AN: So, I've been disillusioned with Code Geass as a whole for about a year, but then I was struck with a mood. Then I came across this old prompt, and it was literally too good to pass over. So I present to you, the Modern Royalty AU that literally nobody asked for.

I don't own Code Geass.

They're in his bedroom when it happens.

She's playing with his hair. And because Suzaku is too much of a gentleman to tell her to stop, she's on the verge of trimming his bangs, but then his phone rings and he says something about it being mandatory that he answers, even though C.C. knows he's thanking his lucky stars for the distraction.

She tunes out his conversation and is in the middle of wondering what he'd look like with long hair when she hears a screech from below. She quirks an eyebrow.

"Suzaku," C.C. calls, lowering her gaze to where he sits on the floor. Catching sight of his anguished expression, she tapers her eyes in confusion.

"What is it?" she asks, attempting to determine whether or not she should be concerned given the brown-haired man's tendency to overreact.

"It's-it's Ohgi," he chokes out, and an alarm sounds off in her head at the mention of the Prime Minister.

"What about him?" C.C. inquires with a frown. It's then that Suzaku turns to face her.

"See for yourself," he says grimly before shoving his phone in her face.

"What—?" she stops mid-sentence as she takes in the headline of the article pulled up on the screen.

Prime Minister Kaname Ohgi Engaged to Britannian Noblewoman, Villetta Nu.

Time stands still as C.C. narrows in on the most important factor of the headline.

Engaged to Britannian Noblewoman.

She blinks.

Britannian.

"You're sure this is true?"

"Almost every news source in Japan is talking about it." Suzaku runs a hand through his hair, jaw clenched. "And Kaguya confirmed its validity over the phone. But since when was Ohgi in a relationship?"

"And with a Britannian at that," C.C. says, voicing his inevitable train of thought as she falls backward onto the bed. "Tell me again how this flew under our radar?"

"Let alone the world's," Suzaku says, wincing. "But Ohgi—"

"Is notoriously private in case you forgot."

"But we're smarter than this!" Suzaku exclaims, jumping to his feet. "At least you are."

"How self-deprecating." Nevertheless, C.C. considers his words. "But you're right."

"That's beside the point." Suzaku groans, pulling at the ends of his hair. "And to think I call myself his bodyguard..."

The crazed look in his eyes makes it clear to C.C. that he's seconds away from combusting, and as much as she'd enjoy that, she knows she can't let it happen.

"Suzaku," she says, rising from the bed. "Perhaps you should calm down."

"Calm down?" Suzaku gives her an incredulous look, but before he can utter another word, C.C. wraps her arms around him. After feeling him tense, she smirks.

"Feeling better?" she asks, burying her head in his chest for more effect.

"This is low and you know it." Suzaku's voice is quiet, and when C.C. looks up at him, she finds his cheeks are tinged with pink; her smirk only widens.

"But it always works, doesn't it?"

Suzaku scowls as he wriggles out of her grasp. "Tell me again why we work together?"

"Last time I checked, you gave me the job."

"Is there any chance I can take it back?"

"Maybe when I feel like it."

"Typical," Suzaku says, stuffing his phone into his pocket and making his way to his closet.

C.C. tilts her head to the side. "What are you doing now?"

"Thinking rationally," Suzaku replies, pulling on a pair of shoes. "I'm going to find Ohgi myself."

"Really?" C.C. hums, walking back to the bed. "Do you know where he is?"

"Obviously not where I assumed given recent events," Suzaku says, the manic look in his eyes returning for all of two seconds before disappearing again. "But Kaguya is working on pinpointing his location as we speak."

C.C. nods in understanding, resting her elbows on her knees. "Try not to be reckless."

Suzaku looks at her disdainfully before mumbling something incoherent, to which C.C. only grins.

"Stay posted," Suzaku says, heading toward the door. "Keep track of the news and don't turn off your phone." His hands linger on the doorknob as he glances at her suspiciously. "Or do you even have that on you?"

"You know me so well." C.C. smiles slyly at him. "Should we start planning the wedding or what?"

At this, heat rushes to Suzaku's face, and he all but throws the door open. "Just do as I say."

With that, the brown-haired man stumbles out of the room. C.C. smirks, amused by her friend's antics. The man is so easy to fluster it's pathetic.

She eyes the remote to her left and briefly considers leaving it there (it wouldn't be the first time she hasn't listened to Suzaku), but then she remembers the severity of the situation and decides against it.

