A/N Oops, completely forgot I had still to post the last 2 chapters. Life got in the way : D
Ellea Cloud Madiygeek, Drakena thank you so much for your reviews! I'm glad to know this story managed to put a smile on your faces.
Sorry for the long absence, but here are the last chapters!
Feeling utterly confused, Hope mutely stood there, in the middle of the room.
Her limbs felt like ice, which was odd, because how could she feel cold when she'd just died?
Or, maybe that's why she now felt so cold?
She felt like any moment she would crumble into… what she didn't know, but there was a shiver running up her spine that didn't bode well.
Dream's hand gently took her elbow, and she welcomed the support. Now was not the moment to break down and fall apart. She had her new family to meet.
The thought hit her with the force of a battering ram, and she stumbled. Dream was quick to assist her.
"I'm fine. I'm fine," she quietly assured him before he could even so much as ask.
It just occurred to her that she was no longer alone. She actually had a family now. Of course she'd long considered Dee, Lucienne, Matthew, Mervyn and all the others as her own little chosen family. But this was different. And Dee… her closest friend, was now also her sister! It was mind-blowing!
She gave a slight turn of her head when she heard a swish-swish sound getting closer. The long robes of Destiny─her brother now!─ whispered against the inky black waters that made up the floor. The light from the fires and the braziers played on his features that were half hidden by his hood. The strange thing was, he cast no shadow at all!
And, from what little she could see, it was close to impossible to determine whether Destiny had the appearance of a young man or old. From the lines she could see, she'd say he looked around fifty in mortal years.
He came to a stop right in front of her and she had to crane her neck. Then she discovered that blind eyes were staring at her unseeing, yet seeing much, much more than any other being.
A scent of ancient dust hung around him and something about it reminded her of the Library in the Dreaming. There was a difference though, but she could not quite put her finger on it.
"I greet you, Devotion, my new sister, on this day of your union."
His voice was deep and rumbling, like distant thunder rolling in. Odd, she'd expected him to have a raspy voice like a crypt-keeper or something. He looked austere and his words could hardly be described as warm, but still, he emanated a hidden kindness.
"I thank you," she said, unsure if she was allowed to be so familiar to call him 'brother'. The moment she thought of this, she knew she would very much like to call him that. She decided she'd ask him what he preferred. "I'm afraid I feel uncertain as to what to call you. Do I call you Destiny? Or… brother?"
"You may call me either, but, I foresee you will mostly address me as brother."
Unfortunately there was nothing in his face that betrayed his own preference.
"The answer to your earlier question, whether or not it is true love that exists between you two, is yes. While my brother's… your husband's realm deals with metaphor and allusion, my dominion is that which is, of actions and consequences and paths. A long time ago, I saw your path crossing that of my sister, many times. I saw the star and the meaning it would hold, for all of us."
"Thank you, my brother," Dream said, his voice a little rough-sounding.
"It is… refreshing… to be able to bring you tidings to your liking." Destiny replied with a slight nod. He turned back to Hope. "I will see you again soon. Until then."
With those words he turned around and disappeared.
Before Dee could even get close to her and clasp her hands, a small girl (who'd she last seen as a teenager) wriggled in front of her.
"Me first! It's my turn now!" Delirium looked up at her with a beaming smile, her mismatched eyes a smidgeon unsettling. "I told you I liked your crown! Is it your siggy thingy now?"
Hope went down on her knees so she didn't tower over the girl. "Hello little sister." The words were out before she could stop them. Unfortunately, her new little sister took offence.
"I look small but I am much older than you. I don't like little sister."
Biting back a smile, Hope nodded at her. "Would you like me to call you big sister then?"
"I don't know. I think I would. Will you call me big sister?"
"I will if you want me to. I always wanted to have a big sister. I was a big sister once, but, only very shortly."
This set Delirium to thinking. Her eyes quickly got a dazed look. "Well, if you were already a big sister once. And I am already used to… what were we talking about again?"
"What I should call you. Hmm, how about… I call you little-big sister?"
The beaming look Delirium directed at her was heart-warming. "You are really nice. And now my brother doss not look so sadly any more. Will you, I don't know, come over to my realm some time? You cannot stay very long. It will make your head spinny and achy."
