Chapter Seventeen
Government Bureau, Area 11, July 2017 ATB
"Enter!"
The doors clicked open, and Alexander strode in. He stopped at the appointed place, in front of Princess Cornelia's desk, and stood to attention.
"Ah yes, Alexander." Cornelia closed the dossier she had been reading, and set it on the desk. "Have you been able to get anywhere with this Fukuoka business?"
"Yes, your highness. General Reed's last communication was an attempt to ascertain the status of his last requisition; specifically of communications and sensor equipment for Fukuoka base. Unfortunately, my investigation brought up a backlog of requisitions and relevant communications going back several months. None of them, as far as I can ascertain, were seen by his late highness Prince Clovis."
"I suppose I can believe it," mused Cornelia bitterly. But Alexander could see the pain in her eyes; pain at the reminder of her half-brother's sad fate, and the depths of his failure as Viceroy. "But why exactly does he need so much equipment? Can't he keep his own base in order?"
"Your highness, the general claims that the equipment provided to the base was not optimised for local climatic conditions. As a result, his sensors and comm facilities, among others, have suffered repeated malfunctions and a higher maintenance requirement in order to remain operational. He further claims that the recent storms caused considerable damage."
"So, his equipment can't handle the weather." Cornelia sounded dubious. "Can he at least provide a full report and inventory?"
"He has promised to do so by the end of next week, your highness."
"Hmm, very well, I suppose I should indulge him this once. When the report comes in, make sure to deliver it to me immediately. We should get this settled as soon as possible."
"Yes, your highness."
Cornelia shifted in her seat, and something in the atmosphere changed.
"I'm sure you understand the importance of this matter, Alexander," she went on. "Since the incident at Lake Kawaguchi last week, there's been a considerable upsurge in resistance activity. That Zero character is almost certainly behind it, or at least he has emboldened them."
Alexander shivered at the mention of it. He had been at Princess Cornelia's side throughout those dreadful hours, when a band of native terrorists had stormed the Lake Kawaguchi hotel and taken all inside hostage. That would have been bad enough, but that the hotel was hosting Britannia's annual sakuradite production and distribution summit. Representatives from across the empire had been present, along with many observers and hangers-on, including some students from Tokyo settlement.
And Princess Euphemia.
Fortunately she had been rescued, along with the students and most of the hostages. But the real shock, as far as the world was concerned, was the identity of their saviour. The masked man Zero, accompanied by a band of black-clad soldiers, calling themselves the Order of the Black Knights.
But to Alexander, that was nowhere near the worst of it.
"Intel is finding more and more evidence of Chinese Federation involvement in Kyushu," she went on. "At the very least, they are increasingly using Chinese weapons. Ordinarily I would focus my efforts there, but after Lake Kawaguchi, our primary concern must be the Japan Liberation Front."
Indeed it was, for it was the Japan Liberation Front that had launched the Lake Kawaguchi attack. Its leader had been Lieutenant-Colonel Josui Kusakabe, an officer of the old Japanese Self Defence Force - like many in the JLF - and a member of the old Japanese aristocracy. He and his troops had worn their old uniforms, and Kusakabe himself had posed with his ceremonial sword.
And yet...
"You do understand why this must be so," said Cornelia, eying him with cold eyes. "Why we must make it our business to destroy them."
"They call themselves soldiers," Alexander replied, as the shivers returned. "Yet they took hostages, murdered unfortunates, and threatened the life of Princess Euphemia."
"Drive any thought of fellowship from your mind," ordered Cornelia. "Once they were soldiers like us, and fought honourably to defend their country. Now they have despoiled their honour, and have become murderers and terrorists. Kusakabe is proof of that, as are their childish denials."
"Yes, your highness."
"But that won't be for a little while yet." Cornelia relaxed somewhat. "Intel is getting a notion of where their primary base might be, but there's no point in doing anything major until they're certain. In the meantime, there is another matter."
She paused, eyeing him in a manner be found quite unsettling.
"I had a visit from Lady Beauregarde yesterday," she said. "She was rather put out that you didn't attend her soirée the night before."
Alexander felt his blood run cold.
"Your highness, I was much occupied with the Fukuoka matter," he said, trying not to sound as nervous as he felt. "I sent her ladyship my excuses."
"That isn't the issue, Alexander. The issue is that you politely turned down her invitation, pleading prior commitments. Prior commitments which a number of garrison officers for some reason did not share."
Alexander's heart sank. If he pleaded overwork, yet so many other officers turned up, what was Lady Beauregarde supposed to think? That her guests were blowing off their duties? Or that the Lord Alexander Waldstein, Viscount San Clemente, preferred his work to her hospitality?
"I did not mean to cause offence, your highness."
"Yet you have done so, regardless," replied Cornelia sternly. "You could have asked for my leave to go, Alexander. Several of her other guests did."
"The matter was too important, your highness."
"Not the point, Alexander. While some of her guests were AWOL and will answer for it, others did in fact have my leave, and have the documents to prove it. I allowed them leave, Alexander, because their conduct has improved recently, and I thought they could use an incentive. You could have done the same, Alexander. I would not have refused you."
Alexander suppressed a sigh. There was no getting out of this one.
"I know I'm in no business to complain, Alexander," Cornelia went on. "Heaven knows I can't stand events like that. And I owe Euphemia for keeping them out of my hair."
That much was true. Wafting around in a frilly gown was one of Cornelia's least favourite activities, and only Euphemia could consistently talk her into it. As such, responsibility for keeping up the social aspect of running Area 11 was falling mostly on Euphemia's shoulders.
It was not that she was bad at it, or that anyone really minded. But having to do it alone, again and again, and deal with all the ever-so-polite jibes about Cornelia not being there, was starting to get her down. He knew, because he knew her well enough to be unsettled by that tired, unhappy look behind her eyes.
And he had made life a little bit harder for both princesses, just because he would rather work than go to a soirée.
"But there is only so much we can avoid, unfortunately. You've been working far too hard, and you're developing a reputation."
A reputation. That was all he needed.
"To that effect, I am sending you on leave." Cornelia drew a slip of paper from under her desk and slid it across. It was a ticket of leave, with her signature clearly visible at the bottom.
"Your highness," he protested, "I..."
"No excuses, Alexander." Her command was kind, but firm. "You are excused until Monday, and I expect you to enjoy yourself in some fashion; and what's more, to be seen to enjoy yourself."
Alexander's heart sank again. Monday? That was the rest of the day and the whole weekend away! Two and a half days!
Cornelia relaxed in her chair, and actually smirked.
"It's about time you were seen with someone, Alexander." Her eyes twinkled. "Euphie's been looking forward to that prospect for years."
Alexander tried and failed to keep a blush from his cheeks. It wasn't that he disliked women, they just weren't really part of his world. He didn't really pay them much thought, and never even encountered them all that much; unless they were soldiers of course, but that was completely different. He just...didn't know how.
