Chapter Text
Holding the box of Christmas ornaments proudly, Lelouch trailed after his mother as she dragged the fir tree inside. He wasn’t quite sure why they were doing this. Yesterday, Nunnally had asked if they could also put up pretty lights like the commoners. Their mother had paused contemplatively then burst into a flurry of activity.
This was to be their first Christmas. She hadn’t stopped smiling since her declaration.
With a loud thud and crack, the tree finally settled into place and his mother stepped back, hands on her hips. She tilted her head to the side and walked back and forth. “Does it look straight to you, Lulu?”
“It’s kinda crooked,” Lelouch said. The trunk itself was warped. “We should get a better tree.”
She sighed and spun around, smiling. “I think it's perfect, imperfections and all.”
Lelouch blinked. “Mother, that doesn’t make any sense.”
“You’re absolutely adorable.” Laughing, she tousled his hair and grabbed the box out of his arms. “You’ll understand when you’re older. Christmas… is beautiful because it's never perfect. If it was, then it’d be like any other party.”
“Look, Mommy,” Nunnally shouted, running into the room with an armful of white paper. “I made snowflakes!”
For a moment, their mother looked pained as she picked up a paper snowflake. Then, it was gone, replaced by a radiant smile. “I can’t believe you made these all by yourself, sweetie.”
“It was suuuuper hard,” Nunnally shared excitedly. “I had to use a knife!”
“Oh, dear,” their mother muttered. “I thought we locked the kitchen.”
“Lulu picked the lock for me.”
Lelouch glared at his sister. How could she rat him out so easily? Their mother wasn’t supposed to know that he could bypass the new locks already. If she replaced them, it would make their midnight kitchen escapades so much harder.
Looking up, their mother shook her head. “Both of you are little hellions. Better be careful, or Santa will give you coal for Christmas.”
“Santa?” Lelouch asked. Why would anyone give them anything? Especially coal. The Aries Villa never required coal to be heated. And logs were better for the fireplaces.
“A foolish children tale,” the Emperor answered, striding into the room. In his arms was another box. “Explain to me again, Marianne, why I have to carry this? Instead of a servant?”
“Daddy!” Nunnally shrieked, darting forward and hugging the man’s leg. “You’re here.”
The Emperor scowled, looking down at her and raising his leg. “Yes, hello.”
Nunnally beamed, but didn’t let go. “Are you cele-brate-ing Christmas with us? All of us? Together? For the entire night? And helping with the tree? What’s in the box? Is it a surprise?”
“Your mother insisted.” The Emperor desperately looked at her. “A little help, dear?”
Their mother giggled and plucked the box out his hands. “I see you found the lights.”
“It would’ve been easier to buy new ones than asking Reuben to dig through your old belongings for Christmas lights,” the Emperor said stiffly, attempting to peel Nunnally off his leg.
“It’s a family holiday, Charles. And I sold all the other ornaments off. I would like something from my parents for the occasion.”
“You’re being unusually sentimental.” The Emperor’s eyes narrowed. “Did you carry the tree yourself?”
“Yes,” she chirped, pulling out the long string of lights. “Lelouch, mind helping me untangle this?”
Lelouch trotted forward and accepted the knotted mess. The cords were completely entwined, and his nose wrinkled as his hand brushed past cobwebs. This was filthy. Why were they doing this?
Come to think of it, wasn’t coal dirty as well?
Was Christmas simply a messy holiday? It would be something which appealed to their mother. She didn’t mind mud or sweat at all.
“Servants exist for a reason,” the Emperor said.
"My family always decorated the tree together," their mother said, hands on her hips. "No servants. Now, come here, Charles."
The Emperor shook his head and finally managed to dislodge Nunnally from his leg. Lelouch snickered as he saw her pout, already knowing what she was going to do. He would never be as undignified as her. Never mind that their mother insisted he had been just as foolish at her age.
"Daddy!" she shrieked and tackled his other leg.
Taking a step forward, the Emperor scowled and dragged Nunnally behind him. "What are they feeding her?"
Their mother laughed and tickled Nunnally’s sides, until she let go. Pickering her up, she said, "Lots of sweets. These two rascals have been sneaking into the kitchen. Don't you think she takes after me?"
"Sure, dear." The Emperor rolled his eyes. "May we please finish this ridiculous exercise? I do have work to do."
"You and work," their mother tutted. "Lelouch? Have you finished untangling the lights?"
"Yes, Mother." Lelouch held up the braided cord with large, clear light bulbs. "Why do they look like candles?"
