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Chapter Text

It wasn’t as if Louis forgot what he had to do, it was just that between their visit to the villages, the charity events he was doing with Mishka, knitting new sweaters for Peep and well… he still had to play the part of dutiful omega, always ready for his husband. This last thing, not only to keep appearances, but for mere indulgence.

Louis now could identify the temporal bond tying them together, like a red thread winding its way across their souls, pulling them together, forcing them to crave the other. A twisted illusion that gave them a sense of false joy every time they kissed, fucked. It was both lethal and invigorating to know for a short period of time he had an apex predator smitten with him, if not by love, then lust. And Louis thought he could use that in his favor, take what he needed from Harry and later get his revenge.

He could worry about the consequences of tying not only his body, but his heart to the wrong person later. Meanwhile, he was going to continue to let the alpha fuck him roughly whenever and wherever he pleased, to lick and tend all the marks he very dutifully left all over his body, to feed him fruit and sweets after a long day. To tear Louis apart everyday just to put him back together.

Louis decided he was going to allow himself to be marveled by how the vulture’s feathers shone against the sun before he dined on his heart.

“Solnyshko,” Harry smiled, as the omega walked inside his office with a tray of hellebore tea. “ What are you doing awake so late?”

“I got bored waiting for you, so I decided to bring you a cup of tea.”

“Ah…” The alpha cocked a brow, eyeing the teapot. “Did you make it yourself?”

“Of course.” Louis felt proud to maintain his voice light and steady. “Is the least I could do after I got you so distracted all afternoon,” he told the alpha, pouring the steamy liquid into a cup. “Here.”

The smile on the alpha’s face was a mix of warmth and amusement that stupidly made Louis’ stomach flip with the attention. “It smells wonderful.”

Any previous show of delight washed away at hearing the words. He knew hellebore tea didn’t have the best smell, so Louis was almost sure the alpha was just being polite to him. Trying to not hurt him.

How awfully ironic…

“And it will probably taste even better,” Louis struggled to say, pouring a cup for him. “I’m an expert at this.”

The amused smile on Harry’s face dropped. “Are you—” He stood up from his seat and circled his desk, scratching his jaw in a sad attempt to look casual. “Are you drinking it too?”

“Of course, silly,” Louis let out a strained chuckle, as he smelled again the nauseating beverage, images of him crying in pain flooded his mind. “I made plenty enough for both of us. I can leave later if you— Jesus!” Louis hissed as hot liquid splashed in his hand.

“I am so sorry.” Harry acted quickly, cleaning him with his cravat as his foot kicked the now shattered cup far away from them. “I wanted to grab your arm, and I wasn’t being careful with my movements.” He said, visibly swallowing. “Does it hurt a lot? Fuck,” he groaned darkly, eyeing the red mark on his hand. “Let’s get you to the doctor.”

“It’s okay,” He cupped the alpha’s face with his free hand. Aware he was most likely looking at Harry like an adoring fool. “Hey, I am fine, I didn’t get burnt, I just got a little startled.”

Harry blinked at him, and after a few beats, he let out a loud sigh and nodded. “I shattered your cup, now you cannot drink tea with me.”

“It’s okay, I can grab a whiskey glass.”

“No, you can’t,” he said, resolutely, not leaving any room to contradict his clear command. “I usually tend to drink at least three cups of tea, it’s like a ritual I have.”

Louis’ stomach dropped. One cup was enough to make anyone sick for a few days the first time you took it. Now three… three could be lethal.

“Don’t you think three is a bit too much?”

“Not really,” Harry covered the hand on his face with his, turning to kiss Louis’ wrist. “Teacups are tiny, so I need plenty enough to get satisfied—”

“Don’t drink it,” Louis almost whined, completely defeated.

“What’s wrong, lisichka ?” Harry asked. His voice was soft, low.

“I lied to you… I…” Louis sounded tired, but he needed to keep the lie going. “I don’t really know how to make tea, that one probably tastes foul.”

“Are you sure?” Harry moved their bodies to the nearest chair before pulling him on top of his lap. “It seems you put a lot of effort into it…”

When a warm palm came to his cheek, Louis wanted to flinch away, feeling undeserving of Harry’s ministrations. However, and despite his guilt, the omega couldn’t help but lean in, nuzzling his face into the alpha’s hand.

“Very. Just… let me try again tomorrow?”

The look on Harry’s face was almost affectionate, bordering on adoring. Louis was sure he was making things up to overcompensate his reckless decision.

“Whatever you want, detka.”

Louis involuntary preened at the name. He still had no idea what any of them meant—he had no time to look for them—but Harry always said them with such a soft and proud cadence that almost made him believe they were terms of endearment.

It was just like in bed, Harry never talked much, but his hands never failed to make him feel adored, worshiped. The omega sometimes wondered if he did it to avoid calling Louis another name. Still, he couldn’t stop the claws of love finally digging into him, pushing deeper and deeper, destroying and rearranging him from inside. An indisputable, violent, raw love that grew inside him.

Louis was in love.

Suddenly, it was clear to the omega that he wasn’t going to kill Harry. Louis was going to let the alpha ruin him and savor the sweet agony until his last breath. He was going to love his alpha to death.

ꕀ 𖦹 ꕀ

Louis’ blood was boiling with rage. He thought, while being a King, he would never have to endure the type of humiliation the Blue Ribbon Omegas put on him through that afternoon. He thought, if not compassion, discretion for his future situation would be a given.

He was wrong.

There was no actual purpose behind their cruelty, just the fleeting satisfaction of putting someone down, to entertain themselves. They were painfully bored, and the ticking bomb that was Louis, was the perfect solution for that.

“How was your night, lisichka?” Harry was seated on the couch close to the always shut window, reading one of the books Louis just finished. He looked cozy and content with Peep resting on his neck. In any other occasion the image would have brought an indescribable joy, but in that moment, it just reminded him of what he was meant to lose.

The alpha’s face morphed from delighted to worried in a matter of seconds. “What’s wrong? Come here,” he extended his hand towards the omega. “Let me cuddle you.”

Louis felt his heart constrict inside his chest, but pliantly sat on top of his alpha. Letting him wrap his arms around him, protectively.

“Whatever it is,” Harry said quietly against his temple. “We can probably solve it. Just tell me.”

Louis tried to feign indifference, maybe even chuckle, but a broken sob ruined his facade. Louis cried, and the alpha held him tenderly, and the world remained the same. But he didn’t, he would never be the same.

“Those stupid wenches…” he said finally between tears, face hidden in the crook of the alpha’s neck. Feeling a tad silly for behaving like that in front of any other person that wasn’t himself.

“There it is.” Harry kissed his neck, hand rubbing soothing circles on his back. “Tell me what they did to you. Tell me their names too.”

Harry touched him with such reverence, he couldn’t fathom denying anything the alpha wanted.

“The omegas from the Blue Ribbon group. They don’t want me to take part in any of their spring activities.” Louis cleaned his tears with the back of his hand as sadness turned into anger yet again. “They are afraid I’ll attack Lord Maksim… Attack! As if I am a wild animal!”

“Did they tell you that to your face?”

“Of course not. They probably are afraid of being beheaded!” The omega let out a wet scoff and rolled his eyes, “I only said that to one person, one! And now suddenly it is my one and only personality trait!” He shook his head. “Point is… to my face they said it would be pointless for me to tire myself with insignificant things because the festival is for next year…”

Louis felt the air in the room change.

“Oh…”

They both knew very well what they meant with that. Why even bother with things he would not be able to be part of? Louis had no say in their decisions because the omegas were aware of his fate.

“Indeed…” Louis replied awkwardly. “One even dared to say I would be quite… indisposed and dared to laugh about it.”

“Can you tell me their name?”

