Author's Note: I have to say that this chapter was definitely unplanned. Unfortunately, this one is more or less a collection of scenes which I had in my mind and I stringed them together to form a chapter. Hence, things are a little all over the place and I added a couple of scenes for the 'lulz'. You'll see what I mean later.

Apologies if it doesn't seem like I'm being very serious... that doesn't mean that this chapter is unimportant, though. There are a few key moments here, and a lot of emphasis on Rolo, seeing that he just recovered his memories. The purpose of this chapter is to set up the chain of events which will begin in the next and to answer some curious questions. There will be a segment with Cornelia and Nunnally. I'll try my best to get Chapter 18 posted as soon as possible as recompense. That's when things hit the boiling point.

Chapter 17
The Key to the Damocles

The half-moon bathed the villa with its dim illumination as Joseph started his car, which was resting on the road next to the house. His wife crossed her arms, a petulant frown on her face as she looked away from him while seating in the shotgun seat. The middle-aged man ran a hand through his brown hair. He glanced up at one of the windows of the villa, spotting his daughter in her shared bedroom, who was watching him through the glass solemnly. She had changed out of her dress into an outfit of comfortable navy blue t-shirt and shorts. Joseph raised a hand in farewell, and she returned it, albeit half-heartedly. He stepped on the accelerator and the vehicle made its way out of the villa. Shirley watched it slowly disappear along the road gloomily.

"Something bothering you?" a familiar voice called out behind her, and she jumped. She turned around to face a concerned Lelouch. "You don't look too happy to me."

"You can tell?" Shirley laughed humourlessly. She exhaled, and cast another look at the window. Her father's car was already out of her sight.

"With that dispirited look on your face? Obviously," Lelouch said. He moved towards the bed, sitting on it and patting a spot next to him. "Come take a seat. You can tell me if you want to."

A few seconds of silence ticked by. "It's about what happened just now," Shirley confessed. Instead of sitting on the mattress, she laid down on it, sighing unhappily and brought her hands together, twisting them slightly. "My mother's words, specifically."

"Just as predicted," Lelouch thought. Mary Fenette did not approve of his relationship with her daughter, and while her words definitely stung somewhat, he knew how exactly she felt and understood it. "I suppose you don't agree with them?"

"Of course not!" Shirley exclaimed hotly. Her vehemence startled Lelouch, who rarely saw her angry. "I just can't believe that she can't accept us together. And the way she did it was mean. She more or less said them in your face."

Lelouch leaned backwards, falling prone on the bed as well. He turned his head so as to face Shirley, and she did the same. "Calm down. I'm not upset by your mother's words. In fact, I understand her concerns. You are her child, and it's a fact that you're in danger."

"I know," Shirley said in a calmer tone, but the prince still could detect displeasure in her tone. "But I expected her to at least wish us well, or not insist on us breaking up. I'm not going to leave you, no matter what happens, Lulu." Lelouch's brows furrowed at her words.

Lelouch reached out to twirl one of her orange locks idly. "Well, think about it from her point of view. When we have children…" Lelouch smirked and stopped playing with her hair to cup her face with his hand. She shoved him half-playfully on his shoulder in return. "I don't think any of us would want them to go through any danger."

"True…" Shirley muttered wearily. She moved in to snuggle closer to Lelouch. "Maybe I can understand why she's so against it, but I still don't like it."

"Fair enough," Lelouch shrugged. "She's your mother after all. You would want to gain her approval." Shirley merely let out another long, drawn-out sigh. The prince adjusted his hand, grasping hers and gave it a comforting squeeze. "Hey, don't think about it too much. Perhaps one day when all of this is over, she'll come to like us together."

"You're right. Thinking negative doesn't help me at all in the slightest," Shirley exhaled before smiling.

Lelouch nodded and his eyes flickered to the clock suspended on the wall. "Alright, it's getting a bit late. Let's sleep now. Goodnight, Shirley."

"Goodnight, Lulu," Shirley murmured. Lelouch rose from the bed, only to return to it after he turned off the lights, blanketing the room with darkness.

Rolo stalked through the halls of the Aries Villa cautiously, a light brown feather duster gripped tightly in one hand, while the other was in his pocket. After his encounter with Schneizel yesterday, he had finally recalled his true profession. A killer. His master ordered him to resume his mission, and he obeyed dutifully. Currently, he was installing eavesdropping devices all over the house. While he could have done so shortly after he was accepted into the villa, there was a chance that the security cameras could have observed him doing so. Therefore, Rolo took the time to discern the position of these cameras so that he can determine the angle where he could establish the bugs without being seen.

