AN: … Not much to say, except the fact that I'm having my final exam for this year starting next Monday for 3 LONG TORTURING weeks.
(…Terrified that I might fail Physics…)
Disclaimer: Code Geass is not mine, if it is, I'll make Lelouch to sit for my exam...
In the mean time,
Just enjoy some Lulu cuteness!!
"…I…." Lelouch certainly hoped that he could just erase this person's memory since coming up with something to deceive this woman will result in more wrath than he could imagine. Small hands started to lower themselves from his mouth when his hitching breathes starts to even out while his small brain desperately searching for an explanation.
"Lelouch…" using her free hand to brush away a few strands of purple hair from her own face, Cornelia Li Britannia sighed. She just came back from Empress Marianne's place after having tea with her and she found herself the son of her long idolized Marianne, playing in the fountain. The raven haired prince… what was he thinking playing in the fountain and soaking himself in the cold water like that? Seriously, no princess and prince ever behaved like this, ignoring their status and the name they carry. Well, maybe Euphemia might. However it is really not like him to behave like her pink haired sister. The thought only pushed her curiosity even more.
"It is okay…" Cornelia said trying to sound as tenderly as possible. If she didn't say something to the boy in front of her they might stay silent like this, waiting for the other to start the conversation. "Come, let's get back…" she reached out her hand for the younger child while standing up. It is a known fact that Lelouch Vi Britannia does not socialize that well with others but this time, the child in soaked clothes refuses to even budge, much less receiving Cornelia's hand. Instead, He just stood next to the fountain, violet big eyes looking at his elder sister.
"No, I …" words seemed to be trapped in his throat while he struggles to find the correct word to fit in. Lelouch knows very well, he can't possible go back now. At least his brain will not permit his legs to move away from here. His favorite piece of chess is still in the depth of the cold fountain. How could he just leave his present from Schneizel-aniue like this?
Lelouch did not wait for the incoming words to his brain. He couldn't think of the write terms and vocabulary to clarify this matter to his sister. Perhaps action really does speak louder than words. He made up his mind and clambers into the fountain once again, ignoring Cornelia's protest.
Cornelia was definitely fuming this time. "Lelouch!" she called out. Rather than looking back and acknowledging the voice like he did moments ago, the prince quickened his pace towards the center of the fountain. Not only that Cornelia did not get an explanation from her younger brother regarding that incident earlier, that boy is doing it again, in front of her eyes. She quickly reached out her hands to stop the prince before this turn into something nasty. Seriously, how could someone possessing a genius-level intellect jump into the pool of water that nearly drowns him?
The feeling of cold water running on him was now back again, only this time the water gave him a much more chilling feel. Regardless of the cold water coursing into his bones, Lelouch pay no attention to his protesting body and focus only to retrieve the final piece of the chess set. His small fingers finally grabbed onto the black King as they finally pulled the king out from the fountain. He could still hear Cornelia's voice calling his name, sounding as furious as she always does. Maybe he could apologize later?
"Cornelia? What are you doing here?" yet another familiar voice approaches them. Cornelia seemed to be pretty surprised upon hearing the voice. Lelouch knows that the voice belonged to the man who hated him. He knows he couldn't hide from him, the one and only person that he respected so much among his siblings in the Britannia Imperial Family. And yet, he still dare not raise his head and let his eyes meet the others.
Schneizel froze upon seeing them. "Lelouch? What are you doing in there?" From what Marianne's maid told him, Lelouch should be coming to his chamber to play chess, isn't it? However the boy didn't show up and Schneizel figured something happened and went to look for him. And now, he found the boy in the fountain and he was ignoring his question, which wasn't like him. His small head is still dripping wet and he is avoiding making eye contact with Schneizel, while Lelouch remainds as tense as a corpse in the fountain.
The elder did not push for an answer. Instead Schneizel let his gaze travel up and down the small figure in front of him, scanning for evidence for any possible reason that the boy is soaked in the water. His eyes stopped at Lelouch's balled right hand and found the Black King inside his brother's grasp. As he walks closer to the boy, he spotted something lying beside the fountain, further proving his hypothesis regarding the mystery of Lelouch's behavior. In fact, the wooden chess set and all the chess pieces were lying wet in Lelouch's white coat on the floor, except for that one last piece.
"Schneizel-aniue…we were just…."
Cornelia did not get to finish her sentence since Schneizel raised a hand towards her, signaling for her to not to say anything. She was just as surprised as Lelouch about Schneizel's abrupt appearance but she trusts her elder brother. After all, if there is someone who is able to coax the young prince from coming out from the fountain, it would be either his own mother or the blonde haired prince in front of her. Silently, Cornelia took a few steps, following slowly behind her elder brother who is approaching Lelouch.
