Get in loser, we're going shopping
Kururugi Suzaku, Knight of Zero
Poland, Warsaw countryside
Three days since Suzaku departed for Europe
How many times in someone's life would they stare down the barrel of a pistol? One that was trained in on their centre of mass with a finger on its trigger and its safety off? Was it unfortunate that Suzaku was somewhat an expert at being held at gunpoint after over a dozen times, or fortunate for him to have made it out of every one of those cases alive?
How foolish… they're forcing my hand. It was the only evaluation Suzaku had for the messy predicament he and C.C. found themselves snared in.
"That's…! Oh- God, impossible!" Amidst a flood of screams, there were some voices more distinct and minacious than the rest.
"Ayano! Why the hell is Kururugi Suzaku here!? Did you not get a look at his face when you walked him through our camp!?"
"Dude, piss right off! I didn't think a fucking Knight of Rounds would be here in the countryside, alright!?" The horde of terrified mob quickly scattered away along with their heaps of cries, leaving only a couple of the younger adults armed with rusting rifles to handle their irregular guests by means of deadly force.
"Kururugi Suzaku, what're you doing here?" The nameless nomad asked. His stern grimace and steel weapon aiming at the Knight of Zero remained unfaltering in spite of Suzaku's own gun pointed his way.
"I was just passing through."
"You expect us to believe that?!"
"Should I tell a lie next?"
"People like us don't run into each other by coincidence… if it wasn't for you… we wouldn't be…!" A wave of intense stillness washed over the two extraordinary soldiers, Suzaku kept his finger steady on the trigger ready to react at any second were their unhinged negotiation to break down.
"I don't even know who you are." Those were the words to snap the balance of composure both men shared between the muzzle of their firearms, Suzaku watched his opponent's eyes bulge in resentment and his own Geass warning him of the impending danger.
"Not the case for us, Britannia's White Grim Reaper! Spit it out, why are you and that woman here?!" Suzaku snuck in a peep towards the mildly provoked C.C. sitting crossed legged on the same bench she been perching on for the last ten minutes, the array of weaponry lining her up almost added to her boredom.
"And what kinda name is C.C., anyway!? You better come up with an excuse more than eloping with the Knight of Seven if you wanna get outta here alive!" The accusation slamming C.C.'s reputation from Ayano finally brought the immortal out of her careless doze. Similarly, it spawned a wave of goosebumps running up Suzaku's back at the thought of what the young teenager suspected.
"Girly… you better shut your mouth before I shove the full girth of that short sword down your throat." Taken aback by the green-haired stranger's sudden vulgarity, Ayano almost dropped her guard at the concept of such a fatuous yet dangerous threat. C.C. herself seemed none too contend for drawing that reaction out of her enemy either. "God… I sound like Kallen when I'm angry."
"I wouldn't go that far." Keeping his concentration at its peak, Suzaku replied to the witch's sly comment. "I also don't see why you're angry."
"They burned a pizza in the oven, I can just about smell it."
"Of course… why did I even ask?"
"-Hey, hey! That's enough out of you two! Cut the crap and don't forget we're asking the questions here!" One of the taller brutes who introduced himself as Ryo during the upbeat celebration earlier was now barking at the two under contrasting circumstances.
"Heh… cries the clueless fools without a grasp on facts or fiction. Were we here to place your group under arrest, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Besides, how important do you believe you hippies are for a Round to make an appearance?" C.C.'s revelations gave each member of the ragtag band of outliers something to contemplate, stopping the buildup tension from overflowing for a brief moment.
"…You might be making a good point, but it won't change anything now that all of us are in this situation, we can't just let you two walk away." The blue-haired Japanese responded.
After taking seconds to revise their strategy, the erratic gang of gypsies redirected some of their barrels to target C.C., ready to fire at the drop of a pin. The witty witch's peril stirred a sense of urgency in Suzaku despite him knowing it was pointless to worry for her.
"Therefore, instead of peace, you rather choose blood." C.C. declared calmly from her seat, earning her another agitated glare from the group of travellers.
