but while I have you under me,” Harry grabbed Louis’ chin so the omega had to look directly at his eyes. “you will not think about any other person than me.”

“Same goes for you,” Louis replied, curious hands already exploring the muscles of his torso.

“Baby, I wouldn't dream of thinking about anybody else but you,” Harry leaned in again and kissed the corner of Louis’ mouth.

“Are you going to kiss me?” Louis' eyes fluttered shut.

“Aren’t I doing just exactly that?” Harry teased him but before Louis could protest, he was closing the distance between them, the kiss was as soft as Louis’ lips, with the barest touch of tongue, but he could feel his prince trembling against him as a soft whimper escaped from his mouth. 

“Put your arms around my shoulders,” Harry ordered as he easily lifted Louis and the boy wrapped his legs around Harry. 

Louis’ breath hitched at the feeling of Harry’s hands squeezing the flesh of his ass. “Where are we going?” he asked, lips pressing quick and hungry kisses all along his neck and lips.

“To my room,” Harry gave Louis’ earlobe a quick nip. “I want you to feel comfortable."

“Are you going to teach me stuff?” Louis whispered, Harry groans, kissing Louis’ jaw.

“I’m going to teach you everything , baby,” Harry lowered Louis on top of his bed, not being able to take his eyes away from him as he slowly began to strip all his clothes off. “While we remain together, I always want you in lace and silk, understood?” he touched Louis’ nipples with his fingertips, softly and reverently.

The expression on Louis’ face nearly made Harry lose the bit of control he had, wet eyes filled with unshed tears, red splotches on his cheeks becoming more prominent, mouth red from being bitten. 

And was right there when Harry realized that if it was for him—and if Louis let him—he’d follow his omega to the end of the earth, blindly and wholeheartedly. Even after he remarried, he was going to make sure the only man Louis wanted by the end of the day in his bed and chambers was him, even if he had to become his consort, the kingdom could whisper about him as much as they wanted, he was going to stay with his prince.

‘You shall not speak about your father like that, not in front of me!’

‘Even after he abandoned you, us… He doesn’t even come to see you anymore, he doesn’t care for you or me, he only cares about this awful kingdom."

‘When the day arrives, you will get to meet him and will understand many things. And even if you don’t, you will when you find someone that makes you feel ready to start wars for them, loving them enough to want to protect them in any way you can.’

Harry finally understood what his mother was trying to tell him, he was irrevocably doomed as much as he was irrevocably in love. 

♔

“What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?” Louis worriedly whispered at seeing Harry lost in thought with a small frown in his face.

Was he regretting being with Louis? Was he about to reject him? He might not want to deal with the burden of being with an inexperienced virgin on top of being with anyone else besides his lover.

Harry edged a little closer and Louis quickly wrapped his arms around his neck with trembling hands, trying to cling onto every bit of what Harry wanted to give him. “I don’t think you realize how I see you.” The alpha shook his head, gaze dropping to his lips. “In my eyes, you couldn’t do anything wrong, not even if you decided to walk out of this room right now,”

Louis wouldn’t, he couldn’t, he didn’t want to.

“I want you to teach me, I want to learn from you, plea—”

Harry bit the word out of his mouth with a hungry and desperate kiss. Tongue lapping at Louis’ lips before brushing over his tongue. The omega could feel his insides burning and his needs growing, he needed to smell like his alpha inside out. He needed to be filled up.

“I can smell how much you want it,” the alpha purred after he broke the kiss, saliva still connecting their mouths for a moment. “You could come just with my mouth fucking your mouth.” He moved his face to Louis’ neck, inhaling his scent. The omega’s eyes fluttered as teeth sank into his neck, tongue swapping over his mating glands. “You wouldn’t even require my fingers to get off, your scent is so thick in the air, you’re not even trying to hide it, you want me to smell you." The last bit came out as a growl that made Louis’ hole clench as a wave of slick leaked out of him.

“I want—Oh god,” Louis' head fell back when Harry’s hands flew to grab his ass in a tight hold and rutted their cocks together, creating an unbearably good slippery friction. 

“What does my princess want?” Harry asked, rough voice making the omega feel empty and wet, dizzy with desire. “You want my fingers?” His fingers played with Louis’ entrance, making him gasp and spread his legs to give the alpha an easier access to him. “My mouth?”

Louis let out a helpless whimper at the feeling of Harry’s tongue swapping over his pert nipple before sucking it, as his fingers twisted and crooked deep inside him in the way that made Louis’ cry out in pleasure.

Harry was making him feel desired and bold enough to ask for what exactly needed. “I want—I want to know how this feels inside of me,” Louis breathed, letting himself enjoy every lick and caress the alpha wanted to give him. “Just the tip, please."

Harry’s head snapped, he looked at Louis as if he was ready to devour him. “Are you sure?” he said, tone dark and full of lust.

Louis swallowed, looking down at where their bodies connected. Harry was huge and deep down, he knew it would hurt, no matter how slow Harry went and how many times his hole clenched with need every time he saw it. “Just the tip, I promise I’ll be good."

Harry grunted before he captured his lips in a fast, wet kiss. “Fuck, baby, you don’t have to promise anything,” he whispered against his lips as he readjusted himself on top of Louis, the head of his cock slipping against Louis’ balls and pressing behind them. “I’m going to be gentle, I’m gonna make this good."

There was no doubt in Louis’ head that Harry was going to keep his word as the alpha gently manhandled his body to place a soft pillow under his hips and carefully hold one of his legs. He leaned down to slowly kiss his neck, licking a stripe up and kissing him behind his ear. 

Harry thrusted again, the tip of his cock sliding into the crack of Louis’ ass, brushing his rim teasingly. “Is this what you want, princess? Fuck, you’re so wet."

Cock slippery with Louis’ slick and his pre-come as he slowly worked the fat head into his entrance until it started to sink inside.

Louis cried out at the new sensation, body trembling, cock dribbling and hands gripping the sheets. It was just the tip but he felt already so impossibly stretched out, he squeezed his ass tight around it, trying to trap it inside him. “More,” Louis moaned against Harry’s chin, trying to move his hips so he could stuff himself more with his alpha’s cock.

“No” Harry hissed with gritted teeth, as though he was forcing himself to say that word, fighting the instinct to push in and just take what he needed. What was already his. “I don’t want to hurt you, you’re so tight, baby, so incredibly tight."

“Please, just a bit more, I need to feel more of you in me,” Louis said desperately, tears clouding his eyes. “I promise I’ll be good, so good, alpha, please.”

“Fuck, okay, baby,  I’ll give it to you,” Harry said with an almost inhuman growl as he kept rubbing the tip of his cock between Louis’ slicked cheeks. “Do you want to stay like this or do you want to turn around? It would be easier if you turn—”

“No, please, no, I want to see you, I want to hold you." Louis wrapped his arms around Harry.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Harry let Louis’ leg go so he could cup his face carefully and kiss his forehead. “We are doing whatever you want, baby."

Louis cried out, a low and broken sound ripped out from his belly as Harry began to push into him. He felt how his body tensed at the intrusion but still wrapped his legs around Harry and pushed the alpha’s hips towards him with his heels. 

“Don’t,” Harry growled again. It was dark and Louis supposed he should feel scared but the sound only made him want his alpha even more. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he hissed as he slowly began to move again, pressing his cock further, deeper.

“Are you all in?” Louis whispered as tears squeezed their way out of the corner of his eyes. It stung and burned and he was so fucking ready for more. 

Harry leaned his forehead in the crook of his neck, sweat and scent mixing together. “No, I’m only halfway in,” he sounded almost heartbroken, afraid. 

Louis whimpered loudly, the thought of Harry using his cock to open him up, to prep his hole, made his toes curl with pleasure. “Good,” he said strangled. “because I want more."

The alpha lifted his head from Louis’ shoulders and looked at him, a mix of suspicion and adoration adorning his features. “Are you really sure? Baby, we can stop whenever you want, it’s okay." 

Louis clenched his ass around Harry’s hard length as he mouthed “More." against Harry’s jaw.

“Fuck,” Harry hissed, hips pushing slow and perfect inside him, no more than half an inch but it felt massive. “There you go, princess. Push out a little. Yes, swallow me whole, baby."

Louis let his mouth fall open, head dropping back. A scream got trapped in his throat as Harry kept going and going until he could feel him deep in his belly and the fat bulge of his swollen knot pressed against his taint. 

“Is that you?” Louis whispered in awe as his hand softly touched his lower tummy.

Harry’s chest rumbled against his, proud and powerful. “Yes, baby that’s me,” he sucked Louis’ shoulder, tongue sliding out to lick the wet skin as he began to build a decadent pace. He grabbed his hips, kept him still and rubbed small soothing circles into his hips. “The way you’re milking my cock, looking the way you do, so fucking wet and needy. Your pretty belly ready to be filled with my come, you’re going to look beautiful bloated with it, so mine."

“Yours, only yours,” was the only thing Louis could  slur out before Harry smashed his mouth against his lips as he began pistoning his hips. 

Louis could only whimper and let the pleasure building inside of him overtake him, he had no idea how long they kept going. Harry’s mouth sucked, licked and lightly nipped Louis’ mating gland, making the omega go wild, fingertip digging on his alpha’s back. What seemed too much a few moments ago was now perfect, Harry increased the force of his pounding and instead of being painful it made Louis crave more. 

“Alpha, please, I want your knot, I need it,” the omega sobbed as he began to meet Harry’s thrust, mind hazy with desire. 

Harry’s rhythm fluttered for a second before he growled. “Baby I--really need you to be sure about this because fuck, I want—”

“Yes, please, please, knot me, I want it so bad."

“I’m gonna make you so mine,”  Harry hissed before he slammed his cock back into Louis with force, hitting his prostate, making him cry with ecstasy. Louis felt the knot at the base of Harry’s cock grow even more, teasing his rim. “You feel that, baby?” he moved Louis’ small hand to his knot. “All that is going to be inside you. Keep my come secure in your tummy, would you like that?”

“Please, alpha, please, want your come, fill me up." Louis muscles’ tightened before he arched his back, hole clenching over his alpha’s thick and swollen cock.

Harry’s knot breached into Louis, finally swelling to its full length, too big to allow him to escape, locking him in place. He began to grind into him with tight little circles, knot rubbing  against his prostate, mercilessly, making his body seize and his legs tremble.

It was overwhelming, devastating, like nothing Louis had ever felt before, it was a shock to all his system, every part of him could feel every part of Harry, touching him, kissing him, pounding on him, molding his body to make it his own, filling him up. Louis came with a loud sob, neglected cock spurting between his alpha and him, making the room smell like a pleased and just bred omega. There were black spots in his vision, his hole quivered as he rode out his orgasm.

“Mine,” Harry roared one more time before he was painting Louis’ walls with his thick and warm cum. Emptying his seed, deep inside him and continued to do so until he felt it drip out his wrecked hole, it was so much not even his knot was enough to keep it all inside Louis. “You’re so perfect, my perfect omega, so sweet, so full of me."

