A/N Many thanks to my beta, Katie, who did an amazing job with LIVE - beta here. Not so many thanks for me... as I somehow managed to delete that final version, even with my countless backups. AND THEN I managed to screw up my QuickOffice. This was supposed to be posted on January 22th... but as you see, there's always something lying in wait, patiently waiting for the best opportunity to kick you in your ass when you least expect it... I hope you will enjoy reading this one, at least.

~For Her Name Is Milly~

The morning light softly illuminated the lone figure sleeping soundly on the bed, giving the room an overall tranquil atmosphere...

"LELOUCH VI BRITANNIA!"

…which was thoroughly shattered by this lone battle cry, echoing through the entire household.

Any sane person should have been fleeing from the impending doom by the time the ominous cry reached their ears, not to mention the poor soul whose name was just used to express the willingness and eagerness to bring destruction and pain to anyone who came across its origin, but no, Lelouch, although believing himself to be a sane person, did nothing to ensure his safety. He didn't even open his eyes - it was still damn too early in the morning for it - nor moved any part of his body to run and seek shelter.

He knew whose voice it was - God help him if he didn't know Milly Ashford's voice by now - and though it made him shiver involuntary in fear, he bravely braced himself for what was to come.

"Lulu~" Milly's voice changed to his utter horror, now laced with deadly, sweet poison "My dear, it's time to wake up~!"

He chose to ignore her further, futile as it seemed, because one DOES NOT just ignore the blonde Ashford heiress without suffering severe consequences afterwards.

"You don't want to be late now, do you?" she spoke again, and now he could sense her approaching his bed. Slowly but consequently, her footsteps echoed in the otherwise silent room like in some horror movie.

Another shiver ran through his body.

He stuffed his head into the soft pillow below, hoping against all odds, that he will manage to die of asphyxiation.

(But as we all know, such a feat is nearly impossible to achieve on one's own... and even if, required much more time which he so clearly didn't have.)

He heard the bed crack softly in protest, as his very personal demon joined him on the bed not a minute after.

"Lulu~" it whispered into his ear, hot breath, a ghost of a touch, making him shiver for entirely different reason.

"Milly." he spoke out loud, though it came sounding more like a groan of pain a wounded animal would let out.

"Good morning sleepy head~" she practically sang. She seemed to be awfully too cheerful for him. Suspicious, really, but it was DAMN TOO EARLY TO THINK STRAIGHT - and Milly Ashford in a mood this good wasn't a good thing for him (anytime) (anywhere) (ever).

Or anyone else at that matter.

(Although Rivalz, poor fellow, in his crush ridden brainwashed mind would probably appreciate any kind of attention directed at him by his goddess. Be it of any romantic motion (desired) or not.

And she always made sure to take advantage of that fact.

Poor Rivalz indeed.)

"What the hell do you want so early in the morning?" he tried for his words to sound more like a threat, but the pillow made it quite impossible.

"Hm~? Don't you remember what day today is?"

"I have no time for your riddles, Milly, so either tell me what do you want already or get out. Preferably the latter."

"So mean~ but I know you didn't mean that!" Milly said cheerfully and then pouted to keep up the mock hurt expression (though it wasn't really necessary, seeing as her victim's head was still having it's sweet time with the pillows), all the while making herself more comfortable on the bed (HIS OWN PERSONAL DAMN BED) "It's a Big Day, I have to wonder how did you manage to forget about it!"

"Forget what exactly?" Lelouch never forgot things. Never. (It may seem like he sometimes did, but he didn't. He just avoided some things.

Like Milly's crazy festivals, if there was a chance to. Which wasn't often and such attempts always backfired in the end, so with time he ceased even trying.)

"Please, just for once leave me out of your crazy schemes." he whined pathetically into the pillow. (He didn't deny it, which should speak for itself just how far he was gone in his misery.)

"Lelouch, don't tell me you really forgot...?" the blonde's tone changed, making Lelouch finally rise his head and face his demon, reluctant as he was to do so.

Milly wasn't smiling anymore, that was the first thing he noticed.

The second was that she was being deadly serious, for once, her silly persona gone altogether.

"Milly?" he inquired, not quite sure if he wanted to find out what was going on, but on the other hand remembering that Milly was his friend. That meant something. It really did.

She sighed, closing her eyes for a moment as if preparing herself mentally for what was to come, like he earlier did himself.

"It's your wedding day, you idiot.", she said then added as in afterthought, "Ours, I mean."

That... well, that was a new one.

Lelouch didn't remember acquiring a fiancée, and as far as his memory served, he didn't EVER possess one. Not even a girlfriend. (Well, at the moment, at least.)

And certainly not Milly.

(He wasn't that cruel, as to break poor, poor Rivalz's heart... nah, scratch that, who was he kidding here? He wasn't that masochistic!)

"Really." he stated doubtfully, which in turn earned him a truly frightening glare from the blonde.

