Author's Note: Just a little plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone after R2 episode 6.

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass.

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A Knight's Promise

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Suzaku placed Nunnally's wheelchair down on the palace lawn and allowed the imperial retainers to come greet their new Governor. He watched through the eyes of his Lancelot as his childhood friend was escorted away from him and couldn't help but feel like he was losing another one. Suzaku sighed and ran his fingers through his hair distractedly.

Lelouch had acted like he didn't know Nunnally when they had spoken on the phone, and if there was one thing Suzaku could trust about his old friend, it was that he would never straight-out lie to his sister. That should have been enough evidence to clear the supposedly amnesiac prince from suspicion of his memories having returned, but Suzaku wasn't satisfied. The current Zero was too authentic to be anyone else but the original. And the fact that the Black Knights had attempted to kidnap Nunnally when there had been no announcement about the identity of the new Governor… It was too much of a coincidence that Lelouch had only just spoken to Nunnally on the phone the day before.

The Knight of Seven frowned. He could have sworn he had heard someone yell out Nunnally's name while they had fled the crashing ship… And it had sounded an awful lot like Lelouch's voice. Zero had been flying through the air only to be rescued by Kallen, but it hadn't sounded like the arrogant rebel. No, it had been a desperate cry; like that of a brother being separated from his sister. Could he have been imagining it? Suzaku had to admit he was practically obsessed with the idea of Lelouch having regained his memories. He needed closure and an amnesiac Lelouch couldn't give that to him.

Could that need be affecting his senses? No, he had definitely heard something. And of the people present that would have known Nunnally's name, none of them should have been worried about her position in Suzaku's hands. The only conclusion that made sense was that it had been Lelouch to cry out. It had to have been. Suzaku knew that voice too well to be fooled.

But had Nunnally heard it? And if so, had she recognized her brother's voice? Undoubtedly she would have. Those two were closer than normal siblings, after all.

"Lord Kururugi?"

Suzaku blinked at the sound of Cecil's voice in his communicator. He had almost forgotten he was still sitting in the Lancelot on the palace's grounds. Not that anyone would dare challenge a member of the Knight of the Rounds, but Suzaku still felt a little foolish for zoning out.

"Yes, Cecil-san?"

"Has Governor Nunnally made it to the palace?"

"Yes. She arrived safely."

"Then disembark. We will arrive at the palace in a few hours."

"Understood."

"And… Suzaku?" Cecil began hesitantly.

"Cecil-san?"

"Ah, it's nothing," she trailed off.

Suzaku smiled to himself, realizing what she was getting at. "I'll take care of her."

"Right."

The link was closed and Suzaku sighed. He slumped in the pilot's seat for a moment before opening the hatch and exiting his Knightmare with the propeller rope. Several attendants had been standing around, apparently waiting to see if the Knight of Seven would also be entering the palace. They rushed up to Suzaku but he waved them off.

"I'm fine," he said simply.

"Then we shall take you to your room, My Lord."

Suzaku nodded and silently followed the servants through the palace grounds. His thoughts drifted back to the yell he had heard. Lelouch, was that you? Or am I going crazy?

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Suzaku sat at the window in the room he had been assigned to during his stay at the Governor's palace. He had showered and changed his clothes from his pilot's suit, though didn't feel any better; any cleaner. The garb of the Knight of Seven was laid out on his bed but Suzaku had instead opted for something simpler and more casual: slacks and a t-shirt. He knew he didn't look impressive, but at that moment, he didn't really care. He just wanted to be alone with his thoughts for awhile.

Lloyd and the others wouldn't be arriving for awhile and they planned to spend the night in the palace anyway. He would see them in the morning to deal with business. For a short time, Suzaku didn't have any duties to see to, and he took advantage of the small peace. It wasn't often that the Knight of Seven was able to just be Kururugi Suzaku.

The sun was setting and the sky was colored blood-red over the Eleven—no, Japanese—land.

