Loyie only smiled. "So you do have some fight in
you. Come, sit in the middle of that rug and think of something pleasant."
Frowning, Cece could only stare at Loyie for a moment. It
seemed like such an odd request, but she supposed that nothing about this dream
was normal. Absolutely nothing.
Loyie waved Cece away, as if shooing her to the rug. The
small woman then turned and headed toward a shelf on the opposite wall and
started rifling through the many jars. They clinked together as she moved them,
picking some up before putting them back down again when it apparently wasn't
the jar she was looking for.
Sighing, Cece moved toward the strange looking rug. The
outside ring was a bright yellow with black symbols weaved into it in a pattern
Cece couldn't grasp. The next ring was a vibrant purple in a checkered pattern
with the alternating squares filled in with the bright yellow color. The last
ring was the smallest ring. It was black with tiny white spots that reminded
Cece of the night sky. It certainly was an ugly rug, but she supposed that it
probably meant something to Loyie.
Stepping onto the rug sent a shiver down Cece's spine.
She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand, as if her body was suddenly
charged with electricity. It didn't hurt, but it didn't make her feel
comfortable, either.
She slowly sat in the middle, bringing her knees up to
her chest and wrapping her arms around her battered legs. They had tiny cuts
all over them from the blades of grass and her sunburn only intensified the pain she was feeling.
"Stop concentrating on the pain," Loyie's voice
said, interrupting Cece's thoughts. "I said think of something
pleasant."
Cece rolled her eyes, though felt unnerved at how well
Loyie was able to read her. Duh! This is
my dream and everyone is in my mind,
so of course they can read me like a book!
Feeling slightly relieved at the thought, Cece glanced
over at Bramaad. The prince was digging through a few jars, opening the lids
and smelling its contents before finally choosing one. He had water already
heating up on the small stove and had three simple clay cups set out on the
only empty shelf available. He kept glancing in her direction, but his eyes
never settled on her for longer than a few moments.
Pleasant thoughts?
I think I can do that… Cece watched the prince's back, letting her eyes
take in his muscular form. He truly was a very good looking man, though his
personality certainly was a disappointment and a total turn-off. At least Patrick has that body and a much
better personality! she thought, eyeing the prince and comparing the two in her mind.
She let her thoughts wander to Patrick. She could just
imagine his concern at her passing out. She felt terrible for having done it
during an important event of his, but there was nothing she could have done. Had
Cece not driven through the night, she would have missed the dinner entirely. I guess only being there for a few moments
doesn't count, either…
Cece was startled when she realized Loyie was crouching
just outside the rug. "Here, put some of this on the worst of your burns.
It'll help ease the pain a bit. Once it's dry, you may put on this dress,"
she said, holding out a dress similar in style and pattern to the one Loyie was
currently wearing. In her other hand, Loyie was holding a small jar filled with a green cream that
smelled like fresh herbs.
Shrugging to herself, she applied a small amount of the
cream to her leg. She yelped as it burned intensely for a few moments, then
suddenly cooled against her skin. She glanced up questioningly to Loyie, but
the woman was now over by the stove with Bramaad, their heads together and
whispering intently.
Carefully, Cece applied more of the cream to her leg,
wincing for the few moments it burned, then sighing in relief when it finally
cooled down. When she fully applied it to one leg, nearly half the cream was
gone, but it felt much better than it had
before.
Looking down at her burned body, Cece decided to apply
the rest of the cream to the most sensitive areas first. She used a small
amount on her other leg, then used the rest on the top of her back, stomach,
chest, and face. She wasn't too concerned about anywhere else, knowing that she
would be awake before too long and would finally stop feeling the intense pain.
However, she was thankful for the cream while she was in her dreaming state.
Slowly standing after the cream had all dried, Cece pulled
the dress over her head and tugged it down her body. She winced slightly,
feeling every fiber scratch against her sensitive skin, but ignored the
sensation as best she could. The dress fit poorly on her. It was too tight across the waist and
she felt as if she were going to pop out of the top of the dress, the sensible square-cut neckline on Loyie looking scandalous on Cece. The dress was also
too short, the hem hitting a few inches above her ankle. However, Cece felt
better finally having some clothing on, even if it was ill-fitting. Ugh, this dress probably makes me look so
fat!
Cece couldn't help but look over at Loyie's small frame,
noticing how tiny the woman was compared to herself. At least I have more curves than her.
Trying to smooth the dress better over her hips, Cece
stepped off the rug, once again feeling the electric charge run through her body as her
feet slapped against the hard-packed ground. "I feel much better, thank
you Loyie," she said. She still had to say the woman's name carefully, though the strange name seemed less foreign on her tongue.
Loyie smiled. "Yes, I can see there is much less
pain in your eyes than there was before. Come, sit with me in the rocking
chairs." She turned to Bramaad and grabbed the two steaming cups of tea
before handing Cece one of them. "Bramaad, if you have other things to
do, please do them. Cece is not going to harm me in my own home."
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