"I would love to come and visit you some time. I think I was there once already?"
She had vague memories of a realm where nothing was as it should be, where it was just as easy to fly between fishes as it was to swim among the birds. It was very colourful, that she remembered.
"Yes. We played hop-scotch with all my froggies. I will make sure to have hors doovers and mango juice! I really like mango juice!"
Hope offered her hand for a shake. "Deal." Delirium grinned and shook her hand as vigorously as though she were cranking a pump.
"Oh, do you know how to use the siggy thing? You have to do it properly in the place where all the thingies are. And then you have to pick my siggy thing and properly talk to it and ask if you can come."
A pale hand appeared next to Hope and when she looked up, she saw Dream looking down at her, a rare tender look in his eyes. She swallowed hard when she took his offered hand and he helped her back to her feet, pulling her a little closer to him than was strictly warranted.
"Do not worry little sister," Dream told Delirium, offering her a fleeting smile, before settling his gaze back to Hope with such warmth, it sent her heart into over-drive, and she didn't even have a heart any more! "I shall explain her everything she needs to know. She will come to visit you soon, I promise."
With a big grin and little wave, Delirium too disappeared.
"Will you come and visit me as well?" Despair looked up at her, a questioning look in her eyes.
"I would love to, Despair, if you'll have me."
"You would?" Despair gave her a wondering look.
"Yes." And it was true. With how pleased both Delirium and Despair seemed at the prospect, she wondered if all the Endless weren't sometimes a little lonely. Sure, they all had their own realms to attend and, from what Dee had told her, they weren't prone to frequent get-togethers. Still, at least Delirium and Despair seemed to crave the… attention?
"There is beauty in despair," Hope said softly. "I believe Edgar Allan Poe created his best works while… visiting your realm. I look forward to visiting you."
"I'll be waiting." Despair gave her a timid smile and, looking at Dream she said. "Congratulations, big brother."
"I thank you, my sister."
Despair thrust her hands into the pockets of her oversized, roughly knit vest and she shuffled away on her sad little crocs.
Desire was the sibling Hope approached herself.
With an ethereal aura, their platinum hair was casually, magnificently, combed back, adding luminance to their presence. Desire quietly took her in with their striking golden eyes, shimmering with a depth that betrayed they were not to be trifled with.
Every element of their appearance seemed deliberate, a careful expression of who they were. Their flowing, sheer blouse in iridescent shades, complimented their lucent complexion very well, while a tailored dark blazer with sharp lines added a touch of cultivation. Their trousers, in a metallic hue, draped elegantly, gracefully elongating their figure. As did the stiletto's that looked like they ought to be registered weapons.
All in all gorgeous, but cunning.
They gave her a smile that could only be construed as disdainful, but then they betrayed themselves by doing that chin thrust she did herself when she wasn't at all so sure of herself.
"I greet you, my new sister," Desire said, their voice a lazy drawl. "You are most welcome to visit me in my realm as well. I can be a gracious host. I can offer you... anything… you desire."
Hope offered her hand and Desire looked at it as though it were a wild asp. They should feel unsettled, considering the cold look she was trying to direct at them.
Finally, Desire took her offered hand and gave it a firm three pumps, but then Hope wouldn't let go and she squeezed. Hard.
"Was that you fucking with Derek's head all that time ago?" she hissed at them. "Did you fuck with mine?"
"Dear sister," Desire said, their voice still drawling. They gave her an annoyed look when they tried again, unsuccessfully, to pull back their hand. "I am Desire. I make people want things. It's what I do. It's what I am."
"No," Hope hissed at them. "You are a pathetic little runt who likes to use people as a plaything. It must have really stung you when you found out your attacks were wasted on me."
At that Desire gave a soft rumbling laugh. "Oh please, new sister, you still wanted things."
"True, but I never gave in to the kind of desire you like to mess around with."
"Did it sting you, when you found you could not enjoy being with a–"
"I give you fair warning, my sibling." Dream's cold voice cut them off. "I will not tolerate such talk to my wife. My queen!"
