Epilogue: Avalon Revived

"A tomb for March, a tomb for Gwythyr,
A tomb for Gwgan of the red sword.
A tomb for Arthur would be foolish."
– The Black Book of Caermarthen

A group of children ran past the long table that was set up in the courtyard, rushing over to the may pole. They grabbed onto the bits of fabric that hung from the pole, half of them immediately running in one direction while the other half went in the other. Nunnally pressed a hand over her mouth to smother her laugh as the children collided with each other. Adults quickly rushed over to undo the tangle, setting the children to rights and ushering them around the may pole in one direction. With the minor disaster averted, Nunnally looked around at the rest of the festivities.

On walkway to the church, the last pieces of the religious play were being removed, Father Patrick helping remove the last of the streamers. The people that were helping were alternately distracted by the juggler and tumblers that had monopolized the space in front of the stables and the puppet show that was competing for the people's attention from across the courtyard. The best business, of course, was being done by the women who sat in the shade of the stables or the wall with baskets of flowers surrounding them, making crowns of the flowers. Young girls gathered around to receive their crown, often pulling older members of their family to give them crowns as well. Others were sitting around, waiting for the feast to be ready, which would be soon if Nunnally was right about the rich smells that were rising from the kitchen.

Overall, it was the picture of a town returning to life after a hard winter and the scare that the demon had represented. It was the picture of a town that would survive past their fear and continue to productive.

Nunnally wished that she had the time to ride out over the countryside to see how the others were doing, but her attention was needed at Avalon for the festivities. It would be her job to crown the Queen of May after the feast. And she had already been all over the countryside as soon as the snows had cleared, first with Euphemia and then with Rolo. On those rides, everyone had been flourishing, especially Stowden.

Granting the town permission to start looking through the old villas for items to sell had given the town some new life. During her last visit, the old inn had been given a new coat of paint and had been fixed up. The news that the trade routes between them, Nippon and Circassia would be opening would encourage the town more. Schneizel had been more than willing to grant her permission to open trade, although why he had been so willing Nunnally didn't quite know. Maybe he hoped that the two countries would support them if the southern clans decided to go to war despite Schneizel's efforts.

Or maybe he just wanted something to distract the nobles of the south. Euphemia's last letter from Schneizel diplomatic camp had said that there were nobles flooding in to gawk at the strange people of the clans, which wasn't helping negotiations. Perhaps Schneizel was just hoping for a distraction, and Nunnally would be happy to provide one. Even if the trade didn't open up immediately, she was sure that she would be distracting enough for him.

She waved as Jeremiah passed, the captain of the guards waving sheepishly at her. He started to make his way over to her only to get swept away by enthusiastic members of the guard. Nunnally shook her head, listening as they shouted praise for their leader. "Make way. You there, get out of the way! This is the savior of the north here, keeper of peace at Avalon. Killer of the demon, that's who he is! That's right!"

Jeremiah ducked his head under the praise, probably embarrassed by all of the fuss over something that he didn't do. Nunnally was sure that, if any of the boasts were true, he wouldn't stop flaunting them. Instead, he had the dubious title of being the one who discovered two bodies near Aries Villa.

He had been called to the villa because the people of Stowden had been suspicious about how clean the villa had been. It had looked like someone had cleaned and fixed up parts of it. According to them, it was a sign that the demon and his associate had been to the villa. They had even hauled him over to where there were two graves, proud that they had found the dead bodies of the two most feared men in Avalon. The news had spread quickly after that, the entire north praising Jeremiah for his tenacity in chasing them until they had died.

Privately, Jeremiah told Nunnally that he doubted the bodies were Lelouch and Suzaku's, which he had tried to use and excuse to seek them out again. Nunnally had forbidden him from continuing his searches, because it didn't matter anymore. Finding Lelouch and Suzaku alive would just disrupt the people again, putting them into the same panic that had sustained them through the early days of winter. Nunnally just wanted the business over with. It was lie of omission to the people, but one she was sure they sorely needed.

