Chapter 18: What's Beneath a Mask?

...Sakuradite was my teen love project. I studied every aspect of it, until I wrote a glorious paper on the connection between the physical properties of sakuradite and kinetic energy. My boyhood fancy of robots compelled me to postulate its use in robotics in the afterword. A tiny note that changed the world. I'll attach a copy of the paper for your leisure.

Nunnally Burn read my article. She was a couple years ahead of me and working with silicon. Unfortunately, unlike me, she was not the heir of a prestigious noble family who funded their son's eccentric projects. She was a self-taught commoner, yet understood my work. I never realized the untapped market of intelligence until she sent me a letter. She had read my paper, my afterword, and then postulated the incorporation of silicon, which she believed would be unaffected by an energy grid powered by sakuradite. It was ambitious and I asked to meet her.

She included a rough outline of how a sakuradite robot could work as an afterthought. She just wanted to visualize what I postulated. It wasn't anything serious although I wrote down improvements regardless. The greatest piece of technology that would ever be made, and it was an afterthought in a conversation between strangers.

—Excerpt from a letter from Reuben Ashford

JLF Base, Narita Mountains, Area 11

Tohdoh, carrying a bulging folder of paperwork, entered his office: a glorious hole in the ground. A wire from outside the room, stretched along the ceiling to a lone light swung lazily in the middle. His heart jumped and the folder nearly slipped out of his hands, as Sayoko stepped out of the corner, bowing. She waited for him patiently as he set down the folder on the fine desk that some poor recruit had to have dragged from the former Japanese military base. Sitting on the crate that had been repurposed as a chair, Tohdoh finally turned to Sayoko. "What do you have for me?"

She pulled out a much smaller folder and set it down on his desk, then stood rigidly, awaiting new orders.

Tohdoh slid the folder open and flipped it open and stared at the various surveillance photos, some of prolific men. "Anyone of particular interest here?"

Dutifully, she recalled, "I finally found some dirt on Lord Ashford who has illegally acquired art pieces, but considering the viceroy's passion for art, it would mildly inconvenience him at best."

"Something to be tabled until Prince Clovis is no longer the viceroy. Perhaps more, illegal activities?"

She nodded. "Of course. There are rumors of a new drug... to make Numbers more compliant. I believe Earl Seymour is purchasing it in bulk and have discovered evidence," she reached out to to turn over one of the papers and revealed nauseating surveillance pictures, "that he is kidnapping Numbers and claiming them as subordinates. When they try to escape, he claims they betrayed him and cut out their tongues."

Something felt vaguely familiar regarding the punishment. "And what would Britannia's response be?"

"The Shinozaki clan has documents describing certain Britannian practices. There is a legal precedent for creating so called Unspeakables, although, if the earl is abiding by the process, he would need another accomplice. It was incredibly popular before the Emblem of Blood."

Tohdoh's stomach churned. To do such an act required something more than a typical monster. The legality of the practice did not matter; the JLF were already engaging in technically illegal activities anyway. "If we reveal this to the average Britannian citizen, there should be enough outrage, regardless of legality... There are children in these pictures. How can Britannia condone something like this?"

The assassin shrugged. "I was trained as a Shinozaki since a young age. The principle is the same."

Those were moral quandaries that Tohdoh would have to consider at another time. Children weren't supposed to be involved in war... or any other despicable business. Massaging his temples, Tohdoh could hear the dirt crunching as other soldiers approached. Looking at Sayoko, he suggested, "Thank you. Track down the supplier and the other noble. You should go."

Looking down, he tucked the pictures out of sight. He could barely stand them and wouldn't show them to anyone else, unless necessary. There were certain things his men were better off not knowing.

Fort necessity, Pennsylvania

The wooden stick dropped from Lelouch's hand and he took a great step back. Roy lowered his own wooden stick as Frederick and Edgar ceased their sparring. Turning around, Lelocuh spotted Alex tumbling in the dirt as he tackled Henry to the ground. It didn't matter how often Lelouch went over the stances; Alex would always resort to a brawl style. And Henry... once pushed over the edge by Alex's refusal to fight properly, would retaliate with every dirty trick in the book.

"Think we should break them up?" Roy asked.

Lelouch rolled his eyes. "You're welcome to try, if you want a fist in your face."

"We're rather lucky," Roy observed, "with you and Alex making every excuse under the sun to avoid sword fighting lessons. I'm sure Major Maxwell would have an aneurysm is he saw Alex fight... But we do have a class to get to, and while it's been fun cleaning every inch of the base, let's avoid any unnecessary punishments?" Walking forward, he hollered, "Break it up you two!"

Lelouch winced in sympathy as Roy stumbled backwards, nursing his jaw. Alex rubbed his head sheepishly while Henry simply dusted himself off and began to head inside. Joined by their other two squad mates, they jogged to their next class, managing to sit down moments before their history instructor, Sergeant Malfoire, walked in.

