Well... this is awkward. I want to apologize for my really late update. There were three main reasons for, there was anime that needed watching, VNs that needed reading, and my own laziness. Nevertheless I want to reassure you guys that this story will be finished, I swear on everything I hold dear (mainly anime).

I hope you enjoy the chapter and please review.

There was a faint sound of paper cracking coupled with a loud huff of rejection. Next, a crumbled paper flew across a grand room. Its target, a neatly placed bin already fit to burst with discarded paper, pens and plastic wrappings.

The ball of paper gracefully flew towards the bin, making an elegant arc as it descended towards its target. However, like the many that came before it, it hit a wall and bounced off towards the floor where much of his kind littered the surroundings of the bin.

A few meters behind the spectacle sat a young girl with white hair and red eyes. Her hands covered her face as she looked downward, nearly touching the desk she sat at.

Some who knew what had transpired yesterday might think that the Tianzi was in despair, hurt and angry. Hopeless and hateful against her own impotence that had allowed her to lose the most important person in her entire life.

The truth was that she was simply frustrated. The discarded ball of paper had been her hundredth attempt at writing Lelouch a letter. Lihua was no perfectionist, but this was different. The teen had had to trash several letters since none of them felt quite right for what she wanted to say.

After reading some of the letters, she had found that in most of them she appeared frustrated and angry, which, of course, wasn't the case.

'I'm fine. Perfectly fine, the world is my oyster.' Lihua reassured herself as she started on yet another letter. Her dexterous hands, used to signing documents efficiently, quickly grabbed a new paper and put themselves to work.

Lelouch didn't know Chinese, which was a slight inconvenience to Lihua. She was accustomed to Chinese, she used it every day and was well versed in her mother tongue. 'I'm hailed as one of the best users of the language, but here I am, resorting to English to communicate with that idiot. Why? Why can't he learn Chinese? I learned English. I even had to read several books to keep up with his vocabulary.'

The Chinese ruler stopped writing and hung her head yet again, a noticeable sigh escaping from her tight lips. 'Maybe I'm not worth the effort…'

Lihua tightly pressed her lips together as that unpleasant thought crossed through her mind and dropped the pen she was holding. A numb pain went through her hand as she released it, making the girl wonder when she had tightened the grip on it.

She covered her face with one hand, giving an even louder sigh as she threw her body back in the chair. It wasn't long before she straightened out again. Her left hand still covering her eyes with its respective elbow on the table. Meanwhile, her other arm was sprawled on the desk, motionless.

As she stayed like that for a few long seconds, she started to get her breathing, which had become somewhat ragged along the way, under control. Without notice, her right hand balled into a fist and her eyes narrowed behind the other one.

That wasn't the case, and she knew it. Yet, it was… difficult to think otherwise considering Lelouch's personality. Besides, why he didn't learn Chinese was perfectly reasonable. The language was harder by nature, and she already knew English when they met. There was simply no need or reason for him to learn it.

Perhaps it was difficult to cool her head because she was purposely avoiding it. Maybe she wanted to be mad at Lelouch. Her refusal to "let it go" was born from her search for an excuse. An excuse to be mad at Lelouch, to condemn him…

Lihua shook her head, getting back to the matter at hand. She reached out for the letter and gingerly took it, wanting to double-check it before sending it.

D̶e̶a̶r̶ ̶L̶e̶l̶o̶u̶c̶h̶,̶

H̶e̶l̶l̶o̶,̶

Lelouch,

I wanted to inform you of something regarding your upcoming visit, assuming, of course, you are not too busy with that girl of yours to come visit me. Although I'm certain that you wouldn't consider delaying your visit any further, the possibility that that b̶i̶t̶c̶ woman is keeping you there weighs on my mind. I would like a confirmation that you will be attending and haven't forgotten me for that commoner you are so fond of.

If you find yourself able to attend, I have to let you know that I have gracefully allowed you to bring a guest with you. Should you bring that girl with you, I request that you teach her proper etiquette, as befitting of a lover of a Prince of The Britannian Empire.

Regards,

The girl you left in China, Lihua.

The sheet of paper instantly flew towards the bin, a small growl following it.

Okay, maybe she was a little angry at him.

The Tianzi threw her arms in the air with a loud huff, then proceeded to put them on the table and use them as a pillow. Tilting her head slightly sideways she found herself staring at the table's surface.

"Stupid Lelouch." she muttered to herself.

A sudden knock on the door broke the silence that had enveloped the room. Three hesitant knocks that left no doubt that the one, or ones, outside her door were having second thoughts about bothering her. In truth, she could care less. Besides, if they were being hesitant instead of barging in, it was probably either Xingke or Xianling.

