CHAPTER 1
Knight
.
BRITANNIA HOMELAND, PALACE
SANTANA
.
"Quinn"
"Quinn"
"Quinn!"
Rubbing her eyes, she sat up and slowly opened her eyes, settling it onto me. She hasn't gotten any decent sleep yet for the past few days.
Britannia has been ruled by the Fabrays over a century now. They had conquered lands from west to the eastern part of the globe. On Emperor Russel's rule, technology has bloomed and knightmare frames have been introduced. Knightmare Frames are all robots but often have a humanoid shape and are usually between four to 6 meters tall. In addition to the standard range of bipedal movement, Knightmare Frames are equipped with Landspinners, self-propelled roller skates attached to the ankles of the machines, which allow them to achieve high mobility and speeds on most terrain. Knightmare Frames are piloted from a cockpit set in the protruding 'hump back' of the unit. The cockpit is a self-contained control center which can be ejected in case of emergency. With those advanced weaponries, our forces are unstoppable.
It then became a shock when Alison Di Laurentis-Fabray, Emperor Russel's daughter to his second wife went missing. Tons of leads were given and threats were made. Asking for the Empire's retreat on war, they have all claimed they had the missing successor to the throne, but the Emperor knew better than to give in. For over a year, though even with the largest military intelligence, the Emperor can't still find his daughter.
On the day of the anniversary of her absence, the Royal Guards had found her body buried on a backyard of one of the Di Launteris's house on Rosewood, a small town where Lady Jessica Di Launteris, Emperor's second wife's once resided before moving up to the palace. Both Alison and Jason loved staying in there, whenever they wanted to stay away from all the royal businesses.
Tonight, the night of Alison's wake, a night full of grieving, when everyone thought relief washed through the land thinking the lost princess is now in peace, the palace is ambushed by third generation knightmare frames. Land Units knightmare frames.
"San? What's going on?", Quinn asked, her voice still hoarse.
I felt a bit guilty for waking her up. Quinn's eyes still looked red and puffy. She probably had cried herself to sleep.
Back when Alison was still alive, Quinn has been closest to Alison among all of her siblings.
Frances, Russel's first born, is just too distant in her opinion. She's the crowned princess and is expected to rise to the throne in the future so her upbringing is different from the others. Among her siblings though, Quinn is mostly compared to her for they had the same mother. And at all times, may it be on appearance, leadership skills, academic skills, or strategic plays, Frances had always won. It didn't also help that Frances had hated Quinn ever since their mother's death. Lady Judy was murdered protecting Quinn from an assassination. Princess Frances had put all the blame on Quinn.
Jason, Russell's son to his second wife, is also different from his father. He's not that strict, not that stern, not that controlling all the time. He seems carefree and aloof, something that the Emperor didn't approve of. Jason had shown more interest with his commoner friends than associating himself with the right acquaintance, and he seems to show his dislike towards the Royal Family.
Alison, on the other hand is one of a kind. She's always loved the attention of everyone. She's almost like Russell, it's scary. People had always said that if they disregard the royal tradition, she would most likely be next to the throne—and that pissed Frances off to the extreme. Regardless of all the negative things people say towards Alison, Quinn had always admired her. Quinn had always tried to impress Alison because as she once told me, 'it just feels so worth it if Ali approves.' they were really close, and had grown up together.
Alison's death really had an effect on Quinn.
"We have to go. Intruders have been spotted near the coastline and they're heading towards here." I said as I handed Quinn her coat. I went over to the window adjacent to Quinn's bed and peeked over the curtains. There was an explosion heard and a smoke appeared near the walls of the palace. They are getting near.
"What? An ambush?" That definitely woke her up. "But it's Ali's wake! How can they disrespect her like that?" Quinn frowned as she put on her coat.
"Really? Do you think they would postpone an attack just because their sworn enemy is mourning over his daughter? Well this isn't Troy." I pulled Quinn out of bed. And we rushed through the hallways.
Some time in Quinn's adolescence, she was sent in Area 7, former France, to keep her safe. She was kept from the world so I wouldn't blame her if she thinks these people observe proper manners when mourning. On a second thought, they probably are rejoicing.
I shake my head to focus on the matter at hand. I'm here as the Empire's Knight of Three. And she I have a mission at hand.
"Where are we going? Is Father and Lady Jessica safe?" Quinn asked as I feel her squeezed my hand.
