The regretful father's only wish

One door closes and another door opens

The funeral for princess athanasia came in quickly and went smoothly, it was a big funeral as she had many allies, the same people who celebrated her execution in her first life were now the same people who mourned their princess and prayed to the gods that they have mercy on her soul

her body was cremated just as she wished, Claude created a cottage filled with flowers and a bed in the center and spread her ashes there, where she will rest, a private funeral was held with only her family in attendance, they told their last goodbyes, then the cottage was closed never to be opened again, as she will finally rest in peace

theor decided to stay with heinry for some time before returning back to palace as it held memories of his time with athanasia, Lilian also decided to leave the palace and follow Theor to stay with heinry as she held too many memories with the princess in the imperial walls and couldn't stand the simple though of staying within the walls any longer

With the lost of his daughter, Claude is now once again nothing more but a man with a throne, no family, no love, and no one to care for, he felt as if he was child again, an illegitimate second prince with a sick mother by his side hoping a miracle will happen and he'll have someone again, but he knows better

Miracles never happen

As he was pouring himself another drink to ease his pain,he felt as if he wasn't alone in his chambers, his first thought that it must been his brother or even Felix who wanted to stay with him as support and share their grief

" I ordered not be disturb-"

" hello Claude, my name is Moira, do you wish what you desire the most?" a mysterious voice interrupted him, Claude looked up to find a tall woman with long wavy light blue hair that pass her waist, and eyes were filled with stars, she resembled a spirit

Had he gone mad?, " w-who are you" he demanded,

" like father like daughter" she only answered clearly amused. Moira remembering the same look Athanasia gave her, while Moira observed the emperor, she scoffed at unkept appearance, he was sickened pale, his eyes were bloodshot red from his tears, his hair was out of place, he was gripping his bottle of wine, and did not resembled an emperor but another man on the streets. he looked pathetic

If any where to ask if she carried sympathy to the emperor of Obelia, Moira would answer no. Moira barely had any sympathy for Claude, in fact she carried none. Everything is his doing, every tragedy that struck is his no fault but his own, from Diana's demise to their daughter ultimate descent to madness and death, was all Claude's doing. if Claude had been with Diana throughout her whole pregnancy and supported her than being a little bitch who hid from her growing of her rightful paranoia and insecurities, he would noticed there was something wrong in Diana's whole pregnancy, Diana would've lived if he was by her side and didn't leave her vulnerable for everyone to pick on, leaving her in a vipers den as foreign commoner pregnant with the emperor's first heir to a palace full of high nobles ladies who despise her very existence is recipe for a tragic end. It was a miracle Diana was thoughtful and paranoid throughout her time with the rest of the concubines but unfortunately not enough to really know what was happening, and she paid it with her life

Athanasia is Claude's greatest mistake. A daughter who resembled him more than anyone, in appearance and image, her tragic ending in her first life to her slow descent to madness in her second that still ended her life, and it is all Claude's doing once again. Claude's impulsive decision led athanasia to her fate, he practically stamped her death certificate on the night of her birth, his neglect gave everyone the right to abuse their princess, to conspire against her and him, planted her insecurities for everyone to mock, planted her slow descent to madness that it erupted when she was left with nothing her innocence taken from her, she was dragged into madness then cling onto it as a source for comfort when it chocked her life away screaming to never let go, only death could tear her apart from her madness. And death did claimed her in the end