Remember the last chapter when I said I preferred to write shorter chapters? Well, sometimes I can't help myself. In fact, this chapter didn't surpass 15K words because I cut off a few scenes.
My busy schedule, combined with the troubles I had in writing some scenes caused this update to be postponed for a bit. As things are still hectic for me, I can't promise that this will be an isolated occurrence.
Rest assured I'd like to begin by stating that I'm overjoyed by the positive response this story received overall. As I finish writing this chapter, The Leviathan has 165 followers, 131 favorites, 37 reviews, and a little over 6K views, so a huge thank you to everyone who made this possible.
Before I start with the actual author's notes, I'd like to ask everyone interested in this story to read the endnotes. By doing so you'd be helping me improve the story for you.
I admit I'm still tinkering with the whole review's feedback. Today I'll be doing something a bit different, I hope you like it.
Several reviews inquired about the Gino-Lelouch dynamic. I'd like to think I did my job well, and if that's the case I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised by this chapter. I originally planned on making Gino a side character, but right now it looks like he's coming to stay.
Regarding the pairings, a review suggested that instead of answering which characters I plan to pair with Lelouch I answer the ones I won't. That was indeed a good idea, so for characters suggested to me, that will not be paired with Lelouch:
C.C. – I swear it's nothing personal. Pretty much the whole community loves her, and I'm not contesting that. For my Lelouch however, they simply wouldn't click out, Military Lelouch would probably be driven to the brink of madness with C.C.'s antics. Also, featuring her as a non-romantic interest would give me the chance to attempt a new approach to her character, something I'm keen on doing.
Monica Krushevsky – I have other plans for her. She'll be given a good story, just not with Lelouch.
Nunally – This work shows that I have no problems with the whole incest trope. However, I feel Lelouch x Nunally would probably be too much of a stretch due to the whole circumstances involved.
Nina – My version of Lelouch, despite working for Britannia, won't discriminate with numbers. I can't see him getting along with Nina due to that.
Other than that, I can say that I'm keen on exploring the unexplored.
Now the answers to some of the last chapter's reviews.
RabbitHaremLover24 – Lelouch will get his own high specs Knightmare at some point in the future. But, before that, he will have to work with literally the worst Britannia has to offer.
Jdota – I agree with your point on Lelouch and Schneizel's relationship. I feel writing Schneizel as a uni-dimensional villain is a waste of such interesting, and complex character. I dare say Lelouch and Schneizel's relationship will be probably one of the most complex in this series, as they are both genius-level characters with goals that will both converge and diverge in some points. I hope you like this chapter, as there will be several important scenes featuring the two of them.
The Lelouch-Cornelia relationship would probably be a lot better, both in canon and in this story if the two of them managed to sit and talk it out. However, Cornelia's protective streak prevents her from seeing Lelouch, or Euphemia for that matter, as more than children, whilst Lelouch's unwillingness to trust her could easily be remediated if he actually took the time to question her. It will be dealt with though, in the near future.
Gottwald will take a bit of a backseat for the first few arcs as I feel his presence can hinder Lelouch's growth. He'll not be pleased with it but will comply nonetheless.
Andr Le Ntre – Thanks a lot for the review, I truly hope you enjoy the work I did this chapter with the worldbuilding and don't be discouraged from sending me your opinions.
Also, I'd like to thank VongolaJoe, Arremi, Marche V, RedRat8, narutofan978, Vegito is King, Patjeeson, and Guests for their reviews. I hope my notes answered your reviews, if not feel free to point them out.
The end of year two at Alexandrine Military Academy brought divided feelings to the eleventh prince Lelouch vi Britannia. Looking back, his skills developed at a glaring pace, something that the prince itself wasn't expecting. Still, it was not enough as his objective was still far away from his grasp. He evolved, yes, but so did the others.
His objective here was still the same, unseat Gino as the best KMF pilot, making a statement about his worth not only to the military but to the nobility too. Ranking-wise Gino topped the class with a whopping 86% KMF sync ratio; Lelouch finished with 82%. One percent above his sister, who finished fourth, and one percent below Oldrin who finished second.
As much as finishing third bothered him, a part of him was glad about the result. He knew he wasn't on the same level as his rival, so one could argue he dodged a bullet by avoiding a certain, highly publicized defeat. His competitive part however was just pissed on losing the second place by so little.
This year's end-of-term ceremony ended similarly the last year's. Oldrin put up a brave, valiant fight, but once again was defeated by the prodigious Gino Weinberg. Still, Marrybell's friend landed some hits and made the blonde noble truly work for his victory.
Whereas most of the attendants left the exhibition arena in awe of Gino's skills, Lelouch had other things running through his mind.
"Oldrin came closer to defeating him this year. Gino is improving, but so am I." A rare smirk adorned the prince's features as he changed his route.
"I'll still have a chance if I keep improving faster than him."
He knocked at the grandmaster's door.
"Cadet vi Britannia, what can I do for you?" the elderly man asked.
"I'd like to inquire whether I can stay in the academy during the holidays."
For the next two months, Lelouch fell onto a routine of sorts. He would wake up early, have breakfast, go for a warm-up jog, work out. After lunch, the prince would spend from four to five hours in the KMF simulator, running through different drills and scenarios. At night he would spend at least one-hour swimming before using his free time to either contact Nunally, make money out of his siblings' slips, reading, or even more KMF drills.
That particular Tuesday night, the prince opted for the more profitable option, taking advantage of Odysseus' enthusiastic urban renewal policy in Area Three. At least this was the plan.
"Brother?"
"Hello, Lelouch."
Nunally was his favorite sister, although both Euphemia and Marrybell deserved honorable mentions.
When it came to his brothers, there was only one clear winner: the second prince of Britannia, Schneizel el Britannia. The blonde prince always had been Lelouch's role model, even more than the emperor back when he still saw good in the man.
"Let me guess. Time for another chat?"
"We will talk soon enough." Schneizel said with a smile. "But first let us get reacquainted."
They took their seats across from the chessboard, with Schneizel making the first move as whites. "I looked for you on Pendragon. Imagine my surprise when I was told that you asked to spend your holidays at Military Academy."
"I felt a change of scenario and pace was needed." The younger sibling replied, making his own move.
"Clovis and Euphemia were unhappy about that, though."
"Clovis?"
Schneizel's knight caught one of Lelouch's pawns. "He likes you."
The younger prince nodded. "Still, I doubt he flew all the way from Area 11 just to say that."
"He did mention a party."
Lelouch smirked. "Then I'm glad I didn't visit."
"Clovis parties aren't bad."
"They aren't, but they are scandalous, to say the least. Remember the one with the daughter of the Duke of Alberta and the stripper?"
This earned a groan from Schneizel. "I had to fix that one."
Lelouch chuckled. "Second-guessing your idea of becoming the prime minister?"
"Yes." The second prince said bluntly. "But there's no other way around. Odysseus isn't interested in taking this role, so it falls upon my shoulders."
"So, what was the issue that needed fixing? More trouble with the southern areas?"
"No, this time it was about homeland affairs." Capturing yet another pawn he glanced at Lelouch. "Do you agree with father's policies?"
"Which ones?"
"The ones pertaining the homeland."
Lelouch frowned. "As far as I'm aware the emperor didn't take any specific measures when taking care of the homeland."
"You're correct in that statement."
"I assume you don't agree with that particular approach." The younger prince noted.
"As sharp as ever Lelouch. Most of father's policies are directed to the development of more military equipment. Something I particularly can't agree with."
"Well, everyone knows war is coming…" Lelouch felt extremely bad by defending any measure taken by the man he once called father, but this particular one was something he agreed upon.
"There's a line in which military expenditure gets counterproductive."
"You believe Britannia crossed that line?"
"Britannia bulldozed through that line." Schneizel sighed. "Lelouch, what do you know about the empire's capitals?"
The prince frowned in thought. He didn't particularly dislike history, but other subjects took precedence.
