Mary walked out of her and her husband's room and quietly walked down the hallway. It was early in the morning and the other two people in the apartment were still asleep. Or at least her husband was, she didn't know about her son.
She gently opened up his bedroom door and saw that her son was indeed still sleeping, curled up in his bed. She smiled and closed the door with a barely audible click.
Mary then walked over to one of the cupboard in the kitchen, that was too high for her young boy to reach. Moving the contents of the cupboard out of the way, she reached in and grabbed a small box at the back. This box held a small wooden sword and shield. It was made by the local carpenter, the size and weight customised to fit her son perfectly. For today was his birthday, he was turning five, and this was his present.
She heard her bedroom door open and her husband, Sir David, walked out rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
'Your up early,' he mumbled.
Mary smiled. 'Just getting Gilan's present ready before he wakes up.' She explained. David nodded and then walked over to the coffee pot and started brewing a pot.
Mary meanwhile had walked back into their room and started looking around her messy desk trying to find the ink and quill, parchment, and ribbon she knew would be there. Once she found those items she walked back into the kitchen and went to sit down at the dining table with her husband and started writing on the parchment.
To my special little boy,
Happy birthday! You are growing up so big and strong! Soo you will be just like your father. I love you so much and don't you forget that.
Love, Mummy.
Mary then pushed the quill and parchment towards David. He looked at it curiously, mind still foggy from the morning, then understood what she wanted him to do. He started writing his own message to Gilan.
Happy Birthday Gil,
Five years old. Soon you will be a great young knight doing great things for this country, I have no doubt about that. Enjoy your present .
Lots of love, Dad.
Once he had finished he helped Mary tie the parchment to the box with the ribbon. Then they waited patiently at the table for their son to come out of his room, sipping their coffee in silence.
About ten minutes later, Gilan's bedroom door opened revealing the small boy, his hair an absolute mess. He was wearing his fathers old shirt as a night shirt, so it came past his knees. Gilan saw his parents and ran over to him, hopping up onto David's lap, where he got wrapped into a strong hug. Gilan giggled.
'Happy birthday Gil,' David said, repeating the first line of his birthday message to Gilan.
Mary walked over to her husband and son and joined in on the hug, kissing Gilan on his forehead repeatedly. They eventually broke apart and Gilan bounced up and down on his dad's lap. Mary slid the box with Gilan's present across the table towards him. Gilan watched it in awe, wondering what it was.
'It's for you,' David whispered into the boy's ear. 'Open it.'
Gilan smiled and untied the ribbon around the parchment and held the note up for a few seconds, studying it curiously in silence.
'I can't read,' he said bluntly after a while, and his parents laughed softly. Mary then took the note and and read the messages to him. Gilan took off the lid to the box off and looked inside. He gasped excitedly when he saw the contents. He picked up the wooden sword and shield and jumped off of his dad, swaying the sword around, fighting and imaginary enemy. David and Mary laughed again.
Gilan placed the objects on the ground and ran over to his dad, giving him a big hug, and then running over to his mum, giving her a big hug also. 'Thank you so much Mummy! Thank you so much Daddy!'
'Your welcome Gil,' his parents said.
'Since it's my birthday,' Gilan said cheekily, 'and I'm five now, can I have some coffee?'
'Not a chance,' David immediately replied, making Gilan pout. 'Sorry Gil, but you're still too young.' He said as a way of explanation. Gilan still looked disappointed but then turned back to his new toys, playing with them again.
Mary cooked up some eggs for the family for breakfast, and they ate around the table while joking with each other, Gilan with the fake shield still strapped to his arm.
'Just remember Gilan,' his mother said sternly, 'those may be toys, but they can still hurt. So don't think you can just go around hitting kids with them. If we find out you've been doing that you'll be in big trouble mister and we'll have to take them away.'
'I know mummy,' Gilan said, then he looked up with a smile. 'When will I get a real sword?'
David and Mary looked at each other for a second. 'When you're older.' David replied. Luckily, Gilan didn't ask them any more questions about it, like exact ages. His parents were still slightly disagreeing with what ages Gilan should start his training. Mary said when he was teenager. David said younger.
'What do you want to do today Gil?' Mary asked. Gilan thought for a second, then shrugged.
'I don't know,' he said.
'Do you want to go out somewhere?' Mary asked.
'I don't know,' Gilan replied again, using his fingers to wipe up some extra egg yolk off his plate.
'What about going on a ride with the horses?' David suggested.
'I don't know,' was the reply once again.
David sighed in frustration. 'How about we just stay at home then?' Mary suggested, not knowing what else to say.
'Wait I know what I want to do!' Gilan exclaimed.
'And what, pray tell, would that be?' David asked, leaning his elbows on the table.
'Go down to the castle courtyard and play with my sword!' He said excitedly. Mary and David looked at each other again. The knight shrugged.
'Why not?' He said, 'We can go down once we finish breakfast.'
'I'm finished!' Gilan said, and then ran back into his room, getting changed with what seemed to be super sonic speed. He then grabbed his new toys and ran out the door, down the castle halls.
'Damn it,' David muttered. He and his wife got up, getting changed fast also, and then ran after their son, leaving their dirty dishes on the table.
When they got to the castle courtyard, they saw Gilan waiting for them on a bench nearby. He was kicking his legs back and forth and had his shield already strapped to his arm, sword ready. He got up when he saw his parents and grabbed both of their hands, leading them to an area with no people or things to block their way. He got into a position he had seen other knights use when they were about to fight and waited for his dad to do the same.
David sighed and grabbed a nice sized stick from the ground, copying his son's position. Mary went to sit on a bench nearby.
'I'll keep score of who wins each round,' she said. 'Are you two ready?' Gilan and David both nodded. 'Then begin!'
All of Gilan's moves were completely made up and would not have been effective in an actual fight, but David was impressed by his son's speed. Of course, the knight could have easily bested his son, but he went easy on him. Gilan won every round. By the time the boy started getting bored and tired from the sparring, it was ten wins to Gilan, and none to David. His laughter and joy from the scores was worth every loose David got.
So how was it? I honestly have no idea if it is good or not. So I am going to do other Family Time stories. Just like the Chaos Games, I feel like it should be their own series, but I can't be bothered.
Please give feedback and suggestions if you have any.
-That One Enby Ranger-
Song listening to when published: Ay-Oh by Queen at Live Aid