Glory and Gore || l.s. ✓

Chapter 34

"Jack, have you seen father?" Genna surged into his room.

"No?"

"Fuck." She groaned, "he's missing, his horse is missing, and a fair few of his men are missing. I was hoping they'd merely gone out hunting but I fear they could be hunting our brother."

"They wouldn't hurt him, right Gemma? They wouldn't hurt Harry?"

"I don't want to take any chances." She answered. "You will stay here, if that's alright. Keep an eye out for any sign of Harry and Louis fleeing. I will hunt the hunter."

"You're not going to kill him Gemma, you're not, are you?"

"Not intentionally. But if the weapon slips... Jack, don't worry about it. I'm going to go, and I'm going to make sure I can do the best I can to ensure that they are safe."

"But Gemma."

"Don't worry about it Jack. Stay here with Charles. I'm sure he needs you. And tell him to send the men towards Zayn's cabin. They'll protect it from the outside." Gemma waved farewell before rushing off towards the stables, grabbing a few necessities on the way.

Quickly and efficiently she prepared her horse, mounting it effortlessly.

With a kick of a heel they were off, thundering through forests and past rivers.

As she grew further away from the castle, she was sure she could hear voices. She paused, listening silently until she heard the King again. He yelled and trumpets were blown.

This wasn't just a case of returning the missing boy. This was the case of hunting him and torturing him until he forgot his own name.

She kicked the horse again, harder this time as she muttered an apology to the creature below. Though, she was sure the horse understood as it's nostrils flared and pinned it's ears back before taking off.

//

"Louis, there's someone outside." Harry inhaled deeply, turning to Louis in fear.

"Hide."

"What about you?"

"Hide, Harry. Just listen to me, okay?" Louis said firmly, but Harry could hear the undertones of gentleness.

"You'll be okay?"

"Of course. I always am. Now go. You know where to." Louis's ears pricked up as he heard horses circling the house, stomping their feet, and then he heard a yell, followed by a thud.

By the sounds of it, the horses were spooked, and the men were angered.

//

Gemma grinned to herself as she watched the soldier fall from his horse. She was perched in a tree, crossbow in her hand. She had fired, and she had hit. Not killing the soldier, but causing a gash in his leg which was big enough to hurt, a lot.

She had her eyes on the King, who couldn't care less about his soldier, but could only focus on the building in front of him.

Gemma had men scattered around them, slowly closing in. She had gathered them mostly from the prison. They were men she knew to be good. They were men everyone knew to be good, everyone except the King.

If the King disagreed with something they had said or done, or if they showed the King up in any way, he would have them imprisoned.

And so Gemma decided to release them. Her father was too distracted with Harry's disappearance to notice, and the prison guards were treated just badly enough that they wouldn't snitch.

The King may have trained soldiers, but so did she. Many of them had fought for him once- but if they let him down in any way he arrested them.

Her eyes widened as the front door opened and a soldier surged forward, grabbing the boy and holding a knife to his throat. It was Louis. He immediately threw his hands up in surrender.

Gemma whistled, her men would have to charge in. She squinted, taking her aim once more and firing an arrow straight into her father's shoulder, and then one to the leg of the man holding Louis captive.

They fell, both injured, but neither of them were going to die. Men surrounded men, good swamping the evil until the fire was left simply smouldering.

Her father hadn't taken enough men, just as Gemma had counted on. They had been swiftly overtaken within an instance.

She let out a sigh of relief, jumping down from the tree and onto her horse. They trotted forwards, Gemma smirking at her father.

"Your little girl has beat you. Checkmate."

"You're not going to fucking get away with this, you bitch! I'm the fucking King!"

"Maybe if you had treated everyone just a little bit nicer then I wouldn't get away with this. But everyone knows how you are, and I'm sure they wouldn't mind watching you rot in prison."

She ignored the rest of his shouts, heading inside to where Louis had fled.

"Harry? Louis? It's Gemma! You're safe, everything's under my control now."

"Gems?" She heard a whisper, and then Harry's head poked out from around the corner.

"Oh thank god, you're safe." Gemma gasped, running over and hugging him tightly.

"What happened?" He mumbled against her shoulder. Louis stepping out after him and standing awkwardly.

"Father is going to prison hopefully. I have him and all of his men detained."

"What? I don't understand?"

Gemma briefly explained the process to the pair, wanting to get them and the monsters home before anything could go wrong.

A mixture or relief and confusion was painted across the faces of both Harry and Louis. For Harry, it was a nightmare coming to an end, and for Louis, it was a threat that had been shut down.

Harry reached for Gemma's hand, and then tentatively reached for Louis's. "Is he out there?"

"He is."

"I don't want to talk to him."

"You don't have to."

"I want to go home." Harry added meekly.

"I'll send him off to the prison, then we can leave. You can visit him when you're ready."

"So he's actually going to be locked away?" Louis asked hesitantly.

"Yes. The prison managers have agreed. They know he's a bad man and he has nobody left on his side."

"Oh my fucking god. So we'll be alright?"

"You'll be wonderful. You can kiss all you like, just preferably not in front of me too much."

Harry blushed, looking shyly to Louis. "Who's going to take over?"

"Well, it was going to be you because you're the only one father ever believed capable."

"But I don't want to, and I'm not ready. Jack doesn't want to either. You've always wanted to. You've always been ready, you should rule."

"Are you sure?"

"If one day I decide I'm ready, perhaps I may rule alongside you. But for now, the kingdom is yours."

"Fucking hell, a lot is happening at once." Gemma laughed, half relieved, half terrified.

Harry just nodded.