Chapter 1
"According to the parallel universe theory, during the big bang, numerous bubbles of the false vacuum that had previously made up the universe began to appear. Inside each of these bubbles, there is a parallel universe that should abide to the same laws of physics and have the same properties. However, since no one has actually accessed a parallel universe, there is no telling what could exist inside. Therefore, there could be endless variations on the world we live in." Lelouch read aloud to Nunally and Euphemia, who were enraptured by the idea.
Although science wasn't her favorite topic, there were some interesting aspects to it. After all, science was what created the Knightmare Frames, and the Knightmare Frames had created the Holy Britannian Empire. She knew that there was some benefit to having an understanding of science.
"Euphie, do you believe that there are parallel universes?" Nunally asked her older sister.
Euphemia thought for a moment before she decided to respond, "Hm, well, I think that it is possible, but I'm perfectly happy with the world we live in."
Lelouch smiled. Leave it to Euphie to try and avoid conflict, even in a hypothetical situation.
"How about you Lelouch?"
Before Lelouch could respond, Cornelia snorted as she entered the dressing room that the Imperial sisters had been happily chatting in. Among them were Corneila herself at 28, Lelouch, who was currently celebrating her eighteenth birthday, Euphemia, who was 17, and Nunally, who was 15. The four had been almost inseparable since birth, especially Nunally and Lelouch, who were siblings.
"I think that is a stupid idea. Besides, if we don't have any proof that any of this stuff exists, why should we care?"
"But, Cornelia, aren't you curious about what you would be like in another life?" Euphemia asked.
"I'm sure that she would be the same battle crazy sister you know and love." Lelouch interrupted.
"Oh yeah? Well, no matter what world you were in, you would be the same annoying little sister." Cornelia sneered in response.
"Miss, we don't have time for arguing. You are expected in the dance hall right now. Besides, should you really be arguing with the Princess on her birthday?" Gilbert Guilford, Cornelia's faithful knight chided.
"Right. Well then Lelouch, we'll finish this later." Cornelia said with a huff before turning on her heel and exiting the dressing room, quickly followed by Guilford.
As she left, she suppressed a sigh. Although they had been extremely close when they were younger, Cornelia found herself drifting away from her sisters, mostly due to the fact that she was constantly on military campaigns.
Out of all of her sisters, Lelouch was the one who took her decision to go into the military the hardest. She had felt like Cornelia had abandoned the rest of them in a pursuit of glory. Cornelia had told her time and time again that was not the case, but Lelouch still refused to accept Cornelia the way she used to.
"Maybe one day you'll understand." Cornelia whispered under her breath as the door closed behind her.
Lelouch sighed, "Well then, I guess we should head out to the dance hall as well. They're probably waiting for us as well."
Nunally and Euphemia nodded in response, quickly glancing in the mirror to check their outfits. Euphemia was wearing a pink gown, while Nunally wore a blood red dress that had been picked out by their mother. As beautiful as the two looked, they were both in agreement that they paled in comparison to their older sister, who gave them a small wave before exiting.
"May I present, the Third Princess and Seventeenth in line to the throne, Princess Lelouch vi Britannia!"
Lelouch walked out from the dressing room, drawing stares from most of the males that were gathered in the hall. She was dressed in a simple strapless black dress, a clear contrast some of the more elegant gowns that most of the guests were wearing. She had not opted to secure her knee length hair, instead letting it run down her back like a waterfall of ebony, although, courtesy of Nunally and Euphemia, she also had two small purple ribbons tied up in her hair, leaving her ebony bangs in place to perfectly frame her porcelain skin.
She slowly descended the ornate staircase of Schneizel's residence, soaking in the applause that came from the attendants of his party. She knew exactly how to the play the part of a spoiled princess after years of practice. She had learned long ago that playing up to the public's expectation of what a princess should be usually led to more approval from the Britannian public. And if she wanted to succeed, she needed the support of the public.
"Ah, Princess Lelouch, what an honor to see you!" A noble cried out as she approached a group of men conversing with her older brother Schneizel. The blond prince was dressed in a fancy white suit with gold trim, showcasing his extreme wealth and his position as the Second Prince of Britannia.
As she approached, she also saw her brother's favorite assistant, Kanon Maldini. He was, as usual, standing next to Schneizel and politely listening to the conversation. The Earl always seemed to be by Schneizel's side, and if she didn't know any better, she would have thought that he was her brother's lover from the way they acted around each other.