"That…! That isn't true! We came out here in search of peace! We're not people who wish for bloodshed!" Ayano shouted back, her stance shaken by C.C.'s accusation. "You're the ones at fault, none of us wanted this confrontation!"
"Yet here we are, at an impasse. You outnumber the two of us ten to one, but harming us in any way will bring down the wrath of the empire upon you riffraff. What to do… what to do indeed." Many members of the nomad posse hesitated, easing off their hostilities towards their adversaries after hearing the witch's analyst, it was an inconvenient truth they didn't consider before drawing their guns.
When no retort came to affront C.C.'s nonchalant behaviour or repeat the tired-old question of hers and Suzaku's destination, the possibility of everyone making it out of the standoff alive increased just by a margin. The Knight of Zero kept up his mien of haunted deadliness even if he was far from fretting at the imminent danger. If anything, Suzaku was racking his brain over methods of defusing the aggression without wiping out those projecting it in the next thirty seconds or less.
Then suddenly and rapidly, in quick succession, all the solution entered the formidable stage at once.
"-Is this how we treat our guests these days!? Everyone! Cease this at once!" A thundering yet endearing voice echoed from far beyond the armed crowd, a force of authority was pushing its way through the walls of surprised soldiers.
"C.C., it's here." Suzaku whispered to the Code Bearer to notified her of his crude plan. However, C.C. appeared unusually jarred by the arrival of whoever was commanding the unprofessional troops to disperse.
"She's… one of mine, but… how did I not sense her?"
"C.C.!" On the second call, C.C. returned to reality.
"I heard you, are you gonna kill them?"
"No."
"Good, I need to talk to that woman. Try to avoid—" Whatever C.C. said next, it was eclipsed by the flourishing shrieks of overpowering wind and the trembling shouts coming from many of their captors below.
"-Watch it- watch out, it's a Knightmare!"
"-Je-Jesus! It's the Lancelot! Everyone, get clear!"
Two minutes and forty-two seconds, how are Lloyd's inventions timelier than he is?
A blast of dust-dirt mixture brushed against the back Suzaku's shoes as the Lancelot Albion split apart the skies above and landed only a metre behind him. The imposing Knightmare's invincible posture and overwhelming reputation instantly sent the unprepared drifters into a dreadful frenzy, turning the tides of a prelude to battle with its foreboding entrance. The entire package of prowess and terror wrapped together by the bizarre scientist's long-range remote system where the Lancelot could be delivered to the Devicer's fingertips directly from the Avalon's catapult by the press of a button.
"Kururugi Suzaku! In the end… you're also just like the rest!"
The only man standing in opposition to Suzaku and his untouchable frame was the same Japanese teenager that revealed his cover. In his one hand was the pistol now unless against tungsten armour, but on the other was the access key of an Alexander model Knightmare with a thumb only millimetres away from its own remote summon switch.
"-Akito! NO! Don't do it!"
However, at the very last fraction of a second, the blue-haired Euro-Japanese was stopped from escalating the conflict to an irremediable height. The same voice that sounded for peace earlier rushed ahead to pry the potential pilot's hands away from his true weapon.
"Leila-! I need to stop him!"
"No, it's not the way we do things anymore! We don't fight meaninglessly! We don't endanger our lives for petty revenge…! Just- it's okay to let go, Akito. Trust me to take care of you. You know you can have faith in me!"
Slowly, the lost ace of Europia lowered his remote control and along with it, his fighting instinct. The newly arrived girl roped him in for a tender hug and a quick peck on the cheek before letting him slip by behind her. "Leave this mess to me, you go relax a bit, Akito. And Maybe help reset the tables, supper isn't finished, right?"
A deep breath later, the Japanese pilot retreated behind the circle of onlookers, leaving only the de facto leader of the wandering merchants to standoff against the Britannian elite. By a single glance, one could already tell the innate beauty of the former Maiden of Orleans. The platinum blonde was a stunning woman with her hair at an incredible length down to her ankles, dressed in a huge red frock decorated by many shining ornaments going from head to toe. No sane person would believe she used to be a competent military leader during the last few years of Europe's independence, not even Suzaku.
