A.N.: Third chapter here! It's not "Preparing for the Festival", as I'd said. I just wrote Rivalz's segment one night, and in 2 hours I wrote what would have usually taken me 4 hours, counting time to think it up. *Shrug* After that, it all started to come together. I like to think that I'm becoming better as I write each chapter. Enjoy! Oh btw, the first winner of the poll has been decided. It's Anya. I've also alluded to the other 3 top choices right now, which are Milly, Kallen and Kaguya. I have half a mind to just give Lelouch a harem--

Lelouch: YES!

Me: O_o How the hell did you get here?! *Proceeds to beat Lulu to a pulp*

Lelouch: X_X

Anyways, before I'm forced to flee and hide in a bomb shelter from the raging fangirls, I would like to announce a few things:

1. Emerald Caress's second chapter starts being written tomorrow. Rejoice!

2. I'm making my poll a normal one; ie, no more "blind" voting, just for kicks.

3. Enjoy!

*Starts running*

Note: I'm dissapointed, not in my readers, but in myself because of my incapacity of producing an overall favorable reaction to my last chapter. In hindsight, it was a little too over the top, with the Karmic Intervention and all. Perhaps that explains why this chapter was a lot more serious in nature in comparison to the last one. But then, every story needs a little foreshadowing every now and then. Btw, in the last scene, it's a style I've sometimes noticed is used for cancelling any cliffhanger. By derivately ending at an answer, you can eliminate the need to put someone listening in to a private conversation. Pretty nifty, if I do say so myself. Keep in mind it still can be done, but as a flashback or something. Lastly, there is a flashback in this chapter. I'm going to number my flashbacks, just for convenience's sake.

Enought of my freakshow! Here we go!

"Battle Cry."

--Dr. Letz Shake

Rivalz Cardemonde was going to die. He just knew he would die. Why? Well, you see, it all started like this…

FLASHBACK #º1: "Rivalz, your fate has been sealed!"

Rivalz was enjoying a nice midday Saturday in his home, lazily spread over his living room's couch as he switched through the channels of the T.V., looking for something, anything worth looking. He wasn't too worried though, because even if he didn't find anything entertaining, he still had a nice set of brand-new manga awaiting him. If there was one thing those Elevens knew how to do, thought Rivalz, is how to make a good manga, unlike those imitations attempted by their conquerors.

Then, his cell phone rang, and without even caring to look for the caller ID, he foolishly opened the phone, and sealed his fate.

"Rivalz here, who is it?" He droned lazily, not knowing just what he was getting himself into.

"Heya Rivalz!" Came the perky reply. In an instant, his bored expression changed to one of full energy as he recognized the voice of his long-time crush.

Joyfully, he spoke, "Milly! Hey to you too! How've you been?"

"No time for that!" Milly sounded rather hasty. Rivalz looked at the phone weirdly for a moment, before hearing Milly continue. "Rivalz! How quickly can you pack for a week-long travel to the mainland, and then make your way here?!"

By "here", she was referring to her home. Going to her house was not what surprised him. What surprised him though, was her previous question. Nonetheless, he thought for a moment before answering:"I think, if I were to start right now, and rush through it without screwing up too much, I'd be able to pack everything up in about an hour and a half." Pausing to look at the clock, he read, "12:40 pm", then continuing, "I might be able to make it to your house by 2:00 pm or so. What's the rush though?"

The response was instantaneous. "No time to explain! Pack your stuff and meet me here! Chop chop! No slacking off! If you're not here by 2:30, I'm going to assume you've deserted our command and shall sic the mainland's armies on you!" And with that threat said, she hung up.

Rivalz was confused. Sic the mainland's armies on him? What the hell? Since when did Milly hold that much sway within the empire? The only person who could do so shouldn't even care about that, and that was the Emperor, Lelouch… his friend. Thinking about him made Rivalz feel depressed. Ever since he'd gone and disappeared, he and the rest of the school had all thought the worst, believing he had gotten kidnapped by Zero or had gotten caught in crossfire or something! They just knew that they did not know where he was, and that caused Lelouch's many fangirls to suffer from nervous breakdowns in rapid succession, like a line of dominoes, one's snapping leading to another to crack under the worry and grief and so on. The school had been in chaos because of that, and had it not been for Milly's timely intervention, he had little doubt the school would have collapsed into itself. As it was, even when he revealed himself to the world and subsequently took the throne, it still caused quite a stir in the school.

Although many people were relieved (himself included), many were also highly curious of this. Since when was Lelouch royalty? Logical thinking led to that answer being "always", since careful assessment of the other royalties' reactions pointed to the fact that they knew him, but were also surprised by his appearance. Even so, it still had been quite a shocker. To think their dark-haired Vice-President had been so important all this time, and he'd been right among their midst all this time, without them even noticing at all. It should have been obvious, in hindsight, Rivalz would later think. After all, he and Rolo both came under the surname "Lamperouge", which had been Empress Marianee Vi Britannia's maiden name before marrying the Emperor. But then again, everyone had simply forgotten about that fact once she had been assassinated, and the name had all but fallen into obscurity by the time Lelouch and Rolo enrolled.

