A/N:

Second tidbit. The title is different.


Aryan810101: Thanks for the suggestion. Will check it out.

thecatleader: Hahahahahahahahahahaha :)


Enjoy and Thanks for the Review. I will fix the Grammar as I see them.

["Radio Conversation"]

["Radio Response/Phone Line"]


Chapter 9: Judgment Part 7

DEAL'S DONE

November 13th, 2009; Noon

Maelstrom Palace (At Imperial District)

Cloudy dark skies; the cold winds were picking up.

He glanced at the dried-up leaves as they blew past his car. He pressed a button and his front, driver-side window sealed up.

"Is it gonna rain?"

/

The wind whistled past his sealed car. It was quiet inside. He had been cooped up in there for hours now; waiting for the purple princess as she dined with the realm's prime bachelor.

/

"Huh…." He was getting drowsy; popped up an energy drink and took a sip.

/

More winds rattled past his car. He gazed outside. The front yard view of Margaret el Britannia's palace was breathtaking. Large, spacious green cut grass; lots of trees and mini flower gardens; and finally elegant grass figurines.

No wonder the Maelstrom Palace held the title as the biggest resident after the Emperor's Imperial Palace.

/

Resting his turquoise hair on the driver-side window, he felt forgotten. Parked alone in the roundabout driveway in this cold wind, he waited as ordered by his young purple haired commander.

/

The silence was too much, so on with the radio. Some finger pressing and the channel was on the local 103.5 FM.

/

A slight static noise before….

["Now more on today's main story, we have, on the line with us, NBC national security correspondent Diethard Ried."] A yippy female voice ended the silence.

["Diethard, thanks for joining us today."] She welcomed the correspondent who had called into the station.

/

"Ried?" The turquoise haired young man came alive. That name sounded familiar. If Ried was a reporter then chances were he had crossed path with him at the Clearance Center.

That's where he had been posted these couple weeks with the purple princess in command.

Journalists had been busing in and out of the District so guardsmen posted at the Clearance Center were very much occupied issuing security passes and what-not.

/

Diethard welcomed himself to the radio hosts.

["So Diethard, the deal is done. The Turks are getting the weapons."] The female voice revealed the banner.

/

"…the arms-deal went through?" The shock forced him to sit upright in his driver seat. He turned the volume up.

/

["Yeah the talks went on longer than expected but both sides…finally…reached an agreement today."] Diethard sounded glad the talks were over. Well, it had been going on for almost a year now.

["And with Turkish's president here, I'm sure both camps felt the need to wrap this deal up."] A new male voice joined the conversion; the female's colleague.

["Exactly and hey listened….I'm sure the Emperor was very pleased with the support the Turks showed after the late Empress' death. Mr. Erdoğan even brought his entire cabinet and others to the capital for the funeral event."]

"More like he brought them for the talks, mostly." The young guardsman added.

["So about the deal, do you think they got everything on their shopping list?"] The female hostess posted a question for the expert on the line.

["Coming out of these talks, the Turks will feel good about what they got. They almost got everything besides the knightmares and a few stuff….."]

"Of course they won't get the knightmares….wait….what about the Dart Air Defense?" The young officer edged closer to the stereo dashboard.

["….the big ones they got were the F-31 stealth interceptors, the F-16S stealth strike fighters, and lastly the…..um…..Land-based Dart Air Defense System…."] Diethard left the big one for last.

/

"I can't believe….." Shocked filled his throat.

["Wow…..it sounds like they pretty much got the big ones."] The female hostess was equally astonished.

/

["Diethard…"] The male host cut in. ["…any estimate on how much this deal was worth?"]

["Yeah a single F-31 Foxhound cost around $75 million and they are getting 28 of them so that would be worth about $2.1 billion.…Add that to the $1.8 billion from the 32 F-16S Falcons plus the weapons, sensors, engines, and training that come with these jets and that's about….um…7 billion. Overall, I expect this deal to be worth close to $12 or $10 billion if we add the Darts"]

/

"I can't believe we sold them the Darts…." He gripped his mouth to gather his thoughts. "…..but only the land-based version huh…..with our fleet there, I guess there's no need for the sea-based version." He turned down the volume to have some peace.

"But why are we giving them these weapons? It will only stoke tensions with the EU. Greece is having on-going border disputes with Turkey….yet we gave them Darts along with the Foxhounds."

