The Princess Bride (Self-published)

15: Awakening

Mikael couldn't sleep. Days had passed but the nightmare he had lingered in his head. He tried to push his uneasiness aside but the image of his wife disappearing before his eyes was permanently tattooed in his mind.

He looked at the sleeping woman in his arms. "Please always stay safe, Gab..." he whispered.

His wife instinctively moved closer towards him and he held her tighter.

"This fear I am feeling is so alien to me. Kaya mas lalo akong natatakot..."

He wasn't afraid even when he was sent away to Azemitli to train. He didn't feel fear even when he was constantly bullied by Sehrlis older, stronger, and bigger than him. And it was completely foreign to him to be scared shitless because of a dream.

Because you know dreams are foretelling. Or at least that's what you were told.

He kissed his wife's hair. "Mahal na mahal kita at kahit alam ko namang hindi ko hahayaang may masamang mangyari sa'yo ay nababalot pa rin ako ng takot..."

He burrowed his nose into the crook of her neck.

"Mikael..." she mumbled in her sleep.

"Nandito ako sa tabi mo, Prinsesa...matulog ka lang—" He stopped talking.

He could sense fear rising within her. "Gab...?"

"H'wag..." his wife moaned. "H'wag..." She started to cry.

Mikael shook his wife's shoulders gently. "Gab, wake up, you're dreaming."

"Layuan mo ako! H'wag!" she screamed flailing her arms. "H'wag! Ayokong sumama!"

"Gab! Gab, wake up! Gab—"

She suddenly sat up.

"Gab, are you okay?"

She turned her head to look at him.

"Princess, are you awake?" he asked.

Her hair started floating around her as if a soft breeze was playing with it framing her face in a gentle dark halo

"Gab...?"

"Müdafiəçi..." she whispered in a disembodied voice. "Qaranlığın məni yeyməsinə icazə verməyin..."

"Gab, what's wrong...?"

"Məni qoru və mən səni qoruyacağam..." she said before she gasped then fell limply back on the bed.

"Gab!" Mikael frantically took his wife into his arms. "Gab, gumising ka! Gab, please!"

Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she frowned in puzzlement at him. "Mikael...?"

He hugged her to his chest planting his lips on her cheek.

"Ano 'yun?" she asked.

He was trembling.

"Mikael, anong nangyari?"

"Teka lang, let me hold you first..." he whispered forcibly closing his eyes against his fears.

"Nanaginip ka na naman ba? Was it a bad dream?" she asked, her voice soft and comforting.

She tried to get up so she could put her arms around him but he wouldn't let her go.

"Teka lang..." he repeated.

She let him hold her running her hand up and down his back.

Minutes passed and finally his hold on her loosened a little.