Arc 4: The Waiting Game
Part 1: Trebuchet

"Trebuchet: is a type of reciprocal zugzwang (a position in which the player to move will result in a worse position) in pawn endgames, where whoever is to move loses." -Great Games of the 21st Century, Glossary of Terms

-AKWAC-

"Guinevere."

She froze on instinct, the hair on her skin standing at rapt attention. The childlike voice only made the creeping cold all that more chilling.

"It's time to step up our plans against the boy."

"What's your obsession with him? So what if he wins a few battles? That hardly makes him a threat," she said, carefully keeping her voice flat. Despite that, she could sense his predatory smile, as if he could still sense the fear and uncertainty that radiated from her.

"You do want the crown, don't you?" he asked. "Lelouch vi Britannia must fail or he must die to pave the way. After all, everything has a price." There was a pause. "Besides, I can tell you that the Emperor is starting to have an unhealthy interest in the boy and he's come into possession of certain…assets that could be ruinous if left unchecked."

"We bury him then."

"Bury him?" the voice sounded intrigued. "Go on."

"He's shown himself competent in battle. I'm loath to admit it, but his continued success against normally insurmountable odds cannot be denied, so we remove him from his comfort zone. Throw him into the bureaucracy and pile his work up so high that he collapses from the weight of it all."

"See that it's done then. I shall leave this to you and your palace puppets."

She sighed in relief.

"But Guinevere? I'll be watching. If it turns out I have to get involved personally, I shall be most displeased."

Her relief was gone in an instant. "Yes, Vincent."

-AKWAC-

"How is the rest of the Empire doing?" Lelouch asked, scanning through a report on his desk, signing off on it, before Jeremiah handed him the next one.

"Not good." Schneizel's voice filtered through the loudspeakers. "Congratulations on your victory, by the way. It made quite the splash at Court. Quite a few were expecting, even hoping, that you would fail."

"Of course they did," Lelouch said. "Has High Command decided where to reassign me? I hear Jakarta's about to fall any day now and then there's the rebels in Tunis."

"You're not being reassigned."

Lelouch paused, setting down the paper in his hand and turning to face the speakers. "What bloody good does it do if I'm stuck here, defending Japan? Every analyst we have says it's unlikely the Federation will strike here again."

"Nonetheless, they have decided otherwise." Lelouch and Jeremiah shared a frown. "Guinevere was most insistent."

You insist upon it, Lelouch thought. This is because I went after the Eunuch's men, isn't it? That's why you didn't stop her scheming to keep me here. This is your punishment as much as hers. "I wasn't aware she had friends in such high places."

"She has friends where it matters," Schneizel said. "High Command is forming a new military arm, so inspired after your astounding success with the Glastonbury. The Britannian Air Fleet, they're calling it, with you as the first Commandant."

"How…charitable of her."

"Indeed."

"And I suppose my new mandate will include bringing this 'Air Fleet' into existence with our base of operations being here in Japan. That's why I'm ordered to remain here."

Schneizel smiled, or so Lelouch imagined. "That's part of it, yes."

"Something else?" Lelouch said, leaning into his chair and bridging his fingers. Guinevere wants me to fail, this much I know. It's why they've moved me from a military mission to an administrative one – they've finally figured out that they can't beat me there, no matter the odds. Schneizel wants me punished, but not to the extent of failure. He knows this isn't beyond my capabilities, but intends for this to be something either demeaning or tedious. Yet, I am to remain in Japan and he has implied more responsibility of an equal or greater scale than starting up a military division. That leaves-

"Clovis has a new posting."

"Well deduced." Lelouch envisioned his brother nodding patronizingly. "Yes, Clovis has proven his ability to govern and rebuild a war ravaged Area. Father was so pleased that he has decided to keep a closer eye on his developments from now on by moving him closer to home, clearing the position for you."

Lelouch sighed, massaging his forehead. "They want to bury me in administration."

"Cheer up Lelouch, at least now you no longer need to deal with a Viceroy to get things done."

"No, I'll just have to manage the nobles and their inane prattling. Clearly this is an improvement," Lelouch said. The line beeped once and went silent.

"I don't understand, Prince Lelouch. If Guinevere's faction wanted to hurt you, why would they allow for your promotion, when it leaves you with more power?"

"Our victory here was too publicized to be ignored and too great to be unrewarded. It would have incited commoners and nobles alike to protest if they did, so they minimized our gains. With a job such as this, I'm tied down for the next two years without any opportunity to rise further. Time enough to kill whatever brief fame I've accrued in the hearts of the people." No amount of intellect can build ships and train men faster than a certain point.

A spark of understanding appeared in his eyes. "I see. With us having to build up this Air Fleet, we'd have few avenues to affect change in the greater Empire."

Lelouch stared at the stacks of folders on his table and groaned. "And our paperwork will quadruple."

Jeremiah winced. "Perhaps further delegation is in order, sire?"

"We'll need to be careful about security risks."

"I'll have my most trusted officers handle the background checks."

