8: Euphemia li Britannia

While Lelucia was getting to know C.C., I also met someone who quickly became very special to me. After rejecting Zero, I returned to 3rd street, verified that no civilians had been killed, and surrendered myself to Governor General Jeremiah Gottwald. He was being accused of all sorts of unpleasant things after he let me and Zero go free. I spent the night in a cell again, and was told that the office of Governor General would be passed to Princess Cornelia li Britannia. The next day, I was officially acquitted of all charges and suspicions.

I reported to Lloyd Asplundh and Miss Cecile, but they told me to a take a day off for myself. So, feeling quite aimless, I started walking away from the headquarters area wearing sunglasses and a navy blue cloak to make my identity less obvious. Yes, I had been exonerated, but my face was everywhere on the news and online. I was known widely as the Eleven originally suspected of killing Clovis and as the son of Japan's last Prime Minister.

I wanted to go find Lelucia right away, but all the negative attention I had been receiving weighed on me heavily and filled me with doubts. Would Lelucia even want to see me? She used to say she hated Britannia, but supposing that was no longer true, would she want to be associated with the son of the Daijin? With an Eleven formerly suspected of killing her half-brother? It was cowardly, but I couldn't let myself see Lelucia yet. I was too afraid of rejection.

There was a building near the military headquarters where Princess Cornelia was rumored to be staying with her Knight and her personal guard squad. If I had given this any serious thought, I would have realized it was likely that Cornelia's little sister would be staying there too. As things were, though, I didn't care. As I walked by aforementioned building, I suddenly sensed something: a shadow from above. I looked up, saw a girl falling, and instinctively reacted, catching her just in time. If I hadn't been there, she would have been seriously injured, and if she had hit her head, she would have died.

The girl had long, fair hair, the kind of blond that looks almost pink in the sunlight, and wore a frilly white dress of expensive materials. She looked about my age, maybe a year younger. In a way, she reminded me a longer-haired, lighter-skinned, and lighter-voiced version of Lelucia. Her eyes were violet-colored, and she was tall, at about 5'8". Her body was nearly as thin as Lelucia's, and her breasts were B-cups at most, but she did have that feminine hour-glass shape to her hips and waist of which Lelucia shared little. Most members of the Royal Family were widely known and recognized because they appeared in public often. I didn't identify this girl as Princess Euphemia because she was one of the few that principally stayed away from the public eye and devoted herself to her private education.

"I'm sorry," Euphemia said apologized as I set her gently down on her feet. "I didn't think anyone would be passing by at this time of day. I tried to time it so there wouldn't be a patrol or military personnel..."

When she made eye contact, she smiled and looked pretty, but I knew somehow that it was forced. Though she had clearly put on makeup to hide it, I could still tell she had been crying. I sincerely hoped that such a beautiful young lady hadn't seriously been trying to kill herself, but I didn't know what else to think. She had jumped from three stories up. Scratching at my hair and clearing my throat, I replied.

"I apologize for having to touch you, but I only acted on instinct. I didn't expect anyone to be falling from the sky." I tried to make it sound humorous. "What in the world were you doing, if I may ask?"

Unlike Lelucia, who hid her feelings well most of the time, Euphemia was a terrible liar. "Well," she stammered, "um… you see…! The truth is, I'm being followed by some very bad people! So would you be so kind as to help me? I just need someone to walk with me until I'm sure I've lost them."

I didn't believe her, but I didn't have anything better to do, and to be honest I was extremely attracted to this girl. So I agreed to help. I let her set the pace as we walked, and sure enough, she wasn't moving at all like someone fearful of pursuit. She moved gracefully and slowly, looking at every city monument, garden, park, or grove of Sakura trees that we passed. It seemed like this poor girl hadn't been outside in a long time and had never had the chance to see the sights of this area of Tokyo.

I cheered up, thinking it could be a lot of fun to show her around and maybe buy her some food or a souvenir. It was almost like a date. Euphemia smiled constantly and hummed tunes, enjoying the May weather. Surely then, I thought, she hadn't been attempting suicide. Nobody could look this pretty and pleased if they had been contemplating their death only moments before. That's what I assumed, anyway.

"I haven't introduced myself yet, have I?" Euphemia suddenly realized. "I am…" she paused, thinking, and I could tell that whatever name she was about to give wasn't her real identity. "I am Euphie."

