Wow, I can't believe how long it has taken me to finish this story! But when you're busy, you're busy, i guess. I'm sorry about the year long update thing, and hopefully it will never happen again :( As it is, anyone who has read this, i'm glad you made it to the end and i appreciate it with my whole heart! Anyway, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, and have a great day :D

The dawn came much too slowly for my liking. Several hours ticked by as I lay there on the frigid stone, curled in on myself, trying to keep my thoughts straight. I had allowed Mathias to do these things to me, I told myself. It hadn't been against my will. It had simply been a stepping stone on the way out of these deep, awful waters. Yet the nauseous feeling of stress wouldn't pass, the fear of the demon beside me waking up filling me with anxiety. What would he say to me to try and make me stay here? What powers would he use to grasp at my heart? If he looked at me with sorrow in his eyes and begged me never to leave him…how would I react? My racing thoughts had my pulse pounding in my ears.

As the sun arose in the horizon, I watched the plethora of colors from my spot on the floor through an arched, crumbling window. Beauty like the rise of another morning across alabaster snow…it was unmatchable, even here. It was almost time to find my mother, to escape this place. With sudden urgency, I hauled myself into a sitting position despite the protests of my muscles. I was going home. With Arthur's help, this nightmare was going to end. Hope battled with despair as I walked outside into the early morning to find a clear new day awaiting my arrival.

"Splendid morning, isn't it?" a bored voice sighed.

I turned to find Arthur lounging against the building beside me. His hair was blowing unkempt in the breeze, and he was wearing the same cloak he had been before. "Strangely," I agreed. "Calmer than usual, for this place."

His vibrant green eyes were trained on the ground, eyebrows turned in. "Yes…and the demon is, um, still asleep, correct?"

"It would seem so."

He seemed embarrassed, I thought, the pale skin of his cheeks turning pink.

Arthur kicked a bit of snow, one of his eyes closing in a winking fashion as he pulled out his spell book and mumbled, "Has he harmed you badly?" Seeming to realize what he was saying, he pressed on, his speech panicked. "Not that I actually care about you or anything, you see, it's just that if you were to be harmed this spell wouldn't work and... if it didn't work, my prestigious title as mage could be threatened! So you'd better be well!"

I stared at his awkwardness for a moment in surprise before saying, "He did no permanent damage. The spell should work just fine."

Scowling, he said, "Great. Perhaps we should go wake him up now, in order to officially end this madness."

My heart contracted with insensible fear. "I suppose I have no other choice, since his blood is needed in this ritual." Swallowing back my nervousness, I took a step inside the building to where Mathias still lay sleeping on the floor.

His mouth was turned up in a fanged grin, his head pillowed on his arms, and again I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for what I was about to do to him. He was sloppy, disgusting, childish, nothing anyone would ever want in their partner. But then again, he was as loyal as one person could ever be; he was even going to go so far as to die when I left him. Maybe…maybe he loved me, in the only way he could. He was mature enough to know when to give up, at least. Fighting back the decent side of my heart that wanted to let him off the hook for what he had done to me, I gave his passed out figure a sharp kick to the side. Regardless of whether I was having these thoughts or not, I would never let him know I had considered letting him love me.

"OW!" he yelped, flying to his feet unsteadily and grabbing for Mogens. "Who's there?" Seeing me, he sobered immediately, a smile flickering to his face and then disappearing just as quickly. "Lukas…right…today's the day, huh? You get to go home again. How are you holding up?"

I crossed my arms, stalking outside. "Much better than you." Turning to Arthur, I muttered, "Let's just get this over with. I don't want to think about this anymore."

"Agreed. I'll send you on your way, then. Come here, demon," the mage demanded, grabbing Mathias's arm and conjuring up a pot and wickedly sharp knife. "For a summoning, I'll only need about a fistful of your blood, so I'm simply slicing your palm. It'd be best for you if you didn't fidget." Holding the blade in one hand and his book in the other, he cut a ragged wound across Mathias's hand, the blood oozing into the pot in a torrent of scarlet. Arthur squeezed the cut for a moment, his careful eyes watching it drip. "Alright, that's enough."