Desire tsk'd at that. "You certainly seem to enjoy that new status, Dream. Let's see just how long that enjoyment will last."
"Let us bury the hatchet," Hope quickly said. "This has been a-a strange day and emotions were running high. For me at least. Peace?"
Her new sibling gave her a slight shrug and she moved in to place a kiss against their cheek. At the last moment she held back, gave their hand a bone-crushing squeeze and she whispered near their ear, "Be thankful your little scheme failed, with the vortex. I am more than willing to extend an olive branch, but, be aware, my new sibling, your sole reign over the hearts of man is now officially over. You may have always considered love your personal play thing, but from now on, where there is true love, there I will be as well."
She let go of them and pulled back. Desire gave her a smile that could mean many different things. When they vanished, the air still reeked with the sweetness of summer peaches.
"Well, look at you, taking up your mantle of Devotion so quickly!" Dee said, the last one waiting for her. Not the last last one but…
Hope pulled her in for a big hug. "I still can't believe it," she whispered, blinking at the moistness that gathered in her eyes, "I get to call you my sister now."
"For a long time, your were already that, my sister," Dee said quietly. When she pulled back, she still had her hands clasped around Hope's arms and her eyes were a little moist. "That was a very nice thing, by the way, what you did for Delirium and Despair. Our parents weren't exactly known for their… parental… feelings. Especially Delirium craved their attention, their interest… their love. It will be so nice for her, to no longer be solely dependant on me for that."
With those words, Dee –perhaps unwittingly or deliberately–gave shape to Hope's new function. For what better way to serve her new purpose than to keep an eye on her new family?
Dee leaned in for a kiss on her cheek and she too had a whispered message to convey. "I know what he's like, Hope. When he returns to his duties, please, don't let it deter you. Come and find me, okay?"
She then moved up to Dream and gave him a hug. For a moment Dream stood there, a perplexed look on his face, then he smiled and slowly returned the gesture.
Dee gave them both a little nod. "Well, my felicitations to you both. I'll be the wise one here and say I won't be expecting a call from you too soon."
Words that had Hope biting her lower lip and blood rushing to her cheeks.
"But, that said, you can actually visit my realm now as well. Don't be a stranger!" She blew them a kiss and was off. Leaving the newly minted married couple alone.
For a brief moment they awkwardly stared at each other. Though they'd been dancing around each other for months, it was only very, very recently they even dared to express an interest in one another. They had scarcely shared two kisses and one perfect night of lovemaking.
And now they were married. Without the pump and ceremony, but still... married.
A Forever Union, as Glory had called it.
When he pulled her into his body, Hope had to fight the urge to flee and hide. Some sort of strange reflex perhaps, though not as urgent as before. She relaxed.
"When we return to the Dreaming, home, some... explanations have to be given. No matter how much I want to…"
The meaningful look he gave her had her swooning on her feet.
"I would rather not banish anyone outright to the darkness for simply expecting some form of account. May I kiss you, my wife?"
The way he said those words, the way he looked at her… it was a good thing he was already holding up most of her weight, because she was in real danger of melting into a puddle at his feet.
She merely nodded. And then his hand, as naturally as a river glides to the sea, slid to the small of her back, where it seemed to fit as though she'd been carved by the Creator expressly for him.
Her face lifted up as his came down. And feeling his lips move over hers was as amazing as the other times. A new pastime she wouldn't mind doing forever.
She hardly noticed when he folded her tightly into him and whispered near her ear. "Let us go home."
For a moment she was all alone. She was floating in the endless space of an unknown galaxy. It was cold and she hugged her knees to her chest. That's when she noticed she was naked. This did not alarm her. Though she did not know why, she knew that wherever she was, she was safe.
A sound broke the stillness in this black void. The ancient sound of an instrument she recognised as a ghironda. It was a dark sound, empty, bleak.
And there was a man.
Though she could not see him, she could imagine him, eons ago. He was warming his hands near a fire, his beard frosted with already thawing ice. A large animal pelt draped over his shoulders. A fierce glint in his eyes as he looked at a couple of youngsters, peering up at him with round eyes, filled with awe and respect.
He started singing.
