Author's Note: Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. This is where we begin to explore the differences in the AU. The first half is a different yet similar version of Lelouch's confrontation with Charles after his mother's death.

P.S. ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!

Chapter 3
2009 A.T.B.

8 years ago, Pendragon Imperial Palace, 2009 A.T.B.

"Announcing 11th Prince Lelouch vi Britannia, 17th heir to the Royal Britannian Imperial Throne!" One of the imperial guards declared. The twin intricate metal doors creaked opened, revealing a dark-haired child clad in white regal clothing. Despite his young age, his face was stern and his violet eyes shone with fierce determination as he strode purposefully into the throne room of the imperial palace.

Lelouch walked along the scarlet carpeted aisle towards the Britannian Emperor, Charles zi Britannia, who sat calmly on his gold-carved throne. Charles zi Britannia was a man of imposing size and with a mane of curled white hair and violet eyes. A crowd of nobles, who were gathered along the aisle, bowed as a sign of respect to the fledgling prince, some of them clasping their hands to their hearts. Hushed whispers broke out among the nobles as Lelouch stalked past them.

"I heard Empress Marianne was killed inside of her own home…"

"There's no way terrorists could have just gotten in there!"

A voice murmured hesitantly, "Then, the real killers must have been…"

"Beware, my friend! You'll regret starting rumors like that around here!" A frantic voice cut the noble off.

"And yet he seems so steadfast, even though his mother is dead!" an elderly aristocrat observed, mumbling under his breath.

"But he has no path to the throne now", another patrician interjected quietly. "And the Ashford family who backed them is finished, too".

"And his sister, the princess?" a feminine voice inquired.

"I heard she was shot in the legs", the reply was swift. "She was caught in the attack as well and she will no longer be able to walk. She can't even be married off for political gain now."

Lelouch paid the muttering noblemen no heed as he stood before his father. Despite his calm demeanour, he was pent up with anger and misery over his mother's death. He tried not to sob as he recalled the scene of his mother, Marianne vi Britannia, sprawled dead in front of him, bleeding from multiple bullet wounds. To make matters worse, Nunnally, his beloved little sister, was shot as well, and she would be crippled for life! Lelouch had to compose himself before reporting the incident to his father, the Britannian Emperor. Hopefully, his father had a good idea about his mother's killers.

Charles gazed at Lelouch severely for several long seconds, tapping his foot impatiently before the young prince finally cleared his throat before announcing, "Your Majesty! My mother has passed away due to an attack by unknown perpetrators!"

"What of it?" Charles replied, his tone uninterested as he looked at his son.

Lelouch blinked and took a step back in consternation. "What of it?" Lelouch repeated, his voice quivering. Shock was written all over his face. "The Empress of Britannia was assassinated! How could the emperor give such an indifferent reply?"

"You sought an audience with the emperor of Britannia simply to tell me that? Old news! Send in the next person! I have no time to babysit a child!" Charles barked harshly, gesturing at the imperial guards flanking him.

Something within Lelouch snapped. After his mother's death and Nunnally's crippling, he nearly had an emotional breakdown and shut himself in his room for hours, only to resolve to bring the news to his father in the hopes that he would provide some information – something, anything, about his mother's murderers. And yet, Charles was merely apathetic about it.

"Father!" Lelouch cried, charging up the stairs towards the Britannian Emperor angrily. The highly trained imperial guards immediately sprang into action, interlocking their polearms together to block the enraged youth. Charles held up a hand, and the guards fell back obediently.

"Why didn't you protect Mother?!" Lelouch yelled at his father, the prince's composure totally gone as his emotions came boiling to the surface. "You're the emperor! The greatest man in this nation! You should have protected her! And now… you don't even visit Nunnally!"

"I have no use for weaklings!" Charles's reply was cold, his violet eyes – so much like Lelouch's own, shone with a cruel light.

"Weaklings?!"

"That is what it means to be royalty."

Lelouch trembled with outrage. "How dare he- how DARE that man call Nunnally and his mother weaklings when he did nothing to protect them?" Lelouch glared furiously at the Emperor. "Then I don't want to be your heir!" the Eleventh prince spat spitefully.

The murmuring of the aristocrats behind him reached a crescendo as they registered Lelouch's words. While it was doubtful that he could be emperor after Marianne's death, the prince sealed his fate by publicly renouncing his right to the throne. Ignoring the shocked mutterings of the nobles, Lelouch continued. "I've had enough of the fighting and the scheming over who'll succeed you!" Lelouch was about to say more when the Emperor's nostrils flared in anger.

