Conspicuous Gallantry

By Lord Raa

Disclaim-me-do: Just because I didn't burst into flames, it doesn't mean that you won't.

Chapter 4

Lelouch had managed to make his way out of the palace without any trouble. He thought he'd been seen a couple of times, but somehow, either through blind luck or incompetent soldiers, he had been able to slip away from the scene of his crime.

Clovis' death was nothing short of cold-blooded murder, but it was necessary for Lelouch's plans. With the Viceroy dead, Britannia would send a replacement and if the Elevens were sufficiently rebellious, the leading candidate would be Cornelia. Getting Cornelia to Area 11 would make interrogating her much easier. Schneizel was too busy running the empire to be assigned a single Area.

But Lelouch could and would have to wait for the right moment to attack the Second Prince. If this gambit of his could be compared to a chess match, then the colours hadn't even been picked, never mind the pieces getting set up on the board. It was going to be a long and bloody battle.

'Am I up to this?' the fratricidal prince wondered. Sacrificing the lives of a few nobles to create a better world for his sister was one thing, especially if they were the lives of the Imperial Family, but others would be dragged into this; people who had nothing to do with Britannian politics.

People like Shirley Fenette.

"Shirley…" Lelouch whispered.

In Lelouch's opinion, Shirley was a nice girl. Friendly, smart and athletic, she would be the perfect girlfriend for anyone.

'She's got nice boobs, too…'

The muscular youth paused mid step. Where had that thought come from? Why was he suddenly thinking about the breasts of a classmate? Why did he want to motorboat both Shirley and Milly?

"Something the matter, Lelouch?" a soft, feminine voice asked from the shadows.

"Who's there?" Lelouch demanded, pointing his gun at potential hiding places.

"It's me, C.C.," the woman said, stepping out of the shadows.

"You… What's happening to me?"

"What do you mean?" C.C. asked. "Are you unhappy with our contract?"

"What exactly did I sign up for?"

"It was a means for you to escape a situation that would have otherwise been certain death. Is that not enough?"

"What do you get out of it? Granting people supernatural powers isn't something one does out of altruism."

"True, but my reasons are my own," the green-haired woman smiled enigmatically. "Perhaps we can discuss things over some pizza?"

"Pizza?"

Sirens approached the palace, making Lelouch wince. "Perhaps we should get off the street."

"We'll go to your place," C.C. smiled. More sirens approached. "We should get out of here if we want to avoid any problems…"

"My place? Fine, but we have to get out of her now. How fast can you run?"

"Not very. You could carry me… You do look like you're a big, strong man."

Cursing his inability to say no to a cute face, Lelouch stepped towards C.C. and swept her up in his arms before turning to face the direction of his home.

C.C. rested her head against the well-muscled chest of Lelouch and sighed contentedly as the pair raced away from the palace.

Professional life for Jeremiah Gottwald was getting worse. First, he'd failed to recover the stolen artefact from the rebel Elevens, then he'd been unable to confirm the status of the missing prince, Lelouch. And now… Now, Prince Clovis la Britannia had been assassinated in his own home.

"How could this have happened?" he wondered aloud. Had he presented the rebels with an opportunity that they couldn't resist by reassigning the guard to search for the stolen weapon?

Yes, the guards were stretched thin in comparison to normal, but even then, there were still armed guards patrolling the palace and its grounds.

"Guards…" he murmured.

Finding out what had happened with the guards was the key to finding the truth about this incident. How had the palace guards allowed an assassin to breach the defences? Did the Elevens have assassins that could infiltrate secured facilities and commit their crimes like thieves sneaking into museums?

Despite some rumours about skilled warriors from antiquity that occasionally surfaced, it was unlikely that the Elevens could still manage to train people to the degree needed to break into the palace like a thief in the night and escape by melting into the shadows.

The Imperial Security Service would know about such an organisation, and they hadn't warned about anything along those lines. That meant the Viceroy's murder had been plotted.

