"Prince Athens De Alger Obelia is to be hanged along with Princess Athanasia De Alger Obelia for they have committed treason."

My ears rang. All I could hear was my own heartbeat, I looked right towards my little sister, Athy. My heart thumped and it felt like a thousand poisonous potions were poured down my throat.

I turned my head away.

The sky darkened, as if it was mourning the eventual steps of death. I scoffed at my own helplessness, the inability to save what I had left.

I looked up at the heavens, which I was unsure ever existed, for it never showed mercy to us. Yet I spoke in a whisper

"If heaven is real, show me , Tell me that my sister and my own name ever had a meaning.

The wind roared and the sky finally grew jet grey. I eventually closed my eyes and the crowd's cheer waned as they knew, we already accepted our fate and there was no fight, Not today. Not yet.

It felt like all the poison that once poured down my throat had created a concoction of hatred and revenge, My stomach burned with agony yet my will only grew stronger and stronger.

I was sure I would return.

...****************...

I woke up in a room, A place which I had long forgotten.

"Oh dear, You woke up?" I was astonished to see the familiar voice and I gazed instinctively toward the voice.

A blond haired woman with beautiful rose coloured eyes that captured her rare beauty.

I was enamoured

"I am s-sorry, lady Diana"

She laughed and smiled at me warmly

"Don't be my prince, It was a great pleasure of mine"

She was the new unofficial consort of My father, Lady Diana from Siodonna.

She became famous after presenting a stunning elegant dance in a Banquet.

Her death was one of the turning points of my father's eventual madness.

"Lady.."

Tears began to swell upon my eyes and before I realised, I was actually crying?

Her surprised face made me return to my usual demeanor and I wiped my tears.

"It was just a speck of—"

Before my sentence even completed She hugged me tightly.

"Oh child, It must have been hard for you" She embraced me into a warm hug that even Apollo can't compare.

I heard a familiar knock on the door.

His large stature and cold eyes stared right into my soul. They say children can easily detect people's emotions and what i felt from claude was annoyance and disgust.

"Greetings, emperor" I bowed my head.

As I looked up again the coldness had vanished, not because of me but the certain presence of her.

She smiled at him and greeted that man whom I never knew existed. He was different, no,totally different.

His cold jewel blue eyes which froze even the warmest hearts now looked like a shimmering ocean. bright and colourful.

I wasn't astonished as it was now a daily occurrence in the Ruby palace.

"Why are you always with that concubine's kid?" Claude stared at me but didn't dare to look at me coldly

"He is a really good kid,Love. I assure you, he and his mother are the nicest people" Her smile could reassure a desolate land.

"Dear Athens, alas we have to part ways for today, lets talk  about the flowers in Siodonna next time."

Her kindness and eagerness to know others was stunning.

"I would be eagerly waiting,my lady" I gently bowed as she didn't like me being too formal with her.

As they left, I felt a cold chill run down my spine.

I collapsed into the nearby sofa and drifted into sleep again, trying to process everything.

"I would return" the sentence echoed like a reminder of how I may have returned to the past yet, It wasn't the end

The sun that day shone bright, gently swaying my hair like fresh leaves in summer.

When I realised the sun already had set, The lights outside my room flickered in the starry night sky.

I sighed "I am at it again"  pressing my temples.

This young body of mine had no connection nor power yet, but this time I had something, revenge.

I composed myself and headed downstairs. The steps reminded me of my foolish hopeful days of getting love from the emperor.

As I entered the dining room, I bowed my head.

"Greetings Emperor and Lady Diana"I spoke in a numb tone I couldn't hide.

Lady Diana had always requested me to dine together.

It never was a request to me, whatever she said, I would have gladly done it. Just like the Emperor. All of the people in Obelia were madly in love with her. Her grace.

I sensed a disdain in the Emperor 's voice as he replied to come in. It was natural, I began to ignore it now.

I was the one only allowed to be near Diana as a royal, The emperor was possessive and hated others, even his own other wives.

After the dinner whose conversation was only led by Lady Diana had come to an end.

I went away in silence.

I walked through empty corridors of the beautiful enchanting ruby palace, the atmosphere was quiet and eerie today.

I sat in a nearby fountain. The garden was flowering with Lady Diana 's favourite, Roses.

The water shimmered and beneath it held the beauty of the moon. I sighed and all the past events came back rushing through me.

I had to do something to stop the mad Emperor which can be done only by saving Lady Diana.

I clenched my heart as I knew it was common for the Emperor to have many wives but the very fact that the emperor didn't even look at my mother and cherished Lady diana was hurtful.

I looked at the roses and a cold breeze which was filled with the scent of roses washed over me.

It was never her fault, Lady Diana just loved. I smiled bitterly at this fairytale.

The following days, I locked myself in my room, brewing the perfect potion to help Lady Diana.

The smell of Red Raspberry leaf and other herb's whose smell had become entrenched with each other filled my room, no one could have smelled the herbs apart.

Only 2 months had left and Lady Diana would eventually die, releasing the monster she tamed, The emperor.

I squeezed every little drop of the herbs and tried different ways to make the potion which would save Lady.

My will and dire hope held together my grief, I squeezed down the herbs like a farmer trying to squeeze some rain from the white clouds.

My hands burned, charred and pricked yet I didn't stop for the kindness that Lady diana showed me was the one thing that kept me fighting.