"In any case, there is something you can do for me." Cornelia reached under her desk again, and took out an envelope. As she slid it across the desk, Alexander saw that it was one of the thick, solid-looking envelopes used for mailing confidential messages and documents.
"You recall the ASEEC, who were at Lake Kawaguchi?" Cornelia continued. "As it happens, they invited themselves along before I had gotten round to formally reactivating them. The necessary orders are in there." She pointed at the envelope. "I would esteem it a favour if you would deliver this to Professor Asplund in person."
"I will do so without fail, your highness." Alexander took the envelope and the pass. There was no getting out of it now.
"Good. Asplund is currently operating out of one of the university campuses, just across from Ashford Academy. Rai will show you the way."
"Yes, your highness."
(X)
Tokyo Settlement Technical University, Tokyo Settlement
The staff car took Alexander and Rai directly to the university campus, where Alexander's security pass was enough to get them inside. The driver then dropped them off at one of the buildings, before heading back to the bureau tower.
Inside, the two young knights found a scene of barely-organised chaos. The building itself was a great hall, in which all manner of equipment and machinery had been arranged. Engineers and technicians in brown uniforms swarmed hither and thither, carrying out tasks at which Alexander could only guess.
After several minutes of going unnoticed, Alexander decided to take the initiative. With Rai in tow, he started through the chaos, pausing only when he reached what looked like a raised control platform. Fortunately for his nerves, someone looked over the workstations and saw him.
"Can I help you sir?" It was a young woman, with indigo hair and blue eyes. Her uniform was a lighter shade than the others, more like orange. Clearly an officer.
"I have come to see Professor Asplund," Alexander called back. "Is he here?"
"I said to deliver it to the cargo entrance!"
A young man leaned over, glaring down at him in what looked like sour irritation. He had long, lavender hair that curled around his face, while his eyes were covered by a pair of thick, square-framed glasses.
"Oh!" the man brightened suddenly. "Well if it isn't the young Lord Waldstein! Just a minute!"
He tapped at some controls, and the platform groaned and clunked, easing its way down to floor level. He wore a long white coat, with a green band on his left arm; the same band, Alexander only then noticed, as Cecile and all the others.
"Ah, but I forgot, we haven't actually met," declared Lloyd, stepping off the platform as it settled. "All righty, introductions. Lieutenant Colonel, Professor, the Lord, not sure about the order, Lloyd Asplund, CO, Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corps, etcetera one-unto-another!"
He let out a theatrical breath as he finished the recitation.
"And you are Lieutenant the Lord Alexander Waldstein, Distinguished Service Order, graduated Valedictorian class of 2017, four times winner of Colchester academy's annual fencing tournament."
Alexander blinked, too bewildered even to think.
"And Rai, you're looking as dashing as ever!" Lloyd went on, unperturbed. "Oh, and this is my ever-helpful assistant Cecile Croomy."
Glad of a distraction, Alexander turned and bowed to Cecile, causing her to blush.
"And so you've come to see me!" proclaimed Lloyd, beaming. "Does little Nell still want my precious Lancelot? Well she can't have it."
"Lloyd!" cried Cecile, horrified.
"Are...are you referring to her Imperial Highness?" Alexander was too shocked to be properly angry. He glanced at Rai, who looked like he would rather be anywhere else.
"Please forgive him!" bleated Cecile. "Lloyd! Apologise!"
"Oh?" Lloyd looked confused. "Was it something I said?"
As the pair bickered like a married couple, Alexander turned towards Rai.
"Will that be all, my lord?" Rai asked.
"Yes, of course." Alexander felt a twinge of guilt. He had completely forgotten that Rai was supposed to be going to school for the afternoon. He was even dressed for it; in the Ashford boys uniform of a high-collared black tunic, edged in gold, and matching trousers.
Rai snapped his heels together, bowed, and strode out.
"And that, Cecile, is why you will never find yourself a husband."
Before Cecile could retort, Lloyd turned to face Alexander once again, giving him his full attention so completely that Cecile seemed to clam up.
"Yes, an interesting young fellow, Rai," he said, in a conversational tone completely at odds with the atmosphere. "Suzaku speaks highly of him. But enough about that!" His eyes sparkled. "How are things at Colchester? Is my trap door still there?"
"That was your doing?" Alexander blurted out, before he could stop himself. He hadn't actually fallen victim to any of the countless booby-traps that riddled the Colchester grounds, but he had seen plenty of others do so. He had wondered what sort of mind could have invented them; and now he had his answer.
"Oh, so it is still there," Lloyd mused. "Old nickery-lastic must be getting doddery in his dotage."
"Why would you do such a thing?" demanded Alexander.
"Because I was bored," mused Lloyd, a twinkle in his eye. "And when that doddery old dean can remember what decade it is, he actually has a sense of humour. Between that and all those science prizes I brought in, I was just on the right side of expulsion."
"He...thought it was funny?"
Alexander could hardly believe what he was hearing. As an honour student he had little contact with the Dean, and while he had heard rumours, he paid them little attention. There had always been other things to do; studying, training, club activities.
"Of course he did!" Lloyd smiled lazily. "One man's tragedy is another man's comedy. I find the world makes so much more sense if you keep that in mind."
"Uh, Lloyd," Cecile spoke up, in what looked like a gallant but doomed attempt to restore some sanity to the scene. "Do I take it that Lord Waldstein is also a Colchester alumnus?"
"Oh indeed!" Lloyd enthused. "Prince Schneizel tells me he had half the girls sighing at his feet!"
Cecile blushed, and Alexander felt his face heat up. He had indeed been popular with the female students at Colchester, but he wouldn't have described it in those terms. There had been a lot of blushing, and mumbling, and on Valentine's Day a curious ritual would be enacted; in which a girl would approach him and present a card, while her classmates clasped their hands and squealed with excitement. He had never quite known what to make of all that.
"Professor, I bear a message from Princess Cornelia." Alexander drew the envelope from inside his coat and handed it over. To his relief, Lloyd took it and opened it without question. The sooner he got out of there, the better.
"Finally!" Lloyd showed the order to Cecile. "We've been reactivated! Little Nell doesn't hate us after all!
Alexander resisted a strong urge to object. Lloyd Asplund outranked him in at least two contexts, maybe even three; and he had Prince Schneizel's confidence. If he was inclined to call the Viceroy little Nell where other people could hear him, he had probably gotten away with worse.
He found himself wondering just what Cecile must have suffered.
"Sorry, is there something else?" Lloyd asked. "Oh I know, you came to ogle the Lancelot, haven't you?"
He gestured to somewhere behind Alexander. Alexander turned in reflex, and froze.
There it was, standing amid a trio of maintenance gantries; which had hidden it from view as he approached. He stared, wonderstruck.
It was magnificent, in a way he never thought a knightmare ever could be. It stood before him, its white armour gleaming under the lamplight, the gold facings shining like the sun. It's form was rounded, organic, so unlike the blocky forms he was used to. It's eyes gleamed emerald under a heavy golden brow, putting him in mind of some ancient statue, eternal and mysterious.