Harry kissed him sweetly and reverently all over his face, seed still spilling inside Louis, the warmth inside him burned hot like the sun, shattering and all consuming. He realized right then and there that he’d never feel like this with anybody else, that he could remarry or find thousands of lovers and no one would compare. 

Louis was ruined for anybody else.

Later, after Harry spent the day fucking and feeding him, Louis tried to leave the room, however, Harry wasn’t having any of it. He pulled him closer, chest firmly pressed against his back, face burying on his neck and tongue soothing the bruises he left with his mouth and teeth. 

“You stay,” Harry growled.

Louis chuckled. “Mr. Styles, that sounds awfully like an order."

Harry froze. “Fuck,” he said as he turned Louis to face him. “I’m so sorry, I’m fucking it all up. You said alphas weren’t animals and here I am, behaving like one."

“Be sure, Harry,” Louis kissed Harry’s nose. “If I would want to leave, I’d leave, and you’d have to deal with the sorrow of not having me. You have a need and I’m kindly going to fulfill that need because I want and I need it too.

“You need it? Need me?”

Louis snorted. “From everything I said, the only thing you heard was that?”

“You have to pardon me, my mind is too busy smelling and feeling my seed coming out of you."

“Your post-coital talk is so inspiring. Please, write me a sonnet someday."

“I could make one about how beautiful you look with your tummy swollen,” Harry said with reverent tone as his big hand spread posessively over his belly.

Louis felt his face heat. “I think you’re the only person who can make me blush,” he whispered honestly.

“Good,” Harry said before kissing Louis’ mouth. “Let’s keep it that way.”

And just for that instant, Louis let himself hope again.

♔

Harry woke up relaxed and with a smile on his face. He tried to reach for Louis but he only found cold sheets.

“Good morning, Lord Styles, the prince is in the Blue room with his dad and the rest of the court. He told me to inform you as soon as you woke up."

“Why didn’t you wake me up before?” Harry growled at the beta. Stomach twisting in knots just thinking of his omega alone in a room filled with vultures. 

“The prince gave me orders to not do it, sir. He wanted you to rest."

“He’s all alone with them, next time the prince does something like that, you tell me." he growled at the betas as he quickly dressed himself and walked to the Blue Room.

“Yes, my lord.”

Harry could hear the ruckus from outside the room, but so far it seemed Louis was controlling the situation. Slowly opening the door without causing any disruption Harry stood in an obscure corner of the large room. 

“I don’t know what you are aggravated by, I merely made a list of betas whom I want to train alongside my omegas,” Louis said with stoic poise.

“I don’t know the majority of these betas but the ones I do know are weak and not apt for wars.”

“I think they are.”

Lord Johan let out a sardonic laugh. “You must be joking, your highness, there’s no way you actually think the old man from the stables could be trained to become a warrior and fight honorably in wars."

“This is where you clearly mistook me, Lord Johan.” Louis' smile although polite was also lethal. “As a future king, my duty is to think as deeply in the peace as in the war. These trainings are not only to create a new reinforced army but to create better workers for the castle and the kingdom.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea."

“Good thing you are not the king."

“King, you must stop this nonsense, right now."

“Did you just try to use your alpha voice with the king?” Louis' tone was cold and calculating. Harry tried to recall if the alpha had really used his voice without him noticing.

“No! Why would I—”

Louis snarled warningly. “Are you calling me a liar?”

“No, my lord, maybe—maybe I got a bit excited."

“You mustn't do that again, or else I’ll ask for your head. As you have heard before, I do not have any mercy for disrespectful alphas."

Lord Johan’s eyes bulged, veins on his neck popping as his face went from red to almost purple for how much he was trying to control himself. Harry took that as his cue to make himself known.

“Good morning, I hope I’m not interrupting much,” Harry’s chest rumbled warningly, body ready to attack anyone who dared to disrespect his omega.

“Good morning, dear, I was just informing these nice gentlemen of my plans for the betas. Your dad agrees with me, isn’t that right, king?”

The king had a strange look on his face, he looked pale and his temples were sweating but his eyes somehow looked almost hopeful.

How strange…

“That’d be correct. I think we should listen to the prince,” he gulped, sounding a bit insecure, voice trembling. “He will be the future king after all

Huh…

“This is nonsense,” another alpha from the court growled. “A terrible mistake.”

“You’re entitled to your own opinion, that is your right, but do not confuse your place in this court. At the end of the day, it’s not your opinion with the most weight.”

Harry’s chest filled with pride at the image in front of him. Louis had every single alpha in the room in control, he was in charge. 

“Very well, now that we got that part clear, I’m gonna need a large training room and your best alphas. Let’s fix this kingdom.”

♔

An entire season passed filled with things and feelings Harry had never experienced before. Despite knowing that Louis didn’t plan to stay married to him, and that he was only playing along to fulfill his duties, despite being aware he didn’t feel much for Harry, the alpha still felt the happiest he had ever felt since he was a child.

In those three months, he learned so many new things about Louis, things the omega freely and easily told and showed Harry. Like how he would prefer one single book over any type of jewelry. Or how much he cared for the people who worked for him to the point of almost considering them family. He also learned how much he loved to wake Harry up with his mouth on his cock and how he’d let Harry take him in any part of the castle, always ready and pliant for him.

Harry began to train with the betas, he was taught how to use a sword, to how to protect his prince, being always in sync with him in battles. It wasn’t an easy task but Louis was always close to him, encouraging him, with infinite patience.

Louis made the combats look like a dance, agile and lethal, fucking mesmerizing. Aim direct and clean, he was good, so fucking good, Harry had no doubt he could destroy an entire army before breaking into a sweat. 

He was watching his prince gracefully train with an alpha guard when Bryce’s voice made him snap off his daze.

“We need to talk, now.”

“I can’t right now, I’m busy.”

Bryce huffed. “You're ogling the prince, you have time.”

“No I really haven't,” Harry mumbled, eyes never leaving Louis’ graceful movements.

“It’s about my sister, she presented.”

Harry’s head snapped, eyes finally seeing Bryce’s worried face. “Sophie? Is she…”

Bryce gulped, chin wobbling. “Yes. I wouldn’t ask for your help if it wasn’t for her, you know that. I—I need you, she needs you

“Fuck … okay, I’ll…” Harry hesitates, mind spinning fast and frantic, assessing all the little options they had. “We can move her without anyone noticing, Louis made the gardeners plant several types of herbs, we can pick some that can hide her scent for now. We can take her to the cottage where we stayed last time, you can clean it while I go for her, I can bring your parents too, that’d give you guys enough time to think about what you want to do later. I can give you money too.”

“Would you do that for me?” Bryce's tone was hopeful, grateful.

“I’d do that for anyone who needed this type of help. It’s fucking unfair the things they have to go through only because of heir assignation."

The beta frowned. “Of course…”

“Now let me talk with Louis before we leave.”

“No,” Bryce stopped Harry before he could move. “don’t interrupt him, he’ll ask questions and what are you going to tell him? I already told one of his guards we were leaving, he told me he was going to inform the prince as soon as he finished training.

Harry went still. “You did this before you told me what was going on?”

Bryce blinked at Harry.  “I knew you wouldn't fail me or my family, we need to go as soon as possible, she’s in a really bad state, we have no time to lose.”

Giving one last look at Louis, Harry nodded to Bryce before he reluctantly walked out the room, completely ignoring how Louis witnessed the whole exchange from the corner of his eye.

♔

An entire day had passed since Harry left the castle with Bryce without even saying goodbye to Louis. The omega didn’t understand why he was so surprised and hurt by the action, when he knew Harry’s first priority would always be his lover.

The ache building up inside his chest was all on him. He had no right to feel the way he did. Harry was a good man, attentive, sweet and with a heart of gold, he deserved to spend some time with the person he actually loved, he deserved to be free of Louis’s grip. His dragonslayer deserved a few days of happiness.

Then, why was Louis so endlessly mad and hurt?

“This is certainly an impressive improvement,” Louis heard the king say as he sat besides him in the training room.

“Good afternoon, king, I didn’t expect your visit.”

“Guess I’m full of surprises. The betas are learning fast.”

“They’re good, they just needed the right training.”

For a few minutes, they both stayed quiet, just watching the betas train before the king spoke again. “There have been some complaints…”

The prince snorted. “Color me shocked. Is your court regretting their decision of choosing me as their future king?”

“They didn’t pick you, I insisted it had to be you…”

“Why?”

“Because, you’re strong and clever. You may seem predictable and they liked that about you, but you’re nothing of the sort. You’re also fiercely loyal, something they also found beneficial for the kingdom. What they failed to notice is that you aren't loyal to the throne but the people.”

“And did you notice that or are you just finding out?”

“I chose you for a reason, prince.”

“I hope you have a very strong one, because my time here is coming to an end and the only things I’ve done is defy your court, plant some herbs and train some betas.”

The king hummed. “You didn’t bond with my son…”

“You know we didn’t, but it’s too late for you to do something. You can’t tell your court because they’d only pressure you into finding a solution that doesn’t exist, and for what I’ve seen, you hate to work under pressure.

“He’s observant too…”

“If I may say something,” Louis shifted on his seat. “I’d be careful with them if I were you. This is probably a scandalous thing to say,” Louis chuckled humorlessly. “A prince telling a king to be careful with the people he should trust the most...but I have this nagging voice in the back of my head that tells me you also know you mustn't trust them.”

The king said nothing, and when Louis finally faced him, he saw a small smile on the face of the tired looking omega. 

The king knew.

♔

Harry was exhausted, dirty and missing his omega. It took the herbs an entire day to have some effect on Sophie and it took another to sneak her out of her village, taking the longest road so they wouldn’t be discovered.

Now, Harry just wanted to barge in wherever Louis was, take him to his bed and hold him until they both fell asleep. However, no matter how much he missed him, he wanted to look at least nice for him. He knew he couldn’t do too much about his probably sour and bitter scent, having to witness the amount of distress Bryce and his family had to go through was still affecting him. 

Harry took his time in the bath, choosing to do it in his old chambers so no bitter tones would stink Louis and his new ones, trying  to relax as much as he could, to change his scent to not distress his omega too much. 

Maybe he could tell Louis what was going on with Bryce’s family, Harry thought as he dried himself. He was his husband after all and Harry trusted him and his judgment, maybe he could help Harry to find more options other than hide her until she was old enough to live on her own in other kingdoms or marry a complete stranger.

“Heavens, Bryce, what are you doing here?” Harry said, startled at seeing Bryce sitting on his bed.

“At first I was just trying to find you to thank you for what you did for my family, you left the cottage so early, I thought you just went for food but--”

“Bryce…” Harry warned him, the beta tended to do that a lot, go off topic, distract Harry. The alpha used to find that endearing but at that moment, when he desperately needed to see his husband, it just annoyed him.

“Fine,” Bryce huffed exasperated. “your husband is torturing betas in the training room.”

“He's what?! ”

“Torturing innocent betas, humiliating them.”

