Chapter 03: Ploys and Old Friends

After years away, Kallen returns to Japan to spend a relaxing with with her friend, Milly. Her arrival brings attention to her but also serves as a opportunity for others. With her and Dorothea out of the capital, Leila proposes a special surprise for thier family.

The United Federation of Nations was founded to give smaller, weaker nations a place where they could belong and work together towards a shared goal for the benefit of all. However, to many in the know or those who could read the facts, its primary goal in its founding was to serve as a new superpower dedicated to standing up against Britannia, reclaiming its conquered lands, and liberating its people.

Safe to say, such goals would never be reached. The Second Battle of Tokyo, while a Britannian victory, was not seen as one by the imperials, not when to secure the city, most of it had to be destroyed and millions killed. Things might have changed when news broke that Emperor Charles zi Brittannia, a man who had supercharged Britannian expansion and was a vocal proponent of Britannian supremacy, was slain by his son, who took the throne as the 99th Emperor.

But that was the thing, they could have changed, but they didn’t.

'Lelouch would have had his way, and his way was violence.' Kallen thought to herself, staring out the window at the vast waters. She could still recall that day like it was yesterday. They had assumed the worst and were still caught off guard and made into fools.

And if fate was against them, the terrible summit was upended by Schneizel’s attack on Pendragon. A spark of red caught her attention, so she glanced to her left hand, where her ruby wedding ring sat. It brought so many memories, so many good memories, but also retrospection. It was, after all, because she decided to follow her heart that Ohgi…

'No, I can't blame myself for that. He's a grown man, and he couldn't dictate my life. His choices were his own.' Kallen relaxed into her seat, its quality and comfort something she was still not fully used to, despite close to a decade of such and more.

Ohgi and the rest chose to side with Schneizel, getting involved in what could have remained a Britannian internal issue, and they paid for it. Yes, he and the command staff had been ousted. Yes, relations between the UFN and Britannia were not nearly as hostile. They even received praise for how Leila and Lelouch handled the Japan question.

But that didn’t mean the two sides liked each other. That was why when she made the choice to visit the Grand Duchy of Japan, she did so on her personal cruiser, the Morgan. It was one of Britannia's newest airships, the first of the Morgan-class. With it were three Logres-class escorts.

Of course, while she trusted the soldiers and crew, should harm even be a remote possibility, the Guren was stored aboard as well, and she would be more than willing to demonstrate that peace and marriage hadn't dulled her skills. Slaughtering any would-be attacker or assassin-

“We’re going to Japan, we’re going to Japan!”

“No school!”

“It’s so blue!”

“Ba!”

Because of them.

Kallen smiled as she looked at her babies, her adorable children running around the cabin. Naoto, so much like his uncle and namesake, is a natural-born leader. Though he always got into the silliest arguments with his elder sister. But he was such a good boy, as she watched him tending to his youngest sister born from her womb, Inoue. The 2-year-old happily followed along with whatever Naoo said, clapping and laughing as he pointed out the sights and wonders of the Pacific Ocean.

Her second-oldest child, Byakuya, was funny enough. He looked like his uncle Naoto, and he tried to live up to that ideal. But he was only 5, and more often than not, he forgot all about that and just acted as himself, something she wished he would do more. At present, he and Sōsuke were going over a children’s book, the 5-year-old reading to the 3-year-old.

"And Peter the rabbit said, 'That's not nice, that is very much not nice. Sharing is good and you can't have all the sweets for yourself, Charles the duck.'" Byakuya quoted, trying to do the voices she would have otherwise done for them.

“He’s being mean.” Sōsuke pouted, as the duck was not meant to be a character that the children listening to the story liked.

“Super mean, good point, Sōsuke.” Byakuya praised, which made Sōsuke smile as he snuggled closer to him as they continued.

“Naoto, you’re going to still have lessons.” Kallen reminded her eldest, who groaned.

