Late morning, I sit by the creek, far away from my cares and my castle. I love quiet days. The kind you can only find away from all the stuff you hear every single day. They calm me. The wind is mild in this area because of the trees enclosing the scene. The water is crystal clear, you can see every pebble that lies on the bottom. Each unsullied against the gentle sunlight. It reminds me of my dream. I thought I was going to get away from everything, but I guess some things have to stay, otherwise you'd no longer be the person you are. Something had to follow me here. I hear the cracking of twigs and leaves being rustled from behind me. My peasant friend emerges and is taken aback to see me. He holds his heart in his hand.
"Sire, you surprised me."
"Please, don't call me that." I say quietly.
"Sorry, it comes naturally, my Lord." The boy takes a seat next to me.
"That too." I added.
"Sorry."
"Have you been doing well, Jonathan?" I ask.
"Yes, Sire, I am fine." Jonathan replies, but instantly adds, "Sorry."
"I guess I should get used to it." I sigh to myself. "I just want people to see me as a person too, not just the Earl's son."
"I see you as a man. I was just taught to act like that to royals." Jonathan said.
"I understand." I pick up a rock and skip it across the creek. It hops around three times before falling down to the bottom with a plop. "Are you good at translations, Jonathan?"
"What kind of translations do you mean, Sire? I only know one language, the one I speak."
"Not that kind of translation." I rest my chin in my palm. "I'm talking about dreams."
"You're still troubled by your dreams?" Jonathan asks. I've told him about my previous ones, but not my most recent. The one that is practically consuming my brain. "I'll try to help."
"Thank you. It's one that is just driving the living hell out of me." I say.
"It's making you that crazy?" Jonathan questions.
"It starts out at blank room, the floor is like glass, but you see ripples going across it like water." I begin. "The only noise I can hear is like the sound of a bleating lamb. It's very sweet, yet distressed. The water splits and I fall through into another dimension, it seems. The crying gets louder and louder and the ripples echo over and over inside my head. Everything is so stunningly clean, the walls itself are like mirrors. I see images appear before me, of another's past. The faces are in shadow though, so I can't tell if they're familiar. I see a picture of a meadow, and then of a barn. A girl is in them all, she looks to be around five or six in age. In some of them are an older man who always is holding a wooden club in one hand, and a leather whip in the other."
"That is very strange, Sire." Jonathan comments.
"It's not the end of it." I say. "After the images pass, The man and the girl come to life before me. The man holds out the club to me, and I'm lured to take it. I reach out and every time my hand gets closer, the girl falls through the glass-like floor a bit. I can never seem to reach it. I've never gotten as far as to touch it. I've always woken up before I could get it."
"And the man and the girl are always in shadow?" said Jonathan.
"Yes. They're all black, with no features what so ever. So, I could be wrong in saying one is a man and one is a girl. It's all very confusing to me." I ramble off. "I can't help but think about it."
"I understand your situation now, Sire. All I have to say is, I've only heard this from the old woman in town, but, if you see a weapon in a dream, it means some type of despair." Jonathan informs. "And she also told me that glass means mystery, and water means incarceration."
"Despair, mystery, and incarceration." I repeat.
"I hope that helps, Sire. Hopefully, it doesn't give you even more to think about. I don't mean to make your mind more troubled." Jonathan says.
"Don't you worry about that, Jonathan." I smile. "I have plenty of time to think. And your hints may make that time more enjoyable for me."
"The old woman does have some very out-of-the-blue ideas, Sire. I wouldn't trust every word." Jonathan warns.
"A lot of things are out-of-the-blue, Jonathan." I reply. "My Mother expects me to find at Lady tonight at my birthday party celebration."
"That doesn't sound new." Jonathan says more to himself then to me. "But, hasn't she pressured you to find a woman before?"
"Yes, that's true." I nod. "But she's never gone on and on like this. I have a feeling this friend of my father's who's coming, will not only be bringing a girl, but something else with him."
"What?"
"I don't know yet, I'll have to find out myself." I reply and bid farewell to my friend. I get back on the cart and ride back up the path towards my home. It was a little after noon, so I should be home about one-thirty. Just in time for lunch.
When I returned to the hall that afternoon, Mother came running down the front steps like a mad woman, holding up her dress so she doesn't trip. She was all frantic like usual, asking so many stupid questions. Where did you go? Did you meet anybody there? Was it a woman? Was it a man? What did you talk about? It was so very annoying. I didn't answer any of the questions. It was none of her business. I just passed her and went inside and up to my room. She only stood outside the door, commanding me to open it. Mother gave up after about a half an hour. I quietly leave my room after checking if she was spying on me, or something, and go to the bath. I run it full of hot water and add some minerals before settling down. I thought about what Jonathan had told me before. Despair, Mystery, and Incarceration. Despair also means misery, mystery means something is unclear, and Incarceration means imprisonment. What in the world could that dim-witted dream mean? I could not ignore it. I put my head in my hands for a second, then submerge under the hot bath water. I hear muffled voices above me and come up and inhale.
