Episode 27
Previously: "I would never betray you." She (Gabrielle) said in a soft voice and smiled wickedly while he couldn't see her face. Unbeknownst to her, Velaines sported a smile of his own, a vial in his pocket the source. (note, this was added)
We were split up and placed in dorms, each two conjoined rooms with two beds each. Lelouch immediately started pacing as soon as he entered, and C2 made herself comfortable on one of the beds with cheese-kun.
"Go into the other room Luluko." I said.
"Why? You've kept your entire lives secret, so why hide anything more? You've already brought me here." She retorted. I sighed and racked my brain for something to say. She sharply turned her head away.
"Dad, It's like I don't even know you anymore!"
"Lulu-" I started.
"Don't call me that."
"Calm down. Listen Honnêtte, we're here because of family. Your aunt Nunnally is in serious danger and only Suzaku and your father can keep her safe. You're here so we can keep you safe."
"But you just killed someone." She said, her gaze shifting between all of us. We're...royalty. It happens. I closed my eyes and shook my head.
"...I'm sorry." She continued to stare at me. "You're lucky to have not had to fight in the rebellion. There was no other way to win. We wouldn't be heard, and they wouldn't have changed. Now they're retaliating. As ugly as it is, the cause isn't. It's to protect the empire and our friends. After everything we've been through, we can't just let them die. I would do anything for you." I told her.
"I don't want you to kill for me. I'll defend myself." She said and stormed out of the room.
"Honnêtte!"
"Let her go," Lelouch said. I hesitated. Her anger was similar to Lelouch's, but I didn't want her to leave like that. Though perhaps with some time alone with her thoughts, she'd come to accept the situation.
"What are you thinking," I asked, and sat against the wall on the other bed in the room that he and I would share.
"Not many of the royal family are unmarked. I made most my loyal servants." Lelouch said, referring to his coronation ceremony where he used his geass on all the attendants.
"That's not very helpful. They each have a few knights of the round doing their bidding?" I said.
"But it may narrow down the number of motives." He explained.
"We already know Gabrielle wants to be Empress and that Marrybel only wants revenge for Clovis. What about the other consorts?"
"The only one that still lives is Anticlea. Remaining meek and quiet saved her from the others. She's in Romania where she looked after Carine Ne Britannia. She must be twenty-five now. She doesn't have a part in this however. She would stay by Anticlea's side and protect her if she had to." He said, sounding absolutely certain.
"Cornelia hates you for...what happened to Euphemia, but I'm sure she would stay away too. She and Guilford are enjoying their vacation time." Lelouch's head snapped up.
"Claire Li Britannia. It's suspected Gabrielle poisoned her mother."
In Almania where we last saw Claire Li Britannia a little before Gabrielle docked...
At the news that their long lost friend was back, Castor and Pollux Rui came down from their perch atop a tree to see her. They ran into each other in the halls of 's headquarters. Though many years had passed, they quickly recognized each other. Smiles appeared on all their faces, Castor and Pollux's though were a strange, serene kind of smile. All were happy and sad at the same time from having to be apart for so long.
"I've missed you so!" Claire cried.
"We missed you more." They said in unison.
"You both kept your hair the same," She said, touching their light mint green hair. Claire's was plainly blond. To this day she found theirs beautiful and wished she had a trait like it.
"Where have you been?" Castor asked.
"One day you were here and we played. The next we're told you're gone." Pollux said.
"They said you were alive, in hiding. But we weren't sure that was the truth." Caster added.
"It was the truth. I was sent to a rural village in Japan. I couldn't phone back or say goodbye before I was sent away. It was to preserve my life. They thought that my mother's murderer would come after me next." Claire explained.
"Then we're glad you're safe." Castor said.
"For now. I'm sure you know the royal family has been killing themselves off at a more rapid pace since Nunnally's coronation." Andreas said. The three turned.
"We were aware." Castor said.
"We just didn't care." Pollux finished.
"If you care at all about Claire, then you'll care now." Claire looked down at that. "We all know the others have been racing to get to the throne. And we know just how tyrannical they will be. We won't be free. Claire now has to participate in that race." Andreas explained, and laid a hand on her shoulder, willing her to be strong and fight, no matter how much she did not want the throne. The twins looked at her, and she looked up.
"It's true. And I've seen what Britannian soldiers have done to innocent people. The others will be the same. I want to protect them, everyone, from the filth that makes up my family."
