Chapter Three
"That tribute from Area 3, the small kid."
Lelouch looked away from Suzaku, carefully to keep his bored expression. The other tributes were doing the same thing that they were, looking for allies going into the Games. Some of them were more obvious about it, Lelouch seeing clusters of tributes talking as they arranged their alliances. The four Dalton boys were the most obvious, sticking together despite the fact that they had all been chosen in different Areas, probably against the orders of their escorts. Perhaps they were trying to dispel the rumors that they would fall into sibling rivalry that Milly Ashford had put out.
He blinked and shook his head, focusing on the small, mousy boy that was standing at one of the other targets at the other end of the room. A quick look around showed that the other tribute from Area 3 was at the table where they were teaching the types of edible plants that were most likely going to appear in the arena. Lelouch returned his attention to Suzaku, focusing on the bow that his friend was holding. "His aim is good and he would be useful in setting up traps with his size."
"Approved?" Suzaku drew the bowstring back, holding the position for a moment before releasing it.
Lelouch didn't bother to watch the arrow; Suzaku was purposefully hitting off target. "Approved. But we'll take the other tribute too. She's been moving around the room to specific stations, the things that she's probably not too good at. She's smart enough to do that than practice the skills that she already has."
"Any others?"
Lelouch was reluctant to answer immediately. As of now, their team had four members, which was a good number, but it wouldn't be enough to go up against the other alliances that would probably be made. The Daltons would stick together as would the tributes that would be drawn to Luciano Bradley.
Luciano would be the most dangerous tribute out in the area. He was from one of the Areas that made becoming a tribute a career. He was also the one who would become the emperor's favorite, that much was plain already. It wouldn't guarantee Luciano victory, but it would guarantee him an alliance of the strongest tributes and the better gifts in the arena. Lelouch and Suzaku would have to pick out of those that were left, and they would have to be careful in that.
Lelouch turned his attention to the tributes that were lingering in the room on their own. These were the people that they had to choose from, the ones that would be glad of the protection and not demand too much of them. Lelouch made sure to keep his glances quick, finally turning to lean completely against the table where the weapons were laid out.
He picked up a knife and began to idly play with it as Suzaku continued missing the bull's eye. "Mariel. She comes from Area 10. She'd be good with technology."
Suzaku paused. "Really Lelouch?"
"We don't know what we have to work with." Lelouch threw the knife, flinching when it fell short of the target. He heard Suzaku laugh, his friend putting down the bow and picking up another knife, beginning to guide Lelouch through the steps of throwing it. Lelouch titled his head so he could whisper to Suzaku. "We're limiting ourselves by presenting ourselves as a team; they have to decide that they want both of us. But staying together is too important to just give up.
"Then there are the people to avoid completely. These Games are corrupt, Suzaku, so there will always be someone that the emperor wants to disappear."
"Like who?"
Lelouch didn't have to look around the room to know the answer. "The four Daltons. It's strange that they would all get chosen after they had fled from Pendragon after their father's execution."
"He was assassinated."
"Same thing. The emperor wanted him dead, so he died." Lelouch licked his lips and threw another knife, smiling slightly when the blade stuck in the target. "Dalton had been openly disobeying orders, so he was obviously out of favor. It didn't take much to remove him completely. Everyone knows that his sons were raised to either join the army or act as knights, so it's logical to assume that their father taught them the same values. It's elimination of bad stock."
"What about Nunnally?"
Lelouch shook his head. "Clovis has always been a horrible lair. He would have looked guilty when he pulled her name out instead of surprised. I may become a target, but I doubt it. I'm not a prince, at least according to him."
He felt Suzaku step away, letting the knife in his hand fall to the table. He would follow Suzaku around today and spend the next day apart, just to see what kind of people he could attract on his own. Lelouch tensed when Suzaku grabbed his arm and towed him over to one of the tables, not surprised when he saw that they were learning basic first aide. He and Suzaku already knew how to treat the small wounds that they would get working and he knew some helpful plants from helping Nunnally in her garden. But they didn't know how to treat anything more life threatening than a large gash. If they wanted to stay alive until the end, and if Lelouch wanted to be able to buy Suzaku enough time to come up with a plan, they would have to learn more than the basics.
Lelouch lost himself in what they were directed to do, trying to memorize as much as possible. He jumped when the bell went off, signaling the end of their training time. Lelouch retaliated for the way Suzaku laughed at him by smearing a green paste over Suzaku's arm as he headed toward the door, smiling to himself as Suzaku yelped.
The trick didn't delay Suzaku for long, Lelouch stepping to the side as Suzaku jogged up to him in the hallway. He expected some kind of retaliation but Suzaku just fell into step beside him. Lelouch glanced at Suzaku out of the corner of his eye but made no comment.
He looked over his shoulder, noticing the way that the other tributes stared at them. Lelouch wasn't quite sure if the looks were the tributes planning their own alliances or just because they hated them. The less popular tributes were sure to feel a bit jealous that he had managed to win the sympathy of the public so easily.
Suzaku jostled him, Lelouch stumbled to one side. "Stop thinking so much, you'll burn yourself out."
"You know that's not true."
"And you know that there's only so much we can do." Suzaku guided him into one of the elevators at the end of the hall, flashing a smile at the rest of the tributes when the doors slid shut. Lelouch relaxed, feeling safer that there were only two people in the elevator. Suzaku probably noticed his relief, but didn't comment on it. "Focus on what we need to do now. The rest can wait."
"And that's how you'll handle it?"
"Yes." Suzaku wrapped one arm around Lelouch, reaching out with his free hand to press the button for the eleventh floor. "You like things you can control, but that probably won't happen here."
Lelouch snorted. "And that's where you come in?"
He didn't need Suzaku's response to know the answer. Suzaku was better at thinking on his feet and even better if there was a basic plan behind him. Lelouch smiled to himself, realizing how well their plan would work for the first time. If he didn't allow himself to think about the eventual end, then everything seemed perfect.