"But whhhhy? We're on holiday, Mom!" Naoto complained as Inoue started growing fussy, so Kallen rose from her seat without a word, walked over to Naoto, and retook her daughter, placing her to her breast.

“We’re only staying a week, you wouldn’t want Artemis to get further ahead, don’t you?” Kallen tapped her chin, seemingly in thought. "I heard she's doing really well in writing and math."

Naoto gasped at the implication, jumping out of his seat and rushing to the back, where luggage was stored. She had a feeling he had packed his books and stuff. “No way, I’ll do even better!”

Watching him fly off, Kallen couldn't contain the motherly giggle. One of the nannies, who stayed at a distance to allow her time with her babies, quickly followed him and ensured he didn't get into mischief.

Much like his father, her boy was quite lazy, and she was doing her best to make sure it was a habit he broke and broke quirk, but he was her son, which meant he hated being second place. 'I can see why C.C. loves to poke my competitive spirit; it really sparks something in you.'

“Mommy?” Inoue tagged on her dress, leading Kallen to kiss her daughter's forehead.

“You had an accident? Don’t worry, Inoue. Let’s get you cleaned up.” Kallen soothed her as she stood, as she had picked up on that earlier, but wished to address her eldest's quick issue first.

Kallen grabbed a carry bag that all parents were familiar with and made her way to the bathroom to handle things. She paused to look towards her remaining two children. “Byakuya, I'll be back soon. Make sure you watch your little brother."

Byakuya stood and saluted his mother like he had seen all the soldiers do. “I will, mommy!”

Kallen's heart squealed at how adorable he looked, trying to be all soldier-like and serious. If she had her way, he would never need to enlist, and if anyone tries to make trouble…

She would just have to clean things up, wouldn't she? It would be a good time to test what the new Guren could do against living targets.

Line Break

“Breaking news: We have just received word from the spokesperson for the Duchess Ashford. According to the statement, the Duchess will host a royal visit today. Is that right, Isaac's?” The news came up on a major announcement across televisions and screens across the Grand Duchy of Japan.

Many felt their interest rose as they watched the camera switch from the studio of the news station to their field reporters. Who had gathered at the new airport built exclusively for airships, which, in recent years, had grown in popularity, particularly among the corporate and civilian markets.

The news station in question had a Latin Britannian reporter, his dark skin contrasting with that of many in the crowd, while he spoke with a clear Spanish accent. “Yes, we can confirm that seems to be the case. We're here at Shinjuku International Airport, and off in the distance, you can make out the imperial escort fleet. At its heart is the Morgan, which can only mean that this is a visit from consort Kallen ka Britannia.”

At his pointing, the cameraman turned to the skyline over the city and the ocean. Over it, they could make out the shapes of the ships in question. Around them, dozens of knightmares flew in guard for their charge.

“Do we have any word on whether his majesty is on board?” One woman in particular had already heard talk of the visit through spies, but she still watched the events, for they could prove important.

“At this time, we have not. However, his Majesty was seen inspecting naval drills in the Caribbean over the weekend and has not yet returned to the capital, so it's safe to assume he's not aboard.” She snorted, as that had been reported at the time. Seeing no need to hide his movements, the Emperor rarely did so these past few years. He had travelled with his 4th wife and their recently born daughter, if she wasn't mistaken.

“However, that by no means takes away from the importance of this trip. While the Emperor is credited with many reforms that benefit Japanese-Britannians, consort Kallen has been an outspoken proponent of their rights and liberties, along with Duchess Ashford.” Their file on Milly was extensive, but despite her connections to the Emperor, they couldn't find anything that painted her as tangled in the crimes of the Charles regime or otherwise dangerous. At least, not dangerous in the way some of the ministers would have liked, so they could justify their plans.

Kallen was another issue entirely. As in the Kingdom of Japan, she was despised. They called her a weak-willed woman who betrayed her people and ideals for power and sex, among other insults. Yet for all the slander, the dark-haired woman couldn't pretend Kallen wasn't also perhaps one of the most dangerous people on the planet, particularly in knightmare combat.

