Ikemen Prince – Clavis Lelouch
I chose Clavis as my second character to pursue because he was closest to Chev. He doesn’t appeal to me visually but his personality is quite an interesting one. I can’t tell whether he actually supports his older brother or is constantly plotting to destroy him. Anyway I figured I’ll have more chance to see Chev through Clavis. Kekeke.
Since young, Clavis had hated Chev. Because Chev was born, because he was so perfect, Clavis lost someone close to him.
The morning after MC was appointed Belle, Clavis is first to greet her and offer her a personal tour around the palace and introduce her to the other princes. Belle was hesitant to take him up on the offer – his zealousness triggered a lot of suspicions. However once she heard that Sariel had given him the go ahead she relented.
After a whirlwind of a day where MC witnessed Clavis pranking all his brothers, having a verbal war with Sariel, and even springing an assassination attempt on Chevalier, she knew she was dealing with a problem child. What is wrong with this guy?! Even as Chevalier cut down his assailants, Clavis’ smile never left his face.
MC returns to her room to wash off the blood, realising that she lacked the necessary knowledge to choose the right prince for the role. When she got out of the bath, Clavis was already sitting on her sofa. Apparently he let himself into the room after picking her lock. How is that even a gentlemanly behaviour?
Clavis offers to host MC for daily breakfast party so she can use that opportunity to pick his brain for all the knowledge she lacked. How did he even perceive that in such a short time. While MC was hesitant to accept wondering if it is going to be prank, she considered that this would also help her understand Clavis’ motivation better. Afterall he can’t be doing this simply because he wants the Belle to love him.
The next morning Clavis prepares a very unusual breakfast for MC himself. He can cook but he tends to use weird ingredients in even weirder ways to cook his food. I guess that’s where the fun is right? MC shares her thought process with Clavis – she needed to know each prince and their ideology and she also needed to understand the current state of the kingdom to determine which ideology is what the country needs now. Clavis listened intently and advised her to also read up on the history of the Belles so she can learn from past mistakes as well. MC was surprised to have the first decent conversation with Clavis so she decided to reward him by trying his food. Clavis was so delighted that he promised to cook even more for her. Urg…
Later Clavis arranged for MC to escort him on his daily duties so she can observe what he and Chev do on a daily basis. Clavis briefs the staff on the schedule of meetings with nobles and ministers. He also assigns various roles and plan Chev’s schedule. MC is puzzled that Clavis also does this for his brother. Later they attempt to wake Chev up. Clavis’ method is to attempt to stab Chev. MC noticed that Chev sleeps with his sword so this is probably a regular occurrence. However she stops Clavis and tries to wake Chev up herself. Chev obliges with some sleepy talk.
With that done, the day begins with endless meetings. Chev makes most of the decisions while Clavis assists him with various duties on the side. It seems like these two are very used to working together. At this point, it is one thing to pick someone like Chev, perfect in every way as king. But how will the story progress such that Clavis becomes a potential contender too?
MC finds out Clavis’ mother had served Chev’s mother, the queen, as her maid. This explained why Clavis also took charge of all of Chev’s servants and behaved like he was Chev’s attendant more than like a subordinate. There was a certain resentment in his voice as he shared this information with MC though the smile on his face never waned.
When MC returns to her room, Sariel and Rio were there to check on her. Sariel shares his suspicions about Clavis, alleging that he could be a spy for Obsidian so he warned MC to be careful around Clavis and where possible to share any information she discovers about Clavis with him.
That night Chev and Clavis chased down an intruder. Chev quickly puts an end to his life and threatens to kill Clavis if he allows his ‘guest’ to endanger the security of the palace. I love it when Chev said ‘it is ok to play with your friends but don’t let them play you.’. It sounds so brotherly but the sad truth is that Clavis really wants Chev dead. When Clavis shared that this would be his first order of business if he became king, MC realised that there must have been some history between the two brothers to trigger such resentment.
OK maybe not every route will lead to chosen love interest becoming king. Perhaps there is more to the story about how MC will help to uncover and resolve unspoken hurts and misunderstandings between the brothers so that together they will become a stronger royal family to rule Rhodolite. It almost feels like Chev allows Clavis to wreak havoc on his life as a way to alleviate some personal grievance.