"Euphie," I repeated, liking the sound of it, even if wasn't her actual name. I started taking off my sunglasses and saying, "My name is—"

The girl interrupted me, telling me not to remove my shades because, after all, I was now a famous person. "So you know who I am?" I asked, genuinely surprised. This girl was obviously Britannian; why would she want to go on a date with some dirty and suspicious Eleven? Euphie said my name to prove she knew who I was. "You lied about being chased by bad people, didn't you?" I asked, now more curious than ever to know who this girl was and what the hell she was thinking.

It turned out Euphie was a bit of a ditz. Forgetting my question, she ran over and kneeled down next to a stray cat who happened to be passing by. It was a definite male, fur mostly dark, smoky grey, with a black spot over one eye and a black tail-tip. Euphie began making meowing noises at the cat as if speaking to it; and if that wasn't embarrassing enough, she wasn't even good at it. Her "meows" sounded nothing at all like the real thing.

At first the tomcat looked frightened and aggressive due to the girl's sudden approach. But as she continued meowing and slowly reached out to him, the feline nosed at her hand and then rubbed his head against it. He even let Euphie pick him up, so perhaps he was used to human handling. The excited Euphemia brought the cat over to me where I stood a few yards away in the shade of an old oak.

That's when I discovered that cats hate me. The dark-colored cat bit me soundly as I held out my hand to pet it. It hurt more than I expected. Euphie laughed, and I thought, "What the hell. If it makes her happy, let's sit down with this damn animal for a few minutes." So we sat down on some stairs in a nearby park, bringing the tomcat along. He liked Euphie just fine, but growled at me. I sighed and said that my affection for cats was an unrequited love.

"It's always kind people who have cases of unrequited love," stated Euphie.

She thought I was kind? "Excuse me," I began a bit stiffly. "Why did you lie about people chasing you?"

"Are you concerned about me?" Euphie dodged the question.

"Well, yes," I admitted. After all, this ditsy girl had almost killed herself today. "And I'm… curious."

"If that's so, please accompany me for a little longer," said the Princess cheerfully. Meanwhile, the stray cat bounded away, chasing after a rat foolish enough to show its face in the daylight.

I agreed to keep her company. Though I was annoyed at first that she wouldn't give me straight answers, I soon loosened up and realized I had no business prying into her personal life. She must have had her reasons. I should just be glad at the chance to have a date with such a gorgeous girl about my age. Before long, I found myself having a good time, if only because it was uplifting to see Euphie so happy.

We did some window-shopping, and I bought crepes for both of us. We chatted all the while. I found out Euphie was from the motherland of Britannia, and had only arrived here in Area Eleven a few days ago. She said she was too busy with her education up till now to go out and have fun like a regular high school student. She had already finished the equivalent of a G.E.D. and she was only sixteen.

I tried asking why she had decided to jump out of a third story window, but she changed the subject, saying she wanted to enjoy today because it was her last day off. It was hard to imagine her working a part time job; I of course didn't realize she was talking about time off from her duties as a Princess and as the Vice Governor General under Cornelia.

When I told the girl she could have spent her day off with someone else, like another Britannian, Euphie insisted that she had wanted to spend time with me. To be honest, hearing that from her pleased me to no end. I was more than happy to oblige when she asked me if I would take her to one more place before the sun set.

"I shall take you wherever you like, Princess," I said with a traditional western bow to royalty. Of course, in my mind, I was only teasing her. I didn't yet know she was actually a real princess.

"Very well," said Euphemia; "then I'd like to go to Shinjuku, please."

She made the request with such a serious look, so there was no question that she understood what had happened there recently. I hadn't yet met a Britannian who cared about the tragedy in Shinjuku. I was happy to find one. So I took Euphie to a place on the edge of the Shinjuku Ghetto where a great number of stakes and poles and makeshift grave markers had been stuck in the ground. These weren't actual grave sites, but reminders of the many who had died here. People had left gifts, flowers, and food offerings at the feet of many of the stakes. Some of the stakes had ribbons tied around them, and they swayed in the sad-sounding breeze. The grass and the first layer of earth had been completely blown or burned away in fire or explosions, leaving only hard, dusty, greyish earth underfoot.

Euphemia knelt down at this gloomy site and closed her eyes as if offering prayers to the spirits of the deceased. This was primarily a Japanese tradition, but this Britannian girl must have read about it, and was trying to replicate the practice out of respect. I knelt beside her and did the same. My eyes were closed, so I didn't see when Euphie began to cry. But I soon heard the sound of her small, half-muffled sob, and asked what was wrong. If wondered if she was shedding tears for this loss of life so unrelated to her, or if there some deeper reason.

