AN:

Samurai Seven: Of course, it's fine to think that about V.V.

Guest: Damn, I didn't know Oiagros was built like that, and Castor's ability is something I heavily misunderstood from just reading the wiki. I was under the impression that his Geass only allowed him to read his brother's mind, but if it's how you described it, then you just gave me another idea for how I can use him. Thanks.

Ryuto: Maybe I need to start rereading my own story, but I don't remember writing a make-out session for Kallen and Lelouch, especially since I was planning on having that be their next big step (kissing with tongue included). Though, I do remember having something similar implied through dialogue with Naoto, but in my head I was writing it with them just kissing normally in mind. But again, that was only one instance.

Chapter 99: Judgement

Area 11. Kirihara Estate. May 4th. 8:00AM

"It's over, Cornelia! I have the high ground!" Euphemia boldly proclaimed as she stood atop a large boulder, with cicadas buzzing in the background.

"Euphie, please get down from there! It's dangerous!" the Witch of Britannia pleaded as Lila tried to climb up, only to be picked up by her eldest sister, "Look at what you're doing! Even Lila's trying to go up there!"

"Don't be such a party pooper!" the pink-haired Princess shouted as her half-sister squirmed upon being captured, "And release thy maiden of her shackles! Else I shall rain fire upon thee!"

"Euphie, please! I really don't want to spend my only day off nursing a broken leg." Cornelia said as Lila tried to free herself, by pushing off her sister, "And think about Nunnally! If you go up there, she won't be able to join you!"

That seemed to get through to Euphemia, as she awkwardly looked at the Innocent Princess - who was smiling happily, as if she didn't mind. "Oh my god. I'm so sorry, Nunna! I wasn't thinking!"

She pivoted to hop off, only for her foot to slip due to uneven placement, causing her to fall backwards, which made Cornelia panic as she tried to move into action. However, due to holding Lila, she wouldn't make it in time. That's when Rai jumped in, catching her before she could even come close to hitting the floor, "Are you okay?" he asked with concerned eyes, causing her to blush slightly.

Suzaku watched the display with an irked expression, holding back anger as his two squires hung out under a tree, "Ugh. I should've moved faster. No… Rai was already closer than me, so he would've reached her by the time I got halfway."

Euphemia stared her former Knight in the eyes while saying, "Th-thank you."

Rai cleared his throat while noticing their proximity, "It's… nothing. Just… doing my duty as your-" though, he cut himself short upon realizing that he was no longer Euphemia's Knight, which made him kind of sad. But not enough to regret becoming a Knight of the Round.

Suddenly, Cornelia took her sister out of Rai's arms, and said, "Get your hands off her, Eleven." she held her sister gently, while pushing the Knight away, "Are you okay, Euphie?"

"N-Nellis! Don't be so mean to Rai!" the pink-haired girl reprimanded, "He just saved me, while all you were doing was yelling at me!"

"What!? How am I in the wrong? I warned you of what would happen, and you just ignored me!" the purple-haired woman responded in disbelief, "Euphie, I'm just trying to look out for you."

"I know, but…" the pink-haired Princess hopped out of her sister's arms, "I wish you'd just learn to relax sometimes! The world isn't always out to get me, you know?"

"That's where you're wrong." Cornelia explained, "The situation here in Area 11 is far worse than what I anticipated, and with what recent information we've gathered… I'm afraid those Elevens are out to get you, and Lila."

"No way! We're safe here with Kirihara." Euphemia argued, "Coupling that with Rai and Suzaku being here, it's practically impossible for anyone to attack us!"

"Euphie, you can't trust them just because they're Knights of the Round. At the end of the day, they're still Elevens, and the chances of them betraying you are way too high." the Witch took a step forward, trying to reason with her sister, "You're still young and naive. It's not your fault, that's just how it is. Your kindness is your greatest weakness-"

"What's wrong with being kind!?" the pink-haired Princess interjected, "And don't you dare suggest that Rai and Suzaku would betray us!" she turned to Lila, seeking support, "They've been around since the very beginning, and I personally trust them with my life!"

"Then you're a fool!" Cornelia proclaimed, "Recently… I've uncovered the identity of a traitor in our midst, and combining this shocking revelation with the fact that Dasko had betrayed Carine, anyone could be a snake!" she pointed at Rai and Suzaku, "Especially them!"

