It would be one of the most talked-about events of the Britannian calendar year, bar none.
Vast amounts of people began entering the illustrious Aries Palace, in the heart of the Imperial City. It was the first time in a while that the Royal Family held an event of this scale. Of course, when a miracle occurs, the only proper course of action is to celebrate it.
The ballroom of the Aries Palace was filled with reporters, photographers, foreign dignitaries, nobility and celebrities. Everyone who held any real importance to Britannian society was in attendance. The most notable of guests were the Ashford family. Once the most respected lineage in Britannia, they were quickly stripped of rank and exiled, after the death of Marianne, one of the Imperial Consorts and their strongest supporter. According to the magazine pages, they relocated to Area 11 and established the Ashford Academy, home to Britannian students living in the Tokyo Settlement. Millicent Ashford was the president of the school's student council, and invited them to the event. She herself was on the arm of Lloyd Asplund, the earl who was partly responsible for the Ashford's' restoration of nobility.
The conversations between the guests were quieted when the first members of the Royal Family entered the hall. Leading the family members was Odysseus U Britannia, the Crown Prince of Britannia and the first in line to the throne. Despite his title, no one believed he should be Emperor, not even the current Emperor. Odysseus was terribly indecisive and overall useless in politics. Insiders at the palace decided his status was an accident of birth. Similar, although less severe, judgment was also placed on the First Princess, Guinevere. She did nothing but spend money, whether it was on clothes or useless monuments for the Imperial Palace.
Many believed that the next who followed, Second Prince and Princess Schneizel and Cornelia, were better candidates for the successor. Schneizel, who also held the title of Prime Minister, was lauded by the Britannian press for his charm and excellent diplomatic skills. Cornelia was an expert in combat and a fearless leader. Some of the nobles had suggested the two should rule Britannia together, but that idea was hushed. The Emperor believed that a truly worthy ruler didn't need help, and that opinion prevented any more discussion. Still, there was no question that the two were the true heirs to the Britannian throne.
Third Princess Euphemia entered with her Knight, the infamous Suzaku Kururugi. An Honorary Britannian and former Warrant Officer, his relationship with the nation of Britannia was very tempestuous. Suzaku was the son of the former Japanese Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi. The man committed suicide when Britannia began the invasion of Japan. Suzaku was once a suspect in the murder of the Third Prince Clovis la Britannia, and many people used his father's death as motive. He was acquitted of the crime when the terrorist leader Zero took responsibility for the attack. Feelings about the young knight were severely mixed. Some lauded him for his loyalty to Britannia. Others refused to accept a lowly Eleven. Yet, he was trusted enough by Euphemia to become her sole protector, and alleged lover.
Fourth Prince William and Fourth Princess Katherine followed Euphemia. The two were usually inconsequential in the political structure of the Empire. Instead, they were guardians of society. Katherine was a popular philanthropist, while William was an avid sports enthusiast. Fifth Prince Cassius and his sister Fifth Princess Carline were next. The two children were identified in the royal circles as the Emperor clones. Cassius and Carline were infamous for their love of violence and their blind acceptance of their father's ideologies. Cassius, however, was less enthusiastic about them. Carline was a close to a dictator as an adolescent could get.
After the children filed in, the Imperial Consorts entered the ballroom. Rumors of exactly how many women Charles had bedded were as prominent as his persona. The estimations were as small as 20 and as large as 106. Yet, only 10 women filed through the door. The most important came in last. There was Ophelia li Britannia, the mother of Euphemia and Cornelia. She was the self-proclaimed fashionista of the Empresses, never failing to fill the Britannian magazines with her fashion choices. Michaela el Britannia, Schneizel's mother, was very conservative in both dress and personality. She was reserved in public, and her discomfort with being there was terribly visible. Finally, the most important Empress of them all, Arianna U Britannia.
The Imperial Empress of the Throne was the leading consort to the Emperor. While he had many wives, Arianna was the woman with the power in the Royal Family. Despite her son's obvious political deficiencies, Arianna was an expert in diplomacy and achieving the political goals of her country. She was easily the most powerful woman in the Empire. Yet she wasn't always. There used to be a woman who was even more powerful than Arianna. She was gone now, under very suspect circumstances.
Behind Arianna was the Emperor, Charles Di Britannia. The man was a true depiction of royalty, in his traditional robe and powdered wig. His image was one of unwavering strength and power; he was a man to be feared by all. Whispers around the Palace suggested that Charles was slowly but surely falling into madness. Very close members of the court spoke of a large structure hidden somewhere that held Charles' attention more than anything. The Britannian press dare not write about it, in fear of incurring the wrath of the most powerful man in the world. As far as everyone was concerned, if the Emperor was insane, let him be.
Not everyone felt that way, though.
The Britannian Royal Family sat in their seats on the ballroom stage, everyone except Arianna, who stood at the podium. In a strong, firm voice, she began to speak.
"I would like to welcome everyone to this very special occasion," Arianna began, which was greeted with light clapping. She continued, "It has been seven years since our great nation acquired another territory, now endowed with the name Area 11".
Although it was very quiet, some of the members in the audience cringed at the name. One of them was Kallen Stadtfeld, a student at the Ashford Academy in Area 11. She was invited, along with the rest of the Student Council, to the event by Milly Ashford. She was also there for reasons unbeknownst to them.
I hope he knows what he is doing, Kallen thought to herself.
"The annexation of Area 11 has not been without its trouble, however. Many Britannians have lost their lives because of the violence in Area 11. The Imperial Family has not been impervious to these tragedies. Recently, we mourned the loss of Clovis la Britannia, the Third Prince of the Empire. Seven years ago, the Family endured another tragedy."
Arianna looked back at the Emperor, who nodded at her. She turned back to the eager audience, and continued to speak.
"In 2010, the Family mourned the deaths of Lelouch vi Britannia and Nunnally vi Britannia, children of the late Imperial Consort Marianne vi Britannia. The two young children, who flew to Area 11 as a part of a failed peace treaty, were declared dead as casualties of war. It was very difficult to cope with, but we wished for their eternal happiness and continued strong.
"It has recently come to the attention of the Royal Family that the deaths of Lelouch and Nunnally were misreported. Thanks to the cooperation of the Ashford family and the Britannian police stationed in Area 11, we were able to find both Lelouch and Nunnally, alive and well."
The announcement was met with another round of clapping, which lasted long. After dying down, Arianna spoke again, "They had been living in the Ashford Academy among their own kind, veiling their identities to protect themselves from terrorist actions. Their bravery in such a turbulent time should be lauded. Now that they are home, they need no longer worry. It is with great pleasure that I present to you, the 11th Prince and Princess of the Empire, Their Highnesses Lelouch vi Britannia and Nunnally vi Britannia!"
The crowd turned to the door and looked in awe as Lelouch and Nunnally, the long lost children of the Emperor, appeared in the doorway, seven years older than they appeared last. The two looked healthy and refreshed, despite of the implications of their death certificates. Nunnally was in a pink wheelchair, which was wheeled by a woman with black hair and a black gown. Lelouch wore black as well, including a cape similar to the one he wore the day he was banished by Charles.
The minute he entered the ballroom, Lelouch locked eyes with his father, the Emperor. It had been almost decade since Charles Di Britannia banished him and his crippled sister. Despite the time passage, Lelouch noticed little change. Charles still had that dark glint in his eyes, denoting a power inside that invoked fear in whoever he stood in front of. Lelouch remembered that feeling when he confronted him on that fateful day, a week after his mother's murder. He was terrified then.
He wasn't now, and he would never be again.