"Speech"

"Radio or calls"

'Thoughts'

A Princess No More

Suzaku

"I am sorry people of Japan. I failed you. I didn't stop the violence that happened to you. But I stand today as an ally of the people of Japan, and of those that want peace and freedom. I, Euphemia Li Britannia, hereby renounce my name and title. I am Euphemia Kururugi!" Suzaku could feel the breath leave his lungs as she put on the ring. She was giving up her title, and is heart raced as he let her words wash over him. She was nervous, but something seemed to fill her as she continued.

"I stand with the Black Knights. Britannia has shown themselves to be a terrible master, and even I was merely a bandage over the crimes the empire is willing to commit. I can no longer stand and allow this tyranny to stand. I will do whatever it takes to free Japan from the dominance of Holy Britannian Empire! I call out for the people of Japan to join the Black Knights. Huddling in fear will do you no good. This is your land, and you deserve to have the freedom all people deserve, as outlined in the failed revolution so many centuries ago." Diethard held up a countdown of five fingers, counting down as Euphie took a breath as Suzaku beamed proudly at her. An old pride filled his chest, an alien sensation that sent a shock of guilt through him. As the last finger came down, she spoke again.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Those were the words of the leaders of the American revolt. And they ring true even today. Fight for your freedom and show the empire that you won't back down! Britiannia stands more divided than you know, and only by holding to those ideals can we free the world from them!" Suzaku remembered those words, repeated from the research she had been doing on Britannia over the course of these three years.

She smiled at Suzaku, his heart beating fast, and looked back at the camera, "And to the Britannian people who live in Japan, do not despair. Our country has done horrible things, but you are not responsible for those crimes. We have a lot to make up for it, but it is only right that you take a first step in mending that rift. It won't be easy, and it will take years to make up for the horrific damage we have done, but those willing to take the first step can join me on the road to redemption." She extended her arm, metaphorically offering it, "Join the Black Knights and do what you know is right in your hearts."

She gave a last look at the camera, and smiled, Diethard's eye lit up, a manic grin on his face as Suzaku's wife took a deep breath, then with a clear and raised voice, cried out, "Love live Japan!" The camera people behind them echoed her, and Diethard silently gestured for them to cut the feed. Euphemia took a deep breath. Suzaku rushed to her and kissed her, relief filling him as he was finally able to publicly show his affection for her. She kissed back, and wrapped her arms around his neck, breathing into his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You did amazing." He could feel the smile against his neck, and he just held her close. Her words struck something in him, a guilt that permeated him, but he didn't want to bring down the mood. Her words to fight for Japan still rung in his head, and he just held her close as he kissed her forehead.

The princess looked up at him, "I wouldn't be here if I didn't meet you. If I hadn't grown to love you, I don't know if I would be the same." A hint of guilt entered her eyes, and he cupped her face, "It feels wrong and selfish."

"I know you would have done the right thing. You chose with your heart."

"And did you?" She looked deep in her eyes, and he looked away, a frown crossing his expression. A sad smile filled his wife's, and she just nodded, "It's ok."

But to the knight's displeasure, Diethard came striding up towards them, a wide grin on his face, "Wonderful! I knew you were a good speaker, but with you and Zero on the same side, no propaganda stands a chance!" He clapped a few times, "This will spread around the world."

Suzaku looked at him curiously, "What do you mean?"

The man smiled, "We overrode the signal all across Japan, and we have contacts in Europe and China that will soon be translating it. The empire will not be able to ignore this."

Euphemia smiled at Diethard, but even he could tell this was a fake smile, "Thank you for giving me this opportunity. Can I have someone bring us to our quarters?"

Diethard nodded, "Absolutely." He gestured to one of the guards, "Bring her to the room assigned to her by Zero." The guard looked at her with some awe, and she smiled warmly at him. The pair were guided out of the room as Euphemia linked her hand with Suzaku. They stayed silent as they were guided to a modest room with basic accommodation, though it would be a lie to say it wasn't comfortable. 'This just screams military.'

The princess sat on the bed, and what confidence filled her had seemed to leave, the former viceroy trembling. Suzaku pulled her onto his lap, and a few tears streaked down his face, "Cornelia will never forgive me for this."

He just held her as she rested her head on his shoulder, "I know I shouldn't feel bad. She committed acts I would condemn and is a believer in the right of the strong. But how can I hate the woman who helped take care of me for so long?" More tears ran down her face, and Suzaku pulled her closer.

