DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, this story exists purely because I want it to
CURSE THIS TRAITOROUS BRAIN OF MINE!
Hello again all, YES, I know I said I wouldn't be updating this one yet, and would instead be working on my other stories, but after writing the first chapter, this story refused to leave me the fudge alone. That, coupled with the positive early response I got to the last chapter had me torn on whether or not to do one of my other stories first, or continue this one... this one was the eventual winner
Having said that, before we get started today, I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed already, also
ThatIndieReviewer - I have plans for every character in this story, whether cannon or not, many plans. As for my show/tell abilities... yea I do need practice, thanks for giving me the nudge there, I hope I made a decent enough adjustment for this chapter
Now just to get this out of the way here. While writing this chapter, I came to a decision about Kannon (damm it not again!) cannon and non-cannon characters. With the exception of Kallen and two others, all named characters in the Ludus and Arena are going to be non-cannon to Code Geass, while any named characters outside the Ludus and the arena will be cannon. I came to this decision because I was finding it very difficult to find unused Code Geass characters to put in the arena, so in the end just decided FUDGE IT, and started using non-cannon. This means they will either be inspired by characters from other things, or will be directly borrowed characters from other genres. I will try to make some true OC's, but I rather suck at character creation, still, I'll do my best
and that's everything for today, so...
Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome back to... Awaken, enjoy
Welcome to the Ludus
The faded green of late summer foliage surrounded the solitary building, O-fuda fluttering where they were hung, a stream trickled outside, and bird song filled the air, leaves rustling in the breeze. All was peace, all was quiet. Then a voice, broke the silence
Spirits of my mother's homeland, if you can hear me, if you know me, grant me the strength to win this day, let me be one of the last standing, please
The voice echoed from the building's central shrine, silencing the sounds of nature. Once it had passed, the solitary figure sitting before the shrine sifted, gray eyes squinted against the sunlight. The hairs on his neck rose, as he felt a presence behind him. He resisted the urge to reach for his blade, which lay beside him. Around him, whispers began to echo from the forest
Lost
Forgotten
Abandoned
...Anger
Fury
War
"If this is my doing, I shall accept any punishment you deem fit," the man called, eyes never leaving the shrine in front of him
Not fault
Are symptom, not cause
Lion's captive
Caged
Chained
Beaten
Broken
The man's brow furrowed at the strange whispers, "A slave, of Britannia?"
Yes
The man's fists clenched, "How long?"
From birth
Born to captivity
Mother was stolen
Mother was abused
Mother gave charm
If anything, the man's hands clenched harder, "Where?"
Lion den
Seat of dragon
Great ring
Many voices
Scent of blood
The five clues were enough for the man. With one fluid move, he stood, sword now in hand, and strode from the temple, into the early afternoon sun. From the temple's entrance, the man looked down to the forest's edge, where his troops had made camp. With long strides he rejoined them, each man and woman rising as he neared, bowing as he passed. He eventually reached the centre of the camp, where a large tent had been erected. Inside were a number of people, the two youngest bowed, while three others merely nodded
The eldest, a wizened old man, turned to him, "Tohdoh-san, what words have the spirits imparted today?"
Tohdoh bowed to his elder, before turning to the room at large, "The spirits tell of a slave of Britannia, a gladiator in the Pendragon arena."
The eye's of everyone present bulged, then the second youngest member of the group – a young man with brown hair – stepped forward, "This slave, they are one of us?"
Tohdoh nodded to the young man, "Yes, and they have a charm." Tohdoh's eyes then met his elder's, "And with it, the spirit's heard their call, Kirihara-dono."
The eyes of the man called Kirihara, widened, before narrowing, "And what good is this information to us, they are an ocean away Tohdoh-san?"
"And what if they are, if the spirit's heard their call, that makes them blood, and the Britannians have them fighting in the arena. We cannot just sit by and do nothing," declared a man with black hair
"Naoto-sama is right, we can't just leave them there to die!" cried the man next to him
"Calm yourself Ohgi-san," Tohdoh cautioned, "Kirihara-dono is right, there is little we can do with an ocean between us and them." The tent's occupants deflated slightly at the words, "However, I do believe this to be a matter worth investigating... all in favour?"
"Aye," declared the youngest occupant, a petite girl with black hair
"Aye," declared the second youngest
"Aye!" cried both Naoto and Ohgi together
All eyes now turned to Kirihara, his tense form relaxing as he released a breath, "I' am outvoted either way... but tell me Tohdoh, who shall you send to investigate this call?"
Tohdoh did not reply, but instead turned to the far corner of the tent, where a female figure stood in the shadows. As all gazes turned towards her, she stepped into the light. She possessed a lithe build and short dark brown hair, her clothes were dark, and there was excess cloth bunched around her neck and under her chin, which could be pulled up over her face to mask her features. She carried a short blade at her side, and several round objects adorned her belt
"I, Sayoko Shinozaki, would be honoured to accept this mission, Tohdoh-sama," the woman announced
Kallen gave a blissful sigh as she settled into the Ludus baths, warm water, privacy – at least from the men – almost luxurious. It had been several hours since the fight in the arena, Kallen hadn't realised how much her body ached from the exertion until she'd started to relax after being brought back to the Ludus. The other female gladiators had suggested she hit the baths, both to get the blood and grime off, as well as soothe her tired muscles. She had to admit, it was just what the doctor ordered
"Enjoying yourself?"
