Hi everyone thanks for the amazing reviews. Sorry for taking long with the update, i was focusing on my other stories. I hope u guys will like this chapter. Some may want the story to progress faster, others want longer chapters. But for now this chapter will have to do. Got midterms to study for. But once my midterms are over i will try to update faster.

Well that is all for now enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: i do not own code geass.

Chapter 2: Sorrow for a loved one

Luluko's mother, Lady Marianne vi Britania, was like a bronze statue as she watched the pyre consume yet another of her children on Mourner's Rock. Fire light gave a copper cast to her fair skin, the shadows matching the onyx of her hair and her violet dry eyes, her ears gracefully up on her head.

Little Nunnally was beside Luluko trying her best to hold in her tears. Knowing Ailurans are not meant to show emotions.

Xingke was also there in the background keeping an eye out for Luluko ready to catch her before she faints from fatigue.

Earlier the Royal Guards had been present; they had brought the body here and built the pyre. But as the fire snapped in its last moments, only the family of the deceased remained. It made it brutally plain how few of them were left.

Marianne and Luluko held silent vigil until the last ember had turned gray and the wind had whipped the ashes into the sky.

When the silence was broken, Marianne's words were even and clear, betraying none of the pain or anger that she must have felt. "Luluko, you're not to go back to the fields," she commanded. "I know your view on the subject. I also know you will be queen in barley a month. Your people need you."

Among the Ailurans, the heir traditionally became queen when she carried her first child. That did not seem a likely occurrence for her anytime soon, but her mother decided it was time for power to change hands despite tradition.

"Yes, Mother."

Luluko had been preparing to take the throne ever since her older sisters died when she was ten, but her mother had rarely approved of her methods. Luluko knew going to the fields was dangerous, as was visiting anyone outside the heavily defended Fildae's Den, but how could she rule her people if she refused to leave the safety of her home? She could not know them if she never faced the world they lived in, and that included spattered blood of the fields.

For now, she held her tongue. This was not the time to argue. Especially when she almost lost her own life just a few days ago. She, herself, was surprised that she was capable of standing at that moment. But, half way through the ceremony, she started to feel dizzy again. It was probably a sign to go back to her quarters and rest.

She remembered how awful she was two days ago.

As soon as Luluko and her men were safely away from their enemy. The pain in her left side began to burn even more, making her fall to the ground.

"Princess, are you okay?" Xingke was by her side in a matter of seconds. She could not remain conscious much longer. The poison that the lycans carry within their claws was now starting to take effect. If they did not hurry and treat her quickly she could be dead in minutes.

'I can't die. Not yet!' was the last thing that went through her mind before she lost consciousness.

Later, when Luluko awoke, she was a bit startled and disoriented, but after she took in her surroundings, noticing it was her room, she relaxed . Not after a few seconds had passed she tried to move, and a shock of pain in her left side was the only response to her movement. Anything else did not want to obey. She felt like lead. Also she felt sticky and suffocated.

She tried to remember the last thing that happened before she lost consciousness. Ah! Yes she remembers the poison was kicking in.

It explains why she was paralyzed on the bed and felt horrible. She was suffering the aftermath of the poison. She must have had a fever and sweated all the poison out of her system after taking the antidote. She knew she was lucky. Many of her people had died from that poison. Until she had found a cure, she had lost so many of her dear friends to that poison.

But it was not as simple as that, even thought she had discovered an antidote for her people, who at the time rejoiced for the discovery, she now needed to rest. She can sense that the poison is not fully out of her system. This won't be the last of her fevers and she knew she would be stuck to this bed at least for two days writhing in pain.

By the time she found sleep that night again, back in the Fildae's Royal Den, her throat was tight with too many tears unshed, screams unuttered and prayers whose words she could never seem to find.

Luluko shook her head trying to get rid of the horrible memories of the pain. She was still in pain and could barely move, but the ceremony of her brother could wait no longer. Apparently her mother wanted her to be there for the ceremony. She wanted her to have the chance to say goodbye to her beloved brother. Xingke had to carry her here.

Marianne left before Luluko and Nunnally left. When she shifted and stretched her legs, a black and orange mist seemed to have formed around her, half a dozen tigers and jaguars guarding her even here in their own kingdom.

As soon as she was out of site Luluko turned toward Nunnally who began to let out her tears. Nunnally was on her knees crying. Luluko wanted to bend down but she could not risk reopening her wounds. Coming out of the shadows, Xingke was at once at Luluko's side helping her to bend down.

