"Speech"

"Radio or calls"

'Thoughts'

A Roiling Storm

Euphemia

The car Euphemia and Suzaku had ridden in soon reached the entrance the SAZ Administration building. It was a familiar sight to her, and after the visit to the community center had brightened her spirits, she decided to ignore her schedule to check in with Jerimiah. 'If there is one thing I can enjoy here, it's that they actually accept me.' She was guided in, greeting the staff, made up of Japanese and Britannians. She was brought to the head office, and Suzaku stood guard outside as she entered the office.

What surprised her the most was the fact Jerimiah was not alone. Sitting in a chair was the tall, dark-haired Chinese ambassador. 'Li Xingke.' She smiled at both men, noting that the pale man was wearing his normal blue shirt and white pants. A jian was strapped to his side. Jerimiah stood up and bowed, "Your Majesty."

Xingke followed in his example, speaking as he rose back up, "It is an honor to see you again. I was finishing up talks with Jerimiah to get Chinese support for the SAZ." His tone was straight, respect lacing each word. Euphemia smiled politely as she accepted their niceties.

"Please don't bow. This is merely a check-in. And it is wonderful to see you again, Ambassador Xingke." He had been assigned to Japan for the last couple months, and he had been polite, if a bit standoffish. Pride in his nation filled his words in the past, and she smiled as a chair was offered to her, "Anything I need to know at the moment?"

Jerimiah smiled, "Not at this moment. We were working out some final details, but those can be decided over a call. I will send you the agreement once that is done." A part of her frowned, but she had to put her trust in her chosen representative. 'You don't have to do everything.'

Xingke stood up and bowed to both, "I shouldn't interrupt you two. I'll send the Eunuchs your continued support." She nodded at that, and the warrior left the room. She couldn't help but notice the split-second annoyed tone but didn't know fully what to read on that. Chinese Federation politics were complex, and their court was even more tangled. Yet even she knew the Eunuchs wielded lots of influence, like how they had centuries ago before the Ming fell.

She watched the man leave before her attention was turned back into the main administrator of the SAZ. He looked at the Viceroy, and his expression suddenly became more serious, "Viceroy, I have news from Zero. I was going to schedule a meeting, but it appears that you arrived at the right time."

Euphemia steeled herself, "This sounds like bad news, or you wouldn't have that face."

Jerimiah nodded, "Zero has gathered intel reporting two Britannian fleets approaching Japan under radio silence. Have you received anything about this?"

Euphemia bit her lip as the news hit her. Her brother had been building an army, but that was for Europe. 'But why the radio silence? Why hide their movements?' Her sister may not be able to tell her everything, but she would think she would have been told by the homeland that she was at least going to host them for resupply.

Euphemia shook her head. 'It must be for Russia. Area 11 has been at peace for three years.' Ignoring the short spark up of rebellions, Area 11 and the SAZ had been more productive than ever. Sakuradite production had gone up by fifty percent, and that should have been more than enough to keep the homeland happy, "I will send out a message to the homeland asking about this. There must have been some mix-up." Her frown only got deeper.

Jerimiah gave her a comforting smile, "It's not your fault, Viceroy Euphemia. You have done more than enough to improve Area 11. I wouldn't be in this position if you hadn't forgiven this failure of Britannia. I will talk with Zero about this and see what I can do."

She blushed as he put his hand over hers, "No. This is my responsibility. I will contact Zero myself." Her voice was full of steel, and she took a deep breath, "And make sure that supply document gets on my desk before the end of the week."

Jerimiah nodded, "Yes, Viceroy." Respect radiated from him, and a small part of her was internally smiling. Everything was happening recently, and she didn't like this. She stood up, and curtsied. Jerimiah stood up and gave her a respectful bow, "Guards will escort you outside, if you wish for them."

Euphemia nodded, following protocol as Suzaku joined them, taking his place at her side. She squeezed his hand, a feeling of comfort washing over her. No matter what the world threw at her, Suzaku would always be there. He was her rock, and she didn't know what she would do without him.

