A Few Days Later

Mara was feeling wonderful. She had spent the past few days discovering everything she could about her Geass. Her abilities made her feel invincible. She could take on anyone. And with a little thinking, anything and everything would work in her favor.

"-unfortunately the whereabouts of the escaped prisoners has yet to be discovered. Some say that they are planning an attack of terror on the city-" she had turned on the T.V. to see the news streaming. She paid more attention since they were now talking about the prisoners she had influenced, "Soon to be King Victor Kennsingtons commented on this matter earlier-" the picture changed from the overdressed news anchor to Victor. He was dressed in all white with gold trimmings.

"'I for one think that these prisoners should turn themselves in. They would have been able to live normal lives but they broke the law and must pay the price of their actions-'", the screen cut back to the anchor, "And now to our weather man-" she switched the T.V. off. She wasn't even sure why she turned it on in the first place, it was such an irritation.

"Seems like you have more of a handle on your Geass now," C.C. was standing in the doorway of the shop.

"C.C.! Where did you go off to? I thought maybe you had been killed…again!" Mara grinned as she put down her work and greeted her.

"So tell me, about your Geass. Have you controlled it?"

Mara nodded excitedly, "I've tested it thoroughly. It seems to be some type of emotion manipulation," Mara didn't want to say too much about her discoveries. Even though C.C. had given her powers, she wasn't sure that she would be an ally. It would be best to keep some information to herself.

"Hmmm interesting," C.C. knew all about her Geass already. She had been watching her closely since the day they met. Her power was in fact manipulation, but it was more than that as well. She could amplify or negate an existing emotion, and she could create an emotion. C.C. figured the effects would be stronger or weaker depending on her own emotions. It was a powerful Geass, yet it had a weakness. She couldn't use the same emotion on a person twice. She could use her Geass on the same person but she wouldn't be able to manipulate the same emotion twice. What a foolish girl, she watched as Mara tried to make the officer trust her more. She was lucky the officer didn't think anything of it. C.C. wondered if she should follow this girl. Her life had been pretty dull as of late, but Mara seemed to be alive with the will to change the world. Perhaps she will be of interest…"So what is your plan?"

Mara looked at her questioningly, should I tell…can I trust her? , "I plan to create an alliance of strength to overthrow the nobility,"

"Hmmm and how do you plan to do that?"

Mara glared at C.C. searching for answers but found the immortal to be impossible to read, "How do I know I can trust you?"

C.C. sighed. She thought that Mara would ask her such a thing. But what could she say? It is not as if she shared the same beliefs as her. She had lived too long to care of such things, "I'm neither your ally or your enemy. Think of me as an innocent bystander that will know the hands of both players and watch the match unfold," she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Mara heard the jingle of the store shops door, "Shit!" she quickly ripped off her work apron and ran to the store, closing the workshop's door behind her, "Hello, welcome to Mr. Clark's-" she looked at the customer and sighed, "Oh it's just you Victor," Mara had to control her emotions. The more emotionless she remained the more control over her power she had. She didn't want to manipulate him on accident anymore. She might need him later.

"You know you have to call me King Kennsingtons soon," he grinned proudly.

Maybe…and maybe not, "You said you need a sword made for the ceremony right?" he nodded and Mara grabbed the paper work from under the show case, "Feel free to look around the store room and get a feel for the design. After you pick the style you want you just need to fill out the paper work, and make sure to write down when you would like the sword completed by," Mara handed him the paperwork without making eye contact. Through her discovery of her powers she realized that she needed eye contact with the person in order to use it; the eyes are the window into the soul after all…

"Ahh, yes. Of course," Victor took the small stack of papers from her, "Look, Mara about the other day…" she shouldn't have enjoyed this as much as she did. The fact that a noble was going to apologize to her almost made it worth the loss of anger control on him, "I'm sorry I got so upset…I don't know what came over me…"

She had caused that anger. It was her who had forced his anger out of him. Yet she felt enraged by this apology. She didn't like knowing that the future King of her home was the kind of person to be so easily manipulated, "What kind of King do you intend to be with such a flimsy resolve? Is anger a crime? Why would the King ever apologize to lowly commoner like myself?" the shock on Victor's face forced Mara back to her senses. What was she doing? If she was going to change things, she needed to protect herself until the plan was in motion. Yet here she was, yelling at the "King to be" about his problems, "Forget it, I'll just send Mr. Clark to help you," she turned around and walked back into the workshop.

"Mara wait I-"

"Oh ho! Victor Kennsington the King to be. I'm honored that your family continues to use my work," Mr. Clark rushed happily down the stairs to him. He was a man that embodied mid-life crisis. He tanned his skin and wore his hair in a ponytail. His clothes were all of designer names, "Now let's talk design. I'm thinking something a little longer but lighter as well. Oooh what about a green hilt? Or perhaps you'd like something more gilded…"


Victor sighed. He never knew why Mara grew to despise him so. They had been such close friends he thought. The three of them grew up together as best friends. Yet now it was just him and Davis. Mara had left their group. It seemed as though Davis had hated her as well…I wonder if something happened between them. Could it have been Davis' fault that Mara holds such a resentment toward me?