At the next breakfast party Clavis invites Jin and Luke both of whom expressed little interest in becoming king. They also warned MC to stay away from Clavis as he would only cause her trouble. Unlike Chev where MC always feels guarded being around, she was really comfortable around Clavis not mincing her words to tell him how she really felt about him whether he listened or not. After that she spent the afternoon learning the history of Rhodolite from Sariel.
After a gruelling session, MC was ready to collapse in her room but she was whisked away by Clavis. He brought her to Chev’s private library which filled her with glee. Clavis pretended to be insulted that she paid more attention to the books than on him. However she was slightly touched that he actually thought about her needs.
That night at a meeting with an informant, Clavis learnt that the three princes of the neighbouring kingdoms have snuck entry into Rhodolite. Clavis says he will personally see that they receive a warm welcome.
The next day MC meets with Yves and Licht at their breakfast meetings. Licht has no interest in becoming king while Yves is more focused on economic development. Clavis invites them to a party he is hosting at his own private retreat. It wasn’t the usual glamorous ball but he assured MC that she would certainly be able to learn more about the kingdom through his friends which came from all walks of life. Concerned for her safety, Yves and Licht agreed to accompany MC.
Turns out Clavis’ private retreat is hidden deep in the woods in some rundown mansion. Clavis was quick to get rid of Yves and Licht through a pit floor trap that ‘safely’ kept them locked away during the party. He then escorts MC through the dark corridors to an unexpected lavish ballroom that is crowded with people from all walks of life. MC noticed specifically that they are citizens who are anti-war or anti-royalty which piqued her curiosity over why Clavis would support them.
Clavis explained that history is written by the conquerors so whatever MC believes to be fact is only written from the perspective of the victor. He added that Rhodolite’s kings were not all saints so it’s important for him to be open to various ideologies and in his own rather twisted approach to support them to see if these ideologies can survive the test of time. I have to say Clavis’ thinking is ahead of his time. I can appreciate that – I mean in our modern society; we have said goodbye to monarchy and embraced democracy.
Clavis introduces MC to Silvio, first prince of Benitoite who had disguised as a merchant. Silvio was trying to discover MC’s real identity so Clavis made the first move to introduce her to prevent Silvio from finding out. MC tried her best to come up with a cover story which Silvio was quick to tear apart. Clavis follows up seamlessly with a story about them being lovers which resulted in a rather comical exchange between the two. I can feel the sparks flying at this point.
In the end, Clavis convinced Silvio that MC is a minister in training. Silvio proceeded to invite her for one of his parties so that he can gruel her on state matters. Clavis quickly offered to escort her, in exchange for a trade agreement for a rare medicinal flower that is grown in Rhodolite. MC is slightly impressed. For the prankster whom Clavis is, he’s actually got a pretty good head on.
Sariel was very angry to learn about what transpired but Clavis managed to calm him down when he explained that it would have been better to orchestrate the encounter so they would have the upper hand in this matter. MC agrees to undergo gruelling training with Sariel to prepare herself for the party. Meanwhile Clavis’ intention for organising the gathering continues to gnaw at her so she decided to visit with Chevalier to find out more.
After offering to get Chevalier foreign books from the East, Chev agreed to share what he knows about his brother. Simply put he wants to quell any hatred towards the kingdom before it grows out of hand by incepting a certain idea into their minds. That all their problems stem from Chev and his brutality (Ref the Bloodstained Rose War where Chev allowed the Obsidianites to kill off an entire village in exchange for the kingdom’s freedom). Chev understood that his ideology would never be easily accepted but everything he ever did, he did for the kingdom. MC understands that it is a difficult path he chose to walk on. (ARGGG I love this guy!).
MC prodded further about the history between the two brothers. Chev refused to speak on this unless there is another offer on the table. He suggested MC ask Clavis about it himself since he was the one who started it. At that point Clavis grabbed MC from behind and chided her for bribing his brother to learn more about him. MC retorted that Clavis would never willingly tell her the truth but he did sound rather hurt and even warned MC to let him keep his own secrets. Though MC knew that it wasn’t proper etiquette to pry, she felt compelled to understand Clavis.
