Conspicuous Gallantry

By Lord Raa

Disclaim-me-do: It's never alright to film a person without their consent. Let alone when they are naked.

Chapter 6

Sayoko Shinozaki crept along the corridor to Lelouch's room, her heart racing as she felt the illicit thrill of sneaking into a young man's room. Taking a deep breath, the maid steeled herself for what was to come.

Using all of her skills, she silently opened the door to Lelouch's room. Idly, her thoughts turned to how her teachers wouldn't approve of how she was putting their lessons to use, but then they weren't here and they weren't about to enjoy an intimate encounter with a young Adonis.

The maid was greeted by the sight of the shirtless Lelouch performing a light workout. The young Britannian was completing a set of sit-ups and about to change to push-ups when he noticed that he wasn't alone.

"I'll be with you in a minute," the muscular youth said, focusing on the last part of his exercise routine. "My workout's nearly finished."

Ten push-ups later, Lelouch now paid his visitor full attention. He wasn't surprised that Sayoko was wearing her uniform; it seemed like it was armour for her. With it, she could take on the world.

"So, what brings you to my room at this hour, Sayoko-san?"

"Y-you," the maid blushed. Her earlier bravado had evaporated at some point between her entering the room and Lelouch finishing his workout. It seemed strange that for a young man with no experience with women, Lelouch had a confident aura that made her think of a tiger that knew it had the upper hand as it toyed with its prey.

"Me? What could I possibly have that you want?" Lelouch asked with a smile.

"M-my panties," Sayoko answered, lifting the hem of her uniform to reveal that she was wearing nothing under the dress.

"Oh my… That's highly inappropriate attire, I think you should be punished…" the prince smirked. "Come here."

The Japanese woman swallowed nervously, but followed her instructions. She wasn't sure if this was what she expected or wanted to happen, but it excited her nonetheless.

Lelouch patted his lap. "You've been a naughty girl, Sayoko-san. Naughty girls get spanked."

"Y-yes, Master Lelouch…"

The maid assumed the position over Lelouch's lap. She could feel the dress of her uniform being lifted up to reveal her shapely buttocks. The was a light slap, one that was louder than it was painful.

"So very naughty," Lelouch commented as he ran his fingers over the naked flesh of his maid. Thick digits slipped between Sayoko's thighs and discovered a sudden wetness. "Are you excited by this, Sayoko-san?"

"N-no…"

There was another slap. Again, it was louder than it was painful.

"Don't you lie to me. Ever."

"S-sorry, Master Lelouch," Sayoko bowed her head.

Lelouch lifted the woman up so he could look her in the eye. "Consider the following: You know who I am, but you don't know what I'm capable of. Are you sure that you want to continue? There will be no turning back, you will become more than my maid…"

Sayoko stared into the eyes of the man she was sitting on. He was a powerful man, both physically and politically. His true identity would be revealed, likely sooner rather than later. There would be pressure for him to abandon her for someone more suitable.

But if Lelouch was to become emperor, he would follow in his father's footsteps and have a harem of consorts to satisfy all manner of political commitments. Cementing an alliance was one thing, but could there be room in Lelouch's heart for love?

"D-do you love me?"

Outside Lelouch's room, C.C. was peering through the keyhole. The young man had cast a spell on the immortal woman, sparking long dormant desires in her.

Yes, C.C. had felt her heart flutter before around certain kinds of men, but Lelouch was different. Strong, handsome, smart and with enough drive to attain what would be an impossible goal for anyone else, Lelouch vi Britannia was the kind of man that every girl dreamed of. A literal prince charming that could give her the world.

The green-haired woman sensed that she wasn't alone and turned to see that Nunnally was standing over her.

"Are you looking for something in particular, or are you just a voyeur hoping to see my brother changing?"

C.C. knew that she could likely bluff her way out of this, since Nunnally's Geass wouldn't work on her, but as a little sister, Nunnally would always have the ear of Lelouch. A few words from her into Lelouch's ear, and a girl's chances with him would be forever ruined. No, this would require a more deft touch.

"I…" the immortal woman's attempts at explaining why she was there were interrupted by the sounds of intimacy coming from the room.

Nunnally pushed C.C. out the way and took up the position to peek at what was going on in her brother's room. Her eyes widened as she saw Lelouch tear off Sayoko's uniform.

