"Riah," Her head was blank. She wasn’t certain if her eyes were open or shut. Or maybe she was just in a land of darkness. But in that darkness she could hear his voice. "I want you," echoing in the darkness.
"Every hour of the day." The words he was saying, she knew them. "Even when you do not want me, I want you," She knew the words and could recite them like a famous poem. "Even when you hate me, I still want you."
How could she not know those words?
"When you wish for nothing but a knife straight through my heart, I want you even more." They were the words he had said to her the day he confessed his feelings for her.
"My dear Spitfire," The words he swore were true. "I cannot think of any other words to explain this feeling," How could she not memorize those words? They were the confessions of the man she loved. "So when you ask me if I can really love you, flaws and all," Confessions of the father of the child growing inside her. "I have no other words to tell you but yes."
Confessions of his feelings for her.
"I cannot stop myself from loving you and although I did not mean for you to know this yet, now that you know, I will not hide it. I love you, Princess Neriah of Avelah and do not wish to have or love another."
Words that she had not expected to hear but was beyond happy to hear.
"Work with me Neriah," The voice she was hearing suddenly changed. "We shall kill Barak Der Drache here today." It was the voice of Lyle! The despicable man!!
"The one who can get closest to him will be you." These were the words he said to her the day he plotted and killed her husband!
"You cannot deceive him!" She could hear herself scream."He will know that is not me! He will know!!" She could hear herself scream at Lyle and she could hear him laugh at her in return. He was laughing loud and hard at her words like she had uttered the most ridiculous thing.
"You played me so well," She could hear Barak’s voice again. "making the days leading up to my death day sweeter than anything I could have ever imagined." She wanted to cry out and tell him he was wrong. She would never hurt.
"I was so lost between your legs that I didn’t see the knife you were pointing straight at my throat." It was a misunderstanding, a huge one. She thought they wouldn’t be able to deceive him, but she was wrong. He had fallen for the lies and tricks of Lyle and she could not blame him.
"just a little drop of your fake tears, and your fake smiles would make them a finished kingdom." No, Barak, no... She wanted to say to him, but she couldn’t. "Just like you did to me."
"NO!! BARAK!!!" Neriah screamed and her eyes opened. Her breath was fast and unsteady.
It was a dream.
A dream of a confession, a betrayal, and... A resurrection.
"Barak!" She breathes as she suddenly remembers. And she wonders...Was it a dream too? She looked at the place she was and realized she was still inside the room that the strange man had carried her into.
Was escaping from this place a dream? Was it a dream that the man who kidnapped her turned out to be her husband? Was that all part of a dream?
"It’s good to know you don’t sleep peacefully." Neriah instantly rose from the bed to a sitting position as she heard his voice.
’Dear goddess, was it real? Was meeting Barak real? Is this voice real?
"At least I haunt your dreams." She turned her head toward the direction the voice was coming from and the single candle light in the room did not reach that corner.
All she could see was a silhouette.
Slowly, with a shaky breath she steps down from the bed and as she does, the man rises to his feet.
"Barak— is that you?" She asked the question with hope. "Is it really you?" Closer and closer the person was getting into the light, "Twas no dream? Are you really alive?" She asked again as her legs refused to move forward. She just stood there breathing, waiting, hoping... praying.
"Oh what a devious being you are." He said as he took one last step and he was finally in the range of the candlelight.
Golden eyes glaring at her. Tall dominating figure, curly black hair, the dimple at his chin...
His face was a little gaunt and haggard than what she remembered but... It was him.
Barak,her husband.
"Dear goddess, it really is you." She muttered into the air. "H_how are you here? Th_they said you were dead. Th_they said they found your body. I told them you couldn’t be dead. I just knew it. I knew you couldn’t be dead." Neriah began to cry as she spoke.
She was so grateful he was alive she couldn’t stop the tears. She just stood by the bed with her hands over her mouth in shock, crying and rejoicing at the same time.
"You are such a despicable thing." His voice halted her tears and sobs as he took a step closer to her only to halt again as though he was stopping himself from getting closer to her.
"So your plan was to have me killed, then live a peaceful life in a cheap brothel with your lover." What was he talking about? Neriah wondered.
Then she suddenly remembered how she had lost him in the first place. Lyle had used a person that looked like her to get to him. She had hoped he wouldn’t be deceived, but he clearly had fallen for the tricks of Lyle.
Neriah knew she had to tell him. To tell him the entire truth.