Turn 05
"So you've decided to recruit an Eleven into the Student Council."
It was not a question, and Milly knew it. If she didn't know her grandfather very well, she would have been surprised at how quickly he had learned about Haruna's induction. As it was, very few things happened in the school that the elderly Ashford wouldn't know about.
"Yes, grandfather."
Her reply was short and to the point. There was no use for reasons or arguments as her grandfather didn't tolerate those. For Ruben K. Ashford, only the facts mattered.
Standing in front of his desk and seeing his back turned toward her while he faced the window, Milly could not help but grimace. Amid the silence that pervaded the room after she had answered, she could easily sense her grandfather's mood. He was not angry—his temper wouldn't rise at the slightest provocation—but Milly could feel a great disappointment coming from the old headmaster. It was obvious by the stiff posture of his body, his spine straight as a steel rod.
Milly bit her bottom lip. She wanted to be the one to bring the news to her grandfather first, but circumstances brought the tidings to him before she could do it. Now, she had to face the full force of his displeasure without proper excuses. Not the first time she had, fortunately. Every time she would turn down a candidate for her marriage, the elderly Ashford would always be displeased.
"Why did you do it, Milly?"
She hesitated. Why did she do it, really? It was certainly quick and sudden, a decision made right on the spot, an action not unusual for her. She always did things on a whim, and many could attest to that. It didn't help that the boy she thought was smarter than her had not even bothered to help her sort the problems in the school she faced. Not to mention, she just wanted to stop the fighting between her fellow students.
But were those valid reasons?
Then she remembered the brief argument between Lelouch and Suzaku. And she realized at once why she had invited Haruna in the first place.
Taking a deep breathe, she finally answered, "Grandfather, I know what I did will cause the majority of the Britannian students and their families to think less of us. But I did what I have to. I invited the girl because I think it will help me bridge the gap between the Japanese and Britannians, even if it is only in this school."
If her grandfather was surprised at how she used the word "Japanese" instead of the name Britannia had replaced it with, he didn't show it. Instead, the old headmaster chuckled and said with a hint of amusement, "A gap that stems from our natural hatred of all those we deem lesser and weaker than us."
"Does it really have to be that way, though?" Milly said softly, casting her gaze down on the floor with a sigh.
"It is the way Britannia works, my dear grandchild," the headmaster said. "You of all people should know that by now."
"Yes," Milly's voice suddenly had a sharp edge. "Because we Ashfords have been treated the same."
She hated the way many people looked down on her family just because they were no longer nobles. And she hated even more the fact that her grandfather had to marry her off to someone with a nobility status just to regain the prestige and title her family had once held. Was a person's status in society really a testament of one's capabilities? She didn't think so. The late Empress Marianne vi Britannia was once a commoner, but that didn't stopped her from being a Knight of Three, and ultimately, an Empress of the most powerful nation in the world.
"A harsh treatment it may be, but a justified one nevertheless," he said. "Britannian politics has always been a bloody game, and we should be glad we were not killed. I've seen many of my friends suffered such a misfortune." There was a pause, and he glanced over his shoulders.
"It didn't have to do anything with the young prince and the knight, does it?" he asked with raised eyebrows.
"No, grandfather," Milly shook her head. "It's..." she stopped mid-sentence, then sighed and finally admitted, "Well, those two might have influenced my decision just a bit. But they are not the cause."
"Is that so?" he regarded her for a moment. After a while, Ruben Ashford turned away, returning his gaze outside the window once more.
Minutes passed, and the headmaster remained silent throughout. Milly shifted uneasily on her feet. She knew her grandfather always thought over things for long periods of time, but she was getting impatient. She still had a lot of work to do; preparations for the school event she was planning to host in three days.
At last, Ruben Ashford finally turned around to face her, revealing the aged face of a man with merry dark blue eyes that bespoke of a great intellect and wit, but hid a steely personality underneath. "Very well, Milly, I will let this pass."