"Good afternoon Schnieizel." Lelouch greeted, ignoring the noble. She did not particularly care for the aristocrats that frequented her brother's parties. They were all so fake and all they wanted was to curry favor with either her or her brother. Honestly, she couldn't understand why he kept them around all the time.
"Same to you Lelouch. Happy birthday." Schneizel replied, subtly looking over his sister. She had really grown into a beautiful woman over the eighteen years he had known her, not to mention, she seemed to combine the best qualities of her sisters. She had the killer looks of Guinevere, the innocence of Euphemia and Nunally, and yet, a aura of darkness surrounded her. She was easily more cunning and ruthless than Cornelia, and yet, there was no one who cared more about Nunally or Euphemia. She was a walking paradox, if there was ever one.
He could distinctly remember the first time that he had really stopped for a moment and looked at her.
Marianne had taken Euphemia and Nunally off to their etiquette lesson, leaving Schneizel alone with Lelouch for the first time. Although they did interact a lot, seeing as they were siblings, they never really had a chance to be alone like they were right now, sitting on the edge of Lelouch's bed. For a girl, she had a relatively unadorned room.
The only things she kept in her room were her large canopy bed, a large wooden desk in the corner with a chessboard on top and a small television. It definitely was nothing like Guinevere's room, which was filled with, at least in Schneizel's opinion, useless junk. In contrast, Lelouch lived in a rather ascetic room, although that probably fit her personality more. Lelouch was much more practical and utilitarian than Guinevere, and it showed in the way that she had decorated her room.
"So Schneizel, do you want to play some chess?" Lelouch asked. She was always eager to challenge him because he was the only person left who could actually beat her on a regular basis.
"Not today, I don't really feel like it." Schneizel responded, shaking his head.
"Oh, ok." Lelouch said, playing with a loose strand of hair. She did not have her hair in a ponytail like she usually did, instead letting it flow down her shoulders in waves of ebony.
In that moment, Schneizel couldn't help but think that his sister looked adorable with her small yellow dress that Marianne had forced her into earlier and a small violet flower in her hair, although he quickly tried to push that idea out of his head. After all, she was only eight, and he was already eighteen! There was no way that he could be attracted to his younger sister!
"Is something wrong?" Lelouch asked innocently in her soft voice, watching the internal battle unfolding in Schneizel's mind. Schneizel quickly opted to turn his head away so that she couldn't see the pink that had dusted his cheeks as he desperately tried to think of anything but his sister.
"Seriously Schneizel, you're acting a little weird." Lelouch said with a hint of concern, scooting up next to him to place a hand on his forehead. Her touch caused him to jump back a bit, which, in turn led to Lelouch crawling towards him as he backed up away from her. Every time she made a move towards him, he stumbled back a little more, until the back of his head bumped into the headboard of her bed. Checkmate.
"I'm feeling perfectly fine." Schneizel stammered, inwardly disappointed with himself. After all, he could completely dominate political meetings, but he was being unnerved by an eight year old at the moment. If the emperor could see him right now, he definitely would become the laughingstock of the entire Royal Family.
"Hm." Lelouch said, coming a little too close for comfort. Her face was inches away now as she placed her cool hand upon his forehead once again.
"It doesn't seem like you have a fever." She observed, not realizing the effect she had on Scheneizel as she was effectively straddling him. He was squirming under her, trying to control his hormones as he enjoyed the vanilla scent from her hair.
"Schneizel, stop moving." She ordered, causing him to cease his struggling. For a moment they just looked at each other before Schneizel decided to take a chance.
"Enjoying the view?" Lelouch teased, causing Schneizel to snap out of his thoughts.
Since that incident in the Aries Villa, she knew perfectly well that Schneizel was attracted to her and never failed to remind him of that fact. It was one of the only advantages she had over him and she was going to exploit it for all that it was worth.
"Um, well, Lelouch, I would like you to meet Lord Stadtfeld." Schneizel quickly changed the subject, introducing Lelouch to one of the nobles he had been talking with earlier. She knew exactly what she possessed and how to use it. If she did have aspirations to become Empress, Schneizel had no doubt that she could succeed. Of course, if she could beat him that is. For all of her cunning and skills, she still had never been able to beat him in chess, although she was easily the best opponent he had ever played.
But if she decided to become his Empress, well, that would be an entirely different story.