When it was clear that Sayoko was now naked, the brunette's mouth opened. "S-Sayoko, how could you…"

Just like in Sayoko's fantasies, Lelouch was taking her, claiming her as his. The prince had effortlessly rendered Sayoko's uniform into rags with a single motion, exposing the maid's pert breasts. He moved in and took a breast into his mouth, his attention making Sayoko moan and writhe in pleasure.

"S-such a beast…" the maid moaned as strong hands explored her body.

"You belong to a beast?" Lelouch smirked before lifting Sayoko off his lap and positioning her so he could fuck her doggy style.

"Y-yes… I'm yours, Master Lelouch!" Sayoko called out as she felt the thick shaft of her lover slide into her womanhood. "Fuck me! Use me! Fill me with your seed!"

"You really think you're worthy of having my child?!" Lelouch demanded as he thrust into the maid. "You think you're the only woman I'm going to fuck?"

"N-no…" the Japanese woman grunted. "I… I'm only one of many!"

"Correct," the prince said, punctuating his comment with particularly deep thrust. "Who else should I claim as part of my harem of beautiful women?"

"Aaah! Aah!" was all the maid could vocalise in response from the pounding she was getting from Lelouch. She could feel her climax rapidly approaching.

"G-gonna.. AAAAAHH!"

Lelouch smirked as he felt Sayoko twitch and convulse around his cock. "You are a good girl, aren't you, Sayoko-chan?"

Sayoko lay panting on Lelouch's bed, sweaty and sated from the best sex of her life. If Lelouch was making her feel that good on his first time, then what about when he'd gained experience? 'Not sure I could take that…'

The sound of the door closing attracted Lelouch's attention. "Who's there?"

The only response was the sound of someone scrambling to get away. The prince thought about chasing after them, but decided it was better to not know who'd been spying on him. No, he would be better served by taking a little nap. He was suddenly feeling a little sleepy, and Sayoko looked like she wanted to be held by him.

C.C. and Nunnally retreated to Nunnally's room, with the princess not sure how she felt about what Lelouch had done with Sayoko.

To C.C. it was clear that Lelouch was his father's son, so it was only natural that he would have a prodigious sexual appetite. Add in the effects of possessing a Geass, and there was little doubt that Lelouch vi Britannia would have a small army of consorts. Hell, she half expected that he'd be able to replenish the ranks of the Britannian army with his children alone.

Nunnally was glad that her kind and gentle older brother had finally had an awakening, but that it had been with Sayoko was a little disappointing. Sure, there were far worse women that could have gotten to Lelouch first, but for Sayoko to betray her like that still stung.

She turned to see that C.C. was looking into the middle distance. "So…"

"Your brother… He's not shy of exercise, is he?" the green-haired woman asked, a small smile on her face.

"No… He always does at least 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups and 100 squats every day. He runs ten kilometres a day, too."

C.C. nodded. 'I wonder if he ever works out naked?'

"My brother… He… Sayoko-san… They… I wanted…" the princess fumbled for words.

That Nunnally would want to sleep with her brother made perfect sense to C.C. A man like Lelouch would cast a long shadow wherever he went and with whatever he did. He doted on his sister. How could a boy at school ever compete with Lelouch's kindness or his physicality?

As a benchmark for masculinity, Lelouch vi Britannia would either inspire others to greatness or be a target for pathetic jealous types who hated that they never had the motivation or capability to improve themselves.

C.C. smiled and embraced Nunnally. Her eyes bulged when she felt the breasts of the young girl against her chest. While buxom enough to give her confidence in her femininity, the immortal woman felt as flat as a board in comparison to the younger vi Britannia sibling.

For a delicate young princess, Nunnally had the chest of a much more mature woman.

For a brief moment, C.C. felt jealous of the brunette she was embracing. She frowned when she recognised the feeling, ashamed that she was as petty as the people who would try to tear down Lelouch for being naturally better than they were.

"We'll get our turn, don't you worry. A man like Lelouch has appetites that a single woman can't hope to fulfil. You'll just have to learn to share, that's all."

"But… I…" Nunnally sighed. "You're right. How do we get him to accept us?"

"It's not something that'll happen overnight, but with a little persuasion we can make it into his harem," the green-haired woman smiled.