Harry let out a big sigh. “Why don’t you let me change and then I’ll see what my tyrant of a husband is doing with those poor innocent and tortured betas,”

Bryce narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. “Are you mocking me?”

He wasn’t trying to but he knew Louis well enough to not even be worried for those betas, whatever Bryce saw, he knew it had an explanation. “I’m going to change, Bryce,”

Harry changed as quickly as he could, not because he was afraid for the betas but because he wanted to see his husband. But the closer he got to the training room, the louder the yelling became. He opened the heavy door to find a heartbreaking image.

A large number of betas were crying in the corner as others looked pale and scared. He found Louis standing beside a big mean looking alpha, body tense and impassive face.

“Go on, Luke."

“I order you to kneel,” The man—Luke—said, clearly using his alpha voice. Harry felt his stomach turn, bile building in his throat.

The group of betas in front of the guard were sweaty and trembling but were giving the alpha challenging looks. Harry noticed none of the betas kneeled.

“I said kneel,” The alpha roared with full force. 

After the second command half of the betas kneeled and were hurriedly helped by Louis’ omegas who quickly gave them a murky beverage to drink. The standing betas looked proud and with happy teary eyes. Looking around again, Harry noticed all the betas--even the ones who were still crying--looked as proud as the ones standing.

Breaking from his stupor, Harry finally walked towards Louis. “Princeling, could you explain to me what’s going on?” he questioned calmly, trying to not disrupt whatever was happening in that room.

“Hello, Harry,” Louis said casually and without looking at Harry. “did your consort tell you where we were?”

Harry sighed. “You know Bryce is not my consort and I already knew you were going to be here. What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Louis shrugged. “just the standard training, I’m glad you’re back. How did your romantic trip go?” Louis sounded casual, with no trace of jealousy or bitterness. It pissed Harry off how little he cared.

“It wasn’t romantic, Bryce’s sister presented, she's an omega.”

“Oh…” Louis paused. “I’d say congratulations but I doubt it was a thing that’s really celebrated here.”

“Yeah, we had to sneak her out of her village, she’s staying in a cottage my father gave me, it has thick walls and reinforced windows and doors.”

Louis frowned, finally looking at Harry. “Can I talk with Bryce’s family?” His voice was laced with genuine worry.

“I’d say sure but it’s not really up to me.”

Louis nodded. “Then I need to talk to Bryce.”  

“I think he is still in my old chambers.” Harry informed Louis, more to watch his omega’s reaction than anything else.

Louis’ jaw twitched, it was almost imperceptible but Harry basked in the small reaction. “Very well, then let’s go there, I have a consort to convince.”

The omega was out of the room before Harry could even protest and with him a flank of guards following him, not only from his kingdom but Wiijen’s.

♔

Louis was a patient man, he was raised to be one since he was a little boy. He knew sometimes he had to wait very long periods of time to see the faintest of positive results. However, even he had his limits and he felt he finally was reaching them.

“No, I’ll not take you where they are,” Bryce almost snarled.

Louis felt Harry tense besides him. “Bryce, do not talk to Louis like that,” his voice was calm but had a dangerous edge to it. Louis decided not to ponder on it.

“Fine,” Bryce pasted an overly saccharine smile on his face. “with all due respect, my Lord, you’re still not the king so I am in no sense obligated to apprise my family’s whereabouts,”

“I already told him where they are, the prince is just being courteous with you but there was no real need to ask you. I could take him there in no time if he asks me to."

Harry was right, Louis could have avoided all the pleasantries and protocols, and just ordered him to take him where the family was, however, Louis was sure Harry would have been against that, and that would have crushed Louis. He still wasn’t ready to fully confront Harry's priorities and loyalty to Bryce. 

Bryce’s mouth thinned with fury. “You wouldn’t dare to risk my family…”

The alpha sighed. “He just wants to help.”

“I could help your sister, give her shelter.”

“Just like you gave shelter to those betas who are now crying in the training room?” Bryce snarled, standing way too close to him for Louis' comfort. 

“Do not speak to the prince like that,” a guard roared behind him. 

The guards moved fast and efficiently, almost cornering Bryce, all their scents shifted from cautious and guarded to wild and furious, including Harry’s.

Was he mad that the guards were attacking Bryce? Would he fight everyone for his lover?

“Everyone calm down!” Louis snapped irritated. He took a deep breath before continuing talking. “What you saw was part of the training. It is hard to see and harder to endure but it’s worth it, and it’s for their own good. They will be protected and will know how to react when alphas try to use their voices against them, it is a necessity and their right. I want to help your sister and your family.”

“I will not allow her to suffer such pain, no matter how important it is for you,” Bryce spat, voice filled with rage and fear.

That, Louis could understand, the fear in Bryce's voice was undeniable, he could be many things, but he loved his sister.

“I think she must be the one that needs to decide that,” Louis whispered with a soft and amiable tone.

“She cannot decide anything,” the beta choked out, voice sounding hollow. “she’s just a kid! A kid that now has to hide like a criminal... Worse than that! Criminals are treated with more respect than omegas in this land.”

“Then we agree on something. Your family doesn't have a lot of options though, and I’m giving you the best one I can offer right now.”

“And maybe because she’s an omega, she might adapt to the treatment more easily than the betas,” Harry chimed in, eyes kind and soft. Louis had to take another deep breath to not throw a childish tantrum. 

“My husband is right,” Louis added, just to be petty and because he was human after all. “She just presented so her training will feel more natural than for the betas. It’s like learning a language, it only gets harder as you get older. She will be fine, you can train with her if you want, but I do need to see her and talk with your parents and although I don’t need it, I do want your permission for that.”

Bryce bit his lips, eyes looking directly at Harry. There was a silent exchange between them, one that  Louis wasn’t invited to be part of. It was their moment. He averted his eyes from the scene, unable to endure more of it. 

Bryce nodded after a few moments passed in silence. “Alright, we can go this afternoon, but I need to pick some chocolate for my sister first, so if you’ll excuse me...” the beta re-adjusted his vest before leaving, without bowing or any type of pleasantries.

They left the castle hours later and reached the village at dusk. He didn’t speak to Harry until they were about to leave, and was only to discuss how many of his people would accompany them—two of Louis’ closest. 

The ride was tense but thankfully very short. However, to everyone’s surprise, Bryce’s family wasn’t alone in the cottage.

“Mitch? Mitch!” Harry said gleefully as he hugged a tall man. “Lou, this is Mitch, I told you about him!” The alpha smiled at Louis with bright and happy eyes, Louis couldn’t resist but smile back. “What are you doing here?”

“Prince,” Mitch bowed at Louis. “Harry, long time no see! Or I should say Lord Styles now?” he laughed good-naturally. “I’m the village’s herbalist, I came to see Sophie.”

“That’s marvelous, I remember you always liked that. And how is she?”

“Ah yes, there’s actually good news,” he said sheepishly, hand rubbing the back of his neck.

“What happened?” Bryce asked worriedly.

“Turns out, it was all just a big misunderstanding, Sophie is a beta.”

♔

Harry’s mind spinned. How could that be? He saw Sophie, how much she was hurting, but at the same time, it wouldn’t be the first time a beta was wrongly assigned. It happened to Mitch himself a few years ago. 

“Are you sure?” Louis asked with a blank expression on his face.

“Very, I checked her myself.”

“Thank goodness,” Bryce breathed out behind him. “can I see her?”

“Of course, she’s in the left room with your mother."

Bryce took Mitch's hand and with shiny eyes he whispered, “Thank you, so much.” The words coated with genuine gratitude.

Mitch just nodded and smiled back.

“Are there many cases like Sophie’s?” Louis questioned seconds after Bryce disappeared.

Louis knew there were many, Harry himself told him one night. He wasn’t asking out of curiosity, the question sounded more like a permission. The alpha knowing his omega already knew where the conversation was going.

Mitch hesitated, eyes carefully assessing Louis before nodding. “A few, yes."

“I don’t know if you have listened but we are training betas at the palace."

“Indeed, I’ve heard of it. What you’re doing, prince, means a lot for a lot of us, I cannot begin to thank you.”

“We’re only doing what is right. Mitch. If I may ask, do you know more betas like Sophie who would want to train with us."

“Do you mean it? Would you take them and train them all?” Mitch asked with a mystified expression. 

“Of course, we tried our best but I’m aware there are more people and I’d love it if you could help us to find them."

“Of course, it would be an honor, your highness. There’s a few places, they’re a bit far.”

“You can call me Louis, any friend of my husband is a friend of mine. When could we start to recruit them?”

And just like that, Louis had won another inhabitant of the kingdom.

“We can start tomorrow if you want."

“Isn’t it a bit soon?” The last thing Harry wanted was Louis to burn out. “Love, we only brought these clothes, looking for all the betas could take days--”

“Tomorrow is perfect, the sooner we can start with the training, the better. You can stay with Bryce and his family here if you want.” Louis said without even sparing him a glance.

Did he say something wrong?

“That sounds lovely actually.” Bryce’s voice interrupted the conversation, adding another layer of tension of the room. “My family wants to get to know you a bit better."

“Then it’s settled then,” Louis clapped his hands, the smile on his face could look normal to anyone else but Harry could see the strain in it. “We depart at dawn."

“No, I’ll go with you, it is my country too,” Harry refuted stubbornly.

“Where are you going?”

“We will recruit betas to take to the palace,” Mitch informed Bryce excitedly. 

“Speaking of recruiting betas, when do you think I could speak with your parents?”

Bryce shrugged one shoulder. “They’re clearly busy and don’t—”

“Your highness!” Bryce’s mother gasped as she came from her daughter’s room. “It is an honor to have you here. We just arrived today so we don’t have much to offer, but I promise you have an open invitation to our house and you can take as many nectarines as you want."

“It’s perfectly fine, you must not worry about anything other than your daughter right now. However, I’d love to speak to you about her future."

“Oh your majesty didn’t they tell you, there’s no need for extreme measures, she’s a beta.” Bryce’s mother said hurriedly as she threw desperate looks at Mitch.

“He knows,” Mitch told her calmly. “He’s training betas, he’ll take care of her.”

“But why are you training betas?” Bryce’s mother asked candidly. “Is a war coming?”

“Not at all, this is just me doing whatever I can do to prepare and protect the people of my future kingdom for any foreseeable future.”

“You’re a good person, your highness but I don’t know if Sophie is ready for all of that, she—she isn’t built like the other betas, she’s fragile…”

“It’s up to you, but there’s no better time to start training than now and I’m sure she’s way stronger than you think if she is anything like her mother.” Louis’ smile was small and filled with reassurance.

With a shaky hand, Bryce’s mother covered her mouth as a small sob escaped from it. “You’re way too kind, your highness and I’d love her to have a bright future,” she looked at Bryce. “Both of my children, I just don’t want them to hurt.”

Louis with low but firm steps got closer to the woman. “I understand your concerns and as I told your son before, I sadly can’t promise you it will not be difficult but it will be worth it. You can train with them too if you want."

“What about Bryce? Can he train too?”

“Of course he can, he knows he can, he was invited to do so, but again the trainings aren’t an obligation but a mere right."

