The Prince (WMMAP FanFic)

Ch 55 : Brother is acting weird

Arius sat in the pergola. Ijekiel had left a couple minutes ago. And not suprisingly he had lost another match of chess. But losing the game wasn't the reason he was sitting there, lost in his thoughts.

It was the information he had just recieved.

The Duke hit his son. And this wasn't the first time.

Arius took a deep breath. A very deep breath. He began to assess the situation.

The Duke's main objective is to form an unbreakable connection between the imperial family and the Alpheus duchy. That's why that man suggests playmates to us. He wants us to either have his son as our most trusted advisor in the future, or as he tried with both Athanasia and Jennette, their lifelong partner.

If Ijekiel is being beaten, and this isn't the first time, then what can be said about Jennette? 

The princess who was so desperate for affection in lovely princess. The princess who had a lively personality.

"Gun." Arius called and a knight concealed behind the bushes revealed himself. His green hair blending with the bushes suprisingly well.

"Yes, Your Highness." He kneeled. His face was grim, he had heard everything. He was expecting a command like 'We're going to the Garnet Palace' or 'Keep an eye on the Duke when he visits the Palace.'

But the prince only said,"Go back to the base and bring Winslow and Willow here. " Gunther didn't question him further and did as he commanded.

He marched off right after he spoke,"As you wish."

"Brother!" Athanasia came to him running from afar. Lucas walking behind her.

Arius left his thoughts for a moment and focused on the present.

"What's up?"

Athanasia presented the box to him. "I'm sorry. I was...being too childish back then."

"back when- ohh, right!"

"But I still refuse to have him as my playmate!" Athanasia declared as she pointed towards Lucas. 

Arius opened the box of cookies and began munching on them.

"Oh please! I was about to say the same thing, why do I have to babysit your sister?" Lucas asked.

"Babysit?! " Athanasia smacked Lucas on the head.

"That's the THIRD TIME!" Lucas shouted.

Athanasia smacked him again. 

"Athy, you want Raven back?" Arius asked as he munched on another cookie.

Athanasia nodded.

"Then let's ask Dad for pets. Normal pets. You can get a dog and I want a cat."

Athanasia nodded in agreement before smirking at Lucas.

"Are you saying a dog is a better playmate than me?" Lucas asked Arius.

"...That's not what I..."

"Hmph! You children are really, really underestimating my abilities as a mage."

"If you're such an amazing mage, bring back Raven!" Athanasia muttered.

Lucas snapped his fingers. Raven and Snow stood before the two royals. Arius almost dropped his cookie when Snow jumped on him. For Raven it was Athanasia who jumped on him, before exploding into tears.

"RAVEN!"

"How'd you do that?!" Arius asked as he slightly glared at the mage.

"I'll be keeping these two into my custody, but you can meet them once every month. Any more than that, and you will go through another mana frenzy or worse." Lucas sat down on one of the seats and picked up a cookie from the box.

"Well, are you happy, princess?" Lucas smirked at Athanasia, who blushed ten shades or red before smacking him.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU DO THIS BEFORE?!" She yelled as she held Raven tighter. 

"Tch! Ungrateful people!" Lucas yelled at her.

Arius looked at Snow, who was cuddling with him. He returned the cuddles and picked him up and the box of cookies.

"Well, see you two around." He spoke and left the two standing there.

--------

Athanasia and Lucas made a temporary truce. They had a far bigger problem than each other, and that was : Brother is acting weird. 

After Arius left them standing there alone, Athanasia and Lucas couldn't help but notice his unusual quietness.

Athanasia went to him and asked him if he wanted to play hide and seek or play fetch with Raven and Snow. But he declined both options and even Snow stayed behind with Arius and worst of all, Arius was reading a book on Politics. 

Now, Athanasia knows Arius. And although Arius asked to be taught Politics and History of Obelia. He did not, never, in a million years ever, read a book on those subjects in his free time. Those topics were reserved for lessons and lessons only.

Athanasia paced around her room, Lucas sitting on one of the couches and staring at the cookies on the table.

"Brother, NEVER reads those books. Is he sick? what's wrong with him?" She asked , specifically no one.

"He was fine before meeting that dog."

"Don't call him a dog! Ijekiel has got to be the most good-looking person in Obelia!"

Cause he's the male lead. And that's how it was described in lovely princess.

"Woah, I thought you saw your dad as the most handsome person in all of Obelia."  Lucas finally picked up a cookie and began munching it.

"...Ijekiel is second..."

"Your brother inherited your fathers good looks. "

"...Okay fine, Ijekiel is third..."

"But that kid probably inherited his good looks from his father."

"AGH THATS NOT THE POINT!"

"WHATS THE POINT THEN?"

"THERE IS NONE!"

"FINE BACK TO OUR MAIN DISCUSSION"

----

An hour passed.

"Why can't we just go and ask him what's wrong?" Lucas suggested.

"He isn't the type to just tell things."

"To hell with it, I'll use magic."

Athanasia threw a cushion at him. "You do something to my brother, and I'll kill you."

"You do realize I can blow up this entire empire."

"Do I look like I care?"

Lucas sighed, "Babysitting is really hard. "

Athanasia was about to snap again but,

*Knock*

*Knock*

"Princess, Prince Arius has requested you to come to his Palace." Lilian spoke through the door.

Athanasia's anger cooled down. She smirked and showed Lucas her tongue before leaving the room.

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