Lelouch ducked out from under Suzaku's arm as the elevator reached their floor. He caught a whiff of something good coming from the common room. It was almost time for dinner and the prospect of food made his stomach rumble. The only thing that dissuaded him from going to the common room immediately was the thought of facing Cecile and Tohdoh and having to talk about the other tributes. That was something that Lelouch felt Suzaku had a better handle on at the moment, he wanted to have more time to make his decisions. Besides, it would be better to take what Suzaku said into account for his find considerations. Cecile and Tohdoh were only acting in advisory positions at this point instead of the authority on what was going on.
Suzaku tugged on his arm, staying still as he waited for Lelouch to move. Suzaku shook his head, reaching up to tap Lelouch's forehead. "What did I say?"
"I can't just turn off."
Suzaku rolled his eyes, getting a better grip on Lelouch's arm. "Come on. I know that you have to take breaks. Can't this be one of them?"
Lelouch could see the pattern being established, and he should have protested it. Suzaku was trying to distract him from what was important. He realized that planning too far ahead would be completely useless because everything could be undone within the first minute. But that meant that there had to be contingency plans in place, something that Lelouch doubted that any of the other tributes were making. That would definitely put them ahead because they wouldn't be panicking at everything that went wrong.
On the other hand, Suzaku had a point. He couldn't just keep pushing himself now or he'd be useless later. But it did help him from thinking about what they would be doing in three more days.
He sighed and pulled his arm away from Suzaku, reaching down to grab onto Suzaku's hand and holding it. It still felt strange and a little awkward initially, but when Suzaku shifted his hand and slid their fingers together it felt perfectly fine. Lelouch glanced at Suzaku, glad to see that his friend was smiling. At least we was sure that Suzaku had no qualms about what they were, Lelouch had bene unable to tell in the darkness of his room.
He gave Suzaku's hand a squeeze before letting go. "If you're so eager for food, why are you still standing here?"
"Someone has to make you eat." Suzaku easily dodged the annoyed slap that Lelouch tried to land on him, bouncing on the balls of his feet for a moment before turning and walking toward the common room. Lelouch rolled his eyes and followed.
"This is Milly Ashford reporting live from the imperial palace. We're out of luck in the tribute department because we've got nothing happening for another few days. Until the scores come out, we'll just have to entertain ourselves in other ways.
"A heads up for tomorrow night, we're doing a showcase of all of the Areas with interviews with the current viceroys and some of the people. Tune in to get the inside scoop on your favorite tributes and to support your favorite Areas. In the meantime, we've got the gathering of the royal family to look forward to. All of the princes and princesses are on their way back to the capital to cheer on their Areas in the Hunger Games. No interesting scandals this year folks, but since when has that made the royal family boring?
"A few of the princes have managed to sneak past us by arriving early, including Prince Clovis but don't despair; there are still a good few royals that have to come through." Milly turned to look at the platform, standing on her tip toes and smiling. "We're in luck, because we have three princesses in a row. The first off the train is Guinevere su Britannia, the first princess. She's been working on increasing the productivity of Area 10 and it's worked. That dashing man escorting her is her fiancée who she will be marrying in six months. There's still no word on who will be taking over Area 10.
"Coming in behind Princess Guinevere are Princesses Cornelia and Euphemia li Britannia. Princess Cornelia is best known for her work reclaiming country outside of the current Area 12. There's been no word of trouble from the tribes of people that are still running around, but Cornelia has a handle on those barbarians. The latest news is that she just finished putting down a rebellion, so we might have an Area 13 to look forward to in the future.
"And, what do we have here? It's the crown prince, Odysseus eu Britannia and his younger brother Prince Schneizel. We haven't seen much of either of them lately. Prince Odysseus has been spending most of his time in Pendragon, preparing for his future as the emperor of Britannia. He returned to his Area just to attend the Reaping ceremony. Prince Schneizel, on the other hand, rarely leaves the capital, save for the yearly Reaping, but Area 1 doesn't seem to be suffering from his absence.
"The next train should be bringing the rest of the royals that are missing, and that train is due in five minutes. Everyone take a quick break, run for those snacks that you have waiting while we roll some commercials. I'll see you back here and introduce some of the younger members of the Britannian family."
Nunnally folded her hands in her lap, trying to avoid pulling at the loose strings on her skirt. Clovis had stepped out in the hallway to wave in a few of the royal siblings that he thought would be sympathetic to her, leaving her alone in one of the drawing rooms. Nunnally swallowed, tipped her head back to look at the ceiling, trying to get all of her awed staring out of the way before any of the royals came in.
She had heard about the imperial palace from Lelouch and Marianne. Her brother had been the most reluctant to talk about Pendragon and his recollections had been the spottiest. Marianne had been the one to talk to about Pendragon, but she hadn't managed to prepare her for this. She had heard that the imperial palace was opulent but that was suddenly too small of a word to describe the room that she was in. And Nunnally had the horrible suspicion that this room was just the start. Clovis had been able to ignore the room easily enough, which probably meant that this was the norm.
The door creaked open, Nunnally jerking her gaze down to watch the people coming in. She recognized both of them from their various appearances on television, but never up close and never with the overwhelming sense that she was related to them. Nunnally resisted the urge to bow, it was only because of a mistake that she was not on equal footing with them and she refused to make that the reason she failed in her task. Instead she smiled and gave a respectful nod. "Princess Cornelia. Princess Euphemia."
Euphemia stopped dead inside of the room, staring at Nunnally in confusion. Cornelia was the one to cross the room and loom over her. For a moment, Nunnally was sure that Cornelia would scold her for not giving the proper respect to two princesses of the empire. Instead Cornelia turned to look at Clovis. "This is that girl from your Area, the one that you excused. Did you bring her as your model?"
"No." Clovis gave a weak laugh as he sunk into a chair. 'She convinced me to bring her."
"To watch her brother die?"
