A/N: Sheesh. XD I find myself constantly rechecking my descriptions of C.C. when I write these.
Sometimes it's easy to forget that only Lelouch knows and has seen C.C.'s real face. Whenever they're in public, C.C. wears the face she wore when she was first introduced to the majority of the people in Charles' court. I can't count the number of times I've slipped up and had to change adjectives during the proof reading. Haha! XD If you find some, do let me know ;)
And this question: Is this going to turn into CC x Lelouch x Kallen?
Answer: I'm not sure if that means a love triangle thing or a harem thing? If it's a harem thing, I would have to say 'no.' Because LelouchC.C. all the way XD.
Also, thank you so much ThatDesGuy, Akira-Hayama, Darth Lelouch, wootanin, Freudentraene, Celline The Sleeping Beauty, Command Unit, and wintergables for leaving reviews.
Thank you so much everyone for each follow and for each favorite. But above all, thank you for reading :)
Everything Demands a Price
Her son had always proved himself to be interesting… A socially assigned trait looked on poorly by the other consorts.
She'd often received flack and backlash from the other consorts for it. As if she was to blame for her son's unsavory yet interesting traits. Not that it really affected anything grand. The other Consorts were simply overreacting — as usual. They watched and whispered to no end — a likely result of being idle and not having much to do except hold Court and entertain themselves with music, jesters, or gossiping. Sometimes all three.
Marianne loathed to stay in the same hall as them for more than a few seconds. One way or another, one of the mothers would lecture her about leaving her son be to gallivant wherever he wished without so much as an entourage.
Why couldn't he stick to royal protocol like Odysseus or Schneizel? Why couldn't he favor more peaceful pass times like Clovis? Why did this young Prince always sully himself, mingling with the piss-poor residents at Flea Bottom and such? Gallivanting away from the Kingsroad to speak to who-knows-who as if he were no more than a common soldier.
Such were the other consorts' concerns.
Although, Marianne did find it peculiar that they paid so much attention to her son, rather than their own.
Half of it could be blamed on Lelouch's own doing. The other half could simply be attributed to the fact that no one at the capital knew how to mind their own business.
A nest teeming with vipers, wasps, and twittering birds… So vastly different from her home at Highgarden.
If she had her way, she would have preferred to raise both Lelouch and Nunnally in her childhood home. But as much as Lord and Lady Lamperouge doted on their only daughter, they too had succumbed to House Britannia's insistence on keeping all the heirs within the Red Keep.
It sealed her children's fate. Nunnally was subjected to the veiled hostility of the Court, and to various marriage proposals (just like her other sisters). While her son — her boy… Lelouch ventured out into his first diplomatic and military campaign after his 14th name-day.
From the moment she'd first held her children in her arms (as babes wrapped in swaddling clothes), Marianne had known that days like this would come.
True enough, she'd have preferred her son to take up far safer duties. But after his succeeding campaigns since that first one, it was easy to see that her little Prince excelled at what he did. Far too well for his own good. So much so that his father stopped considering Lelouch's safety, in lieu of sending the Realm's best strategist and Military Overseer to command armies numbering to hundreds of legions.
Why, just the day before, her son had returned from yet another diplomatic visit to his father's Warden in the East. Twas a peculiar visit, and one she wanted to discuss with him.
Which was why she traveled up many staircases and crossed many hallways, to get to her son's bedchambers. Her own royal guards walking several feet behind, tailing her for protection's sake.
Stopping before the door that led to her son's quarters, the Empress Consort couldn't stop herself from sighing. Ever since her Prince had returned with that foreign woman (CC, Lelouch had called her) among his usual guard's ranks, she'd noticed how he'd foregone security at his door. He didn't bother posting guards there anymore, and it used to bother her. (For what was she, but a mother that simply wanted to protect her child?)
But after a year of careful observation and some deduction, she now knew why he didn't bother anymore.
Nevertheless, it was still slightly concerning. A little more precaution never hurt anyone.
It wasn't Lelouch who'd opened one of the doors after three knocks. A familiar face greeted her, but it wasn't her son's. Still…
"Pleasant afternoon, Your Grace." The door opened wider, followed by a neat curtsy.
Eyeing her attire for a subtle and brief moment, the Empress Consort made a mental note of how interesting it was to see CC in a lovely gown. The woman never appeared in Court by her son's side dressed in such lady-like finery. She always wore fighting leathers that showed her weapons. So it had puzzled her immensely the first time she had glimpsed CC in a gown.
