Stage 5: Three Names

The blaring of his alarm roused Sena from sleep. It wasn't the comfort of his bed he awoke on, but rather the unfortunately stiff angle of having fallen asleep at his desk.

Again.

Propping his head up on his hands, he rubbed whatever sleep was left out of his eyes before kicking his desk chair to the side, rolling over to the nightstand to shut off the alarm rather than bother getting out of it. Managing to pry himself from the chair, Sena stopped as he came to the large mirror next to his dresser.

It had been seven years now since that war that had truly set him on the path he was on. And six years since he and his mother had come to Area 11, to Japan.

Now sixteen years old, Sena had certainly not wasted that time in his aims at self-improvement.

Gone was the frail child he had been, and now there stood a young man far from it. He'd long accepted he wasn't the type to develop a broad build, but his constant training had certainly paid off in giving him an athletic form to be proud of, and he'd shot up to a rather decent height for his age. Though he wouldn't quite say his face had become the most masculine kind as he matured. People are definitely right when they say I take after my mother. Sitting at that in between of Britannian and Japanese, passing for one or the other was something that didn't take Sena much effort.

Slapping his cheeks to get any remaining sleep out of his system, Sena pulled the now quite long stretch of his hair into a low tail, flicking the sides and front out into his preferred look.

Dressing in casual clothes that some would say hardly fit the "look" of a Prince, and not forgetting to place his pendulum pendant around his neck, he left his room and started making his way through the much homier walls of his and Reina's new home.

At Reina's request, their manor in the new Britannian Concession area was done entirely in Japanese architecture, an open statement to all of her origins and pride in them even if she now held a position in the Britannian government. Wooden floors and white stone exterior walls with paper walls within. On his way out of his room, Sena trotted out along an open patio leading to an ornate garden, recreating the same one that had been at the Libra Villa.

It provided a nice, airy construction that made the early summer heat of July blessedly bearable even with plentiful air condition to help manage other rooms.

His eyes passed the wisteria trees that marked it, to the contrasting towers of the concession area beyond. In five years, the central districts of what had been Tokyo, the pride of Japan's capital, was now overtaken by the bright steel of Britannia, a stark reminder of the loss the nation had suffered and the ultimate mark of their new rulers' dominance over them.

Sena sighed as he continued, pocketing his hands to try and put it somewhat out of mind.

"Good morning, young master."

"Morning."

Sena had also found his relationship with the staff of the estate improving a good deal. Those who had elected to follow Reina to Area 11, anyway.

Nowadays, both thanks to his improving condition but also showing himself to be quite sociable towards them, the servants had changed their view on the Prince quite a deal since he was a child. Gone was the pity regarding his former weakness and even dismissal due to his heritage, a courtesy also expressed to his mother nowadays as well. Of course, building relations even while I'm still being educated is important. Even among servants.

Of course, he also had to admit it was just pleasant to be able to actually talk with the people working under him and his mother without feeling awkward about it.

Breakfast was of course a simple time once he arrived at the dining hall. As usual, Sena and his mother, sitting next to each other for the sake of conversation as they ate. One thing Reina had taken too was teaching the servants how to cook food native to Japan, or rather Area 11, if mostly to widen the kind of dishes they cooked and make better use of the more readily available local ingredients.

"So, how have your lessons been going?" Rein set down her chopsticks, Sena humming through a bite of rice.

"Lessons are going fine… both academic and the uhm… other ones," Sena looked to the side a bit, Reina chuckling. "To honest I think all my practice with Cornelia made a bit too prepared for Knightmare lessons."

"And you also have Sir Jeremiah to thank. Ahh, I wouldn't be surprised if all those other cadets are simply baffled how someone they think is a commoner is so skilled."

Sena tilted his head as Reina gave him an amused smirk.

Sena, like any royal, was still in the midst of his education. Since he'd elected not to attend a school in Area 11, he was being privately tutored by an instructor from the homeland. And as it happened, lessons for royalty now also included how to pilot a Knightmare Frame, as their ubiquitous nature to Britannia's military might, combined with the royal tendency to get involved with said military, made it an assurance one would need to at least know the basics.

Though perhaps the fact he was trained by his now renowned elder sister and had pitted himself against more than a few Knights of similar renown, it was perhaps true Sena was well prepared as is.

