It was a race against time to head back to the private mansion. After seeing the video by the clone, Ezalia and Luka had the same idea, they needed to check on Yzak. The two had been in different places but they joined up on the same path. The two didn't need to speak to one another to know what the other was thinking.
The two got to the elevator that would bring them up to the main floor, but it was locked. Ezalia was frustrated as they didn't make it in time. Luka didn't let that stop him. He moved to the side, pressed a few hidden buttons to allow a screen to open up. Ezalia was shocked.
"I need to speak with Prince Sven," Luka talked to the screen. "It's urgent."
The screen showed an image of Sven walking through the mansion hallways. Luka called him out to get his attention. It took a few times before Sven stopped to see a screen of the two calling him.
"Where are you going?" Luka demanded.
"To see my sister, where else!" Sven didn't want to waste any more time. "You saw the videos. That's the only reason why you would be needing me."
"Then you know very well, who else saw the videos," Luka brought him back to the present. Sven had tunnel vision. He could only think of heading to his sister who was recovering. He wanted to be there to comfort her.
"You gave me your word," Ezalia butted in. "Every servant has gotten out, and the whole mansion is locked. How is he?"
Sven blinked a few times. His tunnel vision had made him forget all about the Room, Yzak, and what was going on currently inside the mansion. Sven wanted to degrade himself for not remembering that.
"Don't get too worked up," Luka comforted him. He could see Sven wanting to berate himself. It was easy enough to see as Selena and Anita would do something similar. "Is Yzak fine?"
"Yes," Sven had remembered seeing him in his peripherals.
"If the whole mansion is on lock down, then that means?" Luka was guiding him through a thought process.
Sven let out a groan. "They know. They absolutely know. They're keeping us locked in for our safety. Every door inside then becomes unlocked, Yzak could roam anywhere." He let his shoulders droop. "The servants are escorted secretly out."
"His personal items have been stowed away," Luka brought up. He had been notified by the head butler as he had ventured his way to the mansion.
"Personal items stowed away?" Sven repeated. "It wouldn't matter." He stared at the screens. His thoughts finally clicking together. "Oh no! Oh-no-oh-no-oh-no!" He turned back around, picking up his pace. The screens popping up as Sven traced back.
"What do you mean oh no?!" Ezalia was startled.
Sven went down to a jog to speak with them. He glanced at a screen. "Luka has a slightly different concern than you." Ezalia glanced to Luka. "Remember the video? She married him, and they saw that."
"But it wasn't official," Ezalia knew the rules. "Why would it matter? Everything is null and void unless it's an official wedding. She's also allowed an official Paramour."
Luka looked grim as he stared at Sven. Sven dropped his head while making his way back. "She's not allowed one anymore."
"What?" Ezalia was stunned. She didn't know that. "How did that happen?"
"It's because of me," Sven brought his head back up, tears forming. "I thought I could be the big brother and save her from all of this. I thought I knew more than her. I thought I could single handedly stop this whole clone thing." He stopped in front of another screen. He looked at the floor. "I was wrong. I caused the whole plan she had to go astray. I caused a huge mess of things."
He started to remember that day. He looked over to Ezalia, explaining the whole situation.
Sven had wanted to rid Selena of this agenda his parents had for them. He had gathered enough intel to devise a plan to end all of this. He just had to get Selena and the Room distracted enough to allow him to escape. All of the plans he formed, the best option was for Selena to forfeit her official Paramour, but it would be for a good cause. She would understand once everything was over. A small sacrifice for the greater good.
Sven went to the Room. He passed through inspection, when his parents appeared before him, he kneeled down in front of them. He lowered his eyes, seeming humble and confident. They asked what he was wanting.
"I have come here, regretfully to inform you about my sister," Sven started off. The two were on alert for the next words he was about to say. "She has been talking about leaving her station with a man she wants as her official Paramour. She wants to leave this all behind and not follow through. She already has the means to leave. I couldn't believe it at first. It took me this long to finally figure it out. She'll lie to you as well. Don't let her. She has it all planned out. She's going to leave any day now. She's going to go off on a mission and never return. She-she-"
"Say no more," his mother's voice rang out. "We shall take over this. Thank you for letting us know."
