Episode 8
"Yes. It seems that she is acting against us Sir. Jerimiah."
Edgar took a puff of his cigarette as he watched C.C dash past him and over to Shirley. He then pressed the last bit of the cigarette onto the porcelain astray that sat on the table in front of him.
"Then, shall I proceed with informing Lady Marianne of her true identity?...Yes, it's the perfect timing."
"I did it to protect Lelouch…Did you actually try to do something with it. I knew you were dangerous, thank goodness I did what I did or else Lelouch would have been dragged into your stupid mess." C.C's anger was boiling up inside of her. She couldn't control herself any longer.
The crowd gasped loudly at the sound of her hand connecting with Shirley's face. The sound reverberated throughout the crowd.
Shirley was at a loss for words as she held her red cheek, unbelieving of what C.C just did. Milly quickly abandoned her seat and rushed to Shirley's side whilst Lelouch held C.C back as she was about to land another painful blow to Shirley.
Lady Marianne quickly found her way onto the stage to defuse the situation. Her commanding voice drew the attention of the honored guests away from the unsightly scuffle.
"It seems our students are a little heated tonight. Please excuse their uncharacteristic behavior and let us proceed with tonight's celebration in earnest. Lelouch and Milly, please escort them away to cool off. I will meet with you all shortly."
With her instruction, Lelouch and Milly escorted C.C and Shirley inside and to the quiet study. Shirley and Milly entered the room whilst C.C was frozen in her place at the door. The image of Edgar choking her and rendering her powerless before him once again sent her into shock. Lelouch noticed as she tightly gripped his hand. He then spoke to Milly,
"Milly, I want to talk with C.C separately. If Lady Marianne comes, let her know that we will return shortly."
Milly nodded in response; knowing that only he could understand whatever made C.C act out of character. As they left the room she tried her best to comfort her friend Shirley who had tears rolling down her cheeks.
He held her hand tightly as they entered his room. With trembling hands and feet and a look of defeat, she staggered over to his king sized bed and sat; as he turned on a lamp on the nightstand. Without uttering a single word, he sat beside her and enveloped her in a warm embrace. He caressed her disheveled hair to calm her. In response to his gesture, she wrapped her arms around his waist and burrowed her face in his chest. His presence comforted her greatly.
After calming herself she stared into his eyes to be met with his earnest stare which made her confide in him. Holding his hands, she told him everything that transpired in the study. Anger boiled up inside of him as he parted her hair to reveal the bright red marks around her neck. He knew Edgar for two years because he worked under his mother's secretary, Jerimiah Gottwald. They would often have friendly conversations when he filled in for Jerimiah at social affairs. To think that, that kind person would hide such a vile character beneath his smile…To be fair, Lelouch was more angry than surprised because humans have a tendency to hide behind masks; even he did. However, what Edgar hid was truly contemptable and he wanted more than anything to tear him to pieces for what he did to C.C.
With a deep sigh, he embraced her once again, resting his head atop hers and closing his eyes tightly to hold in his anger and think rationally for both of their sake.
"Let's go home.", he said. "What about your mother?" she asked. "I'll explain it to her later…for now, let's go home." he replied and they left the mansion and headed to his apartment.
Lady Marianne came to the study after settling the crowd and learning some very useful information. She greeted Milly and Shirley and was confused to not find C.C or Lelouch anywhere in sight. Milly spoke to explain the situation,
"I apologize Mrs. Britannia, but Lelouch left with C.C a little while earlier. He said he would take responsibility for leaving."
Shirley and Milly expected her to become angry or at least annoyed, however the vice president looked very calm.
"Is that so? No matter….Besides, I wanted to talk to her personally. Shirley dear, I'm sorry for what happened to you tonight. You may retire as I sort out the situation."
"Please, you shouldn't apologize for her mother. I'm sorry, because of my actions she acted that way…I should be the one to apologize."
"Is that so? Well, don't hurt your head to much about it. Soon everything shall return to normal. Now, I will be going. Goodbye girls."