"The first one was Alwin's capital, built in the same spot he repelled the Roman Invasion. The second one was Winchester, built by the Saxons with the spoils of the Celtic capital. Then there was London, which became the capital after the Norman Integration."
Schneizel nodded. "Those were the capital at the lost mainland, do you recall the ones in the homeland?
"Boston was the first, but Emperor Ricardo moved to Philadelphia after his ascension as he felt a coastal capital was insecure. The second to last was Phoenix, the personal holding of Emperor Alec la Britannia who would hold court on Phoenix during the winters and in Philadelphia during the summers. After our triumph in the First Pacific War, the emperor at the time decided to build a city which would mirror Britannian superiority over the other nations at the quickly developing west coast: that city would be named Pendragon."
"Excellent, now Lelouch, how do you think Pendragon generates income?"
Lelouch was pensive for a few moments. "It is a hub for services and finances, right?"
"Yes, but why is Pendragon a hub whilst other cities along the west coast such as Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver are not?"
"Because it is the capital."
Schneizel nodded. "Being a capital isn't simply being the place where the emperor, president, or prime minister sleeps. There's whole research of the importance a capital has for a country or area. Especially when it comes to a highly centralized state such as Britannia."
The prime minister set a trap for Lelouch's rook. "Can you imagine what would happen to a city that lost such status?"
"Its economy would be stagnated?"
Schneizel shook his head. "Worse, its economy would be downturned. As more and more money flees the city, infrastructure would be depredated, local business would go bankrupt and crime rates would take an upturn."
Lelouch winced. "That bad?"
"It becomes even worse as the entire region, from Boston to Charlotte, was dependent on the capital. What started as a downward spiral for Philadelphia quickly spiraled to full-blown depression that covers almost a quarter of the eastern coast."
"I see." Lelouch was speechless. Alexandria was situated on the axis Schneizel described but had the Military Academy generating income, as for the rest…
The fact that the media didn't even bother to shed light on the situation made things even more unbelievable.
"I assume your trip was related to that crisis."
Schneizel hummed. "I made several attempts to mitigate that crisis, even reestablishing some incentives given by previous emperors, but to no avail. Father seems to have zero interest in the area."
"Why is that?"
"I have no idea, it makes no sense at all, it is almost like he wanted this area to suffer."
"Maybe he does?" Lelouch asked.
Schneizel shook his head. "Whilst some of the nobles who antagonized father during the Emblem of Blood hailed from the east coast, that's unlikely, to say the least. He had opponents on the central mainland as well, but didn't make any move to antagonize them further."
"Then I have no idea."
The tiredness in Schneizel's sigh was not fake. "Me too, I don't have the slightest idea about father's decisions. It makes no sense at all."
"He had a different childhood than all of us, didn't he?" As much as Lelouch hated his progenitor, he could understand how he became the man he was today.
Schneizel nodded. "Even so, I can't help but feel something is wrong."
The older prince glanced at the chessboard.
"Draw?"
Lelouch frowned. "But there's still a chance for any of us to win."
"I know, but I'm afraid that there too much to talk in too little time."
Lelouch glanced at his brother. Schneizel's masks were so good that it took another performer, like Lelouch himself, to see through them. This time there was no mask though. "I accept the draw."
"You've been looking for answers, weren't you?"
The sternness in his gaze told Lelouch he knew everything, so the raven-haired sibling only nodded.
"And did you find anything?"
"I found something, but it's just a possibility."
"I see you won't speak further of it." Schneizel noted. "And I'll respect that, in fact, I'll even give you somewhere else to look at."
His somber face dictated the tempo of the conversation. "After Empress Marianne's funeral, I was ordered to retrieve her body and deliver it to another location."
"By whom?" Lelouch asked, despite knowing the answer already.
"The Emperor himself."
Lelouch closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "Where did you deliver the body?"
"Boston, Massachusetts."
The son of Marianne frowned. "Any idea on why?"
Schneizel shook his head. "The orders were to be carried swiftly, I drove her body myself to the outskirts of the city, I met Lord Bismarck there and he dismissed me."
"I assume Bismarck also knew who were you driving."
"Probably, father probably trusts him more than any of us."
"After that, any other notable things were happening?"
"Cornelia attempted to investigate matters by herself, but she had little success. By the time the trail had gotten colder already and you and Nunally were reported to be dead."
Lelouch closed his eyes. "How Cornelia fits on this? She may have killed mother, but if she did so why would she make attempts to uncover the truth. Seems too much effort put into a simple ruse."
He glanced at his older brother. "Why you told me this?"
"Consider this a show of goodwill."
The eyebrow raised by the eleventh prince made clear his questioning.
"I want you as my ally, simple as that. This is my display that no secrets will be kept should you accept my offer."
Lelouch nodded in understanding. "I appreciate it, but at the moment there are some secrets that I'm unwilling to share."
"I understand your reasoning. This offer has no expiration date, in fact, I'd consider it strange if you accepted things so quickly. Take your time, the choice is completely yours." Schneizel reassured.
"Why me though?"
"You are the only sibling I truly fear Lelouch, I know you're capable of things that Odysseus, Cornelia, or even aren't able to do."
Lelouch kept quiet, mulling over Schneizel's words. The emperor might've been his father, but Schneizel had always been his role model.
"I have to catch a plane to Area 2." The prime minister announced. "We will talk again, but keep my proposal in your mind. If we work together there's nothing that can stop us. Not even father."
The eleventh princess Marrybell mel Britannia, watched with interest as the male cadets practiced their marksmanship. The introduction of the KMF made conventional infantry obsolete when deployed in almost all situations. However, as part of their military training, cadets were expected to learn how to operate pistols, rifles, and firearms in general, although it was most likely that most of them would never see combat outside of their frames. Still, some of the concepts of the drill could carry on when operating a frame. Reuben Ashford, the creator of the famed Ganymede once stated that the Knightmare Frame was designed to be an extension of the devicer's body, if that was the case, good marksmanship would carry on.
"Gino Weinberg, 18 out of 20." The drill sergeant announced. "Next is Lelouch vi Britannia."
That bit of info caused the princess to lean forward, her interest piqued.
"Interested, huh?" Her best friend, Oldrin Zevon asked.
"He is my brother."
"Yes, that's why…."
Marrybell frowned at the golden-haired girl's tone. "What do you mean?"
Her friend playfully smirked at her.
The retort at the tip of her tongue was cut off when her brother took his position. Ever since he was a boy, Lelouch was considered to be good-looking. Whilst people said that the emperor was not ugly by any means, most agreed that Lelouch inherited his good looks from his mother, although some would argue that the prince's facial structure and eye tone were similar to his father's. Yet, what truly made the prince stand out now was the same thing that for a long time was considered his biggest weakness: physical strength.
Lelouch would never be buffed as Gino or some of the other male cadets, but he was defined. More than any other Imperial Prince. Even more so after he opted out of his vacation to stay at the academy.
Marrybell herself was still a bit irked by his decision, or rather the way he did so, without warning her. In the four years her brother came back from the dead, Lelouch became an integral part of her life, maybe even more so than Oldrin.
The sound of the gunshots, muffled by the protective glass resonated.
"Marry… he's good." Her best friend noted. The princess just nodded her head, she shot 16 of 20, with Oldrin making 15 of 20. She expected Lelouch to score on that range, however…
"Lelouch vi Britannia, 20 out of 20, congratulations." The instructor said.
Another thing that stood out in Lelouch was how well he managed to control his emotions. He could fool most of the world, but the slight twitching of his lips in a smirk, alongside a quick dart of his eyes toward the now second-best cadet were visible to her. Lelouch was happy to rank first but really overjoyed by the fact he scored above his nemesis.
