As more and more of Dream's figure was revealed as he descended the stairs, the room somehow got quieter and quieter. The only sounds to be heard were the clicking of Dream's heeled boots on the stone steps. The tension in the room was thick, permeating the group like a cloud of smog and layered like a blanket. When Dream finally came to the bottom of the stairs and met the eyelights that were on him, his first instinct was to dash back up to Lucinda. Despite the fact that he had no idea what he was doing, and felt incredibly awkward and on edge in the same room as the maniacs that were the Imperial knights, Dream put on a neutral face. Thank the stars none of them are empaths...
The knights were similarly dumbfounded. How are you supposed to start a civil conversation with someone when less than twenty-four hours ago you were trying to kill them? Luckily--or perhaps unluckily--Killer had an idea.
The dark-eyed skeleton approached the stairs and took Dream's hand. After pressing the guardian's knuckles lightly to his teeth, he winked at the flushed skeleton. "You look much better than last I saw you, Little Light. I assume you are feeling well enough to tour the manor?" Dream stuttered and blushed from both the action and the words, but did not get to answer before Cross knocked Killer upside the head.
"He should be saying that to you, considering you were out cold when he went down," Cross commented flatly while looking apologetically at Dream.
The tension broken, Dream tried his best to compose himself, only to have his composure knocked down by another statement from one of the knights.
"He is right, though," Horror added as he approached with his axe slung over his shoulder. "Are you feeling well enough to do the tour? Your spine was in little pieces just last night."
Dream's face paled, is that why I couldn't feel my legs? He shook the thought out of his skull, deeming it unhelpful at the current moment. "I'm feeling okay. A little shakey and tired, but okay," Dream assured. He turned to Dust, who had silently walked up to the group along with Horror. "Are you alright? I know how hard Blue can hit with his war hammer."
Dust muttered under his breath, but before he could answer, Killer slung his arm around his shoulders. "He's fine, just a little salty that he got beaten by a regular swap."
In response, the hooded skeleton jabbed Killer in his ribs with his elbow. "Just remind me never to call him short again and I'll be fine," he murmured.
Killer rubbed his ribs while glaring knives at Dust. "As great as your 'concern' is--" Killer used air-quotes with his free hand--"I was talking about the outfit, idiots."
Dream flushed when three pairs of eyelights scanned his figure, suddenly very aware of the sheer nature of the sleeves and general femininity of the outfit. Dream moved his gaze to the side and shifted his weight from foot to foot unconsciously. He didn't enjoy the feeling of being scrutinized like this, and he silently cursed himself for letting Lucinda convince him this was a good outfit to go out in.
Cross was the first to speak up. "Even though your clothes should not be what is focused on--" he sent a quick glare to Killer-- "I will agree that they suit you."
"You look nice," Horror added.
"Very royal," Dust finished.
Even though Dream thought it impossible blush any stronger than he already was, his face flushed an even brighter shade of yellow: so much it that it seemed like he was actually glowing.
Killer took notice with a snicker. "Maybe I should call you Sunny instead, because you're certainly lighting up my world."
A groan went up among the other knights, and Horror flicked Killer's skull. "Very sunny. Now come on or Nightmare will be sun to pleased that we stood around all day." The axe-wielding skeleton moved towards the exit of the room.
"We wouldn't want to star up trouble, now would we?" Dust continued as he walked over to Horror.
Killer followed the two, joking as he went. "As star as sun puns go, those were a bit of a light down."
Dream's embarrassment had finally calmed down now that the spotlight was off him. Cross motioned for the guardian to follow the others, willing to bring up the rear and answer any questions Dream may have while the idiots shot puns to each other and wandered around.
As Dream left his suite, the scale of the manor hit him like a sack of bricks. Much like the 'wardrobe', 'suite' simply was too small of a word to fit the house that was Dream's quarters. Cross explained that he was staying in the 'Master Guest Suite' on the third floor. Said floor also includes the 'Master Suite', where Nightmare stays, and Nightmare's study.
"I wouldn't enter Boss' quarters without an invite, but his study is fair game. Just don't touch anything and you'll be fine," Cross said as the group passed by the Master Suite's looming doors on their way to the staircase. Dream nodded, matching the monochrome skeleton's demure mannerisms without much of a thought. Dust had fallen back to walk with the quieter pair at some point and was commenting small additions to Cross' guidance.