Grabbing the remote off the dresser, she buries herself under the covers and turns on the TV, flipping through the news stations . As to be expected, the engagement is all anyone can talk about, and C.C. isn't surprised to find that the reporters are as incredulous as Suzaku had been before.

Well, well. This is quite the disaster in the making.

Lelouch has a headache.

Not just any headache, but one brought on by events beyond his control. Granted, Lelouch doesn't not like minding his business, but he does make a habit out of staying on top of things. As heir to the Britannian throne (technically speaking), it's his job to look after his country. So to say he's just slightly annoyed at the fact that he hadn't been able to put an end to the situation he's currently in before it had a chance to get off the ground is an understatement.

No, Lelouch is livid. Because this is by far the stupidest thing he's ever dealt with, and by stupid, he means dangerous.

That being said, Lelouch has always known something was off about Viletta Nu.

He's known it since the moment his entire family took a liking to her, and even though there'd been nothing inherently wrong with the woman at the time, it isn't often that his family agrees on anything, so the red flags have always been there; red flags that he hadn't realized the full momentum of until after she'd announced her engagement to the Prime Minister of Japan.

Lelouch is convinced she wants to start a war. It's either that or she's living under a rock, but Lelouch knows for a fact that that isn't the case. She'd been his governess for nearly a decade before being promoted and had been the one to introduce him to the history of his country.

So why she's dismissing the particular history between Britannia and Japan now is beyond his comprehension.

So, yes. Lelouch has a headache; one that's quickly turning into a migraine as he listens to his siblings discuss the issue.

"I still don't understand how this happened," his half-sister, Euphemia, says, dazed, and Lelouch's eyes twitch because he's pretty sure that's the only thing she's said in all the time they've been gathered in the council room.

"Euphie, I swear that's the only thing you've said this entire conversation," his younger brother Rolo deadpans from across the table, all but reading Lelouch's mind. "And how couldn't you understand? It's not rocket science."

Eyes narrowing, Euphemia opens her mouth to respond, and Lelouch has a sudden craving for aspirin, but then his older half-sister Cornelia butts in.

"What Rolo means to say is that you're getting a little repetitive," she says, casting a pointed glare at her brother. "That being said, none of us have reared this conversation toward an exactly progressive direction."

"By none of us, you must mean none of you," his older half-brother Clovis intones from next to Rolo, twirling a strand of hair around his finger. "Because I haven't spoken a word since we got here."

"And that alone makes you one of the biggest offenders, " Cornelia replies without missing a beat, taking the words right out of Lelouch's mouth. "Thanks for proving my point."

"Please." Clovis sniffs, but he doesn't say anything else.

"Anyways," Rolo goes on, "if anyone has anything helpful to add to the discussion, now would probably be the best time to give your input. I don't have all day."

"Really?" their younger sister Nunnally asks innocently from next to Lelouch, which is fortunate. Cornelia looks about half a second away from tearing into Rolo. "This morning, you told me your schedule was clear."

"Nunnally," Rolo hisses, ears turning pink. When Nunnally gives him a confused look, he slumps in his seat, frowning. "Thanks a lot."

"I couldn't agree more," Cornelia says, smiling at Nunnally and looking more than grateful that she hadn't had to shut Rolo down herself. "Now, where were—?"

"On second thought, I'm not through. What the hell is your deal, Cornelia?"

"Rolo, I swear to God, I've had enough of your—!"

"Rolo. Cornelia. Enough."

With the exception of Rolo, whose only response is to let out a huff, all eyes turn to the source of the firm voice, and even Lelouch spares a glance, because like most of his siblings, he'd forgotten about the presence of the man sat at the front end of the table; aka, the bastard responsible for bringing them all together like this: his oldest half-brother, Schneizel.

"Right." Unsurprisingly, Cornelia is the first to listen. "You were saying?"

"Honestly, I hoped against having to say anything," Schneizel says, looking about as done with this whole situation as Lelouch feels. "I figured the five of you could have a mature and productive dialogue without me having to mediate your every word, but I now realize how naive I was to believe that."

You think? Lelouch rolls his eyes. His siblings' faces range from offended (Clovis and Rolo) to apologetic (Cornelia) to embarrassed (Nunnally and Euphemia).

Schneizel sighs. "I'll get straight to the point. Do we or do we not approve of the recent engagement between Viletta and the Prime Minister?"

