Lelouch stared down at the streets of Moscow. Knightmare frames were patrolling, the effects of war still plainly clear–the buildings, the roads, they all held scars from massive battles. It was going to take some time to repair them. Britannia was not going to get involved now. Not with everything that was happening.
They needed to be sure that the EU would not be attacking any time soon, then, they could start rebuilding this once great city. For now, her people could suffer. Britannia would treat it as nothing more than a strong hold, to secure its passage in European lands.
His eyes shifted slightly as he saw a reflection of Villetta on the window; he didn't look back but just watched her for a moment before staring outside once more.
She stopped by his right and then spoke.
"I just spoke to Major James." Her tone was low. "No luck. But he says the situation in the Chinese Federation is quite interesting. However, he cannot do much research on the issue…That woman appears to have been well hidden. But, he says he doesn't think she is truly an asset of the Chinese Federation."
Lelouch nodded.
It was worth trying.
He could have something else to look at.
The Chinese Federation issue would be dealt with much later. As long as things stayed civil in that area, there would be no need for Britannia to get involved, but eventually, things would have to go to that area. "Have him return to Pendragon, unless the EU decides to make some drastic measures, the Chinese Federation will bend to Britannia's will. It currently has no force to fight Britannia."
Tyranny. It was what it was.
But Lelouch was not going to make comments on it. He was part of his world order, and he would be bringing more nations under Britannia's rule. Of course, without Britannia, the wars would stop, at least they would scale down a bit. They were at this level because everyone was fighting for dominance. Everyone wanted something. The more technology advanced, the more nations felt powerful enough to fight the other.
The areas under Britannia's rule could even attempt to overthrow the Empire.
Terrorists existed for such purposes.
"What happens with Major Albert?"
"I haven't contacted him, yet...Sgt. Michael says he is also having a hard time in Cambodia. There is literally nothing for him to find without getting exposed."
Lelouch frowned: dead ends. It was a little frustrating. He had thought he would gain something on the operations of the Toromo Institute. Well, he could focus on his own problems, for now. But he needed to get in grips with what Schneizel had in mind. He could never be free without knowing what his brother was plotting.
"He can end his mission."
He hoped Schneizel knew nothing about this. Then again, if the Prince knew about it, he would not mention it to him.
"Yes, my Lord…"
Lelouch raised an eye brow, turning to face Villetta. He then smiled. "It sounds strange hearing that from you."
He walked towards the sofa. He settled down, folded his legs and leaned back, watching Villetta carefully. She was a beautiful woman. Dutiful. Ambitious. Of course, beauty and that she was a woman were not the kind of things Lelouch had ever looked at. But, it was becoming evidently clear that he would have to face such things.
Make time for it, because if not, Milly was going to drive him insane. He could see a lot of blackmail material when he could not even do certain things right.
He ended up chuckling at the thought. Nonette was perhaps right about certain things. Maybe having her around would not be so bad after all. He would have to foster those relations at a controllable level–for him at least.
Villetta stared at him curiously. "Your Highness?"
Lelouch waved her off. "I was just thinking about something…Personal…Regading my relationship with Milly. I'll admit, I never spared such things a thought. Though, it was pointedly clear, it was not due to the lack of suitors…"
He paused for a moment.
"I hear some of our men ask whether there was something personal between us. I never found those comments to be scandalous. But now, it is a little funny…As it describes my attitude…But there is one question, I want to ask…Villetta, would you like to go out on a real date with me?"
Villetta opened her mouth and then closed it.
She blinked, unable to respond.
She held herself from falling down.
That came out of nowhere. A date with Prince Lelouch? He was much younger than her. And she knew he held no such interest in her as a woman. She was merely his subordinate. Admittedly, there was something about the look he gave her earlier.
Was this because he had spent some time with the Knight of Nine? Had something happened there? With the smile on his lips, it was even hard to think that he was serious or just joking.
Wait, was she even considering this?
"We are ready to depart my Lord."
Jeremiah's voice cut Villetta from her thoughts. She twirled around, almost as if she had been caught doing something. She then turned back to Prince Lelouch; he was already on his feet…His expression had changed once more.
He was going to meet Prince Schneizel to talk about their strategy before meeting the leaders of the EU.
"Make arrangements for both the Majors to be at Pendragon. They must be ready for deployment. We don't know what awaits us after this adventure is completed. The situation in Africa might be stable, but we don't know what will happen tomorrow. Besides, I prefer military battles over politics. With things like this, I am not thinking right."
"Are you sure you are just not itching at introducing the Liberator to the world?" Jeremiah asked with a wide grin on his lips.