"To try and save him." Clovis rubbed his forehead and sighed. "I'm afraid that I've made a mess of things. By excusing Nunnally I sent Lelouch to the Games. Now she's trying to save him."
Cornelia laughed, flopping down on the sofa. "I hope that you understand the impossibility of that task." Nunnally caught a flicker of disappoint on Cornelia's face. "The emperor is not in a forgiving mood."
"I don't expect him to listen to me. That's why I'm appealing to you, because you'd understand." Nunnally turned her wheelchair so she was facing all three of them. "What I want to do is more than just rescue my brother. I want to stop the Games completely."
"Stop the Hunger Games."
"Yes. Forever if I can manage it."
Cornelia sat up, staring at her before waving her hand dismissively. "You've got a better chance at saving your brother than stopping the Games. At least that is something that you can achieve."
Nunnally bit her lip to keep herself from blurting out anything before she had thought about what she was saying. She didn't have Lelouch's way with words; she was more like Suzaku on that count. She was more likely to say what she was feeling without considering the impact of her words. It was the reason that she rarely won arguments with Lelouch because she would get flustered and angry, nothing against Lelouch's calm. And, right now, she needed that cool, calculating mindset, at least when speaking to the royal family.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to rest her hands flat on her legs before opening her eyes. She didn't get the chance to address Cornelia, interrupted as Euphemia walked over from her place by the door. "You said Lelouch was in the Games."
"Yes."
"Euphy, it's probably some kid named after our brother."
Nunnally turned to face Cornelia, tensing in her chair. "It's not."
She was surprised when Euphemia nodded, the princess coming to lean on the back of the couch that Cornelia was lying on. "We don't know, Cornelia, we didn't see the opening ceremonies or much after they announced that she wouldn't be competing. You were on your way up to Area 3 and I…" Euphemia blushed and looked down. "I never watch anything to do with the Games until I get to Pendragon. I don't want to."
Cornelia snorted, but she looked over at Clovis. For a moment, Nunnally was tempted to stop her attempts to be calm and shout at her. But she had no proof that she was a princess, she had been born in Area 11 after Marianne and Lelouch had been exiled. Technically she wasn't supposed to exist; it was part of the cover story that Marianne had put out after she had gotten settled in Area 11. Clovis had been one of the people to help create the cover story, like he had been the person in charge of making sure that Nunnally and Lelouch would never be threatened by the emperor again. Clovis would be the only way she had of confirming that she was who she claimed to be.
She looked at Clovis, expecting him to sigh and mutter an answer under his breath. Instead, Clovis looked almost enraged. "Do you think I would bring her here if I didn't think that she could do it? Do you think I would bring just anyone claiming to be Princess Nunnally to you as a way to get ahead? You know that I don't care about the politics of the empire. I just want to be left alone and not be bothered with having to send children away to be slaughtered because Father continues the tradition. Do you think I enjoy knowing that one of us could be thrown into those Games if we go against Father's wishes?"
Cornelia looked uncomfortable. "Father wouldn't do that. Besides, you are above the age limit."
"So was uncle, but that didn't stop Father." Clovis flinched and glanced at the door, quickly lowering his voice. "Uncle was still sent into the Games even though he was above the age limit and royalty, two things that are supposed to grant immunity. And Father still did it because of the rumors that Uncle had spread. Can you say that Father is blameless even now or did you agree that Dalton deserved what happened to him?"
"Don't bring him into this."
"So you agree with Father that slaughtering those people was the right thing to do?"
"No." Cornelia took a deep breath and sat up, Nunnally relieved that the full face of Cornelia's anger was directed at Clovis. "There were other ways to handle the situation, especially since it was just a call to talk instead of a rebellion like Father said. There was no indication that it would have turned into a rebellion." She hung her head. "There's no call for punishing the boys either, they did nothing. Not even when Dalton was…killed."
"Then why aren't you jumping at this chance"
"Because it can't be done!"
Nunnally looked over her shoulder as someone rested a hand on her shoulder. She smiled up at the princess, surprised when Euphemia bent slightly at the waist to whisper to her. "You really want to stop the Games?"
"Anything to save my brother."
Euphemia shifted nervously. "And, your brother, is name is really Lelouch?"
"Yes, and my mother's name is Marianne. Clovis can tell you the whole story; I only have bits and pieces. But Lelouch really is a prince and neither my mother nor I think that Father will pull him out, because he's too mad. And I don't think that Lelouch will admit that he's a prince to get out of the Games."
Euphemia bit her lip, glancing up at where Clovis and Cornelia were still arguing. "I don't care."
"What?"
"I don't care if your brother is a prince or not, not that I don't believe you. I would do this for anyone who was brave enough to do this."
"But the fact that we're royalty will help."
Euphemia looked taken aback for a moment before she nodded. A smile crossed her face. "That sounded almost like Lelouch."
"Don't expect much of that. I'm not as smart as my brother."
"There are different kinds of smart people." Euphemia offered her hand, Nunnally giving it a firm shake. "Between the two of us we can manage something."
She gave Nunnally's had a last squeeze before straightening up and walking back over to her sister. Cornelia and Clovis were still arguing, Nunnally watching the two of them and resisting the urge to shake her head. She cared about the other people in the Hunger Games, but her priorities were Lelouch and Suzaku. If she couldn't manage to stop the Games this year then she could attempt again the next year, although she couldn't image how the Games could continue when two of the tributes had been removed.
Nunnally cleared her throat, surprised when that was enough to turn their attention back to her. She swallowed nervously before forcing herself to speak. "I don't care about the motivations at this point; they don't matter as much as getting people out. And I would rather get everyone out because Cornelia is right, the Games aren't about a reminder of a past rebellion anymore, they're a convenient way for Father to murder people that annoy him. I just need to help people see that."
Cornelia snorted dismissively. "They see it already."
"Then help me encourage them to push back. If we show that we're not afraid of him then they'll help."
