DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, this story exists purely because I want it to

We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas, we Wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS... and a Happy, New, YEAR!

Hello all and welcome back, I hope everyone has had a very Merry Christmas so far, and Yes, I know this is ever so slightly late, but I couldn't leave 2019 behind without giving you guys, a little Christmas present, so here it is

First things first, Reviews

First up, KMF-G: I know I already sent you a message running over your points, but I wanted to do so again, in case anyone else has these issues. So let's start with the number of Gladiators, I do actually state the exact starting number, which is 15, but I will concede, my wording was not the best, and I can see how you would be confused. To clear things up, I meant to say, that there were half as many gladiators as they were slaves, and there were 30 slaves total, and half of 30 is 15. Sorry this wasn't all that clear when I first wrote this up, I'm considering going back and cleaning it up some, but I dislike going back over things, I prefer double checking, triple checking, and even quadruple checking to make sure I got everything right, and even then, somethings slip through the cracks. Now for Titles... yea I'll give you that one, I messed up, mainly it was me not wanting to reuse the same word in the same sentance, and me thinking they basically meant the same thing, thanks for setting me straight on this one, and I'll try to not make the same mistake again. Next the Bradley Brothers, as previous chapters have pointed out, they were being payed to kill Kallen (if this wasn't obvious enough in chapter 2, I may just have to crank it up a notch), also, Leviticus and Luciano were not aware of her combat skills, they thought she'd be easy pickings, armed or not, and finally, you have to remember the situation. Both Kallen and Teal'c wore nothing but grey tunics and whatever underclothes they had on, that was it, one hit from the mace would have been fatal, as I pointed out during the fight itself, while Leviticus is in full armour, and as the cherry on top, Kallen and Teal'c were chained together, limiting their mobility. For a seasoned Gladiator like Leviticus, the match up should have been a breeze, but his own arrogance was his downfall. Next up, the slave plaything issue, again, this is one that I probably could have worded better, but basically, its not the concept of this itself that's shocking to Jerry or Lelouch (Milly is angry for her own reasons), it's the fact that Stadtfeld allowed Naomi to keep the child (aka Kallen). Going off the nobility I' am partially basing this story on, Nobles in ancient Rome typically tried to avoid getting their slaves pregnant, so that they don't produce illegitimate heirs. The same social stigma applies here, if the other nobles learn that Kallen is Stadtfeld's daughter, it could severally damage his reputation (More on this coming up). And finally, about Lelouch... I think you might be forgetting that Cannon Lelouch was very much the same, disaproving of corruption and excess from the Nobility at the expense of others ('Corrupt filth' I believe the quote was), I'm going into this whole issue early on in this chapter, so I don't feel the need to discuss it much here, but basically, Lelouch isn't a Liberal, or a democrat in this story, but he IS a 'Man of the People', and yes, even in an Autocracy, you can get, 'Men of the People'. Hope this clears things up for you, and if you still have questions, drop a review, or PM me and I'll discuss it further (no spoilers of course).

Next, MM Browsing: Glad to see your enjoying this story my friend, and yes, I'm kinda mixing magic, mythical beasts, and steam-powered tech into this story, all of which are elements that will be brought up later on, and in ever increasing ways (and yes, I did think Griffins suited Cornelia very well, and were a worthy replacement for Knightmares ; ) ). As for the return to Japan well... THUNK... damm anti-spoiler system

and finally, ArtoriasHellkite: Glad to hear, and BUCKLE UP, its gonna be one WILD ride

Now, with that out the way, let's get started shall we... oh before I forget, when you see text like this

"qwerty"

This is a voice only Kallen can hear, keep an eye out for it, it pops up a couple of times this chapter

with that done

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Dear Readers all... welcome back to... Awaken, enjoy

Schemes and Secrets

"Huh," was the first word to leave Kallen's mouth, as she stepped from the carriage and up to the open front door of the building, that the Prince and his betrothed had brought her to

"What?" Lelouch asked, eyebrow raised

"Oh, it's nothing… this is just a… humbler, place than I was expecting," Kallen replied

Lelouch gave her a sly smile, "Oh, you were expecting a miniature palace I take it?"

Kallen's cheeks began turning the same shade as her hair, "Actually… yeah."

"Lelouch doesn't care for all that finery… we don't even really have that many servants, just enough to keep the place all ordered and tidy, and they're all well payed of course," Milly stated

Kallen looked the building over once more. Okay, to be fair, it was still at least two stories, and was fairly large, but it lacked the ostentatious flair that Kallen had grown so used to, growing up in her father's house. There were no elaborately decorated marble columns, framing the doorway, instead, two simple stone columns stood in their place. The outside walls were painted with a simple and soothing sky-blue paint, rather than the frescos that adorned the walls of other noble houses. Inside the atrium, there was a simple stone fountain, with walls that eschewed the usual paintings and decorations, and instead had walls of vines and flowers hanging from them at regular intervals

All in all, it was… nice, nothing about it was overdone or gaudy, but it still got the message across to visitors that this was the house of someone of importance

She turned back to her hosts, as a female knight strode up to them, "Your Highness, I have the reports you requested," she stated while bowing, her blue-teal locks shimmering in the light pouring in from the skylight overhead

"Thank you Villetta, that will be all," Lelouch replied, to which Villetta straightened, nodded and left. Kallen glanced at Lelouch once she'd gone, "Villetta is one of my personal knights, along with Jeremiah, the man who delivered the invitation to you."

