az: Gonna be alternating between writing this with Shadow Sun, depending on which chapter plot ended/done first. Being this one. As the chapter turned out good then I”ll type it and post it. For that, I thank yer all for reading this.

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Disclaimer: Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch is copyrighted by Sunrise as well as character designs by CLAMP. I’m only borrowing the fandom for the sake of the fic and the love of it.

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Buried Soul

Chapter 3: Abandoned

By honou-no-izumi alias Izzu alias Izumi Ishtar

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Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. The procession that was a part of the ceremony for his mother’s funeral seemed to be taking too long. He had been walking aimlessly during the procession. If it had not been for Schneizel leading him by his side, he would have strayed far from the procession. Then again, even if he wanted to he could not. He should not show any weakness to the outsiders. Even towards his relatives.

He realized it because each of his other sides of relatives, the families of his father’s other wives; were very competitive of each other. All had their own personal political issues against each other. All were determined to outshine each other in order to be chosen to be the next successor to the Britannian throne. To do that, they would do anything in their power to achieve their means. He had thought about it. His mother’s death; might have been because of the power struggle in this royal family. That would make a lot of sense. That would explain the reason as to how that assassin could have easily entered and attacked their mansion.

It frustrated him that the incident had been passed off as a terrorist attack. That was ridiculous! How could a mere terrorist group have entered the palace so easily? The palace area had more guards guarding it than all of the rest of the Britannian embassy of each of the country’s colonies. Before they could step a foot onto the palace, the whole artillery would have been spent on them; leaving no one surviving. But the assassin that had killed his mother as well as the unlucky nobles and servants that had crossed his way had managed to get in and out of the place without any scratch! It was very suspicious to not assume that there were no insiders involved in the incident. Why aren’t any investigations being done? Why did everyone accepted the story on the terrorist attack so easily? Was it because his mother being just a commoner? That her life wasn’t worth much? Then how—

Lelouch jumped a little as he looked up towards his half-brother Schneizel. He gestured towards him and Lelouch turned towards the sight before him. The casket had already been lowered into the hole in the ground and the janitor had been staring at him expectantly. It was then Lelouch remembered the two stalks of white roses that he had been holding on.

It was that time already.

Lelouch took a long breath as he mechanically stepped forward and threw the two stalks of flowers towards the casket. One represented him; the other one for Nunnally, who could not attend the funeral. He stepped back as the rest of the nobles copied his actions.

He felt Cornelia’s presence behind him as she placed her hands on his shoulder in a comforting gesture. He looked up as he noticed the sad look mirrored in Cornelia and Schneizel's faces. Even Clovis seemed troubled; he was probably not comfortable to attending funerals. He glanced down again as Euphie held his hand. At least he still had someone to depend on. He realized that he was not as close to his other half-brothers and half-sister but at least... he could depend on the ones that were with him now for support. At least... for now.

Until he could find his own strength...

xxx

“Lelouch... enough. Let’s get home.”

Lelouch blinked as he turned around towards Cornelia. This one half-sister of his did appear very concerned over him. Then again she did love and cared for the rest of their extended family, regardless for the fact that the only connection the siblings had with each other was through their father. Well, except Euphie of course... they were, after all having the same mothers. But he could understand that. That’s the same as his love over his only true sister, Nunnally.

This line of thought started to dampen his spirit once more as Lelouch wondered about Cornelia’s feelings over the rest of the royal family. As well as Schneizel and Clovis respectively. Had they been sincere—wait, why did he think this way, of course they—! He had lived and spent his childhood with them. They couldn’t possibly—but then, why would anybody wanted to hurt his mother?

Come to think he never get to know more or spent time with his other step-mothers. Much because either they had already deceased or had refused to acknowledge any other children of the Emperor other than their own. Could the culprit be amongst them? But then the list of suspects would be too big. And he did not have powerful enough power to—

Wait. There was someone with such power. But... why? Why did he do absolutely nothing?

“Lelouch?”

He blinked, now realising that he caught the attention of not only Cornelia but his half-brother Schneizel as well. The man cast him a look of concern as Lelouch dismissed the concern. The man sighed as he ushered the little boy to follow him home.

xxx

“Announcing the arrival of Lord Lelouch Vi Britannia, the seventeenth in line to the Imperial throne of the Britannian Empire.”

The great doors opened before him as Lelouch entered the hall. He told no one of his closest siblings about this decision. There was something that he felt that he should find out by himself. His need to know the answers to the questions that kept troubling his mind. This decision had been rashly made on his behalf but what else should he do? He could not anymore stand silent while trying to remain strong against this fate that had become of him and Nunnally with these uncertainties and doubts still clouding his thoughts.

With these thoughts, he kept walking forwards towards the direction of the emperor’s podium as the cold atmosphere inside the hall started to make him uncomfortable. As he continued his slow march towards his father’s place, he could clearly hear the whispers among the present nobles.