Lelouch nodded. "Has the Glastonbury returned with Kage?"

"Not yet, sire. They should be here this afternoon though," Jeremiah said.

Lelouch grabbed a sealed envelope from his drawer. "Hand this to her when she reports in. The orders within are time sensitive." Jeremiah nodded, accepting it without a word. "Meeting tomorrow morning with the command staff. We'll have to brief them on what to expect in the coming weeks." He stood and straightened out his uniform, removing any embellishments until it was all black again.

"Going somewhere, sire?"

"Meeting with a friend."

Jeremiah titled his head to the side. "A friend?"

"Yes, it will take up the rest of my day probably. Make sure I'm not disturbed."

-AKWAC-

Grandfather would have loved today's weather, Milly thought as rays of sunlight kissed the skin of her arms and a gentle breeze played with her hair. She felt her eyes dampen as something tugged at her heartstrings.

"I thought I'd find you here."

Milly rubbed the moisture out of her eyes, but didn't turn towards the voice. What was the point? She already knew who it was. "What are you doing here?"

Lelouch was sitting next to her now on the cemented floor. "I thought you could use the company," he said, voice softer than usual. "How are you feeling?"

She shrugged and hugged her knees closer to her chest. From the corner of her eye, she saw Lelouch's lips turn into a frown. "I'm here if you want to talk about his death or anything really." She felt him squeeze her arm for a moment, quiet falling in between them. It was…nice, just sitting together like this.

The sun was beginning to peak in the sky, bathing them in a harsher glow when Milly heard a pop. She glanced up to see an umbrella covering the two of them and she gave Lelouch a small smile. Again, he squeezed her arm, before smiling back.

"It's…it's my fault he died," she finally said, then gave him an expectant look. "What? No 'It's not your fault, Millicent' from you today?" It came out more biting than she intended. He deserved better than that, better from her.

He opened his mouth then hesitated, as if debating something with himself. "You can't help how you feel," Lelouch said. "It's okay, really," he added with a meaningful glance.

"If I hadn't been there that day, maybe…maybe he would've lived. There would have been enough space in the Knightmare for him to fit. He shouldn't have had to die, not for me."

Lelouch didn't answer, but nodded along to her words with a sympathetic look on his face. "Tissue?" he asked, offering a box to her.

When had she started crying? "Thanks." She sniffed, reaching for a fistful. "You don't have to be here. I know you've got princely business to attend to."

"It can wait."

"I'll be fine, really," she said. "I'm a big girl now."

He looked her in the eye. "I want to be here. The world will get along fine without me. Now, how do you feel about pasta for lunch?" Lelouch stood, closed the umbrella and offered her a hand.

Milly let herself be pulled to her feet. "Will you bring me somewhere first?"

"Anywhere."

"Okay," Milly said.

"Okay." Lelouch led them to his black Range Rover quietly.

"No limousine today," she pointed out.

"I don't actually have one, you know. Clovis just lends me his spare whenever he wants me to look 'dignified'."

"His spare?" Her brow rose. "How many does he have?"

Lelouch shrugged.

"And I suppose the driver came with it?"

"Naturally," he said, getting behind the wheel.

"My, what a gentleman," she said, opening the door for herself.

"Weren't you telling me how you were a 'strong, independent woman' last month?" he said.

She didn't laugh, but her smile was bright, a bit more genuine, a bit more her. "Take a left here."

Lelouch obeyed. "So, you still haven't told me where I'm taking you." He slowed down as the car shook slightly because of the small holes in the road, damage from the battle just days ago.

"You're smart. I'm sure you'll figure it out," she said. "Left at the next corner and a right just after."

"That's-" Lelouch stopped, his eyes alight. Getting a little slow, Lulu. "Are you sure you want to go there?"

Milly nodded. They passed by more bombed out buildings and bullet ridden houses and broken streets. "Do you think things will ever get better?"

"The city's done it before and it was much worse the last time," Lelouch said. Milly hadn't been there for the Invasion of Japan, but she had heard people talk.

"That took years though."

Lelouch made a sound of agreement.

"My parents asked me to move to Pendragon yesterday over the phone," Milly said.

"Again? That's what, the third time this year?"

"Yeah."

"So, what did you tell them?" he asked.

"I said I'd think about it," she said.

His face scrunched, she saw that much when he turned towards here. "Eyes on the road," she chided. "Honestly, I don't know how you ever got your license." He took another turn before she could tell him to. Good boy.

"Perks of royalty," he said with a smirk and she rolled her eyes. "So, are you going?"

She shrugged. "They're just going to try and marry me off if I do, but the entire family's there. With Grandfather...gone, there's nothing keeping me here anymore."

"You have a life here. You have friends here."

"Things change," Milly said softly. "Shirley's parents are thinking of moving, with Area 11 being at the forefront of the war and everything. Nina's off to MIT on a ladderized program in applied physics. Rivalz is off doing God knows what and Kallen, well." The car stopped near some rubble that used to be the factory. Even you are going to be gone soon, Lelouch. Off to lead our armies to victory against the Federation.

