I . Prelude : Assassination
Aeries Imperial Villa – 2012 A.T.B
Far in the distance, The Aries Imperial Villa could be seen. Just a few more minutes and he would be home. Growing in eagerness with each passing moment, for he can't wait to see Nunnally again. Even after just a few hours, he was more than somewhat impatient.
Taking his gaze to the inside of the coach, he watched as his mother, Empress Marianne sat silently, arms folded on lap and face pristine as the flowers of spring.
"Mother, were almost home. I can't wait to see Nunnally", anticipation gleaming in his eyes.
His mother turned her attention to him and chuckled. "You two…, can't you two even be away for a day?"
"No, we can't", almost as an afterthought "Never. I will always stay by her side."
She ceased chukling, and gave a proud smile at her son "My, now that's good of you dear. A caring brother like I thought you would be" patting he son gently.
"Of course."
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Lelouch disembarked from his carriage soon after his mother had gotten off. He followed after her, walking slowly on a lavish red carpet pass guards who stood at attention, and walked to the massive oak doors of the Villa.
The doors opened, revealing a massive grand hall lined with Italian tapestries, Persian carpets and all manners of fine decorations. At the centre, lies a golden central staircase.
They continued to move forward, his mother, doing so ever so gracefully and with poise. Along the way, nobles bowed down as they passed.
In his mind, he scoffed. 'they're just doing this for pleasantries. But inside I know they're sneering, these nobles'
Now at the base of the stairs, they started ascending them.
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At a hidden and dark spot in the hall, a mysterious individual was reaching for something on his ears. He pressed lightly at it, an intercom, and spoke.
"Master, they have arrived."
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In an unspecified location, overlooking the entire area, a hooded figure was looking through a pair of binoculars in the direction of the Villa, more specifically, the great hall.
"Good, remember to get out as soon as it is finished, and do so unseen"
"Understood" the other line broke off.
The figure turned to his left and watched at three or four individuals in crouching positions, each one holding silvery, cold, machines of death. Rapid-fire sniper rifles of unknown model.
"Fire as soon as they're halfway through. Shoot to kill, understand?" the figure spoke in such a malicious tone, one's spine would chill hearing them.
"Yes sir"
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Now Lelouch was halfway through the stairs. His mother ahead of him. It was quiet, not even the sounds of birds could be heard. And in the Villa, birds were not a rare commodity but plentiful.
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"Target in sights."
"Fire!"
They adjust their sights one last time, and look through their scopes. In rapid succession, each squeezed the trigger multiple times, sending hard lead across to their prey.
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The sound of shattering glass made its way across the hall. Everything seemed to slow down and it is was as if time decelerated itself. Turning around in shock, young Lelouch could see the large colored mosaic windows shatter into billions of shards of irregularly shaped pieces, and strangely, to him, they seem like to hover mid air in their descent to the ground.
Then, the source of it all came. Multiple bronze bullets were racing through the air, and they were coming at him!
So, for that moment, when fear and shock had overtook him he could do nothing! Not even move. His body and mind had already resigned, and was now numb. He was nailed to the spot!
Waiting for the inevitable to come, he closed his eyes, and waited and waited.
"Lelouch!"
He gave a start when he heard his mother call out to him. Averting his gaze from incoming death, he watched his mother raced down the stairs.
"Mother!" he gave a desperate cry for her.
Strong arms pulled him over, and his mother held him in her arms protectively. She spun him around, never ceasing to let go of him.
"Mother!"
What happened after this was to him a blur, shambled pieces of images and memory in his mind.
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Nunnally abruptly risen from reading, she glanced around, where was she? Oh… that's right, she's in her room. Looks like she was a bit too engaged in her reading.
And what was that noise earlier? The one that shook her from peaceful study, if she heard right, it sounded akin to that of glasses.
Nunnally hastily got off from her chair and walked towards the exit. She catched the door knob and twisted it as she pushed it with all her might. Suddenly an ear splitting scream was heard that came echoing down the corridor, and it shook her entire being hearing such a sound.
Upon further scrutiny of the scream, she found it rather familiar. Then it registered in her mind. That was Lelouch's scream! But… why would he scream? What caused him to scream like that? Never before had she heard him scream in that way.
Alert all over her face. She started running towards the direction of the scream, which originated from the Great Hall, which was close to her present location. Why? Why suddenly did she have this feeling of ill foreboding? Like something terrible was about to happen… or rather- it already has!
Nunally stopped in her tracks as her eyes caught sight of the fleeting figures from the side windows, she walked towards it as he saw some of the servants running away in fright. Like something horrible occurred inside the grand hall and they were fleeing away as far as they could.
And finally, after running so hard... Nunnally saw the staircase that leads down towards the hall. A scream full of anguish came after and she realized in horror that it was yet again her brother's scream. Taking slow steps in the direction of the stairs, her heart beat increased, muscles tense and mind deluded of all thought. The Great Hall was coming into view, continuing forward, she walked until-
Her heart stopped. Nunnally's legs moved mechanically down each steps as she approached the halls. Several nobles and servants who had not already ran off outside, breezed pass her, while she in her disdain, remained oblivious. At the middle of the stairways, she stopped. Her eyes immediately trained towards the limp figure at the several feet before the stairways. Her mother, Marianne Vi Britannia lying lifeless at the middle of the stairs , pools of crimson started to form underneath her. Underneath her, she noticed... was her brother, Lelouch lying on the floor. Still alive but was in great shock and trembling like a leaf.
