Bad Dreams
By angelwings1
Chapter 4
Even before her eyes slid open, she became aware that she was no longer in the marketplace. As she woke, Hitomi numbly wondered if she had dreamt the whole thing. The stiffness in her limbs was an easy hint.
She blinked slowly, taking in the dim ceiling. It was probably dusk now. She must have blacked out. Merle probably had found her at last, and stopped the whole fight.
'Thank God. I doubt they wouldn't have stopped until they killed me.'
Carefully, Hitomi pulled her body up, wincing with each tug of pain it took to sit comfortably. Looking down, she saw she had been dressed in a plain nightdress, which tied high at the collar. Carefully she pressed her palm to her throbbing ribs and felt bandages beneath. They had really taken a toll on her.
Peeling back the covers she revealed her left knee wrapped tight and her right ankle in a splint. She scowled. When had that happened? Did they beat her after she had lost consciousness?
Her shoulders sunk wearily. Why didn't her foresight warn her about this? She could have avoided this whole mess. Darn it. It was always visions about others, but never for her.
Bitterly, she pushed her body to the edge of the bed, hissing with the movement. Her throat felt like sandpaper. Looking at the dresser against the opposite wall, she eyed her usually full pitcher. It was only five short feet, but that was hardly comforting. If her body felt this bad in bed, she couldn't imagine what it would feel to stand.
She glanced at the door, wondering if she should call for help. It was highly likely there would be a maid waiting outside. Glaring back at the pitcher, the seer grumbled. She didn't really want to be seen in such a condition. She felt… dirty. She might not have been raped, but it didn't make her feel any higher than horse manure.
Hitomi closed her eyes, counted to ten, and took a deep breath before pressing her palms firmly against the mattress. She had barely risen to a respectable stand before her knees buckled beneath her and she crashed to the cold, stone floor. Sucking in a deep breath, she clamped her mouth shut to muffle the scream.
'Why can't floors be made out of pillows?'
Footsteps vibrated through the floor, angering Hitomi's growing headache, and soon her bedroom door crashed open, loudly bouncing off the wall.
"Hitomi!" Merle squealed as she scrambled to help her, "You shouldn't be trying to walk."
"I was thirsty" she croaked, struggling to her knees. Her elbows screeched in protest and she collapsed again to the floor. Every inch of her body was throbbing and her voice sounded like a caravan of wagons had run over it.
"They cracked your kneecap, you stupid girl!" Merle hissed, pulling the seer's arm over her shoulders. As they slowly picked her off the floor, Hitomi foolishly tried to stand again. To her weary dismay her knees gave out for the second time and she nearly took Merle down with her.
"Well, it feels broken" the seer grumbled as she clutched to the cat for dear life. Swaying dangerously under the seer's weight, Merle yelled for help. Hitomi's vision began to blur when several maids raced in. Just as gravity was about to win, the maids came to their rescue and caught the seer. Sometime during the mass of warm hands grappling for her, Hitomi's vision darkened.
"I'm so sorry, Hitomi" she heard faintly just before she lost consciousness.
His jaw tightened with ever whimper of pain that rose from the bed. Merle pulled a new wet towel from the water basin and rung out the cold water. Carefully turning in her seat at the edge of the mattress, the cat gently draped the cold towel over the seer's burning forehead.
Hitomi shivered at the contact and mumbled incomprehensively words. Van's fists curled tighter at his waist with each painful syllable that passed from her chapped lips.
"She hasn't woken since earlier?" he asked softly, hoping not to disturb the battered woman.
Merle shook her head, staring down at the woman, "Every so often, she'll open her eyes, but she's delirious with fever."
Van shook his head violently, his dark bangs dancing over his anger-filled eyes. If he hadn't stumbled upon her… If he had been a few minutes longer in the minutes…
"What would cause someone to do this to her!" he stated low and raw.
The cat-girl shrugged dumbly, her eyes filling with tears, "I don't know, Van-sama."
"I knew people could be foolish" he growled as he looked out past the window into the speckled sky, "but I didn't want to believe my kingdom would be so quick to inflame."
Merle studied the woman's battered face, noticing how it was already a sickening brown, "There is fear in the people. I found out today that there was rumor about her involvement in the castle."
His eyes snapped to his sister, "How? The council knows the dangers if her purpose was discovered and none of the servants would dare choose to gossip after the meeting I had with them."
"There's a leak" she replied gently, "We should have realized this might happen."
"Not this!" he snapped angrily, glaring down at the seer, "No person should have right to do this."