“Yes, a trip like this would be greatly important. Do you think this could be some sort of proposal from the capital for further investment, or an increase in defenses?” She frowned, her grip on her chair's armrest growing tight at the suggestion. She would never say she liked things being what they were, that she didn't mind her home being sliced in two to satisfy one man's revenge.

But they had already killed so much, lost so many. Even if the chance was remote, she had long since given up trying to read the motivations and plans of the Emperor in Broceliande.

“It's too early to tell, but I would bet that whatever this is, it will be a historic day.” Empress Kaguya knew that, but she also saw an opportunity and wouldn't waste it.

Line break

As the Morgan touched down, half their knightmare escort, which had flown to meet them 3 hours out, landed around them. The second half and their Logres-class ships remained airborne, their own complement of knightmares no doubt ready to launch should the need arise.

Milly went and pulled out all the sorts. She had a red carpet laid out for them, soldiers standing at attention along it, while others worked to keep the press back and ensure a level of separation between the consort and would-be assassins. It didn't stop Kallen's gaze from narrowing slightly as the flashes of hundreds of cameras bombarded her. She wished she could look away from them like her babies, but they were still children; she was not.

‘Goddammit, Milly. I know you could have kept this out of the news.’ Kallen would have cursed under her breath, but when she held Inoue in her arms, she didn't dare let her child pick up such words. Stepping off her ship and down the prepared stairs, her children were all assisted by their nanny or a soldier assigned to them in particular.

Kallen, for her part, held onto one of her guards. She didn't need it, but she supposed it was tradition, and it assured the worrywart that no heel break would harm her precious daughter. Reaching solid ground, she walked down the carpet, all while the cameras flashed.

“There she is.”

“The consort of red.”

“With her children.”

“All of them?”

“Why would she?”

Kallen hardly paid attention to their whispers and hushed conversations. Instead, she kept her head high and moved in long, assertive strides. In many ways, she was the same woman she had been when she first became Guren's pilot, but she had changed in others. One change that had been noticed over the years was the physical change.

Kallen had always been attractive, and motherhood had only enhanced that. Staying active kept her trim, yet her shape had softened and filled out around her hips and bust. Her dress was modest but cut close, with lace edging that suggested what lay beneath. Two-inch heels—plus an inch since Ashford—made her loom taller.

She moved with the authority and poise of a seasoned soldier and a queen in all but name, tempered by a softness that could unnerve hardened men. Her red hair, shoulder-length in sharp, wind-tossed layers, framed her face like a challenge—equal parts style and defiance.

In essence, she was what Milly had once called a MILF, and this was popular amongst the reporters, who couldn't stop taking pictures as they discussed what sort of grand reasoning or goal she had for her visit.

‘This isn't some imperial visit; it's meant to be a friendly trip to see a friend!' Kallen kept her face confident, not passive as she once had been, but she had slowly learned how to keep annoyance from showing. Instead, she soothed her daughter, who grew scared of the attention.

Seeing Inoue's lip start to tremble broke her mask, and she turned a silent glare towards the press, all of whom paused and most lowered their cameras. They all had the unprovable idea in their heads that if they made the princess cry, they would be lucky if they just lost their jobs.

But they could never prove that. Oh no, Kallen would never abuse her position to make people disappear. Such statements were unfounded and could never be backed up, and whether she ensured no such evidence didn’t exist after the fact was completely speculative.

She was just an attentive and doting mother of 15.

One of her soldiers, dressed in a uniform much more eye-catching than the rest, leaned close to ask, “Your highness, should we close ranks?”

She shook her head, keeping focus on where she was going and comforting Inoue with a soft, soft touch, bouncing her ever so slightly. “No, it’s fine, Albert. Milly would have ensured they were all vetted and the area was clear long before we arrived.”

“If I speak my mind, it certainly doesn’t look like it.” Kallen snorted at the man's response. Yes, it would seem like this was one of those movie premieres popular in the E.U., wasn't it?

