Chapter 49
C.C. sighed. There had been a lot of activity at Lelouch's villa lately. Several vehicles had gone in and out of the gate since that man and woman with the van yesterday. None of them had stopped to notice her.
In fact, the only people who had noticed her were the guards. And after one of them had mistaken her for a bum and tried to shoo her away from the property, she'd haughtily pointed out that they hadn't stopped that man from waiting for the prince the previous day. The man had begrudgingly conceded her point and left her alone, though she was sure they were keeping an eye on her.
People really just didn't trust each other these days. She remembered a time when you could go up and knock on anyone's door and be given a meal and a place to sleep in return for a little gossip or story-telling. Hospitality. Sometimes she missed the old days. Society these days was so cold.
The sun was already high in the sky and it was past ten when movement at the gate finally gave the first indication of something happening. She peeked in through the wrought iron despite the dirty looks the guards gave her and saw three cars pulled up along the driveway along with two bikes. A motor escort.
Then it seemed like the prince would be moving soon.
"Finally." she grumbled under her breath as she removed the hat she had 'borrowed' from an abandoned apartment in the ghettos and straightened her equally illegally obtained clothes.
"My, my, C.C. are you actually primping to meet my son?" Marianne snickered in the back of her mind.
She'd gotten bored halfway through the night and had decided to break her way into Marianne's mind instead of the other way around. Of course, the fact that the Empress had been sleeping at the time had only added to the entertainment value. Especially when she'd woken the woman up with a loud, lively mental rendition of an old folk song she remembered.
Yes, this was her idea of revenge. It had been made all the more sweet with Marianne's repeated attempts to banish her from her consciousness had been thwarted. Marianne just didn't have the mental fortitude to beat her. Though it was only to be expected. After all, C.C. had had centuries to strengthen her mind.
"It's hardly primping." C.C. said monotonously. "I just want to be sure he recognizes me."
She had no idea how great of an impression she'd made on her prince. Being a prince, it was possible that he was accustomed to people dying to protect him. But then, his reaction when his companion was shot didn't seem to indicate that was the case. Then again, she was almost certain that that boy was the same one that her prince had befriended after being sent to Japan.
It was another fifteen minutes before the entourage of vehicles began to move – only for the dark, tinted-windowed limo to stop short just past the gate. She was annoyed she couldn't see his reaction, but she smirked nonetheless as she slowly approached the vehicle. He had to have noticed her. He had to be panicking. She wanted to see it.
Briefly, she entertained the idea of knocking on the window, but one of the motorcycles revved it's engine before decidedly putting itself in her way. She sent a dirty look at the helmeted rider – probably a woman judging from her stature – just as the car doors opened and the prince emerged, followed by a woman in a business suit - who relocated herself in the front seat.
As she'd thought, she'd missed the grand spectacle of his reaction and his face was cold and calm. Two steps brought him level with the motorcycle and another brought him directly in front of her, eyes flying all over her figure. Looking for evidence of her wounds, she assumed.
"Lelouch." She smirked. Ah, she was enjoying this too much. "It's been a while."
His hand suddenly shot out and clamped around her wrist before he dragged her back to the car, shoving her in ahead of him before turning back to the motorcycle rider. "We'll proceed as planned. Forget about her." He ordered.
It wasn't Geass but she felt a shiver run through her at the sound of his tone all the same. The boy was so demanding. So authoritative. It was little wonder that the Geass had manifested itself in him as it had. Her prince expected absolute obedience even without the power of kings.
He would be interesting, just as she'd guessed. She wondered, briefly, what he would be like with a Code. Terrifying, probably. She couldn't wait.
She let a satisfied smile pull across her lips as she stretched out across the back seat, reveling in the luxuriously comfortable leather seats. It had been a while since she'd been on anything so soft. Clovis and his lackeys hadn't been particularly worried about her comfort.
The door closed and she felt his eyes on her, though she refused to look at him – testing his patience a little. He would be fun. Good for her after the years of forced confinement and torture.
"What are you?" He demanded coldly, sending another shiver down her spine. It was that same tone. He was demanding her obedience. She snorted. Who did he think he was to demand anything from her?
"That's not very polite, you know?" She replied as she shamelessly kicked off her boots and brought her feet up onto the seat, "Most people would have asked who I was as opposed to what."
"I watched you die. I was covered in your blood. And yet you're here now and apparently fine." Lelouch mused. "What are you? A clone of that girl?"
She smirked slightly and shook her head. "Guess again." She teased.
He glared at her. "Some kind of artificial human? Are you even human?" He demanded as he grabbed her wrist again and felt for a pulse. It was there, of course – healthily maintained by her Code.