“Lady Vi—” Louis stopped himself before he blatantly accused Maksim’s mother of anything, trying not to break the moment. Fearing if he dared to offend the mother of his future omega, the alpha would leave him and all his silly feelings to rot alone. “A nasty little group of snobby omegas who think they rule the society. I am their king! No matter how much time I’ve left here. “

“You are completely right,” Harry said, indulgently, but his eyes flashed with a series of intense and conflicting feelings that overwhelmed Louis to his core. “What if we forget about those awful hags for a bit and let me show you something?” He left a tender kiss on the corner of Louis’ lips. “Would you like that, zolottse?”

“Okay,” Louis murmured, chasing the alpha’s mouth with his, helplessly and needy.

There was a light pull on his bottom lip, and Louis had to placate the hunger growing in his stomach if he wanted to see what Harry had to show him.

With one last chaste kiss, Louis put both hands over Harry’s chest, creating enough distance between them, allowing him to breathe fresh air, to control his urges. “Lead the way?” He smiled shyly, cheeks hot and lips still tingling. 

Harry kissed him again, on his neck this time. “Come with me,” he said as he tenderly wrapped those strong arms that could snap most in half, around his waist and walked him to the infamous window. The alpha must have felt how tense he was because he leaned in and kissed his mating gland soothingly. “We don’t have to go out,” he murmured. “If you tell me no, I won’t even open the curtains, but I really want to show you what is behind it.”

Louis felt like he was free-falling. Harry knew... What? Louis wasn’t exactly sure. Perhaps he knew the omega tried to poison him with the flowers, or perhaps simply noticed the aversion he had for them. Whatever it was, Louis was thoroughly exposed.

He took a deep and shaky breath. “Open them.”

With one arm still anchoring Louis to his sanity, Harry opened the curtains. However, the fog covered the window, shielding him from the outside.

There was a pause, and a silent nod, and the window opened.

Louis’ breath caught in his throat, and the world this time did stop turning. Instead of Hellebores, in front of them were strikingly beautiful flowers that simulated the heads of purple snakes.

“What is this?” the omega breathed out.

“Don’t be mad. I just…” Harry hesitated, trailing off. Louis had never heard the alpha so nervous before. “You always keep the curtain shut, and I figured out it had something to do with the flowers outside.”

Louis blinked hard, feeling tears rising to his eyes, but he could not stop looking at the flowers. It was as if he was hypnotized, completely enamored by them.

“They are called fritillaria, in some few regions they symbolize curse, but in many other places more, specially here, they symbolize power and pride… and many other good things.”

“Harry…” Louis turned around, feeling his heart beating in his throat. Harry’s smile was devastatingly soft, eyes vulnerable and open as though his heart was presented in front of them instead of the flowers.

“There still are hellebores in the castle, they are just far away from this room, where they cannot bother you.”

“I… Thank you…” Louis said, the words not feeling enough to express his gratitude, how earth-shattering the act meant to him, that he had noticed, that he’d done something about it, to protect Louis. So he kissed the alpha instead.

Harry let out a sound, the same sound he made when Louis went to his knees for the first time for him. The first time the omega smiled against his lips and the first time he willingly and without warning sat over his legs. Louis’ stomach clenched at realizing all those reactions were made because Louis gave a bit of himself freely to the alpha.

“Moya lyubov zasluzhivayet vsego chto on khochet,” Harry grunted before continuing biting and sucking Louis’ mouth, hand grasping through Louis’ hair. The omega whined, cupping Harry’s face, stroking his jawline with that same reverence the alpha was kissing him. “Everything, moi myliy. Everything.”

And as snow began to fall, leveling the fire igniting in both their bodies, he felt dread grab him by his heart, heavy and bitter.

What was worse than to never have hope?

Louis was hoping again.

ꕀ 𖦹 ꕀ

For the next few days, life felt like a dream and Louis hated it. Hated that nothing was really his, not the kisses or the smiles, nor the gifts. All of it had an expiration date. What he couldn’t hate, despite everything, was Harry and his pleased face every time he gave into each whim Louis had.

It was like something had broken inside the alpha after that night. It was as though no matter how many times they touched, kissed, or fucked, he couldn’t get enough of the omega. He openly craved for him, not only physically but emotionally. It felt overwhelmingly powerful to be desired by the person you loved like that.

Every satisfied smile, every devoted look curled around his heart, soaking it in sticky honey, making it beat slower, calmer.

Sweeter.

“This is really not necessary,” Louis insisted, looking at the different and very expensive fabrics in front of him, contradicting what he really wanted to say. He was grateful for how thoughtful his alpha was being, sick with want and desire for him. Amazed by the implication that he might be able to ask for anything he wanted in that elegant store and Harry would give him it and so much more. “I told you I didn’t grow up making nests, I wouldn’t even know how to make one…”

“I can help you set it up.”

Louis was certain that Harry noticed the way his breath caught in his throat. Meaningless and passionate nights of sex were one thing, but making a nest, was completely different. It was something sacred to both omegas and alphas, beyond marriage, beyond forced bonds. 

Before Louis could even contemplate how to respond to his gentle offer, he lifted Louis’ wrist to his mouth, leaving a tender kiss in his pulse.

The omega wanted to melt in the middle of the fancy store. “You?”

“My mother taught me how to do one for my mate. She tried to teach me how to be a good alpha…” Harry smiled sheepishly as he nuzzled against Louis’ hand, looking younger than the omega had ever seen him. “I clearly didn’t learn much, but this… I can help you with this.”

“Do you miss her?” Louis caressed his cheekbone with his thumb.

Harry closed his eyes and whispered, “every day.”

“My lords…” a strident voice shattered the tender moment, making Harry drop his hand and step away from him as if he was ashamed to be seen with the omega. 

Lady Violet stood in front of them, poised and with a fake smile plastered on her face, as Maksim batted his eyes dumbly and shamelessly at Harry.

He had to give it to him; he knew Harry was more than interested in him and used that in his favor, to gain notoriety at social events, respect around the Blue Ribbon omegas. To defy Louis’ explicit… suggestion.  

Zayn thought his mother was the one behind the new wave of rumors, stating the king was counting the days to divorce and shun Louis to run into the arms of his true love. And although Louis didn’t doubt they put that on paper, he was sure it was nonetheless true. 

“What a surprise seeing you mingling with us commoners.” Lady Violet grabbed her son’s arm, pulling him close to her. “My Maksim was just telling me this morning he hoped your Majesty didn’t misunderstand our wording the other day.”

Harry arched a brow, eyes never leaving Maksim. “Did he?” he smiled, fascinated. Louis wanted to laugh, cry… he wanted to disappear.

“Yes, he is such a thoughtful boy. I had to reassure him that our new king understood we ought to preserve the stability of our small yet strong community. Still, the Blue Ribbons Omegas will gladly welcome him as an honorary guest.”

“That is a very kind thing to offer. Don’t you think, lisichka?”

“Indeed.” Louis mimicked Lady Violet’s plastic smile. “Any more kindness and I wouldn’t know how to handle myself.”

Harry took a step towards Maksim. “Only very few question their past actions,” he said, voice sounding soft but with an odd edge. “It takes a pure heart to care for people outside our circles.”

“That’s my Maksim. He has the most beautiful heart.”

“A remarkable omega,” Harry almost purred, eyes still solely focused on the omega. “Lady Violet, what will you and your lovely family do tomorrow night?”

Louis bit his bottom lip and dug his nails on the palm of his hand. If they could smell the iron swirling in the air, it was their problem, not Louis’. 

“Nothing special, my lord. Our usual routine.”

Louis felt his heart drop, he knew what was coming.

“So you wouldn’t mind me paying a small visit over dinner.”

The world went quiet.

“It would be an honor, my lord.”

ꕀ 𖦹 ꕀ

Louis took the most expensive fabrics, pillows, blankets, all of it. As soon as Lady Violet and Maksim left—giggling like some juvenile morons—he stomped through all the store, asking for the best of the best, the finest, most luxurious items. What they didn’t have, Louis told them to get it and to send it to his palace. For his part, Harry just followed him around the different stores like a pleased, smug dog, never complaining or denying him a single thing. 

