Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Louis kicks the man against the chest, so he stumbles backwards. He’s able to zip around to the other attacker who is reaching out to Harry. Louis lets the sword slice through the sky and cuts the man’s hand off. Blood spritzes through the air and all over Louis’ fancy clothes. While Louis turns to face his first attacker, four bodyguards arrive. Two encase Harry between them and the other two simultaneously kill the attackers. 

“Nooo, don’t!” Louis tries to stop them, but the black clothed attackers are already lying on the floor, blood spooling out of them. Their knowledge is gone.

“You majesty…? Are you alright?” Isaac asks out of breath from the sprint he just did. 

The King turns to Harry and says, “I’m good.” Harry’s eyes are comically wide, frightened green and staring at the red streaks across Louis’ clothes. “Get him to the safest place.” 

“Lou, no, I can’t leave you!” Harry finds his voice, a little shaky and needy. Louis just nods to Niji, who quickly grabs Harry to get him back to the castle. 

A shocked intake to his left, makes Louis turn. There’s a small boy with blonde hair and naked feet standing in front of him. He’s carrying a tray with alcoholic drinks and a small flower. “From the kitchen, my King, a beverage.” 

Louis’ eyes cast down to the tray and back up. “Leave that. Go to the garrison and tell Admiral Hennon to bring as many men as he can muster to the keep. We need to check every room, every guest and every ladder!” 

“Yes, my King.” The boy bows. 

“GO!” Louis screams, and the boy squeaks, dropping the tray on the floor. The glass shatters on the ground and splinters fly everywhere, as the boy takes off running. 

“Close the door on the ball room, no one leaves.” Louis says, wiping the blade on his trousers. 

“Yes, your majesty,” the other bodyguard next to Isaac quickly jogs off.

“We should go inside, my King.” Isaac says, eyes running on the horizon. 

“I agree.” Louis steps around the mess on the floor and quickly hurries to cover. The safest place in the keep is the throne room, which is fortified by stronger stone. When he pushes his way inside, Harry springs up from where he was sitting. His hair is a little in disarray and his scent has a darker note than earlier. Some of his arousal sticks to his skin. “Are you okay?”

“Shocked, but okay,” Harry says. Unsure if he was allowed to hug Louis, Harry’s hands flay in the air. 

“Louis, what is going on? You cannot question every single one of your guests like they are traitors of the realm!” Jay says as she comes in with her second mate Mark. Her dress flies around her like a dark cloud.

“That’s exactly what's happening.” Louis says, and her eyes widen when she takes in his outfit.

“What happened?” 

Louis forgoes the answer, “I don’t answer to you anymore. Go back in there and create a diversion. Tell them that we are making inquiries about who came and who didn't. Anyone who didn’t is clearly not favorable to this realm and wishes ill-will on our success against Griffe. Can you do that?”

“Of course, my love,” Jay nods. 

“Then go,” Louis says with urgency. 

“Your majesty,” Admiral Hennon passes Jay and Mark as he walks into the throne room filling the room with his men. “We have people around the perimeter and are searching all rooms in the castle.” 

“Thank you, Hennon.” 

The man nods, “certainly. The King’s family's apartments are all cleared and safe. We have soldiers standing guard. Your family should be escorted to their rooms immediately.” 

“Good idea, make it so,” Louis directs to his war advisor. The door opens again and soldiers carry two naked corpses into the room. Their skins are white as porcelain and their eyes dark as black pits, staring into the abyss above them. “No tattoos, no distinctive clothing, nothing that could give us any indication of where they came from.” 

“Look on the inside of their lips,” Harry says. Hennon lifts his eyebrows at him, but makes a hand motion for his soldiers to do so. The soldier lifts the bottom lip of one of their assaulters and looks at his flesh.

“A tattoo,” the soldier says, looking from Hennon to Harry. 

“May I also suggest removing anyone from this room who doesn't need to be here, so we can plan further, my King?” The Admiral’s eyes land on Harry, who gets a panicked look when his eyes shift from Hennon to Louis. 

“Right,” Louis turns to Harry and quickly minimizes the space between them. “Need you to go to the apartments, alright love?” 

“I thought this is the safest place,” Harry whispers. 

“The apartments are safer for you, soldiers are standing guard and you’ll be far away until the entire castle is cleared.” Louis says, but Harry doesn't look like he believes him. “Please.” 

Harry hangs his head and just nods so that his curls shake, “yeah, of course, my King.” He curtseys and side steps around Louis without looking at him again. Louis feels an odd pinch in his heart, like it's shrinking or something. Michael and Niji escort Harry out of the room along with a group of soldiers. Louis sighs when the only evidence left of Harry is his cotton smell.

“Your majesty,” Hennon calls his attention to the tattoo. Louis steps towards the man, and bends his knees. It’s an old lettering, with swung bows and hard tips. “Can you read it, my King?” 

“My grandmother taught me this tongue when I was a boy,” Louis says. “It’s a deceiving lettering, you have to read it upside down.” Louis raises his index finger in the air and swirls it. The soldier approaches and lifts the corpse and turns him in the air so Louis can read it upside down. “It reads Shadow soldier. K-twelve.”  

“Shadow soldier?” The Admiral exchanges a look with a few others in his leading council. “I thought they were banished.” 

“They fled to the West, the black lands,” Louis’ war minister says. “But their cult was destroyed as far as we know. They had dark abilities. Dark magic with dark temptations.”

“My grandmother said they are dependent on ancestral powers,” Louis says. “What ever the fuck that means.” 

“It means we need to question your grandmother,” the Admiral says.

“Fetch her,” Louis says to Isaac, who hurries away. Within a few heartbeats his grandmother gets escorted into the room. Jenn hurries to the dead body and lifts the man’s lip to read herself. 

She murmurs a few curses under her breath and breathes warm air in between her hands. “Qetsi Mar,” she whispers and a golden hue, like evaporating water, lifts from her hands. She places her hands on the dead man’s cheeks. The dead man’s veins turn ashen dark, and pulsate throughout the body. She steps back, “you can drop him.” With a loud whoomp the body crashes to the ground and a small crack runs through the room as a bone breaks from the corpses body.

“What did you see?” The Admiral asks, mouth a little aghast. 

“He is a shadow soldier, you are right. Their mantra is ‘death to all’, and the cult was extricated from this land, because they had the annoying tendencies to kill themselves, because they believed it fed the happiness of their ancestors.” 

“Ancestral magic, right?” Louis asks.

“Magic is a myth, but yes. It’s not dark per say, but they draw from the blood of omegas and alphas alike.” Nana Jenn shakes her white head. “I cannot see his past.” 

“Is that what you just did?” Louis asks, pointing to her hands. She raises an unimpressed eyebrow. 

“The most dangerous thing is that they were also hired assassins. Whoever sent them, wanted you dead my dear grandson. You should cleanse yourself in case his blood was dangerous, or tracking you or something just as evil,” Nanna Jenn says. 

“How do I do that?” Louis asks.

“Cinnamon. Ingest it, boil it in hot water,” Nanna Jenn nods to herself. “I will teach your and your omega’s handmaidens.” 

“Not my omega,” Louis interrupts her weakly, but she doesn’t look at him. 

Instead she addresses the Admiral, “keep a group of soldiers underneath the King’s windows for tonight. Shadow soldiers have the propensity to hunt during the night.”

“Yes, my esteemed Lady.” The Admiral nods.

“I want the entire city searched, including the water,” Louis says. 

“Admiral supreme?” A man, probably only about 17 winters old steps into the throne room. 

“Speak,” Hennon says harshly.

“The castle is clear, there were no other attackers,” the man says. Sighing heavily, Louis massages his temples.

“Perhaps, you should go to bed, my King.” Hennon suggests. “There’s not much more that you can do now.” 

“How can you say that?” Louis asks, fuming. “Look at what they did, there will be more! I can’t just go to bed, what kind of a King does that make me?”

“A clever one,” the Admiral says. “One that knows when to rest and when to fight. If your grandmother is right, and I do believe she is, then these are assassins. They don’t come in groups. You should rest.” Louis always hated when people told him what to do. 

His grandmother gently places a hand on his arm, “he is right. Go to your omega. Feed him some cinnamon and take the rest you need. The morning will still have a few surprises yet.” 

“Stop with your predictions, Nanna.” Louis moans.

“Not a prediction,” Nanna Jenn grins, “just advice.” 

Ω🐇A

Louis ends up going to his apartments, solely because his heart aches not knowing how he stands with Harry. When he left the throne room, Harry had looked so sad and somewhat defeated. Did he not know how important he was to Louis by now? The fear that made his feet walk faster was shocking to him. Harry was truly important to him by now. Did Harry not trust him? Did the kiss mean nothing to him?

Pushing the door open to Harry’s room, he’s just in time to see Lucien free Harry of his corset. It leaves him in a sheer blouse with which Louis can make out his two pink nipples proudly standing against the material. “My King,” Harry gasps, quickly curtseying. 

“Get out,” Louis snaps his finger at Lucien impatiently. The man bows and ushers out of the room casting a pained look towards Harry with the corset still in hand. Once the door to the servants hallway shuts quietly, sounding entirely too loud, Louis rushes towards Harry. Grabbing the back of his neck he forces a kiss to the plush lips. Harry breathes into the kiss, gasping for air. Colors dance behind his eyes. “Mhm… missed you…” Louis whispers against Harry’s trembling lips. 

“I’m sorry, my King. I should have listened to you the moment you ordered me to leave,” Harry says with a quivering voice.

“Don’t worry, my darling,” Louis says, letting his grip loosen on Harry’s neck. He’s just happy that Harry didn’t shrink away from him. He’s happy he let him kiss him. “Thank you for letting me kiss you.” 

“What?” Harry squeaks. 

“You did nothing wrong,” Louis says. “After our shared night, I wouldn’t want to leave your side either.” 

“Yeah…?” Harry’s eyes sparkle. Louis presses his hand over Harry’s mouth when he hears the creak of a chair in the living room. 

“Stay here,” Louis whispers. Harry opens his mouth but Louis shakes his head. After pointing to the hidden servant's bell, Harry lunges across the bed to pull on it while Louis pulls his sword out of his sheath to burst through the door. There’s a strong wind in the room, carrying fog across the timber floor. A few stray pink clouds from the cherry tree outside the window catch on the white dress of the High Priestess. She’s standing before him, her eyes white and her expression dangerous. 

Louis raises his sword, but she raises only two fingers at him and says, “dead to the die.”

Her words disgust him, so Louis asks, “were they your lackeys?”

“I am here to send a warning.” The door to the hallway splinters open. Cracks of the wood plow through the air as Louis’ bodyguards and the Admiral burst through the doors, weapons raised. The priestess doesn’t seem to care. “It is upon the night of Orion that the world will tip on its axis. Two already becoming one, the third comes to turn the river black. Hear the words of mine, young King, or your life is the one being forfeited.” 

“Are you threatening the King?” The Admiral steps next to Louis and raises his sword. 

The High Priestess laughs cruelly, “my King…. In the name of the laity, tell your grandmother to stop using her gift.” 

Letting his sword drop to the floor Louis asks, “my nan?” 

“She must stop,” the High Priestess steps up to Louis. A little too close for comfort, her eyes shift over Louis' shoulder. “I see you left a mark on him. Predictable.” And then she's gone. Stumbling through the crowd of soldiers, who are too shocked to stop her. 

“Someone write down her prediction,” Louis says.

“Already done,” a soldier that looks like any other says.

“We’ll leave you to it then,” the Admiral says, a shadow of a blush on his cheeks. Louis turns around to find what he was looking at. Harry. He must have eavesdropped at the door to his room. His curls are less springy than earlier, and his dress pants are wrinkled from dancing. 

The other door squeaks when Isaac tries to close it. The splinters from the door are making it impossible to push it closed. Issac steps out of the room and takes position in front of the half-open door.

Looking at Harry like this, in his see-through shirt, Louis just wants to hold him and tell him how pretty he is. “What did she say?” Harry asks. Relief flushes Louis, he didn’t know how to tell Harry that a High Priestess of the strongest order in his Kingdom just predicted his death.

“Truthfully?” Louis asks and gets a nod from Harry. “I don’t know.”

“I’m a little scared,” Harry admits with a shrug. 

“I’d lie if I wasn’t too.” Louis steps up to him, “but I will protect you. Whatever the cost, my darling.” Louis reaches out to brush his knuckles over Harry’s cheek. His heart beats faster when he notices his bodyguard awkwardly shifting by the door. Quickly, Louis shuffles Harry back into his own room. It makes the cutest little giggle bubble through the omega’s lips. “Hope you enjoyed tonight,” Louis says while he watches Harry carefully sit down on his chase. 

