The Sleeping Princess and the Lonely Soldier
or
A Modern Sleeping Beauty Tale
Once upon a time…
A noble Prince lived with a beautiful Princess, and all the people loved them. They loved each other deeply and they were happy and good, and yet, they also knew great sorrow, for there were those around them who could not share in their joy: the Prince's favourite and most loyal soldier was kind and strong, he was sometimes stern yet he was always just, but he was also bitterly lonely and sought daily for quests to cure the hidden aches in his heart. The Princess was even sadder for those close to her, because a wicked witch had placed a curse on her beloved sister, dooming her to a deep and endless slumber.
This is the tale of their meeting…
"Darien."
Despite hearing someone call his name Darien didn't acknowledge it; he knew the voice's owner well enough that he didn't feel the need to extend the courtesy of looking up until he had finished what he was doing. After scanning the sheet briefly he signed it off, satisfied with what the nurse had recommended.
He offered the paper back to her with his most disarming smile. "Do me a favour, will you please?" He pointed with his pen to something in a room. "She left her teddy back in the crèche this morning, it's a pink giraffe. I don't suppose you could hunt it down for her? It'd go a long way in helping her get ready for the operation."
The older lady tried to give him a disapproving glare but Darien's charm was not without power, she sighed heavily and whipped the paper out of his hands. "I'll see what I can do Doctor."
He placed his hand comfortingly on her back and gave her another smile. "Thanks."
Only after the nurse rolled her eyes and walked away did he look up at the man who had called out his name. He wasn't hard to spot, being much taller than most with shining silver hair and matching eyes. His hair wasn't unusually long, but it reached the nape of his neck and flicked out ever so slightly at the ends. His bangs were the same length as the rest of his hair and were tucked behind his ears which caused them to curl slightly above his forehead and frame his face. It softened his rather angular features, giving him a much less severe look and making for a rather striking appearance. He was dressed impeccably in a charcoal suit with a black and silver Versace tie. If Darien had been a less confident man he would have found his friend intimidating.
"Hey, Cayonu."
At that name most people within earshot began looking for the star of such films as The Matrix, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed and Point Break. When the celebrity wasn't spotted they went back to what they were doing, some giving Darien rather confused looks.
"Must you insist on doing that every time I'm in a crowded area?"
"Why don't you like your name? It's stupid not to, it's not like you can change it." Darien ignored his friend's exasperated tone as he walked towards the elevator.
Cayonu followed him. "Technically I could."
Darien shrugged and pressed the button with his pen before putting it into his coat pocket. "It's the name your parents gave you. What's wrong with it? It's not like you were called 'Gustav' or anything."
"You know what's wrong with it. It sounds like the name of that person who can't act."
"I thought you liked him in The Devil's Advocate."
"No, I liked Charlize Theron in The Devil's Advocate." Cayonu joined him, waiting for the elevator doors to open.
"She was in that movie?" Darien seemed genuinely surprised.
Cayonu lifted his eyebrows slightly. "Sometimes I believe that you're lying about your true sexuality."
"I think you'll find that Serena will deny that, four times a week," he beamed as he spoke, "at least."
Cayonu gave him a rather dubious look.
"Ok, four times a week until two months ago."
Bright silver eyes almost bulged out of their sockets, "She's practically nine m- How do you even-" He stopped himself from stuttering when it looked like Darien would actually answer. "Don't. It's too much information."
"Hey, you'll understand when you get a woman knocked up. You take every opportunity you can because you'll never be able to give each other the same kind of attention again." The ear to ear grin returned to his face. "Besides, once she reached her second trimester and she stopped getting morning sickness, it was like she suddenly became this hot succubus who wanted it every other minute."
"A pregnant one," Cayonu muttered, slightly disgusted with the level of information his friend was sharing.
"What's wrong with pregnancy sex? It's perfectly safe for her and the baby. Plus it meant we had to be really creative. Things got pretty freak nasty when she could still lie in the bath tub comfortably."
Cayonu barely controlled a sigh. "Remember when we were in university, and getting you to share anything remotely personal required copious amounts of alcohol and constant badgering?"
Darien laughed, knowing what was coming. "You miss those days?"
"Very much so."
There was a soft ding just before the doors swung open, revealing several hospital staff surrounding a gurney, dressed in scrubs. Darien and Cayonu stepped out of the way as the patient was wheeled out. "So what brings you into my world? Do you have a client suing one of my 'oh so very competent' colleagues?"
"No."
Darien pretended to sound worried. "You're not here to sue me, are you?"
Cayonu knew that Darien had never actually had a claim brought against him, which was a testament to how good his patient-pleasing skills were, and there was never any question about his abilities as a doctor –the man simply wanted his ego stroked. Cayonu decided that sarcasm would be the best form of recourse in this situation. "Yes Darien. I've spent my entire career specialising in corporate financing and international arbitration and not medical negligence, just so I can take my best friend to court for having a god-complex."
"Hey, the impossible could always happen. And I do not have a god-complex."
Cayonu simply looked at him as they stepped into the elevator.
"Alright, maybe I have a small one, but it's not like it isn't justified. I'm like House, except without the misery and Vicodin addiction. In fact I'm better."
"Don't you think you're pushing your luck with saying something like that?"
"I don't believe in luck," Darien's face darkened slightly. "Life's what you make of it. If something bad happens it just means that you weren't paying enough attention."
Cayonu realised that he'd hit a sore point, but the moment quickly passed, both of them preferring to keep whatever issues which Darien hinted to from being opened.
"And also, as a side note, I'm better looking than House. Especially since my long wooden cane is attached to my body and ensures that my wife is extremely satisfied, sexually."
At that point Cayonu would have made some sort of joke about his 'cane' being longer, or about Darien's ability to please his wife, but when it came to Serena, Cayonu never joked. She was too…wonderful to say those sorts of thing about, even indirectly. He settled for a simple "You've made that clear already" with an amused smile instead.
"So what can I do for you, then? You need another prescription?"
"We were meant to have lunch today."
Darien pushed the button for the eighth floor and then cursed. "Shit, I forgot. Sorry Cay, it's been busy."
Cayonu took it in his stride. "You have time to pick something up at the cafeteria?"
"God no, don't go near that stuff. When the pharmaceutical reps tell us that the new fantastic drug they're selling is too expensive to be bought by anyone who isn't a millionaire, we send them there for lunch and we make sure they get double helpings of 'the special'." When Cayonu didn't laugh Darien shrugged. "Sorry, hospital humour."