"I don't think anyone would've imagined for you to still be alive, Leila Breisgau. In fact, I didn't make the connection when they said your name earlier."
"And I wish to remain that way if possible, please understand."
"The EU's special activities unit, W-0 and their commander were reported MIA December of last year. That means those people behind you are…"
"Yes, that is correct."
"And that person with the Alexander keys… is the Ghost of Hannibal."
"He was." After Leila generously confirmed Suzaku's qualms, he took a break to process the information.
"We didn't come here for your people, but they certainly don't see it that way. I don't want to continue, that is unless you disagree. Miss Breisgau."
"I'm perfectly aware of the frustration you felt, Sir Kururugi. Furthermore, I sincerely apologize for the mishap my friends have caused you, they have all experienced terrible encounters with Britannia forces in their past. I beg that you'll be so kind as to overlook their speculative antagonism." Leila expressed her regret earnestly, then proceeded to take an elegant bow with the tips of her long dress lifted high.
"Oh- that's… reasonable. Of course, I bear them no ill-will either. I'm sorry for not resolving the misunderstanding on my part, it was in poor manners." Unfamiliar with genuine kindness, Suzaku fumbled over a couple of words and hastily returned a curtsy.
"To accommodate, I wish to again invite you and your company to dine with us tonight. I'll be willing to answer any questions you have for us."
"-Then answer me first." Before Suzaku could arrange a proper train of thought after being overwhelmed by her compassion, C.C. cut in, apparently unhindered by the keen smile of their host. "You're the girl of that winter night, are you not?"
"It was me, and you are the Witch of the forest. Even after ten years, you have not aged a day."
"How come I couldn't sense you until now? You should have the Power of Kings, so why?"
"I… am connected to the world, not just this world, but worlds beyond. I was elsewhere earlier, that's why you couldn't sense me. I'm sure you understand my implications." So rarely did C.C. don a baffled expression, Suzaku wasn't sure how to feel seeing one on her at that moment.
"What you're saying is… you can reach to the Collective Consciousness by yourself… that should be impossible. What exactly is your Geass, girl?"
"…I'm sure we can continue this conversation at a more suitable location. Why don't we enjoy tonight's menu together for now?"
Marrybell mel Britannia, the Witch of Britannia
Imperial Capital Pendragon, Downtown metropolis
Marrybell unconsciously rubbed her left earlobe through her dazzling earring, recalling back to a childhood experience of fearing for her life when she was receiving her first ear piercing. In the end, the needle came down sending only a pinch to her nerves, but it was the frightful anticipation of pain that brewed tears beneath her eyelids.
Nevertheless, the temporary nip of the flesh was nothing compared to the utility a pierced ear provided. Marrybell believed earring was a mark of beauty for any proper lady, thereby even if Kallen was reluctant about having hers done, there was no amount of resistance in the world to halt the visiting princess from dragging the freakishly uncultured girl along on her trip to the most luxurious salon in the capital.
"You have to trust me, darling. This pair is obviously, literally, objectively- the superior choice. It matches your colour."
"I don't really care… they're heavy and my ears hurt." Kallen studied the reflection of herself in the mirror of a makeup station, judgemental about Marrybell's tastes in accessories.
"Ughhh, pish-posh, girl. You're gonna have a hard time winning over you-know-who with that attitude." Teased the casually dressed Viceroy relaxing in the next stand over, earning her a vivid reaction from the Knight of Ten.
"-S-stop! I swear- don't bring up that kinda stuff in public!" Kallen abruptly juddered in her chair, startling the stylist behind her polishing her long red locks. "How did you even get us to come along in the first place?"
How indeed. Marrybell grinned devilishly, was it possible that she was just too sweet of a talker for the three Knights of Rounds to reject? Or perhaps it was because her family actively deposited a considerable sum of money into their bank accounts on bi-weekly bases and covered their health insurance, a mystery for the ages.