/

["…of course we have to remember that the EU won't be happy about this deal even though we constantly assured them that they are defensive weapons in nature."]

["What kind of a response do you expect from them?"] The female asked.

["Well, besides the usual condemnation rhetoric, I'm sure they would place their own Patriot Air Defense Systems in Greece and the island of Cyprus it controls. Expect to see some redeployment of fighter squadrons around the area."]

["What about the Russians? What was their reaction?] The male host brought up the other superpower in that region.

["They've been saying the same thing…and that is they don't want any conflicts to disrupt the shipping routes in the Aegean Sea…so a sense of neutrality from them but at the same time you feel they really object to this deal…."] Diethard kept on going, but was tuned out by the young guardsman.

"What are the brass thinking? This will definitely increase tensions…" A silhouette caught his eye so he turned and saw his female commander marching through the cold wind; her hand shieling her face.

/

The radio was turned off. He stood outside and waited till she was near the armored car.

Cornelia looked flushed; a fever?

/

He saluted. "Your highness….."

"Take me home, Jeremiah." Cornelia wasn't in the mood for formalities.

/

He closed the passenger door when she was in. Seconds later the palace was behind them.

/

Jeremiah glanced at her from the rear-view mirror. She still looked flushed with her head drooping low. What happened during her meeting with Schneizel?

Jeremiah was worried. Should he ask? "Yes."

How? "Just….keep it simple."

What about formalities? Cornelia hated formalities when she was dealing with the units. ["It slows the team down"] she says. "So she won't mind."

/

He sighed. Here goes….. "So how was the meeting with Prince Schneizel?"

/

She flinched wildly like she had been zapped by some current. Her cheeks brimmed with blood. Her eyes wide like an owl.

"Jeremiah….." Her voice was dark. Lifting her head, she crossed sights with the turquoise mane driver.

"….I think you should focus on the road." Her dark eyes peered through her curtain purple bangs.

"My apologies, your highness." His last words as his eyes became locked on to the road.

/

Cornelia had shut up him but now she couldn't focus. Jeremiah's inquisitiveness had freed the dogs within her.

"Great…..now I can't stop thinking about it." She bit her lip and balled her hands.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it! Damn you, Schneizel." She breathed hard while her head droop low.

/

"Fuck!" One more escaped from her mouth.

/

"I can't believe…"


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Flashback

"Cornelia….I thought you wanted to join me for a morning buffet." Schneizel took a sip of his coffee.

"But here you are…demanding more info." He sighed loudly in disappointed and seated his teacup back down.

/

Cornelia looked on with her straight-face. She couldn't refute his points. She was asking beyond her limit.

"Please Schneizel…if you know something then….." She was out of words. Her downcast eyes glanced away.

The second prince looked on, slightly stunned. "Please?….she's apologizing….." He ended his thoughts; a slight jealousy that Cornelia was willing to plead for that kid.

/

"It's okay Cornelia." Her face brightened upon hearing his words.

"No need to beg. We're family after all"

/

She edged her seat. "Then…"

"But…" He wasn't done. "It will cost you."

"What?"

"What….you expect me to reveal sensitive information for nothing?"

"But…." Cornelia gripped her seat. "But yesterday you gave…."

"Yesterday, I gave you info about the hearing…..father was planning for him, but…." He cupped his cheek. "…..that was just me paying my debt to him."

/

"Debt?" "He owed Lelouch something?"

"It's between us." He picked up his teacup. "Ask him if you want to know."

/

Cornelia's serious frown was at her untouched teacup.

"It will become cold if you don't drink it." He nodded towards her still untouched coffee.

/

Coffee was the last thing on her mind. "Okay….is there something you want?"

"Something that I want?" He raised a brow.

"Yes. Is there anything?"

"Hmm…." He tapped his teacup. "Are you sure it's wise for me to choose?"

"Yes, but in return you…." Her tone was sharp. "….let me in on everything you know about father's plan for the trial."

/

A moment of thought went by and concluded with him placing the teacup back on the saucer.

"Okay then….." Fingers on cheek again. "….you…me….on a date."

/

"Huh!" An eyebrow raised.

The words took a while to sink in. "WHAT?" Her cheeks were ripe like a tomato on her porcelain skin. "Wha…wha…wha…."

