Two weeks.
It had been two weeks and Niall hadn't said more than ten sentences to Harry or anyone for that matter.
He had tried, he had really tried to pull himself out of the abyss that was slowly pulling him in but it proved to be futile.
He felt nothing but pain and if it was physical maybe just maybe he would have healed by now but this was so much worse.
So much painful.
His heart hurt for his child. The baby deserved to have a full life like anyone else but it was forced to go before it even started living.
Niall saw how much Harry was hurting too. His poor husband had tried all he could to get Niall back on track but nothing seemed to be working so far.
He could see that Harry was barely holding himself together; striving to stay strong because one of them had to be.
When they had gone to the appointment, Niall was checked but he refused to find out the gender of their baby yet. He was still mourning. Harry, the doctor and the rest of the family had understood.
The Royal family knew, Harry had told them but Niall was glad that he hadn't told them what had caused the twin to Vanish. He wanted to be able to heal before he and Harry decided on what to do with Natasha and Corey.
He wanted to be strong before he could destroy them like they destroyed his child. Why would they get to still be twins when his child was gone?
"How is he doing?" Niall heard Louis' voice ask Harry and he guessed Louis' classes were over for the day.
Niall couldn't care less about his classes. He was far too damaged to think about that, he knew that he was lagging but it couldn't be helped.
"Same. He's showered and had a little food to eat but that's about it." Harry answered Louis.
Niall was not stupid, he knew that even if one of his kids was gone, he was still pregnant and the other one needed nutrients to grow and stay healthy. So even if he rather not, he forced himself to eat for the sake of the baby.
"Hi Ni." It was Zayn. "How are you feeling?"
This had been their daily routine for the last couple of weeks. After Uni hours, they'd all just get together at the Palace and hang out with Niall and Harry till it was late and they left. Except Louis who insisted on staying close to Niall and was given a room.
Niall shrugged. He lay on the bed looking up at the ceiling with his hands placed protectively over his bump.
He was scared. What if his other child also left. He couldn't handle it, he knew he wouldn't survive another heartbreak of losing another child and neither would his husband.
"How was school?" Niall surprised himself and everyone when he asked Louis that because he rarely talked but Louis was his bestfriend and knew him well enough.
He always held Niall in the last couple of weeks if it wasn't Harry holding him.
"It was boring. Life is boring without your silly self, Ni." Louis pouted and Niall gave him a half smile because Louis used to tell him that everytime he would refuse to do something with Louis.
"Corey sends his greetings." Louis said, oblivious to the fact that the said person was responsible for the current predicament.
In the corner of his eye, Niall saw Harry tense and he understood why.
"How is he?" Niall asked Louis, receiving a confused look from his husband who was sat on the sofa with Liam and Zayn on either side of him.
"He's fine." Louis answered with a shrug, Corey had seemed to be avoiding Louis since Niall stopped attending school but the Doncaster lad didn't sweat over it.
"Good. His days are numbered." Niall didn't even plan on saying that out loud but all of them heard him.
Louis turned so he was looking at Niall's face. "What? What do you mean by that?"
Harry opened his mouth, ready to jump in and help Niall because he knew that they hadn't planned on telling anyone yet.
But Niall beat him to it.
"I'm hungry, wanna whip something for me? I miss your cooking." Niall said, effectively changing the subject and distracting Louis from his question.
He didn't like cooking but he liked cooking for Niall because he thought of him as his little brother.
"Sure. I'll cook for you on one condition."
"Let's hear it." Niall asked curiously.
"If you come down to the kitchen with me and watch me while I cook." Louis said. They always did that back when they lived together. If one of them was cooking, the other would be sat watching.
Niall groaned then.
"Do I have to?"
"Do you wanna have my cooking?" Louis retorted and Niall rolled his eyes.
"Fineeeee." He grumbled.
He stood up with the help of Louis and kissed Harry's cheek then he left with Louis to go down to the kitchen.
*
It was a week later, which meant that Niall was almost in his fifth month. He was still not completely back to his bubbly old self but they were getting there.
Harry had just gotten out of the shower and saw Niall sat on the bed with a small yellow box and a couple of little cute onesies.
"Baby, what are you doing?" Harry asked when he was closer to Niall.
Niall turned around with a smile, a real smile on his face which Harry hadn't seen in what felt like forever.
"What do you think of the name River?" Niall asked and Harry smiled back. They had gone down to the little river in the Palace grounds the previous week and just liked the peace and quiet that was there.
It was a good name, Harry reckoned.
"It's a great name. A peaceful flowing river. Good meaning too. Why?"
Niall patted the space on the bed and Harry sat down.
"One of our babies is gone, but I'd like to think they are gone to a peaceful place..." Niall started.
"...a place as peaceful as a quiet River." Harry finished for Niall and the blond grinned with a nod.
