Finally awake, I left my room in nothing but my usual clothes and my sketchpad. I am taking my time to visit my favorite place to sit and draw, Lady Marianne's garden. Now if only I could get there without Lelouch noticing. Most of the royal family despises me for only being half Brittanian. My father married many women, my mother just happened to be Japanese, but my father was not informed. It seems weird how he didn't realize even though she looks very Asian, my mother told me that he hadn't realized it! I openly avoid contact with any of my half brothers and half sisters. So I usually just stay near a certain tree near the edge of Lady Marianne's garden and sketch. I learn the art style my mother teaches me, the Japanese Toned charcoal sketch. I'm just starting to get good at it, but Clovis just calls it "Jap crap." I arrive in the Imperial Villa and I enter the gardens. I see Lelouch, Nunally, and Clovis all sitting around a chess board, as usual, I look to my left to be barley able to see Eupie's hair over the crest of the hill so I know that Cornelia is also there as well. So I'm going to sneak up to a large tree with tons of shade. I take a seat, open my sketchpad and I see that I can see Lelouch and Nunally's face but Clovis's back is turned to me. I have sketched all of the background when I notice that Lelouch has raised his king high into the air and slammed it down on the board. I had sketched that moment right there before Clovis simply fell backwards, which was typical when he was beaten. They all fell over laughing in a circle. Also typical of those three, just then I heard sounds behind me, on the other side of the tree. Crap, Euphie!! I looked around the tree to see Cornelia and Euphie leaning on the other side of the tree. This was not typical; typically those two would play around for a while and then go bug Lelouch and Nunally after Clovis left. I turned back to see that no one had moved over by the chess board, but then looked back around the tree to end up looking back at the two sitting down a while away. My mother always tells me to write what I see when I see it. So I was able to sketch those two and the ground around them before Cornelia noticed what I was doing. Cornelia poked Euphiemia and they came walking on over. As soon as they came into earshot I broke the silence, "Cornelia!!! Why did you move, you two were in the position!!"
Euphie, curious as always, asked, "Position for what?", "I think Wallace was sketching us Euphie." Cornelia answered.
"Exactly Cornelia that's exactly what I'm doing. You want to see?" I showed her the picture, which wasn't completed,
"Wow Wallace! That's really good." Then Cornelia leaned in to have a look
"That…that is good, your right Euphie." I smiled finally someone who actually appreciates my work. "Thanks, but don't touch it its charcoal, so it smears. See, watch." I took one of my charcoal sticks and dashed it across my front four fingers and showed her. I rubbed the fingers against my leg and Euphie laughed.
"Come here Cornelia!! Hahahaaa!" Euphie had taken my hand and dragged it across Cornelia's cheek.
"Hey Euphie!! Get over here!!" Cornelia began chasing Euphie around the garden. After Cornelia caught Euphiemia and made her call uncle, Euphy came back around just to ask me something.
"Hey Wallace, could you draw a picture of my face like this! Plllleassse!" She struck a little pose right in front of me.
"Sure I'll do one for Cornelia too. Now sit still." Euphy had lain down on her belly, her head is in her hands, her elbows are digging into the dirt, and she has a big smile on her face, perfect pose. When I was done I was certain that it was one of my best works.
"Done!!"
"Awww that's really good! Cornelia come over here and see this!" Cornelia walked over and took a look.
"That's wonderful. Would you mind if I asked if you could make me one?"
"Certainly. Make a pose and I'll sketch." Cornelia sat down cross legged on the grass, simply put both her arms in her lab and gave me a almost smile. So I sketched her, and it was only so-so. She still liked it.
The rest of the day went by without anything major happening. Lelouch and Nunally came over, asked me to sketch them. I did, Nunally loved it; Lelouch was less than excited about it. Then once night fell Cornelia, Euphy, Nunally, and Lelouch all sat in a circle and simply pointed out constellations. Typical of them, I didn't join in, instead I got in a higher spot then them, and did what I always do. Most of the days passed in some order like that.