Be My Knight

Be My Knight
A Code Geass fan fiction story
Written by Archangel
Edited by Comixgal

{Author’s Note: This chapter is dedicated to my friend Natashia. It takes place sometime between Suzaku finishing recovery operations in Narita during Episode 1.12 and Shirley’s father’s funeral at the beginning of Episode 1.13. It is not canonical in any way, although I’d bet money that Suzaku and Euphemia end up together at some point. As I write, I’ve only seen Episodes 1.1 to 1.13. Further notes at the end. Enjoy, and please provide feedback! RATE and/or REVIEW, please!}

A small figure in an orange-and-green uniform walked through the Britannian army base where the Special Corps’ Lancelot Unit was based, violet eyes looking about with genuine curiosity. It was interesting to see the organized chaos of military life, something they were usually careful to gloss over when she came to look around this—or any—base.

“I’ve got to sneak out by myself more often,” Princess Euphemia Li Britannia, Sub-Viceroy of Area 11, murmured to herself as soldiers of all ranks passed by her without a second glance. Most of the Royal Family would have found it irksome to be ignored, but not Euphemia. Why waste the soldiers’ time with bows and platitudes? They all had work to do, and the Sub-Viceroy watched them go about it with the tiniest of smiles on her face.

Her older sister Cornelia, the current Viceroy of Area 11, would have thrown a fit to learn that Euphemia was here by herself, dressed in a Special Corps uniform with a second leftenant’s insignia on the shoulders, her long pink tresses bound up in a bun and a pair of prescription-less eyeglasses on her face. The rank ensured that enlisted and commissioned personnel alike would ignore her completely as long as she acted like she belonged. To that end, Euphemia walked with a brisk military stride as her eyes roamed hither and yon. After all, she was on an assignment of sorts: looking for a particular young warrant officer.

To that end, the princess followed the cryptic military signage towards the knightmare hangar used by the Lancelot Unit. Soon an armored door hissed open before her and she looked up at the shining white bulk of Lancelot. As always, the knightmare slightly intimidated Euphemia, far more so than most. It was the ‘face’ she decided as she ran her eyes over the gleaming metal. Those great green ‘eyes’ looked so cold, pitiless, and menacing. Completely the opposite of the green eyes of its pilot, the princess thought, swallowing a giggle.

“Do you need something, Leftenant?” came a female voice from behind her. Euphemia started, having lost herself in the study of Lancelot.

“I’m looking for Warrant Officer Kururugi,” Euphemia told the woman, turning as she spoke, wearing the earnestly serious expression common to new second leftenants. For her part, the woman smiled kindly and pointed towards a door at the far side of the hangar. Her strikingly violet hair jogged Euphemia’s memory; didn’t she work directly with Suzaku?

“He got off-duty about ten minutes ago, Leftenant. If it’s urgent, you can find him in his quarters. Wing B, Number 830.”

Seeing that the woman ‘outranked’ her, Euphemia drew herself up to attention and saluted, hoping she’d gotten it right. “Thank you very much, ma’am.” The woman nodded and moved off. Euphemia smiled to herself and set off for the base quarters. Two minutes later, she was knocking on the door of room B-830. “Warrant Officer Kururugi?”

The door hissed open and there stood Warrant Officer Suzaku Kururugi, pilot of the Lancelot and Euphemia’s quarry. She had to fight not to lick her lips at the sight of him, his uniform jacket and necktie removed, leaving him in simple white tunic and orange slacks. “What can I do for you, Left—” Suzaku paused, his gaze taking in the twinkling violet eyes looking up at him and the soft lips curling into an impish smile. “Princess Euphemia?” he asked, his gorgeous green eyes going quite wide.

It was too much. He looked too cute. Euphemia couldn’t hold back a delighted giggle, her smile spreading fully across her pretty face. “Hi, Suzaku!”

“This is an honor!” Her host dropped immediately to one knee right there in the doorway, his arm across his chest in the ancient symbol of fealty to the Britannian crown. Euphemia reached down and took hold of his shoulders, tugging him back up.

“Oh get up, silly. Can I come in?” she asked with that soft little smile.

“I! Ah! Uh, of course!” Suzaku stammered, standing aside at attention and allowing Euphemia to enter his quarters. She did so, then turned to give him a huge smile, linking her arms behind her back and twisting from side to side at the waist like an excited schoolgirl.

“Suzaku, please relax,” Euphemia asked him, her eyes betraying more nervousness than she would have liked as she looked up at him. “This isn’t an inspection. I’m just here as Euphie. Alrighty?”

Suzaku visibly forced himself down from attention and finally smiled back, albeit very shyly. “Okay… Euphie. I—I’m very happy to see you,” he told her sincerely. “It’s just not every day that a royal princess shows up at my door.” Suzaku had to remind himself to close his jaw and keep his eyes on Euphemia’s face; in uniform she looked even lovelier than usual.