Mathias, holding his injury, stepped back with a deep scowl.

"That's good. Now for 'the heart of God' as you put it." Arthur motioned me forward, as if expecting me to give it to him. "Come on. It's a kiss that I need from you."

I made a face. "I have to kiss you? That's…strange and unexpected."

He gave an impatient sigh. "No! Not me, you git. You have to kiss the demon's blood!"

"I have to kiss Mathias's blood? This ritual is unsanitary," I grumbled as I moved forward, even more disturbed by this than the thought of kissing a British stranger. "I could catch some sort of disease."

Arthur crossed his arms and said, "If you were going to catch his diseases, it's likely you already would have caught them by now, what with your unspeakable relations together. That aside, this is taking longer than it should. Hurry it up. Don't you want to see your mother and hurry home soon?"

With a sullen nod, I dropped to the ground and slowly put my head into the cauldron. It smelled awful in here, irony and acidic. I could feel the scent burning my nostrils as I shoved my lips against the putrid, ruby red liquid, the taste forcing its way into my mouth. Startled, I yanked my head out with a gag, spitting in disgust and wiping at my face with my sleeve; despite my efforts, the taste of salty, burning metal would not vanish. Arthur laughed at my reaction but before I could snap at him, he had poured out some form of golden elixir to join the concoction we had created and suddenly it was bubbling wildly, streaming over the sides of the pot and smoking where it collided with the snow.

"Perfect," Arthur said, obviously satisfied. "Now I just have to draw the pentagram and we should be able to raise her."

I gave a nod to show that I was ready, watching as he moved about the town center. For the first time in so long, I was about to see my mother again. The memories I had of her were ones from a long distance, their quality fuzzy and unclear. All I knew of her was the song she had left me, the one that I could sometimes hear blowing through the air when it was quiet enough. Would she be the same beautiful woman I remembered, with hair so blonde it was nearly white and a smile that warmed even the coldest days? I wondered if she could fill this part of my heart that had become painfully empty the day she had died. To know she was resting peacefully up in heaven would be the only thing that could possibly do it, if anything could. Suddenly, I was wishing for Erick and Far to be here with me, so that their pain could also be eased alongside mine.

"Okay, here we go," Arthur called as he finished up the pentagram. He took the pot of yellow, bubbling liquid and poured it across the area, the spaces in the snow beginning to fill in and glow like they had been inlaid with stars to the sound of Arthur's menacing chanting.

"This is it," Mathias whispered, and though I knew he wasn't speaking to me, but to himself, I turned to see his blue eyes fill with the same sadness I had been so afraid to witness.

In that moment, he looked more human than I had ever seen him.

I moved toward him, taking his hand in mine and watching his eyes widen with surprise. "Look. There's so many things I could, should, and would say at this moment if I was nice. But I'm not. So this is all I have. I've been confused since the day I met you here in this ridiculous land that's my so-called utopia. You wear the same face as the Mathias I had met in the world where I come from and even share some traits. It's taken a lot to make myself accept this, but I have; I said you were a cheap knock-off of my Mathias…well, I was wrong to say something so awful. It's not your fault you look like him since I created you. And I just want you to know that you aren't. I finally see that you are your own person, just like everybody else here in Norway." I furrowed my eyebrows, turning away and squeezing his hand. "This isn't my home, but it has been one of the greatest adventures of my life being stuck here with all of you. It's hard to tell you how I feel, but I'm going to do my best. Mathias…I want you to live. I know it's selfish and horrible and cruel, but I want you to live here and wait for me to return again."

Mathias took a shaky breath, his hand trembling under mine as he processed my statement. "But my king…you said you would never return! And how can I do that when you promised my life to the mage?"

I looked up at him, hoping that I was conveying every emotion I had with my eyes. "Run from him the moment I vanish. Run back to the kingdom and stay there with the rest of our family until I come back. I promise you if you do that, I will return."

"Lukas…" He seemed unable to speak. "How can I trust that you'll come again?"

Wistfully, I smiled. "I have once before, haven't I?"

He grinned back, fire behind his sapphire eyes now. "Yeah. Yeah, you have."

