After relentless tugging (2 tugs), Viviana had given up and dug into her own meal.
'Hmph!' She fumed. 'As if I would let this come in between my meal after pulling a stunt like this!'
Ignoring Athanasius's wide eyes and furrowed forehead, she shamelessly took the first bite of her dinner.
The burst of the savory and fresh flavors from the sauce and herbs clashed with the tenderness of the lamb, melting away on her taste buds and down her throat.
Her small sienna hands immodestly tore her lamb chops apart with her silver utensils and shoved it into her mouth.
With a sweet smile, she took her time chewing and swallowing her food down. Within the corners of her eyes, she observed the young prince's shocked expression. He, however, was still refusing to feed himself and did not open his mouth to release the utensil as a petty fee.
The girl looked at how the fork dipped from his lips and downwards towards the table; she knew that he had weakened his hold.
Taking advantage of the situation, Viviana swiftly twisted her body back to the blonde boy and yanked the fork from his weakened hold.
"Are you ready to eat now, my love?" She asked in a sugared voice. "At this rate, we'll never get to eat dessert!"
The young boy bitterly chewed and swallowed his food, flaming crimson eyes refusing to leave the cool pools of turquoise.
Viviana lead the silver utensil quickly to the plate and stabbed through the lamb and pasta, eventually forcing its way back to the pouting lips of the prince.
"Say 'Ah,' my sweet baby!" She sang.
A small click left the boy's mouth but he soon after he let it open, allowing the girl before him to feed him.
The plum locked girl only grinned as she watched the almighty crown prince crumble down to hunger.
However, Athanasius refused to be one easily teased and played with, especially from a younger child from a dukedom! He ranked above her and had two years on her, for goodness's sake!
A small of humiliation and anger overcame him, flames in his very eyes.
"Make haste, darling! I'd like some dessert soon." She urged, immediately stuffing his face.
The young prince began to choke, alarming Viviana. She reached over to his glass of fruit juice and handed it over to him. Coughing, Athanasius quickly took the glass and downed it.
He wiped his lips with a cloth, small coughs escaping his lips. Viviana steadily pat his back, enough for his lungs to recover. When he finally did, he scowled at the younger girl.
"If you can't keep up with me, why don't you feed yourself, dear?" She sneered.
The bronzed boy snatched his utensils from the girl and dug into his meal, his dark gaze never leaving her.
Viviana innocently giggled and tore into her lamb.
The two ate in silence, ignoring each other's presence, though it wasn't like Athanasius was speaking to her at all tonight after she had got him in her trap.
Perhaps it was to spite her or perhaps he was a little scared of her. After all, there was no noble way he could retaliate after seeing what she could do with her fists from earlier today.
'This is what you get, you damn brat! After tonight, I better be returned back home to my family!' Viviana internally yelled and rejoiced.
There was absolutely no way that Athanasius was going to keep her as Consort Rose now, considering that she had humiliated him!
She fed herself until the plates were clean. Pleased with her handiwork, she handed the prince his glass of juice.
"Wow, I'm so proud of you!" She sweetly praised. "My baby ate all of his food!"
The night passed on as Markus entered the dining room, switching their empty plates with deserts and refiling their glasses.
"I'm surprised, my lady," Markus remarked. "It usually takes a good long lecture for his royal highness to finish his plate."
"Leave us, Markus." Athanasius growled, his face brimming with red.
With a light chuckle, Markus applauded at the young girl's hard work before turning to the door.
"Well, I'll be on my way to prepare for my lord and lady's bath for tonight," Markus announced. "I shall be back soon."
"Okay! I'll take good care of him in the meantime!" Viviana sang.
"Please do, Lady Viviana."
With that, the two partners in crime waved one another adieu and Markus left them to their own devices until his return.
The plum haired girl turned to the prince with a sugary grin on her face and opened her mouth.
"Well then, shall I—"
"— I'd rather not have you choke me to death again." Athanasius barked.
The young girl laughed at his response as she stabbed through her dessert with her fork.
Despite his hostile behavior, he was surprisingly obedient after his coughing fit and carefully ate his food.
The young girl couldn't help but darkly laugh inside her imagination.
Viviana cheerfully munched on the fluffy strawberry cake that was brought in, savoring each bite. The sweet vanilla creme, the fresh strawberries, the bounciness of the cake! There was no better paradise in either of her lifetimes besides the pleasure of tasting good food!
But after a good minute, she couldn't feel the buds on her tongue.
That was... Weird.
Viviana couldn't recall any allergies she had regarding fruit, gluten, or anything else.
So the girl took another bite of her treat.
She could certainly taste the cake, yet she still couldn't feel the roof of her mouth, despite rubbing her tongue against it.