"It seems something you are rather excited about." Lelouch remarked, walking past Villetta. "But admittedly, I want it out there. We can't always be outdone by Schneizel. Besides, the sooner it gets out there, we will have the chance to evaluate our strength…We could make Northern Africa our stronghold…Russia is off-limits for us and Area 11 is Clovis playground."
"Prince Clovis would not even like having us around his Area."
The rivalry was there and Lelouch didn't want Clovis to feel threatened, lest he does something ridiculous. He has already made some hands. Of course, none of which have so far yielded much fruit for him. He was going to try something. "Well, he has stated he needs us for his terrorist problem. And I have offered my help… though much to Cornelia's instruction than any desire to help him…" Lelouch said in thought.
"If things are not too bad in Africa, we can afford to go there for a while and find out more about the operations of the terrorists before deciding how to deal with them."
"But for now, we must survive this…" Jeremiah frowned.
"Both of us don't like this, but we still have to do it."
When they arrived, they found General Baker waiting for them. Lelouch didn't display his surprise at seeing the General. But he was not expecting the man. Then again, he was Schneizel's person and he had already been introduced to the man's daughter. He sighed inwardly. The game of politics was a complicated one. But at least it kept his mind sharp.
It was certainly different from military strategies. Perhaps Schneizel often deployed the tactics of politics and military on the chessboard. Approach to military and politics was certainly different. It was no wonder civilians were left to deal with politics and hardened military personnel handled such issues as was their expertise.
"General Baker." Lelouch greeted the duke with a smile as he stepped into the military van.
The General grunted in response before stepping into the van with him. Once the thing started moving, the general started speaking. "War is a tragic thing, isn't?"
Lelouch didn't need to be told.
He was there to see the live invasion of Area 11 by Britannia. He had seen the mindless destruction. The deaths. The butchering. The chaos. The contempt people felt when their nation fell and Britannia's rule reigned. This was no fantasy, this was reality. The people of this nation were feeling it. This was nothing though.
Once Britannia settles, and a Viceroy gets appointed, there would be more hardships. They would become nothing more than numbers. Slaves for Britannia.
"Military Generals hardly complain about something like that." Lelouch said without answering the question.
"Then again, the military's objective is to crush the enemies of their nation. No feelings involved…"
The general glanced at him for a second before staring outside. "Soldiers feel the pain as well. After all, it is not only one side that suffers from war. Each side suffers from war…"
Lelouch smiled. "The only difference is that the loss on the other side is more than the other…People die on both sides. Money is spent on the production of Knightmare frames…Weapons…Victory is the only reward that perhaps soothes all the losses."
"That is what we always tell ourselves. Sometimes we encourage our men to continue fighting for the sake of those who have died." The general snorted.
"Of course, those are just colorful words meant to spur the emotions of the men. The reason for fighting is no more than what made them leave their homes in the first place…Anything else is motivation. Motivation is important for victory."
The general nodded in acceptance. "Prince Schneizel is caught up with something. We can talk a bit more while I show you around. I'm still with power now, but once a Viceroy is appointed, I won't be able to do as I do."
"Still no interest in it?"
"The Emperor appoints the Viceroy. After all, they are appointed to act on behalf of the monarchy. The Crown Prince or The Prime Minister may appoint a temporary one, but the decision still lies with the Emperor."
The only thing Lelouch could get from that was that even if the man wanted the position, he would not get it because it was the Emperor's decision.
Did the man have something with Charles?
Serious masks: it was the theme of everyone around the table. There were nine. Nine against two. Then again, the EU represented member states. Everyone surely wanted to have a say. Naturally, Gandolfi sat the middle as the lead person in foreign affairs of the EU. There were was no live broadcast. These would be some tense negotiations. Things would be said that nobody wanted to make public.
They all had reputations to uphold. On the day of signing the agreements, all would be smiles, for the cameras. For the masses and fake praises issued against the other for their efforts to stop a needless bloodbath. Only days or weeks later, would leaked conversations make it into the news about some leaders who displayed their arrogance and had to be practically begged for the agreement.
Naturally, both parties would deny and reject such leaks, putting on a united front.
Politics worked like this.
Lelouch glanced at Schneizel for a moment before staring back at the stone faced members of the EU. Half the group appeared to be military people.
"Thank you for coming and keeping true to your word that movements in Portugal and in Russia would be halted while we worked through things." the EU foreign minister said.
He was saying thanks, but the expression on his face clearly said the opposite.
Typical of politicians.
Schneizel smiled, a flat smile. "Of course…" He said with a bit of nonchalance. "Nothing would be done in good faith if we could not be true to our word…"
The man was bitter.
Schneizel had no doubt they cursed him day and night. They had failed to work out a compromise with Portugal that would see the state denounce Britannia and turn back to the EU. They had even tried working some under handed tactics.
Naturally, Schneizel was not going to say it.
