Disclaimer: I do this just for fun, and don't get any money from it. Please don't sure me.
So turns out life required a hell of a lot more of my time than I thought it would. Sorry for the two month wait (my excuses are in the author notes), and enjoy Chapter 8 :)
A Change in Policies
Chapter 8
Suzaku watched his princess disappear from sight before picking up a plate from the clean pile and wiping it dry.
"So what was it she was saying yes to?" he asked in a would-be casual manner.
Lelouch smirked. "She was talking about some holding a ball or gala of some description to lift peoples' spirits after the attack today. I merely asked her if she would consent to allow me to accompany her."
Suzaku nodded before registering what his friend had said, proceeding to apparently choke on air. "You- She- What?"
Even with all his self control, Lelouch couldn't suppress the tiny scoff of laughter that passed over his lips.
"Really Suzaku," he said, returning to scrubbing plates. "Think before you react. She would have at least discussed the idea with you on the way here before she told me a word of it. And even then, why would I want to accompany Euphemia of all people to a very public gala? I'd be shipped off to Britannia within minutes."
Suzaku frowned lightly at Lelouch, a hint of red showing on his face. "You don't need to joke about things like that."
"Sure I do" he countered quickly. "You're smitten with my little sister. I can make as many jokes at your expense as I want. It's what older brothers do, isn't it?"
Suzaku flushed a deeper shade of red and asked the original question again. "So what was it she said yes to?"
Lelouch let out a light sigh. "Nothing for you to be particularly concerned about. Just some family stuff."
The car pulled up to the front and the house and Euphemia was ready and waiting.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you?" Suzaku asked.
Euphie nodded. "Positive. I don't even plan to confront my sister until tomorrow at the earliest. With any luck I can avoid that until after…" she trailed off.
"Until after you've talked with Zero." Suzaku's voice had hardened.
"Oh Suzaku," Euphemia said patiently. "I wish you'd be able to trust him. He really is trying to help."
"We'll see," he relented with a sigh. "He's getting better so we'll see."
Euphie smiled and leaned over to give her knight a hug. "Thank you," she said before moving back and opening her door. "I'll see you tomorrow."
She stepped out of the car and closed the door behind her, watching it drive away before she turned toward the palace doors. Schooling her features, she strode purposefully up the stairs and into the foyer. Cornelia was waiting for her with an unhappy expression, as expected.
"Where have you been?" she demanded. "It's almost midnight. I was close to sending out the military police to look for you."
Euphemia glared a little as she spoke. "It would have been a simple enough task to call, or even send me a text message. I am no longer a child that needs to be followed wherever she goes. As for where I was, Suzaku picked me up and we had dinner together with some of his friends from the student council." Seeing her sister about to voice her dislike, Euphie ended the conversation. "I'm rather tired and have a full day of work tomorrow, so I will be retiring for the evening. Goodnight sister."
Cornelia could only stand and watch as her younger sibling walked up the stairs and to her room. She was beginning to be problematic. If this continued, their father might not be so lenient. Someone had to talk some sense into her. Someone with a logical mind that could not be argued with. Cornelia turned and walked in the direction of her study. She had a phone call to make.
A young boy sighed as he turned the pages of a newspaper. He hadn't read a great deal of it—only up to the eighth page—but he soon folded and placed it on a low table to the left of his chair. Picking up another from the pile on his right, he started the process again. The stack on his right contained everything from reliable newspapers to gossip magazines, but each front cover had a picture of the same young woman with her arms open and a great smile on her face.
Sighing, he folded the last newspaper and added it to the tower that had formed on his left.
"All that trouble and hardly a disturbance," he said to himself. "You'd think they'd at least be able to do something right with the information they got. But I suppose I can't expect too great of an intelligence when they lost the war."
Jumping up from his chair, he strolled along the edge of the room, his cape and hair trailing behind him.
"I should have known better than to trust the judgement of fools. Nobles would have been a worse choice, but I expected former military men to have some experience in the area. Particularly when I virtually gave them everything they needed.
"It took months for just one of my men to infiltrate that design team, and even then they couldn't get the data straight away. Zero definitely planned for the possibility of Geass users breaking into the files. Too bad he doesn't fully understand the power of the kings. So many different ways for it to manifest…"
The child-man turned his head to the door and motioned for the attendant to come.
"Call Gamma and Romeo. I have a new task for them."
The screen was a black square while Cornelia waited impatiently for the recipient to answer her call, fingernail tapping on her desk. She relaxed a little when a familiar face filled the screen.
"Schneizel," she greeted with a slight bow of her head.
"Cornelia, good morning to you. Or should I say good night? It has to be midnight in Area 11 at the moment. Ah, but I see you are not in the mood for pleasantries," he replied, noting the lack of amusement on his sister's face at his dismal joke.
"I'll cut to the chase. I'm having some problems Schneizel, and I would like to discuss them with you. You are… more adept at working amicably with people than I am."
"Of course I'll help you sister. I am a little surprised you can't work it out yourself though. Usually you have no problem dealing with people." He smiled in a way that insinuated her usual way of dealing with people who displeased her. "May I ask who it is that is causing you grief?"
Cornelia frowned at him. "It's Euphie."
"Ah," said Schneizel. "Now I see why you have a problem. What has she done that you needed to call me? I do hope it isn't something silly like professing her love for her knight to you."
"She would never—" Cornelia stopped and regained control. "That is not what I wanted to talk to you about. I believe that Zero may be putting ideas into her head. She said something very close to treason earlier today."
The Prime Minister of Britannia raised an eyebrow. "Did she really? What was it, exactly, that she said?"
