(A/N: Over the years, a lot of people have often wanted to see Lelouch's ideology clash with Edelgard von Hresvelg's ideology. If you're interested in that, by all means go check out my other story Lie and Seek. However, way before Three Houses came out, Code Geass and Fire Emblem overlap fans often made the joke about how Nohr and Hoshido mirrored Britannia and Japan in various ways with some going so far as to directly compare Garron and Charles. And…that's about where this story's inspiration comes from.
Unlike Lie and Seek which has deep and complicated lore and backbreaking effort to make the universe mesh work, this one was a lot simpler. All of the Nohrians are Britannians with the Nohrian royals being Charles's children. As for the Hoshidans…it's a bit different. [Don't even get me started on Corrin. IYKYK]. But we'll get there when we get there. For now, sit back, relax and enjoy the journey of one woman's devotion for the brother that means the most to her in this world and I'll see you at the ending author's notes)
Pendragon, Britannia
2010 atb
Among the Britannian royal family, there were many overachievers and men and women of fantastic character. There was Guinevere de Britannia, crown princess and a whiz with finances. There was Schneizel el Britannia, the second prince and an unparalleled genius. There was third prince Xander and second Princess Cornelia, often considered the twin jewels of the Empire, a pair of royals whose very presence would turn the tide of warfare.
Then there was the third princess, the most beautiful of roses with the sharpest thorns. She loved fine dining, cute things, the arts and her family more than anything. This was presently 18-year-old Camilla no Britannia, commonly referred to as the Barbarian Rose Princess, or sometimes just the Barbarian Princess. But no one would ever be so thoughtless as to call that to her face, lest they find out how exactly she got it, as well as a Viking crew cut.
Currently, the bountifully gifted princess sat upon a cushioned stool in the middle of her flower laden conservatory, her long, purple hair cascading down her back. She was painting a picture of a young boy. The boy had black hair and purple eyes. She was drawing him holding a bouquet of roses and looking serious. Camilla sighed in content as she added an extra layer of shading to the boy's black hair.
She missed him. She missed him ever so much. But, effervescent times had come and gone. The boy in the painting was presently in exile and Camilla would be attending Britannian military training next month. It would be a long time before she could see him again. She'd known him for quite a long time, after all, she was his older half-sister. She remembered the day he came into the world. She was 8. And he was so cute. And, to Camilla, he never lost that sense of cuteness, something she could say about many of her siblings.
But, Lelouch vi Britannia, the first son of the late Marianne, stuck out to many of his siblings in a variety of ways. To Cornelia, he was the firstborn of her idol. To Schneizel, he was a worthy opponent in chess, and would one day prove both an ambitious rival and useful political partner. To Xander, he had all the makings of a fine military commander. But, to Camilla, he was her Lulu, her special Lulu. This was not always the case, but she remembered how this happened as if it were only yesterday…
August 25th
2008 atb
A party at the royal palace was currently underway to commemorate the achievements of both Xander and Cornelia. Both had recently been granted high ranking officer titles in the military, despite their youth and inexperience, simply based on the merits of their potential and simulation scores alone. Starting tomorrow, both would be full time members of Britannia's Imperial Army.
It was a large party. Charles may have been secluding himself to a small VIP lounge, but he was still in attendance. He had still gone through with the formal duty of giving commemorative badges to his children, now turned respectable military commanders. It was one of the biggest parties the upper class of Britannia had ever seen.
And yet, Camilla was standing, leaned against the wall, more miserable than a child whose ballon had just popped on a rainy day. She stood in her finest, blue, silken dress, her hair done up nicely, a pearl necklace hanging from her neck. She was fetching to all around her…which was precisely what was making her miserable. The party was to commemorate Xander and Cornelia, yet because Camilla was soon of proper marital age, her mother was using this party as an excuse to find Camilla a rich and proper husband. From the sound of the rumors churning around her, it practically seemed as if Camilla's mother was going to sell her daughter's future away to the highest bidder to gain wealth and influence in the royal court.
Camilla could see all of the looks she was getting, words even worse. Men had come up to her, praising her looks, telling her how lovely she would look taking care of their estate. Camilla could only placate them with rehearsed words of gratitude, practically throwing up in her own mouth. The third princess was not at all oblivious to her charm towards men. Since she'd turned 13, she'd been a tease and a flirt to her peers as a sign of her confidence in who she was and how she looked. She was known far and wide as the Blooming Rose of Britannia. They called her naughty, a temptress, a succubus in the making. She knew all these unclean, worthless men only wanted her to fill empty space in their kitchen between the oven and the sink.
She took a moment to close her eyes and count to ten, lest she lose herself to her rage and cleave tehir heads from their necks. Such actions would be unbecoming of a woman of her status, especially with how many people were watching. What if poor little Elise was here?
If I play the part of the barbarian, I can kiss my life of luxury goodbye and I would never see any of my dear brothers and sisters again; Elise, Xander, Cornelia, and of course…
Camilla was disturbed from her thoughts by yet another man walking up to her. He was bald with a tawny and bushy mustache. His hands were too fat to fit in a coffee mug and he clearly enjoyed luxurious dining given the size of his bloated abdomen. Despite this, his tone of voice bore a sophisticated eloquence to it.
"My dear Princess Camilla, might I request a dance of you?" He asked, taking her right hand gently. Camilla knew this man. This was Oliver Cullen, a wealthy businessman in real estate, taxonomy and owned an entire bank chain his father started. In other words, he could easily buy his way into Camilla's life through her mother. But he was so…ugly, and Camilla knew just enough about him to know that she wanted nothing to do with him.
To avoid making a scene, she gently put a hand and her forearm over her stomach, slipping it out of Oliver's grip. "Apologies, my stomach hurts. I'm not up to dance," she told him nervously, averting his gaze.
He pat her forearms. "That's okay. That's okay. We can talk right here." He took her hands in his. "My but aren't you lovely. Such fine, elegant beauty. A flower such as yours, why, it's a crime your family has kept it hidden from the public for so long." He leaned forward, a toothy smile on his face. "You are quite something, aren't you? Your radiant beauty really is the kind to give a fellow quite the stirring in his loins. The things I could teach you, if only I had the chance... if you'd let me tuck you in at night, I could show you a thing or two, as only an experienced, older gentleman could." He chuckled knowingly.
He proceeded to stroke the side of Camilla's face, the young woman wincing as she could only expect what was going to happen next. However, before a violation of her lips could be made, the man groaned out in pain. Camilla's eyes shot open as she gazed down at the scuff mark on the man's pinstripe suit pants where marks from a black dress shoe now resided. Camilla looked further to her left to see a small young man glaring at this fat slob with piercing purple eyes and a head of groomed black hair.
Camilla could feel her heart thump in her chest as her hands found their way over her heart.
"You little brat!" The man shouted, turning towards him.
"My sister said she's not feeling well!" the young boy shot back at him in a squeaky, pre-pubescent voice. "So leave her alone!"
Camilla's gloved fingertip found its way into her mouth. While she wasn't swooning aloud, she was doing so internally. Lulu…
Of course, Camilla's fawning was cut short when the overweight nobleman picked her younger brother up by his lapels and strung him against the wall. "You prince of common blood! How dare you strike me! Do you have any idea who I am? I could have you executed with a word! I am Oliver Cullen! And I—"
What happened next happened so fast that it took not just Lelouch but also Oliver Cullen and the entire party a moment to process what had just occurred. One moment business was normal as usual. The next minute an entire half of a table had been smashed and Oliver's face was being pressed to the floor by what could only be described as a raging demon possessing Camilla's body. Nobody had seen her knee knock the wind out of this pig, nor grab his face and slam it through the side of said table, now covered in wine and water. Camilla's fingers were clenched in visceral hatred and disgust around the skin covered watermelon this man called a skull, a skull she was coming closer and closer to crushing in her bare hand with every passing second.
