SONG FOR THIS CHAPTER- FIREFLY by ED SHEERAN
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H A R R Y
No matter how I try, I don't think I could ever escape Caroline. Even if she's the one to let me go, I don't think I would ever be able to let her. Her figure is so fragile and delicate, like she could shatter to pieces even will the gentlest of a kiss. She's like blue velvet under my touch, perfect and woven with care.
Fuck, just by looking at her, all the things I would do to her flash before my eyes. I've always thought of Caroline as a daisy fresh being, a maiden who treasured her purity and guarded it like a pearl. But now, I've learnt that she's the master of seduction.
I never suspected a thing.
I wait for Caroline downstairs at the front door, checking if I have enough money in my wallet for lunch for the both of us. She's already tried pizza, so maybe she'd like to have it again.
King Al comes up to me, and I bow to him. Snooty Prince of Stockholm is nowhere in sight."Where's Caroline, Harry?"
"She's getting ready, your majesty. I'm treating her to lunch today." I tell him, and with every word I speak, his eyebrows rise a little higher.
"Oh. You really don't have to, you know. Niall makes really good meals here at the castle." King Al says light, airy and slowly, suspiciousness clear in his voice.
"It is not my intention to offend the cook, your majesty. I just thought it would be a nice change." I say politely, sounding as innocent as possible.
Like hell, I am.
The king is left deep in thought. "Oh, that's very nice of you though. Would you mind if Prince Liam of Stockholm tags along? Because he and Caroline have a dinner date tonight too."
This is what pisses me off.
First of all, why does that dick have to be a part of everything? I'm planning on telling Caroline about the potion today so he certainly can't 'tag along' to listen to that. Cockblock.
Secondly, I never knew Caroline and the prince were going on a dinner date today. Why didn't she tell me? And why the hell did she agree? What happened to 'saying no'?
I'm thinking of excuses to tell King Al about Liam coming with us for lunch, and I finally open my mouth to speak. But instead, someone else speaks for me.
"Father, Harry and I would like to go out for lunch alone today, we've got matters to discuss. Besides, Liam and I are going on that dinner date mum wanted us to go on."
I look up to see Caroline standing at the top of the circular marble staircase. The white, shiny marble shines in the light, but not as much as she does. Caroline looks beautiful. She's wearing a little black dress, followed by those black wedges she wore the other day. Her hair is pulled back that navy blue sparrow bandana I bought her.
I like the combination...punk on formal. She looks like a real badass.
I love it.
King Al clasps his hands together, but he looks unamused. "Caroline, take off the bandana. You look like a troubled bad girl, it sets off the wrong impression."
Is he kidding me? Setting off the wrong impression? Caroline is a bad girl. I wanted to shoot back with, "Your majesty? You're daughter just made out with me with her bedroom door wide open. She wasn't scared of getting caught, you call that a good girl?"
Caroline walks down the stairs boldly and simply says, "No father, I like it, and I shall keep it on. Harry and I are going to leave now."
That's my girl.
King Al sighs at his daughter's response. "You're not the same little girl anymore."
So now he notices?
Caroline grabs my arm and tugs me out the door. She lets out a dramatic, exasperated breath. "I can finally breathe again!" A soft chuckle comes out of my mouth.
We climb into my car and I pull out of the gates of the castle. I turn up the music and "Talk Dirty to Me" is playing. I sing along loudly and Caroline's face turns red.
She turns it off. "Hey! Why'd you turn off the music?" I ask her, quite angry.
"The words are too dirty." She states and I turn up the music again and start singing.
"My car, my rules." I grin. She crosses her arms across her chest and scowls at me.
"You're such a jerk." She says, obviously angry with me.
"Thank you for your brutal honesty." I say sarcastically.
"No one likes jerks, you know."
"Touché." I smirk smugly. "But who's being the jerk now?"
"Excuse me?" She gasps.
"You heard me the first time."
"Ugh, I can't believe I kissed someone like you!" She groans, face red. She's pissed for sure.
"Well you weren't complaining twenty five minutes ago." I point out, laughing.
"Stop being a dick." Caroline grits her teeth.
"Stop being a brat." I fire back, meaning it playfully. She rolls her eyes.
"Harold..." She says in a warning voice.
"Caroline Ann..."
Caroline groans, pissed off. "Fine, be that way. Anyway, where are we going for lunch?"
"Pizza place." I tell her, tired of making things surprises.
"Ugh, why are you so boring? Let's try something new!" She insists and I agree with her. I can be quite boring.
I mentally locate another restaurant where we can go to from where we are right now.
"Do you like burgers?" I ask, scratching the back of my head whilst searching for the nearest McDonalds.
"I've never had them, so I'm willing to try." She nods.
"Okay. Then it's settled, lets get burgers." I'm too nervous about telling Caroline about the potion, so I don't have much of an appetite. I don't even know why I'm telling her anyway, but it's too late to turn back now.
I turn into a drive-through.
"Welcome to McDonalds, may I take your order?" A scratchy male voice says, due to the speaker thing.
"Yeah, I'd like a Big Mac, large fries and medium iced tea please. Extra ketchup packets." I say, reciting the same thing I get normally, replacing the coke with iced tea. I don't think Caroline likes coke.
"Is that all for today?" The male voice asks.
"Yep."
"Your total is seven pounds."
"Okay." Is all I say. I'm really awkward when it comes to ordering, I don't really no what to say. As long as I get what I pay for.
Driving forward to the window, Caroline asks, "Why didn't you get anything?"
"Eh, I'm not hungry." I shrug.
The window slides open and a sleazy looking teenage guy says, "Your total is seven pounds." I give him cash, he counts out change and hands it to me. The boy hands me the brown paper bag with the burger and fries, and then the drink and straw.
