Chapter 40
Chapter 40 I might never be free
“Is this too tight?” The seamstress asked when she yanked on theces of a winter corset. Doris held her
breath and quickly nodded to indicate that it was. The seamstress huffed and loosened it. “How about
now?” Doris released her breath and nodded. “It’s fine, thank you.” “I have several dresses like this one
for your trip, all suitable for winter. It’s not proper for a maid traveling with a prince to wear pants, but I did
include them in case of an emergency.” Doris frowned, what sort of emergency would need pants?
Unless she was referring to the freezing temperatures. Doris might end up wearing them beneath her
dress just so her legs didn’t chill. “Are all of them corseted? Will I be able to get out of them by myself?”
Doris asked. The taller woman gave Doris a long, curious look and shook her head. “I suppose if you
lace it a little looser you might be able to squeeze yourself out of it, though it would be much easier if
someone were to help you.” “There’s no one on the trip that would be able—“ The woman raised her
brows, Doris blushed for no reason other than her strange stares. “I prefer dresses I can easily get out of
on my own.” “You’re about to travel with a prince and he has asked me to find you suitable clothing, I
can’t have you looking like you were when you first came in here and the only dresses I have on hand all
require corsets.” Narin riched and t od und to look at havnelfin
The dress was quite stunning, it was a dark blue shade in a fabric simr to the ones she’d seen Prince
William wear. It hugged at her waist and brought out a bit more of her figure while also being thicker than
anything she owned. It looked nice enough for ady to wear not a maid. She supposed they wouldn’t
have anything for a maid going where she was going this clothing most likely was designed for ady. A
sh of Melody’s furious face crossed her mind. Oh, Doris could only imagine what she would say if she
saw her wear a dress suited for ady. She would probably rip it right off her and make her walk naked in
the snow. Better yet, she probably would insist Doris sleep out in the snow too, Doris frowned. She
hadn’t once thought to ask if Melody had pulled through or how she was doing No one around her had
brought her up either Doris was a bit afraid to even ask. Not even Beth had brought her up since
everything happened, and she normally would have told Doris everything she’d heard about the gossip.
“Do you like it?” The seamstress asked. “Oh, yes. Thank you for finding me something in such short
notice, I know it must have been a challenge.” The seamstress waved away her words. “These clothes
sit all year, none of thedies have asked to use them. While it may snow here during the winter, it never
gets as cold as it does in the north. These will make you sweat after half an hour if it’s not freezing where
you’re going.” “Should I wait until we get there to change into this?” Doris itched her arm, already she
was starting to feel a bit hot. “No, you most likely won’t have an opportunity to
over your normal dress once you get there. You’d be surprised how freezing it gets within minutes of
entering the north.” “Oh my, have you ever been? Doris asked as she stepped down from the small
tform the seamstress made her stand while she tied her corset. “I have once, but-” The seamstress
hesitated. * Never again. Just be careful out there and stay close to those that will guard you.” “I think
they’ll be more concerned about the prince, but I’ll try.” Doris said more to herself. The seamstress
laughed a little. “I think that’s one of his favorite colors.” She gestured to Doris’s dress. For a moment,
she wanted to take it off and burn it but the feeling passed a lot quicker than it would have the day
before. Some of their conversation still swirled in her mind no matter how much she wanted to focus on
something else.
Doris took a dose of her medicine before she left the hallway across from the seamstress. Luckily, a
guard was nearby and offered to carry the bags to the stables to be loaded when he saw Doris’s injured
hand. At least there was still some sort of kindness at the pce, even if most of the guards now made
her flinch whenever they approached her. The kitchens had already sent the bags of food they prepared
for their journey to the stables by the time she’d gotten there to check. There was only onest thing she
needed to do before she left, and that was say goodbye to her friend. Who knew how long she would be
gone for or if Beth would even still be here
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when she returned. Unfortunately, Beth was no where to be found when she entered their room. She
didn’t want to leave without seeing her friend, but she knew Prince William would keep true to his word
ande looking for her if she didn’t retum to the stables soon. Doris wrote a short and sweet note to
her friend before she packed a few of her personal items in a small bag-as well as the poetry book
Prince Martin had given her-before she headed out the door. Her nerves were on high with worry when
her thoughts wouldn’t calm. If there was anywhere worse than the pce, it was the north. Doris had
only ever heard terrible stories surrounding the area, of all the vicious things the they did to outsiders or
people they didn’t trust. There was no one they hated more than the royals and she was about to travel
with one straight through it. Every step she took made her more nauseous at the thought. What would
they do to her if they caught her alone? Would Prince William even bother protecting her, or would she
be thrown to the wolves as a distraction for him to get away? She didn’t doubt for a second that the
guards would use her as bait if they needed to get away Doris almost bumped right into Beth the
moment she stepped out of the pce. “Oh! Beth, I just came from our room looking for you! Where
have you been?” Beth’s eyes were wide and a bit watery, Doris frowned. “What is it? What are you doing
out here sote! You’ll catch a cold.” “I had to talk to you before you left.” Beth said with a shaky voice,
she looked as if she were about to cry. UT1T1. – :3
—11.3
her friends arm and nced towards the stables, Surely, he could wait a minute or two while she
attended to her friend. If not, she would dly face his wrath to spare her friend a few minutes. “You’ll
come back, won’t you?” Beth asked, she pushed her hair from her wet eyes. “Of course I will.” Doris
hesitated. “If I don’t get eaten by the wolves out there, I suppose.” Beth didn’t smile orugh, part of
Doris wondered if it was because she was worried about just that exact thing happening to her. “Don’t
say such a thing. Beth said weakly. “Those are awful packs out there, Doris. I wish you didn’t have to go.
I wish
I wish anyone else would go for you or he would go alone.” “I wish so too,” Doris whispered and nced
around them to make sure Prince William wasn’t around to overhear their conversation this time When
she nced back at Beth, she had thick tears rolling down her cheek. “Oh, please don’t worry about me
so much, Beth. I’m sure you’ll be gone before I even get back!” “What do you mean?” Beth sniffed. “Well,
I’m sure the amnesty will be signed by then. I just hope you’ll be close by for me to find when I return.”
Doris smiled and rubbed her friends arm. She knew they had always nned to leave together, but she
didn’t want her friend to wait for her to get back if she was free before then. They’d find each other
eventually and continue on with their dreams of some far away ce that looked nothing like the pce.
“That’s just it, Doris.” Doris furrowed her brow. “What is?” “Mr. Carson said my name will only be on the
list if voue back safely. Otherwise, I might never be
Her Unwanted Mate On The Thr