The Twin Princes(ses)
Kururugi Suzaku, Knight of—
Somewhere in Pendragon
Sometime after Lelouch's accession
Suzaku could hear someone's stagnant speech in the distance, familiar and distinct but also forbidding and despondent in nature.
"If it's the Power of Kings you seek from me, what can you offer me in exchange? Perhaps the selfishness of your soul has no proposal to make for a deal I wish not to conduct. But that is what happens—"
"-I hereby command you to love me… and in return, I will love you forever!" A different voice, another memory of a time long lost surged into Suzaku's vision. The tone he knew all too well reminded him nothing but the darkest moment of his life.
"However, be warned, the Power of Kings will condemn you; if not of solitude, of desolation. You'll experience life unlike what you've lived before, you'll see people unlike who you've met before. But I suppose all of it will be rendered meaningless by the wheel of fate, that is unless you lose your own motivation—"
"-I am the Third Princess of the Britannia Empire, Euphemia li Britannia!" Her familiar voice, whether it was mellow or dedicated all brought back the agonizing pain Suzaku buried in the depth of his heart, wishing for it to never resurface.
"So if you're still determined to have this power, then you will accept it. Not as a contract with me, but a gift. A gift that I sincerely pray will let you achieve the dream you've always held dear but lost to the flow of time. Let a wish of Geass mend away that hatred and cruelty we call fate."
"-All of you who call yourselves Japanese, I have a favour to ask! Could all of you die for me, please!?" After that, only gunfire rang endlessly to create a sea of corpses and blood.
The killing continued, thousands died by Euphie's order. The bodies of the innocent piled up over the flag of Japan, the boundless madness consumed the hope that was once lit in the people of a conquered country. When the masses called for a hero to protect them, who was there to stop the Massacre Princess other than Zero, the hope and saviour of the Japanese and their future.
Only Zero could save them, only Zero was fit to save the world from insanity. So Suzaku pulled the trigger, and the body of another one of Charles' children sunk.
C.C., the immortal Code
Imperial Capital Pendragon, Medical Ward
Three weeks after Lelouch's accession
"-EUPHEMIA!" A scream, so appalling and loud even from across the room C.C. was startled. However, knowing there was only one person it could have been, she persuaded herself to ease the tension and check on his wellbeing.
C.C. casually strolled from the folding chair to the bed Suzaku was relocated to after suffering nauseating feedback from establishing a connection between the Code Bearer and the Geass user. It wasn't the first time she witnessed someone react so strongly to receiving the King's Power. However, it was the worst case so far with him fainting upon contact with her there and then.
"How're you feeling, boy? Proud of yourself for dragging me out of my room?" C.C. pulled open the white curtain of his medical bed and commented coolly. Suzaku blinked a few times in puzzlement before sitting up.
"I was… how long was I out?"
"About a dozen hours, you didn't take to having a Geass too well, it seems." The Knight of Zero rubbed the bridge of his nose and inhaled tiredly, trying to clear his jumbled senses and bring them back to reality.
"I heard your voice, was it your explanation on the functions of Geass?"
"Not exactly, you heard my subconscious speaking to yours. But what I said was probably what the me right now would also say."
"And I saw… Euphie, was that your doing too?"
"Did you see the World of C? The Collective Unconscious?"
"No, not that. Only memories of the past, and of the Geass Order." C.C. rustled her hair a little, chewing over the news and the most likely reason for the flash of recollection Suzaku experienced.
"Hmm… my connection to God has declined after Ragnarök was foiled, maybe it's a result of that." C.C. revealed, deciding to continue her quest for understanding the higher planes of existence another time. "Anyway, what Geass did you receive? Try it out."
"I… I can't." Strangely, Suzaku refused to activate his newfound power. Instead, he rose out of the bed and went for his long coat hanging to the side.
"No, I mean just bring it out. You can't Geass me, don't worry."
"No, I know what you mean. I'm saying I can't trigger it, I tried many times just now. Although it's telling me something… it can't be activated here, I need to get to a Thought Elevator." By the end of his lines, Suzaku was already properly dressed and on his way out the door.