"Oh your instructor regularly tells me how proud he is that you excel in both," Reina leaned on a hand. "Though I do hope we don't have a repeat of that particular incident you had with a training unit last month."

"Ggh! Please don't bring that up, Mom. Jeremiah doesn't let me live it down enough as it is," Sena looked away with a strained look, Reina laughing as the boy's face flushed a bit. "I'm just glad I was able to get a private tutor. The only other school in the Settlement is Ashford, and I'm still keen on keeping my identity on the low. A public school would be a bit too much trouble for me. I use that other name for a reason."

"Ah yes, the name of Sinclair. You have also become a much more cavalier person in the last six years. I wonder if that's thanks to Jeremiah," Reina giggled as Sena tugged at some of his hair. "Oh, also, didn't you have business with Clovis today? He asked you to visit the Viceroy's palace as I recall. Some business he wanted to discuss?"

"Hardly. He told me it's a surprise, but apparently some improvement he was making to the palace is finally done, and he wants me to be the first person to see it. Probably another one of his artsier projects if I had to guess, something that was taking a while to get done."

"Ahaha, your brother is rather invested in ensuring the reconstruction efforts go smoothly," Reina rolled a shoulder, giving a sigh. "To be honest, when we first came here five years ago, I worried. Clovis has a gentle heart, hardly a man fit for the rigors of the political world. I worried in his drive to prove he could handle it, he would begin to slip into worse and worse habits as he strove to prove himself."

"Clovis is always thankful to the guidance you gave him when he took over," Sena chuckled, giving his mother and assuring pat to her shoulder. "It's thanks to you Japan has developed the way it has. Sure, we can't do anything about most of the protocols with how Numbers are treated for now, but your negotiations with the Kyoto Group made all the difference."

"How I wish it almost didn't," Reina shook her head. "The people I nary wished to never have to deal with again, and here I am now dealing with them on an almost daily basis. Unfortunately, my prior experiences mean I still hardly trust them, even after five years."

"I suppose that's fair," Sena perked up when a chime came from his pocket. Drawing his phone out, he flinched when he saw a message, only reading [It's almost time.] "Ah, Jeremiah's going to be here soon! I should finish up and get ready!"

"Ahaha, be sure to dress properly. Clovis will just complain to me if you show up in your street clothes again."

"I know, I know!" Sena spoke between mouthfuls and he shoveled the rest of his breakfast into his mouth in his rush, Reina chuckling as he hurried out of the room and back down the hall.

"You'd hardly guess that boy is a prince with the way he behaves now… perhaps that's a good thing."

"Sena, I don't mean to sound rude, but perhaps you've been letting yourself pick up some… rather slovenly habits in your time affecting a commoner."

"Whaddya mean?"

"For one, your manner of speech."

Sena raised a brow as he and Jeremiah sped down the highway leading to the core of the concession zone. The Knight was dressed to the nines in a fitting deep purple and black uniform accented in gold. Sena, otherwise, was still in the midst of throwing on his own more formal attire for a visit to the Viceroy's palace, buttoning up a shirt with the overcoat still across his lap.

"I don't think the way I talk now is that bad," Sena countered, Jeremiah rolling his eyes as an amused chuckle left him. "Mom and I were just chatting for a while anyway! And besides, I got plans later. One of my days off from tutoring, so I plan to make the most of it!"

"I'll remind you that there's going to be Knightmare drills with the other squires tomorrow, so do try to remember and not stay out too long again," Jeremiah glanced over again, sighing when Sena was blatantly ignoring putting on his jacket in favor of checking his phone. "What is interesting enough to draw your attention, my lord?"

"Checking some KMF League updates. Chris and I had some bets on some stuff for the next few matches happening soon. Told her I'd keep my eyes on the charts."

"Ah yes, that did catch your eye a while back," Jeremiah gave an intrigued hum. "I'd be lying if I said the sport did not also interest me. However, it doesn't quite compare to sparring in true Knightmares. Honestly, I don't think I'd ever adjust to piloting something tuned down for sport use such as the Prtywen model. I'm far too used to my Sutherland."

"Haha, considering what happened with that Glasgow, I don't even want to touch a Prytwen," Sena chuckled as he pocketed his phone, now getting to putting his jacket on. "So, speaking of Knightmares, how are things with the ol' 5th Platoon since my last visit?"

