Chapter 29
The Statement of Alacrity
"While all of you have previously been taught the basic background behind Washington's Rebellion, we will be covering the events that precipitated it in much greater detail as part of this unit," Mrs. Darling, the freshman history instructor, stated. "Not surprisingly, many of those events were a consequence of the Nine Years' War that we studied in the last unit."
Seated in the second row, Euphemia did her best to pay attention, despite the ease with which her thoughts drifted towards the familial tensions in the background of her life. Granted Lelouch and Cornelia did not appear to be actively feuding or anything, but there was an evident unease between the two. And it was undoubtedly true that Cornelia had greatly enraged Lelouch, the cause of which Euphemia now knew to be because one of Lelouch's attendants had been injured due to Cornelia's actions. That, Euphemia could well understand why Lelouch would be angry. And she was even self-aware enough to understand how selfish it was for her to want Lelouch to just forgive Cornelia. Even so, the young woman could not help but still desire that very thing.
"One of the more immediate consequences the British government had to contend with in the aftermath of the war was how to rule its new North American conquest," the teacher continued. "In a way, that challenge is not unlike what the Britannian government faced after successfully conquering Japan."
For some reason that comparison caught Euphemia's attention as her awareness shifted fully to listening to the teacher. At that point, a map of North America was projected, with a large portion of the northern region colored red.
"As part of the treaty ending the Nine Years' War, the colony of New France was ceded to the United Kingdom, with the region itself being renamed Quebec, after the regional capital. The treaty also stipulated that those residents that chose to remain would become British subjects, with all the privileges and duties that entailed."
Which stood in stark contrast with Britannia's handling of Japan. From Euphemia's perspective, the manner the British government handled Quebec seemed the more correct way, but Mrs. Darling had said earlier that they were covering events that precipitated Washington's Rebellion, so clearly something had gone awry.
"Even with this relatively generous treatment of the remaining French residents, several differences existed that caused tensions between the British government and their new subjects," Mrs. Darling said. "The biggest was an issue of religion, as at the time the oath of fealty one needed to take to hold office under the British crown had explicit, anti-Catholic clauses within it. The vast majority of the remaining residents were practicing Catholics, and thus were unwilling to take such an oath. As a consequence, despite being British subjects, these Quebecers were unable to participate in local government."
Another striking parallel with Japan.
"At the same time, unrest was growing in the original southern colonies, especially with regard to the British government's attempts to levy taxes to pay for the expenses of the Nine Years' War. The unrest was severe enough that the government was concerned that the continued grievances held by the Quebecers would lead them to support the insurrectionist movement south. To try and ensure their loyalty, the British government granted significant concessions to the Quebecers in the Quebec Act of 1774. This act not only removed the anti-Catholic clauses in the oath of allegiance, it also guaranteed free practice to Catholics, the usage of French civil law for matters involving relationships between private individuals, and even allowing French to be used as an official language in affairs of state."
And here was where the two situations seemingly diverged. Or perhaps the development was actually a mirror, considering recent efforts to grant the Japanese more rights.
"Despite the granted liberties however, the Quebec Act cannot be considered a success," Mrs. Darling declared.
Euphemia's eyes narrowed at that assertion. A part of her could not fathom why that would be the case. Surely the people of Quebec would be grateful for the better treatment and react accordingly.
"The nature of its failure is multifaceted, but two key points stand out. First, in granting so many liberties to the French Quebecers, the British government further enraged the southern colonists. Many such colonists had fought for the crown in the Nine Years' War, and to see their former enemies receive even more generous treatment than them was enough to push otherwise loyal subjects to sympathize with the insurrectionists."
That, Euphemia found, had not been an angle she herself would have intuitively realized, at least not without someone pointing it out. It made a frightening amount of sense though, as much as she might wish otherwise. If the colonists really had fought for the crown, it was certainly not unreasonable for them to expect some degree of gratitude and consideration. To be denied that consideration, and then have it given instead to those that were originally on the other side, it was only natural if the colonists were to become angered enough to question whether the crown was worthy of their loyalty. Euphemia felt a slight shudder. Could the same happen with the Empire's current full citizens with the uplifting of the Japanese?
"Second, despite the generosity it showed, the British government did not actually succeed in winning the loyalties of the French Quebecers. While they did not join in Washington's Rebellion, neither were they inclined to actively assist the crown in putting it down. Ultimately, Quebec itself would attempt a revolt in 1837, which was crushed and saw the Act revoked, ending the allowances granted to the Catholic Church and official recognition of the French language."
Not that Roman Catholics were uncommon within the Empire, but the church itself did not enjoy anywhere the same number of privileges that it did in Europe and Africa. The biggest one was likely the issue of taxation, wherein the institution of the church itself was not granted any exemptions. The Britannian government was also much less hesitant to call the Catholic Church to account should its members commit any crimes, hence why a slew of Catholic priests and lay members had been executed in the decade starting in the 2000s for either committing or complicitly in covering up sexual abuses.