"You've been the captain of my guard for four months now, correct?" she asked the man, as her old captain had retired. The woman was young, only 34, but she had recently become the guardian of her nephew after her brother passed, so she wished to be more present to care for the boy.

“Closer to 5, your highness.” Albert corrected.

Kallen glanced up to the end, where a certain She-devil stood waiting for her. If people thought Kallen had grown more attractive since she was a student, then Milly must have made a deal with the devil to become a succubus. Milly had been what Kallen could describe as the sexiest girl in their high school days, and she knew it, regularly just strutting that fact.

But in the years since, she had dialled it up. Her blond hair remained a sharp chin-length cut; her skin was fair as ever, while bright, mischievous blue eyes tracked her. The Duchess stood taller than the two guards at her side. Even without heels, Milly had shot up like a flagpole to 185 cm.

Her form softened and filled out, especially her figure and bust. Makeup remained light, at times hard to notice when one focused on her natural beauty. Kallen was just happy that Milly hadn't worn one of the more risque outfits she knew the woman had. But what she did have hugged her frame rather tightly, with patterns and colours hinting at what lay beneath and somehow making it seem dirtier than if she had just worn a bikini.

Rivalz truly lucked out—Milly was the sort who could spark entire wars over who could marry her.

But to Kallen, she was just her cherished and exhausting friend. “Then you have yet to witness the insanity which is Duchess Milly Ashford.” She warned her captain of guard, but before he could respond, they reached Milly, who didn't mince her words.

"There she is. How're you been, Kallen?" Milly loudly greeted her as she rushed up and hugged the woman, careful not to harm the toddler in her arms. She then gave Inoue a greeting, followed by her three brothers, treating them like an overly affectionate aunt. "Look at you, I swear. I turn away for five minutes, and you just become sexier. You really turn heads, don't you?"

Kallen was well aware that the camera flashes had picked right back up at that comment. She just knew this would blow up on some gossip page. “Milly, can we not do this in front of the people?”

Milly was also well aware of this, but she didn't care nearly as much about it. Instead, she just laughed as she gestured to Kallen's form. “What? It’s obvious you’re an absolute knockout, and you can knock people out with a single punch. What's not to love? I know Lulu likes it seeing you have three adorable little munchkins. Oh, come here and give Auntie a hug!"

As Kallen went red at Milly, bringing attention to her perfectly healthy love life in front of the entire world, Milly grabbed Sōsuke and hugged the boy close to her large bust.

“No! Let me go, hug monster!” The prince struggled, but his laughter really took the gravity out of it. Besides, neither Kallen nor her guards were making any moves to stop it.

“Hmmm, nope!” Milly replied as she started to tickle the young prince, making him laugh all the harder, like the child he was before all the world. Naoto Kallen noticed that he looked like he wanted it, but was barely holding back from asking.

She felt that he would beg for it when they got away from the media, and Milly would happily give it up.

“Come-come, we have so much to talk about, the car’s right this way.” Eventually, she gestured for them to enter the terminal and get sorted so they could leave.

"We speak all the time," Kallen replied, but followed with her children in tow.

Milly blew a raspberry, the 29-year-old acting like she was 9. "Video calls are so sanitary; I prefer face-to-face."

"So you can be within groping distance," Kallen grumbled, as she wondered if Milly was bisexual at times.

Guilty.” Milly sang with no hint of shame, leaving Kallen to sigh as she wondered how her friend turned out so…like this.

“Mom, what’s groping?” Naoto asked, his brow creased in confusion.

“Something I'd better not catch you doing," Kallen responded quickly, as she had grown to handle such questions like any other. Kept the kids from getting more curious about them. “I’ll explain what it is when you’re older.”

“Is this like how babies are made?” Sōsuke asked, as her big sister had asked them once, and she got the same response from Mommy Leila.