'She didn't deserve this.' The unspoken line subconsciously echoed in their ears.
The room hung taunt between them. A familiar rush of helplessness enveloped the duo. Hitomi had been lucky this time, if you could call it that. She had survived the beating with only a few broken bones. If the whole spectacle hadn't been interrupted she would have likely been killed. Technically, she wasn't, yet, out of the woods. She was still fighting a dangerous fever and suffering from massive blood lost. There was still a chance she could die.
What had happened in those few short minutes that Hitomi had been separated from Merle? What could cause grown men to viciously pound a woman into the ground?
"H-hot…" Hitomi weak words tumbled from her mouth, turning both the nobles' heads. Merle hurried to refresh the towel, dipping it back in the cold basin.
"Sh" the cat-girl whispered soothingly in the seer's ear as she pushed back the woman's sweat soaked bangs.
"Hot" Hitomi grumbled louder, her hand feebly reaching for the rag. Merle thought she was attempting to press more of the rag to her forehead, but to both the surprise of the king and his sister, the seer ripped the towel from the cat's claws and slung it to the floor with a loud slap.
Her eyes rolled opened and Merle gasped. The seer's glassy eyes were a frightening gray. Her fingers dug down into the mattress, twisting the sheets so tight they began to rip in their ears. With her back arching up off the bed, Hitomi gasped, "The curtains are on fire!"
Van glanced over at the curtains. There was a slight breeze invading the room from the slightly gaping balcony doors and the sheers were dancing slowly, but there was no hint of flame. Having already gathered back the rag, Merle hastily whispered, "Shhhh, Hitomi. The curtains are fine. Shhh."
Hitomi shook her face away from the girl, tears streaming down her blackened cheeks, "Please, save them."
The she-cat was trying desperately to hold back her tears. She had been the steady witness of these feverish episodes for hours and each one was a cold stab in her chest. It was her fault that Hitomi was suffering. Probably the only thing that had kept the seer alive was her brother stumbling on the whole mess. If he hadn't been there, Hitomi would have died long before Merle would have ever been able to push through the mob.
"The curtains are fine" Merle soothed, "It's just a bad dream."
"Please, oh lord above" Hitomi sobbed, "Stop this."
"Nothing's wrong, Hitomi" Merle cried, beginning to shake her. "Wake up!"
Hitomi abruptly froze, startling the anxious duo. Her silver eyes stared at the ceiling and she whispered, "The black soldiers are here."
"Black soldiers?" Van gasped, "What black soldiers, Hitomi?"
"Don't mind her, Van-sama" Merle cried, shaking her head. "It's the fever."
Van quickly step back embarrassed. He wasn't sure if it was the connection of the black soldiers to his past or the fact that she was a seer that had caused him to shout. He had found it strange for her, a woman who had never ventured from her secluded village in the valley, to see black soldiers in her nightmares.
He scowled. Was it possible his nightmares were affecting her? He whipped towards the woman.
Hitomi's head tossed to the side a final time before stilling. A breath of relief passed from their lips as her eyes slid close. To their shock, however, her eyes reopen as quickly as they had shut and revealed brilliant emerald green color.
"Hitomi?" Merle whispered gently.
The seer flinched at the call of her name. Her eyes squeezed shut and tears spilt over her cheeks. Surprisingly, she made no whimpers or sobs. It was an eerie silent cry that stabbed into the heart with the shudder of her chest. Each breath she took sounded like metal scrapping.
Merle glanced to Van and he shrugged. The cat-girl turned back to the seer and tenderly rubbed her shoulder. Hitomi slowly exhaled and opened her glistening eyes. Staring at the ceiling she asked in a strong voice, "How long have I been out?"
"Several days" Van replied, "You've been suffering a high fever from the blood loss."
The bed sheets ruffled noisily through the heavy silence as the battered woman curled into a ball. The images were still bright in her head.
"Have I've been talking in my sleep?" she whispered. Merle looked to her brother. It sounded as if the seer was frightened of the answer.
"Yes" the cat said, "Why?"
Hitomi turned on her side, facing away from the girl, "It's nothing."
No one was sure what to say, but they all knew their thoughts lied on the seer's screams from moments before.
"When shall the nobles arrive for the meeting?" Hitomi inquired, hoping to steer away their curiosity.
Merle went to answer, but Van quickly interrupted her, "I postponed the meeting. They will not arrive until the next moon."
Hitomi quickly turned onto her back again, "What?"
"I had wanted you to be there at the meeting" he replied, his face flushing.
"I am no diplomat, my lord" Hitomi stated matter-of-factly, "I will hardly be any help."
