Doris laid in her old bed and felt a strange piece of her missing. She expected to feel as if she was right where she belonged, as if she was home-but she didn't feel that way at all. The bed was stiff under her back and she might as well have been laying in the dirt with how it made her feel. She rolled on her side and saw nothing but the bare walls and it hit her then-
She missed William.
The thoughts weren't welcome and she wanted to banish them from her mind, but they just kept sneaking back in. She missed his warmth and the safeness she felt in his grasp-it was like no other. His arms wrapped around her body in her mind and she closed her eyes tightly to imagine it all. It was the only way she could lure her exhausted body into sleep, if only for a few hours of blissful nothingness.
Morning came and Beth was still not back from her nightshift. Doris got up to bathe away her journey before she pulled on her old uniform. It felt so strange to step back inside it. She felt as if it was oddly fitting in every possibly way, as if it no longer belonged to her and she'd stolen it from someone else. How was she supposed to return to the girl she was before they left for the trip? That girl was buried the second Doris found her wolf inside her and realized how to stand up for herself.
It made her sick thinking about becoming the girl she was before. The one that let herself almost be beaten to death and let everyone around her step on her as if she was nothing. Her inner wolf growled at the very thought.
When Doris came out of the bathing chamber, Beth was passed out in her bed with her shoes still on. Doris quietly took them off and wrapped her up in as many blankets she could find before she left out the door. They had so much more to talk about, but she had to let her friend rest. She needed it.
The hallways were pure chaos, even this early in the morning. Servants were rushing through the halls towards every direction. Many of them looked as if they hadn't slept a minute in days, she worried they might pass out if they didn't give themselves a moment to rest. Was it always this crazy at the palace? Only when they had events, not daily.
They paid no attention to Doris, as if she was just another piece of furniture. It felt different since the last time she was here-which wasn't that long ago, if she was honest. Why did it feel so different? Perhaps Beth was right, there was a darker shadow on the castle that wasn't there before. She felt it almost immediately, it was all wrong.
Doris managed not to get stopped by a single soul while she made her way towards the guest quarters. Although Beth was weighing heavily on her mind, she had to make sure the rogues were still being treated well enough by the palace that didn't want to welcome them.
Doris knocked once on Enzo's door before it was thrown open as if he was waiting on the other side.
"Ah, a sight for sore eyes. Have you rested well, my dear?" Enzo asked with a half grin that didn't even reach his eyes. His clothes were slanted and dark marks hinted at his own lack of sleep, but overall he seemed better than she expected. "Please, come in."
"I rested well enough, thank you." Doris stepped inside once he opened the door wider and glanced around the large room. It was just as lovely as the rest of the palace. "Have they brought you any food yet?"
"I assume they've forgotten, no need to worry." Enzo said lightly as he seated himself by the fire.
Doris spun around to face him. "No one has brought you anything since you arrived? I'll go get some food right now-"
"Please don't rush yourself, my dear. Sit. We can wait a little longer." Enzo insisted. Doris hesitated before she seated herself. Were those dark marks from his hunger, too?
"Something is off here, I can feel it." Doris said quietly. The crackling from the fire was much louder than her. "My friend told me that the Luna Queen has started to act like the one in charge ever since the king had fallen ill. I'm not sure what to think of it yet."
Enzo leaned closer and rested his elbows on his knees. "Do you think she's responsible for why he's sick?" He whispered.
Doris glanced back at the door. "It could be. I think it's very likely, she wanted to get rid of William because he's a threat to her control. While he's been gone, the king falls ill? It would align perfectly with her plans for taking over. I bet she didn't expect William to make it out of that sick village alive, she probably thought he would have fallen ill just like his father."
Enzo ran his fingers through his hair. "We have to get William the crown before it's too late. She clearly has plans to use her own son just to become the one that's in charge."
"I don't know if Prince Martin realizes what she's doing yet, or if he's blind to it all. I couldn't imagine he would allow his mother to mistreat the servants as she has been." Doris said quietly. Prince Martin was always kind to her and all of the servants-was he really blind to how his mother was? "How are we supposed to get William the crown with all that's happening? I feel like there's something else to worry about at every turn."
Enzo gave her a small smile and reached across to squeeze her hand. "Trust in William, he has his own plans and I believe he will end up with what he desires. He's one of the most determined men I've ever met, even when he's being insufferable."
Doris smiled a little. "I'll get you all food now. You must be starving, I'm sorry they didn't bring you anything."
This time, Enzo didn't try to stop her as she hurried to the door. How could she be so careless not to make sure they were all fed before she went to bed last night?
In the halls, the servants looked as if they were on some sort of set motion that no one would dare to break. They moved with an emptiness in their expressions that mirrored a bit of fear as well. She didn't recognize them as the maids and servants she used to work with, they didn't recognize her either.
The kitchens were as hot as ever. Everyone worked in a fast motion around her as she quietly grabbed a cart to load plates of food upon.
"Ay you! What do you think you're doing in my kitchen?"
Doris turned to see a tall man towering over her. He had a wet spoon gripped in his hand that dripped all over his clothes as he glared down at her. Doris cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders.
"I came to collect meals for the rogues. No one has bothered to feed them since they arrived."
The kitchen fell silent at her words. They all turned to stare at her and it took everything inside her to stay still and tall when all she wanted to do was fade into the background.
"The rogues? We didn't get any orders to feed them."
"Well, I don't know how that had gone unchecked. They're Prince William's guests and should be treated as such. We don't want them to starve and cause any trouble, do we?" Doris said a little louder than intended. Her hands shook a bit at her sides.
"I... uh. We usually wait for Luna Queen to give the orders." The man said. He clenched the spoon nervously in his hands.
"I could have Prince William come down to talk to you all, if you wish." Doris said evenly.
A look of fear flashed across his eyes. She imagined it would be even more scary to have the prince come down to scream at them-no matter how horrifying the Luna Queen was.
"No, no that's not necessary. We will make sure they get their food." The cook snapped his fingers and a group of servants started bringing more trays of food to fill the cart. In seconds it was whisked off towards Enzo's rooms and the second she stepped out of the kitchen, she deflated.
"You there!"
Doris almost flinched out of her skin and stood up straight again. Mr. Carson rounded the corner and headed straight towards her with a determined look in his eyes that she didn't want to see.
"What are you doing just standing there? Go make yourself useful!" He shouted.