Chapter 47: Secrets Kept, Secrets Told

Euphemia, having realised her mistakes, tries to find a mean to reconnect with one sibling after the success of the other 2. As this happens, Lelouch's actions have come back and neeed to be addressed.

Tokyo Settlement was vast. Despite being less than 7 years old, advancements in engineering and construction, tens of billions of investments from the homeland and private donors, and tens of thousands of Eleven forced to work as slaves, the city had been built. It was a multi-layered marvel designed to withstand all that Mother Nature could throw at it, and for Area 11, that was primarily earthquakes and tsunamis.

Lelouch never liked the idea of it; it felt far too hubristic. To declare a man-made construct impervious to nature's wrath, had humanity learned nothing? Well, when it came to Britannia, it was perhaps their greatest sin, and one he had pondered how he could expose when the time was ripe in his fantasies.

But for the moment, it meant that there was a café far from Ashford and his regular hunts that he, Chantal, and Ma could go to. A café that didn't bat an eye at the three walking in so early. A café that didn't ask questions about why the two Britannian-looking customers had a Chinese woman in men’s clothing with them.

They certainly wouldn't notice anything amiss or ask any questions, considering Lelouch slipped the manager 2 thousand pounds to keep his mouth shut and gave them the furthest back table to chat.

One problem, they've been sitting there for 20 minutes and have not said a word.

Chantal would, for the benefit of the table, speak first. “Have you…thought it over?”

"I barely slept," Mao admitted. Despite wearing a borrowed pair of glasses to hide her eyes and the geass within, one could spot the dark bags under them and how she slumped in her seat.

“No.” Lelouch was blunt and to the point as Chantal sighed, their meals having not been touched and long gone cold.

“Lovely, just lovely.” The immortal muttered as she had no clue how to address this. She might have been centuries old, but she had stopped truly interacting with people so long ago, and when she got close…well, that partly caused this.

Lelouch took a slow breath, in and out, as he reached for the bridge of his nose, both women spotting the white bandages across his hands. "It's a lot to process. Once the moment passed, my hands weren't stinging with each twitch."

Mao ignored that last part but agreed with the rest of it. They…she thought they handled this and hugged it out the night before, but once she got to their place and was given the couch to sleep on, she couldn't stop thinking about it. “It just…how does it make any sense?” she asked them both.

"Which part?" Chantal asked, to which Mao slammed her hands on the table, frustration clear in her voice.

“You wanting to die!” She hissed at Chantal, her eyes too dry to cry about her mother figure wanting death, then she turned her anger towards Lelouch, whom she still didn't like. "And the fact I still can't read your mind, it's just the same thing as before."

The only time she had noted his mind was absent of the typical violent thoughts, screams, and madness was when he slept, and even then, it wasn't as if she could read his mind then either. It was like that barrier of madness just became white noise; no matter how hard she tried and focused, she couldn't pierce it.

Lelouch frowned as he glanced at one of the other tables, where a waiter was cleaning and very much within earshot. “Mao, we might be the only ones in here, but I wouldn’t want to silence the staff because you got too loud.”

The waiter’s back shot straight as an arrow before they turned and dashed off to the back, the warning as clear as the clouds above.

"Bite me," Mao grumbled, but acquiesced all the same.

"I'm a dog, not a beast," Lelouch added, something of a joke, but it didn't land with them as he thought about…Chantal's wish. "Still, this…explains some things."

“What things?” Mao asked, biting the bullet and drinking her cold tea.

Lelouch looked towards Chantal, who returned his gaze. They both had the same thing on their minds, and since Mao couldn't read either of their minds, Mao wouldn't have known. “Should I explain it, or should you?” Lelouch asked.

Chantal sighed but waved him off as she turned to Mao, who immediately sensed that this was serious. Chantal took Mao's hand and pulled her in.

The 18-year-old was confused about this but too tired to reject it as she allowed Chantal to lay Mao's head on her shoulder. Combing some of her hair out of her face, she explained things: "Mao, I wasn't with Lelouch until recently. For around four years, I was held captive by Clovis, the previous Viceroy."

“The prince…Zero killed, wasn’t he involved in…” Mao corrected herself before she outed Lelouch, but then the gears started shifting in her mind about why Chantal would be bringing this up, and she felt sick to her stomach.

The immortal nodded. “I was the catalyst; he somehow learned about me and my immortality and sought to replicate it.”

“He…he didn’t,” Mao asked, as that…that was messed up, insanely so. She had seen Zero's debut—the entire world had—heard the accusations, and could only imagine the horrors that Lelouch had kept private. But when neither agreed, she turned a wide look of half fury, half madness towards Lelouch. “Tell me, did he suffer?”

Lelouch quickly responded, sharing some of her anger for his brother's sins, but more…passed it. He had living relatives to worry about. “I would imagine yes, as I shattered his forces, slaughtered his command staff, interrogated him and made him see the face of the man did all of that was his own baby brother before Chantal imparted a fraction of the trauma he put her through onto him, drove him mad before I shot him.”

He shook his head as they were getting away from the point of the conversation. "My point is that according to the research I stole about Code-R, they found no means to permanently damage Chantal."

“Because of my Code.” Chantal nodded, as they knew that much.

"However, they didn't know about geass, at least, not really, as how they made the irregulars wasn't by contract, as Mao or I gained it, but by harvesting your cells and implanting those into the girls." Lelouch went on, as he had…reluctantly rigorously studied both the original files and the additional files they had stolen from the oil rig along with Narita.

They had also thoroughly questioned all the researchers, and with his geass ensuring they spoke what they knew, he confirmed they had no clue about geass. They learned about C.C.'s ability to 'pass' it via DNA samples largely by accident as they looked into the regenerative aspect of her Code.

"Would that even work? It sounds like that Frankenstein monster stuff," Mao asked, setting aside her aversion to discussing something that saw C.C. as just…a source for samples.

"It was a lot more complex, time-consuming, and delicate. They started with 200 test subjects, and only the 4 irregulars survived and gained noticeable ability." Lelouch frowned, as he had been disgusted to learn such. Alice and the rest were lucky they all managed to live, or more accurately, chosen to as others had gained the power but were seen as...liabilities and disposed of.

