"Stop, stop, Nellie, you're killing me! Buwahahahahaha!" The Countess Enneagram's cheeks were flushed a bright red as she let out a guttural chuckle, silencing Cornelia for the moment, who merely looked on across the deck of the yacht in obvious annoyance. The Flaming Chainsaw had been renamed- though not repainted- when the Emperor had given it to the Countess upon her twenty-first birthday at her personal request, following her inheritance of the family title and her stunning pair of victories won in the Knightmare campaigns at Morocco and Gibraltar.
The Knightmare ace was reportedly well on-track to becoming a Knight of the Round, and her performance- and value to the throne- had been rewarded accordingly. Sleek and elegant, the ivory-and-gold vessel seemed to melt perfectly into its own curves, a slender dagger piercing the foamy seas of the Gulf of California as Nonette enjoyed one of her rare vacations, lounging in an extremely skimpy thong- and nothing else- while Cornelia wore a considerably more conservative one-piece, the two of them resting on chaise loungers that Cornelia had, wisely, put at a considerable distance between them to ward off Nonette's inevitable pawing and crude comments.
Nonette's laughter eventually slowed, and for a moment, she just smiled, before eventually that faded, too, and her head tilted. "Oh, wait, you're serious…" Taking on a mocking look of concern, she'd add, glibly, "let me laugh even harder. AAAAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"It's not funny, Nonette! He seriously said he intends to." Cornelia scowled, and for a moment wondered by how much of a majority of the time she wore this expression whenever she spent time with her 'best friend'.
"It's funny to me! Ooh! Oohoo! Oh, I need a drink!" Rising from her lounger and stretching in an extremely suggestive manner, she'd wipe a pair of tears from her cheeks, that bemused grin still spreading from ear to ear on her leering face. Reaching for a flute of champagne on the table next to her chair, she would glance over at Cornelia as she downed it with two gulps.
"You always need a drink. This is very bad, Nonette, do you realize what's going to happen to him if he-"
Cornelia was interrupted with a belch, and she squinted her eyes shut and put a hand to her forehead in disgust. "So then stop him!" Nonette finished, as if she'd meant to interrupt with that particular bodily function. "He's just a kid, after all! You're bigger! And a soldier. Just tell him if he tries you'll pound him." The knight slammed a fist into her open palm with a grin that was simultaneously childish and sadistic- a schoolyard bully if there ever was one.
"Oh, that's a great way to earn his trust."
"What trust do you have to earn from him? You're the only thing that's been standing between him and annihilation for the past four years, after his mother-"
"Yes, but he doesn't see it that way, he can't see it that way. He was just starting to get back to his old self, too- even flirting with Euphemia again, it seemed-"
"My, my, Cornelia, are you playing matchmaker with dear sweet little Euphie? After all the fuss you went to about my corrupting her? How things have changed." Nonette paused, then yanked at the sides of her hair and put on a scowl, biting her lip theatrically like she did whenever she mocked her friend. "Rar, teach Euphemia anything like that again and I'll knock your block off!"
"There is a difference between innocent childhood romance and teaching a princess how to open a beer bottle with her teeth, especially one who is six years underage."
"It's a good party trick!"
"Princesses do not do party tricks, Nonette!" Cornelia bristled with simmering indignation, and Nonette's grin only got wider.
"Well, I know of one that does!"
ulp! Cornelia swallowed hard.
"How did it go again? 'The eensy-weensy spider went up the-"
"I thought I told you never to speak of that again!"
"-and then you-" Nonette gestured.
"That never happened, all right?"
"-with both carrots-"
"STOP!" Cornelia roared, and Nonette clutched at her sides, giggling fiercely.
"Oh, Nellie, you're just too easy. Too easy. It's not even fun anymore. I've got to find some fresh meat!"
"Yes, good luck with that, and good riddance." Cornelia rolled her eyes and flopped back into the lounger, sipping her watermelon juice on the rocks and crossing her ankles.
"Okay, okay, Nellie, don't get your panties in such a twist." Nonette smiled and crouched down next to Cornelia's chair. "So how exactly did this happen again? What were you two even talking about that caused him to mention it? Are you sure he wasn't just fucking with you? I mean, who knows, maybe he's trying to be more like me, I certainly wouldn't blame him, I am awesome after all." Nonette stuck her chin up haughtily, her grin widening.
