A/N: I was honestly shocked to see all the support from the people who reviewed, I am truly grateful for your kind words. As a reward for your kindness, here is another chapter of this freshly minted story. As always I hope you enjoy and please review if you so wish.
Cornelia's foot tapped against the floor of the limousine, her arms crossed as she bit her lip. The very moment the Emperor confirmed that Lelouch lived, and was being named crown prince, she was filled with equal measures of excitement and dread.
Lelouch was alive, which made her heart soar.
And then reality set in: that he was in an area chock-full of militant terrorists that just recently killed Clovis.
She needed to get him to a secure location, fast.
Euphemia was practically bouncing with excitement across from Cornelia, and she couldn't blame her sister. The fact that Lelouch- and quite possibly Nunnally were both alive had sparked a sense of joy and hope within both of them. And while Cornelia was able to temper hers... well Euphie simply couldn't help herself.
"I can't wait to see them! It's been so long!"
"It has, it's been too long." Cornelia agreed, trying and failing to match Euphemia's enthusiasm. She would allow herself to relax once his safety was ensured.
The vehicle they were using came to a stop at the entrance gate to the Ashford Academy school grounds, and Cornelia stepped out of the Limo alongside Euphie. Guilford and a Squad of royal guards in britannian Trooper uniforms quickly followed while the escorting team of Sutherlands guarded the motorcade.
The squad of troops followed the royal siblings with Guilford in particular on high alert as he stuck close to his princess. But of course none of them were quite prepared for what they saw as they entered the main courtyard in front of the academy and... saw Lelouch being carried like a sack of potatoes by a familiar young Eleven, and they were heading this way-
... While... being chased by riders on horseback?
Both princess' stared at this event that took place in front of them with the same kind of utter confusion that a politician might show to someone who expects something without a bribe.
Before either of them could comment or react further, Suzaku turned his head back to look in front of him, only for him to then immediately recognize the royal siblings that he worked under. He was so surprised by their sudden appearance that he lost his footing and tripped, causing Lelouch to let out a not-so-heroic yelp of surprise as he fell alongside Suzaku.
They tumbled for a few feet thanks to the momentum of Suzaku's sprint, before rolling to a complete stop almost perfectly in front of Cornelia and Euphemia.
The former smirked, and the latter began to giggle.
"Comfortable down there?" Cornelia quipped, causing Lelouch's eyes to snap open in the middle of rolling over and groaning, quickly turning to sit up and face her, looking up at the Viceroy from his position on the grass.
"Very, you should join me." He said, dripping with sarcasm and smirking at her.
Internally, he was panicking just a little. He knew the moment that broadcast ended that someone would come for him. He figured it would be Cornelia- and she had... little reason-? To suspect him of being Zero, but the underlying fear of being called out or caught was still very much present.
Cornelia rose an eyebrow and smirked in response to him before both she and Euphemia bent over to help Suzaku and Lelouch up off the ground. The eldest sister went to fix his hair and brush down his uniform, making sure to get the bits of yard trimmings and dust off of him, and Euphemia did something similar for Suzaku- something that Cornelia caught but refrained to comment on.
Lelouch blushed slightly, not used to being mothered over since... well...
Cornelia stared at him for a few long seconds, just... taking it all in.
"You've grown." She said quietly not taking her eyes off of him.
"So have you." He returned the comment.
There was a period of silence between them. Not awkward silence- just... a moment of stillness as they reconnected.
Then, finally dropping her wall, unable to keep it up any more, a softness returned to her eyes and she threw her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug.
Lelouch froze, not expecting this kind of reaction- not from the Witch of Britannia of all people.
"Cornelia-?"
"I missed you." She said quietly, her voice hitching slightly before she forced herself to regain composure and released him.
Euphemia was far less restrained however, and Lelouch found himself being nearly tackled back into the dirt by a pink rocket slamming into him. Euphemia openly cried as she hugged him tightly, earning a chuckle from Cornelia, a small smile from Guilford and a big grin from Suzaku.
'I didn't think they cared...' Lelouch thought to himself he hadn't expected any of this.
Cornelia remained pensive, a question that remained unasked had been sitting on the edge of her mind and on the tip of her tongue.
"Lelouch-" She finally spoke again, forcing the words out even as she tensed. "Is... is Nunnally-"
"Alive." He confirmed as he subconsciously pet Euphie's hair.
Cornelia let out a shuddered sigh as her shoulders relaxed from their stiffened position, relief flooding her system. "How is she?"
"Do you really need to ask?" The bitterness in his voice was more than apparent. But seeing the look of hurt on Euphie and Cornelia's faces, he backpedaled.