"Going swimmingly of course. Discounting how uppity the Purebloods tend to get. That Helman is becoming an increasing annoyance, especially regarding you. Though, not much excitement when all we do is occasionally clean up some rebel activity. They've begun to scrounge up Knightmares as it happens. Not much more than decommissioned Glasgows though, nothing that really makes for a challenge," Jeremiah leaned on a hand, pulling the car away from the main highway and out, the car coasting up to the upper layer of the concession area at last. "I must admire the will, however. Hehe, five long years and they continue to fight. I can respect that kind of pride and loyalty to one's homeland."

"How against the norm," Sena gave a playful smirk, affecting surprise. "To hear Sir Jeremiah Gottwald himself praising the willpower of Numbers! My, if the courts heard of this, it'd be a scandal I say!"

"Hahaha! Well as they say, justice is blind. Britannian or no, I respect loyalty. However, as things stand, their resistance remains more of a nuisance for the government than anything. Though, we'll have to see how the JLF goes. I'd never dare to underestimate the remains of a country's military, especially not when they have a man like Kyoshiro Todoh among them."

"Who knows, maybe they just need the right person to gather behind and change the tide?" Sena's musing earned a chuckle from Jeremiah.

The prince leaned his gaze out a bit as the car coasting along to their destination at last: The Viceroy's Palace. An absolutely towering citadel that was the monolith of the Tokyo Concession area, visible from any corner of the city as a constant reminder of Britannian dominance. A point of pride for the Britannians living there, and a looming, constant reminder for the Japanese people under their thumb.

Sena couldn't help but admit that a part of him utterly hated the sight of it all. The featureless sterling steel of the layered construction of the concession's upper area, only occasionally broken up by the various skyscrapers and other towers of the districts of the Concession.

And even from here, looking out one's eyes would naturally move from the pristine Concession to the ruins of the Ghettos, the remaining districts of Tokyo so damaged from the war as to be just barely livable. And the only places most Numbers were allowed to eke out a semblance of a life in if they didn't put themselves to work in the Concession area or go through the Honorary Britannian system to gain citizenship.

As someone who didn't quite belong to either side, Sena could only really feel a latent sense of loathing over it all.

"Sena, I'd recommend you be careful of your expressions once we're inside," Jeremiah's words of caution made Sena realize he'd shifted into quite the sour glare, perfectly reflected in the car's window as they moved to the parking garage of the citadel. "It's time to act as Sena zel Britannia, is it not?"

"Hehe… just one of many masks I wear."

With how massive a tower the Viceroy's Palace was, Sena had long learned to put up with the agonizingly long elevator rides that often came with navigating the building's height. Being in stuffy formal clothing certainly wasn't helping Sena remain cool and calm as he had to suffer through this ride to the very top of the tower.

"Clovis, I know you were working on something big, but why could be taking us this far up the palace?" Sena tugged at his collar, an eye shut as he looked to his right, a foppish chuckle coming from the man in that direction.

Clovis la Britannia, 3rd Prince of the Empire and one of Sena's handful of elder brothers. A man of gentle features with wavy, well-coiffed sandy brown hair and the violet eyes typical of most royals. Dressed in extravagant purple clothes with long gloves covering his hands and arms, he certainly cut the ideal image of a "Beautiful Prince."

"As I said, it's a surprise," Clovis reiterated the point, Sena giving a hum. "Also, while I appreciate you dressing formally, could you not have done more with your hair? Bedhead is hardly in style you know?"

"We've had this talk," Sena bat Clovis' hand away as his brother tried to mess with some locks. "Try as I might, this is just how my hair is nowadays. Jeremiah has also reminded me about it all too often."

"You'll be making your public debut by next year, so I'd at least hoped to impart some more etiquette in you," Sena let out a grumble as Clovis adjusted his ascot. "You've put it off far too long! You're already sixteen, keep this and Euphy will have her name out there long before you do!"

"Meanwhile Marry's in the military academy," Sena fiddled with the interfered with strands of hair. "Do you think what happened with her mother and her sister was far from a coincidence, given the timing?"

"Now now, no talking your conspiracies today," Clovis pat Sena on the shoulder, the younger prince shrugging. "Though… I can admit it is a shame Marry lost her claim to the throne. Honestly, a royal shouldn't be languishing in a place as uncouth as the Military Academy."

"Marry'll be fine, she has Oldrin with her. Plus, we talk on the regular all the time, so I know she's good. Also I'm sure Jeremiah would give you an earful for talking about his alma matter," Sena gained a newly annoyed crick when Clovis gave him a stink eye. "What?"