Milly sighed in relief. "Thank you, grandfa—"
"But," he interrupted her with slightly narrowed eyes, "do not presume that the noble families would as well. They will not take this lightly, and I'm certain I will find many complaints tomorrow, if not today."
The implications of what he said was not lost on Milly, and she balled her hands behind her, but remained calm and composed. "I will take responsibility for everything that may happen, grandfather."
"As I know you would," he mused. "Just remember, you are our only hope to regain our lost honor. Never forget that."
"I won't," she murmured, looking down to hide the sad expression she wore.
"Very well, you may go now."
With a wave of his hand, Ruben Ashford finally dismissed her. Bowing her head, Milly said, "Thank you, headmaster," then spun on her heels and exited through the oaken doors.
Despite Lelouch's initial misgivings, Haruna actually proved to be an excellent addition to the student council.
Her earlier statement about not being good in anything else except in baking pudding was a complete lie. She was a hard worker, and even though she had just been a member several hours ago, the Eleven already did more than what the entire council could have done in the same timeframe. She had finished helping him and Rivalz review the club budget, much to the latter's relief. And to think that her worst subject was Math, as she had revealed the moment Milly requested her assistance.
Not only that, but she was good in most subjects as well... and kind. So good and kind, in fact, that he managed to convinced her to do his homework for him without even using his Geass.
Oh yes! Milly really did made the right choice. Now, he was free to formulate his plan to rescue Nunnally without being burdened by assignments.
With a small grin, he twirled the Black King chess piece in his fingers. Sitting alone in a secluded corner of the library, close to the secret entrance leading to the SIA headquarters below the campus, it was the perfect location to brainstorm ideas. Quiet without anyone nearby to bother him; just what he needed to plot his schemes. Moreover, as his spot was cleverly hidden by a large bookshelf, it would be hard for any of his friends to locate him.
"LELOUCH LAMPEROUGE!"
Except for Shirley, that is.
Like a shrieking banshee, her voice rang throughout the library. Quickly peeking around the side, Lelouch saw her standing in the doorway with a scowl, Haruna close behind wearing an expression of embarrassment. Already, a few students were giving them heated glares, and he caught a glimpse of the librarian approaching the two girls, an angry look on her face.
Jumping to his feet, Lelouch relocated to another table as fast as he could, further away from the hidden elevator. Even though there was only a minuscule chance that either of the two would discover the secret entrance, he didn't want to take the risk. It was a necessary precaution, too; if they actually find it, or anyone else for that matter, by some cruel joke of fate, he would not be suspected of possessing any knowledge regarding the elevator. The only person he had to worry about was Suzaku. But since he had Villetta, Rolo, and the SIA wrapped around his fingers, the Knight of Seven would not suspect anything.
He heard the librarian threatened the girls of being banned from the library. Shirley apologized, promising to never shout again. Then there were hurried footsteps, and a pissed off Shirley appeared around the corner.
"There you are," she said with a glare. Beside her, Haruna busied herself looking down on the floor, clutching a stack of papers which, upon taking a look, Lelouch realized were his assignments.
Comprehension dawned on him in an instant. Managing an innocent smile that feigned ignorance, Lelouch said, "Ah, Shirley! What brings you here?"
She scowled once more, and marched toward him. "Is it true that you asked Haruna to do your assignments for you?"
Lelouch smiled wider. "Ah, about that—"
"Is it true, Lelouch?" she repeated with more force in her voice.
He flicked his gaze toward Haruna who expertly avoided it by pretending to read one of his essays. Out of the corner of his eyes, he caught several of the students whispering and pointing in their direction. He was sure that by tomorrow morning, him, Shirley, and Haruna would be the primary subjects of rumors and gossips.
Seeing no escape from this mess, Lelouch sighed in defeat and finally admitted, "Yes."
For a moment, Shirley could only gape at him like a fish out of water. "Lelouch!" she said before smacking him on the head with a book from a nearby shelf.
"Shirley!" the former prince yelped and quickly placed some distance between him and his friend while rubbing his head. "What was that for?"