Rolo… That brought another wonder to Rivalz. At times, he found himself uncomfortable around the younger Lamperouge. He couldn't help it. No matter how many times he told himself it was wrong to feel uneasy around a friend, he couldn't help but feel as if that boy was in the wrong place. As in, he was out of place in their circle of friends. As if someone else should have been there, instead of Rolo. Or, as if the appearance of Rolo was… wrong. Like, he should have looked different. He just didn't know what to think anymore.

What he did know, however… Was that all this thinking and dwelling on past things was really beginning to tire him out.

"Man, this is so troublesome…" Scratching his head at it all, Rivalz shrugged and proceeded to obey the instructions given to him by Milly. He'd long ago learned the valuable lesson to comply with her wishes without making much of a fuss. Once she set her mind to something, nothing, absolutely nothing, could force her to change her mind. And woe to those who would reject her will, for only the most foolhardy and stubborn (or overwhelmingly powerful, he added) of men would do so, and stand even a chance of survival. Rivalz pitied those kinds of people. He really did. He just chose to do so, a safe distance away; far, far away from the visible line of fire.

Thus, it was with an almost casual pace that he complied and began to pack, blissfully unaware of the hell he would be put through in the next following hours…

Ignorance is truly bliss... Up until the point where you cease to be ignorant, that is, as Rivalz would soon realize this horrible truth... But by then…

It would already have been too late…

END OF FLASHBACK

"Yaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy! Faster faster! Go faster! Wooooohoooo!" Those were Milly Ashford's joyous screams, as she, Rivalz, their luggage, their chauffer and his companion raced down the highway towards an undisclosed location. The speed they were going at was amazing! She'd never been so excited about speed in her entire life!

She wanted more!

"Nooooooooooooooo! Please, oh god, PLEASE! NO MORE!" …And those, where Rivalz's terrified screams, as he, Milly, their luggage, their chauffer and his companion raced down the highway towards an undisclosed location. The speed they were going at was ridiculous! He'd never been so terrified about speed in his entire life!

He did NOT want more!

You're all probably wondering; "How the hell did this happen?" Well, we're not delving back into that blue-headed idiot's mind; I'm sure one was enough for all of our poor neurons. Thus…

When he arrived at her house, there was a rather expensive, not to mention speedy-looking car stationed in the front. He had to come running from his house, bags and luggage trailing and all, it was a miracle in and of itself that he hadn't killed someone. As it stood, Milly dropkicked him into the car's open door, before going in herself. A man in dark, concealing clothes took his luggage and put it in the trunk, before sitting in the passenger's seat.

Not five 5 seconds passed after that before the engines roared to life, and within a couple of minutes, we come to what can only be Rivalz's most terrible moment of his life.

Much to his dismay, and Milly's joy, the driver obliged her, going even faster than the already extreme speed they were going at. Miraculously, it was still well within the speed limits established for this particular area. An unfeeling part of his brain noted it should be around 2:25pm. And Milly had babbled about something resembling an airplane ride. Oh God, what the fuck did he get himself into?!

15 minutes of screaming, pleading, squealing, racing, close brushes with death and reality-defying shows of driving prowess later, they were staring dumbly up and what could pass off for a military jet, but bigger, more advanced looking, and overall with a sleeker appearance. It was colored primarily in black, though there were some gold and white highlights and lines that traced subtle patters across its hull. Its color scheme eventually transformed to a dull purple as it neared the edges of the upper hull of the craft. The belly was much like the upper side, but with red and deep blue instead of white and gold. Finishing the ensemble was the marine blue and spectral green tracing a strange, unique pattern on the side of the hull. It reminded them of a bird, a crane, to be more precise, though it looked about ready to charge right at them. It seemed fitting for the ship, somehow.

"Right this way, please." Monotone was apparently all the rage now, because that's exactly the tone that was used in every single sentence uttered by the crew of technicians who were about, setting things up for launch.

"My lady Ashford, the Emperor is expecting your presence by no later than 6:00 pm. We must launch now if we wish to make it in time." Was the curt, albeit emotionless reply. Milly frowned, but asked one question.

"We'd have barely 3 hours to get to the mainland. Just how fast is this thing anyway?" She was intrigued, but she could already feel that nearly perpetual feel of excitement building up in her tummy.

"The Black Crane is currently the fastest method of transportation in the world, my lady. Nothing short of instantaneous teleportation can beat it, as of now. This is why it is currently his Imperial Majesty's personal jet, but hasn't gotten around to using it yet. You both are our first ever passengers." His answer, although still without much emotion, couldn't help but come off as smug, and that alone said many, good, good things about this baby, Milly decided.

"Allright! Load all our cargo into that bad boy, and then let's go give it a spin. Get me there the in fastest speed this baby can put out, in the least possible amount of time!" She was nearly jumping where she st—scratch that, she already was.

With a bow, the attendant replied, "It shall be done at once, milady. You and your peer should board the Crane while we carry out your command."… He promptly left to do just that.

"Remember! Faster. I want us to go faster! Ten times as fast as that car we used to get her—no twenty—no, a million times faster! Faster. Faster. FASTER! FASTER! FASTER! Nyahahahahahahahahaha!"

And so, with a boisterous laugh, Milly hurried off to board the Black Crane.

At this point, Rivalz had been reduced to a sobbing wreck on the floor, muttering incoherently about how he cursed himself for even getting out of bed that day. And it got so distracting and inconvenient for the technicians, to the point where one big, bulky securityman grabbed him with a single hand and dragged him to the plane, head bumping against a milliard of things all the way.

