The young second prince had settled comfortably into his favorite spot in one of the many beautiful gardens on the palace grounds. He leaned against an ancient willow while two swans glided in slow, lazy circles in the pond before him. The boy was well into a novel when a loud cry caught his attention. It emanated from the nursery in the palace; yet another brother or sister had been added to the growing collection. However, he had not escaped his tutors to listen to a wailing child. Hopefully, the nursemaid would calm the baby soon, but twenty minutes later, the child was still screaming so he decided to investigate.
As he walked back to the palace, the thought crossed his mind to kill the baby. It happened all the time. A baby or young child would die mysteriously and unexpectedly. Often a consort, trying to secure the best status for her own children, and occasionally an elder brother or sister would kill a newborn or young child to eliminate competition.
Upon reaching the nursery, Schneizel discovered that only the still-screaming baby was present. He could easily get rid of the child, and there would be no witnesses. However, he put the thought out of his mind the moment he saw his newborn brother. For now, the second prince would remain innocent of murder.
The tiny boy had raven hair, ivory skin, and deep amethyst eyes. He was still crying, but Schneizel had no idea what he was supposed to do with his fragile looking brother. He picked the tiny infant up, cradling him tightly to his chest and sat on the edge of one of the large, cushioned rocking chairs in the nursery. The baby wriggled with surprising strength, balled his tiny hands into fists, and screamed even louder than before, causing his eyes to pinch tightly shut.
"Shh. Shh. Shhhh…," Schneizel attempted to quiet the baby. Blessedly, the loud cries quieted to soft whimpers when he began rocking the chair. The young prince settled into the chair and moved his little brother so he was lying on his chest.
...
A hand was on his shoulder, he realized as he woke with a start. His still sleepy mind raced. The luxury of an afternoon nap was something the second prince couldn't really afford; it made him an easy target, and his death would be a grand trophy for any number of consorts and nobles.
To his relief, Lady Marianne just smiled at him. "I see that my little Lelouch has taken a liking to you," she said kindly.
But if the truth were to be told, Schneizel had taken a liking to the baby prince. Although he didn't say it, the way he pulled Lelouch closer to his chest gave him away.