Always the shadow, the reject but never Athanasia de Alger Obelia
"Non sum filia, soror aut principissa cuiquam."
In the tender years of her youth, a mere child of nine sought naught but the gentle caress of warmth, yet found herself adrift in the i...
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Years passed, and the princess had grown into a five-year-old.
Ever since the Duke intervened, her life had significantly improved. It wasn't quite the life Jennette had, but it was far better than her first life. For one, Arista hardly interfered, and the maids were too scared to take anything from the Ruby Palace.
Athanasia had learned to navigate her environment with caution and grace. She quietly observed, learning who to trust and who to avoid. Madam Amora had become a constant presence, providing guidance and support.
However, she still needed a plan to escape her inevitable death. Despite having the protection of the empire's second most powerful man after the emperor, once Jennette was recognized as a princess, Duke Alpheus effectively usurped Duke Agriche's position as the emperor's right-hand man.
She still needed to escape the palace before she turned 18.
Once Athanasia snapped out of her reverie, she found herself no longer within the confines of the Ruby Palace but surrounded by a field of flowers. Lost in an unfamiliar location with no idea how she had arrived there.
As she surveyed her surroundings more closely, Athanasia spotted a distant structure, its form indistinct. "Is there another palace near the Ruby Palace?" she pondered for a moment, before letting the roses slip from her grasp.
"There's only one palace that comes to mind..."
The Garnet Palace.
The Emperor's palace.
Realizing she was practically walking to her death, Athanasia quickly turned around to find her way back to safety. Instead of heading toward the Ruby Palace, she found herself standing in front of the Garnet Palace. "Dammit, Athanasia!" she berated herself.
"Maybe there aren't any guards around, I could still—" But as Athanasia turned to make her escape, she was confronted by a menacing figure.
A figure she never wanted to see again.
"What's this bug doing in my palace?" the Emperor's voice cut through the air, laced with disdain as he glared into her jeweled eyes. Athanasia froze, her heart pounding, not daring to look up and meet his gaze.
She thought she would be fine—that she was prepared to meet her father and pretend she didn't care about him. That she could thrive on her own without his family.
But she couldn't.
A flicker of hope still lingered inside her, that maybe—just maybe—he would love her as he loved Jennette. That she could finally call them her brothers, and they would address her with affection. Perhaps this life was her chance to have a real family.
