Chapter 3: On the Genealogy of a Dominatrix

Kallen was back at the Stadtfelt estate. Her family hadn’t returned and Lelouch was not lying in wait for another bout of fun. No, this time she was alone.

But she wasn’t reminiscing on old times either. She had a purpose for being here. For once, she was glad she was alone. If any of the Black Knights or Zero himself were around even after their first two flings, they would be trying to convince her of how useful this location would be as a strategic outpost. She could see them arguing for trying to make it their hideout before the Britannian Royal Army had the mind to do it. If someone as conniving as Schneizel would see the merit in that idea on the spot, then Lelouch would also want it. Not just because it could function as a compound for the imperial soldiers, but also to unnerve Kallen, now a known and wanted fugitive in the Black Knights. Like Lelouch, he knew strategy was a game of the heart as much as logic was.

She suddenly got a call. The name on it was Zero. Opening up her phone she said, “Zero.”

“Q-1. I’m here.”

“Roger. I’ll unlock the gates now.”

There was a secret terminal here. There were secret terminals everywhere in the proud Stadtfeld manor, but they were inconspicuous enough that the average person would walk right by them and think nothing of it. They threw some crazy parties back in the day, and there were safety measures provided for when something might go wrong, in every nook and cranny, from here in the wine cellar to even in the bathrooms. Panic rooms were an obvious choice, but these kinds of terminals were all over the place to ensure that if the whole household was drunk off their ass or even hungover, someone would be able to let in late visitors, let alone visits from Britannian officials.

She activated the terminal and a series of security cameras were activated. Seeing that he was indeed here at the Stadtfeld manor gates, she input the keycode and saw the gate open up. He stepped inside. “Zero,” she said stiffly into her phone.

“Yeah, what is it?”

“Last time you were here, all the security measures were inactive. But I had them reactivated since coming here.”

“Then take them down again,” he said dryly.

“It’s not that easy. It’s a long and slow process to undo each and every lock in the system. It’ll be easier for me to read you directions that will take you to a secret entrance in the main building.”

She did just that. Afterwards, he said, “Wow Q-1, and here I thought I was supposed to be the brains of the operation. I’m almost starting to think we should use your house as a meeting place for the Black Knights and...”

I knew it, she thought to herself.

“Zero! This visit is a purely formal one and I am your most trusted advisor. There are other things to discuss.”

He sighed. “Fine...” Then he shut off the call. She watched him through the security cameras, he followed every instruction she had given him. That gave her time to focus on her own devices.

She had a purpose for being here. Unlike Lelouch and the rest of his conniving kin, her purpose here was entirely one of the heart. She knew the reason he was playing around with Refrain. Both times they had fucked each other wild in this same household, there was one thing at the center of it. His dear sister Nunnally.

And today, Lelouch was scheduled to meet her personally.

Kallen didn’t need him losing his edge. If they sat down and popped open a couple of brewski’s as some of the Britannians liked to say, then maybe he’d be more mentally ready. As brilliant as he was, that head of his could get in the way sometimes. Maybe he just needed something to take his mind off things.
----

Lelouch followed Kallen’s instructions. He was surprised at the level of security in this noble household, he was reared as a prince and had lived in the company of Milly Ashford since his exile. But the Stadtfeld family had really gone out of their way to ensure their place was locked up tight. Her directions were very specific, and soon he found himself noticing oddities in the outer walls of the house that he would never have seen if she hadn’t told him. Once he reached one checkpoint, he would move in the exact same direction she told him to for however set of paces that was required, only to notice another one. He couldn’t believe that the family had put this much detail into maintaining their safety.

“Just follow the directions, she said. It’ll be easier, she said. Well here I am walking and walking, and I don’t know where the hell I’m going.”

He reached another checkpoint. This was it. This was to be the supposed meeting place. But there was nothing. He had followed her exact directions through the hedge mazes, had followed the impressions of the trees perfectly, and still he was now at an a dead end of a wedge in front of the Stadtfeld household with nothing to really show for it. He threw his hands up. “Where are you Q-1?”

Out of curiosity, he noticed what looked like a hand indentation in the wall. It was only a very vague impression, he wouldn’t have noticed it if he hadn’t passed several arbitrary checkpoints already. He casually pressed his palm onto it. Then the wall actually slid open and revealed itself. There was a long stone passageway before him.

He situated his jacket like he was getting ready for a date. “Bet her folks liked to do this whenever they were fooling around with random Japanese.”

He walked in. The door automatically shut behind him. There wasn’t much detail to follow, but now he was lost in total darkness. What little he had seen of the passageway was just a simple way forward. He did just that.

He found a set of stairs. Walking up, he found another dead end. Shrugging his shoulders, he pushed it open. Soon his eyes were graced with light. He could see the perfectly furnished wooden walls and the fine carpets that lined the floor. Now back in the mansion proper, he shut the door behind him.