Villetta Nu scowled at the traitorous Eleven that was being charged with the assassination of the Viceroy. Discontent from a conquered people was one thing, but how could he betray them like this?

She turned to Jeremiah Gottwald. "Has he confessed yet?"

"No, he's still claiming that he's innocent," Gottwald replied. "Not that we need his confession. The court will quickly convict him and he'll be executed regardless."

There was a pause before he followed up with a question about another matter. "Have you made any progress with your investigation?"

"Nothing concrete," the Knightmare Frame pilot replied. "The records on one 'Lelouch Lamperouge' are incomplete to say the least. But if you look at this picture from the Ashford Academy's records, you'd be hard pressed to come up with an alternative conclusion."

"If you roll the genetic dice often enough, you're bound to have the same result come up eventually," Gottwald remarked. He took a look at the offered image, idly noting that this was a handsome young man, but… "Wait a minute…"

The more that the Margrave examined the photo, the more that he saw the similarities between the student and the Emperor Charles zi Britannia. Not just physical build, but also the facial structure.

"This is his sister, Nunnally," Villetta added, handing over another two photographs.

The first image was of a smiling brunette. She looked like she could have been the missing princess, but similarities in facial structure were not conclusive proof of being genetic relations. The next image had the two children together.

Lelouch was towering above his sister as they stood side by side. If Nunnally's smile had been bright in the first photo, it was positively radiant in the second. It looked like her cheeks would hurt from smiling just from being next to her brother.

Jeremiah frowned for a moment. Could it be that Nunnally had romantic feelings for her brother? Such closeness between siblings, be the step, half or full blood, were not uncommon in large royal families. In some cases, it was even encouraged despite the dangers.

Well-bred was not a million miles from inbred, after all.

No, if Lelouch was the missing prince, he would require a suitable bride, one who wasn't a child or shared a large amount of his DNA.

Gottwald cast a glance at his subordinate. Villetta Nu was a strikingly beautiful woman, one who had harboured dreams of upward social mobility both for her and any children she had. Marrying a prince was certainly a step on that path.

And who knew, maybe there would be a display of gratitude if he introduced the prince to his bride?

"Villetta, I cannot approve of you telling Princess Euphemia that we've found her brother, but if you stress that you've found a lead, you may inform her and Princess Cornelia. Ensure that their expectations are at a suitable level, is that clear?"

"Crystal, sir. I'll draft the message for your approval now, sir," Villetta saluted.

The announcement that a suspect in the murder of Viceroy Clovis la Britannia had been apprehended made Lelouch curious. He knew full well that this person was innocent, but the blame being placed on another could prove useful in his scheme to get to the bottom of what happened to his mother.

The television continued the news broadcast.

"¬The suspect, named as Suzaku Kururugi, an Eleven, was formally charged with the murder of the late Viceroy, Prince Clovis la Britannia.¬"

"Suzaku Kururugi?" Lelouch repeated. "I knew a Suzaku back before the…"

The news showed the mugshot of Suzaku, making the exiled prince stand up in shock.

"Holy shit!" he exclaimed.

"Master Lelouch?" Sayoko asked, looking up from pouring the morning tea.

"I… I know that guy!" the muscular young man said, pointing at the image of a forlorn looking young Japanese man.

"¬Suzaku Kururugi, the son of the last Prime Minister of Japan, Genbu Kururugi, is thought to have committed this atrocity as an act of revenge.¬"

"His father… No, that's…" Lelouch shook his head. There was something very wrong with this, and not just because he knew that Suzaku was innocent of this crime. The Empire was clearly setting him up to be the scapegoat, framing an innocent man just to tidy things up.

Lelouch had to act, he had to prevent this miscarriage of justice. How could he say that he was creating a better world for Nunnally if he allowed this travesty to pass? He'd be no better than the decadent monsters he left back in Pendragon.

C.C. could see that her future lover was planning something. "Lelouch, I… I think we need to have a private conversation…"

"What?"

"I might be able to help you," the green-haired woman said.

"Yes, you're right… We'll talk in my room. Sayoko-san, you and Nunnally stay downstairs. What we're discussing isn't for your ears. This is to keep you safe, understand?"

"Yes, Master Lelouch," the maid nodded.

Nunnally frowned, but agreed. "Promise me that you'll tell me one day."

