When things worked there were no reasons to keep frowning. Charles may threaten him with Nunnally, but Lelouch had seen a new path he could take. Yes, things looked to be working according to a different script. However, it was never his intention to return to this wretched life of being a prince to this empire, dancing to the tune of the Emperor but the bastard had called him. Yet, it was perhaps good that he had been called with a chance to 'prove' himself instead of facing the axe. How would he have managed things had he remained as a mere student in Area 11? He had no influence, no power, nothing. He just took some money from some nobles but it was nothing compared to the riches needed to cause effect.
The reviews of his military expedition were as expected. Naturally, the political bastards had begun to push back. Lelouch vi Britannia was no longer just a Prince who returned from the dead, but he still had a long road ahead of him. Many of his contemporaries would not be convinced with this 'luck' or 'fluke' of victory that many people were starting to call it. Lelouch did not care. The fact was that they were talking about it. Regardless of the views, they were talking about him. They were talking about Lelouch vi Britannia. He still needed to gain more victories to fully convince people that he was the real deal. He would get it done, eventually.
"You look pleased with yourself," Schneizel said as he walked toward Lelouch. The black prince was sitting on a chair, playing with chess pieces while smiling to himself. The Prime Minister sat across Lelouch while staring the movements of the pieces.
"Should I not be pleased?" Lelouch asked, his eyes focused on the chess piece. "I faced a difficult situation, nearly died but survived. I am with you here having learnt some valuable lessons about warfare. I think I have every reason to be pleased."
"Not to mention the news back at home," Schneizel added.
Lelouch glanced at his brother as he responded. "The news has become rather unfavorable. Well, I did not expect it to last long."
"There is no such thing as bad publicity," Schneizel said with a smile. "Or at least that is what some people are willing to say."
"For you perhaps. You certainly know how to twist things."
"It is all about knowing the right things to say at the right time. Politics teaches such things."
Lelouch shrugged. "The same could be said about military command. You simply do not just move without knowing when is the right time."
"But weapons determine strategy in military games. You don't kill someone by words. In politics, I can simply say a couple of words and you are dead, politically. You don't even have to risk your life and there is a chance for survival."
Lelouch scoffed inwardly. "It is game where you, brother, will always win," he said. "But I must admit, your plan to throw me into this situation has worked to my benefit. And I was surprised that you did not interfere."
Schneizel smiled. "It was not like you would have allowed me to interfere. But I did tell you, Lelouch, I trust in your abilities: that is why I want you closer to me."
"I don't plan on playing politician," Lelouch said in a hardened tone. Schneizel was going to make him play this game. Well, it was no matter. As long as he was a military commander he would always be on the battlefield, instead of dancing in the palm of Schneizel's hand.
"Now, now brother," Schneizel started in a calm tone. "You have seen the benefits of working with me. I only want you to succeed. You just need to be with me at certain moments, and I promise I will not let it interfere in your career. When High Command meets, I will not be against having you sent to places you want to go for war."
The devil always had schemes up his sleeves. It fed with the left and poisoned you with the right. It was all about temptation. "Was this your plan, all along?"
Schneizel smiled those flat smiles of his but did not give Lelouch response he wanted. He didn't mind that Lelouch hadn't given him a response either. "Our sister is taking her time," he said of Cornelia.
Lelouch did not immediately respond: he stared at his brother for a minute before responding. "She is perhaps having an argument with Jeremiah about my near death experience. Although she won't say anything to me, she questions why Jeremiah was not the first one to respond."
"He was not at the right place," Schneizel said.
"But Cornelia believes he should have been at the right place," Lelouch said with a slight shake of his head. "Are you going to tell me why I am going with you to the EU?"
"You are Prince of Britannia, such matters affect you."
"Political nonsense," Lelouch said. "Is that the response you plan to give anyone who asks?"
"It does keep them from asking questions about what your official role in the government is, doesn't it? You may not even have any role, but they will think you do." Schneizel said. "You do need to understand that we will not be fighting wars forever, Lelouch. When the wars end, we will go back to playing politics and creating policies. I lead the administrative functions of the government but my time is spent too much on war. If you learn politics, I can have you handle some of my responsibilities while I handle war. Or it could be the other way. This is why I am not really against you being in the military and will do anything to help you."
"But I would rather you stay away a bit from my affairs."
"You don't want my shadow looming over you. I understand that. I was not planning on interfering. You proved yourself capable. One has something to use to back you up for a different mission."
Lelouch frowned when he came to realize something. "I forget both worlds overlap," he said. "Let me guess, if I am not liked, I won't get any 'beneficial' assignments and if someone really wants me to fail or die, I will be sent to death traps."
Schneizel did not confirm or deny this. But his next words did suggest Lelouch spoke the truth. "I will only be around to make sure things are done fairly. That is a fair deal, don't you agree?"
"What deals are you making now?" Cornelia asked with an expressionless look on her face as she walked into the room. She stared between the two princes and sat beside Schneizel.
"We were merely making an arrangement about Lelouch's future," Schneizel said. "Such a look does not quite suit you, Cornelia. Hasn't Euphy told you that it hides your beauty?"
