Morpheus X Original Female Character - Tumblr Posts

In His Mercy

Pairing: dark!Morpheus x original female character

Summary: Nura is a dream who dared to leave her Lord's realm and find herself a lover. Morpheus is not happy when he finds out about it.

Warnings: power difference, betrayal, heartbreak, fear, angst, intimidation, threats, rejection, eventual smut, possible dub/noncon in future. Don't Like Don't Read. 18+ only. Minors DNI

since it is my story please expect dark themes and a dark representation of Morpheus.

A/n: The story is set right after Morpheus punishes Gault and the plot of the series is ongoing in the background.

I have not read the comics so this is based purely on what I observed from the show as well as what I could find about him online. This story would contain a darker and upsetting depiction of Dream so if it's not your thing dont read. If you enjoy it let me know! I'd possibly continue this in the future. Thanks for reading.

"You're brave to have returned, but you're too late. His temper has been on a rise these past days and he has never been too forgiving," Lucienne warned her breathlessly.

Nura followed her with hurried steps as she contemplated her words. There was an ache in her chest that warned her about how regrettable it would be for her to meet Dream after leaving his realm for so long. She wished to be ethical and loyal in the decisions of her life, but there was no telling of how understanding he would be for her reasons.

"I hope he would listen to me. I hope he would be merciful, I would like to believe that he would be," Nura said, expecting some validation from Lucienne.

The librarian sighed.

"I would not recommend that you get your hopes high and…" Lucienne stopped short of her steps, just inches outside the gates of the throne room, "I'm sorry for whatever would happen next. Do your best to convince him to forgive you."

Nura gave a nervous nod as she folded her arms around her body.

"I will," Nura said.

She heeded her advice, it was best to accept her mistake and ask for forgiveness from Dream if she were to expect him to listen to her cause for staying in the waking world. But Lucienne’s troubled expression did not do anything to put her at ease. Nura bit her lip and attempted to calm herself with deep breaths as the librarian opened the grand gates of Dream’s throne room. Only she could muster the courage to enter his chambers without prior permission.

With reluctance, Nura went inside after Lucienne. Their entrance echoed with their footfalls on the cold marble floor which was not dirtied with the debris and shambles of Dream’s decaying palace anymore. She raised her head to examine the reformed structure of the throne room, gaping in awe at how its beauty had been restored now that the King had returned. For a moment, her admiration of the palace and its decorative designs distracted her from the cold and stinging presence of her Lord. Until Lucienne decided to gather his attention.

"My lord, forgive us for this interruption, but there is someone who wishes to seek an audience with you."

Nura turned her gaze to him. Her chest thrummed with the speeding throbs of her heart invoked just by his sight. And he was not even entirely visible to her.

Books were lined and arranged neatly around him, the stacks appearing as rails that began at his throne and ended five or six steps beyond his seat. The rest of the stairwell remained empty as ever while he sat comfortably on his throne with a thick book covering his face. Only his body and his spiking hair strands were visible from the distance at which Nura was standing. And that was enough to have her shudder in anticipation of his judgment.

Dream closed the book after making them wait for a few minutes. He dropped it on the stack pile next to his throne and bent forward. His cold and dark eyes narrowed in on her as his lips puckered into a distasteful grimace.

"Nura," he said with a great enunciation of every letter and syllable, "so you have finally decided to return."

The grim depth of his voice and the disappointment laced in it made her heart jolt. She exchanged a nervous glance with Lucienne before stepping forward to greet Dream.

"My lord,” she bowed her head with a hand on her heart to show him her respect, “it is so delightful to see you again and in good health.”

She truly was happy to see him safe after hearing what the humans had done to him. He was intimidating and authoritative, but he was her Creator and he had mostly been kind and sweet to her, he did not deserve to be treated like that. No one did.

Dream gave a mocking scoff, blinking his eyes slowly in the angry way that he did as he rose to his feet. He sauntered down the marble steps, running the dainty fingers of his left hand along the covers of the books.

"Not enough for you to return sooner," he said.

The muscles on his face twitched even as he attempted to not express his emotions to her. Nura squeezed her arms in her hands, wondering if she should have followed the ways of the Corinthian and focused on running away instead of coming to her displeased Lord.

He paused after the fourth step and picked up a book to read. She was relieved to have his piercing eyes away from her.

She swallowed the knot in her throat and gathered the courage to speak.

