Chapter 54

A Price Unbidden

Kaguya considered it something of a small honor to have witnessed so many of Lelouch's genuine, unguarded expressions. From concern, affection, to irritation, even outright anger. The face the cardinal now made was therefore not a new one for the girl, but it was certainly one of the rarer ones.

"I think it's fair to say that I've showed a significant amount of consideration to Mr. Kururugi," Lelouch said. "Setting aside his transfer to Camelot and his enrollment into Ashford, I've had to authorize diversion of quite a bit of compute time on his behalf. Compensated compute time, yes, but quite frankly the compensation does not actually make good the delay this diversion has caused to other of Eden Vital's programs. And I am not exaggerating when I say some of these programs could determine the fate of humanity."

Based on what she had learned of the thought elevators, Ise, and Eden Vital, Kaguya knew the cardinal was telling the truth there. In addition to all of the simulations they ran for government and corporate interests, Eden Vital also had their own projects involving everything from genetics, molecular dynamics, nuclear physics, all for the purpose of advancing human understanding of the natural world and how to better utilize it. These were long term efforts so their fruits were not necessarily going to be borne overnight, but the time lost could still result in various development schedules getting set back years if not decades.

"In light of that, any reasonable person would probably agree that the debt I owe Mr. Kururugi, including any consideration he's earned by proxy due to others I feel an obligation to," the cardinal gave a pointed look in Kaguya's direction, "has been more than repaid."

That was also probably also fair.

"If," there was a very strong emphasis on that word, "I agree to grant him a mandate, the scales would be tilted that it would be he that owes a debt to me. A very, very large debt."

"That is not in dispute, Your Eminence," Lucretia said. "We would not have proposed it otherwise, nor without securing acceptance of the debt by the relevant parties."

At the look Lucretia shot them, Kaguya and Subaru nodded, though not without a degree of apprehension. The explanation given to them was enough to demonstrate to an extent just why Lelouch would be so adamant about this. An extent, because of how difficult it was to fully grasp the implications. That by itself said much about just how far-reaching this mandate was, hence the apprehension instead of hesitation.

"And what of Mr. Kururugi himself?" Lelouch said.

"We thought it better to ascertain whether you are willing to grant the mandate before revealing anything further to him," Sancia said.

Lelouch drummed his fingers. "Has he been briefed about the price yet?"

"No."

"Then call him in."

"Very well, Your Eminence," Sancia said, rising and opening the door.

There was not much waiting as Suzaku was already outside. He flashed a slight, tired smile at Kaguya and Subaru as he was pushed into position. The treatments thus far had reduced the afterimages that haunted him so he was at least mostly functional again, but certain cues, like the sound of gunfire, could still trigger them again. PTSD was a mere symptom of Suzaku's condition, treating it would need to come after the root cause was dealt with.

"Your Eminence," Suzaku greeted politely.

"Mr. Kururugi," Lelouch did likewise.

It was however Sancia that ultimately broached the matter at hand.

"We have arrived at something of an impasse with your treatment, Mr. Kururugi," Sancia said, addressing Suzaku with the formality of his non-commissioned rank. "While that is not to say we are out of options, the inherent risk has risen substantially."

"Risk," Suzaku repeated. "That they won't work, or that I'd die?"

The youth could be remarkably frank about the things he faced.

"Both." Not that Sancia was any slouch in that department either. "And as accepting of the risks as you yourself may be, failure would still be an undesired outcome."

Suzaku nodded. "But if you called me here, does that mean you have a specific idea to try out?"

"We do," Lucretia said, "though its nature is such that there are some very stringent conditions attached."

"Alright, lay it on me."

"A kill switch."

Suzaku blinked at the blond-haired girl. "A what?"

"Exactly what it sounds like, a kill switch," Lucretia repeated. "What you would be granted, Eden Vital would require a safeguard to ensure you never have a chance to abuse. If you are detected doing so, a kill switch would activate to terminate you."

That saw Suzaku look over at his cousins, both of whom nodded to affirm what Lucretia said was to be believed.

"That's uh," Suzaku began, "I mean, wow. I know I said I'd do anything to get treated, but uh, really?"

"Really," Lucretia said. "We will not impose the safeguard on you if you wish to forego the option, but we absolutely will not pursue the option if you do not consent to having the kill switch installed."

Suzaku grimaced slightly. "How would it even work? This kill switch."

"Explaining its mechanics to you might allow you to circumvent them," Lucretia said, "thereby defeating its purpose."

Suzaku blinked. "Do you really think I would do that? Or even could?"

"The would or could is irrelevant," Lelouch spoke up, drawing all attention to him. "The terms are what they are, there is nothing to negotiate, Mr. Kururugi. Either take them or leave them."

That elicited a grimace from Suzaku. "Would I at least be getting an explanation of what is being done to me that the kill switch is a safeguard for?"

"Yes," the cardinal answered succinctly.

The Japanese youth spared one more glance over at his cousins, and when neither made a move to further sway or dissuade him, came to his own decision.

"Very well, I consent."

