"Brother, is it true?" Nunnally asked, her closed eyelids staring at the screen in front of her. Milly was standing just beside her along with Sayako. "Sayako told me that you are getting married to Milly…"

Lelouch had decided against going to Ashford Academy. Even though Clovis had played his part and this thing would likely disappear, he didn't want to be seen around the academy to invoke the rumors once more. It was a pain. He was planning to leave Area 11 before the day ends since he had already concluded his business. "It is just rumors, Nunnally. It was started because I took Milly to a party Clovis was hosting."

"Oh," Nunnally mouthed, and turned her head slightly. "Well, I think you are not that old but if you were marrying Milly, I would have been happy for you."

"Nunnally, you don't love your brother do you? You know Milly would make wear aprons and make my life miserable," Lelouch said with a stare, while casting a side glance towards Milly. The blonde just smiled innocently but didn't say anything.

Nunnally giggled softly at the thought. "But brother, you already to wear an apron when you cook," she said calmly. "Sayako told me…" she added with a smile.

Lelouch felt like hitting himself. He really needed to get a handle of his household activities. Well, as long as it had been for his sister, it hadn't mattered. "I did that for you, Nunnally." He said. "But there is no truth to the rumors," he added in a firm tone.

Nunnally nodded. "When do you leave?"

"Today," Lelouch said with a sad smile on his lips. "I will come back whenever I have time, Nunnally and I will try to come and see you before I depart," he said.

Nunnally brightened up slightly. "I will be waiting for you, brother," she said. She said a couple of things before Sayako wheeled her out of the room.

Lelouch glared at Milly once Nunnally left the room. "Could you not have corrected things with her?" he said.

"I could have," Milly said with a nod. She then smiled. "But your sister looked happy absorbing the news and I wanted to see the look on your face when you tried to explain things to your sweet innocent little sister."

Lelouch shook his head. Milly would always be Milly. It was troublesome but he should really get used to this kind of thing from his childhood friend. She was something else. But if she was somehow, she wouldn't be Milly, would she? He just had to get used to her antics. It was important these days since it does seem that he was spending much time talking to her than he had thought when he was on a plane heading to Pendragon.

"Have things calmed down on your side?" Lelouch asked calmly.

"A bit yeah," Milly said with a nod. "What was that about a marriage agreement between our families? You know, I have people asking me if there was any agreement," she said.

Lelouch shrugged carelessly. "If there was an agreement, would your family have tried to set you up with someone else?" He asked.

"When people want to ignore things that don't fit their narrative, they will ignore even facts," Milly said in a stern tone. "Well, I can't complain much. Things will eventually return to normal and I can live happily. It is just good that no one got a snap of me kissing you…" she said with a wide smile.

Lelouch paled at the thought. It would have been disastrous. "Tell me, Milly, there is no image, right?"

Milly smiled innocently, "Who knows? If it does exist, let us hope that it doesn't appear anywhere," she said.

Lelouch stared at Milly for a long minute but before he could say anything, another call came for him. "If you do anything, you will regret it, Milly. We will talk some other day, I have a call from a royal line," he cut off the line without waiting for Milly to respond.

Schneizel was on the side of the screen. The Prime Minister smiled when he saw a chess board in front of Lelouch. It was apparent that his younger brother had been working hard in Clovis' backyard. It was unlikely that Clovis would see anything. But he has known that Lelouch hadn't gone to that side just to see Nunnally and meet Lloyd. There were bigger plans. He didn't know what, but perhaps it had something to do with the Ashfords and the nobles residing in Area 11. It was likely that his younger brother was familiar with them because of his habits.

"Schneizel," Lelouch started in a calm tone. "I was wondering when you would call," he said.

The second prince's smile remained in place as he responded. "Well, I have to check up on you given the signals I have been receiving in Pendragon," he said.

Lelouch raised an eye brow. He didn't think that the man would still be in homeland considering the dangers of the EU. "What signals?"

"Well, the Ashfords aren't really anyone's favorites. I'm sure the upper class is thinking they wouldn't have to deal with them. Even though things have been handled, some people are cautious about what would happen if they were to return to the fold," Schneizel said.

"No doubt they would have many enemies," Lelouch said. Many of the families had pushed for them to be expelled and had cheered when they were stripped on the status. They had been supporters of Empress Marianne. She was gone, they had to disappear with her. They had sided with the wrong side and they lost. But he had made a come back, and they could make a come back, they would certainly have many in their hit list.

"So would you," Schneizel said.

"I already have enemies," Lelouch said with a wave of his right hand. "Perhaps more so than I would have wanted but I am in this situation and have to deal with it."

And he would deal with it. There was just no way around it. He could not forget the past and he would not. Perhaps his mistake had been when he marched towards the emperor's throne demanding answers. A tantrum of a naïve child who thought he could use his status as a prince to get the emperor to move. But the cold bastard hadn't indulged him. He had banished him and then used him as a political hostage to get Japan to think that Britannia would not invade, as long as the two of the emperor's children were there. They had been naïve –Just as he was.

"I am here to help if you need it," Schneizel said. "I must congratulate you on how you solved the matters. It has achieved its intended consequence," the Second Prince said.