"Yes, and I apologize for that, my lord. But I do have my reasons," she said.

"What reasons would justify you leaving my realm and doing something that goes against your purpose, Nura?" He asked, peering at her from the corner of his eye.

"I confess…I did step out of the line but I could not keep myself within this realm for long once you were gone, sir,” she explained. 

Nura recalled the moment she decided to enter the realm of humans, the excitement she had felt at the thought of visiting them, especially those dreamers with whom she was already familiar. 

“I wished to see them and feel what it is like to be one of them. I had to know—"

“Step out of the line? Dreams do not belong in the waking world yet you talk about violating the rules so casually,” Morpheus chided her.

“It was not my intention to defy my purpose or you, my lord!”

"Then why did you leave and why did you not return?"

"Because—” Nura quivered and pressed her lips together. She debated with herself about telling him of her true intentions. However, she needed to discuss her reasons with him. Without his permission, she could never return to the waking world and be happy among the humans. 

She sucked a breath through her teeth and spoke, “because I do not wish to return, my lord."

"What?" Dream snapped his head at Nura, his eyebrows raised in shock at her audacity.

Nura scratched her knuckles as her nerves rattled with anxiety. She urged herself to speak the truth and speak it quickly.

"I–I wish to stay in their realm."

The scrunched lines on his face suggested that he was only more and more aggravated by her words.

"What has their realm to offer you that cannot be sought here?"

Nura paused at his question and ground her teeth. She thought of the man, the human who she yearned to stay with, who offered her everything that the realm did not even with all its beauty and treasures. She hated that she had to speak of him with such sourness.

“Answer me!” Dream roared at her.

She flinched and turned her eyes to Lucienne who had her head low with fear as well. There was nothing that she could do to mediate the situation between her and Dream. Nura did not want her to risk her head either.

"Forgive me— my lord. But I— I have fallen in love with a human and I wish to stay with him in their realm."

Lucienne gasped and widened her eyes at Nura.

Morpheus snapped the book shut and placed it on its stack before he turned to her with a frightening frown.

"What did you say?" He demanded.

"I–I'm sorry, my lord, but I love him dearly and I wish to spend my time with him."

"How dare you?" He growled, stomping his feet down the stairs.

The books fell from the vibration of his rage.

Nura stepped back in fear, her eyes tearing up at his reaction. He halted in the middle of the stairwell to look at his librarian.

"Lucienne, leave us alone," he ordered her.

"Yes, sir," Lucienne answered swiftly.

She gave Nura a helpless and sorry glance through her spectacles before she rushed out of the throne room, leaving the runner Dream alone to face the wrath of her Lord.

Nura watched her lord with pleading eyes as she trembled on her spot.

"You wish to stay with him. Are you a fool? Have you forgotten who you are? Have you forgotten who made you?"

"No, my lord! I will always be grateful to you, always in your devotion—but I could not help it—"

"You would refuse your service and break your loyalty to your lord, your creator for a mere mortal."

"My lord,” Nura folded her palms in front of her face, pointing them at him in a prayer for his mercy, “I beg you for your forgiveness. I apologise for this but I wish that you would see that I only act out of love."

"Is your love for that human not a betrayal of me, of your duties?” Dream asked.

His question left her without words.

“Not only have you betrayed me in your actions but also in your heart…and you dare come to my throne room expecting me to spare you for your transgressions."

Tears spilt down her cheeks as she found it difficult to contain them. She touched her quivering lips with her fingers and pressed back her whimpers with them.

"I want you to be merciful," Nura begged in her broken voice.

He stood undeterred by the sight of her tears and pain. There was not even a hint of empathy in his frigid face.

"And I wanted you to be loyal and dutiful. But you are not, so tell me, what shall your punishment be then?"

Nura panicked at the suggestion of punishment. He was not known to be lenient in them. It broke her heart to see him arrive at that conclusion so quickly. She had foolishly expected him to be more considerate of who she was and her dedicated service to him, but he cared none of it.

She thought of Lucienne’s advice and understood that she had to bend to his will to ensure her own safety.

"My lord, you must let me know how I can earn your forgiveness!"

"Defy me and then ask for forgiveness. You disappoint me,” Dream said with a shake of his head. “But before I decide what to do with you, I must see to this human that you have fallen in love with."