In order to obscure his actions while he went about it, Rolo was using the feather duster to obscure the view while looking as though he was cleaning while placing the contraptions, which adhered easily to almost any surface. The pink-eyed youth was secretly amazed by the technology they exhibited, for the gadgets have a feature which, once activated, they could assume the color of the object they were attached to, flawlessly camouflaging themselves. Its diminutive size also ensured that it was extremely difficult to notice, even for the most paranoid of people. He briefly wondered what other fascinating devices Schneizel's scientists were able to cook up, then shrugged it off. It didn't really matter to him anyway.

The assassin entered the parlor and nonchalantly kneeled next to the coffee table, brushing it thoroughly with his feather duster while the fingers of his other hand dug into his pocket, retrieving yet another device. He placed it at the bottom of the table as he continued maintaining the appearance of a conscientious cleaner. Rolo straightened his back and stood up, observing the sitting room. Instantly, he had a flashback to a moment which took place in the parlor three weeks ago, where he first met Shirley. She was interviewing him as a job applicant and readily accepted him, smiling amiably as she did so, much to his surprise.

Thinking about the cheerful orange-haired teenager caused Rolo's mind to wander over to the fact that he was supposed to murder her and Lelouch. His insides turned cold and he shivered violently. Rolo had never bothered about the morality of his deeds in the past. Schneizel simply gave him an assignment, and he would complete it. He had no other purposes in his life after all. At least he received praise from his master after every successful operation, which made him feel slightly better. However, he now felt unwell at the idea of killing his two targets - or at least one of them. Nonetheless, a small voice in his mind continued to argue. "Could you really complete your mission when the time comes? She has treated you well and with genuine sincerity, and you're going to repay her by murdering her and Lelouch?"

"Infinity decreed that they must die," Rolo thought heavily. "I merely exist for his orders to be carried out. I am his tool. My life is empty without him and his commands."

"Are you sure about that?" the voice taunted him mockingly. "You seem to enjoy the time when you forgot about him. It almost seems like you've grown to like the targets."

"That's not true. They mean nothing to me."

"Then why did you keep that locket from Shirley?"

"It's nice and she gave it to me willingly," Rolo responded guardedly. Why would anyone reject that? "Of course I'd keep it!"

"So defensive. Say, have you ever thought of living a different sort of life without Infinity?"

"I can't imagine that."

"But you already lived one," the voice countered. "You didn't have any memories of him for the past two weeks, and I know a part of you likes it more than the life you're forced to lead under him. Don't try to deny it."

"What are you trying to suggest?! That I quit my job as an assassin, cut all contact with Schneizel and continue living here as a servant?" Rolo questioned himself angrily. He must be going crazy if his inner voice is frustrating him. "If I do that, he could expose me as a spy and they'll kill me for that!"

"Are you sure? They are nice people. They may even understand and eventually forgive you."

"I'm a murderer. I've killed many men and women, and my current mission is to kill them. How can they look past that? They may be kind, but I doubt they would be merciful to someone sent to assassinate them."

"Well... I still think you should try-"

"Oh, shut up," Rolo commanded harshly, banishing the annoying voice in his mind. Unfortunately for him, his mind wandered over to the times when he interacted with Shirley. Becoming friends with her. Receiving his first birthday gift. Getting tended to by her. Notwithstanding his attempts to convince himself otherwise, Rolo already knew that at least she meant something to him. The young assassin gritted his teeth in frustration. If he had a choice, he would give up on his mission. Unfortunately, he was never presented with many options throughout his life. With a heavy heart, he set forth to resume placing the devices all over the villa.

Nunnally tried not to look at the students of Ashford as she made her way to the student clubhouse. A lean, stern-looking bespectacled woman clad in a dark blue dress pushed her wheelchair forward gently. She had long dark hair tied in a bun and brown eyes which shone with severity. Hushed whispers followed them, but the woman paid them no heed.

