Chapter Text
"MISS!! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!"—
Was the first thing that Martha said to Anna when the knight handed her off. Cale tried not to flinch from the evident concern from the woman, shrinking a little from the sudden barricade of question. The Nanny clung to her with tight grip, hugging her tightly that she thought her lungs is being squished along.
'Martha is strong' she winced.
"Hurry! Get the physician!"
'Is it that really bad?' she thought, exaggerated by the commotion that is happening around her. Maids and servants all ran around like headless chicken, and Martha carrying her like she's a dying patient. And honestly? Anna really deserved this.
And it didn't end there it seems.
BANG!!
"ANNA!!" Someone came bursting inside the room just moments Martha and the physician sat her down for examination. They almost toppled the doors in their haste as they entered in seconds of assaulting the poor wooden doors.
'My door' Anna thought.
Martha and the Physician we're all startled at his abrupt entrance and have no time to help the man that almost met face first on the floor at how he ran. Felix rushed inside without the grace of human, scrambling on his two feet as he almost crawled his way on the child's bed. All preteens and ethics gone, only a desperate man that Anna saw.
Anna was dumbfounded for a moment, aghast and exasperated at Felix's action like a man on a ran on something she doesn't know how to explain. Martha and the doctor we're all giving the man space to sit next to Anna's bed. Worried for the young master.
Anna snapped at the incredulous sight and looked at Felix that was fine, apart from his wild gaze, as if he just heard Anna died, which is over exaggerating of her small cuts and wounds, he was out of breath and ready to succumb to death rather than her.
'Wow, calm down, will you' Anna inches back out of reflex, a bit startled at Felix's expression.
"Anna-" he stumbled on his words, having a hard time to coherently talk. His hands was everywhere! Patting her down from her head to her arms and her face, and then repeating the action of amd over.
"are- i mean- who-"
Someone should get this kid off of her before she slaps him back to his senses, this is over killing it when she, herself, only sustained a minor injury of a small paper cut.
"Orabiuni." She called out, holding the hands that kept patting her down. She firmly hold them to stop the tremors and kept it in place. It's annoying her and her hair is all out of place now.
"I'm okay." She emphasize her words.
"I-" Felix seems out of it but break through his frantic rumbling. His hands and face slacking.
"I'm okay, see, I'm fine." She emphasize each word, firmly holding the still trembling hands.
Anna get it why Felix is acting like this, yes, he is over protective—that she knows, thank you very much— but over the roof protectiveness is yet to be listed.
And this is a bit exaggerating, felix may be over protective of his sibling to the point they'll be over the roof worrying about them but, this is just another level where he barged in and act like Cale is about to die.
And it's off putting. Anna already noticed it.
Fear.
That's the eyes of Felix at the moment.
"What happened-" she was about to ask why, because someone may have exaggerated the news and made felix run like crazy back to the mansion.
DRIP.
'Eh???' Anna short circuited.
"I thought I'd lost you-"
Before Anna knew it, she is incased in a tight hug from Felix.
'Wait, what?—'
Felix was now fully blown crying, like a kid.
'What is happening?'
It took forever before they can fully pry Anna from Felix, and a bit of time before the man could get his bearing and stop bowling every few seconds and trap the small child in his overbearing hug.
The doctor and maid sighed in exasperation, ready to whack their young master if it comes to it. But the young man can't seem to let go and would cry like a child if tried.
Anna had yet to be checked thoroughly to examine if there's any bruises or injury she sustained while om jer little "journey" as Martha labeled.
Anna can feel Martha's eyes the whole time, piercing and worried like a hen woth it's child. With storm of scholding at the tip of her tounge, it seems. But the women held it back for worry is the strongest emotion that is currently important.
'Maybe later' is what her eyes scream, and Anna can't wait to wiggle her way out of that impending scolding she is about to face.
'Okay, this is over the roof' Anna thought, giving Felix another clean napkin to blow his snot and not leave it anywhere near her bed.
'disgusting' she face palmed.
"I'm just glad Anna is alright" He blew on the napkin, wiping the remaining tears.
'eek' Some snot escaped and smacked Anna. 'eeewww!' she internally cringe.
"I would be taking my leave now, young master, young lady." The physician left without any hurries, taking Martha with him to discuss with the duke about her current health. Just a few bruising there, and some sore arms.