The sigh that Kaguya left out was not of relief. Not yet, at least.

"Lucretia," Lelouch said, signaling for the girl to take over.

"Do you believe in luck, Mr. Kururugi?" Lucretia in turn posed a question to Suzaku.

"Umm, I guess?" Suzaku said, thrown off by the seeming non-sequitur.

From her pocket, the woman pulled out a one-pound coin. On the obverse a profile of the Emperor Charles. The reverse, the lion and serpent insignia that also adorned the Britannian flag. She flicked it over to Suzaku, who despite his condition still caught the coin with little difficulty.

"Flip it, please," Lucretia instructed.

Still confused, Suzaku nonetheless did as instructed.

"Heads," Lucretia declared.

Looking down at the coin he caught, Suzaku saw that indeed it had landed heads up.

"Again," this time Sancia spoke.

His curiosity if nothing else piqued, Suzaku obeyed.

"Heads," the black-haired girl said.

The guess was right again.

"Again."

Suzaku flicked the coin high up into the hair. This time both girls spoke.

"Heads."

"Tails."

But when he reached out, he somehow missed the coin. It hit the table and bounced a few times before its spin was spent, coming to rest on its edge.

"What the?" Suzaku said, reaching out but bumping the table and causing the coin to jump.

"Tails," both girls said again before it landed.

When the coin finally settled down, they were again right.

"How?" Suzaku wondered aloud.

"Luck," Lucretia said, "or rather causality. It is something that Eden Vital has invested considerable effort in studying, to be able to better predict the outcomes of physical events as well as understand why certain outcomes occur. The two feed back on each other. The better we understand why something happens, the better we are able to predict it. If we know all the macroscopic physical conditions surrounding each coin flip, we can predict with nearly absolute certainty what the outcome will be. That is not what we just did."

Up until that last bit, Suzaku had been following the girl's explanation. Now he was looking befuddled again.

"It was something of an accidental discovery, as with many other breakthroughs throughout human history," Sancia continued the explanation. "In certain tests that were conducted, a subtle but still detectable deviation was occurring that pushed the results outside of the expected statistical bounds. After all other factors were ruled out, the only remaining one was the person performing the test."

As she spoke, Sancia and Lucretia both shifted their gaze over to the monitor at the front of the room. The others did likewise, with Suzaku's own eyes starting to widen.

"The exact mechanics are classified," Lucretia picked up, "but it was determined that His Eminence is capable of manipulating, in very subtle ways, causality. The most visible manifestation of this manipulation is to bolster the success of some physical action that occurs. If he were to predict a coin landing on the obverse before it was landed, that is exactly what will happen. And it is an ability that has been extended to several of his cohort, such as myself and Sister Sancia, as well."

Several instead of all.

"Does that mean Kallen doesn't have this, ability?" Suzaku inquired.

"Correct," Lucretia confirmed.

"And you're thinking of giving it to me?" the youth continued.

"Again, correct," Lucretia said. "While the ability cannot effect outright miracles and its range is extremely localized, it should be able to bolster the probability of success that would permit us to both remove the conditioning you suffer from and ensure you survive the process."

"Because it is not something that we can revoke afterward however," Sancia continued the explanation, "at least not without killing you, it would be possible for you to make use of the mandate in the future as well. For obvious reasons, Eden Vital is extremely loath to permit that."

"What if I just, didn't use it?" Suzaku suggested.

"No offense to you, Mr. Kururugi," Lucretia said, "but for something like this, your word would not suffice."

"I suppose not," Suzaku was at least self-aware enough to concede.

"There is also the matter that you do not need to consciously use the mandate to have it affect the outcome of things you attempt," Sancia further elaborated. "By granting you it at all, you are being afforded a boon that could see you come upon good fortune after good fortune in whatever venture you may embark upon. Then there is the impact you might have on those around you. The safeguard is to ensure you do not abuse the mandate. The payment for it however, is the entirety of your future."

Suzaku blinked. "Excuse me?"

"The knowledge we might gain in how to deprogram yourself and those others that might be similarly affected is valuable," Lucretia said, "but not nearly as valuable as to what this boon would grant you personally, not to mention the problems you might inadvertently cause by altering the outcomes of events. This is why Eden Vital will require you adhere to career paths, and advancement rates, of our approval."

"That's," Suzaku began.

"Your present service in the Britannian armed forces would be acceptable," Sancia said, "and we would not object to your advancement through the ranks, commissioned or noncommissioned. Our oversight is more intended to avoid you doing something like winning the lottery or going onto some sort of gameshow."

"That, this mandate can do that?" Suzaku said.

"The two hundred million pound jackpot that went unclaimed two years ago was due to Eden Vital testing out His Eminence's ability to skew causality," Lucretia said nonchalantly.

A slight choking sound was emitted by Suzaku as he gapped at the cardinal, who stared blandly back.

"What about," Suzaku began again after recovering. "What about family? Would Eden Vital try to, need to, tell me who I could be with?"

