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Chapter Text

Cornelia slammed her fist against the table as a gentle knock rapped the door. Couldn't she be let to nurse her wounded pride in peace? She was Cornelia li Britannia, the goddess of victory! She would defeat Zero. His trickery had simply gotten the better of her... twice now. He had detonated his ally's ship. The timing was too perfect-utterly ruthless.

She had to admit, he would've done well in Britannia.

"What is it?" she shouted as they knocked again, more insistent.

"The Knight of One is touching down in five minutes, Your Highness," a quiet voice answered.

Cornelia's eyes widened. No, no, no! She hadn't failed. She could still win and drive Zero to his knees. The Emperor couldn't be punishing her; she had won every fight before. If Bismarck was here to dismiss her for her failure, what would happen to Euphie?

"Damn it!" she screamed, hurling her cup against the wall. Her sister was too outspoken, too soft, too innocent. Without Cornelia, she would do something foolish and earn the Emperor's ire.

Taking a deep breath, she composed herself and yanked open the door. She would not let her sister suffer the same fate as Lelouch and Nunnally. She would find a way to make this right. She would deliver the Emperor Zero's head, even if she had to raze the entire Area to the ground. For Clovis, for Euphie, for Lelouch and Nunnally. Zero had to go down.

"Ah, Cornelia. You look rather tired," Bismarck greeted her. His personnel loitered around the hanger, watching her attentively. Mixed in were the familiar uniforms of the Emperor's personal guards, the Emperor's eyes, the Office of Secret Intelligence, and the Imperial Bureau of Intelligence. "You should have some peace soon."

Her mouth dried, and she snapped to attention. "Sir. I have multiple leads on Zero. Within a few weeks, I can-"

He waved his hand. "It does not matter."

Yes, it did! Her sister's life was on line. And her reputation.

"Sir Waldstein, please," she begged. "Zero's strategies are new, unfamiliar admittedly, but we are learning. He will fall. If you give me just a week, I will have made progress-"

"Enough." Bismarck looked at her coldly. "Your little squabble with the terrorist is beneath the Emperor's concern. You may continue as you wish although I suspect that the Black Knights will be quiet as news of my arrival spreads."

She frowned. Zero was below his concern? Then why all the intelligence operatives? "What are you here for?"

"The Emperor has a few matters to attend to," Bismarck said. He smiled softly. "It does not concern you, Cornelia. You have nothing to fear."

"I am the Viceroy."

His brow furrowed. "You will learn when His Majesty allows it. For now, we are merely here to secure some assets that recent unpleasantness has put at risk."

"My men would be happy to assist," Cornelia offered.

Bismarck hummed, frowning at the OSI agents huddled in one corner. "They have it handled, but as a personal favor... Reuben Ashford, you remember him?"

"He worked with Marianne." Where had she heard that name recently? Oh. "He runs Ashford Academy these days. His school was the only one willing to listen to Euphie's request that they educate that Eleven."

"The Emperor is interested in him," Bismarck mumbled.

Whatever for? He was an Eleven. And Euphie was unduly interested in him. There was a disturbing look in her eyes whenever she talked of him. And way too many dreamy sighs. And if she didn't stop thinking along this line, she was going to stab that boy which would make Euphie pout.

Sisters were truly a unique curse.

"The school is a lucrative target," Bismarck continued, ignoring the digression. "I doubt Ashford remembers me fondly given everything that has happened, but he would remember how enamored you were with Lady Marianne and that you lacked the resources to interfere after her death. He would be far more open to discussing the security measures of the school with you than myself." He chuckled wryly. "I am afraid he might try to run if I dared to enter the campus."

Cornelia narrowed her eyes, voice dropping to the faintest whisper. "Who killed her?"

"If everything goes to plan, she will have her justice soon enough, Cornelia. I swear." Bismarck turned, then abruptly stopped. "Keep the security quiet. There is no need to panic the students or, worse, tip off the Black Knights that the school is worthy of protection."

As dawn broke, Shirley packed her bag, a picture of her father and Lulu's gun-the gun which she had used on a Britannian officer. Her hand clapped over her mouth reflexively, and she swallowed a sob. She had killed someone. She had killed someone to protect a murderer-a liar. What would her father say? Lelouch was Zero; he had killed him!

"Shirley?' her roommate asked sleepily.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Shirley slammed the door behind her and broke into a run. She had to get away. Had to get her thoughts in order. She had shot a Britannian officer. She had committed treason... because Lelouch was Zero, who killed her father.

Why? She loved him. She knew he was kind and caring. He had held her as she cried in his arms. Hiding that he was the cause of her tears.

Was it all an act? How could she still love him?

"Ma'am," a soldier interrupted her thoughts as she left the school.

She shrieked, her heart pounding in her chest. They knew. They knew she had killed that woman. They knew Lelouch was Zero. She was going to die! Lelouch was going to die!

"Where are you going?" the soldier asked.

"Narita," Shirley stuttered. "To the memorial."

Would he believe her? Would he look into her bag and discover the treacherous gun? Why had she taken it along? She should've left it.

"My father, he died, in Narita," Shirley rambled, "and I thought-"

The soldier raised his hand gently. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I am going to have to ask you to postpone. Any trips outside of Tokyo will have to be approved by a teacher. The policy changed this morning."

She wasn't being arrested? "Why?"

He shrugged. "We simply want all the students safe. You know how things are right now. There is nothing to worry about. Every school in Tokyo is reviewing their security policies right now."

They were afraid of the Black Knights attacking a school? But Lelouch would never- Yet, did she even know him? She had no idea what could push him to terrorism of all things. He was hurting people. That wasn't the kind Lulu she knew.

"I will head inside," Shirley whispered. "Did they... Will they catch Zero?"

The soldier smiled. "The Knight of One arrived last night. It is only a matter of time now."

Only a matter of time until Lelouch would be executed for treason. Nunnally would be devastated... Would they even let her live, the sister to Britannia's greatest enemy in modern times? What was Lelouch thinking!

Shirley forced a polite smile and nodded to the guard before heading back through the gate and into the sheltered academy grounds. The gun in her bag burned. If they found her with it-

No. Everything would be fine. Shirley darted behind a tree and caught her breath. Everything would be fine. She merely had to take care of the evidence. Which she could not do without leaving the academy grounds. There would be way too much of an uproar if they found a terrorist gun on the academy grounds.

Was this the gun which killed Clovis?

Focus. She had to focus. Checking her surroundings, she opened the bag and pulled out the gun, slipping it beneath her uniform. Her father had a proper holster he always used. Shirley would have to make do. The guards would probably not search her without reason.

She was Shirley-the nice, sweet, innocent gymnastics and swim girl. Why would anyone suspect her?

Nervous laughter escaped her. Just like no one suspected their lazy, vice president who never applied himself.

They were both murderers now.

Someone had seen his face. Lelouch paced his office in the Black Knight's base, clutching his phone. Someone had seen his face. His identity could be compromised, and he had no leads.

"Will you stop that?" Lelouch snapped as C.C. threw his helmet into the air once more.

"Are you going to call?" she asked with her usual bored tone.

"Ugh, fine." He selected Suzaku's contact and prepared himself. What would Suzaku do if he knew? Would he even listen? "Suzaku?"

"Lelouch?"

"Is there anything unusual there?" he asked.

"Yeah, there is. You're not here," Suzaku joked.

"Oh, right," Lelouch said, relieved. The military didn't know. But then who had been there? What would they do now?

"Actually-"

Shit. Cornelia wouldn't have set a trap, would she? She was far too prideful. She wouldn't wait and risk Zero slipping through her fingers. Or was Lelouch deluding himself because he was so desperate to hold onto the peacefulness of Ashford Academy?

"The Knight of One arrived last night. There is no word why he is here, but security is being tightened up. I think Zero is planning something big. You should get back here. At least I can protect you then."

"Haha. Very funny," Lelouch said dryly. The Knight of One. They were not prepared to handle that. Kallen was an excellent pilot, but even she struggled against the Lancelot, and Bismarck was the absolute best. The only one who ever beat him was his mother. Worse, if the Knight of One was here, it meant the Emperor was planning something.

"I'm serious, Lelouch. You're my friend, and I don't want anything happening to you or Nunnally. If I need to call in a favor to keep you safe, I will."

In the background, Milly cooed and Suzaku half-heartedly protested that wasn't true.

Could Lelouch risk coming back? Heightened security could mean all sorts of trouble, especially for his civilian cover.

"Damn it," Lelouch whispered.

"Lelouch?" Suzaku asked gently.

Even if his cover was broken, Nunnally was there. He couldn't leave her alone to face his family. With his geass, he had a fighting chance. Nunnally didn't. It was the perfect trap; he had no choice but to come.

"I will be there soon. Maybe, I will even be on time for English."

Lelouch shut his phone and glared at it.

"What is it?" C.C. asked.

"The Knight of One is here." He snatched his helmet from her hands. "I need to find Kallen. We need to lie low."

"I thought you wanted to fight the Emperor," she teased.

"Preferably in a way where we do not all die."

Irritated with herself, Kallen returned to Ashford Academy under Zero's orders. If only she hadn't lost to that white knightmare, then maybe Zero would believe her. She couldn't believe they were going to bunker down quietly as the Emperor's chief enforcer took a vacation in Area Eleven. They should strike now, while the stove was hot. They had been so close, but now everything was crawling to a halt.

It was so unfair!

Her shoulders prickled under the gaze of the not so hidden guards loitering near the campus. Perhaps Zero was right. If they rushed ahead, they could get caught.

She pasted a happy smile on her face. She would do her job and secure her civilian identity.

"Hey, Kallen," Shirley greeted as Kallen sat down for English. Her eyes were unusually morose. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah. I think I'll be around more in the next few days."

"That's good," Shirley muttered absently, scanning the room.

"Looking for Lelouch?" Kallen teased.

"I just don't want him to be late again. He's going to fail." Her words felt empty, as if being read from a script.

Clearing his throat, the teacher began attendance. He paused briefly over Lelouch's name with a frown before continuing on. Sighing, Kallen pulled out her book and flipped to the appropriate page as she kept a half eye on Shirley who was staring absently out of the window.

For a moment, the teacher appeared to want to say something before he shook his head and reprimanded another student for not paying attention.

Her father...

Kallen hunched her shoulders, a strange tightness in her chest. She had killed Shirley's father. The sweet girl didn't deserve it. She was kind and enthusiastic, even accepting Suzaku without any trouble unlike everyone... but Lelouch.

She had to wonder about him. Despite his gambling, he kept his head down for the most part, only being drawn out of his shell by Milly's absurd antics. Yet he was openly friends with Suzaku and spoke amicably of the Black Knights. Of course, he absolutely refused to do anything with his intelligence, opting instead to accept the status quo.

The teacher dismissed the class, and Kallen grabbed her bag, glancing out of the window. There was Lelouch, walking next to his sister and conversing with her quietly.

"Kallen?" Shirley asked, stopping next to her. "Oh. He missed class again."

"Yeah," Kallen said bitterly. She was juggling a secret life and working her ass off to keep up her grades. Meanwhile, he skipped near every class and still kept his spot in the top ten percent of the class. She was sure if he actually put in the effort, he could grab the top spot easily.

"He really does love her," Shirley murmured. "Nunnally would be heartbroken if something happened to him."

Kallen groaned. "Then maybe he should actually try instead of philosophizing from the sidelines. If he was actually a good brother, he would be there for her or securing a high paying job. Instead he slacks off and gambles all the time. It's such a waste."

"What do you think he wants to do?" Shirley asked.

"Keep his head down," she spat.

"Did you have a fight?"

Shaking her head, Kallen followed the stream of students out into the hallway. "It's just something he said when we were out. Some men were beating up a hot dog vendor because he was an Honorary Britannian. I tried to intervene, and Lelouch stopped me. He said it wouldn't help, and that we could live a better life by submitting." She threw up her hands. "I don't get it! His sister is crippled; she'll never have a life, and he just wants to sit by and do nothing."

To think she had briefly considered him as Zero once. And then, after his numerous positive remarks concerning the Black Knights, as a potential recruit.

But no, he was the worst kind of Britannian; he saw what was wrong and actively chose to do nothing.

"That doesn't sound like him at all," Shirley said.

"What? You said he was a slacker."

Shirley shrugged, her expression drawn. "Do you know why he is the Vice President?"

"Because Milly likes to harass him?"

That startled a giggle from her. "That's part of it, I guess. The teachers don't call him a delinquent for slacking though. There were some girls who used to bully Nunnally."

"Who?" Kallen asked angrily.

Shirley's expression grew uncomfortable. "It was more than a few back then. They would do all kinds of mean things, but they always had terrible luck. Their stuff would go missing or their assignments would vanish. Nobody could prove it was Lelouch but... Most people eventually backed off, but there were these five girls who wouldn't stop and instead grew worse. They were planning on pushing her into the pool. Lelouch was furious. By the next week, four of their families were under investigation for tax fraud, money laundering, and drug possession. The last girl, the leader, her house burned down, then her parents lost their job, and a bank error emptied their account. She begged for Lelouch's forgiveness. Two weeks later, she died in a drug bust. I think she was trying to get money."

That was a much different image than their usual slacker and aloof Vice President.

"The principal made him the Vice President shortly after. Not that it mattered by then. The rumors were enough to drive people away, and anyone who got too cocky gives up after Lelouch assigns them detention." Shirley shuddered. "People beg to have detention with Milly instead."

"Did Lelouch take justice into his own hands often?" Kallen asked.

"Into his own hands?" Something akin to realization spread across Shirley's face. "Yeah. If you listen to the rumors. I guess you missed out on that being sick all the time. Like a year ago, there was a girl being harassed by some noble. He ended up in a big scandal because he gambled his family heirlooms away."

"Yet he says to just bow our heads while he's off playing vigilante," Kallen grumbled. He was such a hypocrite. She had to bow her head for her cover. It was a mask... What was it he said? She doesn't need a costume because she was already wearing a mask.

Her eyes widened and her heart leapt in her chest. He knew! And she had been too blinded by her prejudice because he was a Britannian to see it. He knew she was half-Japanese. That this wasn't her true self. He had access to her attendance records. He knew she was a Black Knight.

He was best friends with a Britannian soldier. Why hadn't he turned her in?

"Kallen?" Shirley asked. "Do you think Zero is taking justice into his own hands?"

She flinched. "I'm sorry that your father-"

"No. Why is Zero doing this? Hurting all these people? He killed Prince Clovis." A tear rolled down Shirley's face, joined by another. "Why does he think this is necessary? Doesn't he have family or friends? Why hurt them all?"

"Shirley..." Kallen slouched. The girl really was too nice for her own good. "Zero is fighting for the Japanese, their justice. If they stop, then all the violence, all the blood, will have been for nothing. They do not really have other options."

"But"-Shirley threw out her arm-"if Zero wanted to deliver justice, why doesn't he join the police or the army? He could change the laws to be just instead of murdering people."

This was so wrong in so many ways with Shirley unknowingly grieving to her father's murderer. What could Kallen even say? She believed in Zero. She still did even as she mourned the tragedy they would inevitably cause. Blood had to be spilled.

"They're Elevens," Kallen reminded her gently. "They cannot change the system. Britannia won't listen to them."

"But Suzaku-"

"Never uses his locker because people kept ruining his stuff. Just yesterday, two boys dumped canned sardines inside."

"He hates Zero though."

Kallen scowled. That was because he was an idiot. "I am sure he has his personal reasons."

Shirley shook her head. "Lelouch wouldn't allow..."

"I still can't believe he is acknowledging him as his friend. I guess your story explains why no one has tried teaching him a lesson for it."

"So Zero has to fight," Shirley whispered, turning away. "Because he cares."

"I guess?"

"I got to go," Shirley cried, breaking into a run and disappearing down the hall.

What the hell? Kallen had been out of it when Naoto died, but never to such an extent. She would have imagined Shirley frothing at the opportunity for revenge, not trying to understand Zero of all things.

"What was that?" Milly asked, stopping at her side. "You look like you've seen a ghost, and she looks like she is running from one. You didn't say anything about her father did you?"

Kallen winced. "She was asking me why Zero fights."

"That girl-" Milly sighed. "She is too kind for her own good. Still, it doesn't explain why you're out of it."

"Just learned that our Vice President is more dangerous than I realized." A startled laugh escaped her. "Guess I should stay on his good side."

Milly patted her shoulder. "He likes you. There is nothing to worry about. He just..." She brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "I've known him for a long time, and while Lelouch might reject his family, he has their habit of obliterating his enemies. Unless you are an active threat to someone's safety, he won't do anything."

But he knew that she was a member of the Black Knights. She had held a knife to his arm. She was a threat.

Why would he like her?

Or was he Zero like she once suspected.

"Who is he?" she asked. A family who obliterated their enemies. "Lamperouge isn't a noble name."

Milly grabbed her shoulder and pulled her into the neighboring classroom. "I'm sorry. I said too much, but trust me, you don't want to ask that, especially not now."

"Because Zero?" Kallen narrowed her eyes. "Or does it have to do with the increased security?"

Groaning, Milly pulled back and paced the room. "Lelouch- Ugh. How do I put this? His mother made some powerful enemies, but after her death and Nunnally's accident... Well, it turned out most of them weren't friends after all, and Lelouch's father rejected any responsibility for either of them, but they still have enemies and people who would try to use them."

A mistress perhaps? After the mother died, the bastard children were useless.

"You don't want to dig, Kallen. Trust me. People who find out tend to die."

"Lelouch?" Kallen asked, surprised. He was so soft, a sprawling mess in P.E. Could he really kill to protect his secret?

Milly's eyes hardened. "My grandfather. We were once nobility, and certain habits aren't so easily unlearned."

Kallen swallowed. "I understand."

"Good." Milly draped herself over her shoulders. "You'll be seeing more soldiers soon. If some get too interested in Lelouch, distract them will you? It will make all our lives much easier."

"Of course. Anything for a friend," Kallen promised.

She had to tell Zero.

Milly turned to leave before stopping abruptly, discontent clouding her face. "Make sure you're here the day after tomorrow, even if you need to drag yourself sick to school."

"Why?" Kallen asked.

"We have an assembly. The Emperor is making some kind of announcement."

Chapter Text

Lelouch closed the curtains as another poorly disguised soldier passed below. On the table behind him lay his suitcase. He was ready to go, and while his instincts screamed at him to leave now, he lingered. He could justify it by saying that whatever had Cornelia spooked would be a threat anywhere in Japan. Or that he didn't want to uproot Nunnally's life. He could justify it many ways. The truth was that he was hesitating. His friends were here as well.

He had thought himself above such sentimentality.

"Do not leave the rooms," Lelouch ordered C.C. as he headed to the door. "The military is crawling all over."

"What if they are here for you?"

"If they were, I would be dead already," Lelouch reassured himself. He shouldn't have returned; it was a foolish decision to make as Zero. But as Lelouch, he could not abandon his sister.

His phone buzzed—a call from Kallen.

Sighing, he declined it. He already knew the school was crawling with security. Talking to her would only risk their communications being intercepted. The last thing he needed was for Cornelia to have confirmation that she netted members of the Black Knights. His secret would definitely not survive that.

Outside, he lowered his hat and ducked into the back corridors to weave between the buildings.

"Stop!" a soldier ordered.

Lelouch grimaced, his geass flaring briefly.

"Yes, sir?" Lelouch asked. "I need to get to class."

The guard narrowed his eyes. "ID, please."

Fuck. There were plenty of Lelouchs in the world; statistically, he would be fine. His sister's life could not be risked betting that the soldier wasn't familiar with the features of royalty.

Fumbling and dropping his card, Lelouch played for time. There was a guard close by, too far to geass, but close enough to potentially notice something amiss with his fellow soldier. He leaned down to grab his ID. "Am I in trouble, sir?"

"Just hurry up," the soldier ordered gruffly. "And stick to the main pathways next time. It's suspicious darting back here."

"Lulu!" his glorious savior, Milly, called. "What are you holding up my Vice President for? He's late!"

She pushed past the soldier and grabbed his arm, yanking him away. The soldier called after them, but his companion let them pass through without a second glance. Milly had that effect on people—no one wanted to stop her.

"Thank you," Lelouch whispered. "Do you know what this is about?"

Milly glanced over her shoulder. "Grandfather isn't too worried yet. Cornelia unfortunately insisted. The school could be a target."

"I need to take Nunnally and leave then."

"How would that look, Lelouch? Everyone will be talking about you if you up and vanish. The guards will report it as suspicious, and how long do you think Cornelia will be fooled?"

Lelouch swallowed. "Shit."

"Yeah. Keep your head down and out of trouble. We just need to bunker down. Maybe you can say you caught the flu and wear a mask."

Lelouch grimaced. "Colored contact lenses would be more useful. I think I'll be fine, but if they start asking about Nunnally... There are only so many blind girls in wheelchairs."

"We'll keep her safe, I swear." Milly paused as they entered the main hall. "You should talk to Kallen. She's been asking questions about you, and I may have let too much slip."

"Why is she asking questions?"

"Shirley told her about Julie."

Lelouch sighed. "I know. I know. I messed up."

"You killed her."

"I did not."

Milly crossed her arms. "You set up her death well enough."

"She was going to kill Nunnally!" Lelouch whispered. "I couldn't just let her try again."

"If you had trusted my grandfather—" Milly closed her eyes, inhaling. When she looked at him again, she was deadly calm. "Normal people don't do that. And people remember the unusual."

It had been years, but of course this mistake would come back to haunt him. He would be fine if Kallen discovered he was Zero. She had enough faith in her symbol, and Lelouch could smooth over any feelings of betrayal. She would ask why he did this; he wouldn't answer because it didn't matter as long as he freed Japan.

But if she learned he was a prince—

"She cannot find out," Lelouch hissed.

"Do you know something?"

Lelouch grimaced. "She is sympathetic to the Black Knights."

Milly raised an eyebrow. "You're sympathetic to the Black Knights."

"And what do you think they would do if they heard a defenseless princess was just sitting there?"

No. That's not what Lelouch would have to worry about. Kallen had enough hatred within her to try and take his life. If he was lucky, she would warn Zero first. But if she learned Zero and the prince were one and the same? She would tell everyone and call everything they had built a lie. Kallen would destroy him.

"Keep her busy," Lelouch ordered. "Don't give her time to think and find out the nature of the threat."

Hands on her hips, Milly leaned forward. "Ordering me around won't help you keep your head low. I didn't even know you had it in you."

Lelouch grit his teeth. "Please?"

"I can tell you that there's a state speech the day after tomorrow. Don't be late. Even Grandpa won't be able to cover that up."

While the past two days had been uncomfortable with Britannian troops moving over his school, Reuben wasn't too worried. Cornelia was familiar as ever, and her extending protection in memory of Marianne was a reminder that not all was lost. There was still good to be found.

The nerve-wracking part was hiding an imperial prince and princess under their nose the entire time. He couldn't even feign innocence if they were discovered. Cornelia had visited him personally and discussed Marianne's legacy—including her children. She still grieved them which spurred her hunt for Zero on. Personally, Reuben had his suspicions regarding the man beneath the mask, but he would keep those thoughts to himself.

While Lelouch was far too paranoid and proud to ask for his help, Reuben didn't owe Britannia a single thing.

With a weary sigh, he pushed open the door to his office. The good old captain in charge of security wanted to discuss handling security during the Emperor's speech. State addresses were always a logistical nightmare. Reuben had to ensure every student attended, and Lelouch always tried to use every trick in the book to avoid attending. That he had attended Clovis's funeral without a fuss had been enough to draw Reuben's suspicion.

"Two black teas," Reuben requested to the maid. She inclined her head and rushed out.

Sighing, he slipped out of his cloak and took a seat. A whisper of cloth passed behind him.

Lunging forward, Reuben grabbed the gun taped to the bottom of his desk. A pinprick was his only warning. His muscles grew weak, and he collapsed on the ground, unable to move but perfectly aware.

Two polished boots passed through his field of view.

Sloppy. He had let the commoner life lull him into a false sense of security.

In the corner of his eyes, his emergency light began to blink in a pre-established code—a warning from his butler to find an excuse to flee. Too late now.

The door opened. The footsteps were far heavier than the captain's. His voice though was instantly familiar— Bismarck Waldstein.

"Help Ashford into his chair."

Reuben tried to open his limp mouth to curse the man out as two hands reached beneath his armpit and painfully pulled him upright and slugged him into his seat. Bismarck observed him, his face inscrutable.

That was it then. Lelouch and Nunnally had been discovered, revealing Reuben's treason.

"Sir?" the maid interrupted, pushing into the room. Her eyes stopped on him, then flicked to Bismarck, recognizing him instantly. With a deafening shriek, two porcelain cups and a teapot shattered across the floor, spraying the maid in boiling water.

"Clean that up," Bismarck ordered.

"Yes, my lord." Trembling, she knelt on the ground, her delicate fingers picking up the shards and dropping them into her apron.

"Bring two new cups and some tea."

She glanced at Reuben apologetically before nodding, head deferentially lowered, and fled the room.

Bismarck sighed, pulling up a chair. "It will wear off soon enough. I had a feeling you would disappear on me if I announced my arrival. I apologize for the inconvenience."

The maid returned. She left bloody fingerprints on the teapot as she set it down.

"Allow me," Bismarck said as she moved to pour the tea. The woman bowed and backed out of the room.

Finally, Reuben's toes curled, and he slowly shifted himself upright, massaging his limbs to encourage the blood flow. "To what," he slurred, "do I have the unexpected honor?"

"It concerns the Emperor's speech this afternoon." Bismarck poured in a splash of milk into his tea and gently stirred. "How are they?"

Reuben forced his tired muscles to settle into an expression of confusion. "Who?"

Chuckling, Bismarck leaned back. "You know whom I speak of. Did you really think the Emperor had lost track of his two children? Did you ever wonder why your request for a loan was suddenly approved a few weeks into the invasion? You were among the first to land in Area Eleven to stake your claim. The dust hadn't even settled."

"What do you want?" Reuben asked stiffly. His trembling hands wrapped around his cup—holding it like a lowly commoner.

"To have a conversation for now. We have not caught up in many years."

"And whose fault is that?" Reuben sneered. "You're not here for pleasantries. Don't insult my intelligence. You'll get what you want and then arrest or kill me for daring to help two children whose father condemned them to death."

"You misunderstand." Bismarck set down his tea cup. "The Emperor commends you for keeping them safe all these years. They were far safer in your hands than they would ever have been in court."

That Reuben refused to believe. He still remembered how deadly frail Lelouch had been arriving at their home. He had barely eaten, sacrificing nearly all the food he had scrounged up for his sister. For months, Reuben had tended to him and his sister in secret, only bringing in his personal physician when Nunnally spiked a fever that refused to break. They had all been terrified of the Emperor's wrath. He intended for Marianne's children to die.

"What has changed? Reuben asked. "It has been years."

Bismarck's face grew solemn. "The Emperor has cancer." He took a long, slow sip of his tea. "He has undergone treatment naturally. You may have noticed the decrease in public appearances the past year. Unfortunately, it has come back and the doctors are not optimistic."

A man on his deathbed reevaluating his life. Reuben could see it. "You're here to bring them back then?"

Bismarck set his cup on the table. "I am here to make sure there is no security issue. There is still a month left in the school year, and an education is important. As for you—" He rose and the agent behind Reuben stepped forward. "Ivan will be taking care of your needs. I trust that you will keep matters quiet until the appropriate time to prevent any unpleasantness."

The threat swept over his skin like an icy blade. He would gladly die for the sake of Marianne's children, but he could not sacrifice his entire school or granddaughter for their sake. He would have to trust that Lelouch would find a way to escape the noose settling around his unaware neck.

"Anything for His Majesty," Reuben assured.

By now, Lelouch's instincts were screaming at him to flee. At some level he had always known that Ashford Academy couldn't last. His reluctance to abandon his friends had doomed him. Even if he wanted to, there was nowhere to run as patrolling soldiers had turned Tokyo into a grand prison. He would never be able to sneak Nunnally through unimpeded, even with his geass.

At least, C.C. was listening to him and remaining hidden in their rooms.

"We will be fine," Nunnally whispered as he rolled her into the auditorium. Soldiers lined the wall. She reached up and grabbed his hand. "He can't do anything. He's not here. Let him say what he wants; we're here, together."

Lelouch let out his breath. "Yes, of course."

His eyes flicked to the guards. There was quite a bit the Emperor could do. He could order his Knights of the Round to hunt Zero for one. In his pocket, his phone buzzed. Kallen had become rather insistent, but he couldn't take the call, especially not here.

"Lulu?" Shirley squeaked as they stopped next to her. Her face twisted with wariness and nervousness. Idly, she fidgeted with a stray strand of hair. Was it simply her father's death? Or was there something else at play?

"I hope it won't take too long," Nunnally murmured. "I could just listen to it on the radio, you know."

"Unfortunately," Milly interrupted, sliding up next to them, "with Cornelia watching, Grandpa insisted that absolutely everyone has to be here. Where are Kallen and Nina? They're going to be in so much trouble if they're late."

The phone in his pocket buzzed again, and he slipped his hand inside to silence it.

On the stage, Reuben Ashford approached the podium, and the room fell silent. He looked vaguely ill, and Lelouch glanced at Milly nervously. She at least was her usual self. If something had happened, surely she would know of it?

"Come on," Milly hissed, craning to see over the crowd and earning hissed reprimands from the fellow students around her. "You don't think they got in trouble do you?"

Up ahead, Reuben finished his introductory speech and the giant screen lowered as the room darkened.

Despite himself, Lelouch scanned the room for Kallen's distinctive red hair. If she had broken her cover, the Black Knights would need to rescue her. Their resistance was near useless without an ace at hand, especially against Britannia fielding the loathsome white knightmare.

"Look who I found," Suzaku interrupted cheerfully, dragging behind him Kallen and Nina. "We're not late, are we?"

The screen flickered on and a camera panned over the large outdoor stadium in Pendragon. In the front row, various of his siblings waved delicately to the cameras. Lelouch rolled his eyes as a few students swooned.

"No. We're looking at their pretty faces."

Suzaku grinned in the dim light. "I think you're just jealous they have more admirers than you."

Lelouch glared.

The idiot laughed.

"Shut up," Lelouch ordered, elbowing him in the side. "You don't want the guards trying to teach an upstart Eleven their place."

To his side, Shirley jerked, biting her lip. Something was definitely up with her. And Kallen too who was now staring at him.

He did not have the energy for this. He was supposed to be Zero, plotting the downfall of Britannia, not unraveling schoolyard squabbles.

The camera panned over the assembled crowd and the various empresses sitting in simple wooden chairs behind the podium before finally settling on the door to the far right.

"Announcing his Majesty, the 98th Emperor of the Realm, Charles zi Britannia."

The room snapped to attention. Lelouch sneered at Suzaku's earnest posture. His friend has subjugated himself completely to Britannia. Where had the proud boy who punched a Britannian prince gone? Where was the Suzaku who had raged against injustice? Zero had to succeed because someone had to save Suzaku from himself.

Tuning out the drivel coming from the Emperor's mouth, Lelouch studied his friends. Rivalz was standing a bit to the side, near one of the more popular girls. He smiled proudly like a good Birtannian. At least he didn't have stars in his eyes like Nina who gazed at the Emperor as if he was divine judgment in human form. As for Milly, she regarded the Emperor with barely concealed disdain.

His eyes briefly met Kallen who was busy with her own survey of the room. She kept glancing at the guards lining the walls. Were there more than before?

Shirley's expression was unexpected; she looked puzzled, and her gaze kept drifting to him with burning intensity.

The Emperor's tone shifted, becoming more serious. "Britannia has flourished these last two decades, yet my bones grow tired and weary. At the behest of my advisors..."

Lelouch's eyes snapped to the screen. He couldn't possible mean—

"...I have chosen an heir to begin the transition process of ushering in a new age for Britannia, for she must never falter. We, as a people, are eternal in spirit, passing the torch from generation to generation. Through this, we grow stronger, choosing youths who will surpass us." The emperor paused with a rare grin. "I will admit that I find the prospect of retirement enjoyable."

He could not retire! Lelouch was going to destroy Britannia and kill him. It was Charles and everything he represented that Lelouch needed to defeat—not whatever fool of a successor he chose. The Emperor wouldn't choose Schneizel which would be like signing his own death warrant.

On screen, Odysseus raised a surprised eyebrow, and Guinevere quivered with outrage. Schneizel merely raised an irritated eyebrow. The Emperor clearly hadn't told anyone.

"I have many capable sons," the Emperor said with unexpected magnanimity, "but I must choose an heir not based on their accomplishments, but upon what they will accomplish."

He definitely wanted a puppet.

"We are a great nation, yes, but not one without weaknesses, as revealed by such fools as Zero."

Lelouch scowled. He would show him, even if he had to drag his father out of his stupid retirement home.

"What Britannia needs is someone familiar with its faults, and more importantly, one who understands the common man."

Hushed murmurs broke out across the room as they all wondered where the Emperor was going with this. Since when did royalty care for commoners at all? It had to be a trick. The Emperor hadn't cared when his mother, a commoner, died. The nobles spat on her grave and accomplishments.

"For these reasons, I hereby announce Lelouch vi Britannia as my heir."

What? Lelouch froze. Surely, he had misheard.

But the screen split into two, on one side the Emperor continuing his speech with some bullshit of attending a commoner school to better understand the common people—and on the other side? A recent picture of himself, taken a few weeks ago when he had gone out into the settlement with Kallen.

Since when had the Emperor known he was here?

Slowly, various surprised exclamations resounded around the room and heads swiveled towards him. Their wide, disbelieving eyes bore into him. The crowd shifted, the students pressing forward.

The Emperor was still talking, but he was on another continent. Lelouch was the royal in the room.

"It can't be him, right?" someone whispered.

Lelouch had never been so thankful that Suzaku was at his side. He stepped before him and Nunnally, his legs wide and ready to act.

To his side, Kallen stared at the screen, petrified. At least shock would keep her from trying to kill him for now.

This couldn't be real, right? This was all a horrid dream.

"Prince Lelouch will be finishing his year at Ashford Academy before beginning to assume his duties as heir apparent."

Did the Emperor think Lelouch would be so thankful to be returned to the fold that he would be a pliant and easy puppet?

Behind him, footsteps shuffled, and Lelouch turned, watching the crowd part for the Knight of One.

This had to be some horrible nightmare.

Bismarck smiled down at him, his eyes glistening with a hint of mischief. "It has been a while, hasn't it, Your Highness?"

His identity confirmed, the hushed whispers fell silent and the room rang as a thousand students knelt in deference. Milly stepped back awkwardly, her eyes wide in panic, but she too knelt. Suzaku's shoulders stiffened, and he dropped into a shorter respectful bow. He did not move, standing guard right next to him and Nunnally.

Bismarck ignored him, reaching around to grab his shoulder and leaning down to whisper in his ear, "Look happier, my boy. His Majesty could have told the world who Zero was instead."

How—How did the Emperor know?

The grip tightened in warning, and Lelouch forced a smile.

Finally, the Emperor finished his speech and he looked directly into the camera, his eyes boring into his soul. "All hail Britannia. All hail Charles. All hail Lelouch."

"Oh my god," a girl whispered. "They have the same eyes."

Chapter Text

Shirley stared at Lelouch—Prince Lelouch's photo illuminating the screen, even as the Emperor left the podium. It was a good photo, one that she would love to add to her scrapbook if it wasn't for a blurry girl eating ice cream behind him. Swallowing, she tore her eyes away and stared at Lelouch and the Knight of One. How was this possible if he was Zero?

Unless...

Had Zero been orchestrated to draw out the remaining rebels? Or did the Emperor not know?

What was she supposed to do? She had thought she knew him. Then it turned out he was a terrorist, Zero. He killed her father! She had thought maybe he was fighting for justice, but he was a prince; he had all the power to change Britannia!

Who even was he?

"He stays," Lelouch growled suddenly, grabbing Suzaku by the shoulder.

Sir Waldstein rolled his eyes. "Your Highness. Leave the Eleven."

Lelouch ripped himself free from the man's grip and raised his chin. "No."

"Kururugi, you will step back and kneel," Sir Waldstein ordered.

Stepping closer to Lelouch, Suzaku lowered his head. "Respectfully, my lord, I cannot follow that order."

Two guards lunged forward, striking him on the inside of the knees and forcibly pushing him down to the ground.

"No!" Lelouch shouted. "Kururugi has already sworn his loyalty to Britannia. He is not a threat. He is my—"

Sir Waldstein leaned forward, and Lelouch suddenly paled. Quietly, he allowed himself and Nunnally to be escorted out of the room. He cast one last apologetic glance over his shoulder at Suzaku before he disappeared out of sight.

The guards chuckled and struck him across the head.

"Suzaku!" Shirley shrieked, rushing to his side. "Stop that. He didn't do anything wrong."

"He is an Eleven," the taller guard spat. "What were you thinking, touching royalty?"

"He's his friend," Shirley shrieked.

The other guard snorted. "Please. A prince, friends with a Number? He should be honored that he even knows his name." He nudged him with his boot. "Get up, boy. You're coming with us."

Horrified, Shirley opened her mouth to protest. This wasn't right.

A hand wrapped around her mouth, and Milly leaned over her shoulders. "My apologies. She is easily upset over violence. You really should keep such unpleasantness where young ladies cannot see. Miss Stadtfeld is watching right there, and she has such a weak constitution unfortunately."

The two guards winced and inclined their heads respectfully. "Of course, ma'am. We are taking this outside."

Furious, Shirley spun around as the guards forcibly dragged Suzaku outside. "Why did you stop me! He's our friend!"

"Those are the Knight of One's personal forces. If Lelouch can't stop him, what do you think you can do?" Milly leaned in, her warm breath washing over Shirley's ear. "You don't want to be arrested as a Number sympathizer. The next thing you know, you are guilty of treason."

But—

This wasn't right.

Lelouch was a prince, going to be the next Emperor. How was he unable to do anything? He should have the power to change the world. He didn't need to be Zero to protect Suzaku.

Yet the guards still had dragged Suzaku outside despite Lelouch's clear wishes to the contrary.