The battle colored the sky red this day, he thought off-handedly.

A timid knock sounded at the door and Suzaku blinked. "Enter," he called, unsure of who might be attending him now. The door opened to admit the last person he had expected but the first he needed to see: Nunnally. She wheeled in hesitantly and Suzaku immediately rose to his feet, even though she couldn't see the action.

"Suzaku-san," she said quietly, "I hope I'm not bothering you."

Suzaku blinked. "Never, Nunnally. You could never bother me."

"I'm glad," the young Governor said with a small smile.

In the twilight that was lazily drifting through the open window, Nunnally looked so frail. Suzaku felt a protective jolt in his chest as he looked at her. In the last year, he had done all he could to make sure she was looked after. She had missed her brother terribly, but Suzaku hadn't been able to bring himself to share the truth of Lelouch's absence to her.

Lelouch wasn't trustworthy enough to look after Nunnally anyway. He had allowed V.V. to kidnap her, after all, because he was leading his doomed Black Rebellion. No, anyone who acted as Lelouch had did not deserve a wonderful sister like Nunnally. Instead, he had merely told her that Lelouch had gone missing in the aftermath of the Black Rebellion and was likely hiding out.

"Are you alright?" he asked gently. "I know it's been a hard day…"

She shook her head slowly. "I'm fine." She smiled. "Thank you for protecting me today, Suzaku-san."

"Ah, not at all. I only wish I could have been there sooner." Suzaku watched Nunnally carefully. There was definitely something on her mind, but he wouldn't push her.

"Suzaku-san," she said after a silent moment in which she seemed to be gathering her thoughts, "has something happened between you and my brother?"

Suzaku felt the breath catch in his throat. Where had this come from? A dozen half-truths and white lies floated through his mind before he discarded them out of hand. He couldn't bear the thought of lying to Nunnally… not again. He cared about her too much.

"What are you talking about?" he asked carefully instead.

Lelouch's younger sister swallowed. "Suzaku-san, please… don't lie to me." Her voice was small, as if afraid of saying the words.

Suzaku froze. Hearing those words from the soft-spoken Nunnally cut through him as if they were a blade. "Nunnally, I-"

"I heard my brother today," the frail girl said instead. "Just after you rescued me. He called my name."

So I wasn't just imagining it, Suzaku thought.

"Are you sure?"

"I could never mistake my brother's voice." Nunnally's voice had gotten so strong with sudden conviction that the Knight of Seven started.

"Nunnally, we were in mid-air over the ocean. There's no way Lelouch could have been there." Not if he isn't this Zero, that is.

"I know what I heard," Nunnally replied steadfastly. "He called my name." She paused and looked unseeingly into her lap. "And the sound of his voice broke my heart," she whispered. After a moment, she brought her head back up and turned in Suzaku's direction. "Didn't you hear it, Suzaku-san?"

Suzaku pursed his lips and looked at Nunnally's hopeful face before looking back out the open window. The sun had fallen below the horizon during the span of the meeting. The last rays of daylight were fading into darkness. What should he do? He could lie and say he hadn't, crushing Nunnally's hopes of seeing her brother again and breaking her trust in him to protect the harsh truth… or he could tell her the truth about her brother and quite possibly break her heart once and for all.

Finally, the Knight sighed, mind made up. He turned back to the wheelchair-bound girl with a heavy heart. "I heard it."

Some unknown emotion ran through the girl. "I see."

Suzaku looked at Nunnally, words escaping him. No matter the answer, there would only be pain for her. He wished, not for the first time, that she hadn't volunteered to take the position as Governor of Area 11. While he had sworn to support her, he did not want her to have to deal with the politics of the Empire. He knew many of the politicians saw Nunnally's appointment as an opportunity to seize power behind the scenes, but he would make sure that didn't happen. Nunnally was his responsibility now and he would protect her, no matter what it took.