I set my attention back to Arthur, who was still chanting before the glowing pentagram. With every word he spoke, the light seemed to dance, growing higher and higher, the color darkening to a spectacular silver color as it boiled. Finally, after another moment, there was a horrible exploding sound and I clutched at the fiery hand beneath mine as the world turned to complete whiteness. When I opened my eyes again, I was alone in an empty universe, nothing but soft fluff underneath me. My grip on Mathias had gone, as had Arthur…it was simply me, and nothing else.

"Mother?" I whispered into the eerie silence. "Mom? Are you here?"

As I spoke, a small tinkling noise began at the very left edge of my hearing. It grew louder and louder, and I could tell it was coming towards me now. My eyes followed the noise, followed it meticulously as it grew closer to where I stood. Focusing hard through the miles of white, I saw that in the distance, the figure of a woman wearing a billowing, loose crème colored dress was drifting over to me. My heart stuttered, a lump forming in my throat. Even from here, I could see the wings that descended from her back, the feathers blowing soft and downy with each movement she made.

My mother was singing me my lullaby.

I couldn't help myself; I ran towards her without thinking about, desiring her warmth, her embrace, the love that only she had possessed for me. Vulnerability that I hadn't allowed myself to show before my father since her death flowed through me, and I couldn't stop a few tears from escaping as she opened her arms to me. It no longer mattered that I was going to be a king someday, that I was supposed to be some fearless ruler who kept cool under pressure and made all the right decisions. When I hugged her to me, I was just a child who had missed his mother very, very badly.

She stroked my hair, kissing my head and crying too. Her appearance was just as I remembered it, if not more beautiful due to the fact that she belonged to God now. Her voice was still as smooth as silk and as she sang to me, I was no longer afraid of what the future had in store for me.

"Mom," I said again, unable to help myself. "I missed you. Father and Erick did too."

"I know, Lukas," she assured me. "I've missed you all more than I can say. It's so good to see you all grown up…you've become a man so quickly. Erick, as well. But our time together is limited now, and I know there are some things you want to ask me for."

Staring at her, I didn't want to let her go for a second, didn't want to leave her side. But there were other people who loved me waiting for me to wake up and it was my duty to return to them. "That's right." I was reluctant to look away from her face for any reason, in fear that this too was a dream, but I had to close my eyes to clear my head. I shut them, shaking my head quickly and opening them. When she still remained in my arms, I smiled and kissed her cheek. "Mom, I'm not certain how much I am allowed to wish for, so I've decided upon two things. Is that alright?"

Her returning grin was brilliant. "If they are within my power, I will give them to you, love."

"I want to go back home to earth," I choked out. "I want to wake up at the palace and live the life I was meant to live. But as well as that… I beg you to protect the Mathias of this dimension. Keep him safe from Arthur's harm so that someday, somehow…I can come see him again. That's my second desire; to be able to come back to Norway whenever I please and see the family I have created here."

I could tell by the look on her face that she was pleased, her satin hand brushing against the skin of my cheek. "I couldn't have asked for a better son. You've done everything right, including realizing that you have two families now." She lifted up her hand and suddenly, an angel made of crystal appeared in her palm. "Carry this with you from now on. Whenever you wish to be brought to this dimension, hold the pendant in your hand and make sure you get it nice and warm. You'll be brought here very quickly. The same goes for the other way; when you're in this Norway, make sure the pendant becomes as cold as ice, and you will be teleported back to your body at home. Fire and ice are two worlds working together in harmony."

Taking the small charm in my hand, I enclosed in my fist and tried to breathe steadily. "Thank you. Thank you so much, Mom."

"You're welcome, Lukas. Now, it's nearly time for me to go again, but before I do, I want you to hear something. This is a message you may relay to your father, as well. Our kingdom must be led and our rule must continue for generations, but it's not always required to do it in the traditional way. Do you understand, love? You are your own person. Lead how you feel you must lead. Don't let the way it has always been done change who you are." She laughed then, poking my nose. "I'll send you back on that note. There's someone very special to you who is waiting for you to wake up. Treat him well, Lukas, even though it may be difficult sometimes."

