The regretful father's only wish

A new beginning

When Claude opened his eyes, he didn't expect to be in the ruby palace chambers with multiple women beside him sleeping, not only that both his brother and Felix stand in front him with a disappointed and slight disgusted expression

" who would have ever thought he will turn out like this" claude heard his brother say, Claude groaned in pain, his head was booming as if someone was repeating hitting him with a wooden sword

" Your majesty, please wake up" Felix called him

" what day is it" he demanded, from what Claude remembers, he meets Diana during the night of his festival celebrating him then meets again on his twentieth birthday during his birthday banquet, two months later, she finds out she's pregnant

" here you are naked with women laying around you, and now you're ordering us around" Anastasius mocked as he walks towards the curtains and opened  it to let light reflect on the darkened room, Claude hissed before glaring at his brother

" your majesty it's the 20 of February" Felix informed him, the women began wake up thanks to the light that blinded their eyes, they groaned and as they opened their eyes surprised to see Anastasius and Felix, they covered themselves

" good I still have time" Claude got up and left the chambers not even waiting for his brother and Felix who looked dumbfounded, they followed him out and catch up to him

" time for what" his brother asked him, Claude still didn't know how to feel about Anastasius, with the confirmation of being possessed by their ancestor is the reason why he treated him so terribly and betrayed him, Claude still didn't know how to feel about him and have a normal relationship with him, the pain Anastasius caused him was still fresh, he still couldn't move past it

" things........" he answered while observing the ruby palace, there is a rat inside the palace who was feeding Diana poison that gotten her killed, and each person in the palace  is a suspect to Diana's murder, even though countess Rosalia is responsible for her death, it doesn't mean she didn't have any help, the only ones who are safe from any suspicion was Lilian York, his daughters nanny and Diana's personal maid

Claude wasn't sure about the maid, seeing that she was in charge of Diana's meals and most likely forced her to eat them as she was pregnant, Maude had high authority as a commoner as she is taking care of a concubine pregnant with the first heir, and could easily smuggle poison inside her meals, but Maude was very close to diana, she always seemed happy when he and Diana were together, Diana always spoke fondly of her, and when Diana was pregnant Maude came everyday trying to convince him to be there for diana, and she tried to stop him from hurting his daughter or seeing Diana after the birth, which resulted her being killed, therefore her loyalty does align towards Diana

But he can't be too sure

" get rid of them all" he ordered Felix, even though claude wants to execute them all, he isn't sure if that will result Moira taking back his wish, she told him one simple mistake she'll take it back, therefore to be safe than sorry kicking them all out is the perfect answer

" get rid of who" Felix asked confused by his demand

" everyone in this palace, get rid of them, I longer want to see their faces"

Felix and Anastasius were taken back by his change of behavior, since the death of his mother claude has been acting out of his grief barely doing any of his affairs to spend time with concubines drinking and doing god  knows what, leaving it to his brother who didn't want to be emperor and Felix to continue his affairs

" wait what-"

" transfer the the sapphire maids to the ruby they shall work there for now" Claude finally says as they reach the garnet palace, Anastasius walked in front of Claude blocking him for further walking, he needed an explanation for his brother's behavior