"It looks different," she said, getting out of the car. "Emptier."

Lelouch followed after her. "We had to move the equipment we could salvage. There wasn't much left after that."

Milly took a few steps forward then kneeled, brushing away dust from the ground until she felt something cold and smooth. 'Ashford Centennial', the plaque read. "I'm not sure what I want to do now. Being a newscaster for channel 11 doesn't seem so great anymore."

"He would have wanted you to be happy." Lelouch knelt beside her.

"Happy," she murmured. What would have made Grandfather happy?

-AKWAC-

Kage's not here. What a shame.

"There's been a change of plans," the Prince said. "We're staying in Japan for the foreseeable future."

"What happened?" The Eleven (Kururugi?) asked.

Gottwald glared. "His Highness," he said, making it sound more a rebuke than the beginning of his sentence, "will be the next Viceroy of Area 11. Prince Clovis will be announcing his transfer to Area 3 soon."

"Area 3?" Maximillan scratched his chin. "Uh, where is that again?"

Jasmine Arlington rolled her eyes as the same time as Gottwald rolled his eyes. Don't they teach Geography anymore these days? she thought.

"You know North and South America?" Gottwald asked. "The bit that connects the two is Area 3."

A bit more than that actually, but the explanation will have to do for now. Hmm, why is Prince Lelouch looking at his phone? Perhaps it's a text from a girlfriend?

"Ah, gotcha sir," Maximillan said, slumping back into his chair in a lax manner Gottwald didn't care for, if his exasperated expression was anything to go by. "A much needed vacation if you ask me."

"We can't slack off, not with the JLF still out there and the Federation close to us," the Eleven said. An admirable sense of responsibility, at least, compared to young Eric.

"Small fries compared to what we've dealt with, what we just dealt with," Maximillan said. "JLF's all but done for, and the Prince probably has another ingenious plan to deal with them. Am I right?"

Lelouch nodded. "More or less. Eric is correct. They shouldn't be a concern for the time being and we have more pressing issues at hand." Jasmine watched the Prince a bit closer, watched as he frowned, watched as he texted with one hand quickly and quietly without sparing the screen a glance. "Rebuilding Tokyo will be a fulltime job in itself."

"I'm sensing a 'but' here," Alexis Hawthorne mumbled. Jasmine was inclined to agree. That was always the case when it came to Prince Lelouch.

"High Command has given us the task of establishing the first ever Britannian Air Fleet," Lelouch said.

"More airships?" Wolfe asked. He shared a cautious look with Diethard. Tense muscles, shifting eyes, fewer words than his usual average…he's hiding something.

"Sapporo-" Jasmine said, grinning when his eyes widened. Ah, something that happened in his campaign up north, something related to the Glastonbury. "-suffered extensive damage during the war. The same is true for most of the Area." She turned her eyes back to the Prince. "With all due respect, this is beyond our areas of expertise, sir. I'm not sure how we, with the exception of Sir Gottwald or Captain Hawthorne, fit into your civic plans or this Air Fleet."

"I'm getting to that in a moment," Lelouch said, snapping off another text. "First order of business: security. With our military weakened after the recent battles, it will be laughably easy to sneak in."

"What? Like spies?" Maximillan asked.

"Spies, smugglers, drugs, illegal arms," Vera listed off with her fingers. She lived in South America. Of course she would know all about that. "All kinds of under the table activities that can hurt recovery."

"Ms. Arlington, Victor, the two of you will work with Kage to keeps the gangs and the yakuza from accumulating too much power."

"Ya-ku-za?" Jasmine repeated, the word unfamiliar to her tongue. "Is this an Eleven gang?"

"More like a national crime syndicate," Suzaku said with a scowl.

Lelouch placed his phone on the table. "They are a grey area, a lesser of two evils if you will. They serve as a form of quasi-police for the Japanese given the typical Britannian indifference towards the affairs of Numbers. In exchange, they extort money from the civilians."

"Why haven't they been stamped out?" Vera asked. "I cannot see Prince Clovis being happy with them."

"These yakuza are organized and smart," Jeremiah answered. "Unlike your typical gangs, they are also viewed in a favorable light by the Elevens. This has made attempts to eradicate them difficult."

"They will be looking to expand their influence in the coming weeks too," Lelouch said. "Especially in the recently reclaimed areas. The anarchy to follow will be a ripe breeding ground for these groups."

"We'll take care of it, sir," Jasmine said. Victor nodded.

"Next, I-" The Prince's phone vibrated again, shaking the table like a petulant child. He sighed again. "Let's end the meeting here. The rest of you will receive your assignments by the end of the day."

Jasmine frowned. That was very unlike him.

"My apologies," Lelouch added. "Clovis is most insistent that I have breakfast with him." There were knowing nods all around the table as he picked up the phone. "Clovis, stop spamming my phone. I'm on my way."