She sat up and leaned forward, invading his personal space as she looked him directly in the eye. "I'm a witch." She said sarcastically. It was one of the many titles she'd been bestowed over the centuries. One of the less offensive ones. After all, being accused of consorting with the devil was better (if only marginally) than being accused of being the devil itself. "So, how do you like it?" She asked as she reached up, her fingers hovering next to his left eye – a hairsbreadth away from touching him.. "How do you like the power I gave you?" She purred.
He scowled at her again and grabbed her hand before pushing her away back onto the opposing seat. "It's interesting and useful. Now answer my questions." He ordered and this time she saw the sigil flare, his command washing over her like silk over skin.
She shivered and sat placidly, deciding to play with him a little. It was worth it when he smirked triumphantly, believing in his victory.
"What are you?" He asked again.
"I'm a witch." She answered monotonously, pleased with his frowned response.
"What's your name?"
"C.C." She answered and was blessed with another scowl.
"What's your real name?"
She smirked. "You didn't really think that I'd give you a power that would work on me, did you?"
Her prince frowned and studiously observed her. "C.C. then, what do you want? Why are you here?"
"You didn't forget, did you? Our deal? The contract you agreed to?" She asked. She wouldn't be letting him off the hook. Just because she'd technically died, didn't mean their agreement was null and void. "In return for the power I gave you, you promised to make my one wish come true, remember?"
"Yeah, okay. I remember. So what do you want?" He asked with annoyance.
She smiled mysteriously before stretching out across her seat again. "You'll find out when you're ready." She said before closing her eyes and willing her body to sleep. She had been going without sleep for days now – not that it had a particularly adverse affect on her body since her Code maintained her, but she could still feel the exhaustion. She was hungry too, but she'd deal with that later.
"Oi!" Lelouch protested. "Just tell me and I'll grant your wish. And who said you could sleep in here?"
She grinned sleepily before rolling on her side with her back facing him and burying her face in her arms. "But we're accomplices, Lelouch. Surely you don't mean to deny the source of your power, do you?"
"You're still so selfish." Marianne sighed.
She didn't answer, unwilling to give herself away, but even more unwilling to expend the effort on Marianne's account. She doubted her prince would be too amiable after learning that his mother had abandoned him instead of being killed.
"I didn't abandon him." Marianne protested. "It was just safer for them this way."
"Tch. Unbelievable." Lelouch huffed quietly after the silence had dragged on for a moment. She chuckled softly to herself before letting herself slip into unconsciousness.
Jeremiah felt nauseous at having to attend Prince Clovis' funeral ceremony – a man he himself had killed. Never before had he been forced to mourn for one of his victims. He wondered if he'd be sent to a particularly damning part of hell for it. Though, if Dante had anything to say about it, he was already bound for the deepest pits of hell for his betrayal of Clovis. Making a mockery of the man's funeral was of little consequence in comparison.
"What's wrong?" Villetta whispered beside him, obviously picking up on his distress.
"Nothing." He replied curtly as he stood up on the stage in a massive reception hall in the Viceroy's Palace waiting for the event to begin. People were still steadily filing into the massive auditorium where they would be viewing the live broadcast from the homeland.
He stiffened slightly when he caught sight of Prince Lelouch entering the room. He hadn't really seen the prince since the Kururugi disaster when the boy had promised retribution (except for a brief interrogation about the matter, though he did still send daily reports of his activities to the prince). Retribution that still hadn't come. He had no idea how angry the prince was, but the anxious anticipation of their punishment was almost more maddening than anything the boy could come up with.
He knew Prince Lelouch could be ruthless when it suited him. If he wanted to, he could utterly destroy the Purist Faction and everyone in it. And Jeremiah would do nothing to stop him. He had sworn to always strive to follow the boy's will – to make his whims and wishes a reality.
He had erred massively by allowing Kewell and Villetta to implement their framing plan. It wasn't that he was incapable of making decisions on his own, or that he wasn't allowed to. He was, after all, still the Acting Consul and made important decisions for Area Eleven every day since his appointment without the need for Prince Lelouch's permission or approval. But in this matter, he had erred because the prince was right – he had told Jeremiah to hold off on finding a scapegoat – and he had every right to want to punish Jeremiah for his mistake.
Still, his shame over his misconduct was no reason to to be rude to the boy now. He would take whatever punishment Prince Lelouch could throw at him, and then, if he were still permitted, would continue to serve the boy in whatever way he was able.
In the sea of mourning black and officer blue, it took him a moment to realize that the people standing with the prince were not dressed in mourning, but rather black Knight uniforms. He frowned, trying to think of any faction that they could be associated with, but came up with none until one of them turned slightly back the way they'd come and he caught sight of the silver wolf motif embroidered onto the cape.
Wolves.
Now he had no difficulty understanding who these people were. They were the prince's 'wolf pack' that Clovis had teased him about. These were the people who had made Prince Lelouch's victory in Area Eighteen a reality. The ones who had charged into the fray and made the impossible possible. It seemed his prince had finally decided to embrace his epithet as opposed to scoffing at it.
