Same World, Same Princess, Different Path [WMMAP]

Chapter 12 - When You're not Alone Anymore

"Did we hear right?"

"We heard right." Lucas and Athanasia remained silent against the door, short of breath. The magician's eyes glowed bright red and almost murderous while the aura around him became dark. He tightened his fists, restraining himself from exposing his magic and at the same time, Athanasia.

In the other hand, Athanasia looked at Lucas worriedly, not knowing how to calm him down or help him. She was aware of the danger Anastacius could represent, but unlike Lucas, she never had to confront him. As far as she knew, he had only been responsible for her death in the other dimension and had arrived much later in hers. So from her point of view, she had no real "reason" to try to get rid of him.

After all, it would be to help the nation of Obelia, a nation who had no qualms about throwing stones at her on the day of her execution, insulting her and her late mother for no reason... A nation who had celebrated her death the next day or even the night after she passed away. This nation, who humiliated her day and night, who belittled her for raising Jeanette...

Yeah, when Athanasia started to think about it, she didn't have the hatred she used to have towards him at all. All her anger was directed at Obelia and its people, their emperor and their dear, sweet princess...

"Why should I help them..." She murmured this sentence, lost in her thoughts and finally realized her mistake when she met Lucas' gaze. "Oh! I'm sorry, it wasn't what I wanted to..."

"Don't apologize." He sighed softly and finally put his hand on the princess' head. "What you think is normal, you don't owe me anything either, Athanasia."

She tried to make up for it; Anastacius may have meant nothing to her, but he was the one who had destroyed the magician's life and future. He was the one against whom Lucas felt all his hatred, he was the one he wanted at all costs to see suffer as he had suffered. But he was certain now: the Alpheus were on the side of this late emperor. After all,

The dead are only truly dead when the living have forgotten them.

"Anastacius is my problem, not yours. The hatred you feel is perfectly normal and they certainly don't deserve your pity." He tousled her hair before smiling at her. "But it's your choice, are you going to fight for this nation who have oppressed you all your life or are you going to leave them at the mercy of this zombie?" She took his hand out of her hair, finding it very soft by the way, and couldn't put out what she was feeling.

What was she supposed to do? She never really knew. If she wanted to become the Empress of Obelia, it wasn't for the nation, it was so that Jeanette wouldn't be Empress - even though she knew that with Anastacius it would have little chance of happening - and all that mattered to her was her revenge. It was to prove that she was worth for it, that she could very well take the position that was so right for Jeanette. But it had nothing to do with their future suffering or Claude's death. What happened after her death was not her concern, it was their problem after all.

"I'm going to fight." She took his hand in hers with confidence. "But it won't be for them, it will be for me. It's my fight, my future. And I'm not going to let him ruin it." Lucas only tightened his grip on their hands, more and more proud of what this Athanasia was becoming. She had gained audacity, she had gained self-confidence, she now had a goal other than to survive...

"I know I'm not supposed to compare both of you, but the person you're becoming reminds me a lot of her." He had a rather melancholy and nostalgic expression, remembering the way she used to have fun hitting him on the head when he "crossed the line", the way she used to think when she had to take her father's place to govern when he was sick, the way she must have fought when Anastacius arrived. Today, he could see it all in that same look on his face.