"Lady Nunnally, time for the party." she awoke to Sayako gently tapping her shoulder.

"Hm? The potty?" the girl sat up in bed, rubbing at her eyes.

"No. the party. Celebration of your coronation?"

"Oh yes, that. Sorry Sayako, I forgot." she tried her hardest to blink the sleepy haze from her eyes. She let Sayako help her into a dress that matched the dress she wore as Viceroy of Area 11, though the area was now it's own country, Japan standing independent once more.

There was a gentle knock at the door just before Sayako could apply makeup to the young girl's eyes. "M'lady?" Zero's hesitant voice wafted through the door.

"Hm? Yes, Zero?" she answered, delicately closing her eyes so that Sayako could add on the pink with a light touch.

"It is almost time to go down, M'lady." she informed her.

"Ah, yes. I'll be ready in a moment." the reason why it was Zero here to get her and not some other palace servant was because of her persistent insisting. Zero would be the only one allowed to take her anywhere in her chair. Anytime another person came to get her in her chair, excluding Sayako for bath times and the such, she would become silent and insist that Zero come and relieve the servant of their duty. Eventually they just stopped trying to send some other servant.

Sayako brought her chair to the door, and opened it. Nunnally smiled at the cold mask that she knew masked a young boy's face, the boy was probably Japanese so that gave her a good idea of what he may look like. She liked to imagine that he was smiling back.

Zero took a grip on the handles of Nunnally's chair-it was mechanical, but she felt safer with someone at the reigns, like she was less likely to run into walls, a remnant from when she was blind and also she knew that her depth perception was skewed, perhaps forever. Sayako was trailing a respected distance away from them, living up to her title as Lady-in-Waiting of the Empress, and the Empress' bodyguard. It had taken quite a bit of convincing to let Cornelia only have Sayako by Nunnally's side at all times, but with the arguments of how safe the palace was and how no one to her knowledge was angry at her rule, Cornelia allowed it.

They arrived at the doors behind the stage, that would lead to the podium where it was customary for the Crown to stay with their knights and bodyguards. She could hear the loudspeaker through the door.

"And now introducing, Her Royal Highness, Nunnally vi Britannia, the 100th Brittanian Empress!" with quite the loud fanfare, the doors opened to reveal a room full of noble women in silken dressed and noblemen in finely pressed suites, holding flutes of wine and sparkling ciders in their hands as they clapped her onto the podium.

"Quite the gathering, huh?" Cornelia spoke from her position beside Nunnally. "They're all here for you. You have quite the following." she smiled at the sister that was now getting the dear little sister treatment that was left over from Euphemia's sudden demise.

"They're here to swamp me with questions and gather favors." Nunnally spoke, making it very clear that her opinion of the politics of Britannia had come from her big brother. "But I suppose that's in the job description. I'm going to make the world better, first step is listening to what they have to say." she lowered her shoulders and raised her chin, the very image of perfect posture.

"Nunnally..." Cornelia's face grew proud and sorrowful. She didn't want her innocent child of a sister to be tainted by the cruel adult world while trying to make it better, her kid brother was a perfect example of happens when that happens, and she knew that Nunnally was just as cunning as her brother if she wanted to be. "Is this really what you want to do with your life?"

"Mine and Brother's." her face was stony and determined. There would be no changing her mind in the slightest.

"As you wish," Cornelia lowered her gaze. This would be the one younger sibling she would not lose to politics. She would protect this sibling. Even if the whole world had to die and rot away at her hands to do it.

Nunnally cracked a smile, and gazed at Cornelia. "Thank you, Sister."

Cornelia allowed a crack of emotion to show through her royal commander facade. She reached out a hand and grabbed the girl in a side hug.

That was when Lord Guilford came up, and offered his hand to Cornelia, with a question of "M'lady?" it was then that it became shockingly obvious to the two women that the music had been playing, and that the dance floor had people coupling up and swirling round in perfect unison, all repeating the steps that had been beat into them since childhood.

"Guilford, you of all people should know that I have to protect the Empress." Cornelia spoke in a cold voice.

"Go on, Sister." Nunnally encouraged, smiling at the princess and her knight, both of whom obviously felt a mutual attraction. "I believe the occasion deserves a dance. Go on, have fun." she smiled and made a nudging motion with her hands.

With a quick glance at Zero's mask, Cornelia allowed herself to be led onto the dace floor. In her eyes, she had made a silent plea to Zero. "Keep her safe"

And the Boy Behind the Mask had responded, though she had no way of knowing other than her gut, "With my life."