"Is that what it's telling you? To reach a Thought Elevator?"
"Yeah… I just have the feeling, it's… I don't understand it, but it's showing me what I should do to use it." A very peculiar case of the Geass intrigued C.C.'s ever so faint notion of inquisitiveness.
"I see… I'm actually curious about your power, I'll go with you and maybe see your head explode."
"…By all means."
— —
C.C. continued to meander her way through the massive pillars of Charles' hidden underground temple, her vague memories of the last time she visited the Thought Elevator beneath Pendragon was slowly being renovated as she took in the sights of the sullen environment surrounding an ageless woman and a Japanese Knight. Suzaku took the lead and deployed urgency in his every step, his attitude marginally more solemn than the careless witch.
"You said you've been here once before?" Bothered by the moody silence, C.C. shattered it with her infrequent question.
"Yeah, Emperor Charles showed me the Sword of Akasha last time we were here. But… it's strange, we should've reached it by now…" Suzaku's words drifted away as he tempered his pace to carefully survey the context of his whereabouts, his confusion most likely stemming from the weird architecture not matching his mental map.
"You'll need a gateway to cross into the World of C, no exceptions. Charles must've used smoke and mirrors and hide that door… hold on." C.C. felt the pulse of her Code as she searched in the conscious realm to look for the entrance and found it not too far away. "It's over there, follow me."
"I always wanted to ask; what exactly is a Code?" It seemed like the demonstration of C.C.'s abilities fascinated Suzaku enough for him to be the one starting a new dialogue.
"Ohhh… I really don't want to explain it. It's a lot of exposition, I know you don't actually care anyway. Just… honestly, ask another question."
"If you truly are immortal, how many times have you died?"
"…Do you remember how many slices of bread you've eaten in your life?" Stunned by the blatant apathy C.C. showed for her own health, Suzaku was trumped back into another wave of awkward silence.
"Is it painful to die?" Eventually, the Devicer asked again.
"Every time. It's not something you'll get used to."
"I see…"
When the spring of inspiration ran dry and the contents of their discussion subsided, the two were standing in front of a Thought Elevator like the ones they saw before on Kamine Island. C.C. and Suzaku shared a glance before he tried to hold her hands, the uncomfortable confrontation paused his movement when she hastily retracted backwards to avoid contact.
"This door works fine. You can just touch it and go through."
"Oh… oh, sorry." So Suzaku did. And on the other side, they both appeared together.
Floating over an infinite abyss, the temple hosting the Sword of Akasha had suffered countless instances of severe decay over its structure after the weapon was destroyed in its first and last battle against the Collective Consciousness. Unlike the old radiance of a fake sunset that used to paint the splendid arena in a shade of orange, now the hallowing view into space and Jupiter was all that was left.
"To be frank, I'm surprised we can even reach here to begin with. Earlier, I told you my connection to the World of C is fading, I was afraid the detachment could even affect my existence as a Code Bearer and people with Geass. However, being here fills me with renewed closeness to the Collective Unconscious, it doesn't feel half bad."
"I can't relate to that."
"Understandable, we're here to test your Geass. But now that I think about it, there's no one here you can use it on." C.C. was about to laugh at the silly predicament the duo found themselves in if it wasn't for Suzaku glaring so intensely at the symbol of God above.
"…Before meeting you and knowing the power of Geass, I've always accepted the world as I saw it. Real-life is harsh and unfair, miracles are just tricks performed behind curtains. Stories and fantasies remained in the realm of fiction where they stayed as projections of people's unachievable wishes. But now… now I can understand why we strive for the impossible…"
The symbol of the crimson wings spread far manifested in Suzaku's left eye, its shape and colour were both equally valid as proven by many of C.C.'s previous contracts.
Briefly, the witch pondered what the Japanese teen had in mind for using his power in a world deprived of suitable targets, but it soon dawned on her why they were in God's sanctuary in the first place.
"Kururugi Suzaku… you already know what you can do, don't you?"