It has been slightly over three weeks since the uproar caused by Lelouch's return to Britannia. At first, most of the students assumed that the exiled eleventh prince sharing the same name as Nunnally's brother was a mere coincidence. However, all it took was one of them took a good look at the Prince's picture to realize that he bore a striking resemblance to Lelouch Lamperouge. The rumors spread like wildfire, but none of them dared to approach Nunnally to confirm it so far. Perhaps they were intimidated by the sheer possibility that she was a princess. Nonetheless, it caused her to lose whatever friends she had at Ashford. She had hoped that the student council members would still be on cordial terms with her, but most of them already graduated. The only one left was Anya, and she was indifferent as ever.

Today was the day of the annual Ashford academy school festival, but Nunnally was unable to participate in it due as her bodyguard, the woman in the dress, forbade her to do so. She understood the danger of course - the school festival was a large-scale event which is open to the public, and hence it would be easy for assassins to infiltrate. Nevertheless, Nunnally was more than a little crestfallen - not just because she could not attend the festival, but that she was limited freedom merely due to her status.

As the crippled princess and her stoic companion entered the clubhouse, the former instantly turned to regard the latter. "Cornelia, do you think my friends would ever talk to me again?" Nunnally asked sadly.

"Give them time, Nunnally," the woman replied evenly. She reached up to undo her bun and let her flowing hair loose, before removing her fake spectacles and contact lenses, restoring the color of her eyes to indigo. Her hair was, originally purple, was dyed black and there was little she could do about it. Better than having a wig that could be easily misplaced or removed. Second princess Cornelia, the witch of Britannia and the goddess of victory shrugged casually. "They may eventually get over it."

"I can only hope that it is so," Nunnally sighed. "Princess or not, I'm a human being. I'm still Nunnally."

"You're right, sister. And I'm sure they'll see it that way soon," Cornelia smiled reassuringly at her younger half-sister. Nunnally returned it and slowly made her way to her room. The older princess nodded respectfully towards Sayoko, who was vigilantly watching them. The maid, who was also an accomplished martial artist, inclined her head in return.

Cornelia glanced around the clubhouse, noting that her disguised guards were watchful as ever. When she and her guard unit arrived at Ashford, she realized that none of them must give the appearance of soldiers to avoid drawing attention. It was to further confuse Clovis as well, although she personally had doubts that the third prince was associated with their enemies. Clovis may enjoy opulence and leading an exceedingly lavish lifestyle, but he was also affable and on fairly good terms with Lelouch prior to the latter's exile. Regardless of her personal thoughts, the second princess ordered her troops to pass themselves as the part of the staff of the academy. As a result, most of them looked like janitors or professors. Cornelia hoped that none of them were feeling disgruntled or bored after three weeks of no occurrences whatsoever.

Lelouch woke up and stretched slowly as he got out of the large bed. Light spilled in from the window and translucent curtains, illuminating the bedroom and the person remaining fast asleep on the bed. Shirley's breathing was steady as she slumbered peacefully, and Lelouch examined her for a moment.

The soft sound of knuckles rapping the door startled Lelouch, bringing him out of his reverie. The prince was surprised, for rarely anybody did such a thing early in the morning, as most of the staff was unwilling to wake him up in the wee hours of dawn out of respect. That meant that something must have happened, but it was not a grave matter either. If it was, surely they would have barged in instead or at least knock louder. "Come in," Lelouch called out.

The door swung open and Jeremiah stepped inside the bedroom. "Your Highness," The green-haired noble reported, careful to keep his volume down, after noticing that Shirley has yet to awaken. "His majesty wishes to see you as soon as possible."

"The Emperor?" Lelouch questioned softly. He glanced at the still sleeping Shirley. "We can't leave the villa, and you know that, Margrave Gottwald."

"Yes, and apparently His Majesty knows that as well," Jeremiah mused.

"What do you mean?"

"He's here right now, at the parlor."

"Really? That's unexpected of him. What does Charles want?"

"His Majesty has not told me about that, although he mentioned that he came because of an important matter," Jeremiah shrugged as he informed his liege. "He has emphasized that it is a paramount business and it should be completely discussed in secret."

"What is he up to…" Lelouch's voice trailed away. Regardless of what his father wanted, he did not like the idea of the Emperor being under the same roof as him. "Tell him I'll be there in five minutes."

"Yes, Your Highness," Jeremiah saluted and withdrew from the room.

