ROYAL AWAKENING
My eyes opened wide.
At first, I noticed my small mobile of glass stars above. The dozen crystal stars barely clanked together as they gently whirled round and round in an endless loop, winking sparkles at me.
And then there was that loud bang sound, and my body sprung up as I found myself in my bed. My heart was still hammering away. When I wiped at my face with my hand, I found myself to be covered in a sweat.
The bed covers were moist when I rolled them off me, and then I slid out of my sticky sheets while trembling. The remnants of my nightmare lingered in my bones, a feeling of chill and fright, and I couldn't get rid of it.
Another loud bang, and then a voice, "Princess Camille! Wakey wakey! This is your alarm!" a familiar voice chirped. I tried to straighten myself up, brush my hair back with my fingers, slip on my sunflower robe and shuffled my way across lushed white carpet, barefoot. With a shaky hand, I took one golden knob and latched it open to let her in.
"Finally! I thought you would never wake up!" pouted my best friend, Bonbon, with a small tray in her hands. She took one look at me with her honeyed eyes and gawked at me.
"You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost," she stated over her shoulder as she set the tray down on the usual small glass table. I closed the door, rubbed at my eyes, faked a yawn, and then stretched my arms up.
"I just woke up a bit frazzled, that's all," I said through the fake yawn.
Bonbon poured tea into a small gold tea cup and handed it to me with its little saucer, concerned.
"You look pale. Perhaps get some sun today," she commented, but then she was up and already at work. I sipped at my favorite morning tea, Earl Grey with rose, and felt a little more relaxed from the routine.
"Time to start the day!" I heard Bonbon cheer, straight to the curtains and opened them all up around the room. Light poured in an almost menacing way, and I shielded my eyes with my free hand with a growl.
Bonbon put her hands on her hips, legs wide apart and long with white high heels. She wore stripped green stockings and a bright ruffled pink tutu. Her hair was a sorbet green, and it flowed down loose and wavy as the wind off the balcony blew strands over her slender shoulders. With skin tanned like hot cocoa and lips painted a candy pink, I thought she always looked stunning, even in such servant attire she had to wear. She reminded me of one of those dazzling acrobats at the circus.
"Don't give me that! It's a beautiful day, and you're going to love it," she smirked.
I set my tea down and grumbled, "It's always a beautiful day."
Bonbon got to making my bed, her heels clanking away loudly even over my fur rugs, like she wanted to be noticed. Her wide hips swayed back and forth, and then she went on, "And your father wants to see you in the Throne Hall this morning."
"How lovely," I replied with sarcasm as I fiddled with my hands, fingers intertwined whenever I felt uncomfortable talking about father. I then noticed the dirt under my nails, grimy and dry. I grit my teeth together at the site. Bonbon gasped when she took notice and leapt towards me, her brown hands around my wrists delicately.
"Oh Princess, look at your nails! It's hideous!" she gasped. "What happened?"
When I was too startled to say anything, she continued, "have you been out on the royal guard grounds again? I hate how it gets you all dirty, with those swords and fighting in the mud and all that… Eek!" I watched her cringe as she marched to my clawfoot tub on the other side of the room, and started to run water. Bonbon has been my trusted servant and best friend ever since I was a child, and believe it or not, my age. But she was…. How could I put it?
"Let's get you in a bath quickly now, then eat some chocolate croissants. Your father is expecting you soon. We have quite a day ahead of us," she fussed while also checking herself in my vanity's reflection.
She was more elegant than I was, let's put it that way.
The claw foot tub was running water while Bonbon was busy collecting tall-neck glass bottles off the vanity shelves.
Bonbon went on, her lips moving a hundred miles an hour.
"Why do you still hang out over there with the Royal Guard anyway? Aren't you not allowed to go over there anymore? It's because of Vince, isn't it? You still see him? Oh, King Morpheus is gonna find out sooner or later, and when he does, don't come crawling to me in tears." She grumbled all of this, all while pouring potions into it the tub carelessly. Half a dozen bottles of colorful soaps and glittery stars all slopped into the water while she rattled on about how much she didn't like the Royal Guard for the thousandth time, but I wasn't listening. I was too deep in troubling thought about the odd dream, and the dirt under my nails.
