I Am A Prince

Chapter 14

He hadn't truly taken what his sister had said to heart, with the part when she had said they had gotten new palaces. As in plural, not one... but two. One for her and one for himself- they had their own palace, no longer did they share one they both lived in. He hadn't expected it. What did it mean? Why bother? Were they really changing him? Athanasios couldn't help but be confused but all in all, he was happy.

Mostly at the fact, that he had his own palace, sure he would miss seeing his sister as often, but who wouldn't want their own palace.

She said a lot of things hadn't she... his sister that is.

To think he had been unconscious for what people had said to be two months. Two months was a bizarre amount of time to be asleep for. There was no reason to doubt it, having just accepted it to be true. He didn't really care too much about the whole situation, seeing as it was just like going to bed at night and waking up the next morning.

For them, it may have been two months, but for him, it was only a mere moment. His eyes were consumed in darkness, then the reddish hue- a sign that it was now daytime, a light shining bright, that was the sun allowing for the day to start.

He accepted it all, being awake now. Though he didn't like Lukas all that much. He found the magician rather annoying and it seemed as though his sister would agree with him with the glares she gives the dark-haired magician.

It seemed everyone was glad to see he was awake, with his sister being the first to show it, next came Lily who wouldn't let him go as he had struggled in her hold. Eventually, he gave in, sighing in defeat knowing there wasn't anything he could do but endure it, it was all he could do, knowing she must have been afraid, After all, Lily cared very much about them, there was no doubt about that.

Next came Felix, who too was relieved to see he was truly awake. Perhaps all could guess who came in next... it was the Emperor his father. Strangely enough, the man seemed just as relieved as Felix, perhaps more relieved. Athanasios could see it in his eyes, even if his expression hadn't changed much.

Everyone was there, weren't they? No...

His gaze was still on the door, frowning slightly, feeling somewhat offended.

"Why do you keep looking at the door?" it was his sister that asked him that, which drew the attention of all including Lukas who was still making himself welcome. Perhaps Athanasios should say something about his presence to get his father to get rid of him already. He was intruding, at this point.

Yeah, yeah. Saved lives, it wasn't like he had actually asked for help in the first place. He had been enjoying his dream.

Athanasios looked toward her, shrugging.

"Well, you're here." He simply stated, then his eyes shifted to Lily, "Lily is here."

Then to Felix, "Felix is here-", his eyes moved once again, landing on the final person, ignoring Lukas' presence, "And father is here, so I'm just confused why Rowan isn't..." he found himself saying, with his eyes still on his father having said that, he noticed the slight twitch in his expression and Athanasios knew it had something to do with him.

With that, the atmosphere seemed to tense. Though it seemed Athanasia didn't notice the shift in the atmosphere.

"You know what? I haven't seen him around for ages! Even all those times I came to visit, maybe he was too distraught with your current state that he couldn't bear to see you bedridden." She told him and he merely gave her a look.

"What?" she asked.

"Ah, Princess. Perhaps we should let your brother rest, he has only just woken up." Lily interrupted.

Athanasia raised a brow, "What? But-" it didn't take long for Felix to take her in his arms, "Perhaps a walk Miss Lily?" Felix asked while Athanasia was dumbfounded, all the while Athanasios raised a brow at the whole situation. Lukas walked out with them, leaving him and his father.

Athanasios huffed, "What did you do, to Rowan?"

The emperor didn't seem to appreciate the accusing tone.

"He failed the job he was given. The first and most important task which he was to enforce was your safety, which I had entrusted to him. He failed his duty, protecting a member of the Royal family."

Athanasios stared at the man before him, neither of them looking away. He didn't like what his father was saying. If he has to choose between his father and Rowan, he would choose Rowan seeing as he actually cared while with the emperor you couldn't tell it was always up and down for him not to mention it was obvious he was keeping him and his sister around for entertainment ignoring how he ignored their existence for five years.

He was sitting on the side of the bed, where he was his hands clenched in a tight fist as his gaze was lowered, the strands of his blonde hair falling forward as he did. Silence prevailed as neither spoke until finally Athanasios with a cold gaze looked up at his father with disgust.

"Where. Is. Rowan." He pronounced each word slowly, his intent clear as day. Rowan was a friend... more than Claude acted like a proper father.

"He has been relieved of his services. You will get another Knight who will teach you the art of the sword, whilst protecting you. Perhaps I'll have Felix-"

"No! I want Rowan Ballard. He is my one and only Knight, I want him to teach me the way of the sword- I want him to protect me because I know he will do his job right. You claim he had failed his duty, but he didn't! what happened to me was unavoidable, the very same happened to Athy!... yet Felix is still here!" Athanasios ranted, the annoyance clear in his tone. Why did he feel as though Rowan hadn't just been relieved of his duties?

"Your situation was different, you went unconscious befo-"

"Where's Rowan, father? Did you do something to him? Did you kill Rowan, father?!"

"What was done was for the best. I will have someone else assigned to you." With that said his father walked towards the door, leaving him stunned- was Rowan dead?

Then again, was his father one to tell jokes? No, of course not... that was what frightened him, was the fact his father was telling the truth one he refused to believe. Yet he could imagine his father having him killed.

Before the Emperor left, Athanasios made sure to make it clear how he felt about what was said.

"I hate you."

The Emperor stood still. His hand pressed against the side of the doorframe, the words repeating in his head as he was facing forward out the door, while Athanasios was staring at the retreating man's back.

It was only for a moment. At that moment Athanaisos really thought his father would turn around and apologise but he didn't instead the man continued on out, without a word.

Something Athanasios had expected. As the door closed behind the man Athasios huffed in anger. "I hope suffocates to death, maybe I'll do it myself. I'm five, I can just play it off as an accident- oh no, my hand accidentally took a pillow and covered father's face whilst he was sleeping... that could work..." Athanasios all but mumbled to himself as he decided to not believe his father.

He would just kill one of his imperial knights, would he? If he did, then Rowan's family would be told, and then perhaps he could send a letter to them... but what would he even start it off with?

'Hello, I'm just wondering if your family member, Rowan Ballard is dead... I wish you all the best if he is.'

He groaned as he fell back onto the bed. He wasn't the best at processing things, in terms of how to act. In his past life, his friend had told him their dog had died in a text... he actually felt said having met the dog so many times and like it... reading the message he laughed... it wasn't funny but he laughed... the same had happened when his friend had told him their grandfather had died in a text... he also laughed at that even though he didn't find it funny.

It was somewhat the same now...

Rowan was supposedly dead and he was sure how to take that in, he felt weird about it like he usually felt about things... which would normally have someone cry.

Right at that moment, he found himself thinking there was something wrong with him.