Lie and Seek

by draconichero21

On Planet Earth, there are multiple superpowers that oversee the global populace, most prominently are those that follow the Church of Seiros: Adrestia, Faerghus, Leicester, and Britannia. A chance meeting interlocks the fate of Lelouch and Edelgard, unknowingly putting the fate of mankind in their very ambitious hands.

11. Deceit

(A/N: NGL, kinda disappointed with the turnout of the commentary for the previous chapter. Am I asking too much? I thought the previous chapter was some of my best work for the fic yet, but the response I got was pretty lukewarm. Well, either way, I'm forging ahead. I'm guessing that, as long as I get to what people want, those of you that have stuck around since the beginning can be hipsters in the vein of "I liked Lie & Seek before it was cool". Anyway, let's resume)

---

Morning of the 27th Day of the Garland Moon

An aura of dread hung over the Blue Lions house. Ashe and Felix had both transferred out. Armed civilian deaths hung heavy upon their shoulders. But it hung no heavier upon the shoulders of one Dimitri Alexandre Blayddid. He'd tried very hard to keep it together, to show a brave face in front of his comrades, but…in truth…he was absolutely lost, consumed by grief and, known only to himself, rage.

Wandering around the Monastery, he found himself approached by Leila. "My prince," she said, calling out to him.

"Oh. Good morning, Leila. Did you need something?"

Leila looked forlorn at him. "Prince Dimitri, I know you are trying hard to hide it, but…if you need a moment to be human and not a prince, I will hear you out."

Dimitri sighed deeply. "Leila, your empathy towards others is perhaps your greatest quality." He sighed again. "Very well, if you'll lend me your ear, I hope you won't regret it."

Leila bowed. "I vould be honored to hear what ails my liege."

Dimitri grumbled once more and then began, "I just…we killed so many people back there, Leila. Not just Lonato, but civilians. And for what?! There had to be a better way! I know that…I know that if we hadn't done what we did, more civilian lives could have been lost, but those were my people, Leila. They weren't knights or soldiers, but fathers and sons!" Dimitri palmed his right eye and croaked like he was about to leak tears. "I'm sorry. I'm being extremely unkempt in front of a lady."

Leila shook her head rapidly. "No. It is fine. Really." She took a step towards him and caressed his sturdy shoulder. "You are as human as any of us. And…" she backed away from Dimitri, staring at the ground. "You are not the only one grieving for the people of Faerghus. Not just myself, but I imagine Ashe too. Those were Lonato's people we had to cut down. I did my best not to hurt anyone, but…so many…there were so many that didn't deserve their fates. As many knights that I helped, many other soldiers lay in the dust. And I wonder…could we not have come to an understanding? Could we not have saved them? Does the Goddess frown upon our actions?"

Dimitri sighed again, but this time it was of relief. "I'm…relieved to know I'm not the only one shaken up by all of this. Between Sylvain brushing things off like always, Felix running off to join a new class and Dedue acting like everything's normal, I've been walking around forcing a smile. That's what's expected of me."

"I don't mind if you don't smile," Leila said with a smile of her own. "Even princes can get angry and feel pain."

Dimitri groaned, but not because he found Leila's statement corny or problematic. "Honestly, it's gotten hard to smile since the Tragedy of Duscur."

"All wounds heal with time, Prince Dimitri. My own father was killed before my eyes eleven years ago," Leila told him. "Your wounds may heal as slowly as my own. But, I almost envy your situation."

"You cannot mean that," Dimitri practically scoffed.

"No, I do. In one specific way, I envy you. You lost and suffered greatly, yet…you retain control of your own destiny. Sure, you are guaranteed to be my king, one day, but…all kings are different. As for me…my path is very narrow. As soon as I turn eighteen during ze Red Wolf Moon, I am likely to be whisked away to a wedding not long after, my fate sealed to a life of chopping veggies and raising children vor a husband I do not love."

"Ah, I'd almost forgotten about your…unique circumstances," Dimitri said. "In fact, on that subject, why did you come to Garreg Mach, knowing that was what awaited you."

"If I could become a knight in servitude of Rome, I could forge my own path. I would not be vorced to a life at home, but a life joining together with others." She put her hands over her heart, looking wistful. "For me, var is not vaged between those that are right and wrong, but those linked in ideology. It is the comrades you make in var that build your future, not ze battles you vin or the bodies you pile up." She gazed at Dimitri with strong eyes. "I vish to be a commander in warfare that does not lose a single soldier, zo zat the world may see vat Leila Malcal, no Leila Breisgau is truly made of."

Dimitri smiled. "Well, I wish you luck, Leila. If there's anything I can do in my station as prince to help you achieve that goal, do let me know."

Leila smiled. "I shall. Thank you, Prince Dimitri."

---

That Afternoon…

Claude was quite surprised when his afternoon lecture was postponed and then found himself, and Professor Manuela, being whisked into Seteth's office where Catherine, Rhea and Suzaku were all waiting for them.

"Thank you for coming," Seteth said. "Please, close the door."

"Quite the entourage we have here, don't you think?" Manuela asked perplexed.

"I smell trouble brewing," Claude said with a smile and a chuckle. "I just hope it's the fun kind."

"I wish it were," Suzaku said. He turned his head towards his mentor. "Catherine?"

Catherine groaned. She disliked the situation, but it was her duty to deliver the news. "Our investigation into Lord Lonato turned up an email he received from a yet identified source. Apparently, he was conspiring with his mysterious benefactor to assassinate Lady Rhea."

"Whoa there, Lonato was trying to assassinate the Archbishop?" Claude asked. "Then why all the out and out arson and long, drawn out rebellion. Woulda made more sense to just take some airships and attack Rome from all sides, sneaking in from Japan during the chaos."

"We believe that that was the plant after he made the march through China's borders," Seteth answered.

"Still seems kinda stupid, if you ask me," Claude said.

"No, I disagree," Seteth responded. "A militia of that size flying into China or taking off from a Faerghusian airport. It would have been shot down or reported before it even got close. In all the secrecy, the Chinese Federation government would have had to have cooperated with an investigation and likely sold Lonato out to save their own skins." He then further explained, "However, if Lonato muscled past our forces and made safe passage into the Federation, the Federation then could stand with him as an ally and not heed our requests for peace. Of course, this all hinges on the Federation believing it had the firepower and assets to take Lady Rhea down. Fortunately, because of the chaos, we are making an investigation into their military might. A trusted knight of ours is on the job. But, back to more domestic affairs."

"Riiiight, the conspicuous email send to Lonato to assassinate Rhea," Claude said. "Seems real fishy. Did he respond to it?"

"Immaterial. The threat has been made," Seteth stated. "However, Suzaku had an excellent point when we were discussing this earlier."

Suzaku stepped forward. "While we can't discredit the possibility that Lady Rhea really is in danger, it's all too likely that something else is afoot. I don't know what that is, but, Claude, you're the sharpest house leader by far when it comes to conspiracies. I'd like the Golden Deer house to make heads or tails of what Lonato's benefactor could really be after."

"Ah, smelling the old bait and switch, are we?" Claude asked with a grin. "Sure, I don't mind taking on the case. Leave it to Claude."

"Excellent," Seteth said with a smile. "That's a relief. Feel free to cooperate with Violet Tiger House. We've already tasked them with stepping up security around Lady Rhea's person on the Rite of Rebirth."

"The Rite of Rebirth…I take it that's the day the assassins are planning to act?" Claude asked.

Catherine nodded. "Rest assured, we'll be looking for suspicious people going in and out of Rome between then and now. Everyone has their own role to play in all of this."

"Right, gotcha," Claude said with a few, firm nods. "So, while we're on the subject, I know the best place I'd like to start my investigation. What do we know about this Zero character that appeared on the battlefield at Magdred Way?"

"Very little, I'm afraid," Rhea said. "He seemed to be aiding Lonato for some yet unknown purpose, only to flee the minute Lonato as cut down. Several HLKMFs, and a new KMF model unseen before a few days ago, were spotted on the battlefield."

"We got nothing on this guy?" Claude asked.

"That's just what we're dealing with," Catherine said, throwing her hands in the air. "We don't know his objective, who he is, or what they want, just what they called themselves according to Miss Annette's account: Zero, the man who makes miracles. Sounds like a bunch of drivel."

"Eh, every weird, masked freak has some kind of code. Look at Jeritza and his," Claude did his best to impersonate Jeritza, "Blood! Guts! Gimme more blood! Bwahaha!"

"That is a…terrible impression of our dear professor," Seteth stated.

"Yeah, well, that's why I'm not an actor," Claude chuckled.

"We are humbled by you trusting us with this serious task," Manuela stated. "The Golden Deer shall not fail."

"Claude, while I have my doubts if this Zero character is behind the assassination plot, be sure to let me know of any developments into uncovering his identity. Sinners must be punished, but the reports I've heard of Zero lead me to suspect he may be able to atone rather than pay for his crimes with his life. Should the man behind the mask be revealed to be someone reasonable, I would like to be able to give them a chance to atone," Rhea told him.

"I'll do my best, your grace. But uh, I'm no miracle worker myself, just a guy with a big brain and enough terrible jokes to clear an auditorium on open mic night," Claude answered.

Seteth groaned. "You're both dismissed."

Claude and Manuela then left.