"I don't blame you and neither would Lelouch or Kallen. I still think about my father, and it's been over a decade. Whatever happens, we will be there for you." She just nodded as she let silent tears flow. He could feel the weight of her burdens and held his own emotions in check. His own concerns could wait for later. He needed to be a rock for her.

A few of his tears joined hers, and he had no idea where they came from. His heart was heavy, and he shuddered, her tears tugging at his heartstrings. It wasn't the first time she had done this, but it seemed both of them were worn down by just everything that was happening around them. 'Not that I don't deserve it. All I did was make it worse.'

Cornelia

Cornelia looked desperately at the blonde woman facing the camera, "You need to find my sister!" Her voice was full of desperation as the soft faced young woman gave her an even look. Her long, straight blonde hair fell down her neck, and blue eyes looked back at the princess with compassion. The blonde had on the standard Knight of the Round outfit, a white suit with gold ropes crossing her stomach, green cloak on her shoulders. A black and gold symbol on her chest marked her status.

"We will find her, Princess Cornelia. But it will take time to find her, and we just landed." Cornelia knew the logistics of landing an invasion force, but all she could do was show her storming emotions.

"Just find her. Zero must have done something or lied to her. She would never betray us! You have to believe me, Lady Krushevsky."

The blonde smiled and gave her a comforting nod, though the imperial princess felt little of the relief that those words should have had, "I completely understand. I promise that she will be brought back safely. I give you my word." Purple eyes met blue, and the princess could see the complete sincerity in them. Monica was the most recent member of the Knights of the Round, and there was something comforting about her idealism.

"Thank you." Her voice lost some of its edge, and she leaned back in her chair as she let out a heavy breath, "I have one other thing to ask of you. If you find a young man named Lelouch Lamperouge, please at least bring him somewhere safe."

The princess's face turned down, and she tried to put on an even expression. Monica looked to her left like she was hearing something, then turned back to the camera, "I will put it on my list. Our agents will comb Japan for him."

Cornelia's heart slowed down as she got that off her chest. 'Lelouch. Euphie.' She didn't know if her sister was safe, but Lelouch being out there in the metaphorical wilds left her internally trembling. Nunnally was still missing, and she couldn't lose more of her precious siblings. It was unfortunate that she was alone, Guilford leading an assault into upper Italy. She smiled at the Knight of Twelve, "Please contact me when you have any information."

"I will." Monica saluted, "Good luck on your new offensive." The call ended as Cornelia returned the gesture. She slumped back in her chair and pushed back growing tears. The words of her sister rung in her head as they repeated throughout the empire. While she had shut that down as soon as she saw it, it was nothing good. Not only did it threaten the stability of the empire, but who knows what effect it would have on the forces of Europe.

She had been grinding down their morale, but a boost would render her efforts useless. 'Our best hope is a quick victory, but with the numbers that have been reported under Zero, that seems slim.' Whoever oversaw the invasion had their hands full as even she could admit the Eleven leader could challenge the best of Britannia.

But more importantly, her baby sister had been corrupted by Zero. There was no way she would ever join him willingly, especially with all that blood on his hands. Her father was right to crush this, and once Euphemia was back home, she could be led to become the proper princess she was before. She may have grown a few years older, but she had not experienced the world as she had. She had left Japan under an uneasy peace, and Euphemia had flourished then, but if her sister died in the process of this war, then she didn't know what she would do. 'Zero will pay if she does.'

Monica

As the call ended, Monica took a deep breath. The princess seemed worried, and hearing the words of the now traitorous viceroy had caused her to think. Was she right to betray them after the emperor had effectively destroyed her main policy? It was a hard question, but the emperor was her superior. Her now assigned office in the palace was plain, which she didn't mind as she stood up to look out the window. Troops moved with a loud racket as they settled into their new headquarters.

Ships filled the harbor as more frames were unloaded, and a few hover ships floated above the city, including the flagship Avalon-class named The Guinevere. She tapped the windowsill as the princess's words, along with Kallen's, floated freely in her head. Troops were already rooting through the Tokyo Settlement for sympathizers and Black Knights. At her estimation, it was going to take days to clean out the city.

The door to the office slid open as Monica turned to see a tall, dark-haired, broad man enter. He had a grizzled face, earned from years of war. The massive man spoke in a deep voice, "How goes the fleet? And what is the status of your frame?" He wore a similar uniform to hers, only with a white cloak to her green.

