6 YEARS AGO
Lysandra, Valium
POV: Louis
In the beginning, there was only darkness. Ink black from the darkest night.
Pain came next. Constantly burning like the untamed fires of hell.
Then came the noises. Whispers and murmurs carried by gentlest winds.
Louis couldn't grasp anything. It was as if his brain had died. Just like he had. Funny, he had always thought in afterlife, there wouldn't be any pain. And where was his mother? He wanted his mother so badly! She was his safety net. And he had been falling for so long.
But then he started having doubts. There was a voice. Another boy. Shaggy back hair. Kind warm eyes. Face sculpted from marble. And he kept saying the same thing over and over. "Hold on! It'll get better soon!"
He came and went like his consciousness. Louis had never seen him before. But he welcomed his company. Apart from the pain and darkness, the strange boy was all he had.
Slowly, the pain reduced. The boy appeared more and more frequently. Was he an angel? He had to be!
As the agony lowered, his brain started picking up things. His brother was a backstabber! Lionel had killed their parents! His own Mother. Of all the revelation from that night, this one stung him the most. His own brother had killed the woman who had given birth to him. What kind of monster did that?
Royalties... Louis snorted mentally.
As if sensing his discomfort, the angel appeared again. "It'll be alright soon! Just hold on!"
Louis wanted to believe him so badly. But it was all a lie. Everything was as terrible as it could get! The life he knew was over.
When Louis finally came through, it was dark again. For a second he thought he was back in the streets, drowning in his own blood. But then he saw the rough bed sheets. Looking around, he realised that he was in a tiny room. It was neat and clean but sparsely furnished. A single lamp burned in the corner dousing the room in feeble light.
Louis tried to sit up but the sudden sparks of agony jolted from his back. He whimper out in pain.
Immediately, the wooden door glided opened and the boy from his dreams rushed in. But seeing Louis awake, he jumped back several steps.
Louis studied his face. He seemed slightly younger than him. And there was a strange softness about his features. Those soft features looked extremely wary of him, which was absolutely ridiculous. Louis doubted he could even move at this point finger without passing out from pain! His stupid idiot horribly inconsiderate brother had caught him on one of the central muscles.
"You saved me?" Louis' voice was fragile. Exactly reflecting how he felt.
The boy slowly nodded his head.
Louis smiled through his chapped lips. "Thank you...".
The boy gave him a shy smile and slowly crept forward. "Want some water?"
Louis gave him a nod and the boy scurried out of the room. When he returned, there was another boy with him, around Louis's age. But this one looked more tough and wary. The younger one helped him gently with a glass of water before laying him down once more, then swiftly checking his wounds like an expert.
Louis looked at them nervously. "Who are you? Where am I? How much..."
The older boy gently shushed him. "You need to rest." He said softly. "You are not strong enough yet. We'll talk when you are better. You are safe for now. Go back to sleep. Zayn and I will take care of you, your majesty."
Your majesty...
The words felt like a dagger to his back. Louis should know.
He shook his head in despair. "Not anymore... Just Louis!" He murmured. He didn't even care that the strangers knew about him. He had lost everything. And at this point, he was honestly struggling to find a single reason to live on. The wound in his heart was far more worse than the one on his back.
But for some strange reason, Louis believed the angel boy.
'It's going to be okay.' His heavy eyes closed once more as he welcomed the darkness.
For the next few days, Louis met the boys again and again. He learned their names, Zayn and Liam.
Zayn was a skilled healer. Liam was the son of one of the prominent lords of Valium and Zayn's brother. What they were doing in the bad parts of Lysandra, remained a mystery.
Louis also found out that the two boys had witnessed what had happened as they were woken up by the disturbance. And as soon as Lionel was away, they had rushed in to take care of him. If they were shocked, they hid it well.
The dagger wound was healing, but not his heart-ache. The brothers were both wary of him, but so incredibly gentle. Louis often caught them giving him concerned looks. But he didn't care. He had simply lost the will to live.
"You know," Zayn said one morning, while changing his bandages. "If it had been anyone else in our position, they wouldn't have had taken you in. They really hate you out here... and what you represent."
Louis sighed. "I am aware. Also kind of surprised you stopped to help... You should have just left me there to die though. I am a burden to you both now."
"Will you stop it already!" To Louis' surprise, Zayn cried out. "You are sad, I get it! But just how long are you gonna throw yourself this pity party? Honestly Louis, it's getting on my nerve!"
Louis stared at him with wide eyes. No one had ever spoken to him like that. And Zayn had never raised his voice before! Was this some kind of hallucination. The Zayn he knew was a sweet angel.
But Zayn was clearly not done with him yet. "Yes! Shit Happened. You lost your mum and dad. Your brother turned out to be bigger jerk than you thought...But so what?! Bad thing happen ALL THE TIME!"
Liam came running into the room hearing the ruckus and Louis looked at him with pleading eyes to help him out. "You are understating things Zayn. It's so much worse than that and you know it!" Louis complained feebly.