"You are dead," Charles retorted, the statement bringing Lelouch up short. "You've been dead from the moment you were born. Who gave you the clothes you wear? Your home, your food, your very life! All of those I have given to you!" Charles paused for a moment.

"In short, you have never actually lived!" Charles roared, his eyes blazing with fury. "And yet, you dare to speak such foolishness to me?!" Charles rose to his full impressive height, towering over Lelouch easily. The prince yelped in terror and fell back as he realized that he had crossed a line. "Lelouch… As you are dead, you have no rights. I am exiling you and Nunnally from the Holy Empire of Britannia. Now, lock him up in one of the rooms. I will deal with this impudent pup later!"

"Yes, your majesty!" The imperial guards saluted as they closed in on the child-prince, dragging him away from the throne room.

Lelouch winced as he nursed his sore arms. The guards were not very gentle in handling him, their grip was as strong as iron as they shoved him into one of the rooms of the imperial palace before locking the door. Lelouch felt his resentment towards his father and the Britannian Empire grow, but the eleventh prince knew that he was powerless to do anything about it as of now.

The prince's sense of helplessness served to only fuel his anger. Lelouch let out a growl and kicked at a chair furiously, but was only rewarded with a sharp pain in his foot. He cursed under his breath, hopping on one foot gingerly across the room in frustration. He glanced at a clock in the room, wondering when he would be let out.

After what seemed to be an eternity, the doors opened and the Emperor of Britannia entered, staring at his son imperiously. Lelouch halted his pacing, glared at his father and was about to make a caustic remark when Charles visibly relaxed and discarded his mask of arrogance. He now wore an expression of seriousness on his aged face. Lelouch frowned, sensing that there was a sudden change within the Emperor.

"Have a seat, my son," Charles motioned at one of the chairs in the room. Unlike earlier, he had no outward signs of rage. He lurched forward and grabbed a chair, before taking a seat on the furniture. There was a flash of uncertainty in Lelouch's amethyst eyes. He decided to obey for now, climbing on the ornate red chair, slightly intrigued by his father's extraordinary behaviour.

"Now that we're no longer surrounded by prying eyes and ears of the nobility, I can speak honestly. First of all, Lelouch, you must understand that things are extremely complicated at the moment," Charles began. "Your mother, Marianne, would understand." At the mere mention of his deceased mother, Lelouch opened his mouth angrily to speak, but Charles held up a hand placidly. "Please let me finish," the emperor instructed. "Despite what you have just witnessed during your public audience with me, I am displeased by Marianne's death. And on the contrary, I did try to protect your mother, but her royal guard received orders from no less than Marianne herself to withdraw before she was killed." Lelouch's face was aghast as he digested this new information. He stared into his father's eyes and wondered whether he was deceiving him, but he could detect no dishonesty from the ruler of the empire.

"But why? Why would they withdraw?!" Lelouch demanded.

"There were rumours that someone asked her to do so," Charles answered. "If this is true, I suspect that an insider had arranged Marianne's death since that request for her to withdraw the guard must be from someone whom she trusts implicitly. If it is someone she could take the word for so easily, that means there is a good chance I must know him on an intimate level as well. " He paused, then grimaced.

"However, it would take an unknown amount of time to find the perpetrators," Charles resumed sombrely. "And it seemed that the attack was not only aimed at your mother but at you and your sister as well. The assassination attempt on you and Nunnally failed due to the heroic actions of a few royal guards, who felt that Marianne was behaving strangely and continued their guard duties in secret. Although they were too late to save your mother, they managed to repel the assassins and preserve the lives of you and Nunnally. As the culprits may have infiltrated the Britannian nobility and even royalty, I deem it necessary to send you and Nunnally to Japan to hide from the assailants from possible attacks in the future until I solve the Empress's death."

Lelouch was silent for a long moment, assimilating what his father just said. "Makes too much sense, from his point of view. Seems like all his talk about weaklings and whatnot are just a farce." Lelouch thought. "Why Japan?" Lelouch found himself asking.

"It's because it's the least likely country to be attacked due to its unique position of nearly having a monopoly over the Sakuradite supply," Charles replied, rubbing his eyes as he reclined his massive frame against the chair, which creaked slightly in protest.

Lelouch understood what his father was trying to say. "Of course, the three world powers… Britannia, Europia United and the Chinese Federation. If any of the superpowers were to invade Japan, the other two will be forced to attack or risk destruction as the conqueror will have access to seventy percent of the world's Sakuradite supply," Lelouch muttered to himself aloud.

Charles nodded slowly. "Thus, I'm afraid it would be the best for you and your sister to go to Japan to hide. If you two wish to do so, you can return once this is solved," the Emperor said. "In the meantime, I'll do what I can to get to the bottom of Marianne's murder. If you have understood everything I have said, you should leave now. Your transport to Japan will be arranged. Farewell, Lelouch."