The call of this Endless was loudest at the dawn
The call of his stone heart was broken and alone
Born of Time and Night
Born of no love
The song of this Endless was cold as driven snow
As he sung the words, the volume of the ghironda became louder, more pronounced, but it was just one single note that swelled and swelled until it filled the entire universe.
Bear not your eyes upon him lest nightmares you will draw
Lay not your breast against him or lips to ease his roar
For the song of this Endless used to be sung alone
But this was 'fore Devotion, who'll forever wear his crown
Deep sounding strings added to the ghironda and a young woman, one she could not see nor imagine, but she was there, added and raised her voice with him.
Cast not your eyes upon him, lest he kiss you with his sand
Lay not your heart against him or your lips to ease his demand
This used to be the warning, against he who walked alone
Suddenly the ghironda broke free from the strings and drove into a song that was all things wild and free, in almost desperate abandon.
Hands yanked at her limbs. This startled her, but again it did not alarm her. She was forced upright and people across time and space started to chant to the compelling song of the ghironda.
Stars erupted all around her, as she was spun around and around. The stars melted, they fell down, and clung to her, weaving a fabric of pure starlight until she was gowned in a white shimmering dress, formed from the stars of the first and last dreams of man.
And then she fell.
Through time. Through space. She couldn't tell.
But they were singing for her. Of her. Celebrating her.
Something cold and weighty was set on her left shoulder. And when she looked, she saw a pure white gold miniature helm, its spine gently curving down over her shoulder.
For the song of this Endless, will never again be sung alone
She stumbled into the Dreaming, and Hope, or Devotion, now, felt a little woozy.
Dream was holding her tightly, as fiercely as she was clinging to him.
"Are you all right?" he asked when he pulled back.
"I-I think so," she managed to say. A strange sensation because she couldn't feel herself talking. Her mind finally caught up with the fact there was no longer a body, a real body, and she started to panic. Then his lips were on hers and he kissed her to the point that whatever was left of her senses was completely rendered useless. And her panic stilled.
His kiss was subtle and soothing. It coaxed. It lured. It was deliberate, delicate and… unhurried. Dream kissed her as if it was all he aimed to do for the rest of his existence.
Gravity lost all meaning and his arms around her were the only thing keeping her from floating away. In answer she flowed against him, leaning heavily. Nothing else existed but the sensation of his lips moving over hers. Honey meeting wet satin. It invaded her like a fine stiff drink, stealthy and intoxicating. When she felt his mouth opening against hers, she followed his example. She uttered some sort of sound of relief when their tongues met, and she felt as if her body was dissolving; she clung to him.
For a blissful, perfect moment her entire universe consisted of nothing else but the simultaneous heat and cold of his searing kiss, the sensual curl of his tongue around hers.
Very briefly she believed he was going to make love to her right then and there, but he pulled back, just a little, his lips still lightly resting against hers.
"My wife." His voice was a soothing whisper, a caress. "My sweet love." He then gave a regretful sigh. "My arrival has been noticed."
Slowly, drifting down like an angel's feather, her senses re-met her body. "What happened to me?" A soft murmur. "Where did I go?"
"You were celebrated." He pressed gentle, butterfly light kisses against her lips. "Elevated. Anointed. You are now a universal fact. We are. By now it is common knowledge, deeply seeded in the memory and conviction of man, that with devotion it is possible to make dreams that pass through the gates of horn come true. Dream and Devotion will forever walk hand in hand."
Still leaning against him, basking in his embrace, she breathed deeply, glad that she could still smell that precious scent that was him. "There was a song," she murmured.
"Yes. It used to be a very different song. I'm glad… it is now changed."
"Does this mean that, what happened, really is as irrevocable as Glory said it would be?"
Dream was quiet for a moment then he gave her a quick nod. "No regrets?" he softly murmured
She did not need long to think and she slowly shook her head. "None at all. You?"
He brought his hand up to place it against her cheek. "Only one. Though I wish I could have been there for you, to protect you from some of the storms that have raged in your life, there is not a thing about you I regret. You were forged in fire, and it shaped you into who you are. Loyal, passionate, brave, kind, remarkable. The one thing I do regret, is that you had to die to be with me."
