Recap: Leila arranges the situation to make it look like Frederick betrayed Lelouch.

Chapter 10: Mate

The Cameron Protests, as they are now known, started with a seemingly insignificant march on May 11, 2017. The news of Andrew Cameron's apparent suicide dropped, and a group of students at Ashford Academy took to the streets to demand a proper investigation. In the past, many such public displays of disapproval were easily quenched. What made this one unique was the high percentage of noble heirs and heiresses who joined. The Purists, who were tasked with maintaining public order, could not make any overt moves without undermining their own public platform. The assembled gathering attracted common citizens throughout the day. Personal accounts describe a mood of comradery as the students peacefully entertained themselves but refused to leave. The public screening of Mr. Cameron's films and free food lured in more moderate citizens. The march was eventually dispelled in the evening as the Knight Police finally followed through on their threats and used tear gas.

Because many students were from affluent backgrounds and had a sheltered upbringing, the use of force surprised them. Their demands for justice encouraged them to come together around the student president, Lady Milly Ashford, and soon a group called the Lotus Guardians emerged. The Lotus Guardians helped organize students and the larger community to peacefully protest while running smear campaigns online. Encouraged by their success, numerous groups sprung up throughout Area Eleven, while other established groups began to adapt the Lotus Guardian's tactics for their own purpose. Of note is the Blood of the Samurai and Josui Kusakabe who used devastating terror attacks to publicly broadcast his rallying cries...

—Social Movements in the Britannian Empire

Neutral District, Australia

The safehouse was located a few blocks from the embassy, close enough to easily be reached in case of an emergency, but far away enough to avoid suspicion. Under a pseudonym, Leila had rented a storage room below a loud bar to cover any unfortunate noise. The side entrance to the basement came out in a deserted alleyway, allowing them to enter without drawing attention. In the past few weeks, they had slowly moved in and out various packages to ensure that the owner, when questioned, would believe their enterprise to be legitimate.

Leila closed the door behind them, sealing them within. On the ground, Henry had ceased struggling, instead choosing to watch them suspiciously. His eyes tracked her as she helped Jeanne settle Frederick in the corner and brought him a cup of warm tea. He accepted it hesitantly, the hot water sloshing over the brim as his hand trembled.

"What are we doing with Henry?" Jeanne whispered, pulling her aside.

"We'll leave him here. Either he'll escape on his own, or someone will find him." Leila swallowed, not liking the next part of the plan. If only Frederick hadn't been so loyal. "He'll tell the Brits what happened, and Frederick won't have a choice anymore."

Jeanne nibbled on her lower lip. "We're getting his family out?"

"General Smilas already has a team prepared," Leila assured. "Go make sure he is secure. I'm not sure we'll be able to subdue him again, especially if Fredrick comes to his senses and decides to help."

Jeanne nodded tightly and checked Henry's bonds before hauling him to his feet and leading him further away.

"Is this what you fucking wanted?" Henry shouted, twisting his head. "She's only using you to get to him! You're going to spit on everything? Hurt him?"

Frederick surged to his feet. "I would never!"

Leila hushed him, pulling him back into his seat. "It's alright."

"I would never," he whispered. "I'd never hurt him. This is all just a big misunderstanding. He has to understand. I'd never—" He stood again, and Leila watched him silently pace, guilt eating away at her. "I... I need to go. Just let me talk to him."

"Henry won't believe you," Leila said. "He searched for you because he was suspicious. He would've already told Prince Lelouch. Why else would he leave his side?"

"But—" He sank into his seat again, cradling his head. "Lelouch wouldn't. He'd ask... say something. Wouldn't he?" He raised his head, staring at her desperately "We can go to him. Explain everything. He'll understand."

Leila slowly sat down, grimacing. "Is he the one you have to convince?"

Frederick paled and his hands trembled again. "The Emperor..."

"You need to consider your family. We have the resources to help them. All you have to do is ask."

He glared. "And sell out Lelouch? Spill his secrets? I'm not a traitor. This is all your damn fault. Henry tried to warn me... Is Jeanne ever her real name?"

"I didn't lie," Jeanne said, settling down on a box across from them. "My mother defected when Leila's father did. I recognized you from a picture your mother sent. Please... Just listen."