In the end, he was sure he was now the owner of the most expensive nest in the entire world—some might differ, but Louis didn’t care about any of them. All the anger and odd feelings of that afternoon evaporated when Harry spent the rest of their day building his nest, chest rumbling proud, as a calming and content scent filled the alpha’s chamber, because, yes, the nest he was building for Louis was in Harry’s chamber. 

“Do you like it, moya dusha?” Harry stared at him with ravenous intensity. The alpha was a vision, kneeling in front of him as he put the last pillow inside his nest, still imposing and bigger than life, even in that position. “Did I do a good job?”

And Louis could be cruel, exactly like he knew how to do after being hurt. But he also was so weak, pouring out love from every pore. He had no future, only those fleeting moments where Harry made him feel adored.

Love made him irrational, clouded his mind, turned him further into his mother’s offspring.

“I love it,” he breathed out, weakly, broken, in love. And let Harry drag him inside his nest—the nest he made for him, as only lovers do—kissing him tenderly, desperately.

Let him take his clothes and consume every inch of him slowly, reverently. But it was all fine, he thought as he came undone. Because like that, no matter what, Louis could live inside him forever, deep in his bones, flowing in his bloodstream, softly thrumming in his head.

Louis was marking Harry from the inside.

ꕀ 𖦹 ꕀ

“So… I heard the king is having dinner at Orlov’s house.” Zayn tried to sound as casual as he could the next day.

Louis wondered if he found out from Harry or the scandal sheets.

Gala’s head snapped, brows knitting. “Is he…?” she asked, sounding a little outraged. 

“He is,” Louis said, hands busy knitting a summer top for Peep. “And I hope he is having a splendid time there.”

“Thought you warned him to stay away from him…”

“You are correct,” he told the beta. “However, the king is the one approaching him, so I cannot do much.”

“We could still create an unflattering rumor about him.”

Louis chuckled weakly. “Zayn…” he began, trying to put into words how he felt without actually giving away too much. “He—If he wants to go there, he can go. He should go… He deserves a night for himself.”

Oddly enough, his words were sincere. It was difficult to accept, against everything he was, but Louis felt tired and wanted Harry to feel in the same way he made the omega feel the night before. Despite the circumstances.

“He deserves—” Zayn snorted. “Alright, whatever you are trying to do right now, is not noble, just confusing.

Louis rolled his eyes, playfully. “Don’t say nonsense, I cannot do noble…”

“I understand our upbringings are strikingly different and that makes you perceive things differently than I do, but for such a brilliant person, you are failing to see the simplest of things,” Zayn sighed, looking at Louis for the first time with something akin to pity. “I have to return to my manor, but please, think about what I just told you.”

Zayn left, and Gala moved closer to him, a big brown book about nature in her hands.

“What’s on your mind?” she asked, eyes never leaving her book, probably knowing that was the only way Louis wouldn’t feel pressured to reply.

An easy conversation between close friends. Family.

Louis huffed a small and quiet laugh. “What is not…” He stopped knitting and turned to see her. “What am I failing to see?”

Gala frowned, pursing her lips. “I think to know that, I would have to know or care for the King like you and Zayn do. But I don’t… and as of right now, I’m only worried for the future of your heart.” She traced the bookmark that separated one specific section from the others, a page filled with different drawings of foxes. “I know we have this conversation every two days but you are my best friend and even though I love to see how happy you look lately, the way you are acting right now concerns me.”

“How am I acting?”

Gala hesitated before replying, “You are being selfless…”

“Am I that despicable that I cannot even do that?”

The alpha shook her head, finally looking straight into Louis’ eyes. “You have been selfless many times before, but you only have done that with people you cannot help but love.” 

ꕀ 𖦹 ꕀ

Gala knew Louis was in love, and if Gala knew, Mitra probably did too. And the world might be conformed by billions and billions of people, but to Louis those two were it. His entire world knew about his feelings, how foolish he was.

Shame ran through his body even after he laid in his bed, refusing to use his new nest, Harry still nowhere to be found. Probably still having the time of his life with his future omega. 

After many tries, the omega grabbed one of the books on Harry’s side of the bed, because apparently even in his own chambers, the alpha claimed his territory.

Hanakotoba, it read in big golden lettering; he recognized the book, Harry used to read it almost obsessively before bed until one day, he simply stopped. Inside it, the book was filled with thousands of beautiful and meticulous drawings of different flowers, each one with its different meanings. It looked a little worn out, but in a good state, well-loved, almost all of it. Towards the middle, he found one page torn in half, right where the drawing should go. Louis didn’t have to even see the caption to know which flower was missing.

Still, with his heart violently thundering inside his chest, he read: 

Kuroyuri

クロユリ; Fritillaria camtschatcensis; Checkered Lily; Snakes Head

Delicate, mysterious, and whimsical, the Fritillaria flower has been inspiring people throughout many years. Not only is it a beautiful addition to the landscape, but it’s also a meaningful flower that adds deep symbolism to floral arrangements and bouquets.

Fritillaria flowers carry a multitude of symbolic meanings across cultures, ranging from curses and persecutions to majesty, pride, and power. It’s also a potent symbol of devotion beyond death and deep love.

Louis’ mouth felt dry, his mind trying too hard to put everything together. 

‘To be such a brilliant person, you are failing to see the simplest of things’

What was he failing to see?

The answer should be simple, but it really wasn’t at all. If only Harry behaved the same way he did when they were alone and Maksim didn’t exist or if he hadn’t heard his confession about the omega months ago, Louis would say Harry was in love with him. But all those things coexisted in the same space, making Louis believe there was something else. 

Yes, his upbringing made him mistrust everything and everyone but he was proud to say he was smart enough to see beyond that. This wasn’t a simple misunderstanding or an issue in miscommunication. They both were actively hiding something, deceiving the other.

“You are still up?” Harry’s deep voice startled him, pulling him out from his thoughts. 

“So it seems.” He closed the book and watched the alpha cross the room to sit beside him. “Did you have fun?”

There was a moment of silence, of Harry just staring at him surrounded by dimmed lights. It was easy to twist feelings and moments when they all were covered in webs of lies. It still felt like love nonetheless, but perhaps that was because he never experienced the type of love he was building in his mind. 

Bigger than life, a little dark, a little tender, but all his. 

Harry brushed a strand of hair from his face. “You could say so.”

“Good, that’s good.”

“I’m going to sleep in my chambers tonight,” he says. As if he wasn’t the one reaching for Louis every other night, curling around him like a dragon protecting his most precious treasure. He said it as if Maksim finally sated his hunger for Louis.

“Oh… okay.” Louis’ hand flew to the closed book, unconsciously holding onto something, perhaps hope.

“Your breakfast will be served here tomorrow, I already told Milosh to bring your favorites.”

Louis’ heart shuttered. There was nothing he wanted more than to not know the complex man in front of him, the man who understood his dark sides better than anyone, the man who did everything in his power to make Louis smile, the same man he exchanged secrets with but, sadly, he did. That was why, despite wanting to lash out at him, to feel offended, even betrayed, he only felt… lost.

“I guess this is where I smile, and I reassure you that everything is okay again. But to be frank, I don’t really want to pretend that I’m okay with being bound to my room because you found a new fancy, just so you could feel more at ease with your decision. At least not while I still have your spunk dripping from my ass.”

Harry’s face didn’t change, but his eyes flashed just like they did every time Louis smiled at him. “Did you really have to add that last part?”

“Yes, I did. Now leave before I ask Peep to bite you.”

Harry sighed, his fingers ghosting over the shell of Louis’ ear, one last time. A tender gesture that did nothing but upset the omega even more.

“Goodnight, lisichka.”

“Get out, dear.”

ꕀ 𖦹 ꕀ

Something wasn’t right. At first, he tried to ignore it, choosing to channel his anger towards Harry and himself rather than Mitra’s jittery leg or his constant glancing towards his chamber’s door. But as the sun reached its highest peak and nor Gala or Mitra moved from their places, Louis reckoned it was time to ask some questions or at least get some reactions.

