Ironically enough even though this is a gift for a friend I need her advice on a few things, (Dresses, ball setting and all that) so you get the interlude to the chaos. Hope you don't mind it being so short, and I doubly hope you enjoy it Lily!
Oh, and if you all feel up to it, please review ^_^
"So let me get this straight," Viceroy Cornelia li Britannia began as she adjusted her reading glasses, in no way noticing her longtime compatriot Guilford gulping as she gently nibbled on the back end of her pen, glaring down at the various reports spread across her desk. "Zero, the terrorist who murdered my brother, rescued my sister, and has been a general pain in the ass for the past few weeks is wasting his time taking out drug dealers?"
"Yes ma'am!" A now blushing Guilford stated, averting his gaze and doing his best to think of none sexy things, like polo, Wall Street, and the Emperor. "It appears that the Black Knights are at the moment focusing on a 'Win the Hearts and Minds' campaign, we tried something similar a few times in the past. It usually doesn't work."
Cornelia sighed as she tossed her pen and glasses on the desk, leaning back in her chair while groaning in annoyance, "It didn't work because we were invading them at the time. This is different, Refrain is a rot to society, you know it and I know it, and even with the horrific side effects there's no reason to doubt there is a market for it in a brutally subjugated populace. The past is usually rather bittersweet after all, which is often times better than the present."
Guilford was silent for a moment before quietly stating, "We're the ones brutally subjugating them though."
Cornelia rolled her eyes at that, "We're brutally subjugating them because it's policy! If the Emperor were to suddenly demand that I hand out ice cream sundaes to the lot of Elevens I would do that as well! After, of course, briefly wondering if father lost his mind, but that's beside the point."
There was a few moments of silence before Cornelia let out an exasperated sigh, "You're thinking of ice cream now aren't you?"
Deciding that stating "No, I was thinking of you, a bottle of chocalate syrup, and Barry White playing in the background," would in fact not endear him to the Princess Guildford was prepared to agree with the statement when the office doors swung open allowing the entrance of a pink projectile.
A distraught Euphemia rushed into the room crying as she rushed her big sister enveloping her in a hug, she soon let out a plaintive wail into the perplexed woman's shoulder who for her part pulled the girl closer on reflex.
Shooting a befuddled look at Guildford, who for his part could only shrug in confusion, Cornelia began rubbing her sister's back until her sobbing quieted down enough to be heard over.
"Shhh little one, what has happened that has you in such a state?"
Euphemia wailed again, then muttered something that neither adult could understand. Waiting with the patience of someone who has had to rely on low bred half educated sycophants most of her career Cornelia was eventually rewarded with an intelligible response.
"It's Suzaku!"
The Eleven?! Oh Cornelia was going to fucking murder him! Did he touch Euphie?! Did he try to force himself on her!? Oh the pain she was goin-
"He's going to the Ashford ball and he asked someone else out and not me!"
Wait...what?
What the literal fuck?
That was it?
"Uhh..." Cornelia began rather intelligently. Everything she did was intelligent after all, even genuine confusion.
"I don't even know who the harlot is! When I demanded to know he backed away from me, spin kicked off three walls and ended up on top of Dairy Queen before he ran away from me!"
Guilford sighed at that, ok now he wanted ice cream, ugh.
"And why, did the young man feel it necessary to flee?" At that Euphemia broke her sisters hug while turning scarlet and quickly glanced away mumbling to herself. Sighing yet again Cornelia shook her head slowly in exasperation, "I didn't quite catch that Euphie."
The pinkette sighed looking thoroughly embarrassed before quietly stating, "I may have demanded the girls name so I could have her cast in irons and tossed into the dungeons..."
Guilford blinked at that before pinching the bridge of his nose, "We don't have dungeons Princess Euphemia. We have a detention block yes, but no dungeons."
Euphemia blushed deeper at that, "Oh...I didn't know that..."
Cornelia dearly wished she had a drink at the moment, perking up slightly as she remembered that there was in fact a bottle of brandy in her desk she silently began willing her sister to leave so she could indulge.
"While I do approve of your rather cutthroat attitude when it comes to competition did this Eleven-"
"Suzaku," Euphemia interrupted.
"Did this Eleven even know you were romantically interested in him? And why were you interested in him anyway? You're a princess, he's a number-"
"Honorary Britannian," she interrupted once again.
Cornelia continued without missing a beat, "-Or at the very least a commoner and unfit to be courting a member of royalty." Euphemia had broken out the puppy eyes at that, and damn it all if they weren't just as effective now as they were when they were kids. Sighing Cornelia grasped her little sisters hands and decided she was seriously done with this teenage angst insanity.
"Euphie, what do you want me to do?" The pinkette sniffed and glanced away before whispering out her reply.
"Find out who he would choose over me..."
Cornelia, despite her dislike of numbers could honestly feel for Sergeant Kururugi at the moment, even though she was overprotective of her little sister she could admit this was a little...above and beyond what was expected. That being said, it really wouldn't waste anything other than a few operatives time for a day at most to find out so she begrudgingly agreed.
If only she knew the anthill that decision would kick over...She'd still do it of course, she would have just brought popcorn and a folding chair to witness the end results.
I find writing Cornelia and Guilford to be oddly entertaining, ok take care all, and please review!