It was a dream, wasn't it? Then how did I get the mud under my nails? It didn't make sense, and that was frightening.
Pretty soon, the room was intoxicated with floral and candy smell, and I pulled my attention away from my dirty nails, only to find the tub overflowing with pink bubbles while Bonbon tried to control it poorly.
"Oh no! I over did it!" she screeched, and swatted at the bubbles to squish them down lamely with her manicured hands. The bubbles were unpoppable, made to last hours, if not more, based on the magical elixirs. This only aggravated my best friend as the bubbles took over the room, like a dish lady gone crazy with the magic soaps.
I decided to make for my escape through the flowing white curtains, a mountain of pink bubbles following behind as I rushed onto the balcony. My hands gripped the stone railing, head out and then took gulps of fresh air while pink bubbles drifted by me, to fly away like piles of little pink birds spilling over the ledge through the stone columns. Wind whooshed at my hair and gown, pushing the bubbles in all directions as they fluttered away into the hazy sky.
Slumberland greeted me with a morning fog, the kind that still loitered around till noon time. It settled loosely beyond the tall stone walls of the palace grounds, pass the gardens, the flower fields, and hiding the Lake of Dreams. Beyond that, the city was well hidden by such fog, leaving only the tips of towers visible, like a forest of tall vibrant colors, polka dots and Pompoms distantly. The palace grounds seemed to be in its own domain, hidden by fog while the outside world was still waking up. A faint blue haze atop the fog gave hint of another beautiful blue sky day ahead.
I glanced down to the fountain in the courtyard, its flowing water musical as it spilled into a large pool where swans and ducks bathed. A couple of pink bubbles piled into the yard below, pass the fountain and mixing into the blossoms of the cherry trees until I couldn't tell them apart.
A breeze picked up, lifting my ginger hair as though beckoning me to lift my gaze and to the East. When I did, my eyes grew, and I leaned farther forward over the railing, eyes squinting to get a better look. Three large vessels hovered through the fog, until I recognized them as Father's military ships, The Royal Guard. The airships held massive white sails, taking into the wind to steer them towards where the sun disappears, their bows pointed West. I held my breath, watching them disappear into the fog. The last I saw was of the blue flags waving, wrinkling up our kingdom's sigil of a glowing sun before the ships plunged into the thicker clouds upon ascend.
"It looks like they're leaving," I whispered to myself, hand over my eyes to shield out the brightness of the hazy morning to get a better look, but the ships disappeared.
A herd of swans flew into view, cutting into my vision, and I pulled my eyes away, breathing again.
I wanted to go with those ships.
I used to be able to, until… I swallowed, not wanting to go into dark thoughts, but the shadows had seemed to lurk closer to me lately, with good reason.
Both my hands clutched around the smooth stone railing tightly till my knuckles were bony white, and I frowned.
"I couldn't believe I was covered in diamonds!" Bonbon exclaimed excitedly to me as she went about every detail of her most recent dream. We were walking through the palace towards the Throne Hall, the windows all open to let fresh air in. Birds chirped, and the smell the cherry blossoms and jasmine flowed inside easily from the courtyard.
Bonbon had to help me dress in a fine long silk gown in bright pink, its train dragged behind me rather clumsily. My hair was in a loose red bun, gold hooped earrings clipped into place and both wrists covered in bracelets. The crown sat atop my red head, squeezing at my temples till I was beginning to sense a sharp headache. I fidgeted with the crown, a small, and annoying piece I had to wear during the day. I wanted nothing more than to slip off the bracelets, throw away the crown, and pull up at my too long of skirt till it was no longer catching under my feet. The necklace around my neck appeared gaudy to me and heavy, more gold with matching pink diamonds to conceal the top of my breasts in such a way, I feared it light could bounce off it and blind someone.
