A/N: Hello all! I know it's been a long time, and I'm sorry! BUT~ I'm publishing this as a Christmas special, so… Merry Christmas all! I hope you're all having or had a blast. :P Thank you all for following, reading and reviewing my work. I really appreciate all of it. ^ .. ^ Anyway, enjoy your Christmas present~! xD
Chapter 7
A couple of months had passed and the season changed to naked trees jutting everywhere. Like the change of the season that comfortably swept over the landscape, Kallen too became more comfortable with her situation. Aside from that, she became more learned in academics and her practice to become a knight. She was one step closer to being a knight, like Gino and Anya were. Her skills in fighting were exceptional, and she had quickly caught on, advancing quickly from the bottom to the upper levels. Things that seemed foreign to her at first became like a routine or even familiar, as if she were meant to be living this certain lifestyle.
"Ah..I have grown accustomed to some of these things…" Kallen thought to herself.
"This is a great way to spend class!" Milly sighed, lying onto the lush soft white snow as she stretched and disrupted Kallen's thoughts. "There's nice sunshine, a cold breeze, and the smell of nature mixed with snow! We're going to have so much fun learning out here!"
"Why are we out here?" Nunnally asked while trying to piece the puzzle together.
"Just to enjoy the sunshine, I suppose. Come here, Rivalz," Milly called with her hand, moving it in a come-hither motion. When he had crawled to her, she sat up and pulled him close, whispering into his ear. He nodded and went over to Nunnally, looping his arm around her arm and started to drag her off.
"W-where are-"
"We forgot to pack some hot chocolate for our little class. Why don't you come with me?" Rivalz said in a way that she could not refuse. So, nodding her head, Rivalz dragged her off toward the main house.
"Well! I suppose I should go and join them too. Give them a helping hand, since I'm sure Rivalz will fail badly at helping Nunnally prep." Milly turned her back towards Lelouch and Kallen and slyly smiled to herself.
Lelouch and Kallen stood there, completely aware that something was up Milly's sleeves.
"So, what do you think Milly has planned today?" Kallen asked Lelouch.
Without looking at her, and keeping his gaze at Milly's back, "I'm not too sure, but let's hope it's not too surprising." He was silent for a moment before turning his head to look over at Kallen, "What day is it today?"
Looking baffled at him, "The 24th of December, why..?"
"Nothing," he simply replied and started off toward the main house as well.
"W-wait! What is it really, Lelouch?!" Kallen called out behind him, following behind his steps, her feet crunching into the snow.
"Christmas is tomorrow, and I forgot all about it. I'm a horrible brother. I didn't even buy anything for Nunnally."
"Well, you can quickly make something for her!" Kallen started, but stopped when Lelouch gave her a death glare. "I mean, I'm sure…she will like it. How about a cake…or something? We can have Sayoko help us."
"A cake? I don't think that is Christmas worthy! Something else."
"H-how about a dress..? Or a hair pin..? Maybe we can have Sayoko go out with us… She might know what it is that Nunnally likes."
"Good idea. While we're at that, can you go ask Jeremiah to come out with us?"
"Alright." With that, Kallen fell behind and walked the opposite way towards the knights' house.
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"Do you think she would like this?" Kallen asked, pointing to a hairpin in the glass case protecting dozens of valuable jewelry.
Lelouch looked at the direction of her finger, and saw the hairpin. It had three flowers with five pink petals and three little diamonds embedded in the middle of each cherry blossom. He smiled a little, "I'll take it." With that, he bought the hairpin, and walked out of the shop relieved that he finally had her present secure in his hands. Lelouch knew that Nunnally would surely love it, and that made him very happy.
Once the four were outside, Lelouch looked at Jeremiah with a hard gaze, his amethyst eyes piercing into Jeremiah's amber eyes, "Jeremiah, come here, please."
Jeremiah quickly walked over to where Lelouch was and bent down as Lelouch motioned for him to come closer. "What is it, Lelouch?"
"May you accompany Kallen while I go shop some more?"
"Yes, Lelouch. Your wish is my command."
"Thank you."
Jeremiah walked back to where the two ladies were, Sayoko making her way toward Lelouch as Jeremiah approached them. "See you later, Sayoko…" he muttered, almost not wishing to part from her since he already rarely saw her back at the villa.
