Clavis Lelouch and his little princess of pink
The hallways of the east wing echoed with a sound that could only be described as the confident, royal clip-clop of toddler feet in brand-new shoes.
And who was behind the strut of said tiny pink shoes?
"Behold," Clavis announced, dramatically flinging open the carved meeting room doors with one arm, the other securely wrapped around his two-year-old daughter. “The Princess of Style. The Small, Stompy Monarch of Pink—Lillian Lelouch!”
Jin, mid-sip of his morning coffee, visibly flinched.
Leon, softly looking at his little niece choked on a laugh. “Clavis… we have meetings. Reports. Guard formations. And—”
“None of which matter now,” Clavis declared, setting Lillian down carefully. She landed with a proud little bounce, wobbling in the slightest before righting herself. “Observe!”
He clapped once.
Lillian, on cue, lifted one tiny foot, then the other, revealing the adorable squeaky noise the shoes made—an innovation Clavis had insisted upon.
“Squeak-squeak!” she repeated happily.
Nokto, stepping into the room late (and regretting it), blinked. “What… what in the seven sins is that sound?”
“Her shoes. Custom-made. I had them crafted to squeak. It’s hilarious,” Clavis said proudly, crouching to straighten the frilly socks peeking over them. “And she loves them. Don’t you, little lily pad?”
“Squeaky!” Lillian repeated. She turned to Jin. “Squeak!”
Jin narrowed his eyes. “If you make her say ‘Uncle Jin,’ I might consider staying.”
Clavis’s grin widened dangerously. “Why stop there?” He scooped Lillian into his arms and raised her like a prize trophy. “Let’s teach her every uncle’s name. Let’s see who she says first.”
Leon’s face lit up like a match to fireworks. “OH, yes! Come on, Lily! Can you say Uncle Leon?”
“LEE-on!” she squeaked immediately.
“HA! Yes!” Leon threw both arms in the air. “I WIN!”
“No one’s competing,” Jin said dryly. "But.. can you say Uncle Jin, lily??" He grinned, turning to the small girl who only giggled in return.
Nokto sat down on his seat, grinning widely. “Lily, say ‘Uncle Nokto.’ Come on. Uncle Nokto, the most handsome one.”
“...Noctoo?”
“I’ll take it!” Nokto fist-pumped. “Close enough!”
Yves, arriving fashionably late and holding a tray of fresh fruit, looked alarmed. “Why are all of you shouting at a toddler?!”
“She’s learning names,” Clavis said, now lazily spinning Lillian in a circle while she squealed in delight.
“Yves,” Leon said, eyes glittering, “your turn. She got mine in one try.”
Yves adjusted his gloves. “Lillian, dear,” he said softly, crouching down and offering her a small blueberry, “say Uncle Yves.”
“Eeevss.”
Yves beamed like the sun. “Smart girl.”
Luke, curled up in a chair in the corner, rolled his eyes. “Don’t bring her over here.”
“She’s making the rounds,” Clavis declared, already on the move.
Luke sighed as his niece stumbled over, her shoes squeaking loudly, arms outstretched. “Uncle Wook?”
Luke stared.
Then exhaled slowly. “...Fine. That was cute.”
“Alright, alright,” came Jin’s gruff voice again. “The meeting?”
“Fine,” Clavis sighed with exaggerated sorrow. He crouched down next to Lillian. “Daddy has to go do boring grown-up things, lovebug. Be brave while I fight the great beast known as Bureaucracy.”
“Squeaky?”
“Yes. Take your shoes. They are your sword.”
She stomped her feet twice in reply. SQUEAK. SQUEAK.
Clavis chuckled and rose to his feet, brushing off his jacket before reaching down and scooping up Lillian one more time. She clung to him sleepily now, her moment of squeaky triumph giving way to that soft-eyed toddler daze, her thumb halfway to her mouth.
He pressed a kiss to her curls. “Alright, my queen of squeaks. Let’s get you to your nap, shall we?”
“Nooo nap,” she whined into his collarbone, clearly already halfway there.
“I know, darling,” he whispered conspiratorially, “it’s how I feel about morning briefings.”
As he passed the table, the brothers glanced up again. Leon gave him a grin. “Go on. I suppose this little meeting can wait. The little princess demands it so."
Yves sighed, nodding as Jin and Nokto laughed, Luke leaving the room.
It was another day at the Rhodolite Palace, it seemed.