Walking up to the table in the front, the instructor dropped a stack of papers with a resounding thud. "We'll be doing a special unit today on codes. You'll be expected to memorize standard military codes and understand the fundamentals of code breaking. Most of you," he glanced at the room and his gaze settled on Zit, sneering, "will be choosing your specializations soon. And I'm sure, you all are very much awaiting the opportunity to sign up for the knightmare corps then and practice within a simulator. Let me be crystal clear, this unit is essential. You cannot become a knight without passing. Understood?"

"Yes Sergeant!" the students chorused.

"But for those who fail the simulators," he began as he walked between the desks and passed out packets of papers, "you may apply to a different specialization. Medics. Infantry. Engineering. Logistics. Or... Communications. That is my specialty, which I will return to when your instruction is complete. Proficiency in history, a foreign language, and codes are required."

Sergeant Malfoire paused and then drawled, "At the moment, there are only four of you with a decent chance. At the end of this test, I expect that number to drop to zero. You may begin."

Lelouch flipped through the papers and stared at the numerous scribbles, numbers, and gibberish words. Skipping to the end, he let out a sigh of relief. It was French. Backwards. And undoubtedly unfair to whoever was failing their foreign language class. A calm settled over his mind as the easy problem soothed his trepidation. He could pass the test. Moving back to the first page, Lelouch tapped his pencil against his chin. It looked vaguely familiar.

Smiling, he ticked the repeating letters... The instructor paced the length of the classroom and Lelouch moved down the page, marking the frequency and penciling in, educated guesses. It was a simple shift cipher. He should have caught it earlier, but Lelouch hadn't broken a code in years. He was... rusty. Shaking his head, Lelouch flipped to the next page and began transcribing. The next problem was infuriatingly easy, it was the message simply mirrored. Moving through, Lelouch worked swiftly, well aware of the time ticking by as the instructor patrolled the classroom. Other students groaned, but Lelouch's pencil continued to scratch as he worked on solving the codes.

Finally, he stopped at the second to last problem. A simple letter of gibberish and lacking any substance. But the tail end of the "e" was curled inwards. Lelouch paused. It wasn't an easy code, not one that could be simply brute forced. But if Lelouch sold himself as an avid fan of encryption, he could potentially join communications which would keep him out of the line of fire. Being behind any potential battle lines would be safe, while still allowing him to serve meaningfully. And unlike a medic, he would still have the opportunity for promotion. Lelouch began rapidly decoding the letter.

Setting his pencil down, Lelouch straightened in his seat and observed the room. Various other privates rubbed their heads and tapped their pencils. Besides him, Roy chewed on the eraser with a frustrated glare.

The instructor finished his circuit of the room. "Five minutes remaining!"

Papers rustled and someone swore softly. Up front, Alex set aside his paper and rested his head on the table, rolling the pencil up and down the table. Lelouch scanned his decryption and nodded to himself as he let the papers lie neatly on the desk. This was his chance and while his history grades weren't the best, Lelouch was great in foreign languages, already knowing French, Mandarin, and Japanese, although the latter would probably not be considered of much use.

"And time," the instructor hollered, and Lelouch jerked in surprise, "pass your papers up front."

The class watched warily as the instructor skimmed their tests while standing up in front of the class. Occasionally, he would frown and purse his lips. He slammed the papers down on the desk abruptly and the class jumped. The instructor narrowed his eyes, "The lot of you are absolutely hopeless. You all fail... except," he looked down at the papers again, "Private Doe and Private Lamperouge. Get up here."

"Yes Sergeant," the duo shouted as they raced upfront. Lelouch, his heart pounding with nervous anticipation, stood rigidly at attention. Alex waited beside him with a dazed look of disbelief.

Sergeant Malfoire passed Alex a book and a note. "Give that to your Drill Sergeant, Private. You have shown the bare minimum of aptitude, unlike the rest of your classmates. Whether you will grasp this opportunity under my tutelage, will be seen. Your abysmal grades will not be tolerated. Class dismissed. Private Lamperouge stay."

The platoon picked up their bags in silence and scampered. The door shut behind the last person, Henry, with a resounding thud. Lelouch stood still as the instructor laid down his test on the table and began to tidy up. The wait was agonizing, but Lelouch knew these games by now. The wait, purposefully drawn out, so he would shift, or talk, and be punished. Something niggled at Lelouch's mind regarding the instructor's job and the deliberate... vagueness.

Sergeant Malfoire pulled out a chair and gestured at it. "Sit Private Lamperouge. Or may I call you Lelouch?"

Lelouch smiled glibly and took a seat graciously. His heart hammered within his chest and he could hear blood gushing to his ears as alarm bells went off. At times like these, Lelouch appreciated the lessons of his family, despite their origin. Remaining perfectly poised, Lelouch said, "If you so wish Sergeant Malfoire."

