Chapter 11: A New Order’s 10th Anniversary

The big day is coming, 10 years of a peaceful new order, but it's one that Kallen wants others to partake in.

“Mrs. Gates, it’s a bit early for my…Kallen?” Nunnally's demure, almost bored voice shifted to total shock as she wasn't face-to-face with the 50-something, grey-haired, stone-faced official, but a consort of the emperor, her…her sister-in-law.

Kallen stood from the table, this being the first time in years Nunnally had seen her, really seen her, as they didn't have a TV and news rarely made it out of her. The last time she saw her was in a news article from last year. "Hello, Nunnally. Weird how last time we could really talk, I was the prisoner." Kallen spoke; her voice, even with all these years, was the same one she had met at Ashford, had conversed with when she was Viceroy.

That, more than anything, broke through whatever calm Nunnally had as she just went right for the jugular. "Wait...what, no, why the fuck are you here?! How did you even get permission? When did you even learn where I was?" She didn't care if she came off as incredibly rude. She didn't care that she was pointing at a woman who could have her executed like Kallen, as the criminal and odd one out here.

She turned to Rebecca, the master of the house, but the older woman just shook her hands in surrender. "I'm just as surprised as you are, ma'am. I wasn't told about this till she was already 5 minutes out."

Kallen figured this would happen, but after hr trip to Japan and her talk with Kaguya, she was in the mood to work some miracles. "I thought we should talk. I have a feeling you'll want to hear what I have to say."

Line Break

The farmhouse had never been a place of life or noise. If not for the lights that went on every night and remained on around the building for security till the sun rose, you would be forgiven for assuming the lone building was some old wreck, standing strong but barren of life.

And just every other night when it came time for supper, the dining room had no conversations, no whispers or jokes, no laughter or groans from debates won or lost. But it lacked even that, as this was not another quiet supper as Nunnally had come to accept over the years; this… this shouldn't be possible, and no matter how hard she tried to rationalise it, it just didn't make sense.

Kallen remained on her feet. The emperor's consort dressed in travelling clothes, far less fiery and expressive than what she was seen wearing in official public sightings, yet something which still did a fantastic job of highlighting everything wonderful about her, a large sun hat left on the table.

She planned to give Nunnally time to accept that she had a guest, but it seemed she was so much like Lelouch when something truly out of left field happened. Like Kallen's husband, Nunnally seemed to have a habit of freezing up like an old computer before it crashed.

“Should we sit, or do you plan on just looking at me?” Kallen spoke after a couple of minutes of silence.

Nunnally shook her head, Kallen’s voice serving as a soft reboot as her face grew guarded. “You didn’t answer my questions.”

“Is that so important?” Kallen counted.

“Yes.”

“Royals, always suspicious,” Kallen muttered, well aware of the irony of her saying that. Still, as she sat, she addressed Nunnally's concerns. "For how I got permission, I spoke with the Minister of Justice, and he pulled some strings. I spoke with him not too long ago. The man works fast, and your file wasn't buried like some long-dead cold case."

"As for why I'm here, like I said, I wanted to talk," Kallen repeated as Nunnally wheeled closer to the table, right to the spot she always took, marked by the lack of a seat.

“What’s there to talk about?” Nunnally asked, as they hadn't seen each other in almost a decade. They might as well be different people from the ones who had talked about Ashford. What a turn of fate that Nunnally would find herself in the gilded cage.

Kallen would disagree. “A lot, seeing how we’re sisters-in-laws.”

“I didn’t know you married a Lamperouge, your highness,” Nunnally bitterly muttered, and Kallen pretended she didn't hear it. She couldn't fault the young gir….younger woman for her outburst, as restrained as it seemed. So she gave Nunnally time to try to collect herself.

Nunnally soothed out her jacket, but her eyes told a different story. They seemed hopeful, a tired sort of hope, held on to less for belief and more because it was all they had, and even then, it wasn’t quite right. "Kallen, why are you here…really? If you wanted to know whether I'm still breathing, they keep a close eye on me. And I haven't caused any issues."