"I take this to mean my son has pressing duties to attend to."
"Yes, Your Grace. His Highness was called to attend a small council meeting, not a full hour ago."
"I see." Briefly turning to her guards, she gestured for them to take up posts outside the door before fully stepping into her son's room, gently closing the heavy door in her wake. "May I speak with you instead, CC?"
"As Her Grace commands…"
Smiling prettily, the Empress Consort gestured for them to step out onto the balcony, where they might talk without the constriction of walls. CC complied and as soon as they had a whiff of the open air, Marianne chose not to beat around the bush longer and simply jumped straight to her point.
"They say the Braavosi House of Black and White have an army that could change faces at will. Is it really an army, CC?"
From the look on her face, it was easy to deduce that the Empress Consort had expected some sort of averse reaction. Perhaps quiet bewilderment or a loud denial of her ties with her Faceless brethren.
But Marianne received neither as CC simply smiled and continued to gaze at the view of the royal gardens.
"It is far from being considered an army, Your Grace." With no reservation whatsoever, intelligent brown eyes met gorgeous indigo. "I was wondering when you would confront me about this."
"Oh?" Marianne raised an eyebrow, hands folded primly above the skirts of her gown as she claimed a seat in one of the chairs. "You knew of my knowledge?"
"I suspected."
"As did I…" About her involvement with the Faceless Order, was the unsaid statement.
And they had just both confirmed each other's suspicions… The faceless woman could see now where her Prince inherited his shrewdness and his knack for prying the truth out of people in such charming ways.
"Touché."
"Indeed." Marianne let an amused smile grace her face. Her son certainly knew how to pick a gifted yet peculiar woman, didn't he? And oh, how he dressed her so prettily in the privacy of his chambers. But how could he not? CC had an alluring womanly figure and a pretty face (or should she say 'mask'?)
For sure, the real face must be far prettier. A part of her just knew it.
She suspected CC was also the reason why Lelouch never bothered with guards at the door anymore. As some said, "one faceless man was worth ten others." Now whether that particular claim was true, they had yet to find out.
"Tell me, CC. How did a faceless woman admit herself into the service of my son?"
"It is quite a long tale, Your Grace." Especially since the first meeting had happened nearly a year ago.
The Empress waved a dismissive hand. "We have time. I'm sure Lelouch is still holed up in those dreadfully dull small council meetings. What better way to pass the time than to hear an interesting recounting? Besides, I also want to hear how well this romance has worked for the two of you."
In spite of herself, a light dusting of pink bloomed across CC's cheeks. From past and brief encounters (and also from Lelouch's own stories), CC was well-aware of how perceptive Empress Consort Marianne Lamperouge was. She'd just never imagined that a day would come when she, CC, would have to indulge the persuasive Empress' requests.
And CC wouldn't lie to her… Not about this, at least. Lelouch would have told his mother the truth anyway, no matter how miffed he would feel. How fortunate for him that he wasn't here now.
"Romance might be an odd way to put it."
"He is involved with you in some manner, isn't he? Otherwise, he wouldn't even consider sharing a bed with you, much less let you stay in his room while he's absent. I'm sure my son can lie to me about instructing you to guard his chambers, but if that were the case, I believe he would have insisted in more protective attire rather than the lavish gown. It does look rather fetching on you, CC." The Empress Consort's smile was charming — disarmingly so.
Smirking, CC took the seat across from the monarch, refusing to speak of the smutty promises Lelouch had murmured into her ear just before he left for this wretched meeting.
"I always told him he was incapable of lying to Your Grace or to Princess Nunnally." CC commented in a bid to forget how the Prince had insisted on her donning the gown earlier so they could both watch him slip it off of her when he returned.
"Of course not. I am his mother. Some may even say I know him better than he knows himself."
"Your Grace, if I may. You have given no objections so far about this…affair."
Affair… Interesting choice of words. "I do hate telling my children what to do. I will advise and offer good counsel. But I let Lelouch and Nunnally exercise their own free-will. They are both burdened by the weight of their father's name already. Best let them have control of their own lives where they can."
Marianne straightened in her seat and leaned forward the tiniest bit — not unlike a teenager eager to hear the world's most scandalous love story.