The man smiled genially and Lelouch felt sweat trickle down his spine as he desperately wished one of his squad mates was there. "Tell me about yourself Lelouch."

"What do you wish to know?" Lelouche asked as he tried to buy time. What was the man's angle? Did he somehow know who Lelouch was? Was he an assassin, a foreign agent, or one of his mother's enemies?

"Well I already know about your classes. You saved another private from frostbite, didn't you? Quite commendable. Although... I must express my worry about your continuous absences from Major Maxwell's class. And within my own class, well, you have some strange ideas regarding our country's wonderful history. But why don't you tell me about your family?"

Lelouch lay his hands in his lap to hide the tremors. "There isn't much to say. I don't get along with my parents and I have a younger sister attending Ashford Academy."

"Nunnally, right?"

The uncertainties washed away and Lelouch forced his face remained impassive. The man was a threat and there was an implicit threat in him knowing his sister's name. It was in his file... but why would Sergeant Malfoire specifically memorized Lelouch's information? "Yes."

Something akin to disappointment flashed across his face, but he changed the subject. "Did you have an interest in cryptography as a child?"

Adorning the mask of a bashful student, Lelouch ducked his head, "I found it fascinating when I was younger. I drove my mother insane by encoding everything."

Green eyes bored into him. "Past tense?"

Lelouch bit on his lip and kept his eyes lowered. Codes had fallen to the wayside with foreign languages, but they had truly died with Suzaku. Their codes had been the last Lelouch had made. "Interests change Sergeant Malfoire. I found other subjects calling to me more."

"Which ones?" Something rustled, but Lelouch kept his eyes firmly down. Too many questions were dangerous and he had to appear harmless.

"Math, physics, literature... and cooking." His cheeks grew warm at the last admission as a blush slipped through the mask.

Sergeant Malfoire's voice suddenly grew colder. "Quite interesting hobbies you have Lamperouge. Put your hands where I can see them."

Conditioned by months of training, Lelouch automatically raised his hands, realizing his mistake immediately as the man's hands grabbed his wrist and cold metal pressed against his skin. Settling on a confused look, Lelouch tried to emulate Nunnally's innocence as he looked up and asked, "Sir?"

Yanking on Lelouch's cuffed hands, Sergeant Malfoire leaned across the table and his warm, sticky breath blasted Lelouch's face. The man's face eerily blank except for the small upturned corners of his mouth. "Let us both drop the masks Lamperouge. They get so... tiring after a while. Don't they?"

Lelouch took a deep steadying breath as he willed his heart rate to slow down. "I do not understand, Sergeant Malfoire. Have I done something wrong?"

The edges of Sergeant Malfoire's mouth ticked upwards and a small rumble ran through his shoulders. "I must applaud you, Lamperouge. It is one of the best masks I have seen." He grabbed one of Lelouch's fingers and began twisting it backwards. "But I do tire of masks so. In my line of work, I very much appreciate honesty. Otherwise, I get cranky."

Lelouch watched in horror as the man continued to bend the finger against it natural orientation: slowly and methodically. With his hands shackled, he was completely powerless and Lelouch felt his gut clench. Reflexively, he tried to pull his hands backwards, only for the metal to cut into his skin. The pressure on his finger increased even more. He blinked and pushed down the rising bile in his throat.

Fighting through the cloud of panic, Lelouch seized his only possible escape: his friends. Eventually, one of his friends had to realize something was wrong. Until then, Lelouch had to buy for time and find Sergeant Malfoire's weak spot. Stabbing in the dark, he asked, "Your name isn't actually Sergeant Malfoire."

The pressure ceased. "You do have quite an intelligent mind. But then it is such a tacky name. But Lelouch Lamperouge... that is truly tacky."

Lelouch frowned. His sister had picked the name. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it. "Then who are you?"

He chuckled. "You seem to be forgetting who is asking the questions here, boy. So which ones do you want to answer first? Your name perhaps?"

Relief flooded through Lelouch. The man didn't know that he was a prince, royalty. The worst options were off the table. The panicked haze that clouded his mind began to recede and with false bravado, Lelouch asked, "What am I being charged with?"

"Treason."

His heart began to race again as Lelouch struggled to understand and the man continued to smile pleasantly. Treason? He was a prince. His father was the Emperor and would literally kill him and Nunnally if they ever plotted against their family. The charges were ludicrous. He asked incredulously, "For what?"

Flipping to his exam, the man set it down on the desk and pointed to the message that Lelouch had hesitated on decoding. "Why don't you tell me how you learned this code?"

"A book?" Lelouch asked hypothetically as he tried to remember.

"Really?"

Scowling, Lelouch snapped, "I was six years old and obsessed with codes. I read plenty of books, and learned as many codes as I could. There's absolutely no way I would remember where I learned this specific code, especially when it isn't even a very good code!"