“It was beautiful, thank you.” Harry smiles. “Did… did you like it or were you… were you, maybe, disappointed?” The omega looks at his knees when he asks, a faint blush heading for his cheeks. 

Louis grinned, “I loved every part of it. I mean except for the attack that is.” 

“Hm… so just the attack was bad?” Harry pries for information. Louis’ smile widens. Walking up to the omega, he kneels to catch Harry’s eyes. Gently he brushes his thumb over his jaw, and leans forward to kiss him. 

“I like kissing you, Harry.” 

“I like kissing you too,” Harry giggles. After staring into each other’s eyes for a moment, he points at his neck first, “could you take it off?” 

“Yeah, of course,” Louis says. With the tips of his fingers he opens the jeweled necklace and places it back into the box on Harry’s table. There’s a fine line left behind on Harry’s neck, right above his Adam's apple. He slowly traces the line and Harry shivers, he bends down to press tiny kisses along that line. Harry whines loudly, accompanied by the sweet scent of vanilla. Rubbing his legs together Harry shifts on his seat. Louis presses his nose against the underside of Harry’s ear. While his breath brushes against Harry’s ear, Louis remembers reading something about the omega’s weak spots. One of which happened to be located behind an omega’s ear.

A question runs through his head if he should dare and do something about that knowledge or let Harry be. Too intrigued, Louis rubbed his nose right over it. Harry moans loudly, and collapses on the chair. “Shit sorry,” Louis says frantically. He grabs Harry under his armpits and pulls him into his lap and against his chest. Harry’s eyes are closed and he is shivering. “I’m sorry… you’re okay…” Louis keeps mumbling and pressing kisses against his temples. 

Harry’s hand encloses Louis’ knee as he squeezes hard, “that felt really good!” Harry rubs the crown of his head against Louis' jaw. “I’m not allowed to feel this way, not from anyone but my mate.” 

“Hmh…” Louis says in thought. He reeks of you , Damiano had said to him. Had Louis unintentionally also left his mark on Harry?

“There’s something I have been wondering…” Harry says carefully, eyes still closed. “Why couldn’t the High Priestess testify that I was bonded to King Dwek? She saw it the moment her eyes landed on me.”

Louis brushes a few curls away from Harry’s eyes, “the High Priestess uses a power that does not get recognised by the court. The St. Clemente Laity is a group of women that are herbologists, midwives and some are practitioners of voodoo. They are all celebit omega nuns who give their life to heal and spread faith. As a leader of faith, she is prohibited from speaking in front of court. The only time she enters the castle is upon request of the sovereign or to perform a coronation.” 

Harry says, “we don’t have those laws in Griffe.” 

“Well, you also didn't have a strong King,” Louis answers defensively. 

“I didn’t mean it in a bad way,” Harry protests immediately, and shuffles within Louis’ arms to look at him. Louis doesn’t respond, just stares out into the night sky to observe his city gleam in the beauty of the stars. “I think you’re a good King, a just King.” 

“Thank you, little omega.” Louis mumbles. Harry places a few kisses on his chin. 

“What was her warning about?” Harry asks softly, still kissing and licking at Louis' chin. 

Sighing heavily, Louis grabs Harry’s chin to stop him from kissing him. He decides to focus on the last part of the High Priestess’ warning, “my grandmother was one of them.” 

“Really?” Harry’s foggy eyes open and clear up. 

“When my grandfather Keith was twenty-five years old he became owner of the Poulston farm. Together with other farm owners he wanted to protest new taxation in front of the King.”

Harry hums in surprise within Louis’ arms.

“Anyway, because this Kingdom was created by the omega son of the great King Orion, he went to the laity to get the priestess’ blessing. One of which is performed by the celibate omega nuns of the Saint Clemente Laity. My grandmother was a voodoo practitioner who read his hand or something. He fell for her. And he stole her away from the laity.”

“Did he force her?” Harry asks, and Louis loosens his hand on his chin, so Harry can drop his head back against Louis’ shoulder. The alpha’s nose brushes back against Harry’s curls and he breathes in deeply. 

“No,” Louis says. “Her family sold her to the laity when she was five. She never had any aspirations to stay there. And I believe he seduced her.” 

“Seduced her,” Harry giggles into Louis’ neck. The air tickles Louis and he unconsciously shoves the other boy in his arms. “I guess it runs in the family.” 

“Now what is that meant to mean?” Louis grins and tilts his head to kiss Harry behind his ear. The boy moans and clutches Louis’ fancy dress shirt. He should have changed out of the blood soaked clothes, Louis realizes.

“ ‘m not complaining.” Harry sighs happily. Running a hand through Harry’s curls, Louis can make out a rumble immenating from Harry’s chest. It’s a purr, Louis realizes. Harry is purring. It makes everything in Louis preen. Knowing that Harry feels comfortable enough within Louis’ arms to go into his most primal motions and purr, that makes Louis’ heart soar in happiness. 

Ω🐇A

Louis lays awake almost the entire night. His mind ran with the proclamation. It must be linked to the shadow people or the shadow assassins would have been a coincidence, and Nanna Jenn always said there were no coincidences in life. 

There might also be the little thing of a purring omega in his lap, that keeps him on edge. For some reason he cannot shake the feeling that if he falls asleep he will lose that glowy feeling inside of him. 

They get woken by Lucien placing a tea tray in front of them. He says it is cinnamon boiled to deter any tracking as suggested by Nanna Jenn. Louis thanks him and sends him to fill a bath. When he gently wakes Harry, he snorts awkwardly. Louis feeds him the cinnamon tea and makes him bathe. 

Together they go to breakfast. Harry is a nervous mess next to him. “Shut up, it’s the first time I spend time with your entire family!” He mumbles.

“Wait,” Lucien stops Harry. A green coloured lace is wrapped around Harry’s throat, yet again covering his unmated bond mark. “Shouldn’t be seen by the King Mother without one. She wouldn’t look at it kindly.” 

“Thank you,” Harry says. 

“Come on then, let's see the King Mother.” Louis gently takes Harry’s hand in his. Humming happily, Harry lets himself be taken to the dining room on the ground floor. A loud number of conversations behind the door alert them that most of Louis’ family is already here. 

The conversations all die when Harry and Louis enter. “Mornin’ everyone!” Louis chants and pulls a chair back for Harry, so that he can sit down. “As most of you know, this is Harry, son of the Duke of Chuchulm.” 

“The King’s claim present,” Fizzy grins.

“Harry would suffice,” Louis snaps back at her. Food gets delivered in front of his own plate, just as Daisy leans over the table to look at Harry intently, her cheek pressed against her hand.

“I think you made a good impression last night,” she says to Harry. The boy’s cheeks turn pink at her praise. “Truly picked a great outfit. Think you have a talent for it even.” 

“How rude of me,” Harry says. “I should have thanked you long ago for letting me raid your closet.”

“Pish posh,” Phoebe waves her hand. “That’s ridiculous. You did the hard work. Oh and the Viscount couldn’t keep his eyes off of you.” 

Louis' head spins at Phoebe’s words. His neck snaps in a crick, “what Viscount?” Louis rubs his neck in pain.

“Of Pimpleton or is Pumpleton.” 

“Pimpplebottom,” Daisy giggles. 

“Girls,” Jay shakes her head. “Hold your tongues.” The girls pout at each other over-exaggerated in a silent conversation. 

“Should have the Viscount emasculated,” Fizzy whispers to Louis, grinning at his jealousy. 

“Nanna says you’ll have seven children,” Lottie says from her spot across the room. 

“Yes, she read my hand last night. It was quite a surprise,” Harry says eloquently. 

The King mother’s eyes drift to her own mother, “you read his hand?” 

“As I did yours when you become Queen,” Jenn says, eyes hard. “And yet only five I predicted, and two more came on the way.” Harry further gets questioned by Louis’ sisters incessantly. A servant enters with a letter on a dish, bowing deeply in front of Harry, who takes his letter quickly. His eyes scan over the words.

“You alright?” Louis asks and presses the strawberry between his lips.

“Yeah,” Harry nods his head, but his eyes remain on the letter.

“Harry dear,” the King Mother says as she stands, “would you care for a walk?” It’s a useless question, more of a demand, and so Harry has no other choice but to agree. Louis gives him an encouraging smile as Harry follows the former Queen out of the room. 

“My King,” James bows.

“What is it?” 

“The author you asked for has arrived alongside her husband.” 

“What author?” Louis asks, confused.

“The woman that wrote the manuscript about stereotypes of the a/b/o types,” James says with a raised brow.

“Oh Orion,” Louis whispers. “I forgot about her.”

“Should I take her to a guest room until you have time for her?” James asks and Louis nods in agreement. He had forgotten about her entirely. He had asked her to come after he realized he had no idea about the sensitivities of Harry’s biology. It still remained an interest. Yet he was too occupied to talk to her today.

“Psst.” 

Louis turns to face his bodyguard, “why are you psst-ing at me?” 

“Want to hear what your mother has to say to your beloved?” Isaac grins. 

“I suggest you use a different name to call him, but yes I’d love to.” Louis says, and runs after Isaac as they jog towards the edge of the terrace. Together they fall off of it and use ladders to reach a different terrace. Behind a curtain they look through a window, where Jay has stopped in front of an old portrait. 

It depicts a woman sitting atop a stool, her spine pressed through, and her black hair in a knot above her head. But most importantly, a large jeweled hand-wide choker around her neck. “The first King on the Peryton throne married an alpha who gave him one sole child,” Louis’ mother says to Harry as they stand side by side in front of the portrait. “A girl, beautiful and full of light. Naturally a good alpha had to be found for her so that she could run Peryton alongside him. When she entered the ball of her sixteenth birthday, an alpha, enticed by her naked neck, bore his fangs into her bondmark.”

Harry gasps, absolutely shocked.

“Naturally, the King sent him to be executed. Losing a bond-mate, even if he was not wanted, is a very painful experience. Excruciatingly painful even. Yet to find her a husband, they had to hide her bondmark. So her father gave her a gift, a choker to hide her sin. To make her more appealing to suitors. A choker you wore around your own neck last night.” 

“I… what?” Harry turns to face Louis’ mother with wide shocked eyes.

“I am not certain if my son knows it or not.” Jay says thoughtfully, eyes still trained on the choker on the portrait. “But you wore the choker of the most beloved Queen of our Kingdom to entice yourself a husband. And all you did last night was to dance with my son.” 

“I do not mean him any harm,” Harry shakes his head. “I was not aware of any of this, I promise, I will not wear it again.”

“Now don’t be hasty, omega,” Jay turns to look at Harry. “If my son gifts an old heirloom, I assume he means for you to keep it. Although, it does leave a certain expectation does it not?”

Harry gulps audibly.

“I think it wise that you remember that I too lost a bond mate when I lost Louis’ father, the King. I would not hesitate to protect my son. No matter from whom. You will not cause my son such pain.” 

Louis watches as his mother leaves Harry by the portrait by himself. The omega is deep in thought as he burns the image of the omega princess into his memory. Did Louis know the connotation behind the choker?

Ω🐇A

“I cannot choose,” Liam exclaims. 

“Beg pardon?” Louis looks up from the paper’s his men gathered about the shadow cult. The other alpha had caught him off guard, when he bursted into his room. 

“I cannot choose a mate, not like this,” Liam shakes his head vehemently. 

“Then you must turn back into a simple prisoner,” Louis says as he places a magnifying glass on top of his papers. His eyesight was not very good, and he sometimes needed it to read for a longer period of time. “I thought that bored you.” 

“It does,” Liam whines.

“Liam, my friend, you sound like an omega,” Louis chuckles. 

“That’s redundant,” Liam growls. “I will do anything, anything you want. I can prove to you, I can prove myself to you anyway you want.”

“Just for the fun of it, tell me how that will work,” Louis says tiredly.

“I can swear a warrior oath,” Liam says earnestly. 

“A warrior oath?” Louis asks. “I have not allowed even my closest bodyguards to entangle themselves with me that way.” Louis shakes his head. It's an ancient ritual in which a spirit becomes intertwined with the one sworn an oath too. The warrior can sense the needs and emotions of their protected, allowing them to know when their charge is in danger. “No.”

“Why not, it will be just as effective,” Liam begs.

“The Oath of a Warrior isn’t something done lightly, Liam!” Louis says, his words dripping with alpha voice, “it is a life-altering bond.”

“Please,” Liam says.

“We had a deal,” Louis says. “Why won’t you accept that you already made your choice?” 

“Because he does not feel the same!” Liam says, tears are pooling in his eyes.

Louis watches Liam, “have you asked him?” 

“Yes, No,” Liam grips at his hair. 

“What the hell does that mean?” Louis asks. 