“Yes, dear. It’s like how babies are made.” Kallen replied, but that only seemed to confuse Naoto all the more. The boy was smart for his age, like his father, but he was still a child who lacked a lot of context and information and could thus only work with what he had.

"But aren't babies made when moms and dads like each other a lot? You and Dad love each other a lot, and you made all of us." His innocent observation made Kallen flush just a bit, and the consort was happy that they had entered the terminal, which had already been cleared of non-essential personnel.

She didn't want people to further discuss what she, her husband, and sister-wives got up to behind closed doors. They didn't need to know or theorise about how their love could and did lead to the best, messiest, and wildest sex she's ever had.

“Oh yes, she does, Byakuya.” Milly, never one to miss a chance to tease, made her move, wiggling her eyebrows. Kallen glared at her, which seemed to do the trick. “But I can’t say more without upsetting your mother, so let’s go!”

“What…did I just witness?” Albert, who had fallen silent for the entire conversation, asked as Milly, with Prince Sōsuke still in her clutches, rushed through the terminal to the underground parking. All the while, she made plain noises that made the young heir giggle like he was having the time of his life.

Kallen groaned but couldn't keep a smile from forming. “The appetiser. Believe me, as surprising as that was, she was holding back because of my kids and the cameras. Once we’re away from both…” she implied as she adjusted her hold on Inoue. With Naoto holding her other hand, they followed after Milly before she went and bought her child sweets.

Kallen didn't want them getting addicted to sugar, and God knew what else those things had. Instead, she prepped fruits for them.

Line Break

Kaguya carried a great burden on her shoulders. Even before the invasion, she knew she wouldn't live a normal life, at least not like what she saw in her dramas and manga.

She had long accepted that, for that was her life, and thus, she would master it. Being the youngest among the former six houses of Kyoto had been a challenge, and many times, she had been called out for being too young, too flexible, or too inexperienced. Each time, she answered with a smile and a cunning mind, one that kept her independent, one that moved when she saw opportunity or made it.

Kaguya was kind. Kind in a world which seemed to punish it, which rewarded cold-hearted pragmatism and backroom deals. But unlike her cousin, she accepted years ago that being kind shouldn't be a crutch. She longed to free her people; she hated reading reports on the conditions in the ghettos, and this led her to make questionable deals, choices, and reactions. Did it weigh on her? Of course it did, but she did it all for what she loved.

When Zero first appeared, she knew he would be a game-changer and pushed Kyoto to back him. But she was no fool; a man whose face and name could not be confirmed was a risk. He could vanish, betray them, or perhaps be revealed to have never been on their side.

Thus, she volunteered herself. She would marry him and keep him tied to Japan and its struggle. She didn't care who would be behind the mask or if her marriage was as loveless as a business contract; as long as it helped the Japanese, she would have braved it.

Then their worst fears came and went. Zero vanished, and neither she nor any other member of the order could figure out where or why. She suspected C.C., and Kallen knew, but never pushed. C.C. was famously an enigma among their number—an ally but almost as secretive, if not more so, than Zero.

Kallen's knowledge of such information and refusal to share it were troubling, and perhaps it was the first sign that she had already made her choice; the fiery redhead just hadn't realized it yet.

Then it happened again. Zero was lost to them. The truth about his identity came to light, and he was driven out- no, nearly killed, and managed to flee by chance, but…Kaguya wondered about that day. Late at night, when she should have been resting, or when she sat through a government meeting or received envoys from the Black Knights, she couldn't help but think.

Was that the whole picture? And she hated that she knew the answer.

The Lelouch she had known, if only for a brief time, adored his baby sister, did all he did for her, and would have killed for her benefit. It even helped explain their self-exile to China. She had never wished ill upon Nunnally, but she was perhaps an insulting opponent, one she was sure Zero could have defeated, even with the aid of 3 Knights of Round, her wayward fool of a cousin included.

Yet Zero chose to flee. He offered no fight, no resistance. He merely performed another miracle and got them and nearly a million other people out of the country. In hindsight, it made perfect sense he would have fled. How could Lelouch bring himself to fight his sister? He would have endangered her position, and if he had won victories against her, the Emperor would have surely punished his daughter for it.