"Don't quit your day job."
"Hey, I'm funnier than you are." Darien checked his watch. "Let's get a hotdog, I'm in the mood for the ketchup and nitrates. There's a stand just outside the hospital gates."
"Sure." The doors shut and the elevator began moving upwards.
After a moment of silence Cayonu could sense that Darien wanted to say something but was holding back. He had a good idea what it would be about and decided to save time by initiating the conversation. "Ask it."
"You're definitely coming this weekend, right?" Darien asked with the tone of a boy excited about a new puppy. "Jace helped me set up the HD TV in the living room yesterday. It's going to be amazing."
Cayonu turned from staring at the reflective doors to look his friend in the eyes. He counted himself as one of the privileged few who could do that and not look away either in intimidation or a quivering, blushing mess.
"I was there last weekend." He said simply before turning back to look at his reflection in the scratched metal of the doors.
"I know, but-"
Cayonu wouldn't let him finish, "And the weekend before."
"Yeah, I know that."
"And I didsay that I would be there this weekend."
"Yes, I know that too. But this is the big one!" Darien almost sounded like a child. "It's the most important game of the entire decade."
Cayonu gave nothing away except for a small lift of his mouth. "I'm very aware of that."
"It's just that last time there was a big game you missed it. To go to Brussels of all places. That place smells like petrol."
The bell chimed, signalling they'd arrived on their floor.
"I didn't have a choice."
"I'm sure your client would have understood."
"He was being audited."
"So he definitely didn't need you."
"He'd stolen from the company and was facing serious fraud charges." Cayonu looked at Darien again. "And you're wrong. I've never missed a game this big."
Darien rolled his eyes as the elevator doors slid open. "You know what I mean."
They stepped out onto an unusually quiet floor compared to the hustling ones below and made their way along the corridor to what appeared to be the last room on the left. Curiosity got the better of Cayonu, but just as he was about to ask what they were doing there, they walked into a single room occupied by a sleeping patient. A quick look at her face told Cayonu everything he needed to know. "That's Serena's sister," he said simply.
"Mina, yeah."
"They look a lot alike."
"Yeah." Darien scanned over her chart quickly, having not expected any changes and then bent down to the right of the bed, under the small bedside table. "I just have this one thing to do and then we'll head out. It'll take me less than a minute."
"No problem."
He noticed that Darien was plugging what looked like a black phone charger into the wall. He lifted the cord up with him as he stood, placing it on the little table and then began searching his pockets for something. When he seemed to come up empty with his pant pockets he stared frisking his shirt. For a second he believed he'd found what he wanted but when he pulled the item out it turned out to be a yellow highlighter. He rolled his eyes and looked at Cayonu. "Sorry Cay. I left it downstairs. I'll be right back."
Cayonu had no idea what the 'it' was but as he watched his unusually absent minded friend rush out of the room and into the corridor, he figured all would be revealed in good time. Once he heard the ding of the elevator it occurred to him that, quite possibly, he was the only conscious person on the entire floor. With nothing else to do but wait for his friend's return, he took stock of the little room.
It was a private one –Darien must have had something to do with that. There were plushie bunnies sitting on a table in the corner and surrounding a small vase with fresh pink roses and yellow chrysanthemums. Next to them was a small pile of trash novels.
Dotted about the room were various picture frames with photos of Serena, Mina and some other girls that he vaguely remembered meeting once or twice; a few had Darien in them, and an older couple –her parents, if he remembered correctly. He pondered at their purpose: surely the photos weren't for the sleeping girl's benefit? Perhaps Serena had brought them along to keep her company when she spent her time in the hospital, watching over her comatose sister. He smiled a little at the thought of Darien's heavily pregnant wife. Serena was a good woman, and he wondered briefly if Mina was anything like her.
He looked at the sleeping girl again. She was beautiful, there was no denying that. On a scale of one to ten he would have classed her as a very solid nine, possibly even nine and a half if he took her condition into consideration.
When he'd realised that he was rating a coma patient for her level of hotness he'd felt creepy; it was something that Zephyr would do. "I'm sorry, that's shallow of me." He hadn't been able to stop the comment from leaving his mouth.
Once he'd said it he felt like an idiot. He stood there awkwardly, wondering what on earth he should do next. Recalling that apparently it was good to talk to patients in her 'state' because sometimes they could hear he wondered if she'd be confused by what he'd said, and maybe slightly worried to have a complete stranger talking to her. Perhaps he was being ridiculous. After a few moments of deliberation he decided that it would be better to take the cautious route and he introduced himself, deciding to sit in the chair next to the bedside table.
"I'm Cay. We met at Darien and Serena's wedding a few years ago. I was the best man." Out of habit he paused, realising a second later that he obviously wasn't going to get a response. "I wasn't there for very long, just the day before the ceremony and the actual wedding itself, but we had a conversation at the reception- well I say 'conversation' but it was only a few sentences." This time he didn't wait. "You told me that you were planning on auditioning for the next season of American Idol, and I responded with saying that my uncle was dying." The image of shock and panic on her face was burned into his memory, her pretty mouth floundering for something to say as her bright blue eyes went wider and stayed fixed on his gaze, frozen. "If I remember correctly that killed the conversation completely." He thought about it, imagining the sort of response she would have given if she hadn't been in a coma at that particular moment in time. Maybe she'd laugh, maybe she'd try to deny it. Maybe she'd call him a jerk and ask him to leave her room. With no one to stop him, he continued on. "At least if that hadn't, then I know what I said afterwards certainly did." He pressed his hand to his forehead and swept his hair back in a vain attempt to hide his embarrassment, but the memory was too vivid. "I said that I'd wished I wasn't at the fucking wedding and that we all die alone, eventually." He looked at her, taking in a deep breath. "And then I walked away. I was a complete asshole. I'm sorry."
He didn't know why he felt like an idiot; she wasn't even conscious, and no one was around to hear his admission. "I didn't mean it to happen like that. I was upset. He was on life support and I-" His breathing suddenly became heavy as he tried to control his emotions. His silver eyes looked to the door, despite not having heard the sound of the elevator he still hoped his friend would walk in so he could stop himself from running down the road he was travelling. When Darien didn't come in to save him he continued on, unable to stem the flow. "What I had meant to say was that my uncle loved American Idol, he watched it every week. He would have loved to meet someone like you." He stopped talking and simply stared at her, his eyes seeing past her pretty features to someone else who had lain in a bed like hers, his old twinkling eyes shut tightly as pain coursed through his frail body. He remembered how his skin had hung on his bones like a baggy costume on a coat hanger, when once he'd been tall and broad and completely invincible.