Nunnally had that much to her name, outside her episodes where she would have been on the IV and antidepressants, she was right and dandy.

“Do you regret it?” Kallen asked, almost out of the blue, as Rebecca gulped, as out of all the things.

“What?” Nunnally froze, her hand moments from combing her now short hair back. Her other hand was twitching.

None escaped Kallen’s eye. She might not be a frontline soldier, but she was still the queen on the chessboard. And just like in her days of combat, she didn’t let what was to come distract her from her goal. “You were blind, you were never dead, Nunnally.”

"What sort of question is that? Oh, of course I don't," And just like Kallen expected, and the rest feared, Nunnally exploded. Slamming her hands onto the table hard enough for it to rattle, she glared at Kallen like she was a pest, not an ounce of fear or respect for the consort in her as she continued her rant. "I love being exiled to some forgotten far house. I love not being able to call or see anyone, to write anyone. To only hear pre-selected radio and watch pre-screened news."

Nunnally's anger bled away, leaving just grief, loathing, and an emptiness; she didn't even notice that she had stood. She had forgotten she was wearing her new leg braces.

“I love this emptiness I feel every second of every day. I love always being forced to see my younger self siding with Schneizel. I love…” Nunnally didn't choke back a sob or bite back a laugh; it was something in between as she wasn't sure who she was trying to convince. She didn't know if she was making sense, only letting it flow as she seemed to bleed out strength with each word.

"I love losing the only real family I had, the fear that I would never be able to apologise, to never meet my nieces and nephews ' children who don't even know who I am. I utterly adore that my not sister-in-law, because I am no longer a royal, came to see me just to see how much I’ve fallen!” With that second wind, she collapsed into her cheer, her legs feeling weaker than they had felt since she was first shot.

Tearing up, she didn't care how she looked; she just…she just wanted to go to bed and pretend this was all just a particularly bad nightmare. “I…I love it so much it hurts, that I can’t feel anything but this love most days…”

Nunnally's gaze grew foggy with tears as she looked to her lap, her head low. She…she just didn't know.

Kallen did, at least in part, and she didn’t remain idle. “He never forgot you, you know. Not once,” Kallen whispered, having walked around the table without Nunnally’s notice and embraced her, kneeling at her wheelchair’s side. “And neither did I. He regrets it, not stepping in then.”

Nunnally sobbed out a laugh. “He already didn’t, why else wasn’t I killed with the rest?”

“Pendragon.” Nunnally stopped Kallen before she could repeat that little line.

"I didn't know, I didn't press the button then…But I did during the battle. I pressed it so many times, I killed so many people…and instead of death, I’m still here. So, I know, I know he did something.”

Nunnally had never forgotten; she refused to forget what she had done. Not just fighting her brother and Kallen. But the idea that those soldiers weren’t ‘brainwashed’ as Schneizel implied. No…even if they had been, to kill them wasn’t mercy, it just wasn’t.

And the world agreed, as so many grieving families had been part of the jury and watched the trials. She was never attacked, the same as for the other defendants, but not for lack of trying, and if people couldn't reach with their knives and guns, they could sure as hell scream.

‘Witch.’

‘Monster.’

'Why are you here, but Franklins isn't?'

‘How could you kill my husband, traitor?’

'My friend is dead, and his kids are now without their mom. Are you happy? Was it worth it?'

‘I hope you die.’

That and so much more…it should have proven impossible that she would escape the noose, but she did, and the viewing public had been angry about that. Same as the jury that voted her guilty.

“He didn’t. He wishes he did, but…” Kallen uttered, as that day, those trials had been as impartial as possible. They had to be; it was the only way she and Lelouch could keep from thumbing the scale. “I wish I did more.”

“What could you have done?” Nunnally muttered, leaning into Kallen because she didn’t have the strength to fight back.

