Imagine if it turns out that the âNo...No, don't turn your eyes away!â leaked line of Tsukasaâs card was actually him talking to himself trying not to turn away from the performance.
I was brainstorming fic ideas based on @kazooyacraftââs post and ended up with four different ideas for the same story and instead of actually writing any of them I made thisÂ
happy birthday @brickredtoe (i hope you donât mind historical aus dhjkd)
Harry settles in his post to the right of the door, nodding a greeting to the knight heâs replacing before he takes his leave along with the other guard.
He flicks a glance at Liam, his constant patrol partner, whoâs stationed on the other side of the door, staring ahead stonily. Harry likes to think that he takes his duties seriously, even the tedious ones like guarding the princeâs quarters at night, but Liam is on a whole other level.
It took him only a few days to realize that any attempts at conversation would go ignored, the determination to remain completely on guard for the entirety of their shifts blatantly displayed in his solid stance and set expression. Harry finds it rather amusing considering this job has been assigned to them as the newest recruits to the castle garrison and hardly requires such an intense concentration, but he doesnât dare say a word.
Time passes by slowly, but Harry stays silent, ignoring the feeling of his sword weighing down in its sheath and the itch grating at the nape of his neck. Scratching it would disrupt the still atmosphere theyâve created. Not to mention, tolerance and endurance are vital qualities a knight must master, so Harry ignores as best he can and tries to focus on anything else.
His eyes drift to the lanterns hung from the stone walls in intervals down the long corridor, flickering weakly. The pale glow from their candles do little to illuminate the hallway but Harryâs sight has long adapted to the darkness after years of training deep in the night.
Every hour, a patrol of four knights will pass across the corridor at the end of the hall, one of the many precautions taken by the king to ensure the safety of the castle and of the royal family. Harry is feeling the familiar stiffness in his neck and legs when they finally appear, symbolizing one hour completed of their five hour watch.
Itâs also a sign for something else.
The telltale sound of a bolt sliding echoes in his ears and he tenses, biting his lip to suppress a small smile as the door creaks open.
Prince Louis peeks his head out of the door, immediately directing his gaze to Liam. Even so, Harry can see the flush coloring his cheeks and it ignites a familiar warmth inside him, fingers twitching around the hilt of his pollaxe and the urge to reach over and cup Louisâ chin so he can see those glorious blue eyes getting more difficult to resist.
âSir Liam,â Louis murmurs in greeting. Liam breaks his rigid focus to bow to him, always the picture of perfect etiquette.
âYour Royal Highness,â Liam says, voice crisp and coated with respect.
Louis nods to acknowledge him, before finally turning to Harry. He moves slowly, lips quirked up at the side as he drags his gaze over Harryâs face and armor. âSir Harry,â he says, voice soft and fond.
He has to bite his lip this time to tamp away the smile, struggling to maintain his cool. âYour Royal Highness,â he murmurs, but he doesnât bow. Louis doesnât want him to anyway.
They stare at each other for a minute and Harry memorizes the softness in Louisâ sparkling eyes, storing it in a safe of a thousand other glimpses that he can draw strength from in his most trying times. But mostly, he just admires.
The prince snaps out of it first, clearing his throat before saying the same words he always says. âIâm going to bed soon, and Iâd like to request the presence of one of you gentlemen to keep watch until I fall asleep.â
Liam wouldnât dare offer, so Harry proceeds with his usual, âIâd be honored, your highness,â and Louis smiles his usual pleased smile.
Instead of protesting or alerting one of their superiors, Liam just rolls his eyes and stays quiet, letting Harry leave without conflict like heâs been doing for the entire six months theyâve been seeing each other. He hasnât said a word about it to anyone else either, allowing them to keep their secret. Itâs why despite the lack of companionship in their rounds, Harry considers Liam to be someone kind and trustworthy.
The man doesnât even falter when Harry breaks the number one rule thatâs been instilled in him since heâs been knighted, and abandons his post.
He breaks away from the wall as Louis opens the door wider, making enough room for him to slip inside. Then he breaks the second most important rule thatâs been instilled in him: he steps foot inside the princeâs private rooms.
Even though the prince gave him explicit permission to do so, itâs considered consequential. Knights arenât meant to interact with the prince - arenât meant to be the recipient of the princeâs affections either. But Harry cannot find it in himself to feel ashamed.
What he and Louis have, while forbidden, is something tender and honest. It doesnât matter that heâs just a knight and Louis is the heir to the throne - none of it matters because they are in love.
So, he enters the room without hesitation, propping his pollaxe against the wall as Louis gently shuts the door behind him, sliding the bolt back into place. Harry settles his hands on his hip, making him jump before sighing out and slumping back into Harryâs chest. They stand like that for a bit, and Harry inhales the sweet smell of berries in Louisâ soft hair, letting it relax him like it has every day.
It had been difficult abandoning his post the first few times when Louis suggested it, even when he reasoned with himself that it really is true that Louis is much safer in his arms than anywhere else. But half a year past, Harry has forgotten any of his grievances, content to savor every moment he has with the prince because their time is always finite.
One hour. One hour every night and a sprinkling of minutes between Harryâs jousting practice and Louisâ daily garden stroll is all they have, but Harry wouldnât trade it for the world.
Louis eventually breaks away from his hold, humming to himself as he turns and tilts his head up to appraise Harry with a frown. âYou look tired,â he notes.
âYou know itâs rare that I get much sleep,â Harry says. Especially when you arenât laying against my chest, hand pressed to my heart.
Huffing, Louis rolls his eyes. âThey need to stop making you patrol for so long. Youâd think Father would be wise enough to realize that he needs his men well-rested in case of an attack rather than half-dead.â He reaches up and thumbs at Harryâs dark under eyes and Harry catches his hand, sliding it up to circle Louisâ wrist and squeeze before letting go.
âYour father just wants to keep you safe,â Harry says, âand I want that too. If that means I have to stand guard outside your door for five hours every night, Iâm glad to do it.â
âFour,â Louis corrects, âonly four.â
Harry smiles because heâs right. The fifth hour - or rather, the second - belongs to them. Harry remembers when he resented the system in place that meant younger and less-senior knights were given the most brunt work - the monotonous jobs of keeping watch and patrolling. But now heâs grateful for them, because itâs what finally brought him Louis.
Like many knights in the kingdom, Harry spent all seven years of his apprenticeship from fourteen to twenty-one at the castle as a squire, assisting and learning and training. Though it was only when he received his official title as a knight that heâs been honored a place inside its walls, freed from the cramped apprenticeship dwellings far out on the grounds and given a bigger, though still gloomy, room alongside the rest of the garrison and personal guard.
Itâs also the first time he had the pleasure of laying his eyes on the crown prince, but it wouldnât be until he was tasked with the first rotation of guards for Louisâ quarters that Louis would lay his eyes on him in return.
Louis smiles softly at him now, flattening his small hands against the chest plate of his armor. He doesnât have to wear his full set when heâs patrolling but the chest plate and leg plates remain, a layer of chain mail underneath them. He doesnât have to wear his mask either though, which means heâs free to lean down and press his lips to the crown of Louisâ head.
Harry intertwines their fingers when Louisâ hand curls into his, squeezing. âI love you,â Louis whispers then, and Harryâs heart swells with the declaration.
âAnd I love you. My little prince,â he murmurs back, before ducking down to seal the words with a kiss.