"Lelouch vi Britannia," Milly started in her most threatening voice "if you will not get ready in the next 15 minutes, I'm going to make you wear the most scandalous dresses ever designed in the next cross dressing festival. Take many, many photos of you in them and then send the copies to sir Jeremiah, your brother Schneizel and your mother. Ah, and we can't forget about C.C., can we now?"

That kind of killed any thought about protesting which started to appear in Lelouch's head at that moment.

He swallowed.

The clock ticked.

A bird outside of his window chirped.

Milly stared at him unblinkingly.

"Alright." he managed to say before the thick tension in the room managed to choke him.

"I knew it from the start that we could come to an understanding." Milly said, cheerful and bright again (making him feel like an idiot for falling for her act in the first place, though he had no doubts that she would do all that just on principle and to annoy him), and with one swift movement she got up from the bed and exited the room.

Needless to say, Lelouch was still in shock for some time after she have left.

Seeing no other option, the confused teen set about 'getting ready', as if that was even possible in his semi-conscious state. He started changing into the tux he noticed lying so innocently and conveniently not far from him.

He was all ready to go within half of the time he was oh so graciously given.

(Just to be safe.)

Once done, resigned to his fate, he made his way downstairs where he was certain unknown horrors awaited him.

Like . . .

.

.

.

. . . his mother.

Marianne vi Britannia smiled at him warmly before running up and crushing him in a bone-breaking embrace.

(It was the most fortunate occurrence that she let go of him before he got smothered.

Not that he would really mind that bad. . .

. . . just the place she was crushing his face into was a little bit awkward. . .

You get it, right?

It was his mother for God's sake!*)

"I'm so proud of you!" she stated once she released him and was done looking him up and down "So handsome, just like your father when he was younger!" (the sentence clearly lacked a heart at the end of it. You know, the '3' kind of heart).

". . . thank you, Mother." confused or not, Lelouch couldn't quite imagine his father being 'young and handsome', and thus felt extremely awkward being compared to Him. Not that his mother seemed to mind that at all.

"My boy, finally a grow man!" she cooed again and for a moment he thought she was going to 'hug' him again. Whatever deity watched over him felt merciful, and she refrained.

Then he heard a snort.

And he looked. . .

. . . into a pair of violet eyes so alike his own. . .

. . . thank God it was only Cornelia.

"Well, he doesn't look like a grown man to me at all. I doubt he even grew an inch since we have last seen each other." That of course earned her a death glare, but before anything violent could happen, a new voice spoke up.

"Just let miss Ashford handle him, he will be a better man tomorrow morning!" Nonette, a personal demon to his sister, leered at him.

(He didn't want to know what she meant by that.)

(Not ever, ever in his life.)

"It's Lelouch's and Milly's big day, my ladies, let's not scare him-"

(-too much, every one of the present ladies finished in their heads simultaneously.)

"Little Lulu~ too bad we didn't come in time to organize you a bachelor party, it's really a shame you didn't get one."

Huh? Then why can't I remember anything? Lelouch wondered, I had to drink myself to unconsciousness at some point recently to have this kind of memory malfunction - if this thing isn't a nightmare as I first assumed.

Though he had to admit he didn't really have a headache...

Hm.

"I think he is in shock." Cornelia observed, coming closer to study him "Is The Great Black Prince nervous?" she mocked, poking him in the chest. But an unlikely ally came to his rescue.

"Leave poor Lulu alone, Nelly. You will only give him a heart attack and I'll lose another source of entertainment. And I'm quite sure you don't want that to ever happen." Nonette's tone was joking, as was usual for her, but even so, the threat was real enough to make the legendary Cornelia retreat.

"I would appreciate one, actually." Lelouch finally spoke, looking around hoping and trying to find an escape route. Anywhere but not here!

"You want to die as a virgin? At least wait for your wedding night!" Nonette teased without mercy, causing the two other women to smile and him to flush. In anger of course. What? He wasn't embarrassed!

"You-!"

"My dears, I think that would be enough for now, we don't want our Lelouch to miss his own wedding, hm?" his mother interrupted "Let me accompany you."

And she dragged his seething form away, thus saving someone's life. Whose, it was hard to tell.

Though their journey didn't last long. Just the opposite, Marianne led him towards the Student Council's room and pushed him - not very gently - in, saying-

"Enjoy yourself."

With a sense of strong foreboding, Lelouch reluctantly opened his eyes (which till now were closed as he didn't want to face this nightmarish vision of his) only to see his friends there.

He almost sighed in relief.

There were worse things, right?

Right?

"Lelouch!" Suzaku called cheerfully "We were starting to get worried that you wouldn't show up."

"That's right! Some of us even hoped you wouldn't!" that came from the blonde bulb that went by the name of Gino Weinberg, causing in turn Rivalz's eyes to widen in fear.