Lelouch sighed and sat back down on the bed, next to Shirley. The lithe girl, whose orange hair was splayed on the white bedsheets, showed no sign of waking up soon other than a brief stir where she made to hug the spot where Lelouch was. He smiled at the endearing act and leaned forward to kiss her tenderly on the forehead. "I'll be back soon," Lelouch whispered. The eleventh prince headed to his wardrobe to change his attire of nightwear to a pair of dark slacks and a light blue formal shirt. He gave Shirley one last lingering glance before leaving the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Ashford Academy! It has been a long time," Rivalz exclaimed as he alighted the bus. He shielded his eyes from the morning sun, squinting at the grand educational institution before him. After he spent several weeks working as a bartender, he decided to take a break to visit the academy since it was the annual school festival after all. It was not that his job was boring – indeed, hearing the bar's patrons regale everyone with their stories was fairly entertaining, but he found that he missed his old school tremendously and thus resolved to pay it a visit. Maybe it was whimsical of him, but he did not care about that.

As the blue-haired teenager neared the school, a series of spectacular fireworks exploded in the blue sky. The extravagant display reminded Rivalz of Milly, and he wondered whether Milly would be around. The blonde was now working as a reporter, but Ashford Academy was her home. He still had a hopeless crush on her and he fervently wished to see her again.

Rivalz strode past the school gates, noting that he barely recognized any of the students milling around. Not that he expected to anyway. Most of his friends and acquaintances graduated with him after all. Nevertheless, he longed to see a familiar face again and he found his feet taking him to the student clubhouse, where Lelouch and Nunnally used to reside. Rivalz frowned thoughtfully for a moment. He, like most of his ex-classmates and people in the school, heard the news of the eleven prince's return to the homeland and reinstatement to the imperial throne, and immediately recognized his face. He tried contacting Lelouch about it, but he never picked up his calls. Rivalz started to understand Shirley's frustration, as she was a frequent victim of Lelouch hanging up on her during their years as a student in Ashford. At least Nunnally should be still around, and perhaps he could ask her about it.

Rivalz entered the student clubhouse at a leisurely pace, nodding politely at the cleaners wiping the windows. For some reason, they returned it slowly, but he could feel their eyes examining him before looking away. He shrugged. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him. Rivalz walked to the front of Nunnally's home and paused to take a deep breath before knocking on the metallic door gently. "Hi Nunnally, it's me, Rivalz!" he announced buoyantly. The door did not open, and neither was there a response. He repeated the gesture. "Nunnally, are you there?" He scratched his head sheepishly as once more, only silence answered him. He lowered his hand, his fingertips barely brushing against the doorknob accidentally when suddenly there was a growing sound of someone sprinting.

Rivalz instinctively turned around and gaped at a dark-haired woman, who rushed towards him at an alarming speed. "Hey-" he started, raising a hand, but he never had the chance to say anything else. She landed a punch on his midriff solidly, causing him to splutter, and her other hand clubbed him on his head, sending him flopping limply on the ground. She scuttled swiftly, twisting his arm painfully and kneed him in the back, effectively immobilizing him. "Ow! That hurts!" he screamed.

"Who are you?!" Cornelia demanded loudly.

"R-Rivalz Cardemonde!" The teenager squeaked, his voice a pitch higher from the sheer pain.

"Why are you trying to go in that room?"

"I was under the impression that one of my friends resided in there. Was I wrong?" Rivalz asked weakly.

Cornelia yanked at Rivalz's arm again, eliciting an agonized yell from him. "What's the name of your friend?!"

"N-Nunnally Lamperouge! Is she still around?" Rivalz made an attempt to rise, but Cornelia promptly stepped on his head, flattening his blue hair.

"You're lying! If you're truly a friend of hers, I would've noticed you around," Cornelia growled threateningly.

"That's because I've graduated already! I'm just paying her a visit, I swear!"

"And why should I believe-"

At that precise moment, the door slid open, causing both Rivalz and Cornelia to instinctively turn their heads towards it. Nunnally's eyes widened at the sight of him being forced into a submission hold by the latter. "Rivalz! What are you doing here- and Cornelia, what are you doing to him?"

"You know this person, sister?" Cornelia asked suspiciously, her eyebrows raised.

"Yes! He's a friend of mine and Lelouch's", Nunnally answered, her eyes wide with shock. Cornelia blinked rapidly and looked back at her victim. "Could you release him, please?"

"Right…" Cornelia relented, leaping backward to allow Rivalz to rise. He groaned and massaged his back and arm. The second princess gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry about that."