"What else were you gonna do today anyway? Is it not your job to escort members of the Imperial family?"
"But you don't need three of us, and you got your own knights for protection!" Kallen protested all too meekly.
"Now that's just rude, my pretty. I already told you why I don't hang out with my knights, and I'm trying to make you more presentable to your future partner! At least recognize my effort as your fairy-matchmaker." The hassled pilot shook her head in defeat. Or at least tried to, seeing as she was confined by a limited range of movements.
"Whatever… it's not that I'm particularly busy or anything, it just… -what about you two, Dora, Moe?" Following her glance, Marrybell also shot a look to their left where the other two relaxing Rounds were on the receiving end of a professional's touch.
"I'm free for the day, there's nothing scheduled for me until noon tomorrow. So if the princess is happy with my company, then why not indulge a little? I definitely will. Can't signal-boost my Instagram at work anyway." The Knight of Four was treating her gift with a positively appreciated outlook, not even figuratively as she took a selfie with her coiffeur. If only Dorothea could share some of her relaxation with the pensive Kallen.
"Yeah, flex harder. -What about you, Moe? …Monica! You have anything important to do?" Kallen raised her voice when the Knight of Twelve missed her cue twice in a row.
"She's asleep sitting there, not that I blame her."
"Wow… if I get called up for my next performance review you two can bet your ass both of you are coming under the bus with me."
"Hear, hear." Kallen mumbled off some curses in a foreign tongue before finally submitting herself to enjoying the knight commander's whimsical girls shopping trip.
Dorothea Ernst, the Knight of Four; always a stern, uptight and serious soldier with an indefatigable loyalty to Emperor Charles. That was the unambiguous impression she left on Spain's overseer on the rare occasion they met. Marrybell would never be able to convince her past self that the endlessly unsmiling woman could be found sitting here, pampering herself along with the rest of them in a popular high school girl's favourite pastime leisure.
Lelouch… am I afraid of you? Hiding her fingers under the salon apron as a hairdresser fluffed around her orange-toned curls, Marrybell couldn't stop the trembling in her digits as she wondered how long he dithered before wiping out another person's entire character.
When Schneizel made a quick request to her before she left Area Twenty-four to find out whether if the current Emperor had Geassed the last of the old Rounds, the princess definitely didn't think it would be so easy to fulfill.
My Geass is faster… is it faster? It is… but what if I'm wrong? I cannot fail, not anymore. Glaring a hole through the mirror, Marrybell almost dipped into the temptation of activating the Power of Kings right that second. She knew herself would remain safe under its influence; the enslavement of her own mind was deemed impossible by whatever factors of the universe that willed it so. However, the same couldn't be said for anyone else in the store were they to catch a glance from her otherworldly pupil.
Who are you…? A Wicked Witch? Destined to melt away into oblivion at the hands of justice? Then why is the Wicked Witch walking the yellow brick road? Once she had stared for long enough into the mirror, the Marrybell across from her stared back, fostering intense hatred and horror in those bright lavender irises.
Did Oz have the same look in her eyes when I robbed her of her principles? Will she harbour the same look when she runs me through with her longsword? Lost in an ocean of limitless possibilities and unpredictable future all up to fate's fickle decree, Marrybell didn't even realize she was travelling to a land of dreams when she was so deep in contemplation.
Oldrin… Orpheus… I'm so sorry, for everything. Pass your judgement upon me, my life is yours to take…
— —
"-Hey, hey, princess. Wakey, wakey, Your Highness." The beckoning of a sweet, benign voice was intruding into Marrybell's subconsciousness. Her reality was coaxing her to return and face the inevitable.
"…Oldrin… Oldrin… please… forgive me."
"Princess Marrybell, it's Kallen. Are you okay?" More solemn this time, the voice called again. Marrybell peeled open her eyelids and saw a figure of red partly blurred by the light bouncing off a film of water; it was her tears.
