Chapter Text
On waking up from his slumber, Louis had felt immensely better. The Omega had ordered for something to eat and he gobbled up most of it and these few facts appeased him to a great extent. The well being of his child worried him but the calmness which was suddenly brought about relieved him. He estimated that it was sleep and went about his chores. As he engaged himself, he had been informed that the weighing had been postponed to late afternoon and he ought to grace his presence if he felt better.
Louis found it amicable to adhere to Harry"s indirect request and thought it would indeed do him good if he got out of his chambers which was why he was standing at the citadel which was generally used to address the public.
The priest who came forward led Louis to sit on the weighing scales, briefing him on the rituals.
"Until your weight is equated in the same amount of coins, we keep adding onto the other scale," The priest briefed Louis, "and honestly speaking, Your Highness, it"s not your weight which is being weighed, it"s your love."
Louis paused before the scale and looked up at the woman and gave her a curious look. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that more you love your Alpha, more is the gold on the other scale."
Louis" gulp forced him to give the King a glance with a touch of hesitance. Harry on the simplest of terms seemed intrigued by the entire fiasco. Nodding his head, he directed the men to begin.
A good twenty minutes later, Harry had seated himself on the sofa which was brought for him. The coins kept falling and he was positive this exceeded Louis" weight but the scales didn"t equate appropriately.
"At this rate," Niall slid in with a layered intonation of worry, "our treasury will empty itself."
Louis looked up to the guard beside him and gave an order to stop adding weight. Additionally, he asked the guard to get Harry.
"Your ruby ring," Louis began when he kneeled before his Omega, "Could you give it away?"
Harry was instantaneous in listening to the Omega"s suggestion and removed his ring to place it on top of the lump of gold.
And if that wasn"t magic, Harry had no idea what was. The quick rise of Louis" side of the weight was instantaneous and everyone was a witness to it.
"Since that is done," Louis looked at the Alpha in sheer nonchalance, "may I please return to my chambers?"
"Give us a moment, Lou," Harry casually told him while he called a helper to direct her to fetch the priest, the Omega"s eyes flickered over the maid and felt a wave of uncertainty but discarded it.
Allowing him to move out of the weight, the priest gently questioned him, "How did you know that"s what you"re supposed to do?"
Louis" smile was radiating amusement.
"You said I"m measuring my love," Louis smiled, "so that ring was Harry"s."
The priest"s eyes lit up at with admiration, if that"s what it was. Louis felt eased by the entire exchange if not proud. His mind moved away from the seal of approval given by the woman and made his way back to his chambers without sparing Harry a second glance.
* * *
Harry was moving around the room in chaotic circles. The banquet was in forty minutes and the Alpha was nowhere close to being dressed. Helpers were aiding him but he felt he had made a complete fool out of himself wearing it.
While he was in the frustration of making himself presentable, the guard announced Louis" arrival.
"Fuck my life," he hissed out when his mate descended into the chambers.
"What exactly are you doing?" Louis" voice rang from the entrance.
Flipping his head towards his direction, Louis seemed almost unreal. Blood red draped around him in pure Georgette and net. The off-shoulder exposed his neck beautifully, baring his collarbones. Perching in at his waist, the rest of it fell to the floor.
"Wow," Harry exhaled, his eyes both undressing and assessing his beauty, "you"re looking breathtaking."
Louis nodded his head, not impressed by the compliment at all, "Please take a breath," he advised with an indifference which was hurting, "because I definitely can"t say the same for you."
Harry pouted. Not attempting in earnest to hide his displeasure at the barb.
Louis ignored him and walked straight into the room, past the mirror towards his former wardrobes.
Opening the wooden box, he took note that nothing that he searched for was there. A maid took her place beside Louis, the stench of Omega vicious beside him.
"I rearranged the perfumes in the other wardrobe."
"With whose permission exactly?" Louis snapped at her viciously.
"It was easier to help the Emperor get dressed in the mornings," she responded timidly.
Louis concealed the gritting of his teeth and moved away to the other wardrobe.
"Can you aid me?" Harry questioned.
"Why do you need to ask when you can declare it?" The Omega bit back at the Emperor, "Anyway there are people who are more than willing to go above and beyond to cater to your whims," his voice did nothing to hide his irate while he removed the perfume bottle from the wooden box.
"All of you are dismissed," Harry commanded.
"But Your Highness-"
"-I said all of you, Catherine."
As they descended out, Louis placed the perfume before the mirror and sided with the Alpha to get him decent. The velvet had been entangled most unpleasantly, the string of pearls dangling at the end when they should"ve been tucked outside the waist.