He would just act ignorant.
It didn't take long for the heated details to be hashed out regarding the way forward. And it didn't lack the drama that Lelouch had anticipated. For the EU, this was a loss. They were forced into the table, despite the fact that Britannia had invaded Russia and taken a large piece of it.
"Our main concern of course, is that despite Britannia agreeing to halt its campaign, there is reason to believe that the Empire will eventually strike again. Or perhaps they may try to use this as a stronghold for any future invasions. The member states are worried about this, and our proposal was that we keep the number of Knightmare frames Britannia keeps within Russia proportional to the Population. We are also making an allowance to increase that number to forces that may be used for border security."
"In that way, we cannot suddenly just store up Knightmare frames and then attack you from Ukraine and Poland…Say for example…" Schneizel started in thought. "But, there is a problem here."
"Britannia would be at the mercy of the EU. We will be surrounded by your Knightmare frames. If we keep a low number of Knightmare frames, the EU could easily attack us, leaving us with little chance of defending." Lelouch added.
Of course, there was a low chance of that happening. Britannia frames were superior of those of the EU. Numbers didn't mean anything. A single Knight of Round could be sent to quell an invasion across the borders. And it didn't take long to deploy a Knight of Round.
"We don't think you have room to complain as the oppressor in this scenario."
Schneizel smiled. "We will agree to this…Provided you don't start sending forces into nations that border us."
There was a bit of silence and one by one, the EU negotiators all nodded.
"We are fine with that." Gandolfi said firmly. "There still is a problem of trade. And how we each guard our borders."
"Britannia was thinking of keeping the entire border demilitarized…Except for sections were there are ports of entry. But this of course, means we would have to calculate from where until where we keep it demilitarized. I think that is nevertheless less important compared to agreeing that such an area needs to exist. Such an area would give us breathing spaces to ensure that there are no accidental collisions between our forces." Schneizel stated.
"The farther away we are from you, the better…But how many ports of entry are we keeping? Will there be limits to the movement of civilians? What of trade?"
"Ports of entry have to be there for necessity, but I don't believe there is a need for restrictions on travels. Each country can handle such matters. But of course, we would reserve the right to reject anyone from entering or leaving our borders…" Schneizel said, he didn't want there to be a mass exodus of Russians to the EU.
"We could only have two ports of entry. Makes logistics simple, and avoids unnecessary troubles. I assume the ports of entry will be for trade, mostly." Lelouch said. "One could be with the other half of Russia and the other could be with Ukraine…"
"We would have to make a study to see how trade would be effected…"
"You cannot make concrete research without relying on factual data. Hypothetical situations will make false assumptions. Let us keep the two ports of entry. And then we can see if this is feasible. If not, we can always make an adjustment." Lelouch spoke once more.
"I have to agree with my brother on this one." Schneizel said with a slight nod. "Britannia will not agree to anything more…"
This just meant they could safely watch who came in into their country. And have more resources to use for other missions. Of course, it would mean that they would need to keep massive surveillance over the borders. But it was the EU which would have to do the hard part. Their portion was small.
And, they could easily keep track of movements on their lands.
"Fine."
"But knowing Britannia's tendency, we would like to have a humanitarian aid organization to be able to help our citizens."
"Within EU borders, you don't need our permission for that." Lelouch said in a flat tone. "But once WE have set borders, there will be no EU citizens in our borders. There will only be Britannian citizens. I also find this hypocrisy quite amusing, really. Those who have fled from the Britannian controlled territories are also called numbers in the EU and they become nothing more than expandable soldiers for the EU. It is really not the EU to try to hold the high moral ground over us…"
"At least it is not a policy for us."
Lelouch shrugged. "Each nation has its own values and cultures. It is for the EU to decide on how it treats its people and member states. For Britannia to comment on it, would mean it was trying to influence internal matters. We will respect your states by not saying that account."
"I wish you had that respect before you decided to invade Russia…"
"Likewise, I wish you thought otherwise before you decided to invade Africa."
Schneizel smiled. He could have allowed Lelouch to handle this. The most important thing here was information. You could not win an argument while being ignorant of the facts. It was good that Lelouch had done his research.
Being unable to answer retorts that spelled the truth would mean a loss.
"The EU will not send our people to Russia. There is no negotiation on that." He spoke in a tone of finality.
"There is the issue of the air space."
"No civilian or military airship shall be allowed in either air space without authorization. On our side, under no circumstance will we allow a military airship to fly over our space. We will only send one warning, if it is not heeded, we will be within our rights to shoot it down. Sometimes we might not even warn you. But with a civilian airplane, we will make at least try to accommodate things, but if nothing, we will still shoot it down."