Kallen nodded in understanding, then a question rose in her mind, "So, why does a Prince and his fiancée live in such a humble house… at least, compared to the other nobility?" The two of them glanced at each other before Kallen spoke again, "For that matter… why don't you live in the palace?"

The change was instantaneous, one second, Lelouch had an easy going look about him, the next, his entire body had stiffened, and his face became a visage of pure fury. Kallen felt her stomach flip, and she opened her mouth to speak, but Milly beat her to it. "There are multiple reasons Kallen, one of the most major, being that we're both disgusted with the excess of the nobility." She then gestured to the house they were in, "We try to set an example with this place, but it doesn't have much effect."

Kallen frowned now, "Isn't that just the way the nobility is… I mean, they're always trying to one up each other in whatever way possible."

"That doesn't mean they should do so at the expense of the common people," Lelouch growled, his voice causing an icy chill to settle in the room

Kallen glanced at him, then shook her head sadly, "That's just how a stratified economy works, can't change that." No matter how much I wish we could, she thought to herself

Now it was Lelouch's turn to glance at her, before turning towards her fully, making sure their eyes made contact. "Would you care to explain the intricacies of that to the farmers, who must weep over their dead children, who have starved, after the nobility, took all the food they make, because they could not afford to pay the taxes, that the nobility keeps raising?" Kallen flinched at Lelouch's cold, wrathful tone, but maintained eye contact. "Or perhaps you could console the families of the miners and quarry workers who get crushed by rubble from shoddily made tunnels, because the nobles don't want to spend money on proper construction work," Kallen felt something cold settle in her gut. "Or maybe I should send you to the Tantar District, where you'll find thirteen-year-old girls working in the brothels, just to get enough money for their families to buy food."

"Okay… I get it…" Kallen replied timidly, backing away from him

"No, you don't," he snapped, "I get that we need the nobility at the top and the plebs at the bottom… I may not like the system, but right now it's all we have… so if it's a choice between that and anarchy, I'd rather have the former." Lelouch now took a deep calming breath, when he next spoke, it was with a vitriol that caused bile to rise in Kallen's throat. "But what I cannot abide, is the nobility working the people to the bone, and then exploiting them with these ridiculous taxes… all to fund the excessive lifestyles that the nobility enjoys… and have done nothing to earn!"

The room was dead silent for several minutes, then after taking another breath, Lelouch spoke again, in a softer voice, one tinged with a small amount of pride. "Once upon a time, the nobility was a shining beacon of order, class and honour, they were the guiding hand behind the Empire, the Generals, the diplomats, the great writers, philosophers and thinkers… now…" his voice turned solemn once more. "Most are little more than money grubbing backstabbers, who whore themselves out for my father's favour."

Kallen stared at the Prince as if she was seeing him for the first time, suddenly, somethings were beginning to add up, but there were still some blanks. "So, what then… you'd make every man a noble would you?"

And just like that, Lelouch's melancholy look vanished, and was replaced with one of mirth, "Oh gods no… that would be an absolute disaster," he chuckled

"What then?" Kallen pressed

After taking a second to calm down, Lelouch responded, "The system works fine so long as it's not abused… which at the moment it is… what I want to stop, is that abuse, rebalance the scales and wipe away the corruption that has infected the nobility… that's all, couldn't be simpler."

Kallen now frowned and crossed her arms, unintentionally, pushing up her bust in the silk dress, Lelouch had to fight to keep his eyes level with hers. "So, you're not really doing this for the common people then?"

"You think so?" Milly trilled, "Once we're done, taxes should go back down… reparations will be made to the worst affected by what the nobility has done under the Crown's nose."

"Mines will be repaired and improved, farms will be given subsidies to get back on their feet and become productive once more, all of which will create jobs for those who have none, such as the majority of people in the slums," Lelouch stated, listing each point off on his fingers

"Which will cause crime rates to plummet, individual wealth to increase, and the potential to improve life in the slums, maybe even some renovation work to make them better places to live," Milly chimed in

"And that will put an end to some of the more distasteful forms of child labour, though that can't be eliminated entirely… but at least it will be reduced and done better," Lelouch finished, giving Kallen a smug look at the end

Kallen stared at them, mouth agape, before finally finding her voice, "How long have you been planning this exactly?"

Milly chuckled here, "Trust me Kallen, you don't want to know."

"Too long," Lelouch agreed, "Eight long and exhausting years."

Wait… eight years? Kallen blinked, "What happened eight years ago to set you on this path?"