“You have to train with your sister, I can’t leave your father alone, you must take care of her."

“You and your husband are invited to stay in the castle as long as you want,” Louis reassured them. 

Bryce’s jaw twitched but he still nodded, making his mother sigh with relief.

“Very well, now that we settled that, I think it’s time for us to leave because we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

“Do you have somewhere to stay tonight or are you riding to the castle? My house is a few meters from here—”

“We'll stay in my mother’s house.” Harry chimed in. He needed his omega well rested for the next day activities and he was sure there was no better place than his home.

“Your mother’s house?” Bryce questioned with a strange tone in his voice.

“It’s close to here too, we can pick you all up as soon the sun rises.”

“You’re not staying here?” Bryce insisted.

“Bryce!” His mother chastised him, scandalized. “Lord Styles needs to be with his husband.”

“Right…” Bryce muttered. “I’m sorry for my imprudence, I just assumed he would stay here to protect us all.”

“You will be safe here, the house is very secure.” Harry reassured Bryce and his mother.

“What if Sophie needs help? What if she gets worse?” Bryce questioned, tendons tightening in his neck.

Mtich cleared his throat. “She won’t, the worst part is over and if she needs help, like I said, I live nearby, but I have no doubts she will be fine.”

Bryce’s nostrils flared, Harry knew if they were alone he’d be throwing a tantrum. “If you’re so sure, I have nothing else to say to you. I’m going to check on my sister again.”

“Goodness,” Bryce’s mother breathed out, embarrassment written all over her face. “I’m so very sorry, he’s… he’s a good kid, with a good heart,” she said looking at Harry. “he’s just—”

“You don’t have to explain anything to us or apologize,” Louis told her with a quiet tone as he held her hand. “I understand…”

“Oh Prince,” she kissed his hand with teary eyes. “I promise I’ll talk to him, help him understand too."

“The only thing you need to do is rest and that’s it,” Louis said, handing her his satin handkerchief.

Harry smiled at the compassion and the heart of his omega It seemed every day that he spent with Louis, he discovered a new reason to fall in love with him even more, despite their ups and downs and him feeling like Louis was slipping through his fingers since he left the palace to help Sophie.

“You should’ve stayed with them,” Louis muttered as he took his dirty boots outside their bedroom.

“You’re my husband, I won’t leave you alone,” Harry said, a little distracted, trying to find the softest quilt he could find for Louis. “Besides you heard Mitch, they will be okay, they might not be trained betas but they’re smart and the house is secure. My duty is to you."

The silence stretched out between them, when Harry turned to face him Louis had his eyes closed and his hands in fists. 

“We are not in the castle,” he said, his voice hard, cold, in a way he had never directed to before. “We promised we were going to be true to ourselves here, all was fair, I’m not going to tell anyone if you leave for the night."

“Louis, I’m not leaving you” Harry warned with a growl, throwing the quilt on the bed. “If you don’t want me inside the house, I can sleep on the porch but I’m not leaving.”

“You’re not sleeping outside , don’t be ridiculous! I was just giving you an out, you don’t have to fulfill your duties when it’s only the two of us."

“But... I want to…” Harry sat on the bed, feeling a bit lost.

Louis huffed and crossed his arms. “Well, excuse me if I don’t want to feel like a responsibility or a burden you have to deal with out of duty to your kingdom."

“What are you even talking about? I meant taking care of you was my duty as your husband, ” Harry said, words slow and deliberate. “Because I want to take care of you, just like any other husband wants to take care of their spouse, it’s not about protecting my kingdom but protecting my family and since when is that a burden? Don’t you want to protect me too ? Take care of me?”

Louis sighed, dropping his head back. “I do,” he said mournfully.

“Then, stop thinking for a minute and come to bed with me, because I’ve been dying to hold you since I saw you this morning."

“Alright,” Louis whispered softly and so very tired with flushed cheeks.

As they laid in bed—half of Louis' body on top of him—Harry couldn’t help but smile at the complexity of his husband. No one could deny he could be a bit difficult and closed off about certain things, but so very easy for others. For example, Harry discovered that no matter how upset he was, he’d never deny a hug or a kiss to Harry, he was always ready for caresses and cuddles, ready for him.

Harry only hoped Louis would accept him—at least as his consort, when their charade ended.

♔

It was their last day recruiting people, Louis felt exhausted, but mostly, he felt hopeful . It always took a bit of convincing and Mitch’s words but almost everyone accepted going back to the castle with them. They still didn’t trust Louis and there might be not enough time left for that to happen but that was the least of his problems.

He needed to talk with Harry, tell him what was really going on with his future kingdom, assure him he would always count with Louis’ help and resources, even after the six months mark, he was always going to have Louis’ support and love.

“I’m cold and I miss you,” Louis heard someone whisper from inside their makeshift tent as pain and jealousy grew hungry inside his chest. 

“Bryce. No…”

“I’d give you anything you want, you can knot me, breed me. You want that, right?”

“Bry—”

“We can do it now, no one would judge us, we could have a family, a real one.”

The reality of Bryce’s words made Louis’ bones ache with anguish. They could have a real family, Harry would call Bryce kitten, or baby and then they would have beautiful children. They would be so happy and in love; and Louis… Louis would have to settle to see the love of his life being happy from afar… alone. Because he was hopelessly and pathetically in love and no one would ever compare to Harry. 

As he swallowed the knot in his throat and swiped his tears away, he couldn’t help but wonder why he couldn't be enough for Harry. For the first time in all his life, he was dying to be enough.

“I said no,” Harry growled, making Louis snap out of his thoughts. “Don’t make me throw you out of my tent."

“I know you’re not sure about us because of my designation but Harry, I’m—”

“Well, there must be a time where I won’t find my husband and you in the middle of an… entanglement…” Louis purposely interrupted Bryce, trying to sound as detached as he could. 

He knew he was only delaying the inevitable but he just wanted Harry’s attention focused on him at least for the remaining time they had.

“Louis, sweetheart this is not—”

“Save it, can you please go back to your tent?” he asked Bryce with a tired voice.

Bryce smilled discretedly at him before leaving. Probably aware of what Louis already knew, no matter how many times the omega interrupted them, Louis had his weeks counted. He felt as though spikes of steel had been dug into his heart. Louis had never wanted to slap someone as bad as he wanted to slap that man in that moment.

“Let me explain…” Harry pleaded for god knows what reason. “I—”

“Would you want to breed me too?” Louis asked not letting Harry keep going, heart race rapidly picking up.

Harry’s demeanor completely changed. “Louis…” he growled at him, just like he did with Bryce before but unlike with him, the warning was different. He sounded like a predator ready to eat his prey.

A wave of slick dripped out of his clenching hole, the wet feeling making him shudder. Embarrassment ran through his body at the realization of what he was doing but he pushed it all down shamefully in the name of his own wants. “Harry…”

“What are you doing?” Harry tilted his head, as he made his way towards Louis, voice rough and full of lust, heady scent charging the room.

Louis swallowed roughly and looked away, face feeling hot with blood, he couldn’t even imagine how he probably looked. He still tried to act casual, shrugging one shoulder. “I’m simply asking you a question. Would you?”

“Yes,” Harry said, breath hot on his throat.

An involuntary mewl tears out of Louis’ mouth. “W-Would you take me here in this tent right now?”

He knew he was playing dirty, finishing a game Bryce started, dangling something Harry wanted in front of him, to breed . It wasn’t fair and he was aware that the only reason why Harry was cracking so fast in front of him was because Bryce planted the idea in him first; but he was feeling jealous and desperate, almost irrational. He didn't care if the reaction wasn’t for him, he just wanted Harry.  

Was he being manipulative? Would Harry hate him for it?

“Yes."

Louis’ heart stopped for a moment before realizing Harry was only answering his question. He wanted him, he was going to take him apart, but how far could his alpha go for Louis, to have him?

“No matter if Bryce or the rest listen to us? How you’re knotting me, filling me with your seed? With your pups?”

Harry grunted and pure liquid burned through Louis’ veins, almost turning him into a begging weak mess, lust pooling in his guts. The only reason he was still standing was Harry’s firm grip around his waist.

He surged forward to kiss Louis before lifting and laying him on the makeshift nest he made with the quilts he brought from the cottage. The alpha licked Louis’ bottom lip, making him part his mouth quickly.

“Mine,” Harry growled against his lips, hard cock grinding over his thigh. “you’re mine, my omega ." 

“Are you going to knot me now?” Louis hands gripped Harry’s strong big biceps, trying to anchor himself as he wrapped his legs around the alpha’s waist, clumsy searching for some sort of friction.

“Yes,” Harry repeated. With no finesse, he unbuttoned his trousers.

Louis swallowed, mouth filling with saliva, Harry’s cock was perfect. The size—how almost threatening it was—the shape, the smell, how it tasted inside his mouth, how it felt, every bit of it made Louis want to be filled by it all the time. 

The omega whined when Harry kissed down from his jaw to his neck, fully scenting him, rubbing his nose all over him as he pulled down his pants before ripping his lacy panties. 

“We don’t have much time for me to knot you, kitten, but I’m going to fuck you good, I’m going to keep you full and happy, no matter who listens. My beautiful omega, full with my pups,” Harry whispered before he swiped his tongue over his pulse point, right where his mating bite should go. 

“P-Please—” Louis struggled with his words, tongue feeling too heavy to speak properly as Harry placed the head of his cock on his rim, grinding against it. “I want your pups.”

“I’m gonna give you everything I have,” Harry rasped out, the thick head of his cock breaching his entrance. Louis moaned loudly and without care of who anyone else could think, his alpha was giving him exactly what he needed, he was dying to bare his neck in submission for his alpha to mark. “I’ll follow you to the end of the world, protect you forever,” he continued as he impaled the omega on his dick.

Louis could feel how all his insides were readjusting to make the huge new intrusion fit inside him. He realized no matter how many times they did it, the first seconds would always feel earth-shattering.

“Alpha,” he sobbed, hands clinging to Harry’s back, clenching hard around the length inside him, making them both groan from the sensation.

“You’re perfect, princess,” the alpha whispered, groping his ass, squeezing the plump flesh there as he lavished every inch of Louis' face with attention. “So fucking perfect."

Waves of slick dripped from his ass with every drag of Harry’s cock inside him, and choked mewls came out of his mouth each time he milked his prostate with the fat head of his dick as he began to fuck him hard and fast. 

Louis was reduced to a drooling mess in a matter of minutes, giving all himself to Harry. A thing that months prior would’ve terrified him but now just made him feel at the top of the world.

“I’m gonna give you all the pups you want,” Harry grunted, wet squelching sounds echoing his words. “You’re going to look so fucking gorgeous pregnant, everyone will know you’re only mine. I’m gonna keep you full with my pups all the fucking time.” 

Louis should feel at least slightly offended, but there was some animal part of him who was howling with desire at those words, that fucking loved to feel used by his alpha, happy that he finally found someone that could fulfill even his deepest and most obscure fantasies.