To a lesser extent, the influences of the French language could also still be felt in Britannia as well. Gendarmerie was after all a word that originated from that language, and quite a few Britannian nobles retained a French touch to their names, likely due to many being descended from nobles that fled the bloodshed of the French Revolution. Then there was that great rival to the Catholic Church, Eden Vital itself, which originated from France and fled the nation during an earlier period of turmoil. Quite a few of its members could trace their own lineage back to that timeframe, including one Marianne Lamperouge, and thus also her two children, Lelouch and Nunnally.
Still, listening to the lecture, Euphemia found that the one thing she was most interested in, why the Quebecers themselves were not satisfied with the privileges they were granted, had yet to be touched upon by the teacher. Not one to wait for things to come for her, the girl raised her hand.
"Yes, Euphemia?"
"Why were the Quebecers so unhappy, even with the privileges the British government offered them?" she thusly asked.
"Well, that arguably is a rather complex answer that we'll be covering later," Mrs. Darling said, then smiled slightly, "but seeing how eager you are to learn, I can certainly offer a sneak peek."
A few chuckles rippled amongst the students.
"Historians have debated quite a bit as to why the British government was never able to really gain the loyalty of the Quebecers with appeasement, and much of it boils down to the lack of cultural integration. By allowing the former French colonists to retain so much of their existing social structure, this allowed the differences between the Quebecers and other British subjects to persist and even grow, differences that inevitably resulted in friction when they could not be reconciled. What the British, and later Britannian, government created was an illusion that allowed the Quebecers to pretend that nothing had changed despite them no longer being French subjects. And once that illusion inevitably failed, the Quebecers directed their resentment at an external target, the government, and took up arms as a consequence."
Euphemia frowned as she listened. While she did not understand the full extent of the reforms that Lelouch was implementing, she did know that preservation of language and culture was a cornerstone of them, seeing as prototype programs were being conducted at the very school the girl herself was attending. That sounded sufficiently similar to the concessions the British government offered to the Quebecers that Euphemia felt a tinge of worry stir within her. She raised her hand again.
"A follow-up question, Euphemia?"
The girl nodded. "You mentioned how there were, similarities, between Quebec's situation and that of Japan. Does that, extend to the current integration efforts as well?"
Quite a few students seemed uneasy at the question, and not just the Japanese ones either. But that was to be expected, as all of them had already lived through a considerable period of turmoil, and the notion that the current efforts by the government might not be able to restore peace and order to Japan was naturally disconcerting. Perhaps because she sensed that unease, Mrs. Darling offered a gentle smile.
"There is a saying amongst statisticians. Correlation does not imply causation. That certain parallels exist is something to watch out for, but all that means is we need to be even more mindful of the circumstances that are different. And a big one is right before your eyes. Look around at your classmates."
The students did so, mildly puzzled by the instruction.
"Here in this room, we have Britannian and Japanese students both," Mrs. Darling stated. "An example of integration, between our two cultures. The integration you see here is already leagues beyond what the British government ever managed to achieve before the rebellions broke out, and only afterwards was a concentrated effort made to mix the communities of French and English Quebecers. Today, the provinces that the old Quebec territory was broken up into, are some of the most established and prosperous regions in what we call the Homelands. That very name should tell all of you that the success that was ultimately achieved there, and the similar success that may be achieved here." The teacher's lips quirked slightly. "Parallels are not always negative ones, after all."
Hearing that, relief crossed the faces of many a student, Euphemia included. Still, a curious light continued to shine in the girl's eyes. There were clearly more aspects to the Quebec situation than the brief introduction given by Mrs. Darling, and they would undoubtedly cover at least some of them as the unit progressed. But Euphemia wanted to know more now. Well, not now now, but sooner than the unit would get to, and certainly in greater detail. She mulled over just how to make that happen.
The expression that Lelouch now wore was a contemplative one, though there was a distinct hint of dissatisfaction to it. Not with Kallen, if anything the cardinal seemed dissatisfied with himself.
"It would seem I ended up placing you in a somewhat untenable situation with your family," he said. "For that you have my apologies."
"We stopped being a family when my father left us, Your Eminence," Kallen responded. "It was all just a threadbare pretense that would have likely collapsed all on its own regardless. You have nothing to apologize for."
"Perhaps so, but I would still ask that you indulge me, to soothe my own conscience if nothing else."
Kallen cracked a wry smile, then nodded. "Apology accepted, Your Eminence."
Lelouch responded likewise before assuming a more serious demeanor. "A question for you, Kallen, and one that I would like a completely frank and honest answer to, without any qualifications. Would you trust Suzaku Kururugi to watch your back in a fight?"
That saw Kallen's brow furrow, but the girl did not ask for any clarification on what prompted this in the first place. Without qualifications had been the cardinal's request after all.
"Right now, I think, yes, Your Eminence," Kallen said slowly and with clear reluctance.
Lelouch gave a nod. "You are aware at the Lake Kawaguchi skirmish, the Glaston Knights were compromised and opened fire on Eden Vital's knightmares because they were made to believe they were hostile units."