The younger boy crossed his arms. "Boohoohoo! I am UNDERstating things? More like you are OVERstating! Honestly!" He shook his head with disappointment. Somehow, that made Louis feel even worse, as if he owed Zayn something.... Well, he did technically owe him his life but...
"Look!" Zayn breathed out. "Bad things happen all the time. And you have no control over it. But it's up to you to either let it take you down, or kick it where the sun doesn't shine and get back up on your feet!"
Zayn pointed at himself. "I was abandoned by my parents as a baby, left on the streets to die when I was barely a week old!!! Just because I was not what they had wanted!"
Louis gasped. That was horrible.
Sadly, that was also a common occurrence when the baby was an...
"Yes!" Zayn confirmed. "I am an omega!" He looked at Louis intensely, as if waiting for him to dismiss him as an incompetent fool with the only purpose to look pretty and make babies. Well, he was in for a shocker.
Louis reached out and held Zayn's hands. "My mother, queen Annaline? She was an omega. And she was the smartest, wisest and kindest person I had ever known. She was the true ruler of Valium for years! So if you think I will judge you for something the Gods decided for you, you are dead wrong. You saved my life Zayn! I'll be eternally grateful to you for that! From me, you'll only ever have respect." Louis meant it with all his heart.
The omega was shocked to say the least.
He blinked rapidly then shook his head. Louis hid his smile. "Anyways, you were saying..." He prompted.
Zayn nodded. "Uhm - yeah... So, Liam's parents found me. They raised me like their own son." The omega looked down. "I was supposed to die out there, or worse. But the fates had a different future planned out. They made sure I survived because I had a purpose! Just like you!"
Zayn looked back at Louis. "Louis, we found you for a reason. You survived for a reason! You are a prince, and from what Liam's father has told me, a damn good one! Look around you! Your country is dying with that oaf on the throne! And it has not even been a week since he ascended! Valium needs you. You were born to rule! And it's about damn time that you embrace your destiny, OR I SWEAR I WILL STAB YOU MYSELF! PROPERLY!" Zayn's voice rose steadily till his face was red and he was panting.
Louis shifted slightly and gulped. "Okay!" His voice came out as a squeak. Liam snickered at him and Louis dutifully shot him a stink eye. The palace healer would have been approved.
Liam sat down next to him and put his hands on his shoulders. "What Zayn is trying to explain, is that we need you Louis. Lionel is ten times worse than your father, uhm.. no offence..... And with both you and your mother out of the picture, Valium will drown in blood! You have to save us!"
"BUT HOW!?" Louis cried out. "I am alone ... and weak! Dead to the whole world. I don't have an army and I certainly can't march up to Lionel and tell him to piss off. He'll just lovingly kill me again!" He choked back a sob. The hopelessness of the situation slamming into him. Even if he did want to save his country, he had no means to do it!
Zayn and Liam exchanged a quick look. Finally, Zayn nodded and left the room. Liam turned to him with a serious look. "You are not alone, Louis. You have us now."
Something in Liam's tone made Louis still. An old spark lighting up in his bones.
Liam continued. "My father had sent both of us here on a mission, to gather supporters. A major uprising is about to shake Valium. Help us do this, get all the lords on your side, and you'll have an army of your own. Lionel took the throne from you through deceit? Build yourself a new one with valor! But to be frank, you never really needed a gilded chair. You don't need a crown to be the king. You need people's support. Show the Lords what you are made of, and I swear, they will rally behind you!"
Louis looked at Liam with wide vulnerable eyes. "Wow." Emotions were dancing inside his heart.
Zayn entered the room holding an intricate dagger. Louis gasped. It was his mother's! She had given it to him, saying it will protect him always. Zayn gave it to him and smiled. "You already have two followers as it is, your majesty." He went to bow his head but Louis stopped him.
Liam and Zayn had meant every single word they had spoken. They had proved their loyalty. And not just that. After a very long time, the emptiness in his heart caused by his mother's passing away, was glowing warm.
With eyes shining, Louis shook his head. "No. I will win the support of my subject . But you two are much more than that." He pulled them both in for a hug. "You two are my brothers!"
His mother's dagger was meant to protect him. And louis was meant to protect Valium. Both had failed once, but neither of them would fail again.
"Please... never leave me..."
"Of course not! You ain't gonna get rid of us that easy!" Zayn pulled away with a wide grin. "Now let's go kick some alpha butts!"
Liam just shook his head in resignation. "Not this again..."
Louis loved his new family. "Yeah...lets!"
TRIVIA
While writing, all the present chapters were done first, and then the past. Thus all the present chapters together has a kind of continuation, same with the past ones.
The only exception are the chapters which were added later, or which fell under the category of both past and present. (None of these special ones are there in part 1 and 2.)
Hope you enjoyed this one. Thank you for reading. Stay positive ( Not covid, but happy positive)
Love
-Lani💙