"Sorry doesn't quite cut it," the blue-haired adolescent thought, but did not say. Better not risk further antagonizing the woman who just proved to be an adept martial artist. "It's alright. I suppose part of the fault is mine too," he lied.

"Glad that you have no hard feelings," Cornelia nodded. If she noticed that Rivalz was being dishonest, she either let it past or she did not care. "If you truly are a friend of Lelouch and Nunnally, you must understand that these measures are necessary."

Rivalz pursed his lips. "Then the rumors are true then?" He turned towards Nunnally. "You and Lelouch are really royalty?"

Nunnally momentarily balked at the idea of letting Rivalz know, but she saw no reason to hide the truth from Rivalz any longer. She nodded slowly, her sandy brown hair swaying. "Yes. And this is second princess Cornelia li Britannia." Rivalz took a step back in surprise as he looked at Cornelia again, who tilted her head. "Please don't spread it around."

"God…" Rivalz groused under his breath. "I can't believe I used to spend time with you two so casually. My life's messed up. I've known a prince and princess for three years and just got tackled by another princess." A moment of awkward quiet ensued. Rivalz then attempted to inject some levity into the conversation. "I bet Shirley should be feeling great at least. She could marry into the royal family now!"

None of the two princesses looked entertained in the slightest. Instead, Cornelia and Nunnally exchanged a grim look. Rivalz realized that he must have erred. "It was just a joke. Sorry. Although… The looks on your faces say that something is wrong. What is it?"

Nunnally exhaled and beckoned Rivalz into the room. "It's a long story, and I can tell you all about it. However, it's best to do it in a place where no one can eavesdrop."

"Nunnally, I don't think it's a good idea," Cornelia interjected, stepping in between Rivalz and the princess. "He doesn't need to know the truth."

"I deserve to, as their friend," Rivalz wanted to argue but abstained from doing so. They were princesses after all, and one of them was quite intimidating. "It's fine. You don't have to tell me. I just wanted to catch up with you," he said feebly, not wanting to put Nunnally in a spot. "I guess I should just leave right now."

"Oh no, it's been a long time since I had a friend come over. Just come on in. We can still chat about other things over a cup of tea or something," Nunnally cajoled. When Rivalz still looked doubtful, she hastened to add. "I could call Milly over too. She should be free today."

Rivalz tried to conceal his emotions of anticipation to little avail. Nunnally could readily imagine him struggling not to agree so easily so to mask his feelings. "I guess I'll stay for a while then," Rivalz coughed unconvincingly.

"That's excellent!" Nunnally's blue eyes sparkling with joy. She gestured at Rivalz again. "Come on in then. It's been some time since we talked to each other."

Rivalz started walking, but Cornelia stopped him for a moment. The disguised princess stared at him seriously. "Remember, don't spread it around," she warned, an undercurrent of threat in her tone. He could not help but shiver slightly.

"Aye, Your Highness," Rivalz muttered. He had no desire to cross her again, especially after being on the receiving end of her punches. Cornelia mutely allowed him to pass, and she followed after him into Nunnally's home.

Shirley, still in her navy blue nightclothes, wandered around the villa as she attempted to search for Lelouch. She just woke up recently and found that Lelouch was gone. At first, she panicked and wondered whether something had happened to him, but the peacefulness of her surroundings convinced her otherwise. Thus, she assumed that something which demanded his immediate attention had cropped up and he went to deal with it. Nonetheless, the female adolescent could not help but wonder what happened and hence set out to find him.

Shirley turned around a corner and spotted a familiar figure, partially obstructed by a vase, kneeling beside the object. "Ah, Rolo!" she called out, and he started, jumping to his feet. Shirley made her way towards him, smiling amiably. "Did I startle you? Sorry about that. You seem pretty jumpy."

"Oh, not at all!" Rolo quickly lied. He was almost caught in the act of placing another bugging device by Shirley. "Uh, I'm just really surprised. The emperor is here today."

"He is? That's interesting… Wait, isn't it his second visit here since you were employ- oh wait, you lost your memories..." Shirley murmured, looking slightly guilty.

"I've already regained most of them. All of the important ones," Rolo thought. "I can't recall. I just never thought that I would see the emperor one day…"

"Trust me, I know how you feel," Shirley assured him, patting the servant lightly on his arm. Rolo glanced at the spot where she touched him with an odd expression on his face. "I mean, the first time I saw him, I wasn't even ready yet! Lulu pretty much told me about it just before we met him. It was so weird!"

