How Fast the Night Changes || Drabble [Flashback #1]
It was a voice, softer than any he'd ever known, that drew the young prince out of his thoughts. Adrian Carmichael, Prince and future ruler of Nosiris, had been perched on the balcony just outside of his bedroom, fixated on wriggling his tongue in and out of the brand new hole in his mouth. The little boy had woken up to find his two front teeth loose and, in a fit of eagerness, had yanked them out with the help of one of the servant's children, a little girl by the name of Rosie. The concept of the Tooth Fairy, a magical being who rewarded children for spitting out baby teeth like candy, was widely known in Adrian's kingdom of Nosiris, and the little boy was ecstatic about stuffing his two tiny teeth underneath his overstuffed pillow and waiting to see what sort of gifts the tooth fairy would give him come tomorrow morning. In fact, the little boy was so excited about it that he'd nearly missed his name being called at all.
So, turning around and teetering on the edge of the balcony, he supplied a tall woman with long and flowing blonde hair with a winning, toothless smile.
"Mama!" he cried, and then Adrian was propelling himself off of the balcony and racing towards the glittering, eretheral beauty that was his mother, Queen Aurelia. The gentle woman bent down and opened her arms wide, nearly falling off her feet as her small child, a boy of seven years old, slammed himself against her dainty figure. Adrian let out a small giggle of a sound, clutching onto his mother's expensive clothing as she lifted him up into her arms. He lifted his hands and rested them on both sides of her cheeks, marveling in how soft and smooth his mother always seemed to be.
"I see those annoying teeth of yours have finally come out," she cooed, and her lips spread into a grin that stretched the fine lines of her cheekbones. Adrian nodded slowly, sucking in his bottom lip and blinking up at his mother with wide eyes. "And have you put your teeth under your pillow for the Tooth Fairy to find?" At this, Adrian nodded eagerly, his eyes glittering with excitement.
"I did, mama, I did!" he exclaimed, pressing his hands tighter against her cheeks. Queen Aurelia laughed, her bright eyes shining like gems, and leaned forward to rub her nose against her son's. The gesture was so sweet and tender, just like their relaitonship was, and Adrian felt himself squirm and wrap his arms aorund his mother's neck; he knew he was supposed to be a big boy now, but there was nowhere in the world that Adrian would rather be than with his mother.
"And what are you going to ask the Tooth Fairy for, my precious little boy?" she asked, carrying them over to the rocking chair positioned in the far corner of Adrian's bedroom. Slowly, she sat down, clutching Adrian on her lap and waiting for his response. "You know she tends to give out money and presents to good little boys and girls...are you going to ask for a shiny new coin, maybe? Or some new books to read?"
Adrian fiddled with the front of his mother's dress, swallwing a strange sort of knot that had seemed to rise in his throat, and then whispered so low his mother had to strain to hear him: "I'm going to ask for something that can make you all better, mama."
At this, Queen Aurelia's face faltered, and she lifted a hand to run her fingers through her son's thick mop of blond hair. She shushed Adrian for a moment, watching as her boy's lower lip quivered, and then leaned forward to press a gentle kiss against his forehead.
"Whatever do you mean, baby?" she asked gently, her eyes scanning her son's developing features. "I'm fine, Adrian." At this, Adrian shook his head, clearly adamant on protesting to anything his mother had to say.
"You're sick, mama; I hear daddy tell the servants you're sick," he whispered, as if he feared that saying it louder would make it even more true. "And so I'm going to make you all better."
"Oh, Adrian, my sweet boy, don't you know that I'll be fine? I will, baby, I promise...for your sake, alright?" his mother cooed, shaking her head saddly at her son.
"No," Adrian said, quite fiercely for a boy of seven years old. "When I grow up and becoming King, I'm going to take care of you, mama. I'm going to make sure you never get sick again, and I'm never gonna leave you alone. I promise, mama...I'll always be with you!"
If Adrian had only known then how very wrong he was.