"Personally, I would have chosen something a little less on the endangered species list. The Rabbit of Britannia, maybe."
His lips twisted into a wry smirk as he suppressed a chuckle. It wouldn't do to be seen laughing at the Viceroy's funeral.
He approached the prince, dropping into a respectful bow as he watched the 'wolves' tense at his approach. Good. At least they took their job of protecting the prince seriously. "Your highness."
"Lord Gottwald." Prince Lelouch said, nodding his head slightly in greeting.
Ah, so he wasn't forgiven. Before the Kururugi incident, his prince had gotten into the habit of addressing him only by his surname as opposed to by his title. The habit hadn't resumed.
"I wasn't sure if you'd show." The prince continued with a cold smile. A reminder. They both knew who had really killed Clovis.
"As Acting Consul, my absence here today would have been intolerable." Jeremiah answered.
"True." His prince nodded, before gesturing to his companions. "This is Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald." Prince Lelouch introduced. "He's the man in charge of this country for the time being. Lord Gottwald, this is the beginnings of my Royal Guard."
He fought to keep his smile in place as each of the members were introduced one by one. He'd been passed over. He'd sworn life and loyalty to the prince, had a history with the vi Britannias spanning back ten years and he had still been passed over for such an honor.
It was jealousy, he could admit. That horrible, twisted envy that was clawing at his heart. That these people could stand with his prince while he was excluded. He'd read a bit about them, of course. He'd been tracking Prince Lelouch's accomplishments ever since he'd learned where the prince had been hiding for the last few months. When word had reached his ears about the prince's victory in Area Eighteen, he'd looked into the records of all those that had accompanied him.
They were all well above the norm. Each and every member of the prince's squad members had Knightmare simulation scores between the high eighties and low to mid nineties. It topped out, of course, with their former commander. Zimmerman consistently scored between ninety-six and ninety-eight percent efficiency on Knightmare simulations. Technically speaking, anyone who could score ninety-five or higher was considered an Ace. Jeremiah's highest record was at ninety-three, though he more consistently scored around ninety-one.
Not that simulation scores were everything. Real life experience also counted. Not that his prince's Captain of the guard was lacking in that department either, but he was at least gratified to know that he had more experience in that particular field. Zimmerman had never made it past the rank of Corporal before his recent promotion. Jeremiah had been through officer training and had been granted more and more responsibility until he'd finally ended up where he was today – a Colonel and the highest ranking officer in the country aside from the prince. He had been born and bred to lead.
It should be him. He was more qualified to serve the prince. More qualified to act as the prince's avenging arm. To follow his orders. His wishes and whims. To do whatever the prince could ask. But it wasn't. It was Zimmerman – a crack pilot but not even an officer.
Beside him, Villetta approached and bowed respectfully. "Your highness, I'm sorry for your loss."
"Lady Nu." The prince greeted, his face remaining impassive and ungrieved before he glanced away (a subtle snub) and ran his gaze over the assembled masses of grieving countrymen. "Clovis was well loved by the Britannian people." Prince Lelouch finally said. "He will be missed."
"Certainly, your highness." Villetta agreed.
"All the more reason for us to find the real culprit responsible for his death rather than uselessly pinning the blame on an innocent man." The prince said emotionlessly. Jeremiah clenched his fingers into a fist behind his back and wondered if his betrayal would be brought to light. But the accusation never came. Instead, the prince turned to him and gestured to the line of chairs set across the stage. "As Acting Consul and one of Clovis' closest followers, the people will expect you to be highly visible. Please, take the center."
The center. The place were everyone's eye would be drawn the most. A place of honor. The place where the prince would be expected to sit. Why on earth would the prince want to put him in the spotlight like this? Unless he was right and the prince was setting him up as a sacrifice.
What could be more sensational than revealing the Viceroy's killer at his funeral?
"As you wish, my prince." He complied, preparing himself for the worst.
But it never came.
All throughout the funeral, through the procession of mourning and the Emperor's fiery speech, which wasn't so much a eulogy as it was propaganda, he waited for the prince to say something. He waited to be condemned.
To his right, the prince sat calmly composed with two of his guards standing behind his chair. He couldn't help but watch the boy out of the corner of his eye, hoping to catch wind of his prince's plan to rat him out mere seconds before it happened. There was no obvious indicator, though he did notice the slight, triumphant curve of the boy's lips. He was enjoying Jeremiah's discomfort.
They both knew the score. They both knew just who exactly had murdered Clovis la Britannia. And they both also knew that Jeremiah was not exactly in the prince's good graces at the moment. His entire existence rested in the hands of a seventeen year old boy who may or may not decide to reveal his treachery to the world.
