The Will of the Heart

DREAMING OF NIGHTMARES

"C'mon Matthew! Hurry up!"

"Slow down Elektra! I don't want you to fall!"

She giggled.

"No, you just don't want me to win!"

He grinned as he rushed to catch up to her.

"Too slow, Matthew!" she taunted as she turned to face him from the top of the hill.

He smiled and sprinted up the hill to her side.

"What took you so long?" She teased.

Then, darkness began to surround them.

"No...no..." he began to mutter.

"You were always too slow. Is that why didn't you stop them?"

She turned to face him, her smile faded and her face darkened.

"I couldn't have. I...I didn't know!"

They suddenly shifted and became their adult selves.

"You never really cared, did you? Even after all that time?"

"I did! I loved you! I...I still love you. Please...no..."

He held her head in his hands, gently caressing her face.

"Goodbye Matthew." she whispered before fading away.

"No...NO! ELEKTRA!"

With a shout, Matthew jolted up in bed, drenched in sweat. It had happened again. The same dream-turned-nightmare he had been having for the past few months. He sighed and grabbed the cup of water that lay next to his bed. With a few big gulps he drained the glass and sighed again. He needed to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a big day. The day he would meet his betrothed. He shuddered at the mere thought. Apparently, he had met her before (although he had no recollection of who she was or where he had met her) and his parents had taken a liking to her. With much enthusiasm from her father, their lives had been planned out for them. They were to meet at dawn, make a public announcement of their courtship, and after a month or so they were to announce their engagement to the world.

Matthew covered his face with his hands. It didn't feel right. They couldn't possibly learn to love each other within a month of just meeting. Besides, he would hate to lie to her, whoever she was. Hate to tell her that he loved her when really, his heart would always belong to someone else. Someone who he had loved for years and years. Someone who he couldn't forget about no matter how long it had been since... since she died.

No, he reminded himself, since she had been killed.

•~•~•~•~•~•

"MATTIE!"

Matthew groaned and covered his face with the silk blankets that covered his bed ('Cotton is too itchy,' he had told Stick. Really, it was because Elektra had always loved silk and the way it slid against her skin).

"Get up kid. Today's the day."

Stick marched into his room and ripped the covers off his head.

"Go away Stick." Matthew rolled away from the old man and wrapped himself in the warm blankets once again.

"Not until you get up and dressed. You gotta be at the gates ready and waiting in less than an hour."

"What about breakfast?"

"You'll be eating that with your dearly beloved."

Slowly but surely Matthew rolled out of the covers and stumbled over to where his clothes for the day had been laid out. He ran his fingers over the kingly uniform and smirked.

"Are they trying to get her to hate me from the first moment we meet?"

"Ha-ha. Just get dressed. Don't wanna keep the princess waiting."

Stick began to leave, muttering something about how immature Matt was being when Matthew stopped him.

"Hey Stick?"

"Yeah kid?"

"Do... do you think I should tell her?"

"Tell her what?"

"That... I... never mind."

Stick grumbled and turned away.

"Mattie, if you're talking about your ex-girlfriend, then no. As far as anyone is concerned, she doesn't - and never did- exist."

"You know that's-"

"Just shut up and get dressed or you'll never be able to prove yourself to your parents. A witch's daughter was never the most appropriate playmate. Especially for someone your stature. If you ask me, her death was a blessing. You should be able to see that by now."

Matthew tensed and stood to face Stick.

"What did you just say?"

"I said her death was a blessing. Now hurry up and get ready."

In two grand steps Matthew reached the other side of the room and grabbed Stick by his throat, slamming him against the wall.

"Never say that again. Do you hear me old man? Never."

Stick spat in his face and showed his yellowing teeth.

"Or what? You'll kill me? You couldn't, even if it wasn't illegal. You're too good for that."

"Don't doubt me."

With that, Matthew dropped Stick and walked back to wear his clothes laid.

"Just get dressed and come downstairs. Nobody is gonna be talking about Elektra anyway."

Yeah, Matthew thought as Stick walked away, but I'll be thinking about her.

A/N: Tell me what you think of this  new fic

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