Chapter 102


    Chapter 102 He’s not as awful as you might think.


    Joseph closed the door and crossed the room to her. He held out the te of food as if it was a peace


    offering but Doris only wanted to p it out of his hands and send every piece to the dirty floor. She’d


    learned a lot recently about poking at the ones that held power over her. It never ended in her favor—but


    he looked like he could take a poking or two from her.


    Cautiously, Doris took the te and set it on the bed. “Thank you.” She said.


    Joseph smiled at her and bowed his head a little. “My pleasure. I uh, I’ll leave you alone. I’ll be right


    outside if you need me. They should be sending you new clothes soon for you to change into.”


    As he was turning away, Doris reached out to grab his arm. “Wait.” He paused and looked at her with


    raised brows as his eyes flicked to her hand on his arm. “When will the man that brought me heree


    see me? I’d like to talk with him soon.”


    “Mr. Hugh said he’d be by to check on you soon. I wouldn’t worry about him though, he’s not as awful as


    you might think.”


    “He kidnapped me and is using me as ransom. Forgive me if I don’t think he’s very kind.” Doris said tly


    and dropped her hand. She nced at the knife he had tied to his belt next to a set of keys. She flexed


    her fingers but he turned away again before she could even attempt to take either.


    Breathe, Doris. You can’t be brash, you need a n. She thought to herself. Without Cordelia, she


    realized she needed some sort of voice to keep her grounded. So be it if it was her own. All she could


    truly count on was herself at the end of the day, she would get herself out of this. 1


    “I can agree with you there. I wouldn’t think much of him either.” Joseph said with a small chuckle. She


    red at his back. How dare he try to be her friend when she was a prisoner! What was he aiming at?


    This had to be some sort of trust ploy. She wouldn’t fall for that.


    Joseph nced back at her over his shoulder. “He won’t hurt you. He only wants to get ahold of the


    prince.”


    “Well, I won’t be able to help him.” Doris said after he already left. She sat on the bed and picked at the


    te of food. She was starving but the back of her head warned her about eating something from this


    ce. What if they poisoned everything she touched? She’d be better off dead anyway. If she died by


    poison, it was bound to happen sooner orter at the rate she’d been living. Doris ate everyst bite and


    left the te by the door before she circled the room. There was one high window that looked like only a


    small animal could squeeze   through. Doris pushed the dresser underneath it and tried to push it open


    but it wouldn’t budge. Damned thing!


    “Would you like someone to open it for you?” A voice said from behind her. Doris almost fell right off the


    dresser when she heard him. “The only chance you’ll get through there is if you’re a rabbit.”


    Mr. Hugh stood with his arms crossed over his chest and an amused look on his face. Doris carefully


    stepped off the dresser and smoothed out her clothes.


    “I would like it open, if you wouldn’t mind. It’s rather hot in here.” “Is it?” He nced around the freezing


    room as if he was trying to find the heat source. What a stupid lie, it felt like ice in here. “I’ll get right on


    that.” He gestured to the bed. “Would you care to have a small chat with me?”


    Doris hesitated before she sat on the edge of the bed across from the chair he took. He casually crossed


    his legs and smiled at her as if they were old friends.


    “William isn’ting back for me. He made it clear that if I stayed he wouldn’t turn back.” Doris blurted


    before he even had a chance to speak.


    Mr. Hughughed a little. “Do all the maids refer to their princes by their first name? I heard Prince


    William was the one that never allowed that.”


    Doris inwardly cringed at her mistake. She’d been calling him William so frequently, she forgot that it


    wasn’t proper for a maid to say. Her mind refused to see him as the same prince she left the pce with,


    but in the end she shouldn’t have been such a fool. Look where that led her.


    “He requested for me to call him by his first name while we were here. He didn’t want to draw attention to


    his title.” Doris said smoothly. She brushed a bit of dirt off her pants. “My statement still stands. He would


    never risk himself for a maid, no matter how noble he may be.” 1


    “I wouldn’t think he would. But you’re not any maid to the prince. I have several witnesses telling me how


    feral the prince has gone for you right in front of their eyes and that isn’t something to brush off.”


    “I believe they’re mistaken. The prince protected everyone in his party because he felt responsible for


    them—”


    “Does he also share a bed with each of his party? Or only the prettiest one?”


    Doris pressed her lips together. Someone in the camp had told this man everything and she didn’t doubt


    it was one of the bitter men that wanted Enzo to kick the prince and his party out. They’d all seen how


    protective William was over Doris, but they didn’t hear the things he said to her privately. They didn’t hear


    him tell her how little he cared about her and how no one else in the world did either. She was nothing


    but a dead weight to him, and deep down she always knew that was the case. She was


    just foolish enough to pretend otherwise while he held her at night.


    Doris cleared her throat. “Before he left the camp, he told me that he didn’t care for me. I’m sure he used


    me like he used many girls at the pce but he’s done now and he won’t care what happens. When the


    prince is finished with a girl, she’s no longer in his thoughts.”


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    Mr. Hugh watched her for a few minutes with a tilted head. “Do you happen to know the recipe for the


    cure he used for poison?” 1


    “I don’t. He made it out of my sight.” Doris eyes him warily. “Is the cure the real reason you want the


    prince back here?” 4


    “There are many reasons I’d like to have him in front of me.” Mr. Hugh said. He leaned forward a little.


    “And I can always smell a liar. I know that prince wouldn’t act the way he does with just anyone. I’ve


    heard many stories about him and how he treats women at the pce, it’s no secret even to the north.


    The stories I’ve heard today about how he treated you—that’s what makes everything you say


    unbelievable.”


    “You’ll be waiting a long time, then.” Doris said. “As I said, you’re wasting your time on me. He’s probably


    back at the pce by now.”


    Mr. Hughughed and pped his hands once. “I can see why he likes you. There’s a bit of fire in your


    eyes. I don’t think I expected you to have any.” He stood.


    “Many don’t.” Doris stood as well. She noticed he didn’t have a weapon at his belt but something told her


    that he wouldn’t need one if she tried to attack him. He wasn’t as tall as William, but he was quiterger


    than her. “How long will you hold me here until you realize he isn’ting?”


    “Hmm, maybe a month. I have all the time in the world to wait.” Mr. Hugh brushed his finger along her


    cheek, she leaned back away from him. “Don’t worry, dear. I don’t like women in that sense. I have no


    intention on hurting you as I said before.”


    “Is the price on his head trulyrge enough for you to keep me here against my will?”


    Mr. Hugh looked a little surprised at her words. He quickly shook off the look and smiled again. “He’s a


    prince. He has the biggest price on his head imaginable.”


    “If you have no intentions of hurting me, why can’t you just let me go?” Doris tried onest time before he


    went for the door and locked her in with all of her useless thoughts.


    “I may have said I have no intentions of hurting you, but that doesn’t mean I won’t if it means it would


    hurt him.”