"Did you fuck her?" Louis asked him, nonchalance creeping in.
Harry"s eyes widened at the implication, "How the fuck can you assume-"
"-well, I learnt it from you, so it was relatively easy." Louis snarled loud enough for at least the guards to hear, moving away from the mirror to the wardrobe to retrieve another wooden box.
"You fucking lied to me," Harry howled, successful in making him flinch.
Pointing his index finger towards the Alpha"s chest, he looked too angry to be clashed with, "So you implied I had a one-off with Keith?!"
"I was angry!" Harry yelled, towering before him.
Louis glared at him before throwing the perfume to hit the Emperor who skillfully dodged it, "Louis, what the fuck?!"
"And what about me!?" He screamed back, "You made me dependent on you like a fucking whore then left me when you had to take responsibility!"
Harry"s jaw dropped at the outrageous accusation, stepping forward, "I did no such thing!"
"Of course, you did not," he barked vehemence dripping in nasty, "and I have learnt hypnosis from a door to conduct séances after you sleep."
Harry"s bland expression was shameless in exposing his scepticism at the statement before darting to him. "You lied to me!"
"You lied to the world to hide Mairah"s murder!"
"Should I remind you who exactly did the murdering bit?!"
"You don"t need to," Louis vehemently responded, "I remember the coronation quite well."
"You cannot possibly equate my kills and yours," Harry trudged closer to Louis" person.
"I fucking can and I bloody-"
Harry shut him up by placing his lips on top of the Omega"s. Louis, however, did not take the easy way out and was violent in pushing the Alpha away but Harry"s arms remained stiff around his waist until the Omega grew tired and stood before him reciprocating the kiss. For the first time in nearly weeks, Harry felt the bond sparkle. It was like bursts of fireworks all together when Louis reciprocated. The wave of affection was smothering in with a slow pace and then need crept in. The bundle of emotions wrapped were in a vibrant contrast of the despair had been feeling.
Feeling up his soft lips in slow successions, Harry"s arms were easing down on his Omega"s waist while Louis" fingers remained constant on his chest. Relocating his hand to drape Louis closer, he wrapped it around his shoulder.
On breaking away from Louis" lips with reluctance, his arms pulled the Omega closer. Louis gave no resistance to it whatsoever and just placed his head quietly on his chest, clutching the material of his clothes with an intimate vehemence.
"Louis," his voice soothed him, as his hand rubbed his back tenderly.
"Did you sleep with her?"
Harry let out a frustrated sigh and gave him a kiss on top of his head, "Louis, I promised you fidelity."
"You"re carrying my child, you"re my mate," Harry gently, kissed his temple, "and my husband," he went on, as he peppered kisses all over his cheek, "why would I want anybody who isn"t you?"
Louis" glare was self-explanatory. His certainty had to be earned.
"Why"d you throw the perfume bottle?"
"Why"d you accuse the child not being yours?"
Harry let out a sigh of dejection and gave a pained look, "I shouldn"t have said that," his hand cupped Louis" cheek and looked into his eyes, "I crossed a line there, can you forgive me for that?"
"Take me to bed and I"ll think about it," Louis pouted.
"Right now?"
"Yes."
Harry regarded him, definitely regarded him but his mind was being its logical sequence and the result was they"d be very late to the banquet.
"If you don"t, I"ll find another Alpha who will," the Omega crashed the stream of his thoughts, enraging the Alpha in him.
With a single move, he picked Louis up and threw him on the bed, "I"m going to rip your clothes apart and make you moan so loud that the entire palace knows I fucked you."
"You and your ambitions," Louis shook his head and rolled his eyes.
* * *
When they had exited the rooms, everyone had taken note of the change in robes Louis had. They had converted from blazing red to calming green. They ran into a deep V at the back while the fabric stitched still near his shoulders exposing his collarbones. His neck was adorned by a new neckpiece made out of Emeralds and diamonds which corresponded with the jewels on his crown.
"Is it a mandate to attend?" Harry questioned, his arm on his back, as they paused near their private entrance. The Alpha pinned the man to the wall beside the shut door causing Louis to squeal.
"Harry, you can"t ruin another outfit," Louis attempted to argue while the Alpha"s nose struck at his shoulder.
"But it"s my birthday."
"You should"ve thought that better," Louis informed him.
"What"d you get me?" Harry ignored the Omega"s response while he held on to him.
"I am attending this, am I not?"
Harry let out a sigh and retrieved himself to allow himself to look at his Omega. His eyes did not attempt to conceal his rage which still seethed through him.
"I missed you." He confessed with a tone of sincerity. "I never stopped needing you, Louis."