Before they left, Chev warned Clavis about Silvio’s real intention for inviting MC to the party. The next few days, MC devoted her time to learning everything she can. On the way to the party, MC continues to cram in more information. Clavis confiscates the book and advised MC to only remember one thing – to keep smiling no matter who happens. That a smile is good manners and also a form of protection as it emboldens one no matter how nervous they are feeling. Maybe that’s why Clavis is always smiling…
When they arrive at the ball, Silvio was quick to separate MC from Clavis and Sariel’s protection for a one on one conversation. He brought her to a reception room where another guy with a black eye patch is waiting for her. (This guy is Gilbert the first Prince of Obsidian and many times the enemy of Rhodolite.) MC doesn’t know who he is so he introduces himself as a friend of Clavis. However his demeanour was so oppressive and dangerous such that MC had to clench her fist to calm herself.
Remembering Clavis’ advice she tried her best to maintain a smile while chatting with Gilbert. He only had one request which is for her to pass a letter to Clavis. He also spotted Cyran who had been sent by Clavis to protect MC. It appears Cyran knows Gilbert. In any case the latter warned them against telling anyone other than Clavis that they had met him or they might meet an untimely death.
With that he left. MC hurriedly returned to the main hall so that she can talk to Clavis but he was nowhere to be found. Silvio uses this opportunity to test MC while intoxicating her with strong alcohol. MC tries her best to hold her liquor but she was quickly becoming drunk by the third glass. Before Silvio could force the 4th on her, Clavis swoops in to drink it for her to the surprise of everyone. He also tells Silvio that it was time for them to leave then proceeds to princess carry her back to the carriage. MC struggled but Clavis insisted on carrying her since they were supposedly lovers. Not wanting to admit it she really felt a lot safer in his arms.
Clavis hurriedly carried MC back to her room and tucked her in. He then excused himself and left the room abruptly. However before MC could fall asleep she suddenly remembered the note from Gilbert. She rushed out of bed to find Clavis. She finds him squatting against the wall. When she called out to him, she realised that he was completely drunk as he isn’t able to hold his alcohol at all. Feeling guilty for causing Clavis to be in this state, MC supports him back to her room and lay him on her bed instead. She ended up tucking him in. Clavis starts to talk in his drunken stupor and for the first time, MC got a glimpse of his vulnerability.
Clavis blamed his inability to drink and his incompetence. That Chev would never allow this to happen and it is probably why MC will like Chev more than him. He asked MC whether she likes him and even requested using her as a lap pillow so that he can sleep. MC has never seen Clavis like this before – all that façade, the smiles, the pranks, the egotistical talk was meant to cover his true insecurities. In that moment, MC’s heart fluttered. She realised that she cared alot more for Clavis than she wanted to let on. (Well to be fair, it was refreshing to see Clavis like this and it did trigger my maternal instincts…)
The next morning, Clavis woke up to see MC sleeping on her sofa. Recalling what happened that night he felt wretched for being so vulnerable before her. He carried her back to bed and then spotted the letter from Gilbert. It made his heart turn cold. When MC awoke, Clavis was watching her from the sofa, a proper breakfast awaiting her. He told her to forget everything that happened that night and that it was better for MC to remember him as the hellcat. He also told MC he had taken care of the letter and refused to let her mention meeting Gilbert, or he too would need to get rid of her.
In that moment, MC suddenly recalled Sariel’s warning that Clavis could be working as a spy for Obsidian. She chided herself for ever thinking that Clavis could be someone she trusted, the person she actually sought sanctuary from. She involuntarily distanced herself from Clavis.
That afternoon, she attended a tea party with Yves, Licht and the prince of Jade, Keith. He had come to Rhodolite to report that there has been an increasing number of Obsidianites who have fled to Jade as they could no longer bear the tyranny of their king. He has raised taxes in preparation for war. Yves commented that Clavis who was in charge of this department had reported similar findings.