Zero, Suzaku thought, reflecting on his battle with him. Who are you, exactly?

---

That night…

As Lelouch made his way to his bedroom to turn in for the night—and lull Nunnally to sleep if needed—his path up the staircase was blocked by someone: Byleth.

"Oh. Something I can help you with, Professor?"

"We need to talk," Byleth said, the expression on her face as stone stoic as ever.

"Can we do so in my bedroom?" Lelouch asked, dreading what this could entail.

Byleth nodded.

The two shuffled into Lelouch's room as Byleth shut the door behind her. After a few moments of silence, the youthful professor spoke up. "Marrybell and I had a fight."

"A…fight? With your student?" Lelouch asked.

Byleth glanced sideways. "More like a tactical disagreement."

"Color me intrigued," is what Lelouch said, but what was going on in his mind was more along the lines of I don't like where this is going.

"We were discussing security detail for the archbishop," Byleth said matter of factly.

"Following you so far," Lelouch said, contemplative.

"Marrybell wanted you in a recon position. I wanted you on the ground," Byleth told him.

"Hmmm," Lelouch uttered, soaking this in. Both positions fit his expertise. From a vantage point, he could spot shady activity, but from an on the ground position, he could be quick to act if trouble brewed.

"Marrybell wouldn't give me a good reason for why she disagreed with me," Byleth said. "Just insistent that she and Oz would be enough."

Recalling current events, Lelouch instantly knew what this was about. He uttered a noise that was somewhere between a sigh and a grunt of irritation.

"Marrybell knows something about you that I don't," Byleth said.

"You have an active imagination," Lelouch replied with his best possible poker face.

Byleth frowned, looking angry, but still speaking softly. "Out with it."

Unlike with Yuri, Lelouch contemplated using his geass on Byleth here and now. With Yuri, he already had all the pieces, and, apparently, so did the Savage Mockingbird. Lelouch had little leverage in the situation and by allowing Yuri to act freely, felt that if he could be led to the Savage Mockingbird directly, he could take action then. Mafia bosses would protect their assets until they became troublesome. If the Savage Mockingbird saw fit to let Lelouch run around, he would go to his grave—even for a wad of cash—protecting Lelouch's secret.

Byleth was different. He could easily tell her to obey Marrybell and forget the conversation ever happened. And, in fact, that was precisely what he was going to do. It was mundane, sure, but, Lelouch reasoned, using Geass in mundane ways on people he cared about, prevented it from being used in malevolent ways later, especially by accident.

"Byleth, I hereby command you, go with Marrybell's plan to protect the Archbishop and do not second guess her request. Also do not fight back with her on any tactical decisions you two are at odds with relating to me going forward."

The Geass took hold.

"Understood," Byleth replied in the same monotone she always had.

"How strange, the boy seems to have some mysterious power I am not aware of," Sothis said, completely unaffected by the Geass herself from the safety of Byleth's mind.

Byleth, currently under the Geass's effects did not hear Sothis's words.

"Was that all you wanted to talk about?" Lelouch asked.

"Yes," Byleth answered and left the room to go find Marrybell and apologize.

However, about halfway there, she stopped. Because of the influence of Lelouch's geass, the sudden gap in her memory, and the fact that she didn't recall hearing an answer until the answer suddenly flashed in her mind, gave her pause. She held the side of her head, not in pain, but in confusion.

"It was quite strange," Sothis said to her.

"What was?" Byleth communicated.

"Your own younger brother commanded you do something and you obeyed without a moment's hesitation. It was as if he cast a hypnosis spell that, even now, you appear to still be under the influence of," Sothis remarked.

Byleth became mildly irate, shaking her head. Her emotions were felt by Sothis.

"Yes. Yes. I get it. He's not playing fair, is he? Shall we return the favor?" Sothis offered.

Byleth nodded.

"The act itself was mundane, but I greatly dislike trickery of such a nature. He's definitely hiding something and, as an older sister figure in his life, you deserve to know the truth. We both feel that."

Byleth silently agreed.

Tik

Tock

Tik

Tock

Tik

Tock

Tik

Tock

Byleth suddenly found herself in Lelouch's bedroom once more. She was no longer under the effect of whatever hypnosis Lelouch put her under. Her comprehension of human speech returned on Lelouch uttering the line, "You have an active imagination."

Once more, Byleth told him, "Out with it."

However, it was moments after Lelouch looked lost in thought that Byleth beat him to the punch. "I think I deserve better than to have mind games played with me."

Lelouch froze. How did she…? No. It didn't matter. Clearly Geass was off-limits. And, as long as he admitted to nothing, he was guilty of nothing.

"My. How very astute," Sothis remarked. "I believe this is going a bit better than last time."

Lelouch was wholly unaware that he already had a similar conversation with Byleth once already. He had no idea that his Geass had gone off without a hitch. And, if not for Sothis, probably would not have brought Byleth back to cause him further trouble.

"Why can't you trust me?" Byleth asked calmly.

Lelouch took a deep breath. Shez knew about his history as an exiled, supposed to be dead prince. Byleth didn't. If Jeralt remotely suspected it, he didn't say it, nor imply it. The difference was clear cut. Shez had no past, no real family to speak of. She was easy to read. Her loyalty had been hard-earned by Lelouch's aid. It was a simple matter of metaphorical chess. Lelouch needed someone to spy on Clovis, Shez needed a home. She was too earnest and honest of an individual. She was, for all intents and purposes, a good person. It was easy to trust her with such knowledge on the grounds that she would take that secret to her grave, even if tortured.

Byleth and Jeralt were different. They weren't a part of Lelouch's family. Lelouch was a part of theirs. There didn't need to be an exchange of old pasts and ghosts brought up. Additionally, Jeralt was an astute businessman that also lacked etiquette when intoxicated. There was always the chance he could slip it up to the wrong person, while drunk, that he had "adopted two royal brats". Byleth, from getting to know her, didn't have any real worldly knowledge outside of fighting. It wouldn't change the nature of his relationship with her, so Lelouch didn't tell her.

Lelouch already knew, without even having to be there, what transpired with Marrybell. It was all over the news that Schneizel and Cornelia were going to be attending the Rite of Rebirth. If Lelouch was on the ground, they would spot him, no questions asked. Marrybell he'd almost fooled, but Cornelia? The woman was the head of his mother's private guard, she'd never mistake a picture of him. And absolutely forget Schneizel. Lelouch's body language if Schneizel spotted him would instantly give the game away. Marrybell, true to her word, had covered for Lelouch, and, in doing so, Byleth was now suspicious of him.

No, it's not suspicion, she's offended, Lelouch thought. Offended that I trust someone else, more than her. He thought of Shez. Well…it wouldn't be the first time.

"Do you need to know?" Lelouch asked.

Byleth nodded firmly, brow furrowed. "I think I'm entitled."

Well, so much for saying it was a need-to-know basis. This was why family affairs were messier than tangled bedhead.

"It's not something I want to tell people," Lelouch said, still trying to back out of saying it.

"I still want to know," Byleth said. Then, letting go of her anger, she simply stated in her usual, calm, stoic manner, "Will you trust me?"

Lelouch groaned. "If I tell you, know that you can't tell Jeralt. No, you can't tell anyone except for a handful of people that already know. Marrybell, Oz, Milly and Shez are the only ones that know for reasons that are important for the continued existence of my secret."

Byleth nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation.

"All right then," Lelouch said. "The truth is, my original name when you met me, Lelouch Lamperouge, is completely fabricated." He spoke quietly and took a step away from the window to guarantee no one would hear him. "My true name is Lelouch vi Britannia. I am the exiled and believed to be dead eleventh prince of the Britannian royal family."

Byleth's eyes widened. Whatever she had suspected, it had clearly not been that.

Sothis was a bit cheekier with her response to this revelation. "Well, well. Dead royalty. Will wonders never cease?"

"So, you're hiding from your family then?" Byleth asked.

"I am written off the census. I prefer it that way," Lelouch told her, scowling. "You wanted the truth, here it is."

"That's not right," Byleth said with a frown.

"I'll not hear family affair advice from an only child," Lelouch shot back calmly.

Byleth glanced to one side. Sure, he had a point there, but that was still a low blow.

"Marrybell figured it out, so I had to tell her so I could keep my identity hidden. Shez was spying on Clovis for me and needed a family, so I welcomed her into mine," Lelouch explained. "And Milly's family is an old friend of my mother's. I had to come out to them to have a safe haven, which is why I went to Ashford when I did. It was safer there."

Byleth now frowned, but in a sorrowful way.

"What? What's with the puppy eyes?" Lelouch asked.

"I was your sister first," Byleth told him.

Byleth had him there. He'd known for Shez for far less than the total length of time he'd been Byleth's younger brother and he'd told Shez the truth.

"Blame Jeralt. The man doesn't know how to keep a tight lip when he drinks. Also, you two are mercenaries. I couldn't take the risk that you'd sell me out for cash."

"I'd never sell you out," Byleth looked and sounded deeply wounded and offended. She then looked absolutely dismayed. "I wish you'd trusted me."

"All pieces on the board have their role to play."

Byleth had a right mind to smack Lelouch. She wanted an apology, not poetry.

