7 Realizing my mistake, a promise to myself (2/2)
Finally, the last person in the room was Ciel's Spymaster Qrow Branwen. The man´s History was both impressive and sad, Ciel had researched Team STRQ quite heavily and their fate had been a sad one indeed.
Team STRQ had been a group of four Knights of Round who had become famous for their almost completely bloodless Conquest of Area 7 (Hawaii), well atleast bloodless on side of Britannia. Unfortunately things went wrong shortly afterwards, the Chinese Federation had anticipated the attack on Area 8 (Falkland Islands) and had sent large amounts of Weaponry and Men as support there.
The strong resistance had caught the four off-guard which resulted in the death of Summer Rose. That led to Taiyang Xiao Long (A chinese/Britannian mix) to fall into depression and resign from the Rounds. Shortly after Raven Branwen disappeared and Qrow started drinking.
Finally five years ago Qrow had been dishonorally discharged from the Rounds due to unprofessional behaviour. The man had then returned to the small amount of Land which his families Baron-title had gotten and had taken care off his depressed Brother in law along with his Nieces Ruby and Yang. That continued until Ciel had recruited the man into his ranks two years ago and offered his Nieces free education in his City. Since then Qrow served as his Spymaster and had gotten such good results that Ciel now even got information about the Geass Directorate from him.
Looking at Qrow in particular he sighed.
”Alright hit me with it.”
Qrow looked with a certain amount of annoyance as he took a swig from his flask.
”Basically its a Shitstorm. The death of Marianne has countless Nobles moving against her supporters at once, except for the Ashfords which are partially under your protection her supporters are falling into disgrace faster than you can eat your sweets.
Margrave Jeremiah which you asked me to keep an eye on is currently guarding Prince Lelouch with a few others from Mariannes old guard. The members of Scepter4 were dismissed by Prince Lelouch and have returned to their base in the city.
On the side of the Geass-directorate things have been going bad too. The Code-Bearer C.C. defected shortly after Mariannes death, the Emperor and V.V. have sent Director Salem and two Knights of Round specifically Hazel Rainart and Natala after her.
I don't know the specifics but there was a small battle at a harbor in one of the Cities of California. It is unknown what happened to the other three but Analysis of one of the corpses in the Harbour has confirmed the death of the Knight of Six Natala.”
Ciel winced a bit. The boy had just been 17 years old and was already dead. The disappearance of C.C. in California made sense given that she would be moving to China where she would meet Mao. The fate of Salem and Hazel was curious, he was wondering if Salem perhaps had decided to rid herself of the Geass-order in favour of making her own group. He silently resolved to keep track of Arthur Watts in case the man defected eventually to join her.
”Very well, make it clear that the Ashfords are under my protection so nobody gets stupid ideas. Also, extend Jeremiah an offer to join my City if he wants...”
Ciels eyes twitched in annoyance as someone interrupted his speech by knocking on the door. A butler came in hurriedly and ran towards him.
”Your Highness. Emperor Charles has demanded your immediate presence in the Palace. He made it clear that non-attendance will result in trouble.”
Ciel growled before standing up. Looking at Marrybell he nodded for her to join him.
”Very well. Meeting adjourned for now. We will be talking about your report later General.”
General Ironwood merely looked serious before nodding in agreement. Ciel nodded to the others and left the room with his Cousin.
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”Announcing Prince Lelouch vi Britannia. 17th Heir to the Royal Britannian Imperial Throne.”
Ciel almost groaned out loud as he watched his Cousin Lelouch march towards the Emperors Throne with a horrid scowl on his face. His expression growing angrier and angrier the more he heard the wispers of the other Nobles who spoke purposfully loud enough for Lelouch to understand them.
He really wished he had been able to succeed in contacting Lelouch to stop him from doing this stupid shit but the boy had rebuffed any messager which he had sent to him and only said he knew what he was doing and that Nunnally should be with him as only he could protect her. Something which Ciel would not do given that it would mean the girl would leave the protection of his city and especially the treatment that was trying to save not only her life but her vision and legs. If she were to leave now she would never walk again, but Lelouch just refused to listen to anything anyone would tell him, completely believing that Ciel might have been one of the responsible for his mother's death. After all, Marianne was quite explicitly against the boy when the Emperor was not around, to Lelouch his mother must have had a good reason to dislike Ciel so much. That, at least, was what his young and impressionable mind told him.
Surpressing a sigh Ciel decided to look around at the other people in attendance.
Cornelia was present with Nonette. No Euphy though. Both woman had serious expressions mixed with pity on their faces no doubt due to them already knowing how this would go.
Schneizel was also there. He was standing beside Odysseus his older brother who long since had been subverted into obeying Schneizel and his older sister Guinevere who while being the embodiment of Britannian Arrogance was smart enough to work for Schneizel instead of against him. Ironically, despite being far more unlikely to get the Throne she had the largest Network of supporters with her having Blackmail and Favours owed to her from almost 60% of the Nobility. The woman was a true Politican in social matters which Schneizel actually lacked in given that he was more into diplomacy and Business. Probably why the man made her his ally in the first place.
Next was Carine ne Britannia. Ciels younger cousin was also called the Bratty Princess and was a firm believer of Britannian superiorty and the Nobility system. Despite that, she was not a completely rotten person as Ciel and her got along rather well. He was not as close to her as he was to Nunnally, Euphie or Marry but he still would make sure that she would not die in the destruction of Pendragon this time around.
The next notable members of the Royal House were the Twins Castor and Pollux. Ciel knew that both were already working as Scientists for the Geass-Directorate and had even gotten their own Geass already. Both showed some amusement as they watched Lelouch approach the Emperor.