The group soon left the building, and Euphemia was about to get in the provided car, when two men in Chinese officer uniforms approached her and Suzaku. She looked up curiously, and Suzaku spoke for her, "Can we help you gentlemen?"

An older man with short, greying brown hair bowed in respect, "We have been requested to bring you to a private chat with the ambassador. He is waiting in the car." They gestured to a dark green SUV, the Federation symbol on the windshield.

Euphemia looked at the men, and nodded, "Do you mind if I bring along my knight to the talk?"

Both men looked at each other, a silent question between them. The older man was speaking to someone quietly, asking whoever it was the same question she did. After a few seconds, he looked back at her, "That is acceptable." She smiled and gracefully followed them, the two men opening the door. The couple entered the car, and were greeted by the sight of Xingke, his arms crossed.

"Thank you for having this more…private talk with me. And it's good to see you, Sir Kururugi."

"And you as well, Li Xingke." Euphemia could see a look of respect pass between the two men, though the reason why was lost to her. Suzaku, now in a private setting, crossed his own arms, "Are we being listened to here?"

Xingke shook his head, "We are free of any observers. I wished to exchange a few words with the princess before I headed back."

Euphemia looked at him, sitting straight up as he she took control between her and Suzaku, "What nature are these words?"

The Chinese officer kept an even expression, "I merely wish to inform you that there is growing discontent in the Chinese Federation. Your support has been very helpful for what you can give us, but rebellion is starting in the frontier. Notable leaders in the regional armies have been growing more powerful."

Euphemia looked him in the eye, "And does that mean potential decreased support for the SAZ? Because you might be called to serve?"

There was small twitch of his lips, "Very observant." Yet his gaze was telling her more than his words were. There was a devotion and cause in his eyes that she had only seen in her brother or Suzaku. He nodded at her, "I feel like returning a bit of the truth about why I was heading home. Unfortunately, anything beyond this is classified."

Euphemia nodded; her heart bolstered by this seeming truth. She knew she should probably mistrust him, but something about his words made her want to believe him. It was a matter of national pride, and if it concerned such negative news, why would he lie to her. She glanced to see Suzaku taking in his words, clearly not why he would share this. His eyes had questions for her, and she just smiled. He took a deep breath, and Euphemia turned her attention back to the Chinese man, "I completely understand. Thank you for what you told me."

The princess looked outside, and took a breath before she spoke very deliberately, "I will consider this matter and will send you any humanitarian aid you need for the people." That steel was in her voice, and she beamed a bit as Xingke smiled.

"Thank you, your highness." He bowed his head, and Euphemia could tell he was done. She smiled and left the car, Suzaku falling in behind her. Once they were in the car, driving back to the palace, Suzaku turned to look at his wife.

"Why was he telling us that? If that was Britannia, they would be court martialed. It would make you look weak." Euphemia smiled at her husband's increasing understanding of geopolitics, though he still had a long way to go. 'Not that I expect him to. That's my job.'

She placed a hand on his, a somewhat eye-raising act, though the driver didn't seem like they were looking at them, "Suzaku, internal issues can create…disloyalty. I don't know if he is allowed to or not, but I am at the very least taking heed of it. The people of the Chinese Federation will need help, and I will send what I can afford to."

A warm smile filled his face, and her heart raced as he intertwined their fingers. She kept her composure as she smiled back, the knight speaking with an understanding tone, "And that's why I stay by your side. For that soft heart of yours."

Xingke

As the princess left the car, Xingke looked back at the front as a woman's voice came through the dull glass, "Was that truly wise? She could tell Britannia about this."

Xingke just smirked, "Zhou, you know her relationship with the Britannian court. And I am certain Britannia already has an inkling at what is going on internally just by being near our border." He turned to look at the brown-haired woman, her blue eyes meeting his brown ones.

Her face was even, with a hint of concern. She just hummed under her breath, "So do you think she can help? With what is going to happen?"

"Zero trusts her and seeing her eyes as she said she wanted to help the people, I believe that she means every word she said." He chuckled, "It's a surprise to see someone so genuinely idealistic in this world of ours. We need to keep an eye on her." The Chinese woman raised her brow at his words.

