Cel led him back into the palace. Mouse yawned, tired. He stretched. That was a long day after lying in bed all day for forever.
“Right this way, Your Highness,” Cel said, gesturing into his room.
Ba-thump. Ba-thump.
Mouse froze. All around him, the walls shuddered, threatening to turn liquid. I was fine all day. Why now?
Cel gave him a concerned look. “Mouse?”
“Nothing,” he muttered. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It’s fine. It’s all in my head. Stay calm. I can do this.
She nodded and opened the door. “Goodnight, Mouse.”
A horror stood in front of him, twisted and awful, open wounds dripping pus down its face. A clawed hand beckoned him closer. Face twisted in a sneer, the creature lured him toward a dark portal.
Mouse backed away. His heels hit the wall. No. I can’t run. Calm down. Go in. All you need to do is sleep. Go inside and sleep, and no one will know anything’s wrong.
The creature stepped toward him. It reached for his arm.
“Er, goodnight, Cel!” Mouse said. He dodged the horror’s reach and darted into the portal, holding his breath. Please don’t notice. Please don’t notice.
Hideous sounds burbled from its mouth. He smiled blindly. “I’m tired. Tomorrow?”
Without waiting for a reply, he shut the door.
Blood sloshed around his ankles. Iron reeked, thick in the air. He held his breath and slogged to the bed. Delicately, he sat on the bed.
The mattress squished. Thick red leaked out from the seams. His pillow dissolved into a puddle of goo. Mouse hesitated.
It’s all in my head. None of this is real. Girding himself, he laid down on the bed.
Red oozed all around him. Everywhere his body sank into the mattress, blood welled up and pooled around him, soaking into his clothes. He shuddered and forced himself to relax. I can do this. This is fine.
His heart sped up. He tensed, muscles rigid. He grabbed onto his dress, the only dry place around him. At least it’s already red—no! It’s not real. The blood doesn’t exist.
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Mouse closed his eyes. Just sleep. Sleep.
Ba-thump. Ba-thump.
--
“Isn’t that the same dress as yesterday?” Cel asked, walking the orchard with Mouse.
“Hard to say,” Mouse said lightly, reaching up to pluck one of the fruits dangling from the weighted branches.
Cel wrinkled her nose, suspicious. “Wait in your room, next time. None of this leaving messages about the orchard nonsense. You need superv—ahem. We want to help, Mouse. We can’t help if you spend all your time avoiding us.”
“I’m not avoiding you. Look, I’m here.”
“After you vanished down the balcony and circled the whole palace and I ran around panicked half the morning, sure.”
Mouse turned.
“Are you ignoring me?”
“Clarita! How lovely you managed to come. Right this way,” Mouse said, waving.
Cel turned after Mouse. Clarita stood at the edge of the orchard, dressed in a lovely topaz and ochre dress, hands clasped around a small basket. She smiled at the sight of Mouse.
“I’ve brought some teacakes, homebaked.” Clarita walked to him, eating up the distance with the easy, bounding grace of a recurve-legged beastfolk. “Borrowed the kitchen. The baker is quite a kind soul.”
“Ah… yes, indeed,” Mouse said. Dammit, I was hoping we’d use up some of those baked goods she gave me! He took the basket from Clarita and gestured for her to follow.
“Oh—there’s no need, I can…”
Shit, right, that’s what a gentleman does, not a lady. He shot her a smile. “Er… Ah, well, you’ve carried it all this way. Let’s not have you carry it any longer.”
She gave him a smile. “You almost remind me of—”
“Clarita?”
Clarita stared at the floor, face downcast, long lashes hiding her eyes. At his prompting, she looked up and smiled again. “Ah, never mind. I got lost in my thoughts. This whole scene is very… reminiscent for me.”
“It is?” Mouse asked, honestly curious.
She nodded silently. Her gaze drifted to the distance, somewhere far away from the orchard.
At the end of the aisle of apple trees, a spindly, lacy white table and three matching chairs awaited them. Three tiers of sweets awaited them, neatly arranged atop a shining tea tray. Steam wafted from the spout of a porcelain pot, and three matching cups sat before each of the chairs.
“A chair for me? How kind,” Cel snarked.
Mouse elbowed her. He pulled out a chair and gestured for Clarita to take a seat.
She hesitated a moment, then obeyed. Mouse sat beside her, leaving the opposite seat empty.
“Congratulations on your recovery. I’m so glad you’re up and about now. I know we haven’t really spoken before, but… our people are close. I prayed to the All-Mother for your speedy recovery.”
“Thank you,” Mouse said, inclining his head. He poured tea for himself and Clarita.
Clarita took a sip. In a quiet voice, she asked, “For what did you call me here?”
“I simply wanted to have tea and get to know some of the other princesses,” Mouse said evenly.
“This is the palace. That isn’t how things work around here.”
“Can’t I have tea with a friend?”
Clarita looked sharply at him. “I know I seem naïve because I speak softly, but I’m not a fool.”
Mouse sighed. He sipped his tea. “Actually, Clarita, I…”
“Oh, let’s just get it over with. Hello, Clarita. Did you miss me?” Brittany dropped down from the apple trees and dropped into the final chair, head already propped suavely on her chin.