The Prince's Choice ✔

Chapter Sixty Four • Punishment

First of all:

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO READ THIS STORY BEFORE AND AFTER THIS WEEKEND!

I started last week with about 12K reads and then something happened last Friday and here we are at almost 35,5K ?!?!?! Craaaazy! I am sending each and everyone of you so much love, previous readers and new ones! You are amaaaazing!

Secondly:

I am so nervous about this chapter, I hope you like it!

-William-

Before he knew it, Jade was on her way down the steps which separated them from the guard and the innkeeper. For his whole life William had been forced to constrain himself from acting on instinct, and that was the only thing keeping him in his seat right now. He wanted nothing more than to throw himself after Jade, and stop her from going down there. She had no idea what that guard could possibly do to her.

What the hell is she doing?! He screamed in his mind. There was not a single part in his body that wasn't tense as she came closer and closer to the criminal in front of them.

As William watched Jade walk past Loren, his anxiousness was calmed instantly. Her guard followed her without missing a single step. As Jade passed Loren, he followed her like a shadow. William was so relieved that his heartbeat slowed down almost immediately. However, he was still anxious about the fact that he had no idea of what Jade was going to do.

Thank God.

"What is she doing?" His father asked, leaning down to him. William raised his brows and shook his head.

"I have no idea." He answered and kept his mask on. He couldn't let anyone know how struck with panic he was right now. Not even his own father.

The innkeeper stood next to the man who had raped his daughter. The large and callous hands were nervously twisting a rag. From the look of it, it was one he used to clean counters and tables with, because it was full of stains and frayed.

They don't have much... William deduced from the state of the rag and the innkeepers clothes. Maybe they barely made ends meet?

The man threw a quick glance at the guard and his eyes burned with hellfire as he studied him, but there was also sorrow in his face. It was clear his heart was breaking for his daughter. That what had happened to her was something he would have done anything to prevent.

The whole throne room held its breath as Jade placed herself in front of the innkeeper. The guard looked her up and down before looking the other way. She looked so beautifully authoritative and strong in her obsidian black dress.

"Where is your daughter?" Jade's voice suddenly filled the dead-silent throne room. It echoed softly against the walls but there was a certain sternness to it. She wasn't asking, she was demanding an answer. William leaned forward a little, his elbows resting against the armrests of his throne.

"Keep calm, son..." His father mumbled and signaled with a subtle wave with his index- and middle fingers for him to lean back. "I know it's hard." He added when William gave him a dark look. How could he know how hard this was for him? His mother had never done anything like this... she had never caused his father this sort of concern.

"She is not here, milady." The innkeeper answered Jade and stole William's attention from his father. As the man spoke, he bowed his head to Jade. She tilted her head slightly to the right and William knew exactly what she was thinking.