~ Athanasia POV ~ - Weeks Later -
Papa has been torturing me every single day except my birthday, but still! Although he did give me a very delicious chocolate cake. But that's probably to make up every near-death experience I had ever since I met him! And he still doesn't show sympathy or a bit of worry!
I clench the crayon in my hand in fury. Then my magic accidentally slips out and shatters it as it poofed into ashes.....
"Sigh. I need to work on controlling my power" I murmured and looked at the time.
Ugh. It's time for me to go...
I got up from the floor and cleaned my hands with bubbles before dusting myself off. I sighed and thought about the field. And whoopy do, I'm in the field and he had already set up a table for us. How surprising....
Thanks to the training, I'm able to teleport manually but not even far and I still have trouble controlling my power.
"Papa!" I ran to him and hugged his leg. "Did you miss me?" I give him my cute face and a bubbly smile that will surely aw anybody but this guy... he's too heartless. Pretty sure he doesn't even have one.
He grins at me and ruffles my hair, messing up my ponytail. "I sure do miss our playtime!" He means training aka torture.
As always, we have our tea time before training starts. Every lesson is randomly distributed so I have to prepare myself for the better or worse. But why are we eating??
"You will need protein for our next playtime" Daddy smirks at me before sipping his tea.
Is he going to buff me now?! Not only that but I don't know how to use a fork or knife let alone eating a steak properly!
I swallow my saliva nervously and pick up the utensils. I pierce the meat with the knife and fork at the same time. Is this right? I tried to rip a piece for myself and they went flying!
Kyaa!
CLINK CLANK
I shake on my chair knowing that I just embarrassed myself in front of him. And the only thing he's doing is staring at me in astonishment. "Interesting"
Huh?! How was my clumsy action interesting?! I'm only 7!
"Say... Did Lily ever assign you an etiquette class?" I shake my head in no. "swimming?" I also shake my head. "Dancing?" I do the same.
The class I take is regular education but I have been doing a lot of reading and writing. However, the palace is too surprised by my advanced knowledge in everything so they just focused on important education other than etiquette.
"Well!" Everything pops into bubbles. "Let's begin training shall we?" He teleports us to somewhere.
I looked around but all I could see were trees! Are we in a forest?!
FWISH
"Athanasia, you may be young but it's time for you" He adjusted my face to look forward. "To destroy those dummies"
In front of us were four wooden manikins standing, waiting to be demolished by magic. Then a strange feeling flows throughout my body as my emotions begin to vanish as if they were never there in the first place.
"Go Athanasia" He lets go of me "show no mercy" He whispered.
Then the thought of Claude came into my mind and also my pitiful death that is supposed to happen. All this hate and anger buried deep within my heart has been unleashed.
A wave of magic strikes them in a blink of an eye through their chest. The magic consumes them like a meal and breaks them apart into dust. My lungs were heavy as I felt light-headed.
"Papa..." I cried out as tears were flowing down my face and felt something going up from my stomach.
COUGH
I cover my mouth and look at my palm. There was blood coming out of my mouth. I looked at him and his eyes widened in shock with his jaw dropped. Everything becomes blurry and slow as I try to keep my eyes open. However, darkness succumbs to me before I fainted.
"Athanasia!"
*TIME SKIP* - The Next Day - ~ Athanasia POV ~
Yesterday was a disaster. I woke up to find Papa's worried face right in front of my eyes. He thought he had lost me to the point he was actually panicking but that's probably because he needs me not that I'm that important. Or at least I think so...
He said that my magic went crazy, almost killing me so he had to risk his life and heal me with a very dangerous spell that could've killed both of us. He was probably lying about that part but he also looked sad at that moment, I couldn't forget that face he made when I was nearly dying. He wasn't like that before when I nearly drowned...
I wandered around to the garden with a blank mind until I noticed something moving in the bush. "Huh?"
I moved closer and saw some black fuzz through the leaves. I went inside the bushes and a dog-like creature with black and blue furs appeared. It's so adorable!
"Kuu!" It even makes a cute sound! Then it began running away.
"Hey wait!" I chased after it but it was too fast for me. "Alright! Let's do this!"
I teleported near it and surprised the cute creature. It ran away from me quite fast and I began teleporting near it every time. When I felt my mana running low, I stopped to catch my breath. "S-Stop r-running" Phew! I'm very out of shape!
I stretch my back along with my whole body and prepare myself to use magic once more. Ok, Athanasia. You can do this!
Then I relax and calm down as I think about peace. And now!
SWISH
"Woah!" I fell backward and hugged something soft and fluffy. I looked at my stomach and it was the creature! "Yes! I gotcha!"
"Kuu!" It trembles and panics in fear. 'Don't hurt me' it said.
"No. No! I'm not going to hurt you!" A roll of sweat comes down from the side of my face. "I just want to be your friend!" I put it down and pat its head softly. Did I hear it talk?
After a few pats, it stopped seeing me as a threat and licked my fingers. "Hehehe! That tickles!" I giggled at its cute action.
"But where did you come from?" I looked around and not a single soul was in sight. "You must be a stray" It responds with a sad whimper.
'I don't want to be alone' I hear its thought although it's not talking. Is this one of my special abilities?!
