Chapter Eleven

Lelouch braced himself, reaching back to offer Shirley a hand. The terrain had gotten harder to deal with the farther into the interior that they got. Lelouch couldn't imagine how Suzaku could have handled the terrain on his own, unless they were heading in the wrong direction. But Suzaku would have chosen a place to hide that they could find, if he wanted to be found. Lelouch gritted his teeth, leaning back as Shirley began climbing the rise.

Of course Suzaku would want to be found, they were supposed to be working together. Suzaku had proposed that he would act as a distraction, but would have Lelouch kill him in the end. If Suzaku intended that plan to go through then he would have to be found. Lelouch shook his head, Suzaku would be found, he wouldn't allow himself to doubt that.

Shirley scrambled to the top of the rise, leaning over to pant for breath. She looked back over the terrain they had crossed, Lelouch following her gaze and feeling his stomach drop. They were completely in unfamiliar territory, moving to the end of the arena. Lelouch didn't know how to search for Suzaku, especially with so much ground to cover. Lelouch shook his head, raising one hand to shield his eyes from the sun. "Is she still trailing us?"

Shirley nodded. "But it looks like she stopped again."

Lelouch could see Mariel standing out on the plain, keeping the same amount of distance between them. She was probably staying close to them for the protection, although she no longer wanted to associate with them. If Mariel had been smarter, she would have struck out on her own. Mariel might have felt safer around them or was trying to save Shirley, but Mariel would have been better off away from them, because Lelouch was sure that Luciano and the others were trailing them by now. It was just a matter of staying far enough away from them and close to the streams that criss-crossed the plains. At least the grass was beginning to dry out, although Lelouch suspected that their full cover would never be fully restored.

"Should we stop and wait for her?"

"No." Lelouch turned to keep walking. "She doesn't want to be with us anymore, so she's not going to catch up."

"I should try and talk to her." Shirley stood up straight again. "Even if she doesn't like us, there's safety in numbers."

Lelouch sighed. "You talked to her nearly all night and it didn't change anything."

"Maybe if I tried harder."

"Why?"

Shirley shrugged, going to stand beside Lelouch. "You promised that you would get all of us out."

"And you think that I'm lying?"

"No. But I think that everyone should have the chance. You aren't lying to them, they just made the wrong choice and Mariel blames you for that."

"It's their fault."

"But that won't stop me." Shirley sighed. "I just want as many people to be saved. You can't blame me for that."

Lelouch shrugged by didn't answer. What Shirley did wasn't his business; he kept trying to tell himself that. Then again, she was the only one that had willingly shared information about her life without any prompting from him. She had been the one willing to get close to him despite the circumstances. If this had been any other world, Lelouch would have considered her a friend. He wished he could consider her a friend now, but he couldn't in the Games. They had already taken away Suzaku; Lelouch didn't want to be hurt like that again.

He slid down the side of the rise, turning around to see Shirley following. He had thought that Shirley would have gone to speak to Mariel. Lelouch tilted his head to the side, Shirley just shaking her head. "You're right. If she wants to stay back that's her choice. Mariel can take care of herself, she had before." Shirley pushed a hand through her hair. "Mariel has been supporting herself for a long while. Her father was killed by the emperor. He was helping design Knightmares with Earl Asplund. Unfortunately, they both managed to annoy the emperor, Mariel's father was killed."

"Is she in the Games because of her father?"

"No, she was legitimately chosen." Lelouch raised an eyebrow at that, but Shirley gave him a little shove. "For the Games she was legitimately chosen. She was just unlucky and distrustful of royalty, hence her reaction to you."

"How did you get this?"

Shirley shrugged. "I just talked to her while we worked together. You were too busy with Suzaku. So I talked to them when they first came in. They didn't actually say much, but I took what I could on the occasions they did talk to me."

"And her distancing herself from us is because she doesn't trust me?"

Shirley nodded. "I tried to convince her to come along just for her own safety, but she didn't agree. She said that you would kill me."

Lelouch looked away, focusing on the ground instead of Shirley. He was more worried for Shirley than Mariel at the moment; the odds were not in Shirley's favor if she continued to stay with him. It was something that had kept him from sleeping well the night before. The only thing that had kept him from moving on alone was the fact that Shirley had chosen to come with him on her own. He was sure that his reaction should have been guilt, but he was sure that Shirley would be able to survive on her own. She had told herself that she was no one, and so would be left alone until the end.

He turned to look back at Shirley, the girl looking a bit distressed. Lelouch nodded to himself, scanning over the area before looking over to where the grass looked a bit greener. Their trek was being interrupted for frequent stops for water, something that was completely unavoidable. They no longer had anything to carry the water in or to fish, they just had one knife and that was the one that Lelouch had. Shirley had lost hers when they had fought the career alliance the first time. They had been going off their chosen path to find water. Lelouch hadn't allowed them to stay by any water for long, he didn't want to risk running into the other alliance.

Lelouch picked his way down to the water, yelping as Shirley knocked into him. He turned to steady her, losing his footing on the muddy slope. Lelouch had just enough time to wrap his arms around her as they toppled over. Lelouch shut his eyes and held onto Shirley tightly.

They tumbled down the hill, Lelouch losing his hold on Shirley as they reached the bottom. He rolled into a stand of grass, keeping his eyes closed until he came to a stop. Lelouch froze in place, taking a deep breath before uncurling. He glanced around before crawling out of the grasses. "Shirley?"

She didn't answer for a while, Lelouch wandering out further into the open. He kept in a crouch as he was sure that there was no one around. Lelouch stood up, cupping his hands around his mouth, ready to shout for Shirley again when she stumbled out, soaking wet. Lelouch nodded when he saw her, surprised when Shirley laughed.

"I found water."

Lelouch sighed. "Be more careful next time. That could have ended badly."