"Mentally she's... she's doing ok I think, better than you'd expect. But physically she's not much better than when we first arrived in Japan. I try to get her as much therapy as I can afford but progress is... slow."
"Take us to her-" Cornelia started, sounding like she was trying to give him an order. "- please." She added after a moment.
He nodded, and signaled for them to follow. He turned around to see what seemed like the entire student body staring in awe at the fact that not 1 but 3 members of royalty were standing in front of them.
Cornelia cleared her throat and went into soldier mode for just a second.
"Cornelia Li Britannia orders you to go back to your business, there's nothing to see here!" She barked, and that was enough to send all of the students away in a hurry as they backed off and went back to what they were doing before Milly called for the prince-hunt.
"Mind to tell me why you were being chased?" Cornelia asked.
Lelouch shook his head. "Just the antics of the student council president, she loves to throw silly parties and festivals and they usually involve me being caught in some ridiculous scenario. I tried to escape my fate and ordered Suzaku to escort me off-campus."
"And he interpreted that as to whisk you off your feet and carry you? Unorthodox but effective, considering that last I checked you had something between zero and absolutely nothing as far as stamina is concerned." She teased.
"Hardy har har." He deadpanned. "Suzaku is an old friend of mine, hence his enthusiasm."
"How could he be an old friend?" Cornelia asked confusedly. "Euphie only just recently enrolled him at Ashford."
"It's simple, I knew him before the war." He replied casually.
That caused both Cornelia and Euphemia to stop and stare at Suzaku with varying emotions. Euphemia seemed elated, but Cornelia-
The warhawk of a princess frowned deeply, a scowl forming. "You where aware that my brother and sister were alive... and didn't feel it necessary to inform us?" She hissed.
Lelouch immediately caught on and turned around, getting between Cornelia and his friend defensively.
"I ordered him to keep our survival and location secret." He said firmly. "He was only doing what I asked of him out of loyalty to me."
Cornelia stared for a moment before her features softened, and she nodded, accepting the answer given without any further pushback.
Lelouch relaxed his stance and grabbed Suzaku by the shoulder, keeping him close as they continued their walk to the clubhouse where he and Nunnally lived alongside-
Lelouch's eyes widened.
C.C.
'Cornelia and Euphemia might not know of her but Suzaku will definitely recognize her. I have to make sure that she doesn't get spotted but I can't contact her! Damn... I'll have to just hope that she's still asleep and hasn't come out of my room yet.' He thought to himself and tried to remain calm.
Upon arriving back at the student clubhouse and walking in, Milly grinned- only to immediately cool her features as she saw the collection of royalty and escorting soldiers walk in alongside him and Suzaku.
Kallen froze, but being that she was skilled at acting like an invalid she was able to hide her fear as she stared at the lot of them alongside the other student council members.
"Cornelia, Euphemia, meet the rest of my friends. You already know Milly I'm sure, alongside Kallen, Rivalz, Shirley and Nina."
Nina and the others were used to Lelouch, so the thought of bowing before him, but now that proper long-standing royalty had now entered the room everyone collectively bowed and saluted- including Kallen to keep up appearances. And Nina struggled to contain herself upon spotting her savior.
Cornelia waved it off. "No need to stand on ceremony with us, Euphemia doesn't care for it and considering that you've all been so good to Lelouch I don't mind if we gloss over the formalities."
"It's so wonderful to meet you all!" The pink powderpuff greeted them cheerfully.
"I'm bringing my sisters to see Nunnally, so we'll be heading to our private quarters, we can talk more tomorrow." Lelouch said to them, and there was a collective nod as the royals walked past them. Before turning to look at Cornelia. "Sister, I would feel more comfortable with the soldiers guarding the clubhouse, plus that way it won't be so cramped."
Cornelia nodded, and gave a hand signal to the royal guards to patrol and stand their ground around the perimeter of the clubhouse.
The royal troopers would stop following and assume positions around entry points while the 3 siblings and Suzaku went into the private area of the clubhouse reserved for Lelouch and Nunnally. When they entered, they saw Nunnally sitting at the dining room table with Sayoko.
Euphemia smiled and Guilford remained neutral, but Cornelia tensed at seeing an Eleven alone with her helpless baby half-sister. She held her tongue, but knew she would bring it up in private.
Lelouch meanwhile, within the few split seconds of free time he had, began formulating a plan. But it would take some finesse.
He smiled, walking over to her sister as Sayoko quietly excused herself from the table, stepping away and walking to the kitchen.
Nunnally turned, letting out a small hum as the blind girl faced towards her brother and his guests.
"Big brother? What's going on, did something happen?" She asked softly.