They inhaled the fragrant scent of roses from the small red candles that lined the edge of the square marble tub that sat in the middle of Lelouch's bathroom. They were cuddled in warm water and a multitude of bubbles that caressed their bare skin as they sipped red wine from skinny wine glasses. They gazed out of the large glass windows and into the city illuminated by bright lights. The silence that filled the air wasn't tense or awkward but rather calming.
"Being like this with you, I feel so free. Looking out into the vast city, I feel like I can go anywhere and face anything unlike when I was locked in that room."
Lelouch intertwined his fingers with hers as she started to reveal more of herself to him.
4 years ago~
In a white Victorian styled room, the sun illuminated C.C who sat on a large queen sized bed. The sheets were as white as the wall and the railings were as golden as the sunlight that entered the room. However, her short white dress was not enough to hide the dark grey chains clasped around her pale ankles. The ugly grey chains offset the purity of the room; making it look like a prison rather than heaven. She longingly looked out of the large window at the green fields she desperately wanted to escape to. What caught her attention the most were the white camellia flowers in the garden.
"So pretty. I want to go~"
Her eyes were dull as she heard the door knob of her prison shake. Soon the door opened and in walked the red haired man she loathed. The disgusting smile on his face made her insides turn.
"Is my angel bored?", he asked to which she ignored. He locked the door and walked over to the bed and sat next to her.
"If you be nice I'll take you outside to see the pretty camellia flowers~"
He said those words to her before and tricked her into thinking he would give her freedom. Instead, he lied to her in order to satisfy his fetish. She looked at him with disdain as his hand trailed over her body.
"You love those flowers don't you Camellia?"
It's true, she loved the camellia flowers. They tempted her to go outside even if it was just for a short moment.
"Don't worry, I won't deflower you. I would never do that to my angel. All I want is to set you free…So, let's go to the flowers, to freedom Camellia."
She let him have his way so that he would unclasp the ugly chains around her feet and take her to see the pretty camellia flowers.
"Was I wrong for letting him do those things to me just so I could leave that room only for a moment?", she asked as Lelouch rested his head on her shoulder.
"No. He took advantage of you so don't ever blame yourself.", he answered to which she smiled as a weight that had been upon her shoulders was finally lifted. Turning to face him, she took a moment to take in the warm gaze in his violet eyes that was directed only at her.
She closed her eyes slowly and leaned in to place a loving kiss on his lips. She backed away and he rested his glass of wine on the edge of the tub. Leaning forward, he pecked her cheek and then kissed her lips passionately.
'Thank you Lelouch…one day I want to tell you that…I love you.'
Ashford University Monday, 5pm
C.C was currently heading to the vice president's office after leaving her final class of the day. Earlier today she received an email from the woman herself, asking her to meet this afternoon. She could only assume it would be about a suspension or expulsion for her behavior last night. However, it didn't matter to her in the slightest as she had more prevalent issues to deal with. Moreover she had planned for today to be her last day as she wanted to focus on bringing down the cult before they came to take her away and silence her forever.
After watching the sun go down as she walked across campus, she finally arrived at Lady Marianne's office. She knocked twice on the large double doors and was greeted by a man with teal hair and orange eyes.
"Please come in, the vice president has been awaiting your arrival.", he said with a gentlemanly smile.
C.C entered the office and could see the vice president sitting on a couch in front of her desk. She gestured her over as the man left the room to get coffee. She then sat in the couch opposite Lady Marianne. The seat gave her the honor to stare directly at Lady Marianne who gave her a mischievous grin that unsettled her. The unsettling woman then spoke,
"You created quite the commotion last night. To add, you also ran off with my son as well~"
"I sincerely apologize."
"I already told you C.C. I hate to be embarrassed so I cannot let you off with a simple apology."
"I understand.", replied C.C as her nerves began to calm a little. The meeting was exactly what she thought it would be about. At that moment Jerimiah returned to the office carrying a metal tray with two cups of coffee. He placed a cup in front of Lady Marianne and then one in front of C.C before he stood behind Lady Marianne for the remainder of their meeting.
"Did you introduce yourself Jerimiah?", asked Lady Marianne as she took a sip of her coffee.