"It goes well, Lord Bismark." She bowed in deference, "It will take the rest of the day and into the early morning until we should have things at least somewhat organized. The engineering corp is hard at work." She stood just a bit taller, feeling his eyes on her, "The Florence should be repaired by this evening."

"Good. I plan to launch an assault on the SAZ tomorrow. I give command of the garrison to you." He spoke deliberately and evenly, her eyes drawn to his sewn shut eye. 'The eternal question among us.' There was a bet on the reason why it was sewn shut. Hers was that he was hiding he was heterochromatic.

She frowned at his words, "Are you certain? I can fight."

Bismark chuckled, "It's not that. I trust that the people will be safe under you. But I can use him as a perfect tool to strike at our enemy. They have been evacuating their people, and a strike on their rear lines will seal them up in the SAZ."

She let out a sigh, "Why do we have men like him? How can we be noble and use monsters?" 'A lech. A cruel bastard. A heartless beast.'

Bismark just grunted, "We have been given orders to destroy the Black Knights. And destroying their will to fight will only benefit us. I do not wish to use him, but it comes from our emperor, so we are obligated to follow his orders."

"I just…" She trailed off, and looked at him, "Understood." She pursed her lips at Kallen's words, the idea that she was taking away someone's right weighing on her. And when they employed a man like that, she had somewhat of a point. But she shook those words away, though she didn't miss the frown on Bismark's face. 'Is it me? Or what he must do?'

The Knight of One smiled at her, "And congratulations for beating the Crimson Storm. She will be one of our main aces we will have to plan around." Monica nodded in agreement, blushing slightly. The redhead had messed up their flanking attack, and now they had some data on her new machine.

"But I didn't finish her off or capture her."

"You'll get another chance. It was better to retreat and ensure your survival. Just get some rest and we will handle the next offensive." He patted her shoulder, and she watched him leave her office, confident steps as she took a deep breath. 'Just don't think about what he will do.'

Kallen

After Lelouch had gone over the details of the extraction with everyone, she had gone to her room to shower and clean up, which was such an amazing feeling after something so stressful. As much as she would love to be with her boyfriend more, she had to get some time to think for herself. The defeat still stung, and even if the footage had been sent, it was just a bit too fresh to look at this very second. Steam left the bathroom as she walked out in just a towel, quickly dressing back in her uniform.

She busied herself packing anything of value, which wasn't much. She frowned at the thought of her mother, who she still had no idea where she was, but had no illusions what would happen to her if she remained in the Tokyo Settlement. She looked evenly at the more barren shelves. This had never been a home for her, not like the apartment she had shared with Lelouch, but that certainty was no longer there. Three years of comfort had been a blessing, but war brought her a level of stability that unnerved her. Just a bit.

She took a deep breath as she threw another uniform in her box, before sitting down on a couch. Her head leaned over the back as she took a deep breath, and a ring at her desk caused her to turn her head. It was a green flashing light, showing someone was messaging her. She stood up and walked to the desk, pressing the comms button, "This is Major Kozuki."

A man's voice responded to her, "We have a man and women claiming to be your parents at the front gates."

A familiar warm voice of her mother joined it, "It's me! Your father brought me here!" Kallen's eyes went wide, and she tried to contain her voice as the knot tightened in her chest.

"I'll be right there." She tried to control herself as she sped through the base, headed to the main entrance. Hidden in an office building near the civilian headquarters, Kallen could feel the sweat going down her forehead. Her heart raced as she got closer, the sound echoing in her ear. As the door opened to the entrance, she could see her father holding her mother's hand. Two guards with guns at the ready looked at them intently and saluted as they saw her.

Tears surged up, and Kallen rushed forward, pulling her mom into a hug. Tears hit Kallen's unform as her mother choked a bit on her tears. Kallen held her mom closer as she let the relief fill her, that uncertainty fleeing her. 'She is ok. She's ok!' She looked up at her father, who gave her a warm smile. She nodded at him, and he joined in the hug, wrapping his arms around the two women.

All three were silent as the hug lasted several seconds and broke as Kallen wiped away some tears. Sayla took deep breaths to calm herself, and looked in Kallen's eyes, "Your father risked his life to save me. We got fired at by some frames, but they didn't seem to chase us."

The redhead looked to her father, who nodded, "I don't know if they knew it was me, but I assume they thought it was a fleeing Japanese citizen." He pursed his lips, "That car isn't making it."

