Derrick

Five.

This chapter has 1120 words in it, and ends kind of abruptly. But that's because there will be a DOUBLE update today. The original chapter I wrote is well over 2000 words long, and I'm still working on it, so I split it up. There will definitely be another update today, and possibly a third or a fourth, depending on how much more I write and whether I want to fling updates at you guys today or save them for tomorrow. I'm sorry for any spelling errors, and thank you for reading!

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Roy didn't respond. Instead, he wordlessly gestured to a comfortable-looking chair in a corner of the large room. I glared and crossed my arms over my chest, unmoving. We stared at each other, waging a silent war.

Roy used to be Sebastian's most trusted guard. When Sebastian started courting me, Roy warned me against letting him get too close. Little did we know, Sebastian was already intent on keeping me, and Roy took drastic measures. Shortly after I found out that Sebastian was, in actuality, trying to protect me from his previously loyal guard, Roy took matters into his own hands and used explosives to tear down the wall that surrounded Lake Village.

After a vicious back and forth between Sebastian, Roy, and my older brother, I realized that Roy was just trying to keep me from being in the middle of an all-out war that was brewing against Sebastian's kingdom. Sebastian didn't realize this, and was still focused on keeping me away from Roy. And then Isaac stepped in.

Needless to say, it'd been a while since I'd talked to Roy. And, as grateful as I was to see a familiar face, I was thoroughly pissed at him. He'd practically forced me into leaving the town we'd taken refuge in, where I met Isaac. If he wouldn't have been so damn obsessive, we'd still be there.

I broke the silence first.

"So you're a king now. Should I curtsy? Bow?" I asked sarcastically.

Roy still didn't respond, but he gestured to the chair again, firmer this time. I rolled my eyes and stayed where I was.

Suddenly, he strode forward and grabbed my wrist. I flinched away, and he immediately let go, confusion written on his face. Shame rushed through me; I'd expected his grip to be harsh, like Derrick's. I didn't notice, at first, that it was anything but.

He stared at me for a long moment, trying to read my eyes. I looked away.

"Did he..?" He trailed off. His voice had gotten harder, angrier since being a king.

Instead of answering, I swallowed my pride and sat on the chair he wanted me to sit in. It had strange indentations on each arm, so I kept my hands in my lap. His eyes darkened, but thankfully, he let it go. He pulled a matching chair from the other corner over in front of mine and sat in it, resting both of his arms on his knees and leaning forward.

"When I heard you were in Derrick's...custody," He said carefully. "I wanted to send groups and groups of my men to go and get you. But doing something like stealing you away from him would only result in war. You know how he is."

I didn't react; Derrick told me to keep his kingdom in Roy's good graces, and I was determined to do so. The alternative was too frightening.

After waiting futilely for a response, Roy continued. His eyes were still hard, and I knew he was making assumptions. I saw resolve form in them, and it made me uneasy.

"I want you to understand that what I'm about to do, I'm doing it for you and Sebastian."

My eyes widened, and I started to stand. Roy beat me to it and gently pushed me back down, his face a mask of indifference.

"What-" I began, but I was interrupted by the screeching sound of something distinctly metal all around the room. My head whipped around, and I tried to get up again, only to find that Roy had somehow tied my arms to the chair by rope that was in the indentations on the chair arms. He leaned over me and pulled something, and the bottom of the chair shot out. I was sitting in a recliner, and because my hands were tied, I couldn't get out of it. My feet couldn't find purchase against the cushy fabric, because they were propped up by the leg rest.

Roy, still emotionless, stood and straightened his pristine suit.

"You'll be allowed to leave this room as soon as Derrick is out of my land." He said softly. He turned and headed for the door. I kicked against the leg rest and tugged my arms against the rope he'd managed to get around them, ignoring the pain it caused.

"Roy, stop!" I yelled, thrashing. He paused, but didn't turn around.

"Why are you doing this?" I snapped. "What did I ever do to you?"

Roy turned and brought his hand to his face, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked like he was dealing with a misbehaving child, rather than a girl he tied to a chair.

"I'm not doing this to punish you." His voice was quiet, more like the Roy I used to know.

"You have me tied to a chair, Roy." I said, my voice bitter. "You just said it'd start a war if you took me. So why are you forcing me to stay here?"

He didn't change his position, but when he spoke, the icy indifference was back in his voice.

"You say that as if you think I'm going to keep you imprisoned here. As if I'm going to keep you here, in this one room, and not let you go anywhere else. Indefinitely."

He knew what he was doing. He knew he was describing exactly what Derrick was doing with me in his palace, and a piece of my defense crumbled.

"I've been in charge of this kingdom for a while. Longer than you know. And believe me, Elizabeth, when I say if it comes to a war, it won't end well for him."

He turned back and opened the door. Just before he left, he looked over his shoulder.

"I've just given you a big responsibility, Elizabeth. When you find out what that is, act accordingly."

With that, he left.

I looked at the window, and was shocked to find that the sunlight that was streaming through it was covered by what looked like metal. I thought about the sound I'd heard, and realized Roy's bedroom was one big safe room. Which meant I couldn't get out unless I knew the code on the keypad by the door, or unless someone from outside knew the code and opened it from there.

I tugged at the ropes again and, much to my surprise, they fell off easily. I stared at my wrists, confused.

I couldn't hear anything from outside. But it wasn't hard to imagine what Derrick's reaction would sound like.

I crawled over the leg rest and stumbled out of the chair. I needed to find a way out. Derrick and his men were off to find Isaac, and I had to be there to convince him to come with us. Otherwise, he'd die.

That's when I began to panic.