Battle For The Crown

Chapter 2: When Did I Start Caring?

In the dead of night, quiet footsteps which were almost inaudible, mixed with the pitter-pattering of the light rain, making a melodic symphony.

Anthanasia slowed down her pace, when the light of the Garnet Palace was in sight.

She stopped dead in her tracks, and looked up to the sky, or rather, the crying clouds.

Lilian York had insisted on not going, or at least carrying an umbrella and her being escorted, but Anthanasia firmly refused.

In Obelia, rain was a rare thing, due to the always sunny atmosphere.

However, rainy days, were Anthanasia’s best days.

In her past life, whenever she had won a war, the rain would descend washing away all the blood of her dead comrades, and also her regrets of not being better.

She enjoyed being in the rain, because the rain always washed away her worries.

Anthanasia loosened the ribbon which held her hair, and her yellow radiant hair fell to her back.

She caressed her hair as the rain soaked her. She allowed the rain to soak up every part of her. Her skin. Her clothes.

Her thoughts. Thoughts of what might happen if she were to be abandoned by her father.

Her pain. The pain she knew she would feel after being abandoned again.

Her nightmares. Nightmares of the past in which she was abandoned.

Being abandoned, was her worst case scenario.

The first time she came into this world, she kept a distance from everyone. She didn’t want to care or love anyone.

Ha! When did I start caring for these people?...I wonder.

It started with Lilian York. At first she kept a boundary of worker and superior. But, she didn’t notice when she started seeping into her heart. It was the same for the emperor.

'It was an ‘I entertain you and you don’t kill me relationship’, but, when did I start considering him as ‘father’.

Sure, I called him that as a façade. Then again, I noticed when I started to actually consider him as my father, but, I ignored those feelings'

Suddenly the rain stopped beating her, which made her snap out of her thoughts.

Above her was an umbrella, and beside her was a masculine figure with black hair. The moment the persons red eyes met with her, it made her enter another wave of thoughts.

'Lucas is another person I started caring about. Initially, he was made my playmate, and he would keep my mana in check. Later he became a friend and a confidant'

“Here” Lucas said putting the umbrella into her palm before vanishing.

'What’s up with him? Usually he’d be insulting me calling me idiot, brat etcetera'

Screech. The gate of the Garnet Palace opened, and a light shone on Anthanasia’s face.

“Princess? Princess!” The person couldn’t be seen, but from the voice, it was obvious who the speaker was.
_________________________________________
Bang. Bang. Bang.

The thunder seemed to be against having a conversation over tea.

It was well past midnight, so no one would drinking tea, except the emperor of Obelia and Princess Anthanasia.

Anthanasia had come in drenched from head to toe, which made the emperor shocked for a split second, before returning to his normal indifferent expression, while his knight with crimson red hair panicked.

“Princess, being in the rain could make you catch a cold! And in the middle of a cold night!” Felix Robanne screamed.

Felix Robanne, also known as the knight of crimson red blood. The emperor’s number one knight, aide and sometimes maid for serving tea.

'The emperor had assigned him to be my guardian when I was five years old. I never actually felt the need, since I could fend off any assailant. But, that was a thought I kept to myself.

Sometimes, he could be more of a worrywart than Lilian York. He is another person I permitted to enter into my heart'

A bitter smile came upon Anthanasia’s lips as she gazed at the moon.

“Why are you here by this time?” The emperor asked as she came into his chambers.

Emperor Claude de Alger Obelia. The fiercest emperor to ever live, or so it was said in the ‘lovely princess’.

'Originally, I wasn’t living in the emerald palace. I was living in the ghastly ruby palace, that’s said to be haunted by ghosts.

Before I was born, Claude purged every single person in the ruby palace. After I won him over, he gave me the emerald palace, which was given to Jennette in the story'

Another thing that made him fierce was him killing the crown prince. 

Initially Claude wasn’t the Crown Prince. It was his elder brother, Prince Anastacius de Alger Obelia.

'Claude was in love and engaged with the ‘birth mother’ of Jennette whose name I don’t remember. But she wasn’t satisfied with being engaged with someone who wasn’t at the top'

Meaning she wanted to be engaged to the Crown Prince. She woos the Crown Prince, and Claude finds out his brother also had a part to play in all this, he becomes furious, gains a following, rebels against the crown prince, crown prince dies and Claude takes the throne.

“I wanted to visit you” Anthanasia said before taking a sip of tea. 

'Whenever I visit or meet someone in this world, why does it always involve drinking tea?'

“Why were you out in the rain?” Claude asked with an authoritative tone.

“I wanted to visit you” Anthanasia answered like a machine.

'I feel like when I’m with father I become really lighthearted, and more playful'

“You had an umbrella, so why were you wet?” Claude asked a little annoyed.

“Because I wanted to visit you”
Anthanasia said with a smile.

The ‘I wanted to visit you’ answer seemed to make the emperor annoyed, so Anthanasia used her secret weapon.

She made a cute face and said. “Why is daddy awake?”

The air in the room seemed to be frozen, until Claude spoke. “Repeat”

“Huh?”

“Repeat what you said”

“Why are you awake?” Anthanasia asked with her head tilted.

“Call me that again”

Call him what? I didn’t say, ah. I…just said DADDY.

“Daddy~”

'I really have become shameless'

Suddenly the emperor stood up and came beside Anthanasia.

What-

Swoop. She was picked up from the chair and being carried towards his bed.

Plop. She was dropped on the bed. He laid beside her and covered both of them with the blankets.

“Wha-

“Sleep” He said before completely tucking them in.

Anthanasia quickly obeyed and shut her eyes tight, leaving a dumbfounded Felix Robanne in the room.

“Get out” The emperor said sharply.

He quickly obeyed and left leaving the emperor and Anthanasia to have a night’s rest.