"Oh, Kallen… yes, I-I must've fallen asleep. How's my hair?" Sluggishly, the Witch of Spain adjusted her slumping posture and sat upright on the sofa, wiping away the last bit of drowsiness along with the remnant of wetness in her eyes.
"Honestly, I can't really tell the difference. You wanna take a look?" Noticing her hint, the Knight of Ten was quick to forget about witnessing a moment of debility in the refined royalty.
"No, I just ordered a wash, nothing too fancy. I see you kept yours the same."
"Did a bit of ironing or whatever. I'm liking this long hair thing, gonna keep it up a bit more." Marrybell simply nodded, sensing the mundane conversation was at an end.
"Where's… Dorothea and Monica?"
"They went ahead, said there's some shopping to be done."
"Shopping… without me?"
"Grocery shopping."
"…Are they peasants?" Kallen sniggered at a joke Marrybell didn't intentionally make.
"Not everyone can be like you, princess. They'll call us when they're done, you wanna go somewhere in the meantime?"
"I… wanna slurp on some ice-cream."
"Okay, Your Highness, how about a happy meal to go with that?" Marrybell shook off Kallen's disrespectful remark, or were they close enough for it to be a friendly tease?
— —
"So… it's time to fess up."
"Do I really have to? I know we agreed to this, but… you know?"
"Oh, my pretty. You know you can't hide those juicy rumours from me, the only thing I hunt harder than terrorists are them spicy gossip." The Viceroy's declaration rendered the ace Devicer to an embarrassed husk of her usual brazen self. "You should've known this when you first came to me for advice, it's too late to back out now, darling." After a bit more of Marrybell's persuasive pressure, she finally cracked through Kallen's hesitancy.
"…I thought about it a lot, like- all day and night. And… in the end, I decided to take the high ground."
"Oh, shut up! Shut… up! No way! You're letting my brother take that green woman as a mistress!? Darling, that is so daring!" Suddenly, Kallen painted her cheeks with the same dye she used on her hair.
"What-! Why're you acting so surprised!? You recommended me this after giving a two-hour lecture on Britannia's history with polygamy!"
"I did so with dubious intent at most, to think you'd actually go through with it is another matter altogether. However, I can't say I'm not proud of you for acting as the better woman, praise be indeed." Marrybell flashed a mischievous grin at the sight of Kallen's disbelief. What with the young pilot's mouth agape and face burning, it was so difficult to restrain herself from bursting into a fit of laughter on the spot.
"You're… you're just so… goddamn it, girl… I don't need another Milly in my life." Deflating in the face of Marrybell's devious plot, Kallen allowed her forehead to smack down on the table they sat by while the princess shuffled another chuckle into the conversation.
"Although the information I've passed unto you is all genuine and accurate, tested and proven. As it has been over the course of history; women; along with money and power are often roped together as the inducement for men's triumph. Therefore, society often overlooks the adultery committed by the male if he was an influential individual."
"Yeah, whatever, not here for a lesson on morality. Now that you know, you gotta keep your word and make my thing work." Her plea for help was gladly administered by the scheming royalty. Marrybell wasn't going to miss a golden opportunity to delve into Lelouch's entourage and relieve a bit of her tedium at the same time.
"Yes, my pleasure. I promised you to guide you through this complex romance behind the curtains, between you, my brother and that green woman. So, what is it that you'd wish to inquire, Lady Stadtfeld?" Playfully, Kallen pouted at Marrybell's extravagant address.
"I dunno…! I- we talked a bunch about how to handle ourselves in a three- a three-way… you know? …but I don't think he's an expert on it either."
"Of course, I don't suppose he's being collecting wives in Ashford Academy during his years away. I must admit, beholding the two of you enter this… twisted bind is serving to be the most hilarious drama of a monarch yet." The young princess ragged on, stirring the jumbled mess that was Kallen's coherent thought at the same rate she was stirring her empty cup of iced-coffee.