A plot to assassinate a member of the Imperial family required resources and time to put things into motion. Perhaps it was just a coincidence that Clovis' death coincided with the theft of the weapon?

Regardless of whether or not it was a coincidence, regicide was still regicide and there had to be an explanation for how the assassin had managed to get into the palace.

There were Elevens working at the palace, usually as domestic staff, but could they have copied key-cards and access codes to get inside? They had all been vetted by the ISS and rated as not a threat.

And even if Schneizel's research team were incompetent and/or corrupt, or the Elevens wouldn't have shot Clovis in the head, they would have poisoned his food, killed him in his sleep, or arranged for some other accident. Jeremiah couldn't see them trying a double-bluff by using a gun to kill their target.

Now that he thought about it, wouldn't the Elevens be better served by using their infiltrators to stealing state secrets or various high value assets to fund their rebellion? They had to know that killing the Viceroy would bring about a crackdown on the local population, alienating them from the general population. It would be a Pyrrhic victory.

After logically eliminating rebels infiltrating the palace, Jeremiah returned his attention to the Palace Guard. It was true that Prince Clovis was not nearly as loved by the general soldiery as Princess Cornelia, but being unimpressed with the Viceroy's martial prowess didn't mean that they wanted to replace him like the Praetorian Guard might have with the Emperors of Ancient Rome.

So, as a whole, the soldiers at the palace didn't want to murder their boss. That didn't mean that one or two weren't sympathetic to the Elevens and their plight. Or maybe one had some debts and had been blackmailed into helping this assassin?

It was then that Margrave recalled that there were Honorary Britannians in the ranks. They claimed to be loyal, but how many of them were traitors?

There had to be an investigation. Someone had to hang for this outrage, and Jeremiah Gottwald was damned sure it wasn't going to be him!

Lelouch slowed to a jog as he approached the house he and his sister lived in. He looked down at C.C. and decided she was more than cute.

Possibilities started to occur to the young man. Possibilities about what he could do with this beautiful young woman who seemed happy that he was holding her close. Showering with her, rubbing a washcloth across the curves of her body, as the hot water cascaded over the pair of them.

Drying her with a soft, fluffy towel, his hands brushing against her chest and eliciting a soft moan of pleasure.

'Damn it,' Lelouch thought as he could feel both his body and mind betraying him. A week ago, he wouldn't have given the notion of showering with a woman a second thought – it would have been rejected out of hand for being improper.

But now? Now he was thinking that maybe he should have let Sayoko keep her hand on his thigh last night.

'Wait,' the muscular youth thought. 'Do I want Sayoko, Milly, Shirley or C.C.?'

To Lelouch, the idea that he might have several women sharing his bed was the kind of thinking that his father had, and Lelouch hated his father.

As an heir to the Britannian throne, Lelouch could have had countless lovers and no-one would have batted an eyelid at him having both Shirley and Milly at his side. But Lelouch had renounced his claim to the Britannian throne and was forced to live like the common man, and would only have one spouse.

At least, that was how things would have been for the lost prince had he not just started his grand scheme for revenge. In order to make a better world for his little sister, Lelouch would have to claim the throne, and as Emperor, he could have as many women as he wanted.

And that idea made the young man smile.

Lelouch stopped and set the mysterious green-haired woman on her feet. "We're nearly there."

"Oh, right," C.C. replied, feeling a little disappointed that she wasn't going to be carried over the threshold of Lelouch's home. The idea that she'd be his bride had been running through her mind all the way from the palace, and she'd gotten used to the idea of her lover picking her up effortlessly as they made love in so many positions.

"So… What do I tell my sister? I don't normally bring girls home with me."

"We could tell her that I'm your lover," was what the immortal wanted to suggest and she very nearly uttered those words. What prevented her from saying anything was the arrival of an armoured car pulling up to the couple.

A hatch on the top of the car opened and a soldier emerged.

"You there! What are you doing out? Don't you know that there's a curfew in place!?" the soldier demanded.