Before they could discuss further, Clavis gate-crashed the party to the horror of the three princes. Noticing their discomfort, MC quickly excused herself and Clavis or threatened to spill the secret of his drunken stupor. Clavis agreed without resistance. When they had walked off a distance, Clavis told MC that he would need to be gone for several days so he would not be able to prepare breakfast for her. MC thought it ridiculous that he actually thought she would miss his horrendous breakfast but seeing how hurt he looked, she decided to humor him slightly. He promised to make up for it when he returned… if she still loved him then.
Without Clavis around, Rio went back to preparing breakfast for MC. Despite how delicious the spread was, MC realised that she somehow missed the surprises that came with Clavis’ breakfast. Sariel suddenly appeared in her chamber. He informs her Clavis is suspected of helping an Obsidian spy escape. Dang dang dang. Sariel explained that the guards had been knocked out by some fumes which only Clavis was capable of manufacturing. MC really doesn’t want to believe that Clavis could be responsible. Outside his room, no one answers the door. She turns around and find Chev waiting behind her.
He brings her to his faction office then demanded that she tells him whatever she knows about Eyepatch (i.e. Gilbert). He assures her that Gilbert’s eyes do not extend within this room. It appears it is impossible to slip out of Chev’s calculations. MC proceeds to tell Chev what had transpired during Silvio’s party and her meeting with Gilbert, as well as the letter addressed to Clavis. Seeing that MC is very concerned for Clavis, Chev offers her a deal. If she was willing to be his pawn in his political game of chess, he would provide her some ideas on where to find Clavis. MC readily agreed in her role as Belle (and largely because of her feelings for Clavis).
Bringing Cyran with her, MC heads southwards on horseback stopping every carriage they meet on their way. She eventually comes across Clavis’ carriage. Clavis pretends to be touched by MC’s love for him that made her come all this way to find him. However when MC told him to be serious, he knew that she came because he’s being suspected of betraying his country and that it was Chev who directed MC to find him. Though he didn’t understand why Chev would send MC on this errand.. I think Chev knows if there’s anyone who could possibly bring Clavis back from doing something regrettable, it would be MC.
As expected Clavis would not divulge anything about his actions. He left it up to MC to decide to judge him there and then or to accompany him to observe his intent. MC chose the latter. They ended up in a ruined fortress located along a remote border between Rhodolite and Obsidian. There Clavis delivered the spy to Gilbert in exchange for a key. MC finally found out who Gilbert is and realised that this exchange was indeed treasonous. Gilbert was able to surmise that MC’s presence here was due to Chev’s manipulation which made MC recognise that both of them must be equal geniuses. Clavis wanted to know why Gilbert had sent the spy to their palace but when Gilbert replied in silence, he decided to let the issue drop. The pair quickly left as Gilbert mercilessly silenced the spy for failing in his mission.
Clavis brought MC to his family estate to stay for the night. It took MC awhile to calm down after witnessing the execution and coming to full understanding of what had happened. Clavis gave her the choice to report his actions to Sariel which would surely sentence him to death, or to remain silent until she could understand his actions herself. MC decided to choose the latter as her convictions is based on intent and not action. She also trusted Chev’s judgement – if he didn’t come himself to stop Clavis despite knowing everything, he must have judged that Clavis meant no harm to the kingdom. Knowing that someone was willing to come over to the dark side just to understand him made Clavis a bit happier.
The next morning over breakfast, MC learnt more about Clavis’ upbringing. Unlike Chev who had no love from his parents, Clavis was the most doted prince. His mother Leticia was very close to Clavis and loved him for his pranks and spirited personality. However she had passed away. When MC brought up the topic of going back to the castle, Clavis suggested bringing her around to view the estate first. MC had her first glimpse of how Clavis runs his land and his relationship with his people. They joked openly about what a terror but also praised him for bringing joy to the people with the way he handles problems. MC learnt that a third of Clavis’ people are refugees from Obsidian. Perhaps this has something to do with his ties with Gilbert.