I want to keep you! "I'm taking you with me!" I picked it up and it jumped onto my shoulder and licked my face. I laughed as it continued being adorable and thanking me.
"But Lily probably won't accept you..." I hugged it and thought about someone familiar. Wait, why am I thinking about papa?!
SWISH
I teleported but in the worst place possible!! "Huh? Athanasia?" Papa scoots back in his chair and stops his work to look at me panicking. "... Why are you here? I told you not to use your magic too much" He warns me.
I put on a smile "I miss you, papa!" I laughed. "Look what I found!" I lift up the creature.
"A holy beast?" He comes closer to it and the creature growls at him. "Wow. Puny beast" He gives it a scary look and the dog whimpers.
I hug it to calm it down. "What is it, papa?" I asked him in confusion.
"That thing" He points at it. "He's a holy beast. One that would come from an excess of mana which makes you his owner" He slowly reached his hand towards me.
"But don't get too close to it or else you'll be in danger" He pats it as the creature whimpers. "So you can keep him."
"Really?" I jumped in excitement. "We're going to be best friends forever!" I hug it tight.
"What's his name?" Papa turns around and puts his hand out to the side.
"Hmmm." I pull him off of my chest and stare at him. "Raven!" Since he's black. "But I'll call him Blackie!" I grin.
"Raven/Blackie it is," He said and a string of magic comes out of his hand. The red sparkles swirl into a small tornado on his hand and it gets wider while being squished into a ball. Suddenly, it burst and on his hand was a collar.
"There you go" He puts the collar on Blackie. "But don't hang out with him for too long" He gives me a serious face and I nod.
"Now go" he snaps his fingers.
SWISH
I was in the field again with Blackie in my arms. Ah-ha. I guess I'm on my own with a blackie living in the palace with me but that's fine...
I ran inside. "Lily!" I yelled out and she rushed towards me with a worried face.
"What is it?" She stops in front of me. "What did you find?" She looks at blackie.
"It's a stray!" I put him near my face. "Can I keep him?" I begged her and she shook her head.
"I don't know if we can afford that" She gives me sad eyes.
"But I'll bathe him! Clean up after him, feed him, and play with him!" I exclaimed. "Please? I want to keep him!"
After our conversation, Lily sighs and lets me keep him as long as I keep my promise to take care of him...
*TIME SKIP* - The Next Day -
Right now, my teacher is finishing up my history lesson before I go to papa. "And who is the emperor right now?"
"... Claude de Alger Obelia" I sighed heavily. She always asks the same question to make sure I know my place, an unloved isolated princess or just a bastard that doesn't deserve the title of princess. However I really don't care, I just want to see daddy.
"Good" She packs up her stuff. "Keep up with your studies, Athanasia"
"Yes miss" I closed my book and cleaned up my table.
KNOCK KNOCK
"Princess" Lily opens the door and peeks her head in. I reverted my attention to her. "I'm sorry to say this, but you have more lessons which are necessities" She awkwardly smiles.
My jaw down at her words. MORE?! Will I have enough time to see papa?! Please, Lily, don't do this to me!
"What kind?" I still keep on grinning.
"Erm... Etiquette, dancing... and"
"SWIMMING!" A random female voice yelled out with a strong accent. Lily got startled by her and the door opened wide to reveal a tough-looking lady.
Both of them stand in front of me but Lily was sweating for some reason. The lady who I assume is my teacher had ginger hair with black eyes. I don't know why but I feel like she's a psychopath.
"P-Princess, she's going to be your teacher for the 3 new lessons that you are going to take every day" Lily quickly introduces us to each other. "If you have any tro-"
"We're fine, thank you!" The lady pushes Lily out of the room. "Now we need some privacy for the princess to achieve success!"
"Ok! Good luck!" Lily shouts before the door closes on her.
The lady turns around and gives me a weird look. Yep, I have a psychopath. "I'm Miss Raven!" She grins at me.
That grin reminds me of papa when we first met. I begin fearing for my life as if she's actually going to murder me. "Today, I will train you to be the best!" And I nod slowly while staring at her in astonishment.
Is she really fit to be a teacher?
She snaps her finger and fog of cloud appears around her. Then she transforms into PAPA?!
"Daddy?!" What is happening?! I was at a loss for words. "Why are you here?!"
SNAP
I tried to speak but nothing came out. It's like my voice is gone. I looked at him and he was shaking his head. "You need to watch your mouth or else we'll get in trouble." He shrugs and shakes his head in disappointment.
He lifts me up "I know you're happy to see me now.." He grins widely "But I came here to fulfill my roles"
"And what is that?" I quickly put my hand on my throat and mouth. He gapes at me with a pale face. Did I remove his spell??
"Seems like your magic is improving so we can delay your power lessons" He sits me on a chair. "For now..." He sits in front of me.
POOF
"We shall begin our lessons on how to become a true lady" He transforms back to a woman. "... and how to become empress too" he snickers.
Empress' lessons? Why would I need that? Jenette is destined to have the throne.
I stared at him/her in the eyes.
Or is she now? The book has already changed ever since I came here or met him.
But it's just a thought...... for now.
End of Chapter 5
|Word Count: 2230|
AN: There's too much work...