Lelouch instinctively put himself between C.C. and the soldiers. "I'm Lelouch Lamperouge and I'm taking my girlfriend home with me."

The soldier blinked as he got a good look at the hulking young man. It wasn't really his business what the couple were up to, but the curfew was to prevent crimes and if she didn't want to go along with this, it was a crime.

"Is that true, Miss? Do you want to go home with him?"

"Oh, I do," C.C. nodded before wrapping her arms around Lelouch's thick torso.

"That's alright then. Now get off the streets, there are dangerous people about!"

Lelouch nodded in thanks before taking C.C. by the hand, the pair of them walking the short distance to the Lamperouge home.

'They make a cute couple,' the soldier thought before returning his attention to his standing orders.

Sayoko and Nunnally were not terribly impressed with the fact that Lelouch had been out and returned with a woman.

"What's all this?" the younger sibling demanded.

"She's someone who needed a place to stay. There's a curfew tonight," Lelouch explained.

"I know about the curfew!" Nunnally replied, though her voice was more tetchy than normal. "I'm talking about… her."

"Oh, my apologies," C.C. said, stepping forward and bowing deeply. "I'm C.C."

"What kind of name is C.C.?" the brunette asked. Ordinarily, she would be far more polite to a guest, but this was a woman and as her brother had difficulty saying no to women, especially cute ones, he had to be protected from gold-diggers and other unsavoury types who would use his innocence to their advantage.

"It's… Well, it's more of a nickname," the green-haired woman answered.

Sayoko watched the exchange and decided that she would take Nunnally's side in this argument. While she might want to see Lelouch happy, there were conventions that had to be observed and just inserting yourself into the lives of others was a big faux pas.

"There's no need for unpleasantness," Lelouch said, hoping that he could calm the situation down before anyone was offended. "C.C. will be joining us for dinner. Sayoko, please show C.C. where the restroom is."

"Of course, Master Lelouch," the maid bowed. "Please follow me, Miss C.C."

"Thank you," C.C. bowed back in response before following the Japanese woman.

When they were alone, Nunnally turned to face her brother.

"What's going on?"

"I… Well… The thing is…" Lelouch fumbled for words. He never liked lying to anyone, especially his little sister, but it wasn't like he could tell her what he'd done that day. "I… I met C.C. the other day and she helped me out. I thought returning the favour was the right thing to do."

"Hmm…"

Lelouch winced at his sister's expression. Not sure what else he could do to prevent more disharmony, he picked Nunnally up and placed her on his shoulder. "Try seeing things from my point of view."

"Lulu!" Nunnally yelped in surprise and ducked down to avoid hitting the ceiling. After a moment she started to giggle at the silly noises her brother was making.

"Knightmare Frame online!" Lelouch said in a robotic voice. "Preparing to move."

"Put me down, Lulu!"

"Sorry. I just… Well, I don't like it when the women who are important to me are fighting," Lelouch said, holding his sister so she could look him directly in the eye.

"Lulu…" Nunnally sighed happily. She could feel her panties moisten as she felt his breath on her face. She wanted him to pull her in for a kiss, for him to explore her lithe body with his strong hands. Instead, there was an intense sense of disappointment as the strong young man placed her gently on her feet.

"You're my world, Nunnally," Lelouch smiled as he gave his sister a headpat. "I'd do anything for you."

There was a glint in the eyes of the brunette as she realised what her beloved brother had just said. "Anything?"

"Well… I guess so…"

Sayoko returned with C.C., casting the occasional glance at the visitor. She knew that it was inevitable that Lelouch would find someone, but to lose him to someone who'd appeared out of the blue felt wrong. As much as the maid might have wanted to be the one that Lelouch chose to spend the rest of his life with, she understood that she wasn't close to the top of his list of potential partners; she just expected the woman to win his heart to be someone like Milly Ashford or Shirley Fenette.