"You probably didn't hear since you've not been near a TV or Radio for a while..." Lelouch began softly, the warmth and love he held evident as it bled through his voice. "It's... it's crazy to think, but the Emperor he's-" He could still hardly believe the words coming out of his mouth. "He's named me crown prince."
Nunnally gasped. "Oh- oh big brother that's- that's amazing! That's wonderful! Think of all the good you can do!"
Lelouch seemed taken aback. He hadn't expected this reaction, and Nunnally reached a hand out to hold his with a huge smile on her face.
"Nunnally-" He began. "You think this is a good thing?"
"Of course I do!" She giggled. "Big brother you'd make a great ruler!"
"Why do you think that?" He asked, curious as to her reasoning.
She tilted her head, while her eyes remained closed he could only imagine her looking at him like he had grown a second head.
"Why wouldn't I? Big brother, you're smart, you're brave, and you're kind! I know you try to act like you don't care but your heart is the biggest out of anyone in Ashford!" She exclaimed, before throwing her arms around him in a hug.
"I believe in you, big brother!"
Lelouch choked up a little, he had not expected such a glowing endorsement from Nunnally, and it meant a lot to him to hear her say these things it made his heart flutter in his chest.
'When I spoke to the student council... I was only saying what I wanted to do, not that I thought I truly could make it happen, but... Nunnally- she believes in me... Maybe... maybe this isn't a nightmare or some freak accident- maybe it's an opportunity. I could make the world a gentler place for Nunnally...'
He smiled. "Thank you, Nunnally. I wasn't sure of myself, but now that you've got me all buttered up how could I refuse?" Lelouch said playfully, before giving Nunnally a kiss on her forehead, making her giggle.
Guilford, Cornelia and Euphie couldn't help but smile at the interaction. And Lelouch, not wanting to keep their guests waiting, kept lightly hugging Nunnally with one arm while quietly ushering Euphemia to approach, before putting his finger to his lips.
Euphemia nodded, and Lelouch spoke. "Nunnally, I have a surprise for you, hold out your hand."
"Oh? Another surprise?" Nunnally asked lightly, holding her hand out.
Euphemia was on the verge of tears, her lips trembling as she knelt next to Nunnally's chair and gently grasped her hand.
Nunnally was confused at first, then gasped.
"It... it can't be- its-!"
"Oh Nunnally!" Euphemia cut her off, and closed in to deliver a tight hug. "I've missed you so much! I feared the worst!"
"Sister Euphie!" Nunnally exclaimed with excitement as she hugged back as best she could, smiling brightly and giggling. "I've missed you too! I haven't seen you since I was little!"
"You're still little Nunnally!" Euphemia teased, earning an adorable pout from the blind girl.
"You know what I mean!" Nunnally exclaimed, and then began to converse with Euphemia while Lelouch stepped away, turning his head to see Suzaku standing in the corner in a relaxed pose, leaning against the wall with a peaceful smile. Cornelia matched this as well, the tension around her melting away as she watched the interaction.
Cornelia noticed Lelouch looking at her, and she nodded her head to the side, indicating she wanted to speak with him in private, and he nodded back in agreement, putting his hands in his pockets as he casually walked around the table, and showed her to the living room adjacent to the dining area.
"Please take a seat, make yourself at home." Lelouch offered, taking a rest in one of the reclining chairs.
Cornelia silently did so opting to take a spot on the couch across from him.
"The Emperor contacted me minutes before he made his public announcement and filled me in on key details." She explained.
Reaching into her coat pocket, she pulled out an envelope and offered it to him, which he gracefully plucked from her fingers. He opened it to see a bank statement, and his eyes nearly popped out of his skull at the numbers he was seeing.
"Marianne left a fortune to you in her will. The Ares Villa, all her estates, all of her checking and savings accounts are now under your name. Her funds have been accruing quite a bit of interest over the past 7 years as well which has inflated the value over the years. The Emperor is giving you access to all of these assets to use as you see fit."
Lelouch nodded numbly at the truly ludicrous amount of money he was staring at. This much was enough to keep an entire family set up for generations and want for nothing, literal tens of billions of pounds spread across his mother's accounts and even more in all of her assets.
"Well... this is... something..."
Cornelia chuckled at his apparent befuddlement. "Don't act so surprised Lelou." She chided playfully.
"It's not every day you get handed enough money to buy basically anything you want in the world." He replied dryly. "Remember Cornelia, I have lived my past 7 years as a commoner with nothing to my name, every cent I ever had during that time was money earned and most of it was spent to pay back the Ashfords and get Nunnally treatments."
Cornelia frowned. "Pay them back?" She asked. "You're royalty, and they're supposed to be Marianne's friends, how dare they-"
Lelouch raised his hand, cutting her off. "They didn't ask me, I offered. They took care of me when no one else would and I wanted to show my gratitude, I felt it was the least I could do for their kindness."