Even after three years the pain was still just as raw. "I miss him." He wasn't even sure he'd said it out loud. "And I'm glad I've gotten the opportunity to explain and apologise…" he took note of her sleeping form, "…sort of."
The sound of the elevator brought him back to the present and he cleared his throat in an attempt to compose himself. He stood up quickly and made his way closer to the door, for some reason unwilling to let Darien know that he'd been talking to her.
"Sorry about that. I hope it wasn't too strange." He was holding a digital recorder in his hands. He waved it briefly at Cayonu before hooking it up to the black cord and placing it carefully on the bedside table. "With the pregnancy Serena hasn't been able to come and visit as often."
"She won't come, or you won't let her?" Cayonu was rarely one to miss things, especially when it came to things his best friend tried to blame on his wife (like farting and buying crappy birthday presents for friends).
Darien looked cautiously at his sleeping sister in law, deliberately lowering his voice and whispering as if he were afraid Mina would hear him. "This is a hospital. There are parasites, lethal bacteria, crazy people, sick people, dead people, blood, vomit, faeces, STDs, deadly viruses, airborne diseases, radiation, noxious chemicals-"
"I get the point."
"Yeah well, I know it's upsetting her that she doesn't get to see her sister, especially since she blames herself for the whole…thing, but there's no way in hell I'm letting her put herself in any potential harm ever again." His midnight gaze shifted over to Mina and his features softened into pity.
Cayonu lifted an eyebrow; Darien's overprotectiveness had surfaced after the fateful crash and was an issue which was becoming more problematic as time wore on, but Cayonu didn't feel it was the right time to rehash an argument that had already been fought several times over the past few months. And if he was honest, considering how far along Serena was, it wasn't exactly unreasonable to keep her away from the hospital. "What's the recorder for?"
At that Darien smiled. "It's Serena's idea. She records messages for Mina and I play them here. At least that way Mina can still hear her voice."
"That's very sweet of her."
"Since when isn't she?"
Cayonu couldn't argue with that.
Darien pressed the play button and they both made their way out of the room.
"Oh my gosh! Mi, this baby is going to be a Bon Jovi fan, I swear, this morning while I was brushing my teeth- it took me five whole minutes to get to the bathroom by the way, and you have no idea how badly I had to pee- the radio in the bedroom was playing…" Serena's excited monologue voice faded as they walked further away from the room. For some inexplicable reason, Cayonu regretted the fact that they were leaving.
Having seen the sleeping princess for the first time, he felt compelled to visit her again, and so the next night he returned in secret, hoping once again to gaze upon the beauty who seemed able to open his heart so easily.
It was late. Darien had probably long since collapsed into bed with his wife (and then most likely had gotten up at least twice to get her food), the moon had risen and hung in full bloom in the clear night sky, while the courtyard outside was empty save for the odd hospital staff member out for a quick cigarette break. He hadn't bothered to switch on the room lighting, deciding that the harsh white of the strobe wasn't required.
"I'm sorry, I don't know why I came. I couldn't help it." He looked at her still form as he leaned against the window, her long blond hair was caught in a ray of moonlight and shone as pale as Serena's had become since the accident. "I haven't told anybody I'm here." He loosened his tie. "I'd like it to stay that way too, if that's alright with you." He briefly debated the appropriateness of his little joke and came to conclusion that he was being an idiot, again. He marvelled at her ability to do that to him without even being awake.
"I don't know if I'm cutting into your sleep time- actually I don't even know if coma patients sleep at all, or if that's all you do," he made a mental note to look that up on the internet, "I liked talking to you yesterday. It was…nice. I feel like I had missed an opportunity to get to know you at the wedding and I wanted to make up for lost time." He ran his hand through his light hair, something he used to do when he was younger. a habit which now only manifested in rare occasions of awkwardness. "Don't worry. I won't be offended if the conversation is a little one sided." He sat himself on the chair and looked at her, imagining a roll of her eyes or some equivalent sign of disapproval. He figured he knew what she would look like performing the action since he'd seen her sister roll her own eyes many times (although never at him, and almost always at Napoleon or Jacinto).
"I know a few things about you from Serena. She talks about you all the time, but I don't know what they've told you about me. Hopefully they explained that I was just going through a difficult period and that I'm not an ass." He paused a moment to absorb the silence around him, the eeriness of it reminding him all too much of the solitude in his apartment, something which, stupidly, he had tried to get away from by coming to the hospital and seeing a coma patient.
He checked his watch briefly, "If you're confused about the time it's quite late, well past visiting hours. I came here after I finished work and snuck up to your room, hopefully no-one will know that I'm here." It occurred to him that an orderly might come in to check on her during the course of the evening, but he figured that with the area being so quiet he'd hear them coming and would at least have enough time to hide in the cupboard or something.
"I hope I'm not scaring you. I promise, my intentions are honourable." He let a wry smile slip through. "Maybe not, they're more selfish than anything. I haven't had a real night's sleep…" He thought about it, trying to remember the last time he'd slept the whole night through without the use of heavy meds, "…in as long as I can remember. Even when I'm exhausted I end up waking up three or four times a night. And the Lunesta Darien gives me isn't working any more. Most nights I just lay in bed, bored out of my mind. I figure you must be able to relate."
He looked at her, laying so peacefully adrift in her subconscious. He almost envied her. "Sometimes I wish I could just go to bed and not wake up." Surprised at his own admission he took off his tie completely, like it was choking him.
"I suppose you'd think it was a ridiculous thing to say." He looked at her wearily, like he was waiting for some kind of judgement. "And I suppose in the current situation it was utterly inappropriate as well." He let the tie dangle off of the arm of the chair, rehanging it once when it threatened to slip off. "I'm not unhappy with my life. I have friends, and family, I go on dates when I have to." That didn't sound quite as healthy as he thought it was. He tried to rectify it, to make it seem less like he was a pathetic case of depression. "I keep myself in shape, I try to eat right and I'm not unsuccessful: I'm a partner in Folksier and Manheim where I specialise in corporate law." Out of habit, once again he waited for a response, recovering after only a second. "I wonder if you'd be impressed or intimidated by that." It wasn't arrogance which motivated his comment but the knowledge that there would be no consequence to airing his thoughts. He tried to imagine how she would answer: she would probably laugh at his presumption or become angry at his apparent sense of superiority. "It's not conceit. You can't deny the truth, the good ones make a lot of money, they're clever and they know how to handle people. No one can be indifferent to lawyers, and you certainly can't hate something which everyone needs, as much as you may want to."
