Ring of Mushrooms

24

You became well acquainted with Maleficent's castle, trying to spend a good portion of your conscious time by her side. Sitting through her meetings, your knee would be pressed up against her leg. Her lips would hover against your ear every so often, whispering for you to write something down, or asking for you to search through some of her papers.

You had nothing to truely do when it came to the time you were awake. You read every book you got your hands on. You read and listened to speeches about technology and advancements as everything boomed around you. Eventually, you got a nickname whispered around the kingdom, but you never paid it any mind.

You were diligent and heavily well-read. You consistently smelled of ink and parchment. The hems of your clothes were often stained or covered in black ink. Pages and pages of notes peeked out from your pockets and your bags. Crumbled-up concepts and frantically written messages passed through your hands spread like wildfire throughout the castle. Gifted with more than enough time to be left sucked into your head, you took your job of notes and recording seriously.

Yet your stories and novels were the highlights of your work. Elbow deep into ink, scribbling along pages and pages. Editing and renovating a ballet of words and emotions. You diligently listened and rewrote from hours of feedback, choosing words with careful consideration. You could not have a single line unintentionally be read as bilious.

You waited now, your hips gently held by Maleficent's slender hands, your head resting sweetly on her chest. Her lips were plump and bruised from kissing. Every few moments she would trail her fingers along your spine, humming as you shivered. She always felt like a predator, watching carefully, and always playing with you like a cat does a mouse. It was always equally matched with a more careful and relaxed attitude, though it was hard to find time for her to relax. You ran your fingers through her hair, delicately brading it, letting her feel pampered.

The longer you laid there the more you felt like you were forgetting something. Something was poking at your brain, like needles under your scalp. There was something important and not knowing what it was was making you restless. Maleficent noticed something was off, her arms training up to your wrist as she sat up.

"Take a deep breath now," her words were like cool water down your throat on a hot day. They soothed you inside and out, and you felt as if you had swam to the surface of the ocean and breathed in clean air when you needed it most. "It'll come to you, relax, let it all flow through you. You can guide yourself to the answer and to what is important, you just have to give in and relax, I'll be right here okay?"

You didn't answer her question, she knew you wouldn't. You acknowledged it mentally, and followed her advice. Still your heart pounded and your breathing was hasty. It was important, incredibly so. Perhaps you could compare it to possession, getting up and walking not knowing where to go but somehow ending up in the perfect spot. Maybe it could be explained in a metaphor, your ghost wandering with devotion through the candle lit halls, as the dark dragon followed behind. You were going somewhere and the closer you got the more you realized you had been walking towards Silver and your room.

It smelled like a summer garden when you walked in. Warm and bright though it was truly dark and cold as the winter drew itself towards spring. The pots of flowers bloomed all around as you took gentle steps towards the bed. You reached for him, your son, you crawled into the large bed you had been cursed to sleep in for centuries, slipping off your shoes and running your fingers across his head. You kissed his forehead, as you laid down next to him adjusting the sheets. His head was warm, it wasn't hot like a fever and he wasn't as cold as before. You felt like you needed to stay by his side and you waited with a book. You whispered the stories to him like usual. You paced by his bed acting out the scenes with passion in your voice. You hovered and waited, hovered and waited.

Lilia arrived not long after you became glued to Silver's side. He has been carrying a bag though you didn't catch all its contents. He took turns with you telling stories and he sat on the bed when you took charge. As the time to sleep drew close you both laid there next to Silver. You looked across the bed to him, looking into his ruby eyes while the dim candle light flickered about to put itself out.

"I love you." You told him, though it wasn't needed.

He echoed it back, running his thumb across your cheek. He didn't need to say it either.

"I can't wait to marry you, but I think Silver should be the ring barer, what do you think?" You ran your fingers across Silver's head, hoping that he would wake up soon.

"Hmm maybe Malleus could be my best man? Perhaps I should talk to Maleficent and see about making him a flower girl?" He joked.

"I want to wait until Silver is older. I love you so much already, I just want Silver to be old enough to remember as much of it as possible."

"We can wait as long as you want."

"If Silver would remember it, I'd marry you in the morning." You kissed him lightly, feeling his smooth skin under your lips. "Good night Lilia."

There was some good news when you awoke. You stirred and groaned, this pounding headache and this slight fever ran around you but Silver's fever was gone and as you pushed his hair from his face he stirred. It was a small movement easy to miss. You blinked trying to figure out if you had been making things up, but he moved again rolling slightly and his eyes squinted open. His chubby hands rubbed at his eyes and he yawned as he realized you had been sitting next to him.

"Morning." He slurred and mumbled, he had dropped the g so it sounded like 'mornin.'

"Did you sleep well?" You wanted to cry, wanted to scream with joy, grab the boy by his wrists and twirl him around the room like one of the new inventions humans had come up with. You had to force yourself to stay calm he would be worried if you were to start crying.

He nodded and crawled into your arms, face planting into your chest. "Sleep more." He whined and you just kept holding him.

"You have to get up now though." You hit Lilia's shoulder, "Just like your father has to." Another wack to Lilia.

He blinked at you once and he must become more aware than humans because it only took him that one blink for him to realize Silver was grabbing onto your clothes. With Lilia quickly sitting up, Silver raised his head and saw his father sitting up.

"Breakfast? I'm hungry."

You both grabbed the boy and pulled him close, both kissing one of his cheeks. "As soon as we get you dressed. You can have whatever you want today."