He felt an ‘I love you’ crawl through his chest as pleasure pooled in his lower belly, he came with a silent cry, toes curling and body shaking. Harry continued hammering inside him ruthlessly as he frantically felt those three words growing inside his chest with each thrust. Without thinking much and to avoid being rejected, Louis bit deep into the crook of Harry’s neck. The alpha growled his name guttural and raw, before he was coming with a violent shake of his body, knot swelling just right outside his rim. 

Thick waves of seed began to fill his insides, making Louis’ belly slightly bulge with it. Harry’s scent felt different in that moment, Louis couldn’t get enough of it. He was licking the spot he marked when he felt as if the air of his lungs was punched out of him.

He bit Harry, so hard he could feel a metallic taste in his mouth; but before he could even begin to fully worry about it, Harry was also biting his shoulder, hard and deep. They were biting each other as if they were mating, the only difference was the places weren’t the right ones but the sensation was close to it. 

They were claiming each other as real lovers would.

“My omega, only mine,” Harry purred, one hand squeezing the back of his neck as the other played with Louis’ soft member, smearing the come that was leaking out of his still stuffed hole. “So dainty, so fucking small and lovely, you’re all mine.”

“Alpha,” Louis whimpered, small cock already filling up again due Harry’s skilled hands. “Too much."

“My princess is feeling sensitive?” Harry cooed, cock still filling his belly up with warm come. “All this slick is just for me, right, kitten? You only get this wet for me,” he said sweetly but with a dark hint on his tone, his nose rubbing against his cheeks as he moved his hips in sinfully slow movements.

“O-Only you,” The omega whispered softly. Harry let out a guttural groan as reply, he was shaking on top of him and Louis was sure he was making his best efforts to not knot him right there, surrounded by people, in the middle of them packing to get back to the kingdom. 

“Fuck baby, I need to make you come now or else I’m going to fuck you again and this time I dont know if I will be able to hold back,” Harry grunted as his sticky hand sped up his rhythm and began to pistoning into him with short and fast thrust. Knot slapping against his crack with every shove.

A silent scream ripped out of his body as Louis’ hips stuttered while he ground out his second orgasm. Gasping softly at the feeling of a new wave of warm come coating his insides. His alpha looked and smelled pleased with himself as he licked a fat tear dripping down Louis’ face.

He knew the possibilities of him getting pregnant were almost nonexistent because of the tea he constantly drank, but he couldn’t deny there was a big part of him that wanted it to be real, that craved for giving Harry the family he wished for. 

To be Harry’s real omega.

Someone cleared his throat outside the tent. “My lords, I’m just here to inform you we all are ready and only waiting for you to start our journey.”

Harry growled just like the time Zayn interrupted their first time with the only difference Harry smelled safe and content. He was about to push the alpha to begin to change when he felt a tongue lick the mark on his shoulder. 

“Alpha,” Louis whispered, eyes fluttering.

“You’re mine,” The alpha whispered back, leaving a trail of kisses all over his shoulder and neck.

“Give us ten more minutes,” Louis shouted with a strangled voice as he let his alpha do as he pleased with his body.

If reality was outside that tent, he was in all his rights to ask for a little more time in heaven.

♔

Harry felt on top of the world, his omega wanted him enough to mark him so everyone could see who he belonged to. Not only that, he also let Harry mark him too without hesitation or fear. They didn’t bond, but they were close to it and Harry had no doubt Louis wanted as much as he did.

Sadly, they didn’t have much time to talk, both being aware that if they wanted to reach the castle before dawn, they had to pack everything quickly. They dressed in a hurry, but not before Louis handed him a small piece of fabric.

“What’s this?” Harry asked before he could feel the wetness in the material. His chest began to pleasingly rumble before Louis could even answer him.

“My undergarments,” he shrugged with shy crimson cheeks. Harry came to notice Louis didn’t blush with other people, that those little moments of vulnerability were only for Harry, a thing that made his chest swell with pride and joy. “I suppose it’s your fault they got all dirty and shredded, so you should figure out what you should do with them.”

Harry growled, arm wrapping around Louis’ tiny waist. “Heavens, kitten. If we weren’t in such a hurry, I’d mount you again to give you a proper lesson for this.” He pressed his nose to Louis’ neck, breathing him in, head spinning at the realization that his scent was all over his omega, almost overpowering Louis’ own.

“How sad,” Louis mewled tilting his head back, letting Harry’s tongue lap all over the marks he left before. “I love a good lesson, especially the ones you give me."

“Okay! That’s enough,” Liam yelled from outside the tent, making them both freeze only to then dissolved in a fit of giggles. “We need to leave as soon as possible. You can go back to whatever you’re doing when we arrive at the castle, and I’d appreciate it if you did it in the safety of your chambers.”

It was a really good day, despite how tired they all felt. Everyone’s hopes were high. Louis was giving all those betas a better opportunity when no one else had spared a single thought for them before. Harry felt ashamed because he was part of those people; but for the majority, betas were just that: betas and that was it, no matter how fragile and weak they looked— just like Mitch looked years before, they stopped being a major issue when the possibilities of them being omegas disappeared. But with Louis' help, he was learning not only to pay attention to all the people in the kingdom—no matter their designation, but how to be a fair leader for all of them. 

Their plan was very simple: train as many betas as they could to provide them with better skills. Skills that would also help the kingdom in the long run, because after all, the people living inside your kingdom were a direct reflection of your reign. 

So of course everyone was feeling hopeful and excited for the future. That was, until they arrived at the footbridge of the castle.  

“What do you mean we can’t come in?” Harry frowned at one of the strange alphas guarding the iron gates, crossing his arms. “Who even are you?”

The guard flashed a disdainful smirk. “I’m part of the new guards and it was direct orders from the king himself. You can come in but the betas can’t, they are no longer needed.”

“No longer needed?” Harry said sharply. “And since when are there new guards?”

The guard’s mouth twisted. “The court and the king decided. The king is also waiting for prince Louis in the courtroom, there’s some... issues they’d like to talk about with you, your highness.”

“I see…” Louis said drily with a blank and unimpressed face. “Very well, if I’m needed."

“Are you going?” Harry’s frown deepened. No, that couldn’t be. “What about the betas?”

Louis shrugged  unbothered, walking towards the betas. “The king doesn’t need them, who am I to defy him?”

Harry grabbed Louis by his arm. “You can’t just give up like that,” he demanded. “you promised them a better future."

“I certainly did not promise that,” Louis drawled, pointingly looking at Harry’s hand, still with no type of expression in his face, he was completely shutting Harry out. “I made them an offer that they knew that probably had an expiration date. It’s not really my fault it expired before they could enjoy the benefits."

“You made them travel for fucking miles…” Harry hissed.

“No one put a gun to their heads—”

“Are you for fucking real?”

“You can throw as many fits as you want,” Louis drawled as he yanked his arms from Harry’s grip. “But they will not enter that castle if the king doesn’t want them."

“You—where are you going?” He screamed at Louis’ back as he got closer and closer to Mitch. “Louis no—”

“Can we talk in private?” Louis asked Mitch discreetly.

Harry pulled Louis close to him again and whispered harshly against his ear. “I swear for all the things I love,” Harry thanked god he didn’t slip the ‘you included’ that was in the tip of his tongue. “if you choose that despicable man over these innocent people—”

“You’ll what, Harry?” Louis' cold tone made Harry completely freeze. They stared at each other, his anger so near the surface that his eyes must be shining with it. It was that pain-filled rage that distracted him from the warning signs.  “What could you do to me? I’m the next in command, the only reason you’re even speaking to me like this is because I’m letting you. Do not forget that. You have no power over me."

“You’re acting as heartlessly as him…” Harry regretted his words as soon as he spat them but a mix of fury and oddly enough desire was filling his body and poisoning his thoughts.

Because despite all, Harry still loved Louis, and some twisted part of him liked that his omega was challenging him.

“You’re the one who even now seems to be dying to bend me over and fuck me senseless, I think that statement speaks more about you than me." Louis said with a hint of venom in his voice.

That time, Louis didn’t have to pull away. Speechless, Harry let him go. He was struggling to recognize the person in front of him. Cold and impassive, ready to throw away anything and anyone to please the court and his father. 

A true monarch.

“We will bring more tents, furs and quilts, I suggest you stay inside them until further notice. The tea will be served in an hour, drink as much as you can."

The concerned gaze Mitch was throwing to Louis made Harry’s blood boil, he probably still thought Louis was going to protect them, shelter them.

“Thank you, your highness." the beta said sincerely.

“You don’t have to thank him Mitch." Harry growled lowly, voice sounding hollow and hurt as he glared at Louis. “It’s the minimum he can do for all of you after what he just did."

Mitch’s eyebrows knitted.  “Harry…”

“He’s right, so please, don’t thank me. I hope I can see you again sometime in the future." Louis grabbed Mitch’s hand, face still void of any emotion. 

“You will see me, tomorrow or later tonight, but you will."The conviction on Mitch’s voice puzzled Harry.

Was the beta trying to convince Louis to let them stay? Did he think Louis could change his mind later?

A strange look crossed for Louis' face. “I’d love that.”

Guards gathered around Louis, it seemed the omega was picking who was going with him to the courtroom. It didn’t come as a surprise that Louis only picked his own guards, it was a good strategy. It  showed the king how little he cared for the people of the kingdom, how little he needed them, how ready he was to be a proper monarch just like them. 

Before leaving, Louis cleared his throat, eyes never meeting Harry’s. “For what is worth… I’m sorry."

Harry wanted to shake Louis until he came to his senses, wanted to hug him and never let him go. ‘Please don’t go, please don’t leave me, not you,’ He wanted to beg until losing his voice. “You aren't.” is what he finally said with a broken voice.

“You’re right, I’m not. I just thought you’d like to hear that."

A thousand curses raced through Harry’s head but only one sentence got past his clenched teeth. “Well, you were as wrong about me as I was about you."

And then finally, Louis let Harry see a small glimpse of emotion in the form of a twitch in his jaw. “I thought we had that clear.”

And with that, Harry was dismissed by the ice prince.

♔

Louis was slightly trembling as a flank of his guards followed him to the courtroom. He already knew what he was getting into, he could felt it in the air. Like a fire that was lit up with still green wood, it smelled forced and very dangerous. 

“Are you sure about this? You don’t have to talk with them now."

Louis knew what Liam meant, he wasn’t feeling the best at that moment. To be completely honest, he felt as though he couldn’t breathe and part of his heart was just ripped out from his chest. Harry hated him and he couldn’t even blame the alpha for it. In that moment, he hated himself too; but he did what he needed to do.

“No, I do have to, it’s better if I get this over with now. Just… stay close, and if I’m still there after fifteen minutes you already know what to do.” Louis murmured as he signaled the bad looking—and smelling—guard to open the door.

The sight of unknown armed men in the courtroom made his stomach clench, but he swallowed the knot in his throat and hoped no one could smell the slight trickle of fear in his scent.

“I heard you wanted to see me, your majesty."