"Then we will help you." Castor said.
"Thank you. You don't have to, I-I don't know how to repay you?"
"It's nothing." Castor told her.
"We've been a little bored watching birds build nests. We ought to thank you." Pollux added.
...
The next day, while Claire was studying the britannian government, Castor and Pollux were wasting time in the forest when they caught the Glinda airship flying in the sky. They followed it on their knightmares to a dock where a britannian ship was, and knightmares were being moved onto the land. Deciding it was an odd activity for the knights of St. Uriel, they stayed and watched until Gabrielle La Britannia boarded off the Glinda.
"We should notify Andreas." They said, and rolled back to HQ.
Back at the building, the twins went straight to one of the offices used by the master of the knights to hold meetings in, where Claire and Adreas, who guarded her, was. Claire looked up from her desk, and Andreas from her.
"We have interesting news." Pollux said.
"Wht is it." Andreas said.
"The Glinda airshi is flying over the dock west of here." Castor said.
"Marrybel?" Claire asked in confusion.
"That's not all. There was a britannian ship and Gabrielle came in it." Pollux said.
"She probably came to kill me...but why is Marrybel here?" Claire said.
"They must be here together. Marrybel and Gabrielle are close because Marrybel and Clovis were." Andreas said.
"But Marrybel wouldn't-"
"I did say those who were your friends before may be your enemies now." He reminded her. Claire sighed.
"Then I want to see her. She has to betray me in order for me to kill her with no remorse."
"You may soon. Let's speak with the knights of St. Uriel and see if they will give us their aid." Andreas said.
Back with the Black Knights...
"So you think a seventeen year old will try to barrel through to the throne?" I asked Lelouch.
"I took over an entire empire at that age." He responded with a smirk.
"But she doesn't have a geass?"
"All she needs is more pieces and know how to use them without sacrificing them too early. But I don't think she's our enemy per se, just Gabrielle's. We could use her on our side."
"Then let's ask Leila to set up a meeting with the knights of St. Uriel."
"My thoughts exactly." Lelouch said.
"Can we get pizza?" C2 said softly, laying on the bed as if she were dying, cheese-kun between her legs.
After battle NO.1, where Marrybel was not the only loser...
"Damn!" Mateusz Kruszeuski, knight of 12, screamed, punching the wall after entering the recreation room on the Glinda ariship for soldiers.
"Damn, damn, DAMMIT!"
"Mateusz, wait!" Marika, knight of 11, said and ran to him to check his hand for injuries.
"He was so close! I had him!"
"You almost died, what's the point of dying?" Marika said softly.
"What is the point of this war at all? The Black Knights won and Princess Nunnally became Queen." Acacia Acosta, knight of 5 originating from Spain, said.
"Watch where your loyalty lies." Schäfter Richter, knight of 1 who replaced Bismark (Charles' knight), said.
"It lies with Marrybel Mel Britannia. Where does yours?" Acacia countered.
"What's the point of fighting with each other?" Dilara Schwartz, knight of 4, said. "We're all comrades in arms."
"Too bad the other knights don't think the same way." Gino Weinberg, knight of , complained. Knights of the Round 2, 6, 7, 8, and 10 were in Greece with Consort Anticlea. There, at least, there was no fighting.
"They will get what's coming to them." Schäfter said. "There is no tolerance for traitors in this order."
Marika pulled Mateusz to the other side of the room where the first aid kit was stored beside the coffee macine, water cooler and other amenities were.
"It will be alright," Marika told him as she wrapped a bandage around his hand.
"And what about you, what will you do? Zero killed all of your friends." He asked harshly. Marika hands froze. She was a pilot in the Valkyrie squadron led by Luciano Bradley, the former knight of 10, before becoming a knight herself and later a pilot in the Glinda knights. Having no answerr, she continued to wrap the bandage, breathing shallowly.
Thank you for reading, especially if you're still here. I know it's been 6 months. I started this for fun to delve into the psychological damage part of Lelouch. No one has commented on the story itself but said they liked it so I'll take that. Anyway, I'm continuing despite the lack of interaction with readers (I didn't want it before but now I wish for it). I've been absent because I was struggling to find a job and recently got one, so I was focused on the search and learning, and I've been sick with a fever that won't go away with meds. See ya next time.