"Your manner of speech. You're talking like a commoner again," Clovis flipped the bottom of his hair, Sena shrugging again. "I know you act as a commoner when acting as Sir Gottwald's squire to maintain your privacy, but I feel you only maintain proper noble etiquette for the sake of appearances."

"Not exactly untrue," Sena snickered as Clovis sighed. "Besides, talking this way is easier. After all, Sena Sinclair is a commoner, not a royal like Sena zel Britannia. I have to play the part of some put-upon half-blooded commoner effectively! How else will those Knights not catch onto me being a royal?"

"I just hope it doesn't bleed in too much when acting as a proper prince," Clovis shook his head as Sena just snickered again. The elevator finally came to a stop, and the elder prince quickly got puffed up. "Now, for what you're here for! Honestly, this project took far longer than I'd hoped for it too have. But I believe the results to be well worth it."

"It's gotta be something big if you're this proud just talking about it," Sena chuckled, following Clovis as the doors opened, feeling the breeze that rushed in as he stepped out. And no sooner did Sena have a clear view of things did the breath escape his lungs from surprise.

Before him was a perfect, near one-to-one recreation of a garden he knew all too well. Lined by marble with stone pathways, centered by a gazebo overlooking it all from a central hill. Moving before Clovis could say anything, Sena rushed to that main hill, his breath stalling again as he saw what lay on the other end of the massive garden.

"The Ares Villa…" Sena's eyes widened as the all too familiar mansion that had once been the home of Empress Marianne filled his gaze, taking up the entire back area of the palace rooftop. Everything was just as he'd remembered it, all down even to the flowers lining the garden and more.

"A faithful recreation based even on the most recent photos of the old villa," Clovis chuckled as he met Sena at the gazebo, a pleased look on his face to see his younger brother's wonder. "This is my final gift to Lelouch and Nunnally, bringing their home to the place we lost them. A memorial to our stepmother and siblings here in Area 11."

"That's what all this work has been for, huh?" Sena put a hand behind his head, Clovis giving a nod as he folded his arms.

"I wanted to honor our brother and sister as best I could," Clovis strode to one of the gazebo's pillars, leaning against it. "To be honest, even after five years I find this work tiresome. It's only thanks to Lady Reina's help I feel I've avoided becoming some superficial idea of a viceroy who'd only show platitudes to keep up appearances with the public. I genuinely wish to see Area 11 continue to rise, to be a shining example to the Empire of what integration can look like."

"Rather scandalous~!" Sena's playful tone earned him an amused scoff from Clovis.

"You can also thank your mother for this idea," Clovis ruffled Sena's hair as his brother approached. "When I first took this position six years ago, I did so out of frustration. Honestly, I hated the Elevens. Blamed them even, that they were the cause for Lelouch and Nunnally's deaths… but now, I feel that hate was only the misplaced anger of a boy. That would mean I'd hate you and Lady Reina as well."

"So how do you view it now? Looking at your completed memorial?" Sena brushed Clovis' hand off, side-eying his brother as the man looked to the recreation of the manor.

"I see the failings of both our homeland and the nation that was hosting them," Clovis brushed his bangs with a sigh. "I can't pin the guilt on any one party alone… so instead I'll honor their memory by ensuring the nation they died in doesn't experience the turmoil that killed them once again. It's why I'm pushing so hard for the reconstruction projects in the ghettos to get underway. Though as you can imagine there's much pushback to that idea."

"Oh, I can hear the words of the court now!" Sena chuckled as he leaned on the gazebo's railing. "Things about how the Elevens don't deserve working amenities! How if they want it so badly, they should put themselves to work in the Settlement! So on and so forth with various kinds of disparaging remarks."

"And here you say you wouldn't fit in with the life of a court actor," Clovis laughed, Sena snickering. "In all honesty the worst of it comes from the Purebloods. That damned Helman, he's growing more radical by the day. I feel for your Knight. Sir Gottwald and his team members are almost constantly hounded by that man solely because Jeremiah is in your service. And of course your service. And that's before we mention Squire Sinclair."

"What do you expect?" Sena leaned on a hand, blowing at his bangs. "As far as anyone in the military or court cares, I'm no better than any other Number. My title might as well mean nothing, and they see it as an insult I still have a claim to the throne. Have you heard my latest nickname? "Cursed Ninety Nineth" is what they're saying."