“It’s time for my stroll,” Louis said from his seat as the worst-case scenarios filled his thoughts.

“It’s snowing,” Mitra replied with a bored tone as Gala kept reading her book, uninterested in the conversation.

“Then I shall walk around the castle,” he tried again, already suspecting the answer he was going to get. 

“You can do that here.”

Louis narrowed his eyes. “Peep is getting restless, she wants to take a walk.”

“Peep is sleeping.”

Louis hummed, unwrapping the little snake from his wrist, before putting her in her favorite branch of the small tree Harry brought for her.

“Say, Mitra…”

The alpha grunted noncommittally, still not looking at the omega.

“Am I being held hostage?”

The alpha snorted and shook his head, but Louis noticed how his left eye twitched visibly. “The only thing you are being is melodramatic.”

“Then, you wouldn’t stop me if I decide to walk out of here right now.”

“You can leave if you want, but the King is having some visitors you wouldn’t like to see.” Mitra slipped the information as if it was something he shouldn’t really say but yet it sounded deliberated to Louis’ trained ears. 

“Unless he is having dinner with my own very mother, doubt that is true.”

Mitra shrugged, nonchalant, too nonchalant. “Maybe he is.”

“He is cruel, but not that cruel.”

“You don’t know that.” The guard turned just in time to see Louis standing up, walking towards the door. “Louis… please, sit down.”

“I am being held hostage!” Louis shouted, both hands pointing at Mitra and Gala.

“I told you, it is nothing like that.”

Gala finally sighed and closed her book. “He is with Maksim and his family. I heard they came to formalize the union and start with the wedding plans.”

“Oh…” Louis felt numb, forcing himself to stay put together in front of the only family he knows, to not crumble down in front of them. He had never been this wrong before, this delusional about something, someone. He actually thought someone could see his worst and still love him. “So,” he cleared his throat. “They are going to have a big wedding…”

“Seems like it.”

Louis blinked away his tears. “How corny.”

“Indeed,” Gala said, eyes cast down, giving Louis enough time to recover himself.

The omega bit his bottom lip, trying to reign some sort of control of his trembling chin.

“Do you—uh…” Louis’ voice broke as a stubborn tear ran down his cheek. “Do you want to play some poker?” he asked finally, wiping his skin with the back of his hand.

Gala looked at him, nose and eyes as red as his. “I’d love to.”

“Good, good.” Louis nodded. “Get the cards ready, I’ll go freshen up.”

He was afraid to look at himself in the mirror, already imagining the jarring image he was probably making. The clear heartache and denial written all over his features, because against all odds, there was a small part of him that still couldn’t believe what was going on. So instead of that, he washed his face and looked at the wide open, very large window of his dressing room, staring at him mockingly.

Maybe what he needed was to see them with his very own eyes, so he could let the betrayal sink in his body, he thought as he walked towards the window. To see how real love looked on Harry, to compare it with what he offered to Louis.

He needed to see it, so he could turn his sorrows into anger, resentment, so he could survive, with dignity, his last few months on earth.

Looking one more time at the quiet room, Louis left to face his destiny. 

ꕀ 𖦹 ꕀ

There was something terribly wrong happening. Louis felt it in his bones and in the way the guards were treating him, not quite denying him entrance but still not showing the same easiness they always did when they saw him.

He looked in the dining and ballroom, in the large garden and even the red room, but there was no sight of Maksim or his family. By the time he reached Harry’s office, he was being followed by six guards and knew it was a matter of time for Mitra to come and get him, so he needed to act fast.

“Your Majesty,” one of Harry’s guards told him, cautiously. “I think the King is a little busy right now. If you wish, I would gladly inform him you are looking for him.”

Louis could push, and the guard would eventually give in, he knew exactly what to say to get what he wanted but that would require a certain amount of time he didn’t have at that moment. 

The omega politely smiled at him. “That’d be very lovely. Thank you so much.” He turned to the rest of the guards. “And please, there is no need for you to follow me around, you are making me feel like a criminal in my home.”

The alphas blushed and blurted their apologies, swearing to him, it wasn’t their intention to make him feel like that.

With two problems down, he just needed to find another way to have access to the office. He just needed to see them together and then it all would be over. 

The cold outside was implacable, but Louis knew the only way left to Harry’s office was through the gardens. What he didn’t expect were thick curtains covering the windows from the outside view. Louis cursed himself as he rested his head on the cold window only to find it unlocked.

“If you ought to blame someone, blame your wife,” Harry’s usual bored tone reached his ears. “I tried to do it discreetly, I didn’t expect her to invite the Blue Ribbon Omegas for our little reunion.”

Louis didn’t have to look to know two alphas were in the room, the scents were strong, overwhelmingly so. The omega could taste the seething rage bitter on his tongue.

“No, you did it on purpose,” Orlov said, contained but dark. “You knew she would do it. You wanted to humiliate us.”

“How would I know what your wife would do?”

“Because you thought she was the one spreading rumors about you and Maksim, because you threatened me with severe consequences if I didn’t tell her to stop.”

“Well… did you listen to me?” Harry asked, amusement clear in his tone. He was mocking the other alpha. 

“I told her to stop, but you kept putting all the attention onto my son. Again, on purpose.”

“I really don’t know what you are talking about.”

“You wanted to make us all believe he was your weakness, made him a target. So your enemies attacked him instead of you. You are a sick person, a heartless human.”

Louis felt almost dizzy. If what Orlov said was true…

“Such a wonderful imagination…”

“You made me lose everything ,” Orlov growled. “You ridiculed my son and my wife, called them desperate and pathetic, and then you told all our guests I was useless to you, that I was a leech who was soon to be jobless.”

“I simply was replying to your guests’ questions. You told me once, none of what I had to say mattered to the court or any members of  high society, not until I was shaped in the way you wanted me to be. I don’t understand why  you are so upset now.”

“Everyone thinks you will take away my title. They are ridiculing my family, shunning us.”

“Like your wife and son did to my husband? That’s a shame.”

Orlov laughed cruelly. “As if you fucking care for that omega. You are pathetic… Do you have any idea of the type of repercussions your stupid act will bring, not only for me, but to you? If you fire me, the other members of the Curia Regis will overpower you, you are begging for a coup!”

“A coup you no longer will be part of, that is enough for me.”

Behind the curtain, Louis could clearly hear a gun being loaded, making him come out from hiding. The scene in front of him evoked the rawest kind of dread; Harry seated behind his large desk while Orlov pointed a gun at his head.

He tried to remain calm, to control his scent as he walked inside the room, not trying to startle Orlov, who was facing away from him. Harry was another story, he sensed him as soon he stepped in, intense and dark eyes giving a quick glance before turning to focus on Orlov again.

“I wish I could destroy something you love,” the alpha hissed, visibly shaking from head to toe. Harry glanced again at Louis and then focused his eyes on the shelf where he often left his gloves and guns. “But I know your heart is rotten,” he snarled, and the omega used the moment to quietly sprint to the shelf and grab the first gun he found. “I know the only thing you love is yourself and that is why…” Louis aimed the gun with trembling hands. “I’m going to end you today.”

Louis shot.

Orlov dropped the gun as he let out a deep growl, snapping his head around to look at the person that just wounded him. “You, vixen!” The alpha lashed out as soon as he saw Louis, blood dripping profusely from his shoulder. “Who the fuck do you think you are? Does he know you were trying to kill—”

The alpha’s eyes opened wide in horror, hand instinctively flying to his jugular, right where Harry had just thrust his dagger in, a quick movement even Louis struggled to register. What he had no issue in noticing was how seconds later, the king stabbed the alpha’s heart, twisting the blade inside to finish his job.

Splashes of blood covered the face and hands of the King as he dropped Orlov to the floor. 

Louis knew he should be terrified by the deadly alpha walking towards him and that any other human would have run away before he pulled out the dagger from the alpha’s body, or at least aimed the gun at him to protect themselves. He just witnessed the murder of an alpha, helped with it, but the only thing thrumming in his veins was desire. He felt elated at the extent his alpha went to, to protect him. 

