Red & White

twenty nine.

There was so much he wanted to tell her. So many precious words that couldn't reach his lips. They were confined in his mind from the moment the two were whisked away in the carriage to the second she turned to him when they were stopped in front of her cottage home at the end of the journey. 

Her voice was shallow and quiet. "I don't want you to come back here, Harry." 

The way she said his name, etched with abuse and pain caused his heart to clench. 

"No, Leah, please-"

"It is what's best." She sounded stronger than she thought possible. 

"Can we talk, I-"

Leah rose from her seated position opposite the Prince. 

"Goodbye, Harry." 

This was it. He didn't want to face it. He couldn't reciprocate. He could not bear to say goodbye. And all because he was so frustrated with his failure. Harry's feelings, right now as he watched her depart from the carriage, were indescribable. 

His knuckles turned white. His stunning, green iris turned blood red. He was seconds from pounding the nearest object to him.

The Prince was angry. He was angry at Leah. He was angry at himself. He was angry at his father. He was angry at the world. But he was livid at his mother. 

If it wasn't for her continuous nagging for not having a wife, I could be happy. I could be careless. I wouldn't have gone out to find someone. I wouldn't have found Leah. I could have saved mine and her life. 

But that wasn't the case. Queen Anne did nag her son, he did go out, and he did find Leah. He had no power to change history. 

The carriage door opened again, and a spark of hope ignited inside the Prince's soul, but it disappeared as Louis hopped in after helping Leah out.

There was a beat of silence before, "I'm not going to ask."

"Well good because I'm not going to answer," Harry snapped back. 

"Don't be a prick, Harry. I didn't do shit. You did. You are the cause of Leah leaving you. For once, I could visibly see how happy you were. And now look at you." Louis paused to motion towards the Prince's white knuckles digging into the carriage seat. 

Harry's nose flared. "You heard her, you were sat right here. This is what is best."  

The valet shook his head. The Harry he knew wouldn't have settled for that. He would have done something. But he also did know that the Harry he knew was now going to have to age a decade in order to fulfill his duties as Prince during this war. This would not be simple. 

They were silent the entire way back to the palace. Outside the small windows, Louis noticed the extra pack of soldiers on guard outside the castle walls. This really was happening. England was in war. 

But with whom? Louis repeated in his mind, attempting to come up with a solution. Harry never uttered anything about the opposing side of these meetings. What country are we in war with?

He wished to know, but this was not the right time to ask. 

Upon arrival through the castle gates that took an extra few moments with the added security, Louis jumped out of the carriage to hold open the door for Harry, who said nothing and trudged forward to the main door. 

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There were two days where nothing happened. No one in the kingdom besides the soldiers and the royal family knew what was happening. Their job, before invading territory was an option, was to prepare themselves.