"Well, you know the anniversary of… that day… was a week ago, yes?" Cornelia sighed and drew her legs up to her chest, assuming a protective posture as her expression, which had lightened if only momentarily when Nonette showed genuine interest in her concern, had once again fallen into distress when she recalled the circumstances of that day.
"Walk me through it."
…
Rainclouds over Pendragon were an unpredictable and scarce occurrence, though they came perhaps four or five times a year. For it to rain on today of all days seemed to be a fitting coincidence, though Cornelia wished it hadn't waited to start pouring until after Euphemia and Nunnally had gone with a few maids to go shopping. She wasn't entirely convinced Nunnally even remembered that today was the anniversary of her mother's death and the last day she ever saw or walked on her own- Euphemia had acted quickly to try and put it out of Nunnally's mind before the reminiscence had a chance to occur.
No doubt, however, that the two of them would be soaked by now, along with their nice summer wardrobe- at least Cornelia had managed to strong-arm Euphie into wearing something less form-fitting than she'd tried to leave with. Honestly, where the girl had even acquired such a skimpy top- no, Cornelia reminded herself, she knew of at least two people who could easily have provided such contraband. Nonette would have done it simply to piss Cornelia off, and Clovis would have done it simply because he seemed incapable of seeing the harm, always thrilled when Euphemia offered to be his personal model. Either way, the respectable collared blouse, albeit sleeveless, that she'd cajoled Euphie into wearing on top of that rag wouldn't be see-through when soaked…
Cornelia was one hell of a hypocrite. Openly lecturing her younger siblings about the dangers of hypothermia and the rudeness of allowing one's carefully-tailored garments to be carelessly soaked and possibly ruined as she had a week ago when Lelouch and Euphemia had fallen into the pond- after the considerably more awkward lecture she'd been forced to give Lelouch, that is- and here she was out on the balcony in the rain just the same, on that particular rail that she and Lady Marianne had often stood and talked and looked out over the gardens together. Her dress shirt had once been a light royal blue but was now an utterly soaked navy, her cravat more resembling a drenched sea cucumber, and her hair that had been so carefully curled and teased by one of Clovis's hairstylists had been utterly ruined, lying flat and slick against her head, the princess resembling a drowned rat. It was as if the rainstorm was attempting to make up for lost time, and in ages past, this torrent would have slaked the aching thirst of the parched soils of the Sonoran desert. In this age, however, it merely soaked the well-manicured lawns and gardens of the Britannian elite, and an imprudent princess who had decided to remain outdoors even when the first few harbingers of the deluge had pattered onto her shoulders.
Not, Cornelia reminded herself, that it was anything she hadn't suffered before. Her memories had just drifted back to Cambodia and the monsoon season she'd been stationed there once more when the corner of her eye caught a hand upon the rail next to hers, and she'd nearly jumped when she realized Lelouch had emerged from his seclusion- she hadn't seen him at all yet today, somewhat expecting him to stay in bed all day, and on today at least, she would let him...
"Lelouch... what-" Cornelia began, the instinct to lecture and condemn him for being out in the rain rising, only for sheer embarrassment at her flagrant hypocrisy to quickly stamp out the flickering flame of righteous indignation. "... good morning." she finally murmured, seeing the boy staring out at those same gardens as she.
"No, it's not." was Lelouch's simple reply, and Cornelia paused a moment, before nodding and moving in to pull him into a firm hug, laying her chin atop his head.
The sound of a few thunderclaps and the continual pounding of the torrent against the deck and over their bodies would fill the silence that remained for the next few moments. Each year, up until this day, Lelouch and Cornelia's initial conversation of the day had resembled an emotional game of chicken- where the pretense of nothing being amiss and today being just another day was kept up until one of them could no longer keep up the lie, and the first one to mention the significance of the day was the loser. Try as he might, however, Lelouch was now 0 for 3, and his penalty, as it had been in all three years past, was to meekly accept Cornelia's attempt at comforting him, though the comfort never came.
Today, Lelouch had dispensed with the game and simply surrendered straight away- it seemed the sight of Cornelia standing out there in the rain, and the fact that she hadn't even tried to scold him when he'd joined her, had made it impossible for either of them to ignore the reason for both- though it was true, Cornelia was still a bit confused, after three years of being forced to take the place of Lady Marianne, where her duties as a surrogate mother ended and her duties as a sister began.
She squeezed him tighter as he rested his cheek against her chest, and the tighter she squeezed, the more tempting it became for him to cry, especially with the rain rolling down his cheeks. Cornelia would never know, that was true, but... Cornelia wasn't important. He wouldn't betray himself, not like this. Clenching a fist so hard it nearly drew blood from his palm, Lelouch let his fist thump against Cornelia's back and murmured a dark execration.