"I've been called a fool, a hypocrite, a traitor. I won't deny any of those things if they're what brought me to where I am today, on a road I took doing what I believed to be the right thing to do. But this time, I'll recognize the evil of my own deed… my own selfish desire to shape causality." Suzaku continued to stare at the appearance of God itself, his sight focused and his body unmoving.
"This… is an act of insanity, Suzaku. In fact, you saw what happened to Charles and Marianne, you don't have to imagine what'll happen if it doesn't work." C.C. harboured her own qualms about the brave yet presumptuous attempt at influencing the foundations of creation, even though she wasn't generous enough to stop the pilot's imprudent endeavour.
"It's a risk I'm willing to take. Besides, I don't want to rob the people of their tomorrow, I just want to ask to be gifted a fracture of time."
"That's not really any better, the Collective Unconscious doesn't like being reversed."
"Then it should've stopped Geass from ever existing, but since I have a tool at my disposal, I'll use it with the commitment to see it succeed. And… I think… I can finally understand a bit of why Lelouch became who he is."
Suzaku's laboured breath soon became the only noise echoing in the chamber of the Human Unconsciousness. Even when his intention was unfaltering and his decision already set in stone, C.C. easily fathomed why someone would be hesitant about defying the laws of the universe. However, even beyond that, she could fathom why humans carried the will to defy their own destiny.
"I've never been truly loyal to anyone, I've never truly agreed to any ideal. But if there's one person that can do those things for me, I think I will know who it is."
"So says the treacherous knight. Nonetheless… rules are meant to be broken, boy. If that who resides up above disagrees with a power of this magnitude, it shouldn't have ever allowed you to possess it. Why not give it a shot, right? All you have to lose is your very existence." C.C.'s unplanned encouragement was the final push Suzaku needed to initiate his short venture, so earth's newest Geass user looked in the face of God steadfast and uttered the single wish he could never let go.
"Please give Euphie back to me." Suzaku requested.
— —
C.C., for a thousand years worth of experience she collected, was self-assured that she had perceived more presumed unattainable outcomes than most men. However, what she just saw was something she would forever refuse to accept as possible were she not present when the impossible took place.
The planet of Jupiter pulsed once as it was known to do and shot down a bolt of lighting from an atmosphere it didn't boast into the ground a couple of metres away, throwing both of the temple's guests backwards from the shock force. By the time the dust cloud had settled around C.C. and Suzaku, there was a discrete figure floating somewhere behind the smoke shielded by the poor visibility.
In shocked numbness the two kept their quiet, unsure of the next proper step to take. The suffocating tranquillity remained for half a minute until the shadow of a bygone past spoke its first word from beyond the grave.
"…Suzaku…? It is really you, Suzaku?"
Kallen Stadtfeld, Knight of Ten
Imperial Capital Pendragon, Imperial Palace
Four days after Kallen's trip to Japan
Walking down an unfamiliar hallway was something Kallen had found herself doing a lot more often in the past month. Not actually because of her new tenancy being vastly unalike where she used to reside, but more of how the opportunity to behold and appreciate where she was arisen much more often, as opposed to only focusing on where she was going to be.
Needless to say, Kallen was still striding with a purpose, not just wandering the great halls of Pendragon in her full Knight of Rounds uniform for the fancy of it as she was unceremoniously known to do. Her justification for the outing gained a good deal of legitimacy when Jeremiah was there to greet her on the final stretch to the throne room.
"Lord Gottwald, here to pick me up?"
"His Majesty has requested the two of us to accompany him today, I don't believe you heard that there's an airship arriving from Area Twenty-four carrying its Viceroy."
"Where is that in real life?"
"It's former Spain, the popular rumour is the Viceroy decided to travel here for a tour of the lands after His Majesty came into power." Kallen sensed a glower taking shape over her mood before she suppressed the foulness from thinking about meeting one more inept authority.
"Another spoiled child of the last king or just a corrupted aristocrat?"
"It is princess Marrybell mel Britannia and her personal KMF task force, Glinda Knights."