Kallen let loose a small laugh, "I wonder if I got my skill from you. But what happens if you go back? What will they think?"

Richard frowned, "I have no idea, but you two come first." He smiled at her, and her smile grew as she could see the real man her father was beneath the surface. Her mother looked between the two, and a smile grew.

"I haven't seen your father act like the young man I fell in love with in so long." The man blushed, and Kallen smiled.

The redhead turned to face the guard, "I'm taking them to my quarters."

"We cannot allow a non-Black Knight Britannian to enter the base unless they are a prisoner. Zero's orders." Kallen was about to try to intimidate them, but her father offered his hands to the guards.

"No, I am more valuable as a prisoner. If it means helping you, then I am happy to be used as a hostage or trade." He nodded proudly at his daughter and smiled as they cuffed him. Kallen swallowed heavily, a few tears in her eyes.

"I love you."

"I love you too." Her heart beat faster at his words, and she choked back more tears as she looked at her mother, "Were you two…?"

Her mother just nodded, "We are…starting to slowly find ourselves as a couple again." She looked at the closing elevator door, the tall Britannian out of sight, "But Zero will keep him safe, right?"

There was a hitch in her voice, and seeing her father being the man Kallen wished had raised her since she a girl caused her to hitch a bit, "Yes. We are moving out soon, but I'll make sure they know I'm his daughter. But first let's head to my room. You look like you need some rest."

Sayla smiled and took her daughter's hand as the elevator opened for her; the pair headed down into the depths of the base. Kallen squeezed her mom's hand, and her mom did the same, the pair relaxing as they indulged in what little peace this provided.

Lelouch

Measured steps filled the halls as the Black Knight leader approached the room of Euphemia and Suzaku. Time had passed since the speech, and Diethard was already reporting strong reactions to the speech, negative and positive. The people of Japan needed a boost, as they had only started this war. Maintaining motivation was going to be the hard part, and he hummed under his breath.

While she worked differently than him, her idealism was certainly a draw that he could feel the tug of. She exuded compassion and warmth, which is something that would only make winning the hearts of the people easier. 'Trying to convince the Japanese people to not punish innocents will be the tricky part.' Britannians would add to his war machine if they could prove to be trusted. 'More issues to deal with. I will probably need to keep them in separate units until Japan can be liberated. Though blending them in might reduce the chances of betrayal.' There were many options, but this was putting the cart before the horse.

Plans were in motion and the base was already being emptied of essential gear before the attack could arrive. By the time they were gone, the Britannians would be greeted with a surprise. His main worry was the naval route, which were vulnerable since their navy was still in dock, ready to be released. They had some water-based Akatsuki, but not enough for his comfort, and the majority of flyers had to be diverted to defend against the forces that would inevitably attack the SAZ again. If there was something he knew, it was Britannia was aggressive and liked to press their advantage, to their detriment at times.

He reached the door of the married couple, and knocked, "Euphemia? It's Zero." He didn't have a title for her yet, but he trusted their external relationship enough for it to not be weird. The door slid open, and Suzaku was at the door, a level of suspicion still crossing his expression. He had changed into a more casual outfit, as had Euphemia, who was wearing a conservative nightgown.

"You may come it." Suzaku's voice was even, but there was a tension in Lelouch's mind as he looked at his friend he had lied to for so long. He strode in, and he turned to face the couple, who had stood up.

"No need to stand. I wish to check in with you and congratulate the former princess for her speech. Also, I wish I had been there for the wedding." It was a bit dramatic, and he didn't miss the crestfallen look on his sister's face at those words.

But Suzaku had something of a smile, "Thank you. But it's not your fault you weren't there. We wanted it to be private with only those close to us."

Euphemia nodded, "It wasn't anything personal. Just a Japanese ceremony and a few drinks." Lelouch looked back with some regret as Euphemia got rather wasted on sake that day. If he had to guess, she was out like a like that night, or very… He shook his head, not wanting to think about his sister like that in any way.

Lelouch simply spoke with a cheerful affect, "As long as you two are happy, I won't complain. The people are going to love the idea, and I'm sure the princess will be instrumental in helping reduce the tensions with Britannians who join the army." Suzaku frowned, and Lelouch didn't stop, "What is your sister going to say?"

Euphemia frowned, and balled up her fists, "I will deal with her if she comes to face us. Maybe not on the battlefield, but I'm no longer a child." Lelouch was impressed by her determination, and he wondered if she oversaw the invasion. 'She is in Western Europe right now, so unless it's bad intel, then who am I facing?'