"... what?" Cornelia opened an eye, and pushed him back from her, staring him full in the face as she placed a hand on his cheek. "You can't mean that, Lelouch."
"... who else can bear this burden, Cornelia? It has nearly crushed you." Lelouch returned her stare, and gently took her hand away. "... My fault. It was my fault, what happened to Mother, and what happened to Nunnally. I was- I am the man of the house. It happened on my watch. All else be damned, it was my fault. Had I acted like a man, instead of a cowardly boy, then-"
A stinging reddish whiteness and a clap of thunder that hadn't come from the sky rattled Lelouch's senses, and he reached his hand up to touch his reddened cheek, staring back into Cornelia's fiery gaze as the tears finally began to flow, to his eternal shame.
"Then you'd be dead. Your mother sacrificed her life to protect Nunnally, but she also sacrificed her life to protect you. And now you're saying you'd rather have thrown her sacrifice away to save your foolish pride, Lelouch."
"Cornelia... I..." He flung his fist aside and turned around. "I won't let you control me with that anymore."
"What are you saying, Lelouch? When have I ever-"
"You've been trying to keep me safe, sister, and I thank you for that. But I won't hide from my responsibility any longer. Not for your sake, and not for Mother's sake- not even for Nunnally's sake."
Cornelia swallowed, her heart feeling hollow all of a sudden, as she knew as well as Lelouch did that this represented a turning point. She was so proud of him... and so very scared for him at the same time.
"Lelouch, you're still a child. You can't just-"
"You said it yourself, Cornelia, I'm going to be a man soon enough. I'm not going to wait until I've got even more of my life holding me back from my responsibility- ... my destiny."
"And what destiny is that?"
"That man already told me. Something worthy of his attention. He expects me to prove my worth as a prince of Britannia, and I intend to prove that I am worthier than he. I intend to topple him from that throne and take his place!"
Lelouch turned to face Cornelia again, whose face had gone pale and whose eyes had gone wide.
"To take revenge for Mother- to make a better world for Nunnally- and to make sure that this Empire no longer stands for power for power's sake. A Britannia that will support the weak and defend the defenseless. A Britannia worthy of the goodness in Nunnally's heart."
Had Lelouch suggested this in any other situation, Cornelia knew she'd have taken it as a joke. The boy had begun to develop a wicked sense of humor, and a joke like this would have been right up his alley. 'Of course, of course, you're going to be Emperor. All hail Lelouch!' , would have been her reply.
But there was no denying the determination in his eyes, and the strength- no, Cornelia reminded herself, the utter majesty of his expression. Part of her wanted to fall to one knee and swear loyalty to her brother right here and now. Oh, how very dangerous indeed, was this ambition for this boy... and as his sister, she reminded herself when her mind finally cleared, it fell to her to stop him.
Lelouch, it seemed, was seeing that part of her as well, as he took one step forward and offered his hand. "Not just Nunnally, but Euphemia as well. They are too good for this Britannia- for this world. Let's change it, together, for their sake, and for Mother's. Cornelia... sister... will you help me?"
A few heartbeats passed, and another thunderclap shuddered their bodies. Those few heartbeats felt like an eternity to both of them, but finally Cornelia had brushed past Lelouch, the tears beginning to flow, tears she couldn't allow him to see. "Don't be insane, Lelouch, it's never going to happen and you know it. Get inside and get out of those soaked clothes before you catch pneumonia."
It was as if Cornelia had sank a dagger into Lelouch's heart. He'd seen it in her eyes... he'd been so close, and yet... here she was, treating him like a child once more.
"... Cornelia, can we-"
"No. Not now and not ever. Not while I'm around and not while our agreement still stands, or have you forgotten it already? I won't let you go back on it so easily. You are not a man yet, Lelouch." Cornelia planted a hand on the pillar, gritting her teeth. "Now get inside before I make you get inside."
"... No." Lelouch crossed his arms and glared at his sister, who still could not bring herself to meet his gaze. Although he lacked the pieces to put her in checkmate, he knew she lacked the resolve to see this endgame through, and could foresee the inevitable result.
"... Fine. Stay out here and rot for all I care. If you want to make him proud of you this is a damn good start." Cornelia barked, right before the screen door slammed shut, putting him in one last painful check before conceding to a stalemate.
...