"Now, I believe an interesting story is in order."
And so CC revealed it all… From when she first met the Empress' son, up to the moment the Prince had stolen a kiss from her that night long ago, as they stood together atop the battlements that overlooked Blackwater Bay.
vVvVv
Neither Lelouch nor CC spoke of the alluded meeting when they returned from wherever they had gone off to. It didn't take as long as Kallen anticipated. Moreover, Cornelia hadn't returned yet, and that familiar crinkle between Lelouch's brows was becoming more prominent again.
Whatever they had discussed served little to alleviate the Prince's concern, obviously. And as much as Kallen longed to pry important answers out of him, she knew he was as tight-lipped as people like him could get. He wouldn't breathe a word if he didn't want to, so Kallen made what she perceived to be the wiser choice and left the matter alone for the time-being.
But if there was one thing that shouldn't have to wait, it would be her score with CC…
"CC, have you ever participated in tourneys?" Firm in her personal resolve, the lioness fixed stormy blue eyes on the Prince's companion.
Popping what was left of her share of bread into her mouth, the tanned woman smirked at the redhead, whose mouth was set in a firm line. "A fancy game for fancy people. No I haven't. But I assume you have."
"Thrice, unfortunately. She would have wanted more, but a lady participating in such events is frowned upon, isn't it, Kallen?" Chuckling into the rim of his cup, the Prince reclined against the pillows, watching his childhood friend stew in her irritation. She was always quite popular for her fiery attitude — a trait he and Suzaku found quite amusing and endearing.
"What you fail to mention, Your Highness, is that I've unseated you twice." Kallen scoffed.
The mirth in CC's tawny eyes tripled. "And why am I not surprised?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" He sputtered indignantly, thoroughly affronted at the verbal barb his lover sent his way.
"You have yet to knock me to the ground, Lelouch…"
And there was the opening Kallen didn't know she needed. By CC's words, was it safe to presume they trained together?
"Sword training?" The redhead asked, genuinely curious. And at the Prince's begrudging nod, Kallen zeroed in on CC. "You favor the sword?"
She received a disinterested shrug from the Prince's paramour. "Not particularly. I'm sure you know Lelouch favors the sword, and since I train with him, it's the same weapon I use as well."
"Would you care for a training spar with me then? I've been slacking off on my own training for close to a week now."
CC drained her cup of water before answering. "Is that wise? We have yet to hear news of Princess Cornelia's visit to Lord Farnese."
"Cornelia's bargaining will take a while. And it's not a bad idea." Lelouch offered, glancing between the two women. Because if he was being honest to himself, he wanted to see them pitted against each other.
Kallen's talent and prowess with the sword was not a secret. Word of her skill stretched from Casterly Rock all the way to King's Landing. It was why she was invited to fight in his father's tourneys in the first place. The first time around, men and women at court thought it amusing, and would have loved to see her fail. But she had nabbed second place during that first jousting tournament. Only Suzaku of Dorne had defeated her.
She also fought at the front lines in their last battle, leading 30,000 men to charge and defeat Calares' forces. And she came out of it unscathed and covered in battle gore. Yes, Kallen Stadtfeld was a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. But it was to be expected — especially after training under the best Master of Arms in the Seven Kingdoms.
So to pit her against CC — a faceless woman and an elite assassin.
It would be interesting… Plus, it wasn't as if the women were objecting to the idea. In fact, dare he assume based on Kallen's and CC's body language, it looked like they were both raring for a fight.
"As you wish, Lady Stadtfeld. I'll train with you…"
vVvVv
They marched off to a small woodland clearing not far from camp. Amid the prevailing odor of decaying leaves and all manner of forest floor debris, the lioness of Casterly Rock and the faceless woman stood face-to-face. They had agreed. Any weapon can be used. Simulate a real one-on-one fight.
Whoever was first to draw blood would win…
They were conditions that made Kallen's squire pale considerably. CC half-expected Lelouch to object to such dire requirements, but the Prince merely stood to the side, his face set in a grim yet severe expression. They weren't far from the army camp. They could call for aid should accidents happen.
"Are you sure you want to use a sword that small?" Kallen asked. Genuinely concerned and slightly interested in CC's choice of a main weapon. The rapier with its ornately made bell-guard was pretty and lithe, but it looked too fragile — breakable.