/

"I said, let's go on a date. And I don't mean a breakfast discussion like this." A lopsided-grin appeared on his face. He loved seeing her armor unravel like this.

"Wha…wha….wha…what are you…..what are talking about…a date?"

"Yes. Do we have a deal?"

/

Cornelia was speechless. Her eyes threatened to leap out. Realizing her cheeks were burning up, she clasped her face to hide her blush. Too late by now, but she looked anywhere but at him.

Her mind raced. She used to have feelings…..feelings for him, but she had convinced herself it was just pure admiration….if not….then just puppy love.

/

She was taking forever to decide so…..

"Mmmm…." Schneizel cheeks hummed as he chewed something. "These biscuits are very good. You should try some Cornelia."

Seeing those baked snacks flushed her cheeks with more blood and her mind with some buried past memories. "Biscuits…." Her enlarged eyes peered at them. She remembered baking Schneizel biscuits all the time….."Ahhhhh…..STOP!" She gripped her pony tail hair; screaming at her mind to cease the recollections.

Anything but those memories; memories of when she first experienced love; love towards the man in front of her.

"Are you okay?" He sounded concern but was enjoying every moment of torment.

/

Cornelia exhaled several times before clearing her throat fictitiously. "Okay."

"Okaaaay?" Schneizel stretched the word with a raised brow; daring her to say it.

Cornelia gripped her knees hard. "Okay…" Her drooped head was trembling. "I will….go out with you." She wanted to choke herself. No…..she wanted to choke him.

/

Schneizel's grin widened. He suppressed the bubbling laughter within. At the same time he was glad to have the table protecting him from her reach.

"Okay it's your turn." She growled at him. "Cough up what you know."

He calmed; ending the repressed mirth. "As the deal state, I will reveal what I know."

Cornelia became attentive. "Let's hear it."

"Yes…well what I know pertains to the time and location of the trial."

"Huh….Wait...That's it!" Cornelia surprised him.

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean….that's the only thing you're revealing…the time and location?"

"Yes, that's the only thing I know from father." Schneizel was very perplexed. Why was she upset?

/

Cornelia gritted her teeth and squeezed shut her eyes. "I agreed to go on a date…"

"Yes and I'm revealing everything I know…." Schneizel sensed danger from her.

"FUCK!" She yelled and opened her eyes. "I….you forced me to a….." Embarrassment conquered anger. Her shaky throat couldn't finish. She couldn't stop blushing as her eyes teared up.

/

"Huh..." Schneizel rubbed his nose-bridge. "Fine…I will owe you one, is that okay?" He peeked at her to find her calm. She wiped a tear that threatened to fall out.

"But gosh, you sound like dating me would be terrible." A sarcastic remark from Schneizel.

/

That flipped her mood once again.

"I…I….." Her cheeks reddened profusely as the words became trapped under her tongue.

/

Dimples formed on Schneizel's cheeks as he enjoyed her blushing breakdown.

End Flashback

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Her cheeks were still flushing. "Damn it, why am I acting this way?" Was it because of her past feelings for him? "Fuck, I thought I was over him." But the prospect of date still excited her….No. She wasn't a kid anymore. She was a soldier.

/

She tried to shake it off but she was still blushing. Was she really looking forward to a date with him? Her body was screaming yes.

She gaped in shock; betrayed by her own body.

/

She gripped her purple hair; ruining it somewhat. "Am I this horny?" She remembered how a part of her was excited when he proposed it…"Ahhhhh!" She gripped tighter. "….this is so gross. I'm so disgusting." But she was slightly happy.

"No!" She yelped; startling Jeremiah in the driver seat.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH….NONONONONO!" Her fist punctured a soda can; spewing its contents out. Her breathing picked up.

"No!" She didn't like him. Her body was just excited from the attention he gave her.

If anything, it was Lelouch that she….

"AHHH….FUCK!" She punched another soda can; breathing hard and loud.

/

The terrified Jeremiah kept his eyes on the road. His mind; a mixture of confusion and fear.

/

"Huuuh!" Cornelia finally calmed her nerves. "But the trial is tonight." Her gaze became soft.

"I should have joined June to visit him." A tinge of pain pinched her heart.

/

"Lelouch….." She whispered. "Will you be alright?"


A/N: I really enjoyed writing this chapter.

Just out of curiosity (and it won't affect this story) but which do you prefer: LelxCorn or SchxCorn….

I prefer the first.