73"Madam, please remain still during your fitting. I would prefer my work not go to waste." The voice of the seamstress came as she gently but firmly chided me.
I did my best to remain still despite the uncomfortable situation I was in. Namely the fact that I was inside of the Viceroyal Palace having my measurements taken by an annoyingly posh seamstress while I watched the person who was responsible for this predicament, the Third Princess of Britannia happily hum and chat with Cecile as she waited.
Ah, I should also mention my predicament. I was going to become a noble in five days. Why? I sure as hell couldn't tell you, as I lacked any kind of insight into the workings of the Princesses mind. But I definitely knew it was bad news for me, someone who decidedly didn't know how to navigate the stupid politics of Britannian nobility.
So I was dragged into the Viceroyal Palace this morning to "Prepare for the big day" as the Princess put it, I had to assume Cecile was dragged along as emotional support.
Well it did work. I was very thankful that she was here to keep the Princess from chatting with me. I could ask what this entire thing was about once I could escape from this dedicated and professional seamstress' hands.
My uncomfortable fidgeting made the woman scoff and start over once again. I held back the urge to sigh in defeat. "Say, Miss Hebert, do you have any experience with an event of this sort?" Came the voice of the Princess.
It shook me from my thoughts quickly. "Do you mean as in a formal ceremony or a gathering of the rich and the powerful, your Highness?" I asked back.
She smiled a painfully earnest smile. "Both." She replied.
"The closest experience I have is some events I accompanied the Ashford's heir to as a chaperone, not necessarily a fitting experience." I lied smoothly. Some of the PR stunts I was dragged into certainly could've qualified and since I was also technically a convict during my Ward days and thus incredibly out of place which probably made it even more appropriate. But I couldn't exactly tell the Princess that.
Well there was also that one time I crashed into a gala along with the Undersiders but that was entirely missing the point.
A doubtful, almost worried look passed over the Princess's face. "Well… It should be fine, there isn't much you have to do other than look pretty and make small talk. Maybe talk a little bit about your work to someone a particularly more nosy than usual." She said as if to placate herself.
I decided to transition into the actual topic as the Seamstress left the room murmuring to herself about cuts and what not. "I don't imagine there will be much issue, your Highness. After all I am essentially just there as a way for you claim more legitimacy in Area Eleven, no? To show how much power you have over the Nobility and how many boons you could give to those who earn your favour." I replied with an even tone.
The Princess smiled at me, an indulging and glad one. Like someone who just saw the person they recommended for a job do well. "Hmm, seems Suzaku wasn't wrong about you after all, you are fast of wit." She commented.
I bowed my head, despite not feeling particularly complimented. So Suzaku had recommended me, I suppose he didn't harbour any grudges about that lecture I had given him.
"Though there is something you've missed, not of any particular fault of yours but because you are not familiar with the way higher nobility act." The Princess said as she started pacing around the room.
I spared a glance at Cecil to the corner of the room, who looked much more uncomfortable now than a few seconds prior. I nodded my head at her to signal that everything was alright. It only made her look more panicked. I had that effect on people.
"What, if I may ask your Highness?" I intoned to keep the Princess talking.
She smiled a brilliant, picture-perfect PR smile.
"Why, as my mouthpiece of course. In "proper" company Royalty is expected to only speak to landed nobility at least and everyone else must speak to adjutants or some representative. Usually another member of the nobility." I grimaced internally, that seems like a lot of work and a lot of danger for someone as clueless as me when it comes to the habits of nobility.
Seems the Princes picked up on my discomfort even though I didn't let any the tells leak into my body.
"Oh, you don't have to worry about it that much. I'll have people talk to thirty different adjutants before they ever speak with you. I simply need someone to be seen as that for appearances sake, you will of course be expected to support me in my decisions but from what I hear your political views are close enough to mine." She said as she toured around the room.
The fact that Suzaku talked about me to that extent was… disturbing to say the least and if the Princess hadn't been as open minded… I would've had a real though time. Not that this current situation was particularly good for me.
"I have to say your Highness I find myself not so enthusiastic about this position." I replied dryly.
A cough came from the reflection on the window. "A bit too honest, Taylor." Lisa's geist lectured. I promptly ignored her.
The Princess laughed, a soft one. Not condescending or humiliating but instead a laugh one would make to a friend who told a joke that wasn't all that funny.
"You certainly don't hold back, do you?"
I really do. She continued despite my thoughts on the matter.
"You would be right to do so in most cases, but Miss Hebert I am desperately in need of allies." She admitted.
I raised my brow.
"I can't say I expected you to be this frank about that."
The princess sat back down elegantly. "There is no harm telling you that, you are in the exact same position after all. But well… I believe Miss Cecile's poor heart has had enough of our little back and forth, no?" She said with some humour.
The aforementioned friend of mine looked like she was about to melt onto the floor from stress. I had to agree.
"It looks that way. Though unless you are willing to explain why exactly you chose me, I'm afraid we are going to have to keep going." I said.
