AFTER THE crown princess woke up after 48 days... she's learning how to walk again with the help of her nanny and father. she fell a while ago because her muscle has weakened after being in the bed for a month and that made her furious because she was like a baby again who just started waddling.

she heard from her nanny that her father and sister along with Felix they are on the way to the ruby palace and she can already tell that Athy will finally have the emerald palace which used to be her palace too when she was a baby before she was announced as the crown princess by her father as she's now living in the sapphire palace a place where the official residence of crown prince/princesses.

all her thoughts were cut off when the warlock suddenly spoke to her. "a penny for your thoughts?" the magician asked the girl as she just looked at him for a second before answering. "oh, I'm just thinking if I should make you as my sister's playmate." at what she said Io made Lucas almost choked but immediately swallowed the cookie that he's eating.

"are you serious?"

"yeah."

he glared at her before slamming his hand to the table. "no way! I don't want to babysit some child just because she doesn't have a friend." he said as he sulk in his chair. the girl stared at him as if she was already used to the raven-haired sulking around. she sighed before speaking once again. "then... I'll do anything you want." what the princess offered to the magician made him pleased.

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"I will be here as princess Athanasia's playmate starting today, I'm looking forward to spending time with you, princess," Lucas said while flowers and sparkles surrounded him.

"her highness recommended the young warlock since she thought he would be an adequate playmate for the princess, you did say you would prefer the warlock rather than Alpheus' son right?" Felix said while Athanasia looked at the magician dumbfounded.

Athanasia turned to Felix and spoke. "Athy doesn't need a new friend! all I need is Felix and Sister!"

"thank you, princess, that makes me very happy. but I think it would be great for you if you met a friend around your age. I do have admiration for friendship overcoming age differences. but there are some valuable things you can only experience with friends around your age. plus your sister princess Antanasia will also have a playmate so that's why the princess should also have a friend." he said happily.

"how about dad?" she said angrily.

suddenly. "your Raven is particularly cute today, Princess. he's so small, he's particularly bite-sized. how adorable." the warlock said as his eyes glowed. the blackmail of the guy made the youngest princess have no choice but to befriend him.

"let me just freeload for a bit. I've stayed in the palace for a few days now and I've gotten used to the convenience." Lucas said. as the three of them are sitting on the couch. 

"mister, how old are you really?" Athanasia asked the boy.

"Just consider me around your sister's age. we're stuck growing up together now anyway." He said while reading a book.

"If you're going to be my friend, at least introduce yourself. you know my name, you know my age. what else do you need to know? every other thing that could define me has already disappeared."

"then how do you introduce yourself when you make new friends?" he asked before continuing to read the book that Nas gave him. "yo~ Nas look Aetarnithas turned out to be the strongest magician emperor in history? that idiot." he scoffed closing the book in annoyance.

"you're also an idiot you know?" Nas said while munching a cookie.

"why you-" he was about to talk back, but he got cut off by Athanasia.

"If I'd know I was going to end up here with you, I would rather have gone and been friends with mr white's son!" she said while crossing her arms.

he sighed before talking. "then go befriend whitey's boy if you want to so badly." he said as his hand glowed.

after that Athanasia disappeared as Antanasia looked at Lucas dumbfounded. 

"please tell me that you made sure that my sister is going to land alright," she said as she look at him seriously.

"of course I did," he said as he stuck out his tongue. she sighed as she just continue to read the book she had while munching her cookie. the warlock just looked at her and then suddenly hugged her which made the princess startled by his action.

"I missed you," he said as he hugs her tight.

"but we just met a while ago," she said as the lad looked at her again the rolled his eyes. "idiot. he muttered then continue to read his book as if nothing happened to them at all.

he suddenly snapped his fingers as her sister suddenly appeared in front of them. "have a nice trip?" Lucas said while smirking then talked again "you must have had quite some fun, seeing how it took you this long to call me. did you learn how to introduce your-" before he can finish his sentence Athy punched him. 

……….

"pfft- HAHAHA" Nas laughed, breaking the silence room.

"wow. you're the second person to ever hit me. but what was that for? I only sent you because you wanted to be friends with mr white junior." Lucas said, holding his head.

"promise me that you won't do things like this whenever you want," Athy said while glaring at him.

