Ring of Mushrooms

11

The ballroom was stunning. It was hard to find the words to describe it, they were unable to do it justice. It was a wave of flowing skirts and coats. They moved in small parts but undoubtedly part of an overarching whole. When one moved another filled its spot. It was that, on and on, a step followed immediately by another.

Her arm, wrapped around yours, held you against her. The pool of hands and eyes, the bodies mixed as you looked out across the crowd. She kept them from grabbing at you. Her existence kept them at bay. Her hand slid down tangling itself around your waist pressing you against her chest.

How horribly embarrassing. Your shoulder pressed against her. Feeling her body heat, being held there with no hopes of escape. Would you leave it? Is a part of you foolish enough to want to push her away? This may be embarrassing, but it was nice.

She paraded you around, introducing you to her guests; commanders, generals, nobility, and renowned scholars. You soon got caught up in conversation with some scholars. You conversed about medicine and its newest advancements. They seemed a little caught off guard by your willingness to head out some of their more absurd ideas and the more gore-filled practices. He explained it in great detail but in a way that I didn't leave you sick or queasy, but happily impressed by it all.

Soon you were swept away by Maleficent's hands and pulled into the center of the room while the music swirled into a waltz. She had pulled your attention up to her and she directed your movements as if you were some beautifully crafted marionette. She sighed to herself, as her thumb rubbed against your palm.

"You've found someone to talk to, I'm glad," she hummed to herself, tilting her head slightly as she gazed at you. She had this look in her eye, it shimmered and glowed, it sent shivers down your body, feeling like a tree in a storm. "Perhaps I should let you dance with Lilia soon?" She whispered into your ear, her breath smothering your thoughts.

You let her lead you through the dance. You let her hands stroke your exposed skin, and you let her say whatever she pleased. Her whispers filled your head, and her words were encrusted with a thick taste of sugar. When her hands lead you to the side. Leaving you so you could rest. You felt as if you had been bedaubed in mulberry. You hadn't drunk a drop but you felt completely intoxicated as if you were some drunkard falsely allowed entry.

Something small barreled into your legs. An arm wrapped around your waist from behind keeping you upright as Little Silver nearly toppled you over. Lilia laughed, warning the boy that he could have hurt you since you hadn't noticed he was running over. His little bright eyes looked up at you and he giggled, reaching up for you. You kissed his nose and cradled the boy in your arms asking him how he was. He giggled with a little babble and a few incoherent words but you knew from that silly smile that he was having a blast.

Lilia's ear twitched and he apologized to you before disappearing into the crowd. Silver and you looked out at it for a while watching him disappear behind the sea of people.

"I guess it's just you and me for a while huh little prince?" you smiled as he babbled on about something, the occasional half-correct word here and there.

Soon you were holding his hands and guiding him as he spun in circles. He ran loops around you and you laughed when his dizziness got the best of him, and he'd fall into your legs. He laughed and clung to you like a little bear. You took him to the snack table hoisting him up so he could point at the things he wanted to try. You passed him a few cubes of cheese. He stuffed them in his mouth and giggled asking for some more. You handed him a little napkin and helped him wipe the cheese from the corners of his mouth.

"Such an adorable little child!" Some of the fae would come to you, fawning over the boy in your arms. You could see how they desperately wanted to say something, how some seemed like they wanted to pull the boy into their arms. "I'd love to have a little one of my own!"

"It's so unfair, Vanrouge gets such a cute little human and a baby!" they whispered amongst themselves, their hushed voices kept away from your ears.

They looked over now and then. Looking at you, and the sweet little baby. They wanted to hold the little thing, they couldn't wait for the day they could have their own child. You didn't pay it any mind, the whispers that you could always slightly hear had already become normal, even if you never heard what it was about. Yet maybe you should have tried to pay more attention.

One seemed to nod to her friends and step forwards to speak with you. Her hands wrapped around a small glass of sparkling drink that was passed to her friends, and she stepped towards you, her skirts shining as she moved. You wished you had had the chance to compliment her outfit, the necklace worked so well with the gown.

Lilia took your hand and pulled you away. For a moment, the briefest of them, the voices of the guests went quiet. The storm of a thousand conversations dulled and went mute, hidden behind the music, the orchestra's musical blessing. You were left focusing on Lilia, your awareness of others didn't matter. You had Lilia in front of you and it was enough to keep you happy. His gloved hands pushed your hair out of your face, the cool leather making you realize just how warm you were feeling.

"I think I'm owed a dance, wouldn't you agree?" he smiled, taking little Silver from you and whispering something to him.

The little boy seemed to understand but was still reluctant to follow his father's instructions. With a gentle encouraging nod, the little boy ran up to Maleficent's side, grabbing her hand as he looked back at his father who smiled.

Lilia took your hands and led you through the dance. A gentle tug and you spun with him. You laughed and held him gently, just as he held you. He seemed to have fun as he dipped you down and you wrapped your arms around his neck startled by his mischievous ideas. It was a beautiful blur in time, fast and warm as your soul was set aflame. It might have been the most fun you'd ever had, a night of no responsibility, one of riches, and a life you had never lived. You got to experience something new and fun, even if you could see yourself here, in the fanciest clothes ever you felt honored and beautiful as if you had finally had the fairy tale ending you wanted.

When Lilia said he needed to dismiss himself you didn't mind. Maleficent was more than happy to take up his old place with you in her arms. She expressed gratitude for the break from idle chatter. Her cheeks seemed flush and her hands seemed hotter than they did earlier in the evening. Her hand traveled up your sides as she swung you around the dance floor. Her fingers played with yours as the song slowed. Her eyes explored you as you grew more embarrassed by the second. As the night grew darker and quieter and people started to take their leave, she pulled you away to be by her side that night.