"But it didn't." Shirley turned on her heel and jogged back to the stream before Lelouch could correct her. He shook his head and followed after her. He wouldn't be able to hurt her endless optimism, not when he was dependant on that optimism to keep going himself.

Shirley was already leaning over to drink when Lelouch strolled over. He crouched by her side, scooping up water with his hands. Lelouch used one handful of water on his neck, rubbing the cool water against his skin as he contemplated how they were going to get back to their path. They couldn't climb back up to where they had been, Lelouch didn't want to try the slope. Continuing along the stream was probably the best thing. They would leave as soon as they could find a suitable spot. They had a long way to travel still; the nearest hill was still a long way away.

"Lelouch." He tensed at Shirley's whisper, looking at the tribute as she pointed to something on the other side of the river. "Look."

He turned to look, Shirley immediately pulling him back into the grasses. Lelouch struggled against her hold until he heard the sound of voices on the other side. Lelouch dropped into a crouch, watching as tributes ran out of the grasses. He wasn't surprised to see that it was Luciano and his alliance. What he was surprised to see was that Luciano and the others had been ahead of them. Lelouch narrowed his eyes and settled in to wait. Now that he and Shirley were on the run, they needed to be able to gather information they could. He motioned for Shirley to stay still before hunkering down herself.

Luciano was the first to come closer to the river. Lelouch noticed that Luciano no longer had a blowpipe but was now carrying a spear. None of the other tributes had changed weapons, not that Lelouch and Shirley could fight off all six tributes. But what really caught his eye were the extra packs that the Daltons carried. If the alliance had extra supplies, then they could avail themselves of the extra, provided that they were careful. All they had to do was wait for the alliance to camp for the night.

The alliance settled around the stream, not even bothering to post a guard. Lelouch tensed, hating the obvious show of nonchalance. He turned his focus to Luciano, watching the leader as he settled back.

"So, we missed them completely?"

"I wonder whose fault that is?" Nonette looked over to the two Dalton brothers, Bart the one to look away and blush.

David was the one to come to his adopted brother's defense. "I didn't see you helping. You or any of the other girls."

Nonette got to her feet. "Monica and Dorothea are out every night anyway. It's not fair to expect them to do all of the work."

"Then why do they bother to come back at all? Luciano gave them a job and they should carry it out."

Luciano stepped back into the conversation. "They're having trouble finding him and I don't want to take the chance that our numbers will be lowered."

Alfred huffed and turned away. "Well, they don't even know if he's dead or alive. And it's better to assume he's dead. From what Dorothea told us, there's nothing that could be keeping him alive at this point. What point is there in searching for the Eleven when he might not exist anymore?"

Luciano laughed and leaned forward. "You have a point, Alfred. I don't have two members of my alliance chasing after shadows any longer. Can we at least agree on that?" Luciano didn't wait for anyone to answer, standing up and stretching his arms over his head. "We'll give Bart a second chance at tracking them. They can't have gotten too far ahead; we'll catch them before night falls. Fill up the canteens and we'll move on."

The tributes scrambled to do as their leader said, Lelouch noticing that the girls were shooting disgusted looks at the two Daltons. There was a division in the alliance, something that Lelouch could use to his own advantage. He smiled to himself. He didn't have a solid plan yet, but Lelouch would come up with one, perhaps something that would get them extra supplies.

He looked over at Shirley, reaching out to rest a hand on her shoulder, holding her in place as the alliance began to move. He didn't want to risk moving too soon, they could both be killed. Lelouch took a deep breath, looking around as Luciano and the others began to walk off. They would have to close a route that wouldn't take them the same way as the alliance. Lelouch wanted to avoid a confrontation for a while more.

The sound of someone moving through the grass made Lelouch look back at the stream. Luciano waved his hand, the alliance dropping out of sight into the grass as Mariel stumbled to the bank of the stream.

Mariel didn't bother to look around for danger, just dropping to his knees beside the stream and beginning to drink.

Lelouch put more pressure on Shirley's shoulders to keep her down. They couldn't charge out there while the alliance was watching. He held up one finger, scanning the area before motioning to Shirley to stay in place. He would move around to where Mariel was before pulling her to safety. It wasn't the best plan he had thought of, but he didn't have time for a better one.

He crawled into place, shifting carefully into position. He would have one chance at snatching Mariel away. Lelouch reached back for his knife, getting ready to pull it out just in case he had to defend himself quickly. Lelouch took a deep breath, reaching out with his free hand. His fingers just brushed the back of Mariel's jacket when he heard the twang of the bowstring.

Mariel gasped and fell backwards, Lelouch moving out of the way. He stared at her body, his mouth hanging open as he stared at the arrow in her chest. Lelouch looked up and saw the alliance standing upright, Bart with another arrow already nocked.

Luciano reached out to pat Bart's shoulder. "You have redeemed yourself. Show me a good job in tracking and I may forgive you completely."

The rest of the tributes laughed as Luciano led them off, Lelouch still frozen in place. Mariel had died, but she had purposefully kept away from him in the first place. And it had been completely by accident. Lelouch shivered and stood up, turning to look at Shirley.

She was standing with her hands pressed against her mouth. Lelouch could only shrug helplessly, stepping away from the body. There was nothing more that they could do but move on. What Lelouch really wanted to do was run in the opposite direction as Luciano and the others and keep running until he was too tired to run any further. Luciano was searching for them and willing to use Suzaku as bait, the only thing to do would be to run.

Lelouch glanced at where the alliance was barely visible on the horizon, offering his hand to Shirley. The helicopter would be coming and the alliance was sure to turn and watch, then they would be spotted. He curled his fingers slightly. "Come on."

Shirley grabbed his hand, holding it tightly. He could feel her shaking slightly, Lelouch at a loss on how to consol her. He looked away, beginning to pull Shirley away. She went without a struggle. Lelouch turned to speak to her, snapping his mouth shut at the look on her face, deciding that remaining silent would be the best course of action. Lelouch swallowed and turned his focus to the landscape, leaving Shirley to her thoughts.