"Is there a hidden law or something that prevents the imperial bloodline from talking normally? Can we just actually please get on with it instead of you laughing in my face?" Her hasty demand only rinsed another swift giggle out of Marrybell.
"Then I shall, let me break it down. You're not gonna hear anyone admitting to this openly, but we all know there's a clear hierarchy in any functional relationship. Do you agree?" Adding a bit of interactivity was a sure-fire way of engaging her audience, Marrybell thought.
"…If you say so, princess. I'm not coming to myself for these pieces of advice now, am I?"
"Exactly, especially when you're dating the Emperor of Britannia. As much as I trust you to take good care of yourself and be an independent woman. I'd say Lelouch towers over you as the… let's say, dominant partner. And what is it you should always seek in a relationship?"
"Care and affection?"
"Power." To Marrybell, the pants were the most important pieces of clothing ever invented.
"You always want to assert your dominance over the other person. That is unless you cannot, then you must maintain what dignity you have left as to not let yourself be devalued like a dirty hag after… you know-? I'm sure you know." Power and authority were the two pillars of Marrybell's worldview, so much pain and suffering could be erased if only she possessed just a little more of either at any moment of tragedy.
"Okay… I think I kinda get it. I wanna be his girlfriend, not his slave… not all the time, anyway."
"Excellent, and kinky. Unfortunately for you, you'll find it trying to trounce the king of his position gruelling, to say the least, it's kinda his thing. So your best bet is targeting that green woman instead. Do you think you can do that? Make clear to Lelouch that she's the mistress and you're the wife."
Judging only by the sneering smirk constantly hanging off the lips of the green Code Bearer in Marrybell's memory, she gave Kallen roughly a forty-percent chance of conquest over her rival. Not that the Viceroy was planning on giving those numbers away, it was the endeavour and struggle which she sought to spectate.
"I dunno… it's not like I bear grudges against C.C. or anything, and this's pretty complicated already. I fear that Lelouch will always favour her over me since she's done so much more for him."
"I see… let's tackle it from another way. Do you want to be the Empress of Britannia? Eventually, of course." It was time to try another approach.
"Empress? Sure, why not? How different is it from just being his consort?" Briefly, the royal daughter considered mocking her half-blood companion, but opted to act her age instead.
"Let me enlighten you. By law, the Britannia Emperor is allowed as many consorts as he is capable of managing, surely my dear lovable deceased father can attest. However, there is only one empress to the realms, the actual wife and co-ruler. Now, we'll gloss over the tedious details regarding what consorts and empress can do, the take-home point is; empress, good. Consorts… lame." Marrybell explained expertly and Kallen listened diligently.
"Okay, then Empress sounds pretty cool."
"As it should. Aiming to become the Empress is a noble goal, in my own humble opinion. Now, I know he said he'll keep you at the top of his list, won't let you down and stuff like that. Is that correct?"
"Yeah, I mean- I really hope so."
"Okay, so far so good. But you know men, you can never trust anything that comes out of their mouths. Not when their other head convinces them to dry-hump any hot piece of ass that can even remotely appear to be inviting." Strangely venomously tenets were spewing out of Marrybell's mouth, memories of the past were slowly resurfacing without invitation.
Shit- shit… not now, not now!
"That's not really… true, I trust him to not do that kinda stuff without consulting me. I believe we have a pretty healthy romance going on. Well, you know, minus the mistress part." The red-haired Round was acting way too lenient towards the Emperor to his sibling's liking.
"You think that now, sure. I bet my treasury my late mother believed the same thing, and ooh- lads, how wrong she was at that… who can say how many months it'll take before he starts receiving services of the most inappropriate type from the housemaid in his unlocked office while visiting your mother's home like they're in some weird off-brand porno- and by then who's gonna stop him, you?!"
"What the-? I don't really think—"
"-Maybe at first, you're too confused to even understand what's going on before your eyes since you're such an innocent child growing up- so you can't stop yourself peeking through the ajar door and you don't understand how it could be traumatizing for a fucking kid! …—"
A baffled Kallen tried to convey a wide variety of emotions to little success as she kept her mouth shut. Silently observing a dangerously distraught Marrybell rant to her raving desire, flushing her cheeks blood red and her behaviour jittery.