To that Kallen herself nodded. Of course she knew, considering how close she was now, in proximity if not relationally, with Lelouch's attendants.
"Suzaku however was not affected, and we suspect the neuro-link interface he has provided a degree of shielding from whatever the heretic contractor did to cause the misidentification."
That was enough for everything to click into place for Kallen.
"You want to tap him for security at Ashford."
Do not let it be said that Kallen was slow or dull mentally.
"Pending an evaluation of his overall fitness."
Kallen raised an eyebrow. "He is still a paraplegic, Your Eminence."
"That does not stop him from shooting a gun," Lelouch responded.
But given his lack of mobility, all that would really do was make him an obvious and very vulnerable target to shoot back at.
"And ultimately Mr. Kururugi would only be asked to escort the principals to a shelter. That would then leave you to directly engage any hostiles."
Put it that way, that actually made some sense. While Kallen could play bodyguard, as the Lake Kawaguchi battle showed, she was at her best when she could take the fight to an enemy. Put it that way, at least some of the reservations Kallen felt were mitigated. The core concerns though remained, and she could see why the cardinal had phrased his question the way he did.
"Suzaku and I likely still have our political differences," Kallen finally said. "But neither of us would want anyone at Ashford getting hurt. I'll leave figuring out if he's actually fit to fight up to you, but I'd trust him to at least watch my back at the school." The girl pursed her lips for a moment. "Though if you do end up tapping him, you might want to make his wheelchair bulletproof."
At the quizzical look Lelouch shot her, Kallen simply shrugged.
"Every little bit helps. Probably."
The cardinal gave a slight chuckle. "I will keep that in mind. Now, onto the other matters I wished to discuss with you today."
Kallen smirked in turn, but otherwise waited for Lelouch to continue.
"While having Mr. Kururugi serve in some armed capacity would very slightly bolster the security screen at Ashford, arguably more robust measures are proving warranted now that we have confirmation at least one, if not two, heretical contractors are in Japan," Lelouch stated, and the smirk disappeared from both expressions. "To that end, two additional battle sisters are being transferred to Japan, one of whom is also a contractor. Both will be assigned to Ashford, to further supplement the security at the school."
Kallen spent a moment or so considering the news. "Are all the other contractors girls?"
"No, there are quite a few men that are contractors," Lelouch responded. "It just so happens that the only one of the correct age group and also available to enroll at Ashford is a girl."
"Right," Kallen said in a complete monotone. "Sure."
Lelouch snorted, but did not rise to the jib. "Unfortunately, Oldrin is the same age as us, and Toto is a year younger, so we will still have a gap in coverage for the senior class."
Which meant ironically enough Milly, the highest priority principal, was without direct protection. Then again, the amount of active and passive security surrounding that girl was already to the point of stifling. Kallen was not sure if Milly would have accepted yet another chaperone in class.
"Which one is the contractor?" Kallen asked, getting the pertinent details out of the way now.
"Oldrin," Lelouch answered. "Her geass grants her the ability to slip under the awareness of those around her, so that she's functionally invisible to them. It doesn't work when viewing her indirectly, such as via cameras, though."
"Interesting power," Kallen mused. "And a good thing it's a girl that has it."
The cardinal snorted again. "If Oldrin's power is enough to worry you, then you should be thankful that her brother Orpheus isn't the one transferring over."
Kallen blinked. "Why?"
"Orpheus' geass allows him to masquerade as someone else," Lelouch said. "And that someone could be of either sex."
"Oh. That's, a bit weird," Kallen said.
Lelouch shrugged. "Arguably there are others with even more intrusive geasses. You may or may not have the pleasure of meeting them in the future."
"Thanks, Your Eminence," Kallen said dryly.
"Anyway, onto the next matter," Lelouch continued nonchalantly. "Eden Vital recently completed construction of the inner frame for the knightmare that would be assigned to you. It's still missing much of its outer structure, since we need to assess just how your geass might be projected effectively."
"Great, more tests," Kallen said in that same monotone, eliciting another chuckle from the cardinal.
"The eagerness of the Order Sabine in finding further applications for your geass is difficult to understate. That being said, due to the damage Lucretia's frame took, we had to borrow a few pieces from your machine to expedite the repairs on hers."
That Lucretia's knightmare would be prioritized over Kallen's was something of a given, considering the tactical advantage her machine offered on the battlefield. Whereas Lucretia could sense with pinpoint accuracy everything around her for several kilometers, Kallen's knightmare would arguably have just been another big gun amongst several already present. Then there was the fact that Kallen's was still not actually done yet, so the choice of which machine to get running first was obvious.
"We still haven't received replacements for everything we took from your knightmare," Lelouch continued, "the right arm specifically being one of the bigger pieces, but the Ashford Foundation has been able to furnish us with enough components to complete the cockpit's systems. While the lack of the arm is not ideal, we should still be able to perform the basic calibrations to synchronize your neuro-link system with the knightmare's."
"Is this something that will require my absence from school, Your Eminence?" Kallen asked, head tilted aside.
