Stuck in a Fantasy

Chapter 12

"Well... When you put it that way," Cato mumbled uncomfortably and looked at the floor.

"It's decided then!" The king proclaimed, "We'll hold a thank you dinner for Jonah and Taylor tomorrow night."

Cato awkwardly shifted and reminded, "These dinners usually require formal attire. Taylor is not of wealth. Wouldn't she feel uncomfortable at the royal table in her clothing?"

Is he trying to keep her from coming? I'm getting really sick of his problematic attitude! "Then have her come early and she can wear one of my dresses," I told him.

"But..." He tried to argue.

"But what, brother?" my husband snapped, "Your queen gave you a solution. Now follow your orders and do your job. We'll see you tomorrow when Jonah and Taylor arrive."

With his words, we turned back around and left the training room. We walked through the halls in silence, arm in arm, until we got to my room. Once we were outside my bedroom door we stopped.

I opened the door and went inside without a word. I closed the door and he said nothing to stop me.

As I walked further into my room, I could see a tray of food sitting on my vanity. I picked up the light gold tray and went to my balcony. I opened the door that separated me from the outside and stepped out. The air was cool and made my sweat freeze. A small breeze flew by and I could smell fresh flowers as it wafted past my face. The sun was settings over the green horizon and made the sky a beautiful mix of pink and orange. The silhouettes of large dragons flew above my head and were among the appearing stars. With this beautiful view insight, I began to eat the bread, mashed potatoes, and turkey that was on the tray.

When I finished eating I still stayed out on the balcony. The peaceful sunset was soon replaced with a new moon and dazzling stars. Sadly as the sky changed, so did the temperature. My fingers began to go numb as the air became frigid and I knew it was time to go back inside.

This time as I entered my room I turned on the lights. My large empty room was pretty, but it had nothing on the pure serenity that nature could create.

With a sigh, I began to undress. I went into the bathroom and started the shower. I took all the time I wanted in the shower then got out. I then changed into a comfortable silk nightdress that I found in the closet. After that, I combed my long hair and brushed my teeth. It was at this point that I realized the room was incredibly cold. Unable to stand the cold, but not knowing how to start a fire in the fireplace, I decided to go to bed. I turned off all the lights then sprinted to the warmth and safety of my large rectangular bed.

I wrapped myself in the covers that matched my hair color. Once I was comfortable I let my body lull into a state of relaxation. Then I waited for sleep to come... but it never did.

I just laid there... wide awake. I felt too alone in this big room. I would close my eyes and try to picture that I was back in my original dimension, my parents right outside the door, but nothing helped.

"...In the meantime don't be surprised if you find yourselves unable to leave each other's side," Baylor informed us.

That couldn't be the problem... could it? I shook my head free of the thought and forced myself back into that state of relaxation. After another hour or so I groaned and threw the blankets off of me. The cold immediately surrounded me and caused me to shiver.

Ignoring the nagging feeling of distress, I focused on the tiredness I felt. I dragged my heavy limbs over to the door that I hadn't dared to go near since I had gotten here. I stared at the large brown door for a few seconds.

Is it really worth it? I blinked my eyes and it was a chore to reopen them. It's worth it.

I took in a deep breath for courage then opened the door that was connected to the king's quarters.

Once the heavy doors were fully opened I was able to see the king. Instead of being on his glorious bed, or sitting at his desk doing late-night paperwork, he was laying down, with a pillow underneath his head, right by my feet. His amber eyes were wide open and, like mine, looked tired. He didn't seem too surprised that I had opened the door. Instead, he seemed... happy. His full pink lips perked up into a smile and his amber eyes were lit up.

"Couldn't sleep either?" He asked me.

I shook my head and he rubbed at his eyes tiredly. "Is this because of that stupid ritual?" I inquired.

"For you, it is," he replied.

I sighed and dragged my hand down my face. "How are we supposed to sleep then?" I questioned in a familiar whining voice that I got any time I was overly tired.

"We just have to be next to each other," he told me.

"Fine," I said and opened the door wider, "Get in here. I'm exhausted."

He sat up and lifted his eyebrow. He got up off the ground, and as he was doing so, I realized he only wore a pair of black basketball shorts. I felt a blush creep up my neck and cheeks so I looked away quickly. Thankfully, he didn't comment on the flushed skin and just walked into my room.

He looked around my room for a few seconds as I got into my bed. He turned towards me and unexpectedly asked, "Are you cold?"

I brought the covers up to my chin and nodded. "Freezing, but I can't find anything to start a fire with," I grumbled.

His eyes flashed red and he let out a stream of steam from his nostrils. He then took in a deep breath before opening his mouth and letting out red and orange flames. The flames flickered on the wood inside the fireplace, and within seconds, a healthy fire was dancing in the fireplace. "I'm sorry about that. We're used to having dragons here," he apologized.

I shrugged and tried to get comfortable in my bed again. The warmth from the fire was helping, and I felt more relaxed.

The king stopped by my bed for a few seconds. His eyes flickered to the spot next to me. Before I could open my mouth to turn him down, he took a pillow from the bed and laid it on the rug that was on the floor beside me. He lowered his body till he was laying down and he laid his head on the pillow.

Feeling a bit bad, I inquired, "Do you need a blanket?"

He shook his head and said, "Temperature doesn't really affect me."

"That sounds nice," I replied with a yawn.

"Yeah... I guess it is. Being able to travel sounds nice too. What kind of traveling does an Amari do?" He replied.

I laid flat on my back and stared up at the stone ceiling as I answered, "A bad kind. It's not by choice."

"How can you travel and it not be your choice?" He questioned.

"I don't really know how it works. I don't think anyone does," I told him.

He didn't answer for a little while. I let out a sigh, assuming he fell asleep and turned onto my side. "You said you could make those knives appear because you kissed me. Is it because you're my beloved?" He asked after putting a few dots together.

"My kind calls them soulmates, but yes," I muttered as I stared off into the darkness of the room.

"I'm glad that I found you," he declared earnestly, "I never thought I would have a beloved of my own."

I let his words sink in then I admitted, "I didn't think I would ever have a soulmate either."

"So your kind has beloveds... or soulmates. What else does your kind have? What else can you do?" He asked me quietly.

I tugged on the covers a bit. I shifted under the blanket of warmth as I readjusted my body. I felt the wave of tiredness but that nagging feeling of distress came back. I don't know him well enough. I'm not the only Amari out there. I don't want Cara to pay the price when she comes to check up on me in a month. I can't mess this up. "Those are questions for a different day," I finally answered.