FANFIC - CHAINS
It wasn’t Hell, not exactly, but a fitting punishment - one that Lelouch could as well have designed for himself. The 99th Emperor was back to his Throne Room, his ankles were chained to the seat, preventing him from leaving the spot and he was receiving a seemingly interminable string of visitors - all the dead people, whose lives he had carelessly destroyed.
None of them were the ones who had cared for him - no Shirley, Euphie or Rolo - but nameless angry men and women, mostly inviting themselves in large crowds. And to each Lelouch did what he hated most - not exactly justified his actions, but simply explained their motives without a word of lie. When his throat dried up to the point of it becoming unbearable, a glass of water appeared on the armrest, and the youth felt no other needs.
The endless sequence of audience after audience had soon made him weary, but he invested equal amount of effort each time, once and again telling his story. Most ended up if not sympathizing with him, but satisfied with his own misfortunes. Women cried for him, and young ladies mistook him for a tragic hero that he wasn’t. Some started to hate him even more, some called him a fool, which he knew he was, and, worst of it, many pitied him, blaming the Fate and cruel Gods.
Lelouch was genuinely surprised by the amount of people who either hated Suzaku much more than himself, or blamed Suzaku the Demon for screwing with best friend’s life or accused both of them of homosexuality - as if that had been their greatest crime. The Emperor laughed inwardly at how most of the claims weren’t even of what he should have been blamed for, but for things petty and unimportant.
In particular, Kallen’s elder brother dropped by to call him a “fag”. Lelouch smirked and asked what was that what he’d heard about him and Ohgi. Naoto was taken aback, flushed crimson, just like his sister. They ended up discussing the hardships of raising little sisters.
When the flood of visitors seemed to have dried or at least paused for the time being, he gracefully rose from his chair, looking down at his bloodied garments - his chest had stopped hurting at some point.
Lelouch sat on the stairs, rested his elbows on his lap, interlaced his fingers and put his chin on his locked hands. Lelouch stared at the spot where he’d fallen on his ass as a child, at another, not far away, where Suzaku had held him down and, lastly, at the one where Suzaku knelt, kissed the blade of the sword, paying his respects. Lelouch smiled and let his gaze drift in the dimly lit empty halls, thinking of many things and none in particular.
“What a disgrace, an Emperor who can’t even properly sit on his Throne!” Lelouch lifted his gaze and met, with the calm that surprised him, Charles’ usual despising one. His Father looked like in that brief memory in which he was in his thirties and dressed as a Crown Prince. The youth found himself irrationally smug at the man’s appearance: there could only be one EmperorFather,” Lelouch greeted the man serenely.”I would have never thought that you’d ever actually seek to listen to what I have to say.”
The Emperor didn’t rise to his feet and remained immobile, toying with his golden chains idly.
“You have surprised me,” Charles announced, his facial expression indecipherable. Lelouch understood now why his Father had chosen to appear younger - to become far more difficult to read to his son. He didn’t even entertain the notion that the man might have tried to look less disgusting.
“And why isn’t Mother with you?” Lelouch inquired. “I would have liked to see her. Family quarrel, perhaps?”
Charles ignored his question, slowly walking along the long red carpet runner. Lelouch suddenly wished he had some guards or, better, Suzaku, to throw the man out if necessary. Or just do it for the kicks.
“Tell me, Lelouch,” Charles suddenly asked. “When did you stop hating me?”
Ah, a point-blank.
“And there I was expecting you to say that I’m an impostor and that I have taken the Throne from a dead man,” Lelouch murmured and waited. To his surprise, Charles remained silent. The youth let out a heavy sigh and decided to humor him.
“When I realized that we ended up having too much in common,” Lelouch said. Their masks, regrets and mistakes. “However, I have made sure that your name will always come after mine. You will be the one known as the Demon Emperor’s father. ”
Charles burst out laughing, sounding not malicious, but only amused.
“You’d rather be the first villain than one of the many fallen heroes? How unbelievably arrogant.”
“You had been right to curse me with obscurity. That was what I used to fear most.” Lelouch admit. He was forced to stand up, now that the man was in front of him, bur from the step leading to the seat the youth didn’t seem shorter in height.
“Vengeful brat,” Charles said good-naturedly.
“That I am,” Lelouch agreed with a wry smile.
“But you have grown up,” His father said, seriously and looking sincere, for once.
“Excuse me if I refrain from calling you Dad,” Lelouch joked, rolling his eyes up. “And I’m not much of a hug person.”
“Fair enough,” Charles agreed. They ended up shaking hands.
“And what of my Uncle?” Lelouch asked in afterthought.
“The reason I came here in the first place…” Charles confessed in a conspiratorial tone. “…was that their bickering with Marianne drove me insane.”