Nunnally covered her ears as the shouting match continued, clearly disturbed by the loud noises, and hurt that her sisters were fighting. That's when Lila stepped in, trying to break up the argument, "Stop! Please stop fighting!" she tried to step between them, only to be gently pushed away by her eldest sister.

"Please, Lila. Stay out of this." Cornelia said before turning to Euphie.

"No! I refuse to watch you two fight like this!" the little Princess once again stepped into the harsh shouting match, "We're family! We shouldn't be arguing like this!"

The purple-haired woman sighed heavily upon hearing those words, "I'm not angry. I'm just looking out for you. All of you. Among all of my siblings, you three are the most precious, and I don't want to see your innocence tainted because of this world's stupidity."

"Even so, you can't just blame Rai and Suzaku like that!" Euphemia shouted.

"I wasn't! I'm just warning you to be careful. That's all." Cornelia sighed, clearly seeing that this was going nowhere, especially with how stubborn her younger sister was being, "Guilford… I think we should go."

Her Knight nodded in the background, and gave a slight bow as she walked away, "My apologies. But we must cut this visit short." he told Euphemia.

Once Cornelia was out of sight, the pink-haired Princess began sobbing, her hands trembling with fear. Suzaku moved to comfort her, only for Rai to beat him there, who she immediately clung to, "She hates me! Doesn't she!?" she cried while burying her face into the Knight's cloak, causing him to hold her on pure instinct.

Not being able to offer her consoling words, the silver-haired boy simply stroked her back soothingly as she continued to cry. After seeing her sister cry, Lila began tearing up as well, and entered the hug with a small sob, which her sister gladly accepted her with open arms. Though, Rai felt slightly uncomfortable as he felt the little Princess push her head against his ribs, creating an uncomfortable tightness around his lungs.

Suzaku's annoyance only grew as he watched Euphemia's head rest on Rai's shoulder, causing him to say, "I highly doubt she hates you, Euphie."

The Princess sniffled, and separated her head from her former Knight's shoulders slightly, "Wh-what? How could she not? We… just fought-"

"Have you not had arguments in the past?" the Japanese man calmly asked while approaching her.

"This is different… it's the first time where she's actively walked away first…" she rested her head back on Rai's shoulder, clearly burnt out due to the brief shouting match.

"Well, Lelouch and I argue all the time. And while it gets really bad sometimes, it doesn't change the fact that we still love each other at the end." Nunnally explained as her chair was pushed forward by Sayoko.

"I know… but those nasty comments about Rai and Suzaku… I couldn't stand it…"

"I understand." the Innocent Princess said with a gentle smile, "Just because you love someone, doesn't mean you have to accept everything they do with a smile." her smile slightly faltered upon remembering her brother, "Even now… I still don't understand why Lelouch had to leave me like this. He's told me the bare minimum, but I need to know more."

Euphemia wiped the tears from her eyes and asked, "So… what do you suggest we do?"

"That's easy… we force her to apologize!" the cute Princess boldly proclaimed with a hand raise, causing Suzaku's squires to raise an eyebrow in the background.

"Ledo… I know Prince Schneizel already told us that she's well acquainted with the Royal Family, but I can't help feeling like there's something more." one Squire mumbled to his friend as more cicadas buzzed in the distance.

"Even so, we can't question them, Schnee." Ledo responded cautiously, "And remember, we're under Suzaku's wing now."

"Ugh." the blond groaned upon remembering his purpose here, "I still can't believe that he's a Knight of the Round."

"You seem to accept Rai's appointment just fine."

"That's because he's half Britannian. So there's no questioning his abilities."

"Hm? Schnee, we've had this conversation before-"

"And I've agreed to do things your way." Schnee cut his friend off, "But Suzaku hasn't shown us why he's a Knight of the Round. All I've seen around here, is how he's been kissing up to Princess Lila and Princess Euphemia-"

Ledo slapped his friend on the arm lightly, "Hey. Don't say those things out-loud. It's disrespectful."

The blond let out a frustrated sigh, "I would just like to see him perform in combat for once. As a Knight of the Round, it's his duty to protect Britannia from these… Elevens. Yet, we haven't hit the battlefield once."

"You just sound bloodthirsty when you put it like that."

"Well… I…" he let out another sigh, "You know what I mean."