"Oh yeah? She's one of the few siblings that weren't here when Lelouch took over, right? He told me she bailed on all of his calls after that, was pretty bummed out about it too. Must be a real bratty kid if she has the gall to ignore an Emperor's summon."
"I should warn you to be more mindful of what you say, Lady Stadtfeld. However, I don't know enough about the princess to properly comment."
"I'll try not to simulate other's pique for my own entertainment, but no promises about saying what must be said." Kallen thought of it as a good balance between bashing all individuals born of the Britannian heritage and licking their boots.
"Lady Stadtfeld, despite being a member of the Black Knights, you can be very sophisticated in your mannerism, do tell why." When Jeremiah lost interest in the last topic, he swiftly moved onto the next.
"Well, I am half nobility born and fully nobility raised, until the war at least. It's not a part of my upbringing I enjoy illustrating, but I've better things to complain about than mannerism." If Kallen wanted to be completely forthright about her discern for the Britannia culture, she could probably write an entire book critiquing its ancient traditions.
"Impressively mature of you, Lady Stadtfeld. To be frank, I held my reservations about Emperor Lelouch taking you with us, but now I can see those worries were unfounded. You have the apologies of one Jeremiah Gottwald." And he declared, Jeremiah marched ahead of an astonished Kallen and demonstrated a very formal bow.
"Oh… no, no need at all! I mean- I should probably apologize for what I did! With the whole thing to your face… I mean, we were enemies back then and I can't control the radiant surge after using it. Wait, I'm not making excuses it just- I'm sorry about having to fight against you, Jeremiah." The taller cyborg laughed heftily after Kallen stumbled over her phrases.
"Now that we both said our pardons, let it be water under the bridge. Besides, with your unintentional assistance, I am able to be of more help to His Majesty."
"Great, great, glad it's not all bad. Very… very cool." Kallen quickly stated and increased her pace, not giving the lenient atmosphere enough time to turn unpleasant.
Once they breached the doors connecting to the stage where the Emperor's throne was sited, Kallen saw the usual suspects minus Suzaku kicking back on the magnificent chair reserved for the nation's monarch. More specifically, Lelouch was trying his best to act dignified while C.C. crawled all over his lap and sat on top of Britannia's ruler like a lawn chair.
"C.C… I really am not that engaged in your photos, can you stop—"
"-Look, it's a picture of you beating up what's-her-face after she pushed Nunnally into a pond."
"…Oh yeah, I was never really fond of Carine even as children, that little… well, she was a rather evil kid, honestly." Lelouch nonchalantly glanced over the album book in C.C.'s care while the immortal witch flipped through its pages.
"-Hey! Hey, you damn snake, get off His Majesty!" Kallen took a fast peek across the chamber and noticed a very sparse presence of important figures, which prompted her to rush ahead of Jeremiah and try to drag C.C. away from hogging all of Lelouch's personal space. Goddamn it, damn it! Why is she always faster!?
"Wow… wow… for a mere Knight of Rounds to treat me, the Imperial Consort with such an attitude. Are you seeking your own demise, Dame Stadtfeld?" C.C. announced sulkily, almost breaking Kallen's tempered manner and posture. It was only thanks to Lelouch shaking his head signalling denial that she realized trusting a single word from the witch's mouth was an utmost act of idiocy.
"What the hell are you-! Whatever- alright. Just get going, C.C." Kallen tempered her anger to not let slip the unjustified frustration which boiled to the surface every time she laid her eyes on C.C.
"If only you weren't such a poor sharer, I'd be more than willing to let you dig through my collection of Lelouch's childhood memories." Enticed, but not swayed, Kallen remained steady in her effort of throwing C.C. back.
"Just get outta here, you have your own seat! I don't wanna deal with you right now!" Kallen then proceeded to push the self-proclaimed queen away from Lelouch's throne and back to where she belonged. However, before the unkillable woman fully allowed herself to be pestered, C.C dipped back to grab the picture book she brought along.