"I never expected you to like someone so idealistic, besides the empress."

Xingke scowled for a second at the mention of the empress, but calmed down, "Unlike most, there is a steel spine in her. Beneath that kind surface is a smart woman. What needs to be seen is what sort of woman she is."

Zhou just bowed her head, "As you wish. And how did the talk with Zero's man go?"

"Preparations for sending men and supplies to us have been arranged. He is willing to reinforce our forces, but we will need to either lead a lightning strike or build up a mass revolt. Hong will be informed soon."

Zhou smiled, "That should be good. And the frame is located at a base in the Shandong province."

Xingke smiled, a sense of accomplishment filling him, "Good. Keep an eye out, but do not act without my orders." He crossed his hands over his lap, looking out the window. Things were coming together, and he knew a powder keg when saw one.

Suzaku

Hours after the visit to the SAZ, Suzaku found himself in the wood on the outskirts of the Tokyo Settlement. Sitting in the Lancelot's cockpit, his eyes were peeled around him. The Lancelot had been upgraded since the fighting with the Black Knights ended, a red cockpit and integrated flight system now attached. The Varis rested in its usual spot, but in addition to that was a hadron cannon mounted at the shoulder, which required the VARIS to use.

Shots rang out from the trees, barely deflected by the blaze luminous shield on his wrist. A Vincent poked out from the trees. The mass production variant of the Lancelot was colored primary off-white with gold highlights, and a pink sash across the middle of the frame, and one of the shoulders had a pink rose painted on it. He turned and aimed the VARIS with a quick draw to the spot where the shots came from, but the machine was already gone.

More shots came from his left, forcing him to glide out of the way. His factsphere opened, spotting four frames hiding in the trees. No data on what they were armed with, but the harassing fire was keeping him from advancing. More Varis shots left him, but none seemed to hit their mark.

Pinned down between four suits, the Lancelot tried to stay on the move, keeping them from truly being able to keep a bead on him. Rounds impacted around him and against his blaze luminious, and his landspinners were nearly hit by a rocket that soared into the ground. 'I have to even the odds.' He smiled ruefully at how skilled these pilots were, and they certainly had improved.

"We have you now!" A young woman's voice echoed from a charging Vincent, her MVS drawn as she charged out of the trees. Suzaku brought up his own as he parried her blow, and her voice echoed out again, "I have him trapped!" Their blades continued to clash, and Suzaku tried to angle it so that her weapon wouldn't hit his.

More landspinners dug into the ground as another knightmare frame blasted out from behind a hill, charging forward as Suzaku brought up his arm to block the blow. The Vincent's blade slammed against the blaze luminous, the Lancelot straining. Suzaku could see the guns being aimed at him from the trees, and acting on instinct, he lowered his frame to trip up the female knight, his sword slicing through her blade arm and one of the frame's feet. It collapsed on the ground as he quickly turned his Varis on the legs of the other frame, spinning out to dodge the blow that came from above.

One blast was all that was needed to blow out both legs at close range, and the cockpit ejected, leaving the two suits crumpled on the ground. Another rocket then streaked past, and Suzaku sliced it in half as he tuned towards the frame that fired it, "Have to be faster than that!"

"How did he do that?" An older man's voice came from this frame, and Suzaku rose into the air, zeroing in on him as he fired a few shots, the first one missing but the next one hitting the head. The third quickly removed the frame below the waist. The frame fell to the ground, but it strained to aim the rocket launcher at him, but another shot ended that dream.

Suzaku took a deep breath, "Three down, but where are the other two?" He didn't have much time to react as shots hit the back of his frame, launching him forward a bit. Thankfully none of them went through the armor, but the Lancelot lurched a bit as sparks came from the flight unit. He growled under his breath, stabilizing himself as he lowered the Hadron cannon, taking aim at the location of the attack. His factsphere saw there was a frame in there, and he took aim, a powerful blast leaving the 8th generation suit.

