Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass.
The grandiose, ancient doors boomed open, accentuated by a single word shouted in a high-pitched, adolescent voice.
"Father!"
A silent lull swept over the room, extinguishing all the chatter and talk that had been flowing back and forth between its occupants.
The young prince slowed to a stop barely an arm's length from the foot of the majestic throne and the imposing figure which sat upon it.
Hushed whispers began to take form, hardly audible, but loud enough to be noticed.
"Father!" repeated the prince, pausing for a brief, tense moment.
His voice rose, empowered by passion and bitter emotion, "Mother has been unjustly stolen from this world. Nunnally, my beloved, gentle sister, has been robbed of her eyes and legs. Why then, are you not moved to action? I demand answers. I demand bloody retribution, suffering inflicted on those who have inflicted suffering."
Charles zi Britannia stood up from his throne, gazing down at the small figure beneath him.
His loud voice boomed, "You want answers, boy? The answer is simple. There is no such thing as 'unjust', not in the real world. The idea of injustice is a concept for the weak to take comfort in when faced with those stronger than them. And your mother and sister? They were weak, simply too weak."
Lelouch's small fists tightened, shaking uncontrollably. He met the emperor's gaze and returned a terse reply, "Father, you imply that Nunnally has no place in this world."
Charles chortled loudly, a brief interlude of amusement in his otherwise unyielding composure.
"You understand well, boy. But I am not without compassion. I offer a choice for one as weak and unnecessary as her – the choice to live."
Lelouch's eyes narrowed, the cold, hate-filled glare appearing unnatural on such a youthful, small face.
He spat out, "You mean exile. A choice between exile and death. No father of mine would condemn his flesh and blood so cruelly."
Charles frowned. "I misjudged you, boy. Your sister may be weak of body, but you are weak of heart. Too weak, simply too weak. You have no place here. Take heart, you will be joining your sister."
The prince clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth furiously. Any traces of disbelief and hope faded, replaced only by pure hatred and anguished fury.
Lelouch uttered, "So be it," swiftly turning on his heel and storming out of the room.
In his wake, a loud din roared into existence as various nobility began to gossip about what they had just witnessed.
Lelouch smiled weakly as he watched his sister's sleeping face, which held none of the bitter regret and indescribable sadness etched on his face. To him, it was incredible how innocent and carefree her expression looked. It was entrancing and beautiful, a stark contrast to the dirty politicking and back-stabbing which he had briefly interrupted hours ago.
He whispered gently, "I'm sorry, Nunnally. Our home … isn't ours anymore. We're going far east, near the Chinese Federation, to this place called Japan. I hear they have good food there, I hope you'll like it. I've also read that they have a lot of hot springs which are supposed to be good for health, maybe you'll enjoy that. "
Lelouch stood up, placing the vase on the nearby bedside table.
"Look, I brought you flowers. They're your favorite ... daisies."
He sat back down, lost in thought.
There was a period of silence, comfortable but not awkward – simply a brother watching over his injured, sleeping sister.
Lelouch cleared his throat.
"Something like this … I'll never let it happen again. No one will be able to touch us, no one. This time, I was too … weak to stop this, too powerless to do anything at all. But I'll find out who was responsible, and make them pay. And then I'll get stronger, stronger than anyone else."
He paused and clenched his jaw, the unsuppressed fury aging his youthful face.
"…Strong enough to protect you, no matter what."
Lelouch closed his eyes and released a deep, heavy sigh, the tension flowing from his frame. And then he stood up, leaning over the bed and placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Get well soon, Nunnally."
As he exited the room, the lights flickered briefly.
The crescent moon was sinking into the horizon, with barely any moonlight illuminating the courtyard. Lelouch frowned – it was too cold, just too damn cold. All of the daisies in the garden had died, unable to survive the winter without necessary preparations. The royal gardeners had gone on strike, for some reason or the other – he honestly couldn't remember why, just that Father had ordered them all executed.
Nunnally and Euphemia had protested slightly, to no avail. Clovis had even thrown a small tantrum, mainly because one of the gardeners had been responsible for setting up his art exhibitions. Personally, he didn't think much of Clovis's new-found hobby. To him, Clovis's drawings could hardly be called art, but few could say no to a member of the royal family.
As Lelouch swept his gaze across the courtyard, he noticed light rain, barely visible but noticeable if he were to stand out in the open. It wasn't yet cold enough to snow yet though.
Suddenly, a tall man in uniform barreled down the corridor at breakneck pace. He had a strong jaw, long green hair tied off in a small ponytail at his neck, and looked to be fairly young, perhaps barely in his twenties. Most striking of all was the grief and agony radiating from his expression.
Lelouch raised his hand majestically, bringing the man to a stop right in front of him.
"Halt. What is the matter?"
The man gazed at Lelouch and his countenance was clear - deep, soulless eyes stared back at Lelouch, illuminated by the faint moonlight.
"Your Highness… Princess Nunnally has been assassinated."
For the second time today, Lelouch was overcome by unquenchable anger.
