The Destitute Queen || h.s. au

87. Milena

I try to keep my distance from the Queen, who's sobbing uncontrollably on the floor. Harry and the others are trying to calm her down, and eventually her cries subside. She stares into space as I can only assume some form of shock has taken over her. What happened?

Prince Liam enters the King's and Queen's chambers, followed by Prince Louis and Harry. Catherine stays with her mother, comforting her. I look around the hallway and notice Belladonna has also kept a sort of distance, as well as...Niall? What's he doing here?

He notices me looking at him, and I quickly look away, turning my attention to Belladonna, who's coming near me.

"Milena," she whispers once she's reached me. "Do you know what's going on?"

I shake my head. "We just heard a scream and ran towards it."

"'We'?" She repeats. "You were with Harry, weren't you?"

I furrow my brows. How did she guess that so quickly? I was about to open my mouth, when she interrupts me.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," she smiles, still whispering. "You found love, I wouldn't want to be the one who takes it away from you."

"Thank you," I say, genuinely. It seems as though nearly everyone already knows our secret, though. There's no point in trying anymore.

She lets out a quiet giggle. "You have to tell me all about it some time. When you met, how you fell in love, I want to know everything! Now's not the time, obviously, but-"

"Everyone?" Prince Liam announces to us all in the hallway. He, Harry, and Prince Louis have left the room and closed the door behind him. "We need to get the medic, right now."

"Why? What happened?" Catherine stands to her feet.

He turns to her and says, "Catherine, go to your room and stay there until one of us comes and gets you."

Without argument, she nods and walks off, followed by Niall, who no one seems to notice was there in the first place. How can Catherine just blindly follow her brother's orders like that?

"I'll fetch the medic," Prince Louis says, running off into the other direction. I turn to Harry, who looks like he's just seen a ghost.

"Liam, what's going on?" Belladonna asks curiously, looking over his shoulder and into the room.

"Let's just wait for the medic to get here," he responds, taking a deep breath.

I make my way to Harry, who is leaning on the wall and staring at the ground lifelessly.

"Harry?" I quietly say his name, and he looks up at me with frightened eyes. "Are you okay?"

He shakes his head, his face paling. Then, he frantically looks around for something and rushes to the bucket he sees on the ground, emptying his stomach into it. I gasp and run to him, rubbing his back as he coughs and gasps for breath.

He sits down on the floor and pulls me with him, resting his head on the wall and closing his eyes. Then, his breathing becomes shaky. I pull him towards me and he rests his head on my chest, wrapping his arms around my waist. I quickly glance over at everyone else, and luckily, no one is noticing us. Prince Liam and Belladonna are too busy comforting the Queen to see Harry's breakdown.

I protectively wrap my arms around the man I love, gently running my fingers through his hair. I place a gentle kiss on the top of his head, and he just pulls me even closer.

"You don't have to talk if you don't want to," I say to him. "But I want you to know that I'm here for you if you do."

He remains silent, and I just continue to slowly and gently rub his back with one hand and his scalp with the other.