Sleeping Beauty [WMMAP Fanfiction]

Chapter Four: Bye Bye Song

Felix closed his eyes, sweating as Alice's gaze prickled his skin. He already knew the silent message raging in her green eyes: Don't say a word.

He wasn't going to say anything, even without her hostility over the manner. He wouldn't go blab his mouth off about how someone cried, especially when they didn't want to be seen.

Other than that, he was currently worried about the princess.

A child, who never saw her mother, said she wanted to see her too. But they had no pictures or recordings of her.

"Um, princess."

Whenever they tried to approach the subject, Athanasia would always divert it.

She stood up, pulling her hat hard over her head. "Looking at flowers is no fun. I want to go home now."

Athanasia didn't want to keep pretending to leave like she had no idea what was troubling them. It was a subject she didn't want to talk about.

"Ally, read with me~"

"Yes, young miss."

As Athanasia read a history book with Alice by her side, Felix and Lily, who had been conversing quietly behind them, silently left the room. Alice sat on her right, leaning her arm on the couch behind her head, and blocking her view of the two.

Athanasia tried peeking over. Alice's body kept her from seeing. Athanasia jumped off the couch, the book discarded on the cushion. Alice quickly followed, picking it up.

"Young miss, where are you going?" she asked, picking her up before she could leave the room. They didn't have doors in this one, so Athanasia could've gone out and heard whatever Felix and Lily decided was a private conversation. She wasn't blind to the fact that they were concerned over Athanasia wanting to see her mother.

"Athy wanna go out." Held under her arm, she flailed her arms and legs like a superhero struggling to move, but she kept quiet so they wouldn't notice her and stop talking.

"It's too bad," Felix said with a sigh. "I wanted the princess to see Lady Diana."

Alice was walking away from the entranceway, taking Athanasia with her.

"I'll ask his majesty. It's for the princess, so I'll do it myself."

She sat her back on the couch, standing herself. Athanasia, panicked, ran around the couch and sprinted to get out of Alice's reach.

"Don't do it!!" Athanasia cried so they could hear her, making it to their view before Alice swept her up again, sitting her on her shoulder.

"What's wrong, princess?" Felix asked at the pale, fearful look she had.

Alice glanced up at her and knelt down, putting the book on the floor before lifting her onto the ground. Her hand grabbed the book then as she stood up to her full height; taller than Lilian, but shorter than Felix.

"I don't want it." Athanasia clenched her fists, looking horrified.

"Why is that, princess?"

"I don't wanna mention Mom to Papa. Because Papa hates Mommy."

Their eyes widened, surprised at the words coming out of a five-year old.

"What if I say I wanna see Mommy, and Daddy hates Athy too?!" Athanasia shouted so loudly that her voice echoed in the halls, lasting seconds longer than intended.

It rang in their ears; the possibility of Athanasia thinking she was hated. Lily was petrified in fear. Alice considered Athanasia's words.

If Claude says he hates her, or wants to dispose of her... He'd make her cry, so I wouldn't really hesitate to...