"It is very brave of you," he heard his father's comforting voice. "It must have been hard to go against your sister. What you're doing is right. We will handle it."
Sven didn't break his act. He was happy on the inside. "I don't want to get her punished. I just wanted to let you know."
"We understand," both parents spoke in unison. "You may leave."
Sven stood up as his parents disappeared. He left the Room with shoulders droop in defeat. He continued to walk towards the elevator that headed to hidden hangers. He ran into Mikael.
"I order you to protect my sister," Sven looked at him. "Protect her from harming others. Protect her the best you can. I will return, until then you are ordered to be by her side, until I am satisfied. Do you understand?"
Mikael couldn't believe the order. He stuttered out a response that he acknowledged the command. "W-where are you going, Sir?"
"None of your business," Sven continued to walk on. "You better head to the Room. Selena will be there any moment and will need some support when she leaves from there."
"But Sir!" Mikael started to follow him.
"Do as I command!" Sven didn't stare back at him. He felt horrible as he had to command his friend and right hand like this.
"Ye-yes sir!" Mikael turned around. He headed off.
Sven let out a sigh, heading to the hanger. He mimicked Selena's voice to steal one of her fighter planes and leave the hanger.
Selena at that time was in the observatory that housed the green house. She was making a bouquet for her room. It was something she didn't have to really think about. It was a nice task. Royal soldiers that were under her parents' command had surrounded her. She kept cutting off the ends of the flowers.
"How may I help you?" Selena moved a flower in place.
"They have requested your presence," one of them spoke up.
"Lead the way," Selena turned to face them. It wasn't a regular meeting. She wondered what had happened. She followed the down to the Room. She caught sight of Mikael waiting there, confused, and concerned. She made a mental note of his state. When Selena passed through inspection, another door opened up. It was a door that led to the conditioning room.
"You must know why you're here," her mother's voice filled the room.
"I actually don't," Selena stood her ground.
"We have been told that you are wanting to end all our hard work to runaway with a contender for your Paramour," her father's voice filled the room next.
Selena didn't understand. She actually did the opposite. She gave it all up. She let him know that it wouldn't ever work. She loved him but she had to finish what her parents started. "No, that's not right."
"Do you have someone you would want as your Paramour?" Her mother asked.
"Yes," Selena did not lie.
"Are you wanting to leave this all behind and go with him?" Her father asked next.
"No," Selena did not lie.
"We have been informed by a reliable source, that what you speak is not the truth," the two spoke together.
"A reliable source?" Selena was taken aback. How could they not believe her? "I have done everything you have wanted! I am doing my best, and you believe I am lying? Who's the source?" She demanded.
"We cannot tell you that," the two spoke in unison. "If you're not lying then go through some conditioning."
Selena glanced at the opened doorway. "No! How are you going to trust my word, if you make me go through that? I will not jeopardize everything for love, how can you not see that?"
"A reliable source has informed us," they repeated.
"This is unbearable," Selena stood her ground. "I will not go to the conditioning. I have nothing to prove. I have been here this whole time."
There was silence. Selena waited for what they were going to say next. She wasn't liking this. She felt something was off ever since the guards came to her. She also didn't like seeing Mikael there waiting. Something was off. She wanted to think about that but then her parent's voice spoke again.
"As you are not following our commands, we have enacted a punishment," they spoke to her.
"Let's hear it," Selena was tired of this already. She was trying to think of why Mikael was waiting for her, maybe to spy since he is Sven's right hand man basically.
"We will be taking away your official Paramour," they spoke. Selena froze. "You will no longer be allowed to have that option. Whichever decision your betrothed chooses, you are not allowed to have a lover on the side, whether that be official or unofficial."
Selena paled. Her heart dropped. She wasn't banking on Yzak taking the official Paramour position but it was a nice option to have incase he wanted to be with her. Now they were saying that she wouldn't be allowed to have anyone. "W-what are you saying?"
