Endless Dream

Periwinkle

Iris rolled on their side, the covers slipping from their body and revealing their naked form in the dawn light that entered through the tall windows of their chamber. They reached out with their arms, seeking Morpheus' warmth but only felt the satin sheet's empty brush. Iris sat up, barely awake and checked the room. Dream didn't rest the same way Iris did. Whilst they didn't dream, they still fell into a state of unconscious rest. Dream stayed awake, lucid at all hours of the day. Iris had often wondered how he hadn't been driven mad by the constant lack of rest.

Whilst Iris slept, he would often potter around the room. Sometimes he would read a book in the wide armchair and light a fire in the white, ornate fireplace. Other times Dream would lay in the bed, watching how peacefully Iris slept, envying them just a little.

Iris rubbed their eyes and called for him, "Morpheus?" they asked. The silence was the only reply. They pulled the thin deep blue sheet over themselves, holding it around their chest and moving off the bed to check the balcony. Dream rarely used the balcony, but Iris hoped he hadn't left them alone after last night's pleasures.

Iris pressed gently on the wooden frame of the balcony door, peering their head through the gap. Nothing. They were met by a strong breeze that made them shiver and the bright, beautiful dawn sky. They sighed, stepping out onto the balcony. They pulled the edge of the sheet away from the closing door to avoid it being shut in. Morpheus was long gone, probably left as soon as Iris' eyes shut. Iris wished he'd stayed, wished he'd been there when they woke up or at least said goodbye before leaving. Iris understood the pressure on him and his role in the realm, but his behaviour wounded them. He gave them life, brought them gifts and sought them out whenever he could, but as soon as he got what he wanted, he would leave. It was hurtful and rude, but they still allowed it, craving even a glimpse of him.

Iris extended their fingers to the breeze that flowed upwards into the sky. They felt the breeze lift them and push them higher and higher into the atmosphere. They reached forward, their feet rising to their tiptoes. They remembered the days as sand, the constant movement and flux of the realm, and they danced through it, riding the winds with their fellow sand. They didn't miss it, but they fondly looked back on the memories.

Iris pulled their hand back and retreated inside. Morpheus wouldn't be returning any time soon, and whilst they were hurt by it, they had their charges to oversee.

A small chirrup caught Iris' attention as they closed the balcony door behind them. Periwinkle announced himself as he padded across the floor towards them. The small, entitled creature was found within the palace as a kitten. Lucienne suggested that it somehow slipped through the cracks between realms and found itself in The Dreaming. Lucienne wanted to dispatch the creature, but Iris interceded and decided to raise the animal as a companion. Dream was accompanied by his ravens, and the library coveted Lucienne as its own, so why couldn't they have something?

Their care resulted in a spoilt, impatient beast that shredded Iris' clothes and terrorised the ravens relentlessly. Iris did love the feline fervently, but even they could not overlook his entitlement.

The grey cat rubbed himself along Iris' leg, the bell of his red collar feeling cold against their skin, "And where were you yesterday?" they asked. The cat ignored them and continued to pester them by blocking their path. Iris had spoken with Jessamy before and conversed with other creatures of The Dreaming, but Periwinkle never made any effort to speak; whether he could or could not, they didn't know. The feline was terribly stubborn and aloof.

"I suppose you wish to be fed, your majesty?" they asked. Periwinkle's ears twitched, making a chesty noise that could have been yes. They stepped forward, looking for the animal's ceramic bowl near the bed. Each step was hindered by Periwinkle, who weaved in and out of their legs, making them stumble and trip. This was a daily dance with him, often ending in Iris hitting the floor or Periwinkle being booted out of the way. Today, Iris wasn't in a mood to play this charade with him.

Iris snatched the cat up, holding him by his belly against her hip. The sheet fell to the floor in a rumpled mess. The cat flailed and squired under their grip, scratching their exposed flesh with his needle-like claws. They hissed at him and heaved him up as he tried to slip through their grasp, "Do you want to be fed or not?" the cat yowled loudly and started pushing off of them with his back legs. His back legs were worse than his front claws. The claws were blunted from years of climbing and running along the sandy floors. His back claws raked their sin and dug far deeper than the thin slices left by his front feet.

Iris yelled at him and threw him onto the bed. The cat made a noise of disgust and landed feet first onto the mattress. The cat growled at them and cleaned himself, enraged that they had dared to touch him with their grubby, dirty hands. His golden eyes narrowed to thin slits and glared at them as they filled his bowl with meat. The cat refused to eat plainer food and demanded only the finest cuts of meat for his food. The cat's tail flicked from side to side, but he didn't move.

Iris had no patience for the cat and left him to play with his food, picking at it and eating the gravy and jelly from the meat before he deigned to consume the rest. They walked over to the armoire, sifting through the garments at their disposal. It didn't matter what they picked, they would have to change anyway and multiple times throughout their day, but it was part of the routine. They hovered over a long modest green dress made from something smooth and silky. A devilish thought flickered across Iris' mind. They imagined Dream's face if he saw them wearing it in the palace. They plucked the hanger from the wardrobe.