“Prince,” The king stared at him, features looking oddly harsh. “You came here alone…”

Louis tilted his head. “Was I supposed to bring someone?”

“It would’ve been a smart choice."

“I’d be careful with your next words, king.” Lord Johan growled next to the king.

“Are you going to deny you’re using your alpha voice again or are we finally dropping the act?” Louis asked with bored tone.

Lord Johan’s lips pursed. “We wanted to work with you,” he said disappointed and with a hint of disgust. “For you to be part of this kingdom, but you have brought nothing but trouble and disgrace.”

“Naughty me, and what are you planning to do? Kill me?” He let out a breath of laughter as his heart thumped a frantic drumbeat in his ear. “You’d need a strong leader to face the consequences of that, and as far as I know, you don’t have one,” he said petulantly, sure they weren’t aware of what a great leader Harry was.

The chuckle that came from Lord Johan’s mouth made him realize how wrong he was. “We know you’ve been training the bastard. We don’t need a smart leader, we just need a strong one, and you made him that."

Louis gulped, counting the new alpha guards inside the courtroom: three on each side. The possibilities of him coming out alive from that room were reduced to almost zero. His only hope being his friends barging in, but even for that, he still needed to make some time.

“We can make a deal—”

“You’re a snake,” Lord Johan snarled, “a cunning snake who loves to wrap around weak people and make them your own, but we aren’t like that, omega. You can twirl and stink the place as much as you want, but you are nothing but filth to us, a liability we need to get rid of as soon as possible.”

“Your next king will hate you for this,” Louis tried. 

Lord Johan chuckled. “He will hate his father, but he already does."

“What—”

“Get up,” Lord Johan ordered the king who couldn’t help but obey his command. “Show the prince your knife.” With a shaky hand, the king showed what it looked like: a sharp dagger, very similar to the one Louis’ owned. The omega moved his hand slowly until he felt the shape of his gun. “You see, prince, in this kingdom we do things properly. We wouldn’t dare to just kill you with a silly gun like the one you’re thinking to pull out.”

“With or without my crassness, if you continue with your foolish plan, you will only end up with a dead king and without your heads, each and every single one of you."

“For someone who always looked a breath away from challenging anyone to a duel, you look a bit pale right now, prince,” The alpha cruelly laughed. “I think it’s time we show the prince our own training, don’t you agree?” He asked the room before they all repeated at unison. “ Kneel."

Louis tried to shield himself from the order like he was trained to do, but there were too many voices and commands. He felt his legs giving out first before his head. Even with all of them, he kept his chin high and proud, contrary to the king, who easily submitted to their orders. 

“So, how do you expect the king to kill me if we both are kneeling down and submitting to you, oh big-brained alpha?” Louis gritted out, body trembling and sweating, enduring one of the biggest pains he had ever experienced. 

“I’m going to kill him myself,” another alpha of the court screamed. 

“Enough,” Lord Johan snapped before walking towards Louis. “The good thing about your training is that one simple order will do nothing to you, unlike our beloved king. Get up,” He snarled at the omega a few steps from him. Was he experiencing the same pain as him? And if he was… since when? “You see him?” He laughed maniacally. “How marvelous is that? This will be a spectacle we will cherish forever.”

Hearing the first signs of ruckus outside the room, Louis smiled pleasantly and relieved. 

“Oh, it will be an spectacle indeed.”

♔

Harry felt like all his world was crumbling down, he tried to understand the reasons why Louis would flip like that. It didn’t make sense for the omega to just throw all those betas away just because the king said so. The cruelty of his act clawed into Harry’s chest and wrenched his heart, creating the worst scenarios in his head.

Was it too far fetched to think that Louis would pick his social status over people who wouldn't bring anything for him? He was going to leave Wiijen anyways, so what was the point in training or caring about people he wasn’t going to rule?   

After all, Louis was a natural strategist. He loved to study the kingdom's rules. He already had mapped out several plans to defuse any type of threat for the country based on the other kingdoms weakness, the main ones were always diplomatic and beneficial for both sides but the last options were mostly calculated and cold. Louis could be a great ally, but also a deadly enemy, and he never stated he was Wiijen’s betas or Harry’s ally. 

“How are you feeling?” Bryce gently asked, a hand rubbing soothing circles on Harry’s tense back. 

Harry bitterly chuckled, glancing over at all the servants and guards who were happily helping the betas put up their tents, brewing tea, still trusting in them.

“Confused.” Harry scrubbed a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry I dragged your sister into all this mess."

Bryce shrugged and rolled his eyes. “It was expected. As matter of fact…” He bit his lips before taking a deep breath. When he spoke again, his words felt careful, as if he was afraid of hurting Harry. “I wanted to show you something before—”

Scream and curses interrupted Bryce. Harry walked towards the guards fighting with the new alphas in charge of the castle’s gate. 

“What the hell is going on?”

“They aren’t letting us in, Lord Styles.” the guard informed Harry without taking his eyes from the alpha.

“We received orders to close the castle."

“My family is inside!” another guard screamed from behind Harry.

Bryce squeezed Harry’s arm. “It’s happening…” he whispered.

“What’s happening?”

“I need to show you something,” Bryce said warily as he began to walk to the other side of the castle. Where they both knew there was an entrance only a few people knew about.

Harry followed the beta until they reached the library where Louis used to spend most of his afternoons before he married him. Bryce began to throw some of the books he saw Louis read and pulled notes, documents, and maps.  

“Are you going to explain what the fuck is going on?” Harry asked exasperated when Bryce finally put all the things he found on a table.

“It’s a coup!” He pointed at all the papers scattered on the furniture.

“A what?”

“A coup!” Bryce hissed. “they’re going to kill your father tonight,” he shoved a note against Harry’s chest.

The first thing Harry noticed was the handwriting, Louis’. The second was its content: the paper was filled with different strategies, one of them being Louis and Harry marrying for six months without bonding. Almost at the end of the list, with very tiny letters it was scribed the word “Coup” with an interrogation sign beside it.

“I had my suspicions, but after what I saw that day in the training room, I was sure of it. They’ve been planning this since the beginning, they are probably planning to kill you later. I only brought you here because I knew you’d need to see actual proof otherwise you wouldn’t believe me, but we need to get out of here now."

“Are they still in the courtroom?” Harry asked, eyes still focused on the note.

“Who the hell cares? They could be shooting your father as we speak for all we know, we need to leave!” Bryce grabbed Harry’s wrist and tried to drag him out the room.

“Alone?” The alpha frowned, finally looking away from the note. “His guards aren’t enough, this isn’t a coup, this is a suicide mision.”

Bryce shot him an incredulous look. “Harry, they’re planning to kill your father and then maybe you, if they want to die trying, let them."

“You can go, I’m going to see Louis,” Harry pulled away from Bryce’s grasp before walking out the room.

“What?” Bryce almost screamed as he followed Harry’s steps. “Didn’t you listen to me? He’s—”

“Trying to kill my father then he will kill me, I heard you.”

“Then where are you going?”

“To help my stubborn husband to not die today...”

Harry’s mind was running fast and wild, as he ran towards the courtroom, still trying to grasp what Bryce just told him. If the beta was right and Louis was about to try to dethrone his father with only a small group of omegas against a room full of alphas who also were monarchs with years of training, there was no way he’d come out alive, and Harry couldn’t let that happen, no matter how upset he was at him.

Perhaps helping an omega who was trying to kill his father and who proably wanted to murder him wasn’t Harry’s smartest decision, but after all his doubts, confusion, and hurt from that afternoon, he still belived in Louis. So maybe he was only a fool in love, but he prefered to be that than to be a bitter coward like his father and not defend the person he loved, including from his family.

“You can growl and snarl as much as you want little bitches, but I have orders and you know when the king gives you an official order, no matter how much you whine, you have to follow them.” Another alpha Harry had never seen before in the castle informed Louis’ guards and some other betas who gathered there. 

Harry’s heart dropped, his father’s court was conformed by thirteen alphas and Louis was alone with them. He needed to act quick, let his alpha take the lead.

“Move,” he snarled at the alpha who visibly shrunk as Harry got closer to him.

“I’m—” He cleared his throat. “I’m afraid I can’t let you do that, Lord Styles, I have—”

Harry drew out the small sword Louis had given to him when he began to train with the omega. “I didn’t ask you, I said move ,” he ordered the guard who quickly obeyed, almost whimpering. 

Harry wasn’t surprised by his reaction, the loudest and nastiest ones were always the biggest cowards. 

The scene that welcomed him as soon he opened the door made his stomach twist; Louis on his knees as the king stood behind him, grabbing him by the hair, dagger against his neck, ready to cut his throat. The visceral growl that was ripped from him made everyone in the room freeze with fear and surprise.

“Don’t you fucking dare to touch him, drop that knife and back off.” Harry roared, using his alpha voice.

The king closed his eyes before dropping the dagger and sinking to his knees, almost looking relieved.

“Lord Styles you don’t understand…” Lord Johan pleaded, desperate to defend the king. “This harpy tried to kill your father, the king was only defending himself. He’s a traitor, just look at him,” he pointed at Louis. “he’s smirking."

Harry’s gaze zeroed at Louis who was indeed smirking as he got up. He tried to reach for him but before he could say anything, Louis spoke.

“Omegas… draw. ” he uttered, casually dusting himself off as the omegas and betas who entered the room with him unsheathed their swords. “Don’t kill them, I want them alive so they can see their reputation die."

Omegas… they all were omegas, that’s why the training and the recruits… the loyalty they all had to Louis. Harry faintly remembered his conversation with Bryce and the risk the omegas from Wiijen were willing to take to keep themselves safe. They pretended all their lives being something they weren’t just to have some rights, to survive . And for months Louis helped them to regain their lives and identities, asking them nothing in exchange but patience. He wasn’t picking his father or the monarchs over some betas, he was risking his own life to defend the lives of the omegas in Wiijen.

Harry realized then and there that no matter if Louis decided to leave or stay in the kingdom after the six month’s mark, the heart and loyalty of its habitants will forever belong to him. He also could recognize the huge mistake his father made targeting Louis when the majority of his kingdom already wanted to be ruled by him.

Everything was chaos after that. Harry reacted out of instinct blocking hit after hit as the clinking sound of metal colliding filled the room. He tried to remember all the tips Louis taught him, but his opponents didn’t give him much time to think. Their attacks were clean and lethal thanks to years of training and experience; however, that experience also brought them cockiness and careless moves. And there was nothing worse than to be overconfident in a battle against people who had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Out of pure luck, no blade made contact with his flesh besides a few slight grasp that didn’t even sting. 

He never let his guard down, never struck first—knowing he still wasn’t prepared for that—he let them come to him, parrying all theirs blows with swift moves. One by one, Harry was helping Louis to take his very own father’s court down.

They all worked like a functional machine, while some omegas fought the alpha guards and the monarchs, others tied and cornered the ones who were down. Harry was proud of all of them; but mostly, he was proud of Louis, who he could see fight in his peripheral vision, steel clashing against itself as his opponents attacked with negligent ease. Louis, with a calm demeanor minimized every impact with exquisite techniques, probably studying the alphas attacks against him to then use them in his favor. Louis’ battle techniques were the embodiment of how his brain worked, always one step ahead of the game, filled with tricks, complicated, delicate and dangerous. 

