What is a dream and/or a nightmare your muse had and can't forget?
Ciara dreams she is standing in a vast, candlelit hall. It looks like the throne room, but the walls are warped, dripping with shadows as though they’re made of ink. At the far end, her father stands beside Roderick, whispering into his ear. His expression is pained but dutiful.
In the middle of the hall is Eoin, kneeling as though awaiting a blessing. However at his side is not Guinevere, but Cecily, her hand laced desperately with his. No one else seems to see Cecily but Ciara.
When Ciara tries to speak, nothing comes out. She runs forward, trying to shield Eoin, but every step she takes drags as though she’s wading through water. By the time she reaches him, Roderick has risen from his throne and declared: “For treachery against my blood, there is only one sentence.”
Her father turns to Ciara then, meeting her eyes, and instead of stepping forward to save his son, he only shakes his head as though he’s powerless. His silence hurts her more than Roderick’s words.
Roderick draws his blade and swings. Ciara screams, but when the blade falls, it doesn’t strike Eoin.
It strikes her.