I gasped and tightened my robe around me, mashing my arms over my breasts to cover the thin cloth, and squealed," What are you doing here?!"
Should I ask for help? Call the guards? Scream? Before I was to do either of those things, Prince Galof let go of the stone railing, and his large, demonic wings opened, flapping to keep him in the air, safe from my reach if I were to smack him. I tried anyway, throwing a fist to swipe the air in front of his smirk.
"Get out of here!" I shielded my face from the fierce gusts his wings hurled at me.
Galof raised his hands, long nails glinting in silver.
"I come in peace, I swear."
"You were spying!"
"Well…" He scratched his high cheekbone and heaved a chuckle, eyes up at nothing. They fell back to me, sparkling with play, and he snickered, "Okay, maybe a little." The winds fluffed his tawny hair over his eyes, their brightness gone.
"Guards!" I spun and shouted in my room. Galof neared the edge and gasped,
"I came to check in on you!"
My hands circled my mouth as a microphone, and I screamed, "Guards!"
Galof must've been desperate because he flew right into my ear and shouted,
"I know you are having nightmares!"
I snatched his eyes with mine, and we both froze, holding our breaths. Was this a joke? Was the Prince of Nightmares playing a game with me? Diving into his eyes in the few seconds we had, I saw no such thing. His eyes were seriously dim, the line between his lips crooked. Those words of his sizzled my inner fury, and I wished I didn't scream. He knew. Of course, he did.
Too late. In my room, the doors busted open. I unfroze and twirled to find three clones of guards marching through my room to meet me at my balcony. Spears were held with tight gloved fists, hard eyes searching.
"What's the matter, Princess?"
"I…" I choked, ready to point to Galof and explain why he was with me in private. A lie could not surface, leaving my mouth too dry when I did nothing but leave it open for longer than necessary.
"Well, you see…."
I turned around, expecting Galof to be floating there or standing next to me, but he was nowhere to be found. I was alone. Another lie had to come out, and fast.
"I was getting fresh air, and…." I looked up to the starry sky and struggled with, "I thought I saw a goblin fly over me. But it was just a flock of birds."
I gave them my best smile, a hand over my breasts, as I chuckled nervously.
"Silly me." My cheeks burned.
Three pairs of eyes blinked. They looked at each other and ended up shrugging. One of them said, "Are you okay, then?"
I nodded too much and waved them off.
"Yes. Yes! I'm fine. My mistake! Please leave now."
Like the same thought traveled across three of their minds, they gave me a long, uncomfortable look and then, finally, turned around to leave. One of them even mumbled, "It's too early for birds."
The doors closed, and all was quiet again.
I let out all the held-in tension with a long sigh, practically melting on the floor. Galof chuckled above my head.
"Didn't want to snitch on me after all, huh?" I lifted my head to find him above, his thick arms hugging a stone angel. He greeted me again with his timid smile. His dark wings and sharp facial features contrasted the angel's soft curves and curled feathered wings.
"How do you know about that?" I began.
"About what?"
"About me having nightmares."
Galof licked his lips before biting his lower one, looking at me the same way Nemo looked at his gin.
"What a silly question to ask the Prince of Nightmares," Galof began, and he released the angel to fall and land next to me, his bare feet adding cracks to my balcony. An imperfection to the polished stone. I held my tongue, my eyes traveling up his black pants to scan the rest of him.
Shirtless, Galof flaunted the Nightmare Crest upon his milky chest without concern. The curled dragon lay comfortably, its tucked-in head nesting just over his tight abs while its tail whipped up his neck, flicking close to his cheek. That symbol snatched my eyes, making me stare for too long. I had to blink before Galof would give me another comment about his stupid six-pack. I tightened into myself and stepped a few inches away from his presence. The air felt heavier around him, tense somehow. The dark lord illuminated under the moon and yet seemed to be under a cloud that constantly followed him. I wondered how his presence disturbed Slumberland. Did everything he touched wither? Crack?
