Merida opened her eyes slowly, as the first rays of sunlight hit her closed eyelids.

She had a headache and her mouth was dry, her throat was sore and every muscle in her body seemed too heavy for her to move.

Still she forced herself to look around, she recognized the room instantly; it was her room, brightly lit by the sunlight. She was in bed, her bed, covered by warm sheets, her sheets. Her sword rested against the wall next to the bed and that made her uneasy, if the sword had been real then the rest had been too.

She looked under the sheets and noticed she was wearing her white nightgown; that only made her even more doubtful.

Had everything been a dream? No it couldn´t have been! It had been far too real, even more than her usual nightmares.

The last thing she remembered was…she took her hand towards her neck, trying to feel for anything unusual.

-Ae think puncture marks are far more than unusual- she thought.

She was suddenly taken away from her meditation by the sound of singing outside, it was a beautiful song in Gaelic as her lullaby had been but this one sounded even more ancient and sadder.

-…Dh'òlainn deoch ge b' oil le càch e

De dh'fhuil do cridhe's …-

She had never really paid attention to her Gaelic lessons and couldn´t understand what it meant but it didn´t matter because the voice that was singing, was that of her mother!

The song was coming even closer until finally it was coming from right outside her door, the wooden planks opened slowly and Merida slid her right hand down and out of the bed, letting her fingers caress the pommel of her weapon.

The queen came inside, at least she looked normal, but of course she did; she only assumed her true form in All Hallows Evening and during the night. Now it wasn´t neither of those things.

Elinor hadn´t seemed to notice Merida was awake until now –Ah Merida, ye finally woke up! Are ye alright?-

The princess didn´t answer, she wouldn´t trick her! She had probably expected to finish her off in her sleep.

"No" she thought "if she had wanted tae kill me she could have done et already"

Gulping and trying to ignore her sore throat the princess stood up and stuttered a few intelligible syllables –W…wot happened?-

Her mother sat down next to her, over the bed.

-Ae don´t blame ye fer not remembering mo ghaol- she said placing her palm over her forehead as if checking for a fever –Ye must have had some hideous nightmares last night-

Merida simply looked at her not saying a thing, inviting with her gaze at the queen to say more.

Elinor took a deep breath before beginning to talk –When we returned from the festival Ae found ye asleep on bed, with yer sword at yer side if Ae should add, so Ae simply undressed ye and tucked ye in-

Merida couldn´t believe it! Was she telling the truth?

-Then barely a few hours ago while the clans were preparing to leave ye started tae yell Merida, literally yell yer head off. Yer father and Ae both tried tae wake ye up but ye simply wouldn´t or couldn´t-

So dad had seen this? It wasn´t just her mother lying?

Almost as an answer to her question the door opened once more and in came the towering figure of the bear-king, he was rubbing his hands together as if he was getting dirt off them

-Well- he said, a wide grin crossing his face – they´re gone. Elinor that was the best All´allows´eening we´ve had in years! Too bad Merida missed et!-

Elinor tilted her head towards the princess to bring her to Fergus attention.

-Ah! – he exclaimed walking towards her–How´s my wee lassie! Ye really had us worried! Wot happened? - The king asked with a concerned expression.

Merida still couldn´t believe, so it had been just a bad dream? Nothing else? She sighed, accepting the overwhelming evidence –Nothing de, et was just a nightmare-

The second those words left her mouth she felt safer.

-Quite a nightmare it must have been…-

Silence fell on the room until the queen broke the silence.

-Well Ae think ye better get dressed Merida, mo cridhe-

Merida was about to jump out of bed and answer with an –Aye mum- when something inside her just…clicked.

The song her mother was singing, now she remembered; the song was an ancient lament written to a sailor by her loved one after he drowned. Mo cridhe meant my love, my heart and the song, the verse she had heard her mother sing…

- …I would drink, though all would abhor it

Of thy heart's blood…-

Her heart stopped beating and she remained frozen in place.

It was a coincidence; she tried convincing herself, a coincidence and nothing more.

-Merida? - The queen asked –Is everything alright?-

The princess struggled to calm down and nodded slowly, everything was fine; it had been just a nightmare.

She got out of bed and dressed up in her favorite blue garments while her parents waited for her at the doorstep.

Once she was ready she walked towards them, ready to start another day of adventures with the bright sun as her guardian.

She was almost outside her room when she heard her father exclaim –Elinor! Wot happened tae yer face lass?-

Merida turned around instantly and saw it, on her mother´s left cheek; a bright red cut, long but not very deep.

She gasped; it took all of her willpower not to run away as fast as her legs could take her.

-Oh et is nothing- Elinor answered looking at her husband –Ye saw how Merida was struggling during her nightmare, she must have scratched me accidentally- then she looked at Merida, who gulped in fear

–Right Merida?-

THE END

So thats it! Not bad for my first horror fic right? Well tell me what you think! Reviews are much appreciated! And check out my other fics, most of them have to do with BRAVE!