The shadow sighed as if Lisa wouldn't have toyed with danger even more than I did.
"Lisa, also had a power that specifically told her when to back off." She hissed out and then reconsidered. "Well, not that I listened to it much." She added.
Cecile made a choking noise from the corner of the room.
The Princess's smile however only grew.
"Oh, how refreshing it is to have someone cut to the point for me. I'll be frank Miss Hebert, Britannia is teetering on the brink of a major upheaval. Everything is about to change and change rapidly.
Therefore, someone like me, whose position is so tumultuous in "High Society" needs to prepare herself. And well, due to how Britannia has structured itself one's image is just as important as their actual power."
Oh boy, we're back to this again. I can't ever escape PR.
"I have the power; I have the capital, but I do not have the necessary reputation and following. What people I trust that have the necessary achievements to be elevated wouldn't survive in the world of the nobility or weren't reliable enough to fully trust."
She explained. But something didn't add up.
"You believe me to be reliable? Someone who you barely know, and have interacted with less than five times? Doesn't that seem dangerous… for both of us?" I said.
The pink haired woman brought her hands together on her lap.
"Suzaku does, and that's enough for me." She admitted happily.
I felt like she was really trusting Suzaku too much with that sort of thing, especially since Suzaku himself had only known me for about… five months? Did I just radiate a "This person probably can handle anything." aura?
Lisa's shadow wandered into the edge of my vision. "Kinda." She drawled. "It's that weird charisma of yours where you act so sure of yourself and so resolute in what you're doing that people get swept up."
Glenn had once said the same thing. I knew they were right, but it still made me feel uncomfortable just how quickly people came to rely on me.
That thought reminded me of another thing. Just how quick I was to define someone as my enemy. I had that terrible habit of assigning people a role in my world view. Back when I had first joined the Wards I had rushed into making the PRT my enemy whereas I had quickly grown closer to the Wards and the Protectorate.
Why? Because they had been Parahumans, Capes like me? Partially yes but also because of my previous experiences with PRT directors along with the semi hostile way other directors acted towards me after I switched sides, I had unconsciously placed them into the enemy category and set out to "crush" them.
With PR of course. It wasn't healthy behaviour and if I had been a bit more cool headed a possible way might have been possible. But back then… circumstances didn't allow for that.
Now though? I had no such obstacles. This Princess might aim to use me but sometimes that was simply how it worked, and I could use her for my own goals as well so long as I managed to take to the politics fast enough. It would be smarter to ally with her for now.
I shook my head. "I'll have to prove Suzaku right then, can't go disappointing my students if they have such faith in me."
The Princess simply kept her good-natured smile. If I was less charitable, I would call her soulless, I was still inclined to do so. No one had a natural smile like that; especially not one with such a caring look. It made my skin itch.
Thankfully the seamstress came back in with armfuls of fabric before an awkward atmosphere could set in. Cecile immediately stood and gingerly stepped next to me as the seamstress began showing us the different colours and fabrics possible.
She set her hand on my back and whispered close to my ear. "Are you alright in the head!?"
"Not really, but I've never let that hinder me before." I replied with a similarly hushed voice.
The fake smile on Cecile's face became a bit more brittle as she heard that.
"Please have a little more self-preservation than that! Princess Euphemia may seem nice but she's still a princess." She stressed.
I had to stop the urge to roll my eyes.
"I'm doing this exactly because I have a functioning self-preservation instinct. Just one that relies on action rather than discretion." I answered.
Cecile made a deadpan face. "It's always like this with you." She said before stepping away so that the seamstress could position some of the sample fabrics against my body.
The urge to ask her what she meant by that was strong, but I might've already known.
I stretched in preparation of my upcoming lesson with Kallen. I'd been routinely teaching her self-defence in this deserted corner of the Ashford Academy that I had turned into a little gym with Milly's help. Of course she'd been returning the favour by helping me out with my Japanese, it was a win-win situation overall.
I got to understand and speak Japanese better and got to make sure that Kallen could hold her own if someone caught her outside her Knightmare. I enjoyed the sessions even though it brought back memories of my time with the Chicago Wards, or perhaps because of it…
I had never gotten all that close to them and perhaps in the end most of them had come to despise me… I couldn't exactly say it was entirely undeserved, my whole being had been dedicated to hunting down the Nine, preventing the end.
In the end I can't say it mattered much, but I had to admit now that I had the benefit of hindsight that I treated them worse than they deserved.
A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. With a moments delay I called out. "Enter!" The door creaked open, and a familiar mop of crimson hair peaked in along with another familiar ginger. Kallen had brought Shirley over. She had told me that Shirley felt exposed and anxious ever since the… incident with that mind reader guy.
I told her to bring her along to our next session if she wanted to, turns out Shirley accepted. I motioned for them to enter and waited as Shirley followed after Kallen with ginger steps.
I stopped doing my stretches and addressed the two. "Alright, Kallen told me you'd come along Shirley. I don't need to know why you're suddenly interested in self-defence but It's always a useful skill for a young girl to have. So give it your all, alright?"
