Ah, how Charles appreciated Cornelia. While any other of his offspring would, no doubt, have announced their presence with a timid clearing of the throat and a meek inquiry of, "You called for me, Father?", this one simply strode into the room, standing with hands firmly clasped behind her back, and her lips firmly pursed- silent until spoken to, like a good child.
It was such a pity that he had to do this to her, then, but it was necessary. After what he'd learned from Clovis... there was simply no other way to see about fulfilling his plan. Marianne would understand. She'd have to.
"I assume," began the Emperor, as he examined his daughter in the mirror while loosening one cuff-link on his jacket, "that you have been fully informed of what is expected of you."
"You assume correctly, Your Majesty." Cornelia replied, and Charles could not help but smile slightly. Marianne would be so proud of her. Already they were so much alike.
The Emperor would remove his jacket, hanging it neatly upon the wardrobe next to the mirror, now in simply a crisp white dress shirt and cravat, which, paradoxically, seemed to make his chest seem even larger than it had while concealed. "Are you prepared to carry out this duty?"
"That question is unnecessary, Your Majesty." Cornelia replied, and this, itself, earned a genuine, broad smile from the man.
"Cornelia, many Emperors would find your attitude curt and offensive."
"We are both aware, Your Majesty, that you do not."
"That we are, Cornelia. I believe it is this reason, far above any other, that makes you the Viceroy Area Eleven desperately needs right now. You will not waste time, as Clovis did, with idle pursuits and needless diplomacy when an enemy that needs to be eliminated is staring you directly in the face."
"My thoughts exactly, Your Majesty." Cornelia added, though a slight shift in her expression seemed to indicate that his mention of Clovis had, just briefly, upset her.
The Emperor paused, looking down at Cornelia, before closing his eyes and cracking his knuckles together, his gorilla-sized fist clenched in his other hand's palm. "I am aware that what I said to the Empire may seem callous. I am aware that I seem callous. Clovis was not just a servant of the Empire, he was your little brother. I do not expect you to be as unmoved as I must seem to be. … I, too, once had a brother."
"... Your Majesty, such talk is unnecessary... I apologize for my weakness."
"It is no weakness to acknowledge that you are human, Cornelia. That you care for your family. That you feel responsible for his death, for what has happened to him. That you wonder if there was something you could have done to stop it. It is the duty of royalty to strive to rise above our humanity- indeed, to grasp divinity. That is why we call ourselves the Holy Empire of Britannia. But even I am not yet at that point where I can cast aside human concerns, and I certainly do not expect my inferiors to do so. We strive for it, but it is no shame to occasionally fall short of the mark. It is the struggle that makes us who we are, not the goal. We struggle for something no other nation on this Earth has ever struggled for- the power to slay a God, and to seat Man in his place." Charles noticed Cornelia's slightly distant expression... well-aware that she, like so many of the other royal children, seemed to, wisely, assume that such talk had always been mere metaphor, and most likely was a bit disappointed that the Emperor was not being honest with her about his true goals.
Oh, if only she knew how honest I was being with her now... Charles mused momentarily.
"Do you believe in God, Cornelia?" the Emperor finally inquired, causing Cornelia to widen her eyes.
Pausing to consider her words, Cornelia answered slowly and deliberately. "... No, Sire. I believe the only divinity is that which Man creates for himself. Whether through myth, or through action, Gods do not create man, man creates Gods. The Empire is struggling to create a God that is no mere myth- a God that is truly worthy of worship. The rightful ruler of all mankind." Cornelia's, of course, was a far more high-minded and intellectual reply than Charles usually received to such a question. Most often, he would be assailed with an obsequious "Of course, Sire, one is standing in front of me right now!" This reply was most often met with Charles's disdain and dismissal. Cornelia, on the other hand, had managed to impress him once again.
"... Well said, Cornelia. But do you truly believe it?" Charles added, turning to the mirror once again.
Cornelia inhaled, pursing her lips and trying to calm the uncomfortable trembling as she struggled to avoid letting her honest reply pass her lips...
"... No."
As much as she'd desired to, Cornelia was well-aware that she could scarcely lie to this man, certainly not to his face- or, even, to his colossal back.