Something about the way this green-haired woman had just appeared and acted like she was the only one for Lelouch was not sitting right with Sayoko Shinozaki. Lelouch just seemed to be unable to tell women "no", and that was something that Nunnally had taken advantage of over the years.

Nunnally hadn't exactly abused the fact that her brother doted on her, but it was clear to anyone who knew the siblings that she had developed a crush on him. Well, complex might be more accurate, as who could ever match up to a man like Lelouch Lamperouge? A man who was smart, kind and with a body to die for.

"So, how did you meet my brother?" Nunnally asked, her tone returning to a friendlier one.

"I… Well, I've…" C.C. was suddenly finding it a lot more difficult than normal to find the right words. Ordinarily, she'd be able to talk her way out of trouble and into the good graces of the people she met with ease. What was it about these two?

Lelouch's effect on her was easy enough to explain; the combination of his kindness, good looks and having the body of a Greek god made her heart race as she thought about all the lewd things that they could do together.

Nunnally though? That was strangely different. C.C. didn't want to upset the girl, as from her observations of the Imperial children had Lelouch shunning, if not outright destroying those who might deign to upset his precious sister. But the immortal had many decades of experience dealing with delicate situations and it just wasn't a case of nerves; there was more to Nunnally than met the eye.

What could she tell them? Lelouch would likely want to keep what had happened to himself, if only to keep his little sister from worrying, but how should she shade the truth about their meeting? It wasn't even the first time that she'd seen him.

Revealing to someone who was quite protective of her brother that she'd been keeping an eye on him for years wouldn't go down well.

And as for the revelation about giving him his Geass…

'Wait, I might be able to make that work for me…'

"I was out yesterday, and were it not for your brother, I would have been involved in a bad traffic accident," the green-haired woman answered.

"Bad traffic accident?" Nunnally repeated. "I thought you said that she helped you."

"I… Well, if it wasn't for me meeting C.C., I would have been caught up in a thing…" Lelouch answered evasively.

"'A thing'?" The younger sibling did not like the answers she had been given. Was it possible that they were lovers?

If he already had a lover, it would explain why Lelouch had always resisted Milly Ashford's flirting and ignored the attention-seeking behaviour of Shirley Fenette. But when had he found the time to sneak off with someone?

"Are you two… lovers?" Nunnally asked, reaching and grabbing her brother's hand.

"What? No!" Lelouch insisted.

Nunnally nodded, she couldn't sense any untruth from her brother. After a moment, she realised that perhaps she hadn't asked the right question. Her grip tightened as she followed up her attempts to find out what was going on. "Do you want to sleep with her?"

The muscular Britannian looked down at his sister and told her that he didn't want to sleep with C.C.

"You're lying."

"I… Yes… I do want to sleep with C.C.," Lelouch blushed. This was the first time he'd admitted anything resembling intimate feelings to anyone. 'Damn it, why can I never lie to Nunnally?'

A smile broke onto C.C.'s face only for it to fall away when Lelouch followed up his statement.

"Not only do I want to sleep with C.C., but there are many others that I want to sleep with. I want to hold them close, see them naked, kiss them in all their naughty places."

Nunnally's eyes widened. This was her chance to mould her brother into the perfect man. Sure, he was physical perfection, but there was something missing; a certain immaturity to how he was around women. He always had difficulty telling a girl "no" when he didn't want to do something and he never leered at a girl like any of his peers.

'Peers,' the brunette thought mockingly. 'As if anyone could compare to Lelouch!'

"How many? And who?" Nunnally pressed on with her questions, not letting go of her brother's hand.

"I… Well, I don't know how many, but I'd like to… You know, with C.C., Milly, Shirley, Sayoko."

Sayoko's eyes bulged when she heard her name mentioned. She had wanted Lelouch for a while now, and to hear that this prime specimen of manhood was interested in doing lewd things with her was a dream come true. It was only the cautionary tale of her friend and fellow maid, Haruka Kozuki, that was keeping her from slipping out of her dress and sinking to her knees to orally pleasure the exiled prince there and then.

