So... here is the latest chapter, hope you enjoy, and thanks to TheFinalArbiter ,he really made this chapter better and is helping me make this story a pretty special thing.


The Empress stood in a dimly lit room, her head bowed down. She was at the bedside of one of the most important, if not the most important person in her entire life.

The Prince lay unconscious on a bed, his hair marred with sweat, his breathing ragged and shaky. Wires and medical instruments were sticking out of his chest. Top of the line medical instruments that were banned in the forbidden city, medical instruments the Tianzi had to use all the power at her disposal to bring.

The young boy was completely covered by a blanket except for his right arm and hand, which the Empress held almost as if she was hanging onto life itself, fearing that if she let go he would perish.

It would probably come as a surprise, but the Empress hadn't shed a single tear. Instead, she wore a stone cold mask of indifference that was putting her feelings on display, even though she was aiming for the opposite. The Tianzi looked utterly defeated. Cold, lifeless eyes with dark bags below them that showed her lack of sleep were the first thing you'd notice. If you looked closely enough, you would notice that she was shaking slightly. Her unkempt clothes and messy hair made it evident that she hadn't left the room in a long time.

But there was something deeper, something that was corrupting the Empress from the inside, something that even Lelouch could not notice.

"Le-lou-ch…" came the hoarse voice of the Empress, pronouncing every syllable of the name with a slight tremble. "Do you know why I fight? I know why you do, Nunnally is the reason you fight, right? But do you know what I strive for? What drives me? What makes me want to fight?"

She stopped demanding the unconscious Prince for answers. She knew he couldn't hear her, yet she kept talking, hoping that, deep inside, the Prince was listening to her.

"I just wanted you to be proud of me…"

She let that hang in the air for a while, almost as if she were expecting an answer.

"To be honest, I never had any interest in power, or politics. I just… I just wanted to get your attention, to get you to notice me, I wanted to…"

She gulped, afraid to utter the next words.

"Beat Nunnally…"

She tightened her grip on his hand.

"I didn't care about becoming a just Empress, I had no interest in my subjects. The power struggles and state of my country were trivial to me, being free of the Eunuchs never took priority, the Chinese people were… they were nothing to me…"

She brought a hand to her chest, attempting to calm her heart, which was beating so loudly that it was threatening to burst out.

"I only wanted to be your little sister…"

She removed her hand from his, feeling unworthy of his warmth.

"I thought that if I could beat the Eunuchs, then… then you would be prouder of me that Nunnally, that you… that you would love me more than Nunnally."

She lowered her head in shame and disgust for herself.

"I wanted you to forget about Nunnally and to stay here with me."

She gave an almost bitter laugh, clutching her knees until her knuckles became white.

"I… I despised Nunnally. I didn't want her to exist. Why? Because maybe, just maybe, if she wasn't around, you would be here with me, you would come to me. That's why, because she had the only thing I didn't, the only thing I wanted…"

She raised her head and tentatively reached for his face, attempting to stroke it.

"Every time she was mentioned, I saw your face light up with joy and pride, the glint that passed through your eyes and let everyone know that she was the centre of your world."

She sighed again, shakingly.

"It hurt, it hurt so much. I wanted you to look at me like that, I wanted you to look at me with those eyes, filled with joy and pride… but it mostly hurt because, deep down, I knew. Deep down, I realized the futility of my efforts…"

She exhaled loudly.

"I could never supplant Nunnally. I could never replace her. The only thing I could do was usurp her position in your heart, but I could never take it for myself."

She took a deep breath again.

"So you see… it was never a war against the Eunuchs and injustice for the my freedom and my country's. It was my own selfish war against Nunnally" She confessed.

"I could never be your little sister..."

Her shoulders relaxed and fell down, like a heavy burden had just been lifted from them.

"But, it's alright. Recently, I realized that maybe I don't want to be your little sister anymore." she continued, her voice barely above a whisper.

She grabbed his hand again. Although hesitant at first, she quickly grew confident and gently took it, starting to stroke it with tenderness.

"So even though it's selfish, even though I don't deserve it. Please, Lelouch, my Prince, please come back, come back to me…"


Screams of pain couldn't be heard from beyond the heavy, soundproof door. This particular man was receiving Jeremiah's and Xingke's "special" treatment.

It seemed like they were doing their best to beat him to death, and hoping that in the pulp that remained would be information about the ones who staged the assassination.

"I'm going to ask this one more time." came the enraged demand from Jeremiah "Who hired you?!" he roared at the bloodied man's face, covering it with spit.

The man in the chair, who has noticeably soiled his pants gave what seemed like a rehearsed answer "It was Kyoto, I swear to God, it was Kyoto!" he pleaded unsuccessfully, his eyes rolling upward, his face red and purple with bruising and blood.

This only seemed to anger Jeremiah further, as he punched the man repeatedly, sending a streak of blood to the ground again.

"If you stop lying, your death will come quicker." came Xingke's cold voice as he whispered in the man's ear, standing directly behind him.

"I'm not lying! Didn't I show you the letter that they sent me?! It was signed by Lady Sumeragi herself!" he desperately screamed, tears running down his face.