"Beautiful, isn't it," Lloyd cut in, stepping up to his shoulder with a triumphant smirk on his face. "My magnum opus, my ultimate contribution to the art of war. And no, you can't have her, my Lord."
Alexander loved his Gloucester, the knightmare Princess Cornelia had granted him. But for just a moment, Lloyd's words evoked a surge of envy. What would it be like to pilot that machine? How would it handle with him at the controls? What couldn't he achieve with a knightmare like that?
"No my Lord, though you were on our shortlist," Lloyd went on. "Very impressive sync scores. But Suzaku was available, and no one's ever handled her half as well as him. Besides, you're little Nell's man, and I am Prince Schneizel's. Double dipping would not be appropriate, if you understand my meaning."
Lloyd's words drew him from his reverie. That name...
"Forgive me Professor, would that be...Private Suzaku Kururugi?"
"It's Warrant Officer Kururugi now," said Cecile proudly. Princess Cornelia promoted him not long ago.
That made sense. Warrant Officer was about as high as most commoners got in the army - unless they somehow attained entry to the military academy - and also the minimum rank for a devicer. Cornelia's sense of fairness, combined with her preference for tidiness in such matters, was explanation enough.
"Do you by any chance know him, my Lord?" asked Cecile. There was a warmth to her manner now, and what might have been affection in her eyes. She put Alexander in mind of a mother who had met her little son's new best friend for the first time, and was hoping they would be friends forever.
"I cannot say that I do," he replied, a little distantly, as his thoughts tried to reorganise themselves. "I know him by reputation, and through someone else I once knew."
He cursed himself for the comment. This wasn't something he should be mentioning in front of random people.
"Um Cecile, didn't you have something for me?" Lloyd suddenly cut in, ending the crisis there and then.
"Oh yes, just a moment." Cecile turned and hurried off.
"Prince Schneizel explained everything," said Lloyd. His voice was in his usual slightly nasal drawl, but lowered so that no one could overhear. "But since you do sort-of know Suzaku, I would if you would do me a small favour, my Lord."
Alexander tried to collect his thoughts. Something in Lloyd's manner told him that explained everything included Suzaku's background, and his connection to Prince Lelouch and Princess Nunnally. From what he knew of the Chancellor, it was far from beyond him to have come up with that information. He wondered for a moment if that was why he had allowed Suzaku to join ASEEC and pilot the Lancelot, despite him being an Honourary Britannian.
"I am free for the rest of the day, Professor," he replied, cautiously.
"Oh good!" Lloyd smiled a smile that Alexander found more than a little unsettling.
"You see, Suzaku attends Ashford Academy just across the street, along with your man Rai. He's...had a hard time, recently."
His countenance had changed, softening somewhat.
"I am aware, Professor," Alexander replied. "He was treated very badly."
"I understand that it's an imposition," Lloyd went on. "But, my Lord, would you mind paying him a visit this afternoon? It's self-study on Friday afternoons, so you won't be causing any trouble."
Alexander paused. Having to wander around a school in search of a put-upon warrant officer did not much appeal. But then again, it wasn't as if he had anything better to do. And perhaps this Suzaku character might feel better for a kind word.
Suzaku Kururugi, the last person to have seen Lelouch and Nunnally alive.
"I would be happy to do so, Professor."
"Splendid!" Lloyd grinned again.
(X)
Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement
Ashford Academy was not quite what he had expected.
As Alexander strolled through the front gate - unchallenged, to his mild surprise - he wondered for a moment if he had really come to the right place. The school's distinctive crest - the Ashford family's fleur de lys - was clearly visible on the gatepost and over the main entrance. But for what was supposed to be a commoner's school, he had never expected such grandeur.
The main building, now clearly visible inside the outer wall, looked more like some noble family's palatial seat than any school he had seen. Beyond the entrance gate stood a wide, grass-covered plaza, bisected down the middle with a broad, paved path; itself lined with tall, ornamental street lamps set in a pair of ornamental streams. At the end of the path stood a set of steps leading up to the main building, themselves bisected by an ornamental waterfall that clearly ran under the path to feed the streams.
He paused at the top of the steps, taking it all in. There were even reflective pools, two of them, set either side of a channel that must have fed the waterfall. And as he looked around, he could see great groves of trees to his left and right.
Trees. So many of them! How much must this have all cost? What had the Ashfords been trying to achieve? To bring a piece of green, pleasant Britannia with them to this foreign land? To show all and sundry that, despite their fall from grace, they had the wealth and means to create their own little world, and use it as a school?
He paused a little longer, wondering what to do. There seemed to be no one around, no one he could ask for directions. But then he remembered Professor Asplund's last advice, which was that Suzaku was a member of the Student Council, and that he might just be found in their private building.
Remembering his directions, Alexander turned right. He stroll took him past the front, and then past the building's south wing, and onto another path. This one was also lined with trees, and took him over an ornamental river via a small, decorative bridge. The path itself was fairly wide, enough so that a single knightmare, or even a large road vehicle, could comfortably pass along it.
He stopped on the bridge to get his bearings. The water trickled pleasantly underneath, and he could hear the rustle of trees, and even birdsong. With the summer sun warm on his face, and a gentle breeze in the air, it was all quite refreshing.
There was a tall, narrow building to his left, and another matching building to his right. But Asplund's instructions had been to go straight on. And up ahead there was indeed a building, two storeys tall like the others, but with a curious layout. It had a main building and two wings, forming an arrowhead shape that converged on the opposite side.
Seeing little point in doing anything else, Alexander strolled towards it. He was rather enjoying himself, but still thought it strange that no one was around. He could make out vague sounds from inside the buildings, but the grounds seemed completely deserted.
He felt suddenly awkward. What if Professor Asplund had been wrong? What if there were classes underway after all, or else the students were busy with important activities
He stopped outside the building's entrance, wondering what to do. He felt awkward, a fool. He should have just gone through the main entrance and announced himself; though that would risk being turned away, and looking a fool regardless.
Then he heard something, like a window opening. Overcome by curiosity, Alexander followed the sound, heading to the left of the entrance and around the wall to the building's side.
There was a rope there, hanging from one of the upper windows. Alexander looked up, and stared in amazement. There was someone clambering out of the window; a young woman from the looks of it, with long black hair, and wearing a purple gown.
"I'll get her for this!" the girl snarled, as she tried to make her way down the wall. "I swear I will!"
Alexander blinked, hardly daring to believe what he was seeing. He thought of calling to her, to ask her what the matter was, but no words word come. The scene was just too bizarre.
A scrape, as the girl's foot gave way. The girl cried out as she lost her footing, and then her grip on the rope. Alexander leapt forward, flinging out his arms to catch her. She landed, so hard that his legs buckled, and pain flashed up his arms and down his back.
He straightened up, letting her settle back into his arms. He could see her clearly now. Her slim form was clad in a ruffled purple gown with a white skirt, under which he could just see a pair of small purple shoes. A white lace cravat billowed from her throat, which was covered by a lacy white collar.