The eleventh's prince relationship with Gino was funny, to say the least. Most would say that the apparent hate Lelouch showed to the noble was unwarranted and fruit of simple jealousy. For most of the other cadets, who only knew him as a fellow classmate, the statement could be regarded as truthful. But Marrybell was not ashamed to say that apart from Nunally, Schneizel, and maybe Euphemia, she was the one who knew Lelouch the most.
His 'dislike' of Gino didn't stem from anything the blonde noble did. In fact, Gino was one of the nicest people all around. What made the prince consider his fellow cadet as a rival was the fact that he was simply put better than him when it came to pilot Knightmare Frames.
As much as Lelouch would deny it, he didn't just inherit the emperor's eyes. There was a common flair for the center stage, and a yearning for attention the father and son duo shared. Fairly enough, Lelouch was not the only one to display such characteristics, Clovis came to her mind as an even worse case. However, unlike his siblings, Lelouch openly loathed the emperor and would take advantage of every opportunity that he had to rub in the 98th emperor's face that he was good.
To Lelouch, Gino was robbing him of that opportunity; and this fact alone was enough to warrant his hate. The fact that Gino was still gleefully unaware of the prince's hatred only made the scene even more comical for those who watched from the outside.
"You did well, Lelouch." The princess was brought out of her musing by the arrival of the prince, who was congratulated by Oldrin.
"Thanks."
Before the princess herself could extend her compliments, she was interrupted by another fellow cadet, the brunette daughter of the Duke of Oklahoma, Louise Thomas, a girl who Marrybell strongly disliked.
"Lelouch, darling." The girl squealed and hugged him, causing the said prince to wince. "You were SO good."
"Errr… Louise…" the discomfort in his voice was clear. Chaste is a word that could describe the prince well, even when he showed a bit of interest in girls (in that case Euphemia), he did so in a subtle, almost imperceptive manner. Louise was not Euphemia, nor subtle.
The noble then adopted a sultry tone. "You know, I'm good at handling a gun myself. Maybe I can show you in my room?"
Much for Lelouch's relief, the instructor interrupted the girl. "Now for the next drill, we'll be using pistols."
"The gall of that girl."
Hearing her best friend rant so openly was a bittersweet emotion for Oldrin Zevon. On one hand, the golden-haired noble was happy to see the princess come out of her shell after everything she had been through. On the other hand, Oldrin knew this wasn't because of her, but because of the princess' brother Lelouch.
She had nothing against the eleventh prince, however, he was not one of her favorite persons. Still, all she wanted was to see Marrybell happy.
"What is Lelouch to you?" Oldrin asked
"What?"
"What your brother truly means to you?"
"Why you are asking me that right now?"
"You seem to be easily offended when it came to him." The blonde pointed out
"He is my brother." Was Marrybell's retort.
"So is Clovis."
"Clovis is a manwhore, Lelouch is not."
"And what if he was?"
Marrybell shook her head. "He only has eyes for Euphemia."
"That's the reason why you don't make your move?"
"W-What?" the princess managed to sputter out.
"I know you Marrybell, the way you look at Lelouch is different."
The pink-haired girl sighed. "It's not like that. He's the most important person in my life…."
"So?"
"It's complicated…" Marrybell tried to put her feelings in words.
"It's not, you, for some reason I have yet to understand, are attracted to your half-brother. Which would be a problem if we lived outside of Britannia."
The mel Britannia princess attempted to interrupt her friend, but Oldrin was not having any of it.
"And your brother, who's expected to marry more than one woman, happens to feel attracted to his other half-sister, who also happens to look a lot like you."
"Lelouch doesn't see me like that."
"And how would you know?"
"There's Euphemia."
Oldrin's rebuttal of her friend's points was relentless. "It was Euphemia who prevented from confronting the emperor or it was Lelouch?"
Seeing the myriad of expressions displaying across her friend's face, Oldrin sighed. "Why do you like Lelouch?"
"How can I not? He's kind, clever, and helped me…when no one else would."
The golden-haired noble nodded. "Then you have your answer right there. I personally don't like Lelouch, he's too arrogant. But if you like him, you should do something about it. You, Princess Marrybell mel Britannia, more than anyone in this world, deserve happiness. Go get it."
You think your brother has a chance?" Oldrin asked, taking her seat beside Marrybell at the exposition arena.
The place was crowded as those exhibition matches provided nobles with the perfect excuse to practice one of their favorite activities: gambling.
The KMF League would host a plethora of events using Knightmare Frames, from KMF Fights to KMF Football. However, those sports lacked the bout of the wilderness a Knightmare Joust presented, even more so when the devicers were members of the military.
"He has." Was Marrybell's confident answer. "Gino is an amazing pilot, but Lelouch deserves it the most. He has been preparing for this ever since he got accepted into the academy."
"Well said, sister of mine."
The duo turned in surprise to see the tall figure of the Crown Prince: Odysseus eu Britannia.
"Odysseus? What are you doing here?" Marrybell asked in surprise. The crown prince was liked by most of his siblings, Marrybell and Lelouch included, however they couldn't be considered close by any means.
"I enjoy those kinds of events, even more so when one of my siblings is involved."
Marrybell nodded. Odysseus' love of KMF matches was well known through the Imperial Family and beyond.
"And the others?"
Odysseus shook his head. "Clovis wanted to come but there were some complications at Area 11, Cornelia is still deployed in Area 7, Guinevere had events to attend at Area 3, as for Euphemia, Carine, and Laila, they still have school."
Marrybell and Lelouch as members of the military would often forget that their siblings also had to study. The education of the children of the emperor also strongly distinguishes from the 'common' nobles. It was designed that by reaching the age of sixteen, the prince or princess would already have the equivalent of a university degree, it was brutal but effective as Schneizel became prime minister at the tender age of 21.
"Here they come!" the crown prince said gleefully as two Knightmares made their way into the field.
Unlike the regular training, where the cadets operated the Glasgow, those exhibition matches featured the Prytwen. This frame was mainly used by the KMF League as it was cheaper to produce, whilst still maintaining the design of the Glasgow, in which the Prytwen was based in. As a result of that, it was less durable but could feature several weapons and accessories which wouldn't fit military usage.
Gino's frame was mainly white, with blue details in its legs and arms. It also wielded two average-sized swords.
Lelouch's frame was almost fully black, with very minor details in red and violet. However, what really drew attention to his frame was the choice of weapons: a spear and shield, uncommon to say the least.
The goal of KMF jousts was to defeat the opponent, either by making him eject or disabling its frame.
The match soon started with, Gino activating the landspinners of his frame, readying a strike with one sword whilst Lelouch raised the shield in his frame's forearm.
It kneeled protecting its cockpit with the shield, whilst raising its spear.
"The phalanx." Marrybell noted, causing Odysseus and Oldrin to turn to her in curiosity.
"Lelouch always reads books on some of the great generals in history. He explained that stance to me, but I'd never have thought that I'd see it in a KMF joust."
"Why?" Odysseus, not as versed as the princess and her companion asked.
"This was meant to be mass formation. Being succinct, the front line would use its shields to protect the unit, whilst the other lines would thrust their spears through the gaps. The goal was to rely on the front line's morale to push the opponent."
"But getting close to Gino is probably the most unlikely thing going through Lelouch's mind right now." Oldrin completed.
At this point, although seemingly cornered, the shield and spear donned by Lelouch's Knightmare protected the frame from Gino's onslaught.
"Why he's doing it?" Oldrin frowned.
Whilst not necessarily military savvy, Odysseus knew a thing or two about Knightmares. "To keep Gino guessing, Since Gino is arguably better, Lelouch opted to use different tactics."
"Because Gino won't be prepared to face them." Marrybell concluded with a smile.
Eventually, the opening the prince looked for appeared, a sword strike, extend by just an inch. Enough for him.
The spear often used to block, parried, Gino's frame lost its balance. With a resounding strike one of Gino's swords, the same which was parried was knocked out by the shield.
The crow cheered and Lelouch smirked, all going according to his plans.
Gino to his merit was unfazed by it.
