The Revolution (WMMAP reader insert/OC)

Part 15

"Your majesty! Princess Athanasia has awoken!"

Felix's voice echoed through the room, immediately catching Claude's attention. The knight hurried to Athanasia's side, who had just opened her eyes, and began firing questions.

"Princess, can you see me? Do you know who I am?"

Athanasia stirred, clutching her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her fingers curled tightly into the fabric of her dress as agonizing pain coursed through her, and she began to wail.

"Waaaaaaah!"

Felix panicked, calling out to her desperately. His gaze shifted to Athanasia's side, where Anastasia still lay deep in slumber. Athanasia turned her body toward Felix with a pained expression.

"Ugh. It hurts...!"

Squealing, she hugged herself as though her insides were aflame. The relentless ache showed no signs of abating.

"What should we do, your majesty?" Felix asked anxiously.

Claude turned sharply to the magician, who flinched and lowered himself into a deep bow.

"What do you think you're doing? I told you to heal her. And why is Anastasia still asleep?" Claude's voice was monotone but biting. "What on earth did you do to make her condition worse?"

The magician opened his mouth to respond, "I beg you pardon your majesty, but the princesses' condition has not worsened. It is only because she is conscious now that she is feeling the pain."

Felix frowned deeply, brows furrowed. "Her highness, Princess Athanasia's mana is colliding with Princess Anastasia's mana. The two aren't compatible with each other's mana and suggest that they should separate."

He shook his head, disbelief settling in. They're sisters. They've always been by each other's side. How could this happen?

The magician continued hesitantly, "And there isn't anything we could do when their mana is leaping to and fro inside her body like this..."

The room's atmosphere became chilling and intense when the emperor spoke, "So I told you to find a solution, and yet you don't even have the decency to be ashamed of your incompetence."

The magician began to shake in fear and stuttered, "I b-beg your forgiveness, your majesty. But I am the most knowledgeable ("most knowledgeable" my ass) among the royal magicians when it comes to mana abnormalities."

"It is unlikely that another magician will be of help to the princesses at this stage..."

"Do you wish to die?"

The man who kneeled gasped in fear. The room fell silent, save for the soft sniffles of Athanasia as she gazed up at her father.

Claude spoke, his voice laced with an unfamiliar emotion, "You have an intricate way of asking to be killed."

"Bring in another magician. And lock him in the dungeon," he ordered the two guards who now dragged the trembling magician away.

"Your majesty!" the magician's desperate call echoed, then faded into silence.

"If you wish to live, try harder with that pee brain of yours. If you continue to say the same useless things, I'll start cutting off your limbs one by one before I chop your head off." Claude's words were cold as he turned back, looking down at Athy, who was still crying out in pain.

"I-it hurts. Daddy, it hurts... waaa!"

Seeing her suffering, Claude's face hardened, his brow furrowed deeply. He raised his hand toward her head. "You're too noisy, go to sleep."