I saw little Athy walking and just then a pair of arms picked her up and I saw Mom and Dad standing there. I felt warmth in my chest as Mom walked over and picked me up too, she smiled at both of us and placed soft kisses over my and Athy's foreheads as Dad smiled at us standing behind Mom.
I couldn't help but smile as I saw the warm and pleasant sight with everyone happy.
I opened my eyes and found Athy's arm over my body, she opened her eyes too and looked at me.
"Rise and shine Princesses!" Lily chirped and I and she sat up.
"Good morning, Lily." We both spoke in unison.
"Did you two have a good dream? You two were smiling in your sleep." She said and I smiled as I recalled it.
"Yeah," Athy said, "it was a really good dream."
"I knew it!" Lily grinned, "I wanted to sleep you a little longer, but..."
I got down from bed, I felt bad after Jeanette had left so I ended up sleeping with Athy, it's been two weeks since she had left and I still couldn't find enough time to go see her because of the mountain of work that I had to finish.
"It's okay, you could have let Athy sleep." I said and I yawned.
Athy lied back down as she heard that and I asked Lily to let her be. I bathed and let Lily dress me in a formal dress shirt and black pants with the green coat hanging over my shoulders.
"You're still sleepy, Your Highness." Lily said as she did my buttons and I stifled a yawn.
"Ugh... That dream was so nice that I wanted to see more." I said and Lily smiled at me.
"I hope Jeanette and Uncle would have reached at their destination safely." I mumbled.
"I'm sure, they would have, Your Highness."
"I miss her already." I said and Lily looked up at me.
"I really like this side of you, Your Highness." She said and I looked at her.
"Hm?"
"You may not be expressive about it but I know you cherish everyone around you very much." She said and I nodded sleepily.
Once I was done getting ready I headed towards Dad's office, on my way, I saw a lot of servants greeting me.
"Good morning, Your Royal Highness!"
"Good morning, Your Highness!"
"Good morning," I replied, "Did everyone sleep well?"
"Yes!"
I smiled still sleepy and almost ran into the pillar but Felix quickly held my hand.
"Your Highness, are you not feeling well?" He asked and I yawned.
"I'm sleepy, Felix."
"You're not taking good rest even after everything is fine now." He said and I nodded sleepily.
"Shall I escort you to His Majesty?" He asked and I nodded.
"Okay." He smiled as he walked with me.
I reached at Dad's office barely awake with Felix beside me.
"Good..." Yawn, "morning, Dad."
"You're late." Dad said blankly and I rubbed my eyes.
"I came as soon as I," yawn, "woke up."
"Are you sure you're awake?" I nodded sleepily.
Felix poked at my arm, "Your Highness, His Majesty is handing you papers."
I opened my eyes and walked up to him, taking the papers.
"This is the ceremonial program, make sure to have it memorized by the end of the day."
"Is there really any need for this? You have already declared me as the Crown Princess before the nobles!"
"It was only on the paper, now the whole world needs to know that you're my successor."
"Man, this is so tedious!" I groaned.
"It's not an easy task to anoint a Crown Princess of an Empire. The priests are in the midst of the prayer to determine an auspicious day. We can finalize the exact day then. Furthermore, we'll need to plan out the budget, and oversee a number of things, so hurry and finish the documentation and stop sleeping!" I jumped as Dad raised his voice and then sighed deeply as I realised I'd dozed off in the middle of his words.
"Have mercy on me, I've been working nonstop!" I groaned running my hand through my hair.
"Did you say something?"
He wouldn't hear such things.
"It's nothing, Felix take me back." I said as I took Felix's arm for support.
"Felix, stay here!" Dad said and I looked at him.
He wouldn't even let me take a support back.
"I-I'm sorry, Your Highness." Felix said and I waved my hand dismissively.
"Bring the rest to the Emerald palace." I told a maid before I walked out of Dad's office.
"Ugh, I'd have preferred to be Lucas' successor over it." I groaned as I walked sleepily and bumped into someone.
"Uh, Your Highness, are you not feeling well?" I heard a gentle voice and I stepped back stifling a yawn.
"Ijekiel, ah, no, it's Duke Alpheus now." I said and he smiled.
"It's hard to get used to, isn't it? Whenever I hear that title I still search for my father." Ijekiel said as he bowed taking my hand barely brushing his lips over my knuckles.
"How's he now? Is he doing well?"
"He's the same as ever." He replied with a smile.
"Apparently he's recently discovered that some of his precious wine he'd been saving had disappeared."
"I bet it was Uncle." I chuckled feeling sleepy.
I heard that he was recuperating but if he was searching for his wine bottles then I could say he was fine enough now.
"I'm glad he's doing well." I said and stifled a yawn.
"He seems a bit lonely, but, he's been exchanging letters with Jeanette."
Hearing Jeanette's name made me sigh.
"Do you miss her?" I nodded and rubbed my neck.
"I need to go see her once but I don't have enough time."
Ijekiel chuckled slightly, "Besides, Athy might be still sleeping so you won't be able to see her any time soon."
