Before Me & You (Madara x Oc)

# 3.

She was busy the whole morning. She woke up earlier than usual, sweating and panting. The dream of last night felt so real. She could still feel his presence around. Like he's still watching her. The feeling of his eyes on her set a tingling sensation in her stomach. Amaya doesn't know what this feeling is, or who that man was, but he had been invading her dreams for quite a while now.

But this time it felt different. He saw her too. Usually, its just her who was able to see that man, him being oblivious to her existence in all her previous dreams. But this time, he saw her, he tried to call her, touch her. She could feel his annoyance when he failed.

She was trying to put that face into a canvas. That's what had her occupied the whole morning. She had done this often. Trying to paint what she saw, giving it a tangible form. A picture on a canvas. This man from her dreams intrigues her. She doesn't know who he is, but she had dreamt of him so often she knew every little detail of his form. The long raven hairs, those sad and lonely eyes, that perfect masculine face. This tall muscular form, tanned pale skin. A bang covered his right eye, its tip reaching his chin. His eyes. She has never seen eyes like those. Black as coal that changes into red like blood, showing every emotion he is feeling. If eyes are the mirror of one's heart, this man has those eyes.

She was so engrossed in her task, she missed the repeatative knocks on her door.

"Amaya-hime....?... Are you here? " came the meek sound of her attendant.

Yet no response came from her.

"Uhm.... Amaya-hime? " the frail girl calls from behind the her which startles the said Princess.

"Huh...? " Amaya blinked confuse to her maid's call. "Eiko-chan?....when did you came? " she smiles.

Eiko smiles back. Amaya's attention turns back to the canvas, picking up her brush she resumes her task.

"Just now Amaya-hime. I came to check on you. You haven't shown up for the breakfast, neither did anybody seen or heard from you the whole morning. It's past noon now and.... " Eiko ducks her head "....I... got worried."

"Really Eiko-chan, I thought you knew me better than that." Amaya chuckles.

Eiko peeks above her shoulder to see what captured her hime's attention for all this while. Offcourse, she was painting her dreams. This happened so often that it didn't surprise anyone in the whole palace. Amaya would spend many mornings locked up in her room doing this. But nobody was allowed to see what she painted or disturb her.

Eiko, however, was an exception. Amaya adores her like her little sister ever since they were young and considers her as a friend whit whom she can share her secrets. So, she let her peek.

"This.... " Eiko gasps, "it's the same man, Amaya-hime? "

"Umm... Yes.... I wonder who he is. Or if he is even real... " Amaya turns her head to other side blushing.

This didn't go unnoticed by Eiko. She knew Amaya felt a deep connection to this man, hence she saw him every night in her dreams. Perhaps....

"What if... " Eiko grins, "...he is real... Wil you go look for him?"

"Hmm...? " Amaya turns towards her.

"I mean... You have seen him every night in your dreams, but never in your whole life you have met anyone like him. Ever wondered why?"

Amaya looks down, thinking. Yes, she has thought about it often. Why did she kept having those dreams? Why she always saw the same person? Ever since she was young.

Her train of thoughts were interrupted as another maid came running to her room.

"Amaya.... Hime..... your.... mother.... has requested.... Your.... presence... " she said huffing, leaning on a pillar for support.

"hn. What does she wants now? " Amaya scowled.

Amaya Ryuuketsueki
(credits to the artist)