It was time the demon of the north was allowed to rest.

She picked up her cup, taking a sip of the wine as she scanned over the crowd.

Euphemia hadn't been able to stay, drawn away from Avalon by the birth of Cornelia's first child. Nunnally had gotten her letter a few weeks earlier, assuring her that Cornelia and the child were fine, and that Euphemia was going to see how negotiations were going. Her cousin was the only reason that she knew what was going on in the south, because no one bothered with the southern clans, thinking that they would be safe. For that reason, it was best that they laid one demon to rest before they had something else to fear.

Milly had managed to escape from the celebrations at Ashingford to attend the ones at Avalon. Nunnally could see her sitting with a group of young girls clustered around her. Milly held up her latest flower crown, leaning over to set it on the head of one of the girls. Nunnally couldn't hear their laughter, but she could see it in the way that the girls smiled and tipped their heads back. Milly was smiling too, looking more relaxed that Nunnally could remember her friend looking. She had her own theories on why that was. Most of them had to do with Rivalz.

The man in question was leaning against the side of the barn, watching over Milly. It wasn't his job to guard her, but Rivalz had taken the role anyway. He was far more discrete than the guards that Milly's mother always posted around her, not trusting Rivalz with the safety of her daughter. Nunnally trusted Rivalz over all of the guards at the moment considering that they were all drunk. She shook her head and took another drink.

Eventually, she would have to take Milly aside and ask what her intentions were toward Rivalz, because Nunnally was sure that she wasn't seeing things. Milly had broken off her engagement with Earl Asplund and then had ceased to look for other suitable matches. From what she could get from Milly, the Ashfords were still fighting over the break and that was the sole reason Milly was rejecting everyone else. Apparently, Milly's parents didn't want her running the estate without a husband, something that made Nunnally laugh. Milly was running the estate now, and managing far better than her parents, even with someone they considered worthless as her right hand man.

The scrape of a chair on cobblestones drew her attention away from Milly. She turned, smiling at her betrothed as he sat down beside her. Rolo gave her a shy smile before setting a flower crown on her head.

Nunnally reached up to touch it, giving he crown a soft push so it sat on her head more naturally. She was aware that Rolo was staring at her, Nunnally shaking her had and resting a hand over his. She knew that she was blushing, but she hadn't gotten over the impulse yet.

They had courted through letters, not that Nunnally noticed until Milly and Euphemia had pointed it out to her upon rereading some of Rolo's replies and remembering her own. In her mind, she and Rolo had courted in the three months they had spent together when he and his mother had come up. Even in the month they had been apart, they had written to each other, until Milly had pushed her to bring up the idea of marriage.

It was nothing at all like Nunnally had been expecting from her marriage, but it was something that would satisfy the others. She was marrying into a noble family, one that was coming up in the world and almost close enough to her own rank that she wasn't marrying down. It would bring money and more land to the Haliburton name. And she was getting something close to a match for love, so she was pleased enough with the end result. She was sure that they would be fine.

She squeezed his hand, having to wait a moment for Rolo to return the gesture, both of them still unsure about how to act around each other. Neither of them were confident enough to show open affection, not like Milly could. But their little hidden moments worked just as well for Nunnally, a secret between the two of them.

Rolo cleared his throat, tipped his head in the direction of one group of girls. "They made it for you. Apparently, they think that you should be the Queen of May because you're the prettiest one here."

"I can't do that, I'm the one giving the crown." She leaned into him briefly. "And you're biased."

He mumbled something that could have been agreement, but it was drowned out by the cheers that came from behind them.