Cornelia stared at her for a moment before shaking her head and standing up. "I'm sorry about your brother, but I can't help you. I promised Dalton that I would look after his sons, and staring a rebellion won't help me do that."
Nunnally pressed her lips together but didn't speak. She understood what Cornelia was trying to do and Cornelia probably knew as well as she did that it wouldn't work.
The door clicked shut behind Cornelia, Nunnally staring at her lap as she considered her next step. She looked up as Euphemia came around to sit by her, surprised that the princess had remained instead of following her sister.
"Cornelia will come around, but we'll have to give her time. Dalton meant a lot to her and those boys might as well be her own." Euphemia hesitantly rested a hand on Nunnally's armrest. "The best people to talk to from here would be Odysseus and Schneizel, neither of them agree with what Father is doing. Anyone else will be too scared. If Bismarck came up with us, he would do anything to help Lady Marianne. He helped your mother and Lelouch escape that night."
Nunnally smiled and rested a hand on Euphemia's, giving Euphemia's hand a squeeze when the princess jumped. "Thank you."
"You don't need to. It's about time someone told us to wake up and stop Father." She stood up, carefully holding onto Nunnally's hand. "I'd consider it an honor if you stay with me Nunnally. The emperor won't pay me any attention because I'm not important. He wouldn't think anything of me showing you around."
Nunnally looked back at Clovis. He was the only royal sibling she had ever known and she was suddenly reluctant to leave him. Euphemia had no reason to trick her, but Clovis was safe, Clovis the one that Marianne had trusted with her safety.
To her surprised, Clovis waved her off, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes. "Go on, she's right. The emperor will call on me more than Euphy. Besides, she's closer to your age; you'll have more in common."
Nunnally gave Clovis a wary look but didn't argue. He was going out of his way to help her. And it might be best if they approached the problem from two different sides. Nunnally was sure that Clovis wouldn't go back on a promise that he had made to Marianne and he had seemed to care about Lelouch despite her brother's disdain for the royal family.
She smiled at Clovis, giving him an awkward half bow. "Good night then. And thank you."
That made Clovis jerk, but he didn't open his eyes. Instead he curled in on himself and made no effort to return the sentiment. He raised his hand and waved her away again.
Nunnally huffed, glancing back at Euphemia. The princess shook her head and walked over to grab a hold of the wheelchair. Nunnally reached for the armrests, about to take control of her wheelchair when Euphemia leaned over, gesturing to some of the paintings. "Sorry to assume like this, but I don't want to have you wandering around on your own. Father might not care about you, but he won't be happy until Dalton's boys are dead."
Nunnally shivered. "What about Lelouch?"
Euphemia hummed. "I'm not sure. I'll have to find out. You're right to bring that up, it would be important."
Nunnally nodded slowly, trying her best not to stare at the décor of the palace. She had to focus on the short list of things she had thought up, reviewing them. She wanted to make sure that she had all of her ideas straight for when she met the other royals, the same ideas that she hadn't had to share with Euphemia.
She frowned, staring straight ahead. "This almost seems too easy. I don't know anything about you."
"Well Clovis vouched for you, and he doesn't lie about family. And I've always thought that Lelouch and Marianne were alive or else Clovis would have asked to be viceroy of another Area, one with less administration responsibilities so he'd have more time to work on his painting. But he stuck with Area 11, which meant that there was something important there. And then I heard about Lelouch and I was sure that he was the same Lelouch, you just confirmed that. The only unexpected thing was gaining another sister." Euphemia laughed, the sound quickly becoming strained. "But you're right that the Games have to stop. I see how they affect the people in my Area and I see how badly Cornelia is taking the choices this year. What Father is doing honestly scares me because I could do something wrong and get sent to the Games without knowing the reason behind it. But that's a bit selfish, isn't it?"
Nunnally hesitated before reaching her hand up to rest on Euphemia's. "It's a good worry, one that I think everyone has. I know that I was frightened when my name was called. All that really matters is the reason why we are doing this and it's not only for ourselves."
"But is that the reason everyone else will see?"
Nunnally shrugged. She was sure that Lelouch would have had an answer to the question, but she wasn't good at thinking about people in her brother's analytical manner. She just wanted to believe in the good in people and that it would come out. She was also tired from her journey to Pendragon. Nunnally closed her eyes, carefully choosing her words. "If we are honest with the people then they will see that we do mean what we say. I think that they would appreciate honestly after so many years of lies and threats."
She felt the small change in pace, turning her head slightly to the side to see Euphemia's face. Euphemia looked thoughtful; the princess staring ahead as she almost came to a stop. It was only when one of her feet bumped into the back of the wheelchair that Euphemia shook her head and started walking again.
They didn't speak to each other until Euphemia was pushing Nunnally into one of the residential wings of the imperial palace. Nunnally almost caught herself leaning too far out to one side or the other as she tried to see everything at once. She pressed herself against the back of her wheelchair, trying not to look like she was gawking at anything.
Euphemia giggled, Nunnally surprised that the laugh didn't seem mocking. "It's a bit much isn't it?"
"Yes."
"I think it's mostly the others who decide to keep it like this, like they need to remind themselves that they're royalty. No one else comes down here." Euphemia stopped, stepping out from behind the wheelchair to open a door to one of the rooms. "Then again, all of us who get put in here came after the scandal with Marianne and Jeremiah, so none of us really feel secure. I might be the only one that does, just because my mother had already had Cornelia."
Euphemia stepped out of the way to allow Nunnally to wheel herself into the room. Nunnally's mouth dropped open at the sheer amount of pink, glancing back at Euphemia before maneuvering her wheelchair out of the center of the room. "This is-"
"A bit much? I haven't had it changed since I took over Area 3 and that was years ago. Maybe I should update it."
"No." After living in Area 11, Nunnally had gotten used to bare walls and equally bare floors. But even then their house had seemed to be alive, so much better that the hallways and drawing rooms that she had been shown so far. Those only seemed to exist to reinforce the idea that the emperor could afford such things; there was no life in it. Euphemia's room had that same life, that same feeling of a safe haven. She turned to look at Euphemia. "It's wonderful, Princess Euphemia."