I lifted my skirt and struggled to catch up with Bonbon, her long legs taking her in longer strides. She went on and on about her dream as we turned a corner into the East Corridor, but my heart began to thump into my ears, and then I felt the need to pause. The same pillars as in my dream, pale pink marble. Every glass lantern was out, but a late morning sun seeped through all the windows, the hallway well lit. I looked over my shoulder and from side to side to catch for any potential shadows lurking behind pillars or above, but there were none. My hand went to my sternum, ready to rub away at the worry building up in my chest, when I looked up.
The long painting of Slumberland was what it should be, with the castle at its center in all its white stone walls and golden round rooftops. Pink cherry trees and rainbows painted behind the palace, and there were happy children, animals and clowns dancing in flower fields, balloons and airships in the blue sky. The moon on one end of the painting was smiling with its giant grin, the sky dark with stars twinkling in their sleep hats. And on the other side of the painting, it was day, with the sun smiling widely down at the land below.
"Camille, what is it?" I could sense the worry in Bonbon's voice when she finally noticed, and stopped to look back at me.
I dropped my head from the painting and closed my eyes to see the dark nightmarish version burning in my thoughts.
"What's worrying you?" She asked again, seeing me rub at my chest as anxiety rose in me.
I bit my lower lip and really looked at her for the first time today.
"I had a strange dream of Mother," I said quietly.
Bonbon's eyes grew, and then she came in closer, a hand on my shoulder. She was just as tall as I was, thanks to her high heels, and her long pointed pink clown hat with white polka dots only elongated her height. When she came in closer, my nose reached to her neck.
"Really? Was it…" she dropped her gaze, eyebrows furrowed up for a second. I knew what she was thinking, but then her face changed, smiling up at me again and asked, "was it a fantastic dream? What did you two do?"
Maybe Bonbon was seeking reassurance, and I hated to disappoint her, but I felt it would be better not to lie to her either.
Sweat collected where my gaudy necklace laid as I replied in a low whisper, "No. It was…." I closed my eyes, the next set of words almost too toxic to say.
"Almost like a…." I swallowed. "A nightmare."
Bonbon gasped, lovely fingers to her lips.
"No…" she gasped. "Camille, are you certain?"
It's as if I could feel hidden shadows closing in on me, slithering across the walls and pillars, till they came to my feet, slowly cloaking me in a state of worry. I thought I could hear my heart pound in one strong beat. I shouldn't have said anything.
"I'm positive," I confirmed, though shaken to admit. The heart beat vanished, and the shadows disappeared, but Bonbon cocked her head at me, shaking it slowly as her thoughts simmered. Her fingers squeezed my shoulder, and then she said in a serious tone, "you need to tell your father."
Bonbon was always chirpy, her head held high and rarely put off guard. So to see her serious, really escalated my anxieties, and I was starting to rub my knuckles harder under the gaudy necklace till I imagined it was all red from rubbing too much. I gasped at the mention of father ever knowing, and instantly shook my head up at her.
"No!"
"Camille, please. There could be agents in our land, maybe even in the castle. This is important," she pushed.
"But then…" I eyed Bonbon carefully. "Wouldn't you be having nightmares too?"
She thought for a moment, her free hand under her chin and her nose all scrunched up.
"Maybe. Or perhaps King Morpheus already knows? This is why it's important to talk to him about this. Maybe there's already a plan in motion?" Bonbon questioned.
The image of those ships I saw. I wondered if they had anything to do with my terrible dream.
Mother. Nightmares. The Royal Guard. Father never enjoyed it when I would trigger him with one of those topics. But all three at once? I wanted to sink my face into my hands and hide. I was already hiding a few things from him. Should I keep piling them up, or share a little here, a little there?
"Princess!" A guard in light armor with a navy padded cloak charged up to us, a spear in his hand. "You are late! The king has been waiting! If you follow me, please," he announced.
Bonbon and I exchanged a worried look, and then I muttered, "I don't want to, but I will talk to him."
