____________CHAPTER 10 _________
Ethan tilted his head on the side and stared at Athanasia who was about to faint, she was terrified... Beyond Terrified that she wasn't even breathing. How can she even win this man's heart at this rate..? She'll just die like that!
Athanasia gulped down, trying to calm her heart as she beamed and looked at Claude.
"I remember now! The "Bye-Bye" baby song!" Athanasia was trying to smile as bright as she could, though it was obviously visible how scared she was due to Claude's words.
Claude just hummed as he closed his eyes.
"Athy will sing the song for Papa! Slowly the night creeps in..." Tears ran down Athanasia's eyes as she looked at Claude's face, This was a torture! Claude wouldn't get away with this in the modern era!...Claude, This guy is a menace, Absolute Asshole!
Athanasia finished singing the song as she looked at Claude's face, Look at him... Sleeping so soundly after making his daughter sing like that, Athanasia let out a sigh from exhaustion.
'This is how... I was made to Forcibly and passionately sing the lullaby to Claude.' Athanasia looked over at Ethan that was dazed. Looking up at the ceiling, He looked incredibly sleepy and tired.
Athanasia peeked at Claude, pulling off his hair... wouldn't wake him up right? Is he even Asleep at all?
Athanasia grabbed Claude's strands of hair and started to slightly pull them when She heard Felix speaking.
"Has his Majesty gone to sleep?" Felix was standing there as Athanasia freaked out, This guy knew how to give Athanasia a heart attack like that!
"Y-yes..." Athanasia released her grip on Claude's hair, Felix just smiled as he continued talking.
"This is quite unusual. He doesn't like being seen when he's defenseless. It appears the Princess' song was very effective." Felix's words and Athanasia's face flushing up quickly was one.
'You heard me sing too!! How Embarrassing!' She buried her face in pillows, shouting inside her head...She was so embarrassed!!..
"Yeah...The song is effective, i'm getting sleepy too." Ethan mumbled as He could hear Felix chuckling outside, what was this guy laughing about? Did he say something funny?
"Princess." Felix suddenly called out to Athanasia as Athanasia looked up.
"What is it?"
"I was at fault yesterday. I shouldn't act too selfishly without getting your two's permission. I was wrong."
Athanasia tilted her head on the side, He didn't need to apologize for that...Ethan's head jerked up on the other hand when Felix apologized to him, Why's he apologizing to Ethan too?...
"I just...I just thought the Princess and Prince would be happy if I did." Felix fidgeted slightly as he was really regretting what he did. Though, Ethan was overly confused but he just brushed it off.
'One would normally think that way. And I was the one who said I wanted to see Diana in the first place. From their perspective, If a child who didn't even know what their mother looked like...' Athanasia let out a sigh.
'I feel guilty, I threw a tantrum and even pushed him.' Athanasia looked away, that was so embarrassing to remember.
"Ah, Athy is also sorry for hitting you yesterday..." Athanasia apologized as Felix smiled.
Ethan just stayed silent...I mean he didn't even do anything to apologize for in the first place.
"Don't worry about it. It hurts a little bit, But i'm all better now." Felix smiled, While Athanasia looked at Felix with doubt.
'Don't lie! Like it hurts at all when I hit you! I was the one who fell over!' Athanasia grumbled, How can this guy say that it was hurting a bit?! Athanasia was the one who literally bounced back and fell over.
Felix looked up as he suddenly started talking again.
"To be honest, I too at an early age although not as early as you princess and Prince, Lost my mother." As Felix started talking Athanasia went quiet. Ethan was quiet from the start, He was just listening to these two yap so much.
"My mother was his majesty's Nanny. In fact, Both his majesty and I were breastfeed by my mother." Ethan listened to Felix as he put his hands behind his back and laid more comfortably.
'Oh so That's why Claude's so Lenient with Felix.' Athanasia thought as she just continued to listen to Felix telling his story.
"When I was young, To be honest, I was always a little angry with my mother. She always spent more time with his majesty than she did with me." Felix looked up, remembering the memories of his mother.
"So when my mother passed away, At first I would even say that I didn't miss her at all. And to be honest, I've never really missed my mother." Ethan let out a sigh, Was Felix now just venting out to these 6 and 5 year old kids?
'Damn...Have I become a therapist now?' Ethan rolled around as he sighed... Listening to the story was kind of exhausting but he still wanted to listen to it till the end.
"When she was alive, I spent very little time with her and because of that I never really felt her absence. But one day, very much by chance. The embroidery on the handkerchief that I always carry around." Felix suddenly paused as he took a deep breath.
"What I meant to say is...My mother had personally embroidered my name on this handkerchief, And one day, I was suddenly fixated on it." Felix smiled as he looked down at the ground, Athanasia touched Claude's hair and started playing with it while silently listening to Felix's venting.
"And to my disbelief, I was even crying. The mother I had resented so much up to then...The person I thought as simply an image was actually someone I truly missed."
"..." Athanasia kept quiet, What was she supposed to say at this moment? Nothing, She just needed to stay quiet and listen to Felix. And so Ethan did so too.
"Even though we didn't have many memories together, she was still my one and only mother." Athanasia released Claude's hair as she pursed her lips forward.
'Is it okay for me to hear such a story..? Mother...Mother...The concept is foreign to me...I was an orphan in my previous life. But...' Athanasia looked down at her hands as she Wondered what it felt like to have a mother, A loving mother.