Louis" nod was quiet while his arm looped around the Alpha"s. "I never stopped loving you."
Leaning outwards, he glanced at Harry in quiet, "We have responsibilities, we should go."
The pair had successfully intrigued everyone by entering together but astonished everyone by staying at one another"s side. The banquet had been exuberant in the most modest of terms. A range of wishes and gifts passed by the Emperor until Zayn found them and gave Harry his regards after handing an eerie nod to Louis while whispering words into his ear, instigating a round of chuckles.
After the entire soiree of annoying people who surrounded him, the Alpha had been swift to usher Louis into eating but there was something which was torturing him in pronounced yet slow paces. There was this rudimentary coldness the Omega was expelling and that was concerning him to no bounds.
Concluding their dinner in Louis" chambers, it didn"t take them long to strip one another"s clothes and immerse into another round of sex.
Harry"s arm lay across Louis" stomach which was protruding slightly, his lips behind the Omega"s ear scattering affection in abundance, "You"re beautiful, your beauty will be personified as the pregnancy progresses."
"I"m sorry," Louis confessed abruptly, turning towards the Alpha, his eyes seemed teary which brought out the concern in Harry.
Placing a kiss on top of Louis" forehead, "It was a huge thing you hid away and for reasons I am still unaware but that doesn"t change the fact that I love you."
Louis licked his lips and gulped like he was preparing to inform him of something which was thoroughly pragmatic in nature. Casually throttling down his concern, he looked into Harry"s eyes, "We both did and said things which hurt one another, yeah?"
Harry nodded, as his heartbeat fastened and his palm sweaty.
"And we were hurt and I am finding it hard to," Louis searched for the word and muttered, "to cope."
"I am sorry for what I said, heart," he cupped his cheek with his hand, "and I do forgive you."
"I am unable to accomplish that, Harry," he went ahead, pausing to take a deep breath and refraining the tears to fall off his eyes, "I can"t forgive myself for lying nor am I able to forgive you and it"s hurting me badly."
The last syllable was the final nail to Louis" resistance and he crumbled into tears. The drops of water gracing his cheeks steadily and quickly, as he took deep breaths to ensure his speech. Harry"s hand rubbed his back quickly in fastidious successions and stared at Louis in quiet.
"The promise of fidelity which you gave me?" He questioned, halting to gasp on air, "I give you the permission to break it, you can take another mate if you desire, I revoke my condition."
"No."
The Omega looked at Harry with his gaze, as tears continued their advent down his cheeks and shook his head in negation.
"Don"t do this, Louis," Harry held his cheeks with both his hands, his voice was a deplorable state of breaking, "please, don"t do this to us."
"You want my forgiveness, you can have it," Harry assured forcing a smile, placing a desperate kiss on his forehead, "you want anything, name it, I"ll get it for you," he shook his head with agony, compelling himself to smile to convince the Omega, "you want me to beg you for my mistakes? I"ll do it, don"t do this."
At this point, Louis was crying silently bordering on hiccups, "No, Harry."
"I love you but I can"t stay with you without hurting you," Louis confessed, "I need you but it"s inevitable that right now we"ll hurt each other and during that period it"s reasonable if you want someone else."
"But you were upset in the evening of some random maid"s mishandling," Harry"s voice was losing on its zest, shattering its will while he voiced out, attempting his best to reason out, "you even accused infidelity!"
"Because I was emotional, I"m just being logical right now," Louis answered, the lump in his throat forcing him to stay up, "you have your needs."
Louis bit his lips and continued to sob viciously in the arms the Alpha had wrapped around him.
"If space is what you need," Harry pulled a breath and as his heart broke into a zillion pieces, "you can have it but that won"t change that you"re my mate, the other half of my soul, my everything."
Louis shook his head and nodded his head, his attempt to speak was literally and metaphorically watered down by his sniffling. "You"re my everything too."
With that, Harry continued calming the man in his arms and hoped that they would find their way back to one another.
What a fantastic birthday.
* * *
The sun had bid adieu and twilight splashed across the blue skies staining it a brilliant vermilion. The crescent moon was already peeking with her untimely arrival, as the cavalcade waited by the stream. Darkness was threatening to spill over the sky when Nick returned with a report.
Harry had directed the Alpha to scout the area with Reus and verify if there"s a better spot for pausing their journey for the day further in. It had been four weeks since they had proceeded to move in the direction of Exaltion. A message had been sent to Ryecatcher to apprise them of the decisions taken and the approximate time of arrival.
