Monarchy - Harry Styles au

Chapter 10

A/n: holding my end of the deal up :)

Clutching the left side of my chest where my heart would be, I turned around to face whoever had caught me in the act.

To my surprise, standing before me was a blonde, slim girl with aqua blue dip dyed ends. Blue ends? Why would someone dye their hair blue?

Was it some sort of mental illness, wanting your hair a radioactive colour?

Her eyes were a bright brown, as wide as saucers as they gazed at me intensely. They didn't hold a tad of exasperation, just sheer curiosity.

How didn't I feel her presence behind me? I was usually extremely paranoid when it came to this sort of stuff. I guess I was too caught up in the excitement of my new discoveries to watch my surroundings.

"I... Uhm was just... Who are you?" I fumbled with my words, not a tad bit comfortable with being caught red-handed.

"I'm Gemma, Harry's sister. How are you settling down?" She asked cautiously, giving me a small smile.

My brain was clueless as to how to respond to this question. What on earth was I supposed to tell her? That I was snooping around to get answers and conjure up a plan, so I could get out of here? I couldn't and wouldn't get used to this place, it wasn't my home nor safe haven. And if they thought I'd just let them play around with my title like I was some trashy puppet, they were in for a great surprise.

"Wait, you aren't Melody?"

She casted an eye over my form, her brows furrowed in confusion. I withered awkwardly, shifting my stance from one leg to the other.

"Oh no... I am, Sorry I'm just-"

"No it's okay, you're in shock, I get it. Not that easy to be tossed into a complete different surrounding, where all your advantages are gone, is it?" She cut me off, compassion overriding her features.

I instantly liked Gemma. I felt like we could get along, she wasn't so uptight and intimidating like most of the people in this place. By the look on her face, I could tell she was putting herself in my shoes.

Fluently diverting the topic, my lips instinctively twitched up in a smile when I looked at her outfit. She was wearing a dark pink riding jacket made of a wicking, breathable fabric, beige breeches and chaps. Brown boots engulfed her feet, making me instantly think of my beloved horse, Grace.

"Are you an equestrian?" I gushed, taking in her riding gear, the corners of my mouth hoisted up.

"Aye, head of the grooms here to be honest. What about you?" She replied just as enthusiastically, her smile widening and eyes shining.

Obviously, both of us appreciated the change of topic.

I felt my eyes sparkling at the mention of what I was best at.

"Blimey, that's my field too! I really hope they take good care of the horses whilst I'm absent, though."

Being part of the equestrian industry requires hard work and determination - but the results are rewardingly interesting. I hoped nothing changed whilst I wasn't around, I'd love if it stayed the way I had left it off.

We immediately struck an animated conversation, and I soon learnt Gemma was a massive fan of horses as well. She went riding every day, had her own horse and kept the farm business running. Serentile had a troop horse artillery, some of them trained to be in warfare.

I was never really fond of the idea of using horses in a combat role to be fair, although It was not my place to scold her for we owned military horses too.

"Actually, I was just about to go riding. Want to tag along?" She asked, her teeth flashing.

Although I liked Gemma, it did cross my mind that riding might enhance my knowledge of the surroundings, helping me gather information and intelligence for later, when I break out.

A sudden feeling weighted on my chest as I nodded, agreeing to go riding. It was indescribable, balancing out between guilt and excitement.

By the huge, toothy grin on her face, I inferred she didn't usually have riding partners. Sure, riding alone had its perks, but riding with others was a lot more challenging for both the rider and the horse, usually ending up in a speed duel.

"I don't have anything to ride in though." I concluded, face settling into a deep frown as I endeavoured to come up with a solution. I was positive they didn't leave any equestrian clothing back for me to wear, and in all fairness, I didn't exactly fancy the idea of riding in jeans and classy boots.

"Uh scratch that! I shall lend you some clothes, as long as you don't go running anyone over." She waved it off, failing her right hand in the air as if to point nonsense.

"Can't make any promises, your brother seems like a fine target." I chuckled lightly, an edge in my voice that wasn't intended.

Unfortunately, she caught it.

Her voice immediately switched to a serious, efficient tone, any sign of camaraderie among us absent. "Seriously though, have you ever heard the expression by Marilyn Monroe? 'If you can't handle me at my worst then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best..." She reiterated a quote that I knew by heart, causing me to purse my lips in anger.

How dare she apply that saying to Harry Styles. I knew she was his sister, his own blood, bound to stand up for him at all costs. But, and there's a huge but, it was nothing like that. His 'worst' could've ended in my death, and it wasn't even over.

As if I was experiencing some sort of hallucination, sadness flowed through my veins, poisoning my spirit. All anger seemed to fade away, images of my beloved family killing it off, changing my response drastically.

"I'm not here to judge him as a person, I just want out. I miss my family." I blinked back the tears, the burn in my throat getting much worse than the last time I had held everything in.

When someone cries, it's not a pretty sight. Their eyes swell and turn bloodshot. They are unable to breath, unable to speak, nothing. They can't see properly due to beady tears blurring their vision, agony taking over their senses. They turn vulnerable, weak, out of control.

"I know Babe, I know. I really hope it'll be over soon. If there's anything I can do for you; to help you get through this, anything at all, you know where to find me."

I smiled at her words, hastily gulping the lump in my throat so I could speak.

"Then let's just get away and head to the stables."

A smile spread over her face at my words, nodding in agreement.

"Let's get this show on the road."

And with that, Gemma walked out of the ancient room with me trailing behind her. I rolled up the sleeves of my jumper, the excitement babbling up inside me causing heat to spread throughout my body.

And in the heat of the moment, Harry Styles' permission seemed out of the question.

A/N

I'm soooo excited to get more into the story! How are you liking it so far? Let me know!

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