“I heard that Queen Marianne was murdered in the capital” said one of the nobles as Lelouch bit his lips to stop himself from saying anything. “It’s not a place where terrorist could enter easily—”

Lelouch restrained the urge to laugh as he countered the nobles’ words inside his head. Of course the palace area had been heavily guarded. There was no reason that any terrorist could have sneaked in. Unless they received some help...

“—then the true suspect is?” said another of the nobles, acting as if he hadn’t heard it. Well go on, thought Lelouch. Go on and make your own speculations! I wouldn’t pay any attention to that.

“My, how frightening. The very thought of it scares me.”

Lelouch bit his lips again at how fake the concern underlining those words sounded. He felt like being placed on a podium to be stared and laughed at. It was so overwhelming that he wanted to get out of this. But no, he had decided on this. There was something that he must find out the answers for.

“However, even thought his mother has been killed, he shows remarkable strength—”

Lelouch almost stopped on his tracks. So now they were talking about him instead—?

“—but Lord Lelouch has no standing anymore—”

“—the Ashford family, which supported him, is also finished.”

Doubts suddenly overwhelmed him. He had never received any bad treatment from his father before, other than the usual political related matters that sometimes involved or endangered him or Nunnally. Those were the times when their mother was still alive when she could still protect them. To this realization, he started doubting his actions before becoming resolute again and continued forward. He had already stepped over the edge; he had got to go through it till the end.

The nobles started discussing over what had happened on Nunnally as Lelouch ignored them. He had already known of those facts that the nobles were discussing. And the fact that they were discussing it casually made him mad. Nunnally was more than just a political tool!

Lelouch stopped just before the podium as he stood at attention.

“Your majesty, my mother has passed away—” said Lelouch as he stood boldly before his father.

“And what about it?” asked the emperor as Lelouch took the reply with much alarm.

“What about it?” he exclaimed aloud.

“Did you request an audience from the Imperial Emperor just to say that?” said the emperor in a very cold tone. He shrugged as he turned towards the man standing beside him. “Bring in the next one. I do not have the time to play with children—”

“Father!” Lelouch cried in alarm as he walked up the podium for several steps. The two guards that stood nearby immediately rushed over towards the emperor as his father waved at them to back off. The guards stood back as Lelouch cried aloud.

“Why did you not protect mother? You are the emperor. The greatest person in this country, are you not? You should have been able to protect her! At the very least you could have visited Nunnally!” shouted Lelouch as the emperor remained silent. He noticed that his father appeared a bit troubled as he hoped that his words could reach him. Nunnally needed his presence now. If only his father would come to see her, perhaps—Perhaps Nunnally would be able to gather her spirit to be well again! The doctor did say something about the sickness of the heart. He did not want Nunnally to continue thinking that no one else wanted her. He do not want her to lose hope to continue living. He could not do this on his own!

Please... father!

“I have no use for the weak—”, the unexpected reply came from his father as it left him stunned.

“The weak?” Lelouch exclaimed in surprise. He could not believe what he heard right now. There was no way—he couldn’t be thinking that way, could he? They were his children, damn it! They were his flesh and blood—he shouldn’t... he can’t! Please do not tell him that his father do not think of the rest of the royal family as well as his own children and wives as... pawns?

“That is the true nature of the imperial family—”, said the emperor again as if to answer the questions forming in his mind.

“Then I... do not need to be a successor to the throne!” cried the young prince abruptly to the surprise of the present group of nobles.

He never thought he could say it so recklessly like this. But that was his true feelings. He had only wanted a normal family. He never asked to be a royal prince. Is that too much to ask? His mother... Nunnally... they were not mere pawns!

“I have had enough of following you and being caught up in conflict!” he spoke again as the reply he received made his heart ran cold.

“You are dead.”

Lelouch gave a small cry as that sentence took him by surprise.

“—you had been dead since the day you were born. Who gave you those clothes that you wear on your back right now? Your home, your food, even your life... I am the one who gave all of that to you. In other words, you have not even once truly been alive! And yet... you show such insolence?-!” shouted the emperor as suddenly as he rose from the throne. The sudden movement surprised him too much as Lelouch backed away and fell on the floor. The young prince looked up towards his father in horror as the emperor towered over him menacingly.

“Lelouch...” drawled the emperor as Lelouch felt shivers running all over his family. “A dead person like you has no rights. You will go to Japan with Nunnally. As a prince and princess, you will be good trading material.”

Lelouch blinked in horror. He never expected to hear—he immediately bit his lips as he glared towards his father. No... he refused to call him father anymore!

He rose as he kept his glare towards the emperor.

“Very well! If that’s what you want it to be!” he shouted back before turning around towards the door. Lelouch marched away out of the halls as he threw away his cape in anger and frustration.

As she watched him left so abruptly, young Euphemia picked up her brother’s cape as she worried about his fate...

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az: Fixed some formatting glitches.