Chapter 41: Sisters

After all this time, Euphemia finally made the choice to meet with her sister, and learn why they didnt return from their mouths, and to spend time with people she cares for. At the same time, another of her sisters has landed, and brings only fear and uncertainty.

C.C. had lived a long time, more than anyone should, seen more than could in a single lifetime and she had once believed she had seen it all. Of course, she had moments when she was proven wrong, when the world and its countless humans proved her wrong. Pizza was one thing; she could see and enjoy the dish as it improved over the centuries. Then there were the inventions, of course, she could still recall how she had been bewildered by the concept of a steam engine, never mind electricity.

But it was the people, the enviously short-lived mortals, who managed to surprise her the most consistently. Ever since she got involved with this family, it was a somewhat regular occurrence that her lover or his precious little sister would do or say something that just threw her off. But it wasn't like they didn't surround themselves with interesting people.

She had been prepared for something big when she wheeled Nunnally into the Drawing room. She had been expecting that Lloyd fellow again, here for more information on the Ganymede, or perhaps Cecile, Suzaku's mother hen, who wished to get a second experience at the environment a reckless employee got himself into.

She hadn't expected to see the sub Viceroy, wearing a horrible disguise and the ugliest pair of sunglasses she had seen.

“H-hello, Nunnally.” She spoke, sounding nothing like her sister, but this wasn't a battlefield.

“That voice, is that you, Euphie?” Nunnally asked, C.C. picking up the surprise and oh no, hope in her question. That wasn’t good.

“Nunnally!” Euphemia, unable to keep herself contained, rocketed towards her sister, pulling her into the biggest hug she could.

As the elder held onto the younger sister, both started to cry over their reunion. Sayoko remained passive at the side, watching things while C.C. gave Suzaku a look that made him glad she couldn't kill with a glance, as she was furious with him about this. He disregarded the fact that C.C. was familiar with even this part of Lelouch and Nunnally's lives and just gave a hopeless smile and shrug, conveying that his hands were tied with this.

Line Break

Once C.C. could control her annoyance at Suzaku and Euphemia could be coaxed to let Nunnally go, as the girl wasn't planning on just vanishing, Sayoko served them afternoon tea and snacks. As the Japanese maid set things down, Euphemia clapped her hands and smiled toward her.

"Thank you for that, but may I ask, what are these? I don't think I've ever had something like this." Euphemia asked, pointing towards her plate, which, like the other three served, housed a couple of brown buns with bulges in their centers. They looked nothing like the treats she had in the past, but they smelled lovely.

Sayoko had just finished setting Suzaku’s down when Euphemia asked, the maid turning to their guest with a bow. “I wouldn’t expect you to have, Princess Euphemia.”

Euphemia stopped her before she could continue. "Please, I didn't come here as a princess. Could you refer to me as just Euphie?" She asked, as she didn't want her sister or those she surrounded herself with to feel like they had to act around her. If nothing else, she wished to pretend that there was no social class here.

Sayoko glanced towards Claude, both pleased with Euphemia's character thus far. They couldn't rule out that she was just more tactful than her warmongering sister. The moment passed, and Sayoko again bowed, correcting herself. “Very well, Lady Euphie. As I was saying, they’re an Eleven snack called Manjū. It’s a steamed sweet bun with chestnut and custard filling.”

Suzaku chucked at the description. "It's supposed to just be one or the other, but Nunnally likes having it with both."

“It’s better that way, and Sayoko and brother agree with me.” Nunnally shot back, proving her point when she picked one of hers and took a bite, letting out a pleased sound as she tasted it. "You should try some, Euphie. I helped make these the other day."

Euphemia did just that. Following her sister's example, she picked it up like a cookie and took a small bite. As soon as she did, her eyes widened. The pillowy steamed bun yielded without a fight, giving way to the silky chestnut paste and creamy custard filling. Her taste buds experienced the subtly sweet, earthy, and smooth flavour. It was much more restrained than the foods she'd had in the past, but she knew she wanted more.

So much so that she felt no shame for the very much undignified moan she let out as she took another bite. “Oh, it’s delicious, I had no idea the Japanese made something so good. Suzaku, why haven’t you shared this with me before?” She looked towards Suzaku, who raised his arms in surrender at how cross she looked, even if she looked adorable as she continued to nibble on her snack.

“Well, it’s not like I have them laying around the base.” Suzaku reminded her, as Sayoko had already said, that it was an Eleven snack. Even though the troops in his old unit cooked their own food, they couldn't afford to make something like this, particularly when their commanding officer would use it as an excuse to starve them.