Nura widened her eyes at him in horror. Her lover should not have to face the consequences of her actions.

"No! No, there’s no need!" Nura protested.

“And you will not be leaving the Dreaming anymore,” Dream said.

Nura screamed and ran to him to stop him from reaching her beloved, but he was gone in a gust of sand within seconds. She was left with only fear and misery as everything fell apart around her.

With a heavy heart and tearful eyes, she ran to the royal Library to find Lucienne.

“Lucienne! Lucienne! Where are you?” She cried as she sprinted between the shelves searching for a sign of the librarian.

“Nura? What happened?” Lucienne emerged from behind a shelf with multiple books in her hands.

Nura stopped before she would have collided with the woman. She only sobbed when she looked at the librarian who had warned her of such a fate.

“What happened, dear? Where is he?”

Nura’s voice came out as a hitched breath when she tried to speak.

“Oh dear, what has he done? What did he say?” Lucienne inquired.

“Come, sit first,” she said, holding Nura by her arm and dragging her to a nearby table.

Nura let herself be carried along by Lucienne, finding no strength in her body to do anything.

“I think— I think he is going to kill him! My Zak!” Nura spoke in panic as she sank on a chair. “And I cannot leave, you have to do something, please help me!”

Lucienne rubbed her arm to soothe her.

“I doubt that he would punish someone else for your mistakes, Nu,” she said.

“But he said so! He said that he will see to him!”

“Perhaps in other ways. I do not believe that he would kill him. Not when he is not the one responsible. He might have meant something less, but even so, unfortunately, I cannot help you.”

“I know,” Nura sniffled.

She lowered her eyes to her lap and hoped that Dream would not hurt her lover in any way. The Dream King could not be so cruel and unjust. And if he was, she had to blame herself for endangering her Zak.

“There is nothing I can do either. I thought he would forgive, but he is so heartless. How can he do this to me?”

“He is our lord, our King and our Creator,” Lucienne said as she patted her back softly.

“And, Nu, as much as I care for you, I cannot entirely support what you have done and intended to do. It is true that you are an entity of the Dreaming and you cannot remain in the waking world. It’s not right.”

“It’s not fair!” Nura slapped a hand on the table. “He can take lovers, can’t he? Then why can’t I?”

“Well, that has not ended well for him either, has it? You can’t fall in love with a mortal, my dear,” Lucienne insisted.

“That’s not in my control!” Nura reverted.

She was a Dream, a creation of Morpheus, but she still felt for the humans, she did have strivings of her own. When she found herself getting lost in the lovely dreams of Zak, she had not intended to defy or offend Morpheus. She had only wanted to make her own dreams come true.

“I wish that he had never given me the ability to think or feel for myself. He could have made us be just puppets who dance on his whim.”

“It is not only that you know, Nura…you’re special to him,” Lucienne said.

Nura looked at her with puzzlement. 

“How?” She asked

“You’re still here. He hasn’t damned you in any way. Gault did not last this long. You do know that he favours you slightly more than others, he has always been a little more fond of you since your creation,” the librarian told her.

The information only agitated Nura more. She would rather he not care for her and leave her be than be bound by his affection for her.

“And I should feel good about that?” 

Lucienne looked at her and sighed. Nothing was convincing to her, it was much like talking to Dream. 

“I don’t know. But perhaps knowing that you’ve broken his heart more than others by leaving in this manner can help you see what you can do to save yourself from his wrath.”

“What a way to live? Always in fear of him, obeying him always and—”

“As it should be,” his murky voice interrupted your conversation, startling both her and Lucienne at once.

His tall and slender form appeared in front of them. He strolled forward from between the bookshelves, carrying subtle hints of ire and disgust on his face. Nura remained frozen in her seat, but Lucienne walked away quickly, leaving her alone with their unforgiving lord once again.

Dream studied Nura’s tear-stricken face as he approached her. She balled her hands into fists on top of the wooden table and her chest heaved in anxiety and anger at her lord’s actions.

“You should not forget yourself, your duties and your master, Nura,” he told her.

“Did you kill him?” Nura asked.

Dream came to a stop at the edge of the table, staring down at her with dark and icy eyes. Nura did her best to meet them with equal fervour but her will wavered at the intensity of his fury.

"I did not kill him,” he answered.