Nunnally watched all the couples spin round and round, and smiled. She liked seeing people happy, it made it seem as though Brother's goal was not as impossible as it seemed, she gazed at happy Ladies faces as they spun round with their Lords. Looking at them like this, it seemed almost easy. Yes, she was sad that she herself would not be able to grace about the dance floor, but she really was content just watching them, their intricate movements.

Zero noticed the girl's wistful look, and walked around to in front of her chair. "May I have this dance, M'lady?"

Nunnally's eyes snapped from the dance floor to Zero. "Oh- I can't, I'm fine just watching really. I don't really dance..."

"Of course you can," with his urging the girl placed her hand in his. With her permission he grabbed her, one hand supporting under her legs, and one holding up her upper back.

"Whoa!" Nunnally gave a giggle and grabbed Zero around the neck for support. "What're you doing, Zero?" she asked him as she shifted in his arms to get in a more comfortable and safe position. She could almost hear his smile.

"I'm showing you that you can dance." she was positive that there was a happy tone to his voice, but with the voice modifier installed in the mask it was harder to tell emotions in his voice. "So, shall we?"

Nunnally raised a hand to her mouth, and giggled very slightly. "Lets." she smiled big.

Then they went out onto the dance floor, twirling to the wrong beat, not matching up with the other couples on the dance floor at all. Nunnally laughed a bit as he twirled her around and around. When the song ended, pretty quickly, the two ascended the podium, and Nunnally sat down in her chair once more.

"Thank you Zero, that was a lot of fun." her smile faltered a bit. "Brother and I used to do that a lot. Turn on the radio, spin round and round about the living room." she looked down at her hands, crossed in her lap. "It was among my favorite things to do."

"Lelouch sounds like he was really kind." Zero's head gazed about the room, inspecting it for any dangers to the girl he was accompanying.

"He was. Far too kind for his own good." her smile became strained, like she was putting up airs. "The Lords and Ladies really dressed up nice for the occasion, huh?" she changed the subject, blinking her eyes tightly against tears she was not going to let fall.

"They dressed up as always, of course. This is quite the event. Not every day a new empress is crowned, a centennial empress at that."

She could imagine a steel cold grind in his voice. It was either in disdain for the nobles' exuberant nature or the grind that came from the voice changer. Either way he did not sound to happy. She couldn't say that she was faring to well either. There were people starving in Japan, and there were Brittanian nobles making themselves sick with Vine, and dancing to their hearts' content.

There was a fanfare of trumpets. It was time to ask the new empress questions on what she planned to do with her rule. Cornelia had taken her customary position beside the girl. The first question was called.

It was a man with jovially red cheeks. "Empress Nunnally, what is your plan to take back Area 11?" he had a slight slur on his words. It was the Lord of Boston, she recognized. He was always a loud one, running his mouth on how Britannia needed to gain more land, more power, and take over the E.U. and the Chinese Federation.

"I have no plans to reclaim Japan." she put extra emphasis on the country's name. "In fact, I have many plans in place to help the newly recovered country back on its feet and running strong once more." she spoke into the microphone that they had placed in a very specific place for easy access from her chair.

There was a murmur of dissent from the crowd.

"You mean,... you do not plan on reclaiming what is rightfully ours?" the Lady of Boston asked from her position, hanging off her husband's arm. "Then... what are we going to do? We can't just have them running around thinking that they're better than our Holy Empire!" she sounded outraged.

So that really was the way the public thought.

"I lived amongst the Japanese for the majority of my remembered life." she began, watching as the faces in the crown closest to her morphed into confusion. "The citizens want nothing more than freedom, and I feel that we should grant them that happiness that we take for vantage. I do not intend the Empire to become a pushover state, but I do plan on lightening up on war. I want nothing more than peace."

Now there was a mix of faces in the crowd. She knew that many of them too wanted peace, a majority in fact, but their sheltered life led them to believe that the path to peace was by demolishing all in their way, until only those who agreed with them were left. Nunnally planned to lead the Empire in a new direction, using peace and making people happy as their course to a kinder world that she would be proud to make.

