Taking Back

An (Un)comforting Night

Eddie jolted awake, a complete mess of sweat and panic. He looked at himself in the mirror hanging on the wall, breathing heavily. He felt himself shaking as if he had just walked out of the cold, tugging more at the blankets that covered him. Thank goodness. He thought to himself, sighing heavily with relief.

"Just a dream," he said aloud, softly. "I-it was just a dream. It wasn't real, just in your head."

He heard footsteps running toward his door, then saw it swing open. It was Alisha, standing in the doorway, practically out of breath. Their eyes locked. "Alisha?"

"E-Eddie?" asked Alisha with tears in her eyes. She rushed to his side and cuddled next to him. She clung to Eddie tightly as she nuzzled into his embrace. She felt his warmth, begging her to drift back into her dreams.

"H-hey, hey," Eddie stuttered, feeling Alisha nuzzled against him. He gently placed his arms around her, as a way to comfort her. "Are you okay, Princess? What's wrong?"

"I had a dream," she stuttered. She shook her head. "I was there looking over the battle when it happened, but I never thought I was that horrible. I saw your father-" Alisha couldn't finish her sentence because there was a squeak in her throat. She then felt Eddie's hand lay on her shoulder.

"Don't," he whispered to her softly. "Don't say it if it makes you upset. We don't have to talk about it."

"Is it okay if I sleep here? Just for tonight?"

Eddie felt his face blush. He wasn't exactly sure what the right answer to give her should be. "Of course, you can, princess," he suddenly heard himself blurt out. "Stay as long as you need."

Alisha felt herself blush from the way his voice sounded as he answered her. It sent calm shivers down her back as her body curled up more into him. She smiled as she lay next to him. "I never thought your father could get any scarier than when he visited that cottage."

Eddie's eyes narrowed with concern. "My father," he said, almost with a growl in his throat. "My father was there?"

Alisha looked up at Eddie to see his face contorted into a scared yet enraged appearance as he held her tightly.

"Yeah? He kept going on about some prophecy in Chermono saying that I was going to destroy your kingdom. All I could do was deny it, but he didn't believe me."

"Hmm, yeah, that sounds like my father. Always the paranoid nutcase. To think he would do that to you of all people." He held her closer to his body, covering her with his blanket. "I'm glad he's gone, to be honest. I don't know how much further he would have let his arrogance and paranoia take him. Perhaps we should stop talking about him now."

"Yeah," she nuzzled and cuddled close to him. She closed her eyes once again and drifted to her slumber.

Eddie simply lay there and stared at her, watching her drift asleep. He couldn't help but feel sad for her, as well as hatred and fear for his father. He knew his father was capable of such horrid things, but to think he would resort to kidnapping and using the princess in such an inhumane manner.

I'm not sorry for how you died, 'Father'. He thought to himself. If anything, I'm elated that you're gone now, you evil bastard! You'll never hurt her, ever again!

He nuzzled his head softly against Alisha's as he drifted alongside her, back into a peaceful slumber.