He got up and held his sword with one hand, extending the other towards Lelouch.
The slash harken strike came by a second later, with Lelouch opting to dodge rather than blocking as a means to avoid any surprises.
On the other hand, the now lone sword was unable to fend off the spear thrusts, but sans for some specific points, those thrusts just barely dented the Prytwen's armor.
After yet another dodge, Lelouch's eyes widened, as Gino's harken made its way to the discarded sword. He attempted to use his shield to deflect the harken's trajectory, unknowingly doing exactly what Gino wanted.
The noble retracted the harken, and by doing so piercing the back of Lelouch's Prytwen's arm.
His intention was clear, yank off the shield.
It became a tug of war, with both devicers attempting to exert their force.
As Reuben Ashford once said, the Knightmare Frame is meant to be an extension of the devicer's body. And Gino was much stronger than Lelouch.
Should the cadets were using Glasgows, the shield would be yanked by Gino. In the case of the Prytwen, its entire arm was ripped off.
From that point onwards, Lelouch had no chance of winning.
He refused to give up, but soon enough Gino's sword was pointed to the frame's cockpit and the blonde noble was called the victor.
Being defeated was never easy. Even more so for Lelouch, who rarely tasted defeat. Despite all the effort the prince put into improving his skills, he ultimately still came short.
He managed to land a few hits, and if Odysseus was to be believed, he was the one who came closer to dethroning Gino. Still, it wasn't enough.
Being fair, and if rumors were to be believed, Gino had already been practicing ever since he was ten, being mentored by the best tutors his family money could afford.
However, that wasn't enough for Lelouch to justify his defeat. He considered calling Jeremiah once again but opted out of it, this was the time for him to analyze his own mistakes and plan, on his own.
The sentient thing to do would be to re-watch the videos of the joust to see where he could improve, but knowing himself, the prince knew if he did that right away, he'd be just stewing onto his own mistakes.
He made his way out of his dorm and into the simulator bay. Just like the last year, the eleventh prince opted out of his vacation in order to get even more practice. The main reason was to get even more practice, yes, he may have been defeated but he still had two years to defeat Gino. But as much as he'd like to deny, he wanted to avoid both Schneizel and Cornelia.
His talks with the prime minister had been enlightening, to say the least; however, he knew his brother wouldn't do anything for him without asking for something in exchange. The second prince himself revealed what he was looking for: an alliance.
Chess was simpler, Lelouch decided with a sigh. In chess, one could see the entire board and adjust accordingly. In life, Lelouch was a pawn, maybe a knight, marching without knowing what was around him.
Cornelia was that constant headache he had ever since Jeremiah told him what he knew. Everything would point that Cornelia wouldn't ever think of betraying his mother, despite Jeremiah's claims, the ends simply didn't match up.
The prince formulated several theories, that ranged from Cornelia putting up a façade for the entire world to his half-sister simply being a pawn. The latter was the most likely because as brilliant as Cornelia was on the battlefield, she had a glaring weakness outside of it: Euphemia.
Lelouch would dare say that Cornelia may be the most vulnerable member of the Imperial Family because of it. He had a sister himself but did an arguably better job of both concealing Nunally, and her importance to him than Cornelia did with Euphemia. In fact, even Clovis concealed things better, and that was surprising just to say the least.
If to protect Euphemia, Lelouch could even see his sister murdering the emperor. That could justify some things but would raise a whole another array of questions. After all who would blackmail a princess of Britannia, a princess with the highest military rank for that matter? And if that was the case why Cornelia didn't seem to do anything to exact a sort of revenge for that?
Knowing that those thoughts could cause him to lose focus, the prince concentrated on the task in hand, entering the empty bay.
Or so he thought.
"Hey, Lelouch." His sister Marrybell chirped from one of the simulators.
"What are you doing here?"
"We had the same idea as you." Oldrin Zevon, his sister's best friend added. "Improve our skills."
Before Lelouch could retort, Marrybell spoke once again. "Now, you're going to brood or join us for training?"
"We must stop meeting like this." Lelouch said as he entered his room and noticed Schneizel once again longing at his chair.
"Well, you could've gone back to Pendragon." The prime minister quipped back.
"I need to improve." The younger sibling replied curtly.
"I'm not an enthusiast of Knightmare Frames, but I don't think your defeat was ugly."
"All defeats are ugly."
"Still, you were missed in Pendragon."
Lelouch doubted Schneizel's words but nodded. "Send them my regards when possible."
"I'll do so, but now let's cover something important. What are your plans for the future?"
The eleventh prince frowned. "How far in the future are we speaking of?"
"Five years."
"I'll graduate in two years, so in five years I'll probably already be in command of a battalion, maybe I'll already have a promotion lined up by then."
Schneizel nodded. "Well, I came to present you with an opportunity."
"I'm listening."
"What if you could cut this in half?"
"How is that possible?"
"We're royalty, things are easier for us. How do you think I became the prime minister so fast; how do you think Cornelia ascended the ranks of the military that quickly?"
"I believe it's called the Royal Privilege."
The Royal Privilege was the name of the right given to direct descendants of the emperor. This right could be described as a stepping stone of sorts. A Royal Privilege could be used in the military to get a specific assignment or even command of a special unit; Marrybell for that instance intends to use her privilege to create an Antiterrorist Unit. Clovis used it to be appointed as Viceroy, although people were surprised by the fact that he was granted Area 11. That privilege also served as a workaround for the legendary Britannian bureaucracy. Of course, that had to be approved by the emperor, but vetoes were extremely rare.
"Yes, you're indeed correct, take a look at this." The prime minister said, offering some files to Lelouch.
The younger sibling's eyebrows were raised as he glanced at the seal on those documents. They had the seal of military and definitively should be classified, yet they were not.
The first paper displayed information about Cornelia, during her academy years. Everything was there from grades to personal observations made by her instructors.
The next file was of a similar style but featured Marrybell.
The final file had his name.
"Take a look, and compare." Schneizel said.
Lelouch put the three files on the table and started to skim through them. Marrybell was good, but still not on the same level as Cornelia. The prince himself, however….
"I'm better than Cornelia?" the prince asked in surprise. There was a reason Cornelia was dubbed as the 'Goddess of Victory' after all.
"You are. At least you're better than sixteen-year-old Cornelia." Schneizel confirmed.
"But why you are showing me this?"
"To make a point. Look at your grades and what the instructors say of you. Lelouch, you clearly outgrew the Academy."
Lelouch mulled over Schneizel's words silently.
"I can make a suggestion to the military command, get you to graduate a year early."
"Does that one year make that much difference? I feel like I still have some things to prove here."
"Take a look at that." The prime minister said, offering Lelouch yet another file.
This one was different from the rest, rather than personal information, it was the report of a Military Base: Fort Devens, Massachusetts.
"I believe whatever happened to your mother after her funeral was covered by the military. Fort Devens happens to be the nearest base from where I delivered her body. The commanding officer in charge of the area will be retiring next year…."
"So, you're suggesting I use my privilege to be assigned there."
"This is one of the reasons, the other is that war is coming."
Lelouch nodded in understanding. "How long before things explode?"
"It depends, we have reason to believe that the EU and the Chinese Federation have a defensive pact against us. I'm doing my best to prevent us from entering a war against the two of them at the same time."
"How likely is that?"
"Their alliance is not solid by any means, the Chinese Eunuchs can easily be bribed to betray the EU, whilst the European politicians always have to account the weight of the public opinion. War will happen, one way or another, my goal is to ensure that we don't end up facing two other superpowers."
"So, which one you will target?" the eleventh prince asked in curiosity.
"Europia. They may lack the manpower the Chinese Federation has, but they more than compensate that with higher technology, better-trained military and their newly found Sakuradite reserves in Africa."
"But why not the Chinese Federation? As you said their manpower reserves may be bigger than Britannia and Europia combined."