Nunnally watched the vigil continue, her stomach twisting. After the announcement by the Game makers about Suzaku, she hadn't been able to settle down. They were willing to admit that Suzaku was still alive, and his death wouldn't be official until tomorrow, but it was the thought of it that put her on edge. Even now he could be dying, which revived the mental image Nunnally was trying to keep away. What was worse was when Lelouch found out, because it would crush what little confidence Lelouch had left. Her brother was already struggling with the death of Rolo. Suzaku's death would be the final straw. At least Lelouch didn't know about Suzaku and he could assume that he was alive; he didn't have to see the candles being burnt for his best friend.

She let the curtain of the sitting room fall, wheeling herself back over to the television. She didn't want to see Lelouch's continued struggles just yet, not before she talked to the people. The only reason that she wasn't out there now as the fact that her guard had not appeared. Cornelia had been put in charge of the organization and had promised that they would arrive shortly, but that had been ten minutes ago.

Nunnally was contemplating turning around to look at the window when there was a knock on the door. The person didn't wait for her to call him in, just walking into the room. The guard looked slightly panicked, Nunnally about to ask for a report when the guard bowed. "My apologies, your highness, but something came up."

Her hands tightened on the arm of her wheelchair. Lelouch. There was nothing else it could be. She hadn't been watching the broadcast, so she didn't know. He could have been injured or had actually died and she wouldn't have known. Nunnally didn't realize that she was trembling until the guard touched her hand.

"My apologies again. The problem was with the people outside, not with your brother. I should have given you a clearer explanation."

Nunnally released the breath she had been holding, meeting the gaze of the guard. "No, it's just a misunderstanding. I'm sorry for worrying you…"

"Dalton. Claudio Dalton." Nunnally's eyes widened. She hadn't thought that the last Dalton would dare to be in Pendragon. He smiled at her, standing up. "Cornelia sent for me especially to protect you. I was delayed because I had to help her."

"You mentioned a riot."

He nodded. "The people are getting restless, especially with the announcement about Suzaku and the failure to remove him from the Games as he lost his tracker. Also, the camera has been following Luciano and the others all moving and they're talking about wiping out the competition."

Nunnally shivered. Luciano was making a move that she had hoped that he would hold off on for a while longer. Attacking now would completely kill Lelouch's alliance. "Have they…"

"Not yet, but the people demand a removal of the tributes immediately, they're tired of the killing. But the stations are insisting that the people just don't want to lose their bets."

"I want to speak to them." Nunnally sat up straight. "I need to before something goes wrong. We need to appeal to the right powers, not just riot."

"Of course. We have a guard assembled for you and are moving into place to protect the people." Claudio fell into step beside her, holding open the door as they moved into the hall. "The people are reacting badly to the appearance of the guards, but the emperor as called on a small fraction of the army to remove the people from the area in front of the palace. He's called in Viceroy Waldstein to assist in the removal."

"I'll answer that then. Be sure to give me plenty of time to evacuate the people if things get too bad. And be sure that all of the guards won't turn on the people."

"That has already been determined. They were all chosen by Cornelia for this task."

Nunnally nodded, squinting as she was wheeled out into the open. She blinking in the sunlight, Claudio taking control of her wheelchair in the moment and guiding her over to the small stage was set up for her. Nunnally grabbed his sleeve, pulling Claudio close. "Warn Schneizel is case he needs to make a move."

"Yes, your highness." Claudio bowed and walked out of Nunnally's line of sight. She was sure that he wouldn't actually leave her, but he would pass the order onto some other guard so he could stay close.

She ignored him for the time being, focusing on the people. They had calmed somewhat when she had come out, but they were looking expectantly at her, probably hoping for her to solve the current problem. Nunnally bit her lip, trying to come up with something to say to them. It had to be something without the promise of later, the people had been put off for long enough.

Thankfully, one of the louder protesters spoke up, the man cupping his hands around his mouth and shouting. "Princess, get him to pull Suzaku Kururugi from the Games. No tracker, no tribute!"

"Pull them all from the Games!" The call was taken up by the whole crowd, Nunnally watching them in shock. If she didn't act quickly she would have a mob on her hands.

Nunnally made a motion for them to quiet down, surprised when the crowd obeyed immediately. She swallowed and tried her best to keep her voice even as she spoke. "We have been trying, but the emperor won't speak to us. We're as stuck as the rest of you at this point. We can only beg and plead. But I will try to get Suzaku out of the Games because you're right, it's not fair. But, if I do that-"

"Pull them all from the Games!"

The few that had shouted were quickly silenced, Nunnally smiling thankfully at the rest of the crowd. "Believe me when I say that I want to, but I need your help to do it. You need to put pressure on the emperor by continuing to stay here and convince those that support my father that it would be better to agree with the people. Schneizel is working on our behalf in the government and Cornelia is calling on the military to protect all of you, we just need the emperor to back down."

It wasn't the best speech, but it was all that she could offer them. The plan had moved beyond her tiny sphere of power and Nunnally had never felt so useless. She couldn't quite console the people, which meant the riot might actually occur. Only the presence of the guards was stopping it, which was the opposite of what they wanted. The guards were there for their protection of the people, but they were too afraid to realize that. The guards had always been used against the people of Pendragon.

She was interrupted by Euphemia as the princess ran towards her from the palace. The crowd gave way for Euphemia, a few of them closer to the stage helping her up onto it. Euphemia thanked them before turning her attention to Nunnally. Despite the movement, Euphemia didn't try to keep her voice down or to step away from the microphone, meaning that she wanted the people to hear what she had to say. "Schneizel has Father's council working on a bill to remove Suzaku from the Games. He hasn't pushed the idea of stopping the Games, but they seem to be willing, especially in the light of some evidence that has been found."

