So the chapter is finally here. I was done almost two week ago but editing it took a while and my computer decided to die on me, with all my stuff in it... Fortunately we managed to retrieve some of the information from the hardrive, this chapter included.
So yeah, sorry for the delay, especially for those who read Knights of Honor and thought this would be coming sooner.
As always, thanks to TheFinalArbiter who makes this story infinitely better. If you like C.C/Lelouch go check out his stories, they are pretty good and leave a review while you are at it .
Please enjoy and review, it helps.
'Gods save the traditionalists.' Lihua thought to herself with relief equal to that of someone who had seen a bomb defused seconds away from detonating. Words that she never thought would come from her lips suddenly poured out as she almost bowed in gratitude.
'Gods save them and their infinite grace.' The Chinese Tianzi thanked anew, her hands almost clasping in prayer and the corners of her lips slightly edging in a distorted smile, which she quickly suppressed. Unknown to the other occupants in the room, there was a dark being inside the Empress. Something corrupt lurking within her slender body, grinning in an almost diabolical fashion.
"I'm afraid that is tradition, young Miss. A man and a woman who are not married mustn't sleep in the same room. Each one will be confined to their specified wing in the palace. That is tradition." The Traditionalist dignitary, a stout and short man, argued much to Shirley's dismay.
The teen tried to argue back, but the demeanor of the dignitary made her stop in her tracks. Shirley's mouth opened and closed a few times, her eyes filled with disappointment. Lelouch was quickly made target of a desperate look that pleaded him to do something.
An almost unnoticeable smile of satisfaction drew itself on the Tianzi's lips as she saw the scene unfold.
Under Shirley's watchful eye, Lelouch was in a tight spot. It was clear he wanted as much to do with the issue as he wanted to be on the pointy end of Cornelia's lance. He was clearly tired due to the long flight and wanted to rest. Nevertheless, his girlfriend's insistence made him falter. With a light shrug and an annoyed grunt which went unnoticed, he stepped forward, ready to reason with the man.
"We are not from here. I'm sure an exe-"
"It is tradition." the man interrupted him.
Lelouch's eyes narrowed into a slit. This was an affront against his pride; and considering his overblown ego, insulting his pride may as well be a death sentence. The situation was rather precarious, and a single misstep would directly affect Lihua and her hold over the Traditionalists.
Reluctantly, he gave Lihua a side glance requesting help. On his own he carried next to no authority, even if he was a special guest of the Empress, he had no say in politics or got to make any decisions on his own. However, with the backing of the Empress there was no one that could deny him.
Surprisingly, the Empress glanced away from him and admired the ceiling, denying him help. Bewildered more than anything, Lelouch sighed and placed his hand on Shirley's shoulder "It's the rules. There's nothing we can do about it." he comforted her quietly, squeezing her shoulder.
Shirley bit her upper lip and shifted her body left and right, her reluctance was palpable. However Shirley gave in, her head dropping and hanging there for a few seconds. "I... don't like this, Lelouch." The teen mumbled while looking up with teary eyes.
In a rare display of kindness, Lelouch smiled and assured her "I'll come and wake you at dawn. Sounds good?" For a fraction of a second, Lelouch's smile turned into one of genuine care, resembling the one he had when talking to his sister.
Needless to say, Shirley forgot all about the room debacle as she tried to stutter out a response. She looked down again, this time with happiness. A red blush covered her face as she tried not to smile not so broadly. "Okay."
Unnoticed by the two, Lihua's lip curled in distaste at the obvious affection shown by the pair.
Turning back to the - admittedly marvelously decorated - ceiling, she gave off a rather angry, yet sad aura of loneliness. Lihua's eyes are drawn to the couple again, half expecting Lelouch to come to her side and ask if she was alright.
Oh how wrong was she. Lelouch didn't even spare Lihua a second look, worried about his girlfriend. Understandable. However, as understandable as his actions were, it still hurt Lihua. The moment Lihua realized Lelouch wasn't going to look back, it felt like a spear pierced her heart. Shaken, she looked away.