"That was all Clovis," Lelouch was quick to say.

The Prime Minister smiled. "You have never been modest, brother. That aside, I know Clovis very well. You wrote the script and he played it to perfection. I hadn't thought you would handle it in that way. But it works to your advantage," he said. "Are you sure you want to reopen the past, Lelouch?"

"Let them think about it," Lelouch said with a shrug. "I have other things to focus on. If they are busy with this, I get to move around smoothly. That aside, I do think when my name means something the people who scorned me will be trying to kiss the very ground I walk?"

"Perhaps," Schneizel said. "Well, as long as you have things under control, I won't interfere. Besides, it will be good to see how you handle yourself under pressure. However, I do hope that you know what you are doing. Because if not, this will become a dangerous road for you."

Lelouch nodded. He knew. He would possibly have to deal with the Emperor about this. The man was unlikely to be pleased with him. But did Lelouch care? Of course not. If Charles was seething, Lelouch was laughing like a mad man. "I know," he said.

"As long as you know," Schneizel said. "I called you because you are being deployed."

Lelouch stared at his brother for a long minute. It was finally happening. He was going into war. He was going to battle, to risk his life and put forth the agenda of Britannia for world domination. "Couldn't you have started with that?"

"We wouldn't have had the conversation we just had," Schneizel said calmly. "You are going to Europe. I didn't want an all out war with them but it can't be avoided anymore. As you know, the EU is the largest of the three great nations in terms of territory. We are going to break that dominance."

"The EU likes to sell itself as better than Britannia but it is no better. The elevens who fled Area 11 and went to the EU are racially discriminated against and within this the EU, they are suffering. They would have had much better lives had they not fled," Lelouch said with a shake of his head.

"It has also seen its fair share of annexation and colonization," Schneizel said. "We are not the ones to say this but it is the truth. In any case, I have been working with some member states and they have chosen to surrender than fight Britannia. One of these nations is Portugal. But we have not made their position formal because they are close to Spain."

"Which is close to France, where the Headquarters of the EU are," Lelouch finished calmly.

Schneizel nodded. "We want to take over northern Africa to create a space for our military to operate. But as things stand, we cannot send our army into Africa because it would be surrounded quickly by forces from Spain. If we do that mistake, we suffer heavy losses."

"Morale crushing and I'm sure our father would not be pleased with whoever made such a strategic blunder," Lelouch said. "What is you plan?"

"What would you do?"

"Occupy both Portugal while mounting a challenge in the borders of Spain and send a large naval army towards northern Africa. They will act to stop any forces from Africa trying to get to Europe. But you'd have to keep a large fleet in the ocean, in case support is required," Lelouch explained after some thought. "I assume that is what you have thought."

"Yes," Schneizel said with a nod.

"Strategically, it will matter who you place in charge of the forces in Africa, Portugal and the Ocean…" Lelouch said in thought.

"This is where you come in," Schneizel said. "You will be in Spain and Cornelia will be in Africa. I will stay close in the ocean to offer oversight and strategic support," he said.

Lelouch looked thoughtful for a moment. Schneizel would have ordinarily sent someone to Portugal with instructions. The man must have made the decision in order to get him some battle experience and because he would be close, there was less chance of any catastrophic blunder that would cost Britannia greatly.

"The EU will try to crush me because of we enter Spain, we are close to France," Lelouch said. "It isn't going to be an easy battle. I was expecting something a little smaller."

"This just how much a trust you, Lelouch," Schneizel said with smile. "You don't have to break into Spain. Well, if you succeed, it will be a good thing for us. Your role is just to keep the EU occupied long enough while Cornelia establishes a stronghold in northern Africa. Once she is done, you could pull out and we will begin our campaign in Africa."

"In Europe, where will the real attack be?" Lelouch asked in a curious tone. "The occupation of Portugal and Northern Africa is just a method directed to make the EU focus its forces in Spain and France."

Schneizel only smiled. "Within the North side of the Atlantic Ocean, there is in island. I will be heading there shortly. I will have the coordinates sent to you and we will meet there," Schneizel said.

Lelouch nodded. "We will arrive early morning tomorrow," Lelouch said.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow, brother," Schneizel said before cutting off the line.

Lelouch stared into the empty space ahead of him for a long minute before shaking his head. He had been flung straight into chaos. Schneizel wasn't wasting time. But Lelouch hoped that his elder would not try to tell him how run his battles. If it was so, Lelouch would rather spend time in Aries Villa than being a puppet for Schneizel. If he was going out, he would need to be the boss and the one in charge, not taking orders on how to position his men from the Prime Minister. Lelouch hoped the man would get this through his head.

And there was Cornelia to think about. She was certainly going to throw a fit when she learns that he is going to be thrown into the front door of the EU. But there was nothing she could do about it. Cornelia was a military person, and she would follow orders given to her. Well, unless those orders went against her love for her dear sibling. So long as Euphemia was safe, Cornelia would always be a loyal military dog. But that was more or less the same for him, wasn't it? He was different because he had ambition but if they pressed on Nunnally, he would not have a choice but to toy in line.

