Chapter Three: Medieval

Rolo sulked in the gardens, nearly shuffling his way down the path.

The king was out of the country, leaving his queen in charge. Rolo had bristled at the slight to him as Lelouch's heir, but he hadn't been able to voice his objections. He had seen what had happened to the last man that had voiced any objection to the queen. That man had suffered an unfortunate mishap on the battlefield and his fortune had disappeared overnight. Everyone knew what had really happened, but everyone kept silent, which made it all worse.

He knew what Lelouch had been before he had married C.C. His uncle had been a fair king. They had kept within their borders and there had been peace. And then Lelouch had answered a call from one of his cousins to save her kingdom, and he had answered. Rolo had been left in charge of then, Lelouch trusting his heir. But then Lelouch had gone had married the witch and everything had changed. Suddenly he was always at war, taking his army out as soon as the fields were planted to strike against the other kingdoms. Slowly, Lelouch had accrued a kingdom from there.

Everyone said that they were happier, that there was now peace across the whole of England, but Rolo doubted that. He could remember what it had been like before, and that had been better. Lelouch had been better before he had been bewitched.

It was the only conclusion that Rolo could draw. C.C. wasn't even a proper name, but that what she insisted on being called. When he had looked into her, there had been nothing; she wasn't even from a noble family. For all he knew, she had sprung fully formed from the ground. Rolo winced at that. Lelouch was part of the royal line, and it was up to him to keep that royal line going so they could remain in the favor of God. If his line were to fail, it would all be because of that witch.

The other thing that bothered Rolo about her, aside from the way that Lelouch's behavior had immediately changed after he had married her, was the way she acted around Sir Kururugi. Rolo was aware that most women, and quite a few men, worshipped the ground that Suzaku walked on. Rolo was not one of them, and his contempt for the knight sprang from his own jealousy. Suzaku seemed to be constantly hovering around Lelouch, making it a chore for Rolo to get any time with his uncle. What was worse than Suzaku's constant hovering was the way that he and C.C. looked at each other, like they wanted to devour each other on the spot. Such open lust was disgusting, especially when it was in front of the entire court. Surely someone else could see it and worry about it. That C.C. was a witch was not enough, but she was cuckolding Lelouch as well.

It was why he bristled at being passed over for the regency. Not only that, but Sir Kururugi had been asked to look after C.C. while Lelouch went to visit one of his siblings. Lelouch was probably planning another campaign and was going to ask Cornelia and her husband to assist him. Rolo had sat in on the meetings, listening as Lelouch had laid out his plans for the war that was going to free up their borders some more, giving them more breathing room against foreign invaders. But he couldn't understand why Lelouch would leave his best knight behind when he was going off to plan a campaign, nor could he understand why Lelouch would leave his heir. Certainly, Rolo deserved to know what was going on in the kingdom that he was going to rule one day.

The sound of laughter made him slow his steps, Rolo quickly darting off the path to walk on the other side of the hedge. It wouldn't hide him completely, but people rarely looked behind the hedges, pretending to be ignorant of the trysts that were sure to be going on behind them. Rolo was not one of those people, but he preferred to stick to the gravel path. What he did not know, he did not have to report.

Rolo stepped closer to the bushes as the giggling got louder, pausing to peer through a gap. He was not surprised to see a group of the queen's ladies in waiting in the garden. With the fair weather, most of them were taking advantage of the garden while they still could. It was only a matter of time before it started getting cold. Rolo would not begrudge them their outing, but he wondered where the queen was. She should not have been out on her own.

He clenched his hands into fists and stalked off behind the hedge. He would search the entire garden for her if he had to and then drag her back to her ladies. C.C. could use the reminder that she was to act like a highborn lady, no matter where she had come from. Rolo would not stand for her embarrassing his king while Lelouch was gone. He wasn't the regent, but he could look after Lelouch's interests all the same.

Low voices alerted him to the fact that there were more people using the lane behind the hedge, Rolo slowing his steps. They were blocked from view by a curve in the hedge, Rolo sneaking up to the curve and carefully leaning around it.

As he expected it was a tryst behind the hedge, but he hadn't expected it to be C.C. and Sir Kururugi, not so openly.

He watched as they bent their head close together, Suzaku whispering something to her. The whispered conversation was one sided, Suzaku the one speaking with his mouth close to the queen's ear. Rolo frowned at the show of familiarity. If Suzaku had something important to report, then he could have sought out the queen with her ladies in waiting. From there, they could have retreated to a respectable distance and had a private conversation with the proper escort present. Rolo had enough to do looking after his uncle's kingdom, especially since C.C. seemed to have no interest in keeping up with the affairs of state.