“Then I’ll take your visit as a compliment.” Lelouch murmured.
Charles nodded and headed out of the room without looking back.
It was only when his Father left that Lelouch noticed that the chains around his ankles disappeared.
None of them were the ones who had cared for him - no Shirley, Euphie or Rolo - but nameless angry men and women, mostly inviting themselves in large crowds. And to each Lelouch did what he hated most - not exactly justified his actions, but simply explained their motives without a word of lie. When his throat dried up to the point of it becoming unbearable, a glass of water appeared on the armrest, and the youth felt no other needs.
The endless sequence of audience after audience had soon made him weary, but he invested equal amount of effort each time, once and again telling his story. Most ended up if not sympathizing with him, but satisfied with his own misfortunes. Women cried for him, and young ladies mistook him for a tragic hero that he wasn’t. Some started to hate him even more, some called him a fool, which he knew he was, and, worst of it, many pitied him, blaming the Fate and cruel Gods.
Lelouch was genuinely surprised by the amount of people who either hated Suzaku much more than himself, or blamed Suzaku the Demon for screwing with best friend’s life or accused both of them of homosexuality - as if that had been their greatest crime. The Emperor laughed inwardly at how most of the claims weren’t even of what he should have been blamed for, but for things petty and unimportant.
In particular, Kallen’s elder brother dropped by to call him a “fag”. Lelouch smirked and asked what was that what he’d heard about him and Ohgi. Naoto was taken aback, flushed crimson, just like his sister. They ended up discussing the hardships of raising little sisters.
When the flood of visitors seemed to have dried or at least paused for the time being, he gracefully rose from his chair, looking down at his bloodied garments - his chest had stopped hurting at some point.
Lelouch sat on the stairs, rested his elbows on his lap, interlaced his fingers and put his chin on his locked hands. Lelouch stared at the spot where he’d fallen on his ass as a child, at another, not far away, where Suzaku had held him down and, lastly, at the one where Suzaku knelt, kissed the blade of the sword, paying his respects. Lelouch smiled and let his gaze drift in the dimly lit empty halls, thinking of many things and none in particular.
“What a disgrace, an Emperor who can’t even properly sit on his Throne!” Lelouch lifted his gaze and met, with the calm that surprised him, Charles’ usual despising one. His Father looked like in that brief memory in which he was in his thirties and dressed as a Crown Prince. The youth found himself irrationally smug at the man’s appearance: there could only be one EmperorFather,” Lelouch greeted the man serenely.”I would have never thought that you’d ever actually seek to listen to what I have to say.”
The Emperor didn’t rise to his feet and remained immobile, toying with his golden chains idly.
“You have surprised me,” Charles announced, his facial expression indecipherable. Lelouch understood now why his Father had chosen to appear younger - to become far more difficult to read to his son. He didn’t even entertain the notion that the man might have tried to look less disgusting.
“And why isn’t Mother with you?” Lelouch inquired. “I would have liked to see her. Family quarrel, perhaps?”
Charles ignored his question, slowly walking along the long red carpet runner. Lelouch suddenly wished he had some guards or, better, Suzaku, to throw the man out if necessary. Or just do it for the kicks.
“Tell me, Lelouch,” Charles suddenly asked. “When did you stop hating me?”
Ah, a point-blank.
“And there I was expecting you to say that I’m an impostor and that I have taken the Throne from a dead man,” Lelouch murmured and waited. To his surprise, Charles remained silent. The youth let out a heavy sigh and decided to humor him.
“When I realized that we ended up having too much in common,” Lelouch said. Their masks, regrets and mistakes. “However, I have made sure that your name will always come after mine. You will be the one known as the Demon Emperor’s father. ”
Charles burst out laughing, sounding not malicious, but only amused.
“You’d rather be the first villain than one of the many fallen heroes? How unbelievably arrogant.”
“You had been right to curse me with obscurity. That was what I used to fear most.” Lelouch admit. He was forced to stand up, now that the man was in front of him, bur from the step leading to the seat the youth didn’t seem shorter in height.
“Vengeful brat,” Charles said good-naturedly.
“That I am,” Lelouch agreed with a wry smile.
“But you have grown up,” His father said, seriously and looking sincere, for once.
“Excuse me if I refrain from calling you Dad,” Lelouch joked, rolling his eyes up. “And I’m not much of a hug person.”
“Fair enough,” Charles agreed. They ended up shaking hands.
“And what of my Uncle?” Lelouch asked in afterthought.
“The reason I came here in the first place…” Charles confessed in a conspiratorial tone. “…was that their bickering with Marianne drove me insane.”
“Then I’ll take your visit as a compliment.” Lelouch murmured.
Charles nodded and headed out of the room without looking back.
It was only when his Father left that Lelouch noticed that the chains around his ankles disappeared.