[[Siegfried's downy swan hair was splayed against the crisp pillow. His muted frown was highlighted by the vivid flush of fever on his otherwise colorless face. Twitch. Breathe. Toss and turn.

Something about the melodious prince was disjointed, though it was merely the stumbled note, the distraction claiming the attention of a practicing musician. Nothing serious. Just a cold. Just enough to sew a wish into his limbs, a faint desire to stay in bed, half-curled under the sheets that warm him and away from the sheets that he must grace with his seal.

He couldn't, of course. Duty was foremost, as it had to be, but surely he could uphold his princely responsibilities just as well if he lay there for a mere five minutes longer?

He pressed his thin fingers against his mouth to cage a sneeze, but a puffed "'choo" escaped, echoed by louder coughing. He closed his eyes with what serenity he could muster, a cool sigh signalling his brief surrender. It was a small matter, he meant to rouse himself fully in a few moments.

Yet drowsiness was stronger than he had anticipated in the blackness, and when he blinked into the stickily humid awareness that followed an ineffectual nap about three hours later, realization quickly dispelled the fuzziness from his mind. He smiled apologetically, not that anyone he wanted to apologize to could see it, and ran a bemused hand through his hair. How rather troublesome this was turning out to be. Well, he would do what he must, to make up for the late hour...

Another sneeze, this time with the tuneless accompaniment of a loud sniffle.]]