"For this no, but you might be spending a few weekends at MacArthur Base," Lelouch answered.
"Oh. Err, I should probably swap out the Lamborghini for something a bit less flashy, then?"
Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "You have some complaint regarding my car?"
"No, no!" Kallen quickly said. "It's just, driving to the base in that might be a tad, conspicuous? And I'm always afraid I'll end up putting a scratch on it, or worse."
The eyebrow rose higher. "You intend to do what to my car now?"
Kallen gave the cardinal a flat look. "Okay, just for that, Your Eminence, I'm going to hold off returning the car."
Lelouch chuckled, evidently satisfied with the mild ribbing.
"What may see you pulled out of school however is an upcoming training exercise that will involve Eden Vital, the Gendarmerie, Cornelia's royal guard, and elements of the regular military," he continued.
Kallen tilted her head. "All of them?"
"There are a lot of considerations at play," Lelouch said with a shrug. "For Eden Vital's part, the last few engagements have revealed a problematic hole in our capabilities that needs to be plugged."
The quizzical look remained. "What hole would that be?"
"You recall that generally, Lucretia and Sancia are paired together, so that they can employ their geasses in concert?"
To that Kallen nodded. As part of her own integration into Lelouch's entourage, the girl had been taught the tactical role the other contractors played and how each of their powers worked together to augment the combat power of the group as a whole.
"The situation at Lake Kawaguchi precluded this, as we needed Lucretia out in the field to search for the Raiko," Lelouch continued. "And while Sancia was able to make do with the camera feeds in the hotel, as you yourself know, that was not perfect."
Another nod, considering she had gotten ambushed via one of the blind spots in the camera coverage.
"Lucretia's situation was even more problematic, as while she can localize things, she cannot project at a fine granularity where they are going or what they intend to do. Hence why her unit did not realize the Glaston Knights were aiming their weapons at them instead of the JLF."
"And Sancia would have?" Kallen supposed.
"Correct," Lelouch affirmed. "And going back even further, during the Shinjuku Incident, the splitting of my forces resulted in a similar breakdown. Lucretia had detected the Purist knightmare escaping to detonate the chemical weapon, but was not able to warn us because the tunnels we were in were blocking radio transmissions."
"Alright, I can see that," Kallen said. "So how would we plug this gap?"
"Very carefully," Lelouch said, even grimacing slightly. "You are aware that Anya is capable of telepathy?"
Kallen blinked, then frowned. "Really?"
"Her immediate range would have been enough to compensate for the distances the unit was spread out over on both occasions," Lelouch stated matter-of-factly. "Whether Anya can maintain the connection without putting too much strain on herself is the question, and it needs to be tested."
"I suppose," Kallen said, still not sounding very comfortable with the whole thing. "It's just, even setting aside the strain this would put her under, the notion of someone in my head is, well, a bit creepy."
"Believe me, I know," Lelouch said. "Just be thankful the rest of you are all girls."
Which was enough to let Kallen know Lelouch had already tried it with Anya, likely as part of the initial testing for the idea. Despite herself, she could not help but crack a wry smirk at that.
"One would think you'd enjoy the moderating effect a woman's rationality would have, Your Eminence," she teased lightly.
"The smartphone Eden Vital provided you with comes with a built-in dictionary," was Lelouch's repost, with as big a smirk on his own face. "Might I suggest you look up the actual meaning of the words you just used?"
The range of items that flowed through the Alright Courier Company's hands was absolutely staggering. Some of it was relatively mundane, being food, medicine, even tools and construction material. Cement was in especially high demand for a bit due to the need to repair the damage caused by the Britannian invasion, and then the subsequent tsunami that hit Japan afterwards. Weapons and munitions were also a thing, though there was a hazards and discretion surcharge that Alright tacked on when handling such items. Few of their customers complained, so long as the items got where they needed to, since they understood the risk that Alright was running in even accepting such packages.
There were a few items that Alright explicitly refused to touch, no matter how much money was on offer. Indeed the company even tacked on a warning that trying to sneak such packages through its system was liable to get a customer permanently barred, if not a visit from some of Alright's more proactive partners to, instruct them, on how ill-conceived such a notion was. Drugs was the big one, and to the disgust of the girls that ran Alright, they had had to add human organs onto that list after a particularly unpleasant incident. People were also something they declined to help move, even if those involved were seemingly willing. It was just too easy to get caught up in a trafficking situation, and being women themselves, the Alright girls had no intention of even accidentally helping perpetuate such craven practices.
For the most part, Alright's customers, prospective and actual, toed the line and made sure whatever business they brought to the company were mostly above the level. The company was still engaged in smuggling of certain types of contraband, so one could not claim it was all clean, but Alright had been established to try to help their fellow Japanese, and so it tried to at least make sure the business it engaged in did not end up doing the opposite.