The ground shook as the dark attack slammed into the ground, and it quickly revealed a melted suit. The cockpit was gone, and he looked around, trying to spot the pod, as well as not drop his guard. There was one more, and it was the most dangerous of the bunch. Suzaku scanned the environment and spotted him coming out of the sun. 'Good plan.' Suzaku could see the glare coming from spear MVS descending upon him, and he was forced to dodge out of the way, the weapon glancing against the shoulder of the Lancelot.

His Hadron blaster sparked uselessly as the Vincent Dragoon shot passed him, the spear almost hitting the ground. The frame looked similar to the others in color but had a pink head with a small red crest, marking it as more important. The spear was a dark red, the MVS clearly activated. On its back was a physical shield, looking like a knightly kite shield. The primary color was white, with gold trim and pink highlights. And on its side was a Varis like his. The frame turned to face him, and a friendly and confident voice left it, "You did good, but can you beat me?" It was a man's voice, in his late twenties.

Suzaku smiled and pulled out both of his blades, landing on the ground as he activated the landspinners on his frame. The Vincent held his spear in two hands, twirling it before charging forward. Suzaku blocked the blow with a slash harken, his own weapon swinging at the side of the frame but was parried away by the shaft of the spear, "Don't disappoint me, Sir Arthur!"

Suzaku smiled as he could feel the rush of a duel. The Order of the Rose was new, but even he had to be impressed by their leader, Sir Arthur Johnson. A knight older than him. Suzaku struck at the main body of the frame, Arthur deflecting the blows, but a few glanced by the side, leaving a gash in the armor. The MVSs were sharper and improved, and even the Vincents spear shaft was showing dents. Arthur tried to take control of the fight, but Suzaku stayed focused. He had to take control of the battle, and each strike drove him closer to the woods.

The battle continued for a few minutes, trees falling as weapons sliced them. Suzaku was sweating as Arthur pulled out his shield, the barrage of attacks against him clearly overwhelming. The blaze luminous of the physical shield deflected his attacks, and the Japanese knight could hear the smile on Arthur's face, "You should try out for the Knights of the Round!" Arthur bashed away one of the swords, and Suzaku wheeled back, getting some distance to figure this out.

"I belong to Euphemia and don't need any more that what I have." Pride filled his voice as Arthur charged him again, and Suzaku braced himself, and with lightning speed, the spear was out of Arthur's grip, landing in the ground spear point first. Suzaku's second blade swept under the shield, slicing off the arm at the elbow, the shield falling uselessly as Suzaku pressed his sword against the armor, tip pressing into the torso.

"I yield! You have bested me again." Suzaku pulled his sword back and the screen began to fade as the simulation ended. The knight wiped away the sweat and pressed the button to open the pod. He stood up as the hanger came into view. It was relatively small, and only a handful of frames were attached to the wall. The banners showing the pink rose on a white background with gold trim, filling the room with color.

He saw all the frames he had defeated, their pilots lowering to the ground. One of them was curvy, darker skinned woman, with curly black hair. Another was a bulky, tall man, completely bald with a serious face, wrinkles showing his more advanced age. The woman smiled and waved, while the man just nodded.

Two others were a short and slender girl with a brown pixie-cut, who couldn't be much older than seventeen. She giggled and was saying something to the man near her, who was also on the smaller side, though his eyes showed a deep-seated nervousness. His hair was buzzed, showing blonde roots. And lastly there was the final man he had dueled.

A striking black-haired man in a custom uniform, with more gold flecks covering it. He was modestly built, above average in height. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail, blue eyes showing worldliness. His voice was full of mirth as he gestured to his men, who all shuffled out, the slender girl giving Suzaku a wink as they all chatted among themselves. All of them wore pilot suits like his, only in their order's colors.

Suzaku lowered himself down, and walked up to Arthur, "That was closerr than last time. Better than most in Area 11." Both men shook hands, and Suzaku looked at his frame, "This is a new one."

Arthur nodded, "Just came in. One of the benefits of leading a knightly order." He tapped the leg, "Even a dishonored knight like me gets something. I need to thank Lloyd for helping develop this."

