"We need to talk." Mary sighed as she turned to close the door behind her.
Zayn gulped, "What the fuck is this?" He was confused and a little nervous about what was to come.
"I need you to lower your voice, Zayn. I can't have anyone being alerted about this conversation. Especially Harry and King Louis," she said calmly.
"Why? Why are you trying to hide from them? Are King Thomas and Queen Alexandria in on this— whatever this is—as well?" Zayn said, growing impatient and frustrated.
"Zayn, I need you to stay calm, then I will explain what I can," Mary was becoming frustrated herself. This was not the plan. This wasn't how things were supposed to go.
Zayn sighed and sat down in the chair behind the desk he was standing behind. He wanted answers, and it seemed Mary had them. So, he chose to comply.
Mary sat across from Zayn in one of the chairs on the opposite side of the desk. "How much do you know?" She treads carefully. Not wanting to say too much. Just enough to keep Zayn content, to make sure he doesn't tell Louis or Harry anything before it's time.
Zayn scoffed, "Well I know either what Louis' father told us was complete bullshit or he was not aware of how much of the land he owned. His family has owned for generations." Zayn raised his hand holding the deeds, "This says the Styles own 50% of the land and the Tomlinsons own the other 50%. So, which one is wrong?"
"Both families own an equal share of Lincolnshire. Each family owns 50%. The one you are currently holding in your hand is correct. Whatever land deed you saw over at your side of the bay, is wrong. It's a fake." Mary explained.
Zayn was more confused than ever. What the—A fake? Why? What is going on?"
Mary stood up from the chair and started to walk back to the door. "I need you to promise me you will not tell Harry, Louis, Niall or Eloise. Especially Louis and Harry," she couldn't stress this enough.
"I can't tell them?! Why? It's their property! They deserve to know!" Zayn thought for a minute. "Unless Harry already knows, and you don't want him to know that I know…"
Mary rolled her eyes. Now he was overthinking. "No. Harry doesn't know. And neither does Louis. And it needs to stay that way. That is why the less amount of people who know, the better."
Zayn shakes his head, almost in disbelief. He's not convinced this is happening. It can't be happening. What is happening? "Why?" Zayn was now standing up. He was annoyed with all this secrecy. "Why can't I tell them? Why can't they know?"
Mary sighed and closed her eyes. "Because it is not time for them to know yet." Then she walked through the door and out of the study.
If it was even possible, Zayn was even more confused. So, he ran after her. But as soon as he gets to the hallway, she is gone, nowhere to be seen. He runs into Niall in the hall and realizes he still has the land deeds in his hand. He quickly puts his hands behind his back, hoping Niall didn't see them.
"What're you still doing here, mate? I thought you left." Niall asked.
"Oh! Uh…I had to go to the loo before I left and got lost on the way." Zayn nervously chuckled.
Niall nodded. "Oh! Well then, let me show you the way."
"Thanks, Niall." He smiled.
"You didn't happen to wander upstairs, did you?" Niall asked.
Zayn knew Niall was asking if he happened to hear what events where occurring behind certain doors. "Nope! Didn't get that far."
Niall let out a sigh of relief and nodded.
"Loo is that way, mate!" Niall pointed down the opposite hallway.
Zayn have him a nod. "Thanks!"
"Do you think you can find your way out? Or do you need an escort for that too?" Niall joked.
"I think I will be fine," he laughed. "Thanks again, mate. G'night!"
Niall smiled at him and walked back upstairs to Ellie's bedroom. Turning in for the rest of the night. When he was out of sight, Zayn turned around and headed towards the main entrance. Land deeds still in hand.
If nobody was going to be straight with him and tell him the truth, he was going to figure it out himself, but he needed help. If he couldn't tell Louis, then he will just have to ask someone he knows he can trust. Someone who has never met Louis.
Louis woke up to the slight purring of Harry's snores. They snuggled all night long. Their limbs tangled and intertwined with each other. Louis looked at the sleeping boy beside him and smiled. He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping. So beautiful. He just wished Harry could see himself like this. Then maybe he might finally see that Louis is the lucky one and that Louis is the one who ranks lower than him.
Harry must have felt Louis staring at him because he started to stir and wake up. He opened his eyes and met Louis'. He smiled and murmured, "mornin'."
