Thank you for all your comments ! It really makes our day x
•••••

The hope of surviving from this torturous death by his assailant was crushed when he witnessed his son getting stabbed by the one person the King was most sure wouldn't harm him.

The King wasn't blind to the way his unfaithful general was towards the prince. Those unnecessary touches, the way Harry blushed and those fond stares. He knew for sure that Louis's hunger for revenge was huge, but not till the point where he had to take away Harry's life, he was not even a part of the king's life back then! Blood or not, his only son was the epitome of innocence and kindness and the King regrets taking it for granted now that he might not ever see his face again.

"You monster! What did he ever do to you?" The King spat his words with how much ever energy he could muster at Louis. The amount of guilt he faced for making the man suffer turned into hatred which was soon replaced by confusion.

Louis felt the world crashing down on him when he had to put a sword through Harry.

Stealthily, making his way to the kitchen, Louis kept his eye out for anyone to catch him. Breathing out a sigh of relief, he poured the sleeping portion in his student's soup.

Louis knew for sure that his father won't let Harry live and he might not be able to save his life. The general couldn't afford that, he had grown quite fond of the prince and besides, it would be unfair for him to be punished for the mistakes his stepfather did.

After spiking his soup, Louis was glad when a servant took away the tray of food. Since, killing the King was their main priority, his father won't notice the absence of his prince until after the king's death and after that, Louis would kill him.

Harry would be safe if he never did come in his father's way and to make sure of this, Louis had to knock him out. Hopefully, after all this is over, Harry would get to become the King, Louis's favourite King who might remember him as his father's killer, but at least he would be alive.

Louis had done one thing he never ever wished to do and he stood numb as he saw Harry fall down and hitting his head with the corner of the table and slipping into unconsciousness.

The king's voice had snapped him out of his trance and he lunged forward tearing off his upper cloth to wrap it around his prince's wound to stop the flow of blood.

When he had almost completed tying up the wound, a strangled noise made him look up with widened eyes and slackened jaws.

In front of him laid the King with an arrow right through his heart.

As a reflex, he turned towards the wall sized window behind him to see Gemma.

Gemma didn't notice Louis catching her and turned her bow with an arrow towards the other person who had witnessed the scene with the same reaction but with different motives.

Louis launched himself, "Get down, Niall!" and thankfully this time he wasn't late as he was successful in completely covering up Niall's body from the attack. But, the pain which shot from his left bicep was enough for him to take back that sentence.

With a wince he turned back to look at the tower where Gemma stood and all the blood drained out from his body seeing his own father next to her, smirking at him. 

Louis felt a lot of emotions surge through him-betrayal, hurt, confusion, fear, vulnerability, dejection but the most prominent one being anger. He was about to stand up and walk straight all the way up to Gemma and his father as if challenging them to shoot him or even try before he does something making them regret to ever go against him.

But, that livid thought was soon vanished when he heard Niall's gasp, "Shit! Louis, are you okay? What's wrong with Harry?"

Louis couldn't answer since from his peripheral view he saw more people getting ready to aim at them and he grabbed Niall and managed to get them to hide behind a shelf without getting injured.

"Listen to me Niall, I want you to take this sword"-he gave Niall his own personal black sword-"and take Harry with you. Find someone in the castle to help you out."

"I can't take Harry and go back in there. Even you can't go back. The kingdom has been attacked! That's why I came in here. To warn the King!" Niall rushed in telling his explanation cause behind was his crazy cousin trying to murder him.

Shit! How could Louis be deceived this bad? This had to be the most ideal time for attacking since no one adequate was there to defend their land. Louis felt as if his nerve could burst in anger and frustration, but he willed himself to stay calm for the curly headed prince whom he had mercilessly treated for such treacherous events. He needs to premeditate to make sure the only person he wouldn't ruin if he ever gets betrayed by to be safe.

"Then take Harry and meet me at the back of the castle near the horse stable." There is a secret pathway from the king's study room to the back, about which only the members of the Royalty and trusted workers knew. Not bothering with getting a reply, Louis took a deep breath in and tried removing the arrow which kept on inflaming his tissues further. He winced while twisting the arrow around by its shaft to check whether it was stuck in his bone or not. Luckily, it wasn't and with a sharp intake of air, he yanked the arrowhead with a skilled momentum so that nothing is left behind for infection.

Louis was more than just confident about coming out alive from this situation because not only did he had to ensure his boy's safety and never let anymore physical injuries harm him, but also he won't give out his last breath till he had his father's lifeless body to mutilate.

Niall threw his bow and arrows at Louis in a haste, which he had bought for his protection, but seeing that their enemies were shooting from the tower, the general would need it more, who had already given him his own sword not even caring once about his own welfare.

