NE'S

e nightmare. So vast, and so far beyond anyth

didn't m

e heavy door clicked shut behind them, leav

ath and finally allowe

tire life. High vaulted ceilings crowned the space, adorned with intricate carvings of wolves and moons. The walls shimme

ially back, allowing slivers of golde

urreal. T

the soft duvet, grounding

s in the palace. Not just any palace, the p

was in his bed.

t

h

return, not for someone like me. I shut my eyes tightly, sucking in greedy mouthfuls of the fresh, cl

heart jolt painfully in my chest. Ha

Majesty." A soft, feminine v

ous Majesty? She must have th

stepped a woman who seemed a

her back, and eyes shaped like a fox's. She moved with an easy gr

bowing low. "I've been instructed to be yo

fled. Lady-in-waitin

were the

the bed as suspicion crept

re they pretending for s

to my internal turmoil, ap

olding out a slim device, "to aid with communication... and a wir

bedside table, well within my rea

e devices

e asked softly, "or would you love to watch

rily. The word 'sun' hit me

ently. "We can stay here as long as you want. But if

ard the window, I wa

liding her arms beneath my underarms, offering her body for support without rushing me. I

step, she guid

leaming glass doors lea

with a smooth motion, and ins

t ray hi

fr

my eyes instinctively, breathing it in, feeling it

d for

tten how th

a large, plush bean bag s

ody whole, and I sank i

f green forests, rooftops and distant mountains, the sk

ed my cheeks, stirr

terly still, dr

nd me. I didn't trust any of it, but this moment, this sun

nts later, she returned, carrying a familiar silver bowl.

us Majesty," she uttered softly, placin

at it, ind

ntle fingers comb through the tangled ruins of my hair, fe

coon, and for the first time in a very

ips. I didn't know how long I simpl

ned my eyes again, the world had changed. The once brilliant

o bleed into twilight. I stretched my limbs carefully, s

bs relaxed involuntarily from what had to be the most co

ed with a pair of warm brown ones, watching

rg

nge flutter of unease crawled down my spine

spis

s lips curled into something t

ced on

ing there," he mumbled. "I didn'

y gaze toward the horizon. He talked like someone wh

ork like that. At

bout anything," he added.

if it were

arved so deep into my soul, I couldn't

hing meant for someone like me. I burrowed deeper into the warmth of the bean bag an

murmur again. "I should get you

dn't wan

tion of being lifted, weightless and small, in a pair of arms th

clashed

f his chest. I could hear his steady

fr

s, his smile was gentle, almost amused, as if carrying

ck of mockery in his eyes. T

a hitch in his step. Inside, the golden glow of

he bed and crouched to lower

g the corners like someone who had

hammering beneath my

e," he whispered, before