Prince Not-So-Charming And His Tipsy Princess (l.s)

Chapter 23

Eleanor and a dark-haired man in a tux walked in. The man cleared his throat, ignoring Zayn's glare and walked up to Harry who was wide-eyed and still from shock.

"This is not fucking happening..."

"Master Harold Junior, your father suggested I accompany Lady Caulder so you would react more appropriately-"

"Oh, trust me, I'm twice as angry now that he's roped you into this." His expression melted away into a smile and he threw his arms around the man, amused when he stumbled back. Finally, after some seconds, the butler patted his back in that usual formal affectionate way Harry had missed. "But I can't stay mad at you, Grimmy, especially not now. Need all the friends I can get... You're the only part about that evil building that I've actually missed-"

"And not Taylor who's been waiting for you? Typical man but I mean, go off, marquis."

They all turned to her but Zayn was still eyeing the man long and hard, his jaw clenched. "Harry, your dad is doing this on purpose. He's pulling you in with this guy on purpose, to get on your good side and lure you into a fucking death trap. Don't fall for this shit. He's always got a plan, he knew exactly what he was fucking doing when he sent Eleanor over-"

"Actually, Louis called me over. And a damn good idea that was, we need to discuss strategy and quick." All eyes turned to Louis and he lowered his gaze, taking a step back.

"No. Nope. Get out and take that shitty Alfred variant with you-"

"I go by Grimshaw, sir?"

"As long as you're following that bitch around, I don't want you any where near any of us. Harry, don't try making friends with the enemy!"

"I'm not, Zayn? We're already friends. Aren't we, Grimmy?" Grimshaw frowned sternly at Harry, shrugging his shoulders with a reluctant nod when Harry pouted at him with a pleading poke to his chest. Everyone spun around when Louis' door shut quietly again, accompanied by a click that got them all worried.

Before you freak out again, Hazz, don't. M'fine.

No, you're not. And it's my fault. All of this. Brady's because of me, Eleanor's too, all this shit is my fault. I'm so, so sorry, I'll fix it. I'll find a way to fix this.

Harry, you should talk to her.

I don't want to.

Please. Figure it out. I'm gonna go, now.

"He's the one who asked me to come over. Why the hell is he not saying anything? You're not the king of England, Tomlinson, get out of there, we have to talk." Grimshaw made to speak but Liam beat him to it, standing protectively in front of the door.

"Can you be anymore of a bitch? Huh?! You're the main reason my best friend is in this state, right now. You. You started all this, stalking him and Harry. What was it that tugged you towards them? Were they too happy, for you? Was that it?! Was Louis too fucking happy that you just had to take it away?!"

"I was doing what I do best. Not everyone is born into the royal family. I have to get my money somehow and blogging about their kind and other high-end celebrity's when drama unfolds is how I do it. You don't get to judge me for that-"

"Oh, no, I definitely do get to judge you. I read your article. I saw the way you framed your words. You kept repeating man, man, man, all over. As if it's some insane thing that they're both two men who enjoy each other's company-"

"I did what I knew would sell. And I'd do it again."

"You might have just brought the lgbt community new representation but you did it in the most homophobic way possible. You wrote it in the way that homophobes feel encouraged when they say that this is weird and impossible because it's the royal family and all. Reading that article crushed me because I'm a bisexual, myself so trust me, I know at least something of what others might have felt. Everyone just pushed that part away because we so desperately need more people in the limelight to make us feel less abnormal than society and the media has so many of us convinced that we are."