I answer her without looking in her direction, "We're going to the Rounds baseline. The safest place right now is the Guren." Santana said as they rounded the corner. The Rounds baseline is where the Rounds' knightmare frames are located. "And yes, His Highness and Lady Jessica are safe. Lord Jeremiah is with them."
When Quinn and I were little, Lord Clovis, once Knight of Five had let the kids on to his knightmare. He had taught me how to be a pilot and I had dreamt to be a part of the Rounds since then. And with enough training, and superb skills, I became one when I was 16. I was given my very own knightmare, the Guren Nishiki. It was a flaming red knightmare frame, thus accenting my uniform with red.
"The Guren? Are Sutherlands ambushing the palace? And how about Frances? We have to get her!" We had passed the princess's room but I didn't even glance on it. I know the last thing Quinn needed right now is losing someone again. She had lost her mother and a sister. Two years ago, she was sent back here in homeland after her 4-year stay in Area 7, thinking Britannia had enough defense to protect everyone inside its walls. During Alison's disappearance, Quinn and Frances may had found a way to reconnect.
"You know she's almost as good as Lady Judy in piloting a knightmare." I said, trying to be playful hoping that it will ease Quinn's worry.
Frances is into knightmares as Lady Judy was. Though Emperor Russel didn't allow her on the front lines, it still didn't stop her from leading the Empire's offense.
"What do you mean? Is she fighting out there?" Okay. No. it didn't lessen Quinn's anxiety. It might have worsen it so I frowned on that.
Quinn pulled her hand from my grasp so we had to stop. I sigh and regained my composure as I try to formulate words that would convince Quinn that we should go now, I guess the explosions outside aren't convincing enough. "Look, I don't know, okay? The only thing I know right now is I have to keep you safe." I said with a pleading expression on my face as I turned to Quinn. Quinn, on her part, had bit her lower lip as she held my gaze. She probably has millions of questions I hope she doesn't ask anymore. Thankfully, she nods and we continued running towards the baseline.
I reached for the door and was greeted by Lady Holiday Asplund, the Rounds Chief Engineer, or Holly, as she likes everyone to call herself.
"What took you so long?" Holly asked in her usual cheerful tone. I had always wondered why she had never seemed to panic even if the kingdom is pretty much in chaos right now.
"Gotta wake up the Princess" I said as prepare myself from battle. I hear the crew greets Quinn curtly and I see Quinn bowed a little in acknowledgement. I asked if Guren is ready and Holly says that it is just waiting for us for take off.
I motioned for Quinn to come near me so we could go in the Guren together. She walked towards me but she stopped before I close Guren's trunk. "How about them?" Quinn asked as she turned towards my crew.
"We can handle ourselves Princess. The intruders haven't even breached the walls of the palace. But this is the order from His Highness. You know how he's been since last year." Holly answered in all casualty, ignoring my glare directed to her. Alison is still a sensitive topic to Quinn, doesn't she know that?
Yes, the intruders had took them by surprise, but they were attacking the palace. The guards maybe down but it doesn't mean they can pass through its walls that easily. But since last year, when Alison went missing, even though it happened in Rosewood, the Emperor had prioritized the safety of his children. Well Quinn, especially. I mean, I am a member of the Rounds and I am expecting to be called in the front lines, but I got a mission to protect Quinn and never leave her side no matter what instead. It's not like it's a bad thing, Quinn is my bestfriend, and one of the reasons I joined the Rounds is to protect her.
I hastily pulled Quinn on her seat—the only extra seat inside the Guren, it is an elevated typical car-shaped seat located at the back of the pilot's seat, a motorcycle hunched down seat. I saluted on my crew and closed my truck. I used my key, hanging around my neck and put Guren's system online. As I wait for our take off, I looked back at Quinn, "I know you're worried about her. But Spencer is taking care of that." I held her hand and ran my thumb over the back of her hand. She said it used to calm her. I hope it still works.
She was silent for a second, and I was cracking my brain for something comforting to say. "Are… are they the ones who killed Ali?" Quinn wanted to know. Everyone do actually. After a year of investigation, the Empire still doesn't know who killed Alison. And it angers the Emperor to all extent. It hurts as a father who doesn't know who killed her daughter, and as a king of the strongest empire in the world, who feels that he has everything yet he can't do anything about it.
"I don't think so. I think they're just terrorists." I answered as Guren finally took off.
