Chapter Text
From early morning, the palace was bustling with activity. The servants were constantly moving through the corridors, carrying freshly laundered cloths, golden cutlery, vases full of flowers and many other decorations. The doors to the various rooms opened one after the another, and from the kitchen came the scents of freshly baked bread and sweet pastries being prepared for the evening feast.
Both the grand dining hall and the ballroom were being prepared for a grand reception.
The long table in the dining room was covered with a white tablecloth, and tall candles and decorative floral arrangements were placed in the centre. The cutlery glistened in the light streaming through the tall windows, and the glasses were arranged with precision, each in its designated place.
“Be careful with that!”
“Those flowers were meant to be somewhere else!”
“Please bring two more vases!”
Meanwhile, Lelouch and his younger sister Nunnally were sitting in the library. Whilst the rest of their siblings were also preparing for the event, this pair was doing quite the opposite.
Lelouch rested his chin on his hand and sighed. “I don’t understand why preparing a single dinner requires so much effort.”
Nunnally giggled. She sat opposite him, holding his hand.
The Kingdom of Japan, whose relations with the Kingdom of Britannia were relatively good, was expected to visit today.First, a fancy dinner, followed by a formal ball. For the adults, it was an extremely important evening.
For Lelouch, this meant, first and foremost, several hours of sitting at the table, listening to these conversations.
“Ah, there you are?” asked Schneizel. He is Nunnally and Lelouch’s older brother.
They both looked at him.
“You should both be getting ready now.”
Lelouch sighed even louder. “There’s still time.”
Schneizel smiled slightly. “I’ve been sent to find you so that you can try on your outfits.”
Nunnally looked at Lelouch.
“Do we have to go?” he asked.
“I’m afraid so,” Schneizel chuckled softly. “It’s just one evening, and tomorrow we can play chess together.”
Lelouch narrowed his eyes, clearly displeased.
“Tonight is really important…”
“Yes, yes, I know,” he interrupted. “I’ll be there in five minutes.”
Schneizel shook his head, amused. “Three.”
“Four.”
“Two.”
Lelouch gave him a sharp look. Nunnaly giggled.
“I’ll wait in the corridor.” Schneizel turned towards the door.
As the library door closed behind him, Lelouch looked at his sister.
“I heard from Sayoko that there’s going to be a boy about your age at tonight’s party.”
“Hm?”
“When Milly was over at our place!”
Lelouch raised his eyebrows. “Really?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t know.”
“I overheard Milly talking to Sayoko by chance, so I asked her about it and she said the boy’s name is Suzaku.” Nunnally giggled. “Maybe we’ll be able to have some fun together.”
Lelouch looked at her in disbelief. “I’m not going to hang out with some random guy from Japan.”
Nunnally tilted her head. “How do you know you won’t like him?”
Lelouch didn’t reply for a moment.
“We’ve got the chance to make a new friend!”
Lelouch repeated quietly, “Suzaku…”
The name sounded foreign to him. And yet, that very evening, it was to become one of the most important names in his life.
A few hours later, the palace had been completely transformed and was ready for the reception. The guards were already waiting in the courtyard. Lelouch stood beside Nunnally, dressed in an elegant outfit. He didn’t look particularly pleased that he’d actually had to put it on.
Lelouch sighed.
The sound of trumpets could be heard from outside.
The chatter in the corridor fell silent almost immediately.
The Japanese delegation had arrived.
Lelouch looked towards the huge gates leading to the courtyard. A moment later, they swung open, and the guests began to file in.
First came the court officials, then the guards, followed by the most important members of the Japanese delegation.
Lelouch watched them with curiosity.
At last, he spotted the boy. He was about the same age as Lelouch. He had dark hair and green eyes. He was dressed in traditional attire, completely different from that worn by the princes of Britannia.
The boy walked beside his father, trying to look serious, though every now and then he glanced around the vast palace.
Lelouch watched him for a moment.