Ledo nodded slowly, "Let time do its thing. Eventually, we'll see why he's a Knight of the Round, but for now simply observe."

Temporary Government Field Unit.

"I don't get it, Guilford!" Cornelia complained while kicking her feet on the desk, "I'm just trying to look out for Euphie, yet I'm the bad guy!?"

"It's unbelievable, Princess." her Knight responded while pouring her a cup of tea, "However, we must keep in mind that they aren't thinking about the possibility of traitors among our ranks. What you did might've been rough, but they'll understand in due time."

"I hope so. I love Euphemia more than anything in this world, so if she were to get hurt - or worse, die - I would never be able to forgive myself. Especially if it was something I could prevent." she took a small sip, not even winching at the heat of the fresh brew.

"Perhaps… you should apologize for being so brash?" Guilford asked cautiously, "After all, while you are right in worrying about her, you won't be able to do much if she keeps you away like this."

"No way." the Witch of Britannia responded, "If I apologize now, that'd be the equivalent of admitting I'm wrong."

"If that is what you wish, Princess." her Knight bowed humbly, "Then I shall support your decision."

Suddenly, Villetta bursts into the tent, gasping for air as she placed a tablet on the Princess' desk, "P-Princess Cornelia… Euro Britannia… war's broken out!"

"What!? So soon?"

She watched the screen as a news anchor reported on the situation, "Today, at exactly 11:48AM, the Republic of Europia assaulted a Sakuradite refinery within Euro Britannia's territory. This reprehensible action has earned a response from Augusta Henry Highland, saying retaliation is imminent."

"Might as well just say a war is going on." Cornelia mumbled, "Nobody's shocked that this happened, since it's been widely known that Europia doesn't appreciate having its land given to a vassal state. We just expected it to happen next month."

"Regardless, war has broken out, and there's nothing we can do." Schneizel entered his sister's tent calmly.

"I assume this must be part of your 'great plan' brother?"

"Not exactly." the blond shrugged as Kanon entered shortly after, "I expected Manfredi to be there to lead the counter assault, but thanks to unforeseen events, he's unable to transfer at this time. We'll just have to wait until the renewal of our current contract with Europia to do so."

"Otherwise, handing over a Knight of the Round to Euro Britannia could be seen as an act of war, couldn't it?" Guilford added, "If he was already there by the time the war began, then we'd have an excuse for him participating."

"Exactly. But that ship has already sailed. Now we have to hope that they last 6 months." Schneizel sighed while taking a seat, "The commander from the El Alamein front concerns me though. Without having to worry about us advancing from Africa, there's a good chance they'll pull him in to swiftly defeat Euro Britannia before we can react."

"Well - from what I hear - the political landscape in Europia has been shaky of yet, so there's a good chance that won't happen." Kanon explained while scrolling through his tablet.

"Brother, I don't mean to be rude, but is there a reason for you being here?" Cornelia asked, "Surely it's not just to inform me of the Eu's ongoing conflict, right?"

"Of course not." Schneizel snapped his finger, and Kanon handed over the tablet, "I'm going to be sending Odysseus to do a series of - what you would call - goodwill checks in the Chinese Federation. I need you to accompany him with your outfit."

"Just in case of any funny business?"

"Correct. I don't want my dear brother to get hurt, or captured, after all." the blond gave a charismatic smile, "I attend myself, but due to something urgent coming up in the homeland, I'm unable to."

"I understand. You can count on me, brother."

"I know I can." he stood up, and turned for the exit, "You'll be leaving later tonight, so be sure to say goodbye to Euphemia."

"Ah-I will. Thank you."

"I shall beg my leave, too." Villetta bowed before exiting the tent with her tablet in-hand."

Cornelia released a heavy sigh and stood up, "Get some escorts ready, my Knight. I'll go inform Euphie of my departure."

"As you wish."

Lelouch and Naoto clashed blades as their Knightmare's dashed around the dock, with a Black Knight audience cheering them on. Kallen pouted while holding her face in her hands, mumbling, "It should be me. Not him…"

"Awe. Don't be so sad, Kally." Maya patted the girl on the back, "We need someone who isn't as monstrous in a frame as you."

"Basically, you're overqualified." Clara chimed in with a smile.

The red head groaned as her brother stood across from Lelouch, taking a moment to catch their breaths. "Why don't we kick it up a notch?" he asked, ready to apply just a bit more effort.