Harry ripped a man’s heart out for him.

By the time Harry was in front of him, Louis’ breath was ragged and his vision felt blurry. He wasn’t sure if it felt like a dream or a nightmare. He wasn’t sure of anything, but that he wanted his alpha to hold him, so he wrapped his arms around his waist, and buried his head against his chest, not caring about the blood on it.

Harry cupped his face tenderly with his free hand, dirtying him even more, and leaned in, lips hovering so close that he could feel each hungry breath coming from the alpha’s mouth. They both were armed, bloodied, equally dangerous animals in the wild. 

The hand on his face moved to his free and trembling one, handing the dagger to him, surrendering to Louis, giving him all the power. The blade felt real and sharp against his hands, and Louis burned all over, heat heavy in his skull and lower belly. It was an archaic ritual, to hand the heart of your enemy to your omega, to show your worth in the most ruthless ways and Harry might not be doing exactly that, but Louis understood nevertheless.

Louis dropped the gun in his hand, dragging Harry by his waistcoat, sealing the exchange with a desperate kiss. The intoxicating scent of arousal met Louis’ nose, but so did the iron of the body laying a few meters from them.

Oh, god…

Louis broke the kiss. “We killed someone.”

“I killed someone. You barely grazed his shoulder,” Harry said with a soft and soothing tone, scent turning calm, sweeter. “I wish I could tell you I regret doing it, but his family made you cry, and he was going to attack you, that is enough to offend me.”

“I’m sorry,” Louis whispered.

Harry tilted his head, cupping Louis’ face again, “For what? For saving me?

“For not killing him.”

Harry’s breath hitched, and Louis was mesmerized by the darkness and the light of his alpha. By the beauty of it all.

“Listen to me. You weren’t here today, alright?”

Louis blinked rapidly, abruptly coming from his daze. “What?”

“I’ll say he was upset and tried to kill me and a guard shot him in the shoulder and I finished him. You were never here.”

“I…” Louis' eyebrows knitted in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“Just trust me.” Harry kissed his forehead. “We never saw each other today. Go through the gardens and stay in my chambers. Let every single person who sees you know if they dare to speak about this, they will have Orlov’s same fate. I’ll make sure of that.”

Orlov’s words echoed in Louis’ head. The danger wasn’t near over. 

“Harry—”

“My love…”

The words disarmed him, heart squeezing in surprise. No one had ever called him sweet things. He never wanted them before, always thought they would feel foreign, odd directed at him. And with time, he thought tender words weren’t made for him. But hearing it from Harry, sweet and smooth like honey on his tongue, he almost thought he deserved them.

And after that, how he could deny anything to his alpha?

“Alright.” And nothing had ever cost him more than to say that. But he knew Harry needed him safe, at least for today.

“Good boy,” Harry purred, pleased, despite all. “I’ll be there in no time.”

Louis knew that was a lie. 

ꕀ 𖦹 ꕀ

Good things come for the ones who wait. That was what Mitra used to tell him when he was younger. When he still hoped his mother would one day wake up not trying so hard to like him. When he hoped for a miracle and a prince on a white horse and with a noble heart. 

He waited and prayed but nothing changed and no one came to his rescue. So he stopped waiting in the only way he knew; he lost all hope.

Now, as he buried himself in his nest, surrounded by Harry’s scent; Louis waited. He hoped.

A loud sigh made the omega open his eyes. “Okay, kid, it’s time to get up,” Mitra said with a tired tone, looking way older than he really was.

Louis sat wordlessly, shame running through his body.

“I’m sorry for running away,” he said quietly, struggling to look at the guard's eyes.

“It’s okay,” Mitra huffed a breath. When Louis dared to look up, he noticed the alpha’s eyes were tinted with a type of sadness he hadn’t seen in him since he was a kid. “I’m even a little proud of you.”

“Just a little?” Louis asked, in a weak attempt to lighten the mood. He tried to swallow the knot in his throat with no success. “Is he okay?”

Mitra’s lips tightened into a thin line, the corner of his mouth slightly twitching down. “Yes.” He averted his gaze and scratched his beard. “Come on, let’s go to your chambers.”

Louis stilled.

“But he told me he will come here...” His voice sounded frail even to his own ears and something in the back of his head incited him to sharpen his teeth, to get ready for anything.

“Things changed...”

Louis bit his tongue and tasted venom and for the first time in a very long time, he prayed.

ꕀ 𖦹 ꕀ

Mitra made a weak excuse to avoid entering his chambers, and every single part of Louis’ body screamed at him to run. It almost felt like an ambush, but he refused to believe Mitra could hurt him that way. 

For several minutes, the omega only stared at the imposing door, fully aware that whatever he found behind it would crush him. Finally, he opened it, as every part of his body screamed to him to run. 

And then, the world stopped again.

A few meters in front of him Harry hovered over Gala, mouths flushed together in a kiss. Two of the people he loved the most betrayed him and Louis waited for the familiar feeling of pain, the heartbreak to dig its claws in his body, but nothing came. Instead… Louis felt anger, unruly and abrasive, like a fire burning from inside.

Louis was done.

“Louis…” Harry said, startled, making a fuss about pushing away the other alpha.

“Gala,” Louis said with a monotone tone. “Please, leave us alone.”

The woman turned around, mouth twisted in slight disgust. Louis knew her hand itched to clean her lips. “I told him…” she said low, shaking her head.

Louis sighed, “I know.” He squeezed her hand quickly before letting her go.

“Don’t be mad at her,” Harry began, eyes cast down, ashamed. ‘Good ’, Louis thought, ‘ you should feel ashamed’. “ This is all on me, I came here to grab some clothes for you and she was there, offering me support and I just… I’m a despicable person. I wouldn’t—” he cut himself, closing his eyes, struggling to say the next words. “I wouldn’t blame you if you decided to leave right now. You don’t deserve this.”

“You are right, I don’t.” Louis coincided, walking slowly towards him. “I am going to leave.”

Harry’s head snapped, panic written all over his face. “You—” he shook his head. “That’s good.” he cleared his throat, misty eyes blinking rapidly. “You should.”

“I will. But first,” he took another step closer to Harry. “Tell me, why are you about to cry?”

“What are you talking about?” The alpha averted his eyes. “I’m not...”

“Harry, look at me,” Louis ordered, grabbing the alpha by his jaw, fingers digging against the hollow of his cheeks, a cruel déjà vu from one of the first contacts they ever had. “I am going to leave you and you will lose the only good thing you have. The only person who understands you and makes your heart beat and laugh until dawn. You will wake up and seek for me and I’ll not be there, and one day, you will find out I have finally married  a good alpha—because your plan was never to kill me but set me free, right?—and I’ll be so happy, far away from you and—”

“Stop,” Harry growled, closing his eyes as a tear fell down his cheek. “Please…”

“Thought you weren’t crying, thought you wanted this,” Louis hissed.

“I do, more than anything.”

“Why?” Louis dragged him closer by his shirt with his free hand. Harry went down easy.

“Louis…”

“I need to hear it,” the omega said through gritted teeth, furious and confused . “Tell me.”

“For the same reason you didn’t kill me and you never will. And the reason I need you to leave… now more than ever.”

Louis felt lightheaded, his mouth dry. It felt like the end of the world, his world. Harry knew and he still—

“And why is that?” he insisted, needing to hear the words come out from Harry’s mouth. After realizing the King wasn’t going to say anything more, the omega pushed him, frustrated, angry and lost. So very lost. “You are in love with me! Say it!” He pushed the unmoving alpha again. “Why don’t you just say it!” he cried out, angrily wiping away the tears in his eyes.

“Because I don’t think the word love is quite enough. You haunt me,” he grunted, grabbing Louis’ face, bringing it closer to his own, staring deep into his eyes. “You invade all my thoughts and senses, day and night. From the first second of every morning, you are under my skin and I’d first pray to you over any other god.”