Mr. Clark spoke with him for a whole hour before going out to get them both some drinks. Victor stared at the many sword designs in the booklet before him. His mind couldn't be further from swords. He turned his head to hear the sound of metal banging. From the workshop? But Mr. Clark left…his curiosity peaked he walked slowly to the wooden door that lead to the workshop. Dink, dink, dink, it was the sound of a metal hammer against warm steel. But who is forging?

Mara had taken a nap after she left Victor to Mr. Clark. When she awoke she noticed the time telling her she was an hour behind. She sighed, there were too many deadlines for her to not pull herself off of the chair she had slept in to work. She started to work on a sword that was being made for the Baron Miles. He had broken his original sword and when Mara told him that it could be fixed instead of buying a new one, the Baron laughed at her saying that the broken cannot be fixed, only live with the burden of weakness. It had made her smile. To think that a Baron might actually agree with her without realizing it. The Baron would be the first to go. He was the third cousin of the King's Uncle and was given the title Baron because he wanted to be of a noble character. How ridiculous…

Victor peaked through the small hole in the door to see Mara was the one forging a sword. He covered his mouth to prevent a gasp, she's not allowed to touch swords for the nobles! She could be killed if someone were to find out! Through his panic, he couldn't help but smile as he saw a spark fly into her hair, singeing it slightly. Well that explains that mystery…Her hair had never looked worse. It was a shame really, Victor remembered her being quite lovely when her hair was properly cared for and not burned and ripped. She should at least tie her hair up when she works…

What was this? Shouldn't he as the new King follow the rules of the world that he lived in? Mara should be arrested. It is a serious crime for the poor class to touch the sacred swords of the noble family. Yet why did he hesitate? Would he show the same hesitation if it were any other person in the poor class? Was it Mara that made his limbs still? He thought so. Mara had always been his closest friend. He had lost her, but now he found a way to bring her back. He knew her secret. He could fix this.

He sat back in his cushioned seat and turned up the T.V. until he couldn't hear the clinks of her work, "Mara!"


Mara almost threw her hammer at the sound of Victor's voice. How could I be so careless? She went upstairs through the workshop as quietly as she could.

"Mara!" he called again and she winced, I'm coming I'm coming don't get your panties in a wad…

Now in her small room she took a quick glance at her face in the mirror and rubbed off the black ash from her cheek before going down the staircase that lead to the store, "Yes?" she was relieved to see the T.V. was on. Maybe he didn't notice…could I be that lucky? She looked at him suspiciously.

"I have a question for you," he turned down the T.V. and flipped through the catalog, "I'm not really interested in any of these designs, is there any way we could do something really grand and new. Something never done before?" he grinned, this will give her a chance to practice her work and really show off her skills. She's probably overjoyed.

"Since it's what the Prince wants, I'm sure we could do anything that you'd like…" What an arrogant fool. Of course the new King would want something flashy and grand. I'll be sure to make the blade dull since you won't ever swing it anyways.

"Well then, I'll leave it in your capable hands," he stood and laid a hand on her shoulder, "Tell Mr. Clark that he can do whatever he wants. I give him the artistic freedom to make a truly unique sword for me," he smiled and left the shop. The sun was setting and it was falling on his shoulders with a warmth that made him happy. Surely she is happy. I have made her life a little more exciting by giving her the chance to show her skills. She will come to be my friend again, she will rejoin us.

Mara clenched her jaw and her fists. It wasn't usual that she felt so irritated by him, but this was serious. She didn't trust him. It was best to assume the worst, he had seen her in the workshop and this farce of his was to catch her making the sword for the noble family. Since when did that impudent brat have a spine? She couldn't help but smile. Perhaps Victor wasn't the comforted Prince she knew him to be. Perhaps this attack of his was the start of a King of power.

She sighed and leaned against the wall, her life would never be so lucky. Besides, it doesn't matter if he is a strong King, one King cannot change the world. It takes an army of strong ideals. An army of demanding views and follows that share those views. It wasn't something that Victor would be able to do. She lightly pushed her head into the wall, she needed to strengthen her resolve. If she waited too long her plan could unravel itself before it even began.

In the Forest Outside the City Limits

"Ulli, I'm hungry!" a small girl rolled on the ground flailing her limbs around.

"How many times have I told you Tens?! My name isn't Ulli goddammit! What kind of badass is named Ulli?!" the man jumped up from the stump he had been sitting on with a knife in hand.

"Hungry, hungry, hungry," the girl named Tens ignored his banter and continued to whine on the ground.

"Leave the girl alone Ulrich, you know she'll never learn," an old man sat near the fire stirring a pot of soup, "Don't worry Tens, dinner's almost ready, why don't you go tell Brand?"

The girls shot up at the idea of food and happily ran off toward a tent, "Brandy, brandy brandy!"

Ulrich fell back on his stump and continued to whittle away at a piece of wood with his knife.

"What is it that has you so focused?" the old man known as Winston didn't look at Ulrich while he spoke.

"That girl from that city," he flicked wood shavings from his knife and blew the rest off the block, "There's something about it that I can't explain,"

"It's a shame that none of us were there to see her. You went to that blacksmith with four other escapees. What was it that she said again?"