She took a deep breath and collected herself. To some extent, she understood Lelouch's fears and worries. And, if he had a hard time trusting her, perhaps, she felt, she should reaffirm why she was worth his trust.

"You will always be my little brother," Byleth said with a stoic expression.

Lelouch turned his head away.

"Please try trusting me from now on," Byleth requested.

"I'll consider it," Lelouch said. "I never meant for you to find out like this."

"How was I supposed to find out?" Byleth asked bluntly.

"The day my father's head rolled at my feet, I suppose," Lelouch responded half-seriously.

"You'd be arrested for crimes against the crown," Byleth told him.

"Not with what I have planned," Lelouch told her.

"Do you need help?" Byleth asked.

Lelouch stared at her blankly. "You…want to help?"

"As a sister," Byleth answered.

Lelouch was now even more taken aback. He knew Byleth to be a woman of few words in most cases. Her statement was meant to clarify that she would fight Britannia for him on her own merits, not as a paid PMC, but because of their familial bond.

Lelouch's head was suddenly abuzz with ideas. Never before had he thought the Ashen Demon's loyalty could be so readily at his fingertips. Might that, on paper, rivaled Bismarck Waldstein. By herself, Byleth would make for the ultimate chess piece. All he had to do was make good use of her.

"I'll take that into consideration," Lelouch told her. "Was that…the only thing you wanted to discuss?"

Lelouch didn't realize it, but Byleth noticed it. He had the faintest trace of a smile upon his face.

Byleth nodded.

"Then I bid you good night, sister," Lelouch told her.

Byleth nodded again and walked out.

"Well. Will wonders never cease?" Sothis asked, once she and Byleth had left the dormitory area and into the Monastery night air.

Byleth stopped walking to listen to Sothis talk.

"Former royalty preparing to bare his fangs against the crown." She frowned. "How troublesome. He's like a spoiled toddler," Sothis remarked with all of the attitude of a fussy mother. She then smiled. "But, all the more reason to keep an eye on him, yes? I can tell he means a lot to you."

Byleth nodded and smiled silently.

"We should comply with our tactical princess then and keep him away from the festivities. You spoke with Professor Manuela earlier about your class, yes? Perhaps you could make use of that brother of yours in a different way," Sothis said with a smirk.

Byleth silently agreed.

---

Afternoon of the 28th Day of the Garland Moon

"Greetings, Lelouch!" Gatekeeper exclaimed, waving him down. "Nothing to report!"

"If there's nothing to report, why the hail?" Lelouch asked, chuckling.

"Ah, well, nothing like a conversation with a familiar face. Helps with the monotony of guard duty. I love it, but there are some days where nothing happens and those are just boring. You can love your job and still find it boring, you know," Gatekeeper stated.

Lelouch nodded, agreeing to some degree.

"The rite of rebirth is next month," Gatekeeper told him. "I hear Prince Schneizel and Princess Cornelia will be attending. Believe it or not, I'll actually have to be away from my post as part of guiding them. Apparently Princess Euphemia will be in attendance too and it'll be her first time at the Monastery."

As I recall, Cornelia did spend a year here as house leader three years after my mother died, Lelouch thought, recalling a newspaper article. Also, Euphemia? Here? That'll be interesting. I'll have to avoid her too.

"I wonder what Princess Euphemia is like. Apparently public pictures of her don't surface very often. I guess being part of the military, Princess Cornelia uses her connections to prevent kidnappers and assassins from having an image to go off of."

That sounds like something Cornelia would do, Lelouch thought.

"I actually wasn't working here when Princess Cornelia was in attendance as a Violet Tiger, but oh boy what I wouldn't have given to have seen that," Gatekeeper said with enthusiasm.

Lelouch raised his eyebrow with intrigue.

"Princess Cornelia and Lady Catherine were rivals during their time at the monastery. But, conventional wisdom is that Catherine is much stronger than Cornelia now thanks to White Lightning and Thunderbrand. Still, if you look at the leaderboards from that year, those two were very competitive with each other."

I might do that, actually. That's useful information. Lelouch handed the gatekeeper a paper note. "Keep up the good work."

"Of course, always happy to help," the man said with cheerful enthusiasm.

Having checked in with the friendly guard to pass some time, Lelouch made his way to Seteth's chambers. He had a scheduled meeting with him today since a bit before the incident with Lonato. He had an inkling what it was about.

He knocked on the open door upon his arrival.

Seteth picked his head up. "Oh. Lelouch. Come in."

Lelouch came in and sat down.

"How may I be of service?" Lelouch asked.

"Unfortunately, it is I who has been asked of service and I must deeply apologize," Seteth said with a grave expression.

Lelouch quickly picked up on what this was about. "This is about Nunnally's blood donor."

Seteth nodded. "The Crest of Macuil is…not exactly easy to come back and many who do possess it are not so easily willing to part with their blood for an anonymous recipient. I've done my best to be discreet, but I believe this will cause the donation to take greater time and—"

"Seteth, it's fine. I understand. You aren't at fault here," Lelouch told him.

Seteth sighed, looking agitated. "Even so, I made a promise and I intend to keep it. A girl like your sister shouldn't be burdened with the hand fate dealt her."

"Do you see our situations as similar?" Lelouch asked. "Mine with Nunnally and yours with Flayn."

Seteth groaned louder. He didn't want to discuss it, but Lelouch hadn't so much hit the nail on the head as much as he had pounded it into oblivion.

"Flayn is…everything to me. Her mother passed away some time ago. We used to live in Enbarr when she was very little. I look at her…and the thought of something happening to her, the last shred of my direct family, haunts me. I…imagine you can understand."

"Extremely." Flayn is as crippling to you as Nunnally is to me.

"Perhaps it's wrong of me to project, but…seeing your sister in such a state, I…"

"Seteth, it's fine," Lelouch said to him. "You're doing your best. And Nunnally is overjoyed that she's able to see and walk during the brief moments her HLKMF is working."

"Yes, I heard about that. I am overjoyed she is able to experience these simple pleasures, even if only for a short time," Seteth said with a smile.

"Every time she disengages, I keep praying, hoping, that she'll retain the muscle movement or strength in her eyes or legs, but…I know that's silly," Lelouch said.

"Indeed. But, the fact that she can see or walk at all only furthers the notion that a blood transfusion will fix her. If the optical nerves your sister's HLKMF taps into were irreparably damaged, even a frame wouldn't change her ability to see," Seteth told him.

So the damage is less severe than I was led to believe. Lelouch was no expert on HLKMF technology. He understood basic principles, but not everything about them. He was certainly no Rakshata Chawla or Lloyd Asplund. "Was that all you wanted to tell me, just that Nunnally's repairs to her body are taking more time than anticipated?"

"Yes," Seteth said. "Apologies I couldn't say something sooner. We had a donor lined up at one point, but they pulled out quite recently. I can't say more than that I'm afraid, confidentiality and all that."

"I understand," Lelouch answered. I wonder who that donor was.

---

Edelgard von Hresvelg was sitting down to the lovely fragrance of bergamot tea, with Hubert watching, when the two were approached by Monica.

"Lady Edelgard, there you are," Monica said.

"Oh, good afternoon, Monica. Tea?" Edelgard offered.

"With you? Yes. I would love some," Monica said, sitting down.

Hubert poured her a cup. "Careful," he warned. "It's still scalding hot."

Monica blew on it before taking a sip.

"What can I help you with?" Edelgard asked as Monica put the cup down.

"I just got off the phone with my father. He was telling me how he received a request to donate some of my crest rich blood to an anonymous donor at the monastery, but that he received explicit orders not to go through with it," Monica said.

"Interesting," Hubert said with a smirk. "Someone's requesting Macuil blood as a donation within the Monastery. I find this revelation quite intriguing."

Monica blinked in astonishment. "You two had nothing to do with it?"

"You suspected me?" Edelgard asked.

"Oh! No! Not of wrongdoing, Lady Edelgard!" Monica exclaimed, apologizing. "I figured if you had, you would be able to tell me the reason. You're so on top of everything to do with the Empire, I figured you at least knew about it."

"I hadn't even heard about it," Hubert stated. "Far as I'm aware, you are the only student at Garreg Mach Monastery with a Crest of Macuil."

"Do you…do you think Lord Arundel had something to do with it?" Monica asked.

"Not outside the realm of possibility," Edelgard stated.

"I'm far more interested in the person who made the request," Hubert stated. "And for what purpose. I'm sure if I poked around enough, I could declare the request a matter of state security."

"Tread carefully, Hubert," Edelgard said. "This is both Rome, and potentially my uncle we're dealing with."

"A little political subterfuge is my specialty, Lady Edelgard," Hubert said with a confident grin.

"I'll look into it too," Monica said. "The blood transfusion my father mentioned is meant to enrich the blood of someone already bearing the crest of Macuil."

"I think it prudent, however, that we hold off on taking any action until we have all of the information at our disposal. If Lord Arundel is truly behind this, we must take into consideration he knows the identity of the mystery recipient and took action against it," Hubert pointed out.

As if on some Goddess forsaken cue, Edelgard's phone rang and Arundel showed up as the caller ID. It was his official phone line so he was looking to speak with Edelgard and not her identity as the Flame Emperor.

Among company, Edelgard put her uncle on speaker. "Uncle!" she exclaimed. "How unexpected. You rarely, if ever, call me out of the blue like this."