Rolo gritted his teeth, quickly coming to the end of his patience. This was something that had to be settled now before things got too out of hand. He would separate the two of them and talk to each. While he wasn't on the same social level as the queen, he hoped that he could make an impression. If not, then he could convince one of her ladies in waiting to help him. Maybe Lady Fenette, she was always so careful about who she talked to. He didn't worry about Sir Kururugi, Rolo outranked him as heir to the throne. Suzaku was just another knight, even if he was favored by the king.

With his mind made up, Rolo intended to walk out from where he was hidden, but he never got the chance. He was brought to a stop when Suzaku pulled back from C.C, just enough so he could turn his head and kiss the queen.

Rolo expected C.C. to rebuff the knight's advance. Even if she was a common woman and a witch, she had to know some kind of decorum or at least have learned in her years of staying in the castle. But she didn't, C.C. just wrapped her arms around Suzaku's neck and kissed him back.

Disgusted with the spectacle, Rolo turned and stormed off. He was not going to watch his uncle's wife shame herself with a knight, it was too much. It would be even worse if the kingdom found out. If Lelouch couldn't keep a woman faithful to him, how could he be expected to keep a kingdom together? C.C's infidelity was something that could bring everything to ruin, something that Rolo would not allow. He loved his uncle, far too much to allow Lelouch's rule to be overrun with doubt. Beyond that, Rolo was not so selfless that he didn't hope for the kingdom as it was when Lelouch finally did die, hopefully many years from now. But he wouldn't get that chance if C.C. ruined it all.

He stormed out from behind the hedge, quickly making up his mind. He wouldn't give anyone the chance to find out; he would bring the matter to the king himself. To do so would temporarily shame Lelouch, but Rolo was sure that there were ways around it. All he knew was that, to allow Lelouch to come out of the affair unscathed, he had to make sure the blame rested on Suzaku instead of C.C. As much as the idea disgusted him, Rolo would willingly take the chance. It would get rid of one of his enemies, after all. His own distaste in the matter was a small price to pay for the stability of the kingdom.


Rolo stood by his uncle's side, watching as Lelouch's hands tightened on the armrests of his throne. He turned his head and hid a smile, struggling for control. It wouldn't do to be seen gloating over what was happening. The downfall of his enemy deserved more tact than that. As much as he had hated Sir Kururugi, Lelouch had doted on the knight. It was only fair that Rolo stand by his uncle during the weakness that was sure to follow. It was a sacrifice that he was willing to make.

He looked back down at the knight kneeling on the floor, unable to stop the corner of his mouth from twitching up. From the glare that Suzaku shot at him, Rolo knew the knight had seen, but that didn't matter. No one would be able to prove that he had been the one to bring the news to Lelouch. Suzaku could insinuate and rage all he wanted, but Rolo would be safe.

"Tell me if it is true. This is the last chance you get, Suzaku."

Suzaku looked away from Rolo, focusing on Lelouch again. Rolo was sure that he could see Suzaku shaking a bit, but he wasn't sure if it was because of fear or rage. Rolo was hoping for the latter, because then Suzaku might make a mistake. Lelouch was bound to keep any punishment lenient because he and Suzaku had been friends, but being caught in a lie would mean that Suzaku was breaking his oath to his lord. If all went well, there was a chance that Suzaku could be executed.

To his disappointment, Suzaku ducked his head, addressing the floor instead of his king. "It is true, your highness."

"Then you have been with my wife."

"Yes."

"Even though you swore your loyalty to me?" There was a beat of silence before Lelouch stood up from his throne. The chair rocked back, Rolo reaching for it to keep it from falling over. Even then, he was paying attention to his uncle, watching as Lelouch stormed down to where Suzaku was kneeling. "You betrayed me, Suzaku!"

The knight flinched by didn't look up from the floor. "I did."

Lelouch stared down at the knight for a moment more before pointing at the door. "Get out of my sight." The order was a low hiss. "You are not to return to this court. Leave now, before I change my mind."

Suzaku got to his feet and left without a word. Rolo stared after him, struggling to keep the glee off his face. That was one of his problems dealt with. Now there was a chance that the queen would finally settle, and Lelouch would be safe.

He let go of the chair, stepping down to his uncle's side and resting a hand on Lelouch's arm. "You did the right thing. He would have just caused more trouble if you had ignored it."

"Yes." Lelouch sounded like he hadn't heard him, but the words didn't matter as much as the tone of voice and Rolo could see that Lelouch was relaxing already. His uncle took a step to the side, Rolo releasing him. "It's finished."

The lords and ladies in the room muttered to themselves as they left, Rolo hearing the swish of the ladies skirts as they left. But his attention was on his uncle.

Lelouch walked back toward the staircase that led to the upper floors of the castle. Rolo wasn't sure if he was going to seek out his wife or brood in his study. Either way, Rolo was going to leave him to it. He was sure that there were a few other judgments that needed to be passed on, and Lelouch wouldn't begrudge him the chance at practice. His uncle had never cared before. Rolo would give everyone time to settle down before listening to grievances. The court would be in shock but they all needed to move on for the sake of the kingdom.


