Ripples

Innocence

TW: neglect, imprisonment, death by public execution, and loss of parent figure
~~~•~~~

"What will it take for you to love me?" Athanasia asked with a face full of tears, staring at her father with deep anguish even as he, the emperor Claude only looked at her with no emotion. "Do I have to be like Jennet? If I do, then will you call my name dearly like you do hers, and watch me with warmth in your eyes? Will you hold me in your arms... without pushing me away?"

"Such a thing won't happen until the day I die." Claude showed nothing nor felt any emotion as he looked down at his pitiful daughter, never hesitating with how he spoke. Athanasia sobbed harder, begging her father with every word that she uttered. "Why is that?"

"I'm your daughter too, father. I was here much longer than Jennet." Athanasia sobbed and begged in front of her king, her father, but Claude was unmoved and replied by saying, "foolish human. I've never once considered you as my daughter."

Claude was heartless until the very end.... The deepest of despair, like never before, flooded Athanasia's eyes....

~~~{•}~~~

Athanasia, aged seventeen, was pushed to her knees before her father by a guard. Whispers spread around her like wildfire, but she only focused on those cold bejeweled ocean eyes. "Father! How's Jennet? How's my sister?!"

"Silence! You have no right to call the name of Princess Jennet with such disrespect!" The roar of her father immediately silenced Athanasia, and her mouth closed even as her legs felt the immense urge to stand. She felt the need to run, but she could only sit petrified before the furious man. "Athanasia de Alger Obelia, tomorrow, you are to be executed for poisoning Jennet de Alger Obelia. Guards! Take her to the dungeon!"

It only took a few seconds for Athanasia to comprehend the situation, and she quickly struggled against the hands of the guards. The humiliation of being prosecuted before high society never crossed her mind, nor did their jeering eyes even catch her attention. She could only see her father, her desperate love burning bright for him as she worried about her sister. "Father! No! Please, believe me! I didn't do it!"

"Father!"

~~~{•}~~~

Athanasia sat in the cold and damp cell with dull sapphire eyes, tear-stained cheeks glistening beneath the faint sunlight. She felt numb, too shocked to properly comprehend what happened even after a full night in the dark. Even when the clock outside the dungeon rang loudly, signaling her birthday, the young and forlorn maiden felt nothing.

She did nothing.

However, when the dungeon doors opened with a bang, the pitiful princess finally sprang up and called out, "please! Help me! I didn't do it! Please! I didn't do it! I didn't do it!"

Rather than helping her, they simply dragged her out and pulled her by the arms. She struggled vigorously and screamed her innocence, desperate to escape and kneel before her father again. He'd understand. Surely, he'll listen to her. She believed and believed... until the very end.

Once she was finally out in the open, the sky painted with the warm tones of the rising sun, a crowd of spectators cheered. Still, her eyes focused on her father and her voice worked subconsciously, pronouncing her innocence and pleading her father for help.

However, as she is pulled up to the stool for the noose to reach her neck, Athanasia caught a glance of a body beside hers. Confused and sobbing wildly, she looked to her left and found Lillian York. The princess' pleads were caught in her throat, her eyes quivering as she stared at the maid beside her. Lily, oh the most precious lily of all of Obelia, the nanny of Athanasia... Athanasia's mind blanked.

As they pulled the noose to wrap around her neck, Athanasia's head slowly turned from her precious nanny to her impassive father. Claude expressed no remorse for his daughter, nor the fact that she's getting killed before so many people. The longer that she stared at him in the face of death, the longer that she felt her desperate adoration for him crumble. Then, the stool is kicked from beneath her and the princess quickly lost her breath.

In her last moment, as her hands grappled with the noose to loosen around her neck, clear ocean eyes stared at Claude painfully and she whispered brokenly, "Father...."

The crowd cheered as she closed her eyes, hands falling limp to her sides, but the moment that she did, she woke up again another time.