"What was that for?" she hissed. "You idiot! Sneaking away during the middle of class to gamble, I can let pass. Prioritizing your addiction to playing chess over your studies, I can also let pass. But asking someone to do your assignments for you just so you can gamble is going too far!"
Lelouch winced. Shirley's voice rose at the last sentence, and he was sure the librarian would ban her now. But more than that, he was also certain that Shirley would be more watchful of his activities, something he didn't ever wanted. The last thing he needed was another pair of eyes tracking his every movement.
"Shirley, let me explain," Lelouch tried to placate the young Fenette, to no avail.
"I don't need your explanation," she snapped. "What is wrong with you, Lelouch? It's your job to set an example for Rolo. But here you are foregoing your education just to gamble. Not only that, but you are being a bad influence by taking him along with you during your gambling sessions! That's not what a brother should do!"
If not for the fact that the situation would only get worse, Lelouch almost gave in to the temptation to tell Shirley that he didn't care what could happen to Rolo considering the assassin was not even related to him, and that his education was next to useless in his goal to obliterate Britannia. But he controlled himself, simply adapting an apologetic look.
"Sorry," he muttered.
With a huff, Shirley said, "No, don't say sorry to me. Apologize to Haruna instead."
Lelouch blinked, then sighed. Fine. If that's what would make his friend stop, he'll do it. Grumbling to himself, he addressed the Eleven with a forced smile, "Sorry about that, Haruna. I promise it won't happen again." Still smiling, he glanced at Shirley as if to say, "Happy now?"
Haruna finally looked at him, her expression slightly amused. "It's alright, Mister Lelouch. I'm glad to be able to help in any way I can."
Lelouch frowned. "Why are you calling me, 'Mister'? You're making it sound like I'm older than I really am."
"It's been the same with me. She's always calling me, 'Miss Shirley'," Shirley stared at Haruna, perplexed. "Why is that, Haruna?"
The girl hesitated, then cast a furtive glance over her shoulders toward the other Britannian students nearby before saying, "Well, 'Mister' is the closest equivalent to our honorific '-san', and you know we can't say that anymore." She lowered her gaze in sadness.
"Ah." Understanding crossed Lelouch's expression. When Britannia had conquered Japan, the word 'Japanese' was not the only thing that was stripped away from the proud nation; anything to do with Japan as a whole had been as well. That included their use of honorifics; their culture and traditions; their manga and anime; the use of their songs and national anthem; even food. Everything that defined them had been forbidden, and they had been living as a husk of their former selves since then.
"But that's not really a strict rule, right?" said Shirley, glancing at Lelouch. "I mean, Rolo calls him 'Nii-san' all the time."
"Privately, yes, it's not a strict rule," the Eleven girl said. "But in public and to the ears of most Britannians. . ."
Her voiced trailed off as she left that last part of her sentence unspoken, but Lelouch understood the meaning nonetheless. There was a punishment for violating the rules implemented to the Japanese; the worst was a public execution. If they so much as uttered a single word in Nihonggo, their native language, or write in Kanji, they would be immediately arrested, placed on trial, and depending on the gravity of the offense, would either spent many years in jail or be put to death.
"Aren't you an Honorary Britannian?" asked Shirley.
On the other hand, Honorary Britannians were less bound by these laws, though they still had to abide by it. Suzaku once told Lelouch, before he became a Knight of the Round, he was still able to speak in Nihonggo to his fellow countrymen without receiving punishment. Of course, they had to do it when no pure-bloods were around, but they didn't had to fear death, unlike the non-Honoraries.
"No," Haruna shook her head. "My family chose to remain as regular citizens, even if we have to live in the ghettos. Besides, I don't think I'll accept if someone offered. It's wrong to swear loyalty to another country just to be able to practice your homeland's traditions without receiving punishment. That will only defeat the purpose."
"Oh."
