THE WINTER AND THE CROWN // Harry Styles (#TCTM2)

Dead Or Alive

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"Stay alive," she'd said to him before they'd set off.

Of all the things she'd wanted to say, she'd chosen those two words. And he'd smiled at her, adjusted her shoulder pads and said, "You, too."

She wished they could have kissed or at least hugged, but since they weren't alone, they could only tell each other to stay alive. Stay alive because I'd rather it be me than you. Because you're all I've got left. Because I don't want to be alone.

Stay alive, Harry, she thought as she watched him mount his horse and then told herself, You too, Reyna. Stay alive.

She and Lance, followed by Harry, led a group of fifty veterans and horses and ten carriages carrying supplies to the northern border. This would be the first time she'd travelled there, which possibly explained the sinking feeling in her stomach. Either that or something bad was going to happen, and she didn't want to presume it was the latter. Once in a while, Reyna would keep glancing over her shoulder to check on Harry, despite the fact that he couldn't just vanish into thin air.

"To be honest, I'm quite offended," Lance said as they rode knee to knee. "I did my hair nicely today and you wouldn't even notice."

"Your hair looks the same."

"See? You wouldn't even notice," he said with a smirk, and she pretended to try to shove him off his white horse.

"What's her name?" she asked.

"Midnight."

"You named your white horse Midnight?"

"You're just jealous that my horse's name is more intimidating than your horse's," he scoffed, eyeing her stallion. "Thunder? Really?"

Thunder huffed in disgust and walked faster to get ahead of Lance. Reyna couldn't help but burst out laughing at the look on the King's face, and suddenly, she was glad Lance had come with them; someone must distract her from this unwilling anxiety.

By the time the sun was directly overhead, they'd reached the northern forest. It was all so quiet until someone at the back shouted, "Look!" Harry lifted a hand, and everyone stalled. In front of them was a giant pillar of smoke rising from the tops of the trees, blackening the white sky.

"Fire," Reyna and Lance said at the same time then exchanged the same worrying look. She knew he could feel it, too. Trouble.

"Your Majesty—" Harry began, but she didn't let him finish.

"We must save them."

"Reyna!" Harry snapped; he didn't care if that was disrespectful to his Queen, but Reyna didn't care, either. Her people were dying and she was here. She could not turn a blind eye to it and flee.

She looked to her left. "Lance?"

The King pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered, 'fuck' under his breath. He didn't try to talk her out of it, so she took it as a yes and kicked her horse into a gallop, heading for the smoke pillar. High-pitched screams of men, women and children from the distance urged her to ride as fast as she could, ducking all the branches and holding tightly onto Thunder.

When she turned to her left, there was Lance, riding on Midnight. On her right was Harry; he'd caught up with them, his face pinched with a scowl, and she wasn't sure if he was angry at the situation or at her. As their eyes met, she cast him a look that was meant to be an apology and could only hope that he understood.