"Ah, but I simply wished to inform you of some news. You've heard that Princess Cornelia and Prince Schneizel will be in attendance at Garreg Mach for the Rite of Rebirth, yes? I have decided to attend as well."

"My, how unexpected, but not unwelcome at all. I look forward to seeing you, uncle," Edelgard told him.

"Ah, I should mention, I will not be coming alone. I've…I guess you could say, adopted some children recently and they're all too eager to see the Monastery," Arundel stated.

"Oh, I see."

"Yes, they both were showing great interest in the Officer's Academy as well. In fact, both are of age to attend. It might be unconventional, but should they enjoy their time at Garreg Mach, would you welcome them into the Black Eagles?"

Edelgard screamed internally. Her uncle played a crafty game. On the surface, these children were innocent additions to the Black Eagles, in reality, they would be there to monitor her and report her every move back to her uncle. Unfortunately, Edelgard had no leverage to refuse.

"I would be more than happy to," she said.

"Excellent," Her uncle exclaimed cheerfully. "I cannot wait to see you, my niece." He then abruptly hung up.

"Hubert, I want the names of those children immediately," Edelgard said, turning her head towards him sharply.

"It shall be done, Lady Edelgard," Hubert said and bowed gracefully.

---

Afternoon of the 29th Day of the Garland Moon

Suzaku was minding the Monastery market when an energetic voice called out to him. "Oh, Suzaku! Found you!"

He turned to see Dorothea Arnault walking up behind him. "Ah, Dorothea. You have some need of me?"

Dorothea nodded. "I was actually hoping to get a chance to speak with you. There's quite a lot I don't know about Japan, or you, for that matter." She suggestively swayed her body.

"I'll do my best to answer," Suzaku responded.

"Hey, so, I'll just come out and say it, do you…like working for the Monastery and the knights? I mean, you used to be somebody when you were little, right?" Dorothea asked. She frowned. "Don't you feel like this is…I don't know…a completely different situation you're now in."

Suzaku contemplated the subtext of what Dorothea was saying. "If you're asking whether or not I would rather be a politician or a knight, I choose knight every time. I actually like that I became a Knight of Seiros. I feel like I belong here."

"You know, people say that, but then their lives are all Goddess-this, blasphemy that and it makes the church feel more like a cult than a proper order of faith," Dorothea stated.

"I'm going to ignore that you used the word cult," Suzaku stated with mild irritation.

"Hey, don't act like some people don't get fanatically brainwashed when they hear about the Goddess and the Four Saints. I swear, it's like people just forget how to be people sometimes. We had this one songstress at the opera company who lost her entire life savings because she donated it all to the church. We later found out that the church she was donating to was acting in some really shady practices and the money wasn't being used for what she was told it was going toward. Thankfully, we were able to get all of her money back, but it still speaks of a larger problem," Dorothea said with a frown.

"That's…actually part of the reason I want to work for the church," Suzaku said. "I want to fix the establishment. Everything I've seen in Rome is fine, but I know that around the world that there are smaller problems. I'm trying to build up my rapport with Lady Rhea so that my word can be just as good as hers. She wants what's best for people. She's a gentle, kind woman."

"I dunno, she seems like a really good actress," Dorothea said with a cheeky smile.

"Oh, she can be terrifying when she's mad. I remember the year I attended the Academy myself," Suzaku stated. "One student had the audacity to steal her underwear and—after Seteth made him mow the courtyard with safety scissors—he was forced to kneel with stone weights on his knees, blindfolded and shirtless during the next religious service. Lady Rhea's entire sermon was dedicated to how one must atone for their sins so that the Goddess may forgive. Everyone in attendance could tell she was not happy with what transpired."

Dorothea laughed. Admittedly, to her, that was really funny.

"But, opera company, huh? I'll be honest, I don't really know much about the students here aside from matching names to faces. It's not my business to know everyone's personal histories unless Lady Rhea or Director Seteth tell me otherwise."

"Oh? So you don't know? I used to be the lead songstress at the Mittlefrank Opera Company in Adrestia," Dorothea said with a smile.

"Oh, no kidding," Suzaku said, smiling back. "I would have loved to have heard you sing. Perhaps you'd grace the cathedral with your voice sometime."

"I will if you're listening to it," Dorothea said with a flirtatious wink.

Suzaku blushed, tongue tied.

Dorothea laughed. "You know, people say an awful lot of mean things about you, that you're a traitor, or that you've been brainwashed, but…I don't think you're with the church for bad reasons, Suzaku."

"I'm not exactly considerate of my approval ratings, but I'll take the compliment as intended," he responded. "Honestly, when I first got here, I didn't really get the church either. It all seemed so…strange to me. I was raised on the Shinto religion in Japan, you know, the idea that all things in the world have an inner soul. I still believe in some of that to be honest. I never really understood the appeal of a centralized Goddess, but…I kind of get it now. The Goddess means more to people than just an all powerful deity, she's a guideline, an ideal, like a mother you want to share all of your deepest secrets with and, in turn, your piety will be rewarded with sunshine and good fortune. Not sure how much of that I believe, but I do believe faith in the Goddess does help people."

"Honestly, I think it's all drivel to be honest," Dorothea said.

Suzaku almost did a double take, feeling the response came out of nowhere.

"But…I can see a little bit of the merits, I guess," Dorothea then added.

"So, pardon me if I'm missing something here, but why does a commoner opera girl have an interest in a knight academy for a faith she doesn't even believe in?" Suzaku asked.

"It's so I can shut up all those stuffy nobles that commoners are worthless," Dorothea snapped. "Do you know how many uptight nobles look down on a girl like me just because I don't have a crest or noble blood? It's maddening. But, I plan to go back to Adrestia and show everyone what commoners are capable of. Rome can open doors for people for attending here, and by practicing my magic craft, I can find a job into my twilight years once my looks fade. You…know what it's like, right? I know Japan elects their officials. They don't have ties to status related by blood except your ceremonial Emperor or Empress."

"Actually Empress Kaguya is my younger cousin, so I've always been a bit well off," Suzaku said. "But…I do get what you mean. Because…after Rome took over Japan and I ended up here at the monastery…I didn't have anything, really. No family, no friends, just the clothes on my back and a charitable roof over my head."

"At least you had a roof over your head," Dorothea grumbled.

"Pardon?" Suzaku asked.

"Nothing! Continue," Dorothea requested earnestly.

Suzaku nodded. "Well, I just wanted to pay Lady Rhea back for her kindness so I started doing chores around the Monastery. She didn't have to take me in, you know."

"No I…I suppose she didn't," Dorothea said.

"What was your life like before you were an opera star, Dorothea?" Suzaku asked. "I'd love to hear more about it."

Dorothea gasped and started fidgeting. "Huh? Oh! Dear me! Would you simply look at the time. I'm uh…oh! Edie and I were going to have tea together soon! Bye, Suzaku!" Dorothea exclaimed and took off briskly.

Suzaku smiled as he watched her go. Dorothea was all right. And, to some extent, more than just a friendly face, Suzaku felt like he may have made a friend.

---

Afternoon of the 30th Day of the Garland Moon

Today was the student's day off from standard academy learning, but that didn't mean activities weren't afoot. However, for most students this was fishing, tea parties, and the odd board or video game here or there. For Lelouch, at present, he had found a nice crate to sit on just outside the dining hall that overlooked the fishing pond. He was people watching while reading a book at the same time. At the same time, he was also plotting his next move as Zero with the Ashen Wolves. Of course, today, reality had other plans for him.

"There he is! There's the man of the hour. Sup, Lelouch? Who's my favorite gaming buddy?" An upbeat—not that he was ever anything else—Claude von Riegan proclaimed as he exited the dining hall.

"That was one time," Lelouch remarked.

"Hey, come on, don't be like that. After all, I need your help today. We're cooperating to help the church next month remember. Your class is protecting Lady Rhea and my class is figuring out the culprit's real objective," Claude said. "You heard about that by now, right? How the assassination plot is too out in the open that Suzaku thinks there's something more foul afoot?"

Heard about it? I'm the one who put that thought in Suzaku's head, Lelouch thought, recalling the brief conversation he'd had with Suzaku when the young man told Lelouch about it. He had originally turned to Lelouch for help, asking him to plot a strategy to protect Rhea, but Lelouch poked so many holes in the viability of the assassination plot it immediately left Suzaku having second thoughts. To keep the illusion however that he didn't know what was going on, Lelouch pretended to have only heard about it in passing.

"I think I may have heard something like that," he said, turning the page of his book.

"Well, if there's one guy I know on campus that's as much of a genius as I am, it's you," Claude said.

Lelouch turned the page in his book again.

"Sounds like he's not interested," Hilda said, standing next to Claude.

"Hey, come on, Lelouch, buddy. Teach said this would be a good way of you to contribute to the cause since you're not gonna be in the thick of things protecting the archbishop. We're gonna go snooping around the Monastery checking things out like a bunch of mystery solvers, minus the talking dog. I call it Operation Strategically Tracking Rogue Insurgents Cunningly Swiftly, or just Operations S.T.R.I.C.S for short."

"And that means…?" Lelouch asked with a dry look.

Hilda rolled her eyes. "Means he really wanted the acronym to be pronounced stricks," she remarked.