C.C. cheekily smiled as she added. “You could have come here and asked, Nunnally probably would make a dozen just for you, soldier boy.” Suzaku looked like he had sucked a raw lemon with how C.C. had thrown him under the bus. Still, she was impressed with Nunnally's cooking as the girl and her brother seemed to enjoy doing such simple domestic things together. Their contentment and joy often translated into their dishes.

Nunnally, for her part, nodded. "I would, so you should be ready to get some. I'll ensure they only have chestnuts since you like them like that." She joked, giggling about which Suzaku joined in, leaving Euphemia to watch, but she felt a little left out.

“You’ve always had a sweet tooth, Nunnally, but you really like these Manjū, don’t you?” Euphemia asked, to which her sister nodded.

"Hmm, Suzaku shared some with us back when we lived with him, and I've liked it the most ever since." She smiled, recalling the memory. Brother had been so against eating hand-outs, even though he wanted to try the sweet-smelling snack like her. Suzaku was stubborn and eventually got Lelouch to take it. They enjoyed the treat as they sat on the porch, watching the gentle summer rain.

“Of course, yes-you would have picked up the taste then…” Euphemia smiled, but they could tell she wasn't just happy; the visiting princess needed to quickly wipe away her tears. Suzaku frowned as she laid a hand on her shoulder, worried for her. Still, she gave him a watery smile, trying to say she wasn't upset, but she was…but also not.

It was all confusing, and she wasn't sure what she really felt as she let out a sob mixed with a quick laugh, one that grew Nunnally's concern. “Years now, I’ve missed so much of your life. One moment, you're the adorable little sister I would play with, and the next, I see you. You're on the cusp of womanhood, already showing that you have all your mother's beauty and quiet grace.”

Nunnally didn't immediately respond, and C.C. kept any jokes or dry quips to herself. As for how teary the reunion had been, it was a reunion, the first time the sisters had seen each other in 8 years. So much had changed; they had changed. They couldn't just act like they used to, when Euphemia would visit every other week, no matter how much they wanted to.

Nunnally eventually replied. “I still have a ways to go, I only just turned 14.”

Euphemia recalled it. She had never forgotten their birthdays, even when all hope had been lost. But she didn't want her sister to feel upset about it, so she reached over the table to gently grasp Nunnally's hand. "I'm sure you must have had a fun time. Suzaku was absent that day, but I didn't know why and couldn't ask. I was busy with things."

“I knew you were celebrating; I knew in my heart you and Nelly didn't forget us, but" Nunnally paused, as this was the hard part. “Could you please keep our secret?”

Fortunately for Nunnally and the status quo of their lives, Euphemia had already considered this. She made a decision, so she was quick to respond.

"I will, Nunna. I don't like it. I want to be able to see you every day, but I understand why you didn't come back." Euphemia took a moment to take a break and keep herself composed. “But I know you’re safe here, but are you happy?” she asked, as she hoped they were. She had no reason to think otherwise; otherwise, Suzaku would have said something, but she wanted to hear it from the horse's mouth.

Nunnally’s smile wasn’t as big as it could have been, but it was as good as gold. "Very. Big brother is big brother, but I've made many friends and memories here. Everyone on the student council is an amazing person. When Suzaku first came to school, they were the first to accept and treat him normally." Euphemia was truly happy to hear that, but Nunnally wasn't done.

"And recently, I've made more friends, those close to my age. You just missed one of them. Alice is always around, but she wanted to spend more time with the rest of her sisters." Nunnally didn't tell them everything; it wasn't her story, but she told them enough that her sister would understand that Alice and her sisters were some of the best people she's met, each unique and yet loved each other deeply.

As she spoke about the student council, Euphemia did find it odd how fast they accepted Suzaku, as she might have picked the school, but that still seemed quite fast. "It's true, I didn't want to draw attention to Lelouch and Nunnally by being friendly with them, false or not, I'm still an Eleven, but Lelouch blackmailed me into it," Suzaku admitted, explaining how when he had dinner with them, he had asked them for just that, only for a certain prince to brush it aside and give the counter suggestion that he tell Nunnally she couldn’t speak to him.

The next day, he just started acting like they were old friends, in full view of the entire student body.

Nunnally would have smacked Suzaku's knee if she could have seen his planned action. "It's a good thing he did; it wouldn't have been right if you just had to be friendless, you know." She told him, to which Euphemia wholeheartedly agreed with her sister, being similarly crossed with her friend at his attempt to self-isolate.

“And it would defeat the entire purpose I pulled those strings to get you to attend here.” Euphemia pocked Suzaku's cheek, causing him to blush as her perfectly manicured and gloss-covered fingernail squished into his cheek.