Lelouch picked up his phone and called Jeremiah and Villetta. They would need to return quickly so that they could make preparations for their trip to Europe. It took about an hour for the two to return and then they did, Lelouch didn't waste time getting into the matter at hand.

"We are going to Europe," Lelouch said in a serious tone. "I just spoke to Schneizel, we are going to be deployed in the border between Spain and Portugal," he said.

"But that is close to the heart of the EU," Villetta said.

Lelouch nodded. "We have to go. Britannia can't move all its forces for the EU. We still have the Chinese Federation to consider. If we leave even the areas we have conquered, terrorist groups could take advantage of the situation. This is why we are being cautious. Well, I guess only Schneizel and I could pull this off. I believe our assignment is going to need a miracle," he said smiling wildly.

"Yet, you seem very excited," Jeremiah said. "How long are we going to be gone for?"

Lelouch shook his head. "It depends on how long Cornelia finishes up things on her side," he said. well, considering that she would be fighting while thinking about him, she was certainly going to be quick and on a rampage to ensure that she finishes quickly to come to his aide or so that he could be relieved of his duty. "If you are religious, say your prayers tonight, we are going to be very busy."

The Following Day

Villetta glanced at the sides of Lelouch; she was sitting just next to him, with Jeremiah on the other side. He was dead asleep, it was still early morning and they were flying over the ocean. She glanced at Jeremiah, he was wide awake. Well, it was to be accepted. With how he viewed Lelouch, it was,

"Can't sleep?" Villetta said to Jeremiah. She knew the answer to the question though.

"I can't sleep while his Highness is sleeping in a situation like this," Jeremiah said calmly. He wasn't even feeling sleepy. He was used to this kind of situations.

"What do you think is going to happen?" Villetta asked. "It is just the three of us and the pilots. As far as I'm concerned, these are the same pilots who always fly his Highness," she said.

"We are flying above the sea, in a civilian craft. This is away from home. If a military aircraft sees us and shoots a missile towards us, we are dead," Jeremiah said.

"You are being paranoid and cynical," Villetta said in a flat tone. Truly, they were going to join other Britannian forces and surely, the EU would not want to attack Lelouch to risk an all-out war. Then again, an attack could come from behind, from their homeland. That was where the dangerous enemies were coming from – the thought made Villetta frown. She was truly living in a dangerous world.

"I'm just being safe," Jeremiah said with a shrug of his shoulders. "You should get some rest though," he said.

Villetta looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking her head. They were likely going to rest before they enter land and head into battlefield. There was surely going to be rest. "I'll rest when we land," she said. "But you do know that when we enter battlefield, your duty won't be to protect him but to follow his orders in a raging battlefield, yes?"

Jeremiah frowned deeply. He knew that. He had been thinking about it and it was difficult to accept. But there was no questioning that things would work out in this way. Lelouch would not want him watching his back all the time when he has to be fighting the enemy. They had a war to win. And if he offered a divided attention to the efforts, it would affect the platoon's performance and that would negatively impact Lelouch's reputation. In this time, there was no room for failure or lapses. It would be the end for all of them.

"I know that," he said before falling silent once more.

"Then get some sleep, Jeremiah," Lelouch suddenly said in stern tone. "Once we enter land, we will be resting at a place where the enemy can attack us at any time. We won't be sleeping like we are at home. We don't even know how long this will last and our game will be simply to stop EU forces from taking Portugal," the Eleventh Prince said. "This is an order, Jeremiah. The same goes for you, Villetta." After saying those words, Lelouch closed his eyes, going back to sleep. He then opened one eye bit narrowly, "Both of you do understand what an order is, yes?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Then get some sleep."

Two Hours Later

Lelouch looked around him for a moment and marveled at what Britannia had built here. This was a military alright. The Island had been turned into a military base that had everything. He could see runaways, planes and there were massive Britannia's war ships coming along the way. They had yet to arrive in the island but he assumed they were coming here, armed with knightmare frames. How had Britannia built this without the EU knowing about it? Some Intelligence services had been put into work. But obviously, it hadn't taken a single year to build this. This had to be a project that was done slowly with the EU not even knowing about it. Perhaps it had to do with how Portugal fell into the side of Britannia.

He hoped that Cornelia had yet to arrive and he would be able to leave without seeing her. He could pretend to listen if she calls him via the royal line. Sighing deeply about his nagging elder sister, Lelouch started to walk towards the largest building within the military base. As he walked, he saw Schneizel's plane.

It didn't take long before they were welcomed by a uniformed soldier. The man led them straight towards the command center. Not long ago, Lelouch had been living casually, the only command center meetings he attended had been for the student council. He hadn't even thought he would be in this position once more. Standing tall above commoners and Britannia's nobility as the Eleventh Prince. But the Emperor called and things changed drastically.

The command center was full of activities. Lelouch had no doubt the EU was scrambling for forces while military generals were arguing about which way was best to engage Britannia forces that looked ready to strike Northern Africa. It was war alright. That part was within the EU territory and maybe it didn't hold much worth, but they would not willingly allow Britannia to take it.