But Camilla didn't yell, oh no, that simply wouldn't have been ladylike. Instead, she was smiling. Yet her smile had all of the comfort of a recliner made of spikes. She spoke calmly and cheerfully, which only continued the notion that Oliver Cullen was maybe going to have one chance to correct himself or he would soon be filed under "mysteriously missing persons".
"Now you listen to me you putrid, overweight, ugly cockroach-resembling swine. Don't you dare hurt my Lulu. Put your filthy, money-grubbing hands on my precious little brother again and the only stirring you will be feeling in your loins is the ache and pain from the scar tissue of what used to hang between your legs. Do you understand me, you low-brow filthy piglet?"
Terrified beyond words and noise, Camilla's ominous shadow looming over him like an angel of death, Oliver Cullen could do little more than nod while gasping.
Camilla let him go, dusting her hands off gently, standing tall, smile not fading. "I'm so glad we could come to an understanding." She then turned around and immediately went from angry to doting. "Are you hurt, little brother?"
Lelouch shook his head only to get scooped up into Camilla's arms as though he were a small puppy, not a full-grown child.
"Let's go eat outside then."
"But this is an indoor party," Lelouch reminded her.
"No arguing," she said, now petting him as if he was a small puppy. "I'm sure we can find somewhere to sit."
The two walked across the ballroom, passing by Cornelia, Schneizel and Xander on the way out of the venue. Lelouch's face said it all. Words needn't be spoken: Help.
And while Camilla wasn't aware of the conversation that proceeded her stroll out into the night air, it still took place.
"Should we…do something?" Cornelia questioned.
"Oh. She's having a bad day," Schneizel reasoned, "Let her dote."
"I see the rumors of Camilla's strength aren't simply rumors," Xander said. "I don't think even you could plow a fully grown man through a table prior to training, Cornelia."
Schneizel chuckled. "Yes indeed, our Camilla is just simply…built differently."
Outside in the royal garden, Camilla and Lelouch sat to some steak and greens, listening to owls and the cicadas, if it wasn't for Camilla wanting to hear all about Lelouch had been up to since the last time they'd seen each other, which wasn't all that long ago, a six month gap at most.
Lelouch, annoyed by all of the constant questions, simply said snippily, "Do you pester Leo with you incessant questioning all the time?"
Batting her eyes coquettishly at Lelouch whilst, leaning her chin on her hands, Camilla responded, "Leo's not as adorable as you."
"Just because I'm small doesn't make me cute!" Lelouch shouted, annoyed.
"I beg to differ," Camilla replied with a chuckle.
Her younger brother growled, folding his arms angrily.
Camilla could only laugh until silence swallowed the two royals.
After more of the meal had been consumed, and the hoot of an owl followed, the teenage princess spoke up upon wiping her mouth. "Thank you…for earlier. If you hadn't given me an excuse to throttle that lout," she thought, briefly dipping into rage and sourness before just as quickly returning to bright cheer, "I dread to think what my future may hold."
"Your mom's trying to marry you to some rich guy, right?"
"So I've heard," Camilla grumbled, sighing. "She has yet to say it to my face."
"Well then…if you don't find someone you like…I'll marry you, big sis." Being eight years old, Lelouch failed to fully grasp the concept of what he was proposing.
Camilla, however, did not see it that way, swooning. "Oh, Lulu, you say the sweetest things."
Lelouch held Camilla's left hand. "It's a promise. If you're always there for me, big sis, I'll always be there for you."
2010 atb
If only he'd given her a ring that day instead of a simple promise and the warmth of his hand. Camilla moped audibly, staring at her almost finished painting. She'd wanted to go to Japan with her dear Lulu and precious Nunnally, but father forbade anyone else from going. But…Camilla did not despair over this. This exile would not and could not last indefinitely in her eyes. So, to her logic, her place was needed here. After all, when Lelouch returned to Britannia, he would need somewhere to stay so she would keep space available in her villa. Sure, leading up to his exile, her mother had forbidden Camilla from holding Lelouch in their house, but Camilla felt that with time—and influence—she would break free of her mother's rules. If nothing else, she'd build her own estate where Lulu could stay or heads would roll.
Her mind reflected yet again to the day she heard the news of Marianne's passing. Cornelia had reported it to the majority of the royals. Camilla wasted no time finding Lelouch and offering him the only thing she could at the time: a hug. Nunnally was too busy in surgery so she couldn't so much as touch her, but her Lulu and her Nunna needed her, that was what she felt with all her heart.
She remembered that for the entire first day that Marianne had perished, she refused to let Lelouch out of her arms, let alone out of her sight. She wanted Lelouch to know that she loved him, that someone loved him, that he wasn't alone. And, as he cried that day into her breasts, she swore violent, bloody vengeance on whatever man, woman, organization or monster had made her Lulu cry and hurt her Nunna. There would be NO mercy.
So, here she sat, waiting to hear from Lelouch about how things were over in Japan. She wrote him a letter just yesterday and sent it in the mail. She felt it was more romantic that way than a simple email, text or phone call.
As she sat there, a relatively petite woman with a head of short, turquoise hair strolled into the room. She looked about as friendly as a large predatory lizard, and all the emotional output of one basking in the sunlight. She picked up a nearby watering can and began watering the plants in the conservatory. Hearing the watering can being used, Camilla turned her head towards the girl.
"Oh! Hello, Beruka. Isn't it just a lovely, sunny day?" Camilla asked her devoted retainer/knight.
Beruka nodded, not speaking.
Camilla went back to her painting. Despite not looking at her, Beruka knew her lady well enough that all that came out of Camilla's mouth next was for Beruka's ears to listen and comprehend, not simply the third princess talking to the air.
Camilla swooned. "Ahhhhh, I simply cannot wait for my dear darling Lulu to come home. I wonder how long it will be before father forgives him. One year? Two? Oh! I hope it's not five or six! I have so many baby names for us to pick out for our first five children after all. Ah! But I should probably graduate from the military academy first and build up a stellar reputation. After all, my Lulu should have a devoted army general at his side with which he can slay Britannia's enemies. Plus, with an army at my call, it will be much easier to escort him home safely."
Camilla continued to ramble in such a fashion until Beruka's curiosity got too much of the best of her, causing her to speak out of turn between sentences. "My lady, forgive my rudeness," she said, speaking in a calm, yet stern voice. "But if you are so concerned about the young prince's safety, why did you wait until now to join the military and not earlier like Prince Xander or Princess Cornelia? Britannia will take soldiers under their command as early as thirteen if their aptitude is enough. You are the physically strongest woman in all of Britannia, perhaps the world. I fail to see the logic in waiting."
Camilla smiled as she started to paint the inside of Lelouch's eyes. "It's about image, dear Beruka. You see, I always wanted to be seen as the gentle one in the family. I kept my strength up by learning from Xander, Cornelia and the best tutors, of course, but I also wanted to be seen as someone who didn't have to resort to violence to solve all my problems." She smiled overly sweetly. "Not that violence doesn't do a good job of that, of course. But, I didn't think Lulu would want such a barbarian for a wife, until I discovered all the practical applications of being a soldier. Why, if I become a full-fledged soldier, mother can't use my status as an heiress to gain favor because I have to partially give up my bid for the throne. And, a woman in uniform, if she's royalty, is seen as less desirable by certain groups of men. I am nobody's trophy wife, Beruka."
"Of course you are not, my lady. I would never presume such," Beruka responded.