“He hasn’t given me any indication that I should ask him!” Liam sits down without being asked, and Louis raises an eyebrow at him. “He’s a knight! Would he ever bind himself to someone?” 

“Ah…” Louis nods. “If you marry, he can remain your bodyguard.”

“Would he have to leave the order?” Liam asks.

“That’s something you should ask him,” Louis says. The Black Rose Order is technically celibate, but they rather abstain from relationships rather than sex. That they had too much off. 

“I’m afraid,” Liam says.

“Go now,” Louis kicks at Liam’s legs. 

“Stop kicking me Louis!” Liam lets out a laugh, and it makes Louis smile. But the alpha gets up and reaches for the door, when Louis stops him.

“Wait a second! Didn’t you say you couldn't choose?” He tilts his head. “Does that mean there’s someone else?” 

Liam slowly turns around, “don’t hack off my head!” 

“Who?”

“Sophia, your housekeeper, my King!” Liam admits.

“My Sophia?” Louis is astonished. “Seriously?” 

“She’s beautiful! She’s kind and attentive. Also her parents really need her to get married soon, but she wants to keep working for you, so a marriage would be really convenient.” 

“Her parents are very strict,” Louis admits. “A while ago, Sophia fell for someone her parents didn't approve of.” 

“I know,” Liam nods. “We have conversations sometimes.” He shrugs as if to apologize. Louis crunches up his face. It might be a good match. Louis always had the feeling Sophia was still seeing the stableboy and if Zayn wanted to remain a Knight (something he fought to become) then he wouldn’t want to marry in the first place. 

“Marriages are business,” Louis repeats the notion he had said to Liam before. 

“I’m starting to realize that,” Liam sighs.

“No, Liam,” Louis scolds. “You should take advantage of that.” Liam looks confused but excuses himself nonetheless. 

Louis has had enough of the day, and decides to walk about the castle. He observs a few servants, and hears Niall’s sheep bark within the castle. In one of the courtyards, Louis watches as seven servants bind small paper-messages to the feet of birds. Hundreds of birds take to the sky as James approaches him. “Your majesty, it is done. The invitations are out.”

“Good,” Louis nods at him. “It will be a great Summer Games.” 

“I truly believe so, it shall prove interesting after the war.” James nods and watches his team continue to send out the invitations for the games in a month.

“Where did you say the author is being held?” James clicks his fingers together and a servant appears.

“This man will take you there,” James says and bows. Gently, Louis smiles at the servant who quickly bows and walks off. Louis has a hard time following him. Taking odd turns and quick dashes across the castle, they end up at Harry’s old room. 

Louis doesn’t knock when he enters. A woman turns to face him at exactly the same time. She has her gray hair in a circular movement above her head, and is wearing spectacles on her nose which make her look like a scary cat. “My King,” she curtseys. It is quiet in the room when Louis observers her. She straightens and also watches her King for a while. Then her hands start to get jittery and she rubs them against the back of the seat. “We were told we’d get called upon. My husband stepped out for a bath. He... he will be back!”

“Hmm…” Louis nods and walks to the fireplace, where he lets his hand run across it to gather some flocks of dust on the tip of his fingers. 

The woman starts to run her hand against the polstery again, “I will not stop printing my manuscript!” 

“What?” Louis asks, chuckling.

“That is why I am here is it not? I have to stop printing my manuscript because it does not adhere to the stereotypical second gender view represented by your Kingdom,” the woman says. There’s no clear scent clinging to her. In fact Louis still smells some of Harry’s scent clinging to the dust on the fireplace. Maybe he’s just too concentrated on Harry. “I’m not going to stop printing!” 

Louis can’t help but laugh again. Another beta enters the room, “my King!” The man bows deeply and quickly exchanges a glance with his wife, before he shifts towards her until he stands in front of her protectively.  “We did not expect you in our quarters. I wouldn’t have stepped out.” 

“Your wife and I were just talking about how interesting I found her manuscript, and how I asked her to have a chat with her about a specific omega I have encountered,” Louis says as he sits down on the coach. The author exchanges a look with her husband before she quickly takes a seat in front of Louis.

“An omega?” She asks. Her husband takes a seat on the chase a little further away from them. 

“I am sure by now gossip has spread, and you are aware that I have made use of the claim present. Your manuscript fell into my hands, and I have learned things that have made me want to talk to you in person,” Louis says.

“We heard about that,” the author’s husband says.

Louis nods, “well, I have been most interested in omega sensitivity. You see, the omega I claimed is a male omega. It is only that he is so incredibly different from my own physique and any other omega I have met. He gets overwhelmed by the slightest touch and trembles when I touch his lips.” 

The author nods, “you should know about the drop.”

“The drop?” Louis asks. He has two omega sisters and an omega grandmother, how is it he has not heard of a drop before? He is wholly unprepared for this! This entire thing. How can he be a good alpha to Harry if he doesn't understand the simplest thing about omegas. 

“Well, a male omega is much more sensitive to his skin being touched than other stereotypes. Omegas in general are much more touch sensitive. The problem is if they are not used to the touch they can get overwhelmed. Now when that happens then the omega falls into a state of unconsciousness. Their minds get clouded and they collapse. If they are not tended too, the effects could be deadly.”

Louis’ heart drops, “so how do I help him?”

“Lie down next to him and scent him. Stay connected to him and touch his skin as much as possible. His omega needs to feel safe and protected in order for him to come out of it.”

“Okay, I can do that,” Louis nods to himself. “Anything else I need to know?” 

“You said you touched his lips?” The author of the manuscript asks. “Did you mean you kissed him?” Louis feels the heat rush to his head, before he nods. “Well, if he is one of the aristocracy I would presume that he has never experienced an alpha outside his family to touch him, so every new intimate skin contact he experiences with you might over-stimulate him.” 

“Okay, got it!” Louis stands up and moves to the door. His head is swimming with the information he just received. It scares him that Harry could disappear on him and fall away even if his body was still there. 

“That’s it?” The husband asks as he too stands up to bow in goodbye.

“No,” Louis says, hand already on the door handle. “I will arrange a dinner tonight for you to meet the male omega. I have a feeling that he is ashamed of certain things and terrified of being attracted to someone.”

“Okay,” the author says and belatedly curtseys, “my King.” 

“It was good to meet you,” Louis grins and heads back to find the person of his interest. Louis has to search high and low to find him. Finally, he walks across the last apartments of the King’s family. His grandmother looks alarmed when she sees him. “Hi Nanna,” Louis grins, “have you seen Harry.”

“Of course I have, you silly boy,” Nanna Jenn shakes her head.

“Is he with you?” Louis asks and looks past her to see Harry sitting with his legs crossed in the middle of his grandmother’s living room. His tongue is poking out between his lips and he is twirling things together to make a doll. “What is he doing?” Louis hisses.

“I am teaching him to make a voodoo doll,” Nanna Jenn says as if that is the most normal thing in the world. 

“Nanna, the High Priestess told you to stop!” Louis says earnestly. 

“I am not doing anything. The purpose of a voodoo doll is to make it yourself. Besides, he is the one that has to think of the thing he wants to achieve by creating this doll. And he is not supposed to be interrupted so shoo.” She waves her hands around. 

“Nanna,” Louis says in a warning.

“It’s my gift, and no one can take that away from me, especially those idiots from the laity.” She shakes her head. 

“You have a point,” Louis grins. “Tell him Niall will pick him up for dinner tonight with a new… friend of mine.” 

“Will do,” Jenn leans forward and gives Louis a kiss to his cheek. 

Ω🐇A

With too many whiskeys in his system, Louis makes his way back to his room, where he falls into bed with a loud heavy sigh. Climbing under his covers, he finds the manuscript from the woman he met during the day. He flips through it to find the part about the omega drop. Just as he reads the first paragraph about the sensitive skin of an omega and its exposure to touch, when there’s a knock on Louis’ door separating him from Harry. “Yes?” Louis asks, shutting the a/b/o study. 

“It’s me.” Harry's nervous voice says. 

“It’s unlocked Harry, you can come in!” Louis grins, folding his blanket so that his legs are properly covered.

“Alright, but close your eyes,” Harry says.

“Close my eyes?” Louis chuckles, amused by Harry’s sudden reserve.

“Yes… pleas,” Harry says behind the door.

Louis grins, “ok.” 

“Closed?”

“Closed.” Louis even presses his hands over his eyes, grinning from ear to ear. The door creaked when it opened and then Louis heard the unmistakable sound of naked feet patting over the floor. The smile drops off his face when Harry stops in front of Louis’ bedside table and vanilla streams into his nostrils. Something drops on the bedside table. The creaking of the door tells Louis to drop his hands from the face and look around. Harry was back in his own room.

Louis hands run to his bedside table, and he finds the edge of a book. Harry must have left it for him, and when Louis brushes it open, there’s a bookmark stuck in place. So Harry must have left him something. It makes him giddy. The last time Louis read Harry’s book he got a to take Harry's sensitivity into his mouth. He had felt his skin and finally heard his voice when he felt such enormous pleasure.  

The book he opens has a green heavy cover with blood red letters. The page he opens to is a depiction of a beta enjoying his omega friend’s body. Louis gulps when he reads through the paragraph. It’s short and brief, but Louis thinks he knows what Harry is asking for. 

With shaky hands he quickly drinks a glass of water and makes his way to Harry’s door. He got this, he’s fine. It’s just Harry asking for him. Louis. To touch him. Pushing open the door, he finds Harry nervously playing with his hands, biting down on his lips. He looks up when he hears Louis approach. 

Gently, Louis places the book back on Harry’s bedside table. “How was your dinner, love?” 

“I liked her,” Harry nods, and scoots back against the headboard of the bed. “I like you more.” He giggles.

Louis grins, “you have any wine?” 

“Yeah, it was … kind of sweet,” Harry giggles again. Louis smiles when he crawls on to the bed, sitting opposite of him. He too is dressed in his long underwear and long-sleeved shirt. Harry’s eyes are glued to Louis’ neck. “She made me think…”

“That's always a good thing, little omega,” Louis gently laces their hands together on top of Harry’s thigh. The omega grins at him. He takes their joined hands and rubs them along his inner thigh. When Louis’ fingernails lightly poke Harry’s balls the omega shakes from pleasure. “Wait, baby,” Louis whispers. 

Harry’s hand freezes and stares at Louis with glassy but shocked eyes, “did you not want…?” His cheeks burn.

“I do. I do, little o,” Louis says. “I just want you to feel comfortable.” 

“Okay,” Harry whispers while he nods. 

“Hands and knees baby,” Louis says and watches as Harry turns around to lift himself on to his hands and knees. 

“Alpha, please?” Almost shyly Harry looks over his shoulder. Louis’ heart stutters, it’s the first time Harry has called him that, ever !

“Yeah, of course,” Louis stutters out, hands immediately lifting the hem of Harry’s nightgown over his perky little bum. The smell that lifts from beneath the nightgown is so intoxicating Louis growls possessively. Harry whines loudly in turn, and Louis quickly apologizes, “sorry, baby.”

“Don’t… sounds like you want me.” Harry says into his arm, resting his forehead on it. 

“I do… oh baby… I really really do.” He leans forward to kiss Harry’s left cheek. Slick pools from Harry’s opening. The vanilla was completely overpowering. And Louis dug his teeth into Harry’s asscheeks, which made the omega gasp. The boy falls forward onto his elbows and mules. 

“Louis…”

“You smell so good.” Louis growls into Harry's skin. “Can’t wait to know what it tastes like!” The omega outright moans and wiggles his bum back and forth. He can feel Harry squirm within his grapes. 

Louis pushes both of Harry’s legs further apart from each other, and takes both cheeks into his hands. He loves Harry’s cute perky bum. Slick drips down his thighs. And Louis spreads his cheeks gently to reveal his hole. 

When Louis’ breath hits Harry’s hole, slick pours out in large drops of bubbles. His cock is so hard. He really needs to get his lips on him soon. He’s never heard of anyone do this, but gently Louis puckers his lips and kisses Harry’s hole. The omega’s breath is labored and he keens into his arms.

The alpha has never heard of anyone doing this before, and was shocked to find it in literature. At the same time, he can’t imagine other alphas not doing this when it felt so good. He pokes his tongue out and starts licking along the omegas crack. Harry’s body arches into the touch. Slick tastes a little oily, but the hint of sweetness is enlisting little moans out of Louis’ lips. 

His head starts to swim when Louis’ nostrils flare within Harry’s crack. Louis presses his tongue into Harry’s rear and the omega immediately tightens around him. The alpha caresses Harry’s cheeks while he wiggles his tongue into him. Awaiting for Harry to relax. He bites into Harry’s cheek again, and circles his hand around Harry’s cock. 