The man shook his head tiredly. "And I thought we were done lying to each other."

"It's the truth!"

"So you just happened to find a top secret code lying around?"

Oh. That was probably what happened. It wasn't like Lelouch ever respected boundaries and perhaps he had found it one of Cornelia's books which would make it a top secret military code. "Probably?"

The man pressed down on Lelouch's finger again. "You know, others have been executed before for knowing this code without proper authorization." He let go of the finger and his face turned kind, "But you're young and the Empire always needs young intelligent minds. Come clean. I can protect you."

Lelouch almost wanted to believe the man. Because if Lelouch didn't... he had no power to defend himself and then the man's eyes would turn to Nunnally to investigate her of whatever crime he thought Lelouch committed. "And you? How do you know the code then? You're bluffing."

The finger snapped and it echoed and Lelouch screamed. It hurt like nothing else ever did. Then it was throbbing with a constant pain that brought tears to Lelouch's eyes. Lelouch forced air to fill his lungs and tried to push the pain down. If he could... kill someone with a cabinet crushing his arms to protect Nunnally, then he could remain composed. This was nothing. But it hurt. Had it hurt so much last time?

Standing up, the man towered over Lelouch. "I'm Warrant Officer Lance York from his majesty's Office of Secret Intelligence. And you, Private Lelouch Lamperouge, are not who you say you are. I haven't met such an interesting spy in ages and that is the only reason you aren't currently sitting in a cell awaiting interrogation, disappeared from life. I like those with potential and you are rife with it, but just as easily... I can make that all go away and you can enjoy the great, generous, hospitality that Britannia greets foreign invaders with."

Lelouch's heart was thundering but the sheer ridiculousness of the situation did not escape him. He was a prince, not a foreign agent. He really should come clean, but would the man believe him? But then, Lelouch had the code that his father gifted to him. A code that would make everything go away... He was scared, and Lelouch opened his mouth to say the code he had memorized. And then closed it.

He was a coward. Lelouch couldn't oust himself just yet. If he accepted that he needed his father's help, the Emperor's help, then everything he had tried to build up here, could vanish. His father probably would do it to teach Lelouch a lesson. After all, a Britannian prince being accused of treason was scandalous. And Nunnally... she would lose everything too, like her friend Allie.

Looking up, Lelouch locked the scared boy in a chest. He had no place here. "I think in the future Warrant Officer York you shouldn't throw out such accusations on paper thin evidence. If you wish to continue this further, then I request you do it through official means. Otherwise, I believe my drill sergeant should be here for this conversation. I doubt you will do so because I'm sitting here. You need more than fleeting evidence to accuse me of treason, and if you had it, I would have simply disappeared and you'd be giving this same pitch in a secret prison."

Warrant Officer York regarded him and there was definitely amusement twinkling in his eyes. "Your essays were always amusing to read. But no, with this code, I have everything I need to act on my suspicion. I just find that the soft sell works better. The OSI has been collecting data on you for a while, and if you want to do a proper interrogation, let's start with these letter you sent your so called sister."

Lelouch stared at the photocopies of his letters. He had known that it was possible that his mail was being read, but at this level, it felt invasive. Those letters were supposed to be private and while Lelouch had been careful to never disclose delicate information, analyzed together, there might be clues that would reveal his identity. "What about them?"

"Do you normally write letters in code to family?"

Yes. Everyone in his entire family was rightfully paranoid and unencrypted letters were asking for trouble. But Roy and Gwen didn't write encrypted letters. And those to Nunnally weren't encrypted either. Why would anyone think otherwise? The realization dawned slowly. "No. Those aren't in code sir. It's braille. My sister is blind and it's so she can read my letters. If you're done violating my privacy?"

Warrant Officer York scowled. "If you can't remember how you learned the code, perhaps I should ask your family."

Barely keeping himself from snorting, Lelouch replied, "It was probably among my mother's stuff at some point. She worked with Princess Cornelia one time so maybe she learned it then."

The OSI agent raised a single eyebrow and once again, seemed amused. Either there was another trap ready to be sprung or Lelouch was impressing him again... and he had no idea which one was worse. The man sat down and asked, "And you burn your letters because?"

Lelouch scowled at the reminder of his family. He didn't burn the ones from Gwen, Rick, Oona, or Nunnally. Those were special after all. "You read through my personal files. With my... stature, I'm sure you put two and two together. If I wasn't pissed off at my parents, I probably wouldn't be here. That my mother continues to send letters simply means I have plenty of kindling."

"You always have an answer Lamperouge." Warrant Officer York grabbed the cuffs and unlocked them. "I will see you after our next class. This was... entertaining."

Clutching his burning finger, Lelouch stood up and backed away warily. "So you can break another finger?"

The man had the gall to laugh. "No. It hardly bothers you enough to be effective." He tapped his chin, "Ah, what was his name? Alex. Quite intelligent as well although entirely self taught. He's a friend of yours isn't he? It makes sense. You're in the same platoon and the same... age. Bonding is only natural."