Camilla continued to hum a tune to herself when she heard the doorbell rang. "Ah. That must be Effie and Arthur with little Elise." Camilla put down her brush and paints and admired her work. She had completed the painting just in time. Now it just had to dry. "Honestly, it's already been a week. I hope he comes back soon."
Yes, it had only been a week since Lelouch's disappearance.
It was just supposed to be a short exile, just a temporary bump in the road in the life of Camilla no Britannia.
So why
WHY?!
Why did what happen…happen?
3 weeks later…
Humming another tune to herself, Camilla was freshening up in her bathroom, making sure her makeup was perfect. Dressed to walk out the door once she was finished, she was making sure she looked positively radiant. Her brother Clovis was going to host a little party for family and a few special guests. Every man in attendance would be allowed to ogle, but they wouldn't be allowed to touch.
Camilla blew a kiss at the mirror, winking. Her heart belonged to only one man and one man only. She knew he wouldn't be at the party, but she could only fantasize about what he would say if he could see her in her formal best.
Her fantasies, however, were interrupted by the arrival of her older half-brother Xander. "Ah, Camilla, you are home."
"Oh! Xander," Camilla said, spinning around and smiling. "A good day to you, big brother." She then noticed he was dressed in his military finest and not his formal finest. "Xander, Clovis's party is in an hour. That's what you're wearing?"
"Regrettably, I will have to miss. His majesty has brought me new orders, and Cornelia. And…it's grave news indeed," he said, his usual pride draining from his face. He looked positively grim.
Camilla looked puzzled, her eyes bading her older brother go on.
"His majesty has declared war on Japan."
Camilla smirked and then guffawed. "Aha. Good one, Xander. And people say you aren't funny. Why would his majesty declare war on Japan? Lulu's over there. That's silly."
Xander stood there in complete silence, eyes closed, face sullen and withdrawn, like a sleeping sentinel. It didn't take long for Camilla to get the message. Her eyes slowly transitioned from confusion, to acceptance, to anger.
"Xander, I demand you take me to Japan. Now."
"Out of the question," Xander responded. "In fact, I am prepared to keep you here by force, should the need arise. You aren't due to even train to be in the military until next month. You have neither the credentials, nor the knowledge to know how to survive on the battlefield."
"I've tested a Knightmare," Camilla said, glaring. "That's enough."
"Sister, even you are not invincible. The last thing I want to do is—"
"This isn't up for negotiation," Camilla shot back, speaking quicker than before.
"You took the words right out of my mouth," Xander said, speaking slowly, but sternly.
Camilla took a slow, almost inaudible deep breath. "Let me put this in a way that your feeble little mind can process, big brother." Camilla proceeded to snap the towel rack off the wall and hold the sharp end to Xander's throat. "Take me to Japan now, or face the gruesome consequences."
Camilla's irrationality when it came to Lelouch was something that Xander, Schneizel, Cornelia and the others had learned to just accept growing up. And because of Camilla's freakishly insane strength, she frequently was allowed to get away with it when angry. However, Xander was a man of staunch pride and stern backbone. It would take more than Camilla's intimidation to push past him. He also firmly believed she wouldn't actually hurt family over another family member, even if it was Lelouch.
"Sister, your military training doesn't start for another month. This is a military opera—"
"Screw the military training! My Lulu needs me!" She shouted.
Camilla seldom yelled. Usually when angered, she spoke softly and calmly. Yelling meant something else. Yelling was usually a sign of fear and panic. Xander knew this fact well. That was why it was unsurprising to him when Camilla's voice shook.
"Xander, so help me, if you condemn Lulu to die…I…I…I will never forgive you!"
The stuttering was enough to convince Xander he had Camilla's motives and behaviors pretty well figured out. He sighed. "I will see what I can do," he relented. "Please be patient with me, sister. Just…don't do something reckless. You've been very insistent that you want Lelouch to have a home to come back to. I would hate to see you ruin that."
Camilla dropped the broken towel rack and just shuddered with a stuttering, "I…I know."
Xander, believing the situation to be placated, proceeded to leave without another word to Camilla, only a word to her maid staff to replace the towel rack for their lady.
Unfortunately for Xander, he vastly underestimated his sister's…persistence. Camilla waited until she was sure Xander had left her estate. Then, she proceeded to grab her still pristine, soon to be worn, military academy uniform and slipped it on over her voluptuous body. She then proceeded to grab Beruka, minding her Ps and Qs in the garden, watering it. And by grab, that meant linking her arm around the 5'5" young woman and dragging her like a kite caught in a strong breeze.
"You have need of me, Princess?" Beruka asked, not even commenting on what was, to her, a common occurrence.
"Just grab one of my mother's fancy cars and drive me to the docks. The military docks."
"Yes, your highness," Beruka uttered in her usual deadpan voice.
Beruka was old enough to drive, with a license to do so. In Britannia, you could get a driver's license same as you could enter the military: 13. She often drove Camilla around the country at the princess's whims. She was used to it ever since Camilla had employed her. Her prime directive was to follow Princess Camilla's orders unquestionably. No matter what, she would follow those orders.
The drive over only took a few hours—and minor traffic violations—but it was still daylight when Beruka and Camilla arrived in port. Getting in was easy. Nobody would dare question the arrival of a member of the royal family anywhere. Being blue blooded certainly had its perks, perks Camilla thrived on since she was small.
Beruka parked the car and then quickly followed the already advancing Camilla to a ship in the naval yard.
"My lady, would the airport not be faster?" Beruka asked.
"If father has declared war on Japan, all passenger planes out of the country have already been shut down. And if I know Xander, he has already contacted the air force not to let me out of the country," Camilla explained calmly and then smiled mischievously. "But he would never suspect I would be patient enough to go by boat."
"I see. Well thought out my lady." Despite Beruka's comment being genuine, it was delivered with her usual passive tone.
Camilla chuckled as she and Beruka pushed past security and other checkpoints and right onto the bridge of a battleship ready to leave harbor. "Who's in charge around here?" she demanded to know.
A man with a full head of black hair and an even thicker mustache, stood up and turned around. He was well-built at 5'7", roughly in his early 30s. He saluted to Camilla despite her being dressed for the academy. "Ah, Princess Camilla." Members of his crew not turned to face Camilla, did so and also saluted. "We weren't expecting to receive you on board. Had I known, I would have rolled out the literal red carpet and made sure to fix up the luxury suite."
"At ease," Camilla said with a smile. "This is kind of short notice. Now, take me to Japan."
"Of course, your highness," the captain said, bowing, "We will be arriving in twenty-two days at Tokyo port."
Beruka calmly took two steps back well before the strain appeared on Camilla's smile. "You will get me there as fast as possible," Camilla told the captain.
"Princess, nothing would make me happier, but you need to understand, being on a military vessel during an operation isn't like being driven around the home country in a private vehicle. We have to drive slowly at night to avoid enemy detection. We don't have enough fuel on board to make the entire trip. We have to stop at ports to have time for maintenance so we are ready to face the enemy once we—"
"You need to shut your stupid. Little. Face hole. And get me there as quickly as possible," Camilla responded, smile straining even more. "Do I make myself clear?"
While Camilla's behavior could only be described as irrational, the rank and file knew better than to go against royalty. A snap of their fingers could have their jobs, their heads, or anything else. Worse, even if Camilla herself lacked the power to call for any of these things, Charles did. All it would take is a phone call from daughter to father and things would get really uncomfortable, really fast.
And Camilla knew all of this. This dumb, ugly captain didn't have to know the score between her and Xander. She was royalty. He was military. She outranked him and he had to obey her, else risking displeasing her.
The captain left his seat and went to huddle up with the navigator and other key personnel on the bridge. Camilla watched the men talk, expecting good results, humming internally. After a few short minutes, the captain, sweating, came back to her.