Truly, Rivalz's fate had been decided the moment he ever first laid eyes upon the Devil, Milly Ashford herself…

Thus, it is with this that they reached Britannia in record time, proving that truly, the world was at the fingertips of her Emperor, and it was only a matter of time, before everything in the spectrum of known creation acknowledged that fact. But that would still require some time, and by then, our Emperor would only grow stronger with his Empress by his side, as the following weeks would prove to shock the world to its core… Or would he choose to follow in his father's footsteps? Only time would tell...

For the time being though, let's continue our torture—I'm sorry, let me rephrase that, our tour of our dear Lulu's life. BACK TO LELOUCH!

LO AND BEHOLD! THE DEMON AWAKENS!

With a groan, the Emperor of Britannia opened his violet eyes, before quickly closing them as the world exploded into darkness and strange colors before his eyes. Blinking rapidly, his eyes managed to adapt to the illumination, a part of his mind identifying the time to be around 8:00pm, before turning to look to his side, stare blank. A witch whose-name-shall-not-be-revealed-because-of-Karmic-Intervention was snuggled up to his side, snoring slightly. Looking at her lie there reminded Lelouch of his prank…

…

-- What, you guys thought I would go into another Flashback so soon? Not yet folks! --

Man, what was his prank anyway? Deciding not to think of that at the moment, he focused back to the witch, whose head was comfortably resting on the crook of his shoulder, and whose soft, deceivingly curvaceous body, often cloaked by her concealing straightjacket, was fully molded, perfectly, with his own being.

Were it not for how perfect, how utterly beautiful, how peaceful she looked, sleeping in bliss there, just how RIGHT it all felt, to run his fingers through her long mane of soft emerald locks, as she sighed in unconscious pleasure, before snuggling up closer, as she looked for all intents like a goddess, bathed in the moonlight, he would have taken advantage of this opportunity. As it was, he found himself gazing down at her in wonder, and before he realized, his head had begun lowering to her own, and it was only because her eyes opened so suddenly, that with a startled yelp, he separated from her, taking a small jump backwards—a jump, I'll say, carried him over the edge of the bed and into the cold, hard floor, taking the sheets with him and subsequently entangling himself with them. He began to struggle helplessly.

C.C. looked down at the amusing sight of the Emperor doing battle with his own sheets, before getting off the bed and helping him. When that was over and done with, they simply sat there, against the bed, on the floor, staring blankly at each other, before both broke into an uncharacteristic fit of laughter and giggles, eventually coming to lean on each other. Calming down, C.C. spoke.

"A-alright, let's see. We both woke up in a rather compromising position, then I opened my eyes at the least fortunate time, if your actions are anything to go by.", at this her eyes took to look at him in amusement, even as he grumbled, "Then you fell and nearly got beat by your sheets. Does all of this seem suspicious to you?"

A split moment of consideration gave way to Lelouch's own amusement, before continuing, "Yep. It's painfully obvious this was a collective attempt at getting us to hook up. After me, C.C., if you wouldn't mind."

Taking a small breath, he spoke aloud: "Jeremiah…"

C.C.'s turn, "Suzaku…" followed by both.

"Sayoko…"

"Get the hell out, wherever you are!"

This was followed by stumbles and yelps of surprise from somewhere behind the room's entrance, which Lelouch just identified as his own, as hurried footsteps left the general premises, and hushed, horrified whispers eventually gave to silence. Both nodded in satisfaction.

"That's that. However, we can't let them just go away and forget this happened, now can we?" With a wry chuckle, he rang a special bell that was on a table to the side. This bell emitted special sound waves that could only be heard by Jeremiah's mechanized ear. This would not only alert him his lord requested his presence, but that in this situation, he also wanted the two Japanese co-conspirators to come with him. Lelouch knew him well enough to know that if he went down, he wouldn't go down alone, amusing as it was.

So it was 4 minutes later that a hesitant knock came to his door, and Lelouch answered with a curt "Enter"…

LO AND BEHOLD! UNHOLY GATHERING!

When Suzaku came into palace grounds with both a bloodied C.C. and a comically injured Lelouch, both knocked out, it caused a commotion that was thankfully kept limited to only the palace staff. As it was, after the many doctors in the palace came to the unanimous decision that they would be alright, everyone gave a collective sigh of relief.

This was followed by the Knight of Zero being interrogated by many about what happened. He said that the Emperor called him to lend him a hand, and he did. Mysteriously, after a strange impact sound, he turned and was treated to the sight of an unconscious Lelouch. It was after this that he reached the palace. Everyone decided to leave it at that, but patrols and guards were informed to double security and to immediately report anything out of the ordinary… And to bring back that felon of a brick so that it would face appropriate punishment.

Suzaku may have evaded most of the staff, but the Emperor's two most devoted followers after himself, Sayoko and Jeremiah, were quick to hound him for any more details he may have kept, but it turned out that that was it. It did not take Sayoko 3 seconds to continue on how this would be the perfect opportunity. "For what?", the other two asked. With her usual professional, yet kind expression, she commented that, ever since she first came to acknowledge the presence of C.C. on the young master's room, back when she was employed by the Ashfords as the Lamperouge's personal maid, she had always believed that she was Lelouch's mistress, and merely wished to keep his sister from the world's reality just a bit longer. It seemed fair and considerate of him, to her, so she kept it a secret until C.C. came out herself.

