Death: *Sigh* I cannot believe I am doing this. Again. But I have written up to chapter two of this story, so, with a little encouragement from a friend I am putting this up. Even though I have several other stories that need some love and attention. I just cannot let this one sit around as I write future chapters. In the meantime, I promise that I will do everything humanly possible to work on some of my other stories, too.
Title translates to Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebirth
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Stage 00: Prologue
=3=
It was December 5, 2025 in the imperial calendar. This day should have been one of great joy for the birth of the third child of the English noble Thornberg family, if not was the fact the child was born one month early. Earl Vincent Thornberg paced in the hallway just outside the bedroom where his wife had been bedridden for the past several months.
He had every good reason to be concerned. The first two beautiful children were born with no complications to the pregnancies. Perhaps since his beloved was in her mid forties that she had complications for this child. But looking into her family history however, it was common to have healthy babes even at this age.
So, Vincent had to wonder, why was she having trouble with this babe?
A few times Katalina almost miscarried, but the fetus had proven to be stubborn and strong. Even the family doctor was amazed that she had not lost this child when he has made inquiries that it might be for the best for an abortion to save Katalina from such pain. He knew first hand that the chances of the child being born prematurely were extremely high. Even with such an advance of technology not all premature babies survive their first month.
It was best not to have Katalina have a rise of hope for the survival of her third child. But the woman was just as stubborn, expressing whenever she could that so long as this child wanted to see the light of day then she will not take away its chance.
And although he feared for her health more than ever, Vincent supported her decision all the way. He learned very early in their relationship that it was impossible to make her change her mind when she was like this. His love for her was far greater than his large amount of pride, which was something that was rare for any noble, especially for the head of the family.
"Father," a young voice stopped Vincent in his tracks. "Is mother and the baby going to be okay?"
The earl put on a brave face as he knelt down, hands on the tiny shoulders of his eldest. "I dearly hope so, Ethan."
"My baby brother or sister is being born too early, isn't it? That's what one of the nurse maids said. Father, will the baby live?" Ethan frowned, his concern growing as his mother's screams reached a higher pitch.
Vincent eyed the head maid who held his frightened two year old daughter tightly in her arms. His little girl was on the verge of tears not because of the screams, but because she knew her mother was in pain. Little Arabella was a sensitive girl, and it hurt him to see her like this.
"I apologize, my lord, I tried to keep the other girls quiet. They are all for the gossip than keeping such worries from a child. I tried to explain as best I could without hurting him when he asked me questions." The young woman nervously bit her lip.
Vincent sighed, shaking his head. He would have to do something about the other maids later. At least he still had one with enough sense he could count on when it came to his children.
"You did your best." Vincent then turned to his son. "I can't lie, but your little brother or sister may or may not survive."
"But there must be something we could do! As the eldest, it's my job to be sure my younger sister and the baby to be safe. Isn't the family doctor the best of the country? Couldn't he do something to help the baby live?"
Vincent almost broke down and cried. When little Arabella was born, he made sure to raise his son to be caring for his little sister. He knew Ethan meant well, but not everything was all fairy tales with heroes coming in to save the day in the last possible moment.
"I am sure he will do everything he can. All we can do is pray that the baby will live to grow up with us. If it is God's willing that the baby will not, then I am sure your little brother or sister will be well loved in heaven."
Ethan looked away. "You sure? Can babies be accepted even though they haven't lived for very long?"
"Didn't you know? All babies are God's children. I am sure He will accept this baby with open arms. And the baby won't be alone. There is your grandfather, remember? I am sure he will be happy to smother the baby with all the love in the world."
By now Vincent couldn't hold back his tears. His father had died just this year, and the wound was still healing. Thomas Thornberg showered Vincent's children with much love, as he held the same equality of love with his other grandchild by his deceased eldest son. There was no doubt in his mind that the old man would do the same with the one grandchild he couldn't be around at the birth.
Vincent pulled his boy close into an embrace. He sincerely wished with all his heart that this new child will survive. If not for him, then at least for Katalina's sake. His beloved wanted to bring this babe into the world. He knew she loved the child too much to have it dying in her arms for all she had gone through to this point.
In a moment the screaming stopped. Vincent let go of his son as he straightened, anxiously staring down the door into the bedroom. In what felt like an eternity, when it was probably a span of a few minutes, one of the nurses stepped out.
"So? What's the news? Is Katalina going to be fine?" Vincent couldn't bring himself to ask about the baby.
"Do not fear, she will be fine with some rest. But she is demanding to hold her new born son."
Of course, Vincent wasn't really surprised at his wife's stubbornness. But there was something the nurse would not say that bothered him.
"Why is my son being held away from her? Is he even alive? I don't hear any screaming that usually takes place with this event." Concern bubbled in his chest.
"The babe is alive, but very weak. Dr. Coleman recommends not naming the boy until he is one hundred percent clear he will survive." The solemn expression across her young face gave Vincent the idea the doubt was seriously high.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, the earl turned to the maid.
"Mary, could you please take the children to bed?"