Even with people around, Schneizel had prepared a chessboard. A small movable chair had been prepared for him: it was going to be a match in front of other military men. It was no doubt purposeful. Everyone knew of Schneizel's prowess in a game of chess. It was a move designed to get people to acknowledge his prowess with strategy and the ability to stand toe to toe with the man who many claimed not have an equal within the Emperor's children.

"This feels like an ambush," Lelouch said as he settled on a chair, just across Schneizel. Jeremiah and Villetta were standing behind him. The eyes of the people around turned towards them. When did you get the chance to see two royal Princes playing a game of chess?

"We are going to war, chances are you will be ambushed," Schneizel said calmly.

There would be no play in their words, not because there were people around. Schneizel wouldn't even take it easy on him. The man wasn't that charitable. Besides, a false victory would only undermine both of them. "You don't expect one within your camp unless there is a traitor," Lelouch said calmly, eyes staring at the pieces ahead of him.

"Well, there have been such cases before," Schneizel said. "It's not something you see in Britannian forces though."

"No one would want to make an enemy of Britannia," Lelouch said. "Since I don't see her here, I assume our sister has yet to arrive," he said.

"She took planned detour to the shores of Morocco, but she will come here," Schneizel said. He then smiled. "Afraid to see her?"

Lelouch grunted but did not respond as he picked up a pawn. He thought for a moment before putting it down. "You know how she is going to react," he said.

"It will be good for amusement," Schneizel said.

Lelouch snorted; for the soldiers around them perhaps. Lelouch didn't want to see Cornelia giving him a lecture in front of people who would be his subordinates. Cornelia would go that far if she was high on emotions. "Cornelia aside, how were you able to build this without the EU knowing. I assume they would have tried to level this place the moment they realized something was up."

"It was built pieces by pieces under the banner of Portugal," Schneizel said. "Without their cooperation, we would not have moved without the EU making things difficult for us."

Lelouch nodded. It was apparent that even though Schneizel had been trying to avoid war with the EU he had been taking steps to ensure that if a war does happen, Britannia was ready. Not just to defend itself but to conquer the EU. It would take some time for the EU to fully be under Britannia, but it wasn't impossible. In the near future, Britannia could unite the world under one banner. Perhaps then the world would become a gentle place. But as things stood, there would be continuous wars until one side won.

"But surely they have taken of things now and know of Portugal's position," Lelouch said in thought, his eyes never leaving the chessboard. It was never easy. He was attacking to draw. Victory was not necessary at this point. On a personal note, it wouldn't be a bad thing if he actually won. He did play with that in mind.

"They have… as we speak, the EU council has gathered in Paris," Schneizel said. "They are discussing Northern Africa since that is where we have placed Cornelia and they know about it. Unless leaks, they shouldn't know of Britannia's forces already within Portugal."

So the devil had already moved into EU territory. This was how he had managed to atop the EU from making movements towards Portugal. "But now they will make a move. Especially with Britannia's forces close by."

"Indeed," Schneizel said. His eyes concentrated on the game for a moment as he thought of his next move. Lelouch was always difficult. It was always hard to face him. He would certainly make a worthy opponent in battle. "They are already moving and will try to take over Portugal to make sure we don't have a piece of land in Europe. But we are going to move. We will defend Portugal at its borders."

"That is a tall order," Lelouch said in deep thought. "Forces from Spain and France will be moving towards the border between the former and Portugal. We don't have enough numbers to stall," he said.

"I still expect you to stop them from regaining Portugal…"

"Then I assume there is a plan to ensure that their forces are not focused in Spain only," Lelouch said. "The main focus on Africa but if the little forces within Portugal are stretched and crushed, it is going to be a major loss and will empower the EU to make bolder movements," he said.

"There will be a strike in Russia," Schneizel said without going into detail. "It will keep them from focusing their forces in one place. If anything, it will look like we have them surrounded, but we don't have the forces to actually surround them. That is why we have Cornelia within Morocco. Once Morocco is taken, we will create a stronghold there and depending on things, we might leave Portugal as well. But if things are good, we will remain there."

"When do you do ifs?"

Schneizel smiled but did not change his statement. "There will be three units along the border. A division of Portuguese forces will be at the northern border and your Platoon will be stationed at the heart of the border. Britannia's forces coming from mainland will move the Southern border to stop any advancement."

"So you do plan on taking over Madrid," Lelouch said with a glance at his brother. "Once Cornelia is done, you'll either move to Madrid or go through Russia. The end game is to make the EU surrender…"

"Hopefully they will," Schneizel said. "You'll only get about 90 knightmare frames. They are in top condition. We don't have much here, but more are on the way. For now, you'll make to make do with them. But if you run into trouble, reinforcements will come from north."

Lelouch thought deeply. There will probably be more men than machines. He was considerably not going to have many of them enter battlefield because their base of operations would need to be guarded at all times. And they they would surely be fighting bigger enemies that what they had. "Well, that is a lot more than what I had anticipated." Lelouch said before moving his queen.

Schneizel did not respond. He stared at the board, looking at where he had gone wrong. He concluded with that move, the game was going to end in a draw. It wasn't that he had done anything wrong, Lelouch was just a worthy opponent. He smiled and leaned back to his chair.

