[WMMaP] Elias de Alger Obelia

Elias 1.1

Elias de Alger Obelia

The treatment towards Elias changed after that day.

His room changed to a very wide and spacious room. The crib looked more luxurious.

The day after he was moved to the new room, the doctor had come. That day, the emperor was there standing by the side and watching as the doctor checked on Elias's health and leg.

"His Highness is severely malnourished. His meal should start small but frequent before slowly increasing the amount of his meal.

I heard that he stayed in a very dusty room. That must be the cause of his lungs having difficulty working. I can only speculate that his highness has developed asthma. Medicine can be made to help with it. I suggest for his highness to avoid being near any dusty, pollen, and animal fur. I will relay all the details to the nanny and maids.

As for the leg, I regretfully have to say that it will never fully heal."

As the Emperor listened to the doctor, his face soured the more he heard. His gaze turned cold when he was informed at the unfortunate loss of leg.

The emperor coldly turned away from Elias and the young prince could only watch the strong and cold back of his father as he left the room.

Elias never saw the emperor again.

Soon after, his handmaid changed and he was even assigned a nanny which he didn't have before.

Ilana was his new handmaid. Her curly hair, very dark blond and her eyes reminded him tree trunks. Her face was dry from any expression.

She did not talk unless it was to respond to any order or question.

His nanny, Liora Daphne, was the wife of Baron Daphne. She had light lilac hair and dark purple eyes. The clothes that she wore were always black.

Whenever it was sunny, she carried Elias to the window and hummed him a lullaby and swayed him gently. At the time, Elias would look outside with his blank expression. He would take in the garden of distinct flowers but it hardly left him any impression.

Maybe it was because she noticed the lack of reaction that she started to bring picture books. Liora had a rocking chair placed near the window. She would read to him on her lap as she gently rocked the chair.

Liora and Ilana became people Elias spent most of his time in his daily life.

Along with the change of his caretakers, the whispers disappeared but nightmares came every night.

"You dirty trash! Get out of my house! I don't want to see you again!"

"Don't touch me."

"Did you hear? He is the reason why that happened."

"How dare he come to school! Does he not know shame?!"

The nightmares were nothing new. It was something he suffered in his previous life. He would always wake up drenched in his sweat.

Liora would always worry as she wiped him down with a clean and warm towel.

One day as his nightmare came, in the middle of it, the environment changed suddenly. A young woman with long grayish brown hair and forest green eyes turned to smile at him as she showed off the red flower crown she wore on her head.

This was the first time Elias felt something other than guilt.

Just by looking at the woman who smiled so beautifully in front of him, Elias felt blessed to be alive and he felt loved and like the world was given to him.

Elias wished for this dream to never end and slept in peace for the first time he was born in that world.

***

"His highness is looking much brighter these days," Liora murmured as she rocked the swaying chair and caressed the soft cheek of the baby she was holding.

The baby was unresponsive to toys and lacked expressions. He was also very quiet and often staring into space. There was also the fact that Elias was hard to engage socially since he would often just space out.

It worried her to no end because all the observation she had done only led her to the conclusion that Elias had depression. Her worries furthered when Elias did not stop having nightmares.

Liora was not sure why the emperor had her become Elias's nanny. So she could only report it to the emperor, whose sleeping quarters were next door.

The emperor's face remained expressionless as he listened to her verbal report.

'I should not expect anything...'

Liora thought.

She was soon dismissed after her daily report and Liora retired for the day.

The next day, Liora arrived at the crown prince's quarters with a basin filled with warm water and a towel.

She was surprised and relieved to see that Prince Elias was sleeping soundly and not drenched with sweat. Even though she was glad, Liora could not rest assured. But the next new mornings, Elias's complexion became better and he reacted better - although it was very little - to Liora's words and action. His mind is slightly more focused as well.

The nanny was glad.

Elias was better - only by a little - compared to when she first saw him. That time, the prince lacked vibrancy in his eyes and was so skinny that his bones were showing.

"Make a wish upon the sun,
It will light your way,
The path that you take
Will have a story to tell

I will wait here for you
So go along my little star
Go see your story
And come back home to whisper me who you really are.

Make a tale for the moon
It will shine over you
Never leaving your side
As you fall asleep

So don't worry
Go through your story
I pray for your safe return."

Liora hummed as she swayed Elias to sleep.