"It's an honor to meet you. Please, let me introduce you to my daughter, Kallen." The man said, gesturing to a red haired girl standing next to him.
"Well, the pleasure is mine." Lelouch said, extending her hand to the girl, who looked at it for a second before coldly shaking it. Kallen could just tell from the moment that she saw the princess that the girl was nothing but a puppet of the Empire she so despised. All she wanted to do was to call out the raven haired girl on the atrocities that Britannia was committing in Japan, but she held her tongue. However, the animosity that she had been projecting was not lost on Lelouch, who politely excused herself.
"Lelouch, you look beautiful tonight." Marianne complimented as she saw her daughter wander the dance floor.
"Thank you Mother." Lelouch replied, stopping in front of the Empress of Britannia.
"Oh, Lelouch, before I forget, I would like you to meet Lord Ashford." Marainne said, introducing an old man that Lelouch immediately recognized. Ruben Ashford was fairly famous for having produced the first Knightmare Frame, the Ganymede. His work had effectively started a revolution in warfare. Although Lelouch did not like meeting most nobles, this man was different. Not only was he incredibly important to the formation of the Britannian Empire, but he seemed to be good friends with her mother.
"Nice to meet you, Princess. Say, Marianne, she's quite the looker now, isn't she?" Ruben asked, checking out Lelouch, only to receive a smack on the head from Marianne.
"She is my daughter, so please don't cross that line, Ruben." Marianne said with an irritated tone.
"Er, right. Anyways, I would like you to meet my granddaughter, Milly."
"Hi! Milly Ashford, at your service!" A peppy blond said, greeting her much more warmly than the Stadtfeld girl had.
"Princess Lelouch vi Britannia." Lelouch replied, unnerved by the enthusiasm that Milly was exhibiting. Usually, the girls that were introduced to her were too nervous to even introduce themselves, but Milly seemed to be the exact opposite. The girl was already chatting up a storm when a noble accosted Lelouch and quickly ushered her away.
"Marianne, she's your splitting image." A green haired woman observed, approaching the Empress from behind.
"C.C., don't even think about making a contract with her." Marianne growled fiercely, causing C.C. to smile in response.
"Well, if you fulfill your end of the bargain, then we won't have a problem."
"Get your hands off of me!" Lelouch snapped at the man, who quickly disappeared into a throng of people, leaving Lelouch alone in front of her oldest brother, Odysseus eu Britannia.
"Lelouch, would you care to dance?" Odysseus asked nervously, running a hand through his brown locks, blue eyes darting around, refusing to meet Lelouch's violet ones. Although he was the First Prince of Britannia, Lelouch couldn't help but feel that he would be a mediocre emperor at best.
He was indecisive and far too kind for his own good. Schneizel was much more suited to the throne, but that didn't mean that she didn't like the man. The qualities that made Odysseus a poor choice to lead made him a better brother than Schneizel would ever be, and likely, a better husband, although Lelouch never really had any intention of marrying him growing up. Not that he wasn't attractive, which he was, but he was a little too weak for her liking.
However, if that was the only way she could end up leading the Empire, then she would not hesitate to do it. It wouldn't be hard at all. She would only have to bat her eyelashes a few times and show a little skin before Odysseus would be putty in her hands. Guinevere may just barely edge her in the looks department, but Lelouch could act much more mild mannered than her sister ever could, and that was definitely attractive to Odysseus, who hated conflict.
"Of course." Lelouch said sweetly, taking her older brother's hand as Odysseus began leading her through the waltz.
"Happy birthday." Odysseus said, gracefully weaving them in and out of the crowd. All of the royal children had been educated in the social graces, and Odysseus had picked them up better than most of the others. Lelouch had not paid much attention during the lessons, but she was still a better dancer than most nobles.
"Thank you." Lelouch responded as they kept perfectly in time with the soft music being played by the band.
"So, how have the talks with the Chinese Federation gone?" Lelouch asked, although she already knew the answer. Schneizel had overwhelmed the Chinese Federation with his threats, and it was clear that the Chinese Federation was close to giving in.
"Rather well. I believe that we can come to an agreement without war erupting." Odysseus replied, happy that someone took an interest in his affairs. Usually, no one paid any attention to him, not that he gave them any reason to. He didn't really enjoy being the center of attention. Still, it was nice to have someone who took an interest in him like Lelouch did.
