Hero Or Villaness

I went inside the small house and sighed to myself. I look around at the clean small house Nina prepared for me and my hands around Athan started to tremble and without even noticing a tear fell from my face.

I looked at Athan with tears falling from my eyes. "Mama will protect you, my sweet baby." The feeling I felt during that time was relief. Relief that my plan went according to planned and that I could protect my greatest treasure...

I placed Athan downed on the small bed and touched his hair while crying silently trying not to scream, looking at Athan's adorable face falling asleep slowly.

Then I started dreaming of the long distant past.

"Wrong! Watch your tone, your highness!" My singing teacher shouted.

"Again! Watch your posture!" My etiquette teacher screamed at my face as I dropped another book.

"Princes, this answer is wrong." My Math teacher pointed out one of the questions on my paper.

'How am I suppose to know?! Since when numbers are the same as letters?!?!'

I failed in almost all subjects except for five subjects: ancient language, history and of course dancing and arts but what is most surprising is strategy as well.

Well, if you think about it strategy is kind of related to history so I guess I am good at it. It might have also become one of my favorite subjects. My tutor was an old man. A very extremely strong and shameless old man named Helmer Tramontin, the monster-human general.

For the past few days, he was strict and silent and only glared at me maybe thinking 'This lowly blood commoner dares to marry the crown prince?!' But his whole attitude changed when we were talking about the past king's strategies. I was shocked at first but then I found out the key to the monster-human general's heart is that he is also a fan of the great warrior king, Alexander. When he talks about him his eyes sparkles like me so we immediately became friends and immediately became my favorite tutor.

I walked through the halls feeling extremely tired then I bumped into someone. "Who-" I stopped what I was seeing and saw the Crown Prince cold eyes.

I stood up and bowed immediately "Greetings to the-"

"No need for formalities, Arista Narcissia." I looked up at the Crown Prince's cold eyes and we stood in silents for a few minutes.

Ughhhhhhh..... I can't take this anymore. "U-uh, fancy seeing your highness but I must go so much to do and-"

"How about you have some tea with me in my office because I think I neglected my future empress for a few days with that I am sorry. " I was baffled and thought I heard wrong and looked at the Crown Prince's serious face. I didn't hear it wrong. I was shocked by his sudden apologie but still thought 'Wow, I wasn't invisible to this guy at all.' I coughed awkwardly and let him lead the way.

As we are going through the halls I started sweating a bit. Thank you for apologizing, your highness but...

Isn't this too random?!?

I started getting nervous and saw at the Crown Prince's hand with a crumpled piece of paper. Huh? I looked at the Crown Prince back and saw his ears and neck were red. What? I looked again to see if my eyes were deceiving me but I was right once more.

What? I looked at the Crown Prince like my eyes were about to pop.

W-What?!?!? I felt my cheeks getting slightly hot.

"Your highness-"

"Call me, Amaranthos when we are alone." Wow, straight to the point.

When he said that I saw his hands were trembling even more. I looked at the Crown Prince for a few seconds obviously stunned. I gaped at him. I felt my face turning hot. "Pardon for my rudeness but you are actually not good at communicating with others are you not?"

Amaranthos immediately turned around pale and brushed his hair back and sighed.

Wow, what is with those sparkles around him?

I blinked for a few times too dazzled by the light around him.

"No, it is not like that Lady Arista. How can I explain this?" Amaranthos said blushing even more while looking at me. What is with this atmosphere? I looked back at the Crown Prince's face and my heart started to feel nervous about what he is going to say next. We just met so obviously he doesn't like me but what is with that blush?!

Thump

Damn, at this rate my heart is going to burst from the cuteness. Who knew that the cold prince can show that kind of expression?

"Yes, I am not good at communicating with others but I am never nervous" I raised my eyebrow. Really?

"But I am sorry for avoiding you because for me I am shocked and relieved. " Amaranthos said looking back.

"Well, when I heard I am going to marry someone I never thought about it. I knew it was going to be an arranged marriage but I wasn't expecting it this soon so I was slightly shocked but seeing you now I just can't contain my shock that I am going to marry this girl but at the same time relief because you are not a man because if you are they are going to force me no matter what. So-"

M-My heart can't take this cuteness anymore.

"I get it, A-Amaranthos" I said his name out loud smiling at him. Did I pronounce it right? He turned bravely around and looked at me smiling. I think I pronounced it right looking at his dazzling smile and shining face. Ugh, my heart can't take this anymore. It definitely can't take this anymore.

Then suddenly the happy dream drifted.

I was in the palace once more. I saw myself slapping one of the high nobles... one of the four marquis of the Empire.

"You dare go against your Empress?!" I screamed angrily at him . "Guards!!!" As I said that hundreds of guards came in.

"Give it to him..." I said to the guards. They said nothing knowing what to do obviously used to this.

The guards made way for one of the servants that is holding a cup and gave it to him. He looked at me bravely and smirked as he held the cup not wavering.

"You will be killed for your evil deeds someday, I promise you. Arista Narcissia." As he said that he drank it and collapsed.

I woke up from my long dream, panicked. I looked at Athan who is still fast asleep. I tried to calm myself but can't. Then I saw my hands were shaking. My eyes widen when I saw blood in my hands. I stifled my scream. Then Athan cried.

I panicked not knowing what I should do. I held him up and started dancing a bit to calm him down like the other mothers I saw in the streets.

I held him and started to cry a bit when I saw I saw his clothes also stained with the blood on my hands.

"Shhh, is okay."

"Mama is here..."

"Come on Athan....."

Even no matter what I do he continued to cry maybe knowing that his mother was a monster or someone was missing even if he hadn't met that someone...

Four difficult but fulfilling years have passed.

Each year was a challenge as I see the seasons change and pass but I am happy because it can be see we are safe.

There were happy moments like by the age of two he knew how to write sentences and read fast and like his fascination for nature and people and his love for sweets like me but there were also difficult moments like when I didn't know how to calm him down or when he was having a fit or when I can't find anyways of live hood back then until I started becoming a seamstress but the most difficult was when Athan got fever that is above thirty-nine degrees.

Looking back Athan grew up into a smart and obedient and happy child unlike me when I was young. "Mama, can you teach me how to solve this?" Athan said pulling my arm pointing at the math book I bought him. I smiled at him. Athan really got his mother and father's genius brain. "Okay, this one?"

Athan nodded. "Okay, how do you solve 1 over 2 divided by 2 over 5? Well, this easy... Remember Athan in division we always need to convert it into multiplication so the answer is?"

"2 over 10!" Athan said his eyes sparkling. I chuckled and ruffled his hair. "Simplified?"

"1 over 5!"

"That's my boy!" I said lifting Athan up while he laughed. "How about 1067 times 2?"

"2134! Obviously..." Athan said rolling his beautiful purple and blue jewel-like eyes. "Well, smartypants How about you wait here and for a reward what do you want?"

"Teach me the ancient language!" Athan said. I was stunned for a while and regained my composure "Ancient language but you are so young. "

"No, I am not I am a big boy now mama. I want to beat you and become smarter than you because you said you knew how to read it when you were seven years old! So I will become better!" Athan said putting a cheeky grin. I pinched his cheeks hard. "Mama, that hurts!"

Where did he get his cheeky and arrogant side from? I don't know but I am sure it is not from me...