A/N: Hi, everyone; back again. Sorry for the wait, but it took me a while to decide how I wanted this chapter to go. Anyway, this is the part where Suzaku and Nunnally finally start to get closer then they've been previously and I hope my readers will find my story more interesting then before. And now, on with the show! ; )
Chapter 11: Peaceful Days
"It's him! Zero!"
Nunnally lifted her head and looked up after she heard the gasps of the people around her. Being chained like an animal to a parade float and displayed before an entire city by her own brother had left her too ashamed to even let anyone see her face. How ironic that she wished she was still blind, not so that she wouldn't see the looks of pity on the people's faces at her predicament, but so that she wouldn't have to see what was to happen in the next few moments.
As soon as Nunnally lifted her head and looked ahead of her, she saw what had caught the attention of the entire city. It was a tall masked man in a dark suit armed with an exotic and very dangerous looking broadsword. Even if she wasn't already paralyzed, she would not have been able to move or utter a single word out of shock at seeing the famous dark knight of justice that everyone knew so well.
Zero
Before anyone could react, the dark knight dashed towards the float carrying Lelouch's throne, easily dodging the bullets that were fired at him by the knightmare frames surrounding the emperor and forcing his way past Lord Jeremiah with little effort. Nunnally felt her heart freeze in terror, thinking that the man was coming for her and knowing that she was powerless to stop him but her fear soon turned to confusion as the dark knight quickly moved past her as if she wasn't there and onto his real target…
No, not again! Nunnally knew all too well what was going to happen next. She had had this dream so many times before and it killed her knowing that she was powerless to change anything. She could only watch helplessly as the man named Zero pulled back his sword and plunged it into Lelouch's chest after swiftly knocking the pistol out of his hand. It was only a few moments but to her, it felt like an eternity; she couldn't understand why her brother did nothing more to protect himself after he had lost his pistol, why he just stood there and smiled as his would-be-murderer buried his blade up to the hilt in his chest. It was almost as if he knew it was inevitable and simply accepted it.
Nunnally had no time to ponder the matter as she saw her brother's eyes widen in shock and heard him gasp in pain as he leaned over and gripped Zero's shoulder with one hand for support. She wasn't sure if she imagined it, but she thought she saw the two exchange words briefly before Lelouch collapsed and landed next to her after leaving a thirty-foot trail of blood on the slope below his throne.
"Oni-sama!" she cried as she grabbed his hand. Lelouch slowly opened his eyes and looked at her weakly. When he did so, she saw not an insane monarch driven mad by lust for power, but the big brother that she loved.
"Nunnally…" he whispered, his voice racked with pain.
There were so many things she wanted to ask him but as soon as she touched his hand, her mind was filled with flashing thoughts and visions that were not her own. It was then that Nunnally realized that she was experiencing her brother's memories and he was unconsciously communicating them to her telepathically. The visions told her all that she needed to know without Lelouch having to utter a single word. All she can ask now was "Why?" as hot tears streamed down her face.
As weak as he was, Lelouch raised a hand to Nunnally's cheek and gently wiped a tear from her face in a gesture of comfort, just as he did when they were children. How ironic it was for him to offer her comfort when he was the one who was dying!
"Shh…don't cry, Nunnally" he whispered "This is the way it should be. I've sent so many people to their deaths, its only fitting that I die the same way. My only regret is that I won't be there to see you grow and have a family of your own one day. I know that you will be a great empress; be strong and remember always, I love you." As horrified as she was, Nunnally was also amazed at how her brother can still smile and speak to her when every word he said must have caused him agonizing pain.
"No, this isn't what I wanted!" she cried "I don't want the crown, I just want to be with you so please don't leave me; I have no one!"In desperation, Nunnally frantically tried to stop the bleeding in Lelouch's chest but the wound was too deep and fatal; his blood gushed like a torrent between her fingers, taking his life along with it. She knew he didn't have much time left but couldn't bring herself to accept it.
"I'm sorry, Nunnally", he gasped, "But there's nothing more I can do; trust in Suzaku, he will be there for you, I promise." Lelouch's breathing became shallow and ragged as he finally lost his ability to speak; Nunnally felt his hand shake uncontrollably as if he were freezing. She knew he was going into shock, no doubt from blood loss; he had already lost over a quarter of his blood and continued to bleed non-stop onto her, staining her orange prison gown red. But she could not notice that now.