Looking back, the door he came from didn’t look like a door at all, it was perfectly designed to fit in with the wall. Next to where he came from was an actual door. He tried fiddling with the handle, but it didn’t budge an inch. He smiled, by the feel of it, it was a fake door. “This place really is the perfect hideout. I must convince her to let me use this as a stronghold for the Black Knights!”

Looking around him, the place was well furnished. It was another narrow corridor, but with the fake door and all the finery about, nobody would think it was a dead end. Instead they’d think it was just another swanky part of the household.

Walking forth, he made his way through the corridor. As he did, he passed by several photos on the wall, all of them framed in glass. Some of them were so old they were actually black and white. They were all of the family out and about in formal gatherings, some of them were just having picnics together. Going further, the photos eventually turned to being full color. The thing that struck him as odd was that in all of them there was a young child. He didn’t think too much with it on the black and white photos, but when he got to the era of color, he knew it was Kallen.

“My folks never did anything like that,” he mused to himself.

On the other side of the wall were sets of photos, framed up like portraits. They were all dressed up and looking as prim and proper as possible. He didn’t need to read the names underneath them to know these were the old members of the Stadtfeld family.

“This is definitely more in line with my family,” he said. With how regal and pompous every single painting was, he half expected to see a male who looked like his old man. With how big this family tree was, he wouldn’t be surprised if the imperial family once mingled with the Stadtfeld clan.

“That would be awkward,” he said. He and Kallen had done all sorts of things when the Black Knights weren’t looking. There were rumors that he and CC were lovers, but talk about him and Kallen were spoke in far more hushed whispers. If only because Q-1 was known and feared in the Black Knights and if she caught anyone talking about her, she’d be quick to put them in their place.

“She put me in my place alright.” He twitched remembering all the pain she had put him through. It was good pain though, and a smile lit up his face. All the things he did with her, he couldn’t wait for more.

Moving further, he looked at every single photo. None he could see, the only real thing that stood out to him was how pompous they all looked. But he didn’t have too long to think on that one. Not when he found one painting that was the spitting image of Kallen. Except this one looked a lot more regal than she did. She was dressed in a frilly blue dress that covered up her whole body. Longer hair too, her crimson mane was styled into a big bun with several small braids hanging loose, and even then her hair fell past her shoulders. He could only begin to tell the outline of a large bust size.

She’ll probably want to have all of these taken down once I put forth the idea of making this our base. Imagine Tamaki looking at this thing, he’d probably be going goo goo ga-ga all over it. He makes a single dumb remark to her and she’ll remind him whose in charge. For his safety, I should have it removed.

But he couldn’t look away. This woman had one hell of a rack. He was getting stiff just thinking about it. Despite his royal bearing and his current responsibilities, he would have been tempted to relieve himself right then and there. That is, if not for the gift he had. He had been holding it behind him the whole time since arriving here, and was thankful it was undamaged on his trek to get in there.

He looked at the picture again and was distracted by her large chest. “Well they got one thing right,” he said with a grin, remembering how much he loved those hooters.

“Did you say something Zero?”

Kallen’s voice suddenly piping up made him jump. He quickly turned around to see her looking straight at him. Beautiful as ever, he was very familiar with her appearance by now. But after staring at that photo, a woman in a fine dress, it was looking at a totally different person. Seeing Kallen in a normal jacket zipped up all the way and a pair of black leggings that fit perfectly around her shapely legs, it was like looking at her again for the first time.

She was noticing him just standing there, not saying a word. “You’re more taciturn than usual. Is there a reason you were staring at a picture of my grandmother?” She put her hands on her hips and arched an eyebrow. “The way you were looking at her, am I going to have to be jealous anytime soon?”

Lelouch blinked in surprise before a flush colored his cheeks. Here he thought he was admiring the wonderful body of Kallen, one of his favorite treats, and instead he was only ogling some woman with a sharp resemblance to her. Especially some dead granny.

Looking at it again, he could see the differences. It was like beholding two twins that from a distance look similar, but up close, you could see the small differences. There was no mistaking the proud and imperious features of a Britannian woman. Having known several of these types in his family, he found himself staring longer than he intended to.

It was something nostalgic. He caught himself, he remembered that Kallen herself was very capable of and had put him in his place several times over, the way she was looking at him now she might very well do that. But he’d save face.

“I knew it was your grandmother. There are so many similarities, aren’t there? The red hair, that grace you both have, and the similar noble bearing. It’s no wonder that it’s been passed through your bloodline.”

Kallen giggled. That look could mean so many things given how kinky their previous romps in the sack had been but he knew that she bought it. Once a princess, always a princess.

“You’ve got a sharp eye for everything, don’t you? But I guess that’s why you’re Zero.” She edged her head to the side. “And now I have to ask, what is it that you have behind you?”

He had indeed been hiding something behind his hands the whole time. Navigating the labyrinthine structure and well furnished corridors, he had not forgotten this thing he had brought with him. And unlike his fascination with using the manor as a base, the purpose for this trip was for something else altogether.