The young woman nodded. With little Arabella in one arm, Mary reached out to gently pull on Ethan's smaller hand. As he was snapped out of his little trance from the shock of the news, the boy started protesting.
"No! I want to see my brother. Please, father? I want to see my brother!" Tears were finally rolling down his round cheeks.
Mary wordlessly glanced at the earl, not knowing what to do. Under normal circumstances she could easily calm the eldest child down. Suffice to say these were no normal circumstances, which she understood no amount of gentle words or sweet lullabies could ease Ethan's pain. Life has been hard enough for him since his mother had been bedridden, rarely able to see her two healthy children.
With a sigh Vincent knew he would regret this, but he knew if he did not then Ethan would not rest and would attempt to sneak into the room. The earl dismissed Mary, holding his son's small hand. Together they stepped into the room to see a tired Mrs. Thornberg, and the profile of an anxious Dr. Coleman with a bundle in his arms.
"Katalina!" Vincent rushed to his wife's side. "Are you all right?"
Her dark hair was damp and her skin had paled from the birthing process. She smiled weakly at him, all the love they shared could be felt all around the room. Vincent took her hand in his, gently squeezing.
"I'm fine, dear. It's not like this is my first time giving birth you know." Katalina laughed a little. "How's our new son? Can I hold him?"
Vincent glanced over at the doctor to see the man had sat down and reluctantly revealed the little face for Ethan to see. Both parents watched as their eldest tentatively reached out to his little brother's cheek.
"How come he's not crying? Bella cried when she was born." Ethan frowned when all his brother did was wiggle from the foreign contact.
"Because your brother is very weak, Ethan. He doesn't have the strength to cry like other babies do." Dr. Coleman answered in his gentle manner.
Ethan looked over his shoulder to his parents. "Does he have a name yet?"
"I would like to name him Claude." Katalina offered.
A sigh from across the room expressed disappointment as the doctor shook his head.
"I have told you before, Mrs. Thornberg not to name him just yet. The chances of him surviving until morning are slim."
"That does not mean I shouldn't name him!" Katalina sat up. "He is my son, and he should have a name before he is taken from me!"
"I understand, but in doing so would make it harder for you to accept his death." Dr. Coleman barely whispered, reminding the others another child was present in the room.
"Father, is he going to die?" Ethan stared with horrified eyes.
"I think it's time you go to bed, Ethan." If only he hadn't brought his son in here in the first place, Vincent thought.
"But what about my brother?" The boy grew defensive. He was already emotionally attached to his youngest sibling.
"I'm sorry, son. All we can do is pray for a miracle."
For his wife and son's sake, Vincent hoped more than anything that the newest addition to the family would survive the night.
=3=
Several hours later Katalina was dozing with the small bundle in her arms. In a chair next to her bed Dr. Coleman didn't appear too comfortable as he slept, but she will make up for it in the morning. The man has been on duty during her time she was bedridden. It would do him some good to see his own family after so much strife and struggle these past few months.
As the mother of three began to fall asleep, she became aware of another presence in the room. One glance at the doctor sound asleep and still breathing put her in a sense of security.
But the room was still too dark for her eyes to see nothing more than an outline of a figure in the darkness. From the silhouette she guessed this was a man. Normally, she would have assumed it was her husband, for the silhouette was about the same height as Vincent.
There was just something not entirely human with the shadowy figure. Katalina's whole body tensed when a hand reached out in her horror towards her new born son.
Katalina came from a large family in Romania where they could trace their roots for many generations into the mid sixteenth century. As a farm girl and second to oldest sister of four other girls, Katalina grew up being a second mother and driving off arrogant boys away from her sisters when they were barely into their teenage years.
Those same instincts to protect her family were carried on to her children. Right now she wanted nothing more than to reach for a hidden dagger from her bedside table to drive off this strange entity. It was then to her horror that she couldn't move.
She couldn't do anything but watch as the hand lightly pressed onto her son's stomach. To her fascination she realized just how tiny her youngest son was, for the palm of the stranger's hand was bigger than his little round belly.
She could hear a faint chanting. Her ears almost couldn't recognize the words from her native tongue. With growing interest Katalina stared at the shadowed figure in wonder. Even though her eyes were fully adjusted to the darkness she still couldn't see any definite features.
In what seemed to be an eternity the silhouette removed his hand from her son. Katalina was about to ask the figure his name when the same hand that treated her son affectionately touched her forehead.
Words spoken in a language she had not heard in years whispered in her ear.
"Sleep well, Katalina Vladimirescu. May you keep your family secret to your grave."
And with that Katalina knew nothing more than darkness in sweet slumber.
The next morning she woke from the sound she had been praying for. Her son was wailing with all his might, the first real sign of a healthy life. Katalina blinked away tears as she rocked her son as she cooed at him not to worry.
"Shh, little one. There's no need to cry, you're safe and sound here." She giggled at the sight of her youngest moving his little arms about.
Dr. Coleman was startled awake. He nearly fell out of his chair from the unexpected sound of crying. The doctor gasped in surprise when his eyes found the source of the wails. Dr. Coleman couldn't so much as breathe at the strange miracle he was witnessing. Just last night the child was too weak!