The mirth faded, and a shadow seemed to cross over Lelouch's face as he turned away. Milly took up the thread instead, "That was when Lelouch's mother, Empress Marianne, was assassinated, also…" Milly trailed off and glanced in Lelouch's direction

Kallen followed her gaze to see Lelouch standing in front of the atrium's pool fountain, his shoulders tense, "My sister, Nunnally, was caught in the crossfire… in a single day, I lost everything I cared about… and my father did nothing to stop or punish the perpetrators."

Kallen felt a lead weight settle in her stomach, "Lelouch, I'm sorry… I didn't mean…"

"No, it's fine, you've been truthful with me, it's only fair I return the favour," he took a breath before turning back to face them. "Come on, we'll talk more in the study," he said, waving them down a corridor leading off from the atrium. As they walked, Lelouch continued, "After the assassination, Milly's family, the Ashford's, took me in," He glanced over his shoulder at them, "Milly and I practically grew up together."

Milly shot him a smile and picked up where he left off, "As Lelouch and I grew closer, my Grandfather, Ruben Ashford, suggested a betrothal, and Lelouch's father agreed."

Lelouch chuckled, "Neither of us was particularly happy about the whole thing, me especially, it felt like my father was trying to rope me back into royal politics." He then paused, turning half back around as he opened the door to the study, giving them both a playful smile, "Then Milly here convinces me that the arrangement would give us both an excuse to be around each other, practically twenty four-seven, which would make planning our schemes to make the Empire a better place, that much easier."

The pieces were starting to come together for Kallen, as Lelouch led her to a soft seat, around a small table, upon which was already arrayed a pot of tea, some cups and a plate of biscuits. "And you've been partners in crime ever since," Kallen replied

Again, that smug smirk, "Pretty much."

Kallen rolled her eyes at his antics as Milly sat and began pouring the tea. "Okay, so you've told me what the ultimate goal is, you've told me your motives… but you haven't told me how you expect me to pull all this off."

"We've taken care of all the minor details already," Milly stated as she handed Kallen her cup

Lelouch nodded as he sat, "You won't have to worry about reining in the mob once we get what we want, we'll handle that… in fact, your price for doing this, may even help with that." Kallen raised a sceptical eyebrow as she lifted her teacup to her lips, Lelouch chuckled, "Think about it, the great instigator of the riot disappears, just as the Praetorian Guard, come to the assistance of the City Guard."

Understanding washed over Kallen like a wave, "It would take the mob's fighting spirit away."

"Exactly, we could even claim that you'd fallen in battle, but it really wouldn't matter, if things work as I expect them too, then simply losing their hero will cause the mob's morale to curdle," Lelouch stated

"And what exactly did you have in mind?" Kallen asked, teacup coming to rest on the table once more

Lelouch now smiled, it was a smile Kallen was becoming to recognise as his 'devious' smile, "Simple really… everyone loves a hero, and that's exactly what you're going to become."

Kallen gave him a confused stare, so Milly elaborated, "We have a series of fights in the arena planned out, over the next two months, which will culminate in a showdown, with Leonidas Maximus."

Kallen started at the name, "Wait, Leonidas… as in, the People's Champion!?"

"Ah so you know of him," Lelouch said, smug smirk back on his face

"Know him, he's only the greatest gladiator of his generation, the people love him… hell I'm a fan of his," Kallen exclaimed

Lelouch nodded, "Exactly… and it seems the old boy is looking to retire… but he can't just hang up his sword, he has to do this properly."

"Which is why he wants the best fighters from across the Empire to be tested in the arena, he's currently touring some other major cities, he'll pick one gladiator from each one to fight in the showdown," Milly explained

"Leonidas is looking for someone to take up his mantle as the 'People's Champion', which means he's looking for not only a good fighter, but a true warrior and hero," Lelouch said, "Now if you ask me, he's going about it all wrong… which is why I've decided to give him a helping hand… not that he knows of course."

He smirked again as Kallen felt her eye twitch at it, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"We want to get you, into the showdown," Milly stated, as Kallen whirled to her, face incredulous, "Which means we'll be pitting you up against some of the best fighters Pendragon's arena has, and you need to win."

Kallen shook her head, "Okay, assuming I actually manage that… how is beating Leonidas going to help!?"

Once again, that smug smirk returned, actually, had it ever left, or was that Lelouch's permanent look. "But you're not going to beat him," Kallen blinked in confusion, "When the showdown comes, it will be Leonidas against 8 of the best gladiators in the Empire… hardly fair odds, given the old boy's age."

Milly now joined Lelouch in the smug smirking, "So, what do you say we give the old boy a helping hand, after all… every good hero needs a sidekick, now don't they."