"Britannia can agree to that." Schneizel said with a nod of his head. "There should be a group of observers who will oversee that the agreement is not infringed, and any such infringement is punished. I was thinking we have equal members and draw guidelines on how that will work. Any future engagements should also come through this group. We will always hold engagements in the demilitarized area."
"We will have our observers and you can have your observers…"
"But let us make it this way…Our observers will be based in EU lands, they will be allowed to operate without restrictions. Their base of operations will be on land, you will have us as a land belonging to Britannia...In a similar manner to that of a consul…" Lelouch suggested.
"We can work with that…Though, I do think you have ulterior motives for that…" Galdofi said, staring at Lelouch suspiciously.
Lelouch smiled. "Nothing I can say to ease your suspicions but I simply trust that you will realize that we are negotiating in good faith. When you manipulate others, you always worry about what people say to you. You are concerned about being manipulated. But when you don't, you don't think about it. Because the concept is foreign to you."
"I think that went great." Schneizel said to Lelouch with a smile.
"You think?"
"Well, I was going to ask some things but I decided against it. And like the EU we still have to hear what Britannia has to say…"
Lelouch rolled his eyes. Schneizel only took orders from the Emperor. And no one else. The others could make their feelings known, but it really made no difference. Of course, he was not going to point this out to Schneizel. Most importantly. "Father will say this isn't that important and we can do what we want. His interests doesn't seem to lie with the EU."
Schneizel glanced at Lelouch before looking on the screen in front of him. He was getting a message that the Avalon was taking off. After nodding, he cut off the connection and then spoke once more.
"That may well likely be the case." Schneizel admitted.
Though, he hadn't thought Lelouch paid much attention to the activities of their father. No doubt, the thoughts of vengeance still lingered but at least he was being watchful. "In areas that he has shown interest, he has displayed an alarming lack of tolerance for diplomacy but has always favoured military action."
Of course, it was all in the pretense of one thing or the other. But there was a deeper meaning to their father's ideals. He kept to himself. He didn't trust his children. Not one of them. But probably trusted Lelouch's mother.
He smiled at the thought.
"The only person who probably knew father's thoughts was your mother."
"I knew they were close but not that close." Lelouch said with a frown.
Then again, in his arrogance and childish temper, he'd thought the man cared. He'd been wrong. And he would never be wrong again.
Not to that level when it concerned the man he called father.
"It is just a suspicion on my part." Schneizel waves his right hand, a bit dismissively. "You played your role well."
"I don't like blind negotiations. You surprised me with some things…"
They'd only agreed on general things. What Schneizel had in mind was that each was free to make any suggestion in reaction to what the EU was saying.
"It is hardly blind we can both anticipate what the other will say."
"To a certain level…" Lelouch swallowed hard. He did not like the sound of those words. He didn't like that connection with Schneizel. It made him an almost impossible enemy. Well, at least for now, things were settled.
"But at least things did not come to blows."
"Neither can afford it at the moment."
"Britannia's media will hail it as a win…Well, it is a win. Cornelia did win." Lelouch said in thought. "We wait?"
"A day or two. They will come back. But we will hold a formal signing ceremony once we have set other things in motion. But we have a deal."
"You…" Lelouch stressed. "This is enough for me."
"It was just getting good. You know, I don't have someone to have my back in such matters. It is always safe knowing there is someone you can trust to handle things," Schneizel said, smiling. "But I guess that is how far I can milk this. It will prepare you for the Chinese Federation in the near future. You want to go to Africa now?"
"Victor is still standing."
"That is rather cold of you… but I guess he wouldn't even accept you even if you were offered. In any case, his friends have helped him stabilize things for now. But it is only temporary."
"I know…" Lelouch said. "We will be ready when he falls. I guess I can now go to Area 11 and plan out with Clovis regarding his problems."
"That would be nice. He refuses my help."
"Probably doesn't want to feel like he owes you."
"Well, Clovis has always been concerned about his image," Schneizel said in thought before adding. "But you two have always been closer."
There was no denying that, but there was still a problem with Clovis. It was something that Schneizel knew too well. It was just something they would never talk about. There were cracks starting to appear. His brother would soon feel overshadowed, and he would take some drastic measures.
After all, all Clovis cared about was his life, his image.
Anything else came last.
Later
Lelouch should have expected to see a call from Clovis. But it should be very late at night in Area 11, yet his brother was video calling him. Looking at him, he was drinking, and didn't look completely sober. He was obviously being bothered by something. It probably had nothing to do with media coverage, when it came to that game, Clovis knew how play it.
It was something serious, and he was going to have to listen through it. He smiled, at least, he could discover more about his brother's state of mind. He leaned back, staring at the screen of his laptop. He realized, he mostly used this when talking to most members of the royal family.