"Uhh…" Rolo stared speechlessly at Shirley.

"I'm sorry, I guess I shouldn't have rambled on so much," Shirley giggled. "Say, do you know where are they? They probably do not wish to be disturbed, so I'll wait at a nearby location or something."

"No need to apologize," Rolo mumbled, shifting slightly. "They're in the parlor. I guess you can wait in the dining room since His Highness has yet to take his breakfast yet." He thought about the listening devices already installed and active in the sitting room, and wondered whether the information gleaned from today would be useful. Shirley appeared not to be paying attention to his words - she was staring wistfully into blank space after the mention of the dining room. "Shirley?" Rolo waved a hand across her face.

"Huh?" Shirley started. Her green eyes settled on Rolo once again.

"Did something happen? You were spacing out…" The assassin was curious. "Besides, it might help in intelligence gathering," Rolo reasoned to himself.

"Oh. Um… It's because I was reminded of what happened yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Rolo immediately became wary. "Could she have known about Schneizel calling me?"

"My parents were here for dinner the previous day. They weren't very happy when I told them about the previous attacks on me," Shirley bemoaned. My dad eventually gave us our blessing after making Lulu swear that he would keep me safe, but my mother was still against it."

"Ah," Rolo blinked. At the mere mention of the word 'parents', he instantly thought of his adoptive parents, who laid dead on the floor after he retaliated against their sadistic abuse. His brows furrowed. "That must be sad."

"It is. Say, do you need any help with your chores or anything?" Shirley suddenly switched the subject. She did not like to dwell on negative thoughts and was still feeling a little ashamed at how she inadvertently played a hand in Rolo's amnesia, and it disheartened her to hear that he has yet to reclaim any of his memories.

"No thanks," Rolo said abruptly. He had to resume his covert job of installing the bugs all over the house. In his hurry, his tone came off a little cold and clipped. Shirley detected it and she stared at him in consternation.

"Is everything okay, Rolo?" Shirley asked uncertainly. There was something about him that made it seem as though he did not want her around.

"Yes. I just… have a headache, so I'd like to be alone for a bit," the assassin quickly lied in an attempt to assuage her feelings. Rolo then wondered why he even bothered about how she felt.

"Alright," Shirley hesitated, then gave Rolo a radiant smile. For a brief moment, the problems that were weighing on Rolo's mind simply evaporated, and he beamed back genially, albeit unaware that he was doing so. "Do let me know if you need any help or someone to talk to, okay?"

"Sure," Rolo nodded. He watched as she turned and walked away, his pink eyes never leaving her back while she disappeared from view. "I'm supposed to kill her when the time comes. Could I really do it?" The assassin's grin faded and he subconsciously dug out his cell phone. He surveyed the white and gold heart-shaped locket again, and for some reason he could not fathom, two recent memories flashed in his mind. Shirley dabbing medicine on his wound tenderly and celebrating his birthday with her and Lelouch. The youth clenched his fist around his phone in frustration, his knuckles turning white from the strain. Rolo put it back inside his pocket with a bitter, sorrow-filled expression on his youthful countenance before he stalked away as well to resume his mission.

"Let's skip the pleasantries, Charles," Lelouch said curtly, cutting off the emperor as he attempted to open his mouth. He was more than a little frustrated by his father's unannounced visit. "There's no time to waste." The two of them were in the parlor of the villa once more, and neither of them took a seat.

"Indeed, there is," the ninety-eighth emperor of Britannia agreed. "I have come today to entrust you with something that could be potentially extremely dangerous." Lelouch scowled. "I know what you must be thinking right now, but I have my own reasons."

"Very well," Lelouch sighed. "Let's start with showing me what exactly your object is."

Charles silently reached into his coat's pockets, producing a featureless dark brown rectangular case of a moderate size. Lelouch leaned forward inquisitively and the emperor promptly opened the box, displaying a slim, oddly-shaped item. It was long and colored with red, blue and gold. But what was most disconcerting about the object was the various buttons located all over it. "So what's this?" Lelouch asked.