Kallen looked between them, utterly lost… then slowly she processed what they'd said, and a slow grin began spreading across her face

"See… I knew you'd come around," Lelouch smirked

Sayoko stepped off the ramp and onto the dockyards of Veru, her three-week journey finally over, just as with her last few visits to the city, it was bustling and crowded, a far cry from her homeland. She pulled her hood a little closer over her head and set off. She'd barely been walking for ten minutes, when a city guard stepped into her path. She didn't even look up, just preceded to fall into step behind him, she followed him to a small building just off the docks. Inside were more guards, watching the streets outside, a few nodded to Sayoko as she passed, but none spoke. Finally, they reached a back room, and inside, sat a single female guard of average height, with long blonde hair, two bangs framing her face and two egg shaped buns held up by gold braces. Her uniform was a bright blue, and bore the crest of the city guard, a falcon, flying across the sun. Attached to her lapel was a silver bar with a single golden stripe

The guard who had escorted Sayoko, saluted and left without a word, while Sayoko stood in front of the table, till the door had closed behind him. The moment it had, she lowered her hood

"Good to see you again," Sayoko said with a smile, "Captain Leila Malcal."

Leila smiled in return, "And you, Sayoko-san… what brings you to my city?"

Sayoko sat in the chair opposite her, "I need to get to Pendragon."

Leila's eyes widened a fraction, "Isn't that like walking into the lion's den?"

"Exactly like that, but I have information that a fellow Japanese is being held there in the arena, I've been tasked with rescuing them," Sayoko replied

Leila now frowned, "The Britannians took many Japanese from your homeland, you never rescued them…. what makes this one special?"

"Because the Spirit's answered their pleas," Sayoko replied instantly

Neither spoke for a long moment, then Leila smirked, "I may have just the ship for you." Sayoko returned the smirk, "After all, I do owe you a favour… or two."

The roar of the crowd surrounded Kallen, as she twirled through the dust kicked up from the fight, her blade a blur as she effortlessly duelled with her opponent. The blades clashed once more, sparks flying as Kallen slid her blade down her opponents, before twisting his blade out of his grip. Before he could recover, she slashed her blade across his upper arm, leaving a deep gash that began oozing blood. Her opponent cried out, his good arm coming to grip his injured one, before Kallen floored him with a kick to the guts. She raised her blade to finish him, but he flung his injured arm up, signalling his yield, and the crowd cheered

"Red wolf! Red Wolf! Red Wolf!"

Kallen revelled in the name, and the cheers of the crowd, as she turned from her fallen opponent, to her remaining one. The gladiator's eyes widened at her advance, eyes drawn to her sword, dripping blood on the sand

"Yes, go on, KILL THE WEAKLING!"

Kallen's right eye twitched, that was yet another thing she'd gotten used to since her fight with Crassus, the presence of that Voice. It rarely, if ever answered questions, in fact, it hadn't really told her much of anything, just cryptic words that made no sense to her. She'd brought up the phrases to Tamaki, but he was just as confused as she was. Most of the time, the Voice, could be ignored, it was nothing but a light whispering in the back of her mind… but in battle, when her life was on the line, when her blood sang with the fury of combat… it was always there egging her on, pushing her, driving her to kill

So far, she'd managed to control it… so far, and today was no exception

She refocussed her attention on the gladiator, in time to stop his wild swing, after two weeks of relentless fighting, Kallen was simply not interested in the simple gladiators Lelouch kept throwing at her. In one deft move, she had disarmed him, and brought the point of her sword to his neck, ready to drive it home, while one hand grabbed the man's arm, holding him in place

"Yield, or your life is forfeit," she growled

The man stared at her with wide terrified eyes, which darted to his fallen comrade, to her blade, and finally back to her cold, ice blue eyes

"I-I yield, I yield!" he cried, terror plain in his voice, barely audible over the roar of the crowd, which only doubled once they heard it

Kallen released his arm, causing the gladiator to fall backwards onto the sand, before turning to the crowd, arms raised in victory, drinking in the applause. She looked over to the VIP box where Lelouch and Milly were sat, both smiling, before Lelouch nodded to the announcer, who stepped up to the edge, to end the match. Before he could speak though, his eyes widened in shock

Kallen frowned in confusion, then the Voice returned

"Behind you!"

Kallen whirled, narrowly missing having a knife driven into her neck, as it was, she hissed as the tip of the blade grazed her cheek, just below her eye. The gladiator who she had just bested, tried to stab her again, attacking furiously, with a desperation Kallen had never seen before

"Stop playing, kill him, NOW!" The Voice roared, Kallen tried to ignore it, but with every slash of the knife, it became harder

"Stop now, the fight's over, you lost!" Kallen yelled

"Didn't stop you," the gladiator growled, "And if I don't do this… it won't be me who pays the price!"