"Oni-sama… Lelouch, I love you… I always will…" Nunnally whispered softly as she kissed his forehead and buried her face in his neck. Since she knew she could not save him from his fate, the only thing she could do is tell him what he needed to hear while he still can. She was grateful to see him smile down at her when she lifted her head and looked into his eyes before he closed them as he entered a sleep from which he would never awake.
Nunnally finally felt her brother go cold and limp in her arms. Cradling his lifeless body, she wailed uncontrollably as the people around her cheered and praised Zero for bringing down the Mad Emperor. But she didn't hear them; nothing mattered to her now, only the beloved brother who was now lost to her forever…
SSSSSS
Nunnally awoke with a start and quickly sat up, tightly clutching the bed sheets tightly to her chest as she tried to calm her ragged breathing. Looking around, she saw that she was in a guest bedroom in the Ashford Family summer home. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she noticed it was around three o' clock in the morning, about four hours from the time she was normally expected to wake up back at the palace so that her servants can start outfitting and accessorizing her in her empress garments to prepare her for the day. Then she remembered that she didn't have to be up that early because she was on a vacation of sorts and can afford to sleep in a little.
That's right, she thought, I'm in Japan, at Milly's summer home, hiding out from an insane killer after my life. After she calmed herself down, Nunnally frowned.
It was that dream again.
Lelouch's final moments continued to haunt her, even three years after his death. Every time she had that dream, she was painfully aware of it, aware that she was reliving the past and knowing that she could not change it even though she wanted to, most desperately. It was an experience so dramatic that every moment of it was burned into her memory forever. Nunnally had this dream so many times that she knew every detail of it from the way Zero moved, the swiftness of his blade, and the way he buried it into her brother's chest. It seemed so real that she could almost feel Lelouch's breathing on her cheek as he uttered his last words to her.
Nunnally had this dream almost every night for months after her brother died. She remembered how she used to wake up screaming in the middle of the night and needing Suzaku to calm her enough so that she could fall asleep again. She remembered how he used to hold her close and stroke her hair while whispering gentle words of comfort and rocking her like a child. Though grateful for his reassurance, Nunnally also felt guilty at causing him to loose sleep those first few months: him and the rest of the palace inhabitants. But he never complained, always being there for her whenever she needed him.
The empress smiled sadly as she laid back down and tried to get herself relaxed enough to fall asleep again. It's been a while since she had that dream and even though it became less frequent and intense over time, she never truly stopped having it altogether. And as strange as it may sound, she wasn't sure if she wanted to. Yes, she did have to see the terrible way in which her brother died again, but at least she was also able to relive the last moments they shared together as well and that made the dream somewhat more bearable. Nunnally was grateful that she could at least wake up from it without screaming and needing Suzaku to calm her for she imagined he must be tired of it by now. She didn't want to burden him with that as well when he already had enough worries on his mind as it was.
As she thought about Suzaku and her current predicament once more, Nunnally frowned again. Even if she could never stop having this dream for the rest of her life, she wished it would stop for a while so that she could concentrate on the situation at hand. True, her stalker was back home in Britannia, thousands of miles from where she was now but that didn't mean she should let her guard down even though there wasn't much she could do but wait for Cornelia and the rest of the Knights to catch him so that she could return home. The only thing she probably could do was to stay alive until then and at least try to enjoy herself while she was out here in Japan, away from her duties as empress for the time being. As she pondered about what she wanted to do, Nunnally was finally able to relax enough to fall asleep again, and thankfully, until the morning came.
SSSSSS
When Nunnally finally awoke again, it was almost nine o' clock. She almost never slept past seven and was surprised until she remembered that there were no servants here to wake her and didn't think to set her alarm since she had no schedule to follow out here. As the young empress got out of bed, she glanced around her room to the wooden antique wardrobe where her clothes were being kept while thinking about what she should wear for the day, something she hadn't done since she was a student at Ashford Academy. Ever since she became empress, Sayako took it upon herself to decide for her and Nunnally allowed it because it was more convenient then having to decide for herself among the hundreds of gowns she had back home, something she was never good at doing; the chief maid always knew what looked best on her for every day, season, and event.