"The Chinese manpower does not compensate the inefficiency of their government nor their research. As much as hardcore Social Darwinists would deny, both Europia and the Chinese are closing down on our military technology, the difference is at the pace they will achieve that."
"An early war with Europia will mean we still have the technological advantage. However, I fear if we face the Chinese Federation first, we will be facing the stronger foe with drained manpower, whilst giving the EU time to prepare." Schneizel explained
"Why don't focus on integrating the high population territories, such as mainland China and India, and hold the invasion for a decade or two?"
"Because the emperor demands otherwise."
"I see, you think he may overrule your decision?"
"I'm hoping not, but we can't know for sure what goes through the emperor's head. In the best of worlds, you graduate early, take command of Fort Devens, find more about your mother's murder and when a war starts, you'll have the chance to prove yourself. That's all we can hope for."
The younger prince nodded grimly. "And in the worse scenario?"
"No one knows."
It didn't take a rocket scientist to see something was wrong with Gino Weinberg when he came back to the academy. The noble was transparent to a fault, and when he changed the carefree smiles to a frown that matched Lelouch's people knew something bad happened.
Still, the eleventh prince did not care. If one cared for the rest of the world's problems, he wouldn't be able to anything to solve his own problems. It may sound selfish, it probably was, but once again: Lelouch had bigger things to deal with.
Still, when heard sobbing coming from one of the changing room stalls, mixed with the smell of alcohol, he decided to help out.
He knocked twice on the door. "Want to talk?"
"Fuck you, Lelouch." Was the answer.
The eleventh prince chuckled. He did try to be nice. Plan B it was then. "Well, then back to drinking you go."
"Eat shit."
"Keep drinking like that and sobbing and you will be the one eating it."
Seeing he got no response from the noble, he decided to impersonate the biggest asshole he ever met: his own father.
"Know what? Fuck you, Gino, you're weak. Britannia doesn't need you. People talk about how good you are piloting a KMF but right now you're no better than a mere number."
Anyone who knew the least of Lelouch would know his words were lies the moment they left his lips. However, Gino did not know that.
Likewise, Lelouch did that to get something out of Gino, a curse, a shout, everything. What the eleventh prince did not know at the time was that this was exactly the one thing he should not have said.
The eleventh prince heard a yell, and then the stall's door went flying at him. Too surprised to do anything, he was knocked down by the plastic frame, and only due to his improved reflexes, and Gino's drunkenness, Lelouch managed to dodge the ax kick aimed at his downed form.
At that point, the prince realized that, despite being drunk, Gino was still a better fighter than him. So, he fought dirty, sweeping Gino's leg, causing the noble to stumble. Quickly capitalizing on the downed opponent, Lelouch threw the same door at him.
Hearing the blonde's grunt of pain, the prince touched the side of his forehead, feeling the wetness of his own blood seeping through his face.
He heard a yell, and only barely managed to dodge the same door, but was unable to evade Gino's tackle, which sent him crashing at the mirrors.
Being pinned down, he truly saw suffering in Gino's bloodshot eyes. Whatever happened to him, Lelouch decided was definitively serious.
The prince attempted to disengage, but Gino forced him back at the wall and punched him in the face. Knowing he was trapped, the prince opted for less honorable tactics.
First, he delivered a knee strike between Gino's legs. The resounding yell of pain made Lelouch himself wince. Still, the prince was not finished, delivering a headbutt straight at the noble's chest, effectively knocking Gino out.
The prince held his head in pain, before glancing around. The stall door, bloodied laid down into one corner, mirror splinters were scattered through the room. Lelouch himself felt some of the shards at his back, besides the cut on his forehead and the swelling on his cheek. Gino still was out.
The prince turned to leave, but was stopped by a pained groan.
He turned to see Gino getting up, albeit groggily.
"How the hell are you still up?" the raven-haired teenager managed to blurt out.
"You hit like a girl." Was Gino's answer.
"Yeah? You fight like one." Lelouch retorted.
The blonde teenager attempted to get into a fighting stance, but clearly was having trouble with it.
"I'm curious though." the eleventh prince said, eyeing Gino warily. "What happened that caused the great Gino Weinberg to lose his cool."
"You just kneeled me in the balls, why would I tell you?"
Lelouch kept quiet for a second. "Look, Gino, I don't know you. Clearly, there's something that's bothering you, if you weren't unable to speak this with your friends or family maybe you can speak with me. I'm not a friend, nor family, so I have no reason to sugarcoat things."
Gino frowned. "You wouldn't understand."
"As much as I don't know you, you don't know me. Try me. If things don't work out, we go back to exchanging punches."
The blonde sighed. "It's about love. Lelouch, do you love someone?"
The prince nodded, flashes of pink and a gentle smile coming into his mind.
"Really?"
Lelouch frowned. "Is this that hard to believe?"
"Yes."
The cadet sighed. "I'm human too. I have feelings, I just happen to be good at concealing them."
Gino, despite his apparent drunkenness, did not falter in his speech. "And this love of yours? It is impossible, forbidden?"
The eleventh prince was pensive for a few moments. "I'd say it's difficult, as all good things are. But not impossible."
The blonde nodded. "Well, mine is impossible."
Lelouch was silent for a few seconds. "Well, sometimes you may not be able to marry the person you love, but love him anyway."
"Him!? I'm not gay."
"But you said impossible love…" the prince justified uncomfortably.
"Yes, impossible as in she's not a 'proper noble Britannian' as my father would say."
"Oh…" the raven-haired teenager replied awkwardly.
"Not that I have something against them…" Gino continued, just as awkwardly.
Deciding to go for a more positive approach, and cut the awkwardness, Lelouch spoke out. "People said the same about my mother, but in the end, she married the Emperor anyway." That was one part of the story, as Lelouch decided it would be insensitive to say that in the end Marianne was murdered and his father didn't seem to do anything about it.
"Well, your grandfather didn't beat the girl up and threw her into the streets."
The prince sighed. "Tell your story, from the beginning."
"My family was historically a progressive one, my ancestor Andreas Weinberg protected Empress Claire li Britannia during the First Civil War, and was granted the Duchy of Sinaloa, in the newly integrated Area 0, as recognition for his services. Due to that, my family had a certain degree of tolerance towards non-Britannians, openly employing them. Or so I've been told."
Lelouch openly frowned at that. "Most nobles, myself included, often have this image of the Weinberg family."
"It was the truth, until my father. Despite carrying himself as a progressive, he is extremely conservative and supports the hardcore social Darwinist agenda. When I fell in love with my family's Eleven…no…Japanese…maid I started to find out the hidden truth. It turns out that they employed numbers simply because they were cheaper. Still, it didn't matter to me, I had her. Until father found out."
Gino's voice was hoarse at this point.
"If you don't want to go in details, I won't press." Lelouch said reassuringly.
Gino nodded. "Thanks, Lelouch. What do you think?"
"Well, it's difficult, but I'd not call this impossible."
"How!?"
"I have an idea, but first I must ask, what happened to the girl?"
"I don't know." The blonde said, pain clear in his voice. "Father had my brothers beat her up while I watched, after that, they threw her in the streets and said that she would never be able to find work in the mainland again. So, if I were to guess, I'd say she went back to Area 11."
The prince nodded. "I have some people who can help, but before doing that, we must take care of something else."
"What?"
Lelouch pointed to the mess made of the changing room. "Go fetch a broom, I'll get a first aid kit."
Breakfast at the academy's cafeteria was usually a quiet affair. Alexandrine Academy was a military academy after all. However, when top cadet Lelouch vi Britannia appeared, with a cut on the side of his forehead and a bruising on the left side of his cheeks, whispers arose. Some were conspiratorial, others were worried. The fact the prince opted to take the most isolated seat didn't help either.
Still, things calmed down. Apparently. But then Gino Weinberg, another top cadet appeared, spotting a black eye and a few bruises, people connected the dots fairly quickly, and the whispers couldn't be called whispers anymore.
