CHAPTER 4

            Blue eyes fluttered open, he shivered when realization hit that the body he had been holding was absent from his arms. Louis stared at the very empty bed, sighing quietly, slipping out of the bed. He walked around the room, noticing a pile of clothes with a folded note on top, his name written on the front of the note. Louis cautiously made his way over to the clothes, hoping no one, especially Harry, would walk in seeing that he was naked.
            Sure he had Harry slept naked together for the past two weeks, but that was out of necessity, the nights were cold, and they both couldn’t sleep with clothes on. Harry had also left every morning before Louis woke up, so they had yet to see each other naked, not even showering together, or changing together, or accidentally seeing each other.
            Louis picked up the note, staring at the pile of clothes underneath. Harry would have someone bring him out new clothes everyday, Louis, storing them away in Harry’s closet because he waited for the suit cases Niall had sent to the palace that were filled with the clothes he’d collected during his time there. Louis flipped the card up to read what had been left, an unusual occurrence.

            Mr.Tomlison,
                        Prince Harold has left you these garments for you to dress in today. Harold                        has gone out about town to deal with matters concerning only him, so you need not                         worry. He will be returning before dawn.
                                                                                                Sincerely,
                                                                                                Guard Cardle

            “Harold,” Louis snorted and tossed the note over his shoulder. He quickly pulled on the clothes and shoes he was given. The pants were a bright dark red color, and showed his body off the way his body should be, obviously chosen by Harry. A loose white shirt was over it, a blue-stripped vest over the shirt.
            He smirked at himself and quickly left the room, noticing that all the guards that were usually kept around to keep him in Harry’s part of the palace were absent. Louis weaved through the various hallways till he found the pair of French doors, he’d discovered in his perusing the past two weeks, that led to stables.
            Louis slowly glided across the grass, not getting noticed by any of the stable boys, maids, or the equestrians, thinking he was probably a new stable boy. He walked into the stables, going to the only horse that was clam, opening the door, taking the reins of the white mare, and led her out. The mare began to fight back against Louis’ leading, so the boy stopped and soothed the horse.
            He gently got onto the back of the mare, a saddle already placed on her for a quick get away, not for him, but for the royal peoples of the palace. Louis hit her flanks gently and they were off, easily escaping the confines of the palace as him and the horse galloped in the North Eastern direction, towards Louis’ old home. ‘What an idiot,’ Louis thought as he found the dirt road he’d been on when he was a young child.
            Louis had been planning this escape for the fortnight he’d been in the palace. He’d stumbled upon maps in Harry’s library while he’d been perusing around his quarters, looking for books that he might have been interested in reading. Louis had seen the maps and saw how close he was to his home, to his wife.
            Louis thanked Niall for bringing him back to his home country, bringing him so close to his home, to his wife. He thanked his lord for allowing him to be able to have such an easy time for being able to escape. Louis wondered if his wife was still at home, still believed that he’d return. He was a sailor, he was meant to disappear for months as a sailor. He just hoped that he wasn’t pronounced dead, and that she hadn’t remarried.

            Louis stared up at the darkening sky, the mare below him slowing to a walk. When the sun finally set, and the stars began to show themselves, Louis slipped off  the horse and began to walk her. He led her off the side of the rode, tying her to a tree, that wasn’t viewable from the road. He pressed himself up against the tree, slowly sliding down and fell asleep.

            Harry returned before dawn carrying all that he had bought back to his section of the palace, placing them in the various places they needed to be. Harry stopped in his office, not seeing Louis through out the hallways, nor the guards that were assigned to him. He went into the conjoining room becoming a bit nervous when he did not see the man. Usually Louis was in the library if Harry was gone the entire day, the fact that he was not, caused Harry to worry more.
            The curly haired prince ran down the halls to his room, throwing the doors open, seeing the note discarded and the clothes gone. Harry growled and ran out the doors and down the hallways, his guard’s barley able to keep up with the young fit boy. He skidded to a stop when he saw the French doors open. Slowly he moved out of the doors, and towards the stables.
            Harry glared at the stable boys, the guards, and the equestrians that had obviously been there all day, yet didn’t do a thing to stop Louis from escaping. To confirm Harry’s suspicions he went into the stables, seeing that Harry’s own horse was gone, the white mare.
            The Prince couldn’t hold in the yell that rumbled through his body. He stormed out of the stable, causing the horses to become riled up, much to the stable boy’s displeasure. He stomped over to the guards pushing them growling loudly.
            “Why the fuck is my courtesan gone! Didn’t I tell you watch him! You were suppose to keep him inside until I came back! Why the fuck didn’t you follow that order! It’s a pretty simple one!” Harry yelled at them, smacking one of them, punching the other. His own guards had to pull him back before he hurt anyone else that was innocent.
            Harry’s guards took him to his office to calm him down. Which worked, and they gave him tea to help calm him further, to help him think properly. Harry drank the tea slowly as he thought, where would have Louis gone. He suddenly recalled the last conversation he had with Louis’ previous owner, Niall. A smirk formed on his face, chuckling and shook his head.
            “Get a cabby ready, we’re going after him, he can’t have gotten far, and even if he has, I know where he is going,” Harry said standing up.
            “Where are you going?” His guard questioned.
            “I am packing, we leave tomorrow,” Harry replied leaving his office to go back to his room.