He understood now why the prince hadn't pulled the trigger himself. It was about control. By using Jeremiah, he'd be able to hold Clovis' murder over his head for the rest of his life even if he still mysteriously couldn't remember the event. Prince Lelouch knew a deep dark secret of his and he wouldn't be afraid to use it. He had, essentially, turned Jeremiah into his puppet.
Not that he hadn't been already, but Jeremiah figured the extra insurance had to comfort the boy.
He took a deep breath and forced his nerves to subside.
"Progress always bears with it some misfortune." The Emperor continued. "The old must be discarded or adapted to make way for the new. Even the death of my son Clovis demonstrates Britannia's unswerving commitment to progress. We shall not weep and mourn, but move forward. And at the fore of this progression will be the new Viceroy of Area Eleven – my son, Lelouch vi Britannia."
The prince's eyes widened momentarily as he sat up a little straighter in his seat. However, the initial traces of surprise were quickly suppressed under a bland smile and nod towards the mass of other mourners and the video cameras that were recording the event.
Leave it to the Emperor to turn his son's funeral into a public announcement. Much as he hated to admit it, the man was becoming less and less someone he wanted to follow. At first, he hadn't really wanted to believe what Prince Lelouch had told him surrounding the circumstances of his exile. But it seemed like that boy had been right – the Emperor cared nothing for his children. Clovis wasn't even in the ground yet and he'd already been forgotten – shunted aside to make way for Prince Lelouch. A day that was supposed to be used to mourn the Third Prince had been transformed into a triumph for Prince Lelouch.
It was somewhat sad.
Flashy and insensitive. It was the Emperor's style.
Schneizel sighed and lifted the phone to his ear. It was mid-evening in Area Eleven, but he doubted his brother would be too busy to speak to him – even with his new appointment. It rang three times before his assistant answered and 'regretfully' informed him that Lelouch had asked not to be disturbed. To which he had 'regretfully' informed her that he wasn't so much asking as demanding to be put on the phone with Lelouch.
"Hello, Prime Minister." His brother sighed into the phone. "What is it that you need from me?"
Schneizel chuckled. "Such sarcasm, Lelouch. Or shall I call you Viceroy?"
"Ha ha. I suppose I should thank you for that." Lelouch replied drably. "I doubt the Emperor was all too pleased with the suggestion."
"It took some convincing." Schneizel lied smoothly.
He had decided to keep Lelouch on his board. It was too early in the game to let his Queen go to waste. He needed to keep Lelouch within his sphere of influence, so having his brother indebted to him wouldn't hurt. Whether or not that debt was based on a lie didn't really matter so long as Lelouch believed it. And since only the Emperor and himself had been present during that meeting, the fallacy was unlikely to ever come to light (if only because he couldn't foresee the Emperor and Lelouch ever addressing the matter in conversation).
"But, of course, it wasn't impossible for you." Lelouch said, his response an uncertain mixture of sarcasm and admiration.
Lelouch was too stubborn to truly show his gratitude and he had really damaged their relationship when he'd tried to have Edith Cardston killed. Schneizel wondered just how differently the conversation might have gone if he hadn't attempted to have the woman assassinated.
"Of course." He agreed.
Lelouch was quiet for a moment before he reluctantly spoke again. "So . . was there something you wanted? Or did you just call to make sure I remembered how great your powers of persuasion are?"
"Are you trying to get rid of me?" Schneizel smiled.
"Is it obvious?" His brother answered blandly.
He chuckled. "Very well, I'll get to the point. Have you made a selection yet?"
"I said I'd think about it." Lelouch said darkly.
"And you've had time to think about it. It's time to choose. Especially in your new position. We cannot risk your safety." Schneizel pressed. He had decided to keep Lelouch on his board and therefore he needed to make sure his Queen was protected.
"In my position?" Lelouch asked incredulously. "Might I point out that you have yet to appoint a Knight of Honor and you're the Prime Minister. You're hardly in the position to pressure me into selecting one."
"I have Kanon." Schneizel shrugged.
"And I have Edith. Though that's hardly the point." Lelouch snapped.
"Ah, but I doubt your dear Edith knows fourteen different ways to kill someone with her bare hands." Schneizel replied with a slight smirk. Some of his friend's more useful talents were the ones he was least suspected of having. Kanon made such a good partner to him because he was perpetually underestimated.
"I have bodyguards." Lelouch protested.
"It's not the same and you know it."
"I have a Royal Guard now." His brother tried again.
"Yes, I saw that. They're your squad mates from Area Eighteen, aren't they?" Schneizel asked, before continuing without waiting for the confirmation. "But even that isn't the same as having someone devoted solely to protecting you. Your Royal Guard will be used in your campaign against the terrorists, won't they?"
"That doesn't make them any less able." Lelouch replied coldly.