So are you a good lawyer? Cayonu could almost see her asking that question with a smirk on her refined face, but where the image came from he had no idea. It wasn't like he could have grafted it onto her from a memory of Serena because the girl never smirked -only beamed intensely, or pouted- but somehow he almost thought he knew what Mina would have looked like if she had: he was able to see that brightness integral to her as it flashed through her eyes, suggestive and challenging at the same time. He was able to picture how the right corner of her mouth would have tipped upwards slightly in amusement and how her light eyebrows would have lifted just enough for him to notice them. Perhaps it was simply some kind of manifestation of his own wishes, but he had a feeling that there could have been a spark in the woman lying in front of him, something which would have set him on fire.
"Yes, I am," he said, answering the imaginary question, "But I work hard to be, and sometimes I don't think it's worth the money. My job is stressful, but I won't deny that it's interesting, though it's not always rewarding. It's probably what keeps me awake throughout the night." He pushed the chair back against the wall so he could lean his head against it. When he had gotten comfortable he looked at her. "I wish I knew you. I wish I'd talked to you more that day. Serena says you're a much more level-headed version of her. I can't imagine that being true." He smiled a little, "Not that I don't believe her, but I actually can't physically picture it in my mind. If Serena doesn't get overly emotional at least once during the day then you know there's something wrong with her." His heart crinkled ever so slightly in his chest, but the feeling soon passed. "It must be wonderful living in that head of hers. Everything's always so bright and hopeful." He picked at a wayward thread in his chair, something which, he noted, he never did –Cayonu had always prided himself at being a master at patient sitting.
"I'm going to tell you something which I've never told anyone else before, nor do I ever intend to." He almost decided against his confession, but he had already started and it wasn't as if he hadn't told her everything else about him already. "From the day I met your sister, and for about a year afterwards, I thought I was in love with her." He looked up, grey eyes suddenly shy as he waited for some form of judgement or condemnation of his admission, irrationally believing that Mina would wake up from the shock of what he had said and berate him for coveting his best friend's soul mate.
But the sleeping beauty remained unmoved.
He let go a long breath, relief pouring through his veins, and the words suddenly spilled out of him. "Alright, perhaps it may not be such earth-shattering news to you." He tried to picture her with that smirk again, this time being slightly more successful in getting a clear mental picture of her. "I'm sure you know how easy it is to like her. Serena's…" He hesitated as he tried to find the right word for her. "She's special. I've never given any indication, of course; after all, Darien was with her first. But there were times when I just thought that it would have been nice to have stolen her away from him." He pulled at the thread until a stitch gave and then he tried to tuck it back in. "I knew it was wrong and besides, I don't think I could have distracted her from Darien even if I'd tried...I still couldn't. But she's everything that I'm not. And she made Darien so…happy. I'd never seen him like that before, it was almost like she'd found a switch on him and turned it from cynical, lonely bastard to happy child with cake, and I wanted that to happen to me." He placed his hand over the loose thread, effectively shutting himself off from playing with it further. "I find it all rather pathetic on my part, even self-indulgent, but I have a feeling that you'd disagree." His grey eyes, a colour suited so perfectly to the shade of the moonlight, scanned over her supple form, her lower half clothed in a simple white bed sheet while her torso lay swaddled in a child-like pyjama top in baby pink. "You seem like you would have considered yourself a romantic."
I still do. The retort, he believed, would have come swiftly. If she heard him and had been able to respond, he figured it probably would have only been to refute his use of the past tense. She probably would have felt some incomprehensible sense of pride at being labelled as someone who believed in impossible dreams and happily-ever-afters.
"Either way, I've been over Serena for some time now. She has a lot of energy, sometimes a little too much, I think. We wouldn't have worked anyway." He stopped talking to listen to what he thought was a person walking along the corridor, but on closer attention he realised that it was coming from outside in the courtyard. "She's perfect for Darien though, I think he needs that constant buzz. God knows he deserves it. I don't know how much you know about him, Darien's always been reluctant to talk about his past. I think it's a miracle that he hasn't ended up as some kind of head case in a psychiatric ward, or a serial killer from those television shows your sister watches so religiously." That brought him back to his previous train of thought. "I'm really curious as to what you were like."
Were? He imagined she'd lift an eyebrow at that, and then wondered if she could even pull off that action, or if it was just his imagination developing a make-believe characteristic to fill in the void by copying an ability that Jacinto could do and placing it on her. Nevertheless, his subconscious was obviously telling him to stop treating her like she was already dead. He corrected his last thought: "Sorry, I'm really curious as to what you are like." In his mind she beamed at him like in one of the pictures on the window sill.
"Are you a fan of all those crime shows? Serena loves them. There's one program, I think it's Law and Order, which uses a gavel sound for scene changes. She's found an app which has allowed her to use that sound for incoming text messages on her phone." He took some time trying to imagine what kinds of things Mina would watch. He tried to picture her sitting on a couch wearing the pink pyjamas she was currently sporting and flicking through channels until she settled on something which he would probably find completely uninteresting, probably some form of reality television, perhaps involving models or rich housewives. Maybe she'd be holding a carton of ice cream in her free hand, a spoon sticking out perpendicular to the container. He scratched that last thought, replacing the ice cream carton with half a melon, his brain tugging at an obscure memory where Serena may have mentioned that her sister preferred natural sugar.
"I take it that you're a fan of film, since you're an actress by profession. Or at least you like the theatre? I know you can sing, I heard you at the wedding. But trying to break into that world must be incredibly tough. I wonder if you have an agent."
He stopped and ran his hand through his hair. "I don't think I've talked so much to someone ever before, especially to someone I don't know. Jacinto and Zephyr are usually the big talkers, I prefer listening and asking questions. Finding out what other people think is much more interesting; plus –I don't know- my family were never the most enthusiastic of communicators. We weren't very close and it was much simpler that way." He checked his watch. "I hope I haven't bored you too much, if it helps I've enjoyed our- well, my monologue. I think I've taken up enough of your time. Maybe we can do this again?" He sat up from the chair and picked up his tie from where it had slipped to on the floor. "I'll take your silence as a yes, then."