Shirley replied with a hesitant nod of her head. Good enough for me I suppose. "Alright then. Kallen, I'll start with you to tire you out so that I can teach Shirley the basics while you recover. After our warmups of course." I began rattling off as the girls properly stepped into the room and I began to run them through the proper stretches and once they were done I called out to Kallen.
"Alright, we'll begin now. I'm sure you remember the rules Kallen but it's the first one to yield or be held down on the floor for five seconds. I hope you remember the lessons from last time because I will test you on them." I spoke as I moved to one side of the large blue exercise mat, I had "borrowed" from the gym.
It wasn't exactly ideal, but it would serve for basic training purposes. It was appropriately seven meters in length and a bit less than that wide and it had been large enough thus far. Maybe I'd get something more professional later on.
"I am ready Miss Hebert." Called Kallen from her side of the mat. I gave her slightly too wound up form a cursory glance, there was improvement. Good.
I began taking a more relaxed stance then hers one I had learned from some instructors back in my Wards days and began discretely positioning my bugs over Kallen. I wouldn't go easy on her even if I couldn't use the full extent of my powers, never knew when experience against powered opponents would help.
"We will begin on my count of three." I announced and began.
"One."
I saw Kallen shift so that she could propel herself forward when we began.
"Two."
I leaned my torso to one side to meet her charge and deflect it.
"Three."
With my last intonation Kallen bolted forward. She wasn't exactly fast, far beyond what the average girl her age but still slower than almost any properly trained opponent. But she was faster than the week before and I respected that.
Her first two steps clearly presented her intentions. "Strike one." I said. She hadn't gotten better at hiding her moves.
I moved a step forward to intercept the coming right hook.
A second later and my prediction came through. I deflected her somewhat improved strike to the side with a bat of my forearm and grabbed her hand pulling her close. My knee came up and struck at her midsection carefully avoiding her liver and thus any accidents.
Kallen was stunned by the pain and didn't recover in time to take advantage of the opening I left for her. "Strike number two." I intoned.
She recovered and tried to make distance. Wrong move against someone with far more reach then her.
I reached forward avoiding her attempt at parrying my hand away and grabbed her by the shoulder with my right arm. I brought her closer and slammed my left hand onto her right shoulder blade.
It would hurt, but she needed to get used to the pain. And to my surprise she took advantage of my momentary pause and threw tried to knock my right leg out from under me with a low hook kick.
Instead of standing still and letting her knock me down or blocking by raising my leg and possibly still be knocked off balance by her momentum I pushed myself forward and slammed my knee into her leg still on the ground.
Promptly she started to fall to the ground. But well, I wanted to see how she would recover and didn't push onwards. Instead I let her roll away, a roll which was painfully slow. I relaxed my stance a little and let her approach me again.
One step, two steps, three and she was upon me. But she made a fatal mistake. She overextended against a larger opponent. I stepped in at the right moment caught her by the forearm stepped in and swept her feet with a push of my own then helped her to the ground by grabbing onto her shoulder and pushing her off balance.
She fell down with a cry, and I kept her there.
"Strike number three." I said as she struggled to get free but gave up after the five seconds were up.
I heard her cursing under her breath in Japanese. I let her go and helped her stand back up.
"There is some improvement especially from the conditioning standpoint. I assume you're still keeping to the schedule I gave you." I spoke first after she got a few breaths in.
"Y-yes, it's been a real pain but I'm doing everything you asked for including the runs." She spoke the last bit with immense frustration, but I knew that she needed to build stamina and a bit of extra musculature at the legs would help immensely.
"Good, your technique isn't all that bad honestly, considering you had no training before we began you are improving at a rapid pace." I praised as I Kallen moved to the side of the room and collapsed on a chair.
"But… there are three major things you have to work on. Your pain tolerance being one, but that can't necessarily be forced, you will get better at it as time goes on.
Another and much more important thing to work in is that you show your intentions too early, you decide on an approach before you are in striking range and that shows in your steps." I criticised before adding on an afterthought.
"Of course, this won't matter much against less trained or aware opponents like common thugs you might encounter but anyone with a margin of competence will be able to read what you're going for. This is also compounded by another error of yours." I continued on as I grabbed a towel and a water bottle from the top of a chair to my side of the room and tossed them both at Kallen, who caught them.
She drank greedily from the bottle as she listened on. "You are overeager. Aggression and momentum are important in a fight, especially against larger opponents. However, if you overextend you might end up easily countered. You must plan out your aggression, attack from places your enemy won't expect and most importantly from places they can't counter without leaving a larger opening."
She sighed and bowed her head deeply. "Yes, Miss Hebert. I'll work on it." The frustration underneath her tone left no doubt as to whether she will or not. Kallen was a relentless girl, and that frustration came from her own feelings of inadequacy. I could relate.
I turned to address my second student. Shirley. She looked thoroughly fascinated, not a look I'd expect from her but she didn't look intimidated from that bout rather she looked more interested than before.