“But they’re all different. Geass has always been of the mind, yet their powers don’t function like that.” Chantal pointed out, as she had seen plenty of geass powers over the years, having handed out a fair amount of them and outside Lelouch's Geass-related King's Armory, none worked like those 3 girls.

"I have no proof of why, only theories. None of which I can prove without throwing away other parts of my heart, and I'm not wealthy in that regard." Lelouch leaned back, reaching for his coffee and downing it in a single gulp, grimacing as the cold drink worked its way down his throat.

“So we still don’t know what to do?” Chantal asked.

"We know what not to do. You should know more than anyone that progress can be slow. It took man thousands of years just to learn about proper hygiene, flight, and electronics." Lelouch countered, as even if that research had the means to their issue, he wasn’t sure he would use it.

“By that logic, I’ll find a means which doesn’t involve one of you killing me when you’re both nothing but bones in the ground.” Chantal pointed out, wincing at the mental image of attending another funeral for someone who lived their life till father time came for them. At the same time, she remained stuck in a present she could never escape or share.

“We’ll figure something out, I have confidence in that,” Lelouch promised her before he turned to Mao. “But first on the docket should be what should we do with you, Mao?”

"I didn't think of that…I thought that you'd try to kill each other." Chantal admitted.

"She definitely didn't hold back," Lelouch grumbled.

"If I wanted you dead, you would be, colonizer." Mao shot back.

“I can say the same to you, opium lover.” Lelouch retorted.

“Enough,” Chantal stopped them before they could get into an argument, while patience was low. “Mao, what were your living conditions before this?” She asked her former contractor and adopted child.

Mao shrugged. "The ghettos. I blend in well enough with people, but it wasn't easy, as my Japanese sucks." That last part was a challenge, but it wasn't so noticeable as she avoided people as a habit. Besides, there were other Chinese in the ghettos, a former duel between Japan and the federation, which Britannian was too racist to send to China, if the authorities could tell them apart.

“You blend in enough for Britannians then,” Lelouch corrected. “Well, I can’t enroll you at Ashford.”

At that, Mao glared at him, her hands reaching for a weapon she didn’t carry. “You try and get me into those god ugly uniforms and I will stab you, pervert.”

“Pervert?” Lelouch asked as she pointed at him, square in the face.

"You heard me, pervert. I've seen those skirts; they cover nothing. The wind blows, and every horny bastard in the courtyard sees panties. How haven't those girls rebelled against you yet?" Mao challenged, a mild blush on her face as she had to listen to many hormonal teenage thoughts over the last couple of weeks. So many boys and some girls really enjoyed those damned short skirts.

Lelouch wished to slam his head into the table as he ground out. “For the love of-I’m not a pervert, and I didn’t design the school uniforms. If you’ve been around campus, you’ve been around campus, you’ll know that.”

“…I don’t like reading into Milly’s thoughts, it’s either perversion and depression,” Mao admitted, as when the girl was happy…oh, she had some of the most depraved thoughts Mao had ever heard. She's been around brothels and strip clubs.

“I figured.” Lelouch sighed, as he always knew Milly was a girl who wore her sexuality on her sleeve, ever since their first meeting when she offered to flash him and accidentally did when the wind blew. But he also knew she wasn’t just a horny woman but someone desperate to actually find true joy and keep it.

“You don’t want to know more?” Mao asked, as she would have guessed he would be pushing for more, but Lelouch shook his head.

“If she hasn’t told me, that’s her choice. I won’t encroach on her secrets. God knows I have mine.” Lelouch stated. "Still, with Ashford out of the equation, and your age being an issue, I can't just get you as a staff member." Lelouch postured, but Mao had an idea.

"Sayoko thinks about needing help from time to time, " she said, which interested Chantal, while Lelouch just looked annoyed.

“You can’t be serious.” He stated, but Mao wouldn’t back down.

“If I leave, I can’t spend time with mom and make sure she’s doing all right. I also can’t keep an eye on you.” Mao still didn’t like him, but he was too mentally drained to care. "Besides, even with our combined geass, getting a place for a Chinese woman in the middle of Tokyo would be too noisy. I could be the perfect neighbor and someone's bond to report me because I'm not an ignorant colonizer."

As… colorful as her language was, she was not wrong. He saw firsthand how Suzaku was treated, even though it was revealed he was purposely arrested for a crime he didn't commit. He would bet older Britannians, who had longer to stew in Britannia's racist dogma, would be worse if they just saw a foreign woman moving in close to them.

"And if you intend to spend time with Chantal, it would mean you'll be coming and going regularly, along with Chantal visiting you?" Lelouch turned his attention towards Chantal, who slowly nodded.

"I would try not to be a stranger, but if noisy neighbors are an issue, then it'll mean I would be seen a lot." She…didn't want to make the same mistakes again, but she largely remained on Ashford's campus because she was being hunted by Code-R and whoever was funding them.

Lelouch sighed. "Do you even have experience in housework? Sayoko won't appreciate someone who can't do their job, adding to hers."

Mao crossed her arms, offended that he would ask. “Unlike you, I didn’t rob people through chess matches to support myself. I’ve done a few odd jobs in housekeeping and restaurants.”

“I would assume you’ll blackmail people into paying you.” Lelouch mused, his eyebrow arched, to which Mao freely added.

"I did that too, but I learned the hard way that if you do that enough times, you get assassins after you. I had to leave my hometown because I nearly got killed."

Line Break

Nunnally's council meeting ended, with the group having decided on a course of action. In the meantime, they all split to handle other duties, etc. Suzaku, being a soldier, left campus and made his way back to the A.S.E.E.C., which had undergone a little change.

Since they arrived in Area 11, they had been outside the traditional chain of command and outside Jeremiah's power play. That had remained the same even with someone as cold-blooded and authoritative as Cornelia, who made it known she didn't like Suzaku being their devicer but didn't try to interfere with them.

That said, despite the relative freedoms to move and do as they pleased compared to other units in the Area, that came with its downsides, mainly funding. Lloyd blew their entire budget designing and building the Lancelot. Where other units were assigned bases, they could only rent spaces; nothing else. That, of course, had changed in recent weeks.

With Marrybell's arrival, she brought news from the Prime Minister, who saw their budget increase sixfold, and also said that they would be folded into the Glinda Knights for the time being.

