Before

The Next Day

Cyan was lying on her bed and reading a book as usual when the door of her room opened. She was engrossed in the book but it did not stop her from hearing the sound of the door opening.

She assumed that it was King Nixon that walked into her room. After he left last night, she decided that she would not allow him to mess with her again. The last thing she needed was a distraction on her mission.

She was finally going to get the revenge that she had always wanted and she does not need a man to make her heart run a marathon.

"What is it that you want again, King Nixon?" She asked without caring if she sounded rude or not. The way he behaved last night was not gentlemanly in her opinion and so, he does not deserve gentle and kind behavior from her either.

It's not as if she was trying to impress him or anyone else anyways.

"When did I become a King?" The person asked back.

'That is not King Nixon.' She thought to herself. She looked up from her book and saw Dherek standing at the door with a mischievous smile on his face.

"Oh, I should have known that it is you. You never knock." She said, disinterestedly.

"But you did not know." He said and walked into the room. "What does King Nixon want again, huh? Was he here last night?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" She asked back clip tone of voice. "You asked what he wants again? Is that not obvious? The only time you could have met and talked was last night. So tell me what happened." He asked her, his voice evident with excitement.

Cyan remembered what happened the previous night. How he moved extremely close to her, holding her hands, his hands wrapped around her waist, and then him whispering into her ears. And her heart started beating fast again and this time she became flustered.

'It's not even as if he did anything extreme so why am I reacting in this manner? See, more reason to stay away from this man.' She thought.

Dherek noticed the change in her and the smile on his face grew broader. He jumped on the bed with her in excitement. "Did something happen? Did he kiss you or something? Should I be expecting a god-baby?"

Cyan smacked the book in her hand on his head. "You are so annoying. God-baby? Who do you think I am? Do I look like the type of person that would sleep with a stranger!?" She shot at him angrily.

He looked down at the bed. "I am sorry." He said quietly. Cyan scoffed at him, knowing fully well that he does not mean the apology in any way.

She thought back to the things King Nixon said last night and it got her wondering if truly they knew each other from somewhere before currently.

"Do you think I know King Nixon from before?" She asked Dherek. "What?" He asked because he had no idea why she asked him that question.

"Some of the things he said last night made me think maybe I know him." She answered him.

Dherek did not answer that. How was he supposed to know? He does not monitor her life, so how on earth does she expect him to know? "Uhmm... Well, I... I-"

"Was there a time that he came to Rovindall?" She asked him abruptly. "No. He has never been to Rovindall." He answered as he shook his head in denial.

She then began to think again. 'If he has never been to Rovindall, then how on earth do we know each other? Or is this an attempt of his to mess with my head?' She wondered.

She was thinking hard about how they could have known each other before and nothing was coming to her head. Except if...

"Do you think we know each other before my supposed death?" She immediately asked as the thought popped up in her head.

"What? No way. Everyone thinks you are dead so there is like no way for him to think you are alive or anything. That is if he knows you back then in the first place." He said to her. He did not think that that was possible.

The news of her death spread so wide. And the reason was that for the first time in the history of Yoniez, no blue blood was going to sit on the throne. According to those that were with Queen Adhley when she was about to die, that is Richard and Rita and the royal physician, she requested that her husband be made King and that her best friend should get married to him. That was the first of its kind in the history of the Kingdom.

"I don't think we know each other from before either. So what on earth does he mean?" She thought very deeply but still, nothing was coming to her mind.

"Well, I have a thought in my mind," Dherek said. He did not like the feeling of not saying something and just wanted to talk.

"What is it?" Cyan asked curiously. She thought that maybe he finally figured out what she was missing.

"Maybe he did come to Rovindall..." "What? Did he? Are you messing with me, Dherek? Don't mess with me!" She said agitatedly. She was very eager to know. She thought that there is a chance that what King Nixon was talking about was crucial and might ruin the plans that she has. She clearly remembered what he said last before leaving the previous night. Also, she needed to find a way to stop whatever she was feeling.

"Calm down, will you?" Dherek said with his eyes slightly widened. It has been so long since she had shown any reaction. Cyan calmed herself down and listened attentively to what he had to say.

"I was thinking that maybe he came to Rovindall, but he was now in disguise." He said.

"What? Why would he be in disguise? I mean, the King and Queen would be honored to have him around so why would he be in disguise?... But are you sure of what you are saying?" She asked him.

"Of course not. I said I had a thought." He answered in a "are you seriously asking me that" manner.

Cyan squinted her eyes at him in annoyance. She then groaned. "Ugh, you are the worst!" "Let me think." She said again.

She placed both her thumb and index finger, forming a V, under her chin and was looking up. It was all in an attempt to think.

Suddenly, Dherek started laughing. Cyan's thinking was interrupted and she looked at him. "What are you laughing about?" She asked.

"The way you did just now made you look like a serious and wise person." He answered her. "I am a serious and wise person," Cyan answered back.

"Really? You just thought that what I was telling you then was legit and you think that you are wise?" He said and burst out laughing.

Cyan was very furious and could not contain herself. She kneeled on the bed and moved closer to him. She grabbed both of his ears and started to twist them painfully.

Dherek yelped and tried to move away from her. She, however, grabbed his hair with one hand and pulled it, further disallowing him from moving away.

He groaned out in pain. His ears were now bright red. 'if I do not find a way to leave, away from this woman, she might pull my ears off.' He thought to himself in panic.

He grabbed her hips and tried to get her off of him.

"What the f*ck is going on here?" A loud voice bellowed.