"Since you are not complying with us, this is your punishment," they explained to her. "This cannot be revoked." She wanted to speak up against it but was left speechless. "Now, head to the conditioning room, this is an order." She glanced over there again. "Do not make us drag you in there."
Selena drew a breath in, bottling her emotions up. She had lost a privilege so easily. She wasn't lying. Who could actually wield her parents to believe them? Someone had charmed them extremely well. Almost like triggering the right things to lead them to this response. Selena didn't move. She knew who did this, Sven. What was Sven up to? She went back through all her interactions and observations of her brother and anything including him.
"Conditioning room," her parent's voiced loomed.
"Wait," Selena put up her hand. "Let me out!"
"Conditioning first," they replied.
"Sven is doing something, possible dangerous," Selena headed to the door. "This is all a distraction. I am not running away. Let me go!"
"Conditioning!" They ordered. Selena wouldn't budge. She tried to open up the hidden electrical box. However, robotic arms came out of the floor, grabbing onto her. They struggled but finally managed to grapple her away.
"Sven is in danger!" Selena was struggling to get out the robotic arms. The arms wrapped binding around her. "Let me go! I am not running away. My brother, your son, he's in danger." They wouldn't listen to her pleas, as the arms dragged her across the floor, pulling her into the room.
"He spoke that you would lie," they chastised her.
"I would not lie to my parents," Selena was placed into a pod with water in it. It was a sensory pod. "I'll take your punishment but let me out!" The pod shut on her, not letting her out. The conditioning started.
It took a while for Selena to get out of the conditioning and to convince her parents, but she finally got to leave. She made it just in time. It was the last thing Sven had remembered before blacking out. He saw his sister had found him. He figured she would be angry for what he did. He was surprised to see relief and a smile.
"There you are," she started working on getting him into a pod. His body was fatally wounded. "Had me worried, trying to do everything on your own."
Tears streamed down his eyes as he tried to mutter out how sorry he was. He was in a lot of pain, and believed he was going to die. He had failed on every thing he believed he could do. He got her into a mess. He felt so foolish. Sven was thinking along the lines of that he deserved to die after what he had done.
"You can tell me all about it, when you're recovered," Selena wiped away his tears. She kissed his forehead. "You don't understand how all of us, especially me, would feel if you were no longer in this world. Your life is worth much more than you believe. A life is precious thing, especially yours." Sven tried to mutter out again how he failed. "Shh. You did it to for a reason. Let's focus on recovering." She placed him in the pod. "I love you, brother. I'll see you when you wake up." Sven closed his eyes to the mist that sprayed over him.
After the retelling of the story, Ezalia had covered her mouth in shock. Luka watched over Sven who had his head hung down. It was thanks to Selena he found out what had happened on her side during that time. Sven still felt guilty after that. He was happy to wake up again, but according to the diary entries and reports, he felt like he had made such a mess of things. He read over her plans before his bright idea of being the hero. This outcome of another oncoming war looming overhead could have been prevented if it wasn't for his foolish decisions.
Sven let out a sigh. "I'll keep my word, don't worry. I'll let him interact with you when he has time. We're going to be working around Selena's schedule. I'll update you again." The screen went blank. Sven jogged back to the common area, where Yzak was still watching the video.
"Hey," Sven called out to him. "I know it's a lot right now." He glanced at the screens. "However, why are you wearing my clothes?"
Yzak was not amused by anything at the moment. He wanted to know what is happening. "All of my belongings have been taken. I had to wear a bathrobe up here, and this was what I could only find."
"Hm," Sven walked over to him. "Then you must have noticed how odd my room is."
Yzak scrutinized him. "I did not go into your room."
"Well, you must have, since you have clothes of your own," Sven countered.
"Yes, this is what was in the closet," Yzak rebuked.
Sven hesitated before moving again. He walked past Yzak into his room. Yzak followed him. Sven opened up the closet. It revealed Sven's clothes that were placed in this room. Sven opened up the drawers, revealing more of Sven's clothes. He was confused. This was all stocked with clothes that fit Yzak, and what Yzak would wear. It was all changed to Sven's attire.