He tried to rebuke himself for thinking that way about a member of the Royal Family, but then he just smiled more. The Princess was a very beautiful woman, and it was only natural to be attracted to her. Besides which, that look in her eyes… no, no way. Stop imagining things, Suzaku. She’s your patron, nothing more. “Can I get you something?” Suzaku asked her, gesturing to the tiny refrigerator nestled in the wall of his small quarters.

For her part, Euphemia looked around as curiously as she had in the rest of the base. Room B-830 turned out to be a vaguely square room about fifteen feet to a side. A bunk, kitchenette, toilet cubicle, closet, and storage cabinets were built into the walls, and a small table with two chairs occupied the center of the little space. Suzaku had obviously been sitting at one of them when she knocked; his jacket was draped neatly over the back and a portable terminal and a few books graced the table. He seemed to have just started his homework.

“Just water, please,” Euphemia told Suzaku, shedding her own jacket and draping it over the other chair. She accepted a tumbler of water and settled herself on the edge of his bunk, crossing her legs awkwardly under the uniform skirt. It was more constricting than she was accustomed to. Looking up at Suzaku with her soft smile, Euphemia finally told him why she’d come. “I came by for two reasons, Suzaku. Firstly, thank you so much for saving my sister’s life at Narita.”

Suzaku smiled softly, settling himself back in his chair facing the Princess. “My duty, nothing more,” he replied. “But you’re welcome, Prin— Euphie.”

Euphemia giggled again. “See, it’s not so hard!” she teased her host gently, drawing a slight blush from him. “And secondly… I was lonely.” Her smile took on a rather melancholy tone as she gazed across at him.

Suzaku, still un-tensing, gave her a curious look. “I thought there were all sorts of people at the palace. Surely you’re never short of people to talk to.”

“Sycophants, bureaucrats, and boring nobles,” Euphemia replied bluntly, her musical voice now sounding quite sad. “And nobody anywhere near my age. Oh sure, I have people I can talk to… but I don’t have any friends. Not around here, anyway.” Prompted by a little questioning noise from Suzaku, she continued. “I had a few real friends back in school, but I haven’t really been able to keep in touch with them. You’re the only person who’s treated me normally since I got here. Even if you didn’t know who I was at the time,” she added with a smirk. “I’ve missed having you around.”

“You know you could have sent for me at any time,” Suzaku replied with a gentle smile. “I would gladly have come.”

“And have the whole palace in a titter with rumors and gossip?” Euphemia rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Much better for me to visit you without anyone knowing.”

“Rumors about what?” asked Suzaku, a look of genuine puzzlement on his face.

That wonderful naïveté drew a delighted laugh from Euphemia, who bounced off the bed and around behind Suzaku. She leaned her forearms on his shoulders as she looked directly down into those dreamy eyes. “About *us*, of course! Everyone would think we were sleeping together. And the rumors would be even more vicious because of your background. Nobles hate to see a Royal caught by anyone who’s not one of their own,” she added hurriedly, seeing a flash of pain in Suzaku’s eyes. “Besides which, you *are* very cute,” Euphemia told the star-struck Suzaku in a playful voice. “If I was going to take a lover, you’d be at the top of my list.”

“W-what? I…” Words failed poor Suzaku and he just looked up into her beautiful lavender eyes. Euphemia lifted her weight off his shoulders and crossed to the other chair, sitting daintily.

Her smile remained warm, even slightly amorous, but an undertone of seriousness crept in as she looked at Suzaku across the small table. “When we stabilize Area 11, I’m going to become Viceroy,” Euphemia said, speaking carefully. “And you know that I’m not skilled in military matters like my sister is. I’ll need someone to help me with that, someone to help me keep the peace. I’ll need… a knight. My own personal knight.”

She looked decidedly nervous now, unsure how Suzaku was going to react to all this. With a wonderfully gentle smile, Suzaku instinctively extended his hand to her across the table. A moment later he was shocked by his own boldness, but by the time he could think to retract it, Euphemia had seized his hand with one of hers and held it tightly. Suzaku brought his gaze up to find Euphemia looking at him intently, focusing through her doubts.

“Warrant Officer Kururugi… Suzaku… will you be my knight? Will you help me protect this land and keep its people safe?”

Despite being able to guess where she was going with everything, the question itself still took Suzaku by surprise. He stammered for a few seconds, then closed his mouth, collected himself, and replied. “Yes, Your Highness… Euphie… I would be honored to be your knight. I will stand at your side through any storm and protect you and this land with my life.” The sincerity in his voice was almost painfully evident, and it brought a rush of pleasure to Euphemia’s heart.