And Kallen wanted a fair fight. No way was it going to be fair if that weapon would break in two if her own sword came crashing down across the steel.
CC smiled slightly — a very pretty upward turn of her full lips. "Worried I might slip and cut you?"
"Not at all."
Kallen drew her sword and it whined as the redhead released it from the finely made scabbard attached around her hips. The weight of the steel and its pommel serving as comfort, the redhead moved into defensive position. CC stood on the opposite side of the ring, her posture deceptively slack — relaxed and almost carefree.
No warning whatsoever, Kallen lunged. If they were going to simulate a real fight, then this was how it would start. But CC had been waiting for that first strike, and at the sound of Kallen's boots shifting across the forest floor, she danced out of the way. In the same breath, her arm swung; tapped the steel of Kallen's breastplate and rested the tip of the Braavosi sword ever so lightly against the skin of Kallen's throat.
Muddy brown locked on striking blue as the latter widened in realization. CC held off on drawing first blood… Big mistake that was. The woman should have grabbed her quick victory while she had the chance.
Kallen charged again, and this time CC met the blow, parrying with ease. Both were deflecting effortlessly. Swords clanged as they clashed and whined when they drew apart. The small clearing was filled with their panting breaths and Kallen's battle cries. A contrast to the silence that wrapped around CC. Kallen surged forward again and again, twisting and turning, feinting and slashing. The slim blade thrust a hair's breadth away from her cheek just as her own sword nicked the leather of CC's clothing.
In the thick of it all, Lelouch watched quietly beside Kallen's anxious squire. The other boy, not much older than the three of them, looked on with concern in his eyes. He clutched Kallen's shield in his hands, baring witness to the whirlwind of motions happening before them. They moved fast, like trained dancers in one of the Sept's rituals. Watching them like this was testimony to the difference in training that they both received.
Kallen's was fierce, aggressive. Striking true and with pride. Just like a knight. This combined with skill made her lethal. She was well-versed and feinting and withdrawing. And she had no trouble reclaiming lost ground too. But from watching CC as well, it was easy to see that the faceless woman of Braavos had no trouble keeping up.
Circe was holding back though... He knew and he could tell. She was as accurate and swift and smooth as usual, but her own movements lacked the brutality that the Prince had seen her demonstrate during a trial by combat in the Red Keep over several months ago. He knew his lover was capable of ending a fight in less than a minute. That much was also true when her blade had come close to Kallen's throat a while ago. CC had refused the quick victory and chose to prolong this spar with Kallen instead.
CC managed to avoid a well-aimed blow to the face, but instantly missed Kallen's elbow shooting out to knock her stomach. A small gasp left her as CC landed on her back atop the bed of leaves, the rapier flying out of her hand. Kallen's sword came close to drawing blood on her own throat, but the efforts were thwarted as CC jerked her neck away from the blade. Kallen only caught the barest motion of CC flicking her wrist, and in the same second witnessed the blur of a hunting knife as it sailed through the air and presumably lodged itself against a tree.
That brief distraction was all CC needed to climb to her feet, knock the other woman to the ground, and press a dagger to her bare throat.
A thin trickle of blood poured out of the small puncture at Kallen's throat, seeping into the layers she wore underneath her steel. The redhead took notice just as CC herself made note of the slight bite of a blade's edge on the side of her neck, and the thin stream of red that followed right after.
No life-threatening wounds. But it was just enough pressure to break the surface of skin and draw the blood that signaled victory. Only—
"Shall we call it a draw?" Kallen uttered, her chest heaving as she drew shallow breaths.
"Indeed." CC agreed and rose to her feet with practiced grace. Kallen followed after, sheathing the sword at her hip.
"Your Highness…"
All four turned to the source of the voice that had interrupted any of them before they could speak. Kneeling at the entrance to the small clearing was Lelouch's messenger.
"Her Highness, Princess Cornelia has returned…"
vVvVv
Her Highness, Princess Cornelia of House Britannia had indeed returned… But not alone. Apart from the guard unit that Lelouch had assigned to escort her, there were five others — and none of them were from his own army. Not that he could recall. Two middle-aged men, and three guards wrapped in steel from head to toe.
The two men presented themselves as sons of Lord Andrea Farnese — sons who'd come to deliver the will and the terms of their lordly father.
