Chapter 2

Can you let me wake up?



  Eloise laid in her bed later that day, in the guest room in the prince's palace, clutching the bottle tightly in her hands. She’d been sleeping here ever since she’d accepted Daniel's proposal. He didn’t want her sleeping anywhere other than the palace for maximum comfort for the wedding that was taking place in 1 day. She smiled as she thought of it. But her smile died down when she remembered that Atlas was mad at her. And yet, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to go through with killing him.

  It’d only been a week since he was mad at her. But he’d spent all the other weeks of her life making her feel like the only girl in the world. She didn’t want to hurt him. She just didn’t want to see him anymore. And she feared that he’d kill her in her dreams before she even got a chance to drop the potion on him.


  Her fingers played with the grass beneath her as she slowly awoke in her dream. She breathed in and out heavily before standing up with the bottle still clutched tightly in her hand. Usually, Atlas would already be chasing after her right after she entered Wonderland. But he wasn’t anywhere in sight. The only thing she could sense was a smell coming from not far away. She made her way through the forest and saw a table decorated with fruit and delights from afar, with the boy sitting at it with his head hanging low. She sighed and made her way to him.

  When a branch beneath her made a sound, announcing she was there, the boy's head rose.

“You’re here,” he said, running up to her and pulling her into a tight embrace. She stood frozen, not knowing what to do as he let go of her again.

  “Dear, I’m so terribly sorry. I should’ve never scared you like that. I–” he let out a sigh.

  “I’ll let you get married to him,” he said with a pained expression.

  “You—you will?” she asked, in shock.

  “Of course, I will. You deserve someone real, and I think you’ve liked him for a while, too. I just need you to promise me that you’ll come back.”

  She knew Dorothy was wrong. He wasn’t a spirit who wanted to keep me for himself.

  He was her best friend. Someone who’d always been there for her.

  She smiled at him.

  “I promise,” she said, hiding the bottle behind her back.

  “I have to go back now. Today’s the day I get married. Can you let me wake up?” she asked.

He nodded and put his hand over her eyes before saying the same spell she’d heard her whole life whenever her dream came to an end.


  She woke up in her soft bed with a wide smile on her face. Jumping out of bed, she put on her robe before running out of her room. She sprinted down the stairs, holding onto the golden railing, ready to jump into the arms of her prince. After finding his room, she knocked.

  Once. Twice. Thrice. 

  “Daniel? Are you there?” she asked.

  He opened the door. He wore a white blouse and brown trousers, his hair tousled and facing in every direction. He seemed to have just woken up.

  “Honey, what are you—?”

  She jumped into his arms before he could finish his sentence and held him tightly. His arms came around her. He chuckled.

 “Is everything okay, Eloise?” he asked, leaning back and looking at her.

 “Everything’s more than okay,” she replied, grinning up at him like a fool.

  He laughed at her, baffled at her behaviour. “Yeah? Then why are you here?”

 “I wanted—I wanted to see you. Since we’re getting married tomorrow morning and all.”

  He let go of her and leaned against the doorframe. 

 “Couldn’t wait till tomorrow, no?”

  No, she couldn’t.

 “I just wanted to tell you that I’m glad,” she said. “About us.”

  His lips twitched up.

 “I always knew you’d be mine, Eloise.”