And so the soldier returned, night after night, to visit the sleeping, golden Princess. Her presence soothed the pangs of his heart and the more often his eyes lay upon her, the more he found himself wondering whether she somehow took joy in his presence as well.
The more he went to see her, the more natural it felt to envisage her responding to his conversation. His imagination became sharper, clearer and more detailed as he watched her during the nights.
He did his best to learn more about her –as subtly as possible- from Serena and Darien. At first he was worried about broaching the subject of Mina with Serena since she once suggested that she felt she was to blame for her sister's condition, having been the one who had insisted on calling her out to go shopping the day of the accident. But true to her nature, Cayonu found that Serena wanted to do nothing more than laud and praise her big sister who, she had every faith, would wake up some day.
"That woman is nothing but a bundle of pure optimism. I don't understand how one person could be filled with such sweetness and light." He didn't feel the need to specify who he was talking about, it was more than obvious.
"I take it she came by and gave you the news about your home?" He walked over to her and almost stroked her arm, but he held back, unwilling to break that boundary. "I hope you don't blame them, it must have been difficult enough with their own mortgage, and now with the baby on the way… it just wasn't economically viable to keep up the payments for your apartment without having someone occupying it."
Mina would have probably understood, even agreed with Darien's and Serena's decision, but Cayonu doubted she would have been able to hide being upset at the fact that someone had taken over her home. "If it helps, the tenant is going by a six month lease, so if you do wake up-" She would have stopped him there not 'if' but 'when', "sorry, when you wake up, you won't have to be homeless for very long." She probably would have cracked a smile at the fact that he had teased her, but as he watched her sleeping and so very fragile, he just couldn't picture it in his head. It was almost as if he could feel that she was glum. "If push comes to shove and you didn't want to intrude on Serena and Darien while you were waiting for your place to become free, you'd always be welcome to live with me." He felt stupid immediately after suggesting it, and turned away briefly, unable to dampen down the blush on his cheeks that no one would see.
That particular night Cayonu had decided to forgo sitting in the chair, having been on a plane for fourteen hours just that day; but instead of leaning against the window he'd chosen to be by the door. He'd left his tie in the car and had the first two buttons of his pale blue shirt open. "If you think it's odd that my voice is coming from a different angle it's because I didn't want to sit in the chair." He said, eager to change the topic from the previous one. "I've done enough of that today. I came back from a trip to India this afternoon. I've been working in Delhi for the past two weeks, hence my absence." He rubbed at the back of his neck and the top of his shoulders with his hand to ease his muscle tension. "I didn't mention it last time I was here because I didn't know I was going until the day before." He sighed, "I think you'd love it there, it's huge and a complete mess, chaos and beauty all rolled into one, you'd be in your element." He watched her steady breathing and tried to copy it in an attempt to soothe the headache which came with sitting in a cramped space, surrounded by screaming children and recycle air for most of the day. "At the end of the trip we were lucky enough to have one of the partners there drive us down to Uttar Pradesh to see the Taj Mahal." He let out a single, light laugh before continuing, "It was the longest car journey I have ever had the misfortune of experiencing, I have never been afraid for my life so many times during the space of four hours; and then we had to drive back."
He could see her roll her eyes at that. Oh please, it couldn't have been that bad.
"No, it's true. They have absolutely no respect for road traffic laws." He imagined her giggling at that, even to him he sounded like an old man. "It was worth it in the end. It truly was something magnificent, you would have loved it. I know you would." He pre-empted her response with one of his own. "I know. One day you'll go there yourself." He gave up standing and flopped, uncharacteristically, into the chair. "Maybe I'll even take you." He rubbed again at a particularly sore area on his shoulder.
I wish I could do something to help, I'm pretty good at giving massages. He imagined her voice would have taken on a slightly lighter tone for the second half of the sentence, a suggestive half-smile on her pink lips as she said it. He stopped himself from going down that route, but it was difficult –when he couldn't make it to the hospital to see her he would spend most of those nights missing Mina, thinking about her. Cayonu could not deny to himself that he felt rather strange when he was around her, as if they were being very intimate with each other; and in a certain way, they were: he watched over Mina and kept her company while she was in an incredibly vulnerable state, and in exchange he had shared with her his deepest, most inner thoughts and emotions. An outsider would have come to the conclusion that he was the more beneficial of the two parties, receiving a sort of free form of therapy, but Cayonu didn't see it that way at all. Instead he felt that he had the most to lose, investing what he dared of himself into someone who he knew could never return what he was giving.
Please don't be so cruel she would say. "No." He decided, "Forget the 'please', that's not how you'd say it, that's how I would." He replayed the scene in his head.
Hey! Don't give up on me Cay, I might still wake up, she would say. I'm not dead yet.
"No, no you're not."
She'd smile at him, warm and caring. Have some faith in me.
He didn't know why, but he did.
As his secret vigils of the sleeping Princess drew on, the lonely soldier could not help but notice that the gates to his heart and mind opened wider and with less guarded care than they ever had before. For this he was immeasurably glad.
"I apologise for not making it yesterday to see you, I was…otherwise engaged."
Tonight he imagined her sitting in the bed, her legs crossed under the sheets and her hair tied back into a sloppy bun. It's alright, no one's forcing you to come. Her smile became mischievous as she tilted her head. So, what kept you so…'busy'?
Cayonu cleared his throat uncomfortably, she had evidently noticed the hesitation in his comment. "I was working late."
With Miranda big-boobs?
He let out a laugh as he dipped his head slightly and scratched his light eyebrow with his thumb. "No. With Lisa from Banking."
Mina looked up and to her right, squinting slightly as she thought. In the moonlight she looked pale; against his will, instead of picturing her eyes being the bright blue that he had remembered from the wedding, he saw them as almost colourless, the ghostly white of the night draining her of any earthly hues. Her fingers drummed soundlessly on the bed sheet which covered her knee.
As Cayonu waited for her to recall whatever it was she was searching for in her memory, he couldn't help but think that she was a vision of otherworldly magnificence.
She turned her head swiftly and stared at him all of a sudden, her face full of excitement. She's the one who's moving to the office in Los Angeles. It had finally dawned on her; and her smile became gleeful. Somebody got lucky last night.
She'd figured it out. Even if she hadn't, the nervous smile he hid behind his fist would have given it away. For the sake of decorum, he tried to evade confirming her statement. "That's ridiculous."
No it's not.
Cayonu thought she was stunning when she smiled, especially the times when she acted like she knew better. "How are you so sure?"