Later Sariel and Rio arrives at Clavis’ estate with a decree for his ‘arrest’. It had been signed off by 6 of the 7 princes (no guesses who didn’t sign). Clavis is under suspicion of helping a spy escape as well as the kidnapping of MC. MC disputed those charges claiming that she had joined Clavis on her own volition. Sariel agreed to let the kidnapping slide but insisted that Clavis return to the castle and to be put on house arrest till they find evidence. Clavis agrees on condition that he can still have breakfast with MC so that he can keep his eye on her.
On the way back to the castle, MC was further grilled on what had transpired from the time she left the castle to the time she met Clavis until Sariel arrived. MC gave her own version of her story mixed with some truth but omitted details of Clavis meeting with Gilbert. When she returned to the castle, she immediately went to find Chevalier to inform him of what happened and also seek his assistance to protect Clavis in offer for another book bribe. Chevalier didn’t sign the petition because he understood his brother’s intent and also because he didn’t think that anything he did was going to harm the kingdom. He directed MC to think about the whole situation from a different perspective in order to find out the truth.
Meanwhile Clavis is questioned by Sariel in the throne room. Sariel wants to compare his story with that of MC and without knowing what MC had told Sariel, Clavis tried to avoid the line of questioning. Chevalier enters the throne room suddenly to interrupt the proceedings. He demanded to speak to Clavis alone. Chevalier in his older brother capacity helped Clavis to understand the situation. Gilbert isn’t interested in finding out if the king is dead or Belle’s identity as what Clavis had been led on to believe. Everything he had done was simply to create the impression that Rhodolite is working with Obsidian to create tension between Jade and Benitoite. Clavis had been used as his pawn in setting this up.
Chev told Clavis to behave himself and let matters rest, though knowing him, he knows that Clavis is going to do something stupid. However, he did threaten to kill Clavis if he ever thought to seek asylum in Obsidian. Before he left, Chev told Clavis MC’s version of the story so that their testimony could match up. This made Clavis even more upset, that MC had spoken to Chevalier and that this brutal beast would actually have a soft side for her. Whatever the writer is trying to do… makes me love Chevalier even more and more.
The next morning, Clavis hosted another breakfast with MC, Leon and Nokto so that she can hear from them on their vision for their kingdom. Nokto wants to pursue trade, while Leon wants to create a kingdom where everyone is equal. Nokto told MC that no matter who she chooses as king, Rhodolite will always remain balanced in its approach due to views from the two factions which will continue to be respected no matter who is king. Clavis finally shared that he just wants to live life true to himself and his beliefs, rather than for whatever is good ‘for the kingdom’. Leon said he respected Clavis for his principles.
Later Sariel attempts to break into Clavis’ room in order to find evidence of his betrayal and he pulls MC along with him on this dastardly task. MC learnt that Clavis had picked up lockpicking skills from Sariel himself! When they finally got into his room, they were shocked to discover that it was covered top to bottom with books. It appears the main reason Clavis had not allowed anyone to ever enter his room is because he didn’t want people to know that he’s actually secretly working very hard to match Chevalier. It breaks my heart that some people are natural born genius while others have to work their butts off to achieve the same level of success.
Feeling super guilty for breaking into Clavis’ room and thus stumbling across this ‘embarrassing’ secret that Clavis is desperately trying to keep, MC admitted that she had entered his room with his permission. Clavis threatens to silence her for discovering his so-called failure. However she defended her actions that it was all in the duty of being a Belle. Clavis challenged her actions alleging that it was borne out of love for him which MC vehemently denied. I think it was at this moment that both of them became conscious of their feelings for each other. It’s really sweet to be honest.
Clavis returns to his room and recalls memories of his childhood with Chevalier and how he could never win Chevalier in anything. Even as a child, Chevalier had spoken with disdain to Clavis telling him not to waste his breath trying to compete with him on anything Chev could do because he was bound to be better than him. He advised Clavis to find his own path, in an area where Chevalier would never be able to find himself spending time on, i.e. anything that isn’t for the kingdom.
