December 5, 1999. Pendragon.

Doctors and nurses were running back and forth inside the capital hospital, something that wasn't so unusual for this place. However, what was unusual for the presence were soldiers and not just any soldiers but royal guards. Currently, everyone was busy with one particular thing. That was the birth of the new prince.

It was an important day for vi Britannia line of Royal family that until this moment was made of one single member because now it became one person bigger. Lady Marianne vi Britannia. former sixth knight of the round table and one of the current empresses of Holy Britannian Empire now has became a mother.

And now Charles zi Britannia became a father, again.

Charles didn't know what he was doing there. He hardly cared for his other children when they were born. Only when Odysseus was born he decided to visit and to see his first son. However, there was nothing when he took a baby in hands. No joy, no paternal love or sudden desire to cuddle him. Simply nothing. After thar the emperor didn't bother to visit his other children when they were born. However, his dear wife Marianne informed him that if he didn't show up for the birth of her child, then he will brutally lose organ that helped to create their son.

Yeah, it was a son. Charles lost count of how many he had already. Sadly, there was no quality to their quantity. Only Schneizel was showing some potential to use in the future.

"Isn't he beautiful?" asked with a soft voice his wife as she looked at a small human. Fruit of their unprotected lovemaking was currently sleeping. The only woman he actually loved and cared for Marianne was lying in medical bed still weak from giving birth but as she said she didn't feel tired. In fact, she was full energy as she herself said."My little Lelouch."

"Why you called him like this anyway?" Lelouch, to Charles it sounded strange and gave French vibes but for his wife, it sounded as best name ever.

"Don't know. I just thought it sounds beautiful and decided to call him like that." Well, that is classic Marianne. Never thinking twice and doing whatever she wants. Then again, Charles should be glad because if she wasn't like that two of them wouldn't meet and fall in love. Suddenly, a child in her hands started to move as he opened his eyes and revealed a copy of Charles's own, minus his years of hatred and fatigue."Oh! Little Lelouch is finally awake?"

It was strange to see a woman who was known as one of the best knightmare pilot in existence cuddling her child. Charles remembered how he has seen her being covered in the blood of both soldiers and civilians during troubled times. Is this what people call mother's love? Interesting how even Marianne the Flash can have something like this.

"I'm your mommy and he is your daddy." Marianne said as she pointed at him. Now Charles and Lelouch were looking at each other's faces. Only, now did emperor of Britannia noticed that the baby wasn't crying. He was calmly looking at his father's face with interest. Charles stared back not knowing what to do next until his wife said."Come on, dear. Take Lelouch."

Charles didn't know why but for some reasons, he did as she said and took the boy. As he looked closely he noticed that Lelouch opened his mouth and tried to do something that emperor could describe only as a smile. Children were innocent. They didn't know that sad reality that was the world around. Of course, some learned about it sooner than others. He and Vincent were proof of that.

He held baby carefully, not knowing if it was because of fear that Marianne would kill him or something else. Charles liked to think it was fear of his wife. However, Charles couldn't look away from him. Something about Lelouch made Charles unable to think straight. There was a long pause until Marianne broke it.

"Charles say anything to Lelouch."

Say something? Like what? Congratulate him for being born? Then an idea appeared in Charles's head and he smirked.

"Welcome to the world of the living, Lelouch but be ready because reality can often be disappointing." Charles won't forget the look on his wife's face when he said this or how she threw a pillow into him, of course taking away little Lelouch first.

Charles zi Britannia won't admit but he found this day rather good.

June 20, 2005. Pendragon.

Areas Villa was a rather comforting place to be and hide from all these political games that were happening inside Royal Palace. Charles needed some free time to breathe fresh air and think about his plans. His brother was busy with Geass order or whatever he liked to call it, didn't matter for Charles as long as he was working on their end goal. Still, it won't hurt to have some eyes inside order. Charles trusted his brother greatly but some cautions won't harm him.

Vincent was little...distant in last years. Is he too busy with a job or something else? Killing God was not an easy task but it didn't mean that his twin brother can just send someone else to speak instead of him to Charles. That was just rude.

His train of thought was interrupted when someone pulled him by a sleeve. Glancing at the right side older man saw a small boy with raven hair and purple eyes."What do you want, Lelouch?"

Lelouch vi Britannia was a strange child. Under strange, he meant that a boy would try to act mature. However, as Marianne informed him when others won't look Lelouch will act like a child of his age. He would spend hours playing with his young sister Nunnally or try to climb on Ganymede that stood on the open field. Marianne would often train with a battle machine and little Lelouch would watch his mother pilot giant robot from the distance. Later he would try pilot knightmare but without the pilot's key, he couldn't even activate it.