"Even we are not entirely sure," Charles responded. Lelouch shot his father an irritated look. "This was confiscated from a terrorist ten years ago, by your mother, actually. With him were the blueprints of what seems to be an enormous flying fortress. Completely military in nature. The fortress, named Damocles, was armed to the teeth with both high grade short-range and long-range weapons of varying destructive power. Additionally, it was designed to be incredibly durable and equipped with state-of-the-art defensive technologies. Needless to say… such a weapon in the hands of a terrorist would spell doom for the world."

"Mother?" Lelouch was surprised, and he observed the key again. "What does this do…?" Lelouch idly spun the item between his fingers like he usually does with chess pieces.

"We suspect it to be an item which enables the owner to activate their superweapon. I suppose that its creator would not want his superweapon falling into the wrong hands either."

"I see…" Lelouch muttered, examining the key from all angles. "So you've kept this securely for ten years. Why change it now?"

"Because of the Sword of Akasha's return," Charles answered firmly. "Previously I've kept it locked up in the imperial palace. However, even during the time in the past when the Sword of Akasha was active, I never felt that this was safe with me because of their insiders in the Britannian royalty, which meant there was a risk of one of them stumbling on it. It was only out of necessity that I kept it with me. I couldn't rely on anyone."

"You think that the creator is part of the Sword of Akasha then," Lelouch stated.

"Quite possible. Whoever came up with this must have vast resources and dedicated followers. The Sword of Akasha, seeing that they have many rich nobles as sponsors and members, is the only rogue organization that has both."

"Fair enough. What made you choose me, then?"

"I can't really trust anyone anymore in these troubling times, except you. Plus, you have a good track record against them so far, if their latest failed attempt was any indication."

"How touching," Lelouch sneered sarcastically. "You are aware that this only gives them more reason to attack us, right? And I don't think they're going to relent, regardless of how many times they fail either. So in the off-chance that we lose… they're going to find this key-thing as well." The prince took the item in question and waved it around.

"I'm aware of that," Charles dipped his head. "However, it's far better than them waltzing into the imperial palace and finding it. I may have kept it safe for the past several years, but now I grow uneasy that they may find it since they are gathering strength once more. I can't simply bar every royal except you from the palace. Eventually, one of them would find it. Therefore, it's safer in your hands."

"Hold on a moment," the eleventh prince knitted his brows in deep thought. "If they're after this item so badly, and we have no use for it... why don't we just destroy it?"

"I believe that if we can somehow find the location to their superweapon, we can seize it for our own use. It's a treasure trove of highly advanced military technology. Hence, we can reverse engineer it to boost our research and development in the fields of military science."

"Are you saying that you want me to preserve this key instead of denying it to our enemies, which would put us in further jeopardy, just because of your greed for technology?"

"I'll strike a deal with you, Lelouch. You keep the key safe. I will find the location of this fortress. Once we got the control of this... Damocles, I'll let you have it. You can even reverse-engineer it and keep all the secrets to yourself."

"What makes you think I want the damn thing?" Lelouch growled fiercely. That question seemed to amuse Charles greatly, as the bigger male threw his head back and guffawed heartily. The prince resisted the urge to punch him in the chest as the emperor's laughter died down.

"Lelouch," Charles chuckled grimly, shaking his head at his son. "I'm getting old with age. The race to the imperial throne is inevitable, and it is often marked with conflict, assassinations and war. Have you forgotten? Plus, whenever a new emperor is crowned, most of their siblings would not be alive by then. The competition is simply too brutal. Even after their ascension, those who remain might not last that way either, depending on how merciful he's feeling."

Lelouch narrowed his eyes guardedly as Charles continued sombrely. "Such is the way of Britannia. How would having the Damocles, or at least its defensive technologies, help you when such an incident like the Emblem of Blood occurs again?"

"I would be able to use it as either a deterrent," Lelouch responded in a matter-of-fact tone. "Or if I want to, I can use it to assassinate the others."

"Correct. Unless you wish someone else to get the throne and butcher you and Nunnally later on? Or do you prefer to forfeit the competition by renouncing your claim to the throne again? If that happens, you cannot reside in this royal villa, and your security forces are no longer obliged to stay by you. The Sword of Akasha would ensure your demise easily in days." The prince gritted his teeth in rage, then something dawned upon him.

"I don't understand. You said that we're supposed to make a deal, but how does this benefit you?"

"Personally, I don't really care who becomes the next emperor, as long as it's not someone associated with the Sword of Akasha. I would never let Marianne's killers gain control of this empire."

"Just like that?" Lelouch frowned.