"Just terrorists?" Quinn cringed in my way of nonchalance. Right, Alison is a sensitive topic, keep that in mind Lopez.
"You know what I meant. I just…" I sighed. "This is a perfect opportunity for ambush, okay? On those times that Ali went missing, everything in the Britannian Empire is heightened. His Highness went from one place to another, not only caring on conquering but finding his daughter. Some history books has considered that as the peak of Britannia's rule. And now, Ali has found her way back but with a lifeless body. Everyone is distraught. And I don't mean this to disrespect, but his Highness is in emotional wreck. So for outsiders, they've taken this as the loop hole. Our guards are down."
I sigh for probably the 20th time now? I don't know, I lost count. She's silent again and it's scarying me. I rather have her shouting at me, directing her anger towards me than like this. I want to assure her that this place with me is safe. I feel her shift in her seat annd before I could look back, I feel her hands wrapped around my torso and her breathe on my neck. I relaxed on Quinn's embrace as I return my focus on the coordinates Holly has given me.
"When will this be over, San?" Quinn whispered as she let her tears fall. "You and I bear similar deep pain. You have lost your mother as I have lost my sister."
Oh yeah, have I mentioned that I lost mother too? My parents are both doctors. While my father was assigned to the Royal family, my mother was sent out to tend to soldiers. It was her choice, she said.
On a mission in Ishbal, my mother's camp was infiltrated by the enemy and was ambushed at night. The Britannian army was held hostage and the paramedics was forced to tend to the rebels' wounds. When the Empire sent backup, my mother was killed on a cross-fire while protecting the child of the rebel. Oh, and the highlight of the story? She was killed by the hands of her patient.
Oh, the irony.
"I don't even know if killing is moral or not. It'll be hypocrite of me to say that killing is evil. I wanted to know who killed Ali and why he—they did it. I'm furious, really. But I know that Father has been killing a lot of people ever since he rose to the throne. And some of those are innocent people, victims of war as he would call it. But there are families who are grieving for their loss too, wondering the same thing I'm wondering. Should I blame Father for this? I don't want to, because I love him."
I listened as Quinn vent out her frustrations. She knows what she means, it's not like she ignored the cruelty of this world just because she's a Royalty. This world is messed up.
"And I know… I know that you'd be killing too." Quinn whispered and if she wasn't that close to me, I might have never heard it. "Would you taint your hands with evil to defeat evil?"
Even if I don't want to, I probably had. I cried myself after my first kill-kills actually. When you're in a knightmare, it becames a nightmare. Just one push of a button kills hundreds of people. One slash to another knightmare, my heart is torn between wanting my enemy's ejection button to work properly for his/her safety, the other half hopes my enemy dies to end the pain of living.
"I want to end this too, Quinn. And if being part of the Rounds will help me reach that goal then I'll do whatever it takes. I don't know what's right or wrong anymore. Because really, when you're out there, morality becomes a blur. Do you fight for yourself? Do you fight for someone else? Do you fight for your country? But like I said a while ago, at this moment, I have one thing in mind. And that is to keep you safe." At that, Quinn hugged me tighter. I accelerated Guren's speed, and we run away from the chaos behind us.
BRITTANIA HOMELAND, PALACE (next day)
SANTANA
.
"You have to talk to her. She's been crying her eyes out. She's draining herself" Spencer said as she pushed me towards Quinn's door.
The Empire has been recovering from the damage it took. We had managed to defend the palace though it took some casualties. But one of that is the life of Princess Frances. Apparently, she had sneaked out from her guards and had managed to steal a knightmare. She didn't expect to come across the Zangetsu though.
The Black Knights, a new-found rebel organization against the Empire has managed to develop new generation of knightmare frames that will go against the Knight of Rounds. Thus, the Four Holy Blades was hailed.
The Zangetsu, rumored one of the Four Holy Blades, was unexpectedly seen on the battlefield, the Empire had assumed this is one of the movements of the rebel group. Princess Frances, even with potential skills, was on a disadvantage against the Zangetsu, leading her to her tragic death.
"But this is your territory. I don't know what I would say" I tried to argue. I can't handle seeing cry again. She's been doing that for almost a week, it's unhealthy. It pains my heart beyond measure.
"Just be there, hold her, anything. Sometimes, you don't need words to give comfort to others." Spencer said as she stopped by Quinn's door.
