"You are going to tire yourself completely!" Brantley chided as he pulled the notepad from her hand and kept it on the bedside table. He pulled her into his lap and pinched her cheek. "It's lovely to see the color on your skin."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and chuckled.

​​

"How did I get so lucky?" he said and leaned in to kiss her. Bianca curled her hands in hair and opened her mouth for him.

Suddenly, a memory flashed across.

Gayle was running with little Bianca with Og'drath on their heels. She had killed the two guards who were stationed right outside her cell. As she was running behind them, she was looking out in all directions for threats.

"Go fast, Gayle!" she hissed.

Bianca stilled against Brantley and her breath hitched.

Sensing her tense body, he looked down at her face and asked, "What is wrong sweetheart?" He stroked his back with his fingers. He thought that she was too tired. "You need a lot of rest!" he declared and relaxed her on his arm while he made her sit across his lap.

Her breathing became heavy and she closed her eyes. "I think I do need rest…"

"Hmm…" he hummed and rocked her gently. Not only had she sat on the throne, but also been taking care of the festivities. He marveled her stamina and hoped that she'd recover soon to participate in every activity.

She didn't realize, but the way he rocked her gently, her eyes became heavy with sleep and like a baby, she slept in his lap. He placed her on the mattress and tucked her in warm quilts. Because of them sitting on the throne for the second time, it had been raining continuously. The weather had become chillier and since the water flowed beneath the surface of the floor, their bedchamber was even chillier than other chambers. Once he tucked her in, he went to take a bath. He rubbed his neck and looked at her with a smile tugging his lips. When he came back, he saw that she was still sleeping soundly. Though he was tempted to wake her up to have dinner with her, he didn't. Instead he slid beside her and pulled her closer to his chest. Almost automatically she nestled her head in his chest and put her leg on his thighs. He loved it the way she twined herself around him, as if she owned him.

---

"Go fast, Gayle!" Og-drath prodded him with his fingers. "If they come here, we will never be able to cross this dungeon."

With little Bianca clutched in his arms tightly, he ran as if his life depended on it.

"I can run with you, Grandfather," she mumbled on his shoulder as she looked at the gray skinned woman who had come to give her food previously.

"No darling," he said while running. "You are our only hope and I will make sure that you get out safely from here."

All at once they halted. Bianca whipped her face in front and found three gray skinned guards in front of Grandfather.

"Halt, else you are going to get killed!"

Og'drath came forward and hissed, "Gayle go. I will handle them!"

"My queen!" said one of them with shock in his eyes as the other two brandished their sword.

Little Bianca started shivering.

"If the king will come to know about this treason, he is going to hang you!" the guard warned.

"What are you waiting for?" Og'drath shouted at Gayle. "Run!" Saying that she jumped at the guard who was standing close to Gayle and pierced her sword in him. Holding Bianca tightly, Gayle dodged the other guard who lurched at him and dashed to the entrance of the dungeon.

Bianca turned to look behind at the woman who had clutched a doll in her hand when she came to give her food. "Whose doll was that?" she asked, her voice a mere whisper.

"She misses her daughter," as all Gayle managed to say and then leapt out of the door. He ran a few meters and Bianca noticed that the skies were red and orange because of the red moon that hung low like a hungry monster over the barren land. Gayle stopped and then looked around frantically. "Ah there he is!" he said and started running again to the left. Suddenly an arrow flew from somewhere and pierced his leg. Gayle crashed down on the sand but he cocooned her in a way that he received the maximum impact. "Ahhh!" he rasped with pain.

"Grandfather!" Little Bianca murmured as her hair was soiled with sand and sweat.

Gayle got up, pulled the arrow out of his leg and started running again. Sweat beads started forming on his forehead. He staggered a little. "Bianca…" he whispered. "Do you see that man there?" he pointed to a thicket of trees that were devoid of leaves. "You got to run there!"

She shook her head.

A scream from the inside drew her attention. Gayle's lips quivered. "They have killed her…" He ran with as much speed as possible. He was halfway to the thicket of trees when yet another arrow flew and hit his leg again—this time on his thigh. "Ahhhh!" he muffled the scream in his throat but didn't stop. Now he was running with a limp. "We have to make it, baby," he said. "We have to make it, Bianca," he croaked. "You have to eliminate her."

As she looked behind, she found five more gray skinned men charging in their direction with their wings flared and dirty yellow eyes shining in the moonlight. "They are coming for us Grandfather!" she cried. "I want to take you to mommy and daddy." At that point of time she wished she could carry her Grandfather.

Gayle was no longer able to run. His mind was becoming numb with poison. He put her down on her feet. "You got to run to those trees."

"But I won't leave you," she cried.

"Run Bianca, run!" he pushed her away. "I will fight these and come to you."

"Promise?"

He nodded with a smile. His vision was becoming blurry.

Suddenly a deep throaty voice boomed from the trees, "Gayle!"

One of the gray skinned winged men threw a dagger at him and it fixed in his back. Blood spurted out and Bianca shouted. "Grandfather!" There was so much blood on her and the ground. Her body shuddered and she whimpered.

"Grandfather!" she clutched the air and screamed. Who had called him from the trees? Was he dying? She couldn't save him. She got up panting and heaving heavily. Her hair was soaked in sweat.

"Bianca!" Brantley called her. She jerked her head towards him. When he came in focus she crawled up to his lap and grabbed his shirt. "Make me sleep Brantley, make me sleep."

He gathered her close to him and said, "I am there for you sweetheart, always there…" That night he didn't let go of her. What were her nightmares about? He intended to talk to her the next day in the morning.

She fluttered open her eyes as the morning sun peeked through the glass and reflected the shiny skirt and borders of marble floor on the ceiling. A dull headache throbbed and she woke up with a parched throat. Her dreams were not making sense. She had to talk to her mother before she revealed them to Brantley. She made up her mind to go with Darius back to Bainsburgh once the Samobian was over. But where was Brantley?