On returning to his chamber after Louis" requestion, all Harry felt was dejection. Louis" concern was valid and the Alpha knew he would inevitably be crushed in spirit because of it but the man required it. Just like he did and if he couldn"t be just to his husband, he could hardly deliver fairness to the world but that did not insulate his heart from breaking.
It seemed plausible to give him the courtesy he had handed him to sort out his feelings but in no manner did it mean that it hurt less. He was unwilling to share what occurred with the other three despite their insistence. This was a problem between them and he wanted the two of them to solve it.
When Nick returned, it was safe to assume that they had to set up camp by the stream.
Dinner eased into the night and the dew of the stars lined the night sky with cold descending upon the camp. The more they fastened their pace in the direction of Exaltion, the colder the place had become. Although Exaltion was a two hours journey from the seaport, it was very close to the Sylvian Alps and to reach the city it was a necessity to pass around the mountains.
Sighing, Harry resigned his attention to the little sleep they usually procured. His mind would generally wander down to Louis, the quiet of his surroundings necessitated it. He saw the Omega around the camp but that"s all he did. He would refuse to attempt conversation if Louis didn"t desire, he assured all his needs were satiated while they remained apart. Harry recognised the hurt in himself and identified the resemblances in Louis" endurance. It was familiar if not the same.
Harry didn"t criticize his reaction but he did regret profusely the doubt he placed on Louis" dignity. He had taken it too far and now he was laying in bed he had made.
In a frail attempt to sleep, he shook his head and pulled the sheets closer, cringing at the discomfort of the floor. As he attempted to waver his focus from his pain, his nose flared at the smell of Louis" scent in the vicinity, his ears quickly sided with his olfactory senses. The footsteps had approached the entrance of the teepee and the Omega"s shadow was visible distinctly. His hand reached out and quickly retreated.
"Do you want me to rouse the Alpha, My Queen?"
Harry momentarily lost his concentration at what the guard called Louis. My Queen. The title was glorified when it was placed beside Louis" name.
"There isn"t a need," Louis told, distress seeping from his response, "he must be exhausted. I"ll talk to him in the morning."
"I"m not," Harry called out, "come in."
Louis" hesitation was precipitating. His hand was slow to move the flap at the entrance and meandered in.
Before Harry could inquire his discomfort, Louis stared down at the thin mat which was layered on the floor.
"Why are you sleeping on the floor?"
Harry"s breath came down in exasperation, his eyes looked tired. "Niall is expecting, so are you, Liam and Zayn are together."
"You"re the Emperor."
"Which is why I should know sacrifice better than all of you," Harry answered and then sauntered to the topic. "Now tell me what is wrong? Do you require something?"
Louis frown deepened incredibly. His shoulders relaxed exhibiting his displeasure. "It is unimportant, I just disturbed you."
Harry looked at the floor and let out a sigh, manoeuvring him on the chair at the side, "Nothing you desire is unimportant in nature."
"This stream which flows here, it originates from a cave and near that cave, there is this one apple tree, I want to go there."
"Why?"
Louis hesitated and shook his head, retreating at the question, "It"s stupid."
Harry gave him a glare which made the Omega squirm and fidget, "Aldrin is buried there and it"s considerably close from here," he said very quickly and shrugged his shoulder, "I knew it was stupid, I"m sorry."
Harry stood up and examined the man before him and shook his head, his fingers pulling up Louis" face, "Wear something warmer, I"ll get the horse."
* * *
"Louis, you"re sure this is the stream, right?" Harry questioned.
"Positive," he assured him, as they moved further forwards. "We need to leave Phyllis here," he recommended and looked at Harry for confirmation who just nodded his head and knotted the horse to the tree.
"Louis," Harry began with care, "I"ll go first."
He shook his head and allowed the Alpha to move further inside to assess the nature of the rocks before the Omega could climb. Harry climbed further up than required and stood still for a moment.
"I think I can see your Apple tree," Harry told him and came down to pull his Omega up and gently ushered him through the wet rocks which were the damage of the water flow which occasionally grew vehement.
"We need to cross," he muttered and then checked the depth of the water, "Come on, let me carry you."
Louis looked at him as if Harry requested for his castration. "I"m too heavy."
"Good," Harry smirked, "I haven"t weight lifted in a long time."
Louis pouted, "Not that heavy."
"Then place your arms around my neck," Harry told him.
The Omega held his emerald gaze and gently placed his hand around Harry"s neck. The Alpha"s eyes didn"t leave him, his arm descended over his waist and yanked him closer making Louis lean more further in. Before anything even occurred, he picked Louis up and got through the ridiculously cold stream and let him on the pebbles at its shore.