"Peace cannot be gained through war. Wartime is the opposite of peacetime. I plan to make the way to peace paved with good nature and love towards our fellow man, not against it. I plan on making treaties with the countries of Japan, and the European Union,and the Chinese Federation, not destroying them. The only way to peace is by showing peace to them first, and to let them know your intentions straight out. That is how we will make the divine Empire." she knew how ravenously they all loved the idea of the ultimate Empire, so that would help them see her motives.

Now everyone in the crowd was nodding, agreeing with what was being said.

"Empress," one young woman with flowing red hair and a turquoise dress spoke and bowed low. "I have failed to notice you releasing any official statements on your brother, Prince Lelouch's rule. Would you mind horribly giving one now?" the woman had a mousy look to her. Later Nunnally would have to ask who she was.

"My young sister will not be taking any questions on that matter. Next please-." Cornelia stepped up, but was stopped by a small grip on her coat tail.

"No, Sister, it is about time I formally address the matter, I'm okay talking about it." she had leaned her head away from the microphone, making any bits it did manage to pick up distant and weak. She bit down on her tongue. A week after Brother's death, and she had successfully avoided answering any questions on the matter.

"Are you sure?" Cornelia knelt down to her sister's side. "You don't need to if your uncomfortable speaking about it, you're in control here." her eyebrows had raised like she was a mother hen.

"I'm fine," she gave a small smile, before turning to the mic, dignified as ever when addressing the public. "My brother's rule was the very start of the peace movement that I am carrying out with my rule, and the official end to the wartimes caused by Emperor Charles." she would not call him her father. Fathers don't send out their children to a foreign place that they're preparing to bomb.

The crowd was obviously shocked. She heard mutters of how the young were always corrupted, and how of course she'd feel sweet towards her late big brother and refuse to see anything wrong with what he did.

"He was, in his own way, trying to gain peace for everyone. His way was just different from the preferred method, but very effective. Look at the number of wars currently happening, on foreign soil, or on home turf. Look at how discord within the public has nearly disappeared all together. Brother spent his life to make the world this way, and should be revered as the herald of peace, not the bringer of death." she could feel tears welling inside her eyes. It had to be said.

"Brother was not doing what he did out of spite or malice, but merely he was doing what he had to in order to make the world better. Even if you cant forgive him, that's okay. It's even okay if you hate him. Just try to see that everything he did was for the good of the people."

There was a variety of emotions scrawling throughout the crowd. There were some angry, some sad, and some just looked like they wanted to know where all the waiters with flutes of Vine had run off too. None looked too horribly convinced of what she said. Many looked like they expected her to continue, giving a 'But his actions were unforgivable.' or something of the sort.

"And that is all I have to say on the matter." she finished, looking down. "Thank you for your attention."

A lone pair of hands started clapping. It was the redhead that had asked the question. "Beautifully phrased." she spoke out. "Thank you for the time it must have taken you to come up with that official statement. Well worth the wait."

Nunnally merely nodded her head in recognition of the woman's praise. Then the party seemed to realize that their game of twenty questions was over, and the music restarted ans couples went back to spinning round and round.

A blonde woman with big blue eyes made her way up the stairs to the podium, and she went by unstopped by Zero or Sayako, and Cornelia merely looked slightly put off as the woman knelt and pulled Nunnally into a hug.

"Nunnally, I am so sorry, this must seem like such a sham to you." spoke the woman in a much kinder tone than the press badge around her neck would lead you to believe she would act. She pulled away from the girl. "I would have come to visit you sooner, but there was so much news that we needed to cover that there wasn't anytime. I'm so sorry." she had tears in her eyes.

"Oh, Milly." Nunnally recognized the energetic blonde's voice, her gentle touch. "I'm so glad you're here." she reached out, and joined in a hug with Milly once more. Now she could make connections from the images in her room of the energetic blonde to this introverted news reporter before her. She was also close with Lelouch, before he became the 99th Emperor.

"Some day I'm going to arrange for us to meet up somewhere, see if we can also get a hold of Rivalz, and maybe even Nina, if that's not to much. I want to get the student council back together again." her eyes dropped as did Nunnally's as they both realized that they were the only surviving members of the student council. Lelouch and Suzaku had both died in pursuit of the peaceful world. All this time she had been weeping over her brother, and there was also Suzaku to weep for. She had grown very close to both boys during the Brittanian air raids, when they had been roaming city to city, family estate to family estate.

"That would be really nice." she managed out. "I would like that very much. I'll try and see if I can make it happen."

