𝕋𝕦𝕣𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕋𝕚𝕕𝕖||𝕃.𝕊

THREE

"The previous ship I was held in. The Death Naught. The first day on board, the captain took me so many times. I felt so dirty and disgusting. I wanted to claw at my own skin and as I always have, I wanted to die. That crew used me." Louis said in a whisper. "So many times. I had gotten numb to it but then on your ship no one did that. Yes, they hurt me and called me names but they did not use me.....so when it happened again today, it was painful. So so painful." Louis whispered brokenly but no tears left his eyes.

Harry grips onto his knee tightly turning his knuckles white as he tried to contain his anger. He wanted to know the whole story. Everything. How the Prince ended up in this predicament. He would be lying if he said that the Prince was not beautiful. He truly was and the reports Niall gave him that the Prince was neither eating nor sleeping made him concerned and then what happened today. It made him so angry.

For over a week now he has been battling his attraction towards the Prince. The need to hold and cuddle him. Protect him. Avenge him. He didn't feel good when he killed Simons and his his crew but now, he was over the moon that those scums were dead.

"Who did this to you Príncipe?" Harry asked through gritted teeth.

Louis shrugs. "Again I don't know. I do not know his name. I only know that he trampled my hand which is now bandaged because apparently it is fractured and then he dragged me down to the cargo hold and used me. He then threatened me afterwards. I do not like to snitch." Louis finishes.

"It is not snitching if what was done to you was wrong. You have been wronged and that is not acceptable. No person should have to deal with that." Harry says firmly. "Describe him to me." Harry says.

Louis thinks for a moment. He has been wronged his entire life after his mother died. How is this any different? He tells the captain anyways figuring that angering the captain is not the smartest idea. Louis secretly wishes the captain cared for him. He has been trying to deny the feelings growing at the pit of his stomach towards the captain. Each time he feels it, he reminds himself that he will never be enough. That effectively shuts it down. No matter how bitter the truth is, it still remains as just that. The truth.

"He was taller than me. A bit shorter than you I suppose. He was big and muscly. He had a rather large scar running down his shoulder and arm. It reached his palm-" is all Louis got to say.

"McStubby." Harry says through gritted teeth. His jaw continues to clench and unclench. He brings his focus back to the Prince after a moment of trying to calm himself down. "Can you turn around so I can put the seaweed on you chest?" Harry asks as gently as he can after he takes the seaweed off of Louis's back.

With a nod and the help of Harry, Louis slowly turns around to face the wooden roof above him. Harry looks at his bruised chest. Anger flares through him as he thinks of anyone who may have laid a finger on the Prince.

"If anyone touches you, you are to tell me. That is not a request." Harry says firmly.

Louis looks at the captain for a moment before complying. "Alright." He says through his hoarse throat.

Harry places the seaweed and brushes his fingers over Louis's exposed torso hoping it comes across as unintentional. When he get the Prince's shoulder, something on his skin catches Harry's undivided attention. He leans in closer and his eyes go wide when he reads the words branded onto the Prince's pectoralis major.

You're not good enough.

"Did Simons do this to you?" Harry asks as he scowls. He runs his fingertips over the marked skin gently.

"No. that was my 16th birthday gift from my father. I woke up to a lot of pain that morning only to see that branded onto my skin as a permanent reminder of what I already know." Louis speaks as if every word that comes out of his mouth does not affect him.