Relief washed over Nura’s heart at the news and a brief smile appeared on her face. It faded just as quickly as Dream circled to her and removed the chair that was placed between them. Nura jumped up from her seat as he inched closer, wanting desperately to be away from him.

“It is not a mortal's fault that an entity from the Dreaming strayed so disgustingly away from her path and seduced him in a bid to use love as a tool of manipulation for her Lord,” he snarled at her.

His words made her want to shrink in herself and disappear. They made her disgusted in herself as if her love was never pure and was just a tool of deception.  She had not seen it in that way. She had not acknowledged what could be wrong with her actions. Nura had acted out of her curiosity about the humans and her love for one of them, what could be wrong with that?

“No, that wouldn't be fair. However, he would not remember ever seeing you, meeting you or falling in love with you…as it is supposed to be."

Nura gasped at the revelation of what he had done to her lover. He had spoiled everything. Her eyes became full to the brim again, blurring his image to her as she glared at him.

“You’re cruel,” she said.

“I’m not. Not yet,” he replied.

He moved towards her with slow steps. A part of Nura wished to punch him in the face and accept the consequences that would come with it, but the other part was terrified of what her punishment would be. She had not been a rebellious one in spirit ever before and her will was not strong enough for her to openly defy her Master, she was no match for him.

“I’ve yet to decide how to punish you, my Nura,” he said as he cornered her into the wall behind her.

“Should I cast you into the darkness? Should I turn you into a Nightmare?”

Nura mewled at his proposals and the discomforting proximity between them as if being near to him in his rage would be enough for her to burn into flames. His suggestions for her punishment had her shivering even more. She lowered her head and sobbed, not having the courage to look him in the eye. 

“Or should I just uncreate you?”

Nura put a hand over her mouth to muffle her whimper. Dream simply observed her in silence as she crumbled before him. It was impossible for her to even move as her hands brushed against his coat and shirt at every twitch. He had her trapped between himself and the wall and it seemed that he savoured the sheer panic that he created in her with his ideas of her suffering. That was what he wanted, for the defiant to fear him and be reminded of who their Master was.

“Please, let me seek your forgiveness, my lord,” Nura begged.

He gave her no reply. He stood there and bore his eyes into her as she struggled to collect herself. Nura had known of Dream’s ruthlessness, but she had never experienced how utterly cold and harsh he was capable of being, even to those who had been nothing but devoted to him through endless times.

“I can’t yet decide on what I will do to you,” Dream said, finally breaking the painful silence between them.

He took a small step back from her while keeping his eyes pinned on her face. 

“But I will soon. You’re not to leave the Dreaming until then nor indulge with the humans when they visit. And it will do you good to stay out of my sight until I call you,” he said.

Nura watched him in a daze and confusion as he passed his uncertain judgement. She could not make sense of it and he did not provide any clarifications. He only gave her a last glower of repulsion before he stormed out of her sight and out of the library.

While she was relieved that he had left her without delivering a swift punishment, she did not understand the reason behind his decision to make her wait. She wanted to believe that by wanting to keep her out of his sight he was giving her the opportunity to save herself from his wrath. But by forbidding her from leaving the Dreaming and from even performing her duties, he left her with nothing to do but to constantly hide in a realm that belonged to him. Perhaps, that was her punishment, to be trapped without any purpose and be plagued forever with fear.

If it was her punishment, Nura favoured it against the other possibilities that he had presented to her. But she knew that she would eventually come to face her suffering. At least she could still talk to others in the Dreaming and she intended to reach out to Lucienne for comfort and answers. In the realm, the librarian was the only one who could help her through her knowledge and her books. Or so she hoped.

In His Mercy (Chapter 2)

Pairing: Dark!Morpheus x Original Female Character

Summary: Nura is a dream who dared to leave her Lord's realm and find herself a lover. Morpheus is not happy when he finds out about it.

Warnings: nonconsent, power difference, betrayal, heartbreak, fear, angst, intimidation, threats, rejection, eventual smut. Don't Like Don't Read. 18+ only. Minors DNI

Chapter 1

The tears in her eyes had dried from crying after reading the two books repeatedly in the past few days. Nura hid in the farthest corner of the library, where she thought that he wouldn’t find her, and read the stories of her lover’s life, what it was in her absence and what it could have been if Morpheus had let them be together. 