“Relax,” Louis whispers while he flicks his tongue back against the edge of Harry’s hole. 

“So good,” the roughness of Harry’s voice makes Louis shudder. He’s sure a wet patch is forming against his own slack from his pre-come. Harry cries out just as Louis’ finger experimentally rubs against his hole. The omega’s legs shake and he collapses against the mattress. “OH that was soo good,” Harry giggles.

Louis lies down next to Harry and smiles weakly, his heart beats from arousal. “I didn’t break you, right?” 

There are giggles coming from the mop of curls, “no. Not that easy.”

“Noted,” Louis chuckles. Harry curls against his side and his eyes snap to Louis pants, where his cock sticks upward. Long fingers reach for Harry’s waistband and slip against his skin. “You don’t have to do anything,” Louis assures the omega.

“Want to feel it,” Harry replies and rubs his hand against Louis’ cock. His hand feels like silk on his erection. Louis bucks into Harry’s teasingly light touch. 

“Won’t last,” Louis warns. Hips stuttering, Louis’ knot forms at the base of his cock and he comes. Shuddering Louis collapses next to Harry. “Thank you, sweetness,” Louis kisses the tip of Harry’s nose. The omega giggles into Louis’ neck and rolls into him. “So…” Louis says and stares up at the voodoo doll hanging above the bed. “What is the voodoo doll for?”

“Love and Seduction,” Harry giggles. Louis joins his delight. Squeezed together they fall asleep intertwined. 

Ω🐇A

Louis gets woken by James. The man bows so low, his nose touches his feet, “so sorry, my King.” Louis detangles Harry’s limbs from his and places his feet on the cold floor. With tired hands he rubs his eyes, and reaches for the letter placed on the tray for him. James quickly excuses himself and Louis reaches over to his side to light a candle and read the paper. The letter was written in a great deal of hectic. The letters not swung as usual, and quick ink drops indicating the authors unwillingness to wait.

Dear King,

I write to you under great haste. Our lives are intertwined and as such I feel it is necessary to share my knowledge with you. My spies in the West have found massive numbers of soldiers getting ready to take your Kingdom by the end of summer. Hundreds of shadow soldiers are on their way to you. It is incumbent, my King, to regroup your forces and have it ready. 

Please be careful my King, 

Des Styles.

The omega snuffles in his sleep touching the cold side of the bed, where Louis had slept. Running a hand through his hair, Louis got up and looked out the window. The peacefulness of the night did not let on how often multiple people predicted his death in the last week. 

He thought about all his options for a while, staring out onto the peacefulness of his home. Finally, he turned and brushed a quick kiss to Harry’s temple and scented him. The omega purred softly into his pillow. The way Harry’s cute nose delved into Louis’ side of the bed made Louis grin to himself. 

In his own room, Louis called his maid, who helped him get dressed. Her name was Taylor and she took over after Eleanor was demoted to cleaning. She was a giddy and hyper aware thing that made Louis’ eyeballs itch. Nonetheless, he gave her orders to pack clothes for two weeks and she complied without reserve. 

The business for the next week was quickly arranged. “You know how much I hate reigning this Kingdom, right?” Niall complained when he stood in the boardroom, where Admiral Hennan was receiving his information to regroup the army. 

“Sorry, my friend, but I have to travel,” Louis said curtly.

The smile on Niall’s lips fell, “what happened?” 

“I got a letter and I think my Kingdom is at risk again,” Louis explained. “For anything related to legal issues, you can always ask Princess Felicitie for help!” 

“What? Oh yeah, of course,” Niall said. “Where are you going?”

“I’ll tell you after,” Louis said. “I don’t want the word to get out.” With a pointed look from Hennan, Louis grabs Niall by his elbow and shuffled him to the corner of the room, to give themselves the idea of privacy. “I have to follow up on something. There’s too many people trying to kill me at the moment.” 

“Well, when are you leaving?” Niall asked. 

“Tomorrow.” Louis said. 

“Okay,” Niall nodded. “I’ll do whatever you ask, you know that.” 

“Thank you!” Louis hugged his friend. 

Ω🐇A

That night, the omega is incredibly clingy. It is like he feels Louis will leave on a mission. “Can I sleep here?” Harry had asked, when Louis had already laid down in his bed with the a/b/o study on his lap. 

Louis had said something along the lines of “of course”. And since then Harry had been lying in his bed, curled up around him, with Louis’ hand in his curls. His fingers dug into Harry’s sculpt and gently untangled a few curls, which seemed to be futile. The omega purrs on top of Louis’ chest. The King forces himself to stay awake and enjoy Harry’s presence before he leaves for a month or so. 

He is about to close his eyes when he smells something different. There’s Harry’s content cotton blend and a slither of vanilla, but there’s something that smells of anis and ivy. Louis sits up on his elbows, lightly jostling Harry. It cannot be one of his servants. They are all betas who barely have any scents. 

Fingernails dug into the bare flesh exposed from his hip. Looking down at Harry, Louis watches as Harry buries his nose deeper into Louis’ chest. He smells it too, Louis thinks and detaches from Harry. It wakes the omega who blinks up at him a couple of times. “Whe-...” Louis cuts him off with a press of his hands over Harry’s mouth. Harry puckers his lips and kisses Louis’ hand, who rushes to his clothes. He pulls on a shirt and throws his pants from last night to Harry. 

The omega looks worried but pulls the pants over his nightgown. The pants are a little short and leave his ankles exposed and the waistband pinches into his hips. Louis pushes open the door to Harry’s room to get to the living room. He knows that he has a few swords hung above his couch. There was one that used to belong to his great-grandfather who fought legendarily to protect his children. As a child he would look at it and dream about taking it to fight for his own family. 

One sword that always drew his eyes, hung up high on the wall, out of reach. 

This was what Louis was trying to reach when a boot caught him on the knee, breaking him to fall. With a big oof, Louis lands on his hands and knees. The man above him, drenched in the stench of ivy, grips his hair and lifts the blue eyes into the darkness of his own. “Death comes to all!” He’s only carrying a small knife in his hand, which he places on Louis’ throat. 

Panic. 

He feels Harry’s panic in his chest, choking him out. Louis pushes his head backwards, feeling the pain of a bunch of his hair being ripped out of its place, and grips the knife with his free hand. Blood pours in buckets into his own lap, but he doesn’t care. It doesn’t hurt. He flips onto his bum and uses his legs to take the other man down. He falls. The knife falls to the ground and they both stare at it. They both scramble to get to it. Louis gets kicked into the stomach, and finger nails dig into his sides, but Louis crawls forward reaching the knife just barely with his fingertips. 

It’s just there, barely far away enough. He reaches and reaches, just then his fingernails touch it and the knife spins. Out of reach. Louis growls annoyed and uses his alpha King hormones to subdue the shadow warrior for a few seconds. Harry appears and kicks the knife into Louis’ hand. 

Spinning around, Louis pushes the sharp end into the warrior's chest cavity. He’s grunting loudly. Panting, Louis crawls away from the warrior and rests his head against Harry’s calves, his chest moving up and down, drenched in red blood. Take three deep breaths, Louis gets to his knees and turns to stare at Harry. The omega has tears streaming down his face. “Come on,” Louis whispers and takes Harry’s hand. Clumsily, Harry stumbles after him. 

Louis takes him to the living room, where he uses a chair to get to his ancestor’s sword. It’s heavier than he expected, but it’s still sharp. Wondrous , Louis thinks. After all these years up on his mantle it is still sharp . Quickly, Louis grabs the back of his couch and rips it apart. A ladder is revealed on the back of it. Harry gasps surprised when he sees it. 

“Help me,” Louis whispers. Together they carry it to the window and drop it against the wall. “You first,” Louis says, when he hears the unmistakable sounds of swords clashing outside of his apartments. Slowly, Harry maneuvers out of the apartments, taking the ladder down and jumps down on the small wall beneath the window. Louis follows suit and throws the ladder away into the water. Making it impossible for anyone to follow. With Harry in one hand, and his sword in the other, Louis balances on the ledge to walk around the castle. 

“I’m going to fall!” Harry whines. Louis tightens his hold on Harry’s hand. When he feels Harry actually slipping, Louis quickly turns to him to catch him. There’s pure panic and fear in Harry’s eyes, and tears are still spilling down his face.

“You’re okay,” Louis whispers and presses a soft kiss to Harry’s lips. “Just dance, Harry.”

“What?” Harry sniffles.

“Darling, when you dance you’re not that clumsy, so dance for me.” Louis whispers. 

Harry’s eyelashes flutter against his cheeks, “okay, yeah, I can do that.” 

“Be strong for me, we’re almost there, baby,” Louis whispers. “I got you.” Louis has to turn around to keep walking, and he can’t actually see Harry, but he can feel Harry’s confidence. 

It takes them another ten minutes to get to the rooms Louis was trying to reach without any more incidents. “Niall!” Louis hisses up into the night. “For fuck’s sake,” Louis hisses when Niall doesn’t appear. 

“Louis!” Harry pleads, and Louis turns to face him, just to see what he is looking at. There’s two more shadow warriors balancing and running on the ledge right behind them. 

“NIALL!!!!” Louis screams loudly. Maneuvering Harry behind him is a little bit of a tricky situation, but Louis needs to protect his Harry.

Finally, there’s rumbling above them, when Niall opens a window. His hair is amiss and his eyes are a little red, “what?” 

“THE LADDER!!! NOW!!!!!!” Louis screams, and Harry whimpers behind him in fear. 

Niall lets out a small, “shit!” And a rope ladder falls down the side of the wall. 

“Up,” Louis says to Harry, who gets his first foot into the ladder. He falls a little but the King pushes his right shoulder under Harry’s bum and lifts him up. Niall is there with his hands to drag Harry the rest of the way. 

“Come on, Lou,” Niall calls. And Louis makes his way up the ladder. Just in time. Niall has a bow in his hand and shoots two arrows simultaneously into the shadow warriors. 

“Good shot,” Louis slaps Niall on the shoulder when they watch the warriors fall into the water. 

“Thanks,” Niall nods. “Harry, you okay?” Harry is sitting on the floor, face buried in his hands. 

“Thatwasscarry.” He whimpers. A tiny little lamb, detaches from its mother and walks over to Harry and sits down in his lap. “OH,” Harry squeaks. Niall kept five sheep on his balcony to remind him of home.

“Shhh…” Niall grins, “the entire castle is full of the warriors.” 

“Really?” Louis asks. 

“Yeah,” Niall nods, “I gave my bodyguards the order to go to the King’s apartments. To help yours. I swear they know where you are. They can feel you or something.” 

“Oh Orion, poor Michael! And Niji!” Harry whines and presses his forehead against the lamb's tiny head. Someone knocks on the door, before it falls open. Louis grips his sword and raises it against the man. It’s only Liam, in nothing but his underpants. Sophia at his side, her hair flowing freely around her. 

“I almost shot an arrow in your dick, man!” Niall complains, “a warning would be nice.”

“There wasn’t time for that! More shadow warriors are coming down the hallway,” Liam hisses back. 

“They can feel me,” Louis says. “They know where I am. At all times.” 

“Well, an entire army is on their heels,” Sophia whispers. “Hennon is coming from the other side. They will intercept them.” 

“Thank fuck!” Niall sighs. “I’m a good shot, but I can’t kill everyone that wants to kill you at the moment.” He shrugs apologetically at Louis. 

Fondly, Louis shakes his head, “where is Zayn?” 

“Outside, he’s our lookout,” Liam says. 

“Tell him to come in,” Louis says, a plan forming in his head. “We have to keep one of them alive. I need answers!” 

They all wait in Niall’s apartments for the shadow warriors to finally find Louis. Putting Niall’s sheep on the balcony, they hope they will survive the attack. Zayn and Liam have the explicit job to protect Harry no matter the cost. Sophia has her hair in a makeshift bun and is holding a longsword confidently. “You know how to use that?” Zayn asks.

“My father taught me when I was a little girl,” Sophia says.

“You’re remarkable,” Liam whispers, and Sophia turns to him. 

She places a hand on his cheek and rubs it, “of course I am.” 

“What the fuck,” Niall whispers to Louis, who ignores him, because he see the door open silently. A shadow appears, barely there, almost unseen. They wait in their hiding spots to watch three other shadows to appear. And finally, none come anymore. Zayn whistles, and the door barges open. An entire host of swordsmen enter the small bedroom to kill the King’s attackers. Sophia rushes forward and grips one off the shadow warriors in between her blade and her arm. Keeping him in a head-lock she holds up her hand.

“DON’T!!!!” Louis screams and everyone freezes as they hear the alpha. “I want her and him alive!” Louis’ voice goes deep when he stares at three swordsmen holding the tips of their swords against Sophia’s back. 