If she noticed how he was acting, she didn't mention it. Still, both Suzaku and C.C. could see hints of Lelouch's smug smirk in Euphemia's, just proof they were related, they supposed.

“I thought you wanted me to finish my schooling.” Suzaku pointed out, to which Euphemia brushed it aside.

“2 things can be true.” She put a little of that noble posh into her words, sitting straighter, but released it with a giggle, one Nunnally matched at Suzaku's expense. But Euphemia couldn't let things stay cheery; she had other things she wished to discuss. “Nunnally, I don’t want to bring down the mood but…”

“We can tell me, I won’t bite.” Nunnally encouraged, as she felt as safe around Euphemia now as she did back when they were kids. Besides, they were older now, she was sure she could handle whatever Euphie had.

“Well, I have a question about Clovis…”

“Oh.” Or maybe not, as the room grew tense at the mention of their deceased…murdered brother. The same brother who had been involved in some horrific things and tried to cover it up with indiscriminate slaughter.

Suzaku glanced at C.C., wondering how she felt about this topic, and worried she might lash out. He had nothing to worry about, as, while unexpected, C.C. truly didn't bear too much ill will towards Clovis. He wasn't the first to hurt her, and he was already dead, his final moments and painful end being as far as she was concerned about it.

She was curious about how Nunnally would take this, as she had a feeling she knew what Euphemia would ask. However, she had never broached the topic with the little princess, and she had no clue what Nunnally really felt about that particular arrogant prince and his demise.

Euphemia needed some time to collect her thoughts and work things out carefully, as she wasn't blind. She knew Suzaku was seated next to her, and she saw Sayoko to the side. This wasn't something she could just screw up and apologise about. She could, and she knew Suzaku wouldn't hold it against her, but she didn't want him to need to forgive her. She needed to get this right the first time.

"I know he did something terrible, and there is a lot we don't know about Project Eden and other things. I saw Shinjuku with my own eyes, but…is it wrong that I don't want to believe it?" She asked, as outside her suspicions about her siblings and the whole mess with Zero. Clovis's and his actions had weighed on her mind, nearly every night she had thought about it, but she had no one she could turn to.

Cornelia still loved Clovis deeply, but she had no sympathy or respect for his victims. All she cared about was getting Zero for killing him. Dalton was more understanding, but a military man loyal to her sister. Guilford was even worse.

She now had Suzaku and, through him, Lloyd and Cecile, but Lloyd…was Lloyd. The man was not the sort who understood such complex emotional baggage. Cecile was an option, but she wasn't comfortable divulging such to her, and Suzaku…well, he was perhaps one of the most forgiving people she had ever seen—or perhaps one of the most focused, as she recalled how he handled himself when they saw those students acting like complete fools.

Nunnally was perhaps the best person she could speak to about this, someone who could truly appreciate how wrought things were.

"I don't think so; it shows you care," Nunnally replied, frowning but facing the conversation head-on.

Nunnally paused. Her shoulders fell just a little as her frown grew. “Clovis…I always remember him being so kind to us, the same as big brother Schneizel and big sister Cornelia. He offered to paint us if he wasn't playing a game og chess against Lelouch. He even did that big painting of all of us, of me, my brother and mother."

Yes, Euphemia recalled that as well. He had never stopped painting, and she knew he had been just as broken up about the fate of the vi Britannia side of their family as she had been. "He brought it to Area 11; it's still hanging in the Viceroy's palace." It was now in her sister's office, a reminder of what they had lost…but Euphemia wondered if her sister held Japan to blame for it.

Nunnally smiled, but now it was pained as she recalled Zero's debut and the leaked audio of her brother's orders that day. "He's one of the few siblings we had that we could call siblings, you know? So knowing he did something like that, and killed all those people…it makes me sad to think about it. I wonder if he got bad, or if he's always been bad, and it's not something I like to think about."

Euphemia didn't have an answer to that. As it wasn't as if she didn't think about it herself. Clovis was perhaps the most recent, as he had never so much as seemed different when they spoke, but it wasn't the only one who changed seemingly for the worse.

Schneizel, well, as a politician, she understood he had to be underhanded and scheming, but at times, it seemed like he enjoyed it a bit too much. Or it seemed like he didn't care about what he did or didn't do, what he said or didn't say.

Cornelia… just seemed to let her orders and national pride consume her, the kindness she knew her sister had seemingly reserved for her alone. Even then, it was like she saw her as a child whose words could be ignored and whose freedoms and desires could be curtailed for her own good. She still couldn't get her to admit Clovis did anything wrong, and she certainly didn't see anything wrong with her actions at Saitama. Why would she? They were enemies; they weren't Britannians.

