Wasabi
By, Emperorbassexe
The knight's blue cape whispered from the soft swishing sounds that it emitted as he strode swiftly down the hall, the air faintly alight with the glitter of the golden trim along the cloak's hem as he quickened his pace slightly. The Knight of the Round checked his small wristwatch with a glance, missing the courtly greetings from the servants he passed in the crimson-carpeted halls of the Imperial Palace. Idly, he ran a gloved hand through semi-messy brown hair and blinked his olive-green eyes against the sudden glare of the mid-day sun. It was lunchtime and Lord Suzaku Kururugi didn't wish to be late; he had an obligation.
Beams of sunlight flared through the eastern windows overlooking the tranquil gardens, and the Knight of One caught sight of the Empress kneeling near the fish pond. The white, golden-trimmed, 'petals' of her dress-uniform bloomed around her from her position in the immaculately cut grass; in a stark contrast to the black of the rest of her attire – a clever opposite to the uniform of her violet-eyed husband who now strode across the grounds towards her, a picnic basket in-hand. Suzaku saw her straighten and casually pull a stray lock of auburn-orange hair away from her face as she happily beamed to Lelouch Vi Britannia.
Suzaku continued onwards, his attention returning forwards in time for him to turn the corner of an upcoming junction and make his way down a shorter hallway to see the relaxed form of a dark-gray-furred cat lying in front of a closed set of ornate double doors at the end, his tail languidly flicking back and forth as he waited. Arthur shifted up when he noticed the Knight; his yellow feline eyes regarding him with a disapproving look that seemed to say 'it's about time, you bloody bastard…', before the cat gave a slow yawn and turned to the doors.
The Japanese Knight gave his pet an apologetic smile, "Sorry Arthur, I was detained; but you didn't scratch at the door – so at least you behaved yourself while waiting. Good… let's see how she's doing, I hope she didn't have to wait long for Sayoko to prepare lunch."
Arthur looked over his shoulder at Suzaku for a moment in mild annoyance, before shifting his gaze at the portal again; this time batting rapidly with a paw.
"Patience." The Knight chided as he came close, resting a gloved hand on the door handle; though he knew it was useless scolding his rebellious pet, especially when he wasn't feeling very patient at the moment either. Even as he opened the door; the feline dashed into the room as soon as the widening gap permitted, Suzaku stepped inside.
His green eyes barely-regarded his apartments in the palace: it possessed the same carpeted floor as the rest of the residence – a deep red with golden bordering along its edges, the cream-coloured walls and the intricate chandelier hanging from the ceiling, the electric, power-efficient bulbs casting their golden glow around the room. The light glared somewhat from the switched off screen of the flat-screen, plasma TV that hung from a wall next to a vase of flowers that had been picked from the gardens. He spied the tatami mat, already set with smooth wooden trays arranged with various types of sushi rolls: California, Alaska, Spider, Dragon, and others. Nearby trays were adorned with gently steaming selections of takoyaki and pan-fried gyoza. A pitcher of ice-water was set in the centre next to a teapot and matching cups. Suzaku took all of this in with his peripheral vision, his gaze immediately settling and focusing on the form of his wife as she sat on a silken, square pillow next to the fresh lunch.
"Euphie." The Knight breathed.
The ex-princess of Britannia looked up as he entered, she smiled sweetly, "Suzaku, you're just in time, Miss. Sayoko brought the lunch about five minutes ago and we've been very patient." At this her hand settled upon the bulge of her womb, their developing little girl snuggled within. Her free hand toyed with a lock of her hair, the light of the chandelier glistening on her roseate tresses; she had ceased to wear the side locks of her hair in the dual buns, having outgrown the style.
"I've heard her cooking was rusty due to lack of use, but this looks like a magnificent spread." Suzaku replied, sparing a glance at the meal before bending down at the waist to press his lips to hers. Euphemia leaned into the kiss, a mix of longing and impatience leaking into her demeanour; her fluctuating hormones affecting her. Her palm, slightly calloused from her working in the palace gardens with her sister-in-law, caressed the shaven surface of his cheek while her other rested on his shoulder. In reply, the knight wrapped his arm around her back as his free hand gently caressed the bump of her abdomen; a soft impact from within served as a result of a kick from his daughter.
The kiss deepened, her mouth parting slightly to allow his tongue access; and his let the tip of it flicker against hers in a teasing gesture. He would have to perform rigorous testing with the Lancelot after lunch, trying out fresh configurations and a newly developed weapon system or two until sundown; so he was to make sure to give his wife his attention until then. The married pair broke the kiss with a soft 'pop', Suzaku leaning down a bit more to gently rest his forehead against hers, his eyes shut. They sighed in contentment. Warmth spread through Suzaku's soul as he was reminded of how he'd been blessed; and he still recalled the chill grip of fear he'd felt upon seeing Euphemia arrested for 'treason' by the orders of her own father four years ago when she'd opened the Special Administrative Zone in Japan. Desperation had caused Suzaku to ally with Lelouch and the Black Knights in their rebellion; he'd broken through the walls of Euphie's prison with the blades of the Lancelot and had freed the Princess a year later. Soon after, Lelouch overthrew his father and ascended the throne as the 99th Emperor of Britannia; quickly abolishing the totalitarian laws that bound conquered nations to the Empire in servitude.