"Thought you may needed a hand there." Xingke told her telepathically.

Luluko just gave him a half hearted smile. She was more preoccupied with her little sister.

As Luluko was finally at Nunnally's side she leaned into her sister gently. Luluko stayed silent and just let her wept. Nunnally felt safe with her sister and knew she would not be reprimand for letting her emotions get the better of her. Long ago the sisters made a pact that they would never hide anything from each other.

Thus, there were no secrets between them, no unhidden emotions; they made this pact in this time of war, because it was good to have at least one shoulder to cry on.

"Lulu, why did big brother have to die?" Nunnally said between her crying.

Luluko did not know how to answer that question. She thought best not to answer.

Nunnally continued.

"Why is this war still going on? We do not even know the reason anymore why we are fighting the Lycans? Lulu please don't leave me to. What I am most afraid of is being left alone, behind."

Luluko knew exactly what would calm her down. The song she often sang for those she could not save after she tried her best to heal them. And so she began to sing. The songs were about freedom. They were about children, able to play and sing and dance without worrying that they would be harmed.

The song she loved most of all, though was the one her mother used to sing to her when she was a child, before she had been given round-the-clock nurses, maids, servants and guards. It was from long before her mother had become a distant queen with too much dignity to show affection even to her last remaining daughters. Luluko would have given up all the pampering and all the respect she had earned those past few years if she could have climbed into her mother's arms and gone back to a time when she was still too young and innocent to understand that her father, her sisters and now her little brother had been butchered in this war, which had been going on so long, nobody could tell anymore what it was about or who started it.

Luluko had heard of Ailurans s and Lycans who lived five hundred years or more, but no one did that now. Not in a time when both sides slaughtered each other so frequently, and so efficiently.

The only two male children left to inherit the Lycans throne was Suzaku Kururugi and Seiryu Kururugi. They are creatures whose name was rarely mentioned in polite Ailurans's society, and if they died… hopefully the murderous royal house of the Lycans would die with them.

But, now that her sister lay before her crying she could not muster any anger towards them. All she could do was sing gently the old childhood lullaby Forlorn Hope, the one her mother sung to her long ago.

Fall asleep in my arms dear child

It's what these arms are for

Stay by my side until dawn light

Let no harm come to you

Sing to you a lullaby

You could learn if you'd like

When you know the melody

You could lull yourself to sleep

When you awake my dear one

May you grow in wisdom and strength

May you speak peace forever

And leave his lies in your step

Sing to you a lullaby

You could learn if you'd like

When you know the melody

You could lull yourself to sleep

Lull yourself to sleep

Lull yourself to sleep…

After the song Nunnally was fast asleep in the arms of Luluko. Luluko wanted to laugh. Over time Nunnally had started a bad habit of falling asleep when she felt all her worries were gone. That mostly took place in Lulu's arms. So she could not really blame the child, she encouraged it after all. Not few seconds later as if on cue, just when Luluko wanted to leave, Xingke was already at her side, and another guard on her other side ready to take Nunnally out of her arms.

The trusted guard carried Nunnally in his arms and began walking towards the Royal Den. Xingke was about to do the same.

"Xingke you know you don't have to do that, I can walk." Of course that was a lie. Due to her wounds Luluko was even barely able to stand let alone walk or even shape shift. But who would want to admit that being carried around was embarrassing. It was understandable for Nunnally since she was fourteen, but a women of her age, eighteen, was pushing it.

Xingke laughed and ignored her statement. He knew she was lying, seeing the blush on her face. "C'mon princess you have nothing to be ashamed about." And with that he gathered Luluko in his arms and began to head to the Royal Den.

It was late when Luluko returned to the Royal Den, the tower that housed what was left of her family, the highest-ranking soldier and the most prominent artisans, merchants and speakers of the Ailuran's court.

With her mother's command, the seven floors of the Den had changed from her safe home to her prison. Instead of being a refuge from the blood and pain, the walls were suddenly a trap keeping her from reality. However, at least she was able to attend to the wounded.

With Xingke standing near in case of trouble that never occurred inside, Luluko sighed looking over the multiple faces of injured Ailurans. She had done all she could. Xingke now came to her side and she leaned into him so he could transport her somewhere where she could rest awhile before she turns in for the night.

Xingke brought her to the first floor, fifteen feet above the ground-level courtyards and training grounds. She watched the last of the merchants pack their belonging, some grateful to have rooms in the higher levels of the Den, but most were wary of the world they would be returning to when they left.