"Hey, come on. It was catchy when I thought it up," Claude said, throwing his hands in the air. "Don't be a hater."

Begrudgingly, Lelouch put his book down. He thought something like this might happen. "Take out your phone," he said, taking out his phone.

"Uh, sure, okay."

Lelouch logged into the Officer's Academy's app and sent Claude a PM. Instantly, Claude had a full list of places for the Golden Deer to inspect, including what to look for and anything that might be suspicious.

"Whoaaaaaaa, you uh…you certainly work fast," Claude said, having nothing else to say on the matter.

"Things like this are trivial," Lelouch said, sounding bored out of his skull.

"I bet you're real fun at parties," Claude said playfully. "And I mean actual parties, not the one you craftily schooled me and Sokkia at the other day."

"Is there a point to this conversation?" Lelouch asked.

"Yeowch, almost cut myself on your edge there, Lelouch. Jeez, what brand of cactus got shoved up your butt and left needles behind when it was pulled out?" Claude asked whimsically.

"Oh, you know, it's a special brand of cactus found in the southwestern Britannia desert," Lelouch said and looked dryly at Claude and Hilda. "Called life."

"Wow, didn't realize you were so full of sunshine and rainbows, Lelouch," Claude said sarcastically. "Still, you did save me a bunch of time, so how's about we go for a little walk, the three of us, I mean?"

"I'd rather sit here, if you don't mind."

Lelouch's attitude wasn't anything Milly, Shirley or Rivalz would have found out of place on him. However, Lelouch had been a bit sunnier—just a bit—since arriving at Garreg Mach—so it left Claude rather confused by his antics. Of course, the motive for it wasn't exactly coming from the usual places.

Can't afford to let my guard down around Claude, Lelouch thought, staring at the young nobleman. His smile is fake, his enthusiasm masks his true cunning, and the way he carries himself is so disarming I don't know what kind of body language I could give away to him. He and Yuri are very similar. If I let Claude see too much of me, he'll blow my secret wide open just like Yuri did. And while my relationship with Yuri is to my benefit for now, I can't see anything but uncertainty in my future if I let Claude in too close.

"Say, I know what'll get you to be a bit friendlier. How about a nice good ol' game of chess? It's your favorite, right?"

Lelouch's hesitant gaze as it moved from Claude to his book said it all.

"It's how you get to know people, right? I get it, you're a poor communicator so you learn about other people from a good old fashioned game of skill," Claude said. "Me? I'm an idiot that likes to have fun. So, whatdya say? Friendly game?"

Lelouch sighed. Claude clearly wasn't going to leave him alone. "One game," he said.

"There we go! Knew I'd get through to you!" Claude exclaimed chipperly.

"Are you sure about this, Claude? You know he's like the best chess player on campus, right?" Hilda asked.

"It's not about winning or losing, Hilda. It's how you play the game."

Lelouch was cautiously optimistic about accepting Claude's challenge as he followed the goofball leader of the Golden Deer to their house's lecture hall for a game. Claude had his own custom chess set as it turned out. "You like to play black, right?" Claude asked.

Lelouch nodded. "I see you've been studying up on me."

"Nah, I just happen to pass by when you're playing Edelgard, Marrybell, or whatever poor sap woke up and chose violence that morning," Claude remarked.

Lelouch didn't even bat an eyelash.

"Wow, not even so much as a smirk. Lelouch, you are going to grow old with cats if you don't learn to have a sense of humor," Claude playfully scolded.

"I do have a sense of humor. I draw the line at jokes for middle-aged fathers and bad puns," Lelouch criticized.

"Whaaaaat? You don't like Dad jokes? Who doesn't love a good old groan worthy dad joke?" Claude asked. "The other day Raphael was telling me he was hungry so I went 'Hi, hungry. I'm Claude'."

Both Lelouch and Hilda gave Claude judgmental gazes.

"Sheesh, tough crowd," Claude said, swallowing nervously and finished setting the board up. "All right then, Lelouch," he said as he leaned craftily over the chess table. "Let's see how you like…this."

Claude opened by moving his queenside knight and, after Lelouch moved one of his pawns, moved the pawn forward two spaces the knight had been sitting behind. On Lelouch's second move, Claude was not surprised when the young man moved his king. Claude leaned back in his chair.

"You sure do live and die by that philosophy, huh? If the king doesn't ride into battle, his men will not follow? Honestly, I kinda like it. Not sure how well it translates to chess though. I mean, you give up one of the most strategic moves in the game by doing so, castling."

"It's a worthwhile sacrifice," Lelouch rebuked. "Most opponents tend to overlook the value of the king, thinking it is something that needs to be protected. But the King, while the objective, is just another piece on the board and more than capable of showing his value to his army. Only a coward hides his king behind the tower of the rook. And only a selfish king sacrifices his minions for his personal gain."

"Ah, you live dangerously then. We have that in common," Claude joked.

"Make your move," Lelouch said, unamused by the antics.

Lelouch was barely surprised when Claude spent his next two turns moving his king side knight and pawn as he had done to his queen side. Nodding, Lelouch continued to advance his strategy. Within 11 moves, he had Claude completely at his mercy. Claude didn't know it yet, or so Lelouch thought.

Claude chuckled a lot, peppering his moves with comments like "Interesting" or "Oh, you use that strategy, huh?"

It took a bit longer that expected, but Lelouch was certain, for real this time, that he had Claude at his mercy sixteen moves later. And five moves after that…

"Checkmate," Lelouch declared.

"Don't you think that's a bit premature," Claude said, looking at the board. Lelouch had his queen on one row and his sole remaining rook on the other. However, this was not at the edge of the board. "All I gotta do is…" Claude looked at how Lelouch had a pawn on the other side of his queen. A single move forward by Lelouch would have the pawn in Claude's endzone, allowing Lelouch to get his rook back. Sure, Lelouch was calling the game a turn early, but Claude only had one move to make and Lelouch's next move guaranteed victory. "You sneaky son of a bitch. You got me."

"I admit, your strategy isn't one I've encountered before. You act like an amateur at the beginning, but to an opponent who has over committed to a strategy, you've been watching it carefully, optimizing your forces to be prepared for all optimal strategies, then you counterattack and act like this is all according to your original plan. If I was anyone besides myself, you would have had me completely fooled, possibly even won," Lelouch said and then added much more bluntly. "That's precisely why I don't trust you."

"Ah!" Claude exclaimed, clutching his chest as though shot in the heart. "My feelings! I'll never recover. Hilda!" He declared, grabbing her arm. "Tell Judith I fought…valiantly." He then pretended to slouch dead in the chair.

"Oh you are such a drama queen," she said with a smile, rolling her eyes.

Claude sat up and laughed. "No, but seriously, Lelouch. Good game. You have me dead to rights on my strategy too. But…you're not the only one analyzing his opponent."

Lelouch sat still. He didn't want to hear this, but he may as well. He was afraid this would happen.

"Honestly, you probably could've defeated me with your original strategy. I kept a brave face, but you had me quaking in my boots after those first fifteen moves. But, your problem is you're a control freak, you insist on doing everything yourself and you don't let others pitch in. Take this turn for instance," Claude said, rewinding the board with perfect precision many, many turns ago. "You moved your king on this turn like so, but if you had taken your rook here or your pawn here…"

Lelouch saw what Claude was getting at. Lelouch had second guessed himself and defaulting onto his own biases to prioritize the king leading the troops. He was preparing for phase two when phase one hadn't even failed.

"I guess what I'm saying is, have a little more confidence in not only yourself, but your friends. Battles aren't won like they're games of chess. They're won by people. Memorizing names to faces doesn't make you a good king. And while high morale is great, it doesn't mean much if it causes a battle to needlessly drag on."

"Taking life easily and confusing the opponent can only do so much though," Lelouch said.

"Maybe if we're talking chess, but try those tactics in a real battle and I'd beat you no questions asked. Well, assuming all other prospects are equal. For the love of the Goddess," Claude said as his eyes went wide with terror. "I do not want the business end of Teach's sword skills or the Ashen Demon."

"I seem to recall during the mock battle that I outmaneuvered you and Hilda," Lelouch commented, smirking.

"Yeah, but back then I hardly knew you, or my team, or their strengths," Claude admitted with a cheesy grin. "If the Golden Deer and the Violet Tigers were to go full force and they all had to obey our strategies and no one else's, yeah, I'd win."

"That's a very narrow circumstance," Lelouch said.

"Circumstances are everything in battle," Claude told him. "If you can't adapt properly on the fly, it doesn't matter if you have the best plan in the world or not. A good strategist and commander always has backup plans on top of backup plans."

Lelouch went quiet. Claude had a point and he wasn't going to own up to his own shortcomings.

"Your silence tells me everything, you know?" Claude asked with more seriousness than Lelouch was used to from him. "You're a great strategist, Lelouch, but you're not great at adapting when things take an unexpected turn. The proof's right in our little chess match here. And the reason you don't adapt well is because you don't trust other people. I don't know if it's out of a sense of control, or paranoia, or maybe both, but you could stand to make a genuine friend or two."

Lelouch remained quiet. This conversation was verging on dangerous territory for him.

Fortunately, he was bailed out by the most unlikely individual.

