2018 a.t.b.
He was too relieved to know what to say. Countless times he feared she'd be lost to him. This instance was the worst. He sat, listening to her voice, relief washing over him in large, forceful waves. She was here. She was alive.
"In the end, Brother didn't kill me," she said, recounting the events that had brought her to this dreaded place. "He does not possess a desire. In more peaceful times, he would have made an excellent king. I must be foolish for not having been able to realize that."
Cornelia took his hand, a gesture she hadn't made in years. Yet, her hand fit perfectly in his, as it had all those years before. Guilford's fingers jumped back to life with the spark her touch gave him. It was as though he was reawakened from a rather long and horrid dream.
His heart was racked with so many emotions he could not properly express himself. He simply broke down and wept. Wept with joy. With relief. With gratitude. With a tinge of actual sadness. With hope.
"Princess," he whispered. He could practically feel her smile. She gently tightened her fingers around his.
"You still call me that?" She asked. It was true; Cornelia had been stripped of her title. But her title was never what mattered to him. When he addressed her as Princess, it was not only in acknowledgement of her rank, but an expression of love. Whether or not the people of Britannia recognized her as their Princess, she would always be his princess.
"Guilford," she sighed sweetly, bringing his fingers to her lips. "How I've missed you."
The two were merely content to sit in the silence. Being in each other's presence, a privilege they had both been depraved of for far too long, was enough. Their fingers were intertwined, proving that this moment was real.
Their future did not look too bright, Guilford had realized. Now that Lelouch was in power and Schneizel was no longer a formidable opponent, their search for peace would be increasingly difficult. Yet, Guilford wasn't as daunted by this thought as he thought he might be. With Cornelia, even the severest of punishments seemed less harsh. He gave him hope that he wouldn't have otherwise. His determination was reborn. When the time was right, when both he and Cornelia were healed, they would become the Spearhead and the Princess once again. They would lead a rebellion against Lelouch. Guilford was prepared to fight to the death if he had to. He always had been.
But for now, this moment with Cornelia was the only thing he desired. It had been far too long since he'd heard her voice.