Madison had always been fascinated by the past, and she loved touring the museum looking at the paintings and sculptures. She especially loved the Medieval exhibits. The City museum had the best exhibit because it was set up to recreate the keeps of days past. She imagined, if reincarnation was real, then she must surely have been alive during the time of knights and ladies; kings and sorcerers, because she felt so at home among the tapestries and chain mail armor on display. Women weren't expected to be tiny leggy models back then, and because she was a little on the heavy side she knew she would have been more at home there. Ah yes, she would loved to have been Lady Madison.
Today she really needed to lose herself in her daydreams so she decided that the museum was the perfect place to go. She stayed for hours, eating lunch in the museum cafeteria. Late in the day, she grew very tired and decided to take one last tour of her favorite rooms in the Medieval exhibit, before she went home to her lonely apartment. There were very few people around when she walked into the exhibit, but she was glad. She didn't feel like talking to anyone, anyway. Finally, the few stragglers left. She knew she should be going too, because the museum would close very soon, but she delayed. She sat down on a bench to rest and found her eyes drooping until, at last, she was fast asleep.
She never knew what woke her, but she felt very strange. Instead of the hard bench that she remembered, she found herself on a bed of large velvet pillows, surrounded by drapes of deep red. "Okay I'm dreaming," she thought but was reluctant to wake up because she felt so very luxurious and pampered. She stretched and rose from her bed.
She looked down to find herself dressed in a gown of emerald green, embroidered with gold rope. Shaking her head she felt her thick braid of dark black hair sway and fall against her back. She took it and lay it across her ample breasts and noticed that it had the same good gold rope twined among the braids. She knew that the green of the dress matched the color of her eyes. This was a GOOD dream already.
Looking around her she noticed that the ropes that usually surrounded the exhibit were gone, so she began to explore the room. She noticed the wooden engraved chest in the corner and decided to investigate it further. Leaning down she noticed that the engraving on the chest said "Madison". She ran her hand over it, loving the feel of the warm wood beneath her fingers. Excited, she lifted the latch and opened the lid. Inside were several things - a silver brush and mirror, a couple of beautiful emerald necklaces, and a gorgeous jade ring. Lifting it, she tried it on her left ring finger.
"Do you like your wedding gifts, my lady? I chose the green to match your eyes," a deep voice spoke behind her.
Startled, she turned to find the most breathtaking man she had ever seen standing there. He was tall with broad shoulders. He wore the costume of a knight. He smiled lazily at her and she felt butterflies begin to take flight in her stomach.
"If this is a dream, please don't let me wake up now."
When he spoke again, she realized that she had voiced her thoughts aloud. "Ah my lady, tis no dream, we are finally man and wife, and I for one am glad of it. Waiting has been torture. Stealing kisses from those plump lips of yours only whetted my appetite for you."
His words caused her breath to catch in her throat. His voice was like steel on silk, rough but strong. She wanted to answer him but was unsure what to say, she didn't even know his name. So she remained silent, but smiled shyly at him.
He growled low and walked toward her purposefully. When he had almost reached her, he took her hand and pulled her against him. She felt the rough chain of his armor through her dress. The steely roughness of it meshed with the velvety softness was strangely exciting.
Taking her chin in his hand, he tilted her face up so that she looked into his deep black eyes. She suddenly felt so right in his arms. She had dreamed of those eyes many nights. He wore a beard and she longed to feel it against her skin.