"No," this time it was Lelouch that spoke. "The human element seems to be the one thing that is immune to the manipulation of causality the mandate provides. Any partner that you are able to win over would be due to your own genuine efforts."

To that Suzaku let out a sigh of relief. Much as he did have someone in mind, the youth would have felt distinctly uncomfortable if he won her affection through anything but earnest, and honest, means.

"So, when will we do this?" Suzaku asked next.

"My transport is thirty minutes out," Lelouch said, eliciting another look of surprise from the youth. "Make sure the kill-switch is installed by the time I am here to instill the mandate."

"By your command, Your Eminence," Lucretia assured him.

Stepping out of her bedroom, Euphemia found her guard standing at the ready.

"What do you think?" she asked, spinning about and letting her skirt flutter.

"You look lovely, Your Highness," Marika responded.

"And yet you don't seem particularly enthused," the princess noted, brushing aside her ponytail. "Is it my hair?"

Marika cracked a wry smile. "There is nothing wrong with Your Highness' appearance. What you intend however, is it truly necessary to allow such ready access to your person? It makes ensuring your safety considerably more difficult."

"Are you expecting me to be in any particular danger?"

"Your Highness," this time Marika sounded almost exasperated.

"I know," Euphemia said with a wry smile of her own. "I'm a princess, which can draw undesirable attention all on its own. And this is an administrative area that is still suffering an active insurgency, despite the progress my brother has achieved in placating the native populace."

"And yet despite such awareness, you would still expose yourself in such a manner?"

The smile remained, a display of great, but not unlimited, patience on the princess' part.

"Did Lelouch achieve his progress without risk? I am not a trained soldier or knight, by any means, but I am still a princess of the realm. And anything that I do that helps reduce the need for a martial alternative, that is worth the risk."

Marika clearly did not agree, something evident even without her vocalizing it.

Euphemia smiled faintly. "Do you think the risk not worth it because it will not do enough good, or because of the people whose good this is for?"

A grimace crossed Marika's expression. "I don't hold the people of Japan in contempt here, Your Highness. As the government has made clear, the Japanese will one day become formal subjects of the Empire, and the sooner that happens the sooner Britannia can marshal its strength against its actual enemies. Just as you have a duty as an imperial scion however, I also have one as your knight. My principal concern must be your personal safety, and if I see a situation where the risk to your person is greater than my comfort, it is my responsibility to bring that concern to your attention."

"That is, not completely true," Euphemia said thoughtfully.

"Your pardon?" Marika said, blinking.

"Keeping me safe is certainly one of your duties, yes," the princess said as she began pacing about. "It is arguably not your most important one, however." Euphemia's eyes met Marika's gaze. "Your most important duty is to ensure the success of whatever I endeavor to achieve."

That saw the knight's own eyes widen as the distinction was laid bare so plainly before her.

"A knight of honor," Euphemia said. "What you guard, in addition to my life, is my honor. And my honor is defined not only on the ends I seek and the means I use to get there, but also whether I succeed or not. If to achieve success, to retain my honor, requires risking my life, then is not the best way for you to fulfill your duties to do your utmost to ensure my success, thereby ensuring both my honor and reducing the amount of risk I am exposed to?"

Marika considered the statement for a few moments before responding.

"I suppose I've never really had reason to think of it that way, Your Highness."

"Really?" Euphemia tilted her head. "Have you not accompanied my sister into battle in the past?"

"On occasion," Marika said, "though Her Highness' guard tended to try to keep her from taking to the field herself." She made a slight face. "We weren't always successful."

Euphemia gave a sympathetic chuckle. "Cornelia can be quite stubborn. Though arguably my entire family can be that way, and I am no exception."

"So I have learned, Your Highness," Marika said with a wry smile of her own. "Still, that stubbornness seems to have served your family well, more often than not."

"More often than not," Euphemia nodded. "And it is my hope this time as well. Shall we get going?"

"Of course, Your Highness."

The two young women left Euphemia's suite and headed over to one of the palace's sitting rooms. Waiting inside was Kallen and another Japanese woman.

"Euphie," Kallen greeted. "I believe this is the first time you're meeting Ms. Nekoi?"

"Your Highness," the other woman bowed respectfully.

"Ms. Nekoi," Euphemia replied in kind.

"Yuzuriha is fine, Your Highness. I'm nowhere near old enough to warrant such formality."

Kallen gave a snort there, her nonchalance indicating the sort of demeanor Yuzuriha possessed, even if the somewhat older woman was being courteous with the princess.

"I understand you are acquainted with Kaguya?" Euphemia said.

Yuzuriha nodded. "You could say I'm a, senior, of hers in the Ise priesthood. Kaguya sends her apologies for not being able to accompany you today."

"That's alright," Euphemia said. "I understand she is taking care of family matters, and those aren't things that should be postponed or neglected."

"Well then, are we ready to depart?" Yuzuriha said, looking not at the princess but at Kallen.

