It was late at night. The darkened skies had fallen over Britannia's countryside, and the villagers had retreated to their homes after an annual festival celebrating another successful harvest in Spring.

She sat down in front of a mirror that hadn't been used frequently for there was dust settling over its glassy surface. She had just come today, and was swooped up in that festive mood (not that she ever wanted to participate but the friendly villagers wouldn't let a newcomer off the hook), so there was no time to even unpack, let alone clean up a dusty mirror.

A sigh escaped her thin lips as she reached behind her head, grabbed a silver pin and pulled her long, lime hair loose. It cascaded down to the small of her back in subtle waves, and she stared at the two hollow golden orbs soullessly staring back at her.

Reaching both hands to her left ear, she gently removed a golden earring that glistened in the lamplight, and a tired smile stretched out on her beautiful face. After doing the same with the other ear, she carefully set the pair of earrings in that familiar wooden box. Before she closed the lid, though, she took a long look at its contents.

Suddenly, the door to her room swung open, and a man stepped in.

"Whoa, you really planning on staying here?" he asked, looking bewildered.

An annoyed look crossed C.C.'s face as she shut down the lid. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, you're holding our contract. Doesn't it say that we have to be together anytime, anywhere?" said the man as he flopped down onto the bed. A single bed in the room.

"That makes you quite clingy," she said coldly.

The man kept looking at her. In the dim candlelight, she looked nothing like a witch, and he couldn't help but smirk.

"What?"

"You actually look beautiful," he chuckled. "I think I can understand why he fell for you. But your personality? How could he deal with that?" He was laughing.

C.C. shrugged. "Guess you will have to ask him after you die."

"That's harsh."

She made no reply. Then, turning toward him, she furrowed her brows. "Are you going to get off my bed or what?"

"Or what?"

"Boys sleep on the floor."

"Was that what you told my great-great-great uncle on your first meeting?"

C.C. froze. Time seemed to freeze, also. She swallowed and managed to find her voice. "How did you know?"

He kicked off his shoes. Luckily, they didn't fly off and hit the witch he'd feared. Instead, they fell to the wooden floor. "There's one thing you didn't know about him," he answered. "My uncle was pretty sentimental. He kept a diary."

The world felt like it had stopped revolving at the moment.

"Sentimental… Diary…" was all C.C. could choke out. Then, shaking her head, she mumbled to herself. "You're wrong. It can't be. He's-"

"I think you're forgetting something, C.C." The man suddenly stood up and walked over to the old dressing table where the lime-haired witch sat. He tenderly touched the ancient-looking wooden box with the beautiful carvings all around it. His long fingers slowly traced the engravings until they found her hand, then both of his hands enveloped her pale ones. She didn't wince or draw back, and he continued, "All of these centuries of living have made you forget something, something important about my uncle. He's a tender man. He's a man with a good heart. He cared too much about those he loved that he was willing to throw his own life away."

He nodded toward the box. "More importantly, he loved you. Isn't that enough proof?"

Suddenly, C.C. felt her eyes tear up.

Inside that box lied all of the memories they had shared together. The witch and the warlock's memories.

The necklace that held a picture of them together…

"This is for you so that you can remember me after the Zero Requiem."

"Ara, who would want to keep a picture of a devilish warlock with them?"

"Now that's harsh. After all the trouble that I've been through to get this made for you."

"Silly boy… Come here."

The earrings that showed his gentle side...

"It's my birthday today, boy."

"Why are you telling me this now? Out of the blue like this?"

"I wasn't going to, but seeing this reminds me of the times that I wish I were still human…"

"Come here, C.C."

The hairpin that let her see his vulnerability...

"What are you doing?"

"You looked like you needed help with your hair, witch."

"I can do it myself… What is this?"

"A hairpin. You need something to keep your hair in place, don't you?"

"A hairpin? You just conveniently had a hairpin on your person?"

"…"

"Lelouch… It's Nunnally's, isn't it?"

"It's of no use to me any longer. You can keep it."

Her delicate fingers tremblingly caressed a worn-out flower bracelet tied around her right wrist. A bracelet that truly showed how much he cared. A simple yet meaningful present...

"Thank you, C.C., for being by my side from the very beginning."

"What? You ever doubted me, boy?"

"Some times, but you always came around."

"Did I?"

"Like with Mao-"

"It was you. You came. If you didn't, then I would be in Australia having a nice life instead of being a shield to the Demon Emperor."

"Are you regretting it or are you objecting it?"

"I do neither. It's just that it won't be easy, Lelouch. The last step will be difficult… For you and for everyone else."

"Are you included in that 'everyone else,' C.C.?"

"Don't ask meaningless questions now."

"As cold as ever, I see."

"…"

"Here, look."

"What? What are you doing?

