The Fated Magical Princess: Who Made Me a Princess

Episode 14

Something is rotten in the state of Obelia, and it just might be its former emperor. It seems very likely that Claude did kill his brother Anastacius, but that doesn't mean that he's not still around, causing trouble. Lucas seems to have found the man's grave (and that wasn't a small amount of blood on Claude's shirt after the brothers fought), but if years of watching anime have taught me anything, it's that unless you see a body, never assume that someone is really dead, blood and graves notwithstanding. (Also, that there will always be bad CG horses. They're in this episode, too.) But this is also a fantasy series, so “dead and buried” is no guarantee that someone will stay that way. Claude may well have killed his mad brother. He's just not inclined to remain in the afterlife.

While the pacing seems to have increased dramatically for these possibly final three episodes, it still feels like everything is fairly well considered. Athy's encounter with Jennette and the mysterious source of black magic in town are both the reasons why Lucas has left her side to figure out what's going on. That means that convincing her father and Felix to let her go fight monsters in Aug is a good way to demonstrate that she's a powerful wizard in her own right, something she'll need to be if her late, unlamented uncle is around plotting against her. It also shows that Claude is willing to let her stand on her own two feet when appropriate, and as Felix pointed out to him, the people need to get to know Athy if she's going to be their next empress, something that could happen at any time should Claude take ill or be killed. The best way for Athanasia to protect herself is to show the world what she's capable of.

Right now, the best way to do that is to let her leave the palace. Making Lucas take her back to town so that she can pay everyone with real, non-disappearing coins is an example of Athy understanding this – she needs to establish who she is while being true to herself, and even if none of the merchants realize that she's the princess, someday they will, and they'll know that she was honest enough to make sure they get their due. (Ditto for Felix, whom she repays after he lent her the money to right Lucas' wrong.) Allowing her to prove to the doubting farmers of Aug that she's not just a spoiled princess is Claude's way of doing the same, and it's rewarding to see her get through to the people. Athy may be aware that what she's doing is proving herself, but she's also just being herself. People need help, and she can provide it, so she wants to. At its core, it really is that simple.

She gets that from both of her parents. Claude and Diana met because they were both in Aug helping people, and when he realized just how bad things were, Claude went a step further and took care of the problem in a more final way. Diana was busy healing the injured when they met, and it's clear that both of them were taken by each other's actions, not just their physical beauty. Athy is amply demonstrating that she's both willing and able to help without ever questioning whether or not she should. She's the true embodiment of a princess, something that may help her immeasurably in the coming episodes.

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The Fated Magical Princess: Who Made Me a Princess is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.