Chapter 211

Carol’s POV

“You banished her?!” I gasped, staring up at him in shock. “I don’t understand. Why would you do that?”

He furrowed his brows at me, and I could see the look of disapproval on his face. I’m sure he’s not used to anyone raising their voices at him, but I couldn’t help myself. I couldn’t believe he would banish Alison like that. She was a sweet girl, and she was the one who guessed I had been poisoned. If it weren’t for her, who knows what would have happened to me? I wanted to say that to him, but I stood before him with a shocked expression and my mouth hanging open.

“As I said, she was the one who served your tea,” Bennet said, folding his arms across his chest. “She can’t be trusted.”

“She didn’t know it was poisoned,” I argued, shaking my head. “It wasn’t her fault.”

“We don’t know that for sure. As far as anyone knows, she was the only one who handled the tea,” he explained.

“Anyone could have slipped the poison into the mug though,” I all but shouted. “She turned her back for one minute and that was all it took.”

His frown deepened as he took in my face.

“Which meant she wasn’t doing her job,” King Bennet repeated. “There is no room for mistakes in my manor.”

Aiden wrapped an arm around me, pulling me into his side.

“Let’s get upstairs; you need to rest,” he told me softly.

I couldn’t rest knowing that Alison was being banished by her pack. What was she supposed ot do? Her entire family was here; everyone she knew was there. Sending her off into the world without a pack, or without any support system was pretty much signing her death certificate. I felt sick knowing another maid could die because of me.

The King didn’t say anything more; he nodded at Aiden to escort me away while he walked in the opposite direction to his office. I stared at his retreating back, my mouth hanging out. I couldn’t believe that had just happened.

I turned to Aiden.

“She’s going to die if we end up banished,” I said in a harsh whisper. “We can’t let that happen.”

He gave me a small smile and tucked a strand of loose hair behind my ear.

“I didn’t think you’d just sit back and let this happen to the maid,” he told me. “She’s been helpful towards us, and I don’t believe she had anything to do with the poison. So, I already mindlinked Oliver and told him to get a room prepared for her at the Capitol packhouse. I will welcome her into our pack.”

My eyes grew large when I stared up at him.

“Wait, seriously?” I asked; my heart nearly in my throat. “You’d let her join our pack?”

“Do you trust her?” He asked me before he answered my question.

I nodded; I didn’t know her well, but I did trust her. I didn’t think she would betray us and I honestly think she would want to get away from Jenna.

“Yes,” I answered.

“Then, yes. I’m willing to let her join our pack. Only if she wants to though. Obviously, we need to speak with her about it and not force her.”

“Let’s go the maid’s quarters and see if we can see her,” I said, grabbing onto his hand.

Aiden chuckled at my eagerness, and he willingly followed me across the manor until we reached the servant wing. I’ve never actually been inside this section of the manor; I’ve only passed by it. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, especially at this late hour. I pulled open the large wooden doors and I was honestly surprised by how busy the area. It was a large open space; it probably had to be because of all the workers that ran around the manor.

We stepped into what looked like a living room space and there were a ton of doors that I’m assuming led into the bedrooms, maybe even bathrooms, and a kitchen area where they ate. I hadn’t seen a single servant eating in the large dining room, so I guessed they had dined in their quarters.

It was past hours that most of the servants were needed, so most of them were hanging out and talking amongst themselves. When Aiden and I appeared in the room, they all turned to look at me, their eyes wide with alert as they took me in.

“Is… is that the lost princess?” One of them whispered to another.

The lost princess? Is that what they’ve been calling me?

“I think so,” she replied, looking horrified. “Why do you think she’s here?”

A plump-looking woman with greying red hair and fair green eyes stood from the couch on the other side of the room. She walked towards me with a plastered smile on her lips and when she reached me, she bowed her head.

“Princess, it’s an honor to finally meet you. I’m sorry I haven’t introduced myself sooner; things have been quite hectic here lately. My name is Eleanore; I have been the head maid for over a decade now.”

I gave her a polite smile.

“No need for formalities, Elenora. You can call me Carol,” I assured her. “And this is my mate Aiden.”

She lifted her gaze to meet Aiden’s, and her eyes grew large when she met his eyes.

“Alpha…” she breathed. “It’s an honor for this visit, Alpha Cruz. Miss Carol, have we done something wrong to cause this late-night visit?”

I realized at that moment that they all thought they were in trouble and that was why I was in their quarters. I wondered if Jenna often came to the quarters to inflict punishments and that’s why they were all afraid of my presence.