The anxiety and awkwardness from before had faded away entirely replaced by eagerness and a willingness to learn. I suppose everyone has a side I rarely see, or in this case never could've seen before.
"You look more interested than before, Shirley." I called out to her.
Her face turned red from the sudden attention.
"It's… I-I didn't expect it to be this interesting?" She half asked and half explained.
I gave her an indulgent smile. "I know what that feels like, self-defence is enjoyable. Sometimes even fun, it gets the adrenaline pumping. But well, try to keep the enjoyment part out of actual self-defence scenarios."
She gave an enthusiastic nod, and I led her onto the mat, not that we would need it much. I was only going to get a measure of her fitness, which should already be fairly good. She was in the swimming club, and I remember them going out to competitions a few times every semester, so I should be working off a good foundation.
"Alright, Shirley. We're going to go over some basics, how to punch how to position your feet and how to keep your balance. Fairly basic stuff but I'll all be relevant when you have to defend yourself. I'll get you into position just follow my lead." I spoke as I approached Shirley.
"Uh, right." She said as I gently adjusted her position and got her into a stance, she should be comfortable with.
Conventional wisdom says I should have the proper equipment for this, but I never was a follower of that, I preferred my own wisdom. So I got across Shirley and prepared myself to catch a punch.
"Alright, throw a punch." I spoke only to get a confused "Huh?" from Shirley.
"Throw a punch at me and we'll go from there." I repeated.
Shirley looked unsure but threw a punch with all her strength. All of the strength she knew to use, that is. I let the pathetic stretch of her arm land on my palm and gently pushed her back.
She herself seemed to notice her punches lackluster weight. "You've got to use your entire body, Shirley. Not just your arms. I'll show you." I began and turned so that she could get a good look at my posture.
"Now watch the movement, from where it begins to where it ends, alright?" With that I breathed in and threw a simple, left hook. My movement began with a half step forward and my rear foot pushed me ahead then I shifted my hips and torso to build up more force. The relaxed muscles of my upper body tensed in quick succession from the back to the chest and finally to the arms.
All of the force my body could put out lashed through my intact arm. Of course it went nowhere with no target it sight. I let it drop and returned to the beginning stance.
"Okay Shirley, now explain to me what I did differently."
Shirley looked panicked for a second but quickly got to it. She herself took a stance that mirrored mine and began explaining. "So… first you stepped forward then pushed yourself forward with your left leg and then…" She tried to mime what I was doing but left a crucial step out and lost speed.
"You're skipping a step. Shift your hips to let the force from your legs transfer to your upper body." I commented.
"R-right." She stuttered and started over. This time she underestimated her strength and fell with a soft "eep!". I helped her up. I threw a glance at Kallen, who was watching on with a half-lidded stare. I'd give her a few more minutes before I returned to training her and Shirley could take a break.
This session might end up being longer than usual. I don't think I'd be satisfied without Shirley at least being able to throw a proper punch.
Lelouch Lamperouge
I let another busy day of preparations for Milly's latest obsession pass by me as I calmly went through the paperwork. A cup of tea curtesy of Shirley's ever-present kindness and longing looks outside the student council rooms windows were my only escapes from the mindless repetition of dull requisition forms and official documents.
Not that I didn't enjoy it, the peace inside the rambunctious room was always welcome even if we were missing some key people. Namely Suzaku and Miss Hebert, the lack of their respectively humble and subtle presences had somehow managed to disturb the usual workflow.
Milly seemed more subdued, Kallen's fake persona even meeker, Rivalz's constant complaints lacking in spirit, Nina even more drawn in to herself and even Shirley seemed to be slightly less energetic. Though all of this might just be Hyperbole.
A stray bit of misaligned movement outside the window caught my attention. The volleyball club had suddenly collectively frozen in the middle of their practice. I felt my heartbeat quicken as I watched the ball fall without any reaction from them.
My mouth set in a thin line. A second passed and the club members all collectively resumed moving and other than a bit of confusion they didn't seem to realise anything. I shakily set my cup down.
"Lulu? Are you alright?" Came Shirley's voice. I carefully set my expression to a usual content smile.
"Yes, nothing for you to worry about Shirley. I just remembered something I had forgotten to do." I replied with my usual tone.
I needed to get out of this room, if whoever was causing that was coming after me, I needed to keep the rest of them out of the line of fire and get to somewhere I could get myself properly armed. I didn't trust anyone here to be able to hold their own against someone with a power like Miss Hebert's.
I began to stand up.
"Huh, Lelouch! Wait you can't leave we still have so much to do!" Milly began but I sent her a concerned look. The way her eyes widened she must've gotten the message.
"I apologize President, but it seems I must." A wide array of curious looks came my way but I let them slide off me, I couldn't let danger get anywhere near them. Good thing Nunnally was out shopping with Alice and Sayako. I could trust those two to protect her with their lives, if need be, however suspect Alice's origins may be.