Louis felt like fainting, that was so much more than he expected, so much more than he deserved. Yet, he could wholeheartedly understand what Harry meant because that was exactly how he felt about the alpha.

“My world begins and ends with you, and if I had to die, I much preferred it to be by your hand than…”

Louis’ breath hitched. “The Curia Regis… Oh, Harry, they—”

“I know, detka.” Harry pressed their foreheads together. “And now that things got a little out of hand, I need to act faster, but it will be messy. That is why I need you to leave as soon as possible. Do you understand now?”

“You could have told me instead of kissing a person you don't even find attractive. That was very melodramatic.”

Harry chuckled with a sad smile “You like melodrama… Besides, you wouldn’t have listened.”

Do you also feel as if it was the end of your world?

“Why don’t you simply destitute them?”

Harry let him go and took a deep breath.

“My father—and every single alpha who ruled this kingdom before him—were power-hungry, disgusting men. They wanted the North to be reigned only by us. In order to do that, they had to form alliances built by corruption and death, to give to each member of the council a certain power. Now, the leaders of the Curia Regis are a majority and have as much power as I do as a new king.  My mistake was telling them and my father that I wanted to change things, to improve the villagers' living situation instead of focusing on pleasing the few members of the court before I came to power. They tried to control me but since my mother—” Harry’s jaw twitched. “They had nothing to control me with, I had nothing and no one to lose. I guess the next best thing was trying to kill me so they could continue to reign as they pleased.”

“All this time…” Louis paused. “You knew?”

“Almost since the beginning. As soon as my father died, I knew things wouldn’t be easy, so I made sure I had eyes and ears everywhere in this castle, even in places where I wasn’t allowed by law.” The corner of Harry’s lips twitched up. “Now you… you were quite the surprise.”

Louis felt his cheeks heat, delighted by the warmth in Harry’s eyes at the memory. “Was I?”

“The original plan was to marry you, scare you away, then divorce you quickly after. That would give me the title and the power to start a sort of reverse coup. But then you showed up, vicious and beautiful, refusing my offer and joining them instead. And my stupid mind could only think how lucky I was to see you move the pieces of your own game. The little fox deceiving the big bad wolf." Harry tenderly caressed Louis' cheek with his knuckles. "My lisichka. Then, the first consort tried to kill me…”

“Did you—”

“What?” Harry tilted his head. “Kill him?” He chuckled, shaking his head. “No… I would have but he was my first potential witness. However, I knew if I wanted to take all the power from them, a random omega wouldn’t be enough, I needed some proof they were behind all of it. I needed a plan, to get as much proof as I could get. So I thought I would let them send all the assassins they wanted and I would recruit them for when they were needed, when you decided to leave.”

“But that never happened…”

“No, because they sent you to kill me.”

Louis gulped, dread bubbling in the pit of his stomach. “It was actually my idea...” He confessed quietly. “But then I got a little… distracted.”

Harry blinked before letting out a throaty laugh. “I ought to be insane to find that incredibly arousing.” He pulled Louis by the waist, leaving a tender kiss over his mating gland. “I think you did a magnificent job.” The alpha whispered close to his ear.

Louis breathed out, melting by the touches of his alpha’s wandering hands. However, his previous words flashed in his mind, breaking the moment. 

“Were you going to let me kill you?”

Harry exhaled loudly, putting his head on Louis’ shoulder. “I think we might need to sit for this…”

Not letting him go, Harry sat on the large couch and waited until Louis was comfortably seated on his lap to start talking again.

“If I had to be honest… I don’t really know. I saw the hellebores around your feet the day Peep was born, and I thought it was a bit odd because I was sure the mere sight of them made you sick. The next day you made me tea, and I knew what you were doing…. or so I thought until you served yourself your own dose and then I didn’t. I am not sure if I was going to let you kill me because the only thing in my mind that night was to make sure you didn’t drink any of that tea,” Harry muttered, leaving a delicate kiss on his jaw. “I wasn’t going to let you hurt yourself.”

“I didn’t let you either. I couldn’t.”

Harry kissed his lips, the flicker of his tongue felt like butterfly wings that traveled through all his body and settled on his belly.

“I know, my honey,” he said softly, eyes full of what now Louis could recognize as love. “And I couldn’t push you away, not even when I had to to keep you safe. But the time has come. You need to leave before they discover how much you mean to me. Because I would prefer to die a thousand times than to see you hurting.”

Louis nibbled his bottom lip, with only one doubt nagging in the back of his head.

“What about the omega you were talking about in the confession booth? What about your miracle?”

Harry brows creased, confused and then smoothed out again, eyes clearing up as a big smile bloomed on his face. 

“What—”

Harry kissed him again, this time more teeth than lips, because it seemed the alpha couldn’t find a way to refrain himself from smiling. He brushed Louis’ hair with both hands that settled on the omega’s jaw. 

“You are…” he whispered, voice full of devotion. “All this time I planned to court you after everything cleared up, that was why I told you the other night that I was going to show you in a year how much this was worth the wait. Moy luchik, who else could stand a chance against you, when you are a holy force to be reckoned and loved? You are my ferocious miracle.” 

Louis captured Harry’s mouth in a fervent kiss, moaning against his lips, the heat on his face spreading, touching his ears and neck. He wanted his alpha to unravel like a wave of fire, just like he wanted to surrender to him, to give him his all.

“Then,” the omega finally made out, eyes hungrily drinking every line and shadow of the alpha’s face. “Let me haunt you forever. Until the day my breath is no longer more. Let me love you with all I am. You can do whatever you want with me, I am vehemently yours.”

“As I am yours,” Harry murmured, against his skin, mouth traveling over his jaw. “I want to love you for the rest of my life.” His voice delved deeper, accent turning raspy, thicker.

The heat growing in his body was ravaging and all-consuming, so was his worry. 

“Let me confess to the rest of the court what the Curia Regis is planning,” Louis’ voice was barely a pleading whisper.

Harry froze, face hidden on the crook of Louis’ neck.

“No, that would give them enough time to hurt you. And if they hurt you…” The grip on Louis’ hips tightened. “I’m not killing them. I would instead kill the people they love the most and I would make them watch. That’s the type of monster I am.”

Louis pulled back Harry’s head delicately, forcing him to look at his eyes. “Never call yourself that, you are not a monster.”

“But I am… I wouldn’t think twice about snapping anyone’s neck if that meant keeping you safe. And if you knew what I did to my mother…”

“They told me you killed her and your father. But they also told me you neglect your kingdom and we both know that is far from the truth, no matter how much you tried to pretend otherwise.”

“The thing that killed my father was his love for opioids. However… I did kill my mother… she—” Harry’s expression flickered as he took a deep breath. “She got really sick, cancer. The doctor told her there was nothing they could do, that there was no treatment for it so she only had to pray and wait for her day to come. She prayed every morning and night, but no plea stopped her agony. One day, one of her maids told her about some herbs that could free her. And every night after that, she begged me to find them. She cried until she had no voice. She cried sometimes until she bled. She asked me if I enjoyed seeing her rot. That if I had finally become my father.”

“Oh, love…” 

The confession hung heavy above them, bitter on their tongues and wounded hearts. And Louis wished he could erase all the sorrow in Harry, but he knew better than anyone and was acquainted with that kind of pain. He knew how deep it ran, how endless it was. 

“I brought the herbs the next day and gave it to her before she went to sleep. That night she told me one day I will meet an omega who would turn all the darkest places in my heart into light and who will make me forget what she made me do, who will free me from all guilt. She never woke up again.”

“I cannot make you forget…” Louis’ voice wavered. The last thing he wanted was to disappoint Harry, but he couldn’t lie to him. Not about this.

The smile he got in return was adoring, disarmingly so. “I know, and I don’t wish you to. You also don’t turn my darkness into light because you don’t mind it, you accept those parts of me as much as I do yours. I don’t want to forget what I did, because I did it for her. And I will do it all over again. I am a murderer, but I do not regret doing what I had to, to stop her agony in her last days.”

