"Who are you?"
"I already told you. I'm whoseover you want me to be. That one person you really desire to see."
She started thinking about everything.
Who was that one person she really wanted to see, that one person that it had been so long since she had laid her eyes on them, causing her to miss them so much that she now dreamt of them.
Also why was he hiding his face from her?
Could this strange man of her dreams be the King?
"Are you his Majesty?" She croaked.
Then she heard him chuckle darkly.
It was clear, like as if she was hearing it for the first time.
How had she not noticed this before?
That was exactly how the King sounded.
His chuckling, it was exactly the same.
"That is a first."
"So you are him?"
"I am who you say I am."
She tried to turn around again but his firm voice stopped her.
"No! Have you forgotten the last time this happened? Have you forgotten what happened?"
"Why are you coming to me in a dream if you are him. Why don't you--?" She spoke, her words fast abd a little breathless, confusion raging in her like a storm. "I don't understand."
"I am only here because you wanted me to be."
"Why--- how?"
"You asked too many questions."
She couldn't hear the rustling of leaves but somehow, his voice sounded like he had taken a few steps closer. "Strange. I would have thought he would prefer one that was more gullible."
"He? Who are you talking about?"
She couldn't call him 'His Majesty' as she would have real life. She was still contemplating about this whole 'I am who you say I am' thing. She was still very confused.
"No one important." His voice was dismissive. When he spoke again, his voice was once again soothing, just like His Majesty's.
Maybe he was indeed the King.
The King had been very busy these days, in fact, it had been a long time since they had dinner together.
She knew that she missed him, she just hadn't thought that she missed him so much that she dreamt about him.
"For now, let us talk. I have missed you a lot. We can spend time together here."
Her gaze passed over the dark waters that glimmered under the moonlight, her feet digging into the cold slightly prickly sand. She looked around but she ensured not to look behind her.
"Where is here?"
"A place of peace. A place you wanted."
His answers confused her more and more.
"Name? What is the name of that place I want?" She asked, agitated. She wrapped her arms around herself as if to protect her from all of this confusing figment of her imagination.
"You know it all. Breathe, we are safe here."
She nodded vigorously, not in admission of her assurance of safety though.
"What are we hiding from?"
"The world, remember? The world that is now alseep." His voice was low and close to her ear. He was closely behind her, his hand slightly above her shoulders, his breath fanning her cheeks slightly.
She had been right, he had been moving closer and closer till there was hardly any space between them.
Her ears had not been tricking her.
His coarse fingers trailed her collar bone lightly, slowly up her neck, so that she could throw her head back and lean against him but her reaction had been different.
"What are you doing?" She stepped away suddenly, her breath rapsy.
"A First again. How amusing." He replied flatly, his voice curt.
"How would you like to spend your time then?"
He sounded distant, he was farther away from her now.
She blinked, looking at the ocean again.
"Anything you want. Just say it and I will make it come true." His voice was closer yet again. How was he doing that? Moving back and forth so quickly and without making any noise.
Then again, he was only a dream. Many things were possible in dreams.
That gave her an idea of what to ask for.
"Can you make us appear anywhere?"
"Us, uhn. You are learning quickly. I can." His breath was fanning her neck again, like as if he was sniffing her in.
This dream was crazy.
She could have never imagined that she harboured such intimate desires.
For the King to be close to her like this.
She couldn't even imagine him in this kind of light but here he was in her dreams, doing all these things.
The mind was indeed the deepest pit.
"The Rainbow Fountain." She said, expecting to be let down.
She had only read about the Rainbow Fountain in books, she didn't even know if it truly existed.
"Close your eyes."
He said and she did.
Then a moment later, his soothing voice seeped through her ears again.
"Open your eyes."
She obeyed and her heart filled with joy at the sight that met her eyes.
There was a large rainbow arc a reachable distance from them.
The gushing of the water filled her ears.
A colorful sight and a midnight sky.
This was so much better than she had ever imagined it to be.
If only it was daylight.
No sooner had she had that thought, the sky started to clear out and just like that, daylight.
She stared in awe, watching the wonder, till she could feel the warm sunlight on her face.
Then there were butterflies everywhere.
"Why here?" She heard him ask, as usual, he was behind her, although he sounded a little closer this time.
"I didn't even know it was real," she said, still in awe by the surprise.
"Then how did you know to ask about it?"
"Books," she gave a hasty answer, like he was bothering her from appreciating all these wonder.
"So, you read?"
It was hard fighting the urge to look back at him in surprise but she successfully restrained herself, going for a question instead.
"You know this, your Majesty. You gifted me books yourself."
"Here, don't call me that."
Her forehead creased in confusion, "what should I call you then?"
"What do you want to call me?"
For once, that was a question she had never imagined about.
"I...I don't know."
"Then I will just have to wait for you to give me a name when you know."
"But you must have a name! Unless if you don't want to tell me what it is."
"It is complicated."
"Is it connected to the reason why I'm here, why I can't see your face?"
"Questions, questions, questions. You never get tired of them, do you?"
He gave her a gentle squeeze on her arms and surprisingly, she chuckled.
She found all of these strangely relaxing, to be far away from all the castle and all the complications that came with it.
She wouldn't say it felt like home, the only home she knew was one kind of hell, but it felt good, she wasn't sure what exactly she could call it but she knew beyond certainty that it was good.
She closed her eyes, breathing in the salty ocean smell.
Peaceful.
"We need to leave," his voice snapped her out of her comfort.
"Why?" She asked, very displeased.
"The world is waking up."
"Must I wake up too?"
She wanted to stay here for just a little longer.
"Yes." His breath grazed her ear like a soft feather. "Now, close your eyes."
Her eyelids reluctantly fell shut, knowing what was coming afterwards.
"When will I get to see your face?"
"Soon."
"How soon?"
She never got a answer to that because once again the dream was fading away, only that this time around, it was peaceful.