Chapter Text
A smirk graced Claude’s lips and he reached for Cale. The action made the young, mostly redhead boy tense and shove himself as far back as possible, all the way to the opposite side of the couch.
It was like trying to pick up a stray cat or approaching a wild fox.
After a short stare-down, Claude finally reached out once more, lifting Cale into his arms and he could have sworn the boy hissed at him.
Claude did not bother to speak to Cale. He lifted the boy into his arms and he stood up, carrying Cale out of the room and down the halls of the palace.
Why is he carrying me?
This was beyond Cale.
“…I can go back on my own, your majesty…” Cale, who had previously remained silent in his place within the Emperor’s arms, spoke as politely as possible.
“Father.”
“Pardon?”
“Call me father.”
No? What the fuck? Why?
Cale looked up at the man carrying him. There was a dumbfounded look on his face as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Call him father? Why should he do that?
The young man shifted, making himself comfortable despite not liking the situation one bit, and watched the scenery change as Claude walked.
Finally, Cale spoke up yet again. “I can walk on my own.”
“You’ve kept so silent, I was wondering when I could hear your voice again.”
Cale nearly huffed. At this point, Claude was purposefully ignoring his wishes.
“…Please put me down, your majesty...”
“Father.”
“…Fa…ther…”
With a slow pause, Claude lowered Cale to the ground, taking the child’s hand before he got a chance to run off. Cale tried tugging his hand away, looking up at Claude who only stared at him with a blank expression.
“Let’s go.”
Claude began to walk and Cale followed him on instinct. He held a frown on his face as they walked. It was awkward holding the man's hand and being paraded through the palace grounds like some kind of toy.
“Why are you still so silent?” The blonde man asked.
Claude could not understand why Cale did not want to talk to him. When Claude asked such a question, the young boy looked up at him as if he were the dumbest fish in the pond.
“There is nothing to talk about?” Cale answered back as if it only made sense not to speak. It was clear enough to Cale but clearly not so much to Claude. “Do you have something to talk about? Is that why you keep asking me why I’m silent?”
Claude remained silent.
Hypocritical bastard.
“No.”
“…Okay.”
It was clear enough that Claude had something he wished to talk about but Cale did not care enough to try and get it out of him nor were they close enough for Cale to survive any conversation that weighed on the Emperor's mind like this.
The walk was long and awkward. When they finally arrived at the Emerald Palace every servant within was bowing to welcome the return of their master.
“We greet His Imperial Majesty, and his Highness the Prince!”
“We’re here.” Claude looked down at Cale, who was staring back up at him and then at their interlocked hands.
“…Yes, then…please let go.”
“Ah.”
Claude slowly let go of Cale’s hand and watched as the child left without uttering another word. He ran away and into the arms of the butler who had been waiting patiently in front of all the other servants.
“Did you enjoy your alone time, your highness?” Liam gave the boy a benign smile, hugging the child back.
“…I promise not to take walks or naps on the palace grounds without informing you first, Liam.”
“Thank you, your highness. We were all worried about you.”
“Yes, I know…I apologize for that.”
“It's alright, Your Highness. In other news, I’ve disposed of that man as requested.”
Cale hummed a response, waking beside his butler and nanny. He looked over his shoulder with nothing more than curiosity and saw Claude staring from a distance only to leave as they made eye contact.
Creep…
***
‘I was too naive.’
Athanasia returned to her room in the Ruby Palace, hid under a blanket, and took out her ‘life-saving plan’. Of course, it was currently in need of revision, after all, there was an entirely new factor that she’d need to work around.
‘That child…’
Caelus.
That child who was favored by the Emperor was a variable she’d been unaware of. Favored, at least in her eyes.
‘Plan A failed.’
[Plan A: Live in the Ruby Palace forever without getting noticed.]
It hadn't really been a plan. Instead, it was an idea, a prayer that she would remain a shadow within the Ruby Palace until she kicked it.