His stomach sank. Not Alex. Perhaps he was understanding wrong? Alex did not deserve to get caught up in Lelouch's mess because he conspired with him on ways to skip Major Maxwell's class. Alex, despite all his intelligence, did not have the experience to navigate the lies of the political world of favors. In a few years, his observational skills could be honed into a potent weapon, but currently, Alex had no such interests and was content to slip chocolates into Lelouch's pockets or torture him with increasingly bizzare summaries of gossip rags. Lelouch had been fooled by Sergeant Malfoire, no, Warrant Officer York's act. Alex had no chance.

Tired of the games, Lelouch hissed, "Speak clearly. What are you suggesting?"

"But, that's half the fun. And you're by far the most interesting suspect I've been allowed to toy with. All I'm saying is that he's clearly your friend and it would be a shame if you displeased me by breaking the rules of our little game and I took out my displeasure on him. He does have private tutoring with me three times a week."

Hot burning anger surged within Lelouch and through gritted teeth, he asked, "What are the rules?"

The agent shrugged and picked up his briefcase. "Don't share my little secret. Then I would be forced to take action and cut this short. And no masks... The rest? Well, I guess you just have to figure them out." The agent looked up, "You are dismissed."

Dismissed?

Lelouch took a hesitant step backward and watched the man with wary eyes. There was no reaction. Not needing an extra invitation, or for the agent to change his mind, Lelouch fled the classroom.

Outside, Henry waited at the end of the hall. "You okay?"

Still cradling his broken finger, Lelouch leaned against the wall and whispered, "No."

Not listening to Henry's response, Lelouch stumbled past him towards the barracks. Nothing was fine.

Royal Palace in New Pendragon

Nunnally, decked in fine silks and with styled hair, wandered through the long corridors aimlessly. Her cane drifted over the ground discovering woven carpets that sought to ensnare her feet. Occasionally, she would hear someone purposefully walking through the halls, but they always skirted out of any hallway she was in. Making a clicking sound with her tongue, Nunnally heard it echo through the desolate hallways. She had never felt more alone.

Her mother was busy with meetings although she had personally tucked Nunnally into bed last night. It was surreal. Unfathomable. For three years she had lived with just Lelouch and then with Allie. Nunnally didn't need to be babied anymore. That her mother insisted, after all this time, felt somewhat demeaning, but then she would feel all warm and fuzzy, and wanted to curl up next to her mother. It was confusing and unfair.

A door opened nearby and soft voices echoed through the hallways, talking too quietly to be discernible. There was something familiar about them both and Nunnally hurried forward, desperate for something to ease her boredom. And then she knew who it was. Hesitantly, she called, "Odysseus?"

"Nunnally?" Odysseus called back, shocked. He walked forward quickly and pulled her into a hug that smelled of paper, ink, and medicine. "What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in forever."

Nunnally smiled and tried to place the other voice. "I'm just here for a short while Odysseus."

He groaned. "You've grown so much. And now you're so formal. Time sure flies."

"Stop being so melodramatic Odysseus," the stranger complained.

"Schneizel, you wound me. How could you?"

Nunnally blinked. "Big brother Schneizel?"

He grabbed her hand, hanging limply by her side, and shook it. "So the rumors were true. You are blind. My sincerest condolences. Is your brother, Lelouch, here as well?"

Nunnally shook her head. "Just mother and I. Lelouch... is busy."

"A shame," he drawled, "I was hoping for another chess match. It's been years since we played and I'm certain he has improved by now."

"Big brother was always annoyed when he lost to you."

Laughing, he patted her head. "Well brother? We have a few hours to spare until we must entertain more fools. Why don't we entertain poor Nunnally here? Maybe she will show some aptitude for chess as well."

Odysseus sighed. "If we must. Why don't I grab the Lion Tea Room and you contact Kanon so he doesn't worry."

Schneizel was silent for just a half-second longer than normal and Nunnally wondered at the cause. Despite Schneizel and Lelouch's chess matches, she barely knew him and Schneizel had never bothered to interact with her longer than necessary.

Cheerfully, Schneizel said, "That's a wonderful idea Odysseus. I will make a detour to grab my chess set as well. The one in the tea room... is terribly antiquated."

Odysseus grabbed her gently by the shoulder and began to lead her away from Schneizel's receding footsteps. "Outside of the palace is probably safer than here in the viper's nest. There have been some unfortunate incidents recently. It would be best not to draw attention."

Nunnally swallowed as she accepted the direct warning. Odysseus had never warned her before. Perhaps it was because she was older now and he feared that she would be roped into the political games. Lelouch would have understood why the warning had been delivered, but Nunnally didn't. There was danger, but from where, she did not know. She could decide how to act upon it. Odysseus wanted her to blend into the background, but would that truly be safer for her and Lelouch? There was too much she didn't know and the chasm of knowledge would not be filled by Ashford Academy. Court politics were left to the parents, and hers were too busy.