Despite Marika's misgivings, quite a bit of thought had been put into Euphemia's appearance today. That included how to convey her to the site itself, which was one reason why they had gathered at the palace instead of setting out from the academy. While an escorted motorcade would suffice for any location within the concessions proper, despite all the improvements, the wards outside still warranted a greater degree of caution. As such, as ludicrous as it might be for such a short distance, Euphemia would be conveyed to her destination via the helicopter now parked atop the viceroy's palace. A larger security detail had already gone ahead by car and only after they reported their arrival would the princess be lifting off.

"The advance team called in a few minutes ago and reported they were in position," Kallen said. "We can leave at Her Highness' leisure."

"Then by all means," Euphemia said, "let us not keep them waiting."

Aside from the initial liftoff and touchdown, the actual time in the air was so short the party might have actually spent longer just walking over to the helipad. Still, Euphemia was all too glad to be on firm ground once more when she set foot on terra firma once more at the makeshift helipad created in the Keio University Hospital's parking lot. Awaiting her were not only the soldiers sent ahead but representatives of the hospital itself.

"Dr. Kuroba, it is good to see you again," Euphemia greeted.

The elderly Japanese man gave a deep bow. "And it is an honor to welcome you here once more, Your Highness. Thank you for taking the time to once more grace us with your presence."

Toshihiko's defacto leadership of Keio had transformed into a dejure leadership with Keio's formal recognition and integration into the wider Britannian healthcare system. It was a well-earned reward, not that the doctor was seeking such material ends when he first rallied his fellow medical practitioners to keep Keio running after the Britannian invasion. Simply having the hospital properly supplied was more than enough for him. The genuineness of his dedication in helping others was however one of the big reasons why Lelouch, and Britannia in general, saw Keio as a suitable place to conduct some of the hearts and minds events that were intended to win over the Japanese populace.

"It is my pleasure," Euphemia said, "and the least I can do, seeing how much trouble I am putting all of you through to accommodate my visit."

"Think nothing of it, Your Highness," Toshihiko said.

While Euphemia was amicably chatting with the doctor, Kallen exchanged a smile and a nod with one of the other Keio staffers greeting them. Inoue was not one to let something as paltry as losing an eye slow her down much, returning to her duties at Keio shortly after Eden Vital finally discharged her. The fervor with which she threw herself into her work was almost as if she was making up for lost time, and it surprised absolutely nobody when after the organization of the hospital took on a more formal structure, Inoue was made head of maintenance. And while no one openly acknowledged it, it was basically an open secret that Inoue was also the head of the hospital's security, which was one reason why Kallen was fairly confident nothing untoward would be allowed to happen today. The absolute last thing the Japanese people needed was to see an imperial scion, especially one that was growing as popular as Euphemia was, come to harm while on a goodwill visit.

Then again, this was hardly Euphemia's first time visiting the hospital, as her opening exchange with Toshihiko had alluded to. Indeed the first time Euphemia visited was a scant two months ago, for a celebration of the Lunar New Year. For that occasion, the area around the hospital had actually been turned into a mini-festival ground. Cornelia had been extremely reluctant to allow her sister's attendance and even Lelouch was mildly askance about the matter. Still, Euphemia's persistence won in the end, though only after accepting a very rigorous security screen that included two of Lelouch's Eden Vital attendants, aside from Kallen who also attended, and two of Cornelia's knights.

"And you must be Ms. Nekoi," Toshihiko said, adhering to English conventions while speaking in the language.

"A pleasure to meet you, Kuroba-sensei," Yuzuriha on the other hand had little reservation about mixing some Japanese honorifics in. "Kaguya-sama sends her regards, as well as her regrets for not being able to make it for today's events."

"The Sumeragis have already done much for Keio," Toshihiko said. "I would not dare impose further."

Though if one were to press the cardinal as to who the actual primary his attendants were protecting was, Lelouch might well have answered that it was Kaguya instead of his sister. The Japanese girl was a regular participant in many of the events Euphemia attended, with her absence today being quite the exception. Still, with Yuzuriha, and Kallen, along, it was not as if the burgeoning Japanese side of the local authority was going unrepresented, or even underrepresented.

"I'm sure Kaguya-sama herself is disappointed to not be here," Yuzuriha said with a playful smile. "This arguably would have been her last chance to partake in the Hinamatsuri tradition."

Toshihiko chuckled. "Yes, she is a bit past being a mere girl, and is growing into a fine young woman now."

As Yuzuriha's remark indicated, the occasion today was to celebrate Hinamatsuri, a traditional Japanese holiday for girls. The holiday itself usually involved the display of a set of decorative dolls, along with parties attended by girls and their friends. In the case of the patients here at Keio, their ability to partake in such celebrations were rather drastically limited, hence the hospital staff going some lengths to help them enjoy at least some part of the holiday despite their illness. And if Euphemia's presence could help make that experience just a bit more special, the princess was more than happy to help. From the excited voices that were bubbling out from the children's wing, it was clear their occupants were feeling especially spirited today.

"Konichiwa, minna-san," Euphemia greeted in fairly articulate Japanese.