Even then, the sacrifices she'd have to make seemed worth it just to know that she'd made him feel good.

C.C. was not surprised by the young man's confession. She recalled her own days with the Geass, and how many men she'd slept with. Sure, her Geass compelled others to love her, but being loved and being so horny that she'd fuck any man who got close were two very different things. The green-haired woman glanced and noticed that Nunnally was holding her brother's hand.

'Does she have a natural Geass?'

There was a theory that Geass powers were hereditary and they came from an ancient bloodline. Certainly members of ruling families were more likely to have access to a Geass, but for a Geass to naturally occur was almost mythical. That it was relatively low-powered wasn't a surprise, but it certainly explained Marianne vi Britannia's desire to explore the Geass phenomenon.

C.C.'s thoughts trailed off a the memory of her time with Marianne vi Britannia resurfaced. Marianne had wanted her children to breed with each other, believing that their offspring would have a powerful Geass, or at least a greater potential for one should they ever encounter a Code Bearer.

That was it, that was he in with the little sister! All she needed to do was convince Nunnally that she could help her get Lelouch. Sure, sharing him might be a little bit annoying, but he was a strong and virile young man who clearly took after his father so one woman was never going to be enough for him and his Geass enhanced appetites. Once the time was right, C.C. could pass on her Code to him and finally find peace.

C.C. would have to do some groundwork on winning over Nunnally, but she could do it. Maybe the maid or Lelouch's friends at school got to have a go before she did. Whatever they thought they knew about sex paled in comparison to her own knowledge and experience.

"So, what are we going to talk about first?" the green-haired woman asked, smiling politely.

"What are your intentions when it comes to my brother?" Nunnally asked reaching for C.C.'s hand.

"I… Well, they're entirely honourable," C.C. smiled.

The princess frowned when she couldn't tell whether or not this was a lie. This was the first time she'd ever encountered that and it was beginning to unnerve her. Quickly realising that she needed to make sure that her feelings were properly conveyed, she pulled the Code Bearer in for a private word.

"If I tell my brother I don't like you, you'll never get close to him."

"I'm not here to take him away from you. In fact, I might be able to help you…"

Nunnally's expression changed from one of concern to one of interest. "Perhaps we should talk in private later?"

"I'd like that."

Lelouch sensed that the tension between his sister and benefactor had lessened considerably. "Sayoko, could you please prepare us something to eat?"

"Of course Master Lelouch," the maid bowed before leaving for the kitchen.

C.C. was about to ask about the pizza when she remembered the fact that there was currently a curfew in force.

"I would like to go and freshen up, so if you two ladies will excuse me, I'll go hit the shower."

Nunnally wanted to follow the beefcake up the stairs to assist him with his personal hygiene, but the presence of C.C. prevented such improper activities. She turned to the visitor. "So, you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes… I… I know that you have no reason to trust me or believe anything I say. I show up here with your brother during a curfew and he tells you that he wants to do lewd things with me and your maid when previously he was so chaste and pure," C.C. said, her eyes cast downwards in submission to the young princess.

"You're right, I'm going to need some evidence for what you say, but for the sake convenience, I'm going to let you say your piece and you'll get the proof we need later. What is your connection to my brother?"

"I… It's not just your brother that I have a connection with. I… I knew your mother."

Nunnally's eyes widened. "You knew M-Mother?"

"Yes, it's how I know who you and your brother really are. The details aren't important right now, but I can help you and your brother with your goals," C.C. replied.

"What are our goals?"

"Your brother wants to get justice for your mother and to create a better world for you."

Nunnally nodded. "And what is it you think I want?"

"To live happily with your brother. It's something that your mother would want, too."

Nunnally allowed herself a small smile, but forced herself put the idea of maternal approval of her relationship with Lelouch to one side. "OK, so let's say I believe you when you say that you knew my mother. How can you help me? How can you help Lelouch?"