His eyes momentarily darted to the floor, "Merle, please leave us."
The cat-girl scowled, obviously wounded for being left out, but after what happen, she couldn't expect much less. She had lost the benefit of being part of this after she had left Hitomi alone in the market. As she passed her brother she quickly bowed her head, hiding behind her pink hair. She might have escaped his eyes if he hadn't lightly touched her shoulder. Obeying his silent command, Merle looked up.
Van knew she was still blaming herself. She had never shown such commitment to anyone except himself and ever since Hitomi had been condemned to the bed, Merle hadn't left the room.
"We'll speak later" he whispered.
Merle nodded, but her head was still hanging an inch too low. Once the door creak shut, he turned back to the seer. Hitomi's fingers curled tightly into the sheets.
"My council requested your presence" he admitted sullenly.
Hitomi wanted to roll her eyes. That meant they demanded she was there.
"Why?" she asked stonily, 'Did they hope to humiliate me in front of the world?'
Van ducked his eyes from her, and immediately, Hitomi knew. She inwardly kicked herself for not realizing earlier when they had met at the temple.
"Have you been waking before the sun, my lord?"
He winced. His ruby eyes met hers and she knew enough.
"Yes," Van coughed. His hand leapt to his chest, wrapping his fingers into his shirt. Hitomi's eyes widened at the sight. He was already passing into the second stage.
"How long?" she asked frantically.
Regaining his composure, the young king straightened his back and replied a little hoarse, "Nearly a week before the day at the temple."
Her mind raced through calculations. It would be any day now before he passed into the third stage. If he got too far along, she wouldn't be able to bring him out of it. Her heart seemed to fold and crumble in her chest at the thought. Staring at him across the distance of the bed, she was overwhelmed with the urge to pull him against her chest like a mother would a child.
'This is too fast. I didn't think he would react this quickly. Most last months before the second stage ever hits, but he's passing through them nearly three times faster.'
Van could tell by her scowl that it was bad. He had foolishly believed his body was still recovering from the sleepless months and stupid not to tell her. The pit of guilt he had been swimming in for the last hours was growing deeper.
"Why did you keep this from me?" Hitomi asked, her face sad yet soft.
Van almost didn't have the will to look her in the eyes. He had been reduced to a selfish child. He didn't deserve the crown on his head or the loyalty of his people. He was irresponsible—
"Van" she called firmly, waking him.
He returned to her face feeling lost. He couldn't rely on himself. The person he had built himself to be in his eyes had proven to be unreliable.
"Van, why won't you trust me?"
His eyes slid close at her sad plea. That very statement had been racing in his head since he had stormed off from their lesson.
She sighed, "I know you don't want people to suffer, but you're health is deteriorating."
"They're nothing, but flashes" he insisted weakly, "They'll pass."
"Will you risk your kingdom?" she snapped.
He froze, "What?"
"The longer you try to ignore this," she replied darkly, "the closer your kingdom comes to loosing their king, their only living royal."
He shied from her, "It's nothing of concern. I'm just distracted. My lack of sleep-"
"Is not responsible" she interrupted.
He couldn't find the energy to retort anything back. In the bottom of his soul he knew she was right.
"As I told you and your council over a month ago, my lord" she replied, "My stealing your dreams does not heal the scars of your heart. Only a handful has survived Stolen Sleep, and they had been Mystics. Who's to know how a Fanelian will react?"
He was cornered. There was no way out of this mess, but following her out of it. Even if his very being was disgusted with leaning on another's shoulders, he could no longer avoid the direness of his situation.
"I…" he began slowly, fearfully, "I've been having waking dreams."
Hitomi swallowed, "How many?"
"Several" he replied quietly, "Mostly during meetings. I keep seeing things burning around me, my mother struck down on the floor. Once or twice I have seen black soldiers bursting into the room."
"You screamed out" she stated, "That's why your council is worried."
He nodded, "They're afraid I will have another waking dream during the meeting or the festivities. The last thing my country needs is to appear vulnerable. If the other nobles see me cry out, they might think I'm insane."
"If you are not freed from this sickness, you will go insane."
He whirled. His jaw was slacked at he stared at the solemn woman, "What do you mean?"
Hitomi raised her weary eyes to the king, striking fear into his heart, "I told you that many have suffered the illness and few have survived it. My lord I never meant that people died beneath its punishment. It is that people have been driven mad by the nightmares and pain that have tormented them."
He rushed to kneel at her bedside. Everything was falling apart around him. He had been so strong for so long. His hand instinctively reached for hers, "But you can stop the dreams."