A soft mewing broke the couple's budding passion and Suzaku from his memories; they turned to see Arthur perched at the edge of the mat fixing them with a pointed stare. Their cat yawned for a moment in disinterest before pawing at one of the dynamite rolls in an effort to pull out the slice of yellowtail nestled within. Euphemia gave short giggle at their pet's antics before turning her eyes again to her husband, "Arthur has a point, Suzu; we should eat." She reluctantly pulled away from him and Suzaku sent a soft glare to the housecat for spoiling the moment.
"You can't really blame him, he always welcomes a variety from cat food – even if the chef spoils him, and Sayoko's sushi is what he enjoys the most." The ex-princess continued as she picked up a pair of elegantly lacquered chopsticks and snagged an Alaska roll from the tray, her dexterity with the Asian utensils was clumsy and unfamiliar through lack of regular use – the sushi roll was dangling precariously from between the points.
"Ah – perhaps I should…" Suzaku sputtered, snatching up his own chopsticks to smoothly reach out with them, the points parted and hovering around the ex-princess' chosen roll. "I could fetch a fork…" his offer died in his throat upon seeing the determined look upon Euphemia's face, and the slight pout that crested her lips.
"Suzaku," she started firmly, carefully shifting the roll from out of range of his utensils; "I wanted to learn about your culture. Let me learn." She pulled the Alaska roll closer, but at the same time, cupped her free hand beneath it in the event of her dubious grip giving way. Suzaku's eyes followed the wobbly roll as it was lifted towards his wife's mouth; and Euphemia paused, "I forgot to dip it and add some ginger." She muttered, annoyed at herself.
Before she could protest, or even move the sushi roll to perform said tasks herself, Suzaku plucked a strip of ginger from the tray with his chopsticks while his free hand grabbed the bottle of soy sauce. With a fluid movement, he lifted and bobbed the bottle to the side to let a few drops of the sauce drip onto the roll before laying the slice of ginger over the top of it. Suzaku knew she disliked being waited on in such a manner but he wasn't about to let her feel bad by dropping the food in an attempt to add condiments to it.
Euphemia's face heated up in slight embarrassment, but instead of scolding her husband, her eyes turned to the sushi roll she held, "It's low-sodium sauce, right?"
At his confirmatory nod, Euphie smiled before popping the roll into her mouth and chewing thoughtfully, her eyes brightened and she smiled as she chewed. After several moments, she swallowed and gave a soft sigh of content, "Sayoko really knows how to make it heavenly."
"She always does," the knight nodded, but then his green eyes shifted downwards. "Ah, Euphie…"
The ex-princess blinked, "Yes?" she inquired.
At Suzaku's pointing finger, she looked down to see several spots of soy sauce had fallen onto the smooth curve of her belly; staining the soft lavender fabric of the dress she wore. The Lady Kururugi giggled, "I guess I need more practice." She shrugged before reaching out with the chopsticks to the gyoza plate to get one of the pork confections.
A bead of sweat slid down Suzaku's temple, but he said nothing; resigning himself to the definite task of cleaning up the eating area after they were done since Euphie's Japanese dining skills still needed work. He busied himself by filling an empty plate with an assortment of dishes; pausing to flick a chunk of trout sashimi to Arthur, ignoring how the cat pounced on the offering and chewing off a bit of it.
"So how's your day been?" The Knight asked his wife as he poured himself a cup of tea and added some sweetener.
"Fine, I suppose; I watched a bit of television – they were re-running Lelouch's recent speech; I had to turn the volume down a bit when the cheering started so I wouldn't wake Saki." Euphemia explained, resting a hand on her bulge and rubbing it tenderly.
Suzaku smiled, his heart warming at the thought of his wife's budding parenting instincts for their child. "He's gotten a lot of public support; one would think that the Britannian people preferred his father's reign over his."
"It's because of the lack of wars and conquest," The ex-princess explained, gesturing with her chopsticks and accidentally dripping more soy sauce onto her dress. "My brother isn't sending off soldiers to die in bringing other nations into compliance. Thankfully there are people amongst the populace who share Shirley's views on Britannian foreign policy and want the oppression and conquest to stop."
"It still hasn't stopped a few of the nobles from spouting their dissent," Suzaku added as he lifted the tea glass to his lips, "though there's the Power of the King that fixes that."
