The Prince (Harry Styles)

Chapter 47

I was sitting at breakfast with Lucas and Mikey. Mum had the news on as she cleaned the kitchen. I was silently eating my cereal mindlessly watching the news. It was announced yesterday that King Desmond had brought in a new girl and that broke my heart. She was younger than me and blonde. It was hard to believe that there was already someone that had replaced me. Harry didn't look comfortable around her from what I've seen. 

"It will be okay, Emerald," Mikey whispered rubbing my back. I leaned away from his touch leaning on my elbow at the corner of the counter. 

"Emerald, be nice to your brothers," Mum scolded looking at me. 

She was still upset with me for the whole not staying pure thing. Mum also hated my haircut. Then again, this was a new chapter for me. I was essentially starting my life from scratch. I found myself being a hermit, because what is a life without being somewhere you call home?

"I'm going to my room," I said tossing my bowl in the sink and walking upstairs. 

I plopped myself down on my bed and opened the internet. I found myself surfing through it doing whatever. I just needed a way to escape the life I was living. My love was anything but exciting. It was exhausting. The depression that crept its way into my body made me numb. There was no way to ease it. It felt as if I had died or someone close to me had died and the grieving of them would never end. 

"Emerald!" Mum called running up the stairs. "Cellar now!" she called pulling me up off the bed.

"What? Why?" I asked as she pulled me away from my computer.

"There's an attack heading into the town. They've clipped the sirens," she said urgently pushing me down the hall. 

I felt my heart drop into the pit of my stomach. I knew that the attacks were becoming more and more frequent. What scared me even more was what would happen if they intruded the palace. I pulled away from my mother and backed to the wall. She looked at me in an alarmed sort of manner.

"I can't go to the cellar, Mum," I said holding my hands to my chest. "I need to—"

"You're choosing people who aren't your family?" Mum asked me. "We're here for you."

"That's just it, Mum. This isn't my home," I said to her. She looked perplexed. "My home is with him. If anything happens to him I would never forgive myself for staying here. Especially since I haven't seen him in three weeks."

"You can't go out there like this!" she said with wide eyes.

"Mum, if this is the only chance I have to get him back I am going to take it," I told her. "I'm sorry, but I need to do this."

I rushed past her heading down the stairs and out of the house without a second glance. The whole time I ran to the castle, I was on high alert. I ran carefully watching for the intruders. At the same time, my mind was reeling about Harry's safety. I needed him to be okay. That is the only thing that could make me okay.

When I got to the castle, I could see the intruders. I hid where they couldn't see me. When they disappeared I ran into the castle running upstairs to the hiding cupboards that were concealed in the wall. I looked side to side making sure no one was around as I slipped inside. I closed it behind me and saw Gemma inside.

"Emerald!" Gemma gasped getting up and giving me a big hug. "How did you get here?"

"I ran," I said catching my breath. "Where's Harry?"

"Emerald—"

"Where is Harry?" I repeated, this time with more force.

"I need to know how you have been," she said grabbing my shoulders by force. "I've been stuck with a new lady who Harry and I both hate."

"I'm sorry, Gemma, but where is he?" I asked, worry written on my face.

"He's helping the soldiers," she whispered. 

Without a second glance, I was opening the door leaving to find Harry. I roamed the hallways figuring soldiers would be searching for the intruders. As I sought out Harry, I saw corpses laying in their own bloody messes—mostly soldiers. 

I kneeled down in front of the recognizable one. I ripped off a piece of the cloth on his jacket and wiped the smeared blood off the man's face. I gasped when I saw the face—King Desmond. I fell to my bum and checked for his pulse; nothing. I covered my mouth with shock not quite sure what to do. How does one even move on from that?

"Looky here," someone chuckled from behind me. I turned and saw some unfamiliar guys walking up to me. They were rebels. 

One of them picked me up with a smirk on their face. He was chuckling while giving his fellow rebel a smirk.

"Think this one will do?" the one asked pushing me up against a wall.

"She looks like a slut," the one said. The one near me smirked before undoing his pants with his free hand.

My eyes widened and I began to struggle against the man's grasp. He pulled my pants down as I started screaming loudly. I felt hot tears come to my eyes as I screamed trying to keep him from raping me. I knew I wouldn't be able to prevent him from doing anything for much longer. 

"Hey!" someone yelled from a distance. "Get away from that girl!" he yelled.

I fell to the ground and pulled up my pants trying to regain some of my dignity back. I was trying to regain myself after that. I looked up to see who rescued me. I would recognize that hair from anywhere. He was okay. Harry was okay. That's when the tears really started rolling down my face.

"You okay?" he asked coming up to me. There was no hint of him knowing who I was. How could he? I chopped all of my hair of. On top of that, I was looking down at my knees. I looked up at him and his eyes widened. "Em?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said as he pulled me into his chest. I buried my face into his chest.

"What the hell are you doing here? You should be with your family," he said looking at me and resting a hand to my cheek. "You should be anywhere but the castle."

"I needed to know you were alright," I cried looking at him. "You're the only thing that mattered. I had to... I had to come home. I know it sounds crazy—" He cut me off by pressing his lips to mine. 

"It's not crazy Em," he promised. "But you need to go find Gemma or my mum."

"Your dad," I said, my gaze drifting down to the body on the floor. Harry looked at me and followed my gaze. His eyes widened, his grip on me releasing. "He's gone."

"Gone?" he asked walking over to his father, crouching beside him. 

"He was dead when I got to him. He was covered in his own blood, I wiped it away," I said and Harry looked down and ran his hand over his face. "I'm sorry," I said resting a hand on my shoulder.

"This should be a beautiful thing," he said. "Me and you back in the same place and my dad dying. I mean, that's not beautiful, but the idea of death. That's what makes it beautiful. Instead, I have the love of my life here and the man who tore her away from me is dead. Should I be sad? Or should I rejoice?"

"You do what you feel is right," I said kissing the top of his head. "But Harry, there is something else."

"Please don't tell me you're pregnant," he said looking up at me.

"God no," I shook my head. "After studying those horribly boring things with your father, I learned one thing. When a king dies, his heir takes throne immediately."

Harry's green eyes met mine, shock written on them. As my words registered in his mind, he paled and he looked at me as if he were asking me to save him. I couldn't do such a thing. He was on his own now. He was ready.

"Here's your chance to save the day," I said. "King Harry."