"-Lord Gottwald, is this the most severe crisis our empire currently faces?" Lelouch spoke diligently earning the attention of both his female companions.
"Not even close. But for you personally, then quite a hassle indeed, Your Majesty." When the observers to their little skirmish finally commented, the reality of their childlike squabble settled in and Kallen hurriedly returned to her proper position by Lelouch's side while C.C. cleaned herself to look somewhat dignified.
"-Presenting Princess Marrybell mel Britannia! The Eleventh Princess of Britannia and the Viceroy of Area Twenty-four to the Imperial Throne!" From outside the massive gates, the announcement of the newcomer's arrival pierced through the carefree temperament shared by the console of four.
"Kallen, mask." Lelouch called her name and swiped his hand over his face, indicating for the knight to properly adjust her disguise. His professionalism and esteem as a nation's leader helped Kallen to quickly forget about their personal troubles.
"…Right, my bad." Doing as ordered, Kallen slid the mask of Guy whoever from where it sat covering her left ear to over her face. She carefully adjusted a few fits around the edges and made sure her version through the lens over the eye-hole was clear and unobtrusive.
The group of soldiers, emperor and one undying girl waited for the foreign princess to make her way through the empty court until she reached the platform where Lelouch sat. His majestic stance on top the only seat befitting his status displayed an imposing king unimpressed by his half-sibling and her two attendants.
Suddenly, C.C. roamed purposefully behind Lelouch, her buoyant aura plummeted in jolliness just a little as she tugged the Knight of Ten and the half-man half-machine guard closer within earshot.
"That princess, and laddie, they have Geass." C.C.'s straightforward warning was received by her companions and she returned to slouching in her usual manner.
"Your Majesty, I've come to be graced in your renowned honour from the luxurious land of Area Twenty-four." The girl Kallen saw as too young to govern an entire country bent her knees along with her two escorts before the stage of the Emperor. One of her two aides by her side passed her a crate which Marrybell presented to Lelouch while keeping her head down.
"For me? How… indulgent, sister." Whether Lelouch uttered his comment as applause or criticism, Marrybell kept herself kneeled low regardless.
"I bring forth with me the gifts and richness my kingdom is known for, please accept this token of my goodwill. Ten pounds of the highest quality saffron we've produced in the last two years and a bottle of Teso La Monja four years of age made with the utmost finesse in our vineyard." In the basket the teenage princess revealed, there was indeed a vase of spice and a bottle of wine she offered.
An informal wave of his hand notified the sentries standing closest to the visitors of Lelouch's order, they retrieved the basket of material goods and made their way up before the throne. Sparing the favour of his sister one bored glimpse, the ninety-ninth Emperor sent away the wine and spices with another unimaginative gesture.
"I see your goodwill and donation before me, exchanging for the appeasement of your king. However, why choose to come forth now when it's far too late and my charity has all but drained empty." Taking a guess between mocking intimidation or genuine displeasure, Kallen gave fifty-fifty for why Lelouch was treating the queen of Spain so harshly.
"If it's regarding my failure to present myself in your court during your accession, then I apologize profusely for being unable to attend. I was preoccupied with commotions ransacking my garden and could not excuse myself to be in your elegance. For this misconduct, I'll accept any punishment."
When the sable-haired strategist invited his remaining relatives to visit Pendragon celebrating his good work of removing their last emperor The new knight wasn't overwhelmed by surprise when everyone ghosted on his party, although it seemed Lelouch still bore a dose of leftover vexation. Dismissing the obvious no-showers such as Schneizel and Cornelia, Lelouch had told her a lie in private about how Marrybell was the only one most likely to appear.
"So has those ravaging your Area been taken care of?" Lelouch finally changed his expression to show a slight hint of engagement in the conversation after forgetting about his old disappointment.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Area Twenty-four is in swift recovery from the unfortunate burdens of recent civil unrest. I promise it'll be the most beautiful spot for a holiday that side of the Atlantic befitting your grandeur in no time." Marrybell's mention of the common folk's protest riveted Kallen's interest, invoking her to wonder how tight the young princess's grip was when she oversaw her people.