Nunnally turned in her seat, clapping with the rest of the people as the feast was brought out. Most of the platters were piled up on the tables close to where Nunnally was sitting, but a few were brought to sit in front of her. The people gathered around, shifting into place to get a rush on their favorites. But there would be plenty for all; Nunnally had made sure of that. It was a way to show that they were flourishing, that this was a safer time, one of revival. The people wouldn't get the message exactly as she intended, but they knew what a surplus of food meant. It meant that all was well.

She gestured for the priest, Father Patrick scurrying to stand between the tables. He raised his arms, the people in the courtyard falling silent as he began to recite a blessing. Nunnally closed her eyes as the priest spoke, wincing slightly when he spoke of remembering those that had died in the fight against the demon. Of course Calares' name was first, it deserved to be since he was a martyr, the one who had tried to stop the demon from taking over Avalon. Nunnally had never bothered to refute the fact, because the people had needed a hero, one that couldn't deny their claims like Jeremiah.

When the priest at finished, the people surged forward to grab food and retreat to their already chosen spots to eat. Nunnally flinched back at the initial rush, Rolo leaning closer to her. She patted his arm to reassure him that she was fine. It had just surprised her how eager they had been to eat. Then again, everything looked delicious.

Nunnally began to assemble her own plate, Rolo rushing off to get the dishes that she couldn't reach. Between the two of them, they had two plates made up quickly, but they were still far behind the others. Nunnally shook her head and gestured for Rolo to stand up. She held her own glass up, the people stopping their talking and staring at her. Nunnally smiled at all of them, stretching her arm just a bit higher to make up for the fact that she couldn't stand. "A toast, to the heroes of Avalon and to many years as good as this one."

The people cheered, many of them screaming their own additions to the toast. Most them were, "And to Lady Nunnally!"

She hid her smile in her cup, not surprised when Rolo echoed the call. She tugged on his arm for him to sit back down, giving him a mock glare. Rolo just shrugged and looked out at the people, Nunnally leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes. She would eat in a moment; she just wanted to soak in the peace and laughter to store it for another bad time. It was a reminder that things could always get better.

Nunnally opened her eyes and looked at the cloudless sky, taking a deep breath before sitting forward again. She waved away Rolo's concerned look with a smile. She was fine. For the first time in a long time, she was perfectly fine.

"Alodia just…" Rivalz pulled at the horse's bride, his mare ignoring him and continuing to crop at the grass. He sighed and looked over at where the rest of their party was settling down for the night.

They had left the May Day celebrations just as it was getting dark, Milly declining any invitation to stay. Apparently she wanted to try camping out for a night. Rivalz couldn't quite understand her logic, which seemed to consist of proving that she could do it, which worried him slightly. He was paid to understand Milly's moods and desires; it was all part of his vaguely defined job as something more than a steward, but less than a husband.

He glanced back at his mare before giving up. She would continue to graze here until she decided that she was ready to go back to their camp. It would get him out of setting up the tents or being bullied into the other camp chores. Rivalz had had enough of those traveling with Lelouch and Suzaku.

The familiar lump didn't form in his throat at the thought of his friends, Rivalz not sure if he was relieved or not. It wasn't like he had forgotten them completely. He thought of them at least once a day, worrying about where they were or how they were doing. He had the comfort of knowing that they weren't cursed anymore, but that was a little thing when compared to the long span of their absence. Not even Jeremiah Gottwald had been able to find them, and Rivalz didn't feel bad about the little sense of glee he got from that.

Rivalz was tugged to the side as the mare moved on, grazing her way back to their camp. He stepped up to keep pace with her, surprised when she looked up at someone approaching. From where he was, Rivalz couldn't see who was coming their way, but it wasn't anyone strange, because the mare lowered her head again. Rivalz stared at her, about to pick his way around her head when Milly stepped into his line of sight.

She waved at him before coming to stand by his side, her head tipped up to look at the sky. "It's a pretty sunset."

Rivalz frowned and looked up at the sky. "I hadn't noticed."

