Code Geass: Flower of Rebellion

I apologize for the wait, here's a tidbit or two while I finish repairing the damages (AKA, deleted content from KoR 2nd Advent).

Chapter 3: The Confrontation

A year had passed since the fateful meeting between Cornelia and the Emperor of Britannia. Charles had surprisingly allowed his daughter to proceed with an investigation of her own in the search for her mother's killers. Upon hearing his decree, Halbdunkel and Morgen grew concerned for the Crown Princess's safety despite her entourage of subordinates. When Lelouch mentioned that he wished to help his half sister, Schneizel had been against it, as had many others of the Royal Line. The outspoken members of the family annoyed Lelouch, but it didn't take too much convincing once Marianne voiced her own concerns to her son.

Cornelia stood with her back to the room as she stared out the window of the hotel that had been reserved for her and her team of hand picked investigators. Among their number were several relatively new, but highly promising soldiers. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she looked to her appointed personal guard and assistant.

"Guilford."

"Yes, your Highness?"

His response was crisp, professional, yet respectful and expectant. Cornelia had taken an immediate liking to the young man. Halbdunkel recommended him personally for his sharp battle sense and political savvy. At first, she had to admit his need for glasses made her question his fighting ability before the young man had displayed his lance work in front of her as a demonstration. He certainly did have promise.

"How much do you know about the current project the Ashford family has been working on with Empress Marianne?"

Shaking his head, he adjusted his glasses with his middle and ring fingers.

"I'm sorry your Highness, but I don't have much information regarding that. Why do you ask?"

Cornelia shook her head dismissively, her indigo locks swayed slightly as she returned her attention back outside. It was so odd, seeing people drive on the opposite side of the road than those of Britannia. Not that Japan was a bad place during Spring. The cherry blossoms were in their final blooming states.

'Euphie would love to see this if she could. Damn those terrorists.'

Outside the doors, a private squad of guards halted a child of faded beige colored hair.

"I'm sorry, but any farther is off limits to the general populace. Can we take you to find your parents?"

Looking up, the child's right eye glowed red.

"Yes, yes you can."

"Lady Marianne wanted to see us? May I ask why?"

Halbdunkel looked to the messenger that gave them the missive he held in his hands. Morgen looked at his through her wine glass. They were dining out for once in private at a restaurant that they'd first began their secret courtship at. Now that their relationship was out in the open, there wasn't a real reason to keep it hidden anymore. The messenger shook his head and shrugged.

"I'm sorry, Her Majesty didn't go into details."

Nodding in acceptance, they stood from the table and Hal motioned for their waiter and the check. Paying the bill, Hal walked out with Morgen to find a car waiting for them at the entrance. Getting in, they blinked in unison upon seeing Nonette Enneagram already inside.

"Nonette? Her Majesty summons you as well?"

The ash gray haired woman nodded and extended her hand. The three shook hands as the car got underway. It felt strange for her to see the couple in casual clothes – by casual, meaning that they weren't in their Rounds uniforms – they still wore clothes that were a bit beyond the typical common wear. They were dressed like nobility without all the fancy frills that many of them possessed.

Halbdunkel wore a red silk shirt that matched his hair color with the collar opened by two buttons. It exposed his clavical and the necklace she occasionally saw him wear. Over the shirt was a swallowtail long coat of black with gray slacks and black dress shoes. His belt held a short sword he carried with permission of the Emperor for personal protection.

Morgen wore a one-piece summer dress of lavender that was backless. The younger woman was wearing her hair up in a braided bun. She also wore a long duster with fur linings. Being early spring, it was warm at times, and then cold at times. Shaking her head, she couldn't believe these two.

"Yes, Morgen, Marianne wished to speak with me as well, though for what, I've no idea."

"I hope its nothing too serious. It's unusual for her to call us both out when she knows we have time off duty. The fact that she's also asked for you as well only adds to our concern."

Watching the Imperial Villa draw closer from the tinted windows of the car, the three Rounds stayed silent in their own thoughts as the car made its way through the winding streets out of the city and into the country side where Marianne's Villa was located.

Lelouch sat with Nunally in the gardens while watching butterflies flutter about the sweet smelling plants. The two kids had wanted to go visit Euphemia, but Marianne had told them that they had visitors coming soon and to stay with her until they had left. Lelouch had shown a bit of a stubborn streak, but quieted down a bit when he found out that the visitors were Rounds.

"Brother, Brother! Look, I caught one."

Lelouch refocused his attention on his little sister who held her hands out to him to reveal a single pale blue butterfly. He smiled and rustled her hair. The girl laughed and the insect flew up into the air. They watched it fly off as their Mother approached them with a smile.

"Lelouch, would you go greet our guests? Tell them I'll see them in a minute."

Nodding, the boy left Nunally to see to their guests. Nunally ran up to Marrianne and wrapped her arms around her Mother's legs. Marianned gave her daughter a small smile and patted her on the head before returning the embrace. Kneeling down to place herself at her daughter's height, she held up a finger.

"Nunally, I need to you stay with Lelouch while I talk with the Rounds."