"I… I know that you can tell when people are lying," C.C. said. "It's a power called a Geass."

"Where do they come from?"

"It's complicated, but occasionally people who have the blood of kings in their veins develop them."

The princess nodded. If what this C.C. person was telling them, then it certainly meant that she was a legitimate heir to the Britannian throne. "So why doesn't my Geass work on you?"

"That's a little bit more complicated."

"Could Lelouch have one?"

C.C. didn't want to lie to Nunnally, but confessing that she could grant anyone a Geass would lead to another situation like Mao. She also didn't know "He could end up developing one, but I can't say for sure."

"How did you meet our mother?" Nunnally asked, wondering if Lelouch knew about this connection. "Was it at school?"

"Not quite. I met your mother before you were born, in fact, it was before she married your father."

Lelouch enjoyed the hot water cascading down his toned, muscular body as he thought about how to deal with C.C. and her abilities. Should he tell Nunnally about the Geass he'd acquired? How could he explain such a thing to her?

'Wait… She can always tell when someone is lying to her. Does she have a Geass, too?'

If Nunnally did have a Geass, it would help him explain his own newfound powers of persuasion. But it also risked bringing her into a dangerous world. If C.C.'s captivity was anything to go by, Geass users, regardless of how powerful their gifts were, were a tool that could direct the course of history.

The thought of being used like that by his father filled the tall young man with disgust. He hated the Emperor more than anyone else on the planet. The way he had failed to protect his wife made him seem like a paper tiger, and the way he'd cast aside his own child was beyond cold.

Not that Lelouch could talk about callous actions, he'd executed his own brother just hours ago.

'Clovis was a horrible person,' Lelouch told himself. The way the Viceroy had treated the local Britannians was bad enough and his treatment of the Elevens was shocking, but it was the way the blonde man had so casually talked about having lustful thoughts about Marianne vi Britannia that really got Lelouch's blood boiling.

Marianne vi Britannia was practically a saint in the eyes of her children, especially Lelouch. Badmouthing his mother was as bad as trying something improper with Nunnally. Either way, you would regret such a course of action.

Turning the shower off, Lelouch shook his head, water flying off in all directions. "I need to reassure Nunnally that nothing's wrong. It's best if she doesn't know about what I've done or what I'm planning."

In the Viceroy's palace, Jeremiah Gottwald was glaring at two rank and file soldiers that were part of the palace guard.

"You two swear that you didn't see anyone enter the palace?"

"I… Well, I couldn't see every part of the palace. Only my patrol route, Sir," Private Geoffrey Thompson replied. He was beginning to regret his earlier cowardice.

"Naturally," the Margrave replied, unconvinced that this pathetic worm in uniform wasn't a traitor. "And what about you, Corporal?"

Corporal Smith, Thompson's immediate superior was also regretting his part in the disaster.

"I was looking at a lock on a door that seemed to be malfunctioning with the Private, sir."

"A lock that was later seen to be functioning perfectly," Gottwald noted. "Anything else to add?"

"There was an Honorary Britannian on duty. He was an Eleven, so it's possible he took the opportunity to sneak off and commit his treasonous actions, sir."

"But the security footage hints that the assailant is a large man. Much taller and stockier than any Eleven, two metres tall, or so I'm told."

"We would have noticed a tall man like the one you described in the palace, sir," the Corporal replied. "There's no way a man two metres tall could hide in the palace. Clearly the culprit is a smaller, much sneakier individual."

Jeremiah considered this reply. It was clearly nonsense, but it would allow him to bring the matter to a close. Besides, what would it matter if there was one less Eleven? The security footage could be conveniently lost and a show trial made before the public execution.

"I believe that your suspicions are correct, Corporal. You and Private Thompson are excused."

When the soldiers left, Gottwald turned to his aide. "Villetta, bring me all the Honorary Britannians in the palace guard. We'll interview them and pick the most likely suspect from them."

"Yes, sir."

To be continued…