Cornelia cleared her throat. "We should get this over with. I want to leave this place. Russia is waiting for me," she said in a hardened tone.
Lelouch put on an amused look. "So even the witch of Britannia can blush," he said. "You must teach me how you do it, Schneizel."
Cornelia glared at him. "You are not going to learn anything from him." She said in a hardened tone. "Then?" She glanced at Schneizel.
The Prime Minister gave her a smile before responding. "Taking Portugal and fully taking over Russia means that we will be able to launch attacks to the EU in all angles. But hopefully that is the last choice we will be forced to use. I hope to privately speak to other member states to see if they cannot follow the same path as Portugal. Securing Portugal has also given us reasons to move our troops."
"But how you treat Portugal will influence other nations in their talks with you. If they become nothing but number states, and face the same discrimination as other number nations, the others will most likely resist," Lelouch said. "Are you planning on keeping the status quo?"
"But that would be changing Britannia's policy," Cornelia said.
"Portugal was not conquered. We entered into an agreement and it abandoned the EU to join Euro-Britannia. High Command will have a say, but I think father will be pleased with my decision."
The objective was simply not war. Schneizel was looking to avoid war using all possible means. If it came to that, then all of EU nations would become numbers. Russia was going to become a number soon enough once they had no use for it. "You really want it all, don't you?" Lelouch asked with a smile.
"If we just go straight to war, it will not be good for Britannia. We have resources but they are not unlimited. We must also halt the EU's development of advanced frames. The more advanced they become, the bolder they will be at launching a direct assault on Britannian forces," Schneizel said.
"We should just destroy it all."
"We must think about the future Cornelia," Schneizel said. "As things stand now, we have a chance to negotiate something with them. Your campaign in Africa ends. Of course, we will still need to move ahead in taking the entire continent but I am now content with having a landing place."
"So I can head to Russia," Cornelia said.
"Yes," Schneizel said.
"You two can talk. I have battles to fight…" Cornelia said as she stood up and then departed.
Schneizel shook his head. "Our sister will become useless when the wars end. She can't do anything aside from leading soldiers to battle."
That was the hard truth. "Perhaps she will change in due time. But no doubt, those in power would be against her occupying a political office," Lelouch said. "Is High Command going to agree with your strategy? No doubt some members at home have already started planning on getting their hands on Portugal's assets."
"I am the head of the government. High Command cannot make political decisions. What happens to Portugal will ultimately be father's choice," Schneizel said. "It is a decision that will not be most liked but a necessary one."
"Only one who has the political strength can pull it off," Lelouch said. "If it is someone else, they wouldn't take the risk because of the push back… when do we leave for France?"
"8 days." Schneizel said.
Later
When Lelouch stepped into his given quarters, he found Villetta sitting along in their lounge. He had expected to see Jeremiah with her, as they usually spent time together here. "Where is Jeremiah?" he asked before sitting across from her on a couch. A chessboard was already on the small table within: he stared at it for a couple of moments before glancing at Villetta.
"He went out with Lord Guilford," Villetta said.
"Probably to talk more about what Cornelia has been saying to him. He must not be happy," Lelouch said in thought. "Then again, my sister can be very difficult."
"Princess Cornelia has been good to me," Villetta said curiously. But she understood why she was having some words with Jeremiah.
Lelouch just smiled. "That is because you saved my life. In her eyes, Jeremiah should have been the one to do it," he said. "Be in his position and you will see just how my sister can change…"
Villetta thought about it for a couple of moments before asking. "Do they know each other?"
"Do you know how to play?" Lelouch asked instead of answering the question.
"I have never played but I do know the pieces."
"Move a little closer. I will teach you how to play. You are much more level-headed than Jeremiah anyway. You can be trusted to make strategy and keep calm," he said.
Villetta hesitated for a moment but she moved closer to the prince. She then stared at him. He seemed comfortable around her. She was becoming a little uneasy around him, but he was normal. She shook her head. And listened when Lelouch began to explain the basics and how the pieces move. After explaining everything, he answered her earlier question.
"Cornelia once served as head of security for Aries Villa while my mother was still alive. Jeremiah was also stationed there. As someone from a noble family, she had to know him. He was closer to us than most guards," Lelouch said without emotion. "Make your first move."
The past. The death of Empress Marianne. It was still something that was surrounded by mystery. Villetta didn't know much about it. But she had come to know even with Jeremiah, it was touchy subject. It was apparently the case with Lelouch. Then again, it was an event that led him to being exiled to Japan.
"Cornelia was probably reminding Jeremiah of the last time they failed to do their duties, and it almost happened again. I believe if something does happen to me, she will probably shoot Jeremiah," Lelouch said with a smile. "I am thinking of knighting you, of course, along with Jeremiah. It is not a real status of being a noble but it does give you something."
Villetta did not hide her smile. "I would be honored," she said.
Lelouch simply nodded. "Is being a noble really that attractive?"
"It is. The status and privileges… you don't really see it when you are on the other side…"
Lelouch laughed at this. "Villetta, to whom are you talking to? I lived the life of a commoner when I was banished from Britannia. Admittedly, I cannot understand what people see in the status. Even those who lost their status want to regain it."
"You mean the Ashfords?"
