Today was the second annual memorial service for the late Emperor Callisto, where the nobility and government would assemble in the imperial family tomb in black to pay their respects to their late sovereign.

Despite the mixed perceptions about the afterlife among Angletonians, they put an emphasis on venerating their deceased; particularly the upper-class. Even if there was no life after death, the homage they paid to their memories would immortalize them in the world of the living. The more people renowned and preserved your memory, the more imperishable you were. On the opposite side, the complete obliteration of one's memory would make one cease to exist; the worst thing that could happen to a person, according to Angletonians.

The memorial would commonly be led by the firstborn male of the deceased's family, as his next of kin would also do so for him in the future; in the case of a deceased monarch, it should be carried by their successor.

Assembling in the late Emperor's tomb, the imperial family and their guests lit candles and sang a series of hymns. There was also the watering and nurturing of the memorial tree which was planted the day of his funeral. Aside from becoming a living tribute for a loved one, the tree would also serve for the benefit of future generations, making it the most fitting memorial of all.

There was also the release of a dove at the end of the procession. A symbolic way of letting go. It added a poignant sense of hope and beauty to the service.

The late Emperor Callisto had every defining trait of the Leroy family, being pale and dark-haired; though his facial features didn't look much like his son and grandson—aside from his defined cheekbones—his eyes were a cold, stormy grey. He had the stern expression of someone you wouldn't want to cross.

Even though he did not conquer any lands during his reign, he was the one behind the massive growth of Angletonia's modern military.

Once the ceremony was over, Gigi split off by herself to find the royal tomb's caretaker. She had secretly written to him the day before that she would like to be given a tour around the tomb. It was time to investigate the death of a woman who might be the key to all the mystery.

But as she was being shown dozens of tombs belonging to the deceased Leroy family members, she could not find the one she'd been looking for.

"I am sorry, Mr Mason, but are there any other tombs around here? One that belongs to a recently deceased imperial family member and perhaps was buried separately?" she inquired.

One who had died in childbirth, she thought to herself.

The caretaker narrowed his eyes, trying to think. "I'm afraid not, Your Majesty. I have been overseeing these tombs for the last fifteen years. These are all we have," he said regretfully. "I beg your pardon, Ma'am, but whose tomb are you looking for, if I may ask?"

Keeping her smile, Gigi shook her head. "No worries. I must be looking for the wrong person. I'm sorry to have caused you trouble." She wouldn't want anyone to know that she was investigating.

"Glad to be of help, Ma'am," the elderly man raised his hat.

Her husband was spotted not too far away from them, gesturing for her to come over. Gigi bid Mr Mason goodbye and went over to his side. He was carrying a large flower bouquet. "Are we going home?"

Cal squeezed her hand. "I'd like you to come with me."

Gigi followed her husband to another side of the tomb. The royal and imperial family members were buried separately according to their titles; the sovereigns and their consorts had their own separate clusters from other family members. They stopped at a burial chamber located adjacent to Callisto's, one that had not aged for long and was beautifully decorated.

Looking at Estelle Leroy's portrait was as good as being in the same room with the person herself. Even with her smile frozen inside the photograph, she still radiated the elegant and imposing aura of an empress. Unlike her husband, the air on her face was calm and gentle.

It was easy to see where the Emperor inherited his softer, more delicate features from. The same beautiful shade of chocolate brown also graced the eyes of his late mother. The shape of their lids, the thick dark lashes, the soft plump lips; even their noses looked the same.

"You're so much like her," Gigi smiled as she gazed upon the portrait.

"I wish." Cal gave a sad chuckle, laying the flower bouquet in front of the portrait. "This is the only way I could present you to her, Gi, I am sorry."

"It's alright, I'm sure this would suffice." His eyes were glistening so she rubbed his arm soothingly. So Junior wasn't the only one to hold a soft spot in the Emperor's heart? "Tell me about her, Sire."

"My father used to say that there's no point in expanding our territories if you can't afford to defend it. So he joined the military in his youth and earned a top tier rank during the course of his career. In his thirties, he focused on strengthening the security in Angletonia's borders. He went up north to assign some troops and was welcomed by the DeVauquelin; one of the prominent noble families on the northern border and met their youngest daughter, Estelle."

"Your mother." Gigi perked up with interest. "So they fell in love?"

"They wished it was that simple." Cal shrugged. "As they got closer, my father had to go on an overseas mission that would take three years to finish. He didn't want to risk losing her to another suitor during his military leave, so he proposed."

"Did they make it before he left?"

"Oh yes, they did. But my mother was to be left alone in Angletonia while he went on his mission. Sometimes she would receive letters or telegrams, but she had to bear being away from her husband during those years. She would cope with it by visiting the military campgrounds in Angletonia and providing food for the soldiers. She got very popular back then."

My, my. Even Gigi wasn't sure if she could bear not seeing her husband for that long; not when sparks had started growing between them.

"When he came back three years later they thought they could finally build a family together, but they faced difficulty conceiving. The doctors diagnosed my mother with a disease that prevented her from safely carrying a child into this world, evident by a couple of miscarriages she'd suffered. My father ascended the throne without any legitimate heir to carry on his line." Cal looked down as he recounted the hardships of his mother.

"But they had you," Gigi debated.

"It took them another three years to conceive me. I was born healthy, to the surprise of the physicians who had impudently insulted my mother. If only people knew how many times she had offered my father to take a mistress..." Burying his face into his palm, the distress was apparent in his voice. "She was so afraid she could not provide this country with an heir. He sternly refused, and I couldn't be more proud that he did."

Gigi bit her lip. No wonder he was so adamant on their wedding night about women supposedly not being 'birthing machines'. His mother was treated as one.

"How did she pass away, Sire?"

"She got ill. There was this horrendous plague that came upon this land five years ago, and my mother had always loved volunteering. Junior was two. My father followed soon, three years after that. They said it was a heart attack. I say it was a broken heart."

"I'm sorry that happened, Sire. I'm sure she would certainly be proud to see you now; they both would. You're such a wonderful father to Junior, and you broaden Angletonia's relations with the east."

"I hope so, Gi. I sincerely hope so. People always say that she's a good person, a good Empress; she's that and so much more. She believed me, she believed in me when— when I had nobody."

Gigi scratched her neck, hoping that there was something she could do as a tribute to her mother-in-law. "Sire, would you allow me to send her a prayer? In Praja, we honour our ancestors by praying for them so that their souls would rest peacefully in the afterlife."

"Why, of course. That is very kind of you."

With his blessing, she lit up a candle and knelt before the memorial shrine, hands clasped together under her nose. Closing her eyes, she prayed that even though she had never met her mother-in-law, she could become a deserving daughter-in-law for her; and for both Estelle and Callisto to have a blissful reunion in eternity. Sensing a movement at her side, she opened her eyes to see that Cal had also knelt down by her side.

"How do you do this?" he asked, trying to imitate her gesture.

"You kneel down and say your prayers. You can say it out loud but I prefer to do it internally. Usually, we would burn incense, but for now, a candle will do."

"Do you think she will be able to hear it— to hear me?"

"Of course," Gigi beamed. "Even now, she is feeling your love."

.·。.·゜·༺♥༻ ·゜·。.

oh and let's talk about Isabelle! You can say that she's the female version of Cal. Her faceclaim (Emily Blunt) resembles him more than I intended