His cheeks went red as I mentioned Athy and he cleared his throat letting go of my hand.
"How have you been though?" I asked as he had the after-effects of taking in the mana incantation directly.
Till the time that I was dealing with the aftermath this guy would probably be in great pain.
"I'm all better now. As you can see, I'm in perfect health." He said with his hand on his heart and a smile on his face.
I nodded feeling my eyelids getting droopy again.
"A-Are you really well, Your Highness?" Ijekiel said as he placed his hand on my shoulder steadying me.
"Ugh, I'm so sleepy." I said as I rubbed my eyes.
"What the hell is going on here?" I heard a familiar voice and felt someone pull me back, I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders as a warm body pressed itself against my back.
Ijekiel stared at us and I swung my elbow giving a jab to Lucas who was behind me in the stomach.
"Ow! What the-"
He released me and I sighed stepping a bit away from him.
"Yah, do you have a death wish? How many times have I," yawn, "told you not to do such a thing around my Dad's place?"
"What about him?" Lucas shouted pointing at Ijekiel.
"Her Highness was swaying so, I just held her arm." Ijekiel said.
Lucas clicked his tongue and then turned to me, "I thought you were busy, should you be really standing around like this?"
"I'll really beat you up, Lucas. I'm barely awake, I can't even go out in the garden to see the flowers and relax with some tea!" I groaned as I ran my hand through my hair.
"Oh, I'm sorry for taking your time then." Ijekiel said as he bowed before me and took my hand again.
"It's fine, I had to ask you about your father as well." I said and he pressed his lips gently over my knuckles with a smile.
"It was a pleasure." He said and I noticed as how Lucas was going to blow up.
"I think you seem to have forgotten that I'm not Athy. We're not even that identical that you would confuse us."
Ijekiel's face went red again and he let go of my hand.
"I-I'll take your leave now." He said and I nodded.
"That brat..." Lucas hissed beside me and I placed my hand over his shoulder.
"To my office please." I said and he looked down at me.
"Do I look like a carriage to you?!"
I groaned as I placed my head over his arm, "I'm seriously not in the state, Lucas."
He sighed before he snapped his fingers teleporting us.
After that day, I had been trying to squeeze some time to sleep and since I couldn't just go back and forth to my room and office so, I just slept in my office on the sofa.
That was how that I managed to somehow bring my sleep deprived condition under a little control.
It was at present as well that I was on the sofa halfway done with my work and taking a small nap when I felt a presence near me. And I immediately recognised who it was.
"Lucas... what are you doing here?" I asked without opening my eyes.
"I got you something." He said and I sighed before I pushed myself to sit up and looked at him as he kneeled in front of me.
"Here, take this." He said as he gave me a blue rose.
I frowned slightly, it was the first time I was seeing a blue rose.
"Wow, did you find it in our garden?" I asked and magically he made more roses materialise in my hands.
"You said you were so busy that you didn't even have time to admire flowers." He said with an affectionate expression on his face and I couldn't help the sigh.
"Have it put around here." He said with a small smile.
I shook my head before I leaned ahead holding the back of his head as I pressed my lips over his making his eyes go wide for a moment, before he kissed me back.
After a while, Lucas happily left my office and I worked watching the flowers that were in the vase in my office.
After a few days, I was just in my office when Athy barged in with a big grin on her face.
"Ara, it's Jeanette's letter!" She announced happily.
She knew I missed Jeanette so, every time a letter arrived from Mieta, the city where Jeanette was living, Athy would run straight to me.
Since I was working she read the letter aloud to me and I smiled as I heard the contents.
"She seems to be doing well, right?" Athy asked and I hummed.
"Up till now she had spent her life in a secluded mansion but it seems like she's enjoying her life in that vibrant bustling city." Athy said and the mention of bustling city made me groan.
"I wanna go there too!"
Athy chuckled, "Don't worry, we'll get to visit her soon."
"I want to go now! Hell, I want a break!" I shouted and then stood up.
"Athy, take over for a few months I'm going!"
"What?! No way! Ara, stop!" She jumped on me before I could use teleportation spell.
"Tell Dad first, if he gives you permission only then you can leave." She said and I looked at her for a few seconds.
"Fine."
Athy and I went to Dad's office right away and he looked at us once before at the paper in his hand.
"Good timing, I was about to call for you." Dad said and I and Athy exchanged a glance.
"I'd like half a year to prepare for the coronation." He said.
"That's a long time..." Athy said.
"It's a tight schedule if you take into consideration how long it'll take for the foreign delegations to arrive and for the news to spread amongst the provincial nobility."
"Mine had taken only three months though." I spoke and Athy looked at me.
"When you were Athelinda?" I nodded.
"If someone who hadn't been officially coronated was to ascend to the throne, unnecessary rumours would be a matter of course. I'll spare no expense to make this coronation as grand as possible."
I couldn't help the smile as I could see he was too excited for this. He didn't get a coronation ceremony or anything, he simply had to stain his hands with blood and take up the responsibility. He had to go through all sorts of trials and it was obvious that he didn't want me to go through any of that.
