Dust and Ashes ( Fan Fiction of Who Made Me A Princess)

Chapter 42 : Stairway to the Star

[3rd POV]

7 days ago.

"How's my Dad?"

The voice was hurry, heart thumped in fierce, swayed by the uncertainty and by the scared feel from loosing. The glamorous ceiling of the Garnet Palace were sparkling by some amount of chandelier's light, giving a huge shadow toward the four people who stood face to face. Athanasia was still waiting on the thin string of her hope, that after five months since Claude laid in his bed unconsciously, finally there would be a miracle which could saved him.

"The curse is unfortunately still existing in His Majesty's body. It turns out that we have calculated the curse wrongly and it might someone else than Lord Aethernitas that--"

"How could it be?! You said that once the one who casted the spell has died, the curse would be broke by itself?!"

Athanasia almost screamed, terrifying the three wizards who already shuddered in shiver.

"We really beg your pardon, Princess Athanasia. We really have made a big mistake."

Evan Ethel bowed and left almost carefully, knowing that this sorrow was still too much even if it being shared for those three. This dread event itself was still felt like a lucid dream for Athanasia; when all the state of her surround was only her imagination and all the words Evan said were only part of her nightmares. She still hoped, that between these realm and imaginary, there would be someone who woke her up, telling her that it wasn't real. That the dried hug Evan just gave her to calm her down was also unreal.

Athanasia could only dwelled in silence, trailed down the huge shadows of some pilars that still stood still under the gripping cold and she could only kept walking. The night approached in desolated feeling, dry and depress. The moon shone in lonely, the only sound that was heard turned out to be the sound from knights and the wizards who still patrolled until the midnight, the bugs that sang and the owl that cooed. Some knights greeted Athanasia in the hallway, offered some help to guard or just some maids that still did the chores and offered her some treats. But as always, Athanasia just passed them in masked smile, saying that she would just went back on her own and they should just rest after the duties were done.

How long the days have passed in this dark and dim feeling?

When all she did was only lying to everyone. Mask was on when the morning came, breakfast in smiling cheer, hosted the audiences behind the hidden tears, saying that she was okay though Claude still laid unconsciously and it has been her responsibility to take all of the matter into her shoulder. She still hosted the tea party, laughed and gathered with the nobles girls and talked the story about their glorious victory. But it was just a while, before the night came and buried her back to the deep dark solemness.

"It seems I live a lonelier life than a hundred years living, Derian."

She touched her neck where that pendant ever lied before. She has never been this lonely. She has never been this empty. If it was another previous night, there would be always some familiar grumbles which came from one of those litting room. Face on the palmed hand, ink was smelled and papers were flooding his desk. If it was another previous night, Athanasia wouldn't be this hesitate to walk her feet. She wouldn't this fear to come as she already knew that behind this door, where her feet was bringing her now, there would be someone who never be bothered no matter how late she came.

"Hi, Dad."

Athanasia opened the door in creak sound. Same dense room, the portraits that always hung on the same spot, Claude was slept in the middle of the room, on the broad bed where it've never been used by Claude to sleep before. The room was still as empty as ever. The cabins, the drawers, the table, which usually being filled by pile of papers were also seen empty and dusty. She still remembered how many bureaucrats were pleading for some mercy on that same spot, how they blabbed so much words about how much they regret about what they have done and Claude only left them nonchalantly. She even could still how the sound of Claude's steps would be appear, as he would just dragged those bureaucrats in his hand and threw them out through the door.