            Louis’ eyes fluttered open, groaning as the rising sun and the horse whinnying woke him. He stared at the ground, wondering why he wasn’t in a bed. He jumped up at the realization of where he was. Quickly he untied the horse, leading her out to the road before jumping onto her, speeding away, getting closer and closer to Doncaster.

            Harry dressed quickly, waking up hours after sunrise. His guards grabbed his case as Harry weaved through the various hallways, till he was out of the palace. The driver opened the car door, Harry quickly stepped in, the carriage taking off moments after. The driver abused the horses to get the carriage to go at a rate that would please the Prince, knowing he was on a very thin thread.

            The white mare was led to a wooden post in front of a cobbled stoned house, tied the mare to the post, the rider moving towards the front door of the home. Louis gently rapped on the door, becoming very nervous. He spun on his heel about to leave when the door creaked open.
            “Louis?” a soft feminine voice asked. Louis spun around again staring at the woman, she was almost taller than him, still as lean as he remembered, her frizzy brown hair up in it’s usual bun.
            “Eleanor,” Louis murmured fondly as he moved towards her. She smacked his cheek.
            “You bastard! You said you would be gone for a month! Two years! You’ve been gone two years Louis!” The woman shrieked at him, pulling him into a hard hug. Louis hugged her back, burring his face in her mess of hair. She began to sob quietly. Louis helped her back inside of the house. He shut the door locking it, and sat her down in the rocking chair, in what was a small room that was the living room, dining room, and the kitchen. He held her hands gently in his own.
            “The captain of your ship said you were kidnapped, that you were probably dead,” Eleanor gasped out, squeezing Louis’ hands, then she looked up glaring at him, “What the hell happened to you!?”
            “I was kidnapped, but then I was sold in this underground auction house as a courtesan. I was sold to the Prince of Ireland,” Louis said softly, staring down at their hands, biting his lip when he saw the ring absent from her fingers, absent from his own fingers.
            “Ireland was taken over by Britannia, how are you here right now?” She asked, bringing a hand up to his face, to make him look up at her.
            “Niall… The Prince of Ireland, brought me to Harry… The Prince of England, and traded me for his country,” Louis replied, “And the past two weeks I’ve been at the palace, I’ve been plotting, figuring out a way to get back to you, Eleanor,” Louis added smiling at the woman.
            Eleanor gave him a sad smile, kissing his cheek gently. “We aren’t married anymore Louis… And it’s obvious that you have fallen out of love with me,” Eleanor murmured, “Who stole it from you? Was it your master Niall or Harry?”
            Louis stared down, and looked away. “What do you mean we aren’t married Eleanor? I don’t remember ever getting a divorce, or dying, so what are you talking about?” Louis asked looking up at her.
            “The marriage was annulled when you were pronounced dead Louis. I’m a widow, I’m still in mourning, you shouldn’t be here,” She whispered, smiling at him apologetically. Louis noted the baggy, black clothes she wore, his eyebrows furrowing as he looked up at her. “Can I at least make us some tea?” Louis asked as he stood up.
            “Of course, but you cannot stay the night,” She commented, leaning back in her chair, brushing the dust off of her dress. She glanced up and stared at Louis’ familiar backside, “I see your arse is as nice as it was the last time I we were together. Surprising seeing that you’re a courtesan now.”
            Louis chuckled and continued working on the tea. “You don’t have to worry about me, I’d suspect Harry’ll be here with in the hour,” Louis murmured, whistling a tune he’d heard from a troubadour while in the palace.
            “So Harry… the Prince of England, he’s a fit male, has he laid you yet?” Eleanor questioned.
            “No, he hasn’t, he wants me to be comfortable. Although we are more like partners, like he’s courting me or something odd like that,” Louis murmured as he poured the tea, setting a cup down next to Eleanor as he sipped his own.
            “And the Prince of Ireland… what was he like compared to Prince Harold?” Eleanor asked trying to figure out the change in Louis.
