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The first to find out was, predictably, the person closest to Athanasia, Lilian York.
Out of the hundreds of maids that served the princess, she was the only one allowed to enter and exit her chambers as much as she pleased. It was a given since she practically raised her as if she was her own daughter.
So with a basin of water so the princess could wash her face, she clicked the door open to greet her for the day, “Good mor-“
Her voice, however, was cut short at what she saw.
She almost dropped the basin and had to lift one of her shaking hands to cover her mouth in order to suppress the scream threatening to spill out of her.
Instead of seeing the princess alone in her bed, she was shocked when she noticed the other person laying there right next to her. Both of them were under the blanket with a certain magician’s cloak wrapped around Obelia’s princess. He had an arm circled around her shoulder while she laid her head on his chest, both in a peaceful slumber.
Raven and golden locks mingled and tangled together on top of the white pillows, creating both harmony and dissonance. The princess and the royal magician looked so beautiful together, like the universe truly intended for them to be in this position. If Lilian looked past the ridiculousness of the situation, she would have been mesmerized by the image.
But still – Princess Athanasia and Master Lucas?
It felt like it was only yesterday when the the maids cooed at them when their heights barely reached their waists. It was the maids’ honor and privileged to watch them grow up. They were all entertained with the idea of making them wear matching clothes, Athanasia always requested that the two of them be left alone so they can play, and Lilian bought smaller tea sets exclusively for their use because it was adorable to see the tiny cups in their petite hands.
Lilian had seen them fall asleep many times when they were children, but this was obviously different from those.
When she was on the verge of having a full breakdown, she heard the rustling of the sheets.
Because the princess always followed a strict schedule, her body automatically knew when it was time to wake up. So Lilian watched as she slowly stirred awake, her eyelids fluttering open to reveal those jeweled eyes. The head maid remained perfectly still and silent, hoping that Athanasia wouldn’t be surprised at her sudden staring.
But for Athanasia, whose first view of the morning was her childhood playmate, simply smiled adoringly up at him. She didn’t bother to look around her room as she closed her eyes again and opted to snuggle closer to him.
He instinctively tightened his embrace and they both resumed their sleep.
Lilian’s shoulders relaxed in relief that neither of them noticed her as she slowly walked back. Once the door were shut behind her, leaving those two alone in the room, she released a sigh she didn’t know she was holding.
She always knew Princess Athanasia and Master Lucas were close – she was aware that there were parts of the princess she raised that only he knew. However, she was still shocked that they were in that kind of relationship.
She let out another sigh as she started to walk away from Athanasia’s room.
I better not mention this to His Majesty.
Then it was her personal knight.
Felix was given the task of escorting Princess Athanasia to her daily tea time with the Emperor. He knew at around this time of the day, she was usually found in the private library where she was busy learning magic from Master Lucas.
The knights guarding the doors of the building bowed in respect to the captain as Felix swiftly went inside. There were rows and rows of shelves, the princess’ collection seemed to keep on growing and growing as the years went by.
Athanasia could always be found by the sitting area so he immediately headed there, hoping that they weren’t doing any magic that was too explosive. He still had a memory of his hair being singed when he accidentally walked in on them when Lucas was teaching her how to control fire.
But instead of witnessing magic training in progress, he was quite shocked to see the two of them on the couch.
To be more specific, Athanasia was sitting on the couch while Lucas was laying down, his head on her lap as he continuously reached out for the cookies on the coffee table.
“You’re right when you said these history books got everything all wrong,” Athanasia grumbled, her eyes trained on the book in her hands.
“Told you so,” Lucas muttered, flicking away the cookie crumbs that accidentally fell on her skirt when he munched on them, “So do you finally agree that the Magician of the Tower has always been consistently, the best looking person of all?”
She quirked a brow and closed the book to look at him with this dry expression, “No.”
“Guess you’re stuck with me until you agree,” he grumbled, turning so he could bury his face against Athanasia’s stomach.
“Only until I agree?” she fired back.
He momentarily glanced up at her with a smirk, before going back to his position, “Correction, you’re stuck with me forever.”
She tried to feign annoyance but anybody could see her cheeks growing a pink hue. If she was truly bothered by what he said, she would have thrown him off her lap – anybody in the palace was aware of how feisty she could be even though she always showed this air of elegance.