-AKWAC-

"So-" Lelouch dropped into the seat opposite Clovis', "-what was so important that you had to pull me away from my meeting?"

"Breakfast, Lelouch," Clovis said. "It's the most important meal of the day, after all, and you're looking rather skinny lately."

"Ha-ha." Lelouch gestured for the attendant to approach. "I'll have some Earl Grey please."

"Now Lelouch, I'm starting to think you don't like spending time with me."

"What gave me away?" Lelouch took a sip of his drink. "You didn't keep texting me all morning just to make sure I'm eating enough, did you?" Then again, this was Clovis. He wouldn't put it past him to pull something like this.

Clovis smirked.

"Unbelievable."

"Oh calm down, little brother, of course I didn't. I know you're busy making plans, being appointed as the next Viceroy on top of whatever important work the military is dumping on your shoulders. I thought it prudent to share some advice is all; clear some things up about your new post, as it were."

Lelouch blinked. That was surprisingly thoughtful of him. "Go on."

"First off, let me congratulate on making Viceroy." Clovis extended a hand which he shook.

"Thanks?"

"Which brings me to my first point: appearances matter," Clovis said.

"I know that."

"No, no, you hear what I'm saying but you don't get it. Appearances go beyond press conferences and dressing up and holding parties and putting on a good show. When the public hears the announcement, everything about you will be open to scrutiny."

"Isn't that already the case? Being a part of the royal family already means we're being watched," Lelouch said.

Clovis tsked. "Your naivety is cute, but a weakness we'll have to fix quickly."

Lelouch's brow arched at that.

"Yes, being a child of the Emperor means there's a certain amount of interest in you. It comes with the territory. However, there are hundreds of us. Most of the people's attention is focused on the few key players, like Odysseus, Schneizel, Guinevere, Cornelia, me and even you. Keep in mind the Paparazzi Law."

"What now?"

Clovis gave him a sympathetic look which just grated Lelouch's nerves.

"Anything that might be seen as a scandal will be seen as a scandal." Clovis pushed an envelope towards Lelouch. "Open it."

Lelouch did so and found a picture of himself, taken yesterday. At the Ashford factory. With Milly. His face scrunched. "How? I was discrete."

"Not discrete enough obviously," Clovis said. "Did you think a war would give you some reprieve from the public eye? Never, never, never ever think no one is watching. If I hadn't had my people keeping tabs on the major newspapers, untold damage could have been caused with that photo."

"Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?" The photo seemed relatively harmless to Lelouch. Sure, knowing he was being watched during such a private moment was invasive and irking, but how on earth would anyone sell a story based on this?

"Schneizel was right. You are young in the ways of the world yet. Off the top of my head I can think of a few stories for this picture. You and the Ashford girl are having an illicit affair. You had her grandfather killed because he was opposed to your relationship. The bomb that fell was actually from a Britannian craft. You were taking advantage of her vulnerable state."

Lelouch frowned. "None of those make any sense."

"Sense? It doesn't have to make sense. It's the media! As long as it sells papers, who cares?"

"Give the people more credit. They're not that stupid."

"Maybe not," Clovis admitted, "but do you really want to find out?"

"…No."

"That's what I thought. You will learn that public perception is one of the most useful tools a Viceroy has at his disposal. Are you seeing anyone at the moment?"

"I don't see how that's important," he said.

"Oh, believe me, it's very important. I'd even go as far as saying its key to your success. If the nobility thinks you are a bachelor, you become all that more popular. A few will offer just about anything to say they are linked to the royal family by marriage. Why do you think father married so many times?"

"Because he has the sexual libido of a dozen rabbits," Lelouch said dryly.

Clovis smiled. "Actually-"

Lelouch cut him off with a hand. "I know he had his political reasons, Clovis."

"Good, so you can see why the question is important then?"

"It shouldn't be a problem since I'm not seeing anyone."

Clovis stared. "Really?"

"Really."

"Are you sure?" He glanced at the picture of Lelouch and Milly meaningfully. "I won't tell anyone."

"We're just friends." A hint of irritation bled into Lelouch's words.

"Not even a fling? Friends with benefits? No?"

Lelouch crossed his arms. "You were saying that I should avoid getting into a relationship, now you're practically encouraging I get involved with someone. Will you make up your mind?"

"As long as the nobles think you aren't with anyone, it's all good as far as I'm concerned. A young, healthy lad like yourself-"

"So your point," Lelouch interrupted before Clovis further derailed the conversation into fields he'd rather not talk about, "is that the reality of my love life is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is that the nobles believe I'm single still."

"Now you're catching on," Clovis said, taking a dainty bite of his croque madame. "You'll need whatever support you can get from the nobles. Given your mother, you're not going to be as popular as you should be."

They hated her, hated her common blood.

"Thankfully, they love the idea of the war hero and," Clovis continued, "conveniently enough, you are one. Still, that's not going to last you long. You'll need to show them quickly that you can play their game, if you want to keep their much needed capital in Area 11. They're the third largest source of investment, you know, next to the government and the Kyoto House."

