Interlude: Euphemia li Britannia & Nunnally vi Britannia
I've never written like, an depth look at a character like this, so tell me what you think.
This chapter is divided into three parts- Euphemia, Nunnally, and a dialogue between them. I didn't want to basically type down the conversation twice and only explain one of each character's train of thought each time.
Euphemia was unusually well traveled- she had seen London, of course, but she had seen parts of the world the average Britannian had barely heard of. She had dined with her brother Clovis on the Cape of Good Hope, she had seen the flowing Ganges from a palace in Delhi, she had even stayed in Batavia Castle, a fort in previously Dutch Jakarta.
Of course, she had seen very little of the world outside of palaces, other than the occasional royal forest or other area that was carefully cordoned- Cornelia couldn't have her running into the common folk, after all. Euphemia could understand why Cornelia was so focused on keeping her locked away from the outside world, not that it made Euphemia feel any better.
Cornelia was understandably protective of her, especially in areas where Britannian rule was recently established. Resentment against Britannia was not uncommon, and the royal family was as close to a personification of Britannian rule as was possible. The Cape was a little better, given the sheer size of the Pendragon palatial complex, but gilding her cage didn't make it any less restrictive.
Euphemia's opinion on Britannian's rampant colonialism was negative. In theory, there was something noble about a true civilizing mission, genuinely trying to raise another nation up, improve their people's lot in life and constructing good institutions. She believed that nobility obliged, and that those with the power and wealth to change the world should use it to help others, but that wasn't what Britannia was doing.
It was exploitation covered by a facade of generosity, and she disagreed with the violent conquests that led up to that exploitation as well. She abhored violence, but she could see that there were times when it was necessary- when a despot was too powerful and too cruel, when the application of force would save lives, when war was just- but Britannia didn't fall into that category.
Cornelia didn't have the same qualms, but Euphemia thought that the patriotism and love of country that drove Cornelia to battle was for an idealized version of Britannia as opposed to the nobility that filled the court. Her disdain for the politicking of the court was well known, and the further away she and Euphemia were from London, the better.
Italy was definitely a change of pace from her previous destinations, and seeing Lelouch and Nunnally was wonderful after six years. Nunnally was just as sweet as she remembered, and handled her disability with grace, but Lelouch was the real shock. For Euphemia, Cornelia had always been Cornelia, she had always played a role in the military and on the battlefield, and even if traveling with her sister to the far corners of the world was a change in pace, Cornelia going into the military wasn't surprising.
Lelouch had a brilliant strategic mind, but until Euphemia stepped foot on Venice, land won by Lelouch's soldiers and his strategies, did she start realizing that her brother's strategic mind could reshape the world and win battles instead of games of chess. Cornelia had always been Cornelia, but Lelouch went from her childhood playmate to a conqueror, with nothing in between. She still loved her brother, but Lelouch the strategist and statesman was a different person than he was six years ago.
Euphemia had seen (or at least caught a glimpse of) many cities, but Venice was still a novel experience, a city on a lagoon, divided into portions by a series of canals. The smaller canals were bridged, but the wider canal that snaked through a majority of the city was instead tended by a number of gondolas which cut through the water of the lagoon.
After some needling, she managed to get the guards Cornelia left behind, along with Sayoko, to escort her around the city, and while she was sure she looked a little silly gawking at each and everything thing she came across, the whole thing was so novel. The people seemed nice enough, or at least that was the impression she gathered, even if it was filtered through Sayoko's translation and impacted by the presence of armed guards. The city was dotted with beautiful cathedrals, charming squares, and wonderful architecture, but she found herself attracted to the houses and the people.
After an interesting day out on the town, she came back home to eat dinner with Nunnally in the Doge's Palace, and they talked as the sun began to set.
Nunnally vi Britannia was used to being left out of things, unfortunately. Her disabilities meant that she was limited, that there were certain things she literally couldn't do, or could only do with external help. Lelouch and Sayoko took great pains to adjust their lives around her, and she was grateful to both of them for all that they did. Whether in Palermo, Rome, or Venice, steps had to be taken- palaces were so rarely built with wheelchairs in mind after all, and even if Lloyd's wheelchair design meant she could move around by herself, she was dependent on others to interact with the world.
