Louis heard a voice call for him. He turned around and saw Liam. "Louis, what is that?" Liam stammered, pointing at the demon standing behind the prince.
"That's Harry." Louis explained. "He turns into a monster if he isn't asleep."
"That would explain why he always respected bedtimes and curfews." Liam said. Louis was surprised that Liam was so understanding but he decided that he did not have time to question Liam. "Louis, I'm sorry. I heard about you and Harry-"
"I just need to get back to Ariak." Louis interrupted.
"Can you ride horses?" Liam asked. Louis nodded.
Louis noticed the absence of one of Harry's fathers. "Where's Zayn?" Louis asked.
"He'll be back in a bit. Just went to get us a ride home." Liam informed.
"Holy shit, what is that?" Zayn cussed when he returned to the palace with two horses.
"Our son, apparently." Liam said. "Do you mind if Louis takes one of the horses? He needs to get to Ariak."
"Sure." Zayn dragged out the word, still trying to comprehend how his precious boy could be the savage-looking beast that stood before him.
"Thank you. I owe you one!" Louis called out as he climbed onto a stallion and straddled it. Sam helped Larry onto the horse. Louis took the equine by the reins. Louis rode back to Ariak as fast as the horse could gallop. Sam ran alongside the steed. The journey took a few hours.
When they reached Ariak, the sun was already creeping up to the sky. Sam changed to Harry. Harry looked dazed and confused. "Louis, what is going on? Where are we? How are we both alive? Shit, are we both dead?" Harry bombarded Louis with questions.
"No! No!" Louis screamed. He quickly explained the situation to Harry. Louis rushed off to looked for King Niall.
Niall had long arrived in Ariak from Vaelle. He was sharpening his sword when Louis found him. "Louis, I'm so glad you're alive!" Niall exclaimed upon seeing the prince.
"I will be going to fight Vaelle. I want you to stay in the palace." Niall ordered.
"No, Father." Louis objected.
"That was not a question." Niall asserted. He examined his blade. After a few moments of scrutinising it, he slotted it into his sheath. Niall left the castle on his horse to meet the troops.
"Are we really staying in the palace?" Harry asked.
"Not a chance." Louis marched to the front doors of the palace. He was stopped by a castle guard. "King's orders," The guard said firmly. "You are not to leave this palace." Louis tried to push his way past the man but the guard stood his ground.
Louis stomped off to his room. "This is frustrating!" Louis ranted to Harry. "How am I supposed to protect my kingdom if I can't even go on the battlefield?" Harry did not know what he could say to make their plight better.
Modeste knocked on the door. "Louis, are you here?" She asked.
"Yes. Do you need anything?" Louis responded.
"Nope," Modeste answered. "Just making sure."
"What are you doing here?" Louis asked.
"I helped King Niall return to Ariak." Modeste said. She slipped next to Niall in the pews at the church before Stephen's arrival. Being the king's advisor, she knew all of Stephen's plans. She snuck Niall out the back door. He made it back to Ariak safely, escaping the clutches of King Stephen.
"Can you do me a favour and help sneak Harry and me out of the castle?" Louis requested.
"Louis, you're going to get yourself killed." Modeste threatened.
"No, I won't." Louis disagreed. "If we make it there after eight o'clock, we could let Harry loose and he could kill all of King Stephen's soldiers."
"That actually isn't a bad idea." Modeste admitted. "Shaky, but not terrible."
"When are my ideas ever bad?"
"All the time." Modeste put bluntly, causing Louis to pout. "Harry, are you agreeable to this?" Modeste asked. Harry hesitated.
"Hey, you owe me one!" Louis shouted. "Remember the yucky broccoli I had to eat? Ugh!"
"I'll do it." Harry agreed.
"Okay, I'll help you out." Modeste complied. She moved to the walk in closet in Louis' room. She moved some of his clothes out of the way and began to dig at the bricks with her hands. She moved her palms along the wall. A brick slipped loose and fell out of place. Louis and Harry helped to pull out the rest of the bricks to reveal a dark long tunnel. "This is a secret passageway in case you were ever cornered to your room." Modeste explained. "Don't tell King Niall I know about this. He'd flip his shit."
"My lips are sealed." Louis said. Modeste was helping him sneak out. The least he could do was keep this secret for her.
"Follow the tunnel." Modeste instructed. "You'll get out of the castle, probably end up in the forest."
"We can navigate from there. Thanks, Modeste." Louis gave her a hug before leaving. "C'mon, Harry. Let's go."
YOU ARE READING
Or Forever Hold Your Peace - l.s.
Fanfiction[Sequel to Don't Stay Up All Night] Just as Prince Louis thought he had gotten rid of Harry, he runs into the boy again while he is in Vaelle, a neighbouring kingdom, to marry their princess.
