Chapter 2 — Questions

After what it seemed like an eternity underwater, strong arms finally got me out of the water. As soon as I was removed from the icy ocean, I coughed vigorously as I tried to get as much air as I could. My back ached, my breathing struggled.

“Robert!” Father called out, helping me regain consciousness. “My dear boy, are you all right?”

I nodded as I continued to cough.

“There’s nothing to fear, son. I’m here.” Father then carried me and rushed over to my mother and sister.

“Oh, Robert!” Mother cried as we approached them. Father crouched out to them as we sat on the corner. “My son,” Mother continued, pulling me into her arms. Her tears fell on my face as she cradled my little body.

“No matter what happens, we stick together. Do you understand?” Father talked to us. Determination was evident in his voice, driven to make sure we survive this chaos. “I’ll make sure that all of us will return home safely.”

Mother gave him a kiss and we shared a tight hug.

At that brief moment of solace, everything seemed peaceful, secured. People still ran amok, streaming for their lives. But everything was muffled out as my family surrounded me.

♔♔♔

My eyes slowly opened as I awakened. I sat up and sunk my head in my hands, trying to process the dream I just had. For the past months, I’ve had the strangest dreams. Most dreams can easily be called unreal. However, some of them didn’t feel like they were just dreams.

They felt real.

Could they be some kind of memories? Or have I gone mad?

♔♔♔

Days passed since the night I had that strange dream. I planned to ignore it, but I couldn’t anymore. I had to ask somebody about it.

After I changed into my riding clothes, I headed to the kitchen in search of Nana. She can definitely explain the meaning of my dreams. She’s quite known to give somewhat accurate interpretations of dreams.

“Good afternoon, everybody!” I greeted the servants upon entering.

Everyone smiled and greeted me as I walked past them. Everybody with the exception of Nana Rose, Elizabeth’s former nanny. She’s always been the cranky woman in the kitchen. Nana Olsa would make a joke that Nana Rose was born that way.

I looked around the kitchen, but Nana was nowhere to be seen. I checked where she usually cooked but everything was clean. It’s as if she hasn’t cooked today yet.

I approached one of the cooks, “Have you seen Nana Olsa?”

“Your Highness,” the cook bowed, “I heard she’s tending to Her Majesty’s garden today.”

“Thank you,” I nodded and rushed to Mother’s garden.

♔♔♔

Approaching Mother’s garden, the fragrance of flowers can be smelled from afar. The breeze carried their scent, from the roses to the jasmines, towards my direction. It was incredibly enticing. As I entered, Nana was by the roses with a pair of cutters in hand. Seeing that she hasn’t noticed me yet, I sneaked up to her and hugged her from behind.

“Oh!” she exclaimed as she grabbed onto my arm. “Oh, my dear boy!”

I giggled mischievously as she turned. “Good afternoon, Nana.”

“Good afternoon, dear one,” she smiled. She exhaled in relief, her hand on her chest. “You’ve been having too much fun scaring me.”

“It’s not that, Nana,” I said, putting my hands behind me. “Well, I could be having too much fun,” I smirked, “But you’re just too easy to scare.”

“I know I am, but you have to refrain from doing that. I might die of a heart attack,” she said.

I chuckled, nodding.

“What brings you here?” she asked, turning back to the roses.

“I looked for you in the kitchen, but you weren’t there. The cook told me you were taking care of Mother’s garden today,” I explained as I moved closer, standing beside her.

She nodded, carefully examining the flowers. “It’s been a while since I last tended to them,” she replied. “I was supposed to do this every day. However, I wasn’t able to do that because somebody took my cutters and didn’t return it to its proper place. I had to ask someone to fetch me a new one.”

“Were you able to find the culprit?” I asked.

She stopped cutting and turned around. “I haven’t solved that matter yet. However, I found my cutters in one of my aprons. I found it this morning,” she giggled. I shook my head with a smile, and she continued, “I’ve grown old, Robert. My mind wasn’t as sharp as it was before.”

“You still know everything about me, Nana. Your mind isn’t that dull,” I replied.

“Everything about your family is an exception, of course. Those were instilled in my brain during my prime. I will never forget them,” she smiled. She continued what she was doing and asked, “Why were you looking for me, dear one?”

