I have to apologize for three things. One, in the last one I spelled Kallen as Colin, and that is obviously incorrect. It should be spelled right in this chapter. Also, the updates might be a little slower than my last stories, but not too bad. Also, Lelouch doesn't appear in this chapter. As much as I love him, he didn't fit into this little snippet whatsoever. He should be appearing a lot more after this, though.
Lelouch: I'm fine with sitting this one out. I have studying to do anyway.
SnowyNeko: But..but…I'M SORRY!
Lelouch: Ack! She's back on my arm! C.C, help!
C.C: Could you please leave him alone, miss author?
SnowyNeko: Ignore it, and I'll buy you all the pizza you want.
C.C: *Goes back to eating her pizza*
Nunnally: Brother, is something bothering you?
Lelouch: Uh, no Nunnally. I'm fine.
SnowyNeko: Oh, hi Nunnally! How are you?
Nunnally: I'm doing very well, miss author. Are you hanging out with my brother again?
SnowyNeko: Yup!
Nunnally: I'm glad you're his friend. He can be a little cold at times to other people.
Lelouch: Hey!
SnowyNeko: Unfortunately, I do not own any of Code Geass or my precious Lelouch. On with the story!
Not only does Clovis order a retreat, but also told the Britannian soldiers not to harm anyone and treat the injured, both Britannians and elevens. Clovis has never particularly been anti-Japanese, but he never really cared for them. He just sort of let them be.
Reluctant soldiers escort everyone alive out of the disintegrating city. I exit along with them, camouflaged by from familiar eyes by the sheer mass of the crowd. Every here and there, I catch a terrorist doing the same thing I am. In a situation like this, it really is the safest course of action.
The only thing that actually distinguishes regular everyday citizens from the rebels is the expression on their faces. Mine matches that of the terrorists. The closest rebel to me is a girl probably my age, with pinkish red hair cut to her shoulders. Her face isn't afraid, nor is it saddened. Her eyes portray a sort of solemn defiance unlike those around her.
As much as one might try to hide, their past and what they've been through shines out through their eyes. They're the windows to the soul, as the old saying goes.
From what I see, I conclude her anger sprouts from her pride as a Japanese. She's had the disgrace to have her name and country stripped from her, and she has that look of determination to do something about that. There's no doubt in my mind she's an active rebel through and through, and likely an important one.
While I'm studying her, I carelessly neglect to watch exactly where I'm going. I collide with an agitated soldier, tripping.
"Watch it, you damned eleven!" he hisses venomously. I keep my head down, a smile spreading across my face as I chuckle to myself. If only he knew who he was cursing at. "Not going to apologize? Ungrateful bitch!" He raises his gun, not to shoot, but to hit me. I duck as he brings it down, scolding myself. I shouldn't have provoked him. If I get a visible injury, people will get suspicious when I return to the villa. I can't afford my treason to be revealed so soon. He misses, but only by a hair.
"Please stop it!" The girl I had been analyzing earlier rushes to my side, holding her hands up as a shield. "She was nearly slaughtered a minute ago! Please, spare her." Her terrified peasant impersonation fools the guard, who lowers his weapon with a grunt. In her eyes, however, I can see how much it irritates her to be begging a Britannian dog.
As the man walks away, I give her my thanks. "You have my gratitude. I promise I'll pay you back someday."
"I expect you to," she tells me, holding out her hand. "You're Tori, aren't you. I saw you climbing out of your knightmare once Prince Clovis called off the attack."
I clasp her hand and shake it. "I'm Tori," I confirm. "I prefer not to share my last name so freely."
"Kallen. I prefer the same." There's a moment of silence and we continue to evacuate. After a minute or two, I glance over at her.
"So, why is a Britannian student like you fighting?" I question, confused. I had been almost certain she was an eleven, judging by the look in her eyes. She draws a small blade, under the impression I can't see it.
"How do you know that?"
I ignore the knife, settling for looking straight ahead. "Your phone," I say simply.
Her cellphone is resting on her ear; likely, she forgot to take it off after her last call. It's extremely recognizable to me, as it's provided by all Britannian schools. Clovis hadn't thought schools were his forte, so he left the school regulations in my charge. The school phones are for when students are absent. I may have the same line of thinking of many rebels, but I'm not an idiot. Everyone needs to be educated whether they're ele…Japanese, or not. I made it so that when a student is sick or on vacation, they can take lessons from their teachers on those specific phones. Of course, the over-the-phone lessons are monitored to make sure they're used for nothing except that.