"I apologize for my rudeness. I am Lady Marianne's personal secretary, Jerimiah Gottwald. Please have some coffee to relax."
C.C nodded and took a sip as she needed a boost of energy from her tiring day. Howevern something about the taste was off but she dismissed it as Lady Marianne started to ramble once again,
"Ms. C.C you are quiet the special girl. Looking into your files", Jerimiah handed her a yellow folder from her desk that held C.C's personal information, "I see your country of citizenship is Italy and your full name, that you refuse to tell anyone, is Camellia Cambareri…
how fitting", she whispered the last bit as C.C frowned. Having her personal information revealed was not something she enjoyed, however she knew it was inevitable. Just as long as the wrong people did not get a hold of it, she would be fine.
"Why did you come to Japan of all places Camellia?", Lady Marianne asked.
"As you know, I am an orphan so my life in Italy was not the best. I received an opportunity to come to Japan to pursue fashion design at your university and so I took it.". She did not lie, however it was not the full truth either.
Marianne, on the other hand, started to giggle at her answer as if she knew that it was a lie. C.C furrowed her brows in confusion as she began to feel sleepy. 'I've had such a long day. I need to sleep.', she thought as she took another sip of coffee.
"What is it that you wanted to tell me Lady Marianne? I would like to return to my dorm."
"I'm just glad to have finally met you Camellia. All this time you were right under my nose."
"I don't underst-", her words were cut off as she felt a wave of nausea take over her. She held her head as her eyes began to droop.
"Of course I'm a bit upset that a certain someone didn't tell me this information earlier. Nonetheless, I am content that the angel that will bring us the power of Geass is with us. The plan we couldn't finish will be complete."
The coffee she held slipped out of her hand as she lost all feeling in her limbs.
'NO!...H-how is she a part of this?!", C.C thought as she watched the quirky image she had of Lelouch's mother disappear right before her eyes. Instead it was replaced by a manipulative smirk; one of someone who was truly insane.
"H-how could y-ou do some-thing so evil! W-what about Le-louch and Nu-nally…", her breathes were heavy and she struggled to get the words out but she couldn't believe the kind of person Lady Marianne was. "Y-ou lied to them…"
"I must make a sacrifice so that my children can live in a perfect world. I will make a peaceful world with no lies so that we will never be hurt again. Camellia, in this world you won't be hurt anymore…you will be truly loved."
C.C struggled to move but it was no use. A tear left her eye as she could no longer resist the effect of the drug Jerimiah put in her coffee. Her eyes closed and she fell limp on the couch in front of them.
"Jerimiah, inform the board of directors as well as the faculty that C.C has been expelled for her disruptive behavior. Call Edgar and have him take her to the safe house in the meantime."
"I shall do so at once Lady Marianne." Jerimiah said as he offered his hand to help her stand. He then placed a kiss on her frail hand before she could leave.
Suddenly C.C's phone rang. Jerimiah walked over and took it from her bag to see Lelouch's name on the screen. He declined the call but Lelouch sent a message instead. To view the message he picked up C.C's hand and unlocked the phone.
Lelouch was currently waiting in his car in front of the girls' dorm as he wanted to give C.C the Cheese-kun plushy he promised to get for her. He called her phone but there was no answer so he sent a message.
"Hey, I'm outside your dorm with your special gift. I do not want my makeup to be destroyed so come and get it now!"
After a moment she replied.
"Sorry Lelouch, but I'm at work right now. I'll get the gift from you another time okay?"
"Work? But you are off today."
"My co-worker couldn't make it so I'm filling in for her."
The reasoning was very strange to him. Without pushing it any further, he simply replied,
"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then. Love you~"
"Love you too 3"
His suspicions were confirmed. She never replied back to his messages with 'love you' and she certainly did not use emoji's either. This was not her at all. Starting his car, he drove off from the dorms and to the campus in order to look for her.
"Please be safe Camellia."
To be continued~
I apologize for such a late upload but finals week for a university student is so hectic. All I could do was study :( so I wasn't able to upload. Nonetheless, I sincerely thank everyone for following this story.
And now that the semester is over I can continue to write in earnest! Summer is here!
See you next week!