But it was her face that captivated him. Heart-shaped, with high, perfectly-formed cheekbones, and tapering to a small, delicate chin. Her purple eyes were big and round, and carefully shadowed, her eyelashes long and delicate. Her hair was a mane of luxuriant black, handing straight down her back, and elegantly curled around her face, with little white ribbons tied in front of her ears.
She stared at him, her eyes wide and fearful, white-gloved hands clasped over her chest. Alexander was too stunned to say anything. It was all he could do to master his thoughts, to control the strange fascination that had come over him.
"Lady...Marianne?"
Yes, the resemblance was uncanny. Surely a coincidence, but uncanny nonetheless.
"Please help me," pleaded the girl. Her voice was softer than before, and full of fear. "Please help me escape."
"Come out Luluko!" called a female voice from the open window. "You're not getting out of it!"
Alexander blinked. The girl blinked too, her eyelashes fluttering.
"Miss...Luluko?" Alexander stared at her, entranced. "What is...the matter?"
"They're after me!" pleaded Luluko, it that was indeed her name. "It's...so embarrassing!"
Alexander stared at her, utterly bewildered, yet unable to tear his eyes away. He had no notion of what to make of all this. She was clearly a well-raised young lady, yet he had just seen her come clambering out of a second floor window, and then beg him to help her escape. What on Earth was going on?
"I...I don't understand, Miss Luluko."
"Hey, what's this?" A face poked out of the window, glaring down at them. It was a young boy, with red hair tied back with a white headband.
"Hey, who the heck are you?" he demanded, noticing Alexander.
Alexander made up his mind, and dashed around the building, ignoring the redhead's protests. He raced on, Luluko remarkably light in his arms, until he reached the bridge. There he stopped, and glanced back after him. No sign of pursuit, not yet anyway.
"You must hurry," Luluko said, sounding a little more confident now. "I know this campus well, and I have a place to hide. We must..."
Then she trailed off, as music chimed over hidden loudspeakers.
"Attention all students!" It was the girl from before. "This is your student council president speaking, with a very important announcement! Sir Alexander Waldstein, Britannia's handsomest young knight, is on campus right now, and he's making off with our beloved Luluko!"
Alexander gaped. Just what kind of lunacy had he wandered into the middle of?
"Whomsoever brings these lovers to me..." the girl went on, "will have their club budget doubled, and, in a one-off private event, they'll get to watch them make out all the way!"
Make...out?
But he'd only ever kissed a girl's hand! Not even her lips!
"Damn you Milly!" hissed a mortified Luluko, as the loudspeakers shrieked with hysterical laughter. A cacophony of noise erupted all around him, and in the nearby buildings he could see doors and windows opening.
"Wait! Not that way!" Luluko pleaded, as Alexander sprinted across the bridge and out into the front plaza. He had to get her away from this place!
But even as he reached the steps, the front gate was sliding shut. They were trapped.
"There they are!" cried a voice from nearby. Alexander spun round, and saw a group of young people, students from the look of it, hurrying towards them.
For a moment he stared, bewildered. They were all dressed in costumes, ranging from the commonplace to the bizarre. There were sports uniforms and dance costumes of every kind, along with maids and butlers, superheroes and heroines, military uniforms both historical and fictional, outfits old-fashioned and futuristic.
And they were all charging straight at him.
"Catch them!"
"We need new racquets!"
Alexander spun on his heels and ran back towards the bridge. But then he skidded to a halt, as he saw yet another mob racing towards him.
"Sir Alexander, you're my hero!"
"Sir Alexander, look this way!"
"Don't take Luluko!"
"Drop that skank and marry me instead!"
"I wanna be your mistress!"
"What kind of school is this?" cried Alexander.
"An insane one! This way!"
Luluko pointed to his left, down the gap between the main building and its south wing, to a narrow arch between them.
Seeing no alternative, Alexander ran towards it. He raced through the arch, and out into a quadrangle; with four lawns arranged around two paths crossing at the centre, where a tall obelisk stood. He paused, trying to get his bearings.
Then a cacophony of squeals made him jump. More of them were coming, swarming out of the main building's rear doors, and the cloisters that lined the quadrangle. Their costumes were even more outlandish. There were southern belles, cheerleaders, doctors and nurses, cowboys and cowgirls, bartenders and barmaids, clowns of all shapes and sizes. There was even a group of brides, long veils and trains billowing behind them as they ran.
"Come back with our Luluko!"
"You're making a mistake!"
"It's not what it looks like!"
Alexander broke into a run, dashing towards the obelisk and darting around it. This was too bizarre for words! This place was a hive of lunatics!
He reached the end of the quadrangle, but another group was moving straight at him. This lot had gone for a Halloween feel; with vampires, ghosts, monsters, robed cultists, and plenty more.
"Surrender, Lord Waldstein!" one of them called out. Only then did Alexander see that they were carrying what looked like chains and manacles. "We, the Occult Research Club, will capture you both in the name of our master Zoamelgustar!"
"Turn left! Past the church!" ordered Luluko. Alexander obeyed, swerving sharply to the left and running down a new path. There was indeed a church to his right, and he thought for a moment of ducking inside to seek sanctuary. But if he did that he would be trapped, and the path ahead ran on between two sports fields. They might be able to escape that way!
"Sir Alexander Waldstein! Please forgive us this deed!"
Another group emerged to block the path ahead. This lot were dressed as fairies, with enormous plastic wings, bouncing tutus, and faces covered in glitter. They were carrying pond-cleaning nets and ropes.
"We, the Student Self Defence Force, must capture you in order to replenish our snack budget! Submit to your captors!"
"Turn right! It's our only chance!"
Even as the fairies charged, Alexander saw her meaning; the open porch under the church tower. He turned towards it, barely dodging a swinging net, and made it underneath.
"They've broken through!" yelled one of the fairies, in a curiously deep voice. But as the fairies turned to pursue, the Occult Research Club barrelled straight into them.
"This way, up here!" Luluko pointed up the street. "We can hide there!"
Alexander ran on up the street, and saw her meaning. Just ahead, set partly into a great forest behind the academy buildings, was a very large stadium. Alexander sprinted on, even as the scuffle behind them degenerated into a melee.
"Quickly, set me down!" Luluko ordered, as they stepped into the foyer; which was fortunately deserted. Alexander did so, and Luluko hurried behind the reception desk. Alexander watched, catching his breath, as she typed furiously into the reception computer.
"There, we are safe now," she said, with evident satisfaction. "I've misdirected them around the campus, my Lord. They won't think to look here for some time."
"That's good to hear."
"My Lord." Luluko stepped out from behind the desk and stepped towards him, hands clasped in front. "Please go now. Escape while you can. I can hide here until it's over."
"But I can't!" protested Alexander, appalled. "I can't leave you here with these...these lunatics!"
"I couldn't possibly ask any more." Luluko half-turned, covering her cheeks with her gloved hands, and glancing at him through one wide eye. "Not of..."