Following these words, the room falls silent, but Lelouch doesn't miss the way Schneizel's eyebrows relax, and for a fraction of a second, Lelouch actually admires his brother. So as to take advantage of the temporary lack of noise it would bring about, he'd purposely cut to the chase as a means to force his siblings to calm down and think. A smart and wise move indeed.

Then Cornelia ruins it because, as usual, she's the first to make up her mind.

"That's the thing," she says, narrowing her eyes. "I don't want to say I'm against it because I'm not, but at the same time, we all know Britannia and Japan aren't exactly friendly."

"And what about it?" Euphemia asks, speaking for the first time since she and Rolo had gotten into it earlier, and Lelouch is suddenly annoyed. "It's true love, and if true love conquers all, who are we to disapprove of it?"

"Agreed." Nunnally nods, sitting a little straighter in her seat. "Besides, it's not like Britannian and Japanese unions don't happen all the time anyway." Lelouch grimaces. Not Nunnally too.

"True, but this isn't your average nobody hook-up," Rolo says, still refusing to look at anyone but apparently not petty enough to stay out of the discussion as a whole. "What we're talking about is a marriage between two highly respected and well-known individuals throughout their respective countries."

"Exactly," Cornelia says, causing Rolo to give her a surprised look. "What? It'd be foolish of me to disagree with you on principle when it pertains to a matter this serious. But to be clear, you're not against the idea of them marrying, are you?"

"Honestly, I could care less." Rolo rests his cheek in his hand. "All I know is that it'll lead to some awful publicity."

Understatement of the century, Lelouch thinks. If anything, the death threats will start rolling in by tomorrow.

"Excuse me, but I beg to differ," Clovis asserts, raising his hand in the air. "Britannian and Japanese people alike should know by now to keep quiet when it comes to things they don't like but aren't hurting anyone. Seriously, it's been two hundred years since the war. Why are people still letting that affect the way they view things?"

Hm, let's see. Maybe because no matter how many laws you rectify, mindsets don't change. Not to mention the country that started the war took nearly eight decades to admit to it, Lelouch wants to say, but he bites down on his tongue. He'll let someone else argue the point.

"I wish I knew," Euphemia says wistfully. "Either way, I don't think it would be in our worst interests to support this."

Lelouch raises an eyebrow. It absolutely would. Looking around the table, he waits for someone, in particular Schneizel, Cornelia, or Rolo given that Nunnally and Clovis seem hellbent on not doing so, to dispute Euphemia, but he's disappointed when no one says a word. This is funny considering Rolo and Cornelia look like they want to say something but are holding back, and Schneizel's left eyebrow is raised in a manner that communicates how outdone he really is. So why aren't they speaking up?

Isn't it obvious? his mind supplies a second later. Their Britannian guilt has kicked in, therefore prohibiting them from thinking rationally because they're afraid they might read as prejudiced. Ugh. Must I do everything myself?

Pinching his nose, Lelouch finally decides to insert himself into the conversation. How he's resisted commenting up until this point is beyond him. Regardless, his words are more than likely going to ruffle the feathers of every single person in this room, but he refuses to forego the truth in favor of churning out garbage.

Breathing heavily through his nostrils, Lelouch opens his mouth, preparing to bring attention to himself. But before he can utter a word, the doors to the council room burst open, a tall black-haired woman with purple eyes and a zany expression sauntering in.

And if Lelouch thought this situation was already bad, he now knows it's taken a turn for the worst.

"Fucking Christ," he says, scowling as the woman he's ashamed to call his mother makes her way toward them. Around him, his siblings direct similar looks of disbelief and confusion toward her, but the woman pays them no heed as she takes a seat at the end of the table.

"I won't lie," she starts, failing to notice the way the atmosphere of the room has changed upon her arrival. "I thought Jeremiah would have to round you all up for me, but it seems you were mature enough to do it yourselves."

"Actually, I gathered them all here so we could talk amongst ourselves privately before making a final decision," Schneizel explains, breaking the silence that would have otherwise lasted another hour. Nevertheless, he looks perplexed as he says, "To put it bluntly, Your Majesty, you just weren't in mind when I called for this meeting."

"And why is that?" his mother has the gall to look offended.

"Well, in case you haven't noticed," Rolo cuts in brusquely, "you dropped off the face of the earth three months ago and taking into account your usual pattern, literally no one expected you back until winter."

