(Btw Cale is 13 and Athanasia is 7)
Felix jumped at the sudden noise. Immediately he bowed to the voice behind Cale.
"Greetings, Your highness." Felix greeted
Cale's eyes widened. Princess? The one behind him is a princess. And she just called the man before him Daddy.
"...Emperor" Cale muttered in a cold shivering-like tone. The one before him is the Emperor. The tyrant emperor. The one who slaughtered his elder brother and took the throne for himself. The emperor. Cale knew all this thanks to the citizens who reside in the capital.
Cale could feel his legs give out. He was scared. Very scared. He is in the hands of the man who could kill him at any second. He didn't have a chance to negotiate and run. All he could do was answer the emperor's question. 'Who is my mother'
"M-My mother is Jour Thames" Cale trembled in his tone.
Jour Thames. It had been so long since Claude heard this name. He could imagine the look in her eyes. At the ball, in the palace, that night. Her blood red eyes and hair. He could only imagine how she might look now. Her laughter. Her smile. Claude wonder how she had been since she left.
"..Your mother. How is she?" Claude asked Cale as he placed a hand on Cale's cheek. Slowly cherishing it as he looked in his son's eyes. But Cale's eyes became...teary. He was crying? Why? Claude wanted to understand. Why is his son crying? Did..his mother..no. Without a word out of their mouths, they embraced in a warm hug. Claude placed his palm on Cale's head, patting it slowly. While Cale could only cry into Claude shirt, hugging him back.
After some time, they both sat down on the small couch in the room. Athanasia sitting on the opposite side. Cale was still sniffling from his tears and Claude continued to pat his head gently. Athanasia staring at them quietly as if thinking of something.
'Who is this boy? Red hair, pure crystal blue eyes. Is he Jennette's brother?!' Athanasia thought but could not get a decent answer so she turned to Felix.
"Felix, who is he?" Athanasia asked out loud, drawing everyone's attention. She couldn't help herself. This is someone she had never heard of from the novel. Jennette didn't have real siblings and there was no prince in the novel nor was there a side story. What is happening???!!!!
"Ahem! Princess, you may want to hear that answer from his majesty" Felix answered her question with a suggestion. Athanasia only pouted and looked back at Claude with delicate eyes.
"Daddy, who is he?" Athanasia said while making a cute little face. But Claude sighed in response.
"Complicated" Claude let out. Now Athanasia got angry. Well, internally. No one answered a single question and she thought of the next best thing.
"Who are you?" Athanasia asked Cale directly. Cale let out a tear before responding.
"I'm not quite sure myself" Cale replied. Now Athanasia had enough. From the top of her lungs, she screamed.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!!" She shocked the whole room. The first to come to her aid was Felix.
"Princess, he is your brother. Cale...uh" Felix responded but was confused whether to say his current last name or the royal family name.
"Cale de Alger Obelia, that is his full name" Claude added making it quite clear that Cale is indeed his son.
"......WHAT?!!!"