The Pirate Prince *Larry Stylinson*

Chivalry

Chapter 23

Everyone grew quiet as Louis moved his gaze toward the fire ahead, "From what I heard with all of you and from what I experienced these past couple weeks... I can easily say that my life has actually been one of the most protected things on this planet."

"Which is understandable." Harry helpfully inputted causing Louis to nod his head slowly, "Yeah... But I don't think it's a good thing."

He thought back on how everything had been in Ireland...

How there had been so many people out in the streets, poor and starving without a home. Some kids without parents or guardians or even siblings.

"My whole life was completely and totally blinded to the poverty and tragedies that have plagued the United Kingdom's people. It bothers me. It really bothers me how so many more people than I've been told have been suffering and no one's doing anything about it. I knew some people were homeless in Ireland, but I had no idea that there were so many." He scowled, "I don't know if it's just me and my father knows—"

"Of course your father knows." Harry briefly intervened, "Ireland's being struck the hardest amongst the United Kingdom to be stripped of all its resources because it's predominantly Roman Catholic. He hates us and thinks the Anglicans and Protestants in general better than us."

"There's no proof of that and I don't care about your opinion on the matter either." Louis snapped out almost instantly as he turned to glare at Harry, "I know my father's done wrong, I've seen the results of it firsthand..." His gaze on the captain softened considerably while Harry's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Turning away, Louis sighed heavily with a grimace, "You want me to see my father as a monster, which I hope you know will be impossible to do. There aren't bad people. Just good people who make bad decisions."

Harry gave a snort, his arms crossing over his coated chest, "Oh, really? How cute of you... So I suppose I'm just a good person who's made all the bad decisions tossed at me then?"

Seriously, Louis moved his attention back to him, "No. You're a person who's just been thrusted into a bad situation. I mean," He glanced over his shoulder at Liam and Sofia, "If you weren't where you are now, Liam and Sofia would both be dead. Wouldn't they?"

The two blinked in surprise at this and Harry's eyes narrowed on Louis to continue.

"If my father hadn't done what he did, you wouldn't be a pirate. If you were never a pirate, you would have never been able to save Liam from dying and if Liam died, he wouldn't have been able to save Sofia from dying later on. Aren't I right?"

"And if that's the case, I wouldn't have met either Zayn or Liam..." Niall lowly added in.

Louis shrugged towards him, to prove his point even further, "If I asked anyone on this ship if you were a bad person, they'd all tell me otherwise like they've been doing since my first day onboard."

Harry sat more upright, his eyes critical, "So if I asked you if I'm a bad person, what would you say?"

"That you're not."

And suddenly everything turned awkward for Louis as he came to terms with the shit that was coming out of his mouth.

The words already left without his even thinking and he inwardly braced himself for Harry's reaction.

The male was clearly surprised by Louis's remark and his expression left him staring back at Louis with disbelieving eyes.

Silence plagued over the group as Louis slowly broke his gaze with Harry in favor of watching down at his lap.