A/N: Thank you to an anonymous reviewer who corrected me on Tianzi's real name (Jiang Liuhua). I will be substituting that in now instead. My viewpoint on this has altered slightly since Code Geass R2 ended but anyway I will carry on with the story. (This is not using the ordering of events in the anime series)
"Tianzi-sama, it is time to wake up." A female servant glided towards the bed with a fresh set of clothes laid out.
Jiang rubbed her eyes furiously like a small hamster and stretched her arms out.
'When did I fall asleep? Oh yes…I remember crying myself to sleep.' On the side of the ornate bed was a small golden hand mirror. She picked up the handle and eyed her face closely. 'There are now purple bags under my eyes. I look more like a demon than a human in my current position…'
"Tianzi?"
The mirror slipped from Jiang's grasp. Jiang skewed her body in an awkward position towards the door. "Kagura-san! Please don't frighten me like that! One of these days I will get a severe heard attack from you."
Kagura scrambled onto her bed and placed herself near the now-awaken princess. She pouted at her silver-haired friend and sighed. "Well I thought you were hungry so I snagged you a snack…" Underneath her kimono, Kagura revealed a rice cake cracker in mint condition.
"Shuemibing! How do you know I love this stuff?" Jiang pryed the snowy sweet rice cracker from Kagura's hold and nibbled it. savoring every crumb.
"If it's your favorite treat, why are you putting more of it on your face than in your mouth, Tianzi-sama?" Kagura stifled laughter and used her sleeve to wipe some of the white powder on the edges of Jiang's mouth.
"Sometimes you treat me more like a baby sister than a friend, Kagura-san. And how many times must I repeat that I want you to call me Jiang and not Tianzi-sama? I do not believe I am the 'child of heaven.' Honestly, I don't really know what I am at all…" Liuhua Jiang caught herself becoming absorbed back into the state of depression she had gone through just last night.
Kagura placed a reassuring hand on the princess's head and gently kissed her pale cheek. "Don't worry about other people's impressions on you. You are a great Hime-sama and a very beautiful one at that. Of course I will remember to call you Jiang, but in front of the eunuchs I will refer to you as Tianzi."
"I'd like that."
In the dining hall, Jiang had no appetite at all. The rice cracker was plenty for her petite and fragile body. Overeating would just make her burst and give her a fit of stomach aches. She had changed into a formal Chinese ruqun, a top garment (cuffs and sleeves), waist skirt and a separate lower garment. The top part was a jade green pigment with white orchids inlaid on the right side. A forest green waist skirt connected the lower and top garment. The final lower garment was the similar jade green color and on the left of the skirt was a small Chinese pendant with the words yǒng shēng.
'Everlasting.'
Jiang peered at the word for a brief period of time; she was soon escorted to her seat at the long wooden dining table. On her way, she saw Xingke standing by the side of her seat. They made a trivial amount of eye contact but Jiang was the first to break the contact. Her cheeks began to heat up again and was there a blush spreading over her face? 'It's only because I had confessed my love to him and he had simply rejected me…why does he have to be standing right next to my spot?'
"Tianzi-sama, is there anything urgent that needs to be discussed with the council?" Li Xingke leaned in uncomfortably close to Jiang's space bubble.
"N-nothing at all." She kept no eye contact with him, for two reasons. Her anger towards rejection felt unsettling and Jiang did not want him to see her defeated. Plus, his warm breath against her ear made her shiver and caused flushing to her cheeks again.
The Chinese Federation had finally made a consensus to combine forces against the Holy Britannian Empire. Today was the day he left, today was the day Xingke was going to join the "terrorists" of Area 11 and fight with a Knightmare. Knightmare Frames….the cruel robotic combat machines and the main source of all evil. And what was she supposed to do of it? Sit comfy and watch her men get slaughtered in this endless blood bath to achieve power? That was the coward's answer.
Kagura stood up and requested, "Li Xingke, what is the status on Zero?" She was eager as always to know about her "husband's" whereabouts and progress. Jiang couldn't understand how she could love someone whose face she never once saw.
"We have received no news about him other than that he has agreed to send us only one Knightmare. I have been the one honored to use it and protect this Federation." He bowed courteously with an abrupt cough. A few drops of blood splattered unnoticed onto the carpet. Not overlooked by Jiang though.
She pounded both hands on the table in front of her and implored, "So you know using a Knightmare that you will be at even a higher risk of termination and more enemies out to take your life. You know all this, yet you continue to risk your life at stake?! And for who? For someone whose face has never even been seen once by his own members!" Her breathing was unevenly paced and Jiang had to catch her breath again. Never had she ever been so angry and reprimand someone like that. Was it because she couldn't stand to see one of her soldiers take orders from someone else? No, that wasn't the reason. What she had wanted to say was kept deep within her own fast-pacing heart.
'If I you died Xingke, I don't know what I would do…'
Her eyes began to moisten, so she held strong and stared at him long and hard. "I, Tianzi-sama, command you to relinquish your position as the lieutenant of the Federation."
Xingke bowed and contained his serious composure, "My deep apologies, but I cannot have that done, Hime-sama. I am not trying to disobey your orders, but it is more than just protection of the Federation. I have another reason to carry out this will to help Area 11.
The come back was a strike to her pride. As Empress of the Federation, no one had ever dared to defy her will. Now the tears were streaming out of her eyes and raised her voice, "Then once you set foot and officially join under Zero's command, I will replace your ranking with another of my soldiers and you will no longer be a citizen of the Chinese Federation!"
Why am I saying this…Why?
I am a coward and using my power unwisely.
I can reprimand the one I love, but not tell him to just stay?
What a cruel person I …I…
…am not worth protecting…
Not a single movement of expression appeared on Xingke's face. On the outside, he remained stoic and calm as ever. In the inside, his heart was burning and everything he felt in the world had died. The only thing left was a hollow hull, container. Liuhua Jiang was right about everything. He just couldn't accept her heart even though he wanted to. The only person who knew of his health condition was Liuhua Jiang. And even with those harsh words, she was trying to protect him as his queen, as his loved one.
Li Xingke stood back up and did something uncanny. He pulled Jiang into a tight embrace and held her for a long time. Xingke thought this was a one-sided feeling; then two small hands cautiously wrapped around his waist.
"Tianzi-sama, even when I am under Zero's orders I will still protect. You have cast me away but I am always watching and protecting you. As my empress, the loss of your life is more important than my own. I am always here to keep you from harms way."
Xingke could not reveal his undying love towards his empress, but everything he could say as a lieutenant was said.
I will always love you and wherever you are in the world, I am only here in this world to protect you.
Liuhua Jiang was shocked at her own actions, and immediately ended the embrace. Her face seemed to get red often today. She recaptured her composure once more and commented, "If that is your wish, you may do as you want. This still will not let you have your place back in the army."
Xingke opened the door, "I know, thank you…Jiang." A deliberate turn of the knob and a click ended the noise. Thank you for everything.
A/N: Is this the end? What will happen now? Actually I will try to come up with that soon...but please review and good criticism is very helpful.