"Right…" Lelouch checked his systems, "The Druid System still has a 2-second delay." he let out a struggled breath, clearly exerting just to barely keep up with Naoto, "The improvements made to the system in such a short time are extraordinary. However, it's not enough for me to actually win this."

The Prince narrowly dodged a strike as it appeared on-screen, scraping against the top of his head. In response, he tried to counter, only for the Kozuki to effortlessly move out of the way, and attack from behind. Lelouch forced his frame forward, exiting the strike range while turning himself around with a pivot, "Too close." Tohdoh mumbled, "If Naoto had put a bit more effort… Lelouch would've-"

"Don't even suggest that." Kallen reprimanded the Miracle Worker, "It's just a training exercise."

"It was an observation, nothing more."

The Prince swayed from left to right as his screen was filled with three suggested methods of defense, each running semi-detailed lines of how Naoto was going to attack. So, he took a defensive stance, and awaited his opponent to attack - which he did. The Kozuki burst forth, taking none of the three presented lines, instead choosing to keep low to the ground, and swerve behind the Prince, which he hastily tried moving out of the way, only to get his arm caught.

Naoto used his entire body to slam Lelouch into the ground, before raising his sword, and thrusting it downward, next to the Kagero's head, "Looks like I win."

"Ugh. Of course, you did."

"Awe. Don't be like that."

"Like what?" Lelouch questioned as he hopped out of the Kagero.

"Like that!" Naoto pointed out while joining him on the walk to his office, "You're pouting again."

"This is the first time I've done it."

"Ah. So you are pouting."

Lelouch stopped at the top of the catwalk and turned to Naoto, before saying, "Shut up."

The comment made the Kozuki heartily chuckle, "There's no shame in it. After all… it's hard to beat someone as impressive as me." the Japanese man began flexing his muscles jokingly.

"Zero." Nagisa called from below with the four Holy Swords and Tohdoh behind, "We need to talk."

Kallen watched as the Kagero and Aroundight were loaded into the back of a trailer, ready to be transported at a moment's notice. Though, that was when she was approached by Savitri, the Knightmare specialist Rakshata sent over, "Good evening, Ms. Kozuki."

"Uh… hello?" the red head responded while Clara and Maya stood by her side, "Do you need help with something?"

"No. I just wanted to say hi." the Indian girl responded while putting a hand on her chest, "You're an inspiration to all half-blooded Japanese around the world, including myself."

Due to how blunt she was being, Kallen chuckled awkwardly, before responding, "Um… you're welcome… I never really thought about it."

Maya chose to interject in the conversation, pointing at herself with a smile, "What about me? I'm half Japanese, too."

"Really? I've never heard that."

"What!?" the black-haired girl fell to her knees, devastated as a cloud of despair hung over her body, "Has my greatness been overshadowed by my poor piloting skills?"

"I mean… you never really talked about being half Britannian." Kallen added while patting her friend on the back.

"Neither did you."
"I mean… Naoto's a pretty big part of the team, so that's probably why she knows."

"Please don't be so modest." Savitri interjected, "I've heard stories about your mastery with the Guren; being able to take on Suzaku Kururugi while he was flight-enabled. It's incredible."

"C-Clara…" Maya held onto the girl holding back tears, "You think I'm cool, right?"

"Um… yeah."

"Why'd you hesitate!?" the black-haired girl shouted while shaking her friend.

"I'm sorry! No doubt, you're one of the coolest people I know!"

Kallen shook her head as Maya pounded her chest pridefully, "And you better not forget it. I am the one fixing your frames, after all."

This made the Indian girl's ears perk slightly, "Wait… I remember you now."

"You do?" the black-haired girl asked with hopeful eyes.

"Yes. You're the fool Rakshata put in charge of the Sougetsu's, right?"

"Gah!?" the Disel clenched her fist and angrily walked toward the girl, only for Kallen to hold her back, "Let me go! I'm gonna kill her for that comment!"

"And a savage too…"

"Kally! She's insulting my honor!"

"Then you can have Mario deal with it." Kallen responded calmly while dragging her away, "I don't want you beating up Rakshata's representative."
"But Mario won't do anything!"

"It's okay." Clara tried to calm her friend down as they led her into the warehouse, leaving Savitri to board the truck, and leave, "She doesn't know you. To us, you're one of our smartest, and strongest members. So what if Mario's better than you? Compared to the rest of the pilots around here, you're top-notch!"

