His Little Heir

Not Yet

     Daya traveled the golden halls, her delirious and doomed by a distant echo. It chimed like bells; its icy waves of sound joining in collusion.

     "...daya"

     It hissed her name in a serphant's tounge. Even as a stifling whisper, the voice nabbed her senses, and hung on.

Tight.

     Her breathing quickened. Daya's brain struggled to work through the distorted fog's onion like layers, but each peel resulted in unrelenting tears. The more she tried, the louder it rang and stung her eardrums.

Stronger

     "Daya."

Harder

     "Daya!"

Deeper

     "DAYA!"

     Her hands quivered as her knees buckled. The gold grew blinding, and with tearing eyes, she gave up her resolve and shut them:

"STOP! WHOEVER YOU ARE JUST STOP!"

     He came around the corner, hair the same color as the dripping gold on the walls, "Pleading won't save you, princess."

     The hall melted, crashing around her. But he still held her senses in the palm of his hand.

And he knew it.

     "S-Stop." Daya's tounge ached with the strain.

     From slightly opened slits, she met his unmistakable blue eyes:

Austin.

     Distortion blocked his lips' movement, but his words split through the ear splitting noise.

"Wake up."

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    "Wake up, Princess Daya! Wake up!"

     Her eyes shot open, her body now aware of hands shaking her. Daya tensed.

     But in a moment's evaluation, the events of the day filled her clouded mind and allowed her body to relax. The speckled teal blankets around her only reiterated familiarity. And turning to Doctor Raye, she flashed a smile.

     "Sorry, I was just having a bad dream. You're fine."

    "I could tell.", she pulled a clipboard and began to study it, pushing up her black frames, "If you want to go back to sleep, you can, but I figured you'd like to sleep in your own bed tonight."

     "Wait, you're releasing me?" Daya straightened.

     "Well yes, it's eight pm."

     "It's what now?"

    "Eight pm."

     Daya pulled back the blinds, and true to the doctor's word, a starry night sky stared back at her.

     "How long have I been asleep?"

     Doctor Raye squinted at the clock, sharing the same blue-green tint as the blankets, "About four-five hours."

    She leaned back into her pillows and looked up at the ceiling. "Eh, maybe I can shoot for a few more."

     "Aren't you forgetting something?"

     "M'am?"

     "Dinner?"

     Realization sparked in the princess's eyes "Oh yeah! People eat, I almost forgot."