"It's Euphy." Euphemia waved her hand, making a disgusted face. "No titles, not between us. And everyone else calls me Euphy, it sounds better than Euphemia. Euphemia is what my mother calls me when she's mad."
"Euphy then." Nunnally tilted her head to the side, the corners of her mouth twitching up. "Thank you for everything."
Euphemia blushed, turning away and beginning to sift things around. "There's another suite just through that door, you can have it. I'll have Clovis direct your things to there. You're probably very tired so," Euphemia paused, taking a deep breath and smiling, "so we'll talk some more tomorrow. Alright?"
"Alright." Nunnally was tempted to thank Euphemia again, but the princess was already walking away. She shook her head and backed her wheelchair toward the door of the suite.
Nunnally rested one hand on the knob, taking a deep breath before opening the door. The suite was pink, but the color was muted from the main part of Euphemia's room. Nunnally wheeled herself into the room, glancing around before closing her eyes. It seemed like too much of a dream to be real. At any moment she would open her eyes and find herself back on the train or back in the small house in Area 11. Nunnally opened her eyes, unable to keep the smile off her face when the room remained the same.
She wheeled herself over to the bed, spending a few moments mentally planning the moves she would have to make before hoisting herself onto the bed. She smoothed her fingers over the silk covers, lingering there for a moment before pulling her legs onto the bed. Her things still hadn't arrived, so she would have to make due for now, and it was nothing that she couldn't handle.
Nunnally laid back and closed her eyes, not quite ready to go to sleep. It wasn't everything that she had wanted, but it was enough of a start that she didn't feel panicked. The only thing that worried her was the amount of time she had before the Games and everything she still had to do. It wouldn't be enough to pull Lelouch and Suzaku out without a miracle, but she would work to make that miracle happen. She turned onto her side, closing her eyes. "Please, stay safe."
Suzaku tried not to flinch as the arrowed missed its mark. It was much harder to make himself look worse than he actually was. He sighed and lowered the bow, glancing around the room. Lelouch was off at the booth where they were teaching about edible plants. Suzaku set down the bow. Lelouch had slowly been making his away around the room, talking to the few people that had approached him. Suzaku couldn't tell what Lelouch had decided, but he was sure that Lelouch would share with him later.
He tired to go to another station, wanting to brush up on his knot tying skills when a hand landed on his shoulder. Suzaku tensed, suppressing the urge to back out immediately. He plastered a smile on his face, turning to face the person.
Suzaku barely managed to his surprised when he saw Luciano Bradley staring down at him. He was tempted to roll his shoulder away, but he stood still. This would be a good chance to get information about Luciano before the Games.
Luciano gave his shoulder a squeeze, gesturing toward the target. "You're getting better, but the bow might not be the right weapon for you."
Suzaku shrugged. "I want to be able to use whatever I get from the Cornucopia."
"Diversification." Luciano laughed. "I like it. You're smarter than half of the kids here, going on what they already know. Smart people like you deserve to live and I can guarantee that."
"You…can?"
Luciano nodded, spinning Suzaku around and gesturing towards a group of tributes gathered together. "I already have a team and I can guarantee that you'll live through the first four days, maybe five. Long enough for the rest of them to die out."
Suzaku tried to fight back his disgust, distracting himself by carefully noting who was in Luciano's alliance. "Why?"
"Because I noticed you. That's something, right? Everyone is too busy noticing that weakling who volunteered for his crippled sister to see that you'll be the one to win."
"I don't know about that."
"Listen, your Area didn't do you any favors I'm guessing and they're probably set you up to push attention to their one star." Luciano lowered his voice, whispering in Suzaku's ear. "Unless you get the people's attention you'll get nothing, you'll be the one at a disadvantage, especially if you stay with that one. With me you'll get everything that you could need, because the emperor is sure to support me. Staying with me will get you noticed."
"I don't know. Lelouch is my friend…and we already have things planned." Suzaku tried to edge out from under Luciano's arm, flinching when he felt it tighten around his shoulders.
"You were friends, but that won't work in the arena. It's all about getting out alive, and staying with him won't do that. It'll just get you killed, and that would be a same. You want to win glory for your Area, don't you?" Luciano pulled his arm away. Suzaku relaxed only to stumble forward when Luciano slapped his shoulder. "Tell you what, I'll propose a deal with you. To be honest, there are people that I'd rather be without and your friend is one of them. I'll make sure that you stay alive, maybe until it's just the two of us if you let me kill him. I just want to see the crowd's golden boy bleed."
Suzaku reacted before he had thought his move through properly. It was habit to defend Lelouch, since he knew that Lelouch would always defend him. He also had been spending the past few nights sleeping and waking in starts as the nightmare of Lelouch being killed was played over and over in is mind. He didn't want a face to go with that nightmare.
He spun around and punched Luciano, automatically settling into a fighting stance as Luciano stumbled back. Suzaku took two steps to the side to keep his back away from Luciano's alliance. He hesitated just long enough to be sure his next hit would land before charging forward, using the momentum to send Luciano back into the table. For a moment, Suzaku considered picking up one of the knife and using it to threaten Luciano, but it would have taken things too far. He also didn't know if anyone would come and back them up or if he would be punished for his actions, and he wouldn't want Lelouch to suffer for this.
Suzaku stepped back, making sure to keep his hands by his sides. He wouldn't reach out and strangle Luciano, which would be going too far. There weren't any rules for this sort of thing, but Suzaku was sure because most tributes ignored all of the others. He didn't know why if it was different this year or if it even was any different. Maybe it was a way of letting off steam, but Suzaku couldn't be sure. The one thing that he could be sure about was that, if he didn't remove himself from the room, then he would do something that he would have ended up regretting.