"He's excited." Athy said to me.
"He sure is, I think I can't tell him about it now."
"Then, can I go visit Mieta afterwards?"
"Ah, me too!" Athy joined in and Dad looked at us.
"Mieta?"
"Don't give us that look, don't you remember Jeanette and Uncle are there?" Dad looked disinterested but I knew he was interested to know.
"We got a letter from Jeanette." Athy said with a grin.
"A letter?"
"Yes, she invited us to visit her..." Athy said.
"What else?"
Ah, he wants to know of Uncle.
"Uncle is doing well." I said and he turned away.
"So, he didn't die." He spoke and then sighed.
I rolled my eyes, "Just say you're worried about him." I mumbled.
"Fine, you may go." Dad said.
"Yay!" Athy hugged my arm.
"To think we'd see a day when Dad would let us leave the castle walls! I'm getting emotional!" Athy said in my head.
"I'm pretty sure he is yet to drop a bomb, Athy."
"This will be our first time going somewhere so far together." Dad said.
"Like I said."
"Hm? You're coming too Dad?" Dad looked at Athy.
"Don't tell me you two were thinking of going to the foreign country by yourself? Don't you know how dangerous that is?"
"B-But, I'll have Ara and she's the strongest." Athy nearly hid behind me, "a-and you can't leave the throne empty."
"I have gone out incognito a number of times. The only difference is it'll be a bit far this time." Dad said and then looked at me.
"Besides, the way she is nowadays," Dad said pointing at me, "I'll be surprised if she even swats a fly."
I took that personally.
"Who do you think is responsible for that?"
"Who indeed?"
Dad and I stared at each other in silent stare battle.
"G-Great, let's go together!" Athy tugged at my arm as she announced that in a happy tone.
"Stop doing that or he'll cancel our trip!"
"He just called me weaker than a bloody fly!"
"So what? Have you looked at yourself these days?!"
"Who do you think is responsible for that?!"
"Ah! Come on, Ara. It'll be our first ever vacation with Dad!"
I fell silent after that, well, that was true.
Geez, okay, since it is a win-win.
***
"Ugh..." The lean figure twitched as he came to his senses.
"What..."
The disorientation seemed to hover over him as he slowly sat up noticing that his clothes were reduced to a simple black creature's hide that was wrapped around his hips.
"Where the hell..."
The words stayed stick in his throat as he realised just where he had ended up.
The loud roar felt as if a great giant had crushed his body, there were hundreds no, thousands of people that were around him sitting on higher platforms.
It was like a Colosseum with the creatures of all races were present. He couldn't understand anything for a moment as his frantic eyes ran over the place trying to make sense of his situation.
"Welcome all the subjects of great Lord Leviathan!" A voice boomed through the place.
The lean figure felt the tremors run from under his feet as the crowd bellowed and cheered with the deafening intensity. His eyes fell on the single figure who sat on the topmost balcony, he could see the two large, black wings that extended past the man's shoulders, there were two curved horns and the hair that seemed like they were made of spider silk that spilled down his neck and over his shoulders. He felt a shiver run down his spine as the person's chilling amber gaze met his.
The person looked down at him with an expression of curiosity and amusement, there was a strange aura that the person emanated that made Athernitas feel as if he was staring at the face of the most evil and intimidating entity. The person smiled making his yellow eyes glow, Athernitas gulped as he saw the dark red tongue of the person slither out of his lips as if giving a silent message to him and he couldn't help but have a bad feeling about the whole scenario.
It wasn't long before his long plan of having absolute power was foiled by his sister and now he was in this Godforsaken place. It was definitely hell and he was in the presence of one of the most dangerous Princes of Hell. Leviathan, the King of the Serpents.
"I, Nerferil am your dear host and today I present you the sinner who had lived in human's realm for over two hundred years, killed his own sister and ruined many lives!"
The crowd cheered and Athernitas the said sinner, looked around before his eyes found the person in the top balcony again. The figure smiled and Athernitas felt as if he should run.
"This sinner will battle our dearest Orthus!"
The crowd thundered and Athernitas suddenly realised his situation. He was a source of entertainment here, and those around him were the spectators who would take pleasure in his suffering.
He gulped and turned at the sound of the gates opening from behind him. The crowd bellowed and Athernitas saw the large monster stepping in the arena. The dog-loke creature had two heads with large canines which if bit one part of his body would rip it off his body.
Orthus barked with both its heads looking in either direction before its eyes zeroed in on Athernitas.
Athernitas shuddered as he faced the terrifying monster which salivated at his sight.
"What..."
"Let the battle commence!"
***
Hello everyone,
How are you guys? I'm good.
Well, since everyone loves the demon's that I'd introduced in the story so, I thought of this little something which could act like a side story.
But I'd go ahead with it if you guys are fine with it. It'll take time and the updates will not be daily so, please let me know your thoughts in the comments. I'll just let a small spoiler of that story that it would be Athernitas focused BL story.
Anyways, how'd you find this chapter and I'll be waiting for your questions and thoughts.
Have a great day everyone!