Dizgaia ~ The Dreamfinder's Daughter

Chapter 45 ~ The Compassion of Vandsgaard

Mia awoke, feeling feverish, but otherwise better than she'd last remembered. She'd had such a strange dream... about giant eels and a mighty merman with a golden scepter. Though now, she was wondering if it might not have been a dream after all. Her wounds were freshly dressed, and her surroundings were new and unfamiliar. Gentle blues and golds adorned the room in which she lay, a stark contrast from Hook's crimsons and scarlet, evoking thoughts of a naval officer's cabin rather than that of a pirate. All was quiet, peaceful. No gun fire or cannon blasts. Only the sound of waves lapping gently at the hull of a ship... and a strange panting sound to her left.

Slowly, Mia turned her head and came face to face with a large, shaggy sheepdog grinning happily up at her from the bedside.

"Oh... um... h-hello there."

The sheepdog let out a happy bark and trailed a large, slobbery tongue up her cheek. He seemed content to lap at her face until the door opened and two gentlemen entered the cabin. One was an older gentleman dressed in a gray coat with his hair pulled back in a short ponytail. But it was the other who made the greater impression. He was a handsome young man and somehow familiar, with eyes as blue as the sea and short, wavy black hair. He wore a white, open-collared, loose-fitting shirt and blue form-fitting breeches with high black boots.

"Max... C'mon, boy. Leave the poor girl alone, will you? She's been through enough already. C'mere."

The dog glanced at the handsome man, gave Mia one more lick for good measure, and then bounded towards his master. The man ruffled the dog's fur before approaching the bed where Mia lay.

"I'm glad to see you're awake," he told her. "You had us scared there for a while."

Mia tried to sit up, but she moved a little too quickly. She winced, bringing a hand to her bandaged arm. "Where am I? How did I get here? I-I had this weird dream. There were these talking eels and a merman with a..." She trailed off as realization dawned on her.

"That wasn't a dream," said the handsome man, who looked as though he may only be a few years older than Mia herself. On his face, Mia could see unkempt stubble, the sort worn by men who have been at sea for quite a while. "That merman was my father-in-law, King Triton. I hate to imagine what might have happened to you if it weren't for him."

"Your father-in-law..." said Mia slowly. "Then that must mean you're-"

"Eric Justesen de Vand... or simply Eric, King of Vandsgaard," he said, bowing his head to her. "At your service."

Mia's jaw dropped. For a moment, she was entirely speechless.

"Um... Are you all right, Miss Mercurial?"

"Oh! Y-Yeah. Sorry. It's just that I've never met a king before," she gushed. "You're my first. And actually meeting you in person as opposed to as a cartoon on a television screen is really... Well, you know..."

Eric laughed. "My father-in-law was right. You are most assuredly Miandra Mercurial. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance at last. You certainly seem to be doing better than yesterday."

"I agree," said the man standing nearby. "Although, I'd say, judging from the hue of your face, you're still somewhat feverish."

"This is Dr. Hansel Fennsen," said Eric, motioning to the older gentleman. "He dressed your wounds and will be tending to you for the remainder of our voyage. Don't worry," he assured her. "Dr. Fennsen is the best ship's medic I've ever known."

Dr. Fennsen placed a hand over his chest and bowed to Eric. "You're too kind, highness."

Not to be left out, the sheepdog gave a couple barks and placed his two shaggy front paws onto the bed.