"I'll say." Clovis snorts as Nunnally reluctantly nods in agreement a few seats down. Elsewhere, Euphemia seems apoplectic but concedes to the point with a shrug while Cornelia murmurs a mostly unintelligible, "Amen." Schneizel, meanwhile, is busy staring at Rolo as if he's the second coming of Christ, which can only mean the younger boy has said what the blonde man's been thinking.

And Lelouch? Well, he's just happy he agrees with his siblings for once.

"Well, excuse all of you," his mother says, outraged. "In case you forgot, I always come back whenever something that absolutely requires my attention happens. You know that."

"Oh, really?" Clovis challenges. "Then where were you when the country went to blows over Schneizel courting another man?"

"Occupied, " she says cryptically. "Besides, it's not like I wasn't the one who issued the statement threatening to sue anyone who publicly defamed him. Not to mention Kanon looked like a girl as it was, so people got over it pretty quickly."

"It doesn't actually work that way," Schneizel chimes, the smile on his face a little too broad. "But I suppose you're making an effort."

"Of course I am, dear." And the laugh she lets out is so fake, so contrived, Lelouch wants to gag. Her expression darkens. "That being said, I didn't come here to play twenty questions. Whether or not you agree with my decisions as of late, the fact remains that I'm still the Empress of Britannia, and as such, I expect to be welcomed into any discussion I please with zero complaints. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," Schneizel replies coolly as the room sinks into another bout of silence, this one likely brought on by the black-haired woman's one-eighty. While Lelouch is disappointed that his mostly incompetent mother still has that type of power over them, he's content enough knowing no one's her biggest fan.

"Now," his mother says, smiling again. "As we all learned this morning, our dearly beloved Viletta was recently revealed to be engaged to the Prime Minister of Japan, and while we don't know how or when this happened, I presume we all understand how important it is that we handle this situation with caution given the troubling history between our nation and Japan, correct?"

"Correct," his siblings echo, some with worrying amounts of fatigue and some with relatable amounts of annoyance. Lelouch opts out of responding as a whole, although his mother's formal prose has him hopeful. It's almost as if she's on to something sensible.

"Good. That is why it is imperative that I inform you of the decision I made on my way here," his mother continues, and in the matter of a second, her level-headed countenance disappears, in its place the goofy woman Lelouch knows all too well, and he knows right then and there that they're doomed.

"Everyone...we're going to Japan!"

And just like that, every jaw in the room drops, Lelouch's included. Because regardless of how they feel about the engagement personally, the one thing that hadn't crossed their minds was doing something as insane as what his mother had just disclosed they were apparently going to do.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty—"

"Marianne. And that goes for everyone but my own children. You know who you are."

"With all due respect, Marianne," Schneizel starts again, beholding the black-haired woman warily, "why?"

"Well, I figured we'd have to face the backlash somehow," his mother says, unfazed. "So what better way to do it than go to Japan and double down on the fact that we support this marriage? Of course, all the details haven't been worked out yet, but I'm told Prime Minister Ohgi is holding a press conference this afternoon, so we'll tune in, see what he has to say, and take it from there."

"I...understand," Schneizel says slowly, leaning back in his seat. It's not long before he's frozen over again in shock, and if Lelouch weren't shaking himself, he'd reach over and tap the man just to see if he'd shatter to pieces.

"Well, this has been interesting." His mother rises to her feet, and it's either she legitimately doesn't realize how shell shocked she's left her audience or she doesn't care. "But you'll have to excuse me. I have a lot of catching up to do, and I'd hate to keep the court waiting for more than two hours on a good day, so I'll need to get a head start. Toodles."

With that, she skips out of the room, leaving in her wake a cluster of stunned princes and princesses.

And in that moment, Lelouch is sure of two things. First, that his mother has completely lost her mind, and second, that his country is headed straight to Hell.

Well, fuck.

Now he really needs some aspirin.

"I'm sorry, sir, but like I keep saying, unless you have the proper identification to prove you are who you claim to be, you can't come through."

"Even though my cousin literally just verified who I was? I can call her again."

"No can do," the brown-haired woman says, unyielding. "So I'd appreciate if you stepped aside. You're holding up the line, and I'd hate to have to call security."

On the contrary, he's pretty sure the woman would, in fact, not hesitate to call security on him if need be. Not that it would matter if she did; he's pretty sure he'd be able to hold his own. Regardless, he begrudgingly steps aside to make room for the people behind him.