"You are wise beyond your years, Cornelia. You do not believe it because you do not believe what you are told, you believe what you have seen for yourself. And nothing in this Britannia has convinced you that a divine hand is at work. You have been on the front lines of battle, you have seen for yourself that even in a Holy Empire there are cowardly and wicked men who hide behind our flag, who lie and cheat and steal and commit atrocities in our name. You have seen it here at court, in Pendragon, firsthand. It is no doubt why you spend so little time here- you are disgusted with the gossip, the conspiracy, the politics. … You lost your belief when the divine hand of the Holy Empire failed to save the life of the woman who was Britannia for you."
At this point, Cornelia felt as though her father had shoved an icy dagger through her heart, and her eyes went wide, blinking frantically to try and stem any hint of tears.
"And again... when her children lashed out against that same hand that had failed to save them, they were exiled, and met the fate that is destined to befall all those who oppose Britannia."
Not just shock and grief, but anger was now flaring up inside Cornelia, as she clenched a fist. What was he trying to do...? This man, who had done such a thing to her beloved Lady Marianne's children, was now attempting to provoke her with their memory...?
"You have every right not to believe, Cornelia. You have seen it for yourself. There is nothing divine about this Britannia. There is nothing divine about me. I am but a man. I could not save Lady Marianne, and I could not save her children. How I would have liked to, but when Lelouch stood at the foot of my throne and insulted me to my face before the entire Royal Court, he left me no choice. Had you followed them... yes, Cornelia, I am aware that you wished to do so... Euphemia would have met their fate as well. Can you imagine the horrors little Euphemia would have been forced to endure in the battle? Do you think you could have been strong enough, not just to save her body, but to save her soul?"
Cornelia's face was now fully reddened, and tears openly trickling from her eyes. She still stood at perfect military parade rest, but her knees seemed to begin to wobble with weakness. She would never have thought it possible, but this man was destroying her utterly with words alone... such power was not normal. It was not human.
"Y-you..." Cornelia stammered, biting her lip fiercely, drawing blood.
"Say it, Cornelia." Charles growled, nearly salivating with anticipation.
"I hate you."
Charles paused, his eyes remaining closed, and eventually, that grin returned to his lips. "Good. Hate makes you strong. Hate binds you to me more intimately than love ever could. Hate makes a far more reliable and useful tool of you than the dewy-eyed adoration of any of my other so-called children. You must realize, Cornelia, that your sister is utterly helpless without you. She will be torn to pieces the moment you are gone."
"... I am aware of that, Your Majesty." Cornelia spat out that last word, as if it was a vile insult. "Would His Majesty please tell me... what it is I have done to deserve this? Have I not been your loyal servant all these years? Have I not sacrificed everything for your sake? Have I not slain anyone you asked me to, destroyed countless nations because it was your will that they fall?"
"Cornelia, you are coming perilously close to making Lelouch's mistake. The mistake of assuming that the Emperor- that Britannia- owes you something. In Lelouch's case, he had not yet lifted a finger in service to his Empire, but in your case, not even ten, nor even a hundred years in service to the Empire would excuse making that assumption. You ought to know better."
"... Forgive me, your Majesty." Cornelia glowered. "I still deserve to know why."
"You do, and you will. But now is not the time. Someday you may even come to forgive me for all I have done, but I have a higher calling than attaining the approval of my daughter." Charles would turn from the mirror, then reach into his pocket, tossing a handkerchief in Cornelia's direction, which she only barely was able to catch, her eyes widening in surprise. "Clean yourself up. We are about to have a visitor."
Cornelia blinked a few more times, before quickly dabbing the handkerchief over her face and cheeks, wiping some blood from her lip and putting firm pressure there to cease the oozing, metallic tang of the bite marks she'd left in her own flesh, trying to calm herself so that she wouldn't show the telltale signs of tears or fury, and it was just at this moment that the door would open.