The time was not giving them space to properly communicate so Louis got up and moved towards the side end of the shelf -risking his life in the process- and with a groan for the extensive pain by his wounded bicep pushed the shelf by all his might to create a sort of shield for Niall to grab and pick up Harry in bridal style keeping in mind to not jostle Harry's injury.

The wounded general was panting heavily. With a new found discernment, he stood with his weapon and as he was turning around to point it at his foes, a bunch of soldiers bursted in the room.

The soldiers were of his previous army. "Intruder!" "Traitor!" With such words which did held justice to his character for them, but not for the reasons they think, eyeing his bow and arrow. "You killed the King."

Now was the time for Louis to run because the true traitors had left the adjacent tower and he was blamed with their not so repercussions. So dodging all the attacks and with aimless shots from himself, he focused more on fleeing. He did with slight cuts on his body, but nothing too serious. 

On finally reaching the back of the castle, Louis managed to steal some blankets kept in the corner of the stable and draped it over Harry.

"Don't worry about him. Just lead the way. You need more medical attention." Niall said after Louis gestured him to hold Harry himself.

"I deserve it." Louis muttered eying his unconscious prince.

Niall didn't hear that, but he definitely saw the way Louis had completely disregarded his own half-naked shivering form to place the warm blanket over Harry's clothed form and the way he kept on glancing at Harry, itching to touch him while he was physically hurt.

-------

"Don't worry, no vital organs are damaged just his appendix, which apparently has no use. He'll take a couple of weeks to completely heal and have no sort of pain. But other than that he's fine." Liam properly bandaged Harry's sleeping form.

"Thank god! He got lucky." Niall said and Louis let out a huge sigh of relief and also quit biting his nails. It was definitely him who got lucky since he was praying his aim didn't miss even by a hairline. Living with the fact that he stabbed Harry was difficult enough, but if something major had happen to him, it would definitely kill him alive.

"Zayn, Liam, you have no idea how thankful I am for you to help us aboard your ship." After eloping from the castle, Louis's hope was to go to the only person that might consider helping him.

Seeing the horrid look on Louis and his companions faces, Zayn didn't even think twice before welcoming in his ship to escape and hide from the army, which was out looking for Louis -the disloyal general who killed the King and kidnapped the prince.

"Anytime Tommo." Zayn smiled, softly rubbing his husband's back in a silent apology and hope to try and understand his circumstance.

Liam just gave a tight uncomfortable smile in return. He might hate Louis and didn't completely believe him, but seeing the young injured boy in the worried blonde's arms, the doctor part of him just couldn't help but cure him. And anyways, his distaste towards Louis should not be taken out right now, since Louis too was not in a good shape. "It's okay. Um, we don't really have that much place left, just one bedroom and one of you'll has to share a bunk in the lower deck."

Before Niall ask about the sleeping accommodations, Louis cut him off,

"I'll take the lower deck. Niall, you stay with Harry."

Niall hesitated, judging the way Louis compulsively kept on looking at Harry as he would if he could telepathically heal him. But then again, the ex-general doesn't really manifest his true emotions. So, being completely not so oblivious to Louis's eyes wanting to say the opposite, he agreed. One thing Niall does know for sure is that you don't ask or even help Louis without him saying so because not only will he do quite the contrary but also ignore you like a plague. The man did have a huge ego, but remembering the past events, he also does have a huge heart.

Louis watched as Niall took Harry away. He sighed dishearteningly, wishing to never leave his boy's side till he's healed and he didn't just mean physically.

Zayn looked at his mate, noticing the slouch in his posture.

"You know what, you should go and have bath, like clean up. Get yourself together, yeah?" Zayn said, squeezing Louis' shoulders, hoping to comfort him a bit.

"Yeah, that'll probably be the most sensible thing to do." Louis said, trying to fake a laugh.

Zayn gave him a small smile, before directing Louis for his cabin where the only proper bathtub was kept, which was already set up with warm water. He hoped Louis would ignore the rose petals in them since it was suppose to be Liam and his date night.

Zayn then turned to his husband, who really wasn't amused by all this.

Zayn sighed, "Just let them be yeah? He's not going to do anything."

"I sure as hope he doesn't." Liam huffed.

Zayn sighed. Again.

-------

Harry woke up, confused. He looked around, feeling a soft bed sheet underneath him. It wasn't the familiar silk.

He looked around, frantic and greatly appalled. Where was he? And then all the past events came back to him. His father's bloody form, his frightened mind, his confidence of Louis never hurting him...  

He quickly got up, looking down towards the bandage wrapped around his mid section. Guess, the deception wasn't false, Louis -his Louis had stabbed him and most likely kill his father.