The girl slowly rose from her desk, rearranged her sleeves and said in a clear and loud voice "Enter." The doorknob clicked slightly as she turned around to face the new arrivals. Faces filled with badly disguised worry were what met her.

"I'm fine." was the first thing Lihua said before her two subjects had the chance to say anything. Both looked at the Empress first and then at each other. Disbelief practically oozed from them as they looked at each other in silent question. Their reaction was reasonable, considering what had occurred last night.

"We canceled all of your appoi-" begun the still worried Xingke, his face betraying his apparent neutral tone. Nonetheless, he was cut off before he could finish the sentence.

"No need. Besides, I need to meet with the Traditionalists today." Informed them the Empress. She turned slightly towards the logistics officer in a maid's uniform "Xianling, please inform them that I will attend all of my appointments." she requested in a calm voice that left no room for debate.

The young woman could only bow and follow her orders "Yes, my Empress." she responded with an emotionless tone. Xingke was left alone as his companion left the room without another word. Gulping, he suddenly felt the temperature in the room fall a few degrees.

"Are you really fine?" Xingke finally gathered the courage to ask. His voice not one of a servant awaiting orders, but of a worried friend. He saw the Tianzi stiffen at the question and her eyes get cold, a glimmer of hurt shining through them.

"No… I'm not, I'm not fine in the slightest." she confessed. Lihua leaned back in her chair and looked up, her eyes glued to the roof. "There is this rage inside me, but also a dull, hollow pain in my chest that refuses to go away."

She sighed and turned around to the desk. "Mulling over it won't do me any good…" she exhaled while stretching her arms and getting back to work "I guess that is another good piece of advice I took from Lelouch." she added with disdain.

The venom and disgust in the Tianzi's voice took Xingke aback, making him raise an eyebrow. Until now, every time the Empress spoke of the Prince, her voice was sweet and filled with happiness.

Lihua turned around to face the now weary Xingke "Tell me, Xingke. Am I a self-made person, or a doll of clay crafted by a Titan?" she asked in a dangerous voice.

"I beg your pardon?" he replied incredulously.

"This has been worrying me for a while now. It seems that every choice I make, I always find myself thinking that Lelouch would have done the same. I can't help but feel that I'm a cheap clone of Lelouch, only thinking how he taught me and only able to think because he taught me." Lihua said in a depressed tone, a self-deprecating smile covering her face.

"So, maybe he loves that girl and not me because I'm not my own person, just someone created in his own image."

Xingke stood there, shocked. He regained his composure and spoke "May I express myself freely?"

"Don't hold back." she answered in a self-pitying voice that made Xingke's lip curl in anger.

"That is the biggest load of crap I've ever heard." he stated with a hint of anger in his voice. His posture was straight and rigid, one of a true soldier.

"I beg your pardon?" she exclaimed softly, blinking in shock. It was extremely out of character for Xingke to be so blunt.

"A clay doll? Created in his own image? Nonsense. If anything, he was the only one who did nothing of the sort. Where everyone saw a means to an end, he saw the end. Where everyone tried to turn you into the image of the China they wanted, including me, he tried to turn China into your image." He took a deep breath and raised his tone.

"Begging your forgiveness, you are horribly mistaken, my Tianzi. When everyone tried to mold your future, he gave you tools to craft your own. And I'm deeply sorry, my Tianzi, but upon my honor as a soldier and proud bodyguard of the Empress of The Chinese Federation, I will not allow you to sully the name of a man I so deeply respect for doing what no one did, for doing what I could not." after his tremendous speech, Xingke fell silent his, eyes glued to the wall.

The room was in complete silence. On one side stood the unmoving Xingke, absolutely no emotion showing in his stony look. On the other side was the shocked Tianzi, not daring to say another word after Xingke's harsh scolding.

The Chinese swordsman was the first to speak. "I will be awaiting my punishment outside, when you're ready." Xingke said with a bow, snapping Lihua out of her trance.

"N-no, it's fine. Thank you for setting me in my place." Lihua answered in a meek voice, clearly still shaken. "Nevertheless…" she started, clearing her throat and regaining her old strength "Lelouch believes that wallowing in despair is completely useless, and would try to make it go his way once again."

"May I ask what you plan on doing?" Xingke inquired, his old tone back.

Lihua looked over the newly written letter.