Cornelia relaxed, nodding and cooled her features, clearing her throat.
"Second order of business, you are now under my protection, you will be moving into the viceroyal palace."
"Sister-"
"That's non-negotiable." Cornelia cut in firmly. "Zero is still out there, he killed Clovis and now he's gonna be after you. I'd bet anything on that and I will not let my baby brother be harmed by that masked freak." She spat, her overprotectiveness bleeding through as she clenched her fists.
Lelouch shut his mouth, contemplating things for a moment before relenting.
"Can I at least make some requests?"
Cornelia stared at him. "Go on."
"Firstly, our caretaker-"
"The Eleven maid?" Cornelia interjected, frowning
Lelouch frowned back. "I would have her come with us-"
"Absolutely not, I will not allow one of THEM anywhere near you or Nunnally while-"
Lelouch's fierce glare actually made her trip up as he slammed his fist into the arm-rest. "Now you listen to me dear sister." He growled. "I will not allow you to insult Sayoko or insinuate anything about her! She is the closest thing Nunnally and I have had to a mother ever since you let ours die!" He spat with such vitriol that Cornelia flinched, her face scrunching up in pain as she looked away, and Lelouch realized what he said, his lips pressing into a thin line.
"My lady-!" Guilford quickly rounded the corner, concerned about the raised voices, but Cornelia held up a hand, and he silenced himself.
"Just a disagreement Guilford, I'm handling it."
Guilford's eyes flicked between her and Lelouch, the crown prince seeming to stare at a wall while Cornelia looked at the floor. He stood there for a moment before slowly stepping away and out of sight.
There was an awkward moment of silence, and Lelouch decided now was the right time, before someone interrupted again, he turned to look at her once more, and he felt his eye tingle.
"Cornelia." He called out her name and she turned to look at him-.
"Answer my questions." He commanded, and she didn't even have a chance to register the glow in his eye before the command took hold, her face becoming neutral as her eyes glossed over, red rings appearing around them.
"Of course brother."
"What does the Emperor plan for me?"
"He didn't say, only that he wanted me to protect you and that he would have further instructions tomorrow."
'Not a ploy to arrest me then, unless Cornelia is out of the loop.'
"What does he plan for Nunnally?"
"Nothing as far as I am aware, only that he wants me to keep her safe."
Strange
He braced himself for his next question.
"Did you kill my mother?"
"No."
Lelouch let out a sigh of relief. He didn't think it was Cornelia, he truly hoped it wasn't and he was glad to be proven right.
"Do you know who is responsible."
"No."
'Curses.' Leloch thought to himself.
"Do you have any leads?"
"...No."
Lelouch frowned, there was clear hesitation to that answer.
"Are you sure?" He pressed.
"The Emperor ordered Schneizel to remove her body and transport it somewhere, I do not know where or why, I found it strange."
Lelouch pensively stored that information away as he went down a different line of questioning.
"Do you truly love me and Nunnally."
"Forever and always."
Lelouch felt a warmth spread through his chest at her answer, but he didn't dwell on it, pressing on.
"Why didn't you try to find us? Why leave us to die?" He asked, barely restraining himself from raising his voice.
"I pleaded with the Emperor to allow me to lead a search and rescue operation, but he forbayed it."
"Why did you follow his orders if you knew there was a chance we were alive?" He pressed further.
"For Euphie's sake." She said simply.
'I see...' Lelouch thought to himself. 'That's it, isn't it... you saw what happened to us, and fear for Euphie's life paralyzed you from disobeying him.' He smiled. 'I suppose I can't blame you for that can I? That would make me a hypocrite, wouldn't it?' He mused, knowing full well that he would do anything to keep Nunnally out of harms way.
"That is all." He said, letting his command run its course as control was returned to Cornelia, who blinked and shook her head.
"Something wrong?" He asked.
"I- no, just feeling a little lightheaded, everything went fuzzy there for a moment..." She trailed off.
"I'm sorry." Lelouch offered after a few seconds of silence. "I didn't mean what I said, even after 7 years I haven't quite been able to get over what happened. I know it's not your fault."
Cornelia nodded, remaining uncharacteristically silent as the clock ticked away, before taking a deep breath.
"Your... maid." Cornelia began lightly. "She is trustworthy?"
"Absolutely, I trust her with my life, and Nunnally's."
Cornelia pursed her lips.
"Very well, she will be offered residence and employment at the viceroyal palace. If she's been taking care of you for so long and you trust her then... then I will trust her as well." She conceded.
"Thank you. My second request is that Nunnally and I still be allowed to attend Ashford."
Cornelia turned her head back up to look at him, biting her lip.