But then, something impossible happened. Lelouch got up, walked to Gino, and then embraced the noble in one of the former's one-armed hugs. The duo sat at the isolated table and talked like nothing happened at all.
"I thought your sister would hit me." Gino blurted out, still unsure of how to proceed.
The prince chuckled. "That would be an amusing sight."
"For you, I don't feel like getting hit by a member of the Imperial Family for the second day in a row."
Lelouch nodded. "I can find the girl for you." He spoke, adopting a more serious tone. "But I can't guarantee her safety, at least not here in the homeland."
Gino sighed. "So, it seems we will still be apart."
"I'm afraid that it seems like this. I don't know your father as much as you do, but if he has the minimum amount of power, he can make life truly difficult for your lover."
The blonde nodded. "At this point, nothing he does surprises me."
"That being said, I can still help her."
Gino leaned forward. "How?"
"I have some contacts at Area 11, I can find her, hopefully even get her an honorary citizenship under a fake name."
"You would do that?"
"Yes."
"Why? I'm not blind, I know you dislike me, although I don't know why." The blonde admitted.
Lelouch sighed. "I swear it's nothing personal, if anything I'd say I view you as a rival. When piloting Knightmare Frames you have a skill I'd only dream of, and because of that I tend to get competitive."
"But you're great too, I may be better but…"
"For me, great is not enough." Was the prince's rebuttal. "As for your other question, I do feel sympathy for both you and the girl. When the Second Pacific War broke out, I was saved by a Japanese. I did thank him for that, but I still feel this was not enough…it will never be. But, if I can help another Japanese in need, I know I'll be repaying my debt, even if it's just a little bit of it."
Gino nodded in understanding. "I may not know your friend, but I know for sure he'd be proud of what you became today."
The prince closed his eyes. "I can only hope so."
"What the hell happened to you?" was the first thing Lelouch heard from Milly as soon as her image appeared across the screen.
"Got into a fight." Lelouch replied curtly. "Would appreciate if you don't mention this to Nunally though, I'm afraid she would worry."
"As she should."
"Hey, I won."
"You? Winning a fight?" the blonde asked in surprise. "I find this hard to believe."
"I did." There was a bit of anger in Lelouch's voice. Both Marrybell, Oldrin, and Jeremiah had the same reaction when he spoke of the fight. Why it was so hard to believe he won a fistfight?
"Still, I barely heard from you in the last four years." Her voice became softer "I missed you."
The raven-haired prince nodded. "Sacrifices were to be made; I promise I'll attempt to visit when possible."
"And when that will be?" Milly pressed on. "It may not look like when you speak with her through the phone, but Nunally misses you a lot more than she lets on."
The prince closed his eyes to prevent a tear from escaping his eyes. "Soon, I promise."
Milly appeared to be satisfied by this. "You know I only do this because…"
"I know." Lelouch cut her off. "Someone needs to tell me the ugly truth."
"Now, why you called?" the blonde inquired
"I can't tell the whole story, it's not even mine to tell."
"You must give me something to work with."
"Okay, there's a Japanese girl who recently returned to Japan, I have an interest in protecting her."
"Why? A lover?" Milly cut off.
Lelouch blushed by his blonde friend's implications. "Nothing of the sorts. She is someone important to a…. friend of mine."
"Go on." The Ashford girls apparently enjoyed seeing Lelouch stumble upon words.
"Still, as you know, life as Eleven in the ghettos is not the definition of safe by any means. I contacted my inside man and he is arranging a honorary citizenship for this girl. But I still feel like an isolated honorary Britannian will stand out, so I'd like to have her enrolled at Ashford Academy, with her expenses paid by me, obviously."
Milly nodded. "It seems you already decided then."
Lelouch shook his head. "It is my plan, but I'd like to hear from your first. What do you think?"
"Well, I agree that this is definitively safer than living at the ghettos, but an Honorary Britannian still receives lots of hate nonetheless."
"You think she would get harassed?"
"It is sadly a possibility, yes." Milly admitted, only to perk up. "But I can help. I'm quite popular, and I genuinely would like to befriend this girl, so your plan can work out."
The eleventh prince was pensive. "You promise to contact me should something goes awry?"
"Yes." Was the blonde's reassurance. "This girl clearly means something to your friend, so I won't mess around."
"Okay, thanks, Milly. Oh, and tell your grandfather I'll contact him soon."
"Oh? Why?" the gossip queen side of the heiress came out quite strongly.
Lelouch smirked. "Can't tell." With a click, the connection ended.
On the other side of the world, Milly was left fuming. "That jerk, teasing people like that. Still, the military did good for him, I can't even see his bones anymore."
It's settled."
Gino turned to see Lelouch, leaning upon one of the walls of the gym. The duo, afraid of any leak-outs, opted to keep their project secret. Two of the most skilled cadets in Britannia working together would certainly draw all sorts of unwanted attention.
"Rather than keeping her Japanese name, we gave her a Britannian alias: Elizabeth Zane."
Gino nodded. "You spoke with her?"
Lelouch shook his head. "No, everything was made by my knight. Since I don't want any leak-outs, including from her, I had her believe that I was simply a nameless philanthropist who happened to have a soft spot for non-Britannians."
"So, she has no idea that we are behind this?" the blonde inquired
The prince shook his head. "I needed to protect my identity, you now have her name, as well as her address, should you desire, you can contact her, although I'd prefer you don't reveal my name."
Gino replied negatively. "No, I still can't face her. Too afraid of what would happen."
"I can relate." Lelouch said curtly. "It ultimately falls upon you, the girl is safe, and I even managed to get her a backstory and enroll her in a private school. She will be fine from now on."
Gino surprised Lelouch, kneeling. "You helped me when even my family turned their backs. For that I am indebted."
"Quit with the formal stuff and get up." The prince said dismissively. "As for your debt, I'm calling it right now."
Gino got up and eyed the prince expectantly.
"We will duel again by the end of the year. When we do, I want you at your best. Come at me like you want to kill me."
"But why?"
Lelouch glanced at Gino's eyes. "What I'm telling you is a secret, you understand?"
He nodded.
"This will be my last year at the academy. Due to my grades and some words from the higher-ups I earned the right to graduate a year early. So, this will also be both my last chance of defeating you and my last friendly combat."
Gino was silent, before steeling his gaze. "I won't lose."
The prince just smirked. "Good, because I don't intend on losing either."
The fourth, and to Lelouch final, year of academy gave the cadets their first glimpse at the fifth generation of Knightmares. Unlike the fourth generation, which only featured the Glasgow, this new era featured different frames.
The Sutherland would be the 'true' successor of the Glasgow, being intended to be mass-produced and quickly replace the Glasgow. It had a better-developed cockpit, increased mobility and efficiency compared to its predecessor. Still, pretty much like the Glasgow, the Sutherland would fit into the 'jack-of-all master-of-none' category.
Its use would still be preferred over the Liverpool, the first true specialized unit. Still, its specialization came at the cost of its mobility and the loss of its slash harkens, making it ineffective at close combat. The only place a Liverpool could be efficiently deployed would be a siege, and even so only in some situations.
The brightest Knightmare of the fifth generation would definitively be the Gloucester. It was better, faster, and more durable than the Sutherland. The elite frame also could easily be customized, making it the best choice for elite pilots, although its higher cost of production would limit its use somehow.
The Portman, whilst formally part of the fourth generation could be considered the halfway point between the two, as it featured increased efficiency, that was overshadowed by his specialization. Ever since the Second Pacific War, land warfare had been favored over naval warfare. Obviously, an amphibian unit would have trouble finding its niche.
The training was focused on the Sutherland for the before mentioned reasons.
Ever since their introduction, Lelouch began to spend even more time at the simulator's bay. This would be his final chance to prepare before he faced real war, and since those frames introduced new equipment such as Chaos Mines, the IFF, and the Stun Tonfas, he had plenty of things to get used to.
