Lelouch vi Britannia (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
veepofchess) wrote2012-01-04 04:22 am
veepofchess) wrote2012-01-04 04:22 am
Entry tags:
Shirley/Lulu AU
Here I will post some drabbles from my AU of "What if Shirley survived and joined the Black Knights?" New postings will be added as comments to this entry, so trackify if you like.
Everyone loves a royal wedding!
Shirley was nervous. This was the first time she was due to see Milly since she’d shown herself to the world as very not-dead. She sat in a palace parlor, dressed better than she’d ever been in her life. While she’d never wanted for anything in her life, she hadn’t had it as well off as some as her classmates. Now, she literally could have anything she wanted. Lelouch’s tyranny had come into full swing. She was being counted on to exude a gentleness that would offset Lelouch’s totalitarianism.
Shirley pushed thoughts of impending war out of her mind in time to hear the clearing of the throat of some member of the house help. “Your guests have arrived, Milady,” said the maid. She had a thick accent from somewhere in Europe Shirley couldn’t place.
“Thank you,” she said, standing. Guests? She thought only Milly was supposed to come.
Her answer came when she saw the other head that peeked around the corner. “Rivalz!” Shirley gasped. They came around the corner so she could see them fully. Milly’s family had once enjoyed the favor of the Emperor, so she felt more at home in the palace, but Rivalz had never been in a place like this before in his life. They both looked nervous, though. Milly was just better at hiding it.
“Come here, you two, I’m still me!” Shirley smiled at them and beckoned them over, while moving to close the gap herself. The three of them came together in a big hug. They all fussed over each other, and shared a few tears (even from Rivalz), each glad the other was safe, and they were all together again. Once that was over (and Rivalz had recovered his senses, since he was the biggest crier of the three), they settled in on the couches, and someone came to serve them some tea. A rather sudden silence fell over the room shortly thereafter. Yes, there was definitely a gorilla in the room. Suzaku had been killed by Kallen during the last battle. But during it, Lelouch had claimed his ultimate victory by securing the Damocles from Nunnally.
“So, uh,” Rivalz began. “How’s Lelouch?”
“He’s well,” Shirley replied. “He's upset Suzaku had to sacrifice himself to ensure victory. He’s still as kind to me as ever, though. Even if he’s not like that in public…” this suddenly became a tricky question to answer. When they appeared together in public, sometimes he seemed cold to her, and there was some whisperings that he was mistreating her. That was one rumor he did not punish the dissemination of. Time to change the subject. “Milly, he told me that the Ashford family was helping shelter him and Nunnally at school. That’s why they lived in the Student Council building. Did you know he was a prince the whole time?”
Milly sighed like a beleaguered mother. “Yes, I did. That’s half of why I repeated my senior year. So I could be there for them at least until Lelouch graduated. The Ashfords were good friends with his mother, and we fell out of favor after his mother was assassinated. Really, though he made it difficult, using his mothers’ name like that. My father says he was almost found out once or twice.”
Shirley choked on her tea after such fond words were spoken of Marianne Lamperouge. But she recovered herself with as much dignity as she could. Her two friends looked ate her strangely. “I’m fine,” she waved a hand dismissively. “Milly, I know you’ve been on TV, but what about you, Rivalz?”
“Still at Ashford. I’m boring. When Milly got the call, she called me and hired me as her assistant so I could come with her,” he said sheepishly.
“Well, I’m glad you’re both here,” Shirley said. “You two are still my friends, okay? When it’s just us, don’t worry about titles or anything like that. Pretend we’re back in the club room.”
“In that case!” Milly announced, standing abruptly. She grinned from ear to ear. She had the same glint in her eyes when she was deciding things in the Student Council. “Could you bring those samples in here please?” She called toward the doorway. Dutifully, several maids wheeled in a few racks packed full of flowing white dresses. “These are the best of the best that all of the best Britannian designers were able to create for you. They’re all to your exact measurements, so you just need to pick the one we like best!” Shirley knew that by “we” Milly meant “I”.
In typical Milly fashion, she took it upon herself to strip her down and try her in several different dresses in short order. With each came a conversation about venue, flowers, décor, cake, and everything. Tradition was considered alongside more personal touches. Lelouch did have a few specific requests, so that the ceremony had the correct tone, but other than that, they had actually nailed down several details.
“Bill everything to my special events secretary, alright?” Shirley told Milly. “Including your own pay, for the both of you. Ask for whatever you need. Rivalz, is your motorcycle running okay?”
“Aaah…” he glanced over to Milly.
That told Shirley enough. “Let me help you take care of it, please.”
After a moment, he nodded. He was one of the few of her classmates that needed to work a side job, and while she expected it was difficult for him to acquiesce, she just hoped it wasn't because he was worried about the repercussions of the gift.
They bid each other good-bye, and when yet another member of the palace help came to escort them out, and closed the door with a light snap behind them, she sank back onto the sofa, letting out a heavy breath. Any poise she'd been maintaining faded, looking more like her common-born self.