Back to the Past

Chapter 2

"Princess, would you like some chocolate?" A maid asked, holding out a heart shaped chocolate.

"Yes! Athy loves chocolate!" Athy immediately snatched it from the maid's hands and put it in her mouth. It's been three years now. Three years since she woke up back in time. And now she was three years old.

In the few weeks she woke up a baby again, she was lost on what she should do. But then she realized that the best course of action would be to not change the past at all, do everything the way she remembered it.

So the first thing she had to do was get the maids on her side, which wasn't too hard. Somehow, it was actually easier  compared to the first time. It was kinda weird, they also knew her obsession with chocolate before she even ate any.

Even though her original plan was to just stick to what she did last time, she couldn't help change a few things. Like for example, this time, she didn't try to hide her geniusness. She started reading and writing at the age of three.

The maids were in shock when she read advanced books and learned everything quickly (Or pretended to learn). She's also fluent in Arlanta, with only learning the language for a month.

The maids didn't know wether to be proud or scared of the Princess, but they chose to just look at the bright side.

Athy walked through the gardens, picking some flowers, like she usually did. She eventually grew tired and sat down on the grass. If Lily was here, she would fret over how her dress would become dirty. But she wasn't here was she?

The flowers she picked were sitting beside her and she decided to make a flower crown. In the process of making it, she suddenly realized, now that she was alone, how much she missed her Dad, Lucas, and Felix. She would have to start all over again with them.

But it's okay. That won't be too hard. Wait. Never mind. Trying to earn Claude's love was gonna be hard.

Some things she was planning to change now was meeting Ijekiel. This time she wouldn't make Lucas teleport her to the Alpheus's place. This way, they wouldn't have met before and he wouldn't fall for her. This way, she wouldn't have to hurt him again.

Ooooh maybe this time, when I see Mister White I can casually mention Jeanette, and imply that I know what he's planning, just to make him freak out a bit Athy thought with an evil smirk.

This time she would also try to delay Lucas from going to the world tree so that he'd be there when she absorbs Blackie, meaning Claude wouldn't lose his memories.

Her plan was perfect. She hoped. As for now, she just had to wait. Wait till she turns five. And when she's five, she would go to the Garnet Palace, she would also bring pouches filled with valuables tied to her legs under her dress, just like last time, and then she would meet Claude, the bags under her dress would fall, and it would be a carbon copy of what happened last time.

Though, it is kinda lonely being the only one who remembers what happened in the future. She had to do everything alone again. It was different from when she was reincarnated here. Because now, she knows that the people she loved, doesn't love her at this point in time. Well, to be more specific, Claude. All of her efforts those years were wasted because she was bored and decided to do a time travel experiment.

But she wasn't about to let something like this make her lose hope. She knew what was going to happen in the future, hence, she was at an advantage here.

She beamed brightly down at her handiwork. Maybe she could give the flower crown to Lily. She got up, smoothed her dress, and started to walk back to the Ruby Palace.

Now that she thought about it, she was actually pretty old. Well, not physically. In her first life, she died at eighteen, then she was Athanasia until she was nineteen, plus now she was three...

She froze. No way. She was forty. Ohgodshewassoold. Nope. Stop thinking about it like that. She was still mentally eighteen and physically three. Just think that you've had forty years worth of life experience, you're three now.

"Lily!" She hugged her mother figure as soon as she returned to the palace.

"Oh, Princess! You're back already?" Lily asked, smiling warmly at her as she picked Athy's small figure up.

The little girl smiled back at her. "Was Athy gone for long? Athy made this for Lily!" She handed the flower crown to Lily.

"Really? Thank you so much Princess." She said, hugging Athy tighter. Athy could see the other maids looking at the head maid with jealousy.

"I would like the princess to make me one too!" Hannah said, walking up to them, Ces right behind her. "Hey! I was gonna ask the princess first!"

Soon after that, most of the maids started to come to them, asking for their Princess to make then flower crowns, most saying that they'll give her in fine amounts of chocolate.

She smiled nervously at them. Well, at least she got them all on her side. She tugged at Lily's sleeve. "Athy is tired."

All the maids stopped talking. "The Princess is tired, leave her alone!" Hannah said to the crowd, then everyone bowed down and apologized and continued doing whatever they were doing.

"Do you want to take a nap?" Lily asked as Athy tried to stiffle a yawn, but fails miserably.

"Yes, Athy is sleepy. But Athy wants milk before sleeping. Warm milk." She replied sleepily.

-

"Felix, how's the Ruby Palace these days?" Claude, who was finishing up his paperwork for the day, asked Felix.

Felix looked at the emperor in shock and confusion. "W-why do you ask your majesty?"

There was a silence. Claude looked confused at what he just said. Felix stood there nervously. Maybe he thought about Princess Athanasia? Felix was glad that he was finally thinking about his daughter but...

"I don't know..." Claude finally said, running his hand through his hair. _Why did he ask that? What was in the Ruby Palace anyway?_

"You don't know...?" Felix tilted his head, more confused than ever. Was the Emperor sick?

Claude stood up and started walking towards the door. "Never mind. Finish the rest of it." He told Felix, pointing at the rest of the unfinished paperwork sitting on his desk.

"Blessing and Glory upon the Obelia Empire." Felix said, bowing down as Claude left the room. He just stood in the room for a good thirty seconds before moving towards the Emperor's desk.

Why did he ask about the Ruby Palace and not even know the reason?

-

Apologies for the very short chapter and for the fact that it'll take a while to update again :')

My exams are coming up and I'm dying