I Am A Prince

Chapter 5

"...Athanasios."

"And I believe the other was Athanasia- yes, Athanasios and Athanasia."

Athanasia was frozen in fear as the manmade eye contact with her. Her heart was pounding loudly against her ribcage, her mouth slightly opened as it dried, and she could only grip the hand she had wrapped around her brothers' hand even tighter as it shook.

As the Emperor looked into the past, "Bugs, who couldn't even lift their heads." The man's grip on Athanasios' chin tightened, making him wince at the pain.

"You've grown -"

Before the man could finish his sentence, Athanasia grew some courage as her heart only pounded faster as she pushed Athanasios away from her, which in turn tore the Emperor's grip off.

"You! Leave brother Athan alone!" she yelled- well, she tried. As she did, her voice was drowned by another sound.

'clink'

'roll'

'clang'

'roll'

He winced again at the sounds. The sounds of the jewels and coins rolling and moving about in front of them didn't exactly help their case either.

...She had another bag of jewels? How convenient... of all the moments for her other bag to fall, it had to be right this very moment, the moment that seemed as though their 'father' was deciding whether to kill them or not.

He watched as a red ruby rolled towards the emperors' feet; Athanasios couldn't help but find this whole situation amusing, which how he was trying to hold in the laughter that wanted to come out. He turned his head slightly, looking back at his sister to see a horrified look on her face- it was adorable. She really was scared. Of course, she was. Shouldn't he be scared too? Right, he didn't mind if death was close.

He snapped out of his thoughts as he turned toward the Emperor upon hearing a crackling sound. Looking down, he saw the remainings of the red ruby, which the Emperor seemed to have crushed without a second thought, having crushed it with ease. He looked up to see his expression, though it was hard to read. What was this man thinking?

He no longer had a look of anger but mere boredom- the psychopath, was bored?! Then his expression changed once he shifted his gaze from the crushed jewel to the twins. The man looked to the jewel carrier, Athanasia and reached out towards her, passing past Athanasios unexpectedly.

Athanasios hadn't expected it, nor did Athanasia. She looked as though she would piss herself in any moment, have been taking in his arms. Athanasios found his heart racing as he watched his sister be taken.

A look of amusement on the Emperor's face, as once again, the atmosphere seemed to tense as the silence prolonged.

He had lifted her up with ease, staring at her with an unrecognisable expression before he finally spoke.

"You're heavy."

...

...

That was it? The big bad emperor body shaming his daughter? It was so sudden- it wasn't something you would expect the man to say- why did he say that!! There was only so much Athanasios could handle, and this wasn't it.

He took shaky breaths as he tried so hard not to laugh, not to let out a sound, not even make any movements since anything could give rise to his laughter. He could already imagine the face of his sister upon hearing that.

It seems everyone and their mother has told Athanasia of her chubbiness.

"You have really chubby cheeks... but I didn't expect you to be this heavy."