Lelouch nodded. "But they are not the only ones…" he said. Stating this just made him think about Milly and her kiss. He has done well to avoid it till now. Now that he was soon going home, she was going to stand in front of him as he was going to Area 11. A troublesome situation. "Regardless, I will help you achieve your dream in any way I can."
Villetta smiled. "Thank you, your Highness," she said warmly. Coming here had been truly the right decision. She would have to thank Jeremiah for this. But for now, she had to stop this massacre of a chess game.
"You saved my life: I can at least offer my assistance to your dreams. You work for me, and I have my dreams, but you also have your dreams – as you help me, I must also help you." He smiled. "I hope you don't become too successful and leave my camp."
Villetta shared the smile.
"I would not consider even doing that, Your Highness. You have been good to me since I came here. I don't think I can ask for a better leader."
"That is good to hear, Villetta," Lelouch said. "This thing of 'Your Highness,' I'm not familiar with it anymore. I have become used to being called Lelouch."
Villetta could not imagine calling Lelouch by his name. The people had Ashford academy called him as such but that was because they had grown to know him as just a normal teenager. He had discarded being a prince and lived like a commoner.
"I will try that." She ended up saying.
Lelouch nodded and stared motionlessly at the space between him and the chessboard; Milly had come up once more again. How was he going to deal with her? He had promised her he would do something about her situation. If she hadn't kissed him he wouldn't have been thinking about this thing – compared to real issues, it was nothing.
"Tell me, Villetta, if I suddenly kissed you, how would you interpret that?"
Villetta fell speechless, shocked by the sudden question. As sudden and shocking as it would to be kissed by him, the question was also shocking. Her lips parted as she tried to say something but her voice failed her. Her eyes were doing everything to avoid Lelouch's gaze.
After more than a minute of silence, Villetta found her voice. "I would be shocked but if it was coming from you, I would say you want something."
"Others would call it sexual harassment."
"I wouldn't go as far as to accuse a royal Prince of sexually harassing me." She most definitely would not leave long enough to tell another person. "Maybe if it was someone else, I would think that but from what I have seen from you, you are not…" she paused thinking of a proper word to say.
"Womanizer, a pervert? Something along those lines?" Lelouch asked with an amused look on his face. "Then what if it was from your childhood friend?"
Villetta finally met Lelouch's gaze. "Does this have anything to do with Milly Ashford?"
"Yes," Lelouch answered. Milly had said she liked him – she had said it straight to his face. Of course, he hadn't responded to it then. But he was thinking about it.
"She probably likes you."
"She mentioned that."
Villetta blinked. Then, why was he still asking about it? Lelouch did not seem to be the one who would be confused by simple words. Was it that he was just having a hard time digesting it? According to Jeremiah and from what she has observed, Lelouch did not care for romance.
Days Later
It would be something if their plane was shot down. Schneizel had taken some transport planes with them, carrying knightmare frames, just in case something happened. Even if an attack on them would lead to Britannia invading the EU, the empire would have lost its most valued asset – the Prime Minister. Lelouch couldn't think of anyone who would take over the government to replace his brother. The Crown Prince was mediocre at his best, and the rest were just as ineffective. His own life held much more meaning. He could not afford to die now. He doubted the EU would do anything nevertheless.
The plane was flying over Spain now. It had been a silent journey with Lelouch choosing to read than speak to Schneizel. The silence that surrounded them lasted for several hours, Schneizel did not allow it to continue any further.
"Lelouch," Schneizel started in a slightly serious tone. "I have minded my business but do you think that father came in at Area 11 just to pick you up?"
Schneizel was finally going to be straight with him. Lelouch would have preferred otherwise. But there was nothing he could do about it now. "Of course not," he said a bit darkly. "He must have been from somewhere. You have said yourself that father is always not around Pendragon and keeps his travels to himself."
The Prime Minister nodded before falling silent for a moment. "I believe so as well…" he said. "I am still happy that you have not been making any drastic movements in what happened to your mother. But then, since you returned from your exile, you have always kept your word. One day, I will sit with you and share everything I know."
Lelouch raised eye brow. Surely, there was something his brother wanted. He had kept quiet through this time. Well, they are 'partners' weren't they? Schneizel had even given him his project with Lloyd. But when would this partnership last? "That would surely be an interesting conversation."
"Yes," Schneizel said, a slight nod of his head. "But you must also be open with me about your intentions. I still want to know why you secretly disappeared."
"We will talk about that," Lelouch said. "The EU leaders stand before us. Or at least you. I just have to smile through it all and keep my mouth shut."
"If I wanted you for the pictures, I could have chosen something different. You can speak if you have something to say. You know I respect your opinion, brother. Besides, we are in this together, isn't this what we agreed on?"
The agreement still stood. Perhaps in some ways, Schneizel would like for him to be his protégé. But Lelouch was distrustful. Besides, being under his wing was not his vision. He has not suffered just so he could end up taking up messages for Schneizel as his secretary.
Xxxx
When Lelouch stepped out of the limousine that has driven him to this place – EU headquarters, he felt like a display piece. The eyes, scrutinizing and questioning his presence. Some displayed mild shock. The camera flashes almost made him feel disoriented. His vision was being savagely massacred by the pale lights. He only survived when Schneizel stopped by him. There was no movement from the Prime Minister towards him, probably not to embarrass him. Had it been one of his other siblings, it would have been a comedy show, the jokes scripted off his expense.