"I noticed that you hadn't noticed." Milly looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "I've also noticed that you pointedly never pay attention to the sunset or the sunrise if you are up early enough to see it. In fact, you seem to try your best to stay away from it. Was there some lingering magic from your time with the demon that I don't know about?"

He chuckled. "No magic, there never was any magic."

"Of course there was, that's what makes it a good story."

"Not always." Rivalz looked down at his mare, petting her shoulder. "I know one about a girl who did nothing wrong except exist, but it got her whole family killed and now she has to keep wandering the world, because there will always be people who want to kill her or use her. There's another about two people who were cursed by an evil magician, and they didn't even know why. And then there's the one about a boy who couldn't even work magic."

Milly was silent for a while, still staring at the sky. Rivalz thought that she would walk away to watch over the building of their camp, but she stayed until the sun had sunk out of sight. Only then did she look over at him. "I know that story, but it ended well for him."

Rivalz stared at her, managing a smile. "I guess it did."

Milly nodded slowly. "I don't know the others though. How do they end?"

"I don't know."

"Could you make up an ending?" When he looked at her incredulously, Milly shrugged. "Mother has invited a renowned bard to Ashingford. Apparently his poems and songs are all the rage in Pendragon, and she wants to bring some culture to the north. I was hoping that there would be someone around that could top him. So far, everyone I've talked to has just told me the same old folk tales, but I was hoping for something a little more…dynamic."

"You could make it a festival. I know how much you like those."

Milly smiled to herself, looking away from Rivalz. "I could, couldn't I? Gather all the old women and men from all around and invite them to share stories."

"You'd have to get a jury to rule on the best, and prizes to the winner."

"I'm sure Nunnally and Rolo would love to come. And maybe I could even lure Euphemia back here." She glanced back at him. "But that doesn't get you out of telling a story."

"I don't know any."

Milly sighed, reaching out and taking the mare's reins from him. She pulled Alodia's head up from the ground, ignoring the mare's weak attempt to snap at her. Milly just patted the horse's neck, looking Rivalz over carefully. "What about the one you were just telling me about? The one with the girl, the two lovers and the boy?"

He wanted to ask why she thought that they were in the same story. For all she knew, they were three different stories with no connection at all. They were just cautionary tales on why no one should use magic or tangle with magic, because it always led to someone getting hurt. But he couldn't quite figure out how to explain that to Milly, the same Milly that thought magic was wonderful because she didn't understand it properly. The Milly that worked so hard to help her people that they adored her almost as much as Nunnally's people loved her. The Milly that held an endless number of small festivals to keep herself and the people entertained, to the shock and disdain of her parents.

The Milly who had looked at a convicted criminal and decided that he was the best candidate to be the person that was always by her side, who had forgiven him everything just because she had decided that she was not going to let him disappear.

Rivalz looked down at the ground, kicking a small bit of rock with the toe of his boot. "I already told you I didn't know the ending."

"Then make something up. No one will be able to tell if you got it wrong. Besides, by the time someone tells it again, they would have added their own ending or changed half of the story. It's what always happens." Milly went to lead Alodia away, hesitating for a moment. Rivalz was about to ask what was wrong when Milly waved towards the camp.

His hand dropped to his side, closing around nothing. For a moment, Rivalz panicked because he had nothing to defend himself. But he wasn't lost. It would take only a few steps to be able to get to Gawain's saddle and then he could… Rivalz clenched his hands into fists, forcing himself not to turn around and look. If he did, there wouldn't be a black horse, nor would Suzaku be waiting for him. There wouldn't be a fire and a quick meal waiting, and Rivalz wouldn't follow Suzaku out into the woods to catch a glimpse of a lonely black wolf. All of that was over and done with. In the past, and to the point where it only was a story.

