AN: I've decided to split the next part of the story in to small chapters, rather than having one big or two big chapters. Enjoy!
10:13
A wave of activity was sweeping through the Little Palace; the flurry of the servants hinted at something brewing. Despite its deceptive moniker, the Little Palace was a sprawling entity, functioning like a massive, pulsating organ. It housed countless offices, each demanding the support of scores of servants and secretaries to keep the intricate machinery of bureaucracy and daily operations running smoothly.
Currently, every servant seemed to be operating in overdrive. Whether it was ferrying documents, arranging bedding, delivering meals, or refilling drinks, there was a constant hustle and bustle across the immaculate, white marble corridors of the Little Palace. The air was thick with a sense of urgency and restlessness.
A noticeable surge in activity within the palace walls was invariably an ominous portent that something was not quite right within Kaguya's governance, Milly had come to realize. It was like a storm warning system, signaling the brewing of political strife or a controversial reform set in motion by the young Viceroy. And presently, it heralded the onset of war; and of a dinner.
"His Majesty would have me feed his entire army," Tsunoda lamented, passing his hands in vexation through his lustrous, brown hair. "Yet, he can't find the time for a simple meeting."
Milly had always regarded Tsunoda as the most influential man in Japan, of course, that estimation factored in that Kaguya was a woman. His financial prowess was irrefutable; his mind operated like a well-oiled machine, tirelessly working towards the augmentation and diversification of his business empire - a pursuit he achieved with remarkable consistency. Tsunoda was a striking figure; his cascading hair meticulously groomed, his features symmetrically arranged, his dark, intense eyes captivating. All of this made him quite the pleasant sight, she thought. "His Majesty is a busy man I am sure," Milly offered, nonchalantly leaning against the entrance hall's wall. "I'm confident he'll arrange a meeting with a distinguished individual such as yourself soon."
Tsunoda flashed her a grin, his teeth a perfect array of whiteness. It was no wonder Kaguya's administration lent this man such unwavering support. He could be easily swayed by mere words and a benign smile. "And I'm sure His Majesty would desire to meet an astute woman like yourself; I always find our conversations profoundly engaging."
Suppressing her urge to chuckle, Milly responded, "As do I. Will you be gracing tonight's feast with your presence?"
The emperor was hosting a feast, and she had received an invitation, along with everyone who held even a shred of influence in the nearby region. "Absolutely," Tsunoda replied, pulling himself up to his full height. "Maybe we could sit together tonight? My wife is currently in Tokyo -"
"Certainly, that would be delightful," Milly agreed, smiling. If she could glean information about the food Tsunoda was supplying to Lelouch's army...yes, there was potential there. After all, an army's effectiveness was as good as the food in its belly.
Tsunoda's eyes sparkled with pleasure, his grin widening -
The moment was abruptly shattered as the majestic entrance hall doors swung open with an ostentatious flourish. A flood of ebony fabric cascaded into the grand entrance, causing Milly's nonchalant demeanor to falter. A dozen women, each cloaked in long, elaborate black gowns, commanded attention and respect, while the solitary figure garbed in stark white forced her to survey the room hastily.
The hall was abuzz with dozens of individuals, bureaucrats, business magnates, nobility, and even servants, all engaged in their mundane exchanges - which had been so suddenly interrupted. This flurry of individuals offered Milly the perfect camouflage to recede unobtrusively into the crowd's backdrop. This became an easier endeavor as Tsunoda gravitated to the forefront to welcome the solitary figure in white - the emperor.
A surge of mixed emotions threatened to overwhelm her, predominantly nostalgia intertwined with resentment. Her memories of Lelouch and his sister arriving at Ashford Academy, assuming the alias of Lamperouge and seeking sanctuary, were still vivid. As was the last time she had seen him, before the events of the Black Rebellion and his dramatic reappearance in Britannia under the moniker vi Britannia, staking his claim to his father's throne.
A hushed murmur permeated the entrance hall as Lelouch's guardswomen carved a path for the emperor, who traversed the room with a regal bearing, his gaze forward, seemingly oblivious to the sea of bowing subjects on either side of the aisle. Halfway through his march, he paused, his gaze meticulously scanning the room, seeking, seeking, and seeking until it finally halted - on her.
