Shamrock Prince (Niall Horan) BOOK 1

Chapter 1 - Sneaking out of the Faerie Lands

Chapter 1 – Sneaking out of the Faerie Lands

“Don’t remind me,” Niall grumbled, making Jack laugh in amusement, “Tell me, why can’t I go outside again?”

“Because you are a prince and nothing can happen to you, it can be dangerous up there,” Jack said as if he had said those words a thousand times to Niall, which he indeed did.

“I don’t see a problem with it, I’m not even going to be king! My elder brother, Greg, is going to rule after our father, not me!” Niall protested loudly making a few faeries turn towards them curiously, but soon enough they turned away to mind their own business.

Jack sighed, “I’m sorry, Niall. But I can’t help you here, if I sneak you out I might lose my job,” the Knight said.

Niall nodded solemnly, “I know, and I won’t ask you for it either. It can just boring here, you know? Nothing ever changes here.”

“And that’s the reason I became a Knight,” Jack grinned.

“I thought it was because your family are Knights for generations long?” Niall questioned confused.

“If you are born in a Knight family, you do have a choice wherever you become a Knight or not.”

Niall huffed, “I wish I could choose what to do, I don’t want others to decide what to do with my life. I want to decide on my own.”

The Faerie Knight gave the young prince a look, “Niall, are you even happy here?” He asked after a while making Niall look up in surprise.

He thought about it for a while. “No,” he finally said.

“And why not?” Jack asked.

Niall immediately knew the answer to that question. “I don’t want to be a prince, I want to be a Knight like you and be able to go to the outside world. I want to meet werewolves and vampires, heck even warlocks! I want to feel the sunlight on my skin and be able to feel the wind howling past my head. I just want to be free.” He finished.

Jack looked at him wide-eyed, never expecting such an answer to come from his friend. When the forest green eyes of the Knight fell on his friend – who truly seemed miserable – he knew he had to help him, even if it might cost him his job.

The Knight looked around and when no one paid any attention to the two of them he leaned forwards towards the prince and whispered so soft only he can hear, “Every time when the moon is full and on its highest point in the sky, the portal to the outside world opens.”

Niall gaped at him, “You… are going to help me sneak out? What about the guards?” The prince asked wide-eyed, barely believing that Jack would be willing to help him.

“With every full moon, one Knight gets the task of guarding the portal. With the next full moon, it’s my turn,” he said with a small smirk. “Just make sure you’re there when the moon is on its highest stand, only then the portal works.” The Knight warned.

Niall nodded, making sure to remember his friend’s words. “I’ll be there. Do I need to bring stuff with me?”

Jack shook his head, “I’ll get the supplies you need, don’t worry about that. Just make sure you don’t get caught.”

“Why do you even do this for me?” Niall asked, making Jack look at him in surprise. “Why do you help me sneaking out? It can cost your job, and no matter how much I want to leave this place I don’t want you to get in trouble, from everyone here you are my best friend.” He added.

“And that is why I help you,” Jack replied, “we are friends Niall, and friends help each other. I can see you are truly miserable here and that’s why I help you to escape. You deserve to be happy for once.”

Niall smiled at that, “You truly are the best friend someone could ask for. Thank you, I won’t forget this.”

Jack smiled back, dimples on display, “Don’t worry about it. I suggest you to go home and maybe get some sleep before night time, for the full moon is tonight. Be on time,” he instructed one last time.

“I see you tonight then,” Niall said with a nod, smiling slightly. Jack nodded back as a greeting before the Knight turned around and walked the other way.

After his meeting with Jack and the promise to go to the outside world, Niall felt completely ecstatic. He couldn’t wait for tonight, he will finally be free.

• • •

“Jack!” Niall whisper-yelled when he caught sight of the curly-haired Knight. Jack’s forest green eyes looked back at him and Niall hurried to his side.

It was already night time and the streets were dark. The only light was coming from a cave-entrance behind Jack. “Is that…?” Niall asked, pointing to the cave.

Jack nodded, “Yes, this is the portal to the outside world. Walk to the end of the tunnel, and you leave the Faerie Lands.” The Knight said.

“Here, take this bag,” Jack said and handed Niall a duffel bag.

Niall opened it and looked curiously inside, “What are those things?” He asked when he couldn’t recognize the stuff inside the bag.

“Things you will need out there,” Jack said. He took out a couple of papers and some coins, “Those are called euros, you will need them to buy stuff there, like food and clothes.” He said and put them back in the bag, before taking out something else.

Niall had never seen something like that before in his whole life. It was small, black and had a lens. “This thing here is called a camera, it’s a typical human-invention. One of my favourite things. They use it to capture views. You press this button,” Jack said, pointing to a button, “and it will flash and capture the moment in a picture, so you can view it back later on.” As to proof himself, Jack pointed the camera towards Niall and pressed the button, a flash and clicking sound went off and Niall took a step back, shocked from the sudden light. Jack turned the camera around for him to see and Niall watched wide-eyed how he pressed a few buttons until a picture appeared on the screen.

Niall narrowed his eyes to get a better view and he gasped when it was a picture of himself.

“Cool, right?” Jack grinned and Niall nodded in agreement, looking wide-eyed at the camera. Jack took a few minutes to explain how the camera worked and how Niall could charge it when the battery was empty, Jack also showed him a charger from the bag.

“I also have put a water bottle and some food in the bag you can eat if you get hungry or thirsty,” Jack said and Niall nodded.

“Anything else?”

“Yes, one more thing.” Jack said, “This tunnel here will lead you to a place called Dublin, it’s the capital city of Ireland, the country we live underneath. That place is full of humans, vampires, werewolves and warlocks. I just ask you to be careful and try not to get in too much trouble,” he added.

Niall nodded, “I try to be careful, don’t worry about me.”

“Then I can only wish you good luck now,” Jack said and stepped away from the portal, mentioning for Niall to enter.

Niall took a few steps forward till he was standing in front of the portal, he turned back towards Jack and said, “Thank you for this, you are a great friend, Jack.”

“Bye, Niall,” Jack whispered as goodbye and Niall nodded, turning around and entering the portal.

Leaving the Faerie Lands and everything he knows behind him, but a whole new world in front of him, ready to be discovered by the young leprechaun.