I knew I had to, especially if it meant any of our darker neighbors were stepping into our land. Bonbon's hand slipped away from my shoulder as she tossed an irritable look at the guard, displeased with his interruption.
"You better go before the whole army comes looking for you," she grumbled, a sharp nail almost to my throat. And then her smile returned, her "work" face put on display, and she suddenly began to sing to herself, as though to push aside all that seriousness away, gone.
"It's a beautiful day!" Bonbon sang, and she twirled around and skipped away, pretending that everything was fine, and there were no nightmares and no possible threats slithering about in the palace. Putting on a face. That's what I felt Slumberland is really all about.
The Antechamber held six guards as I scuffed through, towards the tall double doors glistering in jewels and gold curved knobs. After being my chaperon, the guard with the spear stepped aside, gesturing me to pass.
I took one of the knobs and clicked a door open. Such a tall door, three times my height when I actually noticed it. The strange large door in my dream flashed in my thoughts, its size incomparable. It made this door look soft and tiny. I pushed the glistering door open and stepped into the Throne Hall, or more like our ballroom.
It was empty, and too quiet. My feet tapped across the white marble rather loudly, echoing across the massive room and into the rounded dome ceiling. I glanced up, seeing blue sky under its round glass, naturally brightening the room in a soft white light. At night, the two large golden chandeliers on either side of the dome would light up by candlelight, but as of now, they were out, just as two pieces of art above my head.
"Camille, come here child," I heard Father's croaky voice command.
I dropped my gaze from the too perfect sky, and found Father sitting in his throne, his chin sinking into his hand. His once bright eyes, were lately droopy, and his skin had become paler than of late. A tall and powerful man once, Father had seemed to shrink in the last month. His massive shoulders had sunken, his long white Santa Claus beard has recently made him appear older, and wrinkles were starting to show along his forehead.
It saddened me to see him this way when I did nothing but stare at him silently. Was he broken for good? Would he ever get better? I couldn't believe only a season ago, this was the same man who had conquered the war with his mighty scepter, unstoppable, and even God-like with his diamond armor and furious eyes.
I cleared my throat, and curtsied before Father, always to remind me that he was the King after all.
"Father, you wish to see me?"
Father straightened in his throne, his royal cape slumped over its gold exterior, and took a deep breath.
"Yes, please, come closer," he demanded. Even his voice had softened. It used to boom through the halls, filled with laughter and enthusiasm.
I stepped forward till I was at the bottom of the steps, and waited. No seat in front of the King, even if I was his only daughter. I prayed this wasn't going to take long, or else I was going secretly take off my heels under my dress. My bracelets jingled with every movement, and I settled my crown before it had a chance to topple over.
"Good, good," Father commented, his hand under his bearded chin. His other hand let his fingers tap along the arm of his throne, lost in thought for a moment before proceeding. The room was so quiet, I thought the tapping of his fingers intensified.
"I wanted to talk to you about your Coronation," he began, and his fingers stopped.
This alerted me. I looked at him carefully, trying to read his expression, but he remained seriously neutral. This was the first mention of the coronation, and I wasn't expecting it for a long time, not with Father ruler of Slumberland.
A nervous lump came to my throat, making me try to swallow it down, but it was still there.
"What do you mean?" I asked, almost afraid to find out.
Father rose from his chair, and he appeared seven feet tall, with tree trunk arms crossed over his chest. He stared up into the glass dome, eying the sun barely edged into view, too early to hover over us.
"I know you think it's too early to talk about it. You will be eighteen pretty soon. But…" he dropped his tired eyes, half of him constantly lost somewhere, while the other part of him tried to focus on what was happening.
"Camille, I think it's time I'd leave for a while," he finally admitted, regret in his voice. He finally looked at me, eyes trying to sparkle, his small smile barely able to stay ahold.
I gasped, almost falling onto my knees, for I was suddenly dizzy.
"What? Wait, Father..." I was at a loss for words, not believing my ears. It was quiet for a while, and Father put his hands behind him, watching the sky again like he could see what he really wanted up there.
