The second chapter to The Duchess of Derbyshire

Secrets unveiled

“Get your grimy hands off me!” Christine ordered as she attempted to push one of the men away.


They just laughed at her, and kept walking. Soon they came to an opening in the forest where there were more men and tents set up. From the looks of it, these men had been in this spot for quite some time. Christine looked around, searching for Paul. As if he could read her thoughts, one of the men whispered,

“They took him to our commander.”

Christine looked at him. He couldn’t be more than her age. His big blue-green eyes looked sorrowfully at her. Tears suddenly filled his eyes, he opened his mouth to say something, but instead he turned and walked swiftly away. Puzzled at this, Christine watched him walk away, he somehow looked familiar. She tried to think of where she had seen him before, but nothing came to mind. The other two men led her to a post in the middle of the camp; there they tied her wrists together. She cried out in pain when one of the men tied the rope too tightly. He chuckled, but the other man slapped the back of his head and loosened the rope around her wrist.

“Why are you doing this to us?” Christine asked the man who had loosened the rope.

“Why don’t you ask your man when he comes and joins you?” He replied.

“He is not my ‘man’! He is quite the opposite!” She stated coldly.

His voice boomed as laughter flowed from his lips.

“So you give that kind of kiss to everyone you dislike? Does that mean that you’ll give me one too? Or do you like me?”

Her face burned with embarrassment. No one had ever said anything to her like that before, and she was speechless.

“I-uh- no.” She stammered. Her thoughts were suddenly jumbled together.

He laughed again, and walked away.

Christine sat there in the dirt, watching men sharpen their tools, and talk to each other. Sometimes there would be a disagreement, and a few punches would be thrown, but the hours drug on. Christine became very uncomfortable, and tired. She moved around a couple of times until she found a comfortable position. After a while she nodded off.

A foot kicked the sole of her foot, and she sat up, startled. She looked up, and squinted against the sun that was beating down in her eyes. A shadowy form hovered over her. She opened her mouth to scream, but a “Silence, Woman!” stopped her in her tracks. Instead of the scream, she cried out “Paul!” Then memories of the hours before came back, and the tone of her voice changed from relief to anger as she once again said his name. “Paul! How could you do this to me? Where have you been? Why are you freed, and I’m still tied up?!”

“Well, if you would shut your mouth, I would gladly untie you.” He retorted. He bent down, and took a knife out of his pocket and started to untie her.

“Who are these men? And why did they take us? Why did you have to see the Commander?” She tossed out questions.

He gave her a grim look and said “You ask too many questions. They should have gagged you too.”

Ignoring his remark she asked again “Who are these men?”

“They are soldiers.”

“Who’s?”

“Mine.”

Christine was stunned. “How can they be yours? You’re not royalty! And if they were yours, why did they handle us in this matter and tie me up?”

Paul, who by now had finished untying her, threw the knife on the ground and started to swiftly stomp away.

“Oh don’t you dare walk away from me again!” Christine yelled fighting to get up, for the hours that she had been on the ground had left her joints stiff and sore. “Answer my question Sir!” She persisted.

He suddenly stopped and turned around, which caused Christine to bump into him. She could feel the tingles shoot through her being once again. She took a step back, but still kept eye contact with him.

His voice was husky when he said, “You know nothing about me. All that I told you back there in your world was a lie.”

“My world? And yes- I know that. Are you going to tell me the truth now?”

He hesitated before saying, “This here is my world. This is where I grew up. Here I am known as Prince William- the next heir to the throne.”

“W-what?!” Christine exclaimed. Normally she wouldn’t believe a story like that, but seeing this place changed her opinion. “Why did they treat you they did back in the field?”

Paul sighed and said, “Three weeks ago my father became deathly ill, after much investigation, my uncle was discovered to have been poisoning his food. But before we could capture him, he released an army he had been secretly forming. They overthrew my father’s empire, and I was forced into hiding. And my father- I don’t know if he is still alive.”

Christine couldn’t believe her ears. This man was a prince? In hiding?

“How did you discover my world? And- once again- why did your army treat you like they did?”

Paul looked around before answering, “My old tutor discovered your world years ago. He was experimenting with some new potions when he accidently spilt two of them together, it exploded, and when the smoke died down, there formed a hole in the ground. He dared to go into the hole and in there was a staircase. He followed it down, and there was a tunnel. He followed the tunnel until it ended. That is when he came upon your world. He had never seen anything like it. People were everywhere, no one showed respect for anyone. There were thieves and liars, heartless and cruel men, and women were allowing themselves to be treated like trash.”

Christine looked down and her cheeks blushed when he got to the end.

Paul saw it, but continued anyway. “He spent a whole day in your world.  After that one day, he vowed to never go there again. He kept his secret hidden until my life was endangered. He saw no other way to keep me safe.”

Christine was silent as she processed everything Paul was telling her. He allowed a minute of silence, then continued.

“The reason my soldiers treated me that way is because my uncle got a hold of some of my professor’s potion, and is now able to change to anyone and anything he chooses. A week before I went into hiding he made himself look like me, and tried to get my army and his to combine. Luckily my commander knew better than to believe that, and asked for identification. Well my uncle of course had no idea he meant our secret password, and so he knew at once that it wasn’t me.”

“Why didn’t your commander take your uncle into custody?” She asked.

“He couldn’t do anything while my uncle was still dressed like me. Everyone there thought that he was me.”

“Oh. Right.” Christine replied.

Right then, a noise in the bushes next to them stopped anymore talking. Paul put his finger to his lips, signaling for Christine to be quiet. Slowly Paul moved towards the bush, whoever or whatever was in there could have easily heard their conversation. If it was a man, then they were in trouble.