Marrybell…she used to be close to her older sister, people liked to say they were clones because of their similar hair and eye colour, but then she lost her mother and sister, and something…changed in her. She acted the same, still smiled and was courteous, but Euphemia, in the few times they interacted, could always pick up this deep, piercing, cold hatred in Marrybell. During the hotel jacking, when she had her moment alone with Zero, and he admitted he killed her brother in part because he was a royal, she felt that same pervasive, jagged, and terrified hatred in him.

“How did you cope?” Euphemia eventually asked, hardly noticing that her hands around her teacup were shaking.

“I didn’t?” She looked up in shock, a similar look on Suzaku’s face at Nunnally’s admission. "I'm still figuring it out. Big brother seems to separate them, the Clovis we knew, and the Clovis he became, but that doesn't work for me, so I'm trying to find something that works for me."

"I see." Perhaps it was naïve to believe she would have a better response, the perfect answer, but she couldn't deny that it wasn't a bad one. It was certainly better than what she or Cornelia could have given her.

Despite all that, she found herself smiling, chuckling even as her hands steadied. “It seems like you got Lady Marriane’s wisdom as well, Nunnally. It must be hard to keep the boys away when you’re a complete package.”

Nunnally waved that off. "I'm not interested in dating, but my brother has become a fiancée." At her words, Euphemia gasped, while Suzaku gagged on his drink, coughing to clear his airways.

“A fiancé?” Euphemia asked, as this was news, such glorious news!

“She’s sitting right next to me.” Nunnally gestured to C.C. as Suzaku managed to get his airwaves cleared.

Perhaps he forgot his manners, but didn't care as he slammed his head on the table. “When did he propose?!”

“Nunnally, stop spreading lies. He hasn’t proposed yet.” C.C. cleared the confusion, though she was also blushing a little at how sure Nunnally sounded.

That certainly didn't end with C.C.'s refusal of her claims. “But he has to be planning on it, you’re dating and I can tell you’re really good together. You two are always having adorable couple banter or that lovable arguing.”

“That implies he wins sometimes.” C.C. corrected, but that only tossed fuel on the fire.

“You see, that’s another reason he’ll propose, you can keep up and outpace him. I can feel it in my bones, call it sisterly instincts.” Sayoko had to look away to mask her near-released laugh at Lady Nunnally's words. She wasn't sure if she was just teasing, but she could agree that the young master and his lover had been…well, close would be an understatement. He trusted her more than the council, and she seemed to bring him some semblance of relief. It wasn't as if she hadn't noticed how relaxed Lady Claude had been, particularly since they returned from their couple's trip.

Euphemia couldn't have known that. She focused on what she had just learned, which was that Lelouch had found someone. She latched onto both Nunnally and C.C., her eyes a little manic as she begged, “Tell me everything.”

Line break

Lelouch knew he should be dead, or at the very least, unconscious in an ICU after he didn’t just touch pure liquid sakuradite, but was submerged in it for over 4 hours. Such a prolonged exposure should have left nothing but melted, corroded remains. He was very much an exceptional to what should have been a rule as hard as gravity and cellular decay.

But like most things involving geass, such rules could be proven to be more suggestions than they seemed.

Having completed his trial and obtained his shinbuki, he had been allowed to wash and get dressed, but even after he scrubbed himself raw in 3 separate showers, he still could pick up the sense of sakuradite on him, but also blood, iron, and fresh mountain air. He hoped that would fade, as it would be hard to explain why he smelled like this tonight.

With his business done, he still had to discuss some things with the old man before he could finally leave. By then, it was already late, and the afternoon sun was close to setting as he approached the student council building.

'I hope Kirihara's meeting doesn't make it a habit of lasting an entire day.' Lelouch thought as he walked up the stairs. He planned to have a quiet evening, dinner, and head to bed. He could plot his rebellion in the morning.

"I'm home. Sorry for the delay. My business partner decided that we should have a bite to eat, and I was hard-pressed to refuse." Lelouch greeted, expecting to see his sister and Chantal, but instead.

“Welcome home, brother.” Seated in his drawing room, wearing a terrible disguise, was none other than Euphemia li Britannia. She was his sister, and she was greeting him like it was normal!

"Euphe-what are you?" Lelouch would have reached for his gun and activated his geass. He would have even tried to use his newly gained shinbuki, but that would require him to understand just what the hell was happening.

Nunnally expected her brother to be…less than happy with things and quickly explained, "She came to visit. It turns out I wasn't very careful at the hotel. She saw me with Milly and the others."