Kallen felt a chill creep up her spine at those words, but they also hardened her resolve, she prepared to disarm him again, only to feel something hit her left leg. She looked down to see the injured gladiator had grabbed hold of her to keep her in place

"DO IT, NOW!" the injured gladiator roared, at which his knife wielding comrade leapt at her, knife raised to strike and end her life

"KILL THEM, KILL THEM BOTH, OR YOU WILL DIE!" the Voice roared, louder than Kallen had ever heard before, as red crossed her vision

She stabbed downwards, her blade taking the injured gladiator in the eye socket, causing him to scream in agony and roll away. She then turned her attention to the second gladiator and was able to raise her blade in time to prevent him from striking a fatal blow, instead her shoulder flared in burning pain, as the knife sank home into the muscle. As the second gladiator collided with her, they went tumbling to the ground, the man yanked the knife from her shoulder, and raised it again to strike. Before he could, Kallen slashed her blade between them, shoulder protesting at the movement, but the red haze helped her fight through the pain. Blood spurted, splattering Kallen's face, as the man attempted to gasp for breath that wouldn't come, free hand reaching for the gash, that now split his neck open

The knife fell from his hands, landing harmlessly in the sand next to them, before he too, toppled off her, twitching and squirming as he bled out on the sand. The crowd had gone silent, but upon seeing Kallen victorious, the arena was filled with their cheers again. Kallen stood, grimacing at the burning pain in her shoulder, as the announcer closed out the match

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, your victor…. KALLEN!"

The crowd roared, the sound reverberating around the arena, but today, Kallen ignored it, choosing instead to kneel next to the injured gladiator. She grabbed him by the front of his armoured vest, glaring at him, "Who put you up to this!" she yelled over the crowd's roar

The man simply glared back, before spitting in her face, "Go to hell, HALF-BLOOD!" the man spat, before medics rushed over, taking him from Kallen's grip and whisking him out of the arena

Ten minutes later, found Kallen in the recovery room, shoulder cleaned, stitched and bandaged, washing her face of the blood splattered across it. Krem sat across from her, waiting with towels and a fresh change of clothes. "What does that make it now, attempt number three?" she asked, as she tossed Kallen a towel to dry off

"Four," Kallen responded, as she caught the towel, "In almost as many days."

"You sure are popular in all the wrong ways with someone, eh Red?"

Kallen gave her a half-hearted scowl, but soon turned back to the water basin in front of her, staring at her reflection. "I lost control again Krem," she said, quietly

Krem glanced at her, "You had good reason to, if you hadn't done it, they'd have killed you," Krem replied

"I know that… I know this is ultimately about survival… but still… every time it happens, it feels like there's a part of me that wants to do nothing but fight… destroy… kill… and it scares me… it scares me… because I like the way it feels." Kallen was loathe to admit the thoughts she'd just spoken out loud to Krem, it made her feel like a scared little girl

Krem stood, and handed Kallen the fresh clothes, "You like to fight, and your good at it, it's only natural that your own personal demons would take that to an extreme… just remember… they can only control you, if you let them."

Kallen nodded, and began getting dressed, at the end of the day, she'd survived another fight, and was one step closer to the showdown match with Leonidus Maximus

"Another fight, another victory," the Ludus Master stated, as he tossed the bag of silver coins on the table between them. Kallen picked up the bag, hooking it to her belt, as he continued, "Another attempt on your life?"

Kallen nodded, "The one who survived, he called me 'Half-Blood'."

The Ludus Master sank into his chair, "I know who you're insinuating is behind this, but without proof, I can't do anything to stop it."

"Who else is it going to be!?" Kallen snapped angrily

The Ludus Master frowned at that, his hard stare causing Kallen to flinch, head dipping in supplication. "More people than you'd think, and the words 'Half-Blood' don't automatically mean it was Luciano, especially since you haven't really been subtle about your vendetta with your father, Lord Stadtfeld, rumours are powerful things you know."

Kallen looked up sharply, "I haven't said a word about him being my father!"

"No but your actions speak for themselves," the Ludus Master countered, just as sharply, "Picking him out in the crowd, the clearly violent gestures… and let's not forget you both share the same hair colour, even some of his facial features… doesn't take a genius to put two and two together." Kallen shrank back, her cheeks burning at the admonishment, "People may not know for sure, but it does make interesting gossip, and even if it's never confirmed, people are still likely to believe it."

"So, what you're saying, is I did this, I caused the rumours and now my father wants me dead to wipe away the stain," Kallen responded, her voice despondent and hollow

She looked up in surprise when the Ludus Master barked a laugh, "He's wanted you dead the moment he sold you to me." Kallen stared at the man, confusion writ across her face, "When he came to me asking if I'd like to buy a slave, it was with the express knowledge that there was a blood sport event coming up." Kallen's eyes widened, "He sold you to me, expecting to see you get killed in that arena, only you didn't, you survived and have proven yourself a worthy gladiator who is set to make me a fortune."

The man began chortling, shaking his head, "So make all the angry gestures you like at him, it isn't going to change anything, the bastard still wants you dead either way… the only thing I ask of you Kallen, is you keep defying him, by surviving, and winning."