He brought it forward. Kallen brought her hands to her mouth and gasped in surprise. It was a bouquet of roses. It went way beyond your average romantic gesture too, it was two dozen of them. Lelouch really went all out.

She looked away. Well known for her Guren mecha, it’s name meant crimson lotus. Right now with how her face looked, it was very fitting.

Lelouch handed it on over to her. Ever an adept in hand to hand combat and manipulating a mecha as if it was her own body, her hands were shaking at being offered such a thing. Like the roses themselves were pure crystal.

His next words just made everything so much worse. “These are for you. I wanted to say thanks for everything you’ve done for me. I hope you like roses. These flowers always reminded me of you. You know, the color?”

That line was pure cheese and he knew it. But there was something of truth in there too. Before he knew it, a blush had tinged his face too.

This guy, does he actually know what he’s doing? Mr. Shinjuku, you’ve come so far. He knows these are always right for a woman.

“Thank you,” she said. Not proudly, just a barely audible whisper. “Um...” He tilted his head, curious on what she’d say next. “This really is a big bouquet...”

Lelouch knew that much too. A prince in exile living under the patronage of the Ashford family and a revolutionary who had shattered the yolk of the world, he was very much a connoisseur of fine things, and still he was surprised by the asking price of the vendor he got it from. But given the reaction of the lady before him, it was so worth it.

He looked at the photo of Kallen’s grandmother again. “You know when I said that she reminded me of you, I meant that all I could think about Lady Stadtfeld.” His lips curved slyly, remembering how much meaning that name had taken.

She looked up, oblivious to his thoughts on the matter or how amused he seemed. “Well that makes sense. She was the last woman in my family to bear the name Lady Stadtfeld. It’s not just a title we wear. It also makes us the mistress of the family.”

“Mistress? Do you mean...”

“Yes, that meaning too. Therefore it’s only natural that I should also bear that name. With all the privileges that come with it.”

Lelouch licked his lips, thinking of anything but romance at that moment. “Oh really?”

“Yes, really,” she said, regaining a bit of her usual verve. “The duty of every woman who bears the name Lady Stadtfeld is to put her husband in his place. So they don’t lose their way and forget the tasks and responsibilities before them. By any means necessary. And if they do, we are free to punish them.”

She said looking into his eyes as firmly as possible. But as intimidating as those words were, Lelouch found himself pitching a tent that very moment. He gulped, not knowing what would come next.

Fortunately, this Lady Stadtfeld was inclined to show mercy. “When I was a child, I was often with my grandmother in the heart of Britannia. I loved her and respected her, she was the complete opposite of what my family has become. Even when her hair had turned gray, I could see what a caring and proud woman she was. And she taught me what it would be to become the next Lady Stadtfeld and how to uphold those duties.

“You know what I loved most about her? The one thing that will always make me see her as pure and untainted from living in the empire? She didn’t care that I was half-Japanese.”

Lelouch looked at the photo again. He saw the little discrepancies in the resemblance beyond what one would see in parents and their children or identical twins. Despite Kallen’s half-Japanese ancestry, there was no sign of any Asian features, indeed her heritage only made her look more noble, she could easily pass for any full blooded Britannian. But looking at this woman, he could see the mark of her European features very strongly as opposed to Kallen. Like seeing twins from afar who look nearly identical but upon a closer look, you’d see all the little differences. Her grandmother was the real deal.

Kallen smiled fondly. “She recognized me as the next heir of the family. But then the war came and everything changed. Seeing half of my people shackled, their ancestry and culture stolen from them, not even given proper names, I started to hate Britannia and everything it stood for. Even if it was part of my family, I knew what it meant.”

Lelouch gazed intently at Kallen. He wasn’t thinking about their previous freaky romps in the sack or even what might happen today given her risque talk earlier. He was thinking about his own situation. The full blooded prince and son of the emperor himself, he understood that sentiment all too well.

“I watched my own father have to marry another woman to protect his own family. That woman.” She closed her eyes and grit her teeth. Then she opened her eyes again. “But I would often visit my grandmother. She was no friend of Britannia’s policies. Not a friend of the emperor either. With my resemblance to her, I could avoid the oppression my people faced at the hands of that empire.

“But when I turned sixteen, all that changed. Many men from the empire, some nobles, some warriors, all came here looking to try and win my hand.” Her smile was still as beautiful as ever, it hadn’t changed one bit. But there was a coldness and silent fury to it that not even the battle fury of her grimace could match. It only made her beauty that much harsher, like the statue of a goddess in a temple, indifferent to the many worshippers making offerings. Even after all they did together, he her superior and a loyal warrior in his service, Lelouch felt like such a small man then. “Some of them were even older than my father.”

As brilliant as Lelouch could be, he didn’t have a response to that one. His mother was envied and hated by the other ladies of the court, and had paid the price for it with her life. It was all he could think of, but then again, she had perished. Kallen on the other hand had lived and survived the machinations of nobility. And now she was a fugitive serving in his court.