She felt so powerless sometimes, when Lelouch left her behind with Sayoko to go out fight. He told her it was for her sake, to make sure that she was safe, to make sure that the royal court could never interfere with their lives again- and she was sure Lelouch genuinely believed it. She missed him greatly and wished they could simply be a family without the rest of the world caring, but she wasn't so lucky. The world seemed determined to make life difficult for the both of them, and Lelouch seemed to determined to change it.
Before Lelouch sailed to Genoa to start his conquest of Italy, she realized something was going on. Lelouch was very open about Sicily's administration with Nunnally, and would often sit down with her to discuss the country, its rolling hills and splendid orchards. Perhaps he was trying to make up for her isolation in the palace, to give her some idea of what Sicily was like, but she got very good at discerning details from those records. It wasn't like there was much else to think about, other than Sayoko's origami, and she started to realize that Lelouch was plotting something, pouring money into the military and going out for drills. Of course, he could have just been preparing for the unrest that would follow Emperor Napoleon's death, but she had a feeling her brother was aiming for something bigger.
When Lelouch sailed off, she couldn't help but worry about his health, and only keeping up with him through newspapers she couldn't even read by herself was frustrating. She was hoping for his success, of course, but mainly to see Lelouch again. Through Sayoko's voice she heard of the speeches Lelouch gave, the eager volunteers and eventually the battle he fought against Beauharnais in Tuscany.
His invasion of Italy made his interest in Italian politics and continental newspapers make a lot more sense, and Nunnally cottoned onto what he was planning days after he left, considering that the cause behind his departure was Napoleon's death.
Nunnally did fulfill Lelouch's role as Viceroy while he was gone, and Nunnally was sure he imagined that she would just sit down and let the parliament run the country until he could come back home and check on her. Admittedly, she was blind, which definitely hampered her ability to do paperwork, but if anyone noticed that all the signatures and edicts were written in Sayoko's handwriting, no one mentioned it. It was certainly satisfying to be doing something, even if the island basically managed itself.
She had issues with making public appearances like Lelouch did, but with a little help from Sayoko she could take limited trips- she visited the parliament occasionally, which had been moved from the Norman palace quite a long time ago for rather obvious reasons- even if she would occasionally need a ramp to go up stairwells. The men of the parliament were kind enough, although Nunnally wasn't sure how much of that was due to their loyalty to Lelouch or her own charms and how much was due to the bribes Lelouch gave them.
She was under the distinct impression that they were indulging the sister of the man who paid them whenever she spoke with them, but interacting with anyone outside of the Palace was enjoyable. Talking to the parliament gave her a better idea of what life in Sicily was like, and she was determined to do her best for the Sicilian people while her brother was gone.
The most obvious step, at least for her, was charity. She was fortunate enough that she had people around her who could help her manage her disabilities, but there were so many people who didn't have her luck and fortune. Putting money into things like soup kitchens was one fairly simple way to help alleviate suffering as best she could in the cities.
Lelouch's return to Sicily was a relief, and news of his dominion over Italy was… interesting. It seemed to make Lelouch happy, which was good enough for Nunnally, although their move to Rome was a surprise. Of course, it was worth it to stay close to Lelouch, even if she had to relearn her surroundings twice, for their first move into Rome and then into the Quirinal Palace.
Rome was fine enough, she supposed, although the cholera scare that followed shortly after their arrival wasn't. Her father did visit between their move to Rome and the news of cholera, but he didn't visit Nunnally and was only in Italy for business and a visit to mother's grave (or so Lelouch told her), so it was barely a footnote in her mind, especially considering the news of cholera.
She was in one of the best positions in the world to avoid the disease, and while she wanted to help, like so many other things it evolved into Lelouch's own battle, not something that his beloved little sister should be worrying about.
The move to Venice to negotiate with the Danubians was yet another move, which Nunnally did her best to work around. Her brother's duties brought him all across Italy, and she could tolerate bumping into furniture and walls for a few days if it meant she was still close to Lelouch.