"When the time is right, I will."

It was a hastily prepared costume, but with the addition of a voice changer, it concealed Lelouch's identity. Well, as well as any disguise could hide his large frame.

"How do I look?" he asked C.C.

The dark fabric and black helmet gave Lelouch an incredibly intimidating appearance, like he was some kind of villain in a gothic horror tale.

The green-haired woman nodded in approval. "Perfect. Now, what are you going to do about Suzaku?"

"I'm going to confess to the killing of the Viceroy and expose the corruption of the Britannians for the world to see."

"And after your confession, what then?"

"I will humiliate the Britannian army on live television. Their cowardice will be on display for the world to see. And then, others will be inspired to strike back against their oppressors," Lelouch announced, holding his hand out towards C.C..

The green-haired woman nodded, convinced that Lelouch was indeed the man she needed to fulfil her dreams of shedding her curse of immortality. She knew it was selfish of her to treat him like that, but he would be suitably compensated.

As Lelouch dramatically spread out his cape, revealing a tight-fitting black outfit that highlighted his impressive physique, C.C. wondered why was it suddenly getting rather warm in the room.

C.C.'s mind started to wander, what if instead of a vaguely heroic outfit, Lelouch was wearing a well-tailored suit under that cape? What if they were taking an evening stroll in a park? And what if, on this stroll, she had a "wardrobe malfunction" and he protected her modesty by shrouding her with his cape?

Naturally, she'd have to stand close to him, pressing her body against his. There was no sense in making this more difficult than it had to be.

Yes, the more C.C. thought about it, the more she liked the idea of her elegant, yet sexy gown failing in front of Lelouch. She'd have to look into what his favourite colour was, but she could picture the kind of dress that would be only a stiff breeze away from giving him quite the show.

"So, do you know how to contact the rebels?"

"Hmm? What? Sorry, could you repeat the question?" C.C. had the good grace to look slightly embarrassed.

"Do you know how to contact the rebels? I will require some backup for this mission."

"Yes. But…"

"But what?" Lelouch asked.

"They might not come. Many of the rebels see Honorary Britannians as traitors," C.C. answered.

"Understandable, but perhaps the injustice of seeing an innocent Japanese man being executed will spur them into action."

That evening, the convoy that transported Suzaku Kururugi was winding through the streets of Tokyo in a televised broadcast. The Britannian Army had been ordered to make a show of their power to the public as they paraded their prisoner to the airport for extradition.

Suddenly, the convoy was stopped on the bridge by an abandoned car.

"¬What's this?¬" a news anchor asked. There was a pause before he spoke again, this time with a sense of panic in his voice. "¬There's a bomb in the car on the bridge!¬"

There was a camera crew on the ground, and a long-haired man called Diethard Ried spotted something out of the ordinary. He directed his camera up, towards one of the supports for the bridge that had delayed the convoy.

"What is that? Is that a man?" he asked rhetorically. He zoomed in and saw a crouched figure dressed in dark clothing. A second later, the figure stood up. "It is a man!"

The news anchor was stunned. Why was a man standing up on the support of a bridge? Why now? What was his message?

"¬Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,¬" the figure greeted through a radio signal that overrode everything there. "¬I'm here to tell you all something so very important.¬"

Diethard focused the camera on the figure. It was clearly a tall man, but the helmet and voice changer obscured his identity.

"¬For too long, the corruption of the Britannian empire has infected this beautiful world of ours. I cannot allow their history of injustice to go unpunished any longer!¬" The figure gestured to the assembled soldiery. "¬The Britannians would have you believe that Suzaku Kururugi was the one responsible for the death of Clovis la Britannia, but it was me, Zero!¬"

"Zero?" Diethard asked. There was something about this 'Zero' person that was intriguing.

"¬I, Zero, demand that you release Suzaku Kururugi immediately!¬"

The commanding officer of the convoy emerged from his armoured car and stood on its roof, a loudhailer in hand. It was Jeremiah Gottwald. "You are in no position to demand anything from us! Stand down and face justice!"

"¬Justice? From you? The cowards who would execute an innocent man to hide your incompetence? I'd laugh in your faces if it wasn't so sickening!¬" Zero sneered down at the soldiers.

One of the army's vehicles pointed its weapons at Zero.

