The Queen (Harry Styles)

Chapter 48

The door was pushed open and my arm was roughly grabbed. Niall was behind me, pushing me out of the buggy. We were deep into the forest, a small wooden cabin standing isolated in the depths of the trees. Soft tuffs of smoke rose into the air from the chimney. Snow fell down from the heavens, landing in small puddles on my disheveled, black hair dampening it and forcing it to cling to my skin uncomfortably.

"Move," Niall demanded, pushing me into the house. I screwed my eyes shut as I followed obediently behind Eaton.

I still couldn't believe one of the guards Harry was closest to betrayed him. We trusted him, and he betrayed his country and my family. I could feel my chest tightening as I refrained from letting the droplets of water fall from my eyes. I wanted so badly to rip out of his grip and run off into the white abyss. But I knew I couldn't, not in my condition. I prayed in my mind to grant me and my child a chance to escape from my new form of hell.

I was shoved into the cabin, Niall and Eaton on either side of me. I stood near the fireplace, the warmth cascading over my exposed skin warming me and drying the ends of my gown. I crossed my arms over my chest, holding myself to conceal my warmth.

Niall and Eaton opened two beers and were sitting at the kitchen table, taking long swigs from their bottles. Niall's blue eyes met mine and he stood up, his chair sliding against the wood of the floor. He took heavy steps towards me, the heavy soles of his boots pounding against the surface in loud clunks. He stopped just in front of me, stopping just a few inches away from my protruded stomach.

"You going to just stand here all night?" he asked, tipping the bottle of beer back, letting the colored liquid slide down his throat.

"It's better than being near you," I spat angrily. His eyes narrowed at me, stepping closer to me. I turned away from him as he approached me. He took hold of my chin and forced me to look at him.

"You will respect me, you bitch," he spat. "If you'd have married me, you wouldn't have been this disrespectful towards a man."

"Your ways are ridiculous," I said, pushing his hand away. "My husband respects me, he loves me, and you will never know what that's like. You will die childless, loveless, and—"

"Enough!" He screamed, throwing his bottle against the door. I flinched as the loud smash of glass against the wall cascaded over me. "You were supposed to be mine, you bitch!"

"My mother didn't want me to marry you," I said as he pushed me against the door. "She knew I would live in a loveless marriage producing children you would never love. You would never be capable of loving anyone but yourself," I spat to him.

"Don't you dare accuse me of something you don't know!"

"Why? Because its true," I laughed. "You grew up in a life where men are the all empowering species. The people who rule over the helpless; the women. Newsflash, if this baby is a girl, she's in charge of everyone when Harry and I step down. Our children's children will never know a society of inequality, and that's because of me and my husband. We changed the law."

"Doesn't mean everyone agrees with it, Princess," he rolled his eyes. "And I don't really plan on letting a woman boss me around."

"Too bad," I said. "Because I have the right to arrest you for treason and kidnapping of the queen. You would also be charged with child endangerment as I'm with child," I said to him. "Two can play at this game, Niall."

"The thing is, your highness," he said, a tone of sarcasm lacing through his voice. "I'm already winning this game," Niall chuckled.

"Harry will find me," I said to him, almost assuring myself of the matter at the same time.

"If he does," he said. "I don't plan on giving him an heir."

"You bastard," I spat, glaring at him. "You said—"

"Lies, Your Highness," he smirked, waving his fingers around. "You didn't think I was about to let you and your stupid kid live? What's the fun in that? Two for the price of one!"

"Why would you do this?" I asked, feeling the bile begin to rise up my throat. "Why do you want to hurt an innocent child? What's my baby done to you that you feel that you must kill it?" I asked, my lip quivering as I held the swell of my stomach.

"Destroyed me," he said. "Reminded me that you were supposed to be mine. Yet here you are flaunting around his essence as if it's the most precious thing ever. He's proving to the world that you're his, and I don't like that one bit. You're supposed to be mine."

"I never wanted to be yours," I said to him. "My heart never belonged to you. I felt like I was being sentenced to death by that pact our fathers made. I will never be yours."

"But I want you to be mine," he growled, pushing down my gown's top, exposing my breast. His calloused hand cupped my full breast, I shivered at his rough touch. His thumb ran over my darkened nipples, the tips hardening at the exposure.

"It's my job to assert my masculinity and force myself onto you," he said. "It's my job to prove that you're mine, not his."

"I'm married," I growled, shoving his greedy hands away. "I will never be yours as long as both Harry and I are alive. I will never abandon my husband or my child."

"Well, your child will soon be abandoning you," he said, turning to Eaton and asking him for something. Eaton came clambering over to us, a cup of steaming liquid in his hand. "Drink this, Emerald."

"I'm not taking anything from you," I said in disgust, turning my shoulder to him. His eyebrows furrowed, and he pushed the hot liquid toward me.

"Drink it," he all but growled.

"I said no," I said to him. He handed me the cup and I decided to take a message from his book and threw the porcelain cup and the contents of it against the wall. I saw his face turn from pale to flaming red as he heated up in anger.

"You f.uckin' bitch!" he screamed. "You're supposed to do as I say," he said, pounding his hand against the wall, the room rattled as his hand repeatedly hit the wall.

"I'm not a dog," I said, my eyes narrowing. "If you had any ounce of decency, you'd respect your queen!" I yelled. I hated using my title, but I knew he didn't give a damn about who or what I was. He just cared about taking me away from my home.

Before I knew it, my cheek stung as his hand loudly slapped against it. I gasped, raising my hand to press against the warm skin. Niall's chest rose and fell quickly as he looked at me with dark eyes. I back away from him, wanting to disappear from him. His hand grabbed at the skirt of my dress and pulled, the tear of the fabric loud and echoing against the almost empty cabin.

I reached the small bathroom and locked myself in there. I slid down the door, my hands shaking in front of me as Niall's fists pounding against the door, his loud screamed words heard, but not comprehended. I crawled over to the toilet, leaning over it and emptying the contents of my stomach. I leaned against the wall, sobs erupting from my chest, the fear rising up within.

I could feel the gentle prodding from within my body, my hand going to where the comforting reminders that my baby was still alive and well. I felt the scolding hot tears roll down my cool cheeks, the droplets landing on the top of my dress. The fabric was torn where he pulled it down and tried to pull me back.

I hated that bastard with every fiber of my being. The bastard deserved to die, and I would gladly do it myself if I had it in me right now. I closed my eyes, looking up at the ceiling of this damned place. I could hear Eaton and Niall talking and laughing on the other side of the door as they drank themselves to idiocy. I stayed here protecting myself...counting the seconds until the silence overcame the small cottage.