"We have close to seventy percent of the world's Sakuradite supply," Lelouch said. "With the war going on, more Knightmares are going to be needed, which means profits for everyone involved will skyrocket. What more reason do they need?"

"Ah, the self-assured 'I know better than you' approach. It's a good start," Clovis said with an approving nod. "But you'll need to take it a step further. How you dress will play a big part in convincing them."

Lelouch raised a brow at him.

"The plain uniform, Lelouch, it has to go."

"There's a point to that."

Clovis scoffed. "Oh, I'm sure it was useful when you were building rapport with the rank and file. The whole image of being 'one of them' and not buying into the whole officers and officers alone should be celebrated. It might have even been playing the humility angle, granted, but that doesn't work on the nobility."

"My exploits have been all the news reports have talked about lately. I doubt they need to be reminded for now," Lelouch said.

"For now," Clovis repeated. Can you say the same in a year? In three? Eventually, you'll be forgotten. You know how fickle people's attention spans are. There will be doubt too, from those who believe that a military man doesn't have the skill set or the tact to manage an Area. Others will mention your distinct lack of a tertiary education. Even more will question your age," Clovis said.

"What an incredibly demanding group." Lelouch sighed.

Clovis nodded sympathetically. "In the end, results will weigh the most, but it certainly doesn't hurt having these small assurances to prolong their patience."

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.

For some reason, the Proverbs quote sprung to mind, despite the fact that Lelouch was never all that religious himself. He was here anyway, it couldn't hurt to listen. As frivolous as Clovis was at times, he was the Viceroy for over a decade who had managed to bring a devastated post-war Japan into relative economic prosperity – for the Britannians at least.

"You have ideas?"

"In four days, I'll be holding one last gathering; a farewell to Area 11 which should serve as an excellent event to formally introduce you as their new Viceroy."

-AKWAC-

Click.

"-the new Viceroy of Area 11, Prince Lelouch, recently proclaimed his "dedication to rebuild the infrastructure, revitalize the economy and resurrect the-"

Click.

"-Joint Chiefs have expressed confidence in the Eleventh Prince's ability to handle his new administrative and military duties despite the vocal outcry of critics-"

Click.

"-bidding for the new Britannian Air Fleet will begin-"

"Ugh!" Kallen screamed out, turning off the television before placing the remote as far as she could, given that one hand was handcuffed to her chair. The sad thing was that this treatment was a marked improvement from previous weeks, where both hands were chained.

The door opened to reveal her least favorite person in the world right now. "Oh, you."

"Yes, me," Lelouch said. "Were you expecting someone else?"

"Anyone else would have been preferred."

"You wound me, Kallen," he said, utterly unfazed. "Can't we have a civil conversation for once?"

After you threatened my friends? She glared.

"Have you read the medical report? It made for a rather fascinating read," he said, gesturing at the thin stack of papers on the table.

She nodded grimly, her lips still tight.

"Does it match what you've observed from your personal experiences?"

"Yes."

"Let's see here. 'The subject is restrained to, on average, an hour of continuous active usage of the subject's abilities for every twenty four hour time period. Pushing past this limit strains the brain as it interprets far too much stimulus to be healthy. As a result, the subject suffers from headaches, nausea and hemorrhaging."

Lelouch leaned in a little closer. "You're a smart girl. I'm sure you can draw your own conclusions about what went unsaid."

Death.

"Yes, you do know. I can see it in your eyes," he said. "Fortunately for you, it's in my interest to keep you alive and healthy for a while longer."

"Because of my father."

Lelouch shrugged shamelessly. "He's part of the reason, I'll admit, but I'm more interested in talking about why you interest me."

"Me?" She tilted her head. "There's not much to talk about. And if this is some ploy to get me to join your 'Zero Squad', you can forget about it."

His smile made her skin crawl more than any other expression could have. "Come now, you haven't even heard what I'm prepared to offer you."

"There's nothing you can offer me."

"A car is waiting outside. I suggest you cooperate with them and remember, no Geass now."

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

Lelouch tilted his head towards the door. "Find out for yourself." And he walked out of it, leaving it wide open in invitation.

Some semblance of freedom would be nice after weeks of captivity.

She took a few steps out the door.

"Hmph," a familiar voice sounded from behind her. Suzaku Kururugi of the Black Prince's Zero Squad pushed off from the wall he was leaning against and went past her.

Kallen's eyes narrowed into scornful slits and for a fleeting instance debated whether to turn back. But damn it did she miss sunlight.

The silence, the tension, held between them all the way to the outside world where a black SUV was waiting. It was always a black SUV for some reason.

"Get in," Suzaku said, holding the door open for her.

"Where are we going?" she asked as he entered after her and shut the door.

"Shinjuku." The car accelerated forward smoothly.

Kallen's face morphed into something ugly. "Off to slaughter more innocents for the cause?"

"To help them," he said.