When Lelouch looked towards Suzaku, who he knew had to have some role in this if he was here, his oldest friend shrugged, hardly apologetic. “She asked me to confirm if you two were students and well..”

C.C. didn't wait for him to turn her way; she just lounged on the couch, and Matilda fell asleep on her stomach. “He didn’t call ahead, so don’t get pissy with me, mister.”

"Master, perhaps you should sit down and enjoy a relaxing tea. I'll get right to brewing it." Sayoko spoke up, leading Lelouch to a free seat next to Suzaku. The table had since been reorganised so that the sisters would be closest.

"Ye-yes, you do that." Lelouch needed a moment to understand things. In that time, nothing was said as Sayoko prepared his tea. When he got it, he looked at it and then at his very much unexpected guest before downing the entire thing like a shot of whiskey, not caring for how the hot liquid burned on the way down.

Cup empty, he took a deep breath and managed to reset his mental facilities. The first question on his mind was Nunnally's explanation: "What do you mean, you weren't careful, Nunnally? I thought you and the rest kept your heads down."

“We did, but there was a situation.” Nunnally started, but wasn’t all that comfortable when she could just feel how tense her brother was getting.

Euphemia stood in for her. "One of her friends, Nina, I believe, got scared and drew the terrorist's attention. Nunnally spoke up to de-escalate things before someone could be hurt. She didn't have much choice." He left out why things got bad. She had been present and had heard earlier why Nunnally didn't say anything. She didn't want Lelouch acting like Cornelia would with this Nina girl.

“Oh, she had a choice, just not one I can see Nunnally ever making, she’s far too…Nunnally,” Lelouch muttered, as his sister would move to protect someone else, as no blindness or wheelchair could keep her near inhuman levels of compassion in check.

But he had bigger things to worry about. ‘Of course, I knew Euphemia had been present, but I hoped she wouldn’t have noticed one girl amongst the rest.’ He groaned, as that was a security risk he had hoped had never manifested.

Suzaku pat Lelouch’s back. "If you make you feel better, I only found out Euphie got a meeting with Zero today." Lelouch looked at him, wondering how the hell that was meant to make him feel better. Did Suzaku forget Euphemia was his sister, too?

No, he probably didn't, Suzaku probably was speaking from the perspective of someone you care deeply for being involved in something dangerous…

Wait, cared deeply for, how deep did Suzaku care for Euphie? And when did they even meet to forge that bond? Suzaku could see the gears turning in Lelouch's head and knew he would need to answer some questions. He just hoped Lelouch wasn't as protective of Euphemia as Nunnally was.

‘I already know that, but I can’t very well act like I do,’ And there was the fact that he had known about Euphemia being there, and he had been the one she met with. He was just lucky he was a good actor and already stressed, so his reaction wouldn't seem odd. “Are you two trying to make me have a stress-induced stroke?”

“This is why I didn’t tell you, and I asked everyone else to not say anything. I didn’t want to worry you and for you to panic.” Nunnally frowned, as she could hear the tension in her brother's voice, but also smell…was that blood on him, and something else she couldn't identify. What was he doing? Meeting in an old meat processing plant?

"I would have still wished you had been honest," Lelouch replied, but pinched his nose and sighed before adding. “But you weren’t wrong to assume I would have been…frazzled.”

Okay, he wasn't so on edge and caught up enough to pit the rest together. So he turned his attention to their second guest, who seemed nervous to see him. “It’s a bit late, but welcome, sister. I trust you’ve been treated well.” He greeted.

“Like royalty.” Euphemia joked, which got a groan out of him, but laughs from Suzaku and Nunnally, C.C. dozing off to the side. Still, Euphemia caught a glimpse of the clock, reminding her of the time. "I can't stay much longer. I have already snuck out for this meeting, but wanted to see you before I left."

“Snuck out?” Lelouch asked, as now that he thought about it, wouldn't Euphemia have security? But he didn't see anything out of the ordinary, and he was sure the ravens or the guard dogs would have made noise or alerted him.

"I didn't tell Cornelia about the hotel, or what I've suspected since. I had to look into things in secret. Outside Suzaku, not everyone on our side knows about you two." Euphemia told him.

Lelouch’s brow creased as his eyes narrowed. “Why?” Perhaps blunt, perhaps mean, but he needed info and wouldn't dance around the bush.

Euphemia sat straighter in her chair, locking eyes with her brother. "Because I realized if you were both alive, you chose to remain in hiding. Sister never listens to me, and I feared she wouldn't listen to you if you tried to tell her what Nunnally asked me earlier, a request to remain as you are."

Lelouch didn't immediately respond. Instead, he kept up the power struggle with his sister, trying to gain some insight into her words and the truth. Euphemia, for her part, didn't look away, didn't hide anything from him, not about this.

