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“Hey, what’s that Art’s got in his mouth, dear?”
Alice Leywin smiled up sweetly at her husband as he watched us, curiously. “It’s a kind of bean I saw on sale in the market. I think they’re from Elenoir. I’ve wanted to try cooking with them, and, well, Art looked like he wanted a taste…”
“That so?” my father, Reynolds Leywin, peered down at me with the blue eyes I’d apparently inherited from him. “So how are they? Think you like them?”
It was always difficult to judge just what to say here. When I’d been smaller, a bunch of noises and some flailing was enough to send both my new parents in this life into adoring cooing and squealing. But I figured I was around the age where a baby should be able to speak some words. It was a strange feeling, going from being a major political figure to a literal infant in the middle of nowhere. Some part of me enjoyed being cared for like this, and how the lack of responsibility meant I could focus on relaxing and learning about the strange new world around me. Another part of me was frustrated with my lack of control and strength, with having to start from zero again.
Yet another part of me would sometimes ask if it was really okay for me to have this. Why I had been given this chance--was I really the child of these two people, allowed to keep my memories of my past life through some crazy fluke? Or was I replacing their proper son somehow and leading them on? Was it just my selfish desire for loved ones leading me to act as an infant, despite the humiliation?
When I realized my new parents were still waiting for an answer, I just nodded, swallowing down the mouthful of soybeans. “Is good,” I said. They both seemed content with the answer.
Even back on my old home of Earth, I knew soybeans existed, but had never had the chance to try them. Not even while living the luxurious lifestyle of a King. The wars that ravaged our world in the past hadn’t just decimated the population but also left large swathes of land uninhabitable, unusable for agriculture. Despite efforts of scientists to preserve past species like the Global Seed Vault of ages past, some plants had lost the environments necessary to grow.
Soybeans were a plant I remembered from Earth, but they were among those that it had become difficult to grow. Being spoonfed another mouthful of the stuff from my mother was a little embarrassing--but it was normal to do that for babies my age. And it wasn’t like anyone from my past life was watching, or even here. I was sure none of them would ever let me live it down. I accepted, and then smacked my lips as a strange sensation caused my mouth to tingle.
“Mama?” I asked. “Is s’pposed to taste like bees?”
“Bees?” The two adults exchanged a slightly confused look.
“It tasted a little bland to me when I tried it. It wasn’t very spicy at all,” Alice muttered.
I shook my head. “Not spicy, tastes like…umm…” I tried to think of anything I’d had before to compare it to, but no, this sensation was unique. Well, mana, elves, and dwarves were new to this world. Why not new flavor profiles, too? Perhaps this was normal, like how cilantro tasted different based on genetics? “Nothin’. Is good. More pease?”
My mother smiled and lifted over another spoonful. It didn’t take long for me to realize, however, that there was a problem. It was getting difficult to breathe. My mother’s eyes grew wide as she caught on as well.
At first my mind leapt to poison. I was a King, after all, and foreign countries would want me disabled or dead but--no, that made no sense. I wasn’t born a King in this life. Who would poison a random infant--unless it was an act of terror, or an attempt to hurt my new parents? As I wheezed for breath, I certainly noticed how frightened they seemed. My mother had started hyperventilating, even as she reached towards me, her fingertips flickering with green light.
Yes, that’s right! Whatever the issue was, she’d fix it up quickly, being an Emitter blessed with healing magic.
But something was wrong. The faint green light died as her hands froze, even as fat, blobby tears fell down her cheeks.
“I-I-I can’t do it, Rey,” she gasped out. “I can’t, what if--Rey--”
What? Why couldn’t she, what was happening? Heal me, dammit--I’d barely even done anything in this life!
Though my father was also clearly shaken, he kept a firmer grasp on his emotions. “Stay here, keep an eye on the house and breathe,” he ordered. “I’ll--I’ll find someone to help Arthur. There are other healers. It’s going to be alright, you hear?” He leaned forwards, planting a kiss on his wife’s forehead, before scooping me up in his arms and leaping out the door, into the bright sun.
Despite myself, I felt tears pricking at my eyes, and a building urge to scream. One of the worst things about being an infant was that you weren’t really a person, not yet. Things happened around, but most of the time adults wouldn’t tell you what was happening. With memories of my past life I was sharp enough to understand most of everything that happened. But--
But fine, okay, I was in a new body in a new world and even now confusing and overwhelming things could still happen. I swore I’d get strong enough to protect my loved ones in this life and I knew it was a matter of waiting and growing but--damn my weakness!
My father pounded on the door of a house on the outskirts of the village and entered without waiting for a reply. An older woman looked up in surprise, before her sharp features suddenly became serious. She and my father began to talk, but spots were hazing around the corners of my vision by now--much of the conversation went over my head. I only perked back up again when I felt the familiar warmth of healing energy.
“--something we’ve before seen, on occasion,” the woman was saying. “It’s not poison to us, exactly. But certain foods, they can have effects like this on children. He might grow out of it when he becomes an adult, but you should avoid that food as much as possible until then. Some have had reactions like that to even the tiniest amounts.”
“Okay,” my father said, exhausted and relieved.
“You did well getting him to me so quickly. Just comfort him, let him rest. He’s had an exciting day,” the healer woman said.
“Alright. Thank you again, if there’s any way to repay you--”
“Coin works fine,” the woman said, jangling her purse. It seemed my father had indeed paid her already.
“Understood.” His cheeky smile was beginning to return. Then he rose, hoisting me up. “Come on, kiddo. You were very brave today.”
Actually, I was kicking myself. Now that my head was clearer, I recognized what had happened to me as just an allergic reaction--rather common in my world, but not something I’d ever suffered before. I even remembered Ni--er, someone I knew having a nut allergy, though. I had panicked too easily, and now I was rubbing at red, puffy eyes.
“If you could be brave a little longer, I’d really appreciate it,” my father continued as he walked, still carrying me. “The idea of losing you was probably very scary for your mother. And I knew usually seeing you making a break for the study is frustrating for her, but I think seeing you be your usual troublemaker self would cheer her up a lot.”
“O-kay,” I managed. For once, more than anything I just wanted a nap. But I wouldn’t mind some calm studying, either. “Mama read to me?”
“Hey, that’s a great idea! I’m sure she’d love nothing more.”