But she never disclosed her thoughts about the possible relationship the green-haired woman had to Lelouch, so it was with palpable elation that she proposed that the two men before her helped her bring some happiness into the Emperor's life. It was common knowledge amongst the three that the only times Lelouch was truly happy, was when he was with Nunally, who was now gone. Thus, if they could get the Gray Witch to take Nunally's place as the one who could make him happy, then the Emperor would be of a saner state of mind, not to mention it was about damn time. Of course, they all chose to ignore, against their better judgment, that if the plan failed, and both the victims of it realized who was behind it, then they would face the consequences of plotting (if for the good of said Crown) against the Crown.

Thus, when they first saw (through a crack in the door to the bedroom) Lelouch's initial reaction, their first thought was "Success!". So it was a natural reaction that when that though was proven wrong, and the two called their names, that they shot off away from the door in fright of the Emperor's anger, away from the chambers and from each other, going off in different directions.

We now come to Jeremiah, who is submissively kneeling before the Emperor and his partner, as his accomplices and he were ready to face punishment. When he heard the chime of The Bell, he knew he would have to go to the Imperial Chambers, with Sayoko and Suzaku. His senses were screaming at him to run, but his loyalty, a type now rarely seen these days in the current era, held strong to the calling of his liege. So, knowing his mission, he hunted down the two Japanese, and dragged them to the Emperor. Knocking on the door, he received his permission to enter, and the three knelt. They were now awaiting their sentence.

Lelouch looked down at their kneeling forms in utter amusement, a sentiment mirrored in the face of the Gray Wtich. Speaking in a loud, clear, commanding and regal tone of voice, he declared, to each of them.

"Suzaku Kururugi, Knight of Zero… Sayoko Shinozaki, Ninja of Clan Shinozaki… Jeremiah Gottwald, Supreme Commander of the Imperial Forces of Britannia… You now kneel before me in repentance of your crime of plotting against the Royal Crown. Nevertheless, I cannot let you go unpunished, regardless of the exemplary loyalty you three have showed thus far…"

The trio's heads simply lowered further, waiting…

"Thus, I shall administer individual punishments for each of you. However, since in six days, 3 hours and 34 minutes the St. Valentine's week-long festival begins, I shall also make it so the punishments are built around the festival. Because of this, the punishments will be administered as "jobs" by the supreme coordinator… Who should have arrived by now in my personal jet. Suzaku?"

Hearing his call, he rose to his feet, "Thank you my lord. Yes, by now, the supreme coordinator should have already arrived at the private airport, and should be awaiting further instructions. In the mean time, she should currently be planning out the festival in advance, which is a good thing I may say, given that we count with less than a week now."

This pleased him. It reassured him he did not waste time with that little project, and it also got one worry off his back for now. "Excellent news." Smiling pleasantly, he turned to walk towards the balcony beyond the windows.

It was at this time that Jeremiah chose to speak up, though he did not raise his head. "Forgive me for my insolence, my lord, but, if I may ask, who is the supreme coordinator? Surely it must be someone extremely capable, to be chosen by our liege himself and given access to his private jet." He couldn't help but raise his eyes to look towards his Emperor's back, which by now had opened the windows. The night breeze filled the room, enveloping its occupants and causing the drapes and the Emperor's clothes especially, to billow in the breeze. This combined with the contrast of his figure in the moonlight only served to reaffirm the grace every person of his status seemed to possess.

""Extremely capable", eh? That's a fitting word I'd say. Very well. You have proven yourself time and again to be privy to such knowledge, Jeremiah. The supreme coordinator of this festival, is none other than Milly Alysia Ashford herself." He kept himself from letting out a chuckle as he could tell Sayoko's head involuntarily snapped to look at him. He pictured the shocked look on her face, and this time he did laugh. This was followed by a small smacking sound, and a feminine "Ow!". "Must have been Jeremiah.", he thought in amusement.

"By the way, Suzaku. Have the maids taken your measurements yet?" He had to ask this eventually. The Emperor and the Knight of Zero needed to possess appropriate garments after all.

"Y-yes, they have." Rising an eyebrow at this, he turned to look towards his Japanese friend, and found him blushing slightly. He sighed. "Honestly Suzaku. Didn't you ever go the full way with Euphie?"

"M-my Emperor!" Were the scandalized replies of the three people before him. These people amused him to no end. By now, Suzaku's face was as red as a tomatoe's.

"You should get your mind out of the gutter Suzaku. If you don't, your mind will probably overload because of the amount of hetero running through it. At least it proves your not out for Lelouch."

"WHAT?!?!" Dual indignant shouts from dually indignant people. Cursing C.C., the two took a moment to sulk about their wounded male pride. Jeremiah sputtered incoherently at the notion, Sayoko turned red out of embarrassment, and the Gray Witch just laughed at them all. All the while, the Emperor and the Knight sulked.

A knock at the door distracted them. "Who is it?" Asked Jeremiah.

"Please forgive me my lord. I come here to take my Emperor's measurements for his royal garments." Was the submissive and quiet reply. Turning to Lelouch, he received a nod. Giving one of understanding as reply, he opened the door for the maid, and wordlessly left, followed by Suzaku and Sayoko. The maid stepped in after they left, and bowed. Out of the corner of his eye, Lelouch noticed C.C. sitting on his bed, staring at him. He saw that the maid noticed her presence as well. He told her to raise, and proceeded to stand on the small marble pedestal a couple of feet away from the dresser.