Eventually, Lelouch blinked, and the tension between the two faded. "I see, thank you for that. I know it must have been hard to keep such a secret."

"It's not my secret to tell, so it wasn't hard to stomach." Euphemia smiled, but Lelouch could still tell there was something off, but before he could ask. "Lelouch, could I have a private word with you?"

“Private?” Nunnally asked, sounding a little saddened that she’ll be excluded, but Euphemia gave her a quirk hug.

"I've been speaking with Claude and you all day, and now I'm about to go. I want to do something similar with Lelouch here," Euphemia explained as Nunnally returned the guy.

"That hardly makes sense," C.C. muttered, half asleep and waiting for dinner.

“It doesn’t need to, so Lelouch, can we talk?” Euphemia countered, coming off a bit childish, but Lelouch couldn't help but snort at it as he stood up.

"We can do that, follow me. We can use the study, " he said as he helped his sister up and led her deeper into the Lamperouge residence. His study wasn't anything fancy, a rarely used space, as he did most of his work in his room. But it was kept clean and ready for those nights when he wished to handle something and didn't wish to wake C.C. by his desk light.

Lelouch approached the desk and sat in the large chair behind it with a sigh, his body still feeling the effects of his trial—almost a full day's worth of hiking, fighting, and near-death experiences. “Please, have a seat.” He gestured to the opposite seat, but Euphemia remained standing.

“I think I’ll rather stand, I’ve been seated for the better part of the afternoon. We only got up when Nunnally wished to show off your little menagerie.” Euphemia informed him, getting a hum out of him.

"The lack of cuts and feathers in your hair tells me they liked you better than Suzaku. He's never been good with animals." Lelouch noted with a bit of a chuckle, as Suzaku hadn't been mauled or bitten, but his many pets hadn't been fans of Suzaku.

“Like how you are with cats.” Euphemia reminded him, Lelouch suspecting Nunnally and C.C. had to have brought up that stupid story about Arthur, a feline he had been forced to care for. Damned cat was lucky he hardly saw it, it could recognise Lelouch was not a fan.

"I can't get enough of that from Nunnally. I don't need you to get on my back." He waved his hand at her, hoping she would drop it, but alas, he had no such fortune as Euphemia seemed to be a role.

“I distinctly remember we used to do that all the time, and you’ll try running off to Schneizel for help.” She brought up even older memories.

"A lot of good that did, the crafty bastard would leave me to fend for myself," Lelouch muttered, as Schneizel had laughed and claimed he couldn't do anything because it would upset Euphie and Nunna. Still, even with their trip down memory lane, to better times, to peaceful times, his sister looked nervous and scared. “You’re nervous, why?” Was she scared he was mad she showed up? He believed he had handled that already.

Euphemia wrung her hands together, her palms looking just a little sweaty. "It's just that what I want to talk about isn't something simple, and I know if I don't say it now, I won't say it until it's too late."

“You’re acting like this will be your last trip here.” Lelouch guessed. "Listen, I won't pretend that I'm happy with this, I'm not. You're too high-profile a visitor, and you are sneaking out since I can assume it's early afternoon, which must mean Cornelia could be worried and already mobilizing search and rescue for you." Once more, he had to be blunt, as he glanced out the window just in case he saw the army of police and military vehicles heading towards Ashford. However, the orange skies remained clear, and the settlement looked calm.

Though he couldn’t just be overly logical. “But I can't ignore how happy Nunnally looked just then. She's only had me since we were kids, having you here, and knowing she can trust you…knowing I can trust you,"

He stopped himself before he could say more, coughing into his hand, remaining tactful. “My point is that I’m not against you returning for another visit. I'm busy, but if you call ahead by a couple of days, I'm sure we can find a means to spend an afternoon together.”

“I would love that, but like you, I'm also a busy person. Narita, in particular, has given us a lot to handle, which is something I think you know about." Euphemia stated that how she said it was what gave it away.

Lelouch's chair creaked as he leaned back into it, his eyes shifting just a little as he became more alert. “So that’s why you wanted to speak privately with me.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time; we had a similar talk…back at the hotel jacking.” Euphemia just ripped the band-aid off and revealed what she knew, leading Lelouch, exhausted, mentally drained, and surprised, to laugh. He laughed hard, almost loud enough that he wouldn't be surprised if the rest heard and got curious. He was never one for jokes or such visible showings of amusement, but he couldn't help it.

Once he was under control, he understood why Euphemia looked so edgy with him. Still, his hands didn't shift to weapons, and his power remained dormant, like his fury. “Humour me, when did you figure it out?” He asked.