"Very good, your ample kindness has convinced me to heal my wounded pride, Raise, Marrybell."
The princess followed her command, so did the two soldiers adorned in Glinda Knights' elite uniform. One being a caramel blonde with her hair done in a long pigtail dangling over her chest, which ended in a twisty drill. The other knight was a young man of the same hair colour shielding his eyes with a sizable visor, who struck Kallen with a flash of recognition that dispelled too quickly for her to act upon that intuition.
Is she actually carrying a broadsword around…? Hardcore or idiotic? Disproportionate to the young female knight's physique, she was visibly armed with a huge claymore-esque blade strapped to her back that measured almost the same height as herself.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Allow me to introduce my Vice-Commander, Dame Oldrin Zevon of the Zevon family." Marrybell gestured to her right and the noble girl beaming in determination took a bow. "And my Head Knight… Lyre."
The masked boy standing at attention did nothing to reciprocate to his own introduction. If he dipped his head slightly as a nod of respect, Kallen didn't notice its subdued movement.
"You stand in the presence of Britannia's one true Emperor and dare to hide your name and face? Remove that mask at once lest you want your skull displaced." The irony of Kallen demanding for a veil to be undone wasn't lost on the ex-Black Knight in disguise. Still, a part of her hoped it would add to their irritation and probe a reaction from the stoic teen, but also so she could further distance her professional self from her normal carefree personality.
"Please hold your blade, Dame! Lyre suffers from a unique ailment of the eye that cripples him should it be exposed to bright light, and he doesn't understand the traditions of our aristocracy. I can personally attest to his loyalty to the Imperial blood and his expertise amidst the battlefield, so please overlook his lack of proper discipline in some areas." Marrybell spoke up for her servant, even when the boy still declined to react.
"That is not your decision to make anymore." Kallen eyed Lelouch for a remedy which he was deliberate about producing.
"I shall… allow it, stand down Q-1."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Kallen withdrew to Lelouch's side, satisfied with the result of her stunt asserting the monarch's presence as absolute.
"Anyway, why did you come here, Marrybell? How long do you plan on staying at the capital? And who is in charge of Area twenty-four during your absence? I'm feeling plenty curious."
"I am ready to comply, but I must request confidentiality regarding what I'll say next if Your Majesty wants to know the true reason for my arrival. It is certainly involved with some rather… aberrant matters."
As Marrybell stated in her cheerful yet sincere tone, she placed the bottom of her left palm over her left eye and proceeded to slide it away to the side. Kallen instantaneously recognized the noteworthy indication behind her signal, so did Lelouch, the person most associated with moving something out of the way of his vision.
"…The rest of you, leave us. Make sure no one enters." His commanding instruction left no room for debate. The row of Royal Guards performed a grand salute and marched out of Lelouch's auditorium before he clicked a button inside his breast pocket that dimmed the entire grand hall. "Speak now, I've disabled the surveillance. Everyone else knows about this… matter you've mentioned."
"Of course. I came to our capital Pendragon on behest of Brother Schneizel, asking me to watch for an opportunity to usurp you—" At the mention of Marrybell's edict for regicide, Kallen and Jeremiah immediately readied their weapons and took protective stances in front of Lelouch. "-However! I myself hold absolute no ill-will against Your Majesty! And only came here to reassure Schneizel of our fickle alliance!"
Tension stewed under the intense pressure filling every corner of the throne room, the danger in the air was on the constant verge of spilling over following Marrybell's fearless declaration. The line of sight between Lelouch and his unfamiliar sister was blocked by the two apprehensive warriors ready for action at the drop of a hat. Kallen rapidly calculated the likelihood of her king believing the princess's claim, and who to strike down first in case they fed him lies.
"I swear on my honour… Lelouch! Ask me anything! I-I have nothing to hide!" Confident was Marrybell's attitude, and the tiny smudge of fear only gave credence to her humanity and sincerity.
"You have a Geass, is that correct?"