The sight of a guard jogging over from their camp allowed him to relax. Milly was just sending Alodia back to the camp, because it wasn't her job to take care of his horse. Rivalz almost took the reins from her, but the guard was faster. He bowed to Milly before leading the blue roan mare off to the picket line. She would be cared for there, that much Rivalz was sure of. But now he didn't have something to put between him and Milly, no excuse to have to leave when the conversation turned towards subjects that he wasn't sure he could speak on, as it often did around the topic of magic.

He wiped his palms on his pants, watching as Milly sat down on the ground. She leaned back on her hands and stared at the first stars that could be seen as the night grew darker. He glanced around and cleared his throat, Milly not bothering to look at him. "Shouldn't we go back?"

"In a while. I want to be able to sit and talk with you. I don't get that chance much."

Rivalz wanted to tell her it was because only a few people trusted him anymore, but she already knew that it was true. Her parents tried to keep Rivalz busy elsewhere and he wasn't welcome in any of the taverns, nor on market day. He may have had a pardon, but people were still suspicious, and Rivalz knew that they would be suspicious until the day that they died. But it was bearable, more than that if he let himself be optimistic. He had his mother, whose business was not suffering with him living in the same house, and he had Milly. That was more than enough to keep him happy.

Milly patted the ground next to her, Rivalz taking the invitation to sit. She smiled at him, her attention off the stars for now. "I also want to see if we can think of an ending to that story of yours."

"You really want to win, don't you?"

"I'm competitive by nature, but surely you know this by now."

Rivalz just nodded, feeling the corners of his mouth twitch up into a smile. He smoothed his expression again, pretending to think hard about what he was saying. "Well, it's about a boy who's convicted of a crime that he didn't commit, so he runs away. On the run, he meets two people who are cursed to always be separate, never seeing each other until the end of their lives." He heard Milly sigh, Rivalz swaying in place. "And the worst part is, they're in love."

"That's horrible."

"It is. But, the boy can help them; he knows how to get to the evil magician's lair. They beg, he agrees and they go off on a harrowing journey. One of them almost dies."

Milly gasped appropriately, the giggle she gave at the end almost ruining the mood. When she was in control of herself again, she poked Rivalz's side. "You said there was a girl."

"Well, that's where they meet the girl. She helps save one of the lovers and she knows how to break the curse."

"A good magician?"

"Maybe, or just a friend. Anyway, they go off again with some more adventures, close calls, declarations of love and all of that stuff. In the end, they sneak into the lair of the evil magician and kill them before going their separate ways." He glanced over at her, surprised to see Milly frowning.

Finally she sighed and sat back again. "We'll need to work on your story telling."

"Well, I'm not going to tell it all to you now! Then you won't be surprised when I do it for real."

"Ah, smart." She tapped his forehead, Rivalz surprised at how open she was with the contact. "I knew I hired you for a reason." Milly grinned at him. "But, if that's the case, I thought you said you didn't have an ending."

"I don't."

"It ends well enough for me. The girl gets to leave to do whatever she wants and the lovers get to be together for the rest of their lives now that the curse is broken. The only one I worry about is the boy." Rivalz stared at her, his mouth open. Milly didn't seem to notice, she just leaned back on her hands again. "He just seems to disappear."

"That's what he wanted."

"Did he? Or did he have anything else that he wanted?"

For a moment, Rivalz was afraid that Milly had seen through his ruse. The story would never be a retelling of the true events, Rivalz knew that. There would be no way that he would be able to tell the truth while he was still alive. People would know that he had gone with Lelouch of his own free will, that he had played a part in the death of Bishop Calares. He would never be able to live in Britannia again, and he had just adjusted to his life in Ashingford. As much as he was distrusted, he liked it. It was everything that he ever wanted.

He licked his lips, staring at the hand that was closest to him. "Well, there was this…princess."

"A princess?"

"Yes, the boy loved the princess, but she didn't know that he existed. Or he thought she didn't. It turns out that she did. And," Rivalz paused, gathering up his courage. Before he could shy away, he rested his hand over Milly's too frightened to look at her face. "She was waiting for him when he came back."