He glanced above the screen for a moment and then back at the screen. Villetta was there, but it made no difference. It was not like they were going to talk about something she would not eventually know.
"It must be nice being you, Lelouch." Clovis said, in a quiet tone, his look, something of a stare.
Lelouch knew it was about today. "What makes you say so, Clovis? When you say it must be nice being me, I find it a little offensive, considering what I have been going through. Not so long ago, I was in exile, living the life of a commoner…And I have enemies everywhere in the royal court…I'm a little interested in what part you find to be interesting…"
Was it necessary to nurse Clovis' spirits by admitting he was having a good life?
No.
Lelouch would not flatter his brother like that. Certain things had to be said–it would work out for better for both of them if words were not mixed to smoke some truths. Their lives were not the same. Clovis could dance and be happy, enjoy imperial riches, but Lelouch could not.
He had to be looking over his shoulders at every turn because even his own brothers could put a dagger through his back.
Clovis opened his mouth to respond but then shut it before apparently swallowing hard. "You should hear how they talked about you today…The inexperienced Prince…Apparently not so inexperienced after all. Some touted you as the next Prime Minister…"
Lelouch smiled; Coverage about him could never be that good, not at all. Not when the mafia controlled the media. There was something out of the ordinary about such a characterization. "And the bad?"
"Riding on the good graces of Prince Schneizel." Clovis said with a shrug.
For Clovis that was nothing more than a bonkers story. Personally, because he knew what Lelouch was capable of doing...
"You have been doing well for yourself since you returned to the fold." He paused once more and then added with a bitter smile. "Our sister called me…She was displeased…And she did not mince her words. She was very brutal, Lelouch. She said I was useless in the fight against terrorists, and despite being Viceroy for so many years, I have failed to stop it…It is just getting worse by the day. The pressure from Pendragon is also getting worse. Nothing personal, but it hurts me when I'm told you are doing much better and I should be a lot like you…With success at least."
He should tell them it was impossible, Lelouch thought mildly. Clovis was not competent. If he was, things would not be getting worse with Area 11. He wasn't capable of taking charge of any situation. He was just not any good at it. He was also a narcissistic individual, which added to the problem.
"Anyway, that is not the reason I called you; I want to have Euphy, Milly and Nunnally over for Lunch at my place…"
Lelouch frowned; he didn't hide this from Clovis. "Why?"
"They are your most important people. Besides, I must get to know Milly since you insist on marrying her. I may as well try to get to know her, perhaps I will like her." Clovis said with nonchalance. "Besides, Cornelia wants Euphy living at the palace. Things are getting bad here, and she wants her to be at the safest place in the Area."
That meant he was likely to get a call from his elder sister any time soon. The Academy was still safe from terrorist attacks. Even if something happened, Sayoko was available to take necessary measures to guard Nunnally.
Well, these days, he would have to include Milly in that regard.
"That is fine…As long as there is no camera in front of both Euphy and Nunnally."
"Of course…"
Nothing else had to be said, and Lelouch closed his laptop. He sighed. Things were just getting more troubling by the day. He glanced at Villetta before taking out his phone. He was hesitant to do this, but he had no other choice.
He dialed a number on speed dial.
"Hello, Lulu…Missing me already?"
Lelouch snorted. "Yeah right. I'm actually finding it a lot better to breathe knowing that you are not within touching distance. You don't know the nightmares I have when I know you are close by…"
"I'm happy I give you such sweet dreams, my dear." Milly said with a light chuckle. "So, how much do you miss me? I could also take a flight straight to Russia…"
And let her torment him? Though, as he has realized, she was easing on it these days. Perhaps it was because of their new status in their relationship. She certainly still felt like the old Milly to him. The adjustment was going to be a long and difficult one. But he had to try to get it done.
"I could do with staying here for a little while longer…"
"Ah…You thinking about becoming Viceroy of that area?" Milly asked before pausing. "Well, I wouldn't mind. You would make me your sub-viceroy, right?"
"Hell no." Lelouch was quick to say. "How are you Milly?" He asked in a quieter tone.
He then stood up, and walked towards the window, looking at the streets. Not all lights were on, but it was getting there. The dark was coming.
"Happier now that I received your call…Though, if I didn't know any better, I would think you called to say good night…" Milly said. "Oh, I'm already in bed…Wanna know what I have on?"
Lelouch took the phone off his ear and glared at it. Milly always had to be this way. When was he going to learn? He placed the phone on his ear again and then responded.
"No…" he said to himself than to Milly, smiling. "I would rather wait to see it when I come to Area 11…You still do sleep in that same old room, yes?"
There was a bit of silence over the phone. "Is this Lelouch?"
He chuckled. "No…It is Prince Lelouch. This is not a social call, Milly."
"Is it never?"
He could recognize the change in her tone.