He gave Luciano's alliance one last look before turning and storming to the door. It was far too early to be called away for the day, but there was nothing to keep him in the room, especially when it was likely that he was going to be killed for threatening Luciano like that. It wouldn't be fun for the people of Pendragon if they didn't have their twenty-four tributes ready to kill each other in the Games.
The doors gave way when he pushed on them, Suzaku glancing back over his shoulder long enough to see that the room was still frozen in a state of shock. He flinched when he saw Lelouch staring at him, almost ready to walk back into the room. There was no telling what Luciano would do to Lelouch in an attempt to get back at him, but to stay would be worse. Suzaku closed his eyes and walked out of the room, hoping that Lelouch would have the good sense to stay in a group or to just leave the room entirely. It wouldn't be according to the plan that the two of them had created and it would probably hurt them.
Suzaku walked quickly to the elevator, pressing the button harder than he had to. It was all that he could do to not punch the wall, even though he knew that it wouldn't do him any good. The dummy in the training room was starting to look very good, although Suzaku had been saving that for the night when they were scored, but he had probably blown his chance with that too. He knew that he looked mild mannered, and he helped that along with a friendly smile. Years of living in Area 11, of having to look after his father and himself had made him a little more dangerous than harmless, and that wasn't something that Suzaku was exactly proud of.
He looked up from the floor at the soft ding that signaled the arrival of the elevator. He quickly stepped in, pressing the button for his floor. A shout from the hallway made him look up, Suzaku not able to see who had called him before the doors had shut. He remained staring at the doors for a moment more before stumbling back to lean against the back of the elevator. He shivered and wrapped his arms around himself, taking deep breaths to calm himself down.
It had been a bad idea to push Lelouch to voice his feelings, it had just made Suzaku that more protective of him. Before it had been easy enough to convince himself that he was just seeing things, reading too far into what Lelouch was doing when he started to get overprotective. Of course, he had known that it wasn't true, but it had been enough. He had only brought it up with Lelouch to prepare himself for what would happen at the end of the Games. He was Lelouch's only close friend, but Suzaku was sure that he didn't know Lelouch well enough to be able to read Lelouch as well as Lelouch could read him. He had hoped that it would bring Lelouch some kind of closure for the end, but it had just ended up torturing him more. Now that he knew without a doubt that Lelouch felt the same about him, he didn't want to let that go.
He looked up when the elevator came to a stop, pushing away from the back wall and stumbling out into the hallway. Suzaku didn't know what Tohdoh and Cecile did while they were at training, but he could guess that Cecile met with the rest of their team to talk about the direction they were going. Suzaku couldn't see Tohdoh meeting up with the rest of the mentors, not since the man held such obvious disdain for the Games. Either way, Suzaku guessed that he was safe for the time being.
He turned and walked to the room that he and Lelouch were sharing, not bothering to turn on the light as he entered. Suzaku did slip off his shoes at the side of the bed before he crawled under the covers. He was still a bit sweaty from the training and Lelouch would yell at him for that, but it was Suzaku's side of the bed and he could do what he wanted. Suzaku huffed and pulled the covers over his head, aware that he was just acting like a child now, but that was far better than being in a rage, which was his other choice of reaction.
What Luciano had suggested, that Suzaku trade his life for Lelouch's, had disgusted him completely. What was worse was that Lelouch would have urged him to take up the offer in an attempt to think up another plan. Suzaku groaned and pressed his face into the pillow. Lelouch could plan all he wanted but nothing was going to change. They were either going to die in the first rush of the game or Suzaku was going to see the Games through long enough to see Lelouch the winner. He hated the outcome, he hated the idea that he wouldn't be there for Lelouch anymore, but it was for the best.
Lelouch was a prince of Britannia with a grudge toward the emperor and the corrupt government that was run by Charles zi Britannia. Suzaku knew that Lelouch's pride was hurt enough that Lelouch would make a move against the emperor, but he also knew that Lelouch wouldn't do anything until he was sure that his family was safe. Marianne had enough supporters to take care of her and Nunnally had been declared safe from the Games. With the popularity generated from her Reaping and Lelouch volunteering for her, the people would riot if the emperor tried to send Nunnally into the Hunger Games. That just left Suzaku out, but he would be dead by then and far beyond the reach of anyone that would hurt him. Lelouch would be free then to change what he wanted, and he wouldn't be stopped at that point, Lelouch would be too enraged by everything that happened.
It wasn't the best way to bring about change, but Suzaku had long since stopped looking for ways to do it carefully. There was no way that he could gain influence with the emperor, not with the Hunger Games still going.
The covers were yanked suddenly from over his head, Suzaku opening one eye. He wasn't surprised to see Lelouch kneeling over him, still breathing heavily. Lelouch had probably run after him, completely ignoring the fact that Luciano could have cornered him at any time between the training room and their floor and Suzaku wouldn't have been able to do anything about it. He sighed and closed his eye, pressing his face against the pillow again.
"No!" Lelouch grabbed his shoulder and pulled, Suzaku tempted to resist. In the end, he turned onto his back under the pressure, opening his eyes to look up at Lelouch. Lelouch didn't seem to notice the compromise, instead leaning over Suzaku and glaring at him. "You are going to explain to me what just happened."
Suzaku shrugged, staring at the ceiling as he tried to stall for him. "I was doing what you suggested."
"It didn't look like it."
"Well, I got Luciano to point out his alliance." Suzaku closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before beginning to recite the names of the tributes. "Monica Kruszweski, Sancia…I didn't catch her last name when they announced it, Nonette Enneagram and-"
"I don't care!"
Suzaku looked down at Lelouch, raising an eyebrow. "You should. It's important."
"It is important but more so at a later date. The information I really want is what just happened."
Suzaku sighed, shaking his head. "I can't stand Luciano."
"That doesn't explain why you punched him."
"He made a deal that I didn't like and that's all. You weren't punished for that, were you?"
