The Young Prince

Marianne vi Britannia was proud. She has always been proud of her oldest child. Lelouch vi Britannia had inherited his father's intellect as well as charisma. Ever since he was capable of speaking he had commanded an aura of authority.

Before he had turned 6-years-old, Lelouch had already mastered chess and his unlimited curiosity had further developed his intelligence that matched even some of the most talented recent graduates at the Pendragon Royal Academy.

But what Marianne was proudest of was what Lelouch inherited from her. Once he was able to pilot a Knightmare Frame, Lelouch had shown everyone that he had inherited more than his mother's violet eyes and black hair.

His fascination with KMFs in general was so great that he was often spotted inside the Ashford RD facility, overseeing the development of the Ganymede. The world's first full-combat Knightmare.

Lelouch was what one would call a mama's boy. He would always follow Marianne around and took her word for that of the bible. It wasn't until his sister, Nunally, was born that he had started to spent less time with his mother.

Today was one such occasion when Nunally had asked both Euphy and Milly to come over to the Aries Villa to play with her. Lelouch, as the doting brother that he was, had decided to stay behind in order to watch over them. Of course, that also meant that Anya Alstreim, a fellow Knightmare pupil of Marianne, had also chosen to remain in the Aries Villa.

Ever since a year ago when Anya's parents had passed away in an accident, the vi Britannia's had offered to take care of her since Marianne and Anya's parents had known each other before Marianne's marriage to the emperor.

Soon after, Anya had taken a liking to Lelouch and would follow him wherever he went. Whenever a stranger approached the two, Anya would hide herself behind Lelouch's back. It was only natural that once Lelouch had decided to learn to pilot under his mother's tutelage, Anya would also follow him in his lessons. Surprisingly, Anya's talent for piloting rivaled even that of Lelouch's.

Inside the Imperial Palace, Marianne chuckled as she imagined what sort of mischief the inhabitants of the Aries Villa were up to. Many a time had the girls chased after Lelouch and once they caught up to him, they would bind him with hugs. Lelouch would often look at Anya to ask for help with his eyes, only for Anya to angled her head in confusion while giving him a quizzical look.

"You seem to be enjoying something, Lady Marianne." commented Cornelia as she followed Marianne close behind.

"Please, Cornelia, just call me by my name, we are family after all"

Cornelia sighed, it was no secret that she had admired Marianne ever since she was very young. Even know she had asked to become part of her personal guard immediately after graduating from the Pendragon Royal Academy.

Before she could reply to Marianne. A soft, yet powerful voice sounded across the royal hallway.

"Well, if it isn't Marianne, as beautiful as ever. And my dear sister, Cornelia. As imposing and beautiful as well. It's very rare for you two to visit the Imperial Palace."

"No need for empty flattery, Schneizel." responded Cornelia. "We have business with father."

"Hello Schneizel, I'm glad that you look well. Being the Prime Minister at your age must be very taxing on you." Said Marianne with a sparkling smile. "Why don't you and Cornelia catch up while I talk to my dear Charles? It is good for siblings to bond with each other while they have time."

Before Cornelia could utter a word of complain, Marianne had already entered through the doors to the throne room, where her father, Emperor Charles sat waiting.

At the Aries Villa

Lelouch had managed to escape from his sisters' crippling hugs and had ran awa... had retired to his mother's office. He knew no one would disturb him here while he took a nap. As much as he loved the girls, they had too much energy and often times he didn't have the stamina to keep up with them.

To his surprise, after opening the door he didn't find an empty office. Instead, there was an adolescent looking girl, probably no older than 17, resting in his mother's chair, as if it was the most natural thing to do. Her green hair and golden eyes had enchanted Lelouch and taken his breath away.

Hours seemed to pass, but that quiet, peaceful atmosphere only lasted a couple of minutes before the girl began to shift her body. Soon her head lifted up and her sleepy, yet captivating eyes locked with Lelouch's own.

"Ara ara, if it isn't the young prince"

The girl's voice was soft, but there was some sort of strength behind it. Almost as if she had lived many years and had gained so much wisdom that had increased her confidence.

It took a few seconds before Lelouch had recovered himself and began to glare at the stranger with distrust.

"Who are you? How did you get in without the guards knowing?"

"My my, quite the suspicious little boy." laughed the green-haired girl. "I came here to talk to your mother, but it seems like she isn't here."

The girl sighed before hoping up from the chair. She started walking towards Lelouch, causing him to flinch and take a step back. Seeing this, the girl pulled one of the biggest grins he had ever seen on anyone's faces. She quickly passed Lelouch and began exiting through the doors.

"Before I leave, I might as well leave a message for your mother. It might be the last time I see her."

The girl began to chuckle and turned towards Lelouch, who was still confused.

"Tell your mother that C.C. is leaving. I don't believe that your mother is capable of granting my wish anymore and I have no interest in what your parents are scheming together. I'm going to search for someone else who might be able to fulfill their side of the contract."