Lelouch did not focus on it, though, honestly he wanted to respond to it…But what could he say?
"Clovis is going to contact you about lunch with my sisters. Nunnally is too kind, Euphy is naïve… they won't see anything… I want you to keep an eye on him. And be careful, Clovis is quite the ladies men."
Milly laughed. "Worried that much?"
"Not at all…"
"I know you are but don't worry, there is only one person who gets me all excited." Milly said. "Besides, Prince Clovis is a little slower…"
"I'm going to tell him that."
"I'll deny it and then leak a photo of you in a cat costume."
Lelouch groaned. He had nothing to add on that. He had no come back. "Just keep an eye on them."
"Of course…You owe me…"
"I don't…" Lelouch said. "I'm asking as your future husband…"
"Oh?" Milly paused. "So, as your soon to be wife…I can also ask things of you…"
Lelouch was silent. He didn't like the sound of Milly's tone. He quickly went back to the serious matters. "We will talk more when I return…Just do this for Nunnally. I don't want Clovis putting her at risk…"
"So, as your soon to be wife…I can also ask things of you…" Milly repeated, in the same tone.
"I'm afraid to answer…I shiver at the thought of what you might even ask."
"Nothing harmful, nothing we wouldn't be doing once we are married…"
"Good night, Milly."
"Ah…Should have known better…" Milly said. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
"What?"
"You are supposed to say that with love and affection…Not like you are telling some stranger in the streets…"
"I regret calling, you…" Lelouch said, before falling silent.
"I'm waiting…"
Lelouch smiled, and then spoke in a softer tone. "Good night, Milly."
"That's a little better…Say, now, say you miss me and you care for me and that you can't wait to be reunited with me so that you can embrace me."
Lelouch dropped the call without offering a response. He turned around, and almost stopped; Villetta was still present. He'd momentarily forgotten about her. He really needed to have some private calls. She could not hear everything, could she?
He shook his head, and then settled on the sofa once more.
"Is everything alright in Area 11?" Villetta asked, not because she was concerned or anything but because she wanted to avoid the silence that would have followed shortly. She still had reports to give him. It would be a little awkward breaking that silence.
Since Lelouch returned, he was acting like he hadn't asked her out. Really, it was like it was an incident that actually never happened. Where had Jeremiah been at that moment? Where was he now? It was like the man was leaving her to be with Lelouch purposely.
She shook her head. She was now making things up. But, she certainly couldn't respond to Lelouch out of nowhere.
Perhaps he had not been serious. He would have just been using her for experience. And she would only become a mistress of a Prince. She thought bitterly about it.
It was Prince Schneizel who was making her think like this.
"Nothing unpredictable has occurred." Lelouch grunted, his focus on his laptop once more. "Terrorist attacks have apparently picked up. We may have to go straight there..."
He sighed.
But perhaps this would keep Nunnally safe. She was in a wheelchair, blind, but to terrorists, if they knew she was Britannian, they would no doubt try to murder her. Some people just had no sense. The contempt for Britannia ran too deep.
"Will that cause a change with the Majors?"
"Only if we have to fight." Lelouch said. "They can remain in Pendragon, for now. We will assess the situation once we arrive there…If we have to go there. If Cornelia does not make the call, we will focus on other areas like Africa…"
They were eventually going there.
He just had to wait for things to fall apart–and they would.
Villetta nodded, and then fell silent.
Following Day
It was not always that Lelouch saw a rather serious look in Schneizel's face. But, he knew there was something. It was definitely not the EU. If they had done something, he would have been smiling, hopeful that something interesting was going to happen. He may not be a fan of wars, but he certainly didn't dislike challenging situations.
As long as he could avoid wars.
The only thing that remained was that he had spoken to their father. Charles had the power to reign down on anyone's mood.
Lelouch settled down gracefully across his brother. The coffee table held a chessboard. The pieces were already in place. Kanon, was on stand-by, silent, as usual when he was around. He glanced at the board. No pieces had been moved, but most likely, Schneizel had already decided on the play, predicting his usual strategy.
Always, Lelouch played the first move the same way.
It was sort of a ritual.
But, he could surprise Schneizel today, couldn't he?
Naturally, the strategy could remain the same.
"You spoke to father." Lelouch said, his hand on a pawn.
Schneizel glanced at him, frowning ever so slightly. "Unfortunately."
Lelouch raised an eye brow, curious. The Prime Minister never categorized his conversations with their father as unfortunate. He did always like to bring their father up to speed on what was happening and get an opportunity to ask questions. "How unfortunate?"
Schneizel stared down, silent. It was unusual, but this was certainly Lelouch. Perhaps he was looking at things from a different point of view. Strategies evolve based on experiences. Lelouch has started seeing the world in a different way, that would naturally affect his methods.