"I've been thinking about it for a while. Since..."
When he couldn't say it, I finished for him, "Since Mother?"
I tensed, afraid of how he would react. At first, Father said nothing, his form frozen. Even his eyes stopped moving, his chest still, as though he was holding his breath.
Finally, he exhaled, his mighty chest shrinking to it, and then he shook his head.
"It's more than that, Camille. Yes, losing your mother was a considerable part of it. But also the war. It can wear any man down. Now that it's over, I feel it is safe to say, I need to take some time away. And before I do, I need to pass the crown to you."
He looked back to me when he finished with "you", tired eyes with a bit more light in them.
My throat felt dry, so when I spoke, I sounded raspy when I replied, "I'm not ready."
Father didn't react to that, not in a way I would expect anyway. He remained quiet, thinking, and then he requested, "why don't we take a walk?"
We strolled together along the gardens at the rear of the palace grounds. Down the steps and onto the white stone courtyard, we ventured through the rose gardens and across the tulip field. It was a sea of rainbow across the greenery, with weeping willows for us to crouch underneath their tunnels of vines, and ponds to watch ducklings. Canaries chirped and fluttered past us to fall away into the clear sky.
Father took a whiff of the fresh air and exhaled, a little more himself.
"Slumberland is beautiful, isn't it?"
I tried to smile at all the beauty the land had to offer. It was always beautiful. Not a misstep to be seen, a hair improper nor wrinkle. It was always perfect…
"Yes, it is," I replied bleakly, anticipating to continue on with our discussion. Knots began to collect behind my navel, like I've eaten something too hot, and it was burning away at my insides slowly.
Farther in the distance, while wrapping my arms around my ill stomach, I noticed a large grey elephant drinking from a far away pond with its trunk. A little one came trotting to it, and it nuzzled its little grey head against a leg; a mother and her baby. The mother must have felt our presence because she lifted her head away from the water, and snapped her eyes to us.
"Camille," Father's serious voice caught my attention and I peeled my eyes away from the elephants. He, too, had his gaze set out on the peaceful creatures, and he forced a smile down at me behind his elegant long beard.
"Soon, it will be your duty to protect all of this." He gestured his large hand out and let it roll away to show me all the beauty of the land within view.
I thought about sitting there on a throne, twiddling my thumbs nervously, while Father was absent.
"Where will you be?" I asked, voice a bit tremulous.
Father looked up to the sky, and there was a hint of a real smile there on his face.
"To Middle Land. I want to see all the places that Captain Leroy and his son Vince has mentioned in all their stories, and more of course," he answered.
So, even Father was done with Slumberland and its perfection. He couldn't keep up with his too jolly of a kingdom of pleasant dreams. A cheerless King in a cheerful place. It just didn't mix well.
I sighed, distracted by bird calls, and a reindeer munching on grass in the tulip field.
"I know nothing of ruling this place," I admitted, and feared for all the preparations it would take to get to Father's level of regalia.
Father chuckled a little, and put a massive hand to my shoulder, his fingers fighting away the loose strands of my red hair.
"No one is ever truly ready. I wasn't ready. But you have Professor Genius, the Trinity Council, and your friends, of course. But even so, the council and I still forbid you from-"
"From joining the Royal Guard now, I know," I mumbled.
Father narrowed his thick white brows at me.
"With no more tension with Nightmare Land, there's no need to join," he added, trying to sound hopeful. Little did Father know, I enjoyed sweating under armor and joining on those goblin hunts. There was something uncomfortable about it all, the fighting, the adventure, the scratches, and bruises, but I liked it.
Something in my heart fluttered, and then I remembered watching the ships this morning.
"Father, if nothing is wrong, then why did you send ships out today?"