"I can get us there in thirteen days, twelve if ports cooperate," he told her.
Not the answer Camilla wanted to hear, but she knew she couldn't ask for the impossible. Still, she was mildly displeased. "Fine," she said with an attitude, "Make it so."
For the entire length of travel on board the HMS Augustine, the trip went on without a hitch. For the next week and a half or so, smooth sailing and clear skies aided the Britannian vessel and Camilla felt that she would soon see her dear Lulu's face in record time. He would be so happy to get a big hug from her. And then she would cuddle him all the way back to her homeland and barricade her home with a 75-foot steel wall, daring Charles to try and take him and Nunnally away a second time.
Of course, things took a turn when the Augustine arrived in Oshima port. They were grounded for quite some time. It had been hours. Camilla thought this would be a short refueling. Lulu was in sight. She could almost taste Japanese soil. What was the holdup?
She clutched her trusty battleaxe she had brought with her on the trip. Oh. Oh heads would need to roll today it seemed. And then her phone rang. Xander was the caller ID.
"Beruka, answer the phone for me, sweetie," the third princess requested.
"Yes, your highness," Beruka said and answered for her. "Hello? Yes. Yes, she's here." She covered the receiver. "He wants you to return home."
"Give the phone to me, Beruka," Camilla requested gently.
Beruka handed the phone to Camilla.
"This is Camilla no Britannia. Who do I have the displeasure of talking to right now?" Camilla asked as though her brother were a stranger.
"Camilla, enough of this foolishness. I asked you to let me handle this and to not do anything reckless. You are neither cleared for combat nor to be on that vessel. I am sending you an aircraft. You are to get on it and come home," Xander urged sternly.
"My answer is no, Xander. I will not abandon Lulu while he is at his most vulnerable," Camilla told him.
"Cornelia and I are more than capable of recovering Lelouch and Nunnally in between warfronts. Why can't you trust us to do our jobs?" Xander asked her, aggravated. "They're our siblings too."
"And that's why I'm here. To help."
"And what happens when you inevitably get shot on the field of battle?! What happens if we recover Lelouch only for you to succumb to your injuries! Don't be foolish!" Xander shouted at her.
"I am Camilla no Britannia, the Barbarian Rose Princess."
"You are not bulletproof, Camilla. This isn't one of your romantic novels. This is real war! I know what you're capable of just as much as Cornelia. We helped train you. And I am warning you to stay away from live combat because strength is not everything on the field of battle. Please listen to reason."
"Reason?! Reason went out the window the minute his majesty started this stupid war! I'm getting Lulu back, Xander and you won't stop me!"
"Camilla! Don't—"
Camilla sweetly hung up on Xander with a simple tap of her finger. "Beruka, dear, where do you suppose we could find a ship to get onto the mainland since Captain Buzzkill is stuck in port?"
Beruka, quickly adapting to the situation, said to her, "The only other way onto the Japanese mainland is the force fueling up in Toshima to strike from Shimoda."
Camilla beamed. That was her sweet little Beruka. Ear low to the ground, always knowledgeable about the world around them. Still, it was not the answer she was hoping for.
Grimacing, she responded to her knight with, "It will have to do."
As Camilla was not authorized for a Knightmare, nor even onto the field of battle, while she was able to sneak off onto the Japanaese mainland, she had to venture across Japan from Shimoda on foot. While getting shot at from all directions, using nothing other than a phone's GPS to guide her to Tokyo, Camilla and Beruka trudged forward through the warzone, pushed on by nothing but determination, spite, and two-hundred percent loyalty.
Beruka did most of the firing back while Camilla began to show all of these Japanese scumbags how she had earned her new nickname as the Barbarian Rose Princess. With nothing other than a weighted battleaxe, Camilla smashed heads and severed them from their necks, leaving behind a shower of blood and white, boney stumps. The blood that covered her body didn't so much as register to her as she mowed down countless men and women attempting to kill her with a hummed tune and the sweetest of smiles on her faces.
And it was on that day, the Japanese gave her their own name: The Smiling Demon.
Of course, Camilla's enthusiasm did begin to waver. She and Beruka had traveled only with what they could carry and it wasn't much in terms of food. They were well behind enemy territory in most cases, only not killed from behind because of Beruka's expert marksmanship, and the fact that the Britannian military was just steamrolling the Japanese just as quickly.
Beruka did not question the recklessness of her liege. She was tasked with protecting Princess Camilla no matter what. So long as she breathed, she would carry out this long-term mission. She had to admit, the Japanese here were very quick shooters, Beruka was just quicker. In terms of war machines, she and Camilla were small targets, hardly worth the effort of a tank platoon. Plus, the Japanese had bigger problems to worry about that two women who didn't seem the least bit interested in holding territory or stealing resources. They just passed through and killed anyone who tried to kill them first…or got in their way. Eventually, to draw less attention, Beruka managed to find a fabric store and outfitted Camilla with a dust and windbreaking cloak like she was wearing. This would camouflage the two better and make Camilla less conspicuous.
Eventually, after two days of near non-stop travel, the two made it to Tokyo, specifically the Prime Minister's private estate, where Lelouch was said to have been staying in Japan. Upon approaching, Camilla expected a lush, green, glorious estate of koi fish, culture, and many servants that would be crushed by her bare hands if they didn't give her back her Lulu.
What she waltzed up to was instead a ghost town of an estate, with the front gate creaking like something out of a horror movie. It looked as though no one had lived here for weeks, many of the trees were either dead or dying. Dirt and dust caked the outer walls and the place itself looked bombed out.
"No…" Camilla uttered quietly. It couldn't be. She didn't come all this way just to fail at the last moment. She ran into what used to be the foyer but now was just a collection of burnt floorboards as plaster crashed down from a hole in an upper floor.
"Princess, I…" Beruka reached out to try and comfort Camilla.
"We'll search it from top to bottom," Camilla said. "We're not leaving until we find something."
Beruka nodded, lowering her arm. "Yes, your highness."
Beruka and Camilla proceeded to search the house from top to bottom, wrecking the already wrecked wreckage with all of the delicateness of mowing the lawn with a carpet bomb. Eventually, Camilla found something that wasn't burned, scorched or damaged beyond recognition.
It started when Camilla picked up a broken lockbox inside a storage house. At first, simply the fact that it was Britannian by design was enough for her to empty its contents. What spilled out in her hand haunted her as she stared at it. In her hand was a sapphire embedded in the gilded clasp for a cape. Camilla recognized it all too well.
"This…this is…"
"Yes, your birthday present for Prince Lelouch last year," Beruka told her.
Just the fact that it was here meant that Lelouch had thought enough about Camilla to bring it with him. But the fact that it was here and Lelouch wasn't only meant…only meant…
Despair washed over Camilla, cold despair like she had never felt before in her life. She refused to accept it. It couldn't be so. No…Lulu wouldn't leave this behind. Which meant…which meant…
Camilla looked around at the devastation surrounding the estate. There wasn't a soul here. No! No, Lulu wasn't dead.
"Search the surrounding neighborhood," Camilla said quietly.
"Your highness?" Beruka called out, having not heard her.
Camilla turned towards Beruka with a mask of uncharacteristically frightening and feral rage. "I SAID SEARCH THE ENTIRE AREA! LULU'S HERE! HE HAS TO BE!"
Beruka, not even batting an eyelash, replied with. "Yes, your highness."
The two searched the entire neighborhood looking for any signs that Lelouch was alive. Camilla refused to accept the contrary. She and Beruka found a shovel and just started digging random holes. They worked tirelessly, even as the sweat poured down Beruka's face and Camilla became more irrational and more frantic.
