So here is the next chap, hope you enjoy it.
And what did you guys think of last chapter's character development with Lihua, I personally put my all into it. Please review and tell me where you want it to go, I mean some great ideas of the story come from your reviews without them this story would be six chapters long, no kidding.
Xingke stood vigilant, keeping the sleeping Tianzi and the unconscious prince under careful watch.
Jeremiah was off on a meeting with the Britannian forces that had lent aid on the battle against the Eunuchs. More importantly, he was in a meeting with prince Schneizel, since the Empress had refused to leave Lelouch's side.
That left both the Empress and the Prince under his care.
The young girl was wrapped in the blankets she shared with her beloved prince. She was snugly pressed against him, her arms snaking around him to hold him close, while her head was resting against his shoulder. No matter what her position was, it was plainly obvious she was being careful not to touch his injuries.
Xingke sighed as he looked away. In truth, he was worried. To him, the timely arrival of Prime Minister Schneizel had been too convenient. On top of that, EU troops had aided Eunuch forces, giving Britannia the reason to attack they have desperately been searching for.
It made Xingke question if it had been Schneizel's plan all along, ever since he sent the young Lelouch to the Chinese Federation.
Certainly, it was a crazy notion. Still, the rumours and accomplishments that cloaked the Prime Minister of Britannia made it possible. Maybe improbable, but not impossible, and that bothered him.
The light snores of the Empress were suddenly disrupted and muffled by a far greater and worrying sound.
A gasp for air.
This was followed by a series of grotesque grunts that made Xingke swiftly turn around.
The Prince was restless, his head shook from one side to another in a violent manner, flinging off the drops of sweat that had accumulated on his forehead.
Xingke rushed to his aid, trying to calm him down by putting his hand on Lelouch's forehead. The moment he made contact, Lelouch's eyes snapped open, looking at him with such intensity that they made the Chinese commander flinch and jump back.
The Prince's eyes filled with confusion and fear as he tried to take in his surroundings. He struggled to get up, groaning, only to be quickly stopped by Xingke who gently held him down. The prince was forceful at first, but quickly recognised him and relaxed, dropping into the bed once more.
Lelouch took a few ragged breaths before speaking "Xingke...?" he asked, his voice hoarse and dry.
Xingke only nodded.
Lelouch smacked his tongue a few times before continuing "What happened? Where is Lihua? Is she okay?" his tone had a sense of urgency that did nothing to hide how weak and tired he really was.
He stubbornly tried to sit up again, only to fail miserably. Xingke quickly supported him and aided him in his quest to reach the sitting position. This caused the sleeping Lihua to unconsciously tighten her hold on him, mumbling something below her breath.
Lelouch looked down at the sudden pressure, then visibly relaxed, a small smile covering his features "Oh." he said, finding the answer to one of his many questions.
Lelouch directed his gaze towards Xingke again, his expression turning serious, and weakly asked "What happened?"
Xingke cringed on the inside and prepared himself for the answer he was going to give the Prince.
"The Eunuchs were found guilty for attempting your assassination, and the Tianzi ordered their arrest." he carefully informed.
Lelouch's eye widened with fear, and he struggled, trying to stand up again "We are not ready! We mu-"
He was suddenly seized by a coughing fit, the violent sound filling the room. Xingke was quick to help him out of it while he gently held him down and explained the situation to him "The Eunuchs were apprehended and executed yesterday, with the help of Britannian forces."
Lelouch's eyes narrowed, even as he wheezed and blinked the tears brought on by the coughing fit from them. "Schneizel." he rasped out.
Xingke nodded gravely.
The unasked question hung above their heads, the oppressive silence almost too much to bear.
"You are worried that it was his plan all along." It wasn't a question.
Xingke, seeing no point in being diplomatic, decided to be honest, and nodded yet again.
"Don't." he assured Xingke "Schneizel is good at making plans on the spot…" his voice got progressively lower and more tired as he spoke "but he is even better at making it look like it was his plan all along..."
And with that, he succumbed to his tiredness and into a deep sleep.
Lihua slowly yawned, as she rose from her usual position in Lelouch's bed, and looked around for a bit, still half asleep. Once she got to her senses, she turned her attention towards her Prince.
She tenderly cupped his face 'I did it. Lelouch, and I did it all for you.' was the only thought running through her mind.
Then she noticed something was… off about him. She tried to puzzle out what, but she couldn't quite find it. After careful analysis, she noticed something extremely important, he was in a different position than when he went to sleep.
'Could this mean that he has woken up?' she reasoned with excitement 'Xingke… he was guarding us all night. He must have noticed if Lelouch woke up.' she concluded.
"Xingke!" she shouted. He instantly appeared in the room, standing on attention.
"What do you require, my Empress?" he asked.
"Did Lelouch wake up last night?" she tentatively asked, her blood red eyes filling with apprehension and hope.
"Yes, he did." he efficiently answered.
Lihua was a bit annoyed, why didn't he wake her?
"And why wasn't I waken?" she repeated out loud, her tone laced with annoyance.