But it also chilled her to her bones, as Kaguya would wonder…did the Emperor know who Zero was? Was that why he sent someone as seemingly ill-suited as Nunnally to serve as Area 11's Viceroy? Was that why Zero vanished for months during the first Battle of Tokyo? When Schneizel made his move during the second Battle of Tokyo, did he also know who Zero was?

Kaguya suspected she knew the answer to both. And if that were the case, the dead man had performed marvellously. He approached them with evidence of Zero's identity, his power, when they had just lost comrades, tensions were high, and Zero…Lelouch was most likely emotionally compromised.

Maybe Kallen was the only one who saw through it. Maybe she was the only one who wanted to, Kaguya didn’t know. All she knew was that night, they killed Zero and allowed the man beneath the shell to rise, leading to what they had now.

Sumeragi Kaguya carried a great burden on her shoulders. For she was the empress of the Kingdom of Japan. She was their figure, their ruler, their symbol. She was no longer the child or the inexperienced, but she was still cunning, patient, angry, and opportunistic.

Thus, she was here. She was not the head of government, but she was their ruler, and when she requested a meeting with the Prime Minister and the Ministers of Defence and Intelligence, they arrived on time for the throne room.

Tohdoh, the first one in. Punctual, but she wouldn't say he commanded respect, not with her anyway.

She felt nothing for his lost eye and arm; she didn't see those as flaws or weaknesses in her Prime Minister.

It was his defeated look hidden in his eyes. The way he walked and held himself—it was all performative; it was all calculated.

It was all fake.

Tohdoh wasn't the man he once was, and she knew it. She sometimes wondered why he bothered with the act even though they were alone. Still, she didn't have enough of an interest to ask and potentially unravel the man she had come to trust not to steer them towards war with Britannia over the Grand Duchy of Japan.

"Your majesty, to what do we owe the summons?" her minister of intelligence, Haruno, asked. The middle-aged woman, who did not owe her background to the Black Knights but worked with Peace Mark, a global terrorist cell that had long since disbanded, asked.

“You’re all aware of consort Kallen’s arrival in Japan?” Kaguya questioned.

“It’s all the news discusses, your Majesty. I can barely stand listening to my subordinate discuss the traitor like she’s worth the clothes she wears.” Shimura, the minister of defence, scowled. He wasn't much older than she was. Still, he had been an above-average knightmare pilot in the Black Knights, even if his true talent came through in logistics and management.

Kaguya noticed that Tohdoh kept silent. The man rarely spoke when he didn't feel it was needed. Haruno also didn't speak, but she would have been ashamed if the woman hadn't known about Kallen's visit, considering her office had prepped the briefing for Kaguya.

"She acts in the best interest of her empire, of her Emperor. And for Emperor Lelouch, that means placating the Japanese under his dominion. That," Kaguya didn’t mock Kallen like so many did, but she also didn’t show favour to her either. “Can be used.”

Shimura’s eyes widened. “Are you suggesting that we-”

“She’s not.” Tohdoh's voice cut through, time having aged it, the older statemen sounding as old as he looked, yet he could still bear considerable force and weight with his words alone. "It would be foolish to open up hostilities with Britannia. The border may seem porous, but I have no doubt that it's heavily fortified. The consort also brought her personal forces, which could include the Guren."

Yes, the Guren. It wasn't their biggest problem, but the biggest they could perhaps delude themselves into believing they could overcome.

The second was the UFN council itself. If they fired the first shot, they would surely leave them high and dry, as was the precedent set by their reformed UFN charter, which didn't promise support for aggressive actions, purely defensive. It being Japan, the nation the UFN had tied and failed twice to secure, would just make it all the easier for them to leave them to the whims of the empire.