Sympathy welled up inside Lelouch. This was Britannia's way of killing the citizen's patriotism of the country they had invaded; by removing their own identities. They were many who had little to none in the first place, and the empire had quickly established their dominance on those countries, forcing their own culture which the people had embraced with open arms. But for Japan who had a long history and whose citizens still had the blood of the samurais, patriotism was one thing they would never cast away, even if it meant secretly practicing their traditions and fighting their oppressors, no matter the cost. Hence, the abundance of terrorist groups and resistance cells like the Order of the Black Knights and Japanese Liberation Front.
And the reason why Zero existed in the first place.
"Well, in that case, there's nothing to fear," Lelouch said. "We won't report you, and I'm sure the others won't try anything now that you are part of the student council. You could use honorifics, if you really want to."
Haruna smiled, but shook her head. "I'd rather not. I don't want to cause any more trouble. Just inviting me to the council is already bad enough for the President."
"Even if an Honorary Britannian, and a Knight of the Round at that, is one of the members?" said Shirley..
"Even more so," the girl nodded. "Sir Kururugi already did a lot for his countrymen by becoming their hero. I wouldn't want to undermine his reputation, and waste all his efforts."
"Well, if that's what you really want. . ." Shirley's voice trailed off, then she chuckled. "But please, drop the 'Mister' and 'Miss' already, okay? We are not that old yet. Just call us by our names."
"Is that really okay?" Haruna seemed uncomfortable at the idea.
"Of course," answered Lelouch this time. "We are not strict about such pointless things."
For a moment, Haruna looked like she would still refuse. But then she finally smiled and said, "Well, if you say so. . . Lelouch."
"See? That sounds better already!" beamed Shirley. "And now that's settled. . ." With a sickeningly sweet smile, she turned to Lelouch.
At once, Lelouch felt a chill crawl down his spine. The stack of papers Haruna was holding—his assignments, he remembered just now—had became suddenly clearer, and Shirley's smile widened as she followed his gaze. And when the former prince's eyes darted toward Haruna, he was even more alarmed to find the Eleven smiling in a similar way.
Lelouch began to back away, chuckling nervously. "Oh! Look at the time!" He glanced at the library clock and feigned shock. "I still have to pick up Rolo by the school entrance!"
"Why? So you could take him on a gambling session again?" Shirley's voice was dangerously sharp.
"Well, no! Of course not! I—
"Good! Because you have a lot of word to do!"
Without waiting for his response, Shirley grabbed his assignments from Haruna and thrusted it forcefully toward his chest. "There! We are not leaving the library until you finish them!"
"All of them?" Lelouch could only whimper.
"Yes! All of them!" she snapped. "And we are not going to help you. On the other hand, we will watch you so you won't be able to ask someone for help."
"But—"
Before he could finish his protest, however, the librarian, a portly woman named Ms. Agatha, approached them. Thankful for the distraction, Lelouch smiled his most charming smile and asked, "Yes, Ms. Agatha? Do you need something?"
The librarian's response made him wished he had just stayed underground in the SIA headquarters.
"Yes, I do," she replied in a harsh voice. "I need you three to leave this library at once."
Lelouch paled. "Why?" he asked despite knowing the answer.
"Why?" Ms. Agatha's wrinkled face contorted into rage. "Let me tell you why!" she boomed in an ear-shattering voice.
"Because you are all banned!"
...
Lelouch thought that the next day would be more kinder to him.
He should have known it would be the exact opposite.
The incident at the library the previous day had taught him three lessons: one, he must not stay anywhere near the vicinity until nobody was around; two, to refrain from devising a plan in a public place such as that; and three, to make sure Shirley would not be able to track him down that easily.
Fortunately, it was not hard to solve the mess he had been thrown in when Ms. Agatha banned them. All he did was convinced the woman to rethink her decision. . . with a little help from his Geass, of course. But then he still had to spend the whole afternoon finishing his assignments under the watchful gazes of Shirley and Haruna. Thus, the better part of his day was wasted on something that would not even help him against his war with Britannia.