I observed him as he lifted an eyebrow, and then he groaned, as though he wanted to avoid explaining himself. He pulled his hand back, staying silent, distracted by the reindeer. His silence lingered so long, hoping I would get the queue to stay silent, but inside, I was furious. I made fists at my sides and asked firmly, "why couldn't I go with them? Why can't I be with the guard anymore? Father, I'm…" I froze, unable to finish when I felt the tension rise from Father, like an electric heat rising from his chest.
I'm bored.
I preferred not to say that, but I've been unhappy since I was pulled away from goblin hunts, sword fighting, and scout trips.
"You know why," he put it darkly, restraining himself.
Of course, I knew why.
I put my hand to my heart, only to touch the damn necklace, and almost ripped it off then and there.
"Father, I only want to be like you. I want to defend Slumberland like you did when you made the Nightmare King cower away with his army just last Winter. How must I do this when I just sit on your throne?" I pleaded, trying not to sound like I was whining, but afraid I was doing a poor job of it.
A flicker of King Morpheus flashed across his eyes when Father turned his whole body just to stare back at me, and I knew this was rocky territory. But I was tired of being submissive. I was sick of him turning into a depressing old man, lost and distant ever since he lost the love of his life. And it sounded like he wanted to give up his throne, without even considering what I wanted.
"There is no need to worry about defending Slumberland. Not in a long time. I made sure of that when I defeated the Nightmare King. He's weak, barely a threat. You won't need to fight anymore," he explained. I only grew more agitated because he was voiding my question. So, I asked again, "then why did you send three ships?"
Father took in a long deep breath, to calm himself, and his eyes held on to me.
"Just small stuff. It's not your business anymore," he muttered, and turned is back to me. Done.
I let out an irritable growl, ready to implode, but then Father opened his cape up, revealing his navy silk tunic underneath its thick white fur, and there hanging at his hip, was the scepter.
I paused, terrified eyes at his treasured possession, and suddenly didn't want to argue anymore. That must have been what he wanted because the turned back to me, ready to engage in conversation again, and took the scepter into his hands.
"With this, you won't need to fight. As long as you have this scepter, the Nightmare King won't interfere," he mentioned in a grave voice.
I rarely saw the magnificent weapon. The scepter has always been glued to Father, more like an accessory than a weapon of destruction with great magnitude. I could see my reflection upon its crystal orb, large as my head, and as always, it dimmed in a shadowy blue presence, held together by four golden leafs and a long thick gold staff.
It then dawned on me what he was saying, and I shook my head to rattle my thoughts back in order.
I gawked up at him, "wait, you're giving this to me?!"
Father wagged a thick finger at me. "Oh no, not yet. When you become Queen of Slumberland, then you will hold the scepter."
My throat still felt dry, and I thought about all that was discussed thus far. I knew Father used the scepter to distract me from arguing with him, to stray away from the talk of the Royal Guard, so I decided to let that drop for now. But a question has been nagging at me.
"When are you thinking of leaving?" I asked nervously.
"Right after your eighteenth birthday," Father piped, like he's known for a while.
I almost jumped.
"What?!" I snapped. "That's only half a month from now!"
"I know," Father signed. Wind tossed his long and clean white hair to one side, and I've could've sworn I saw a few of those morning pink bubbles flurry pass him.
"It's not much time, but I've given this a lot of thought, and I want to take time away for a while. I like the idea of your birthday to be the day of your Coronation. You will be of age, and it gives the Kingdom something to look forward to. We've won the war, yes, but we've also lost Queen Meredith."
It was rare for Father to mention mother's name, like a crystal word that rang through his lips and into my ears. I stifled a small gasp at hearing it. The burning sensation in my belly grew, heating up into my chest till I felt too hot in my dress.
I fanned myself with my hand.
Fourteen days.
I've already lost Mother. What was I supposed to do without Father around? Was I going to lose him too? It wasn't so much the fear of unable to reach his expectations. It was the fear of…
Being alone.
More heat pumped into my chest, until I began to sweat under the sun.
"I don't want to be queen, yet," I muttered through my teeth. I couldn't look at him when I said it, my hands balled into tight fists.
Father eyed me with a raised brow, half amused and half irritated.