Safe in the privacy of his tent, Lelouch stood at the head of the war table. The lords of the Reach were present, and so was Kallen. CC stood to his right, face stoic yet expectant. None of them knew what to make of the visit, especially after seeing Cornelia's own grim expression.
"If we may speak, Your Highnesses?" Said the elder son, and at the subtle nod, continued. "My father, Lord Farnese has granted your Crossing. And the men of House Farnese are yours as well, except for the 500 that will stay behind to guard the Crossing against anyone who would dare trespass."
Like a rippling stream, sighs of relief were released. Each of the lords and Kallen smiling quietly to themselves. Of course, the old Lord granted the request. It was made by none other than Princess Cornelia. Such tension had no place after an immense favor had been granted. Had they been more observant, perhaps they would have noticed the grim expressions on the Britannia sibling's faces.
"And what does Lord Farnese want in return?" Somehow, some part of him already knew what kind of conditions would be imposed. Nevertheless, the Prince dared to hope it wouldn't cost him such a heavy price.
"Princess Cornelia will be admitting my sister, Lady Mia as one of her ladies-in-waiting. And Your Highness will be taking on our younger brother, Edmund as your personal squire."
"And in time, the boy shall become a knight."
"Fine with me. What else?" There were other things the pair wasn't mentioning yet, and the Prince would rather hear them all now than procrastinate until later.
"Her Highness, Princess Euphemia will marry our brother, Walder, when he comes of age."
Doing his best to veil his surprise, Lelouch's curious gaze wandered over to assess Cornelia's reaction. His sister must have known beforehand, so her reaction now was more subdued. But underneath the carefully constructed mask, he could see her true feelings flickering in and out of existence. She loathed the idea of giving up Euphy's hand in marriage to a stranger. They weren't supposed to drag their younger siblings into this, but after what they'd done today, Lelouch had the sick feeling that they already had — in spite of his and Cornelia's best efforts to keep Euphemia and Nunnally away from the war. Somehow its tendrils still crept out and ensnared them unwittingly.
If Euphemia knew, she wouldn't like it either. Not when she had Suzaku… Not when he knew his best friend loved his half-sister so much, and especially not when a matrimonial union between the two was in the near-future.
Idly, Lelouch wondered how strong Farnese' arguments were to leave Cornelia with no other choice but to consent to this.
"And when the fighting is done, Your Highness Prince Lelouch, will marry my sister, Lady Shirley Fenette-Farnese."
It barely registered when their visitor had finished speaking. He was sure Cornelia spoke up at some point… Kallen interjected and some other lord asked a question too. But he couldn't focus on any of it. Not when it suddenly felt like he was listening to the words behind a wall of water… Not when the chains of unwanted matrimony was slowly becoming a reality.
He had suspected… He figured long ago that this was a considerable possibility.
Yet in his stubbornness, he had refused outright. He refused to listen to the logical voice inside his head. He'd snuffed it out in favor of something else — something much more personal.
At this point, he knew his face betrayed him and his feelings.
He must have looked so perplexed. Enough for one of Lord Farnese's sons to ask if their choice of a bride was unsatisfactory to him in any way. He could choose from any of their sisters, they said.
No! No no no no no no!
He already had a queen! He had chosen his future bride a whole year ago, as they stood together atop a battlement that overlooked Blackwater Bay. And it wasn't too long ago when he promised he would do everything in his power to keep her by his side — so they could be together openly when the war was over.
"I—"
Cornelia's gaze bore heavily upon him. And so did the other lords. Kallen watched him closely. Through it all, he dared to glance at the woman to his right — at the woman he adored and loved so much.
"His Highness would be honored. He shall take Lady Shirley's hand in marriage when the war is over."
CC… How and why would she say such a thing?
"And you represent His Highness' decisions?" One of the lord's sons asked skeptically.
Lelouch listened to it all with a dull roaring in his ears. He watched helplessly as Circe stepped up beside him, and with a face void of any expression, passed the verdict that sentenced their romance to the scaffold to stand before cruel Fate and her unfair jury.
"I am his adviser. The terms are in our best interests, and it couldn't have been fairer."
Lies. What a bold-faced lie!
It was far from fair!
But the word was given and the sons had left.
And the Prince stood with the rest of his retinue, bewildered and furious as the noose around his neck tightened all the more.
A/N: I smell a horrible lovers' spat in the next installment…
