Chapter 29

I’m here to get you out of here.

W Derin glowy chwed towards the voice and fripped the bars that separated their cells. She cauldn’t see him in the darkness, he didn’t even know there orke close by. She fushed red. He mus have heard all the mights she cried herself to sleep. Why hadn’t he said anything sooner? “I’m not going to trme others. Loris and quietly. “No matter what he does to me, it’s just not right.”

The older man stopped out of the shadows and came closer to Laris. “Even if it would save your life?

Even then. I believe in justice.” Doris swallowed and leaned her side against the bars. She wined at the pain that nicocheted through her body. “Prince Wiihim will judge fairly. I believe that.”

“There is no fair justice in this kingdom under their ruling.” The old man chuckled lightly to himself, but not at her. He looked kind, she wondered what he was doing in this prison. “Unfortunately. It’s been like that for a long time. All they truly care about here is power.”

They must care to find the real person that was responsible for what happened.” Doris said weakly.

lately it only felt like she was trying to convince herself. It was hard to find hope in such a dark place. Her mind kept flashing with the sight of Melody’s lifeless body staring up at nothing. Half of her felt a bit of relief that she would never have to serve her again, but that hall also filled her with an unbelievable guilt. She never for a second wanted anything to happen to Melody, she wanted her to make him happy until Boris could leave Now.. that clearly was never golng to happen.

“What did happen if I may a?” The main Hi on The ground closer to her. His face was water and curious.

His beard was a bit too long as if he’d been in here quite a while, the rest of himn had dirt TOSS his clothes and skin.

“Oh, well I suppose you haven’t heard if you’ve been in here.” Doris sighed and closed her eyes for a moment to block out the images. “I was serving soup to the royal members and the bowl that was meant for Luna Queen had been poisoned. I didn’t know it was, I mistakenly gave it to Prince William’s Lady Melody and she collapsed at Luna Queen’s party. In front of everyone It Was homble.”

“Hmm,” The mti hurmmed as he took in her words. “I assume they think you did it, then?”

Doris nodded and brushed a tear off her bruised cheek. She could easily close her eyes and sleep for temity with the way she felt. “I wasn’t Even meint. to be there 1—- Doris hesitated, she didn’t want to Teveal why she wasn’t meant to be there. “I had the night off Another had maid injured herself and asked me to fill in for her.”

The old man frowned a little. “Were you close with the lady the was poisoned?”

“Oh, well. I was her Lady’s Maid, that’s all.”

“You weren’t friends?

“I was taught that it was improper to be friends with a royal member.” Doris silently added that Melody despise everyihing about Dars. She was Have that it bathered lwr wheney Toris in breathed around her. But this man didn’t need to know any of that, it was wrong to speak badly af the dead.

The old man humined again and shook his head Handly. “They’re just people, Hike you and I.” *They’re royalty, I was born frarn nothing.”

“Being born from nothing doesn’t mean you won’t become something great.” The old man said. Doris stared at him in silence for a moment before she smiled a little. It hurt to even do that.

“Did Jack do that to you?” He gestired to her injuries, Doris nodded, “And you still didn’t tell him what he wanted to hear Doris slowly lifted her attention to the old man when he used Frince Jack’s name so casually. Who was this man? “It would’ve been a lie if I said what he wanted to hear. He wants me to admit to something I haven’t done, or blame someone else for it.”

*Do you care about the person he wants you to blame?” The old man asked, his face curious.

Doris hesitated. She didn’t want to admit she hated Prince William. “I… I just think that it wouldn’t be the right thing to do regardless of how I feel about that person. Nobody deserves to be punished if they’re innocent.”

He smiled at her, Doris could see the moonlight shine on his wrinkled features. “You have a kind soul, young lady. I think it takes a lot of courage to remain true to yourself. Anyone else would have thirun the first person they could think of to the IIN “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I will the reason one else wit blamed.” Doris wighed and rubbed her eyes What if it really was the person they wanted yai to blame?” He asked the question lightly, cursus to see where her mind might wander.

“If it is, I believe the truth always comes to light but —” Doris thought back to the party. Prince William had been acting normally. he wasn’t on edge or tensed. He wis drinking and watching her but that wasn’t something out of the ordinary. The bowl was meant for Luna Queen and he saw her give it to Melody and didn’t even blink in tye. “I don’t believe it was who they sold at all. I think the person would have come from the kitchens or been near all of the bowls before they were served.”

His eyes traveled over each of her wounds. First the ones on her face, then the ones on her afins and legs. He looked more and more sad the longer he looked at them, but she didn’t want his pity. She would heal eventually just as she had before.

The old man tilted his head as he brought his eyes to her own again, a small smile on his face. “May I see your broken foot? I want to help.” Doris raised her brow’s in question, she nodded her head and carefully brought her foot closer to the bars for him. to see. He lightly touched her skin where it looked the ugliest. A large, purple bruised already bloomed around the bruise. He took a sharp stone from the floor and sliced his hand open before she could even move and poured the blood on top of her wound.

The man touched his blood is the other wounds hek had given her slowly the pain started base away from her and become something drill and manageable. She stared at himn in shock-as well as a little lear.

“Are you a- wizard? Or a vampire? How are you The old man laughed a little and shook his head.” No need to worry yourself, my dear. I didn’t want to see a kind girl like you suffer.”

“Your… your blood can heal people?” Deris asked. her eyes widened with disbelief. “H…how?”

“Tell me, do you want to get out of here?” He asked suddenly, Dons gazed down at her bum that was now mostly gone.

“Yes… Yes of course I do, but I can’t-they won’t let me leave until they decide my fate.”

A loud thud echoed outside their cells, they both silenced and turned towards the noise. Doris could hear her heart ram inside her chest as another bump sounded in the darkness. She couldn’t see anything there were only small torches by each of the cell doors but the rest of the hallway was mostly in the dark.

A few moments later, a masked man appeared from the shadows and stopped in front of the old man’s all Ho har Chr I’m hara ta att af hara”