Kallen glanced up to see one of the other female gladiators standing behind her. Kallen's cheeks flushed as she tried not to stare at the other woman's nude form, she was also a little envious of the muscles the woman was sporting. If it wasn't for the obvious feminine features, Kallen might have mistaken her for a man, she certainly had the hair for it, short and cropped
Kallen's lips twitched upwards, "I haven't had a decent wash in three days."
"Yea, I've been there," she chuckled as she stepped into the chest deep pool of steaming water. "Name's Cremisius Aclassi, but call me Krem, it's easier than the whole name" she said, arm extended towards Kallen
Kallen grasped the arm, "Kallen."
Krem's lips stretched in a smile as she took one of the scrubbers and began working it over her skin, "You fought well out there, glad I decided not to go after you."
Kallen paused in reaching for her own scrubber as she turned to Krem, "Wait, you were one of the gladiators out there today?"
Krem's bulk jostled the water, her booming laugh echoing through the room, "You bet your sweet backside I was, I was the Eques with the sword. I wasn't far behind the Retiarius you and the big guy killed first, I decided I wasn't having any of that, and went for an unarmed couple of slaves, let that prick Leviticus Bradley go after you two."
Kallen's eyes near popped out of her skull, "And... your, okay... with me being here?"
Krem's mirth died away, her gaze solemn, "I'll admit, I lost a couple friends today... but that's the life we all signed up for." Her eye's found Kallen's, "This life is great, some of the best food, and finest luxuries you can imagine, just for a few hour's fighting, at the end of which, you get to hear the crowd roar your name. That said, it's a double edged blade. To earn this life, you need to kill, and accept that you may be killed in turn. If, by some miracle you survive long enough, you can either win or buy your freedom, but you'll still be forever changed." Krem's eyes unfocused, her words a whisper, "Gladiators can leave the arena, but the arena never leaves them."
Kallen didn't know what to say as a chill crept up her spine, in spite of the water. The sound of sloshing, finally brought Kallen's focus back to the woman in front of her, "To answer your question... yes, I' am okay with you, I accepted the risks this life came with long ago, as did my friends, just as you'll have to accept them."
Kallen nodded at that, before taking a breath, and submerging herself. She came up a moment later, flinging her hair back, before running her fingers through it. "Just realised how much of a pain this is going to be to wash after every fight," Kallen grumbled
"Maybe not," Krem replied, at Kallen's raised brow, she continued, "You're hair's as red as blood already, so I doubt you could tell the difference, it's kinda intimidating actually."
"You think?" Kallen asked, her face flushing slightly
Krem nodded, "Yea, normally I'd suggest wearing a helmet, but you might want to go without, bright colours tend to distract, could be useful during a fight. Course, you then run the risk that your face and neck are unprotected, but it's your choice."
Kallen blinked as the thought crossed her mind; it was certainly an option, and one that she'd have to think about, "I'll keep that in mind... and thanks."
Krem nodded back before getting back to scrubbing. The rest of the bath they talked about where Krem was from, and how she'd come to be a gladiator in the Pendragon arena. She'd apparently gotten into an altercation with some merchant, and had been given a choice, working in the salt mines, or the arena. Obvious choice, considering the salt mines was a death sentence to most slaves. As they talked, a number of other female gladiators entered the baths, apart from a word of greeting, they kept to themselves, and the groups they'd already formed. The odd smile and kind word they gave to Kallen though, reassured her that she was welcome
After the bath, Krem showed her around
The Pendragon Ludus was a large building that sat just across from the Arena; underground tunnels connected the two buildings. The Ludus consisted of a large central courtyard, surrounded on three sides by the buildings various facilities, which included the gladiator's dormitories, the armoury, the baths, the mess hall, and finally the offices of the Ludus master and his assistants. The fourth side was a tall wall that blocked vision into the Ludus, to prevent gawkers, with two large wooden doors at its centre. The central courtyard doubled as both the practice ground, and the exercise yard, various combat dummies and other training equipment were arranged throughout the area
The tour ended in the mess hall, where they found Teal'c in an arm wrestle with another gladiator, a big guy, with almost as many muscles as Teal'c. To Kallen's amusement however, while Teal'c's opponent was straining, Teal'c himself hadn't even broken a sweat yet. His arm unmoving from its upright position
Krem's amused rumble came from beside her, "Never seen someone hold up so well against Darius before."
Kallen's face stretched in a grin, "Hey Teal'c!" she called. Teal'c glanced up at her; his arm moved a couple of inches to the right, as Darius took advantage of Teal'c's divided focus. "Stop playing with him," Kallen finished
Teal'c's own face split, white teeth gleaming, before he slammed his arm to the left. The hall filled with noise as the spectators cheered, or groaned, depending on who they'd been supporting, and Kallen saw more than a few bets exchanged
Teal'c's deep baritone carried across to Kallen as she wove her way through the crowd to his table, "A nice effort my good man, keep practicing."
