The Lost Prince || Dreamnotfound

six

George's eyes dart up. He looks weary, unsure if he should trust Dream.

"I let you heal yourself," Dream says, suddenly unsure if he should be doing this, "and you promise not to kill me."

George's lips tug up. "Why not?"

Dream swallows and walks towards George. He crouches down to grab the iron shackles. He pauses and looks at George, who is mere breaths away from him. "I won't kill you," George whispers, desperate. "I promise."

Dream nods and opens the shackles. Instantly, George lets out a deep exhale of relief. The red skin around his wrists lights to match his skin. Dream's eyes widen as he looks at George's face.

The prince's eyes are closed as he smiles softly. His skin seems to glow as he slowly heals. Stunned into silence, Dream sits and watches in fascination.

Hours pass and George's open wounds close, turning into purple bruises, then into red marks, then into his healthy skin shade. His shoulders sag in relief, as if the magic calms him.

Dream remembers the shackles in his hands. George is completely healed, yet he makes no move, laying in silence.

Quickly, Dream snaps the shackles around his wrists. George gasps, eyes opening. Dream watches them dull once more, as does his unnatural glow. The prince appears sad.

"The magic," Dream whispers, "it's your lifeforce."

George looks at the shackles with undeniable sadness. "You wouldn't understand."

But Dream wants to know. "Then help me. Help me understand."

George looks at him. "It— it's this feeling of warmth." He looks away. "It reminds me of my mother's love." George sighs. "Without magic, there's this coldness, like a part of me is missing. I don't feel whole."

"That... sounds terrible," Dream admits.

"I can show you what it's like," George says. His eyes light up with an idea. "Let me show you."

Instantly, Dream's guard is up. "I'm not taking your shackles off."

"Please, Dream," George says desperately. It's the first time George has ever said his name. "I won't kill you. Just let me feel my magic one more time."

Dream shakes his head and stands. His voice is ice cold. Detached. "That's enough for tonight."

George stands up, pulling his robe back up to cover his chest. "Dream, please," George whispers, pulling at his shackles, which are still bound to the ground.

"I said no."

George's shoulders slump. "Please," he mumbles.

Dream slaps him. George stumbles back, sitting back on the cot he was just laying on. The slap rings in Dream's ears. George stares at him, sad, but not surprised.

Dream leaves the tent with no other words.

~

Dream avoids George for several days.

He spends most of his time pacing, using whatever free time he has to strategize with his generals. They are going to pursue the enemy into the Enchanted Forest within three days time. No human knows what to expect, so there's been some delay as to how to go about travel.

The only person within the camp who knows the Enchanted Forest inside and out is George. Everyone seems to know it.

"We could have the prisoner lead us through the forest," Quackity suggests, speaking what's been on everyone's mind at the nightly meeting.

"And have him lead us into a trap?" Skeppy, another one of the many generals, points out with a shake of his head.

"Skeppy is right," Dream says, looking at the board in front of them. Every piece that they know of is outside the forest, beyond that point is blank. "We can't risk it."

"He's in shackles," Quackity says insistently, "he can't do anything. We could send a scout and—"

"And what, Quackity?" Dream asks, exasperated. "A scout could die within hours. We wouldn't know for days, maybe weeks, if they don't report back."

Quackity frowns with a nod. He crosses his arms. No one else speaks up. "Alright," Dream says with a sigh, "you're dismissed. We'll discuss this tomorrow."

His generals leave within minutes, not a word of protest leaving their mouths. They were in the meeting for hours. Dream has a headache.

He leaves the tent, wandering around aimlessly. His feet take him to a familiar tent.

"What are you doing here?" George asks, back turned towards Dream. He didn't need to turn to be able to tell who it was. Dream can't tell if it's creepy or smart to memorize your enemy's footfalls.

What is Dream doing here anyways? He doesn't know what to say, so he resorts to the familiar words of antipathy.

"Just here to remind you where you are, demon."

George says nothing for a long moment. Dream is unsure if he wants to break the silence. The tension around them is so thick it could be sliced with a knife.

"Do you know any other emotion besides hate or anger?" George asks with a blank glance at Dream. "Do you even know how?"

Dream's lips thin. "There wasn't much time for things like emotion at my home."

George's stare shifts. Contemplatively, he asks, "When was the last time you felt truly happy?"

Dream hesitates. He thinks, he really thinks. "I— I don't know."

Dream frowns at his own response. He crosses his arms defensively, waiting for a sneer from George about how his family is just a bunch of soulless monsters.

All George says is, "That's sad."

Dream looks away. George asks, "Do you ever wish things were different?"

"Different?" Dream's eyes are glued to the ground as his gut twists.

"Yeah," George mutters, "like if there wasn't war."

Dream's eyes lift slowly.

"If your family hadn't made the order to slaughter my kind?" George continues with a glare. "If you weren't aiding them in my annihilation?"

Dream can feel his skin prickle with heat, but he doesn't lash out. A foreign feeling, guilt, claws up his throat. He doesn't say anything, holding George's glare.

"Do you wish things were different, Dream?" George asks pointedly.

At the use of his name, Dream bristles. "I don't know what you want me to say."

"An apology would be nice," George mutters, "though I don't think you've ever had to do that."

Dream's cheeks heat, flooded with angry rouge. "Tread carefully," he warns.

George scoffs lightly. "Why don't you go look at the destruction you've wrought upon this land. Take a look at what your family has done." George says angrily, "Just look."

Dream holds George's stare for a moment before leaving without a word.

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a/n - late night update whoop whoop

cats or dogs? I wanna watch a debate in the comments

love you lots <33