Felix waved them, now feeling more at himself and not that bear who kept tagging Anna back and damp her shoulder with his snot.
With one last sneeze, Felix threw the napkin and breath in.
Anna waited for the man to say something, preferably anything that'll not trigger any tears and bear hug.
"I'm glad Anna is not hurt," Now that he calmed down, Cale observed his red rimmed eyes, that once held fear, now alight with something akin to relief.
"Orabiuni is exaggerating." Anna blatantly remarked, patting her now clean clothes.
Felix let out a short strangled laugh.
"Anna is alright, that's all I'm glad."
'Again with those sentence' Anna sighed. That's all he's been saying. Of course Anna is alright, just a scrape and sore spots there is, not worth to cry a bucket of tears.
Anna hummed along.
"Anna is okay." agreed along.
Felix remained silent by her side, patting her messy hair continuously in a soothing manner. Anna let him be, for the sake of not going through that bear hug and snotty cries.
Without much word, he once again took Anna off the bed and placed her on his lap as he hugged her. Anna just fit's in right, her small stature that of a 6 year's old even being a 7 that's on the casp of being 8 year's old on spring.
"Orabiuni" Anna warned, but it just made Felix chuckle and continue to mess her hair.
"Don't do that again Anna, don't ever leave my side— Martha and everyone looking out after you." Felix combed her hair with his fingers, untangling knots and patting down stray hairs. Like a dog would do to it's cubs.
"Hmm." Anna hummed, comfortably staying silent and letting the red-hair calm himself.
Comfortable silence befall the sibling, cale let it be and sat back while felix patted her non-stop.
Amidst the silence, Felix never stopped his rhythmic caressing, and Anna let be as she fell into comfortable daze.
It felt like hour had passed because Anna felt the sign of drowsiness, now that she thought, the earlies excapides she did finally cought up. She felt tired, parts of her limbs so sore, she just hope not to wake up the next day limping.
The event from earlier came into mind, the successful mission that she took in acquiring the Diary made it all the better.
'Are you Happy?' Jour's words rung inside Cales mind.
'Maybe not now, but I'm content as it is' She dazedly thought, the sleep and exhoustion finally catching up on her.
It was in-between conscious and dreamland did Anna finally hear Felix say something before she peacefully engulf herself in a dreamless sleep.
"Thank you. . ."
"What's with all the fuss outside?" Claude entered the room without invitation, just short knock and unannounced haughty presence, nonchalantly trudging inside like a person who owned the room, taking his time to stroll towards the couch near the siblings.
"Your Majesty" Felix greeted, nodding his head and mindful to not disturbing the resting child within his arms.
"You look like you had gone in a marathon. What exactly transpired while i was gone?" Claude sat at the free couch, watching the siblings. One is deeply asleep, the other looking like 10 years of his life is shaved off from a jump scare.
He arrived at the territory before dusk, noticing gaurds all scattered around the district. When he set foot in the mansion, Claude was greeted with panick-stricken servants.
He was curious, and unease at the same time, pulling a servant aside to question the sudden dread and worry the place exude. It's annoying him, seeing servants all frolicking like hen and that the world outside is scary.
But his silent inquiry was answered when a small familiar girl in a Knight's arm is rushed inside with frantic servants all following behind.
That alarmed him almost immediately.
Not long after, he heard the commotion the man left in his haste to go to his sisters side.
"Nothing his majesty should worry" Felix tiredly said, clenching his hands around the child.
"You wouldn't look like a dog that saw it's owner die, Felix." Claude drawled, his gaze piercing felix like a knife.
Felix may hide it well, but Claude did not reign a corrupted court without the ability to dissect each person from their lies. He knew when a person lies, it's been a part of his childhood growing up. No one can escape Claudes watch, unless they're good at scheming him.
The tired circle, tense frame, and protective stance. It screamed more than the man let's on.
"You look worst." Claude bluntly said.
"It appears so, your Majesty— i mean your highness" Felix sheepishly said.
Claude clicked his tounge, heavily frowning. But he let the slip up let go, seeing as the child in his hand deep asleep.
"What happened?" He simply asked.
"Things are about to change" Felix whispered, his once tense frame melting in exhoustion, yet it remained guarded.
"As it should." Claude answered, wrinkling his nose and glaring at the man.
Claude leaned back on the couch, his whole body in poise elegance, eyes not leaving the pair across from him. He observed the way Felix curled protectively around Anna, the raw fear still etched faintly into his features, the small glint of despair abiding slowly as the man calmed.