Euphemia unwrapped the bundle she had been carrying, turning to show it to the crowd before opening the small metal container. She pulled out a syringe, holding it about her head as she spoke. "This is an antidote, not to cure all poisons, but enough to slow the effects. This would have saved Rolo Haliburton's life until they had figured out the exact poison used. But it never got sent. The people running the Games were prevented from sending it out because of orders from my father."

Nunnally gaped at Euphemia as the princess carefully wrapped the gift up. She glanced at Nunnally before turning to the people. "I was sent that gift this morning by Nina Einstein, the designer of this year's Games. She was the one who told me about what had happened and told me something that I will not soon forget. She said that the world needed more kindness, more goodness and I agree. She also apologized profusely for her part in the Hunger Games and sent us this bit of truth to prove it. I think we can prove her right."

There was a cheer from the crowd, Nunnally looking on in shock. She hadn't thought that anything could have stopped the people. She looked up as Euphemia grabbed her hand, holding their joined hands up as the crowd chanted their names. Nunnally basked in the moment; it was the only thing that had felt like victory in a long time. She turned her head, her eyes widening as she saw the guards standing near the back of the stage snap to attention.

She followed their line of sight to the skyline of Pendragon. Nunnally's heart beat faster as she saw the planes flying their way. She had never seen planes this close to the palace, and she doubted that they were allowed to fly this close. That they were was a definite sign that something was wrong. Nunnally turned her head to look at Claudio, the guard talking into his ear piece. She knew that he was just trying to get orders or confirmation on the planes, but they didn't have time. All Nunnally could think of was images from the last rebellion, the one that had started the Hunger Games, and the bombs that the military had dropped on the Areas.

She pulled her hand from Euphemia's, turning to look at Claudio. "Get the people out of the way, use everyone available. I want them scattered and safe."

Claudio nodded and walked forward, giving Euphemia a short bow before stepping in front of her. "We're calling for an evacuation under the orders of Princess Nunnally. Please remain calm and leave the area. There will be an announcement when you can return."

As expected, the people immediately panicked, rushing around in front of the stage. Nunnally watched for a moment before wheeling herself forward and taking over the microphone. "Please follow his orders; this is for your safety and not because of a change of heart."

Her announcement didn't help ease the panic, but at least a few people looked less inclined to run. Nunnally sighed and sat back, watching the planes come closer. She could be reacting the wrong way, but she didn't think so, not with the way the guards had been acting. She would rather have overreacted than to have ignored a possible threat, she didn't want a massacre on her hands."

"Princess, you'd better evacuate too." Claudio reached for her chair, jerking his hand back quickly. "We'll remain until the people are safe, but the two of you should return to the palace before it is too late. Your deaths will just demoralize the people."

"But-" She didn't get to complete her thought as the planes roared overhead, making one pass.

Nunnally felt someone grab her wheelchair and pull her backwards. A quick look to the side showed the Euphemia was being bustled off the stage as well. The rest of the guards were staying behind, helping the crowd escape from the grounds of the palace. Nunnally sighed, looking up at the sky as the planes banked and came back around. They had given them one warning pass and now the bombs would fall, but not everyone was out yet. Nunnally whimpered, wanting to close her eyes. Even she and Euphemia were not out of danger yet, and whoever had ordered the bombing didn't care that two princesses would die.

There was a screech, Nunnally turning to look as the Knightmare careened into the open space, scattering the people still escaping. She had never seen a Knightmare before; the new weapons hadn't been taken out to the Areas because they hadn't been any action drastic enough to warrant it. The Knightmares were confined to Pendragon for the time being, still too individualized to mass produce. The only people she knew that had them were those knighted by her father and the two non-royal viceroys. That she had never seen one was close was more than enough to keep staring at it, even if it had probably been sent against her.

"Is that the Galahad?" Nunnally looked at Euphemia as the princess spoke, surprised that the guards were slowing down.

Neither of the guards had time to answer the question, static coming from the Knightmare before a voice boomed from the speakers. "This is Viceroy Waldstein and I'm calling off the attack. You are unauthorized to be flying over the palace as you lack the proper paperwork. I don't care where your orders came from; I will not allow you to endanger royals in this manner."

Nunnally expected the attack to continue, but the planes turned away, heading back to where the military bases on the edge of Pendragon. The Knightmare turned, moving away from the stage before the hatch for the cockpit opened, the seat sliding back on its runners. Bismarck Waldstein stood up and looked down at them, Nunnally too far away to see the expression on his face. He remained perched on his Knightmare for a moment longer before lowering the tow line.

Nunnally found herself turned around, the guards relaxing. She craned her neck, watching the guards usher people back to the front of the palace, the people avoiding the Knightmare. Waldstein ignored the looks that he was given, striding over to them before dropping into a full bow. "I apologize, your highnesses, I came as soon as I got the news."

Euphemia stepped forward. "Did Cornelia send you?"

"No. I heard about an unauthorized flight over the palace and that the planes contained weapons. I didn't know that your highnesses were here until I arrived, although I had hoped to meet Princess Nunnally under different circumstances."

"I'm glad that you didn't. You saved all of our lives, Viceroy Waldstein." Nunnally reached forward, pulling her hand back when he looked shocked. She cleared her throat and looked back over to where the people were gathering. "What would you have come to speak to us about?"

"Getting the only son of Lady Marianne out of the Games. His royal privilege should have prevented him from going into the Games in the first place. There must have been a mistake."

Nunnally held her tongue. Waldstein was loyal to her mother, and would help her in any way, but getting him to act for her would involve lying to him or passing him off to Schneizel, which also felt just like lying. Either way, she would be stretching the truth. Nunnally ducked her head, hoping that he would just think that she was shy. "It was no mistake. Father didn't try to get him out of the Games. Lelouch was disinherited like me."

"Under false pretenses. It hardly counts. Both you and Prince Lelouch are considered royalty by many people."