"Well, first, he was the one who called me. I'm usually the one who calls. And then get told not to bother him with mundane affairs that I'm fairly competent to deal with."
"It must have been something important."
"Hardly, on the kind of matters we deal with." Schneizel stared. "There is pressure from the lords, the nobles, but it is all on me. The royal court is always silent, anxiously waiting to hear from him. His ideals enrich them, so they praise him. But when things go wrong, I am at fault."
"What did he want?"
It was curious.
Schneizel was saying it was hardly serious, and yet, he seemed a little bothered by it.
"I've noticed that ever since you returned, father does keep a certain level interest of current affairs, of course, where it involves you. Anything else, he doesn't care to know."
Perhaps it was for suspense, or he was thinking about his next move.
Lelouch said nothing. He loathed to acknowledge that Charles paid extra attention to him. Even if he did, it was probably to find ways to make him suffer. But there is no doubt now that he had brought him back to keep Schneizel in check. The man had admitted so much to him.
After a couple of minutes, winning and losing some rounds, Schneizel finally spoke, his eyes focused on Lelouch. "You are aware of Grand Duke Bradley Richford, yes?"
The grand duke had come up when he was talking to General Baker. A very powerful man with keen interest in Russia and Europe as a whole. He was one of the players who encouraged war against the EU, but his main reason was to try to get back England.
Of course, there were thoughts that the man was very treasonous.
"Of his interests, yes…I am aware…What of him?"
"Because of such interests, it had been my intention to encourage father to make him Viceroy of this area. This way, we see his movements clearly. And General Baker will be stationed here to monitor things…What I did not expect was for father to be aware of my thoughts."
"That is surprising."
"Yes."
"But that is hardly the main point." Lelouch glanced at Schneizel.
"Don't be impatient; you are going to like what he said." Schneizel said. "You do remember that father said he would still make you marry someone else, even though he said he would permit you to marry the Ashford girl…"
"Yes…As punishment for going against him." Lelouch said, frowning deeply. "Why don't I like where this is going…I see it already."
"The grand duke has a daughter, Lady Alexandria."
"Why is she a lady?"
"Married once…For less than a year. Husband died tragically. There are rumors she was not too sad about it." Schneizel said. "She is in her early twenties. Perhaps mid-twenties. She is a very beautiful woman. I have had the pleasure of meeting her once or twice."
"Is this to keep the grand duke under control?"
"Hardly." Schneizel shrugged. "Just to keep him closer. Father has already called him for the proposal and I will meet him when we return to homeland for the finalization of things. By then, I am certain you will have met her. There is no way out of this."
"You must be pleased."
"Not at all…It gets in the way of my own plans. General Baker is going to be disappointed." Schneizel said. "I may have to consider Clovis, but the man has no respect for your brother."
Silenced ensued for more than half an hour, the game in focus. Movements taking longer than usual. At the end of it, Schneizel stared at the board, before smiling. "Well, that was unexpected. I thought I had it covered. You changed your way of thinking, which I didn't factor in…"
"While you still think the same way."
"This is dangerous." Schneizel said. He meant it. He was obvious with his smile. "Very dangerous."
Lelouch glanced at Schneizel for a moment; he could not smile hearing those words. His first victory over Schneizel. After 17 years of waiting. Years of drawing, close victories turned into losses. He had finally beaten his brother. He should be thrilled. Happy. He should be planning a party when he returns to his hotel.
But he was a lot more worried than ever.
Perhaps he should not have won.
Staring at the chess board, Lelouch spoke. "It depends, really, on how you look at it. We are partners. It should make working with each other much simpler."
Schneizel smiled. "Let us not kid ourselves, brother. Our interests don't exactly align. I hope they do. Hence we still continue to work together. The enemy is common, but methods may differ. I'm hoping we can form a true relationship."
Lelouch had never thought about that, truly. He'd always thought that he would clash with Schneizel at some point. But, he wondered if the Emperor would even allow him to be friends with Schneizel on that level. But truly, a friendship with Schneizel would be best.
It would avoid bloodshed.
Make things much simpler.
"The enemy is indeed common." Lelouch said in thought. "But, whether we can work out a truly working relationship is something that will depend on whether we can agree on our methods. And how we see the world. Fundamentally, we are different people. But perhaps it might not be impossible to work out a comprise…"
Though, he doubted it.
Schneizel already had plans on what he was going to do.
Changing those plans would become something else.
"Just to be clear; I have no intentions of taking over the throne." Schneizel said, simple enough. "What I want is to see an end to the fighting. Though, at this point, it is something that seems hardly possible."
"For as long as Britannia does things the way it does, things will never change. We will always be at war. Men will not stop fighting."