"It makes them less focused. They will be concentrating on taking down your enemies and winning you honor as well as your protection." Schneizel explained.
"So I'll make one of them hang back." His brother tried again.
"But you won't. I know you, Lelouch. I know how you think." He explained coolly. "You won't sacrifice your offensive ability just to protect yourself. You're overconfident in your own ability and you believe you can protect yourself. You're self-reliant. You hate depending on others. It's not all that surprising considering you've been taking care of yourself for the last seven years. But your situation is completely different than it used to be. You no longer have the luxury of anonymity. You are a very public figure and people will try to kill you."
"I'm aware of that." Lelouch growled.
"Would you like me to tell you how many times people have attempted to assassinate me?" Schneizel asked.
"You mean you've kept a tally?" Lelouch asked sarcastically.
"Eighty seven." He said firmly.
The number was higher probably than it would have been if he'd had a true Knight of Honor, like Lelouch had said. Because he had never appointed one, his enemies often liked to believe that he was vulnerable. But Kanon wasn't eligible to be made a Knight of Honor because he had never been a part of the military. His particular skill set had been learned . . . elsewhere. And Schneizel wouldn't trust his back to anyone but Kanon. In eighty seven assassination attempts, he had never even sustained a serious injury (though Kanon had come close to dying a couple times).
"So what do you think, Lelouch? Do you think you could survive eighty seven assassination attempts on your own? Select a personal Knight." He ordered after a moment of silence. "Perhaps if our brother Clovis had had a Knight of Honor, he might have still been alive today."
"Or they both would have been dead." Lelouch said bitterly.
"Oh? So that's the problem? You don't want to take anyone else down with you?" Schneizel asked.
Lelouch didn't reply, though Schneizel caught the slight hint of an annoyed sigh over the phone line.
"Ask any member of your Royal Guard if they would die for you. The answer should all be the same, so choose whichever one answers the quickest to be your Knight of Honor."
"I don't want one." Lelouch finally said.
"Unfortunately, it's not about what you want. It's about what I want. This is an order, Lelouch. Select a Knight of Honor to protect yourself." He said authoritatively.
"And if I refuse?" Lelouch asked.
He sighed. Leave it to Lelouch to make things difficult. "Let's not do this, Lelouch. You are important to me as my brother and as my ally. Is it so wrong for me to want to protect you?"
"What is the consequence for disobeying you?" Lelouch asked firmly.
But that was a good question. What was the consequence? What could he really hope to threaten Lelouch with? Somehow he doubted threatening Lelouch's life would work (not to mention that it would be counterproductive) and he'd learned his lesson about going after his employees. Ah, but there was that girl. The smart one . . .
"Did you know that the Imperial Research and Development Department offers a lucrative intern opportunity to some of the brightest minds in Britannia?" He asked conversationally.
"I wasn't aware of that." Lelouch said evenly.
"Neither was I. But I'm sure it could be arranged. And I'm sure someone intelligent enough to win the Moris Foundation Research Bursary would be just the kind of participant they're looking for."
Lelouch didn't speak as the implications of the unsaid threat sank into him. Schneizel gave him the time to process it. It hadn't been a necessarily dangerous threat. He'd never said he'd hurt the girl. But he would have her moved to Pendragon if he thought he needed to.
"I'll think about it." Lelouch said finally before the phone went dead.
Schneizel chuckled softly to himself. He'd 'think about it', but they both knew what the final conclusion would be. Schneizel had won, but only at the cost of uttering threats. It was not, generally, the way he preferred to operate. But Lelouch would never allow himself to be docilely swayed to his will. That wasn't who Lelouch was – which was just fine with Schneizel. His brother's independence was the reason he would be so useful.
He wondered who Lelouch would choose as his personal Knight. His money was on the Ace from Area Eighteen.
Lelouch had decided to give himself one night to grieve for Clovis. Just one night to wonder 'what if . . . ?'. What if he hadn't had his brother murdered? What could he have done differently? Just one night to relive that day's events and ponder over how things might have changed if he had just done one or two things differently.
It was useless and futile, he knew. But it was also vaguely comforting, in a strange, self-loathing way. Just as the brandy he had taken from Clovis' office and was now pleasantly indulging in was vaguely comforting. His brother's favorite drink burned mercilessly down his throat with every sip.
It wasn't that he was trying to drown himself in the alcohol. That wasn't it at all. It was just that the simple act of consuming Clovis' brandy somehow made him feel closer to the brother he had destroyed. The brother he had once been so close to. The brother he had once loved above all the others save for Nunnally.
It didn't help his guilt, but for just one night, he'd decided to indulge himself. Just one night to focus on Clovis and everything he had been. Everything he could have been. One evening to ponder on the future he had stolen from his brother.
. . . But the rest of the world seemed to have different plans.
