"Ah, my little Attheia"
Athanasia cradled the child in her arms, her breaths shallow as she strained to hold the tiny bundle. She knew she was dying – it was obvious. Her weak state would not last for long.
"Your Majesty, please, let me take the Princess" the wet nurse begged, tears pricking her pale green eyes. Though her grief was not only out of worry for the dying Empress; she also feared what would happen to her own life if the all loved Athanasia De Alger Obelia died in her care.
The blonde royal ignored her though as she stared at her lovable daughter. Her vision was beginning to go fuzzy, and her breaths were running short.
"My dear Attheia" she murmured, her eyelids fluttering as she strained to stay awake. "Please, take care of your father for me."
The little baby, who did not know what was going on, could only coo at her mother as she felt her arms go slack. She would have rolled out of the loose grip if the wet nurse hadn't grabbed the baby, setting the little princess in the cradle next to the dead Empress.
"Your Majesty" the woman sobbed, falling onto her knees. Her tears dripped to the floor, falling for the empress, and her life that would soon be ruthlessly ended.
Just please spare my family, Your Majesties.
Even from several kingdoms away, one could hear the furious, heartbroken roar.
.
.
.
"Auntie! Auntie Lilly!" a small girl just three years old ran over to the brunette, grasping at her skirts in excitement. "Can Attie have some chocolate? Pwe~ase??"
Lillian blinked down at the little girl in surprise, and for a moment, she could have sworn she'd seen a bubbly five year old, with golden hair and bright jeweled eyes. But, after blinking again, she could see it was just the small raven haired princess, Attheia.
Feeling a pang in her chest, the brown haired nanny reached into her pockets and took out a small bag of chocolates, bending down to give them to her. "Alright, but eat them slowly, okay? This is all you will get today."
"Thanks Auntie!" Attie beamed, standing up on her tiptoes to kiss the woman on the cheek. Once again, Lillian could have sworn she'd seen a different, lighter haired princess standing before her.
Oh, Athanasia. You left behind such a replica of yourself.
"Geez mom, at this rate you're going to spoil her." Lillian looked up to see a young girl with slightly curly red hair and bright blue eyes. Elaine Robane, Daughter of Lillian and Felix Robane.
"Nonsense" Lily said at the same time Attheia said "Attie's not spoiled!" causing the red head to laugh.
"Sure sure" ruffling the princess's curls, Elaine sighed.
"No news from your father?"
"Nope."
Lillian echoed her daughter's sigh. "His Majesty sure is stubborn."
"He's more than stubborn! He's plain foolish!" Elaine huffed. "It's been 3 years since the Empress kicked the bucket, and both those royal bastards are still sulking about it! Don't they realize they have a perfectly good and alive princess right here??"
Lillian flinched. "Elaine, don't talk like that" she scolded. "What if someone heard you?"
"So what?" the red head threw her hands up into the air, her eyebrows knitted in anger. "I have half the mind to tell this to their face!"
Lillian opened her mouth to tell her off, when Attheia suddenly spoke up.
"Ellie" she pulled at the older girl's dress. "Can we go outside? Attie bored."
Elaine looked down at her, and immediately her anger melted away. "Of course Theia, let's go." Taking the little princess's hand, she glanced over at her mother, looking like she wanted to say something else, before deciding against it and walking out of the room, the raven haired toddler following behind her.
Though, her unspoken words and emotions still hung in the air, the annoyance clinging to the curtains and filtering through the rug. Oh Elaine, I'm not pleased by this either.
Sighing, the blue eyed maid fell onto the couch behind her with a thump. "Athanasia" she looked up at the gold decorated ceiling, tears pooling into her eyes. "Why did you have to leave us, like Diana? Was it fate? Am I now fated to watch your daughter die as well?" Lillian's hands tightened into fists at that thought. "No. I promise you, princess. I will not let your daughter die. Not until long after I am gone. This time, I will not outlive the next Empress."
Attheia giggled as she ran through one of the many rose gardens that surrounded the Emerald Palace. Even if she was a forgotten princess, whose father never visited her in all of her three years of existence (plus more), she was still well cared for. Though none of these extravagant gifts were hers, sometimes she liked to imagine they were.
But of course, in reality they were gifts that her mother had received from the two emperors.
It must be nice to be loved.
As Attheia walked through the maze, she hummed. She knew this place like the back of her hand, and was quickly able to loose Elaine as she wandered off, her goal being to reach the middle. Despite her short legs, it wasn't too long until she reached the large, circular clearing.
The clearing was beautiful, surrounded by the tall rose bushes, with a giant marble water fountain in the middle. And on top of the water fountain was a statue of her mother.
Athanasia de Alger Obelia. Late Empress of the Obelian Empire.