"Your Majesty, Her Highness is-"
"Come in, Euphemia." Charles stated, in a sickly-sweet, inviting tone, the sort that was utterly disturbing to Cornelia, hearing it come from his broad chest. The Emperor swept an arm toward the door, and the pink-haired princess would shuffle in respectfully, glancing immediately to Cornelia before even bowing to the Emperor.
"Cornelia, are you all r-"
"I'm sorry, Euphemia. … Father and I were just having a discussion about... Clovis, and I became a bit emotional."
Euphemia paused, her concerned expression changing to a gloomy contemplation as she glanced down at her shoes. "I understand..." Sniffling slightly, as she blinked back open tears. "It's hard to believe he's really gone... I'm crying at the silliest times, now, and I- Oh... Your Majesty, I apologize!" Euphemia took a deep curtsy, as the door shut behind them, and the Emperor would respond by placing a huge hand on the top of Euphemia's head.
"Euphemia li Britannia... singularly the most frustrating and yet the most precious of my children. Your concern for your sister surpasses all else, and this is not to be condemned or discouraged." Charles stated, smiling softly down at her, which prompted a meek glance upward from Euphemia, placing her hand atop his. Cornelia could not help but notice that Euphemia's fingertips barely reached the Emperor's knuckles... "She has told you, I am certain, of her upcoming responsibility. She will take Clovis's place, and see that justice is done. You have faith in your sister, do you not?"
"Of course, Your Majesty. She's the best the Empire's got..." Euphemia added, though she was unable to put much enthusiasm into that admission. "... I just hope that there isn't too much fighting... it's not what Clovis would have wanted."
"Clovis is dead, Euphemia." Cornelia stated, gruffly, and moved in closer to her sister to try and draw her away from the Emperor's grasp- only to see Charles tighten his grasp upon her hair, though not quite enough to hurt her, and when she met his gaze, she would- instinctively, it seemed- cower and relent... not wanting Euphemia to feel even the slightest pain from her efforts.
"I know... but it's not fair that one death should lead to so many more. The people who did it should be punished, but all of Area Eleven shouldn't have to suffer, too!" Euphemia protested, glancing up to her father.
"Euphemia, Euphemia..." Charles shook his head ever-so-slightly. "So much like your mother. She never stopped trying to help those less fortunate. When Lady Marianne was at the mercy of the court, freshly risen from commoner to Empress, Victoria was the only woman who dared to stand beside her, to defend her. She would be so proud of you now." He began to lightly stroke Euphemia's hair, and a sick feeling rose in Cornelia's stomach.
"... I hope so, Father." Euphemia sniffled, nuzzling into the Emperor's hand.
"Your request has been heard." the Emperor proclaimed, somewhat jovially, which caused Euphemia to stiffen a bit, before glancing up with wide eyes at her father, a pink blush appearing on both her cheeks as she clenched her hands into fists and struggled to keep herself from jumping for joy.
"Really?" Euphemia nearly squealed, which caused Cornelia to stiffen in alarm, glancing frantically between her sister's gleeful face and her father's knowing smile. "Oh, please, Father, I beg you, I-"
"Your sister has an important duty to perform as Viceroy. Her chief task is to find and to punish the people who murdered Clovis, but it is also to pacify the Area and to eliminate all who oppose the Empire. But this is not a Viceroy's only task. A Viceroy must not only be the extension of the Emperor's wrath, but also his kindness. Cornelia, answer me honestly. Do you think you can show Area Eleven any mercy after what it has done to Clovis?" As Charles gingerly put a hand atop Euphemia's head once more, concealing his lips from view, he would add, silently, "Lelouch. Nunnally."
Cornelia's heart burned with hatred for the man, and she could scarcely contain herself, knowing just where Charles was going to go with this- and at the same time, knowing that she could not lie to both him and Euphemia- as she spat acridly, "No, Your Majesty."
"Then, Cornelia. I cannot allow you to be my only representative in Area Eleven. You will perform the tasks I have assigned to you with excellence, as always, but I cannot ask the face of the Empire's fury to also be the face of the Empire's forgiveness. And it is forgiveness that Area Eleven will desperately need, once Zero and his terrorists have been dealt with, and when Area Eleven has seen and cowered in the face of what is to befall any of my enemies. Forgiveness will allow that Area to heal and become whole once more, and to eventually join Britannia in its rightful place as a loyal colony of the Empire. The tasks of showing forgiveness, kindness, and mercy, I will delegate to Euphemia- as sub-Viceroy of that Area."