She nodded her head and continued walking to Lelouch. As Kallen looked, all she could see were their backs walking in the opposite direction. "H-hey! They're leaving without us!"
The adult grabbed the girl by the collar, as she attempted to catch up to them, "Actually, they're not. I asked Lelouch if I could go shopping around with you…since you seem to know Sayoko more than I do. And, I also didn't want Sayoko to know," Jeremiah lied, knowing that there was a reason why he would receive this order in secrecy.
The ruby haired girl looked up at Jeremiah and smiled a sly smile that Milly would, "I see, let's get going then!" She dragged him by the hand in the opposite direction and they walked into several stores and out again with nothing in their hands.
"Jeremiah, are you really trying to look for something for her?" Kallen asked frustrated.
"W-well, yes, but I just don't know if she'll like it…" he trailed off, not believing that his cover-up lie became a reality.
"How about…we go check out another clothing store?"
"Okay."
So, the pair walked off into another store and browsed around. Each splitting up and looking around, picking up items that Sayoko might perhaps fancy. When they had met up, Jeremiah held a few items and Kallen a few items as well. The two went over them and crossed out the things that Sayoko probably would dislike. At the end of the run-through, each was left with one item each in their hands.
"Okay, it's either yours or mine," Kallen announced, taking in a deep, anxious breath.
A sweat rolled down Jeremiah's forehead, "You ready? On three, okay?" Kallen nodded her head. "One, two, three!"
The two pulled out the last item they were holding behind their backs, their trump card. In Kallen's hands was a tan scarf and in Jeremiah's a black tie. The two looked at each other's item and at their own.
"Okay, Jeremiah. Choose."
Jeremiah swallowed hard, "I-I don't know… W-what do you think she would like?"
Kallen contemplated it for a moment while eyeing the two items, "How about you just buy her both?"
Jeremiah blinked a few times, "Of course! Why didn't I think of that?" He chuckled sheepishly, "Thanks, Kallen."
Kallen handed over the scarf to Jeremiah, "You're welcome."
After Jeremiah had purchased Sayoko's gifts, the two walked out and proceeded to make their way back to their meet up spot, which was the shop where the group had split.
"W-wait…" Kallen muttered in a soft voice.
"What is it?"
"Can we go check out the book store before we head back..?"
"Sure."
She smiled a little as they changed course and walked toward the bookstore. Once there, Kallen browsed all the books row by row, and sighed as she was unsure what he would like to read about. While browsing an isle by the end of the store, Kallen spotted a book with an intricate hard cover. It looked magical and was titled "Mononoke no Sakuradite."
"Ah! I'm sure he'll like this…" she thought to herself, even though she was extremely unsure of his tastes. "C'mon, Jeremiah. I found it."
The girl smiled and happily bought the book with the money she had been saving. As they made their way back to meet the other two, the sun setting behind the buildings, Kallen held all the bags to make Jeremiah's presents less suspicious to Sayoko while covering her present as well.
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"Whew! That was a long day, wasn't it?" Kallen asked flopping onto the couch in the knight's quarters. Jeremiah couldn't help but to agree.
"Say, do you know how to wrap gifts?"
"Well! I can try…"
So, the two took their gifts, and proceeded to wrap them.
"Finally!" Kallen exclaimed, holding the wrapped gifts and sweat covering her forehead, as if she had just had preformed a very intense surgery.
"Thanks, Kallen. Really, I don't know what I'd do without you."
"No problem, Jeremiah. You're my master after all. I owe you more than you owe me."
"No, thanks…really."
She smiled warmly and looked around, "Now that I think about it, where are Gino and Anya?"
"Ah, right! I forgot, but to celebrate this holiday, Marianne is holding a ball tonight until tomorrow morning. People from the kingdom and close royals will be attending. They're probably over there helping them prepare."
"W-what?! I wasn't aware of this…" Kallen said shock and surprise written all over her face. "I-I've never been to one and I-I don't even know how it works…"
"Don't worry. Just head back to the main house. I'm sure someone there will help and inform you."
"Thanks! I'll be heading back now," Kallen said, rushing back to the main house.
Once there, she stopped in front of the door, panting and trying to catch her breath before heading in. Hunched over and hands resting on her knees, she realized something.
"I-I forgot my present!"
Just as she was about to run back to the knight's quarters, the door opened and there stood Milly, a big smile on her face.
"Welcome back! You're late."