"Not the waking ones," she replied sorrowfully, "Even your nightmares have only ceased because of constant stealing. No seer has successfully stop waking dreams, or, as we call them, visions."
His heart just stopped at her admission. He was doomed.
Her hands clasped over his as she notice his mind shrink away into despair, "My lord that is why it is so important you finish my lessons. It is the only hope I can give you."
He nodded, though he appeared to be off in some other world. She quickly cupped his cheek bringing him back to her.
"If you won't do this for yourself," she whispered, "Than do it for your people. Don't let them be sacrificed to hungry men who will fight for the crown once you are unfit to rule."
He grew lost in her eyes, suddenly aware of how special this woman exactly was.
"How do you keep going?" he mumbled, "How do you stay so strong?"
She smiled and her blackened eye almost closed from the swelling, "You just caught me on a good day."
Hitomi leaned heavily on the cane as she stood. Her knee still screamed protested after five days, but it was healing quickly. Everyone who saw her was shocked by how fast she was recovering. It would be a good month or two before one should be able to stand. Hitomi was already walking with a cane before the week was out. It was easily written off as a Mystic trait and the whispers of the woman spread.
Hitomi carefully tested her leg, slowly adding weight to it. She winced as a nerve was hit. Suddenly her whole side was on fire and she lost hold of her crutch. Merle instantly took its place. Hitomi clenched at the smaller woman's shoulders and almost took them down, only barely regaining her balance.
Merle grunted under the woman's weight. Due to her feline genes, she was stronger than women her size, but Hitomi kept throwing her off balance.
"How is it?" Merle rumbled beneath the seer.
Hitomi winced, "Doesn't feel as stiff as yesterday, but it's too tender to stand on just yet."
Her hand grappled for the cane and with a little assistance, Hitomi stood on her own. The stand was shaky and her breathing was erratic, but she was on her own two feet for the first time in days. She instantly smiled in triumphant.
"Told you today would be the day," Hitomi smirked at the cat.
Merle rolled her eyes, "You win, but I have to say you said that everyday. Sooner or later you would be right."
Tentatively, Hitomi slid her foot forward and immediately crumpled to the floor. Merle hastily went to catch the seer, but was unable to stop the fall. Fortunately, she was saved the seer from slamming her head against the stone floor.
"That counts" Hitomi growled from the cold stone, "You still owe me three gold pieces."
"Sure" Merle smirked, "I'll pay you as soon as you pay me for the last four days you didn't stand."
Hitomi smiled through her grimace of pain, "Let's call it even."
Merle rolled her eyes, but smiled brightly. Normally she would have badgered the seer for trying to get out of their game, but she was too excited to see the woman smile. She had been desperate to keep it on her face since the incident days ago. She couldn't help to feel responsible for every scowl that marred the poor woman's face. Merle knew she was pushing too much guilt on her shoulders, as her brother had warned, but she refused to leave Hitomi in such a state. Stupid, insignificant paperwork wouldn't keep her away.
Sinking back into the mattress, Hitomi heaved a loud sigh, "This is taking too long."
"You got beaten into a bloody pile," Merle scoffed throwing the covers over the seer, "You aren't going to be doing anything strenuous for another week."
Hitomi gave the cat-girl a sidelong glance, knowing full well her soon to be question would be some fire out of the cat, "Could you call for Lord Van?"
As expected Merle's fur rose and her catty eyes glared at the woman, "You are not going to do lessons this week! You might think these lessons of his aren't a strain on you, but I won't have it!"
"Merle, please" Hitomi pleaded with a half smile, "I only wish to talk with him about the coming meeting. It won't take long I promise."
The cat angrily shook her head, her pink locks dancing.
"Please? If you think I'm exhausting myself you can send him out."
Again another shake of the head.
"Merle, I have to be prepared for the end of the month. If I'm not ready a disaster could occur."
Merle narrowed her eyes. Hitomi grinned when she saw the cat breaking, "Please, you'll have complete control."
Her tail twitched and lowered as she considered, "You got five minutes. That's it."
"Deal" the seer replied, straightening as she watched triumphantly Merle head out the door. Hitomi had to bit down her lip to keep from giggling at the sound of Merle's curses. The moment the door closed, however, her humor disappeared.
Quietly, she snuck her hand under one of her many pillows and slid out a worn leather book. It was small, obviously one that was carried frequently in someone's jacket or robes. Hitomi quickly flipped to a ribbon marked page and stared down.