"Yea, I will," Darius grumbled, as he slunk away, before being intercepted by Krem
"Ah cheer up big fella, here, on me," she said, handing the man a large mug of, something, Kallen couldn't quite tell what it was, but Darius' face lit up at the sight
"Heh, thanks Krem, I owe you," he said, before downing the whole thing in one go. Once it was empty, he proceeded to slam it on a nearby table. "Ah, who's the best in the Arena!" he cried
"PENDRAGON LUDUS!" came the room's roared reply
"Damm straight," Krem agreed, clasping arms with Darius
Kallen glanced at Teal'c as they observed the exchange, Teal'c just shrugged in response. It was then that Kallen noticed a figure sitting near the back, he had brown hair, and he seemed familiar. Teal'c followed her gaze, before turning back to her, "That's the only other survivor from the fight," he stated
Kallen blinked, "Wait, what happened to the other guy?"
"Died of his wounds," Krem said as she took a seat next to Kallen, "Poor bastard, stabbed through the gut, nasty way to go."
Kallen's gaze turned again to the man, though his hair was cut short, he wore a single wrap of cloth around his head. His eyes were unfocussed, his body hunched over the table he was seated at
A sudden hush came over the buzzing hall, causing Kallen's gaze to break from her study of the man at the back, and move towards the door. Another man stood there, his hair a striking auburn, with streaks of burgundy. Unlike the other gladiators, who all wore simple grey and brown tunics, this man's clothes were died a rich purple, and various pieces of gold jewellery adorned him. The hair's on Kallen's neck stood on end, as his eyes found her, even across the room, the cold stare sent shivers up her spine. Then he was moving, straight for her, in just half a dozen strides, he was standing over her, staring down, a scowl marring his face
"We meet at last, half-blood," he sneered
Kallen gulped her mouth suddenly dry. She didn't know what she'd done to piss this guy off, and was almost afraid to find out. A shadow suddenly moved over her, and her head tilted back to see Krem at her side. "Back off Luciano, save it for the Arena," she growled
Around them, Kallen noticed the other gladiator's watching them, bodies ready to spring, eyes darting between this 'Luciano', and Krem. Even Teal'c was eyeing them
"You expect me to just drop it like nothing happened?" Luciano snarled
Krem stood unmoving, her head lowered ever so slightly to look Luciano in the eye, "It's not my fault, or hers, that the two of you never accepted how this might one day play out, so like I said, back off." Luciano's eyes darted to Kallen, before coming back to Krem, "Or do I have to send someone to fetch the Ludus master?"
Finally, Luciano's form slackened, and he took a step back, "Fine, have it your way." His gaze once again drifted to Kallen, "But if I were you, half-blood, I would pray we don't end up in the arena together." With that, he stalked from the room, the other gladiators parting for him
Once he'd left, Kallen released a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "Who was that?" came Teal'c's rumble
"Luciano Bradley," Krem replied as she retook her seat
Kallen hardly noticed the kitchen staff set food on their table, as what Krem said registered. "Wait, Bradley!?" she exclaimed
Krem nodded, her face grim, "Yea, Leviticus' younger brother. Unlike most others here, they're not slaves, they came into the Ludus one day and asked to become gladiators." Krem snatched up her fork, stabbing at her food with it, "The Ludus master didn't think much of them to begin with, but he let them try out seeing as they'd brought their own equipment, he was basically getting a pair of free fighters." Krem tore at the hunk of meat impaled on her fork, chewing thoughtfully before speaking again, "Then came their first fight, the pair of them against another pair of gladiators... and they won, no experience, no formal training, and they wiped the floor with two of the arena's best."
Kallen's eye's bulged, while one of Teal'c's brows rose, Krem chuckled, "After that, the Ludus master began taking them seriously. He gave them another fight, and they won again, and again, and again, they were unstoppable, and the crowd quickly started referring to them as 'The Bradley Brothers'." Krem swiped a mug of ale from a passing member of the kitchen staff, "Luciano is now the reigning champion of the Pendragon Arena, and Leviticus was his close second." She tipped back, gulping down the ale, before slamming the mug onto the table, "Then you show up, and completely alter the balance of power here in the Ludus."
Kallen almost choked on her own food, "Me!?" she exclaimed
Krem nodded, "Teal'c here may have helped you, but you were the one to bring Leviticus down first, and you were the one to deal the killing blow."
"And Luciano sees it as a personal challenge, not to mention he just lost his brother," Teal'c added
"Couldn't have put it better myself," Krem acknowledged
Kallen's hands began shaking; in fact, her whole body had begun to tremble, while her stomach churned. Suddenly, a hand clapped against her left shoulder, she tilted her head back to see Darius had returned, "Don't worry so much, Luciano isn't allowed to touch you outside of the arena."
Another gladiator gave a bark of laughter, "If he did, he'd end up paying for you, he won't want to do that." This was followed by a chorus of laughter from around the room
As it died down, Krem shoulder nudged Kallen, "Don't worry Red, we got your back, we've had to put up with boot licking Luciano and his brother for so long, it's good to see him getting a taste of their own medicine.