It takes a while for the swordsmen to get out of Niall’s room. But finally Louis stands in front of his attacker. Sophia’s position has been taken by Admiral Hennan, who nods at Louis. The King makes a hand motion, and the hood is taken off the man’s head. The man smiles. Dark blood hangs between his sharp teeth. “King…” He says while his eyes roll in their sockets.

“Why are you here?” 

The man laughs deeply, “why.. hathit layn.” His eyes finally fix on Louis, “You do not know our culture, our ethics, our unwritten codes. Yet they already provide our society more order than could be obtained by any of yours. Our world is different. We cannot separate the air that chokes from the air upon which wings beat. Ours is a world that is both everywhere and nowhere, but it is not where bodies live. There is no matter, there is only death!” Laughing hysterically, there’s gurgling bubbling noises erupting out of his throat. “You're all going to die.” Are the last words the man says before he falls over. His eyes’ clear and are gone. 

Ω🐇A

“Where are we going?” Harry asks, as he looks through the satin curtains hiding the view out of the window. 

“Hopefully to answers,” Louis says thoughtfully.

“Hmh… I would not have expected you to ride in the carriage with me,” Harry says.

“I won’t let you out of my sight,” Louis clarifies. They had left by the dawn of day. And he had taken Harry with him just to know that the omega was safe. 

“You think the men from last night are after me too?” Harry asks. 

“They are scent trackers, born to follow a smell. If they have my scent, then why not yours?” Louis contemplates. 

“Why did he die so fast?” 

“The moment I saw him smile, I should have realized it. He had poison hidden in a fake tooth. It spills black inside the mouth when bitten to kill oneself.” 

“Have you seen it before?” Harry asks, angling his body back to face Louis. 

Confused Louis says, “no.”

“Then you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself,” Harry shrugs. Louis reaches his hand out to gently brush Harry’s warm and soft cheek. The omega blushes but hums happily. “Are you really that worried about me?”

“Fishing for compliments?” Louis asks, grinning.

“Just asking,” Harry shakes Louis’ hand off.

“You’re important to me, my darling,” Louis says. A bright smile spreads over Harry’s face and he leans his face to kiss Louis’ hand. “You were so brave last night.”

“No, you were so incredible,” Harry says. 

“Thank you,” Louis smiles, and can’t deny his heart jumping around in the cage of his ribs. 

“Can’t believe I missed Liam’s wedding though,” the omega sighs dramatically, but there’s a twitching smile on his lips. 

“He married Sophia, because the man he loves would have lost everything if he would have married him instead,” Louis says. “It’s no wonder he didn’t invite any of us to the wedding.” 

“You think he loves Zayn?” Harry asks, tilting his head.

“Of course, but marrying him, Zayn would have lost his position as Knight and would have to leave the castle. His family wouldn’t have enough money to keep his sister’s education going and he would most likely have to go back to Blackton to earn money. So he would have lost Liam too.”  

“But when the fight broke out Zayn, Liam and Sophia were together,” Harry says. 

“Yeah, I’m guessing they celebrated together.” 

“Huh,” Harry gasps faux-shocked, “are you implying a threesome?”

“Never,” Louis chuckles alongside Harry’s honking laugh. 

“I need the loo,” Harry whispers under his breath to his King. Louis rolled his eyes, but quickly tapped his hand against the carriage walls. The carriage stopped. 

“My King?” Isaac asks.

“Lord Harry needs to relieve himself,” Louis says to the tired bodyguard. They had lost three bodyguards last night. And Issac was taking it a little hard to lose his friends. Harry giggles as he watches the maids construct a small booth to protect Harry from the soldier's eyes. Harry has been doing this a lot just because he thought it was funny. 

Harry quickly peed behind the booth, “so are you really not going to tell me where we are going?”

“Too many ears, Harold,” Louis shakes his head as he walks up and down in front of the booth. His soldiers are all turned away to avoid looking at the booth or what is behind it. “You will see it when we are there.” 

“That’s not fair, you know,” Harry says as Lucien helps him with his blouse and waistband. “You dragged me on this trip and I can’t even mentally prepare where I am going.” 

“Stop fussing, H,” Louis grins. “We both know that you charm the pants off of anyone.” 

“At least tell me how long we will be stuck in that cage,” Harry points to the carriage. 

“Oh darling,” Louis grins, “stop fishing.” Harry giggles again and hops back into the carriage.

Ω🐇A

A day or two later, Harry’s nose is sticking out of the curtains again. “Is that my dad’s butcher?” 

“What?” Louis chuckles. 

“I swear that was the farm of the guy my dad always gets the meat from,” Harry says with large eyes.

“How the hell am I supposed to know where your father gets his meat from?” Louis shakes his head and closes his eyes again. Riding in a carriage is so much more exhausting than actually being on horseback. He feels like most of what he did in the last week or two was sleep and inhale Harry’s beautiful scent. The omega actually had a ton of weird stories he had shared with Louis and Louis found himself enjoying Harry’s company more and more. 

In a weird way, this trip had pulled the two together more and more. Harry became increasingly comfortable in Louis’ presence and even started touching Louis from time to time. Even scooting closer and closer to Louis until their knees bobbed against each other with every jostle of the carriage. 

“We are close to the border to Griffe!” Harry’s eyes shine in excitement and then they suddenly dampened. “Can we stop in Chuchulm?”

“Harry,” Louis says in warning. 

“I’m sorry,” Harry quickly says. “Just haven’t seen them in a while.” 

“I know,” Louis says and takes Harry’s hand into his own, giving it a tight squeeze. Harry bites the bottom of his lips, before he scoots even closer and rests his head on Louis’ shoulder. “You smell really good.”

“You too,” Harry says. “It’s like I’m never too far from home.” 

“I hope I haven’t been a complete disappointment to you,” Louis says. 

“Louis?” Harry asks as he looks up at him. “What do you mean?” 

“I… you aren’t with me out of free will,” Louis muses as he shifts a little. He’s been thinking about this for a while. 

Harry presses his hand against Louis' chest, “you actually think I ever had an option who I’d be bonded to?” 

“What do you mean?” Louis asks.

“If my dad would have won that case against you, he would have taken me home and presented about a dozen eligible bachelors where I would have to choose the one I hate the least. I would never have the opportunity to wait for the person I like,” Harry says and there’s something in his eyes. 

“So you’re saying I am the eligible bachelor that you hate the least out of all the alphas you met?” Louis asks and Harry giggles into Louis’ neck. “I think I can work with that.” That makes Harry laugh even more. The omega smacks a kiss to his neck. It sends sparks through the King.

The carriage stops which makes Harry retreat from Louis’ body to give the illusion of them being all prim and proper. “My King, we’re here.” 

“Oh?” Harry makes a weird noise. 

“Harry,” Louis says, “we have stopped and will dress for the occasion here. And I will take the last few miles on horseback, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” Harry nods in agreement. 

Ω🐇A

The last miles to the castle is covered in poppy fields. Traveling up a winded road, the castle appeared on top of the rugged mountain above the small village. It made it look isolated and bigger than it actually was. It was constructed in a circle and had three towers that stuck into the sky. They rode through a symmetrical gatehouse flanked by two stair towers.

The ward they rode into was made of red bricks, the court fronts with yellow limestone and there was a large staircase going down into the courtyard from the main building. Two people of the residing family stood on the stairs. 

“Your majesty, welcome!” The residing Duke steps down and bows in front of Louis’ horse. The King smiles and jumps off of the horse, giving his mare a quick rub in thanks.

“Duke Styles, how great to see you.” Louis holds out his hand to shake the large one of Harry’s father. 

“We are preparing for a wedding, we did not expect you here,” the Duke says a little flustered.

“Yet, here I am. You turning me around, Duke?” Louis tilts his head in question. The flusteredness of the man amuses him. 

“Of course not,” the Duke stutters, “let me introduce my wife, Duchess Anne Styles. Honey, this is King Louis.” The woman steps up to her husband's side. She has dark hair and a flashing smile. Her teeth are a little crooked but her eyes are as kind and sweet as Harry’s. 

“Pleasure,” she says and curtseys. 

“It is mine,” Louis kisses her knuckles, before turning to the Duke. “We need to talk about the letter you sent me.”

“Oh, yes, right,” Des nods a few times. “It’s just… our daughter is getting married today.”

“In a few hours actually,” Anne agrees. Indeed the ward is already draped with flowers and white decor.

“I know that’s why I brought someone with me,” Louis smiles and turns to the carriage. Michael opens it and helps Harry down the few steps. 

“DAD! MUMMY!” Harry rushes past Louis and falls into a hug with both of them. 

“Oh sweet boy,” Anne whispers into Harry’s curly hair. “Missed you so much, baby. And just in time for Gemma’s wedding.” 

Meanwhile his father whispers, “finally the raspberry is gone.” 

“You knew?” Harry turns to Louis with glassy eyes. 

“Course, darling,” Louis winks. Harry flusters and his face burns with heat. His mother raises her eyebrows at that reaction, but Louis turns to the father, who is watching him with an unreadable expression. “We should talk before the wedding.” 

“Yes, let’s go for a walk.” Des nods. Giving his son one last kiss to the head, he shuffles to the side entrance, while Harry throws Louis a questioning look in his mother’s arms.

“Enjoy your make-over for the wedding with your mother,” Louis says. Harry beams. The King and the Duke walk off toward a narrow hallway which depicts certain Chuchulm historic fights. “Why don’t you tell me how you know about an advance against my Kingdom.”

The Duke nods, “I make business with the West, they have a steady order of poppies sent their way. As you know it's a potent pain anodyne. One of them approached me asking if I would join the effort to destroy the twin Kingdom, as they call Peryton and Griffe.”

“Ah,” Louis says, and watches as two servants carry a large bouquet of flowers towards the courtyard. “Did they tell you when?”

“The summer games, my King,” the Duke says. Louis’ heart sank, that was too early. The summer games were happening within the next full moon. How was he meant to prepare for an entire invasion, while the host of his aristocracy was coming to Ladderton for the Summer Games? 

”Shit,” Louis says. “Pardon my language.” 

“I understand, my King,” the Duke says with a small smirk on his lips. 

“Do you know their strategy?” Louis wonders, looking up at a portrait of the Duke himself on top of a white horse surrounded by a poppy field. 

The man studies Louis' face with a scroll on his face, “Duel of Kings.” Upon hearing it, Louis’ mouth goes dry and he has to lick his lips to focus. Dual of Kings, he’s only ever heard of it, never actually witnessed it. “Are you ready to face King Kemet in combat?” 

“He’s an old gitt who can barely move, I doubt he will fight me himself. He will most likely have someone else fight for him,” Louis sighs. Dual of Kings was most foremost a fight between the Kings and whoever lost, had to concede the entire Kingdom. And their life.

“You’re right, ever since you won Griffe, King Kemet of the Western Kingdom has been holding tournaments to find the best sword fighter possible.” 

“One on one, he would die,” Louis says.

“Possibly,” the Duke says. “He’s going to challenge you during the Summer Games.” 

“He’s going to try and kill me in front of a crowd full of the most important people in my court.” Louis feels his heart race. He’s a great swordmaster, but there are people that are definitely better than him! King Kemet’s Kingdom was much larger than Louis’, it was almost as big as Griffe and Peryton put together. What was he meant to do? He needed to practice now! There was no way in hell he was going to allow someone to fight in his stead. “Thank you,” he finally says to the Duke.

“Your welcome,” Des says. 

“Beg your pardon, Duke, my King,” a servant bows deeply. “They are awaiting you to walk your daughter down the aisle.” 

The Duke nodded at the man, “are you joining us, your majesty?” 

“Of course,” Louis managed to smile past the cramp in his stomach. Maybe he should just puke into the bush real quick. Then again, what would the Duke think? By the way the Duke was looking at him, he knew.

Ω🐇A

The wedding was a beautiful affair. The bride stumbled on her last step to her new husband, when she saw her brother wave at her. And her eyes grew in size when she saw the King sit next to him and squeeze the boy’s knee. 

During the reception, Louis got to meet the soon-to-be Duchess a little better. “How dare you steal my brother!” She screamed and approached her King with a raised middle finger.

“Congratulations on your wedding, my Lady,” Louis had chuckled. “I didn’t hurt your brother, I’d even say I was quite generous for taking him with me.” 

“Fine,” she grinned. Louis led out a breath he was holding and introduced himself to the beta Michael, who she had chosen to wed. He was nice. Thin. But not worthy of any more adjectives in Louis' view. However, he did make a perfect match for a female alpha who would be taking over Duke Des’ position one day.

“You don’t like him,” Anne approached Louis after the cake was handed out and the first wedding dance was taking place.

