My Life Is Your Undoing |WMMAP|

2. Am I The Bug You're Referring To?

For all my idealistic dreams and wishes, for all my determined declarations and deep ruminations, nothing has changed in the five years since I've realized that I have become Athanasia.

Wait, five years?

My expression is glum as I stab at my carrot.

"Now, princess, you must not be picky," Lily chides.

That's not why I'm grumpy, I want to tell her but refrain from doing so. Instead, I say, "Athy doesn't like carrots. They look funny."

Lily sighs. "All vegetables look funny to you." She gives me a stern look. "You have to eat them or else the Anti-Vegetable Monster will come and gobble you up!"

I make a face but eat the carrot dutifully. She pats my head. "Good girl."

Five years really flew by in the blink of an eye. Diana and I are still living in the decrepit Ruby Palace, but if anything has changed since my birth, it's that I have managed to charm the maids over to my side. Now, with a single bat of my eyelash, they will brawl over each other to give me chocolate and earn a kiss on their cheek.

Chocolate! My favorite thing in existence.

Regardless, I've completely assimilated into my identity as "Athanasia". Now, the remnants of my life on Earth remain as a distant memory, apart from "The Lovely Princess", of course, which I guess is like a book of prophecy in my current world.

Yet I'm also frustrated at how little has changed, though I suppose I should be grateful. No change is good as it means everyone is alive and well. And I'm only five. I don't have the stamina or skills I need to rectify my future, at least not yet.

The door clicks open.

"Mama!" I leap out of my seat, running with my stumpy legs to hug my mother. She transfers the bouquet of flowers she has picked from the garden to her other hand, and hoists me up so I'm hugging her upper torso.

"Hello to you too, my sweet angel," she says, her relaxing floral scent washing over me. She sets the flowers in the vase, arranging them so they look enchanting, as they always do.

The Ruby Palace is so dilapidated that there isn't even a gardener, but Diana is more than capable enough for the job. She regularly brings back stalks of flowers that she tends to herself every day, filling my room with their lovely fragrance and vibrant hues.

"My lady," Lily complains, since Diana's appearance has distracted me from the vegetables. The funny vegetables. Blame it on being a kid, since I don't recall hating vegetables in my past life.

"Oops. Athy, why don't you –" Diana begins.

"Mama," I interrupt. "Athy wants to play hide-and-seek with you."

I make my eyes wide and innocent. "Puh-lease?"

Diana wavers. Lily's glare penetrates into her, but I channel my puppy eyes at her pitifully.

"Oh, alright. Just this once," she says sheepishly to Lily, who huffs. "You know I can't win against those eyes, Lily... and neither can you."

Diana brings me outside my room to her lovely garden. We always start our game here. I breathe in the fresh air and the sounds of the bees buzzing and the birds chirping, inhaling the whiff that only nature can offer.

"Athy will hide," I volunteer. This will be a good chance for me to explore the rest of the palace as well.

"Alright, but be careful not to go too far," Diana cautions. "I'll count to a hundred." She closes her eyes and begins counting.

I take off immediately, my small legs sprinting to cover more ground. The last time, I managed to explore the exterior of the Emerald Palace, the very palace that would become Jennette's home in the future. All the trinkets and splendor of the place nearly made me go green with envy.

That must be why it's called the Emerald Palace.

Alas, I am the abandoned princess, destined to rot away in the Ruby Palace until the end of my time comes... is not what's going to happen this time.

My will to live is stronger than that of a cockroach, and I will survive. I must survive, if nothing else for Diana and Lily!

When I'm nearly out of breath from running, I find myself next to another palace, with towering archways and imposing columns. The place is largely unadorned and empty, so I wander around aimlessly to catch my breath.

It's clean and well maintained, but it appears that no one is using this place.

What a disappointment that it isn't as lavish as the Emerald Palace! Since the place is so loosely guarded, I could have stolen some gold and no one would be any the wiser to that.

There are three things in my life that I love – Diana, Lily and gold! Gold is good. Gold is reliable. Gold is the light of my life! If I could I would have married it!

As I continue my explorations I finally stumble across what I have been looking for.

Statues of cherubs made of gold! Solid gold! Resplendent, dazzling gold! Is this paradise?

I'm stunned before the feast for my money-starved eyes. I can practically see the dollar signs. I sneak in for a closer look.

The statues are made of real gold, right?

I creep even closer until I'm standing before one such statue seated atop a plinth.

"Ahhng." I open my mouth wide and lean in closer...

Chomp.

My baby teeth hit something hard and cold as my mouth bites into the butt of the statue. Yep, this must be real gold, no doubt –

Twak.

"OWWWIE!" I garble, immediately pulling back as I feel a prickly pain in my mouth. Something hard pokes my tongue and I panic, spitting it out.

A small, jagged and bloodstained tooth flies out, rolling on the ground until –

It bumps into a pair of polished shoes and stops dead in its tracks.

My body stiffens. I haven't heard anyone approach me, preoccupied as I was with the gold statues.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! I chastise myself.

"What is this filthy bug doing in my palace?" a voice cold enough to freeze the blood running through my veins asks.

Oh my god, is he who I think he is but who is also not supposed to be who I think he is?! I don't even have time to unravel that complicated thought.

I don't want to glance up. I'm terrified to glance up. I can feel my body trembling, shaking, because this wasn't supposed to happen until I was nine! I thought I had more time to prepare myself for the eventual confrontation!

"Look at me," he orders harshly.

My head snaps up.

And all thoughts in my mind run dry like a desiccated lake.

He's a devastatingly handsome man – the very man I've inherited my jeweled azure eyes from. The revealing robe that he wears gives me a clear view of his abs, but forgive me if I'm too busy fretting over my survival to give a damn about those abs.

I've never met him in the flesh before, but this man is beyond a shadow of a doubt...

... Claude de Alger Obelia.

Diana's lover, my birth father and future murderer. In my face. 

A/N:

Thank you to LifePlusMinus for the vote!! 

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