"As if the Britannians would let you," she said.

"They will follow my Prince's orders."

She caught glimpses of the city through the windows. The passing of war had left clear marks on the streets and even now, there were soldiers out and about. "You really buy that?"

"I do."

"Then you're truly hopeless," she spat out. "A mere dog for the Britannians!"

"And what is it you do for the Japanese, deluded rebel?" he answered with equal vehemence. "Your resistance, the JLF's resistance, only makes it that much harder for us to help the people."

"I fight so that I can see Japan free one day."

"Free?" Suzaku said. "Fool, Japan can never be free. Even if Britannia left this very second, the Federation would see this country shackled. Your freedom is an impossibility."

"The Federation can try, the JLF will fight them off all the same. At least we're trying," she said.

"You're getting people killed! My people!"

"It's better to die on our feet than live on our knees!"

"And you've the right to choose for others? Is that it?" he asked. "It's not like the JLF suffers the the consequences."

She turned sharply back towards him. "Oh? And what are you doing for them aside from ensuring their slavery?"

"I'm making their lives easier. I'm changing the system from the inside."

She huffed. "You've the gall to call me deluded? Wake up. You're a Number to them. You'll never be given the authority to change anything."

He smiled. He smiled. "I already have it."

"What?"

"Prince Lelouch is the new Viceroy of Area 11. With Pendragon's focus on the war, he'll have an even freer hand to act here."

"So? That's the Prince, not you."

"I have his sworn word," he said. "He'll keep his promise to me."

"A Britannian has no honor."

The car stopped. A line of Japanese waited patiently as food and water were handed out by Lelouch's soldiers. More than a few let out ragged cheers at the sight of Suzaku.

"This Britannian is different."

-AKWAC-

"Does anyone know how to profit from a war?"

"Be on the winning side!" someone answered, eliciting laughter from the gathered lords and ladies.

Even Lelouch grinned. "An important factor, no doubt, Count Westford, but not an absolute necessity by any means. See, wars are terrible for the economy at large. Winning doesn't equate to profiting."

"Not to be disrespectful, Viceroy, but I don't see how that's the case," said Baron Bernholdt. "When there's a war, unemployment goes down as the Empire requires more soldiers, people that must be armed, fed and clothed. More employment means more people have more money to spend on more things, while the industries that are involved make even more money. I fail to see how war can be a bad thing."

Lelouch nodded all throughout the argument, having heard it so many times before. It was the typical rhetoric of the pseudo-economists – nobles who decided they had learned all there was to know from six credit hours in college. "Well, the Federation seems to be in a slump recently. Perhaps I shall be a good neighbor and help them out by bombing a few cities? That ought to be jumpstart their economy, no?"

Bernholdt appeared thoughtful.

Lelouch grabbed a flute of champagne from a passing server before continuing. "Imagine for an instant a boy in a quaint village. The economy could use some sprucing up, the boy thinks, and so he hefts a rock and smashes in a window. Surely the economy ought to be better off now, for the blacksmith must take fifty pounds from his pocket to pay the glassmaker, who will take that same fifty pounds to pay the grocer and so on and so forth, ad infinitum.

"But what we forget is that this same blacksmith could have used that same money to buy himself a nice coat or a new pair of shoes." A few of his audience nodded; some because they truly agree with what he was saying, others because they wanted to curry favor with the new Viceroy. "Instead, he must use it to pay for a window he already had. He is worse off then, for instead of having a window and a coat he now only has a window. The village then is worse off by one coat. The key to making money off of war? Stay neutral and sell to both sides."

"Not exactly an option for any of us currently," Countess Westford, a woman with rather distinct cheekbones, said.

"It's true that circumstances aren't ideal, but that doesn't preclude us from gaining nonetheless. Ladies and gentlemen, we have an opportunity before us. Sakuradite is in high demand, and it will continue to be so for the duration of the war. No other exporter in the world can satiate the voracious appetite of our military."

"You wish for us to stay," Duke Eisenheim, CEO of the Eisenheim-Krum Corporation, said. "Is it wise, though, to keep our investments here? By virtue of geographical proximity, Area 11 is the frontline of this conflict. Prudence would have us pull out now."

"You can sit this one out in the safety of Pendragon if that is to your liking, Duke Eisenheim," Bernholdt said. "I'd be more than happy to take a few factories off of your hands, maybe even expand my demesne."

Eisenheim rolled his eyes. "You'd bankrupt yourself paying me off," he said plainly. He ignored Bernholdt as he turned red. "You're asking for more than just investment, aren't you, Your Highness?"

"Very astute, Your Grace." Lelouch bared his teeth just a little, something predatory bleeding out of him. "We need your financial support, but we need your cooperation more than anything else. It is expedient that we reestablish a route between the Sakuradite refineries and our ports as quickly as we can."

Every lord and lady gathered had fiefs through which the expressways connecting the cities passed through. A noble was effectively the local government in his lands, and while the central administration could bypass their authority for certain things – like repairing a national expressway – it would take time and money better spent elsewhere.