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something,” I walked and stood at her right side. “I’ve been having dreams that felt like they were true. Like they were some kind of memories that I know nothing about,” I explained. “You used to give dream interpretations. I was hoping maybe you could give me some answers.”

“What were your dreams about, exactly?” she asked, still cutting a few dead roses.

“Some were memories of a happy family. But the recent ones were about me and the family. We were in a sinking ship,” I replied.

Nana stopped. Her grip on her cutters tightened. She was still for a brief moment, staring at the shrub of roses. She didn’t say anything for a while.

“Nana?” I called. “Have I said something wrong?”

She blinked quickly as she got out of her trance. Slowly, she turned to me, “Robert, perhaps it’s better if you don’t pay attention to those kinds of dreams. They could be just playing tricks on you. It can make you think that there’s something hidden when in reality, there’s nothing.”

“But, Nana, these dreams became more frequent,” I quickly held her hands. “Before, I could ignore them. However, these dreams have been a plague in my sleep. I don’t know what to do anymore. I need answers, please,” I begged, desperate.

She sighed and put the cutters in her apron’s front pockets. “Son, I understand how you’re feeling right now. I know you need answers,” she cupped my face, caressing my cheeks with her thumbs. “But I’m not the right person to explain everything to you. I promise you: sooner or later, the answers will come to you.” She then kissed me on the forehead.

Even more questions raced through my mind.

What could she mean by that?

Why couldn’t she explain everything to me?

Was there something important behind those dreams?

What could the answers be?

When will they come to me?

How will I know if the answers have arrived?

I came here to know the possible meaning of those dreams but all I got was nothing.

“Robert,” Nana lifted my face. The look on her face seemed like she was holding something back. “Don’t trouble yourself over this,” she pushed a smile. “Do what you usually do during this time. I still have roses to attend to.” She lightly pinched my nose and went back to Mother’s flowers.

Defeated, I sighed a long sigh and walked away.

♔♔♔

As I prepared Lady for a stroll, my mind continued to question my dreams. But as I pressed on this matter, I grew even more confused. It felt like there was no way for me to get answers. Frustrated that I couldn’t think of a possible reason, I sighed to myself. Maybe Nana was right. Maybe the answers will reveal themselves when I’m ready.

“That’s very serious of you,” a voice spoke from behind me.

My head quickly turned and to my delight, it was Laura! The right person who I needed to see! I stood up and rushed over to her, immediately engulfing her in my arms.

“Is there something wrong, Robert?” she asked as she caressed my back. “Something seemed to be bothering you.”

I gave her a light squeeze before pulling away. “It’s nothing complicated, really,” I forced a smile. I don’t want to burden her with my worries. All I wanted was to see her smiling each time we met.

“Robert, she lifted my face. Her gentle smile welcomed my gaze. “You can’t even look me in the eye. What’s going on?”

I continued to look at her, trying to see if she wouldn't ask more. But her eyes were persistent. There was no use in lying to her. And if no one in this castle could give a different answer other than ignore it, maybe Laura would have a different response.

“It’s just…I’ve been having some trouble sleeping.”

“Why don’t we take a seat?” she replied as she pointed to the small bench behind us.

I nodded and led the way.

As we sat down, she put her hands on mine, turning to my direction. “Tell me what’s on your mind?”

I took a deep breath in. “Odd dreams have invaded my sleep. And for some reason, they felt…real. It felt like it was connected to my childhood,” I explained as I turned to her. “However, these are just my suspicions, and I don’t have anything to prove it.”

“Have you told anyone about this?” she asked.

“I told Nana about it because she used to give dream interpretations. But all she said was to ignore them,” I explained.

“I don’t want to sound insensitive, but don’t you think it’s because of stress?” she answered. “You did mention that you’ve been doing a lot of royal duties.”

“I’ve been having these dreams for quite some time now. But they were never this frequent. Now, it’s haunting me,” I sighed out of despair. I slowly sunk my face into my hands. “I just want answers to lessen my suffering,” I added, turning to her.