Jeremiah, who had been mostly absent for the night, was one of the only to notice the Tianzi's pain. It would have been no understatement to say he had seen this coming since the day they met. Their connection had been something special, and as a good judge of character, Jeremiah noticed immediately.
With a soft sigh, he approached the drama-trio. Reaching the Empress, he put a hand on her shoulder, making her quirk a confused eyebrow up at him. Jeremiah gave her an encouraging smile and a light squeeze of the shoulder before letting go and approaching the couple.
"I shall escort Lady Fenette to her room, My Lord. If you would like to retire to your chambers and rest." Jeremiah offered neutrally, giving a slight bow of acknowledgment to Shirley.
Lelouch looked back and gave a nod of agreement. "There is no one I would trust more than you". he said, then turned back to the orange-haired girl "Jeremiah is a good, competent soldier. With him by your side, there will be no problems." Lelouch reassured her.
Lihua blinked at the change of events. Was the loyal Knight doing this for her sake? Was he giving her a chance?
The orange haired girl looked like she wanted to add something but held her tongue, accepting her fate with resignation. "Okay, see you in the morning Lulu." she said her goodbye, nodding. Jeremiah started walking, prompting the girl to follow while waving at Lelouch. The traditionalists' dignitary left with them, leaving Lelouch and Lihua alone.
Lelouch gave a small wave in response before turning to Lihua. "We should follow her example." he suggested coolly. "However, I have to wonder. Where will I sleep?" he asked with slight interest, smiling.
Lihua shook her head, clearing any negative thoughts. "In your room, of course." she answered casually, starting towards her room. Her heavy dress tangled around her fast moving feet making her trip with, a small yelp escaping her lips. Obviously this was because this girl, Shiley had affected her. Not that Lihua would ever accept that, she still had her pride.
Lelouch reacted quickly, his hand shot out and grasped her forearm in an attempt to steady her. However Lelouch's flimsy grip wasn't enough to just stop the girl from falling. If he did nothing both of them would end up in the ground.
Silently muttering a curse, Lelouch effortlessly pulled the empress towards himself. The girl in question didn't have the time to process what was going on and found herself burrowed in Lelouch's chest without actually knowing how she had gotten there.
She let out a small gasp of surprise and her fingers instinctually clasped the fabric of Lelouch's fine clothes. Embarrassment overtook her, turning her crimson red. The fact that Lelouch held her tightly by the waist was not helping either.
Another wave of shame assaulted her as she realized that she didn't want to let go of Lelouch. The Empress looked down with guilty pleasure, her lower lip mildly trembling.
"You alright?" questioned Lelouch with a raised eyebrow, apparently ignorant to Lihua's suffering.
Lihua looked up at Lelouch and puffed her cheeks into a pout to convey her displeasure. Not surprisingly, it was greeted with confused eyes.
Disregarding his questioning look Lihua slowly let go, her fingers lightly brushing against the fabric as she did so. She intertwined both hands and looked up with a smile "All good." she answered.
Lelouch didn't look convinced and narrowed an eye, making Lihua squirm under his gaze, but didn't pose any questions. "So, you were saying?" Lelouch changed topic, disregarding what has just happened in typical "Lelouch" fashion.
"Oh yes!" The Empress remembered about the sleeping arrangements, her slight disappointment at Lelouch's unfazed demeanor going unnoticed. "You will sleep in your usual room, the one you always use." she explained.
Lelouch didn't look all that convinced "That one is next to yours, right?" he asked with suspicion, something seeming off to him.
"Oh, is it really so awful to sleep next to me instead of your beautiful girlfriend?" she asked lightly, nudging Lelouch with her shoulder and smiling. Although it was said in a jokingly manner, there was an underlying bitterness in her tone.
Taken aback, he struggled to come out with a response "Not at all, I just thought there would be some opposition from the Traditionalists." he explained defensively.
"You are a long time guest and a friend of the crown, that room is one of the only things they won't complain about." she explained in a much calmer and friendlier tone. It seemed she had realized her outburst and was doing everything in her power to fix the situation. "Luckily for us, they can't deny your position as a friend of the federation." she finished with a broad smile.