"Hold it right there!"
Alexander spun round. Two girls stood in front of the door. One was dressed in a white and orange middy shirt and orange skirt, her honey-coloured hair held back by an orange hairband. The other was the ugliest maid he had ever seen, clad in a short, pink parody of a maid uniform, her face plastered with poorly-applied makeup, an enormous and impractical-looking headband holding back blue hair.
"Get away from Luluko-chan!" commanded the brunette, pointing an accusing finger and glowering. "Deceiver of innocent maidens! I, Sailor Suzako, will punish you!"
"Luluko you hussy!" screeched the maid, who looked like she was trying very hard not to laugh. "You've seduced three men at once, and lured another one in from the street! Do you like men that much?"
"Leave me alone!" Luluko cowered behind Alexander. "You're always making up lies about me!"
"Stand away, maidens!" Alexander knew he sounded like some B-movie rendition of one of King Arthur's knights, but somehow he couldn't stop himself. "Do not seek to bar our path!"
There was a pause. Suzako and the maid glanced at one another, as if they were uncertain how to respond.
"I won't let you take her away!" Suzako dropped into a combat stance, then suddenly leapt at him, spinning in mid air.
"Sailor Suzako kick!
Alexander dodged, fire running through his veins. He rounded on Suzako as she landed, but she moved like a cat, darting towards him with a feral grin on her face. She leapt again, spinning like a top, her outstretched leg scything at his head. Alexander threw up his arm, catching Suzako's foot, then swung it hard, knocking her against the wall. He spun to follow, only to see her roll in mid-air and land like a cat.
"Hey, hey!" pleaded the maid, her voice dropping two octaves. "No need to get heavy, guys!"
Alexander froze, as he realised what he had just heard.
"Rivalz, your voice!" hissed Suzako, rising to a combat stance.
"Oh, uh, oh noooo!" The maid fell back into character, clutching her cheeks and bouncing up and down. "The mighty Lord Waldstein is defeating our Sailor Suzako! What are we to do?"
Alexander couldn't believe what he was seeing, or hearing. What were these people supposed to be? What were they doing?
"Just...what is going on?" he demanded. "Is this some kind of bizarre joke? What kind of hive of lunatics is this place?"
Suzako and Rivalz glanced at each-other again. They seemed to be getting nervous.
"That's Ashford Academy to you, sirrah!"
Alexander spun around, to see three more approaching. In front was a tall, beautiful young man with flowing blonde hair, clad in a blue doublet and breeches. On his hat was a wide-brimmed hat, and a sword hung at his hilt.
To his right was the redhead from before, clad in a high-collared black jacket and matching pants. He half-glared, half-smirked at Alexander, with a rough, aggressive air about him. To the left was a slight, nervous-looking boy with curly dark green hair, dressed in a brown twill jacket and matching shorts, with a matching cap on his head; giving him the look of a well-to-do young boy from the 1920s.
"Luluko, you silly girl!" declared the blonde. "Look at the trouble you've caused!"
"Leave me alone!" whimpered Luluko, cowering behind Alexander once again. "It's your fault this happened!"
"Ah can it, ya little gold-digger!" drawled the redhead, smirking. ""Playin' the damsel in distress!"
"Villains!" bellowed Alexander, appalled at the youth's words. "You shall not have this lady!"
"Ho ho ho!" The blonde seemed amused, enthused even. "It must be...
"Wait! Stop everything! It's a mistake!"
Two more students came racing in. Out in front was another boy, slim like the others, with long auburn hair; wearing an old-style police uniform. The girl behind her wore a blue maid outfit similar to the one Rivalz was wearing, but with white cat ears and a long white tail. She was also considerably better-looking, with soft silver hair and wide blue eyes.
"Shirley! Your voice!" hissed the blonde.
"Stop it stop it stop it!" shrieked the auburn-haired youth, his voice curiously high-pitched, like a girl's. "He doesn't know about the festival! Rai told me!"
Rai? And what had become of his subordinate anyway? Alexander couldn't believe that his subordinate would willing get caught up in something like this.
But his eyes kept being drawn to the blue maid, the one trying to hide behind Shirley. The one with the silver hair, and the blue eyes...
"Rai?" spluttered Alexander, as the penny dropped. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, but there it was, right in front of him. Rai, his subordinate, the excellent young knight he had fought alongside, was dressed as a cat-girl maid.
"My Lord!" pleaded Rai, raising his hands to placate him. "Please calm down! It's not what you think!"
Alexander's mind was awhirl. Rai was dressed as a girl, and a worryingly convincing one at that. But if he was a girl, then did that mean...?
He glanced around at the students. The girls, so curiously sturdy and solid-looking. And the boys, so slim and delicate, with such long hair, and such high-pitched voices.
"Oh come on!" yelled their redhead, his voice shooting up several octaves. "Seriously! Am I really that convincing?" He looked from one to another of his fellows.
"You kinda are!" retorted Rivalz, her voice dropping down like it had before. Her retort earned an angry glare from the redhead.
"It's because you flattened your chest," whimpered the boy in brown, in an even higher, softer voice than the others. He looked like he wanted to run and hide.
"Yes, and this is very uncomfortable by the way!" snapped the redhead, rounding on the blonde. "Why the heck did you make us do this anyway?"
Alexander felt his knees go weak. There was no other explanation. The boys were girls, and the girls were boys. Boys girls, girls boys.
But if that was so...then...
He turned, looking down at Luluko. Beautiful, sweet, innocent Luluko, gazing up at him through those wide purple eyes.
"My Lord," she whimpered, in that soft voice. "Don't listen to them! They're trying to deceive you!"
"Uh, Lelouch, you might wanna stop now," commented Rivalz, who was looking very nervous.
"My Lord, you cant possibly believe them!" wailed Luluko, her eyes pleading. Alexander's breath caught in his throat, his legs wobbling as he struggled to master himself. This could not be...there was no way she could be...
"Lulu, not you too!" wailed the auburn-haired girl.
"Enough, Lelouch!" The blonde stepped forward with a dramatic flourish. "Let us end this cruel deception!"
Luluko tried to pull away, but the blonde's gloved fingers caught her long black hair. Alexander could only stare, open-mouthed, as the hair came away.
"Oh for the love of...!"
The soft voice was gone, as was the gentleness, the fear. The face in front of him could have been a girl's, even twisted as it was in rage and embarrassment. But that voice could only be a boy's.
And...he knew that voice, that face...
No! Impossible! It could not be true! Not like this!
"Uh, my Lord?" Rivalz asked nervously.
"He's going a funny colour," whimpered the girl in twill.
"You wanna calm down a bit?" suggested the redhead.
Alexander did not hear them. All he could hear was blood rushing in his ears, as his vision blurred, and he lost all feeling in his legs.
Dimly, he felt himself topple over. And then everything went black.
(X)
"He...fainted?"