The little girl pouted with her bottom lip pointed out a little. Marianne smirked, she'd started doing with a few weeks ago and Lelouch fell prey to it far too easily for her liking. Then again, she could understand why, little Nunally looked too adorable pouting. But she wasn't Lelouch.

"Don't give me that look sweetie, your brother may fall for it but I won't. I'll be sure to have them play with you a bit before they leave alright?"

Nunally smiled and nodded vigorously before leaving to seek out her brother. A humored chuckle came from around the entrance of the garden once the child was out of sight.

"You're such a sweet talker when you put some effort into it Marianne."

"This isn't a conversation that I want Nunally to hear, much less Lelouch. I thought you weren't going to stick around C.C.?"

The long green haired woman stepped from around the corner with a smirk on her face. Golden eyes held a penetrating gaze, as the Immortal looked her contractor in the eyes. The two of them had met when Charles was courting Marianne several years ago. Despite the nearly constant visits by Rounds and other delegates and members of the Royal family, the only two other people who'd ever seen C.C. were Charles and V.V.

"Well, you seemed to trust them enough to give them what I think you're giving them, so I want to see what manner of humans they are. To answer your question as well, I'm not hanging around here, I'm walking right past them."

"They're going to ask about you."

C.C. strutted past with a smirk and a mischievous air about her. Marianne shook her head in amazement. The ageless woman walked down the hallways with nary a look back and the Empress who shrugged as she watched the woman go.

The three Rounds entered the home with neutral expressions. The attendants had offered to take their coats, but the three of them respectfully declined. Walking back to the gardens, Lelouch rounded the corner with a small, barely visible smile on his face. Hal's eyebrows lifted a fraction in surprise before he bowed with Nonette and Morgen to the young Prince.

"Your Highness Lelouch."

"Hm? Knight of Nine? I was expecting the Knight of Eight to be with them."

Nonette rose from her bow with a grin on her face.

"I think they were surprised as well your Highness. Where is Empress Marianne?"

Nodding as he accepted her statement, he turned and began to walk down the hall he just came from, only to have a flurry of light brunette hair and a ruffle of pink skirts slam into him. The boy lost his balance and began to fall to the floor. Halbdunkel and Morgen both moved in and caught them before they could hit the ground. Standing the Vi Britannia children up, Morgen helped straighten Nunally's skirts as Hal brushed out the wrinkles in Lelouch's short coat.

"You should be more careful your Highness Lelouch, it won't do for our young Prince to get taken out by his younger sister."

Nunally looked up at them with bright eyes.

"But then I could say I beat Brother at something."

Morgen, Nonette, and Hal looked back and forth at each other as Lelouch began to freak out a bit and complain to his sister. Her laughter drowned out the barely hidden snort of laughter from Morgen. Hal and Nonette shook their heads in apparent humor.

'I think we're all better off not commenting on that one.'

Bringing their attention back on the children, Lelouch wore a flustered, pouting face as Nunally looked like the cat that got the cream. The three Knights sighed before going on alert at the sudden chuckling and footsteps coming from down the hall. The five individuals looked toward the source to have all their eyes widen.

Before them, was a slender woman of middle height with long green hair and golden eyes. She held an amused smirk with an equally humored look in her eyes. Yet something there also sent the Rounds on the defensive as they instinctively formed a protective formation around the Prince and Princess with Hal taking point. The woman slowly approached with deliberate steps. Holding her palms toward them, they could see that she held no weapons, but that wasn't their cause for concern.

'Who is this woman? She gives off almost no aura of emotions despite her facial expression. Something's not right. It feels so cold around her, like a freezing Winter wind.'

The woman looked younger than Morgen and Hal, yet deep down they could see a certain timelessness in her eyes. It was eerie and Morgen actually shivered. When she stopped beside Hal, the three tensed, preparing for the worst-case scenario. Lelouch held Nunally close as he looked up to the strangely acting woman. The two locked eyes and Lelouch put on a stern face and glared fearlessly. She smiled a humored smile and then looked to Hal and the others without moving her head.

"Good luck Knights of Round. Marianne will see you now."

'Hmph, Marianne's son certainly has promise, but it isn't time yet. Maybe another seven or eight years?'

Proceeding on, Hal spun with an incredulous look on his face. His eyes blazed an frosty blue as he placed a hand on his short sword.

"Wait! Who are you? You talk like you're familiar with her Majesty!"

Looking back over her shoulder, she flicked a lock of hair from her face and gave him a half scornful look.

"Of course I am, but you can ask her about that."

She walked on as an attendant came up to the woman with a riding jacket for horses and the woman left the halls toward the pastures. Lelouch looked down to his sister to find her clutching his shirt. The Rounds didn't fully relax, and Hal bit his lip before looking back in the direction they were supposed to be going to meet with Marianne.

'Just what was all that?'

The thought ran through everyone's minds.

Hoo, recalling all this information off my memory after my CPU magnet mishap is an epic struggle in itself. Hope this pacifies some people.

I've been listening to a lot of Janne Da Arc and Acid Black Cherry lately. Hopefully this'll help my mental juices flow again. I feel like I've come out of hibernation.