"Yes, but Father is the one to convince. Lelouch isn't a prince to him, so Lelouch has to compete. The only way to get him out that I can see is stopping the Games altogether."

Waldstein glanced back at the palace and Princess Euphemia before looking back at her. He sighed and shrugged. "It can't be helped in the end. The Games aren't popular with the Numbers and cause more trouble than they're worth. If it means that we won't have any more royals mixed up in this mess, then I find that I can agree with you."

Nunnally let out the breath she had been holding. She had almost been afraid that he wouldn't agree because he had been raised to knighthood and then to the position of viceroy by the emperor. Apparently Waldstein would do anything for the royal family. She looked at the towering Knightmare, they needed to get it out before the people got too nervous. "I think it would be best for you to go to Schneizel, he's the one speaking to the council and the emperor about stopping the Games. Your support would help move the cause along."

"I suppose that you've only gathered those new nobles, what little help they could be. If I may offer you advice, your highness…" He waited for Nunnally to wave him on. "You should focus on the older nobles. They have the most influence on the emperor."

"You're the first that has responded."

"Then those nobles have forgotten the power that grave them their position. I will have to remind them of this." Waldstein bowed to them before turning and walking back to the Knightmare.

Nunnally ignored the sight of the Knightmare powering back up and moving out. She smiled shakily at Euphemia, surprised that Euphemia looked as shaken as she did. Nunnally licked her lips. "Well…"

"We were nearly killed." Euphemia took a deep breath, Nunnally only then realizing that Euphemia was shaking. "Those were planes…they had bombs, Waldstein said there were bombs and he would know. Why would someone want to do that? Only one person would have the power to give that order without the paperwork. But why would he do that? We were doing nothing wrong; we've been telling everyone not to disturb the status quo. He shouldn't have felt threatened. He's our father. Why would he want to kill us?"

Nunnally reached out for Euphemia, grasping her hand as the princess shook. It had come as a shock to Euphemia, but Nunnally had lived with the idea nearly all of her life. She had been lying low in Area 11 in the fear that the emperor would send assassins after them to get rid of the few that had gotten away. Knowing that didn't mean that she wasn't as shaken up as Euphemia, she had never expected their father to act so directly and quickly, there was part of her that had known that something like this might happen.

She squeezed Euphemia's hand. "You should go in, have a cup of tea and relax. Just calm down and you'll be fine."

Euphemia nodded, noy letting go as she started to walk away. Nunnally shook her head, trying to encourage Euphemia to let go of her hand. "I have to stay until the people are safe."

"No! What if they come back again?"

"Schneizel and Cornelia have been warned so they'll be ready for another attack." Nunnally reached up to pat Euphemia's hand. "They won't come again; there was too much panic after the first attempt to risk another one. We're safe for now, Euphy."

"No we can't. Nunnally, he tried to kill us. We'll never be safe again, not while Father is alive and in power. I didn't want to before, but I don't want to live my life like this."

Nunnally looked up at the guards and nodded. It would be better to take Euphemia inside where she could calm down. And, even if the palace wasn't the most secure at the moment, it was far better than breaking down in public. The news stations would already be all over the attack, Nunnally didn't want to use Euphemia's distress to their advantage, no matter how useful it could have been. Nunnally carefully recovered her hand from Euphemia, continuing to give her a reassuring smile. "I promise that I'll be in soon. I won't leave the guard and you'll be able to see me the entire time."

Euphemia finally nodded, wrapping her arms around herself as she was escorted back into the palace. Nunnally watched her go before turning to look back at Claudio. The guard gave her a shaky smile before bowing. "Shall we continue, your highness?"

"Yes." Nunnally watched the people slowly gather again. They were still nervous and probably ready to riot if not handled properly, but Nunnally hadn't been able to calm them before, that had been Euphemia. She took a deep breath and rested her hands on the top of the wheels. "Come along."

She wheeled herself off back over to where the people were gathered, listening to Claudio as he kept pace with her. The only thing she could allow herself to feel at the moment was relief, if she started crying she would push forward the wrong message. Besides she would keep her panic to herself. She was a princess, but she wasn't willing to give up all of herself for the people. The one thing that was keeping her from breaking down completely was her relief that Lelouch hadn't seen the attack; he would have been the one in a panic. That was something she was glad for.

Nunnally maneuvered herself onto the platform, looking down at the people. She licked her lips and bowed her head. "I'm sorry."

There were mutters from the crowd, Nunnally letting them run their course. She took a deep breath and plunged on. "I should have acted sooner and have gotten all of you out of the area in time. That was something that I should have been prepared for. And, for that, you have my sincerest apologies."

She barely had time to finish before the crowd was chanting her name. Nunnally leaned back staring at the crowd. She heard the title of empress thrown around a few times, Nunnally flinching. The crowd was all ready to crown her now, something that Nunnally wouldn't let happen. There was already an emperor and a crown prince. She was a princess, but she had no real place in the royal family, she could just appeal to the people. At a loss of what to do, Nunnally waved to the crown, listening to their cheers.


Lelouch looked up as Shirley fed another stick into the fire, surprised when Shirley met his gaze for the first time since Mariel had died. She smiled at him before dropping her gaze back to the fire. "She would have been safer with us."

"Yes."

"But we can't change that, can we?' Shirley shook her head, not giving Lelouch time to answer. "We can just move on and I bet you have a plan."

Lelouch shrugged, poking at the fire with a stick. "We keep moving to find Suzaku. He has to be out there somewhere and I don't believe what the others said. He's still alive."

Shirley made a noise of agreement. "I was talking about more immediately."

Lelouch looked back at the fire. They hadn't caught anything since breakfast; he had been too busy dodging the alliance as they crossed the arena. Since Mariel's death, Lelouch had been trying to spend as little time as possible at the streams, which ruled out fishing, not that Lelouch believed that he would have caught anything in the first place. He tried to ignore the ache in his stomach in favor of scooting close to the fire.