A smile spread across Lelouch's face.
Lelouch's smile, however brief, cast a haunting echo. The realization that he had, undoubtedly, recognized her sent tendrils of ice spiraling down her spine. In the midst of the crowd's shared gasp at the emperor's abrupt arrival and exit, she seized the opportunity to disappear into an adjoining hallway, the entrance to the residential quarters beckoning her. Despite its misnomer, the Little Palace was a labyrinth of rooms, each meticulously prepared for the evening's extensive guest list. Yet, her mind was caught in a tumultuous storm, the prospect of a face-to-face encounter with Lelouch looming ominously on the horizon.
Would a smile and honeyed words rooted in shared history suffice? Such a strategy had worked with Suzaku, but Lelouch was a different beast altogether. His intellect had always eclipsed hers, he had always been cleverer, smarter, quicker. The question was, how could she possibly fool someone whose intelligence surpassed her own? Evading such an encounter altogether seemed the wisest course of action.
This internal discourse was cut short as she came upon the hallway leading to her temporary accommodation. There, like a silent wraith, one of Lelouch's guardswomen stood sentinel, a vision in that ominous black dress, her long raven hair offsetting her piercing, vacant eyes. Halting mid-stride, Milly managed to retreat before the guardswoman could register her presence, her footsteps leading her back towards the hubbub of the entrance hall, her mind a whirlpool of anxiety.
As she swept a quick glance towards the palace exit, her eyes caught sight of another of Lelouch's guards, another specter stationed at the exit. Was Milly the target of a search? Unobtrusive in her movements, she weaved her way through the throng, veering into another shadowy corridor.
Despite the mounting tension, Milly had no thoughts of fleeing. If Lelouch desired a confrontation, she would accommodate him, albeit with a heavy heart. However, she would do everything in her power to evade such an encounter. The Little Palace, with its spotless corridors, elegant tiled floors, and an exquisite fusion of Britannian and Japanese art, exuded a calming allure, keeping her nerve steady.
Her brief respite was, however, short-lived. Rounding a corner, she came face to face with Kaguya, flanked by a pair of sturdy guardsmen. Kaguya, despite her petite stature, always seemed larger than life, her presence casting long shadows that swallowed rooms whole. Her emerald gaze was forever sharp and vigilant, a stark contrast to the serene demeanor the viceroy attempted to portray. Her intricate black coiffure echoed her persona, a manifestation of a confidence and pride few could dare to match. Dressed impeccably in a well-maintained kimono, she was a picture of elegance.
"Lady Ashford," the viceroy's tone was curt, her green eyes seemed to take on a more ominous hue. "Why are you here?" she inquired, her voice stripped of its usual elegance.
Milly bowed deferentially. "I'm here for the dinner tonight," she responded, "I am honored to have been invited."
A cold shudder seized her as Kaguya's lips remained drawn tight. The silence that followed was thick, every passing second stretching into a seemingly eternal expanse. "You shouldn't have come," Kaguya finally muttered, a chill lurking in her voice. And with those ominous words, she briskly walked past Milly, not even affording her a backward glance.
When did the air turn so biting?
The chilling remark left by Kaguya set Milly's heart pounding, her senses tingling with a heightened awareness of danger. No longer was this a game of cat and mouse; it was a chilling dance with a shadow, a shadow she realized that was chasing her. Yet she maintained a calm facade, navigating the Little Palace with an elegant fluidity that masked her internal turmoil.
She began to move with purpose, meandering through lesser-used hallways, her steps echoing softly against the austere marble. The soft glow of the sun spilled through the latticed windows, casting an eerie luminescence over her path. A daunting feeling coursed through her veins, the gravity of her situation becoming more and more obvious. Each sighting of a familiar black dress had her heart lurching, but she blended seamlessly into the background, her presence as fleeting as a whisper.
Every shadow became a potential threat, every sound a signal of encroaching danger, and soon her composed figure began to fade away, as she checked behind her shoulders far too often, far too anxiously. The labyrinthine palace seemed to conspire against her, its usually welcoming corridors now transformed into a cryptic maze, its art-filled walls watching her like silent spectators.
