Her Unwanted Mate On The Throne

Chapter 184 Plans are hard to keep

Prince Martin showed Doris every room in the house, even where Beth was staying. Her mind was far from him even as he tried to keep the excitement through it all. He painted an image of happiness in front of her, but she only saw misery, She tried to memorize every step she took and every exit she saw just in case her time for escape came. She laid out each hallway in her mind and followed the direction from her room a hundred different ways until she knew exactly where the exit was. Once she was alone, she waited a few hours before she tested the door. Even when she knew it wasn't locked, it still sent a thrill of shock through her when it opened. Her hands trembled as she pulled it open. Doris poked her head out of the hall and immediately flinched when she saw the same guards staring right back at her. She quickly smiled. “Just a bit hungry.” “We can get you something from the kitchens if you need, my lady.” One of the guards said. He stared down at her as if he didn't trust anything about her. She supposed she didn't trust anything about him, either. "Oh, no. I need a walk. I couldn't ask you to go out of your way for me, either.” She smiled and pulled her cloak tighter around her. When they said nothing, she took her first step out into the hall. A small taste of freedom made her want to kiss the grounds. They didn't stop her, but they followed her the moment she started heading towards the kitchen. She could hear their steps in the dim hallway mirror her own from behind her. She briefly wondered if there would ever be a day in her life where something didn't follow her. When Doris got to the kitchen, the smells almost made her faint. She'd forgotten to eat again and she wanted to curse herself for being so foolish. She didn't have the luxury of only caring for herself when there was now a life inside her. At least Beth wasn't there to scold her even further. She sat on a stool at the island that overlooked the stoves. Both of the chef's glanced back at her as if she was a strange object that just rolled into their kitchen. “Hello. Sorry to bother you, I was hoping for something to eat.” She said kindly. They bowed their heads and quickly turned away from her again as if she said nothing at all. Faster than she thought possible, a plate of food was set in front of her on an elegant plate with Prince Martin's initials. Doris almost rolled her eyes but remembered herself. “Thank you very much.” They bowed their heads again and left through the kitchen door with a pot still stewing on the stove. She glanced back at the guards to see them staring straight ahead in the back of the room. The plate held small a meat pie with diced potatoes and a dinner roll. She didn't care if the men watched her tear through every last bite until it was empty. The silverware gleamed back up at her. She discreetly shoved the knife into her sleeve as she reached for her water. “Would it be possible to visit my friend tonight?” Doris asked innocently. She hopped off the stool and turned to look at the men, the knife felt heavy in her sleeve but neither of them looked suspicious. “Not tonight, my lady. Would you care to go back to your room now that you've eaten?” Doris furrowed her brows and opened her mouth to argue, but quickly swallowed her words. She didn't need them on her bad side if they were the ones that followed her everywhere. Instead, she smiled. “Of course, thank you.” The next day, Doris wasted no time. She hid her knife on her belt under her cloak before she ventured out into the halls. The guards didn't have time to ask where she was going before they had to hurry just to keep up with her. She headed straight for Beth's room, but almost screamed when Prince Martin stepped in her way. “Out for a walk?” He asked with a smile. “Oh! My, you scared me.” She cleared her throat. “Yes. I was hoping to see Beth today. It's been a while since we spoke last and I quite miss her.” “I don't think she would mind if I stole you away for a little bit.” He held out his arm for her to take. Doris sighed inwardly and accepted. “I had hoped to talk to you shortly, if you don't mind.” Something about the way he said it told her that she didn't have an option with this conversation. It would happen with or without her approval. “About what?” “William has gone a bit mad, my informants have told me that he found you missing and he’s now tearing through my army looking for you.” It was like a warmth spread through her bones at the thought of William coming for her. She was almost afraid to respond incase she said the wrong thing. “Oh?” “Yes. It's strange, because he sent a letter this morning, demanding a meeting with me.” Doris’s heart raced in her chest. Did he know where she was? Was he coming for her? “Oh, very interesting.” Doris said lightly. “He also said he wants you to be there to make sure I didn't kill you.” Martin snorted. Doris once would have laughed at the polished prince doing something like that. Now it only made her shiver with disgust. Everything about him made her want to recoil. “Are you going to meet with him?” Doris asked. She tried her best to sound uninterested, but she knew that he would see right through it. She hadn't been here that long, he knew her heart still laid with him. It was best not to ask too much. Prince Martin stared at her silently for a moment. “I am. He will be here by tonight.” Her heart skipped a beat. Tonight? She would see him again tonight? Doris prayed all of this would be over, she prayed the war would end and they would come to an understanding. Most of all, she prayed that he would get her out of here if her own plans fell short. But as she walked further with him down the hallway, she knew that wouldn't be so. He would never let her go-everything he built here was for her. For them to live together away from the palace in this life he made without her say. “I want you to tell him to leave here.” Prince Martin said calmly. “I want you to tell him you're happy here and he doesn't need to come save you.” Doris said nothing, so he continued. “I know you might still be confused for your true feelings, so I thought a little push might help you decide quicker.” “A push-" “If you agree to send him away, I'll free your friend. If not, you'll never see her again.” Doris stopped dead in her tracks at his words. It felt like a dark cloud fell over them. “What did you just say?” He looked so calm, unaffected, and even friendly as he looked down at her. “I had Beth moved the moment we got the letter. I knew you wouldn't have it in you to be cruel to William so I thought this might motivate you.” 2 Doris pushed away from him. “What did you do to her? Where is she?” “She's fine. We moved her to the cellars underground until all of this is sorted.” A flash of Beth in a dark cell made Doris sick to her stomach. She almost collapsed right in front of him . “Please, don't hurt her. She's done nothing wrong, she shouldnt even be here!” “I know that, which is why we haven't harmed a hair on her head. If it was anyone else, they might not have been so lucky.” Prince Martin took a step towards her, she took one back. Her eyes blurred with tears that threatened to pour out. “I'll give William the crown. He was right, I never truly wanted to be a king. I let others call the shots because I couldn't care less what happened to the kingdom. I sat back and let the world happen around me-too afraid to join in. I'm through with that.” “Why didn't you give it to him sooner?” Doris said weakly. “None of this had to happen, your mother would still be alive.” “Because he had you. He had everything I wanted and the only thing I ever asked for.” Prince Martin's kindness was starting to crack, she could see his anger trying to pour out of him. “I'll give him the crown, if he gives you up in return.” 2