"I'm going to have William sign the amnesty for you." Doris gripped Beth's hand. "You can be free and go anywhere in the world you want. You don't have to spend your days looking after me or anyone else at the palace-you can be free."
"I..." Beth's hands shook. "That's very kind, Doris-"
"It's not kindness I'm giving you, it's the right thing to do. You should have been freed months ago but you had to stay because of me. You deserve to be a free woman." Doris swallowed. "I'm sorry that I couldn't free you sooner. I wanted to the moment I got back but then everything just kept happening."
Beth pulled Doris in for a hug and squeezed the breath out of her. "I don't know what to say-"
"Don't say anything!" Doris smiled. "Or say everything, say whatever is in your heart. Just promise me that you won't go far and forget me. Promise me that you will live for both of us and not be sorry for any of it."
"Forget you? You're mad if you think I could ever forget you!" Beth wiped away her falling tears. "I don't know what to be without you, Doris. We were always going to leave together and travel as far as we could. All of our plans were with each other, I never once saw myself without my best friend by my side."
"I know." Doris pulled Beth towards a large tree stump and sat upon it with her. The guards hovered nearby, but not too close. She was glad for that at least. "There is nothing I want more than to see the world. All of my dreams were leaving the palace and seeing what else life had to offer me. I wanted to know what it's like in other kingdoms and places-but..."
"But now you have responsibilities bigger than yourself." Beth said sadly. "I don't know why I feel so sad when you have so much good happening for you."
"Be happy, my love. Don't you dare be sad about change." Doris whispered even though she felt that sadness as well. Beth was always in her future, but she couldn't hold her here just to be her friend. It was selfish to even consider. "Where do you want to go, Beth?" Doris asked with a small smile. "Where would your heart take you first?"
"I... I don't know. I honestly imagined myself getting in a carriage and riding off far from here. Maybe somewhere sunny with an ocean or somewhere with mountains and beautiful snow."
"I thought you hated the cold!" Doris laughed and looked around at the small piles of snow around them. It wasn't nearly as much as the north where snow covered every inch for as far as she could see. "I couldn't imagine you seeking out snow of all things!"
"I think it's beautiful! I would love to see a place covered in endless snow, but I wouldn't want to live in it. I don't know where I would go first!"
"Well, I want to give you all the money I saved in the castle before you go." Doris glanced up at the gloomy clouds. "I want you to have as much as you need. I want you to be able to go anywhere you want and not have to settle until you find the place that feels like home."
"Oh no, Doris. You know I can't take that." Beth insisted. "I don't even want to leave you. Who would be your maid?"
"Beth, you've been my maid for such a short time. I'm sure I will find someone to help me with the baby." Doris laughed. "You're going to take my offer and then some!"
"Oh my goodness. The baby!" Beth stood and started to pace the small clearing. "Nope, there is no way I can leave my best friend when she is going to be a mother. You're going to need all the support you can get. I know we both have no experience but we can figure it out together!"
"Beth, if you think I would make you stay because of me, you have lost your mind. I want you to go and live your life. I want you to find happiness and make up for all the years you had to care for another person. I will be fine. There is a palace worth of maids ready to help me when I need it. I have William, I will have your love in spirit. I will be fine."
Beth's smile quickly faded from her face. "What if I'm not ready to be on my own yet?"
"Then you can stay at the palace as my guest for as long as you want. You can stay until you're old and gray." Doris gripped her hand. "You don't have to leave. I'm not kicking you out. I'm releasing you from your role officially when he becomes king. You don't have to clean up after anyone or wear a uniform every day. I'll have dresses brought to you and you can be a queen in your own right."
Beth laughed and wiped her eyes again. "I don't think I deserve a friend like you. Tell me what I did to deserve you."
"You were a friend to me when I needed you. Nothing else matters." Doris stood and led Beth back to the tent. "Now, let's eat again. I don't know why I feel like I could eat three meals right now."
Beth laughed. "That's only the beginning, Doris. I heard you're going to be craving the most ridiculous things soon!"
Throughout the day, guards followed her every movement. They lingered closely and reminded her that they weren't far and even though nothing had sparked any of their concern, they didn't fall back in the slightest.
Perhaps Beth was right, maybe they did fear the chance that William would return early and see them not on guard for her. She wanted to tell them that it was okay, to go relax and let her breathe-but she promised William that she would stay safe and the last thing she wanted to do was go against his wish. Especially when her worry for him pulsed in her chest more painfully as the hours went on.
Doris finally returned to her tent in the evening when she was tired of having her steps tracked. Not that she was ungrateful, she only wished to have a moment without eyes on her. It felt strange to go from the one that blended into the walls-to someone that was now cared about enough to be watched.
Sometimes it still felt like a dream to her. This life was so far from anything she had ever wanted for herself. Now that she had it... she didn't hate it like she once thought she would. She didn't hate the prince that held her each night or the protectiveness he showered her in.
"What do you think you'll have?" Beth asked as she pulled out Doris's nightclothes. Doris quickly went over and snatched them from her.
"I asked you here as a friend." Doris smiled. "Stop taking care of me!"
"I don't think I could ever let that part of me go." Beth laughed. "So answer my question!"
"What?"
"What do you think you'll have? A boy or a girl?" Beth bumped her hip against her own. "I heard one of the other maids once say that sometimes you can tell in the hips. If it's wider, it might be a boy."
"That can't always be true." Doris fell back against her bed. "I don't know. I would be happy either way."
"Do you think William wants a boy?"
"I don't think he would have a preference either." Doris yawned.
"Usually alphas want sons to take over their spot one day." Beth laid on the bed next to her like they used to do when they would gossip late at night in the palace.
"I think that's ridiculous. A girl could take his spot one day, it doesn't have to be a boy."
"Ah ha! Or she could take your spot!" Beth laughed.
"I would be glad to hand it over to any child I have." Doris closed her eyes. "As long as they don't come out too grumpy."
"I think you're going to make a great mother." Beth said softly. Doris smiled. "I know it's scary, but I believe in you."
Doris reached out to hold her friends hand. "I believe in you too." Doris whispered before she drifted off into sleep.
A loud bang ripped Doris from her dreams. The lure of sleep quickly faded when she saw the fear on Beth's face.
"What was that?" Beth whispered.
"Stay here." Doris got up slowly and wrapped a cloak around herself before she peered out of the tent flap.
All three guards that watched her tent were spread out on the ground with their throats ripped out.