First it was Schneizel who had interrupted him. Ordering him to select a Knight of Honor in return for not taking Nina hostage. Ordering him to devalue one of his subordinates lives to the state of nothing more than a human shield.
Unsurprisingly, it was far easier to ask someone to kill for him than it was to ask someone to die for him. After all, he actually liked his subordinates. His 'wolves' as the news had taken to calling them (how cliché) were all people that he genuinely liked. And how could he ask someone he liked to throw away their life for his sake?
He hated the very idea of using someone else as a shield. How could such an appointment be considered an honor? How could throwing away one's life be a good thing? It was human nature to want to survive. It was instinct. All living things would fight for their survival.
Or was that where the honor lay? In the sacrifice? A Knight of Honor would lay down their own life in order to protect their prince. Was it the denial of human instinct that was responsible for the distinction?
Either way, he didn't like it. It cheapened their lives. It made them into something dispensable. Something that didn't need to be protected or cherished. And how could he possibly do that to someone he liked? He was sure he could ask any one of his subordinates to be his Knight of Honor and gain a favorable reply. What he wasn't sure of was whether or not he could stomach it if one of them died trying to protect him.
He had taken them under his wing, in a way. He protected them as much as he was able and genuinely cared about whether they survived or not. They were not expendable.
Really, what he wanted to do what make someone he didn't like or care about into his Knight of Honor. Not that he could. He liked the people he trusted. Generally, if he didn't like them it meant he didn't trust them. So choosing someone he didn't trust to protect him kind of defeated the purpose of the appointment. Though it might have worked only to appease Schneizel.
Still, his Knight would be with him all the time. It would be unnerving to have someone he didn't trust that close to him at all times.
"Lelouch?"
Blinking, Lelouch glanced up to the door where Hector stood – knuckles still resting upon the half-opened door. He hadn't heard him knock – either because he'd been too engrossed in his thoughts or because the brandy was finally getting to him. He glanced down at the glass and found it empty, so he set it aside and waved Hector in.
"What did you need?" He asked, even though he was fairly certain he'd told Edith not to let anyone bother him. Not that he'd actually been doing what he'd sequestered himself away with Clovis' brandy to do. His thoughts hadn't turned to Clovis and what might have been ever since Schneizel had called.
He supposed what he was really doing now was just sulking. And that didn't require any particular amount of privacy, so Hector could stay.
"Edith. Another glass, please." He called out towards the hall behind Hector as he gestured towards the arm chair opposing his.
"Of course, Lelouch." She replied immediately before taking off towards the kitchens to accommodate his demand. Honestly, if she'd had even a modicum of combat ability, he'd have found himself better guarded than any Knight could manage. She was always around – living in his shadow while awaiting his demands. He supposed he understood why Schneizel valued Kanon so much.
"I wanted to get on the same page as you on a couple matters." Hector said as he settled himself in the chair across from Lelouch, eying the bottle of brandy suspiciously. Edith returned a half a minute later bearing another glass, which she set on the coffee table between them before excusing herself.
"It's brandy." Lelouch explained as he filled both glasses. "It was Clovis' favorite. I pilfered this bottle from his private collection."
Hector grimaced. "I'm sorry. Today's probably not a good day to worry you with things. I overheard some people talking earlier about how close you and Prince Clovis were."
Lelouch snorted. "Years ago, we were. But that was before my exile."
"Exile?" Hector asked immediately.
He smiled sardonically. "What? You mean you didn't know you'd sworn yourself to the black sheep of the Imperial family? Surely you didn't believe the story I was forced to tell on the television?"
"I wasn't aware." Hector said carefully. "Why were you exiled?"
"Why, indeed." Lelouch mused as he stared down into his drink. "I suppose it's what happens when a common-born prince decides to backtalk the Emperor immediately after the protection his mother afforded him disappeared." He said bitterly. "I demanded justice for my mother when the Emperor failed to expend enough effort to find her killer. He then plainly told me that I was nothing to him but a piece on his board and that I'd be sent to Japan as a political hostage. It seems my mother was the only thing keeping the vi Britannia line intact."
"What?" Hector choked, staring at him wide-eyed. "Your father -"
"Don't call him that." Lelouch said firmly. "If I ever had a father figure, you can be sure it wasn't the Emperor."
Hector was quiet for a moment, no doubt carefully weighing his options and whether or not pursuing this conversation was 'safe'. He had to know that these were Imperial secrets and therefore meant only for the ears of royalty. It was always dangerous when those not of the court learned of all the skeletons in the Imperial family's closet.
Not that Lelouch particularly cared. Let the world know how much of a bastard the Emperor was. It wouldn't hurt him. He didn't thrive on the good name of the Imperial family. And he would never truly consider himself one of them. It had been too long and he had lived his life as 'Lelouch Lamperouge' for enough time to separate himself from his royal identity. 'Prince Lelouch' was a mask. A facade. Just as the 'Wolf of Britannia' was.