But she didn’t. Instead, she weaved her fingers through his long black hair, the two looking so peaceful and comfortable in each other’s presence.
Felix could only stare in wonder at the two’s interaction.
It was an open secret among the people in the palace that the princess and the royal magician were tittering between close friends and something more for quite some time now. However, this was the first time he witnessed them acting so intimate.
Because in public, their banters were consistently playful. Sure, people started to notice the tender looks they sent to each other, but it wasn’t to this degree.
Who knew that they were this close in private?
Felix turned on his heel and walked back. He might get in trouble with Claude later, but he decided to spare the young couple a few more minutes alone.
I’ll tell His Majesty that the princess might be late for tea.
Unlike the first two who found out by pure coincidence, it was a different case for Jennette.
When Duke Alpheus mentioned that he had affairs to sort out at the palace, she insisted to come with. She hasn’t seen the princess in such a long time and she terribly missed her. While hesitant at first, he eventually agreed.
They arrived at the palace and the duke went to have an audience with the Emperor while Jennette headed her way to the Emerald Palace. The people of the palace knew about her friendship with the princess so even though they openly showed their dislike at first – because how dare she try to take their princess’ place – they eventually showed a more amicable treatment when Athanasia made it clear that she got along with her cousin.
Lilian recognized her and escorted her towards a room where she said that the princess was having tea, knocking first to announce her presence, “Princess, Miss Margarita is here for an audience.”
They heard a few murmurs behind those doors followed by an exasperated grumble before finally, a harsh shush. Jennette felt flustered for a moment when she figured out that Athanasia already had company. She thought she would be turned away and was rather disappointed with the thought that she might not see her again today.
Fortunately, she was granted entrance, “Let her in.”
Lilian opened the door for her and Jennette took a few tentative steps inside, pausing when she realized that the other person was the royal magician.
“Blessing and glory upon the Obelian Empire,” she first curtsied, “Thank you for seeing me, Princess and Master Lucas.”
She tried to ignore the sweat that trickled down her back when the magician openly glared at her, probably displeased that she interrupted his time with the princess. Then again, he always showed a sour expression whenever she was present.
Athanasia lightly hit his shoulder in an attempt to keep his odd temper in check, before turning to her cousin, “Take a seat Jennette. Lily, can we have more tea, please?”
Lilian nodded and went on her way to prepare the princess’ request. Jennette settled herself on the couch opposite from Athanasia while Lucas, who had been occupying that space before her arrival, plopped down on the spot next to the golden-haired princess.
A small part of Jennette – scratch that, a huge part – was uncomfortable with him because even right now, he was still shooting glares at her. However, it wasn’t like she could voice this out loud because even though she didn’t like it, he ranked higher in terms of receiving Athanasia’s attention.
Lucas had been by the princess’ side since they were seven, way before Jennette met her. They grew up together and even before the debutante ball, the young nobles were already whispering about Obelia’s only princess and that her playmate was a magician with striking black hair and ruby red eyes.
So she wasn’t surprised when the first time she saw him, he acted so casual and playful with the princess.
Begrudgingly, Jennette accepted that even though Athanasia treated her like a close friend, she would always choose Lucas’ side when it came to it.
“Do you have anything to tell me, Jennette?” Athanasia asked with a warm smile, trying to counteract Lucas’ sour welcome.
“Ah nothing, Princess,” she waved off, smiling politely at the maid that served her tea, “I just came along with Duke Alpheus because I wanted to see you.”
“As long as Whitey Junior isn’t here,” Lucas openly scoffed, causing Athanasia to hit his shoulder again to stop him from making further harsh comments.
Is he talking about Ijekiel?
Jennette tried to keep her expression from wavering. A tiny part of her still hoped that Ijekiel would look her way, even if he said that he wanted to pursue the princess. In fact, she was also aware that he had been contemplating whether to ask permission to court her and if her predictions were right, he would soon be proactive with his feelings for her.
She liked Ijekiel and she also liked the Princess. Even though her heart was disappointed that he didn’t choose her, she would still be happy for them. When she thought about it, Ijekiel was the perfect marriage candidate for Obelia’s heir to the throne.
