The Runaway Princess

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That night, Scarlett dreamt of her mother. Dreams of her mother were rare and brief. She would usually wake in the morning with hardly any memories of the dream the night before.

But this was different. Her dream felt so real, she felt as though her mother was right there with her, almost at arms reach. She woke from her deep sleep with a start, the memory of the dream still fresh in her head.

She dreamt that she was sitting with her mother in her garden, just like they did when Scarlett was a little girl. Her mother enjoyed spending time with her, teaching her about flowers and nature. Her mother adored nature just as she adored Scarlett, hence her enormous garden. In her dream, her mother was sitting in her greenhouse, situated at the far end of the garden, a place familiar to Scarlett.

Her mother looked young and beautiful. Just see her six-year-old self remembered. Unlike Scarlett, who had chestnut brown hair, her mother's was auburn. A color that enhanced the queen's beauty, a color that Scarlett wished to have. "How are you, my dear." Her mother asked, eyes sparkling. She reached out and placed her hand on Scarlett, an action that brought tears to her eyes. Her mother's skin felt warm and real. Not only did her touch feel real, but her mother's vanilla scent flooded her nostrils as she came closer, confusing Scarlett's senses.

"Mother?" Scarlett croaked out as she sat next to her mother on the bench. Scarlett's hands trembled slightly as she raked through her brain, trying to pick apart dreams from reality.

"You need to listen to me carefully, Scarlett." Her mother cupped her cheek with her remaining hand, tears welled into the queen's eyes as she gently brushed back a lock of Scarlett's hair. "There isn't much time dear, you need to focus and do as I say. You must retrieve my emerald necklace from my chamber and take it with you on your journey."

Scarlett's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. What Journey? She thought to herself.
"You must protect that necklace with your life. No one must know of its existence as its power is far too much to be in the wrong hands. Do you understand me, Scarlett?"

Scarlett could only nod her head. She felt even more confused as she replayed her mother's words in her head. Her confusion only grew stronger, and her mother's image began to fade. "Mother, I'm confused!" She rushed out quickly, fearing that her mother would disappear and leave her without any answers.

"There's no time for an explanation, my dear." Her mother's image was fading even more, leaving Scarlett with a deep feeling of helplessness in her stomach. "But you much hurry."

Scarlett woke up with a start. Her forehead was covered in tiny beads of sweat, and her heart was beating frantically in her chest. She immediately looked over to her window and found that it was still dark out. She remembered every single detail and word from her dream, it was embedded into her head. There was so much that confused her. It felt more as if her mother was giving her a direct message, than a simple coincidence.

Scarlett wiped the back of her hand across her forehead. She was feeling extremely hot and her skin felt sticky. She needed some air if she was going to untangle her mother's words. Pushing the blanket off her warm body, Scarlett threw on her robe for extra coverage and walked towards the couch near her window.

It was after 5 in the morning, and the breeze felt wonderful against her sweaty face. The sky was dimly lit, as the sun began to rise. She knew exactly of the emerald necklace that her mother spoke of. Before she died, the queen wore that necklace everywhere she went, but now that Scarlett thought of it, the queen usually had it tucked in the fabric of her dress when in public. Only in private moments with her and their father did the Queen have her necklace on display.

Scarlett always presumed that the jewelry was some sort of important family heirloom or gift, hence its importance to the queen. But now she wasn't so sure, as now she was almost convinced that the necklace had a more significant meaning than she knew of.