"..."
'If I really was Athanasia...Not even knowing my mother's face. To grow up, treated unkindly and abandoned in the ruby Palace, To have finally met the father she yearned for...If i was that princess...' Athanasia peeked at her brother, She Wondered what Ethan was feeling.
'Wasn't he abandoned by Claude too..? From what I know his situation was worse than mine.." Athanasia slightly shuddered, how could a small kid like that survive after that? Athanasia admired Ethan for that.
'What does it even feel like to have a mother? What's so great about that?' Ethan thought as he looked up, Was having a sweet and kind mother wonderful? He didn't know at all.
He grew up being unloved by his parents, his mother told him that he was a disgrace to the family, A monster. Cursed child.
'Though she did use me however she wanted..' Ethan turned his head around and snuggled up to the pillow. His mother did treat him as garbage, but his father didn't even trouble himself to take care of this matter.
He just took a blind eye, showing no care or whatsoever...So Ethan didn't really put any trust in his father, Nor in people around him. They didn't help him no matter how much he begged or cried.
When his parents were sick and tired of him, they got rid of Ethan like that. Throwing him into the orphanage that he didn't know would turn out to be his biggest nightmare.
That's when he learned to not put his trust in anyone.
'Do not trust anyone.'...
'Ah, I don't want to think about these gloomy memories.' Ethan shook his head to not think about these memories, now he was living a new life...what good would it bring him if he would constantly be scared and tormented by his past?
"So, This is really a secret, but..." Athanasia's attention caught both Felix and Ethan. "When I said I didn't want to see Mommy yesterday, Athy was lying."
"Is that so?" Felix tilted his head on the other side as Ethan went quiet.
"But I wasn't lying when I said I didn't have to see Mommy." Athanasia's imagination was running wild, to be five years old it should be her being happy with Claude and her brother, isn't that right?
"I have papa and brother, Don't I?" Ethan's expression immediately changed as he glanced at Athanasia in surprise...What did she just say? Did she just include Ethan..? Ethan turned his head as his cheeks burned up.
"Even though I don't have a mommy, Because I can sing a "Bye-Bye" with Papa and Brother, Athy won't cry." As Athanasia spoke, Ethan's face was burning, what was this girl even talking about?! This was making him feel all shy!
'This jerk to then go and favor Jennette and in the end even kill Athanasia! At least I know My brother will be by my side.' Athanasia let out a frustrated sigh, Claude shouldn't be trusted!
"Does the prince and Princess have wishes?" Felix suddenly asked as Ethan looked up, trying to calm his heart down, That was so cheesy...He was feeling all shy.
"A wish?" Both Athanasia and Ethan asked as Felix smiled, The two kids were truly adorable.
"Something that you think if it happens... Would be nice."Felix said as Athanasia clenched her first, Something she wished? Of course there was!
'You don't have to ask twice! My wish is obvious!' Athanasia opened her mount..."at 18..!"
Ethan looked at Athanasia as Athanasia shut her mouth quickly. Felix tilted his head on the side as he let out confused "hm?"
Athanasia tried to smile through the pain.
'My wish is that Claude doesn't kill me When I turn 18!' Athanasia laughed, trying to brush that off.
"My wish is that Papa likes Athy and brother more and more and more!" Ethan let out a sigh, Why was she again dragging him into this?
"As much as Athy likes Both Papa and Brother! This much! So so so much!" Athanasia was showing with her hands, how much she liked Ethan and Claude while smiling.
'So that even when i'm 10 or 18! He won't kill me!' While thinking about this.
Felix laughed as his eyes softened, Athanasia on the other and looked away.
"That wish, will come true, I promise." Felix still had a smile on as he suddenly asked Ethan. "And what's your wish, Prince?"
Ethan looked up in confusion, Wish..? He didn't really have a wish at all, His goal was to just live... Survive and to not die.
He didn't know what he wanted, or what he yarned the most for...What was his wish? He really didn't know, Was it to be understood? Loved?
"I don't know...I didn't even had any wishes at all in the past, My main Goal was to survive." Ethan looked down as he was murmuring under his breath.
Athanasia and Felix were silently listening to him.
"In the past I wanted to be loved, But I gave up on that wish, Knowing that won't come true. So you can say that my main wish is to just live." Ethan paused for a second when he felt that the Atmosphere had become gloomy... He didn't say anything wrong or ruined Felix and Athanasia's Bonding moment, didn't he?
"Your highness..." Felix had a Pained expression on but Ethan couldn't see it obviously, Felix was standing outside but he could see Athanasia's hurt look.
'I didn't say anything bad though?!..Why's she looking at me like that I just spoke the truth, In my previous life I wanted the most to be loved but I gave up on that long ago!...I didn't really say anything weird!..' Ethan sighed as he was sweating bullets.
Damn it he ruined the moment once again...
What was he supposed to say now?!...
_________ TO BE CONTINUED _______
A/n: Huuff, I'm done with this..Now I gotta do My biology project- GUYS Y'ALL DON'T KNOW HOW HARD THAT PROJECT IS :((
I'm gonna make an extra Chapter, Answering your questions so go ahead and ask all the questions (Only about the story though
Here's a bonus drawing, I'ma draw them more often- IT'S SO FUN, AND DRAWING CHIBI'S IS FUN :3
(I suck at drawing...)