"That would be nice if we could." Milly smiled. Then the blonde realized that Nunnally was sinking back into despair. "Oh come on now, cheer up," she bopped the girl on the nose and smiled big. "None of that! Want me to go smuggle you up some cakes?" she had a mischievous glint in her eyes, and a familiar tone to her voice.

"Okay." Nunnally smiled back.

"Would you like some, Zero?" Milly straightened, and looked the man in the... mask.

"Not at all, Ms. Ashford, I am perfectly fine as is." Zero's voice sounded sort of strained.

"Okay then." she put her hands up in a very stereotypical secret agent way. She 'sneaked' over to the treats table in such a fashion and took a platter of tiny cakes from the long array of food, which was quickly replaced by a maid in a black and white uniform. She brought the cakes back up to the Empress, and sat on the arm of her chair and placed the platter before them.

"I come with treats." she declared and grabbed one, putting it into her mouth.

"Thank you, Milly." Nunnally too began to eat. She closed her eyes. No one could deny that the castle's cakes were the best. She turned around in her seat. "Zero, are you sure you don't want some? They really are quite good." her violet eyes sparkled.

"No Nunnally. I'm fine as is." he responded in a cold tone.

"Okay," she looked away and put another wonderful cake in her mouth.

"Ashford!" a man cried, running up the stairs. He too had a press badge, and he was holding a heavy looking camera over one shoulder. "What are you doing up here! Why not going and interviewing people!" he then seemed to notice what company he and Milly were in. "You Highness!" he knelt low on one leg. "I am sorry for whatever offense my reporter has caused!"

"Milly, are you still worrying people witless?" Nunnally asked before turning to the man. "Stand up, Mr...?" she let that question hover in the air.

"Watson. Michael Watson." he lunged upwards and shook her extended hand. "Very nice to make your acquaintance, Your Highnesses." he turned and acknowledged Cornelia as well. "Very sorry for what ever trouble Ashford has caused." he glared at the woman mischievously sitting on the Empress' arm rest.

"Mr. Watson, Milly has not been a trouble at all, actually I am quite pleased by her coming up to speak with me, it has been so long since the two of us met. Thank you very much for giving her the opportunity to be here today." Nunnally smiled a heart warming smile, and Mr. Watson's face grew red with all the praise.

"Aww, no need the thank me Your Highness." he rubbed the back of her neck.

"How would you like an interview?" everyone's heads snapped to her when she said that. The empress never gave out interviews, in fact she seemed to always be avoiding the cameras at all costs. To have her willingly ask for one was unheard of.

"Would you?" the man cried as he hurriedly worked to set up his camera.

"Yes, but not here, perhaps we could set up in my room?" she smiled, deciding that it was about time to take to the public, and that Milly's station would be the best way to do that.

Milly hopped off from her seat, and Zero took his cue to start moving the chair to Nunnally's room, as she had directed. "Nunnally, why are you doing this?" she ran alongside them, ignoring her cameraman struggling to keep up as she questioned the girl.

"Because it seems about time I make a public statement, and you're a reporter, so why not?" she smiled. "And that room was too stuffy, the smell of Vine gets on my nerves after a while." she grabbed the woman's hand. "And I wanted to do the interview some where a bit more private than that."

Zero leaned his body across Nunnally and opened the door into her rather spacious room. "Let's sit over there," she pointed to a plush seat with a coffee table besides it, and Zero obeyed, placing her chair across from the coffee table, and Milly took a hint and sat in the plush chair. "Zero, why don't you go grab yourself a chair? You've been standing an awful lot today?"

"No Lady Nunnally. I'm fine standing." he responded, standing stiff as a board.

"Please, I insist, do sit down." she smiled, a smile that spoke of happiness through the pain of her brother's recent death.

The Boy Behind the Mask nodded and grabbed a seat and sat down beside the child, at a line towards the camera that Mr. Watson had finished setting up.

"Mr. Zero, would you mind it if I asked you some questions as well?" Milly asked.

"Not at all." he responded, keeping one eye on Nunnally. He was waiting for her to burst, there was no way having all of this drama and reminders of Lelouch this soon. He was, however, glad that now Milly and Nunnally had met up. It would be good for their recovery, he was sure.

"Thank you!" Milly leapt up and hugged the boy, startling him. "Watson, camera!" she called to the man.

"On!" he responded.

"Hello, I'm Milly Ashford on site with Empress Nunnally vi Britannia, in an exclusive interview taking place in here in her own personal quarters, she and Zero of The Black Knights have both agreed to answer some questions for us." Milly quickly turned to serious reporter mode, and turned to Nunnally. The girl was smiling and waving at the camera.