Lelouch snarled in response, "A jest in poor taste – men have died for lesser claims."
The man sank to one knee, one arm folded over his heart. Despite kneeling, his eyes were directly level with Lelouch's.
"My prince, I took an oath to serve and protect the royal family. This day, I have failed in my duty yet again. No matter how desperately I wish that was a simple jest, I cannot deny the truth. Another member of the royal family is no longer with us."
On hearing those words, Lelouch's world exploded into a whirlwind of panic and disbelief. It was utterly unthinkable. Unimaginable. Unacceptable. How could kind, gentle Nunnally be targeted once again? How could she possibly be dead, gone from this world forever?
All of the anxiety vanished abruptly, replaced with cold, unshakable resolve. He would find Nunnally and confirm the undeniable truth – that she was alive and well, resting quietly on the road to recovery.
He brushed past the kneeling guard, briskly making his way down the corridor. As he climbed the stairs he heard loud, whispered conversations which suddenly disappeared as he turned the corner.
Lelouch increased his pace as dread began to weigh down on him as heavily as the stares he felt on his back when he passed by various nobility.
When he saw the large crowd clustered right outside the door of the room Nunnally was recovering in, he broke into a sprint. The group parted as he neared, creating a neat path for him to enter.
Lelouch slowed to a crawl as he neared the threshold, each step a herculean effort, paralyzed by dread and uncertainty. His lips were a pale white, his hands shook uncontrollably.
And then he took the final step.
Nunnally was sleeping on the bed, quiet and unmoving. But a large, white cloth covered her body. Below the bed, a small, crimson pool had formed. Around her stood several uniformed men, as well as a man in a long, white coat.
Lelouch sank to his knees.
His mind was blank, empty.
A desolate void, an abyss of despair and darkness.
And then he felt nothing.
His eyes snapped open, the sound of someone knocking on the door jolting him awake. The room was pitch-dark, illuminated only by the glow of the luminescent clock on his bedside table.
Lelouch demanded loudly, "Who is it?"
In stark contrast to his loud and surly shout, the reply was delivered in a lighter, bubbly tone.
"It's me, Lulu!"
Lelouch heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes. Who else could it possibly be?
And then the door swung open and she stepped forth, so radiant and bright that it sickened him.
Euphemia had always been a black sheep – no, perhaps a white sheep – amongst the royal family … like Nunnally, in some ways.
Nunnally…
He laughed bitterly, but it was a hollow, empty laugh.
Euphemia frowned. "Are you okay, Lulu?"
Lelouch shook his head slowly, with the barest hint of pity in his gaze.
"You simply wouldn't understand, Euphemia."
She frowned once again, crossing her arms over her chest before angrily demanding, "What don't I understand?"
Lelouch shrugged. "What could you possibly understand?"
A flash of anger swept over Lelouch and he barked, "Nunnally is dead. Dead! What part of that don't you get? It's over, all over … nothing matters anymore."
Euphemia stared at him blankly.
The silence grew uncomfortable, and he cleared his throat.
All of a sudden, Euphemia began to sob quietly, tears welling in her eyes. Lelouch was flooded with guilt, an unpleasant mix of shame and remorse. She swept one forearm across her face, wiping away the tears rolling down.
He reached forward with one arm, hanging it in the air for a long second, before letting it drop to his side. Euphemia walked over slowly and sat down on the bed next to him, seizing a pillow to hug.
"Nunnally … was my sister too, you know. When I think about her … my chest hurts a lot and I get really sad. I came to see you because I knew you would feel really sad too, even though Nelly said not to."
Lelouch began to drown in self-loathing, a remorse beyond simple embarrassment or disgrace.
He choked out, "I'm sorry … Euphy."
Euphemia shook her head, putting the pillow down and reaching around to embrace him.
"It's okay, Lulu. We made a promise to get married, remember? Since Nunnally isn't here anymore, I have to do my best as your wife!"
Lelouch coughed spontaneously, left momentarily speechless.
"Wait, did you say Nelly? Is that Cornelia? What happened to 'Corny'?"
Euphemia nodded. "She said she'd rather be a mythical creature than a food."
Lelouch smirked. "Nelly, huh. Interesting…"
Although he hadn't been able to avoid being given a nickname, it seemed that Cornelia couldn't escape the fate either.
Euphemia continued on, "Nelly doesn't understand why I want to marry you either! She says 'she-varus' men are the best."
Lelouch covered his mouth, trying not to burst out laughing. "It's pronounced 'chivalrous', it means she likes gentlemen who have good manners and are nice."
"You mean like Gilly?"
Lelouch frowned. "Gilly…? Oh, Sir Guilford. Yes, you could call him chivalrous, he's got a fairly impressive reputation."
Euphemia nodded. "Nelly keeps a picture of him under her pillow."
He grabbed the pillow Euphemia put down and pressed his face into it to muffle his laughter. A look of concern grew on Euphemia's face as he began to shake uncontrollably.