They had managed to get to the hill they had been rushing toward the entire day. That was something at least, the one accomplishment of the day. Lelouch sighed, looking down the hill onto the plain. He couldn't see anything, then again, he hadn't checked around the hill yet.

Lelouch sighed. "I was thinking about a way for us to get supplies to make this journey easier."

"But we're far from the Cornucopia…unless you're thinking about stealing them from someone else." Shirley shivered. "But that would be dangerous."

"We'll go in while they are sleeping and steal the closest packs. Then we'll run. No elaborate plans here, just efficiency."

Shirley nodded and stood up, kicking dirt over their small fire. Lelouch stared up at her, waiting to have the usual happy quip. Instead she walked out of the cover of the trees, Lelouch scrambling to follow her.

They paused outside of the trees, both of them scanning the area for a flickering light that would signal a fire. Luciano and the alliance were the victors at this point; they no longer had to worry about anyone trying to kill them. The alliance could risk a fire. Lelouch straightened up, freezing as he saw their fire. He decided to silently point it out to Shirley, watching her nod before setting off down the hill. Lelouch watched her go, struggling to come up with something to say to her. The only thing that sounded right was to remain silent.

He trailed after her, letting Shirley lead the way onto the plain. Lelouch went to take the lead, surprised when Shirley stayed in front. "Lelouch, you do have a plan?"

"I just told you it."

Shirley flinched and looked back at him. "Oh. I remember that. Sorry."

Lelouch frowned, reaching out for her. "Shirley…"

"Don't worry about me, Lelouch. I'm fine. I'm just tired of watching people die. But I guess you are too. I just want this done quickly because I'm tired. You seem to be just as exhausted as I am. I guess that's the point by this time, we're all exhausted and starting to struggle. I guess that's why I'm not surprised that so many are dying. I…I just don't know what I want anymore."

"I'm not sure either. It's just been so long."

Shirley nodded, slowing down so they could walk side by side. Lelouch accepted the invitation, the two of them falling into a companionable silence. He fell back into the pattern of helping her over the more difficult sections of the terrain, Shirley returning the favor.

It took longer than Lelouch expected to get close to where the fire was. The two of them sought out the taller stands of grass and inched closer. Lelouch kept having to remind himself to breathe, none of the tributes would be able to hear their breathing, especially over the crackling of the fire. He dropped to his stomach, crawling on his stomach to get closer to the fire. It was far easier than Lelouch thought, the two of them settling into place and watching the tributes around the fire.

Lelouch clenched his hands into fists, biting down onto his sleeve. They were still congratulating themselves on the people they had killed, talking about it like it was just a game played in childhood. It was Shirley who pulled his attention back to their task, pointing to the pile of packs. Lelouch nodded and motioned that they pull back. He kept his voice low as he explained the plan. "One at a time. Grab the nearest one and get away slowly. Don't run until you have to and don't stray away."

Shirley nodded and crept forward first. There was a better chance that she wouldn't be seen, Lelouch was willing to take the chance that he would be seen. Still, there would be one pack, and one was better than nothing.

Lelouch moved into position, watching as Shirley dragged the pack back into darkness, waiting until she had move past him before crawling forward. Fortunately, the grass remained high close to the fire, providing the cover that they needed right up to the vital moment. Lelouch stretched his arm forward, remaining still for a moment before pulling the pack into the grass. He waited for a moment, watching for any movement before pulling away.

He backed up until he could no longer see the fire or those around it before pulling the pack on and raising himself onto his knees. A quick look around showed that Shirley was waiting for him with her pack. She smiled at him and tipped her head to the side, Lelouch nodding. They wouldn't go back to the hill, they would just continue further on until they found another suitable place to sleep. There were more places to hide in this portion of the arena, something to their favor. If they were luck enough, they would be able to sleep undisturbed.

They struck out toward the rocks on one side of the arena, Shirley sticking by his side. They shared a smile, Lelouch feeling lighter. They had managed to take what they had needed and they would survive for another night. It was a victory, one they hadn't had in a long while. It was something that they both needed, a way for them to boost their spirits.

He hitched the pack higher on his shoulder, trying to see through the darkness ahead of them to prevent the two of them from tripping. One false move could disable them badly, something that neither of them could afford. Limping across the plain wasn't too appealing to Lelouch, especially carrying supplies.

Lelouch stumbled as they stepped into a ditch, Shirley reaching out to steady him. He shook his head and climbed up to the other side, letting go of Shirley's hand. Wary from the near fall, Lelouch picked his way across the terrain more slowly, staring at the ground for any hint that he was about to stumble into a hole. Shirley seemed to be doing much better than he was, stepping carefully around what seemed like patches of deep shadow.

Lelouch moved to follow her path, freezing when he heard the grass rustle. He turned, watching as someone stepped out of the grass. For a moment, Lelouch that it was Suzaku. He grinned and took a step forward, coming to a quick stop when the person stood up fully, the tribute too tall to be Suzaku. He backed up a few paces, staring at Luciano.

The tribute smiled, Lelouch unable to tell more about his expression in the darkness. Luciano laughed, lifting the spear from his shoulder. "You did a good job. None of us noticed that you had stolen from us. I only noticed because I went looking for something that was in one of those packs. You were so close to getting away."

Lelouch wanted to look back at Shirley to tell her to run. Running would be better at this point; they would find each other as soon as the sun rose. Luciano couldn't chase the two of them if they split up, and Lelouch was hoping that Luciano wouldn't want to chase them if they ran in separate directions.

He retreated as Luciano took a step forward, hearing the tribute chuckle. Lelouch watched Luciano play with the spear, unwilling to take his eyes away from the weapon. "You gave us quite the run; I never expected it of you. Your friend perhaps, but not you. You were supposed to be the easy prey, at least until everyone found out that you were a prince. Now, you just have a better prize for killing you. All of the profit and none of the fun."