It tugged at his mind, but he stayed focused as he looked to the princess, "I don't know what clothing you have, but I can provide you some of our uniforms until we have time to get you something more fitting."

The princess smiled at him, "Thank you. Do you have an option with a skirt?"

"Yes. I will have all the options sent to you and you can request more from whatever you favor." One thing that grew with the Black Knights was the growing need to provide uniforms, and some women liked to wear longer skirts or dresses, "However they won't be very colorful."

Even Suzaku chuckled at that one, "And I assume you have a uniform for me to wear?"

"Yes, though I expected you to not want to change it. You've been stubborn since I first rescued you."

"You aren't the first to say that." Suzaku shrugged, "I should probably at least try to blend in." Lelouch nodded at his friend at least figuring this out. He let the air settle as the three got more comfortable, but Euphemia was the first to ask a serious question.

"Now that I joined you, I want to know what your plans for us are. Long-term and short-term." Her face was all business, and the Black Knight leader moved to the door and locked it.

"Very well. Like I said before, Suzaku is under your command as a special bodyguard to you. I expect him to follow my commands in battle, but until such needs, I trust your judgement. And as for the former princess, she is to be sent to China to aid an ally that needs help and after that will aid Kaguya in foreign policy and to finish drafting an idea years in the making."

Suzaku raised an eyebrow, "What have the Black Knights been sitting on that needed to be so secret?"

"An idea that will change the world and break the old systems. I cannot share what it is yet but rest assured that it will hopefully be another blow against the empire of Britannia." Kaguya was a devious woman, and now that she had a few more years under her belt, he had to say he trusted her the most out of everyone but Kallen in the Black Knights.

Euphemia raised an eyebrow, "So what are you going to ask me to do short-term?"

Lelouch began to pace, "I cannot be everywhere at once, so I need people to complete tasks that are needed. And your skills in diplomacy and understanding of politics is perfect to help our ally in China."

Euphemia looked like she was turning over his words, and her eyes widened as she spoke, "Xingke."

"Very good princess. He and I have started something of an alliance. He aided us when we needed it." Much of their gear had been hidden in Shandong, and their fleet was launching from there. He cleared his throat, "So we are returning the favor by helping him. I will give you all the details when everyone is there in Nagoya, but to keep it simple, he furthers our goals for securing an army to assist us in liberating Japan."

The words seemed to hit the married couple, and Suzaku's face was an open book as he looked confused, "But he I thought he was loyal to the Chinese Federation."

"Sir Kururugi, loyalty to your people and country, and loyalty to your leaders are two different things. Hopefully you have both, but we can use this loyalty to the people to secure our independence. He can explain it better, but he is loyal to the empress and the people."

The knight had a sour look on his face, but terrorist had given up on trying to get him to understand the necessity of using people. Euphemia looked at him, "I understand. I suspected something was going on when he told me about the instability in China. Will I have any limits?"

"Yes. But in those bounds, I trust you to follow your heart. Wars can be won by winning over the people, and you are good at that. A good heart with a pretty face." Euphemia blushed at that, and Suzaku looked at him a little darkly, "Relax. I have no desires for your wife."

Suzaku just grunted, and the princess swallowed heavily, "Why aren't you sending Kaguya? She has been here longer."

"Because you have experience with the ambassador, and she is needed to maintain and run the political for money supplies and loyalty. The Six House of Kyoto are still very important for us, along with the rebel groups we absorbed over the years."

The princess wrung her hands, and then smiled a wavering smile, "If you trust me with this job, then I will try to do my best." He could see the doubt across her face, and even he was aware his words could do so much.

Lelouch nodded and took a deep breath. 'It's time.' He stilled as he looked at the couple, "And there is something that I owe both of you." His hand went to the back of his mask, and with a hiss, the back retracted. There was a held breath in the room, Suzaku leaning forward with confusion and intent, while Euphemia looked down at her lap. Lelouch's heart beat fast, and he closed he eyes as he pulled off his mask, "The truth."

Author Note

Welcome back! We get a break as we add in a few Britannian POVs, and I have fun plans for Monica. I hope you enjoy her dynamic with the rest of her side, and who is this mysterious man they are talking about? And last, but not least, we finally have our reveal, and next time you will see how Suzaku reacts. Please review and comment, and I'll see you next time!