At that moment, however, we were interrupted by the sounds of men shouting and arguing nearby. I looked around and saw two young Britannian men holding cameras as if this was some fun tourist attraction. Three Japanese men, thinner and lighter but rougher-looking than the Britannians, had surrounded them threateningly. It looked like a fight was about to break out.

Honestly, I wanted to see those brats get beat up, but I knew that any Elevens who raised their fists against rich young Britannians might very well pay with their lives. I had to prevent that. I yelled at them to stop, and arrived just in time to keep one of the Elevens from punching one of the Brits. He shook me off him and instinctively tried to swat at me, but only succeeded in knocking off my sunglasses.

The three Japanese men, in their ragged, sleeveless shirts and rusty-colored bandannas, recognized me at once. They called me a slave and a dog of the Britannians, and asked how I could even still say I was Japanese. That made me furious, but I tried my best to hold in my anger. It was only natural these people didn't understand. I tried to talk some sense into them, but the irritable man who had thrown the punch earlier attacked me this time. I brushed his punch aside, gripped his wrist and his shirt, and used his own momentum to flip him completely over as he came on.

"Please stop this," I requested calmly. "I've received training. I don't want to hurt my comrades."

"What the hell do you mean, comrades?!" That was the response the angry Japanese man gave as he got back to his feet. However, he seemed to understand things better now. He signaled to his two companions and the three of them left, but not without spitting on the ground near my feet. I thought the drama was finally over, but then the two Britannian brats started complaining. One of them said his camera was broken because a filthy Eleven knocked it out of his hands. He demanded to know why I hadn't killed those three men, and I was shocked to find he was perfectly serious.

"You've killed plenty of Elevens before, haven't you?" asked the chubby young man. "This is no different. They were causing trouble. You should have killed them. Some Honorary Britannian you are. Little dog, you should what your masters say!"

Euphie seemed to appear out of nowhere, and put all her weight into slapping the impertinent man on the side of the face. "I won't allow you to insult this man any further!" she exclaimed.

Much to my surprise, the two heavy Britannian boys looked at her with awe and something close to shame. They cursed but quickly walked away, finally leaving us in peace. I was extremely thankful for Euphie's timely action. I didn't know what I would have done to that man if she hadn't interceded and slapped him for me. I might very well have murdered him. I still couldn't believe what he said.

Shaking off the last of my indignation, I turned to Euphemia. "Those men recognized you," I said with certainty. "Forgive me for being so persistent, but I need to know in order to treat you with the right respect. You' must be the daughter of a prominent Britannian noble, right? Who exactly are you?"

The girl took a deep breath before replying. "I am the Third Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire and the sub-viceroy of Area Eleven, Euphemia li Britannia."

For a few awkward seconds, I stood there gaping at her, astonished. Then I got down on one knee, put my right hand over my heart and said, "Your Highness! I was unaware, but I have been rude to you!" Simply by treating her as a normal person and not as royalty, I might have insulted her.

"Not at all, Suzaku," said Euphemia kindly. "I enjoyed every bit of our time together." So she said, but she looked close to tears again. "I almost made a mistake today," she admitted, beginning to open up at last. "I decided on something prematurely. But then you came along, and I thought, why not allow myself to spend one more day of happiness before I give up? And as we spent time together, and I learned more about Area Eleven, I decided that giving up would be cowardly. This Area needs me. It need someone who will help stop the discrimination, and atone for the actions of my brother."

Sometimes, I could be quite simple-minded, but at other times, or in certain contexts, I could pick up quickly on what was left unsaid. "So did try to kill yourself," I said grimly, as the sun started to set and dusk rolled in. "This morning, you through yourself from the third story window, hoping you would die."

"You're probably thinking I'm crazy," Euphie responded with a sad smile.

"No, Your Highness." I decided to be honest with the princess. "I think I know how you feel. At least, I know very well what it's like to want to die. I've struggled with that for a long time, until just recently. Even now, sometimes I'm not sure I want to live. But I am a little puzzled, Your Highness. Surely you haven't done anything so terrible that it warrants your death. Why did you wish to die?"