“He’s wholly unremarkable, which makes him perfect,” Louis argued.

“Neither you nor my son are unremarkable, and yet you already seem to be a match made,” she said with a tilt to her head. 

“Harry is under my protection,” Louis chose to say. 

Anne giggled, tilting her head just like Harry does, “I can smell you on him. If you want it or not, my King, you claimed him as more than just a claim present.” Louis turned to face the woman, he generally did not like people who got too involved in his business. 

“He feels comfortable in my presence and I am willing to give him the stability he needs,” Louis decided to say.

“I am sure, if you mated someone besides him, he would be crushed,” she said, ignoring Louis. 

Louis swallowed around the lump in his throat, as he watched Harry talk to a man with brown mousy hair. Unwilling to admit his jealousy he said to her, “a King can mate as many omega’s as necessary.” It was true, most King’s chose to have multiple mates to ensure offspring.

“But not you,” Anne said with certainty. “No. You have waited and waited until you met the one that you were comfortable with, the one omega you deemed just right as Queen for your Kingdom, as mother to the next generation of princes and princesses, and as your wife. You never intended to marry more than one omega.”

“How would you know,” Louis bit out.

“Because, my King, I too have spies across borders.” She winked and left Louis to gape after her. Instead of following her, Louis approached Harry and the mousey alpha. With one look from Louis the man left, and Harry became free to dance throughout the night. 

Just as when they danced at the ball, Louis and Harry did not stop dancing for a long time. And when Louis admitted his feet were starting to hurt, Harry had grabbed his hand and they ran through the castle hallways.

“Harry,” Louis gasped when the boy finally stopped. The omega’s curly hair was stuck to his forehead in a greasy sweep and his corset was fighting against his ribs as he breathed. 

“Come on,” Harry whispered and pulled Louis through a beige door. 

“You’re staying with me…” Louis started to say but stopped when the omega’s deep cotton scent slapped against his exposed skin. This room was drenched in Harry. He couldn’t help himself when he inhaled deeply. It did things to him, it made his skin itch and his pants too tight. Louis leveled Harry with a look, “was this your room, darling?”

“Yeah,” Harry smiled, his eyes dilated. He pushed the lace top over his shoulders, exposing his skin. Unable to deny himself, Louis reached for him and pushed Harry against his front. It was inevitable that his lips touched Harry’s exposed shoulder. He tasted like spice and sugar at once. He nibbled on Harry’s exposed skin and Harry threw his head to the side to expose his neck. “Darling,” Louis mumbled into Harry’s skin, “you taste so good.” 

“Hm oh,” Harry whined and Louis could feel Harry get wet against his hand. 

Louis took his hand from Harry’s bum and quickly took a step back, “ ‘m sorry.” He couldn’t even remember putting his hand there.

“Why did you stop?” Harry asked, head cocked to the side. There was hurt in his eyes. 

“This isn’t the right place for it.” Louis shook his head and looked around. The poster bed stood to the side, a golden cage housed a small pink bird and there were images of pressed flowers littering every free space of the wall. 

“Because…?” Harry pouted.

“Because this is your childhood bedroom, and what would the servants say when they see us?” 

“How is that different from your servants?” Harry asked, his pout going into a scold. The omega was getting angry, and it rolled within his scent. 

“Because…” 

“Because you only trust your own servants,” Harry said with eyes furious.

“What? No,” Louis shook his head. Of course, the omega was right. Louis only trusted the people who had proven they could be trusted, and the servants of the Duke were definitely not on his list. He wasn’t in the mood to get accused of defiling the omega during breakfast. 

Harry opened his mouth to say more, when there was a knock on the servant’s door. A voice called through it, “Harry, love, open up.” The omega turned to face the door, a pink blush traveling down his neck. The alpha hidden behind the door from their view let his pheromones travel under the creak of the door. 

“Who is that?” Louis hissed at Harry, when he stepped next to him. 

“No one,” Harry shook his head, but the blush wasn’t going away.

“Come on Harry, I know you don't want to be with that King,” the voice continued to say. The King placed his hands on Harry’s hips and squeezed them tightly. 

“Are you seriously jealous?” Harry whispered to Louis, his eyes shining with mirth. 

The voice continued to say, “baby, you are meant to be a Duchess, not a Queen.” Harry gasped affronted, which made Louis’ heart race a little and he couldn’t help but giggle.

“I would make a perfect Queen!” Harry protested to Louis, but effectively gave away his presence in the room. 

“Baby that is so boring,” the voice continued. 

“Come on, Queen,” Louis whispered and grabbed Harry’s hand. The omega’s lips were still parted in offense, but went easily when Louis directed him towards the hallway. “Show me back to our room.” 

Making their way back to Louis’ room, Harry’s grip on Louis’ hand tightens. His scent is distractingly clear, filled with vanilla. Louis’ room is about the same size as Harry's and the poster bed was pushed to the right side of the room with green cushions. “Thanks,” Louis smiles. Harry simply shrugs and sits down on the bed, pushing his shoes off his feet. “Did I say something wrong?” Louis asks, his heart beating into his ribs painfully. 

“I’m with you out of free will,” Harry says. “I could have told my mother while you were talking to the Duke that they should take me away tonight. You don’t have enough men with you to defend against them. It could have started a war. I could have gone to Kemet and you wouldn’t follow me to the Dark lands.” 

“So you have thought about it!” 

“Yes,” Harry nods. “I have.” 

“Then why don’t you?” 

“Because, darling ,” Harry accentuates the pet name Louis had been using on him, “I like my life with you. I can explore with you, get to learn new places, I feel free with you.” 

“You feel free with me?” Louis wonders. He feels like the pink bird in Harry’s room in a golden cage. Existing for Harry’s will, to forever wonder about this beautiful omega and his way with words.

“What alpha would allow me to give them notes on sex? And help me get off?” Harry throws his hand in the air. The figurative bird inside Louis dies. Just turns to ash and falls to the floor in a million pieces.

“So it’s just sex,” Louis shakes his head and brushes his hands into his hair. Defeated he places his elbows on his knees.

Harry’s long fingers grab his chin, forcing Louis’ red-rimmed eyes to focus on the green, “oh my King.” 

“Don’t patronize me, I don’t have the heart for it.” 

The smile on Harry’s lips drifts off, “I don’t think I can say what I feel for you.” 

“Then we are both at an impass.” 

“Maybe not,” Harry giggles, and unbuttons his pants to push them past his white thick thighs. “Maybe I can show you!” He sits down on Louis’ lap, kissing Louis’ lips softly. Slowly, Louis lets his hands fall onto Harry’s thighs. 

“Harry, I can-” Harry shuts Louis up with a heated kiss, pressing his tongue into Louis’ mouth. It’s uncoordinated and it’s obvious he’s never tried it before because Louis has way too much tongue in his mouth.

“Sorry,” Harry sighs. “I’m a failure at seduction.” 

His head hands defeatedly, and Louis grins, kissing Harry’s cheek, “you’re actually really good at it.”

“Yeah?” Harry’s head snaps up. His features are pulled into a hopeful gaze.

“Can’t keep my hands off of you, can I?” Louis laments, but joyfully pinching Harry’s bum. The omega giggles, while Louis’ lap gets increasingly wet. 

“Can we… ehm.” Harry’s cheeks go pink, “can you undress for me? I have never seen you naked.” 

“Yeah… yeah.. Let’s do that.” Louis hastily gets up, placing Harry on the bed, and kicking his shoes off. He slowly takes off his pants and his shirt and finally looks Harry dead in the eye while he pulls down his underwear. 

The omega’s vanilla scent explodes into the room, his slick must be dripping down his legs. And that knowledge makes Louis’ knot tight. Harry’s eyes are large and stuck on Louis’ cock. “It’s so …. “ Harry lets out a long breath flapping his hands in the air. 

Louis slips onto the bed and kneels over Harry, “you want to touch it?” 

“Ehm.. yes!” He screams excitedly. Louis chuckles and pulls at Harry’s pants. 

“We need some slick from you to make it go easier.” Louis says, and pulls Harry’s pants off completely. His underwear is made of lace and barely contains any imagerie of Harry’s naked form. “Touch yourself,” Louis whispers against Harry’s lips, and the omega pushes his hand into his underwear to rub his hand over his hole. “And then just put your hand around my cock.” 

“Okay,” Harry whispers, and his warm hand closes around Louis’ cock. 

“OH fuck,” Louis moans, and presses their foreheads together. “Darling, you feel good.” Harry laughs awkwardly and then rubs his hand up and down Louis’ member. 

“Shit, yeah, that’s how it goes,” Louis mumbles and pulls the omega into a deep kiss. Their tongues tangle inside their mouth, spit slipping down Harry’s chin. Louis starts to rut into Harry’s hand when he pulls the omega’s hand off. 

“Did I …?”

“Want to rut against you, not your hand,” Louis stumbles over his words. Spreading Harry’s legs, he lies down completely on the warm body beneath him. Harry gasps, when their cocks rub against each other. The feeling is a little rough on Louis’ cock. The lace feels like a rash itching against his most sensitive skin, but he can’t help himself anymore. Harry’s beneath him, willing and open. He smells of the most delicious and ravenous slick. So he ruts against Harry’s lace covered dick, making the tingle in his body increase with every push. The pleasure roll over him in waves and waves and waves. Itching away at that itch.

“Lou… I’m close,” Harry pants into Louis’ hair. 

“Come, omega.” Louis demands, and Harry shudders immediately. 

“Alpha,” he moans and his cock lets out a small spurt. Watching Harry’s head lull to the side in pleasure, makes Louis lose it. His knot expands and empties itself over his omega’s body. Too out of it to control himself, Louis kisses and licks over the lace covering Harry’s mating spot. “Alpha,” Harry whispers again. Louis’ shutters again, never before had it felt so good to hear that word out of anyone’s mouth. 

“Harry,” Louis whispers, “omega.” Harry shivers. “Harry?” The omega shivers again, but his eyelids are closed and he’s burning up. “Shit,” Louis pulls on his pants and quickly shakes Harry to stir him. “What the fuck happened?” Louis panics. He runs to the window to push it open, the warm fresh air hits him in the face and pulls him out of his sex-crazed mind. “DROP!” Louis exclaims, “he must have dropped.” He rushes to the doors and tells his bodyguard to discreetly get a healer or an omega priestess.

A priestess confirms the omega drop and Louis quickly ushers into bed next to the shivering omega where he starts to scent the boy. The priestess disapproves and vehemently tries to tell him that Harry needs to be taken to an omega retreat. But Louis simply directs Michael to expel her from the castle with a flick of his wrist. His omega needed him!

His omega! 

Wasn’t it obvious from the beginning how entranced Louis had been with the boy. His scent had a reaction on Louis’ body no other had before. It was like showering in his favorite arousal dream every morning. He needed to protect his Harry, protect the present he made himself. His quirky laugh and his reading-antics, everything screamed to Louis that he had to take care of him.

He was his.

He was sure of it. By now he could not disagree anymore. Niall had been right, he had been courting Harry ever since he met him. How could he be so blind himself? It wasn’t simply his alpha clawing at his chest to get a move on, but his heart as well. Every fiber in his being demanded he be active and finally tell Harry that he wanted him at his side. Harry was truly meant to be queen. His Queen.

Curling Harry into his side, Louis scents him for hours. Murmuring sweet nothings into his ear, Louis kisses every inch of his exposed skin. “I’m here, you’re safe,” he keeps repeating, hoping that his omega can feel his presence and return to him. He can’t remember what the author said about the duration of a drop. 

Twelve hours into the drop, Harry stirs, his nose nuzzling into Louis’ chest. Louis’ heart jackhammers into his chest. The anticipation of having Harry wake makes Louis nervous. What if he does something wrong? There are so many things he and Harry should talk about. Does Harry want to stay with him? Does he only want sex? He said he liked that he could ask anything of Louis, and explore. But does he want to stay with him, and possibly be his mate? 

Harry never gave an indication who he wanted to be mated to. The knowledge that Harry could choose someone else than him and be in his Kingdom makes his heart squeeze. He coughs a little, and Harry’s eyes flutter open like a caterpillar learning to fly. 

“Hello, little caterpillar,” Louis mumbles into Harry’s right dimple. 

“Lou-?” Harry croaks and pulls a face at how bad his throat scratches. 

“Here, have some water,” Louis leans over the omega to grab a water jug left there by Harry’s super nervous mother. She had scented him too, but it had only made Harry turn further into Louis’ hold, so she gave up. 

The omega gulped down some water and then tried again, “what happened?” Harry sighs heavily when he leans back on to Louis’ chest and closes his eyes again. 