He came from a ducal bloodline, which was second in rank to the Imperial Family. He was well educated and could easily catch up to the princess’ bright mind. He had a mild temper, perfect for when Athanasia sits on the throne and somebody has to counteract her powerful aura.
For the future of the empire and for the happiness of those she loved, she would easily step aside.
However, those thoughts came crashing down when she watched Princess Athanasia and Master Lucas.
While Athanasia was busy thanking her for the ribbons she had sent before, Lucas was busily forking a part of the chocolate cake in front of them. Instead of eating it though, he hovered the fork in front of the princess’ mouth.
Athanasia paused briefly to eat the cake Lucas was offering her, before she continued on speaking. It was so natural as if it was an everyday occurrence. Neither of them had any second thoughts of whether it was appropriate to do it in front of another person or not.
“Jennette, are you alright?” she heard Athanasia question, causing her to realize that she had been staring at them.
“I apologize, Princess,” she gasped. It was inappropriate to stare but then again, they weren’t following etiquette as well, “I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“Take a rest in here until Duke Alpheus is done,” Athanasia responded, her eyebrows slightly furrowed in worry. Jennette was about to open her mouth to thank her, but Lucas clicked his tongue and tapped a finger on her forehead.
“I told you not to make that face,” he grumbled and her eyebrows returned to their natural position.
She reached up to slap that finger away but the moment they made contact, Lucas swiftly took her hand and interlocked their hands, smirking in victory at her surprised expression, “Lucas!”
He didn’t saying anything more, only placing a kiss on her knuckles and settling their joined hands on her lap. All protests died in her throat at the gesture, her mouth immediately clamping shut.
Jennette debated whether or not to clear her throat, in case they needed a reminder that they still had company.
But when Athanasia smoothly turned back to her and started a new conversation, she had an epiphany, “Oh I heard from Lady Irain that her father gifted her a flower garden.”
It wasn’t that they forgot she was there, they were letting her see them. The intimate gestures, the loving looks, and the way they seemed to be inching closer and closer were all hints of their relationship.
And they weren’t hiding it from her.
A small bud of happiness appeared in her chest at the thought. The princess, who was so elusive about talks of courtship, was allowing her to witness this – she trusted her.
But her heart slightly broke for the heart of the man she liked.
I shouldn’t talk about this to Ijekiel.
The other noble ladies followed the suit.
Athanasia had organized a boating trip for them instead of the usual tea party. They were all grateful that they could witness the lake in Obelia’s palace once again, a place that only few were allowed to see. Just to give each girl a chance, Athanasia had asked somebody else to sit with her in the boat as opposed to Jennette.
It would be wise if she got closer to the other ladies as well.
Lady Dulke managed to snag the spot after a fierce debate with the others. Athanasia let out a small laugh when they were all trying to push each other away from sitting inside the boat with her.
“I’m so glad I could be with you, Princess,” she smiled happily as the boat started to move.
If you asked any witness of that particular day, they would say that everything had happened in a flash.
There was a sudden strong gust of wind that caused Lady Dulke to release her parasol in surprise. It started to fly off and she immediately tried to reach out for it. Unfortunately, in her quest to retrieve her parasol, she leaned way too far on the boat.
Athanasia jumped forward to stop her but that resulted in the princess herself being the one to fall out of the boat.
There were subsequent screams of panic that followed as they all witnessed Athanasia thrash around in the water. After the incident when she was five, she was given brief swimming lessons so in theory, this should be no problem.
But those lessons didn’t account for how heavy her dress would be after it absorbed a dramatic amount of water.
Her legs were kicking and her arms were flailing to keep her head above the water despite the weight of her dress dragging her down. In the whirl of panic and desperation, she opened her mouth to yell out a name on the top of her lungs, deciding that the risk of swallowing water was worth it, “Lucas!”
The royal magician who was tucked high in his tower momentarily stopped from writing when he sensed her.
Lucas had casted a charm on Athanasia so that whenever and wherever she said his name, he would always hear her. This came from his fear after she told him all about her mana explosion, because he’d be damned if Athanasia found herself in another predicament and he wasn’t there to help her.
Just hearing his name from her lips didn’t automatically make him go to her, because sometimes, she mentioned him during casual conversations with others and those didn’t require his presence. He usually relied on her tone to figure out if she wanted him there or not.
