The Hidden Princess

Dreaming

Stella was sitting in her room waiting for Cladd to get home.  She knew he was going to be upset with her.  She was not sure why she was always so impatient with everything, maybe because she knows how precious life really is.  She had lost the love of her life in some weird accident and that changed her outlook on everything.  “Don’t waste a day” was her moto. She heard his footsteps and then the knock on the door.

“Enter.”  She said and then pretended to look busy reading a book.

Cladd walked in with heavy steps.  He knew that she would think he was angry with her and he was but then he saw Angela’s eyes begging him not to be upset with her. “Hello, Mother.  I have returned.” He sat down on the couch across from her.  She looked up at him and smiled.

“I heard you met Angela.” Cladd leaned back and stretched his arm along the couch top. “You are lucky she is so nice and basically begged me not to be upset with you.  So, I am not upset.  I will be joining her for her visit.” Cladd smiled at his Mother.  He could see the relief in her face with his words.

“She is very beautiful, and graceful, and so full of life.”  Stella was super excited that Cladd was not super upset with her.

“Well, I am glad you think so.  I asked her to be my wife this evening.  We plan to be married soon.” Cladd smiled widely at her and stood because he knew what was coming next.

“WHAT!!  Oh my!!” Stella jumped up and hugged her son. With tears in her eyes, she pulled back to look at him “I am so happy. Your children are going to be so beautiful.  I cannot wait!!” Stella pulled away.

“We have so much planning to do.  She will have to move in here. How long do I have to plan this? Where are her parents? They will need a place to stay.” There were so many questions swirling around her head.

He held both her arms and made her look up at him. “We will not be planning everything right now.  Let us wait and make our announcement when Angela is here.  I want Uncle to meet her as well.  I am just as excited as you and I will let you do all the planning you want.  Later.  I am going to bed now I have had a long day.  Good night, Mother.” And he left her there to start her planning.  He smiled to himself, he hoped that Angela did not want to do any part of the planning, because it will all be done by morning.  He was sure of it.

That night he lay in bed and thought about their kiss.  Her lips were so perfect, soft, and warm.  They matched his lips perfectly; it was like they were dance partners.  He was so happy he had never kissed anyone before her.  It would not compare; he was sure of it.  He wanted her so badly, he wanted to feel her body next to his.  He wondered if he would die of desire when it does happen, she is going to be his wife and that means it will happen. He smiled to himself and drifted off to sleep still feeling her lips on his.

He woke up feeling a cold wind on his face.  He looked down and he was not wearing any clothing. He looked around and realized that he was on the side of a mountain. He was totally confused, and he felt out of breath.  He could hardly keep his eyes open with the wind and the sun, he held his hand up to try and block either the sun or the wind hopefully a little of both.  He saw Angela, she was struggling, she was trying to get away from something.  Cladd tried running towards her but his legs would not move, he was powerless.  He looked back at Angela again and her hair was white as snow with a few black streaks in it and she had a huge pair of wings that were tossing her around from the wind.  It was like she did not know how to control them.  Were those her wings? He looked back down at his feet and he realized that he was no longer naked, he was covered with fur.  Pure white fur and he felt powerful, enormously powerful.  He was able to break free from whatever was holding him.  He ran for Angela; he was almost to her and then she disappeared into the ground.  Just gone, the wind died, the sun faded, and he stood there alone, panting.

Cladd woke up in his own bed, breathless and feeling panicked.  He felt like he needed to see Angela at that very moment and there was nobody that was going to stop him.  He made his way out of the castle and hopped up on his horse bareback.  They tip toed out of the barn and then ran like the wind to the seamstress shop where Angela lived.  He went around to the back; he didn’t want to wake anyone he just needed to see that she was okay.  He could not wait to have her move to the castle.  Maybe Uncle would let her move in early.  They had enough room. 

He found her window and looked in, she was asleep, and her face looked beautiful under the full moonlight.  He could stay there all night, but he knew he should not.  He was about to leave when she started to struggle in her sleep, like she was having a nightmare.  Her face looked like she was afraid, her arms started flailing as if to protect her face.  Her hair turned white as snow but only for a moment, maybe that was the moonlight reflecting on her hair, he brushed it off.  Then she screamed and sat straight up in her bed wide awake.  She was looking right at him and he covered her mouth, so she did not scream again.  Once she realized she was awake she pulled his hand away from her mouth. She was breathless and looked so scared.  He jumped in her window and held her close and she just hung on to him and did not say anything.

“How did you know I needed you?” She finally asked, “I have been having these dreams and this is the first time you were part of it. I was so scared that they were going to kill you and then I looked and there was monster, a big, huge wolf that had eaten you and it stood in your place.  He was running at me and so I just let this force take me.  I was so afraid.” She held on tighter to him as she described her dream. He was stunned to realize they had been having the same dream, at different times.

‘She should know about me.  She saw you turn into me in her dream.’ Laddy said inside his head.

‘Right now?’ Cladd asked back.

‘Later, but soon.’ And Laddy was gone.

They sat like that for a while, he just held her until she calmed down.  She sat back up and looked at him her eyes full to tears from the prospect of losing him.  He was so in love with her at that moment he pulled her close and kissed her.  He kissed her with so much passion and she returned his passion, she ran her fingers through his hair and grabbed on tight.  She did not want the kiss to stop. He let her pull him on top of her on the small bed, their bodies so close. He knew he had to stop; this was not the right time.  With all his self-control he pushed himself off of her. He looked down and she looked up at him with so much being said and not a word uttered.

“I must go.  We will talk tomorrow.  What time should I be here?” Cladd had been escorting her every chance he got.  He started going out the window. 

“Afternoon.” She said with a smile.  She loved it when she was escorted by him. “I look forward to seeing you then.” And she blew him a kiss and closed her window.  Thoughts of her dream faded back into her mind.  That wolf, it did not seem like it was going to hurt her and that confused her because it had killed Cladd.  Her stomach turned at the thought of a life without him.  How his Mother must suffer everyday not having her love with her. She did not sleep again, before she knew it the sun was coming up and she could hear Charity in the kitchen fixing breakfast.