Lelouch shook his head, finally getting off Suzaku and sitting on the other side of the bed. "I don't think any of them knew how to react. The other tributes were shocked, too shocked to really do anything." Lelouch chuckled, pulling one leg up and resting his hand on his bent knee. "It's been a while since I've seen you react like that, so it had to be something."
"I told you what it was already." Suzaku rolled to his other side, staring at the wall. Unless Luciano approached Lelouch to talk about the subject, which is something Suzaku doubted, he wouldn't tell Lelouch. "Just…try to keep from being alone."
"I can't be as careful as you want me to if you don't tell me what I need to avoid."
Suzaku smiled at the exasperated sound that Lelouch made, raising an eyebrow when Lelouch flopped over. "Just avoid Luciano."
"I was aware of that before, Suzaku." The little smile that Lelouch gave him showed that Lelouch wasn't patronizing him; Lelouch was just attempting to tease. "I thought the plan was to avoid him at all costs."
"It's not my fault he approached me." Suzaku glanced over at Lelouch. "He wanted be to join his alliance and I refused."
"Vehemently apparently."
"It wasn't an overreaction."
Lelouch huffed but didn't argue. He slid off the bed, rolling his shoulders. "Are you going to stay here for the rest of the day?"
"Yes. What about you?"
"Well, I don't think you would let me go back down there alone, so I might as well keep you out of trouble up here. You have told me on multiple occasions to relax."
"Which you won't." Suzaku dodged the weak slap that was directed at him, sitting up as Lelouch walked back to the door.
In response Lelouch just waved his hand. "There are more important things to do at the moment, like trying to get Cecile on our side before Tohdoh finds out about what you did."
Suzaku winced. Tohdoh would have encouraged him to use some other method as he had only managed to piss Luciano off. If he had thought about what he had done a bit longer, he could have come up with something else, something that would have made Luciano hate the two of them less. He sighed and stood up. "You're our damage control?"
"Of course. What other choice do I have? You'll just look miserable and take a lecture that you don't deserve." Lelouch opened the door and gestured to the hallway. "It's to our advantage that this will be kept quiet. No one wants to ruin the image of the hard working tributes"
Suzaku wasn't as sure as Lelouch, but he was sure that Lelouch and Cecile would be able to twist the story to their advantage. Lelouch was the crowd's favorite after all, and Luciano was just another uninteresting tribute from Area 2 and he would remain that way until the Hunger Games actually started. Suzaku was sure that the people's loyalty would change then, and it wouldn't be to their advantage. The people wanted to back the tribute that would win and Luciano looked every inch the winner.
Nunnally was taken aback when she entered the room that served as Prince Schneizel's office. She had expected something more like the drawing room, not that the office wasn't elegant. It was neat and the furniture was obviously expensive if not an antique from the past glories of the empire. What surprised Nunnally the most was the fact that the office only had the essentials, what decoration there was were on the furniture. It looked different, like it was actually used.
She turned to look at the door, waiting for it to open. Schneizel had waved them in without looking at them as a man had come running up with a folder. The prince would return to them when his business was done, but there was no telling how long that would take. Nunnally folded her hands in her lap, glancing between the door and the desk. At this point, Nunnally wasn't sure if she wanted to speak to Prince Schneizel. It was necessary for her plan to work, but the man she had seen in the hall was intimidating.
Nunnally looked down at her hands as Euphemia reached over to hold them to stop their shaking. She was about to give Euphemia her thanks when the door opened, her whole attention going to Schneizel.
The prince crossed the room to sit behind the desk, a different man trailing him and holding the folder. Schneizel paid the man no attention, his focus going immediately to Euphemia. Nunnally was surprised to see Schneizel before he spoke to her. "It's good to see you again. Everything going well in your Area?"
"At the moment, but it looks like I may have to dedicate my time to rebuilding after the Games." Euphemia frowned. "Father may not care, but I refuse to let my people live in squalor. But that is something for another time. We have a more pressing matter."
Schneizel's gaze flicked over to Nunnally for a moment before his attention went back to Euphemia. He much a small motion for Euphemia to continue.
"It's about one of the tributes from Area 11, I assume you already know."
Schneizel pressed his fingers together. "I've been looking into it, but Clovis has shown a rare streak of brilliance in protecting those he's hidden. I have managed to verify the tribute's identity enough to be sure that it's Lelouch."
"Then you know that Father has violated the rules of the Games."
"As he has done before." Schneizel leaned forward, his smile disappearing. "But we were all too young to act before and the last member of royalty in the Games deserved his end. This time it is someone who could convince the people to love him and probably already has by saving his sister. Forgive me for waiting so long to acknowledge you, Princess Nunnally, but you caught me by surprise. I would never have predicted that you would come up yourself."
Nunnally jumped at being addressed as a princess, but managed to keep herself from stammering out a stupid question. Instead she tipped her head up slightly. "Since you know all of this already, will you help me?"
Schneizel didn't answer immediately. Instead he sat back in his chair and stared at the both of them. After a long moment of silence, Schneizel sighed and shook his head. "Do you have a plan?"
"To get my brother and his friend out of the Games. But what I really want to do is to stop the Games entirely." Nunnally swallowed, aware that she had started to blush. "But I don't have much more of a plan past talking to those that could help me."
"But you're not going to the emperor."
"He wouldn't recognize my complaint. I'm just another girl from the Areas to him."
"The emperor is the only one with that kind of power, but it should be easy enough. I'm sure that there are enough of the people from the Area who want to see Charles zi Britannia off the throne." He made a motion with his hand, the man walking over to the bookshelf. "Most of the nobles share the same sentiments as they are all terrified that the emperor will turn his attention to them and try to destroy them. They'll back you if you call for a coup."
She stared at Schneizel, trying to follow his line of thought. Lelouch was much more straightforward, mostly because she could read what he was thinking from his face as he moved from point to point. Schneizel's face was completely blank, and his final conclusion had shocked her. She just wanted to stop the Games not upset the government, but she had to admit that Schneizel had a point. It would make many things easier if they just removed the most pressing problem. Nunnally sighed and shook her head. "That shouldn't be our first step. We should barter with Father before we move against him."