            “He did the same thing Harry’s doing, but kept me at a further distance. He did this for months, and then finally when he thought other people were coming onto me,” Louis paused to laugh at this, “he laid me. Harry on the other hand, keeps me much closer, he keeps me in the same room, in the same bed. Probably because of the fact that I could run away, like I’m doing right now.”
            “Louis… won’t you get in trouble with him when he finds you? Won’t he hurt you?” Eleanor asked, placing her hand on his knee as he sipped at his tea.            
            “I doubt it, I think Harry too fond of me to hurt me, and anyway, if Niall heard that I was abused, he would send an army after Harry,” Louis chuckled. Eleanor smiled at him, holding his face in her hands. She stared into his eyes, smiling kindly, before slowly pulling away, dropping her hands. She stared down at her lap, biting her lip softly.
            “Louis… You never answered my previous question… Who has stolen your heart from me?” Eleanor asked looking up. Louis stared at her furrowing his brows, he hadn’t thought that his heart had been stolen, but his heart didn’t pound like the way it had when they had been together. When they had fallen in the deepest love. He was about to give the best answer he could when he heard the familiar noise of a carriage stopping in front of the home.
            Louis picked up his teacup when he heard the familiar stomping of a pompous Prince towards the door. Eleanor did the same, catching on when she heard the Prince’s loud, deep voiced, shouts. He kicked the door open, the table and entire house shaking and creaking. Louis gently set the cup down and turned around smiling cheekily at Harry.
            Harry visibly calmed down, dropping all his limbs in a relaxed manner, smiling thankfully at the brunette. Louis stood up and glided over to the door, pulling Harry in, but shut the door in the bodyguard’s faces. He kissed Harry’s cheek gently, taking his hand, and sat him down in the chair Louis had been sitting in.
            “Eleanor… this is Harry… Harry… this is my wife Eleanor,” Louis said, gripping the back of the chair as the two shook hands. Actually, Eleanor went to shake his hand, but Harry kissed the top of it, causing her to blush and glance up at Louis.
            “I’m actually Louis’ widow, since he’s suppose to be dead,” Eleanor replied, pulling her hand away, brushing the dirt off of her black garments.
            “Dead… Oh… the kidnapping. I see how people could assume you’re dead,” Harry murmured as he glanced up at Louis himself. Louis stared down, smiling at Harry, patting his cheek.
            “I see,” Eleanor murmured to herself. She picked up the tea cups and went and put them in the washbasin, “Louis, you must go back with him now. I… I cannot bare to see my Tommo in such a state with someone else,” Eleanor said dramatically, gripping the counter for more of an effect.
            Harry kept the nickname as a mental note, wanting to get under Louis’ skin as many ways as possible. Louis moved away from Harry and towards Eleanor, placing his hand on her lower back before she pulled away from him, wiping her tears. Louis suppressed his laughter, loving the show the woman was putting on.
            “Please! Boo bear! Just leave! Go be with the one you love! I am not that being anymore!” She exclaimed throwing herself over the counter, bent over sobbing. Louis was about to reprimand her for using his mother pet name for him, but Harry seemed to be enjoying finding out so much about him, so he didn’t bother to say anything.
            “Eleanor… if that’s what you wish for me, then I shall go and continue with my duties as a courtesan, “ Louis murmured, holding her close. Harry’s face flushed with jealousy as he watched the woman groping his property. Louis had his hands wrapped around her waist loosely, while Eleanor was trying to get a reaction out of Harry by pushing her breasts against Louis’ chest, her hands slipping down to grab Louis’ perfect round bum.
            Louis pulled away quickly when he heard the chair Harry had been sitting in fall to the floor. He rushed to a room in the house, throwing his clothes into the suitcase and moved back to grab Harry’s hand.
            “Eleanor, I’ll always love you, there will always be a place for you in my heart. Thank you for showing me the light, showing me who you have lost me to,” Louis said as she came over to him. They kissed each other’s cheeks, waving good-bye as Harry pulled him out of the house and into the carriage.
             One of the guards put Louis’ bag back where Harry’s was, and another was riding the mare Louis had stolen for his journey to his hometown. Harry was refusing to talk to Louis and they left.  The carriage fled town as quickly as possible.