But before she could make her argument, he explained.
"I know you want to protect us Cornelia, but Nunnally has made friends here, as have I. This place has been home for us ever since the aftermath of the invasion and I would like for us to be able to finish our education and maintain social lives." He pleaded.
Cornelia mulled it over. Euphemia was much the same, she didn't like being cooped up and under constant supervision, and was always finding creative ways to go exploring.
"I reserve the right to increase security around Ashford." She stated. "And you will have a security detail while in public, this is non-negotiable."
He frowned. "I reserve the right to select my own guards."
The 2 siblings stared each other down for a few moments, both of them running risk calculations in their heads before Cornelia nodded. "That is acceptable." She agreed.
"My final request is that you arrange guest passes for my friends to visit us while I am not at Ashford, I often see them outside of our club activities and I'd rather not have them be arrested for trying to come see Nunnally and myself."
"Fair enough." She conceded.
"Those are my only requests."
Cornelia nodded, leaning back in the couch, staring at him with a forlorn expression.
"I never thought I'd see you again." She muttered.
He smirked. "You will come to learn that I am akin to a cockroach Cornelia, getting rid of me isn't quite so easy."
His elder half-sister barked out a laugh. "Clearly." She stated, getting up and walking over to him, she offered a hand to him which he accepted, and she pulled him up to throw an arm around his back in a hug.
It was a tight and warm embrace, and the stiffness that Lelouch had before had faded somewhat as he hugged her back.
"I love you, Lelouch, and I'll keep you safe."
"I love you too, Cornelia." The words left his lips effortlessly, a genuine smile gracing his lips.
He had missed this.
Cornelia pulled back, reaching a hand up to dotingly fix his messy hair a little and place a hand on his shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze as she nodded towards the dining area.
He got the message and silently agreed, walking with Cornelia back into the dining room area to see Suzaku relaxing comfortably with both Nunnally and Euphemia, sitting alongside the pair of younger sisters at the table with a blush on his face.
"-no Suzaku would look better with pigtails!" Nunnally insisted with a huge grin on her face.
"I'm telling you he'd look better with braids!" Euphemia shot back as Suzaku sent him a look and rubbed his shoulder, the signal for 'help me'.
Lelouch stared before an evil smile graced his lips.
"Are you sure you shouldn't just shave his head and give him a wig?"
Suzaku's jaw dropped, a look of betrayal spreading across his face as Euphemia and Nunnally laughed up a storm.
'Traitor!' Suzaku lamented.
While the sisters laughed and everyone else sported a wry grin at Suzaku's predicament, Sayoko returned with a cart piled high with refreshments. A teapot, teacups, and a tray of mini-sandwiches on a platter were rolled out and she began to serve everyone.
Cornelia sniffed, taking a deep whiff. "Chamomile?" She asked.
"Lady Nunnally's favorite." Sayoko confirmed as she poured a cup for the youngest princess and then for Euphemia. Guilford looked like he was about to take the one offered to taste it for poison but Cornelia gave him a silent signal to remain calm as she took the next cup offered, and sipping it's contents.
"Quite good." She complimented.
"Thank you, your highness." Sayoko responded with a bow.
"Lelouch and Nunnally will be joining us at the viceroyal palace in the government district and he wanted me to offer you a residence so that you can remain by their side. So, with that in mind, I'll offer you a job right now. Whatever the Ashfords are paying you I'll quadruple it."
Sayoko looked taken aback, not expecting this outcome, but dutifully bowed.
"If the young lady and master wish for my continued service I will happily follow."
A good answer in Cornelia's mind, she gave a single nod and continued to enjoy the tea offered as another cup was offered to Lelouch and then Suzaku and Guilford.
From then on, the conversations remained light, discussions of war and politics deliberately avoided so that the siblings could reunite, sharing stories and jokes with one another as the calming tea and relaxing atmosphere carried out through the remainder of the evening.
Cornelia who had been keeping track of the time, eventually let out a displeased sigh.
"I am afraid we're out of time. There's a lot we need to do tomorrow and we're going to need a full night's rest."
Lelouch set his cup down on its tray with a nod, his eyes looking to the window noting that the sun was beginning to set.
"Where do we go from here?" He asked.
"Rooms are being prepared for two as well as your caretaker, they'll be ready tomorrow so for tonight you'll remain here. I'll set up military security forces around the Academy to make sure you stay safe for the night and during your school day. Once you are dismissed from your final class I'll have some soldiers help you pack your things and escort you to a motorcade that will deliver you to the viceroyal palace."
Lelouch let out a hum as he memorized the schedule. "And about those guest passes I mentioned?"
"I'll have them printed out, just give me the names and photos of your friends."