After two whole days of endless digging after the previous two days of warfare and walking, Beruka planted the shovel she'd been using into the earth and pressed her heel to it. She panted. She was sweating in the summer heat. She pressed her forehead to the backs of her dirtied, exhausted and sore hands.
"Princess…perhaps we should…take a moment to rest," Beruka suggested.
"No," Camilla said, sounding manic. She was digging with her bare hands, having abandoned a shovel, reeking of blood, sweat and dirt. "Lulu needs me. I'll find him. I'll find him and give him the biggest hug he's ever had."
Beruka panted, but nodded. If that was her liege's wish, who was she to refuse?
Unfortunately, the human body can only give so much. Even a disciplined former assassin like Beruka and the crazy strong Camilla could only do so much on no food, no sleep and desperation. Under the summer sun, Camilla collapsed, gazing up at the setting celestial body.
I'm sorry, Lulu. Please forgive me.
Her eyes bat closed. She kept trying to force them to open, but she hadn't the strength to do so, let alone stand up or move. Eventually, she passed out.
Camilla woke up bleary eyed to the sight of white lights, white sheets and an annoying beeping sound. It took her an extra moment to recognize that she was in a hospital as she felt her ample chest heaving up and down.
"Ah, good. You're awake. We were worried. Honestly, Camilla, you gave us quite the scare."
Camilla turned her heavy head to the left in the direction of the voice, now seeing her older brother, Prince Schneizel, standing in her hospital room.
Suddenly a small body leapt out from Camilla's blind spot in her hazy vision. "Big sis!"
A tiny head of twintailed blonde hair tackled Camilla, said head landing in Camilla's chest. This was Princess Elise rey Britannia, frequently referred to as "The Baby Princess" given she was the youngest heir at only 6 years old. Elise was wailing and sobbing into Camilla, grateful that the lavender haired woman was alive and awake.
Despite her usual caring nature, however, Camilla did not move. Schneizel saw the look in Camilla's eyes: dead inside.
"Sister?" Schneizel called out to her.
Camilla stared at the far corner of the wall as if it were a million miles away. Lelouch's cape clasps which had not left her hand since she found it, remained firmly in her right fist. "I couldn't find him, Schneizel," she said in a hoarse and raspy voice. "I failed."
"We…we all did," he acknowledged somberly.
Camilla turned her head towards Schneizel in shock. "What are you saying, Schneizel?" If not her then surely Xander or Cornelia must have…
"It's…you've been unconscious for three weeks. Cornelia and Xander have already returned from Area 11, formerly Japan. We couldn't find them…anywhere."
"No, they're out there," Camilla said, leaning forward. "They have to be! Lulu wouldn't abandon me! He—"
"Lelouch is dead, Camilla," Schneizel said calmly.
Elise sobbed harder into Camilla's chest. Camilla instinctively stroked the back of her head to sooth her.
"We couldn't find his or Nunnally's body, but please…don't make us bury a second sister. Control over Area 11…has not brought our family cause for celebration.
Camilla stared at her feet pushing up the blanket at the end of her hospital bed. She sniffed. "Shoot me," she said pitifully. "I don't have anything left to live for. I can't go on like this, Schneizel. Lulu was…Lulu was my…"
"I will not shoot my own sister," Schneizel said to her, still staying calm.
"Do it and get it over with!" Camilla shouted irrationally. "If Lelouch is dead, I should be too!"
Elise hugged Camilla tighter. "Don't say that! Stop it, Camilla! I don't want to lose you too! No one does!"
This seemed to reign Camilla in a little, but Schneizel could see it was not enough. He decided to get to the heart of the matter. "Are you afraid that without Lelouch, you will have to marry someone of your mother's choosing?"
Camilla nodded, crying. "Schneizel, please, if I can't be with him…then send me to him."
"Is that what Lelouch would want?" Schneizel asked her. "Do you think he'd want to know that his death caused you so much grief, you killed yourself just to be with him? And what about Nunnally?" He walked up and put a hand on Camilla's shoulder. He looked her straight into her despair-ridden eyes. "Live for them, Camilla. Do what they cannot and live."
The words sank in. As they did so, life and vitality slowly seemed to return to Camilla's face…and then to the muscles in her arms. She gripped her bedsheets. "This is…this is the Emperor's doing. I will never forgive that old fool!" she shouted.
Schneizel put a finger to her lips. "Do not say such things without proof, my dear sister. The only thing we know for certain, regrettable as it is, is that Lelouch and Nunnally…have left us. I'm not asking you to forgive his majesty, however, if you don't keep your rage in check, you'll never cut it in the military."
"What's the point? Lelouch is dead, Schneizel. He's DEAD! He's not coming home! He's not coming back to my arms! No amount of keeping a good home will change that! Everything I worked for is meaningless!" She started sobbing into her hands. "My Lulu…can't love me anymore."
"Big sis," Elise said, disheartened to see Camilla in this state. She and Schneizel both hugged their sister tenderly until she was a bit more emotionally stable.
After that, Schneizel asked her, "Within reason, dear sister, tell me what I can do to make things right, and I will do it. You have my word."
"Kill Charles and give me Area 11 to govern," Camilla said coldly.
"First of all, I am still Prime Minister, Camilla. Don't make me arrest you for conspiracy to commit treason. Second of all, you are far too young and inexperienced to be governing an Area."
Before Camilla could protest, the door to her hospital room opened again. In strolled a budding teenage girl with whiteish-blonde hair and red eyes. "Sorry I'm late," she said with a smile. "My mom got held up in traffic."
"Corrin!" Elise went running over to her for a big hug, both giving and receiving one.
Corrin pet Elise and then smiled at Camilla. "I am happy to see you awake, Camilla."
Camilla nodded to Corrin and then looked to Schneizel for a response.
"My answer is no, Camilla. You're in no condition to govern. You're emotionally compromised. Excuse me, as I must be going. Elise, come along. Don't forget that we're keeping Arthur and Effie waiting."
"Yes, big brother," Elise responded. "Get better soon, okay, big sis!" she exclaimed warmly to Camilla and then waved to her as she and Schneizel headed out the door.
Corrin chuckled as she shut the door behind the leaving siblings. "Hard to believe how big Elise is getting. Pretty soon I won't be able to pick her up." Corrin laughed happily, only for it to turn to a nervous laugh when she saw how miserable Camilla looked…and then she stopped laughing entirely. She went over to Camilla and put a hand on hers. "I won't say everything is going to be okay, but…if you're ever feeling lost, you can count on me, Camilla."
Camilla hugged her younger sister. "Am I a failure, Corrin?"
"No, of course not," Corrin told her, petting the top of her older sister's head. "You tried your best." She hugged Camilla back.
"My best killed Lulu."
Corrin continued to pet Camilla. "There. There."
Camilla howled in sorrow and in anguish. A big hole had been carved into her heart, one that she believed would never fill.
When Camilla was finally able to be discharged from her hospital bed back to normal civilization—relative to her royal status—Beruka was there to pick her up in a fancy car.
"Beruka…you're okay," the third princess gasped, blinking. She'd half-thought Beruka in the same situation as herself.
"I have trained my body to go without food or sleep for days on end," she told Camilla. She then let fly a rare smirk. "It will take a lot more than days of harsh digging and marching to leave me terminally bed-ridden."
Camilla looked guilty. "I'm so sorry."
"You have nothing to apologize for," Beruka told her. "I swore I would serve you until breath leaves my body. When you made me your knight, that was the oath I accepted. No matter how crazy, or strange your orders, I will obey them, even at discomfort to myself. I know you well, Princess Camilla. You have a heart bigger than your body, in a manner of speaking, when it comes to your family. That same heart drives you to do insane things, sometimes leaving bodies in your wake."