Ugh. This whole thing is his fault. He'd been so caught up in trying to get to Ohgi as soon as possible that he'd forgotten to make sure he'd had everything needed to go about his affairs. But alas, Suzaku hadn't realized he'd left his wallet, which is essentially his entire identity, at home until after he'd been well on his way to the Tokyo Museum of Natural Sciences.

Speaking of which, Suzaku thinks it's a rather strange and abrupt place to hold a press conference. Then again, he supposes it's only natural given that the circumstances that led to this event are just as strange and abrupt—but he digresses.

The point is, there's a chance you might be too dumb to live, Suzaku. If you couldn't even remember something as minimal as this, perhaps there's a reason you're in such a bad place now.

Wait, what?

"Suzaku? Is that you?"

At the sound of the familiar voice, Suzaku breaks from his reverie, looking up in time to see a brunette-haired woman staring at him from the front of the line. "Nagisa?"

"So it is you." She gives him a curious look. "Why are you out here? The conference starts in a few minutes. Shouldn't you be inside already?"

"About that…" Suzaku trails off shyly, and he's never felt so unprofessional in his life. "I was denied entry."

"What?" Nagisa furrows her eyebrows. "How come? Don't you have your ID?"

"I mean, I did," Suzaku says, omitting just enough information as to not feel so pathetic. "But then one thing led to another, and I wound up losing it on the way here."

Okay, so he isn't exactly telling the complete truth, but he isn't necessarily lying either.

"I see," Nagisa says thoughtfully. "Well, even if you don't have your ID, you're Ohgi's personal bodyguard, aren't you? Surely—"

"Dammit, lady, could you be any slower?" a man gripes from behind Nagisa. "You're holding up the line, and unlike you, some of us are journalists and actually need to be inside."

Despite the man's rudeness, Suzaku doesn't disagree with him. ID or no ID, Nagisa is holding up the line.

"Oh, hush," Nagisa growls at the man just as Suzaku is about to politely inform her that she should be on her way. "Besides, it's not like most of you people aren't glorified gossip columnists. Honestly, you could stand to wait your turn."

"Why, I've never—!" the man starts, fuming.

"Yeah, yeah. Tell it to someone who cares," Nagisa says. She turns back around to face Suzaku. "What was I saying?"

"Actually, maybe I should just leave," he suggests, because really. This has gone on long enough.

Nagisa snorts. "Don't tell me you let that asshole get to your head."

"No, it's just…" Suzaku racks his brains for an excuse despite the fact that he shouldn't have to. Then his thoughts drift to the long brown-haired woman manning the line. "It's just that you might be escorted off the premises if you hold up the line any longer."

"Who said that?" Nagisa sounds incredulous.

"Her," Suzaku whispers, trying to be discreet as he inclines his head toward the brown-haired woman...who, now that he takes a good look at her, doesn't at all seem anxious for Nagisa to stop talking to him.

"You mean, Minase? That can't be," Nagisa says, more to herself than him. "She's the one who gave me permission to talk to you."

"Oh, so she knows you." That explains why she isn't breathing down Nagisa's neck, but it doesn't explain why she barely gave Suzaku thirty seconds to clarify his predicament.

"Yeah, but Minase's an ass who plays by the rules until it's time to pick favorites," the brunette woman says bluntly. "Obviously, I'm one of her favorites."

"Of course you are." Having forgotten he's standing so close to the woman currently being discussed, Suzaku nearly staggers back at the sound of her voice. "But as it stands, you're holding up the line. Say goodbye to your friend."

"Actually, I was hoping he could come in with me."

At this, Suzaku perks, gaping at Nagisa.

"What?" he and Minase question at the same time. He decides she definitely has it out for him.

"You know, as my guest." Nagisa says, shrugging. "I figured he should get in somehow."

"But he doesn't have any ID," Minase argues. "You can't do anything to change that."

"True, but you know me. If he were a threat, I would've told you by now."

"I know, but..." Minase's gaze wanders to Suzaku. When she shoots him a particularly nasty glare, Suzaku is ready to inform both women he's not worth this type of trouble, but then Nagisa groans and says, "Look. If you don't let this man through, I can assure you you won't have a job when you wake up tomorrow."

Minase flounders for words. "But he—you just can't—fine. But just so you know, if he turns out to be a psycho—"

"He's the Prime Minister's bodyguard, Minase. I'm pretty sure he's not a psychopath."

"Where have I heard that one before?"

"Whatever you say, chief. You coming, Suzaku?"