Cornelia's face went pale, even as Euphemia's flooded with adoration and appreciation. "Oh, thank you! Thank you, Father, thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise I won't let you down!" She broke protocol- and, nearly, a rib or two- with a fierce hug around her father's chest, her hands, though they struggled to reach one another on his back, still apart by nearly a foot. "Isn't this wonderful, Cornelia? We can go to Area Eleven together! We can finally be a family again!"
"Yes, indeed, Euphemia, after so many years of Cornelia's faithful service, it is long past time that you had an opportunity to live together under one roof once more. Cornelia, are you not satisfied with my reward to you?" Charles inquired, glancing over in Cornelia's direction.
I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you
"... I'm speechless... your Majesty." Cornelia stammered, briefly placing her hand against a pillar. Euphemia still clung to the man, but after a moment she would part from him to rush to Cornelia's side, giving her a tight squeeze.
"Cornelia, are you all right?"
"Yes, Euphie, I'm fine... I just... this is all a bit too much for today. … May I have another moment alone with Father?" Cornelia paused, and the Emperor would give a dark grin back at Cornelia, which Euphemia only saw as a gentle, approving smile.
"Oh, gosh, of course, Cornelia, I've gotta start packing my things!" Euphemia chirped, bolting upright and dashing for the door. "I'll see you at the villa, Cornelia! Thank you so much, Father!" She'd deviate from her course just slightly to dash for the Emperor and, before he could react, leaning up to plant a peck on his cheek, the door clapping shut shortly afterward.
At this point, Cornelia finally collapsed, slumping to her knees, then folding her legs beneath her, before finally planting a hand on the carpeted floor and closing her eyes.
"Get up, Cornelia." the Emperor would grunt. "You act as though I've condemned her to death already."
"You bastard." Cornelia murmured, beneath her breath.
"What was that?" The Emperor snarled.
"You heard me, you bastard." Cornelia shot back, looking up into his eyes with bloodshot fury. "You're sending my sister straight into a war zone. You're making her Zero's next target."
"Zero will make Euphemia Zero's next target, if that is his choice, Cornelia li Britannia. I am not making him do anything. To the contrary, I am charging you with stopping Zero before he can put his next plan into action. You have always protected your sister against threats here in the Empire, so why should this be so different?"
"Lelouch. Nunnally. You sent them to their deaths there. I do not care if you send me to mine, but you're not sending Euphie there. Not her. Not after I broke my promise to Lady Marianne for her, you bastard, you knew. YOU KNEW!" Cornelia shouted, pounding her fist against the pillar. "I don't know how you knew, but you knew. And now you're going to tell me it was for nothing."
"If you wish to save your sister from sharing their fate, Cornelia li Britannia, you need only to do what you have always done – what I have asked of you." Charles stated, finally turning away from his daughter to throw his jacket upon his shoulders once more, sliding a barrel-sized arm into one sleeve, then the other, and beginning to fasten each button carefully. "Silence the rebellion. Destroy the resistance, and slay Zero. If you pacify Area Eleven then it will present no threat to Euphemia when she takes your place as Viceroy. … Go ahead and do it, if you dare." Charles stated, glancing over his shoulder just as Cornelia had been reaching for a candlestick. "You will seal her fate with the first blow you strike upon me. And I assure you, I will make you watch."
The candlestick clattered heavily to the carpet, as that threat utterly stopped Cornelia's rage in its tracks. "Oh, yes, you still have so much more to fear from me, Cornelia li Britannia. And if you even think about betraying me, I will make sure that you live to see it all come to pass. I hope that someday you will understand why what I do is necessary. But at the moment, it is not necessary for you to understand. It is only necessary that you obey."
Cornelia stiffened up once again, to a firm position of attention, placing her fist over her heart, and staring bitterly at her father's reflection in the mirror. "Yes, Your Majesty."