It was wordless ordeal as the maid took Lelouch's measurements, and even then, he noticed a barely concealed blush on her cheeks. Lelouch smirked, a smirk which only grew smugger as he noticed her blush deepen. He also noticed C.C. giving him an amused look. Oh if only…

When she finished, the maid stepped away and bowed. "What colors would you like the garment to possess, milord?" Considering her question, he responded. "Normally, I'd say to go with purple and black, mainly, but since I am the Emperor of the Holy Empire of Britannia, have the main color be white instead. For secondary colors, purple, gold, red and green should do."

She nodded, still in her bow, "As you command, Your Majesty. We'll make sure that your attire will be befitting of someone of your stature. By your leave, sire." Giving her the go-ahead, she turned and left.

"My my, I believed you enjoyed that a bit too much. Finally giving in to your body's urges?" Again with the rhetoric questions. She should know by now that when he wanted, he could be every bit a tease as she. He just did not usually indulge himself to the level C.C. did.

Annoyed, he waved her off "Oh away with you, witch." A pause. He was suddenly reminded of the strange dream he had…Where he supposedly met his father, who babbled about some "link" or whatever, before being knocked out by something huge, then waking up to his vassals' prank.

If only dear Lulu would realize, much to his horror, that the dream he had, was in actuality, not just a mere dream…

Getting a rather serious expression on her face, she asked what she knew he would ask… Or, to be precise, she asked what she thought he would ask, "What did Charles tell you?"

Oh my. It appears C.C. beat me to the punch.

"Eh?" With an uncharacteristic confused innocence, he looked at her in wonder. C.C. realized then, that he probably did not actually believe he saw truly saw Charles… Or maybe Charles did not even appear yet! With a sinking feeling, she realized all too late her mistake… And made the error of confirming Lelouch's suspicions, because…

"…Oh shit."

She was hiding something from him. Something involving his father, and anything involving his father in the present was never good. But just as he was about to begin a rant about how she should not hide anything about his father to him anymore, and how he was going to demand she tell him everything, and how he would personally make sure she never got so much as a whiff of pizza ever again, he was interrupted, once again, by a convenient knock on the door. Annoyed, he growled to whoever was behind that door to show their face.

A guard timidly stepped into the room, shaking for all he was worth under the Emperor's piercing glare. He began his report, knowing that the Emperor would not tolerate his existence if he stuttered too much, because it was clear as day that the Emperor was not in a good mood!

Oh Lelouch. Sorry, but it'll take a while before you get all the answers. On the meantime, the new recruit stood before the imposing Demon, perfectly aware that he would not be afforded a second chance. Even so, he persevered, and would be spared because of it…

"M-my lord, w-we've received a r-report that one of the patrols found t-the unconscious form of one Knight of Six, Anya Aelstreim..."

Fortunately for him, and for C.C., this instantly caught the Emperor's attention. "What?! How in the world did that girl get here?!"

"I-I do not know, milord. She was found not too long after the Knight of Zero brought you and the green-haired woman inside. She's still unconscious, but has shown signs of waking up soon. T-the doctors found it necessary to inform you, so…"

"…I understand. How heavy is the guard watching over her right now?"

"Six men strong, milord."

"Hmm… She is only one, young girl, but she's a Knight of the Round regardless. We can't take too many risks. Double the amount guards placed on her, and notify me immediately the moment she awakens. I wish to have a word privately with her later." His face was serious. Deathly serious. One of the Rounds, here, in his palace. If he could get her to fight for him, that would not only mean a valuable ally, but also a valuable ally safely out of Schneizel's hands.

Remembering one important detail, he asked a final question of the man, "Was the Mordred anywhere nearby her position?" This was important. The Mordred was one of the key reasons Anya would prove immensely useful.

The guard seemed to become nervous again, "Uh… well… The Mordred was not in the general vicinity of where the Knight of Six was found… But we have unconfirmed reports that the crew manning your personal jet found an unknown Knightmare Frame amidst their cargo. We've dispatched a unit to confirm those news."

At that, he allowed a curious expression to settle on his face."Hmph. Unknown Knightmare Frame? Hopefully it is the Mordred. Can't do anything about that. I'll just have to wait and hope for the best…"

"Very well. Go relay my order, and then return to your duties."

Saluting, he stood up straighter, "Yes, Your Majesty!", before bowing, and leaving when Lelouch dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

"Hmm, this should prove interesting indeed…" With the same curios expression he turned to look towards the moon once again. C.C.'s previous comment had completely slipped from his mind in spite of himself, something she noticed instantly, and was grateful for.

"Ooohhh, saved by a frog's hair, weren't you C.C.-chan?!"

With an annoyed expression, she started the second mental conversation of the day. "Now you appear again, after not only momentarily overcoming my conscious, but taking hold of my body and committing suicide with it, without asking. You've grown inconsiderate, Marianne. Don't think I've missed it either; the sudden appearance of the Knight of Six has your name written all over it."

She could already picture the sheepish expression Marianne would have on her face, had she actually had one, "Yeah, well, about that… Heeheheheehee! Sorry! I kind of lost my temper back then. If it makes you feel any better, taking over your body, if even for eight minutes, placed a lot of strain on my mind. Then, when I managed to take over Anya, and got her to sneak the Mordred into my son's jet, I almost fainted. I managed to hang on long enough to get her near the palace though. After that, he did the rest."