To be honest, Suzaku doesn't know what to say. Sure, he's grateful Nagisa's vouching for him has gotten him this far (he can't remember the last time someone threatened someone else over him), but he still feels like he doesn't deserve this. It isn't Nagisa's fault he's so incompetent, and now that he thinks about it, she probably, and rightfully so, wouldn't have taken pity on him if she knew he hadn't actually lost his ID in the ruckus that getting to the museum had caused, and—

This is exactly what C.C. was talking about, he realizes mid-thought. You really are too self-deprecating.

"Hey? Earth to Suzaku?"

Coming back to his senses, he blinks, suddenly aware of the hand waving in front of his face.

"Hey," Nagisa says, still waving despite the fact that Suzaku is very clearly paying attention to her now. "You okay? I lost you for a bit there."

"I'm fine." Putting aside his inner-turmoil, he gives Nagisa a smile he hopes looks realer than it feels. "Really."

"Okay then." Nagisa doesn't sound convinced, but she doesn't press and grabs his wrist. "C'mon."

She pulls him along, all the while ignoring the poisonous look Minase is giving her. Suzaku wishes he had her resolve.

Once they enter the Museum, they don't have to travel far. After going through a brief security procedure, a flock of people come into view. Before them is a podium, a group of men and women in black suits surrounding it, though Ohgi is nowhere to be seen. Instantly, he recognizes most of them as members of Ohgi's security team, and the confusion he's overcome with is palpable.

So his co-workers have known about Oghi this whole time? Or, like him, had they found out today with the rest of the world? And where, where, where is Oghi and why isn't Suzaku by his side? He's the one who'd sworn to protect him with his life. He's the one who—

"Suzaku," Nagisa's voice cuts through his thoughts for the umpteenth time that day. He looks down at her to find that she looks even more concerned than she had before. "Are you okay? You look like you're losing your mind."

"Pardon?" Suzaku asks, put off by her suggestion. But then he thinks back to what C.C. told him earlier about calming down.

Maybe he is losing it.

"Suzaku," Nagisa calls again, and though Suzaku wants nothing more than to tell her he's fine, he knows Nagisa would never believe that. She knows him too well.

Sighing, he opens his mouth to share his grievances, but before he can get a word in, the room becomes abuzz with noise, and both he and Nagisa direct their attention to the front, where Oghi's appeared out of seemingly nowhere, followed by Kaguya and his head of security, Tohdoh. Meanwhile, the guests move closer and closer toward the black line separating them from Ohgi, but all Suzaku can do is stay firmly rooted in place as the reality of it all comes crashing back down on him.

As Ohgi takes the podium and adjusts the microphone in preparation for whatever it is he's about to say, Suzaku has a bad, bad feeling, one he barely has time to mull over before Ohgi begins to speak.

(Although in the back of his mind, he's pretty sure it's not because of the controversy.)

"So, I know the million-dollar question in all of your minds is: is he trying to start a war? Well, I can assure you right now that that isn't my or Viletta's intention, and if it did come to that, I hope that it would be a war of words exchanged by our lawyers rather than one that requires the use of brute force.

"As it stands, the history between Britannia and Japan isn't a friendly one, and I know that history as well as any of you do, but in the days leading up to our marriage, Viletta and I hope to resolve some of that hostility by putting ourselves forward as an example of what true unity looks like.

"Make no mistake, we're doing this not in hopes of sabotaging an already precarious relationship, but because we discovered something that transcended race, ethnicity, and old bygones: love. And yes, even in modern times, I know that concept might be hard for a lot of us to digest, but if we could put aside our differences and come together for the common cause of love, harmony can be achieved.

"Perhaps some of you think that sounds naive, or that perhaps I've lost my mind. Or, perhaps, that we're both traitors. But I implore every single last one of you to look in the faces of the people most important to you and think: what would I do for love? That's the question you should keep repeating to yourselves; not just today but after our marriage and beyond.

"I close with these words, a quote wherein there is no better time than the present to live by: love is love. And I think we can all agree that love is life, and without love, what is even the point of living?

"I now turn this conference over to the capable hands of my assistant, Sumeragi Kaguya. She'll be taking any and all questions you have. Thank you for your attention and cooperation, especially considering the abrupt timing of this event. I would also like to give a special thanks to my personal staff, whom I would not be standing in front of you today without. Good afternoon, and I hope to speak to all of you again soon...