They didn't refer to Lelouch's powers as Geass, preferring the vaguer name by force of habit. Those very powers had helped ensure that his rebellion succeeded in breaking Japan from Britannian shackles and ending Emperor Charles' totalitarian reign. The Geass had been used to cause such help and harm throughout the course of the resistance: saving Suzaku from his trial and execution; plucking the location of Euphemia's prison from the mind of a Britannian operative; having the assassin Rolo turn his gun on himself after his failed attempt on Shirley's life.
Each instance had its own resonance within Suzaku's memory; he could still clearly recall the sheer vehemence in Lelouch's voice as he ordered Rolo Lamperouge's fate, 'You have harmed the woman I love, and despite her minor wound, your actions have earned you your demise. Rolo Lamperouge, by the Power of the King I order you to kill yourself; so you may never hurt another person again. Die.'
The Knight involuntarily shuddered at the memory of the assassin nodding in his forced compliance and shoving the barrel of his pistol under his chin before pulling the trigger. Despite the vile little fiend that Rolo had been; Lelouch's will to order such a thing upon him had shown how callous someone could be if a loved one was threatened.
'Who am I to judge?' Suzaku reminded himself; he had crushed guards under the tread of the Lancelot when he'd come to Euphie's rescue. He'd cloven escape pods in half with his Knightmare's long swords; slaughtering the enemy pilots of defeated Frames by the raw fury he felt at the possibility of Euphemia being tortured for her actions.
"Suzu?" Came Euphemia's concerned voice, breaking the Knight from his reverie. Suzaku blinked and realized that he'd lapsed into silence with the tea cup hovering for several moments in front of his lips.
"Ah…" The Knight sipped his hot tea before setting the glass down and selecting some takoyaki, biting into the octopus ball gave him time to clear his thoughts – now wasn't the time to mull over the happenings of the past. His eyes travelled to Euphemia's swollen womb; it was time to think of the future.
"Did the cradle come today?" He asked after swallowing and grabbing a spider roll from his plate.
"Yes, unassembled, just as we asked. Shirley and Nunnally did a good job on selecting a wonderful magenta colour that matched the paint we chose for Saki's room." Euphie replied, her face brightening.
"Good, I'll assemble it tonight when I've returned from my shift."
Suzaku had just finished pouring himself a second cup of tea when a knock came from the front door; it wasn't an urgent knock, but at the same time was respectfully soft. Excusing himself, the knight stood to see what the appeal was. Opening the door revealed Jeremiah Gottwald; Lelouch's servant gave a short bow to the couple, the amber and electric-blue sheen of his bionic eye flashing with the movement. "Lord Suzaku, Lady Euphemia." he greeted with respect; Arthur gave an annoyed yowl at this interruption of his meal "... and cat." The agent added with an annoyed glance at the feline. Agent Orange turned his attention back to Suzaku "His Eminence has summoned you to the garden, Lord."
"Did Lelouch say why?" The Knight asked, he wasn't annoyed by the interruption by any means, as long as it wasn't a long delay. The faint tingle of curiosity traced through him, normally Lelouch would personally ask others for a moment of their time. Suzaku glanced over Jeremiah's shoulder at the broad windows overlooking the gardens, the weather was calm and sunny; a wonderful day, Suzaku didn't begrudge his brother-in-law for wanting to stay outside and enjoy it for a bit.
Jeremiah gave a shrug in response, the tiny servos in his bionic arm and shoulder whirring softly with the movement, "The Emperor simply wishes to speak to you, he didn't give details."
"Alright, I'll be there in a moment, thanks you for informing me Jeremiah." The young lord replied with a nod.
The Orange Agent gave a salute before turning from the doorway and back to other duties that required his attention.
"I'll be gone for a few minutes, Euphie." The Knight called to his wife over his shoulder, "Don't wait for my return."
"As if I could, Suzu." the ex-princess replied with a giggle.
Suzaku smiled warmly as he closed the door behind him and began the walk to the gardens, his pace brisk despite the languid summons from Lelouch. He made his way down from the second floor and gently opened the glass double-doors leading out into the impressive gardens at the centre of the Palace complex.
The sun's glow layered itself over the vast variety of plant-life that was nestled in dozens of patches throughout the gardens. Immaculately cut waist-high hedges divided the garden into smaller sections, each with their own specific section of beautiful flora. The hedges cast lanes of shade from the gaze of the sun. White roses and seemed luminescent in the Spring air. A faint trickling could be heard from the short artificial waterfall that hovered above the fish pond, fat imported koi flittered beneath the cool surface with the glare of sunlight glaring off of their scales.