"Did my father order you to do this?"

Luciano shook his head, raising his free hand. "That's not my business and I don't think it matters. The whole point of the Games is to kill each other. What the emperor wants is just coincidental Honestly, I'd rather kill you now, you're becoming a nuisance."

Lelouch gritted his teeth. There was nowhere to go if Luciano threw the spear. He didn't have Suzaku's inhuman reflexes, which left him just hoping for the best. Lelouch fumbled for his knife, pulling it out as Luciano threw the spear. Lelouch leapt to the side, twisting to throw the knife at Luciano. He heard a breathy gasp as he hit the ground, Lelouch propping himself up on one arm to see Luciano. He smiled as he saw Luciano stumble back, the tribute clutching at his leg. As expected, Luciano retreated, giving up the hunt as soon as he was injured. That showed what kind of a coward he was.

Lelouch stood up, watching Luciano limp away. When he was satisfied that the tribute was in full retreat, Lelouch turned around to grin at Shirley. He didn't get the chance to gloat long, Lelouch staring at the spear embedded in Shirley's stomach. He pushed the pack of his shoulders, lunging forward to catch her as Shirley began to fall backwards.

"Shirley!"

"Ow." She reached for the spear, making a soft whining sound. "It hurts."

"Don't pull it out. It'll hurt more."

Shirley let out a shaky sigh, dropping her hands from the shaft of the spear. "I-I know that. It just hurts."

"I know." Lelouch glanced up at the sky, shaking his head a moment later. Nothing had come to help Rolo, so he was sure that nothing would come to save Shirley. He cursed and reached for the bags. There had to be something that could help Shirley in there. Lelouch glanced back at Shirley. "Hold on. Everything will be alright."

"I know it will, Lelouch. I trust you."

Lelouch refrained from looking at her face, not wanting to see the smile that she was sure to be giving him. He pushed through the equipment in the bag, working mostly by touch. He felt mostly metal objects and a plastic bag. Lelouch pulled his hand out, pushing the bag to the side and reaching for the second one. He was rewarded nearly instantly when his hand closed around something that felt like cloth. He pulled out a length of bandages quickly turning to Shirley and pressing it around the wound. Lelouch reached for her hand, pressing it against the bandages. "Keep pressure on it."

Shirley nodded, grabbing onto Lelouch's wrist as he turned back to the bags. Lelouch looked down at where she held him, gently trying to pull her off. "I have to keep looking. There has to be something else in there."

"Stay with me, please?"

Lelouch glanced back at the bags before settling by her side. Shirley smiled up at him, adjusting her grip so that they were holding hands. "Thank you."

"You don't have anything to thank me for. I haven't managed to do anything."

"You gave us all hope. That's important. We thought we could get out."

Lelouch ducked his head. "I lied. There was no chance at getting out. It was all a lie."

"You didn't, we just weren't fast enough. But you can still get out, you and Suzaku." She lifted her hand from the bandages on her stomach, closing it around Lelouch's hand.

He tried to pull his hand free. "Shirley, to have to hold those to stop the bleeding."

"Find Suzaku and win for us, Lelouch. For all of us."

"I will, just as soon as I make sure that you're alright. We'll go tomorrow.'

"Yeah, that sounds good." Shirley turned her head to look up at the sky. She remained silent for a long while, Lelouch suddenly aware of how loud his own breathing sounded when compared to her silence. Finally, Shirley spoke up again, her voice softer. "I don't think that it will work like that though. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. Never apologize. It wasn't your fault, it was mine. I should have been able to protect you and Rolo better. What kind of prince am I?"

"A good one, one that I was proud to know. One that will do anything to help his people. I am happy to have known you, even if it was for just a little while."

"Don't say things like that."

"It's the right time to say things like this. I didn't want to die with regrets." Shirley chuckled and weakly squeezed his hand. "I don't regret meeting and helping you. I would have liked to see you in politics. You would have been a great emperor."

"I don't think-"

"No, you would hate Pendragon, they kicked you out. I had forgotten. But you would be good, Lelouch."

"Why? You'll be there too."

Shirley shook her head. "I wish I could be there. Just remember me, that's the only thing I want. It may be selfish, but just don't forget the girl from Area 3."

"Shirley, just hold on!" He turned back to the packs, ignoring the tears that were streaming down his face. "I'll find something to save you. I won't let you die. I won't let anyone else die. Too many have died because of me. You're not going to become one of those people!"

"Lelouch," she pulled on his hand, "it's alright. I'm at peace. I don't regret anything."

"You should, you're too young to die. You should have regrets!"

"No. I'm fine, Lelouch, I really am. I got farther than I expected in the Games and I met a prince. What other girl could say that?" She tried to focus on his face, not quite able to. "I met a beautiful and kind prince. What better way to spend the last days of my life? Falling in love with a prince?"

Lelouch tensed at that, staring at Shirley and waiting for her to elaborate only to hear Shirley sigh. She released his hand, Lelouch watching as her eyes fluttered shut. He swallowed and reached out for her, gently shaking her shoulder. "Shirley? Shirley!"

She flopped limply, Lelouch letting go of her. His first instinct was to run away, but he forced himself to stay. He owed Shirley something better than just running away. He took a deep breath and stood up. Lelouch grabbed the spear and pulled it out, tossing it to one side before he fell to his knees, throwing up. Lelouch pressed his sleeve to his mouth, wiping it before quickly going back to his self appointed task. He groped for the bandages, pulling them from their messy sprawl on Shirley's stomach. He wasn't going to just let her go looking like this. He pulled her up against him, leaning her back against him as he went to wrap up her wound.