"There you are." Mother said.
"I just wanted to escape for a little bit, that's all." I reply.
"Can you blame me for being worried?" asked Mother.
"You worry when I sleep."
"Are you trying to make clear to me that I'm a dire mother?" Mother points to herself.
"No, I'm not." I say. "I'm just trying to tell you that you shouldn't be so stressed out if I happen to leave for a couple of hours. I'm a grown man now, Mother. I can watch out for myself."
"You try being in my shoes for a day, Mister." Mother counters. "You're my only baby."
"I'm my own person. I know I'm your son, I'm not running away from that fact." I said.
Mother sighs heavily out of the side of her mouth, fluffing up her deep brown bangs. She smiles. "Come on then, get a robe and come downstairs. We need to get everything ready."
"Yes, Mother." I stand up and step out of the bath after she leaves the room.
I put on a robe and go downstairs to meet with Mother and Father. Surprisingly, they are already talking to someone else down there. I don't recognize the voice at all. It wasn't the chef or one of the maids. It had a strange accent attached. I enter the room in which they stand and the man turns around to see me. He was extraordinarily tall. He was at least a head taller then my father. He wore black dress pants and a forest green dress shirt. He had dark reddish-brown hair and a thin mustache under his nose, and a small line of hair on his chin, like a miniscule beard. He had bright blue eyes and he was missing one of his front two teeth. Both him and my mother and father held a glass of wine. Next to the new man was a large blanket that was covering something.
"Dear Young Ash, we finally meet." The man says.
"Son, this is my friend, Hans. He came all the way from Sweden." My father informs.
"It's just across the Baltic Sea." I reply.
"It's a pretty wide bay, my dear boy." Hans smiles. "Plus, I live on the northern part of the finger called Sweden. So we had to travel quite a ways just to get to the Baltic."
"You say we," I point out. "But I only see yourself. Who accompanied you on your trip?"
Hans's smile fades, but he instantly puts a new one on. "Why, my beauty of course."
My mother lets out a giggle.
I look around the room. "Where is she?"
Hans laughs shrilly. "My dear boy, she's right in front of your eyes." Hans moves aside and gestures towards the large sheet-covered object.
My mother's smile drops. Mine goes up. Perhaps this Hans guy wasn't brining a woman after all, my mother was wrong. "Let me see then." I say.
"Well, if you insist. This is your birthday present, My Young Lord, from me. I hope you will enjoy my beauty." Hans bows and swipes off the vast blanket.
I wouldn't necessarily say that I was impressed, but it was a stunning gift. I wouldn't have guessed it. Underneath the blanket was a tremendously huge body-sized mirror. It had a broad, gold frame with designs carved into it of what looked to be leaves. I walk up closer to it and put my hand on the edge of it, gazing over my robed reflection. My black hair was still damp and almost hung to my shoulders.
"It's beautiful." I hear myself say.
"Thank you, My Young Lord." Hans replies.
"This…is a beauty?" My Mother says astonished. "I thought you were speaking of a woman!"
"No, my dear Lady." Hans says. "I'm dreadfully sorry for the confusion I must have instigated. I've brought no women on my journey. Only, the beauty I created."
"You made this?" I ask.
"Yes, My Young Lord. I did." Hans says.
"It's very well crafted. I congratulate you on your accomplishment." I said as I run my hand down the frame once more.
"Thank you very much, My Young Lord." Hans bows his head.
"I do have one question to ask you though." Said I.
"And what may it be?" Hans perks his head up.
"Why would you give it away to me if it is already cherished dearly by yourself?" I cannot take my eyes off this mirror.
"I had no need for it." Hans replies. "And, I thought, what would make me happier then giving this to someone else and make them happy?"
"Very thoughtful of you." My Mother says painfully. She was still depressed that Hans didn't bring a girl for me to test.
"Don't be so disappointed, Delia." Father whispers to her. He then turns Hans. "Thank you for the gift, dear Friend."
"Yes, Thank you." I say.
"You are very welcome, Young Lord." Hans said.
Later that day, I have the mirror brought up to my room. I put it at the foot of my bed against the wall, so when I wake up, I could see it. I truly have no idea why I like it so much. There was just something about it that left me in some state of awe. There was some sort of beauty attached to it. I didn't want to go downstairs to the party, I wanted to say up here in my room and just stare into this mirror. I loved this birthday gift. I am so glad that this beauty wasn't a woman.