For this week’s installment of The Literary Lion, the one-word prompt for a flash fiction piece of less than four hundred words was “king.” I found inspiration in daily life and those who really rule the household (at least, for a time). Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Happy trails!

The young king sits, surrounded by his subjects and hollers. His bellows reverberate down the halls, stopping other members of the household in their tracks. They listen, glancing at each other and trying to make out the cause of his displeasure.

In the room, his attendant bustles around, talking in soothing tones and fussing over him in an attempt to pacify his anger. He ignores her, continuing his rant and beginning to flail. His crown, once reflecting the light with shimmering rainbows, begins to sag. Unsatisfied with her efforts, he continues his rant, so she stands and steps back into the hall, watching him swing his arms.

She takes a deep breath and strides back in. While his eyes are tightly squeezed shut and face contorted, she scoops up a cup full of water and dumps it over his head. The sudsy crown she had carefully constructed with his curls and shampoo while he played is rinsed away. His cries stop as he turns to focus his wide, cerulean blue eyes on her, long lashes matted from the drenching.

In one swift motion she lifts him from the tub and has him wrapped in a towel, rubbing his hair dry and singing to him once again. She drains the tub and pats his body, now pressing close to hers and snuggled in the plush towel. He is readied for bed, the rest of the household returning to their evening activities as she carries him from the bathroom. She will return to clean the toys out of the tub and mop up the splashed water later. For now, his royal highness, the youngest member of the family, demands his share of her attention. And for now, she is happy to acquiesce.

Literary Lion: King