A door clicked behind her and Nunnally frowned as she realized that she hadn't heard the door swing open or closed. Well oiled hinges were a pain. Odysseus chuckled and led her to a soft arm chair with velvet pillows.

"I'll prepare us some tea and fetch some scones. Any preferences Nunnally?"

"Something with oranges please?" Nunnally replied as she ran her hand along the armrest and marveled at the texture. It was incredibly soft and Allie would probably hate it.

His footsteps receded and Nunnally leaned back and closed her eyes. Odysseus had said not to draw attention and while Nunnally's unfocused eyes consistently drew all sorts of attention to her, when closed, she faded into the background. Lelouch always planned ahead and predicted moves with surprising certainty. It was how he created effective distractions at the Kururugi Shrine and how he managed to consistently prank Cornelia. Her skills did not lie in that direction. She was not a strategist. In her situation, information gathered from hushed whispers and gossiping maids, was her only option for power.

Odyseus's measured gait returned and he set down something on the table with a slight clatter. "You tired Nunnally? If it is too much of a hassle, we can postpone?"

Nunnally shook her head. "Just resting. Keeping them closed or open hardly makes a difference anyway."

He chuckled nervously and pressed a warm porcelain cup in her hand. "I tried to pick a fruitier variety than usual. Black teas are rather bitter at your age."

Nunnally inhaled the strong scent wafting to her nose. She missed good tea. "You didn't have to."

"It's the least I could do... Schneizel trounces people at chess. I can at least provide you some enjoyment."

Nodding, Nunnally took a hesitant sip and immediately regretted it as the tea scalded the tip of her tongue. Odysseus was acting strangely, but she relaxed as he chattered on about various issues at work. Laughing at a rather amusing tale, Nunnally heard the door opened and she set the teacup down on the saucer.

"Settling in, are we?" Schneizel asked and leather creaked as he sat in a chair beside her. "Do you know the rules Nunnally?"

She nodded. "May I play white?"

For some reason, Odysseus chuckled, but Schneizel didn't complain as he set up the board and the pieces clinked against it.

Musing, Nunnally imaged the board within her mind. She couldn't win and hardly stood a chance against Lelouch when he restricted the time for his turn. Still, it would be nice to impress him and if Schneizel liked her... It could potentially be useful. "Pawn D-Two to D-Four."

"How have you been Nunnally?" Schneizel asked as he responded by moving his knight forward.

"Ok," she replied as she wondered how to best proceed. "F-One to F-Two. I made a friend."

"A friend? What is she like?"

Nunnally frowned as she tried to keep track of the pieces on the board. Schneizel's recent move was annoying, as was his question. She moved her queen forward. And then he responded by moving a pawn forward, freeing his bishop, and Nunnally was certain that she was losing. Finally, she settled on, "She's very nice and doesn't mind helping me. And she loves oranges."

Schneizel countered her aggressive move with the pawn rapidly and allowed her to gain no ground, although the central tiles remained hers. "Your friend is not a noble. Is she attending Ashford Academy then? And check by the way."

Her heart rate skyrocketed and Odysseus's sudden stillness wasn't helping her nerves. Schneizel shouldn't have know, but somehow, he did. To make matters worse, Schneizel was now in an optimal position. Hesitantly, she said, "King E-One to D-One."

"You must be attending as well then. Your mother and Lord Ashford always did get along well. Knight C-Two to E-Three." He paused. "Check. And Lelouch? Is he a student as well?"

Nunnally dug her fingernails into her palm as she tried to remain passive. Lelouch would be incredibly disappointed in her for letting her secret slip. And Schneizel... he had paced the game on purpose. Odysseus's warning came to the forefront of her mind. He hadn't been warning her of court... but of Schneizel himself. He had even given Nunnally a chance to leave but she had been too deaf to understand it. "King D-One to E-Two. My brother has no interest in schooling."

Schneizel hummed and captured her queen with his pawn. A move later, he captured her other pawn on the central tile, giving Schneizel complete dominance over the board. There was no way for her to win anymore. "Empress Marianne always struck me as overprotective. I am shocked she would let the two of you of sight. But if Lelouch isn't under Lord Ashford's protection, then where is he?"

"Schneizel," Odysseus interjected and then abruptly fell silent.

Smiling at Odysseus, Nunnally tried to project calmness. He had tried his best, but there was nothing more he could do. The cat was out of the bag, but if Nunnally could frame the situation as Lelouch having no interest in politics, she could lose on her own terms. Giving up without a fight was not in their playbook. Schneizel did not know all the pieces on the board. He evidently did not know that her parents had left her and Lelouch in Japan for two years and her mother had only bothered to pick them up once the invasion had already begun.