He could live without the mask. He could live without his royal standing – he already knew this for a fact. He had, after all, survived seven years without relying on his blood status. So let the world know the Imperial family's dark, dirty secrets. It wouldn't particularly affect him unless anyone found out that he was the one leaking the information.
But he didn't really think Hector was foolish enough to gossip about something so very dangerous. If not to protect Lelouch's safety, then to protect his own.
"About Kururugi." Hector said eventually, apparently deciding to steer clear of anything that might get him into trouble.
"What about him?" Lelouch asked.
"Roy and I weren't trying to start trouble." Hector said. "But his situation here is suspicious. He all but admit that he's trying to get something out of you."
"I'm well aware of what Suzaku wants from me." He sighed. He'd been somewhat disappointed when he'd found them harassing Suzaku last night. But no real harm had been done and at least it meant that his Royal Guard was taking their job seriously.
"Would you mind enlightening me as to why you've put so much trust in him? Simply saving your life isn't enough to excuse so many warning bells. He is the last Prime Minister's son, right?" Hector pressed.
"He is Prime Minister Kururugi's son." Lelouch confirmed. "I'd have thought you'd have put it all together by now. I just told you, after all, that I was sent to Japan as a political hostage. Who do you think I was sent to?"
"The Prime Minister." Hector murmured with dawning understanding then frowned. "Then . . . Kururugi is . . ."
"That friend I mentioned that I'd thought was dead." Lelouch answered. "It turned out he was less deceased than I'd anticipated."
Hector sighed as he relaxed slightly in his seat. "It would have saved us some trouble if you'd said so to begin with."
Lelouch shrugged. "Maybe I was testing you?"
"Is that still necessary?" Hector asked. "We all risked ruining our careers and our futures by coming here for you. If you hadn't already sent our transfers in, it wouldn't have mattered what even you said. We'd have been labeled as deserters."
"I'm aware of that. And I appreciate it." Lelouch said calmly.
"We're yours, Lelouch. What more do you need to test us with?" Hector said earnestly.
Lelouch narrowed his eyes slightly. Much as he loathed parroting Schneizel, this at least was an appropriate time in conversation to bring it up. And he was at least marginally curious."Would you die for me, Hector?" He asked, focusing acutely on every twitch and tell his subordinate might give away.
Hector's gaze tracked back across to his own and he tensed slightly. "Yeah." He said after a second – not of hesitation but likely rather a moment of frantic deduction as he tried to figure out just why Lelouch was asking him.
"Just like that?" Lelouch asked, slightly unimpressed. Hector hadn't even had to think about it. His gaze hadn't wavered at all. It was an immediate, certain response. Was he the only one concerned with self-preservation?
"Just like that." Hector agreed.
"Ask any member of your Royal Guard if they would die for you. The answer should all be the same, so choose whichever one answers the quickest to be your Knight of Honor."
Lelouch sighed before taking another sip of his brandy. Hector would likely make a good Knight of Honor. Not that Lelouch would select him. He didn't know how he'd ever be able to face Lukas if he did – if Hector ever died trying to protect him. Selecting a Knight of Honor was like giving someone a death sentence.
"It shouldn't surprise you. Any one of us would die for you, Lelouch." Hector continued after a moment. "It's what it meant when we swore oaths to you. But why are you asking? Has something happened?"
"Nothing particularly life threatening." Lelouch shrugged. "No more so than normal, in any case. Have I satisfied your worries, Hector? Are we on the same page now?" He asked as a clear dismissal. He'd really rather be alone with his thoughts right now.
"Almost. Just one more thing. Is that girl you picked up this morning another one of your childhood friends?"
"No." He said as his expression twisted into a scowl at the mention of her. C.C.. A self-proclaimed 'witch' and the only person alive who knew about his Geass power.
He'd been mildly annoyed when he'd returned to the vehicle after the funeral and the half dozen meetings he'd been forced to attend with the advent of his new appointment to find her still sleeping in the back seat. He supposed part of him had hoped that she'd just wander off back to wherever it was she'd come from and leave him alone. She was an unwanted complication in his already complicated life.
Though, of course, that would have been too much to hope for. He had never been that lucky. And so now, between juggling his revenge on the Emperor, the administration of Area Eleven, and the elimination of the terrorist threat in Area Eleven, he also had to deal with a woman who could expose his secret power. A woman who wanted something from him, yet refused to say just what it was.
Debts and favors. He understood that game – it was necessary for anyone who actually wanted to affect this world in any great way. But he hated the way she was holding it over his head. He always preferred to pay off his debts quickly. In fact, the only person to which he was left owing was Schneizel – and only because he wasn't in a position to help his brother. Yet.
