A Fate That's Changes

Chapter 5: Mister Knight

By the time she arrived at the Emperor's Palace, it was already near noon. She had been keeping quiet for the rest of the trip from the Emerald Palace until now, and the mean lady was still talking away as if she was still listening to her.

As they pass through the front gate of the palace, the two-guard guarding the front gate bows when they see them before looking away, not daring to make eye contact. Especially to her.

After passing through the gate, they only have to walk through the garden before reaching the door to the palace. The garden of the Emperor Palace was certainly larger and filled with more variety of flowers and exotic plants than Ruby Palace, or even the Emerald Palace.

As she looked around the garden amazed by what was around her, she didn't seem to notice that Madam Louis had stopped walking. Without noticing, she keeps walking before bumping into her dress.

"You little brat, how dare you!" Madam Louis cream in rage as she glares dagger at her. "Athy didn't mean to, it was an accident!" She replied hurriedly before backing away from her. "It seems my lecture earlier didn't work. I guess I'll just have to put you in your place!" Madam Louis said out of rage, before raising her hand ready to strike.

Athanasia quickly backed away and covered her face with her hand out of instinct, ready for the strike that was about to come. She then heard a loud gasp coming from Madam Louis, before timidly peeking through the cracks of her arms to see what was happening. Just then she saw someone that made her gasp herself. Standing in front of her and gripping the arm of Madam Louis was the red-haired man she saw when she sneaked into the Emperor Palace garden and during the attack on the palace.

"Sir Felix, why are you stopping me?" Madam Louis exclaims in shock. " As the head knight of the Royal Guard, it's not my business to get into the matter that involves the education of the royal children, but what I'm seeing here is unacceptable," Felix said in a cold tone, before finally turning to look at Athanasia.

Her eyes widened almost ten times the moment she saw his face. The last time she saw him, he seemed to be a person with lots of spirits and a deep will to protect the empire and the people. Yet looking at the same person now, she could only see a person with no spirit left inside and no more will to protect his nation or its people. But what was most shocking wasn't his expression or aura, it was his eyes. The left eye was fine, but the right was covered by a black eye patch. There was a very visible scar going through the right eye, so it's clear that the eye was badly injured.

As if knowing what she was thinking, he quickly turns away before she could make any more observations. " This kind of action shall not be tolerated and will be reported back to his Majesty for his judgment. For now, you may take your leave if there are no more problems." Felix said, before releasing Madame Louis's arm from his grip. She quickly retreats it, before rubbing the bruise forming on her arm in pain.

"But what about the Princess? I still need to escort her to his Majesty." Madame Louis questions with a sneer.

At her question, Felix looks down at Athanasia with an unreadable expression on his face. He stares at her for a few more seconds before turning back to Madame Louis and replies. "I will make it my duty to escort her Highness to the Emperor, " Felix said in a dark tone, clearly enough to frighten her out of her skin. "If you don't have a problem with that, then I advise you to head back to the Emerald Palace."

Madame Louis looks reluctant to leave, but one look at Felix's expression and she was already running off.

Felix watches to make sure she was gone before turning to Athanasia, who was watching him with sparkles in her eyes. "Shall we head off now, your Majesty?" Felix asks, picking Athanasia off from the ground. He settles her securely in his arms before smiling warmly at her.

'Wow, his expression changes so suddenly!' She thought in amazement. "Yes, let's go, Mr. Knight!" She replied, smiling back at him.

With the confirmation, Felix starts heading in the direction of the Emperor Palace with Athanasia in his arms. 'This man must be a person with a lot of influence,' She thought to herself, 'I wonder if Anastasius was the reason he lost one of his eyes?'

Suddenly an idea hit her. 'Maybe, if I can use him to bring Claude back on the throne then he can defeat Anastasius again!' She thought in excitement. "Mr.Knight, you know of a person named Claude, right? Could you tell me where he's located?" She asks in anticipation.

However, she wasn't prepared when Felix looked at her as if she was crazy. "Who? Your Majesty, you must have made a mistake, but I don't know anyone whose name is Claude."

"Wait, what?!"