She seemed to be the only one who actually cared about his feelings. It wasn't as if he didn't feel like his siblings didn't care about him. No, that was not even close to the truth. He thought that Schneizel did genuinely care about him and always seemed to have his back, but Schneizel never really tried to get to know him like Lelouch did.
It always just seemed like they had a genuine connection when they were together, although he didn't really know why she had taken an interest in him in the first place. Their personalities were nothing alike. For all of her acting ability, Odysseus knew that Lelouch was not the perfect daughter she made herself out to be. She was devious, cunning, and everything that he was not. But despite that, she always seemed to let her hugs last a second too long and her touch always seemed to linger for a little longer than necessary. Maybe he hadn't imagined the hints she seemed to drop whenever he was nearby. Maybe she did genuinely like him as more than a brother.
"However, it seems that Schneizel thinks that a marriage with the Chinese Empress would be the best way to avoid conflict." Odysseus continued, blatantly staring at Lelouch. She always looked absolutely breathtaking in black, and tonight was no exception.
Lelouch couldn't help the look of shock that came over her face. She had never imagined that Schneizel had really been willing to use his brother as a bargaining chip, although considering how weak Odysseus was, it didn't really shock her after all. Still, Odysseus had seemed like an easier path to the throne, and now it seemed like he was no longer an option. Despite this, she still enjoyed his company sometimes and just because he didn't give her direct access to the throne anymore didn't mean that he couldn't be of use to her. Besides, nothing was official yet. She had seen the Chinese Empress before, and, unless Odysseus was some sort of lolicon, she couldn't imagine losing out to Tianzi. She barely looked like she should be in elementary school, let alone marrying the First Prince of Britannia. No, her plans weren't ruined quite yet. She began smiling again as Odysseus led her through a turn.
The look of shock on Lelouch's face was not lost on Odysseus, who held back a small smile. She had been shocked that he was going to have to marry Tianzi. That seemed to prove his suspicions. Maybe he did actually have a chance with her.
As the song came to an end, Lelouch politely curtsied and Odysseus gave a regal bow, allowing her to go on her way. As she walked away, she made sure to add a little extra sway to her hips, a detail that was not lost on Odysseus.
"Well, Lelouch, happy birthday. Looks like you're another year closer to seeing me on the throne." Guinevere greeted Lelouch with a barely hidden tone of disdain.
"Well good evening to you as well. I see you decided to kill another family of swans for your outfit." Lelouch growled in response, refrencing her sister's over elaborate dress. Guinevere was without a doubt, her least favorite sister. The older woman was the epitome of a sheltered princess, with little understanding of the real world and absolutely no qualification to become empress. The first time they had met, Guinevere had insulted Marianne's heritage as a commoner. Since that moment, Lelouch had felt nothing but loathing for the First Princess, who easily returned her feelings.
Before the two could say anything else, Clovis swooped in between them, immediately defusing the situation.
"Oh Lelouch, I've been looking all over for you!" Clovis said, quickly grabbing his sister's arm and leading her away.
"What's going on, Clovis?" Lelouch asked, used to this kind of behavior. Clovis was a little eccentric at times, but even Lelouch had to admit that the man was talented at manipulating people. Lelouch would be hard pressed to find someone who could manipulate the public quite like Clovis could, even if he was terrible at chess.
"I need you to model one of my newest designs for me." With those words, Lelouch stopped in her tracks.
"No way Clovis. I know you're just trying to sneak a peek at me. Find someone else to do that, just not Nunally or Euphie." Lelouch said, pulling her arm out of Clovis' grasp. Although she had no qualms with incest if it was going to benefit her, Clovis was nowhere near as important as Schneizel or Odysseus. Thus, she found herself rejecting his advances time and time again.
However, just as soon as her arm was out of his grasp, another hand clamped down on her wrist. Surprised by the turn of events, she quickly turned to find herself face to face with the Knight of One, Bismarck Waldstein.
"Clovis, I have to ask you to talk with Princess Lelouch another time. She's needed somewhere else."
As he led her away, Lelouch thanked the Knight for coming to her rescue. He had been the Knight of One for her entire life and was a great friend of Marianne. Thus, Lelouch treated him almost as a member of her own family, and vice versa. Bismarck did not have a family of his own, so Lelouch was the closest thing he had to a daughter, and he usually treated her as such.
"Thanks Bismarck."
"It's no problem, Lelouch. Happy birthday." He replied, leading her across the dance floor.