"You were tired and sleeping, I thought you needed the rest. Also, the Prince was weak and tired, he wasn't exactly in the condition to talk." he responded, bowing "I must beg of you to forgive me, my Empress. I only had the best intentions on my mind."
Lihua barely heard him, as she apparently dismissed the last part of his speech entirely. Well, she actually forgot, and started poking Lelouch, trying to wake him up, completely forgetting that he was on the verge of death just a few days past. Then again, who wouldn't want to forget that?
Lelouch's face took on a slight scowl, and he started grumbling at the repeated pokes, then slowly opened his eyes, half glaring at the offender, before his expression softened as he recognized her. The Empress backed off, giving him some breathing space.
"Hey." he said, a slight smile colouring his tone.
"Hey." she answered.
Xingke quietly excused himself, going out of the room and closing the door softly behind him. He crossed his arms and smiled. Hopefully, this would snap the Empress out of her depression.
Somehow, they both looked different to each other.
"I know what you did." Lelouch said before Lihua could get close "And let me start by saying that it was a foolish move and a rash thing to do. I expected you to use your brain a little more. Where did all the things I taught you go?"
Lihua's eyes filled with immense pain as she stood there, as if held by an invisible force.
He half glared at her, then smiled, true joy filling his eyes, "And let me finish off by saying that I'm extremely proud of you."
There was no longer pain in Lihua's eyes.
A few days had passed since Lelouch had woken up. He had regained part of his strength, and although the pain that his injury caused was obvious, he fervently denied it each time, and outright refused to take any kind of anesthetic.
This was the cause of a rather unusual argument that was now taking place in the infirmary. It seemed that Lihua had had enough of Lelouch's stubbornness and pride, and decided to give him the sedatives whether he wanted them or not.
"Stop moving, you big baby." Lihua said between grunts, annoyance dripping from her every word.
"I said I'm fine." complained a bed bound Lelouch, trying his hardest to avoid Lihua's so called "healing".
"Stop being so stubborn!" she scolded, maneuvering around the small space they had available.
"I'm not being stubborn, I said I'm fi-"
He was stopped as she lightly tapped his chest with her finger.
A cry of pain escaped the prince's parted lips, even though he tried his best to hold it in. He quickly brought his hands to his chest, trying to subside the pain.
"Your pride will be your downfall. Now take the sedatives, Lelouch!" she ordered with stone cold determination, all but shouting his name.
Her hand shot out, handing him a few pills, which he refused.
"I refuse. There is no need for such frivolous substances. As I told you before, I'm all right." he concluded, crossing his arms and closing his eyes.
While he did this and continued ranting, Lihua couldn't help but facepalm at her Prince's antics, then a wicked smile crossed her face. She quickly raised her head and rested it upon her hands, a tender smile gracing her features as she fixed a tender look at her Prince's handsome face. Her eyes filled up with happiness and welled up with tears all at the same time.
Lelouch noticed something was odd and slowly opened one of his eyes to see an entranced Lihua, tears streaming down her face.
He recoiled, before quickly opening both of his eyes and sitting up, gritting his teeth through the pain, taking her shoulder and gently shaking her, "Are you okay?" he asked, concern written all over his face.
Lihua came out of her trance and started to dry off her tears with her sleeve, hiding her expression behind it and nodding, while gentle sniffling could be heard behind her hands.
"It's nothing, Lelouch. I'm… I'm just glad you are alright, I'm so glad…" she whispered with immeasurable happiness.
Lelouch sighed in relief, then drew her in for a soft, tender hug.
They stayed like that for a few moments, the room in complete silence with the exception of Lihua's light sniffing, as they gently rocked back and forth.
Without warning, something pierced Lelouch's skin, making him jump back in surprise, giving a yelp that was more akin to a puppy that a human being.
He quickly laid his eyes upon Lihua and saw a sly smile cross her delicate, yet beautiful face. Her eyes were still puffy and red from the tears, but that wasn't the thing that held the prince's attention, rather, it was the empty needle in her right hand.
She only said two words, a wicked smirk on her face.
"Got you."
Schneizel went through the forbidden city with controlled strides, a look of excitement gracing his face, with Jeremiah and Kanon flanking him left and right respectively.
The reason for his excitement was that he was finally going to meet the seed he planted so many years ago. Additionally, he would check on his little brother, who just a few days ago had woken up.
In truth, he had wished to come much earlier, but meeting after a meeting kept him from it.
He spotted the Empress in the distance, with what he thought was a maid accompanying her.
Once he got closer and laid his eyes upon her, he noticed what a beautiful young lady she was. There was no doubt in Schneizel's mind that if she were a normal girl in a normal school, she'd hand all the boys following her around like stray puppies, Lelouch included.
'Watch out, young Shirley, you've got tough competition.' he jokingly thought, letting a smile across his face, remembering Lelouch's friend he had met on few occasions.
He quickened her pace until he was right in front of the Tianzi, then gave her a slight bow, and with his best lady killer smile said. "Oh, my dear Tianzi, I never imagined that the child I met so many years ago would bloom into such a beautiful flower. Your beauty is truly awe inspiring, worth of myth and legends alike. I'm delighted we could meet."