Louis smiled back at him and leaned down to kiss the tip of his nose. "Good morning, King Harry." Harry's coronation was today. It was an exciting day for all of Lincolnshire, even on Louis' side of the bay. It was all his people could talk about, ever since they spotted Harry at Louis' party last Friday.
Harry giggled. "Hey. It's not official yet. Not until the ceremony. And besides, I'm still Harry to you—Hazza is even better. King Harry is way to formal for whatever…this is" Harry said, gesturing between Louis and himself.
"Well, what do you want this to be?" This time, Louis gestured between the two of them.
Harry smiled and started to list off the things they have done together, to better establish what is going on between them. "Well, you took me on a date right after you told me how much you like me—" Harry was interrupted by Louis.
"—You confessed your feelings about me, first—"
Harry ignored him and continued. "—Then you blew me about five minutes after we finished our meal—"
Louis interrupted him once again. "—You gave me one in return. On my couch in my drawing room, with the doors open. Anyone could have walked in and saw you doing sinful things to me," he teased. "Do you have some sort of exhibitionist kink, Hazza?"
"Louis!" Harry gasped. "You were the one who couldn't keep your hands off me in front of our friends after dinner last night."
"And you enjoyed every minute of it. So much so that you were begging me to fuck you." Louis teased, knowing he was starting to wind Harry up.
Harry didn't say anything, after that. His mouth was open, trying to come up with a comeback, but he couldn't. Louis had a hold on him.
Louis took advantage of Harry's speechlessness and climbed on top of him. Straddling his lap. He leaned in to give him a sweet kiss, which turned heated pretty quickly. Louis grinded against Harry, feeling both of their prominent bulges.
Harry moaned into Louis' mouth and moved his hands up and down Louis' sides. He started to thrust up into Louis' hips, meeting him halfway. Harry's hands started to work slowly down to Louis' hips, stopping at his ass.
On a particularly hard grind of Louis' hips, Harry whined into his mouth and squeezed his ass, pulling his cheeks apart a little.
"Oh, fuck." Louis moaned. "Do that again, Haz" He pushed his ass back into Harry's hands. His hands were bigger than Louis'. They covered his entire cheek. If his hands feel this good, Louis wondered how his fingers would feel. He moaned at the thought.
Harry pulled Louis' cheeks farther apart, extracting another moan from the boy on top of him. They were both still naked, from their activities the last night, so Harry had an idea. He started to move a finger down to slip where Louis was now exposed. His finger brushed lightly over his hole. Louis took a sharp breath in. Not expecting to feel Harry's finger…there.
Harry just circled the rim, never pushing inside. His finger was dry, he didn't want to hurt Louis. Just tease him and get him worked up a bit.
Louis shuddered and let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding in. "Haz…You still haven't answered my question. What are we? What would you like us to be?"
Harry chuckled. "Well considering you fucked me into the mattress last night, and now I've got my finger touching your arsehole, I would say we are more than friends."
Louis giggled. He actually giggled. Harry has got his finger almost up his ass and he giggled. "Would you like me to court you, Hazza?"
Harry's eyes lit up, his pupils still dark with lust, but behind that, light shone through from Louis' question. He nodded. "I would like that very much Lou."
Louis smiled and leaned in to give Harry a kiss on the lips, then on either cheek—his face cheeks—then his forehead, then finishing with his nose. Harry just smiled up at him, he looked happy. He made him happy. This is what Louis was talking about with Zayn. He definitely wants to make Harry happy for the rest of his life.
Louis remembered that they couldn't stay in bed all day, because Harry's coronation was in just a few hours. So, he got up off of Harry, who whined in protest. Louis just chuckled and said, "We will have plenty of time for that later, babe. But right now, you need to get up and get ready for your big day. And I need to attempt to leave without being seen."
Harry groaned in protest. He woke up with Louis in his arms, and now he has to go a few hours without him. He didn't want to do that. He wanted to stay in bed with Louis forever. But both him and Louis have their own kingdoms to rule, so that wasn't an option. "Ugghh, fine! Although, I don't know if I can last a few hours without you, now that I just got you," he frowned at Louis, looking for a little sympathy.
Louis leaned in to kiss Harry's forehead, "I know. 'M sorry, love. I wish I could stay, but you've got duties to fulfil, and I can't be seen here, like this, with you."
