Category: The Dreams Of The Waiting Prince

The Hundred And Fiftieth Dream Of The Waiting Prince

Now this morning I woke to find the doors to the Palace had been opened, for the period of solitude was at an end. And the Lord was roused from his slumbers so that the crown of his father could be placed upon his own head, for though the line of the Emperor’s reign may on occasion be cut, never shall it break.

And he beckoned me towards him, and said to me, “My dear scribe, last night as I slept, I dreamt. And in this dream I discovered the date had been set for your ascension to the heavens. And as is customary at such a time, I journeyed here to the High Palace, so I could receive from you your confession and give to you my blessing, before the events of the coming day, which shall be both numerous and unending.”

So from me did he graciously take this pen, and these scrolls upon which I have written, and though I was not permitted to speak, to my son I said, “My dear Lord, last night as you slept, I dreamt. And as I dreamt, you slept.” And I was taken to the chambers of my solitude for a moment of rest, and lay down there to sleep.

The Hundred And Forty Ninth Dream Of The Waiting Prince

And this morning I recounted to my Lord last night’s dream, though of course this dream was one born of the turmoil of the day to come, in which the events that occur will be numerous and unending, and so there should to this vision be ascribed no special meaning, for it has not derived its power from any meditation here in these halls of solitude. Now to him I said, “My dear Lord, last night as you slept, I dreamt. And in this dream the snows outside the Palace of my youth gathered in drifts deeper than any I had ever seen. And inside, the ice that blossomed on the stone of the walls spread upwards, brick by brick, as if pursuing me as I climbed the spiral curve of steps towards the final floor, from which my mother had always forbidden me to enter. And though I neared the top, the ice caught me, and spread past me faster than I could run, so that now the stairs were as slippery as freshly washed bone. And though I knew I should be careful, for there was nothing to gain by rushing, and much to lose, the final floor was so close at hand I could not help but hurry. And as I approached the summit, and saw before me the doors open in welcome, I slipped and fell, and tumbled back into the dark, down to wherever it was I had begun.”

The Hundred And Forty Eighth Dream Of The Waiting Prince

Now this morning I told my Lord of my most recent dream. And to him I said, “My dear Lord, last night as you slept, I dreamt. And this dream was as turbulent as the air above the Pyre of Dreams, the vapours of which I breathed deeply last night, and by which I am to be cleansed. For in this dream I sat beside your bed, while you slept soundly inside. And as you slept, I dreamt. And this dream was as turbulent as the air above the Pyre of Dreams, the vapours of which I breathed deeply last night, and by which I am to be cleansed. For in this dream I sat beside your cot, while you slept soundly inside. And as you slept, I dreamt. And this dream was as turbulent as the air above the Pyre of Dreams, the vapours of which I breathed deeply last night, and by which I am to be cleansed. For in this dream I sat cradling my belly, while you slept soundly inside. And as you slept, I dreamt. And this dream was as turbulent as the air above the Pyre of Dreams, the vapours of which I breathed deeply last night, and by which I am to be cleansed. For in this dream you are about to be conceived, and no thought have I of anything more.”

The Hundred And Forty Seventh Dream Of The Waiting Prince

And this morning I told my Lord of last night’s dream. And I said to him, “My dear Lord, last night as you slept I dreamt. And in this dream I stood upon the Jagged Bridge, that stretches between the Palace of The Imminent Prince and the Palace Of The Emperor’s Reign. And both these great houses were as empty as tombs, and as silent. And across the lake that separates them the morning mist slowly evaporated away beneath the spring sun, and by noon no trace was there of this fog, just as no trace was there of night, as no trace was there of you, no trace was there of me.”

The Hundred And Forty Sixth Dream Of The Waiting Prince

Now I told my Lord of last night’s dream. And I said to him, “My dear Lord, last night as you slept, I dreamt. And in this dream I slept beneath the morning sun. And when I woke, it was still light, for the sun had not yet reached its noonday mark. And though I tried to remember the facts of that which I had dreamt, I could not, for soon every aspect of the dream began to fade. Yet I did not feel bereft by its fading, for it is not the facts of the dream that matter, but the emotions they convey. And this dream had left in me a lingering joy, which persisted throughout the limitless possibilities of the coming day.”

The Hundred And Forty Fifth Dream Of The Waiting Prince

And to my Lord this morning I spoke of last night’s dream. And to him I said, “My dear Lord, last night as you slept, I dreamt. And in this dream, I was on a ship, following the silver thread that connects all things to each other, if only you can stay upon its path. And beside us sat a Lady, of compassion unsurpassed, and the infinite benevolence that grants it. And when she told us her name, we wept with joy, for it was mine also, and yours, and that of our sisters, and our brothers, and our mothers, and our fathers, our friends, our lovers, our mentors, our tutors, our teachers, our soldiers, our servants, our scholars, our singers, our dancers, our artists, our poets, our gardeners, our farmers, our sowers, our reapers.”

The Hundred And Forty Fourth Dream Of The Waiting Prince

Now I told my Lord this, my most recent dream. And I said to him, “My dear Lord, last night as you slept, I dreamt. And as I walked among the fallen leaves of the autumn wood, a swarm of moths rose up around me, as dry as paper, as thick as smoke, as inconsequential as whispers, as soon forgotten as promises, as unneeded as lies, as unheeded as truth, as unwanted as pity, as selfish as our lives.”

The Hundred And Forty Third Dream Of The Waiting Prince

Now this morning I told my Lord of my most recent dream. And I said to him, “My dear Lord, last night as you slept, I dreamt. And in this dream I saw the stars in the sky above, and the lights of the city in the darkness down below. And I saw the stars above reflected in your eyes, and the lights of the city reflected in mine. And across your chest, I saw the spreading shadows of wings. And from my shoulders I felt them grow.”

The Hundred And Forty Second Dream Of The Waiting Prince

And this morning I told my Lord of last night’s dream. And I said to him, “My dear Lord, last night as you slept, I dreamt. And in this dream I unpicked the stitches that held my dress together. And in this dream I unstitched the promises that held my marriage together. And in this dream I unpicked the lies that held our family together. And in this dream I unstitched the myths that held your Empire together. And in this dream I unpicked the dimensions that held the universe together. And in this dream I unstitched the constraints that gave meaning to time itself. And no longer was I chained to these walls by your order, for every element of my existence was now chaotic and free. I roamed.”