"We have prepared a place for you but you leave soon enough. The EU forces have already begun to move. The leaders of the squads under your Platoon are already in position." Schneizel said.

"Then we will leave once we rest a bit," Lelouch said as he stood up.

Schneizel called someone to show Lelouch and his people to their place of rest.

Lelouch smiled when he looked at the papers prepared for him. It was just maps and a couple of information he would need. At least Schneizel wasn't leaving him hanging. Lelouch wasn't going to stay longer her, lest Cornelia corners him. Since she hasn't called, it was likely that Schneizel had yet to tell her anything. Well, she was certainly going to throw a fit and a lot more reason to avoid seeing her. Lelouch was certain with how his elder sister treated Euphie, no matter what he did; she would most likely never stop seeing him as a child, despite having seen past those days when Britannia decided to invade Japan.

He threw himself on the couch before staring at the reports. He didn't touch anything but just stared, lost in thought. He then lifted his head and faced Villetta. "You should use the shower now. I'm certain with the men below us; it is going to be harder to get hot water once things become dangerous."

Perhaps it hadn't yet fully registered to her, but Villetta realized, they were certainly going to be living in the battleground. There would be no long showers, no turning in hot water till you were satisfied. She frowned, thinking that there might be days they would not even have water if the supply was interrupted. This was no vacation. Not the kind of fighting they did in Area 11 with the Purist Faction.

Lelouch would not have to worry about anything though. He was going have imperial kind of arrangement for himself. Even with this place was made for royalty. Villetta didn't waste time in nodding her head before she walked away.

Jeremiah sat across Lelouch and looked at the reports before looking at Lelouch. "I guess this is going to make you a Lieutenant as a post, not a rank," he said.

Lelouch looked thought for a moment before taking a file with his name. "I guess that has been confirmed," he said looking at the report about himself, his military career – which was blank. Well, the blanks would be filled once he was done with this battlefield. "Clovis wants me to become the Field Marshal of Area 11."

"Can he make you?" Jeremiah asked.

"He can request but I assume the emperor wouldn't have a problem with it," Lelouch said. "Though for my brother it is a way to avoid responsibility for anything terrorists do. If I become the General of the Army, dealing with terrorists becomes my problem and I will be the one who has to answer."

"Do you plan on taking it?"

Lelouch shook his head. "Schneizel would only permit it on temporary basis and only if there is nothing for me to do. But if I am not in military, I'm certain he is going to have me attend the meetings he will be holding with other nations. This is a case for other some time. U have no doubt that I am still going to play politics when not in military," he added shaking his head. "For now, we have a major battle to prepare for. You should be ready as well. Once we are done cooling down, we will depart immediately."

"Yes, my Lord."

About Five Hours Later

Cornelia gave Schneizel a stern look. They were in a private setting, having called for a meeting in closed quarters the moment she arrived and was told that Lelouch was not only here but would not be with her. She had made this clear to Schneizel that she wanted to have him under her so that she could monitor him, instruct him and teach him how to behave properly in a war field. There were chances of death in war and she could not simply sit back and allow Schneizel to put him in danger.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, brother." Cornelia said to the Prime Minister who looked his usual self, unlike Lelouch who looked like he wanted to run somewhere and just be by himself.

Schneizel merely smiled. He had expected this to happen. But he didn't want to defend Lelouch. He wanted Lelouch to stand up for himself. It was apparent that with Cornelia, Lelouch could not grow in the same rate he wished. For Cornelia, he was a younger brother she wanted to protect. But Schneizel saw more than that and he wanted his younger brother to be a success. He didn't wish for Cornelia to stand in the way. He believed that if things were handled this way, there would no more future incidents.

"Lelouch is deployed far away from you, Cornelia. Nothing is going to change," Schneizel said.

"I demand change!" Cornelia said forcefully. "I told you that I wanted him to be placed under me so that I can introduce him to the battlefield. A couple of months ago, he wasn't even a prince but just a school boy who spends his time gambling with nobles! He has no experience and already, you have put him in charge of a Platoon?"

"I was thinking that our brother is capable of the job I assigned him," Schneizel paused and looked straight into Cornelia's eyes. "Since when do you question my judgement?"

Cornelia stared. She did trust Schneizel. He has been basically running the empire by himself and he was never wrong. He'd never lost. His judgement was always sound. Still, this was Lelouch. Reason failed and Schneizel's judgment appeared questionable. But who could blame her? Even those under him were going to have some trouble following orders because he had no experience and they would think he was just another Prince who was going to send them to their deaths. Not to mention, Lelouch was a little reckless. She feared he was going to do something daring.

"You have always been right, but I worry," Cornelia said in a subdued tone. "You are sending him right at the doorstep of the EU and they will do everything possible to defend it. They are not going to make things easy and they will most likely target the inexperienced commander."

"I have looked at all possibilities and concluded that Lelouch will manage," Schneizel said calmly. "Besides, I will be right here. And, how long he engages the EU solely depends on you. If you finish quickly, you can save him, sister."

"That means I have to hurry up," Cornelia turned towards Lelouch. "If you do anything stupid, there will be consequences. If you are in trouble, retreat. Don't face a challenge you can't win. If it looks dangerous, it is dangerous. If you can't go far, call me and I will be with you shortly."