But when he heard his name this time, it was in the form of a screech.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood up at the pitch and worry immediately erupted in his stomach.
He quickly snapped his fingers and headed straight to where he sensed her mana. His eyes widened when he found himself hovering above the water and right there by his feet was his princess, practically drowning while onlookers were watching in terror.
Useless knights, he hissed in his mind when he saw the said knights tasked to guard the princess. They were fumbling around as they tried to figure out how to get her out of there since she was smacked in the middle of a large lake.
He reached down, his arms disappearing under the water to grab her waist and he pulled her up, casting a drying spell on her as he tenderly embraced her. His fingers gently caressed her hair, his eyes roaming around her body to see if she sustained any further injuries.
Aside from her labored breaths, she looked fine.
When he was assured that she wasn’t going to disappear on him, he shifted his hold on her so he was now carrying her bridal style. Athanasia, hyperaware that they were being watched, blushed madly at the position, “Lucas?”
He dropped his forehead onto her shoulder and breathed in her scent, trying to calm down.
She’s safe. She’s alive and here with me.
“You’re going to give me a heart attack one of these days, Athy,” he grumbled and without any other preamble, he teleported two of them away.
In their wake, they left a crowd of shellshocked spectators. It was deadly silent for a while before they erupted into a fit of chatters, all talking about what they witness.
How Princess Athanasia almost drowned saving Lady Dulke.
How the royal magician, Master Lucas, appeared out of nowhere to save her.
How the two of them looked particularly close.
How Master Lucas publicly addressed the princess by her nickname.
I can’t wait to tell home about this.
At this point, rumors and speculations about Princess Athanasia and the royal magician became widespread. Many argued that they were simply close because they were childhood playmates, while others insisted that they were more than that.
The maids of the Emerald Palace were consistently being bribed for any crumb of information but their loyalty to their princess was stronger than their greed. They already knew the answer – that Master Lucas always referred to the princess as his girlfriend and that Princess Athanasia made trips to the Magic Tower with treats she baked herself whenever Lucas had to succumb to his mountains of work.
But that was all hidden under wraps so the public didn’t know that.
Many nobles were gritting their teeth and pacing when these words reached their ears. They always thought that the future consort would come from one of their houses as a way to lobby favor from the crown towards their way.
If it was the Master of the Magic Tower, whose powers and abilities were unmatched by anyone in the empire, then all their plans of taking advantage of the current princess was down the drain.
But for some, it wasn’t the prestige that they were aiming for, but the genuine affections of the princess.
Specifically, a certain white haired heir.
When Ijekiel heard about it, he desperately hoped that it wasn’t true. He asked Jennette, who was there during the lake incident, and she did confirm everything that had happened. He also didn’t miss that quick flash of sympathy in her eyes.
She knew something that he didn’t, and that he wasn’t going to like that something.
He asked his father if he can accompany him to the palace in hopes to run into her. Ijekiel knew that the Emperor didn’t favor him so asking for an audience with her was out of the question, but he wished that while walking around the palace grounds, he might encounter her.
Duke Alpheus sent him a warning look, “Be careful.”
If the Emperor found out his plans to court the princess while the House of Alpheus was still on a delicate position, it might have severe consequences on their family.
Visiting the princess’ private library was too risky and the maids of the Emerald Palace were already suspicious of his intentions, so he resorted to going around the one of the many rose gardens Claude dedicated to Athanasia.
When he heard her faint voice, his feet picked up their pace towards that direction. He rounded up a tall hedge, ready to face her, but his movements halted when he saw that she wasn’t alone.
Lucas, the source of all these rumors, was standing her there beside her.
She was plucking out roses from the bush, using magic to remove the thorns, before setting them down on the pile in Lucas’ arms, “We need more if I want to fill all the vases in daddy’s office.”
“When will I get one of the princess’ famous bouquets?” Lucas questioned teasingly, causing her to roll her eyes. She chose to ignore his statement, continuing her quest to grab more roses from the bushes.
Displeased with the lack of response, Lucas tsked and snapped his fingers, causing a crown of roses to appear in Athanasia’s hair. She gasped, her hands raising to feel the flower crown her lover had given her, “Hey!”
“I changed my mind. It’s alright even if you don’t give me flowers, they look better on you anyways.”