As she began to turn again, her face changed as if she suddenly had a light-bulb above her head.

"Perhaps in the future you might be able to grant my wish." The girl glanced at Lelouch with a preying eye. "I will look forward to it. I hope you become as every bit worthy of a Geass. Well, I have to go know, I can hear the hound running up the stairs as we speak. See you later, Lelouch"

The mysterious girl finally exited the room. Quickly, Lelouch's senses returned to him and he ran through the doors trying to chase after her, only to see... nothing. The hallways on both sides of the room were empty, devoid of any life.

Soon after, Jeremiah Gottwald appeared around the corner, running frantically towards him.

"Milord, are you alright?" asked a breathless Jeremiah.

"Everything is well. What happened?"

Upon learning of Lelouch's safety, Jeremiah finally caught his breath and proceeded to report to him.

"We found some of our guards passed out near the back entrance. It seemed like someone knocked them out. We have already secured your sisters and the other girls, but we have yet to find the intruder."

Lelouch pondered for a moment. Finally he turned to Jeremiah.

"It's fine Jeremiah, if there was an intruder, they would be long gone by now. Let's return to the girls, we musn't keep them scared too long."

Jeremiah nodded and followed his prince as he returned to the garden.

'It seems like that girl already left. I wont be able to rest until later tonight'

Thought a tired Lelouch as he feared what kind of hell the girls would put him through now.

Back at the Imperial Palace

Cornelia was waiting impatiently outside the throne room. Her conversation with Schneizel had only served to dampen her mood.

She didn't particularly hate him, on the contrary, Schneizel was one of the few siblings she had that she could tolerate and even liked. But his personality clashed with hers a lot. She found it very tiring to deal with him.

Cornelia was beginning to dread what kind of person would Lelouch turn into in the future. He was often compared to as the second Schneizel. Like Euphy, Cornelia rather liked Lelouch quite a bit, but if he turned into anything resembling his brother, she won't know what to think.

Suddenly, a pair of arms surrounded her from behind and quickly closed in on her.

"Nonette... how many times have I told you not to hug me so suddenly." sighed Cornelia.

"Now now, I was just going to say hi normally. But seeing how brooding you looked, I thought this might cheer you up more"

Cornelia sighed one more time before breaking from Nonette's hug. She turned towards her and smiled back.

"Since you are here now, I take it you finished your mission successfully?"

Nonette Enneagram was Cornelia's friend and rival back in the academy. After a few months, she had earned the emperor's attention and soon found herself within his royal guard, as the knight of nine. Truly befitting her name.

"Of course, it was a simple ambush of a EU convoy traveling from Japan to Paris. It was too easy, they barely had any guards, I'm sure you would have returned much sooner than me."

Cornelia raised an eyebrow, this was fourth time this year that the emperor had sent his knights of the round to attack convoys from Japan. If it was simply disrupting the supply of Sakuradite from Japan to Europe, there won't have been any need to send his most elite soldiers.

"What was the convoy carrying? Seeing as how father deemed it necessary to send you."

Nonette pondered for a while with a trouble expression. After glancing at Cornelia for a few seconds, she finally spilled the beans.

"To be honest, I don't really know. I was told by Bismarck that as soon as I got my hands on the cargo I was supposed to turned it in to him. I'm not even sure where the cargo goes to. Either Bismarck or Marianne quickly take the cargo elsewhere."

"Lady Marianne?"

Remarked a surprised Cornelia. Before she could continue questioning her friend. The door opened behind her, revealing Marianne herself.

"Nonette, a pleasure to see you." the empress smiled towards the knight. "It would be best if you report to my husband as soon as possible. You know how he doesn't like to be kept waiting."

"Yes, milady. I will be on my way." Nonette then faced her friend. "We can catch up later. Have a good day Lia, Lady Marianne."

Nonette bowed to Marianne before disappearing into the throne room.

"Such a good girl. Good people like her are hard to come by. If Lelouch wasn't so adamant about me teaching him I would have asked her to do so." the empress commented before starting to head home.

"She is, although sometimes I worry she is too good for her own well being" responded Cornelia before following after Marianne.

As Nonette entered the throne room, she could hear what seemed to be an argument. She slowly approached the throne, making sure not to make any sound.

"Brother, how many times do I have to tell you? That vixen is only trouble. With her our plan will fail. How can you be so blind?"

A young boy, probably only a few years older than Lelouch, shouted at the giant man whose features only exhumed intimidation.

The 98th Emperor of Britannia, Charles zi Britannia, barely kept his sight on the boy. His eyes studying every bit of the child's features. After a few seconds, or even minutes, the emperor finally spoke.

"What have you to fear? She truly believes in our ideals. That's why she has always fought for me, that's why she helped me ascend to the throne. She would sooner kill her own children with her own hands than betray our cause."

The boy, seemingly unaffected by the emperors pressuring voice, begins to exit the throne room towards the back, where only the royals are allowed through.

"If you are too blind and unwilling, then I will have to solve this problem with my own hands."