The girl's crash course in the language had been one of the more intensive preparatory tasks that was made obligatory for her to partake in these events. Part of that was because a substantial portion of the native populace still had only a weak grasp of English, if even, and it would not do for the princess to be completely lost in conversation if she encountered such a person. Another was to demonstrate the contrast in sensitivity between the Empire's prior attitude and its current one towards the Japanese people. And while Euphemia could hardly be considered fluent, she was at least conversational enough to understand some of the excited responses coming her way.

"Hime-sama!"

"Hime-sama hontou ni kitta!"

While those less familiar with the Japanese language might make the mistake of presuming the title of hime corresponded to princess in English, in truth its literal definition meant high-born lady. While there was a certain aristocratic presumption inherent, no distinction was drawn between purely noble versus royal pedigree. Still, as courtesy for general usage, it was perfectly acceptable in degrees of respect.

"Everyone, you need to give a proper welcome to our guests here," Inoue said.

"Yes, Auntie Inoue."

"Hey now! I'm still a big sis to you lot!"

The laughter that broke out, and not just amongst the children, was a perfect rejoinder to that claim.

"Alright everyone, settle down," Inoue spoke up again once the children had had a chance to work out some of their exuberance. "Now, you all know what today is, right?"

"Hinamatsuri!"

"That's right! To celebrate, we'll be making the hinakazari with origami!"

The aforementioned dolls put on display for Hinamatsuri were collectively referred to as the hinakazari. There were fifteen dolls in total, plus a variety of accessories that could push the number well above twenty, placed upon seven tiers on a stand known as a hinadan. With the number of children present, they had enough people to make the full, complete set.

"And we have here the Princess Euphemia, Lady Kouzuki, and Priestess Nekoi to help us."

As if on cue, packets of origami paper were brought out and the aforementioned ladies began handing them out. Those that directly received one from Euphemia seemed awestruck to be interacting with a real princess like her, though all of the children were well-behaved enough to show proper gratitude regardless of who they received a sheet from.

"Now, each of you will pick which doll you will make from this box," Inoue continued her explanation. "Make sure to give it your all, regardless of which one you get."

The children drew their lots, and again their youthfulness was on full display from the expressions each one made in reaction to what they picked.

"Your Highness," Inoue switched over to English at addressing the two Britannian ladies. "Would you please make the tono doll?"

By convention, the two dolls on the topmost tier were said to represent the emperor and empress of Japan. As a concession to present circumstances however, they were being referred to by the more innocuous names of tono, meaning lord, and hime.

"Of course," Euphemia said with a graceful smile.

While it might seem odd to have Euphemia make the lord doll, the hospital staff likely wanted to preserve the honor of making the lady doll to one of the girls currently resident. From the looks of things, at least some of the patients had some prior experience with folding origami. Euphemia's own motions were more measured, with the princess often glancing at the instructions to make sure she was following them correctly. As for Kallen and Yuzuriha, the two were making the rounds encouraging the girls and lending a hand where necessary.

"Would you like some refreshments, Your Highness?" a nurse offered.

"Oh, yes, thank you," Euphemia said.

It was however Marika that accepted the proffered snack. Upon the plate was a circular patty of rice topped with thinly sliced fish, egg, and vegetables. With a stoic, almost determined expression, the knight broke a chunk off, making sure to get a bit of all the toppings, and took a bite. After chewing a few moments, she gave a nod to the princess. Euphemia broke off a larger piece and popped it in her mouth.

"How's it taste?"

Looking up, Euphemia saw Kallen was standing by her side.

"It is, certainly interesting," the princess said diplomatically.

"Raw fish is something of an acquired taste," Kallen cracked a smile, "whatever my fellow Japanese like to proclaim about the universality of its appeal."

"The flavor is different, certainly," Euphemia said. "Thus far I've not found any of it difficult to partake, but at times I still don't quite know if I like it, if that makes sense."

That did not however stop her from finishing off the rest of the snack.

"Well, you're at least doing better than your brother," Kallen said.

"Lelouch dislikes raw fish?" Euphemia asked.

"He is very, particular with his cooking," Kallen said. "I think he takes it as something of a personal offense that any meat ingredient might not require his tender attentions over a stove or oven."

Euphemia giggled, then tilted her head. "Have you cooked with Lelouch before?"

"On occasion. His Eminence sometimes cooks as a break from the monotony of his duties, and I join in when I'm actually at the palace."

"I'm envious," the princess said earnestly.

"Yeeah, wait until you actually experience it once before you say that," Kallen said. "When I said he was particular about his cooking, I mean he's very exacting. Like, down to the milliliter in measurements."

"I think Milly mentioned that," Euphemia said. "And somehow, I can see it. Ah, is this good?"

Leaning over, Kallen examined the folded paper doll. "Yep. Looks like the other kids are still working on theirs, I'm sure they'd appreciate some personal attention."

"Then I'll do just that," Euphemia said, rising, with Kallen tagging along to help with the language barrier.

As the princess walked from bed to bed, she saw that some of the origami the children were working on were notably more complicated than her own, especially the ones intended to represent decorations instead of people. From the tables propping up food to decorations like lanterns or even plants, a Hinamatsuri display could evidently be quite elaborate. Kaguya was originally going to show Euphemia a full set of actual dolls instead of origami ones, but her sudden divergence had precluded that.