The ache in her heart was constant and painful. She missed being in his arms, hearing his words of praise and feeling his touch of love. She could recall the day that she had visited him for the first time in the waking world. Zak had burst with delight and she had as well when she found that he truly had made paintings of her inspired by their meetings in his dreams. Nura had never felt so appreciated and loved before. She had not known that she would want it and that it would be a human who would fulfil that need.

They had built a sweet life together and all of it was gone. The book that told her about what their future would have been like brought more pain to her heart. There could have been a wedding, a honeymoon and somehow one day, children as well. Her life would have been filled with joy with him, it read truly like a dream and it was that. None of it was possible unless Morpheus allowed her to leave and pursue her lover again.

Nura could hear their voices from a distance. Morpheus, Lucienne, and Matthew conversed about the ongoing troubles every once in a while. Mervyn kept her updated on when she was safe in the library and what were the times that she had to leave to prevent being seen by her angry lord. 

In those moments, she had to scramble from here to there around the Dreaming. She was constantly watching the shadows to see if Morpheus was anywhere near or not. She had been fortunate to not meet a dastard fate quickly at his hands, but having to keep hiding from him in his realm was most taxing. 

Nura missed Fiddler’s Green dearly. The green and flowery gardens were most comforting to sit in and she had loved to rest under the shade of his large trees. She could understand why he left and only wished that they could have met in the human world. At least she hoped that he wouldn’t return or else he would have to face his Lord’s wrath as well.

Though it wasn’t safe for her, Nura always was pulled back to the library again. The books soothed her heart and she yearned to see if there was something more about Zak’s life there. 

She entered the library on tiptoes, wanting to give no sign of her existence to the occupants of the place. She had hoped to find some time to talk to Lucienne and check on her about Morpheus’s moods, but he kept the librarian busy with himself most of the time recently.

She was relieved to find a pin drop silence in the library and hoped that it meant that Dream was in his throne room or anywhere else but there. For once she wanted to strut without fear in between the shelves and feel free to approach the librarian about her concerns. It was a miserable way of existing and she wondered if that was the punishment that her King had intended for her. The only way she could confirm it was through Lucienne or his loyal raven.

With the two books pressed to her chest, Nura rushed through the narrow paths of the library to search for Lucienne. She had all the questions ready in her mind. Some would be about Morpheus, some would be about the realm and the vortex, but most importantly, she needed to know if more books existed regarding her Zak.  Lost in her queries, Nura took each step without a care for her surroundings. The library often seemed like a maze to her, but the ways always led her to what she wanted and so she trusted them. 

She stepped to her right and walked onwards in a straight line. A flutter of pages reached her ears and made her heart stop. Nura stopped in her tracks and looked forth with wide eyes. 

Her lord has his back to her. Morpheus stood two shelves length away from her with a book in his hands and others on the table before him. Even the appearance of him wracked her nerves. His lean form in his long black coat, his shaggy hair, and the dark shadow that he cast on the floor behind himself somehow painted a picture of horror for Nura.

She clapped a hand on her mouth to muffle any gasps and the sound of her fastening breaths. Ever so carefully, she put her feet back one behind the other and peeked around to see which direction she should choose to get lost in. Nura made a slow turn to the left on her heels. Morpheus had not taken notice of her and she was ready to sprint away.

“Wait!” came his order just as she had placed her first step out of his sight.

“Shit,” she whispered to herself.

She paused on her feet and lowered her head, waiting to hear what he wanted.

“Come here,” Morpheus said.

“My lord– I’m sorry to disturb– I’ll be on my way!”

"Come here," he repeated with a little less patience.

Nura bit her lip and nodded. She urged her legs to move forward even as she anticipated facing her demise at his hands. Morpheus' icy and daunting stare at her trembling steps did little to help ease her fears. But he never intended to make her feel comfortable, not after what she had done. 

"I recall telling you to stay out of my sight," he said. "And yet you're bold enough to not even attempt to hide."

"No, sir…I was just— I was about to–"

"What have you got there?" He asked, drawing his gaze to the books in her hands.

She clutched them tighter and covered the titles with her palms. She could only imagine how badly he'd react if he knew who the books were about.

“Uh…just books, I’ve to keep them back.”

“Give them to me,” Dream said and extended his right towards her,

Nura darted her nervous eyes from his large palm to his grim face. She cursed herself for coming to the library at all. 

“I can just keep them. You wouldn’t—” 

Morpheus interrupted her with a loud exhale.