Market lasted from dawn to dusk. Merchants and storytellers would gather on the first floor, along with common people, and during the day the Queen and her heirs—her two heirs' left- would go among them and listen for complaints. The artisans had nearly been strangled out of the Ailurans society by the war, but Luluko's mother has started encouraging the ones who remained to show their wares. The Ailurans market was famous for its craftsmanship, and losing those arts completely would have been tragic.

Along with crafts, custom weapons and other fine luxuries, stories and gossip could be found at the market. This was where merchants, farmers and anyone else who did not fight hear all the details.

Luluko has seen enough lycan soldiers fallen beside her own over the years, and now, with the image of her brother and that of Seiryu Kururugi branded into her mind, she was reminded once again that the Lycan's were just as mortal as her own kind. However, fear makes all enemies more dangerous, and the stories told in the marketplace on this night were as sickening as ever.

At least they did not heard how she would help heal the enemy, if not she would never hear the end of it from her people and her mother. However, she heard stories of parents who lamented their dead children. On young man breaking down in tears, a display of emotion quite unseemly in the Ailuran society, as he recalled his father's death. Gossip traveled like a rive: how the Lycans fought like the demons that legends said they had taken their power from, how their eyes could kill you if you looked into them long enough, how…

Luluko tried to stop listening.

Her people greeted her with polite words, just as they had many times before. Another leopard child was dead, along with a dozen of the Royal Guard, a score of tigers- another team, just below her personal guards in rank—eighteen common soldiers who had joined the fray when they saw their prince fall. So many dead, and nothing had changed.

"Milady?"

Luluko turned toward the merchant who had spoken, a metalsmith of good reputation. "Can I help

you?"

He was wringing his hands, but stopped as soon as she spoke, his gaze dropping. When he looked up again, his face was composed. He held out a package carefully wrapped in soft leather, placing it on the counter for her to see. "My pair bond was among the Tigers who fell yesterday. I had been working on this for her, but if milady Luluko would wear it, I would be honored."

The gift he offered was a slender boot knife, etched with simple yet beautiful symbols of faith

and luck. She accepted the blade, hoping she would never need it, but saying aloud, "It is lovely. I'm sure

your pair bond would appreciate that it is not going to waste."

The merchant replied, "Perhaps it might protect you when you go out again."

"Thank you, sir."

"Thank you, milady."

She turned from him with a sigh that she was careful not to let him hear. It was already too late for either side to win; this war needed to stop. Whatever the cost.

'If only I knew how to end it.'

"Luluko?"

Luluko knew the young woman who approached her now from when they had both been children. Cecilia was an eternal romantic, with grand dreams that Luluko wished she could make come true. The last time Luluko had heard from her had been a few years before, when she had just been apprenticed by a seamstress.

Luluko's smile was genuine as she greeted C.C. warmly calling her by her old nickname. "C.C., good evening. What brings you to the Den?"

"I'm finally allowed to sell my work in the market," she returned brightly.

"I was in charge of the shop today." The smile she wore faded to a somber expression.

"I wanted to tell you… I heard what happened yesterday. With Seiryu Kururugi." She shook her head.

"I know none of this is proper to say, but I like to think we were friends when we were children?" I nodded, and she continued.

"When I heard what had happened, it gave me hope. If the heir to the throne can put aside the past and

just try to save lives no matter who or what they are… perhaps anything is possible." She looked away, suddenly awkward.

"Thank you, C.C." The prospect made Luluko wanted to laugh and to cry; she settled on a tired smile. Luluko did meet her gaze; Luluko hoped C.C. saw her gratitude. "Run with grace."

"You as well, milady." They parted ways, and now Xingke moved to her side. As always, he knew when she needed to escape and rest. His presence would dissuade anyone else from approaching before she could do so. Luluko wondered if he had heard C.C.'s words, but they did not speak before Xingke took her to her quarters.

Luluko told Xingke to stop at the fifth floor, where his flight was quartered; and that she could continue on her own to her room on the next floor. Xingke, of course, refused knowing full well if he placed her on her feet she would fall on her bottom because she was so tired, and her injury still needed to heal properly. As they passed the door to her brother's quarters, she whispered a final goodbye just before they had entered her own.

Hope you all had liked the chapter. please leave reviews to let me know what you guys think. it will help me to write stuff you guys would want in such a story. well till next time XD. ttly