“Thank you…” she whispered. “I’ve long been jealous of my sister… she has Lord Guilford… I always wished to have somebody special like that …”

Suzaku blinked a couple of times. “Lord Guilford? And the Viceroy? Are they…?”

Euphemia shrugged and shook her head. “Lovers? I don’t think so, but it doesn’t matter. They love each other, whether or not they give it physical expression, or even admit it to each other. It’s all over them both. And it strengthens my sister so much, to have someone she can count on like that…” Euphemia let out a wistful sigh, turning that melancholy smile on Suzaku again.

“Well… now you have that too,” Suzaku told Euphemia firmly, laying his other hand on top of their clasped hands and squeezing softly. His eyes shone with the keen admiration and the calm, gentle love he had held for… Euphie… in his heart since that day they had met. It felt good to let it show on his face at last.

Recognizing that love as only a woman really can, Euphemia sighed softly and laid her other hand on top of his, leaving their hands woven together in a warm grasp on the table. She looked over at Suzaku almost shyly, unsure exactly where to go from here. A tiny, mischievous smile graced her lips, then blossomed into that charming, impish grin. “I wonder whether Euphemia Li Britannia will be able to keep her hands off her personal knight the way Cornelia Li Britannia does,” she told Suzaku with a quiet giggle.

“She must,” Suzaku replied in that same firm, yet gentle voice, surprising Euphemia. “Their respective duties would forbid it, as would all the social mores of the Empire. She could allow a scandal to arise from a liaison with a commoner, no matter his position. And no matter what may bind her to him.” He gently let go of her hands and stood up from the table, turning his back and pacing slowly towards the corner of the room to hide the deep hurt in his eyes as he told her what he must. Oh, he wanted to show Euphie how he loved her! But to think of the hurt it could bring upon her… no, Suzaku would not do that.

“So that’s it?” came Euphemia’s voice from behind him. He glanced back to see the Princess standing before him in all her commanding presence. Back straight, face calm and imperious, every facet of her poise and manner suggesting royal dignity.

“Princess Euphemia Li Britannia and Warrant Officer Kururugi may never share love, whatever they may feel in their hearts,” Suzaku replied without turning around; he was able to force conviction and calm into his voice, but not his face.

“And what about Euphie and Suzaku?” Euphemia asked in that commanding, imperial tone. The question brought Suzaku up short, staring fixedly at the wall as his mind went into overdrive. Suzaku realized that Euphemia Li Britannia was the woman he had pledged his fealty to, not the woman he loved. The woman he loved, Euphie, was trapped inside that Royal persona, bound by the dictates of duty and birth.

And then he realized that it was not Warrant Officer Kururugi who loved her… it was Suzaku. He realized that he was trapped within his rank and duties as firmly as Euphie within hers. They were bound by honor, loyalty, and a determination to make the world a better place. When Suzaku turned around his green eyes were shining with a sprinkling of tears, belying his steady voice and militarily straight back.

“Perhaps Suzaku and Euphie can share love,” Suzaku replied in a voice barely above a whisper, his eyes locked fixedly upon hers. Euphemia Li Britannia and Warrant Officer Kururugi gazed at each other from halfway across the room for.

Then Euphie broke out of her shell and ran towards him with her arms held open. Tears shone in her beautiful eyes as well. It was Suzaku who caught her and lifted her into the air, twirling her around before setting her lightly back on her feet. Euphie’s arms came around Suzaku’s neck, his arms slipped around her waist. His head came down as hers came up.

Their lips met.

[In the next chapter, we’ll catch up to Suzaku a day or two hence and see what another of my favorite characters makes of all this! Come back next week! Same Angel time, same Angel channel!]

{More Author’s Note: I’m not sure whether Suzaku loves Nunnally as more than just a friend/sister, but for the purposes of this story I’m assuming that he doesn’t. I see this hypothetical tangent between Suzaku and Euphemia going several more chapters than that between Lelouch and Shirley, but we’ll see what happens.

Suzaku’s such a sweetheart that it’s tons of fun to write for him. And Euphie... she’s a true diamond, an absolute joy to write. I’m excited to see what I can do with such a sweet and well-matched couple. I sense much potential here!

For the record, I thought of Suzaku being Euphemia’s personal knight a week before episode 1.14 premiered (I saw it just before posting this). It was fairly obvious, but still.

If anybody’s interested, when Euphemia talks about Cornelia and Guilford, she’s expressing my honest opinion of the pair as well as her own.

Also, since the Britannia is based so closely on the real-life British Empire, I think it makes more sense for them to say “leftenant” rather than “lieutenant.” I can’t recall either term coming up in the show yet. If it has, someone please email me and let me know which is used in the show.}