The Kingdom of Dreams

Lycia yawned just thinking about being awake and covered her mouth with the half eaten cookie and giggling. "Yes I sleep for many hours each night but I always come to the Dream when I sleep," she confirmed and smiled at Pallavi. Lycia didn't get a choice. Sleeping meant she was here creating the dream world for people. But she loved the Dream and all the amazing things that happened in it. "Maybe we can make a group for naps at the school," she laughed.

As they spoke the wagon lurched forward a little as it began to move, apparently now hitched to some of the larger Natau and headed towards a great sandstone-walled city surrounded on all sides by sand dunes. Lycia nearly fell over from the movement and she did actually spill some of her tea on her dress. She looked down at the spill for a moment in dismay but then looked over at the city and smiled wide again. It wasn't home, but it was similar. Even down to the myriad of colorful flags and pennants on the walls, denoting the various families and companies that called the city home. Once more the girls eyes sparkled with delight, forgetting the spill entirely.

There were guards with long curved blades affixed to poles, though they appeared relaxed from their distant point of view. They seemed to be watching a vague crowd meandering into the city via a large metal gate, though it was hard to pick out the specifics of any one person.

Lycia was thrilled so many people were interested in some kind of nap club. Even if it wasn't a big group that actually got involved it would be kinda fun. Like that sleepover thing that people mentioned sometimes.

As the wagon drew closer and closer to the city, the crowds slowly parting around them, Lycia clambered to her feet and leaned on the front edge of the wagon to look out at the sights with a grin. "It is like my home but not. My home was in a place like that," she exclaimed excitedly and gestured at a taller building in the center of the city. With the walls and the distance it was mostly just the taller rounded mounds of the upper floors. About half a dozen or so short tower like structures that were clearly sticking up out of a palatial building.

The guards at the gate looked up at the two girls on the wagon as they made the Natau stop. One of them, a man with a humongous mustache, stepped forward and asked who they were and what their business was in the city. Curiously no name was given for the city. Like it didn't have one yet until one of the dreamers or Lycia thought of it. Lycia looked back at Pallavi and giggled.

"We are the princesses. Do you not know us?" She wasn't actually sure if it would work. Many times Lycia couldn't pull a title or position of authority on the NPCs in the Dream. It wasn't much of an adventure if she got what she wanted all the time.

The wagon slowly made it's way through the sprawling city. Past rows of colorful awnings shielding small shopfronts from the dual suns. Each one displaying assortments of unusual fruits and grains, fabrics and even some jewelry here and there. Elsewhere there were more durable goods made of bone and wood and stone.

"I do not know what will happen. That is the fun part. Maybe we will fight to escape and find a den of criminals to hide with. Or we get let in and have dinner with the prince," she whispered back excitedly. Having to cover her mouth and lower her voice a few times as her excitement made her speak louder by accident.

Before long though they were drawing closer to the palace. It had a few towers but overall it was more of a squat shape, likely because building too tall on sandy ground wasn't possible. A dozen or so guards were there to meet them at the gates.

"What should we tell them?" Lycia asked Pallavi. They didn't have too much time to make sure their stories matched but... well adventures were not meant to be slow and plodding. Not in Lycia's mind anyway.

The girls quickly threw together a story in hushed excitement, looking extraordinarily like two close friends whispering to each other. Which in a strange way helped sell their story a little bit.

Lycia giggled and waved at one of the guards as they arrived. "Your city is beautiful. I am Princess Lycia from... Akthala to the east and this is...," she announced and glanced over at Pallavi as she put her arm around her. Hoping she would introduce herself too.

"We are sent to speak with the... prince," she added and tried to stifle the giggle welling up inside her at the game they were playing. Strictly speaking Lycia wasn't great at lying. Fortunately she left the talk of the pillow gifts for Pallavi to explain. Maybe she could say it with a straight face.

The guards were trying to make eye contact to judge whether the girls were lying. Or at least up until Lycia mentioned being a princess. With her hooded she looked the part and rather than be offensive they averted their gaze while talking.

"Apologies Princesses, we weren't advised of any visitors for this evening. Usually we have a messenger sent and...," he glanced around at the cart. "...what happened to your driver? Or your... servants and guards? Surely it's too dangerous for two princesses to travel alone." Rather than sounding suspicious though he seemed more concerned. For their safety and for what had to have been a failure on their part or... perhaps things had been unsafe on the road. Neither were befitting of their small but prosperous kingdom.