Before entering, I pulled her into a hug. "Well I hope this works." With that, I squeezed her tighter then pulled away.
I watch her walk away, and taking a deep breathe, I knock before entering Quinn's room. I heard no response, but still, I slowly opened the door.
When I neared Quinn's bed, I thought for a second that Quinn is asleep. I considered turning around and leaving the girl when I heard a muffled voice. I sat by the edge of the bed and peered closer to Quinn.
"Quinn. It's me" I slightly poked Quinn.
Quinn looked up and pushed herself up and put her arms around Santana's neck. after running small circles on her back in soothing pattern, I pushed Quinn gently on her bed so she could lie down into a more comfortable position. After she's settled, I went under the covers and joined her. I put my arm around her and she leans closer to me. "It hurts so much, San. I want it to go away."
"Jason is gone. We may not be that close but I'm still his sister, you know? Why would he leave, even if I ask him not to?" I kissed Quinn's temple and held her tighter. Jason is a coward. I never liked him because he never showed like he cared about the Royal family. I mean I get that he's not intesrested in rising to the throne but this is his family. Quinn is his sister. Why would he leave her like that? He said he had enough and that he went on a search for Alison's killer on his own. And he had decided to stop relying on his father's sources. He never considered being a prince a privilege. If this is the price to pay then he's not having any of it. He always wanted to prove that he's more of a Di Laurentis than a Fabray. Well I wonder where that will take him. He's full of himself. I hate him.
"I feel so alone. And it's killing me. Will they come after me next?" I never saw Quinn like this—so scared, so broken.
"Maybe. But I'm here. We're all here. And we swear on our lives that we'll protect you." I cupped Quinn's face to wipe her tears away from her cheeks. Her eyes look so tired. Please stop.
"Will you leave me too, Santana? Will they take you away from me too? I know stay is the most desperate word next to please. And Royalities are not allowed to show desperation at all times, but at this moment, I don't care anymore." Quinn pleads as she hold on to my hand held near her chest.
"I will never leave you. I'll stay by your side no matter what. And I won't let anything happen to you." I said with all sincerity. If this is what Quinn needs, then this is what I'll give.
We stared for a good minute, just holding the moment. Quinn is so lost and she just needs me to find her way back. I'll be whatever she needs.
She hovered herself close to me then she cupped my cheeks and leaned her forehead to mine.
"This probably would be the most selfish thing I would ever ask from you."
I doubt you're ever selfish.
"what is it?"
"Santana Lopez, as the third member of the Knight of Rounds, you are bound to serve the Holy Empire of Britannia." Quinn said with all seriousness that's only reserve when she speak of royal business. Santana then realized that she's dealing with a Princess and not her bestfriend.
"I, Lucy Quinn Fabray, 86th successor to the imperial throne, commands you to dedicate your life to me, and only me. I appoint you as my personal knight. Above your family, above His Excellency, and above yourself, you will live on to answer to me, and protect me to all harms."
Her knighthood. Quinn is asking for her knighthood, her loyalty, her life. No. She's not asking for it. She's forcing it out on me. This will change my purpose in life. This will change my goals.
Quinn will be my priority if I said yes.
"Yes, your Highness"
With that, Santana knew, Quinn had claimed her for her own.
Quinn leaned over and kissed her lips. It's not a Princess-Knight kind-a thing. It's more of a Quinn and Santana thing. It's their first kiss. And they both knew they their bond is stronger than before.
AN: Fixed a few things. I've realized the previous set up isn't enough to bring Quinn to the dark side. LOL. But still, events up to the last chapter updated is almost the same. Some characters would probably be changed.
A lot of things are confusing, and you'd probably wouldn't get what some of teh things I mentioned here, if you didn't know Code Geass so every chapter, I'll explain a few things.
Britannia is like Great Britain now. Technically, it speaks of a country, and its colonies are renamed to Area (number). Some of the colonies mentioned and that will be mentioned are random and probably historically incorrect.
So this set in the future, (which is based on the past when Great Britain is on the spree of conquering all lands, World War I?). Knightmare frames definition is from wikipedia.
**the reference Troy, is when Achilles killed Hector and King Priam asked for a day of grievance, and Achilles allowed it.
In the anime, the Knight of Rounds is 12, but I've lowered it down with seven.
This is a bit of crossover of PLL & Glee through code Geass.
Also, knightmare frames are HUGE robots pilot by one person.
Questions? :)