"R-really?" Maya asked while trying to hold back a smile, "You know what? You're right! I am a great pilot. It's not Savitri's fault she can't see my greatness for what it is." she nodded, finally being released from Kallen's iron hold, "Besides, who is Savitri to judge me anyway? It's not like she's out fighting on the field, so she doesn't know how good I really am!" then, a bulb went off in her head, "I know! Why don't we host a Knightmare Tournament?"

"Like those underground ones?"

"Yeah! That might actually be a better idea!" the black-haired girl nodded, "Yes. I can see. We should totally sign up for those and bring Savitri along so she can see what I'm made of!"

"That… sounds pretty good, actually." Kallen put a hand on her chin, "I'm sure Urabe and Senba could find us one of those places. Mario and Naoto could join in too, and I think this would be good practice for him as well."

"Then let's go ask!"

Zero's office. A few minutes earlier.

"Lelouch Lamprouge." Nagisa said while taking Asahina's tablet, staring down their leader intensely as he calmly sat on his couch, "That's your name, right?"

"Last I checked." the Prince responded confidently as Tohdoh and Naoto stood behind him, with Senba and Urabe seated off to the side, "Is there a purpose to this meeting, or…"

"We just wanted confirmation." Asahina added while tapping the tablet once, showing his partner an article "Lamprouge is your mother's maiden name, isn't it?"

"And where did you get that from?"

The bespectacled man pushed up his glasses and continued, "Well, after our first interaction, I did some digging on the Lamprouge's, trying to find out as much as I could about you."

"What? You don't trust me?"

"Especially not after finding out you lied."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow and leaned back as Tohdoh stepped in, "What are you talking about, Asahina? Why weren't you satisfied with how things went last time?"

"It wasn't him. It was me." Nagisa stepped in, "After we left, I asked Asahina to look into the Lamprouge background, but he came up with nothing, which was automatically suspicion, considering Lelouch was able to shack up with the Ashford's, who were a prestigious family in the past. We figured that due to their history, they wouldn't accept some random kids into their care without a good reason."

"So you don't believe in human compassion?" Lelouch asked, trying to change the subject, only for Nagisa to shoot him down instantly, becoming hyperfocused on the information at her fingertips.

"That's not what this is about." she said while tapping her foot, continuing with her abridged version of events, "After Asahina came to a dead-end, we looked through some archives that were procured from that day Diethard's team captured that news station." it was risky to mention the Britannian's name in this conversation, especially since she had agreed to not mention his involvement, but she wasn't technically giving him away, especially since it was a 'team' who procured the evidence.

Though, Lelouch knew better, since he was the one who personally told Diethard to take anything of value from the station. However, he couldn't deal with the reporter, not right now. "So, what'd you find?"

"This." the woman confidently placed her tablet on the table, showing an article about the deaths of Nunnally Vi Britannia, and Lelouch Vi Britannia.

"Oh. It's that article I found back then…" Naoto thought to himself while secretly clenching his fists, "If they found this… then that means…"

"That's not me." Lelouch lied without hesitation while looking at the young picture of himself.

"The hell do you mean? It's clearly you." Nagisa pointed at the picture, "Same eyes. Hair. Facial expression. You've hardly changed from back then, you know that?"

"We just look similar." the Prince crossed his legs with a smug smile, "I'm not a Prince. Hell, I've never even heard of this 'Vi Britannia' family, and I can see why considering they're dead."

Unamused, Nagisa picked up the device once more, and switched to another article. This time, it was about Marianne the Flash, whose name was also listed as Lamprouge, "This is your mother, isn't it? You've kept her maiden name. It's sweet, really."

"Coincidence."

"Take this seriously, Lelouch!" Nagisa finally slammed her palms on the table, infuriated by his stubbornness, "We know it's you! Those kids were in Japan at - conveniently - the same time as you were in Japan. Both of your parents just so happen to be dead, and you both have sisters!" she handed the article to Senba and Urabe, who began judging its authenticity, "Of course, you never told us who your sister was, but considering you had to carry her through Japan on your back, I can only imagine that she was disabled, similar to Nunnally Vi Britannia."

"I just didn't want her stepping on bodies. It would be beyond traumatizing for someone like her." Lelouch explained as Urabe compared his face to the picture.

