IT'S BEEN ALMOST a month since the firstborn princess was almost drowned to death as right now she is playing once again in her garden that are full of different flowers that is gifted by her father when she was five years old with someone by her side which is her nanny, Amana. 

she always just want to go around the garden even though she had seen it a thousand times already but you see, the eighth years old girl tends to get bored too easily. especially, when all she does is play there and here and have some tea with her father and now her sister coming to have some tea with them now too. sure she is only eight years old physically but she is mentally fourteen? or whatever old she was in her past life. all she knows is that she's already old and all the things that she's seeing right now are starting to get boring to her.

she just wants to go outside the palace and try new things there but she already knows the answer if she ever asks her lovely father. "you are not allowed to go outside the palace because it's dangerous for you." is what he keeps telling to her and at the thought of it makes her want to roll her eyes but she can feel that her nanny and other servants who are in the garden is looking at her so she decided to make sure not to roll her eyes outside because she's a lovely princess of the obelian empire after all.

"your highness," Amana called her as she raised her head to look at her letting her nanny continue speaking. "it's time for his majesty and her highness/to have some tea with princess Athanasia." the nanny said as Nas nodded in response and raised her hand for her nanny to carry her in the location where they will have some tea as she's too lazy to walk in there by herself.

as she finally arrived she saw her father sitting she smiled at him as she sat down after that she look at her sister who greeted their father. "thank you for inviting Athy to tea." once the blonde girl was seen, the maids and Felix fell in love with such a sight yet... Claude left no reaction.

"Felix."

"yes, your Majesty?"

of course, Claude doesn't care. 

a month has passed, Claude has moved their tea time to the morning at 10 o'clock. the three were sitting under the shade in the garden. Athanasia bubbled about her dreams and anything she could say, Antanasia inserting some comments here, Claude was only watching them with half-lidded eyes. suddenly Athy looked at their father drinking and then asked.

"Papa, is that good? " Athy asked Claude. 

"It's not enjoyed for its taste."

"Athy wants what Papa's having!"

Felix intersected, saying it was too strong for her, Athanasia pouted, complaining and Claude allowed her. Athanasia savoured its smell first before taking a sip. "Athy likes it too!" She said and Nas nodded. she has tested it too. It was delicious but she doesn't like tea that much.

"It feels like flowers are blooming inside Athy's mouth!"

Antanasia froze, her lips pursed and her hands shook before she set her cup down its saucer, forcing a smile.

".... I see you have taken a liking to it. It's called Lippe tea. His Majesty enjoys it as well. And lady Diana also enjoyed it. " It feels like flowers are blooming in my mouth" is what she said."

Athanasia glanced at Claude and asked curiously, "Mommy said the same thing as Athy?"

Antanasia just kept her eyes on her milk as she stopped listening to what Felix is talking about as she remembered all the memories she had with Diana. Felix smiled and started to tell how Diana got Claude to enjoy the tea, how this place is where they would enjoy the tea together until Claude ordered him to leave.

his eyes were still glowing and Antanasia took a hold of his hand, seeing the slightly sad and hurt hidden behind those emotional faces of Claude. "you're still too young for tea. It would be best if you drank milk." he said as Athanasia just smiled.

"hehehe. Athy likes milk too."

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the time is currently 1:51 pm and Antanasia got bored in her palace, so she decided to visit Athanasia. she entered the ruby palace, and the maids bowed upon seeing her.

they chanted, "blessing and glory upon the first star of the obelian empire." she nodded her head in acknowledgement in their direction.

suddenly, she heard Felix and Lily mentioning Diana's name. she flinched and pictured the beautiful blonde dancer in her head, recalling all the fun times and cherished moments. from where she met her to her last breath. those words "I love you" from Diana will always be with her. her heart twists and clenches unmercifully. It was suddenly hard for her to breathe.

"Evidently, there are no memorial stones with recordings of Lady Diana in the palace,"  Felix said gravely.

"I see… It's a shame." Lily said.

In the obelian empire, some unique stones are called memorial stones because of their ability to hold up to 30 seconds of a recording. It's often used to capture an event you want to remember forever, a memory you don't want to forget, or of someone close to you.

"I really wanted to let the princess see Lady Diana." Felix sighed. "I'll ask His Majesty. with His Majesty's abilities, he may even be able to pass on his memory directly." He said firmly.

"It won't be as clear and objective as a Memorial Stone, But the princess would be able to experience the image."

"but would his majesty… allow such a thing? can we just… ask her highness instead?" Lily asked uneasily.

Felix grunted, "Princess Antanasia is still not allowed to use her magic yet… that was what the warlock said."

A moment of silence occurred.