Shaking his head at the insipid nonsense on screen, Lelouch grabs the remote off the desk and turns the television off. The Prime Minister can't actually believe holding a press conference to explain this mess, only to wind up spewing every self-righteous dog whistle in the book, is going to fix the very real issues between his nation and Britannia, can he? It has to be a trick. Why else would he go before the world and quote every tired saying about love to ever exist? The man is so naive it's embarrassing.

He wonders how his family is reacting to the conference. He knows it can't be anything good. They'd proven earlier that they were as useless as the Prime Minister when it came to making logical choices, so he doesn't expect much from them.

That being said, his mother is probably ringing up the Prime Minister's office right now to alert someone of her plans, and—Christ. He can't be the only breaking out into a cold sweat over this. Something needs to be done, and quickly—

"Oi, Lelouch!" a voice exclaims as his room door bursts open, and Lelouch nearly falls out of his chair. "You in here?"

"Gino," a softer voice hisses before Lelouch can respond. "I told you to knock."

"And I thought I told you that as his knights, we shouldn't have to?"

"That's an invasion of privacy and you know it."

"Monica, Monica. Why so seri—"

"Would either of you care to explain why you're here?" Lelouch interjects, collecting himself. His knights freeze when they take in the shadowy look on his face, and Lelouch resists the urge to kick them both out as they scramble for words. They truly are the dumbest dumb blondes to exist.

"So, uh. Yeah," Gino says, rubbing the back of his neck. "Your mother wants to see you."

"She says it's urgent," Monica adds. "But we all know it's just an excuse to round up you and your siblings so she can go over your trip to Japan."

"You said it, sister."

Lelouch wants to laugh. He doesn't know what's worse. The fact that he lets his knights talk about his mother any type of way or that the woman expects him to sit in a room with her and his siblings again. Probably the latter. In any case, another migraine is in the works.

And just when he thought he'd taken enough aspirin to get rid of the first one...

"Well, Lulu, are you coming or what?" Gino prods.

"Do me a favor and stop talking to the maids," Lelouch snaps, wincing at the nickname. "Secondly...I guess I'll show my face."

"Great!" Gino looks as if the weight of the world's been lifted off his shoulders. "Because according to the Empress, if you weren't out of here in the next five minutes—"

"Gino." Monica gives him a stern look.

"What I mean to say is, let's go!" Whirling a hand in the air, Gino marches out of the room, an annoyed looking Monica scurrying after him.

"Why did I let Mother get away with choosing those two idiots as my knights," Lelouch grouses, staring at his open door longingly, and he's tempted to slam it closed and lock it, but then he thinks better of it. He knows for a fact that his mother would drag him out of his room kicking and screaming if he refused to meet with her, one of the varied misfortunes that come with having Marianne vi Britannia as a parent.

Oh, how he despises his existence.

"...and as if that wasn't already unprofessional, the only reason I got in was because Nagisa let me come through with her."

"Who?"

"You know, the woman who used to watch me and Kaguya when we were little?"

"Still not following."

"...Tohdoh's ex-girlfriend?"

"Oh, her." An image of a woman with short brunette hair surfaces in C.C.'s mind. "She ended things rather explosively with him, don't you think? How did she react upon seeing him again?"

"I wasn't paying attention to her by then," Suzaku says, even though there's a curiosity undercutting his tone. "But that's beside the point. What matters is that I'm so useless, I had to rely on my old nanny to get me inside an event I should've very well known about before it happened."

Now that C.C. thinks about it, Suzaku does have a point. "It shouldn't matter that you didn't have your ID. You're Ohgi's bodyguard. Shouldn't that have counted for something?"

"I mean, it would've if I'd been told about this whole thing beforehand," Suzaku mutters, sounding more bitter than he probably realizes. "But that's not even the worst part."

"Oh?" C.C. cranes an eyebrow. "Then what is?"

Squeezing his eyes shut, Suzaku grimaces. "Just thinking about it makes my head hurt, so give me a second to collect my thoughts, alright?"

"Whatever you say," C.C. responds, but she nonetheless rolls her eyes at her friend's dramatics.

He's been like this since he arrived back at the mansion almost twenty minutes ago, and don't get C.C. wrong: Suzaku's way of telling a story has always been entertaining, and even more compelling than that is how over the top he gets whenever he's recalling something particularly unpleasant. However, right now they have more important things to discuss, and Suzaku's wild gesturing isn't doing much in the way of helping.

There's a shift beside her as Suzaku joins her on the bed. His eyes are open now, which means he's finally done getting himself together.

