Red & White

forty nine.

~Three Weeks Later~

She looked out through the carriage window into the distance, seeing the massive, familiar castle come into view. Leah leaned back in her seat and sighed.

"Ready to get back to the real world?" Harry joked, stretching his arm behind her back. She nuzzled into him as the carriage turned into the gates and to the back entrance. Crowds of people were anxiously waiting behind the palace fence, queuing up to see Mr. and Mrs. Styles return from their honeymoon.

"I'm not sure," she replied honestly. "I'm definitely going to miss the quietness of nature."

He nodded in agreement.

The newlywed's honeymoon lasted a grand total of three weeks in a secure, serene area of the English countryside. It was just them two, together and alone in a warm cabin. The days were long and the nights short, but they made the most of every minute. They took long walks through the forest, swam in clear lakes, and laid out under the stars. It was magical. Harry was finally able to relax from the craziness of running a country and spend valuable time with his new, pregnant wife.

On the second week of their honeymoon, Leah was curled up in the cabin bed while Harry washed his face outside in the nearby lake when suddenly she felt a wave of pressure.

"Oomph," Leah wheezed out in a gasp, clutching her stomach. It was nothing like the pain she felt the day she found out about the pregnancy. It was...different. Like a tug, but also a push at the same time. Her palm that was pressed over her nightgown felt another..kick?

"Oh my.." She suddenly realized what was happening. "Harry!" Her shout was loud enough to scare away any peaceful deer grazing for food nearby.

His figure burst inside the cabin within five seconds of her screaming. The Prince's hair was dripping wet from dunking his head to rid of the day's dirt. The fear in his eyes was evident. He rushed forward to Leah and crouched next to her.

"What's wrong? What happened!" he said in panic.

"The...Li..Little Bean!"

"What's the matter with Bean?" Harry looked like he might cry. He thought they were in danger, like she was in severe pain. He always knew something like this might happen, it was a massive fear he had. Leah rarely suffered from morning sickness in the previous months of her pregnancy, so this gravely worried him.

"The baby is kicking!" she rushed out and a wave of relief washed over the Prince. Kicking. That was normal at this stage.

"Kicking?" Harry repeated with a softer tone, wide eyed and curious.

"Come feel," Leah encouraged, reaching out to grasp his tense hands. She brought them both over her slightly swollen stomach and pressed them on the side where the baby kicked.

They were deadly silent for a moment, then, the pressure continued and Harry whimpered. He actually whimpered.

"Oh, my God."

"Can you feel it?"

He blinked, and Leah swore she saw wet eyes. Harry bowed his head, keeping his hands plastered against her tummy.

"Y-Yes...I can feel our baby in there." He was blown away. This moment would never leave him. That was something they made together in there, and in four short months they would be able to hold Little Bean.

"Oh, look," Leah said, regaining Harry's attention. She sat up straighter and pointed out the carriage window. "Everyone is gathered outside."

On the opposite side to the front castle view bystanders were able to see, the castle employees were standing in a formation, clapping and hollering at the return of the royal couple. The horses pulled the carriage to a halt a few yards later, and within a second the door was opening with Louis perched in front of it.