A/N: Short chapter, I know, I'm sorry lol. I'm trying to graduate school this year and unfortunately health problems are starting up and... well, you don't need to know my whole life's story now do you? lol I'm going to try and get the next chapter out sooner, but thank you so far for all the likes, favorites and nice reviews~
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"His Highness's memorial program was well made, although it may have been a little too emotional. My Princess's needs more work though. This is her triumphed return after all. She needs perfection."
The man before him, one Diethard Ried, bowed and mumbled out his thanks. "First, Your Excellency, the masses desire tears, and second, the Princess's return should be saved for a later date. We don't want either broadcast to overshadow the other, and with more time I would be able to fill it with some more up-to-date photos of Her Highness."
Jeremiah smirked. "A response fitting a TV producer. You're all about milking it for every penny it's worth, am I right?" The man didn't react. "Regardless, I will acknowledge your skill. I must say though; it was almost as if you already knew of His Highness's death to get that much together in such a short amount of time. I suppose you didn't consider My Princess's survival to be a possibility though, hmm?"
"Forgive me, but the memorial programs of all important personnel have already been prepared." Diehart glanced up. "Yours as well, My Lord."
Jeremiah liked the mans balls.
"The Princess's return though, was not something I had ever considered preparing for. It is nothing short of a miracle. We did the best we could with reusing some of her own memorial program, but those are of such a young girl we worry it might not represent her properly as she is now."
Jeremiah stood, clasping his hands behind his back, chin raised proudly. "You are right to worry. My Lady has grown into a strong, beautiful woman, much like her mother before her, and her triumphed return must be perfect. I will bring this news to her. Until then, you will have to make due."
The man bowed again, mumbling his appreciation before Jeremiah bid he rise once again and moved around the Viceroys desk to stand before him.
Jeremiah leaned closer, wicked smile on his lips. "I would like to ask you for one more job. Tomorrow night, we will transport Suzaku Kururugi to the military court."
He saw a flash of understanding in Diethard eyes. "Let me bring the Britannians who love their country to the route."
Jeremiah smirked. "I'm glad that it's easy to negotiate with you. Make sure his face is easily visible when we're transporting him."
"Of course, the Nation needs to see what kind of monster he is."
Jeremiah laughed. "Have you ever considered joining the military, Diethard? We could use more men like you, especially in the information offices." Or, better yet, in his Princess' own personal collection.
"Unfortunately, I don't think that would be a fit. It's not really my cup of tea."
"Too bad. Maybe you can be of use some other way."
"Yes, well, if you are ever in need of my services again." He bowed, and turned for the door when Jeremiah dismissed him.
"Lord Jeremiah."
He turned to acknowledge Lady Villetta, who gave him a small bow before she continued to speak. "There are those among the Elevens who hold Private Kururugi as a hero. I believe that there may be some groups who will try to rescue him. I wonder if it is wise-"
He waved her worry away.
"We the Purebloods will escort him personally with our Sutherlands. If anyone comes strolling out, then we will execute them on the spot. You worry to much."
She bowed again, though he could see she still wished to argue. "Very good, My Lord."
Jeremiah watched her leave. She was a good solider. Component enough to ask questions but listened when told to drop it.
He would have to talk to his Princess about getting Villetta a place within her ranks. The woman more than deserved it, and to be a Knight under a Princess was quite the prestige, even if she wasn't a Knight of Honor.
Lord Kewell, who had been silent the entire interaction, turned to Jeremiah and bowed. "Will there be anything else, my Lord?"
Jeremiah waved him away. For today, he was finished with his official duties, but his private ones were only just beginning. When his Princess was well enough to leave the hospital, she would need all the help she could get to survive the trials and tribulations of the Royal Court. She would need a strong support group to stand beside her, and he knew just where to find one.
…..
"He took out a Prince of Britannia! We must praise Kururugi Suzaku as a hero!"
"But he's an Honorary Britannian!"
"He's the orphan child of Prime Minister Kururugi!"
One of the men knelt in the circle banged his fist upon the reed mat. "The man who threw away this country! The people don't know that about him!"
The circle fell silent for a moment, some eyeing the man meditating a few feet from them, before they returned to their discussion.
"The incident in Shinjuku was the work of Kōzuki's squadron, is it not?"
"Yes. Currently a man named Ohgi is leading them."
"A full-blooded Japanese this time?"
"Yes, it seems so."
Another of the men, the General in charge, bowed his head in thought. "Has Kururugi's family said anything?"
Kururugi Genbu had been his commanding officer. He had even met his young son once during a dinner party. The boy hadn't said much, though when he did speak out of turn, his father was quick to reprimand him. From what he had heard from others though, the boy could be quite the spoiled brat when he chose.
What sort of person was Kururugi Suzaku now?
"No. It seems they cut off all relations with him after he joined the military."
The General finally did what no one else in the room had the guts to do. He turned and addressed the meditating man, the one the others had eyed warily. "What do you think, Tohdoh?"
The stern face of the man never changed as he weighed his words heavily. He out of all of them had known the boy best, after all. "We have no obligation to accompany him on his public suicide."
Another of the men sneered. "That's quite timid, considering that you are Tohdoh the Miracle worker."