Sven walked out the room over to his. Yzak followed him then stopped just before Sven's room. "Come along, Yzak." Sven called out to him. Yzak started to walk again, following him into his room.
Yzak looked around the room. It was similar to his room but bigger and more elaborate. Sven went to his closet to see that clothes were missing from his. Yzak wondered if Selena's was similar. Yzak kept looking until his eyes rested on what made the room odd, according to Sven. It was a square room, placed off to the side. Where a possible common area that could be for a desk or couches, was a room.
Sven came over to him. "Well since we're going to be hanging out a lot more, welcome to my room. You can take the bed; I'll sleep on the couch." Yzak jerked his head to him. He was confused. He had a guest room he was staying in. "My sister has gotten married. She's not allowed to get married unless its to her betrothed." Yzak was listening with intent on this explanation. "She doesn't know you're here. She also doesn't know that I woke up. Both of us are going to make more trouble for her if she finds out during this time. Both of us are going to be hiding in my room when she's roaming around the mansion." Sven looked at the odd room placed in his room. It felt out of place as the ceiling was just over the walls. His actual room had a very high ceiling. "Because I wanted to compete with my sister to be the best, I asked her to make this room for me." Sven headed over to the door. He beckoned Yzak to follow him. Sven opened the door; it was pitch black inside. The two entered, Sven closed the door behind them. Their eyes adjusted while they heard computer servers started to start up. Dim lighting showed a pilot chair in the middle of the room. Screens around the chair started to light up. The pilot dashboard also started to light up. Yzak's jaw dropped.
"This is my own personal pilot simulation room," Sven walked to the setup. "She made this for me so I can train on almost any mobile armor. I can pilot just about anything. I know you're cooped up here, but now since you're able to move better, how about you go onto the next step, getting back to piloting." Sven patted the back of the seat. Yzak walked over to it. Sven motioned him to sit down. Yzak did as he was told.
Sven moved out of the way for the simulation to begin. Yzak felt like he was back in the cockpit. Everything was placed where it needed to be. Sven was behind him. The darkness hid that it was in a room.
The screen flashed showing a login. Sven took over a bit to create a new user. He put in Yzak's name. After entering his name, the computer loaded up.
Welcome, ZAFT Commander Yzak Joule. The words were typed out. This is a piloting simulation. Would you like to pilot freely or practice with a course?
Sven didn't give him a chance; he chose course for him. Yzak glanced up at him. He looked back to the screen.
Perfect choice. You will be starting out as a red suit and work your way up.
"What?!" Yzak was taken aback.
"It's alright," Sven tried to soothe him. "This is a training course. You need to go back to the start as a pilot with this, if you want to be the best. You'll understand once you go through the course."
Sven stood back to allow Yzak to try out the first training battle. Sven observed how Yzak fought. He watched Yzak get a lot of warnings and some penalties. Yzak won the first training course. The battle was rated with five starts. Yzak acquired three of them.
Selena popped on screen dressed as sport coach. Her hair in high pony tail. A whistle hanging around her neck. She was dressed in a white track suit with a gold shirt. Yzak raised his eyebrows.
"Good job, lets review your first battle," her voice was lighter, happier but caring and concerned. After the review, Yzak learned he could not use moves that he had learned after becoming a Commander. He could only use maneuvers and tactics from when he first started out. He was informed he could move onto the next training fight, or he could try again to receive five full stars.
Yzak turned to Sven who had come over to his side. Sven shrugged. "I have a sister complex, alright. I said she made it for me for training. You'll see Anita in there too. Sister complex again, even if she is my cousin, I think of her more as a sister. Anyways, its worth it. It will guide you through training, and also when you've had enough training for the day. It will countdown when you can train again." Sven pushed a button to save and pause the game. "For now, though, I'll give you the tour of the mansion since, we're locked inside."
"I already know that," Yzak followed him out.
"No, no," Sven explained. "You were locked in. Now, the four of us are locked in. That's why you haven't been able to find a servant. They all were informed to leave secretly. You can stick to our wing, but I'll let you see the rest of the mansion." Sven showed him around. The two went to the kitchen to see that the servants were kind enough to leave fresh meals for them.