In a daze, Kallen returned home. Zero's number went straight to voicemail. She didn't know what to think. For weeks, she had sat next to the enemy. Lelouch was a Britannian prince—what a hypocrite. She should've killed him in that bathroom; she could've struck a crippling blow against Britannia.

Now, his apathetic ass would sit on the Britannian throne. He would continue Britannian policy. In the end, his supposed friendship with Suzaku had meant nothing. He still allowed the guards to handle him.

The house was silent as she entered. She never noticed before how often her mother timed her duties to be in the downstairs foyer when she entered. She had been so blind to her mother's sacrifices.

Sighing, she climbed the steps and collapsed on her bed. What would she do now? She had slapped the future Emperor of Britannia. And he had done nothing, only gingerly touching his cheek and watching her with a cold impassive smirk.

She hated him. She really did. Why was someone like him granted power? He didn't deserve it. Even Milly would be preferable. At least she had passion. Lelouch was so empty, like he was a corpse about to die. The idea that he could—would kill no longer felt so alien.

Yet... Milly's frantic words hung in her mind. The Emperor's little tale of a son lowering himself to play among the commoners to become a better ruler was incomplete. There was something missing. The Emperor hadn't mentioned Nunnally at all, and in every speech he reminded them that the weak had no right to live.

What was she missing?

Curious, she rolled over to grab her laptop. In a matter of hours, the internet had been filled with countless articles concerning Lelouch vi Britannia. The official press release from the royal family was as bare bones as they came. The reporters were spinning wild yarns, none of which remotely aligned with the Lelouch she had come to know.

He had never been exemplary. When he wasn't skipping classes, he slept through them. He had no girlfriend and seemed utterly oblivious to Shirley's affections. For the most part, he kept to himself. His only friends seemed to be on the student council, and she only ever saw him truly smile when he looked at Nunnally. The one thing he had going for him were his good looks.

What had it been that Milly said? His sister had an accident after his mother's death.

Frowning, she clicked on another article. It was strange that there was not a mention of whoever had to be Consort vi Britannia. She should be giving interviews regarding her son's unexpected honor. Was she truly dead? Who was she?

Finally, on a small amateur blog, Kallen found a mention. Consort Marianne vi Britannia... a commoner?

The woman was a ghost. Her name brought back one result from the official list of members of the royal family. There was nothing personal. No achievements to her name. Not even a picture. Only a birthdate and a death: March 2009, the spring before the invasion of Japan.

"Kallen," snapped her step-mother. "Come out here, now!"

Rolling her eyes, she closed her laptop and opened the door. "What?"

The woman pushed a picture before her nose, making it far too blurry to determine any details. "Explain this."

Kallen winced and grabbed the picture. It was Lelouch, but what she hadn't noticed before was there was someone behind him, out of focus. She was eating ice cream, and her hair was a distinctive red. Her skin crawled.

She knew when the picture had been taken and had seen no one.

"What do you want me to say?" Kallen asked, voice flat. What if the Black Knights recognized her? Ohgi could perhaps understand, but Tamaki was incapable of keeping his mouth shut. What if they called her a traitor to the cause? Here she was, seemingly enjoying herself with the future Emperor of Britannia.

She grit her teeth and glowered. Even when he wasn't there, Lelouch still managed to be a bastard.

"What is your relationship?" her step-mother demanded and grabbed her arm. Her nails dug into her skin as she pulled her forward. "Do you think you can embarrass this family without repercussions? You are far too dirty to even intrude on his presence."

Ripping her arm free, Kallen glared. "He was posing as a normal student. Not everything is about you. I couldn't care less about what you thought."

"Think girl," she hissed. "You have a savage's temper. Did you do anything that could threaten this family?"

Kallen raised her chin defiantly. She had slapped him; he deserved it. "So what if I did?"

"Don't be a fool. He can destroy us." She snatched her wrist again and yanked her abruptly forward to the maids waiting, peeking around the corner. "You will embaress this family no longer. I have had enough of your escapades. You will clean up and apologize for whatever slight you inevitably committed."

"Let go of me," Kallen screamed.

Her step-mother smirked cruelly. "Lilianna, be a dear and remove the trash from my daughter's room. And the old maid's room too."

"What?" Kallen lunged forward desperately. "No!"

"Then behave," her step mother demanded. She leaned in, whispering in her ear, "You try anything, step one foot out of line, and I will personally burn your brother's belongings. Nod if you understand. Good girl."

Nauseous, Kallen let them lead her away into the powder room and sat perfectly still as they trimmed her hair of its split ends and did her nails. A tight red dress slipped over her shoulders and the lace was roughly tightened from behind her. Tweezers approached her face and her eyebrows were plucked as another servant busied themselves with removing the stray hair from her arms. A gentle make up brush moved over her face.

The doorbell rang in the background. Probably a reporter who had tracked down the mysterious girl in the photo. Kallen was going to kill Lelouch for this indignity. She would beg Zero to give her revenge. First, she needed to escape the witch's clutches.

Heavy footsteps entered the powder room, and Kallen glanced up at the mirror. Ice ran down her back as the Knight of One watched her with an amused expression.

How? What? Why?

Her step mother, posture submissive, fawned at his side. "And here is my daughter, Kallen. It is quite an honor for you to take an interest in her. She is just freshening up right now. I have some wonderful refreshments to tide you over as you wait."

The Knight of One ignored her, his eyes boring into Kallen. "Girl, you're coming with me."

"My lord," her step-mother protested. For once, Kallen was thankful for her interference.

"Now."

Shakily, Kallen rose as the servants stepped back. She clasped her hands behind her back to hide the tremors. Her sickly act was far too easy to adopt when faced with the Knight of One's glare. "What can I do for you, my lord?"

He rolled his eyes and didn't wait for her as he spun around. Lifting up the hem of her dress, she stumbled after him, only stopping to put on the heels her step-mother shoved into her arms. She wobbled with each step she took. Fuck heels.

The Knight of One impatiently waited at the door. His hand fell on the exposed portion of her back, pushing her forward. She never thought the Knight of One would be so rude. He was a fighter first, clearly. The Emperor sent him to get the job done, not bother with political pleasantries.

An armored car waited in their driveway. She slipped inside, feeling like she was sealing her fate.

Bowing her head, she adopted a meek voice. "My lord, what is this about?"

He glared as he slipped into the seat across from her. "Drop the act. It won't do you any favors."

Her polite smile slipped. "Act, my lord?"

"I highly doubt you are simpering when walking among the Black Knights or when frying our best pilots in that red knightmare of yours."

"I—" Her stomach clenched painfully. She was dead. "I don't understand—"

"Kallen Kozuki," he answered. "Your mother was a maid in your household before she was arrested for Refrain possession."

She crossed her arms. Why couldn't he have arrived before she was all dolled up for her own execution. "Should I be honored that they sent the big bad knight for little old me?"

A ghost of a smile gleamed in his eye. "I would hardly call you little while accruing such a high kill count in a month."

Her eyes narrow. "Then why am I not restrained?"

"Do you think you could take me like this?" he asked, his voice deceptively light. It did not match the natural harshness of his face and the eye welded shut. "You do not have a knightmare now, girl."

"I won't talk." Kallen cursed the slight waver in her voice. She had heard the rumors of what Britannia did to its prisoners. The cruelties they experienced to get them to talk... or just for good old fun. "I don't know who Zero is, anyway. It doesn't matter what you do; I can't tell you that."

Contemplative, he leaned back and observed her. "Really?"

"Zero always wears a mask," Kallen insisted, neglecting to mention that she could've easily discovered who he was. That he offered to tell her. It emboldened her that he trusted her that much. She had regretted turning him down, now she was relieved. She would never betray Japan.

"We already know Zero's identity," the Knight of One said. He tilted his head. "And this is not truly an arrest. You will be treated as the daughter of Baron Stadtfeld should, instead of the terrorist you are."

"What?" Kallen asked.

They knew? How could they possibly know? Zero was meticulous. He would never let his identity be carelessly exposed. None of the Black Knights knew who he was. A spy would have uncovered nothing. And if they were not interrogating her, not even arresting her, why was she here?

"What do you want from me?" Kallen asked. Was she being leveraged against her father? Business kept him chained to Pendragon, but they were no one of importance.

He leaned forward, folding his hands beneath his chin. "Apparently, Lelouch is seemingly fond of you."

"This is about the picture?" she asked, scandalized and relieved. "We're not together!"

"Rumors suggest the contrary," he said.

"He's a Britannian prince. I'm a fucking terrorist!" she screeched. Were they all stupid? Insane? What the fuck was wrong with them? "I would never even let him touch me."

The Knight of One had the audacity to look amused.

By the Emperor, she was fucked. He had the completely wrong idea, and nothing she did would dispel that notion without being executed. She could tell him she slapped him, but she wasn't eager to die just yet.

"She would have liked you," he said.

Kallen crossed her arms. "Who?"

"Marianne, his mother."

"Right." The word dripped with skepticism. Still, she looked at him oddly, surprised that he would raise her. "There is nothing on her online."

He grew thoughtful. "She was something to behold. She once rode into the throne room on horseback because Irvine had been insulting her children. I've never seen Charles so flummoxed. She was a pilot as well, undefeated. So yes, she would like you. She always respected people who had drive, even if she was busy skewering them for daring to insult her."

"I won't fight for Britannia," she said clearly. Perhaps the woman had been great, but she had been erased. That was what awaited her down this path. She was no fool, and if Lelouch had any improper thoughts, she would kill him or die trying.

She had to have faith that Zero would rescue her. The Black Knights needed her, and if anyone could outsmart Britannia, it was Zero.

As Euphemia watched her sister frantically pace the room after the Emperor revealed that Lelouch was alive, she could not shake a horrible suspicion. Their intelligence suspected that Zero had a deep, personal hatred for Britannia. Her own brief meeting with Zero hinted at much the same but also an unnerving familiarity. He knew her, and she, him.

Was Lelouch Zero?

The story their father had concocted was bullshit. She knew that Lelouch had been forcibly cast out, sent off to die in Japan. That he had survived was a miracle. Had Nunnally?

But why would the Emperor choose him as his heir? Did he know Lelouch was Zero? Did he smirk from his throne as sibling clashed against sibling? She knew he didn't care. If he had, he would've shown an ounce of compassion to Lelouch and Nunnally. He would have mourned Clovis, instead of using his funeral to push state propaganda.

The Emperor had chosen his heir; it was oddly fitting that it would be the son who could stand against Britannia's most successful general.

"We're going to see him, right?" Euphie asked.

Cornelia came to an abrupt halt. "Guilford!"

Yes. They were. And she hoped Lelouch would have an explanation for why he had allowed them to believe he was dead for so long. Why he hadn't revealed himself. Why he had killed Clovis, his own brother.

By the time they arrived at Ashford Academy, a crowd had already formed, barely held off by the soldiers securing the perimeter. Cornelia glowered as the soldier at the gate asked for the driver's identification. He caught sight of Cornelia and paled before hurriedly waving them through.

"Sloppy," Cornelia complained. "What if I was an imposter? Don't they know that every assassin in Britannia is making their way here."

Euphie rolled her eyes. "You are too scary to impersonate."

"Don't be ridiculous." Cornelia stared out of the window as students clustered the side of the road in awe. "We need to increase security. Lelouch will need a knight... Nunnally, as well, hopefully."

"Father said he would finish the school year," Euphie said softly, wrapping her arms around herself. "He has to know how dangerous it is... Do you think he intends for him to die?"

Cornelia's lips thinned. "I do not know what he thinks. Bismarck's presence suggests otherwise. He is prepared for trouble. He must have brought half of Britannia's intelligence operatives to Area Eleven. Maybe they can do some good and rid us of Zero. He will be coming for Lelouch."

Euphie grimaced and slowly parted the curtains to peek out of her window. The students looked so happy here. The noble children in Pendragon were always tense, ready for the next threat. It was nice here; she hoped Suzaku was enjoying his time here as well. "Do you think I can join Lelouch?"

"Absolutely not," Cornelia snapped. "You were already held hostage, twice. You are far safer in the palace."

"Isn't Lelouch as well?" Euphie asked. "We could concentrate our security. It would make things far easier."

"Two royals is a far too tempting target. Unfortunately, the Emperor has made the decision for Lelouch."

Euphie nodded sadly. "I can't believe he's going to be the Emperor."

"Me neither," Cornelia grumbled as the car rolled to a stop and she pushed open the door, not waiting for the driver to run around and do it for her.

In the building before him, a figure moved away from the upstairs window.

The door opened, and Euphie gasped at the recognizable figure who stepped through. Lelouch. It was Lelouch. She could scarcely believe her eyes. It was one thing to see his picture. It was another to see him in person, living, breathing, his eyes narrowed with anger. He had changed. She knew he had. The young boy she used to play with would never have become Zero. Never have murdered Clovis.

"Sisters," Lelouch greeted coldly. His gaze was filled with contempt, eerily reminiscent of their father when he turned down Cornelia's requests. "Let us head inside."

Euphie waved at the assembled students and followed him with some trepidation. Yes. She could see him as the Emperor. The thought terrified her.

A much brighter and more cheerful voice exclaimed, "Euphie, Cornelia! It's good to meet you again."

Her breath stalled in her throat. "Nunnally!"

Lelouch had positioned himself next to her, his posture rigid and prepared to interfere at any moment. Guards wearing Bismarck's distinctive badges waited by the far door. She hated that he considered them a threat.

Ignoring the tension in the room, Nunnally rolled forward, extending one hand. Euphie dropped to her knees and grabbed it. She was alive. Swallowing a sob, she threw herself forward and hugged her tightly.

"Lelouch," Cornelia said with a hint of warmth. "I see the rumors of your death were greatly exaggerated."

"Disappointed?" he mocked.

"No! I thought you were dead! I mourned you, Lelouch! I'm thrilled that you are alive, even if I'm surprised by the circumstances."

Like their father, Lelouch's expression didn't waver for a moment. How was it that despite not being in court for years that he could so expertly hide his emotions? He would've been safe here, hiding among the commoners. He had no need for such deceptions.

"Will you contest my position?" Lelouch asked.

"Father has decided," Cornelia answered.

"Then why are you here?" The note of suspicion was like a dagger through her heart.

"Lelouch," Nunnally reprimanded. "They're family. Please..."

"They left us to die," Lelouch hissed, his eyes fixed on Cornelia. His eyes darted to her, and for a moment his gaze softened. "It is good to see you again, Euphie. Would you and Nunnally mind going upstairs?"

"Lelouch," Nunnally snapped. "She's my sister too! I am for one delighted to say hello to her again. Cornelia, please. Would you join us for some tea?"

While her brother glowered, he didn't object. Euphie raised a hand to hide her smile. Some things apparently never changed; he still doted on Nunnally.

An Eleven maid bowed her head as they moved into the sitting room. She set the tea cups out with practiced grace, on par with any servant in the palace. Cornelia's eyes narrowed distrustfully regardless.

"May I hug you?" Euphie whispered.

Lelouch's eyes widened, and he nodded hesitantly. She didn't give him a moment to reconsider, launching herself at him and wrapping her arms around his thin, bony shoulders. He smelled strange, but he was warm and his pulse thrummed steadily against her fingers.

"Are you eating enough?" Euphie asked in concern.

Huffing, he withdrew and crossed his arms. "Nobody is starving here."

"Master Lelouch," the Eleven interrupted with a sandwich. "You skipped lunch."

"Lelouch gets distracted," Nunnally whispered conspiratorially, "and then he forgets to eat. We have to remind him constantly. Last year, he fainted because he forgot to eat the entire day because he was playing chess."

"You still play?" Cornelia asked.

"Oh yes," Nunnally said, voice pitched over Lelouch's. "He has some ten different pseudonyms when he goes out. It's how he pays for all my medical expenses."

"That's nice..." Cornelia's brow furrowed. "Gambling? Lelouch!"

"You do not get to reprimand me," Lelouch said. He set aside his sandwich and took a seat. "Tell me, how was I supposed to survive? No one was going to offer a child a job, nor would they pay enough to cover Nunnally's expenses."

Cornelia leaned forward. "You could've come home. We hoped for months that we would hear news of your survival. I held Euphie as she cried herself to sleep, promising her that if anyone could survive it was you."

"Yet did you speak in my defense when I was exiled?" Lelouch hissed. "Did you say anything to the Emperor as we were discarded as political hostages? Or what about who killed my mother? For all I know, that was you."

"I would never—!"

"Except how can I trust you when everyone—" Lelouch inhaled. "When everyone turned their backs on us? We were left to die, dear sister of mine. I do not know what game the Emperor is playing, but I intended to stay dead. None of you are family to me. I reject all of you."

Did he really hate them so much? Euphie ducked her head, biting her lip to fight the burgeoning tears. A small delicate hand settled on her lap, and she grabbed it desperately, grateful for Nunnally's comforting squeeze. Her brother hated her. He was Zero. That hatred let him slay Clovis, and now he would become the Emperor of a nation he despised. Did their father even know the depth of Lelouch's feelings?

What was he thinking? What was he planning?

Their father would never just peacefully retire. He had claimed this Empire with blood and tears. He would only leave it the same way.

"I begged," Cornelia pleaded. "I begged Father to allow me to look for you. I begged for weeks, filing request after request for a private audience. When he told me that I could not take a small unit, I said I would go by myself. He denied me. But still, I tried. I asked Clovis, Guinevere, and Odysseus. I asked them all to use every resource at their disposal to find you two. In the end, Clovis wormed his way into becoming the viceroy but he still could not find you. We kept looking long after the official reports had announced your death. We did everything we could with the Emperor in our way."

His eyes judged them and condemned them. "Obviously, you did not do enough."

Chapter Text

"Obviously, you did not do enough."

Euphie recoiled from the pure hatred in his voice. He despised them. Of course, she knew that already. The Lelouch who loved his family would've never become Zero or killed Clovis.

Concerned, she turned to her sister, watching her collapse into a chair, utterly heart broken.

Cornelia, so often an indomitable pillar of fortitude, slouched, her voice quiet as a summer breeze. "We tried, damn it, Lelouch. If you had just reached out, we could have protected you. We may have our differences, but we are family."

Lelouch folded his hands together. "Family would've demanded justice for my mother. Family would not let her be forgotten in the archives of history. Family would not have stood by as we were traded off like we were nothing. You do not care. None of you do. The only reason you are here is because the Emperor, in a bout of insanity, named me his heir and you wish to curry favor. Do not worry, I hold you in exactly as much contempt as everyone else in our damned family."

Tears welled in Euphie's eyes and she hurriedly wiped her face with her free arm. Nunnally squeezed her hand again in reassurance. At least she didn't hate her.

"I wanted to see you, to celebrate that you were alive," Cornelia pleaded. "Why are you so utterly dead set on ascribing malice to our actions? Yes, some of our siblings will be jealous, but we don't hate you. We're relieved. You are family, even if you don't acknowledge us. You are being illogical."

Lelouch snorted. "The facts are my mother was murdered in her own home, even though you were the captain of her guard. Then, despite being a clear inside job, the investigation into the matter was closed as the vultures swooped in to secure her assets before she had even been put to rest. Reuben Ashford was one of the greatest minds of his generation, but he was destroyed afterwards. And then, if I had any doubts left that someone wished to remove the commoner blight on the royal family, Britannian bombers specifically targeted the residence we were staying at during the first wave of the invasion. We only survived because we had snuck outside."

Next to her, Cornelia had gone deadly pale as she listened. Euphie was faring little better. She knew Marianne hadn't been popular, but for someone to go to such extents... If she didn't know better, she would say her father had tried to orchestrate their deaths.

If so, why make Lelouch his heir? But then, he had deliberately put Lelouch in a position where he was wide open for assassins.

More importantly... Euphie lifted her head, tears brimming in her eyes. "Do you really hate me, Lelouch?"

His gaze softened. "You haven't changed, have you? No... I could never hate you."

A relieved sob escaped her. "Thank you."

"You are welcome to visit anytime." His lips curled as he focused on Cornelia. "Do not show up unannounced again."

"Lelouch, don't be rude," Nunnally reprimanded but didn't protest further.

Cornelia rose stiffly, anguish clear on her face. "We need to discuss your security, Lelouch."

"Like you discussed my mother's?"

"Lelouch!" Euphie cried. "You go too far."

"She asked me to withdraw," Cornelia whispered. "You have to believe me. She wanted her privacy that night. It wasn't the first time she had asked. Everyone left the manor. I don't know who she was meeting... but the Emperor forbade me from investigating it further. I wasn't even allowed to see her body when they laid her to rest."

Something in Lelouch's expression shifted. His shoulders sank. "Fine. You may add whatever security detail you wish. Do it independently from Bismarck."

And thus both would watch each other, reducing the chance they could betray him.

Why had their family fallen to this? Why could they not love each other, take comfort in each other's presence?

Silently, Euphie stirred her tea as she listened to Cornelia try to draw Lelouch into the conversation concerning his security. Some suggestions he flat out refused, but he was mostly pliant, waiting for her to reveal her hand.

As the meeting drew to an end, Euphie stepped into the neighboring room, signaling her sister that she needed a moment. Lelouch's keen eyes locked onto the signal, recognizing it from their childhood.

Sighing, he followed her. "What do you need?"

"You killed Clovis, didn't you?" she whispered. She relished his expression of surprise. Everyone always underestimated her, saw her as nothing more than little Euphie with air between her ears. "You're Zero."

Lelouch sagged. "Who told you?"

"No one. It's just... what you said in the hotel. I had this crazy idea that you could be alive and then—"

He laughed darkly. "And then the Emperor announced it to the entire world."

"Lelouch..." She hugged him tightly. "You're going to be the Emperor. All of this pain, you can take it away."

"Yet I am a prisoner here. The Emperor made the declaration, but he gave me no power."

"You will have power." Her voice grew quiet. "I don't think it's a ploy. He was gone so often last year... I think he may be sick."

His muscles coiled beneath her grip. "That's not..."

"It's just a theory," she whispered, "but please, at least try. For me? Or Nunnally? I can't imagine she is happy that you are out there, risking your life. There is another way, and if you need power, I will help you in any way I can. I promise."

He relaxed. "I love you, Euphie."

She beamed up at him. There was the boy she remembered. He was still beneath his hard exterior. She only hoped that she wouldn't lose him to the part he would have to play. That he wouldn't become as cold as their father.

"There is one thing you can do for me," he whispered. "Suzaku... He was going to defend me, but Bismarck's men didn't take it well. He won't allow me to interfere, but you can save him."

"You know Suzaku?" she asked, surprised. He never said anything... and of course he wouldn't. Lelouch had been in hiding. "He doesn't know you're Zero, does he?"

"No." Lelouch sighed. "He's my oldest friend."

"Then what am I?"

He rolled his eyes. "You're my annoying sister."

"That's why Zero saved him, isn't it?"

Lelouch shrugged. "Zero needed to debut."

Right. That was the only reason.

"I'll save him. Don't worry."

Rivalz knew he wasn't anything special. Milly had her family history which held exciting tales of subterfuge and hints of interacting with royalty—a massive understatement. Shirley was adored by the entire school for her role on the gymnastic and swim team as well as her generally cheery disposition. Nina had her science fairs and easily outperformed everyone in science and math. Kallen... well, she was a noble and absolutely loaded.

Despite this, he had felt at home in the student council, secure in his position. While Lelouch was far smarter than he let on, Rivalz had felt a camaraderie with him. Neither of them took things too seriously. He might have every girl lining up to ask him out on a date, but he never noticed. Lelouch's thing was high stakes gambling which he eagerly allowed Rivalz to join.

He and Lelouch had been best buds. They were a team, a shield of normalcy against Milly's debauchery.

Or that was what they were supposed to be. Then Zero happened, and Lelouch stopped taking him to his games. He grew even more absent, more tired.

A quiet voice in the back of his mind whispered that Lelouch grew bored with little old plain Rivalz. That he wasn't enough for his friend anymore.

And now this. Lelouch and Nunnally were royalty.

He felt sick to his stomach as he watched Lelouch be escorted from the room. Horrified as Suzaku was dragged off. Betrayed as Lelouch hugged Princess Euphemia as she and Viceroy Cornelia left the student clubhouse.

For years, his friend had been lying to him. Hadn't trusted him with his secret. They all had been tools for him. So he could experience the wonderful commoner life. Had they shared anything real?

Why did his half-siblings get to speak with him while the guards held back the students and his friends?

"He always was dreamy," a girl whispered next to him. "No wonder he never went out with anyone. We never had a chance."

"Poor Shirley," her friend said. Rivalz recognized her from the swim team. "She was always chasing after him. First her father dies, now this."

The girl scoffed. "Please. She should've given up long ago. You would think after so long she could take a hint. He was simply too polite to tell her no. If she hadn't been hanging off his side the entire time, then maybe one of us..."

Rivalz scowled and spun to face them. "Don't talk about Shirley like that. She is his friend which is more than I can say for either of you. Lelouch would never even look at you."

"What is it your father does again?" her friend asked, finger pressed against her lips. Anytime else, Rivalz would have called it cute. "Ah... A mechanic. You two were never his friends. What use are you even?" She grinned, mean and nasty. "It's not like he told you, is it?"

Rivalz stiffened. "He did. Much like he told me of the girls who were rude to his sister. That's why you'll always be lower than trash in his eyes."

"Are you kidding me?" The girl huffed. "He's going to be the Emperor. Nunnally is dead weight on his ankles. She's good for brownie points. Like a cute pet. But he doesn't need sympathy anymore. He'll drop her like the invalid we all pretend she's not."

"You take that back," Rivalz warned, jabbing his finger into her chest. "Nunnally is not— She's his sister! Not some pet or toy or whatever disgusting idea you have. She is going to be right by his side."

The friend laughed. "Come on, you're being ridiculous. What can she even do?"

His arm wound back, hand closing into a fist. He would show them. Maybe Lelouch had lied to him, but Rivalz was still his friend, still bound to protect Nunnally like everyone else on the student council. How could they even say something like that? She was a princess.

No wonder Lelouch had never dated any of these duplicitous snakes.

A hand wrapped around his arm, and Shirley shook her head with a shaky smile.

The girl crossed her arms. "Like he is actually friends with a savage such as yourself."

Shirley's eyes darkened. "I'll be sure to pass on your words to His Highness when the fanfare quiets. I am sure he would be interested in such slander."

Two faces rapidly paled, and Rivalz let Shirley drag him away. Around him, the students jostled for a better view. A few had brought binoculars to peer at the curtained windows. They talked and plotted, conspiring to turn every past favor into an obligation. Vying for a spot in Lelouch's good graces. Perhaps it wasn't a surprise that the girls had forgotten the darker rumors which swirled around Lelouch, the feared whispers.

Their vice president and his history had ceased to exist, scrubbed clean for the prince of their imaginations. In their minds, he had ceased to be anything but the heir to the throne.

"We're not actually telling him, right?" Rivalz said worriedly.

Shirley slowed down. Somehow, her optimism had faded around her crush. "I don't think we should."

"Did Lelouch do something again?" Rivalz asked warily.

A laugh startled from her lips, and she desperately wrapped her arms around herself. "He can do whatever he wants."

"Except save Suzaku."

Tears glistened in her eyes. "Except that apparently. I don't get it."

"He's not the Emperor yet. The Emperor's speeches aren't... welcoming to Suzaku's kind."

Shirley's shoulders fell. "I know, but later, he can do whatever he wants. Do you—do you think he knew? That they planned this out together?"

"He could've told us," Rivalz complained. "But— I don't know. He looked real surprised when the old man made the announcement. It doesn't really make sense. Lelouch never did anything super impressive. Yeah sure, he could win any chess game, but I don't think the Emperor cares about that."

"He—" She shakes her head. "What if we never actually knew him?"

Throwing an arm over her shoulders, Rivalz gave her a reassuring side hug. "Come on. Let's eat and drink, while all these sore losers regret their life choices. We are his friends. Just wait and see. Once things settle down a little, he'll be back. You know how he gets when he's feeling overwhelmed." He laughed nervously. "I sure as hell would be in his shoes. Emperor. I can't even imagine."

"We shouldn't drink," she protested half heartedly.

"Live a little! What's the worst that can happen? I've got a bottle of champagne, so let's toast to our friend's success. And make a list of all the people we don't like. We've got friends in high places now."

A crazed chuckle escaped her. "Rivalz. We can't do that!"

"Sure as hell we can. My best bud is going to be the Emperor!"

Suzaku prodded his sore ribs, a hiss escaping through his clenched teeth. He desperately hoped none of them were broken. He was needed to pilot the Lancelot, especially now with Lelouch's identity revealed. Zero would soon be on the move. The target was far too ripe. At least he would be able to protect him and Nunnally from afar like that, makeup for his abysmal failure in defending them against their family.

Lelouch was going to be the Emperor. He couldn't wrap his mind around it.

While Lelouch seemed content to dote on Nunnally and engage in less than legal gambling, he loathed Britannia. He had yelled it when they reunited beneath Shinjuku. Of course, if he followed that line of thinking his mind went in all kinds of crazy directions. At least the announcement put such doubts to rest now.

The question now was if the Emperor intended for him to survive long enough to claim the throne. He was a sitting duck in Ashford Academy, and the Knight of One had been all too eager to remove him.

"Well, what do we have here," Lloyd asked, voice rising as if in a song. "Back in a cell, again. And what have they done to my devicer!"

Cecile smiled apologetically. "He was really worried when we heard you picked a fight with the Knight of One."

"Of course, I am. The Knights of the Round are so careless with their parts. Who knows what they have done to Suzaku? They could have ruined him."

Suzaku smiled sadly. It hurt that Lelouch left him, but at least these two would come regardless of his crimes. They had stuck next to him even when he was thrown into a cell the first time. And when questions of his sanity rose after his break in Narita. They could help him with no worry.

"What were you thinking?" Lloyd demanded. "You are a vital part of the ASEEC. You cannot run off and hinder your operational capabilities."

"And the Knight of One," Cecile trailed off. "We'll get you out of here—"

"But"—Lloyd shook his head—"even my influence is near to nothing if you've angered Sir Waldstein. He is very prickly."

They stared at him, expecting an explanation, and he hung his head. How was he supposed to explain that he implicitly lied to Britannia by not revealing Lelouch was alive. Except it didn't matter because somehow the Emperor knew anyway.

"I'm sorry," Suzaku mumbled. He deserved this anyway. He had ruined Japan with his hasty actions. Lelouch would set things right, even if he despised Britannia, because Nunnally would live in the world he would create.

Loud shouts came down from the hallway, and a shrill voice rose, too distant to be intelligible but undeniably angry. They fell quiet and sharp heels echoed down the hall, coming closer.

"Suzaku!" Euphemia shouted eagerly. She threw herself forward, pressing her hand to the shield separating them. "Lelouch said— I'm so glad you're fine."

"Fine?" Lloyd inhaled, sounding strangled. "Look at him! My devicer is turning blue and green. He is most certainly not fine! He won't be able to run the test tonight. I want damages."

Euphemia pinned him with an irritated glare, and Cecile grabbed him by the ear before dragging him off.

"I do not like him," she complained bitterly.

"It's how he cares," Suzaku assured her. "Did you say—?"

"Yes." She sighed, her lower lips quivering. "You knew. Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because..." He swallowed nervously. "Lelouch wanted to stay in hiding, stay dead."

Her eyes clenched shut. "Of course... He hates us."

"Did you—Did you talk to him?"

She nods shakily. "He asked me to help you.

Lelouch hadn't forgotten him, merely tackled the issue from another angle.

"The guards released you into my custody."

"I heard the yelling. Are you sure?"

She scoffed and turned off the shield. "Please. I am still the sub-viceroy, even if Cornelia doesn't want to give me any real responsibilities. You know, she made up the title for me."

He fell to his knees before her in a proper bow. "I am yours to command, Your Highness."

Laughing, she grabbed his hand and pulled him upright into a hug. "I'm glad. I was so worried when Lelouch said you were in trouble. I'll figure out things with Bismarck, I promise."

"He's the Knight of One."

"You have the future Emperor on your side. And three princesses on your side."

"Three?"

Euphemia's expression darkened. "Cornelia will help. I have had enough with her ridiculous antics. You saved my life. Her life. And you helped Lelouch. We owe you."

Something light settled in his chest. He had done good, brought some happiness into this cruel, harsh world.

Lloyd peered around the corner, escaping free from Cecile's grasp. "You got him out. Brilliant, we don't have to delay—"

"He is resting," Euphie snapped. She sniffed. "I have half a mind to never let him with you again."

"Princess Euphemia," Suzaku protested.

"And he will definitely not be working until Bismarck drops his fanciful charges."

Ignoring their vocal protests, she yanked him forward, out of the lower prison, and into freedom.

"Umm." Suzaku rubbed the back of his head. "How is Lelouch doing?"

"Stressed." She rose on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I feel better knowing he had at least one friend looking out for him."

Warmth spread down the back of his neck. He needed to focus. It meant nothing.

"Now," she said, voice deceptively soft. "Suzaku, will you spend the day with me?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Please—" She laughed. "Call me Euphie."

"Lelouch," his father greeted him, looming over him on the large screen. "Protocol does require you to kneel. I hope your time away from court has not robbed you of social decorum."

Raising his chin, Lelouch glared. If only he was actually next to his father, then he could use his geass. "That would imply I respect you as anything more than my unfortunate sperm donor."

Surprisingly, the Emperor chuckled. "Yet you have been trying so hard to get my attention. Were your little Black Knights to know what you intended, they would lose all faith in their miracle worker. Because you know the truth, no man can ever stand against the might of the entire Empire, even if they rally an entire Area. Was this not how you imagined I would respond to your provocations?"

"I wasn't trying to prove myself to you," Lelouch snarled.

"Yet you began your game riding on a royal's personal transport." He leaned forward, his eyes strangely warm. "You have proven yourself regardless. No one else could have said they bested Britannia's men with such lackluster troops. It is time for your skills to be put to better use."

Lelouch bristled. "I will not be your puppet."

"No, you will come home at last."

"I'm disinherited," Lelouch reminded him. "This is some sort of trap. If you know I am Zero, if you followed me... Surely, you know that I have every intention of ripping your corrupted Empire down brick by brick. I cannot fathom what insanity has you welcoming me back."

"What father does not want the prodigal son to return home at last?" the Emperor asked. "And maybe the Empire does need to be restructured. In the end, I do know you, Lelouch. You are still the boy who spat on everything he had for his sister's sake. That devotion has not left you. You will not plunge the world into chaos because Nunnally will suffer for it. Nor would you rule without care, beholden to only your personal desires. I did not lie; I meant what I said. The Empire will be yours, and you will rule it fully."

Lelouch crossed his arms. "Then why did Bismarck ignore me to arrest Suzaku for disrespecting me?"

"He was following my orders."

"Why?"

The Emperor smiled mysteriously. "In time, Lelouch. In time."

Of course he would be denied answers as he and everyone around him were turned into pawns. There were never answers, nor was there ever justice, only what the Emperor wanted. Lelouch closed his eyes, trying to contain his rising rage. He was once again ensared in the web of his family's stupid intrigue and politics. He would return with no allies, no friends, and only whatever scraps of power the Emperor offered.

"Why?" Lelouch opened his eyes. "Why do you want me to remain here? You threw me out, left us to die. Are you hoping that announcing our location will finally lead to our death? Assassins are being mobilized as we speak." One of them was definitely Kallen. "Was it too much to ask to let us live our life in peace?"

"I would hardly call Zero as living peacefully." The Emperor paused, the silence stretching between them. "No. I don't plot your death. You asked me once for justice for your mother—"

"And you cast me out for it," Lelouch growled. "Because I disrespected you, the Emperor of the most powerful nation who couldn't even protect his supposedly favored wife. I guess you were just using her. Once she was dead, it didn't matter anymore."

The Emperor pinched his nose. "Lelouch... I did not cast you out. You were the one to declare you were no longer my son. I never accepted."

"You said I was dead!"

"Yes, because you had to be before you were truly killed. And a part of you understood. I never imagined you would have such audacity. I had been scouring for a reason to send you and Nunnally abroad without betraying my hand, and you gave me one. It probably saved you and your sister's life."

No... No, Lelouch refused to believe it. He knew what had happened that day. The sheer rage on his father's face. His absolute certainty for a moment was that this day he would die. That hadn't—couldn't have been an act.

"You want justice for Marianne; I do too. The assassin bore a grudge against your mother for having earned my affection. You were only safe because he believed you were beneath my notice. It did not stop him from orchestrating a bomber targeting your residence.."

Him? Yet, he was envious of the Emperor's affection?

Who would possibly think they could monopolize the Emperor's affection? What would make his mother a target compared to the countless other wives who followed him? The Emperor showed them plenty of affection. The threat also sounded current...

"I'm bait," Lelouch realized.

The Emperor grimaced. "Yes. Bismarck is doing his best to ensure your safety."

"My mother was killed despite having the best of your supposed guards," Lelouch accused coldly, trying to calm his racing heart. Nunnally was a target. "If you couldn't defend her in the villa, do you think you have a chance here?"

"Well, I have not given you the authority to dismiss your guards"—his jailors—"which caused the last tragedy. And you have another advantage. C.C. will not let you die."

The world lurched. His father knew of C.C. He spoke as if he knew her motivations which Lelouch was constantly trying to riddle out. He never knew what the damned woman would do.

"How?" he gasped.

The Emperor grew pensive. Finally, he said, "She was your mother's contractor first."

What?

How?

"Return home alive," the Emperor challenged him, "and the world shall be yours."

The call ended, leaving Lelouch teetering on the edge. The Emperor knew of C.C. The multitude of guards, always perfectly spread apart such that Lelouch could not catch all of them in his geass at the same time now no longer seemed like an unfortunate turn of luck. The Emperor knew of geass.

No wonder he was so unconcerned about the threat Lelouch posed. He already knew about his greatest weapon.

But... But why tell him?

Shakily, he left the room and staggered up the stairs to his room. There was a guard at the corner. Another guard fell into step behind him, their gaze boring into his back.

"I want pizza," C.C. declared as he opened the door, not even pretending to make the effort to hide herself.

