Blue and Grey

Prologue

PROLOGUE

ATHANASIA LOOKED AT her second father figure as he stares at the flowers in her palace's garden. He looks like he is very lost in his deep thoughts.

"Daddy..." Athanasia called her father, who looked at her with confusion. "What is it, Athanasia?" his father asked.

"Does Felix have a lover? I've never seen him with someone other than you," she asked before sipping the Lippe Tea they've been drinking for a while now.

"He's always with either me or you, so I guess he doesn't," Claude said as he gave a side look to his aide.

But then I remembered something... more like someone.

"Let's go," Claude said as he stood up to his seat, confusing Athanasia.

"Where are we going, Daddy?" Athanasia asked a little loudly, cathing Felix' attention.

"Felix!" Claude called, making Felix march towards them. "Yes, Your Majesty?" Felix asked as soon as he reached the duo.

"Go get some rest," Claude said as he suddenly disappeared with his daughter. I wonder where they are going.

Poor Felix, left alone without an ounce of explanation.

F A S T   F O R W A R D

"Daddy, where are we?" Athanasia asked as they entered a humble-looking flower shop in the middle of the capital.

"Ryl? Where are you?" his father's voice rang inside the two-story building. Athanasia looked at his father with confusion written on her face.

"Claude? Is that you?" A female voice from the stairs asked.

Athanasia looked at where the voice came from and saw the second-most beautiful girl she had ever seen; her mother was the first, by the way.

"How have you been, Ryl?" Claude asked as he sat in the wooden chair of the shop.

"Same as always." She looked at Athanasia and smiled. "I see, you've brought yours and Diana's daughter here," she said, sitting across from the duo.

"Greetings, Princess. I go by the name Amaryllis. It is my pleasure to meet you," she said with a small bow.

It was a first. Her father is talking so casually to someone to the point that he's calling her by a pet name.

"You can call me Auntie if you want," she added, and she chuckled when she heard Claude tsk.

"Athanasia." Claude called.

"Yes, Daddy?" Athanasia asked, still in deep thought about what the lady asked her to address her.

"She's Amaryllis De Alger Obelia. My youngest sibling. Your auntie," Claude said as he waved his hand, as if signaling something to Amaryllis.

The girl removed the earring from her ear, and slowly, the green eyes faded and changed into familiar blue jewel eyes. Athanasia's eyes widened in surprise. First, the lady was just like an elf, with her white hair and green eyes, but now? She's a goddess of beauty.

"I'm the daughter of Ambrose De Alger Obelia and Jasmine Aphelion from the foreign land of Sycnasia," she said as she put her right hand to her chest and bowed.

'Woah, there's someone this pretty in our family!' Athanasia thought as she was completely in awe looking at her aunt.

"Took you long enough to introduce your daughter to me, Claude." She smiled and offered the two a tea that magically appeared in front of them.

"This is Lippe Tea, since it's your favorite, brother," Amaryllis said, pouring them a drink before pouring hers.

"Why aren't you living in the palace, Auntie?" Athanasia asked curiously.

Amaryllis just smiled and drank her tea before speaking. "I was born and raised in my mother's land, Athy. Claude found out about us being siblings a year before he met Diana," she said with a tint of sadness laced in her voice as soon as Diana's name came out of her lips.

"I declined Claude's invitation to live in the castle as I want to live a normal life, away from politics," she said as she pointed to the various flowers in her shop.

"Mom's family is a merchant and has gained the title of Viscount. Mom said she met Dad when he was out—more like when he sneaked away from the Obelian Empire," she explained with a smile on her lips.

"Auntie..." Athy called, earning a look from Amarylis.

"Yes, Athy?"

"Do you have a family now?" Athanasia asked, making Amarylis laugh and shrug.

"I am single because I'm waiting for the right time. Because I believe that love will come to you at the right time. Like how Diana came to Brother," she giggled.

"Just tell me that you're waiting for me to allow your marriage with him," Claude tsked, earning a small smile from the youngest.

"I wonder though, does he even remember me? We only met a few times, and he does not even know my name," Ryl said as she swirled the teaspoon on her teacup. "Well, will you let me marry a man that is out of your standards then?" she added, making Claude frown.

'Woah, so Daddy is also as protective to Aunty as he is to me.' Athy thought.

"Eh, who are you talking to, Aunt? Daddy?" Athanasia asked, curious about the man her auntie has eyes for.

Amarylis, just look at her and smile innocently. "Hmm? It's Felix Robane, Athy. Your escort knight."

:: F A S T   F O R W A R D

"W-w-why are you looking at me like that, Princess?" the red-haired knight nervously asked as he tried to avoid the piercing gaze Athy was giving him.

'Well, Felix is handsome. And he's kind too.'

That's Athy evaluating Felix's worth as her aunt's future husband.

"Princess, did Sir Felix offend you in some way?" Lilian York, or Lily, asked as she poured Athy a tea.

"Felix," Athy called in a serious manner.

"Ye-yes, Princess?" Felix nervously answered. He is really nervous, wondering if he has ever done something wrong to the princess.

"Have you ever fallen in love?"

"P-pardon?!" Felix's face turned red as soon as he heard the Princess' question.

"Hmm... You're from a ducal family, so I thought you already met your first love in a ball," Athy asked while drinking her tea.

"Well, since I'm always by his Majesty's side, I did not have a chance to look for someone as my only focus is solely protecting his Majesty," Felix embarrassedly said while scratching the back of his head.

"But... I don't know if you'll call it love. There's someone that I really want to see again," Felix added. His voice is a little more meek than it already was.

Athy's ear peaked as she heard that information.

"Oh? Who is she? Do you personally know her?" Felix shrugged as an answer.

"I only know that she's from a foreign land called Sycnasia. Ah! She had peculiar white hair that made her stand out in the crowd at that time." he may not notice it, but Athanasia can see the glimmer in Felix eyes as he tell her about that lady.

Athanasia instantly knew that her second father figure, her personal guard and her Daddy's aide, was in fact in love with her auntie, without him actually knowing it.

PROLOGUE :: THE HIDDEN ROYAL
c x p r e s s