“You are not a murderer. You had mercy for her and I’m sure wherever she is, she is infinitely grateful for what you did. No son should bear that type of responsibility, yet you did, you sacrificed your innocence for love.”

Harry’s expression was vulnerable, melancholic. “The ultimate sacrifice…”

The statement reverberated in Louis’ head like a maddening chant. People often expected those type of sacrifices. Of blood and unyielding stone, for power and love. They made you worthy, sometimes even made others put their guards down.

The ultimate sacrifice.

“Harry…” Louis put his hand above the alpha’s heart. “Do you trust me?”

The king moved his hands on top of his, fingers intertwining, giving him a smile that felt like pride, and hope. “Yes, always.”

Louis let out the air he didn’t know he was holding. “Good. How familiar are you with bloodletting?”

ꕀ 𖦹 ꕀ

Fresh blood had quite a distinctive smell no other scent could replicate. A particular way it dried to your skin as if it wanted to be part of something again. How it changed colors gradually but surely. 

Versatile as a day, blood could mean life or death; doom or salvation.

And as Louis pushed the Blue Room’s door, clothes and body cautiously coated in his and Harry’s blood, the omega hoped it meant everything all at once. 

“I killed the King.” Louis announced to the room, terrified eyes filled with tears. “Orlov told him everything,” he blurted, showing the alpha’s in the room his bloodied hands, tensing his muscles to make them shake in command, to sell the act. “He tried to attack me, I just… I just defended myself. Do you believe me?” 

“Of course…” Huxley was the first to react. “Of course we do. We all believe you, my Lord.” He eyed the rest of the alphas who quickly nodded his heads in unison. “Can you…” he covered his mouth, most probably to suppress a disgusting smile but his eyes still danced with pure glee. “Can you take us to the body, my lord?”

“Yes,” Louis exhaled a shaky breath. “Please, I don’t know what to do.”

At some point between the Blue Room and Louis’ chamber, dread began to settle in his chest. After they crossed those doors, Louis wouldn’t be the only one at risk, and just the mere idea of his husband being in danger terrified him more than anything else. 

Still, there was no way back. They needed to move the last piece of their game, give them their ultimate sacrifice.

“Heavens…” Enoch breathed out, disgust and horror clear on his face.

Looking at the puddle of blood around Harry, drenching his clothes, the odd position he was in and the dagger thrown a few meters from his body, the omega reckoned they have might over done the scene, but he was an all-or-nothing kind of person, a perfectionist some might say.

They acted fast and a little sloppy, extracting blood from each other using a fleam. Bloodletting was an ancient procedure that many believed  helped with melancholy and the blue devils. They said it purified your soul and freed you from all demons. Louis thought it was all horseshit, but its utensils were useful for that particular occasion nonetheless. 

“I cannot believe we finally did it,” Huxley said in awe. “We finally have control of the kingdom. And is all thanks to you…” he turned to look at Louis, a sinister smile blooming on his face. “It’s a shame you will not be able to see us reign. Or maybe you will… in hell.”

Louis feigned surprise. “What?” he whispered, eyes doubling in size. If he concentrated enough, he knew he could even make himself cry harder. 

Huxley laughed cruelly. “You think we were ever going to let you reign?” he cooed, top lip curling. “You are only a useless omega with delusion of grandeur, and now… a murderer. They will burn you alive for your transgression.”

No matter how much the words stung, it wasn’t a confession, so he needed to keep pushing them until one of them said what he needed. 

Louis shook his head, wrapping his arms around his torso, making himself look vulnerable, fragile. “You have to tell them the truth,” he pleaded. The omega needed to choose his next words carefully to get his confession without being involved in the crime. “That you wanted him dead to get the crown and you would have done it with or without me.”

“Of course we would have killed the king with or without you. Don’t you dare try to feel important. But why dirty our hands if we have our own imbecile to do the hard work for us.”

Louis dropped his arms and straightened his body. “Is that so?” he titled his head, lifting a delicate brow.

Huxley’s face twisted in anger. “What are you—” he paled, just like the rest of the alphas in the room as a well-known imposing presence loomed over him.

Enoch tried to bolt out the room, but several guards stopped him at the door.

“Is this enough?” He lifted his head to look at his furious alpha.

“Fucking sure it is.” Harry growled, arm wrapping around his waist, protectively as the other members of the court came out from Louis’ room, Mishka included. “You are lucky my omega is here or else I would have ripped your tongue out. How dare you speak to your king like that?”

“Your majesty this is all a misunderstanding—”

“The hell it is!” the King roared, a frightful thing that sent a shiver of desire down Louis' spine. 

“Take them to the cells, tomorrow they will be judged by the people and the court.”

“He was also in it!” Enoch blurted out, as a last attempt to have the upper hand over them, to hurt Harry and ruin Louis. “He also wanted to murder you, it was his idea to send assassins as consorts and then he offered to do it himself.”

“Is that true?” One member of the court asked, cautiously. Not wanting to upset the alpha any further. 

“Yes,” Harry said easily, as planned. “However, I was the one who told him to say that. My omega was only following my orders.”

Huxley snarled, “No, that’s not true!”

The air in the room turned dangerously heavy. “Are you trying to contradict me after confessing you were plotting to murder me?” Harry said in a low tone, pulling Louis even closer to him. 

Horror flickered in the alpha’s eyes. “No, my lord. Not at all!”

“That’s what I thought. Guards!” the king barked and several alphas entered the room, Mitra between them, eyes scanning Louis to see if he was okay. Shoulders faintly relaxed as soon as he saw Louis smile at him. “Take them out. Don’t forget to give them the special treatment you give to traitors.”

Between screams and snarls, each one of the alphas were escorted outside the room.

“We are deeply sorry about all this, my Lord,” another alpha of the court said. “An emergency meeting will be scheduled for tomorrow, first thing in the morning.”

Harry nodded. “Good. I have some clauses I need you to review. Things have to and will change.”

A few of the alphas looked uncomfortable with that but they had no other option than to accept Harry’s decisions. The alpha successfully proved there was a conspiracy against him, a major infringement on the initial contracts. In consequence, now Harry was free to choose all the members of his new court, and with that, also the power to change many laws in the kingdom.

“I don’t know what happened today and I don’t think I will ever want to know.” Mishka chuckled, massaging his shoulder. “But I’m happy you found each other. You deserve to be happy.” The beta’s gentle smile dropped as soon he noticed the state of his clothes. “And for the love of God, go take a bath, you are filthy.”

“You did it!” Louis whispered when it was only the two of them in the chamber, heart ready to burst in happiness and relief. “The kingdom is finally yours.”

“No, my love, you did it.” Harry looked at him with a big, goofy smile. His eyes sparkled and despite being covered in blood, he looked young, in love. “You did it all. And this is your kingdom too, we will reign it together.”

“Are you happy?”

“I don’t think I have ever felt this happy in my life. And you?”

“I do. I just don’t quite believe it’s real, that I am allowed to be this happy.”

Warmth surrounded his face as thick thumbs caressed his cheeks softly, holding his face near his own, eyes tracing every movement of it.

“Let me show you how real it is.”

To feel pleasure at being something sacred to another being, it had to be one of the most wonderful feelings Louis had the luck to experience in his life. To feel strong hands clean the blood off every inch of his body, tender lips whispering unknown prayers to his scars. To surrender to a man who could tear him apart and put him back together with just a word.

“Can I take you here, baby?” he rumbled when they both were finally clean and on top of Louis’ bed, tongue lapping and biting his neck. “Knot you and take you like my proper queen?” 

Louis whined, heart thumping behind his rips like it wanted to escape from him to fly to Harry. “Please, I want it, want your mark,” he breathed, spreading his legs for his alpha.

“So my baby wants to be mine forever…” Harry’s voice was possessive and low, rich and dark scent clogging Louis’ throat, drowning his senses.

“I am already yours, I just want the rest of the world to know.”