What, aside from the fact that you reek of that inherent smugness which all males get once they've had sexy-sexy-time with a pretty lady?
Cayonu blinked once, too embarrassed to retort. "Never mind."
Mina shrugged and continued on anyway. She's been attracted to you for a long time. You told me yourself. And now that she's leaving you figured it was ok to take advantage of it because you both knew there'd be no strings.
"If you say so."
She looked him up and down, the smile still plastered on her features, reminding him all too much of Darien. I know so. Come on, admit it. You don't think you're ready to commit to anything, so you won't make any kind of effort if you think it might lead somewhere. She's leaving, so it can't go any further than last night. I'm right and you know it.
The comment struck an uncomfortable note within him, but he dampened it down before it could wreck too much havoc with this thoughts. "I don't kiss and tell," he said simply.
You do when it's me you're talking to.
He sighed slightly as his body relaxed. "I can't keep anything from you, can I?"
Her voice was soft. No, I don't think you could.
"You're not upset?"
About Lisa from Banking? She waved it off, practically scoffing at the idea. Please. What do I have to be mad about? Just coming to visit me like you do is enough to have gained my eternal gratitude. The last thing I'd want is for you to put your life on hold for me.
Cayonu frowned at that. "Coming to see you isn't a chore for me."
Mina lifted her crossed legs under the sheets, so that she could hug her knees and rest her chin on them. I know.
"You're very important to me, Mina."
She looked up at him briefly, a certain sadness evident in her eyes. I know that too.
Nights turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months, but the Princess still slept and the soldier was still sad, for though his secret visits brought him great joy, it only made the loneliness in his heart more cold and difficult to bear.
"Hi." Cayonu sat down on the chair and dragged it forward, closer to her. He rested his elbows on the bed and only hesitated from a moment before he took her hand into his. He noticed she was wearing a translucent pearl shimmer on her nails, Serena must have painted them. The weekend before she had mentioned that she had wanted to visit Mina, she must have managed it sometime during the beginning of the week. He wondered briefly who she had left the baby with since Darien was adamant about not bringing the new born to the hospital.
The list of possible babysitters was a short one. There were only four people he knew in Serena's circle that didn't work regular hours and two of those were hers and Mina's parents who had come to visit for a few weeks. "Darien hates having your parents over at his house; I'm sure you know that pretty well." He ran the pad of his thumb over the smooth gloss on her nail. "He still thinks your father disapproves of his marriage to Serena, and your mother makes him uncomfortable because she fusses over him, something he's never had before." He ruled the pair out immediately since more than likely they would have accompanied Serena to visit with their sleeping daughter. "I'm trying to figure out who Serena would have left the baby with when she came to visit you. I'm betting your parents came to see you as well, and so as far as I know that leaves two people: Napoleon and Zephyr. I don't know if you've ever met them, they're more friends on Darien's side, but I think you'd like them."
Are they hot?
"Women seem to be attracted to them, so yes, I suppose so. Leo's more muscular-"
Leo? She interrupted, a little confused.
"We call Napoleon 'Leo' or 'Leon' for short. He prefers them to 'Nappy', which is why the others use that nickname for him all the time."
I see. She pressed her fingertips together and pretended to contemplate something, a cheeky smile on her features. It reminded him of Jacinto. Please, tell me more, she said.
"Well, both Leo and Zeph are talkative and crude. They also like to think that they're funny, although Zephyr is probably the more obnoxious of the two."
They sound charming.
Cayonu smiled as he talked about his friends. "They're never dull, I think you'd get along with them quite well."
You think I like guys who are crude and obnoxious? There was a hint of playful teasing in her voice.
"Your sister likes them well enough, although I think Serena sometimes finds it harder to cope with them than she lets on. She always makes the effort though, for Darien's sake, and for mine."
A wistful look appeared to filter across Mina's features. Poor baby sister, always horribly desperate to please everyone.
"You must miss her very much."
She gave Cayonu a small smile at the truth of his statement. He wanted to try and give her some form of comfort. "You know she would be here all the time if she could."
Mina waved it off, Oh I know. I don't blame her, she has a lot to take care of, and I know it must be painful for her to see me like this. At that Cayonu's imagination took an unexpected step back and he looked at her properly again, reality gripping him at the throat. She was unchanged, unmoving and ghostly in the dim night light. She was like a marble and gold statue lying atop its owner's sarcophagus, the real person trapped and lifeless within. The moment passed quickly and suddenly her voice filtered into his brain again.
So, you were saying?
It took an instant for Cayonu to recover but he managed it, more than willing to hide the rush of sadness which had filled him in those few seconds. "I was, yes." He briefly searched his memory for what they had been discussing and then ploughed on as if their little interlude hadn't happened. "Leo's currently 'in-between' employment after having a Jerry Maguire-esque epitome at work and quitting; and Zeph teaches biophysics at the university." While Napoleon wasn't exactly equipped to take care of a baby –even for a few hours- he was the much less likely option of the two to commit some heinous act of child negligence. "If you knew the two of them you'd be a little worried for the baby, but it'll probably be Leo, at least he won't lose it. He'll probably skive a free dinner off of Serena and Darien as a return for the favour."
Mina didn't seem nearly so amused. That's my niece you're talking about, she'd better be alright. How well do you know these men?
"Very. We've all been friends for a long time."
Mina lifted her eyebrow lightly, as if something had occurred to her. So why have you only mentioned them now? Her smile was curious.
Cayonu took a moment to consider his answer, taken somewhat aback by the question. "I've mentioned them a few times."
Not enough for me to think that you'd trust them enough to take care of a baby.
"That's true." He thought about it again. "I suppose it's because I consider you to be in different worlds."
I'm not dea-
"That's not what I mean." He said, interrupting her. "I was trying to say that I consider you in a very different circle of friends. I don't tell them about you, I keep you separate."
Mina almost seemed hurt at that. How come?
Cayonu shrugged lightly.
Is it because you think coming here is crazy? Cayonu could hear the worry in her question.
"No." He paused, wondering if it was really a good idea to tell her. But at the look of sadness in her eyes he couldn't help himself. "I don't tell them about you because I don't want to share you."
Oh.
"Selfish, I know, but it's how I feel about you." His eyes were solid as he looked at her sleeping body again. "And I'm not sorry about it." He said the last part with conviction.
I see. Cayonu could almost imagine seeing her blush. A smile crept onto her face and it made his heart flutter. Are you sure Leo can handle the baby?