"Well, a long time ago, people used to put candles on the tree. My grandparents did, but my parents insisted electrical lights were safer." She set Nunnally down and grabbed the loose end. "Now, I think we start at the top."
Back straight, Lelouhch followed their mother as they circled around the tree. Giggling, Nunnally strutted exaggeratedly behind him.
"Stop that," Lelouch snapped.
"Stop what?" She blinked innocently.
"Stop copying me. You're not even doing it right."
Clasping her hands behind her back, she tilted her head. "You're not doing it right."
Lelouch huffed and spun around. He had more important things to do, like this task their mother entrusted to him. A second after, Nunnally huffed as well.
"Nunnally," he growled.
"Lelouch," their mother said sternly. "Be nice to your sister."
"She started it," he whined. Why was he always getting in trouble for her shenanigans? He never got away with as much as she did.
Turning around, their mother raised an eyebrow.
"Sorry," he mumbled.
Satisfied, their mother turned around. Lelouch shot his sister a dirty look promising retribution. This insult would not stand.
Nunnally stuck out her tongue.
The Emperor cleared his throat and both of them froze. Their eyes flicked to him standing imperiously with a stern frown. While he tolerated their antics at times, he was clearly reaching the end of his patience. Nunnally trying to hug him in the vain attempt that he would pay attention to her—Lelouch knew better—must have drained all of his goodwill.
Submissively, they ducked their heads.
Lelouch gritted his teeth. At times, he despised his father. While their mother insisted he cared for them, he always spent time with her, instead of them. For his children, the Emperor only had chafing orders and rules which had to be followed.
"Dear," their mother said, stepping back from the tree and craning her neck to look up at the tree, "do you mind fetching the star. I can't quite reach the top."
The Emperor sighed but went to do as she bid. Returning with the star, he leaned into the tree to secure it at the top. "The servants should be doing this, then we would have the time for more intimate activities."
Their mother punched him in the shoulder. "Family time, and it's tradition."
"For those who don't have servants. We do, so the entire point is moot. Why waste our time on this?"
"For that, you can hang up the tinsel."
"The what?" he asked and sighed as she gestured to a box. "Remind me, why did I marry you?"
"Because I'm irresistible," she said. "Lulu, why don't you plug in the lights? And Nunnally, there's a bag inside that box with less fragile ornaments to hang up."
Slowly, but surely, their Christmas tree came together with a lot of grumbling. Lelouch gazed at it in wonder as the light bounced off the baubles and onto the ground in a dizzying array of colors. The tinsel, which the Emperor had begrudgingly wrapped around the tree, glistened.
And disturbing the regular patterns Lelouch and the Emperor made, Nunnally had haphazardly strewn the wooden snowflakes and angels, ignoring mundane things such as symmetry.
"It's hideous," Lelouch whispered.
Nunnally hummed, taking a paper snowflake and hanging it on the lights.
"Marianne, please," the Emperor said, aghast.
"It's beautiful," their mother said. Grinning, she clapped her hands together. "Now, we need to find some stockings. And prepare a plate of cookies for Santa."
"Who is Santa?" Lelouch asked again.
"An assassin at worst, or a burglar at best, according to anyone who possesses a sliver of common sense," the Emperor said.
Lelouch nodded sagely. Were they preparing a trap for him then?
"Is Mommy going to beat him up?" Nunnally asked eagerly.
Their mother groaned. "Charles, I swear—" Shaking her head, she turned to them. "Santa comes down the chimney and brings presents."
"How does he fit in the chimney?" Lelouch asked dubiously.
"Magic," their mother finally said. "He brings presents to all the good children in the world."
That was a lot of work.
Nunnally's nose crinkled. "So we were bad last year?"
"No, sweetie. We simply didn't have a Christmas tree. But now we do, so he'll definitely come. But only if you are fast asleep. No sneaking into the kitchen tonight... Or my room."
Why was it whenever the Emperor visited that neither Lelouch nor Nunnally were allowed in her room? Not that he was complaining. He was much too old to sleep in their mother's bed. It was simply the principal of the matter. She was their mother.
Lelouch glowered at the Emperor.
"Must you fill their head with such nonsense?" the Emperor grumbled. "I understand you wish to exchange gifts, but doing so under this deception—"
"—A word, Charles," their mother hissed and dragged him out of the room.
The next morning,—Christmas according to their mother's excited ramblings—Lelouch entered the room with trepidation. The hideous tree still stood in the corner, and underneath it were items wrapped in shiny paper. Most of them rectangular, although one was a cylinder. On the table, a half eaten cookie remained. Disgusting.
