Dream a little dream of me – 7
I bow gracefully to my father and wait patiently for him to take attention to me. He's just finishing the last audience... It's late in the evening and he always ends his working day here. At last, that what he used to do when I was awake...
I mean that I've been spending the evenings on the last week sleeping, trying to find her also asleep... and talking to her for unending hours.
I feel sadness, a horrible feeling of loss... Have I lost her? If she thinks that she's gone crazy because of me... I can't, I just can't hurt her... If what is good for her is to forget all about me... Then, please, God, help me, for I won't be able to live one single day with that.
I stare at the ground. The room is full with people, people who have already been brought to my father, who has had to solve any possible problem they say to have...
Being a king must be horrible. So many affairs, so many responsibilities... Little free time, I guess, although father gets along quite well and lets most of the day free to be with mother...
No, being a king is not horrible, looking at my father and his happy – although he'll never admit being, I'm certain, he's happy, very happy – life at my mother's side.
What must be horrible... is being a king... me being a king... without my Queen, my princess, my dearest at my side.
Oh, Panny...! Can't you see that I need you a lot? You've made me love you, you've made me addict to you, so much, that now tearing us apart would only kill me!
Panny!!
Sighing, I try to calm down. Father has finished and is allowing people to leave. Soon the room will be empty and he'll go to the private wing of the palace, to go training or to go with mother.
I step out from the place, partially hidden by a column, and bow again, this time publicly. When I entered the room, coming from my bedroom, no one could see me. Now the people in the room have seen me and I can hear appreciative whispers. I hate it. I simply hate it.
All right, maybe I'm good-looking. What a girl would call attractive, handsome... I don't know! I'm well built and I know I'm not ugly in all. Nevertheless, the way all the ministers' daughters look at me just makes me sick. They are waiting to marry me. Their fathers would be crazy if they didn't want their daughters married to the future king. Therefore, I'm rather busy trying to ignore them, trying to skip any commitment with any of them... It's all nonsense. When I smile – a faked smile, only because of politeness! – to one of the maids, I find that instantly there are rumours of wedding spread along the whole palace. Pathetic. Simply that.
Father sees me and dismisses everyone, ordering to empty the room. I can tell there's a strange look in his eyes, as if he was very surprised. It's difficult to notice, for he always hides his feelings, but I can tell there is... I don't really know how, but I can see it in his eyes. He's surprised, and I know the reason. I should be on my own, on my bed, dreaming of my perfect girl, a girl who is now dreaming, looking for me – I feel her. However, instead of being with her in Morpheus's land I'm fully awaken, waiting for him to end his working day to talk to him.
And I've somehow made up my mind, letting only two possible ways to follow.
"Your Majesty...", I begin, while I hear the doors closing and I take conscience of the emptiness of the Audience Room.
He looks at me briefly and then looks at the doors behind me.
"Prince Trunks, I'm certain I told you to skip formalities being alone, didn't I?"
I nod silently and look down, wondering on how to start the subject.
"Father, I..."
"You have a problem", he cuts me off. "And the problem includes that girl, Pan, for otherwise you'd be now sleeping in your bed..."
I nod again.
"I... I've seen her... today...", I start, rather unsure.
"So?", he inquires.
"She believes I'm... I'm only her dream, she doesn't believe that I really exist..."
"I see. So, what are you going to do?"
"I wish I knew... I mean... I will... go to earth... to let her know that I'm real... or... or... I will simply leave her alone... forever..."
He stands up, as majestically as always, and steps closer to me.
"Do you really think it possible, leaving her alone?"
I nod unconvincingly.
"Of course not. But I love her, you know I do and... if by being with me she is going to believe herself crazy... I... I'll simply try forget all about her..."
He smiles briefly, just a shadow of a smile, and starts walking, leading me to the family rooms.
"You'll leave to earth in a week. Get everything ready.", he states, matter-of-factly.
I know he's made up his mind and that discussing any point of it would be nonsense, but I can't help to. A week seems painfully long and unnecessary since we have everything ready for any trip anytime.
"Couldn't I part before... please, father...?", I try shyly.
He turns to face me and denies firmly.
"No way. A week. It's not so long as it seems. And it's necessary. You are the heir to the throne, we can't allow you to visit the future queen's planet as if you were a simply soldier. You'll go when we have everything ready. Now go to sleep and try to calm her."
I nod and bow again to my father, who dismisses me with a movement of his hand. Quietly, I leave while he disappears behind a door.
I won't go back to sleep, I won't go to see her since I can actually see her. I won't be one of her dreams again.
And, oh, it hurts just to think of it.
A whole week. And the time it takes to find her afterwards.
An eternity without her.
She woke up with the same old sensation of loss. He was hidden, not coming to her any longer. She had made him angry.
She stood up and went to take a shower. Under the burning water she got somehow to forget of the pain of the night, looking, looking, looking for him as if nothing else cared. It had been a long night feeling him near but not willing to come to her.
Just when she had finally told him of her feelings...!
She loved him. And he loved her. And if he said he was for real...
No. No. She could not believe that he was. He was just an invention of her. Just that...
But what about if he was not?!
What if he was for real...? He... he could be the heir to Vegeta, living up there, having come to her for some strange reason, having met for a special magnetism or connection...
Nonsense...? Maybe.
But what if they had been sleeping at a time and they had somehow met and...?
She stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her body, drying her skin and her hair afterwards, still wondering if she should believe him or not. He was perfect. The touch of his tail, of his lips, was enough to electrify her. And she needed to believe him, to trust him, for not doing so would make her feel so lost...
Still wondering what to believe, she dressed up and, still worried about the endless night looking, needing him, she went downstairs to have breakfast with his father, not aware of what was waiting for her, standing in the kitchen.
The answer to all her doubts.
He saw her before she got in, an instant before she made the last step down. She only saw him after having entered the kitchen and having kissed her father, who was cooking breakfast, good morning, and couldn't help but a scared cry.
He meant that her dreams were true.
She could tell that the clothes he was wearing were the same she had seen Trunks in, and he had a tail wrapped around his waist.
He meant that her love was for real.
Her father turned to see them both and calmed his daughter with a hand on her shoulder.
"You've got visit", he whispered, softly.
He bowed to her, nearly touching the ground with his hand.
"Your Highness", he started with a deep and sure voice, "I'm the Prime Minister of Planet Vegeta and have been sent by His Majesty King Vegeta to ask you to come with me to our planet to wed His Highness Prince Trunks, who wishes to take you as his mate. I've been looking for Your Highness for nearly the last two weeks."
And, with a smile, she hugged her father, crying happy tears for the first time in two weeks.