All that was to say, Suzaku went from the only devicer to just the one Lancelot, to one of several pilots moving around their own base, each with their own units including similar 7th gen prototypes like the heavy weapons unit, Zetland, and the state-of-the-art flight capable knightmare, the Bradford as well as the Lancelot’s newly created siblings, the Lancelot Trial and Lancelot Grail.

"Looks like you're in a distressing mood. What's up with that?" Sokkia asked as they all disembarked from the combat simulators.

"She's right, you know. Normally, you're not so distracted during combat. I nearly tagged you twice there," Tink Lockhart, the pilot of the Zetland, pointed out. He knew his unit was slow, but it made up for that with its armor and heavy cannon. But the Lancelot shouldn't have been as easy—well, easier to track.

Suzaku grimaced, hoping his performance hadn't drawn attention but knowing it had. “It’s just some school stuff.”

“Oh, do tell.” Leonhardt Steiner, the pilot of the Bradford, spoke up.

“He’s not going to stop unless you tell him.” Sokkia joked, pointing towards Leonhardt.

“I would.” Leonhardt tried to interject, but even Tink seemed against him as they walked to some benches to sit and talk.

"He lives his school fantasies through you," Tink added, speaking like it was just a casual fact.

Leonhardt looked at them both with a shocked face before he frowned with his arms crossed. “Screw you guys.”

"You could apply to join as well. I'm sure they'll be happy to have you since they accepted me." As he had reasons not to, Suzaku proposed that it would be weird if he didn't at least bring it up.

The trio looked at him funny before Tink spoke. “You say that like you’re a piece of shit, Suzaku. You’re an honorable soldier of the empire, just like us. Try and have more pride in that." He smiled at the Japanese knight. Suzaku nodded but felt good about the retort, as having people like this, people close to power in Britannia, meant that the system wasn't without hope; it could be reformed.

As for his suggestion, Sokkia had to address that as she rolled a strand of hair around her finger. “It’s not that we don’t find the idea fun, as none of us really had the normal school lives.”

“Homeschooled till I joined up,” Leonhardt added, to which the other two nodded.

Pointing at Suzaku, she gestured to the entire space, not just the base but the land outside. “But unlike you, we’re not really garrisoned in Area 11. We’re here for a job, hunting Zero and dismantling his little Black Knights. Once that’s done, we move on. That could be tomorrow, it could be next year.”

Tink sighed, a melancholic smile on his face. "It would suck if we got into Ashford with you, made a ton of friends, and then got told we're being shipped to some distant corner of the empire."

"Besides, if we all got in, the Princess might be tempted to do the same. With how you talk about Ashford, I bet she'll have some real fun there." Leonhardt added that to try and get some levity back into things, the trio missed how Suzaku stiffened at the Princess being mentioned and the chance of her attending.

“What I said-but I’ve never said anything about it when she’s around.” Suzaku quickly added, as he would never speak so casually when the Princess was around.

“When you think she's not around, she's not like Princess Cornelia, you know; she can move in silence," Sokkia explained, a cheeky smile on her face as she spotted the color drain from Suzaku's face as he realized what that meant.

“How much…?” He squeaked, as… was he in so much trouble, wasn't he? How many times had she seen him acting so unprofessionally by conversing with the rest like they were of the same social rank? How often would she have seen him, Cecile, and Lloyd talking when he mentioned school?

The trio didn’t seem so frazzled by this as they shared a glance, trying to get to a consensus. "She's been in the background a few times. I saw her…maybe 3 times." Leonhardt stated.

"I've seen her maybe 4 times," Tink added.

“Mainly spotted Oldrin a couple times, and you know what she sees, Princess Marrybell hears about before the day's over." Sokkia shrugged, as it wasn't so important. Besides, the Princess wasn't the type who would hold it against you if she heard something weird. God knew she wasn't a saint either. Particularly when it came to her bedroom habits, which sometimes spilled out of it.

Still, Suzaku looked like he was waiting for the reaper to take his head, so Sokkia slammed her hand into his back, trying to knock the fear outta him. "Hey, don't sweat it! If she had an issue with you just talking about school, she would have said so; she's a lot less strict than you think.”

‘I didn’t get that impression,’ Suzaku gulped as he recalled that first encounter with the Princess at Cornelia's welcome ball for Marrybell. She hadn't seen…pleased with his presence then, just more sophisticated in expressing it. "If you say so, but…Well, I doubt she'll have the best time at Ashford, being a princess and all."

“True, but as you said, if they accept you as a student and treat you nicely, I’m sure they can get over having a real princess as a student.” Sokkia shrugged, as she didn't see that as a big deal, leaving Suzaku struggling to figure out a way out of this.

Fate would be on his side as Sokkia snapped her fingers and turned a mock glare towards him. "Wait, just a minute, you didn't distract me, Suzaku. You still haven't explained the issue with school, which has your head in the clouds. Being distracted in training isn’t a good sign.”

Grateful to move back to a conversation he could have more control over, he was more than happy to answer. “Just…a friend’s been going through a lot of stress. And the rest of the friend group was worried about it.” Still, he couldn’t just tell them names.

“Did you notice?” Sokkia asked him, suddenly much more invested in this, the same as the rest.

Suzaku shook his head. "I didn't. They're good at hiding their feelings and well… they don't have a stable home life, so they have more on their plate than most."

Leonhardt frowned, as he could tell Suzaku was keeping some parts to himself, but he wrote it off as the guy protecting his friend's privacy. “Hmmm, that’s a pickle.”

“Never been good with people who just don’t tell me when they have an issue, never understood the idea of suffering in silence.” Tink sighed.

“Were you able to talk to them before you came in?” Sokkia asked him, to which he shook his head once more.

“They weren’t in class and left campus early.” He would leave out the part where Lelouch didn't attend classes, which was normal for him.

“I think you should speak with Oldrin about this.” Sokkia proposed, which got Suzaku to look at her funny.

“Dame Oldrin?” As he had seen her around the base, he asked, more often than Princess Marrybell, who couldn't make as much time to come down and train with her, knew Lancelot model. Still, Oldrin gave him similar vibes to Guilford, and he was scary enough to be around.