"I remember… I remember this is the way Shirley taught me. She said that if you made a flower bracelet for someone and truly put your soul into making it, a tiny part of your soul would be with that person until the very end of time."

"Do you believe in that?"

"I don't know. She made me one, she made Nunnally one, and when Suzaku came, she also made him one."

"Lelouch, I'm not sure I want-"

"Why won't you tell me if you also believed in that, C.C.? Tell me when the time is right."

She was crying so hard. After an eternity of wandering, this was the first time C.C. ever let herself break down in front of a Geass user. She was clinging onto him. Her slender arms wrapped around his waist with her face buried in his chest. His hands were comfortingly resting around her small, shaking shoulders.

"Let it all out, C.C.," he was whispering into her thick mane. "Let it all out…"

"I-" She was hiccupping. Tears were flowing uncontrollably now. "I don't want this anymore. I don't want this curse anymore!"

"Shussh."

"Please… Please save me…"

He chuckled softly. "Where's that stone-hearted witch that my uncle grew to love so much gone? This isn't you to be pleading."

At that moment, she reverted back to her usual self.

Using all of her strength, she pushed him away so hard that he staggered back with wide eyes.

"Get out of here," she said through gritted teeth while pointing toward the door. "Get out!"

"C.C…"

After a few seconds of tenseness, he dug his hands in his pockets. His bright violet eyes flashed under his thick raven bangs as a smug smirk returned. "You can never take a joke," he said, shaking his head slightly. "I was just kidding, geez." He laughed while putting his hands up in defense. "Don't be so hard on your lover's great-great-great nephew now."

C.C. was still glaring at him with that murderous look.

"Alright," he sighed resignedly. "You wanna do it now? Here?"

The witch stood up, straightened out her dress and nodded. "Yes. Let's get it over with."

"Why are you crying, boy?"

"I… My parents… I… My…"

"I understand. Come here, boy. You're shivering."

"Won't you… Won't you be cold without your jacket?"

"It's alright. The cold won't kill me. Now, tell me your name."

"Marcus vi Britannia."

"Marcus vi Britannia, huh. I see. A royal boy. What is a royal kid doing out here unsupervised like this?"

"I… I…"

"Stop crying, boy. I can't understand what you're saying."

"My parents… My parents told me to run. I don't know why but they said I should be far away from the palace at the moment."

"Where are your brothers and sisters?"

"I don't have any…"

"I see. It happens again. These royals are fighting for power again. They can never be satisfied, and they could care less about who's going to suffer because of this. What selfish bastards."

"Who-Who are you?"

"I'm just someone who's been through this before. Now, boy, listen to me very carefully. You won't stand a chance living out here in the wilderness by yourself, therefore I will grant you the power of King for you to survive. However, in turns, you have to grant one dearest wish of mine…"

"That dearest wish," Marcus said. The smirk was gone, replaced by a serious face. There was no doubt that he looked like the Demon Emperor, and C.C. couldn't help but wonder how he had lived through 18 years of his life bearing that eerie resemblance. "Is not to die, correct? At least not anymore," he continued. "It is to be reunited with him."

"Does it matter now?"

"You're right." He smiled slightly. "That matters little now."

Marcus then strolled over to the dressing table again. He did what he'd done moments ago. He reached out to touch the beautifully carved box before looking up to meet her eyes. "What would you want to do with this?"

Her gaze fell upon the beloved object and a soft expression dominated her features. "You know what to do. Promise me you'll bury it with me." Then that soft expression was instantly gone when she looked back at him.

"Of course. And right next to the Demon Emperor. You know your identity will come out and you will go down in history as his accomplice, forever be loathed and despised."

"I'm aware of that, and honestly, I do not care."

Marcus's lips lifted up into a wider smile. "Right," he nodded. "Shall we, my lady?" he asked while drawing up a small knife that he always kept in his pants' back pocket for protection. The blade glimmered in the flickering candlelight.

"Are you ready, C.C.?"

"Yes."

"Goodbye." He paused. "And… thanks for everything."

C.C. allowed herself a genuine smile ever since that day she met him in the garden of the Britannia's royal palace. "My pleasures knowing you, Marcus vi Britannia. What you're about to bear is a curse, and I hope you won't regret your decision."

His handsome face was lit up by a bright smile, even his eyes didn't betray their owner's emotion. "I don't," said Marcus. "I'm doing this for my uncle, and it's time an old witch like you deserved a rest."

"Thank you, Marcus…"

The knife drew high. C.C. closed her eyes.

"Lelouch, let me tell you if I believed in your little tale about the flower bracelets. Well, I do."

A/N: It was so late at night but I couldn't sleep because this idea just kept bouncing in my head that I just had to get it out of my system no matter what! So, here it is. Hope you guys enjoyed this little one-shot. Thank you very much for reading and of course, like always, reviews are truly appreciated!

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass.