Where is the Prince?1

Rain's first thought once she awoke the next morning was of her in a white tattered dress dyed red with blood and the face of the prince hovering over.

She wasn't able to sleep much after she woke up at midnight; hence she rose very early the next morning, unable to recover from the fear of her nightmare.

It felt so tangible when she ran through the forest, she could almost feel the grasses beneath her bare feet and even when those claws had gored into her chest, the stench of blood and death persevered.

It had been ages since Rain had this same nightmare of the prince. So long she'd forgotten of it.

Now she was suddenly getting them again after so long. What did that mean?

Her mares were as ambiguous as the seas and as were as prophetic as omens. They came in riddle tales that could turn out deceptive if interpreted in literal perception.

She had seen them come to past in stark different ways but still maintained its sense.

But what could she make of this old dream which had suddenly come back to haunt her?

Was the prince a hideous beast beneath his layers of elfin skin? Or could it simply mean that he would kill her in a fit of monstrous rage after she might have offended him to extreme…

Lost in thoughts, Rain lost track of the morning and only hopped down from bed when Stella came in to draw the curtains.

"Good morning, my lady," Stella greeted, pushing the window panes apart.

The morning sun was bright and once it poured into the dim room through the open windows, Rain squinted her eyes and groaned inaudibly.

Her bare white feet pattered softly against the floor board and shuffled across the rug to get closer to the maidservant.

She suddenly questioned, "Stella. Say, someone. Someone much powerful than you are, whom could be said to have your fate in their hands. Perhaps you offended such a person. How do you protect yourself?"

Stella left the curtains she'd gathered to fall and faced the princess. "My lady! I would grovel to his feet and beg for my life to be spared," she quickly expressed, clamping her hands passionately.

"I'll pledge my devotion to him and live my entire life appeasing him."

The sides of Rain's lip curled into a frown and she bit on her lips, obviously tensed.

From the day she'd been bestowed to the first prince of Eragon, her fate was tied to his.

From the beginning, long before she'd even met him; her dreams had shown him to her like a vision. It could be true that she couldn't get far from him.

If she wasn't able to get on the good side of the crown prince of a kingdom as powerful as Eragon and as invincible as rumors carried, her stay in the land would not be peaceful.

His coldness told of his displeasure towards her, and since he'd not cared about her_ his gift_ until now, it was negligence on his side.

Clearly, he didn't regard her.

"Where is the prince usually at this time, Stella?" she inquired hurriedly.

Hearing her question, the hands of the maidservant paused and she spun back to eye the princess as though she had said something abominable.