When Galof crossed his arms, I snapped back to our little matter, him the first to speak.
"It seems your last expedition has left you scars." He looked me straight in the eye, watching how I would respond. I did so with a drop of my gaze, noting how the lushed green vines around the columns had wilted. Little flowers shrank. One dropped near his feet and curled into a dark, wrinkled thing.
I pressed my lips together, hugging myself tighter.
"How do I heal them?" I asked.
"Scars don't heal, love," Galof answered. He took one step closer, and his wings curled behind him. My eyes stung, forcing me to blink rapidly. "Can't you make it stop? You and your father control the..." I hesitated, seeing Galof trying it reel it out of me with his eyes.
"Nightmares," he finished for me, smiling but not like how Nemo does it. Galof didn't smile with a false pretentious manner nor hidden misery. He smiled like he knew many truths, most of them depressing. He didn't want to know, but he had to anyway, stuck with the burden of knowing the hard facts for everyone else's sake. He had the kind of smile that made me want to ask him many things, none of Middle Land but of our world instead. His and mine. No cigar, no jokes this time.
He stood there tall and calm, with his yellow eyes flickering to the moon behind me.
"Do you know why the folk must have nightmares?" He asked. I was caught off guard, uncertain whether this was a trick question. He was testing me.
I watched the descending moon with him and shrugged.
"To bring misery?" I chimed.
Galof settled a hand over his face to hide his grin.
"Gods, no," he chuckled. "Ah.." he pulled his hand back to sigh at the stars leaving us.
"No, not at all. It helps them process their experiences and allows them to make amends with their inner darkness."
He looked at me.
"You are just processing what you've been through. I'm allowing you to make amends with your inner dark side."
"I don't have a dark side," I hissed, glaring at him. He only smiled more.
"Everyone has a dark side. Especially that new boy," Galof commented.
"You mean Nemo?" I quipped.
Galof seemed amused by that name and scratched his chin with one long, single black nail.
"Especially Nemo. Just as there are many stars, there are many kinds of dark, and your father has unintentionally brought in a new breed of it to his land. The boy was as privileged as you were before all of this nonsense. Not always a good thing. Good thing there's not a scar on him..." His eyes glowed when he finished with, "Yet."
The closer Galof stepped in, the colder I got. I squeezed tight, hungry for heat, and backed away until the rail tapped my back.
"How long until they go away? The Nightmares?" I asked.
Galof shrugged. "Oh, it could be days. Weeks. It all depends on you."
"On me?"
Galof seemed to know the answer and yet wanted to keep it to himself. I felt like an infant compared to him. I knew nothing, and he knew everything.
"You have me to talk to about these things. After all, nightmares are my..." he glanced at his long, dark nails coming together, gripping the last word hanging in the air. "Specialty."
"Why would I talk to YOU? And why are you even here? I should tell Father you are trespassing. Spying on us and giving me nightmares!" I blasted and clung to my robe tight between my breasts.
Galof closed his eyes as he took my words in with music I couldn't hear.
"I told you. I came to check on you. Just because we are different doesn't mean we can't get along, right?"
I softened a hair.
"You came to check on me?" I may not have heard him say it the first time, flooded with panic.
"Yes. Please think of me as your...secret shadow friend or night friend. Whatever you want to call it. I don't care."
Galof, my shadow. The sound of it made me open my eyes to him a little more, and I accepted the chill that he brought with him.
"Have you told anyone else about your nightmares?" He said that word so casually, I tried not to shiver each time he popped it in the air like popping open a champagne bottle.
"No, of course not," I answered.
"See? You can talk to me about them. I won't judge."
"Gee, really? I never would've guessed. This whole time, I thought you would be insulted," I snarked. Galof let out a light laugh.
"Such an impolite princess. Is that any way to treat your guest?"
"You're an intruder," I reminded him. Galof disregarded that with an eye roll and switched to a difficult question that threw me off.