Of course, as carefully cultivated as this reputation was, there were still those foolish enough, or perhaps more accurately arrogant enough, to think they could make use of Alright's services for untoward ends. This tended to happen more with certain Britannian clients, as Alright's services were not exclusive to Japanese. The Britannians did tend to have a bit more money to spend when they wanted certain items moved discretely, after all, and the Alright girls were more than happy to have a bit more to send back to their families still in Oarai. And it was those very same Britannians that thought if the price was high enough, they could buy the Alright Courier Company's compliance.
"What a bunch of stuck-up pricks," was the biting assessment of one Momo Kawashima, a glint of anger reflecting off of the monocle she wore.
"Well, you're not wrong there," Anzu Kadotani, officially the president and leader of Alright, even if she spent more time lounging around eating dried sweet potatoes. Even now, there was a slight smirk touching her lips, but the expression did not reach her eyes.
"What should we do, Prez?" Yuzuko Koyama, the third and last of Alright's executive leadership, asked, looking noticeably more worried than her friends.
"Mmm, I guess that depends on how big a boom we want to see happen," Anzu said. "I'm sure there're plenty of cells that'd jump at the chance to put down something like this, never mind how the Sumeragi Group would react if they knew what was happening."
"Forget about the cells, I almost feel like we should be the ones kicking in the doors!" Momo said, slamming her fist on the table. "These bastards are trying to get us to help traffic Refrain!"
"Not quite," Anzu corrected. "They're trying to get us to move the precursors to make Refrain, not Refrain itself."
"And that's any better!?" the other girl snapped back.
"I didn't say it was," Anzu calmly responded. "Though if we handle this poorly, the repercussions could end up hurting a lot more people than just us, so let's take this slow and steady, alright?"
Momo took a few deep breaths to calm herself before nodding. "Alright. So, what do you propose then, Prez?"
"First, we need some more intel," Anzu said. "These guys might not realize we know enough about how Refrain gets made that we'd be able to figure out what they're actually asking us to move."
Indeed, when the request was delivered to Alright, it was phrased as the movement of some industrial chemicals and byproducts relating to sakuradite. Smuggling the processed ore was something that Alright had done in the past and been very richly compensated in return for that matter. Their prospective client this time around had phrased this transaction as a prelude to another such operation, likely to further obfuscate what was actually going on. Unfortunately for them, Alright did know enough about Refrain's production process that the listed chemicals and byproducts immediately alerted them to the true nature of this shipment. As to how Alright acquired this information, well, certain examples had had to be made the last time someone tried to make use of the company's services for such a purpose, in the process of which many secrets ended up being divulged. In the end, there hadn't been enough left over to warrant much evidence needing disposal.
"Right now we're still dealing with middlemen," Anzu continued, "so we don't know the true movers behind this operation. Killing these guys will just alert the actual masterminds, and maybe even paint a target on our backs. And until we know who is actually in charge, we don't know who is trustworthy for us to relay this information to."
At that Momo gave a choppy nod of agreement, while Yuzuko pursed her lips.
"Is that true though?" the ponytailed girl asked.
The other two looked over at her.
"What do you mean?" Anzu responded with a question of her own.
"If we think about the factions that are around, I think we can all agree that neither Kyoto House nor the Britannian government want Refrain to be spreading around," Yuzuko stated. "Now, it's possible that elements within the two might be cutting deals to make themselves richer, but the highest levels of their respective leadership? If they were involved, well, Japan would be in even bigger trouble than we thought."
"That's true," Momo said. "Especially with Cardinal Lamperouge in charge on the Britannian side of things. If anyone could be guaranteed to not be complicit in the Refrain trafficking, it's probably him."
"Well, put it that way, it might pay to get a message to him, discreet like," Anzu said, smiling more genuinely now. "And I know just the folks to call for that."
Back in another part of Tokyo, Ohgi let loose a mighty sneeze. Surely that was just a coincidence. Surely.
"So according to Sancia, there's apparently some pretty fierce competition amongst the 597th's squads draw the guard duty here at Ashford," Milly remarked.
Kaguya regarded the older girl quizzically. "Why would that be?"
"Well, one of the privates I spoke with said it was because of the lunch they get here," Milly answered. "Apparently it's a lot better than what gets served at the base cafeteria."
"Suzaku mentioned something similar," Kaguya said, a playful smile creeping across her face. "That he makes sure to eat something at the school or in the city instead of dining at the base."
Though unbeknownst to both girls, Suzaku's motivation for avoiding eating on base was not quite the same as that of other rank and file soldiers.
"He actually makes use of the dinner option more than any of the other prefects," Milly said. "The chefs are becoming quite familiar with his preferences."
"Oh, I did not know they were quite that attentive?" Kaguya remarked.
Milly chuckled. "They're always happy to put in a little extra for those that appreciate their efforts."
The two girls were seated in the Ashford residence's parlor, Milly having invited Kaguya over for a spot of tea. The motivation behind the invitation was ostensibly entirely social, the Ashford daughter checking in on a friend that had gone through a period of some need, emotional if not material. And all of that was actually true, even if the exact matter of discussion was closer to the heart than one might presume.