Although Horror and Killer stayed a few steps ahead trading jokes for most of the walk, the two of them stopped at the staircase. "Just a heads up, there are a lot more people from here on out and a lot more stairs," Horror called to Dream as the rest of the group caught up to his position.
Dream tilted his skull slightly to the side. "Who else would be here?"
"Servants, cooks, the cleaning staff--" Horror listed off, then checked a clock on the wall--"and Nightmare should be holding court, so guards, envoys, prisoners, other constituents..." Horror blinked a couple of times and his face dropped to a frown.
Killer slipped an arm around his shoulders and continued, "the med staff, tailors, and a bunch of other random shmucks. Most of the crowd should be on the bottom floor, so you've got time to prepare yourself."
Something about Horror was still off, Dream noticed with concern. He was blinking repeatedly and looking around with his brow heavily furrowed. Without fully meaning to, Dream read his emotions: confusion, confliction, and a hazy sense of worry.
"Are you alright, Dream?" Dust asked softly, snapping the guardian out of his thoughts.
Putting on a convincing smile, Dream replied, "Yes, I'm fine, just wondering what I would need to prepare myself for."
Dust narrowed his gaze, his piercing red and blue left eyelight scrutinizing Dream's face along with his other red one. The hooded skeleton appeared to drop the issue and walked up to Horror. He took the still dazed butcher by the humerus and whispered something to him before leading him down the stairs.
With a look somewhere between concern and confusion, Dream turned his stare to Cross, who looked like he was having an internal screaming match about how to answer the spoken and unspoken questions.
"The envoys and guards can be a bit... flighty, at times," the monochrome skeleton began, "and considering your aura, they'll definitely notice and swarm you. It's our job--" he glanced to Killer with subtext lacing the air--"to make sure you don't get any more injured."
Killer strolled towards the two with a smirk. "Don't worry, Little Light, we'll protect you," he cooed flirtatiously.
Dream stiffened and a small blush peppered his cheekbones. He deflected the topic away from himself with a question. "What about Horror and Dust?"
The inky-teared skeleton backed away from Dream, perpetually smiling, and gave a simple non-answer. "They'll be back in a bit, Sunny." He wiggled his browbones at Dream, hinting at a lewd reason for Dust to drag off Horror.
Dream lit up yellow at the insinuation, but was assured by Cross that 'that' was not what they were doing, and Killer knew it. Cross smacked Killer once again for good measure, and began to lead Dream down the staircase. The guardian managed fine, but he could tell he was going to be sore tomorrow and, maybe indefinitely, considering he had only toured the smallest of the three floors and two basements.
At the bottom of the stairs stood a far more aware-seeming Horror and a bored-looking, but very slightly flushed, Dust. Killer snickered as he turned to Dream. "See, I told you they would be back in a bit."
Dust's left eyelight lit up purple. "What the fuck did you tell him, Killer," he growled out.
"Nothing but the truth," Killer teased as he set foot on the second floor.
As soon as Dream was steadily standing next to the stairs, Cross stood between the seconds-away-from-tearing-up-the-entire-manor friends with a groan. "He said you'd be back in a bit, Dust," Cross explained to the pissed-off skeleton. He glared over his shoulder to Killer. "Don't antagonize them, Killer. You know what they were doing and why."
"Aw," Killer whined, "but it's so fun to rile him up!"
Dust growled, but it was Horror that spoke up as he put his empty hand on Dust's shoulder. "Killer. Let's get on with the job, yes?" Horror then moved to Dream, and noticing that Dream was lightly shaking, offered his arm for the guardian to hold. Dream took it, still concerned about the other's sudden confusion. Horror led him away from the upset Dust, unfazed Killer, and the fed-up Cross to continue the tour.
As soon as they were both out of earshot, Horror began to speak. "You don't need to be concerned for me, you know."
Dream tensed, caught. "H-how do you--"
"Even while Dust and Killer were at each other's throats, you kept looking at me with a look on your face," Horror explained simply. He stopped walking and turned to Dream. "Just know that I'm fine, and that's normal, okay?"
The guardian smiled and agreed. Horror showed Dream the war room and the hallway where he and the other knights stay, explaining that this floor was a lot bigger than what he was showing him at the moment.
"We'll show you the rest on the way up at the end of the day." Horror continued as he reached another staircase. "I'm sorry about the number of stairs, by the way."
Dream giggled, and when Horror looked confused, he explained; "I'm not making fun of you, I promise." Dream smiled as he spoke, "it's just that it's nice of you to apologize for a manor you had no hand in building."
