The Second... Second Chance?

Chapter 3: Lily!

Welcome to chapter 3!
I hope you liked the past chapters!

this story is literally just me wanting to make an au where athanasia is given all the love she deserves 🕴🕴

on that note, enjoy the chapter!
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"I think I can help with that." A voice said from the door.

The trio looked over, and Athanasia clapped her hands with glee the moment she saw who it was.

'Lily!'

The woman walked over to the three until she was standing right in front of Claude, her chest puffed out and a hard glare fixed onto the emperor.

"I am Lillian York, your Majesty. And I would like to be her highness' nanny." Even though she was asking for the job, Athanasia knew from her body language, that she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"And why would I do that? I can take care of my daughter well enough."

"Your Majesty was worried for the Princess' wellbeing when you're out doing your duties, right? If I am her nanny, you no longer have any reasons to be concerned."

Claude tsked, looking away and dismissing the lady with a flick of his wrist. "No need. She-"

"I insist, your majesty." Lily cut him off. crossing her arms in front of her chest.

All of the people, other than Claude and Lily, gasped. Did she just cut off the emperor?? Did she have a death wish??! The room suddenly grew cold, it felt like a dark aura was surrounding the emperor as he turned back to look at Lily.

"You... have a lot of nerve.." Claude said, his blue eyes glowing dangerously. Athanasia shivered, she had seen that same glare targeted towards her, right before her execution. 'This isn't good. He looks like he's about to kill Lily! I need to distract him, but how...?'

The princess gulped, 'Well.. it's worth a shot...!'

"Oaa! A!! A!!!" Athanasia called out to her father, a big smile plastered on her face. She raised her arms up to make grabby hands at him, as if asking to be picked up. 'I'm cute right!! I'm adorable!! So focus on me instead!' The princess thought in her head, cringing heavily.

She was sceptical at first, but suprisingly her plan worked. The moment her voice reached his ears, Claude wasted no time to take the princess into his arms. He moved his daughter into a more comfortable position, then softly gave her a small kiss on the forehead.

Athanasia froze at the contact. Despite the newfound affection Claude had given her, he still has never given her a kiss before. 'Did.. did he go insane? Am I about to die??' She panicked.

'Okay, calm down. I can't get distracted by that. I have to get Claude to hire Lily!' She thought, desperately racking her brain for any ideas.

How did Lily get hired last time? Did she burst into the room like this too? If so, why did Claude approve of her?

'Aghhh!! Why did you have to test his patience like that Lily?!' The princess cried, 'How am I supposed to help you?? I'm just a baby!!'

She inwardly sighed, it seems she has to act cute again. There's nothing else she can do in her current condition, anyway.

Athanasia looked up at her father, then with the cutest puppy dog eyes she could muster, she pointed over to Lily, whimpering a little to really drive the point in. Everything about her screamed 'I want her!'

Claude stared at the princess, his eyes as blank as a white canvas. There was no indication on his face whatsoever as to what he was thinking, but after a few seconds, he called out.

"Come with me. It's time for her dinner."

Athanasia couldn't contain her joy. Lily's going to be her nanny again! Out of everyone, she had missed her the most. She wanted nothing more than to say goodbye to her before her death last time.

In the novel, Lily was executed for trying to defend Athanasia. So she guesses that was her fate in their last life too. Being killed for defending the child she had raised... The princess wished she could apologize for bringing her into a mess she didn't deserve to be in.

'Lily... Thank you. For always loving me, and staying by my side when nobody else would.' Athanasia smiled. Things were weird right now, but she was glad Lily was back in her life.

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The blonde-haired baby really wanted to be in Lily's care again. She wanted Claude to forget about her like he did before. The love her father was giving her, the one she had been so desperate for in her past life, was now suffocating at best.

Despite his light blue eyes being filled with warmth and affection whenever he was looking at his daughter, all Athanasia could see were the cold, empty eyes of the emperor that rejected his own daughter. That /killed/ his own daughter.

So as much as she wanted to enjoy the love she craved so much, she just couldn't bring herself to love him.

The moment after Lily was hired and tested to make sure she was capable of caring for Athanasia, Claude was ushered to his office by Felix and the princess has never felt more free.

Lily was as kind as she was before, maybe even more, but Athanasia can't help but feel a sort of sadness radiating off her whenever they play together.

'What's wrong with her? Did something happen?' Athanasia pouted slightly, ' I don't want anything bad to happen to Lily..'

"Princess, what's wrong?" Lily softly asked, snapping said Princess out of her thoughts. "Are you bored, hm?"

The nanny reached out, stroking her cheek with a touch as soft as feathers. Athanasia giggled, and Lily chuckled herself at how cute the princess was.

"Princess.." her tender voice rang out, the light strokes she was making previously freezing in place. Athanasia could feel her hand slightly shake where it was on the side of her face.

The nanny's vision turned blurry with unshed tears as she finally released the sadness clinging to her heart. All her sorrows spilling out like harsh waves as her knees buckled and Lily desperately gripped onto the railing of the crib to keep herself grounded.

"I'm so sorry, Princess. I failed you- I- I let you /die/-!" She heaved, trying to wipe off the tears from her face, "I tried to convince them, I swear with everything I have- I tried to stop them. But they did it anyway and I just- I couldn't do anything."

"I don't care that they executed me too, princess. I would gladly die if it is for you. But when I saw the emperor looking at me with that- that cold look of his I just couldn't take it anymore. I thought he cared for you, and yet he treated you so harshly. He had to get some reprecussion to what he had done to you- that was the only thought in my head when i just.. punched him straight across his face."

"He executed me right afterwards, but I didn't care. I would've done it a million times for you. If anything I wished I hit him more." Lily laughed, her sadness still dripping from every word she spoke. "I'm sorry for this, Princess. I just- looking at you, all my feelings just came pouring out."

Lily shakily stood back up, wiping the last of her tears from her face. She took a breath to calm herself down, then looked back over to the smal baby and said, "It's late, you need to go to bed."

Athanasia stayed quiet even as Lily took her in her arms and swayed her from side to side, singing a soft melody. Even as she went to the brink of falling asleep, Athanasia kept her mouth shut.

She knew people cared for her, but for her death to impact Lily this much...

'Someday, when I'm older, I really need to have a talk with Lily and Felix.. I can't have them cry and grieve on their own.' This was the last thought she had before finally letting herself rest.