Hello everyone,
because I am not sure whether I will be able to update this weekend, you are getting the chapter today already.
Thank you to everyone who reviewed.
To force200: Why not? Besides the fact that I could still kill Euphemia, Suzaku could chose Lelouch over her even when she's alive.
Disclaimer: Code Geass is not mine or it would have ended differently.
"I'm serious," he says, "For example, no matter how you felt about it, if I told you to kill…"
But just in the middle of the sentence he stops. Maybe this is not such a good idea. The sting earlier through his eye could mean something and he does not want to find out the wrong way if it does. A picture of the insane Mao comes to his mind. He doesn't exactly favour turning the same, thank you very much. Being driven mad by not being able to turn off his Geass, no need for that. Euphemia is still looking at him curiously.
"Told me to do what?" she asks sweetly.
"Uhm, nothing. I could for example tell you to slap Cornelia across the face the next time you see her and you would totally do it," he says instead, slightly absentmindedly.
It is a harmless demand and pretty hilarious if she was to actually do it. Cornelia's face would be priceless. So he just shakes his head. Euphemia giggles.
"I am pretty sure I won't do that. But maybe you can test your theory when she comes. I guess she will arrive soon when she hears that I renounced my title."
His face hardens again, "Then we have to get the new plan going fast. I doubt Cornelia will be all too happy about your alliance with Zero. I have fought against her often enough and killed quite some of her men."
"That could develop into a problem, but I think we can convince her that an alliance with you is better than fighting more battles."
"She is very proud and I have gained some victories against her forces. And she hates Japanese, she would never work together with a Japanese terrorist group," he grumbles.
"Maybe if you told her that you, Zero, are not Japanese she would trust you easier. Especially if she finds out that you are – "
But Lelouch interrupts her harshly, "I am not going to reveal my identity to Cornelia! Never!"
"Alright, alright," the girl immediately soothes, "If I may ask, what do you have against Cornelia? I know you two weren't the best friends when we were young but it wasn't that bad."
He looks at her calculatingly. He is not sure whether he should reveal that Clovis told him that Cornelia was probably involved in his mother's murder. Neither does he trust her enough for that nor does he want to destroy her happy world and picture of her siblings any further.
"I can't tell you that. But believe me it has nothing to do with you," he instead answers darkly.
"Hm, fine," she concedes, "So how are we going to do this now?"
"For now we should make a contract that we are going to work together and not fight. We have to tell it our allies. You will announce it to the masses and continue with your little ceremony," he says determinedly.
"You won't stay for the rest of the ceremony?" she asks hopefully.
"No, I have to get back to my men. They are going to get impatient and I don't need any of them making rash decisions and destroying the fragile alliance we have for the moment. Neither do I want to have Suzaku barging in here because he worries too much that the bad Zero killed his princess," he jokes but if anyone listened closely they would have detected a hint of sadness in his voice.
"Okay, anything else? And when will we meet for the first planning session?" she smiles, happy that she succeeded.
"We need to write certain things down in the contract, today already. For example that we won't attack any of the other group. No one will be arrested on suspect of being part of the Black Knights. I am allowed to keep my identity hidden throughout the whole time and no one is going to try to find it out. Such things, you understand?"
"Yes, if not all this could get out of hand in the next days because we suddenly announced an alliance," Euphemia agrees.
"And you have to sign it outside, where someone can see you. Otherwise they would think I forced you to do it," he adds urgently.
She nods eagerly, still smiling and hurriedly bustles over to the other side of the room. Soon she returns with a paper and pens. Together they bow over the paper, setting up a primary contract. It takes about ten minutes, meanwhile Lelouch's hearing picks up agitated talking from outside but he decides to ignore it. Smiling Euphemia holds the finished contract up.
"Is that fine with you?"
He reads it over another time, "Yes, but when Britannia or you should do something that purposely brings great harm to Japan or the Black Knights, I am allowed to drop out of the alliance at any moment."
She nods, "It's fine. I swear to not do something like that. However I can not promise the same for the rest of the empire or royal family."
"I know, but then you have to accept that the Britannian empire is still my enemy. The Black Night's enemy."
"I understand. I want to change it too. The way it is right now is not just. Father is getting old and he probably should have given up his title quite some time ago. In my opinion it would be better to have a council than a single person anyway," she agrees.
Lelouch balls his fists, "Yes, getting rid of Charles is part of my plan too."
"You really hate father, don't you?" the girl says sympathetically.
"I suspect he was somehow involved in mother's murder or knew of it but did nothing to stop it. And even if not, he just simply did not care. Not to mention that he sent me and Nunnally to Japan to first use us as tools for his plans and then get rid of us. I do hate him," he growls.
She smiles sadly, "I understand. Father is not a nice person."
He shakes his head, focusing back on the present, "But that is not the problem right now. We have to get moving or someone is going to get impatient."
"Yes," she smiles, "I will open the room and then go outside. There I can sign the contract. Are Suzaku and my security personal enough witnesses?"
"I don't really care about the number of witnesses," Lelouch answers, while pulling the black cloth over his face again, "It has to be enough so no one will accuse me of forcing you to sign the contract."
"Suzaku will make sure that everyone keeps to the truth," she smiles, confident in her knight.
"Suzaku hates Zero nearly as much as Cornelia does," the boy admits with a hint of sadness, "And I am not sure whether the Britannians would believe him, he's Japanese after all."
"There are still the three agents. They should convince the rest," she assures him.
Lelouch sighs but concedes and takes his helmet up. He puts it back over his head. Just as he is letting the back click in place, something comes to Euphemia's mind.
"And what about you?"
"Hm?" the purple front turns towards her.
"The Black Knights. How will they know you were not forced?" she asks innocently.
It earns her a small laugh, muffled by the mask, "For one, they know no one can force me to do anything. Besides I have one of my followers waiting for me in the Knightmare I came with."
"Good," she smiles and taps on some buttons and the light goes back on.
Slowly the blinds start to lift and with a click the door unlocks. She smiles a last time at the helmed figure next to her, then steps up to the door which slides open with a loud hiss. Lelouch takes a deep breath behind his mask. He is about to find out whether allying with Euphemia was a good decision or not. He just hopes that if it wasn't he can still drop out early enough.
That's it for today. Thanks for reading.
I'm working on more chapters, promise ^^'
Reviews are always appreciated and see you next time.