I left the room and started quick walking towards a stash of mine nearby, I had to make sure to be seen by some students to attract the assailant my way rather than the Student Council.
That wasn't much of an issue, people would start whispering and talking the moment they saw me hurrying somewhere. And that hurry would make the assailant sloppy, might even make them hasten their steps.
I passed through a crowded hallway and towards a corridor that led to the tunnels underneath. I didn't head there, however advantageous that place might be it was also difficult for my enemy to get to. If I made things too difficult, they might start taking hostages.
I knew myself, that would complicate things needlessly. So instead I grabbed a handgun I had stashed inside of a pocket in the wall and hid it inside my jacket. I didn't know the exact range of that freezing effect or it's mechanics but from what I had seen the effect had been very brief.
That might be some sort of limit, maybe not, regardless I need a place with long sightlines and as many angles for me to use my Geass as possible. The clubhouse might've served well but the student council was too close for me to risk it.
Another avenue was the attached chapel, I could easily set the environment to my advantage there. A distortion made my thoughts grind to a halt, the clock on the wall to my right. It had suddenly jumped three seconds forward.
I quickened my steps towards the chapel, it would have to do. I began searching for the person responsible, but none caught my eye. I knew almost every single student and faculty member in Ashford, not necessarily by name but by looks and demeanour.
None stood out even as I walked outside of the hallways and into the gardens. That power most likely wasn't limited to line of sight. But I also doubted he was able to perceive me through it, he would've already cut me off if that was the case.
Another person froze mid step just a few steps behind me. There was no room for doubt now, that Geass User was after me and was using their Geass to close the distance without being spotted. Did they perhaps look out of place? No, they would've already been removed from the premises if so.
They most likely used the frozen time to move quickly without rousing suspicion. How irritating. In fact this whole situation was frustrating. Of all the days for Miss Hebert to be absent for, it had to be now?! She could've easily dealt with this, her Geass practically made it trivial.
I opened the doors to the empty chapel and removed a painting from the wall and set it angled on a pew. Another painting came off the wall and was set on another pew. I glanced out the windows looking for my assailant as I moved next to the door to a room to the side of the chapel.
I would be out of the line of sight of the door but also blind to what was going on outside the chapel. It wasn't a concern at least until I spotted something that annoyed me deeply.
Kallen. She was walking towards the chapel, there was a look in her eyes that I associated with "Kouzuki Kallen" rather than "Kallen Stadtfeld". I didn't want her caught up in this both so that my mask would be disturbed and because I doubted, she had experience against opponents with unnatural abilities.
I couldn't change my position now, it was too late. So what was I going to do? Hold here and hope that the assailant comes in before she does? Move and risk getting caught by that effect possibly to lethal extent?
I still didn't even know what my opponent looked like. My eyes darted through all angles I could see outside from and never landed on a single unfamiliar face. Kallen was getting closer. Damn it all.
The shadows moved quickly and from my hiding place I could see that someone had broken through a window rather than come through the door. I didn't have a line of sight to his eyes. I angled my phone to try and see through its reflection.
The boy who had just broken through was clutching at his chest looking mildly annoyed. I couldn't see his eyes but the concealed knife in his hands blew away any doubts I might've had. I carefully peaked my gun out and squeezed a barely aimed shot.
Stupidly I missed and time skipped again. The boy was close and still running at me. I was right, he couldn't freeze me for long and not repeatedly. I ducked into the side room and locked the door from the inside. I could escape from the window there and reposition.
Branches skipped ahead in their swings the wind that shook them had changed. I had been frozen again. I climbed out the window calmly and took two-meter drop onto the cobblestone road with a pained grunt. I had a machine pistol stashed in a cash nearby inside a stone wall I might be able to get to it if I could shake him.
A few seconds later I heard the door break open with the crunch of wood in the chapel.
I ran ahead and squeezed off a few shots towards the window and the boy that had begun trying to climb through. I was lucky that my would-be assassin decided on using a knife like an idiot instead of an actual weapon like a gun.
I saw the Geass symbol flash in his eyes. Damn it, I should've used my Geass and killed him right there! I opened my mouth to shout an order but he averted his eyes.
He knows? How could he possibly know? Did C.C rat me out? No that makes no sense, she has no reason to she's made it abundantly clear she wants me alive and Miss Hebert the only other person aware of my power could've already killed me if that's what she intended.
So where was the leak? Wait a moment if he was aware of my power would he not have come with sunglasses? Perhaps he didn't know of the exact mechanics then. Someone was working with partial information.
I clicked my tongue and emptied the magazine at him. I missed most of my shots as my aim was shaky and my opponent quick especially when he teleported briefly from my point of view.
But my last shot grazed his leg and he stumbled. I was out of ammo and had none with me, I wouldn't be able to make it to my other stash. I would have to use my Geass. It seems I must resort to bluffs instead of the far more reliable bullets.
"Seems you weren't as adept as you thought you were." I began as I took a confident step backwards. The boy wasn't looking directly at me.