Kallen Kozuki, otherwise known as Kallen Stadtfeld, couldn't believe what she had just seen. The students stared at the fallen knight in mute, bewildered silence.
"Aww, too bad!" complained Milly, smirking. "We should have brought a camera! That bit where his eyes rolled up was priceless!"
"Milly!" Shirley crouched down next to Alexander, and started flapping her hat over his face. "He's one of Princess Cornelia's knights! You're gonna get us all in trouble!"
"Oh don't worry about it!" Milly flapped her hand. "It's about time he got dragged into the 21st century.
"Uh, you know him, Madame President?" asked Rivalz.
"I met him once, years ago, back in Britannia. He was exactly like that, all stiff and proper, and about three centuries out of date. If this doesn't lighten him up, nothing will!"
"But...you might have scarred him for life..." whimpered Nina, who looked like she was about to faint herself. "And what will Princess Euphemia say?"
Kallen was momentarily surprised. Then she remembered what they had told her about the Lake Kawaguchi incident, and how an incognito Euphemia had saved Nina from being bullied by two JLF troopers.
"Yeah, that could be a problem," she mused, sourly. "What if Cornelia comes barging in here looking for him?"
She had a sudden vision of Cornelia rampaging through the campus, tearing off doors with her bear hands, breathing fire and shooting lightning bolts from her eyes. It made her chuckle in spite of herself.
Then she saw Rai. He was standing next to the fallen knight, hugging himself, and looking utterly miserable.
"What am I gonna do?" he whimpered. "What am I gonna do?"
Kallen found herself fighting a niggling urge to scritch his ears. Being seen by anyone in that getup was going to be embarrassing. But his superior officer? The one he so respected?
"Ah, don't worry about it!" Suzaku insisted, chuckling. "Its not your fault. He came here of his own accord."
"But I..."
"Oh stop being ridiculous!"
It was Lelouch, who was looking down at Alexander with a very unladylike scowl, his fists clenched at his sides.
But it wasn't just a scowl. There was pain in his eyes, a pain she had never seen there before.
"But..."
"He won't do anything bad!" Lelouch went on. "Nothing's going to happen!"
Kallen stared at him. There was that look again. Why was he getting so upset? Did he...know that guy somehow?
"You don't know that!" retorted Shirley, looking up from her ministrations. "He's one of Princess Cornelia's knights, and that magazine article said he and Princess Euphemia are childhood friends!"
"Princess Euphemia..." Nina was swaying from side to side. "Princess Euphemia..."
"Think about it!" Lelouch snapped. "How is he supposed to cause trouble without admitting what just happened? Why would he want to make his situation worse than it already is?"
There was a pause, while all this sunk in.
"Yeah, he's got a point," Rivalz mused.
"Just hide him away in the student council building until he walks up!" Lelouch snatched the wig from Milly's hand and stuffed it back on his head. "And no dragging Nunnally into this!"
And with that, he stormed off.
"Touchy touchy touchy," grumbled Milly. "Well anyway, we should get Sir Galahad here back to the Student Council building before anything else happens."
"We could get one of those golf carts" Suzaku suggested, "so no one would see him."
"Good idea. Snap to it!"
Suzaku gave a joking salute, then skipped off along the hall.
"In the meantime, let's all go on ahead," Milly suggested. "We'll have a nice, calming cup of tea, and decide what we're going to tell his lordship when he wakes up."
"Princess Euphemia..." whimpered Nina, as Milly led her away. Shirley stood up, and put an arm around Rai's shoulders, leading him along after them.
"Aren't you coming, Kallen?" asked Rivalz, noticing that she hadn't moved.
"Uh, I'll stay and guard it, I mean him," Kallen replied. Rivalz shrugged, and followed after the others.
Kallen stared down at the young man. This was Alexander Waldstein, son of the First Knight of the Round Table, and one of the finest devicers of his generation.
The enemy. A killer of her people. A threat to her comrades, to Zero.
She reached into her pocket, and fingered the little pink pouch she kept hidden there; the little pink pouch with the knife hidden inside it. One squeeze, and the blade would pop out. One slash, and Alexander Waldstein would be no more.
Oh, her life at Ashford Academy would be over. She would have to go on the run, stay hidden, go underground maybe, or run for the mountains. Even the ghettoes wouldn't be safe. And Ougi wouldn't look at her the same way again.
She shook her head, driving away the doubts. She had to...
Then her phone buzzed. Snarling with frustration, she pulled it out and opened it. It stopped ringing at that very moment, and she had to fight a very strong urge to hurl it across the room.
And then she saw who it had been.
She paused, her mind awhirl. Why had he called her? And why just hang up?
Then she heard the thrum of an electric motor, and looked up to see one of the academy's golf carts backing up to the door. Suzaku was leaning out from the driver's seat, grinning his usual stupid grin.
Kallen blinked, and felt a shiver run down her spine.
(X)
He ran, his feet sinking into the sand, the setting sun pink in the distance.
"It's a mistake!" he pleaded. "It's a misunderstanding!"
He made the mistake of looking back. They were chasing him, the horde of horrors, each one uglier than the last. The muscles, the hair, the tasteless outfits, the ridiculous wigs, the garish makeup.
He let out a yell and sprinted harder, his lungs burning, his legs aching like they'd never ached before. But still they drew closer, whooping and shrieking, relentless.
"No! No! Leave me alone! It's a mistake!"
And he was somewhere else.
He was sitting, breathing hard, his body drenched with sweat.
"Are you okay?"
There was someone there. Someone was speaking to him. He glanced around, and saw a person standing nearby.
It was a young woman, a girl perhaps, of about his own age or a little younger. She was wearing what looked like a school uniform; with a yellow blazer over a white blouse, and a very short black skirt. She had auburn hair, and she looked worried.
"It's okay," she said gently, stepping closer and kneeling down beside him. She had green eyes. "It's okay. You're safe now."
Her voice was worried, but so very soft, and curiously engaging. It cut through the lingering dread, the aftermath of what surely must have been a dream.
Alexander looked around, his mind coming back online. The room around him was well-appointed and richly furnished, like a moderately luxurious hotel room. He was sitting in a bed, about king-size or so, with a thick white duvet covering him.
What had happened? Why was he lying in a bed in a strange room somewhere? And why was this girl tending him?
He looked back at her. She was looking at him with those bright green eyes. Those green eyes, and that auburn hair, that voice...
He remembered. He remembered it all. The horde of lunatics, the shrieking and laughing, the beautiful lady in his arms, the wig coming away..
"No!" he wailed, scrambling away, covering his face as the dread overwhelmed him. "Please! Don't deceive me! Not again!"
"No, it's not like that!" pleaded the girl.
"I meant no harm!" He could bear no more. He was at the end of his tether. "I only came to visit Warrant Officer Kururugi! I didn't mean to cause trouble!"
"But I'm a real girl!"
"That's what the last one said!"
He had never felt like this, not since Lady Marianne died. No battle, no danger, had ever had this effect on him.
