A Child Babbles

“Do you trust me?”

“With my life.”

Neassa laughed, swatting Mikhail’s shoulder. “Be sensible.”

“I am being sensible.” Mikhail smiled. “You hold my heart. And if you want to kill me, after these long years together, who am I to say no?”

“You are king.”

“I am but a man.”

Neassa leaned over him, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. Mikhail sighed happily, his fingers lacing into her hair to keep her close. She smelled of the ocean, as she always did. There was salt in her hair from her morning swim.

“Now, why am I to trust you?” He questioned.

“Open your mouth.”

Mikhail sat sharply. “Food, Neassa? Please, my love, I cannot. Not again.”

“It was one thing! One small thing. Please, do this for me. Just a taste.”

Mikhail scrambled to his feet, his son looked up from playing in the mud and cooed excitedly. He scooped the child up and held him like a shield between him and Neassa. She laughed, following him around the small walled garden.

“Neassa. Back away.” Mikhail was trying not to laugh as he waved his son in front of him.

“What was so bad about last time?”

“It was chocolate covered fish!”

Neassa threw her arms in the air. “You barely even tasted it and still you are having a fit. So I might kill you, but I cannot feed you?”

He gave his wife a bright smile. “As you say. Neassa, my life is in your hands. But my stomach is my own.”

His son babbled, flailing limbs in the way small children did. Neassa grabbed him, divesting Mikhail of his shield and lunged. She got him easily, wrapping her arms and legs about him. He struggled, but carefully, backing away from their son so he would not be hurt.

“Do not! Fiend!”

“Quiet or you will call the guards.” Neassa laughed.

“Let them come.”

Their weight toppled them over onto the soft grass. Their son crawled to them and scrambled atop the pile they created. Neassa still tried to force the food between Mikhail’s teeth while he had bowed his back as much as he could to keep his mouth from her reach. 

His son dove in to help in the chaos. Doing nothing more than tangling them further together. Mikhail relented, allowing Neassa to feed him her evil concotion. But her laughter was worth the taste. He reached up to stroke her cheek, basking in the light of her smile.