"You—" He grit his teeth, unsure what to say or even excuse. She had saved him, helped him, but to what end? What did he even know of this strange woman who had invited her way into his life. Yes, she saved him, but she never spent a moment considering the consequences of her actions. She wandered out freely on the Ashford grounds where anyone could see.

She was so laissez-faire about everything. As if the consequences weren't real. He had assumed it was a symptom of her immortality. What was a few years of imprisonment against a lifetime that spanned centuries?

The guard behind him slipped into the room, not even reacting to a strange woman lounging on his bed.

"I see Charlie told you," she said.

He spun around, slamming the door of the room. A meaningless barrier separating them.

She had been his mother's contractor. Had said nothing despite knowing he sought justice for her.

Why? What had she intended to gain?

He forced himself to inhale, exhale, counting each breath. These were issues for another time. The Emperor had delivered him a challenge—survive.

Scowling, he yanked open the door again and stared at the uncaring witch.

"Well," she said. "There's no reason for me to be confined to your stuffy room now."

The question resting on the tip of his tongue weighed it down. He had to ask. His plans had all rested on drawing the Emperor out, giving Lelouch easy access to him as he finally left Pendragon to ensure his empire wouldn't burn down. He had made a dangerous assumption—that his geass was unique.

"Did you give others a geass?" he asked.

"That is the correct question," she told him but shrugged. "You are my contractor. Nothing else matters."

"And my mother?"

"She is unable to fulfill my wish."

His head snapped up. Is?

C.C. frowned. "Was."

No. She was lying. Except Lelouch had seen his mother, had seen her dead body. But if his geass could make someone forget, could it make one remember what never was? She hadn't said no. Hadn't denied there being other geass users. How often had she lied to him because Lelouch never bothered asking the right questions?

Was that why she could lounge around without a care, munching on a slice of a pizza as if imprisonment and torture did not await her? Because they didn't. Because she was conspiring with Charlie.

Could he trust her at all? Was she why the Emperor had known where to find him?

Or was this what the Emperor wanted him to think? To doubt his own allies? To isolate him fully?

"Who killed my mother?" Lelouch asked.

C.C. tilted her head, eyes narrow in consideration. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Tell me," he demanded.

"Rude boy," she commented idly. "It was another immortal. He goes by V.V. these days."

Chapter Text

As the first bell rang and the students began to stream over the campus grounds, Richard watched them silently, his cup of tea resting untouched before him. He really should leave, but yesterday—

He shook his head, scarcely still believing it. Lelouch Lamperouge, no—Lelouch vi Britannia was the heir to the throne. He had taught the kid, and this year marked the fifth occasion. The principal always smiled apologetically when the assignments came out at the beginning of the year, and he was again assigned the so-called delinquent for English.

Absently, he picked up the paper that had been sitting there since late last evening before he went home to his wonderful wife. It was a personal statement. A reflection on one's life.

Originally, he had been glad that Lamp—ugh, vi Britannia had turned in anything at all. He was notoriously tight-lipped about his past and completely willing to ignore assignments which did not interest him. It really was such a shame that he didn't put more effort in; he could easily be in the top of the class, claim one of the prestigious scholarships or be nominated for one of the internships Prince Clovis sponsored—had sponsored.

But—

He was royalty, wasn't he?

And in his personal statement, in a rare moment of honesty, he submitted an essay on why fathers were entirely useless, among other things.

Why would the Emperor choose him? The student he taught had never done anything extraordinary. He really wasn't anything special, regardless of how scandalous it was to think that of the future Emperor.

Or maybe the rumors and warnings from his colleagues that he had dismissed were true.

He sighed. He really shouldn't have mentioned that the boy was in his class to his wife. Now, she wanted him to be nicer to him.

And he probably should. Teenagers given ultimate power were terrible. He could order an execution on a whim. What was the Emperor thinking?

The second bell rang, and he winced, shoving the paper into the bag before he rushed out of his office. He could deal with it later. It wasn't like the heir to the Empire, with chronic absenteeism, would actually attend class on the day after the biggest announcement in his life.

As he rushed into his classroom, he smiled in relief for once at the empty desk and began to take attendance.

"Kallen Stadtfeld?" He frowned. The excitement of yesterday must've been too much for her. Although she did miss class quite often when their resident prince did...

One of the girls sneered and her whisper was just a tad too loud to be anything but intentional. "Maybe His Highness has a thing for sickly girls."

Shirley, poor girl, glared at her fiercely. "Have some respect."

"What?" the girl asked. "He should take care of his desires. It is admirable that he is able to handle their problems so readily, but soon he will have an Empire's worth of problems."

"I hope they're breaking up," one of the boys mumbled.

"Enough," Richard snapped. Seriously, teenagers. Did they not have better things to worry about than who was sleeping with whom? Sure, the future Emperor was a classmate of theirs, but the world continued to turn. "Perhaps, Miss Patricia, instead of gossiping, you should be finishing your revisions. I still have not received last month's paper from you."

She flushed as the room chortled.

The door opened, and out of breath, Lelouch vi Britannia stared at them. "Apologies for being late. I was... waylaid."

Behind him, a guard attempted to step inside, and Crown Prince Lelouch whirled around, his voice razor sharp. "Out! I don't need you."

Richard nearly dropped the attendance sheet at the sudden anger. With vague amusement, he noted his heart was beating faster than his cat's. Had he fed the cat this morning? It would be far too long for the poor creature to wait for food if he did not return home this afternoon.

The Crown Prince stepped inside, shaking Richard from his thoughts. He paused by Miss Kallen's desk with a slight frown before moving on. At the door, a looming figure crossed his arm, and Richard gulped, nodding politely to the Knight of One before staring at the prince again in befuddlement.

Protocol did technically dictate that they bow.

"Are you really a prince?" one particularly dull student asked.

Crown Prince Lelouch raised an irritated eyebrow. "No. I'm a body double."

"Your Highness..." Richard said.

"Lamperouge," the Crown Prince growled. "If I have to finish the year with assassins all aiming for my jugular, the least everyone can do is not announce my presence every time I enter a room. Lamperouge."

Maybe, Richard should forget about that essay and the vitriolic hatred that the boy professed for his father.

Teenagers...

The Emperor undoubtedly had his hands full with siring so many progeny. As a sympathetic shudder ran down his spine, he began their lesson on Hamlet.

He should've chosen a different play for the unit. Oh, by the Emperor, the Knight of One was here to judge his lessons.

Miss Stadtfeld was perhaps the wisest of them all. His wife was correct; he should've called in sick today.

It wasn't until Kallen was seated on an airplane that panic fully hit her. In hindsight, she had been a fool to think the Knight of One would take her to Lelouch. She was a full blown terrorist, with a known loyalty to Zero and a significant Britannian kill count. He would be a fool to let her anywhere near the heir of Britannia.

Now she was flying over the Pacific Ocean, not a speck of land to be seen as clouds parted over the wings. She should've fought. Why had she been so foolish as to think she would be meeting Lelouch?

But then the Knight of One had mentioned that Lelouch was fond of her. What did that even mean?

Why had she been sent away? Where was she going? To Temple Tower to be locked away, far from the light?

She shuddered, crossing her arms. She needed one of Zero's miracles now. He could engineer the most elaborate miracle, infiltrate far behind enemy lines, and even garner information out of thin air. He had to be some well seasoned commander, forged in the toil of previous wars and conflict. His hatred for Britannia was raw and real. That was not fake.

Lips curling, she mocked the idea that she once thought he could be Zero. Lelouch was a Britannian prince, the heir; he could never bear such hatred against Britannia.

It must be because they feared Zero would orchestrate her escape that they had sent her off. His reach did not yet extend beyond Japan, at least to her knowledge.

Although... the plane was far too nice to be a prisoner transport.

Her ears popped, and she pressed her face against the window, peering out. A small speck of land with glimmering lights grew on the horizon and they began their descent.

She pulled back, searching the seat for anything resembling a weapon. Finding nothing, she kicked off her shoes and held them up defensively. She should've fought against the Knight of One, even if he cut an imposing form. Shock was no excuse to go quietly.

While a minor noble, surely her rank could have allowed her to at least buy for time. She might hate it, but her father had connections. Not enough sway to get out of marrying that bitch, but enough that neither she nor Naoto had been branded as Numbers. To this day, she still didn't know what he had sacrificed, but afterwards, business kept him almost exclusively in the Homeland.

He had briefly come back after Naoto died, even secured his body and arranged his funeral.

Naoto's funeral had been a private affair, just her, her father and her mother, standing together with their grief binding them. She wanted to be furious with them. Wanted to rage that her father left, abandoned them. But there were tears running down his face, and tears on her own.

The three of them were the only ones who could understand each other's grief, so she had stayed quiet, holding her father's hand, and listened as he began to share old childhood memories.

Quietly, her mother had joined, a rare moment when she wasn't engulfed by a hazy daydream; Kallen had always hated that it was her father's presence which cleared her mind, not her own.

Sometimes, she wondered how much he knew of their activities, but he never said anything. She only knew that he loved them all unconditionally. After the funeral, he raised her allowance and once more disappeared to the Homeland. And her mother fell deeper into what she now knew was a Refrain addiction.

Even if she was declared a traitor, being sent off to a dark cell to be tortured, he would try to help her. That was the only comfort she had, so far from Zero.

The plane plummeted, diving right over the water, and for a moment she feared they would miss the runway, plunging them into a watery grave instead. The plane rumbled, touching down on the thin strip of runway extending into the ocean.

Her heart froze in her throat. To her right, the Imperial Palace stretched into the sky, golden inlays reflecting the sun setting across the water.

"My lady," the stewardess said, warily approaching her.

No. Kallen couldn't be here. What did they want with her?

She stumbled out onto the tarmac, clutching her heels protectively to her chest, her only weapon in this new hostile land.

Ahead, stood her father.

"Otosan?" she whispered. Was she dreaming? A nightmare to mock her with the impossible?

There were guards to the side, but her father's doppelganger paid them no heed as he rushed to her side and drew her into a tight hug. He smelled of old paper—like home. "It's good to see you."

She relaxed into his hug, feeling his breath rise and fall. His heart was too fast. "What are you doing here?"

This couldn't be real.

"Walk with me." He held out his arm and the guards near them stepped out of his way.

After slipping on her heels again, she followed him and despite herself, she stared in awe at the swooping arches of the palace above them. It was beautiful, she was forced to admit. It would be even prettier when it burned, and the people were freed.

What was her father doing here? She knew he worked in Pendragon frequently, but they were minor nobles. He should have never gained access to the palace grounds.

"You could've visited Kasan," she said, accusation slipping into her voice. "She's in the hospital right now. And that bitch threatened to throw out her things."

"Hush." He leaned over and pressed a chaste kiss to the top of her head and slipped into Japanese. "Things were too busy for me to take time off unfortunately. I did ask but— I was going to pay her bills, I swear, but when I called, they told me someone else had covered her account."

Her brow furrowed. "I thought that was you."

"Your boyfriend didn't say?" he teased.

"I don't have a boyfriend."

"The doctor said he claimed to be a Mr. Lamperouge. He even provided a cover story of her being your favorite childhood maid."

That... asshole! Did he think he could buy his way into her affection? How did he even know what happened? Was he stalking her? Why did she have to have the future Emperor of Britannia interested in her?

Any other boy would've thrown it into her face the next day.

"I slapped him," she mumbled.

Her father snorted. "You have your mother's temper. She waited until the meeting was over before asking me to talk to her outside, and then she got right up in my face to tell me off for being such a stuck up Britannian twat."

"It's not— I don't get him." She stopped by a fountain and stared into the slow swirling water. "I think I need help. I don't know what to do."

"You're Zero's ace," her father confirmed, resting a hand on her shoulder. "I heard. Maybe, I should've stopped you two, but Naoto begged me, and I couldn't deny him, not after everything I had done."

"What did you do?" she demanded, spinning around and meeting his eyes steadily. "Why are we even here? In the Imperial Palace? I had the Knight of One arresting me and throwing me on a plane. And now you're here. Please, what's the plan?"

"I don't know." He sat on the fountain's edge, eyes drawn together in thought. "Naoto knew of my work, but I guess he neglected to tell you. I was asked to travel to Japan and settle down to form business connections with the government. Originally, I was there to negotiate clandestine sakuradite exports. Britannia didn't want to tip its hand by revealing how much they were burning through in research and development. Then I met your mother, and I foolishly thought my work was important and would bring about peace. So, we married."

Kallen stumbled backwards. "You were a spy."

"By the end, yes. Your mother found out of course; she was furious." He stared off into space, scratching his arms. "I told her that Britannia would invade regardless, but my job meant that she and our children would be able to flee the country. The problem was that I was the younger son, and marrying a foreigner is problematic. Any relationship I was in on a mission wasn't legally binding anyway."

She pursed her lips, holding back tears. Her father was in part responsible for Japan's catastrophic defeat. She didn't know him at all.

"So I begged for your and Naoto's life," he whispered. "I said I would do anything as long as you would be recognized as Britannian, with all the protections it afforded. I got my wish, even if Naoto was deemed too foreign and never recorded as my son. At least you were safe."

"How could you?" she whispered.

He stood, swinging his arm over her shoulder, and guided her inside the massive palace. "Britannia was always my home first, Kallen. I loved my nation, even as it was falling apart at the seams. He saved my life; he could have done nothing, so I swore my loyalty. I wish I could say I was sorry, but I am not. It kept the intelligence operatives off Naoto's back because they assumed he was working for me. If he hadn't run into a fire fight to save that fool he called a friend, then he would still be alive."

"It's not Tamaki's fault," she protested. She had blamed him once, but he had been the one that argued for her when she asked to join. He tried to make amends in his own way.

"He is a hot headed fool," her father said angrily, his grip tightening. "And then you joined him to follow a masked man."

If Kallen escaped this, somehow, she was warning Tamaki to stay far away from her father. His tone was too dark, and with the secrets being unveiled, she feared she didn't know her father at all. He could very well kill Tamaki... and there would be no repercussions.

She futilely tried to shrug off his arm. "It was my decision. He's constantly badmouthing Zero."

He sighed and suddenly drew her into a hug. "Kallen... I'm sorry. You went too far. I can't protect you from this."

"What's going to happen?" she whispered, her voice painfully timid.

"I don't know," he whispered. His heart thundered against her. His breaths were shallow and uneven.

Heavy footsteps approached them, and she swallowed as her father stiffened and slowly withdrew with a slight tremor in his arm. He dropped to the ground, kneeling formally in subservience.

She ignored his hand tugging at her shirt to join him and met the eyes of the Britannian Emperor.

"Your Majesty," her father said dutifully.

"This is your daughter then," the Emperor said, slowly circling her, like he was inspecting a prized hound. "She'll do."

Her resolve faltered, and she crossed her arms, hating his stare. She wished her father was standing next to her, even if she had never known him at all. "Otosan?"

"You should bow," the Emperor said. His voice was strangely tired, nothing like his state speeches.

"Kallen," her father begged quietly.

"I'm a Black Knight," she spat defiantly.

Her father inhaled sharply. "Your Majesty, please, my daughter—"

"—is not the type to falter in her convictions. It can be an admirable trait." His eyes narrowed. "Or a foolhardy one."

"I won't betray Zero," she said, almost a reassurance to herself.

His lips twisted in amusement. "Will you kneel for Lelouch?"

Her jaw clenched and she ground out, "We're not in a relationship."

"He paid your mother's medical bills," he countered, drawing a startled breath from her father.

Kallen's right eye ticked. Why had Lelouch inserted himself in her life like that? He should've left well enough alone. Now everyone was utterly convinced that he loved her! It was ridiculous, asinine.

"Or would you rather give yourself to Zero?"

Her cheeks warmed. "That's none of your fucking business."

"Kallen..." her father groaned.

"And even if it was, I can admire someone without wanting to be with them. Zero will kill you one day, and I am looking forward to it."

"My son certainly is," the Emperor said.

"Lelouch isn't Zero," she snapped back. That was ridiculous. It had to be. Lelouch might support the Black Knights, but only because Zero was removing obstacles between him and the throne. He couldn't be Zero.

"Who are you trying to convince?" the Emperor asked. "Me or yourself?"

Lelouch was Zero.

Zero had known what happened to her mother. That was why Lelouch took care of the bill. It was why he slept through class constantly. Why he was friends with Suzaku. Why Bismarck and the Emperor were utterly convinced Lelouch was fond of her despite Lelouch Lamperouge barely ever interacting with her.

Zero was fond of her. He had offered to share his identity with her, and she had been too much of a coward to take the opportunity.

She had held a knife to his arm. Had yelled about a cease fire order in the bathroom. He had even offered her a convenient excuse, and she hadn't spent a moment considering how outlandish it was because she realized she had been naked.

Lelouch, she would never have suspected something nefarious. At least not until Shirley shared his darker past. But Zero...

He had cornered her in the bathroom on fucking purpose! He had been counting on her being too flustered to ask too many questions.

She was such a fool.

"What do you want?" Kallen asked quietly, dropping her gaze. Zero wouldn't be rescuing her because he was a Britannian prince. Had he just used them to manipulate his way onto the throne. If you ignored the absurdity of naming a terrorist as heir, Zero made far more sense than the slacker Lelouch Lamperouge.

She had been used. Now, she was deep behind the enemy line, and no one was coming.

"You will kneel, child," the Emperor promised. His hand fell down on her shoulders. "You will make your father proud and kneel before Lelouch as the entire world looks on. You will add your strength to his and be the sword that he needs. You will learn to be the Britannian lady they all expect. You will prove that Britannian blood ultimately always prevails."

"You honor me, Your Majesty," her father interjects before Kallen can shout in outrage. "I never served in hope of a reward."

"Reward?" Kallen shrieked, ripping herself free.

The Emperor's eyes swept over her dismissively. "It is understandable that while I monopolize your time, you were unable to discipline your daughter properly. Now is your opportunity to rectify that mistake."

Her father bowed deeply. "It will be done."

"I'm not agreeing with any of this," Kallen spat.

"Kallen," her father hissed.

The Emperor smirked. "I hold the world in my hand, including your precious Japan. A word from me, and I can destroy your home. Impress me, and I can ensure certain benefits. Soon, Lelouch will be the one to choose."

"I'm a Black Knight, she said. "I fight for justice and—"

"Not anymore." The Emperor waved his hand at the connecting corridor where a man with a camera stood, snapping steady pictures. "You followed in your father's footsteps."

"No, no, no. You can't do that!" Kallen shrieked. She was not a traitor. She hadn't betrayed the Black Knights. She would never, but who would believe her? She was the Britannian noble only playing at being Japanese. "Why play such fucking games even!"

Tilting his head, the Emperor's lips formed a mockery of a concerned smile. "It is uncouth to threaten your own daughter."

When Lelouch had tried to help Suzaku, Bismarck only needed to whisper in his ear.

Nunnally.

As hatred welled up inside her, she considered that maybe Zero hadn't been lying. Maybe his rage was real. Because the Emperor had just implied he used Nunnally to keep Lelouch in line. Anyone with eyes could see Nunnally meant the world to Lelouch. He would do anything for her. Her only protection was being Lelouch's sister. This man certainly was no father.

Now, Kallen was leverage over Lelouch.

Surely, he wouldn't care.

But she had seen his grief at the death of Shirley's father. The way he fortified himself by insisting that they must bear all the costs to honor those who died already. Now... It was all in vain. Would he have the strength to go on? To sacrifice them all? And where would he go? He was going to be the Emperor. Arguably, he had already won.

But the Emperor still lived, his machinations rumbling steadily on as they became ensnared in a net of puppet strings.

She needed to talk to Lelouch. To know where his heart lay. To know if he had lied.

"She will have knightmare training in the afternoon starting tomorrow," the Emperor said, addressing her father. "Inform me when she is ready to play the role needed."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Her father bowed, his grip around her arm like iron, and he tugged her abruptly, pulling her into an accidental bow.

The Emperor shifted, half turning away, then coughed.

"Your Majesty!" her father cried, rushing to his side. "The physician—"

Shaking his head, the Emperor withdrew a handkerchief. "Time waits for no man. Everything must be ready."

For the first time, she allowed herself to truly gaze upon the Emperor without hate or fear. On the deep crevices running through his face. The stark shadows under his eyes peeking through a thin shade of concealer. The powder on his forehead and cheeks. The stray white hairs on the collar of his robe. The slight slouch to his back. His voice was far too weak.

Was he actually dying? Was that why he had chosen an heir out of the blue? But what did he intend to accomplish before his final days?

"You overexerted yourself with that announcement," her father whispered.

"Stephen, enough. Do what has to be done."

Her father retreated, grabbing her roughly and pulling her away. Desperately, she tried to pull her arm free. She would not be forced to fight for Britannia, to abandon her cause.

"Behave," her father hissed.

"I won't," she spat. Maybe she needed to talk to Lelouch. To know his side. To unveil the missing pieces in the puzzle that was his life. But she owed absolutly nothing to her traitor of a father and even less to the Emperor of fucking Britannia.

"You will, Kallen." He stopped abruptly and pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm sorry, but the Emperor has a way to force obedience. At least pretend, Kallen."

Ah yes, on the Kallen confronts Lelouch and tries to stab him but this is somehow seen as sexy trope (I somehow feel this is very common but not sure why) I took a right turn. Oh and I made Kallen's father a spy (instead of utterly useless douchebag she hates) bc there used to be this thing about him being important in r2 or something. And it really is strange that a Britannian would go out and have a relationship with a foreigner and then take care of her kids. Just a possible interpretation, but I think this a fun one. Kallen must be having a blast with all these secrets being revealed left and right. XD

Anyway, I hoped you enjoy this stock fanon departure. Until next time.

Or c hat with me on the discord: discord . gg / MFKuCGYxcT

Chapter Text

In the chaos of her father's announcement, Nunnally had been forgotten. It was not particularly surprising, nor did she blame her brother for it. He was to be the Emperor. All sorts of thoughts had to be running through his head. She only wished that he would open himself up to her instead of withdrawing. Before, he would every so often converse with the strange woman, Miss C.C., and she could take comfort that he talked to someone.

Now, there was only silence and the shuffle of the guards in their apartment.

She frowned to herself and rolled to the door. Lelouch had spoken to their father yesterday, but he did not once ask to speak to her. And while it was wonderful to meet Cornelia and Euphie again, Lelouch's anger clouded the room. Could she even ask to see them again?

What was she supposed to do? She was the sister of the future emperor. That had to mean something, but it was as if she didn't exist.

"I'm going to class," she told the guard waiting outside her room. Her brother had this same argument an hour prior, running late because of it. He did not want her to leave, worried that assassins would strike.

"Ma'am, you are supposed to stay here," the guard said.

Her nose wrinkled. Ma'am. Because her father had said nothing of her return. Because she was the crippled girl who had been so traumatized that she couldn't open her eyes. Would she be forced from her brother's side because she served no purpose? Because she was too weak?

Lelouch was always the strong one, sheltering her, moving behind her back to set right the injustices he saw. Every time, he promised that he would not lie. Then he did so anyway. And she pretended that she didn't notice because he needed it. His recent project had him out late for long nights and whispering with C.C. Was it why their father had reversed course? Welcomed him home?

Whatever it was, it had done nothing to stop Bismarck from threatening to harm her in low tones that she was not supposed to hear.

"I understand," Nunnally said, hanging her head. She could try to escape, but that would only worry her brother. He did not need that now.

"Bored?" Miss C.C. interrupted. "I am taking her to the dining room."

"Of course," he said respectfully.

How did the guards know Miss C.C.? Was that why Lelouch seemed upset with her?

"Thank you," Nunnally whispered as she grabbed her wheelchair and pushed her down the hall. Personally, she would've preferred to do it herself, but people never asked, and if she complained, then she would no longer be sweet, kind Nunnally, worth protecting.

Years ago, she once made a fuss, sick of the teachers only giving her childish assignments fit for a preschooler. The teacher had laughed, then patted her head before wandering off. But the students― Oh, they had seen and they judged. She was too selfish. A little bitch monopolizing Lelouch's time. Annoying. Too full of herself to do the world a favor and die.

Lelouch barely managed to maintain their cover for those months as the comments became more and more cruel. As whispers turned into spiteful actions. As her wheelchair was sabotaged. As she was dragged out of her chair when Lelouch wasn't looking. As they pushed her down a flight of stairs and laughed as she screamed.

Because she was just the annoying dead weight chaining Lelouch down and should know better than to do more than grovel for his scraps.

And Lelouch, furious on her behalf, declared war on her classmates. She heard what he did. The cruel pranks he would pull in revenge. The utter humiliation he delivered. The students only became more discrete, sure that her vileness had corrupted him somehow. The weak could only succeed through underhanded trickery after all. She in turn kept silent, trying to calm her brother's raging temper before he exposed them all.

Then one day he snapped; Reuben arrived in their apartment with weary steps. She didn't need the muffled yelling through the walls to know Lelouch had gone too far.

"Origami?" C.C. offered. "How about I show you how to make a cat?"

Sayoko showed her years ago. Technically, Kaguya had shown her the first time as they huddled outside in the cooling night air while Kururugi yelled at Lelouch and Suzaku for their latest foolish stunt.

"That would be wonderful," Nunnally lied brightly. It was her place to be thankful for anything given. Her brother didn't need more problems right now.

Silently, she allowed C.C. to instruct her, guiding her hand. She pretended to fumble a bit, anything to sell the lie, so they could feel useful.

"Did you have a fight with my brother?" she asked as C.C. begins to withdraw, radiating boredom.

"Of a sort."

The silence stretched between them, C.C. not rising to the bait.

Irritated, Nunnally barely suppressed an instinctive frown. "What happened last night? I'm worried for him."

"Maybe you should ask him."

"I thought he made you a promise." That was too accusatory. "Help me help him, please."

C.C. scoffed. "Do you ever tire of lying all the time?"

"I don't lie," Nunnally whispered―not in the way that mattered at least. She kept particulars from Lelouch to ease his mind. He kept unpleasantness from her.

"Of course," C.C. said with false sympathy. "I am sure you will have no objection then to spending your life locked inside a room."

"No!" Nunnally shouted. The woman was infuriating. She pressed buttons as easily as she breathed―although at times Nunnally swore she forgot to breathe. "I hate this! All of it. Lelouch is out there, and I can't do a thing because I'm stuck here. I want to do something and be useful for once in my life."

C.C. said nothing, her footsteps receding before she suddenly came to a stop and sighed angrily. "Fine. What do you desire?"

Would she really help her?

But... There are so many things she wants. To see again. To run again. To hold her mother's hand. But C.C. was tapping her foot expectantly, and these are all things that won't happen regardless of what she wished. Even a thousand cranes would not accomplish a thing.

"I want..." Nunnally swallowed.

"Your brother will be the Emperor, surely there is something he can give you that would make you happy."

She should've known better. C.C. had only asked out of obligation. She had no interest in helping her.

Yet... what did she want? Something that would help Lelouch. Something that she could do. Something meaningful.

"Sayoko. I know Ashford had her reassigned elsewhere, but she could help me write some letters... and Lelouch trusts her."

"I will see what can be done," C.C. said stiffly before turning away. As she left the room, she quietly mumbled, "You're welcome, Marianne."

Villetta listened as her captor left and busied herself with mundane tasks. He had set up surveillance throughout the apartment, and she could not let him realize that she had begun to remember―enough to know the kind, friendly woman he named Chigusa was an abhorrent lie. Enough to know that he was a filthy Eleven who should have never dared to look at her. If it wasn't for her injuries that left her wholly unprepared to fight, she would have already left.

Finally, she finished and sat down in front of the TV. First, she chose some mindless cooking show. The Eleven liked it when she played the part of a domestic housewife.

Then after some time had passed, she leaned forward and readjusted the TV so it pointed away from the camera and switched to the news.

The boy, the heir, was on-screen again. She had watched the broadcast for the first time with the Eleven. He said nothing. Such momentous political matters naturally flew far above an Eleven's head. She gasped when she saw the photo―a mere schoolboy―because she most assuredly knew him. And if she knew royalty, then the kind Kaname Ohgi was lying.

He was not her rescuer, but her jailor.

Intently, she studied the boy's face, trying to draw the memories forward. A gunshot echoed in her mind. Had she fallen in the line of duty, protecting the prince?

His mother had been a commoner. That felt familiar. She wasn't a noble lady then, perhaps a knight. It would explain her well toned body.

The picture vanished, replaced by a sinister black mask. Somehow, she knew him too.

"While Zero remains at large, Viceroy Cornelia has assured the public that he will be apprehended soon to stand trial for his crimes, including the assassination of Prince Clovis."

"I worry less about what he has done, but what he will do. Crown Prince Lelouch is attending Ashford Academy, and Zero has already killed one royal. The future Emperor is a far too enticing target."

Ashford. Red hair. A gunshot.

She fell backwards and raised a trembling hand to her stomach. She knew who Zero was. The question the Eleven had asked when she first woke up.

Lelouch vi Britannia, heir to the throne, was Zero... And his girlfriend shot her.

What was she supposed to do now? Originally, she planned to rest and recover, then make her daring escape and report Ohgi to the police. She would watch from afar as he was dragged off, the entire matter finally put to rest behind them. Unfortunately, that option was now entirely unavailable. She had tracked the boy down, discovered him unmasked and gloated before his girlfriend.

If the Crown Prince caught wind that she was still alive, she would be summarily executed. She knew too much of what he and the Emperor had been planning, even if she could not see the full picture of their machinations.

For the first time, she felt a deep sense of disgust for her nation. Loyal Britannians had died for this. Her nails dug into her thighs as if the pain could chase away the crime of such treasonous thoughts.

Sighing, she forced herself to turn off the TV. For better or worse, Chigusa was here to stay. Ohgi squirreling her away in his apartment might have very well saved her life. Wasn't it absolutely wonderful that her continued survival depended on an Eleven's compassion?

If only Jeremiah hadn't fallen at Narita, she could go to him and beg for his protection. He had been disgraced, but he had connections that could have protected her. Her brow furrowed. Vi Britannia. Jeremiah had once served Consort Marianne vi Britannia. Zero had utterly humiliated him despite it. Perhaps the boy blamed him for being involved with his mother's death.

She collapsed onto the couch. That was it then. There were no other options. Jeremiah was dead. Even if he wasn't, Crown Prince Lelouch appeared to despise him and she would only be sullied further by her former connection with him.

A key scraped against the door lock outside, and she slowly stood. In all her memories, there was one constant. Villetta Nu always survived. She was not going to walk out of the door to her own demise. She would somehow turn this to her advantage.

It was time to finally learn what business her captor was involved in.

Lelouch fell backwards abruptly as Bismarck pushed him and drew his sword. The young boy across from them swallowed nervously as the sword rested against his throat, and his outstretched hand trembled.

"I only wanted to―"

Bismarck waved the guards forward―they seemed to haunt every corner of Ashford―and they took the small box from his hand and dropped it into a plastic bag. Warily, Lelouch stood, his heart pounding in his chest. Surely, that couldn't have been an assassination attempt? The boy was two years below him, a frequent attendant of the horseback riding club which was the only sport Lelouch didn't fail at.

There had to be a mistake. The boy didn't have the guts to kill him―now, Kallen on the other hand...

"Come," Bismarck ordered, dragging him away by his shoulder. "Never accept anything from anyone, do you understand? All items must first be given to an aide."

"So you will be collecting my graded assignments as well?"

"Yes."

"He is a classmate. You do not have to terrorize the school more than you are doing so already. Now, let go of me."

Bismarck spun him around. "I think you fail to understand your position here, Your Highness."

Lelouch raised his chin. "I have no intention of dying, but all anyone here sees is you herding me around like an irritating child. Prance me around as bait, fine, but if you want me to believe for a single moment that the Emperor is sincere in naming me his heir, treat me with respect."

His eyes narrowed. "You are a child who upended Area Eleven for myopic impulses. You have no care for law and order nor an idea of what duty even means. If you truly wished to act as heir, I would be unable to stop you."

"Then I command you to use your words before drawing swords on my classmates." His geass warmed, begging to be used and to make Bismarck bend the knee for him. "And I will see my friends, which includes Suzaku."

"Nunnally." Bismarck smiled sharply.

"No," Lelouch snapped, furious.

"Then until you can acknowledge your duty is to your country instead of your crippled sister, you will be treated as the child you are."

He should geass the man, demand absolute loyalty, consequences be damned. The Emperor already knew of geass. It would be impossible for Lelouch to surprise him with it. So what if the nearby guards would know what he had done? At least he would finally have some freedom.

Or the Emperor would simply send the next Knight of the Round, this time with sunglasses.

"Nunnally is non-negotiable," Lelouch said, forcing his jaw to relax and the anger to fade. "Other elements are. I want to spend time with the student council, privately. None of them would betray me. They are loyal to Britannia, and more importantly, myself."

"Are you sure you count Miss Stadtfeld in that list?" Bismarck asked curiously.

Lelouch's eyes narrowed. She had been absent in class. He knew she wasn't sick, and she would most certainly never feign it after such a momentous occasion―or had she gone to Ohgi who talked her out of trying to kill the next Emperor of Britannia? "Did you do anything to her?"

"You wear your heart on your sleeves," Bismarck answered.

"What. Did. You. Do."

"Does it matter? She is a terrorist."

No. They knew. Of course they did since they somehow discovered he was Zero. He was so stupid. He should have been less concerned about Kallen killing him and more that Britannia would decide to take care of her.

Why did it matter? She was just a tool, useful to only Zero. That was why he paid for her mother's medical expenses. It stabilized her and would make her more loyal―except he hadn't told her. It didn't matter if she died. She was a threat to his and Nunnally's safety. It was better this way.

She had been so heartbroken about the death of Shirley's father. She had nearly faltered, and in her despair, he could remind himself to lead the way. Because someone had to go on.

He could lose her, right?

"Is she still alive?" Lelouch asked. Or was the plan to announce she died from her illness, effectively letting her slip into obscurity without ever revealing the scandalous truth that a noble fought for the Elevens?

"What would you do?" Bismark challenged.

While his main assets were now out of reach, with no way to establish contact, he had a new card in play. He cocked his head. The Emperor did not want him dead yet. That was telling.

He smiled. "My father hardly told the world the truth, and we're surrounded by so many eager ears. Do you think you could stop every wagging tongue?"

"You wouldn't dare."

"Like no one would ever dare to rise up against the mighty Empire of Britannia?" He stepped forward, his fingers stiff. "You accuse me of not caring for law or order, and you would be right. Why would I respect the customs of an archaic institution which I despise? The Emperor may have declared me the heir, but I have no desire to rule a rotting corpse. So yes, I would happily throw this world into turmoil so Britannia can be cleansed in rebirth."

"You understand nothing." Bismark's face darkened, wrinkles turning into deep trenches and lips curling into a snarl. "Do you know how many died in the Emblem of blood? Death brings nothing but ruin and more despair. You cannot disrupt a cycle with violence."

"An interesting statement coming from the Knight of One, the man who is the Emperor's sword." Lelouch laughed. "Britannia rules through fear. Zero is hope. It is a hope for a future that drives people on, and you deny it systematically to millions."

"Your classmates would hardly consider themselves denied―"

"The Numbers," Lelouch said. "The Numbers with festering hatred."

"They're weak."

Lelouch scoffed, a manic laugh building in his throat. Nothing ever changed. Nothing ever would. "My goals remain the same. A peaceful world for Nunnally, one not ruled by fear and hate. A free Japan... and every Area freed who would wish to join them." A slight chuckle escaped him. "And the destruction of the royal family."

"Your insanity would bring ruin," Bismarck growled.

"I think you should consider giving me a reason to care for a rotting corpse before I declare my crimes and throw oil on the fire the Emperor's announcement has started. I don't think Britannia would survive."

"Or I could lock you in a room so you can speak to no one."

"Then I would be poor bait." Lelouch spun around. "Or you let me go to my friends, so I may be reminded that there are others I care for in Britannia."

"She's unharmed."

His knees buckled as the weight of relief crashed into him. Kallen was still alive. It shouldn't matter, but it did. He hadn't failed yet another person. Oh, she would despise him for his supposed betrayal, but at least she lived. She was unharmed.

His legs straightened, and he walked forward, to the Student Council room, to his friends.

This time, Bismarck didn't stop him, merely coming to a stop outside of the door.

Yeah, sorry folks. Lelouch's hatred for Britannia isn't just going to evaporate because he's now the heir lol.

Apologies for the delay. School started up once again and I promptly caught a cold so I've been doing a lot of hw and sleeping instead of writing. Excalibur update is a little delayed as a result.

C hat with me on the discord: discord.gg/MFKuCGYxcT

Chapter Text

Kyoshiro was a man of regrets. His name was celebrated on his people's lips, but every time he heard the cursed nickname, "Tohdoh the Miracle Worker", his soul howled in protest. If he had acted more wisely, with more prudence, then perhaps Japan would've never been invaded at all.

He still remembers the two young children who had slowly befriended his pupil. Two Britannian royals who had been cast out of their home. The Prime Minister hadn't listened when Kyoshiro had tried to explain that they were not the valuable hostages they had been led to believe. It was unfathomable that the children of Marianne the Flash would be cast out so easily, but her death clearly proved that the Emperor's affections were fickle.

Or so Kyoshiro thought until the Emperor announced to the world that his presumed dead son was hiding in Area Eleven and now heir to the Empire. No matter how he examined the situation, he could not understand it.

Lelouch had loathed his father. Any mention of the Britannian Emperor was met with scorn and insults. Despite the various rumors, this announcement could not have been planned between the two of them. A child could not feign such hatred for a parent.

Of course, the world did not know of the boy's greatest treason because Kyoshiro had dismissed his words as the foolish boasting of a child. He had known of knightmares. Lelouch attempted to warn him on numerous occasions. It was all for naught. No one could fathom such monstrosities being deployed on the battlefield. The closest they had heard of such technology were the janky robots tethered to an extension cord that lumbered through Britannian mines.

He had been a fool, and Japan paid the price.

Now, the boy, who most assuredly hated the Emperor, would sit on the throne. It made no sense.

