Lucathy: Is it Meant to Be? {On-Hiatus}

Chapter 2: Birthday Banquet (Anthanasia)

Crash. Anthanasia sprang up from her desk with a jolt and looked at her surroundings with a fright. 
"

Phew" She said taking a quick breath. 
She was writing down her plans for her mothers birthday but suddenly fell asleep. For the past month, she had been having strange dreams of a boy with black hair and red eyes. 
What was his name? Travis. Luke. Luka. Argh, what was it. 
In the dream, she saw different scenarios of her life. It was mostly her moments with Luka. 
She couldn't really see his face properly, neither hear his voice properly, but she knew what was happening and felt warm and fuzzy inside. 
Sigh. Anyways I need to plan her majesty mother's birthday. 
But I still wonder what I did to change the story. I still don't think I'm the cause. 
For one, mother survived after giving birth to me. And before giving birth, she was already crowned empress. 
But, I no more think of this world as a book, instead its just another world. 
Claude is my father and Diana is my mother. They aren't just story book characters to me, they're family. 
Knock. Knock. 
"Come in" 
The head maid of the beautiful ruby palace came in. Anthanasia's god mother, Lilian York. 
Unlike in the story their was no massacre in the ruby palace and its as beautiful as ever. 
While the emerald palace is were mother stays. 
"The seamstress is here, your highness" "I'll be there in a moment" Lilian York left with a curtsy and closed the door. 
I'm a bit worried about mothers birthday banquet. In the story, mothers birthday was the same as Jennette's engagement party. 
On that day, there would be an attack in the palace. But daddy would slaughter the attackers alongside his guard. 
However, now there's a slim chance of that happening. 
Since security is probably tighter than in the story. Speaking of Jennette, I'm currently fifteen years old. My debut was a year ago, I didn't even see her there. So I inquired and found out Jennette isn't even living with Duke Alpheus! 
AND the Margareta family have been quiet in the social world. 
Basically, I've never seen what Jennette looks like. 
Ah, the seamstress. 
Anthanasia quickly left her study and into the drawing room to meet the seamstress.                  ________________ 
"Ah, Princess?" The emperor's aide Ramon said looking flustered. 
"I'd like to speak with his majesty" 
"Y, yes?" He asked fixing his glasses then pushing back his green hair. 
"Is anything the matter?" Anthanasia asked with her head tilted. 
"N, no. H, his Highness is having a meeting with the…empress" He said while his cheeks turned red. 
Anthanasia then understood his embarrassment and her cheeks also dyed red. 
Ugh, I can't come in if they're having a 'meeting'. 
Mother, why do you always sow in embar- Wait, that's it! 
"Don't worry Ramon, I've found what I'm looking for~" Anthanasia said before turning around on her heels and sprinting towards the direction of the rose garden.
know the perfect present to give mother.                  _______________ 
"The Princess is very beautiful today" "She's always beautiful" 
"Her and the empress are almost identical, what did you expect" Anthanasia listened to the noble ladies empty flattery with a fake smile plastered on her face.
"You are too kind" 
"The Princess is al-
"Her Majesty Empress Diana Tansy de Alger Obelia and His Majesty Emperor Claude de Alger Obelia!" 
The Herald announced by the side of the stairs. 
Anthanasia bowed just like everyone else in the hall waiting for the emperor's permission to rise. 
Tansy? Mothers name is Tansy.
Unlike Anthanasia, everyone else was amazed at the fact the empress' name was announced before the emperor. 
Even though it wasn't the first time, they were still stunned at this trivial occurence. "You may rise" The emperor said after sitting on his throne and the empress on hers. 
Anthanasia rose and her eyes came in contact with her mother who wore a cold expression fit for the empress.   
She chuckled lightly because it was just yesterday they were reading teen novels and giggling like children, but here she was sitting high and mighty before everyone else. 
Anthanasia surveyed the hall and held in a sigh. The banquet would officially begin in two hours, which seemed really far away. Its going to be a long night.                 
               B _______________ 
Strolling casually, Anthanasia passed through the gates of the rose garden. 