“No, of course not,” I said, waving off her concerns. “I’m not here for anything like that. I heard what happened to Alison and I was hoping to speak with her.”

Eleanora’s eyes widened and her face paled almost immediately. She looked up at me and then at Aiden, before readdressing me.

“She had been banished,” she said in a soft tone. “She is packing her things right now; her family is with her. They fear for her life, but not enough to go with her.”

Eleanora looked disapproving; she folded her arms across her chest and shook her head at the mention of Alison’s parents.

“It’s a shame. She’s a young girl and has no sense of direction. They know she won’t survive, but if they go against the King and the rest of the empire, it could also cost them their lives.”

“But they are her family,” I said, my brows furrowed. “Wouldn’t they want to be with her always?”

Eleanora rolled her eyes and then her cheeks reddened when she realized what she had done.

“I apologize,” she said, shifting her gaze downward. “I just feel for the girl. If I had any children, I would never allow them into the world without a pack. It’s a cruel fate.”

I nodded.

“Yes, I agree,” I told her. “May we speak with her? We might have a solution.”

She looked surprised by my words and then after a moment, she nodded.

“Her room is up the stairs and the second door on the right,” she told me, pointing to the spiral staircase.

I ignored everyone’s curious gaze as I walked up the stairs, Aiden following closely behind me. When we reached the second floor and walked down the small and dimly lit hallway, I paused outside of her bedroom door when I heard some muffled talking.

“Why don’t we just try and talk to the King again,” A woman said, her tone indicating that she’s been crying.

“It’s no use, Mom. He’s already made up his mind,” another voice, Alison, murmured, sniffling.

“Why aren’t we going with her again?” Another voice, someone younger asked.

“Your mother is pregnant, and we have a small baby,” a male, maybe Alison’s father, answered. “If we leave, we would be as good as dead and we have to think about them as well.”

“It’s okay,” Alison said softly. “I understand. You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll be okay…”

“Please tell me it's not true though, Ally,” her mother said as a sob broke through her lips. “Tell me you didn’t poison the King’s daughter.”

“I already told you, I didn’t do it. But I think I know who did,” Alison whispered hoarsely. “I can’t say it out loud though. At least not here…”

I knocked on the door, not wanting to listen to this any longer. Their voices immediately stopped, and I heard one of them, maybe Alison, suck in a sharp breath. When they didn’t answer the door, I sighed.

“Alison…” I said, pressing my ear to the door. “It’s me, Carol. Can I come in?”

“Carol?” She asked, shock evident in her voice.

After a moment of pause, the door creaked open, and I stood in front of a large man with worry clear in his eyes. He bowed his head, much like Eleanore had done downstairs and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.

“Princess,” he said, bowing even lower.

The rest of his family, besides Alison, followed suit.

“Princess,” they all said at the same time.

“Honestly, everyone has to stop doing that,” I muttered, making Aiden vibrate with laughter beside me. “I came here to speak to Alison about something.”

Alison stepped around her family and her big watery eyes lifted to meet mine.

“I’m so sorry, Miss Carol,” she whispered. “I never wanted you to get hurt. I didn’t know at the time what had happened, or else I would have never given you the tea…”

I gave her a kind smile as I stepped closer to her.

“I know, Alison. I don’t think banishing you was right. I yelled at the King about it…”

The woman behind me sucked in a sharp breath at my words. When I turned to look at her, I saw that she was basically an older version of Alison. She was pretty but also subtle. She was incredibly pregnant and, in her arms, slept a small 1 year old baby boy. I guessed this was her mother.

Standing beside her was a young girl that looked more like her father than anything; but she had Alison’s big eyes and the same worry crease between her brows. I guessed this was her sister. I hadn’t seen any of them around the manor before and I wondered if they worked here as well, or if they were just here to see their daughter off.

“You yelled at the King?” Her mother asked, still in shock. “And you lived to tell the tale?”

“Of course she did,” Alison’s father said. “She’s his daughter. He would never hurt her.”

Ignoring them, I turned to face Alison again.

“I know you are innocent and, in a way, the King does too. That’s why you haven’t been sentenced to death,” I told her.

Her father scoffed.

“Banishing her might as well be a sentence to death,” he murmured. “She’ll never survive on her own.”

Her mother let out another sob.

“That’s a terrible thing to say about our daughter,” she scolded, but the tearful cry in her tone said that she believed him.

“I’m not trying to be disrespectful, but we need to be realistic. Alison has never been without a pack before…”

Alison lowered her gaze to the ground and bit her lower lip, shame washing over her.

My expression softened as I looked at her.

“And she won’t have to,” I told her. “She can come to my pack and live with us.”