And the weeks that passed, we spent them plotting. Theresa and I's relationship progressed more from enemies to best friends.

It was hard to believe that at a point in our lives, we were at each other's necks.

Reik was in my company more often and was teased for being a loving husband. It was hard to believe that I had loathed him at some point. That was before seeing what kind of heart he had.

He was willing to die for what he cared for, and I saw it in the way he acted these days. Reya and Judy were still held in the dungeons back at the palace. They had created the distraction that helped me escape, and Reik.

They admitted that we were the key players in this game that I hoped we win so that everyone can go back to their normal life.

"I smell a blown fuse." Theresa says, tapping my forehead. I swat her hand away, rolling my eyes.

"Go away, Theresa."

She does the opposite and sits with me under our favourite tree, tucking the ends of her gown in. She smells of cocoa butter, and a little bit of curry.

"What are you thinking of?" She asks.

"How to push you off a cliff."

She chuckles. "Be my guest. So long as I'm taking you down with me."

Despite the weight of thoughts crushing me, I find a smile slipping through the cracks.

Theresa nudges me. "Come on, let's take a walk around the village. It'd be good for you."

📍📍📍

Rain, Jason, Larry, Reik, Lady Burke, Queen Stella, Theresa, Deen and I; nine of us are seated at the table.

We've had dinner, thankfully because I sense it would be a long night.

"Thank you all for agreeing to gather here on such short notice." Larry begins, looking round and everyone, lingering a little bit longer on Theresa whose cheeks burned a bright red.

I smirk.

"Jason will head this meeting."

Wide eyed, Jason's eyes snap to Larry's. "That wasn't what we agreed on."

"We-"

"I'll do it." Queen Stella speaks up, silencing Larry. No one questions her.

"It's been a rough couple of weeks. Weeks of planning and scheming. The goal is to take down a man who has let the greed for power bite into his humanity. He has been corrupted and it's only fair that we liberate the people from his rule."

"The problem is how." Deen chirps in.

She's right though. We haven't had a solid plan despite all the meetings we've had and I fear we're fast running out of time.

"Who knows what the King wants?" All eyes land on me. I even manage to surprise my own self by speaking.

No one could come up with a concrete answer to my question.

"We haven't been able to come through with a plan because we haven't asked ourselves what the King wants."

I briefly catch Reik's gaze. His expression is unreadable.

As if that would deter me.

"It is you the King wants." Larry accurately states and a grave silence enshrouds us all.
The weight of his accusation carrying a lot of meaning.

Suddenly, Reik's fingers curl over my worst, protectively. It sorts of warms my heart to witness this moment when he, for the first time was afraid. But what will be will be.

With my free hand, I searched for a piece of jewelry that had lay hidden under my clothes, that had found safety on my bosom.

"

This is what the King is after." I announce, raising the key in the air for everyone's visual consumption. The key was slightly rusted, but valuable.

"A key?" Rain asks, full of disbelief. "Why not give it to him and let us have peace."

Theresa slaps her. "We will never have peace as long as that monster is alive. Don't you understand?"

Rain touches her right cheek where she was
slapped. However, she does not dare speak again.

Jason was about speaking when someone dashes in. A young scout.

"We have visitors. The Black Scorpions are here."

📍📍📍

Everyone was on high alert as three men walked in, oozing so much power. The tallest man's gaze found Reik.

"I never expected to see a lion hiding among sheep." The man comments, his lips curling upwards.

Reik isn't amused. None of us are.

"We don't have time for your games, Haz."

Haz glances at his colleagues and they erupt in boisterous laughter. The kind of laughter that could cut through anything.

"Who said anything about games? Reikandr?" Haz asks, a slight curve on his lips.

Reikandr? Who the hell is that?

My eye snap to Reik who has no intention of looking at me any time soon.

Haz sighs, getting no reply. He waves to his companions and each of them pick an empty chair, pulling them towards the table where we all were seated.

"We hear you are bent on bringing the King down. We want to help." Haz says, a more serious look on his face now.

Reik snorts. "Your help is not needed."

Haz passes a look at every single person at the table. "You have to reconsider, or every single person in this room will die."

Those words hit hard like a bombshell.

Every single person in this room will die.

"You have no idea of the man you're up against, Reikandr. We need to join forces if we want to bring the monster down." Haz continues.

"How do we know you're not leading us into a trap?" Larry queries.

Haz responds by a flippant raise of his right hand. The door opens and terror fills the air.

📎📎📎

what could that possibly be? any guesses?

Forgive me for not updating as often as I ought to 😥

The last quarter of this year has been a rough patch for me but I'm glad it's ending already.

I apologise if the word count doesn't reach your expectations but that's the most I can do.

As a token of my apology, I dropped two chapters for your reading pleasure 🙈

If you wish to connect with me outside Wattpad, like on I.G or FB, feel free to drop a private message. I'll respond.

Thanks for staying with me through this journey.

Hold on tight because the plot has thickened.