Ghostly apparitions of Lelouch's guardswomen emerged and receded into the background, their dark, vacant eyes seemingly tethered to her every move, each a spectral silhouette haunting her from a distance. Their ubiquitous presence turned the grand palace into a claustrophobic maze.
Subconsciously, she found herself descending to the palace's underbelly, a realm far removed from the chatter of businessmen and the haughty laughter of nobility. Instead, this underworld was populated by dutiful servants who respectfully averted their gazes as she passed. Yet even here, in these less frequented corridors, she felt the unsettling gaze of her shadows. Her heartbeat quickened, reverberating in her ears as her measured stride transitioned into a swift, purposeful gait.
Escape, escape, escape, escape, escape, her mind raced that single thought, a desperate plea that set her heart racing and her mind whirling. As she took a turn, she anticipated the familiar sight of a staircase leading back to the palace's first floor. Instead, she was met with an unassuming wide door. A pulse of annoyance thrummed through her, the unexpected dead-end rattling her already strained composure. Without a moment's pause, she pushed the door open and slipped inside; better than turning around and running to who knows who.
The room was an unexpected anomaly, a sprawling storage space that seemed to stretch on forever into the gloom. Her eyes darted around the room, scanning for another exit, an escape route hidden amongst the clutter. The room was packed with an array of items that seemed oddly out of place within the palace's opulence - canned foods neatly stacked, military-grade boxes haphazardly piled. Labels hastily scribbled over the boxes caught her attention: Rifles, Anti-Knightmare, Geass Cancelers -
Without warning, the solitary door to her sanctuary creaked open, a chilling symphony that caused her blood to freeze and her breath to hitch as she slowly turned her head back. From the darkness beyond the threshold, the spectral silhouette of the emperor himself emerged, bathed in the cold, clinical light of the palace's lower levels.
Flanking him were two guardswomen, their vacant eyes gleaming with an inscrutable glow beneath the harsh artificial light. Each one was a silent apparition, their onyx dress melding with the dimly lit interior. They moved with an uncanny synchronicity, each following the emperor closely.
Lelouch's purple eyes, inscrutable, now danced with a frosty mirth that sent ripples of unease through Milly's spine. Each breath she drew was like swallowing shards of ice, each exhale echoing in the vastness of the storage room like a spectral lament, and when his eyes found hers, he grinned.
"Milly!" His exclamation rang out, arms lifting in a grand theatrical display of welcome. His movement toward her was fluid and swift, as if floating over the clutter of the storage room. As he drew near, the sparse, wan light sculpted his visage into a dramatic relief, casting his pale skin into shadows and giving his purple eyes an abyssal depth.
This was the first true close encounter she had with Lelouch since his disappearance years ago when he was known by the name of Lamperouge. The proximity of the emperor allowed her to affirm a hypothesis she had long held.
Lelouch Lamperouge was truly dead
His brightened countenance, the smile that seemingly lit up his face, the mysterious depth in his purple eyes; none of it mattered. It may have all looked the same, but it wasn't her Lelouch.
The young, lanky vice-president of the student council she had once held a fondness for was replaced by this man whose visage was stern, eyes fathomless. His clothing concealed a honed physique, the widened breadth of his arms and broadness of his back indicative of strength acquired over time.
Yet this allure held no appeal for her. Where was the spark that once animated his eyes so brightly and so truly? The playful spirit that used to hide beneath his brooding demeanor? What was this perpetual shadow that seemed etched onto his face?
This was not her Lelouch.
This realization was a relief. It would make the task at hand easier.
"Your Majesty," her voice cut through the silence, formal and poised, feigning a sense of normalcy within the stark confines of the storage room.
Lelouch's smile wavered momentarily, his two guards remaining statuesque behind him, their gaze vacant yet locked onto Milly. "Lelouch. Please, Milly, call me Lelouch," he brushed off her formal address with a nonchalant wave of his hand. His two sentinel companions instinctively backed away. "I've only recently discovered your involvement with Kaguya's administration. How did that ever happen?" His voice carried a lightheartedness that made his smile seem genuine once more. "God, I have missed you. It has been too long, we must catch up."