But she need not worry about that now; since she was out in the Japanese countryside for the time being, she would not be wearing her heavy royal gowns but normal clothes so she could fit in- not that there were many other people out here that she needed to fit in with- but that wasn't the point. Looking at the antique wardrobe, Nunnally saw that a simple, but lovely blue and white country dress with a black under bust corset was hung in front of it for her already and smiled. It looked like Sayako came in earlier and prepared it for her while she was asleep for the dress was already neatly ironed and ready for her to wear, not that she would have had a problem ironing it herself. Wanting to start her day as soon as possible, Nunnally quickly washed up, got dressed, and put on a dab of make-up before heading downstairs to the kitchen to help Milly prepare breakfast.
"Good morning, Nunnally! Did you sleep well?" Milly asked over her shoulder as she was tending to the food on the stove. Sayako was in the kitchen preparing breakfast as well and the food was almost done cooking so there was not much left for Nunnally to do which disappointed her a little because she really wanted to help.
Trying not to think about the dream, Nunnally lied "Yes, I slept well. Had pleasant dreams, haha… Anyway, I wish I was able to get up earlier; I didn't want to leave you all the trouble of making breakfast for us. But at least I'll set up the table if you tell me where the dishes and utensils are."
"Oh, it's no trouble at all" Milly said cheerfully "You're my guests and I'm happy to see you again after so long; it's the least I can do. But if you really want to help, they're in that cupboard." Nunnally wasted no time.
"Thanks" she said as she started pulling the dishes out of the cupboard- she'd come back for the cups and utensils after setting them on the table "So are Suzaku and Kallen awake yet? I bet they must be pretty hungry by now."
"I believe they're still asleep" Sayako answered as she pulled some freshly baked bread out of the oven "Its ok, let them sleep a little longer. After all, they stayed up all night to pilot the jet that brought us here while we slept. It's the least we can do. As for Carline, I asked her to get some fruit from the trees outside. She'll be back in a minute to join us."
Nunnally raised her eyebrows at the mention of her red-headed half-sister. Being a princess, she knew Carline was not used to performing menial tasks and had a hard time imagining her running errands like a servant. "Really?" Upon seeing the confounded look on Nunnally's face, Sayako laughed.
"Its like Milly said earlier, we're out in the countryside and she dismissed the servants to protect the secrecy of our stay. Even though it's not something she'd normally do, Carline understands; she didn't give us any trouble."
Nunnally gave a small sigh of relief. "I see…I'm glad." Though she never had a problem with her half-sister, Nunnally knew that Carline was still a princess and used to having her every need and wish met by servants back home. The fact that she was adapting to her temporary life here in Japan without complaint was something the empress was very grateful for because she didn't want to trouble her hostess and friend in any way. "Anyway, I think I should go set up the table now; be back in a minute."
Milly nodded. "Of course, take your time; there's no need to rush. It will be another twenty minutes or so until breakfast is done. By then, Carline will be back and I'm sure Suzaku and Kallen will be awake and ready to join us."
The Ashford heiress was right for as soon as the table was set up and the food laid out, Carline and the two Knights arrived in the dining room just in time to join Nunnally and the others for breakfast.
"Good morning, you two, how did you sleep?" Milly asked.
"Honestly? Like a rock" Suzaku answered with a grin and a wink.
"Same here" Kallen added with a yawn but there was still a small smile on her face, showing that she shared her leader's humor.
Milly laughed. "Of course; I imagine piloting a jet all night would make anyone 'sleep like a rock'. But I'm glad you both caught up on sleep at least. Come, breakfast is ready so make yourselves comfortable."
Breakfast went well, better then dinner the night before with Milly doing her best to keep the morning conversation light and pleasant to keep her friends' minds off the hectic events that had been happening back in Britannia; she especially wanted Nunnally to forget her troubles for the time being and make her feel like she was on a pleasant vacation instead of hiding out from an insane killer back home. Suzaku was also glad to see that Carline was trying to be more talkative and pleasant then the night before; she was still a little shy but at least it was a start.
"My, your cooking tastes better every time I eat it" the Knight praised his hostess "In fact, it's improved much more from last night."
"Well, I'm glad you think so" Milly said "I've been taking lessons from Sayako this morning. In fact, she baked the bread you're eating right now."
No sooner did those words leave her mouth did Suzaku realize his mistake. He had not even been here a day and already he had said something to insult his hostess and friend without even realizing it. The Knight quickly opened his mouth to apologize when he saw the Ashford heiress simply smiled at him without even the slightest look of offense on her face.
