Malachite | L. S [Completed]

23: Serpent's Dream

a/n - thank you everyone who has been a part of this journey. this will be the last book i ever write so i hope you enjoy the ending. i love you all and i hope you remember me as a little piece in your lives too.

☽

Winter embraced the Capital like a lover's touch and melted into spring.

Louis had been gone for three months now, travelling to the eastern Ruins of Ferknair to resolve an uprising which would have inevitably led to a war between the Ruins and the Isle of Kerth. Now he was home. It felt foreign to call the Capital his home but it had been his -- no, their -- home for more than half a year.

It ripped his heart into shreds being away from his beloved precious, to be unable to wake up to the sight of his mate's serene face resting on his chest, or when he would be blessed with the sensation of his mate's mouth around him as he awoke. He loathed not being able to kiss Harry's lips or feel his touch. Dammit, he missed his hysterics too.

"I am well aware that you do not love me anymore," Harry wailed as he stormed into the gardens, his curls bouncing gaily as Louis attempted to match his strides. It had begun to snow and fear crept in Louis' mind when he realised that the path had grown slippery with a crossed omega ahead of him.

"What gave you that notion, foolish omega," Louis jested, pulling at the displeased omega's wrist in an attempt to halt him. Harry let out a cry and punched Louis' chest.

"You think of me foolish," he sobbed before letting out a grunt and punching Louis in the belly. "And-- and you said you would not love me if I were a crippled arse."

"I--" Louis had no words. Harry had asked him that question at the crack of dawn when Louis had managed to finally rest his eyes shut after knotting his omega for the second time that night, so heaven forbid he had said no. But in that moment he was regretting his mere existence when the omega began to shed fat tears. "I would love you still, my love. I had merely thought you were being humorous."

"Noooo," Harry cried. "You hate me."

The day had ended with Louis tending to the omega's every whim and gifting him a Taranian scarf before Harry had deemed his apologies acceptable. Oh, how Louis missed even his sweet tortures. In the past months, he had received letters, each growing bitter as the omega expressed his displeasure regarding their situation and groused about not being permitted to accompany Louis.

We cannot abandon the throne, Louis'd write, one of us must remain at the Capital.

And now, as he watched the high towers of the Royal Keep disappear into the clouds, Louis longed to be in his beloved's arms. The carriage came to a halt and Louis' bones cried in relief as he stretched deeply.

"Where is the Queen?" He demanded, uncaring of his unkempt appearance. He looked fairly shabby, with hair that required proper grooming and auburn stubble which would leave indents on Harry's cheek when Louis would kiss it.

"Your Chambers, your Majesty. His Majesty has not been keeping well, I am afraid."

Louis frowned. He had not been informed of such an incident. "Why was I not made aware?" He asked, beginning to stride towards the Keep. "Is it not your duty to inform me?" He roared, ignoring every greeting that was offered to him. His heart began to thunder. How ill was his precious? What had happened? Was it fatal? "How ill is he?"

The excitement of being in his lover's arms had now begun to brew into the fear of finding him in a terrible state. The hallways seemed to begin to close on him as sweat broke on his forehead.