"That suits me fine." Lelouch conceded, recovering his composure. "It will be pleasant to sleep in a familiar room." he started walking ahead of her, already remembering the way. "Although I do want to know…" he started, slowing down his long strides for Lihua to catch up.
Lihua knew exactly what he was going to ask. In some ways, Lelouch was just that predictable.
"Why did you ignore me back there with Shirley? You clearly heard me." he asked with such a sweet, dignified voice you'd almost think he was the Emperor of the world.
"Sorry, but I can't risk angering the traditionalists. I've pushed them far enough already." she quickly turned serious. Although at the time this was far from her actual goal, it still carried enough weight to convince him.
"Is the situation truly that dire?" Lelouch asked, a worried frown appearing in his face. He turned towards Lihua seeking answers.
She gave him a sideways glance. "No, but lately I have been pushing them. They are still under my thumb, for the moment. Drop by drop the chalice fills, if unchecked it will eventually spill" It was the truth. Right now, the Empress of China stood in a difficult spot. "Once things calm down, I will get them back to do my bidding." she waved dismissively.
"Understandable." Lelouch nodded, although remnants of his broken pride still remained.
"Also, I couldn't let myself be seen as a weak leader that goes by a guest's wishes." Lelouch flinched, and Lihua knew it. That comment was not in any way necessary, and the Empress was aware of it. Maybe this was her little childish revenge against Lelouch.
"That is also reasonable." he said through gritted teeth as he increased his pace. He was almost at the door to his old room, and although the previous jab at his pride played a part in his increasing pace, there was also a sense of nostalgia and familiarity that drove him.
Standing outside the richly decorated door, he sighed. It seemed so much smaller than before. Memories of his time in the Forbidden City started to flood in, coaxing a smile. Lihua watched him with interest from behind, her own smile appearing.
"I know I've said this before..." Lelouch started, turning towards the Empress who just observed him. "But it's good to be back." he finished with a smile.
"It's good to have you back."
0o0o0o0o0o0
Compared to the relative calm at the Forbidden City, something major was about to occur in Area 11. Specifically, a full blown insurrection was going on while Prince Schneizel was smiling at his desk.
Kanon stood to his right, a worried frown in his face as he eyed the only other person in the room, that being Kaguya with outright hostility. The girl ignored his glare completely, fixated on the screen transmitting the local news as if her life depended on it. Schneizel observed both of them with amusement.
"Just a few hours ago, a group of nobles assaulted the royal palace of Area 11." Informed the reporter "The group of dissident nobles, outraged by the new social policies of the Prime Minister and Prince Crown Schneizel el Britannia, have risen in arms, demanding he withdraw said policies. Their forces are currently laying siege to the Royal Palace while the Prime Minister's forces are on a training exercise in the Pacific."
Kanon glanced at the prince, only to see him completely relaxed. He seemed to be the only person into the room that wasn't about to have a nervous breakdown, even as explosions could be heard from outside the confines of the office.
"As of now, there has been no word from the Prime Minister inside the palace, while the royal court has responded by saying "He has an army, let him use it". and refused to send aid." the woman kept droning on.
"Ah, the decrepit pile that is the Britannian court is so predictable." commented Schneizel with a small smirk "If they actually sent troops, the plan would be ruined." he finished with calmness and amusement, a small chuckle emanating from his lips.
Another explosion shook the office. The nobles were close to entering.
"Perhaps we should call our forces?" Kanon asked, nervously shifting, clearly concerned with his Lord's safety. Even Kaguya, whose entire nation depended on this gamble, seemed to be considering the option of calling it off.
Typical of Schneizel, he smiled. A calm composed smile that told everyone who knew the blond strategist that everything was under his control, or at least that he was confident on it. "How does that popular proverb go? No pain, no gain." He asked before waving his hand dismissively. "It matters not," he concluded "what's important is that sacrifices must be made if we ever wish to succeed."