Lelouch suppressed the urge to groan; he was certainly just a child in the eyes of his elder sister. It was good to have someone to care for you, but it was a problem when they were Cornelia. How has Euphemia been able to live all these years? When he returns to Aries Villa, they were surely going to have a talk about this. There would be some sympathy. "I will let you know if there is something, Cornelia,"

"Your words, don't give me much confidence that you indeed will," Cornelia said with a frown. "Next time, I expect to be consulted when such decisions I being made, Schneizel. I hold the highest ranking in Britannia's military, I should know when things like this are being made."

"It was an oversight on my part," Schneizel admitted in a quiet tone. "It won't happen again," he said.

"Schneizel," Lelouch said in a firm tone. "I will need about two scraps of knightmare frames that be put together and made operational and a lot of explosives. You can provide that, can you?"

Something was definitely up with that request and the knightmares were going to be used in a big way. He smiled, "There is nothing in this island but the fourth squad in your Platoon has had some exercises. It should have some scraps. If you don't find any, I will make some calls," he said.

Lelouch nodded before standing up. He saluted towards Cornelia. "General, I pray that you don't meet tough challenges that will make our stay in the front lines pro longed than it should," he said.

"And I hope you don't do anything reckless, Lieutenant," Cornelia said in a calm tone. "You jumped rankings," she said.

Schneizel smiled. "He is prince," he said. "And we had to give him a ranking that is appropriate to his current position. Besides, the squad leaders in his platoon have a higher rank than him," the prime minister put out calmly.

Lelouch just shook his head. "We will talk Schneizel. I have a meeting with destiny," he said with a smile on his lips.

Cornelia had to restrain herself from pinning down Lelouch to the grown and tell Schneizel that unless it was Africa, he wasn't going anywhere. She had to let him grow. She had to allow him to do what Schneizel thought he could do. But if he failed or doesn't perform as expected, Cornelia wasn't going to allow Schneizel to put him an any dangerous situations. She was going to ensure that he was by her side until she was satisfied that he could stand on his own.

Once Lelouch was out of the room, Schneizel faced Cornelia. "Now, Cornelia, let us get to strategy," he said. "You need not be concerned with Lelouch. I will be overlooking his battles from here. But your mission is what I am most concerned with."

Outside of the command center

Lelouch breathed a sigh of relief that things hadn't gone as bad as he had thought they would. Perhaps it was because Schneizel had been there. Well, he had known that Schneizel wasn't going to change anything. Battle lines were set and the strategies were already in place. It was just time for the real engagement to begin. Lelouch would not allow anything to get in the way of his victory. He would conquer this crusade.

"Jeremiah, we are going into enemy lines now," he said. "It will be rather dangerous to fly towards the front lines in a civilian aircraft. With how things are at the moment, we could get shot down. The EU already knows we are here and will be watching for any invasion and we really don't want to give away our location."

"If we do that, they could plot night attacks and ambush us," the former Purist Faction leader.

Lelouch nodded. "There is runway prepared for us. We will be welcomed there and taken to our prime location," Lelouch said. "Let us move," he said heading straight towards the plane.

"Yes, my Lord."

Portugal; the sun was already setting. Lelouch was glad they would not be meeting any natives; maybe during the battlefield. It wasn't uncommon for some people within the nation to be against the idea of betraying the EU and allying with Britannia. Schneizel must have shown the leaders of this country that he would destroy it shortly if they didn't surrender. An arms conflict would leave the country in ruins. A willing surrender would leave their nation intact and the battles wouldn't happen where civilians would be caught in the crossfire. A promise Schneizel would keep unless he had to depart for another deal. He doubted it would be the case though. The other nations who have accepted Schneizel's romance would be observing the situation with keen interest and any movement that showed he was untrustworthy; they would break-up with him and return to the EU, armed with whatever they had learned during their time with the Prime Minister.

Lelouch looked around the air base; it looked deserted. Perhaps to make sure that the EU didn't take notice. A line of communication left for channels to be hacked.

"Your Highness," Villetta cautioned Lelouch as a military vehicle made its way towards them along with two knightmare frames escorting it.

"Allies," Lelouch said. "The knightmare frames belong to the EU but they are allies," he said in a calm tone.

"Is it a way to avoid detection?" Jeremiah asked.

"Most likely," Lelouch said. "Everything has to made subtle to avoid the EU making moves to precise locations. They now already know that Portugal is with Britannia and are already moving."

Villetta would not say it but this looked like a suicide mission. They were heading straight into the doors of the enemy. Well, Schneizel would not send his brother into a place to die, would he? She could understand why the Second Princess hadn't looked impressed when she hurled both princes into a private room to talk to them. They did not listen but she was surely voicing her thoughts about Lelouch being placed in such a battle when he had no military experience. Villetta shook her head. Now was not the time have such thoughts. She was already here. Being doubtful wasn't going to change anything. She was here, it was either she was fully set on fighting or she went home.

"It is still surprising that Britannia was still able to move within the EU though," Villetta said.

"The EU is made up of different nations. They can hide things from the other. They are not always on the same page. The Federation was made for survival." Lelouch said.