Harry frowned and nodded. Louis went to pull away, but before he could, Harry reached for his hand. "Promise me you'll come back?"
Louis smiled and gave Harry's hand a tight squeeze. "I promise, baby."
Harry finally let Louis' hand go and Louis walked out the door, leaving Harry all alone in his bed. The next time they see each other, Harry will be crowned king.
As Louis made his way out of Harry's bedroom, he was met with the eyes of Eloise. She gave him a knowing smirk. Louis just blushed. It was only Ellie, but she still caught him leaving Harry's bedroom in the same clothes from the night before. She's definitely going to grill Harry about it later. Oops.
Ellie put her hand up to stop Louis from going any further. She looked over the railing, down the stairs, to check if the coast was clear. Once it was, she nodded towards Louis, giving him the go-ahead. Louis gave her a thank-you smile and headed down the staircase and out the main doors.
"She was just so cryptic, Li. There is definitely something she knows and wants to tell me, but for some reason she can't. I just don't know what. All I know is…Someone is lying about the land situation. Either Louis' father—the late King Jack—lied to Louis and me, or the Styles family have false land documentation. I just don't know what to believe, or who to believe. And I can't go to Louis with this, so that is why I am dumping all of this on you. I know I can trust you not to tell Louis or Harry." Zayn finished his rant. He was lying in bed with Liam—yes, the famous secret lover Liam.
"Well, I appreciate you coming to me with this. I mean…it's a lot to sink in…but I'm glad you felt that you could trust me with something as important as this." Liam replied.
They both smiled at each other.
"It also helps that you and Louis have never met." Zayn admitted cheekily.
"Hey! You can trust me even if we had met. Which also brings me to ask—when am I going to meet him?" Liam asked.
Zayn gave Liam a shocked look. "You mean you actually want me to introduce the two of you?"
Liam nodded with a smile. "And not just because he's my king. But because he's your best friend and I want to get to know you more. Which means getting to know your friends and family.
"Soon. Promise." Zayn blushed. "But right now…I need your help with this."
Liam nodded. "Hand it over!" Zayn gave Liam the documents to look them over. "Hmm. You're right. It doesn't add up." Liam finally said after reviewing the land deeds.
"Right!? Thank you! So, why? I mean who's lying and why? What is there to gain, if not the land?" Zayn asked.
"Why go through all these lies? What are they trying to hide or protect? And who? Unless…I wonder…No-It can't be. That's only a legend. It's not true…is it?" Liam was trying to talk himself through his thought process. But he was confusing Zayn.
"What? What legend?" Asked, Zayn.
"Well-" Liam sighed. "There's this old legend way back when Southern and Northern Lincolnshire were in alliance with one another. One of the past queens went completely mad shortly after giving birth to her son—the future king at the time—and burned down the bridge that once connected the adjoining kingdoms, which then spread to the two kingdoms." He explained.
Zayn had a shocked expression on his face. Eyes wide, eyebrows raised and mouth agape. "What happened to the people? Was anyone hurt?" He asked.
Liam shook his head. "For the most part the people were fine. Just left with slight injuries. Nothing too severe. However-there is this rumor—and I mean it depends on who you ask, stories change—but people believe that there was a body of a little boy recovered from the ashes. Nobody knows for sure, but people believe it was the baby son—the future king."
"Holy shit." Zayn was speechless.
"Yeah." Liam agreed.
"But why? Why did she do that? What was her reason?" Zayn asked.
Liam shrugged. "No one really knows. She just disappeared and no one has seen her since. But I mean-It is only a legend. Take it with a grain of salt." Liam reasoned.
"But what exactly does this have to do with Louis and Harry?" Zayn asked.
"Well—this might be reaching—but Louis' mother died after giving birth to him, right?" Zayn nodded. Liam continued, "so, what if she didn't."
"I'm not following." Zayn was more confused than ever at this point. What was Liam getting at? Louis' mother is dead. At least that's what King Jack told them.
"What if she—Louis' mother—is the mad queen." Liam explained further. Zayn gave him a look like he was crazy for even thinking of this theory. "Think about it, Zaynie. Neither you nor Louis have met his mother, you have only been told stories about her from his father. Have you seen a death certificate? Have you anyone else besides his father talk about her?"
Holy shit. Is Liam right?
Zayn's eyes went wide. "We need to tell Louis! Right the fuck now!"