"Well, I couldn't allow my classmates to continuously outshine me," she retorted, her arms folding. Once her subordinates at Ashford, Kallen and Lelouch had ascended from their humble beginnings, one as the Black Knight's ace pilot, the other a world conqueror.
How ridiculous. How could she be expected to compete?
"And as for the government work, it provides an opportunity for meaningful impact," she confessed, embedding her lie within the kernel of truth.
Lelouch laughed, sudden and discordant. It startled Milly, causing her to recoil slightly. But as his mirth subsided, she caught sight of a faint trace of a smirk. It wasn't the exaggerated grin he'd been wearing earlier, but a reminiscent hint of the past that caused her heart to twinge in painful longing.
"What happened to you, Lelouch?" she asked suddenly, a question she instantly regretted voicing.
The emperor seemed to freeze in his tracks, his fading smile replaced by a serious expression, his penetrating gaze never leaving hers.
But she knew there was no turning back, especially after her spoken question.
Lelouch retreated, allowing his gaze to drift away from Milly's to the expanse of the cavernous chamber. "My ambition was unquenchable, Milly," he confessed, his fingertips tracing over the icy metallic surface of a military-grade storage box as if seeking a sympathetic coolness from its indifferent exterior. "Despite the harsh truth that I could only rely on myself, my dream to mold the world into a haven of peace remained unwavering. I knew the path was paved with blood and sacrifices, but I accepted it, for I deemed the ends to justify the means. I demolished nations, militaries, decimated entire cultures, compelling the world to kneel to my rule. I was triumphant, Milly. I decimated the existence and resilience of my adversaries, reducing them to nothingness. The world is mine, my victory undeniable," he asserted, his fingers tapping his chest softly, his tone laced with an undying conviction as he stood enveloped within the impassive sentinels of his guard.
"Still, they deny their capitulation. The story has reached its conclusion, the final page turned, yet they cling to the illusion of an unwritten epilogue," he mused, his gaze shifting to a guard - a tall blonde woman whose formidable presence was overshadowed by Lelouch's casual demeanor as he held her chin as if she were a mere plaything. "Their resistance persists. Even in the wake of my conquest, despite the reduction in violence under my rule, their defiance continues. Under my reign, Milly, we have made strides in combating poverty, disease, and senseless conflict. I have ushered in a period of tranquility, affluence, and peace. And yet, they rebel," he went on in a hushed tone, his voice barely more than a whisper, "They label me a monster. As if they wouldn't revert to their petty squabbles if I were to be removed. As if they wouldn't shatter this tranquility I've painstakingly constructed if I were to vanish. As if they wouldn't descend back into their cycle of avarice and warfare if my dominion were to crumble," he released the woman's chin, his laser-sharp focus reverting to Milly.
"I stand as the only bulwark separating harmony from anarchy, Milly. But it was not my original intention to become this. I envisioned my existence to be fleeting, believed I could bring peace through gentler means. But the harsh reality of this world became evident - it bows only to power; the weakest, left unchecked, will inexorably devolve into chaos unless they are brought into submission," he let out a hollow laugh, the sound bouncing off the room's steel confines, bereft of joy or warmth. His hand brushed through his hair, the echo of his laughter dissipating into silence. His eyes remained locked onto Milly's, the palpable intensity unbroken.
Milly was left dumbstruck by his monologue, her mind in a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. Amidst the turmoil, one thought took precedence.
She yearned to embrace this version of Lelouch. No, he wasn't the Lelouch she knew, this Lelouch had consumed the old. But a part of her still wanted to comfort her old friend, to reassure him that all would be well. Yet as his dark eyes returned to her, her fleeting moment of compassion evaporated, replaced by a deafening alarm in her mind screaming danger.
Danger.
Danger.
Danger.
Danger.
Danger.
"May I pose a question, Milly?" the emperor queried, an unexpected spark of curiosity lighting his eyes as he leaned closer. "Two, in fact," he added, his fingers absently drumming against the material of his coat.