The next morning, MC had her last history lesson with Sariel. She learnt that the Belle who preceded her had spent a lot of time with the chosen king and they had eventually fallen in love. However as she was a commoner, the nobles had refused their marriage and forcefully separated belle from the king. By then the belle was already pregnant with Jin (first prince). The king was later forced to marry a noble’s daughter, Chev’s mother but it was a loveless marriage. This was why Chevalier grew up with no love, and even more so when he started exhibiting brutality as a young prodigy. Leticia was the queen’s lady-in-waiting and they were really good friends hence it was a huge shock for everyone when they found out that she was carrying the king’s third son, Clavis.
The king was forced into more political marriages thereafter leading to the birth of Leon and Yves. It was then that he learnt that his first love, Jin’s mother had died of illness. This broke his heart and his spirit and he turned into a rampant womaniser leading to the births of Licht, Nokto and Luke. MC found out that all of the prince’s mothers have died due to various reasons. The biggest tragedy of it was Leticia, who had committed suicide a few days after the queen died. It was for this reason that Clavis hates Chevalier. He blames Chev for causing his mother’s death and indirectly his own mother’s death. His desire to triumph Chevalier came from the guilt of not being strong enough to protect his own mother.
That afternoon, MC went to Chev’s private library to get her mind off what she had learnt. Her entire belief in the power of love to do good had been challenged as she realises that love can also cause so much tragedy. Clavis finds her reading a romance novel with Chev and complained about how she could stand to be in his presence considering what a bloodthirsty creature he is. MC recalls that Chevalier doesn’t regard her or Clavis as threats to the kingdom so he will never hurt them. Chevalier ignores his foolish brother’s ranting and continues to read until Clavis brought up the death of their mothers. However before they could continue the discussion, a soldier arrives to summon the princes into an urgent round table meeting. Civil war has broken out in the south.
That evening after the meeting was over, MC decided to pay Clavis a visit. Civil war could only be incited by Clavis as she recalls the private parties he hosts with anti-royalty nobles. Unfortunately she ended up being ‘kidnapped’ by Clavis who claimed that she is his accomplice. Clavis brings her to his creepy private mansion and offers her a choice to accompany him to discover what villainy he is up to or to end her curiosity and return to the castle. MC pieces together everything that has transpired up to this moment in order to understand Clavis’ motivation which he continues to avoid telling MC.
A sudden epiphany and she realised that Gilbert’s act of passing the letter to Clavis via her was a veiled threat. If Clavis had not agreed to help Gilbert, he would kill MC. Unlike Chevalier who would spare no one in protection of his kingdom, Clavis believed in a different ideology. He would do everything even betray his kingdom to protect all lives. Clavis told her not to glorify his actions and he was really just a villain right down to the core. Trusting in her own instincts (and probably supported by Chev’s assessment), MC decided to follow Clavis all the way to the end.
Romantic Ending
The next day, Clavis, Cyran and MC travelled northwards towards Obsidian via carriage. Clavis was exhausted so he leaned against MC as he slept. Cyran is surprised to learn that Clavis is able to lower his guard around MC. He proceeds to explain Clavis’ plan. He had incited the civil war in the south to bring the princes’ attention away from what he is going to do. He is going to rescue an entire village in Obsidian which is suffering from the tyranny of a corrupt noble.
This is definitely not something Chevalier would bother with since it has nothing to do with Rhodolite. Why Gilbert himself doesn’t do anything about it is beyond my understanding. Unless his hands are tied with his own nobles but perhaps with the right partner, he would be willing to close his eyes in exchange for a favour. Clavis had nothing to do with Obsidian but his estate lies on the border. We also know that he does a lot to help refugees from Obsidian assimilate to life in Rhodolite. Perhaps Clavis’ worldview extends beyond political boundaries so he is unable to turn a blind eye to atrocities committed by greedy lords.
Gilbert greeted the motley crew at the border and promptly threw them into a low security prison cell located within the town run by the tyrannical noble. Somehow Clavis managed to overturn the dire situation by convincing the young guards watching them that he is a friend of Gilbert and that Gilbert had meant for him to rescue the prisoners because he couldn’t directly interfere. He appealed to the conscience of the young guards that this brutal treatment of commonfolk cannot be the reason they signed up to be soldiers for. Surprisingly his demeanour and sincere speech worked on them so they freed the trio and helped them release the prisoners.
