Harry walked out of the bathroom after a quick shower. He had already double checked that the beard he wore as a disguise was still intact.
It was a difficult thing he had to endure, wearing a disguise and all when he and his friends went out and whenever he decided to bed a lass.
But it was a small price to pay for the lifestyle he had chosen.
He was after all, a prince and just shagging random girls was really risky for his image but his disguises always did the trick.
Plus, he always went for girls who were already drunk enough to pay attention to his looks.
He saw the lass he had just fucked almost passed out and he decided to leave then.
"I have to get going." Harry grabbed his stuff and exited the hotel room without looking back.
He never slept in the same bed with someone he just fucked and it was late so he had to get back.
When he was outside the hotel, he saw Liam leaning against the car. He had told him to go and that he would find his way back but Liam had insisted on waiting for Harry saying it was his job.
"Ready to go?" Liam asked when Harry approached him and Harry nodded with a smile.
"I'm not even gonna say anything about that smile," Liam teased his bestfriend.
"Yeah, let's not talk about the smile." Harry said, buckling up.
"Where are we going? The penthouse or the palace?" Liam asked when they joined the highway.
"Palace. I'm supposed to be having breakfast with the family tomorrow and if they know I didn't sleep home, mum would have my head." Harry said and thought about the last time he had spent the night at his penthouse without informing his parents.
Liam and Harry drove back to the palace with conversations ranging from topic to topic.
At one point, Harry had even brought up Niall and complained to his friend about much of a bitch Niall was.
Liam only laughed and told Harry that he had met his match.
When they got to the palace, Harry bid Liam good night and told him that he would call him if there was need for him the next day.
Liam lived in a flat a few miles just outside the palace so Harry knew that he would be there as soon as he was needed.
Harry walked up the grand staircase and up to the second floor.
When he got into his sleeping chambers, he went to brush his teeth and then fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillows.
*
Harry was awoken the next morning by someone poking his face and giggling.
He tried to block it out so he could sleep for a bit more but suddenly, he felt light weight on his chest and bright light streaming into his chambers.
"What the f-" Harry started but someone spoke up before he could finish the sentence.
"Don't even dare finish that, baby alert!" It was the unmistakable voice of his sister, Gemma.
Harry slowly opened his eyes when he felt his cheek being bitten.
"Zoe?" He was met with the sight of his six month old niece sitting on his chest and biting his cheek.
She squealed when she saw that Harry was awake.
"Well, what a way to be awoken!" Harry said and ruffled up her mop of light brown hair.
"She kept pointing to your portrait in the nursery and making grabby hands while I was dressing her up. And so after her bottle, I decided to bring her here to see you." Gemma explained and Harry sat up.
"Awww Zoe wanted a cuddle from her favourite uncle." Harry cooed and cradled the little girl to his chest but she protested, making him and her mother laugh. She wanted to sit on her own.
"Harry, you are her only uncle." Gemma laughed and Harry playfully glared at his sister.
"What exactly is your point?" He asked and she raised her hands in surrender.
"Just saying."
Before Harry could say anything, there were three customary knocks at the door and both siblings knew that it was one of the workers.
"Enter!" Harry yelled loud enough for the person on the other side of the door to hear.
The doors slowly opened and two girls stood there. They bowed politely and kept their gazes to the floor.
"The time to dine is at hand, your highnesses. Breakfast has been served. The king and queen await you in the royal dining hall." One of the girls said.
"Thank you, we'll be right down. You may return to your duties now." Harry said and the two girls bowed again then they left.
"Royal dining hall? Do we have visitors?" Gemma asked Harry who only shrugged.
They usually just dined in the dining room that was next to the kitchen unless there was a special occasion or if they were eating with visitors.
"I have no idea but I think so. I don't want to dress up for breakfast." Harry whined and kissed his little niece's head, who was playing with his cross neck lace.
"You have no choice. Get ready, I'm gonna go get us ready." Gemma said and tried to take Zoe from Harry but she refused to go with her mother.
"Come on baby, we gotta get ready." She tried to coax her but the baby only laid her head on Harry's chest and smiled at Gemma.
Zoeeeee." Gemma whined and the little one giggled.
"It's okay, Gem. Go get ready and just send someone with her outfit, I'll get her ready then I'll strap her in her carrier and put on Frozen while I get ready." Harry offered.
"Are you sure you'll be okay? She gets cranky when being dressed up especially in the mornings." Gemma stressed.
"I know but I'll be okay." Harry said.
Gemma nodded and then kissed Zoe. She then left.
"Okay, you've already had your bath. I just have to get you into different clothes, yeah?" Harry smiled at Zoe and the little girl squealed while clapping her hands.
*
Harry walked into the throne room with Zoe and met his parents along with the royal advisor and a lass who was sat with her gaze cast to the floor.
"Good morning mother, father." He bowed politely.
"Hello son, you know Mr. Scott, and that is Natasha, his niece." Harry's father introduced with an apologetic look because they had now understood that Harry wasn't interested in girls but she had visited so they couldn't do anything about it.
Harry greeted the older man first then he shook Natasha's hand and kissed it like a gentleman.
