Chapter 3

Anastasia kept staring at the young boy who held her small body in his hands. Startled, for a moment she was unable to think of anything.

He looked as surprised as she was. His blue eyes and blond hair looked a bit familiar. He wore a red and white uniform with golden badges on either side. It looked similar to the formal attire of a knight of the first brigade but there was a difference.

"Little bunny, that was too risky, you know. Wait wait wait... how did you even get here in the first place?", said with a confused expression on his face.

"Little Bunny? Uh..."

Even though Anastasia at the time was a little girl, within, she mentally was a fully grown up woman gone through many phases of life, and some one like that suddenly being called bunny?

"Damn that pink haired wrench! Not letting me die in peace."

"Wrench? Die in peace? Oh my gosh, who taught this little bunny such words?"The blond guy said, a disturbed look clear on his face.

(That was when Anastasia realised that she had completely forgotten she was a 5 year old kid.)

"Oh shit"

She didn't mean to but she said it outloud.

"Shit?!"

His expression became more grim.

Anastasia covered her mouth upon realisation, avoiding any more mistakes.

The guy was still holding her in his arms, when a cold breeze blew past and things were getting awkward if this would continue.

"Um... would you mind putting me down good sir?" Anastasia said finally.

"Oh yes! I'm sorry."

Saying he placed her down. Then dusted her night gown the same way Jeanne would do it.

"Who's this guy? Why does he look so familiar..."

She was about to ask who he was when he suddenly glanced at her tiny long ears and said.

"Anastasia?"

"Huh? There are people that know me except my maids?"

This was quite surprising as in the last timeline not many knew she even existed.

"You are Anastasia aren't you little bunny. Oh yeah there's no way you aren't. You won't be able to be here if not.", he said rubbing his chin, scanning the little elf from head to toe.

"Wait little bun-"

Before he let out another "little bunny" out of his mouth Anastasia spoke up.

"Ok hold it boy!"

She sounded like she was an older woman but it was kind of funny coming out of a kid. Caring less she continued.

"First of all, who are you? And what are you doing here? AND STOP CALLING ME THAT DAMN THING!", she concluded with an angry stamping.

The guy looked conflicted by her unexpected wording and behaviour.

"Why not!"

"I don't like it"

"But you're my cute little sister..."

"What's wrong with you, are you some ped- wait Sister?"

Huh! What's going on?

"Oh well this wasn't how I was intending to introduce myself to you but we got no other choice. I'm Leonidas Evander Lucigarden, the Emperor's first son. Your elder brother."

Anastasia knew that name. She had heard of it in the last timeline. Though she had never met him she knew who he was. The crown prince.

The first to die from the royal family.

She instantly realised she had been acting rude and out of character towards him, but it seemed too late to apologise now. Nevertheless she did.

"I'm sorry your majesty, the crown prin-", doing a simple courtesy, but was interrupted mid-sentence.

"Woah woah there little bunny, holup. How do you know that I'm the crown price? It's not even official yet."

Heavens! Why am I so clumsy!

"Ah well...", she said, her fingers twitching against each other.

"Did Jeanne tell you about it?"

"Oh yes!"

She jumped at the chance.

Wait, he knows my maid too?

"Anyway, now let us get you back to your palace, little bunny. It's getting cold outside here."

It was true, the temperature was dropping as the hours passed and it was most probably a few more hours till day break. Anastasia didn't want Jeanne finding out her princess had been sneaking out of the palace at night. And the two went back down, the same way they came up. Though Anastasia noticed that the fairies were no longer to be seen.

"Well then I shall be going this way, little bun. You'll be ok on your own?"Leo said with concern. To which Anastasia reacted with a frown.

"I'll be fine", she replied.

Just as the little elf was about to turn, Leo suddenly grabbed her by the collar of her dress and pulled her backwards, positioning himself right in front of her. He looked like a great boulder in her childish perspective.

CLANG!

The sound of two swords clashing against each other echoed through the silent night. Anastasia, still unable to grasp the situation, took a peek at what was going on from behind Leo.

Another person had their sword pressing hard against Leo's. He was barely managing himself from being pushed backwards.

"Wait, when did he even draw his sword?" Anastasia wondered.

The sudden attacker turned out to be a woman. She had long hair tied in a ponytail using a hairband that had a big bow attached to it. What stood out the most was that she was in a royal maid's outfit.

The Little elves' eyes widened and her ears twitched.

"Step aside from the princess!", the attacker demanded, grinning their teeth furiously.

"Jeanne!" Anastasia called out."Stop!"

Their expressions changed instantly as Leon and Jeanne lowered their sword looking at Anastasia.

"Jeanne it's me-", Leon said but was cut mid sentence as Jeanne dropped her sword and swiftly ran towards Anastasia pushing Leon aside as she bumped against him.

She seemed as if gone pale white, And her eyes almost teary. Jeanne got hold of the little elf, then thoroughly checked from head to toe, and finally hugged her heaving a great sigh of relief.

"I was soooooo worried when I couldn't find you, princess. Have I not told you not to go out of your place! And most of all at this time! What were you thinking!?"

Jeanne was holding Anastasia firmly by her shoulders as she demanded.

"I... I just wanted some fresh air...."

"Why come all the way here? You could have just told me, princess!"

"Eh well... I was uh...."

Anastasia wasn't supposed to know anything that was outside of her palace. She had never sneaked out in the previous timeline and she never knew Jeanne had this side to her. She was both amazed and impressed to see how good Jeanne was with handling her sword. The sound of the swords clashing against each other was enough for a veteran like her to understand its wielder's skill.

Well of course she couldn't say all that. This kid was not supposed to know such stuff.

"Oh, Prince Leon, what are you doing here?"Jeanne asked as if she didn't strike such a heavy blow onto his sword out of nowhere.

"I was here..."

She then saw that he was holding a sword and then saw her sword lying on the stone pathway beside him.

"Oh"

"Yeah"

"I'm SORRY your highness!"

She stood up and bowed copiously apologising, before carrying the little elf back to her palace, in her arms like a sack of grains.

"Hey!", Anastasia demanded to let her down, but was ignored by Jeanne.

Thus Anastasia meets her half brother for the first time and discovers the overly overprotective side of her maid and that she had more secrets to herself than Anastasia knew.Had things been altered in this timeline, or had she not paid much attention to her surroundings?