However by the time they got out to the town, they were greeted by a massacre of the entire town. Clavis and Cyran did their best to escape with any survivors. Clavis told the despondent Obsidianites that they had two choices – one to remain in Obsidian and face almost a certain death, or they could risk crossing the border to Rhodolite and become free citizens in his land. After informing them of their choices, he retreated to the riverside for a breather. MC follows after him. She asked him why he would be so foolish to risk his kingdom, status and life just to save these people.
Clavis finally revealed his motivation – it had always been to become better than Chevalier. He recognised that the only way he could be better than his older brother is to live life according to his own ideals and principles, which is to do whatever it takes to save the lives of everyone because all lives matter to him. However he bemoaned that he had been so foolish to think he could have saved even more people. MC encouraged him by telling him that he had already surpassed Chevalier by living according to his own will, something Chevalier could never do because he would only do what’s best for the kingdom, giving up his own heart in the process. She added that Clavis mattered to all the people he had already saved.
Clavis then told MC that she has a choice too – she could run away now and return to Rhodolite and have nothing to do with his foolish attempt at being a hero, or she could come with them and risk losing everything crossing the border. MC realised that each time Clavis gave MC this kind of choices, he was also testing her resolve as well as seek affirmation for his own actions. After they returned to the Obsidianites, a portion of the survivors wanted to follow Clavis to seek a better life in Rhodolite so they started the trek through a secret tunnel used by Gilbert to reach the border.
Cyran was worried that they would meet Gilbert however Clavis was more concerned about Chevalier. True enough, Chev was waiting at the end of the tunnel for Clavis with an army ready to take him down and kill off any refugees who attempted to enter the kingdom. Chev told Clavis that his act of treason would leave Rhodolite friendless as it would create the false impression that Rhodolite was in alliance with Obsidian, thus alienating Benitoite and Jade, which is exactly the outcome that Gilbert wanted.
Clavis looked ready to give up in the face of Chev’s rhetoric but MC quickly stepped in. She admitted that she is Clavis’ accomplice and as Belle she believed that his ideology was as sound as that of Chev. She reprimanded Clavis for giving up on his beliefs so easily just because he felt inferior to Chev. When Clavis realised that MC was willing to believe in him, he bucked up and both of them escaped back into Obsidian territory. He knew that Chev wouldn’t risk war by following them.
As the remnants of survivors gathered round for a council meeting to weigh their various options, an epiphany struck. Rather than depend on other kingdoms to help them, why not create their own nation? Clavis then set about the plans to make this ludicrous vision come to life. As part of the plan MC returned to Clavis’ estate to rally his people and then back to the capital city so that she could declare the next king of Rhodolite.
In her declaration, she chose two kings – Chevalier and Clavis, to Sariel’s utter disdain and shock. At that moment, a harried guard appeared to inform Sariel that an uprising of thousands of Rhodolites have broken out in the borders. Obviously the work of MC… In between death stares from Sariel, she told him that everything would be explained in the meeting between the two kings.
With Sariel’s agreement, Clavis was finally able to return to Rhodolite. Clavis proposed to Chevalier his plan to found an independent kingdom which would solve multiple of Rhodolite’s problems especially with the anti-war faction, provide refuge for Obsidians as well as achieve Clavis’ ideology of protecting the people whom Chevalier would never be able to do. Chevalier ridiculed the idea and stubbornly refused to accede a part of the kingdom to Clavis. In the end, it all boiled down to a swordfight between the two brothers. Chev clearly had the upper hand in terms of strength and skill but in the last moment, Clavis took advantage of his home ground and managed to injure Chevalier. The battle was over.
Chevalier finally agreed to Clavis’ request to found his own independent kingdom. He told Clavis that until he could look beyond his own inferiority complex he would never amount to anything that could best Chevalier. But since he had finally found something strong enough to believe in that made him one up Chev in an unexpected way, Chev conceded to Clavis’ idea. I really love this brotherly love that Chevalier has from Clavis that he expresses in such an indirect way.