From the opposite side of the room, the voices of the Holy Swords drifted over. "We must avenge our comrades! If we strike—"

"Security will be through the roof. We would not even get within a mile—"

"It's a fucking school. The campus is sprawling. There's no way they're covering every angle."

Kyoshiro closed his eyes in irritation. He had planned on visiting Kururugi's grave, but the announcement had derailed all plans as the city thrummed with extra forces. The local garrison had been supplemented with the Emperor's own men, causing many of the local Britannians to open their homes to quarter the extra personnel.

The Emperor seemed to be very invested in his heir's safety.

It made no fucking sense.

Why would he care now? He had left his children to die.

Kyoshiro knew what his men wanted. They wanted to make Britannia bleed and prove that the Japanese did not need to rely on a cosplayer prancing around to draw Britannian blood. Zero had risen from Clovis's bloody ashes. It would only be appropriate for the JLF to be reborn via delivering another prince's corpse.

Had Kyoshiro never met the kid, he would pursue this avenue without hesitation. It was a golden opportunity. The other insurgent groups, still strong in the northern and southern islands due to foreign aid, would definitely be converging on Tokyo to give things a fair shot.

And Zero—well, Kyoshiro had his suspicions regarding that.

"It is a trap," Kyoshiro declared as he rose, and his men snapped to attention. For a moment, he let his eyes linger on Chiba and wondered if he could risk his reputation by asking her out for some drinks. A young woman like her would never entertain someone like him. "Britannia would not so openly broadcast their Crown Prince's vulnerable location unless it was a deliberate invitation. For whom, we do not know yet."

"Zero?" Chiba asked.

"Perhaps," Kyoshiro agreed. "For now, we will watch and prepare." Irritation flashed across their expressions. "We will not wait for too long, but it is best for someone more foolhardy to spring the trap first."

Then, they would see how Britannia would react. How the Emperor would respond.

Regardless, the boy would have to die before he ascended the throne. If Lelouch's shogi game or ability to learn languages was any testament to his intelligence, he would be a fearsome foe when given actual power to back his plans. Odysseus had at least been an idiot. Schneizel's strategies and personality were meanwhile well documented. The boy didn't have to be exceptional. An unknown was dangerous enough already.

It had just been a day, Shirley tried to reassure herself as she worked in the student council room. Lelouch couldn't have forgotten them. He was their friend... except he was Zero. He was a liar. Rivalz could very well be deluded. He had no reason to look back at them. He was a prince, and they were mere commoners.

She could scarcely believe Lelouch had weathered all of Milly's antics, the indignity. It was not to be done. Perhaps, it was why Milly had made herself scarce since the devastating announcement, only occasionally spying from a distance. In her and Lelouch's absence, the student council work had piled up, and she sighed as she took half the pile to the table.

The entire school was outside, enraptured by watching Lelouch. She could barely stand to watch him and his obviously fake smile. There was a tension rippling under his skin. Or maybe she was imagining it, trying to reconcile him with Zero. They were so different. Lelouch had never been so flashy. He avoided the spotlight at all costs.

Without anyone nearby to reprimand her, she nibbled on the end of her pencil as she went through the budget sheet. All the clubs had turned in emergency fund requests, including her own swim and gymnastic clubs. They wanted to impress Lelouch. She wasn't inclined to help them.

Milly really should be here; she would have a blast with this.

What would her father say about this development? Once, he had sworn his life to the crown. He had served his nation dutifully for a tour before retiring and happily taking a job as a geologist. Would he be upset to have died at a royal's command? Even if they were Zero?

The door squeaked, and Shirley raised her head, surprised to find Lelouch slumped against the door.

"Le—Your Highness?' she asked.

He shook his head, lifted a hand, as if to ward her off, and closed his eyes. He exhaled slowly. A mere hour ago, she had caught sight of him, immaculate as always. There was none of that here. His clothes were fine, yet he radiated a damning sense of exhaustion as he slid down the door and into a small squat.

What was she to do?

"How are you?" she asked softly, unable to help herself. His breathing was still so deliberate, as if a lapse in control would lead to destruction. His fists trembled at his side.

In the recent chaos, she had thought to ask why he hadn't told them, his friends. How he could be Zero. Who he truly was. Where the lies ended and the truth began.

They had known each other for years. Lelouch was a creature who fled the spotlight, bearing it only long enough to not draw attention. He always left public facing tasks to Milly. He was the iron fist to Milly's will, and the negotiator working in her shadows to fix her accidental slights.

Since the announcement, he had the weight of the world's attention upon him.

She glanced back at the window, thankful that the students had given up staking it out late yesterday evening when it became clear Lelouch wouldn't come. Quietly, she closed the blinds, letting the room fall into darkness, and Lelouch's breaths grew quieter.

From the back of the room, she grabbed the warm blankets that they used in the winter for late night activities. Her breath stalled in her throat as she looked at him. This was the future of the Emperor. He killed her father. She shouldn't even look at him, let alone approach him.

She dropped the blanket over his shoulders. "The captain of the swim team might be an even bigger perv than Milly. She wants to put on a maid cafe. I have to camp out here to make sure Milly never sees it. She would approve it in a second, you know."

Nothing. His breaths finally calmed.

"It's so much work right now. Everyone wants to do something special, like that would matter. You already know them, and all this stupid playacting is for nothing. I really didn't want to think so many people were shallow. You know I thought you were shallow once?"

"Really?" he whispered.

"What was I to think, Mr. Slacker? You constantly skived off from class, and all the girls were practically throwing themselves at you. You were quite rude playing them like that."

"I..." Eyes crossed in befuddlement, he stared at her. "I didn't do anything."

"Exactly."

"And if you're going to drop anonymous love letters, of course, I cannot reply."

The tip of her ears burned. She had done that once. Had he actually wanted to get together with one of his mysterious letter writers?

"I told the ones who asked 'no'. They were always rude to Nunnally."

That part hadn't been a lie. He really doted on his sister.

"How is she?" Shirley asked.

Lelouch glared at his lap. "I haven't asked. She was... displeased with how I acted with Cornelia, and I fear if I talk to her..." He groaned. "I would say something stupid. She doesn't understand, nor do I really want her to. She hasn't even finished middle school, and I'm going to rip her away from all of this. I can't protect her anymore."

"The guards turned me away when I tried to visit her," Shirley whispered.

"I'm sorry," Lelouch whispered. "I would promise— But they do not listen to me."

"I noticed." She looked away. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I—"

The door jostled, and Shirley shot to her feet, face burning in embarrassment. The softness in Lelouch's face vanished, and he rose with all the graceful bearings of a prince as the blanket remained discarded on the door.

Rivalz peeked through the cracked door and slipped inside, pale as a ghost. "What the hell—Lelouch!"

"Rivalz—" Lelouch grunted as his friend collided with him in a hug.

"Best bud! You haven't forgotten us! How couldn't you tell me! I'm your best friend. Didn't you trust me? I never said anything about the time with the mob—"

"Rivalz," Lelouch hissed.

Rivalz sprung backwards, paling even further as he saw her.

"What mob?" Shirley asked dangerously.

The two of them cringed, like it was months ago and she had just caught them returning from gambling.

"Your ability to keep secrets is subpar," Lelouch told his friend coldly.

"Man..." Rivalz rubbed the back of his head. "I didn't see her there. And I kept it for over a year."

"What mob!" Shirley asked, her voice growing shrill.

"Please," Lelouch hissed. "Someone will overhear."

"I knew you gambled, but I at least thought you had the common sense—" She flinched as Lelouch's glare sharpened, suddenly reminded that she was yelling at an imperial prince—not just any, the crown prince. If the Knight of One heard, it would be her head on the chopping block for disrespecting the royal family. "I apologize."

Lelouch's shoulders sagged, and he collapsed into a nearby chair. "Just— This is why I didn't say anything."

"Because you don't trust us," Rivalz said bitterly.

"No." Lelouch gestured vaguely at her. "Because it changes things, and it shouldn't have mattered."

"You're a prince," Shirley snapped. And Zero! How could it not matter. "You were just playing at being a normal student."

Leaning back, Lelouch closed his eyes. "No. I didn't consider myself a prince anymore."

"But the Emperor—"

"Lied," Lelouch growled. "The truth is I was no prince. I had been exiled, along with Nunnally, for mouthing off to the Emperor. But because he is the Emperor, he can happily rewrite history to suit his agenda. So I am no longer disinherited and am now his Judas goat for whatever scheme he has in mind."

The hatred lacing is words felt wrong, alien. They echoed in the room, carrying the same weight as Zero's speeches. Her eyes fell, unable to stare any longer at the stranger with a familiar face. "But he's your father."

"How many children do you think he has? Family means nothing to him."

Rivalz slowly drew a chair out for himself. "That was the big fight with your parents, then. What changed?"

Lelouch said nothing, simply hunching over the table in anger. But she knew. Zero had happened. There was no collaboration between father and son. As impossible as it was to fathom, Lelouch utterly despised the Emperor—his father. She could scarcely entertain such a thought. Loyalty to the Emperor was preached in every classroom, in every restaurant, at every school club. He was the Father of their nation, and according to some, could hear God himself.

Perhaps the problem was that looking at Lelouch she felt none of that. She knew at least part of him, and he was not some bigger than life figure. Here, he simply seemed tired, fueled purely on fury.

And when she tried to imagine it otherwise, imagine Lelouch as simply an estranged child, she remembered her own father. How he smiled. How they laughed together. How her heart shattered when she was asked to identify his body. How could anyone hate their own flesh and blood? Their own father?

"The Emperor intends for me to die," Lelouch said. "He has no need for an heir, nor would he ever relinquish power... So I need help. I never wanted to drag you into my mess, but people know we are friends, and you will be targeted, regardless. I'm sorry."

"But," she protested, "he named you his heir." She hadn't even thought she would be in danger because he was a prince. If anything, he would be in danger because of Zero.

"Because I have no allies and all of my mother's old enemies." Lelouch rolled his eyes. "My blood is sullied by commoner blood. It's enough for half the court to call for my death were I to ascend to the throne. I don't even have the power to help Suzaku. The Knight of One isn't here for my protection. He's my jailer, to ensure that the sitting duck doesn't wander off somewhere safer."

Rivalz tapped his finger along the table edge. "So it is like gambling. You've just won the big pot, but the room is filled with big pros who won't let you leave."

After a moment of hesitation, Lelouch nodded.

"Man, that's nerve wracking. No wonder you're so stressed." His chair tipped backwards as he rested his feet on the table. "Distraction doesn't work because there's nowhere to run to. What about the time you convinced them all you were working for someone else?"

"That... could work. I would have to make contact with my siblings though, and I barely managed to argue my way into coming here."

Rivalz's grin was slightly too eager. "I could reach out to your old gambling contacts. They have to be shitting their pants right now."

"I want to help," Shirley interrupted. Her lips pressed together as she tried to gather the courage. "I want to understand."

"Shirley..." He sighed. "You already have so much—"

"Because of my father?" she snapped. "Yes, exactly, Lelouch. My father died, and one of my friends has apparently been lying to me for years."

"It wasn't like—"

"You can change things! But you support the Black Knights. Zero killed my father!"

Lelouch grimaced. "I'm sorry."

Because he was Zero, but even now, he wouldn't tell her the damn truth. "I don't want your apologies. I want to know why he died. Why does everyone have to fight! Why can't Suzaku be here! Why do you spit on your family and your history and your fucking country!" Her eyes squeezed shut, and a broken sob escaped her. "Why must you always lie?"

She didn't wait for his answer, rushing out of the room and slamming the door behind her. The Knight of One startled, but she couldn't muster the courage to greet him properly as tears stained her cheek. Instead, she burst into a mad sprint back to her dorm room, ignoring Rivalz's shouts behind her.

Lelouch didn't call after her.

For two days, Richard had stewed in his righteous hatred for Lelouch Lamperouge, the so-called crown prince. Of course the prat would be given such an honor on a golden platter. He had done nothing to deserve it but existing. Last Richard checked, a gambling addiction didn't qualify you for any sector in government or any proper job.

There was just something about being attractive that gave you a pass on life, and unfortunately for him, Lelouch Lamperouge was the most eligible bachelor on campus and now all of Area Eleven.

Richard rolled his eyes as a gaggle of gossiping school girls passed by with unpleasant giggles. Naturally, their discussion topic was the resident prince. If they were any less shallow, then they would not be so enamored. Prince Lelouch was a creepy fucker with a sadistic streak that made Richard's heart thunder whenever he was near.

His heritage did explain one thing: the blatant murder of their classmate, Julie, a few years back.

The fucker should be in prison, not ruling the nation. But when your father was the Emperor, it didn't matter that your mother was a common whore.

"Stop glaring," Isaac hissed with an elbow below his ribs. "Sir Bismarck nearly took off Nathan's head this morning when he tried to approach the prince. You'll end up dead if you're not careful."

"I don't care," Richard growled. It wasn't like the prince was anywhere near, just some stupid guards to protect his royal ass. "Sometimes, justice needs to be taken into one's own hands."

"At least they removed the Eleven slut."

"Should've waited a few more days. Just imagine how elated he must've been to be the Emperor's personal toy. His heart would've been shattered to be kicked out afterwards."

"Come on," Isaac whispered, pulling him along by his elbow. "I'm not going to be caught talking in the school hall like an idiot."

"I resent that," Richard grumbled but followed him outside into the gardens. The hedges cast long ominous shadows in the setting sun. Ahead, ten more students milled, all displeased with the latest announcement.

They were all loyal citizens of the Empire, but sometimes light needed to be shined upon unpleasant truths. The Emperor would see the error of this attempt. It would serve Lamperouge only right to have his hopes and dreams shattered.

"You are late," said the pompous noble brat who organized this get-together. With the benefit of hindsight, the resemblance between his and Lelouch's mannerisms was unmistakable.

"Sorry." Richard shoved his hands in his pockets. "We took the scenic route to shake off stragglers. It seems not all of you had such foresight."

"Can you be any less of a prick?" Lizzy snapped at him. "Some of us have things to do."

"You're only here because he dumped your ass." Richard sneered. Before that incident, she had dumped him so she could pursue the so-called ice prince. It rankled being second place to Lamperouge in all affairs when the boy didn't even bother to try.

The little noble twat turned up his nose and glared at them. "I believe we have a common cause to align us all. A delinquent is now the heir to the throne and we have a duty to the Empire to ensure only the purest noble blood sits there."

One of the other girls crossed her arms. "I don't care about that. The problem is he's going to be saddled with some noble bitch. We've been trying for years. It's not fair for some noble lady to swoop in and steal him."

Richard inwardly smirked at the noble idiot's obvious irritation. Even a noble like him could not compare to Lamperouge, and that was before the announcement.

"You do not understand—" the noble prat tried again.

Lizzy huffed. "We're done here then. Come along, girls. Now, remember it isn't a competition. The Emperor has over a hundred wives."

The remaining boys turned desperately to each other. Whatever happened, Lamperouge could not be allowed to ascend to the throne. Dating in Ashford was already so lackluster. It seemed only the girls on the student council were immune to his charms. Or at least they had to be if Milly kept offering them up as prizes.

"This sucks," one of them muttered. "Like seriously, what's so great about the guy, anyway? Have you seen him in gym. He would give a noodle a run for its money."

"Nobody can compete with royalty."

"Exactly!" the little noble twat exclaimed. "Do you truly think such a slacker could be a royal? This is a plot of some sort and we must uncover the deception. I bet he isn't even the real Prince Lelouch."

"He is a murderer," Richard interrupted, his chest tight. "Principal Ashford rewarded him by making him the Vice President. We all know he killed Julie."

"They're not going to announce her as a real princess as well?" one of the boys asked with disgust.

Richard clenched his fits. He still remembered how desperate Julie had been in the days approaching her death. No one in her family had been spared from the onslaught of misfortune, but she paid for it with her life. "He has no honor or virtue."

"There's a rumor that he supports the Black Knights," someone whispered.

A few looked away guiltily. Until Narita, it had been somewhat fashionable to do so with it being so tantalizingly forbidden. When Zero pranced around with his glorious speeches, sounding like a noble knight from a fairy tale, it had felt like a game. Narita was no game but a slaughter.

"What will we do?" Isaac asked, his brow furrowed. "He's guarded every day, and I'm not risking my neck by pissing off the Knight of One."

"We're not dying for him," Richard said firmly. "But we turn his justice against him. We'll just show the world the real him."

Isaac grinned. "So the journalism club, at long last, gets a real case."

The noble ponce scowled. "Smear his name? That isn't enough. His mother was a dirty commoner!"

"We're commoners," Isaac pointed out dryly. "I just don't like the idea of a murderer running around without any consequences. Lamperouge has always been a shady little fucker. I bet we'll find plenty of dirt."

"My girlfriend," someone mumbled.

The idiotic noble heir turned an interesting shade of puce as they dispersed, and Richard smirked. He would be a good loyal Britannian and expose the corruption about to take root. It always felt good to stick it to the twats via some righteous cause.

Lamperouge would pay.

"I'm a Black Knight," Ohgi admitted to Chigusa. He lowered his head in shame and tried to avoid the condemnation in her gaze. "I apologize for the deception. If you want to leave..."

Well, Zero would probably have words for him letting a Britannian go, especially one who might know of his identity. It had been foolish to consider betraying the man like that for his own curiosity, but Diethard's allegations rang in his ears. Did he really want to follow a man who so readily killed his allies? The detonation of the JLF ship had been so opportune.

Except now the Emperor had announced his heir who was sitting so close nearby. It was surprising that Zero hadn't called them yet to enact a new crazy scheme. A part of Ohgi was glad. Kallen attended that school, and while she would say otherwise, targeting it deliberately would be too much for her. She deserved a childhood.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Explain it to me," Chigusa asked quietly.

He waved his hand aimlessly at the window. "We were once a proud nation. Now, we live like this. Maybe we could be content and rebuild if Britannian didn't regularly invade the ghettos for sport or slaughtered us for minor crimes. Walking out in the streets can get you a beating without a Britannian to protect you. If there's a pickpocket, they administer fifty lashes, even for the kids. Some die on the post, the rest die from the infection afterwards."

Chigusa quickly turned away. "Isn't it..."

"Necessary?" Ohgi sighed. "Before the invasion, this was one of the safest neighborhoods. I walked the streets as a child to fetch my parent's groceries. Nowadays, crime has soared through the roof despite the draconian punishments. It's worse because of them, honestly. If you're going to die because you stole from a Britannian, why not kill them instead?"

"I see," Chigusa said, not sounding entirely convinced.

"Zero rallies us behind the cry for justice, and he has helped by cleaning up the streets. I no longer need a gun to be safe walking down the street."

"Are Elevens even allowed guns?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No, but you're screwed without one."

"The boy..." She faced him, her lips pressed into a thin line. "The new Emperor, do you think he will fix things?"

A part of him wanted to hope. Maybe Zero's silence was due to him fashioning some alliance. More likely, this was one of his strange but regular absences. Whoever Zero really was, he appeared to lead a busy double life. "No."

"You probably don't trust me," she mumbled.

He reached out in protest. "Chigusa..."

"Don't lie. I'm a Britannian, but you've been so kind to me, and you should hate me!" Tears welled in her eyes, and she lunged forward, desperately grabbing his jacket as she sobbed into his shoulder. "I don't understand. Why can't there be peace?"

"I don't know," he whispered as he rubbed her back. But if a Britannian could fall into his arms willingly, then surely there had to be hope. "I'll find a way... for us."

She nodded shakily and blotted at her tears with her sleeve. "Can I help? See your side for myself? I'm sure there is food that has to be prepared or uniforms to clean."

It was beyond his wildest imaginings. Sure, Diethard was a Britannian, but the man had a few screws loose.

"Of course. I need to head over actually." He winced. "I'm sorry. But I'll need to blindfold you. Is that okay?"

"It's not a problem," she assured. "Give me a minute to freshen up."

As she disappeared into the bathroom, Ohgi took a fortifying breath. It had been so long since he had a woman in his life. Who would've thought he would fish a girlfriend out of the bay... a Britannian girlfriend. Of course they were nowhere near that, but she was so kind.

While it was seeming more and more unlikely that she would recover her memories, this had to be the real her: kind and caring Chigusa.

She clung to his arm as he guided her down to the abandoned subway tunnels. Filled with sudden awkwardness, he fumbled for a topic and babbled about how they first met Zero to fill the oppressive silence.

"We're here," he finally declared, removing the blindfold, and pushed open the door.

"Hey Ohgi," Tamaki shouted before freezing. "Is that a Brit?"

He flinched. He had hoped to explain the situation to someone a little more calm.

Chigusa smiled sweetly and when she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry for intruding. Ohgi has been taking such good care of me after my injury, and I wanted to know why he was so passionate. Forgive my impudence!"

"You sure about this?" Tamaki asked warily.

"Zero said we should welcome all who see the tyranny of Britannia," Ohgi reminded him. "I will keep an eye on her. It's fine."

Tamaki crossed his arms, his suspicion not fading. "Bring it up with Zero. He's in the back."

"He has a mission already?" Ohgi asked. It was unusual for him to drop by unannounced or spend the time near others instead of holed up in his office.

"The new emperor?" Tamaki rolled his eyes. "You get a girl, and you can't even think straight. If my best buddy says it's fine, then she can say. I'm going to kick some Britannian ass!"

"Sure," Ohgi agreed, barely keeping the doubt from his tone.

"Ohgi!" The deep voice of their leader echoed through the room as Zero walked forward. There was something different to him, perhaps an uncharacteristic bounce to his step. "And who is this?"

How was he supposed to explain... But he was Zero's second in command and that surely meant—

"Well, do you trust her?"

"Not yet, but I believe she means well. She lost her memories due to an unfortunate accident, but she is going by Chigusa."

The mask glinted as it inclined to Chigusa. "We will see what she can do. If she is useful, I will agree to her presence here. Keep an eye on her. She seems like one with a perceptive mind."

Chapter Text

Only the terror in her father's eyes kept Kallen obedient. She wanted to rage and scream at him for his betrayal. Instead, she quietly accepted the knightmare lessons, focusing on honing her skills so she would finally be able to defeat that ineffable white knightmare.

The training did help, even as it angered her to know that she had fought the white pilot at such a disadvantage.

A particular strong kick sent the heavy bag swinging, and she wiped her sweaty brow with the back of her hand. As long as she focused on improving her own strength, the advantage Britannia would gain was minimal.

It was practically training sponsored by the enemy! She would be a fool to reject it.

The words felt hollow.

"Hello," interrupted a young voice.

Kallen paused, glancing around the gym before her gaze finally sank to a young girl with pink hair and mature red eyes. "Hello?"

"Your form is inefficient," she critiqued. "You need to twist your back foot to get a full pivot. All your energy is being driven into your knees. You will injure yourself eventually. And when you punch, stop having your heel leave the ground, focus on driving the rotation of your hips instead."

"I'm sorry… Who are you?"

The girl blinked. "You are Kallen Stadtfeld."

"Yes? And you?"

"The Knight of Six." She tilted her head. "We should spar."

"Aren't you like eight?" Kallen asked, bemused. "I can't spar with you."

"Fourteen, actually. I think Charlie wouldn't like it though if I marred your pretty face. It is always tedious when he is put out."

"Charlie?" Kallen mouthed.

"Unfortunately putting an unrepentant traitor into a knightmare is out of the question. It's a shame, I do hate the simulators. They are so limited."

"Are you some sort of knightmare prodigy?" Kallen asked, grasping on the one thread that made a modicum of sense.

"A crippled prodigy and therefore a pitifully average one. That's the problem with distinctive styles. They throw you in a machine that is your complete opposite so it isn't painfully obvious. It's not fair at all."

Kallen stared as the girl abruptly wandered off. She didn't talk like an eight year old. But she definitely didn't speak like any fourteen year old Kallen had met either? Was she a very short woman with a warped humor instead? Or maybe this was a fourteen year old's idea of a prank.

The girl, hands on her hips, turned around. "Are you coming or not?"

Grabbing her thin jacket, Kallen raced after her and away from the area of the palace she knew. There was absolutely no way she was a Knight of a Round, which meant she was either a servant or, judging from the way she carried herself, royalty.

"So how is Lulu?" the girl asked cheerfully, breaking into a half skip.

The only person she had ever heard using that nickname was Shirley. "You mean Lelouch?"

"Yup. Isn't he cute? Bismarck told me he looked so surprised when he heard the announcement. I wish I could've seen it."

"He's fine?" Kallen floundered for a better reply.

The girl laughed. "You're blushing."

"We're not dating!" Kallen snapped.

"I didn't say you were." Her eyes crinkled, and she skipped ahead. "How are you adjusting to the palace? It has to be a considerable shock."

"I would rather be home," Kallen said bluntly.

"If only we could all get what we want," she said, a strange note of melancholy to her voice. "Is there anything you need, my dear?"

How old was the girl—woman?

"You just need to ask."

Stopping, Kallen crossed her arms. "Can you get me out of this shithole? No? Then there's nothing you can do for me."

"Temper, temper," she tutted, although her eyes betrayed her amusement. "A shithole is a new way to describe the palace. I was always fond of 'a den of vipers'. When you're nothing, it most certainly is a shithole. But when you sit at the top? Well, you have the privilege of creating shit."

"Is that supposed to be inspirational or something?"

"I have been told in the past I have a way with words." She sniffed. "But let's go. Dawdling in hallways creates too much palace gossip. That is the real beast here."

"And where are we going?" Kallen asked.

The strange woman hummed, not answering her question, simply setting a new brisk pace.

"Is it—" Kallen groaned. "You said I could ask, right?"

"So there is something you want? Well, one that is perhaps possible."

"I—I need to talk to Lelouch," Kallen admitted. She needed to ask him if it had all been a lie. She needed to know why he fought against Britannia. She needed to know what he would do now.

The woman stopped before a rather plain door, her expression contemplative. Finally, she nodded. "I will put in a word for you if you behave."

"Beha—?"

Kallen's stomach fell to the floor as the door opened, revealing the Emperor sitting behind a desk. Her feet stumbled backwards, but a strong grasp captured her hands, pulling her into the lion's den.

"Your Majesty," the woman greeted, crossing her arm before her chest in an aborted knight's bow.

"Anya," he acknowledged. "You brought her."

The Emperor's gaze swung to her, and Kallen's knees locked under the weight of his gaze. His health was clearly failing, but he had not lost his power yet. With great effort, she forced herself to meet his eyes and stare defiantly.

She was biding her time, not broken.

Anya sighed. "Respect, child." Her leg lashed out, sweeping her feet from beneath her.

Stifling a pained cry, Kallen barely caught herself before she kissed the ground. Her forearm throbbed from the impact, and she twisted her head to shoot the woman a bitter glare.

"Mar—Gentle." The Emperor sighed. "Her father is going to complain if she returns to their rooms covered in bruises."

"A little fall never hurt anyone." Anya's hand dug into her shoulder. "Now, kneel girl. He is still your Emperor."

"He is not—" Pain erupted as Anya dragged her shoulders back and drove a knee against her spine. The Emperor watched impassively. "I'll kneel," Kallen rasped. "I'll kneel."

The pressure abated, and Kallen glared venomously as she adopted the proper form.

"See, she can behave," Anya said cheerfully. "Her father is far too lenient."

The Emperor massaged his forehead. "You are worse than Bradley sometimes, you know that? I asked you to invite her, not ambush her."

Anya pouted. "She wouldn't have come."

"Next time I will give the task to Gino."

"But I haven't grilled her about Lulu yet!"

"Then maybe you should try the soft approach instead of terrifying her."

What in the world was happening? People did not argue with the Emperor, much less strange women in overly familiar tones.

"You can just fix her anyway," Anya said. "There is no real reason to go through this entire farce. She is a good pilot. Just put her to work and be done with it."

Kallen flinched. Something about how simple it was in Anya's mind set alarm bells ringing. Her father's fearful eyes surged to the front of her mind. The Emperor had ways of forcing her compliance.

"Do you wish to unnecessarily antagonize Lelouch?" the Emperor countered. "Besides, it would be a poor way to repay Stephen's loyalty. He should be allowed some leeway."

"Why am I here?" Kallen interrupted before their bizarre argument could escalate further. She cringed under their reproachful looks and hastily added, "Your Majesty."

Raising a hand, he silenced Anya as he studied her for a minute. "Your training will continue under Anya's tutelage. A more appropriate etiquette instructor will be found for next week."

"I can teach etiquette," Anya protested.

"You have no etiquette." The Emperor glared at her before continuing. "Your father may use the remaining evening to educate you as he wishes."

"And if I refuse?" Kallen asked.

His smile terrified her. "When you prove yourself a good daughter, your father will finally attain the rank of an earl."

"Play nice for a week, and you may have a chat with Lulu," Anya chimed in.

"He was rather concerned about your absence."

A week. She would play along. If Lelouch truly was Zero, then perhaps he could fashion a miracle to save her from this hell.

If not, she would find out exactly how the Emperor intended to deal with her unrepentant treason.

"A letter, Ms. Kaguya," the servant announced.

Setting down her tea, Kaguya accepted the letter on the platter and stared at the crisp handwriting with no hint regarding who had sent it. "How did it come in?"

The servant fidgeted. "One of the maids passed it to me."

She wanted to ask whether the servant was Japanese or not, but such questions could be dangerous, if wrongly interpreted. Only in the rare visits to the Sakuradite mines could she escape the overbearing presence of her Britannian minders. They were looking for any excuse to condemn her for treason.

"Is it safe?" she finally settled on, making sure the lilt of her voice implied childlike concern. They could never suspect that she was something more than a stupid child who didn't need to be watched too closely.

"Of course it is," the servant dismissed. "Why would anyone attack you, dear?"

Kaguya rolled her eyes. Why would anyone attack the so-called Princess of Japan?

Setting aside her unease, she covered her hand in a handkerchief and broke the emerald seal. Inside, was a letter: typed. The envelope suggested the sender came from affluence. The printed pages suggested a low-ranked commoner.

Curiosity piqued, she carefully unfolded the letter and flipped to the bottom of the last page. There, typed in the same plain font, was a simple name: Nunnally.

She leaned back, a smile tugging at her lips. There was only one Nunnally who would think to write to her.

Kaguya remembered her from the childhood haze of memories. She had always been unassuming, hiding in her brother's shadows. It was a shame that her father's nationalist sentiment prevented her from befriending either of them. That would have served her well now.

Still, there had been no mention of Crown Prince Lelouch's younger sister during the announcement.

"Some green tea," Kaguya ordered the servant as she reordered the papers.

"Yes, ma'am. Who is it from?"

"A student. I imagine they're interested in securing one of those coveted internships." Kaguya laughed mockingly. "They couldn't even be bothered to write it out properly."

"Most unseemly," the servant agreed. "I will bring your tea, ma'am."

Sighing, Kaguya settled back in her armchair for a rather lengthy read. The beginning was a standard greeting, oddly respectful. A royal had no need to take such a tone with an Honorary Britannian.

"Your tea," the servant announced.

Kaguya waved her absently away and grabbed the cup. Then, things became interesting. Nunnally wrote of the invasion, contradicting the ludicrous story the Emperor had televised. Her stomach churned uneasily. If she was caught with such a treasonous letter in her possession…

The Emperor hadn't recognized her when he announced Lelouch as his successor. Nunnally remained legally dead, without any power to her name.

And there was the reason for the letter. A plea for help.

She feared her brother would be a puppet king.

"What does she expect me to do?" Kaguya asked quietly. To the world, she was just a naive little child filled with romantic fantasies. Her guardians handled the finances of Sumeragi Industries. No one should think she was capable of anything.

Then she had to suspect her as a member of the Kyoto House. No plea would convince them to assist the next Britannian Emperor. Already plans were being laid to take advantage of the future Emperor's lax security. Their European and Chinese liaisons had loosened their purses, weapons flowing more freely than ever. Vengeance guided their hands; they all wanted the Heir Apparent's head, a symbol of Britannian infirmity.

Even Zero, the self-proclaimed symbol of justice, was mobilizing. It would be a race to see who could behead the Crown Prince first.

Had Kaguya been asked, she would've advised prudence. A sudden declaration of an heir suggested the Emperor was frail. Their focus would be better focused there than on a boy still confined to school. A young boy who could maybe be persuaded to sympathize with their plight.

She sighed. It did not matter. She had not been asked. Tohdoh was the only one who seemed content to watch for a little bit longer. Already, he was being called a coward for it.

Why had Nunnally written to her? Surely, she was not that naive.

My brother was unable to protect Suzaku from Bismarck's men. They are close friends, and the incident upset him greatly. He only calmed when he had the opportunity to request that Euphemia intercede on his behalf. I imagine he may regret that decision soon as he remains blissfully unaware of their mutual affection.

Suzaku…

Kaguya groaned, massaging her forehead. He always brought trouble. First running off to become an Honorary Britannian soldier. Now, wooing a princess? What an idiot.

Viceroy Cornelia would personally behead him if she caught him looking at her sister with ill intention. If her cousin was a smarter man, she would praise him for this plot. The sister of the Goddess of Victory tied to their side.

Unfortunately, her cousin was an idiot. The fools were in love.

Kaguya frowned, restarting the paragraph. And Crown Prince Lelouch was only so in name, a puppet to the Emperor's Fist.

So Nunally was not asking out of naivety but pure desperation.

The sakura blossom in our backyard has wilted in its walled garden, much to my and my brother's great distress. I understand you have some knowledge of such matters, and we would welcome such assistance with open arms. Do not ponder the problem too long for I fear its time is short.

"Huh." Kaguya pulled out her lighter and set the bottom edges aflame.

The servant would be suspicious, but she would only be able to report groundless theories. The content would condemn far too many.

Finishing her tea, she stared out the window and across the city of Tokyo. If she were to take Nunnally's request and unsheathe her claws, then she would need concessions of some sort.

They knew nothing of each other, only vague childhood impressions. She needed assurances. But if she pursued this gamble, Japan could have a relatively bloodless liberation. Zero's promise was far more substantive and compelling: the destruction of the Britannian Empire.

Her fingers steadily drummed on the windowsill as the maid returned and exclaimed in dismay over the ashes.

Smoothing out the wrinkles in her skirt, Milly avoided her parents' eyes as they waited for the family meeting to begin. She was surprised that it had taken nearly a week for it to happen, but then her grandfather had been busy, fielding Viceroy Cornelia and the Knight of One.

She wished she could've done more for Lelouch these past few days. Unfortunately, she didn't have the protection of a Knight of the Round. Even attending her classes had proven impossible this week, as she was accosted in every hallway by those seeking Lelouch's favor.

Not to mention the endless rumors swirling around her.

Finally, her grandfather entered, his cheeks sunken and back bowed with fatigue. He attempted a weak smile at her before collapsing in the free armchair.

"Father," her father began before trailing off awkwardly.

Her mother, having no compunctions, leaned forward. "Has our gamble paid off, Father? The boy is in our debt."

Her grandfather's lips thinned and gestured at the teapot in the center of the coffee table. When her mother made no move to accommodate him, Milly stood and poured him a cup. Clearly, things were not as simple as she had hoped.

Sheltering Lelouch had been an act of treason, and with his mother dead, he lacked a power base to draw on and protect himself. If the Emperor decided to punish her family, there was nothing Lelouch would be able to do to protect them.

Her grandfather's hand trembled slightly as he accepted the cup. He inhaled deeply, still not answering the question.

"That was the plan," her mother said crossly. "We would shelter the boy and tend to his sister so he would be in our debt. You argued at the time that he could claim the throne."

"No," her grandfather said, shaking his head warily. "I said there was a slim possibility. After the Emperor's death, announcing his survival would've endeared us to people like Viceroy Cornelia. Now, he is everyone's enemy. I only… wanted to protect her children."

Her mother glanced at her. "Well, this is a fortuitous turn of events. We should tie him to our cause."

"Absolutely not," her grandfather snapped. "We committed treason and for that I was drugged in my office so the Knight of One could have a personal chat with me. Either this is some elaborate scheme to oust the Emperor's enemies, or the realization of his own mortality has the Emperor scrounging up the dredges of his affection for Marianne. If it is the former, we are dead. As for the latter… Do you think he would take it well if we moved to force Lelouch's hand?"

"There is no need to be so unsubtle." Her mother rolled her eyes. "Milly and him have been close for ages. If she confesses her love—"

"He would be baffled," Milly interrupted. "There is nothing between us. Or between him and anyone else for that matter. He has never been interested in anyone."

"Not even him and that redhead?"

"Shirley?" Her brow furrowed. "Maybe? She's been pining after him for ages but— I don't think Lelouch would be cruel enough to drag her into court life if he did love her. He knows how difficult it was for his mother, and Shirley is…"

Her mother shook her head. "No, the one who was eating ice-cream. Minor nobility…" She snapped her fingers. "Ah, that's right. The Stadtfelds. They're quite wealthy. They made a fortune acquiring land rights during the establishment of Area Eleven. Although most of that was through some subsidiary…"

"I get it. You're a gossip hound," Milly groaned. "You mean Kallen. She's nice enough, supposedly sickly. I think Lelouch just enjoys riling her up. She's quite entertaining."

"A perfect beginning—"

"Mom!"

Her mother sniffed. "Fine. We have to depend on the brat's goodwill."

Cringing, her father stared at his wife. "He is the Crown Prince."

"Yes, he is. So the question is what do we do about it. Even if this is because the Emperor actually cares for him, he said nothing about his sister, and that girl's medical expenses have been draining our coffers dry."

"Actually," her grandfather interrupted, "Lel—Crown Prince Lelouch has been paying for them since he was fourteen."

"Yes, your discounted price because you bought out the doctor first."

Her grandfather flushed. "It is not that expensive. He would pay us back in full if I let him. He argues with me every year over the damn tuition payment. I was not going to take advantage of him, and our finances are comfortable enough."

"We are destitute," her mother announced. "I have to wear last season's cast-offs."

"Wait," Milly interrupted before they could once again descend into familiar bickering and return to her mother's attempts to marry her off. "Why do we have to do anything? Lelouch is going to be the Emperor, right? Even if the Emperor is scheming—"

"There have already been five foiled assassination attempts," her grandfather revealed. "The longer he stays at this school, the more his life will be in danger. All of our lives are. Viceroy Cornelia has suggested this is a way to draw out Marianne's killer. The Emperor has always had a skewed sense of safety, so I cannot even begin to guess whether His Majesty intends for Lelouch to die or truly thinks this will secure his safety for the future."