Milly was quiet for a long while, almost too long. Rivalz swallowed, staring at the ground. He had pushed too hard on a subject that he knew would never be discussed. Milly had plans for Ashingford, plans that involved money for the people, money that the family didn't have and wouldn't have until Milly married. It wasn't fair to remind her of the fact just as it wasn't fair that he couldn't speak about it.

He ducked his head, ready to lift his hand and apologize for his forwardness when Milly spread her fingers apart. Rivalz slipped his fingers into the gaps, not daring to go any further. He did tip his head slightly to the side, glad that Milly was looking at him.

She gave him a weak smile, one without all of the usual Milly Ashford bravado. "I like that ending."

Rivalz smiled back at her. "I do too."

Milly's hand relaxed under his, Rivalz staring down at where they rested together. They had only done this once before, back when he had escorted all them back into the castle. He had thought that Milly had been looking for reassurance then, something to keep her steady. Maybe it had been something more, and he had missed it completely, he would never know. He only had the here and now to concentrate on.

He tipped his head back to look at the stars, feeling that it was safe enough to look at the sky now that the sunset was finished. Rivalz traced the patterns of the stars, sure that Milly knew them, sure that Suzaku and Lelouch had known them. He knew for sure that C.C. did, it was the only way that he could imagine her figuring out when the eclipse would occur. Even if he didn't know the right patterns, he could still make up ones himself. It had worked well enough in his life and Rivalz saw no reason that it couldn't work for the sky above him.

Lelouch wandered out into the back garden, needing to give his eyes a break from the book he had been reading. It had been years since he had attempted to read something in Suzaku's native language, and it frustrated him that he had to struggle so much. He had once been able to talk to Suzaku passably well and read a little better. Now it was like he was twelve years old again, struggling to comprehend and remember the language. He had only stopped because the light from the lamp on his desk had been making his eyes ache from its flickering light.

He stretched his arms above his hand, standing up on his toes to ease the ache in his back that came from sitting hunched over for hours at a time. Lelouch came back down, rubbing at the small of his back as he looked around the garden.

He was surprised to see that it was past sunset, especially after having been so keenly aware of the time for two years. But it was relaxing in a way, being able to be surprised that it had gotten dark instead of knowing the exact moment when the sun would disappear. Even better, it was the start of his second week in a row that he had not gone and immediately looked for Suzaku. Of course, he wanted to know where Suzaku was, especially since his grasp of the language had failed him so completely, but he wasn't running out of his room as soon as the sky started to change colors. Lelouch was more than willing to stop that embarrassing habit.

Eased by his feeling off accomplishment, Lelouch stepped out into the garden, sticking carefully to the paths. He had caught glimpses of Kaguya working in the gardens when she had a spare moment, and he didn't want to mess up her work. He still had fond memories of Marianne taking him and Nunnally through the gardens, naming what plants she remembered and teaching them how to care for them. The garden had been a place of safety for his mother, a place to get away from the workings of the rest of the castle. From what he had seen, Kaguya used the garden in the same way, and he was not going to ruin her place of escape. Not after she had taken them in without a complaint and left them to their own business.

He wandered the paths without a real plan, sometimes reaching out to touch the branches of the trees. Everything was starting to bloom, making the garden a far better place to be than when he and Suzaku had first arrived. Then it had been empty plots and dead sticks. Lelouch smiled to himself, running his fingers over the petal of a flower before shaking his head. He wanted to finish the page that he was on before going to sleep, and it was likely that it would take him another hour to do it.

With an annoyed sigh, he trudged back the way he had come, moving slowly so he could spend more time in the open. Since the snow had stopped falling and spring looked to be well on its way, it would be better if he got out more often. He was sure that Gawain would appreciate the exercise. The stallion had been cooped up all winter and left to his own devices as Lelouch had gotten used to a normal schedule again.