"Yeah, but--" Horror cut himself off as footsteps came closer. He pulled Dream towards himself. "It's either the idiots or staff, so stay close either way."
A large group of, from what Dream could tell, staff turned the corner. The group was of no more than twenty-five, and was chatting amongst themselves as they approached the stairs. Upon seeing Horror, the men and women bowed, a chorus of 'a pleasure seeing you, sir,' and 'greetings, my lord--an honor,' rang through the hallway. Horror dismissed their praises, and the staff righted themselves to continue going on their way.
As the rest of the group stood, a younger-looking staff member who was still bowing noticed Dream poking out from behind Horror and dropped to be genuflecting instead.
Horror hoped the kid was just poorly trained and didn't recognize Dream. "I already dismissed you," Horror shooed, trying to make sure his voice stayed steady.
One of the older women in the group rushed to the child's side, representing herself to Horror before trying to drag the child away. "I apologize for him, Sir Horror, he is still being trained in the etiquette of the..." she trailed off as she noticed the edge of Dream's jacket by Horror's shoes. She slowly moved her gaze up the guardian's figure, and finally, met Dream's questioning golden eyelights. The woman blanched as she interpreted his quiet curiosity as neutral displeasure. "...house..." She curtseyed while pulling the child to their feet. "Forgive me, I was unaware of your presence..." she trailed off, unaware of how to address Dream.
The child wiggled out of her grasp and genuflected once again. "I am aware that you have dismissed me, Sir Horror, but the sun has not."
Horror cursed under his breath as the woman scolded the younger staff member for their 'baseless accusations', and was about to join in when Dream stepped out from behind Horror to shakily kneel in front of the child.
Dream took the kid's hand as they kept their gaze trained on the ground. "You can look at me, you know," Dream said with a smile as the child meekly locked eyes with the guardian. "What's your name?"
"I'm A-Ash, Y-Your Grace," Ash spoke quietly, in awe.
The still smiling guardian chuckled softly at the nervousness he sensed in their swirling emotions. "That's a lovely name, Ash," Dream rubbed his thumbs over the back of the child's hand in a motion intended to be soothing. "Why are you nervous? You have nothing to fear from me."
Dream slowly got onto his feet, although his bones did not enjoy the action, and helped Ash to his feet. "What are your pronouns, Ash?"
The child's nervousness melted away to shock and relief. "They and them," they whispered with wet eyes, "they and them."
Dream brushed away a tear that trailed down their cheek. "Why are you crying? Is something wrong?" The guardian asked with concern.
"You're the first person to care, Your Grace," Ash whispered as they averted their gaze.
With a small exhale, Dream bent down to be on eye-level with them. He smothered a grimace that wanted to display itself on his face because of the movement, and plastered over the pain with a fond, reassuring smile. "I'm sorry that that has been the case, Ash," Dream scanned the child's hazel eyes as he spoke. "But always remember that you know yourself best. Don't let anyone tell you who you are. Ever."
The guardian opened his arms so that the now sobbing child could lean into a welcoming embrace if they wanted, and they did. Dream hummed softly and pet Ash's hair as they cried. "It's alright, let it all out. You're safe with me," Dream reassured when what they were doing hit the child and they stiffened.
Dream turned to the frozen woman next to him. "How old are they?"
"The boy is ten," the woman got out.
"The child is ten," Dream corrected, "poor thing. How did you end up here?"
"The kid's mom is the head healer," Horror answered when he bent down to check on Ash, who had fallen silent. "Reminds me of Paps..." He whispered to himself when he saw that they were asleep.
The guardian's knees screamed at him to move, and Dream conceded, lifting the sleeping kid onto his hip after he stood. Ash wouldn't be easy for most to carry, but Dream found them rather light even in his weakened state. "Could we bring them to their mother, Horror?"
The woman paid Dream no mind. "Sir Horror, is it true that--"
Horror nodded to the guardian and turned to the servant. "You know the answer to that."
The entire group, which had been previously silent throughout the entire event, erupted into whispers.
A person clearing their throat turned all heads towards them. "I think you're all forgetting something," Killer called from behind the crowd. He, Cross, and Dust had finally caught up to Horror and Dream, only to witness the entire event with Ash with their breaths held, hoping that no one would ask if Dream really was the sun as the child had said.