"I will skip the jeering and taunting for both of our sakes. So that we can get to the meat of the matter. Who sent you?" I didn't expect him to answer, a brief outraged look my way would be more than enough. I could get my answers out of him right then and there.
The boy didn't talk. He didn't raise his head either he merely kept changing his grip on the knife. He looked impatient as if he was waiting for something. Wait! Kallen, I can't use my power around her she'll connect the dots for sure!
My eyes flickered to the corner of the pathway leading to this little nook of the campus as slowly the sound of Ashford Academy dress shoes on the cobblestone road came closer.
Carefully someone familiar peaked out. It wasn't Kallen, who I trusted to at least live through a fight. That orange mane of silky-smooth hair was one I could recognize anywhere.
My eyes widened and I foolishly took my eyes off the would-be assassin.
"Shirley, run!" I shouted to a Shirley, who was reaching inside of her blazer with an unfamiliar look on her face.
But it was too late. My eyes could barely flick towards the boy as he began sprinting towards me at full speed. Time would freeze again in a moment, and I would be defenceless once it unfroze without ammunition. Damn it, of all the times for Miss Hebert to be away!
Taylor Hebert soon-to-be Noble
Sometimes the dread before something began was worse than the actual event. That had been the case this time. The backdrop of constant stress that had built up in the days before the event had been terrible for my health and having to endure being dolled up by the Princess, her hired experts and Cecile had been agonizing.
Though I had to admit I did look good, so those countless hours of going over hair accessories, dresses and actual theory crafting on which hairstyle to wear with an apparently Empire renowned hairdresser had been worth it.
Despite all of that I had managed to force my "helpers" into going with the simpler choices though it was by no means something I would bother with preparing in my daily life. A braided headband with the rest of my black hair going down my back was what I had managed to make them settle on and even then, it took more than two hours for the hairdresser to be satisfied with it.
Even now the onyx and silver clasp that the Princess had insisted on was a bit too… fancy for my tastes. The overly fancy navy-blue dress that thankfully covered me up to my neck also felt drastically out of place. Though its smooth fabric did feel nice to wear even if wearing a dress like this somewhat irked me out.
Not to mention the heels and the other jewellery on me. But well, I've complained enough. I looked to my left to check on Suzaku in his newly tailored Knight uniform. It fit well, exceptionally well cut and in a bright white colour.
He was also distinctly uncomfortable in it but hid it well. He caught me glancing at him and sent me a pained smile. I tried to send him a reassuring one. I knew why he was here. It didn't take much to figure it out.
He was going to be a Knight of Honour. That would be a scandal for sure. Well, in any normal society not really but in Britannia, where discrimination was national policy? Well here for a first generation honorary to become anything more than someone to be harassed was a scandal. The bastards that they are, the Britannians made sure to cause problems whenever that happened.
An attendant to the side signalled me the go ahead. With one final breath in I stepped into the hall that would serve as the ceremony grounds. Lines upon lines of nobles and high-ranking officials stood to the sides of the red carpet I was to walk on. It was naturally all a show.
To "Show them their place." was a vital part of Britannian culture. It didn't matter if you were honorary, commoner, noble or landed noble. All aspects of the Britannian lifestyle could be traced back to that phrase. Disgusting, disgraceful, a failure as a society.
But I let none of those thoughts show on my face and instead vented my reactions into the swarm that was out of sight. My face was like a statue carved from solid stone. I let my steps be resolute and steady despite everything I felt. I had to look intimidating, confident, unshakeable. These vultures would pounce on anything less.
"Well, paranoia isn't really paranoia if they really are out to get you. Isn't it?" Lisa's ghost commented from somewhere I couldn't see.
You joke but I haven't felt this jittery in ages.
"Don't worry, you're already used to it. No?" I grimaced slightly, I was used to it. In fact the slight onset of these jitters felt almost like home. Was it perhaps the anticipation of trouble in the future that made me feel this way? Regardless I continued to walk.
Once I was at the bottom of the stairs flanked by pillars and with the backdrop of the Britannian flag I bowed my head in the manner I was thought to at the Princess seated on her throne. I did not kneel, they said that for a landed noble to kneel before anyone other than the emperor was a faux pas.
"Raise your head, Lady Hebert." Came the Princesses normally soft but now iron voice. That was my cue. I straightened my posture and with a beckoning gesture from her hands silently climbed the steps and only stopped when I was directly before the Princess.
I could feel the tension in the room, almost suffocating. But I didn't flinch at the eyes of those watching me. The Princess smiled at me and began her lines.
"I ask all that have gathered within this consecrated hall to bear witness to this ceremony." She began as a knight dressed in ceremonial armour presented to her a silver and gold embroidered box.
She stood from her seat, took it from his hands and continued. "I, Euphemia Li Britannia Third Princess of our Glorious and Holy Empire and Acting Viceroy of Area Eleven."
She spoke as she gingerly opened the box and revealed a ring with a crest in the shape of a masonic Square pointed upwards with an intricate web of points connected to each other on top.