Dear Lelouch,

I hope this letter finds you in good health. I know it's a bit old fashioned and inefficient, but I still felt like writing you a letter this time. You may not feel the same way, but this is sort of nostalgic, and I do always enjoy sending them to you. It is something just between the two of us, and I value it much more than a regular e-mail.

I'm sorry, I'm rambling. Back to the main point of this letter. I convinced those old geezers that call themselves the "Traditionalists" to let you bring a guest on your next visit. Please make sure they are aware of the proper etiquette, as it was one of the conditions. I am looking forward to seeing you again, as well as meeting one of your friends.

Yours sincerely,

Lihua

"I'll make it go my way." The Tianzi answered, smiling.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Lelouch finished reading the letter, neatly folding it after he was done and smiling. Lihua was right, he did consider letters redundant since they had the possibility of e-mails now. He shrugged with indifference 'Can't be helped' he thought dismissively.

However, bringing a guest with him was another matter altogether, which required some serious consideration, he thought, putting a hand up to his chin. Truth be told, he was rather hesitant about taking someone with him, but it was obvious Lihua wanted to meet one of his friends.

It put him in a predicament of sorts. As hard as it was to believe, Lelouch found it difficult to refuse Lihua. More so if it was such a harmless request. He tapped his fingers against his leg, pondering which of his friends to bring along.

"Hey Lelouch, get a move on already, it's way too hot out here!" came the cheery shout from outside the room, belonging to none other than his friend, Rivalz.

Lelouch cringed at the voice "Never in a million years." he silently declared as he put the folded piece of paper in his pocket, chuckling at the thought of Rivalz sitting at the table with an Empress and carrying on a proper conversation.

That being said, he really should hurry. Milly had decided to drag them to the pool, complaining about the weather, and he was keeping them waiting. If Lelouch prided himself in anything, it was his punctuality.

"Lelouch, you're keeping everyone waiting, now get your ass out here or we'll be leaving without you!" echoed Kallen's angry voice, her impatience clear as day.

'Kallen isn't an option. Never mind that we aren't that close to begin with, she also seems to hate me for some reason.' Lelouch ascertained before turning around and making his way towards the door. "Coming!" he answered while walking at his usual brisk pace.

'I guess the obvious choice would be-' A tremendous shudder went up his spine as he conjured up the name of said person. It was as if the universe itself was telling Lelouch that was the wrong answer 'Shirley…' he finally said to himself.

His walk coming to an abrupt stop, he shook his head to get rid of the unpleasant sensation. Back to normal, he carried on towards the door and opened it, only to find Kallen leaning on the wall, presumably waiting for him.

The short girl didn't seem to notice Lelouch's arrival as she kept staring at the ground as if lost in thought. Her arms were crossed behind her back as she swung one of her feet back and forth aimlessly, not noticing the black haired teen.

Lelouch stood in the doorway with an unreadable expression, something between curiosity and bemusement. After a second of watching, he cleared his throat as subtly as he could and asked in the most casual tone he could manage "I thought you were going on without me?"

The redhead started, jumping back and nearly tripping over her own legs. His amusement only lasted a second before the brash girl regained her usual demeanor. "Well someone had to make sure you didn't get lost in the way or something." she shot with disdain, crossing her arms over her chest. "Now what are you doing just standing there?" the big frown on Kallen's forehead hinted that her mood wasn't the best as she kept glaring at him.

The Prince didn't even answer, simply walking forward and shaking his head at her constant dislike for him, Kallen quickly following behind him. The long established protocol for their interactions was kept intact. Kallen didn't say a word, as she apparently hated Ashford's Ice Prince, while Lelouch opted to keep silent, choosing to ignore the angry glares she kept shooting him and simply walk, humming a song he heard recently.

It wasn't long before they spotted a blonde blob in the distance, energetically jumping and waving at them, attracting the looks of many a passerby.

As Lelouch observed the mess that was his childhood friend, a single thought ran through his mind. 'Even if bringing her would be more exasperating than trying to convince nobles, there is no other choice.'

"Oi! Lulu, move your butt! Shirley has been dying to show you her new swimsuit." at the loud declaration, the orange haired girl besides Milly could only try and sink into the ground.

"For god's sake, could you please behave yourself?" Lelouch demanded in an indignant tone, waving his arms in an erratic manner. He sped up his pace, leaving Kallen behind and stomping towards the blond with every intention of shutting her up.

Once Lelouch was a few meters from Milly, the blonde boldly proclaimed "Lelouch and Kallen coming alone after making us wait a full half an hour? Something's fishy here." and just like that, she took her revenge on Lelouch for keeping her waiting, further hammering in the lesson that she wasn't to be trifled with.