Kallen gained a grim, bloodthirsty smile at those words, that she could certainly do

The gladiator stared at the blank ochre coloured wall of the Ludus infirmary, with his remaining eye, his hand clenched as the memory stirred once more. The tip of the blade descending towards him, the fountain of pain that erupted from his eye socket, the brief spark of hope as his comrade bore the red-headed bitch to the ground, knife sinking into her shoulder. The cold dash of reality as her blade sliced open his neck, like a fishmonger gutting a fish, the settling fear as the dreaded footsteps reached his bedside

"How hard is it, to kill one red-headed, half-blood bitch?" the voice the man feared most asked

The man took a steadying breath before responding, "We did our best… she was just too strong… too quick… we couldn't…"

The man stilled, his breath hitching as he felt a hand on his shoulder, "Shh, I know you did, I watched the whole thing, and now I have a new task for you."

The one-eyed gladiator now turned his head, his single eye meeting the cold steel gaze of the auburn-haired man standing at his bedside. The one-eyed gladiator swallowed the lump in his throat, "Anything, I'll do anything, just please don't hurt my family."

Luciano Bradley smiled, "Good boy… now listen closely."

"One more fight and you'll qualify for the showdown match with Leonidus," Tamaki declared, holding a mug of ale aloft in the mess hall

Teal'c raised his own beside her, "To Kallen, the up and coming People's Champion!"

The roomful of gladiators cheered her success, while Kallen's cheeks turned as red as her hair

"And she'll have earned it too, what with all her trips into the slums," Krem added, "I hear someone's been donating a portion of their winnings to the needy," she added with a sly smile

A loud bang signalled Darius' approval, "The gods know she's earned it, did you see that reaction in the arena today, when that scumbag came at her with the knife."

A small mutter of anger swept the room as gladiators cursed the traitorous combatant, before another gladiator, named Lavellen rose, "Kallen's skill with a blade is phenomenal, and I've been training with one since I was a little girl, and yet sometimes, I could barely see her blade, it moved so fast." Another cheer swept the room

Another large gladiator sitting next to Darius rose, pulling off his shirt to reveal a fresh scar, running down the length of his arm, "And I got the scar to prove it!" laughter echoed at that

Kallen was wondering why she was still conscious at this point, all the blood in her body had to be in her cheeks. Then Teal'c stood, "To Kallen, a bright young warrior who's proven time and again, that dedication and determination are the keys to victory and success!"

A final cheer, before they all downed their ale in one go

In the brief period of silence that followed, another voice spoke up, "To the filthy half-blood, who killed my brother."

Ice cascaded down Kallen's spine, as she whirled to face the voice's owner. Luciano had slipped in through the back of the hall, and picked up a mug, now he was leaning against the wooden counter at the back, staring them all down. As the silence thickened, he finished his ale, and put the mug down, "Don't think I haven't noticed all their support towards you… half-blood," he spat the moniker. "But don't mistake it for friendship or camaraderie, they simply want you to succeed to knock me down a peg or two," Luciano glared at the room with cold grey eyes, "But never forget, my fellow gladiators… who is king in this Ludus."

With that, he pushed off the counter, and walked out, glaring at Kallen the whole way

Only once he was gone, did any sound or warmth return to the room

"Please don't tell me I have to fight him for my qualification match," Kallen breathed

"I doubt it," Lavellen said as she joined Kallen and her friends at their table, "As the arena champion, he gets to pick his fights now, unless a request from the sponsor requires him specifically to be in the arena."

Kallen stared at the door Luciano had left through, and a sudden thought crossed her mind

I need to see Lelouch, first thing in the morning

"I had absolutely no intention to pit you against Luciano," Lelouch said, as he filed away a report, handing it to Jeremiah who stood attendant beside the Prince. "Though… to be fair, you could take him easy," Lelouch finished, as he sat back to look up at her

"I'm not so sure about that," Kallen replied, "I've yet to see him fight, after all."

"Wasn't he a part of the blood sport game that made you a gladiator?" Jeremiah asked

Kallen nodded, "Yea he was, but I wasn't really paying attention to him then… was kinda focused on not getting killed, and Teal'c and I were up against other people." Kallen paced in front of Lelouch's desk, running a hand through her hair, "I've also been told that Luciano is skilled in several different fighting styles, and never uses the same one twice in a row."

Lelouch mused, hands steepled in front of him, "Add that vendetta he has against you, and I can see why you'd be reluctant to face him right now."

Kallen sighed, "Couldn't have put it better myself," she then turned back to Lelouch, "I'm fully aware I'll have to face him someday, either in the Arena, or outside of it… but I just don't feel ready for that yet."

Lelouch shrugged, "Fair enough," he dismissed Jeremiah, before standing. Once Jeremiah had left, he gestured for Kallen to join him on the balcony. "I wanted to talk about that last fight… specifically what happened at the end," he stated

Kallen took a breath, "I thought you might."

Lelouch turned to her, eyes scrutinising, "Every time I've seen you fight, you've always been so controlled, so precise… apart from one, or should I say twice now."