Within no time her husband was by her bed. Katalina smiled at him lovingly. She saw the relief and fatherly love of a new child between them in his blue eyes. There were dark circles under his eyes and his blond hair was in slight disarray. Yet the smile Vincent had reflected he was truly grateful and delighted to welcome a new son to the world.
"God bless this child! It's a miracle he has survived. He's as healthy as a horse now!" Dr. Coleman exclaimed.
"Maybe my father has been watching over him." Vincent spoke fondly.
Katalina watched her son with a knowing smile. He might be the smallest child she had ever seen, but he had a strong set of lungs. As the boy calmed down and his dark hair fluffed from turning his head from side to side he opened his eyes for the first time.
She gasped at the strange eye coloring. At first she mistook the color as royal purple, like her favorite cotton soft bed sheets. But after the initial shock she could recognize her husband's blue in those eyes.
In all her life she had never seen the prettiest violet blue eyes as this child. Katalina was amazed she had helped create such a beautiful creature into this world.
"Wow. Kat, do you know anyone in your family with violet eyes? This is a first for mine." Vincent wondered out loud.
"I remember a few stories of violet eyed girls in our family. But they are rare and this is the first to be a boy I believe." Katalina replied, her eyes never leaving her son as he blinked curiously at the world around him.
"He'll grow up to be as handsome as Ethan I bet." Her husband chuckled. "We'll have to watch out and keep the nobles off of him. They'll be lining up on our door to offer their girls."
"One look from me and they would be running back to their mothers." Katalina promised.
That moment the maid Mary opened the door and Ethan came rushing in. A sleepy Arabella yawned as she rubbed her eyes. The eldest sibling crawled onto the bed to get a closer look at his little brother.
"Look, he's opened his eyes!" Ethan grinned like a kid in a candy shop.
"And it looks like he will live a long, happy life." Vincent added. He kissed his wife on the cheek. "So, are we still going to name him Claude, love?"
Katalina thought for a moment before shaking her head. "No, an angel came by last night and gave him life."
"A real angel?" Ethan stared at his mother wide eyed. "You saw a real angel? Did he have wings and a halo, mother?"
"No, the angel had nothing of the sort." Katalina laughed. "But I think he was our family's guardian."
"We have a guardian?" The boy tilted his head.
"In my family there is a legend of a guardian always watching us, ready to step in and protect us." The mother of three lowered her soft gaze to the son in her arms. "I never truly believed in those stories until now."
"Well, angel or guardian, I am grateful for the extra help." Vincent said as the young maid passed Arabella into his arms.
"Look, Bella. Your new little brother." The earl introduced the pair.
"Brother!" Arabella pointed at the baby, then at Ethan.
"Yes, you have two brothers now." Vincent then turned to his wife. "So his name will still be Claude?"
Katalina shook her head. "No, I have a better name in mind now."
"What's his name gonna be, mother?" Ethan pressed.
"Anghel. Anghel Claude Vladimirescu Thornberg."
"You're giving him your maiden name as well?" Vincent raised a curious brow.
"It won't bother you, dear? He's more Romanian than his siblings in appearance."
"True, they have inherited their father's English genes." Vincent shrugged. "It's not a problem with me. I'm just surprised."
"Then it's settled. Welcome to the world, Anghel."
The newly named infant only stared at his mother in wonder.
=3=
Death: Trust me when I say that more will be known about the Thornberg family. This is just the prologue, where everything starts but more details will be known later.
Katalina: Is another way for "Catherine" in Romanian. Her maiden name, Vladimirescu, I am afraid I have forgotten what it means; though I vaguely remember it's somewhere along the lines of "Son of Vladimir" or am I thinking of something else? But it has some significant meaning. Those who who study European history should know a thing or two of what's inside that name.
Anghel: Is another name for Angel, also pronounced the same. Once again, it is the Romanian spelling.
One other thing you may wonder. Why throw Claude into Anghel's name? Go to Google, type in "Lelouch", and only Lelouch and see what you get. Just thought it would be fun. Also he needed an english name somewhere in there other than Thornberg.
The next few chapters will be fast paced, so it will be a while for the entire Thornberg family to be known. Well, there will be a few facts that will be made known, so at least none of you will be going around blind reading this for a while. Just thought I'd let you know.
And even though I have the first chapter done, I will still be waiting a while to upload. I am halfway through chapter two, and once it's done I will then update the first chapter. I am trying something new here as a form of study and experiment. Years ago I made it my mission to update once a week. When life slapped me in the face, I fell behind and eventually got writer's block with the two stories I worked on at that time. So, now I am trying to finish the future chapter and then put up the one that's already finish. This just might be a solution to my problem of having too many stories to update and not enough time.
As of yet, I am not sure to make this a yaoi or not. Even if I do, it will be along the sidelines or something. Although I already have some plans for Suzaku and Lelouch...
I believe that is all the information I have to give unless I missed something. If so, please let me know and I shall add any other tidbits of information needed here.
So, with all of that done, please leave a review, favorite, follow, whatever it is you do best. Hardly anyone reviews these days.