“You’re getting cheesier and cheesier by the day,” she huffed, although it was obvious that she was happy with the compliment even if it had a teasing undertone.
He bent down so they were eye to eye, grinning from ear to ear at her flustered expression when she realized how close their faces were. She pressed her hands on his chest, ready to push him away. Before she could do so, he leaned forward and captured her lips with his.
And all of her resolve immediately melted away.
The hands on his chest formed into fists to grab his clothes, tugging him to closer to her. She was now desperate to get rid of the distance between, as opposed to her initial intention of pushing him way.
They were happy, they were in love.
And Ijekiel could only stand there, frozen in place as he watched the princess he wanted to give his heart lock lips with another man.
He realized that all the affections she had to give was wholly reserved for the magician.
He turned around and rounded up another corner, choosing to walk away, leaving his shattered heart with her.
Goodbye, princess.
Claude was less than pleased when he signed the parchment with his signature. There was a deep frown on his lips, clicking his tongue as he stamped the document with the royal seal.
He wanted to delay this as much as possible, but he knew that he didn’t have the strength to say no to his daughter.
And it wasn’t like he didn’t know this day was coming. When he woke up after Athanasia used the branch of the World Tree on him, he quickly caught on to what was happening.
The Magician of the Tower was in love with his daughter.
He internally grumbled and debated whether he should threaten Lucas to stay away from his daughter, but when he remembered those times he forgot Athanasia and threatened her life, he felt like he didn’t have much of a right.
Especially since the one who stayed and comforted his daughter the most was the royal magician.
He decided to wave it off, as a small gratitude to everything he had done from him and his daughter.
And then Athanasia started reciprocating those feelings.
Oh he was so lost on what to do – he even tried to imagine what Diana would say if she was in his position. But alas, he wasn’t his late lover and even though he and Athanasia shared a close relationship, love and courtship was completely out of his realm of expertise.
He then became aware of how fast their relationship grew.
He knew that the time they spent alone in her private library weren’t exclusive for magic lessons, that Lucas would appear in her bedroom balcony during odd hours of the night, that Athanasia actively sought out Lucas’ presence when they were apart, that they plucked out the roses in Claude’s office together, and that they both acknowledged each other as lovers.
It was a headache to pry the information out of Athanasia. She tried to evade any questions pertaining to their relationship at first, but as time went by, she finally admitted to it.
“I like him, daddy,” she said bashfully, her eyes trained on her salad instead on her father.
But that like turned into love and that love turned into a proposal.
Lucas never formally asked to court the princess and frankly, he never had plans to. But engagement, on the other hand, was a different thing.
Claude was busy with paperwork when he heard a knock on his office door, Lucas poked his head in and spoke, “I need to talk to you.”
At first, he was alarmed. The two men reserved their conversation to affairs that concerned his duties as the royal magician or to things pertaining to the princess. He gestured for him to go in with his face remaining stoic – although inside, he was praying that his daughter was alright.
“I’m going to propose to her,” Lucas told to him straight. If there was anything Claude admired about him, it was that he was extremely straightforward and didn’t bother with beating around the bush.
However, that didn’t make this situation any pleasant.
“And if I say no?”
“I’ll still propose,” Lucas shrugged and Claude was honestly infuriated.
But when he thought about it more rationally, there wasn’t a single man in this empire that could beat Lucas. In terms of prince consort, he was the best candidate. He also observed how he treated Athanasia and even a blind man can tell how much he cared for her.
Plus, Lucas did a lot of things for the Imperial Family. If Claude had to admit, Obelia was still in one piece because of him. They avoided a number of disasters thanks to his help.
And on top of it all, his daughter loved him.
Even if it pained him, he could see how much she adored the magician. As much as she tried to deny it, all of the affections she had to give to a lover was directed towards Lucas.
So in the end, it was inevitable, “Fine.”
And that was how he found himself in the present. After staring at the parchment one more time, he summoned Felix with a sigh and ordered him to deliver the royal proclamation.
From this day forth, all of Obelia will know about the princess and the royal magician. After months of speculation, all the rumors were finally put to rest.
With the blessing of His Majesty, Emperor Claude de Alger Obelia
Her Highness, Princess Athanasia de Alger Obelia and The Magician of the Tower, Master Lucas are engaged to be married