Same World, Same Princess, Different Path [WMMAP]

Chapter 11 - Crown Princess & Shenanigans

"Blessing and Glory upon the Sun of the Empire." 9a.m. Athanasia was in the Emperor's office, as agreed the day before. She bowed and raised her head to meet the gaze of an uninterested Claude and a radiant Felix.

"Blessing and Glory upon the Obelian Empire, Princess Athanasia! I hope you had a good afternoon yesterday." Felix asked, trying to lighten the mood with his good mood. She replied positively, telling him that she already had her breakfast.

Suddenly, Claude decided to finally give some importance to the situation and divided a pile of paper in front of him. Without a word, he showed a small desk and a chair that had previously been set up next to his own at his request. Athanasia raised an eyebrow, not thinking that he would have made the effort to worry about her comfort, but said nothing and came to settle where she was supposed to.

"Take this." He handed her a pile of documents which she took with both hands and placed them in front of her. As she flew quickly over the first lines, she knew that they were papers relating to the economy and taxes of the Empire. She was sure of one thing, he certainly didn't want to spare her, when she saw the size of that pile of paper.

"Um... Your Majesty? Isn't this a little too much for the Princess?" Felix tried to convince his sovereign, but the latter didn't seem to care.

"Why would it be? She was so happy to proudly announce that she could work yesterday, so I will make her work." Felix opened his mouth but immediately closed it again, not knowing what he should say or do.

Athanasia answered nothing about the quantity and immediately went to work, completing the documents that needed to be completed, correcting those that needed to be corrected. She did her work neatly under the watchful eye of the red-haired guard - Athanasia had put Carsein on a break since she was already in the company of Felix - and she never asked for help, never raising her head.

Claude didn't pay much attention to her either, doing his part of the job in the greatest silence, not expecting much from a simple 14-year-old girl. What he had given her - and he knew it - were documents that the dukes discussed most of the time in the audience room. He didn't expect her to understand anything - she wasn't supposed to know anyway - and just wanted to show her to never raise her voice at him for no reason.

It was after almost an hour of work that Felix opened his mouth, addressing to Claude. "Your Majesty, I think it's time." Claude shrugged his head and looked jaded.

"For what again?"

"Two weeks ago, you asked Duke Castillo to come since he couldn't be here last time." At the understanding of the Duke's name, Athanasia quietly raised her head. So the Duke had to come? It certainly made things more interesting for her. "Should I go to meet him? He must surely be waiting in front of the audience room."

"Go ahead." Felix took one last look at the two blond heads before he walked out to the office.

Claude concentrated again on his work, Athanasia on hers. No one was talking or looking at each other. It was complete silence until Felix knocked on the door again.

After receiving approval, he entered in the company of a rather tall man with dazzling white hair - looking brighter than Duke Alpheus' - and blue eyes in which one could get lost. He seemed young, more than the other Dukes, and dragged behind him a certain aura that she could not describe.

Athanasia was about to greet him when she saw behind him a boy similar in size to him. Same eyes, same hair, she could not be mistaken, they were from the same family.

"Blessing and Glory upon the Obelian Empire, Your Majesty." Both bowed to Claude, who raised his eyes to them, without saying anything, of course. But suddenly a cough interrupted them. The young boy turned first to the voice that had caught their attention. Athanasia was there, waiting to be greeted as well. It wasn't that complicated.