But C.C. didn't seem like she was interested in collecting on her debt any time soon. In fact, she seemed quite content just to mooch off of him. And, infuriatingly enough, until he knew just what she wanted and how far she was willing to go to get it, he was going to be stuck with her.
"She's not a friend." He continued. "But she can cause me less trouble if I know where she is."
Hector's gaze narrowed into a glare. "Is she blackmailing you?" He demanded.
Lelouch snorted mirthlessly. "Something like that."
There was silence for a moment before, "Do you want me to get rid of her?"
Lelouch honestly considered it for a moment. Ignoring the fact that she had saved his life (twice , technically, by being shot and by giving him Geass), she was still a massive threat to him. If people knew about his Geass, everyone he had to deal with would refuse to meet with him face to face. Which would make that power precisely useless.
But at the same time, he couldn't forget that C.C. had been shot three times right in front of him. He'd been absolutely drenched in her blood that day in Shinjuku and yet, here she was, perfectly fine after sustaining an injury that should almost certainly have killed her (and if not, at least made her into a vegetable for the rest of her life).
He'd pondered and rejected a dozen different explanations for the phenomenon, but none really did the situation justice. So even if he did want to sic Hector on her, he wasn't sure if his Captain would be able to accomplish the feat. And who really knew what that girl was capable of anyway? He wasn't going to risk losing Hector should C.C. decide to retaliate. At least not without a better understanding of her abilities.
"No. Just keep a close eye on her. I suppose she's the one exception to my rule about letting people I trust into my house." Lelouch sighed.
"I'm the exception to a lot of rules." C.C. said from the door, looking utterly unrepentant for eavesdropping. He wondered how long she'd been listening. Apparently even using Seckel's squad as an 'escort' wasn't enough to keep her out of his hair.
"C.C." He greeted coldly with a slight nod. A moment later, Seckel and three others appeared, apologizing profusely for letting her disturb him.
"My, my, Lelouch. You don't look pleased to see me." She chided, hands on her hips. He caught a gleam of mischief in her gaze.
"On the contrary," Lelouch replied coolly. He would be damned if he let her rattle him. "please join us. Brandy?" He asked, gesturing to the bottle.
"No. I've never really liked it." She said as she settled herself on the arm of his chair, draping herself possessively around his shoulders as though he belonged to her. A moment later she took the game too far. "Why don't we tell the good Captain how we met?" She asked, further invading his personal space by pressing her cheek against his so that Hector was pinned with both of their gazes.
"It's late." Lelouch said darkly as his elbow pressed against her ribs and threatened to send her sprawling to the floor, "And I believe Hector has to be getting home. Besides, I wouldn't want to bore him with something so thoroughly unremarkable."
She chuckled softly, breath tickling against his cheek and reminding him just how very close she was. Close enough to slip a knife into his back before Hector would even be able to react. He watched her closely out of the corner of his eye, taking particular note of the slight smile that crept across her lips as her fingers began to creep across his back.
"Are you saying I'm unremarkable, Lelouch?" She asked as her fingers stopped in precisely the most vulnerable spot on his back – directly over his heart. He didn't know if she'd felt the bandages under his shirt or if she knew just what organ she was threatening (or both), but in any case, it was enough for him to finally apply the pressure he'd been holding back.
His elbow pushed and she toppled to the floor in an undignified tangle of limbs as he gracefully rose to his feet and put a few steps between them. She didn't yelp or berate him or even move. She just lay there where she'd fallen, staring dispassionately up at him – and he was reminded of the first time he'd laid eyes on her. When she'd laid passively on the floor of the truck while he and Suzaku had worked to free her from her bindings.
He clenched his fist before turning his back on her. "I'll see you out." He said to Hector before leading the way to the door.
Somehow, he just knew that dealing with C.C. was going to be a constant trial of his patience.
AN:
Another chapter for you all. :D I hope you all enjoyed it.
And thanks so much for all of your responses about whether or not to write from Abigail's pov, though really from like the second or third review I'd already made up my mind not to. At least not yet. At this point, I'm not sure I can do her enough justice to please you all. So I'll continue to tease you with snippets about her character for a while longer until I'm more comfortable with her and then I'll think about it again.
Anyway, as for the updating schedule for the next couple weeks . . . I have no idea how well it's going to go. I have that big cemetery demographics project due on the 13th of April and I have another paper due around that time too. So I'll be a bit busy with other things. Also . . . I finally got Fable III (ha ha, not quite as good of an excuse for delays, but it's just so fun smashing Hollow Men) so I might be a bit distracted by that for a while. Tee hee.
Still, I don't foresee myself not writing on this at all, so another chapter will likely be coming out even while I have to work on my school assignments.
Thanks for reading. Don't forget to review.
Allora ^.^