"Lelouch, it is okay now," Schneizel reached out both his hands towards the raven haired prince. "I know why you did this and it is not your fault," he tried to move closer towards the boy without startling him. "Come," And there it is, flashing his famous warm smile, it somehow made Lelouch stepped forward towards the arms that he reached out for him. Schneizel slowly slid his arms around Lelouch and proceed to lift the small wet boy out from the fountain.
Settling the boy down on the floor, Schneizel then immediately moved to remove his own coat, knelt down to the same level as the small prince and draped it around Lelouch protectively. Strangely, the princess who seemed to be so furious with him is also kneeling down to the same level as he is, gazing with concern into his violet irises. Cornelia felt the freezing evening air brushing against the three of them and quickly pulled the Schneizel's coat tightly against the smaller boy. The coat is the only dry item of clothing the raven haired prince possessed since he almost drown in the cold water. Lelouch thought Cornelia was angry with him...He was so confused now…Cornelia saw the puzzled look on the boy's face but only flashed a smile towards her own brother.
It was one sweet moment for all three of them.
"We should really go back to the Imperial Palace, Lelouch. Marianne-sama would be worried if you didn't return by now, isn't it?" Schneizel broke the silence between them, asking his little brother. Lelouch only nodded upon his brother's statement. He couldn't be sure whether his elder brother was still annoyed with him or not and he really don't want to say anything that might make Schneizel hate him more. All the while, Lelouch's gaze never left his elder sister and when Cornelia tries to pick up the wet white coat and all the chess pieces on the floor, Lelouch finally open his voice to say something.
"NO!"
His big violet eyes widen in fear as panic grasped the small prince. Lelouch thought Cornelia was going to them away again, just like what Guinevere did. Cornelia was startled by the loud voice as she stood up with all the chess pieces and the wet chessboard in her arms. Schneizel hastily pulled the small boy back into an embrace, hoping to calm him down. "It is okay, Lelouch…" despite the soft murmurs he is giving to his brother, the soaked boy in his arms is still trashing around, hoping to get to his beloved gift. Schneizel knows what is going through Lelouch's head and can only imagine what happened to him before Cornelia came to him for she seemed so puzzled about the boy's sudden outburst.
"Everything is okay now, Lulu," he even used the name that Empress Marianne always use to address her beloved son, hoping that the name will make Lelouch feel warmer and safer. "Cornelia is not going to throw your chess into the fountain like they did," tilting the small boy's face upwards to face his violet big eyes, Schneizel tries to explain to the small boy. It does not take a lot of time to figure out who would possibly do what he think they did to Lelouch. Meanwhile, concern grip Cornelia inexplicably upon hearing her elder brother's statement. And she was even stunned to see Lelouch reacted so uncharacteristic merely towards a chess set. She walked silently and slowly towards both of the princes and stood behind Schneizel who is kneeling in front of the desperate young prince.
"R-r-really…?" tears welled up in big violet eyes and it stunned both of them. Schneizel's grip on the small boy's shoulders tightens when he saw his younger brother crying. He never saw him cried before. In fact both Cornelia and him never saw Lelouch shed a tear in front of anyone. Both of them exchanged a worry look before looking back at Lelouch. Marianne Vi Britannia's son is famous with sending icy glares but the small boy in front of them is simply breaking down into pieces. Despite that he seemed very mature for his age, but right now he was obviously just a little boy, needing comfort from someone he trusted.
Before they could give a reassuring answer to the eleventh prince of the Britannia Imperial Family, Lelouch looked into Schneizel El Britannia's eyes and tears began to crawl down once more. "I-I'm sorry, Schneizel-aniue," he apologized miserably, putting down his pride as a royal prince. His little frame was shaking from both the exertion of being soaked in cold water over a period of time and his sadness. He couldn't stop the tears or the soft sobs that shook his shoulders. "I tried to get them back…I tried to make them stop…" he sobs quietly in his brother's arms. "But the chessboard was already wet…"
"Shh…Lulu…It's okay," he tried to soothe the small prince trembling in his arms. He didn't know the gift he got for Lelouch meant that much to the young prince. What would Empress Marianne say if she was the one holding the fragile boy? Schneizel only know that his heart broke into a million pieces, seeing Lelouch's tears coursing down his porcelain face. Cornelia was confused of what she saw. How could she be so blind to not realize that someone did something to make Lelouch soaked in the fountain, looking for chess pieces until the prince is now sobbing in front of both of them?
