He starts to unravel to her slowly, and she starts to see why the sadness is so embedded in him.
In a dream, she finds herself in the throne room of the gingerbread castle. But it is not at all like she remembers – full of light and joy. It is still beautiful in the quiet, and the interior still sparkle of spun sugar and the furniture made out of candied fruits and caramel shine. But it is dark now, and maybe it is because the sky outside tells her that it is nighttime. But Clara can feel it in the air – someone is causing this darkness – the creeping shadows in the corners of the cavernous room, the lasting echoes of her footsteps.
She finds the prince sitting in one of the thrones, hunched over with his face hidden by shadows. His throne makes her think of the deepest winter, its surface covered with white sugar glaze and silver buttons. It is a stark contrast to his red uniform, the same scarlet shade as blood.
Approaching him on silent feet, she stands next to the throne and puts a hand on his shoulder.
"Nutcracker, what is wrong? Please, tell me." she implores softly, staring down at him with wide, worried eyes. Unlike him, her eyes are the same color as spring and sunlight. When he looks up at her, some of the light finds him and he breathes in, relieved that she is there.
What she can never know is how they have the same nightmares, the only difference is that in his dreams, the blood from the slain mouse king makes a trail back to him. That was only one death, and as king, he will have to be content with many more on his conscience. How each death, no matter who suffers, hurts him irrevocably, like needle pricks that never heal.
But with her beside him as queen, this hidden pain is nothing. He will gladly pick up his sword if it means that he can protect her from harm. And he feels strangely loyal to his future kingdom, a kind of loyalty, once it settles in his heart, he knows he can never betray.
So when his Clara asks him what is wrong, under these circumstances, nothing is. But he does not want to lie either. Slowly, he stands from his seat and their eyes lock. As they do, the lights around them brighten, the shadows disappear little by little.
"The sadness gets the best of me sometimes, I'm afraid. But I'm glad that you found me here."
At that, Clara smiles and rushes towards him – enveloping him in a tight hug which he gladly accepts.