The group turned to the three Imperial Knights and did the same routine they had with Horror, only for Dust to interrupt it. "It is not us you should be presenting yourself to."
One by one, the staff bowed to and begged for forgiveness from a very confused Dream.
Cross walked towards Horror and Dream and told the staff to scram. "Where did you get the kid?"
The guardian smiled weakly. "They cried themself to sleep. I believe we are taking them to their mother."
"Rose's kid?" Dust asked quietly from beside Horror.
The axe-wielding skeleton nodded and turned to Dream. "Are you going to be okay getting to the infirmary while holding them?"
The guardian hefted Ash up, more concerned that the kid wasn't awoken during the walk than he was about his own health. "I'll be fine."
"Are you sure? One of us can carry them, no problem," Cross said as Dream began down the stairs.
"I'm alright, thank you."
"C'mon, Little Light, we all saw you struggle earlier," Killer cooed.
Dream's face flushed, slightly upset that he wasn't doing as good of a job hiding his pain as he thought, but continued down the stairs.
"Guys, he said he was fine. Drop it," Dust said as he walked down to where Dream was, offering his arm to the guardian considering there was no railing on this set of stairs.
Dream smiled and took the help, quickly looping his elbow around Dust's before placing his hand on Ash's lower back.
Cross turned to Horror, who had a conflicted look on his face. "Why'd you take him to the Ballroom stairs?"
"I was going to show him the symbol, explain to him the rumors, then take him to the healers," Horror explained, his voice quieting, "we hadn't run into anyone, so I was hoping to clear the skies before someone called him out." He chuckled quietly, "he chose the worst outfit for stealth."
"Sunny could be invisible and people would still notice him," Killer countered. "His aura's as obvious as Boss'."
Cross nodded. "And considering he was already seen, everyone will know within the hour."
"I tried to hide him!" Horror defended himself. "But the kid somehow recognized him, and Dream's too damn nice for his own good."
"Oh, my stars!" Dream called from the bottom of the staircase. The stairs led into a large room, with off-white walls and a pitch-black ceiling dotted with lights. The room had nine chandeliers, each modeled after the nine planets of the solar system. The chandeliers were variously sized, and the height at which they were hung varied as well. Each one of the gorgeous models was adorned with lights and crystals that sparkled and glowed. The tiled floor shone and was polished smooth, reflective enough to show the planets hanging above.
"Pretty, right?" Killer asked nonchalantly.
"Pretty?" Dream beamed at the sight, even as he felt a small tug at his soul. "It's absolutely opulent! Indescribable and magnificent," Dream continued quietly as he walked further into the room, his skull tilted up. "Nightmare made this?"
The Imperial knights approached the astounded skeleton slowly, as Dream's aura was pouring off him in tsunami-level waves. Cross spoke up. "Yeah, he loves--"
"Stars!" Dream finished, turning towards the group. "I know. We used to watch them together all the time. He'd always be tired when I woke him up, because he would stay up even after I would fall asleep." The guardian said with a chuckle, as he gazed at the ceiling. "He used to teach me names of constellations and stars over and over again 'cause I would forget them. He spent all day reading about them," Dream's happiness sputtered out, his voice getting quieter with every word. "And the villagers would always bully him for it," he choked out. "And I let it happen." Dream paused as tears threatened to pour down his skull. "And then one night he--" Dream dropped his eyelights to the floor as the built-up golden tears spilled out-- "he... he didn't want to look at them anymore." Dream chuckled emptily, "I'm surprised he would make a room like this."
The four skeletons approached, unsure of how to comfort the crying guardian. Horror placed his hand on Dream's shoulder. "I know staying in this room is probably hard for you, but I want to show you something before we take the kid to their mother."
Dream nodded silently and allowed Horror to lead him into the center of the room. The group stood on top of a glass-like barrier, underneath of which was a gem-inlaid design: diamonds, emeralds, amethyst, chrysocolla, and sapphire, as well as gold on a background of obsidian. In the center, just below Dream, was a hollow crescent moon of amethyst contained within a gold, beaming, and also hollow, sun. The same insignia that was on his jacket. The rest on the gemstones and precious metals stood to accentuate the design in circles, until eventually becoming a starfield to surround a large star on each side: one lined in amethyst and filled with gold, and the other filled with amethyst and lined with gold.
"It's the symbol of the empire," Cross explained.
"But Nightmare has never told anyone what it means," Horror continued.
Dust picked up from there. "So the staff make assumptions."
