"Open your eyes."
She did and she was stunned by what she saw.
It was the Seven Skys of Effidel.
Once again, another wonder she had read of in books but hadn't believed to be real.
Water below, with the tip of the mountains disappearing into the skys of seven different colours above.
She wondered where exactly this place was, if it existed within the high Walls of Ignas.
So, she asked, "where is this place? In Ignas?"
"Outside the Great Walls of Ignas."
Belladonna's forehead creased in confusion. If it was outside the walls, how then did he know about it? She had never heard of anyone going out of the Kingdom, she had never even thought that the places mentioned in the books to be outside the walls, truly existed.
What exactly laid beyond those walls? Beasts, people like her or demons?
"How did you know about this place?"
"When you fly above the high and mighty walls, what wonder won't you see?"
She smiled.
That explained it.
She had always wanted to see the world. Know what was beyond the great walls and visit all the wonders she had read about that existed beyond it.
She took a step forward before she realized their was nothing to set her foot upon, but empty space. Fear rushed into her lungs as she felt herself slip down the Mountain but not before a strong hand came around her, pulling her to him, her head hitting the iron golden mask on his face.
It didn't hurt.
Her breath was fast and loud, she peeked down to see the water changing colors below, the stone that had slipped from underneath her feet, falling further till she couldn't see it again, but she never heard it hit the water.
It was a long way down.
She would have died!
But then again, this was just a dream. Was it possible to die in one's dream?
She wasn't eager to find out about that though.
Belladonna pushed back, resting more against him now that she knew the possible danger that was ahead.
"I a-almost--"
"Not with me. Never with me." He cut her off, his voice calm, steady and reassuring. "I'll always be here to protect you."
She placed her hand on his that was wrapped around her and laying against her stomach, seeking more his protection.
Yet again, her mind reminded her that this was all a dream, she was safe with or without him. Still, the fear she had felt a moment ago felt real and so did the fact that he was protecting her.
She was safe. Her mind repeated. Safe here with him.
"We can leave, if you want us to."
She shook her head, closing her eyes briefly, allowing the cold breeze to blow through her hair while the sunlight was warm against her face.
"I like it here."
She could feel his eyes on her, watching, taking the sight of her in. The urge to looked was renewed in her veins but she fought it hard and kept her eyes shut. She wasn't ready for anything to disrupt this moment of peace she felt.
"Is there any other place you would like to visit before we run out of time?"
"Run out of time?" She asked, surprised. "The time is always so fast here."
"Stolen moments always are."
His voice sounded a little distant this time, meaning that he was no longer watching her and it was now safe to open her eyes.
"You were busy the whole day. Did keeping the dragon in line take up all your time? Or did you have other important things to deal with?"
There was silence for a while that she was starting to fear that maybe, she had angered him.
"In here, only talk about us. Nothing else about the real world matters, nothing else should," he chastised, like he was talking to a child that had decided to keeping on disobeying over and over again despite his warnings.
A smile snaked up her lips.
He was right.
This was her dream after all, her escape place.
Everything that happens here should majorly be to make her happy and most of the time, the real world just didn't do that.
"Do you have scars?" She asked, light-heartedly.
"None that can be seen. The most painful scars are those that forever remain hidden."
Confusion, again.
If he had no scars on his face, then what was he hiding?
"So why do you wear your mask then? Or is it because you are not human? Is it true?" Her heart beat picked up its pace. Thinking of something was a totally different thing to confronting or confirming it.
"Are you truly not human?"
"Just us." He reminded her gently with a sigh. When he spoke again, his voice was a little hasty. "Tell me quickly. What do you desire to see, the world is slowly waking up."
Her eyes twinkled with curiousity. Something about the way he requested for her desires always woke up a daring spirit in her and made her want to find out more.
"The water. I want to feel the water."
"For you? Anything. But first tell me, do you trust me?"
This question again?
It was like a figment of her imagination asking her if she, the imaginator, trusted him.
Or maybe one of her desires that she didn't know about was to trust someone. This dream was after all a place where all her desires came true.
She took in a deep breath.
Thinking too much about everything would ruin the magic. So from now, she wouldn't.
"Yes."
He pulled her closer and he jumped.
She screamed instinctively, before she remembered that none of these was real and she looked to her sides at the colorful water that rushed down the mountain blissfully.
The fall felt like it would go on forever and ever, until finally, with a mighty splash, they disappeared into the surface of the water below.
She looked around, seeing the water was colorful, she hadn't expected it to be clear.
It was cold against her skin, her silky underwater clinging to her body, her curly hair straightening slightly from the weight of the water.
It was all so beautiful.
It was then she realized that she could breathe in the water, she didn't had to hold her breath.
She look in front of her and Dream man wasn't there, she stretched her hands to her back, wanting to touch him. After a while of searching, she found no one.
Panic set but just at that moment, a hand curled around her and she smiled in relief.
That farmilar comforting hold.
Suddenly it all started crashing around her, fading away, including the presence she could feel behind her, his hold.
It was like she was been roughly pulled out of her dream.
His voice fading away into the distance as he said to her.
"Desire me again tomorrow night and I'll come to you."
When she woke up the harsh light of the day that was seeping through the curtains, flashed into her eyes, blinding her for a second.
Aaargh.
She shut her eyes instantly, looked away from the light and ran her fingers through her hair only to discover that it was damp.
Her eyes flew open with shock.
She threw the blanket aside, rushing off to the mirror only to meet a bigger shock.
Her dress was stained with different colours, like the ocean from her dream.