He planned yet another lonely night at the bay but was surprised by Oldrin Zevon of all people, who pretty much yanked him off his seat.
"What the hell?" the prince asked in surprise.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" the blonde demanded.
Lelouch's confused expression gave out that the prince genuinely had no idea of what he did wrong.
"You don't even remember?" Oldrin asked. "At this point, I don't even know what she sees on you."
"Remember what?"
"Marrybell's birthday."
Lelouch frowned. "April 21st, it's next week."
Oldrin facepalmed. "People call you a genius yet you can't read a calendar."
"I don't use calendars; I remember the dates from my mind."
"Then go look for a doctor, your mind clearly is lacking."
"What do you mean?" the prince was puzzled by the noble's behavior.
"What day is today?"
"April 17th of 2015, Ascension Throne Britannia."
"Are you serious?" the blonde asked.
The puzzled expression on Lelouch's face changed into one of worry. "Oldrin, what day is it?"
"April 22nd."
Lelouch was silent for some moments. "I messed up pretty badly." He managed to sum up, earning a snort from Oldrin.
"I don't know why Marrybell likes you so much, you're clearly lacking."
Too tired, Lelouch could only nod. "How did she take it?"
"She pretends that she doesn't care, but she does. Even so, she keeps defending you, saying that you have bigger things to worry about."
"I truly don't deserve Marrybell." The prince admitted
"With that, I agree."
"What time is it?" the prince asked
"A little bit past eleven."
"You think I should go apologize now or it's too late?"
"I'd go tomorrow, a male cadet barging into the female dorms would only cause rumors to arise." Was Oldrin's suggestion.
"You truly care for her, don't you?" the eleventh prince had to commend Oldrin's loyalty to his sister. Not everybody would yell at a prince.
"More than you would even imagine."
"I'm glad. Marrybell and I are similar in several ways, but she lost even more than I did. I wonder what would have happened if I didn't come back from Area 11."
The golden-haired teenager shook her head. "I wouldn't want to find out, you may be a jerk, but even I can say you genuinely care about Marrybell's wellbeing. Not as much as she cares about you, though."
"I know that. I saw myself from the past in her, she wanted to confront the emperor, just like I did. War can change one's perspective in life, I was lucky to survive." Lelouch admitted
Oldrin nodded. "You are not as hard-headed as I was led to believe."
"I'm the guy who forgot his sister's birthday, I'm wrong here. Conviction in sticking with the wrong stance can't be called that. It's just foolishness."
The female nodded. "I word of advice, take some time to rest. I know you're almost obsessed with defeating Gino, but this clearly is harming you."
"I have to do it."
"Why?"
The prince sighed. "I'll be telling this to Marrybell tomorrow, but I'd appreciate if you don't go spreading the word around." The prince's violet irises glanced at the female. "The truth is that this will be my last year here…next year I'll either be deployed to an Area or in command of a regiment, so I want to be ready."
"As you should, but with moderation. Take some time to enjoy things."
Lelouch was pensive. "You may be right."
The duo settled for a comfortable silence. "Oldrin, can I ask you for a favor?"
The female frowned. "What kind of favor?"
"Take care of Marrybell. For this remaining year and when she graduates. I assume you're going to join her in her project."
"I will." The noble confirmed.
Lelouch smiled. "Good."
"We are more alike than different." Oldrin noted. For those who weren't familiar with the prince, Lelouch would probably be seen as both arrogant and indifferent at times. But deep down inside the prince was just someone with too much of a weight placed atop his shoulders.
"We both care for Marrybell." He noted
The blonde shook her head. "Not just that, our histories are the same."
"How?"
"My mother was a Knight of the Round too, and she also was murdered."
This caused the prince to raise an eyebrow. He wouldn't call his relationship with Oldrin a friendship per se, the two of them just happened to be common friends with Marrybell, hence why he was genuinely curious by that. "Really?"
The girl nodded but kept silent, this was still a bit of a sore subject for her.
"I won't pry for details, but if you want to talk, I'll listen."
Oldrin nodded. "The Zevon family has a particularity, our titles are passed by the matrilineal line. This means that females are set to inherit before males, this alone was enough to make the family stick out like a sore thumb."
Lelouch nodded. "I can see why, since females inherit first if a Lady of your house married another noble her son would inherit her father's title whilst the daughter would keep hers. Since apparently ninety-five percent of our nobles are greedy to a fault, I can definitively see internal disputes arising because of that."
Oldrin nodded. "My mother was skilled, one doesn't' make to the Knights of the Round with status alone, but she also trusted the wrong people."
"So, are you like me or like Marrybell?"
Oldrin frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Both me and Marrybell had our mothers assassinated. Marrybell, as tough as she sounds on the outside is caring, she just wants to make sure things like that don't happen to anybody else. On the other hand, I want revenge. Someone killed my mother, made my sister both blind and confined to a wheelchair, and sent us to die in Japan. I will find out who, it's not a wish, it's a promise."
The girl was pensive. "I can see why you want to avenge your mother, but I agree with Marrybell. Blindly craving for retribution can lower yourself to the same level as they."
The prince nodded. "I'm glad my sister has you by her side."
The nearing end of the year brought conflicting emotions to Marrybell mel Britannia. On one hand, she was happy, after this, she will be just a year away from graduation, which meant that she would also be a year closer to her dream: ending terrorism.
On the other hand, her brother would be graduating this year, and whilst she was happy for Lelouch, Marrybell also felt a pang of sadness with the idea of getting separated from him.
The talk with Oldrin at the shooting range made the girl feel conflicted on many levels. There was no way to sugarcoat it: her love for Lelouch was a bit more than sisterly. The prince quickly became an integral part of her life. When everyone but Oldrin turned their backs on her, Lelouch was there the light on her darkness.
Still, her feelings were complicated. Lelouch loved Euphemia, he admitted so himself. Euphemia told her the same. She felt like an intruder, but she deserved happiness too.
Tink
The princess frowned, turning to sound's source: the window of her dorm room.
It was late in the night, but she could see Lelouch on the floor.
"Lelouch?"
"Come down, dress casually." Her brother said mysteriously.
Lelouch himself was wearing civilian clothes, a long-sleeved black shirt, and grey pants.
"Why?"
"It's my birthday gift for you."
That was a recurring discussion, for the last few weeks, Lelouch had been apologizing for forgetting her birthday.
She already forgave him long ago, but apparently, the prince was still unsure of it.
Marrybell smiled. "Okay, give me a few minutes."
The princess came down after some time, wearing a pink dress, covered by a white jacket.
"Where are we going?" the princess asked, climbing down from the balcony of her room
"Dinner." Lelouch explained.
The establishment of the Alexandrine Academy breathed new life into the city, a luxury most of the ailing cities on the eastern coast didn't have. As a result of that, the grounds around the academy complex soon became the most expensive area of the city.
It was there that career officers and some of the nobles of the area built mansions with vast yards and with a modern style.
However, Alexandria still had its famed historical complex along the city's shoreline. The duo opted to walk, both to avoid detection as they were breaking the academy's curfew and also because the walk was a short one.
The historical district featured both the famed brick houses, with a style that reminisced the colonial era and the view of the Potomac River, making the area a premier tourist attraction.
Alexandria offered a contrast as it featured both the blue-collar workers who were highly prejudiced by the lack of attention displayed by the government ever since the capital was moved to Pendragon and the high-earning officers from the academy.
Still the Historical Quarter managed to conciliate between the two different social classes when it came to entertainment. Officers and alumni from the Academy would spend their free weekends on lounges, clubs, and restaurants; whilst the commoners would visit pubs, parks, and small dinners.
It was to one of those small, family-owned dinners that Lelouch took Marrybell. At her sister's questioning gaze, the prince explained. "If we went to one of the most expensive places people would recognize us."
The princess nodded in understanding as they were shown to their table. Since it was a Tuesday night, the dinner was empty.
