The Boy Who Wants To Dream

The Land of Dreams. That's what most people know Rosecrown as.

It's a beautiful kingdom filled with all kinds of living things. Humans, animals, and plants all live along in harmony with each other. Everyone who lives in Rosecrown seems happy and peaceful. They never fight, they never struggle, and everything is always peaceful among the inhabitants.

The number of crimes happening in Rosecrown can be counted by fingers. Most of the time, there are even no crimes at all. And in the occasion that a criminal does show in up the city, he'll get rehabilitated for a few weeks in a treatment facility and when he gets released, he'll become a model citizen.

Other kingdoms all over the continent are trying to replicate what Rosecrown did. A land where the crime rates are so low that you won't really need law enforcement, where the criminals turn into model citizens after a short period of rehabilitation, and the people are living in pure bliss and happiness every single day. Who wouldn't want to live in a place like that?

But so far, none of them ever succeeded in finding the secret of happiness. They've tried sending spies to live in there for a few weeks and see what makes the place seems like such a utopia. And yet the spies never came back from Rosecrown to their place of origins. They've tried sending diplomats to Rosecrown to ask for an explanation for the missing people, but no matter what they did, they can’t seem to find the answer they’re looking for.

As days go by, more and more people tried immigrating to Rosecrown. They were allured by the stories they heard and wanted to experience everything by themselves. The farmers, fishers, merchants, blacksmiths, and all the other important laborers started leaving for Rosecrown. They are welcomed with open arms and so the kingdom of Rosecrown grows immensely in the coming days.

The neighboring empires started becoming restless. They were losing people at an astonishing rate. They can’t force them to stay, and even if they implement a stricter rule or give better living conditions, they were still at a loss. And as the unrest grew stronger between the neighboring kingdoms, one ruler suggested an unthinkable idea, one that has never been considered in the thousands of years that the land has stood. He proposed a joint operation between all the kingdoms in the continent beside Rosecrown. 

An operation with the main goal being the eradication of the kingdom of Rosecrown. They thought that if they can’t find the secret behind happiness, then nobody should be happy. And so the rulers of the kingdoms gather up to make a sinister plan. Each one of them sent the best assassin they had and disguise them as merchants to infiltrate Rosecrown. They were told to create chaos from within the kingdom walls.

And so they set on a journey to Rosecrown, each with a hidden weapon and skill that they’ve prepared beforehand. They thought the best way to create chaos from within is none other than the death of the king.  When they finally arrived at Rosecrown, they were astonished by what they see. They've heard the rumors and news about the people being happy all the time, but they never expected this. Everyone in their sight looks so happy. They were singing, dancing, and playing all the time. The looks on their faces show no stress or sadness at all.

The assassins were a bit shaken by the view, but they still remember the mission they were given. And so they scout around the kingdom for a few days, trying to find the best way to execute their orders.

At first, they're planning to sneak inside the castle at night and take out the king quietly. But then they realized that it was impossible after seeing how tight the security was. There were guards stationed all around the castle at all times and unlike the common people who look friendly, the guards were menacing. It's quite a strange view if you consider that this is a kingdom known for its low crime rates and happy residents.

But the assassins won't waste time with unnecessary thoughts, so they try to come up with another plan. And after a short discussion, they agreed on a plan. This time, they will request an audience with the king by saying that they have a piece of information to sell. One about the traitors within the kingdom who were planning a coup d'etat. It wasn't uncommon at that time for merchants to request an audience with the king to sell information regarding sensitive topics such as potential rebellions or attacks from another kingdom.

To their pleasant surprise, their request was granted and they were summoned to the castle. One by one, the gates of the castle opened. The guards let them in but there's nobody welcoming them inside. They looked at each other in confusion before finally stepping inside by themselves.

While from the outside the castle looks grandiose, the inside is unexpectedly modest. There are no glittering chandeliers, luxurious furniture, or any exquisite paintings around. They walked slowly through the hallway, trying to find their target, the king of Rosecrown. And when they reached what looks like the throne room, they found a boy sitting on a small throne. They looked at him strangely, wondering if this is really the king of Rosecrown and the one who holds the secret of happiness.

Before they even got the chance to speak, the boy speaks in a really deep voice,

"Are you the ones who are looking for the secret towards happiness?"

They were shocked. He knew their true intention before they even utter a single word. Afraid that they were going to get caught, they quickly draw their hidden weapons and attacked him. And as their blades were about to slit his throat,

*pops* the boy snapped his fingers. And in a split second, the assassins started losing their consciousness. One by one, they fainted in front of the boy.

When they opened their eyes, they were already in the middle of Rosecrown. They can't remember what happened before. No, they can't remember anything prior to that day. All they remember is that they're merchants living in the kingdom of Rosecrown and that they were living happily with each other there. They have no worries, sadness, or problems. Their heads were filled with joy and bliss, and all they wanted to do was to sing, dance, and play.

And so the kingdom of Rosecrown gets bigger by the passing day. People keep on coming there, and yet not a single person ever wanted to leave. Workers, spies, diplomats, soldiers, and the latest addition of assassins turned merchants made Rosecrown bigger and stronger than ever.

"Slowly but surely, they begin seizing the lands of the kingdoms that are left behind with only a few people in them. They can't resist or fight back, as they are greatly outnumbered by the troops from Rosecrown. And soon after that, the whole continent was occupied by the kingdom of Rosecrown.

That is the story behind the name of the Continent of Rosecrown. Now, you must go to sleep so you won't be late for school" said the old man in a soothing, deep voice.

"But... I still have questions about the last part, grandpa. I promise I'll really go to sleep after you answer them." the boy pleaded to his grandfather.

"Okay, fine, I'll let you ask two questions. But after that, you really have to go to sleep, you hear me?" the old man just can't refuse the boy's wishes.

"Sure! As for the questions, who is the boy sitting on the throne when the assassins come to kill the king? And what happens when he snapped his fingers?" the boy asked enthusiastically.

"His name is Morpheus, and he is the god of sleep and dreams. When he snaps his fingers, he can make someone dream forever. He can make them live in a dream of happiness, sadness, grief, of bliss. And at that time, I guess he made everyone live in a dream of happiness." the old man smiled when saying that.

"So they won't ever wake up from their dreams?" the boy asked another question in his curiosity

"Hey, I said two questions only."

"This is the last one, pleaseeee" he begs the old man

"Argh, I just can't fight against that begging eye of yours. This will be the last one okay, no more additional time!

"Okay, hehehe."

"They will wake up once he snaps his finger three times in a row.

Now, close your eyes and go to sleep. Your parents will be mad if they found out you're still awake at this time. I also need to get going now." he said as he was preparing to leave the room.

"When will I see you again?" the boy pulled his jacket as he was leaving

The old man just hugged the boy and whispered in his ear, "I'll be there whenever you need me. Just call my name in your dreams, okay?"

"Okay... I'll see you soon, grandpa Morphy," said the boy as he was closing his eyes.

"I'll see you soon indeed."

*pops* the old man snaps his finger and disappeared from the room.

~Fin

A short appreciation to these amazing people who supported my journey on read. Kindly check out their works!

This is my entry for Writing Prompt #16: Dreams by @JonicaBradley

If you'd like to make your own submission for this prompt, simply follow these few rules and join the community here.

Author's Note

Lead image credits to Evi T. on unsplash.com

Another fiction story by yours truly.

If you find this story interesting, kindly check out my other works here:

The Tale Of A Beautiful Soul

Surrounded But Still Alone

If Only I Listened

A Cruel Twist Of Fate

You can also find me on noise!

~Thank you so much for all the support, stay tuned for my next posts!