The carpet before them was blood red. It did seem like there had been a blood bath and they decided turn it into paint.
A man walked towards them. His walk was calculated. His smile never faltering. You'd think you were staring at a fake Schneizel for a moment if not for the cold eyes that stared at them with negative thoughts. Whether blind to this, or simply ignoring, considering it was Schneizel, it was probably the latter but he just smiled and greeted the man.
"Minister Gandolfi," he said, eyes looking straight at the man who handled foreign affairs. "You have gathered quite the welcoming party…"
"Well, it was the least we could do, given all achievements that have unfortunately come at our expense. Regardless, we had never spoken in Paris before… You took this measure, we had to honor it." The Foreign Minister responded in a mild tone before turning to face Lelouch. "Prince Lelouch."
Lelouch merely nodded his head and shook the man's hand with a flat smile on his lips. The hand was firm. It felt like he was shaking the hand of a general instead of a politician. Then again, EU Military Command was based here.
The man had them follow. With the grace of an imperial Prince, Lelouch followed alongside Schneizel. He held his head high. The vultures would be watching him roll over the carpet now. There was probably a live feed of this. Those who could not stand it would be buying new televisions after destroying the old ones. He would not see any of it. But he could amuse himself just thinking about it. He had no shortages of enemies. But for now they were of no consequence. He could enjoy this moment, just as much as it was killing them to see him walking with Schneizel into such an important meeting.
They were taken to a chamber with a large round table with a map of the EU. There were three men and an elderly woman already waiting for them. These were perhaps the heavy guns in the negotiating table for the EU, Lelouch mused before sitting beside Schneizel. The EU reps sat across them, staring at them with unflinching gazes.
"So this is the Prince who humiliated us."
Clear dislike could not have been expressed any better than that. Lelouch had not expected dialogues to start this way. The woman just went straight for the jugular. How was he to respond when she got his throat? But this still a stage he could not run away from. He had to dig deep into the mountain of thoughts within and snatch that perfect response.
The Eleventh Prince smiled – a flat smile. It expressed neither happiness nor anger. It was just an expressionless smile. "I would not go as far as to say that. It was a battle. There is always a victor…" he finished quietly.
The woman snorted in response. She did not grace him with any more words but turned her century old gaze towards Schneizel. The Prime Minister did not reject it; he accepted it with a smile, his expression never changing.
"You Britannians have no respect for the borders of other nations. We had an agreement…"
"Which we have not broken," Schneizel said calmly. "I don't think the EU should be the one to say we don't respect borders. You still control more lands than us and that was achieved through invasions. Nonetheless, we are not here to discuss that…"
"We don't want to go to war with Britannia and I don't think you want to do the same. If you had the resources, you would have done it already. It is obvious that you don't show any restraints when invading other nations when it suits you. Our losses have also been because your actions," Gandolfi said in a hardened tone while staring at Schneizel. "Regardless, war benefits no one. However, with you surrounding us, it is an inevitability."
"You have to stop your Invasion of Russia or remove your forces within Portugal. To us, it feels like you are planning to attack us on both the front and the rear," another member said.
"You make reasonable demands," Schneizel said in a slightly thoughtful tone. "But after Russia, Britannia will not fight anymore. But to avoid war and to improve the situation, our forces will leave Portugal."
"You are not going to suddenly change your mind, are you?"
Schneizel smiled. "When have I ever done that? I have always held my end of an agreement. I believe that if my word means nothing, then it would be impossible for me to negotiate anything."
Lelouch inwardly rolled his eyes. Maybe an inner Schneizel was doing a victory lap about this. He probably sent those forces there knowing he might have to remove them. What a calculating, cold hearted bastard. If Schneizel was a pawn in his game, things would be much simpler. But this man would probably become an enemy that he must eliminate in the near future, despite their partnership. What was it? Ah, yes, there were those brutal institutions that trained you with a partner, when you have grown to like each other, they tell you, one of you must die. In this situation, there would be no one giving those orders, it would be destiny.
"That is true… we even agreed to this meeting because of that," Gandolfi said before turning to Lelouch. "Do you have anything to add?"
Lelouch did not hesitate. He did not want these people laughing behind his back after leaving. They would probably make news of it and dismiss his achievements as luck or a fluke, as the noble class in Britannia was already suggesting. "If Britannia is going to leave Portugal, it cannot be expected to remove all its military personnel there. We would also have to sign a non-aggression pact along the Spanish borders."
"And in Russia," Another member of the EU asked.
Lelouch smiled at this. "Does this mean you are going to give up on Russia? The battle still rages on. No winner has been declared. If you agree to this, everything will have to halt."
"We still need to go to the Council about this. But I believe what my colleague meant was that we would still need to hold onto some Russian territory. Regardless, we cannot just give it to you. You can keep from Moscow stretching towards the sea; we will keep St. Petersburg and control the entire Russian border."