The garden is large and look out over a lake. It's too dark to see the water now, but the sound of waves could be heard and there's a lighted walkway that leads down the steep incline and towards the  terrace of the empress. 
The scent of jasmine is in the air and tasteful lighting exposes an immaculate garden. 
The back garden of the emerald palace was supposed to be the most secluded place in the palace, but due to todays event there were more people than usual. All kinds of trees and flower walls were lined up everywhere, so there were many blind spots around this area. 
As it was so large and complex, it took more than half a day for more than ten people to find a child who hid here. 
Soon Anthanasia is enveloped in darkness, save for a single light shining down from the second floor. 
She looks up and see a window, slightly ajar, and notices a drainpipe nearby.
In the distance, several carriages are arriving in an organized pattern. 
As she sees this something starts gnawing at the back of her mind. 
Slowly approaching that area, waiting to see the inhabitants of the carriages. 
Bruk.
A cold wave began to wet her ball gown and legs. 
She would have been able to swim out if not for her heavy dress. Her corset feeled tighter than it was and her lungs started to slowly give out. 
Slowly her vision started to blur then air went through her lungs. 
"Princess?!" A familiar voice called out to her. 
Her vision slowly came back and her eyes met with a pair of golden ones which were filled with worry.
His white hair blew in the wind as he tried to make the princess concious. 
"Sir Alpheus?" The Princess called out faintly.                 
                      __________________ 
The maids quickly worked her hair and made her hair into a long braid that curved to the side. 
She chose a red and white simple ball gown. Anthanasia still needed to attend the banquet because she needed to be present to give her mother her gift personally. 
"What happened?" Anthanasia asked Ijekiel after becoming fully concious. 
"A servant said your highness wanted to speak to me at the emerald palaces back garden. He personally escorted me there. I followed because he carried your 
insignia. When I came I saw you on the ground soaking wet" 
My insignia? Its right here with me. 
An insignia was an emblem  used by imperial family members to summon someone. 
And how was I already on the ground. I remember being in the lake. 
"Ah, is that so" Anthanasia answered plainly. 
Anthanasia entered the banquet trying to calm down her nerves that were on edge. Maybe because she had just fell into a lake or maybe. 
"Princess Anthanasia de Al- "Ahhhhhhhhh!" It took thirty seconds for everyone to process what had just happened. 
The herald looked down to his stomach which had an arrow through it, before falling to ground. 
Arrows flew into the room then.
Crash. The glass from the hall door was shattered into a million pieces. And people in black came flying in through all directions. 
The guards? Some appeared to be dead while the ones standing were knocked out one by one as a strange gas reached them. 
The drainpipes! 
The gas starts filling the room, and a few slow witted nobles fainted while the others held their noses. 
The people in black drew their swords and fought of the guards. 
Their target was obvious by their movements. The empress. 
But they didn't have a chance. The nobles including the empress and princess stepped aside to a secluded area of the hall as the emperor and his guard drew their swords.
And a bloody scene was what followed. Anthanasia was calmed down as she saw her mothers non chalant and calm expression, she leaned in a little closer and heard her mother chanting something. "¶√{×÷^£¢€°^_&)(?/:" 
And a light quickly flashed too quick for anyone to notice, but Anthanasia did. 
At that moment the assailants seemed to move like fat ducks. 
"Die!" A voice from right above Anthanasia screamed. 
In a split second a sword was lunged at her, but stopped mid air and reversed its position to the wielder. 
And the persons head was slashed off mercilessly from the behind. 
Their were almost thirty attackers standing, but in that moment they all stopped and turned to stone. 
Nobody saw it since they were concentrating on the arrival of a new person but in that moment the empress' eyes glowed and she mumbled. 
"Right on cue" Anthanasia looked at the person who had saved her from the assailant. 
His red eyes locked with hers. 
The boy who she saw in her dreams. Before she tried to remember his name but failed. 
However, in that moment her heart, not her mind said his name using her mouth.
"Lucas"