After what felt like an eternity, he dared to look up. She was still there, reaching towards him as if in reflex. But it was that look on her face, in her eyes, that captivated him. The look was pitying...no, not pity, not a shade of superiority or contempt. It was...sympathy, worry, care...
He felt ashamed. What had he just said? How could he have believed that she was false? There was no malice in those eyes, no treachery, no amusement. He had acted in that shameful way in front of her, disgraced himself as a noble and an officer, but still those eyes never wavered.
"Please forgive me," he said, finally mastering himself. "I...should not have insulted you so."
"It's all right, don't worry about it." Her manner softened. "You've had a terrible shock, that's all."
Alexander sat back up, feeling himself relax. There was something curiously soothing about her words, her manner, her very presence.
"Even so, my lady..."
"Oh, uh, no, you really shouldn't!" She blushed, holding up her hands as if to placate him. "I'm not a lady! Well, we're not poor or anything, but I'm really not a noble or anything like that!"
So awkward, so unrefined, so unlike anything he was used to. Yet so natural, and so strangely charming.
"Then, will you please tell me your name?" he asked, his stomach clenching at the though of being so bold.
"It's Shirley, Shirley Fenette," the girl introduced herself. She smiled shyly, and he felt so glad to see it, so glad that he had not hurt her feelings.
"I am Alexander Bismark Waldstein, Viscount San Clemente," Alexander introduced himself in turn. "Knight of the Empire, Knight of Honour to her Imperial Highness, Princess Cornelia."
"Wow..." She actually looked impressed. Was this really so unusual for her? "We...we do have one or two nobles here, but Madame President says no titles or standing on ceremony. I guess I should call you...my Lord?"
"It is not necessary, Miss Fenette."
Then he realised that she was blushing. And he was blushing too.
A sudden thought made him look down. His chest was bare, but for the chain hanging around his neck, where Lady Marianne's ring hung.
"It's not like that!" pleaded Shirley, having seemingly realised what he was thinking. "Your uniform got dirty, and we couldn't let you sleep in it, so we had it cleaned! It's over there!"
He followed her pointing finger, and saw a dressing screen, from which hung what appeared to be his uniform. It was a relief, but...
"Oh, and there was a phone, and a keyring with a key and a bank fob on it! They're in the safe downstairs!"
The words came out in a rush. Alexander turned back to Shirley, and found himself feeling sorry for her. She looked so awkward, so nervous, so desperate not to offend or upset him.
Nevertheless, there was another thought niggling at him, and he had no choice but to answer.
"Miss Fenette, how long have I been here?"
Shirley looked miserable, and Alexander felt a twinge of dread.
"It's Saturday morning," she said. "You've been asleep since yesterday afternoon. I...we didn't want to disturb you."
Alexander forced himself not to sigh. A whole afternoon and part of a morning lost. Had he really been that tired? Fortunately Cornelia had given him the whole weekend, but even so, to have wasted so much time felt...alien to him.
Time to get moving. Time to settle matters with this hive of lunatics, and be on his way.
"If I may ask, Miss Fenette, is there a bathroom here that I may use?"
"It's just over there." Shirley pointed to another door set into the far end of the room's opposite wall. "Um, if you're getting up, Madame President asked me to bring you downstairs as soon as you're ready...if it's convenient, my Lord."
"Then I shall do so, presently."
He waited for Shirley to leave the room before getting up and heading for the bathroom. He still had his trousers on, fortunately, but proprieties had to be observed.
He spent the next half-hour enjoying a gloriously hot shower, then dressed in his freshly-laundered uniform. He had to admit it had come out well. Did they have a dry-cleaner on campus? On top of everything else, it wouldn't much surprise him.
Shirley was waiting out in the corridor, along with a maid.
"Good morning, my Lord," the maid greeted him, genuflecting. "I trust the facilities are to your satisfaction?"
"Yes, thank you," Alexander replied. She had the look of a native about her, though that was not unusual in itself. Plenty of settlers employed native servants, as did those of the old Japanese elite who had sided with Britannia.
"I am Sayoko, my Lord. Miss Ashford requests your presence in the student council meeting room at your earliest convenience. In the meantime, I am at your disposal."
Quite likely a native then. The name wasn't a given - there were at least some Britannians of Japanese descent who continued to use that country's names - but the accent sounded about right.
"I will see Miss Ashford now, then."
"Very well, my Lord. If you would care to follow me."
Alexander followed as the maid led the way along the corridor, Shirley at his shoulder. The atmosphere was unpleasantly tense as he followed her around a corner, and onto a grand staircase leading down to a wide foyer.
"And here he is!"
As they descended the staircase, a young woman swept out of a doorway to the left. She wore the same uniform as Shirley, but was somewhat taller, and had blonde hair that reached her shoulders. Alexander had little trouble recognising her as that blue musketeer from the day before.
"Thank you Sayoko, I'll take it from here," ordered the girl. The maid genuflected and took her leave, and the girl turned her attention back to Alexander. Her blue eyes twinkled.
"Good morning my Lord," she greeted him cheerfully. "I am Milly Ashford, President of the Student Council. A belated welcome to Ashford Academy."
She genuflected, with a grace and dignity that belied her cheerful manner, yet of the kind he would have expected from an Ashford daughter.
"Well then, come out of there!" she called towards the door. "No hiding in there!"
Alexander watched as a group of students slowly emerged. There were three boys, of whom he clearly recognised Rai, wearing the same black uniform that he had been wearing the day before. There were two girls also, wearing the same uniform as Shirley and Milly. It was only then that he saw their green neckties, upon which was emblazoned a stylised fleur di lys in gold.
"Well, you know Rai already, and you've met Shirley" Milly went on, beaming. "I have the honour to present Rivalz Cardemonde, and Suzaku Kururugi." She gestured to the other two boys, who bowed. The former was the pink maid from the day before, now a rather nondescript youth with a casual manner.
The other made Alexander pause. He had not noticed the day before, but on hearing the name, he remembered the picture Euphemia had once shown him; the picture she still treasured after eight years. This was indeed that same Suzaku who had been Lelouch and Nunnally's host, and their friend and protector. The last person to see them alive.
"And more importantly, Kallen Stadtfeld and Nina Einstein."
The two girls genuflected. The redhead was more subdued, but there was a coldness in eyes. Nina, with curly black hair, looked even more mousy and nervous than the day before.
"Now that the introductions are done, I may as well bite the bullet," Milly went on, before taking a deep breath. "My Lord, I am terribly sorry for what happened yesterday. If I'd known you would be visiting us, I would have cancelled everything of course."
Alexander paused. She was by any standard a beauty, and her apology was fulsome enough. But there was something about her that set his teeth on edge. A part of him wanted to complain, to give her a piece of his mind. But he couldn't shake the feeling that doing so would be a defeat, that it would give her a satisfaction she did not deserve.
"It is of no consequence, Miss Ashford," he said. "An unfortunate misunderstanding, nothing more.
"Nothing more?" exclaimed Milly, almost making him jump. "So, you're not trying to elope with Luluko?"