While Italy was more Lelouch's passion than hers, she still wanted to help, and even if she was limited, not being able to do anything to help her brother while he was away felt more limiting than her disabilities.
Euphemia and Cornelia were wonderful, and their company made the winter much better, even if the looming promise of another campaign was disquieting. Of course, stopping piracy was a noble thing that Nunnally did think should be done- but some small part of her complained that Lelouch was the one who had to do it. When Cornelia and Lelouch left for North Africa, at least she had Euphemia for company, although her presence didn't help patch her feeling of powerlessness.
Eventually, Euphemia managed to convince Sayoko and her guards to let her explore the city, and afterwards Euphemia and Nunnally sat down to talk over supper.
"How was Venice?" Nunnally sent a smile Euphemia's way, and while it would make good small talk she was also interested in what the city was like, considering how little she knew about it and Italy as a whole.
"Oh, it was wonderful. There was something so interesting about walking the streets, seeing the people- Cornelia was so protective, and that meant I was stuck in palaces, maybe with a courtyard if I was lucky."
"So what did you do while you waited? I'd like some inspiration." Folding paper cranes was a stopgap, something that she could throw herself into and loose herself in- the folding of the paper, the patterns- there was an art to it, but an art she mastered quickly, and months alone was more than enough time to bring the count up to a thousand.
"I'd read sometimes, or walk around the courtyards when the chance presented itself. Sometimes I would talk to the staff, but Cornelia's reputation usually scared most of them off. There was also a lot of sitting around." That was always fun- some maid would work up the courage to talk with her, only to be spooked when Cornelia came thundering in (not that the friendship would last much longer, considering that Cornelia was going to drag her off to somewhere else).
"Have you ever wanted to do more?" Because there was nothing Nunnally wanted more.
"More? Like, seeing more of the world?"
"Like… helping manage things while Cornelia was gone. Lelouch left me to hold down the fort in Sicily while he was in Italy, and it was better than just sitting around like we are now. It felt like I was doing something, anything, to help."
"I suppose, but Cornelia keeps me cooped up in palaces…" She hadn't worked up the courage to break out or anything crazy like that, considering how risky wandering around would be if it wasn't in a Britannian district, but she was tired of being locked up to wile away the hours.
"It may sound a little straightforward, but have you tried talking to her about it?" Of course, Nunnally hadn't talked to Lelouch about her opinions, but…
"Well, I suppose I haven't." Euphemia was staring at Nunnally, not that her sister could tell. Her sister (well, this sister) had already taken up so much responsibility, and while Euphemia knew her numbers, she couldn't imagine running an entire state. "How did you do it? Ruling Sicily, I mean."
"Well a lot of the finer details were handled by the Parliament, but I was already familiar. Lelouch had been talking records with me for months by that point. After that, it was just getting Sayoko to do the reading and writing for me."
And Cornelia… didn't trust Euphemia with anything. Sure, Euphemia could admit that she wouldn't take well to a military education of the sort that Cornelia could provide, and her sister didn't have the same skills in statecraft and stewardship that Lelouch managed to share with Nunnally. However, there had to have been something, right? Logistics, maybe? Would Cornelia have arranged for education if she asked? "I'd like to help, but I'm not sure if I know how…"
"Then maybe I can explain it to you? Cornelia might be uncomfortable with giving you authority if she wasn't sure you could handle it. Maybe you just need to prove yourself."
The original title for this was going to be Euphemia & The City of Canals or something similar, but then I decided to expand the scope of the chapter a little bit to include Nunnally. For any fans of Schneizel there's a bit of his perspective in the next chapter.
Euphemia and Nunnally are such interesting characters. I know I say that about a lot of characters, but maybe it's because I can see potential in them now that I've started writing. Of course, they play a large part in driving their respective siblings, but they've both got drive which is something I hope to look at here. I may not have an exact equivalent to the Black Knights, but Euphemia and Nunnally can be more than just ingenues- integral parts of Team Lelouch. Of course, I say they're gaining agency and then slot them into a role assisting Lelouch, but it's more than just being an emotional driver, the fuel in their sibling's engines, so to speak.