"Its ok, Suzaku" she said gently "There's no need to apologize. I know my cooking skills still need work and I'm happy to have Sayako here to help me improve."
Suzaku gave a quiet sigh of relief. Though grateful Milly was not offended by his remark, he still felt the need to apologize but wasn't sure how to after hearing her say that. Nunnally sensed his discomfort and decided to change the subject.
"Say, this is the first time I've ever been to your family's summer home. I would like to go out for a bit and get some fresh air today. It's not something I get to do often back home."
"Of course, Nunnally. There's a small forest and a lake outside this mansion, just past the garden if you want to see that as well. All of it is part of my property so feel free to go anywhere you like. Just try to be back before dark if you decide to go into the forest; even though it's small, you might have a hard time finding your way around without sunlight."
"Thank you, Milly. I really appreciate it. I would like some company; would any of you like to join me?"
"Of course I would" Suzaku answered. He really did want to go outside for a bit but even if he didn't, there was no way he could let Nunnally wander about alone outside, even if her stalker was thousands of miles away; there could be other dangers lurking in unexpected places.
"Yes, go ahead and enjoy yourselves" Sayako said "Just leave the clean-up to us."
"Are you sure that's all right?" Nunnally asked "I would be more then happy to help you clean up before I go. It's not like I have to go right now."
"No, its ok" Milly insisted "You are my guest and this is your vacation so don't worry about it."
"I see…" Nunnally said "Would anyone else like to join us? Carline? Kallen?"
"I'm afraid I must decline" Kallen answered politely "I still have some unpacking to do; didn't get around to it yet since I slept so much."
"I also prefer to stay here and help clean up" Carline added "I'd also like to take a little tour around the mansion before I start looking around outside if that's ok with everyone. You two go ahead and have fun."
"We understand" Suzaku said "Well, it looks like it'll be just the two of us, Your Highness. Shall we go now?"
"Thanks but there's no need for formalities since we're all friends here. Since I'm away from palace, I am not Empress Nunnally, just Nunnally. And yes, let's go. Thank you for the wonderful breakfast, Milly, Sayako. Suzaku and I will be back in time to help prepare dinner." And with that, she stood up and bowed to her hostess. Then she turned to her dark knight and stuck out her hand for him to take which he did. Milly could not help but smile as she and the others watch the couple leave the dining room hand in hand…
SSSSSS
"Thanks, Nunnally" the Knight said to his empress as soon as they were outside and past the earshot of the others.
"For what?" she asked curiously.
"For covering for me after I insulted Milly's cooking" he answered with a hint of embarrassment in his voice.
Nunnally laughed softly and smiled as she patted his hand. "Its ok, that's what friends are for. Milly herself said don't worry about it; she knows you didn't mean it that way so just leave it at that."
Suzaku sighed. "You're right. Sometimes I worry over the smallest things. Anyway, where would you like to go today?" It felt like a silly question considering that there weren't that many places they could go despite the size of Milly's summer estate, but he had to ask.
"How about that little forest Milly told us about?"
"Sure. Just remember what she said about leaving before dark."
"Of course, let's go."
The forest outside the mansion was small but quite lovely and bursting with life. Like Nunnally, Suzaku was dressed in country garb, his garments consisting of a white collared shirt, a light brown vest, darker brown pants, and knee-high black leather boots. His clothes went well with the empress's dress that consisted of a white top, black corset, and sky blue skirt. Anyone who saw them now would think they were just an ordinary country couple instead of the Empress of Britannia and her chief protector, the Knight of Zero.
Though he left his armor back home, Suzaku still made sure to carry his sword with him in case they should run into any bears or wolves in the forest even though Milly assured him that there was none. His years of experience as a soldier and Knight had taught him that it was always better to be safe then sorry.
"What do you think of this place?" Nunnally asked as she looped her arm into his, something she had wanted to do now that they're finally alone, walking side by side into the small forest.
Suzaku looked around and relaxed his guard a bit when he found no menacing life forms, just harmless birds, squirrels, foxes, and insects. "It's beautiful" he answered. "I was born in Tokyo and grew up there; never had a chance to go out to the countryside. Didn't really want to because I always believed it was boring but I'm surprised to find that there are just as many interesting things out here as in the city."
"Same here" Nunnally said "It's nice to be away from the rowdiness of the city and royal palace for a change. Maybe coming out here wasn't such a bad idea after all; I should do it more often if I get the chance. Thank you for suggesting it."