I clutched her hand once more, taking a deep breath. "I love you," I found myself saying. "Someday, I hope you speak with Erick and Father again, too."

"Don't worry, darling; I'll be speaking with them in their dreams very soon," she promised. "I love you as well, and I know you'll do Norway proud when you take over the throne." With that, she placed her lips on my forehead, and I was falling through the snow into darkness, wondering if all of that had just been a dream of my creation as well.

"…His vitals are improving. It seems the toxin has finally run its course. The prince will be with us at any momen-"

"Lukas! Lukas, can you hear me? Lukas!"

I heard a gruff cough. "How dare you address your prince so informally, you rat! You will refer to him as Prince Lukas!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I apologize," Mathias said, the sound of his easy voice sending relief coursing through my tired body.

Finally, after so long, I was home again. I struggled against exhaustion to open my eyes, to see the real world which I had missed so much. He was there, leaning over me, his hand warm but no longer fiery in mine as he waited for me to wake up. This was my Mathias. As our eyes met, I could see the emotion swimming there, the need to embrace me written all over his face. And yet…I turned my head to see my father, his expression as hard and unreadable as usual. Still, even that brought me immeasurable happiness. I really was home on earth, where I belonged.

"Prince Lukas," Mathias finally said, with that breathtaking smile that I loved on his ridiculous face. "Welcome back!"

The doctor stood up with a satisfied nod, checking me over once more. "Your Majesty, all seems to be well with the prince at this moment. I will leave you some medication and please be sure he drinks a lot of fluids. Call me if any other troubles seem to arise. As he is now, I believe I shall move on to my next appointment." With a bow for my father, he exited the room.

I sat tensely, waiting for my father to scold me for being weak or yell about something else I had no control over. Instead, he just came over and brushed a hand across my filthy hair, his eyes tender as he looked upon me for the first time I could remember. "I am so sorry, son. I am so very sorry." Honesty rang in every tone, his regret over his actions obvious.

"I forgive you," I whispered, my voice surprisingly strong.

Trying to hold back tears, he nodded once in my direction and then staggered out after the doctor, my forgiveness apparently unexpected. The moment he was gone, Mathias's arms were around me and he was hugging me with all he had, his spiky hair brushing against my cheek. Too startled to feign annoyance, my arms went around him, too, and we sat like that, locked together for a long, long time.

"So, Lukas, how did that weird 'dream' end?" Mathias asked after a while, his hand still locked in mine. "Y'know, the one where I was a demon?"

I looked at him, surprised that he had remembered my first visit to him so long ago. "I saw my Mom again. She sang to me and gave me a pendant." I searched my pockets for the little crystal angel, only to find it empty. "It's gone…perhaps it was really a dream after all…"

Mathias frowned. "But how can it be a dream when you visited me as a spirit? Don't worry about it; we'll look around for it later. For now, you look completely wiped. I think you should probably go to sleep."

"I suppose you're right," I gave in, closing my eyes and letting my mind drift.

"Hey! How about I get the music box Tino made you and sing that song?" I heard him get up and shuffle things around, until he made a noise of triumph and took my hand in his again. "Here goes…whoa. Is this the pendant, Lukas?"

My lids shot open and I turned to see him holding the crystal angel in between his forefinger and thumb. I held out my hand, letting him drop it in, and both Mathias and I watched with amazement as it righted itself perfectly in my palm. "Yes," I said, unable to help myself from smiling. "This is it."

He gave a cheerful grin. "Hey, I've never seen you smile before. Cool!"

I made myself frown, much to his amusement, but inside I was happier than I ever thought I could have been. Clutching the angel tightly in my hand, I closed my eyes again and lay back, completely worn out. "You can sing now. And kiss me goodnight before I fall asleep."

"Yes, my prince," Mathias chuckled. "Your wish is my command." As the music started to trickle out from the box in his hands, he bent over and pressed his lips gently on mine for a moment, before he pulled away and started to sing my song.

Drifting into sleep once again, mixing eerily with the sound of Mathias's voice, I could have sworn a violin was playing the exact same melody.