The military vehicle stopped just in front of them and a man stepped out of passenger seat. The two more armed soldiers stepped and took their positions. The man leading them walked towards them.

"Major Albert Augustus!" The Major saluted Lelouch and his company. "I am the temporary commander of the platoon."

"At ease soldier," Lelouch said in a relaxed tone. He exchanged greetings before giving an order. "Lead the way, Major," he said. He didn't want to linger around the place for too much. Not when he didn't know who was watching.

The Major led them towards the vehicle. Once settled, he introduced both Jeremiah and Villeta to the Major. "If you are in charge and you here, who did you leave in charge of the platoon?" Lelouch asked calmly as the vehicle started moving.

"Major Frederik is in charge of the Platoon, sire," Albert responded a stiffly.

Lelouch went deep into his thoughts for a couple of moments before facing the Major once more. "Is it you and Major Frederik with senior positions in the platoon?"

"Yes sire. I lead the fourth squad and Major Frederik commands the second squad. The third squad was only integrated into the unit a week ago having just arrived from Mainland," Albert reported.

Lelouch would have liked to have both Jeremiah and Villetta in leadership positions. But he could not just go an change things in the bat of an eye. If he was going to demote someone, it would have to be for reasons everyone can see and believe. He didn't want to sow seeds of contempt and jealousy. That would mean that for now, he would have to make both Jeremiah and Albert joint leaders whenever he wasn't around. Villetta would have to be with him whenever he steps out. He did need someone he could trust to watch him. Besides, if Cornelia calls and finds that neither Jeremiah nor Villetta are with him in battle, she was going to throw a fit.

There was much to do and some organization needed but he would handle it. Once he arrives, he would have to deal with the logistics. It was going to be a long night. But he would have to do. He needed to come out of this with victory or else he would return to Pendragon with shame and the nobles would be laughing at him.

"Major Albert," Lelouch started as he left his thoughts. He wanted to speak once more but the road became bumpy.

The major smiled. "I forgot to mention this, but the road will be a bit bumpy," he said.

Lelouch stared at the man for a moment before shaking his head. "How long?"

"About an hour," Albert said.

Lelouch nodded. "Any more surprises I should know?"

"The men have already been told that you are coming. I had to do a little research to tell them what kind of person their commander was going to be. But I couldn't find much," Albert said. "But they know you are coming and I have heard them discussing some things about you. Most of them are commoners."

"Well, you don't see many nobles fighting in the front lines like this," Lelouch said. "The upper class want their children to occupy positions in high places to avoid direct contact with battlefield. It is especially at large when in situations like this." He shook his head.

"Well, nobles don't like being given orders. And being reduced to foot soldiers is an insult to them," Jeremiah said.

Lelouch smiled, amused. "Them? Aren't you a noble, Jeremiah?" he asked in an amused tone. The man was also a person who once led the racist Purist Faction.

"Yes," Jeremiah said. "That reminds me of my days with the Purist Faction. Not proud of those days," he said.

"If I recall, you zealously pursued the ideals of the Purist Faction," Lelouch said, still amused. He didn't press on this for much longer before returning to Albert. "Tell me Major, how long have you been in this country?"

"About a year," the Major said.

"What is the situation in Portugal? Are the people who think that siding with Britannia is wrong?" Lelouch asked calmly.

Albert shook his head. "We never really associated ourselves with the people of this country. The alliance with Britannia wasn't even announced. I cannot really day based on observation," he said.

"Based on experience?"

"There might be people who will rebel against the government… some in military." Albert said. "I cannot say that this will happen, but it is very likely…"

Schneizel must have considered this when he plotted his things. If the government was not able to deal with rebels, Schneizel would leave them. But it would also pose danger with them. Perhaps this is why he decided to separate the forces. Britannia would fight its battle alone. "We have to watch our backs then," Lelouch said in thought.

"Do you think rebels would try to attack us from behind?" Jeremiah asked with concern.

"It is a possibility," Lelouch said. "We will formulate a strategy to deal with this once we arrive at the camp. I have to see what we have before deciding how we position ourselves," Lelouch said calmly, while looking through the window.

There was much to think about in this situation. It didn't matter if this was going to be his first battle. There were issues that needed to be dealt with and the mission would not be easy. Lelouch had no fears. He was not nervous. He had one thought in his mind and it was to win. He just hoped that he would not get over himself and think about advancing into Spain. If that happens, the dangers would increase, and Cornelia would fly over here, leaving someone in charge of the battlefield in Northern Africa.

Albert put on a relaxed smile as he looked at the three people with him. He had expected something different but they seemed like good people. He was not in bad company. He did have reservations about an inexperienced Prince taking charge, but so far, he looked comfortable, he looked like he was at home and he was asking the right questions.

Well, Jeremiah was someone he knew. Both the two surrounding the Prince had battle experience. Jeremiah was certainly an experienced soldier and from the info he received, Villetta was an elite knightmare pilot. Albert turned towards the woman and smiled.

She was no doubt a commoner. Then again, Lelouch's mother was a commoner.