Kallen wasn't surprised he'd noticed, she looked him in the eye as she spoke. "The Ludus Master called it, 'battle lust', basically… I like fighting, killing," Kallen had to fight to keep eye contact

"I've heard of it, I thought your fight with Crassus might have been a one off… but after seeing it a second time," Lelouch replied

"I can control it," Kallen stated

Lelouch raised an eyebrow, "Yesterday's fight didn't inspire much confidence Kallen."

Kallen looked away, briefly, "With Crassus, I didn't know what was happening… with the last fight… I let it take over, because I knew I'd be able to react faster, move faster, with it." She looked back to Lelouch, his eyebrow was still raised, "And once I was no longer in danger, I pulled on the reins… I assure you, your Highness, I' am in control."

Lelouch continued to scrutinise her, before sighing and shaking his head, "Be sure that you do, because if you ever lost control of something like that, in the wrong place, at the wrong time, it could turn our entire plan on its head."

"I'm aware, don't worry," Kallen replied

Lelouch looked back up at her, "Good." He returned to his desk, shifting through some papers, "Your next fight isn't for another week, so take this time to rest and recuperate, as well as build your image with the people more."

Kallen now chuckled, "That's not an order… that's a hobby," she said, while saluting the Prince, and marching out the door, to do some good in the city

The next day found Kallen roaming the streets of Pendragon, helping those in need, she helped catch at least three criminals attempting to rob various stores and shops, looked after a group of kids, whose parents were busy working to make ends meet, and made donations to the poor. She was just buying a sweet roll for a little orphan girl, when a familiar voice caught her ear

"Kallen!"

Kallen turned to see Shirley, Nina and Rivalz running up to her

"Heh guys, great to see you again," Kallen called, as she handed the girl her sweet roll. The girl thanked her, huge smile on her face, before running off to share it with her little brother, who was hiding around the corner

"Making new friends I see," Rivalz said slyly

Kallen shrugged, "A silver here or there for the needy isn't going to disrupt my plans for freedom."

"From what we've heard, it sounds like a lot more than a 'silver here or there'," Shirley replied, though her and Nina's smiles told Kallen of their approval

Kallen returned the smiles, "I like to help people, be wrong not to share some of the good fortune I've been receiving."

All three of them smiled at that, before Rivalz spoke up again, "We were just about to go grab some grub, want to join us?"

Kallen's rumbling stomach answered the question for them, and the four of them started off down the street, laughing together. Once again, Kallen enjoyed a carefree afternoon with her friends. It wasn't often she got to do this, since their initial meeting, they'd only hung out together twice before this. Of course, most of their conversation tended towards Kallen's success in the Arena, Rivalz even mocked shouted her Arena name as they enjoyed lunch. After lunch, the three of them agreed to help Kallen with her good deeds for the day, which led them to buying some food, blankets and medicine, before taking the supplies to one of the nearby slums, where Kallen knew a local doctor was trying to help people. The man was a minor noble who ran a clinic on the edge of the market district, he made enough of an income that he was able to provide care to those who couldn't afford his services. Lelouch had actually pointed him out to Kallen, describing him as one of the 'good' nobles, who still upheld the old ideals of the nobility, a man who was an exception to the rule

They were just finishing up, when a gang of thugs entered the slum, armed and looking to cause trouble, as they walked up to the doctor, who had turned to greet them. "Yes, can I help you gentlemen?" the doctor asked

The leader of the thugs drew himself up to the doctor, standing a full head taller than the noble, "Yea, you can tell me why your wasting time on these peasants, when my men need their injuries tending to."

Kallen felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise at his tone, she handed the blankets she was carrying to Shirley, while subtlety moving in the thug's direction. Meanwhile, Nina and Rivalz were moving the younger members of the neighbourhood away from the gang

"Simple… you men are criminals, and your very presence is why this neighbourhood is in the state it is," the doctor then gestured at the people behind him, "These people are innocents who need my help, they are mothers and children, and they get priority." The thug leader scowled at this, but the doctor wasn't done yet, "If we have any supplies left after we're done here, we'll pay your men a visit, but for now, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

The scowl turned into full blown rage, as the doctor turned around to return to work, before the thug leader reached for a club at his side. Kallen exploded into action, closing the distance, before anyone could react, grabbing the leader's arm and twisting it around. The man cried out in pain, collapsing to his knees, as he stared up at Kallen

"Do you recognise me?" Kallen asked, voice cold as ice

The man's eyes widened as comprehension dawned, his men also took a step back

"Good," Kallen replied from his reaction, "Then might I suggest you take the good doctor's advice and leave, before you join your men in your infirmary."

With that, she released his arm, and dropped him to the ground, the leader took one look at her from the ground, before backpedalling to his feet, and fleeing through his men, who took off after him

"Thank you, Miss Kallen," the doctor said

"No problem," Kallen replied, smile stretching her lips, though it faded as the others returned to work, and she turned back to the alley the thugs had run down. Why do I feel like we're being watched?

"Because you are."

