Chapter 77
The carriage traveled long enough for Mamie and the other two women to wake up and start struggling, biting, and trying to get the shackles off. They shifted back into their human form and found that the shackles simply adjusted to the change in their sizes. They seethed and glared at Daphne.
"A traitor to the end, aren't you?" One of them asked.
Daphne looked at them as fury rose in her and glared at them, "Shut your mouth."
They flinched and their mouths clicked closed.
"Have you even considered anything that's going on? You're the ones who were itching to leave. Owen doesn't work with Nicole, he probably works with whoever you two overheard."
She winced at the pain in her head and the little spell of dizziness. Mamie's eyes widened as she stared at Daphne.
"I don't know what they want, but I have a feeling we're about to find out."
The carriage slowed to a stop. One of them stood and crouched, aiming their head at the door. When it opened, she leaped forward with a battle cry and went tumbling into the dirt, landing with a loud thud. Owen let out a little snort of derision standing at a distance as two vampires hauled the woman to her feet.
"How amusing," Owen said, "Get them out... Whitcomb wants Her Highness present for dinner."
She should have realized John was behind it. She shuddered in disgust at the thought of sharing a meal with him, but she didn't struggle as she was lifted out of the carriage and brought inside. Mamie seemed to be too deep in her mind to struggle. The three women were taken to another room after Owen took control of Daphne by her shoulder and led her through the manor. The manor was full of portraits of men and women who looked as though they were related to John, but none of them had the same pompous air that he had. His portrait was the largest in the hall and it didn't surprise her.
For a moment, she wondered if this was how Arthur felt dealing with the alphas and Tom. Owen opened the door and the scent of food wafted out. She looked up at Owen whose eyes betrayed nothing of his thoughts before he pushed her gently inside and closed the door behind her.
John was seated on the other side of the table. A plate was set out for her. A servant stood nearby with her head bowed low, holding a pitcher.
"Have a seat, Your Highness," John said with a smile. "I imagine we have a great deal to discuss.”
She doubted it, but she lifted her chin and approached the table. He tutted.
“Honestly, it is so hard to get good help these days. How are you meant to dine with me without the use of your hands?” he said before standing and rounding the table. “Unfortunately, I can’t risk releasing you, but it would be my pleasure to feed you.”
Her lips twitched and her stomach churned at the thought of being so close to him. He sat beside her and pulled his chair up to the table.
“How convenient it was to not have to figure out how to steal you from the castle for this conversation,” John said. “I had never imagined you would willingly walk outside the castle without proper escort.”
“Let them go.”
John chuckled, “Werewolves escaping the castle? It has never happened. What would your grandmother have said?”
“I don’t care,” Daphne said, “Let them go.”
John’s eyes twitched, “Make me an offer, Your Majesty. That’s the nature of negotiation, isn’t it?”
“You’ve kidnapped me,” Daphne said. “It’s a bit late to be speaking about negotiations.”
“You started this with your… affections for that werewolf,” John scoffed.
Daphne shook her head, “What do you want that you had to kidnap me?”
John smiled, “I told you before… I only wish to court you leading into marriage, of course. A full blood bond.”
Daphne narrowed her eyes at him as he scooped a bit of food onto a spoon and offered it to her.
“You must be famished–”
“You want to be king,” Daphne said, “The vampire domains have never had a king.”
He smiled, “They’ve never had a half-human queen either. See how much can change in so little time?”
“I would never marry you,” Daphne said, glaring at him. “I am happily married and mated and as soon as I get the chance, I’ll complete a blood bond with him.”
John’s jaw clenched and he glared at her, “Are you certain you want to be so stubborn?”
Daphne met his gaze, “Nicole will find you.”
John flinched and he stood, turning to the door, “Owen, take Her Highness to be held with her escort.”
Daphne stood and walked towards Owen before he could reach her side and exited the room. She heard the crash of dishes and glass as the door closed behind her.
“Bring me the commander! I want the werewolf king’s head!”
Daphne’s heart lurched as they walked in near silence down the corridor. She should be nervous, but Owen’s presence was oddly comforting, like a strange sense of familiarity. Maybe it was just nice to have another person with a beating heart nearby. Maybe she was just losing her mind. She wasn’t sure. Owen opened the door and Daphne entered. Mamie rushed to her.
“Are you alright?” Mamie asked, “What happened?”
The door closed behind her and she walked towards the back wall to crouch and speak softly to Mamie and the other woman.
“It’s John,” she said. “He wants me to marry him so he can be king, but I don’t think that’s all. He’s planning to attack the werewolf kingdom.”
She looked at the other two, “We need to keep calm and think of a way out of here.”
One of them hissed at her, “With bound hands?”
Daphne sighed, “All bonds can be broken somehow or someone has the key. We need to get out of here as soon as possible.”
Mamie swallowed, looking at her stomach.
Daphne frowned, “What is it?”
Mamie met her gaze, “You got dizzy in the carriage… Your mood shifted, didn’t it? You were more irritated than you usually would be.”
Daphne frowned, thinking back, “Well… maybe, but it’s been very stressful.”
“How long have you been having dizzy spells?”
Daphne shrugged, “I… I don’t know, maybe a few days.”
Mamie worried her lip, “Daphne… how has your appetite been?”
Daphne huffed, growling at her, “Is this really the time to be asking this?”
Mamie met her gaze and dropped her gaze to her stomach with a gaze that sent a stroke of fear through her.
“What… Why are you asking me that?”
“I’m trying to figure out how far along you are,” Mamie asked. “Cubs come in about three months, but you’re half-vampire. I have no idea what that will mean for you.”
Pregnant? Daphne looked down at her lap as the shock whirled through her. She hadn’t thought about it, hadn’t ever considered it a possibility because of everything that had been happening.
“I… I don’t know what to do.”
“Arthur likely doesn’t know,” Mamie said. “Or he would have never agreed to let you go. We have to get out of here, I agree, but we don’t have the time to try and plan it out like before. Do you understand?”
Daphne nodded shakily. She took a deep breath and focused on the idea of being able to tell Arthur they were having a child. He would probably be overjoyed just to see her again. Her heart ached at how much she missed him and she pushed it away.
“I understand… What are you thinking?”
Mamie looked at her shackles, “We need to get these off first. There doesn’t seem to be a guard outside, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one.”
She agreed and glanced around, “It’s not a castle or a tower. We should be on the ground floor, right? What about the window?”
Mamie winced, glancing at the window. It was high on the wall and a bit small to try and get through. It was also covered in bars. Daphne ruled that out as an option. She worried her lip.
“What about secret passages?’
“How likely is it that they put us in a room with a secret passage?” One of them asked.
It was unlikely, but it was worth a shot.
“You have any other ideas?” Daphne asked, “We’re all ears!”
Mamie stood and started searching the room for something to brace the shackles against to try and break them. The weak point in anything welded together was usually the welding point. If she could find something to drop on a few links to weaken them further or to snap the welded circles free of the cuffs, they’d be free.
There wasn’t much in the room. A single bed, a few chairs, a dresser, and a door leading into a bathing room. An idea came to mind and she hurried to the bathing room, barely suppressing the squeal of relief at the sight of the large metal tub.
“Perfect.”