“Yup,” Sokkia popped the p as she responded. "She's a little high-strung and serious, but she's not a machine. More so, she's got plenty of experience with that, as sometimes she's the only one who can read what Princess Marrybell is thinking.”

"Trust us, you haven't seen the Princess when she's had one of…those days. You wouldn't even know it, but Oldrin would, and she often helps her with that. If there's someone who can help you with a stressed friend, it's her." Tink assured him, though Suzaku was left wondering what the Princess was like during one of these 'days' where she was off her game.

“I’ll consider it.” He relented, though he was likely to just avoid things. Besides, Nunnally planned to try to handle things so he might not need to approach the knight of honor.

Sokkia patted his back again, but it seemed more threatening now as she smiled like a shark. "You'd better. Part of being a friend is helping each other, and if you're the type to just stand and do nothing, well, we would have strung you up by your ankles by now."

Looking at the other two, Suzaku saw similar looks on their faces. “You…wouldn’t do that...right?”

“Be a good friend.” Sokkia didn't answer the question, which was an answer in itself.

“Right, well, I’ll be going then.” Suzaku got to leave, only for Cecile to walk up to them. When she spotted him, a spark formed in her eyes.

"Oh, Suzaku, I forgot to tell you, but you all have check-ups tomorrow," Cecile called out to him.

“All of us?”

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that. It’s been 3 months already?” Tink looked up before he nodded.

“Time sure flies.” Leonhardt agreed before offering Suzaku some advice. “Don’t sweat it, it’s mandatory for all knightmare pilots and just another sign of how far you’ve come, buddy. Just don’t stare too hard at a shirtless Tink, he gets shy-ow!”

Tink pulled back his hand, acting like he didn’t just punch his friend in the side. “Don’t put ideas in his head.”

Cecile certainly didn’t mention it as she gave the details. "We've booked a slot around 4PM, so you'll have time to finish classes and come straight here."

Suzaku beamed at that, as he always appreciated how Cecile would make things more comfortable for him. At least now, he won't worry about missing classes. "Thank you. I'll be sure to return on time, and Ms. Cecile, can I ask you something in private?"

She looked confused by the request but didn't deny it as she gestured towards one of the empty rooms. “Oh, well, of course, right this way.” As she led Suzaku off, the trio was left to wonder about what they had just seen.

“20 quid says he’s going to confess.” Tink bet.

“40 says you’re full of it.” Leonhardt doubled it.

“Deal.” As they shook on it, Sokkia rolled her eyes at the two idiots. If anyone would confess, it was Cecile, with how she looked at Suzaku. It's a shame the guy didn't seem to notice.

Line Break

Closing the door to the unused office, Suzaku turned to the nervous Cecile. “What’s the issue, Suzaku? Are you having some trouble with the rest of the new staff?”

He shook his head, a relieved smile on his face. “None at all, they’re all been treating me a lot better than I was expecting, especially the other pilots.”

Cecile sighed in relief. "That's good to hear. We couldn't do much about the problems you were facing at school, but here, we have some leverage, " she joked.

“I hope that doesn’t mean you would have treated them like you sometimes treat Lloyd.” Suzaku chuckled, seeing how bruised Lloyd got when he returned from his Narita deployment. Lloyd clearly seemed scared of Cecile before then.

Cecile didn’t deny it; she merely offered with a smile. “Lloyd is a special case, I’m not so quick to take violent measures, you know.”

"Well, I wanted to ask, do you know what's been happening with Princess Euphemia? She used to come around her often, but it's been pretty quiet over the last few days."

“Oh,” The spark in her eye faded, though Suzaku missed it as she answered his question about the…Princess. “Well, I’m not sure what the dilemma has been. I would assume she’s been occupied with her duties as the Sub-Viceroy.”

Suzaku didn’t seem satisfied with the response, even if he had already considered it. "Maybe, but what's changed since the last time she arrived. We have the engagement at the port, but isn't that Marrybell's territory now?"

“Well, I can’t say much, but perhaps you can ask Lloyd to arrange an audience.” Cecile proposed, to which Suzaku winced.

"I doubt he'll be much help. You need some pretty high social standing to request anything of royalty." Knowing Lloyd, he'll say something that offends Euphemia. She wouldn't mind, but her new knight of honor might, and if she reports it back to Cornelia…

Cecile giggled at his face. "Well, that's true, but an Earl shouldn't have any issue with a simple audience request."

“An…wait, no, he can't be? He's an Earl? Why hasn't he ever said anything?" Suzaku almost yelled in shock, as no way any of this made sense. Lloyd never acted close to the nobles he had known, not even someone like Lelouch and Nunnally, who had left that life behind, acted as…Lloyd-like like Lloyd.

"Does Lloyd strike you as the type to care about that? No, it's all about work and play for him, and he struggles to separate the two like any prodigal son of nobles does." Cecile joked.

Line Break

Meanwhile, the halls of the Viceroy's palace echoed most loudly with the sound of heels as Marrybell walked through a hallway. Having finished a bit of business, she was on her way back to her office to take a call from the Prime Minister. At her side was her faithful knight, but also a new face. “How have you liked the arrangements, Margrave?”

Jeremiah, hardly a day into his new task, was quirky in his response as he matched pace with the Princess. "Your Highness, they've proven to be more than adequate for the task. I am forever grateful."

"Regarding tasks like this, I don't believe in holding back. If you need something, make the request, and we'll see about approving it." Marrybell replied, her eyes on a tablet Oldrin had handed her, a report she was reading on some terrorist activity up in northern Area 11. "What of the personal?”

"I have not had the pleasure of working with them previously, and I didn't recognize some of their names," Jeremiah replied, mildly embarrassed to say so, as he tried to at least recall the faces of people. Yet when he met his team of 20, he only knew 6 of them.

"To be expected as they're on loan from the Glinda Knights, they're more than capable at investigations and evidence gathering." Marrybell easily replied, which came as a shock, as Jeremiah, as none had worn the Glinda Knight's uniforms, but more than that-

“But, my lady, wouldn’t they be better used-” He tried to protest, but she cut him off.