“You went into a drop, a form of hibernation for your inner omega,” Louis presses a kiss to Harry’s bubbly cheek.

“Like a bear?” Harry whispers. 

“Mhm…” Louis caresses Harry’s arm. 

“Then I was more like a cute fuzzy bear than a female wolf crying for attention,” Harry kisses Louis’ chest softly. 

“Cute fuzzy bear it is,” Louis chuckles and Harry joins him with a few giggles. “We should talk about this, H.” 

Harry's eyes flutter again when he looks up at Louis, his eyes are still a little glassy and milky, “I’m scared.” 

“What are you scared of?” Louis whispers, scooting down so he can face Harry.  

“I want to go anywhere and everywhere with you, and I don’t think you want the same thing,” Harry whispers. Louis stares into Harry’s green eyes. There’s some blue in there and some golden flecks. Like green, blue and gold dance together to create an ensemble for the holidays.

“I’ll go wherever you go, H.” 

Harry rolls his eyes, “I’m scared you don’t understand me.” 

“What do you mean?” Louis asks and tightens his arm around Harry’s waist. The omega’s long fingers lightly touch the side of Louis’ face and pet Louis’ bottom lip. 

Harry gulps as his eyes roam Louis' thin lips, chapped and a little broken, “you don’t trust I want to stay.” 

“Do you?” Louis asks. “I will let you stay here if you want.”

Harry scoffs and closes his eyes, a tear dropping down his cheek, “that’s what I meant.”

“Darling,” Louis whispers. 

“Because you’re so afraid too.”

“How so?” Louis asks. Harry grabs the end of the sheets and throws them over the two of them. They get cocooned and it feels like when he was a pup and hid under the covers with his mother, whispering secrets against her belly and to his unborn sibling. 

“You’re afraid I will leave you,” Harry whispers. The heart that was racing turns to ice, when Louis takes in what Harry said. 

“And you will, once I let you,” Louis whispers. 

“You should ask me,” Harry whispers and presses a quick kiss to Louis' lips. He doesn’t understand what that was meant to mean? Honestly the omega wanted the truth and couldn't at least stop speaking in riddles.

“Ask you what?” Louis whispers against Harry’s damp fingers. The cocoon is starting to get too hot, making sweat bead at Louis hairline. 

“If I want to stay with you… at your side,” Harry says and his lips twitch. 

Louis’ fingers curl around the flesh on Harry’s hips, “do you want to stay at my side?” 

Harry giggles and ducks his head, “thought you’d never ask.” His lips land on the alpha’s with a feverish furiosity. 

“Please,” Louis mumbles against the pink lips. “Just give me the answer, please. I can’t live without knowing anymore.” 

“I want you,” Harry giggles. “At your side, in your lap or at your feet. I will be there every step of the way. You’re not getting rid of me, my King.” 

“Harry?” Louis pushes Harry against the mattress. 

“Yeah?” Both dimples are deeply carved into his cheeks.

“You mean more to me than just someone near me,” Louis whispers. “I’ve never felt for an omega as I feel for you.” 

“Alpha,” Harry whispers into Louis' ears, which makes him rut against the omega unexpectedly. 

“Beautiful, beautiful omega,” Louis kisses his counterpart deeply.

Ω🐇A

The uniform Louis wears is made of the darkest of blue. It is so dark it almost looks black. Taylor and Eleanor both strap him into it, while Harry watches them. He’s sitting in a white dress on the bed, keeping a close eye on Louis. The flower crown bobs on his head as he tilts his head to watch Eleanor help Louis into his shoes. 

“You look handsome, my King,” Harry smiles at Louis. The omega looks beautiful and juvenile. But Louis hasn’t been able to get rid of that horrible feeling all week. Like he is walking to his death. Today someone is going to ask him to a duel. 

“Thank you,” Louis says with an anxious feeling in his gut. 

“Shoo, all of you leave,” Harry waves his hand in the air. The servants all turn to Louis to see if he means it. If they should follow the omega’s orders. Amused Louis nods, but only has eyes for the way Harry bites down on his lips to stop himself from bursting out and laughing. 

When the door snaps shut, Harry approaches him. “You’re so sure of yourself now,” Louis says in awe. “You’re a different person since we left Chuchulm.”

Harry shrugs with a grin, “I think I know what I am to you.” Harry’s hands land on Louis’ padded chest.

“I wouldn’t want you to miss what I feel for you,” Louis says, lacing their hands together gently. He’s so worried about so many things, and one of them is to die without telling Harry he loves him. Because he does. Shit, he probably should have realized it sooner, but ever since spending his time with Harry during his drop, Louis' belly has turned into an entire army of butterflies. To his credit, Harry has a serious case of heart-eyes as well. 

“You have been acting a little strange since you talked to my father,” Harry says.

“We only created an alliance, darling,” Louis reassures Harry. No matter how clammy and uncomfortable he feels, he won’t let Harry know about what is going to happen today. He needs to feel Harry’s reassurance and support. He needs to see his cute dopey smile before anything happens. He didn’t want to live the last week of his life with a sad omega. “And I am approaching my rut, so I’ve been a little on edge.” Harry blushes from that information.

“I just want you to know that I think you're my alpha, Lou,” Harry says to Louis. 

“Your alpha?” The breath catches in his throat. 

“Mhm… we’re meant to be, Lou,” Harry giggles. “Please tell me you feel the same.” Looking into Harry’s hopeful look, Louis’ knees go weak.

Louis drops to his knees, and kisses Harry’s knuckles. “I’ll marry you, Harry. After tonight, I will marry you.” Harry’s eyes are large and shocked, “unless you don’t want to say yes.” 

“Yes!” Harry screams, “yes, yes, yes, yes and yes!” Laughing, Louis gets back to his feet to kiss Harry and lift him to his feet. He twirls them while Harry giggles into his mouth.

“Big strong Alpha,” Harry giggles. Someone clears their throat behind them and Louis lets Harry’s feet reach the ground again. “Hello, Niall,” Harry reaches into his hair to reassess his crown and waves at Niall with the other hand. 

“They're waiting for you,” Niall points over his shoulder. 

“Thanks,” Louis sighs, and pushes his sword into his heath. It’s his grandfather’s sword, which a servant had sharpened all night, he thinks it might be a good omen.

“I’m getting married,” Harry sings to Niall, giggling.

“What?” Niall stares at Louis, who passes him with a grin. 

“If I survive today,” Louis hisses to Niall, but Harry turns to him with a confused scroll between his eyebrows.

Ω🐇A

Harry fiddles nervously with the satin around his neck, when the carriage stops and Louis holds out his hand to help the omega to his seat. To the omega’s surprise, he is to be seated next to Louis. Above the seats of the King’s family. “Please sit with me,” Louis whispers to him when they sit down. It’s an oval-shaped arena with a small enclosure, tented and seated for the best view, designed for the King’s family and close friends. The higher up on the seating chart, the more important one was. According to today, Harry was the second most important man on the list.

With a grunted “let the fight begin”, the King started the fights of champions and challenges within the pits. One by one, they watch different Knights challenge each other, servants fight animals and the poor and rich battle each other with blunt and piked weapons. Every-time there is only one victor. The uniform Louis’ wearing is becoming terribly tight and whenever he shifts he feels like it becomes more and more corded up. “I challenge Zayn of the House Malik from Blackton!” A foot-soldier exclaims.

Harry gasps next to him and turns to look at Zayn who is still guarding Liam. “For what reason?” Louis asks. 

“A challenge is a challenge, my King. The reason is my own.” The soldier says and turns to Zayn. Elegantly, the Knight takes off his cape and places it in Liam’s lap. Liam’s hand wraps around Zayn’s arm in a silent plea not to answer the challenge.

But Zayn turns to the soldier, “I accept.” He nods to Louis who introduces the two to the public. Slowly Zayn and the soldier get into the fighting pit in the middle of the arena where they bow to each other. Then they take two steps back and raise their swords.

“Oh Orion, please,” Harry whispers into his hands as they shake with nervousness. Louis is busy watching Harry’s eyes widen and tighten, Liam’s breath hitch with every clank of the swords rubbing together and Sophia’s broken sob when there’s a shout, than to watch the actual sword fight. Will they have similar reactions when Louis has to go into the pits? Will they sob and shout and fear for him as they do for Zayn? 

“The victor: Knight Zayn of the Black Rose!” James calls loudly over the pleased shouts of the public. Louis turns his eyes back to the games and watches Zayn get back to the podium, where he uses the cloak in Liam’s lap to half-reluctantly rub the blood from his face.

“I challenge you, King Louis!” The man Louis has been fearing for a month is taller than him, has thinning hair and strong thighs.

“And who are you to challenge me?” Louis wonders.

“My name is Simon Phillip of Syco from the Kingdom of Kemet,” the King's challenger says. He turns to point at a group of men wearing heavy and expensive leather, gold and silk. They are all alphas, proudly puffing out their chests. And within that group, Louis sees him. The King of the dark lands, of Kemet, has a large round belly like he’s eight months pregnant, and carries so much gold his neck is pushed forward like a turtle. 

“What is your challenge?” Louis asks and stands. 

Harry whimpers and pleads, “no.” 

“The King Quait of Kemet challenges you to a Duel of Kings,” Simon says. “I will be his champion!” 

“Why does he not speak for himself?” Louis asks. 

“Because he knows you will understand the truth behind my words,” Simon shrugs. “He does not think it is necessary for him to explain it to you.”

“You mean he does not wish to stand on the blood soaked ground where our dooms are to be decided,” Louis says. Simon opens his mouth to protest but Louis silences him with a raised hand. “I accept.”

“No,” Harry squeaks, tears already glazing over his view. At the same time as Liam says, “I must protest.” 

Louis chuckles lightly at Liam, “leave it Liam, this was long decided before you heard of it.” In surprise Liam’s mouth shuts, and Niall grabs Liam's upper arm to whisper something into his ear. For the last weeks Niall has been Louis’ confident and the two have been preparing for this moment together. As they speak, Knights of Chuchulm are hiding in the stands, ready to jump in, in case the Knights of Kemet choose to interfere with the normal procedure of a Duel of Kings.

“Who will be your champion?” Simon asks.

Louis' eyes land on the swordmaster Hadrian, who has already been accepted as the champion of the Summer Games, but he shakes his head at him. “I fight my own duals. I will be the champion of Peryton and Griffe.” 

The omega is shaking his head when Louis turns and kneels before him. Like many moons before, Louis takes the baby blue thread from his arm and secures it in a bow around Harry’s wrist. “Please carry my favor.”

“Louis please don’t… there has to be another way,” Harry whispers.

“One of us is going to win and reunite the three Kingdoms into one. It will be as Orion intended. It was always my path,” Louis whispers and brushes a tear from the hot pink cheeks.

“We could run away together, and hide in Chuchulm, or you could let Hadrian fight,” Harry whispers. “Please don’t do this.”

“Don’t worry, I’m near my rut it will aid me,” Louis whispers, touching one of Harry’s curls.

“Please,” Harry whispers.

“Don’t let your tears be the last I see in this world,” Louis whispers into Harry’s ear and kisses him right on his jaw. Then he finally strides down to the pits.

His family is dignifying Louis’ ascend with grace. Their chins are held high and they give him reassuring glances. The Queen Mother grabs his hand and squeezes him hard, before she nods at him reassuringly with a hard expression, though the tears in her eyes threaten her resolve. 

In a Duel of Kings there are no rules. The champions get a horse and sword, but that's it. “I fight better on foot,” Louis tells Isaac, who was holding the reins to his mare. 

“My King, I am prepared to fight for you,” his bodyguard says with a sad urgency.

“Thank you,” Louis claps him on his shoulder. Pulling his sword from his sheath he walks a few feet to stand in front of Simon. With a quick gaze, Louis finds Quait in the crowd of colorful dresses. Louis was expecting him to speak up and spread some foul words throughout the arena and demeanor Louis. It doesn’t happen. 

Instead, Louis rested the blade of his sword on his shoulder, and watched Simon. He was wearing one heavy iron-clad shield in front of his chest, clothes of wool for the rest and carried a saber with a broad blade. His horse trotted forward a little, while Simon raised an unimpressed eyebrow. 

The arena was deathly silent as Louis waited for his opponent to make the first move. “Don't think I won't ride you down,” he says to Louis.

“The sooner you die, the sooner my men can march into the realms of Kemet and take what is ours,” Louis interrupts him. 

"Shut up!" Simon digs his heels into his stallion's sides and urges him to a gallop. Lumps of dirt spatter up. He bents over the saddle, teeth bared, but his anger makes him careless. With quick fingers, Louis reaches into his waistband and produces a small, dagger-like blade. He kisses the poppy symbol on the dagger and throws it in a high arc at the stallion. The stallion stumbles as the blade rams into his eye. Louis spins himself sideways and rolls off. A few paces away, the stallion goes down panting. A huge cloud of smoke is created around them, which is blown off the ground by the falling horse.

