The morning light broke upon Alexander's face and, startled from his surroundings, whirled in every direction from the ground upwards. As his glance darted about, he found himself staring right into the face of peasant children, laughing at his confusion and dismay. When he stirred to stand, the children ran off to play their juvenile games and laughed into the distance all the while looking back at Alexander, who was now rubbing the back of his head with bewilderment. He gave a look around and determined he had woken up in the middle of the town's paved roads. But how?
Alexander had no time for questions; he had to get back to the castle, before his father knew he was missing. On his journey back, his thoughts concentrated not so much on his father, or his strange predicament, but on the beautiful maiden he had seen in the forest last night. A dance of fire could be seen in his eyes as his mind trailed on.
His musings were only interrupted by the observations of a lonely old man who had seen Alexander's eyes as he begged for the scraps on the side of the street. Immediately, upon recognizing the impending danger, stopped Alexander and seized him by his shoulders.
"You have seen the Lady who haunts the woods!" the old man mumbled from the loss of his rotting teeth. "I can see her fire in your eyes! You have heard her enchanting music in the forbidden forest!" his mumbling began to become ranting as he continued.
"Heed an old beggar's words, you must never venture back! She will trap you in her veil of malevolence!! If you seek her, you shall surly perish!" The man worked himself up into a fervor so intense he began to shake from his frailty.
Alexander, a little more than alarmed and certainly dismayed by the old haggard appearance of the man, threw the bony hands from him.
"Get off me old peasant, just who do you think you are!" demanded the young prince in an authoritative tone, backing gradually away from this unwelcome stranger.
As his pace quickened, he could still hear the distant cries from the now shrinking man in the distance,
"She will kill you.....
............................. Never ....
.....................................go....back!"
His voice trailed away.
"What nonsense! How could such a lovely creature possibly be evil? He has surly gone insane with his old age."
A few moments later, Alexander stepped over the threshold of his home. He was greeted by his father, who was purple and red with anger. Usually when the King was irritated with his son, Alexander would pay attention to his faults, and try hard never to repeat them, for his own sake rather than to please. But Alexander never heard a word from the frothing mouth of the King, his mind remained leagues away with the memory of the lady in the forest. With these thoughts, Alexander's eyes, once more began to flicker with this inferno.
"..And furthermore Alexan.... The King stopped short.
......... What in God's name.....Alexander, what's the matter with your eyes?!"
" Alexander!!" the King snapped his long skeletal fingers in front of his son's nose.
The light died, and Alexander was once again in the planes of the present world, doing just what was asked of him.