"I don't have a choice, do I?" Frederick spat. He sagged, closing his eyes. "You won't let me leave until you get what you want. Just... do your thing."

Leila flinched. "We won't hurt you. You have my word. We don't stoop to Britannian's level."

He laughed. "Then you're delusional. Is that what General Smilas told you? I surrender myself to E.U. custody, you'll save my family, and I'll be a happy French citizen?"

"Yes," she said. "We've done this before. It's not a lie, regardless of what Britannia has told you. There are procedures in place to protect you and your family. General Smilas has everything set to extract your family. You don't even need to tell us anything. It's enough if you ask." Because it would be definite treason that he'd never be able to erase

"Why go to all this trouble?" He was stalling. A standard tactic in hostage situations. But no one knew he was gone. He and Jeanne often spent the whole day together. And even if they started looking, they would have no idea where to search.

Still, she answered truthfully. If she wanted his cooperation, he needed to trust her. "Prince Lelouch's file is a giant question mark. Anyone knowing anything concrete is valuable." She smiled gently, settling her hand on his knee. "Your knowledge and insights would help you negotiate a fine life within the E.U. A better one than Britannia would ever provide."

Jeanne's phone buzzed. "General Smilas acknowledged. There's an agent on 7th he wants me to meet to lay a false trail."

"I'll be fine." Leila rose, grabbing an additional zip tie. "I'm sorry. But I can't take any chances."

He scoffed, but complied. He was outnumbered and out armed. Jeanne left soon afterwards, the door swinging shut behind her and the lock clicking as she trapped them inside. Leila didn't have a key. If somehow Henry or Frederick overpowered her, they would still be unable to leave.

"You're not going to win," Frederick whispered.

"Why?" She already had.

"Because Lelouch never loses." Frederick chuckled. "You wouldn't believe the truth even if I told you. So kidnap me, throw me in a dark cell, and torture me. It'll bring you nothing but his relentless rage. He'll hate me for my apparent betrayal, but he'll hate you more. And you have no idea how long he can nurse a grudge. Maybe I'll live long enough to have the pleasure of seeing you destroyed."

He was delusional. She had seen Lelouch lose plenty of times. From gambling on chess and losing hefty sums to his little games with Kaguya the night before. He took his losses well, always ruefully shaking his head and announcing that next time he would do better. She had seen him help a trembling servant who had accidentally run into him and collect the scattered items across the floor. His two siblings would've demanded some form of punishment.

Did this belief stem from the Britannians' ridiculous worship of the royals?

Lelouch was a good person, she knew that. There were inconsistencies and anomalies but his kindness couldn't be faked. She refused to consider that everything was a lie. No one was such a good liar. The mask would've fractured at some point. He even shared the name of a dear friend.

"There's no one coming you know," Leila said. "Even if the Britannians suspect us, they can't prove it. If you remain steadfast, you'll disappear without a trace, but Britannia will assume you defected regardless. Is your loyalty worth that much to you? To sacrifice your life? And your family's?"

Frederick didn't say anything, merely hanging his head. His brow furrowed. Slowly, he raised his head. "How long were you spying on me and Lelouch?"

"Since the moment he stepped into the city naturally. General Smilas ordered some agents to follow you specifically after we learned of you."

Whatever Frederick was going to say was cut off by three slow and deliberate claps. Drawing her gun, Leila leapt to her feet. Lelouch—no, Prince Lelouch because Leila was beginning to realize she had made a grave miscalculation—emerged from behind the crates. He tucked away a black recorder with one hand, the other pointing a gun at her chest.

"Oh, thank God," Frederick whispered, sagging in his chair.

"I must thank you for confirming those tidbits. I'll be sure to put them to good use." He turned to Frederick. "Although you could've hurried up in asking that question. I was beginning to worry that you had forgotten. And Henry! Get your ass over here. Getting free is child play for you." He gestured at the chair. "You're not going to shoot me. It'd be the perfect excuse for Britannia to finally declare war. Then Henry will kill you but not quite, and drag you before my parents so you can face their wrath."

The back of her neck prickled as she searched his face, looking for his familiar soft smile and amused eyes. Any moment now, his stony exterior would crack, and he would make a funny quip, laughing this all off as a bad joke. But he didn't and she could hear soft footsteps approaching from behind. If he was angry, she would've understood. She had attacked his friend and tried to coerce him into committing treason. But he wasn't. He looked at her as if she didn't exist. As if her actions were completely beneath his notice.