Harry could swear he was even having a bit of fun fighting against the alphas. He probably also noticed that the longer the omegas went unscathed, the more the alphas grew embarrassed and their movements turned sloppier.

“What the fuck are you doing, you bastard?” Lord Johan growled at him with hatred, body shaking with fury. 

Getting angry was his first mistake, showing said anger to Harry was his second one.

Lord Johan swung furiously at him, the first clash sent Harry staggering back, the next time the alpha striked he dodged it and swung back with his full strength and brutal speed. Johan, not expecting the counterattack, lost his sword and took a step back, the expression on his face morphed. “Would you kill your own people for that whore?”

Harry reacted by instinct, throwing the alpha down. “I’d burn this entire kingdom down if that meant he would be safe. With no hesitation, I’d kill anyone who even thinks of hurting or humiliating him, just like you all did today.” Harry whispered darkly, sword pointing to the line of Johan’s Adam’s apple. He had to fight the urge to push forward and drive the sword inside the alpha’s throat.  “You’re lucky he doesn’t want you dead, because I’d love to end you right now with my bare hands.”

He was helping two omegas tie the alpha when he noticed Louis fighting beside a very frightened Bryce, they were being caged by two alphas who were ready to attack both of them. Everyone else was so focused on their own task, that no one seemed to notice Louis was actually struggling to fight for him and Bryce. 

Harry had no chance to create a strategy before he was plunging his body to shield his omega, not even caring to check if anyone was following him to help. He felt Louis’ horror through his eyes before he felt any type of pain as the sword breached his flesh.

Harry held Louis’ closer as the dagger drew out from his body and they fell to the floor. He attempted to calm Louis by scenting him, but following the frantic beat of his heart against his ear and his trembling body, the alpha could admit he wasn’t succeeding.  

“Why did you do that? Why did you do that?!” The prince who never dared to show any type of emotions or weakness in front of people screamed at him in a room full of allies and enemies as tears streamed down his eyes. Harry weakly bit his neck, it was a bit improper to do that in the middle of a battlefield but no one could blame him, he was probably going to die anyways. “We need to take him to the physician quickly. Is everyone safe?”

“Yes,” A voice Harry didn’t care to recognize replied. “the king is safe too."

“Good, tell Liam to take care of the rest. You help me with Harry and you ,” Louis gently grabbed Harry’s face with both hands. “do not dare to leave me like this or I’ll kill you myself!”

Before Harry lost all consciousness, he faintly heard Louis say, “And Zayn… I want the alpha who attacked him dead.”

♔

Louis spent the worst night of his life beside Harry’s bed. He tried his hardest to stay awake so Harry wouldn’t be alone when he woke up, but as soon the physician told him the dagger didn’t damage any vital organs of his alpha and that he was going to be okay, it was as though all the sleepless nights he endured those past few days finally reached him. 

“Good morning, princess.” rasped a voice he thought he’d never going to listen again as a gentle hand caressed his hair.

Louis lifted his head abruptly, sleepy eyes trying to focus on the man in front of him. “You’re awake…” he said with choked voice, fully aware of how awful and weak he must look but nothing mattered when Harry was little by little recovering the color in his cheeks in front of him. “You’re awake,” he repeated as he leaned to kiss his husband’s lips, the smile on his face making the kiss a bit tricky but Louis still enjoyed every flick of Harry’s tongue over his lips.

“I am, lovely,” he faintly chuckled against his mouth. Before biting his  bottom lip. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you like this."

The smile on Louis’ face dropped. “You never put yourself in between a person who’s about to get stabbed.” he said with a serious tone as he pulled away from Harry. ‘God, what was he doing?’ “You grab the attacker by the back, you don’t risk yourself, you know this Harry, we practiced.”

Harry's smile was sheepish and sweet. “I’m sorry, I just saw you were about to get really hurt—”

“I’m still furious by your behavior."

The corner of Harry’s mouth lifted. “Are you?”

“Indeed,” Louis sniffed, he then began to play with the hem of his long sleeve as he tried to avoid Harry’s gaze. “Also, in any case you should’ve saved the person you love, not the one you have an almost obsolete bond with.”

There was a long pause before Harry spoke again. “I thought I did that?”

Louis’ head snapped suddenly feeling breathless and a bit dizzy. “You did what?”

“Saved the person I love?” Harry said as easy as he said ‘Good morning’, gentle smile softening the frown on his face. “I thought it was obvious how gone I was for you when I fought at your side while you tried to dethrone my father.”

Before Louis’ heart exploded with happiness, his brain registered the alpha’s last sentence. “I tried to— what?”

Harry covered his small hand with his own. “I know that was a coup, that you have been planning that for a very long time, the last surprise was the omegas you have been training. I’m not going to pressure you into telling me all your plans, but we do need to talk about certain things.”

Louis let out a startled laugh. “Believe me, if I was planning a coup, it wouldn’t have turned that messy, you know me, I’m so much better than that. At some point we were contemplating a coup, it’s a very different thing, much less incriminatory,” he kissed his husband's big and strong hand. “And about the omegas, I really wanted to tell you; but it wasn’t my secret to share, you know how scared all of them were to just even speak about omegas, let alone confessing that was their designation. I wasn’t training them with a hidden agenda, I did it so they could defend themselves, to not be controlled by other people."

Harry dropped his gaze and after a few minutes of silence, he whispered. “They… they did that to my father, right? They controlled him.” 

Louis gulped. “Probably since he was a kid. There’s no doubt in my mind he was desperate to see a change in this kingdom. He isn’t a bad man and even if he was, no one deserves what they did to him.”

“This is why he picked you. He must have felt so hopeless and alone and I—” After the first tear broke free, the rest followed in an unbroken stream. 

It was painful to see him like this, but he knew he wouldn’t understand if Louis tried to explain to him he was also a victim of a terrible situation, that he acted like any other human who got everything he loved taken away from him—and then more—would’ve reacted. In that moment, the only thing he could do was carefully embrace Harry and let his tears soak his shirt until he didn’t feel like he was drowning. Louis was going to make sure his alpha would stay afloat.

“I don’t know how he may be feeling,” Louis said softly as he cleaned the tears on Harry’s eyes with his hands. “but I think we owe him some apologies.”

“No, I owe him an apology, you saved him.” He said, before kissing the palm of Louis’ hand. “Is he going to be okay?”

“Yes." Louis kissed Harry’s teary eyes. “He will need more help than a simple training but he will endure this. He’s very strong, just like his son.”

♔

To Harry slight displeasure he recovered quickly, meaning Louis wasn’t as all over him as he used to be during the past few weeks and had to travel with his father to check the new training center in one of the villages. 

A lot of things kept changing in Wiijen, some elders believed it was a spell that was lifted with Louis' arrival, their king suddenly cared for them, tended their needs and listened to them. It was like an entirely new person, he looked happier and stronger. What they didn’t know is that they weren’t as far from reality, but that sadly there was no magic behind what happened to his father. Instead, it was years of manipulation and mistreatment.  

Harry’s relationship with the king was still fragile and he knew they’d both needed time to trust each other, to create a real bond; but they had all the time and disposition in the world, so he didn’t worry much about it because at the end of the day, to make his father proud Harry just needed to be the alpha his mother raised him to be and the king just needed to be happy and himself to make the alpha proud. 

For the first time since his mother died, he felt completely happy, he finally found a place in a kingdom who believed in individuality and freedom, who had a king who sacrificed his own happiness for his people. Who gave Harry the possibility to find the love of his life. Harry had more than he ever imagined he could ever have and it was only the beginning.

“Are you sure you have to leave?” Harry’ whispered as he trailed a string of small soft kisses along Louis’ neck, arms wrapped around the prince waist.

“I’ll be back before supper, you aren’t going to have time to miss me,” Louis said, hand caressing his nape.

Harry licked over one of the big marks he left in Louis’ neck the night prior. “I began to miss you since you told me you were leaving.”

The omega felt pliant and soft inside his embrace. “I promise you can do whatever you want to me as soon as I set a foot back in the castle.”

“You promise?”

Louis nodded with a tender smile before looking at his shoulder, frowning. “Does it still hurt a lot?”

Not at all. “A bit.” Harry shrugged because he was weak for his prince’s attention. The answer seemed to worry Louis a bit, Harry was about to tell him he was joking when the omega made him turn. He then kissed above the almost fully healed wound. It was a tender kiss, lips barely brushing the skin. The kind of kiss fairies would give to their loved ones in the stories his mom used to read him when he was a kid. It took Harry’s breath away to feel that type of love.

When he turned to face Louis he had a look in his eyes he had never seen before, it was mellow and full of pure and unfiltered love. Since he confessed his feelings for the omega the day after he was wounded, Louis never told him once how he felt for him; but for Harry, words weren’t necessary, Louis told him exactly how he felt with every smile, every caress, with every night he just gave himself to Harry until they both were exhausted and satisfied, with every breakfast and every story from his childhood. Louis didn’t need to say ‘I love you’, he was showing him with actions.

He smiled at his omega as he archived the new gesture in his mind, Harry couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life discovering new ones.

♔

Harry was in the kitchen trying to cook something for Louis’ arrival—and failing miserably—when he saw Bryce. They hadn’t spoken with each other since Harry got stabbed, the alpha felt guilt climb through his body when he realized he didn’t think much about Bryce or his sister through those weeks. It seemed he was too busy recovering and focusing on his omega’s needs to pay attention to anything else; and despite still feeling resentful for putting his omega at risk, Bryce still was his friend, and the first person who welcomed him to the castle.

For that same reason when Bryce asked him if they could talk in private in the gardens he didn’t think it twice. He just said yes.

“How are you feeling?” The beta asked as he sat on a marble bench.

“Great, you? How’s the training going?”

“It’s… difficult to receive orders and fight to not follow them. Maybe if you were the one at the other side of the order it wouldn’t be as hard,” Bryce said suggestively. “but on the other hand, I’m not really sure if I’d want to not to follow them."

“Bryce—”

“I’m an omega, did you know? I can give you a family, the one you always wanted. Besides, your father is better than ever, I’m sure he has many years to live so we don’t have to worry about you being a king until later, and the prince can finally go back to his kingdom. Me being an omega means we can marry after you divorce him, you don’t need him anymore.”

“I assumed as much after you kept training with the other omegas; but Bryce, you being an omega doesn’t really change much, at least not on my side. I’m not planning to divorce Louis unless he wants to. I’m in love with him and pardon me if I’m being too blunt, but I can’t picture myself not ever needing or wanting him. I want a family, but I only want that with him. I appreciate you as a friend and you will always have a space in my life as that, but I cannot offer you more. My heart is already taken.”

“If—” Bryce cleared his throat. “Would you have reciprocated my feelings if I had confessed them to you before you met him?”

“I don’t think that really matters anymore—” Harry said, trying to not make the omega feel bad. 