"Most people agree that the Boss is the moon, so servants have made guesses for years as to who is the sun," Cross added with a frown.
"They thought it was me, Dust, Killer, and Cross separately when we each arrived here," Horror said with an unamused tone, "but none of us exactly counter the Boss in the way they think the sun will."
"Eventually Boss made a comment about a 'dual-guardian' thwarting his plans and the staff flipped," Dust proceeded quietly.
"So now that they've seen you being a goody-two-shoes with an opposite aura, expect a shitton of stares and whispers as you walk by!" Killer finished.
Dream processed all that they had just said while looking at Ash's sleeping face. "So how did they recognize me as the sun and counterpart to Nightmare that they've been looking for?"
The knights exchanged a look. "We're unsure," Horror began, "but it could have been the sun on your cape, your aura, or the fact that the outfit you choose includes the symbol."
"Which only Nightmare is allowed to wear in non-uniform clothing," Killer explained gleefully. "Well, only Nightmare and the royal family, if he ever has one," he corrected before continuing, "and most of the staff assume he'll start one with the sun."
Dream blushed like a madman, glowing almost as brightly as he had just earlier in his quarters. He tried to speak in his defense, "I-I didn't choose the outfit, the servant who woke me up did."
Cross knit his brow. "That means they either assumed because you were in the master guest suite, or based on some other factor, or their superior did..."
"She said Nightmare asked her to watch and help me herself, though," Dream countered, confused.
The Imperial knights put the pieces together while Dream pondered what could lead Lucinda to assume he was a part of the royal family.
It was Horror who decided to broach the topic. "Dream, if Nightmare appointed her..."
Dream's slowly calming yellow flush lit back up in full force, even displaying itself in between Dream's bones. He stuttered as he spoke, "i-if Nightmare a-ap-appointed her, then th-that means he told her I'm the s-sun, and th-that I'm a- a--" Dream couldn't finish that thought-- "M-me and Nightmare grew up together! A-and just because the staff think that Nightmare is going to start...to start a family with the sun doesn't mean that's what the symbol means, right?" He looked for support from the others in the room. "A-and the v-villagers always said we were brothers, so maybe that's how I'm a part of the royal family and that's what he told Lucinda!" Dream's voice increased pitch as he spoke, and he was wound up like a rope.
Cross, Killer, Dust, and Horror looked unconvinced. "Why did they say you were brothers? I've never heard Boss call you that," Dust said to break the silence.
Voice dropping back to normal, and tension slowly unwinding, Dream answered, "I don't really know, I guess. Nightmare and I weren't born, we were made. Our mother--well, creator, really--was the previous guardian of the Tree of Feelings, and she made us in the image of a swap!Sans, after her first plan, failed. We don't have DNA, let alone a familial relation, and even though we were made to be opposites by the same person, we didn't think of each other as brothers, until the villagers moved in. We told them our story, and I guess 'brother' was the closest thing they had," Dream got quieter when he mentioned the village. "They kept forcing that we were brothers down my throat, and I just gave in. I started calling Nightmare that without really asking him, you know, and..." he trailed off, then looked at the emblem in the floor. "I didn't want to oppose the villagers, so I opposed Nightmare instead. I should have been more resilient back then."
It was Cross who cheered Dream up this time. "The past is the past. Especially with you two old folks. We might not be able to change it or even let it fully go, but we do need to move on and make amends," he guided Dream towards the large doors out of the ballroom. "Maybe tomorrow you can go to his study and try to smooth things over. He did save you, even if the only reason is that he would die, too."
Dream blinked several times as he exited the darkened ballroom and stepped into the bright hallway. "I think I will," he decided. "Thank you, Cross."
The monochrome skeleton simply nodded. "Before we go to the infirmary, you must know that that is the entrance to Nightmare's library. If you go in there you are even more screwed than if you went into his quarters."
Killer lightly elbowed Cross as the rest of the group walked into the hallway. "Mr.-no-swearing means you're even more fucked than if we went into his suite."
It was Dream who scolded the empty-eyed skeleton this time. "No swearing around the kid, they could wake up at any time."
As Dust and Horror erupted into laughter--and Cross held back his-- Killer blinked several times in shock. "Yes sir," he teased, trying to gain the upper hand.
But it was Dream who would have the last laugh. "That's yes, Your Grace, to you," the guardian said with a wink.
Even Cross could not hold back his laughter as he led Dream and the still asleep Ash towards the infirmary.