Kaguya took a sip of her tea, and then set the cup down. "I believe I owe you an apology, Milly, for presuming upon both yourself and His Eminence."
Milly pursed her lips. "I want to accept the apology, but why do I get the feeling there is yet more that you are feeling guilty about?"
The younger girl's cheeks flushed slightly at just how well she was being read.
"I, understand that you hold His Eminence very dearly," Kaguya said. "And it is not my purpose to ever give either of you reason to be dissatisfied with the other. But, and I know this is asking much of you, but I would still like to approach the cardinal, Lelouch, on a more intimate footing."
Milly stared at Kaguya for a long few seconds, then spent a few more massaging her temples. It wasn't so much a problem that Kaguya still harbored feelings for Lelouch, considering everything the cardinal had done for her, it would be more surprising if she was not smitten. The question lay then in what form those feelings actually took.
"Alright, tell me frankly," Milly finally said. "What is it that you see in Lelouch that so endears you? Not the viceroy, not the cardinal, not even the imperial scion, but just Lelouch."
The rapid blinking from Kaguya was a pretty good indicator she did not have a ready answer. But being so prompted, it was not as if Kaguya was completely unable to answer.
"He's very kind, and thoughtful," Kaguya said. "And he's like that naturally, not because he wants something in return. When he tries to comfort you, you know it's safe to just let him. And he's strong. Like, mentally. And I guess physically too. So he can not just comfort you, but also protect you."
Put that way, it was easy to see why Lelouch was so appealing as a partner. All those were qualities which Milly herself also identified within the young man, after all. But now to see to just what depths Kaguya herself understood them.
"And what is it that you, not a member of the NAC, not the Sumeragi heiress, but you, Kaguya, believe you can offer Lelouch in return for the comfort you want from him?" Milly asked next.
Again Kaguya blinked, the softness of her eyes belaying the further uncertainty the question elicited, for this was arguably even harder for the girl to answer. For one such as her, Kaguya's station in life had been such an intrinsic part of her identity that, being so asked to disassociate from it was no easy thing.
"I would," Kaguya finally said after a long moment of silence, "like to give him back the very same affection that I would ask for."
Milly leaned back into her seat, legs crossed and lips pursed. From her expression, she clearly found something wanting in the response in its current form.
"And yet all these qualities you listed, Lelouch is certainly not the only man in this world capable of exhibiting them. So why him?"
Kaguya tilted her head. "It may be true that plenty others share a modicum of such qualities, but I think even you would be hard pressed to point out another that possessed them in such caliber as Lelouch. And even if they did, well, they are not here, nor is there any certainty they might ever appear. Lelouch however is here, in the flesh."
"And because he is here, you have determined that that is grounds to pursue him?" Milly asked, "despite him already being attached?"
"I would pursue him, with your consent," Kaguya repeated.
This time there was genuine exasperation in Milly's sigh, though why Kaguya still did not understand.
"Tell me, Kaguya. If you were the one being asked for it, would you be willing to grant that sort of consent?"
Kaguya did her best to hide her disappointment at what was clearly Milly preparing to let her down gently with a refusal.
"I apologize, Milly, for being so insensitive-"
"Kaguya," Milly cut her off before the girl could get too far. "That is not the answer to the question I asked. Would you, in my position, be willing to grant that sort of consent?"
There was clearly some additional meaning that was escaping Kaguya, and so with little other choice she answered as Milly demanded.
"If I can be convinced that the other party was worthy of and a benefit to Lelouch, I would."
Milly massaged her temple with one hand with a grimace. "That, that right there."
"Your pardon?" Kaguya regarded Milly quizzically again.
"Think about the meaning of what you propose to do, Kaguya," Milly said. "By your judgment would a prospective suitor be assessed. What sort of precedent is that setting? Cause this isn't some onetime thing. Just because you might think someone, worthy, then, doesn't mean you'll always think they're worthy. And what happens if the other person doesn't think you have any right to revoke your granted approval?"
Put that way, Kaguya could see why Milly might be worried. And right to be, for that matter. People changed, as did their opinions, and it was not impossible that initial impressions might be mistaken, or that a person might not live up to their potential. No one was prescient, after all, so even if it was not a mistake to grant a person leave in the first place, to then withdraw it afterwards was no easy thing and almost certain to provoke conflict.
"I think I begin to understand," Kaguya said, certain enough about her interpretation but still aware that Milly might have a second or third string waiting for the bow. "And I arguably still owe you an apology, for putting you in such a position, Milly."
"Darn right you do," Milly said. "But I'm not going to be accepting that apology until you actually know what it is you're apologizing for, cause if you did, you wouldn't be bothering with offering it like that."
By now Kaguya's head was starting to hurt a bit at how convoluted Milly's explanation was turning into. Granted the older girl was definitely onto something, but Kaguya's inability to piece it together at an intuitive level was frustrating.
"Please, as frank as you believe necessary, tell me what it is that I am still not understanding," Kaguya said.