Schneizel took over. "Can we share the control? If our forces stare down at each other long the borders, there is bound to be a confrontation. We must establish rules around the borders…"
"That can be arranged. Though, it is most likely that Britannians will be throwing missiles at us to provoke a reaction," Gandolfi said with a stare. "Should that happen, we will invade Portugal even if it is a former member."
"Britannia's forces will not do anything," Schneizel said.
Once Cornelia was gone from Russia, Schneizel would be the commander of all forces. Even the person who would be put in charge of Russia would not have control over the military and all the generals put there, would be loyal to the orders of the Prime Minister. Lelouch figured his brother would not enter into a deal he couldn't keep and yet manipulate.
Africa was not brought into the subject. It was apparent that the EU was most focused on keeping its unions safe from Britannias forces. Africa no longer mattered. In a war of knightmare frames, it was not the numbers, but the development and production of frames that would determine victory.
These were some heated negotiations. The EU didn't want Schneizel seducing its member states, or otherwise it should be given the license to charm those that Britannia has displaced. Schneizel rejected this deal but the EU people said if they hear one of their member states was talking to him, they would do everything in their power to ensure nothing happened. Lelouch had been amused. Bureaucrats; they were probably going to even incite people to rebel against their leaders if it that was going to be what it took to stop them from leaving the EU.
It was going to be truly an unpleasant game in the end.
After the meeting, Lelouch and Schneizel didn't wait for anything. The diplomats still had to present everything to the EU Council. It was not over. There would be more back and forth talks. In the meantime, the conflict in Russia would be stopped. Schneizel had assured it. Cornelia would stop stomping on her opponents by the time the order from the Prime Minister reaches her.
Lelouch looked through the window of the plane; nothing both clouds were visible below. He had just left a bothersome game of word play. You always had watch what you say or those words would come back to haunt you. He really didn't want more of this treacherous game of liars and manipulators.
"That wasn't so hard, now was it?" Schneizel said his eyes on his younger brother, that annoying smile dancing on his lips.
Lelouch thought for a moment he would wipe it off. But for now, he had just to bear with it. "My objections were not based on the difficulty of the task but rather the annoyance of the task," he said while staring at his reflection on the mirror. "I suppose I am now free," he added.
"Yes," Schneizel responded calmly. "Once we get to the Island you will be free to depart. But be ready to be called at any time."
The Following Day
Lelouch could not keep the smile off his lips his plane flew above the seas, heading back to Pendragon. It had truly been a satisfying journey in the EU. There were going to be more battles up ahead but he had made a good start. The return to royalty would not be all that crippling after all and perhaps now he could ask for permission to visit Area 11. There was much business be handled in the area and he did need to see his sister, he needed to hold his sister, just to feel that he was truly alive. He was not used to being so far away from her for such long periods but he would need to get used to it. There would be harder missions soon and he would spend months away from even Pendragon.
"If you smile any further, you face will get stuck like that, my Lord," Jeremiah said, he sat facing Lelouch on a comfortable seat. The Prince was sitting by the window with Villetta sitting on his right hand.
"When things work well, you must be happy," Lelouch said. Schneizel's scheme was also going to do wonders but he was not concerned for it at the moment. "How did you think things would go, Villetta?"
Villetta had honestly not expected Lelouch to be this good. Jeremiah had praised him. She had respected her former leader. But had the Purist Faction not been a sinking ship, she would not have abandoned; she would have stayed. "I thought we would end up heavily relying on Prince Schneizel…"
"Many people would think that," Lelouch said. "But we must not be too happy. This is just the beginning. Fame for one brings shame to the other. When we return home, we can expect trouble from those who hate us."
Villetta almost said there was a lot of them but she bit her lip. The Eleventh Prince had many enemies. And many would now rise to try to destroy him and that meant those close to him as well. But she was not worried. The Prince was not without powerful allies; he had the Second Prince and the Goddess of Victory on his side – very few people would be willing to openly go against him when he has those people backing him.
From what she has noticed, Lelouch didn't like being close to Schneizel. She wanted to ask more about it. He trusted Cornelia but the Prime Minister was dealt with more cautiously. Then again, the man was not a simple person. And the relationships between the royal children was complicated. Some of them did not see each other as half-siblings but as people who share the same father – nothing more and nothing less.
"We will be ready for them, my Lord," Jeremiah said confidently.
"Nothing less is expected, Jeremiah," Lelouch said. "When we land, we rest a bit before seeing if we can visit Area 11. I want to see my projects and we need to see how Lloyd is doing with his Lancelot."
"I'm sure that can be easily arranged," Jeremiah said. "We should be careful that Prince Clovis does not surprise us with another one of his parties."
Lelouch smiled. "Indeed," he said.
Pendragon
The arrival home had been without much trouble. The plane had landed and no one ambushed them. At least that had been one part of the journey that went smoothly. He had been expecting a couple of journalist to trouble him with questions. Although his travels were usually kept secret from public, there were people who had means to get the information and pass it over.
"The capital is as lively as it usually is," Jeremiah observed as they moved around a black limousine, heading towards their home.
"But when you live in other areas, you only see destruction and the consequences of the wars Britannia wage," Lelouch had seen war; he had seen what happened to Area 11. He saw the dangers and just how unjust war was. But in his situation, he would be forced to fight in those wars and carry out more injustice. "The ghettos in Japan see nothing like this. For this reason, terrorists will always exists. As long as people are suppressed, there will always be a rebellion."