"No!" Alexander faltered, and realised that the cry of denial, matching his own reply, had come from Shirley. He glanced at her, and she looked away, blushing.
"Ah, too bad," Milly said, sighing. "Rivalz, cancel the dress fitting and the flowers. But keep the champagne, we'll need that."
"Right away, Madame President!" replied Rivalz, grinning far too much.
"But in the meantime, my Lord, just what brought you to our school anyway?" Milly asked, changing the subject with unsettling swiftness. "We like to keep our doors open, but we don't often get guests half so handsome as yourself."
"Madame President!" That was unmistakably Shirley.
"Actually, I had come to see Warrant Officer Kururugi," Alexander interjected, before things could get any further out of hand. "Professor Asplund suggested it."
"Oh did he now?" mused Milly.
"That's odd," said Suzaku, looking mildly confused. "I'm sure I told him about the festival."
There was a very long, very awkward pause, as the meaning sunk in.
"I'm so sorry, my Lord," Suzaku turned to him and bowed in the native fashion, with hands by his sides. "I...I didn't expect Professor Asplund to do something like that."
"It is of no consequence," replied Alexander, trying and failing to keep a sour note from his tone. He had been pranked, and there was nothing to do but salvage some dignity.
"But what did you want to see me about, my Lord?" Suzaku asked, thankfully changing the subject. "I...I mean no offence, but I never expected such an honour as this."
"Yes, I was wondering about that myself," Milly cut in, smirking. "Considering the way you people have been treating him."
Alexander ignored the barb, and chose his words.
"I wanted to express my regrets for the way you have been treated this past month," he said. "I knew Lord Gottwald to some degree, for he was a cadet at the Imperial military academy at the same time as her Imperial Highness Princess Cornelia; whose page I was. I can only say that I find his treatment of you, and his broader conduct, inexplicable."
"I...well, I..." Suzaku stammered. "I had no idea you knew him, my Lord."
"On the night of her highness' graduation, a band of terrorists infiltrated the academy and stole several knightmares," he went on. "Lord Gottwald came upon the terrorists, and managed to draw attention to their presence; but at the cost of being seriously wounded. As a result, Princess Cornelia and Sir Gilbert Guilford were able to intervene, and prevent a far worse tragedy."
"Hey, I remember that!" Rivals spoke up. "Don't you guys remember? That big terrorist attack on the military academy? Was it about ten years ago?"
"Oh my god," Shirley cut in, looking at him in amazement. "That little boy...that was you?"
"Yes, Miss Fenette. Lord Gottwald pleaded with me to go to her highness' assistance, even if it meant leaving him to die alone."
He turned back to Suzaku, who was staring at him, wide-eyed.
"That is why I cannot understand his conduct, Warrant Officer Kururugi. The man I knew would not have treated you so cruelly."
Then, to his horror, Suzaku's face crumpled. He looked away, covering his face with one hand, as tears ran down his cheeks.
"Oh, er, don't worry about this, my Lord," Rivalz interjected, smiling to hide his obvious embarrassment. "He gets like this sometimes."
"I'm sorry!" Suzaku spluttered, wiping his face and managing to look at him again. "I...that means...so much to me, my Lord."
Alexander was stunned. What sort of person was this Suzaku Kururugi? To break down in tears over something like that?
Then he noticed Rai, who was standing nearby, looking very unhappy.
"I kept these for you, my Lord." Rai held out his phone and keyring. Alexander took them, noted that they were intact, then slipped into his inside pocket.
"Thank you, Rai," he said, wondering what he could possibly say.
"My Lord, I'm so sorry," Rai whimpered. I looked about ready to cry himself. Alexander wasn't sure he could deal with it. "I...I should have warned you."
"There was nothing you could have done," Alexander insisted. "The fault was entirely mine. Please think no more of it, Ensign Rai."
"Yes, my Lord." Rai's youthful face broke into a smile of profound relief.
"There, you see!" Milly gestured theatrically at him. "Didn't I tell you he was a nice guy? After all..." she paused, shooting him that smirk again, "we've met before."
Alexander faltered. He was sure he would have remembered someone like her.
"It was about nine years ago, at the Founding Day gala," Milly went on. "You were Princess Euphemia's chaperone, and we danced."
Alexander thought hard. He had indeed accompanied Princess Euphemia to such an event, and he did vaguely remember a blonde, blue-eyed girl, with that precise smirk.
"I recall, Miss Ashford."
"And you were the parfait chevalier even then, my dear Lord Alexander." She beamed. "And you don't need to worry about the press either. Care of our webmaster and resident nuclear physicist here," she gestured at Nina, who was staring at him wide-eyed, "the full story has been posted on our website."
She paused, and Alexander was about to ask her how that changed anything, until he saw that look in her eyes.
"The fully story," she went on, "of how the Lord Alexander Waldstein generously consented to help us with our crossdressing festival, and made it a resounding success."
Alexander blinked, his mind racing as he made sense of what she had said.
"So...the whole affair was an act?" he asked.
"And what an act!" Milly declared. "I mean, how many knights can pull off a stunt like that?"
Alexander sighed. It was the best he was going to get.
"I am grateful, Miss Ashford."
"Great, we'll call it even then," Milly replied, a little too quickly. "But, you will of course stay for lunch, my Lord? It's the least we can do."
"Just say yes, my Lord," Suzaku cut in, grinning. "The food here is excellent."
Alexander pauses, uncertain. He hadn't wanted to stay there any longer than he had to. But he had nothing better to do, and he supposed it wasn't an unpleasant place, under the right circumstances.
"I would be honoured to accept your invitation, Miss Ashford." He bowed.
"Marvellous!" Milly beamed, obviously delighted. "We've an hour or two before lunch, and there is just a teensy tiny thing I need to attend to. Would you care to let Shirley show you the grounds, my Lord?"
"M...me?" babbled Shirley.
"Yes you. Just start the tour and we'll catch up. With your permission my Lord!"
Without waiting for a reply, Milly started hustling the rest of the student council back into the room. The next thing he knew, he was all alone.
With Shirley. Who was bright red and fidgeting.
"Miss Fenette," he said, feeling ridiculous. "I would not wish to inconvenience you."
"Oh, it's not that!" pleaded Shirley. "It's just that...she caught me off-guard, that's all. She's always doing things like this!"
Alexander faltered, wondering what to do. He didn't want to insult her with condescension, or give her the wrong idea. But she was curiously pleasant company.
And in the end, what harm could it do?
"Then, would you care to lead on?" he asked, offering his arm. Shirley stared at him, wide-eyed, and Alexander feared she might refuse.
Then, smiling shyly, she slipped her arm through his.
(X)
And...it's done.
I was very worried about getting this one right. I've always found comedy rather tricky. But I think it's turned out well. The biggest single change was to the bit at the end; as I thought it would be a good opportunity for Alexander and Shirley to actually meet.
I hope you all enjoy this. And sorry for the delay in posting.