“That must be Suzaku,” whispered Nunnally.
Suzaku had just looked in their direction. Their eyes met.
Suzaku quickly looked away.
Lelouch raised an eyebrow slightly. Well, all right… he was interested in the other boy.
“Prince Lelouch.” The voice of one of the advisers snapped him out of his reverie.
Lelouch stood up straight.
Soon, the two families were introduced to one another.
The bows, polite words and formal smiles went on for several minutes. Lelouch barely paid any attention to them. Every now and then, he glanced in Suzaku’s direction. The boy also looked bored.
When the adults began chatting amongst themselves, Suzaku glanced towards the enormous table laden with food. Lelouch noticed this.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Dinner began shortly afterwards; the servants brought out course after course, and the adults’ conversations filled the room.
Lelouch was sitting next to Nunnally. Opposite him, a few seats away, sat Suzaku.
For the first ten or so minutes, neither of them spoke to the other.
Lelouch tried to listen to the adults’ conversation, but he quickly lost interest.
He glanced at Suzaku.
Suzaku happened to be looking at him.
When their eyes met again, the boy smiled slightly.
Lelouch did the same. Nunnally noticed it straight away.
She leaned towards him. “Didn’t I tell you?”
Lelouch looked at her indignantly. “I don’t know him yet.”
Nunnally just giggled.
A few minutes later, Lelouch felt he really couldn’t stand it for a moment longer. He got up from the table.
“Where are you going?”
“Just for a moment.”
He headed for the door. A moment later, Suzaku got up too. Lelouch walked slowly down the corridor. At last he could breathe. However, not even a minute had passed when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned round. Suzaku stopped a few paces away. For a moment, they just stared at each other.
“Did you slip away too?” Lelouch asked.
Suzaku nodded. “Well, you know… it’s noisy.”
Lelouch snorted quietly. “I think so too.”
There was a brief silence.
Suzaku looked up and down the corridor. “Where are you going?”
“To the garden. One of my favourite places here.”
“Can I come with you?”
Lelouch raised his eyebrows, but he’d been expecting this. “You can.”
They set off together. For a few moments they walked in silence, passing through one corridor after another. Suzaku kept looking around, clearly fascinated by the palace.
“Ah, your palace really is enormous.”
“I’ve lived here all my life, so I don’t really notice it.”
“Mine is much smaller.”
“Really?” he asked, looking at Suzaku.
The boy nodded. “Yes. It’s not even half the size of this one. We have a tiny garden, and the forest begins just beyond it. There’s a river nearby, too.”
“A river?”
Suzaku smiled. “Yes. I often go there.”
Lelouch sat down on the edge of the fountain and clasped his hands behind his back. “That sounds better than here.”
Suzaku chuckled softly. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I’m not joking… there are too many people here, too much space. I’d like to see how you live.”
Suzaku blinked. “It’s really not that interesting, but if you came over, I’d show you all sorts of places.” He smiled more broadly.
Lelouch didn’t even hesitate. “I’d love to.”
Suzaku held out his little finger.
Lelouch looked at him, puzzled. “Hmm?”
“A promise.”
“A promise?”
“If you really want to promise something, you swear on your little finger.”
Lelouch looked at his hand, then hesitantly held out his own finger. “And now what?”
Suzaku hooked his finger around Lelouch’s. “Now it’s bound to happen.”
Lelouch smiled. “In that case, I promise.”
“And I promise I’ll show you everything.”
They sat in silence for a moment, still holding hands.
“I’ll come with my sister, Nunnally.”
Suzaku nodded. “The more, the better.”
A moment later, the sound of a bell rang out from the palace.
Suzaku looked up. “Ah. I suppose it’s time for us to go.”
Lelouch sighed. “Unfortunately. We should get back before they notice we’re gone.”
They both stood up. They set off together along the path leading out of the garden.
This time, however, Lelouch didn’t mind at all that the evening wasn’t over yet.