"Ah! There you are, Claude," a pompous voice echoed into the lecture hall. Lorenz walked towards the table. "I've been looking all over for you."

Claude's enthusiasm deflated like an untied balloon. "Ohhhhhh, hey Lorenz. What's up? Alliance business?"

"Hardly, I was just coming to report to you about the state of affairs you've left this week's weekly team assignments to. Emailing me and telling me to "figure it out" is not proper etiquette, nor even formal enough to count as being a direct order. Honestly, if this is how you plan to lead the Alliance—"

"Oh give it a rest, Lorenz," Claude complained. "If you have a problem with it, just talk to Professor Manuela. It's her job to give out those assignments anyway, but she was fallen over drunk when I went to ask her about it."

Lorenz looked flabbergasted. "Professor Manuela? Drunk? During the day?"

"Yeaaaaah, I mean, have you met Professor Manuela?" Claude asked. "I mean, the other day Ignatz went to go get some medicine for all the soreness in his shoulder from rifle practice and she was on the floor snoring."

Lorenz looked like he'd just walked in on his grandmother naked and was in the moment of processing if he just gouge his eyes out or run screaming.

"Honestly, I'm glad Professor Manuela brings herself down to our level every now and again, but honestly, I think she tries too hard if she's drinking this much," Hilda said.

Lorenz sighed deeply. "Professor Manuela's poor habits are a matter for Seteth to deal with. This is about you, Claude. Don't deflect blame."

"All right. All right. Give it a rest. Sheesh. This is why—"

Lelouch cut Claude off, "Ladies, you're both pretty. Are we done here?"

Lorenz snorted in offense at the impropriety, looking at Lelouch. "Ah! Excuse me? Who invited you to this conversation?"

Claude laughed, finding Lelouch's remark hilarious. "Ah, don't mind Lelouch here. We were just playing a friendly game of chess to pass the time."

Lorenz glanced down at the board. "So I see." He then took a good look at the board. "Claude, you do realize you're, how should I say this."

"Oh, the game's already over. I had my noble butt soundly handed to me by our fair tiger over here. We were just recreating the board for a little chess theory 101," Claude remarked.

"Preposterous," Lorenz said, feeling like he'd now walked into an episode of the Twilight Zone. "You lost a game of chess? Were you just not taking it seriously, or is this another one of your games?"

"Why don't you play our friend here and find out?" Claude asked. "He's gonna be helping us with the investigation Seteth assigned us, may as well learn his name."

Lorenz sighed, but had to agree with Claude's assessment. "Very well." He looked at Lelouch. "Young man of the noble Violet Tigers. I am Lorenz Hellman Gloucester. And I—Ah! The least you could do is look at me when I address you. Put down that book this instant!"

Lelouch gazed up from his book. "Oh, are we doing introductions?" Lelouch asked. He put the book down and slid it across the table. "Then by all means, take a seat."

"Ah! A nobleman sitting before a commoner. Of all the nerve," Lorenz complained, wide-eyed with shock. "Were you not raised with manners?"

Not touching that one, Lelouch thought. "Well my cousin was raised on the battlefield alone, so what does that say about me?" He asked with an obnoxious smirk.

Claude laughed. "Oh! Right! I always keep forgetting you and Teach are related."

Lorenz grumbled. "This is inexcusable. Stand up and you shall sit after I have been seated. I don't care that at Garreg Mach all our equal. I will stand by proper protocol. Up. Up. Up."

Lelouch sighed, but didn't fight it. It was just easier that way. Besides, this wouldn't take long.

---

Six minutes later…

Lorenz stared at the board in utter shock. Claude was trying his best not to snort himself into inelegant laughter. The only thing missing from this picture was for Lelouch to pull out a nail file and give himself a manicure.

Lorenz started to sputter. "Buh…Iduh uh…what? This cannot possibly be."

Claude laughed. "You should've been prepared for this, Lorenz. I don't lose to just anyone. Across the whole campus, this guy's practically undefeated."

Once defeated, but I guess that hasn't gotten around campus, Lelouch thought.

"I don't understand, there must be some mistake. No. This is insanity. How does a commoner pick up on chess to this extent? Me outfoxed in strategy? Inconceivable!"

Lelouch picked up his book and rose to his feet. He glared at Lorenz. "Do you know what your problem is, Lorenz? You see everything as having to go a very specific way. Commoners this. Nobles that. People are people. I accept Claude's criticism of me for seeing soldiers under my command as pawns, but even worse is someone who feels the need to coddle birthright over skill. When you're poor, hungry and helpless, no amount of silver spoons will dig you out of an undeserved grave."

Lorenz got to his feet. "Now see here, Lelouch!"

"No. I will not," Lelouch said and took the opportunity to slam the book he was holding on the table. His glare at Lorenz turned from anger to disgust. "You disgust me, Lorenz Hellman Gloucester. You're exactly what's wrong with nobility. You were never poor. You don't know what it's like to be hungry. You don't get to lecture me about stability and order when you've never known what it's like to be crawling on the bottom of the barrel, wondering if tomorrow will ever come, or if the cold winter wind will take you and your sister to an early grave. You care for the glory of war as it brings your noble house prestige, but if men and women fall in battle under your banner, you don't weep. You say you do, but you don't comprehend the loss that war brings families. You may ride into battle with your men, but you want all the attention and glory for yourself. But that isn't the worst of it. You may say you want to protect the soldiers under your command because it is a noble's duty, but in reality you are a craven coward that would throw another soldier in front of him as a shield at the first sign of mortal danger. You don't have the stomach to stand with your back to a wall and look death in the eye and find peace with that fact, or to stare back at it defiantly." Lelouch picked his book back up. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in my dorm room." He then stormed out of the lecture hall.

"Wooooow," Hilda uttered. "That was…intense."

"You uh…you gonna be okay there, Lorenz?" Claude asked. For all their bickering, Claude still had a heart enough for a man who just had the most scathing dressing down Claude had ever witnessed.

"I honestly wish he'd given me a chance to rebuke, but…I can tell already my words would have been wind," Lorenz said. There was not an air of gravitas in his tone of voice. He frowned. "I don't know what the world did to Lelouch to make him despise nobility so much, but I can see the scars run deep, deeper than even healing magic can reach. And…much as I am loathe to admit, some of what he said, while cutting…rings a bit foul, yet true to my ear. I don't know what it's like to be poor, or hungry. And perhaps I have been too focused on war's glory rather than war's cost. I'll have to chat with you later Claude. I must return to my studies and re-evaluate my outlook on certain things that I know." Lorenz then walked away.

"Never thought I'd live to see the day," Hilda said.

"I know what you mean. Man, Lelouch really got under his skin. Wish I'd been recording that." Claude chuckled immaturely. "Still, hopefully I won't have to hear anymore of Lorenz's nonsense about how nobles should behave. I honestly think Lelouch really opened his eyes on the matter. Lucky us."

Hilda tilted her head. This all sounded too convenient. "Waaaaait a second. Claude, did you drag Lelouch into a game of chess knowing Lorenz would come looking for you because of that email you sent him, and knowing Lelouch would win and blow up at him?"

"Who? Me? Come oooooooon, what do I look like to you, some master chess player?" he asked.

Hilda frowned harder at him, coming up short of a glare.

"You have me mistaken for some sort of scoundrel," Claude said playfully with an insincere smirk.

"Claude," Hilda called his name like a mother asking her child to fess up to eating cookies before dinner.

"Oh trust me, I knew Lelouch and Lorenz would mix like oil and water, but that level of vitriol? Nah, that was unexpected. I thought I'd get a chuckle out of the whole shebang, maybe two. But Lorenz having to go to the closest thing to home and rethink his life? Nah, didn't account for that," Claude said, stretching his arms up behind his head.

"Ugh," Hilda groaned, unable to wipe a smile off her face. "And you accused Lelouch of being sneaky and underhanded. Shame on you."

"Yes, yes. I know. I'm the scum of the Earth," Claude remarked sarcastically, almost laughing. "Seriously though, we should…probably ease up on Lorenz a bit till he finds his footing. That means actually doing work, okay Hilda?"

"Hey, come on. I'm not going to leave you holding that bag. …Even if this mess is of your own making," she said with a giggle.

Claude laughed. "Eh, it's Lorenz. He'll be back to his old self within days. Now come on, Lelouch gave us that list and I say we put it to good use. Let's round up the rest of the Deer and get to work."

Hilda gave a single, enthusiastic nod. "Right behind you."

---

1st Day of the Blue Sea Moon

Among those looking to celebrate the Goddess's Rite of Rebirth on the 23rd of the Blue Sea Moon, Lord Volkhard Arundel seemed eager to arrive early to the Monastery and stay the length of the month in Rome. Crowding around him, upon arriving at the airport, were two small teenagers, one boy, one girl. The boy had short brown hair and pinkish eyes while the girl had pink hair with blue eyes. Both were dressed rather formally, but not overly so. The young man had on collared shirt and some pants while the girl had a skirt and a formal blouse. She was also wearing a brown cap that looked like the type people wore in old detective movies.

"So this is Rome," the boy said.

"This is so exciting," the girl said, swinging around her suitcase. "I get to meet Cousin Edie for the very first time."

"Temper your expectations, Clara," Arundel said to the girl. "My niece isn't what you would call the warmest to strangers."