Turning back to Schneizel, she sweetly said a version of the truth: "Knight B-One to D-Two. Mother made quite an impression on Lelouch and he wants to prove his worth, so he enlisted."

The first person to respond, surprisingly, was Odysseus. "Lelouch is twelve! Right? December 1999. He isn't allowed to enlist!"

Shneizel's teacup clinked as he set it down on the table. "Calm down Odysseus. The Imperial Academies accept children younger than fourteen. The correct terminology is simply confusing. Although if Lelouch is lying about his age on the records, it may explain why I haven't been able to find him. D-Four to D-Three. Check."

Chess was a stupid game, but more importantly, "You're stalking my brother?"

"No. I was just worried about where my favorite chess partner disappeared to. Oh, Odysseus. Stop laughing."

Odysseus wheezed as he stifled his laughter. "She is correct. You were in my office, just two days ago, asking me to abuse my position and request student records from Area Six."

Schneizel grumbled, "It's not abusing your position. You just have a horrid fascination for following rules."

Odysseus snorted and settled a hand on her shoulder. "Shall I remind you of the consequences of our last attempt to meddle and circumvent the rules."

"If it hadn't been for your and Cornelia's crush clouding your judgments, we would have succeeded. Although those books were of no particular help. If only Kanon had been there."

Nunnally scrunched her nose as she tried to understand the conversation. "Excuse me?"

Sighing, Odysseus moaned, "The unfortunate affliction of being the older sibling means we get to watch our father attempt to woo many women. It is absolutely disgusting and what I know, is too much."

Nunnally shook her head. They were not willing to tell although she made a note to ask her mother. She might know. "Lelouch enlisted as a commoner."

"What a waste of talent," Schneizel muttered although he didn't seem very broken up about it.

Odysseus coughed in the background, "He shouldn't be in the military. He is too young. I'm going to talk to father and fix this ridiculous mess."

Raising her eyebrows, Nunnally said, "Father already knows. And Lelouch is hardly the only underage recruit." Biting her lip, she tried to remember where the pieces were on the board. "I must concede the match. I'm afraid in the excitement I lost track of the pieces. Perhaps another time."

"I'm still going," Odysseus announced, "Children should not be in the military. I will see you later Nunnally."

The door slammed behind him and Schneizel let out a long suffering sigh. "He gets like that at times. My sincere apologies Nunnally. Although I must admit being surprised at your brother's choice. He has always shunned physical activities."

Smiling politely, Nunnally felt strangely vulnerable and tried to put her mind at ease. Schneizel had only ever shown concern about Lelouch, and had no reasons to play political games with her. His position to the throne was nearly secure, and as the Prime Minister he certainly wielded enough power. "Time changes people, and there is something nice about being away from court."

He took an audible sip of his tea. "Masks are wearisome. But isn't that what we strive towards? To have enough power to be ourselves without the consequences?"

No. Power would be of no use to Nunnally when Allie learned of her identity. Only a strong friendship would allow Nunnally to keep her friend. There was no way to be her true self and hold on to power if she wanted to be treated like everybody else. Power in and of itself, was useless. "I guess, but masks give us flexibility and opportunity. They don't have to be wearisome, they can be freeing. Perhaps you are simply wearing the wrong masks."

The leather creaked as he stood up and patted her head. "An interesting philosophical debate, perhaps for another time. You do have a keen mind Nunnally and you played well at the beginning. I look forward to playing with you again some time, but unfortunately," something buzzed, "I have a meeting in ten. Until next time Nunnally."

Nunnally dipped her head. "Until next time."

The door closed and Nunnally leaned back, closing her eyes. She felt utterly drained. Hopefully, there would not be another match anytime soon.

Melbourne Villa, Halifax, Area 2

Brigit, now Brigit Melbourne, smiled as she explored the villa. It had belonged to the Melbournes before Canada even became Area Two. Brigit had to admire the craftsmanship and the view of the harbor was stunning. Halifax was a bit too warm for her taste, but access to the harbor was essential. For now, the city would remain untouched by her brand of terrorism. It was simply too useful, but it was incredibly enticing to burn one of Britannia's major ports to the ground. Perhaps she should seize it, with the long chain spanning the entrance to the harbor, and the natural geography, Britannia would be hard pressed to regain it. Those were thoughts for the future, first, she had to set up her operation.

"Come on in Art," she called.

He waddled in carrying a massive box and followed by few other industrious youths that had the misfortune to be born a Number, who quickly vanished from the room. Art set the box down and saluted her, mockingly. "Ready f'orders ma'am."

She rolled her eyes. "Sit down Art. We have plans to make."

"Fine Brie. Got three dozen fences found. The Viceroy ain't much good cracking down on crime. Couple of nobles in the area taking cuts on the ports as well," he dutifully reported.