"Father… that was a lie. In the end, you still abandoned Nunnally and me to die," Lelouch murmured in his sleep as his head drooped limply to the left, landing with a thud on Shirley's right shoulder.

Shirley felt herself go red in the face as Lelouch unintentionally rested his head against her shoulder in his sleep. She could feel the resentful and jealous looks the other girls were shooting her and hear sniggering among many male classmates, Rivalz included.

It has been a few weeks after the trip to the Britannian Victory Memorial Center. Since then, Lelouch slowly began to treat her in a friendlier manner, although he still kept on his nonchalant appearance often. The black-haired teenager had not mentioned his past at all after his somewhat emotional outburst at the centre, and Shirley avoided probing him about it, as it must have been very unpleasant. Following their visit, Shirley pulled Rivalz aside and asked him not to bring it up while Lelouch was around, fearing that Rivalz's lack of tact may cause Lelouch distress again.

Currently, they were attending history lessons in classroom 1-D, with Mr Jones's monotonous voice echoing through the room. It was a sunny and balmy afternoon, and Lelouch was far from the only one napping in class; the summer heat combined with Mr Jones's dull rambling has lulled at least three other students to sleep and nearly a quarter of the class to drowsy states. The fact that history class was right after lunch certainly did not help improve the attentiveness of the class.

Shirley contemplated waking Lelouch up but was hesitant to do so as Lelouch looked so peaceful dozing off. In Shirley's eyes, he almost appeared cute – endearing even, when he started to snore lightly on her shoulder. A sudden stroke of inspiration struck her as she tried to come up with an affectionate nickname for him – a quirky habit of hers, which her friends back in Pendragon were often on the receiving end of. She attempted to shrug him off gently to avoid waking him up, but it was to no avail. If she had to get Lelouch off her shoulder, she had to wake him up.

"Hey, Lulu, wake up," Shirley called out softly, using the moniker she just came up with, nudging Lelouch lightly on his shoulder. Unfortunately for her, Lelouch appeared to be in a deep slumber and barely stirred. As more of the class paid more attention to Lelouch's napping on Shirley's shoulder, she could not stand the staring and snickering no longer. "Lulu…" Shirley called out again, louder this time and with a hint of impatience in her voice, tapping her pen three times against his face, albeit rather lightly.

"Hmm?" was Lelouch's not quite-intellectual reply as he finally woke up, his eyes fluttering as they adjusted to the sudden light. He then frowned, slightly perplexed as he felt a pressing sensation against the left of his face and immediately looked up into Shirley's peridot green eyes, which were looking back at him. Lelouch coughed awkwardly, mildly embarrassed as he concluded that he must have slumped against Shirley in his unplanned afternoon doze before righting himself.

"You sure took forever to wake up, Lulu," Shirley teased, a slight smile playing on her lips. Lelouch's expression changed from sheepish to nonplussed.

"Lulu?" Lelouch asked, the name sounding strange and unfamiliar on his tongue. The prince in hiding raised his eyebrows at the redhead. "What, you came up with a nickname for me?"

"It's a silly little habit of mine since young", Shirley said cheerfully, although there was a slightly defensive tone in her voice. "Do you like it? I might call you by such from now on" Shirley added as an afterthought, noting Lelouch's growing bemusement.

"Sounds ridiculous, but if it pleases you I guess," Lelouch snorted in reply, brushing her question off. At that moment, the classroom's door slid open and a tall male student stepped forth. He was lean but it was undeniable that he was also rather well-built. His complexion and physical features indicated that he was clearly of Japanese, or Eleven, descent.

"Hello. Is this class 1-D?" the Eleven adolescent asked, adjusting the collar of the Ashford uniform uncomfortably as he peered curiously at the class. He had dark green eyes and a mop of chestnut brown hair. Shirley observed that the new arrival did a slight double-take as his eyes passed over Lelouch, who responded by blinking in surprise and she cocked her head curiously at their peculiar behaviour.

"Oh, it's you. I've been told to be expecting you to arrive sooner or later," Mr. Jones replied breezily. "And yes, this is class 1-D, you can read it on the signboard outside. Class is about to end, but would you like to introduce yourself to the class before it does?"

"I'd like to do so, thank you mister…?" the new student asked, pausing slightly as he glanced at Lelouch again, his brows furrowing as he did so.

"Jones. Robert Jones," the weedy professor supplied airily.