Henry's hand slammed into her arm, forcing her to drop the gun, and he twisted her hands behind her back. She struggled against his grip, but the ever increasing pressure on her elbow promised he would break it if she continued.

Prince Lelouch didn't react except for a small nod. "You can let her go, Henry. She'll behave, right?"

Outnumbered, she nodded. A quick glare silenced Henry's protest, and he stepped back after relieving her of her phone and spare knife. She massaged her elbow in an attempt to ease the aching burn. With a little more pressure, he would've snapped it like a twig. It spoke of experience, and she swallowed nervously.

"Sit, I insist." The boy she had come to know over the past months was gone, replaced by what she expected of a royal: imperious, ruthless, and unrelenting.

Bowing her head, she settled back on the chair. Now, it was her turn to buy for time. Her only hope was to wait for Jeanne's return. Hope an agent accompanied her, and they'd be able to subdue his guards.

At the beginning of the day, Prince Lelouch had been beset by fatigue. Dark eye bags had marred his porcelain skin, and he bared his neck to his enemies, falling asleep on the table. Now, he moved with the grace of a predator, leaning against the crates to assess her. Despite his relaxed posture, his eyes were alert, a cat waiting to pounce on its prey.

Who had she met before? Where was the boy who cooked and brushed off insults with practiced ease, an amused smile never leaving his face? Who had knelt on the floor behind the potted tree with her yesterday? Where had his compassion and kindness gone?

How could anyone lie for months so well?

There had to be something she missed. A clue. Anything. But within the relentless barrage of memories, she only found overwhelming evidence that the prince before her could not exist. Yet he did, and he held the gun.

Prince Lelouch checked his watch and frowned. "You really took your time, Frederick. I do have a meeting this afternoon. Henry, mind letting him free?"

"He betrayed you," Henry said. "He was going to sell you out. You said—"

"I would never," Frederick shouted, surging forward. "You atta—"

"I lied," Prince Lelouch said. "You cannot seriously believe he would ever betray me, especially since I'm here."

Royals were a paranoid lot, expecting betrayal at every turn, but Prince Lelouch stated it as one would say the sky was blue, or water was wet. Even Frederick looked surprised at the overture of trust.

"How can you be so sure?" Henry asked, still rooted to his spot. "That girl was practically hanging from his arm, trying to seduce him. They told people they were a couple!"

Prince Lelouch tilted his head, his eyes never leaving Henry. "Because Frederick is very much gay..."

Frederick had never mentioned anything, brushing off questions regarding his love life with excuses about never having the time. As a guard, he didn't have the opportunity to often meet people acceptable to pursue. And Prince Lelouch tended to travel a fair share, making it hard to keep in touch. Leila had thought nothing of it.

"If he was going to defect for some long lost relative, he would at least have shared what happened to Edgar." His hand gestured to Leila, and Frederick took a shuddering breath. "She didn't even recognize his name."

The name had been shared like it was a secret. She had thought it was a sign of trust. Instead, it had been another lie, a way to test what she knew and confirm the loyalty of his guard. Even there, in the midst of casual conversation, Prince Lelouch lurked beneath the mask, manipulating her.

Her hands trembled, and she folded them together in her lap. Everything had been an act, and she—too optimistic, too trusting, too much of a fool—fell into his web, becoming hopelessly entangled and oblivious to it all. General Smilas had been right. His paranoia born from experience, even when their eyes deceived them.

"I don't—" Henry whispered.

Prince Lelouch flashed a series of hand signals, alien to the ones the Britannian military used. Henry returned them, a silent conversation passing between them. Afterwards, Henry bowed his head and finally cut Frederick free as Prince Lelouch watched with a slight frown.

"Not that I'm ungrateful, but you could've told me," Frederick whined, massaging his wrist. "Henry scared me half to death."

"Or me," Henry grumbled.

At least they hadn't been lying as well.

"Your acting abilities are subpar," Prince Lelouch answered, his gaze swinging her way. "Now—"

"I'm not telling you anything." Leila raised her chin, her hands buried in the folds of the sweater to hide the tremors. Unlike her, Prince Lelouch would have no qualms torturing her. She knew well enough what Britannia did to its enemies and even its own people.