Maybe he could even convince Kaguya to let them help her around the village. They were staying under her good will and not contributing anything to help. At least, he wasn't. Lelouch wasn't too sure what Suzaku was doing when his friend wandered off. Perhaps he was attempting the same thing that Lelouch was, putting distance between them so he wouldn't run and check on the other at any strange noise. It wasn't the best way of dealing with what had happened to them, but it had gotten him to the point he was at now. Lelouch would take the progress over anything else.

He paused at the end of the path, staring down the covered porch toward Suzaku's room. There wasn't a light in the room, but the door was open.

Lelouch frowned and stepped up onto the porch, his feelings of peace and calm suddenly gone. Some part of him knew that something bad hadn't happened, Suzaku was more than skilled enough to handle any attack. But their luck had been bad for two years, and it was hard to shake off the habit of assuming the worst.

The boards of the porch creaked as he walked across them, Lelouch quickly giving up any pretense at stealth. He was unarmed and, for the first time since the curse had been lifted, missing the surety that he could defend himself that came with being a wolf. At least he would have had all the weapons he needed as his disposal then. All of his were stored away, relics of a time that he was trying to keep firmly in the past.

He stepped up to the open door, freezing at the shadow that he saw in the doorway. It only took a moment to realize that it was Suzaku. His friend was slumped against the wall outside of the room, his head tipped to one side and obviously asleep.

Lelouch chuckled and crouched down, a little bit ashamed of himself that he had reached so irrationally. They had been safe for months, but that hadn't let him relax completely, and maybe that was a good thing. Nothing good had come from being complacent in Lelouch's experience. But he could afford to be rational, to not rush into something without thinking it through.

He reached out to wake Suzaku up, just barely brushing his fingers over his friend's shoulder when Suzaku sat up. His friend looked around for a moment before leaning against the wall again, "What are you doing out so late?"

"Me?" Lelouch rolled his eyes and sat on the floor. He didn't want to have a conversation while looming over Suzaku. "What are you doing out here?"

"I was enjoying the garden before I fell asleep." Suzaku reached up to cover a yawn. "But now I can't see much of it. And what were you doing?"

"Taking a break."

"Not checking up on me?"

"Not at all." Lelouch smiled, sure that Suzaku saw through the little lie.

His admission brought a knowing smile to Suzaku's face. "Me neither. Not yet at least."

Lelouch wanted to scold Suzaku for persisting. They could stop their frantic checks, they were getting better. They weren't rushing in the minute the sky changed color, but they were sure to saunter in the direction of the other soon enough. Surely, it would be easier just to stop. But that would be denying the stolen moments they had where Lelouch would pull Suzaku close, just to make sure that everything was alright. Every time he waited for something else to happen and, every time, he was disappointed.

Suzaku moved like he was going to get up, Lelouch reaching out and grabbing his arm. Suzaku stared at him, weakly shaking his arm. When Lelouch didn't let go, he sighed. "Lelouch, I'm tired. I was out with Kaguya, walking the fields to figure out which ones would need resting next year and which ones to rotate. She volunteered me to help pick rocks out of one field that hadn't been planted for some reason that no one bothered to explain. I want to get some sleep before she volunteers me again."

Lelouch shook his head, not sure what he was trying to explain. He only knew that Suzaku interpreted the motion wrong because his friend chuckled and scooted forward. Lelouch took advantage of the move, pushing one hand into Suzaku's hair to guide their foreheads together. The other hand went to hold onto Suzaku's shoulder, but Suzaku intercepted it and held it in his own hand, their fingers sliding together.

Suzaku smiled and leaned into Lelouch, letting them sway for a moment. "I'm not leaving. I'm here."

"Yes."

"And you're here, right? All here with me?"

Lelouch wanted to respond, but he was sick of the usual banter. Sick of their nearly scripted call and response. He went through the motions every night and waited for that something else, but he was sick of waiting. He had waited for two years to be fully human again, to have this for himself and he was still waiting. He wasn't bound to his family anymore, wasn't bound to Britannia and he was sick of waiting and just wanting.

