Forbidden Love - Lestappen AU Charles Leclerc x Max Verstappen

Chapter 7 - You'll be okay, I won't let you not be

Where are you, Charles?

Max searched through the whole city spending the entire night looking for his only lover. The soldiers had joined him after around half an hour. But still no sign of Charles.

It was nearing dawn when Max encountered a strange belonging. It was a pendant. A fine piece of metal, light in weight. The red refined jewel  gave it a light, radiant glow in the darkness of the night. The heart shape a reminder of the night he first saw it, hiding under the shirt of his lover.

Charles

Max harshly grabbed the necklace and stashed it in his jacket pocket. He had a lead. Charles must have passed at some point in the last 24 hours. The Dutchman scanned the area for any other clues as to which direction the brunette had taken. When he found none, he went in the direction he was facing, hoping for it to be the right way.

He walked for a few hours before stopping near a large tree, to look for anything that may help him. Scouring the area for even a glimpse of something out of the ordinary. But low and behold, nothing.

That was until he heard a high pitched scream coming from somewhere further into the woods. Upon hearing this sudden outburst, Max sprinted in the direction of the loud wail. Stopping when he heard another piercing scream, the same voice but this time from another direction. Spinning in circles, Max tried to identify if he had gone passed it but was established he hadn't when another scream enveloped the trees above.

Wind whistles in his hear as he tries to listen for any clue as to the origin of the startling, ear-piercing scream. The trees dancing as the gusts become heavier a storm brewing above his head, reflecting his distress caused by his lover.

A fourth scream envelopes his being but this time his fellow soldiers also heard the cry. Max swiftly span around to face them confusion lacing his features. The realisation that they'd been there the whole time, without hearing the discerning screams from deep within the forest, sprang out at him with force.

A few moments passed when one of the soldiers, the leader perhaps, stepped out of the crowd. Max vaguely recognised the face as his father had shown him some of the guards when he was younger.

The guard walking towards him, head held high but face contorted with bewilderment. "Your highness?" He softly but assertively spoke aloud, so quiet the prince himself barely heard it. "Do you think that was Prince Charles?" He questioned.

"I do." Max replied sternly, looking away from the guard. His head dropped towards the floor, anger suddenly lacing his body. How could someone do that to his Charles? He thought, right fist clenching at the idea of someone handling Charles like that.

He pushed his anger away, his thoughts turning to the matter at hand. Get Charles back. He briskly ran toward the last noise, suddenly realising that there hadn't been a scream for some time.

"Max!" The scream was, suddenly, impaled into his skin. The feeling of adrenaline rushing through his blood at the simple call of his name. "Please, Max, I'm begging you. I need you right now, more than ever." The words seemed almost difficult for one to have spoken.

Max races forward. The screams of the guards behind him are drowned out by the oncoming storm. He comes toward the end of the forest to find a singular tree.

There sat Charles, draped along the floor in front of it. His hands bonded together keeping him attached to the tree.

At the sight of his lover, Max reaches forward grabbing a hold of Charles' hands. He then thrusts his left hand toward his right hip, where his sword is stationed. The feeling of it foreign to him, having only ever used a sword a handful of times to please his father.

Before another thought could register he takes Charles' wrists and cuts the rope between them, freeing his lover of his confines. He helps the younger boy to stand. His frail, weak body leaning all of his weight on Max, who couldn't care in the slightest.

Charles ends up being dragged by Max through the forest and back to the group of guards the latter once left. At the sound of a body being dragged the guards turn in their direction.

Brad, the guard from before, rushed to the other side of Charles helping the princes. "We need to get out of here. We don't know what creatures could be lurking around." The guard wisely spoke to the group. To which all nodded back at him.

Max turned to Charles to ask, " Charles, baby, are you hurt anywhere?" Charles manages to muster the energy to shake his head lightly from one side to the other. His eyes drooping before the Dutchman. "We must get him out of here and quick." Max states critically, before leading them out of the dark forest and into the open of his, now abolished, town.

They make it towards the main gate of palace. Around 100 metres away they are spotted by Christian, relief falls upon his face at seeing both princes alive. He quickly rushes to their aid, brining Charles through the gates and into the palace grounds. And for the second time in Charles' lifetime he enters through the main entrance, having previously snuck around the back to meet Max.

Once inside the safe, strong walls of the palace, they rest Charles upon a large pillar supporting the building. "Christian, go grab a doctor. We need to check him over." Max commands his secondary father figure, who rushes off in search of someone to help.

Max then turns to Charles, who is fighting to keep his eyes open. "Schat," He whispers to the broken boy, "You need to keep your eyes open, look at me." He tilts his head to look directly into his eyes. Charles lightly smiles at that. "You'll be okay, I won't let you not be."

Just quickly typed this out so here we are! A little thank you to all those who have stayed until this point I really appreciate it. Also tysm for all the votes it makes my day. See you next week!