The Tianzi, apparently unfazed by the complement cooly raised an eyebrow and replied "I'm pleased we could meet as well, Prince Schneizel. I assume you are here to meet your brother?"
Schneizel stood there for a second, politely smiling even as he was stunned on the inside. This girl had just waved off his compliment as if she had swatted a fly. A reaction that greatly differed from the young women he usually encountered, who more often than not, melted right on the spot, turning to putty in his hands after even a vague compliment. He didn't even get a small blush out of her, and that was one of his best lines.
"Ah, of course." he quickly recovered "I was worried about my dear brother, and heard that he had woken up."
The Empress nodded and gestured Schneizel to walk with her. He smiled, and followed without complaint.
"Indeed, the Prince is awake, however…"
'She speaks like Lelouch.' he noted with interest. "Yes?" he asked.
"He is under the effect of sedatives" she warned "so he may seem a bit… off."
He frowned, Lelouch and sedatives? Unlikely. He despised anything that could affect his state of mind.
"How did you manage to make him take them? I do remember him most vehemently denying any sort of sedatives or drugs in the past." he inquired curiously.
The Tianzi looked away, a small blush spreading across her face for the first time. Fumbling with her fingers and words she managed to say "That's… that's not important".
Schneizel took notice, alarmed he thought 'She forced him?! Just who is this girl?'
Schneizel cautiously nodded as he entered the infirmary behind the Tianzi.
Inside, he caught a glimpse of a rather unusual sight.
The normally composed Lelouch was ordering some rather unusual things from an oriental man with long hair. Schneizel recognised him as the one with whom he met after the battle against the Eunuchs was won.
"Orange boy!" the Prince screamed "Bring me oranges, and I shall make the perfect tea with them!" this was followed by a maniacal bout of laughter filled with joy. Under normal circumstances, the ferocious glint that passed through his eyes would have scared anyone who knew him and make them pity whoever he was plotting against. However, because of his current state everyone reacted a little differently.
Lihua could only give a nervous chuckle while she looked away guiltily, her blush intensifying. Xingke, a normally stoic and cold man facepalmed, sighing, and explained to him once again that he wasn't Jeremiah. Jeremiah's face was stone cold, though the corner of his lip twitched in a slight smile, while Schneizel could only stand there, dumbfounded. He had never seen his little brother like this.
Lelouch stopped laughing, his expression turning dead serious. He carefully examined the new arrivals, like a predator inspecting its prey.
Finally he spoke, a maniacal glint entering his eyes "Is that a new dress, Lihua?" he observed with a goofy smile.
Lihua looked away, trying to conceal the smile that was threatening to burst out. "Oh, y-you no-noticed." she stuttered with a noticeable blush.
"Looks good on you." he casually quipped, nodding up and down repeatedly.
Lihua's face turned to something resembling a tomato, as she apparently found it impossible to keep her mask on for the sake of politics. "Oh, re-really? I'm gl-glad you li-like it." she said while looking at her feet and fiddling with her dress, trying to conserve any dignity she might have left.
Schneizel quirked an eyebrow in interest as he saw the two interact, with curious eyes.
'This is interesting.' he thought.
'Very interesting.'
Shirley held something very dear to her in her hands. The photo of her Lulu. It was one she kept in secret, well, in secret from him at least, since everyone already knew about it. She stared at it deep in thought, one of the few privileges the photo had over the real Lulu, she couldn't just stare at him for long moments like she did with the photo.
Still, she found herself in a more dreamy state when she gazed at the real thing. Maybe it was because Lulu in person was more lifelike, the spark in his noble eyes was more real than in the photo, also, she liked the way the breeze just ruffled his elegant black locks, framing his deep violet eyes.
Shirley had admitted it to herself long ago, she was head over heels for the "Ice Prince". And she knew it was different from all the other girls who harboured a crush on him, she was absolutely sure that she knew him, the real him. Other that Milly, she was the one who knew him the best, there was no other person close enough to him other that her, Milly, and Nunnally.
She sighed yet again as she continued to examine the picture.
"You should tell him how you feel." came the slightly abnormally serious voice from Milly Ashford, the "respected" student council president.
Confession had run through her mind a couple of times. However, she never seriously considered it. In her mind, she had all the time in the world, until recently.
"Something like what happened in the Chinese Federation could happen again. For your sake, and for his, confess when he gets back. Don't miss this second chance that has been graciously given to you/" continued Milly, still serious, as she tapped a pen on the table slightly, frowning.
Shirley knew that out of all the people who had heard of what happened in the Chinese Federation, Milly was one of the most affected. Despite the usual teasing, mockery and jests, Milly deeply cared for Lulu. He was probably the most important friend to her, so important, in fact, that Shirley initially considered her a rival for Lulu's affection.
Shirley only nodded. She would confess to him once he got back, she would pour her heart out and tell him how she felt.
She would make him hers.
Please review and tell me what you think, it really helps the story grow.