"You don't have a choice, my dear. It's been decided already. The council and I have already discussed this and-!"
I flared at him, breaking him mid-sentence, "what?! You've all already decided?! What about me?! What about what I want?!"
Father seemed to grew one foot taller as he glared at me.
"You don't get to decide when to be Queen, Camille. It was going to happen eventually, anyway," he scolded.
"But not this soon!" I argued.
Stay here. Don't leave.
I wanted to withdraw and admit this to Father, but I was too stubborn. Instead, I went on, "then as Queen, let me join the Royal Guard!"
Father fumed silently as neither of us even noticed the scepter's crystal began to darken into a crimson red.
He growled, "I already told you. There's no point! And a true ruler stays in the palace, protected and safe to lead the people!"
And then I regretted it as soon as I shouted, "I'm not Mother. I won't die like she did!"
If anything could flare up Father into a raging storm, those words did, and I covered my lips as soon as I let them spill out, though it was too late
"Camille!" He roared.
The sky darkened for a moment, like a flash of black and red lightning broke across the sky with a horrific crack sound, and then the scepter emitted a glow that blinded me. I've never seen anything like it before. I covered my eyes with the back of my hands, fighting a strong gust of wind as a pulse of power spread through the air as a warning sign.
It lasted only a second, when I thought Slumberland could almost look like Nightmare Land, with the sky black and fear spreading through the air as quick as a taking a trembling breath.
A second later, everything went back to normal. Under blue sky again, father grabbed my shoulder with a free hand and squeezed strongly till I ached, and he bent down to have his forehead rubbed against mine.
I thought he would have shouted, but the scepter alone was enough to terrify me in a frozen state as he uttered under his breath in a rare tone of voice, "that is enough."
We were frozen for a moment, not even a hair shifted. A herd of cranes cackled in the distance as they ascended into the sky from a nearby pond. Their presence the only thing of comfort at this moment when I thought it was just me and father in the whole world. My eyes steam up as they froze before father's glare, a dark presence in them that displayed King Morpheus, the mighty ruler of Slumberland and conqueror of Nightmare Land was still in there.
But then he blinked, and that King vanished. The melancholic and broken man was back, his eyes showing signs of pain when he realized what he did, but instead of apologizing, he stood his ground and took a deep breath.
He closed his eyes closed, his grip tight around the scepter when its orb faded back to matte blue.
"It's time for you to study with Professor Genius," he spoke calmly, ignoring what just happened. But before he could add anything else, I lifted my skirt up and ran as fast as my legs could carry me. I felt the tears spill down my cheeks the moment my face turned away.
Father called my name, but I didn't look back. He didn't go after me when I left for the garden and straight up to my room through countless hallways and spiral staircases.
Bonbon wasn't around when I decided to shut the door, and be alone for a while. I took one good look at myself in my vanity mirror.
My silk pink dress has wrinkled. My hair bun has been tossed around into a ball of fluff, and my crown crooked.
I saw a terrified and whimpering princess stare right back at me. She almost looked delicate in her current state, the pale skin, the long cinnamon hair and scattered freckles across her nose. But her eyes told a different story, first wide with fear, but then they heated with rage. I watched the princess in the mirror angle her red eyebrows downward.
Without another thought, I rolled off all my gold bracelets and let them scatter across the floor with their loud tinkering. Tossed across my bed was the painful tiara, and then I pulled off my earrings to let them smack on the vanity, diamonds scattered. As quickly as I could, I slithered out of my dress and threw it across the room to watch it only land in the middle of the floor. Bonbon will just pick it all up and ask about the details later.
I huffed and puffed with frustration, angry at father. I then marched outside over the balcony in a long underdress, and smashed my hands on the railing.
I craned my head to get a good look East along the castle grounds. Beyond the walls, pass the library, royal apartments and quarters for the castle guards, stood the tower to the Royal Guard, surrounded by its own stone wall with flags all around it.
There was only one thing I wanted to do to help me release my anger.
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