With a scrunched face, she lifted her head to turn to the boy next to her, but everything... seemed out of place.
The lights above her placed a golden film over her vision, her head felt incredibly dense and hazy.
'Just what was... going on?'
Her right hand gripping on her silver fork loosened, her limbs oddly felt both light and heavy, and she was suddenly aware of everything around her. The way the carmine velvet cushion of the chair felt on her derriere, the pins in her hair, and her very footwear.
She tried to think, tried to say something; anything!
But there was nothing but this weight in her head, casting an odd haze in her vision.
But when her eyes finally caught her companion beside her, he carried the same faded and confused expression.
Under this golden light of the glass chandelier, he looked ethereal. A real-life golden cherub with sweet sleepy vermilion eyes, thick brows furrowed in sugared confusion, and his petal lips painted in a thin veil of leftover vanilla cream.
Her eyes drunk in his aesthetic, recording every single detail about him; how the lights dimmed but he seemed to glow and bask in the blue moonlight and soft golden reflects from the chandelier, how his wine eyes held her clouded reflection.
Despite this, an odd cord of fear was plucked within Viviana.
"Hey," She slurred. "You... good?"
She failed to find the energy to speak a fully coherent sentence.
'This is weird... Why does he look like that?' She pondered.
Then it hit her.
Viviana gasped in fear, her heart should have been pounding and thumping at a sudden speed fueled by adrenaline, but it only slowed and skipped a few important beats.
She took a deep breath to calm herself and her thoughts, though she feared that she was too calm and relaxed. As the air passed through her nose and her lungs, she felt her organs resist against the small action and constrict her every movement.
"— Vina... you," Athanasius mumbled in response, his hand reaching out to her's. "You're not... good."
Viviana was finding it harder and harder to breathe by the second. It felt as if her dress was a snake and was mercilessly squeezing around her chest.
But nonetheless, she extended her left hand and weakly gripped onto Athanasius's.
'Someone drugged us—' She couldn't tell if she was speaking or if she was just thinking, but the truth was there and it was real.
Viviana couldn't think of what they were drugged with; she tried to think, think back to Layla's memories— but the only highs she could remember were from marijuana and though it felt similar, it was never as hazy and scary as this.
Just the thought of all it, all of the things that could be done to them... Viviana shuddered and began to tear up. Worst case scenarios began to play in her head.
From her blurry sight, she watched as Athanasius began to panic at the sight of her and matched her expression. Yet, there was no verbal comfort they could offer each other in their drugged state.
Gods, her family was right. The imperial family was terrible! They had no shame in using their own crown prince and the daughter of one of their most outstanding dukes, even if it was to find and bait out the ones who were pinning the exact two children in need of protection.
But why subject their prized heir to this? Maybe it wasn't them after all. Then who?
Suddenly, like a wave from the cold frigid ocean, it stunned her.
✨♥️🥀♥️✨
In «The Chamber of Roses» Athanasius was kidnapped in his childhood.
In his route, the heroine finds out that the mighty prince suffers insomnia at night after spotting him take his afternoon nap in the academy library.
Alert from a nightmare, he awakes just in time as the heroine enters his safe space and is flustered for her to see him in such a manner. He simply tells her that he generally has trouble sleeping at night.
She later watches him as he forces himself to religiously hone his combative skills during after-school hours and prepares a meal for him to replenish his energy. This, however, is where it is revealed that he developed a new spell that would scan his food in front of him for any drugs and poison. He tells the heroine that refused to have a poison tester and nonchalantly eats the free meal after casting his spell.
He matured into a young man with a discreet personality; speaking only when he saw fit as the heir of the empire.
No one could pass through these new walls he so carefully created, painted with a kind and meek appearance. He strived to be kind and understanding of others and their circumstances, yet strongly rejected the idea of yielding to others.
The game never explicitly stated what happened during the course of his kidnapping and lacked an accurate timeline of when this event occurred.
He only revealed to the heroine that sometime during his childhood he was held captive for two weeks until he was found. Any other details were left up for the player to determine.
However, there were plenty of implications that were left behind, like little crumbs, in his route.
Perhaps when night time occurred, something had forced him to sleep with one eye open. He might have been roughed up or forced to fight back in a situation despite only having a basic knowledge of combat; and that he was drugged or poisoned to an extent that made him vulnerable.
It must have been no coincidence for the game developers to leave the details out due to the fact that the game was geared towards adolescent and young teenage girls.
✨♥️🥀♥️✨
Viviana cringed as she felt her heart drop to the floor.
Who would have thought that this incident would happen tonight?
Despite feeling the older boy's hand gripping on her own, she couldn't feel herself gripping his back.
Neither of them could do much in their states.
What is that she could do to protect herself and Athanasius?
