Been a long time since I went back to rewatching Geass. Because I didn't want to reach the end... even more after finding out about Zero Requiem. But then again, since I'm on reviving old fics spree... might as well rewrite this piece. And maybe finish it.
Chapter 1: The Assasination
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RAT-TAT-TAT-!
Lelouch woke up with a start as he heard an alarming sound. He blinked, as he realised that the sun was still not up. He turned to look at his alarm clock to see that it was still early in the morning. He blinked. He recalled that he had been studying with his private tutor last night, but then he felt tired and asked to be allowed to take a nap. But...
Did his tutor... just let him sleep?
Lelouch let out a sigh. But even then... to just leave him here alone in this big study was a bit...
He blinked. That aside, the sound that he heard earlier... was he imagining it or not?
Lelouch cautiously got off from his chair and walked towards the exit. He inched a little to catch the doorknob and twisted it as he pushed the door open with all of his strength. He slipped out as the great big oak door closed behind him. He blinked again as sunlight started to seep in from the outside windows.
He yawned. Would he be scolded if he asked to get back to his room to sleep? Sleeping at the study was not exactly the most comfortable way to...
CRASH!
RAT-TAT-TAT-!
Lelouch froze. There... he heard it again! It was not his imagination... or even something from his dreams! He really did hear gunshots!
What's... what's going on?
His mind went blank. If he had been thinking straight, he should not be running towards the direction the sound was coming from. If he was thinking properly, he should be running towards the opposite direction and look for help. But... Lelouch wasn't in any state to the making any calm judgment at the moment. At the sound of the gunshots, his thoughts only centred towards the two people that he didn't want to lose the most...
Mother! Nunnally!
Somehow, despite how his mind and heart was in a turmoil... Lelouch had made it towards the centre hall of the Aries Imperial Palace—Lelouch blinked. The centre hall...was empty. But he could've sworn that he heard the gunshot sound from here! He cautiously walked towards the stairs and—Lelouch froze as he saw a body of one of the royal guards sprawled lifelessly on hew of the topmost steps...
Lelouch shakily turned his head towards another side, walking down a few more steps as he saw another dead guard. And then, something else came to focus as Lelouch look down further towards the bottom of the staircase...
xxx
Young Lady Cornelia had rushed towards the Aries Imperial Palace as she heard reports about some kind of disturbance at the palace. Cornelia bit her lips.
She knew it. She has had bad feelings about Lady Marianne's orders for her to recall all the guards at the palace earlier, so she had sent two of the guards to go back to check on things just in case. Yet she hasn't heard another from them ever since... and then this other report came!
She should have trusted her gut instincts much earlier. No matter if it's an order from Lady Marianne herself, she should never—!
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Cornelia froze as she reached the center hall from another entrance. Lady Marianne was—!
But then Cornellia blinked. Just now... didn't someone screamed? She turned to look up the staircase and saw...
"Lelouch... no!"
Cornelia gasped aloud as she glanced up to see Lelouch. Without thinking she dashed up towards Lelouch—taking mind not to step on Marianne's body or Nunnally, as well as the blood—just in time to catch her younger brother before he collapsed. Lelouch glanced up weakly as Cornelia held him close.
"This place is not safe, we need to leave..."
Lelouch immediately reacted as he tried to push Cornelia away.
"N-no! Cornelia! Mother! I have to—!"
"Lelouch... stop! There's nothing that you can do..."
Cornelia glanced up as she noticed the other bodyguards arriving from upstairs and started ordering them to keep the servants away. She heard another sound of people approaching as she glanced down to see Schneizel and the Royal Guard arrived to take over the situation.
Schneizel walked over to check on Lady Marianne's body as Cornelia glanced back towards little Lelouch. Lelouch slowly turned towards his older brother as he watched the older prince checking on his mother and gently coaxing Nunnally to calm down. The man looked up towards Cornelia as he slowly shook his head.
Cornelia bit her lips as Lelouch cried out in disbelief.
"No! Mother! She can't possibly—!"
Cornelia held Lelouch's body tighter as the younger prince started to cry in earnest.
xxx
"I'll handle the matters here. Take care of Lelouch."
Cornelia looked up as she stared straight towards Schneizel. The older prince had already taken Nunnally into his arms as he started giving orders to his men to start the cleanup of the scene. Cornelia frowned at him before turning to look towards Lady Marianne's dead body. She bit her lips before turning back towards Schneizel again.
"Wait, " she started to say. "I should be the one to take care of this! I'm the head of security here after all—"
Cornelia stopped herself as she was reminded that she was holding Lelouch unconscious by her side. Her younger brother had finally collapsed as his strength left him. Schneizel scoffed at her.
"You've already had enough to deal with. Just step out of this matter already..."
Cornelia was about to say something before noticing people coming to take away Lady Marianne's body. She cried out in alarm.
"Eh? Are you just taking her body away? What about the investigation on this incident? There must still be some trace from the attackers left behind! There's no way anyone could get away from here without—"
"Leave it," said Schneizel curtly as Cornelia froze. "I've already received orders to take the remains away. You should just take care of Lelouch for the moment," he spoke again before leaving.
After Schneizel took his leave, Cornelia sighed to herself. An order from someone. For someone to have a higher authority than Schneizel, that person should be none other than—!
But if that was so, how could say anything against...
Cornelia sighed again before glancing towards Lelouch.
Schneizel's right though, she thought to herself. Right now, she needed to take care of Lelouch first and foremost.