A third explosion - this one sounding much closer - shook a couple of glasses from the top of a cabinet, shattering them with a loud bang and making the Prince's inner circle flinch, cold drops of sweat sliding down their faces. Nevertheless, Schneizel kept calm.
There was a long, tense silence. Kaguya and Kanon were waiting for him to order his troops back, their nervous glances locking together and darting back to Schneizel continuously.
The incredulous voice of the reporter broke the tense silence "It...it seems we have a new development." the woman mouthed with disbelief "The Honorary Britannians and Elevens in the ghettos are rising up against their lieges!" the frantic reporter came to stop, mouthing a few unintelligible words before continuing. "It seems they are coming to the Prime Minister's aide! This is an unprecedented event in Britannian History!"
Schneizel smiled. He turned to Kaguya and said "A toast for the now free Japanese people."
0o0o0o0o0o0
Lelouch sighed. Unlike his usual sigh of annoyance, this one was filled with fatigue and weakness. It was a sound of someone at their limit, on the verge of giving up. He sat up for what could have been the tenth or twelfth time that night - he had lost count already.
Beside him on the night table was a half empty pitcher of water and a glass cup which had fallen on its side. Droplets of the clear liquid remained in the interior of the glass, shining with the few rays of moonlight that managed to penetrate the curtain.
The Prince's tired hands covered his face, slowly rubbing his temples in a vain attempt to compose himself. The frustration of his state pulsing within his thin body, his desire to fight left long ago, leaving a passive husk behind.
After a few seconds he stopped. Bringing his hands down he rested them on his lap. Cold, impassive eyes looked upon them almost with hate at their inability.
He smiled bitterly, and carefully reached for the dropped glass. The hand clumsily tried to grasp it, but the object seemed unwilling to comply and slipped out, falling to the ground with a thud and rolling away until it hit a wall.
The bitter smile was now a bitter chuckle.
A timid, quiet knock silenced Lelouch. The purple orbs traveled towards the door, waiting for the second knock that was sure to come.
True to the statement, a second knock came. Quieter and even more shy than the one that preceded it and more akin to light tap, it echoed throughout the room. There was only one person it could belong to.
"Le-Lelouch...?" came the muffled and bashful call for the only occupant of the room. "Are you awake?" the words were buried in hesitance but laced with hope.
"It's open." Lelouch answered, the bedsheets whispering as he made himself presentable. Unknown to him happiness had replaced the bitterness.
There was no answer. A few seconds passed and the door gingerly opened with a quiet but noticeable creak. Lihua's head slowly peered through the slit, making sure she had heard the Prince correctly. Her hair was down and almost brushed against the floor with its length.
"Lelouch?" she asked again insecurely. Her eyes scanned the room for signs of him.
"I said it was alright." he assured her yet again, getting out of the sheets and sitting on the edge of the bed.
The girl nodded and awkwardly squeezed herself in through the opening, careful to not open the door any further. Once she was inside her eyes shot down. Lihua's mind desperately looked for something to say and dispel the tension that had taken hold of the room, failing miserably.
Lelouch was having troubles of his own. Lihua was wearing a loose nightgown that reached just below her knees. The fine fabric was white and almost transparent, swaying with every slight movement the Tianzi made. Add this to the litheness of the fabric which made it stick to and show most of the girl's figure, and if left little to imagination.
He quickly looked away before he blushed.
Lihua's hard earned progress faltered at this sight. The girl now fumbled with her fingers and stuttered a few words in an attempt to take control of the situation. Unknown to her she started to clutch her nightgown, hiking the fabric upwards and revealing more of her finely shaped legs.
This in turn made Lelouch avoid her gaze even more intensely, although one of his eyes seemed to be feeling particularly rebellious and glanced at her a few times.
Luckily, Lihua was able to gather her thoughts and speak up before Lelouch did something he would later regret.
"I-I couldn't sleep". The Tianzi confessed with an embarrassed expression. "I kept thinking on how long we had spent apart and I wanted some alone time with you." she fumbled a bit with her dress as she took slow but sure steps towards Lelouch who could only nod.
