Red Snow (The Shadows bk.3)

Chapter 26: Dreams

"Look mother! It has started to snow!" A very excited Sairene waved her mother over to the window she was leaning out of. Smiling fondly, Eliean moved to where her adult daughter jumped up and down with excitement.

"Yes my darling, that is what happens when winter comes," receiving a half-hearted scowl, the Queen chuckled to herself. Sairene sometimes reminded her so much of what she had been like when she was younger. Despite having reached the age of twenty, Sairene still got very much excited by the little things, snow being one of them.

The Queen turned at the sound of the throne-room doors opening. Sairene for her part was too excited to take any notice of the newcomer.

Eliean smiled when she saw who it was. Quietly closing the doors behind him, Nikolas put a finger to his lips and winked at his wife. Eliean watched, smiling as her husband crept up behind their daughter, who was still too preoccupied with the snow to suspect anything.

"Boo!"

Sairene shrieked in shock as her father came up behind her. Upon realising who it was, she put a hand to her chest and smiled, "father! You gave me quite a shock!"

Nikolas smiled and wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on top of her head, "that was the idea Sai." He felt his heart swell as Sairene snuggled in closer and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I love you father." Her voice was muffled against his coat.

Stroking her hair with one hand and holding her with the other, he smiled to himself, "I love you too Sai. Never forget that." He felt her shake her head.

Watching her small family, Eliean felt tears of happiness begin to form. Closing the small distance, she enveloped her husband and daughter in a big hug. Both of her parents smiled when Sairene wriggled to hug them both at the same time.

Sairene woke with a small gasp. Desperately clinging to the dream, she sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. It was then that reality came crashing down on her, crushing the fragments of the dream that Sairene had been clinging to like a lifeline. She could not stop the tears that burst out of her, they tore from her ruined throat and came out strangled. Sobs shook her entire frame.

Eventually managing to sufficiently calm herself, Sairene pushed herself off the bed and padded across to the door and stepped out into the seemingly empty passageway.

Giving up on trying to get to sleep, Êlon got up and left the room, hoping that perhaps a short walk would help put his turbulent mind to rest.

There was no one in the endless corridors except the occasional guard on night watch. Deciding to go to one of the palace's numerous gardens, the former star changed direction.

Knowing that if she went to her mother's garden her emotions would become near uncontrollable, Sairene mentally chose another. Even though she tried to think of anything and everything else, her mind kept wandering back to the dream of what life could have been like. Tears would occasionally slip down her cheeks and leave glistening trails in their wake.

Having chosen his destination, Êlon focused all his attention on getting there. He became so focused that he did not notice a figure coming towards him.

Upon hearing footsteps other than her own, Sairene instantly threw up her glamour. As the other person came closer, she began to realise just who it was. "Êlon?"

Looking up at the sound of his name, the star had to school his emotions upon seeing who it was. "Your Majesty."

Sairene smiled and nodded in acknowledgement. "Having trouble sleeping?"

Êlon nodded and fought to keep a friendly expression, "and you My Lady?"

A sad smile replaced the friendly one, "I would like very much to say that I could not sleep either but alas, that would be a lie."

"It's not like you haven't lied before," Êlon thought to himself.

"It was a dream." Her tone pulled the star from his thoughts, she sounded genuinely sad.

"A nightmare?"

This seemed to shock the young Queen, "oh no! It was a nice dream, such a nice dream-" she broke off as emotion choked her.

Êlon was most surprised, what could this young woman have possibly have dreamed off that would call forth such a reaction from her? "If I may Your Majesty, what was the dream about?"

Smiling through her tears, Sairene looked him in the eye, "I dreamed of my parents, of what life would have been like had they still been alive." Her lips quivered and she blinked to keep the tears from falling.

Êlon was taken aback. He did not know much of her parents, save for that her father died seven years ago, when she had only just come of age. Despite the fact that he knew the truth of her actions, his heart went out to her. Before him stood not a power-hungry, cold-hearted murderess of a Queen, but a young woman who wanted nothing more than to have her parents back.

He felt conflicted and by the Valar! He hated it.

Sairene noticed the way he was looking at her, "is everything alright?"

Shaking himself, Êlon forced a smile, "of course Your Majesty. But I believe the better question would be, are you alright?"

She didn't smile or shake her head, she simply sighed, as though the weight of the last seven years suddenly made itself known. "I've been sad for years now Êlon, so please do not try to tell me that it will get better or easier, because," looking up to the ceiling, she wiped away the tears that escaped her eyes. "From what I have experienced," she directed her gaze at him, "it will only get worse."