Enzo led them back to the main ballroom and didn't get them lost once. Doris was thankful that he seemed to remember the path so easily when she knew that she would have been circling the place for hours before she found where she needed to be. Her thoughts were too wild for her to concentrate on anything, let alone simple hallways that she had only seen once.
Beth squeezed her hand and gave her a small smile as they headed down the main hall. It encouraged her to keep pushing forward even when she wished it was already over with. She wanted to close her eyes and wake up back in the palace with everything as it was.
Back before everything went wrong. Before a war ever brewed inside the palace. Before everything came crumbling down around them.
Never had she felt so unsteady in her life. It felt as if a single step could make her fall beneath the surface and it was always there to threaten her. A reminder that she could lose everything at any moment and there was nothing she could do to stop any of it.
Something was off before they reached the room. A feeling pierced her chest and she wasn't sure if it was because of William in trouble, or because of the emptiness the hallways were.
The day before, the area was crawling with guards in every corner. Now they hadn't seen more than a handful since they left the cells. And the ones they did see, were too distracted to notice anything off. They watched the end of the hall towards where the main ballroom was as if they waited for something to come of it.
It was strange that no one had been waiting for them when they left the cells. Doris half expected to be ambushed and thrown in jail for killing the guards that attacked them, but no one had even been alerted of it yet. Beth thankfully closed her eyes as they stepped over the bodies after they left her cell. Her friend's strength encouraged Doris more than she had the words to admit.
Were the guards waiting to see if a new king was to be announced? Or were they waiting to see if one of them killed the other? That was the thing was royal business, outsiders had no right to step between them no matter how violent it turned.
They would be forced to watch unless one of the prince's demanded they defend them. Only then would they be allowed to stop the inevitable, but something told Doris that neither of the princes would be willing to let someone else settle their score.
Her confusion was instantly answered when she noticed the missing guards pouring out of the main hall. Familiar voices shouted at each other as if they were trying to see who could be louder. Doris dropped Beth's hand and hurried after Enzo to find William.
None of the guards paid them attention as they pushed through. Their eyes were glued to the shouting match in front of them.
"...this is foolish, Martin. Drop it." William said sternly as if he was scolding his brother.
Doris tried to see over the crowd, she went up on her toes trying to get a glimpse of what William was referring to. A wave of nausea hit her like never before. Her body demanded her to sit and rest and she knew she had to-especially for the baby-but there was no time for herself.
"There's no point, William. It's all over, My path has come to an end." Martin said.
"That's not even remotely true. Your path hasn't even started yet, brother. There are so many roles at the palace that you might fall into and learn that you love it more."
William's voice turned more gentle. Doris moved through the crowd and finally caught a view of what entranced the guards around them. Martin held a sharp dagger to his own throat with William trying to coax him into putting it down.
Doris felt her heart rate speed up, she pushed through the crowd to get closer. She forced herself to swallow the acidic bile that wanted to come up her throat.
"That's hilarious, William. Force me out of my role and make me work for you."
"Martin. Listen to me, you don't have to do this. This isn't how I wanted things to go-"
"Didn't you come here to kill me, William? Didn't you come here to take the crown from my dead hands and claim I handed it over willingly?" Martin spat. Hot tears rolled down his cheeks and Doris felt her mind start to race. No, he couldn't die over this. Too many people had lost their lives, too many members of his family.
"I came here to talk to you-"
"You came here to kill me like you killed my mother and brother, don't try to claim otherwise. We're nothing but pawns in your game to get what you always wanted." Martin said bitterly. William had the nerve to look wounded.
"I killed them because they tried to kill me-several times. Your mother has wanted me dead since I was born, she tried to take my life the moment she realized I wanted the crown and our dear brother only helped her." William took a small step towards his brother. He held out his hands as if he meant no harm. "I would never have hurt you over this-"
Martin started laughing, so much so that he accidentally cut himself. Doris watched as the blood dripped down his neck but he barely seemed to notice. She wanted to jump on him and force the knife from his hands. She would give anything to have her wolf awake so she could tell her what to do.
"You're lying, William. You would have cut me down for the crown and you know it in your heart. But that's okay, you will have to live with yourself and your choices you made to get what you wanted." Martin took a step back. His guards crowded the area as if they didn't know what to do or how to prevent this. It was one thing to stop a prince from attacking another, but they didn't know how to stop one from harming himself. "You'll have to live your life knowing what you did to your own family."
"Martin, please don't do this!" Doris called. "Please don't hurt yourself!"
Martin locked eyes with her and she felt as if the world slowed for a moment. There was so much sadness in his eyes. How long had he been so broken? Why had no one ever noticed that the prince was suffering this much?
He hid it so well. In every smile, in every confident word he spoke. Doris felt her heart break for the man that had years of pain on his chest. She regretted the days she was too shy to talk to him, those were days he might have needed a friend the most. If only she could turn back the clock, she would be that friend for him. To ease a bit of the weight in his chest from having no one to understand.
"I knew you were magnificent Doris, from the moment I met you. When I saw you shift into the white wolf at the play, it all made sense. I wasn't even surprised." Martin smiled a little. "My mother raged when we were in private, but I knew you were special from the moment I met you."
Doris held out her hand to him. "Martin... Don't do this to yourself. Please, you're not alone."
"I'm sorry I brought you here, Doris. I should have known you wouldn't change your mind. Everyone wants William. Hell, even half the kingdom was ready to fight for him without seeing an ounce of his leadership."
"Martin, please. There is so much better out there for you. Life doesn't end because you don't get your way, a new path always opens up! New beginnings and new people wait for you-"
"That's all lovely, Doris. It really is, but I don't have the will to keep on and wait for the world you describe." Martin said right before he sliced his own throat.
Doris screamed, William lurched forward and grabbed his brother before he fell to the ground. William held him, Martin's bloody hands gripped onto his jacket as if it was a life preserver.
"I... wish you...." Martin choked on his blood. William tried to stop the bleeding at his neck with his shirt, but anyone could see it was just too much to contain. "I wish... you luck." Martin finally said.
"Why did you do this?" William cried. He gripped his brother tightly against him. "This didn't have to happen!"
Martin reached out his hand to touch William's cheek, leaving a smear of blood behind. A moment later, his hand dropped and he stared lifelessly up at the ceiling.
William didn't let his brother go. Even as his blood pooled around him and stained his skin. He held on tight until he was all out of tears.