Cayonu followed her attempt at changing the topic of conversation. "I wouldn't worry too much, he's usually somewhat responsible."
Yeah, I'm sure responsible people quit their jobs for no reason whatsoever. In his mind's eye he saw her laying on her side, her pretty head propped up by her hand, while her hair fell behind her, acting like a golden curtain. He was still holding her hand.
He smiled at that. "He's going through a hard time, he doesn't think he's happy. Leo won't admit it, but he's always had these rather romantic notions about life; and when they fail to meet his unreasonably high expectations he often becomes depressed and does something drastic like this. He'll be back on his feet soon enough."
What, you think 'being happy' is romantic? She smirked.
"Yes, actually I do. Not everyone is lucky enough in life to be happy."
Well look who's being a Mr. Grumpy Gills.
Cayonu had found out that one of her favourite films was an animated feature, of all things. At first he had scoffed, but eventually he'd become curious enough that he bought the DVD of Finding Nemo and watched it while he was on a business trip in Hong Kong. He had been pleasantly surprised. It was yet another thing she had converted him to; other things had included tofu, Carlos Santana, strawberry and mango tea, the Poirot movies, Spin classes and Amaretto.
He let go of her hand, placing it gently back on the bed and then looking away from her, to the darkness through the window. Frustration was evident in his voice when he spoke again. "You have no idea how much I wish we knew each other before. When I think back, there were so many times we could have met. Like all those weekends you came to visit your sister, or that week you came, back when Darien and I were still room mates and he had just started dating Serena. I remember I deliberately took that week off of my vacation time and visited my sister." He sighed with regret at the memory. "I spent seven days dealing with three hyperactive red-headed children because Darien had implied he was going to try and set you and me up." He gave her sleeping form a wry smile, imagining those lips of hers –not as small and plump as Serena's, but more seductive and kissable- turning upwards slightly at the corner, while her bright blue eyes narrowed with mock distain.
Well you've missed out, Mr, big time. I'm quite a catch you know.
"Yes, alright. I'm a complete fool."
Now she was sitting up on the bed, her delicate hand reaching out and brushing his hair. No you're not. How were you supposed to know we'd be perfect together? Her hand traced its way along his outer ear and sent a shiver through him.
Cayonu stood up suddenly and walked to the other end of the room.
What is it? She was moving towards him with invisible feet, his mind unable to conjure their image since he had never seen them before, hidden as they were under the thin hospital bed sheet.
"Nothing." He said wistfully, closing his eyes and making the image of her face all the more vivid. "I'm just doing something incredibly stupid."
He could see her lean in closer to him, the dull light from the waning moon just highlighting the softness in her light eyes. What do you mean? she asked, her voice gentle and somewhat sad.
His breathing became heavy as his heart beat faster in his chest. "I-" His mouth felt dry and the words refused to spill out.
Cayonu? What is it? Tell me, don't bear whatever is alone. She watched him struggle, her features clouded in worry.
"It's not what you think," he tried to dismiss it. "It's just that I'm-" He stopped again, but this time it was because of the soft ding which signalled that the elevator was opening. "I have to go." He grabbed his jacket and ran out of the room, heading as quickly as he could to the doors which lead to the staircase at the other end of the corridor.
He barely made it in time –he wasn't sure but it seemed like whoever it was hadn't heard him. After taking a moment to catch his breath and calm himself from the adrenaline rush, he made his way down the stairs as silently as possible, almost thankful for the intrusion.
Soon the soldier's heart became too heavy to carry and he worried that he could no longer make the journey to see the sleeping Princess.
"I can't do this anymore."
Do what? She was terrified, he could hear it in her voice. It made his heart constrict in his chest.
"See you," he said, pulling the words out of his mouth as his heart screamed at him not to.
For a long time he could see her sitting on the bed, her pretty blue eyes cast downwards, her body pale in the moonlight, the colour of her skin reminding him of porcelain. When she looked up, her eyes shone with unspilt tears. That's alright, you've been so good to me, and you've given up so much of your time and energy. She tried to smile, but it wavered and dropped.
She couldn't hold it in. Why? It came out barely in a whisper.
He reached for her hand, lying limply at the side of her sleeping form and clasped it tightly. "I'm sorry. It's just-" He imagined her biting the right corner of her bottom lip as she waited for him to find the words. "-between the increased hours at work and the sneaking around at night, it's just too difficult to come here." He winced at how he sounded.
Don't do that. I'm not an idiot! She was angry, and hurt. He saw the tears fall, one after the other.
"I'm sorry." He tightened his square jaw with determination. "I know you must be upset," he couldn't look at her, his grey eyes shifting across to the shadows in the opposite corner, vainly trying to avoid seeing the coma patient that lay in the centre of the room, "but I thought being honest would be best."
Even he didn't believe what he was saying.
Oh please! She sniffled and used her hand to wipe her nose quickly. If I'm making you so unhappy that you have to lie to me then I don't want you here.
"Mina-"
Just go!
"Mina!"
Go! That's what you want isn't it? I'm giving you an out. Take it!
"I'm sorry!" Cayonu raised his voice slightly, unable to fight against the pain in her voice. "I'm- this is becoming too real for me and I can't separate my feelings anymore. I don't know what to do! You're not even here, you're in my head!"
He cursed at the outburst, knowing it would hurt her. He hadn't intended to let the words leave his mouth, for his gnawing doubts to be aired.
Her anger had dissipated at his confession. I don't want to make another person unhappy. Mina looked down, dejected. I know I have no right to ask anything from you. It's wrong and selfish and I'm so sorry for putting another person through pain. Please, I understand, just- just leave. Her voice was desperate as she fought to resist her emotions. I'm not angry, I'm grateful for everything you've done for me, but if you want to go do it now. She swallowed back a sob. Don't make this harder for me, please. She was barely whispering.
Cayonu watched her try to accept his decision and he realised how stupid he had been. "I didn't mean it to come out that way." Suddenly all those fears and misgivings seemed ludicrous to him. He cared for her, nothing else should have mattered. He'd made a mistake.
She looked up at him with shining eyes. But you said it, she smiled sadly and tried to wipe the tears away before they became out of control. And you're right. I'm not even real, I'm what you think that useless person on this bed would be like. This is ridiculous, and I'm pretty sure it's even a little insane.
Hearing what she said didn't make him care about the truth. "You're wrong. I know-" he lost the words to explain how he felt.