She’d been so confident that Claude would only meet Athanasia when she turned 9, not taking into account her constant movement around the palace grounds and her will to stay alive.
‘Had I thought about that I wouldn’t have run around so freely like an idiot!’
Cursing softly she scribbled out plan A from the sheet of paper, the words which had been written in Korean, a language only she could understand and read.
Athanasia stared down at the paper, looking at the next plan.
[Plan B: Leave the Palace before I turn 18 and collect funds before then.]
‘This was still in the realm of possibility.’
There were still plenty of things around the Ruby Palace that she could collect over time. She had a good amount of time before then and Claude wasn't trying to kill her just yet. Maybe because they met 4 hearts earlier than they were supposed to, it made an offset in the world’s events.
‘Oh, right…’
She tried ignoring it, at least to get her head together but there was one fact that was bothering her.
‘Cale…he’s my brother.’
She had a half-sibling on the Palace grounds. This was entirely unlike Jeanette, who wouldn’t appear in her life for a while.
Cale was a different story altogether.
A child that wasn’t mentioned in the novel. A child who was favored by the murder-happy Emperor.
He was older than her.
He was completely unreadable.
He clearly knows things that she doesn't.
And worst of all, he was a guy! Guys were always first in line for the throne. If she manages to make it past 18 and live quietly in the Ruby Palace, he just might decide to kick her out.
‘What if he ends up liking Jeanette and kills me to clear up space?’
The more she thought about him the more her head hurt. He didn't even care about Claude. A servant close to him would tell him to get into the Emperor’s good graces for his future and control the throne.
‘Ugh! He seems like the kind of guy who would rather be lounging around than ruling an Empire. Then again…he is just a kid…’
Athanasia quickly shook her head and shifted her focus back onto the page in front of her. Her final plan.
[Plan C: Get Claude’s heart by acting cute.]
‘This was stressful.’
A plan like that could end up going two different ways. It was so cringy Athanasia slapped her hands over her face in embarrassment.
‘Shameful. Totally and utterly shameful.’
With a dramatic sigh, Athanasia circled plans B and C and then crumbled up the paper. Acting on more than one plan just might do her some good.
‘…It’s not like it's impossible…’
Again she smacked her hands against her face, this time kicking her feet while under the blanket before stopping and lying flat on her face.
‘As shameful as it is…it’s definitely worth a shot.’
“Princess, it's time to sleep.”
“Lili, come sing for me!”
‘Okay, let’s do our best not to die.’
***
“Achoo!”
Cale sneezed. He looked at the chessboard in front of him with a frown. He looked at Liam who immediately stood up and brought over a blanket for him.
“Perhaps you stayed out too long, Your Highness…”
“I’m not cold…” Cale said, taking the blanket despite his own words. “I feel someone is talking about me.”
“It could be the Princess.”
Cale looked surprised, taking a moment to think, and then nodded his head.
“…Could be. It was the first time we met and I doubt anyone within the Ruby Palace had ever told her she had a sibling…”
The young man sighed, leaning back in his seat. He moves his black knight, stealing one of Liam’s pieces.
“Ah…” Liam looked at the gameboard with a scrutinizing stare. “How are you so good at this, Your Highness…”
The question was rhetorical. Playing games with Cale usually made the man wonder where the young prince learned these skills.
He moved a chess piece, immediately regretting it as Cale took another piece from him.
“The princess…ah, Athanasia, she’s an…odd child,” Cale spoke, watching as the game progressed between him and his butler—nanny.
“Speaking of others is rude, your highness…”
“Odd in a good sense. She’s very perceptive…at times.” Cale corrected, stealing yet another piece from Liam. “Besides, you bad mouth the Emperor all the time.”
“Kuek— Your Highness…! Please don't mention my darker moments…”
Cale smirked nearly evilly. He was curled up in a soft red blanket which made it hard for Liam to not look at him with a soft smile… and a slight shiver.
“Checkmate.”