"Kallen, what's that second doll everyone is making?" Euphemia asked the girl trailing next to her.

"Those are for the doll floating happening next month," Kallen explained. "That's a Shinto ceremony where dolls are sent floating down the river towards the ocean, taking with them misfortune and evil spirits."

"Ah, I see," Euphemia nodded, recalling at least a basic understanding of the ceremony from her study of various Japanese traditions. "Though, is that not part of the Hinamatsuri tradition itself? Why is it taking place next month?"

"It's because the doll floating ceremony is still going by the lunar calendar instead of the Gregorian one," Kallen answered. "Hinamatsuri itself was originally held on the third date of the third month, which is April 18th this year."

"April," Euphemia murmured. "I'm not aware of any such event."

In other words, the princess was not scheduled to participate, even though this seemed like just the sort of thing she had been spending time on the past few months.

"Probably because Milly and Kaguya are the ones scheduled to attend," Kallen said. "It was originally supposed to be me and Milly, but seeing as Kaguya needed to be away for this event, she and I swapped." The older girl shrugged. "Not all of us have to be at every event, Your Highness. And with the amount of work preparing for each one is, having some downtime between each one is worthwhile in and of itself, no?"

Euphemia took a deep breath. "I suppose there is a limit to how far us mere mortals can push ourselves. Though this does make me wonder just how Lelouch is able to manage everything he does."

Kallen suppressed the urge to snort. "He certainly isn't doing it all by himself, he does it by delegating. What you treat as his success, it's actually the cumulative sum of everything that all of us are doing. So don't think you aren't keeping up or something, Your Highness. What you do is important in and of itself."

"Thanks Kallen," the princess said with an appreciative smile. "I'm not sure if I can see exactly how that is, but it is still reassuring to be told that."

"I seem to recall this to not be the first time you've heard this either," Kallen said. "All I'm really doing is repeating Milly's words."

"Milly certainly has tried to reassure me in such a manner," Euphemia agreed, "but, it is something so easy to forget, especially when the impact of my actions is so difficult to see."

"Hime-sama, mitte!"

One of the patients held out a completed doll with a proud smile. Euphemia reached out, taking the doll in hand and looked over its folds.

"Is it?" Kallen said. "Or is it because you're still so fixated on getting back what you had instead of looking forward to what you might gain anew?"

A slight moment of hesitation saw Euphemia's motion freeze up, but she then favored the little girl with a smile as she responded.

"Yoku dekimashita, ne?"

"Hai!"

Turning back to Kallen, Euphemia continued smiling, though her eyes held a certain disquiet.

"And what is it that you think I might gain, Kallen?" the princess asked.

"A bigger family, for one," Kallen suggested, "what with the rate His Eminence and Milly have been getting on, no?"

The disquiet softened slightly as Euphemia contemplated Kallen's words. Softened, but not entirely gone.

"I would certainly like to hope so, Kallen," Euphemia said. "But after seeing so many of my family lost, that's not something I can easily envision."

Kallen raised an eyebrow, then in a more hushed tone spoke. "So does that mean you don't see Suzaku as a prospective boyfriend?"

Euphemia inhaled sharply, so caught off kilter by the question.

"I suppose that's an answer in and of itself," Kallen said with a slight smile. "Don't worry, if anyone can help Suzaku, it'll be His Eminence and Eden Vital."

"Umm," the princess said, still struggling to muster a response.

"That would be the last piece of the set," Kallen said, gesturing at the paper doll Euphemia was holding. "Why don't you put it next to the lord doll? That way we'll have the full wedding set."

Euphemia's eyes widened again at the clear allusion from the older girl. Kallen for her part flashed a smirk. Perhaps all her time around Milly was rubbing off on her. With an almost weary sigh, Euphemia walked over to the display to set down the origami doll. Looking at all of the pieces decorating it brought a smile to the princess' face however. Each one represented the earnest effort of the children gathered here today. Despite whatever afflicted them, they still were doing their best. That in and of itself was a reassuring visage. Hopefully she would see plenty more such examples, and in fair company as well.

Suzaku took a deep breath. He was back home again, back on that faithful day. The initial walk to his father's office, then him scurrying off to find his mother, that somehow felt entirely natural despite an instinctive awareness that such was a divergence from what actually happened. Still, as much as he could sense the difference, he felt so at ease walking down the hallway with plate and snack in hand. When he knocked on the door again, his father's gruff response came as usual.

"Enter."

Pushing through the door, Suzaku saw Genbu focused on some piece of paper. He glanced up, cracking a slight smile at the sight of his son.

"What have we here, Son?"

"Umm, Mother made these," Suzaku said, holding up the plate. "For the both of us."

His father's expression softened even more as he gave a pat on the desk. "Then let us partake in them together."

With a smile of his own, Suzaku trotted over, setting the plate down while his father picked him up and set him on his knees.