"Thanks man." I say, and give the items to Caroline. He looks at me as if he thinks I'm cool now. He then looks at Caroline, blushing.
"H-Hi." He waves at Caroline and she smiles, sweetly waving back. I roll my eyes. The life of every pretty girl.
"Stop flirting with the customer, Anthony, and get the line moving!" I hear an old female voice boom from inside and I pull out of the drive-through.
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C A R O L I N E
As Harry intently drives, I take a large bite from the burger. It's heavenly juices fill my mouth. This is the best thing I've ever tasted.
"Good, huh?" Harry smirks and I nod. Taking another bite, the sauces get all over my mouth. Embarrassed, I reach inside the bag for a napkin.
Harry laughs. "Chill out, Care, burgers are meant to be messy. That's the fun of it." This is the first time he's called me Care, and I blush. Still very much uncomfortable, I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.
"Would you like a bite?" I ask Harry shyly, and he nods, smiling. I hold it out to him, and he takes it. Taking a large bite from the place I left off, I notice how he looks like chipmunk with his mouth full of food.
"Thanks." Harry chews while he hands it back to me. I take it and happily take a bite. The car travels uphill, so I am curious as to where we're going.
"Hey...can you pass me a fry?" Harry asks while his eyes are set on the road in front of him.
"Sure." I say and reach inside the bag and pull out a few french fries. I hold it out to him, but the grip on the steering wheel gets wobbly when he removes a hand to take it.
"Here." I quickly say. "Open up." Harry opens his mouth and as he chews, I hold the ends of the fries. Neither of us are paying attention when my fingertips are now halfway into his mouth. He bites them.
I quickly pull them out. "Oops, sorry." I apologize, flustered.
"You're fingers taste better than the fries." Harry winks, turning into a leafy gateway. Soon, all I can see is a beautiful stream. There is a tiny waterfall and the stones surrounding it are slick.
Harry parks the car and gets out. Once he gets to my side, he opens the door for me as well. I get out with the drink in my hand. We sit down on the grassy area together, looking at the cozy running water of the stream.
We don't speak to each other for a few minutes due to the intense beauty of the scenery. All we can focus on is that.
But Harry shifts the focus, letting out a deep breath and turning to me.
"Caroline, you are extraordinary, special and kind. Not only to me, but to the world."
My eyebrows crease in confusion as I turn to him. "What? How am I special to the world?"
"You know the story of the Courageous and the Mighties, right?" He asks, and I suddenly wonder how it's related?Nonetheless, I nod.
Harry takes the drink from my hand and takes a nervous little sip. "You know the part about the potion?"
I nod again. The Courageous committed the shameful crime of stealing a potion from the Mighty Kingdom, but I don't know what the potion did. Although, the part I do know is that it was said to be very powerful. A previous Courageous King stole it and drank it, but he died right away. It was assumed that the magic of the potion died off with him.
Harry exhales deeply again before looking me in the eye."That powerful potion contained all the prosperity and goodness in the world. The person who contains the magic, is said to be the most greatest, most beautiful person to ever walk this earth." He stops there, thinking deeply.
"Go on."
He doesn't look at me, instead he looks down at the grass. "Well, when that Courageous King died, the magic of the potion didn't die off with him, it actually transferred to his great great granddaughter because of a verse in the castle's ancient scriptures."
"What do you mean? How does this all relate?" I ask him impatiently. My heart is thudding so quickly I'm afraid that it'll stop.
"Well, now, his great great granddaughter is the most beautiful, most lovely and kindest girl I've ever met." Harry finally looks up at me with an unmistakable twinkle in his eyes. "The truth is... I think I've fallen in love with her."
My first reaction is to let my heart sink to the pit of my stomach. But then I process all of what he's said again, and realize that he's talking about me. I'm the royal possessing the powers of the potion.
"Y-You love her?" I ask casually, my hands shaking.
Harry nods. "I'm truly, madly, and deeply in love with her."
I look away from him, tears starting to burn in my eyes. Harry smiles a little, "Don't you understand?" He asks quietly, putting his warm hands on mine. I look down at them, then up at him again.
My mouth opens, but words struggle to come out. "I understand, Harry. I understand that I'm the girl but I'm so in shock. But I'm mostly shocked that you chose to fall in love with me. Is this just a test or do you really mean it?"
"Yes, I mean it, Caroline. I knew long before any of this potion shit that you contained all the goodness in this world and I love you." My heart does a little flip.
"But it's kind of complicated because you can't be romantically stimulated. The power of the potion only gets stronger and stronger when you express your love physically."
That explains everything- the sudden adrenaline rush, the overwhelming pleasure when it was just as little as Harry kissing me.
"What's wrong with it getting stronger?" I ask curiously.
"Well, then it becomes too strong to stop and the magic will be passed down to the future generations of the Courageous people. The curse must be stopped."
"Isn't this more of a blessing that it is a curse?" I ask Harry, feeling a little offended. He nods.
"Well of course it's a blessing but it is a curse in a way, because everyone will be after your goodness and prosperity. Jealousy will spark and evil eyes will be laid on you, not admiring you with love but glaring at you with envy." I think about what mother said the other day when I refused to see Liam. She said the same.
"That's why you can't kiss anyone, or do anything like that. No matter how bad I want to. And it's risky, so let's avoid those things. Not having a physical relationship with you won't stop me from loving you." Harry reassured, kissing my hand instead. I halfheartedly smile.
"It's okay, Harry, you know why? It's because I love you." I smile and embrace him. And in that moment, I realize that home isn't a place, it's a feeling and it's a person, and to me, home is in the arms of Harry.