The redhead in question opened her mouth in shock, blushing "Wh-what? Of course-we-him-me, nothing happened!" Kallen stammered in an attempt to deny Milly's implications, only to be met by a malicious smile.

Her orange haired counterpart's reaction was even more severe. "What!" she screamed in panic, dropping her bags to the ground. Her eyes desperately locked onto Lelouch's, looking at him for reassurance.

He could only stare back, an incredulous look plastered on his face, then shake his head, used to his girlfriend's jealous antics. Milly's revenge may be complete, but it didn't save her from Lelouch's murderous glare.

"Could you please refrain from speaking such off handed comments in front of my girlfriend?" He demanded in a tone thick with annoyance. She just gave a wink and showed him her tongue, smiling. The childish gesture only serving to aggravate Lelouch even further.

Rubbing his temples, he turned towards the awaiting swim team member "Of course nothing happened." he assured her with a light smile. It was enough to disarm the shaken Shirley, who just smiled broadly and nodded.

"Okay, I'll go prepare our things then." Shirley announced in her usual energetic tone and promptly dashed off.

"Well, that's my cue." Milly announced while stretching her arms behind her back. The blonde started to walk towards the same direction Shirley had run off to, only to be stopped by a hand grabbing her forearm in a weak grip. She turned around, expecting Kallen, and blinking as she was faced with Lelouch instead "We need to talk." he stated with a serious expression, leaving no room for debate.

"First Kallen and now me, you sure are bold, Lelouch." Milly teased, smiling, before turning around and beckoning him as Lelouch scoffed behind her. It took only a second for Milly to gain a seriousness that matched Lelouch's, a feat not easily accomplished. "What do you need?" she asked in a serious but nonetheless friendly tone, supported by a small smile that occupied her face.

Lelouch took out the letter from his pocket and handed it over to Milly. The girl took it quizzically, an eyebrow raised in surprise.

The second Milly opened the letter and read it, all the pieces clicked together. She turned her back to Lelouch to avoid showing him the frown that had appeared on her face. 'Well, if he isn't asking Shirley right off the bat, it means that his self-preservation instincts are still working. Good on you, Lelouch.'

Milly had already realized from the multitude of letters she had read from Lihua that she had more than just friendly feelings for him. 'Considering that stunt Shirley pulled on T.V. a few weeks ago, I expected this sooner or later.' she thought with a grimace.

She gave a deep sigh 'The poor girl probably assumed that Shirley would read the letter, making this a declaration of war. The only problem is that she doesn't know how zealously Lelouch keeps those things to himself.'

It was true. Apart from Nunnally and her, none of Lelouch's friends knew of the existence of his relationship with the Tianzi. Even the few letters that Milly had read were those she managed to steal by a stroke of luck, always carefully returning them after she was done.

She had a decision to make. Going was not a problem with her, she had always wanted to meet Lelouch's second childhood friend and visit China. Milly would go with Lelouch, she would enjoy the trip and meet an important friend of Lelouch. Meanwhile, Shirley would stay here, blissfully unaware of the close relationship Lelouch shared with the Empress. She could choose to keep the status quo.

The blonde's eyes were suddenly drawn to her cheery friend who was readying their things with Rivalz's and Kallen's help, a sudden pang in her chest.

On the other hand, Lelouch's and Shirley's relationship wasn't going as good as most thought. It wasn't that they were fighting or anything, in fact, Lelouch's attitude as a boyfriend was spot on. No, the problem lay elsewhere, and neither of them would notice it until it was too late.

'This could give their relationship a push in the right direction.' Milly concurred after a few moments of thought.

The blonde put up a smile on her face and turned around in an energetic manner. She leaned in closer to Lelouch, who quickly leaned away his upper body, comically straining backwards in an attempt to escape. Once their faces were only a few centimeters apart, she whispered flirtatiously "Oh, I would love to go with you, but unfortunately, no can do." moving her finger from left to right in front of him.

Lelouch raised a brow in silent question, an expression that almost looked like disappointment crossing his face for a second.

Milly quickly turned his back to him yet again "Don't look at me like that, young man. I would love to go, however, I can't because of your code of honor. Therefore, it's your fault I can't go." she complained with both her arms behind her back.

Lelouch could only stare at his friend, an expression of utter bewilderment plastered on his face. "Might you enlighten me? I think there's been a bit of confusion on my part." he asked, taking a step forward. He folded his arms and leaned to the side as he awaited the answer.