The sound that came from Harry’s throat as he sealed their mouths together in a ravaging kiss was almost inhuman, feral. And Louis couldn’t do anything more than wrap his legs around his alpha’s waist, to push him until the wide head of his cock flushed against his entrance.

A moan escaped from his throat as Harry began to impale his hard length deep inside him, making him feel overwhelmingly full.

“Glorious,” Harry grunted, both hands in Louis’ hair, mouth leaving soft kisses all over Louis’ face as he waited for the omega to adjust to him. “You are perfect and glorious, all mine. 

Louis’ breath hitched, tears already forming in his eyes, not really used to Harry saying those type of things, at least not in a language he understood. The fresh gush of hot slick caused by that helped Harry drag out his thick cock inch by inch and press back in, over and over again, head indulgently rubbing Louis’ prostate each time.

Letting out a choked whimper, Louis began to hump back against Harry, careless of the lack of breath in his desperate chase for release. Louis’ ears filled with filthy wet sounds every time their skin collided, the omega’s hole squelching as the king increased his rhythm.

The omega squirmed, overwhelmed by alpha’s merciless thrusts inside his eager hole and his skilled mouth bruising the skin over his mating gland.

“You are drenching me with your slick. My sweet baby wants me to be as sweet as him, huh?” he grunted, ramming harder into him, rocking his cock as far in as he could get it. “I cannot wait to lick you up after I knot you. You have no idea how good you taste, how good you made me taste, you are magical. Fucking perfect.”

Louis arched his back choking out Harry’s name as he came, clamping down hard around the cock buried inside of him. The alpha grunted but his pace remained unchanged, still pounding his cock into Louis’ spasming hole as he rode out his orgasm, clenching and unclenching around him.

“Oh, sweetheart, look at you,” Harry hissed, changing the rhythm of his thrusts, going slower but deeper as if he wanted to savor Louis’ climax. “Milking your alpha’s cock, hungry for my come. It’s like you can’t help yourself… Fucking gorgeous.”

There was a fire in Louis’ blood, rushing through his veins. “Alpha, please… breed me,” he whispered hungrily as his soft cock filled yet again. 

“Fuck,” Harry hissed, hips stuttering before recovering its previous wild pace, left hand moving to lock around the omega’s hips while the right went for his neck, creating a gentle pressure that grounded Louis, distracting him from the other growing pressure who was currently splitting him open from the inside.

 Louis’ mouth opened into a silent cry as sharp teeth broke the skin over his mating gland. Pleasure and pain swirled together, body quivering, helpless, ready to snap, and then, Harry’s knot finished swelling up, lodging deep inside him for the first time. 

The omega sobbed, loud and guttural as ribbons of watery come painted his and his alpha’s stomachs, head turning around to echo Harry’s gesture, teeth sinking in his throat, tongue tasting the strong flavor of his alpha’s blood.

Harry came with a deep growl, filling him up as he promised. Louis purred happily, squeezing around the thickness inside of him, content with the sweaty weight of his mate wrapped around him, licking his mating gland, leaving tender kisses all over it.

“I am in you,” Harry whispered, tongue flickering over Louis’ fresh wound. “Forever will be, and nothing on this earth would ever pull me out.”

Louis whimpered, tilting his head even further for his alpha. Basking in the immensity of his declaration. 

And after the omega’s eyes began to drift off, he heard Harry whisper again, “I wish I could have given you all my firsts, but I promise you, all my lasts belong to you…”

ꕀ 𖦹 ꕀ

Mother,

I often fight with myself about whether  I should send you this or not. How cruel is too cruel? Because I know, no matter how I word it, it will hurt you greatly, my happiness will hurt you greatly. 

It always did…

But, mother, I wish you knew everything I’m feeling, everything I have learned. I wish I could tell you I found a man, who perhaps in the eyes of strangers is far from perfect, but was made for me, who makes me believe there is a God out there just by the way he looks at me. Who would die as he would kill for me. Who covered, with beautiful marks, all the scars your words left me. Who planted love where a curse used to grow, just to see me smile. A man who makes me feel like a miracle. 

Mother, his love made me finally see how loved I am, how loved I was–despite what you made me believe, and I didn't have to fight for any of it.

I also wish to tell you that I now understand my grief doesn’t have to be quiet or gracious to make it worthy, to make me worthy. That you and I aren’t the same, despite sharing the same smile, filled with sharp teeth. How I will love you forever, but you are not dear to me, and you will never be again.

Mother, I don't know if I ever could forgive you, but you no longer damage my soul, I created another one from scratch.

There are no more hellebores in my life, I thought you should know…

“Have I told you today how breathtakingly beautiful you look, lisichka?”

Louis put his quill down and smiled at his husband, heart fluttering just as wild as the first time he saw him, three years ago. “Only twice,” he teased the alpha as he watched him walk around his desk, big envelope in his hand. “You don’t look so bad yourself.” 

The alpha leaned in, kissing him softly and pulling him up from the chair so he could sit and place the omega over his lap, right where he belonged. 

“Are you going to send it?” Harry asked carefully, not even trying to look at or read the letter on the desk. 

“I don’t know…” Louis lifted a shoulder, head resting on top of the alpha’s own. “I’m still not sure.” 

Harry hummed, scent turning soft, soothing, nuzzling his face in the crook of Louis’ neck.

 “Did they finally reply to you?” Louis touched the envelope in Harry’s hand, tilting his head so his mate could tend his bonding mark as he pleased.

“Yes,” he said absently, mouth and mind focused on kissing and licking his mark. “This is their official reply.”

Harry handed Louis the envelope so he could grab properly his omega’s ass, humming contentedly as soon as he touched it.

Louis snorted and rolled his eyes. “Are you nervous?”

“Not really,” Harry nibbled his earlobe softly. “All the Kings of the North seem pretty eloquent. Besides,” he murmured, leaving a trail of small pecks all over Louis’ jaw. “The division and animosity between us was created by others. And our kingdom has prospered exponentially since we began to reign it properly.” He bashfully smiled against the omega’s chin. “The most natural and beneficial thing for both sides is if we restore communications,” he finished, gently biting his mate’s bottom lip. 

“Pretty eloquent, aren’t they?” Louis’ played with one corner of the envelope. “Did you hear they call one of them the Ice Prince?” he scoffed, rolling his eyes, feeling a little childish while doing so, but not caring one single bit, knowing his alpha would only be pleased by his antics. “They don’t even have snow over there,” he sniffed, “I bet I’m colder.”

Harry smiled, as amused and delighted as Louis expected. “You aren’t cold.” He kissed the tip of his nose. “The only people who perhaps think that are a few snobbish alphas and omegas of the old court. The rest of the kingdom adores you… I adore you.” 

The alpha trapped his mouth in a tender kiss, tongue flicking over his pouting lips.

“We might have to come up with a clever nickname for you, but I am sure there is no one in the world that could compare to your beauty and cunning mind. You are one of a kind and you are all mine.”

Louis grinned, finally dropping the charade. “Ya tyebya lyublyu.” He whispered slowly, arms wrapping around Harry’s neck.

After three years of practice, it still didn’t sound as good as the omega wished but he was definitely getting better. Most importantly, he now could fully understand everything Harry wished to tell him, in and out of bed.

“Fuck, sweetheart,” Harry’s accent was as thick as his now hard cock. “You are going to kill me.” He squeezed his ass, hard. “I love you so much more. You are the love of all my existences.”

They kissed for a little while, tender and without a hurry, just enjoying the love and deep connection they had with each other, until they grew restless, hungrier.

“Let’s see their answers, love,” he said as he broke the kiss, already opening the envelope. Harry’s chest rumbled and he kissed the scar on his shoulder as a reply. 

“It seems there will be peace between our kingdoms,” Harry mused, clever hands already traveling under Louis’ shirt.

“Good…” Louis threw the envelope far away. “Now take me to bed, dear.”

Harry’s smile was feral and full of devotion. “As you wish, your Majesty.”

Louis never sent the letter. He broke the curse.