"Yes. In my left eye, it's the ability to force anyone I use it on to submit to my will. My target loses their independence and becomes my puppet. However, if they're on standby without order and are forced to confront their own ego, then their free-will can return and break my Geass." Marrybell fervidly described her own terrifying power and its limitations, mentioning how it's almost impossible for someone under her influence to pretend they still maintained their sensibilities.
"Who else?"
"Lyre also has a Geass. He can trick anyone within a hundred-metre radius of seeing him as someone else. However, the prerequisite is that it must be someone he can imitate to near perfection since it projects how he sees that person unto himself. It also has a time limit of five minutes every hour, and it doesn't work on cameras."
"Who gave you two those Geass? How long have you had them for?"
"It was V.V., Your Majesty. I received mine about… nine-month ago and Lyre had his for a long time now. He's at the point… where he can no longer deactivate it. If Your Majesty does not yet know, the power of Geass grows continuously to maturity until it cannot be contained anymore, becoming a terrible horror instead."
"Is that so? I've learned something useful today." If Lelouch's schemes involved him pretending to lack knowledge in a certain field, Kallen had little reason to poke holes in his story. "Do you swear upon your own name and dignity that everything you've said is the truth?"
"Yes! I swear! The righteousness of your rule and my own hatred towards our father are the only things I hold faith in. The atrocities Emperor Charles committed against you cannot be compared, brother. Nevertheless, I want to think I can partially understand how you felt after Empress Marianne's assassination and your own exile… seeing as I've been reduced by a treatment roughly equivalent to yours."
Again, silence loomed over the lord of the Britannia Empire as he was no doubt in deep contemplation of his sibling's trustworthiness. In a battle of wits too far-fetched for Kallen to fully understand, she could do nothing but tower over the potential threat to Lelouch's administration and life.
"How unfeigned to your conviction is and how dangerous your talents may be, I shall deliver judgment upon it. I command you, Marrybell mel Britannia. cover your left eye and I will see for myself the integrity of your true self." In cold-hearted authority, Lelouch ordered from behind the shield of Kallen's impenetrable mask and Jeremiah's canceller.
Marrybell reacted sluggishly at first, her hesitation perfectly understandable to someone who witnessed the terror of Geass first hand. Neither her knights spoke a word of protest to the subjugation their master was about to suffer, the pair were instead much more tense about what the princess was reaching for under her coat than even Kallen when she saw a flicker of steel.
Although, on closer inspection, the dread of being put under the Emperor's control was basically nothing compared to the resolution of carrying out the self-inflicted gouging of one's own eye.
"-What-! Marrybell…!" Since the start of their welcome, Lelouch had yet to lose his cool and smart. That was until Marrybell brought a dagger up to her own left eyeball.
"Lelouch… if you still insist on Geassing me after this… then do as you will. But please first… wait and observe my own determination to preserve my autonomy, for I am a woman who places her freedom above her ambition. Thus… if this sacrifice… can convince you to stay your hand… then so be it." The tenacity of her dedication shocked everyone present, yet Marrybell wasn't fulfilled by only the reactions as she aimed the tip of her knife right on the centre of her eyeball and plunged the blade.
"-ENOUGH! Hold it, Marrybell!" A split-second before blood could be shed, Lelouch's thunderous command paused the princess' momentum. "…I've seen your resolve, sister. Keep your power, and your freedom. If you're this firm about retaining your mind, then I have needs for you yet."
"I… am grateful to your limitless generosity, Your Majesty." Marrybell finally spoke after an eternity of laboured breathing. Kallen impulsively commiserated with the young royalty after overcoming such a tension-filled moment.
"Do you need a guide to your own quarters?"
"No."
"Then go… I'm not in the mood to discuss politics after that feat of yours, sister. I'll drop by some other time to work out the fine inks of our cooperation." Lelouch sighed tiredly, Marrybell almost mirrored his fatigue pace for pace.
"I look forward to it. Then, if nothing else…" Marrybell collected herself one last time after sheathing her dagger, the salute she and her knights performed next to the teenage king appeared a tiny bit less stiff than most salutes Kallen had seen.
