Sleeping Beauty [WMMAP Fanfiction]

Chapter Twenty Five: Alleviate

"I've always thought your magic was a bit special," Lucas said with a glance to Athanasia's direction. "The nature of your magic turns back time. Hey, when did you meet silver hair?"

This doesn't make sense... Athanasia fretted, now alone with Lucas and having a separate conversation that wounded up back to the case of her father and guard. "You mean, Alice? When she was seventeen or eighteen. I think..."

"There." Lucas tapped the sofa arm beside him. "Her curse should've put her to sleep around that time. But because she met you, your mana might've turned her curse back to a time when it was weaker. Because if your mana was leaking and you didn't keep it in, it would go to her."

If I didn't go outside when I did... I would have run into a sleeping Alice?

"You turned back your dad's time, and silver hair. You brought back his curse to a time when it was still alive. And you brought silver hair's to a time when it was young. That's why they're like this now-"

"Don't speak nonsense!" Athanasia exclaimed. "How can they go back in time!?"

"What're you shouting about?" Lucas remained calm. "You already experienced it."

"..!" Athanasia, suddenly reminded of something that he shouldn't have known ― no one should ― stood up with tense eyes.

His eyes watched her for a reaction. At once, confusion washed over her, before she touched her head.

What was that? I just...

"Well, I think you might be able to wake up your knight." Lucas looked away. "Maybe, you can be her cure."

"I... what?" Still puzzled from the vision she saw of her past self, she sat down to calm her dizzy head.

"You once turned her curse back in time. If you did it again, maybe she'll wake up. Again, I don't believe she has a cure, but..."

If it's you, I think it can happen.

"That shouldn't work," Athanasia continued to say, thinking to all the times they were reminded to not be close to each other when using magic, and of those incidents that they did. "My magic clashes with hers."

"Well, yes, but actually no."

"Huh?"

"Can we just leave this for another time?" He sighed. "Explaining so much makes me want a nap. And food."

"Tell me!!"

"You're giving me a headache. How can I think like this? Get a maid or something."

. . .

They were dismissed by Claude.

And walking away from the garden spot, they were both quiet. Felix, a bit uncomfortable, glanced to the silver-haired beauty beside him.

"... So, miss Alice. What do you like?"

Exasperation ran over her face, but it disappeared. Replaced with hesitance, he didn't really expect an answer. But then she stuttered out, "I like.. the princess. And looking at stars. Y-You?"

Surprised, he quickly smiled, thinking she was opening up to him. "I like a lot of things! I also like you, miss Alice! I think your hair is very pretty; it's like refined steel!"

Her feet stalled abruptly. His did too. When he wondered why they stopped, he looked at her face and saw her emerald eyes shining with an odd light.

"Wha... What did you say, just now? That... Hey."

It was an odd response he didn't expect. He must've surprised her, or she didn't quite catch it. So he repeated, "Your hair is pretty!" A bit embarrassed he had to repeat it, he scratched the back of his head. "You're a very pretty person, miss Alice."