He growled under his breath and shifted, pulling them apart just enough so he could adjust his hold on Suzaku's head. Then, he was pulling Suzaku back in, managing to land a clumsy kiss on Suzaku's lips.

Suzaku pulled back almost immediately, staring at Lelouch. The corner of his mouth twitched up, Lelouch expecting a lecture or a warning about how they couldn't do this. But Suzaku just reached up, rubbing his thumbs over Lelouch's cheeks, a soft smile on his face. "There you are."

Lelouch wanted to demand an answer for the cryptic statement, but Suzaku was leaning in to kiss him again. This time, it was with more finesse, something that Lelouch would question Suzaku about later. Just like he was going to demand to know why Suzaku had waited so long. But those were for at a strategically later point, Lelouch didn't want to waste his time thinking about the arguments that they were sure to have later.

Instead, he closed his eyes and let himself be kissed.

Children skipped along the road, calling out snippets of song to each other as they went. They dodged and darted around through the riders and wagons, ignoring the calls of their parents to return to where it was safe. Some of them even darted to touch the horses of the nobles or the armed guards, most of the animals ignoring the contact. They were too well trained to pay the children any more attention than an ear cocked in their direction.

One child, emboldened by his luck with the other horses, rushed up to a bay pulling a cart. He had barely gotten his hand on the horse's coat when the animal turned its head and snapped at him. The boy yelped and rushed back to his parents, accompanied by the laughter of the other children.

The bay pinned his ears back, shifting in the traces as if he was going to go after them. He was stopped by a hard jerk on the reins, the horse snorting and turning back to face the front. His ears flicked back to catch its driver laugh. "Leave them alone, Charles. They haven't done anything to you, you useless beast."

The horse snorted like it understood what she was saying, C.C. shaking her head. The horse was one of the worst that she had encountered, one that made her miss Lancelot and his easygoing nature. But he fit his name perfectly and he had taken to pulling the cart well enough that she hadn't sold him off for that soft eyed mule in Pendragon. It was a decision she was coming to not regret, it was almost fun to have something so ornery in her company; almost like a replacement for Lelouch and his complaining. But the name Charles fit him too perfectly for her to change it, because the horse was always trying to start a fight where one wasn't needed. And he was irredeemably stupid, something that had matched what C.C. had observed of Charles.

She flicked the reins over his back, the bay stepping out smartly; as eager to get away from the children as she was. Of course, he would be disappointed when they stopped for the night. She wanted to sell more trinkets to the people on the road, because there was always a market for the bright things. And, if there was a protection spell in them, just by the nature of their making, then C.C. considered it a good deal. Some people needed a bit more protecting than most.

C.C. tipped her head back, staring up at the cloudless sky with a smile on her face. "They said magic was just a temptation to drive a person mad, and that everyone would recognize it for what it was. I think they put too much faith in abilities they don't have. Right, Charles?"

The horse pinned his ears, complaining about another aspect of his life. C.C. shook her head at the horse and began to sing, the sound of it lost among the ruckus of the carts and the screams of children. That it wasn't heard didn't matter, it was just something to entertain herself, a ballad that was sweeping through Britannia; the Eagle and the Wolf. Listening to it always made her laugh because of the horrible exaggerations, but it wasn't all that bad. It couldn't have been if it had taken first prize at the festival up in Ashingford. Nor was it too far off, at least for now.

C.C. hummed the tune under her breath, breaking into song again when she got to her favorite verses, the ones about the beautiful young maiden who had taken pity on the traveler and the cursed ones. It was horribly flowery poetry, a blatant exaggeration and very flattering. The bay just flicked his tail in an annoyed manner. C.C. ignored the horse, matching the rhythm of her singing to the beat of the horse's hooves on the road.

END