Suzaku raised an eyebrow, "He made this?"

"Well, I didn't ask specifically, but he seemed to take interest and it seems that he went above and beyond."

Suzaku chuckled, "Of course he did. I'm pretty sure he went above budget for the Lancelot, but I won't complain." Suzaku caught out of the corner of his eye Cecile in the control room, with Lloyd standing next to her, "He's back early. He said he would be away for at least another week."

Arthur shrugged his shoulder, an easy smile on his face, "He said something about needing to do some final tune ups for the Lancelot. But I don't see the need after that skirmish. You could match any of the Knights of the Round. Maybe the pilot of the Guren."

'Am I better than her?' He ruefully smiled at the thought of Kallen. She was a clear match for him, and the only advantage he had was flight. Though he couldn't be certain what happened to the Guren as it had supposedly been destroyed when the Black Knights had disarmed. 'It was a shame it had to go.'

Suzaku chuckled, "I missed a chance to go against the Knight of Three, but I wonder how that fight would have gone."

Arthur raised an eyebrow, "Gino Weinburg, huh? He charmed my cousin back in the homeland a few years ago. Never came to anything, but she said he was a good kisser." Mirth filled his voice, and he began to guide Suzaku to a private longue.

Suzaku frowned a bit at the thought, the memory of meeting him and how Euphie had reacted still in his mind, but he chastised himself, "He seemed like a decent guy. A bit too flirtatious for my taste." Suzaku wondered how much of it was a show versus who he really was, but people were not his forte. Arthur and he exchanged small talk, going over the fight and what they did wrong, and how they could improve. It was spirited and friendly, but just as they reached the private lounge, a question left Suzaku's lips without thought.

"If you had to choose between an oath or someone you love, what would you do?"

Arthur looked at him curiously, and Suzaku's lips were curled as he looked at his fellow knight. Arthur tilted his head, and Suzaku hoped he didn't try to examine it too hard, "When you say oath, is this a formal oath, or informal loyalty to a group?" The man's eyes looked deep into his, Suzaku taking a deep breath.

"Formal oath." A weight sat in Suzaku's mind, hating to think that he might have to do this. He looked at Arthur, who sat down in a chair in the simple, yet comfortable longue. Suzaku joined him and sat across, leaning forward, elbows on his lap.

Arthur hummed under his breath, and a bittersweet smile crossed his face, "For once I can relate to this. You have to choose with your heart. Men like us must lead with our hearts and passion, choosing what we know is right. Thinking isn't always useful, as counterproductive as that sounds." He leaned back, a certain affection in his eyes, "I chose with my heart, and would rather be dishonored than have abandoned the woman I love."

Suzaku looked at him with a newfound understanding, "What happened?"

"My family was against my choice of partner. They forced me to choose between her and keeping my family name, along with any inheritance." No doubt filled his eyes, "There is a reason I am named Johnson and not Greenfield anymore." The name didn't trigger anything, but seeing someone confident in his decision gave him some hope, "I can't tell you how to decide, but when you do come to it, do it with no doubts or regrets."

Suzaku nodded at his words, "I hope the woman you love knows how much you love her." The weight of a potential choice between Britannia or his wife was not leaving his mind, and he hated he even had doubts about this.

A warm smile crossed his face, "I try to make sure she knows every day, but she has been busy recently on the coast. She should be done in a couple months."

"Well, that is one thing we both have in common. Very busy women." Suzaku smiled as he leaned back. His words hadn't settled any doubts or helped him with any answer, but it was food for thought. And then the door opened, Lloyd and Cecile stepping in, Cecile coming to his side and placing a hand on Suzaku's shoulder.

But Lloyd was the first one that spoke, his infectious excitement spread to his face, "Suzaku, that was spectacular. I knew I picked the right devicer years ago!"

Author's Note

And we cover the other side of our POVs! Both are under stress, but we get to see the Lancelot Conquesta, as well as a side character. It was fun to come up with a custom suit, and for those of you more obsessed with mechanics, it is a custom Vincent unit. Thank you for reading and I'll see you guys' next time!