"What of this door? Have you asked Morphy about that yet?"
That door.
Murmurs of mother demanding the key never wavered. It haunted me, a chokehold no one else could see, but it was there, and I didn't know what to do about it.
Mother.
She could be behind that door, or it could all just be a dream, my longing for her sweet smile and bell-ringing laugh only feeding my dreams of her being close in spirit. I could almost smell her sweet perfume of rose and jasmine through the damp wood. Nothing but my imagination of her behind that massive door kept me wondering, and her ghost of a voice was upsetting.
Tingles waved across my arms, just thinking of her long, red hair, a loose, tangled mess from her running through the field and collecting flowers in her arms. Her slim body under the high sun. Her baby blue dress ruffled from the soft winds.
"What's wrong?"
I must've been crying because my cheeks became wet, and Galof turned into a blob. Without permission, his fingers came for me, and the most chill of touches brushed across my cheek. He collected a tear and held it delicately, waiting for it to absorb onto his skin. He didn't smile.
I rubbed my eyes and apologized under my breath.
"Nothing. No, um, no. I didn't ask about the door. It would be best to forget about it," I fretted. Only the leftovers of Nemo's curiosity caused my chest to tighten, but I hoped he should forget that little endeavor and move on with Slumberland's distractions.
Cold hands landed on my shoulders. My first instinct was to jump back, but only because Galof's hands were cold. After fighting that instinct, I sniffed up more tears instead and looked up to find him frowning at me.
"Do forget. You don't want that door to open," he whispered, dead serious.
I stiffened.
"What's behind it?"
"A dark secret only our fathers know. And mine has been too weak to search for it."
"The Nightmare King is weak?" I pictured a dark, demonic man sitting on his throne without a light, his face in his hands like a broken man.
"The last war didn't only scar your father, love. Mine is licking his wounds as well. We all are. What's inside it is the most important thing to him. So, whatever you do..." his eyes flickered left to right and over my shoulder as though searching for moving shadows. He swallowed and looked at me again. His hands trembled.
When he trailed in, his voice dropped into a whisper. "Don't go looking for that door. Forget about it. Don't even mention it. Ever. Understand?"
I almost wanted the fun and mischievous Galof back. This serious dark stranger frightened me, not with intimidation, but with warning of something more dangerous than him lurking about.
I could only nod to his precious advice. The mention of a prohibited door rang a new ripple of trouble through Slumberland. If the king of Nightmare Land was sensitive, could he feel traces of that ripple as it reached his throne? Was he lifting his head from his hands at the tiny whispers of that door's whereabouts? It suddenly dawned on me that it was more than just a door. It was the delicate dam between the powers of Slumberland and Nightmare Land. It held the most precious treasure to the Nightmare King. More than lands, wealth, and power. And he could do nothing but anguish over it—two kings in despair. One shrinking away and the other hiding with remorse. Our fathers were more alike than I'd imagined.
"Okay," I promised.
Galof smiled again, his eyelids slightly lower, and he let go of my shoulders to have his arms across his chest. Doing that was a favor, hiding his tattoo like he was already banishing our recent words so no one could trace them.
He said, "Tell me, does seeing me make it feel like a nightmare?"
What a strange question. I watched him for clues to show up on his face. His smile carried a heavy burden. His eyes filled with secretive joy.
"No. It doesn't," I answered truthfully. If it weren't for his wings, fangs, and occasional bright eyes, Galof could easily pass for an attractive young man. I could see him blend with the other boys in my life...
Nemo, the broken smiles.
Galof, the smiles of truth.
And Vince, the rarest of smiles.
Everyone carried their smiles differently. What was my smile?
"Remember, love; everyone has shadows. Even me," he warned. I furrowed my brow.
"Please don't call me that."
"Call you what?"
"The L word."
"Love?"
"We aren't lovers. I'm not your pet. Stop," I growled. I must have more goblin in me than in Galof because most of our conversation was with me hissing or grumbling, whereas Galof just chuckled and spoke with sweet honey as he does at his meetings.