"Can they come with me tomorrow when I leave?"
Cornelia raised an eyebrow.
"I would like for them to be there, it'll be the first time in years since being exiled that I'd be in the spotlight. Their presence would be a welcome comfort to help me adjust." He explained.
Cornelia mulled over the request before closing her eyes and giving a silent nod. "I'll make sure the limousine is big enough and well stocked."
Lelouch felt grateful, smiling. His friends had been good to him, and now he would be able to show them his appreciation, he wanted to treat them, Kallen especially-
He frowned, concentrating on that thought. Why was he putting emphasis on Kallen above the others?
'Well... she is one of the few Black Knights to truly trust and believe in Zero, the others are skeptics, but Kallen trusts me, and has been putting her life on the line. Yes, that must be it.' He monologued internally.
Euphemia sighed, a mix of sadness and joy, knowing they had to say goodbye but would be seeing eachother again tomorrow, a small smile remained on her face as she gently hugged Nunnally and planted a kiss on her forehead.
"I'll see you tomorrow, ok Nuna?"
"Of course Euphie!" Nunnally said cheerfully. "I can't wait!" She replied as she hugged Euphemia back. Once they broke apart, it was Cornelia's turn. She approached the chair and knelt next to it, wrapping her arms around Nunnally.
"Big sister Nelly is here to protect you and brother Lelouch." She said softly, sharing warmth and affection with Nunnally, and Nunnally hugged her back, nuzzling into Cornelia's shoulder.
"I love you Nelly, I can't wait to see you again."
"You'll be seeing me tomorrow though?" Cornelia pointed out with some tender teasing.
"Too long!" Nunnally chirped, earning a laugh from Cornelia which in turn got everyone else to laugh a little.
With time having run out, everyone said their goodbyes, Euphemia and Cornelia both leaving after hugging Lelouch one last time, and taking Guilford with him who gave a bow before shutting the door behind them.
"I should probably get going too." Suzaku declared, getting up from his seat. "I need to be up early tomorrow, duty calls and all that."
Lelouch nodded, offering a handshake, Suzaku accepted it before pulling Lelouch into a hug and patting him on his back. Lelouch was pretty sure this was the most affection he had ever gotten in one day.
"You know for someone that could probably bench press a knightmare you sure are a softie." Lelouch chided playfully, earning a short laugh from Suzaku who pulled back and rubbed his eyes a little, causing Lelouch to frown with concern.
"Is everything alright Suzaku?"
Suzaku nodded. "Better than alright." He said with a big smile on his face. "I'll see you tomorrow Lelouch."
"Yeah, see you tomorrow." Lelouch replied quietly as Suzaku gave one last hug to Nunnally and took his leave.
The wheelchair bound girl let out a yawn shortly thereafter, knocking Lelouch out of his melancholy state.
"Well-well, somebody's all tuckered out." He teased, and Nunnally pouted cutely as he walked over to her wheelchair and grabbed the handles, pushing her towards her room. As he did so, she reached a hand up over her shoulder, brushing her fingers across the back of his hand, and he was comforted by her touch.
"Lelouch, don't be scared, ok? No matter what happens I'll be cheering for you, I believe in you big brother." She declared, and Lelouch felt his heart flutter in his chest at her endearing proclamation of support.
"Thank you Nunnally... so long as I have you by my side, I know I can do this." He replied warmly, bringing her into her room and tucking her to bed.
"I love you big brother..." She muttered, her exhaustion becoming apparent as she got cozy beneath the sheets, and let out another yawn.
"I love you too Nunnally." He replied quietly. "Goodnight."
Lelouch exited Nunnally's room and took a deep breath. He now had a whole new problem to deal with, his face hardening up as he went to his room and took out his phone...
Kallen had just finished taking a shower at her place, heading back to her room and getting changed into a fresh set of night clothes when her phone began to ring, picking it up, she answered.
"Hello?"
"Q-1."
Her back straightened. "Yes sir?"
"Alert the Black Knights, we're having a meeting tonight beginning in an hour."
"Yes sir!"
"That's all for now, we have much to discuss, I'll be seeing you soon." He finished before hanging up.
Kallen quickly swapped out her night clothes for her resistance outfit, and grabbed her Black Knights uniform, making sure she had everything together as she snuck out and made a beeline for their mobile base.
Her mind had been racing all day, thinking about that broadcast, about Lelouch, and the more she thought about it the more questions popped up. About who he really was most of all. Lelouch was not a simple person, that much was clear to her now, there were layers of depth to him, to the content of his character, an enigma, he was a puzzle. And she wanted to solve it, she wanted to solve the puzzle of Lelouch Vi Britannia, but without any leads, she knew she would have to wait. She hoped this meeting- no doubt about that announcement, would make things clearer.