Milly tamed the swell of dread within her and responded with a forced smile. "Absolutely, Lelouch. I'm at your service."
Blink.
In a blink, his laughter filled the room again.
"Ah, I see it now," he mused, as if she had just said profound words. "Milly, you've always possessed an uncanny ability to catch me off guard. Your intelligence ran deeper than what most people gave you credit for. Do you remember Nina's simplistic perception of you?" He released a dismissive chortle, shaking his head in gentle denial. "You were never that. You're remarkable, Milly."
"I've already posed them, and you've provided your answers," he declared, pivoting away from her, "It's regrettable that our reunion must conclude in such a brutal manner."
"Lelouch," she called out. A wave of bewilderment and tension surged through Milly. "What are you going to do to me?" she asked. Why did such a question feel so right, she hadn't done anything wrong...had she?
Lelouch turned his head. There was no smile, not even the hint of one, he only stared at her with those cold eyes, eyes that were not Lelouch Lamperouge's. "I once loved you Milly, you were there for me and Nunnally when nobody else was. But now there will be nobody for me; not even you."
An abrupt, fierce impact sent her sprawling onto the cold floor. One of his guards had blindsided her with a brutal strike to her head.
"Your Majesty, what should we do with her?" the other guardswoman inquired in a detached, robotic voice. Milly attempted to raise her head, only to be greeted with another merciless blow to the head.
"My Black Queen used Milly to convey her message to me. It seems fitting that I reciprocate using the same channel. When you've finished with her, deliver her body to Lady Kaguya and Anya in Nagasaki. They will ensure Kallen receives my response," Lelouch's voice echoed, and as he stepped out, he began to hum before another blow to Milly's head sent her into a dark abyss.
All while Lelouch hummed.
AN: So from now on I'll be ranting in my ANs about my story as they help self-reflect and a reader PM'd me to do it like I did in another story because they said they like to read my head rationalize my writing, so maybe you can there could be a light light spoiler, but eh, it should be fine.
My focus when writing this chapter was trying to make it feel something akin to horror or a thriller, and I think...I don't really pull it off, like at all. But oh well, learning experience. I do actually think the prose itself was fine, unlike usual, I don't really like my writing, and I don't really like this chapter, but at least I can be happy with the prose.
I am very curious about what you all think of Milly's fate, I really should get around to reading reviews; a few more things now for this arc:
-Kallen and Suzaku's meeting. (one short chapter like this one)
-The battle in Nagasaki (two parter probably, maybe one part will be tacked with Kallen and Suzaku's meeting)
-The climax AFTER the battle, which of course I can't get in to, but easily the part I most want to write.
Honestly I feel a bit annoyed after writing this, this story has gotten so dark, and there is still one more 'oh fuck' moment to go before we even reach the climax of this little arc; I do wish I could make the story a little more light but I really wanted to establish a theme for this story, especially Lelouch's character.
Speaking of the emperor, I really hate writing his character because I hate the man, but he is one of the drivers of the story, and I really enjoyed his monologue which is supposed to drive one of the themes of the story. Think of the title, After the End, and reread:
"The story has reached its conclusion, the final page turned, yet they cling to the illusion of an unwritten epilogue,"
I am afraid to say updates may slow down; mainly because I want to read two books in my free time, starting with A Memory Called Empire, which I am halfway through, and I do recommend. Also I want to play Final Fantasy XVI, LMAO.
There's also the fact I may nuke my two other stories, which is funny because I've already nuked them once. One, I simply had a shit ass chapter which makes me want to redo it; until I realized I'm using a lot of themes and treading similair waters as my other stories, which means I may do that story way later in the future if I'm still writing by then. The other has 10 chapters and I'm having a joy writing it, but I have so many ideas to rework the story that I'm actually eager to do that and start from scratch.
But do not fret, before I get on those stories, I will be focusing on this arc, so hopefully the next update will come sooner rather than later.
I hope you enjoyed reading the chapter! And I hope you all have a good weekend.
For every storm a rainbow, for every tear a smile, for every care a promise, and a blessing for each trial!
Have a good day!