"I have always possessed a melancholy personality. As I grew up, I became increasingly aware of what my country was doing. In the last ten years, we've subjugated a third of the world. We directly caused hundreds of thousands of deaths. We'll soon come to blows with the European Union, meaning another massive war will start. In all eighteen Areas we've taken so far, discrimination and injustice run rampant. Even in our own homeland, the common people are oppressed, with all the power and wealth taken by the ruling class. Britannia's system of government has changed somewhat over the years, but we are still a monarchy at the core, and thus we disregard the voice of the people too often."

I started falling in love with Euphemia then and there as she spoke those earnest words. She could not abide unfairness, and she grieved at the violence that filled the world. Her thoughts and ideals were similar to mine. She went on, "Britannia's corruption begins within the Imperial Family. Of course, I love my family, but I hate the way our father makes all of his offspring compete and try to do outdo each other. I hate the way that the strong and bold always come to power while the weak and disadvantaged are cast aside. All of this has weighed on me since I was old enough to start understanding it."

"I understand your sorrow, Your Highness. But none of that," I assured the young lady, "is your fault."

Euphemia sighed forlornly. "Perhaps you're right in a literal sense. I haven't killed anyone. But because I'm a Britannian Princess, and part of the Imperial Family, I feel I am guilty by association. And I lament my own good fortune and privilege while most of the world is plagued with hatred and trampled underfoot by my country. It has been painful to come to Area Eleven and see the Japanese people so grossly mistreated. I adore my elder sister Cornelia, but she doesn't understand my feelings at all, and I doubt she will do anything to change the discrimination in this colony. I've been feeling so powerless. What can I possibly do? That's part of why I impulsively jumped today."

Tears began to fall slowly from Euphemia's violet eyes, leaving trails on her fair-skinned face. "I've also been especially morose since I heard that my older half-brother, Clovis, was killed. He was a poor leader, and ordered the deaths of innocent Elevens several times, but I'm still so sad to lose a brother. And speaking of losing people, Area Eleven is where two more of my siblings were killed seven years ago. Lelucia and Nannaru. I loved them so dearly. Even now, thinking of them is heartbreaking."

As the princess spoke, we had walked a ways, leaving Shinjuku behind. We came to an old stadium or arena of some kind, an open stage of dusty earth surrounded on three sides by rows of stone seating. It was a lonely and ruinous place, but with the sunset giving everything tinges of orange and gold, even this place had a kind of beauty to it. Euphemia and I walked side-by-side through the center of the dirt field, and while she talked, the princess reached out and took hold of my hand gently. I didn't dare refuse, but held her hand firmly. I wanted to comfort her.

"I see that you have many reasons to be depressed, indeed," I said in a low voice. "I'm sorry if talking about all this was painful. You don't have to say anymore."

I offered to walk Euphie back to the building near headquarters where the new Viceroy Cornelia was staying. However, before we could get going, we were once again interrupted by a show of violence.

Into the stadium came five Knightmares, four of which were ganging up on the fifth. Each of the four carried gigantic, deadly lances capable of piercing Knightmare armor, along with their usual heavy guns. They were Sutherlands, so they were also each equipped with a destructive metal projectile that could shoot out and destroy another machine; the sharply pointed tools, shaped like arrow-heads, were attached to the Knightmares by long wires, so they could be reeled back in and used more than once.

From the magnified voices of the pilots, it soon became clear that the four aggressive mechs were members of the pureblood faction out to kill Jeremiah Gottwald, who piloted the fifth one. Since he had let me and Zero go free yesterday, they were lynching him for perceived treason.

At first, I didn't think there was anything I could do, but then I heard the familiar voice of Lloyd calling out to me. He and Miss Cecile had arrived in a military transport (something between a truck and a trailer), having heard from Villetta Nu that something nasty was going down. So of course, Lloyd had brought the Lancelot along in the transport, eager to gather more data on its use.

My task was to save Jeremiah. I had little choice in the matter, but I was happy enough to do it anyway. Saving him (who had tried to kill me) from a dire situation and having him in my debt sounded pretty nice, as did the sight of seeing him in such a vulnerable position. Some seem to think my excessive kindness means I'm naïve, but in reality, I'm fully aware of and contented with the fact that it's a petty and self-serving kindness.