"Exactly."
Niall was smiling, grinning even and Harry was more than grateful to his lucky stars.
Accepting the fact that their baby was gone was the first step to healing and he was glad Niall was taking that step, although Corey and Natasha weren't gonna go scot free.
Harry pulled Niall into his chest and hugged him tightly. He had missed his husband. He was really close but far enough away. It was good to have him back.
"You still haven't told me what you are doing with this?" Harry asked after they had pulled away from the hug and gestured to the things on the bed.
Niall took everything out of the box and put them on the bed and Harry then saw that there were a couple of sonograms too and a small baby book as well.
"Memories, something to remember River from." Niall said with a wide smile and Harry couldn't help his own.
"You are too cute. I love you baby." Harry said and pinched Niall's cheek who swatted his hand away. "You made a literal box of Memories."
The married couple spent the next half hour placing things in the box of Memories and when they were done, Niall placed it in the glass cabinet he had someone make just for this.
Finally Harry felt better because he could see that Niall felt better too. Their baby was gone, they had to accept that, but it didn't mean that they had to forget him or her.
Their baby would always be alive in their hearts.
*
"Calm down, baby." Harry rubbed Niall's bump when the pregnant lad couldn't stop bouncing his leg.
They were in the hospital wing of the Palace and it was Niall's check up. This one didn't freak him out as much as the previous one because he was healing.
"I'm calm." Niall chuckled, putting his his hand on top of Harry's.
Soon enough the doctor walked in with one of the nurses.
"Hello boys. How are you doing today?" She smiled brightly, her smile mirroring the golden rays that were shining outside in the morning air.
"I'm fine, Martina. How are you?" Harry smiled and she answered saying she was fine then she turned to Niall.
"Well," Niall sighed, "I have been better. I feel so easily irritated plus the cravings are taking a number on me. The all day sickness has toned down a tad but not completely." Niall went on to tell her how he was feeling while the nurse took his vitals.
"Hmmm. Most of those are normal. As the pregnancy progresses, you will learn to control your temper as for the nauseousness, I can't really do much but I'll see how to help curb it." She says and told Niall to lay on the examination bed.
She told him to lift his shirt and warned him about the coldness of her fingers.
"Prince Harry make sure you help with back rubs and foot massages." She smiled at Harry who nodded eagerly, happy to help his husband in any way he could.
"Prince Nial-" she started to say but Niall cut her off.
"Just Niall when we are here." The blond lad smiled and she shot him one of her own.
"Okay Niall, you seem to have lost a bit of weight and at this point in the pregnancy it should he the opposite, are you not eating as you really should?" She asked and Niall blushed.
Niall nodded timidly and sighed knowing that his poor eating habits were gonna affect his baby if he didn't change.
"I'm gonna improve on that." He promised and Martina nodded with an encouraging smile, telling him to please do that.
Martina then asked Niall to lift up his shirt and warned him about the coldness of the gel then she squirted some and placed the wand on his tummy, moving it about.
"Strong heartbeat. Baby looks healthy." Martina said, eyes fixed on the small screen while moving the wand around.
At this same time, Niall and Harry breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at each other, mouthing a jinx.
"Do you wanna know the gender now?" The doctor smiled excitedly and Niall's eyes shined with curiosity.
He looked at Harry who had the same look as the doctor and he nodded at Martina.
"Yes please."
"Okay," Martina smiled, looking back at the screen. "You're having a baby boy!" She squealed happily and Niall did the same, only with tears in his eyes.
"Did you hear that, Haz. We are having a little lad." Niall smiled widely and Harry caught a small tear that fell from his eyes.
"I fucking love you, Ni. And our son." Harry leaned down and smashed his lips to Niall's.
Martina and the nurse slipped out of the room, deciding to give them some privacy.
*
Harry and Niall were laid in bed, thinking of ways to reveal the sex of their baby to their family and friends.
"Do you wanna have a party?" Harry asked while running his hand through Niall's hair.
Niall thought about it for a while.
"Yeah, a small one. Not anything too extreme, though." He answered and Harry laughed, because he had already imagined that Niall would say that.
Before Harry could say anything more, there was a knock at the door and one of their maid, Erica walked in after Harry had answered.
"Your highnesses, you have visitors." She said and both of their eyebrows shot up because it was late, who could it be?
"Who are they?" Harry asked.
"Lady Natasha and one Mr. Corey." She answered.
Harry's eyebrows furrowed but Niall's face broke out into a smirk.
And before Harry could deny them entrance. Niall spoke up.
"Let them in and tell the guards and yourself that they are relieved for the night." Niall said.
She bowed and left.
"Baby why-" Harry's sentence was cut shot.
"Get up baby, we are about to get even to the bastards who messed with our kids."
Harry's smirk after that, matched Niall's as they waited for the Harper twins to come in.