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The morning air was crisp, biting at the edges of Briarwood’s wings. The faint outline of a silver cloak already sat by the Silver Tree.
“You’re a whole year older and your old man still beat you here.” Elder Faerie laughed warmly.
Briarwood yawned, “Sorry about that.”
He shook his head, “No, Briarwood, don’t be. It’s your big day, and you got to sleep in. That’s how I see it.”
Briarwood sat down quietly beside him, his wings giving a small flutter. The roots of the tree slowly grew towards him, wrapping lightly around his ankles and wrists.
“So.” The old fae said, his voice dipping into the warm slowness he only heard when it was just them two, “Another year older, another year wiser. Do you feel anything different now that you are the big age of eleven instead of measly ten?”
Briarwood went silent for a moment, as if he was searching for any part of him that had magically changed overnight, then reported, “No, not really. My uniform feels a little different than it has. Silverbell tells me it's because I’m getting taller, but I don’t think that's true.”
“Then why do you think your uniform is getting tighter?”
He answered back dryly, “Because it shrunk in the laundry.”
Elder Faerie let out a rich laugh that echoed off the bark, completely caught off guard by Briarwood’s answer.
Briarwood blinked up at him, “What’s so funny? I don’t get it.”
Elder Faerie wiped a stray tear from his eye, “Ah, forgive me. I have just never heard that one before. Most boys would immediately admit that they have gotten bigger, but you, you my dear boy, always seem to keep me on my toes.”
Briarwood said, “I’m just being realistic. Everybody knows that the wash-house uses too much heat. My uniform is small enough as is. I wish it was because I’m taller.”
“Look at the roots, son.” Elder Faerie pointed, “Look how far they had to reach to find you compared to last year. They don’t move for everyone, they move for me so they can trip me. They are awfully fond of you.”
Briarwood looked down at his wrists, the silver-tinted wood gently coiled around him almost like a pet would, “I like them too.”
Elder Faerie leaned over and ruffled his hair, Briarwood responded with an embarrassed sigh but his wings gave a happy little flutter, “And, I have a surprise for you.”
“What is it?”
Elder Faerie said, “It is your eleventh birthday, and you only turn eleven once, and you are my favorite little trainee, so I talked with the commanders and got you out of your training today. And I also cleared my own agenda for the day so we can celebrate it.”
Briarwood squealed, “You can’t tell the commanders to cancel my training?! They already think I’m weak, now they’re gonna think I’m lazy and getting special treatment!”
Elder Faerie patted the boy’s shoulder, “If the king says that his finest young disciple is needed, then they really have no choice than to salute and agree. Even if I told them that I wanted you to skip training because of a stomach ache, they would have no choice but to listen to me.”
“I am never gonna be a knight…”
“That’s not entirely a bad thing, you know.” Elder Faerie shrugged, “Then I can have you all to myself and we can sit right here, right in front of this tree, every day and lounge around. Now doesn’t that sound like fun?” He pinched Briarwood’s cheek.
Briarwood yelled, “You’re the king! You’re supposed to be planning war strategies, delegating resources, or like actually ruling! Not laying around in the grass all day with me!”
“Planning war strategies? Delegating resources?” Elder Faerie laughed, “If you are so eager about that, I’ll just let you do it!”
Briarwood sputtered, “Me?! I don’t know how to do any of that stuff! I don’t even know how much sugar I have left at my house, let alone the whole kingdom!”
“Well, since you have such strong opinions on how a king should spend his time, I figured you would be highly qualified.” Elder Faerie leaned back on his hands, the ceases around his eyes crinkling with absolute delight, “How about this, you be the king of the Faerie Kingdom for one day. My first decree, Your Majesty, what ever shall we do about your shrinking trousers?”
“My first decree is to ban the wash-house from using heat!” Briarwood declared.
Elder Faerie bowed his head reverently, “A truly wise and noble law.”
Briarwood giggled, when he quieted down, he looked back up at the old, weathered king, “You really cleared everything? For me?”
“Every single thing, for you.” Elder Faerie nodded, “Just you, me and whatever trouble we get ourselves into. Now, my Lord, what does the king decree we do for his very special day.”