Nunnally, upon seeing this, could not hold back anymore and let out a deafening scream.
"Why—? Mother... Brother…. why?" asked the young princess to herself in a daze whilst several people dashed into the hall.
"Nunnally!" someone shouted among the incoming royal guards. Nunnally glanced back towards her mother's limp figure as another man walked by and knelt over his mother. It took a while for her to recognise the man as her half brother, Schneizel El Britannia. The second prince of the Britannian royal family.
The sight of her half brother prompted her to start moving again. Young Lord Schneizel glanced up towards her to be met by a blank stare.
"Elder brother Schneizel? Mother... what happened to mother?" she asked, moving down the stairs, her feet missed a step. Nunnally started feeling the gravity pull on her before the sensation stopped. She glanced around and let her eyes settle towards a very concerned look of her half elder sister.
Young Lady Cornelia helped her young sibling stand again as she embraced her younger half-sister. Trying her best to comfort the poor child. Cornelia kissed her gently on her forehead.
"Nunnally? Are you hurt? You're not hurt... are you?" asked Cornelia in concern, while fighting the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. Nunnally shook her head.
"Sister Cornelia? Why are you crying—?" asked the young princess, glancing back towards the bottom of the stairs. Schneizel had already carried the now unconscious Lelouch safely into his arm and closed Marianne's lifeless eyes shut. He glanced up silently until his solemn eyes met Nunnally's.
Time was of the essence. Calling the guards, Schneizel order that they escort him to the medical bay with Lelouch, perhaps his brother could still be saved, seeing that only his legs were injured. But hopefully, any unwanted and unforeseen complcations could be averted.
"What's wrong with mother... Cornelia? Schneizel? Why is mother not moving? Where is Schneizel taking brother…? Sister Cornelia, mother's hurt. We should get somebody to treat her—" said Nunnally again as she tugged on Cornelia's sleeves. Partly to make her move away... partly to make her release her so that she could tend to her mother.
Cornelia made her sit on the stairs as she gently wiped away the tears on her cheeks. "Nunnally... there's no use. Your mother... Lady Marianne is—"
Nunnally blinked . She glanced back towards her mother's figure, on the pool of crimson, slowly flowing down the stairs. And somehow in the calamity of her chaotic mind, she recollected several excerpts from some of the books that she had read during her leisure. Her mind reverted back towards a piece of old memories, something called 'Life, Death and Afterlife'.
Nunnally glanced back towards his half-sister in brief denial. Cornelia's saddened look started to dawn her towards the realization that she had so much dreaded.
"No... mother can't! No, it can't be true—" cried the young princess, Cornelia pulled her into another embrace, this time tighter, in an attempt of comfort. Then, Nunnally started to cry. Cornelia held her firmly close. She herself finally gave way, and streaks of moisture flowed down her delicate cheeks, while muffled screams of anguish are against her.
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Looking through the binoculars again, a fiendish grin spread across the figure's face.
"Good work, I didn't expect to hit the boy though…" the figure only shrugged it off, "Oh well, it happened, so be it" and turned to the other individuals packing up their gear.
"Pack up, and don't leave any trace."
"Yes Sir."
"Lets depart shall we? Make yourselves useful and make sure we get out undetected"
The figure's hand shone brightly, and then a moment later, all five people were gone, each vanishing into thin air.
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Schneizel stood by and watched the attendees carry Lady Marianne's body away. He turned towards the leader of the guards as the man stood at attention.
"Did you catch the assassin?"
The leader of the guards shook his head, this caused Schneizel to knit his brows. "I'm sorry, Milord. The intruder was nowhere to be found. We had tried searching the entire area, but to no avail. A guard team reported that he heard rifle fire from the building opposite the Aries Villa, probably from the roof. But as soon as the group got there, there was nothing. There were not even any traces My Lord, and that is weird. Curiously, there is a possibility that the perpetrators may had accomplices along side them."
"Very well. Increase the security around the area. Though I doubt that the assassin will return, the fact that an intruder had managed to pass through the palace is a matter of highest concern. You are dismissed." said the prince and the guards excused themselves.
Cornelia gazed up towards him as Schneizel turned towards her. "Look after Nunnally. I'm going to Lelouch —" said the second princess leaving the halls going towards the medical bay. Schneizel sighed while he glanced towards the sleeping Nunnally. Earlier trauma had caused the young princess to fall unconscious after crying herself out. He ran her hand over Nunnally's head before slowly carrying her on his back. He rose and started towards the upstairs' bedroom. Several of the servants came out, and hastily, hurriedly they tried to clean the blood stains from the floor.
Schneizel gave them a fleeting glance before walking away with Nunnally altogether.
Today had been such a bad day. A very... bad day, but disastrous or calamitous would be closer to describing it.
To Be Continued
Authors Notes:
My first ever fan fiction. I hope you liked it. If ever should I have done any mistakes and errors, please inform me of such. And if any would like to voice out guidance, suggestions and improvement on my writing skills, please do so, for I am but a newcomer to the field of english literature.
I have made changes to the age of the characters, among them:
Lelouch, 13 years old
Nunnally, 11 years old
Schneizel, 20 years old
Cornelia, 15/16/17 years old. Undecided
Clovis, 15/16 years old. Also undecided
Euphemia, 11 years old
I have my own reasons in making these modifications. Some of which is because that I thought the age gap between Lelouch and Nunnally with the rest of their half siblings is just to wide. So, I reduced the gap, with the exception of Schneizel.
Thank you for reading.
