Royalty [A One Direction AU]

{18} Daniel's Plan

~Niall's POV~

I sit on my bed, attempting to ignore Louis' cries of pain. The first couple times he cried out I thought he had woken up, but I pretty quickly realized that he's still sleeping, just feeling the pain and reacting subconsciously. It's been a few hours, I think, but I have no way to tell time in this place so I'm not sure. I'm not even sure how many days I've been here because there's no sunlight or anything. I think we might be underground, maybe even underwater. Louis and I have gotten to eat four times since we were kidnapped and I've slept three times, so has it been four days, maybe?

Louis moans again, but this time he also shifts, and his blue eyes meet mine. "Niall?" He asks, gritting his teeth from the pain one small movement gave him.

"Louis, don't move." I order, frowning. He sighs quietly, trying to move as little as possible while still communicating.

"You're alive." Louis states, answering the question I had yet to ask. He knows me too well at this point.

"You should be dead." I reply, and he nods a bit.

"No kidding." Louis says, his eyes flicking to the door then back at me. "I wish Daniel was as nice as he believes." My eyebrows furrow and I cross my arms.

"As he believes? How could he possibly believe he's nice? He knows perfectly well that he kidnapped both of us and tortured you mercilessly." I protests, and Louis nods.

"He thinks he's doing it for a good cause. The Wizard Rebellion that killed your great-great-grandfather was lead by Daniel's ancestor, who raised his son with a bunch of lies. He raised his son, and so on and so on, until you get to Daniel, the current leader. Daniel was raised with the belief that your family is the bad guys, that by taking the throne he's removing the evil from the magic world." Louis explains, more of his endless fountain of knowledge that he'll never tell me all of.

"What about the promise thing? How do you know he won't break it?" I ask, a thought that I never bothered to voice until now.

"His father was killed by a man who broke a promise to him. Daniel swore that he would never do something like that, saying he'll never break any promise once he agrees to it." Louis says, reassurring me while masking his own pain. It isn't hard to tell that Louis knows much more than he lets on, but the things that are really important to him, like his past, are secrets being kept from him. Possibly by my family.

"How will he get to the throne if I'm still alive?" I ask after a bit of silence, and Louis frowns in reply.

"If Daniel kills your father and aunt, you're the only person left. With you here, powerless and trapped, he can easily tell everyone that you're dead and take the throne himself. Daniel rules the magic world, and you're stuck in his dungeons. Only I, and the Wizard Rebellion, would even know that you were still alive." Louis says sadly, and I finally start to realize how bad this really is. One thing I've noticed is that Louis automatically assumes that my dad is going to die. What if he doesn't?

What if he does?

~•~•~•~•~

By day seven, Daniel knows that something is up, and Louis is back to normal health after three more slightly less drastic approaches: poison, another, stronger lighting spell, and Daniel attempting to literally take Louis' head off. Not something I want to witness again. That's the one that clues Daniel off, the fact that no matter what he tries, Louis' head stays on. Not a sentence I thought I'd ever say. Not going to say that again, either.

Anyways, Daniel is suspicious, but Louis is certain that's all he is until Daniel brings us back to the torture chamber. Two sets of hands grab my wrists, pulling me away from Louis before either of us can react. I fight Nick and Greg as they push me into a chair, quickly tying down my wrists. Louis yells profanities at Daniel as he fights the two Wizards holding him back, attempting to get to me. I've never seen these two before, and Scott is nowhere to be seen.

"What happened to our deal?!" Louis yells, infuriated. Daniel smirks, looking at me, then Louis.

"Our deal was that I couldn't touch the prince. And I will uphold that." Daniel says, and Louis hangs his head.

"I'm sorry Niall..." He says quietly, knowing that there's nothing he can do now.

"What about your promise?" I ask, getting the attention of both Daniel and Louis.

"What promise?" Louis asks, hope in his voice.

"You told me you never break a promise. Then you said 'As long as your friend keeps breathing you're safe, Niall. I promise that.' What happened to that promise?" I ask, and Louis smiles while Daniel frowns.

"Your friend. I didn't say Louis' name for a reason. As long as your friend keeps breathing you're safe." Daniel says with confidence. "Well, tomorrow we attack your school, which has been organizing a group of students and staff to rescue you. I'll make sure one of your friends dies, then we can carry on." Daniel grins, facing Louis. He looks at the two men who are holding my friend back, and they two quickly release Louis, backing away. Louis' eyes widen and he starts to run, but before he can get two feet Daniel is pressing his palm to Louis' chest. Louis' eyes darken, then turn back to normal again. "WHAT?!" Daniel yells, pressing his hand harder into Louis' chest. Louis winces, but nothing happens and Daniel removes his hand. His two henchmen quickly grab Louis' arms again, and Daniel just stares at the Immortal. "How?" He asks in disbelief, and Louis smirks.

"I don't know. I have no memory of my life before the King found me. I have no clue what I'm capable of or why." He says, grinning. "But apparently I'm immune to control spells." Louis adds as an afterthought, and Daniel throws up his hands.

"Change of plans. Both of them are coming to the school with us." Daniel orders, making his friends gasp.

"Are you sure?" Nick asks, frowning.

"Completely. And tell the scientists to find a stronger control spell while we're gone." Daniel replies, looking at a woman who's been standing in the corner of the room the entire time. "Get them clothes for tomorrow and a silence cuff for the Immortal." He orders. Nick and Greg untie me, and the two other men basically force Louis out of the room even though he'd go willingly. I walk behind them, following Louis into the room. As soon as the door locks behind me Louis frowns, pacing across the room.

"He's going to attack our friends, Niall. They're the ones in the group because our friends are all powerful. Daniel will either kill or control all of them, unless we warn them. This is going to be an interesting battle either way."

"What can we do?" I ask, and Louis grins.

"Warn them."