Taming the Dragon - H.S. - Harry Styles (AU)

Chapter 5

Harry was gone by the time Darya came downstairs the following morning. Niall and Damon sat with her at the dining room table while she sorted through the huge stack of invitations that had arrived that morning. Stefan was sleeping, having had the night watch. Darya didn't think it was necessary for anyone to stay up all night but Damon, the senior of her two guards, wouldn't listen to her. Someone always had to be alert in case of trouble, he argued, and since she'd placed him in charge, he would do things his way.

"But we are in England now," she reminded the guard again.

"The threat of the general can't be taken lightly," Damon countered. "We got here, didn't we? He could have sent his men on the next available ship."

Darya quit arguing with him and turned her attention to the stack of invitations.

"It's astonishing that so many people already found out I'm in London," she remarked.

"I'm not surprised," Niall replied. "I already heard from Cook who heard from the butcher that you're causing quite a stir. I'm afraid there's a bit of gossip attached to your name because you're staying here, but the fact that you have a lady's maid and two guards with you has taken the sting out of the comments. There's also a rather amusing bit of talk... nonsense really..."

Darya was in the process of opening an envelope. She paused to look up at Niall. "What bit of nonsense?"

"Some believe that you and Sir Harry are related," he explained. "They think he's your cousin."

"Owen Pelly mentioned that," she said. "He also said there are those that believe Harry is my lover."

Niall's mortification showed on his face. She reached out and patted his hand. "It's all right. People will believe what they want to believe. Poor Harry. He can barely stand to have me around as it is, and if anyone refers to me as his cousin, heaven only knows what he'll do."

"How can you say such a thing?" Niall exclaimed. "Milord adores having you here."

"I'm impressed, Niall. You've just told the most outrageous lie with a straight face," she quipped.

Niall didn't laugh until she smiled. "Well, he would adore having you here if he wasn't so busy worrying about his ledgers," he sighed.

He was trying to be kind, Darya supposed. She nodded, pretending agreement, and turned her attention back to her task. Niall begged to help. She assigned him the duty of fixing her seal to the envelopes. Her crest was most unusual. Niall had never seen anything like it. There was a clear outline of a castle and what appeared to be an eagle or falcon atop one turret.

"Does the castle have a name, Princess?" Niall asked, intrigued by the detail.

"It's called Stone Haven. My father and mother were married there."

She answered every question put to her. Niall's happy mood lightened her own. He was stunned when he heard she owned not one but two castles, and his expression made her laugh. He really was a delightful man.

They worked together all morning, but when the bell chimed one o'clock Darya went upstairs to change her gown. She told Niall only that she was expecting more company and wanted to look her best.

Niall didn't think the princess needed to change a thing. It simply wasn't possible for her to become any more beautiful than she already was.

Harry came home around seven that evening. He was stiff and irritable from sitting at his desk at the shipping offices for such long hours. He carried his heavy ledgers under his arm.

When he entered his home, he found his butler sprawled out on the stairs leading to the second floor. Niall looked done in. "What happened to you?" Harry asked.