Milly's mouth dried as she tried to formulate a response. Yes, the announcement had come as a shock. Yes, she had known not everything was alright when the Knight of One's forces had dragged Suzaku off against Lelouch's wishes. But the future had to be different, right?

The Emperor held everyone's loyalty. By making his heir clear, the people had no choice but to follow Lelouch... right?

"Emperors die," Milly whispered.

"Milly?" her mother hissed.

"I mean—" Milly swallowed. "Grandpa? You don't think Lelouch will reign long as the Emperor."

"I don't know if he will live long enough to be the Emperor. His Majesty has many children and none are happy to lose their fighting chance for the throne, especially to someone who hasn't proven themselves…" He paled. "Shit."

"Father!" her father protested. "Your granddaughter is here!"

"I washed your mouth too often with soap for you to reprimand me," her grandfather snapped.

Milly was scared to ask, but she had to for her friend's sake. "What is it?"

"The Emperor is challenging him to build a name for himself, to overcome everything his siblings will throw at him. If he survives—"

"If?" Biting her lip, Milly shook her head. Tears burned in her eyes. "We have to help him."

"The last time we played with royalty, we lost everything," her father protested.

"Not everything! We have the academy. But do you think some angry royal prat will care about collateral? They'll actually take everything from us this time if we don't do anything."

"We could sell him to one of his siblings," her mother suggested. "Viceroy Cornelia might even let him live as a puppet on the throne. She does not strike me as a person who desires dealing with the minutiae of ruling."

"And then they'll stab us in the back," Milly cried. "We are threats to them. Lelouch is the only one who has a reason to care about our wellbeing."

"She is right," her grandfather declared, silencing the room. "I failed to protect Marianne, and so I accepted our humiliation as my punishment. We have another chance this time."

"Why should he be the Emperor?" her mother pressed. "Prince Schenizel is far more qualified."

Her grandfather grimaced. "He has experienced the ills of our society. Our country has to change, and he would facilitate that."

"What in the world is wrong with it?" her mother asked. "Do not answer that. I knew when I married into this family that it had strange notions, supporting a commoner girl for Empress being one of those, but—"

Her grandfather's voice cut in like a blade of ice. "Do not speak ill of her. I am the head of this family, and you accepted my superiority when you swore your oaths to my son and his family. I have not interfered in how you raised your daughter, but my leniency does not extend beyond that."

Milly flinched as his gaze swung her way. She had never seen this side of him. He always had this genial air about him— No, that was not true. In her distant childhood memories, whenever she visited him in his labs, there wouldn't be an ounce of compassion from him to his employees.

"If you wish your friend to survive, you must take things more seriously, understood?"

For once, she couldn't muster a smile. "Yes, m'l—Grandfather."

"George," he continued. "Your mistress will be put aside."

"Mistress?" her mother shrieked. "What mistress?"

"Quiet, she does not exist anymore. There will be nothing more. As for you, Elisa. Your budget will be increased. In turn, you will focus your socialization on gathering intel and securing allies. If you can secure invitations to more glamorous events, we may be able to convince Sir Waldstein to allow his charge to attend."

Ice pooled in her stomach as she bowed her head in acquiescence. Her grandfather was once again a lord, in all but name.

Lelouch stared out the clubhouse window down at the endless sea of students camped outside. The weekend had only encouraged their numbers to grow. A few students last night had broken into the lower floor of the clubhouse and had to be physically thrown out.

He had been mistaken in thinking that his fanclub was overbearing before.

"Your Highness," Rivalz greeted formally as he stepped inside. "Sir Waldstein."

Lelouch glared at the old knight, imperiously raising an eyebrow. "May I have a moment with him?"

Bismarck crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "Take all the time you need."

"Alone," Lelouch ground out.

The man took one step back and then steadfastly stood at attention.

"How is Shirley?" Lelouch asked, giving up on persuading the man to leave. "Would you tell her I am sorry for whatever I said to upset her so much."

"Yeah, she really did just snap out of nowhere," Rivalz said. "I guess it makes sense, what with her losing her father. And then the announcement. No wonder she's all out of it this week."

"I only wish I knew how to help." It was his fault that her father died. He should have been better.

"Hey, bud—" Rivalz flinched as Bismarck cleared his throat. "Your Highness. Just hang in there. She'll come around. You'll see."

Lelouch cracked a small, insincere smile. "What about you? Are you sure—"

"You're my best bud! Or Highness," Rivalz hurriedly added at the vaguely disapproving noise from Bismarck. "Ugh. It just doesn't roll off the tongue. Doesn't matter. Of course, I'm going to help. So remember tall and scary guy?"

"That does not narrow it down," Lelouch answered dryly. His smile felt more honest. His friend had chosen to stay, wanted to stay. Of course he was undoubtedly doing it for his own purposes, much like C.C.

But—

Rivalz was a very poor liar.

"He had that super hot chick with him with beefy arms. Yeah, you know who I'm talking about. Well, apparently he hit a bit of a rough spot in his finances…"

And so had Lelouch. He had a small nest egg that he had been building, but most of the money he earned gambling had always gone to caring for Nunnally. As Zero, he had liberally stolen what was needed, but that wasn't an option here, especially with him cooped up at school.

"…but he is right panicking. Never forgets a face you know, so he recognized you on TV right away and is in a big pickle. So I offered him an alternative payment plan—"

"What?" Lelouch asked.

Bismarck took a step closer. "A mobster?"

Rivalz cringed, staring desperately at Lelouch.

"Answer me, boy," Bismarck snapped.

"The mob?" Rivalz laughed nervously. "What would give you that idea?"

"Because privacy is an illusion," Lelouch said bitterly.

"Why would you associate yourself with such riff-raff?" Bismarck demanded. "Meeting them, especially, is beneath your dignity."

His nails bit into his palm as he glared up at the knight. "I was exiled, Sir Waldstein. Tell me, what dignity was I supposed to have? I was declared dead by the Emperor. My corpse was shipped to Japan."

Bismarck scowled. "Self-respect—"

"Is a farce. It is a privilege to those who are afforded choices. I carried my sister through the devastated countryside and flattened towns. I went to bed every night hungry. We stole food like little street-rats because that is what it took to survive."

"That was then," Bismarck interrupted. "You found shelter with the Ashfords. Mobsters would only endanger that."

Lelouch laughed coldly. "Do you know how hard it is to find employment without proper documents? No documents and you are a Number. Documents, though, are followed by background checks and then Clovis would announce my survival to the world. Illegal and semi-legal activities are the only options left to make a living."

"You had the Ashfords," Bismarck insisted.

"Do you have any idea how expensive my sister's treatments are? Ashford had already subsidized her care, but I was not going to burden them further with my own problems. We already put them in so much risk."

"Mobsters… You could have been seriously injured. There are things they do to young—Were you?"

Lelouch flinched, failing to smother the instinctive response completely. He knew how close he had come on occasion. Mobsters did not like to lose to uppity school children. Too many had tried to reclaim their money. More had tried to force him into their employment.

"Excuse me," Bismarck growled, marching outside of the room.

The door swung shut.

"What was that?" Rivalz asked.

Lelouch sagged, the weight of everything bearing down on him.

Rivalz studied him intently for a minute. "Lelouch… What you said—"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does. I knew you didn't like talking about your past, and then I thought it was because of the prince thing. But I never imagined anything like that."

"Rivalz. Drop it." An old familiar anger was rising in his chest, screaming at him to burn everything down. Even Zero could not master such rage. Down that road lay madness, even if it would be easier to destroy everything and wipe the slate clean.

"But—"

"I said drop it!" Lelouch yelled. He took a deep breath. And another. Trapped in his father's web, he could not afford to blindly thrash and become entangled even further until it choked the life out of him.

He had to remain in control of himself at least. He needed…

"Keep making contacts with our old business partners," Lelouch ordered. "If they pass to you information of potential terror attacks, reward them generously."

The school was such a lucrative target. He couldn't allow the thousands of semi-innocent school children to die because they had the misfortune to have attended classes with him.

"Lelouch… This is why Shirley demanded the truth. We don't know you."

"I loathe Britannia," Lelouch whispered. "I want to see it burn. Sometimes, I don't care who would be in the way because everyone feels so terribly guilty."

Chapter Text

Bismarck remembered the first time he held the young Prince Lelouch. The boy had been scarcely three weeks old, swaddled in a deep violet blanket and tightly clutched to Marianne's chest.

She had laughed at his awkward stance and pushed the infant into his arms and cooed over how adorable he had been. Then, she stretched her arms and began the exercises the doctor had prescribed to her.

He had held the young boy for hours without complaint because he never found the strength to refuse.

The boy had grown up adored. Charles's favor had been painfully obvious. Each time the boy waddled into a room, Charles's expression would soften. He would let his paperwork build up in his office, spending all his time at the Aries Villa.

In hindsight, it was obvious that V.V. would chafe at suddenly being ignored, at being replaced by an infant.

When Marianne became pregnant again, V.V. had stormed into Charles's room, begging him to focus and to not let his attention wander.

Young Nunnally had only made things worse. Her smile stole everyone's heart. With Lelouch, Charles always had to contend with a potential threat: a boy who would grow thirsting for his throne and betray all the love granted to him. Nunnally was too young and a girl. In her, Charles saw Marianne and an innocent future. He had installed a knightmare simulator in the Aries Villa, not for Marianne, but for Nunnally so she could learn as soon as possible.

Bismarck leaned on the wall of the clubhouse window, feeling the cool breeze.

Everything had gone so wrong.

V.V.'s betrayal cut deeper than anyone could have imagined. With it, Charles's heart shuttered. He had no more genuine smiles to share.

And Marianne?

She was a ghost, literal and metaphorical. She slept time away, nestled in a prepubescent girl's body. When she awakened, she fixated on a task at the cost of everything else. Her grief ruled her life.

The woman he loved, who had been a source of life in every room she entered, was no more.

When Charles died, she would follow him; Bismarck had no doubt about that. He would be the only one left, the only one who would remember.

Their son couldn't even appreciate the gift they were giving him.

He had done nothing to deserve it, yet he spat on their kindness. Instead of trying to prove himself of this honor, he was moping, hanging on to those who were beneath him and conspiring against the Empire his parents had given everything for.

As Zero, he had thrown a tantrum, demanding attention, but even after being announced heir he couldn't scrounge up an ounce of gratitude.

Lelouch vi Britannia was unworthy, an insult to his parents' legacy.

Bismarck scowled as sickeningly happy students passed by with excited chitters. Their gaze wandered up the clubhouse, to Lelouch's quarters. They lived in wonder and excitement.

He despised their softness and innocence.

If he was acting as a proper knight, like Charles had requested, he would climb up the stairs and return to watch the brat his emperor had named as the heir.

Instead, he pushed himself off the wall and made his way to the offices. The rambunctious crowd of students parted easily as he swept forward, their little hands trembling in fear.

"Ashford," he barked at the female secretary. She squeaked. "I need to speak to the headmaster, now."

"Of—Of course, my lord!" Her cheeks flushed, and she pulled out the phone and through despicable stammering relayed his request. "He'll—He'll be in his office in a few minutes, my lord. Is there—Is there anything—"

He strode past her, not bothering with her useless rambling. The office was unremarkable as it had been the last time. Nothing in here suited the former Earl of Ashford.

He grabbed the leather chair and closed his eyes blissfully. He had been mistaken. The man had saved the office chair from his old estates. Leaning back, he kicked up his legs and closed his eyes.

"Bismarck," Reuben greeted from the doorway. His eyes focused on his boots resting on top of an old book. "I heard it was urgent."

"You took in Prince Lelouch and Nunnally." Bismarck crossed his arms.

"You said the Emperor commended me in our first… meeting."

"I thought then you protected them. Why would Prince Lelouch have been in the vicinity of mobsters?"

Reuben sighed and closed the door. He grabbed a flask from the bookshelf. "A drink?"

"I am on duty."

Reuben shrugged and set two small glasses on the desk, pouring the whiskey into each. "Lelouch developed a taste for high stakes gambling."

"You should have stopped him. He could've been injured, killed or worse."

Reuben shot him an annoyed glare. "I tried in the beginning, but the boy didn't trust me. He still doesn't trust me. I daresay he doesn't trust anyone, even his sister."

"He claimed it was needed to cover Nunnally's medical expenses. You should have paid for that."

"With which extensive cash reserves?" Reuben asked mockingly. "I am running a business here. Doctors who do not blab are expensive. Specialists who do that and can treat paralyzing gunshot injuries and psychologists who don't ask dangerous questions are astronomically expensive. Lelouch was aware of that, even if I was discounting the price as much as I could."

"He shouldn't have had to pay anything."

"If I refused, he would have seen it as a trap." Reuben downed the whiskey. "He slept with a gun under his pillow and a knife strapped to his leg for three years. Everything to him is a possible trap."

The boy was supposed to live a cushy, protected life in Area Eleven, pampered by the dependable Ashford. Even if officially exiled, he was still a prince. "I do not understand."

"Then maybe you should not have exiled him to a foreign country that you then invaded," Reuben snapped.

Maybe Lelouch hadn't been exaggerating when he spoke of his time prior to the Ashfords, but—

"That was years ago. He has been protected for years. It should not be haunting him unless you failed in your duties."

"My duties?" Reuben scoffed. "The duties I was not even informed of? His mother died. Then his father cast him out like yesterday's trash."

It had been necessary, so V.V. would no longer see the two children as competing with him for Charles's affections. He had already deliberately maimed Nunnally.

Reuben poured himself another drink. "I cannot imagine how confused and cornered Lelouch must be feeling right now, when I cannot even tell whether His Majesty is meaning any of this earnestly."

"What happened to him?" Bismarck finally asked. Maybe Prince Lelouch wasn't a spoiled, ungrateful and unworthy brat. The alternative was worse. A spoiled child could be disciplined.

"I sheltered him. I was never his confidante. I imagine only Nunnally knows. Lelouch is not the type of person to share his secrets."

Bismarck scowled at the non-answer.

Reuben studied his glass, swirling the whiskey with rhythmic rocking motions. "Why do you care? You have isolated and trapped him in this school for the world to watch."

That had been the plan. The boy needed to be disciplined so he would abandon his childish rebellion. More importantly, the future Emperor could not be weighed down by commoners. He had to rise above them as someone who could be seen but never touched or understood.

They might have underestimated the boy's self-destructive dependence on his so-called friends. Bismarck wasn't even supposed to leave him alone with the student council.

"He worries me," Bismarck answered. "I have been tasked with protecting him, but he is not taking the threat seriously."

Reuben set down his glass, his shoulders sinking. "I see."

"That means something to you."

"Yes, I have watched the boy for years. I may not know particulars, but I've seen his hatred, his fear, his justice. I imagine you only remember the soft child he was, who laughed easily and doted on his sister."

"He still dotes on her." Which would be less of a problem if he was not so obvious about it, advertising his weakness to anyone with eyes. How was someone so easily manipulated supposed to stand firm as the Emperor?

"Doting…" Reuben frowned. "She almost died. On multiple occasions. Doting… Clings would be more apt."

"Will you stop speaking in riddles?"

The corners of his mouth ticked upwards. "Would you have me betray my future Emperor's confidence? If such questions truly concern you, earn his trust yourself."

"It's a security issue. I have to keep him safe."

Reuben laughed. "Then you would've ferried him to Pendragon already. I doubt he needs your protection as much as you think."

The boy was frail, physically inept. As Zero, he had humiliated Cornelia but only through acts of trickery and relying upon geass… "You know he is Zero."

The glass wobbled, then slowly tipped over, spilling whiskey across student records and financial reports.

"I…" Reuben swallowed. "I wondered… He is?"

"As a loyal citizen, you should have reported him," Bismark hissed.

"I already thought I was committing treason taking those two in. Why in the world would I consider myself a loyal citizen, much less advertise my treason to betray my ward?"

"He killed Clovis."

Reuben righted his glass. "I wish I could say it was a pity. It is hardly surprising, given everything."

"Which you refuse to elaborate on," Bismarck spat. His fingers itched for his sword to run the traitor through. His patience was already fried from dealing with one traitorous teen.

The noble daughter of the Stadtfeld family had also turned to treason. Was the air poisonous in Area Eleven to let such dissent brew?

He stood and brushed past the man, stopping before the door. "Careful that your words don't end in your family's premature death."

"If Prince Lelouch doesn't succeed, my family is already doomed. Is it really that surprising that I stand behind my family's only chance at salvation?"

"Then you better hope that your taciturn responses do not lead to his demise."

"Wait—" Reuben reclaimed his seat. "I will say two things, and that is all I will say."

Bismarck watched him sharply as he used a towel to soak up the spill.

"First, everytime Nunnally fell ill, I was terrified of not only losing her but Lelouch as well."

"You cannot—"

Reuben raised his hand with an irritated glare. "Secondly, the young man you arrested, Suzaku Kururugi, is very close to Lelouch."

With her roommate home for the weekend, Shirley turned Lelouch's gun over in her hands in the privacy of her dorm. It was worn, the barrel scuffed with use.

The morbid part of her wondered how many lives it had taken before she killed that Britannian officer.

Her throat tightened, and she closed her eyes as the bang echoed through her mind. She hated this. She hated that Lelouch had drawn into himself even more, that even now he was unwilling to tell them his secret.

She hated that he would be leaving in four weeks, ferried back to Pendragon, forever out of her life. She hated that a murderer like him would get to sit on the throne with her father never avenged.

She felt relieved that he would be gone, stealing these painful memories from her and preventing her from spiraling further into darkness.

If he hadn't been announced as heir, what would she have done?

Would she have turned Lelouch and herself in, cutting both of their lives short? That would've destroyed her mother. Maybe she could have covered up her part in the Britannian officer's death, letting the guilt of her deception eat at her as she watched Lelouch's execution.

Would he have even been executed; he was a royal.

Or maybe, she would have gone to him, begged him to make sense of her world thrown askew, fully become a traitor, join him in his eventual doom.

A tear ran down the barrel of the gun, and she hurriedly wiped her eyes.

He would be leaving; she did not need to torment herself with such questions. No matter what she did, he would be fine. The only question was if she should confront him with the truth or bury it.

What even was the truth? Lelouch had spouted off a story about being exiled and then insisted that the Emperor schemed his death.

It didn't make sense!

But the Emperor would never collaborate with a terrorist like Zero, right?

A knock on her door drew her out of her reverie. She stared at the gun, debating whether to stash it into her bag again. Instead, she pulled out her father's gun holster and strapped it around herself, beneath her shirt.

The knock grew more insistent.

The weight of the gun felt right, an echo of her father's marksmanship lessons. What would he want her to do? He was the truly wronged party, not her. She and Lelouch had never truly been friends, merely coworkers on the student council. Her eyes burned.

"Coming!" she snapped as they pounded on her door. She blotted her eyes and yanked open the door.

Three boys from the journalist club stared back at her. "Ah, Shirley Fenette. Boyfriend troubles?"

Shirley: Cute. Kind. Innocent. Would never harm a life.

"My father just died, you assholes!" she shouted, slamming the door in their face.

He blocked it with his foot, pushing his way into her room. "I apologize. I understand this is a difficult time for you, but—"

"You're never sorry, Richard," she hissed. "Get the hell out of my room."

He lifted an eyebrow. "Or what?"

Her nails gouged into her palms. She would not hit him. She was not that kind of person. "This is the girl's dorm."

He lifted his hands. "Easy, easy there. I only wanted to ask some questions."

One his cronies pushed forward, lugging a small familiar case.

"Are you recording this!"

Richard grinned. "Only for archival purposes. Now—"

"Out!" she screeched, shoving him forcibly back. "Tell your stupid club that my father's death is none of your business!"

"How uncouth." Richard dusted himself off exaggeratedly. "Come on! You're one of the few people who know Lelouch! And Cardemonde threatened to run over Jim with his motorcycle."

"And Milly kept eyeing me like she wanted to eat me," the other boy whispered, shivering.

"Oh, grow a pair," Richard admonished.

"You wouldn't say that if she bit your nose!"

Shirley crossed her arms. "So you think I'm easy?"

"Well… yeah?" Richard shrugged. "Stadtfeld's still sick, and she's technically a noble so…"

"I'm done here," she turned around.

The boy with the microphone pushed his way between her and the door.

"It's just an interview. You see we heard from some you were dating? Except he kept ditching you. Or that he's a virgin and scared of intimacy. Did he dump you because he is sleeping with his sister?"

She snatched the microphone from the one boy's hand and hurtled it against the wall. As they watched, shocked, she ground the shattered remains under her heel. "You know nothing, so you better shut your dirty mouths."

What was she doing? This wasn't her. But she was so furious, angry. And to say such shameful things about Nunnally—

She wanted to be angry. Maybe if she screamed, people would actually listen to her instead of dismissing her every time.

"Oh by the Emperor"—Richard rolled his eyes—"you really do love him! How stupid can you get? He is a prince; you're a commoner, and not just that, your parents are nobodies. He was always high and mighty. We're nothing but amusement to him."

She took a deep breath, trying to contain her tears as his words cut deep, digging into her own insecurities. "He is going to be the Emperor, Richard. I would watch your words, lest you end up like Julie."

He snarled. "That's exactly the point. He's not fit for the throne. He's a murderer!"

She flinched. If only that wasn't true.

"I am going to prove it to everyone, and you know things. You have to know!"

"Did you ever open up a history book?" she asked quietly. "How do you think the Emperor claimed the throne? How do you think he has kept it?"

"You—"

Honestly, that hadn't been something they covered in history class in much detail. The insinuation had been there, hidden between the lines of the Crown's victory over various revolts.

Lelouch had loved to rant on the topic, lambasting their textbook and teacher. If he worked up a frenzy, his tirade would begin toeing the edge of a treason.

In hindsight, was it such a surprise that he stepped over the line to actual treason? Out of everyone at their school, he intimately knew how his family worked.

"I'm done here," Shirley said, pushing past him. "Try to corner me again, and I'll happily report your insults of the royal family. You are not just attacking our Vice President."

The moment she stepped out of the dorms into the bright sun, her knees began to tremble. She could not believe she had just said that, threatened someone. It was exhilarating. She hated it.

How should she actually respond? She couldn't tell Lelouch that the journalist club was circling him like a pack of sharks. She would not be able to bear another death on her conscience.

Telling any of the Britannian soldiers would have her laughed at or end with them being arrested and publicly flogged.

She clasped her hand over her mouth as bile rose. She needed to get out. She needed room to breathe, to scream.

Her father would be so disappointed in what she was becoming.

"I heard your argument with those rabble," a snotty voice said. Caspian, one of the rare nobles on campus, smirked. "You have strong convictions."

She nodded hesitantly, her hands rising up to clasp her bare arms. Caspian, son of Viscount McLeod, was known to be rather dim and in possession of a rather nasty temper.

Generally, he kept to himself, socializing only among the limited pool of nobility at the school. The only exception was when it came to dating.

"May I buy you a drink?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, but…"

"You're shaking." He stepped forward, draping his jacket over her shoulders. He was the gallant sort, one of his few redeeming features. "I should report those hooligans for trespassing. Commoners truly have no manners."

Her mouth dried, her forced smile growing even more strained.

"You have the bearings of a lady," he quickly added. "The student council has always possessed a certain grace, a byproduct of Miss Ashford's tutelage, and she was raised a lady. Shall we?"

She looked around desperately, searching for any of her friends to help extradite herself from the situation. He was a noble. To say no would bring her endless courtyard felt oppressively empty. "I guess…"

"Wonderful." He offered his arm. "So you have known Lelouch for a long time. He never tolerated people well; he must like you."

Her heart thundered.

Bismarck stared at the empty cell and crossed his arms. "Where is Kururugi?"

The guard squeaked, as if he wasn't a soldier under the Holy Britannian Empire. Truly, Clovis had let his administration rot.

"Well?" he demanded.

"PrincessEuphemiademandedthatwelethimgoandthreatened—"

"Who?"

"Princess Euphemia!" The soldier cowered.

The Emperor would be displeased when he learned that Bismarck had left his post at Lelouch's side and gone beyond the boundaries of Ashford Academy, but he could not do his job properly if he did not understand the boy.

The image of a spoiled child was rapidly fading, and Bismarck was afraid of what would solidify. What Lelouch and Reuben insinuated had to be a lie.

Except he had seen hints of that self-destructive fire, his willingness to destroy everything, including himself. It had to be the spoiled rambling of a child who never learned better.

If it wasn't, he had to convince Charles that this truly had been a massive mistake. Someone like him could not sit on the throne.

The future Emperor could not long for his own death.

The door to Princess Euphemia's quarters was cracked open, and he paused at the giggles floating through the halls. There were two voices. He truly hoped that the insanity at Ashford had not spread so far.

The universe was out to disappoint him. Inside, sprawled out on her bed amidst plastic bags of fast food, Princess Euphemia and Suzaku Kururugi were watching a video together.

"What is this?" Bismarck asked.

Her eyes widened, and she jumped in front of the Eleven, spreading out her arms as if she could shield him.

"This isn't what it looks like," the Eleven stammered.

"Fraternizing with royalty? Yes, it is. And Euphemia, you should never have allowed such familiarity from a Number."

"I was the one who initiated."

"Then you are a fool." His glare sharpened on the Eleven behind her. "Come here, Eleven."

"Yes, my lord." Pulling free from Euphemia's hands, he rushed forward and knelt on the floor. "I am at your service."

"But you apparently cannot stay in your cell."

The boy swallowed. "I apologize, my lord."

"No, he doesn't," Euphemia cried, hurrying forward to place herself between them. "I was the one who freed him. Or do you expect him to disobey a direct order from royalty?"

"He is a soldier. He was arrested under my command. Only the Emperor can countermand that. You know that, Princess Euphemia. You forget your place."

"Lelouch asked me to!"

Of course the boy had because he did not make sense.

Bismarck pushed past her, grabbing the Eleven by the arm. "He is not the Emperor yet. Now, move, boy, and be thankful that I do not castrate you for your impropriety."

"No!" Euphemia shouted, running after them as they left her bedroom. "He didn't do anything wrong. I won't let you hurt him!"

"He is an Eleven!" Bismarck snapped.

"He's an Honorary Britannian. If it weren't for him, Zero would've captured Cornelia. Lelouch asked me—"

"The Emperor had separate orders and he sits on the throne still."

The Eleven fidgeted, his gaze resolutely focused on his feet.

Her lips pursed, a dangerous glint entering her eyes. This was a side of the sheltered girl that he had never seen before. If only her backbone wouldn't present itself in defense for a worthless Eleven.

"I will take him as my knight," she declared.

"Are you mad?" Bismarck shook his head. All teenagers were mad. "Let it go, girl, before I charge him with attempting to seduce a princess of the realm."

She flushed bright red. A tinge of red colored the Eleven's ears through his unruly mop of hair.

With a violent yank, he continued his fast pace out of her cheerful quarters.

Her panting breaths hounded his steps. At the final door, she threw herself into his way. "Please, Sir Bismarck. Please do not punish him for my transgressions. He did nothing wrong, I swear. I was the one who initiated. He has been a perfect gentleman the entire time and—"

"Move, princess," Bismarck demanded. "You will accompany me."

"What?" she whispered.

He rolled his eyes. "To inform your sister of your reprehensible infatuation. You are clearly beyond reason."

"No, please," she begged, tears brimming in her eyes.

"That is an order."

Caspian grinned as he led the girl past the guards and out of Ashford Academy. She wasn't his type, too boisterous by far. What mattered was her connection to the declared heir.

He was not going to let a boy with such filthy blood in his veins ascend to the throne.

"Where are we going?" she asked quietly, her voice betraying her nerves.

"Oh, it's just around the corner. It's a rather out of the way place."

Commoners truly were fools. He had thought he could mobilize Richard and the other resentful boys to do his dirty work for him. They could only dream of defamation, a truly ridiculous endeavor.

If they found anything actually incriminating, they would be killed. To oust Lelouch vi Britannia, they needed to kill him.

Fortunately, there were others united in the cause of keeping the throne pure.

Still, the commoners served their uses as distractions and to discover others more open to radical action. The guards were focused on external threats; they did not see the storm brewing inside.

She shuddered as he dragged her into the alleyway and up to a dingy bar.

"I don't think—" she whispered.

He yanked her forward, into the room.

"Lord Peter Charmant." Caspian bowed. "It is an honor to have you."

Peter Charmant's smile was all teeth. "And this is the young lady."

"What is this?" she asked, pulling away and bumping into the men blocking the exit.

"A chance to save your country," Lord Charmant offered. "To kill the Imposter Prince."

Chapter Text

"The Imposter Prince?" Shirley echoed, desperately playing stupid as she tried to understand the situation before her. He couldn't possibly mean killing her Lelouch. He had done nothing to deserve something like this.

To suggest something like this was treason!

Lord Charmant's smile dimmed, the wrinkles in his face turning his expression severe. "Who else, but Lelouch Lamperouge? He is no prince."

She twisted to glare at Caspian who had forced her to walk into this trap. He might have been a noble, but he was her classmate. How could he do something so vile?

Sure, Lelouch had said he would be a target, yet this was beyond her imagination. If such unpleasantness were to happen, it would come from the Elevens. Or his siblings.

The nobles were oath sworn to follow the Emperor's will.

"The Emperor—" she began.

Lord Charmant huffed. "—is an old man. He has made a mistake."

She gaped. "You can't just—"

"Can't just what?" Lord Charmant sank into an elaborately adorned armchair, swinging one leg over the other. He leaned back with a yawn. "Say the Emperor is wrong, my dear? But I did."

"Well, you can't! That's treason!"

"What is treason is allowing an unqualified, unproven nobody to sit on that throne. How can we even be sure he is the Emperor's son? His mother was a whore."

She flushed. Such foul words did not belong in his mouth of perfectly aligned teeth.

Caspian's domineering hand settled on her shoulder, and he pushed her towards a stiff wooden chair. "Come on, he hurt you. I know he did. He hurts everyone around him. Someone like that shouldn't be the Emperor, and you can help us. You'll be seen as a hero."

"A girl with your bearings," Lord Charmant added, "would most certainly earn a title for special services."

"As a lady," Caspian eagerly added, "there would be no more need to hopelessly pine after a boy."

"You're wrong."

Caspian's warm breath tickled her ear. "I would have never neglected you so terribly. I would have no qualms taking you out on a date, and showing you how a girl should be treated. He's hurt you for so long."

She bit her lower lip and bunched her skirt in her hands. "Do you think I am stupid?"

"Of course not," Lord Charmant assured. "We need you. We are offering you a way to come out of this as a winner instead of a loser. You are not stupid; you know he is a slacker and so much more."

He was a terrorist. He had killed her father.

A heartbroken sob escaped her even as her resolve firmed. "He might be a liar, but he's also my friend!"

"My dear, he is a prince. Princes do not have friends."

She glowered. "Then you do not know him at all."

"Have it your way, if you insist. It seems you will not be escaping this unscathed." Lord Charmant rose in a single fluid motion. He did not have the bearing of any noble at Ashford. His easy grace reminded her of Lelouch.

Who was this man?

He prowled around her, each step measured and displaying his absolute dominance. "You hope he still loves you, don't you?"

No. Yes. How could she desire his affection when he killed her father?

"So let us do a little test. If he loves you, he will come for you." His finger trailed down her cheek. "Is this not what your little teenage heart desires? To know what your paramour truly thinks of you."

Caspian grunted. "He won't come, my lord. I thought you said you would convince her."

"Patience, my boy. Patience. The Emperor has set quite the trap, but we will turn it against him."

A note of trepidation entered his voice. "And how will you do that?"

"You will see. For now…" He whipped out his phone. "Say cheese."

The flash blinded her.

"And send! A gentleman always sends a calling card. Are you not curious, sweetie? Will he respond? Or will he leave you here to rot. If he does, maybe he is true royalty after all."

She hugged herself as a shudder ran down her spine. He was right; she wanted to know. A few weeks ago, she would have had no doubts. Now, she knew he was a liar, in more ways than one.

Were they truly friends?

"Ah Caspian, better hurry. Our friends are going to have to be let in."

Bismarck held back his smile of glee as Cornelia glowered at her sister and the kneeling Eleven, having just been appraised of their indecent conduct. Her face was rapidly becoming flushed.

"Major Kururugi," she snapped. "Is that how you repay my generosity?"

The Eleven stared resolutely at the floor, his voice despondent. "No, Your Highness."

"Nelly!" Euphemia whined. "He did nothing wrong! You know that! I wouldn't let anyone—"

"Enough, Euphemia!" Cornelia shouted. "Have I truly raised such a fool? If this were to get out, do you know what the rumors would say? For you to defend him like this— You are only making the situation worse!"

Euphemia humphed, hands on her hips. "I don't care! He doesn't deserve this just because he is an Eleven. He saved your life!"

"Which is the only reason I don't blow off his traitorous head right now!"

Bismarck raised an impressed eyebrow. The boy hadn't even flinched at that statement. He had an impressive degree of self-control.

"And to willfully ignore a direct order from the Knight of One—" She clutched her face. "What is behind such impudence?"

"Lelouch asked me!" Euphemia shouted. "He's going to be the Emperor, so I should listen to him, right? And arresting Suzaku was stupid! He didn't do anything wrong."

Bismarck scowled. "He disobeyed my orders."

"Because he wanted to protect Lelouch!" Tears streaked down her cheeks. "How could you take from him the one person who would risk everything to protect him!"

Cornelia crossed her arms. "An Eleven is not appropriate as a guard."

"He's an Honorary Britannian!" Euphemia shouted. "And he's Lelouch's best friend."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not. Tell them Suzaku!'

The Eleven tensed. "I am not qualified to make such a statement, Your Highness."

"Agh!" She stomped her foot. "This is stupid. Lelouch asked me to help so that should be enough. He didn't even want you to arrest Suzaku in the first place."

"The Crown Prince does not outrank the Knight of One!" Cornelia shouted.

Bismarck sighed as their argument lost all coherence. He should not be here. For all the brat's faults, Lelouch had proven himself wily. He would undoubtedly take advantage of his absence from the school to wreck some havoc.

If anything went wrong, it would be on Bismarck's head.

What did Charles see in a Number loving brat like him anyway? Bismarck narrowed his eyes at the Eleven. And what was it about him that compelled royals to such extreme lengths?

Zero's debut had been to save Kururugi, after all. Now, Euphemia appeared to be in love with him.

"So what if I marry him!" Euphemia screamed. "It's my life!"

The boy flushed, pressing his forehead against the ground as if it could swallow him whole.

"I will take him from here," Bismarck interrupted as Cornelia brandished her sword. "I have questions for him. Discipline your sister."

Cornelia winced, lowering her arm. "Yes, sir. I apologize for this. Someone—" She grabbed her sister by the back of her dress. "—has been taking their freedom too far. I was neglectful."

"Your mother was," Bismarck said. "She should have taken her daughter's education in hand, not left it entirely to you. You have other responsibilities, and your split attention has not been helping."

Her eyes raged. "I will capture Zero! You have my word, sir."

He resisted the urge to snort. If she did, there would be an entirely new set of problems.

The Eleven's fingers dug into the carpet, breaking the proper posture. If they were such close friends, did he know the truth? Had he betrayed Britannia already?

Bismarck kicked him in the stomach, ignoring Euphemia's scream, and grabbed his hair. "You have much to explain, Eleven."

The boy didn't struggle in his grasp or attempt to defend himself. He did not utter a word. Pathetic.

Even for a Number, to be so bereft of courage was utterly shameful. One had to fight, not cower and depend on others' scraps of mercy for survival.

"Viceroy!" A soldier rushed into the room. His eyes widened as he caught sight of him, visibly struggling to choose who to face. He snapped to attention. "Sir Waldstein! Ashford Academy—"

What dimwitted scheme had the boy pulled now?

"—is under attack! They've breached the southern perimeter and have detonated various small bombs. They demand Crown Prince Lelouch surrender to them to save the students."

Numbers remained pathologically stupid. Even the brat would not succumb to such a trick.

How the terrorist had gotten through the walls would have to be investigated, but this was nothing that his men wouldn't be able to handle… Unless V.V. had come out to play.

Either way, Charles was going to be pissed that he wasn't uselessly towering over his son.

"Zero?" the Eleven rasped in his grip. His muscles rippled beneath the fine silks Euphemia had dressed in him. At last, he had found his will to fight. "I have to— Lelouch. Is it Zero?"

The soldier shifted, his eyes flicking between him and the battered youth. To answer an Eleven was unbecoming, but who had attacked was vital intelligence.

"Answer me!" the Eleven cried, twisting free from his grip. "Is that madman targeting Lelouch now!"

Apparently, they were not close enough friends for the brat to have shared his dual identity with him.

"No!" The soldier stumbled backward, face frozen in pitiful fear. "It's some nobles that—"

Suzaku Kururugi snapped to attention, his eyes filled with fire. "Permission to deploy the Lancelot, sir!"

If Bismarck denied him, the boy would fight to escape and rescue his friend regardless. With the maniac Asplund in charge of the experimental frame, he might just let the boy take it on an unauthorized mission.

Back in the auditorium, the boy had defied his direct order to stand by Lelouch's side as a guard.

"You may accompany me," Bismarck allowed. What would he make of the opportunity?

If he dared to turn traitor, Bismarck would skewer his knightmare without hesitation. But if he was genuine—

An uncomfortable sense of duty and honor weighed on him, at odds with the insistence on Britannian superiority.

As Cornelia barked orders to her men to lock down the school and identify the assailants, Bismark decided to wait and see.

The Eleven's help wouldn't be exceptional anyway; he had struggled to defeat the half-breed knight, Kallen Stadtfeld.

Rivalz nearly dropped his phone as he opened the email from one of Lelouch's old chess partners. A tearful and terrified Shirley stared into the camera.

How— This had to be fake. Nobody would ever want to hurt her. She had to be at school. She hadn't mentioned going home for the weekend or anything.