"Your mother's cooking is always a delight," Genbu said, "so I'm going to have to insist on having the first bite."

"No fair!" Suzaku said. "I want to eat Mother's food first!"

Suzaku reached out, but his hands froze. Before him was not only the plate with the snack on it, but also a pistol. The pistol. The one he had used to kill his father.

"Suzaku?" Genbu spoke after a few moments. "What are you doing, Son? You know what to do, right? Take a bite."

Oh how Suzaku wanted to do just that, but no matter what, every time he reached out for the food, his hand never quite seemed to reach it.

"You know what to do, right?"

The same words, but an entirely different voice. Suzaku started, looking back, and found himself not on his father's lap, but on that of the doctor that he had seen conversing with his father.

"Be a good boy now, Suzaku-san, and pick up the gun."

Unbidden, Suzaku's hand shifted over, but before he could touch his weapon another voice called out.

"Suzaku!"

Again the boy started, though this time when he looked up he saw his father standing at the doorway.

"Stop, Son," Genbu implored.

"Don't listen to him," the doctor whispered into Suzaku's ear. "Do as I say, and pick up the gun."

"No, Suzaku," Genbu immediately protested. "Don't let him manipulate you! Break free of it, Son!"

Try as he might, Suzaku found that his hand was still drifting towards the weapon. Shakily, slowly, but inevitably so.

"I can't, Father," the boy said, tears welling up in his eyes. "I just, can't."

"You only can't if you give up," Genbu insisted.

Even so, the cold touch of metal was soon felt as Suzaku closed his hands around the gun. But if his father was at all disappointed at his failure, Genbu did not show it. He still looked determined, even confident, that Suzaku would prevail. Even as the gun rose to point in his direction.

"You are my son," Genbu said. "That by itself is everything you ever need to be to succeed. To win! So fight him, Suzaku!"

Suzaku grunted with effort, trying to force his hand down. Despite his will, despite the faith from his father, he found that he simply could not lower the gun. And yet, he could raise it higher. So high in fact that it flipped around, to point back at himself.

"Suzaku?" Genbu said, a look of even greater horror crossing his face. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, Father," Suzaku said, barely able to see the man through his soaked eyes, "but this is all I'm strong enough to do."

Genbu inhaled sharply, then held open his arms. "Then if that is the case, take my life, Son."

Suzaku's eyes widened, the shock finally seeing the gun stop. "Father?"

"If the price of your life is my own, then it is a price I gladly pay," Genbu said, somehow managing to offer a comforting smile. "What sort of father would I be if I offered anything less? So, take the shot, Suzaku. But afterward, live."

His hand was lowering again, lining up the gun directly at his father. Suzaku shook his head, desperate to stop this from happening. He screamed, cried out, pled for his father to run. Yet Genbu did nothin of the sort. Indeed he even began taking steps closer, as if to make sure Suzaku could not miss. Then, with both hands clasped around the gun, Suzaku's meager fingers squeezed down on the trigger.

Only a single shot rang out this time, but even that was enough to be fatal, for Suzaku had somehow managed to hit his father right in the heart. Genbu's clothes were quickly stained crimson as the blood came gushing it. Still, the man kept his smile on his face.

"Live, Son," he repeated. "Live."

Before dropping to his knees and toppling over. Suzaku stared at the sight in horror. He had done it again. He had killed his father yet again. Despite everything that had been tried, despite everything that everyone else had done for him, he still wasn't strong enough to break free. Was this to be his fate forever?

"Well done, Suzaku-san."

And yet, and yet. When he heard that sickening voice once more, another emotion stirred within Suzaku. One not of horror or sorrow, but pure, unadulterated rage. Looking back, Suzaku saw that smug smile and those heartless eyes peering through the glasses.

"Now, there is but one more thing for you to-"

He could move again. His arms, his legs, his hands, and feet. They were his again. Suzaku leapt off the doctor's lap and spun around, and it was not an untempered boy that now had a gun jammed in Sakurazuka's face. It was a young man, one who had undergone a true baptism under fire.

"For my father," Suzaku said, "and my mother!"

This time there was absolutely no hesitation as Suzaku pulled the trigger and emptied the entirety of the magazine into the doctor's head.

The steady, measured beaps from the EKG were a noticeably difference from the rapid tone that had sounded mere moments ago. Kaguya had felt her own heartrate jump up at the sound, but the Eden Vital sisters had remained stoically focused throughout it all. Taking what assurance she could from their lack of urgency, Kaguya waited, albeit impatiently, for them to announce their prognosis. Then when Suzaku's heartrate settled down once more, Kaguya immediate shot a hopeful look at Sancia.

The woman did not immediately respond, even frowning slightly as she worked her terminal. But as the moments passed, a relaxed demeanor returned to her expression as she looked at Kaguya, and smiled.

"The blockage has been cleared," Sancia declared.

Kaguya found her own smile considerably less subdued as she positively beamed at Sancia, then at Subaru. The latter mirrored her expression and nodded. Finally Kaguya looked over at the youth who was truly responsible for the victory today. Suzaku was still asleep, his chest rising and falling in time with his breaths. Yet somehow, he looked as if a great weight had indeed been lifted.