The Lancelot far outclasses mere Sutherlands, as I had proved before. I forced the four bullies of the pureblood faction to stop, skewering each of their lance-bearing arms with four of the metal disc-on-wire projectiles. When they fired back with their own wired projectiles, I gracefully dodged two of them, and sliced the other two with my new MVS, Maser Vibration Sword. One of the Knights tried to strike me with the blade fixed to his Knightmare's arm, but I kicked his legs out from under him and made his whole machine tumble. Villetta Nu also showed up in her Sutherland; she was a fierce female Knight, and though she was a member of the pureblood faction, she fought to protect Jeremiah because they had experienced similar situations (both manipulated by Zero and missing some memories).

I didn't expect any further trouble now that the attackers had seen my speed, agility, and MVS weaponry. To my surprise, however, Lord Kewell of the bitter purebloods threw a new weapon at Jeremiah, one that had been recently developed and only given to a few high-ranking Knights and Officers. It was a Chaos Depth Charge, a canister that, when activated and thrown, unleashed a heavy, powerful onslaught of laser-fire. It was enough to shred any fifth generation Knightmare into slivers. And at the exact moment when Lord Kewell threw it, someone ran onto the battle scene.

Euphemia. I shouldn't have left her alone so suddenly. She must have been certain that showing herself to the Knights and telling them off would convince them to stop their attack. So she ran in front of Jeremiah's mech as if to protect him; she had no way of knowing that a Chaos Depth Charge had just been thrown.

If not for me and the new defense system Lloyd and Cecile had installed, Euphemia would have been guaranteed to die. But I moved in front of her and protected her with the two Blaze Luminous shields on Lancelot's arms. This newest, high-tech type of beam shield could repel most weapons or types of enemy fire currently in use. Even so, the explosion of lasers from the Depth Charge charred and damaged my Knightmare's legs and shoulders. Euphie, though, was safe.

Villetta Nu instantly recognized Euphemia and spoke for all the Knights present when she exclaimed, "Did that Eleven just use his body as shield?"

Recognizing Euphemia and hearing her order to spare Jeremiah had the desired effect. The purebloods backed down. They must have been ashamed that they put Euphemia's life in danger, and that they had been outdone by an Eleven valiant and loyal enough to save the Third Princess.

Thanks to that incident, I received three great benefits. Firstly, I had my revenge against Jeremiah, who now felt indebted to me, and was forced to admit I was a better pilot. Secondly, I proved my piloting prowess before Britannian witnesses, mastering all the new technology. Thirdly, I saved Euphie's life. I suppose you could say a fourth benefit was that I won new fame as "The Eleven who saved The Princess." Honestly, though, I wasn't happy about the new attention, because it had come at the cost of Euphie's safety.

I had one last chance to speak with her in private before returning to the trailer where Lloyd and Cecile were waiting. "I enjoyed your company today, Your Highness," I began. "I am truly unworthy of the honor you have given me. Yet, if I may be so bold, there is one more thing I want to hear from you." I moved so that I stood directly in front of Euphemia, blocking her path and holding her gaze unblinkingly. "Promise me that you will never try to kill yourself again. I can't leave you alone unless you swear."

Euphemia had the kind of smile that banished all worry and gloom when she really meant it. She showed me that gorgeous expression and said, "I already told you. Jumping out of the window today was a mistake. It would be cowardly to give up before I've even had the chance to do anything to help Area Eleven."

"Then why did you run out into danger during the battle just now?" I asked a bit too pointedly.

Far from being defensive, Euphie blushed and looked ashamed. "I'm sorry I worried you again," she told me. "I wasn't trying to die. Not that time. I just didn't think I could stand seeing those four kill that one man so unfairly. I was reckless. I owe you my life, so the least I can do is make promise you want to hear. Kururugi Suzaku, I give me word I will never die by my own hand or my own will. Talking to you and being away from the army and my family has encouraged and strengthened me. I refuse to give up. I will make this Area a better place. Once I've made up my mind, the only way to stop me is to kill me."

Seeing her so fired up lifted my spirits. I already felt like we shared a deep connection. Before she left, Euphie told me she would make a request to the army to allow me to attend high school when not on missions. I had mentioned that I would like to go to Ashford Academy because I had a friend there.

I didn't actually expect anything to happen so soon, but the next evening (a Monday), Miss Cecile brought me the news. I was supposed to start classes as a transfer student tomorrow, and I would be in the same homeroom as Lelucia Lamperouge. I'm not sure which made me happier: the time I had spent getting to know Euphie, or the chance to see Lelucia again. Either way, I was ecstatic.