Kallen's trembling lessened at her words, her lips twitched in a small smile, before returning to her food. As she did, she noticed the brown haired man with the cloth headband looking at her. Their eyes met for a heartbeat, before the man returned to his own food. Kallen's brow furrowed, before resuming her own meal
Seems like this life is a lot more complex than I thought... still, I've made it this far... may as well see it through
After dinner, everyone retired for the night, Kallen had been billeted with Krem in the female gladiator's dorms. It wasn't anything particularly fancy, but as Kallen sank into the mattress, pulling the warm blanket over her, she reflected that it was far better than the lumpy bedrolls she and her mother had slept on. That her mother still slept on
As her eyes grew heavy, Kallen made a promise to herself, I'm going to win my freedom one day, and save up every last gold piece I earn along the way. Then, I'm going to buy mom's freedom, and we're going to head home, back to mom's homeland. No matter what it takes...
Across the city, Lelouch was reading some reports, the solitary candle in front of him flickering in the light evening breeze. He was almost ready, everything was in place, all he needed now was a spark. A light tapping came from his door, "Enter."
The door opened, admitting a woman with blue teal hair and tanned skin, dressed in a knight's uniform. "Report," Lelouch commanded, eyes glued to the papers in front of him
"I wasn't able to acquire much information, as I was barred access to the house itself," the knight began, as her body snapped into a rigid stance before him. "From what little I was able to learn while speaking with the doorman, I learned that the girl was a slave in Lord Stadtfeld's household, but was sold to the Pendragon Ludus for the opening ceremonies, after she assaulted Lord Stadtfeld himself."
Lelouch glanced up from his reports, brow raised, "She assaulted her own master, why?"
"I'm afraid I don't know, your highness, that was all I could get out of the doorman without giving away my allegiance," she replied, her form dipping slightly in supplicance
Lelouch sat back, frowning, fingers tapping a rhythm on his desk. "Very well then, we'll have to do this the hard way," he sighed, "Tell Jeremiah to have a runner sent to the Stadtfeld residence tomorrow morning to announce that I wish to meet with the master of the house."
The knight frowned herself now, "You wish us to use your name?"
Lelouch gave a small growl, "We don't have much choice, Stadtfeld looks to be keeping things under close wraps right now... but he won't ignore a chance to speak with a royal. All of the nobility are whores for prestige, we'll use that." He then turned back to his reports, "Dismissed."
"Your highness," the knight responded with a bow, before turning on her heel and leaving
A short moment after the door was closed, a pair of slender arms wrapped around Lelouch from behind, he could also feel something soft and warm pressing into his back. "Now that that's over with, come to bed dearest," Milly's melodic voice whispered, her sweet breath brushing his ear
A shiver of pleasure raced up Lelouch's spine as he glanced once more over the reports. There wasn't anything that required his immediate attention; new orders could wait till morning. He carefully put the reports away in a locked drawer, before blowing out the candle. Shrouded in darkness, he stood and captured Milly's lips with his own, before hoisting her into his arms, and walking over to their bed, the pair sinking blissfully into the satin sheets
Kallen's stomach churned as she stood rigid in front of the Ludus master, beside her stood Teal'c, and on the other side of him, the only other survivor of yesterday's big arena battle. They'd been woken up at the crack of dawn, and Kallen fiercely resisted the urge to yawn. The Ludus master, who was also the master of Pendragon's arena, sat idly in a chair in front of them, his eyes fixed on them, even as he raised a fresh apple, the crunch as he bit, only reminding the three of them that they hadn't had breakfast yet
"So," the Ludus master mumbled, bits of apple flying from between his lips, "You three are all that's left of the slaves after yesterday." He swallowed, before taking another bite, "You're a sorry looking trio aren't you?"
Kallen bristled at his comment, but had enough sense to hold her tongue, but apparently, someone didn't. "Are you kidding me, did you see how many gladiators we killed yesterday!?" exclaimed the brown haired man
The Ludus master zeroed in on him, apple forgotten, "Ah yes... Tamaki, was it?"
The man known as Tamaki blinked, sweat appearing on his brow, "Y-yes master."
"Yes you did indeed kill many gladiators yesterday, most of them were my very best, and earned me more gold than you've likely seen in your entire life." Kallen shuddered at the icy words, and in her periphery she saw that Tamaki had paled to the colour of curdled milk. "And now, you shall have to take their place... do you understand what that means?" Tamaki was silent, "No, how about you, Shol'va?" Teal'c was likewise silent. The Ludus master now turned to Kallen, "I don't suppose you know?"
Kallen decided for boldness, "It means we have now become an investment, if we fail to meet that investment, we will be discarded, to prevent a net loss."
Tamaki and Teal'c stared at her, eyes wide, while the Ludus master simply raised a brow, "That's quite the grasp of how this system works," he stated
"My old master made the mistake of letting me sit in on his children's lessons, I took a greater interest in what they studied than they did," Kallen answered
"Did he now?" the Ludus master mused, "And then you made the mistake of assaulting him."
Kallen smirked, "Wasn't going to get into the arena any other way master."