"I-I'm sorry that I ruined you gift, Schneizel-aniue," Lelouch did not cease to cry, instead big round tears form faster around his violet eyes as he continues to apologize. "I-I'm sorry that I bother you…" the boy was clearly speaking from uneven breaths. "I bother you so…so much…" Lelouch rasped softly around his sobs. "I-I'm sorry that I always lose…and still…"
"Lulu, its okay…I'm not angry…You are not bothering me…" Schneizel's heart ached. Did he act as if Lelouch bothered him? If he did, he totally hated himself for it. How could such a young brilliant child felt himself bothering himself? Cornelia was just as stunned as he was after hearing what Lelouch said. That sweet boy was never an inconvenience to anyone in the palace, especially not to herself and Schneizel.
Facing the heartbreaking boy in front of him, Schneizel did not know what to do but his instincts kicked in and he moved closer to Lelouch. Slowly, careful not to startle the young boy, Schneizel gathered Lelouch's small body into his arms, lifting him from the cold floor as he stood up. The boy was so small, so light and crying so miserably in his arms. Lelouch's tense little body shook as he tried to look up to his brother. However, Schneizel used his other hand to caress Lelouch's dripping wet hair, encouraging the latter to just lean and rest on him.
"…Everything is going to be okay now, Lulu…No one will hurt you…I am not angry…" all the while, Schneizel kept whispering the same sentence, as if chanting a mantra to calm the sobbing prince. He would do anything than to see Lelouch crying like this. Cornelia was surprised to see her elder brother acting like this. She never knew Schneizel shares such a close relationship with Lelouch although he did seem to care for almost every royal sibling they have, including the playful Euphemia. This was the only time that she witnesses herself, when Schneizel truly showed genuine love to anyone. And she knew from this moment, that she too loves her younger brother. Not just because he is the son of her long idolized Marianne, but as a true sibling to her and she would do anything just to keep him from harm.
Gradually, the trembling frame in starts to relax in Schneizel's arms and his breathing was starting to get easier. His sobs slightly turned into hiccups and his trembling was starting to cease although he is still shuddering a little from the chilly air brushing on him. Schneizel held Lelouch closer to himself as he wraps both his hands around the freezing child. His constant murmurs seemed to soothe the sobbing prince even more.
Eventually, when the hitching breathes evened out, Schneizel caressed the small boy terderly, waiting for a chance to bring him back to his chamber and get him out of the wet clothes. "Lulu, let's go back now, okay?" the young prince didn't reply, instead he snuggled with Schneizel and burry his head on the crook of the elder's neck, resting his head.
"Cornelia?" Schneizel looked at his dark-purpled hair sister. He was trying to get his sister's attention. Nevertheless, she seemed to be still in shocked to see Lelouch breaking down in front of them but Schneizel knows she is the toughest princess of all and she could handle things better than anyone.
Cornelia recognizes the worried tone of her brother's. "I'm not in a hurry, let's go together…" flashing her smile towards her brother while she holds the wet white coat and the chess board tightly in her hands. Lelouch doesn't seem to acknowledge what was going on after all the exhaustion he had today. After all, everyone who knows him is well aware that manual labor usually exhausts him before he manages to accomplish anything significant. And now, his head was dropping while his violet eyes blinking in the struggle to stay awake.
"Close your eyes, Lulu…" noticing the sleepiness that starts to claim the young prince. Schneizel really hoped that Lelouch will not catch a cold by dripping himself in cold water and sleeping will most probably help to lower the probability. Schneizel knew he had to in the end carry the boy back since he could not expect the small boy to walk bare foot around the places. He glances at Cornelia on last time, signaling for her to follow him and he proceeded to walk away from the place that made Lelouch so distressed. They can leave Lelouch's shoes there for today and ask for a maid to retrieve them tomorrow. For now, the small prince required a warm meal of dinner and dry clothes, not to mention a good night of sleep.
Nodding in response, Cornelia walked silently behind Schneizel. Lelouch's head was resting on Schneizel's neck and he slowly closed his drowsy eyes, drifting into slumber. Cornelia chuckles a little. She never saw such a scene before. When no one was watching, the second princess of Britannia Imperial Family stepped silently near the small head, using her free hand to brush away a few strands of raven hair from the prince's face and planted a kiss on Lelouch's forehead.
No one knew Cornelia Li Britannia was so tender and gentle.
They didn't even know she loves Lelouch Vi Britannia that much…
AN: Mwahahaha! How was it? This is a rather long chapter compared to the previous ones. I just wanna bring out the love of Cornelia towards Lelouch because I believed she was one of the people who loved him the most. I'm having exam next week onwards so I might update slower than usual… Nevertheless, I'll write when I have time or when I cannot figure out how to solve the Physics problem during examinations…
Review and tell me how do you love cute little crying Lulu?
(Hugs sobbing Lulu tightly...)
Till then...
MokonaYi