She was really pretty and he wouldn't mind bedding her but that would mean being tied to her so he kept it together.
After the formalities, all of them were led to the dining area and they sat down to eat.
Harry handed Zoe to Gemma and sat down next to Natasha.
Breakfast consisted of state conversions between his parents and Mr. Scott.
Gemma was lost in the world of Zoe along with her husband.
And then there was Harry and Natasha. It was so awkward between them and Harry hadn't been more happy to hear Zoe's cry.
"I'll take her." He quickly stood up before Gemma could say anything and she shot him a confused look but agreed, handing him the crying baby.
"Just put her down for a nap, she woke up very early today." Gemma instructed and Harry nodded with a smile.
He excused himself and left.
Twenty minutes later, Harry had put the baby to sleep and he left the room, quietly closing the door to the nursery with the baby monitor in hand.
He almost jumped when he found Natasha outside about to knock on the nursery door.
"Uhm hey, Natasha." Harry said awkwardly. He really didn't mean to be awkward but she was someone that his parents had wanted him to marry so he couldn't help but not like her.
"Is she asleep?" She asked and Harry nodded. "She really likes you."
"Yeah." Harry said with a smile. Any thing to do with Zoe always made him smile.
"Would you like to go on a walk with me? I wanna see the flowers in the garden." She asked shyly and Harry's eyes widened.
He couldn't help but wonder if she had somehow learned that she was supposed to be his wife.
"A walk with me, why?" Harry asked, just to be on the same page as her.
"We are gonna get married, it's only fair we get to know each other a bit more, don't ya reckon?" She smiled and cast her gaze to the floor.
Harry's heart skipped a beat, his parents had told him that she hadn't been informed. How then did she know that?
"What?" He asked her and she flushed.
"Oh my god, I know I wasn't supposed to say anything until you voiced it out. Please don't tell the queen and king." She looked at him frantically.
"Who told you that I will marry you?" Harry almost growled.
She bit her lip nervously and refused to meet his eyes.
"Who. Told. You?" Harry asked lowly. He was angry.
"Please don't fire her. She's my bestfriend, she just overhead the king and queen talking and she told me. I haven't told anyone not even my parents, please don't fire her."
Harry sighed in frustration.
"Look, I'm sorry you've got it all wrong but I'm engaged to someone else. I'm not marrying you." Harry said, he didn't have the patience to let her down slowly so he just said it.
"W-what?" She covered her mouth with her hand and looked at Harry with wide eyes.
"I'm sorry, okay. I didn't know someone had told you that. But that's the tru-" Harry didn't get to finish his sentence because she had run out of his sight crying.
He sighed and went on his way.
*
That afternoon, Harry found himself and Liam driving to Oxford.
At first, it was just so he and Liam could go out for a drive but when they realized that they were driving towards Oxford, they decided to just go over there and see Zayn.
"So she doesn't know that it's a boy?" Liam asked. Harry had been telling him about his encounter with Natasha.
"No she doesn't, she ran out before I could tell her." Harry said.
"I hope she won't be a problem." Liam sighed.
"Problem, how? It's not like I was dating her and then marry some else."
"I know but, knowing that you are getting married to the son of England is a big deal. I just hope she won't be hating on Niall."
"She won't. She doesn't live in the palace grounds, only her uncle does. Besides, Niall can take care of himself." Harry said and cringed at the thought of the blonde and his smart mouth.
Soon Liam was pulling up in the lot of Oxford university and much to Harry's dismay, there were a lot of people around the car park. Although it was understandable, it was a big university after all.
"Did you text Zayn?" Liam asked and Harry nodded, looking out of the car window.
"I did, he said he has one more class to lecture. We can wait for him, though." Harry said, he opened the car door and stepped one foot out when Liam spoke up.
"Is it a good idea to be out with all these people around?" Liam stressed because Harry didn't like crowds. He was very socially awkward so he just masked it with being hard to talk to.
"I'm just leaning against the car, not going anywhere. My legs are cramped." Harry said then stepped out.
Liam too got out and both of them stood watching the people with backs leaning against the car.
Five minutes later, Harry smirked, eyes trained on one person among the mass of people.
"Well, look who we have here." Harry said and Liam followed his gaze then smiled at seeing Niall and Louis.
"I'm gonna go say hi." Harry said and walked over to where Niall and Louis were stood. Liam behind him.
People were staring at him and whispering but he didn't care.
"Hey, fiancé." Harry said lowly as he wrapped his arms around Niall's waist from behind.
"What the h- Harry?" Niall turned his head and saw Harry. "What are you doing here?"
Harry let go of Niall and nodded at Louis then stood infront of Niall.
"I came to see my husband to be. Now give me a hug." Harry smiled knowing that a lot of people's eyes were on them.
Before Niall could say anything, Harry wrapped his arms around Niall's waist in a hug.
And all sorts of cameras went off capturing the moment.
"Harry, I don't know if you've noticed but there are so many people watching us right now." Niall said, arms limp by his side.
"Then you better hug me back because this hug is gonna be so awkward if you don't." Harry said in Niall's ear.
Slowly, Niall raised his arms and wrapped them around Harry's neck.