"So, then, cute little Lelouch is getting too big for his britches. That's adorable, Nellie. His balls finally dropped." Nonette replied, as subtle as a sledgehammer, prompting yet another scowl from her friend.
"And you fail to see how dangerous this is?"
"C'mon, Nellie, I may be a jerk but I'm not stupid. Of course it's suicide." Nonette reached over to ruffle Cornelia's hair, smirking cheerfully as she spoke, however morbid the subject. "He's talking treason. Overthrowing the Emperor, it hasn't been done in three hundred years, and the last guy what tried it got his intestines yanked out and burned in front of him. Wouldn't be surprised if Chuck's kinda itching to draw and quarter somebody, too, it suits his personality." Nonette scratched behind her neck, giving a somewhat subdued grin.
"Well, Britannia's entered a more civilized age, I would hope, and- ... wait... Chuck?" Cornelia paused, staring at Nonette, who shrugged.
"... Emperor Chuck?" Nonette suggested.
Cornelia sighed, and rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I don't think I'm going to be able to stop him this time, Nonette, I'll be blatantly honest with you."
"Not as simple as hiding your keys, huh?" Nonette took another gulp of champagne before flopping back down into her lounger, crossing one long leg over her knee. "So he wants to prove he's a man? Well... actually, you might throttle me for suggesting this, but-"
"NO!" Cornelia barked immediately, sitting bolt upright and clenching both fists. "Don't you even go there-"
"Relax, Nellie, relax. Jeez, you've got such a dirty mind. What the hell did you think I was gonna suggest, take him to a whorehouse?"
Cornelia fidgeted, pressing the tips of her index fingers together. "Well, if you'll recall, you nearly did the same to me, in Thailand."
"Accident. Told you that already. Thought it was just an ordinary massage parlor."
"I still find it hard to believe you didn't know-"
"Moving on, Nellie," Nonette continued, talking right over Cornelia, "there's plenty of places that exist where boys go to try and prove they're men, but there's only one where you're guaranteed to be able to keep a constant eye on him."
Cornelia paused a moment, raising an eyebrow.
"You can't mean..."
"Well, if you're serious about keeping him safe." Nonette gulped down yet another flute of champagne. "Or you could turn him over to auntie Nonette. I'll take real good care of him. He could be my squire!"
"... You've got a sick mind, Nonette, but..."
"Buuuuut?" Nonette beamed, leaning in and grinning wickedly at Cornelia.
"... your other idea is worth a shot. I don't know how he'll react to the suggestion, but it's better than nothing. If I can somehow convince him that it'll help his goal, then..."
"Ooh, manipulative, aren't we, Nellie. So you have learned from me after all, I'm so proud." Nonette snickered, while Cornelia blushed and glanced off the edge of the boat's deck, looking over the foamy crests that dappled the gulf...
...
"You may be right, Cornelia." Lelouch glowered as he glanced out the window to the moonlit fog that hung over the gardens of Aries, the two siblings sitting upon his bed in their pajamas. "The experience... will be valuable, and perhaps it is best if I earn some favor in the eyes of the Court before I make my move. ... Besides..." Lelouch added, and placed a hand on Cornelia's wrist. "I kind of want to see what it was like... for her."
"Think about it very carefully before you decide, Lelouch. It's hard, and it's not for everyone. But it helped me understand your mother a little better... and I would like it if you at least had the opportunity to try. ... I'm sorry about... the other day."
"No, I should be sorry, Cornelia..."
"Then we're both sorry and that's that." Cornelia pulled him into a gentle hug and began to smile slightly. "Just remember, no matter what you do, Euphie, Nunnally and I will always support you."
"So what do you think, then? Do you think I've got what it takes?" Lelouch raised his gaze up to his sister, and she'd tilt her head slightly.
"Well... you'll sure as hell have your work cut out for you. But if you can put even a tiny bit of the determination you showed me the other day, I'm sure you'll do just fine."
"Hm." Lelouch nodded, releasing himself from Cornelia's grasp. "Then I'll give it my best shot. If only because I want to see the look on that man's face when I graduate. Worthy of his attention... I'd say becoming a Knightmare pilot would be worthy, wouldn't you?"
( Many apologies for the unexpected delay in this chapter. Lots of life-rearranging events that are still ongoing. However, this chapter does open the saga I've been really itching to write since I started this fic, and has opened up quite a lot of inspiration for me. I've got a significant bit of the next chapter written already, so I hope to have it up as soon as possible. Please review and let me know what you think so far! )