"-And then-! And then after all that shit, his retarded midget brother blows your castle to kingdom come since his gay ass doesn't appreciate how much your whore of a mother clings onto your ice-cold father even though he's got fifty-thousand other bitches on the side! Because all she cares about is holding down her comfy deadbeat life! So your father- instead of doing jackshit like a proper parent for once in his pointless life, he just wipes your memories and makes you serve him like a mongrel dog!"
"…" What was Kallen gonna say? Maybe nothing was the correct choice.
"…FUCK! Fuck you V.V.! I wish I had been there to kill you myself! And fuck you too, dad! I'd have spat on your grave if it wasn't torn to shreds by Lelouch!"
The founder of the Glinda Knights paused her feverish outburst at the realization of her actions. She was helpless to mend the terrible mistake she made as the atmosphere had turned so sour and awkward, that about half a dozen of civilians around the food court were directing their curious gazes towards the pair of teenage girls.
"…Marrybell, are you… okay?"
Ignoring her protector knight's fearful concern, Marrybell haggardly reached into her purse and fetched for a container of pills, all while she was painfully lightheaded and lagging behind on her every breath. With her trembling fingers shaking ad nauseam and her nauseating mind muddled by disorientation, the princess still somehow managed to down her medication that served as a reminder of her ill-being.
At long last after a breakdown not meant for anyone's eyes, Marrybell's heartrate was finally returning to normal.
"I… I… I need a favour, Kallen." Squeezing out her sentences through laboured puffs, Marrybell leaned over the table and reached for the stunned ace's hands.
"Y-yeah, yeah! Anything if it helps."
"Never mention a word of this to anyone… not Oldrin, not Lyre, not Lelouch… they can't know, I can't let them find out."
"But-! You're clearly unwell, Marrybell! You need to—!"
Her bottle of pills was shoved in Kallen's face to prematurely terminate her unsettling apprehension. "You see this? You think I take this drug for fun? Because it tastes like gummy bears? I'm doing everything I can to help myself, you don't have to worry about me. This isn't a cry for help, I just have to keep my head above the water. That's unless they know about it, then they'll think my head is above the clouds instead."
Letting an uncertain grimace form over her countenance, the Knight of Ten rested her chins on top of her criss crossed fingers like a strut. "Are you sure you're gonna be okay?"
"I'll be fine, everyone goes through a phase like this; well, everyone born of the emperor's blood. Really, to have a claim to the throne you need to have at least two nervous breakdowns a year." Kallen reacted somewhat humoured by Marrybell's self-deprecating quip.
"Alright… I won't claim to be a mental health expert or anything like that. If you say you're taking good care of yourself, I won't treat you like a kid. But just so we're clear, if it ever hampers you negatively, I'll have to let everyone know."
Marrybell cycled her inhales and exhales a couple more times before confirming that she had completely reverted back to her regular self. She studied Kallen's earnest expression and caring gaze, not finding a shred of wickedness in her honest prayer to help. If at the end of the day it turns out this woman is tricking me… at least she'll get an Oscar for her performance.
"Okay, it's a deal."
"Hey, I do care about your wellbeing, Marrybell. Who knows, we might end up as sisters-in-law and you're one of the few that I don't wanna stab in the chest."
"Is that right? So in the back instead?"
"Something like that."
"Terrific. You're not too bad yourself, Kallen. Lelouch is lucky to have you by his side. Speaking of which; sadly for us, I don't think your class in court politics and romance can continue today. I'm not feeling up for another lesson."
"Fair enough, so class dismissed?"
"Indeed, now where did Monica and Dorothea said they'll meet us?"
"By this sushi place upstairs, they're vouching for the quality of—" Before further discussion on that night's menu could continue, Marrybell's phone had to ring first.