The things he spoke of, they felt like remnants of a life that had been lived by another. Blurry, vague memories, like the flotsam on the churning surface of the sea, pulled into an ocean and then spit out on the beach of some distant shore.
"Is it… completely necessary to go by the name of Devotion now?" she asked. "I mean, you have so many names. Morpheus, Dream, Oneiros… Can't I keep Hope?"
Dream smiled and pressed a kiss against her brow. "I don't see why not. I'm rather partial to Hope myself."
"Then that way, Hope never dies. And you, my Majesty, have nothing to regret at all."
He chuckled a bit, his eyes alight with humour. "Are you going to call me that now?"
"I might. On occasion. I was giving it a test run."
"You might want to say it properly then, it's actually Your Majesty."
"I know," she grinned at him. "All mine, and forever no less!"
Dream laughed out loud at that. "I walked right into that one, didn't I?"
"Yes, you did. Are there other ways of address you would like?"
"My husband, my heart, my king, my love… especially my love."
"You are so demanding."
"Only when it comes to you."
The meaning of his earlier words became clear when the sound of frantic running footsteps came closer. "My lord! My lord! Oh, where have you been?" Lucienne's frantic voice drifted towards them.
A puzzled frown created a groove between Dream's brows. He released her and did a half turn to face the librarian. "Lucienne? What is the matter?"
"What is the matter?" she spat. "She's dead! That is the matter! Oh, and Hob is here, but he's flitting in and out of the Dreaming because he can't stay asleep. He's looking for a sleeping aid now I believe."
The usually composed librarian was babbling and seemed to be on the verge of a nervous break-down. "After last night, we thought we'd pulled it off. That she would be safe. I don't know what happened but… She's gone! Oh, my lord! She's… I can't even…"
Hope had a terrible suspicion Lucienne was talking about her. She wanted to reassure her friend she was not dead. Well, not entirely dead. Actually, she didn't know what she was now. But her limbs refused to cooperate.
"I don't know what went wrong. Your sister… she was not supposed to take Hope, not with an understanding, an agreement, in place! But Hob told me…"
Dream gently pulled her from behind his back. Cold, she still felt so cold!
And poor Lucienne had her eyes covered now with a hand, as though she wanted to hide from the tide of her emotions. Her other hand was balled to a fist and shaking uncontrollably. She shook her head, several times, like an attempt to dislodge the words that were stuck in her throat.
"She was hit by a car. It happened right in front of Hob and he's in such a state about it!" If the bared flesh on a flayed, raw back had a sound, it would sound like Lucienne did in that moment.
"I don't know why your sister took her. Maybe Hope changed her mind? It was just… it was not supposed to happen." She choked back a sob, her voice breaking more with every word.
"We tried, sir, I swear on every book in the Library!"
Finally Hope felt some semblance of control flow back into her… system. "Lucienne."
She was shocked to hear her voice emerge as a reedy croak, but her friend heard her, and recognised her voice anyway, for she went as rigid as a pike driven into the ground.
Her breath hitched and slowly her hand dropped away from her eyes. Her gaze shifted, searched, until it landed on her. Lucienne's eyes widened with a mixture of pure astonishment and relief. "But… you're here! You're alive! How… how is this even–"
She stopped talking very abruptly. An ashen look spread on her face and, if possible, her eyes went even wider, and she staggered, just briefly.
Silence stretched between them and then, slowly, carefully, Lucienne dropped down to one knee. Right before she reverently bowed her head as well, she murmured, "Your Highness."
"Lucienne! Stop that right now!" Hope cried out. She stepped forward–finally, her legs were obeying!–and pulled at her friend's arm to force her upright again. "Get up! Get. Up!"
Not one to disobey a direct order, Lucienne quickly got to her feet. Hope sighed deeply.
"I know things are different now… will be different. But I need you, all right? As my friend! So none of this awkward business." Hope fluttered a hand up and down, indicating Lucienne's sudden pomp. "I swear, if you dare to go back to how you treated me before, I'll… I'll…" Hmm, there wasn't really anything she could use to… Aha! "I'll force you to eat my home-made pavlova. Every. Single. Day!"