Ulrich shook his head, "It wasn't what she said…it was something else, there was this feeling she put off, like pride? She was so prideful, and strong I just," he let his head hang in front of his chest, his dark blue hair moving slightly with the wind, "I don't know how to explain it Winston. It was just…something,"

The old man nodded. He knew very well of what Ulrich meant. Through his long life he knew that there were those kinds of people that stood straighter than the others. Their arms seemed to hold more, their hearts seemed to be anchored to nothing. He had been one of those men at some point in his life, but that time had passed.

"Winny I brought Brandy!" the young girl jumped over happily and sat next to Winston hoping to be served first.

As he passed out the bowls he couldn't help but feel the sweet air of freedom. How long had they all been locked away in that prison? Winston had seen people come and go, some died, some released, yet he was always there. In fact he didn't expect to escape with the others. His cell was further away, there weren't many that even knew that he was back there. Ulrich had run over asking if he wanted to live forever in a cage. Winston's own dim flame had been relit by the young energized man. He decided he would escape, see where the last leg of his life would take him.

Tens was the first one to react to the snapping tree branch. She set down her meal quickly, but carefully. She was already moving by the time Ulrich saw the intruder, "Tens wait!"

The cloaked intruder easily blocked the short daggers thrown by Tens with their own sword. Tens wouldn't be defeated that easily. She ran in for a frontal attack, but the intruder pushed the small girls under her boot.

"Let me go! Let me go you freak!" Tens squirmed under the weight of the intruders boot.

"I think you're misunderstanding something little girl," the intruder pulled the cloak from their head, "It was you that attacked me,"

Ulrich stood up, his hand clenched tightly around the unfinished block in his hand, "It's you!"

Mara flashed him a smile, "I see I found the right prisoners," she sheathed her sword and lifted her leg from the small girl, "I've come with a proposition for you and your brethren,"

The Police Station

Davis sat in his desk with his head staring up at the light above him. His mind felt heavy, over what?

"Hey congrats Lieutenant Waldstein!" one of his subordinates called from outside as they left the building.

The days of Chief Davis Waldstein were over. He had been promoted to Lieutenant, his job was now to be the head of security for the Kennsingtons. He would no longer walk the streets looking for small crimes, he would no longer be an officer for the people. He would be a guard for the nobles, for Victor. He sighed. What kind of person gets depressed over a promotion?

He wondered if he should tell Mara. Would she be proud of him? Probably not, Mara would probably be disappointed in him, telling him not to leave his duty to the citizens that need protecting for the Nobles who have their cushioned lives. Why did Mara come to his head in the first place? Two years of torment and hate lead me to what? Back to where I started?

The truth was, he felt guilty toward Mara. The family he lived in hated how close yet far they were from nobility. The Waldstein wanted more, they wanted nobility. They weren't happy with Middle High Class. Their friendship with the Kennsingtons only made it harder for them to accept their place. As a child, Davis didn't realize the gap in social standing. He was playmates with a Prince and the daughter of a maid. What an absurd family. Even through his schooling he never noticed that his best friends weren't with him. Victor was privately tutored in his caste, Mara wasn't sent to school. Her mother couldn't afford it. It was Victor who taught her how to read and write. When Davis found out, he helped too. They were her teachers. Davis had asked him mother why Mara didn't go to school with him and she panicked when she realized who Mara was.

Davis was forbidden from playing with "trash". He didn't understand what she meant, but at the time he didn't care. Mara was his friend and he wouldn't abandon her. As they grew older Mara's mother became sick and Mara became a maid for the Kennsingtons at only 13 years old. It was then that Davis began to realize the pecking order. He understood his only place and cursed his parents for wishing him to reach higher. He knew that Victor was above him, the Prince. But Mara, Mara was so far below him he wouldn't be able to see her from where he stood. She was the lowest of the low at that time. Her mother made no salary, she worked to keep the pantry of a room they lived in deep inside the manor. He hated her.

He hated that Mara was able to stand in such a place being as poor as she was. Then the day came, the day her mother died.

Davis shook the thoughts out of his head. He was already upset, there was no need to dig himself deeper. He pushed all thought of Mara out of his head, no matter how guilty he felt, he could push it away. He had lived all this time doing so. He shuffled his hands through his hair and let out a frustrated sigh, "Come on Davis Waldstein, snap out of it. You're better than this!" he threw the last of his belongings in his bag and turned out the light in what was once his office.

Starting tomorrow, he would have a new office. An office that his hateful parents would be more pleased with.


I want to start by thanking my first review! I couldn't reply to you as you were a guest, but I wanted to make sure and explain that this story is before Charles was even born. The Britannian Empire doesn't exist. So the chances of characters from the cannon isn't really possible due to the difference in the timeline. What I am doing, (which after reading this chapter you may have noticed) is I'm using ancestors from the cannon. Davis Waldstein is the ancestor of Bismark Waldstein that is the Knight of One in the cannon.

Depending on how the story goes and where the adventure takes me, there is a chance that the timeline will catch up to the cannon, but I won't make any promises on chapter two! You'll have to keep up with the story to find out!