"It was just before Narita. I had suspicions since the hotel incident, but I wasn't convinced until now when you walked in." Euphemia replied, Lelouch nodding as he recalled the conversation.

"I see, I said too much then," Lelouch yawned. Damn, was he exhausted. “Was that part of why you didn’t tell Cornelia?”

Euphemia moved to shake her head, but paused before nodding. “Things are depressing enough as they are. And I wanted to just confirm it and ask you myself…why?”

Lelouch snorted, rubbing at his forehead. "You figured the masked terrorist who slew Clovis and has been leading rebel forces was someone you last saw as a child, and still can't figure out my motives?"

Euphemia's gaze flashed with anger, but it was gone as soon as it appeared. She could guess, anyone who knew could guess, but dammit-"I want to hear it from you, is it hatred? Did you…Are you fighting, destroying, killing because you hate Father that much, because you hate Britannia?" She needed to know, did…did he become like the rest?

“Yes,” Her heart broke at his response. “But also no.” Before it could shatter further, he threw her a curveball.

"Of all days to ask me that, it must be fate." Lelouch chuckled, as he had just gone through an entire horrific test figuring this out, seeing things in a way he hadn't. "I do hate our father, I hate the nobility, I hate Brittania, and I hate this rotten god forsaken world." He stated that his smile was unnerving and unnatural. Euphemia would dare say unholy, as that smile and that face were not of a man but of a beast that wanted nothing but blood and death.

But then Lelouch blinked, and his face shifted, just enough that his smile became pleasant again. That look in his eye faded into the back, and in its place was something else. “But I also love my sister, I love my friends, I love Claude in the other room. I want to build something better; I want people to have the chance to have something better," Lelouch finished.

"That's my answer. Apologies if you were expecting something more righteous, but I am a hate-filled bastard with a concerning, sporadic sense of morality." He waved it off, but his sister didn't seem bothered by his statement; if anything, she seemed relieved.

“No, I think…that answer, it’s a weight off my chest, it does put you above some of our other siblings.”

"That is a concerning statement considering they set the bar so low; it's already in its grave," Lelouch dryly commented, but got up all the same. Come on, I'll see you out. You should work on your excuse for when you see Cornelia, and she demands to know where you went."

"I have one. I went to Ashford to see Suzaku's school and decided to spend the afternoon there. Nunnally already called Milly, who will confirm that we spend the afternoon with her if asked." Euphemia seemed proud of that little deception, but he felt like he should warn her.

"You know she's going to use this to wiggle some favour out of you, no doubt perverse, nonsensical, and sure to make local news."

“I can handle it.” At her retort, Lelouch couldn’t help but chuckle. He thought the same once when he asked Milly for a favour, and he hadn’t since because of it.

“Remember your words, sister. Remember your words.”

Line Break

Euphemia knew she would be in for it when she returned. As much as she would have liked to save the lecture for the morning, she wouldn't run from it, so she phoned her sister and informed her she would be arriving soon. So, when she returned to the Viceroy's palace, Suzaku was at her side as her guard, and she was unsurprised to find Guilford outside waiting for her. With him were a unit of soldiers.

“Your highness, what happened? You just vanished-” Euphemia stopped Guilford before he could continue.

“I stepped out. I was bored out of my mind and decided to take a break by exploring Ashford.” She explained, keeping her face clear and confident.

“Ashford?” Guilford asked, confused why she would go there.

"It's the school I sent Warrant Officer Kururugi to, so I requested he act as my bodyguard for the trip. He would know the layout and be able to move without drawing unwanted attention." She gestured to her side, and Suzaku got into a salute, not for Guilford but for Euphemia.

Both could tell Guilford had feelings about that, but he didn’t mention them. “Still, it would be best if you requested permission before you-”

“Forgive me, but when did the Sub-Viceroy need permission to explore her domains?” She narrowed her eyes at him, reminding him she hadn't been so agreeable since they arrived in Area 11. But, she wasn't in the mood to pick fights. “Guilford, if you’re here to tell me my sister wants to speak, can it wait?”

She expected him to stand aside, or perhaps not, and all but begged that she meet with Cornelia now. It would matter not because her sister wouldn't let her go to bed without that lecture, but she would like to have something to eat, as snacks weren't a thing, and she was famished.

What she wasn't expecting was for Guilford to grow uncomfortable. "Actually, no, it can't, your highness. She's…it's not the Viceroy who you need to worry about."

Not the Vice-“What do you mean?”