Basking near the shining pond, their white uniforms given a near-amber glow by the golden sunshine, lay royalty. The young couple lay back in the shallow grass, Shirley resting her head on her husband's torso, her eyes shut in a light doze while her chest rose and fell serenely. The Empress' long amber hair spread about beneath her like the wings of a phoenix, and she murmured something as Suzaku approached, resulting in a soft chuckle from the Emperor at her side.
Lelouch had an arm wrapped comfortingly around his bride, his body calm and eyes shut in his relaxation despite the formal white, golden-trimmed, imperial robes he wore. Suzaku's mouth twitched into a smile at the sight; Lelouch's job wasn't an easy one and he deserved these moments of serenity; the young Emperor would have meetings to attend after the lunch break, and a pile of paperwork to peruse and sign waiting in his office as well. The 99th Emperor of Britannia had forgone his matching imperial crown; letting his black hair ruffle somewhat in the soft breeze. Lelouch's eyes slid open at his brother-in-law's approach, exposing deep purple irises to the light of day. He lifted his head a bit, then raised a hand in greeting. "Hey."
"Hey," Suzaku said with a nod, "You wanted to see me?"
"Yes, sorry to have you walk out here, but it's a nice day; and the weather will probably be nice in the evening..." The Emperor lifted his hand to shield from the glare of the sun, shifting slightly and prompting a series of drowsy mutterings from his slender wife. "...and since it'll be a nice evening, I was wondering if you and Euphemia would like to accompany Shirley and I to the opera tonight?"
"Ah," Suzaku mused, lifting his head towards the sky, letting the wind trace through his brown locks as he mused on the invitation. "What's the show?"
Lelouch's mouth curled into a smile, "Something you'll like, Bunraku theatre."
The Knight blinked, "Puppet theatre from home? Here?"
A nod at this, "Indeed, you know how I changed Britannia's policies; a cultural exchange was in order, to better show Japan and the rest of the world that Britannia isn't what it used to be under the rule of Charles." Lelouch's expression clouded as he mentioned his father, but it passed quickly, "And an exchange of theatre media seemed the most prudent."
"I'm sure it will," Suzaku said with a nod, "count us in, as long as you provide ample refreshment since Euphie's cravings will definitely set in during the performance."
"Of course." The Emperor replied as he slid back into a prone position, grinning, "We'll be leaving at Six-thirty. Now, get back to your love and leave me with mine." He gently ran his fingers through Shirley's hair as he spoke.
Suzaku gave a short bow in response before turning to stride back into ground floor of the palace, his quickened his stride a bit upon entering the hall. After lunch he'd be resuming his shift for today and wouldn't see Euphemia for five hours until he'd be off-shift again. As he neared the doors, the Lord Kururugi's ears picked up the faint sounds of panting coming from within, concern and panic set in – turning his pace into a full run. Suzaku nearly flung the door off its hinges, always a distinct possibility given his physical prowess; rushing into the room. His body tensed, ready to defend his wife if she was in danger, or ready to gently carry her to the Palace medical ward if their daughter had decided to come early.
What he found was Euphemia sitting in the same place as before, nearby the tatami mat; with her face flushed. She panted as her free hand fanned at her mouth; and her other reached for her water glass. The ex-princess brought the drink to her lips, nearly chugging it down; her eyes watered a bit as she looked to her husband. "Suzu," she gasped.
Relief flooded the knight, who smiled and let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Euphemia wasn't in labour, nor was she hurt. On impulse, Suzaku's green eyes flickered down to the mat; most of the dishes were empty - Euphie's appetite and cravings had seen to that. The ginger tray had been cleared of course… and so had the wasabi cup next to it. Seating himself next to his beloved, Suzaku rested an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close with a concerned look on his face. "Euphie, what happened?" he asked softly, though he had an inkling as to what had occurred.
The rosette-tressed woman finished the glass and immediately set to pouring another one; she sniffled, "Suzu…" her flushed complexion faded a bit, "the guacamole…"
Suzaku gave a slight smile, "Ah, Euphie… that was wasabi you ate."
The Lady Kururugi's complexion turned pink as her eyes widened in embarrassment, "O-oh…" her expression turned downcast, "I should've known better…"
He pressed his lips tenderly to her cheek by way of comfort, "Don't worry. It's more my fault for not explaining it sooner, I didn't think your cravings would demand spiciness."
His wife's blush increased, "They don't, I just felt like finishing the guacamole – wasabi, sorry - off since it would just go to waste if no one ate it."
"I'll ask Sayoko to stop adding it to meals, I don't really like it either so I'm not losing out." He ran his fingers through her hair.
"If you want –oh!" Euphemia gasped, her hands going to her belly, the blush increasing on her face, feeling a flurry of kicks from within. She waved off Suzaku's concerned hand, "No, I was just startled, that's all…" her eyes turned to her womb, and she gave an exasperated groan, "Saki… I think she liked it."