"Suzaku-san, come over here," Nunnally said quietly and he did as he was bidden. He knelt in front of Nunnally's chair and watched silently as her hands gently touched his face.

"You're Suzaku, and yet, you're not," she mused.

Suzaku blinked. "Nunnally?"

"You're not the same Suzaku we used to know. You've grown harder," the blind girl said. "But I can feel your sadness." Nunnally frowned. "Is it because of Euphie-oneesan?"

Suzaku swallowed. The gentleness of Nunnally's touch was stirring up emotions he had been trying to keep down. But he had already decided he wouldn't lie to her. "Yes."

"I miss her, too," Nunnally said quietly. She brushed his cheek softly, as if to reassure him that things would be alright. "She loved you very much, Suzaku-san."

The Knight felt a lump in his throat. Somehow, Nunnally was breaking down all the barriers he had spent a year creating in a few short moments. "And I loved her very much," he whispered.

"You were Euphie-oneesan's Knight," Nunally said after a moment. Something in her tone had changed but Suzaku couldn't quite put his finger on it. "Will you be mine as well?"

Suzaku stiffened. "Nunnally…"

"Euphie-oneesan had a dream for a place where the Japanese could truly be Japanese." The blind girl's tone was soft but firm. She suddenly sounded capable of handling her political position. "I want to continue that dream of equality. Will you help me, Suzaku-san?"

That protective jolt in Suzaku's chest returned and he nodded resolutely. He would protect her. He had failed Euphie but he would not fail Nunnally. For Euphie's honor, he would continue her dream through Nunnally. He would see their dream come to pass and with the right methods.

"On my honor as the Knight of Seven, I swear to protect you to my last," he said formally. "I am yours to command, Governor Nunnally."

"Thank you," she acknowledged softly, taking his hands into her own. "My first command for you, my Knight, is to answer me honestly."

"Yes?" I won't lie to you, Nunnally.

The wheelchair-bound girl paused, suddenly appeared timid. Her voice, however, remained strong. "Is… is my brother Zero?"

Suzaku's heart missed a beat in shock. "Nunally, why…?"

"Your heart is racing," she said in a tiny voice, sounding as frail as she looked. "He is, isn't he?"

The Knight of Seven swallowed. He had given her his oath to be loyal and he had sworn to himself that he wouldn't lie to his childhood friend again. But this was the truth that Suzaku didn't feel was his place to share with her. He knew it would break Nunnally's heart to know her brother was the infamous rebel and he knew it would break Lelouch's heart to know Nunnally knew of his alter ego. But he had sworn…

"The one to call out your name this afternoon was Zero," Suzaku said instead, watching Nunnally's face carefully.

"Then Zero is my brother," Nunnally whispered. Suzaku squeezed her hand to show his support but she didn't squeeze back.

The proof I needed, Suzaku thought before discarding the thought. This wasn't the time for that. He would deal with Lelouch—Zero—later. For now, he needed to be there for Nunnally.

"Are you alright?"

The blind girl looked down in her lap and smiled sadly, surprising the Knight. "I think I've always known."

"Really?"

"The hints have always been there," she said slowly. "I just didn't want to believe it." She turned back to Suzaku. "Is that what happened between you two?"

"Yes," Suzaku said simply, averting his gaze from Nunnally's face. He didn't trust his voice to say much more at the moment. He was still reeling at the fact Nunnally had suspected Lelouch of being Zero.

Nunnally suddenly squeezed his hands in a show of support. "It must be hard for you, Suzaku-san."

"Ah, yes."

"As my Knight, promise me something," the frail girl said quietly. Suzaku looked up at the Governor. "Promise me you'll help me save him."

"Nunnally…"

"Even if not for him, do it for those three children from eight years ago."

Suzaku swallowed. He couldn't refuse her. And as angry as he still was at Lelouch, he would do his duty to the Governor.

"I promise."

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