A few gasps littered through the crowd, Doris was only glad she didn't join in. All heads turned to look at William and most of them looked at him as if he was the dirt on the bottom of their shoe. They looked ready to unleash their built up anger and Doris was at least glad to see she didn't recognize any of them.
"I'm sorry. What was that, prince?" Mr. Hugh spat. Doris could almost feel William's anger heat up beneath her hands. He let out a deep breath to center himself.
"You. You took a bribe from the Luna Queen to kill me." William announced. "I know it was you. I met one of the assassins that was sent to kill me. Is it only fine to work with us if the money is right?"
Silence. Mr. Hugh narrowed his eyes at William. "I have no idea what you're talking about, boy. I would watch my tongue if I was you, you're not in friendly company."
"No, of course you don't know what I'm talking about. I wouldn't expect a liar to admit when he's wrong just because he was caught. It must be in your blood." William said almost casually. Doris swallowed the nervous lump in her throat.
"Is this true, Mr. Hugh? Did you accept a payment from the kingdom in exchange for Prince William's life?" Sir Antony asked. She watched Mr. Hugh shift on his feet almost nervously.
"We needed money to fix up Life Pharmacy and pay our taxes. I saw it as a wise move, it would have taken care of having that enemy in our lands even if it meant working with another." Mr. Hugh admitted. He didn't look the slightest bit sorry. "At least I didn't let them stay with me-"
"You can not speak hypocrisy, Mr. Hugh. You said that Enzo has betrayed us all by allowing them shelter, but you know as much as the rest of us that what he did was right. We built this place on freedom, not rules. What you did-that was the wrong part." Sir Antony said.
"I have a reason for coming into the north." William announced. Doris felt her heart slow in her chest. "I have not come to start a war or tear the rogues apart. I may have harmed more than a few of them on my visit here, but understand we all must defend ourselves when the time has come for it. I know many of my guards are dead for the same reasons."
Mr. Hugh looked at William as if he was in disbelief at his words. "A plan? We're not interested in your schemes-"
"Hear him out. We allow people to speak their minds here." Sir Antony said, louder than the rest. He gave Mr. Hugh a look that made the grown man clamp his lips shut as if he never had anything to say.
"I came here with a preposition that would be beneficial to the rogues, not hurt them further like some of you may think." William said calmly. "For years, I've been trying to find a way that would unite the rogues back with the kingdom-"
A loud murmuring broke out instantly at his words. When Sir Antony raised his hands, they silenced again. A large part of Doris wished that they had sought out his help to begin with, but she also didn't think things would turn as badly as they did.
If she had thought that, she would have left the second Enzo had first saved her so she would have saved him all of this trouble. Doris was quickly realizing that she must have been more trouble than she was worth when she was with William.
"We don't want to be united with the kingdom!" Some nearby man shouted, He was silenced instantly with a look from their founder. It almost reminded her of a teacher trying to quiet a group of kids that just wouldn't calm down. His calm demeanor was louder than any words he could have said.
"As I was saying," William continued as if the man hadn't spoken. "I want to unite the rogues back with the kingdom. Under my leadership at the palace, I would make it my mission to make sure the rogues are treated fairly and no longer looked down upon. I want it to be safe for you all to be able to travel through the kingdom once again."
"Why would we want to go to the kingdom again?" Mr. Hugh spat. His face twisted in disgust at the very idea.
"What do you mean your leadership? You're not next in line for the throne!" Someone else shouted. William stayed silent until they all quieted down again. Doris had to admit, she was impressed.
"I believe I'm a better fit for the crown once the king passes. My brother has no passion for leadership and wouldn't know the first thing when it came to ruling an entire kingdom. He wouldn't think twice about you all. But I would. I want our lands to be united again."
"Is this some kind of manipulation to get your hands on our land again?" Someone asked near the front.
"No. I would never try to take your home from you, I would respect your wishes. All that I ask is that we can open the trade routes once again through the north like we did before the rogues had come here."
"You want our goods, that's it-isn't it!"
"I want to bring business back to your land and offer you freedom throughout the entire kingdom. I can see you all are suffering for money and the taxes the palace charges don't help-I want to put an end to all of that." William said. Doris couldn't believe how calm he sounded. He almost sounded like a leader.
"You want to get rid of our taxes?" Another voice asked. The crowd was starting to become more curious and less rough.
"I want to lower them immensely. I want to bring business back through here and I want to make sure the rogues are treated as humans and not tortured for being poor. Just think, if you all have more flow of people and business through trade, how easy it would be to build more homes and businesses up here."
Silence followed. Doris nervously looked upon the unsure faces around her. They still looked at him as if he was no one that they could trust and she couldn't blame them. It was hard for her to trust him on most days.
"What would we have to do?" Another rogue asked. Mr. Hugh shifted on his feet again as if he was annoyed by all of this.
"All I ask if for your support in my claim of the crown. If I have all of you willing to back me, I would be unstoppable to the palace."
"You really think our support is all you need to gain the crown?" Sir Antony asked curiously. He didn't sound cruel, he only ever sounded kind and she admired that about him above all else.
"I think the palace has wanted to find a way to take control of this land for far too long with no results to come of it. I don't want to take control of your land, I want to unite us." William said.
Soft murmuring sounded in the crowd and Doris wasn't sure if the reaction was positive or not yet.
"He speaks of peace." Sir Antony observed. "I have to say that I might agree with his reasoning."
Mr. Hugh turned to him in disbelief. A bit of betrayal lingered on his features. "What do you mean, my lord? How can you trust this man that has caused so much trouble between our people?"
"Because. I see a lot of his mother in him and that's not something I've seen in anyone else since she left."
The crowd all turned their eyes to William with a bit of sympathy. Doris had a feeling that they forgot William's mother was once a rogue like them.
"I may not have known my mother well. But I know that I don't get my determination from my father. I wouldn't go back on my word, I would be willing to make a blood promise to prove it."
Several people gasped in the crowd and this time Doris did too. A blood promise was serious business. If he broke it, it could lead to his death or the death of someone he cares for. To offer a blood promise on something so uncertain, proved he was determined to see it through to the end and that he would do anything to make it happen.
Sir Antony smiled at William as if he was proud of him. "Then it's settled. We make the blood promise at dawn, and I say you have the rogue's backing."