“Nura, you shouldn’t be testing my patience,” he said.

“Oh– right.”

She reluctantly gave him one book and then the other. He held each book in each hand and examined their titles by rotating his wrists. Nura squeezed her fingers together as she awaited his lash back.

“Hm. You’re still living in his memory when you shouldn’t be.”

“I–”

“I was right in not allowing you to return to your position again. You would have gone directly to his dreams and be the manipulator that you’ve become.”

“I’ve not. I’d never!” She did not appreciate being painted as a predatory manipulator who took advantage of Zak’s vulnerability. There was genuine between them no matter what he liked to believe for the sake of his ego.

Nura’s breath hitched as Morpheus stepped forward. He reached for her face with a hand and traced three lines from her forehead to her cheek with his fingers. She froze under his heated gaze as he watched her with scrutiny.

“You were a beautiful creation of mine, Nura and I treasured you,” he said.

“But you were far from perfect.” His fingers slid down to her chin. “Very far.”

Morpheus hounded her space and left her bereft of breath. Her heaving chest brushed against the lapel of his coat and he savoured the sight of her falling apart in front of him. His gaze was intense and she felt devoured by it.

Her heart pounded in her ears as Dream dipped his head to her face.

“My lord,” she called in a plea.

Morpheus seized her lips with his mouth before she could say anything else. He swallowed any air that was left in her lungs and drew out whines and whimpers from her. Nura grabbed his coat and attempted to pull away, but he didn’t allow her to leave. Instead, he dropped the books aside and held her with both hands, placing them on her head and hip to push her further into his kiss.

It was odd to experience the hunger and lust of her lord, her King. He was not gentle either unlike how Zak was. His lips sucked, his teeth scraped her skin and his nails dug into the flesh beneath them. It was not only a display of passion but also one of a punishing possession. He was taking what was always his and Nura had no right to refuse to his claim. 

But it was not what she wanted. It was not right. She pushed his shoulders with all her might and ripped her mouth away from his. Morpheus’ hot breaths fell on her face as he looked at her with sheer disappointment. He showed no sign of warming up to her.

“My lord?”

Morpheus sighed in agitation and spun her around himself. He pushed her towards the reading table and pinned her body to the wood. Nura stumbled on her feet and latched onto the edges for stability. 

He was in to cage her without a second’s waste. With no shame, Morpheus pressed his body against hers and searched for her lips again. Nura turned her head away and the kiss landed on her cheek. 

Dream panted against her skin. He rested his forehead against her temple, nuzzling her cheek as he grunted at her refusal. Nura’s eyes teared up at the lack of control that he had put her in. She was entirely in his mercy and any sign of rebellion could cost her. But she did not want to give in to the man who had been the cause of her heartbreak. 

He began to chuckle as he pulled his head back to look at her. With his hand, he forced her to turn her face to him and meet his eyes. There was an expression of amusement on his face that Nura found unpleasant.

“You continue to defy me… and you do it so boldly,” he said.

Nura stared at him blankly.

“It amazes me, your lack of fear, your lack of remorse, your lack of effort to seek my forgiveness. Have you really strayed so far from your devotion to me?”

Nura was dazed by his question. She did not know what to say, she did not know what would satisfy him other than what he so wantonly sought from her.

“You must know…I’ve been starved for quite long, Nura,” he said.

Dream roped a hand around her neck and pinned her hip to the table with the other as he dove in to devour the taste of her lips again. With twice the hunger and determination, he kissed her lips and then her jaw. His teeth nipped at her skin as licked his way down to her neck, burying his head at the crook of it while she squirmed between him and the table. Any effort to move only had her rubbing up against his body and caressing the hardness of his arousal with her belly.

He groaned and bucked his hips further into her for relief. Nura gasped for breath as he suffocated her with his body. The shove of her hands did not matter to him neither did her unwilling whimpers.

She was terribly afraid of this monstrous side of him. She knew how authoritative he was, but she had never imagined him to be so selfish and overpowering.

“Please, my lord,” she begged.

His lips halted on her clavicle. The strands of his hair tickled her neck as he paused to contemplate over her chest. Nura wondered if he could hear her heart racing and if that would persuade him to spare her. To her surprise, he loosened his hold on her body and stepped back.

He stood straight and viewed her with his typical grimace. His eyes appeared darker than before. Nura could see that he was not pleased with her rejection. He shoved his hands in his pockets and moved away from her.