Shirley cried easily, so it didn't really mean anything—

His phone buzzed again. The sender had one demand: Lelouch's surrender.

No…

They called him an imposter.

This was real. This was what Lelouch had tried to warn them about. They were all targets.

He was too young to die!

A curt bang cut through his thoughts. He turned. Then a pop. And a student screamed.

What was that! Where was that! People were beginning to run, and he didn't even know where to flee.

Finally, he found the origin, marked by a plume of smoke rising over the girl's dorms.

His feet slapped the ground. His chest heaved. He was running the wrong way, to the dorms, to the smoke, to the series of explosions.

"Shirley!"

There was no way someone could have Shirley. It just wasn't possible. They had increased security around campus. They couldn't be attacked here.

It was ridiculous. Preposterous. Impossible.

"Please," he begged, snatching the arm of a fleeing girl. "Have you seen Shirley?"

She stared at him in horror and stuttered, "No."

He watched her run away before breaking into a run again.

"Have you seen—"

"No."

"Where is—"

"Sorry."

"Please, was Shirley—"

"I don't know."

Then as he panted to recover his breath, with acidic smoke burning his lungs, a girl tugged on his sleeve.

"I heard the journalism club meant to interview her. They meant to chase her out of the dorms. She hadn't come back yet, so she should be fine."

Rivalz watched her retreat, disappearing behind the line of responding soldiers. That had been what he was afraid of.

"This is but the first attack," a smooth voice announced over the intercom. "We will escalate until the Imposter Prince admits that he has no right to claim the throne."

The words sounded muffled, distant. The smoke had covered the sky in a hazy mist, and he stared at the sunbeams as if they could answer all his problems.

Should he tell Lelouch the truth? This was Shirley, of course he should. But would he care?

He hadn't even answered the phone when the JLF had taken the hotel hostage. Should he care? He was to be the Emperor, and everyone knew Britannia did not barter with terrorists.

He rubbed his eyes, only succeeding in making his eyes water more.

This was Shirley…

He opened the phone and wrote: What do you want?

He was Lelouch's best man now. He would handle this and—

You have twelve hours to surrender or she dies.

The bars on his phone vanished.

Reality slammed into him like Milly on a warpath. He was just Rivalz. There was no way he could handle this himself.

He stared at the soldiers bustling over the scene. With the smoke clearing, it was apparent that the dorms had been barely damaged by the attack. The soldiers approached warily, their rifles raised.

He should tell them. They were here for Lelouch's safety after all. They would know how to deal with it.

The closest officer near him appraised the situation with a critical eye. As long as he listened to Rivalz, everything would be fine.

Rivalz froze mid-step—Shirley was a commoner—and pivoted away.

As he ran to the clubhouse, the explosions resumed. The ground quaked beneath his feet.

The guards at the door tried to stop him, drawing their weapons on him, but Lelouch's harsh bark forced them to let him pass.

"Rivalz, are you hurt?" Lelouch asked, his hands brushing the soot off his school uniform. "What is happening out there?"

"It has to be Zero," Rivalz babbled. No one else would have the guts.

Lelouch snorted. "It's not."

"But—"

"It's not. Trust me."

Rivalz pulled out his phone with shaking hands. It fell out of his hands as he tried to open it.

"Focus on breathing. In and out." Slowly, Lelouch knelt to pick the phone. He felt so normal; although, how could anyone be normal at a time like this! "Focus on wiggling your toes. You're here right now. In this room."

"How—" Rivalz squeezed his eyes shut, his heart rate skyrocketing again as terror pressed in on him. "Do you have experience with this?"

Lelouch smiled sadly. "I was here when Britannia invaded."

Invaded. Right.

Rivalz had always seen Britannia's conquests as a glorious and rightful expansion, but "invasion" brought different feelings, especially how Lelouch said it. "Conquered" was glorious. "Invaded" felt… wrong.

"I never understood you at all," Rivalz whispered bitterly. He had been so surprised when Lelouch announced to the entire school that an Honorary Britannian was his friend. "You really knew the Elevens."

"Japanese." Lelouch sighed and flipped open the phone. "Let's not talk politics, right now. The school is under—" His face paled. "Shirley."

"You—" Rivalz winced. Once, he would never have dared to ponder such a question. "You'll help her, right?"

Time seemed to slow as Lelouch met his desperate gaze with a calculating stare. He could not give in and surrender to the terrorists' demands; that would not save Shirley. Being a commoner, the guards would not even bother to save her.

Rivalz slowly lowered his eyes, his fingers curling into impotent fists. What could Lelouch do? He might have been declared the Crown Prince, but he was a student, just like Rivalz.

"Maybe if we beg?" he whispered.

"No."

Rivalz's head snapped up at the cold tone, so unlike Lelouch. His face had hardened into a mask of righteous fury. Was his pride worth risking Shirley's life? He opened his mouth to protest because what else could Lelouch do, and paused.

His friend's cruel grin was a welcome sight. Rivalz knew it well; it heralded the destruction of whatever noble fool accepted his bait.

"This isn't chess," Rivalz warned. There, he could be confident of Lelouch's dominance. "They're terrorists. Shirley is a hostage…"

"Gambling wasn't chess either. Otherwise, we would have never made as much money as we did. They're attacking my legitimacy." Lelouch walked past him, his hand resting on the door. "Asking for my surrender… Even if I was the type to cower and roll over, it would not matter. I would never be allowed to surrender. Coupled with this attack…"

He ripped open the door, staring down the soldiers assembled outside. "Report!"

Rivalz flinched as he stared at his friend in amazement. He had never heard anyone sound like that outside of the movies.

"Your Highness," the soldiers shouted, and Rivalz caught himself mouthing the words alongside them. An older man stepped forward, dropping to his knee. "A few minor explosives were set off. We have the situation under control, but it would be best for His Highness to return inside, where he will be safe."

"Safe?" Lelouch scoffed. "Everyone knows the student clubhouse is where I am staying. It is most certainly not safe here. Those were not minor explosions either, Sergeant."

The Sergeant tensed. "Your Highness, Sir Waldstein's orders are—"

"He is not here, which means he cannot protect you from me questioning your men's competence. Given that they could not keep some petty terrorists from attacking Ashford Academy and threatening me, I wonder if the cause is negligence or malice."

"Of course not, Your Highness," the sergeant protested, his voice trembling. "We are loyal to Sir Waldstein and—"

"Enough!" Lelouch raised his hand. "I am taking charge."

"But Your Highness-"

"Will you disobey a direct order from royalty?" Lelouch snapped. "Put me into contact with Waldstein."

"Communications are—"

Lelouch laughed. "Down? Then in his absence, no one can contest I am in charge. Or are you a fool, Sergeant?" He paused meaningfully. "Now, we are setting up in the science hall. I want the security footage from the gate cameras. I want the names of everyone who has left the campus and who has not returned. Secure the assembly hall as the student evacuation point. Anyone who enters will be thoroughly searched."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Rivalz stared in awe at the ease his friend had inserted himself into the situation. He had barely been able to comprehend that Lelouch was a prince. He hadn't even thought of what him being the emperor would truly mean.

Now, he saw something more.

"I will need a few minutes to prepare," Lelouch added. "I want you to double the soldiers guarding the clubhouse."

The sergeant frowned. "Aren't you—"

Lelouch didn't bother with a reply, stepping back inside. Eyes laden with guilt, he grabbed Rivalz's shoulder. "I am sorry for dragging you into this, but I will need you to save Shirley. Give me a minute."

Rivalz gaped as Lelouch broke into a run and dashed up the stairs. What could either of them really do? Sure, the guards were answering to him for now, but only grudgingly.

Bluffing would only carry Lelouch so far.

Heavier steps descended the stairs, and Rivalz tensed at the masked Britannian soldier. Bad soap dramas echoed in his mind, whispering of an inside job.

"Relax," the soldier—no, Lelouch—said. He took off the helmet with a chuckle. "If they bribed the guards, they know I am supposed to stay here. I have no interest in dispelling that illusion."

The uniform looked authentic. Had Suzaku smuggled him one?

"Is that—" Rivalz's gaze fixed on the chest plate. "Is that a bullet hole? How did you even get that? Was it from Suzaku? The black market? Did you steal it off a dead guy?" Something in Lelouch's expression told him the latter was the truth. "You can't be serious!"

"No need to scream," Lelouch hissed.

"Where would you even find a body just lying about to be pillaged! And what about the blood? That's so disgusting."

Lelouch rolled his eyes. "There wasn't that much blood. I washed it afterwards too."

"Why would you—Lelouch!"

"I need you to calm down. Shirley is depending on you. Can you do that for me?"

Rivalz nodded hesitantly. "Just tell me the truth please? There've been enough lies."

"Remember when we were nearly run over by a truck? I got stuck in Shinjuku. Nobody in civilian dress was going to make it out of there alive. In the chaos, I was lucky enough to get my hands on this."

Something about the explanation was incomplete. And hadn't the news reported a gas attack or something?

"Looting corpses isn't like you," Rivalz mumbled.

"It wasn't my first time." Lelouch sighed, running his hand down his face. "Later. Do you know how they captured Shirley?"

"One of the students mentioned the journalist club chasing her out of the dorms."

"I see," Lelouch answered, without a hint of emotion. Goosebumps ran down Rival's arm. "When reception is back, contact the kidnapper and demand to talk to Shirley to see if she is alive."

"If?"

"Say you haven't told me yet. That you can't get the message to me because the guards won't let you inside the clubhouse. I've sent Nunnally out already so there should—"

"What? How?"

"The headmaster built a tunnel to a bunker for us. No one is getting in once Sayoko enables the defenses."

The door opened, and five soldiers stepped inside and one immediately drew his gun. "Identify yourself."

"I see the disguise works," Lelouch answered as he pressed a radio into Rivalz's hand. "Stay in contact. One guard stays here."

"Your Highness, protocol—"

"I gave you an order." His hand settled on Rivalz's shoulder, shoving him roughly towards the door. "All of our lives depend on putting on a convincing show."

Bismarck flew out of the hangar, propelled by his energy wings. All the other knightmares were down, a virus of some sort making it impossible to verify the pilot. The technicians would have it fixed within the hour, but someone had put forth a ludicrous amount of resources in an attempt to delay the military response.

They had probably aimed to disable his own machine, but a knightmare serving a Knight of the Round had extra protection.

A white blur weaving through traffic below him made him raise an eyebrow.

"Lancelot, this is One. Copy?"

"One, Lancelot. Copy."

"Your machine is working? Over."

"Yes, sir. Cecile designed a custom OS. Over."

"Do not crash. Out."

Bismarck increased the energy to float and shot forward. Ashford campus grew larger in his view and a slow rising plume of smoke from one of the dorms.

His factsphere scanned the area, tracking the various heat signatures milling around. A crowd of soldiers stood guard around the clubhouse while one figure remained inside.

His gut twisted with unease at such an easy target. To be fair, the clubhouse was designed like a fortress. It would survive a direct collision with a knightmare.

The brat was loitering far too close to the windows for his comfort.

Deciding the situation would keep, he scanned the smoking dorm. Another small explosion blew out the side windows. There was no one inside.

Timed charges. Of course.

How anyone managed to sneak them inside was going to be the subject of their next lengthy security review. This should have never happened.

Charles was going to kill him.

The radio crackled. "Testing."

"This is One. I hear you. Report. Over."

"Holy Elizabeth. It's working again! Fuck. Sorry, sir. This is Hacksaw, Unit Seven. Timed charges in the dorms are making a distraction. Unit Eight and Nine set out to regain contact. They have clearly been successful. Unit Three and Four are securing the tunnels. A student let in an unknown group. The students have been evacuated. In two minutes, all units are to fall back. Anyone left is to be considered hostile. Over."

Bismarck blinked as he tried to gather his thoughts to formulate a reply. This was a surprisingly proactive response.

He had expected them to hunker down, to coalesce around the club house to protect their charge.

He eyed the brat's heat signature again. There were not enough guards.

"Who took charge? Over."

"That would be me," an amused voice replied. "Private video."

That could not possibly be the brat.

In the corner, the video screen flickered to life and he stared in incomprehension at the prince who was most certainly not in the clubhouse.

"I admit I anticipated a bigger response force than just yourself," Lelouch said. "On the other hand, you arrived faster than my estimates."

"Knightmares inside the Tokyo Area are temporarily down. One of your tricks maybe?"

Lelouch frowned. "I wish I could claim credit, but knightmares are hardly that easy to hack. Access is a big problem. Even if I developed such a worm, it would take too much manpower to infect each knightmare. At best, I would incapacitate a unit. Then there is the other problem: time. Something like this would have needed to be developed long before the Emperor made his announcement."

Could he trust the brat's assessment? The boy was a terrorist, even if he had a tremendous cheat in the form of his geass.

"Why did you take charge?" Bismarck asked slowly. "Given your proclaimed loathing of your nation, I would have imagined you would delight in Britannia humiliating itself."

The cold confidence in Lelouch's eyes made it clear his actions had been no fluke. He had taken charge deliberately, pushed through obstinate officers who had orders to prioritize the prince's health and keep him contained.

No, this was most certainly no spoiled brat.

If Zero was no tantrum, but the manifestation of pain and rage then he wouldn't have acted. Hatred was all consuming, raging with an inferno that inevitably led to self-immolation if not quenched. It allowed for no compromise, no hesitation, no mercy.

The school should have burned.

Lelouch's hand swept out, reminiscent of Zero's showmanship but lacking an artistic flair. "They attacked my school. They hurt my friends because you and the Emperor put them in danger."

There was that hatred, somehow leashed within the boy's lithe body.

Lelouch chuckled, low and quiet, before it erupted into maniacal laughter. "I know that you intend for me to die. It is a rather ingenious way to defuse Area Eleven, and secure that precious sakuradite I threatened. I'll never be able to hide or gain anyone's trust. And afterwards, when my corpse cools, you can raise your bloody flag to eradicate whatever faction troubles my dear father at the same time."

The problem was, if Bismarck did not know otherwise, he would easily have believed that this was Charles' plan. He did not care much for his children, and that love for Marianne did not necessarily transfer to her children.

If he hadn't witnessed that attention Charles lavished on Lelouch and Nunnally, he would have doubted Charles's intentions when he shared the plan.

Nothing Bismarck could say would convince Lelouch that his father's intentions were honest. The boy would not believe anything he said, even if he shared that the Emperor had precious little time left to live.

Receiving no response, Lelouch calmed and his smile turned mocking. It was an expression that Bismarck assumed he often wore beneath the mask. "I told you, I have no intention of dying. You two may have forced me to play a game rigged in your favor, but the impossible has never stopped me from winning before."

Zero had been far from winning, and Bismarck had never entertained the notion that he would have any meaningful success. Looking at the young man before him, he could now see what the mask had hidden. Zero was clumsy, more showmanship than effectiveness. He barely survived every encounter, relying on his geass to sway luck into his favor.

Zero, as the acme of a revolutionary, was nothing more than a mild irritant. Zero was not that.

Zero was a seventeen year old boy, floundering his way through the treacherous sea of revolution and warfare with only himself to rely on. Zero was not clumsy; he was learning.

"Any hint as to who planned this attack?" Bismarck asked, before the silence between them could stretch on any longer.

Now, he finally saw a hint of what Charles saw in his son, beyond nostalgia. There was a worthy Emperor in the young man, needing to be refined and matured.

The only problem? Lelouch hadn't rebelled as a prince leading a coup but out of hatred for Britannia. Would his rage ever allow him to accept the crown?

"Given they disabled Britannian knightmares, I suspect a high ranking noble." Lelouch shrugged. "There are plenty of those who loathed my mother."

On the ground, soldiers burst into action, swarming over the campus to capture or kill the terrorists.

"It is unlikely any of them know much of value," Bismarck warned. "Even if you use your geass."

"The hired guns, yes, but a student helped. Even if they know nothing now, their paranoia will lead us back to the culprit soon enough."

Although such a plan was risky, Bismarck held his tongue. His intelligence assets would uncover the culprit eventually. For Lelouch to grow, he needed room to make mistakes and learn. Having him take charge of his own security would act as an olive branch.

The boy would take it. By Reuben's account, he was far too paranoid not to. And that would give Bismarck the opportunity to enmesh the boy among Britannians, to hopefully sway his loyalty to the country he was supposed to lead.

"You know," Lelouch noted idly, his gaze betraying his glee, "it is rather embarrassing that you were frolicking off with the viceroy while the military was caught with their breeches down."

Charles was going to be livid. Bismarck hadn't fucked up so terribly in decades.

"Of course, all things considered, everything turned out well here. Not much I can do to help Cornelia although she is lucky the security breach was uncovered now, instead of a more inopportune time. If we had planned this, well…" Lelouch smirked. "Then you took a risk that panned out."

Bismarck was sure Lelouch wouldn't appreciate being told how much he resembled his father at that moment. It was the exact same fucking smirk that Charles wore whenever he knew he had won.

He sighed. "What do you want?"

"Only two things," Lelouch said. "Give Suzaku his freedom."

What was it about that Eleven…

"And?" Bismarck added.

"A student was taken hostage. We are bringing her back alive." Lelouch's eyes darted to the side, his smirk fading. "They realized they lost. Three things. Deal with that knightmare."

Bismarck's gaze dropped to his own readout. Seconds later, a friendly pulsing dot showed up. "A bomb."

It was rather ironic that a noble playing at terrorism had less decency than Zero.

Chapter Text

Even as Bismarck moved to intercept the knightmare primed to explode, he despaired. Its target was clear: the clubhouse. The terrorist didn't know that the clubhouse had been designed to withstand such an attack; the problem was that it would narrowly clip by the main building where over a thousand students were hunkered down to wait out the assault.

A quick glance at his console confirmed the size of the payload: too large. Bismarck had to intercept it on the large fields, else the blast radius would endanger them all.

If he failed to disarm it in the scant few seconds he had, he would be dead. Grimly, he wondered if the boy hoped for them to both perish, safely away from the students.

This was not the time for playing around. He strained the muscles in his left eyes, pushing them against the thin threads that sealed his geass shut.

The unit's future trajectories expanded before him, and he moved to anticipate them. He'd make it, with barely enough time.

And then the unit would launch a chaos grenade— The future split into paths. Pure chance would dictate where it would go.

Safely to the side. Back to the street, where innocent civilians would be caught. Through the window of the main building. Into the clubhouse—

Shit.

The future rippled, and Bismarck hesitated—a second that he did not have. That had never happened before.

A white knightmare—the Lancelot—erupted into the future, and then into the present with a flying spin-kick.

"It's armed!" Bismarck barked, regaining his senses. The chaos mine was thrown, and in that moment, he chose to intercept it, to leave the bomb to an Eleven.

The air in Area Eleven was definitely contaminated.

"I know, sir."

Bismarck shuddered as the chaos mine went off, barely contained by his shields as his energy levels rapidly plummeted to the tune of the blaring alarm. The boy had known and decided to kick a bomb?

If he had such resolve, why hadn't he fought earlier? Why had he refused to defend himself?

The Lancelot deployed its Maser Vibration Sword, pinning its opponent with a swift strike.

"You need to get back, Sir Waldstein. I'll contain it."

On the console, the unit blinked rapidly.

"Defuse it, you idiot," Bismarck shouted. A twist of the shields threw the sputtering chaos mine into the air, in the direction of the clubhouse where it would be the safest.

Then, he ran to the unit, to the bomb, to help an Eleven.

As the metal hand plunged into the knightmare's chassis, he reassured himself that the suicidal pilot's intel was well worth the risk.

Lelouch staggered back, his fingers spasming. Suzaku—That had been Suzaku's voice.

His friend was the pilot of the white knightmare, the infernal unit which had foiled his plan at Narita.

He had ordered Kallen to destroy it. How close had she come? How close had Lelouch come to killing his oldest friend?

And here the idiot was again, somehow back in a knightmare after being arrested, and throwing himself on bombs.

A bomb he didn't even know how to defuse!

Lelouch shoved his way through the door. His abrupt actions caught the guards by surprise, and he burst into a mad sprint.

They caught him seconds later, as he desperately reached for the door.'

"Let me go!" he screamed.

His friend was about to die. Suzaku was about to die.

There was nothing Lelouch could do about it. He sagged in their arms, waiting for the walls to shake, the ground to rumble.

What was he going to tell Nunnally?

"Your Highness," one of the guards prodded cautiously. "We need to return. It is not safe here."

It was just like last time. He was powerless to save his friend from his own foolishness.

He knew why Suzaku had done it. The unit had been so clearly heading to the clubhouse.

Lelouch needed to go back. Shirley was still out there, in danger because of him.

"Your Highness… Are you alright?"

Shirley—Suzaku—Kallen…

He only brought suffering for those to close him. He didn't even know if Shirley was alive.

His nails gouged into his palm. The pain grounded him against the pounding in his ears.

Whoever had done this would pay. He would play his father's game for now. He would be the good little prince that they wanted, the perfect stalking goat.

He would do that all to claim every scrap of power he could because whoever was behind this needed to pay.

He would make them rue the day they were born. For now, he would wait and see whether his father would deliver justice for his mother. She had waited for so many years. She could wait a little longer.

Lelouch paused. Everything was too still.

With a desperate lunge, he ripped away from his guards again and burst through the door.

Desperately, he lifted his hand against the blinding light. The white knightmare stood unharmed. Kneeling by the unit was Bismarck's knightmare.

Suzaku… Suzaku was alive.

Lelouch rushed forward, his fragile lungs burning against the strain.

Ahead, Suzaku slowly climbed out his knightmare. He dropped to his knee, the perfect picture of dutiful submission.

Lelouch despised it.

His hand curled into a fist. "You absolute idiot! How dare you!"

Suzaku righted himself, only acknowledging the blow by gently raising a hand to prod his eye.

That infuriated him even more because Suzaku never let him hit him.

"Who gave you permission to do that?" Lelouch spat.

Finally, he responded, lifting his head. "Lelouch?"

"You could've died! Were you going to let me watch you die again!"

"Again?" Bismarck asked, having come out as well.

Lelouch ignored him. "What would I tell Nunnally then? That you finally choked on your own idiocy? You told us you were in engineering, not a knightmare pilot! You were on the front lines!"

Suzaku had the audacity to look confused.

"Tell me, what the hell were you thinking! Or were you even thinking at all? Because you certainly seem to have taken leave of your senses since we split up."

"You live in the clubhouse. It was heading there." Suzaku's eyes were wide and pleading. "I am sorry that I scared you."

"You didn't even know how to defuse the bomb," Lelouch snapped. "Were you planning to die?"

Suzaku flinched, and his eyes dropped. "You're the Crown Prince."

"Don't give me that fucking bullshit. I wasn't anyone when you took a bullet for me."

"That's not true. It was the right thing to do."

"If you were so concerned about doing the right thing, you wouldn't have joined the Britannian army."

"And what else was I supposed to do?" Suzaku screamed, jumping to his feet. "Die for some stupid terrorists so the Britannians can hate us even more! At least, I can prove something."

"Yes! Because you'd at least have your pride."

"Pride?" Suzaku scoffed, his eyes dark. "Pride is why innocent people die."

"Oh, and the Britannian army doesn't kill innocents?" Lelouch sneered. "You're accomplishing nothing. A single person will never prove anything. They'll use you until you're a shriveled husk of yourself and spit your corpse into an unmarked grave. At least, rebels give people hope. You trample it with your sickening idealism."

"Hope? For Japan? What good is that when they're starving. I'm a soldier to change people's minds so my people can work in the future. I convinced the students here, didn't I?"

"No. You did not. I declared you as my friend. I made you a member of the student council. The students know what it means to mess with me and most decided you weren't worth it. The truth is you're a coward, Suzaku. You can't bear the fear of failure, so you didn't even bother to try."

"You know nothing," Suzaku snarled. "You're safe behind these walls, free to do as you wish if you would just swallow your damn pride. At least I was doing something, while you spent your time philosophizing in luxury. And for what?" Suzaku swung out his arm. "No matter what you think of Zero, he killed Prince Clovis. He would take your head in an instant. Every damn terrorist would. Your pretty words mean nothing."

Wait, was that why Suzaku had refused to join him? Because he thought Zero would kill… Lelouch?

Or was that just another excuse, so Suzaku could assuage his own guilt.

Lelouch pinched his nose. "None of that gives you the right to die."

Churlish, Suzaku crossed his arms. "That's not something you get to decide."

"Funny enough, there is. As a prince of this realm, I formally discharge you from the Britannian military. Live your life as a normal student." Lelouch paused, the urge to tell him the truth unbearable. "Kallen was one of the terrorists on that truck… a very skilled red-haired pilot. She could've attacked me when the Emperor made his announcement. She didn't."

Suzaku gaped. "Kallen? Isn't she sick? I thought you two were… She's with the Black Knights—Were you trying to get recruited!"

"I don't have time for this. I have a terrorist to deal with, some Britannian noble who is so opposed to a commoner's son sitting on the throne that he would bomb a school of innocent children."

Without another word, he spun around. Bismarck fell into step behind him.

"The student, Shirley Fenette, save her. If they kept her alive, they'll use her to try and kill me. Do not let her die."

"Yes, Your Highness."

For now, he needed to get to Rivalz and talk to those terrorists and buy Shirley some time.

There was an old fashion clock on the opposite wall. For Shirley, it was her only connection to the outside world as time warped inside the room.

She felt like it had been hours. It had barely been an hour. Every tick of the second hand seemed to herald her inevitable death.

Even if Lelouch cared enough to rescue her, would he be allowed to do anything? He was the crown prince.

She shivered, drawing her arms more tightly around herself. The movement reminded her of Lelouch's gun, hidden beneath her shirt.

Her gaze wandered to the armed guards as the futility of the situation hit her again. Maybe, she could kill one before they took her down.

Her lungs spasmed, and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to regain control over her breathing. It felt like someone had grabbed her lungs and squeezed.

She had killed that woman, a Britannian soldier. She hadn't meant to. Hadn't been thinking.

But now she was.

To raise the gun deliberately, to take a life… Hot bile clawed its way up her throat.

She barely managed to swallow it down, the remnant coating her tongue and only serving to make her nausea worse.

The elderly noble sighed in frustration, and she froze, watching him out of the corner of her eyes. He toyed with the phone, flicking it shut.

Open. Click. Shut. Open. Click. Shut. Open. Click. Shut. Open. Click. Shut.

He was impatient.

"Please," Shirley begged quietly, tears burning in her eyes.

He regarded her with amused disdain and slowly approached. "Do you want to see what your dear friend has to say?"

The display was white enough to burn the eyes. There was not a single response.

She would've thought she merited more than that. A reply at least.

He snapped the phone shut again. "Have you changed your mind? You are a nice girl, and following through on my threats would be regrettable."

She had loved him enough to kill for him, even though he was her father's killer. She had loved him so much, but he never saw her.

The best she could get was a pity kiss in the rain.

What would her father say? What would he think?

Despite everything, her heart still longed for Lelouch. She wanted to help him. She wanted to see one of those way too rare smiles.

She wanted to slap him and demand an answer. Why did her father, who had never harmed anyone, have to die for his justice?

"No," she answered, scrunching her nose at a strange scent of smoke. "I'm not a jealous little girl who lashes out because her love is denied. If you wanted one of those, you should've kidnapped someone else."

The phone buzzed, and the noble's eyebrows drew up in abrupt surprise.

Lelouch?

He flipped it open and scoffed. "All this time to ask if you're still alive? That is even crueler than ignoring your existence outright."

She frowned at his tone. He was unsettled. Was that truly what the message said?

"Talk," he ordered, suddenly holding the phone in front of her.

Should she say anything? Was she getting her hopes up for nothing? They could always kill her faster than he could rescue her.

"Don't make me say it again," the noble warned.

She wanted to be strong, to tell Lelouch that he shouldn't worry about her. Instead, she cried, "Please, Lelouch. Please, I'm scared."

The phone snapped shut.

"You're certainly good at bringing girls to tears," a sarcastic voice interrupted.

The noble flinched, spinning around with a small pocket knife.

By the wall, a young boy looked at him unimpressed. He had sandy hair and the face of a model. His dead, cold eyes rendered him as attractive as a corpse.

"Can't you knock like a normal person?" the noble snapped.

The boy barked out in laughter. He would've fit right in with the seniors, boys on the cusp of adulthood with facial hair coming just in.

"Why are you here?" the noble asked impatiently.

"Careful. You are not my master. He handed you the keys of the kingdom, yet you have botched this job quite thoroughly."

"So the plan failed," the noble said.

The boy frowned. "Yes. Plan B as well."

"I did everything you asked. This is not on me. If anything, you failed. You should have—"

A shot fired. The boy calmly holstered his weapon. "Careful, I said. Leave the Area. My employer has further use for you."

"But—"

His hand shifted to his hip and the noble fell silent.

"I will handle plan C. You may leave now."

The noble rushed to grab his coat, and Shirley clenched her jaw in unease. The entire time she had been there, the noble had been in utter control.

He hesitated at the door. "May I ask, who foiled the plan? Was it Bismarck?"

"No one. The men were more well disciplined than expected. We anticipated the boy causing problems, but apparently the Emperor broke him to heel. He behaved himself."

"I see," the noble whispered and slipped out the door. Half of the guards followed him.

"You'll behave yourself for me, won't you?" the boy asked, his breath tickling her ear.

She screeched in shock. He had been across the room!

"Take off your jacket."

"What are you going to do to me?"

"I gave you an order. Last warning."

With shaking hands, she began to unbutton her coat. He offered her a vest. In her panic, she hadn't even noticed him retrieving it.

She slipped it on, and he leaned forward, snapping a buckle shut.

"Put on your coat."

What is it, she wanted to ask. Her tongue refused to move. She was petrified.

At least the noble had been predictable. His elegance and poise had felt familiar.

This boy was wrong. His eyes were too cold. His voice was too even, with pauses between each word that were slightly too long. He scared the posh noble.

Somehow, she got her arms through the sleeves. The buttons proved impossible. With her tremors, she could barely hold them, much less slip them through tiny button holes.

With a sigh, the boy leaned in and fixed her jacket over the vest. He turned to the guards, and she watched in amazement as he slowly drew his gun while they continued to watch unperturbed.

In the time it took her to inhale, the three guards were dead.

"Get up," the boy ordered. He grabbed her arm, pulling her to the door. "He wanted to be gentlemanly about it, to convince you."

The air outside was dreadfully warm. The vest cocooned her chest, intent on roasting her alive.

"Don't bother trying to run. You won't like the consequences." His grip on her arm was like a set of manacles, securing her at his side, uncomfortably close. "Don't worry. You're returning to your precious school."

She didn't trust him. It had to be a lie.

As they walked along the street, she desperately wished that someone would stop them, ask if she was alright. Her tongue sanded the upper crest of her mouth as she tried to figure out what she could say, what she could scream.

Surely, someone would help.

Yet the first person they met walked by without a second glance. Then the second and the third.

By the time they turned into a busy street, she had begun to despair over how their eyes always glossed over them, as if they were ghosts.

"Please," she whispered. She had to be louder. She would make them notice.

He yanked her sharply to the side as a crazed smile split his face. "Listen," he shouted, "I have taken her hostage!"

What in the world… Why would he…

No one responded. Their eyes continued to pass over them as if they were nobodies.

"Keep walking," he ordered.

They were nearing Ashford Academy now although the streets were packed with people. They didn't even complain as the boy rudely shoved past them.

It was like… they weren't there.

Yellow police tape cordoned off the side street, and the officers said nothing as they slipped under the tape.

Her captor's steps slowed, and he carefully observed their surroundings.

"This is as far as I go." He let go, pulling out a letter from inside his jacket. "You're almost back, congratulations. Tell them, you have an urgent message for Prince Lelouch's eyes only."

Her hands were surprisingly steady as she accepted the letter. Was he really going to let her go?'

"Give him a hug as well; he must've been worried sick."

"Why?" she asked quietly, hating how tiny her voice sounded.

The question seemed to please him. "This is your mission. Get in there. See Prince Lelouch. Give him the letter. Hug him. And most importantly, do not breathe a word of what you heard or learned today." He leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I will know if you disobey. And if you do, I will kill you and then your mother while she sobs at your funeral."

"I understand," she grit out. She had been terrified. Now, she was too angry to be scared.

Her mother had suffered enough.

He patted her shoulders. "Good."

Seething with rage, she kept her eyes focused on him as he turned around. She wanted to look away and forget this entire ideal, but he had threatened her mother.

The police guards didn't even notice as he brushed past them, stealing a sandwich out of one of their hands.

If only she could do something—

Wait.

Before she had been out numbered and too terrified to button her own jacket. Now, she was free and her heart pounded steadily.

The boy could attack her anywhere. She would not see him coming. He was a threat—to her, her family, and Lelouch.

She drew her gun and aimed. Her hands held steady.

A life. She was about to take a life again. This time, there was no panic. She knew exactly what she was doing.

Her father's hands rested on her shoulders. His voice echoed in her mind, correcting her posture.

He had drilled it into her head countless times: one only aimed to kill.

Her finger rested on the trigger. Her target was still in sight. He would soon be in the crowd of people.

If she missed—

She couldn't think of that. She had one chance. The question was if she could intentionally take a life.

She remembered how terrified she had been standing on the edge of her first high dive. The water so far below her. But she had already walked out on the platform. Her toes were curled over the edge. It was cold.

The moment she had taken aim, the outcome had been inevitable.

She had taken a deep breath and ju—

The gun recoiled. She was falling. She had taken the leap. The water was approaching.

The boy hit the ground.

Everyone turned; someone screamed; the police officers were rushing towards her.

Her father had congratulated her as she climbed out of the pool. She hadn't remembered hitting the water. He smiled at her wildly, praising her and insisting she posed for a photo.

He was dead. Crushed beneath rubble.

The boy was dead. The woman was dead.

Shirley was a murderer.

She spun around and emptied her stomach.

"Hands on your head," the officers ordered.

She squeezed her eyes shut. The rage was gone. Whatever kept everyone from noticing the boy was gone. All that was left was blind panic.

She struggled out of her jacket, vaguely noticing the officers frankly shouting at each other and falling back.

She needed to get the vest off. It was too hot. She couldn't breathe.

The buckle was stuck.

A knightmare landed by her. She struggled with the buckle.

Why wouldn't it come off!

What was she doing? She had killed him! What if he had accomplices. Her mother… She needed to make sure her mother was safe.

"Shirley Fenette?" a deep male voice asked.

She looked up, staring at the grim expression of the Knight of One.

"I told them no," she explained.

"I am sure you did. Lelouch is very worried for you."

"You don't have to lie."

He sighed. "I need you to sit down."

She sat. He wasn't nice to Lulu, but he wasn't going to kill him.

"Do you know what you are wearing?"

She shook her head.

"Swallow this," he ordered, pushing a pill into her mouth. "These men are going to help take it off, do you understand? It's important that you remain calm. Let them help you."

She nodded. She wasn't stupid. Her eyes felt so heavy.

"You need to stay awake. It's very important."

Dismayed, she watched the knight retreat as a group of people in heavy suits rushed forward. They took the gun out of her hands.

She felt strangely calm. Her limbs felt limp. Something about this was incredibly wrong, but she didn't have the energy to fight anymore. She was so tired.

"Hey, eyes open. Stay with us. I have a daughter, you know. She's two years younger than you. Her hair is red too."

"That's nice," she murmured. Sir Waldstein had told her to stay calm.

"Yeah, smart kiddo too. I'm hoping I'll have saved enough to send her next year to Ashford Academy. It's a good school, you know."

"I like it."

"I'm glad. Will you promise me to show her around? She's a bit shy."

"Okay." She would've done it anyway. She liked helping the new students.

"Got a wire here. Your end?"

"Clasp was a bust. Nasty little fucker here."

"Bad word," Shirley mumbled.

"Just trying to keep her calm. We have no idea what set this thing off."

"And I was hating Zero for all the overtime. This is demented."

"Hey, Zero is paying my daughter's tuition."

"I'm sure he would if you asked," Shirley told him sincerely.

"Sure, he would, kid."

"I'll tell him you're nice and that he should. He owes me. He killed my father."

"I think it's best you stay away from terrorists for now. On two, Mark. You ready?"

"Ready. By the grace of the Emperor… One. Two!"

"Saw my life flashing before my eyes there. Moving to the next one."

"Zero doesn't like the Emperor."

"I can imagine, kid."

"Understatement if I ever heard one."

"I love my father; he was so good." She nodded, feeling tears run down her cheeks. "I miss him. He was always there, helping me. Maybe that's why Zero hates his so much, because he left him."

"Yeah… And why do you know so much about Zero?"

"Because he told me. He's so scared."

"Don't bother making sense of it. Her wires are all crossed with the shock and meds talking. No idea what he gave her. Still not as strange as that one guy who insisted he was Ra"

"He did," she said petulantly. "Except he doesn't know that I know. I saw his face."

"As long as it keeps the kid awake. We have no idea what sets it off. This is going to haunt my nightmares for months if we survive this. Although Zero's daddy issues might give me something to laugh about after."

Shirley frowned. "You shouldn't laugh. He's so scared because he thinks his father doesn't mean it, making him the heir."

"The heir? Oh, wait. I've got it. Blue. It's fucking blue, right?"

"I think… you're right. By the grace of the Emperor, let it be over. On two."

"One, two."

"His father announced it to everyone. It wasn't very nice," Shirley complained. "Zero said we're targets now. I didn't believe him, but they… they took me."

"Fuck yeah! It worked. Wait. Did she just say…"

"Kid… Zero is an Eleven…"

She blinked, allowing them to guide her arms and take off the vest. The world was very wobbly. "Japanese. He says that always, but he's Britannian."

"Zero is not the Crown Prince."

"He hates that." She groaned. "Who took the sun?"

Waldstein sighed. "You're seeing the nurse before Prince Lelouch."

"Um, sir?"

"Yes?"

"She's really high and saying things… and well, sir… It could cause rumors and she doesn't have any idea what she's saying of course. But well… the kid keeps talking about Zero. She's confused him with someone else."

"No, I didn't," she whined. Her eyes widened. "That's why you keep hovering! So he doesn't run off to be a terrorist again. He always told us it was gambling. Which is also bad!"