"Don't insult our intelligence." scoffed Jeremiah "Did you actually think we would make a move on Sumeragi before consulting your claims? Did you really think us that stupid?!" he demanded, his face twisted in rage.

The man took a few ragged breaths, desperately trying to swallow his tears as he prepared to speak again. However, he didn't get the chance to utter a single word.

Xingke grabbed him by the hair and smashed his face into the table. Then he got up close and and said one word with cold emotionless steel that sent shivers even through Jeremiah's spine.

"Who?"

The man seemed to rethink the position he was in and finally confessed "It was the Eunuchs, dammit! It was the Eunuchs!" he cried in dismay, shaking so hard the chair rattled against the floor.

"Why?" asked Jeremiah with urgency "Why make Kyoto take the fall?!" he finished, almost screaming

"The Eunuchs think that they have dried the Chinese Federation out, they now have their eyes set on Britannian titles, Kyoto was their offering to Britannia!" he desperately spat out everything he knew.

Jeremiah calmly nodded "Is that all?" he asked, his voice devoid of any of the rage it held before. It was utterly calm now, unnaturally so.

The man erratically nodded "Yes! That's everything I know, please! I beg of you, don't kill me, I was just the messenger, I only delivered the message, please don't kill me!" he begged like a child, sobbing loudly as he bled all over the table.

"Do you have evidence of this?" Xingke whispered, ignoring the man's pleas.

"Yes, yes I do!" the man screamed euphorically, his eyes glinting as he caught onto what seemed to be his last hope.

Xingke undid the man's binds quickly. The man reached into one of his coat's many pockets and pulled out a letter, immediately handing it over to Xingke.

"It's this. I swear, that's all I have!" he pleaded, his voice desperate.

Xingke swiftly took the letter out of the man's grasp. He inspected it for a few slow seconds and made an unnoticed signal towards Jeremiah who only nodded.

"Everything seems to be in order." Xingke said, his voice devoid of any emotion. He brought the letter down and turned his head away slightly, preparing for the inevitable.

The man's face lit up with joy, only to be replaced by an expression of horror a few moments later when as Jeremiah's blade cleanly cut his throat.


Jeremiah, currently more akin to a killing machine than a person strolled into the chambers that held the sleeping Prince's unmoving form. He stopped for a second, processing the scene in front of him, before letting a soft smile cross his face, and slowing his pace as walked up to the fragile, broken frame of the defeated Prince. Besides him lay the equally fragile Empress of the Chinese Federation.

It seemed like the Empress had crawled inside the blankets next to Lelouch and fell asleep. Her arms were protectively wrapped around him, with her delicate head gently resting against his shoulder.

The Knight sighed, opting to leave her in peace, the young girl needed all the sleep she could get, considering the delicate position they were in. The discovery of who staged the assassination had led to many discussions. Some wanted to keep this news from the Empress in order to prevent any rash action, while others wanted nothing to do with this assassination, proposing to let the Eunuchs and Britannia sort it out for themselves.

In the end, a decision wasn't reached, but Jeremiah knew that Xingke felt like it was his duty to the Empress and Prince alike to tell the Tianzi. Xingke would act on his own, and he had his support.

He knelt besides the boy's sleeping form and stayed there for a few moments, his body rigid and his head bowed in shame. He raised his head and looked up with regret, his eyes narrowing with shame.

"I'm sorry, my Lord. I have failed you. I was supposed to be your sword and shield, yet I let this happen to you. The stain in my honor will never be fully washed away… I'm truly sorry." he spoke, his words seemingly falling on deaf ears, or so he thought.

"There is no stain on your honor."

Jeremiah blinked in shock, looking up. He found himself looking at an awakened young girl that stared at him, with her head still on the Prince's shoulder, as he breathed raggedly.

"The responsibility lies only with me." said the Empress matter of factly, leaving no room for debate "I got jealous and didn't want him to spend time with Kaguya, so I sent her off with Xingke and Xianglin. If those two had been at their positions, none of this would have happened. If I hadn't been envious or selfish, Lelouch would be alright." she explained with cold indifference.

Jeremiah narrowed his eyes. He would not have this, he would not allow this child, an exceptional child, but a child nonetheless, to carry this burden alone. He would not let her berate herself for something she had no control of.

He was about to reply but closed his mouth, realizing with discomfort that the Empress was stubborn, and the only one that could convince her otherwise was unconscious.

"I hope you wake up soon, My Lord. Otherwise, we might have issues."

"My Tianzi." came Xingke's voice, previously unnoticed by everyone present. He held the letter the assassin's accomplice had given to them. "I have something that might be of interest to you." he spoke with a monotonic tone, which clearly showed he understood the gravity of the situation.

Jeremiah tensed up and slowly got up to his feet, a serious expression on his face. Although he agreed with Xingke's decision, he wasn't sure if it was the right thing, or even the smartest thing to do.

"I'm busy right now, come back later." Tianzi stated simply, losing interest and laying on Lelouch's shoulder again, closing her eyes.

"I think it's important that you read this." Xingke stubbornly insisted, something completely unlike him.

The Tianzi quickly opened her eyes and sat up, stretching herself and rubbing her eyes before grudgingly reaching out for the letter.