“Leave. I have much to do,” he told her.

He waved his hand at her to shun her away. Nura wanted to experience relief, but his sudden cold dismissal disheartened her. There may not be more chances at redemption and though she did not want to get his forgiveness in this manner, she had to gain his favour urgently, not lose more of it.

“Lord Morpheus,” she called him. “Can’t we talk?”

Dream raised his head to give her the most agonizing glare.

“Go,” he grunted.

Nura sniffled at his response. She had no choice but to turn back. The risk of testing his wrath was too high if she tried to argue with him. 

Once again, her face was drenched with tears provoked by Morpheus’ harshness. She sobbed into her hands as she headed for the gates of the library. Her wish to talk to Lucienne remained unfulfilled. She was desperate for her guidance. 

Nura had managed to dig a deeper grave for herself, but there had to be something that she could do to save herself yet. 

Morpheus slammed the book shut and tossed it across the table so he would not give in to the urge to destroy it. Reading about her love for the human had been the most unpleasant experience that he should not have been indulging in when he was already in the midst of a crisis because of the vortex and the missing entities. 

He had seethed as he read the story of their love and he had yet to simmer from the pure aggravation that he had felt during it. She had accepted his touch, his kisses, enjoyed them and reciprocated them as well. But she could not do it for him, her master to whom her loyalty and service belonged. 

Dream had come very close to passing her punishment right then. He was ready to cast her into the darkness where her defiant will would have been broken and she would have come back to him on her knees. But he could not do it. He told himself not to do it.

She still was precious to him and he did not have the patience of waiting for so long. He feared that he did not have the patience of waiting for even a few days or weeks for her to come begging to him. He would have to think of a more brutal but temporary mode of punishment for her so she would learn who her master was.

“These are some more books that could help,” Lucienne walked into the reading space, carrying a stack of books up to her chin.

She put them down on the table next to an empty chair while Morpheus composed himself. He watched her eyes lurk to the two discarded books kept by the corner of the table and by the raise of her brows, he knew that she could imagine the trouble that had taken place there moments ago. She said nothing of it though.

“I hope this helps,” she said with a simple pat on the top of the books.

“Thank you, Lucienne,” he said in a low and grave voice.

The librarian nodded and began to leave. He stopped her by calling her name.

“Yes, my lord?” She asked.

“Would you do me a favour?”

“Of course, sir.”

“I need you to go or send someone to fetch Nura,” he said.

“Oh.” The lines of concern emerged on her face. “What for?”

“Have her placed in a chamber in my palace. Near mine, if you will. I do not want her roaming around the Dreaming without any purpose. It can be dangerous in these times.”

“I see. I will have it done.”

“And also…you’re not going to allow her to have any books,” he added.

She had been mischievous before, using the time given to her to think and repent on getting lost in the dreams of her human lover instead. He would not give her the chance to do that again.

“Oh, but they keep her occupied,” Lucienne argued.

“She doesn’t need them,” Dream said.

His librarian’s forehead furrowed and conveyed her objection to his decision. 

“My lord, if I may…it would be too harsh on her. She would be driven mad if she’s only trapped in a room.”

“Then what shall I do?” Dream countered. “Sentence her to the darkness? Uncreate and recreate her to rectify the many errors in her? Would that be good?”

Lucienne lowered her head and pursed her lips.

“I only wish…there could be a better way.”

“There isn’t and you mustn't pity her. She has no remorse for her actions, no guilt nor the will to atone for her mistakes,” he said.

“She is only scared.”

“Lucienne!” Dream uttered her name in warning. 

He had had enough of his subjects forgetting themselves with him. He was thankful that Lucienne was the most disciplined of them all. She argued with him no further and left to obey the commands given to her.

Dream exhaled the bubbling unease in his chest as he directed his attention to the books that Lucienne had brought to him. They were the ones that he should have been reading. There were real and more devastating threats to his realm and the humans. He did not have the privilege to stew about Nura’s denial of him. Had she been compliant and granted him reprieve in her body, Dream might have been able to deal with the present issues with a more stable mind.

But she was a problem that he would have to address after the issue of the vortex and the missing entities are resolved. Till then, Dream hoped, that the solitary of the palace chamber would give her the ability to reflect on her mistakes and think about how to correct them. Or else, he would be compelled to do something worse.