"Well…" Charles looked away for a moment, before staring at his son impassively. "Think of this as me repaying my debt for exiling you and Nunnally to Japan. And the following war between Britannia and that nation." Lelouch blinked in astonishment. He knew that his father wasn't heartless, but it still surprised him to hear such a thing from the emperor. "So what do you say, Lelouch?"

Lelouch silently pondered on how to answer his father, but in truth, there was no choice. While his current concern was the Sword of Akasha, he had future problems to worry about, such as the vicious race for the ascension to the imperial throne. "Fine," the prince grumbled. "I'll keep your stupid key." Part of him wanted to ask his father for additional guards as recompense, but he refrained himself from doing so. He could not trust any troops other than Cornelia's.

"I must apologize for placing more responsibility on you, but this is for the best for us both," the older, bearded male turned towards the door. "Farewell, Lelouch."

"Damn you, Charles." The raven-haired adolescent watched his father depart wordlessly. He frowned bitterly. "The competition for the imperial throne. I can't let Shirley and Nunnally to get caught up in it. Euphie and Cornelia as well," Lelouch took a deep breath and dismissed his thoughts. "Deal with the Sword of Akasha first. If we survive, think of the race to the imperial throne second."

"Well done, Agent Haliburton," Schneizel lavished praise on his subordinate. "Your work is timely indeed."

"It was a coincidence, but I'm glad that we learned a lot from the bugs," Rolo replied stiffly. The devices were all connected to Schneizel's computer, and thus the blonde prince has access to nearly every word exchanged in the Aries Villa. Rolo kept his voice down in fear of being overheard, as he was talking to Schneizel via phone call in his bedroom once again. If he was overheard, it would spell catastrophe for him.

"Indeed, now we know that the key is indeed in the villa," Schneizel said. "I'm surprised that it was originally in the imperial palace. I could never find it no matter how hard I tried. No matter. It's only a matter of time before it falls into my hands. Once you've retrieved it, remember to kill them and escape."

"... Yes," Rolo fought to keep his voice stable, which inadvertently trembled a little despite his efforts. He prayed that Schneizel would ignore it and end the call soon.

Unfortunately for the young assassin, Schneizel detected the quivering in Rolo's voice easily. "Rolo may have regained his memories, but whatever he went through while he was suffering from amnesia might have affected his willingness to kill," the older male mused. "Plus Lelouch might be even more paranoid now that the key is in the same place as his. If I want Rolo to search for it effectively, I need something big to occur as a distraction." A malevolent idea ignited in the royal's mind. "Agent Haliburton, I'm afraid that I'm assigning you another mission."

"Wait, why?" Rolo asked. He was dumbfounded. "Does that mean that I'm aborting my current one?" he added, with a small note of hope in his tone.

"No, your present mission is paused for the moment until you complete this one," Schneizel informed his underling. The prince frowned when he noticed Rolo's tone as well. "I definitely need to test him. If this goes well, it'll kill all the birds with one stone." He took a deep breath. "You are to eliminate another target. I'd imagine that this will be quite easy for someone of your caliber."

"Who's the target?" Rolo inquired heavily, a feeling of trepidation growing in his heart. Never once did Schneizel gave him another assignment while he was still carrying out another one. The servant in disguise had a notion that he was not going to like it.

"You sound unwilling, Agent Haliburton," Schneizel narrowed his eyes, tapping the side of his cell phone idly.

"I'm not!" Rolo realized that he was standing up, his voice nearly raised to a shout. He calmed down and lowered his volume to a mere whisper. "I'm ready and fit for duty, my lord."

"Very well," a wicked smirk formed on the Prime Minister's face. "I shall now reveal the man you shall terminate from the face of the earth. His name is…"

Author's Note: I feel the evil flowing through me again, so I'm stopping this chapter right here. Anyway, I hope that you guys still liked his chapter despite that's mostly set up plus some fun bits. I intended this to be a shorter chapter but I guess I got carried away... seven thousand words instead.

I wonder if anyone's surprised that Rolo is still working for Schneizel. Well, I think that switching sides is a really huge thing for him to do, and I doubt he would do it so soon even if he has thoughts of doing so. He has been working for Schneizel for years after all, and he only knew Shirley and Lelouch for barely a month. Regardless of how well he has been treated, I reckon that he would be hesitant of turning his back on his former master.

Do let me know what you guys think. Cheers! :)