"Well, she still saw them, right? Or did she keep her eyes closed the whole time?"

"Japan wasn't completely filled with corpses. We were free to take breaks."

Finally, Senba turned to Urabe, and nodded his head. Upon noticing this small exchange, Naoto sighed and tapped his friend on the shoulder, "Lelouch. It's done. They've worked hard, so they've earned some honesty."

The Prince sighed and swatted the Kozuki's hand away, "Yeah. You're right." he turned to the remaining Holy Swords as Tohdoh silently stared at the floor, "Very well, I'm-"

"Lelouch!" Kallen suddenly burst into the office, with an elated expression. Though, it soon faded as she noticed the tense atmosphere. Her eyes landed on Nagisa, who had her hands on the table, and was glaring at Lelouch, "Tell me what's going on." the red head demanded as she got between the Holy Sword and her boyfriend.

"I'll tell you!" Nagisa shouted while putting a hand on her hips.

"Don't yell at me." Kallen ordered sternly, clearly not wanting to deal with the woman's temper.

"Why should I!? You lied to us!" the Holy Sword pointed at Lelouch, "He's a Prince! Why didn't you tell us!?"

"Because we knew you'd react like this!" the red head argued as the conversation shifted to a one-on-one between them, "You would've gotten pissed off if we told you who Lelouch really was!"

"Not as pissed off as I am now!" Nagisa retorted while pointing at Tohdoh, "For goodness' sake, he lied to us! The Holy Swords! That's the man we put all our faith into, yet he lied to us!"

"And did you ever think that there may have been a good reason for it!?" the red head shouted while hoisting her boyfriend onto his feet, causing him to wince slightly.

"Ow. Kallen, that kind of-"

"Shh. We're talking." she gently hushed him while rubbing his shoulder soothingly, "If Tohdoh trusts him, then why shouldn't you!?"

"We just want the whole story!" the Holy Sword replied as she crossed her arms, "How are you not seeing how suspicious this is right now?"

"Because you're being completely unreasonable! How did you even find out anyway?" Kallen asked while releasing her boyfriend, who returned to the couch.

"We just did some research, that's all." Nagisa answered, "And we came to the conclusion that he was a Prince."

The red head was about to shout, only to be stopped by her brother, who said, "Kallen. Let us handle this. You're only antagonizing her."

"Please." Tohdoh added, "Nagisa, we'll tell you everything. Just please, sit down."

"You too, Kallen." Lelouch said while patting the couch as Maya and Clara stood outside, making sure nobody was listening.

After several minutes of discussion, clarification, and acceptance, Nagisa let out a frustrated sigh, "I had no idea you lived with the Kururugi's." she scratched the back of her head, "Now it makes sense how Kirihara knows you. Ah. Wait… doesn't that mean Kaguya knows you too? I heard her family was close with the Kururugi's."

"Yeah. And yet, she didn't say anything during the reveal…" Asahina mumbled.

"She just needed a reminder, nothing more." Tohdoh explained, "Now, are you satisfied with this conclusion?"

Urabe was the first to get up and say, "I mean… it doesn't really matter to me." he gave a thumbs up to Lelouch, "You saved my life, and that's some serious good marks in my book, regardless of whether you're a Prince or not."

"Thank you, Urabe." the Prince nodded as Kallen continued giving Nagisa a death-glare.

"And if Tohdoh think you're alright, then I do." Senba added with a hearty chuckle, "I never had any doubt." he turned to Nagisa and Asahina, "What about you?"

The bespectacled man shrugged, "I'm fine regardless. I just wanted the truth."

Meanwhile, the female Holy Sword got up and looked Lelouch in the eyes, "While I'm not exactly happy that a Prince is our leader… I suppose it's good to know that your hatred for Britannia is genuine."

"So… will you be planning a mutiny anytime soon?"

"Not at all. You have my loyalty." she said before pointing at him, "But remember, I answer to Tohdoh first, understand?"

"As long as you won't stab me in the back, that's fine."

"We'll leave you for the rest of the day." Tohdoh motioned for his Holy Swords to follow him out of the room, "I apologize for the trouble."

"It's not your fault." the Prince responded as the Swords left, only for Urabe and Senba to be pulled to the side by Clara and Maya.