Lelouch shivered. Had some strange entity really broken into their home to deliver presents of all things?
Slowly, he turned to the fireplace. Could someone really come down through the chimney?
His eyes narrowed, spotting the black smudge on the two stockings. Someone had come... What if they hurt Nunnally?
"Lelouch?" Nunnally asked, calming his heart. Blearily, she rubbed her eyes and glanced around the room. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of the tree. "Presents!"
"Wait!" he cried, grabbing her arm. "What if it's a trap?"
Her nose crinkled. "Don't be stupid. Ooh, stockings!"
"Nunnally, wait!"
But it was too late, she had already pulled free and dashed to the fireplace. Grinning, she jumped and tore down the stocking. "It's coal!"
Coal?
"This is amazing!" She spun excitedly, not caring for the black smudges on her gown or her hands... or her face. "I'm going to draw the bestest picture with it. Don't worry. I'll share. Think how mad Cornelia will be if we put it in her stuff."
Oh, that was a delightful idea. She always turned a wonderful shade of puce when angry. Just like her hair. It served her right for insisting he exercise the week before.
Disregarding cleanliness, now that he was scheming, Lelouch walked to the other stocking and pulled out the lump of coal. This was going to be amazing.
Later, they quietly giggled inside a closet as Cornelia's loud shrieks echoed through the villa. She would calm... eventually. If this was what Christmas meant, then it was definitely the best holiday. Any occasion to prank their half-sister was amazing.
The door rattled, and Lelouch shoved Nunnally behind him. Had Cornelia found them already?
Their mother frowned at them and crossed her arms. "Out."
Hanging their heads, they climbed out of the closet. Standing a few feet away, the Emperor shook his head. Lelouch's heart sank. They were in so much trouble.
"Now, would you care to explain where you got the coal?"
"It was in the stockings," Lelouch mumbled, shuffling his feet. Nobody had said they weren't allowed to use it. Although, maybe, dropping it in Cornelia's clothes was going too far... Maybe.
Surprisingly, their mother turned to the Emperor and growled, "Charles..."
"You said they were hellions." At her unimpressed look, the Emperor continued, "And it's part of the Christmas tradition according to your own explanation."
Lelouch adopted his most innocent expression. Besides him, Nunnally radiated the pure innocence of youth. Unfortunately for him, he had outgrown that ability. Surprisingly, the Emperor seemed to be on their side for once.
"Don't gift the children coal," their mother hissed.
"But it's so useful," Nunnally whined.
The Emperor smirked. "I fail to see the problem. They enjoyed it."
She spun around, grabbing Nunnally's hand, and strode down the hallway. "It's a new Christmas rule. Come on, we're opening presents."
When they entered the room, the Emperor pushed past them, picking up the cylindrical package. "Marianne, is this a sword?"
"Isn't it wonderful? It's for Nunnally." Their mother cooed, "She's going to be a little-me. I can't wait to teach her."
The Emperor sighed. "Marianne..."
"What? You gave them coal."
Nunnally chirped, "I thought that was Santa?"
"Yes, Santa gave you coal," their mother affirmed.
Lelouch rolled his eyes. Who did she think she was fooling? Even Nunnally didn't look convinced.
"No sharp objects for children," the Emperor said.
"Whoever came up with that ridiculous idea?" their mother snapped. "She used a knife to cut the snowflakes yesterday."
"Odysseus," the Emperor answered. "Ever since I gave Cornelia her first sword, and she nearly cut her toe off, he has been quite insistent. Or do you want him to badger your ear off for the next sixth month? He is exceptionally good at it."
"Absolutely ridiculous," she said but didn't protest as he placed it out of reach.
Lelouch noted its location carefully. That was basically an invitation to liberate Nunnally's gift when neither of their parents were looking. Meeting his sister's eyes, he knew she was having similar thoughts.
Christmas was an... interesting holiday. Next year, he wouldn’t get caught pranking Cornelia.
Christmas Rules:
1) The servants are not allowed to help with decorating. — Marianne
2) Santa is real. Stop saying otherwise. — Marianne
3) Don't gift the children coal. —Marianne
4) Children are not allowed sharp objects. —Charles
5) No sneaking into Marianne's bedroom during the night. —Charles
6) No moving my ornaments. They're supposed to be like that. —Nunnally
7) Don’t clump the ornaments all in one spot. It’s unsightly. —Lelouch
8) Whoever forgets to invite us next time will regret it. —Cornelia
9) No pranks. —Cornelia
10) Don't touch the lights. Empress Marianne is very defensive over them. —A Servant