"Thank you, Mr Jones," the student strode into the classroom. Faint murmuring broke out among the students as some appeared to recognize him, a few of them even looking rather nervous or frightened. If the new student noticed this, he did not show it as he attempted for a reassuring grin and announced to the class. "I'll be joining you all here at Ashford Academy starting today. I'm Kururugi Suzaku. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The muttering grew louder as Suzaku's words registered with the students, one or two of them even leaning backwards from him. The scrawny history teacher stepped up, waving his hands around as he attempted to pacify the class. "Now, now, quieten down. I know about that incident, but the truth was that a bunch of uppity soldiers tried to get him into a brawl. It isn't his fault that they got more than they asked for and half of them are in the hospital now. Class dismissed!" He turned to address Suzaku. "Mr. Kururugi, you may take a seat next to Ms Wood over there," he pointed at Sophie, who smiled nervously at the new student.

The moment Mr Jones left the classroom, the frantic whispering returned. Shirley frowned as many of her classmates sneaked glances at Suzaku while others were not so subtle, shooting him hostile stares challengingly, which he ignored.

"What's an Eleven doing here?"

"I heard that the victims had their bones broken…"

"He sure looks dangerous. He might be violent."

"Relax. The school wouldn't let anyone like that inside."

"Even so, he seems kinda suspicious, doesn't he…?"

"What if he's secretly psychotic or savage? We'll be in trouble then…"

Suzaku tried not to show his dismay as he heard the mumbling behind his back, not many of the students bothering to keep their volume down. They seem to eye him warily, as though expecting him to pounce on them or do something extraordinary. He sighed as he sat down beside Sophie, who looked to be unsure of whether to approach him or stay silent. The son of the last Japanese prime minister was well aware of stigma most Britannians have against Elevens but he had hoped, albeit foolishly, that this school would be different. Even honorary Britannians such as him were not spared from the persecution, it seemed.

Suzaku recalled the events leading up to his enrollment into Ashford Academy. After he was rewarded with a pilot status and even given access to an advanced Knightmare prototype named Lancelot, he was aggressively approached by envious Britannian Knightmare pilots. He avoided injuring them to the best of his ability, but one could not hold himself back while fighting four-on-one odds and he inadvertently wounded them in the brawl, some of them severely.

The fistfight attracted plenty of attention from his superiors and eventually, he was court-martialed. Fortunately for him, he was absolved of guilt as the surveillance cameras recorded the entire incident, but they ruled that he should enrol in a school as he was 'so young'. Perhaps his superiors thought it was a good idea to get him out of the sight of the other grunts to minimize clashes like these. Nonetheless, Suzaku decided that if he had to receive an education, he would rather get a good one, and he searched for the most reputable school for having high-quality teaching and voila – he ended up at Ashford Academy. This was one reason why he hoped that he would be better received at Ashford, for he expected more from such a prestigious school. Too bad for him that he was proven wrong, judging from antagonistic glaring and hushed whispering towards him.

As Suzaku pondered about how to deal with the situation, he heard a girlish voice call out. "We shouldn't just be scared of him. If we talk to him, we can see what he's like!" Upon hearing those words, Suzaku turned around, seeking to locate the speaker and his eyes rested on a slender girl with waist long orange hair. She was not unattractive – on the contrary, she was almost striking. Her green eyes sparkled with friendliness as she made her way towards him.

"Hi, I'm Shirley Fenette. It's a pleasure!" the Britannian female gushed, smiling at him in an amicable manner. Suzaku smiled in relief, pleased to see that at least there was someone who was willing to approach him. "Perhaps Ashford isn't such a bad place after all." He thought optimistically.

"Kururugi Suzaku. Likewise," Suzaku's reply was short, but he returned the smile warmly. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he witnessed Lelouch beaming with approval, but it was gone in a split-second and his childhood friend was back to wearing the mask of boredom. He watched Lelouch standing up and leaving the classroom, but not before he paused for a moment and tugged at his uniform's collar.

Suzaku took the hint. That was the sign he and Lelouch invented seven years ago. "Let's talk in the attic," the signal meant. "Uh, I'll catch up with you later, Shirley. I'll be happy to know you later on." Suzaku said hurriedly as he quickly followed after Lelouch, leaving a slightly confused Shirley behind, who wondered why on earth Suzaku would speed off shortly after she approached him.

Shirley walked briskly around the school, knitting her brows as she attempted to locate Lelouch. The final lesson of the day was over, but both he and the new transfer student, Suzaku, were missing. For some reason, her feet were carrying her towards the school's half-completed rooftop garden. She was musing on their absence, for what could possibly occupy both of their time such that they would have to skive off classes. She was climbing the stairs to the roof when she heard Lelouch's voice. "…and this school requires you to join a club, so I'm going to bring you to the council's president."