"You already told me everything I need to know. Your paltry information is worthless." He turned around, carefully navigating his way through the various crates.

She grit her teeth, frustrated by his sheer gall. She was a military officer, trained in hand to hand combat, yet he ignored her. "Then I'm going!"

Henry shoved her back into her seat.

"No bruises," Prince Lelouch called from behind her. Why? What did he need her for? Wasn't this humiliation enough?

Seeing him return, three tubes tucked beneath his arm, her heart began to pound. No. He wasn't done.

"I'll never betray the E.U.," she hissed because that was the only option which existed. "I'd rather die."

"And I'm not asking you to." He pulled out a crate, turning it into a makeshift table. On it, he set down a silver key, the pattern reminiscent of the one Jeanne took with her. Lastly, he unloaded his burden and sat down across from her, crossing his legs.

Finally, he looked at her. Nothing could hide from his unrelenting gaze as it dissected her.

"I'm merely giving you an option. I have a meeting with General Smilas in a little over an hour. I will present a treaty amenable to him. It's a one-day offer, and he'll agree or piss off the Middle Eastern Federation and the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan Democratic Kingdom. A move he cannot make with Britannia's oil exports halting." He leaned forward, grabbing her phone from Henry and unlocking it. He smiled at her horror and sent a quick text. "He believes you have everything well in-hand here. Frederick, after all, just accepted the E.U.'s protection. For once, he should at least be in a good mood in my presence."

No... By sending the text message, he ensured that their agents would move to grab Frederick's family. A small smirk played on his lips. They were walking into a trap; he had predicted their every move.

"The only task which remains is for you to decide which treaty I present." His fingers ghosted over one of the tubes on the crate. "Either one works for the Emperor and myself. But since one does concern your best friend, I thought it would be kind to let you choose."

"What does Britannia want with Jeanne?" Leila asked. Was this simply his revenge for trying to poach one of his guards?

"Her and her mother actually. They did defect, and regardless of how much time has passed, the punishment is death."

Frederick twisted his head, his eyes wide as he stared at Lelouch. It was a bitter comfort. He hadn't known that detail either. She waited for him to say something and protest. But he composed himself, only the stiff lines of his shoulder betraying his anger.

Friends, right? He didn't even dare to voice his opinion.

"They're French citizens. General Smilas would never hand them over." Leila hated how her voice quivered.

"And nobodies. The spies we would return are infinitely more valuable. The death of a servant and her daughter is a small price to pay."

No...

General Smilas would. He was practical that way.

"The Emperor would never agree." It had to be a bluff. "You said it yourself; they're nobodies. Britannia wouldn't care."

He smiled, his eyes cold, and the jaws of the trap tightened around her. "But when the news leaks? Think of the scandal. The E.U. discarded two loyal French citizens to gain a minor piece of land. Your government is always beholden to the chaotic sentiment of public opinion. And then it will come out that Britannia offered another option, repeatedly. The return of the Bresigau heir."

Her breath caught.

"They will ask why did the E.U. refuse for three long years, but when asked for not one, but two simple commoners, the E.U. acquiesced immediately. Everyone loves a good story. So they will wonder why them and not her? What makes them so different? Maybe it's that one has an illustrious military career ahead of her? Perhaps that isn't so bad. But is she really worth two lives? Especially because Britannia didn't demand her for execution. She would've lived."

Since when had she become a piece on the negotiation table? A life to be bartered away among the prisoners of war.

"Oh, General Smilas didn't inform you," Prince Lelouch said in mock pity.

No. They had discussed possible assassination attempts because of her parents' treason, but not this.

"You should've seen how angry my siblings were after General Smilas introduced you. They had been requesting your return since the beginning, and General Smilas dangled you before us, baiting Britannia to move against you in a rash decision. He wanted us to send an assassin and use that to gain the upper hand in the negotiations. Your life was an acceptable risk."

"He wouldn't," Leila snarled. He had always been in the background of her life, offering gentle reassurances and sharing tales of her parents when they met. The Malcals may have taken her in, but they never supported her, not like General Smilas did.

