Chapter 5
Part I- IN ANOTHER LIFE
Everywhere you go
Is everywhere I've been
You've finished all my sentences before they began
And I know that look in your eyes
Like I've seen you before about a million times
In another life in another life maybe
In another life you must have been mine
Danny and Sam appeared in a large room filled with books. In the center was a circular table covered in old and important looking documents and papers. Danny walked up to it and took a single sheet looking over it carefully, "What is all this?"
Sam walked to the table looking at the clutter, "Engagement laws, marriage proposal records, bride offerings and challenges, wed-"
"Wait, offerings?"
"Yes, in our realm the bride goes to the man who gives the best offer."
"That's just wrong."
"I kno- I mean that is the way things are done." Sam gave the papers a sad look, "It is the way my marriage will be done."
Danny felt extremely sympathetic. For a girl like Sam, all about action and choice, this must be torture. Looking back down at the paper he got a wave of confidence, "No it won't. I'll get that necklace and stop this nightmare."
"You are still convinced this is just a dream. That it is not real? Tell me are my real parents like this?" Danny opened his mouth to speak but closed it abruptly. "So they are."
"But in are world you have a choice, you always have a choice."
Sam just looked sadly at the papers, "Well we don't have time to just stand here."
"If you still think this is a dream then why are you helping me?"
"The necklace is in the room just above this one."
Danny eyed her curiously, "Alright." He took her hand once more and flew her up. The room was completely empty save for two guards at the door both looking out at the movement in the hallway and a pedestal that held the necklace. Danny stealthily crept up to it and grabbed for the necklace. But suddenly there was an ear-piercing wail and he dropped it to cover his ears. Both guards grabbed him and the noise stopped. "Hey let go!"
PART II- DREAM A DREAM
Dream a dream lover
take me in your dreams
take me anyway you please boy
you're making me scream
Dream a dream lover
love is just a dream
if you wanna set me free boy
you're making me scream
Oh la da di la da da
You gotta dream a little dream
"Danny!" But both guards had hulled him off, Sam ran as fast as she could in heels, which was uncannily easy when she thought of the terrible things that her parents could do to someone when they stole from the crown. No she wouldn't think of that. This was a dream. It was all a dream. But as much as she tried to wake herself as she ran toward the throne room she could not. She would loose the only person who ever understood her and for some reason it was unbearable. She burst into the room just in time to hear the sentence.
"Death by hanging. Take him to the gallows!"
"No!"
"I challenge Sir Dash! To duel for the princesses hand as declared by King Garret of Datura!" The King was taken aback by this declaration. Sam suddenly became very red. Did this stranger know what he asked. That he asked to be her husband. What was he thinking? She had a thought. Her husband to-be had to put the necklace on her before they were officially engaged meaning he would have it in his hands and be able to run. Somehow she doubted he had thought of this and that made her strangely happy and scared and embarrassed all at the same time. Gosh this was a confusing ordeal. She needed an ale.
"And what do you have to offer your king?"
"My best effort to make your daughter happy."
Sam started at those words. They were bold and sincere, making her knees wobble. Why did she feel so strange? God, she REALLY needed an ale. And maybe a cigarette. She didn't smoke but this was killing her faster then they would. To Sam's surprise her father smiled, "Sir Dash, this man has offered us something that is more precious then any statue of any substance. You have ever right to decline or accept the challenge."
"I accept!" Dash stood readily. "Name your contest, welp!"
Danny looked around desperately, obviously he hadn't thought past that last remark. How had he know of the challenge right? And that all sentences were postponed until after the contest. She then smiled. The paper in the records room must have been the Articles of Challenge. Then he looked at her and all traces of desperation were gone but her knees felt like jelly. "Dance Dance Revolution, Difficulty Light..."
The king smiled wider, "Song?" Danny looked surprised. DDR hade never been used in a challenge before. The sport had been considered the game of street rats but it seemed to amuse her father. Dash did not seem to know what it was but he masked it with a wicked grin.
"Ummm..."
Sam's mouth suddenly disobeyed her which could be dangerous under such circumstances but she suddenly didn't care, "Dream A Dream, is a lovely tune... If I maybe be so bold."
The king's eyes snapped to hers but she stared back unwavering, Danny looked to Sam then nodded, "Yes, Dream A Dream. Thank you, Sam-antha-um- my lady." That was a lightly awkward sentence right there if she ever heard one. He was very used to calling her Sam. Not my lady or Samantha. He was DEFIANTLY not from around here. The guards let go of Danny and he rubbed his shoulder where they had held him steadily. The servants brought in the device. A large screen and two pads with four arrows. Both took their places on their respective mats. They turned and bowed to each other then turned back to the screen. Sam took her place to her father's left and they began. Up, left, and then she was lost in a wave of arrows and music. Dash tried to trip Danny who he just simply could not touch, causing Dash to miss a beat and get an Almost rather than the needed greats and Perfects that were needed to beat Danny at this level. She could tell the boy wasn't an expert but he was better than Dash. For a minute the points were almost even. Danny's nerves had made him miss several beats in a row, and this had been quite possibly the longest three minutes of her life. Then it was over. They cut to the points screen and in the end what she saw made her heart drop. "TIE!" the machine screamed.
Both competitors looked to the king. "You have both competed exceptionally for the hand of my daughter. Never in all the years of our family's reign has there ever been a tie when competing for the hand of a princess." The King looked to his daughter. "I leave the choice to you, my dear." Sam felt uncontrollable tears. She sprang up from her chair and hugged her father who embraced her momentarily. Then Sam looked back at the two she winked at Danny, who gave her a confused look. Sam walked up to Dash who puffed out his muscular chest.
"Sir Dash I have wanted to do this for a very loooooong time." She then pulled back her foot and kicked him square in the shin. She then turned to Danny and grinned wickedly. "Sir Danny, my hand is yours to do with as you please."
Danny shook his head, "Then I give it to you, to choice for yourself who will have the honor of being your husband." Sam was awed by the sincerity in his voice. He meant every word. And now for her to say what she meant.
She smiled, "You don't seem to understand. Perhaps I should make it clearer. I choice YOU, Sir Danny Fenton. Father shall we fetch the Queen-to-Be necklace?"
The Queen looked to her husband, "You're going to ALLOW this... This... Indecency?!?!"
The King smiled, "Yes I believe our daughter is right. Have you forgotten how I proposed to thee? I was a street urchin without a penny to my name and your father hated me, but he was impressed by my tenacity. But what impresses me most about this boy is how he cares for our daughter." Danny was bright red now, and Sam couldn't help but turn the same color. "Bring the necklace!" A servant appear in a heartbeat with the pink jeweled pendant on a pillow. The attendant offered it to Danny who took it with a bow.
But instead of putting it around her neck as was customary, he looked down at the necklace as she gave him a sad look, "I meant it. Every word. And if given the choice I'd chose you again." He only looked into her eyes then disappeared. As tears filled her eyes she prayed she was right to trust him. That this was just a dream.