There was a moment of silence, before the Ludus master banged his free hand on the table next to him, his laughter echoing around the central courtyard, drawing several stares from training gladiators. "Now that's the attitude I like to hear," the man chuckled, "What's your name girl?" he asked, tossing a fresh apple her way
Kallen caught the apple in one hand, "Kallen, master," she replied, before taking a decisive bite
The Ludus master stood, approaching her, "You're the one who killed Leviticus the other day?" Kallen nodded in response, "You have skill, I'll give you that, certainly something I could work with." He now turned to Teal'c, "And you Shol'va, you aided her?"
"Yes master," Teal'c responded, eyes staring straight ahead
"Down here, Shol'va," the Ludus master commanded. Teal'c's head dipped to look the man in the eye, "Better," he said, "I know some masters, and even some of my own peers demand a slave never makes eye contact with their betters... but you three are not slaves, not anymore... as of this day, you are gladiators... is that clear!" his voice rising at the end
"Yes sir!" the three of them responded
"Excellent, then let's begin," the Ludus master waved forward some of his assistants. Some carried measuring tools, others various documents, and pieces of parchment. "We'll start with you Tamaki," the Ludus master began, plucking a document from one of his assistants, while the measurers began working over him, getting the length of his arms, legs, his torso's circumference, and the size of his feet, all the information was noted down by other assistants. "Says here you handled an axe pretty well, is that your weapon of choice?"
Tamaki shifted as the assistants worked around him, "Not really, I was a woodcutter back home, had to know how to handle an axe proficiently, came with the job."
The Ludus master pursed his lips at this, "Hmm, still usable... alright then, have Tamaki outfitted with some medium armour, and a sturdy axe... would you prefer a shield or not?"
Tamaki took a breath as the assistants finally finished with him, "I usually wield a large two handed axe, bit unwieldy but it's got a lot of oomph to it."
"Make that a two handed axe then," the Ludus master amended. He then moved to Teal'c as the measurers, slowly sidled up to him. "For the love of the gods, he isn't going to bite," the Ludus master growled. As the measurers got to work, the Ludus master took a new parchment handed to him, "Spearman eh?"
Teal'c raised his arms as the measurers moved around him, "I was a hunter in my homeland, I wielded both light and heavy spears, light for throwing, heavy for hand to hand combat."
The Ludus master nodded, then his brow furrowed, "Don't your people usually bring large hide shields to combat?"
"Yes, every warrior makes his own when he comes of age, it is a rite of passage," Teal'c answered
"Alright then," the Ludus master turned to his assistants, "Get Teal'c a tall shield, preferably light... I assume you prefer manoeuvrability to protection?" Teal'c nodded as he relaxed his arms, "In that case... light armour, and of course a spear, we'll see about javelins or throwing spears down the line." Finally, the Ludus master turned to Kallen. Once more the assistants crowded round, Kallen's cheeks flushed as one took her torso's measurements, also taking in her bust size. The Ludus master frowned as the size was rattled off, "How do you feel about wrapping those under your armour?"
Kallen shrugged, "Doesn't bother me, whatever makes it easier for me to fight."
The Ludus master nodded, as he was once again handed a parchment, "You made good use out of that sword... where did you learn to fight?"
"Tricked my half-brothers into sparring with me, of course I always let them win, and we practiced with wooden swords," Kallen answered
Once more, Teal'c and Tamaki were staring at her, bug eyed. The Ludus master didn't bat an eye this time, "Weighted?" Kallen nodded, "Hmm, you didn't have the chance for a shield yesterday, and it was a short blade."
"I'd prefer something with a little more reach," Kallen supplied
The Ludus master nodded, "Hmm, Murmillo might do, but the shield might be too tall for you, perhaps a Parmularius..."
"I've never really fought with a shield before, and learning would mean adjusting to the new weight, my current style and tactics was developed without a shield weighing me down," Kallen stated
The Ludus master blinked, before glancing over some documents held by his assistants, "Hmm, a little unorthodox, but that's never stopped anyone before... alright, a medium set of full armour for Kallen, and a long blade."
After the assistants had noted down the last of the information, the majority of them scurried off to fulfil the orders. Meanwhile, the Ludus master turned back to his three newest acquisitions, "Right, with that sorted, let's see what the three of you are really made of... DROP AND GIVE ME TWENTY!"
The three of them didn't even hesitate, though at the last second, Kallen remembered she still had her apple in hand. She adjusted by landing on one hand, perfectly balanced she proceeded to blast through the push ups, taking a bite of apple every now and then. Tamaki gawked at her for a second, before hurrying to catch up, while Teal'c just smirked, "Show off," he muttered under his breath
The Ludus master retook his seat as a smile split his face, oh yes, the girl has some spunk to her, he thought to himself, as she effortlessly finished the twenty on one hand, before switching to the other, and repeating. I hope she keeps this attitude... she's going to need it
The Stadtfeld residence consisted of a large two story building, ringed by a wall that also enclosed a garden. The atrium was tastefully decorated with white marble tiling; the sound of trickling water echoed through the room from a fountain placed at the centre of the atrium's pool, and a mosaic of the god Neptune could be seen beneath the water. Typical nobility, Lelouch thought to himself, as his nose wrinkled and his death glare took in the room, the thought of what Jeremiah could do with a sledgehammer in here, passing through his head
A hand rested comfortingly on his shoulder, "They won't change, just because you glare at it all, you know," Milly stated
Lelouch sighed, "I know, still, it shouldn't be like this... I know our economy is based mainly on slave labour, but at least half of all slaves in the empire are Britannian, not foreigners. Then there's the plebeian class, whose backs are also broken for all this finery," he grumbled
"Oh the wonders of a stratified economy," Jeremiah mumbled, earning him a death glare from Lelouch
Truth be told, Stadtfeld's atrium was not the worst Lelouch had seen. Other nobles took it to the point of being gaudy; each of them trying to outdo their peers, and it turned Lelouch's stomach every time. How many innocents die every day in the mines and quarries to supply rooms like this... how many children give themselves lifelong injuries working the fields to supply the food the nobles dine on?