"We can afford to spare them from the main hunt; if you're correct about this, it might be a means that'll lead to bigger rodents." They came across an intersection, one close to a room she didn't want to even think about. She walked past it and would have been in the clear-

“Sister?” But sadly, for Marrybell, it wouldn't be as Euphemia appeared around the bend. With her was her knight of honor. The Princess sounded surprised but relieved to see her, though Marrybell quickly dismissed such notions, keeping her back to Euphemia. "Sister, I have been looking for you. I wish to discuss something with you."

“Does it relate to either of our roles, Sub-Viceroy?” Marrybell asked, keeping it clear.

Euphemia frowned, having expected the cold response from Marrybell, but she couldn't just let things stay as they were. “It’s an issue relating to family.” She stated.

Marrybell's retort was quirk, dry, and worst of all, painful. "Then why are you bringing it up with me, not Viceroy Cornelia?" Jeremiah barely kept from reacting, but Oldrin didn’t feel the need to hide as much as she sent a worrying glance towards Marrybell’s back.

Euphemia frowned harder as she sought to correct this, even if hearing Marrybell say something like that hurt. "You're my sister, too, Marrybell."

Marybell scoffed, a sense of anger bleeding into her words as she turned to fully face Euphemia. Euphemia looked her in the eye and spotted that same anger, the cold yet endlessly burning inferno. But she saw something else, something which Marrybell quickly hid, but that Euphemia had seen all the same.

“Let’s not pretend, Sub-Viceroy, as far as you’re concerned, I’m just another of the emperor’s attack dogs and little else.” Marrybell didn’t glare, but one could feel the bite to her words. “So, allow me to keep to the hunt of rats and you keep to managing this miserable chain of islands filled with terrorists and their backers.”

"Sister, that isn't true." Euphemia countered, but Marrybell remained unmoved, so Euphemia tried a different tactic: If Marrybell was dead set on her role, perhaps she could try to bond through that.

"Margrave Jeremiah, would you enlighten me on your discussion?" Euphemia asked, but before Jeremiah could even form a word, Marrybell held up a hand, silencing the man.

Her gaze didn't turn any friendlier towards her half-sister, one who saw her as dangerous, untrustworthy, and violent. She didn't know what games she was playing, but recalled Schneizel's lessons well. She wouldn't let Euphemia have the chance to try and worm her way into her affairs, so she could continue to speak of her like one did an unruly beast.

"He shall do no such thing. He's under my authority for the time being, and as such, he follows my orders. He's not to discuss his tasks and related information with non-essential persons." Marrybell relayed, emphasizing the 'my' in my authority.

This was too much for one of them to take. “Non-essential? She’s the Sub-Viceroy.” Sapphire spoke up, leading to Marrybell glancing towards the knight as if she were an annoyance.

“Sapphire Kalas, a fellow knight in the same class as Princess Cornelia's Knight of Honor, Gilbert G.P. Guilford. While he scored higher grades in pure knightmare combat, you surpassed him in marksmanship and swordplay. You’ve also gained experience in several deployments, earning 5 medals for bravery and excellence.” She listed off her records like it was written on the woman’s face, almost robotic in delivery.

She finished it as she glanced back at Euphemia, and the ton shifted, growing angry. "And now, you serve as the Knight of Honor to Princess Euphemia. I was wondering about that."

“About what, your Highness?” Sapphire asked, tacking on the Your Highness part just to keep up appearances, as in all her experiences with Marrybell, she could be unpleasant to put it mildly.

"When you speak up, I was starting to wonder if you left your backbone at your previous deployment to Area 16. Well, no matter; I won't repeat myself. Jeremiah, do get back to work; we both have much to be done." Marrybell turned to leave.

Ignoring how Euphemia looked hurt, because it was false, ignoring how surprised Jeremiah looked, because his opinion didn’t matter, ignoring how Sapphire looked furious, for she could cut her down for any slight should she please.

And ignoring how worried Oldrin looked,…they could unpack this later, behind closed doors and away from all this.

“Is that all you have to say, sister?” Euphemia seemed to whisper, yet carried through the space like a bullet through the air.

Marrybell was silent, seemingly thinking about her response before she gave it. "It's all that needs to be said, Sub-Viceroy. I will not be burned twice. Once I've dealt with the Black Knights, you can return to ignoring my existence with Cornelia." With that, she kept on walking. She had work, a call to make, and a sibling whom she had to avoid.

"I never ignored it; I just…" Euphemia started, but as she watched Marrybell walk away, her shoulders stiff, her back rim straight, and her head held high as she avoided even looking Euphemia's way, she lost her strength.

‘I just didn’t know, sister…how to approach you.’ Euphemia almost cried, as why was it easier to rediscover and repair her bonds with Nunnally and Lelouch, the former and active terrorist, than it was to have a genuine conversation with her sister right there, close enough that she could touch?

Line Break

“Sister?” Euphemia was knocked out of her memories by Cornelia's call. Her sister and she are taking a break in the rooftop garden of the Viceroy's palace. Cornelia lay on her back, her head on Euphemia's lap, looking up at her sister with apprehension. “Euphemia, what’s on your mind? You’ve been far too silent.”

“I…you know how I was looking for Marrybell earlier?” Euphemia asked as a response.

"You didn't find her? Not surprising. She's been moving about lately, hardly staying in one place as she juggles her tasks." Corneli mused, as she had also wished to speak with Marrybel since their last interaction. But alas, the younger Princess didn't make it easy to find her, and with how much work she's had reorganizing Area 11, she's not had nearly enough time to dedicate to forcing the issue.

Euphemia shook her head. “No, I found her, and the discussions didn’t go well.”

She explained the context of the conversation, with how Marrybell barely gave her the time of day, believing that she and Cornelia didn’t value her as a sibling.

When Euphemia finished, Cornelia sat up, her gaze still on the clouds above in thought. “I see…this isn’t something which can be so easily fixed.”

“So, you’re saying I shouldn’t try?” Euphemia challenged.

“I’m saying we can’t expect results so soon. In a way, I can feel what she’s feeling.” Cornelia replied, before she looked towards her sister, her eyes…conflicted. “Euphie, you and I disagree…no, we’ve had fights, a lot more of them since we came to Area 11.”

"I haven't forgotten," Euphemia stated, as she could still recall their first real fight over her sister’s methods, and how she compared them to Marrybell’s playbook. When had Marrybell become a byword for terrible in her mind?