Who? "He? Who's he?"

"It's best you don't know C.C. We don't need you losing consciousness now, especially when you almost were forced to reveal me to Lelouch before Charles got around to getting it done and over with."


Deciding she'd rather not know, she simply settled to watch Lelouch from where she lied on his bed. Silence was broken only by Marianne's amused giggles, which only C.C. could hear, and who coincidentally snapped at her to shut up occasionally, and by the howl of the wind.

LO AND BEHOLD! 1ST POLL WINNER!

With a groan, a certain pink-haired girl awoke from her sleep. It took her a minute for her eyes to adapt to the light, and then take in the unfamiliar surroundings. Where was she? Last time she remembered, she had been on the carrier Prince Schneizel had been occupying, alongside herself, Gino, and a number of technicians and soldiers. She had been on her quarters, updating her blog… She thought. Taking her phone out and checking her blog, she found another of those unfamiliar personal entries.

"Dear Anya

When you read this, you'll probably be in the medical ward of the Imperial Palace of Pendragon. The Emperor will likely have doubled the guard placed on you, and will also try to talk you into serving him. Trust him. He knows how to make you regain all your lost memories. But you must be prepared, for they also hold the truth to my assassination, and you may not like what you will see. Oh well.

With love, Late Empress Marianne Vi Britannia."

With a start, she looked incredulously at the name on her phone. The Empress? B-but she died! She died, didn't she? She could still vividly remember that horrible day. She remembered how kind the woman was as she personally tutored her in the proper ways of etiquette. She remembered how she, one night, interrupted their last lessons as she was summoned by someone else to the Aries entrance hall. She remembered how she, in her curiosity, she disobeyed the Empress and discreetly followed after her. And then…

Blank…

She could remember nothing after that. She would wake up in the medical ward, and be informed of her tutor's death. And after that, she would throw the rest of her life away by continuously training her skills as a Knightmare pilot, in order to honor the late Empress, by becoming a Knight of the Round. And all along the way, she would suffer from continuous blanks in her memories, and diary and blog entries not her own.

But this… This was beyond anything so far. She did not know what to think about the supposed Empress's entry. But she did know what to think about the Emperor. She would trust him, just like the message said. She had always tried to find a "cure" to her problem, always tried to determine what was wrong with her. But the doctors did not know what to think. Some alluded to Chronic Memory Loss, but hers seemed to be much more selective and less occasional than the cases of those kinds of people, so it was eventually discarded.

But if what the message said was true… If the Emperor could restore her mind… She would be indebted for life to him. She had no other choice. She was desperate, she knew, but it was either this, or suffer for the rest of her life.

At this point, a guard had noticed she had woken up, and was approaching her. She turned her blank expression to regard him, which seemed to unnerve the man. Regardless, he motioned for one of his companions to come over, and engaged in a small exchange of whispers. The other man nodded, before leaving the room and going away from the ward, probably to look for the Emperor. The original man came next to her bed and spoke.

"Knight of Six, Anya Aelstreim. You have been found guilty of the crime of desertion. By refusing to come to His Majesty's side as soon as he was crowned, you lost your honor and the respect you commanded. Thus, you're title as Knight has officially been removed." At this, her eyes widened, and horror settled in. Her title had been removed?! But—!

But the man continued, "However, in spite of the protests, the Emperor has chosen to be lenient with you. Emperor Lelouch has decided to give you another chance. Right now, as we speak, the Emperor is being hailed by one of my comrades. In no more than a matter of minutes, my lord will personally question you, accompanied by his most loyal vassals. Should you answers be satisfactory, you're title shall be restored, and you will be given the opportunity to serve the Empire in glory once again." Finishing, he turned around and returned to his post, at the door.

The Emperor was giving her a chance? Anya looked down at her lap. If she did not want to dishonor the Empress, she would have to comply with all of his demands. But if she did, she would dishonor herself as a Knight by betraying the Prince and her fellow Knight, Gino. But if she didn't, she would never recover her memories…

But as Anya continued pondering her dilemma, she was unaware that the decision was out of her hands long before she awoke. The Emperor, his mother, their accomplice and his servant would make sure of that.

But like any servant of Britannia, her services to the crown had been exemplary, and thus, she would be shown leniency. Her future was at a crossroads now, and the road chosen would drastically change the future of the world…

LO AND BEHOLD! THE DEVILISH LAUGHTER!

Milly would have laughed. She honestly would have laughed a devilish one. But she still remembered the unpleasant coughing episode she suffered in her home. Thus, she was currently residing in an expensive hotel suite in Pendragon, with Rivalz getting a less luxurious but nonetheless lavish room in a lower floor. As soon as they arrived, the chauffer had driven them to this hotel as per the Emperor's instructions, and escorted them to the counter to inquire upon their booked lodgings. According to him, they would stay here for the night, before having their belongings and persons moved to more comfortable and appropriate lodgings at the Royal Palace. Thus, neither of them had unpacked anything.

She was now busying herself by thinking up some of the finer details of her plans. There were still may kinks she would have to work out later, but many were because she would need a better logistics report, and as to how big was to be the festival. Not to mention that these plans would have to go through the Emperor's approval first before being carried out. She may be the second most powerful woman in the Empire as of now, but the Emperor was in a different category altogether. There was not anything she could (or would) do to overpower his will, for that would cause the world to call her an usurper, and the Empire would be screaming for her blood in a heartbeat.

