Monarchy - Harry Styles au

Chapter 24

It took us close to twenty minutes to see a village on the horizon. It had gotten slightly cloudy, but it was still relatively warm as we arrived at a backdoor of one of the many wooden homes that made up the small settlement.

I put the hood over my head and tucked a loosened piece of my hair behind my ear, shoving my numb hands into the pocket of my stained joggers.

"Alright, Tom?" A manly voice greeted.

I looked up and saw an unfamiliar guy with blue eyes and dirty blond hair. He seemed to be around 21-22 years old, probably around Tom'a age. He was standing about a metre away from us, hands in the pockets of his loose blue jeans, a leather jacket casually hanging over his shoulders. His shirt was slightly torn in a few places and a cigarette was held between his fingers.

Had I met him before?

The man coughed, making me realise that I had been staring at him for far too long. I dropped my gaze awkwardly, staring was an insanely impolite gesture.

"Who's the lady?" I could see him eying me from the corner of my eye, waiting for an answer. That was most likely the first time I had to properly introduce myself, for all my life people had already known so much about me before I even set foot into the room. So being asked such a simple question like "who are you" had managed to catch me a little off guard. I'd have to leave the explaining part up to Tom.

"That's Melody--

Knowing well he was waiting for me to reveal my surname, I decided to play dumb and just fiddle with my thumbs, not even giving them a second glance.

Tom soon realised I wasn't going to give him an answer and cleared his throat. "Found her all by herself lurking in the woods. She's escaping king Styles."

I slowly let my eyes trail up to his face at the soft gasp, finding sheer shock registered on it.

"Blimey man. The poor girl, what've you done that could possibly get you in shit with the king?" He stared at me in disbelief and I had to hold myself back from flinching at his language.

"Drop it Niall, will you? She'll tell us everything right after she eats." Tom's brows were pulled over his eyes as he didn't bother to hide the irritation in his voice. I couldn't have been more thankful he had stepped in, the feeling of someone being on my side and actually trying to help me out of this mess was beyond alleviating.

'He wouldn't be on your side once he finds out the truth, which he will soon.' An evil voice in my head whispered seductively, nearly making me melt into a puddle of tears.

Niall studied Tom closely, his expression curious but Tom refused to let any emotion cross his face.

"'Til later mate." He finally said, swinging the door open to reveal a dark space. Tom ushered me inside and flicked Niall one last look before getting in after me.

I stepped inside, stopping a few feet into the hut so he could lead the way. I should've probably been scared, merely uncomfortable- being alone in a suffocating hut with a complete stranger. Yet all trace of common sense seemed to completely leave my body as thoughts of getting my hurting stomach filled occupied my mind.

I heard him shifting around the room before a candle was lit, illuminating the room as much as a candle can. "I know it's not much, but it will do." He muttered before setting the candle on a round wooden table.

I found it hard to believe people had to live in such poor conditions, but also found it incredible they were able to cope so well with what they had. The room didn't have anything unnecessary, but it seemed to be just enough.

Tom pulled a loaf of bread out of one of the cabinets, placing it on the table beside the candle for me to eat. Not being able to fight my manners, I patiently waited for him to give me the signal.

"Off you go, have a seat. It's for you." And just like a lion finally getting a hold of its prey, I lowered my body into the wooden chair and dug into the food. This time, I managed to toss all manners away and relieve my aching stomach.

I never knew a mixture of flour, water and yeast could taste so heavenly. I had eaten in various types of gourmet restaurants throughout the years and never enjoyed a meal that much. I was almost moaning at the food when a low chuckle snapped me out of my trance.

"I see my assumptions were right, someone indeed was hungry."

Dropping my gaze in embarrassment, my face flushed. How embarrassing, I allowed myself to eat like a hooligan in the present of someone. Had my sister known, she'd surely rat to father.

"Hey no need to be embarrassed. It's a shame a fine lady like you had to roam these dangerous woods this hungry." He gently caressed my back, assuring me it was okay. My shoulders relaxed and I kept on eating, quietly this time.

***

It had been around two hours now, the chief principle of the tribe and his councils along with us were gathered in a small room with seats, their conference room. I told them everything, from the negotiation and the cross-dressing, to the abduction and of course, the fact I was the soon to be queen. I left the king's ruthless show of violence towards the guy out of my story, and also made sure I skipped the part he had so fiercely made the decision of dragging me by the hair. These details would cause them nothing but undue misery. These were evils that I refused to divulge to such friendly people, or the rest of the world for that matter.

Thankfully, they understood.

Another half an hour into the conversation, a great weight had been lifted off my shoulders as I had come to know they didn't hold any grudge against Ellenia, their sole enemy amongst the kingdoms being Serentile.

I almost screamed in delight as their opinion on me didn't budge when finding out I was a princess, for it was 'a mere title' they said. They even said my father's army came this far during one of the wars, and left their village unharmed even though they were labeled as rebels. Let's just say I was over the moon to hear that.

Moving on, we discussed the confidentiality procedure, which I took an oath to never share things such as the location of the village and way of living. And working matters, which I had promised to take a part in helping with the village chores. They also said they'd help me reach out to my family, although it might take a few days since they had to send a crew out of the woods. The service here was little to no existent.

The councilmen murmured amongst themselves for several minutes. The Chief got slowly to his feet and stood there before me, saying the words I was expecting and so deeply throughly happy to hear that I sprang out of my chair and wrapped my arms around him in a thankful hug.

"Lovely Melody, It's our pleasure to have you stay with us. I'm sure you have a lot to contribute." He smiled at me, not the least surprised by my show of affection. It was how things were over here - warm and friendly. They were all a big family I was thrilled to join.

From the corner of my eye I could see a huge smile gracing Tom's lips as he gave me a thumbs up. I smiled back at him, tears of happiness rolling down my cheeks. I didn't even try and stop them like I usually would- I knew they wouldn't judge me for them.

And just like that, a new chapter of my life had started. I sincerely hoped it'd last long enough.

A/N

Yes... I kinda took a trip to pluto. I'm honestly sorry for taking so long and that this chapter is so short.

Tbh I have a love hate relationship with Wattpad. When feeling down it's a great place to turn to, an outlet. But on the other hand it can be stressful as hell. I have no intention to quit writing, although sometimes life puts me through so much shit that I have to unintentionally take a break. I am going to try and get back on track with regular updates though.

Feel free to shoot me a message whenever you like, even if asking for updates. Love you tons xxxx