"I kept telling myself that tomorrow we would have the chance." Lihua sat next to Lelouch on the bed. They were extremely close, shoulders touching. Lihua could feel Lelouch stiffen but she nevertheless continued. "Then I realized that I couldn't wait any longer..." she promptly dropped her head on Lelouch's shoulder.
This was no easy feat, Lihua knew this was trespassing, timidly but surely taking steps into a minefield without knowing how much of Lelouch she could grasp. It gave off some sort of excitement to her, and the knowledge that the boy next to her was in even greater peril helped subside her nerves and strengthen her resolve.
Enjoying the apparent state of distress Lelouch was in, Lihua continued. Her eyes closed and her breathing became more regular and quiet. "You can't imagine how happy I am that you came back..." She felt Lelouch twitch beneath her.
A wry smile adorned her face, she was playing a dangerous game. Deciding to push in further, the girl provoked the prince "Don't be afraid, Lelouch, I don't bite." she retorted with a teasing tone.
Although she felt a second twitch from Lelouch, the comment had the intended effect. Seconds after her stab Lelouch's shoulders instantly relaxed, the only casualty being Lelouch's pride. He gave her a side-glance, it was difficult to believe that this was the girl that once spat thousands of apologies at him for the most trivial of matters.
He smiled. Nevertheless, it still felt natural and he was confident in his ability to turn the tide. "You are mistaken, my dear Lihua. If I turned to face you, it would be most unsavory if I happened to see something I shouldn't. It's just not how a Prince should behave."
Lihua was confused for a second until her gaze drifted downwards. True to Lelouch's words, the nightgown was so loose that it hung around her chest leaving her modest breast visible under the right angle. Not only that, but as customary she wasn't wearing a bra.
With a searing blush, she quickly turned away and retied her gown, giving a pointed cough and looking away.
Lelouch smiled to himself, he still had it. His hand slowly extended towards Lihua who frowned with distrust. Lelouch carried on nonetheless and rubbed her hair affectionately. "You still have leagues to go before you can beat me." he chided her.
She scowled at his words before looking down with a pout and making him smile.
"You are fighting back, though, turning rebellious on me. I don't think I can consider you my little sister anymore." he commented with fake sadness, bringing the other hand to his chest in a dramatic gesture.
She blinked in surprise, secretly feeling delighted enough to be almost oblivious to the hand that kept rubbing her head. The girl's eyes shined as she tried to say something in return, but the happiness at having overcome her greatest obstacle was overwhelming.
"Of course, I'm saying that only because my little sister may not need me anymore and I want to preserve what little pride I have left." Lelouch added with a tone that seemed almost self-pitying.
That stopped Lihua in her tracks, looking up at him with a frown. Self-deprecating humor? That wasn't Lelouch's style. Something was wrong. The familiarity in which Lelouch addressed her was welcome and pleasing, so were the numerous jokes made at her expense, but they were simply not characteristic of Lelouch. She had ignored it until now due to the sense of closeness that it had given. But now all the oddities present in the last hours made themselves clear to Lihua with Lelouch's simple comment.
Her eyes scanned the room and found the glass on the floor. She grimaced, if something was bothering Lelouch it would have to be beaten out of him.
"Lelouch?" she asked in a serious tone, making Lelouch pull his hand back. "Is everything alright? Something wrong?" her flat tone made her intentions clear as day, as did the subtle push she gave him as she shifted away.
Lelouch smiled "Of course. What makes you ask that?"
Lihua frowned "If you were fine, you would have snorted and said something along the lines of 'who do you think I am?'." she pointed out.
Lelouch's expression turned grim "You know me all too well…" he dropped the façade and avoided her gaze.
"Please tell me." Lihua demanded without a hitch in her voice. Her eyes narrowed and she leaned slightly forward in order to pressure Lelouch.
He seemed to be considering it for awhile, hand on chin. Lelouch opened his mouth as if to say something but was quickly interrupted by Lihua.
"Lelouch, please." she demanded again - much more forcefully than before and forcing Lelouch to give in.