"But we are not strangers. You adopted us out of the goodness of your heart, Lord Arundel," the young man said.

Arundel smiled. "Well, I could hardly refuse such an offer by your foster family. Come, the monastery awaits."

Upon arriving, Edelgard, Hubert and Monica were all in attendance to receive Edelgard's uncle's arrival.

"Lord Volkhard Arundel," Hubert said. "We are here to greet you just as you wished for us to be."

The noble lord smiled. "Hubert. My how you've grown." He looked to Edelgard. "Princess." He looked to Monica. "Monica."

Monica curtsied, but there was something off about her smile. "Good day, Lord Arundel. Lovely weather we're having." That was what she said, but he could almost hear the "I hope you choke on your own saliva" carried in her tone of voice.

"These must be the young ones," Hubert said. "Let me see if I've done my research properly." He looked to the boy. "Rolo Haliburton." He looked to the girl. "And that would make you Clara Lan—"

Hubert had to body block Clara from reaching Edelgard on pure reflex when the girl tried to hug Edelgard. Her small frame allowed her to slip past Hubert. He could have easily grabbed her, but the scant few seconds he'd seen her approach up close allowed him to detect she wasn't armed or bearing ill will. Clara's small arms coiled around Edelgard's.

"Hey! Hey! Cousin Edie, will you show me around the Monastery? Pleaaaaaaase?"

"Awawa! Wh-who do you think you are latching onto Lady Edelgard so casually!" Monica exclaimed. "Unhand her this instant."

"It's fine, Monica. The girl is new to her environment. She will come to no harm whilst I am looking after her," Edelgard remarked.

Rolo gave a bow to Hubert. "Lord Hubert, I would be most honored to learn from you should time permit itself. I have been told you are fond of coffee. I would be honored to brew you a pot."

"Hmph," Hubert said with a smirk. "A valiant effort for a grade A suck up. But I am not bought over so easily. I have my eye on both of you."

Arundel laughed. "The darndest thing happened to me during my last visit to Britannia. These poor orphans were digging through trash and I just so happened to be passing through. They just needed food and a roof over their heads, you see."

"Was that before or after a unicorn fell from the sky?" Hubert asked, not buying the story.

Arundel laughed. "Ah, Lord Hubert. How your father would be proud of that cutting wit of yours. Well, I have my own duties to attend to, even in a place like this. Would you watch the children for me? We can all have dinner together."

More like you are leaving the children with us to observe us, Hubert thought. "Duly noted. Lord Arundel. Do you need help with your luggage?"

"Oh. Not at all. My servants have that covered. Now, if you'll excuse me," he said and left hastily.

Once he was out of sight, Clara shook Edelgard's arm. "Cousin Edie, I'm hungry. Can you treat me to lunch?"

Edelgard hadn't the heart to say no. "Of course, Clara. Come now," she said, holding the girl's hand. "This way."

---

That night…

Arundel's two adopted children were the talk of the Monastery. Lelouch was busy with other matters, so he hadn't yet a chance to pay them much mind. Besides, he was oblivious to the intricacies of what was going on in the Adrestian court behind the scenes. He was about to regret that decision.

Dressed as Zero, Yuri had called him down to Abyss on short notice. An interested party regarding Lonato's fate wanted to meet with Zero. According to Yuri, they'd gotten in touch with the Savage Mockingbird and, in the interest of keeping up their reputation, the Mockingbird said they'd see to it to have Zero meet with this interested party.

"Don't worry, we're all gonna be on the same page," Yuri said.

"Okay, but did we have to meet down in what's practically Abyss's dungeon?" Zero asked. "We're below the gorge below the monastery bridge. This is a new level of subterranean. If this is a trap—"

"If this is a trap, we were walking corpses anyway," Yuri chuckled.

"Ah! Do not speak of such things so lightly!" Constance complained. All eight Ashen Wolves were in accompaniment for this situation. "I will not be slain before my dream comes to fruition."

"Now that's a voice I've not heard in quite some time. Constance von Nuvelle."

Constance could not believe her eyes as a man with long brown hair and a full beard and mustache approached. "Lord Arundel! MY! It really has been far too long!" she exclaimed cheerfully once she got over her shock. "Ah, but who is this?"

The Ashen Wolves gazed at a woman with pale, almost purple skin with bright orange hair.

"Allow me to introduce a…business associate of mine. This is Kronya. I would like for her to join your little class down here, if that's all right," Arundel said.

"You presume that I have the authority to accept her," Zero said.

"Ah, but that's the beauty of it. The Ashen Wolves are not recognized by any official documentation. For all intents and purposes, none of you exist," Arundel said.

Volkhard Arundel himself is working with the Western Church? And this Kronya person? I've never seen someone with a skin condition like that, Zero thought.

"Hey, the name's Kronya. I like stabbing things and mayhem and chaos. Dunno why Lord Arundel wants me hanging around a bunch of losers like you, but it's what I've been ordered to do so, so I don't mind doing as I'm told. But get in my way, and I'll kill you."

"Charming," Yuri remarked sarcastically, dismayed.

"I like her!" Balthus exclaimed. "I love a hot woman that wants to kick my ass!"

"Ugh! As if I'd lay with a beast like you!" Kronya exclaimed.

Hapi glared, growling under her breath.

"Is something amiss, Hapi?" Constance asked. Hapi didn't usually have a look on her face like the one she was making.

"It's fine…Coco. Just…fine," she responded.

"We shall take Kronya under our wing as a peace offering between our seemingly mutual objectives," Zero said. "I presume that you have intent with the Rite of Rebirth then?"

"The assassination was just a front, you see," Arundel told the group. "My associates would like to see the Holy Mausoleum…pilfered of its valuables."

Both Zero and Yuri got the picture at the same time. Ayano, however, was slow on the uptake. "The Holy Mausoleum?"

"The place is normally off limits," Yukiya said. "But on the day of the Rite of Rebirth, there's basically no security."

"The Holy Mausoleum is the resting place of Saint Seiros, tis it not? At least according to legend," Constance said.

"So, we're to infiltrate and take all the valuables," Zero said. "Then what?"

"Kronya will collect what you've found and return what's most valuable to me. Do as you wish with the rest."

Kronya chuckled. "I live to serve."

"I'll be going now. Try to get along," Arundel said and walked away, leaving Kronya alone with Zero and the wolves.

With Hapi glaring at her and Yuri giving Kronya a serious look, Zero immediately knew that Kronya was going to be trouble. He had options. Geass was one of them. If push came to shove, he'd use it to make Kronya his obedient little pet. But no. Not now. All things in time. If she became trouble, maybe.

"So, Arundel has left you in our care," Zero remarked.

"Let's get one thing straight here," Kronya said with disgust. "I don't want to have to involve myself with you all any more than I have to. But these are Master's orders."

Zero hatched on an idea from those three sentences alone. "In that case, Kronya. Why don't we get to know each other a little more? If we're to cooperate, then surely we must know the background of our benefactor."

"What does it matter?" Kronya asked in disgust. "You're all going to end up worm food eventually."

"Because I am now your teacher, for all intents and purposes. If you upset me, I will have to report to your so-called Master that you've been misbehaving. You wouldn't want to upset him, would you?"

Kronya looked nervous sweating. "N-No. I wouldn't."

I knew it! Whatever the relationship between Arundel and Kronya, she's afraid of making him angry. And that means I can use that as leverage.

"Yuri, prepare our guest a drink and some store-bought pizza. I will be conducting business in the teacher's lounge, well what we have that passes for one."

"Right, understood," Yuri said.

"What is this…pizza?" Kronya asked.

"What? You don't know what pizza is, pal? It's the best!" Balthus said. "Even down here we got our own Pizza Hut. Nobody out pizzas the hut."

"I'm sorry…what?" Kronya asked.

---

One cooked pizza later…

If someone had asked Kronya even yesterday if she would ever find herself munching away on food not made by Agarthan hands, she would have killed them. But, as things stood, she was scarfing an entire processed pepperoni pizza like it was edible liquid gold.

Balthus laughed. "Someone's got an appetite."

"So, where are you from, Kronya?" Ayano asked, trying to be friendly.

The venue had been changed to the restaurant proper, with C.C. now in attendance. The Ashen Wolves had their own private suite in Abyss at the back of the Pizza Hut.

Kronya wiped her mouth. Clearly wherever she was from also included table manners. "You'll not find it on any map," she said.

"Well you gotta come from somewhere, right?" Balthus asked, before shoving half a slice of pizza into his jaw.

"B, seriously gross," Hapi reprimanded calmly.

Balthus talked incoherently with his mouth full.

"Ah! Don't talk with your mouth full!" Constance shouted, whapping him over the head with her favorite fan.

C.C. sheepishly took a smaller than normal bite than she was used to.

Kronya looked at Balthus in disgust, but said nothing herself.

"If you're going to be cooperating with us, we need a little bit of background," Zero told her. "Yuri here is an impoverished child to a single mother from Faerghus."

"Elegantly put, Zero," Yuri said.

"Constance is the last surviving member of House Nuvelle," Zero introduced.

"And one day it will be restored!" Constance exclaimed.

"Hapi is from a remote village she doesn't remember its location, but was once living in Faerghus before she ended up here," Zero continued.