He shook his head and made his way out, onto the deck. His body shook as the cold gushed over him and the realisation of him being on a ship too.

There he was met with two unfamiliar faces. One with perfect tanned skin and just over all perfect features—his cheekbones high and eyelashes long. Beside him was another man, with warm brown eyes and broad shoulders.

However good looking, Harry didn't know them and Harry learnt from experience, the bad ones are mostly the pretty ones. Looks wasn't something he was going to judge them by.

"Who are you and where am I?" Harry asked, trying to sound authoritative but really that wasn't his thing, he looked like a timid kitten.

As those two people got closer, Harry took a step back.

"Harry listen, stop. We aren't here to hurt you. No—stop running away. We aren't here to hurt you." The one with the perfect-Greek-God-like-face said.

How did this guy know his name? Harry gulped in fear.

This was bad, this was really, really bad. He was kidnapped!

"Oh boy, I'll just go call Louis." The same person said.

Hearing Louis' name, Harry started backing away faster.

He wasn't going to let that traitor—that horrible monster—that liar near him.

"It's okay, Harry. Just breathe yeah? You're hurt. Don't do anything that'll hurt you. We mean no harm." The one with the warm brown eyes said gesturing the wet floor as it had just rained, but it was too late.

Harry's back was already against the railing and with one more step backward, he fell off the ship.

"Holy shit!" Liam said, watching as the prince fell.

He removed his coat, undressing so he could jump and save the lad, but when he was half way unbuttoning his shirt, Louis pushed him aside and jumped into the sea.

Liam looked at him dumbstruck.

"Did he just push me?!" He said, looking at Zayn, exasperatedly.

Zayn opened his mouth to speak but he was cut off, "You know what? It doesn't matter. Your friend, your responsibility."

With that he left. Zayn rubbed his temples, wondering how he would survive this because it was just day one and a prince was jumping over his fucking ship.

------

Louis swam as fast has he could with an injured arm with the rush of adrenaline. The pain and exhaustion payed no deed in front of his instinct to make sure Harry's fine.

He soon found Harry trying to keep afloat but failing due to his injury.

Louis swam over to him, putting an arm around his waist.

Harry struggled against him, wriggling out of his grip.

"Let me go, you liar! You traitor! Let me go this instant!"

Louis sighed, holding onto Harry tighter.

"Harry not right now okay ?" 

"Oh no, it'll happen right now!"

"You're kind of drowning."

"Fine whatever." Harry says, before letting Louis help him up the ship.

Zayn threw them a rope and Louis helped Harry up.

Once they were onboard Harry turned towards Louis, fuming.

"Get me off this ship, right now."

Louis sighed with the whole day's weariness catching upto him, "You want to go? Fine, your humble majesty. Where will you go!"

"I'd rather jump in the sea and drown to the death rather than stay in your filthy presence." Harry spat furiously. Not caring once about Louis's formidability. 

Ouch. Louis thought. It hurt but then again he kind of was an arsehole.

Suddenly Louis spotted some pirate ships behind Harry.

"Fuck. Shit." He mutters.

"That's all you have to say?!" Harry asks, getting more angry.

"Harry let's go into the room, come on."

"You don't tell me what to do, Louis William." Harry said, stomping his feet petulantly.

"Ugh." Louis groaned.

If the Pirates saw Harry on the ship they'll definitely attack and try to get Harry and well give him back to the castle in exchange of money or worse, they could sell for a bounty and that was just unacceptable.

So with that final thought in mind he went towards Harry, picked him up bridal style. Harry was surprising light weighted, much less than he expected him to be and that's not heathy, but he has other adversities to focus on. All related to the curly haired boy in his arms.

Harry writhed in vain against Louis's hold, trying to get free.

"Let me go!"

Louis didn't reply, just moved towards the room.

On entering the room he kicked the door shut and put Harry on the bed, picking up a rope lying around in the corner and started tying Harry's hands to the bedpost in a way that Harry was free to move on the bed and sleep, just not free enough to get out.

"Oh no you didn't! What makes you think you have the right to do this. I am the Prince—"

Louis cut him off by placing his lips on Harry's.

Harry sat there shocked but then kissed back, slowly. He had missed the slight roughness of Louis's lips, slight brush of his stubble and most importantly those fireworks in the pit of his stomach.

"You don't ever shut up do you?" Louis mutters, pulling back.

Harry looks at him with glossy eyes, a smiled threatening to form but he replaces it with a scowl.

"You can't do that—" Louis kisses him again.

Pulling back, Louis smiles at him and then turns around to leave

"You are not forgiven, Louis William! Just so you know!" Harry shouts behind him.

Louis turns around, "I know but I plan on changing that soon."
•••

Hope you liked that xx