"It was actually Gino's idea but you're welcome."
Nunnally laughed softly. "Of course, but thank you just the same. This is the first time you've been back to your homeland in three years. Don't you miss it?"
Suzaku seemed prepared for her question, having had this conversation before with Kallen. "I believe that home is where the heart is" his expression lightened as he added "To me, home is wherever you are, Nunnally. Tell me, do you miss it here? Even though you're Britannian, Japan has been your home for almost ten years."
Nunnally lowered her head as she thought for a minute. "A little" she answered "Even though it's not the land of my birth, it may as well be since I spent most of my life here before becoming empress. I regret to say that one of the reasons I objected to returning was because of onii-sama."
Suzaku was surprised at the mention of his late friend. "Because of Lelouch? Why?" he asked curiously.
Nunnally lifted her head and looked into his eyes as she answered "Because we lived here together for all of those years we spent in exile. Since he died, I did not wish to return here, especially to Ashford Academy because I knew being surrounded by constant reminders of our childhood would be too painful for me to bear." Upon hearing this revelation, Suzaku frowned. Although he hated to ask, he felt he had to know.
"Nunnally, are you still having that dream?" He need not be any more specific then that for she knew exactly what he was talking about.
"Occasionally" she admitted "It's not as bad as it used to be, believe me."
"But you never stopped having it, did you?"
Nunnally was silent for a moment; she really preferred not to say but knew that her Knight wasn't going to let her off easily. "No… it still happens but not often. I learned to control myself somewhat; at least I can wake from it without screaming like I used to. I really don't want you or the others to lose sleep just because I had a bad dream."
"Nunnally, you should have told me. You know I'm always here for you no matter what."
"I know and I do appreciate it but really, it's ok. I may never stop having that dream since it was such a dramatic experience for me but I have learned to accept and live with it."
"I see… I really hope it will stop eventually; Lelouch himself would want that too. You know he'd hate for you to be unhappy, especially because of him."
"It took me a while to accept what happened but I eventually did. But that doesn't mean I will love or miss him any less now that he's gone. My greatest regret was that I could not lay him to rest in our family mausoleum because the risk of his body being stolen was too great and I didn't want to take that chance; he died horribly enough. It just kills me to know that he's resting in some unmarked grave somewhere and that I cannot even bring him flowers" she said sadly.
Suzaku was surprised. "You mean C.C never told you where he was buried? You have kept in touch with her, haven't you?"
"Yes, but I haven't heard from her in a while; she stopped writing a year ago. I believe she feared that she might be discovered and decided to cut herself off from me. As for onii-sama's gravesite, she was right not to tell me because she knew I wouldn't be able to resist the temptation to go and risk exposing the location; I cannot blame her for that."
"I understand. Don't feel bad, Nunnally. I know you wanted to keep him near but you must remember that where he is buried is not important so long as it's someplace decent and I'm sure C.C saw to that. Besides, the body is just a shell, it's his spirit that will live on and as long as you keep his memory alive, he will never really die."
"Of course… ahh!" While chatting with her Knight, Nunnally failed to notice a tree root protruding from the ground and tripped over it. She would have fallen on her face if Suzaku had not caught her.
"Nunnally, are you all right?" he asked as he held her up and steadied her. "You should watch your step; there are roots like this everywhere in the forest."
"Yeah, I- oww!" The empress winced in pain as she felt the wound in her left leg sting. It had been more then a week since the bombing incident in the banquet hall and while she was now well enough to walk without a crutch, the wound in her leg had still not completely healed and if she was not careful, she might reopen it.
"Nunnally!" Not wanting to take the chance of that happening, Suzaku quickly bent over and lifted Nunnally into his arms, intending to carry her until she had recovered from the mild shock of her near-fall.
Nunnally felt herself being hoisted into her Knight's strong arms and blushed furiously, hoping that he wouldn't see how red her face was from embarrassment. She didn't want to burden him every time she ran into a problem, especially if it wasn't serious.
"Suzaku, it's ok, really. You don't have to carry me; it's just a little sting, that's all. I can walk on my own." But he would hear none of it and knowing how useless it was to argue with him when his mind was made up, the empress resigned and allowed herself to be carried, at least for a little while. She also couldn't bring herself to protest further when she saw the sour expression on his face.