"More than nothing, I could have done something," Kallen spoke so simply, and yet her words were as strong as the morning sun’s rays on the cold prairie. “I kept pictures. I show them from time to time. I show them their auntie, well, second auntie, along with Sakuya. I show them the person who knew their father better than I, better than C.C., better than Leila." Kallen mused, as she recalled the stupid photo album, the one that Suzaku kept, the unaltered one which showed those happier times…

She might have threatened him, but Suzaku handed over perfect copies of those pictures, which Kallen, in turn, jealously guarded and only brought out when she wished to share stories with her babies before bed.

“I show them the auntie who made a mistake, a mistake I know she regrets, but one I didn’t know was eating away at you so much.” Kallen sighed, as if she had… she could… she would have acted sooner, grand reveal be damned.

"Yes, well, now you seem me," Nunnally muttered.

“Do you really think I would be so cruel just to show up for that?”

Nunnally looked away. “It’s better than holding onto false hope. It hurts less.”

Sighing, Kallen didn't try to force this, but she would say her piece. "I recently took a trip to Japan to spend some time with Milly and Rivalz."

“…How have they been?” Nunnally asked, as all she knew was that Milly was a duchess now, but that was it. News about happenings in Japan wasn't the kind of thing her caretakers let through.

Kallen didn't let Nunnally go for a moment, rocking the younger woman as a smile, small it might have been, stretched over the redhead's face. "They're doing great, they married a while back, and they have a daughter, they named her Shirley."

"She would have loved that, and then been horrified about what Milly would do with an innocent soul." Nunnally chuckled, feeling something positive for the first time that night. Shirley… she was a good person; she didn't deserve to end the way she did. She was happy that Milly didn't let their friend's memory just fade.

“Milly’s not so bad, well-not with us.” Kallen amended, as Milly had tried some insane things when she had been visited. "I met someone while there, we had a chance to talk, and I was able to figure out some things."

“I don’t want this. I don’t want things to just…be this.” Kallen muttered, but not once did her words lose that conviction.

It was because of that that she pulled out a thick envelope from her jacket and handed it to Nunnally, who looked at it, and then to Kallen in confusion. “What’s this?”

"An offer, one which will be painful, but it'll bring our family back together," Kallen stated, but gave her a genuine smile. “So would you like to see the fireworks with us?”

Line Break

Kaguya had also returned from her trip to Tokyo, arriving back in Kyoto long before Kallen would step foot in Britannia proper. As Kaguya had suspected, she had a meeting with her ministers and Tohdoh to discuss matters, during which she was able to spin their views to sound more positive than they actually were. Still, it was that or deal with them harping on for hours on end about things that couldn't be changed.

But that was then, and this was now. She was back in her palace, in her office, as she looked out the window towards her much more modest and yet still opulent gardens. The palace, built from the bones of the former imperial residence, limited it in some respects. Still, she was never one who thought a massive garden meant much. She liked what she saw, and that was enough for her. 

If only that were the only thing on her mind, as in the weeks since Kallen's visit, she had revealed the arguably bigger thing about the meeting. "Ma'am, are you sure about this?" Her aide, a woman 12 years her senior, asked.

"I was sure yesterday, and the day before that, Ms. Shimura," Kaguya replied, as she wondered why the woman was so tense. Kaguya could admit she had high demands of her aides, as she was, for better or worse, Japan's empress and thus needed the best people. Still, she actively tried to be a fair and understanding superior.

Besides, this wasn't feudal times; it was as if Kaguya could have the aide in question, and their family killed for some slight or mistake.

“M-my apologies, it just…seems out of nowhere.” Ms. Shimura sighed, pulling a tissue out to wipe at her forehead. Really, Kallen wondered how a woman over 1.8 meters tall, built like she could bench other bodybuilders, could be so nervous.

“Yes, I thought the same when I was handed it,” Kaguya noted. “But it’s not something we can ignore.”

"The hardliners wouldn't like this, ma'am. This…they'll see it as acceptance of the status quo. They'll surely accuse you of giving up on a united Japan." Ms Shimura reminded her.