"You"re fine?" Harry questioned to which Louis shook his head in affirmation and pulled the Alpha up.
The pair continued their journey upward and moved further in through the steep slope, halting at what seemed an orchard of apple trees now. The moonlight shone over them with delicate grace which guided him to a plot of lavenders.
Louis didn"t hesitate to move faster to reach the flower plot. The first thing he did was kneel and removed his dagger to plunge it into the mud. Searching quickly through the earth and it didn"t take him a long time to pause.
"Al was buried here, I"m sure," Louis muttered and removed the gold chain. "It was mine. I kept it here as a mark of identification since there was no stone."
Harry nodded in adherence and let his eyes bath in the Omega, his heart was aching at the sight of him. There was this aura of upset, he was feeling distressed and discontent. Anxiety was washing through him and helplessness through Harry.
"Louis, you want me to hold you?" Harry questioned, moving beside Louis who sat before the lavenders.
The proposition came with a bit of astonishment to the Omega who just nodded his head and brought his arms around him. His hand held his nape and gently pushed itself down his spine, rubbing through his clothes, he kissed the top of his head. Attempting everything which could calm the blood which was thrumming against his veins disrupting his nerves in aa vicious attempt of discomfort.
"It had been five days after the war when we reached this place," Louis began, "Aldrin found me from the cupboard and took me through the tunnel."
"Aldrin was the oldest and I was the youngest, they killed his pregnant mate as well," Louis continued talking, clutching onto Harry as if his life depended on it. "On seeing me alive, he wanted to get us out and he did."
He took a deep breath and continued talking in a hushed tone, "When we took haven in the cave, he was telling me of how he"d protect me."
Harry"s heart was sinking further in, as Louis continued advancing, "We spent three days here because of both shelter and food," he reigned his breath, "he tried to hunt but there were hardly any animals in the vicinity, finally, he told me that we were leaving the following day to Armphasis, Tihan"s place."
"He gave me a few fruits to eat and I thought, I could save it for the journey but when I woke up the following morning to see him dead," Louis sighed, "he poisoned the fruits both mine and his and I understood what his intentions were too late."
"I was going to eat the fruits as well to join the rest of my family," he confessed, his eyes interlocking with the Alpha"s, "but the squirrels had already finished them off and I was all alone with the corpse of my brother."
Louis" sobs grew more violent and loud, as he held onto the Alpha, "I dug his grave with my hands and placed him there myself, I had no idea what to recite, I was hardly fifteen, I had not even experienced my first heat and I just left."
"When I finally decided to go to Armphasis to meet Tihan, I was made aware that Mairah was in Verloren."
As soon as he concluded, Harry"s grip tightened and his lips layered themselves on top of his head. If Harry would say his heart wasn"t hurting it was the understatement of the century. He was breaking and how Louis even managed through those years was a significant wonder.
The distress he felt was hurting his mind and heart and all of it was pouring out as overwhelm.
"You left Exaltion when you were fifteen," Harry mentioned trying to avert his concentration.
"That"s correct," he sniffled, "Five years ago."
"That makes twenty years old," Harry stated.
Louis wiped his tears and looked at his mate with affirmation, "Yes."
"You were nineteen when I married you then?"
Louis nodded.
"I married a tiny child! Blasphemous!" Harry exclaimed in amusement, hoping it might cheer him up, "I am twenty-six."
"Harry!" Louis hit his shoulder, whining, "I"m not a child! I am big! I am twenty!"
"That"s still young, extremely," Harry riposted and gave the man a sceptical gaze, "but I guess I am lucky that way even when I grow old, I"ll have a young and delicious Omega by my side."
Louis gave him a glare before allowing drops of laughter to bubble up. In the middle of his crying session and all his upset, he burst into laughter. Harry considered that as a win.
"I"m not a delicacy."
"Oh, but you are, Sweet Lou," Harry continued teasing making the Omega blush at the endearment and bend his head in submission. Sheepishly casting his sight at the Alpha. "You"re good at cheering people up."
"Only if I am not the reason for the said cheering requirement."
Louis let out a laugh. "Most of the time you are."
Harry shot him a look, "Hey, not always."
Louis" giggles were slow while his eyes traced the man"s face, his body leaned forward and placed his lips on Harry"s. It could hardly be called a kiss, just a brief peck and he retreated, their foreheads leaning into each other.
"Thank you."
Harry didn"t deem it necessary to answer in words, he draped his arms around the Omega and kissed his forehead with something Louis felt was reverence.
"Now are you going to introduce me to your brother already?" Harry questioned, "I think we are long overdue."
Louis smiled.