Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 89: Royalty Has No Friends

William waited until the banquet was in full swing and people were dancing, before he snuck out of the great hall. He moved quietly down the warren of empty back corridors and stairs, grateful for Magdaline’s mazelike layout.

He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Camilla all evening. Despite Richard’s blasé logic, he was certain she was hiding something serious. She wouldn’t have isolated herself from everyone over some silly misunderstanding.

The bruises on her arm had William especially concerned, that and the way she’d tried to hide them.

He’d appeared to agree with Richard’s suggestion to not see the princess again, but he knew he wasn’t ever going to keep his word. "He doesn’t know her like I do." he whispered to himself.

William was determined to speak with her again and not to leave this time until she told him the truth. Surely he’d be able to help if she’d just swallow her pride and tell him what was wrong.

Moving silently through the castle’s south wing, he finally stopped outside the doors of Camilla’s presence chamber. He tested the handle and found the doors were unlocked. Opening one door, he slid silently into the room and looked around.

The chamber was empty apart from Camilla’s cat curled up asleep on a chair, eerie in the glow of a few candles burning down. He noticed the door to her bedchamber was slightly ajar and light was spilling out the gap.

He was relieved to see that she was still awake. The next moment though, he heard her voice. He was too far away to make out her words.

Another voice replied. A deep, masculine voice.

William’s heart started to pound in his ears. Who the hell was she talking to in her bedchamber at night?

Had she formed a liaison with someone else?

The thought of his actions having driven her to another man hit him like a blow to the stomach. He vowed to tear whoever the other man was, limb from limb.

William moved soundlessly towards the door and peered through the narrow gap into the bedchamber. Even if it killed him, he had to know if she was interested in someone else.

What he saw was nothing he could have ever imagined. It left him frozen in place with shock.

He could see Camilla across the room with her back pressed against a wall. Her eyes were scanning the bedchamber desperately as if looking for an escape. Her expression was stark with fear.

Richard’s broad back faced William and his words were cocky as he spoke to the girl.

Richard. Dear lord, no.

Had the two of them been seeing each other behind his back?

William thought he might vomit.

But as he listened, he quickly realised this was no romantic tryst. Instead, his oldest friend’s voice rumbled like a threat. "There’s no point screaming for help. It’ll be a bad look for you. You wouldn’t want to draw guards or servants running in here, would you? Because then they’d find out you faked an illness so you could skip the banquet and entertain a man in your room."

Camilla flinched. "That’s not true! I’ve never wanted you here. You know that-"

"What matters isn’t the truth, it’s what everyone will believe. If I say you tried to seduce me, who do you think will believe your word over mine?"

"As if I’d ever want to be around you. You’re a woman hating bully and a liar. Everyone knows that."

"I’m also the son of one of Islia’s greatest families and you’re an enemy charity case that nobody cares about. Your own kin doesn’t even want you." Richard laughed in her face. "Imagine what Will would say if he knew you tried to tempt his closest friend into your bed. What would your precious prince think of you then?"

Camilla’s face turned pale and she shook her head. "N-n-no. He’d listen to the truth. He’d believe me..." Her voice sounded unsure even to William.

Richard laughed harder. "Don’t be so fucking stupid. He lusts for you, I’ll admit. You’ve driven him half mad for months, he wants you so badly. But he’d never actually choose some wench he’s trying to bed over his best friend. And if he knows you’ve been with me behind his back - who knows? He might be angry enough to suggest to the king you be executed for being such a whore."

"Please, please don’t do this." William saw and heard her plead, her eyes glazing with tears. "I swear I’ll never tell anyone you were here if you just leave now. And I’ll never speak about what happened by the creek. Please-"

The creek?

It suddenly struck William that Camilla’s odd behaviour had started immediately after the day he’d seen her bathing in the creek with her ladies.

What the hell had Richard gone and done?

"Mmmm. It was a shame those hunters interrupted us that day before I could fuck you properly. I was enjoying myself so much, especially hearing you cry and beg for mercy. I had no idea a haughty wench could beg like that. Makes no sense why all these months you’ve acted like you were too good for me."

Camilla just hung her head, looking ashamed.

Feeling even more nauseous, William wanted to intervene and do something, anything. But he was locked in place and couldn’t move.

"I don’t know what I’ll relish more. Defiling you or knowing the woman that son of a bitch Will burns for more than anything in the world, is mine to enjoy and not his."

Camilla looked up into Richard’s face, shocked. "Why would you say that? He’s your friend. How can you speak about him that way?"

"Goddamn! William is not my friend! Never has been."

"What are you talking about?"

"How fucking slow can you be? Royalty has no friends! All your kind will ever have are people who just want to use you and your wealth." Richard hissed at her, then chuckled. "Well, maybe not you in particular since you have nothing. But Will’s rich so he’s useful to have around."

"He loves you like a brother..."

"So what? I don’t fucking care. All our lives, he’s gotten everything he’s ever wanted. Land, gold, wenches. No one has ever denied that spoiled little bastard anything. Everyone just fawns over him. But not this time. This time, I’m going to have what he wants and he’ll have to make do without. Now," Richard started shrugging off his outer tunic. "Undress."

"No."

"Take off your fucking dress or I will tear it from your back." Richard’s voice was a low, ugly growl.

Camilla stood very still and faced him, her face full of defiance. She then spit in his face.

"Bitch." Richard’s voice was oddly calm as he wiped his face. Then he hit Camilla across the face with a brutal backhand. She cried out from the pain as Richard started tearing at her clothes.

William saw her frantically trying to protect herself and escape his hands. When she tried to scream, a large hand clamped roughly over her mouth.

The door to the bedchamber creaked as William pushed it fully open and stepped into the room.

He locked gazes with Camilla for a brief moment. The fear and humiliation in her eyes were plain to see. She stopped struggling as she stared at him, disbelieving.

Richard threw a glance over his shoulder and his face went white when he laid eyes on the prince, who had started walking towards them ever so calmly.

Richard’s gaze veered wildly between the prince and the girl he was undressing by force. He then bellowed, "Get the hell away from me, whore!" and shoved Camilla to one side with such force, the side of her head hit the wall.

White spots appeared before her eyes from the impact, blurring her vision. Camilla tried to keep her balance but felt herself sliding down the rough stone wall.

"What is all this?" William spoke in a flat tone. "What are the two of you doing alone like this?"

"She invited me here because she said she wanted to talk about you, Will. She told me it was something serious." Richard explained hastily. "But the moment I stepped in here, she started throwing herself at me. I’ve been trying to fight her off."

"Huh. Is that so?" William murmured.

"No!" Camilla whispered. "You’ve lying."

"Shut up!" Richard yelled at her. "Shut your mouth, you lying slut."

She looked up at William with pleading eyes for a moment but said nothing more. Her head then dropped and shoulders slumped in defeat, as if she knew she had no chance of convincing him.

William felt a heavy hand land on his shoulder and pat him reassuringly. "I didn’t want to tell you previously, Will, but this isn’t the first time. This wench has been trying to seduce me for months, behind your back. She deserves some kind of punishment."

Camilla’s mouth fell open at Richard’s calm face as the brazen lies rolled from his lips.

"Let’s go, Will. Let’s leave this little whore behind and head back to the banquet. Tomorrow you can decide how she should be punished for trying to come between two brothers, aye?" Richard’s voice was warm and persuasive as he started guiding William towards the door.

William cast one last look at Camilla as Richard guided him to the door. She was sitting against the wall with her knees drawn to her chest, looking crushed.

Richard put his hand on the doorknob and gestured with his other hand for William to exit first.