"Ohoho, dear. Well, I try not to go overboard," Camilla chuckled.
"So, as long as you are my liege, I am your knight. That is all. There needn't be any additional complications," Beruka told her. "I am more than happy to serve you as your knight."
Camilla chuckled most delightfully. "Thank you, Beruka. That means a lot to me."
"What now for you, though, Princess?" Beruka inquired. "Lelouch is dead. Your training begins next week." She winced. "I know it might not be my place to ask about your future, but…"
"Nonsense. You're as a part of my life as family. It is only natural that you'd be curious," Camilla responded seriously. "As for what to do…" Camilla trailed off and went deep into thought. Lelouch was gone. The light in her life snuffed out. Nothing would bring him back.
"If I may make a suggestion," Beruka spoke up. "Perhaps you might life as you desire, as Lelouch would want you to, so you can show the late prince that his death has not broken you."
"Perhaps," Camilla thought, still soured about the whole Lelouch being dead thing. "But…I think I have a slightly better idea."
"Whatever it is," Beruka told her seriously, "I am with you. Of that, you can count on."
Camilla smiled. "Thank you, Beruka, dear. I'm glad I can count on you."
June
2013 atb
Clovis la Britannia was sitting in his conservatory, putting the final touches on a painting. It was of a lush, rose bush covered landscape with a fountain in the center, being grazed upon by pure white Pegasi. As he was putting the finishing touches on some trees in the background, the door to his conservatory opened. Camilla stood in the doorway.
"Oh! Camilla! How unexpected. What brings you all the way here?" Clovis asked her.
"I heard you asked his majesty formally to be put in charge of Area 11," Camilla said with unusual seriousness.
"I did. Is that a problem for you?" Clovis asked.
"Clovis, you know how I feel about that place. I'm part of the Britannian military now," Camilla told him. "If anyone should be Viceroy there, it should be me."
"Ah, my apologies, I was hasty and did not have time to consider if you were up to the task. I know how Xander and Schneizel talk and—"
"I will not be entertaining excuses," Camilla said calmly. She then put on her disquieting, joyous smile. "So you're either going to go back to his majesty and ask for me to take over, or you're going to be shipped to Port Tokyo in a box to feed the local fish. Are we clear?"
Clovis, spineless prince that he was, swallowed audibly. "C-Crystal. But…Camilla, I—"
"Hush now. The matter has been decided," Camilla told him. "I will hear no more protests."
Clovis sighed. "Yes, sister." He then took a deep breath. "Perhaps then I might become your Sub-Viceroy. I am uncertain you will find someone lining up for the task."
Camilla looked at Clovis puzzlingly.
"Lelouch was my brother too. Area 11 is his final resting place. As I told Schneizel and Cornelia, I'd like to make it as quiet for him as possible," Clovis told her.
"Quiet, hmm?" Camilla questioned and then smiled more naturally without a hint of imminent bodily danger to the recipient. "Yes, I do believe I can accept this idea. Let us pack our bags and be ready to ship off bright and early."
October
2014 atb
It took a little over a year, but Camilla was already regretting her decision to lead Area 11. Every day was a new headache. All she wanted was to make this place a happy community for her Lulu to live in, but Clovis or someone else always had to complain about it.
No, you can't tax the rich. No, you can't create national puppy day. No you can't offer financial aid grants to numbers to become Honorary Britannians. It felt as if, despite what Clovis said, only Camilla really cared that her Lulu died here. Worst of all was the fact that the so-called politicians and businessmen she had to work with still seemed keen on taking her hand in marriage in spite of the fact that she had firmly told them all, very early on, that she would never take any of them as her spouse. Yet in spite of this, gifts and donations were common and she sent them all back—sometimes accompanied with chunks of raw pig meat—to get the message across.
She was already being lobbied against. If not for the fact that she had Clovis under her thumb, she sorely believed that she would have already lost her job and been shipped back to the homeland. Beruka had also told her she'd thwarted five assassination attempts. But it was fine, she felt. What the politicians were doing didn't matter as long as the citizenry was happy.
Insofar, she hadn't burnt that bridge quite yet. Britannians living in area 11 lived comfortably and many of the Honorary Britannians appreciated the financial aid, so at least her policy was working, regardless of the teeth needed to be pulled in order to get it implemented.
Of course, what Camilla considered her proudest accomplishment was not a policy, but a physical structure. It sat right in Tokyo in the middle of its second largest metropolitan area. It was a library: Lelouch vi Britannia Public Library to be exact. She lined it primarily with non-fiction books, but there were still novels aplenty to be found within it, especially books for lonely housewives looking for something…saucy. She visited there frequently on her time off. She loved that library. She believed it was her crowning achievement as Viceroy. It was the one thing she got completed on schedule without a hint of push back from her key supporters, or Clovis.
But, like everything else in her life, it had to be ruined, or in this specific case, burned to the ground.
October
2016 atb
The crackling of flames was the only sound in Camilla's ear, gazing at the burning inferno that used to be the library, listening to the sounds of Britannian armed forces gather up the terrorists. She could only gaze up at the towering inferno in despair, her life's most recent work torched aflame and ruined like everything else in these past six torturous years. And then, deep inside Camilla, something snapped.
With a frenzied scream of pure rage, Camilla sprung to action, joining her army in subduing the fleeing terrorists. "Do not let a single one of them escape!" Camilla shouted at the top of her lungs. "Make capturing these cretins a priority! I want to hear them scream when I interrogate them!"
"Yes, your highness!"
"Beruka!" Camilla shouted
The call to action resulted in Beruka piloting her fifth generation Harlech, a bulky, green painted KMF that used a hefty battle axe as its primary weapon in addition to the usual slash harkens. These were the preferred fifth generation mechs of Camilla's Igraine Knights. Camilla didn't bother with her Harlech custom and just proceeded to butcher, maim and brutalize any non-Britannian foolish enough to get in her way.
From the safety of his military bunker, Clovis was watching all of this go down and sighed. He began making important phone calls.
Camilla's eyes were burning as tears evaporated as soon as they left the ducts. Her uniform became coated in ash and other people's blood. Her eyes did not reflect berserk savagery but rather cold, unrelenting fury. There was no Smiling Demon today, only a pissed off one.
Bodies racked up like homeruns at a T-ball game played by Olympic level athletes. Many other terrorists were, however, brought in alive, some of which by Camilla herself. One of them in particular was pounced upon while fleeing as her knee broke his spine on impact.
"And where do you think you're going?" Camilla asked as she hacked off his legs with her axe at the knee. "I have a lot of questions to ask you," she said sweetly.
No less than 60 Eleven terrorists were murdered and ten were brought in for questioning. The whole operation didn't even last 90 minutes. That was Camilla's efficient brutality at work. Of the ten terrorists captured, only five were immediately available for questioning in maximum security prison cells.
Camilla began by kicking the energy wall to the prison cell of the ringleader of the terrorists, leaving the sole of her shoe embedded against the screen. She glared down at him. "You there, explain to me what made you think it was a good idea to attack my library, my library I made to honor my little brother, a brother your own people took good care of. I don't hate any of you. I have tried my best to be nice to you. It was my people that hurt my brother. I am only trying to help so how dare you bare your fangs at me."
"Get over yourself you privileged gaijin bimbo!" The ringleader shouted. "Do you think we would give in to your attempts at placating us? We want our country back, not your little platitudes and trinkets? You've been offering us money to move into homes we already had! You've been fixing roadways your people damaged and you want us to pat you on the back? We aren't your pets, you prissy bitch. We aren't your friends! You can sympathize with our plight, but you ain't one of us!"