“Then, don’t force everything too much. You’ll end up hurting yourself,” she comforted as she held my shoulders. “Maybe there is wisdom in what Nana said, that the answers will come one day. For the time-being, try to keep your peace steady to have sufficient rest.”

I sighed once more, holding onto her hand. Usually, I’m patient with things. Patience is something a monarch should hold onto. Nothing is meant to be rushed. Everything must be planned.

However, this situation is different.

This matter wasn’t something I could simply let go and forget. It has bothered me for months now.

Laura stood up. With a smile, she held out her hand. “Come with me. I know something that can lift your spirits up,” she said.

“What is it?”

She rolled her eyes as she chuckled. “Oh, Robert, always making sure of things. For once, just trust me and take my hand,” she replied. “I assure you, it will be worth it.”

I looked at her hand again. “Do I need to bring Lady?” I asked, looking back at her.

“There’s no need for Lady today. She can rest. All I need is for you to trust me and take my hand,” she repeated.

I stood up but still didn’t hold her hand. I didn’t know what her plan was or where she planned to take me.

She sighed before pulling her hand back. “Robert, I’m not going to put you in danger,” her hands now on her waist, “I just know of something that could help you forget your troublemaking dreams.”

I sighed and nodded. She wasn’t going to give up on this conversation.

“Follow me.” She walked ahead of me, and I followed her closely.

♔♔♔

We ran for a few miles when she stopped in front of a bush wall. “We’re here!” she said.

As I came to a halt, I panted so hard to catch my breath. My hands were on my knees, supporting my weight. “I haven’t run like that in years. Phew!” I exclaimed. I stood up properly once I composed myself. “Where are we?” I asked, looking around. We stood on the side of an empty road. This road wasn’t traveled by anybody because the bridge on the further part was never repaired.

I wonder why Laura ventured to this place.

She turned to me, enthusiastic. “One of the most beautiful places your eyes have ever seen.”

I looked and nothing was what she said. Aside from the thick bush, all I saw behind it were tall, creepy trees, surrounded by vines. “I think we have a different perception of what is beautiful and what isn’t.”

She chuckled. “It’s because you’re not looking deep enough,” she replied as she moved closer to me. She then walked over to the green wall and looked for something. With one small push, a narrow entrance opened in the middle of it. “Come quickly,” she smiled as she turned to me.

I entered right after, and she closed the entrance.

Once my eyes adjusted to the bright sun, I finally saw the beauty she talked about. The ground was covered with grass, sparkling because of dew. Different flowers blossomed on each side of the pebble path. Majestic trees stood tall, and the vines complemented their size. Birds flew freely in the air. Some sung within the trees. A fountain stood in the middle. Its waters slowly cascaded down to the bottom.

Everything was breathtaking.

“Well, what do you think?” she asked.

“This is…beautiful. It truly is,” I answered, still taken back by the beauty that’s in front of me. “There are no proper words to describe everything that I’m seeing.”

“And that’s just the beginning,” she said.

Before I could even turn to her, she grabbed my hand and followed the path. We entered a maze and she just kept moving forward without any hesitation.

♔♔♔

When we got to the end, we were greeted by a thick curtain of vines.

“Please don’t tell me we’re going through there,” I remarked.

She turned around, confused. “Is there something wrong? Are you afraid of vines?” she asked, almost teasing me.

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “Woman, why would I be afraid of mere vines?” I said, which made her giggle. “I asked that because something that can kill us might be on the other side. I didn’t bring my sword with me. I’m not risking our lives, especially yours for some little adventure,” I ranted.

She sighed and stepped closer to me. “Robert, I will not bring you to a place that will endanger the both of us. I’m not sadistic,” she replied. She looked into my eyes as she spoke, my hands in hers.

Her assurance gave me the feeling of safety. Her words were like a blanket of warmth, light and gentleness. It covered my body well. She may seem frail and small but with her words, her determination, she’s stronger than she knows. Whenever she’s with me, I somehow feel protected by her light.

“Do you trust me?” she asked with a smile.

I kissed her hands. “I will always trust you.”

She let go of one of my hands and walked before me. As she disappeared through the vines, I closed my eyes. After a few steps, we stopped.

“You can open your eyes now.”

Slowly, I opened my eyes…and a paradise welcomed my sight.