"Nice trick," says Simon as he stands up like a black shadow behind the dying animal.

For a man of his size, he is incredibly fast. Louis follows Simon into the cloud. The dust stings his eyes as he watches Simon suddenly stab him. It is a powerful thrust and Louis gasps from the effort as he parries.

It burns as the saber blade scrapes across his shoulder. Crouching, Louis dodges the blade again as he stabs at his opponent's eyes. Simon backs away and the King's sharp sword scrapes along his left cheek. It starts bleeding from an ugly long gash down his mail shirt.

"Not bad," gasps Simon, vigorously slapping at his bleeding skin. Metal rattles as the warrior tricks Louis again with his speed. Louis parries blow after blow, waiting for an opportunity to use the warrior's speed for a counterattack. Simon tries to reduce their distance with quick heavy blows. After several slashes, Louis allows him to close the distance and allow the warrior to approach. With a grin, Simon grabs his sword hand. Louis allows him to hold him and drops his sword. This time, however, he catches his sword in his left hand and swings it at the man's stomach, stabbing underneath the armor at an angle. His opponent winces in pain.

Simon screams as he holds his stomach. Furious like an animal, he lashes out with his sword. "Bastard," yells the warrior of Kemet.

Louis attacks like lightning, without his facial expression or his body tension changing. Just before Louis scores, Simon realizes he has no chance of defending himself. The ancient sword pierces the warrior's chest.

Pain explodes on Louis' side as Simon's saber buries itself into his side. Simon goes limp and falls to the ground, pulling his saber back out of Louis' side. The adrenaline of the fight leaves him as he stares at Simon’s lifeless body. His focus is drawn to something else. The pain in his side screams, but his eyes search for his omega. The alpha’s inner wolf claws at him, eyes zeroing on to the stands, where Harry’s beautiful face shows pride and elation. Louis stumbles forward when another blow hits his spine. 

Spinning around, he finds himself face to face with another soldier. He ducks in time to hear a whistle above his head. The soldier falls to his knees when multiple arrows slice into him. “My KING!” Isaac is next to him, carrying a lance and a bow with arrows. 

Without saying a word, Louis grips the spear and aims for the colorfully dressed people in the stands. He runs forward and balances on his good leg to throw the spear. Seconds later, the spear pierces through King Quait’s heart. 

Shrugging off Isaac’s hands from his body, Louis manages to walk up to the dead King’s men, “now, who of you fuckers will discuss surrender with me?” While Louis talks, two stools and a table get placed into the fighting pits. He falls to one of the chairs, and watches as the men make room for one of them to step into the pits. 

Only then does Louis finally hear the crowd, loud and screaming his name. The ground he sits on shakes from the stomps of his people. 

Ω🐇A

The spectators are long gone, when Louis and the man from Kemet finally sign the surrender contract. His family has been removed back to the castle to make sure they are safe. In the heat of the second attack on Louis’ life, the soldiers of the Duke of Chuchulm had come out of their hiding spot to protect their asset, Harry. 

However, when they tried to remove him to safety, Louis growled so loudly they had to stop. Louis’ alpha was distressed, leaving Harry with a man he didn’t know. So close to his rut he couldn’t control himself if Harry wasn’t in his sights. In the end it was Niji who didn’t trigger Louis’ alpha and safely returned him to the castle. 

His side had been bandaged up half-heartedly and it starts bleeding when Louis gets up. One of the men of Kemet and the new contract get safely transported with Louis back to the castle. The Man from Kemet who negotiated with Louis will be staying as an ambassador as well, just like Liam had. 

On the way to the castle, a healer bandages him up carefully, while Louis hisses once in a while. “His rut is dangerously close,” the healer says to Louis’ bodyguards traveling with them. 

“He’s fine,” Isaac says. “Just make sure he can’t deepen his wound while in rut.”

“Yes, Sir,” she nods and pinches a pin into Louis’ skin. Louis’ face goes white as a sheet. It fucking hurts, and he wants Harry. Just Harry. His omega. It makes him all kinds of dizzy, this want for a person. 

“Just get me back to my omega,” Louis moans in pain. 

“Harry’s waiting for you!” Isaac affirms. When Louis leaves the carriage, he steps up to his castle and waves friendly to his people. And trying not to look too pained. His family fight each other to get a hug, when Isaac steps in front of his King. “ENOUGH! Pardon my Prince, Princesses and Queen Mother, but the King is tired. He’s approaching his rut and needs his omega.” 

“His omega?” Jay squeaks surprised.

“Please,” Louis whines uncharacteristically. “Let me get to him.” 

“This way, my King,” James says loudly and Louis follows him to his apartments. “He’s worried and waiting for you. No one has been in to see him.” James explains on the way and the itch and drive to have the omega in his arm crawls on Louis’ skin like a dozen ants. “There’s no other scent in there,” the butler keeps saying. He doesn’t get to see his King like this very often, it unnerves him. 

Louis ignores his butler and walks into his apartment, locking the door behind himself, “omega?” 

“Lou?” Harry’s worried voice calls from his own room. With a hammering heart and sweaty fingers Louis pushes the door open. Harry’s sitting on his bed. A naked sword lays across his knees, a plain narrow weapon. His cheeks are red from all the crying and there are still tear tracks painted down. His red-rimmed green eyes are trained on the weapon even as Louis steps into the room.

“Darling?” Louis whispers and approaches him.

“They said I would need it,” Harry says, running his hand over the blade. “A sword made for me to defend myself.” 

“You don’t need it anymore.” Louis says, and takes the sword from Harry’s lap. It seems to break the spell as Harry's eyes snap up to finally look at Louis. They grow as big as the moon as he picks up the King's bandaged side.

“Lou-eh,” he breathes in sharply, “you’re hurt. Lou, you’re hurt!” 

“I’m fine,” Louis kisses Harry on his plush pink lips. “Better now that I am with you.” 

“I…” Harry’s eyes narrow and then he stands and slaps Louis' chest repeatedly, “you idiot! You knew! Didn’t you? You totally knew that you’d be asked to duel. How could you? How could you not tell me?”

“Haz,” Louis coughs in pain. “Darling, I didn’t want you to worry.”

“So you thought I didn’t need to be warned? You didn’t think that my omega felt like shit just because I didn’t pick up on you training for the fight of your life?” Harry says, and another tear rolls down his wet cheek.

“I wanted you to have a good memory of me,” Louis whispers. “It was my goodbye present to you.”

Harry tilts his head, squinting his eyes in annoyance, “it felt bad.” 

“I’m sorry.” Louis grabs Harry’s hands like he did in the morning when he got dressed. “I’d understand when you’d want to leave now. Your father’s men are still here for another week, if you want to leave with them.”

“Stop,” Harry shakes his head and ducks his head to press his lips against the alpha. “I want to marry you, mate you, but only if you promise to stay truthful to me. With anything and everything.” 

“Thank you,” Louis says and presses a kiss to the omega’s cherub lips. Opening his lips, Louis pushes his tongue into Harry’s awaiting mouth. Harry moans into his mouth, when the alpha pushes him backwards. His back legs hit the bed and they both fall on top of it. Louis licks along Harry’s defined jaw and down his slender neck, sucking in a slow, hard pull. It arches the skin into his mouth, makes Harry's gland throb deliciously, just as his legs fall open. 

Louis fits himself between the beautiful legs easily. The flower crown plops onto the bed sheets. “H, I’m nearing my rut. We shouldn’t.”

“I don’t care,” Harry whines. “Knot me!!” 

“What?” Louis sits up to stare down at the plush-lipped, wide eyed omega.

“Please, I need you too,” Harry whines, rubbing his butt against the sheets. Slick bubbles against his dress. 

“Harry… it’s not seen kindly,” Louis says, but gets distracted when Harry grabs his hand and places it on his thigh and up under his dress.

“We’re getting married anyway!” Harry sits up too. He runs Louis’ hand against his crotch. “Baby, please, we are meant to be.” 

“If you continue this then I won’t be able to control myself,” Louis says, cock rigidly hard within his uniform. 

“I just watched you defend two Kingdoms and reunite an entire continent,” Harry whispers. “I don’t want you to control yourself.” 

Louis growls and man-handles Harry into his lap. His hands find themselves under Harry’s dress and his fingers slip into the awaiting heat of Harry’s hole. With his other hand he lifts Harry’s dress over his body, “fuck, too beautiful.” He moans into Harry's neck. 

Harry’s legs lock around Louis’ waist as he starts riding Louis’ finger. Louis lets out puffs of air in anticipation. Giggling, Harry runs his hand down Louis’ tummy. “Beautiful too,” he manages to say.

The only sound became the slushing of Louis’ finger inside Harry’s heat as it dipped in and out of slick. With a sudden rush, Louis maneuvered Harry onto his back and reluctantly set up. “Shit, got to get out of these clothes.” Louis starts ripping at his clothes. Watching him, Harry’s hand reaches for his own cock, playing with himself while Louis rips of his black upper shirt. Seeing Harry in that state, Louis feels a rush go to his head. He needs to be with Harry now! 

With all his strength he tears the uniform off his body and falls back in between Harry’s legs. Sucking one of Harry’s nipples into his mouth, Harry arches of the bed. “I’m ready,” Harry whines loudly. 

“Okay, okay,” Louis stutters, and grabs his cock. “I’ve never…” 

“What?” Harry sounds surprised and shocked. 

“I mean… I’ve never actually knotted anyone,” Louis admits. “Thought that should be something for my Queen.” 

“I am your Queen,” Harry smiles tenderly. “Knot me, my King.” 

“I’m so happy I waited,” Louis moans and pushes his cock into Harry. The omega's arms flay into the air and grab onto Louis’ back, scratching along his shoulder blades. 

“Louis… fuck ah-” Harry’s eyes roll within their sockets. He needs to breathe.

“Harry breath.” The omega sucks in air, and sighs happily. Louis pulls out and thrusts back in. 

“Keep going,” Harry whines. 

“Yes,” Louis moans into Harry’s wet skin. A stream of words tumble out of Harry’s mouth while Louis sets up a punishing pace. Louis bites onto Harry’s exposed skin. 

“I love you,” Harry says. “I love you, Lou, love you so much.”

“Fuck, H,” Louis screams into Harry’s neck, sucking harder. His hips stutter quicker against Louis’ hips faster. Harry’s cock twitches between their belly’s, trapped and hot. Louis flicks his tongue into Harry’s mouth and brushes his fingernail Harry’s nipple. 

“Lou—.” Harry’s cock spurts between the two, leaving a drizzle of come on his own stomach. Louis continues to fuck into him and his knot scratches against Harry’s rim.

“Do it, Lou,” Harry whines, when his cock twitches back to life in between them. Louis feels sweat bead on his hairline. Harry’s incredibly hot and tight, but nothing compares to how his knot feels when it catches on Harry’s rim and locks. Pleasure runs through him in waves. He wonders if this is the other side of an omega drop. He can’t tell what is happening for a few minutes as he comes and comes into his omega. Panting he comes back to himself with his head stuck between Harry’s nipples. “Are you okay?” Harry asks worriedly.

“Wow, that felt wow,” Louis says. Body totally out of energy, Louis shuffles them carefully until they are rolled into each other, safely locked and secure during the knotting. Louis' hand runs up and down Harry’s leg thrown over his hip. 

They stare into each other’s eyes as Harry runs his finger tips all over Louis’ face. “I want you to bond me,” Harry whispers. He too looks calm and happy. 

“I will,” Louis whispers and kisses Harry’s wandering fingertips.

“No, right now!” Harry says and bares his neck to Harry. Louis’ hips stutters against Harry and another wave of arousal shoots through him. 

“My ruts here,” Louis says when everything starts to go fuzzy. All his awareness starts shifting to his knot buried inside the perfect omega. And that damn vanilla. Nothing ever smelled that good. 

“Focus, Lou,” Harry’s voice reaches his subconscious. The fog lifts for a moment, so Louis can actually see Harry for a moment. “Bond me, baby.” 

Louis’ eyes find Harry’s naked bondmark and says, “I love you.” With those last words, his teeth bury themselves into Harry’s neck and produce a bond mark. He can feel Harry’s heartbeat set off into a new direction, right into his own chest. Intertwined, Harry and Louis become one.

Ω🐇A

Years later when Louis and Harry look at their wedding portrait after having seven children, they look at a proud alpha King of an entire continent and a beautiful curly-haired omega with a large diamond collar. And if there is a bondmark beneath the collar, no one had to know.