"You are dismissed, Cornelia." The Emperor fastened the final button, watching in the mirror as his daughter turned and marched out, the door shutting with a precisely-calibrated slam.
A few moments later, a gentle voice would come from the Emperor's coat closet.
"You really are a brute, Charles."
"As I said to her, Marianne..." Charles began, extending his hand to help the delicate-framed, pink-haired girl from her concealment, "it is not yet necessary that she understand why. On the contrary, it would interfere greatly with our plan. Your son will cause us a great deal of further trouble if we do not send someone there who can calm him."
"I still find it hard to believe. Are you certain Clovis is telling you the truth? Why Lelouch, after all this time? What are the odds?" Anya would inquire, tilting her head.
"We are dealing with C.C., here, remember, Marianne. She always seems to have that particularly nasty habit of defying the odds. … And Clovis certainly knows better than to lie to me. After all... we now hold the key to his very existence in our hands. If he wishes to have a place among the gods when this world is remade, he will listen to me and do as he is told. As will y-"
"Don't you start, Charles, you big bully." Anya teasingly reached up to pinch the Emperor's cheek. "Clovis will always be welcome at our side when Ragnarok is complete, and of course, so will Cornelia and Lelouch. In the end, we will all be able to put aside such differences when our souls are one. Won't it be nice to finally have a family again? I'm greatly looking forward to explaining this to those two when they come to join us... if only they knew they were struggling so hard for nothing! It makes me so sad."
"They are fighting for what they believe is right, Marianne. It is merely a difference of perspective. Their perspective is that of mortals, and ours, of gods. When all men are gods, they will come to share our perspective, and they will come to understand us. Of this, I am certain."
"But until then... oh, if only poor Cornelia knew who was behind that mask!" Anya sighed, putting a hand to her forehead. "So much suffering could be avoided. I really feel badly for her, she tries so hard."
"I have a feeling that she will find out soon enough."
"EUPHIE!" Cornelia bellowed, her knees going weak, forcing herself to sustain her grip on the balcony of her Knightmare as she watched the hotel shatter and crumble before her. No, not her, take me instead, take me instead, take me instead... Zero had won. Tricked her, as she should have known he would. She should have shot him the moment he'd shown up- claiming he would save her sister. How foolish... how utterly idiotic was it of Cornelia to have believed him? This bloody country had taken the very last thing from her that was left to take. The only thing that was left, now, was to end it in a way that would make Lady Marianne proud...
The boats emerged from the fog, and that voice... that awful, horrible, deep, droning voice that sounded so much like her father's, would sound over the speakers, but this voice was unlike her father's in that it was telling her something she had desperately hoped was true... that Euphemia was alive. That Zero had saved her. Saved her? Zero?
Saved her?
A lie. A shameless lie. It had to be. Now she was merely Zero's hostage, and yet...
The feeling that flooded her body was more than relief.
Gratitude.
That notion made her sick to her stomach. Thank you, Zero. She wanted to vomit. She wanted to slap herself. She wanted to kill him. How dare he toy with her emotions this way? How dare he, her enemy, hold her life, her fate, her soul in his hands like this, and not crush it when he had the chance? How dare he remind her so much of her father?
He must be stopped.
Twice.
Zero had saved Euphemia's life twice.
"He was only holding her hostage again, Lady Cornelia. You must realize that-" Darlton droned, but Cornelia couldn't deny the truth.
Zero had now had two chances to kill Euphemia. This incident on Kaminejima had given him yet another chance to utterly destroy Cornelia's will to continue on, to engulf Japan and Britannia in yet another war, to make the strike she would never hesitate to make if the tables were turned. And twice, now, he'd turned Euphemia back over to Britannia unharmed.
Cornelia fought the bile rising in her throat when Euphemia had told her he'd even seen her naked.
And he had protected her. Kept her warm. Safe. Did he ever take off his mask, Euphie? No, of course he didn't. That would just be idiotic of him.
Euphemia's right ear is twitching.
Euphie is lying.
Euphie wants to protect him.
Why?
...
Thank you, Zero.
Euphemia.