When they arrived at the command center, the heart of the Platoon, Lelouch was the last to arrive. It was a military camp alright. From the structure enacted, he could easily conclude that the first company was stationed here and acted as the maintenance crew. The camp looked lively. There were a couple of fires around. He did wonder if it would not alert the EU of their location. He shook his head, they were in the middle of nowhere. It would be fine.

Albert led them straight to the G-1 base within the camp. The Major showed them around and where Lelouch would be staying before taking them the control room. There weren't a lot of people within. Lelouch set himself on the throne like chair within the control room and stared at the multiple screens on display before turning his attention to Major Albert. "Which squad is responsible for scouting?" He asked.

Albert smiled. There was no military experience, and no formal military training but the Prince wasn't stupid. "The Second squad, sire."

"I assume the three squads surround us as some sort of battle formation in case there is an ambush or a surprise attack," Lelouch said in thought. "I want a status report. I want to know what is happening within the parameters and the borders. The movements of EU forces."

"I will give the order," Albert affirmed.

"I want files of everyone within the Platoon. It should be delivered to me before I rest. I want to look at it before I meet the men tomorrow. You will have them come here tomorrow at 11am. Everyone except for scouts," Lelouch ordered in a stern tone. "Logistics?"

"The first squad…"

Lelouch shook his head; it looked like just one Squad handled all the matters. Well, it was no problem. They were better positioned to handle it all since they didn't have to worry about battles. Still, Lelouch would form different units within the Squad to ensure there was a separation of duties. He didn't want to get a mix of things. "Have all important documents sent to me. I will study them. Jeremiah, you will stay with the Third Squad tonight. Major Albert, you will return to your Squad but keep your lines open, I may have some questions for you." He paused, "You'll show him the way and introduce him, yes?"

Albert nodded.

"Is there going to be a problem?" Lelouch asked. "I want to know everything."

"Not that I can think of, sire," Major Albert said. "I will inform you once the report from the scouts comes in."

"I want them to report to me," Lelouch said. "It is not a matter of trust, Major. I just want to be familiar with everyone. Especially those whom I will work closely with."

"Of course, Sire." Major Albert saluted before turning to face Jeremiah. "Lord Jeremiah, shall we?"

The former Purist Faction leader hesitated for a moment before nodding his head. He went to Villetta and told her to keep watch on Lelouch and if anything does happen, she would first call him. Once done, he departed with Major Albert.

Once the two were gone, Lelouch released a long breath. "It is going to be a long night," he said to himself. "Villetta, you will be fine staying with me for a little longer, yes? I need you to be familiar with the logistics because as times goes on, you will be the person I trust to give me the proper information I need when formulating strategies."

This was what Jeremiah had said. She was going to be the one who stays closer to Lelouch. It wasn't going to be so bad. Being here, she was reminded that despite not being a favorite of the aristocracy, Lelouch was indeed a Britannian Prince.

"No problem, your Highness," Villetta said.

Lelouch smiled. "Come along then," he said as he stood up. Villetta followed him slowly towards his private quarters. The room they entered was small with couches surrounding a small table. On the left wall from the entrance, there was a large screen. The royal experience, she mused as Lelouch settled in a comfortable single couch. He had brought his own laptop and immediately put it on the small table in front of them. "Have you been to Europe before?"

Villetta shook her head. "First time," she said. "Also first time being close to the commander of a Platoon…" she said with a small smile.

"Well, this is also my first time in a Platoon," Lelouch said with a smile of his own. His eyes were fixed on his screen though. "But we have to claim victory, Villetta. We have to…" he fell silent after those words.

Villetta studied him for a moment before she consumed her time with some reports. Hours passed and the scouting report came and Lelouch continued to work. It was only at midnight that Villetta fell asleep.

Lelouch realized, she probably didn't sleep when he told her to sleep in their journey towards Europe. He didn't mind though. He merely went over to his room and took a blanket before covering her and then returned to work.

The Platoon was healthy. There were 95 experienced knightmare pilots in total. They didn't have enough knightmare frames for everyone but he was sure all soldiers would get their turn to battle. After all, he would be taking groups and groups to different missions. The Sunderlands they had were in good shape. And they had been supplied a couple of Gloucesters. The maintenance crew was fully equipped to handle the work needed for them and the scraps he needed could be fixed, and work the kind of job that he needed them to do.

Lelouch worked through the map along the borders searching for potential battlegrounds. He did not want to give away the location of his base regardless of what. But he would need to move it during the cause of engagements. For now, he didn't even know how many enemy forces he would be facing and the kind of frames they had. All that would determine their threat level and the best possible way to deal with them.

It did look like he would have to make the first move. That meant entering the borders of Spain. It was necessary. Schneizel hadn't said he couldn't and he didn't have to report to the Prime Minister about his methods. He was the commander here and he just had to make sure he guarded the borders. Given the size of his group, he simply could not allow the enemy to come to him. If he did that, he would find himself surrounded. If they were going to reach here, they had to be nothing but scraps by then.

Lelouch didn't know when it was that he started to feel sleepy but he forced himself to stay up with coffee before he finished his work. Once he was done, he went towards his bed and decided to rest.

Tomorrow was going to be another long day for him.

End of chapter