Chapter III : Confrontation and Neglectance

"Announcing the arrival of Princess Nunnally Vi Britannia, the twenty-second in line to the Imperial throne of the Britannian Empire."

The great doors opened before her and Nunnally marched into the hall. She told no one of his closest siblings about this decision. There was something that she felt that she should find out by herself. Her need to know the answers to the questions that kept plaguing her mind. This decision had been rashly made on her behalf but what else should she do? She could not anymore stand silent while trying to remain strong against this fate that had become of her and Lelouch during this troubling and unsettled times. Further added by all the uncertainties and doubts that kept clouding her thoughts.

With these thoughts, she firmed her resolve and proceeded forwards towards the direction of the emperor's throne; the cold and demoralizing atmosphere that was persistent inside the hall was starting to make her uncomfortable. Continuing she maintained her slow but graceful march towards her father's throne, faintly in the background she could hear the whispers being made among the present nobles.

"I heard that Queen Marianne was murdered in the capital" said one of the nobles. Nunnally bit her lips to stop herself from saying anything. "It's not a place where terrorist could enter easily—"

She restrained the urge to laugh and only countered the nobles' words inside her head. 'Of course the palace area had been heavily guarded. There was no reason that any terrorist could have sneaked in. Unless they received some help...'

"—then the true suspect is?" another noble spoke, acting as if he hadn't heard it. Well go on, thought Nunnally. Go on and make your own speculations! I wouldn't pay any attention to that.

"My, how frightening. The very thought of it scares me."

Nunnally was infuriated at how fake the concern underlining those words sounded. She felt like she was being a spectacle for the nobles to watch. It was so overwhelming that she wanted to get out of this. But no, she had decided on this. There was something that she must find out the answers for.

"But you have to agree, even thought her mother has been killed, she shows remarkable strength—"

Nunnally almost stopped dead in her tracks. So now they were talking about her instead—?

"—but the Vi Britannia's have no standing in the court anymore—"

"—as are the Ashford's, who supported them, they are also finished."

Doubts suddenly overwhelmed her. She had never received any bad treatment from his father before, other than the usual political related matters that sometimes involved or endangered him or Lelouch. Those were the times when their mother was still alive when she could still protect them. To this realization, she started doubting her actions before again steeling her resolve and continued forward. She had already stepped over the edge; she had got to go through it till the end.

The nobles started discussing over what had happened on Lelouch to which she blatantly ignored. She had already known of those facts that the nobles were discussing. And the fact that they were discussing it such casually and rather rudely made her mad. Her family were more than just a topic of gossip to be talked over during tea time with biscuits.

Nunnally stopped just before the throne and she stood tall and proud.

"Your majesty, my mother has passed away—" began Nunnally, standing boldly before his father.

"And what about it?" asked the emperor plaintively, as if the matter was of no concern whatsoever, and she took the reply with much alarm.

"What about it?" she exclaimed aloud.

"Did you request an audience from the Imperial Emperor just to say that? I already know of it" said the emperor in a very cold tone. He shrugged and all but averted his gaze and turned towards the man standing beside him. "Bring in the next one. I do not have the time to entertain children—"

"Father!" Nunnally cried in alarm, taking furious steps up to the throne. The two guards that stood on either side of it immediately rushed over towards the emperor only to be waved off by him. The guards stood back, allowing Nunnally to release her tirade of questions.

"Why did you not protect mother? You are the Emperor. The greatest person in this country, are you not? You should have been able to protect her! To protect us! At the very least you could have visited Lelouch!" shouted Nunnally with all her might but the emperor remained silent, seeming not a bit unfazed by any of her outbursts.

She noticed…or what it her just imagination? That his father appeared a bit troubled, if so, she hoped that her words could reach him. Lelouch needed his presence now. If only his father would come to see him, perhaps— then perhaps he would be able to gather his spirit to be well again! The doctor did mention something about the sickness of the heart. She did not want her brother to think that no one else wanted him, that he was useless, to be cast away in feelings of loneliness and self resentment. She did not want him to lose hope to continue living especially in his state now. She could not do this on her own!

'Please... father!' She hoped for as much.

"I have no use for the weak—", the unexpected reply came from his father and it left her stunned.

"Weak?" Nunnally repeated in dismay. Unbelieving of what was passing through her ears. There was no way—he couldn't be thinking that way, could he? They were his children, for god's sake! They were his flesh and blood—he shouldn't... he can't! Please do not tell her that his father regards the rest of the royal family as well as his own children and wives as... pawns? Disposable and usable pawns?

"That is the true nature of the imperial family and of the nobility— the strong survives, the weak perishes", said the emperor again as if to answer the questions forming in her mind.

The confirmation dawned on her. So, this is the true nature of the family. Then, the huge grand palaces, the butterfly filled gardens, gold lined halls, all of this… all the luxuries in which the Royals divulge and live in…. are they just illusions? A mask of falsities? A delusion of mirages? Where in reality, this place is a delusive battleground, where people vie for supremacy, while deceit, manipulations and suffering are commonplace. All for the sake of what! For what reason siblings cast down each other for! For what people hurt one another! Is it for The Throne! The Court! Is that the reason!?