"Nunnally, I'm a little disappointed in you; I wish you had been more honest with me about how fast your leg was really healing." It was true; she had stretched the truth a bit when she insisted that she was completely healed and able to walk perfectly fine. While she had no problems walking without a crutch, it still didn't mean she could engage in rigorous physical activity, especially hiking in places where there were a lot of things she can trip over and reopen her wound. Nunnally was hoping that Suzaku wouldn't notice but that blasted root had to blow her cover.
"I'm sorry" she apologized, looking down and trying to avoid her Knight's eyes. He gave out a sigh as his expression softened; no matter how much he might want to, he could never stay angry at Nunnally for long.
"It's all right; I'll let it slide this time. Next time, however, I would prefer you to be more honest about your condition."
"Yes, I promise. But please don't make me go back yet; I haven't been outside in such a long time and I really want to enjoy the outdoors… with you" Nunnally added after a moment's thought and was relieved to see Suzaku quietly nod his consent; it has also been a while since he had a chance to be outside like this and he wanted to enjoy it as well. With Nunnally in his arms, he strolled further into the woods, slowly as to let her look around and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the small life forms that inhabited it.
While she enjoyed her surroundings, Nunnally had to secretly admit that she enjoyed having Suzaku carry her like a groom carrying his new bride after a splendid wedding. The way he did it was wonderfully gentle, tender, and affectionate. At times, she would lean closer to him and let her head rest on his shoulder, close her eyes, and relax while taking in the pleasant scent of his cologne. It briefly reminded her of how her brother used to carry her when he lifted her from her wheel chair and into her bed every night before tucking her in. Of course, being much physically weaker then Suzaku, he wasn't able to carry her anywhere near as long but did so very affectionately and that was what she loved. Though she loved the way Lelouch once carried her, the way Suzaku did it felt somewhat more intimate, almost like a lover…
Nunnally didn't have much time to ponder the matter; after walking for a few more minutes, the two heard the sound of flowing water. Looking ahead, they saw that they were approaching a small stream. It looked like it was flowing from the mountain behind the forest and possibly to the lake outside Milly's home.
Looking up, she asked "What is it, Suzaku?"
"It looks like a stream. Milly never told me there was one in this forest. I think it connects to the mountain and the lake outside."
"Maybe she didn't know. Even if it is part of her estate, being as busy as she is, she probably didn't have time to explore every part of her family's property. A pity because it's quite lovely; can I see for a bit?" The Knight looked down at her.
"Hmm… are you sure you can walk now?" he teased, smiling as he rocked Nunnally playfully, making her blush furiously.
"Hehe! Stop it! You're making me dizzy!" she giggled, laughing softly for a moment before she forced herself to get serious and cleared her throat. "Really, I'm fine. You can put me down now; I'm sure you must feel tired carrying me by now."
He wasn't, not just yet, but complied with his friend's wishes and gently set her down. "Be careful and watch your step; there's some rocks lying around."
"I will" she promised as she smoothed out her skirts and approached the stream; looking down, Nunnally saw that it wasn't very deep and there were small fishes and tadpoles swimming around as well as some plant life. "Hey, look at this. It's cute, isn't it?" she pointed out as she made a gesture for Suzaku to come closer. The Knight approached to take a look at what Nunnally found so interesting. Though lovely, it was a rather simple sight but to one who rarely set foot outside the palace, it was quite fascinating, especially since the only fish the empress saw up into now was in a tank or fishbowl.
"Do you think we can fish here?" Nunnally asked.
"Well, I suppose we can but the fish here are so small, it might not be worth it. If you really want to go fishing, I can take you out to the lake tomorrow where the fish would be bigger. I'm sure Milly won't mind" he answered. After gazing at the stream for a moment, a thought came to him: "Hey, Nunnally, watch this!" Picking up a small stone, Suzaku swiftly threw it at the water where it skidded on the surface a few times before sinking into the stream. As he predicted, it excited the empress, making her want to try it for herself.
"How cool!" she exclaimed "Can you show me how to do that?"
"Of course. Just take a small stone and toss it like this…"
It took Nunnally a few tries and after sinking a few stones right after tossing them in the stream, she was finally able to make one skid on the surface before it finally sank to the bottom. When success finally came, she placed her hands on her hips and turned towards her Knight with a look of triumph, obviously very proud of herself. He laughed; her childlike innocence amused him to no end and he clapped his hands.