She made sure to group message the other Black Knights, informing them of the current situation and making sure they were made aware of the meeting Zero ordered.
When she arrived at the base, she saw that almost everyone was accounted for, with Tamaki being fashionably late as usual, arriving shortly after she did.
Her head turned to see that Zero was sitting in the center couch surrounded by Ohgi and the others. The masked messiah was leaning forward, his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped together, fingers interlocking as the chin of the helmet rested atop his knuckles. There was some idle conversation between the rest of the Black Knights while Zero remained quiet until he apparently noticed her enter, his helmet tilting faintly in her direction.
"Ah, good, everyone is here so we can get down to business." He said firmly, bringing the other conversations around him to a halt. "Let us begin, first I want to hear everyone's take on the matter, your thoughts and opinions please." He opened the floor to discussion.
"Whats there to talk about?" Tamaki asked, arms crossed. "He's a Britannian prince, the crown prince even, it's pretty obvious we're gonna whack em right?" He asked, making Kallen's chest tighten at the thought of murdering her friend.
Ohgi shook his head. "No- I don't think that's right, if Zero planned to take him out he would have already told us, he just wants us to talk about our thoughts on the subject... right?" He asked, the former school teacher turning his head to look at Zero, who nodded.
"Allow me to clarify, this meeting is not about discussing an assassination, we will NOT be targeting the Vi Britannias." He said firmly, and Kallen let go a breath she didn't know she was holding in, relaxing now that the intent was made clear.
Tamaki however, took exception to that. "Whaddya mean we're not gonna target them? They're Britannian royalty!"
"Tamaki, what do the Black Knights fight for?" Zero asked, and Tamaki frowned. "Japan?" He offered, earning a sigh and a shake of the helmet that covered Zero's face.
"I'll ask again, what do we fight for?" He pressed, his gaze sweeping the room.
"Justice." Kallen answered, and then blushed when she saw the eyes of everyone else turn to look at her, and she cleared her throat. "I- I mean." She stammered before clearing her throat. "That's what you said before, with the Hotel crisis, we're Knights for Justice." Kallen extrapolated, and Zero nodded.
"Exactly!" Zero applauded, clapping his hands together as he rose from his seat, walking over to Kallen and standing next to her. "We are Knights for Justice! We exist to protect the weak and punish those who abuse their power to harm the innocent."
So then let me ask you, what crime has this young man committed that has earned him death? He cannot control who his father is, he didn't get to chose his family, the only thing we would be doing is labeling him as guilty by association. Is that the archaic justice you think we should stand for? Killing a young man- a mere boy who isn't even 18 years old? Who spent his past 7 years living quietly and peacefully in the settlement? What kind of message would that send if we were to murder him in cold blood?" He asked, and it caused the rest of the members in the room to take on thoughtful expressions as they mulled over the words of their leader.
"So... what do we do then?" Ohgi asked.
"For now? We watch, and we wait." He declared. "Without more information we cannot act." Zero said simply as he folded his hands behind his back. "However there is a way we can begin to gather information on him."
That got everyone's attention, as Zero turned his helmet to look at Kallen.
"Is it true that you are classmates with him?" Zero asked, earning some surprised gasps from the other Black Knights.
Kallen wasn't expected to be singled out but was quick to follow. "Yes, we share several classes, and we're on the student council." She said, making the other members more curious.
"How well would you say you know him?" Zero pressed.
"Well... if you asked me yesterday I'd say he was just some punk who didn't care about anything but..." She bit her lip, and shook her head. "But today after the announcement, he came forward to us on the student council and he told his story and... it helped me see him in a new light. Now I'm not so sure what to say about him, I'd need more time to get my thoughts together."
"Can you get close to him?" Zero asked.
"Well- we're friends I think? I could probably try, what do you need?"
"If he is the crown prince, then it would be prudent for us to have a way to keep tabs and gather information on him." Zero declared, turning his body to face her fully.
"I want you to be our eyes and ears on the inside. Try to become part of his inner circle, take any relevant information he offers and keep us informed as to his plans. From there we can more easily decide how to proceed."
Kallen nodded dutifully, accepting the mission. "Yes sir!"
"Be careful Kallen, I don't want you doing anything that could be seen as suspicious. No snooping around, I don't want to risk you getting caught. It's not that I don't think you are capable, but I care about your safety first and foremost, the less attention you draw; the better."
"Understood, I won't let you down." She said proudly.
"I know." Zero said simply, and Kallen smiled at her leader's confidence in her abilities.
The masked rebel then turned back to look at the black knights.