Still, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. She not only would have the chance to make sure her name (and the Ashford name) would go down the annals of Britannian history. She would finally have a chance to confess to him. This St. Valentine's, she would steel herself, arm herself with courage, and let those words she'd been repressing all these years to flow from her mouth. But she'd have to make sure only he heard them.

"Lelouch…"

…Were her whispers of adoration…

Would her prayers be answered? Would her feelings find compliance? Or would her heart be broken? Only time would tell…

LO AND BEHOLD! THE RED LOTUS!

Kallen Kouzuki was confused. She was confused as hell. Ever since that fateful night, when the Black Knights betrayed their only leader, Zero, her life consisted of confusion, anger and mistrust. Anger, because of what they had done. Mistrust, because, if they were capable of betraying the person who was responsible for the entire existence of the Black Knights, then who's to say they wouldn't do the same to the U.F.N. once they grew strong enough? And finally, confusion. When Lelouch called them all, especially her, a pawn, she could feel her heart break. She could feel the tears gather at her eyes, and feel the respect she had for him die. But when she was about to leave him to his fate, he whispered those words, and everything changed.

"Kallen…You must live on…"

Had he not uttered that whisper, she would have hated him for the rest of her life. As it stood, the moment she comprehended the words, words she was sure only she heard, Rolo had taken matters into his own hands, and Lelouch was taken away.

She did not know what to think. Was she to hate him for using them all? Was she to pity him for the life which was given to him, which led him to do this? Was she to thank him, for giving them this much? Was she to adore him, for doing the impossible? Or…

Was she to love him, for doing the impossible, freeing her country, teaching them to believe once again, for leading them to victory one-too many times, for proving to her that he was capable of compassion, of friendship, of love?

Those questions would haunt her, and would continue to do so until laid to rest. The only person who could do that was half a world away. Unless she found a way to sneak to Britannia without being noticed, she would never be able to know.

A knock at the door distracted her, and she urged for the person to come in. She checked herself, and was pleased to be presentable, especially considering who was behind the door.

"Uhhh… Kallen? Can I talk with you for a while…?" The person who's head sneaked around the door was female, and black haired. Judging by the voice, she was young. She was dressed in a combination of white and red; an attire reminiscing of a miko. She was Kaguya Sumeragi, Chairwoman and Representative of the U.F.N.

Kallen was surprised, but spoke regardless, "L-Lady Kaguya! O-Of course, please come in!" Kallen internally frowned at herself. Why was she stuttering? It seems recent evens shook her up more than she thought they had.

When they were both properly seated, an uncomfortable silence took over the room. Kallen was looking at anywhere but at Kaguya, and the black haired girl was looking at her feet. "This is awkward", Kallen thought in unease, "What could Lady Kaguya possibly want from me? She should know that I'm currently out of the loop, per see." Thankfully, she was not the one to break the monotone.

"How was he?" She was still looking at her feet, but her tone of voice was low. That whisper was so low; she thought she may have imagined it. But she knew better, so Kallen answered.

"Zero…? Welll…"

"I see…"

Inwardly cursing at herself, silence once again took over… "Ohgi told me everything." Well, so much for that. "Damn it Ohgi! There was no need to bring Lady Kaguya into this!" But she knew better. From a professional point of view, it was only natural to report to someone as important as this young woman about the coup. But from any other point of view, it was wrong. Kaguya deeply admired Zero—nay, she loved him. And she understood what that meant; she loved the idea of Zero, she loved the persona that was Zero, she loved the person behind the Mask of Zero, regardless of who it was. It was true love in the purest sense, and Kallen could only imagine the suffering Kaguya was going through, when she sat here wallowing in self-pity about whether or not Zero simply cared for her. She cursed herself again.

"…It hurt a bit, to know Zero said those words. But that was so much like Lulu." A giggle was the last thing Kallen expected from Kaguya at this moment, but a giggle she got. Moreover, Lulu?! Last time she checked, the only people to ever call Lelouch that were Milly, Shirley and Nunally, God bless the latter two's souls. Needless to say, Kallen was confused as hell, and it must have shown because when Kaguya got a glimpse of her face, she broke into a fit of giggles. She tried to frown; she really did. But that laughter was infectious, and it was exactly what the both of them needed.

After calming down after a few minutes, she asked. "Lulu? Since when were you so familiar with Lelouch?" It occurred to her only too late that she let out his name, but given the lack of surprise, she summarized Ohgi told her everything.

"…Perhaps I should tell you some things. Lulu was the Eleventh Prince of Britannia, at the time. He and Nunnally used to live happily and in tranquility with their mother and some of their siblings in the Aries Palace, a Palace I was told, possessed a garden of unmatched beauty. But one day, their mother was murdered in front of her children."

"What?! Why?!" Kallen was shocked. Understandable, given that she did not know anything about Lelouch's princely past. You see…

When the Black Rebellion failed, and the remnants of the Black Knights gathered under Kosetsu Urabe, the only Shisei-Ken to evade capture, alongside C.C. and herself, C.C. revealed to those gathered the identity of Zero, and why he formed the Black Knights. As in, she told them that Zero, was in actuality, Lelouch Lamperouge, a Britannian schoolboy with the intellect to rival Schneizel el Britannia, and had formed this rebellion in order to overthrow Britannia's Social Darwinism, so that his beloved, crippled sister, crippled by Britannia itself, and all those suffering under it (the Numbers) would be spared. Nothing about their being royalty. Of those people, only Kallen remained. C.C. never told her anything about their past, and she only learned their origins recently. Plus Geass.