For that moment, when her mind is deluded by blind rage and anger, she made a decision that would change their destinies. And she is fully aware that she will have no chance at circumvention, no hope for escape for what she is about to do, but circumstances and consequences be damned.

"Then I... do not need to be a successor to the throne! I do not need to be a princess of the Empire! Not if it means leaving my loved ones just because of that!" proclaimed the young princess vehemently, inducing the present group of nobles to erupt into a silent confounding chaos of shock.

She never thought she could say it so recklessly like this, perhaps this was hastily made on her part, but one thing was clear. These were her true, unfeigned feelings, the ones in her raging heart. She had only wanted a normal life. Never once had she wanted this to happen. Is that too much to ask? His mother... Lelouch... they were not mere pawns! They were living, breathing individuals!

"I have had enough of following you and being caught up in conflict!" she continued but the reply she received made her heart ran cold and cut her out cold.

"You are dead."

Nunnally gave a small cry as the bitterly dark words sunk into the core of her very being.

"You had been dead since the day you were born." Nunnally stood appalled, "Who gave you those clothes that you wear on your back right now? Your home, your food, even your life...! I am the one who gave all of that to you. In other words, you have not even once truly been alive! And yet... you show such insolence, such foolishness?-!" the emperor released a tirade of outbursts as he rose abruptly from the throne. The sudden movement took her by surprise and Nunnally panickly backed away, falling on the floor. The young princess looked up towards his father in horror who towered over her menacingly.

"Nunnally..." drawled the emperor, sending cold shivers running all over her body. "A dead person like you has no rights. You will go to Japan with Lelouch. As a prince and princess, you will be good trading material."

Nunnally blinked in horror. She never expected to hear him say—she immediately clenched her teeth and glared at her father contemptuously. No... she refused to call him father anymore!

She would have never though her father to be such a strong proponent devoted to that kind of twisted ideology. 'Social Darwinism' she thought poisonously of the word, 'The Strong Survives, The Weak Perishes', ridiculous! Such as notion! Such an idealogy! It was absurd!

She rose to her feet, never lifting neither ceasing her glares towards the emperor.

"Very well! If that's what you want it to be! Then shall be it!"whipping her hands in front of her, she retorted back before turning around towards the door. She marched away out of the halls hastily out of anger and frustration.

As she watched her left so abruptly, young Euphemia was worried about both Nunnally's and Lelouch's fate...

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The following day, news of the event spread like wildfire. And in no time, it reached the ears of Cornelia and Lelouch. Cornelia although disappointed and rather angry with Nunnally's choice of action could not bring herself to blame the little girl, her whole predicament was a rather complex deal to begin with. And Lelouch, albeit startled by the news, assured Nunnally, that if he were in her position, he would have done the same thing and didn't put the girl at fault.

So, rather than resist their inevitable banishment, who no one could stop, which was a testament to their father's will, who holds all his children's fate like god, both Lelouch and Nunnally decided that it would be better for them to spend their last days in Britannian soil meaningfully. That is why today, Lelouch is visiting his mother's grave, for he couldn't attend the funeral due to him still being hospitalized at the time.

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Slowly approaching their mother's gravesite, Lelouch now no longer able to walk, was on a wheelchair, being pushed by his sister. He could hardly hide his anguish. Sitting in front of the tombstone, a hand softly placed on it, his soft slender hands started probing at the stone, etching a memory of it into his mind. Now the hands found a small metal plating, with… what he could feel are inscriptions. Nunnally began to read it out for him, for now, he was sightless.

"Marianne Vi Britannia, 1970-2012. 5th Empress, Loving and Caring Mother, Noble and Skillful Knight, Survived by Loving Son and Daughter, Never To Be Forgotten."

As soon as she finished reading these few but meaningful words, spots of moisture started appearing on the tombstone.

"Mother…"

Cornelia watched from a distance, as the boy fell down and broke into tears. Fate was cruel that their family suffered like this. First they lost their mother, then Lelouch lost his ability to walk and to see. Next their father will send them to Japan as political tools. What's next?

She herself wondered to God why let them suffer this much? Why a cruel fate such as this has befall upon them. But she couldn't control fate, nor could she do anything about it. That duty would fall with the divine powers. Perhaps all she could do is help the siblings as best she can and pray for them.

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Today will be the day Prince Lelouch and Princess Nunnally are sent to Japan. At their departure point in the California Military Base they awaited their fate. Slowly, a Caerlon-Class air battleship made its way to the airstrip. The date and time of their leave for Japan were kept secret, meaning no one would come to see them off today. This was in general a banishment, so it wouldn't be inappropriate to have a crowd anyway. Before they left, they at least wanted to see the four closest and most caring of all their brethren. But it was not to be. They would go unnoticed and alone.

End Prelude

Authors Note: Finally, the prelude is over. We'll be moving on to Japan next. I have two options to choose from. One a scenario where Lelouch and

Nunnally aren't discovered by Britannia, and in the other, they do get discovered and are returned to the homeland.

I'm still not sure which option to choose. But anyway, enjoy the story!