Attheia sighed as she looked up at the statue, leaning against the marble pool of water that sat below it. The statue had long, beautiful hair that cascaded in waves. The figure was slim, but elegant, with jeweled eyes that stared off into the distance with a sweetness that only a person with a golden heart could match.
Her mother.
Attheia took a deep breath and stared at her own reflection. Long, cascading raven black hair with beautiful jeweled eyes. Many said she looked just like her mother, and that would show even more as she grew older.
Though her gaze could never match the sweetness her mother's held.
To think I was reborn just three years ago the young princess looked up at the sky, the wind blowing softly as she let the memories wash over her...
"Father, the rebels are coming! They have reached the gates!" 18 year old Attheia ran into the emperor's study, tears in her beautiful jeweled eyes as she confronted the man who had helped create her. The man who she rarely spoke to for the past 18 years of her life.
Emperor Lucas de Alger Obelia.
"Ah, who cares? Let them come" he said with a wave of his hand. Glass bottles littered his desk, the foul contents drained or spilling onto the rug below. Attheia frowned in distaste, her nose wrinkling at the stench.
"But father! Attheia's eyes widened, more tears spilling down her fair cheeks as she watched her sperm donor down another bottle of wine.
"Not buts, Attheia" he said tiredly, tossing the bottle and letting it shatter on the floor, causing the young princess to flinch. "If this is fate, so be it. I have no desire to change it. In fact, I welcome death."
"But the empire!"
"I have no love for this rotten place" he sighed, looking out the window. The rebels were on their way. They would be in the castle any moment.
"B-but" taking a deep breath, the raven haired woman shouted something she never thought she'd have to. "W-what about me?!"
Silence.
"Attheia" Lucas straightened up, and hope began to bubble in her chest only to quickly fade away when she saw his cool, impassive gaze.
"Your death would only finally grant me freedom from this place."
Ah. She had expected this, but it still hurts.
"I see" looking up, Attheia felt her tears dry. There was no more left to shed. She wouldn't cry over her kingdom.
She would save it.
"Fine then. I'll go" her eyes hardened, the jewels filled with nothing but fury. Lucas didn't say a word as he watched his daughter spin on her heel, and stalk out of the room, the door slamming shut behind her.
And then she died.
Frankly, she wanted to just stay dead. To finally be with her mother, but instead, she came back to square one. Well, might as well make use of it.
Her goal back then was to protect her kingdom. But now....
She just wanted to live past the age of 18.
Even if that meant abandoning her father and her kingdom.
"Hah" Attheia sighed, leaning against the stone base and peering into the water below. Raven black hair that curled around her face, falling down her shoulders in long waves. Fare skin with not a single blemish, and bright jeweled eyes that glimmered in the light. She was cute, that's true. But a spitting image of her mother? She wasn't so sure.
Then again, if everyone else said she is...
Maybe she inherited some of her mother's famous intelligence.
Please mom, tell me what to do.
"Theia! Theia!"
A voice calling her name broke the small girl out of her thoughts. Elaine was looking for her, probably worried. She was in a three year olds body after all.
Looking up at the statue a final time, Attie sighed. "Bye mom. I'll be back soon" she said before spinning around and hurrying towards Elaine.
"Your Majesty"
A certain red haired knight trailed after Lucas, fidgeting nervously. He remembered when his daughter visited him earlier, asking about Attheia's father. He hated giving the bad news that Lucas seemed to want nothing to do with the young princess, so he was on a mission to change that.
"Your Majesty" Felix repeated, hurrying after the emperor's quickening steps.
Lucas sighed. "Aren't you supposed to be bothering Claude, not me?" he wasn't in the mood to deal with the annoying antics of that knight, especially when he just managed to shake Cabel off. Frankly, the only reason he was outside was because Athanasia's voice seemed to repeat in his head, saying
"Go and rest."
Blonde hair spilled onto his desk, and he had to pull away his work so the pretty strands wouldn't get tainted by the blank ink. Looking up, Lucas's ruby eyes met jeweled ones, and he could see a fond yet scolding look in the Empress's gaze.
"In a few moments" he said, about to dip his pen back into the ink, only for a smaller hand to rest on his. He let her take his pen away, and set it down.
"But what about-"
"-Princess Attheia?" Felix's words broke Lucas out of his thoughts, and the raven haired man huffed in annoyance.
"And why would I care about that thing?"
"It's the last thing her Majesty left behind. Don't you want to-"
"Enough of this Felix. Or you will be tossed out of more than just a window" the Emperor glanced over at him, and the knight was almost shocked to see striking red eyes instead of jeweled ones.
It was scary how much they are alike.
"Y-yes your Majesty."
Ugh.
Can cake kill people? Because Attheia thinks it can.
Piles and piles of sweets laid out before her. Tiers of cakes of every flavor, baskets of cookies of every shape, plates of pastries of every color. It was like a rainbow that glistened far too brightly for her taste.
Frankly she would have it burned if it weren't for the shining eyes of the maids around her.
