The Queen (Harry Styles)

Chapter 23

The sun was beginning to set over the horizon, darkness succumbing over the party. The strings of lights were turned on creating a faint glow lighting up the festival. I could hear all the music and the chatter of people as I sat on the docks, my feet dipped in the cool water. I hummed to myself as I looked up at the sky, the faint stars flickering more and more as the sky darkened by the second. 

I saw two people, presumably a couple, holding hands and walking away from the festival with large smiles on their faces. The boy stopped and pulled the girl into him, his hands cupping her cheeks in a sensual kiss. For some reason, this made me jealous since Harry and I weren't really like that anymore. Sure we kissed and made love, but it didn't feel like it first did. The feeling of always needing each other.

My mind flashed me an image of a broken down Harry as I was forcibly removed from the palace. That look will forever haunt my thoughts, but I will be forever reminded that he did love me. Since we became man and wife, as well as King and Queen, there was something different about the both of us. 

We didn't move the same way we used to. I wished it was still the same, but at the same time I didn't wish that upon us. We were growing as individuals and finding our own voices in this chaotic world we both lived in. 

I sat there looking out over the distance, my eyes scanning over the land of my home. My eyes became focused on one particular area. It was a ship that appeared to be nearing the shore. I stood up only to ram into a body that was directly behind me. A calloused hand was covered over my mouth pulling me along. 

I struggled against the body. I screamed against his hand as I tried to get out of the man's grasp. I continued to wait for the sirens to sound, but nothing sounded. I was weak compared to this man. The one holding me tight against his chest was more muscular than any of the other boys I've come across.

"Now, now," the voice said. "We're going to be a good girl or bad things will come to you."

The only thought that raced through my mind was Harry. I wanted him here to come and save me like he always did. He was always my knight in shining armor, and here I was fighting for myself. I cried at the thought of him finding me lifeless on this damned beach.

I sobbed against his hand, struggling to gain a full breath of air. My heart was ramming against my chest as I fought this guy. I haven't even gotten a proper look at the man's face as he tried pulling me farther up the deck.

"You should behave otherwise the sirens will be going off," he said grabbing my hair.

Screams from the distant erupted before the sirens started whirring. The man looked up, I took this chance to break from his grasp and punch his jaw as hard as my body was able to muster. I winced at the contact with my knuckles.

"You b.itch," the man spat, spitting out a mouthful of blood. I tried to take off from him, but the man grabbed the fabric of my dress, tearing it, and causing me to fall forward onto my face. I clawed at the wood of the deck trying to stop him from pulling me. 

"Help!" I screamed, hot tears rolling down my cheek. 

My mind reeled over the memories I have had here in the palace. The happiness. The moment I first stepped inside. My first ball with the turquoise gown. Our first kiss. The first touch. The first time we made love. My father's death. My leaving the palace. His father's death. His coronation. Our engagement. Our wedding. Our honeymoon. My coronation. These memories flashed in my mind like it was a movie playing in fast forward in my mind.

The man flipped me over so I was looking up at him. He was waving a small knife around his fingers. He went to hit me with it but I rolled over, the knife stuck into the wood next to where my shoulder previously was. My eyes were wide as I reached to grab the knife to have something to defend myself with. I pulled it out of the wood and was met with his hand gripping at my wrists. I tried to wave the knife around trying to nick his skin. I hit just below the crease of his elbow. The man hissed in pain, one of his hands freeing my wrist to apply pressure to the slit in his skin.

My mind the played what I pictured our life in the future. Me smiling down at my swollen belly, heavy with child. Harry sitting beside me with that cheeky smile as he reached over to rub his hand over my rounded abdomen. He leaned down to press a gentle kiss to my belly whispering a sweet 'I love you' to our unborn son or daughter. 

He held his hand back and swung at me hitting my cheek. I gasped at the contact, my cheek stinging from the contact. He kicked my sides causing me to shrink away at the pain. I cried as the pain seemed to overcome me. I screamed as he tried to grab at his knife once again. He fell on top of me, holding me down to try and grab the knife out of my hand. 

My mind then went to when I would have eventually given birth to our child. He would be beside me, his large hand encased around mine as I brought our child into the world. As the crying infant would be placed on my chest, crying as it was brought into this cold world. My eyes wet with tears of joy, I would look up at my husband who had tears pooling in his own eyes as he looked down at the little miracle we both made from our love.

I pushed him off of me, his body falling into the water. His hand gripped at my ankle pulling me with him. I went under the water, my mind racing as he tried holding me down, his hands reaching for my neck. He squeezed, but I swung the knife around that was still in my hand. I felt the knife come in contact with softness as I slid it across his torso. He took hold of my hair yanking at the now wet hair and pulled me up from under the water. I gasped as I was allowed air.

That life I yearned for began to slip from my grip as I fought for myself. Those things would never happen. I would never win the baby fight with Harry. My dad would have been right. I would never even make it far enough to have a child. I would never be a mother nor a suitable wife. All the fights, the need to prove the man wrong is going down the drain in a matter of moments. This is never how I pictured my ending to be. I pictured it with Harry by my side, whispering about the moments we had together before I closed my eyes and drifted away. But never this.

"Give me my f.ucking knife, you b.itch," he spat as he tried to grab it from me. 

He wrapped one of his arms around my throat pulling me into his chest blocking my airways once again. I gagged as I tried to breath, my open hand pulling at his arm. His other hand tried to grab at the knife's handle that was secured in my hand.

It was a split decision, but I swung the knife backwards, my eyes closed shut as I jabbed the sharp blade into the man's side. The man let out a loud yell of pain as I pulled it out of his side, vibrant red blood dripping into the water from the blade. He fell back, releasing me. He clutched at his side where blood seeped into the water creating a sort of halo between the both of us.

He reached for me again, but I swung the knife at him again, the knife meeting the depths of his flesh. 

Stab. Stab. Stab.

The hot tears rolled down my face as I swung blindly. I couldn't watch this man become lifeless. I cried because I was alone and I didn't know where any of my family was. 

Stab. Stab. Stab.

The man wasn't even fighting back anymore. My hands were thick with the stickiness of blood that caked my skin. My chest was heavy as I cried, my eyes still screwed shut, not even being able to bear the thought of opening my eyes to see what I did. The man I took away from this world.

Stab. Stab. Stab.

"There she is!" voices yelled as I continued to stab the man, my sobs ricocheting through my body. 

Stab. Stab. Stab. 

Arms wrapped around my arms, stilling my movement as I sobbed. My chest rising and falling quickly as I tried to catch my breath. The large hands took the knife from mine setting it on the deck.

"He's dead, Em, he's gone," Harry's soft voice said. 

"Harry!" I sobbed.

He turned me around and held me against his chest. I buried my face into his chest, my hands wrapped around his torso holding him as close to me as much as it was physically possible. Harry placed a soft kiss on the top of my head before resting his chin on top of my head. 

"He's not coming back. I promise."