"fine. my bad. don't be mad."

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today is the day when she'll meet her playmate whom she's interested in as she kept hearing about a young girl that is a year older than the princess who's going to be a future knight along with her father is what the knight keeps saying and that is the other reason she wants to get to know the girl but the real reason she wanted to know the girl is that she also never been mentioned in the story which made the crown princess curious as to why the young lady is very famous among the imperial knights.

and there she is standing in front of the crown princess as she spoke. "I will be here as her royal highness Antanasia's playmate starting today. a pleasure to meet you, princess." Akari Setsuko said as she bowed elegantly and smiled at the royal princess. 

the princess was mesmerised by the light blue eyes that stared so warmly into her own as she also looked at her wavy short dark blue hair. 'she's beautiful.' is what the princess kept thinking as she kept staring at the beautiful maiden in front of her. she smiled to the blue-haired girl and then she spoke. "the pleasure is all mine, Lady Setsuko" Antanasia smiled at the blue-haired, giving a pleasant and welcoming aura to her.

Akari was slightly surprised by the welcoming aura that the princess gave her and so the girl butted in and said, "please call me Akari or any other nickname you'd prefer, your highness."

"then call me Nas, Akari."

both of the girls smiled, loving their bond of friendship already.

"so what're your hobbies? Akari." Antanasia asked as they walked into the garden.

"nothing fun at all your highness just singing, writing, reading, and practising being a knight," Akari said while looking at the flowers in the garden.

"So cool! didn't I tell you to call me Nas?"

"my apologies Nas." 

"It's fine! I just want someone to call me by my nickname since I'm used to it," she said while smiling at the blue-haired girl.

"what are your hobbies, Nas?" 

"hmm well just like yours except the knight thingy. you know you are so mature at your age." Antanasia said.

"I get that a lot and I can also say the same thing to you, your highness. I know for a fact that they will always cling to their parents and can get everything they want."

"not all of them though." 'I know for a fact that some of them already know what yaoi is.' Antanasia thought. "and I also told you to call me Nas, right?"

"sorry, your highness- I mean Nas-" the blue girl blurted out.

"anyways… I'd like to know more about you, Akari" She smiled innocently, shifting her gaze to the gal. "m-me?" Akari questioned. 

"no, I'm talking to the tree" Antanasia spoke sternly, having a bland look on her face. "ahh- I'm sorry, your high- Nas!"

"more about me, you say?" Nas nodded. "Well, I came from a small family in the Setsuko Manor, only me, my mother, and father lived there with a few butlers and maids. Then-" 

"I already knew that," before she could finish, Antanasia cut her off since she already knew her back story. 

"yes- you're right"

"No, I'm left" 

'this girl- has the audacity to tell me to say more about myself and cuts me off' Akari just decided to shrug it off since it was the princess after all. she had no right to disrespect her yet she couldn't help but say stuff internally. 

"you can tell me what it's like to live in your manor"

"It's quite boring. I have no playmates and I have to practice all day. mother and father have no time for me because they are a teacher in arlanta, go to the garden to sing or walk to my room to write," her voice was lifeless and had no tone of joy in it.

suddenly, the princess has an urge to question the girl beside her and she did ask her something. "hey, Akari... do you plan to enroll in a school in arlanta?"

"I mean, I guess. being home alone is a bore sometimes. would you be there?" she faced the girl with a wondrous look.

"I don't know if my dad will let me but I'll try." Antanasia smiled nervously, wanting to keep the girl near her since she can relate to and have fun with her.

"oh, I hope that he will!" The blue hair cheered, as she thought the same thing. 

the bond that they shared grew faster than the plants that were planted in the garden. both of the girls spent a day chatting with each other until it was time for them to depart.

Felix was ordered to go to the garden to call the girls, signalling to them that it was time to go home. your highness?!" he called.

"hm?" The white-haired hummed in response.

"you're being called by your father. Come, I shall escort you to him and you too Lady Setsuko."

Akari nodded and spoke, "understood, sir Robane" 

"It was nice talking to you Akari." 

"the feelings are mutual, Nas"

It was soon sunset, and Akari headed to their manor. both of them had said their farewells and as for Antanasia, she needed to have a word with his father tomorrow.

❲ EDITED ❳