Chapter 6
#Chapter 6 Doris, was it you?
Doris sat up quickly, desperate for air. Her gown felt soaked through, every inch of her skin felt tainted
and wrong. Her head ached, she had to scrub herself clean again to rid herself of him—
“Doris!” Beth whispered harshly for her attention, it took her a moment to realize she was in the room
with Beth and not being eaten in the forest by a giant wolf. Doris touched her neck and looked down to
see her hand was clean, there was no blood. Slowly, her heart beat calmed and she was able to breathe.
It felt so real… she was so sure she was about to die at his hands. “Get up, quickly! Prince William is
here, he asked for all of the maids to be checked!”
That woke her, she scrambled out of bed and almost tripped over herself. Doris paled at the thought of
facing him. “Checked? Checked for what?”
“Apparently he left a mark on one of the girl’s neck.” Beth already looked delighted from the gossip, she
started shoving clothes at Doris before she paused. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling alright?”
“Nothing’s wrong!” Doris turned away to change, the nightmare still fresh in her mind. “I was just
wondering what he could possibly want with her. She’s just a maid, after all.” Doris touched the mark at
her neck beneath her dress. The makeup she used would surely have rubbed off by now—she needed
to reapply it before she left.
If he found out it was Doris he was looking for, would her nightmare be reality? She was silently
thankful that he must’ve been too drunk to remember her face.
“I’m not sure, he’s probably not through using her yet after they slept together.” Bethughed a little,
though it sounded empty. “Remember with Lisa? He wanted her all to himself until he didn’t. But—this girl
doesn’t seem like she wants to be found by him. Every other girl here would dly announce themselves
as his lover, but no one hase forward yet.”
No, we definitely didn’t sleep together. Doris silently corrected her friend. At least he didn’t get to take
that from her.
“Hurry up!” A man appeared at their door, Doris gasped at the sight of Prince William’s valet and almost
touched her neck to cover it more than her dress already did. “You two don’t want to keep Prince William
waiting, I suggest you stop chattering and get moving.”
“Of course, sir! We’ll be right out!” Beth shouted to his retreating form. When she turned to face Doris,
her brows furrowed. “Doris? What’s wrong? You look as if you’re about to pass out.”
Doris wiped her mmy hands on her skirt and took a deep breath. “I’m fine, give me a moment.” Beth
squeezed her hand and nodded. She didn’t care if it looked suspicious, she just needed a minute alone.
Once Beth left, she quickly opened her drawer and grabbed her cheap container of makeup to cover the
mark. Her shaky hands dabbed at the bite, she could still see a sense of bruising that the makeup just
couldn’t seem to cover. She couldn’t let him find her, he would… he would kill her just as he tried in her
dreams.
Doris made her way out to the open field where the other maids gathered. She took her spot next to Beth
and listened to those around her gossip silently amongst themselves. Each one of them looked even
more confused than her, but just as eager as Beth to find out who it must be. She wondered how many
of them wished it was them that the Prince was looking for, Doris wished it was one of them, too.
When Doris looked up to the front of the crowd, she felt her heart still for a moment in her chest.
There stood Prince William, easy to spot when he was taller than everyone around him. Even his guards.
He wore no jacket over his suit, his shirt clung to his well built form and left little to the imagination of
what he hid beneath. She could see why everyone found him so attractive, his sea blue eyes and dark
tossed hair. He looked as if he just rolled out of bed with a lover, she wouldn’t have been surprised if he
did. He looked out into the crowd like a born predator, his eyes catching every movement made around
him as if he were hunting. The Alpha blood ran purely through his veins and it showed with every breath
he made. As handsome as the third prince William Arnold was, she had a taste of how he acted and it
was not something she desired to repeat. She wished the rest of the girls here knew how awful he was,
then perhaps they would stop fantasizing about him.
“Your majesty, this is thest group of maids in the Golden Pce.” Mr. Carson announced, his hands
sped tightly behind his back.
William only nodded, his face free of emotion as he took in the sight of each girl. “Do your job.”
“Yes, your majesty.” Mr. Carson bowed before he turned to the maids. “Prince William is looking for the
maid he left a mark upon just the other night. Please, line yourselves up by Ms. Shirley so she can check
each of your necks. Only do as you’re instructed, do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Mr. Carson!” The crowd responded. Each of the girls lined up outside of the booth Ms. Shirley had
set up. The old maid had been serving Royal House Arnold for over 40 years, surely she was one of the
more trusted maids of the bunch.
This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.
As soon as each girl was checked, they were asked to leave. Though, it seemed none of them actually
wanted to. They were all curious to see who this mystery maid could be, the one that Prince William was
so desperate to find. They hung around a bit away from the booth, watching as each maid was
dismissed and the line grew shorter. Doris forced herself not to scratch at the mark on her neck, she
didn’t want the makeup to smear off and hoped her sweat didn’t ruin it either.
As time went on, Prince William grew more impatient. He frowned at the thinning line, not one of them
came forward to announce herself as the one he’d left his mark upon. And why wouldn’t shee
forward? It would be an honor to be his mate, her resistance angered him more than he liked to admit.
He waited for her toe to him yesterday, it was no secret he desired her to. Yet she hadn’t and now it
resorted to this foolish attempt at finding her. Because he would find her today.
“She is here, I can feel her.” Waylon, his inner wolf dered in his mind with a deep growl. “Our mate.”
“If she is here, than pick her already you useless wolf.” William shot back silently. “Why must you make it
so impossible? Other wolves would have brought her to me by now.”
“I’m trying, I can’t connect with her wolf. It’s as if she doesn’t have one.”
William almostughed a sinister sound. “The moon goddess must be kidding me. She must have a wolf
if she’s my mate.” Otherwise how could it be?
One by one the maids were cleared until only three remained in line. Doris stood with Beth and Melody,
nervously picking at her nails as they got closer.
Beth was quickly cleared, she offered a quick smile to Doris before she wandered near the other curious
maids. At least her friend was kind enough to wait for her.
Doris took one step towards the booth, and stopped. She couldn’t do it, she couldn’t go in. What if Ms.
Shirley saw through her horrible attempt to cover it? What if—what if Prince William finished what he
intended to do that night with her? Would she end up like Lisa, or worse?
Mr. Carson frowned at Doris. “What do you think you’re doing? Get inside now to be checked! We don’t
have all day.” Doris stared at him, her lips parted. “Are you defying the Royal order?”
Doris knelt down instantly, mping her lips shut. She didn’t dare to move or speak and make things
worse for herself. The crowd gasped around her.
“What’s your name?” Came a demanding voice from above Doris. She looked up slightly to see Prince
William walk straight to her.
Still, Doris said nothing. As if every bone in her body refused to let her.
“Doris Goodwin, your majesty.” Mr. Carson answered when she wouldn’t. He shot a displeased look in
her direction as if she were the dirt on the bottom of his shoe.
“Doris…” Prince William said her name as if he were tasting it for the first time. It sent a strange shiver
through her to hear her name on his lips. She kept her head down—refusing to look at his handsome
face and remember what he did to her.
Slowly, Prince William lowered himself until he was able to spit out the sentence clearly enough in her
ear. “Was it you?”