Chapter Two: Sleepless Dreams

The halls of the palace were bright, even considering the time. Light danced about on the walls from the magical lanterns that glowed softly in the little holders along the sides of the way. December kept her over robe pulled tight to keep herself modest as she moved through the ways, sparing happy smiles for the worn looking guards as she passed.
She had inadvertently taken the role of the smiling maiden in the country, beloved by the people for her natural manner. Knowing that she was looked to by many of the people around her as a source of happiness was heavy, she felt the pressure, but never heavy enough to lose the smile that made her famous. Some of the guards even spared a smile back for the princess as she passed, on her way to the Prince's war room.
She soon came to the doorway of the Prince's room, knocking lightly. She took a step back from the doorway and waited a moment, listening to the foot falls of the prince as he rose from the table.
In only a moment the door slid open, the prince standing in the doorway with a tired look in his azure eyes. "...Same dream, Princess?" he asked softly, trying on a smile for her.
She nodded in return. "I know you're busy, but can I just keep you company for a while?"
The prince just smiled and stepped from the doorway. "Come in then."
December followed him through the doorway, closing it behind her and turning to see the prince sit back down in his accustomed chair, leaning back over the maps and reports he'd been pouring over before. December moved away from the door way to sit on a small padded bench against the wall. The war room was not nearly as well lit as the hall passage, having only a single lamp suspended in the room. It was lightly furnished, a large table in the center of the room with chairs around it, a few padded benches along the sides beneath tapestry decor for observers.
The room was nearly entirely empty tonight, however, with just December and the prince inside it. She watched quietly for a time, feeling the silence begin to grow heavy. He didn't look back up at her, apparently entirely absorbed in his work.
December drew her knees up to her chest, putting both arms around them and peeking over her knees at the prince. She stayed that way for a short time until she let her knees back down, the prince apparently not noticing any of her movements.
"So . . ." she started softly. "Is the war going . . . well?"
She was aware that this was perhaps a difficult subject, but it was probably all that was on the prince's mind at the moment.
The prince stiffened, and stayed silent.
Her smile slowly faded away before she spoke again. "It's not . . . is it?" she said softly, her words making more a statement than a question.
The prince finally spoke up, speaking softly as though he was having a hard time finding the correct words. "It's getting bloodier." he said finally, then expounded. "The Finellians are . . . resourceful. I know now that we severely underestimated them when this war began." his speaking was stiff and apparently it was difficult for him to admit the strengths of his enemy.
December shifted a little. "I'm scared..." she admitted softly.
Prince Cast looked up sharply, his face a mixture of pride and something else she couldn't see right away. "Don't be. We will win this war. This is the holy empire, we cannot lose, not to anyone and especially not to a band of blaspheming Kahmmoners."
December cringed at the rise in his temper. "I'm not worried for the nation, I'm worried for you!" she retorted softly, tears springing unexpectedly to her eyes. She had an awful lot of emotion stored up over this, she didn't mean to bring it all out now.
The prince scowled, he knew why she worried but still wished she wouldn't. "You don't need to worry about me." he told her. "No more than the rest of the nation, anyway."
She shook her head furiously "I'm your wife! I'm allowed to worry!" she shouted, her voice finally raising, but then she immediately blushed and looked away. She hid her face in both hands, sobbing softly.
He looked up to her, watching her for a second before he spoke, his voice sedate. "Not yet." he corrected her softly.
December looked up, her face tear stained. "I should be. I should have been four years ago . . ." she hated herself for bringing it up, hated every time she brought it up because it always made her cry. "If it wasn't for Gareth then we'd-"
The prince suddenly came to his feet at the mention of the name, making December cut off in surprise at his sudden reaction.
"Princess!" he said harshly, his head snapping over to look at her, his eyes suddenly hard. "We've had this conversation already, too many times. I will not tolerate another ill word about Lord Gareth."
December flinched, she felt a hot anger rise in her face on the topic. "If it wasn't for him, we'd be wed right now!"
Upon the outbreak of the war, Lord Gareth quickly rose in prominence. From his efforts, there was passed the law that no man could wed until after performing his term of service for the holy army. The prince, of course was excempt from this, but the prince denied himself for the sake of being an example to his people. As a point of honor, he would not pass nor enforce a law which he would not keep himself. Normally, this was a virtue which December loved about the prince, but in this instance it drove her crazy. "I wouldn't have to sleep alone and I wouldn't have to-" she listed, but was cut off.
"If it wasn't for Lord Gareth, our army would be only half the size it is now!" He spat, anger apparent in his voice as well. "Because of him we have nearly doubled our knowledge of combat magic. Because of him, the Fells haven't been able to hold the land they steal from us!" he said, using a derogatory term for the Finellians.
"Gareth is a patriot, and I will not tolerate any further talk about him, Princess."
"Use my name!" she cried in return, her tears falling yet again, without her willing them to. "Stop calling me 'Princess'! You used to call me December, you used to call me Angel!"
The prince fell silent instantly, his face looking like he'd just been punched in the stomach. He fell back into his chair, slowly looking away from her, his eyes falling on the table without really looking at anything.
December hid her face again, sobbing unashamedly. "What happened to us?" she asked the air, knowing full well that the Prince could not answer her.
The prince slowly lifted a hand to his face, settling rubbing his forehead. "Go to bed, Princess." he said flatly, his voice tired.
December flinched at his final word, but said no more, slowly rising to her feet and walking to the door. She opened it up and stepped outside, turning before closing it.
"Cast . . . I love you." she said, her smile weakly returning through the tears.
The prince didn't look up.

~