"-All hail Britannia. All hail Lelouch!"
Marrybell mel Britannia, the Witch of Britannia
Imperial Capital Pendragon, Pisces Imperial Villa
After visiting Emperor Lelouch
Not all beds were created equal, some were softer than others and some far too rigid for the princess' taste. However, as Marrybell flopped onto the neatly cleaned sheets over the bouncy mattress, she didn't bother to concern herself with how comfy her new bed turned out to be. Only two annoyances bothered her at that time; her own jaded drowsiness and her incredible thirst.
"Oldrin, please give me some water…" Marrybell whispered wearily to her aide-de-camp, but Oldrin simply stood by the doorway to the Viceroy's new room and shot hateful glares her way every time she lifted her head to meet her gaze.
"…"
"Oz… please… bring me some water, I beg of you." Eventually, Marrybell's childhood friend dug up her deep-buried compassion and brought a cup of water to the royalty in need. As Marrybell drank clumsily from the plastic bottle, fed to her in the deathly grip of the Glinda Knight's Vice-Commander, she couldn't look away from the pure disgust and loathing shining vengefully in Oldrin's exquisite green irises.
"What would you have done if Emperor Lelouch didn't stop you?" Sometime after her old friend crushed the empty bottle to a pulp in her fist, she asked Marrybell for her response to a possible future.
"I was gambling that he would be kind enough to stop me… or else I've done it."
"Was that as far as you planned? You'd give up your Geass without ever using it to its full potential?"
"I suppose so… tell me, Oz, what would you do had I stabbed out my own eye?" Oldrin stepped back in musing, she breathed deeply, probably to force down a raging fury brimming on the edge of explosion.
"I'd watch you bleed out on the floor and dirty the carpet."
"…Or on this bedsheet… right now, if you want." Marrybell said unafraid. Even presenting her dagger to the girl across from her as proof.
Taking the vengeful opportunity with poise in her manoeuvre, Oldrin closed their distances and drew the knife in one swift motion. Marrybell was awestruck by the engrossing waves trailing behind the metal edge. How marvellous the blade danced between her knight's fingers as she carefully juggled the sharp weapon until she caught it by the handle, its deadly tip pointed directly at the princess' throat.
"I should've done this long ago, Marry."
"You're so close to fixing your mistake, Oz."
"I agree."
The dagger flew down and drew the blood of an autocrat, yet the gasp Marrybell choked on in her windpipe didn't escape through a slit on her neck. Oldrin had sliced the skin on her throat, but the shallow wound was by no means a fatal blow.
"…Do you like it? Do you enjoy drawing my blood?" Marrybell said after a daunting period of absolute stillness.
"I'll have your head one of these days, Marrybell. You can count on it." Oldrin declared, soon followed by the dagger clanking on the floor as Marrybell's favourite knight stormed out of her chamber.
"Hate me all you want, my pretty. But we both know I can't turn back on this yellow brick road anymore." Marrybell summoned the last bit of her energy to speak into the void left behind by her disappearing soulmate before letting herself be taken by the exhaustion of her travels.
— —
Author's note
Here it is, the moment when I jump the shit out of that shark. I hope we all had a good time this far, since it's all going downhill after this. A real neverending downward spiral.
Now, is it a total unabashed asspull to [spoiler]"revive Euphie"[/spoiler]? Absolutely, I don't doubt at all that some people are definitely going to hate the story, and by extension, me for doing that. But it's something I wanna write, so, sorry my dudes. Am I giving Suzaku too big of a role to play? Possibly. But just because he isn't that well-liked doesn't mean he deserved to be dunked on or shelved away.
Is Marrybell acting out of character for her introduction? I really can't tell you because there's no translated material from the end of the Oz manga and I can't find the Picture Drama or whatever anywhere. So I'll take some creative liberties in writing her and the spinoff characters in a way that fits who they're and also entertaining to read, or try to.
Thanks for supporting me and please keep on supporting me, because why would I tell you not to?