Even though Merle had been an attentive nurse for the last days, Hitomi had still found time to sneak in some reading. Her handwriting was smudged and a few years old, but Hitomi didn't need to read it. She had reread the underlined sentences for years.
'Extremely dangerous. Do not attempt unless—
Her eyes squeezed shut. She was scared. No, absolutely frightened out of her wits would be closer to the truth. She had looked through her entire journal, twice, and the solution she had found was forbidden.
'They can't know,' she thought miserably, 'They would never agree if they knew. I have to do this alone.'
A tear slid down her cheek, 'I do everything…alone.'
"Are you alright, Hitomi?"
Hitomi jerked up, totally missing how he had used her first name without "lady" before it. Van and Merle were both standing in the doorway, staring at with undisguised concern.
Hitomi quickly broke out a smile, "Oh, don't worry. Just missing home, that's all. I keep thinking of my little brother and how he would just love to run out in the fields here. There so much beautiful fields in Fanelia. I know he would love it here."
Van smiled warmly, obviously eating up the lie, "Well, when this is over, you are more than welcome to visit. You could bring him and your family if you wish."
'If they will be willing to see me again,' she nodded, feeling a deep sense of guilt swimming in her heart for the lie, "Thank you very much. I hope one day he will be able to see Fanelia."
Hitomi gestured to the nearby chairs and once the king and cat-girl were seated, the seer turned to them with a serious expression. Van took this short moment to quickly assess her. The swelling in her face had disappeared and her bruises were already a fading yellow. He could tell by her small winces she tried to hide were evidence she was still in great deal of pain. He would have to ask the healer to send up some more medicine afterwards.
"Lord Van, what have your thoughts been for the meeting?"
Van scowled, "In what regards?"
Hitomi sighed, "Well, did you think of way of getting me in the meeting without rising suspicions?"
He blinked in surprise, "How did you know—"
"After what happened, I expected you wouldn't want the nobles to know my origins," she interrupted as she looked to the floor dejectedly, "I would only start problems."
The harsh words settled heavily on her shoulders, but she pushed on with determination, "I wanted to know what you and your council thought about."
Van was amazed once again out how sharp the seer was. He nodded, "Please, understand, Lady Hitomi, I only agreed because of the wellbeing of my kingdom and yourself."
Hitomi nodded, "You wouldn't do it unless it was for good reason."
He thanked her with the warm glow of his red wine eyes, "I had hoped you would agree to go in under disguise."
Her eyes dropped. He quickly continued to say, "I know you wanted to represent your homeland, but—"
"Don't worry, Van," she spoke gently, "I understand you didn't mean it the way it might sound."
He sighed. Neither noticed the second slip in the conversation, but Merle had. Her young eyes settled on the duo, her heart pounding. She glanced back and forth between them as their conversation lost all interest.
"It's going to be difficult to hide my tattoos," Hitomi admitted, glancing down at her wrist.
"Not at all," he replied, "The temperature is dropping so it will be easy to put you in a long sleeved dress or even gloves. That should cover them well enough. If we can't find the right dress to hide the ones on your wrists, Merle has a few bands that could do it."
"Really?" Hitomi turned to her.
Merle blinked awake, "Y-yea, it shouldn't be hard at all."
"Good" the seer replied, "Because I won't be able to wear gloves."
The king looked at her in confusion, "Why not?"
"Well, the whole purpose of me being at the meeting is to keep you from having an—er—episode. I figured out a way I could do that, but I need to have physical contact with you; nothing big, but it has to be skin on skin or it won't work. In all honesty I'm not even sure if it will work at all."
Merle's tail slid lazily along the stone floor as she leaned back. Her eyes danced brightly as she watched the two.
"Ok. We can work with that. The council thought we could introduce you as a distant relative."
Hitomi's face dropped, "Distant relative? Why would a distant relative be at the meeting?"
"We can say something about your family wanting to learn more about politics" he threw out, "Could even go as far to say your visit was a little spontaneous of your parents, thus explaining for a delay for the meeting."
The seer shook her head, "I don't buy it. Won't they realize I'm not a noble?"
"It's the best way to get you into the meeting," he replied, "We might run into a few politicians who might be curious of your appearance, but I doubt they would be able to figure who you were."
Hitomi's nervously rubbed her forearm, "It seems risky."
"Don't worry. Merle will be there with you."
Her emerald eyes brightened. Turning to the cat-girl, she suddenly noticed how Merle had a funny expression on her face. "What?"
Merle smiled innocently as the two unsuspecting victims stared at her, "Oh, nothing."