“What? Really?” Liam flinched in surprise; his head snapped back to the chessboard, eyes wide in both shock and marvel. “…You never cease to amaze me, Your Highness…”
Liam sighed softly and prepared to clean up the game, putting the pieces back onto the board and moving up on a nearby shelf.
“Are you tired yet, Prince?”
“…I’m always tired, Liam.”
“Yes but earlier you said you weren’t ready to sleep just yet.”
“Well, I’m not. I’m wondering what I should do about the princess.”
Liam’s eyes widened for a moment before he spoke to Cale.
“…You are the Emporer’s only son, the princess is not a threat to your position—”
“I’m not worried about that nor do I care for the throne,” Cale spoke sharply, frowning as he looked at the butler who was now carrying him to the bed. “I was wondering what to get her.”
“What to get her? You wish to get the Princess something, Your Highness?”
“Well, duh.” I wanna know if my theory is right. “She’s my younger sister. Now that we’ve officially met, I think it’d be good to have a relationship.”
“…That’s surprising coming from you, your highness…”
“That's rude.”
“Time for bed, Your Highness.”
“Liam…!”
“Heh.”
Cale let out a dramatic and offended gasp, standing up and waddling over to the bed. He unwrapped himself and crawled onto the bed. Liam pulled the covers over Cale, tucking him in with a loving smile.
“Rest well, your Highness.”
“Mm, you too, Liam.”
***
After ten days the prince and princess were called, along with their caretakers, to meet with the Emperor.
What is this bullshit?
“Liam Carlye, Lilian York, long time no see.”
‘I’m scared and Cale looks indifferent…just like last time.’
Athanasia stared quietly at the floor, not wanting to move or breathe wrong in front of him. While Cale had been preparing a present and continuing his studies as normal, Athy felt like the day crept up on her.
It had been ten days but it felt like a few hours since their last meeting with the terrifying beast she called ‘papa’.
Every time the thought crossed her mind she wanted to curl up and scream.
‘How did I even think that was okay?!’
“Blessings and glory upon the sun of Obelia.”
Both Lilian and Liam bowed respectfully in the presence of the Emperor. Athanasia found comfort in the fact Lily was with her this time. At least there were more people and not just two defenseless children in the face of the tyrant.
‘Now that I think about it…’
Athy looked up with a thoughtful gaze. There weren't a lot of people around the Emperor, Claude.
There was his knight, Felix but no other servant that followed him around. Well, there were Lily and Liam but they were more of her and Cale’s servants…
‘All servants are under the Emperor but they aren't close to him like Felix is.’
Ugh. I want to go back to my room. Cale grumbled inwardly. He was supposed to be practicing the violin but this bastard Claude interrupted his schedule. Say what you want so I can leave.
Claude spoke up again.
“I have been unable to pay attention to my one and only son and daughter due to my duties at the court.”
Cale could see that benign smile on Liam’s face. The one he used to mask his feelings despite anger or sadness.
Busy… for seven years? Even I have better time management skills.
Cale would have scoffed had he not seen that sickly look on Athanasia’s face. She looks like she’ll pass out from stress, poor thing. She might not be cut out for this either…
He glanced at Athy with a blank expression. If she really is a different Athanasia like I assumed…I’ll have to do some teaching. The other Athanasia was unwilling to change her way of thinking.
This could be good. She must be aware that her life is on the line.
“But still, both Athanasia and Caelus were able to grow into such healthy children, the credits belong to the two of you.”
Don’t make me laugh.
‘You can’t be serious, dude.’
“Thank you, your majesty.”
“Thank you….Your Majesty.”
“Now, I myself, shall take responsibility for the Prince and Princess.”
To that, everyone's eyes flashed towards Claude. He was smiling and now Liam wasn’t. Oh dear. That smile was definitely malicious, what did he want them to do? They couldn't go against the Emperor’s orders.
While Lilian’s eyes shook, Liam’s eyes hardened and so had his expression. The children reached for their respective guardians' hands. Why did this bastard only think of himself?
“From today on, they shall exercise their rights as royals.”
Oh, fuck you.