Nightingale

Chapter VI

P A R T   O N E

 Empress Nightingale

        A little boy nuzzles his cheek into the plush pillow beneath his head, the warmth of his blankets lulling him to return to sleep. But behind the darkness of his closed eyes, Dimitri could hear his name being called.

        "Dimitri," a gentle voice whispered to him. A hand softly shakes him, stirring Dimitri from his slumber. 

        Fluttering his blue orbs open, Dimitri squints through his bleary vision to see (Y/N) standing over him. His tired eyes soon widen as a bright smile aligned on his lips. He leaps from his bedsheets and hugs (Y/N)'s waist, "Miss (Y/N)!"

        "Careful," (Y/N) warns him, "I wouldn't wish to wake up, Selina."

        Dimitri raises a brow, "Selina?"

        Crouching to his small height, (Y/N) reveals her daughter's sleeping form in her makeshift baby carrier. 

        "I don't remember having a sister," Dimitri furrows his brows, a frown etched on his lips at the thought of sharing his father's affections.

        (Y/N) chuckles, "No, she's my baby."

        "How old is she?" he asks.

        "Six months so far," (Y/N) answers.

        "Does this mean I have someone to play with now?" Dimitri asks her.

        "If you want," (Y/N) replies, "I think Selina would love to meet you."

        A bright smile forms upon Dimtri's face and he squeezes (Y/N) into an embrace, "Yay!" He pauses, "Wait..." He pulls away and gives (Y/N) a pout, "You were supposed to be here yesterday..."

        "Well, the royal carriage driver made me late," (Y/N) informs him, "He didn't want to follow my directions to get here quicker."

        "I'll tell father to fire him," Dimitri huffs.

        (Y/N) chuckles, ruffling the four-year-old boy's messy hair, "No need for that. Besides, I'm here now."

        Slipping a hand into the pockets of her skirt, (Y/N) pulls out a brass pocket watch. Connected by a thin chain to the hem of her waistband, (Y/N) kept the device nicely secured. She clicks on the embroidery of the empire's emblem to open its lid. It reveals a dial that softly ticked with each movement of the watch's hands. She had successfully arrived on time, just before the golden threads of the morning light peeked through the window sill of the bedroom.

        (Y/N) returns her pocket watch back into her pocket and combs Dimitri's dark strands away from his face. "Come on," she encourages him, "Let me prepare your bath."

        "But I took a bath yesterday!" the child whines.

        "Well, you don't want to end up smelly," (Y/N) laughs, "You might end up smelling like fish if you do."

        "Ew," Dimitri scrunches up his nose, "I don't want to smell like fish."

        "That's why everyone must take bathes," (Y/N) points out. 

        The boy huffs and relents to (Y/N)'s demands, "Okay..." 

        "We can make it fun," (Y/N) assures him. The young woman opens a closet door to reveal a large walk-in closet. For a moment, (Y/N) gawked, her mouth falling open slightly.

        Glorious with white stone walls and flooring encompassed the room. Its white color scheme gave a glorious shine to the perfectly fitted clothes and accessories that invaded the closet. The ceramic tile flooring was polished with white squares and navy diamonds aligned with its corners. In the center of the room was the royal symbol etched onto the floor. Rows upon rows of white shelves adorning the room. Shoes, jewelry, and other accessories were mounted on each row with a perfect space of two inches between each item. And around the circular room were copious amounts of mannequins that wore lavish fitting suits that were provided for the little prince.