Brigit looked down at the massive box and the various files within. "We'll need to crack down on the underground." He looked at her skeptically. "Not like that Art. It's business. Can't have any competitors, and with crime down... well, people are gonna ask a lot less questions."

"Do ya want ta do it all at once, or slowly?"

Frowning, Brigit turned to stare out the window and the ships slowly drifting through the narrow passageways. "We've got some time until I can greet my French contact again. For now, let us just give them some competition. Find us a puppet and support him, but make sure he is loyal. But more worrisome are those copycats. While they were useful for getting Britannia's attention off me, we are going to need to fold them in real quick or they're going to be our competitors... and I can't allow that."

Art nodded and pulled out a small pocketbook to make a quick doodle as a reminder.

She narrowed her eyes. "Art. You need ta practice your writing. And your manners at it to."

Groaning, he straightened and jutted out his chin. "Fancy enough for ya?"

This wasn't going to work. Pinching her nose, she glared at him, "Find me some kid, the younger the better, who knows how to read and write. I'll take care of the rest."

"Ya Brie," he nodded excitedly. "We gonna show those Brit bastards, we ain't dead yet. Got some fire in ma bones. Don't worry, ya can count on me. And I'll check on ya brother too."

Brigit's annoyance disappeared and she smiled softly as he ran out, stumbling along the way. Art would always look after Einrie and that made him loyal. Betrayal was the name of the game, but Art, despite all his weaknesses, was her most powerful piece because he was unwaveringly loyal. And if she had to use her own brother to secure that loyalty, she would. But for now, she had her mission to do that Art could not know of.

Wandering by Lady Melbourne's quarter, she peeked into the neighboring rooms, trying to find the husband's. Surely, the woman had kept her late husband's things, if only for sentimental value. A few doors down, without luck, she turned back and entered the woman's room. In the corner, she saw an old military trunk and smiled. Her eyes searched the room and fell on the closet with vibrant fabrics peeking through. Brigit had worried that blowing up Maineige Delac might deprive her of valuable goods, but it seems there were enough stashed at the woman's second home. How fortunate.

Walking into the closet, Brigit smiled widely as her eyes fell on the military uniform hanging right in front of her. The woman had been the sentimental type and Brigit's gamble was paying off splendidly. With a discerning eye, she measured the uniform. The husband hadn't been particularly bulky, but then officers weren't required to engage in many strenuous activities. For Brigit, it suited her perfectly.

Twenty minutes later, Brigit stood before the mirror, her chest bound, and finished thickening her eyebrows. She could hardly recognize herself standing in a military uniform. Redoing her hair, she pulled it tight and hid it under the military hat. She looked like a perfect Britannian soldier. It was disgusting. It was the goal.

Grabbing the fake ID she had commissioned, Brigit tucked it into her pocket and left via the servant exit. By tomorrow, Area Two would be in an uproar, calling for Britannian blood. And Brigit... no, the Count, would be there to welcome them all into his arms. Brigit Melbourne would simply be the poor traumatized girl organizing relief efforts. Everything was set and ready to fall into place.

Worldbuilding Thoughts:

-Nunnally and Schneizel's chess game is actually real. I played against a computer AI on the highest difficulty possible and pretty quickly lost.

-In the anime, Suzaku is ordered to fire on surrendering troops and, while briefly protesting, does so. In our world, people are expected to question orders and refuse them if they are illegal. Suzaku's characterization aside, it does raise the question if war crimes are even a thing in this universe and what they would be. Before they were properly codified, there were various treaties that said armies wouldn't engage in certain practices. But most "war crimes" were more of a gentleman agreement because both sides understood that doing X thing first, would lead to equivalent retaliation and cause massive casualties on both side. In a world with two totalitarian governments (counting the Chinese Federation here), I wonder if there would be enough pressure from civilians to make violence against civilians a war crime. In our history, the Lieber Code (used during the American Civil War) was one of the first actual documents to say what's right and not. But it still allowed for a bunch of stuff we consider amoral by our standards: it allowed reprisal (aka: we can do it because they did it first), summary executions for combatants caught in the act, and if the occupied population resisted, people could be forcibly relocated, used as hostage, or executed.

-Concentrated power tends to breed the worse types of corruption which is to be inferred from Tohdoh's scene. I'm rather hesitant of being too explicit although these types of abuses are well documented during occupations or in regimes with absolute powers. Japan/Area 11 falls in the first category while Britannia is definitely an authoritarian government. These types of people exist in every society, but in some, it is easier for them to gain a position of power and cover up their abuses.

-Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia in Canada and a port city. There's quite a bit of interesting history regarding it which didn't happen in this world exactly the same way, but I am paying homage to it.

Author's Note:

Who has a guess for what Brigit is planning? What did you think of Schneizel's first actual appearance?

Thank you x1tears1X on FFN for your help with this chapter. If anyone else wants to beta, just ask? :)

Makeup update on Sunday. :)