She flipped it open and started reading, her lazy eyes quickly narrowing and turning blood red as she read further down, filling with rage and disdain. The Knights could see that she read it a few times, reading it over and over again, each time her frown getting deeper and the flames in her eyes getting brighter. Her lower lip trembled as she said two words, filled with the fury and heat of a thousand suns.

"Kill them."

Xingke gulped, realizing the position he was in "My Tian-"

"Kill them." she ordered again, her eyes flashing towards him and narrowing.

"Will all due respect, we shou-" Xingke tried to reason with her.

"I said kill them. Tell me, Li Xingke, do I need to find a proper Commander that does my bidding? Can I rely on you? I am the Tianzi, and if you say one more word, I'll take it as your resignation." she warned coldly, a dark aura surrounding her, making her now blood red eyes stand out sharply in contrast with her pale face.

"I understand." Xingke said, his eyes wide with more than a hint of fear at her sudden change of attitude.

The Eunuchs were about to witness what happens when you wake the daemon.


"We have confirmation. The Empress's loyalists have engaged the Eunuch's private army." Kanon informed the Prime Minister, who was comfortably resting upon the Commander's chair on the deck of the Avalon. He held his chin in deep thought, his eyes lazily moving around the room.

They had arrived at the Chinese Federation just in time to see the two forces clash against each other.

"It looks like the Loyalists are at a disadvantage. Should we provide assistance?" asked Kannon with a tinge of worry.

The Prince remained quiet, making Kanon hesitate.

"We need orders, My Lord." he calmly informed, "Who should we assist?"

The Prince kept his silence, taking a gentle sip of wine from his glass while he stared at the display on the deck of the Avalon.

Kanon was tensing up, it wasn't that he didn't trust the prince, rather, he hadn't the slightest idea of what the Prince was planning, and that bothered him greatly.

"My Lord, I-" he started.

"Patience is a virtue, my dear Kanon." the White King calmly cut in, "Let's just wait a little longer…" he mumbled, more to himself than anyone else.

Kanon stared at him for a few seconds, then nodded and backed off.

"Tell me, Kanon…" he swirled his glass slowly mixing the wine "How are relations between Britannia and the EU?" he asked, seemingly unfazed by the situation right outside.

"I fail to see how this is relevant, your Highness." Kanon respectfully gave his opinion, his eyes narrowing in curiosity.

"Just answer the question" Schneizel demanded, his cool demeanor carrying to his voice and making Kanon flinch.

Kannon readied his text book answer, clearing his throat "Although they are not officially at war, both superpowers had been involved in multiple skirmishes that have peeked tensions between the two nations. Neither Britannia nor the EU can start a large scale invasion, because they are not officially at war with each other. Both of them wish to get the Chinese Federation's support before entering a mass scale war of any description." he finished explaining.

Schneizel nodded, apparently pleased.

"My Lord." notified one of the officers on deck "EU troops have entered the battlefield and are aiding the Eunuchs."

The white Prince smirked.

"Just as expected."

Kanon looked shocked, his eyes filling with confusion again. Schneizel noticed it, then sighed and began explaining.

"The EU are not idiots. They know that if The Tianzi succeeds in overthrowing the Eunuchs, she'll never ally with them, so they are here to prevent that from happening."

He rolled the wine in his glass again, bringing it up to a ray of light coming in from the large windows on the command deck and examining it.

"As for our reason for being here… it's simple. This gives us casus belli against them, since they are aiding Prince Lelouch's assassins."

The cold words echoed throughout the bridge, the officers turning around to look at him in shock, as they all understood what this meant.

He gently placed the glass on a table next to the seat, then intertwined his finger below his chin and commanded "Please put me through to our troops... especially those recently posted in the Atlantic."

"You're live, your Highness." came the communication officer's response after a few seconds.

Schneizel cleared his throat and started his speech, filling the room with his deep, rolling tone.

"As many of you know, a few days past, our dear Prince Lelouch, seventeenth in line to the Imperial throne, was tragically put in critical condition due to an attack on his person."

He paused for a breath, his eyes filling with anger as his tone increased in volume.

"Chinese agents quickly uncovered the perpetrators as the Eunuchs themselves. The Tianzi could not stand for this, and bravely ordered their arrest. However, in an act of treason, the Eunuchs stood up in arms against their kind and just leader. Right now, she stands alone, outnumbered and outmaneuvered by no others than the treacherous Eunuchs and the EU themselves! The EU, who is blatantly insulting us by helping the attackers of a prince, we cannot let this go unpunished!"

His voice turned into a bellow, righteous rage filling his eyes as he shouted the final orders.

"Go now, my brave soldiers! Aid The Tianzi in her quest for justice and common decency! All Hail Britannia!"

He roared the final words, raising his fist in a gesture The Emperor would undoubtedly approve of. A cheer rose through the Avalon, the soldiers roaring for the blood of the traitor Eunuchs and EU.

Schneizel sat down on the seat, flicking the hair out of his eyes as he picked up the glass again, and took the final sip of his wine, a small, unnoticed smirk playing across his face.


Please review, it fuels the story, hope you enjoyed.