"then, I'll go to his majesty straight away-" a child's voice interrupted Felix, "don't do it!" she heard running footsteps and shuffling movements. she listened attentively, feeling her heart weigh more substantial in her chest. she heard Athanasia speak fearfully. "i-i don't want it. don't talk about mom with papa."

"why is that, princess?" asked Felix.

"papa hates talking about mommy!" Athanasia raised her voice. "what if I say I want to see mommy, and papa hates athy too?!"

after that Antanasia had enough and showed herself in her hiding spot. " Athy, are you sure you don't want to see Lady Diana? I can talk to daddy if you want, he'll show you what Lady Diana looks like-" she tried talking to her sister but she got interrupted by Athanasia.

"papa will hate me if you ask him! he'll really hate me!" Athanasia pushed her and they both fell to the floor. they both sat there for a second before Antanasia felt her tears burning the corner of her eyes then she yelled at Athanasia. "stop being such a brat! daddy won't hate you! you're so scared of someone who's trying to love you" she stand up and ran off to her palace. 

after she finally arrived at her palace her nanny saw her eyes puffy and she immediately asks her princess what happened but all she does was ignore her nanny and walk straight to her room. she does regret yelling at her sister but she should be grateful that she's willing to help her even though it does hurt for her to see Diana once again after her death because after all, Diana was like a mother whom she never had after her past mother died.

after all that Antanasia has been sulking since last night, Claude looking at her daughter sitting in his lap who's spacing out a lot this day. he has been asking her what happened but she won't tell. moving passed a bit, Roger came to speak to him again and one of Nas' favourite things to do is to embarrass him.

"blessings and glory upon-"

"go home mr. doggy, no one has time to deal with you. so if you would be so kind and leave the room, that would make life ten times easier." Antanasia said coldly.

she moved from her father's lap and went straight behind the throne. Claude wasn't surprised by his daughter's harshness yet but he was surprised by how quickly she dismissed the white-haired man. now Claude was more worried than before, when she didn't come back he knew her daughter was lying down. so this gave Roger a chance to speak but not too freely. 

just then the door opened displaying athanasia and Felix. he watched as Athanasia proceeded to tease Roger in a more childish way than Nas. "bad doggy! doggies don't eat sweets!"

Claude chuckled, she sounds like Nas but softer in tone. the duke leaves confused and Felix places the child on the floor. however Claude noticed her slightly downed mood, it was as if something is affecting them both.

"Antanasia stop sulking and come here."

"No…"

"Come out before I get up and get you."

"... fine!" Claude looked back to see her sadly peeking around to look at Athanasia and she also returned the sad gaze. he feels like he's missing something yesterday, that wasn't reported to him.

"Athy/Nas- oh you go first!" they both spoke at the same time and silence fell over them for a second. "Athy is sorry Nas… I know you're trying to make me happy and I'm sorry for pushing you-"Athanasia spoke but Antanasia cut her off.

"no, it's my fault… I tried to push you for trying to ask and you were already uncomfortable with the whole situation… and sorry for shouting at you." 

"Felix, what happened between them?" Claude asked as his children continued to apologize to each other. Felix explained what happened yesterday and now. Which explains why Antanasia was sulking around all morning and didn't want to eat breakfast or even have tea with Athanasia. now that the two of them were made up he grabbed both of them and walked behind the throne and lay down with them.

"that time, that song"

Athanasia shivers. "song?" she questioned, not having a big clue.

he looks at Athanasia, "you called it the song that chases away bad dreams."

Athanasia blinks and remembers, "ah! the 'bye-bye' baby song!"

"the 'bye-bye' baby song?" he questioned but shrugged it off. "whatever it's called that one. sing it for me."

Athanasia froze and looked at Antanasia.

'poor Athy' she thought.

"But Athy's forgotten that one," she said innocently.

"forgotten?" he questioned. he hums and looks at Antanasia as she slowly flickers her eyes closed. "what shall I do to make you remember." he shifts his body a little so that Antanasia was leaning her body against his. "now that I think about it, I recall… right after I ascended to the throne, there were some foolish dissenters who tried harm me in this very audience hall." a shiver ran through Athanasia and Antanasia. "all of them were caught and made to kneel. those fools, each and every one of them said that there was no mastermind, that they didn't know anything more about this attack. that's why I forcibly made them remember." Antanasia closed her eyes and pretended to sleep by breathing lightly.

"over the years, I have witnessed hundreds of ways to make forgotten memories return, but I can't use those methods on you." he said. "you acted like you remember the song a moment ago, only to forget it just as quickly. I have been contemplating how to get you to recall those memories."

"I remember now! the 'bye-bye' baby song!" she claps her hands together. "Athy will sing the song for papa." Imaginary tears went out of her eyes as she was singing.

since she was passionately singing her heart out, Antanasia fell asleep.

❲ EDITED ❳