Sharp grey eyes found the man's, who's sneer fell for only a moment. "I have no intention of confusing miracles with recklessness. Suzaku made his choice and we will honor his sacrifice, but we work for the freedom of all Japan. We can't treat him as though he is special just because he is the son of the Prime Minister or because he took out the Viceroy."
The man scowled.
The rest of the group took to talking amongst themselves, most voicing their support of Tohdoh's words, while the man himself returned to his meditation.
His mind was unfocused though, straying from the path of inner peace no matter how much he tried to force it back. He had crafted the boy's skills as a soldier and have even considered Suzaku almost like his own son. Had the war not happened, he believed he would have even passed on his families sacred heirloom to the boy, seeing as he had no son of his own to pass it down to.
To see him fall as he had now, becoming a slave of the Empire, he would almost have rather seen the boy dead.
Of course, he had done his country proud by his most recent actions, and Thodod couldn't help but wonder if that had been the plan all along. Suzaku wasn't a boy of planning, he took actions ad thought about the consequences after. Had that changed in the 3 years since he had seen him?
….
Being stuck in a hospital was stiflingly boring. Jeremiah had come to visit her whenever he could, bringing her news and anything else she asked for, but that did little to alleviate the boredom of being trapped.
He had informed her that the culprit of her brother murder had been caught, and while for a moment she felt horror rising in her at the thought of someone else being punished for her actions, she quickly pushed it down and moved on.
It was a necessary sacrifice. Their death would mean the freedom of the world from a Tyrant… at least that is what she told herself when she was tossing and turning in the night.
She didn't wish to know who they were for fear the guilt would consume her.
The door opened and a familiar lavender haired man stuck his head in, his normal demented smile plastered to his face.
She forced a polite smile onto her own face. "Lord Asplund. To what to I owe this visit?"
"Please, Your Highness, call me Lloyd." The man dropped into an over the top bow as he fully entered the room, and Leloucia felt fairly certain he was mocking her. "I'm overjoyed to see you alive, Your Highness~ I thought you might have died in Shinjuku after you left us. How did you survive?"
"That's none of your concern, Lord Asplund."
"Ah yes, ah yes. The secrets of the Royals." An odd gleam came into his eyes. "You know…. I m rather interested to know what you did to me though. See, it's the most peculiar thing... I don't remember anything out of the ordinary, but anytime I try to mention you as a Princess, I can't. Nothing comes out. It's like I'm being forcibly restrained." He gave her a pointed look. "And I have the sneaking suspicion you're somehow behind this."
"And you want it removed?"
"Oh, on the contrary! I want to know what it is and how you did it."
She stayed silent and so he continued.
"You see, I came here to ask you a favor." He swayed back and forth on spot, as though he could hardly contain himself. "I want to study it. I want to learn everything about it. I want to know how it works and where you learned it. I want to use it for myself."
It wasn't to hard to recognize a bad idea when you saw it. Lloyd, with this sort of power at his disposable, would destroy the world. He wouldn't want to rule it like Charles or Schenizel, or use it to secure a lavish life like Clovis. Lloyd wouldn't stop building and inventing new weapons until he was either killed by one of them, or it blew up the world.
Leloucia weighted her options.
"Alright, Lloyd. I will take you up on your offer, however, I require a few incentives. First, your silence."
"Your power has already assured that."
She shook her head. "I mean it, Lloyd. I know you work for my brother, Scheizel. I won't have him knowing of this."
That was just what she needed. Schneizel able to make people do whatever he wanted. Her brother already had a way with words, she didn't need to make him a God.
Before Lloyd could respond, Leloucia's regular nurse walked.
Leloucia glanced at the clock. 5:02 exactly.
Ignoring Lloyd and Leloucia complete, the nurse moved to the foot of the bed and began reciting Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 3.
Lloyd watched her with an odd mix of fear, excitement and curiosity. "Is this…"
"Yes."
Act 2, Scene 3 done, the nurse bowed and walked out of the room.
"Fascinating."
Leloucia turned to face him, acting as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened, and continued with her demands with more confidence than she had before. She had seen it in his eyes. He was hooked, his curiosity to overwhelming to ignore. "Second, I want your help. I understand you and your crew are irregulars from the military, working under my brother in development of Knightmares and other such weaponry."
Jeremiah had been quick to fill her in on all their work when she had asked about them.
"You would be correct," he laughed.
"Good. I will be making use of that then. You already have a capable pilot in Suzaku, I request that he remain in that position."
The smile on Lloyds face seemed to waver. "Well, um, you see, Your Highness, that might be a bit of a problem."
"…Why?"
Lloyd gave a bit of an awkward laugh. "You haven't heard? Their blaming that boyfriend of yours for your brother's death. So, as you can see, using him as the pilot might be a bit of a problem if he's dead."
The heart monitor was once again the only sound that filled the room, much louder and faster than before.
"Boyf-?" Leloucia's blood ran cold. "Suzaku!?"
...
A/N: Every time I come back to this site, I can never seem to figure out this uploading thing. I swear it took me at least an hour to figure out how to even upload my latest chapter. I guess its just something you have to get used too lol.
Also, Happy New Year!