Kallen's hand flies to her ear. Hurriedly, she fumbles to remove her phone and stuff it in her pocket. The knife vanishes from her hand.
"My mother was Japanese," she mentions dismissively.
I raise an eyebrow. "Was?" She averts her gaze, but her voice holds what I can't see in her eyes.
"That woman is no mother of mine."
"My mother is Japanese as well," I confess. "But my father isn't." He's definitely not an eleven. When mom had me, the emperor didn't even know she was an eleven. As soon as he found out, she was sentenced to death and the scandal was publicized. I was mentioned, being the third imperial princess, but only unofficially. The stand in is sister Euphemia, who is the third princess by sanctioned title. I am very rarely mentioned in Britannian politics or in the family line of succession. There are plenty of common folk who have never even heard of me.
The fact that I'm barely recognized as the emperor's daughter is one of the facts I don't have my own name. Every child from a different mother has a name unique to their maternal figure except me. For the first few years of my life I was simply Victoria Britannia. I adopted the vi from one of my half brothers that I used to play with all the time when I was younger.
When Kallen turns back to me, her demeanor is a little more open. "A half-blood? You do know that you're technically a Britannian citizen, then, right?"
I nod. "I know, but neither of my parents ever gave me the choice to attend a Britannian school, so I've always considered myself Japanese." I've had royal tutors before, sure, but as a princess I've never socialized with any regular Britannians or elevens. I would say I'm perfectly okay with that, but that would be a lie.
"Do you want to?" she ventures, not noticing she's slipped out of her formal manner.
"I may be a bit curious."
"I could enroll you at my school, if you like," she offers. "You could be attending by tomorrow."
"I'd be missing school quite a lot if I am to fight with you guys, won't I?" I point out. As much as I'd love a chance to act like a normal teenager, there would be obvious troubles, the biggest being my consistent absence from the villa. But maybe if there are dorms and the officials back at the villa consent to my attendance…
Seeing my inner debate, Kallen says, "I can enroll you as my cousin who always takes care of me when I'm 'sick'. That way no one will question your absence."
I consider this, only just keeping a straight face. She's offering me something I probably won't get again. Not only am I getting a free pass into the rebellion, but an opportunity at a somewhat normal school life. This isn't something that comes along everyday, and I want it.
"I would appreciate it," I tell her.
"Then we'll head to my house and-"
"Can I just meet you at the school?" I interject. It might be nationally broadcast if I randomly drop off the radar. I have to get permission, as much as I'd like to stick my tongue in their faces and go without it. I'll have to somehow sort it out with Clovis and his advisors.
"Why?" she asks, automatically suspicious. With her life, that's to be expected.
"I have to find my family," I lie. "I have to be sure they're alright before I leave them alone for so long."
Her expression turns ashamed. Her eyes tell me she feels horrible for asking something so obvious while it very well could be that my entire family was killed. That's the way she sees it, anyway.
"I'll have your uniforms prepared then," she notes. "I'll be waiting for you tomorrow morning at the gates of Ashford Academy. Do you know where that is?"
I nearly laugh. All I had been hoping for was a school with dorms, so my disappearances after school wouldn't be a problem as it would if I had to go home to the villa. It only had to be suitable enough for a royal not to spit at it, and I had thought a place like Ashford was too much to hope for! Run primarily by the Ashford family, Ashford Academy is the most prestigious Britannian school in all of Area 11. This must be too good to be true!
"Thank you for everything, Kallen. I'll see you tomorrow."
"No problem," she assures me. "I look forward to fighting with you."
I'm overjoyed when I encounter little resistance of my going to school at the villa. I tell them all I'll take care of it and no one will recognize me, and that's all it takes. I don't have to even mention the school. Something else seems to have them all preoccupied, but it doesn't concern me as far as I can tell so I shake it off. I figure they must all be in shock from Clovis's retreat order.
I don't even realize Clovis's absence that night.
This chapter was almost like a prologue. It tells you how a princess like her begins going to Ashford Academy in the first place. I think Kallen and she will become close friends. In the next chapter, the story should really start to move along. I can't wait!
Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!