"Alright," Milly said. "Let's set aside whether I would or could give any consent to courting Lelouch. That you asked for it is because you have a desire to try and convince Lelouch to establish a household with you. To marry you, to have children, and so on. Is that not so?"
Kaguya simply nodded, not having anything further to add to the list of qualities that she was aspiring to.
"Now this household, should it come to pass, is clearly intended by you to be distinct from the one I would have with Lelouch," Milly continued. "Oh, I'm sure you intend some degree of closeness, for reasons of mutual interest if nothing else, but you and I would be the respective mistresses of our own households, who just happen to share a man of the house, as it were. No?"
Again Kaguya nodded. She might not have put it that bluntly, but then again, she had asked Milly for frankness.
"Yeah, no, right there, that's just not tenable," Milly stated. "The arrangement that you're envisioning would implicitly put Lelouch at the center of different households actively competing against one another over him. Why in the world would I be willing to subject myself, or for that matter Lelouch himself, to that kind of a domestic environment?"
Because the demands of state or lineage called for it, Kaguya wanted to respond, but the look in Milly's eyes made clear the older girl simply did not see any such necessity to begin with. And she was arguably right, since Milly was the one that already had the established relation with Lelouch. It was not Milly that could expect to benefit from Kaguya's wish being granted, and even if some advantage might be wrung out in the long run, it would take an especially coldhearted mentality to weigh the emotional costs so dispassionately. And yet, Kaguya felt a slight nagging in her own heart.
"You seem so certain that such a competition would emerge," the girl said.
"Because you've already settled on an arrangement that makes it inevitable," Milly responded. "How many examples can you think of wherein multiple households centered around a single patriarch didn't end up at odds with one another?"
"Granted that historically has been the usual outcome," Kaguya said, "but is not Emperor Charles' current marital state an indication that it can be made to work?"
"No, it really isn't," Milly said tiredly, "because His Majesty's wives aren't split into distinct households like you presume."
Kaguya tilted her head. "Do they not each have their own estates?"
"Physically, each of them lives at their own place," Milly said, "but that's more because of the logistics of attending to their parent house's affairs. Relationally, all of them are on close, intimate terms with each other, and have been even before they married His Majesty."
Kaguya stared at Milly a moment. "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage then, seeing as you clearly have much greater insight into the imperial family's relations than I."
"Didn't Kallen explain this to you back when you two talked about this?" Milly asked.
"She simply mentioned that Emperor Charles' family situation was outside the norm," Kaguya shook her head. "She did not elaborate further."
That elicited a sigh from the older girl. "Alright, I can see why you've held this misunderstanding for so long. Most of this is considered common knowledge for Britannians, and with her mixed upraising, Kallen might or might not have internalized it enough to be able to explain it to you. I on the other hand can explain what's actually going on, but you're going to have to be willing to take my word for it. This isn't the sort of thing you can just go up and ask for direct confirmation from the parties involved."
"I understand," Kaguya nodded, gesturing for Milly to proceed.
"So I assume you already know that Emperor Charles' father, Prince Ulysses, was murdered when he was still a child, and that His Majesty came to power basically in a military coup."
Another nod, to indicate Milly's own presumptions were valid.
"All five of Emperor Charles' current wives come from families that were firm supporters of Prince Ulysses, families that ultimately helped His Majesty orchestrate his coup. In that regard, his marriage to them can certainly be considered a reward to their houses for their support. But those qualities were hardly unique to those houses. My grandfather was a personal friend of Ulysses, for one, and the House of Ashford's contributions to Charles' ascension was in no way short compared to that of the other houses. But clearly, my mother is not an empress-consort, and I am not a princess. His Majesty elected to marry all five of those noble daughters because of entirely personal reasons. The political expediency just gave him the opportunity to do so."
"Are you saying," Kaguya said slowly, "that His Majesty genuinely loves all five of his wives?"
"Considering all of them attended school together, and they literally helped watch his back while he was growing up? Very much so." Milly's lips thinned. "The bastards that assassinated Prince Ulysses and his wife tried, on multiple occasions, to finish the job. His Majesty is alive today thanks to his wives, and in a lot of ways, they're all alive because they all had each other's backs when growing up. If you look up the titles that each consort has, you might notice that several hold titles of their own entirely separate from their imperial dignities. That's because several of them lost one of their parents in the Emblem of Blood era that presaged Charles' ascension."
Kaguya could see why Milly had asked her to take the older girl at her word. This was most certainly not something that the Britannian authorities would want to widely publicize, the sort of sordid bloodletting being alluded to could all too easily undermine the regal image of the imperial family.
"I said I would take you at your word," Kaguya began slowly, "and I do. But if this is the case, why then is this affection not more readily evident?"
"Didn't I say before that this is all common knowledge for Britannians?" Milly arched an eyebrow upward. "For that matter, do you think it's some sort of accident that all of the imperial siblings, regardless of their mother, are so heavily socialized with each other? Every playdate I had over at Aries Villa, there was almost always another of Lelouch's half-siblings over at the same time, whether it be Euphie or Marry or Euliya or Laila. And there were plenty of other days where I wasn't there that one of his older half-siblings like Clovis or Schneizel would drop in. And let's not forget, the captain of Empress Marianne's royal guard was another of Lelouch's sisters, Cornelia. Do you think the children would have been able to play around like that so casually if their respective mothers were not on amicable terms?"