"This is your last chance, 'Zero'! Come down here and face justice or be destroyed!" Gottwald demanded.

Zero laughed loudly, mocking the soldiers. "¬Consider the following: Would I stand up here, in a precarious position if I didn't have a plan to get out of here alive? Think, Britannian, think!¬"

Diethard's camera captured the way Zero was gesturing to his temples. "He's got a point," he said.

It was then that the sides of a truck opened up and a spherical object was revealed.

"¬This is the weapon that the rebels stole! I wonder how many of you Britannians it will kill?¬" the masked figure asked in a mocking tone. "¬Release Kururugi or you'll all die here.¬"

The Britannian soldiers started to look at each other. They'd been told that the rebels had recently stolen a chemical weapon. The idea of having their skin melted off was not very appealing.

One of the soldiers banged on the door of the van that was carrying Suzaku. "Open up, release the prisoner."

"But…"

"You want to have your nervous system dissolved by a chemical weapon?"

"N-no…"

There was a muffled conversation inside the van before the door opened and Suzaku Kururugi was pushed out.

The Japanese youth was hoisted to his feet by the soldier who'd ordered his release. "Nani?"

"Silence, Eleven!"

Zero looked down as the prisoner was escorted to the front of the convoy. "¬Good to see that you're not all corrupt idiots.¬"

The stand-off on the bridge was becoming increasingly tense as Suzaku was escorted to the car that had stopped traffic.

Several of the soldiers were itching to shoot at Zero. He was a very tempting target for them.

Three masked rebels grabbed Suzaku and carried him off to their own van.

"¬I believe that my work here is done. Farewell, Orange. I couldn't have done this without you…¬"

"O-o-o-orange?" Gottwald asked, spluttering with rage. "I have never seen you before!"

"¬How can you be so cold, old friend?¬" Zero asked with a surprisingly well-feigned sincerity. A large hand gestured to the spherical device. "¬After all, without you, I wouldn't have been able to get this weapon.¬"

"I…" Jeremiah Gottwald collapsed on the roof of his armoured car.

"¬You will take care of him, won't you?¬" Zero asked. He jumped down from his vantage point, his descent apparently heading into the water. Seconds later, the sound of a speedboat pulling away at full throttle was heard.

"He definitely had help with all of this…" Diethard commented as he recorded the departing figure.

The van that Suzaku had been bundled into sped away, leaving the Britannian Army red-faced with embarrassment.

Back in the news studio, several questions were being asked. Who was this Zero person? What was his goal? Had the Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald betrayed his oath to the Empire?

As he sped away to safety, Lelouch allowed himself a smile. He'd thrown the gauntlet down and now the only question was how would his father react to such a challenge?

In Pendragon, Emperor Charles zi Britannia watched the broadcast from the attempted extradition. He cocked his head to one side as he considered this 'Zero' person. It was an electronically modified voice, but the swagger he displayed made the Emperor believe that it was a very confident man.

'Could it be…' he wondered. Had his ungrateful wretch of a son resurfaced in Area 11? If so, what of his daughter, Nunnally?

Lelouch had always doted on his little sister. She was his world to him, and when she'd been hurt during the assassination of their mother, Lelouch had demanded to know what was going to do about it. How could the most powerful man on the planet allow gunmen into his home to kill his consort and injure his child?

That had been a confidence that very few of his other children had displayed, certainly none of the others had at that age.

"I'm being challenged," Charles said, the ghost of a smile forming on his lips. He turned to his secretary. "Tell my personal physician that I want to see him first thing tomorrow morning."

"Of course, your Majesty," the aide bowed respectfully. "But if it's important, I can summon him immediately."

"No, that won't be necessary," the Emperor said. "Not unless you fail to carry out my orders. Then you will be the one needing medical attention!"

"O-of course, your Majesty," the aide bowed obsequiously and did as he was told.

Schneizel el Britannia looked at his father. There had been a change in his body language and there was something different about him now. He hadn't seen this kind of energy in the Emperor for a long, long time. 'Not since he married Marianne…'

"Father?"

"All in good time, Schneizel, all in good time. Your task is to investigate Gottwald. Find out if he really is a traitor or if this is just some attempt at misdirection. Odysseus?"

"Yes, Father?"

"Get me Cornelia, I have a new assignment for her."

To be continued…