"This is nice." Marrybell decided. The place was homely, but its lack of luxury was clearly compensated by the comfy atmosphere.
Lelouch smiled. "I'm glad you liked it." He then glanced to the waiter who approached their table, carrying a tray of food, the lid opened to reveal a dish of pasta primavera, which happened to be Marrybell's favorite.
Seeing the shocked expression on her face Lelouch chuckled. "Oldrin may have helped me decide."
"Thanks." The princess replied heartfeltly.
"Don't thank me just yet, I still have to give you your present."
"There's no need…." Marrybell attempted to protest but to no avail, as Lelouch already had a package on his hands.
"I had a hard time finding something you'd like; I'm hoping this is one of the cases the gesture happens to mean more than the gift itself." The eleventh prince admitted
Marrybell unwrapped the package to reveal an ornate pistol with red, pink, and gold details.
"I had it made for you as I figured you'd prefer something more practical than a dress or a necklace. It's made with a special carbon polymer, making it more resistant and lighter than a regulation pistol. I truly hope you won't have to use it, but if you do it will serve you well. As I said, I don't have that much experience buying gifts so I truly hope you liked it."
Marrybell smiled. "It's perfect."
For the next couple of hours, the duo then forgot their nobility status, as well as their life at the military academy, and just enjoyed the moments remaining. There was a special feeling in the air as this was probably their last chance to spend some time together, as their paths would diverge.
Lelouch was keen for a traditional career in the military whilst Marrybell's antiterrorism unit would fall more into the range of a special operations unit which would mostly take care of internal affairs.
It was an exhilarating experience for Marrybell. This outing not only was the most fun she had in a good while but also was causing her to delve deeper into her feelings for her brother. Lelouch probably didn't even realize it, but the hangout had some of the elements of a date, such as the dinner in the candlelight and the subsequent walk along the river.
When the duo reached the entrance to the girls' dorms, Marrybell's mind was in a state of conflict.
"Marrybell, once again, I apologize for forgetting your birthday." Lelouch said. "You have been nothing but the best for me, and there were no excuses for my mistake."
His tone was truly regretful, which caused Marrybell to frown. "I already said that I forgave you, but let's make it official. I Marrybell mel Britannia hereby forgive Lelouch vi Britannia for the heinous crime of forgetting my birthday. Happy Your Highness?" the princess joked.
The prince took it in stride, kneeling by the floor and kissing her hand. "Your Highness is so merciful, I'm grateful."
Marrybell frowned at that, deciding to stop joking. "If anyone was to be thankful, that would be me."
Her eyes locked at Lelouch's. "You were there for me when no one else was. When I was about to make the worst decision of my life you saved me."
"Marrybell, I…."
"No. Let me continue. You, more than any of our other siblings had no reason to help me, you already had too much on your plate, but you still did. Some of the other nobles and even some of our siblings may call you the Black Prince but for me… you were my guiding light. So, thank you, Lelouch. For everything."
By the end, Marrybell was teary-eyed, and Lelouch itself had to control himself.
When he came back, he foolishly believed it was him against the world to protect Nunally. Now he could see it was more than black and white, he could see the nuances of grey, and those he genuinely grew to care for: Euphemia, Gino, Jeremiah, Milly, Schneizel, Suzaku, Marrybell.
Their teary embrace brought a clearness to Marrybell's doubt.
She leaned forward and captured Lelouch's lips in a chaste kiss.
It may not have taken longer than a few seconds, but Marrybell was sure this one impulsive act would change her life forever.
She disengaged from the kiss, feeling her cheeks redden, and found herself lightheaded. She looked up to see confusion in her brother's face.
"Lelouch….I know you and Euphie….but…please….think….us…." she managed to utter out, before climbing back into her room, without glancing back.
In the ground the prince touched his lips, unsure of how to feel.
The exhibition match day finally arrived, and the eleventh prince found himself sitting quietly in his locker room.
A few moments ago, he received both Oldrin and Marrybell, who wished him good luck. Whilst far from being a superstitious person, the prince had a feeling that luck would play a part today.
The appeal of a match between the son of the late Empress Marianne and the most talented pilot at Britannia, featuring the newly minted Sutherland caused a lot of uproar to this joust, the arena was sold out as this became a premier event for Knightmare enthusiasts.
In fact, unlike last year, where only Odysseus made his way, several of his siblings were attending. He knew he would have a few uncomfortable reunions by the end of the day.
Still, this was just one of the thoughts whirling through his mind. This was his last chance to leave the academy at a high note, at a higher note. Britannia is the land of Knightmares, so as clever and brilliant as he was in all other subjects, Lelouch knew all of his reputations would come out of this. If he won, he'd hailed as a hero, if he lost…yet another failure.
"You remind me of your mother."
The prince turned to see the enormous figure of the Knight of One.
"Lord Bismarck?" the prince asked in surprise.
"The Knight of One is always by the emperor's side…" The thought in alarm.
Probably seeing the awareness in the prince's posture, the Knight of One spoke. "The emperor is here but he plans to speak with you after the joust."
Lelouch frowned. "Not to sound uncourteous, but why are you here?"
"You may not remember but I was friends with your mother. I was simply curious to see how her son turned out to be." The Lord explained.
Lelouch nodded. "So?"
"You inherited more of your father."
Lelouch frowned in an attempt to not show his displeasure.
"However, you also have some of her mannerisms." Bismarck noted. "You were clenching your right fist whilst tapping your left foot, Marianne was like that too."
This caused the prince to raise an eyebrow. "Really?"
Bismarck nodded. "Marianne was a strange one, only saw her do this twice. The day she married your father and shortly before she went in labor."
"Which one?"
"Yours."
The prince nodded. Talking about his mother was still something new to him. Talking about her with Nunally would only cause his sister to cry. Jeremiah, despite his loyalty, was still unfamiliar to him in several ways. The prince was avoiding Cornelia ever since Jeremiah spoke about the night before the attack. And hell would freeze over before he would have a civil conversation with the Emperor.
The giant of a man turned to him. "We can speak of your mother later, right now you have a joust to win."
Memories of his mother strengthened him. "I will."
I will attempt to be brief. Writing almost 13K words was taxing for me, reading it probably was taxing for you. The original sketch would feature both the final fight between Gino and Lelouch and the talk with Charles.
Whilst happy about the work I did overall, I feel like some self-criticism is warranted. I'm the first to admit the scene featuring the KMF Joust was probably the worst in this chapter. I have little experience writing those fight scenes, and even less when it comes to scenes featuring giant robots. It's something to work on, but even if I don't improve as much as I want I feel it will ultimately be irrelevant as my writing style focuses more on the macro, strategic planning than the individual, one on one fights. That being said I still want to improve, so advice regarding that particular area would certainly be welcomed.
Another scene I found myself having trouble with was Marrybell's talk with Oldrin, admittedly it came out as a little raw, although I did my best to soften it up. It turns out I'm not as well-versed in writing romance as I wanted, and I feel it distuned a bit from the rest of the chapter. Hopefully, this is just me being overly perfectionist, but if not I'm always open to suggestions and advice.
That being said, I'm afraid I'll need my reader's help with Gino. At first, I planned on making him just a rival that Lelouch needed to defeat before graduating. His backstory from the light novels made me see him in a new light and made writing him both fun and challenging. However, I'm still uncertain of what to do with the Japanese maid. Not much of her was said canonically, and as a fanfiction writer, I feel some creative freedom is afforded to make decisions. My original plan was to 'merge' the maid's identity to one of the girls in the Ikaruga. This would both provide new insight into Japan, and make the dynamics of the Ashford Academy more interesting, whilst also making Gino's story a bit more concrete and developed with a love interest of his own. However, since this is a big decision and the reviews have been nothing short of insightful I'd like to hear your opinion on the reviews.
For those wondering, the next chapter will be called South of Ecuador.
As I always point out, reviews are more than welcome, and will probably speed up my work.