Cornelia turned away. “And while I still believe you’re being too soft, I’ve never once questioned your love for me, and neither has my love for you faltered.” She explained, before she sighed. “But Marrybell, we haven’t shown her such, have we? Not just here but even back in the homeland…”

“When did we start seeing her like…just another part of father?” Euphemia shivered, as there had never been much love between their father and his many children. They were pawns to him; expendable should they displease him.

A point he made clear when he banished Lelouch and Nunnally for Lelouch daring to speak out of turn and rejecting his titles. From then on, no one believed they were safe if Charles could do such a thing to the children of his apparent favorite consort. All things related to the father become tainted because things are to be feared, avoided, and, on some level, loathed, as they hate their father.

Marrybell…did she have anyone back home to speak with? Anyone to confide in, or did the rest of their siblings just see her as another of the ‘emperor’s attack dogs’?

"When she returned from her first deployment, and we heard the stories. She's much like me; she's a warrior, a soldier dedicated to fighting our enemies, but I didn't give her that respect, nor did I ever spend time with her." Cornelia lamented, as hindsight was 20/20, and all she could see was the mistakes she had made through it all.

For all her skills, achievements, and violence, Marrybell was still 17, barely old enough to make her official debut at court. She didn't have her mother, and yet, what had Cornelia done for her? 

"I tried speaking with brother Schneizel about it, but he's at a loss as to what to do. She's not very popular at home either and…maybe she wished for something new here, with us…" Euphemia muttered, as Schneizel, well, he tried, but he was a busy man halfway across the world. It wasn't as if he could sit them down and mediate a conversation.

“Well, safe to assume she disappointed her,” Cornelia groaned, but paused as she looked at her hand, clenching it a couple of times as a memory surfaced. "No, there is…another reason I couldn't face her like a sibling. You remember Lelouch and Nunnally, Euphie?”

“I’ve never forgotten them. It would seem Clovis didn't either. The more time I spend in these gardens, the more I realize he designed them after those at Aries Villa.” Euphemia answered as she looked around them.

Once, she might have taken comfort in such a garden, knowing that Clovis remembered better times.

But such memories were tainted, as she knew what Clovis was like in those final parts of his life, the things he did…and what he tried to do to cover up his crimes. She knew how the brother Clovis adored had been the one who put him down and now led an open rebellion against Britannia.

It was pretty, but this place sometimes felt like a field of shattered glass sculptures. The beauty had gone, and now it just served as a source of pain if you weren’t careful.

"I spoke to the gardener; it would seem that was Clovis' intent, an odd thing since he was always fighting with Lelouch and would like a child when he lost." Cornelia mused, as she could recall a few times where Lelouch bested Clovis in chess and how Clovis handled it quite poorly.

"He saw Lelouch as his rival, it was why he took the role of Viceroy, and kept paintings of the Lelouch, Nunnally, and Marriane, I just wish…" Euphemia started, but didn’t finish.

Cornelia nodded, not needing her sister to say it. “So do I, sister, so do I. But as for why I bring it up, it’s time I tell you about the second last time we saw them, that I saw him.”

“It wasn’t at the hospital?” Euphemia asked, to which Cornelia frowned harder, looking away in thought and slight shame.

"No, I…didn't tell you about this, I didn't know how at the time," Cornelia admitted, as it wasn’t a day she liked to recall. "It was the day of Lady Marrriane's funeral. A complete mockery where she was denied even just a fraction of what she was owed. I arrived late because traffic wasn't cleared for the occasion. Still, when Dalton and I set foot into the commoner cemetery, she was already laid to rest."

Euphemia knew that much, but she hadn't… Looking back, was that why her sister was so irritated then? She wasn't allowed to attend, but the idea of being late and not being able to pay proper respects to the woman she admired so much must have been a heavy blow.

Cornelia hated the entire affair, from how things fell apart to how their father had denied her so much despite all she had done to put him on the throne. It was then that she hated her father—not disliked, not disapproved, but reviled him.

"Lelouch was kneeling over her grave, and I caught him saying something I've never forgotten." Cornelia would hate him even more for what his actions and disinterest had done to Lelouch.

Euphemia swallowed, as she knew what it had to be. “What was it?”

Cornelia could recall it as if the entire affair had happened. "He swore on her grave, not to forget their humiliation or her murder, and to ensure he would kill those responsible, but not before they suffered."

As she recounted that memory, she couldn't help but shiver, not because of the fall chill. Lelouch…he had the face she had seen on soldiers who had lost their squads, on enemies who knew they had nothing left right. Death no longer phased such people. They couldn't be bought, ordered, or reasoned with and would lay down their lives if it meant they could have a shot at killing what they hated.

Euphemia hugged her sister, trying to offer some affection as Cornelia continued. "When I spoke and he turned to me…he seemed so…different. It was like he wasn't the same boy I knew. He didn't act like we were even siblings, believing he was just a ward of misfortune." Cornelia mourned, as no child should have ever acted like that, should have said such words, yet he did.

"But it was his eyes, they seemed…dead, and yet burning simultaneously. He couldn't see any of the brother I loved, just…a thing which sought to burn everything he hated." Her words had dropped to an emotional whisper, the same as her hands as she leaned against Euphemia. “When Marrybell touched down, she had that same look.”

‘I think I know what you mean…’ Euphemia felt like she would cry once more, as she had seen that look. Back when she went to Ashford, she met with Lelouch. He had tried to hide it, or maybe he just couldn't when it came to her…no, she had heard it in his voice, even though his mask was all the back at the hotel jacking.

He put up a calm, elegant appearance, but when he declared his reasons for killing Clovis, she could hear the pure wrath in his words. And the glee and pride he took in killing Clovis, in making him suffer.

“I couldn’t be there for Lelouch and Nunnally…their fates were sealed even back then, seeing Marrybell look like that,” Cornelia had to pause, else she broke her composure. "I should have been better. No matter what, she's my little sister; she has more reason than any of us to hate terrorism, and yet I haven't tried."

"You're still human, sister. You are allowed to make mistakes," Euphemia told her, as…this would be much to deal with.

Cornelia laughed, yet all it had was exhaustion and bitterness. "Even when they're as big as this? God. God, we lost Lelouch and Nunnally to these Islands, then Clovis went and lost his mind, and now Marrybell's burying herself in hate."

