Over the next few months, Ulfstead was busy sleeping, eating - finally solid foods -, 'learning' new words, and attaining the amazing new skill of crawling! His nanny said that he was growing very fast but Ulfstead felt like time was a broken clock. Oh wait, there was no such thing as a clock in this world.
Through body language and garbled speech, his communication skills were uncommonly great for a child of less than one. Ulfstead finally understood why so many nobles or celebrities were pompous. If they grew up in an environment where people would praise him just for sitting up, it is no wonder they would have a crooked mind as an adult.
Keeping the title of a 'smart baby' was something Ulfstead decided after a lot of contemplating. He believed it would be more beneficial to expose a bit of intelligence now in consideration of the short life span of this world.
Unlike his last life, where people could easily live to be eighty years old, most people barely make it to fifty. His father was thirty-two this year. That meant he had only a tentative eighteen years to spend with him. And although his cheap father was really disgusting, perverted, violent, and sadistic…
The prince didn't remember where he was going with that.
In any case, Ulfstead was determined for him and his father and everyone he had grown to care about to live a long and healthy life. That's why everything needed to begin now! There were so many things in this world that could potentially kill him. Forget about palace fights and secret assassins out for his life. Ulfstead was talking about bacteria in the water, unclean food, viruses, poor hygiene, lack of medicines, and backward customs that make him want to cry.
He also missed toilets, leisurely reading, and being able to just be alone. If he had to bear the title of genius for a little while, he might as well. Maybe he could one day play the amnesia card after 'accidentally' getting hit in the head.
The young prince sighed restlessly in his cradle. It was early morning, not even time for his father to rise for court. The sky was still dark outside, the moon and stars twinkled in the distance. The baby couldn't fall back to bed. He had just been very contemplative these days. They say it was never too early to plan for the future. As an orphan boy, his past self knew this much too well. He had never truly lived a worriless day since the day he could understand his predicament.
~
[One day, after what seemed like a successful match, Ulfstead thought he was going to go home with a good-looking couple seeking to adopt. They told him how amazing he was when he showed them the picture he drew for them. They patted his head when he told them about what he learned in school. Ulfstead didn't know why, but he was determined to please them.
But then… When they thought they were alone, he heard the conversation in the director's office. Ulfstead knew he wasn't supposed to snoop. He was told to stay in the living room. Something pushed him to disobey. He needed to know.
Inside the office, the couple's voices were soft, but their words struck the five-year old boy in the chest. "He's a good kid. It's too bad he has all these problems," the man said. "It's not as if we cannot afford the medical bills…" the woman responded.
"You know as well as I do that affordability is one thing. Responsibility is another. We both have careers, Jane. Even if both of us were to take a temporary leave for the first few months, there's going to be more cases when he's going to need us long term. If Johnny ever had a medical emergency, which as stated here, will happen… often, what are we going to do if I'm halfway around the world and you're stuck in a meeting?" The man argued. "I understand he is a good kid… He's just not our kid."
Johnny didn't stick around to hear the rest of the conversation.]
~
The King rose to the morning call. A team of servants waited for His Majesty in the changing chambers to bathe, groom, and dress him. Nanny Antonia entered promptly to collect what should be a sleeping child. Keeping a strict sleep schedule now that her Prince was older was the Nanny's new long term goal.
She was surprised, however, when she saw His Highness turned toward the window with a wistful gaze. In this case, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Her Prince was such a silly baby. Sometimes, he seemed to be 'carrying' the weight of the world on his shoulders. Other times he would just show a carefree smile.
Nanny Antonia picked up His Highness, interrupting the baby's reminiscent thoughts, and kissed his chubby little face. "Where is your mind wandering off to, my Prince? Does your servant need to search the stars and moon to find it?"
Ulfstead didn't even realize it was already time to get up. He hadn't been so absorbed in the past in a long while. Not wanting to think further about upsetting things, he returned the kiss to his nan's cheeks and hugged the woman's neck. The comforting scent was enough to calm his heart and mind.