"Worst years of my life, but hey, Abyss rocks so it all checks out," Hapi said with a wry smirk.

"Balthus is from Leicester," Zero stated.

Balthus waved, unable to say anything, still eating pizza.

"Akito was exiled from his own family and came to Rome seeking shelter," Zero stated.

Akito nodded at this.

"And Yukiya, Ayano and Ryo have been traveling together as friends and only ended up in Abyss recently," Zero finished.

"Sure, just lump us all together," Yukiya said sarcastically, playing on his phone. "It's not like we're each our own person with individual feelings or anything."

Ryo just laughed.

Ayano went for a different approach. "I like your knife, Kronya. Did you make it yourself?" she asked, eyeing the dagger Kronya had at her hip.

"Oh, you mean Athame?" she asked, drawing it out and running a finger over the flat end of the strangely shaped blade. It was too long to be a full length sword, but too big to be considered your average dagger. "I was given this as a present from…" she stopped herself and then just said, "someone. It's been my pride and joy ever since I was little." She gently rested the blade against her palm and twisted the tip against her index finger. "Everything I've ever killed in my life, I've killed with this."

I never thought Ayano's love for knives and swords would one day be used to help soften an untrustworthy newcomer to the cause, Zero thought. He noticed Kronya's abrupt pause. She almost completely opened up for a moment.

"Oh, so you're a killer, are you?" Yuri asked. "I might have some work for you then."

"Wait, I can kill people still? You'll ask me to kill people?" Kronya asked, looking rather confused.

"What? You think we sit down here all day just wasting the day away in a lecture hall listening to this guy," he said, gesturing his head at Zero, "Drone on for hours about all of the lessons we're missing on the surface? Please. The real fun is when people try to erase us off the map and we gut them like fish."

A smile crossed Kronya's lips. It was not a nice smile, but she seemed happy enough. "You know, I think I may have pre-judged. I think I'm going to like it down here." She then gasped. "Ack! No! I mean…ahem!" she glared. "I don't, like, like any of you or anything. But killing people is what I'm good at. You let me stab a few people every now and then, and I think I can tolerate your existence."

"Oh good, so the feeling is mutual," Yuri remarked sarcastically. "Minus the stabbing people part."

Kronya then noticed that C.C. hadn't been introduced. "So you told me about everyone else, what about her?"

"We're still working her out ourselves," Zero said. "We found her during an operation a little while ago, but any attempt to communicate with her has resulted in silence or a request for pizza in almost all cases. She's called C.C."

"Odd name," Kronya remarked. "…Wait. No. I think I've heard a similar one. I've never met them, but Master always talks about a man named V.V."

The pizza in C.C.'s hand almost dropped back into the box. Zero noticed this immediately.

"Well, whatever, I don't really care about complicated stuff. I just like to kill people," she said with a smile.

So, we've ended up with a pretty big sociopath on our hands, Zero remarked. He looked over to C.C. She nodded at him.

Once the meal was concluded, Yuri showed Kronya the so-called dorm rooms that the members of the Ashen Wolves all called home. It smelled funny, they weren't very luxurious and the architecture was a bit funky, but each room was livable, even if it was just the bed, the desk and some guest space.

Kronya looked at the bed in the room and the desk. Her mind flashed to her old home, where she had to lay on a hard, metal cot with three other people to a room. "I…get my own room?"

"Well yeah, you think we all wanna smell each other's sweat?" Yuri asked.

"I could be plotting your demise in here and telling Master all manner of secrets," Kronya snapped.

"Eh, risk I'm willing to take. Your so-called Master told us to treat us like one of our own, so that's what I'm going to do. Every member of my flock deserves equality, even if I don't trust them," Yuri responded.

"Don't expect a thank you!" Kronya snapped.

"I'll take you not stabbing me in the back of the neck as gratitude enough," Yuri said, walking away. "Have a good night." He then walked away.

Kronya shut the door and then fell onto the bed. It was the softest thing she ever laid down on. A pillow…she knew of these things, but…never really was granted one for her own use. Sure, when she had Monica von Ochs hostage, the keep she'd taken control over had a bed and stuff, but…this felt different. That run down fort had been something she'd seized by force. And even then, Kronya spent most of her time monitoring it from a great distance. She full expected she'd have to sleep on a pile of hay, not be given what was essentially a spot to call her own from people she didn't like, and people who didn't trust her. She traced circles on the pillow, closed her eyes, and went to sleep.

---

Out in the moonlight of the ravine below the bridge, Zero watched C.C. approach. "You noticed something about our new guest. Talk."

"It would appear our fates are linked far more closely than I anticipated," C.C. remarked.

"V.V…so there are others like you," Lelouch said.

C.C. nodded her head. "The idea that Lord Arundel of Adrestia links up with where I come from doesn't sit well with me. Be careful," she told Zero, "Your ambition just got a lot more dangerous. Cross Thales and you won't just bring ruin to yourself, but to Rome and everything you've grown to care about."

"Thales?" Zero asked.

"Kronya is trying hard to keep his name a secret, but I know better. Thales is the leader of her people, the Agarthans, the sinners against the Goddess."

"Agarthans?" Zero had never heard of them.

"It makes sense you'd never heard of them. But that is a story for another day. Knowing their origins won't help you at this time. In fact, me telling you this much could be dangerous for you by itself. And that's not because I feel someone is listening, but because you're too smart for your own good. Do not dig this hole deeper than you've already found yourself in. If you want to survive, climb out of it and don't look back. Kronya was correct when she said you won't find the Agarthan Empire on any map. Much like Abyss, they live underground. Although, beyond that I know little else," C.C. stated.

"I see," Zero answered. "Still, that's the most forthcoming with information you've been since we met. For that, I thank you."

"Our fates are linked. If you die, it hampers me. That's all this is," C.C. said.

"Don't act like you aren't growing attached to them, the Ashen Wolves I mean," Zero remarked.

C.C. whipped her head to the side, puffing one cheek. "Do not confuse me with yourself and project onto me in the process."

"Hmph, well, whatever the case, I truly thank you. At any rate, I should return to the surface." Zero slinked into the shadows as the Zero Matrix lost the last of its charge. "I'll see you all tomorrow," Lelouch said to her.

"Good night, Lelouch," C.C. said.

"Good night," Lelouch replied and slunk off into the night.

---

When Kronya woke up in the middle of the night, she hadn't expected to find a person sitting on her chair. She woke up with a start and went for the light, spotting C.C. sitting like a squirrel on Kronya's desk chair. Kronya killed the light and laid back down.

"Arrrrgh! You nearly gave me a heart attack," she said.

"Paranoid sort, then, aren't you?"

Kronya sat up, angrily. "What do you want?" she asked. "This is my room. Shoo."

"They're good people, don't you think? The Ashen Wolves, I mean," C.C. said.

"They're insignificant compared to you and I," Kronya remarked.

"So you know what I am," C.C. said.

"Of course I do. V.V. sends his regards, by the way," Kronya said. "Traitor."

"Does Charles know I'm here?" C.C. asked.

"Who's Charles?" Kronya asked.

C.C. stared at Kronya in silence for a minute before acknowledging what the question meant.

"It's nothing. Forget I asked," C.C. stated.

"Forgotten," Kronya said. "Urgh, I still hate the fact that you look like one of them. The Nabatea, I mean. It's so infuriating."

"I'm crestless and you know that," C.C. stated.

"You code holders are all a bunch of weirdos. You could have been lying for all I know," Kronya said. "I wasn't even really sure it was you until Zero introduced you."

"We've never actually spoken or been formally introduced, so that's understandable. You were always just a face in the crowd during those years," C.C. stated.

"Don't expect me to turn traitor like you have. I'm loyal to the empire."

"To be a traitor, one must stand on the same side," C.C. stated. "Agartha gave me shelter. The order gave me an identity, but I never truly belonged to either."

"Whatever, witch," Kronya remarked sourly.

C.C. got off the chair and headed for the door. She stopped as she reached for the knob. "By the way, non-Agarthans aren't as bad as you're making them out to be in your head. You've been given a rare opportunity, Kronya. The world might be boring, cruel and unfair, but…" she looked at the orange-haired girl from over her shoulder, "Take some time to live freely and discover your own destiny. You are more than what Thales made you."

"Whatever," Kronya said and lay back down on the bed, pulling up the sheets.

Well, I did my best, C.C. thought, The rest is in your hands, Lelouch. Make something of her. Your ambition, she thought as she marched down the hall, has the potential to conquer even those who slither in the dark.

---

(A/N: I think a few people suspected that Kronya would be along for the ride at some point, but Rolo and Clara? Did Christmas come early? Well it can't have cause it's not even June, but still…

If you're not familiar with Clara Lanfranc, she's from Oz the Reflection. Short version: she was V.V's first choice for Nunnally's replacement before Rolo even came into the picture. Oz the Reflection had some fantastic "what if" scenarios, like it's implied Guinevere was going to replace Cornelia as Viceroy, but Schneizel stepped in. I want the version of R2 where Guinevere is Viceroy and Clara took Rolo's place. She always seemed like an interesting character to me.

Speaking of interesting characters, Kronya always felt to me like a character with wasted potential. I won't say anything further, but just accept that she is part of the plot now. Anyway, that's all from me for now and, as always, until next time, from all of me, to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic. Ja ne!)