“Please, indulge me one last time.”

“Not in the way you deserved.” 

“I see…” Bryce averted his eyes. “And I doubt you need or want a consort now.”

“I don’t think I would ever need that, no.”

“I guess I owe you an apology for making you uncomfortable and for all the things I said about your husband.”

“You don’t really have to apologize to me, but I reckon it would be great if you apologized to Louis.”

Bryce’s jaw twitched and for a moment Harry thought the omega would lose his temper as he always used but then, he closed, took a deep breath and said, “Alright… but can I least get a hug from my friend?”

Harry smiled. “Of course.”

“I do have the worst timing in regards to you two."

Harry’s head snapped so fast it almost gave him a whiplash. “Baby, you’re back!”  

He almost ran to where Louis was standing, wearing a pastel pink ruffled blouse and white very tight trousers that accentuated every lean muscle of his legs. He looked like a dream and smelled as much, Harry could confirm that after he lifted Louis up and buried his nose on the crook of his neck. 

“Hi, love, you smell like good food and happy overgrown puppy, my two favorite smells,” Louis said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Harry sniggered against Louis’ jaw. “What, can I not be happy that I finally get to hug my beautiful husband that I’ve been missing so much?”

“I only left just for a few hours."

“Plenty of time to miss you.” Harry gave his omega one last chaste kiss on his temple before putting him down, but still not letting him go. “I made you something, do you remember the macaroons we ate the other day?”

“You made macaroons?” Louis said genuinely surprised. 

“Well… I helped…”

Louis laughed loud and beautifully. Harry thought he must really be in love with Louis if he thought even a laugh could be beautiful. “The effort is what counts."

Bryce cleared his throat. Louis began to back away from him, but Harry was having none of that and pulled him closer by the waist.

“How are Sophie and your parents doing? Are they liking the castle?” A polite mask overcame Louis’ features. 

“Sophie is doing amazing,” Bryce smiled politely. “she’s a fast learner, I don’t know how she does it, but everyone is saying she’s learning twice as fast as the rest of her group. And my parents… they mostly miss home, but they’re happy we all can be ourselves.”

“I’m very glad for her and I understand how your parents must be feeling, there’s nothing like home; but you don’t have to worry about that, the king is planning to also build a training center in your village too, so they could be back home sooner than they thought.

“The only problem is that I doubt Sophie would want to go back home."

“Ah well… that’s just life for you. Parents often must accept that at some point all their kids will have to find their own homes. No matter how much it costs them to let them go, my parents can recite you tales about that.” 

Harry’s heart sped up at the idea of Louis telling his parents he found a new home in Harry.

Bryce shifted and took another deep breath before he said to Louis, “I wanted to apologize for the way I treated you since you arrived, it was hard for me to trust in people like you and on top of that you… well... you took the man I loved." Louis opened his mouth to say something but the omega cut him off before he could even begin. “No wait, let me finish, it was hard, but I’m mature enough to accept it, you didn’t take anything from me because he never belonged to me. I just hope one day you both can forgive my foolishness and you still allow me to stay here."

There was a moment of silence where no one dared to speak, it was just the sound of the birds chirping and the faint hubbub of people talking far away. 

“I forgive you,” Louis said eventually. “and I’d never throw you from the palace, even if I had the right to do it, you’re my husband’s friend and I shall respect that.” Louis moved from Harry to hug Bryce. Harry thought it was a sweet gesture until he had to fight to suppress a smile when he heard his omega said to the boy. “Although I can’t promise you that the next time I catch you spreading awful lies about me or trying to seduce my husband, I’m not going to slap you in the face, hard.”

Bryce’s eyes bulged in a mix of surprise and horror before he nodded rapidly. 

It shouldn’t be as hot as it was to see Louis claim him, but watching his stoic and always diplomatic omega doing something as primitive and instinctual as that was making a mess of Harry’s head and pants.

He was thinking exactly that when a soft growl escaped from his throat. 

“And that’d be the caveman of my husband getting overly-excited by the silliest of the things. If you’ll excuse us, it'd be better if we depart now before he throws me over his shoulder and fucks me beside the lilies.”

Harry didn’t throw Louis over his shoulder or fuck him beside the lilies, but he did pick him up and then locked them both in the first chambers he could find.

♔

The first flick of his tongue on Louis’ ass set every nerve in Harry’s body alight. The omega whimpered, grateful and desperate, pressing himself further against his hungry mouth. Harry has always had a fixation for Louis’ scent, but since he discovered there was a hint of himself in his slick and scent all the time, it became almost like a drug to him. 

The alpha alternated between broad and flat swipes of his tongue to hungry, but soft bites, his stubble leaving angry, red marks over the sensitive skin. Louis' thighs quivered, the muscles of his round ass trembling under Harry’s hands as his tongue pushed inside his hole, he fucked it as far as he could go, circling around his walls, grunting every time he felt his ass clenching around his tongue.

“Alpha,” Louis jolted at the feeling of Harry’s thumbs pulling and stretching wide his entrance so he could eat him out better, deeper.

There was drool and slick dripping down his mouth, running down his neck when he decided Louis was ready to be mounted and bred, but not before admiring the new marks he left across his omega’s ass, leaving a trail of gentle kisses on top of the biggest ones.

“Just look at you…” Harry whispered in awe before giving his puffy hole a one last kiss. When he moved away a string of slick mixed with his spit connected Louis’ hole with his mouth. “You taste so fucking perfect and mine, I am in every inch of you body,” he positioned in Louis’ entrance, fat cock slowly disappearing inside Louis. “In your skin, in your scent, in your slick, I’m in you, ” he hissed, a small growl rumbling up from his throat as he bottomed out. 

Louis turns his head to look at him and Harry’s breath gets punched out of his lungs at the stunning sight of tears running down his omega’s flushed cheeks. 

“What does my kitty want?” Harry cooed as he slowly rolled his hips. “A kiss?” He began to leave open-mouthed kisses all over Louis’ shoulder and neck. “His milk?” he grunts, burying his dick deep inside his omega.

“Everything, all of it. ” Louis cried out, head dropping against a pillow. 

Harry pressed Louis down the bed, chest flushed on the back of the petite omega, wet, squelching sounds filled the room as the alpha fucked into his mate with a fast and primitive speed. 

“I could spend my whole life between your legs, stuffing you with my cock and seed. Would you like that, baby? Your alpha breeding you all the time?” Harry nips at Louis’ nape, his thrust turning brutal. 

“Please, alpha, yes,” Louis mewled “I want your mark, I need it.”

“You are already marked, baby,” Harry grunted possessively.

“No, I—I need you to mark me,” Louis whispered, presenting his neck.

Harry halted, stopping all his movements all together. 

“You want me to…. mate you?” His last words are more of an inhuman growl than his actual voice, he licks a long stripe over where Louis’ mating bite should go.

“Yes, yes, please alpha, mate me, I wanna be yours."

“You are mine, but if we bond you will forever be mine as I’m yours, all yours. My sweet omega.” Harry mouthed against the junction between his neck and shoulder.

The omega was dripping wet, like Harry had never seen or felt before. There was slick everywhere, in his pubes, leaking down his balls, and running down both their legs. Louis let out a helpless sob. A sound that only made Harry piston his hips with an even harsher rhythm. 

“I want it, I want you forever,” Louis moaned, hands clutching the bedsheets with small fists. 

Harry ran his nose from the crook of Louis' neck to his jaw, over and over again. “Are you sure, baby?” 

“Never been more sure of anything in my life. I want to make you mine too—” 

Harry bit Louis even before he could finish what he was trying to say, sinking his teeth into his scent glands as his knot swelled inside his omega’s tight hole, locking them together as he began to come. Louis followed shortly after, letting out a cry out of pain and pleasure, muscles seizing up then relaxing as both of them grunted and ground against each other, riding their orgasms to the limit.  Harry filled Louis with copious amounts of come, just the way he liked as excess of it gushed out of his ass, adding to the mess they were making. 

Louis sent Harry waves of gratification, desire, and love through their blooming bond as Harry lapped and nuzzled the fresh wound on his neck with his tongue.

They fucked over and over again: on the bath when Harry tried to clean Louis’ hole, on the floor, right after Louis received their food from a servant and saw how the boy’s pupils dilated just smelling his omega, on the room’s table when Harry couldn’t resist just sitting Louis on his hard cock as he kept feeding him slowly. They fucked on every surface available, bending Louis’ petite body in every position imaginable. 

It was like their first time all over again and Harry knew he’d ever get enough of Louis.

“Do you want to hear something funny?” Louis whispered to him the next morning, looking wrecked and breathtakingly beautiful, flecks of dust sparkled in the light that sneaked through the window, making him look almost golden. “For the longest of time, I thought you both were truly in love.”

“Who?” Harry rasped, pointer finger softly caressing Louis’ nose up and down. 

“You and Bryce…  I always saw you like this big and brave dragon slayer, ready to kill anyone who came between you two."

Harry snorted before kissing Louis’ temple. “Do you want to hear something funnier?”

Louis nodded sleepily.

“There are these greek stories my mom used to tell me about dragons who guarded their treasure, possessions that only belonged to them, that they cherished above all else, treasures they’d rather die than to see them suffer or be unhappy. And now that you said that,” Harry shifted so he could face Louis. “It came to me, since the moment I met you, I’ve been storing in my mind every single one of your gestures. Every sound, every frown, every soft breath. Cherishing the most the ones that were only for me, the way your eyes light up when I tell you that I love you, the way your face flush every time I tell you how lucky I am to have you, the way your body reacts to mine,” he confessed to a teary-eyed Louis. “Baby, before you, I didn’t even know how to hold a sword. I was never a dragon slayer... I’m your dragon and you’re my most beloved treasure.”

Louis let out a shaky breath. “I love you,” he blurted out of nowhere, making Harry’s heart swell with joy. “I fell in love with you even before I allowed myself to feel something for you. You made me want to break all my rules, to want things I’ve never dared to even think.”

Harry felt the first tears run through his face and knew he probably looked like a fool but nothing really mattered when his mate was telling him the words he expressed with every gentle action and act, words he knew were hard to say but that what made them even more important. 

It could’ve been the bond, the happiness he felt in his heart, or it could have been Louis’ words, but without thinking he said, “Would you live with me in my old house? After all, I feel my father is doing an amazing job and we can still work and fulfill our duties over there, it’s only a fifteen minutes ride. I know it’s not much and the house is small but—”

Louis let out a choked and wet laugh. “Yes, yes, yes !” he said as he left tiny little kisses all over Harry’s face. “Of course I want to live with you there, I’ve been dying for you to ask me!”

“You did? Doesn't it bother you that it’s so small?”

Louis’ smile was so bright it was almost blinding. “There’s no other place I would rather be than living in a beautiful and cozy cottage with my handsome dragon.” 

They laid under the quilt, sharing gentle and slow kisses, giddy and excited for their future.  

“Who would have guessed…” Harry whispered after a while, smiling against Louis’ lips.  “the dragon finally got to keep the princess.”