Safe in Marco's arms, Sabrina let her thoughts pass. With her mind relaxed and her body exhausted, she drifted off into the deepest sleep she had had in years.
Chapter 11
Marco
Marco found himself in a dream. In it, he was standing on a beach, his bare feet digging into the hot sand. He looked out across the ocean as the warm breeze blew the smell of saltwater toward him.
He knew where he was, and didn't even have to look around to find out. Orsino Island, his home. It was obvious, because even though he was dreaming, he could feel the nostalgia of that point on the beach. He'd spent countless summers there as a child and many days there as an adult. It was a place that only he knew about. A place where he could go to get away from all of the stresses of life.
But in this dream, something felt noticeably different. There was a hand gripping his own. It pulled his attention away from the ocean view and when he looked over to his side, he saw a beautiful and fair-skinned girl standing next to him. She was wearing an elegant white dress, which fell almost all the way to the sand. She glanced toward him and smiled, taking Marco's breath away.
Sabrina, he thought. What's she doing here?
She gazed into his eyes, her lips curling up into a warm smile. His knees became wobbly, but his heart burst with joy. Somewhere in his mind, he knew that this experience was only a dream, but it felt so real. The sunshine warmed his skin and he could taste the air. He was even pretty sure that he could smell Sabrina's perfume. The moment was perfect and he didn't want to wake up. He could have stayed there forever.
There was so much he wanted to tell her. He wanted to make sure she knew exactly how he felt, how much she made his heart pound with joy.
Marco parted his lips to speak, but before he could utter a sound, a flash of lightning hit nearby. It shook the ground and when he glanced back toward the ocean he noticed that the sky had turned black. A violet storm had come rushing in within seconds, taking them by surprise.
“Marco, we should go,” Sabrina said, pulling on his hand. Fear filled her voice.
But Marco couldn't budge. He couldn't stop looking toward the ocean. Just above the horizon, there was a face in the clouds. It was unrecognizable at first. But as the sky shifted, it became more and more clear. It was the image of his stepmother, Magdalena. Her face filled an area the size of the sun. Her lips were curled into an evil grin and she was laughing hysterically.
“What in the hell is going on?” Marco asked. “What are you doing, Magdalena?”
Magdalena stopped laughing. Dark clouds swirled around her face in the sky, as if they were trying to avoid her. She brought her gaze past Marco and straight to Sabrina, her eyes sharpening. “You don't belong here, commoner.” Her wretched voice boomed and shook the ground harder than the thunder.
Marco became defensive, wishing to protect Sabrina, who was still tugging on his arm to leave. Strikes of lightning shot from the sky and collided with ground, just a few feet away from them. The sound was deafening and the energy from it nearly knocked Marco over. But he didn't care. He wasn't going to budge. He was going to stand there and get hit by the lightning if that's what it took.
Sabrina is not a commoner, he thought. And I'm done getting pushed around by stepmother.
He was about shout at Magdalena and give her a piece of his mind, but then everything became quiet. The lightning stopped and the image of his stepmother in the sky faded away as the dark clouds cleared. A moment later, the only sound that could be heard was that of a honking horn.
What the... he thought.
Marco's eyes shot open and he squinted immediately as the morning light from the hotel window entered them. The sound of the horn that had pulled him from his dream was still there, followed by someone shouting in traffic outside the hotel. Marco sat up, letting the blanket fall to his waist. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead and his heart beat rapidly in his chest.
What was that all about? he asked himself, as he tried to get his heart rate back to normal. I haven't had a dream that intense in a very long time.
When he looked over to the other side of the bed, he saw Sabrina laying there, still sound asleep. The sunlight blanketed her face, illuminating her features. A strand of her light brown hair fell across her forehead, contrasting against her fair skin. Marco couldn't help but to smile as he gazed at her. And the warm feeling he had experienced in the dream, the one before Magdalena had shown up, returned to him. It was the feeling of love, or maybe just a serious crush. He couldn't be sure. All he knew is that he felt something toward Sabrina and it was powerful.
Could I love this girl? He asked himself. Is it possible that she's the real reason I came on this trip? Was I destined to meet her?
Marco was most certainly one to pay attention to his dreams. He never wrote them off as meaningless and would constantly try to make a point to find their reason.
With that in mind, he realized that there were two main themes that he had noticed during his dream. One, was that he was falling in love with Sabrina and he couldn't deny it to himself. The other, was that Magdalena would most certainly disapprove of it. Of course, Marco didn't need to have a dream in order to realize that Magdalena wouldn't approve of his choices, but it did bring to light the fact that she would be the biggest hurdle he'd have.
It wouldn't have been the first time, either. Every time Marco had ever wanted to get serious with a girl, his stepmother would step in to prevent it somehow. She'd sabotage the relationship one way or the other, usually with the excuse that the particular girl was “no good for the royal family.” Marco knew that Sabrina would be no different in Magdalena's eyes. But his heart ached longingly for this so-called commoner who laid next to him in the bed. This girl was different and special.
I want to be able to love whomever I want, he thought. This is my life, isn't it? Shouldn't a man be able to live it how he sees fit and love whatever woman steals his heart?
He quietly crawled off the bed, so as not to disturb Sabrina. After slipping on his black silk robe, he walked out to the living room and sat on the couch. He'd tried to fight it at first, but it was becoming clear to him that he was legitimately falling for this woman. She had taken him off guard from the moment they met for her interview. Something about the way she carried herself, so innocent yet strong. And genuine. Sabrina was the most genuine girl he'd ever met and was beautiful in ways that he couldn't put into words.
There is no way that I can let a girl like this slip through my fingers, he thought. I don't care what Magdalena or my father will say about it. If she'll have me, I will be her man, regardless of the opinions of my family. Tradition will not stand in my way.
Marco was resolute in his thinking. The decision to attempt an actual relationship with Sabrina excited him. Traditions and royal blood lines were a thing of the past. Sabrina was his future. He had a couple more weeks before he had to go back home and he hoped that he'd be able to convince her to go with him once that time came. Granted, he had no clue whether or not she'd actually want to but he figured by the time the vacation was over, he'd at least have a pretty good idea.
He got up from the couch and walked to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. He also ordered room service for the two of them from the TV menu. This included eggs, bacon and bagels. After he was done with that, he walked across the hotel suite and outside to the back patio. The morning sun warmed his skin and he closed his eyes as he faced it.