Chapter 2: Second chance

It was close to one in the afternoon when she woke up. Cornelia blushed when she found herself snuggling against her knight. His body heat felt soothing as she kept her arms surrounding his stomach. Guilford had already fallen asleep on her bed while holding her in a protective embrace.

Cornelia realized there was something about him that kept her calm. It wasn't because he was her knight that he had a way with settling her down. There was just something about him that made her smile that afternoon.

Guilford slept so peacefully on her soft bed. His snoring was light and hardly an annoyance to her. He breathed calmly and with so much ease, causing her to fall asleep again.

Cornelia didn't want to let a moment such as this go away. Her knight had always remained loyal but also kind to her as well. There was something more she felt than just being good friends with him.

Nunnally had wheeled herself out of the elevator. Her wheelchair moved to her sister's bedroom where she slept close to her knight. The young girl felt she was at fault for what happened that morning.

"Cornelia… can I talk to you?" She didn't want to go further into her sister's bedroom without getting stuck. "We have to talk about what went on this morning."

Cornelia groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. She sat up and gave a large yawn while her arms stretched high. Guilford had woken up too with his cheeks turning bright red upon realizing he fell asleep with her.

"What is it you wish to talk about?" She looked at her sister with a calm look. "I do apologize for my outburst this morning but… you know how much he gets on my nerves."

"It's me that should apologize. I shouldn't have let him attend the meeting. We don't really have a good council right now." She frowned. "But it's still going to be okay because Zero ordered him listen to my ideas. He also ordered him to stop fighting with you all the time too."

"Zero… did that?" She was surprised since he was the one who killed her sister. "I don't believe you. Zero was the one that killed Euphemia."

"But it's not a lie, Cornelia! Zero serves me now as my knight. I was upset this morning because of what Schneizel said to you." Tears rolled down her cheeks. "I know that Zero killed our sister but… he wouldn't do anything that I objected to."

Cornelia kneeled down in front of her sister and smiled. Her mind was always thinking of others and not of herself. Nunnally always worried about people who still were without homes, who were starving to death and who lost something dear to them.

"You're right. Zero isn't a bad person after all." She wiped the tears from her eyes. "I can never forgive him for killing Euphy but… I can accept him as your knight."

Guilford was sitting on top of her bed still. There wasn't really much he could say in the matter. Euphemia never seemed found of the knight Cornelia chose as her own so maybe that's why he couldn't say anything.

"Anyway, there are more important matters to attend to." She stood up and helped Nunnally out of her bedroom. "I can't believe I slept all day though." Her cheeks turned red.

"I don't think I've ever seen you sleep so close to Guilford either." Nunnally started to giggle. "There isn't something you aren't telling me, is there?" She looked up to see her sister's cheeks even redder.

"Of course not. I have no idea where you get those crazy thoughts, Nunnally." She looked away while scowling.

"Cornelia, you should just admit you're in love with your knight." The voice that made her fists clench spoke behind her. "I would have thought much better of you."

"What do you have against me? We used to be so close as children and now we are jumping down each others throats." She tried to remain calm. "You will never be the brother to me that you were during our childhood."

"My, my Cornelia… you might as well just stick a knife through my heart." He frowned at her. "After all, I was ordered by Zero to apologize to you."

Cornelia couldn't stand the man her brother was. She pushed her sister's wheelchair into her room where Zero waited. Seeing the one who had killed Euphemia before her eyes didn't make the situation any better.

No one knew that Suzaku was really underneath that Zero costume. To the world, he was known only as Zero. It was the fate he had received in order to stay alive and protect Nunnally.

Therefore he had to act like Zero even when he felt it was impossible. Suzaku wanted nothing more but reveal that identity. The reason he had ordered Schneizel to cut the remarks about Euphemia was for his sake, as well as Cornelia's as well.

"You may protect my sister as a knight and I accept that for her sake. However, you will never be anything more to me than the one who killed my sister Euphemia." She said with an angry tone. "It's going to take a lot more than telling Schneizel to leave Euphemia out of affairs to earn my trust."

"I have no intention of gaining your trust. I only wish that you would put all the past discretions behind us." He spoke as if in the words of Zero.

"We'll see." She replied as she walked out of the room. "As for you, I will never see you as my favorite brother ever again."

Guilford was sitting on her bed where he had stayed. He didn't find it necessary to constantly follow his princess. Cornelia wasn't like other princesses. Her abilities were far greater than anyone he had ever met.

Not only was she a good knightmare pilot and a talented solider but she was also a skilled swordsman. This had made her into the unique woman he was still devoted to.

Most princesses would spend their time buying unnecessary things. Others would spend time worrying about appearance or worry about little matters that normal woman had enjoyed.

That wasn't the kind of woman she had been. Her appearance was important but she didn't find it so important that her wardrobe had to be filled with clothes. Nor did she take interest in things a normal girl would thrive for.

Guilford continued to think about why he was still alive. It still made him wonder why he had survived in the first place. The F.L.I.E.J.A was meant for destruction to anything that got in its way.

Everyone thought he died in the blast, even the princess herself. Nothing seemed to add up as to why he was given a second chance. That was until she walked into the room with an angry expression.

A beautiful goddess-like face with tears streaming down her delicate cheeks. Something had set her off like a rocket again. His heart sank when she slammed the door behind her.

"Did something happen that I should know about, princess?" He replied as her head buried itself into his lap. "You haven't been having a very good day. It's really starting to concern me."

"It was just something that happened but… someone." She turned to look up at him with her head still in his lap. "…and there was more than one too."

"Do you want to talk about it?" His tone was calm and soothing, much better than the two voices she hated hearing. "It doesn't help to bottle things up inside."

Guilford look down at her as his fingertips rubbed her forehead. They moved to her cheeks, going back up to her forehead and down her nose. Cornelia's cheeks turned a bright red when he did this.

"What's there to talk about?" She smiled as he looked down at her. "The fact that Schneizel is a selfish bastard or that Zero killed Euphemia?" Her smile flipped upside down.

"Those two again, huh?" His voice was always calm. "You really should give Zero a chance though. I know you can't forgive him for what he did but…"

"Yeah… I know. I have to give him credit though… he is very loyal to my sister. It makes me happy that there is someone to look after her." She sighed.

"And that is why you should accept him." He continued to run his fingertips over her forehead. "What are we going to do tomorrow?"

"I'll tell you what we're going to do…" She sat up with a stern look. "Get the hell out of this palace for one day. I need to get away from that… bastard." Her fists clenched with anger. "If I have to see his face one more time I'm going to—"

Guilford placed his hand on her fist, loosening the tight grip it held. Her cheeks turned a bright red as he rubbed it with his other hand. Cornelia could almost feel her knight's concern.

"I don't mean to make you worry so much." She replied in a softer tone. "Still, I guess that's why I'm glad I still have you." Her fingers wrapped around his with a smile.

"Of course you'll always have me, princess." His hand moved to her cheek. "I'm the only person who would never let you down." He let his thumb rub against her cheek.

Cornelia found her lips moving close to his with no intent. Her heart was racing through her chest as his breath brushed her lips. Guilford could feel the sensation of her lips pressing against his cheek.

Of course she wouldn't really kiss me on the lips… He thought without frowning. That just isn't like her.

Cornelia chuckled as his cheeks were filled with redness. It wasn't a kiss on the lips but it still meant more to him than he imagined. Guilford was starting to realize why he was given a second chance to live.