No! You don't know me! She was yelling now, sitting on the bed and clutching the sheets as she cried out the salty tears which she had desperately sought to stem. I'm a figment of your imagination. I'm just a breathing corpse, lying here on a bed and holding back everyone I love from living!
"Stop that!" He was getting upset. "You know that's not true. You know they care! I care!" His hands shook as he ran them through his hair. "I love you."
You're pathetic! She spat, furious tears falling from her face. How could you say something so stupid? How can you love something that isn't even alive?
Her insult had the opposite of the desired effect. "Don't be so cruel Mina," he whispered, "Have some faith," echoing her own words.
She cried into her hands as she held them to her face, unwilling to look at him.
Cayonu walked to the bed and clutched her sleeping, still face in his hands. "You might still wake up."
Then why won't you wait?
"I'm so sorry I doubted you," he said, "I'll wait, I promise." He brushed his lips ever so slightly with hers.
He almost didn't return the next evening, having been so completely shaken by what had happened the night before.
He had kissed her. He had kissed a woman who by all intents and purposes was practically a complete stranger. Someone who was related to the wife of a friend of his who he'd met once three years ago at a wedding.
Someone in a coma. Sleeping, alone and utterly, utterly powerless to have prevented the act if she hadn't wanted it.
He wanted to feel disgust, to hate himself for having broken a boundary that he had made so forbidden.
But he couldn't. It had felt real to him. She was there, she was with him, all those nights, all the times they had spoken to each other, it couldn't have just been his own mind. He wasn't crazy. She had to be real.
With that resolution, he stepped into her room only to find that she wasn't there.
The bed was empty. The table was clear of the photo frames and the flowers and the teddy bears. The room, which usually gave him comfort and warmth despite the muteness of the night, suddenly felt cold and sterile. The silence was irrepressible.
She was gone.
His heart broke.
"You're coming this weekend, right?"
"I doubt it."
"Come on, don't be an asshole. This is the first time Mina will be really meeting people other than her immediate family since she's woken up. You have to be there."
Cayonu swallowed down the lump in his throat at the mention of her name. "Are you sure she's ready for something like that? It's only been two weeks."
Darien smiled. "Are you kidding? The woman's going stir crazy being stuck in the house. She tried to start physiotherapy on the first day."
Cayonu smiled. He couldn't help the next question. "How's her memory?"
"Why? You think she'll still be upset about what you said to her at the wedding? She probably won't even remember that."
"What?" Cayonu had forgotten about that. "Oh, no, that's not what I had meant. I just thought that sometimes patients in her…state, after being in a trauma like her crash don't regain all their memory."
Darien pulled a face of disgust. "When she woke up she seemed really confused. And then she asked why we were all blue and singing." He shook his head. "She had us all going for almost half an hour."
Cayonu laughed at that, genuine amusement radiating from his smile. "She would."
Darien gave his friend a small look at the odd comment. Cayonu did not miss it, and immediately stamped down on the urge to ask if she'd mentioned his name at all.
"You should come." Darien's voice was slightly lower as he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. Cayonu recognised it immediately as Darien's attempt to persuade. "It's important for her to meet new people. Plus, Serena wants you to be there and so do I. Do it as a favour for me."
As much as it pained him to admit it, unlike Darien's intimidating stare, Cayonu was not immune to his charm. He brushed off the doctor's hand and rolled his eyes, a habit he had apparently copied from her and not been able to repress. "Fine. I'll be there."
He had stood at the entrance of the bustling house for almost twenty minutes, bottle of champagne in one hand, a plate of store-bought chocolate brownies in the other. He didn't know why he thought she'd like those particular brands, but he did, so he had erred on the side of caution and purchased them. If anything he knew that Serena would appreciate them, she devoured anything vaguely chocolaty, and he doubted there would be many adverse to the Dom Perignon.
He wanted to ring the doorbell but he couldn't. He could hear the general chatter of a houseful of people at a party in full swing. There was music playing in the background, something Hispanic. Mina liked that sort of thing since she'd spent a year touring South America after she'd finished college. He almost questioned himself on that fact, before remembering that Serena had been the one to give him that piece of information.
He couldn't take a step forward, nor back. He was frozen in fear of the unknown. Could he cope with the rejection when she didn't recognise him? Could he start again, perhaps ask her out on a date? Would she even accept? After all, as far as she was most likely aware, the last time she'd met him he'd been a complete asshole. Maybe she wouldn't even give him a chance, and he'd have to go through the rest of his life watching another female member of the Williams family become happy without him.
But through all his self-induced torment, there was one question which plagued his mind the most. What if she was different? What if she really had simply been a figment of his imagination, and the real Mina was nothing like the one that he would have been willing to have spent the rest of his life with?
It wasn't a farfetched thought, if anything, it was the most plausible.
And the most terrifying.
The one fact Cayonu knew, with absolute certainty, was that he would rather spend the rest of his life in lonely misery as she sailed along in hers without him, but doing so knowing that those short few months they had shared together had been real. The idea of it having been all made up almost caused him to leave, preferring ignorance over utter heartache. In her he had found someone who had understood him, who had accepted him and in whom he had had enough trust to have spilled his heart out to. To then find out that she had never existed wasn't something he thought he could handle. She had to have been real, it was the only thing which could give his life any meaning.
It was that thought which finally gave him the boost he needed to move forward.
When the door was answered the sight that greeted Cayonu stole the breath that he was holding completely away.
"Yes?" She was beautiful, even more so in the sunlight, with her hair shining golden instead of the pale yellow under the moon. Her cheeks had colour and were filled out slightly, relieving her of the slight gaunt appearance which so often hovered over the sick and replacing with a healthy, sunny glow. And her eyes…it was all he could do to stare at her.
"Can I help you?" she asked with a slightly confused gaze.
"I'm-" He cleared his throat when his voice waivered. "I'm Cay," he said finally. "I don't know if you remember me, I was the best man at Darien's and your sister's wedding." He had prepared for this scenario, and he was resolved at least, to give it a try. It wasn't so hard, after all, starting from the beginning. "Darien asked me to come."
Suddenly her face took on a very different countenance and Cayonu's bravery was swiftly lost.
She was smiling, and it was more beautiful than he could have ever imagined. It didn't have Darien's cheek or Serena's sweetness, it was nothing like the grin Zephyr was so fond of using. It was none of the images he'd pictured it would be like.
It was stunning, it melted his heart, and it was all Mina's.
"I woke up," she said.
And they lived Happily Ever After.