Dictator [One Direction AU]

15

Date: 08.03.2063

"Why must no one know you are here?" Jane asked, sipping on the tea that was given to her, burning her tongue in the process.

"I am on the run," the man replied honestly, looking to the young girl's eyes so she would believe him. Niall knew that he trusted the girl already, she seemed like the kind of person to comfort you when the darkness enveloped every happy thing in you life. To him, she seemed almost like a mother, she had an aura about her that made him feel that way.

"From who?" Jane knew she was being nosey, and that this man's business was none of her own. But there was a part of her that died to know why this man was staying in an ancient cottage surrounded by the sinister forest that was set out to kill any human that dared stay in it.

"I was captured, told I would be sold as slave. I escaped many moons ago, at least a week has passed. This is my refuge, my salvation. What about you, Miss Jane?" Niall looked at the girl with fascination, wondering what such a small and delicate person was doing in the forest- a place which was ruthless enough to scare even the toughest of souls away. It was a place only mad people went.

"I am running from my husband. He is Louis Tomlinson, and he was plotting to kill me," Jane looked down at the floor as she spoke, afraid of Niall's reaction to her story, she was most fearful of him telling her to go back to Louis. Or even worse, Niall taking her back to the dictator by force. Many were loyal to Louis, that was how he had got elected in the first place.

"That is where I recognise you from, you are his bride from a village. He is trying to kill you, what did you do to annoy him? What can his wife do to annoy him that much?" Niall laughed out loud, and Jane still remained looking down at the ground as the memories flooded back to her.

"I fell in love with his gardener," she remembered the death of Harry and clutched her chest as the pain ripped through her like she was nothing more than paper. Niall was too stunned to speak, he had not expected that from the meek girl that sat beside him- he didn't consider her to be someone that commit something like adultery.

"We will stick together, you and me. I will protect you Miss Jane, don't you worry," the Irishman was not sure why he felt so inclined to help the girl, maybe it was his hatred of Louis combined with his pity for her that meant he couldn't deny her shelter. When he had fled his capturers, he had travelled for days before he stumbled across the cottage which had been left for many years, dust settling over every surface. Niall was just happy to be able to call somewhere home.

Jane had many questions for the man sat beside her but she chose to keep them for herself, not wanting to upset the man by asking something too personal. A quiet lull fell over them as the sun rose, the light managing to get through the grime on the windows and billowing into the kitchen.

"You must be weak from your journey, why don't you sleep up in my bed while I go and get us some food?" Jane would have objected if she wasn't so exhausted, her body drained from the experiences she had faced in the past few days. Eight days had passed since her life was flipped upside down but to her it felt like a lifetime.

The stairs creaked under her footsteps, and she wiped the dust from the banister as she walked. Soon we found herself laying in a bed, it was a modest size and was covered in slightly yellowed sheets- nothing like the bed she had in the palace. It smelt like the man she had met, it was a comforting smell, one that allowed her to get to sleep quite easily.

Downstairs the blonde haired boy pulled his cap down so that his face could be even more covered and left the cottage, shaking his head at the absurdity of the situation. The girl that was asleep in his bed reminded him of his love back home in Dublin- hell the two girls even had similar names! Jude and Jane.

His chest tightened at the thought of his sweet Jude, who he had left without even saying goodbye- he had not been allowed to. One minute he was walking down the street and the second he was being thrown into a van with a bag over his head. He imagined his darling Jude crying at the news, tears streaming down her rosey cheeks which he adored so much. Touching the locket he wore round his neck, he hoped that his Jude was doing the same; distance may have separated them but he knew that their love could withstand the miles between them.

He saw the exit to the forest and walked out onto the road, making his way to the market where he had been going for the past few days. Niall had no money, no means of buying any of the food so instead resorted to stealing, an art he had learnt in his adolescent years. He knew that a life of thieving was not one that he wanted to pursue but he had to, especially now he had a lady to look after.