His near-seizure was interrupted by a rapid succession of knocks on the door – three in a row, to be precise. In response, Euphemia threw herself off the bed and rolled underneath it, no longer visible to anyone who didn't stoop down to waist level.
Moments later, a tall, young woman with flowing purple hair stepped into the room as the door swung open.
Lelouch raised an eyebrow, muttering, "Speak of the devil…"
She frowned, somewhat confused. "What…?"
He waved it away. "Well? Why are you here, Cornelia?"
Cornelia replied, "I came to…"
She paused, looking away, then continued, "It's been three days since it happened. They say that you haven't touched your food at all. Nunnally … wouldn't have wanted this."
Lelouch snarled, slamming a fist down on his bed-side table. "Nunnally? Don't you dare speak to me of Nunnally. She wouldn't have wanted to die either."
Cornelia was taken aback by the ferocity of Lelouch's remark.
"I understand what you're going through, Lelouch, but-"
Lelouch interrupted, "How could you possibly understand this hollow, empty feeling? It feels like … I've lost everything, yet I don't feel sad … there's no tears. I'm just … empty, incomplete. Could you imagine … if Euphemia was taken from you?"
Cornelia inhaled sharply. "No, I can't. But I was fond of Nunnally, you know. She was sweet, a breath of fresh air. A little bit like Euphy, you know. Nothing like the rest of our family. And Marianne was … my hero. She still is."
Lelouch shrugged. "That's right, you always brought Euphemia to visit Aries Villa and play with Nunnally … but you could never stand me."
Sadness swept over Cornelia's expression, and she sighed heavily. "The first time I met you, your eyes reminded me of Schneizel. It scared me … and I wanted to shelter Euphemia from that. Imagine how I felt when she said she wanted to marry you. But I never thought ill of you. How could I? You were Marianne's son."
Cornelia sighed once more. "But that's not why I came. I wanted … to apologize."
"Apologize?" questioned Lelouch.
She nodded. "That day, I was captain of the guard. Marianne … ordered all guards out. I argued with her, said it was too dangerous, but she demanded utmost privacy for her meeting."
Lelouch processed the information swiftly, coming to the same conclusions Cornelia had.
"Mother was betrayed by someone she trusted – someone powerful enough to escape retribution."
Cornelia bit her lip. "I failed that day, I let Marianne die. I should have convinced her of the danger, should have refused to let her out of sight. But I will find their identity and bring them to justice, no matter who they are or how long it takes. I promise."
Lelouch began laughing wildly, a crazed look on his face. Cornelia gently patted his shoulder out of concern.
"Lelouch…?"
He looked up at her. "I suppose I should thank you … you've filled the void, the emptiness is gone. Now I have a purpose."
"A purpose?" questioned Cornelia.
"You plan to find the culprits … then bring them to justice? Well, I simply have to find them first. And then I'll hurt them over and over, drag them through an endless cycle of agony and torment until their minds break."
Cornelia shuddered. "Lelouch… you're deranged. I promise you I'll find these people and give you the peace of mind you deserve."
Lelouch smiled pleasantly. "I've decided my path. Nothing can stop me, sister, not even you."
Cornelia turned away, hiding her face.
"Don't die, Lelouch. You'll make Euphemia cry."
And then she left, trailed by her fading footsteps.
Once again, the doors creaked open as a young figure strode in between them.
"He's back again… this time he's going to get killed!"
"Is he going to make more demands? Crazy, I tell you."
Lelouch ignored the explosion of gossip, weaving his way through the sea of nobles and kneeling at the foot of the grandiose throne at the end of the room.
"Back again, boy?"
He clenched his fists in response to that voice, keeping his head bowed.
"Look up, boy."
Lelouch slowly raised his head to see the towering figure above him.
Charles chortled loudly. "Oh ho, you've changed. There's a fire in your eyes."
He had passed the point of no return. Pride was inconsequential, he had thrown it away already. He needed power, the power to strike down those who had attacked him. Nothing else mattered. Even if he had to crawl at the Emperor's feet and beg for mercy. No price was too great.
"Father … I plead leniency. I implore you to reverse the decision you made three days ago."
Silence weighed down on all the occupants of the room.
Charles scratched his chin.
"Very well, boy. But it's not me you need to prove yourself to, but the world. All the men standing here in this room think you weak, unfit for the court. Can you prove them wrong, I wonder."
Lelouch's eyes blazed furiously and he stood up abruptly.
"Anyone who thinks me weak and unfit, step forward and tell me that to my face."
As he turned in a full circle, every noble he made eye contact with averted their gaze. In the end, they were nothing more than spineless cowards, filthy leeches sustained by a corrupt empire sucking the lifeblood from its people.
Once more, the Emperor's laughter boomed out, filling the room.
"Very well, boy. You'll be enrolling in the Academy. Graduate at the top of your class, and I'll reinstate you as a prince of Britannia. Should you fail, however, the consequences … shall be dire."
Lelouch dropped into a kneeling position.
"You have my gratitude, Father. I shall not disappoint you."
And then he swooped out of the room.