"There's no doubt in my mind you will make an excellent Viceroy in these trying times. Already you've moved soldiers to help keep order on the streets," Bernholdt was quick to say. "You can expect my utmost in this endeavor."

And there's my opening. "My government will, of course, offer remuneration with interest."

More than a few pairs of eyes sparkled. You can always trust greed.

Lelouch raised his glass. "To prosperity-" he gave everyone present an assessing look, "-and cooperation!"

They mimicked his words. Only time would tell if they would mimic his actions.

"Prince Lelouch, Taizo Kirihara and the Kyoto Houses have arrived," Jeremiah's voice buzzed in his ear. He emptied his glass and let a server take it away.

The Six Houses of Kyoto were a group of local industrialists that collaborated with the Britannian government after Japan was colonized. Together, they were an economic powerhouse that nominally controlled entire industries.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you'll excuse me," Lelouch said, smiling politely. The nobles bowed their heads slightly, according to their station, as he left them be.

Taizo and his cohorts saw him coming. There were only five of them.

"It's been a long time, Taizo Kirihara," he said.

"Your Highness," he said, "you honor us with your presence."

"You weren't anywhere this formal when we last spoke."

Taizo smiled faintly. "Circumstances have changed drastically."

"His Highness must be praised for the swiftness of his actions," one of them said, most of his face covered by his beard. "Necessary supplies have reached even the Elevens who dwell outside the city." The ghettoes he meant.

"Tousai Munakata of Munakata Steel. Even among the Kyoto Six, he employs a large number of Elevens without Honorary status."

"Thank you for the praise, Mr. Munakata," Lelouch said. "I see to it that all my subjects are taken care of."

"You…know my name," Munakata said.

"I make it a point to know the names of important people."

"Important? Me?" He tilted his head. "That's a…unique perspective, Viceroy."

"If I may ask, Prince Lelouch, how long will your soldiers be patrolling the streets for?"

Tatsunori Osakabe, Eleven Fishing Fleet, Jeremiah supplied an instant later.

"No more than a month," Lelouch said. "Just enough time for the local enforcement to find their feet again. When the yakuza and the gangs cease to be a threat, I can turn my attention on the last of the JLF."

"An ambitious plan," Taizo said. "With the military weakened after the recent fighting though…"

"Oh, I don't mean to bring them to heel with military might."

They stared.

"You…mean to negotiate…with rebels?" Munakata said.

"In a manner of speaking," Lelouch said. "The Kyoto Six will be of great help in this endeavor."

"We are at your service, Prince Lelouch. How can we help?" Osakabe asked, his accent mistakable for a Britannian's.

"The JLF," Lelouch began, "has outlived their usefulness to the Kyoto Six."

They froze, uncertainty flickering across their faces. "Whatever do you mean, Your Highness?" Osakabe asked.

Lelouch fixed his collar, a prearranged signal with Jeremiah.

"Kage has just reported back in. It is as you suspected."

"I'm well aware who it is that funds them," Lelouch said. "The fact of the matter is that they're irrelevant to the future of Japan, now that I'm here. They can stand down of their own accord or be forced to two months from now."

"Is that so?" Munakabe asked in a tone of interest. They were considering it at least. "Not that…I'm admitting to anything…but how exactly does your being Viceroy…affect their goal…of freeing Japan?"

Lelouch raised his index finger. "First, they no longer have the military capability to hold land for much longer. We return to the status quo two years back where they were holed up in their mountain hideouts and the occasional cat and mouse game. Such methods will get them nowhere in the long run."

Another finger rose. "Second, you're unlikely to get a person more sympathetic than I to the plight of the Japanese. Taizo knows."

As one, they turned to him.

"It's true," Taizo admitted. "The Prince spent months with the Kururugis before Japan was subjugated. It gave him an appreciation for our people. His best friend is Suzaku Kururugi. He even staked his own career to raise regiments of Japanese soldiers during the recent fighting; Japanese, not Honorary Britannians. You've all heard of his efforts to better the livelihood of our people." He paused. "Freedom is ideal, but pragmatism states that life under the Prince would not be far off."

"You speak…as if…you know him."

"We used to play Shogi," Taizo said. "I won the first game against him and lost every game after that." He turned to the prince. "How did you find out?"

Lelouch grinned. "The JLF has been fighting for close to a decade now," Lelouch said. "Throughout it all, they've managed to keep their equipment and weapons relatively up to date. In the past year though, they've acquired some truly remarkable equipment. The Guren and the knightmares of the Holy Swords for example must have cost a small fortune by themselves. The sheer amount of money needed cuts down the list of suspects quite considerably."

Taizo rubbed his cheek. "That assumes they got the money from only one source. Who's to say it wasn't the Federation? They've reason enough to support them. Or the EU? They've a history of rounding up Number refugees and arming them."

"The Federation would never have left them behind if they'd been paid for, not with the happenings in Luoyang. The JLF would never fight for the Federation if they were being supplied by the EU," Lelouch said.