His thoughts were interrupted by the return of the doorman, "My sincerest apologies your grace, my master was dealing with another matter when your runner arrived, and hasn't had a lot of time to prepare, if you'll please follow me," the man said, bowing while indicating the door he'd just arrived from
Lelouch, Milly and Jeremiah followed the man out of the atrium, they passed a number of rooms, and any people they encountered bowed as they passed. Then the doorman opened the door at the end of the corridor, leading them out into the garden. If Lelouch was being honest with himself, the garden was a lot better, simple manicured lawn, with a few easy to maintain shrubs. The only item of significant wealth in the whole area, was a statue of Jupiter, positioned in a small shrine
Lord Stadtfeld and his wife were sat at a table in the garden's centre, directly in front of the entrance to the shrine, Jupiter looking down on them from his vantage point. The doorman bowed to his master as they approached the table, "His grace, the Black Prince of Britannia, Lelouch vi Britannia, his betrothed, Millicent Ashford, and their knight, Sir Jeremiah Gottwald," the man introduced, before backing away
Lord Stadtfeld stood, "Your highness, this is a most unexpected pleasure," the man boomed, as he stepped forward, hand outstretched
Lelouch accepted the hand, all smiles as he replied, "My apologies for dropping in on you like this, but I find myself at a disadvantage in my personal knowledge of the nobility, I'd like to update it for the next upcoming ball."
Lord Stadtfeld waved his hand dismissively, "It's no trouble at all your grace, in fact, it's an honour to welcome you into my home... and lady Ashford, what a delight to see you again my dear, as radiant as ever."
"You are too kind Lord Stadtfeld," Milly replied, a light blush dusting her cheeks, as the man kissed the back of her hand
"Please, have a seat," Lord Stadtfeld offered, as a servant withdrew the two seats across from Lord Stadtfeld's and his wife
"Might I offer you some refreshment?" Lady Stadtfeld asked
"Tea please, if you have it," Milly replied, while Lelouch nodded in agreement
Lady Stadtfeld clapped her hands and two servants came rushing over, one held a tray, complete with cups, a sugar bowl, and teaspoons. The other carried the pot itself. As they began setting out everything, Lelouch noticed that the second servant's face looked oddly familiar. He studied her, noting the brown hair, and lithe build, as she poured the tea. Lelouch tapped out a specific rhythm on the table, which Jeremiah took note of, before turning to his host
As Lelouch and Lord Stadtfeld began their discussion about the current happenings of the nobility, and Milly did the same with Lady Stadtfeld. Jeremiah turned to the doorman, "Excuse me, but might you have facilities I could use?"
The doorman blinked, before nodding, "Yes, please follow me."
"That won't be necessary, just point me in the right direction," Jeremiah interrupted
The doorman blinked again, before giving Jeremiah his directions. Jeremiah thanked him and moved off towards the house again. Once he was out of sight, he positioned himself near the kitchens and waited. Sure enough, the servant that Lelouch had pointed out, rounded the corner, and nearly collided with Jeremiah. "Oh, please forgive me master I didn't see you there," she said quickly, dipping her head respectfully
"It's alright, truthfully, I was waiting here for you," Jeremiah stated. The servant looked up now, her eyes wide and trembling, Jeremiah also noted tenseness to her body. He chuckled, "Relax, I just want to talk."
Her body slumped slightly at his words, the tightness leaving her muscles, "Oh... what about master?"
"First, your name, and where you're from?" Jeremiah started
"Naomi, I was brought to Britannia from the Isles of Japan, master," she said, her words faltering slightly as she mentioned her home
"How long have you been in Lord Stadtfeld's service?"
"About eighteen years master," Naomi replied, her form shifting suddenly from foot to foot
"Alright... next question... do you perhaps know the slave girl who was sold from here recently to the Pendragon Ludus?"
Naomi froze, her entire body stiffened, and her head dipped down again, "I'm sorry master, but I don't."
Jeremiah frowned, "Really, you're sure?"
Naomi's voice trembled as she replied, "Yes."
Jeremiah's frown deepened, "Why don't I believe you?"
Naomi seemed to sink even further into herself, "Please master, I really must get back to my duties, I don't want to get in trouble."
"Then answer the question," Jeremiah commanded
Naomi was tensing again, glancing around her, Jeremiah was about to speak again, when a voice called down the corridor. "Naomi, could you collect the laundry from upstairs please," Jeremiah and Naomi turned to see a young woman with red hair standing at the end of the corridor; she wore a fine dress of blue and white cloth
"Yes mistress, right away mistress," Naomi replied, and scurried past the girl instantly, before Jeremiah could call her back
The young woman watched her go, before turning to Jeremiah, "The slave girl was her daughter."