The offbeat ringtone already told her of the caller's identity ahead of the ID on the display. "Aw, crap… this one is work. I'll have to take it."
"Relatable." Thus, Marrybell turned her head slightly to angle her voice towards the microphone.
"—Hola, señor! No el español no, no! Inglés only! ~Esto hay que tomarlo sin ningún apuro… ~Des- pa~cito~! Quiero respirar tu cuello despacito~!..."
"—Princess Marrybell, are you quite done?" The recipient of her captivating greeting and vocals was less than thrilled to be graced by the lovely voice of an angel.
"—Aw, geez, uncle. I would be if you didn't call me during my vacation."
"—You really shouldn't call me that, Your Highness. It's unfitting." Marrybell was just about fed up with her Sub-Viceroy for always being a sceptic pessimist.
"—Let me do what I want, Sir Oiaguro! If you don't wanna be called uncle then stop acting like one!"
"—Marrybell, did you just have another episode?" The Zevon elder was able to pinpoint the princess's illness too accurately for her tastes. One of her worst regrets was letting him catch her during her first breakdown, even if he provided the proper assistance for her to obtain her treatment.
"—However it is you're doing that, Wizard, stop it. You need to stop it."
"—You're overcompensating, Your Highness. Maybe you don't notice it yourself, but you tend to act more emotional after you suffer an episode."
Marrybell was explicitly taught at a young age there was bound to be some people she could never mend with, similar to water and fire. Vexingly for her, the uncle of her childhood friend and her twin brother turned out to be such a person. "—Wizard… just tell me what you want, but give it to me short."
"—The movement calling for the greater Area Twenty-four to join the UFN has been gaining momentum rapidly over the last couple of weeks, I suspect it's largely due to funding they received from the federation." Exhaustion and frustration already washed over Marrybell long before Wizard finished his sentence.
"—Oh great, that's just bloody fantastic. Are we the frog-eating French? Must we have a revolution every second Tuesday!? Goddamn ungrateful imbeciles, just after I let them establish a House of Commons… give an inch and they'll take a mile, idiots! They just-! They just need to wait… a few more months."
"—Marrybell, calm down. I see now isn't a good time, should I call back?"
"—Yes. God, yes, please. I-I can't, I can't deal with this all right now. I beg you, just- contact me again some other time, sorry." The fatigue caused by her psychosis and responsibilities as the overseer of Area Twenty-four was wearing down on the young girl more than she initially prepared for.
"—One last thing, about what you said. Do you really believe it'll take a few more months to walk to the end of your yellow brick road?" The glum inquiry devoid of any scent of sarcasm froze Marrybell's response on her tongue.
Yes, and then it'll all be over. And then we'll have peace in our time.
"—Yes, I… I don't know what to tell you. I guess… I want to live too, given the chance."
"—I'll respect your answer." So suddenly and mildly disrespectfully, Wizard hung up.
"-Was that like a serious call?" Kallen asked shortly, vigilant of her boundaries after seeing Marrybell so drained.
"I don't even know anymore. Can we please, for the love of God, just go have supper?"
"Sure, let's go." Eager to pack up and move on, Marrybell didn't need to be told to throw away her empty cups as she departed with Kallen.
— —
Author's note
Let me just say, this isn't an attempt to portray real mental illness or anything, it's just a vague plot device and character trait. I don't want anyone to be offended, as unlikely as it is.
I feel like I'm disappointing some readers who are, or were interested in this story with the direction I'm taking it. I'm quite proud of the first chapter and the premise I've set up, but maybe less so as I continue writing. Ultimately, I think that's just an issue with all fanfictions, having an idea is easy, but seeing it through not so much. That doesn't mean I'm stopping this story or turning it around, it's a bit too late for that. So I'll apologize to the people who had a different idea for where the story is going, but keep writing the stuff I want. (I also talk about this every other chapter, so it must be important.)
There really isn't much else, thanks for reading this story, review or PM me if you have things to say to me. And hopefully I'll write more, eventually.