"You don't think Britannia could completely crush the terrorists?" Villetta asked, a little surprised that those words were coming from a Prince. But then again, Lelouch was different from members of the royal family. It was perhaps he lived grew up living as a commoner.
"Think of it this way, Villetta: if the EU fought us and won, and then numbered us, would you stop fighting to save Britannia even when sometimes you feel as though you cannot win?"
Villetta had a hard time digesting those words, simply because she could not see Britannia being defeated in war. "If I stopped fighting, it would be like giving up on Britannia," she ended up saying in a subdued tone. "Is it the same thought terrorists have when facing Britannia?"
"Yes," Lelouch then smiled. "Well, when you look at it in that way, you cannot call them terrorists can you?"
"Britannia won a war and implemented a system… rebelling against that system is an act of war against Britannia."
"A logical conclusion," Lelouch said with a nod. "When you have grown up with Britannia's moral values, its hard to see things in a different way. But my brother understands things better, that is why he will only go to war when there is no other option. As long as nations are taken through battles, wars will always rage on. For glory seekers, soldiers who live for nothing but battle, it is fine. But when you have been at the other side of the war, you know that war is something that must eventually end."
Villetta had never thought of such things. She'd always been focused on her duties, following orders and getting what she wanted. She felt a pang when the Prince spoke of glory seekers. She decided to follow him because she thought of the glory. Soldiers never really did play politics. The reasons behind wars were not for them and many hardly even fought for them. She had been fighting with the Purist Faction, an organization whose sole purpose of existence was to fight against the Britannia Honorary System. Numbers should be numbers. While she saw numbers as those lower than her, she had never really cared much about the politics behind them, her desires drove her actions.
It was not long before they reached Aries Villa. Villetta had only blinked at how fast time moved when one was absorbed in deep thoughts. The Palace looked fine. Lelouch had quickly moved away from the car saying he needed rest. As dutiful as ever, Jeremiah rushed with him to ensure there were no surprises waiting for them. After a couple of minutes, the man returned and found her sitting by the stairs.
In these very stairs, terrorists had walked in and killed Lelouch's mother. That had been the story anyway. But Villetta had looked at things. The Palace was secure. She smiled bitterly. "It was not the work of terrorists, was it?" she suddenly said to Jeremiah as he settled on her left.
Jeremiah shot her a curious glance; he didn't need to ask, he knew what she was talking about. Well, when you have faced terrorists and seen the insides of the palace, you could question this. "There has never been a conclusion on who did it but His Highness doesn't seem to think it is the work of terrorists."
Politics and royal affairs. It always looked glamorous from outside. She had craved being a noble – it was her ambition. But the games played by the upper class were cruel. Lelouch was not favored. His mother had never been liked for being a commoner who was married to the Emperor. She could understand why they spoke of danger. Would she suffer the same consequence as well?
"Is he still searching?"
Jeremiah's nodded. "Empress Marianne's is something that heavily influences his Highness' decisions. But this is something we don't usually talk about. Nevertheless, as long as you fight for him, I will let you know this, my loyalty is not to Britannia, but to Prince Lelouch. You must decide whom you serve, Villetta. At some point, this question will come and if you cannot answer it, you will not move with us."
What a way to break the news. But Villetta was not surprised this was coming from Jeremiah. This was the same man who left everything the moment he heard Lelouch was alive. Of course, he would only be loyal to the Prince. She understood his words clearly. Britannia did not tell Jeremiah what to do, Lelouch did. If Britannia moved against Lelouch, Jeremiah would protect Lelouch.
This was suicidal. But then again, Lelouch seemed to be the type of lived off such situations. She has already saved his life, would she sit still and let that life be taken? Villetta could not answer.
"I won't ask if it meant risking your life because I've already done that," Villetta said. "But are things really that bad? Do you think there might be some members of the royal family involved?"
Jeremiah did not offer an immediate response. He wondered if it was okay to even have this kind of conversation with Villetta. He trusted her. She had even saved Lelouch's life, but this was a sensitive subject.
"There is a possibility. Investigations ended up not going anywhere and only those in the higher ups know everything. I never even saw her body," Jeremiah said in a bitter tone.
"What do you mean by that?"
"It was quickly removed from here…" Jeremiah shook his head. "We will talk it some other day. This brings some rather unwanted feelings from me," he said before standing up. "I'm going to check around the palace to see if everything is secure. We have been away for while, you never know what crept in here…"
"There were guards…" Villetta pointed out with a stare.
"With his Highness' protection, I trust very few," Jeremiah said.
Villetta shook her head. "When it comes to your Lord, you really don't take any chances, do you?"
"Well, he is a great person… and he isn't like members of the royal family… don't you agree? I think you've gotten to know him quite well," the Margrave added with a smile.
Villetta could not deny that. But she had a feeling that although Lelouch's character was not like that of his family, he was twisted, maybe even more so. She had heard him laugh while his plans worked out. He was a genius, yet with a trait that made him dangerous. Villetta had clearly seen why the Second Prince seemed to favor him. Hell, even Prince Clovis spoke well about him.