‘Those fools would drag us into another way and burn all we’ve built for pride.’ Kaguya, with her back turned to the woman as she focused on the gardens, rolled her eyes. If nothing else, she felt for Tohdoh needing to deal with such people regularly. "I have been as dedicated as I've always been, but there are more ways to get what we wish than conflict."

Before they could continue the talk, there was a knock at the door as one of the servants opened it, just enough for them to peek. "Pardon, ma'am, but Empress Tianzi is here. Shall I show her to the tea room?"

Kaguya hummed, a smile forming as she turned on her heels and made her way for the door, the servant being quick to get out of the way. “No, I’ll receive her myself.”

As Ms. Shimura moved to follow her, Kaguya held her hand out, stopping her. “Rukia, you should take the day off. Odds are, I won’t be getting back to paperwork when this is done.”

Rukia paused, but seeing how her empress looked at her, she decided she wouldn’t fight getting off work early. “At once, mam. Have a good afternoon.” With that, she bowed and left, leaving Kaguya alone as she hummed a little song as she walked towards her destination.

Line Break

Kaguya burst into her bedroom, a large and elegantly designed and styled room, a realm where she should only invite the maids who clean and no one else, as she remained unwed. “Well, good afternoon, your majesty. I hope that the trip was up to your standards.”

But who could stop her from having her friend over like they were both teenagers? Besides, when Jiang came over, it was rare for her to receive her in her tea room, as Kaguya would other guests. Oh no, the Chinese woman would greet and walk towards Kaguya's bedroom as if she owned the place, and no one dared stop her.

Jiang was seated, not on the bed, but at the small table set to the side. "Kaguya! Stop teasing me." Like Kaguya, Jiang had grown over the years, becoming one of the finest women in all of China, a fine symbol of a new beginning for her people.

"I need to be careful to treat you right, else Xingke form on a brilliant white horse and strike me down, before rescuing you and carrying off to explore the world.” Kaguya sighed, hand over her heart as she closed the door behind her and strolled into the room.

“Kaguya!” A throw pillow was thrown at Kaguya's face, one that the Japanese empress dodged.

“I’m teasing, I’m teasing, Xingke would arrive on a purple horse-ow!” A second one beamed off her head. Jiang sat with an adorable pout and crossed arms under her unfairly well-developed bosom. Why was it that Kaguya was the only one who hadn't gotten a pair on the bigger side?

"You had it coming," Jiang muttered.

Kaguya played it off, falling to her knees and leaning onto Jiang, who rolled her eyes at how dramatic Kaguya could be behind closed doors. "Oh, how things have changed the affairs of state, turned you jaded and cruel, just like so many of your ancestors. Have you started purchasing silk to tear for the amusement of some secret lover?”

“Who can say? Plotting a Korean invasion, I should know about?" She turned it around on Kaguya, who paused, as if seriously considering it.

“Maybe tomorrow, speaking with the generals is always so boring.” Kaguya waved it off, only for both to start laughing. Kaguya picks herself up and gives Jiang a proper hug.

"It's good to see you. Sorry, I wasn't able to visit the last time." She apologised, but the Chinese empress, her best friend, waved it off.

"You were busy, Kaguya. So am I most of the time. I had to move around my schedule a lot for this little visit. Speaking of, why did you call? You said it was important." Both were important people, but that also meant they were incredibly busy people. The fairy tales might have painted being a king or queen as being a calm, chill job, but that was as real as the toothy fairy. Japan might have had an imperial diet once more, and the federation long dismantled, but that didn't mean the two monarchs weren't kept busy more often than not.

“Well, you heard about Consort Kallen visiting Tokyo not too long ago?” Kaguya asked, pouring Jiang some sake as if she were having a friend over; she only served the good stuff, such as the bottle she kept in her bedroom.

Jiang, contrary to the little girl she once had been, downed her cup in a single throwback, slamming it down like a veteran drunk. Grunting as she replied. “Even if the news didn’t speak about it, intelligence reports made clear. Xianglin worried that it was some sort of secret meeting.”