"I…I just wanted to help. I just…that library…if you give me more time I will get you back Japan, but today you all spat in my face! Can't you see that I'm only trying to help?!" Camilla was now more copping an attitude than actually angry.
"You?! Help?! Hey guys, get a load of this! The Barbarian Princess thinks she's people!"
The captured terrorists laughed.
"Why don't you go back to playing dress up dolls and eating your fancy caviar and drinking your fancy wine. You don't get us and you never will! As if any self-respecting Eleven would ever accept help from the most privileged, spoiled, self-centered, narcissistic Princess in all of Britannia!" The Japanese man shouted, nostrils flaring with rage.
When Camilla left the prison cell, Beruka found her covered in blood as she stepped towards the car to go back to the Viceroy building.
"Did negotiations fail?" she asked, only to get Camilla's trusty axe, also covered in blood, lobbed at her to be put in the trunk.
Camilla got into the back of the car, not the front passenger seat. Beruka got in the driver's seat. "Call Clovis and ask him to hire a temp to clean that prison if the normal custodial staff has a problem with how I left the maximum security cells." Camilla's request was done with absolutely icy calmness.
Beruka, however, just nodded. "I understand."
While Beruka talked to Clovis and drove back to the Viceroy Palace, Camilla stared out the window, daydreaming. She eventually nodded off as she saw a cloud that vaguely resembled a chess piece.
"Cammy? Cammy?"
Camilla opened her eyes and stepped out of the car, the door seeming to open on its own. The sunlight blurred her vision from the intensity as she saw a small boy with black hair reaching out to her. "Cammy!"
"Lulu?" Camilla gasped as she ran towards him. "Lulu!"
The sound of a truck horn going down the opposite traffic lane snapped Camilla from her daydream. Camilla's stomach turned. "Beruka, do I have any evening appointments?"
"No, your schedule is clear," Beruka said.
"Good. I need a bath when I get home. Being covered in all this grime and muck isn't good for my health."
To Camilla, as she saw the smoke in the distance, indicating the library fire had been put out, she knew that her actions would get her heralded a hero for the 70 terrorists now dead.
So why do I feel so hollow? She asked herself.
March
2017 atb
Rebuilding the library took some time, but Camilla got it done and oversaw the Grand Re-opening sign being affixed above the entryway. She was about to go in and make sure everything was doing all right on the inside when her phone rang. The caller ID said Corrin.
Sniffing and taking a breath, she answered it. "Hello, Corrin."
"Camilla!" Corrin exclaimed happily. "Guess what? My unit is being transferred to Area 11! I'll be garrisoned by tomorrow! We can do lunch the day after!"
Corrin had joined the Britannian army right out of middle school. She now had quite the name for herself too. Despite her unit being quite small, and her authority being quite subpar compared to her siblings, she still had quite the reputation on the battlefield: The Dragon of Britannia.
While she was not the strongest soldier, nor the most skilled, she was heralded as a brilliant tactician, someone who could figure out an enemy's tactics and plan accordingly with very little information to go off of. Even when outnumbered and outgunned, Corrin could do quite a lot with very little. Even Cornelia had to admit she worried facing a unit under Corrin's command in a simulation. Even Britannia's other tactician, Marrybell, gave her accolades to Princess Corrin.
As the current closest sibling to Camilla, with Elise as a close second, Corrin was Camilla's pride and joy. "I'd love to do lunch, Corrin," Camilla told her happily. Finally something good in her life.
"Oh, and also! I have more good news! Father told me that if I do a good job in Area Eleven, I could be promoted to a Knight of the Round! Isn't that exciting?!"
Ah, there it was. Hello darkness, Camilla's old friend. That was just wonderful…so…so…wonderful. If these last seven years had brought Camilla anything other than misery, it was hatred. A burning hatred towards the selfish, greedy, worthless people in her own country that needed to burn to the ground for the mere transgression of offending the spirit of her deceased Lulu. But she toughed it out because she still believed that Lulu, if he were alive, would want to come home, he would want to be with her. That was what kept her going, even if it made her miserable.
Still, rather than leave dead silence over the phone, she simply answered Corrin with a simple, "Yes…it is," and a forced, pained smile.
The next day, while at lunch, Corrin was telling Camilla all about the rebellion she helped put down in Area 8, only to notice Camilla had seemingly stopped paying attention. The woman was staring off into space.
"Thinking of Lelouch again?" Corrin asked, interrupting herself.
"Yes," Camilla said, not even bothering to hide it. "I…always keep wondering if he'd be proud of me."
The restaurant the two princesses were eating at sat on the high rising floor of a massive skyscraper. Camilla could see almost all of Tokyo from her seat. "I had to kill people, Corrin. They burnt down my library, the one I built for Lelouch."
"Don't let a few bad apples taint the name of the Eleven populace," Corrin told Camilla seriously and then smiled. "I'm sure once your plan comes to fruition, everything will be fine."
Camilla smiled. "Well, I'm very happy for you, Corrin. I'm sure Lulu would be very proud of you because I know I am." Even if Camilla detested Britannia, she could not deny the accomplishments that Corrin had made for herself, the recognition and heroism that Corrin was praised for having. While Cornelia was feared by many and respected by all, Corrin was loved. Be it commoner or noble, few in the entire empire had a bad thing to say about Corrin su Britannia. That was a feat not even Schneizel or even Charles could match.
"So, I have more good news, but I wanted to tell you about it in person," Corrin said to Camilla. "I'll actually be enrolling at a local school when I'm off duty for a little while. It's a little place called Ashford Academy."
Camilla hummed in acknowledgement. She did recall hearing of a school by that name.
Corrin continued to talk with energy and vibrance in her voice. "Did you know that the Ashford family was close with Lady Marianne back in the homeland? I hear their family's heiress is the Student Council President there."
That caught Camilla's attention. She broke out into a big smile and made direct eye contact with Corrin. "Reaaaaaally now. You don't say?" She stood up. "Forgive me for leaving early Corrin, but I believe something just came up."
"Oh. Uh…okay. Want me to back everything up and put it in your fridge for you?"
"Thank you, Corrin. You're such a good girl," Camilla said sweetly.
Corrin simply giggled happily.
Several speed limits were violated and a traffic light was run, but Beruka got Camilla from the restaurant to Ashford in record time.
"We are here," she told her liege.
Camilla nodded and proceeded to get out of the car. Several students were in awe at the presence of the Viceroy on their campus, unannounced. Several students took pictures, some for less than stellar reasons. Camilla didn't even notice. She was a woman on a mission. And it was a mission she would not fail.
When Milly Ashford was called into her grandfather's office, she hadn't expected him to not be present. He sounded a bit nervous, so she expected something of great importance to be going on. She was floored when she saw Princess Camilla sitting on her grandfather's desk, legs crossed, arms folded. The words "dommy mommy energy" floated through the blonde's mind.
"Have a seat, dear," Camilla encouraged.
Milly did so and did her best to take what was happening in stride. "Well, it's not every day the Viceroy herself pays my dinky little school a visit. How can I help you?"
"I…have a question for you and I need you to be honest with me," Camilla said seriously.
"Of course!" Milly exclaimed cheerfully. "Anything for royalty!"
"I heard just recently that apparently your family and Lady Marianne were close," Camilla stated. "Is that true?"
Milly laughed, fanning herself. "Oh! That. Ahaha. We were her allies in the court and supported her financially, but I wouldn't call us super close or anything like that."
Camilla slid closer, putting a foot on the chair Milly was sitting on without sliding off the desk she was sitting on. "Tell me…did you know Lelouch vi Britannia?"
