Ring of Mushrooms

22

You were thrown back in. The swirling of falling through nothing, floating in a continuous deep. When you saw it again you wanted to scream, you think you might have. Yet it echoed against nothing, you couldn't prove that it happened or not. If you felt like you had dreamed about waking up, but that smell of mulberry and raspberry, you knew it had to have been real, right? It was so much warmer now. Alone surrounded in silence, and you just waited until the blur passed by, and you could reach out into the bright.

You grabbed onto her, maybe it was just the panic of being in the deep again. It made you reach for the closest source of heat. You leaned into Maleficent, in your half awake daze. Maybe you looked pathetic but when she woke up and found herself with you practically draped over her she said nothing. She just laid there, letting herself play with your hair, and her hands rested on your bare back.

It was comfortable, it was warm. You melted into her arms, kissing her neck and chest. She laughed, gently and playfully pushing your head away. You rested your cheek on her collarbone and looked over at the still sleeping Lilia.

Maleficent snapped her fingers and with a little puff of smoke, was dressed again in her fancy silk nightgown from the night before. When you looked back at yourself and Lilia, you were wearing the same clothes you went to bed in. You yawned and stretched, your back popping. The clothes were so comfy, maybe you would stay in bed for a few minutes longer.

Maleficent walked across the room, and passed the potted plants and flower beds. She smiled slightly and opened the door. A little horned boy tumbled into the room holding a large baby blanket and cradling a stuffed toy. He seemed shocked that his mother knew he was there, and incredibly embarrassed. She scooped him up from the floor quickly wrapping him up in a fluffy cocoon.

"Look at the little dragon I found!" he pushed and squirmed laughing as he fought to untangle himself from the blanket and escape from his mother's arms. She kissed her son's cheek before unceremoniously dropping him from a short height onto the bed.

He giggled rolling around in the blankets like a fish caught in a net. With his giggling and wild flailing he kicked Lilia off the bed. Maleficent smiled and walked over to a cabinet, she dug through a rainbow of clothes. Little Malleus slipped out of the bed after untangling himself. He ran across the room, his bare feet slapping against the floor and he grabbed onto his mother's dress, still dragging his blanket across the floor.

You turned around to look down on the floor where Lilia had been kicked off. He had been kicked with a surprising amount of violence and strength. Lilia lay there on his stomach, his eyes wide open, mildly confused. He looked up at you and smiled.

"Worried about me?"

You dropped a pillow on his face, "thought you'd want that."

Strangely enough, you had awoken before Malleus' birthday. He sat in his mother's lap looking in a big mirror as Maleficent guided him through the steps of polishing her horns and his own. His little hands were uncoordinated, but his mother happily guided him and helped when he did a horrible job.

Malleus clung to his mother's skirts. His little eyes questioned you silently as he tried to piece together how to interact with you. As his mother finished tying his small bowtie she kissed his head and helped him climb off the stool, little kids do have short legs after all.

She walked with her son to his party, he was clinging desperately to his mother's hand when he arrived. She had taken care of preparations for you to join in the celebration, though you were apologetic about it.

You had issues walking; years of not using your legs tend to cause issues. There was no muscle decay or anything when the doctors visited, you simply just needed some time to get used to it again. You had a small table tucked away from most of the crowd and Lilia sat happily by your side the entire time.

He joyfully flipped through a few history books during the party, giggling about being in his youth still. He explained in thorough detail all that had happened in the years you've been asleep. Then he tugged out a small box, whispering about how you should open it after the guests leave.

Little Malleus, or as you had playfully nicknamed the boy, little dragon, had joined your small table with a small dish of ice cream. He awkwardly wandered over to you and seemed to forget what he wanted to ask.

"Would you like to sit with us?"

He nodded and held up his little bowl for you to place on the table as Lilia helped him onto his lap. The little boy shook his head and pointed toward you, before asking meekly if he could sit on your lap. You think you saw his mother wipe a joyful tear away, from across the room.

The little one seemed unsure of how to interact with everyone yet, most people were well older than him so you supposed he felt out of place. He seemed content to just get to quietly talk with you though. Then he held up a small spoonful of his ice cream and asked if he wanted a bite. He was a sweet boy.

"You have a bite and then you read me a story before bed," he pronounced his r's and s's wrong.

"I can't guarantee every night, but I'd love to read to you when you'd like!"

Soon enough he left you both to open gifts and join his mother as he bid the guests farewell. You and Lilia looked at each other and he gently handed you the box again.

"Open it," he whispered playfully with a wink.

The box was just a simple box. You lifted the lid to find something wrapped in thin brightly colored paper. It was tied up with a small bow of a complementing color. You did pass a questioning glance at Lilia but he only smiled and told you to "go on." You peeled back the ribbon and paper, and you found a book. It was old and beautifully bound. The cover was a beautiful illustration of a queen and a maid.

You stared in awe at a physical copy of your book. Its page edges were painted in gold and it had a small ribbon bookmark attached. You looked at it to see a ring tied to the end of that bookmark. Lilia sat there smiling as you said yes.