All hail Ch 14.

"You seem to be healthy and happy."

"The man who murdered my mother is dead and gone sister, why should I not rejoice in that?" Lelouch asked as he and Cornelia stood on two beach chairs as the rest of the group was in the water. Euphy in particular was playing with Suzaku more than the rest.

From that he deduced that the two were more than just acquaintances and Lelouch wondered when his old friend would fess up that he was dating his sister, but to each his own.

"Did you find certain proof that father killed Marianna-sama?"

"No, but only he could have done it and only he could have covered it up so thoroughly. He is either the murderer, or had protected the one that did it. Regardless he is dead, and so is the Empire, which is best for all involved." Lelouch said as Guilford came up to them and handed Cornelia a cocktail.

As he bend down to give it to her , Cornelia pulled him by the neck and planted a kiss on his lips.

The blushing man withdrew after the kiss ended, much to Dalton's teasing and saw how the former general extended his hand to receive money from his 5 sons.

"I see that you've been enjoying the freedom afforded to you by the expulsion of the monarchy." Lelouch said in a teasing manner, making Cornelia blush.

"There are certain benefits to our current situation, I'll admit."

"You to seem much more relaxed sister. Perhaps being just Cornelia, instead of being the Third Princess is a boom to you, I know it is for Euphy and Nunnally. And I don't even have to mention Odysseus." Lelouch said and indicated towards his eldest brother looked like a different man almost, in just how cheerful and happy he was with his new life.

"It's not like any of you are strapped for money, as I recalled there are plenty of companies all over the world that each of you are secretly either majority or minority shareholders." Lelouch said to Cornelia.

"Is this your way of telling me to give up any ambition to restore the monarchy? To get back our birthright?"

"As I recall it would be beneath the dignity of a prince to be a simple hotel manager, the same could be said of a princess being simple school teacher, or for one to be involved with her knight." Lelouch replied, stopping Cornelia's train of thoughts.

"It wasn't right for us to be discarded like that, we were all born in that land, shed blood for it, we even agreed to end the war."

"I conceded that you are not wrong sister. But do you really want to return it to the old ways, to the times of assassinations and backstabbing?"

"So what then? Forsake my title, swear allegiance to this 'Republic'? Lead it's armies then?"

"Would that be so bad? You would have your old life back, minus the downsides, and more than a few upsides." Lelouch said gesturing to Guilford who was now participating along with Dalton in a volleyball game against Suzaku and Jeremiah.

"I admit that the level of savagery in the old imperial court was in excess." Cornelia conceded.

"Under this new government power struggles are not so bloody. It's no longer you win or you die, but you win or you try again come next election. And unlike the old system, those that are born into it are not forced to play the game." Lelouch gestured to Euphy once more.

At that Cornelia was silent, she took a big sip of her drink and then answered him.

"Dalton is doing a fine job as president. I hope the second president after him is as capable." There and then Lelouch let out a breath that he did not know he'd been holding, with this the possibility of a civil war in the former homeland was now diminished.

Clovis was not an issue, Guinevere and Carine, well he'd cross that bridge when he got there.

The only remaining potential threat was Schneizell, and so far no one knew where he was or what he was doing.

"Does this mean that we will be able to return to the motherland?" Cornelia asked.

"The exile was and still is part of the Treaty of Casablanca, but come the next major spat between the EU, Japan and China and we can use the opportunity to renegotiate that part." Lelouch replied.

"And then will I get back my rightful position as head of the army?"

"Then you are free to do return to the country and do as you please. As long as you keep to the current laws and constitution of the Republic of Pendragon."

At that Cornelia looked Lelouch straight in the eyes.

Up until now she was convinced that Lelouch was only using his position to gain enough support to crown himself Emperor and the reason he was avoiding them was not just out of past grudges, but also because he didn't want competition.

But now? Now she realized that not only Lelouch's objective was nothing of the sort, but he actually was serious about the republic!

Looking into his eyes she saw that he really wanted to keep the Empire dead and to do his best to make the republic thrive!

"You really are Lelouch Lamperouge, aren't you?" Cornelia asked din curiosity and hesitation.

"I am what I am and i….was and still am your brother." Lelouch replied, though he did so with a tremendous amount of effort to not just admit that, but to also let go of the hatred of the past.

He wasn't fully healed yet, but he did cross a threshold with those words and he was on his way towards a full recovery.

Just then an aide ran towards them

"The-the Chinese. They've ,they've deployed their 8th fleet and army and are on a path to Japan!" he reported.

"Looks like the opportunity for negotiations and we'll be giving Typhoon it's first field test then." Lelouch said as he contacted Lloyd.

xxxxxx

Alaska.

Deep in the white wilderness of the most northern state that still belonged to the Republic, a message was sent by the PM and under his instructions Typhoon rose from it's slumber.

Those that that were miles away from it felt as the ground shook and thought that an earthquake had arrived, those that flew above where it slumbered would be shocked to see a huge ball of snow and dust form, like a blizzard had just sprouted from the earth itself.

And those that were on or either gazed at the mountains were the construct laid in slumber would see witness how the whole mountainside seem different than before.

For Typhoon had left it's lair and now made it's way towards the frozen northern pacific, from there it would journey to Kyushu, where a clash between Japan and China was imminent.

xxxx

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