The vicereine closed her eyes as if it pained her to say the next words. "She said Britannia was wrong. She said everyone is equal, and that we were just lucky." Cornelia opened her eyes again, only for them to be filled with anger. "She said that we are equal to the filthy Elevens. To the scum that don't accept the hospitality we've shown them since winning the war. To those—" She cut herself off noticing the look on her brother's face. "What?"
"Have you ever wondered why we were stronger than Japan?" Schneizel stated simply. "What it is that makes us better than those in the Arab Nations? If Britannia is so mighty, why negotiate with the EU?"
"What are you saying, brother?"
"I'm saying that Euphemia might have the right idea. We defeated Japan because we were lucky enough to have more resources. We were able to obtain Area 18 because our homeland is not a desert. And we negotiate with the EU because they are our equals. If we were to start a war with them, we would lose. It is only Britannia's fearsome reputation and my careful discussions with their leaders that we have saved ourselves that fate. Euphemia is right. The only reason we are where we are now is because we are lucky."
Cornelia was speechless. Euphemia believing that was one thing. Her sister was almost dangerous in her naivety. But Schneizel was logical. He had sound reasons for every decision he made, and never played a game he couldn't win.
"If we gave them the same chances we had, how do you think they would fair, sister? If we gave them the chance—at education, at employment, at life in general—how do you think they would fair?"
"They wouldn't," Cornelia replied immediately. "They are unintelligent. They wouldn't be able to comprehend what was taught to them. They don't understand simple concepts like hierarchy and respect."
Schneizel smiled a little. "You are basing that on what you've seen over there and what you were told by father, aren't you. You haven't researched into the history of Japan. The culture, language and people are all highly respectful, and the social hierarchy is predominately what decides the levels of respect and humbleness that needs to be shown. The do not respect us because we do not respect them. They are just as intelligent as we are Cornelia. They just haven't been lucky enough to get the chance to prove it."
"Then what is it you suggest, brother," she asked in a distasteful tone. "Even if what you say is correct, if Euphie keeps talking like that father will not let it stand."
"Perhaps it is not Euphemia that needs to change, but Britannia. The basis of our country's belief is due to conditioning. It can be fairly easily remedied."
"Are you suggesting a coup d'état? Now that is treason, Schneizel, and I will oppose you if you act."
"Have you not noticed that father is rarely at the palace?" Schneizel questioned. "When was the last time he granted you an audience? As a vicereine, you are meant to have an audience with the emperor every quarter."
Cornelia stopped to think. She had held the position of vicereine for almost ten months now, yet she had never had an audience with the emperor.
"I am supposed to have an audience with him once a month as part of my duties as Prime Minister," said Schneizel. "I've had two in the past six months. Every other time I've been forced to converse with Bismarc on issues of state.
"I feel that the emperor is taking no interest in his country. If he doesn't care for his country or his people, then he should not continue to be emperor."
"Who would you suggest then?" Cornelia asked venomously. "Would you take up the position?"
"I haven't thought that far ahead sister," Schneizel replied calmly. "I am hoping that the emperor has merely found something to occupy himself with and will return to his duties soon."
The vicereine eyed him warily. "None of this solves my issue with Euphie though. She wouldn't even let me place Knightmares around the Specially Administrated Zone as protection. She trusts the Zero too much."
"And now we see where the problem really is," he said with a slight smile. "Euphie wants to play nice with someone you don't. She has her knight to protect her, doesn't she?"
"Suzaku Kururugi is Japanese, and can be compromised due to his heritage."
Schneizel sighed. "I'll give her a call and see what I can do. I can't promise anything though. That Zone is fairly sound and there aren't too many loopholes in the fine print."
"Thank you, Schneizel. I appreciate your efforts."
"Good night, Cornelia," he replied before hanging up.
"Delta, Romeo, this is your new assignment," V.V. said, handing them each separate folders.
"The last attempt at infiltrating and disrupting the Specially Administrated Zone of Japan failed. I trust you two will not bear the same results."
"No, my Lord," they replied.
"Good. Familiarise yourself with your tasks. You fly out in four hours."
With that, V.V. left the men perusing their mission details.
The one labelled Romeo flicked through the pages of his folder. He and Delta were to play the part of a father and son. They had recently moved from the homeland to the SAZ for the better employment opportunities it afforded his 'father' Darius. He was to attend a school outside the zone and uncover the thoughts of the students and their parents while waiting for Delta to complete his part.
He smiled at the name. Rolo Lidmann. This would be fun.
A/N:
Let me guess. First thought, 'Finally'. Second thought, 'We waited ages for this, why is it so short?'
Sorry that took so incredibly long to get out. Life got in the way. I'm in exam block now, so I have two weeks of that and then four weeks holidays for the semester break. Good news, expect weekly updates during the holidays. Bad news, don't expect any updates until the holidays. I need to pass all my subjects or else I add another six months to my degree (which is already six years long). In other words, writing probably won't happen too much after holidays either. I'll try and keep up my promise from last time (1-2 updates every month), but it really depends on my workload. If you really want to know how things are going, I'm putting little status things on my profile page now.
The reason this one was kind of short (compared to the last chapter anyway), was because I'm having fun playing around with the next chapter and needed the leeway to change stuff.
Please remember that I write things out by hand first, and then edit the shit out of them while typing them up, so it takes some time to write also means that I try to be as correct as possible, but there will always be mistakes. Let me know about any typos or unclear things and I'll fix it (it's part of my degree to it helps me too!)
Let me know what you think and thanks to everyone that has this on their favourite/alert list. Makes me happy when I get emails telling me that :)
~Kasai