"I… see." Bismarck's arms wrapped around her, and she giggled as she flew through the sky. He was so warm. "Your cape is nice."

"I need child pills apparently," he grumbled. "We'll talk about how the hell you managed to figure that out when you're not high as a kite."

"I'm flying!"

Villetta carefully pushed open the door, peering into Zero's office. The others had insisted she should deliver him some food.

Their condescension rankled her; she was more than their maid. But to keep her cover intact, this was the role she would have to play.

"Zero?"

He didn't respond. He had a tendency to do that. Human interaction did not come easily to him.

As she set down the plate on the table, he erupted into deep laughter.

"Sir?"

"Such a fascinating mind, so loud, so cruel, so full of compassion." Zero laughed again. "He treasures it so much, so I will take it from him."

Warily, Villetta retreated from the room. This Zero was downright creepy. His cackles followed her down the hall.

Chapter Text

A weighted blanket draped over her shoulders as she bore the merciless inspection by the doctors. Gradually, she became more aware of her surroundings and the cold, harsh gaze of the Knight of One hovering at her side. She remembered him vaguely, merely the faint impression that he had been there.

Impressions. Not memories. That was what composed the last hour. Even now, she couldn't tell you what happened five minutes ago.

She had murdered someone.

Her heart rate picked up again to the concern of the doctors nearby. They kept talking, and the words washed over her without meaning.

One of them had a refined accent, and she hated him instinctively.

None of them felt safe.

She wondered if she would ever feel safe again. Classmates of hers had targeted her. One lured her outside and willfully surrendered her to such a cruel man.

Finally, the Knight of One tired of their endless ministrations, and stomped forward. His hand wrapped around her wrist, pulling her upright.

She flinched. It did not matter. He served the Emperor; no one could stop him.

As she was dragged behind him, away from the outraged cries of the doctors, she wondered what would happen to her now.

Sir Waldstein most certainly did not care for her. He had no concern for the students, not even Lelouch who he was supposed to be protecting.

Had she made it all this way simply to die at his hand for being an inconvenience?

They passed through the Ashford gates and were greeted by a swarm of soldiers.

There, in the middle, stood Lelouch. He was alive, unharmed.

He hadn't come for her; she was thankful. He hadn't even tried, while she killed for him. Twice.

Her chest burned, bile clawing its way up. Two bodies, slain by her own hand for someone who wouldn't look at her twice.

"Shirley." His voice, frazzled as it only ever was for Nunnally, cut through the distorted haze. "You're alive."

She blinked, not comprehending how he was standing before her, staring into her eyes, when moments ago he was back there, surrounded by the soldiers.

His warm arms wrapped around her, holding her like she held him after her father died.

Because of him, her family was torn apart and she was held hostage, yet he dared to comfort her.

She had kissed him, the lips of her father's murderer. It had been wrong to take advantage of him, to use his pity for her own benefit.

But what did it say about him that he would accept it when he knew what he had done?

She wanted to push him away, flee from his embrace into the security of her room. She wanted her mother.

She didn't move, soaking up the novel moment. Lelouch was always reserved; he rarely initiated.

Maybe, he hadn't even asked for her because he had been petrified. Maybe there was a reason why her innocent father had to die for his ambitions. Maybe… Maybe…

She would never know unless she found the courage to ask, and how was she supposed to do that when asking him out on a date was beyond her?

Slowly, Lelouch withdrew, but his attention remained fixed on her. He had never looked at her like that before, as if she was all that mattered in the world.

For so long, she had desired his attention, but now nothing could ever become of it.

It was cruel.

"We should see Rivalz. He was worried sick about you."

She wanted to ask if he was as well, but something was lodged in her throat. She could barely breathe, much less speak.

"There is something for us to first discuss in private," Sir Waldstein interrupted.

"Can it not wait? Shirley has just been through an ordeal—"

"It concerns her," Sir Waldstein said. "I will put on some tea."

Lelouch frowned, his attention to her finally waning. "I'm sorry. Undoubtedly, he wants to debrief you, but I imagine that is the furthest thing from your mind right now. Should I send a message to your mother, telling her you're alright?"

Shirley nodded.

"This should have never happened. I'm sorry."

He didn't promise it would never happen again.

Inside Lelouch's quarters above the clubhouse, Sir Bismarck had set out three teacups and a box of crackers.

Watching a brusque military man prepare the tea with a delicate hand boggled her mind. She wondered if she was still in that room, trapped in a vivid dream.

"Sit, Your Highness," Sir Waldstein ordered. He crossed his arms, glaring at her. "You too, girl."

Lelouch huffed, pulling out a chair for her. "Would it kill you to be gentle? Even Suzaku has more tact."

"Tact is a waste of time."

"Not when she just went through a traumatic experience," Lelouch hissed.

"If she is incapable of answering, there are drugs which can be of assistance."

"You're not drugging Shirley!"

She shivered. The Knight of One would claim what he wanted, regardless of her desires. He was the Emperor's representative; she couldn't even object.

"I'll—" she tried to say. The words lodged in her throat painfully, caught in between tension and phlegm. She coughed and eagerly sipped the tea. "I'll talk."

"See," Sir Waldstein said snidely. Any amusement in his face vanished as he focused on her. "How do you know about Zero?"

To her left, Lelouch startled, spilling tea over his lap. He didn't make a sound, returning the shaking cup to the saucer. "Why would you ask her that?"

"Don't interrupt, boy. Answer me, girl. I am finding treason concerningly common in Area Eleven."

"He killed her father," Lelouch snapped, jumping to his feet. He offered her a hand. "You don't have to listen to this, Shirley."

Sir Waldstein glared. "Victory has made you impudent. Our deal does not cover this, but it is only out of consideration for it that I am giving her an opportunity to explain instead of arresting her. Sit down."

Lelouch sat, his wrists resting on top of the table as his fingers slowly curled in, dragging the tablecloth with them.

"Shirley Fennette, how did you learn about Zero?"

Looking at the Knight of One, she knew that he somehow knew about what she had done. How, she couldn't fathom.

Her tongue skirted over her teeth, noting the stringent powdery taste too persistent to be washed away by tea.

Could she not remember what happened in that hour because of shock or because he had given her something?

"I am not a patient man," he warned.

"I don't—I was—" How could she even begin to explain when she didn't understand it herself? Her gaze drifted to Lelouch who seemed to be carved out of stone. "I didn't want to believe it."

"Believe what?" Lelouch asked, his voice raspy.

His ignorance infuriated her. "That you killed my father!"

His eyes widened dramatically, and he turned away from her, focusing all his attention on his tea.

Sir Waldstein sighed. "But how did you learn this?"

She wanted to ask him if the Emperor knew, but of course he did. The Knight of One didn't like Lelouch, that was obvious. He would've never hid any information that could be used to discredit him.

When had he learned the truth? Was it before the announcement?

There was no time to ask questions, demand clarification. Any further delay, and she had no doubt he'd drag her into a dark cell.

"After Narita," she began, voice thick with grief, "they asked me—asked me to identify my fa-father. And, well…"

Shirley squeezed her eyes shut. If only she had ignored her. Then she would still be alive, and Shirley wouldn't be here, knowing a secret that could spell her death.

"An officer, she noticed my wallet, and asked to talk to me. She said—" Her voice failed her again, and she stared beseechingly at Lelouch. If only…

"She accused him of being Zero then?" Sir Walstein asked, his accusing eyes focused on Lelouch. "How careless were you, boy?"

Grabbing the lie would exonerate her, but Shirley shook her head. She had sinned. Maybe this was her punishment. "She said he was connected to terrorists. I didn't want to believe it. I thought maybe he was being blackmailed or landed with the wrong crowd again. It's not the first time his gambling turned sour."

Bismarck's expression somehow became more disapproving as he stared at Lelouch. It was the look of an exasperated parent who knew you could do better.

She pressed her lips together, fighting against the urge to cry. She missed her dad's disapproving frown whenever she showed him her math test. He'd always tell her that she could do better if she actually studied the night before.

Why had she never listened?

"What happened after?" Sir Waldstein interrupted. "You were suspicious."

"I was scared!" Shirley wrung her hand together. "Nothing good happens when the military investigates someone, and it had to be a misunderstanding because he would— I thought he wouldn't hurt someone, someone innocent, I mean."

To her side, Lelouch refused to meet her gaze, focusing entirely on stirring his tea. He hadn't taken a single sip.

"I wanted to prove her wrong," Shirley mumbled. "So I followed Lelouch. Or tried to."

His head snapped up, and she suddenly had his undivided attention. "What were you thinking? You could've gotten hurt!"

"What were you thinking!" she screamed. "You told the world you killed Prince Clovis. Everyone wanted your head! If you didn't come back one day, what would've happened to Nunnally? To us?"

"Focus," Sir Waldstein instructed.

She swallowed. "I lost him by the docks."

"You were there," Lelouch whispered. "I thought I imagined it…"

"The white knightmare was there and then… Zero crashed," she whispered. "I saw him and—"

"I'm sorry," Lelouch whispered.

She squeezed her eyes shut as tears rolled free. Her voice was no longer her own. "I wanted to kill him, for my father. I picked up the gun, and then the mask fell off."

"So you've kept his secret since then," Lord Waldstein said. "You didn't report the identity of Britannia's number one public enemy."

Shirley shuddered. She was never going to see her mother again, was she? Treason. She had committed treason from the moment she pulled that trigger.

"Whose blood was it then?" Lelouch asked.

"The officer… she had followed me. She saw you, kept talking about turning you in, having you executed. I—" The tears wouldn't stop, and she gasped for air between her sobs.

"Shirley…"

"I killed her!" Shirley screamed. He dared to pretend to be sympathetic but he understood nothing. She was the one who took a life and had to live with the guilt, not him. "You killed my father, but I killed for you. I killed for you. And I did it again. And I hate it. I hate it. My dad is gone because of you. He never hurt anyone. He got us tickets to the opera! He wanted me to be happy! But I'm not. How am I supposed to be happy! I hate you!"

She relished the pain in his eyes, so he could finally experience a fraction of her agony.

The feeling of shame was suffocating.

Her chair toppled backwards, and she rubbed her eyes with her sleeve. She couldn't bear another moment of looking at Lelouch's face, the strange mixture of pity and self-loathing. Or at Sir Waldstein, who had drugged her and pulled the truth out of her.

They didn't stop her as she fled through the door and into Nunnally's room. Falling into the bed, she screamed into the pillow.

Who was she? She couldn't even recognize herself anymore. A murder. A terrible friend. Someone who had enjoyed hurting another.

She hated him. She loved him.

For that, she despised herself.

What was Lelouch supposed to say to such a confession? He wished he could go back to Narita and spare Shirley from the pain. He had never meant to hurt her.

He had done so anyway, not once, but thrice.

"I should…" Lelouch sighed. "I should talk to her."

"That is not advisable," Bismarck said. "She is emotionally unstable enough to do something she will regret."

"She killed for me." Lelouch was still trying to wrap his mind around that. Sweet, innocent Shirley had deliberately taken a life. Where had she even learned to aim a gun?

"That does not mean she will not hurt you. I will finish her interrogation later without you. We need to know who the officer is and check whether she told anyone her suspicions. There is also the matter of her kidnapping."

Lelouch crossed his arms. "I am not leaving her alone with you." He would not let her be ripped away, like Kallen. How Bismarck would rule on Shirley's treason in his defense was unclear. "And… there is another problem."

Bismarck raised an eyebrow.

"My gun was missing when I woke up… There was no body."

"If she was alive, she would have filed a report of her suspicions."

"Corpses don't wander off and Cornelia would've investigated the death of a plain clothed officer near a battlefield."

"Then we have a leak. You could've taken more care with your double life."

"It's not like anyone would've believed a seventeen year old was Zero." He crossed his arms. "And bar the Knight of the Rounds suddenly showing up and securing the school, Nunnally and I could've disappeared at a moment's notice."

"How fortunate that your father had the foresight to send me to collect you instead of asking it of Cornelia," Bismarck said dryly.

His father had banished him; he should know nothing about him… Yet, he knew him well enough to send the Knight of One.

Had it been C.C. who guided his actions?

"The military never learned I was Zero… You want to keep it that way."

"Do not leak it," Bismarck warned. "Damage control would be annoying, and you would not like the consequences."

"I meant… how did the Emperor know? I was not that obvious. I can understand him checking where his exiled son disappeared to, but—"

"That is for him to tell you."

Lelouch frowned, unsure of what to make of that answer. Either the truth was something he couldn't be trusted with yet or Bismarck was simply too loyal to reveal anything without explicit permission.

It was too early to tell, especially with how Bismarck had felt off since he returned to assist with the attack. At first, Lelouch had written it off for professionalism, but even now…

"You're calmer."

"And you are not trying to bite my head off, Your Highness."

"I want justice," Lelouch answered. "For the attack… for my mother."

The man smiled bitterly. "I do too, Lelouch. She was so proud when you were born. She brought you with her when she had to train. She wanted to be back in the knightmare as fast as possible, but she didn't want to leave you behind either." He chuckled weakly, and there was real grief in his eyes. "Women were new to knighthood then, and some of the Rounds weren't too keen, especially having her return as a married woman, a mother. She made them eat those words."

Lelouch took a sip of his cold tea to excuse his silence. If he were to say anything, his longing would creep into his voice, betraying his weakness. These were the stories that he had been cut off from, that were erased from history.

Begrudgingly, he had to admit that Bismarck was not a man made for deception. He saw it, recognized it, but he would always prefer to attack a problem with force.

His mother had been like that, making her an outlier at court.

"I'm not like her," Lelouch finally whispered. By necessity and habit, he attacked every problem from the side.

"No…" Bismarck sipped his own tea, radiating awkwardness.

Lelouch wanted to press him for answers, demand why he had abandoned her memory like everyone else after the assassination. He was the Knight of One; he could've demanded justice.

The Emperor wouldn't have refused him as easily as a little upstart prince.

"Wherever she is, she is proud of you," Bismarck said.

"I didn't take you for a religious man."

Bismarck stood abruptly. "I will be back to interrogate Fenette later. I need to check on the autopsy and review security."

"Wait," Lelouch ordered as the man pushed open the door. Miraculously, he did. "What will happen to Shirley?"

Bismarck's shoulders relaxed. "She knows too much."

"I won't have you hurt her or take her away, like Kallen."

"Your friend is fine. She is undoubtedly enjoying the superior simulators available in Pendragon. Fennette would join her, safe from any eavesdropping ears."

"A hostage, you mean," Lelouch said. He was such a fool to relax his guard.

Bismarck rolled his eyes. "She would be back as soon as the Emperor found some time to have a chat and impress on her the importance of never mentioning it again."

"Absolutely not."

"Then geass her." Bismarck raised an eyebrow. "You can do that, make her forget."

Could he? His geass did interfere with memory from his short experiments, but he had never tried to sever part of a person's life from them before.

That instinct which drove his geass, a faulty one given the fiasco with Kallen, suggested it would work.

"I.." If Lelouch said no, there would be no more negotiation. "I will think about it. She'll remain in the clubhouse until I decide."

"You hesitate? You had no qualms subjecting hundreds of men's wills."

Exactly how aware were they of his geass?

"They were my enemy."

"Please, one's enemies are always shifting. She could destroy you, so her knowledge makes you her enemy." Bismarck paused. "Do you wish to marry her?"

Lelouch blinked. Then again. They had just been discussing his geass, then enemies, now… marriage? "What?"

"Pardon," Bismarck corrected irritably. "Mind your manners, Your Highness. You heard me."

"I don't understand… She did like me, I guess, but you heard her. She hates me." Lelouch shrugged, hating how the man's disbelieving look was clearly questioning his intelligence. "There's no reason to marry her either. I doubt she wants me to repay her like that."

"Then is there someone who you wish to marry?"

"No? I never thought that far ahead. I figured I would be dead by the time it mattered."

Bismarck glanced upwards, then wearily shook his head. Without even a parting remark, he slammed the door shut. His heavy footsteps descended down the stairs.

Lelouch snorted. A reminder of his less than stellar childhood was all that it took to exhaust him. Did it make him uncomfortable that noble privilege was so easily discarded? Or was it guilt?

Perhaps, he had found another weapon against his jailor.

Reviewing the conversation, he frowned. The abrupt transition in topic had thrown him off, and if it hadn't been for C.C.'s odd remark, he would've thought nothing of it.

Like C.C., Bismarck had referred to his mother in present tense…

Chapter Text

The floor was unforgiving to his knees as Bismarck knelt before the monitor. His eye itched, having just found time in the last hour to stitch it shut again.

He wondered if he should've bothered. Chaos was lurking in every corner, and the few seconds needed to unveil his geass could be the difference between life and death. Yet, he had sealed the eye shut in honor of Marianne's "death" because with her passing he had no equal anymore.

Fuck. Being around the young prince was making him nostalgic. He missed her, the real her, not the shadow lurking in Anya.

"Waldstein," Charles greeted, his visage engulfing the entire screen. He was pissed. "Where were you when the attack began?"

Lelouch had offered to corroborate a decent excuse, but it was still a lie. Charles loathed being lied to.

Bismarck would always be absolutely loyal to Charles, but in order to protect the young prince, he needed his trust as well. Rescuing the young girl and allowing her to remain had done much in lowering the boy's defenses.

All it would take was for Charles to relate a too personal detail back to Lelouch for their unacknowledged truce to crumble.

He hated being in this position, balancing duty against loyalty.

"I was in the Viceroy Palace to investigate some intelligence."

"Sensitive enough that you couldn't send anyone else?" Charles demanded, his eyes narrow. "I know what you think of this assignment: babysitting. I had hoped that as my sworn knight you would still take a task I entrusted you seriously. A geass user sneaked through your security."

Bismark bowed his head lower. "Yes, Your Majesty. I apologize. I failed in my duties."

"If you were anyone else…" Charles coughed, and Bismarck looked up instinctively. "I need you, Bismarck. I need you to do this."

"I fucked up, Charles. I know that. It won't happen again. I swear."

Charles collapsed into a chair, causing the camera to swing wildly. "Why should I trust that? I could send Alstreim. She would be ecstatic."

Bismarck grimaced. "She's… not thinking right, you know that. Plus, given her age and memory problems, Prince Lelouch would see it as an insult. She is also not suited to secrecy, and he will give her plenty to be outraged about and many questions which she will struggle to answer."

"Questions?" Charles cocked his head. "So he is acclimating then?"

"He wonders about his mother."

"Ah. It is only natural, I suppose. And what have you told him?"

Too little and too much. It would be best to say nothing until he learned the entire truth, but the boy deserved to know how brightly his mother had shone for others.

"Brief mentions of our time together as part of the Rounds. He won't be satisfied with that."

The corner of Charles's lips ticked upwards. "You could always refuse. Or do you mean to ask what you can tell him? Are you feeling guilty? Or are you growing a little fond of the so-called spoiled brat?"

Bismarck bit his tongue, refusing to rise to his goading. Maybe later, he could ask properly, but not now, when Charles was still feeding his fury.

"What of the attack?" Charles asked.

"Prince Lelouch rose to the occasion in a remarkable manner. He took control of the local forces to safely evacuate the students and lure the terrorists into a trap. He has a plan to draw out the culprit behind the attack which I have allowed although I doubt it will work."

"He impressed you?"

"Yes," Bismarck grudgingly admitted. "He has much to learn, but given he is self-taught, I know he will go far given proper tutelage and opportunity. He would've grown into a far more dangerous foe than I gave him credit for."

Charles humphed, but the anger was abating. "You thought I was a fool for choosing him. I told you he would surprise you."

"Yes, reviewing the security footage has made it clear that it is necessary to keep an eye on him at all times. The school is a madhouse, and Prince Lelouch wields the keys. He has smoke bombs in every other corridor. I doubt he exhausted all his tricks today either."

"He was always a creative child."

That was not how Bismarck would characterize it. A small group of students had nearly been cornered by the terrorists in the English wing. Apparently, the smoke bomb was flammable.

Bismarck was going to have to discuss with him whether his surprises would be a hazard in the event of a fire.

Paranoid, that was the more apt description. Distrusting, guarded, vengeful.

"There is a problem. It's why I left, ill-advised as it was," Bismarck continued. "Our surveillance of him was incomplete. There is also the matter of the year before he arrived at Ashford Academy. He may have the potential to be a great Emperor, but his hatred for Britannia is deeper than we imagined, and it's more than the animosity of a child abandoned by his father."

"He really did impress you."

"He terrifies me," Bismarck answered honestly. "My profile of him is incomplete, and my best lead is an Eleven who has willfully been hiding the boy's secret. I doubt he will be honest with me, even on pain of death. Right now, the boy's rage is targeted at the terrorists but once that resolves, I have no idea what he will do."

Charles nodded. "It does not matter as long as his sister is safe. He will not endanger the Empire if it would harm her. You should encourage Euphemia to visit more, remind him of his roots."

"It's not enough." The boy might have remarkable self-control, but the rage would slip free soon enough. "He is burning with anger, Charles. That rage has to go somewhere. If it can't, he will destroy himself. He gained the men's compliance by threatening his own safety. He will tell the world he's Zero, if he feels cornered. He's never considered a future for himself, Charles. I don't think he expected to see what would follow his rebellion."

The minutes ticked by in agonizing silence as Charles leaned back and closed his eyes to think.

Did he trust his insights? Would he take them seriously?

Bismarck knew his specialty wasn't people, but they both had seen the effects of hatred, when lies festered and grew so large that they swallowed your humanity.

It was a condition that could afflict anyone: nobles, commoners, Britannians, Numbers, and foreigners.

They had left the boy swaddled in easy comprehensible lies because sometimes the truth was too terrible to comprehend. The worst lies came when one couldn't or didn't want to understand.

They had failed.

Charles massaged his brow. "It is too late to change course. I doubt he will trust anything I will say."

Bismarck failed to suppress a snort. It went far beyond not trusting his father's word. The boy actively sought to discover malice behind every gesture.

"Let him discover things on his own," Charles commanded. "He is more likely to trust information he has to fight for than that given freely. Let him learn that C.C. was not alone in her work, and of the strangeness involved in the attack. It would've been safer for him to be unaware until it was over, but perhaps it is best for him to attain his own revenge at our side."

"I see." Redirecting the boy's anger could work. Closure would help, but if the boy glimpsed an inkling of their manipulation, it could backfire. Hatred was not logical. "May I suggest slowly loosening the restrictions on him."

"Explain."

"The student council keeps his more extreme tendencies at bay. He loses it when he's not assured of their safety. Stadtfeld's absence has been notable. I had to assure him of her safety before he shouted out every unfortunate secret."

"He is supposed to make new bonds," Charles reprimanded lightly. "He won't do that if he can fall back on old ones."

"He's hyper vigilant around his classmates. He never lets them get too close, and he won't even tell them how he is feeling. It is frankly a miracle that he relaxes around the student council, even if he never trusted them with the truth."

Bismarck had to wonder how much of Zero's attire was actually there to make him seem unapproachable. He doubted that Zero ever engaged in idle chit-chat with his men or even allowed them to stand within arm's reach of him.

"The student council won't survive Pendragon," Charles noted. "The young Ashford has a chance, but the rest are commoners without any experience in combat or politics."

The red haired girl's face flashed across his mind. After shooting to kill, twice, she was hardly new to combat. There was something commendable to her response under pressure, even if she was now spiraling.

Honestly, if she was perfectly fine afterwards, Bismarck would be worried. Stone cold killers were not ideal to have around the young prince.

"I would suggest training them. Let them enter Pendragon in the position of aides, servants, or guards, hidden out of the public's sight. If you put together a diverse entourage to greet him, they will easily slip unnoticed into them."

Yes, this would work. Already a plan was coming together. Some of them could choose to stay behind, but there was one who would leap at the opportunity: the Eleven that meant so much to Lelouch and was so dejected at being discharged from the army. He was a knightmare pilot, a good one. If Bismarck leveraged his cards right, he could turn that natural gratitude into a chance to learn more about Lelouch.

Hopefully, the Eleven was still loyal to Lelouch, even after being cruelly discarded. Bismarck suspected he was.

Charles nodded. "I will instruct our entrenched agents to float the idea forward. Lelouch will need to see the effort come from his friends, not coerced by us. He is watching your movements far too closely."

"I understand." Irritated, he wondered which of his subordinates would be willing to recruit an Eleven to the cause. That would be near impossible. On the other hand, it was far more natural for Bismarck to take an interest in the Eleven than any of his other classmates.

"For now, tell him your report went well. I am pleased by his efforts to behave in a manner befitting his title. If he continues, he will be permitted to video call Stadtfeld next weekend."

"He'll be furious," Bismarck warned. The boy wanted nothing to do with being a proper prince. "Wouldn't it be best to frame it for his part in repelling the attack? Or simply make it a concession?"

"Someone has to play his devil." There was that smile again, the one shared between Lelouch and Charles. A trap was being set, and Bismarck did not appreciate the distinct feeling of being bait. "Now, about our mysteriously revived Lord Charmant…"

Richard held the graded papers to his chest and stood before the door of his English class, counting down from ten as he tried to psyche himself up. The attack had been three days ago, with classes resuming yesterday.

Everything had been too quiet.

He had expected arrests and interrogations dragging students out of their comfortable little lives. He expected the Crown Prince Lelouch to be bundled on a plane, never to grace their campus again.

Apparently, he had attended math class yesterday.

He pushed open the door, not allowing himself to look over his class and dropped the graded reading responses on the podium.

An empty desk beckoned to him, and he finally could breathe freely.

The Crown Prince was absent today. There would be no Knight of One silently judging the merits of his lecture today either. Today, at least, he could have a peaceful class and not worry about the calamity that would inevitably befall him.

He really had been feeling sick, but even his wife agreed that taking a day off would be suspicious.

Or maybe it was more suspicious to not take a day off. Mrs. Maywater, the eldest teacher in their department, had taken yesterday off. She came back with a bottle of anti-anxiety pills that Richard kept finding his gaze drawn to.

"Mr. Barker," one of the girls asked, "can I have a note for the nurse?"

He glanced at her, judging her red eyes but physically fine appearance. She rarely caused trouble in class, which made him rather fond of her. "Is it urgent? It's not a good idea to wander the halls alone. There might be… misunderstandings."

She bit her lower lip. "No… I just… I wanted to check if Shirley is there, but the guards won't let anyone in without a note."

"That's not safe," Richard mumbled to himself. It would really be better for both of them to not draw attention to themselves, but— "I will take you after class."

He rubbed his forehead. For all that his students exasperated him, he was fond of them.

None of them were prepared for the might of the Empire to crash down on their heads. They lived comfortable lives, sheltered from the jostling of most nobles and the poverty of the masses. Ashford has been far too liberal and light handed.

He cleared his throat. "I would like to remind you of restrictions on proper reading material." Their brows furrowed. "Mr. Snider found some inappropriate pamphlets. All student printers will be off until the culprit is found."

"Who is stupid enough to print porn in the library?" someone whispered.

Richard wisely chose to pretend that he didn't hear that. If only it was something so benign.

They were hosting the Knight of One on campus and some idiot had decided to slander the Crown Prince. He only hoped that Mr. Snider had stopped it before the fool actually distributed such material.

"Under normal circumstances," Richard continued, "disciplinary actions for minor infractions would be under the student council's purview." A few students shifted with obvious guilt, and Richard marked them on the attendance sheet. "Anything major was left for the headmaster to decide. You're all smart enough to realize these aren't normal circumstances. The soldiers do not have to report infractions; they can arrest you."

The youthful confidence fled their faces. They weren't fools, just inexperienced.

"Mr. Barker?" A boy in the back raised his hands. "Is there a reason why you're saying this?"

"I passed a few soldiers on the way here annoyed about our culprit shitting in the bathroom sinks," Richard lied. "I know one of you knows who is responsible. Do me the favor of warning him before we all learn who he is because he is strung up on a post outside."

"But that's for Numbers."

"That was Prince Clovis's policy. As proper Britannians, you can plead your case. That would either be Sir Waldstein or Crown Prince Lelouch."

Amusingly, the latter's name made them gulp. Between the two, the crown prince was far more likely to actually listen.

"Now, please open your books to Act Five. I hope you have read it." Nobody met his eyes. "Seriously? We were supposed to finish this last week."

"It's not our fault. My dorm caught on fire!"

"I lost my book."

"Lelouch being a prince is distracting!"

"I was out for a baseball game."

"I'm going to marry him so who needs English anyway."

Only one of those was a valid excuse! Did they all think because something traumatic happened a few days ago he would postpone the deadline? He surveyed his students. Yes. Yes, they did.

They were going to go home to their parents and cry about how evil and strict he was.

Then the headmaster would pull him into his office to have another chat.

"You all have an extra reflection to turn in, tomorrow by noon. If your room was on fire, you may email to be excused from the assignment." He was too soft on these fools. "In the future, notify me before class if you need an extension."

Not that they would remember his words. Their brains were like sieves when it came to actual life lessons. Gossip meanwhile would be remembered forever.

"Why should I bother?" Caspian asked, his snotty tone grating on the ears. "I'll have a secretary to take care of that."

"Mister Caspian—"

"Lord Caspian," he corrected, crossing his arms.

"School policy is to dispense with noble titles."

He snorted. "You keep messing up with Lamperouge."

If Robert held his smile any longer, his teeth would fall out. "Seeing how that policy only applies to nobles, I'll exercise prudence so my head may remain attached to my body. Additionally, your father instructed me to remind you the next time you make a fuss that there are far more agreeable potential sons in this class should you continue to cause problems."

For the first time, he had the boy's full attention as his eyes blew open in panic. It was cruel to make such an announcement publicly, but Viscount McLeod had given his son every opportunity to prove worthy of his inheritance.

"You're lying!" He shook his head. "He can't disinherit me."

Fool. Had he taken the news calmly, the students wouldn't register it as a believable threat. His protests only fueled the hunger in some of his classmates' eyes. They would do anything to become nobility.

"Discuss it with your father later. Richard said. "Now, since we have dallied long enough, we shall read act five together. Who wishes to voice Hamlet?"

The following argument provided enough distraction for the young boy to pull himself together. Robert wished he could help him, but they had warned him for years.

The truth was, even if he stopped acting out in his classes, the only way for him to inherit his family estates was through his father's untimely death or marrying a young woman competent enough to impress his father.

Had Caspian's father bothered to pay attention to his lackluster heir, the boy wouldn't have become such a disappointment.

Maybe Lam—Crown Prince Lelouch had a point in his essay on worthless fathers.

Horatio and Hamlet continued the exchange, the students butchering the exchange in attempting to imbue their own dramatics.

It was a pity that Lam—Crown Prince Lelouch was absent. He had been good at modulating his tone to convey the right emotions in his readings.

The students always saw it as a treat when the opportunity arose, cajoling him to perform despite his menial protests.

"Does it not, think'st thee, stand me now upon— / He that hath kill'd my king and whored my mother," their Hamlet declared as the door swung open.

Richard raised his eyes to the ceiling, cursing himself for having chosen the play and bemoaning his lack of luck.

Crown Prince Lelouch raised an amused eyebrow. The Knight of One behind him looked furious.

"Hamlet. We're reading the last scene," he rushed to explain. He was aware of the less than kind words being used to describe the past Empress Marianne. "I apologize, I marked you as absent, Your Highness."

His stomach twisted as he glimpsed the guards behind Bismarck. Had the other shoe finally dropped? He had done nothing wrong. He had been holed up in his office reading atrocious essays on Beowulf from his other class.

Unraveling students bewildering nested clauses to award partial credit barely left him enough time to each, much less plant explosives!

"Lamperouge," Crown Prince Lelouch corrected with an easy smile as he did every other class.

With sure steps, he passed by his classmates, briefly stopping to pick up a pencil and return it to Caspian with a dangerous smile.

Richard braced for a snide comment, but thankfully his previous humiliation seemed to have imbued Caspian with some sense.

"My essay," Crown Prince Lelouch announced, dropping a way too thick stack of papers on his podium.

Richard ran his finger across the edges. "You never turn in papers early." Then he saw the title: Diseased Nations and the Rights of Kings. "Did I offend you somehow, Your Highness?"

"Lamperouge. And no, why?"

"You seem intent on giving me a heart attack, Lamperouge." Having such a paper in his office was like inviting the Domestic Bureau of Security to investigate him.

"Why not think of it as a potential priceless artifact? It shows my appreciation for you, after all these years of teaching me English."

Richard sighed. "Take a seat. I'll mark you as tardy."

"Actually, I won't be staying." The levity in Crown Prince Lelouch's eyes had vanished. "I am merely taking the opportunity to turn in my paper before I engage in official business."

Richard swallowed, preparing to argue his own innocence when he saw the boy's gaze drift to his classmates and his stomach violently clenched.

With deadly confidence, their future Emperor walked between the desks to corner one of the boys Richard had marked as suspicious earlier.

It had to be the pamphlets. Mr. Sharpe hadn't destroyed all the copies. It couldn't be because of the attack; none of his students would engage in such awful violence… except their crown prince.

"I do love the free press, don't you, Richard?"

Richard flinched, but the crown prince wasn't looking at him. No, he was still looking at the boy. Having a common name was a pain.

"I-I didn't do anything wrong," his student stuttered. Why was he denying it? He should be on his knees begging for forgiveness. He had been caught and royals weren't merciful.

"Slandering the royal family is a serious crime. We took history last year together. I know we covered that, and what the punishment could be."

"I didn't say anything untrue!"

Richard stepped forward, "Your Highness… Must we do this here?"

"I apologize for interrupting your class, but unfortunately, he did a little more than spread lies."

The boy shook his head frankly, realizing the extent of his folly. "No. I swear I didn't. I shouldn't have written about your mother, but that's it. I'm sorry, Your Highness. I swear. I won't do it again."

"Now, why should I trust you when you're still lying to me?"

"B-But, that's the truth!"

Crown Prince Lelouch scoffed. "You and your friends interviewed Shirley the day of the attack."

"But… I had nothing to do with that!"

A show. This was a show. Someone had taken Shirley hostage, the crown prince's friend, and he now needed a show of force to dissuade anyone else from trying a similar scheme.

"I have multiple witnesses saying you and your friends chased her out of her dorm. She disappeared right after that."

The boy was shaking. There was no way he had anything to do with the attack, but innocence didn't matter.

"I-I didn't know. I swear. We didn't want to hurt her. We're not like that!"

Crown Prince Lelouch stepped back, idly sitting down on Caspian's desk. "You may take him, Bismarck."

The Knight of One violently wrenched the boy's hands behind him. His stitched eye gave his assessing look a particularly sinister quality. "I will only say this once. If anyone says or writes an ill word regarding Empress Marianne, I will kill you."

Crown Prince Lelouch cocked his head, looking puzzled as the Knight of One dragged his captive away.

Information on Empress Marianne was so hard to find. Had she been close to the Knight of One?

"Your Highness, is Shirley alright?" the girl from before asked. "She's not dead is she!"

For a moment, Crown Prince Lelouch's face softened. "She's recovering from the shock of being strapped to a bomb. She will be alright."

Horrified looks greeted that declaration. Strangely, Caspian looked quite ill. He must've liked her.

Richard took a fortifying breath. He had sworn to Ashford that he would do his best to protect the students, although he had never imagined it would mean dealing with royalty.

"Your Highness," he began, "I beg you, have mercy on them. They're young fools. You don't—They can learn."

"What's the punishment for slander?" a boy asked from the back.

Crown Prince Lelouch smirked. "Fifteen years in prison, unless it is against the royal family, in which case blasphemy laws apply. Of course, if it is part of a coordinated effort to infringe on succession or to incite rebellion, then it is considered treason. The courts tend to disagree in such cases over whose jurisdiction it is and therefore the appropriate punishment. If it's blasphemy, then it's execution by fire. If it's treason, then the judges argue over how creative they should be."

His soft words held the attention of the entire room. They were terrified. Richard was terrified.

Trembling, he knelt on the ground and pressed his forehead against the cool tiles. "Your Highness, you know he wasn't capable of being involved in something like this. Please, have mercy on him. He is a child."

"When do we stop being children, Mr. Barker?" the crown prince whispered. "The Knight of One isn't pleased with the trash he and his friends printed. I would need evidence to redirect him to another target, the one behind the attack. You have until Friday at noon, then my hands are tied."

So that was what he was after, but what information could any of the students possibly know?

"Someone in this school, let the terrorists in," the crown prince revealed. He pushed himself off his desk, briefly patting Caspian on the back. "Even if you weren't responsible for letting the terrorists in, someone had to have seen something and neglected to report it. Consider until Friday an amnesty period. Afterwards, you will be charged with obstructing an official investigation."

With that final warning and threat, the crown prince left the room. He had succeeded in planting the seeds of distrust. Each and every one of them now knew what it meant to go against the Empire.

Ten seconds later, Caspian dashed to the trash can and vomited his lunch.

As Richard slowly climbed to his feet and massaged his aching knees, he noted bitterly that the peace of the school had been destroyed.

They would leave his class filled with angry accusations, desperate to save themselves. Everyone would be guilty.

This was why Richard never wanted to go near the mainland. Such a political environment was toxic, destroying year long friendships in the pursuit of power and survival.

He should've chosen The Crucible for their unit.

Chapter Text

There were advantages to being forgotten; it afforded Nunnally far more mobility than her brother. The guards barely checked to ascertain that she was in her room, and with loyal Sayoko at her side, she finally had someone who would act upon her desires.

Her brother could remain busy, cocooned in the suffocating embrace of their father's men, never alone, not even with her. If only his well deserved time in the spotlight didn't come at such a tremendous cost.

The board had been set and each one of them had become a carefully considered piece, even the ever loyal Bismarck. Did her father have a role for her in this game?

Or did he see her as unworthy of even participating, as his many speeches seemed to suggest?

It stung that he had still not deigned to speak to her. If she could only have the opportunity to ask her own questions, judge his tone of voice with the clarity of her own ears, then perhaps, she could finally glimpse his vision.

"They won't notice?" Nunnally asked as Sayoko's too soft footsteps approached.

Her warm hand clasped hers, and barely loud enough to be heard, she said, "If they ask, we will tell them we were in the gardens and not one could prove otherwise."

