Chapter 139
Chapter 139 A little push
The men both shifted ufortably in their chairs after William spoke. No one missed the nervous
nces they threw at each other before they tried to regain theirposure and straightened
themselves. This wasn’t going to end well for either of them, she could tell by the way William watched
them like they were his prey.
Edward cleared his throat. “What do you mean, Prince William? We have no knowledge of any starving
viges in the north. As you’re aware, it’s not our ce to mess with anything to do with the north. If they
haven’t figured out how to ration their food supplies, that is not our concern.”
Warm tes of food were brought out by a few servants the moment he finished his sentence. The two
men didn’t even look at the servants or thank them as they ced the tes across the table. Almost as
if they weren’t even people to him.
The options were endless and made Doris’s mouth water, but also filled her with rage. While they were
here enjoying themselves on endless food and choices, people were running low in the north.
Dangerously low. They ate whatever they had and didn’t darein about it.
It irritated her further knowing that they didn’t expect any guests and all this food was prepared for the
two of them. She couldn’t imagine how much went to waste each week from these men. Food that could
feed a few families and then some. How could someone be so selfish? 1
William eyed the men, they didn’t dare reach for the silverware. They sat right in their chairs and they
even had the nerve to look a little guilty at the ridiculous spread of food. There seemingly was no
celebration of any sort, which meant they were used to eating this much.
“I know you are responsible for food distribution to the north once their taxes are paid. I saw first hand
how little stock they had. Not from just one, but from several viges. Food they need to feed their
families.”
Doris watched William speak like a true prince. He didn’t sit back and let his men talk for him, he took
control and steered the conversation in his direction. She admired that about him more than usual. She
wasn’t the only one that was changing.
“Prince William…” Edward leaned back in his chair and had the nerve to look sorry. “I don’t think you
understand how much we send them. If they are already low, it’s not on our heads. They are the ones
that.”
William mmed his hand against the table to silence him. “I didn’t ask you to feed me lies. I asked you
to tell me why you’re not sending them enough to live on. What I saw was horrifying, it wasn’t even
enough to finish out the month.”
“We simply don’t have enough food to send them more. We can’t risk our own viges starving.”
William looked around at all the food on the table. All the meats and sides that were more than enough
for two men. “Were you nning on feeding half the vige tonight?”
“We-well, we saw youing,”
“There is nothing I hate more than a liar, gentlemen. This food was done before we got here and you had
no intentions of sharing with anyone but your trash.” William leaned towards them. His voice was low and
filled with a silent rage that sent goosebumps across her skin. “I want their viges to be fully stocked
before the sunes up tomorrow.”
“Prince William, please. You don’t understand how impossible that is for us,”
William stood. “I want to try out a new strategy.” He pped his hands and all of his guards entered.
Enzo looked on in confusion that was quickly masked. William nodded to his guards and they crossed
the room and hauled up the two men like they were nothing.
“Hey-what the hell are you doing?” Mal shouted. Edward desperately tried to get out of their hold, but he
barely moved an inch.
“I could throw you in jail for cursing at a royal, but for now we will try out my newest idea.” William
reached across the table and took a piece of meat on his fork before he bit into it roughly. One of the
servants came in the room and widened their eyes at the scene before them. William smiled at them-
though it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Is there a closet in this house?” He asked politely. “Smaller the better.”
“Y-yes your majesty. Follow me.” She bowed. When the men started to object, his guards smacked them
in the head. Doris and Enzo quickly got up to follow them out of the room.
Right outside of the dining room was a small door. William opened it and his guards shoved the two men
inside. William mmed the door shut and another guard shoved a chair under the knob so they couldn’t
open it.
Immediately, the men started to pound against the door and demanded the be let out.
“This is ridiculous! We have done nothing wrong, let us out right this instant!” One of them shouted. Doris
wasn’t sure who, they sounded the same.
“I want you to know what it’s like to starve.” William said over their shouts. “We’re going to enjoy this
magnificent feast and if you two get hungry, I might allow you to have a bit of water.”
“Prince William, please!”
“I’m utterly repulsed by the both of you. No longer will I allow things to go unchecked like this. If you want
toe out, you’ll have to agree to send more food to the north. More than what they pay for.” o
“More?! Are you mad—“ The man coughed violently as if he tried to swallow the words back, but it was
toote. He’d already said them and William clenched his jaw at their words “We can’t do that, your
majesty.”
“Then I hope you understand more when you’re left without food for a few days.” William turned from the
door and faced the servants that only looked as if they wanted to cower away from him and hide into the
walls. Doris didn’t me them.
“You’re forbidden from opening this door, do you understand?” The maids nodded slowly.“ Good. Ignore
everything these pathetic men say.” .
“If you ask me, I think it’ll do them some good to be locked in there.” Enzo chimed in. He peered around
the door to look at the small closet. “They seem like they’re overdue for a life lesson.”
William walked past them and into the dining room. He filled a te of food and left it by the bottom of
the door as if to torture them with the smell. When he stood again, he pped his hands.
“Let’s not waste food, we should eat.”
They all followed William back to the dining room where he sat at the end like a king. He gestured for his
guards to join them and even the maids who stood off to the side nervously as if they didn’t know what
else to do.
Doris sat closest to him. She piled her te high, but not as high as Enzo did. He dug into his te like a
starved animal and it made her realize how hungry she really was. They ate in mostly silence, but it
wasn’t off. It was more like the type of silence where everyone had something on their mind and they
couldn’t think to say anything else. 1
Once the food was emptied and everyone had their fill, they all leaned back in their chairs. A sh of guilt
entered her. They ate like royalty while that vige was still suffering. Perhaps they should have just
brought it all to them,
No, that wasn’t the point. William was trying to make it so they never went hungry again-not like that. The
month wasn’t even close to being up and that was all they had. How could anyone survive off of what
they were given?
Low conversations passed around the table and carried onte into the evening. They ignored the pleas
to be released by the men who still hadn’t gotten a taste of remorse and Doris suddenly felt as if she
could sit here all night until they did.
gave them his blessing but stayed right where he was long after all the dishes were cleared and the left
overs were put away.
It wasn’t until dawn was approaching that the men finally came to their senses. “Fine. Let us out to
discuss the food trade for the north, Prince William.”
She wasn’t sure if she was imaging things, but William almost looked disappointed to hear they had
given up so easily. Perhaps they were more hungry than expected, considering they never missed a
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