The last members of the Royal Siblings in attendance were Clovis who looked sadly to the ground and his sister the young Laila la Britannia who Ciel honestly had never even spoken to.
Aside from the royal Family, there was only one more person which Ciel took note off, Oiaguro Zevon. Or as he later would become known as: Wizard. Ciel had been angry as hell to find out that in the chaos of the deaths of several Royal family members the man had made his move and Assassinated his sister Olivia Zevon.
Worse, the man had already taken Orpheus and had handed him over to V.V. for indoctrination. The chance of Ciel getting his hands on him were now very low. He'd at least managed to ensure the safety of Oldrin as she was visiting Marrybell when that happened, she was quite shaken but Ciel managed to calm her down and led her to a place where she would be safe as well as sending people to watch over the young girl. Ciel really was considering creating a whole section of his city just for the treatment of mental trauma. Ignoring those was not healthy by any means.
Glaring at the man for a moment he put his attention to Lelouch who had began speaking to the Emperor now.
”...you should have protected her. I also demand to know where Nunnally is!”
Ciel fought to keep his face impassive despite his desire to wince. Accusing the Emperor of being incompetent in front of countless Nobles and then demanding something from the man.
”I have little use for a blind weakling like her.”
”How dare you say that?” Lelouch asked in rage, but that was just about the worse he could have done right now.
From there it was something that I bet would become the fuel for Lelouch's nightmares from this day forward.
”How I dare? No, how something like YOU dare to say anything against someone like me. You are dead! You have always been dead to me, dead from the moment you were born. Who gave you the fine Clothes you wear, the comfortable Home, the food you ate and your very life. All of those I have given to you, in short, you are nothing to me because you never existed.
YET YOU DARE TO SPEAK SUCH FOOLISHNESS TO MEEE!”
Ciel watched with some sadness as Lelouch fell back in fear as the Emperor stood threatening over him.
”Lelouch, you are dead. Therefore you are not entitled to any rights. I´m sending you to Japan where you as Prince will serve well as a Bargaining-tool!
”On the matter of Nunnally and her sister Marrybell. I have thankfully found some purpose for them due to Ciel expressing his interest in them. I was looking for potential wives for him anyway and those two will serve nicely in that regard, he is someone who deserves a prize after all. He did things to help the Empire flourish, so you better not try anything against him while you remain a deadman.”
As the Emperor spoke that almost every person in the room had their mouth fall down to the ground. Ciel himself went bug-eyed in horror, when he told Charles that he would take care of them he had NOT meant something like that, he wanted to ensure their health and that they would receive the very best treatment possible so as to make them go back to how they were before. Looking at Lelouch Ciels blood went cold. The look in Lelouch's face when he looked at Ciel was so full of desire to see Ciel dead as he never had experienced, long gone was the friendship and brotherhood that the boy felt for him and instead Ciel could sense that he was now one of Lelouch's ire.
Ciel knew, if they had been alone Lelouch would have attacked and killed him here and now, he'd do that with a smile on his face even and not bothered with explanations. Thankfully for Ciel two Guards grabbed Lelouch and led him out of the room even as the boy tried to do his best to memorize the faces of every single person there to kill them later. Lelouch had become a mad dog, he was likely to kill everyone he saw just for the heck of it and that thought terrified Ciel to no end as he never doubted his brother (cousin actually, but Ciel thought of him as brother regardless) is capable of such a feat.
Ciel winced slightly. Nunnally would not be happy about this once she woke up, and neither him was as he could understand that the Emperor was likely saying that on the spur of the moment (he was prone to quick judgment for no good reason sometimes) but it still troubled Ciel greatly.
He could only hope to manage to find some time to speak to Lelouch properly, Ciel was sure the boy he knew would understand if he were to explain it to him properly.
Ciel was about to go and try to speak with Lelouch when his cellphone rang. He only opened it and the message made him wince as he decided he had something more important to deal with than calming down a fuming Lelouch who would refuse to listen anyway.
Ciel's P.O.V.
Back in the city after the fiasco, I didn't even have the time to eat some sweets as I speed towards the hospital. Law had called me to warn that Marrybell had just woken up and when she saw her own state and her memories of what happened hit her she started crying madly and had to be constrained otherwise she might have wounded herself more.
When I entered her room I saw that she was fully held down on the bed, her body moving madly as she tried all she could to get out. She was completely in panic and despair.
I, I caused this. My precious cousin, my family, is now in such a sorry state because I wasn't fucking careful enough.
Fuck!
With slow steps, I approached her bed, when Marrybell saw me her movements slowed down a bit but it was clear she was not back to normal at all. Sighing I released her from her constraints but just as she was about to jump and run to who knows where I hugged her. She continued flailing about, her sharp nails creating some wounds on my back but I simply continued hugging her until her crazy movements receded and instead sobbing could be heard as my shoulders were slowly but surely covered in her tears.
”I am sorry, I am so sorry.” I told her, she didn't answer at all as I just continued like this and continued talking. ”What happened, it should never have happened. I am sorry, I, I should have been able to stop it somehow, but I failed. But have no fear because I'm here now. I will make sure that you never again will go through such a situation, I will keep you safe and about your wounds, I will treat them. You will be able to show to all ladies in court your face and have them be filled in jealous of how pretty you will be. I give you my word, you are not alone as long as I am here you will always have a home.” I said. Her sobbing continued for a while more but I could sense that her arms were now circulating my body as she fully released all her frustrations on me.
Let it out, you must let the emotions out. I will stay right here to be the shoulder she cries on for as long as she wants, after failing her so much there isn't anything that I could do for her that would be too much. I will ensure that both her and Nunnally were treated well and to give them a protection that would make the one on Charles seem like not having one by comparison.
I will keep those I care about safe, no matter what.