The smile was back on Schneizel's face and Nunnally didn't know what to make of it. It reminded her slightly of the smile Lelouch showed when he was being sincere, but she couldn't be sure. Nunnally sat back, trying to work out what Schneizel was really saying as he spoke. "That's the method that has been used for years already and nothing has changed. Nobility will flatter him only to be put to death for something they said seventeen years ago. Loyal soldiers will make good decisions and be killed instead of rewarded. The only avenue left to us is to take control."
"But that would make it worse for the people!" Nunnally leaned forward, feeling Euphemia rest a steadying hand on her arm. "While the emperor is being deposed others will take it upon themselves to take advantage of the situation. Even then, how can we reassure the people that nothing like this will ever happen again?"
Euphemia squeezed her arm. "I agree with Nunnally, it should be done quietly without disrupting the country too much. They're on edge enough."
Nunnally thought she saw Schneizel slump for a second, but she was distracted as the man slid a folder across Schneizel's desk. The prince flipped the folder open and began shuffling through the papers. "I concede that it is the better way to go about things, but we may have to resort to force if the plan gets out of hand. Sometimes you have no choice but to take the harshest route."
He flipped through the papers, a frown on his face. "What is your plan, if you could do it your way?"
Nunnally shrugged. "Talk to the people and try to convince them to help us." She paused for a moment, thinking over what she had just said. It was too vague, too weak and she knew it. People reacted best to things that could easily be proven, things that they could see as the truth. Nunnally leaned forward in her seat. "We'd need facts to tell them, facts that can easily be proven."
That had Schneizel smiling again. "So you want to erode his support from the outside."
"Yes."
"Then permit me to propose a second plan. While you work on the people I will start work on the inside. By the time that the people call for a new emperor there will be one ready to take the throne."
Nunnally held herself back from answering immediately, resting a hand on Euphemia's arm to keep her from answering as well. She wanted to be able to trust Schneizel, but she didn't want to just go into the plan without hearing all the parts of it. "We'll have to be in constant communication. We're working together for the good of the people."
"Of course. It would be catastrophic if we disagreed with what the other does."
Euphemia pulled away from Nunnally with a laugh. "Thank you Schneizel!"
He just nodded. "Don't thank me; this has been put off for far too long." Schneizel glanced back at the man that stood behind him. "I'll speak to a few people to gauge how simple it will be. I don't expect this to take more than a day or two to look. I'll supply the proof for the two of you and I'll bring you along with me when I gather our supporters together."
Nunnally nodded. "Thank you Schneizel."
Schneizel stood up, handing the folder back to the man. "It was good to finally see you Nunnally. If all goes as we plan, feel free to remain in Pendragon as long as you like, and extend the invitation to Lady Marianne. I think she'll find that the whole palace misses her."
He walked out of the room before Nunnally could thank him again. She turned to look at Euphemia, surprised to see her smiling. Euphemia bent down to hug Nunnally. "It will work!"
"I don't-"
"You can trust Schneizel, you really can." Euphemia rocked back onto her heels. "He just wants to help. I can't remember the last time that he did anything for himself."
"But he's in the position to take the throne."
"He won't. He's already the prime minister of Britannia and viceroy of Area 1. He knows what that power feels like, so he knows well enough to not go for the throne."
Nunnally wasn't sure if she should believe Euphemia. She wanted to think well of Schneizel, but she wasn't too sure of herself. Schneizel had been ready to use force to take their father from the throne, and she was worried about that. If a war was started it would be far too easy to forget about the tributes in the Game or try to kill them all to threaten the Areas again.
Nunnally shivered, offering a smile to Euphemia. "He's just a bit intimidating."
"Well that's Schneizel. He has to be to get anything done. Father can be relentlessly stubborn." Euphemia hesitated for a moment before standing up. "Father doesn't pay us much attention in this first place because he prefers to chase after his projects so it's left us to take care of ourselves. It might be going too far to compare what happens among us to the Hunger Games, but sometimes I feel like I can sympathize with the tributes, but at least I get second chances.
"Anyway, you can trust Schneizel when it comes to the Games. He really does want to stop them as much as you do. Kanon was in one of them." Nunnally tipped her head to the side, Euphemia elaborating after a moment of silence. "His aide, the man that was in here. Kanon won the Hunger Games twelve years ago. He wasn't supposed to have gone, there was already a male tribute for Area 1, but Kanon's sister insulted the emperor by refusing his hand in marriage so the emperor put Kanon into the Games as punishment. Schneizel didn't even come up that year and father was so angry." Euphemia wrapped her arms around herself. "Schneizel knows what it feels like to have someone dear forced to compete and the fear that they won't win. If he makes a promise about the Games, then he'll keep it."
Nunnally was surprised by the sudden change in Euphemia's usually sunny demeanor. Out of everything that Euphemia could have told her to convince her of Schneizel's loyalty, the fact that Schneizel had been in the same situation as she was had come as a surprise. It also made her a bit less wary about Schneizel's real plans, although she still worried about them. She sighed and shook her head. If it would get Lelouch and Suzaku out of the Games, then she was willing to take any help that was offered, but she would fight for a peaceful resolution until the end. She didn't want to even think about what would have to happen for her to give up that idea.
She allowed Euphemia to wheel her into the hallway, folding her hands in her lap. Tomorrow she and Euphemia would start talking about their plans, although she was afraid that they would have to wait until the Games started to get any attention for themselves. It would be too hard to compete with what the people were required to watch. At least when the Games started there would be times when nothing was broadcast, there was only one channel that kept a constant stream of the action.
They would make their then, speaking to the people when the violence and death were the most effective. There had been time enough to forget how horrible the Games really were. If they left it too long, then the slaughter would just become common place again, just another form of entertainment. It was in that between those times that they would make their move.