The Following Day
The whispers had increased, the vultures would be circling soon and Lelouch could thank his brother for making it all possible. Because of his visit to the EU with the Prime Minister, there was no talk of whether the man was grooming him into becoming his successor. Of course, the nobles were not happy with this. They were not happy that the child of a commoner would lead Britannia's government after just returning into the fold. It was already an insult that he was royalty. Lelouch didn't care much about that. He was most concerned about his rising stock.
If he was armed, he would no doubt get his revenge soon and he would make this world a better place, for Nunnally.
"Your Highness," Villetta said as she walked into the study. He was sitting on a couch, the usual chess board motionlessly sitting in front of him.
Lelouch glanced at the woman for a moment before staring back at the still pieces. The campaign in the EU had earned him a few pieces to add into the puzzle. It would take some time to get them moving, but he would eventually put them on the board. "You look a little pale, Villetta," he said after a few moments.
"The Emperor summons you."
Lelouch froze for a second and then stared at Villetta. "Now?"
"Yes; now," Villetta said.
What did that man even want from him? From what Schneizel has been saying, the man was hardly available within Britannia. He was not afraid of anything. At least the Emperor was fair on how he rewarded his children for doing well. If the man approved, he would no doubt he rewarded. If not, he would see the righteous fury of the Emperor.
"Have the car prepared," Lelouch said but he did not move from the couch.
He would need to control his emotions. Lelouch didn't want things happening like last time. He didn't want to do anything stupid and ruin the mood. Charles was swift to anger and at this point, it would just ruin the good progress he has made.
Jeremiah prepared the car and they moved in peace. Both his guards were with him – there was silence in the car. Lelouch preferred it over talking. There was nothing to say either way. But he was not afraid of what may await him when he faces the man who preached social discrimination over all people by the superior people of Britannia – his Britannia. Lelouch would change this mindset. The nobles would be displeased – they would rebel. The current system favored them without limit. Even if they rebelled, he would cripple them and destroy every memory of Charles zi Britannia from the face of this world.
Lelouch left his guards outside as he was led to the Emperor's office. The giant was standing in front of the office, hands behind, back facing the door. Lelouch entertained the thought of rushing towards the man from behind to stab him with a knife. But he had no knife and he could never take the thrown. He had nothing. No support. Britannia would hunt him down and kill him. Nunnally would be left without him. He could not have that.
Although the man could still not see him, Lelouch dropped to one knee, but said nothing. The Emperor was silent as well, unmoving as though he had yet to note his presence. The silence lasted for a couple of minutes until the Emperor turned around and faced him – his expression still as cold as it has ever been.
"You have done well on your first assignment. Though I did not expect Schneizel to move you into the field of politics, he made a good choice," the Emperor said.
Of course, he did. Schneizel was a calculating person. He was not afraid keep still while he thought. He moved when he was sure his plan would work. For him, it might be different. But the Prime Minister did not take chances. "Schneizel has always made moves that he rarely regrets."
"Indeed," Charles responded calmly. "You are a lot calmer today…" the hatred in his eyes was still there but it did not seem that the Prince wanted to assault him.
"I'm barely managing to control my anger," Lelouch admitted bitterly. "But I know that shouting and throwing fits isn't going to change anything."
"Not necessarily."
Lelouch knew the Emperor meant that if he continued to show insolence, there would have been hell to pay. There would have been punishment for him. "I am a Prince of Britannia, and I will do as necessary. You are still the Emperor and you can end me with a snap of your fingers…" how he loathed just admitting that.
"I would not be quick to punish you. I did not bring you out here just so you can make mistakes. Nunnally would suffer for you," the Emperor said.
Lelouch glared for a moment before swallowing hard. "What did you require of me?"
"I just wanted to see my son… is that wrong? You nearly died there…"
Lelouch snorted before responding hatefully. "I nearly died when you invaded Japan and you did not bother trying protect me, nor my sister. I considered that you may have wanted to kill us…"
"You think highly of yourself my unruly son… who and are you that I would want to kill you? You are nothing but a child I made. Your status is mine. I can take it away whenever I please. The privileges you enjoyed in Aries Villa when your mother was still alive were by my grace…"
"To finish the job you started."
"That would be under the assumption that I killed your mother," Charles said but he did not say anything further on the matter. "Continue to do good and I will reward you. Status I can give you, but power you will make for yourself. Nothing is given freely. Earn your place. Fight all battles to win. If you lose, it will be your end. If you make a mistake, I will be forced to punish you in front of everyone."
Lelouch expected nothing else. He did not even want to be handed free gifts. "Thanks to you keeping me in Area 11, I learned how to survive," he said flatly. "Why? Why when you knew we were alive and yet did nothing?"
"Is that not obvious?" The Emperor asked. "You were happy and safe in Area 11. Your nobles were content with you being dead."
Lelouch laughed coldly. "That would imply you actually cared for us," he said. He did not wait for the Emperor to respond. "Am I free to do as I please and move wherever I want?"
"I did not bring you here to chain you. That is another reason I called you."
Lelouch smiled despite being before the Emperor. He could accept this. He could take this with a smile. His movements would not be limited – it gave him flexibility.