Milly played with her fingers, wondering how best to formulate her answer into words. "Well," she began calmly. "I mean…when I was really little my dad said I should marry him for the good of the family."
"No!" Camilla snapped. "You can't have him! He's mine!" She then realized what she'd just done on a reflex and cleared her throat. "Ah, sorry," she apologized sincerely. "Continue."
Milly swallowed, sweating. "R-right. S-sure, no problem." She cleared her throat. "I doubt he would remember me, even if he was alive," she thought, eyes rolling towards the window to her right. "We only met when we were really young. Six or seven, I think."
Camilla looked very somber. "I have a very big favor to ask you. Please."
"Of course, anything," Milly said honestly.
"Please tell me you've seen him and he's not actually dead."
Milly stood up. "Oh, Princess." She strolled over to Camilla and gave her a hug. Social impropriety be damned. When a woman was grieving, Milly had the heart to give them a proper hug.
Camilla hugged back. "I searched that rubble for days. I combed it over a million times. Even months after I've had the soldiers go over it, I still go over every pebble," she hyperventilated, "for anything. Please…please tell me you know where he is. Please tell me you've just…" She shook her head. No. This couldn't continue. Here she was asking someone younger than Corrin to lie to her face and tell her that Lelouch was okay. This had to stop. The ghosts of Camilla's past couldn't shackle her any more.
Lulu…watch me. I hope…this is the right decision.
"Lulu's really gone, isn't he?" Camilla asked rhetorically as she slid out of Milly's hug. "He's gone and I'm just…and I just…you must think me a madwoman, begging if you know anything about a dead man."
Milly stroked the back of Camilla's head, sitting on her grandfather's desk with the princess. "There. There," she said soothingly. "It must have been hard, losing him I mean, like losing an arm, or a leg."
"No," Camilla said, clutching her hands to her chest, "Like losing your heart."
Things were quiet for a bit after that. Camilla broke the silence.
She asked, "Do you know why I fell in love with him?"
Milly tapped a finger to her chin and, sounding like she was blind guessing asked, "His…dashing good looks?"
Camilla laughed. "Are you kidding me? When we were growing up, he sounded like a girl. He was a small little ball of adorableness, just like little Elise."
Milly laughed. "Ahaha. It's been a long time since I saw a photo, so I can't picture that."
Camilla proceeded to tell Milly the story of the time Lelouch saved her from having to dance with a man at a party and when Lelouch was assaulted for helping, Camilla smashed his assailant through a table. She didn't stop there. Before long, Camilla was telling Milly hours upon hours of stories, from chess games to tea parties. The tears were just pouring out of her eyes as she reminisced for hours. It was really starting to sink in to Camilla: Lelouch was gone.
Her hopes and her dreams of bringing him home burnt up the same day as that library. What she'd been doing up until now was chasing the impossible, praying that the world was wrong. But she couldn't do that, not anymore. If she continued to spend her days chasing a ghost, she wouldn't be able to live in the moment, or see the future.
Milly massaged Camilla's shoulders. "Come on, let's get you back to your limo. You shouldn't fall apart here in front of us non-royal folk."
Camilla gave Milly another hug. "You know," she began, "If you were close to Lady Marianne, well, as close as you say you were. Then…you're like family to me. So, if you ever have need of anything…" Camilla took out a business card and handed it to Milly. "This is my direct line."
Milly looked shocked. "Wow. Um. Uh. I…absolutely cannot be trusted with this."
"Nonsense. Keep it. It's a gift from girl to girl."
"Well, if you're sure," Milly said. I am so going to boost our budget later, she thought, tapping the card into her wallet.
"Say, before Lelouch died, while he was still in Japan, did you get to see him at all?"
Milly shook her head. "No. Not once. I was still in the homeland until after the war had ended."
"I see," Camilla stated. "In…in that case…" She got out a wooden box from her pocket. She handed it to Milly.
"What's this?" Milly asked, only to open it. Inside was a broken cape clasp with a sapphire embedded into it. "Huh? It's just some little piece of junk?"
"It was the last gift I ever gave to my Lulu. It was sentimental. It might look silly to you and like junk, but…it meant a lot to me. I'm sure he thought it was silly, but…it was the only thing in the wreckage I could find of his. I've been holding it all this time, unable to let it all go, but…if he really is gone…then my only hope of him being alive…well…I want you to bury it here at Ashford for me."
Milly closed the box. "I'll do that," she told Camilla. "Come on, let's get you back to your ride."
As they left her grandfather's office, Camilla only now took a sweeping look around the campus. "You seem to have a lot of students here at Ashford."
"About two-thousand…ish?" Milly replied, thinking she had a good approximation.
"Are there dorms here, for students I mean."
"Hmm? Ohhhhhh, is this about Corrin? I literally just got her application in my inbox yesterday. Don't worry, plenty of on campus dormitories if she changes her mind about commuting to campus."
"I just want to inspect them and make sure that they're…safe. You know? I lost two siblings. I could not bear to lose Corrin. I…I think if Corrin were to die…" she looked deathly serious, "I'd murder every person on this Earth. Painfully."
Milly chuckled nervously. "S-sure. I uh…guess I could show you the blueprint for our security measures, Miss Viceroy. Aha…"
Ashford Academy's blueprints were pretty standard fare for a school its size and year constructed. It was very safe. Everything was up to code too.
"See? It's fine. I mean, who'd attack a school?" Milly asked chipperly.
Camilla smiled. "You know, if Lelouch was still alive…he'd attend a school like this. He was always…so brilliant."
Milly smiled back. "He was his mother's pride and joy after all…or so I've heard."
Camilla stood up from her seat and prepared to leave. "Thank you, Milly, for the tour, for the talk, I…" Camilla clenched her own shoulder. "May I see the emblem…one last time?"
Milly showed it to her. Camilla picked it up and pecked it as though they were Lelouch's lips. "To my king…I still love you…" she placed it back in the box and closed itself.
The two then headed for Camilla's car. "Everything I've ever done…was for him."
"I'm sure he knows that, Princess Camilla," Milly said, patting her upper back. She then heard Camilla gasp loudly.
Across the way, a boy with black hair, a little over 5 and a half feet tall was taking a drink from the fountain. However, when he turned around, neither his facial features, nor his eyes matched Lelouch's visage. Camilla shook her head, staring at the ground.
Milly exhaled and then pat Camilla on the arm. "You should get going before you start to hallucinate."
"Do you know a good place I can procure tea?" Camilla asked. Despite working here for nearly 7 years, Area 11 was not a community she knew front to back.
"Everyone I talk to says Babel Tower serves the best upper crust tea and pastries in the prefecture," Milly told her.
"No. Not that place," Camilla responded, frowning, sounding grossed out by the very idea. "Nothing fancy, just some…tea."
Milly shook her head. "Can't say I do then. I'm more of a lavish girl than a down to earth type. Sorry."
Camilla smiled. "That's all right. Maybe Corrin might know something. Well…I…I should go. I know it's best to give it up, but…even after so long…I…I want to hold onto what little I have left of my Lulu, but I…I know I have to keep moving forward." She looked at the box. "Goodbye, Lulu. Rest in peace."
She then got into the limo and drove away with Beruka.
Lelouch was gone. He wasn't coming back. She had to accept that and move on, and she probably would have…if not for an incident in Shinjuku that would later become known as the beginning of a blood-soaked rebellion.
(A/N: I know not a lot of people may latch onto a story like this, but I've been running this as a gag RP with a friend for years now and I decided to just roll with it. It's fun just to write Camilla in the protagonist's seat in all of her…strange behavior glory. And it's only going to get stranger from here as I continue to push her buttons. But, until the next chapter, as always, from all of me, to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic. Ja ne!)