The room had quieted, almost reverently so, as though it, too, understood that something had shifted.
Perhaps not everything had been said aloud, but Claude didn’t need words. The air told him plenty. The servant’s panicked whispers, the near-desperate clatter of Felix’s boots on marble, and the death grip he held on the small girl in his arms now painted enough of a picture.
"The past repeated itself, isn't it?" Claude murmured, his voice softer this time, although not comforting, it no longer laced with indifferent and cold tone, but with something far more human— understanding.
The understanding of almost loosing someone, the desperate hope that pictured in a broken frame.
Fate is movin again, the wheels are about to fasten as time flew by. Claude and Felix have changed a lot of orders, and it isn't surprising that a certain event that they're trying to avoid suddenly repeat itself even after many times of trying to avoid it. Yet it still surprises them.
They've had planned it thoroughly, and yet the past can't be avoided, either they face it or be a coward and ran away, in the end death can only be the product of each decision.
Felix didn’t answer immediately. His gaze was distant, fixed somewhere beyond the walls of the room, perhaps back to the moment when fear first clutched his heart and wouldn’t let go.
Claude’s brows furrowed. "I assumed something must have happened to her while you we're gone" he gestured vaguely at Felix’s disheveled state, "It seems all that planning was a waste" Claude waited for an affirmation from the knight, patiently so.
Felix nodded.
"huuuuh, we cannot avoid it. . ." Claude mumbled.
Felix's jaw tightened, and when he finally spoke, it was quiet—stripped bare of formalities and pride. "I heard from the knights that some thugs targeted her —just like from before—"
Felix breathed in.
"they found her with —wounds and platches of blood—" Felix heavily breathed again, eyes misting as he lost himself in another bout of memories that tried to claw it's way inside his mind.
Of blood, of still child, and — Anna, painted in red—
"I wasn’t there," Felix said, mumbling to himself "I was on patrol. And all I could think when the report came in was—‘What if it happened again?’ What if I never get to see her again?-what if i failed— again—" his breath hitched.
The quiet that followed wasn’t awkward— it was heavy, laden with what-ifs and the kind of fear only those who’ve truly been afraid of loss can understand.
Claude exhaled slowly. "That would explains it, it seems"
Felix huffed a breath of something between a laugh and a broken sigh.C laude smirked faintly but said nothing. He let the silence stretch again this time, more forgiving.
"She’s strong, and what that entity promised, i know they won't break it." Claude eventually said. "You're forgetting that we're here to change everyone's fate, including yours and your sister's."
Felix nodded, his hand still rhythmically brushing her hair. "I didn’t forget. That’s why it scared me. She’s always been strong—stronger than most child I’ve met. And yet..."
"She’s still a child," Claude finished.
Felix swallowed. "Yeah."
The door creaked faintly as wind brushed against the old frames of the mansion, a soft reminder that outside these walls, the world still moved on. But inside, time held its breath.
Claude stood once more, adjusting the collar of his coat. "Get some rest, Felix. You’ve done enough for today."
Felix didn’t look up, only nodded slowly, eyes never leaving Anna’s peaceful face.
As Claude turned to leave again, his voice echoed one last time across the dim room.
"And next time," he said, pausing in the doorway, "trust someone else to carry it, too. You don’t have to bear everything alone."
Felix offered a tired, grateful glance, barely a twitch of his lips resembling a smile. "Noted, Your Majesty."
Claude scoffed again "I left you for a while and you're already at this state. Typical." Felix snorted.
The door clicked shut behind him.
Silence once again draped over the room like a warm blanket. Felix exhaled deeply, the sound almost trembling. He lowered his head slightly, resting his forehead atop Anna’s, listening to her gentle breathing.
Felix closed his eyes, holding his sister a little tighter as the silence returned. He didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, or how long he could keep pretending to be the strong one.
But for now, she was here. Alive. Breathing.
And that was enough.
"It'll be better now," he whispered into her hair. "I promise."
'Everything will change,'
And there, in that sun-drenched room of hushed comforts and faded adrenaline, the siblings rested. As the world outside
stirred with whispers and shifting tides, the clogs of wheels moving once again.
Their fate is about to begin, and Felix have to make sure his sister lives. Anna have to. If he lost her one more time, felix will loose it.