"But he did. He clawed his way to the top despite having no family connections. Ambition has defined every moment of his life. You're simply another means to the end."

The words tore into her relentlessly. Accusation and speculations shredding her beliefs. General Smilas only took interest in her because of her wealth. He pushed her into the military, framed it as her father's wish, because he needed someone young and impressionable on his side. He was the one to suggest her engagement with Yoan to tie her more closely to the E.U. When she had stumbled on exams, he had pushed through extenuating circumstances to allow her to retake them and wipe the flaw from her record. His friend was the one who accused her of having misplaced sympathies when she had briefly considered another career.

Every detail of her life was laid bare, presented with elegant care and warped beyond recognition. The relentless barrage never subsided long enough to give her a moment to think. The moment she wrapped her mind around one accusation, he had moved onto the next.

She tried to speak, but the words caught in her throat.

Her father hadn't betrayed Britannia out of a sense of moral duty. He had been just as complicit. Numbers worked next to labor prisoners, mining coal and precious ores from deep veins. At least for the Britannian prisoners, he put in the minimum effort to uphold safety regulations. The Numbers weren't as lucky, buried en masse in multiple cave-ins. When the miners began coughing, developing black lung disease, he ordered them back in.

Moral? Righteous?

He only paid lip-service to those issues when he realized the veins were beginning to run dry. He had multiple standing obligations with other lords he could no longer meet. He cried about human dignity while children on his land starved. It was only an excuse to explain his reduced exports. And then the E.U. came whispering. Maybe without them, he could have turned everything around, but they were offering money and security.

The new Emperor didn't like him. He could build a new life. Reinvest his money, begin a new firm. Join the French elites and become a symbol of justice. Why wouldn't he leave?

Leila clenched her jaw and closed her eyes. But she could still hear the damning words. Prince Lelouch was lying. He had to be. She knew her father. Remembered his kindness, and how one Christmas Evening, he had gone out of the way to help a beggar on the street and offered to let him stay the night in their home.

That wasn't the man who could've done any of those things he claimed.

She knew her truth. She clutched it close to her chest. She refused to surrender it to the storm.

General Smilas had seen her potential and chosen to nurture it. He was ruthless and pragmatic, but not a liar. Her parents had been good people brimming with kindness. She was loyal to the E.U.

"Breisgau," he called her again and her jaw ached. How she despised the name. Malcal. That was her name. She had no connection to that remnant of her Britannian heritage.

Prince Lelouch paused, having somehow crossed the space between them. His hand settled on her shoulder, calm and steady, unlike her. "They all had an incentive to lie to you. All bar one, Jeanne. Unfortunately for her, she's not worth protecting."

"You—" Leila rose halfway and froze as Henry pinned her with a glare. Frederick, who had before listened stoically with his eyes squeezed shut, had risen as well to stop her. Jeanne was his family, yet he was helping the prince. "You utter coward," she snarled. "He's going to kill her! And you're doing nothing."

"I serve my prince," Frederick said dully. "A Britannian would understand."

Yes, she was French. Not one of them.

"You're lying," Leila said. Prince Lelouch looked amused. "You have nothing. The Emperor would never—"

"Do you want to see the official seal?" he asked and pulled out a lengthy scroll from one of the tubes. At the bottom, the Emperor's seal glistened, accompanied by his signature in shimmering ink. Prince Lelouch pointed to the relevant line, Jeanne's name clearly visible. "I'm not in the habit of bluffing, Breisgau. Her extradition and execution will sow chaos within the E.U. Confusion, at first. And then the outrage. A disorganized enemy chasing its own tail is worth a few meager prisoners."

Leila stared at the treaty. Her eyes scanned the words again. And then the Emperor's signature for a hint of forgery. Nothing changed. Everything was legitimate.

If Jeanne was here, she would be shouting at her for her next move. She would say she was an acceptable sacrifice. That the E.U. could withstand her loss. Casualties occurred on the battlefield, this was no different. But it was.

The press would ask questions. Leila had never hid her heritage, but hadn't advertised it either. They would learn of the Breisgau name, and then the accusations would come in.

Two children of traitors: one the child of a commoner, the other of a noble.

People would claim the E.U. had a bias to her. That they still respected the antiquated system of nobility and adhered to its rules. It would shake people's trust in the government which was exactly what Britannia wanted.