"Well you see…" Milly turned around, ready to unleash the killing shot "The boyfriend-code forces you to bring Shirley along."

Lelouch's eyes narrowed, realizing what she meant. He opened his mouth but closed them again after a second. She mentally pumped a fist in triumph. Leaving Lelouch at a loss for words was a feat not easily accomplished. After a few moments, he only half-muttered an agreement and nodded, another rare occurrence.

The black-haired teen couldn't do or say a single thing, the reason being rather simple. Lelouch knew that the obvious course of action was to bring Shirley. Yet, by instinct, and with no rational reason, he had chosen to ask Milly. To refuse this instant would be to admit that he took an irrational decision, something his pride wouldn't allow.

'I need to have a talk with Shirley.' was the last thing she thought before deciding to forget the matter for now.

"Good. Now that we're on the same page, go and get in the pool with the others, you need to get some muscle into that skinny body!"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The turbines of the VTLO produced a strong wind that made hair and clothes flutter alike. It was not a pleasant sensation to stand in front of the landing craft. The wind blew into one's face and eyes, making them shed tears, with the sheer noise the craft could make while landing being deafening, and to the untrained air, even painful.

It did not stop the Empress of China and her trusty retainers from waiting at the hangar for the aircraft to land, though.

A small smile appeared on the young Empress's face as her thoughts ran rampant. Lelouch was coming back. Not in an ideal manner by any stretch of the imagination, but single or not, the fact was that Lelouch was coming back, and she would be a fool if she let that small detail ruin the whole event. Lelouch was visiting, and that was good enough… for now.

That said, she did want to meet the girl that had apparently stolen Lelouch's heart. Thinking about her brought an unpleasant feeling to her chest and a strange anxiousness. Habits she had gotten rid of, like fiddling with her dress and fingers or stumbling over her words, quickly resurfaced when thoughts of the orange haired girl seized her mind.

The craft's door slowly came to an open, prompting her to look up and focus. Lihua smiled as she saw Lelouch trying to exit it as fast as possible. As she knew well, Lelouch's "weak" physique made journeys on such vehicles a bit unpleasant. While watching him step out at a brisk pace, Lihua took notice of the orange haired female behind him.

Lelouch's relieved expression quickly changed after he set his eyes on Lihua. What went on on his face was Lelouch's equivalent of beaming. For the average commoner, beaming is when they show signs of extreme happiness. They would smile broadly and have a certain gleam in their eyes.

In Lelouch's case, however, beaming can be interpreted by slightly less narrowed eyes, a twitch of the nose and a very well hidden half smirk. Mind you, the hidden half smirk is a defense mechanism, for if Lelouch unleashed one of his genuine smiles, all those belonging to the female gender (and probably some of the males) would have a collective nosebleed.

Even so, Lihua had known the prince long enough to spot his happiness, turning her brain into a puddle, unable to form even a sliver of a coherent thought. She just smiled dumbly as Lelouch approached her while waving his hand and saying something she didn't hear.

As Lelouch got to her, his hand slowly rose upwards and landed on her head. He gently patted her a few times and said "Good to see you're well, Lihua."

It was a blissful experience for the young girl, the hand that still laid on her head starting to get hotter as she stared up at Lelouch in awe. The sun's rays poured from behind him, surrounding him in a halo of light, and giving him an almost divine appearance.

The Empress of the Chinese Federation gulped, all the speeches she had prepared for this one moment vanishing from her mind. She tried to stutter a few words as a response, the redness of her cheeks increasing by the seconds.

"I-I'm glad you a-are he-here, I really am glad that you came back to me." Lihua finally managed to say, throwing herself at Lelouch and giving him a bear hug that took the air out of him , trapping Lelouch's lithe frame between her arms.

"Lihua, I can't…" Lelouch started to announce with difficulty, desperately trying to breathe.

A loud cough interrupted them, making Lihua realize that there was another person that she needed to greet.

"Oh, I do apologize." Lihua quickly said, pulling back and looking up at Lelouch's face in utter happiness. God, she wanted to hug him again, she wanted to throw herself into his arms and remain there for the rest of the day.

Clearing her throat and hiding her displeasure as best as she could, she turned to face the other guest. She was prepared to use one of her best political façades in order to get the pleasantries out of the way and get back to Lelouch. However, before she could say anything, the girl introduced herself, reminding Lihua of the harsh reality.

"Hi! I'm Shirley, his girlfriend." said the older teen, linking her arm with Lelouch's and smiling at her.

Ok, next chap will be full of fluff, comedy and maybe even a catfight!

Please review and tell me what you think.