"I'm sure you are aware of the numerous reforms that Schneizel has been enacting?" Lelouch asked with a deadpan tone.
Lihua nodded. In fact, some inspiration for her own reforms to the Chinese Federation had been inspired by Schneizel's.
Lelouch gave a sad chuckle "All the nobles who are losing against the reforms are scrambling around like rats, looking for a crown Prince or Princess to support their ideals." he almost spat. "Can you imagine? They came looking for my support, even offering betrothal contract for Nunnally! My very own sister!" the anger was evident in Lelouch's face. "Some didn't even try to cover the fact that they would be using her as a political tool, and actually believed I would agree with them." he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.
He kept silent for a few long seconds, his whole body trembling with rage. Lihua just watched in silence. Finally he continued "Since I refused, they had to take more drastic measures..." his eyes narrowed dangerously "Several of them tried to kidnap her and use her for blackmail. Naturally, nobody made it through Jeremiah or me... until a few weeks ago."
Lihua covered her mouth in horror, looking at him in shock as she felt an ice dagger stab her heart. The distress on his face was simply unbearable.
"A man named Mao... managed to get through me and Jeremiah." there was a solemn silence as Lelouch tried to utter the next words "He beat me..." the Prince finally managed to say "It was only by a stroke of luck that I managed to get her back, but Mao escaped."
Lihua was speechless. She reached for Lelouch in an attempt to comfort him, but was cut off by Lelouch speaking again. "Last time I lost my mother and Nunnally lost her legs! This time I almost lost Nunnally!" He raised his head looking directly into her eyes "What am I supposed to do!? What if it's you next time!?" he angrily wiped away a tear, looking away in shame.
She was left blinking in surprise, her lower lip quivering with emotion. Lelouch had never told her about his mother. She didn't know what to say. This situation was completely new to her, all the other times it had been the other way around. Her eyes traveled around the room, completely disoriented. Until she found something.
Lelouch, who was trying to compose himself noticed Lihua stand but didn't react to it, he was too far gone. A few seconds later Lihua was standing in front of him. She gently grabbed his hands and placed the glass cup in them.
Lelouch looked at her in confusion to which the Empress only smiled tenderly at him "The glass is cracked but not broken." the Tianzi explained.
Lelouch looked down to discover that, indeed, the smooth surface of glass had a medium sized crack.
"No matter how many cracks you have, Lelouch, you are not broken. I know you, and I know you will plow through anything in your way with your unshakable will. You have been, and always will be ahead of us simple mortals, you will find a way, you always have." Lihua kindly assured him while putting a hand on his shoulder and making him look up at her.
She slightly squeezed his shoulder and continued "And no matter when or where, I'll always be there, by your side and supporting you. I will never abandon you." she promised.
He looked at her incredulously for a few seconds, his face unreadable, before a twinkle returned to his eyes and he smiled.
Then he snorted "A glass? That's the best you could do?" he asked, almost indignant at the fact that he was compared to a mere glass.
She frowned at him "Well, what do you want me to do? I'm not nearly as experienced at this as you are." she complained while waving her hands around in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.
"Your clothes, Lihua." he told her as he pointedly looked away, making her give a small yelp of surprise and quickly cover herself up again, glaring at him.
"Nevertheless, I thank you." he continued with complete sincerity. The young man was looking physically better, as if a huge weight has been lifted from his shoulders.
"No problem." Lihua answered quietly, attempting to hide the broad grin that was desperately trying to cover her features.
Lelouch sighed and fell back into the bed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He only wanted to rest his eyes a little bit, but the fatigue proved to be too much for him as he immediately fell into a deep, comfortable sleep.
The young Empress tiptoed closer to the bed, laying on top of the covers and smiling at his peaceful face. She had meant to observe Lelouch for a few minutes before returning to her room, but unsurprisingly, comforted by her surroundings and company, she fell asleep momentarily.
After a long, long time, the two slept in the same bed again.
Unknown to both, an orange haired girl had seen the Tianzi enter Lelouch's room but not exit it.
We have a whole lot of drama for next time :)
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