"I'm, honestly not sure," Kaguya said. "And again, it is not as if I had any awareness of how much socialization the imperial siblings had with one another."
"Not sure why that'd be the case," Milly said. "That bit at least is pretty heavily publicized, what with all the photos that got released of the kids playing together. I was even in a few of them."
"I see," Kaguya said, sighing. There did indeed seem to be a gap between the Britannian citizenry's awareness of their ruling family and that of outsiders like the Japanese. And also quite a bit of projection, come to think of it. Then, the girl's brow furrowed. "You said five wives. Is that including the Empress Marianne?"
"No," Milly answered immediately. "Marianne was wedded to Emperor Charles much, much later than any of the others. But she also wasn't some complete stranger to them. And that's about all I can say on that matter. This time, you will really have to take my word for it that Marianne was outright welcomed by the other wives. Not because of some political accommodation, but because they wanted Marianne as a part of their own lives as well."
Kaguya blinked. That last bit there, that felt significant somehow. No, not something, as realization and understanding finally dawned upon Kaguya.
"It was not your consent that I should have sought," Kaguya stated. "It was your affection."
Milly's lips quirked slightly. "That's one way of putting it. And I'm glad you were able to figure that out without me having to say it outright."
"Though you did need to lay some very obvious clues," Kaguya responded with a wide smile.
"Perhaps," Milly said with a shrug. "But just because you understand now doesn't mean the thing you want is any closer to your grasp. While I may not rule out the possibility of there being multiple partners within the household, I will emphatically not tolerate the division of this household into a multitude of separate ones. That means anyone that wishes to join, is joining to be with everyone that is already present. But not once was that how you envisioned things, you automatically assumed divisions would be introduced in any arrangement."
"Because I did not think such a unitary outcome was possible," Kaguya tried to defend herself.
"Maybe so." Milly however did not sound convinced. "But there's an even simpler explanation. You know, at least to some extent, what it is you want in the person you would spend the rest of our life with. And you didn't see any of that in me. So, ask yourself this, Kaguya. Would you actually be happy in a relationship where I would also have a stake in?"
End of Chapter 29
Bloody hell, the exchange between Milly and Kaguya was a pain in the ass to write. I had to convey both a lot of information and also frame the emotions of the two in specific ways. After three iterations, I'm leaving it as is and moving on.
What should be evident from Milly's descriptions is that in my version, the relationship between the imperial wives was much, much different than in canon. We don't have the sort of sordid backstabbing and maneuvering for political advantage, and in frankness the canon anime didn't do a very good job of conveying that anyway. Too many of the imperial scions were on too amicable terms to seriously believe their respective mothers were plotting against each other to advance their own children's standings. I've decided to just do away with that aspect and make up something that is more useful to my narrative.
So let's all pretend this is the only chapter I've been working on. No, sir, there aren't other chapters for other stories that got posted in the interim. Ahem.
Hmm, either people aren't picking up on the Kaguya plotline very well, or those that have gotten the hints are staying mum.
The bit with Suzaku and Euphemia last chapter may not have been coherent enough. Suzaku first began suspecting Euphemia to be a princess all the way back when she was introduced, and while Kallen's declaration confirmed it, the intent last chapter was to show that that still wasn't something Suzaku should be announcing his awareness of. It's what happens when I don't do an editing pass.
Chiba's rank mix-up was just me typing too quickly and not recalling what I had settled on for her position. She's a captain.
So I've been able to find another artist willing to actually accept commissions right now. To be frank, the hardest part of getting commissions done isn't paying for them, I have the disposable income for that. It's actually finding someone that's doing any commissions at all in the style I want. But anyway, in the time that I spent getting this chapter out, the artist managed to get out not one but three drawings, one of Nunnally, one of C.C., and one of Kallen. Replace dots and slashes as needed, since we need to work around the site's anti-spam features.
deviantart dot com slash z98 slash art slash Nunnally-the-Oracle-863913746
deviantart dot com slash z98 slash art slash C-C-the-Grandmaster-864383791
deviantart dot com slash z98 slash art slash Kallen-the-Sirius-865281861
Two remarks about the Kallen drawing. Officially Kallen is supposed to have blue eyes, but looking at the official artwork and whatnot, the shading more often than not comes off more green than necessarily blue. Turquoise, if I were to put a shade to it. This might be one of those cases where the cultural assignment of color differs slightly, as in Japan, there actually used to be traffic lights where the go light was blue, and sometimes they still refer to the go light as blue. The other remark, I find it somewhat amusing how the artist, without any prompting from me, explicitly made Kallen's bust much larger and more prominent than C.C.'s.
I intend to get drawings of the entire Eden Vital cast, so expect more such links in the future.