"This announcement has thrown Japan into an uncertain state and the administration is likely to undergo some sort of transition. There won't be any attacks for a while." He declared, turning and walking towards the exit- but not before looking back at the rest of his comrades. "Go home, rest, spend time with your friends and family, I will notify you when we are to meet again. I would stay longer but my own plans require adjustments and as such I will be busy for a while. Until then stay safe." He finished, giving them all a nod before stepping out, his cape flaring out behind him with a dramatic flourish as he made his leave.
Kallen watched him step out, finding that she had more questions than she did walking in. Zero was usually decisive, but now it was more like he was taking a backseat, did Lelouch's reveal throw him off that much?
'I wonder what he's really thinking...' Kallen thought to herself, before turning back to see that everyone was once again looking at her.
"Well..." Inoue asked. "Whats he like? Really?"
Kallen frowned, contemplating her answer and shaking her head.
"It's hard to nail him down. Like I said- when I interacted with him before he came off as aloof, like he didn't care, but..."
"But?" Minami asked while Ohgi and the others listened intently.
"There was one day-" Kallen continued. "We ran into each other in the park, near the mall. There was a group of Britannians beating up a Japanese honorary Britannian selling hotdogs. He stopped me from intervening, but then told me if I did, the hotdog vender wouldn't earn any money. When the Britannians spotted us, he convinced them to leave the guy alone and even gave the vendor a big tip."
Tamaki raised an eyebrow at that while Ohgi and the others listened intently.
"After that, I tried to get a read on him and... it was weird. His answer confused me. He said it was better to just keep your head down and accept the status quo. I thought that meant he didn't really care but now...?"
"Something makes you think differently?" Ohgi asked.
Kallen nodded. "Yeah, when I spoke to him, I asked what Lelouch Lamprouge wants to do with his life... but not Lelouch Vi Britannia, because I didn't know his real identity."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Tamaki asked.
Kallen rolled her eyes. "It's the wording, Tamaki. Look at me, Kallen Kozuki is my true self, but at School I'm Kallen Stadtfeld. Whatever version of me you talk to will give a different answer. If I can pose as a sickly schoolgirl and hide my true feelings then why can't he hide what he thinks and feels too?"
"So you think you asked his mask what they want to do, and not his real self?" Inoue asked curiously.
Kallen nodded. "Yeah, and then there was the stuff he said today that makes me think I hit the nail on the head."
"What? Did he say something good?" Ohgi asked this time.
Kallen smiled whistfully. "Yeah... yeah he did- something really, really good but... I don't want to say anything about it just yet, I don't know for sure if what he said was real or if he was just blowing smoke. I don't want to get anyone's hopes up if it turns out I'm wrong."
After that, the Black Knight's base lit up with conversation, everyone was talking to eachother about Lelouch, the Crown Prince that was hiding under everyone's noses, and as they did Kallen stepped back, leaning against the wall as she found herself wrestling with her own thoughts, her arms crossing beneath her chest as she stared quietly at the floor, letting the conversation happen around her as she tried to make heads or tails of everything that happened today.
Needless to say for Kallen, it was a long night.
Lelouch sighed as he returned back to Ashford, using the same secret tunnel entrance he always used to completely avoid detection by any of the Britannian security forces. Cursing to himself as he realized very quickly that getting in contact and meeting with the Black Knights would likely become a much more difficult task for now on.
'After I move into the Viceroyal palace in won't be able to leave and just remain unaccounted for. My geass can only get me so far, there's thousands of people working in that building some of them will probably be OSI agents and spies to keep an eye on me...' He thought to himself as he sat on his bed and contemplated the predicament he now found himself in.
'I need Kallen on my side.' He nodded to himself. 'Telling her my true thoughts and feelings as a prince has likely endeared her to me to some extent, at least that's what I planned on. At the very least she seems to be far more considerate of my person than she was before. If I can get her to trust me implicitly that will make gaining the trust of the Black Knights much easier. If I had tried to vouch for myself it would only draw suspicion and mistrust, but they know Kallen and they trust her judgement.'
And so if Kallen trusted him, then it stood to reason the Black Knights would come to trust him too... or so he hoped.
He pinched the bridge of his nose to try and counteract the coming headache. The Emperor's decision to out him as the crown prince today had completely messed up all of his plans, the board had been completely flipped, and now he had entirely new variables to account for.
With no further answers to his current dilemma apparent to him, he finally relented, and allowed sleep to take him, passing out, knowing that tomorrow would bring a new set of challenges to overcome
As he slept, C.C. watched over him, her legs crossed as she sat in the chair by his desk.
"So you really think he's ready for this?" She asked, and after a moment continued speaking. "Fine, but I expect more Pizza."
AN: Thats all for now, hope you all enjoyed, catch ya later, peace.