"We can still change it, Cornelia. They're still with us. We can try to be better than what our father wants us to be." Euphemia repeated, as they'll do it. She knew they would; they just needed a means to do it. And if she could force the issue with her brother, she could do the same with Marrybell, preferably before something worse happened.

Line Break

The sun was setting by the time Lelouch, Chantal, and Mao made it back to Ashford. Having spent the morning trying to sort things out, they needed the rest of the afternoon to try to decompress as they went to a park and lounged about.

Now, they were about to enter the student council building, greeted by the usual suspects. However, when one of the Ravens, Huginn, spotted them, the corvid made his confusion known as he swooped down to inquire.

"I've seen that one around here, kept from getting close," Mao stated.

"Then he was doing his job, him along with the rest of the flock," Lelouch grumbled, tired, stressed, and hungry. He wished to shower and have a proper meal before heading off to bed early. Studies and terrorism could wait until tomorrow.

"It doesn't seem like anyone's home, " Chantal said as the lights were on within the student council building.

"Sayoko called and said Nunnally was spending the night with Milly and Shirley," Lelouch explained. It was perhaps good for him, as it meant he could speak with their maid in private about the Ma situation.

“That…doesn’t seem right,” Mao stopped, looking at the building in confusion. “I can definitely hear the thought of your little group in there.”

“Then why lie?” Chantal asked, as Lelouch hadn't been due for a birthday for a while, so this couldn't be that. Another of Milly's festival ideals? But why wait till now when school was out?

Mao took another moment to look at her place, her geass allowing her to read the thoughts of the nervous teens within. "You'll have to explain why you've acted strangely these last few weeks. Last night was just the straw that broke the camel's back."

“Of course, this happens today of all days…” Lelouch grumbled, rubbing his face. All he wanted was a shower, a meal, and a bed. Was that too much to ask? "Well, it's not like we gain much if we avoid this. Let's just hope this doesn't end poorly."

With that said, he walked towards the door and let them in. As they saw, the lights were all off, but he bet that they would all be gathered in the living room. So, closing the door behind them, Lelouch walked towards the aforementioned room, where he stood at the entrance and called out.

"Well, are we doing the spinning chairs, or should I turn on the light before you make yourselves known?" Lelouch called out, leading to the lights turning on to reveal the council and the irregulars all waiting for him. At the heart of them sat Nunnally, who looked displeased.

“How did-” Rivalz started, but Lelouch cut him off.

“Where’s Suzaku?” He glanced around the room, but couldn’t see his Japanese friend anywhere.

“We should be asking the questions, here, brother.” Nunnally countered, taking charge of things with as little effort as her brother would.

Lelouch sighed, praying that this could wait, or better yet, could be thrown in the trash. “Nunnally, now is really not the time-”

Sadly for him, God would not answer such prayers, as Nunnally cut him off. "Then when? When will it be the time? What is happening with you, Lelouch? You've been acting off for weeks now, and then you vanish at night, returning before the sun even rises with your hands covered in bandages."

Immediately, he and Chantal looked for help. “Sayoko.” The woman bowed in apology, and while she couldn't see it, she figured out what had happened and wouldn't let it stand.

Milly beat her to it, however, laying into Lelouch. "Don't change the subject; she didn't do anything wrong. Just what the hell is up with you? You claim you stopped gambling, but you are still regularly out. You say you are not involved in anything dangerous, and yet you vanish in the night, show up with another woman in tow, one wearing your clothes and your hands looking like they belong to a mummy."

“Is…it related to who Claude’s running from?” Nina asked, as they had discussed it extensively, but couldn’t figure out much with how little data they had.

Nina eeped when Lelouch turned his gaze towards her, his patience running thin. "Who-?"

Milly stood between them, as she wouldn’t let Lelouch cow any of them into silence. This was a conversation that needed to be had. "No one, but it's pretty damn obvious that she's not a spoiled princess, but we have no clue how to know this Mao, where would they have met? At another of your old gambling events?"

Lelouch's frown only grew, enough that he flashed clenched teeth as he moved to take one of the seats set aside for them, Chantal and Mao following suit. If any of them noticed how the seating arrangement was designed to place them in opposition to the rest, they didn't say it.

"Brother, we understand. You have a lot on your shoulders. I understand that, and I appreciate all you've done and do for me, but I can't just stand by as it overwhelms you! I won't." Nunnally declared, as she loved all her brother did, but if it was doing this to him, then she'd ensure he stopped or got the help he desperately needed.

“It’s not that simple, Nunnally.” Lelouch started, but she wasn’t having it.

"I know you have secrets, I know you have things, done things you won't ever tell me about, but I'm not a little girl anymore." Nunnally reminded him, to which he scoffed

"You're 14, " Lelouch said, to which Nunnally exploded, throwing any semblance of calm out the window.

“And you’re 17, you were just 9 when mom was killed and father tossed us out! If you could carry me through a warzone and still find time to sing my lullabies, you can bet your life, I can try my best to help you now before you work yourself into an early grave.”

Nunnally didn't care that she was saying more than she should. She didn't care that Bar Milly and the rest of the council gasped and whispered at her words. She certainly didn't care that her brother's teeth bit down hard enough, that she was half surprised he didn't crack one.

She needed him to see things as they were and not get involved in anything that would kill him.

Shirley didn't know any of that. She had known their parents weren't in the picture, but she could never have imagined; she couldn't even picture her father being so cruel as to hit her, never mind toss her out as a child.

But that was something that they could discuss later; right now, they had something more important. "Please, Lulu…just talk to me. You're your friends, aren't you?"

"You've helped me…only fair that I try to help you now. If budget is an issue, you can always ask," Nina offered.

“If you think I’m putting on too many festivals and adding too much work, just say the word.” Milly followed suit, looking at Lelouch. Really looking at him, the man looked exhausted. Did he get any sleep last night? Did any of them, like Claude and Mao, look dead on their feet?

"I get it; you don't have a dad or family to help, but if you ever need help, my ma and I will always be there to give you a helping hand. She'll happily let Nunnally stay with us for a while so you can sort stuff out." Rivalz offered, as his mother would love to have someone like Nunnally around. That way, Lelouch could even work on his college plans.