"Oh?" Galof touched his lips with one finger, his eyes screaming sin.
"You want to wait for your precious soul mate to call you that? Is that word just TOO special to use casually?" He spoke with much arrogance. I shook my head, loose hair fluffing around my shoulders and my fists out like I wanted to fight.
"Yes! Now, leave at once. It would be best if you weren't here. It will be light soon," I commanded. I would hate to be seen with him. Just think of the rumors. Slumberland Princess meets in secret with Nightmare Prince. That kind of scandal would cause Father to rain fire upon our land with storms.
Galof grinned in a way that sent shivers down my spine, and I couldn't tell if they were painful or pleasurable. His voice vibrated into a grumbling beast when he asked, "Who said I was here?"
It echoed like we were in a chamber, and his long fingers suddenly gripped my chin, nails careful not to scratch. I gasped, fighting the pull when he brought my face closer to his. The cold air he released must've disappeared because my body was on fire. I gasped without meaning to, his hand unexpectedly touching my skin where it shouldn't be, but I held completely still. His cold hand brought a gift for the heat that saturated my blood. Without permission, it had snuck through my robe and made a perfect fit under one of my breasts. My mouth didn't move to protest. My hands didn't shove him to retaliate. I didn't do anything, too in shock by the new feeling of being touched in such an intimate place. I secretly wanted more before I knew it, staying quiet to pretend I didn't notice. We stared at each other, neither daring to speak nor look away. His smell made me think of cigars, salty ocean spray, and sandalwood. His eyes softened as melted medallions, and spilled their liquid gold into mine as he said under his breath, "It's time to wake up now."
That repeated, again and again, as it flew over me in whispers. I stood in a twister of Galof's words until I snapped out of my trance and built a new rage. Rationality kicked in, my face twisting sourly, and my hand was ready to attack.
"Don't touch me!"
I sat up and smacked the air.
Galof was gone. The balcony. All of it. I sat up in bed, gasping, and my hand was still in the air to swat an invisible fly.
What just happened?
I twisted my head back and forth, finding myself in bed.
"Was it a dream?" I trembled. My head answered for me with a throbbing wave. I groaned, turning away from the morning light that worsened the pain, and I rubbed at my temples. I pulled back the bedspread, finding my evening gown clinging to my moist skin. Birds chirped. The air smelt of fresh rain. I stared at the clock to tell me it was a little past eight.
It was all a dream...
I sat there, processing it piece by piece to tell me the awful truth: Galof visited me in my dreams.
Tell me. Does seeing me make it feel like a nightmare?
No wonder he knew I was having nightmares; he was a part of them now.
I shot out of bed and rushed to the balcony, searching for the cracks in the stone or the wilted vines. Mist welcomed me, tickling my bare arms as I searched. Nothing was out of place. The floor was pristine. The vines wrapped around the columns and clinging to the walls were as green as emeralds, holding onto perfect blossoms. Only one small thing...
One dead flower.
I touched it gently, hoping I could magically bring it back to life, but it whimpered above my finger and slumped. What was a dream, and what was real?
I shivered, and my hands came for me. One held in my heart, and the other took space under one breast, where Galof daringly got close. I could've sworn it was real, the traces of ice lingering from those fingers and thumb, the heightened eagerness and nervousness. Even when I cupped my breast, I couldn't imitate it, feeling a warm emptiness. It felt wrong to want more, logic screaming at me that what I wanted was a short-lived indulgence, an affair leading to turmoil—more dark bringing into Slumberland's peace.
What was Galof's angle? I felt he had other motives, but he did it quietly, easily unnoticed. Worse of all, he was distracting, poisoning me with vulgar thoughts. I bathed that morning with vigorous scrubbing and scolding water to try and clean away the chill he left on me. The touch only spread a burn until the flames reached my skull and filled it with annoyance. I stepped out of that tub with my skin all pink, feeling pure again.
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