A few nights later, Maya spends the night in Rio's bedroom once again.

Maya was enjoying her slumber until Rio jolts awake. The sudden movement wakes Maya up too, her eyes opening to look at Rio with concern.

The princess has shot right up into a sitting position. Her brown eyes are wide and her body has started to shake uncontrollably. 

Rio just had a nightmare. 

A horrible one, in fact.

She relived what happened that one horrible day. This time, she had stepped in the way of the angry mob, hoping they would hurt her instead of her mother. But they simply pushed right past her and her mother got assassinated anyways.

The events of that horrible day replay in her nightmares. No matter what, the image of her beloved mother being stabbed with a pitchfork never leaves her mind. Or her dreams.

It didn't help that this time, there were voices telling her that it was her fault her mother died. That there was more she could have done to keep her safe.

Maya is quick to realize what is going on.

She wraps her arms around Rio and gently pulls her backwards so she is laying down again.

"Rio," her voice is soft and relaxing. "I'm right here. It was just a nightmare. Everything is okay, I'm here to keep you safe," she assures her. She is not sure about the content of Rio's nightmare, but she thinks she probably knows what it was about. 

Rio seems to relax under Maya's touch. The comforting touch of someone is something she has longed for so long, especially after the horrific event that resulted in the death of her mother. No matter what, Maya seems to always help her calm down. Even just thinking about Maya calms her down.

"Are you okay?" Maya then asks, resting her chin on Rio's shoulder.

"Y-Yeah..." Rio sighs. She still seems freaked out, but much less freaked out than before. "J-Just another one of those nightmares..."

"I figured," Maya responds, running a few fingers through Rio's hair to calm her. "What can I do to help you relax?"

"H-How about you just talk to me for a few minutes...?" Rio suggests, melting under Maya's touch. "I-I might need to distract my mind for a moment."

"Okay," Maya nods slightly, trying to think of something to talk about. This topic may not be a good idea to talk about, but she needs to bring it up at some point.