It was too late for any first aid, but it would make Shirley look neater, assuage some of his guilt. Lelouch knew he was blushing furiously as he worked with Shirley's shirt pulled up to expose her stomach. He just wanted to look Shirley look as beautiful as she could, especially since he was the one who had gotten her killed. He tied up the bandages, checking to make sure they were secure, but not too tight. There was some part of him that felt embarrassed doing this, it was not the proper behavior for a prince or a tribute. Lelouch shook his head and gently set her down on the ground, smoothing her hair out. Lelouch lingered near her body, fixing what small things he could see. It wasn't much, it was dark and Lelouch wasn't near any water that would help clear up all the blood.

He pulled his hand away, rocking back on his heels. There was nothing that he could do for her, but he wasn't going to leave her side until the helicopter came to him. He didn't want her to be alone for any length of time, he owed her that much. Lelouch sighed and reached out to place on hand on her stomach. He took her other hand into his own, rubbing it gently before stopping the motion. No amount of trying on his part would bring her back. He couldn't make miracles.

If he had been able to create miracles, then he wouldn't have gotten into this position. He would have been back in Area 11 where his family had been safe. Even having to work hard for the rest of his life was better than this.

He looked down at Shirley's face. "You found the wrong prince to fall in love with. I don't have anything to my name. There's just my knight." Lelouch paused to swallow. "And I even lost him. What a pathetic excuse for a prince of Britannia."

He managed a self deprecating chuckle, looking down at the hand between his own. He knew what Shirley would have said, she would have reminded him that it didn't matter as long as he was doing something good with his power. Shirley would have encouraged him to continue with their plan, because it was the one thing he could do, the one thing that would show the people of Pendragon that they were not to be toyed with. Even knowing that, Lelouch wasn't comforted. Knowing all of that told him nothing, just what he already knew and that didn't stop the doubt.

Lelouch looked up at the sound of the helicopter, finding the light that was on the front of the machine. He went to stand up, pausing halfway through the motion. He would stay by her side no matter what the threat to him would be. Lelouch shifted so he was facing the direction that the helicopter was coming in, not flinching away as the machine landed. He closed his eyes against the gust of wind and the bright light, opening them in time to see the soldiers step out. Only then did he stand up, but he didn't step away from Shirley.

The soldiers looked nervous at his refusal to move. They exchanged glances before one stepped up, brandishing his gun. "You won't be getting out this way, kid."

The second guard looked nervous, raising and lowering his gun. "That's the prince."

"I don't care. We're not going to take him out. He'll have to win just like the rest of them."

"As if I would take the easy way out." Lelouch scoffed and narrowed his eyes. "I simply wanted to make sure you handled her body with care. She may have just been another tribute but she was…special."

"We'll take care of your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend. She doesn't have to belong to me to be special. Just remember that and take care of her. This is an order from your prince."

"But you're not-"

"Yes, your highness." The second guard bowed, slipping his gun back into its holster before stepping forward to pick up Shirley. The guard attempted a bow before stepping into the helicopter. The first guard followed him, shooting an annoyed look back as they stepped into the helicopter, the machine starting up.

Lelouch watched them go; trying his best not to look intimidated or lost. They were sure to be filming and Lelouch wanted to look every inch the prince. In this moment, he would be a prince. He lifted his head as the helicopter took off and turned to look back at the wall, despite being buffeted by the wind. He remained in place until he couldn't see or hear the helicopter any longer.

When he was sure that it was gone, Lelouch knelt down to retrieve the two packs. He wouldn't leave them behind, not when they had been the inadvertent cause of Shirley's death. Lelouch readjusted them on his shoulders, turning to look back at the rock formation. He would be safe enough from the alliance, they wouldn't try to come after him it would be easier to lose them in the dark and the rocks. Lelouch could reorganize there before continuing on.

He took a deep breath and started to walk forward. There were a few more miles that he could cover, but the ground was too open for him to sleep. He would just have to find a good place to hide to catch a few hours of sleep. He would find his own way out and he would fight to the end, so he wouldn't have wasted their lives.


Milly froze in the middle of getting ready to leave as the announcement came through. There was another death. She stared at her phone, not quite able to believe it. Normally, at least for this year, the tributes settled down at night and didn't move until morning. That there was a death meant that there had been a sneak attack, which meant that the tributes were staring to get bold and desperate.

She opened her phone, her hands trembling as she saw the Tribute who had died. Shirley Finette from Area 3. Shirley hadn't been a favorite, but she had been poplar with the people because she had been such a sweet girl. To think that she had died was a shock. Then again, it also meant that Lelouch was on his own now, which meant that Luciano would come for the prince. Then there was Suzaku, was more likely dead than alive.

She let he phone drop into her lap, Milly leaning forward and resting her head on the wheel. She had thought that Nunnally would have stopped the Games by this point, but everyone was still stalling for time. There were even rumors floating around about what the emperor had tried to do to his own daughters. Milly wasn't quite ready to believe the rumors, not without a sure source and while they were in flux. She was sure that Nunnally and Schneizel wouldn't hesitate to inform the people of what was really going on and there was already reports of riots that had been started only to disperse under the orders of Princess Nunnally.

Milly shivered and looked up. The entire state of Britannia was hanging in the balance and she could feel the tension. Something would break and Milly couldn't see what point would break first, which worried her. She was used to seeing where the stresses of the situation came from it was part of her privilege of being a reporter. Now, like everyone else, the world had to wait and she was impatient. But the way that it seemed to be playing out was that Lelouch would die to provide a martyr for the cause before anything would be done. It was the pattern of Britannia. A martyr would finally manage to get a change passed after their death. Britannia was a state and an empire built on stagnation and sudden growth, and she wasn't sure that she liked the changes that were going on.

Milly lifted her head, rolling her eyes before starting the car. There was nothing more she could do here, she would be called in again in the morning to start the Games again and to pretend like nothing had happened. And then world would move on. The world would move on and Nunnally would fight until the end no matter what. Milly had the feeling that all of Britannia would follow Nunnally all the way to the end.