I was the potion master in my last life, I had brewed many poisons but never something that saved someone's life.

I heard a knock

I ignored it.

I heard a knock again.

"Lady Diana please go away" I reluctantly told her.

Yet her presence still lingered behind the door. " Athens, please come out, just once? "

A surge of hot pain rushed to my throat and I couldn't speak.

I carefully came out of my room.

"Yes lady" I mustered some words

She hugged me tightly and smiled at me.

"Why are you ignoring me Athens?" Her voice was like a sting.

I smiled carefully " I am sorr—"

She took my hand and took me to a garden before I realised.

The wind was blowing steadily as if it was careful to not disturb Lady Diana, The leaves swayed gently like a lullaby for the child inside her womb.

The sun glistened yet it didn't blind today as if it too was conscious of the baby.

I saw beautiful slender chairs and a table beneath one of the trees, it was a mesmerizing scenery.

The tea pots were carefully kept and the smell of Chamomile and Lippe tea had enveloped the surroundings.

She smiled brightly at me, yet I could sense deception in her smile.

She sat at one of the chairs and her slender figure looked weird with her bloated womb yet she was like an angel as always.

She smiled and gently looked down at her womb, she caressed her swollen belly and whispered.

"Dear lovely Athens, I hope you take care of my child, as I may not be able to hold my child in my arms still I hope it knows warmth"

Before in the past I had dismissed her statement, I believed good people never die.

Yet how wrong I was when I realised death loved people like Lady Diana.

"I would do everything to protect your child , Lady Diana" I smiled brightly.

Tears started pouring down from her rose coloured eyes yet she was smiling like a burden of her had been relieved.

"Oh dear Athens, I hope I could have helped you more but when I realise you always end up helping me" She patted my head and gave me a kiss on the forehead.

It must have been hard, to choose between her child and her love. To know she was going to die giving birth yet she still didn't back down.

She only knew how to love.

I smiled in sorrow and we spent our day drinking tea together.

My mother, Helen was one of the many concubines of the emperor. Living in hellish torment disguised in luxury.

The emerald palace would often be filled with the agonizing scream of desperate women. It was quite hard to put in if they were screaming for freedom or love.

Like many ships that promised a treaty of peace, My mother was one of its sailors and like all women who saw the deadly beautiful man, The emperor. They fell.

They fell in love yet they didn't realise that actually they had fallen in a cage of monotonous life.

They weren't allowed to go out, love or be near the Emperor 's sight. Just like the  decorations in the emerald palace. They were crumbling, withering.

My mother was a foolish person, she never gave up on the emperor. She kept loving him on the sidelines even if she wasn't able to see him.

Her love was like a gentle flowing river, her eyes would soften and her cheeks would flush whenever she saw the emperor.

I felt helpless because I knew she was breaking inside, even if she didn't show it she knew Claude wouldn't love a woman, never

Yet her love didn't falter. She was foolish in love like Diana but she wasn't lucky.

"Athens, child , we live once like beautiful creatures. We only have limited time and unlike gods we do things so fiercely. We love fiercely. So in this small time called life Do what you want. Dont regret"

She would smile at me and hold me in her frail arms. The wind would blow on her delicate thin Silver hair and it would brush my own.

Our eyes would meet, hers red and beautifully strong and mine like a tragic poem woven. Purple.

The day when Lady Diana came to the ruby palace everything changed, no it was way before it. The wind changed direction and the once cold palace corridors were filled with a cheerful spirit.

Every brick of the palace which only tasted blood now began to feel the warmth of love. The emperor changed, he became lenient and everything seemed like it was a fantasy.

But the one thing that didn't change for good was my mother. The day she arrived she locked herself in her room and wouldn't talk to any of her maids nor eat anything.

She would ignore me and screams would surround the palace walls.

The last person whose scream I wanted to hear.

Yet this time I didn't let her be, I knocked on her door.

"Mother, I am Athen your son. Don't you want to see your child? I miss you" I mustered up my courage while tears swelled upon my eyes.

"Mother?" I spoke again, a quite longing whisper.

The door slowly opened and I saw crumbled pages and torn books, broken curtains and vases and on the corner of the bed a  disheveled figure. It hurt when I saw her lose all hope. It hurts to see her like this.

I ran to her and embraced her.

"Mother, you don't have to do this, The emperor isn't a tyrant anymore"

She was silent, cold as a tree left in winter.

She spoke barely a breath "You don't understand" she laughed.

Yes, I didn't understand even after two lives, I didn't. I would never.

I hugged her tighter " He isn't worth it " i cried.

She only pushed me away and smiled " You don't tell who is worthy or not"

The world was slowly spiralling, why is my mother so madly in love with a person who doesn't even acknowledge her? Why?

Her words were pricking my heart, I didn't dare to show my hatred towards my father because I knew she would be there to protect him.

My mother smiled again and handed me a ruby necklace carved into a phoenix. It shimmered in the dim room.

"Dear Athens, I am sorry, I couldn't be a good mother to you" Her smile spoke deep sorrow

"No, you were the best" I choked and hot tears started to flow down my cheeks, my throat swelled into flames and all I could do was tremble as to stop.

She then closed the door and I stood outside her door with a silent promise . I will save her after Diana safely bears a child.

Claude might leave me and my mother be.

I hoped.