The gate to the garden opened without a creak, Suzaku careful to close it just as quietly behind him. He kept one hand pressed against the wood while the other adjusted the hood. It wasn't the best disguise, but he hadn't been given much time to work on a better one. The summons from the queen had come too soon and with a sense of urgency that he couldn't ignore.

Suzaku glanced up at the castle and tugged the hood further over his face before walking through the garden, careful to slouch. Everyone in the castle knew him by sight; he had been part of Lelouch's household since before Lelouch had become king. That alone would make sneaking in difficult unless C.C. had done as she had promised. If the hallways were clear and everyone already in bed, then he would have no problem getting up to the queen's chambers. Most of the knights would be housed on the other side of the castle, concentrated around Rolo's room. Lelouch preferred to keep his heir surrounded by knights and safe, especially since it had been Suzaku at his side. Now, that was going to have to change and Suzaku hated it. To see another knight standing in his place beside the king made him want to punch something.

But that was the price he had paid, and the one he had agreed to. He had to take his exile, however long it would be, in good graces.

The door to the castle was just as well cared for as the one in the garden, Suzaku able to slip through without a stray noise. Suzaku eased the door shut, not bothering to linger as he strode towards the staircase.

He took the stairs two at a time, alert for any movement that would mean someone was coming. If he was caught, he would be condemned to death. Rumors would get him exiled until the affair blew over. Proof would get him killed no matter how many years of service he had given Lelouch. The kingdom needed to be strong and Lelouch needed to rule without doubt. Suzaku understood all of that, but he wished it were otherwise. Everything would be simpler.

The door to the queen's chamber was cracked open, Suzaku pausing in the hallway before slipping in. As he suspected, C.C. was sitting by the fire. The queen didn't even look up at him, continuing to warm her hands over the flames. Suzaku was far too used to her quirks to be insulted. Instead, he used the time to strip off his cloak and bow to her. Only then did C.C. move, waving a hand to indicate that he could stand.

Suzaku straightened up, freezing at the sound of a familiar voice coming from the back of the room. "I expect you had no trouble?"

He spun around to face Lelouch, spotting the king leaning against the wall. Suzaku bowed to Lelouch, glad to see a flicker of a smile cross Lelouch's face. When he was signaled to rise, Suzaku crossed the room to stand before him. "None at all."

"Good." Lelouch reached out, brushing his fingers across Suzaku's cheek. Suzaku sighed and leaned into the caress, feeling Lelouch step forward and place his other hand on Suzaku's waist. "You did well, my knight. A perfect performance."

"As you ordered."

"Yes." Lelouch paused, staring at Suzaku for a moment before leaning in. "Sorry."

The apology was a soft whisper against Suzaku's lips, briefly there before Lelouch closed the distance between them. Suzaku groaned and leaned into the kiss, settling his hands on Lelouch's waist. It had been far too long since they had gotten to do this, Lelouch away planning a war while Suzaku was left at the castle, Lelouch's faithful guard and spy.

He crowded Lelouch back against the wall, slipping one hand down Lelouch's leg. It would be so easy to lift Lelouch up, even easier to press him against the wall. His friend was losing weight, something that Suzaku worried about, but it was not something to dwell on, not when it made maneuvering Lelouch so easy.

A soft cough turned his attention away from Lelouch, Suzaku turning his head to watch as C.C. dropped her dress to the floor. He didn't bother to follow the flutter of fabric to the ground, his attention on C.C. as the queen walked to the bed. She flopped onto it, not bothering to get under the covers. Instead, she propped herself up on her elbows and stared at them. When neither of them moved, she flicked her fingers in their direction. "Go on. You two looked like you were in the middle of something."

"And leave a lady on her own?"

C.C. smirked, running a hand over her body. "I can handle myself."

They exchanged a smile, Suzaku aware that Lelouch was tugging on his shirt. Of course Lelouch would demand his attention first, Lelouch had been gone. Suzaku and C.C. had had their time together and now Lelouch was left wanting, something that the king had never handled well.

Suzaku reached up, gently removing Lelouch's hand from his collar. With the king's hand still captured in his own, he began to tug Lelouch towards the bed. "The queen has summoned us."

"She always is."

"Be grateful." C.C. smirked up from where she had fallen back on the pillows. "I can't think of anyone else who would put up with you."

For a moment, Lelouch sputtered. Suzaku laughed at the look of affront on his friend's face. He curbed his laughter when Lelouch glared at him, easily slipping into his role of mediator between the two. He lifted Lelouch's hand to his lips, brushing a kiss across Lelouch's knuckles. "Come to bed, my lord. Your lady and knight await you."

Lelouch sighed but nodded. It was all the permission needed for Suzaku and C.C. to pull him into the bed between them.