So when the following morning came, he had promised to himself that since it was Saturday and he had no classes to attend, he would be locking up inside his bedroom and devote himself into planning the Black Knights' next mission until evening. He even had Rolo told Milly that he was tired from the week's exams and school work, and would not be able to hang out with them.
Then Suzaku, ever the thorn to his side, suggested that the council go out to celebrate Haruna's induction, and his entire schedule for the day was ruined once more by the White Knight.
"Cheer up, Nii-san. It shouldn't take us more than a few hours. You could just return to your assignment later this afternoon."
With a sigh, Lelouch nodded wordlessly to Rolo as they followed their friends. It was near midday, and the group were walking along the wide avenues of the shopping district. They chose to stay back a couple of yards away, just so they could talk quietly in hushed tones without the others hearing them. Despite this, however, Rolo knew better than to be careless, and he did the right thing by using the word 'assignment' to refer to his initial plan.
To distract himself from his irritation and boredom, Lelouch looked around at the shops lining the road. Nothing had changed since the last time he had been here, sadly, which further dampen his already sour mood. Even Milly was not interested, merely smiling whenever Suzaku said something, but otherwise kept walking in silence with a troubled expression.
Only Shirley seemed to be excited, and to some extent, Rivalz, as they walked beside Haruna while pointing and talking about the various shops, since the girl had never been here before. For the most part, the Eleven tried to be attentive and respond whenever the situation called for it. But from the way her hazel eyes darted around in every direction, it was clear she was uncomfortable in a place with large crowds of Britannians.
Concerned, Lelouch called out to her, "You okay, Haruna?"
The girl looked back. "Yes," she answered with a nervous tone. She obviously on edge, her gaze fleeting all over her surroundings, as if she was expecting something bad to happen any moment.
"You sure?" Shirley asked with a worried expression. "Maybe we should not stay where there are many Britannians."
"No. It's alright," she mumbled. "I'm okay, really. I just need to—"
Suddenly, a phone rang. It sounded very close, and it took a moment for any of them to realize it was coming from Haruna's bag.
With a start, the girl opened it and rummaged inside, almost dropping the bag in her haste. Fumbling, she pulled out her cellphone—an outdated device that looked like it was manufactured when a Knightmare Frame was still just a concept—and quickly read a message.
Her eyes widened after a minute, and with trembling fingers she typed something in response, before replacing her phone back on the bag. "I'm very sorry!" she said, suddenly agitated. "I have to go!"
"Why? What's wrong?" Suzaku asked, puzzled.
"Emergency," Haruna said in a hurry. "I'll explain later, but I really have to go. Please." She sounded almost upset.
"Sure, it's alright. You said it's an emergency, so. . ." the Knight of Seven trailed off uncertainly. "But are you going to be okay? We could follow—"
"No!" she shouted, and they were shocked at her reaction. When she realized what she had done, Haruna paled and quickly bowed her head in apology. "I'm so sorry! I do not mean to shout! I was just going to say that I can take care of myself. I'm sorry. I'll be back as soon as possible."
Without waiting for their response, the Eleven finally ran off ahead, turning right at an intersection before disappearing from view.
For a moment, the group was silent. Her departure and change in behaviour was strange to say the least, and Lelouch was confused, as did the others. Haruna's brief outburst was peculiar, and they wondered what could it be that she had to leave in such a hurry.
"What was that about?" Rivalz said in bewilderment.
"She said something about an emergency, right?" Shirley frowned. "Family problems, maybe?"
"I don't know," Suzaku said. After a while, he shook his head. "Well, she said she'll come back and join us later. Let's just wait for her inside the restaurant."
They resumed their walk after that. But no sooner did they got further than a block that Lelouch's phone rang this time, prompting everyone to groan.
"Not again," Rivalz said.
Smiling apologetically, Lelouch fished the device out of his pocket. And just like Haruna, his eyes widened at the name that flashed on the screen.
Q1.