"Present onto Taylor Anne Hebert Daughter of Annete Rose Hebert and Danniel Hebert this Signet Ring bearing the Crest of the newly created House of Hebert. For her accomplishments in bettering the sciences for the benefit of all the children of the Fatherland." She finished as she presented me the ring.
I gently cupped my hands underneath her hand and let her drop it into my palm. With ease I placed the signet ring onto my left hands pinky finger as was apparently tradition and stepped back. The moment I did, applause began.
I beat down the slight nausea I felt and let the applause flow over me. With one last look at the Princess and a nod of her head to signify my part was done I stepped off the platform and began moving to take my place next to Lloyd, who had dressed himself in a fine suit for the first time in a while.
A courtesy I had rarely seen from him.
"It's because he's excited for it in his own way, Taylor."
I suppose that could be it, I bet he saw opportunities in my new title and Suzaku's new position.
"Two more people to throw at nobles he doesn't want to deal with?"
Hmph… Probably.
Even with the momentary distraction from Lisa's shadow the applause and congratulations continued to haunt me as I let my steps guide me to the back. I counted my heartbeats with each fake smile and nod I gave to those who congratulated me. It was all a part of their masquerade and now I had to play my part.
On the count of sixty-eight I reached where Lloyd was standing. He didn't congratulate me; he must've been able to sense my foul mood even though I had shunted off my reactions.
I was thankful for that it made what would come directly after this much more bearable. Another heartbeat passed and then the Princess spoke again.
"My fellow Countrymen, I am sure all of you have varied thoughts about the recent barbaric and poorly veiled attempt at invasion by the Chinese Federation. Their sudden and unprompted aggression has been beaten back thanks to the bravery and sacrifices of Area Eleven's stalwart defenders."
The Princess was directly refuting the claims of the Chinese that this was an unauthorized attack. To what end? To pick a fight with the Chinese? Unlikely, the only reason I could see was that she was trying to rile up the Britannians in Area Eleven. But the question was: Against whom?
"Our Brothers and Sisters have managed to overcome this hour of strife undeterred by the absence of support from the Homeland." Her even tone stopped for a second as she looked across the hall her gaze passing by the faces of those in attendance, some mournful some triumphant.
Our gazes locked in a moment, and she seemed to gather her resolve to continue. I couldn't blame her; this ceremony was publicly broadcast after all. The pushback she would receive was going to be immense.
"A rumour has spread among the populace of a hero that made this possible. You have heard of him from the words of your compatriots, a man many call "The White Knight". I can confirm these rumours. This man does exist. And the Knightmare he pilots to battle was made by Camelot, the Research and Development organization."
As the princess spoke, I felt more than saw all the gazes in the room focus on the man next to me. Lloyd kept smiling smugly.
"However there is one misconception nestled within this rumour that this man is a Knight, this has not been the case. Until today that is. For his valorous service to Britannia I have sought to grant him Knighthood, but such a reward would not have been enough for his services. Instead I have chosen him to be my Knight of Honour."
A deathly silence descended upon the hall, the whispered gossip about who "The White Knight" might be that were being passed around stopped. And then began again with ten times the fervour.
A Knight of Honour, the personal bodyguard and representative of a Royal. Such a position was highly coveted, and Princess Euphemia had thus far never even hinted that she might pick someone. Under normal circumstances this would've been a topic that gossip rags would write about for weeks on end.
This time too would they write but for an entirely different reason.
The Princess inhaled deeply. "Suzaku Kururugi, enter this hall and claim your honours." She spoke.
The doors opened once more, and Suzaku walked out, his face made of stone and his steps heavy as steel. The longsword at his side rattled as he walked each and every step made the voices of the crowd go mad.
Insanity, they spoke. Recklessness, they accused. Childish infatuation, they claimed. But under the stern gaze of the Princess they didn't dare raise their voices. Dissent would be punished, regardless of Euphemia's old image the one she presented now made them remember that.
Even then their whispers continued. Until Suzaku finally reached the stairs before the Princess's throne. He climbed each and every single one of them resolutely. Once he was finally before the Princess he kneeled.
The Princesses severe voice didn't grow softer, perhaps it was because she understood just what she was saddling Suzaku with.
"Suzaku Kururugi. Wilt thou swear this day to do battle as a Knight of Britannia?" Her voice carried through the hall.
"Yes, your highness." Suzaku answered. His voice was heard just as clearly. His head was still aimed towards the ground.
"Wilt thou abandon selfishness and wish to be sword and shield for the sake of great justice?" She asked again.
"Yes, your highness." Suzaku answered again. I loosened the clenching of my hands and shunted everything off to my bugs. This wasn't good for my health.
Suzaku gripped the sword still sheeted on his hip and drew it so that its tip remained pointed at his heart. He presented it to the Princess as if asking for her to push it in between his ribs and through his lung if she found him wanting.