He departed from the Emperor with his next destination in mind. Both Jeremiah and Villetta seemed happy to see him emerge from the den. The former was the first to speak as they welcomed his return as if a part of them had been thinking he would not return in one piece.
"It was good news, I hope…"
Lelouch never had much of good news from the Emperor. This was the same man who banished him to Area 11 and then invaded it. "Yes," the eleventh Prince said with a small nod of his head. "Our movements have also been freed. We can move and do as we please."
"Then I assume we will not be staying at Aries Villa too much then," Jeremiah said.
"It will depend. I will try not to arouse suspicions by moving too much, but we must prepare for a journey to Japan. I want to be there by afternoon tomorrow."
"I will make arrangements."
There was no time to rest, Villetta realized. They had just returned a day ago and tomorrow they would be on a plane once more. She had been thinking they would get some time off. She would not complain nevertheless. "Princess Euphemia is waiting for you. The guards informed us she had arrived."
He had not been expecting her but Lelouch would not avoid his beloved sister. Euphy was one of the people he would not complain when they just appear before him.
Aries Villa
"Lulu!" Euphy smiled happily as she welcomed her beloved brother back to his home. Cornelia had informed her he would return and when she learned he had come back, she quickly came here.
Lelouch watched Euphemia walked down the stairs leading towards the entrance of the villa. These were the same stairs that had condemned both his and Nunnally's lives. He had seen a cruel reality on them. The Third princess held out both her hands and embraced him warmly.
"Euphy; it hasn't been that long. I was only gone for a month."
"To war."
"Aren't you used to it already? Cornelia is always fighting and she fights more recklessly than I do," Lelouch said as he separated from his younger sister.
Jeremiah coughed behind him while Villetta just smiled. The former truly did not believe that statement. Cornelia was indeed bold but Lelouch fought more recklessly and they were going to see more of it in the battles to come. Their fight had just started. They would soon enter grand stages and fight more bloody battles.
Euphemia looked behind her brother and smiled. "Even your guards don't believe it," she said before moving towards Villetta. "Thank you for saving my brother's life."
"I was simply doing my job, Your Highness," Villetta responded modestly.
"You did it well and I will make sure my brother rewards you for your service." Euphemia said in a firm tone. "My sister must have been hard on you, Jeremiah."
For second, Jeremiah frowned. He did not have fond memories of getting verbally assaulted by Cornelia. Honestly, if she was someone else, he would have said something unpleasant. She had gone full throttle on him and there hadn't been anything she could do or say to calm her. Whatever he said or reason he have was a mere excuse according to her. Even Gilbert had pitied him and then tried to talk the Princess into calming down, but she would not listen to anyone.
"She was," the former Purist Leader answered. "But is good to see you again, Princess. If you had come later, you would not have found us," he said.
"You going somewhere?"
Jeremiah nodded but before he could say anything, Lelouch spoke.
"Let us get inside. I want to sit down and sort out a couple of things before we leave. With news doing rounds about our activities, we should not linger around here too much, lest we get hounded by reporters looking for gossip."
His unfavorable tag also meant that he would be facing more people with hidden agendas. When a star seemed to rise, some wanted to take it down while others attempted hop on to share the glory. The nobles were certainly glory hunters. But with him, not many would want to associate because his enemy list far exceeded the enemy list Britannia had.
Villetta and Jeremiah went their separate ways to handle other things while he led Euphemia to his study. He fell on his sofa and stared at the ceiling for a long minute while the Princess watched him. After a moment, he turned to face her.
"How did it go with father?"
Lelouch opened his laptop and switched it on. He stared at the screen before responding. "Surprisingly well. We spoke about a few things. It might not be unbearable as I thought it would. But I am still not famous with our other siblings."
"They are just jealous. They have always been jealous of your intelligence. Admittedly, I once thought things could change. But when you were seen with Schneizel in the EU, there was grumbling and discontent."
People were oddly quiet about his trip to the EU. But he didn't care much about it – that was Schneizel's play. He would deal with it. He just had to focus on his military career. He needed to grow his strength. For his revenge. To create the perfect world for his beloved sister.
"Do you think things will ever be normal?" Euphemia asked.
"This is our normal," Lelouch responded. "We have to face this situation as it is. If you want to change things you must be willing to make sacrifices."
"What would I sacrifice to get our siblings to like you?"
"I don't think you can change that, Euphy. And don't try to fight for me. Cornelia would not forgive me," Lelouch said with a shake of his head.
"She just worries too much," Euphemia said with a smile. "Where are you going?"
"Area 11."
"I'm coming with you. There is nothing better for me to do anyway and I want to see Nunnally again."
Lelouch stared; she had not been asking him but telling him that she was going to come with him. What would Cornelia even say about it? Well, Euphy was still unknown to the public and he was not going on a public trip. If possible, he wanted to go and leave without the masses knowing about it. He just hoped Clovis didn't throw those plans out the window by holding one of his televises press conferences in which he gives his impassioned speeches with a little bit of theatrics.
"Fine, you can join us. But you better leave now to prepare."
End chapter
I'd like to thank x1tears1x for beta reading the chapter, except for the last scene. That was my messy work…
