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It took too long to put the pieces together.
The peasant kept popping in and out of Anastasius’ life, seemingly at random. She recognized him each time, and she always wore the same outfit. She was clever, he could admit that now, but Anastasius paid attention when she talked, and the puzzle revealed itself to him.
She was being pulled from place to place- out of time.
All because Anastasius had done it to her.
Anastasius pulled her from her universe because he met her and wanted to keep her, and because he pulled her from her universe, he met her and wound up pulling her from her universe. It was a massive headache to put together, but by the Gods he’d managed it.
He did it and he wouldn’t let the peasant go again.
She looked so confused when he found her again- younger too . Had he ever met her so young?
“Hello,” he greeted. It wasn’t often that Anastasius got the drop on her. “I’ve been waiting to see you again.”
“Again?” And really, shouldn’t that have been a red flag?
“I have a question for you, peasant,” it had become a sort of joke between them now- he called her a peasant and she would call him the ‘princeling’, and wouldn’t she be surprised with the news he had for her this time.
“You do?” She asked hesitantly. Anastasius approached and she backed away. Strange, perhaps she was ill?
“Yes. I’d like you to be my wife.” He’d thought about it fr a long time- he could help her, keep her tethered to him through his mana, act as an anchor for her.
“I…I don’t even know you.” It felt like the world had shattered around him as she looked at him.
No, please…
The peasant had never looked at him as anything other than another boy and then young man- but today she looked at him as if he were a monster.
Well, he supposed her was.
But de Alger Obelia blood was the blood of conquerors- to kill for the throne was practically a mandate at this point. Though, to slaughter the only other competition? Less common, but very entertaining.
He’d thought she’d understood him.
But she ran away- she didn’t-
It had hurt, but Anastasius understood. If time was looping, he had to understand it first to break the loop.
She couldn’t have been older than, perhaps…15. The oldest he’d seen her was in her early 20’s. In order to break the loop, he just had to pull her a little early.
From there, Anastasius plotted, even as he worked his magic and performed his experiments. His chimera would come in handy for this- the perfect battery to open the portal.
The vortex was deep blue and shimmered- the chimera screamed and thrashed in her bonds as her mana flowed. She had more than enough to keep it open, but it was painful- there was a reason he wasn’t the one doing it.
The world that Anastasius stepped into was coated in snow. The sky had that glaze it got in the winter- a deep gray color that blinded you. It was a strange world, full of vehicles that snarled and growled and hard rivers of black. But where was the peasant?
It was a simple thing to find her and follow her- he could easily make himself unnoticeable, and she was so young and small, 5 at the most as she walked through the snow, bundled up like a little cake to stay warm as she hurried.
Dear Gods she was cute
Anastasius followed her home and watched her bound up the stairs carefully, minding the ice.
It was rather annoying to stand there and wait as the day turned to night. Staying warm was simple, but she was there, so close- sitting with her family and showing them papers from her little pink backpack and working diligently at the table and getting ready for bed and listening to a story.
When the lights in the house went out, one by one, Anastasius entered with a flick of his wrist, throwing the door open.
Her parents put up a fight of course. What else would they do when a stranger was here to steal their daughter? For their loyalty, they died quickly and without much pain.
Anastasius took his time walking to her room. He wanted to savor this, and so he did- this was victory. This was what it felt like to have the world in the palm of your hand.
She stirred, for the briefest moment when he picked her up. Anastasius smiled at her and put her back to sleep, wrapping her in her blanket to keep her warm. He spared a thought for the plush animal on her bed and wrapped that in as well.
The vortex opened with a snap of his fingers, and he took his little peasant home.
Anchoring her to him took a few hours and a bit of blood, true, but it had to be done, and for her perfect behavior during the process he commissioned a new wardrobe for her, a wardrobe befitting a little princess.
She called him “Stasius” when they were alone and smiled at him and only him- that took a little bit of training, but it was necessary. She belonged to him, body and soul, and he made sure that she knew that; placing her in the Ruby Palace, showering her in presents and punishing those that took her attention.
Anastasius was her god, and she needed to learn to worship.