The boy exited without turning back on the emperor as he spoke. A few seconds later, the emperor turned his sight to gaze right at Nonette where she was hiding in the shadows, causing her to flinch a little.

"Come forward Nonette, I don't have all day. What are the news?"

That night, at the Aries Villa

Lelouch was deep in thought. The green-haired girl had remained in his head all night. There was something about her that intrigued him, he just couldn't piece out what. She had said something about a contract with his mother, as well as something about a Geass.

Suddenly, his mind shifts towards one of the few true happy memories that he had. Truth be told, it was the only happy memory he had of his own father.

He had only seen his father once inside the Aries Villa. It was the day Nunally was born. He didn't say much nor did he care for anything other than Marianne. He sat in the room, listening to Marianne stories. His gaze fixed on her eyes, neither looking away from each other. That was the first time Lelouch had ever seen his father smile. A true, happy smile.

Of course, both the emperor and the empress were so caught up on their little lovey-dovey world that they had completely forgotten about him. Feeling lonely, Lelouch had decided to go outside, to the garden. He had loved the garden even before Nunally made it her playground.

The garden of the Aries Villa was home to many exotic plants from all over the world. To him, the garden was sort of a window to the outside. A glimpse to the vast diversity and wealth of the world.

"One day, I will see the entirety of the world with my own eyes. I will grasp the world with my own hands"

The boy stared at the sky, imagining what sorts of wonders awaited him outside Pendragon. Outside Britannia. A gentle breeze caressed Lelouch cheeks and a small, pink petal fell on his forehead.

Lelouch picked up the petal and stared at it intently. His gaze followed where the petal had come from. Towards the center of the garden, there was a beautiful tree, fully bloomed. Its small, pink petals dance around the garden. This was the first time Lelouch had seen the tree in full bloom, as it only bloomed in the spring. The cherry blossom tree was a gift from the Ashfords when they had visited Japan the past summer. They said it was called a Sakura tree. In that moment, the tree had become his favorite thing inside the garden.

A shadow quickly spread above him. Confused, Lelouch turned around... only to be even more confused. Towering above him was none other than Emperor Charles zi Britannia himself. His full attention on Lelouch.

The two stared at each other without any words. One second turned into ten. Ten seconds turned into a minute. And finally, the minute turned into five, ten, fifteen, and thirty minutes. Half an hour had passed an they both still stared at each other.

Lelouch, unable to contain his nerves anymore, was about to turn his head away when the emperor finally moved. Charles walked towards Lelouch and extended his arm. A moment later, and Charles' hand had reached Lelouch's head. He began to pat him.

"Veni. Vidi. Vici..." Charles then turned his head towards the garden. His eyes quickly scanning the flora that decorated it. "Do you know what it means, boy?"

Lelouch nodded. He had learned that phrase in one of the military books inside Schneizel's library.

"I came. I saw. I conquered" responded the boy.

"I meant what it truly means. What you believe it to truly mean."

"..." the boy didn't have an answer. He only understood that it referred to a show of power.

"Earlier you said, that you would see everything there is to see in this world with your own eyes. And with your own hands, your would conquer it."

Lelouch remembered what he had said. And blushed at the thought of being heard when he was saying something so cheesy.

"That's what it truly means." continued Charles without minding the boy's blushing.

"You saw a glimpse of this world through the flowers. A world full of beauty that you have yet to experience. However, as you are now, you can only watch. No matter how many flowers you gather here, in the end it is only a portion of what the world has to offer. You can only dream of beauty."

His gaze turned dark for a moment.

"If you truly wish to experience the beauty of this world. You must take it with your own hands. To do so, you need to grow and become stronger. Only the strong are capable of weathering this world's injustices. Only the strong are worthy of receiving the beauty of this world. Only the strong can shape this world full of vermin and parasites into a garden of true beauty."

Lelouch contemplated what he was just told. This was the first lesson that the emperor, his father, had taught him.

Some time had passed and a servant had come to announce that his mother had given birth to a little girl. Both, Charles and Lelouch rushed towards his mother's room. Before they entered, a woman with green hair came out.

Charles glanced at the woman with indifference and only said one thing before entering the room.

"C.C."

The girl shrugged before turning away. Before she left she had said something to Charles, but what she said was drowned by the sound of screaming.

The sudden scream had pulled back Lelouch to the present. Another scream soon followed, causing Lelouch to rush towards its origin. Lelouch had finally reached the main stairs. The first thing he saw was Anya at the very top, trembling as her eyes were fixed downstairs. Lelouch followed her gaze and what he saw would plague his dreams ever since.

Author's Notes:

Hello everyone. This is my first fanfic work so there might be a lot of mistakes/vague descriptions right now. Hopefully the more I write the better I become. That's how it works, right?

I love Code Geass lore and characters so that's why I'm starting with this. Also, the movie is coming out soon!

I'm open to suggestions/constructive criticism and will revise older chapters to improve the storytelling and/or story.