The Princess took the sword from his hands and turned it in her hands so that it was pointed straight up a few centimetres before her face. The sword was lowered gently onto Suzaku's right shoulder and then switched to the left shoulder.
"I, Euphemia li Britannia, acting Viceroy of Area Eleven, do dub thee Sir Suzaku Kururugi. With this thine fate has been bound to mine and thine sword shall only swing for me. My purpose is thine purpose and thine life is my armament. Rise, Sir Kururugi." With those final words the Princess offered Suzaku his sword back.
He took it back dutifully and sheeted it. That was that then. With a gesture from the Princess Suzaku stood up and turned to the hall to look across the crowd.
A moment of silence tried to set in, I didn't allow such a thing. I clapped my hands. At first I was alone a single pair of hands in a hall of hundreds, then a heartbeat passed. Lloyd joined in joyfully uncaring that we were alone. Suzaku and Euphemia looked shocked. I could understand why.
In this hall the amount of allies they had was truly few.
Another moment and some of the less hesitant military men joined in, perhaps those who had directly worked with Suzaku, many of them wore purple uniforms. Even still their numbers were few. But now we weren't a pair or two anymore, the rest of the hall still looked hesitant or disgusted, but they could do nothing but begin to clap lest they be alienated.
So the claps spread eventually encompassing the entire hall as they couldn't deny Suzaku's accomplishment any longer. This farce was finally over, time to get ready for the pushback.
"Oh, but Taylor the ridiculous ceremony might be over. But the event has just started." The Lisa Copy intoned from behind me.
As she said that I saw the doors to the hall open and the cameras around the room get shut down. Oh, I had forgotten. This wasn't just a ceremony. It was also a ball.
Damn it all.
Lelouch Lamperouge
A sharp piercing pain was the first thing I felt when time skipped ahead. I had been stabbed but a sweat intake of air told me that my throat wasn't slashed, and neither were my lungs pierced.
A gunshot rang out and the weight on me skittered off. The blinding pain almost made me lose my footing, but I managed to stand straight. I felt the stab to the upper left side of my chest slightly towards my shoulder but other than slight pain it didn't hurt to breathe. Had the knife scraped off a rib and upwards? I couldn't exactly tell without examining it.
I opened my eyes before I realised, I had even closed them. Shirley was shouting something with a gun in her hands. The gun I killed Clovis with, the gun I carried around as Zero.
So she knew then, she knew I had killed her father. Was she here to kill me too then? But I hadn't seen any hint of that and right now all I could read in her expression was overwhelming worry.
My gaze wandered over to my would-be assassin trying to get out of her line of fire. His face looked pale and his breaths heavy as he tried to dodge to the side. Was his Geass causing that? He wasn't that pale before he had done the time freeze last time and seeing as Shirley hadn't moved either he must've frozen us both.
That must've been the reason I was still alive. Of course then if I could force him to use it more often then the effects would only get worse. The problem was how to do it, he was too close to me right now and I couldn't just run away and leave Shirley alone with him.
The solution was simple really, just bluff. I took a step back while ignoring the pain it caused me. There was another alleyway to my right. I could faintly hear running footsteps coming from there. Good, that just made this plan a lot less risky.
The assassin had constantly used his power in short bursts to sneak around but none of the frozen time bits had lasted longer than two seconds at most and their range had been approximately fifteen meters. That usage must've already been taxing and his quick bursts of it against me had only worsened his condition. I imagined that he didn't have much left in him anymore, his movements were beginning to get slower. The stress and jerky movements he made to dodge Shirley's shots were clearly worsening his condition, but I didn't know how long It would remain that way.
I took another step back and held back from smirking. The alleyway was just barely behind me another step would place me right where I needed to be.
But I couldn't take that step back. Shirley fired another shot, one that barely missed the assassin, but it spooked him. I pointed my own empty gun at him just as Shirley aimed for another shot.
He would no doubt use his power to freeze us both but if his power had a variable range as I suspected he would aim to encompass both Shirley and I so that he could continue his almost blind obsession with attacking me.
I jumped slightly backwards ignoring the tightness in my chest. I saw the assassin react. I couldn't help it. I smirked as he froze us.
The sound of a meaty smack off the soles of a shoe hitting unprotected human flesh. My smirk grew. It was the adrenalin and the blood loss. Had he nicked an artery? I hoped not.
Kallen had just been outside the range of the assassin and even as he froze us, she had been out of the range of activation. She had come out of the alley way and slammed into him as he focused desperately on finishing the job.
I heard another kick and a crunch followed by a scream then silence. Oh, Kallen had killed the Assassin. What a shame, I could've gotten a lot out of him. Wait a second. Why could I only see the sky and not the alley?
Oh. I'm falling. Did I really lose that much blood?
The last thing I heard was my body hitting the cobbled floor and a pair of voices crying my name.
An:
Soo…. It's been a while. Sorry about that the fic just took a while to write and it was really hard to find motivation after the excruciating period of last semesters exams. In any case hope you enjoyed it and please review if at all possible.