"Unless there is something they fear…More than anything."
Lelouch raised an eye brow. "What?"
"Death…" Schneizel said.
"If people feared death, they would have stopped fighting already. Nobody really wants to die, except for those who have seen a little too much. But death does not stop people from going to war." Lelouch said.
The horrors of it did nothing either.
"Perfect harmony is perhaps impossible because humans are flawed in nature."
"I agree with you on that last part…" Schneizel said. "That is why they must be forced.
"Is there something wrong, my Lord?"
The curious, suspicious and serious eyes of his most trustworthy lieutenant greeted Lelouch when he stepped outside of his meeting with Schneizel. He could always depend on the man for anything. Hell, Jeremiah could defy orders of anyone of higher status and rank than if such orders would violate certain things about how they worked. Villetta could be trusted. She'd already taken a bullet for him. Her desire to become noble was something he really didn't spend minutes thinking about. He thought of it as a foolish dream, yet not entirely impossible.
She could do it. He could help her if he wanted. He just didn't see the value in it. But who was he to determine for her? Perhaps he could really pull out all of the stops to make her dream come true. She could become eternally grateful for him.
And, he would not have to worry about anything.
Lelouch didn't respond to Jeremiah. Not until they reached the military vehicle waiting to take him to his hotel. There were no Knightmare frames offering guard. He would even do without seeing General Baker until they left. Then again, Lelouch didn't think the man would now have any interest in him now that things have changed.
The streets were quiet. Earlier, Russians were being moved. This was going to become a Britannia settlement. Only the rich ones who would become honorary Britannians would continue to live here. It was the same as with Area 11. Britannia always gave the best for its citizens.
Of course, these were merely fruits of greed, discrimination and needless wars caused by a battle thirsty empire that would not stop until she has conquered all.
"Emperor Charles has played a move that even Schneizel did not expect." Lelouch paused and then smiled.
Well, it could be that Schneizel wanted to make it seem that way. Of course, evidence suggested otherwise. But nothing was certain, as yet.
"While I wanted to marry Milly, Schneizel has been opposed to the idea from the beginning. But he still intended for me to at least engage the daughter of general Baker. Our father put a halt to those plans by deciding that I will marry another person. I suppose he intends for me to have two wives. He has not rejected my request to marry Milly."
Lelouch with two wives?
Jeremiah thought he was dreaming. He couldn't even imagine his lord with a single wife for that matter. What he could see was his lord ushering his men into victory with some recklessly bold strategies.
"Who?"
"The daughter of a grand duke. We may have to be careful here…" He frowned just thinking about what Schneizel had said about her dead husband or at least her state over his death. Maybe he was being paranoid, but the thought did cross his mind that she could have killed him. Another arranged marriage that she probably didn't want. Marry the guy then poison him…Or let him go to war and plot for things to go wrong. And no one would be wiser. "I wonder how Milly is going to take this."
"I am most worried about you, My Lord."
"What is there to worry about?"
"Miss Milly is harmless because she cares for you. She is someone you know very well. But this woman, you do not know. She has been married before. My lord, you have no experience with women."
Lelouch stared at Jeremiah. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Jeremiah ignored this. "This is of course, no one's fault but yours my Lord. You refuse to act like someone of royalty. Prince Clovis perhaps may be of help..." He paused, staring curiously at Lelouch. "Unless the Knight of Nine is offering more than her piloting skills to you."
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear what you just said, Jeremiah."
The man shrugged indifferently. "You are in a situation where you have to think about such things. You can't avoid it. You have to learn how to deal with it. Or you won't make an impression on your future wife." He looked outside. "Both Prince Clovis and Schneizel have experience and they are not married."
"They are older."
"Age doesn't really matter with royalty. You may even end up getting married before none of them marry. The moment you start doing official royal duties, you become old enough for anything." Jeremiah said.
"This has not become a lecture, Jeremiah. But I must admit, I have to adjust things…Take interest in a few things as well…" he smiled. "Cornelia will certainly be shocked."
"But I'm sure the Knight of Nine will be most pleased."
Lelouch ignored this comment. "Any word from Lloyd?"
"Ship is ready for flight testing. But weapons and defensive mechanism have yet to be set up. It is not even entirely complete. But, the float system is complete, he thought it could work…"
Lelouch smiled. "Completion can always be made with more flight hours. I don't want to go to war with it. I just want a flagship, for now."
So, that's about it for this chapter... should post chapter 20 in the next 10 days.
It didnt actually think I'd get this far without introducing CC. From 20, we will have that Area 11 arc... I'll see how many chapters it will last... I'm still undecided about Geass, and what to do with Kallen and Todho... Clovis however, will remain alive. From there, It will be Africa... Knightmare battles with the introduction of Lelouch's frames.