Expression grim, Kaguya diverged to explain, "Their mother, Marianne Lamperouge, was a commoner by birth. However, she showed exemplary skills as a Knightmare pilot, earning the name "Marianne the Flash", and becoming the Knight of One before Bismarck Waldstein. The last Emperor married her, much to the shock of many. Because of her commoner birth, she earned the scorn of the other Empresses, as she was decidedly the favorite among the Consorts. She was assassinated in cold blood. Lelouch took the time to explain this to me once. More on that later."

"Anyways, Nunnally was only hit in the legs, given that the Empress took the brunt of the bullets for her, but that was enough to cripple her. The mental trauma from this event is what caused her blindness. Lelouch was unharmed, physically. However, he was mentally scarred because of the sigh of his sister and his mother, covered in blood, lying in the floor. I was this and his grief that caused him to go before the Emperor, three days later, to demand that the investigations of his mother's murder be continued, which had been passed off as a terrorist attack. He renounced his title when the Emperor remained impassive, and he and Nunnally were sent to Japan as bargaining chips."

Taking a deep breath, she finished to the horrified Kallen. "They were put under the care of the Kururugi household, which is how he and Suzaku eventually became best friends, and how I met him. Britannia invaded, and they were disregarded as casualties of war. The rest is history."

"I see… I did not know he went through that much. I guess he could relate to us, in the sense that he knows how it feels to be stripped of your name." Kallen felt pity once again, but shook herself. Pity was the last thing Lelouch would want, she knew.

Another giggle escaped Kaguya's lips, "Even back then, I fawned all over him. Nunnally and I used to bicker about who would marry him, much to Lelouch and Suzaku's horror, and to the amusement of anyone else present. She told me how she used to do the same with their half-sibling, Euphemia Li Britannia."

Kallen was startled at the name, but remembered the truth about that massacre. "Euphemia the Massacre Princess…? No, that was because—"

"Of Lelouch's Geass." Kallen wasn't so surprised now. Kaguya continued without interruption. "His Geass, the power of Absolute Order, to command anyone to do his will… That was the power he used to make Euphemia massacre the Japanese, and ruin the plan of the Special Administrative Zone of Japan. With the murder of his sister, he was able to spur the Japanese to rebel as one, and nearly succeeded in retaking Japan. And yet, I can't help but feel that something about that time came off as an… accident."

Kallen nodded, having entertained the same suspicions after the failed rebellion, "But it was because of that same Geass that made the Black Knights betray Zero. He's proven that he can use his own allies as pawns. Even I am not sure if my loyalty to him is real…" She sounded unsure of her own self. She wanted to believe she truly wanted to be with him, but the knowledge of his Geass impaired her.

For her part, Kaguya smiled, "It's real." "Eh?" What did she say?

A smirk now, "You are loyal to him because you want to be. Your loyalty is yours alone. Think about it; if you were to be loyal to him because of the Geass, you wouldn't be questioning that. From what I've seen, you'd be singing odes to him if you were." She ended in a merry tone. Kallen allowed herself to blush.

"Even so, I still want to hear it from his mouth… But he's half the world away, and now is the Emperor. There's no way to reach him now."

A sneaky expression got on the Chairwoman's face, and her tone turned to one of conspiration, "Not necessarily…" Perking up, the red-head turned a hopeful look to her.

"Think, Kallen. What day is it in one week?" One week? St. Valentine's Day, said her mind after a couple of seconds. Why would sh—!

"Ooohh!" Kaguya smiled at seeing understanding dawn on Kallen's face. "The St. Valentine's Festival! But how…?"

"The Britannians weren't exactly subtle about their advertisements. If you would check the settlement, you would see numerous alluding to a festival which coincides with St. Valentine's date. Apparently, it also states that any nobles that are capable of leaving their duties return to the mainland for the celebrations. If I'm not mistaken, you are the heir to a noble title, are you not?"

The scheme quickly took form in her mind, and the ace pilot found herself filled with hope. "Yes, that's right. While I prefer go by Kouzuki, which is my birth name, I am half-Britannian by birth. Thus, I'm also heir to the name Stadtfeld… That means that I will be expected to attend the festivities, even though Lelouch knows of this and will likely expect my presence."

"That doesn't matter! Look, are you in with me or not?!" Kallen thought, long and hard, and spoke…

"Yes."

And so, the princess and the red lotus discussed their plants in private. Their actions would prove to further the Emperor's cause, as the focal point of the act that would change the world was to be Britannia, in it's following weeks… Five girls, each contributing to the ultimate act of sacrifice for peace…

A.N.: *In hiding* That's that. It's certainly longer than my last chapter. In fact, ever since I started writing, my chapters have gotten progresively bigger. Hopefully, I will eventually be able to match those genius writers who can dish out tens of thousands of words in a single day, whereas I sometimes struggle to get over 5k per day. So what did you think? Please Review! No flames! Constructive criticism=appreciation!

Note: Though I wonder if perhaps I'm taking my plot a little too slowly...