Chapter Forty-Three: Help Me Say "Goodbye"...
Erik's feverish ramblings soon became reality.
A frantic Gustave showed up at the palace gates the day of the funeral, demanding to know where his daughter was and what had happened to her.
As Erik was in no condition to explain, Madame Giry was forced to explain exactly what had transpired up in the West Wing four days ago.
Upon learning of of his daughter's death, and that her funeral was scheduled to take place in just a few short hours, the old man felt his vision turn gray and tilt sideways before everything went black.
When he regained consciousness, Gustave was surprised to find himself lying in a comfortable bed in a richly furnished room.
"Oh, Christine..." he choked out hoarsely, closing his eyes and fighting back tears as he remembered the cheeky little girl with wild red curls and big blue eyes and an impish grin that could steal your heart without even trying.
The cheerful little girl who liked to climb trees and ride horses, before her mother had died and she eventually turned to books, music and art in order to escape from the cruel realities of life.
His beautiful little girl who was now forever lost to him.
After the funeral, Christine's body was laid to rest, per Erik's instructions, in a crystal and glass casket, which was placed inside a little room connected to the palace chapel, the newly-transformed prince unable to bury her, and unwilling to let anyone else do so in his stead.
Nobody was expecting the chaos that was about to be unleashed upon the castle early the very next morning.
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