End of Chapter 54

There was a time when there was a risk that some people might have quibbled about how "realistic" the in-universe justifications the Chinese and Russian Federations used for invading Japan would be. This despite me being able to point to an example in 1938 wherein a certain European polity claimed that due to oppression of a certain ethnic group, they felt compelled to intervene with military force to protect them. Anyone that doesn't know what I'm talking about, I really recommend cracking open a history book on the Munich Crisis to get an understanding of the many failures committed by the western powers and how it set the stage for the most destructive war in human history.

Unfortunately, and I mean this wholeheartedly, I now have a much, much more recent example by which to point people to as to why the in-universe buildup I've been doing is entirely plausible, because the real-world Russian Federation has pretty much used the justification my fictional version has, play by play, to try to justify its invasion of Ukraine. A playbook which, as I noted above, was hardily original to me, and which has historical precedence with at least one other authoritarian nutjob. I am by no means happy to have such an example to turn to, and I sincerely hope that the rest of the narrative beats I have planned out do not end up mirroring events in the real world, if only because the real world does not have the sort of safeguards I've inserted into my story world to avert the possibility of outright nuclear Armageddon.

Now onto actual story notes.

Work related matters ultimately delayed my ability to work on this chapter, hence why it took so long to get out. The fact that there were a couple of tricky scenes also didn't help.

One of my bigger narrative regrets was to not slot in more examples of the type of work Euphemia has been performing since her public debut in Japan. Such examples are important because they serve to further draw a distinction between the canon Euphemia and my rendition of Euphemia in Meridian. Why is this distinction itself important? Because one of the problems with canon Euphemia was just how out of place her actions were relative to the sociopolitical environment of the story. The writers clearly wanted to put Euphemia basically on a pedestal to make her fate all the more tragic. There is nothing inherently wrong with that goal, it's a very common approach used by writers in general. The catch however is if done poorly, you risk having the opposite effect and alienating readers from the very character you want them to empathize, or sympathize, with.

Canon Euphemia tends to evoke pretty strong reactions either for or against, with little middle ground. My belief is that a good chunk of this is because a lot of the things she tried to do shouldn't have had the effect they did, and that they work to the extent they do is one of the factors that turns narrative consistency in Code Geass into a bramble. Some viewers were more forgiving of that disruption, but a lot of us were not. And seeing as one of my goals is to have a cohesive, consistent narrative, I absolutely cannot have Euphemia getting away with the things she did in canon. This is why early on I had Lelouch basically put his foot down and impose such stringent conditions on Euphemia if she wanted to remain in Japan. For all intents and purposes, Euphemia was living under close to house arrest conditions before her security screen was properly beefed up.

At the same time, I still have a narrative reason for why I bothered to have Euphemia drop by Japan in the first place. And no, it's not to mirror her appearance in canon. That mirroring is a consequence, not the cause, of her showing up. But to properly justify the narrative role I gave her, I need to actually establish the background that supports that role. Euphemia participating in various hearts and minds events, and being constrained to doing just such events, is supposed to provide that support. That I then didn't show such events was a fumble on my part, partially because, as I've mentioned before, all of this is first draft quality. If I were actually iterating on drafts, I would have gone back and inserted at least one other scene of Euphemia doing these sorts of visits.

Even with the above issues though, I would hope I've made damn clear that my version of Euphemia is not the canon Euphemia that somehow traded her almost certainly politically infeasible right to the throne for that half-cocked Special Administration Zone. I might go into all the issues with that particular plot point another day, but suffice it to say, I was not a fan of the approach the writers took with that development, for either the narrative or Euphemia's character. It's why when I made Euphemia the main character in Calculus, I had a literal list of things that she was not to do specifically to make sure there could be no mistaking Calculus Euphemia for canon Euphemia. A good portion of that list also applies to Meridian Euphemia.

Suzaku faced similar problems as Euphemia. Due to a case of rather severe cultural dissonance, the Suzaku that was portrayed in canon by the Japanese writers did a lot of things that made him unintentionally unsympathetic when viewed from a more western context. While there were significant parts of his background that could make him extremely sympathetic, the trajectory that his part in the story took ultimately undermined any reason for a lot of viewers to feel sympathetic for him. That he also kept getting put into positions to further compound his errors also significantly undermined the credibility of the characters that kept trusting him despite his previous track record.

I have nothing against Suzaku as a person, even if I dislike intensely his character. I also have absolutely no use for his character as it was in canon, hence why I've been systematically maneuvering him into a role that does not fall into the sort of traps his canon counterpart did. Suzaku is never going to be a Rounds in my story, nor is he ever going to be handed command of a carrier task force that he can then proceed to lose and not get shitcanned for. But he can still play a useful role as a highly competent knightmare pilot for those set piece battles that I'm planning for the future, as well as a compatriot amongst the core cast of characters. And a case study in how to write him in a way as to not aggrandize all of his canon flaws can be an interesting exercise in and of itself.