Turning it to the side so that only Rolo could see, Lelouch said, "Sorry, guys. But I also have to go. It seems Ms. Villeta needs something. I'll be back."
Of course, that was a lie. But he had no choice. Besides, he could just ask the woman to cover for him.
"What did she said?" Suzaku said, and Lelouch knew he was asking out of suspicion.
With a smile, the former prince answered, "Ah, well, I'm not really sure. But she mentioned yesterday's incident at the library."
The Knight looked unconvinced, but it seemed he had accepted that lie when he said, "I see." Then he snorted. "Well, don't make her wait any longer. She might punish you with mandatory attendance in her P.E. classes."
Grinning, Lelouch said, "Trust me, I won't."
With a wave of his hand, he finally walked away to find a secluded area where he could talk with Kallen in relative secret.
Rolo was starting to get suspicious of the Eleven.
Less than a day after she joined the student council, and he already felt as if she was someone he should be wary of. Being a trained assassin, he knew if a person was hiding something. He was sure that Haruna was such a person—everything about her seemed fake. Her movements; her actions and way of speaking. Even her shy and timid personality. The sudden outburst just a few minutes ago had increased his suspicion, for it was the only time that he had seen a genuine reaction from her.
She was hiding something, and she didn't want any of them to find out. He was sure of that.
So when the opportunity came, he excused himself from the others and told them he had to find a comfort room. It was a poor lie, unlike what his brother could have come up with. But it worked. And to ensure Suzaku would not get suspicious, he secretly sent a message informing the Knight of his plan to, supposedly, tail Lelouch and make sure he was not really meeting one of the Black Knights or even C.C., which he had bought almost immediately.
After that, he dashed off ahead, making it appear like he was in a hurry. After making sure nobody was following him, he made a loop back to where they had last been with Haruna and followed her general direction. It was not hard since the street had no intersection, and he quickly reached the part where there were less people, but many alleys; a perfect place for a clandestine meeting.
He scanned the area with trained eyes, searching the crowds for any sign of the girl. It didn't help that she could easily blend in due to her short height, and the fact that she had no remarkable feature that could distinguish her from the rest of the pedestrians and bystanders.
He was so engrossed on his search that he failed to notice he was blocking someone's path, and he ended up bumping into the person. . . except it was not a bump, but more like he crashed headfirst to a wall.
"Oh, sorry!" Rolo apologized quickly.
It was a man. Wearing a black jacket with a cap pulled low over his head to hide his eyes, he was tall—almost at 6 feet, if not more—and muscular. He simply stood there, watching him. But what Rolo found suddenly unsettling was the bearings and aura he exuded.
The bearings and aura of a born fighter; a military man.
The stranger tilted his head up, revealing the handsome face of an Eleven in his late twenties, staring down at him with cold, piercing eyes. At that moment, Rolo felt an unnatural chill in his surroundings the likes of which he had never felt before, and he instinctively gripped the handle of a small knife he always kept hidden in his pocket. But in the deepest corner of his mind, he knew the tiny weapon would be next to useless against the stranger.
Just as he was about to apologize once more, the Eleven grunted and lowered his head. "Watch where you're going next time," he said.
Then he stepped past Rolo and finally continued on his way, the coldness vanishing upon his departure, and left the young assassin trembling to his core.
Whew! Finally done! :D
Just as I promised last chapter, I would be posting another update on the second week of December. And here it is! But that's not all. This is the longest chapter of the series so far!
Anyway, it's almost 4am here so I'll keep this short. My next update would probably be next year this time, around early to mid-January. I still have 2-3 more fanfics to update, and I wanted to release a chapter for each before 2016ends. So for now, be content with that minor cliffhanger of sorts. XD
Well, I hope you enjoyed my early Christmas gift for you guys! Please Read & Review!
Have a blessed Christmast and see you all on 2017!
THAT YEAR WILL SO ROCK!
ALL HAIL LELOUCH! ALL HAIL LELOUCH! ALL HAIL LELOUCH!