Jeremiah blinked, "Excuse me?"
"You heard me sir knight, now please drop it, or my father will have you thrown out," the girl said, before turning on her heel and leaving Jeremiah alone in the corridor. Daughter... I guess that explains why she was hesitant to speak about it, but... wait... red hair? The realisation hit Jeremiah like a thunderclap, that girl had red hair, like the slave girl's, but the slave girl is the daughter of a slave with brown hair, who lives in a house with a family of red heads... except for the Lady of the house, whose hair is black. Jeremiah's eyes widened as the pieces clicked, gods above Stadtfeld!
Jeremiah quick marched it back to Lelouch and Milly, he kept his silence while they socialised, though from Lelouch's tense expressions, he could tell his Lord loathed every minute. Only once the appointed time arrived, did Jeremiah lean in, "I hate to interrupt your majesty, but we're expected at the Dimonts home soon."
"Ah yes, thank you Jeremiah," Lelouch replied, relief shining from his eyes, "My apologies Lord Stadtfeld, we'll have to continue this another time."
"Please, anytime your majesty, my door is always open to you," Lord Stadtfeld replied
The doorman stepped forward to show them out, but Lelouch held up his hand, "Thank you, but I'm sure we can see ourselves out, we shan't take anymore of your time."
Stadtfeld nodded, as the doorman bowed, while the three of them re-entered the house and quickly made their way back to the atrium, before leaving. Outside, Lelouch's personal carriage awaited, made of simple dark wood, it appeared almost black in the sunlight, the driver jumped down as they exited the Stadtfeld residence, and opened the door for them. The three climbed in and seated, but it wasn't until they were underway, did Lelouch speak, "Well?"
Jeremiah shifted, prepping himself, "Seems Lord Stadtfeld took a few liberties with that Japanese slave he has."
"What!?" Milly exclaimed
"The servant you pointed out is the girl's mother, but of course, she has brown hair," Jeremiah stated
"And what does that prove?" Milly cut in
"For one, I've seen very few Japanese with any hair colour other than shades of brown or black, anything else is rare, if not non-existent in their population," Jeremiah began
"That's still not proof Jeremiah," Lelouch stated, "Even if the colour is rare, it can still show up from time to time."
"Perhaps," Jeremiah agreed, "But considering the servant you pointed out, has been in Lord Stadtfeld's service for roughly eighteen years, and given that is also the rough age of the red haired slave girl. I'd say the far more likely scenario, is that Lord Stadtfeld used his newly acquired Japanese slave as a source of relief, while his wife was pregnant with his sons."
The carriage was silent as Lelouch and Milly processed this information, "I hate to admit it Milly, but Jeremiah has a point."
Milly swore in a most un-lady like fashion
"So, Lord Stadtfeld buys a Japanese woman – who wouldn't have been much older than her daughter is now, if I guess her age correctly – in order to satiate his urges while his wife is unable. In the process he makes his new slave pregnant as well, and rather than dispose of the child, he keeps her..." Lelouch pondered
"That was either stupidity on his part, or the slave herself had a hand in it, perhaps her servile nature is a reflection of what she did to ensure her daughter's survival?" Jeremiah posed
"Perhaps," Lelouch agreed, "In either case, the half-blood slave grows up under the Stadtfeld roof, likely receiving a less than happy childhood, and eventually goes on to assault her father, and ends up getting sold to the arena." The pieces were beginning to fall into place for Lelouch, but there were still some missing, I'm going to need to talk to the girl myself... get her measure... if she survives her first fight that is... if not... I'll have to look for someone else
Raucous noise echoed from the tavern, as a cloaked figure opened the door. Inside revellers were drinking and singing, or just drowning their sorrows and woes in ale. The cloaked figure spotted his reason for being here instantly, and made his way to the back, completely ignoring a severing girl who attempted to get him a seat. After arriving at his destination, the cloaked figure sat. Across from him, was a man with auburn hair, streaked with burgundy
"My Lord is most displeased with the performance of you and your brother," the cloaked figure stated
The auburn haired man glared from across the top of his mug of ale, he took one last gulp, before slamming it down. "Your Lord, failed to mention the bitch could actually fight, my brother went in unprepared, and I left him to it because I assumed he'd finish her in a few minutes," the man growled
"Regardless of whose fault it is, my Lord wishes this matter resolved as soon as possible," the cloaked figure continued
The auburn man scoffed, "For that, I need her back in the arena, if I so much as touch her outside of it, the Ludus master will have my hide."
"You'll get your chance, my Lord has a plan to get her back in the arena, and soon, all he needs from you is a list of gladiators you think could take her down," the cloaked man replied
The auburn haired man sat back in thought for a moment, "Give me three days, I'll get your list... just make sure your Lord has my money ready when the bitch is dead."
"Of course... a pleasure doing business with you, Mister Bradley."