"Ahaha, such is life for a half-blood, isn't it? Be it as a royal or a commoner," Clovis's hands bunched on his arms. "Shame as it is to say. I feel these past six years have made me see in what ways our great Empire is actually quite flawed."

"My my, that's quite the level of reflection from someone who remains rather catty with those outside of his family," Sena's playful snickering earned him an equally playful cross look. "But you didn't bring me here so we could yammer about the mess that is the political courts. I'll admit, seeing the Ares Villa as it was back then is… nostalgic."

"Hmhm, then feel free to enjoy the sights for a while before you leave. I have some business to attend to with General Bartley. This was about all the free time I have for today, sadly so."

"Hahaha, no problem, I understand. Good luck dealing with those stuffy sorts," Sena waved Clovis off as his brother headed back to the elevator. Once the man was gone, Sena's expression fell from the pleasant smile he'd had to something dourer. "The sentiment's not bad… but this is one hell of a vanity project, Clovis."

Striding from the gazebo as he began to undo his jacket, Sena's eyes remained on the mansion. Whether there was goodwill behind it or not, the sheer extravagance of the display was something Sena simply couldn't set aside. Walking to the very edge of the gardens, where he could see the entire breadth of the settlement and ghettos leading out to the bay, that reminder of what this all was only felt all the heavier.

And being able to look at it from on high was leaving a pit in Sena's stomach.

Sena's ruminating was interrupted by his ringtone going off. Checking his phone, the caller was labeled only as "Red". Sena's dour face shifted to a grin. Before answering, he slotted a chip into the device, just an extra safety measure.

"Hello? This is… hagh… Prince, speaking… seriously that codename is so damn stupid. You know this is a burner phone and I use a signal disturber, right? Don't need them."

"Better to be safe than sorry," the voice on the other end was that of a young man. And he was speaking Japanese opposed to English. "And besides, it's just a funny little nickname. I'm acknowledging what you told me."

"I was just clearing things up so you wouldn't shoot me. And I've done a good job keeping that part of my identity a secret, y'know? You're lucky I even told you that!" Sena too switched languages, and his annoyed tone earned him a laugh from "Red." "So, what's this about?"

"Just wanted to check in on how that deal you were arranging is going. You know, for the 'mare.'"

"I'll be getting that cleared in a short while, just need to start making my way to Shinjuku," Sena sat down on the building's railing, casting his gaze back across the garden. "Lucky I was even able to find one in the condition it's in. Most of those models are being decommissioned for civilian or mil-pol use y'know? Finding one still in its mil-spec tuning is a rarity."

"Which is why no one'll notice. So, what's your story to the guy who's been stowing it?"

"That I'm some put-upon Squire who barely has time to train with his unit, so I want to use it to get some practice in by driving it around the old tunnels," Sena snickered as "Red" laughed. "You'd be surprised what bullshit people will go with if you're sneaking enough money under the table. Especially when it's not technically a lie."

"Oh, I'm well aware of that. Alright then, I'll see you in a few hours at the meeting point. See you there, Prince."

"See you then, Red," Sena hung the phone up with that. He was quite glad he'd burned the thing ages ago, and the signal scrambling chip was just extra assurance. Basic precaution among royals as it happened, couldn't have people peeking into their private calls. It was just luck he found a use for it outside of calls with his family members.

Because it made sure nobody would know about the third name he made use of.

Sena zel Britannia, the unseen half-blood Prince living in Area 11, ever whispered about but never seen in the public eye, but rumored to have been taught by his exceptional siblings in their high stations of government, no doubt aiming for a bright career in the military in short order.

Sena Sinclair, a half-blooded commoner who, by the graces of Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald, was recognized as a talented Knightmare pilot and being trained to one day rise as a Knight of Honor, and perhaps further if his talents were recognized for what they were worth.

And one far more recent: Sumeragi Sena, a Japanese teenager with aims of rebellion against the Empire occupying his ancestral homeland. Though admittedly, this was one Sena was still putting some work into.

Three names all making up the whole that he was. Three names he had taken on for various reasons since his arrival in Japan. Three names of a young man taking on different roles and different goals.

All to see just where the course of events would decide where he would end up. Which of the names would take the lead in his life, which one would become his most used "mask" in pursuit of those goals.