"The Prime Minister is correct; I am not suggesting violent actions. Instead, I propose we request a meeting—a means to test the waters and perhaps hammer out a more lucrative trade deal." Kaguya stated, which surprised the two ministers, while her Prime Minister was as expressive as stone.

It was a big thing she wouldn't have suggested without serious thought. In practice, she didn't have the authority for such a meeting, but her prime minister could easily grant it. “If that is the case, your Majesty, then if I may be so bold, might I ask why I am here instead of the Minister for Commerce?" Shimura asked, as he perhaps felt like he was the odd one out.

"Because I know you and Haruno have been studying up on the border regions of the Grand Duchy," Kaguya revealed, causing both to lower their heads in fear. At the same time, Tohdoh grew the slightest of frowns.

She had thought it was interesting and even hoped it was his doing. But it seems like he was just as much in the dark as she had been. Unlike Tohdoh, however, she did still keep her own agents and spies. It helped to keep a firm hand and adept understanding of her government to…deal with issues before they could undermine the state.

 “I’m not in the mood to make something of it, and I might not, depending on the intelligence you’ve gathered.” Was it an issue that she was waving aside their actions? Perhaps, but she could deal with it later.

"It's doubtful they'll know much about Ashford, the true power behind Britannia's continued foothold in Japan," Tohdoh advised.

"Even just a shred of information could prove fortuitous. While the deal struck years back still stands, if there is a means to see the Emperor open up to revising it, it would be through Ashford and Kallen." Kaguya replied that Milly had been his ally for Lelouch to grant her such a powerful title, and Kallen…well, she killed his enemies and helped secure his very throne.

“Then shall we make the official request for a meeting?” Haruno asked.

“Yes, as soon as possible. I would like to have this done before Kallen leaves for Britannia.” Kaguya replied before the meeting continued, and they hammered out additional details.

‘Motherhood might have softened her…no, if anything, it would have hardened her resolve. I need to approach this carefully.’ Kaguya thought, before she dismissed the idea. Kallen, as long as she knew her, was a fighter, and a damned good one. The last thing she needed was to poke what could be a lioness.

Still, she pondered this. ‘I doubt she’ll make any promises now, not with Lelouch’s 10th anniversary of his rule coming up. No matter how much influence she has over him, it would be politically foolish to allow Japan to fully secede now, but perhaps in a few years. However, we may need to give up something in turn.'

Kaguya frowned, as she could only think of a few options, none of which would leave Japan in a strong standing, but it would leave them whole. ‘We may need to cut back on defence, and limit how many Black Knight garrisons can be housed in Japan.’

Line break

“They’re plotting something.”

Leila and Cecile turned away from their conversation to where C.C. sat, more lounging. "Pardon?" Cecile asked.

Night had fallen over Britannia, and with it came the chill. So the group, which included Akito, Monica, Ayano, and Lloyd, had settled in one of he imperial palace's vast rooms, one warmed not through a heater but an old-style fireplace, perhaps one of the grandest Cecile had ever seen. When its flames were lit, one didn't need to use the lights, and they didn't. Allowing the glow of the flames to illuminate the room, casting dancing shadows upon the floral-patterned walls.

She would have worried for the children, but the fireplace had a tall metal fence which kept their young out but allowed them or the servants to access the inferno should they need to.

Speaking of children, their children all dozed off on the chairs around them. Cecile's sole child, Diana, slept learning against her side. Cecile had already wrapped a blanket around her as the 6-year-old had exhausted herself playing with Artemis and the rest. Leila had also placed a sleeping Louis to her side, but he rested his head on his mother's lap while Atalanta lay against her.

C.C. handled the rest, who had taken to using her body as a human bed, something C.C. would always deny, but they could all see she enjoyed.

The former immortal seemed to revel in motherhood, more so than the rest.

But while she would typically give the most content smile possible at her situation and the number of cute children around her, she seemed more amused than anything.

“They’re plotting something?” C.C. repeated.