"Well, there you go!" he cheered "I knew you can do it."
Nunnally grinned. "Thanks, I knew I could too" she replied with a wink before sitting down on the soft grass before the water, making a gesture for Suzaku to join her which he did. After he settled down, the empress looped her arms into his once more and leaned into him. As she looked into his eyes, she said "I know I've said this before, but thanks again for bringing me here. I haven't enjoyed myself like this in a long time." Now it was the Knight's turn to blush. It wasn't the first time he had Nunnally this close to him considering how many times he held her to calm her from her nightmares in the past but it was the first time she was this close to him when she was perfectly calm and serene.
Gazing into her light violet eyes, Suzaku was reminded once more of how lovely Nunnally was, not like she wasn't when she was younger, but had become much more beautiful as she matured over the last three years. Only one other woman had eyes like hers, and it was his first love, the late Princess Euphemia. In addition to her beauty and charms, Nunnally was very much like her half-sister in her child-like innocence and compassion for people who was suffering as well as her desire to make the world a better place for them. Still, it would be wrong for him to compare the sisters for both were different individuals with their own unique characteristics.
For a few moments, the two gazed at each other silently, both feeling a little shy and embarrassed to say what was on their minds while wondering what the other was thinking. Ever since they were children, their relationship was much like those of siblings. Being the younger sister of his best friend, Suzaku tended to think of Nunnally as his little sister as well, having no siblings of his own and he was sure she also thought of him as a big brother. Both honestly had to wonder if that hadn't started to change over the last three years. By now, it was becoming clear that they were attracted to each other and could no longer think of themselves as brother and sister because they obviously weren't; they weren't fooling anyone, including themselves.
Just as Suzaku was silently admiring her beauty, Nunnally was admiring his as well, running her eyes across his smooth features and looking deep into his dark emerald-green eyes. She still hadn't faltered in her belief that she didn't think there was any man out there as handsome as her late brother until she saw his face for the first time. As Nunnally adored her big brother and definitely found him as physically pleasing as other girls did, she had to remember that Lelouch was her brother and that she could never see Suzaku the way as she saw him. She also couldn't compare the two because like Euphemia and herself, they were both different individuals with their own special shining qualities.
As the Knight's gaze fell upon his empress's lips, he could not help feeling a curious and burning desire to touch them with his own to see if they were as soft and sweet as he thought they were. He wanted to but hesitated (and rightly so) for he knew Nunnally was a forbidden fruit that he would crave again and again once he tasted. It was then that Suzaku realized what a fool he was to put himself into this position by bringing her out here and allowing himself to be alone with her like this. It took all his effort to keep from panicking as he frantically tried to think of how to get himself out of this mess before he gave into temptation.
Fortunately, (or unfortunately), Nunnally saved him the trouble of deciding and took the decision out of his hands for she quickly leaned over and kissed Suzaku on his lips, almost making him jump. Like him, she was tempted and though it wasn't like her to take reckless chances, she felt like this was one chance that she had to take; the moment was perfect and she'd never forgive herself if she were to let it pass her by. Nunnally knew her Knight wanted it as much as she did but as soon she saw the hesitation on his face, she knew she had to act before he changed his mind.
When he felt her lips on his, Suzaku stiffened at first. His first instinct was to put his hands on Nunnally's shoulders and gently push her away from him. Even though he knew that was what he should do, he discovered that his hands would not move to obey him, much to his dismay. How could this happen? He was a Knight and was supposed to show more self discipline then that even though there was no one here to witness his failure. Yet, he found his resolve being melted effortlessly by the woman he was supposed to protect; what a fool he was!
Smooth move, genius, a voice inside his head mocked. Oh no, now his thoughts were turning against him as well. He wanted to fight it at first but after realizing how futile it would be, finally gave up and allowed his heart's desires to surface and take over.
Yes, I am such a genius the Knight silently agreed as he relaxed, pulled his empress closer and returned her kiss. For the moment, the two forgot about their positions as they indulged in a secret, long-desired kiss away from the rest of the world, a kiss that kindled desire…
A/N: Ok, the romance finally happens! :D I know a lot of you has been looking forward to it so I'm tried my best to make it good and hopefully, I can make it better later. Anyway, I know everything seems to be running so perfectly, BUT, not everything is as it seems as I will reveal later (A good story still needs some plot twists) ;) Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please review!