Lelouch looked confused, wondering what the hell they were going on about, but Chantal placed a hand on his shoulder, drawing his attention as she looked at him, and then towards the rest of the council. “Lelouch, if you could take the chance with me, if you can love someone like me despite it all…you should try and open up with them.”

“You know it will never be the same if I do.” Lelouch reminded her, but she gave a sad smile when he didn't immediately dismiss it; she could tell he had already made his choice.

"If not, then who?" She questioned, as a dog like him who couldn’t trust his pack…well, that was a lonely life. And despite what she told him when they first made their contract, and his response, she had never believed he was as isolated as he believed. Well, now was the time to ensure he wouldn’t be.

Lelouch looked conflicted, the rest wondering what he was thinking about, but hoping that he would let them in, as it seemed that even Claude thought it was the right move. Still, Lelouch turned towards Mao, who raised an eyebrow. "Why are you looking at me? I barely know any of them. As long as it doesn't impact Claude and me, I couldn't care less."

That was…what he expected, but he turned to the council and asked once more. “I’ll ask again, where is Suzaku?”

"He's not here. He had to report for work and couldn't make it," Alice explained. She had a feeling where this was going and saw the soldier's absence as a boon.

As Lelouch nodded, Rivalz asked. “Is this one of those things you'll say once?"

"Yes, but Suzaku under no circumstances can hear this," Lelouch replied, looking them all dead in the eye. Nunnally was exempt, but she could feel the weight of the situation changing. She didn't know why, but a feeling in her gut—no, she knew why.

This wouldn’t be something Suzaku could know about, and it related to Alice and the rest.

“Why, isn’t he an old friend? You two seem incredibly close.” Milly asked, as she guessed it was about his royal lineage. Still, Suzaku would already know that since his family had hosted them before the war.

Lelouch was quick with the response. "Because if he heard this, he'll be placed into an impossible position. Stand by me, or stand by Britannia, and I already know his choice, and how it would ruin him."

"Wait, are Claude and Mao criminals? Daughters of crime bosses?" Shirley asked, looking between the two, only for all three to crack smiles, though they lacked humor.

"If only it were that simple," Lelouch muttered, but he had crossed the Rubicon. "Rivalz, do you recall the mess at Shinjuku and how I cut my face when I fell into the truck?" He asked, Rivalz blinking at being called out like that, but answered the question.

“Yeah, pretty scary but mainly annoying.”

“I didn’t cut my face; I was shot at," Lelouch stated, the fact hitting them like a hammer, but he wasn’t done. "By the Clovis Royal Guard, they wanted me dead because Suzaku and I saw the contents of the so-called 'poison gas' canister that the terrorists had stolen. That was Claude, and she was part of Clovis' human experimentation, the same experiments he tried to wipe out Shinjuku to cover up."

Kallen had already had this part, at least in part, so she wasn't as shocked as the rest. As for the council's civilian members, they grew pale as they listened. Shirley gasped as she held up her hands to her face. Nunnally was clenching her wheelchair's armrest. She…she would have never known if not for Zero, that Clovis's massacre even happened, nor would she have known her brother was killed by another.

"Suzaku took a bullet for us, nearly died to buy us time to escape, but we heard it, he felt, he smelt it. We were there for the entire massacre as Clovis ordered every man, woman, and child slaughtered. I heard his men gun down a crying child like you would file paperwork." Lelouch's gaze grew dead, yet Milly could spot a fire burning in his eyes, which seemed unholy, inhuman, with how bright it seemed to rage.

“No…no way….” Rivalz fell into his seat, as they heard this before, it was common knowledge now, but to hear from someone who had been there, to know Suzaku nearly died before they ever met…

Sancia raised an eyebrow at how the rest were reacting. Was it that much more impactful? Surely they must have considered such, or was this because it impacted close to home? She supposed it was.

Lucretia, for her part, was more focused on how Lelouch and Chantal reacted, if only for their lack of reactions. But that was to be expected, she had seen parts of his raid's aftermath when he saved her and her sisters. Lelouch was a man capable of horrific violence in his own right.

Dalque felt like she should give Suzaku a pat on the back, as that guy was real. After all, if not for him, their savior would have been killed long before he could save her and the rest.

On the other hand, Alice smiled as she saw Lelouch's look and recalled the rest of that incident from word of mouth. If these bastards were anything like the Code-R researchers…she hoped he ensured they suffered.

On the other hand, Kallen was put off by Lelouch's growing grin, as it was…disturbed, almost fake, but not genuine either. It was a beast's smile as it recalled its prey squirming before its life was snuffed out. “I fought back; I slaughtered them like animals for it, and my only regret was that I couldn't make their deaths slower. I stole a knightmare, got involved in the fighting, and led the terrorists to victory."

“But that’s impossible, Lelouch. Everyone knows that Zero…” Milly started, as this sounded like a terrible joke. Then it hit her, and the patterns fit all too well. “Lelouch, you didn’t…” She didn’t need to say it; they could all hear the accusation well enough.

Nunnally was the only one who didn’t need the confirmation.

“I did, Milly. For better and worse, I did. I’m him, the man who killed Clovis, who challenges Britannian, who created the Black Knights.” Lelouch refuted as he placed a hand above his heart and declared. “I am Zero.”

Line Break

It's a new month—it's No Nut November, at least for those who try the challenge, and I had a fun time last night. A friend of mine who sucks at planning invited me and several others over for a Halloween party yesterday, and shit. The only thing missing was ungodly amounts of candy, but that'll probably send me to the hospital anyway.

I had no thoughts about this chapter until I woke up this morning and saw the reminder on my phone to work on it. Lucky for me, I had notes! I fully intend to build on what I've set up, mainly the whole thing with Mao's game show and Marrybell sending Jeremiah after this Ashford lead.

Line Break

This tool is far too long to finish, enough so that I'm posting it late. I could have finished and posted it earlier, but that would have meant cutting that last part, with Lelouch finally revealing one of his biggest secrets to the rest. I had planned for him to also reveal his true name, but realized that contradicted plans down the line, so I quickly changed it. And then we got some more royal drama between Marrybell, Euphemia, and Cornelia, with even Oldrin thinking this is getting far too personal. Still, like Guilford, she won't contradict her Princess in public.