"Lady Nunnally, what are your thoughts on recent happenings?"

"It's all been happening rather fast." Nunnally began to speak, blinking rapidly as she organized her thoughts on the spot. "But I think that it is all for the best, and that things are finally looking up. The world is finally not warring, and everyone just seems more happy. I think we can only go up from here." she spoke.

"And what is your opinion of Japan being free?" the woman continued, looking genuinely interested in the girl's words.

"I think it is a wonderful, wonderful thing." Nunnally's eyes sparkled. "I lived in Japan for a year before the air raids, and I can honestly say it was a beautiful place full of friendship and kindness, and a fun place to live in. The people were wonderful, as well as the scenery. Britannia will be aiding in Japan's recovery from the wars, and to become that beautiful nation once more." she crossed her arms across her body, and looked down.

"And Zero? What are your thoughts on Japan's liberation and Brittannia's plans to help in the recovery?" she looked with curious eyes, as well as all the viewers would be at ten when it aired on prime time.

"I believe it is a good thing." he began slowly. "I agree with Her Highness' notion of how Japan was a wonderful place before, and I believe that it will be able to become the wonderful nation it was once again. I believe that Brittania's help in rebuilding would be good, but it all depends on how it is handled. Japan can't and will not rely on or need help for long." he had a relatively small screen presence, unlike when it was Lelouch beyond the mask and all cameras gravitated towards him. It was so blatantly obvious that the person behind the mask had changed.

The interview continued as one would expect an interview to, discussing the Chinese Federation, the European Union, but it stayed far away from any matters relating to Lelouch, and his demise. Milly was a smart lady, avoiding any and all things that would trigger the girl, as she could see in her eyes that she was fragile and under pressure, ready to snap at any possible moment.

"Thank you very much for speaking to us today, Empress Nunnally, Zero." Milly stood and shook both of their hands.

"My pleasure." Nunnally responded, with a big smile and a firm hand shake to agree with Milly.

"Clear." spoke Watson, as the telltale red light above the camera snapped off.

"Thank you so much, Nunnally, for this amazing opportunity." Milly hugged the girl full on, nearly lifting her out of her chair. "We will definitely stay in touch, okay? No disappearing on me, got it?" She pointed at the girl sternly, before hugging the girl again, and having little tears leaking out of her eyes.

"Just stay safe, okay? And don't do anything stupid that would risk your life! Don't go and get yourself killed, okay?" she had already lost far too much, she was sick of losing those she cared about. She didn't want to lose Nunnally as well.

Nunnally's eyes watered as well, as she reached the same conclusion. "You don't be stupid either, alright? I don't want to lose any more friends." she too began to weep, and both men in the room looked away. Watson was visibly embarrassed by the show of emotion in front of him, and felt that he shouldn't be there, seeing what was obviously a personal moment.

Zero however was turned away because he didn't want the girls to see the tears in his eyes. It was a silly notion, but he was crying at their pain. The pain he had caused. The pain he caused when he killed Lelouch, when he killed the man he once was. He was crying like a little baby, and turned away from them as if they could see through his mask. How ridiculous. He chocked back a sob. This was his punishment. His eternal punishment for killing Lelouch, for killing his friend. Zero squeezed his eyes shut and looked back at Milly who was preparing to leave.

"I'll escort you two out," he spoke, the voice disguise hiding whatever quiver his voice may have. Nunnally looked at him for a moment, before nodding, telling him that she was fine being alone. Then she turned her eyes out the window. She could see Aries Villa from her room.

After Mr. Watson had disappeared down the hall ahead of them, he had started while the girls were speaking, Zero roughly grabbed Milly's arm dragging her to a halt.

"Thank you very much, Ms. Milly. I do believe your being here will help Nunnally's health." he told her in a low voice.

"I'm glad you think so." Milly smiled. "Bye-bye!" she waved to him and saw herself out.

This will be a good thing.

A/N

I'm back.

Don't have much to say, other than that this is a pretty hard story to write.

Also! I got some really good constructive criticism in the comments that made me want to clear something up: I interpreted the scene where Nunnally saw the vision as her realizing what Lelouch had been planning, not as her actually seeing those images, thank you so much for pointing that out, netherdragon1, I love the helpful feed back!

Disclaimer: you can't make me say it.

See you later~!