Chapter 134

Chapter 134 Another traitorous thing

Another night of rest followed by food was all Doris needed to feel okay again. Or, close enough to okay.She was required to take it easy for at least another day and she couldn’t complain about that. After thethe days of riding and then immediately falling sick, her body needed her to take it easy before itcollapsed entirely.

Desperately, she wanted to forget the dream that kept trying to come back to corrupt her mind whenevershe closed her eyes. Blood coated the walls around her all over again as if she was still in the room.What did her dream mean? Was it some sort of warning, or just another ridiculous scene that came fromher deepest fears as William said?

It wouldn’t make sense for it to be a warning, William would never give up the crown for her and shewouldn’t want him to. She didn’t see herself as a bride any time soon and Beth would have thrown aparade if she knew that Doris was marrying a prince

-so what did it all mean?

Perhaps there was something deeper and darker inside her that had its own concerns.

Doris got up from her disastrous bed and changed out of her sweaty clothes. She wasn’t sure whereWilliam had gone, but she was relieved to have a moment alone especially gayer the dream of him.

Cleaned up and somewhat fresh, she crept down the hall and peeked in on the room next to her own.Enzo laid in a deep sleep with a bit of sweat gleaming on his forehead. She heard him screaming in themiddle of the night, she wondered if he had already passed through his wretched dreams or if he wasstill in the middle of one. William had said he was much sicker than she was, perhaps he would be outanother day because of it. Silently, she closed the door again.

The stairs creaked under her feet as she carefully made her way down the stairs. The house was quietwith sleep and sickness, she wondered if anyone else had fallen ill while she was out. Were his guardsokay?

William sat at the kitchen table with his head bent over a book of some sort. His eyes snapped up to herthe second she stepped further into the room. They were completely alone, surprisingly. It wasn’t evennight out yet. “You shouldn’t be up.” He said and closed what he was reading. Doris moved to sit acrossfrom him.

“I didn’t want to lay there anymore, it was making me stir crazy.” She sighed and leaned her head on herpalm. Her hair was a wild mess, but there were no signs of brushes anywhere nearby. Even William hadhis hand tossed waves on full display. She had to curl her fingers closed just to prevent herself fromrunning them through his soft hair. Oh yes, she was definitely feeling much better if she was justthinking of his appearance rather than wanting to die.

“I just got some disturbing news.” William said lowly. He glanced over his shoulder to confirm they werealone.

Doris straightened in her chair and leaned closer to him. “Oh no, what happened? Did someone die inthe village?” “No. Not yet, many of them are close to it, though.” William cleared his throat. “I had one ofmy guards go ahead to the kingdom to see how people are holding up there and what we should expect.He came back much faster than I expected him to with the news.”

“Oh no… what happened?” Doris reached across the table to grip his hand, he let her. A small bloom ofpanic formed in her chest, she silently prayed that all the villagers at the castle were fine—as well as theprinces. “The sickness isn’t there. No one is sick there from this and they had no idea what he wastalking about when he asked around about it.” “What?” Doris furrowed her brows. “That makes no sense,why would your palace send you a letter—“

It dawned on her right then, and something about his face made her realize that he already knew too.

“Luna Queen.” They said at the same time.

“Was this some sort of big set up? Why did she want you to race home for this?”

“I was just thinking how strange it was that we found that man out in the middle of the main road. Right inour direct path back to the kingdom.” William leaned back in his chair.

“She must have set all of this up—but why?” Doris frowned. “She wanted us to be stopped by that manand lured here where all these sick people are.” Doris wasn’t sure if they were going to be ambushed ornot. The villagers truly looked as if they were about to die. She didn’t think they would willingly letsomeone make them this ill, she felt just how real their sickness was. There was no way they were fakingjust to trick him.

But—why would she infect an entire village of people?

“Do you think she wanted you to come here so you could get sick and die? This village clearly has nomedicine and the supplies is running dangerously low.” Doris said. She glanced at the kitchen. Therewasn’t that much food left in there, where did they get more if everyone was as sick as they were?

“I think it’s possible she did. We already know she wanted me dead here, it’s why she planned thewhole poison thing. She wanted me to die up here.” William said.

“Perhaps when she realized she hadn’t heard back if you were dead or not, she took measures a littlefurther and tried to get everyone sick.”

“She doesn’t realize my blood fights against it. It cured you and Enzo, she doesn’t realize I have that sortof power. If she did, she might have killed me in my sleep at the palace or just poisoned me right there.”4

“What should we do?” Doris asked quietly. She felt so angry inside, her rage was waking up as her bodyregained energy. But she still didn’t want to wake the rest of the house. “We have to stop her before she

goes even further. This was… this was far enough. She got an entire village sick.”

“I might be able to save them. I don’t know if I should, though. They took part in her scheme.” Williamgrumbled. Doris squeezed his hand and brought her own hand back to her lap.

“I don’t think they agreed to be infected like this. I don’t know about the man that lured you here, perhapshe was told you were the one that could help him so he quickly wanted you to come with him.” Dorisspoke gently. His mouth was still in a permanent frown and she didn’t know how to fix it. “They shouldn’tall die because of her ruthless games.”

William sighed and rubbed his face. He looked so tired, she wanted to lay with him forever.

“Alright.” He stood. “I can put it in the tea and not tell them about it.”

Doris hopped up and followed him to the kitchen. They spent hours delivering hot tea to each of the sickvillagers. William had to sit near the end when he gave up more blood than she expected him to.

Doris bundled up and delivered the last batch of tea. Already she saw many had drained their cups andfell into a deep sleep they wouldn’t wake up from for quite some time.

When she returned back to the cabin, it was still dead quiet. It had to be nearing nightfall, she didn’t thinkshe had ever heard an entire village fall so quiet as if no one else was there.

William watched as she removed her coat and boots. When she walked close to him, he grabbed herwaist and seated her on his lap. She gave out a small yelp that he silenced with a kiss that could haveleft her dizzy for days.

“Do you know how hard it’s been watching you in that bed?” He whispered against her lips. Doriswrapped her arms around his shoulders.

“Thank you for saving me. Again.” Doris whispered. He smiled against her lips, she had to pull away justto witness it. It was half the size of a regular one, but it was true art on him. She never wanted to forgetit.

He didn’t even notice her watching him, his eyes were directly on her mouth and she felt her core achewhen she noticed the hint of heat in his gaze.

Doris leaned forward to whisper in his ear, “Take me somewhere they won’t hear us.”

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