He acting like he is an adult before nobles and they actually buy it. Not bad, not bad. Marianne taught him well. Charles thought as he looked at the boy and that he was holding something."Chess?"

Lelouch nodded."Schneizel gave them to me. Said that he will teach me how to play later when he returns. But he is too busy." he said and shyly looked away."A-and I thought maybe you can teach me how to play, father."

Charles didn't know why he found Lelouch asking something from him pleasant and heartwarming. None of his other children asked anything from him until now. He didn't know why he didn't say no to the boy. Emperor didn't know why he started to teach him, playing with him. He didn't know why it felt nice to hear Lelouch giggle when he was able to take down one of his pawns. Charles didn't know why he agreed to play another game with him. Then another and so on. Or how they spend hours playing until Marianne informed them it was night and that Lelouch needed to go to bed.

Charles didn't know why he felt sad when his wife took the boy. However, for some unknown reasons, he felt nice when Lelouch said that he wants to stay with his father a little longer. Marianne couldn't say no to him when Lelouch was looking at her with cute 'puppy face' as she herself described it. Later they started to play chess more often.

Charles zi Britannia will admit that this was rather a nice day.

Jule 28, 2008. Pendragon.

"...it can't be..."

"She is-"

"Marianne the Flash is dead!"

Entire Royal Palace was in shock once news reached it. Not every night somebody was able to kill a member of the Royal Family. Marianne vi Britannia herself nonetheless. While servants were running inside the castle, a certain man was still shocked.

Charles zi Britannia, for the first time since the death of his mother, felt destroyed.

The only woman he ever loved was killed and he knew who did it. Vincent, why?

It was less than half an hour when news reached him. Massacre with several people dead. Charles was preparing for his upcoming speech about world Darwinism when Bismark stormed inside his office. The knight of one himself was looking pale as he informed his emperor of what happened. Charles couldn't believe it and could not stand. His knight was quick enough to catch his master that was falling. However, when he asked if his majesty needed medical help. Emperor instead grabbed him by shoulders and shouted.

"What about Lelouch?!"

Charles zi Britannia did not pay attention to people as he rushed inside the capital hospital and look of fear that they had. He did not have time for this. Bismark and rest of the guard had a hard time trying to catch up with him. For a 53-year-old man, he was rather quick when he wanted. It didn't matter to him right now.

There was someone who needed him right now and Charles knew it.

When he was about to enter the door to the medical room he didn't even look at a soldier that was there. He tried to kneel and say something.

"Your majesty! Jeremiah Gottw-"

"Get lost!" he yelled as he stormed inside the room and froze. What he saw inside brought pain to his heart. Lelouch vi Britannia was lying on a medical bed. He had a few scratches but otherwise was okay. No, what made Charles feel pain were tears that were coming out of his purple eyes. It reminded him of a similar moment in his life.

"Father." whispered Lelouch as he noticed him. Charles stood there not knowing what to do."They are gone. Mother and Nunnally. They have left me." he said quietly.

Charles zi Britannia didn't know what power in the world forced him to move towards the boy but he didn't stop. He didn't know why he took the boy in his arms but he felt how Lelouch was shaking.

"T-they are dea-"

"It is okay, Lelouch." he said as softly as he could, something that was difficult. However, little kid in his arms hugged him tightly. Normally Charles would find something like this nothing but weakness. However, he remembered when he was in a similar state.

Our home was on fire when we lost her but we had each other. We were alone but we had each other. Vincent would calm me down and say that everything will be fine. Nothing ever was fine after that night but we had each other. And now he betrayed me. Lelouch has no one now...No one but me.

In the first time in his life since his mother died Charles allowed himself to show emotion that he normally would call weakness."It is okay, Lelouch. Don't be afraid. Your father is here." he said with kindness that he didn't know he had."Everything will be fine, I promise."

Charles zi Britannia knows exactly why he was there and why he was comforting his son. It took him years to understand why but now it was clear to him. If it was any other day he would be happy to feel it but not today, not like this.

All Charles zi Britannia could do was promise.

"I won't leave you, son."

Now they had only each other in this disappointing world.

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I was bored and decided to write something new. I wrote it fast so there may be grammatical errors, sorry. I just read Marianne the Gossip by Dark Mephiles and decided to write something where Charles is actually human being, we don't have enough of this fanfics. Again, I did it in a hurry so it might feel rushed. Is it one shot? Don't know. I kinda want it to become series too.