Beth didn't hesitate like Doris did. She ran to the door and threw it open to reveal Prince William in all his finery. His suit was covered in gold lines and blue fabric. It formed close to his body and told everyone just who it was made for. No details were hidden, her hands itched to run over every line on his body to feel it pressed against her skin.
Those blue eyes stuck out so startlingly, it took her breath away. She could only witness as his heated gaze traveled over every curve of her body and right back up to her blushing face as if she was a prize he had just won.
"Doris..." He breathed. Her name sounded like it was dipped in gold when he said it like that. Beth's eyes flickered back and forth between them until she finally slipped out the door and headed to her own quarters. It almost made Doris nervous to be alone with him when he looked like that. How was she supposed to keep her hands to herself? One touch and she might unravel his entire perfection and it wouldn't be fair of her to do something like that.
"You look so handsome." Doris said shyly as she forced herself to step closer to him. His messy hair was gone for the night. It was perfectly slicked back and she almost dared herself to mess it up again. She adored it when it was at its messiest.
His large hands were on her body the second she was close enough to him. He brought her hips against him as if he couldn't stand the thought of them apart. Her skin lined with goosebumps as he ran his hands up and down her body as if he owned her. A sick thrill inside her wanted him to own her in that moment, especially if he looked like that.
"You look..." William sucked in a breath. "I've never seen a more beautiful woman." He finally said. His deep voice rough and a little desperate to her ears.
Doris felt her face flame at his words. She only ever looked like a maid in makeup to herself. "Don't tease me..."
"You know how I feel about liars." William said against her ear. Her hands clenched his shirt.
Someone cleared their throat loudly near her door. They broke apart to see Patrick standing by awkwardly as if he didn't know what to do with himself. "William, we're late as it is. We were supposed to be there an hour ago for the preparations. I'm almost certain that it has already started without you."
William waved away his words and took Doris's hand. "I didn't need to see them force my sick father from his bed just to go to this stupid play, Patrick."
Patrick rolled his eyes and led them out towards the main hall where the play was to be held.
"I thought your father couldn't walk..." Doris whispered to William. "Shouldn't he be in bed?"
"They're going to have him in a wheelchair." William grumbled. She could see the tenseness in his shoulders-she knew this must have killed him inside. He didn't want his father to suffer, even if he couldn't admit it.
Once they reached the hall, it was much quieter than she expected. Everyone was already seated and waiting for the play to start and it made her wonder how late they truly were. Enzo waved at her as they passed and gave them a wide grin as if he was also surprised to be there. He wasn't alone, his entire group of rogues were gathered around him.
William furrowed his brow at the sight of them. Clearly he didn't expect the palace to invite the rogues to this sort of event. Why would they even bother?
Howard Ford came stomping down the aisle towards them once he caught them in his sight. William looked past him as if he didn't even exist. "Prince William, it's nice of you and your lady to finally have joined us. The play has been waiting for you to arrive for an hour, we almost went on without you."
"A shame that would have been." William said as he walked right past the man with Doris on his arm.
"My daughter is set to be the main act. Try to enjoy it." Howard sneered before he went to take his seat. William led Doris up to the front where the rest of the royals were and she felt her hands start to sweat. Was her entire body sweating too? How embarrassing!
She shouldn't be allowed up here with them. She should be standing against the walls with the rest of the maids, she didn't belong-
"Sit." William whispered in her ear. Doris saw Daniel and immediately took her place next to him. His bright smile was enough to make her heart calm for a moment. At least there was one friendly face. She didn't have the heart to seek out Prince Martin yet.
The king was on the far end next to Luna Queen and her sons. It looked as if they were a wall that surrounded him and no one could dare get close enough if they wanted to live. His paleness and weak stance was hard to miss, she wished they had just listened to William and let the man rest instead of dragging him out of bed.
William took one look at his father before he seated himself lazily in the front row. The room grew dark instantly once he did. How long would he be able to keep up his act of being careless to those around him? His armor was starting to crack and she couldn't have been the only one that noticed it.
"Ladies and gentlemen," A beautiful woman took the stage. She looked a bit older than Doris but not by much. "I welcome you all tonight and thank you for joining our little play of dance and love. We hope this makes our king feel a bit better! Please, enjoy it! "
Music drowned out the soft applause and the curtains pulled open instantly. Young girls in white ballerina skirts lined the stage and begun their lovely dance while young men were there to help them along.
It was beautiful. They moved to the haunting beat and danced across the stage as if they were telling a story. Doris could almost understand what it meant. A lovely story of tragedy and devastation between the two main dancers that kept being pulled apart and finding each other again. She didn't realize she was gripping William's leg until he held her hand.
One of the tall curtains fell from the holder and right onto several of the front dancers. The music continued even when they struggled to get up. Servants rushed to the stage to help the fallen children when suddenly a scream pierced the air.
William's hold tightened on Doris. In the center of the stage, wolves broke out through the curtains and lunged right for the audience in a vicious matter that Doris knew wasn't part of the act.
William hurled Doris to the side just as one of the wolves aimed for her head. She stumbled out of her chair and fell harshly to the ground just as Daniel did the same.
"What's happening?" Someone screamed. Daniel stood and took stance immediately to fight back, Enzo's group in the back shifted to fight against those that attacked them as if they had a target on their heads.
"Get out of here!" William shouted to Doris. "They're after the royals, look at them!"
He was right. The wolves circled the royals as if they wanted to corner them before they could strike. Prince Martin looked terrified while Prince Jack covered his mother. William shoved Doris towards the door, but he didn't follow.
She crawled between the benches towards the edge of the room. Her dress tore when it caught on the edge of the wooden seats and she wanted to tear the beautiful garment off her just so she could move better.
A brown wolf caught her by her ankle and dragged her back towards the royals as if he was trying to round her up with the rest. Doris angled her heel and kicked him right in the face and sent the wolf into a dazed state as it tried to regain itself.
Doris hurried back to hide between the benches as the chaos continued. She saw Daniel fight like never before. He grabbed one of the wolves with his bare hands and threw them against the wall with a sickening crack. She almost didn't recognize him-how was this the same soft boy who talked her out of her worst thoughts? He fought like the warrior she always heard he was. And he didn't even have to shift.
The rest of the room had cleared out but many guards covered the king like a human shield. William must have shifted and been lost in the crowd with the rest of the wolves that tried to tear the audience apart.
She felt Cordelia hum angrily inside her and Doris let her have control.