"Get off me!" Doris snarled. She tried to kick him off but it was like nothing phased him in the slightest. It all only irritated her more than she wanted to admit. Why did he always have to look so unbothered by everything? Would it kill him to show a bit of his feelings beyond the mask that hides it so well?
"I don't want to see you right now! Just-leave me alone!" She shouted to the ceiling. If only Beth was a strong wolf that could rip him apart with her.
"You need to hear why I did it, Doris." William hissed. He pinned her wrists above her head and held down her legs with his knee before she could start kicking him again. "I did it for his own good! Daniel needed to be taken somewhere else,, this was the only way!"
"You tried to kill him for his own good? How does that make sense!" Doris whimpered. She cursed her tears for showing him her weakness. "Daniel didn't deserve that! He trusted me when I gave him those cookies!"
"They wouldn't kill him, Doris. I didn't put enough of a dose to do that." William said calmly. She wanted to bite him and spit on him at the same time. She willed him to come closer so she could.
"Are you crazy? Why would you do that to him?! Why didn't you tell me what you were doing?"
"I asked Enzo for medication that would put him in a coma like state. The poison will keep him out for a few weeks, but it won't kill him." William explained as if it would all make sense. Doris felt the flame of anger fan brighter.
"Enzo was in on it too?" Doris stilled her thrashing. Now it tasted like betrayal on her tongue. "You two planned this together and used me to set it through?"
William nodded slowly. "Yes. Enzo was the one that suggested it when I said we needed to get him far from here. We didn't intend him any harm, Doris."
"That's horribly risky, William! It could have killed him and you know it. He shoved those down within seconds!"
"I knew he would. That's why I only gave him a few." William cautiously released her. He looked a bit unsure of his decision and it made Doris want to laugh in a cynical way. "I needed him out of here and safe. I can't have him him while this war starts. He's the only innocent one in this family and I wouldn't have been able to go through with it if I knew there was a chance he would be hurt because of my decisions."
Doris slowly sat up and rubbed her wrists. "You poisoned him to get him out of the way? What if it killed him, William? What if you were wrong and you put too much?"
"I would never have made that mistake. I knew the risks and I wouldn't have done it unless I was completely sure." William said. He sounded more like he wanted to convince himself of it rather than her. "I don't want him anywhere near the battleground and I know he would have been there whether I wanted him there or not. He's not one to stay on the sidelines when it comes to a fight."
"Why didn't you tell me you planned to do this?" Doris asked weakly. "Why didn't you just give it to him yourself?"
"Because he trusted you more than he trusted me. He might not have eaten them if I gave them to him personally." William straightened himself. "And I know you would have never agreed to give it to him if I told you."
"Well, I don't think he'll ever trust me again now." Doris looked down at her hands. They had so many small cuts across the surface. When had she become so ruined? "I can't believe you did this. I wish you would have at least told me."
"I don't regret what I did. I am sorry you were involved against your will."
Doris tried to look him in the eye, but it felt wrong. Daniel was unconscious now and it was partly because of her. Why did the guilt weigh so heavily on her chest but not on his own? Would he do the same to her if she tried to get in his way?
"I would like to be alone now." Doris whispered. She watched as William's feet backed towards the door.
"In the morning, we have to leave to find our safe space for our army. We won't be welcome here soon and I would rather not be forced out." He said. "I'll have someone come get you and your maid early." Doris said nothing as he left through the door.
After a few minutes, Beth hesitantly entered. "I think the prince just apologized to me."
Doris raised her eyes to look at her friend. "He did?"
"Yeah, he muttered it under his breath before he left. I thought I was going crazy for a moment." Beth seated herself next to Doris. "Are you alright?"
"I will be. I just need... to process what happened. I feel sick inside and I'm not sure where the cause is coming from. It feels like all of me is suffering." Doris sighed. "Please pack both of our bags, we're set to leave tomorrow morning."
"Leave?" Beth stood. "Where on earth would we be going?"
Doris realized she hadn't yet told her best friend about what was to come. Her guilt only grew deeper. "There's.... Prince William is calling a claim on the crown and challenging Prince Martin for it. He's calling on his army tomorrow and... I believe it'll be the start of a war between the brothers."
"What?" Beth gasped. "Doris! How long have you known about this?"
"Not very. I didn't want to frighten you when I learned it would come to this. I hoped it would have resolved itself on its own but clearly it isn't going to." Doris dropped her head in her hands. "And now Prince Daniel is... sick and he's being moved far from the palace and away from all of this. I almost envy him for that."
"Prince Daniel is sick? Does he have what the king has?" Beth started pacing the room and chewing on her nails in worry. "Doris, I wish you had warned me about this!"
"No, he doesn't have what the king has! He'll be fine... I hope." Doris ran her fingers through her hair. "I wanted to tell you but-Beth I'm so sorry. I should have warned you sooner. There's no excuse for me leaving you in the dark like this!"
Beth sat next to Doris and took her hands. "It will be fine. We'll get through this like we always do." She kissed her hand. "You won't be alone this time. I will be with you, don't think I would leave you for a second."
Doris threw her arms around her friend and buried her face in her hair. "I don't know what I would do without you." She mumbled before she pulled away. "I feel as if this is all going to come crashing down on me, I almost forget how to breathe most of the time."
Beth pat her hand and stood again. "Rest yourself, I'll get everything settled before morning. I'll have to head down to the servants quarters to get some extra supplies-but I'll have it all done."
"Thank you Beth." Doris smiled weakly at her friend. She gripped her hand and squeezed three times.
Doris fell asleep after her friend left her alone to her own thoughts. Her exhaustion pulled her free from the tight grips of worry, how long would she have to live like this? She dreamed of a time when there was nothing but old books on her mind. That, and the taste of freedom. The two things seemed so far away, it was almost hard to wrap her fingers around.
She woke when her chest felt as if it was about to explode. She tore herself free from her blankets and made it to the bathing room just in time to throw up inside the nearest bucket. It was as if all of her insiders were being forced out of her more violently than they had been in the past few days.
She felt starving and sick at the thought of food at the same time. She stumbled out of her room to find it empty with a fire that was long put out. It felt as if it was snowing inside her room, she could see her breath in front of her.
She spent the rest of her night bunched up by her poorly lit fire, waiting for the uncertain morning to come and tear her away from this fantasy.