"I'm sorry, Your Highness, this is still–"
"A-hem!"
"–a lot to take in. Honestly, Hope, you can't expect me to not address you with the proper respect your new status requires!"
Hope grinned at her friend. "Much better!"
Lucienne started to laugh, but suddenly she went completely rigid. Again.
"My lord! May I congratulate you both, and offer my most sincere felicitations? And, if I may be so bold, sir, applaud you on your excellent choice of wife?"
"I was wondering when you'd get to me," her husband supplied, the words delivered in his usual bone-dry wit. "And you may, Lucienne. You may."
Then, turning to Hope, he said, "Forgive me for my hasty departure, but I believe I ought to deliver the news to Hob myself. I shan't be long."
He brought her hand up to his lips and placed a delicate kiss on the back of it. It had all the appearance of chaste, husbandly affection, but as he'd done before, he slightly opened his mouth to flick his tongue across a tiny bit of skin. Smiling wickedly at the, no doubt, scarlet colour currently painting her cheeks, Dream used his sand to bring himself to his friend's side.
It left Hope and Lucienne staring at each other.
"That's a nice looking dress," Lucienne finally said, gesturing at the white one shoulder starlight gown she was now wearing. The fabric gathered at the shoulder flowed down her arm, giving her a bit of a Grecian… Hope bit back a smile when she realised what Dream had done. He'd turned her into a modern-day Persephone.
"I don't believe I ever saw you in one," Lucienne continued. "The… miniature helm is a nice touch."
"It's certainly a stylish way to assert his dominance over me," Hope said wryly, causing Lucienne to try (and fail) to cover a laugh with the back of her hand.
They both started to walk in the direction of the palace.
"So, Mrs Morpheus?" Lucienne said the words like she wanted to taste them, try them out.
"No, we are not doing that," Hope countered.
"Mrs Dream of the Endless?"
"We are definitely not doing that!"
"How will I address you then?"
"You will address me as you've always done, Lucienne. As your friend. As Hope."
The day, in the Dreaming at least, was bright and clear. Not a single cloud marring the blue sky. The trees were divested of their leaves though, which left them standing embarrassingly nude in the cheerful, lemony sun. A leftover sign perhaps of Dream's earlier inner turmoil?
Her dress shimmered with each step she took. It was an utterly gorgeous confection of the finest silk and starlight.
"I imagine you'll want to dictate a time of, eh, seclusion… with Lord Morpheus? If you don't and word of your nuptials gets out, I can promise you we'll soon have many visitors at the gate. Envoys. Persons and entities that have visited before as honoured guests. Gods even!"
Hope groaned at the prospect and Lucienne patted her arm in an affectionate manner.
"There there, all will be right!
When they reached the palace entrance, the three large gatekeepers too respectfully bowed their heads, addressed her as 'Your Highness' and instantly granted access.
"Is is the helmet thingy on my shoulder?" Hope whispered when they entered the palace.
Lucienne chuckled. "It's not, Your Highness. It's more of, eh, an ingrained sort of thing. Now that you are Queen of the Dreaming, and Devotion, Keeper of the Sigil… all residents will recognise you as such, and of course show the proper respect."
"And there's no way around all that pomp and ceremony?"
"I'm afraid not. Though you can, of course, always dictate a preference for a more informal way of address, we all will be naturally inclined to, eh, use the pomp and ceremony."
"So I notice. You called me 'Your Highness' again."
Lucienne stopped walking, right outside of the library and she clasped Hope's hands in hers. "I am so glad, you are still with us, Hope. There's a lot to discuss, and, when the post-nuptials period has passed, you will get very busy. So, before those changes come into effect, let me assure you I will always be your friend, your right hand… but also your most loyal servant."
Hope gave a grateful squeeze. "I know, Lucienne, my good friend!" She drew in a lengthy breath and released the air on a shuddering exhale. "What happens now?"
Lucienne's ears suddenly turned pink. "Now, I take my leave of you. Lord Morpheus has just returned and… he's here to… claim his bride."
Her friend quickly vanished behind the doors of the library, making herself scarce.
Hope might have imagined the cheerful 'whoop' behind them, but she doubted it.