Will I never be able to eat what I want to eat? Will I just always live in my mother's shadow? In the past, Attie had thrown a fit over such sweets, refusing to eat a bite. That caused the maids to lose interest in her, or even resent her. But now.... Now she needed at least a little bit of support.
Sighing, she picked up a fork and slowly took a bite of strawberry cake.
Ack. Too sweet.
Now, the young princess didn't hate sweets. She actually enjoyed snacking on cookies and chocolates. But, this many sweets? Well, people have limits you know.
Well maybe her mother didn't, but despite what people liked to believe, she wasn't her mother.
Next she took a bite of chocolate cake. Ugh, it was even sweeter. At this rate, the three year old was going to get a stomach ache.
Do you guys even know how to care for children?
The next cake in front of her was apple. With a quiet groan, Attheia held a trembling fork over it, taking a small scoop before shoveling it into her mouth.
Oh
Hey, that's pretty good.
The maids watched in surprise as the small princess went after all the apple flavored treats, instead of strawberry and chocolate. For the first time, they began to recognized her raven hair and unique tastes.
She likes apples like the emperor.
Nearly all the sweets were gone when Elaine walked in, staring at the scene in surprise.
A stuffed three year old who looked green in the face, and maids giggling in delight as they surrounded her, eyes shining as they offered to bring more foods to please the small princess.
"Attie's full" the child whined, but it seemed her words didn't reach the ears of the excited maids.
"What's going on??" breaking the scene, Elaine marched over and lifted the poor girl up, balancing her on her hip. Attie looked like she was going to lose the contents of her stomach at any moment, so the 10 year old flipped her hair to her other shoulder to avoid at least that getting dirty.
"Are you all foolish?" she glared at the maids, who were now trying to avoid the sharp eyed gaze of Elaine Robane. She had her mother's strictness and her father's cold aura of the battle field.
It was terrifying.
"I swear, how you all are in charge of the princess is beyond me" huffing, she spun around and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her. The maid's flinched, and knew there would be a punishment soon on its way.
"Ellie" Attheia whined, and the young girl began to rub the child's back.
"It's okay, Theia, let's get you to bed."
"Baugh."
"Oh, uhm.... Let's get you to the tub first actually..."
The last thing Attheia wanted to do was throw up on Elaine, but when fed so many sweets, what was to be expected? Her tiny body just couldn't handle the sugar intake.
Luckily though, she got better quickly and was soon let off of bed rest. And the first thing she was going to do was take some jewels and hide them. There was no way she would be staying here for 18 more years.
I'm going to leave at 16 Attheia told herself determinedly. Maybe I can even do it at 14.
Two pouches full of gold and jewels. That should be enough for now.
Lifting up her skirts, Attheia tied the drawstring bags to her legs, wobbling a bit at the sudden weight. Ugh, this is heavier than I thought she inwardly groaned, straightening up before her knees would buckle.
Creeping out of her bedroom, the small princess looked around to see if the coast was clear before running towards one of the secret passages she had found in her past life, quietly using it to escape.
She would have used those to hide her jewels in, if it weren't for the fact that she was worried someone might find them. After all, the knights occasionally used them for their patrols, so who knows who might stumble over them.
Slipping out back, Attheia hurried towards the gardens, her little feet already aching. Ugh, curse this childish body.
When she reached her mother's fountain, she paused.
Shoot, I don't have anything to dig with!
She was contemplating on whether to use her hands and wash off in the fountain afterwards or not, when she heard a pair of voices from not too far away. Now, Attheia wasn't sure what told her to go and get a better look. Was it curiosity? Or another force lightly pushing her in that direction? Setting her pouches by the statue, Attheia went to investigate.
Two men were walking on the path nearby. At first, she thought they were just some wandering nobles visiting her father, when something dark caught her eye.
A man wearing royal robes faced her from the book he was painted on, ruby eyes full of hidden emotions. He had fair skin, with a small beauty mark on his right cheek. But that wasn't what caught her eye. It was the deep, dark hair that covered his head. Hair much like her own...
"That's your father, Princess. Lucas de Alger Obelia."
Ah.
Mother, it seems like I made a mistake.
Before she could turn, before she could run away, those rare ruby eyes fell on her own jeweled ones, and she knew it was too late.
He had seen her.
{A/N}
Yay, first chapter is done!
I am strangley proud and happy with the cover. I find it super adorable.
Anyways, this fanfic probably won't have smut (I know I know don't kill me) but will have romantic scenes and such. I am excited to form characters and have Attheia interact with them (especially Jennette and Kiel's child. He is such a bby.)
I'm going to write the second chapter for this before updating TPW. The both the books will be updated together.
I also wanted to try something new for authors note, so I decided to do little head canons for the book to end of each chapter.
Attheia: *Looks at sweets*
Attheia: The devils food