Sure the kid was an asshole, but still a child nonetheless.
Viviana thought back to Layla's protectiveness and a soft spot for children as a young adult.
The teenage girl had no problem volunteering at her local women's shelter, which allowed any child(ren) the residing women had to live there along with them, during her high school and college years.
Layla also didn't hesitate to volunteer at the elementary near her high school to help elementary students during their afternoon programs; which consisted of reading, writing, physical activity, arts and crafts, and preparing for the elementary's fall, winter, and spring carnivals.
Not only did it look good on her college resume, but Layla had also grown fond of children after her experience. She had drafts and drafts of children's books she had hoped to publish one day.
It's just too bad she died before any of that happened.
Viviana wanted to scream and tear something apart, her blood boiling despite her heart weakly pumping.
It was too soon! Too soon for her to die again!
Her throat felt swollen and it hurt to even breathe much less talk. Anxiety and anger flushed within her, yet she was so tired to act upon it.
How much time had passed in reality?
Why wasn't Markus coming back to check up on them?
It must have been at least 10 minutes since then, right? Why hasn't Markus come back?
As the head butler, all he had to do was snap his fingers and have the other servants draw their baths for them instead of doing it himself.
So, what was going on?
'Have to... Protect us...' Gosh, even her thinking voice was drugged. What the hell? 'Damn... I don't think anyone is coming back.'
Wait, how much time passed since she thought of that?
Was it even her own thoughts? She couldn't have thought that just now, did she?
Viviana tried her best to remember and keep track of time. Subconsciously, she loosened her grip on Athanasius's hand.
Holy shit, she was losing herself.
Viviana's head slammed down on the table, a loud thud resonating from it. Pain resonated in her the insides of her skull from the impact as if the table was made from the same material as Thor's Mjolnir.
She was lucky her head fell a few inches away from her plate of unfinished cake. Her hair however, was not safe. It bounced off the table and straight into the vanilla cream.
"—Vina!" Athanasius shouted, startled by the sound and action. His voice sounded muffled, but maybe the muscles in her ears weren't working right, or maybe it was her brain.
She couldn't tell anymore. Probably both.
Viviana felt a sudden clutch on her palm and realized that Athanasius had gone and held her hand tighter than he had done before, probably out of fear and worry.
She didn't know how she turned her head to face him.
A chill danced down her spine, her heart sinking down behind it as a sudden thought intruded her brain.
There was a chance that this drug was actually poison. Another chance that perhaps of her younger and smaller stature compared to the prince, they might have overdosed her.
Her right hand steadily ran across the dining table, against the crimson cloth. Her sienna fingers searched until they felt a familiar cold metallic feeling and she gripped onto it with the little strength she had.
If she was going to die...
It wasn't going to be without a fight.
'You'd... You'd think I'll be satisfied with another unfulfilled death?' She shouted within herself. 'I'll fucking show you..."
Thud!
It wasn't long until Athanasius followed suit and his head fell onto the table. A groan escaped his lips before he turned his head to mirror Viviana.
If she were to die before Athanasius...
There was fear in his eyes, hidden behind the drugged fog, tears running down his tear ducts.
He was crying but thankfully he too had missed the plate of his cake. Viviana knew it would have been embarrassing if he was not lucky.
But who was she kidding? He was a capture target for goodness's sake, the world revolved around him! He had all the luck in the world.
But none of that mattered at the moment.
'I wanna go home...' The girl wished, mirroring the boy's expression before shutting her eyes.
Damn, for what reason was she born? She'll be damned if she were to die younger than Layla! She was going to live, no matter what!
She was going to go home and leap herself into her father's arms; let him and her mother smoother her with kisses; and have the best sleepovers with Vincenzo!
With whatever strength and control she had left, the young girl brought the silver knife down upon her lavender dress and into her flesh. The knife slid through where her two adductors met and into the cushion of her seat. By chance, she had only gone through the layers of her skin and not close enough for her cut through her own muscles.
Viviana released a small scream from the action and cringed at the pain. She could feel her energy leaving her every second and no longer had the ability to pull back the steak knife from her wound.
"Vina!" The crown prince shouted, watching as the dark red liquid absorb her luxurious dress from her laceration.
He tugged on her hand but received no response.
She only glanced at him with watery ocean eyes and loosened her grip, only for him to squeeze her unlatching hand.
"Stay awake with me!" He belted.
He talks a lot of a boy that was drugged.
Viviana winced at the volume of his voice and shut her eyes. His voice echoed and bounced around in her skull painfully. It was like she had stabbed the steak knife into her very brain ten times.
'If there's anyone out there listening among the gods...'
But it didn't take very long for her pain to subside, taking her conscious along with it.