And Jeanne would be dead.

The trap snapped shut.

She hung her head. "The other option?"

"The exact same treaty without demanding Jeanne and her mother's extradition." Prince Lelouch pulled out a stack of papers from the last tube. "You merely need to sign. Afterwards, I'll even let you rip the treaty to shreds."

The words swam before her eyes and the curled edges of the papers fought her grip. There were countless clauses and clarifications. Each one dictating what she could and couldn't do. They were all pointless, obfuscating the purpose: her surrender.

"I won't betray the E.U.," Leila reaffirmed. A treacherous part of her asked what she owed them if they would so easily sell out her friend.

"I wouldn't expect you to. You've only known the E.U. your entire life and have been fed lies about Britannia," Prince Lelouch said.

"Lies?" she scoffed. "You want to talk about lying, right now? You? I thought you were better than them, but that was a lie as well. You're Britannian as they come. Using people for your own advantage and discarding them on a whim. Your entire being is a lie. Your every action. Your very breath! They're all lies. And you want to say Britannia is better? Convince me? Let's call it what it is: blackmail."

Prince Lelouch pulled out a pen, extending it to her. "You started this game, Breisgau. You were the one to ignore common sense and trust the person sitting across the negotiation table from you. Then, you set the rules by having Jeanne foolishly make contact. Targeting one of the embassy's staff would have been a wiser decision. Frederick is part of my royal guard. He told me the minute he could. After every one of your little outings, he wrote a report for me with every minute detail. Perhaps it would've been wiser to not pass this block so frequently. Finding your safehouse was ridiculously easy, a simple process of elimination. A child could've done it."

"Easy? You used—" A lump lodged in her throat, and she swallowed painfully. "—used me. And Jeanne, Henry, even Frederick. What possible justification could you have? And bringing Jeanne into this? Holding her life over my head? You—"

"No," he cut her off. "You did this. None of this would've worked had you not so foolishly leaped at the bait I offered. I even warned you. As I said, we royals are very protective of our own. You brought this on yourself. Now, sign."

She snatched the pen out of his outstretched hand and flipped through the pages, finding the dotted lines which required her signature. She would fight this. Mere words would not hold her tongue or prevent her from doing what was right. For now, her pen scrawled across the page to free Jeanne from Leila's foolishness.

"Show me the other treaty," she ordered, clinging onto the signed papers.

"I keep my word," the liar said. He unrolled the other document. Jeanne's name didn't appear once. Picking up the daming treaty, he extended it to her in one hand. "Trade?"

She ripped it out of his hands and shredded it to pieces. Prince Lelouch watched, expressionless. Her eyes landed on Jeanne's name, the strip fluttering to the ground. Defiantly, she picked it up and stuffed it into her pocket to guard.

"Henry, Frederick. Don't kill each other and watch her. Escort her to the airport in three hours."

"It's not safe," Frederick protested, his previous anger clearly forgotten. She had never seen anything more pathetic.

Prince Lelouch chuckled. "My mother doesn't ditch her guards. At least, anymore. Although the one outside is probably getting rather impatient. If she makes a run for it, remember no bruises."

"Yes, Your Highness," Frederick and Henry said.

He turned to her solemnly. Slightly inclining his head, he said, "Welcome to Britannia, Lady Breisgau."

Leila had never hated anyone more.

Author's Note:

A shorter chapter but it deserved to stand on its own. And with this Act 1 is basically done. It only took me ~85k words or the length of a normal novel. I'm clearly not winning any awards for brevity any time soon. XD

Anyways, the Lelouch/Leila ship is currently on fire. A bunch of other stuff is soaked in gasoline. Nunnally is playing with matches. Clovis is sitting on a powder keg. Zero/Lelouch is earning himself too many bullseyes. And canon starts in August (it's currently May in Excalibur)... How's the pacing?

Next update will be in two weeks on Friday/Saturday, but you'll hopefully see me sooner with a one-shot on Valentine's day which is why I updated earlier in the week.

Reviews, criticism, reactions, keyboard smashes are always appreciated and writing fuel. :)

Chat with me on the discord: discord . gg / uSBegVj

Thank you x1tears1X and Spaded Ace18 on FFN for your help with betaing.