Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

The very moment Markus on his way to the nobleman's house, the son of the very same–the boy soon to be wedded to the princess, was sneaking around through the corridors. Slipping past the dark knight with nothing but noble movement, he headed straight for the princess's room with a rose pinched between his teeth.

It wasn't his first time, sneaking through the castle to meet up with Tia. It wasn't the second either, in fact, he'd done so, so many times, that it was rare for him to miss even a day. He'd known Tia since they were little after all, and although their friendship had always been rocky, the two enjoyed each other's company even if the princess acted otherwise.

"Again?!" The moment Robin sneaked into Tia's room, she already knew he was there. Tossing a gold coin by the vanity, she looked right at him as he'd entered, even though the boy had easily escaped the dark knight. "You back for this or what?"

Tossing the coin towards him, it turned into a beam of light and midway through reaching him, the light turned to a yellow bird that swiftly settled on Robin's shoulders. With a smile, the boy scratched the bird's head, and in response, she tweeted with joy.

"I thought you two might grow closer if Tweety stays the night, but I supposed I was wrong," laughing the matter over, he wrapped his hand around the bird and it quickly turned back into a gold coin with her face imprinted on its surface. Stuffing her in his pocket, he rolled the rosebud through his fingers as he made his way closer to the princess.

"I stole this from your garden, I hope you don't mind."

Offering her the rose with a pretentious bow, he stood there waiting for her to accept it, but glancing at him sideways, Tia slapped the bud out of his hand.

"Try wooing your mother if you're so desperate for a woman's attention," rolling her eyes, Tia continued to admire herself in the mirror.

Not much affected by her insult, Robin moved over to her bed and sat down on it with a bounce. While he glanced around, just looking at the place, Tia looked at him through the mirror–desperately trying not to let her embarrassment be known.

She liked him as much as he did, but being uptight by personality–mostly thanks to her mother, she had no clue how to shower affection, especially to a man she liked more than as a friend and differently than she did her own family.

'Like a plushie toy…' Looking at his button nose, she wondered how it would feel to press her finger on it. But then as her eyes focused on his reddish freckled cheeks, she felt another emotion, jealousy. A natural blonde with pixie hair and emerald eyes, Robin was hugged with the charm of Athenia's bounty.

One of the very few who'd been blessed by her, though he thought that blessing was of Aphrodite.

'I had almost forgotten about this child…' Watching the castle closely these past days, Athenia was leering at the boy that she'd reaped from death's clutches. He was abandoned in a forest once, by his own parents. All because he was a third child whom they had no use for.

"They did themselves a favor," said the dark version of her from over her right shoulder.

"Leaving a child to die in a forest?" Glaring at the dark, her angelic form scorned her with disgust.

And while they looked at each other with opposing views, the devious clone of Athenia chimed into their conversation with mockery.

"Like mother abandoned me? The so-called goddess of life," she said looking at the angelic form and making her flinch with just her words. Turning her gaze right over to the dark version of her master, she wasn't willing to spare her father's side either. "Would Father have abandoned me if I was a burden too? A third child or the fourth?

Maybe he should've killed us in the womb, at least then Aphrodite would've been dead as well."

For once Athenia agreed with her sarcastic clone, however, keeping her thoughts to herself she simply focused on the interaction between Tia and Robin.

"Sooo what are you up to today?" Asked Robin, his eyes finally turning back to Tia.

Hurriedly focusing back on herself in the mirror, she was too caught off guard to even come up with a response. But her silence only gave him time for Robin to say what he wanted to hear–something he knew she wouldn't even consider doing if it wasn't for him pushing her.

"Wanna go to the lower city fare? I heard a new breeder brought in some exotic animals recently."

"Exotic?" Not even knowing the meaning of the name, Tia slowly turned around to face Robin.

With a cheery smile, the boy jumped off the bed and quickly walked up to her. Offering her his hand right after, he urged her to come with him.

"I'll show you."

"B-but what if someone notices it's me!"

Leaning towards her, Robin cupped her face between his palms and left a light kiss on her forehead. Left surprised and blushing, Tia sat studden in place, all the while a bright yellow shimmer turned her clothes plain and her ears got tipped like an elf.

"I doubt anyone would notice now," grabbing her hand himself this time, the boy began leading Tia away.

'I don't exactly hate this boy.' Thought Athenia, having saved her from an awful future by not just blessing him, but also cursing his siblings to death, she saw a part of herself in the young boy. Although she still had plenty of her siblings just looking for a chance to end her.

"And with Markus on his way to his parents, I suppose they too will suffer death now that they've served their purpose of raising him," her clone muttered, and Athenia couldn't agree more.