"I would imagine..."

"But Lelouch, we have a little problem here!" Gino continued over his little comment "You still haven't chosen your best man!"

"Uh...?"

(Riiight. Let's get a better look on the scene.

The three of the boys seemed equally eager (that included even the heart broken Rivalz) to play the role, looking at our dear Black Prince with big (and watery, as in Suzaku's case) hopeful eyes. The only thing missing would be the constant chant of 'lemme, lemme!'. They were like children, waiting for a new toy...)

And Lelouch suddenly thought that the world was a very, very unfair place to live in.

"So~?" Gino urged "You can't have us all, you know~"

"Su-" he started...

"Lelouch! I-I'm so happy! Of course I accept!"

... only to be smothered by yet another bone crushing hug, as his best friend practically launched himself at him. And he didn't even meant to say 'Suzaku' to begin with.

"C-Can't breatheee-" Lelouch managed to choke out, and just when he thought he reached the limits of his oxygen resources, he was released...

... only to feel a new set of hands encircling him from behind.

"Well, well, little brother. It seems like you're ready to face the moment of truth!" the voice behind him called, and he wondered idly if it was really safe to leave Clovis in the presence of Milly Ashford for any amount of time. He only got worse after every of their meetings - and he was already insufferable to begin with.

Lelouch struggled (and managed to, but only because Clovis was as physically challenged as he was himself) out of the embrace and glared at the new arrival.

His wrath only increased as he noticed who was accompanying his mentally unstable older brother.

His greatest adversary.

And he was smiling. SMIRKING!

He was enjoying this! This- this humiliation! As if it was even surprising...

And this is the point when his short term memory failed him.

The ceremony was a blur. He could remember only flashes out of the whole ordeal. Nunnally laughing and crying at the same time, happily embracing their mother. The countless guests watching, then congratulating him (though how so many people could fit in the Ashford Academy's Chapel was beyond him. Why was he even getting married in this chapel was beyond him. Why the hell was he even getting married in the first place? He wasn't even of age yet!)

But finally the sense of consciousness returned to him.

(And he wasn't sure if that was a good sign... his gut certainly agreed that it was not.)

He was lying on a bed, a very comfy and expensive looking one - if a cautious and quick glance about can be trusted in such matters - in a room he never saw before. He was fully clothed - which in itself was very good - and sober - which, again, probably wasn't.

"Good to see you're awake, my darling~ I was beginning to think you will sleep through the entire night~", a voice of a demon sang, "and we wouldn't want to miss our wedding night~ not~ at~ all~"

Lelouch's now fully alert eyes searched for the source of the voice, even though his brain screamed NO! at him very loudly...

... and for a good reason indeed.

The image would make a lesser man's heart to burst, eyes to pop and mouth to start watering...

... but Lelouch wasn't a lesser man, he so definitely wasn't...

But!

. . . but . . .

. . . all these leather. . .

Oh. God.

Milly Ashford, his friend through all these childhood years... in black. Skintight. Leather.

Leather that covered... damn, it showed much more than it covered.

She was smiling. A smile the Devil himself would be proud (and jealous) of.

- and she bad a whip in her hand - and handcuffs -

(And Lelouch's heart definitely stopped beating.)

. . . and that's when Lelouch woke up screaming, alerting the whole household of his pain and suffering. . .

. . . and that, of course, included his faithful Knight, who not a second later (because Suzaku just wasn't human) busted through his bedroom doors, his fancy sword in hand.

Lelouch stared.

Suzaku scanned the room (clad in nothing more than his boxers, may I add), and seeing no danger to his 'beloved' liege, gave him a 'wtf' kind of stare.

Lelouch still stared.

Suzaku stared too.

". . . what are you doing?" the raven head finally asked in a weary tone.

"I heard you scream, your crankiness. Did something happen?"

"Not really- and I meant what are you doing bursting in here looking like... like- that-"

Suzaku blinked, looked down on himself and then smiled.

"Well, my lord, that is one interesting question~"

... and that's when Lelouch woke up for real.

"You look-"

"-like shit."

Welcome to just another average morning in the Lamperouge household.

"Thanks guys, that really improved my mood right now." Lelouch stated, glaring at his Knight and the Witch, who were enjoying breakfast (or rather, Suzaku was enjoying his breakfast while C.C. was munching on yet another of her pizzas) together.

"The pleasure is all ours, Your Highness." C.C. quipped, smirking knowingly. Lelouch had no doubts she meant that wholeheartedly.

"... riiight." he sighed, and resigned himself to another boring morning. A way away from the nightmarish visions inflicted on him by his overworking imagination...

"Lelouch~"

... but of course when something can go wrong, it will always go wrong.

~the end~

*maybe some of you recall that morally corrupt picture of Lulu and Marianne floating somewhere on the Net... oh Goth, my eyes won't be the same after that... nor will my brain.