"What are you?" Nunnally whispered because that confidence was far beyond what she would expect of a bodyguard assigned by Ashford.

"I am yours, Nunnally-no kimi," she whispered in Japanese. "I will be your sword 'till the end of times."

Nunnally's chest clenched, and she withdrew her hand, overwhelmed by such incredible sincerity. She had never believed Sayoko would betray them, despite her brother's frantic worries, yet to expect more felt presumptuous. Sayoko was merely a constant in their life, the strong oak tree that would withstand every storm.

She had also avoided the question.

"Then we shall go," Nunnally ordered. Whatever secrets their protector held could wait. Sayoko had never pried into their affairs.

Sometimes, Nunnally wondered if that flutter of affection for her meant she was betraying her mother.

Going outside of the campus was like attending a street performance of experimental music. Where before there was a steady and constant high pitched thrum of chatter, low uneven rumbles characterized the city. Discordant elements blended together, turning chaos into regularity.

Sometimes, she imagined herself living in this chaos, recognizing the world by the plentiful landmarks of putrid stenches, storefront jingles, and regular lamp posts.

"This way," Sayoko bid, trusting her to follow the sound of her voice. "Are you sure about this?"

"No," Nunnally admitted, but her father had promised the throne as part of his game, and she would do her part to ensure her brother received it. He had sacrificed so much for her and deserved to get something back. "But it is necessary."

Sayoko hummed, displeased, but kept her silence as they entered the building. An old rickety elevator brought them downstairs, and Nunnally tapped her fingers anxiously on the edge of the joystick.

"I am here," Sayoko reassured, her dress swishing strangely. "They will not harm you."

Nunnally grinned, ignoring the knot of anxiety slowly tightening around her neck. She could do this.

If the Emperor of Britannia decided to play a game with you, it didn't matter how well one played. The Emperor controlled the board; he decided the victor.

They exited into a room buzzing with the sound of dying electrical lights. The pipes behind the walls sputtered and gurgled. One side was strangely muffled, suggesting furniture or people.

"It's clear," a man said from ahead. His English was far too carefully articulated for a native speaker. "They came alone."

"Kaguya," Nunnally demanded, rolling forward. "Let us discuss terms as you suggested."

The muffled edge moved, and Kaguya laughed as she stepped forward. "You are quite the demanding princess. I would say agreeing to my terms like that was rather foolish."

Her voice was too rounded, relaxed, for it to be a threat, but Sayoko shifted regardless, and a small quiet chime of metal rang beneath her dress.

"Is it?" Nunnally asked. "I'd slit my throat before letting you turn me into a hostage against my brother, and then all his rage would turn against the Japanese resistance. All that goodwill he has for your people, gone."

"Nunnally," Sayoko hissed.

"Did you come to talk or entrap me?" Kaguya asked. "You should know, plenty of Britannian agents have conspired to frame me for treason and twist my hand into obedience."

"I don't need you for that if that was my goal." Nunnally sniffed. "It's rather obvious that Kirihara heads the mysterious Kyoto group."

Metal screeched, and Nunnally ducked her hand, throwing up her arms and hoping the bracers Sayoko had sown in would be enough. Saying that had perhaps been too reckless.

A heavy thud hit the floor.

"Well, it seems you removed a spy from my entourage," Kaguya said lightly, her footsteps coming closer. "And that your attendant is much more than she looks. How in the world did you get one of the Shinozaki on your payroll?"

Nunnally forced a smile, hoping it appeared mysterious instead of painfully confused. She couldn't hear the man breathing. Sayoko had killed him in the time it took for her to duck.

They desperately needed a more candid conversation, but not now, not here.

"Had you mentioned that…" Kaguya mumbled before clearing her throat, her voice becoming much more chipper. "So important things first, is my dear cousin still alive? Or has he met the pointy end of the Viceroy's sword?"

Nunnally snorted. "He's been moping ever since Lelouch figured out that he could discharge people. Honestly, you would think the world ended, and instead of apologizing to Lelouch for lying, he complains to me about how unfair it is." She crossed her arms. "He lied to me too."

"Oh?"

Nunnally paused, then shrugged. She was in a much too disadvantageous position to afford being stingy with information. "He was a knightmare pilot."

"That's… most unexpected," Kaguya murmured. "Well, it seems I have something to thank your brother for, but throwing my support behind him is problematic. The Japanese resistance is buoyed by hope."

"Because of Zero."

"Yes, because of Zero who has been unusually quiet despite the extraordinary occasion."

There was a question there which Nunnally was terrified to broach. Her brother's passion and hatred had always run deep, and he had been so busy as of late.

"I think Lelouch admires him," Nunnally said, letting her unease bleed through. "He killed Clovis, though. That doesn't allow for much room in negotiation."

Kaguya shifted, her shoes scraping against the floor. "I know he was your brother, as well. I'm sorry."

A painful stone lodged in her throat.

"I am sympathetic, Nunnally. I live in a cage myself, bound both by Japan and Britannia. If I lean too far to one way, the other side will strangle me. There is simply not much I can do. Risking my neck for unsubstantiated promises…"

"What about privately?" Nunnally cut in. "Of all the local newspapers, only one speaks of my brother favorably. You're not connected to us; you could sway things. I need you to be an outside player, else the Emperor or the nobles will win."

"Maybe, but what guarantee do I have?"

Nunnally rolled forward. "Me. My brother has always doted on me, and he'll honor the promises I make to keep me happy. Please, trust me. I'll sign, or rather stamp, whatever is necessary."

Kaguya's footsteps slowly approached until she stood by her wheelchair. Her cold hands brushed against her arm. "Anything? Even if I asked for Japan's freedom? Or to be your brother's bride?"

"I think the latter would just be another gilded cage." Hopefully, the heat in her cheeks wasn't visible. "As for Japan, I can ask, but it's beyond my ability to promise."

Kaguya flitted away, her footsteps dancing across the floor like raindrops. There was a rustle of paper, the swish of fabric rubbing against the floor, and the agonized scratch of a pen running across a bumpy floor.

Being taken seriously felt strange. Not even Lelouch did that, treating her always as the adorable little sister to be protected.

"You do have your stamp?" Kaguya confirmed as she returned. "Your brother doesn't have to agree, but the seal of the Emperor's true blooded sister has value."

Nunnally patted her side, finding the slit for the pocket. Slowly, she withdrew her insignia ring. It wasn't complete, fit only for a child instead of an adult, but it proved her identity. Lelouch didn't know she had kept hers; he had lost his before they flew to Japan.

Given that they had been in hiding, she shouldn't have kept hers, but it was the only memento she still had from her mother.

"What am I signing?" Nunnally asked.

"Does it matter?" Kaguya sighed, setting the paper in her lap. "A pardon for all Japanese crimes before today, barring Zero, and a recognition of Japan."

"I'm surprised you didn't ask for independence."

"And be accused of manipulating you? Better to do something that won't start a riot. If you could wait for a moment, I'd like to record this."

"Of course." Nunnally futilely fought against the smile tugging at her lips. If only she could tell Lelouch what she had accomplished. There were too many ears at home. He had gained one valuable backer here, importantly out of the Emperor's reach.

With this, she could begin forming something more substantive.

But first, Zero needed to be defeated. No, he could not become a martyr. He needed to be discredited so that Lelouch could claim Japan's support without opposition.

Lelouch clicked his teeth in annoyance as he skimmed through the mountain of tips submitted by the students.

Dear Caspian hadn't turned himself in, predictably calling in sick for the rest of the week. That kid was the opposite of bright, but Lelouch shouldn't complain. It made surveilling him so much simpler as he fruitlessly called the same number again and again.

Not doing all the intelligence work himself was nice. The agents had already confirmed the phone line had been closed hours after the attack on Ashford began.

Unfortunately, that left Lelouch with very few leads. Arresting Caspian would unfortunately be a dead end. He was too stupid to know anything of value.

"Maybe I should geass him," Lelouch mumbled.

"Your trap not going to your liking?" Bismarck said, amusement tinged his voice. "The mastermind is a professional, not an overly emotional teenager."

Lelouch scowled. "The nobles in the Area are easily duped."

"True," Bismarck said darkly. "Incompetent and corrupt buffoons. In the long run, removing Clovis strengthens Britannia."

"He was my brother," Lelouch hissed, his fingers splayed against the table. It had been so simple to take his life, but just remembering the mist of blood— His chest burned.

"Don't get sentimental. Zero would always have to climb a pile of your siblings' corpses. I wonder what he would've done if Nunnally had been put before him."

"Don't!" Lelouch snarled, jumping to his feet and glaring at Bismarck's scarred face. "Clovis killed thousands of innocent people! He didn't care at all."

"There is no need to justify it. The throne was enough of a reason for your father to dispose of hundreds of relatives, many who simply wanted to live in peace."

"I am nothing—" Lelouch shook his head and slowly unclenched his fist. He was not an overly emotional teenager who could be so easily manipulated. "Are you here for an actual reason or do you just want to pester me?"

"Do you think your little terrorist subordinate won't ask you such hard questions?" Bismarck asked. "You are hardly going to convince her of anything if you lash out."

"Convince her of what?"

Bismarck paused, then shrugged. "To denounce Zero and fight for Prince Lelouch."

Laughter erupted from his throat.

"You better hope that you can convince her."

His laughter died. "What do you mean?"

"She is being treated well for now, but as a terrorist, she holds no value."

"She—"

Lelouch grit his teeth. What could he say? She was a phenomenal fighter, but that only made her valuable to Zero.

"Why even bother," Lelouch asked, "if you're only going to have her rot in a cell or swing from the gallows? She was one of my first recruits. They're not ideologically flexible."

"Nostalgia doesn't justify this," Bismarck grumbled. He considered him for a moment. "While the reasoning was flawed, the outcome is fortuitous. Her value lies in what she means to you, and her execution would have made your cooperation more… difficult."

So, Kallen would be another leash around his neck. He should be glad that Nunnally has escaped attention.

"I will behave," Lelouch said, dipping his head. "She can hate me; I don't care as long as she's fine."

He would find a way to free her later, once his father and Bismarck thought they had sufficiently ensnared his mind.

"Convince her, Lelouch," Bismarck whispered. "Death is not the worst fate that awaits her."

A fate worse than death? If she was merely a way to control him, then they had no reason to torture her for her disobedience.

Nostalgia…

What had Bismark meant? She was a minor noble, an eager fighter, a knightmare pilot…

His skin prickled in unease.

Would the Emperor really claim a new wife, now?

Watching Bismarck's retreating back, Lelouch had to admit that the Knight of One would likely know best.

Getting Kallen back to Japan had just jumped to the top of his priority list. Surely, there was something he could offer to Bismarck to expedite her return "home". He would convince Kallen that the sky was green if that was what it took for her to follow him.

How hard could it be?

He was suddenly very thankful for the ocean between them to foil any stabbing attempts.

As the week reached the end, Kallen made sure to maintain her mask, being painfully polite and swallowing every protest. It was eerily similar to her school girl persona, if Kallen hadn't been pretending to be sick enough to be felled by a breeze.

Strangely, Anya hated her act. Every time Kallen meekly bowed her head, her nose would scrunch in irritation. Their knightmare bouts had become increasingly brutal as a result.

Their spars were the only time Kallen let the mask drop, venting her frustrations into every strike.

"I'm impressed," her father said Sunday morning. "You've been doing quite well.'

Kallen glared, stabbing her pasta with far too much force. "I'm glad that you are happy. I am this close to using this fork to gouge out my eyeball. If you think any of this will convince me, then you're delusional."

Her father poured himself another cup of water. "You are playing along, though. There is so much this life can offer you. With a little bit of effort to network, you could easily do so much good. No single pilot will ever take down Britannia."

"Good thing the revolution is more than a pilot." Kallen leaned back, crossing her arms. "If I behave, I have the chance to talk to Lelouch."

"Crown Prince Lelouch," her father chided.

Kallen rolled her eyes. "The pretentious asshole. It doesn't matter. I want to know what fucking bullshit he feeds me. How he's going to justify all this fucking shit."

"Please don't swear..." He sighed. "I can't decide whether to be grateful or not for His Highness. Without Zero, you would've never drawn such attention, allowing me to shelter you from repercussions until you inevitably grew disillusioned with—"

"Disillusioned?" Kallen gaped. Did her father think her commitment to her people was so fickle? She would rather die than live in endless bound servitude, forced to forever avert her eyes from the pointless suffering around her.

"—rebellion. But had Zero been anyone else, we wouldn't have the luxury of this conversation. His Majesty rarely finds the softer option worth the effort... I truly failed you, Kallen. I'm sorry."

"I think a traitor like you leaving me to my own devices is probably the best thing you could've done for me," Kallen spat. "Although, letting your wife abuse my mother so badly that she turned to Refrain is entirely your fuck up."

"Your mother's suffering only brings me sorrow, Kallen. She is getting the best treatment in the country now. I have no doubt that she will recover." Her father leaned forward, sliding his hand across the table to her. "Trust me, please. Your act won't fool the Emperor. His Majesty is far too shrewd for such irreverent false loyalties. But if you give him what he wants, play your cards right, and hold your not-boyfriend's heart tight, you could be something more than a subordinate or a wife, but a partner.. to the Emperor of Britannia. You have power, Kallen."

She shoved her chair back as her appetite abruptly vanished. Oh, she had caught the implications from Anya's incessant badgering.

They saw her as not only a knight, but a future wife. Was this why her father constantly hinted at a terrible end if she refused? Because the Emperor saw her as a doll to throw at his son as a little reward

The door swung shut, sealing her father's confused protests inside. She hated him, yet she couldn't find a way to stop loving her father. He was a traitor, yet she still relaxed into his embrace.

In this island of chaos, he was her sea of tranquility.

"Good, you're ready," Anya greeted outside Kallen's quarters. Her smirk promised pain. "I hope you're not planning on acting meek forever. It doesn't suit you."

Kallen bit her tongue and took a steadying breath. "I apologize "

Anya's eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared in frustration. "Come."

Lethargy and the vague smell of antiseptics penetrated the Emperor's office. The man, while clearly ill, still held the Empire tight in his grip.

Anya skipped ahead and knelt right beside the Emperor, her head a hair breadth away from resting on his knees. Kallen averted her gaze, her skin prickling in disgust.

Could she kneel? Protocol dictated she must, but even this mask had its limit. To voluntarily take a knee before her greatest enemy?

But she needed to talk to Lelouch. She needed to make them think she could be swayed. She needed to kneel.

It didn't mean anything.

It did.

Swallowing, Kallen chose to bow, to bare her neck and desperately hope he would be satisfied.

"A quite accomplished actress when she is properly motivated, isn't she?" The Emperor chuckled. "An obedient dog deserves its reward."

Her nails dug into her side as she struggled not to snap. She wouldn't last another week here.

Slowly, the Emperor pushed himself upright, accepting Anya's hand to assist him. His steps grew steadier as he cleared his desk. A massive hand settled on her shoulder. "Connect the call."

Her eyes widened as she realized the camera before them, the infuriating position she was in. Desperately, she tried to step to the side, to free herself. The Emperor's hand crushed her shoulder, his thumb painfully digging into her shoulder blade.

To move would send her crashing down to the ground.

Ahead, the window revealed itself false, turning into the familiar Britannian sigil before fading to show Lelouch, with the Knight of One at his side.

"Your Majesty." The knight dropped to his knee, his head bowed.

Lelouch merely stared, his face frozen in horror. She hadn't realized he could be that expressive. He truly was nothing like his school persona.

"Manners, Lelouch," the Emperor chided.

Lelouch jerked, his hand crossing his chest. He bowed: short and stiff.

Finally, the Emperor's hand fell away, allowing Kallen to breathe.

"Bismarck reports that you did well this week. Fortunately, your skills are not just limited to sparking fires, but quelling them too. The attack"—What attack!—"demonstrates a need to further bolster your security."

"If you truly cared about my safety, you would pull me out of Ashford. There is only so much that a school can be fortified," Lelouch snarled. "No, I'm your bait, and if that's the form my execution will take, fine. But the students did nothing; they do not deserve to be caught in the crossfire as your enemies descend upon us."

That anger felt so out of place on his face. He was the easy going student council president with a belittling smile who never took anything too seriously. He was devoid of passion, even as he snarked.

A mask. They all wore them, but Kallen's had never felt more inadequate.

"I'm not sentencing you to your death," the Emperor said. "There are risks, but they are needed to finally have justice for your mother, like you asked."

"You exiled me for that," Lelouch snarled, pain and fury warring on his face. This, Kallen knew to be real. Without a doubt, Lelouch hated his father. "We didn't even have the chance to attend her funeral. Justice. That is not something you care an iota about. You don't care about her or us. Justice is merely a convenient excuse to hide your real reasons. If you want me to play along with this farce, at least do me the courtesy of being honest."

Throughout Lelouch's tirade, Kallen marveled at the baffling swarm of emotions crossing Bismarck's face. Grief, exasperation, amusement, and a hint of anger.

If anyone knew the Emperor's mind, it would be the Knight of One, yet he had settled on glaring at the Emperor, not Lelouch.

Maybe, there was a divide, but then who could offer a clue…

Her gaze landed on Anya who was watching the screen with eyes wide in wonder, as if Lelouch had hung the moon. The woman was constantly at the Emperor's side, darting around playfully and ignoring every social convention.

Had that gaze been directed at the Emperor, Kallen would've understood, although the thought creeped her out.

Maybe she was looking at Bismarck instead? Were they lovers?

Or could it be explained as her having a crush on Lelouch and schmoozing up to her would-be father-in-law.

The Emperor sighed. "You are not inclined to believe my truths, Lelouch. Nothing I could say would incline you towards me—"

"Because your actions and words do not align."

"My Knight of One is standing at your side. I would think that is clear enough."

"That you need a jailor who knows what geass is?"

Geass?

"Enough," the Emperor barked. "I do not have time for your childishness. You wished to speak to Kallen; here she is. If you won't listen to my answers, then pester those who know the truth of what happened."

His response felt like a retreat, and Kallen eyed the slight tremor to his hand. He was tiring, but apparently had too much pride to allow his son to see his fatigue.

Did Lelouch even know the extent of his father's illness? Her father's eyes were always filled with grief when he spoke of the Emperor. He would die soon.

That knowledge eased Kallen's heart which screamed murder at being forced into such a meek act.

Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "I would be happy to chat with Kallen, but I thought it was rude to pretend the Emperor wasn't there. Or do you intend to supervise the entire time, like we're a pair of four year olds on our first playdate?"

"A playdate?" the Emperor asked, bemused. "Given that the two of you buried Cornelia's army, leaving you two unsupervised would likely result in a new calamity. You have always been rather… creative."

Kallen crossed her arms, twisting around to glare at the man. "What the fuck would we even be able to do? I can't even walk alone for longer than a minute before a guard intercepts me. I bet even my bedroom is bugged. I've done everything you've told me too! Your Majesty."

Sure, she had expected their conversation to be monitored, but that was different than having the Emperor staring at the back of her neck.

"A gesture of good faith," Lelouch interjected. "You want me to believe you? Then start by being considerate of what I want, like sending my subordinate back. We've been behaving, haven't we?"

Verbally sparring with the Emperor wasn't exactly… behaving. But this was her chance, her chance to escape, to leave the hellhole of Pendragon behind. Undoubtedly, she would be trapped with Lelouch in another cage, but anything was better than here.

Even if Lelouch had lied about everything, Zero was purely a false idol, she would spare his life in return for getting her out.

Slowly, she sank to her knee, crossing her arm across her chest in the form, adopting the position of a proper knight bow.

"Kallen?" Lelouch asked, eyes blown wide in surprise. "What are you—"

"It seems she will kneel for you," the Emperor said. "She has been rather recalcitrant."

A flash of worry crossed his face before Lelouch's apathetic mask reasserted itself.

"Bismarck, your opinion?" the Emperor asked. "She has to complete her training, but I could send her along with Anya."

Before he finished his suggestion, Bismarck was already shaking his head. "That would only lead to more trouble." To the side, Anya pouted. "Prince Lelouch would benefit from trusting his guards and someone less… obtrusive. As for training, between myself and Euphemia, we should be able to handle it. His Highness will behave; the question is more, will she?"

Kallen trained her eyes on the ground, feeling the weight of their considering gaze. She had done nothing to assure them of her devotion to Lelouch. Anya might have been hinting at her becoming his wife, but that was very different from being a guard.

What could she say? Her freedom was slipping through her fingers. Anything she said would lack sincerity. She only knelt because Lelouch was offering her a way out.

She hadn't even had the chance to ask Lelouch all the questions on her mind.

"I'll demand her loyalty?" Lelouch suggested, his voice thick with hesitation. It sounded false, like when he was pretending to try and spare the rest of the student council from Milly's antics but actually eagerly anticipating them joining him in his misery.

She hated that voice so much. Really, everything about Lamperouge grated on her nerves. Yet, in a few words, Zero would inspire her.

Regardless, it was a stupid suggestion. Words could never convince them of her loyalty.

"That would work," the Emperor said. "You do have quite a useful gift, Lelouch."

Why would…

The Emperor has a way to force obedience, her father had warned. She thought he had meant through force or to bind her in a marriage. But what if it was something else?

A gift?

Zero had always been alarmingly capable of infiltrating Britannian bases, to pull out spies anywhere. Maybe, that would've made sense with an aged EU veteran who had years of experience. Or even a Britannian who had been building his revolution for decades.

Could Lelouch, supposedly an exiled prince, have had that kind of sway?

Or had the Emperor chosen him… because they shared a gift of turning enemies into friends?

Chapter Text

Uncomfortable thoughts churned in Kallen's mind as she landed in Japan. Her father had chosen to accompany her, and she wished that it didn't feel like she had become an assignment to him. That he wasn't here to spy on her and report her treasonous thoughts to the Emperor.

Of course, that might not matter if the Emperor and Lelouch really had a way to turn enemies into friends. Her skin prickled, and she focused on confidently disembarking the plane.

She would show no weakness.

The air, thick with humidity, embraced her, and she inhaled deeply. Then, she finally looked at the escort which had come to greet them.

There were two groups of soldiers, mulishly glaring at each other. Those on the right bore Cornelia's colors. The others, resembling the soldiers who had forcibly arrested Suzaku, she deduced belonged to Bismarck. Both eyed her with a blend of suspicion and desire.

"Lord Stadtfeld," an officer greeted, ignoring her entirely. "We have a car prepared for you."

"Good. Then let us not keep His Highness waiting."

The officer shifted awkwardly. "General Cornelia would like to speak with you, my lord. And my sincere apologies, but would you kindly submit to a search? It is a new policy, I'm afraid."

Her father sighed as he stepped before her and spread out his arms. "Uncertain times call for precautionary measures, but does Princess Cornelia wish to see my daughter as well?"

A flinch ran through the officer's face. "We were not informed your daughter would be arriving, only a criminal which Bismarck requested to see."

"I see," her father murmured. "Then she should go on ahead. I trust these men will treat her with proper courtesy?"

"Of course, m'lord," the officer stuttered, his eyes widening at the acknowledgment that she was a criminal.

Kallen didn't bother looking back at her father to try and understand what thoughts were going through his head. He had warned her that her will could be coerced, and for that, she was thankful. Yet he hadn't spoken a word in her defense. Did he know that Lelouch possibly shared the same talent as the Emperor?

What was this talent?

Or maybe, she was simply losing her grip on reality. Outside of the oppressive atmosphere of Pendragon and back home, the idea felt progressively more absurd. If the Emperor had such a device or technique at his disposal, why would he keep it quiet? The threat of stripping people of free will would be enough to make anyone bow. It was enough for her to bow.

Nauseated, Kallen stepped into the car that the guards had gestured to. The windows were pitch black, and as it began to move, she imagined herself in a coffin, carried forward by pallbearers until it would descend into the unforgiving earth.

Just like Shirley's father had been.

She squeezed her eyes shut. If she survived this upcoming meeting, she would have to face Shirley. The fight for freedom would always drag along innocents in its wake, but that didn't make it easier to accept.

The car stopped with a sudden lurch and the door swung open. Blinking rapidly, she stepped out with all the grace she could muster. She would not show these men weakness.

As her eyes adjusted to the bright outdoors, she made out a familiar lanky figure standing across the lawn. Lelouch.

Her heart pounded in her chest.

Unfortunately, there was another familiar figure close by: Bismarck. She met his gaze coolly, wondering if he was involved in binding wills. Then, she chided herself for catastrophizing. It had been a turn of a phrase. People's minds were their own. They had to be.

What if she had fought for Zero because of a trick? Had it all been a trick?

"You're nervous," Bismarck noted. His analytical gaze swept over her, honing in on all the chinks of her proverbial armor. "Is it because you lied?"

"Isn't every knight nervous when professing their vows?" A stranger was wearing her face and smiling. "How can I lie when I've always been loyal to him?"

"Step a toe out of line," Bismarck whispered, "and I will gut you like the traitorous fish that you are."

Threats like these were easy to deal with. She knew them, understood them. Her life had always been something she was willing to lose.

She met Lelouch's eyes and wondered what she would do if he was an utter sham. Could she bring herself to kill him, the future Emperor of Britannia?

Put like that, it seemed easy.

Bismarck's rough hands ran down her body, and she grit her teeth as he searched her for weapons. Like she would need them to kill an unathletic teenager. She would only need enough time to prevent the guards from interfering.

"Kallen!" Lelouch shouted, the moment Bismarck indicated his search was done. He waved enthusiastically, his smile a performative sham.

How had she never noticed before that Lelouch, the way he carried himself, was like an actor in a play? Everything about him was a finely tuned lie.

It made her task seem indomitable. How would she ascertain the truths from his lies? He'd say what she wanted to hear, and it would be delivered perfectly. If it was the truth, it would be indistinguishable from a lie.

Bismarck's phone buzzed. He took a few measured steps away so he would be too far for her to hear anything.

Across the grass, Lelouch suddenly broke free of his guards, dancing through their desperate leaps to restrain him. It had to be nerve-wracking to guard a royal who so casually disregarded his own safety.

She blinked, trying to understand what the hell he was doing.

And then Lelouch was before her, drawing her into a tight hug before she had the chance to react. His head leaned past her, and she froze at the sudden intimacy.

"I'll explain everything later," he whispered. "I promise. But if we're going to survive, I need you to do everything I say… enthusiastically. Say, 'Yes, Your Highness' and swear your loyalty. They must think you're unquestionably loyal. I'm sorry."

He drew back just as suddenly as he arrived, and Bismarck glowered at both of them, one hand securely holding Lelouch's collar.

"You look like a cat," Kallen blurted out, unable to stop the slight giggle at the ridiculous sight. "I'm sorry… Your Highness."

"Lelouch is fine."

"What were you thinking?" Bismarck snapped, cutting through the levity as he dropped the prince unceremoniously. "You were to stand over there until it was all done. She could have tried to kill you."

Lelouch rolled his eyes, and she felt slightly insulted.

"Do not insult your mother's memory by being so cavalier with your life," Bismarck hissed.

Lelouch's face soured. "Yet you let the Emperor trample on her legacy." He straightened his jacket and patted down the most egregious wrinkles. "I trust her and… She won't be the same afterwards."

Her stomach clenched into an icy pit. His eyes briefly flicked to her, pleading for her to trust him. Then they relaxed, turning resigned and apologetic. How was she to tell what was real?

"Get it over with," Bismarck ordered.

She turned around, desperately searching for how they meant to force her obedience.

"The words we agreed to," Bismarck said. "You are on thin ice."

"Of course." Lelouch's sharp eyes focused on her, and she met his gaze, searching. And then it changed. His eyes changed. It felt like a dream, a sense of deja-vu, a trick of the light.

Red. Bright red. And a bird.

It felt familiar. A word at the tip of her tongue that she just couldn't place.

"Lelouch vi Britannia commands you to know yourself as a loyal citizen of Britannia and my loyal knight who has been protecting me in my years of exile."

That… Her heart clawed at her chest, urging her to run. How much longer did she have? They all believed this would work, and once it took effect, she would cease to exist.

Lelouch bit his lower lip as he finished. He was nervous. He had broken the rules to warn her.

And then the bird took flight.

Lelouch closed his eyes, cutting off his geass. His shoulders prickled, aware of all the guards watching in the distance. He had gambled everything on this ploy.

As long as Bismarck and his father believed her to be a loyal agent of Britannia, she would be safe. It wouldn't be a lie that would last forever, but it bought him precious time to figure out another solution.

Kallen sank to the ground. Her smile was slightly vacant. "Your Highness, I am yours, if you will have me."

That wasn't what he told her to say.

"I know I failed to protect you," Kallen continued, "but I beg of you to give me another chance, to prove that I can serve you."

Some of his discomfort must've shown on his face, because Bismarck asked, "Is this your first time modifying memories on a large scale?"

Still, no reaction from Kallen. She just bowed her head and waited patiently. It was unlike her. It was completely unlike her.

"Yes," he admitted uneasily.

"She's forming the story that makes the most sense with her memories." Bismarck paused. "That is if you actually used it."

Lelouch smiled thinly. "It should work."

"How to test?" Bismarck mumbled as he knelt down next to her. "What do you think of your Eleven mother?"

"I hate her," Kallen said with sudden venom. "She's weak. She couldn't bear the agony of defeat and turned to Refrain. She brings shame upon our family."

"A shame we don't have any of your former comrades around to test your loyalty," Bismarck said.

"Sir?" Kallen asked, finally lifting her head. "Are you concerned that I am compromised after such a long mission? I swear, I'm still loyal. I'll do better next time. I promise. I won't let His Highness get hurt again."

"Rise," Lelouch ordered before Bismarck could push further. "You will be my personal guard."

Kallen rose with an elegance he didn't know she had and offered a soft smile. "You're too generous, Your Highness." She didn't wait for orders, instead walked towards him.

"Kallen?" he asked, his voice breaking as she leaned against his shoulder. She blinked up at him languidly. "What are you doing?"

"I missed you. It was lonely without you."

Desperately, Lelouch looked at Bismarck in hopes that he would understand what was happening. His lips had quirked in amusement, and he unrepentantly returned his gaze.

"I imagine she had to reconcile her feelings for Zero with her loyalty." Bismarck grinned. "I guess you did know her pretty well. She could have just as easily become a grudging guard with those orders."

Could a geass change?

The thought struck him as Lelouch tried to peel her fingers off him. In the best case scenario, he had expected that she would grudgingly play along with him desperately covering her mistakes.

This? This wasn't Kallen.

She was supposed to be immune! But he had never tested the extent of immunity before. Maybe people were only immune for a few hours.

He should have never suggested this, risked it.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered.

"What for?" she said cheerfully and kissed his cheek. "Don't worry yourself. I'm just happy to be here, at your side. I'll take care of you now. It must've been awful without me."

Lelouch stumbled back. She followed, clinging to him like a burr.

"Your father will be pleased," Bismarck noted.

"About what?" Lelouch snapped. "Kallen, what the hell are you doing?"

"Do mind your manners," Bismarck admonished, his eyes glittering with glee. "And perhaps get a room. You have been apart for so long."

"A room?" Lelouch repeated blankly. His mind finally caught up. "Absolutely not!"

"Did I do something wrong?" Kallen whispered.

He shivered. Oh fuck. He needed to fix this. He needed to find a way to free her from this hell he forced her into.

"It-It's still day," he stammered out. "I am quite busy."

She hummed. "Remember to relax. You like to overwork yourself, but I can wait."

That evening, Lelouch watched in horror as Bismarck finally called off the soldier that stood vigil in his bedroom at night. Instead, he would now be alone with… Kallen.

She didn't wait for the door to close before she was already pushing him on the bed. His head bounced on the cushion, and he stared up, into her glaring blue eyes.

"You've got a shit ton to explain, bastard," she hissed.

"Oh, thank God." Lelouch exhaled, slowly allowing the tension in his muscles to bleed away. "You terrified me there."

"Good." She fell onto the bed next to him. "You can start there. What the fuck were the red eyes?"

"Geass."

"That explains shit."

"Give me a moment." Lelouch pushed himself up on his elbows. "And… Thank you for trusting me enough to play along."

Her eyes were hard. "I don't trust you, Lelouch. I trusted Zero, but you can't claim to be him, not when you're the crown prince. You're going to answer me, and if I don't like it, I'll smother or strangle you. We're all alone."

Lelouch glanced at the pillow beside him. He had chosen it for its size and superb fluffiness. If he were trapped beneath it, nobody would hear him scream. And the sheets. He swallowed, already feeling the phantom sensation of silk cloth winding around his neck.

"Geass," he said again. "I can't explain much because I barely know anything about it. I know— No. I should start at the beginning. Do you remember when you were stealing poison gas and your truck crashed?"

Kallen nodded.

"I was there. I fell into the back. I saw you get into the knightmare, and then… The truck crashed again in the tunnels and the gas canister opened."

Her mouth opened.

"It wasn't poison gas. It was C.C. We were confronted by Clovis's royal guard, and they shot her in the head. I know it sounds insane…." Explaining this in a believable manner so Kallen wouldn't kill him was starting to seem impossible. "She's immortal," he rushed to explain. "I didn't know that, but she gave me a contract, my geass. And then… I ordered the guards to kill themselves, stole a Britannian's knightmare, and contacted your group. You know the rest."

"So you got your geass from C.C.?" Kallen asked. Her tone was deceptively neutral, leaving him no clue as to whether she bought his tale.

"Yes."

"And what does it do?"

Lelouch winced. She wasn't stupid. "Absolute obedience. I ordered Clovis's royal guard to kill themselves, and they did it with a smile on their face."

"So why am I not a Britannian slave right now?" Her eyes bore into him, promising to ferret out any lies. She had changed, become sharper.

Or maybe he had never known Kallen too well. Her school mask had been a sham, and there was no intimacy between a superior and his subordinates.

They hadn't known each other, despite valuing idealized versions of one another. They had simply been a genius commander and an ace pilot.

She was still waiting for his answer. Lelouch flushed. "My geass works only once… and that time in the courtyard—"

Her face tightened. "You ordered me? Was it all a lie then?"

"No!" Lelouch took a steadying breath. "I asked you why you became a terrorist. I don't… It's a power I barely understand. To use it recklessly en-masse, on people who I may have to rely on… that would be foolish."

She sneered. "Am I supposed to believe that? You had the perfect opportunity. And based on what Bismarck said, you could've rewritten my entire reality."

He slowly wet his mouth. He couldn't prove a thing. Yet…

How many times had he stared down at Kallen's eager eyes as she listened to him spell out the battle plan? She wanted to believe him. She needed a reason.

"You should kill me, probably," Lelouch said, staring at her boldly. "I am a Britannian prince, your sworn enemy. Isn't that right? Your comrades would've acted by now. Had I not given them victories beforehand, they would've killed me for being Britannian."

She wetted her lips, and for the first time today, the mask cracked.

Lelouch pushed. "Now, I've been given an empire on a golden platter, but do you know what terrifies me? The thought that I refuse to acknowledge? That my sister, my wonderful sister who the Emperor threw out like yesterday's garbage because she was crippled, is in grave danger. And I cannot do a thing, because if people see I care, it'll paint a larger target on her back."

"So it was Nunnally," Kallen whispered. The venom in her tone faded, leaving behind sheer exhaustion.

"What happened to you?" Lelouch asked.

Her shoulders shook, and she inhaled suddenly, visibly pulling herself together. "No."

"No?"

She groaned. "It doesn't matter."

He bit his tongue despite wanting to push. He needed to know, but it would gain him nothing.

Kallen rolled onto her back. "What is your plan?"

"Play the Emperor's game," Lelouch said bitterly. "There is little else I can do when the entire world knows my face now. I don't know his plan, what he wants. It doesn't matter. This diseased nation is my inheritance, and I will—"

He paused. He had planned on destroying Britannia. The urge was still there, but now things were complicated. He had to be subtle.

"I will poison my father's dreams and ambitions," Lelouch said. "I will make him turn his grave in fury, make him regret ever making me his heir. And then…" He smiled. "I will make a world where Nunnally can be happy. Can be safe, at last. A beautiful world where children never walk past mountains of the dead."

"You lived through the invasion," Kallen noted.

"Yes." He cursed himself for being needlessly curt. It was instinctive. "It's not—"

"No, you don't need to explain." She turned to face him again. "I am going to hold you to your word. I'll be with you every step of the way, but in return, you will free Japan as soon as you can."

"That I can do." He pondered how to push her on what happened. Why she felt inexplicably fragile, yet also like a ravenous beast with newly sharpened claws. "Is it because you're an exceptional pilot?"

"Lelouch," Kallen whispered. "My father is a spy."

"Well, shit."

"I don't know—He's—I just don't understand. I think that's why they let me live. Because he's close to the Emperor, and—He warned me that the Emperor could force my loyalty."

Lelouch sat upright. He was a damn fool. "He has a geass."

He swung his legs out of the bed.

"Where are you going?" Kallen asked.

"To interrogate C.C.," he growled. She had misled him, again. Was it too much to expect her to warn him? Especially when it concerned his biggest enemy?

V.V. That was the name she had given him.

Was that the Emperor's contractor?

"Wait." Kallen grabbed his wrist. "Lelouch… The Emperor is dying. My father believes it. The Knight of the Round with him believes it. You can smell sickness around him. It's not a lie."

Numbly, he sat down. The rumors were true? His father was dying? But then…

Was it conceivable that he was telling the truth? That he truly wished to put Lelouch on the throne? That he wanted to finally deliver justice for the one woman he supposedly loved before his final last breaths escaped him?

It was sentimental. Out of character. The Emperor lacked human weakness, the ones which continuously crippled Lelouch.

But death—

He shuddered. The haunting smell of decaying corpses engulfed him. It was an unforgettable stench. And so was the utter hopelessness when you're finally forced to confront your own inevitable and imminent mortality.

Death had a tendency to make one nostalgic, to clear the cobwebs from the mind, to turn sweet ambitions bitter.

And so, it was conceivable that the Emperor, faced with immutable proof of his imminent demise, would suddenly have a change of heart.

It was possible.

"So you're saying I just have to survive for long enough?"

"Yes."