“If it was, then it was the weirdest meeting I ever went to.” Kaguya wasn't as…skilled at drinking as Jiang was, and she drank more slowly.

“You got it?” Jiang asked, impressed, but Kaguya shook her head.

"To speak with Kallen? Yes. Unless she's become a master of deception, as far as I could tell, she was just visiting some friends, and she brought her kids to play…it was exhausting." She admitted it might have been weeks ago, but she could still recall it as if she were doing it just minutes ago.

Jiang was far from an understanding shoulder as she threw her head back and laughed, free and true. “You, exhausted? You must be getting old.”

“Hey, have you ever tried keeping up with kids? It’s like they never get tired and can’t hold onto the same game for more than 15 minutes before it’s something new, or they want to put something in their mouths.” Kaguya countered, but Jiang only kept on laughing at Kaguya's expense, only stopping long enough to reach for the bottle, pour herself some sake, and down that just as fast. "That's not funny. I was expecting high-level politics, agreements, and negotiations, but…babysitter work."

“Didn’t you tell me that you planned to marry Zero, for real? And that he had a harem of women to ‘satiate his beastly libido’?” Jiang bluntly reminded, as Kaguya loved to tease her about that back in the day; now the shoe was on the other foot, and Kaguya's cheeks turned as red as Jiang's palace walls.

She couldn't help it, yes-she had never told Jiang about who Zero had been, but she had recently spent time with one of his wives and 4 of his kids-just the 4 out of over a dozen with 4 different consorts. She had been joking when she made those comments about Zero's sex drive; she had no way of knowing then that he was as randy as a fucking rabbit.

Jiang misread it and pointed out the irony of the situation as she saw it. “You wanted that sort of like, don’t tell me you thought kids would be easy.”

"You're talking like you spend a lot of time around kids. Is there something I should know?" Kaguya tried to reverse things, but Jiang only smiled, thumbing at her empty cup.

“Not really, you already know I travel a lot for goodwill tours and to see the living conditions of my people,” “Even now, the former Federation is sill incredibly poor, so many orphans…playing with them, even for a little bit, helps brighten their day, and reminds me why I didn’t try and bolt when I had the chance to be a normal girl.” She admitted that she had never wished to be a ruler. She had just wished to be…free.

But she wasn't given the choice till she got it and realised she was the only one who could. She had no relatives, and if someone else tried to claim the throne, it would be the end of her dynasty and could have spelled untold chaos for China. She couldn't do that to her people, nor would she disrespect Xingke's memory. He fought for her, but she would fight for their people.

Seeing that, and recalling some of the images she had seen of Jiang out in the mud with peasants, made Kaguya laugh. “God, how did the Eunuchs ever keep you so browbeaten?”

“It’s easy when you start with a little girl and work on her for years,” Jiang dryly reminded Kaguya as she poured herself her third cup while Kaguya was still busy with her first. "Back to the Tokyo thing, you wouldn't have brought it up without a reason. What was it?"

“It’s this…Kallen gave me an invite to the big festivities in Briannia, VIP, and I was given 2, so I wanted to see if you didn't want to come." Kaguya told her, the very much not drunk Jiang paused mid sip, then slowly put her cup down and turned to Kaguya like she had asked if she wanted to be the plus 1 in some threesome.

“…Pardon?”

Line Break

Second and last chapter of the week, man, when was the last time I could say that? Made even weirder as my lunch made me a little sleepy, and with some free time and no caffeine, I wanted and took a nap to clear my head. This time, I didn't wake up in the early hours of the morning, else this wouldn't have been done on time.

As for the chapter, it's something of a set-up for the finale, so it came out a bit shorter, as not a lot needed to be done, and more importantly, I wanted to put everything I could into that last chapter, making it really jam-packed as I saw my remaining word count. I have less than 9400 words left. So while the next and final chapter would be roughly 3700 words, the next would be well over 5500, which doesn't seem like a lot, but trust me…it will be.