"You were saying?" she drones.

"I'm barely in the mood to talk now." He sighs heavily. "But you already know, so I guess I'll just say it: the worst part is that everyone on Ohgi's team was there beside him but me."

"You mean you didn't reach him in time?"

"You mean you didn't notice…" His eyes narrow. "Don't tell me you didn't watch the conference?"

C.C. shrugs. "The TV was making my head hurt, so I turned it off before the conference aired. I read Ohgi's statement online."

Truthfully, C.C. had fallen asleep channel-surfing and hadn't woken up until after Ohgi had confirmed the news of his engagement, but as it stands, that tidbit of information is irrelevant.

"C.C., I told you to stay posted!"

"Well, considering I read Ohgi's speech, I like to think I did."

"But this isn't about Ohgi! It's about...well...I guess it is about him."

"Exactly." Glad that he's finally gotten his priorities straight, C.C. decides to ask him about what he's been ranting about anyway. "Rest assured, I do care that you were left out of the loop. Do you have any ideas as to why?"

"Other than they all hate me? No," Suzaku mumbles, and honestly, C.C. doesn't think the man realizes just how bitter he sounds. "But I won't jump to conclusions just yet. Fortunately, Kaguya is dropping by later, so I'll just ask her about it then."

"Whatever you say," C.C. tells him, and when Suzaku's ears prick reminiscent of a wild animal's, she reckons that switching topics is probably for the best.

"So, what did you think of the speech?"

"It was fine, I guess." Another sigh. "A little too idealistic at times but otherwise okay."

"You think so?" C.C. says, unsurprised by her friend's neutral opinion but still a little nostalgic. She can remember back to a time wherein Suzaku would've wholeheartedly agreed with Ohgi's words. But she supposes that's the point of growing up. "I for one thought it was cute. Although, if he thinks he'll actually win people over simply by promoting the idea of true love conquering all, he's got—"

"Cousin!"

At the sound of the voice, both C.C. and Suzaku look toward the door. A second later, a black-haired young woman dressed in an extravagant pantsuit bounces into the room.

"Kaguya," Suzaku says sharply, sitting up so fast, it's a miracle he doesn't break his neck instantly. "You could've called and told me you were here instead of impolitely bursting into my room."

"Please." Kaguya laughs. "You're just saying that because you're in the middle of a tryst with C.C, no?"

"I told you, it's not like that," Suzaku hisses, turning an unnatural shade of red. "And in case you haven't noticed, I'm fully dressed."

"That's what they all say," Kaguya points out as if she's on to something. "But I suppose I'll leave it alone for now. C.C., would you care to make some room?"

Reluctantly, C.C. moves over, stopping when her back presses against Suzaku's knee. He swiftly changes into a position where he isn't touching her, and C.C. rolls her eyes. Even after all this time, he's still paranoid about their relationship.

Kaguya gracefully settles on her side of the bed. "Now I take it the two of you have a plethora of questions?"

"Of course," Suzaku responds anxiously, and C.C. is nice enough to keep the fact that he's coming off as a crazed lunatic to herself.

"Wonderful. Luckily for you, I—"

A ringing noise sounds throughout the room, and Kaguya stops mid-sentence, reaching into her jacket pocket and pulling out her phone.

"It's Ohgi," she says the second she looks at the screen. Her lips form into a line. "Excuse me."

While she takes the call, C.C. rolls over on her back to see that Suzaku is watching his cousin with an intense expression. She laughs quietly. Her poor friend truly is losing it.

"I'm sorry, what?!"

Kaguya's shriek catches them both off guard. C.C. sits up whereas Suzaku falls off the bed.

"What is it?" he asks desperately, springing up.

"It's-it's Ohgi," Kaguya sputters.

Suzaku pales. "Again? What did he do now?"

"Well, he didn't do anything...terrible, per se." Kaguya smiles thinly. "It's just that he's approved of something rather—peculiar."

"Meaning?" C.C. presses. Kaguya sighs.

"Meaning that in a week's time, the royal family of Britannia will be here in Japan."

Time stands still once again as Kaguya's words set off a chain of diverse reactions:

The aforementioned young woman pouts, muttering to herself about how she doesn't get paid nearly as much as she should for the trauma she endures daily.

Suzaku faints

And C.C. cocks her head to the side, raising a single eyebrow.

Well, she thinks. This just got interesting.

So, that's it. The story is kinda weird, but that's the point. And please review if you can! It's really encouraging.