Luciano nodded, before waving to a serving girl. As she brought him a fresh mug of ale, the cloaked figure took his leave. Once Luciano was alone, nursing his ale, his mind wandered back to yesterday's fight, It should have been easy, simple, kill some slaves, catch a couple of the competition in the crossfire, get paid for it all, with a little extra for disposing of a noble's problem. But it hadn't been that simple, and now, his brother was dead, She'll pay, the stinking half-blood will suffer for what she's done, whether it's by my blade, or someone else's, I won't rest until she is DEAD!
A bead of sweat dripped down Kallen's brow, her chest rising and falling as she stared down her opponent. She twirled the weighted wooden blade in hand, dancing lightly on the balls of her feet, before rushing in. Strike, strike, duck, strike, lean back, block, strike
"Argh!" Teal'c growled, a red welt already forming on his knuckles from where Kallen struck him. Kallen smirked at him as he twirled his staff above his head, going on the offensive. Dodge left, right, right, left, down, strafe right, strike, strike, strike
The staff clattered from Teal'c's hands as Kallen overbalanced and disarmed him, before bringing her sword to his throat, "And you're dead."
Teal'c gave her a wan smile, "You're too fast for me, can't keep up with you."
Kallen shrugged, "I suppose, but you had me on the ropes, even up close, since I couldn't match your strength. I had to use my head to find a way to get past your defences," she picked up a nearby water skin while speaking, and proceeded to pour half of it over her face, before gulping down greedily
"Indeed... but if I can offer some advice," Teal'c began. Kallen gestured for him to go on, "You're entire repertoire appears to favour offense, not a bad thing... until someone places you on the back foot. If that happens, you're only recourse is to dodge, until you can find an opening to turn things around again. That'll bleed your stamina quickly, especially once you're in armour."
Kallen's brow furrowed at that, "Any suggestions?"
"Focus on your defence, if you can stand your ground while waiting for an opportunity, you'll fare much better, and switching between the two will keep your opponent on their toes," Teal'c stated as he picked his staff back up, and gestured to Kallen
She put down her water skin, and readied herself in turn. "When an opponent comes at you, try to meet the attack," as he spoke, he swung a mock attack at her. Kallen met the attack head on, "Good... again," Teal'c praised, as he twirled his staff around and brought in a second attack. Again, Kallen met the attack straight on, only having to slide her feet in place by a small amount to successfully block, "Again." another slight foot adjustment, another successful block, "Again."
They practiced for several minutes; Kallen doing her best to stay in one spot, if she ever tried to move out the way, Teal'c gave her a sharp swat with the staff. Finally, he was satisfied she knew what she was doing. "Good, you're getting it, keep at it and you'll have something else to add to your fighting style," Teal'c praised
Kallen beamed, nodding
After training, they headed for the baths to wash the sweat and dirt off, then it was time for supper. When Kallen reached the mess hall, she found Teal'c regaling their new friends with a tale from his homeland. "So there we were, having just brought down a giant elk, when who should wander in but a cave bear... and I was thinking to myself, 'well, there's no way we take this thing down', but Rotarr, crazy bastard that he is, starts scaling a nearby tree, leaving the three of us to hold off the bear on the ground. He makes it to the top, and proceeds to jump off, coming right down on top of the bear, and driving his spear straight through the beast's skull."
"No way," someone near the back cried out
"I could hardly believe it myself," Teal'c replied
"What happened after that?" Krem asked, eyes aglow
"Well, we skinned the bear and elk, and the three of us turned the bear's head into a headdress, and stuck it on Rotarr. We returned to the village, and I kid you not, the entire village thought Rotarr was an actual Cave bear."
The hall burst into uproarious laughter
"Rotarr was chased by our kin around the entire village, while we just stood back and laughed, served Rotarr right for making us think he'd abandoned us to the cave bear in the first place."
Kallen laughed along with everyone else, she wasn't entirely sure what a cave bear was, but she got the general gist. The rest of evening was spent telling more stories over dinner. Darius entertained them with the antics he and his cousin Draven got up to back home, while Krem recounted the time when a local middle class lady thought that Krem was actually a guy and had started coming on to her
"I mean... I'm not picky when it comes to lovers," Krem said, "But that girl had some weird as hell fantasies, one of which involved rope, some candles, and a cucumber!"
"What was the cucumber for?" Kallen asked
Krem gave her a serious look, "Trust me Red, you don't want to know," as she spoke, Krem gestured towards her backside, causing Kallen's cheeks to turn as red as her hair, while the hall burst into laughter again
Once dinner was over, it was an early night once more; Kallen lay awake, staring at the ceiling, listening to Krem's snores. I could get used to this, the training, the camaraderie, all of it... just got to keep my head in the game, and I'll live through this long enough to win my freedom. The thought brought a smile to her face, as sleep finally overcame her
And that's a wrap, now will you leave me alone?
Story - nope ; P
(sighs) well, I hope you guys all enjoyed this chapter, for those of you who noticed, yes I did change Naoto's hair colour, this is mainly due to the fact that Stadtfeld was the father to both Naoto and Kallen in cannon, but isn't in this... and I'll let you guys figure out the rest of that tidbit (snickers mischievously)
Let me know what you guys think, as always constructive criticism is welcome, and I will see you next time
P.s. also, what do you guys like the sound of better better, Kallen in padded Leather armour (NOT SKIN TIGHT!, get your minds out the gutter!), or scale mail?