The sound of multiple sets of footsteps grew nearer and Shirley found herself face-to-face with not only Lelouch but Suzaku as well. Her appearance obviously surprised them, for Lelouch nearly jumped backwards and Suzaku was turning to bolt before he recognized her. "You almost gave me a heart attack, Shirley!" Lelouch groaned.

"Sorry, Lulu," Shirley simpered, fighting the urge to laugh as Lelouch's expression soured. "What are you two doing up here anyway? Do you two know each other?" she eyed the duo dubiously.

Suzaku made to open his mouth, but Lelouch cut him off. "He's my friend. I knew him since childhood. I met him when Nunnally and I arrived at Japan, before it became Area Eleven," Lelouch answered. "And as you witnessed earlier, our oh-so-friendly classmates gave him a wide berth, hence it's going to be hard for him to join a club, so I'm bringing him to join the student council," he added sarcastically, sniffing with disdain at the thought of his snooty classmates.

"The student council?" Shirley blinked in astonishment. "You're a member of the council, Lulu?"

"I'm the vice-president."

"Oh," Shirley could not be any more surprised. She doubted that Lelouch looked like 'vice-president' material to many students, let alone the council. Sure, he was very popular among students, girls particularly, but on the other hand he seemed to project himself as a rather idle and aloof student, although Shirley knew that there was more to him that just that.

"Would you like to join the student council too, Shirley?" Suzaku stepped forward, grinning enthusiastically, wanting to reciprocate her friendly gesture earlier. "From what I heard from Lelouch, it sounds like quite a lot of fun."

"That's nice of you… but I'm already in the swimming club," Shirley replied, scratching her head ruefully. Joining the student council would mean that her schedule would be tighter, but she could spend more time with Lelouch, which would help her understand him better. The only obstacle was that she was already in a club. "Perhaps it is be possible to be in two clubs in Ashford Academy," she thought hopefully.

"You can join more than one club in this school. That would just mean that you would be busier and have lesser free time, of course," Lelouch replied, as though he read her mind. He turned away from the lithe female and started walking. "If you wish to join the student council, tag along with us. I'm meeting the student council president now," he called over his shoulder.

"So… the student council president… what's he like?" Shirley asked Lelouch while Suzaku trudged after them quietly. According to Lelouch, they were headed for the student council room, and Shirley found herself anticipating meeting the council members.

"It's a she," Lelouch corrected the redhead as they reached a door. "Student Council Room", a signboard fixed above the entrance of the room read. "She certainly has her quirks, so please bear with her". Lelouch retrieved a plastic card with a barcode from his pocket and he tapped it against a reader next to the door, which slid open, revealing a young voluptuous woman in her late teens, with shoulder-length blonde hair.

"There you are, Lelouch!" the blonde exclaimed excitedly. "I can't have my vice-president wandering off when there's a pile of work waiting for him."

"My apologies, President," Lelouch returned, smirking. "I didn't come here because there was work to be done, though. I brought two students here and both are interested in joining the student council", Lelouch stepped aside, indicating Shirley and Suzaku. "Would you accept them into the student council?"

"Lulu, this is…?" Shirley questioned, looking at Lelouch uncertainly.

"Lulu?" the fair-haired woman repeated, with a look of genuine amusement on her face. Lelouch coughed embarrassingly and glanced away. "I'm Milly Ashford, the student council president. Pleased to meet ya," Milly continued, holding out a hand.

"I'm Shirley Fenette, of the swimming club," Shirley beamed as she shook Milly's hand.

"Kururugi Suzaku," Suzaku took Milly's outstretched hand and gave her a brief handshake.

"Would you accept them?" Lelouch prompted Milly again, a hint of impatience in his voice. The student council was Suzaku's best shot in getting in a club as he wielded considerable influence in the council as vice-president.

"Well, we're rather short-handed nowadays… and how can I turn down a request from the vice-president? You're both in!" Milly announced with a mischievous smile.

"Just like that?" Shirley and Suzaku asked in unison, disbelief plastered across their faces.

"That settles it," Lelouch smiled with relief at the pair, fighting the urge to laugh at their astounded expressions. "Welcome to the student council."

Author's Note: I feel like I owe an explanation for Charles. It was implied during the Code Geass series that he truly cared about his children. I find it sad for him that he, as a parent, is unable to show his concern due to the fact that he's a Social Darwinist. Well, if he can't show it openly, perhaps he can do it in secret.

As for the next chapter, it's going to be wacky with the school silliness up in full swing, but of course, there will be important bits relating to the plot. This story will be preeeetty slow in the earlier chapters. Sorry.