The new independent nation of Lelouch is now official with the necessary support from Rhodolite, Jade and Benitoite. And even though Obsidian wasn’t present in the meeting, Silvio had the suspicion that Clavis had reached some kind of agreement with Gilbert. Indeed, Gilbert had originally approached Clavis with an agreement to kill Chevalier in exchange for information about Obsidian. But over time as he had witnessed Clavis, he realised that the latter’s ingenuity in using science was more important than his offer to kill his brother. In return for granting peace to the new nation, Gilbert requested scientific knowledge transfer. Clavis agreed. He was confident that Chevalier’s genius would be able to protect the kingdom from Gilbert, pitting the two geniuses against each other.
When all the dust has settled, there is only one last thing to take care of. MC’s relationship with Clavis. It was evident by this time that they had been in love with each other for the longest time and so they finally confessed their feelings for each other and officially became lovers. MC didn’t need to worry about Clause 99 in this new nation either. However MC was insistent that she had to tie up all loose ends with the bookstore owner before she could come live with Clavis.
On the day of Chevalier’s coronation, Clavis sweeps up MC, dressed her up flamboyantly and dragged her off to the coronation ball. He danced with her in front of all her brothers to show her off to them while planting kisses all over her, much to Chevalier’s exasperation. To be honest… as much as I really like this story about Clavis and how he overcame his own insecurities and still manage to live up to his ideals, I would still be in love with Chevalier. I’m sorry Clavis!!
When MC expressed how uncomfortable she felt with him showing off their love in public, he pulled her away to his room and they continued their passionate kisses. However MC felt something was off about the way that Clavis was behaving so she questioned him about it. Clavis finally decided to drop his façade. He told MC that because of how his mum had committed suicide leaving him alone despite saying how much she loved him made him realise that if he was going to open up to anyone he was going to make sure that she loved him only him (ouch!). That was also the reason why he had tested MC with all his pranks and teased her right from the start to see if she would stay by him through all his wickedness and villainy.
MC assured Clavis that she loved him and challenged this mischievous beast to test her in whatever ways that suited him so that he can finally be at peace knowing that she truly loves him and him only.
~ Fin
Review
This was a really really long story and the story development was unexpected in a positive way. I like the story as it revealed a lot more about the motivations of the princes, the story of their mothers and the brutal history of Rhodolite. In fact I enjoyed reading and weighing the differences in the political ideologies between Chev and Clavis. Kudos to the author for coming up with a credible rationale for Clavis to be crowned king. Maybe that could even explain the presence of independent nations in Europe.
Clavis’ visual design appealed the least to me, together with his prankster personality, I didn’t think I would find myself liking him at all. However the author was able to make me appreciate him in the end because unlike his brother who is a genius, Clavis worked really hard to match up to Chev. His ability to keep rising up no matter how many times he fails is admirable as well as how he can continue to fake a smile when he is probably inwardly crying. Being scarred by the only person he ever loved (his mother), Clavis has a penchant to keep testing MC just so that he can be convinced that she loves only him. It really takes a strong woman to be able to see this through with Clavis. But that is the power of love.
Though this is supposed to be a review for Clavis’ story, I just want to do a quick shout out to Chevalier. I absolutely love how they portrayed Chev and Clavis’ sibling relationship. Chev is like the older brother who sees and understands all but still allows his younger brother to mess around with him as long as it doesn’t threaten the kingdom. When Chev advised Clavis to focus on areas where Chev would never be ‘good’ in, he wasn’t trying to mock Clavis, he was being wise. As a result, they would grow up providing different perspectives and values for the kingdom’s good. Even through Chev knew that Clavis had helped the Obsidianite spy escape, he didn’t cast his vote against Clavis. This was his way of showing his love for his younger brother, down to even helping him corroborate his story with MC. On the other hand, whether out of respect or habit, Clavis does take Chev’s advice into consideration when he churns out his ‘villainous’ plans.
Lastly, it just drives me crazy that Chev continues to show a soft spot for MC! I just want the two of them to be together always!