“Who?” Monica asked, quirk to assume it was a dangerous and hostile force. She might have been a Knight of Round anymore, but she would be damned if she let so much as a hair on any of her nieces or nephews' heads come to harm-

“Nothing so dangerous, Monica. Please sit down.” C.C. told her as Ayano gently guided Monica into her seat, though she was also concerned. She could admit that the young royals had grown on her, and while she wasn't one of their teachers, when she swung by to speak with Akito, they always seemed so eager to hear what she had to say. Well, most of them, a good chunk of them, were too young to understand even the dumbed-down versions of her lessons.

“Oh, it is a minor nuisance? Perhaps it would be a good time to check our latest MVS weapons would handle such.” Lloyd asked, though his presence was an odd one. The self-admitted sociopath had no love or skills for kids and at times, could act as childish as they were.

He ended up here because of an odd-handed comment Leila had made about his research and funding it when he had sought an audience due to the military getting budget cuts. Before she realised what she said, Lloyd had rushed off, and she hadn't had the heart to tell him no, particularly when he had gone and done what she said he should do, which was shrink his MVS tech.

If it lasts another few years, knights could carry MVS-capable blades instead of the spring steel ones they use now.

"You won't get any chances for data on that unless something goes horrendously wrong," C.C. told him. Lloyd would have loudly complained, but he knew better than when 10 kids were fast asleep around them, half under the age of 5, and wouldn't take kindly to being woken up.

And that would not be good for his health.

"Then what's the issue?" Akito asked, waiting until the rest had gone through the other options.

"I don't know what, but it would seem like our children are plotting something," C.C. explained, the woman reaching for a slice of pizza but realizing it was too far and pouting, unwilling to shift around her babies to get to it. “I saw Artemis and Naoto discussing it, but I didn’t hear what it was.”

“And you didn’t ask?” Ayano asked.

C.C. shrugged. “I didn’t need to. Sakuya called earlier and mentioned Naoto was asking about Father’s Day.”

“Father’s Day? I didn’t think you celebrated it.” Akito asked. As it was a foreign concept to him, really. He was never close to his father; they hadn't celebrated it. When he joined up with the E.U., he heard about it from time to time, but he was never close to the other soldiers of his glorified suicide unit. He didn't see the point when most wouldn't survive 2-maybe 3 missions.

"We never have, but our little schemers wish to change that." C.C. patted Marie Bre Britannia’s head, the 5-year-old letting out a little mumble in her sleep as she snuggled closer to her second mother.

“Should we tell brother?” Monica asked. For them, the idea of Father's Day seemed…insane, to put it bluntly. She had been raised by a good man, but she didn't have such a commoner thing even then. And Emperor Charles? He could be accused of many things, but a father was not one of them.

C.C. smiled cheekily. "Let him have the surprise. It would be nice to see what they create."

"We could always offer help. They kept it secret from us because they probably thought we'd tell him, but if we decide on a sister, promise to keep it from him," Leila suggested, which only made her fellow laugh to herself.

“Oh, I love how much I’ve corrupted you. We call Dorothea and Kallen in the morning?” The empress dowager asked, as she felt Dorothea would love helping. She was always so eager to join in on things, probably because, despite all the times they literally have sweet, passionate sex with the same man and each other, she still felt like an outsider.

“Cecile, you’re helping, right?” Leila pointed towards Cecile, who looked back in surprise.

“Me?”

“Of course, you wouldn’t want Suzaku to feel left out when he sees what the children would cook up for their father, right?” Leila teased, which only confused Cecile. It wasn't as if she was against it; if they could also have a Mother's Day, it would be great. She would get spoiled and treated like a queen by the Knight of One, but-

"Wouldn't that mean Lelouch and Suzaku would share a Father’s Day?” Cecile asked, to which both royal wives laughed.

"Yes, and they'll just have to act like adults and accept it; otherwise, there will be no cake." Leila wagged her finger.

"C.C. is right; she has corrupted you," Cecile concluded, but she didn't back away. She did quite the opposite. Where do I sign up?"