Once they were out of Clovis' sight, Lelouch tried to remove her hand from Bismarck's grip, but his hand refused to budge, "Um, you can let go of my hand now."
"When I said you were needed somewhere else, I was serious." As close as they were, Bismarck's ultimate loyalty lay with the Emperor, and he could not afford special treatment to Lelouch.
He led her straight to the exit, where she was quickly ushered into a limo. Inside sat a blond boy in a Knight uniform.
"Princess Lelouch, this is Gino Weinberg, the Knight of Three. He's coming along for your protection." Bismark quickly introduced the two.
"Well, nice to meet you." Gino said happily, placing an arm around Lelouch's shoulders, "So, you're eighteen now, huh?"
"Gino!" Bismarck snapped, causing the boy to pull his arm back. Although the boy was there under the Emperor's orders, it didn't give him to right to act so disrespectful to a princess of Britannia.
"So Bismarck. What exactly is this about?" Lelouch asked, ignoring Gino.
"Your father wants to talk to you." Lelouch's eyes widened at that revelation. If the Emperor wanted to see her, that definitely meant that it was important business. Even as a princess, Lelouch did not have much access to her father, as did the rest of the royal children save Schneizel.
"Did he say why?"
Bismarck shook his head. So there were things that the Knight of One didn't know.
As Lelouch stepped inside of the throne room that Charles vi Britannia occupied, she took a quick look around, realizing that the room was entirely empty. Fear suddenly overcame her. Was the Emperor planning to kill her without any witnesses? Lelouch quickly ran through her latest actions to think of anything that would have called for such drastic measures. However, before she knew it, she was at the foot of his throne and fell to one knee.
"Your highness, what do you require of me?" The Emperor stared down at her for ten excruciating seconds before he responded.
"Lelouch, you are the brightest and the favorite of my daughters, but you must know that even you must contribute to the Empire, now that you are an adult. Seeing as you are only seventeenth in line to the throne, I can only offer you two choices. You are going to be married, or you will be joining the military, as Cornelia has done."
Lelouch gave a sigh of relief. So the Emperor wasn't going to kill her. As the second part of what he said sank in, Lelouch suddenly felt uncertainty in her heart once again. Was this why Cornelia suddenly left when she turned eighteen?
Now that she thought about it, Cornelia had never mentioned the military even once before her eighteenth birthday. But as that day came, Cornelia had immediately announced that she was going to join the military in a month. Was this the same fate that Lelouch had subjected herself to? At the time, she had seen it as a selfish gesture by her older sister in order to become Empress. But now that she had been handed the same choice, she found herself following the same path as Cornelia.
She loved Nunally and Euphie, but being used as a bargaining chip in some negotiation was much worse than having to leave them behind for a few months a year. Lelouch wondered, would they feel just as betrayed as she had initially?
"Very well, your majesty. I will serve in the military." Lelouch answered. There was no way that she was going to be used as a political bargaining chip. She was going to earn her place in society. Joining the military actually didn't seem like such a bad idea. If she succeeded, she would move closer to the throne for her usefulness.
Charles smiled at her choice. She was easily the best strategist out of all of his children, besides Schneizel, and he knew of her ambitions for the throne. Personally, he thought Odysseus was too weak, Guinevere was too pampered, Schneizel was too untrustworthy, Cornelia was too unoriginal, Clovis was too eccentric, Euphemia was too naïve, Nunally was too young, but Lelouch was different. She had just the right amount of ambition and drive to beat out her siblings, and best of all, she did not have the kind of power base that Schneizel currently had to stage a coup.
In a word, she was perfect for the throne. But that didn't mean that he was just going to hand it to her. No, he had to earn what was rightfully his and she would have to do the same. He had initially been disappointed when Marianne had given birth to a daughter, but after he saw the look in her eyes the first time she saw the throne, he knew that she was destined for greatness. Maybe the future of Britannia after him wasn't so bleak after all.
If you are coming from any of my other stories, just because I have started this story doesn't mean I'm abandoning Beyond Zero. It's just that I really became intrigued by the idea of what would happen to a female Lelouch and I found myself writing this chapter pretty easily.
This story is going to have romance, as you can see from the description. However, if incest disgusts you or anything, turn back now because I'm sure that Lelouch is going to have some "encounters" with Schneizel, Odysseus, and maybe a few other members of the Royal Family. Beyond that, if you have any thoughts or suggestions, please leave a review or PM! I would really appreciate any and all feedback.