What did he do to you? How could you have done such a thing? Killing all those people... It wasn't you, Euphie. It couldn't have been you. He made you do it. He made you do it. Like Father made me do it. Like Father made me bring you here. Bring you here, to your grave. To join them... Clovis, Lelouch, Nunnally. Cornelia had known it all along... and yet she was such a fool, she'd held out hope... for Zero.
He is just like Father after all. All that kindness, just a lie. Just there for manipulation. He was just positioning his pieces just right, and then...
Checkmate.
Congratulations, Zero. You've won your victory.
There was just one thing left for Cornelia to do, before she could die with honor. To join Euphie here in the ground that had claimed the rest of her siblings. To join Lady Marianne. But first she had to make Marianne proud... to make up for what she'd allowed to happen to her children.
To strike one final blow against this despicable island soaked in the blood of royalty.
To kill its emblem, its one hope for freedom from the Empire... the hope that she just might have supported, until Euphie...
To kill Zero.
As the Gawain touched down in the palace gardens...
Lady Marianne's gardens. These will be a fine grave for us. For me.
She couldn't help but smile at the thought.
You've made it, after all. To the place I've chosen for us to dance our final dance. To the gardens I've decided will be the last thing I ever see. The last thing I have left from Lady Marianne.
Thank you for coming.
Thank you, Zero.
"Shall we dance?"
It was impossible.
Unbelievable.
Yet there he was, standing on that road. Blocking her brother's procession.
Emperor Lelouch. Long may he reign. Death to his enemies. Cornelia found it sadly ironic how she had often mused how similar Zero was to her father. Now she could scarcely distinguish the two in her mind. But her hatred for Lelouch had vastly eclipsed any resentment she felt for Charles, at this point. Charles would never have done what Lelouch did, to Euphie. Charles had put Euphemia in danger, but he'd always let Cornelia protect her. Lelouch had taken Euphie from her when she'd trusted him the most... With his terrible power, he had forced Euphemia to do something Euphemia would never have done. Forced her not just to do it... but twisted her mind to force her to want to do it. Lelouch... that bastard. The demon who had torn the most innocent people in the world to shreds for his own disgusting ambition of power.
Well, Lelouch, you've got your power now. I hope you enjoy it while it lasts, because...
Zero was through in a flash, impossibly fast. He was on Lelouch before Cornelia realized it. And then...
What just happened?
Dear God, had Zero just...
She did not remember her legs carrying her down the stairs, she only remembered suddenly opening her eyes on the bright day-lit street to see the crowd panicking, the Knightmares retreating, Lelouch's body tumbling down the stairwell, and Nunnally cradling him and howling like a banshee.
Mourn him, girl, you have that luxury.
"Lelouch the demon is dead!"
I'm sorry, Nunnally. Cornelia thought, as she tore her sister from her shackles- and away from the body of her brother, before the crowd could turn on her as they began to realize she was howling in mourning for the dead tyrant.
"Zero! Zero! Zero! Zero! Zero!"
Shielding Nunnally's eyes from what she was certain to find when she looked back over Cornelia's shoulder, Cornelia looked back as well, only to find that the crowd was still leaving the Emperor's body be- their attention focused, instead, upon the man who had slain him.
"Do not touch him." Zero spoke, as one hand reached forward to seize one of the rubies glimmering on the dead Emperor's mantle. "We will show him the dignity he never showed his subjects."
As Cornelia pulled Nunnally's face tighter into her shoulder, she would give the masked figure one final nod as she moved inside, feeling Nunnally's feeble little fists pounding ineffectually on her back in protest as she begged to be allowed back to Lelouch's side.
Thank you, Zero.
I'm sorry for you all who are waiting for an update on 32 Pickup, I know it must be disappointing to see that I worked on something else instead, but I assure you it will be continued eventually... I just honestly haven't been able to work up the proper inspiration lately. In the meantime, I could not stop this idea bouncing around in my head and absolutely had to put it on paper. Obviously, this is meant to be somewhat canon- or at least, to go along with the canon storyline- quite unlike 32 Pickup. I hope you enjoyed it. This is a oneshot, and I am intent on resuming 32 Pickup soon.