"I'll go too." Naoto said, "After all, someone's gotta prepare for the training exercise later."

"Thank you, Naoto."

Soon, only Kallen and Lelouch remained in the office, with the former breathing a heavy sigh, "You let her off too easy."

"Kallen, it's already done." the Prince responded, "Besides, at least this way we won't have to worry about it anymore."

"Don't lie. I know you're just as pissed as I am." the red head mumbled while resting her head on his lap, "Who does she think she is? Coming in here and demanding answers like that."

"I still can't believe she got that far to begin with." Lelouch sighed while rubbing his girlfriend belly, "Perhaps I should pay Diethard a visit."

Meanwhile, Kallen was in her own thoughts, still infuriated by Nagisa's actions, and even slightly fearful, considering it reminded her of the time on the Ikaruga. She felt a headache starting to form after just thinking about the old timeline, "Damn it. Even though things ended alright, she had no right to do that! Betraying Tohdoh's trust, and jeopardizing the Black Knights!"

"Kallen." Lelouch poked her forehead, "Are you still mad?"

"Of course! I'm not gonna get over this just because it ended without the Black Knights imploding!"

"Even so, you can't put the blame completely on Nagisa. While it was wrong of her to seek my past like that, we still lied first. I even got Tohdoh to lie for me. Imagine how much that hurt her and the Holy Swords?" Lelouch sighed, "We had our reasons for lying, and she had her reason for seeking out my identity. This isn't just about who was right or wrong."

"Still… it doesn't feel right…" the red head mumbled while looking to the side.

"Believe me, it still feels weird to be so… open about being a Prince." her boyfriend sympathized, "But… I did promise them I'd reveal my identity after taking Japan, and suddenly revealing that I'm a Prince of the Empire I fought against might be a bit of a shock. So, having people like Nagisa, those who despise Britannia to it's core supporting me, would make things considerably easier."

"By the way…" Kallen grabbed his cheeks and squished them playfully, "Maya and Clara wanted to talk about going to one of those underground KMF tournaments."
"What?"

Conveniently, the aforementioned girls entered the room with bright smiles, "We just talked to Urabe and Senba about it, and they said the only tournament that would be big enough happens in 4 months!"

Maya shook the Prince by the shoulders from behind, "We have to go! Please!"

"Yeah!" Clara joined in my poking his cheek, with Kallen trying to fight her off, "It'll be so much fun!"

Lelouch facepalmed with a low groan, "Fine. You can go, just stop poking me."

Area 11. Kirihara Estate.

"You're leaving!?" Euphemia exclaimed in disbelief, "Is it because of what happened this morning?" she felt herself on the verge of tears again, as Cornelia tried to comfort her.

"No! That's not it at all." her older sister said while rubbing her back, "Schneizel just needs me to join Odysseus in checking on the Chinese Federation. I'll return before you know it, okay?"

The pink-haired Princess looked down with disappointment, "Alright… if you say so…"

"Euphie." Cornelia caressed her sister's cheek, "About this morning… I've realized that my words may have been a bit harsh. I just… don't want to see you hurt." she then moved to pat her on the head, "And clearly, my words have affected you greatly - hurting rather than helping."

"I know you're just looking out for me, but I'd appreciate it if you apologized to Rai and Suzaku. They're trying to protect me and Lila, too."

Cornelia looked away and said, "I'll… need some time to do that." she got up, "When I come back, I'll try my best. Until then, stay out of trouble, okay?"

"Is that a promise?"

"Sure… a promise."

The pink-haired girl took her sister's pinky in hers, and said, "Then let's do a Japanese pinky promise!"

"An… Eleven pinky promise?"

"Japanese!" Euphemia cutely corrected, "And Nunnally's the one who taught it to me." she cleared her throat before saying, "Cross my heart, hope to die, eat a thousand needles if I lie."

"Wh-what?" Cornelia stuttered as their pinkies separated, "That's quite… jarring."

"Why? As long as you don't lie, you won't have to swallow any needles, right?"

"Well, the very idea doesn't sound pleasant. Regardless, I'd never break a promise, especially if it's with you."

With a final, bright smile, Euphemia said, "You better not, Nellis!"

AN: I hate this chapter, because I'd rather get straight into the action immedietly, but I know there has to be setup, and that's what this chapter is. At least I have a good idea of where I want to take the next arc, it's just about how I'm going to get there.