"We will help, Prince Lelouch," Taizo said. "But I think you overestimate our actual influence. The JLF is its own creature."

"Convincing them to disband…is counter to their goals. It…will not be easy," Munakabe added.

"Get me a meeting with them," Lelouch said. "I'll take care of the rest."

-AKWAC-

There was no body to bury.

It isn't that it hadn't been found, though by no means had the excavation of the Ashford Centennial been completed. There simply wasn't anything to find. The Guren's Radiation Wave Unit had generated enough heat to melt steel on contact. Just being in its general proximity was enough to turn flesh and bone into ash and dust.

"Do you think he would have liked it?" Milly asked, eyeing the block of marble. It was vaguely humanoid in shape, but other than the face, not much distinguished it. Incomplete as it was, in time it might become worthy of the man it memorialized.

"He'd love it," Lelouch said, "because he loved this school. He'd love it because the best years of his life were spent here, getting to know you. But most of all, he'd love it because it came from you."

Milly nodded, blinking away the tears in her eyes. She felt a hand rubbing her back gently, as if lulling her to sleep with its rhythmic back and forth. Milly offered Lelouch a weak smile.

Something squeaked.

The two turned towards the source of the sound.

It was a wheelchair. It was Nunnally. A somewhat familiar girl pushed her seat forward, while three others flanked them almost protectively.

"What are you doing here?" Lelouch blurted out.

Nunnally's smile seemed…off. It was gentle and sweet, but…tainted. Or rather, not quite innocent.

"To pay my respects," she said. In a softer voice, she continued, "He was like a father to me too, you know."

The girl, Alice, pushed her forward still until she was close enough to touch the statue.

Nunnally frowned. "It feels strange to me. Far too smooth."

"It's incomplete," Alice answered.

"Ah, Alice, if you would?" Nunnally held out a beautiful bouquet of flowers, offering no resistance as the other girl took it from her and laid it at the base of the statue, where several others rested. Ruben Ashford had been beloved by the students of the Ashford Academy.

"The beginnings of a face are there," Alice began. "His cheeks are high and distinct, almost sharp enough to cut yourself on. The mouth is curled into a warm, welcoming, grandfatherly smile." She paused, looking around with a desperate expression etched onto her face. "Um…"

Nunnally sighed. "That's fine for today, Alice." Alice bowed her head and stepped back. "Sancia?"

Another of the girls stepped forward. "His eyes though, if you squint, you can almost see the blue in them. They have a quality to them that makes you feel indescribably small, like he can see your very thoughts. Still, his expression isn't one of judgment, but of forgiveness. It's humbling really."

"He was a great man," Nunnally said, voice like velvet.

"He was," echoed Lelouch.

"It's great to see you again, Nunnally," Milly said.

"I'm glad to hear you too, Milly," the blind girl answered. She flicked her ear and Alice pushed her closer towards the blonde on cue. "It's been…a year now hasn't it?"

"Close to that," Milly said. "I heard you were here a few months back but we never really got the chance to catch up."

Lelouch scowled. The kidnapping was still fresh in his mind.

"Yes, that was a shame," Nunnally said, dipping her head. "How have you been holding up?"

"I'm doing much better now, thanks to Lulu."

Again, he scowled, though there was no malice this time.

"How long are you staying for?" Milly asked.

"Forever, if it were up to me," Nunnally said, a touch of wistfulness infused with her words. "Realistically though, a month."

"You can afford to leave Montreal unattended for that long?" Lelouch asked.

"It's your fief," she shot back. "Besides, unlike you, I've learned to delegate."

Lelouch frowned at her. "I don't do everything by myself."

"No, but you still do far too much than what is considered healthy. You're only human, brother, much as you hate being reminded so." She turned her head towards Milly. She only off by one or two centimeters. "What's happening to the Academy? Are you going to be the new Superintendent?"

"I…I don't know really." Milly said. "Wouldn't it be up to my father?"

"He's not the heir though," Lelouch said. "You are."

"Since when?" Milly asked, feeling lightheaded all of a sudden.

"You weren't told?" Lelouch asked, eyes going wide. "Your grandfather made you his heir a few months back. I thought the lawyers would have said something by now."

"I haven't been answering my phone lately," Milly said.

"Well, you are."

What would have Grandfather wanted? Milly's gaze shifted to the statue. "He wouldn't have wanted the school to close down." That much she was certain of.

Lelouch hummed in agreement.

"He would've wanted the Foundation to live on," she continued. "And if he left it to me, then I guess he wanted me to lead the Foundation after him."

"That's a lot of responsibility for someone our age," Lelouch said, his tone cautioning.

Nunnally snorted irreverently. It was ironic to hear those words from him.

"I won't let him down," Milly vowed.

"You won't," Lelouch said, taking her hand into his.

She squeezed his hand tighter.

Ruben Kristoff Ashford
1946 August 23 - 2018 August 23
A better man you will not find.