Kallen started at the sound of the Voice, she'd never heard it so clear outside the Arena before

Who are you… what are you?

"I' am you; you are me; we are one being, one mind, two halves of the same coin."

Kallen's mind reeled at that, what does that mean?

"You already know the answer to that, Kallen… Know that whenever you need me, I' am here, we are bonded together, if you die, I die, it is within my interests to ensure that you live."

Kallen was about to question it more but was shaken from her thoughts by a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Nina looking at her worriedly, "Kallen, are you okay?"

Kallen gave her a smile, "Of course Nina, never better."

Nina returned the smile, and got back to helping, while Kallen now scanned their surroundings thoroughly, but if they were being watched, whoever was doing so, was very good. Kallen cast one last look over the buildings surrounding them, before returning to help the doctor with his efforts

Kallen had just parted company from her friends, and was nearing the Ludus, when half-dozen black clad figures blocked her path. Kallen caught the glint of metal from beneath their cloaks as they encircled her

"Cowards!"growled the Voice, Kallen ignored it, simply slipping into a ready stance

"It didn't end well for the last guys who came at me with knives boys… are you sure you want to do this?" Kallen asked

She received no reply, but she could see several of the half-dozen men shift nervously from foot to foot. Kallen waited patiently for them to make the first move, but none did, they just stood there. Suddenly, a faint whistle caught Kallen's attention, she jerked to the left, feeling feathers brush across her shoulder, before the arrow clattered to the street in front of her. The moment the arrow hit cobbles, the figures exploded towards her, knives drawn. Kallen was unarmed, but that didn't matter, Teal'c had been training her in hand to hand combat for the last week. She flowed around her opponents like water, taking the legs of the first man to reach her, out from under him. The second got a double jab to the chest, just as he raised his knife to strike. He staggered back, clutching his chest, knife dropping from his hands. The third and fourth reached her together, she ducked out of the way, and grabbed both by their cloaks as they sailed over her, before slamming them together. Both collapsed to the cobbles, out cold. The fifth attempted a tackle, but she simply rolled out of the way, she pulled up short in the roll however, and was rewarded with another clatter as a second arrow found the cobbles. The sixth man leapt at her, knife drawn, Kallen dashed forward, now inside of his reach, before delivering a solid punch to his stomach, knocking the wind from his lungs. The man collapsed to the ground gasping

By this point, the first man had stood back up, and the second was recovering his knife. Behind her, she heard the fifth charging at her. She ducked his wild knife swing to the back of her neck, swinging her leg out wide as she did so, taking out his legs, and sending him to the cobbles. A sharp jab to his neck left him gasping for breath, and the knife falling from limp fingers. Kallen snatched it smoothly from the air, before sliding to her right, as a third arrow struck the cobbles. In one fluid motion she kicked out her left leg behind her, catching the first man in the chin, and sending him into his compatriot, both tumbling to the cobbles. Then she straightened, pulled her acquired knife back, before letting fly to one of the roofs above her. There was a satisfying cry of pain, as the knife found its mark, before a seventh man came tumbling off the roof, a bow and quiver clattering down after him

Kallen relaxed her stance, turning around to the remaining men, of those who were still conscious, two were desperately trying to get air back into her lungs, and the other two were a tangle of limbs. One even looked like he'd stabbed himself in the leg during the fall and was now clutching the wound. The two of them took one look at her, before scrabbling to their feet and fleeing, as fast as they could. Kallen shook her head, then marched over to the archer. The knife she'd thrown had found his leg as well, being embedded high in his thigh. The man was clutching the wound, before he heard her approach. He quickly attempted to get to his feet, but the injured leg collapsed beneath him, so he settled for dragging himself away, Kallen was fairly certain she could hear him whimpering

"Yes, finish him off, kill the coward, tear his throat out!"

Kallen's hands twitched, she liked the sound of that, she really liked the sound of that, but she forced the urge down, opting instead, to put her foot on his cloak, trapping him. The man let out a choked sob, as Kallen grabbed a torch from a nearby wall, before reaching down, and pulling the hood off, and was greeted by the gladiator she had fought in the Arena just yesterday, an eye-patch covering the eye she'd taken out during the fight

For a moment, everything was silent, the two of them just staring at each other

Then the man began to yell

"HELP, HELP ME, I'M BEING ATTACKED, SOMEONE HELP ME!"

Kallen reeled back at his yell, stunned for a moment, what the hell is he thinking?

Then the sound of boots tramping down the street reached her ears

"Run you fool, run before they catch you!"

Kallen was tempted to listen, this was just the thing Lelouch had told her to avoid, but before she had the chance to make the decision, a voice caught her attention

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

Kallen turned around, and found herself face to face, with the Captain of the City Guard

Oh brilliant

And that's a wrap for today dear Readers, hope you all enjoyed, once again, I hope everyone has had a very Merry Christmas, and I wish you all a Happy New Year

Please let me know what you thought of this chapter in your reviews, as always, constructive criticism is welcome, and I shall see you all next time ; )