Guilford looked like he had been made to eat salt as he responded. “The homeland is displeased with how we’ve handled things with Zero and the Black Knights, and they sent reinforcements. They arrived not too long ago; Dalton had been looking for you earlier to inform you of this, so you could join the Viceroy in meeting them."

The homeland…oh no, father was displeased, but he hadn't done anything before when they contacted him. At least, his sister hadn't said anything, but had he changed his mind?

“Who is it?”

Guilford’s expression didn't give her much confidence that it would be someone she liked. “The Glinda Knights.”

Line break

Euphemia quickly entered the palace and managed to get to the living quarters, where she could shower and change into something befitting her rank and the apparent ball being thrown in her sister's honour.

When she entered the space, Suaku at her side in his uniform from earlier in the day, she could see things were in full swing, though only around half the number of guests she would have expected were present, which made sense; she knew her sister didn't plan this, and it had to be cobbled together at the last minute. Frankly, the fact that so many important people either had nothing better to do or feared rejecting the invite was telling.

“Sister, how good it is that you could join us.” Euphemia needed to breathe before she turned to see Marrybell, dressed to the nines, at the centre of the ballroom. At her side was Cornelia, who made the point to wear her uniform over some ball gown. Guilford at his princess's side once more, the same as her Marybell's knight, Oldrin Zevon, if she was recalling things right.

Slapping on a cordial smile, she approached her 2 sisters to greet them. “Forgive me, sister Marrybell. If I had known you were on route, I would have greeted you properly.”

"Oh, it's nothing big. I trust you had to be handling things relating to the security of this Area, no?" Marrybell's smile always unnerved her. It seemed so plastic, pretty without substance—a mere mask to disguise something ugly, something that knew more than Marrybell ever let on.

“…Yes, that’s right.” Euphemia lied, feeling Cornelia's gaze on her, no doubt angry that she wasn't around to help with this, and made them look bad. "I hope you're settling in well?" She asked, Marrybell letting out a sweet, charming, and yet dangerous chuckle.

“Quite, Area 11 is much more enjoyable than Area 16.” Euphemia pressed her lips tight, hiding her disgust for how her sister referred to Area 16 so fondly, as if she were recounting a holiday and not the territory whose people she had nearly shattered to crush their resistance.

Marrybell seemed ignorant of Euphemia's feelings and continued, all smiles. “I look forward to seeing how things will be once we stamp out our pest problem."

“You’re here to fight Zero?” Euphemia asked, a spark of terror forming in her as she knew what would happen should Marrybell get her hands on Zero.

Marrybell's smile grew. Something wicked, angry, and bloodthirsty passed through her eyes, but Marrybell clamped down on that. Instead, she looked amused by the question: "Why else would I be sent here, sister? It's not as if I like stepping on your toes. I knew Nelly would struggle with this; she's not used to such vile vermin, but rest assured that my authority only relates to internal security."

Suzaku didn’t dare speak or make a face, but he was confused about the words of that statement. 'But that's a sizable portion of a ruler's job, right? She's been effectively made Viceroy without the title.'

'Schneizel probably came up with it, to help save face, I imagine.' Euphemia thought the same thing, but instead bowed her head. "I trust you'll hit the ground running, as usual."

“Oh heavens no, we’re not doing that.” Marrybell laughed as her sister looked at her like she was insane.

“Pardon?” Marrybell…she should already be looking for clues, tracking leads, prepping to utterly ruin this Area. In fact, why did she have a ball? She was never a fan of them.

Marrybell ignored her and instead locked onto Suzaku. “Oh, you must be the Eleven I’ve heard so much about.” Her smile made Suzaku feel his life was in danger, a feeling he got from Cornelia occasionally, but this…this felt different. It felt familiar in all the wrong ways.

"Pardon, your highness, but what do you mean?" Suzaku remained polite and respectful; no need to give her a reason when she seemed like she would shoot him without so much as flinching.

"Oh, you're turning heads back in the capital. The notion that a mere number can be allowed to get as far as you, well, you've made plenty of enemies, and I can't say I was your friend at first, but Prince Schneizel has an eye for talent, and he found a good one in you. I suppose even inferior people can produce exceptional if they breed enough." She joked, to which Suzaku didn't react; he had heard such comments before and had grown used to them.

“Sister,” Euphemia, on the other hand, had not and refused to allow anyone, not even her own siblings, to speak to Suzaku in such a way.

Marrybell hardly seemed to care about Euphemia's act. She just looked amused, like she was watching a kitten try roaring like it was anything worth being scared of. Her gaze flicked between the two, between Euphemia and Suzaku, before she let out a little giggle.

Grabbing a drink off a passing waiter, she took a sip of the cool red wine before she spoke. “Euphemia, you’ve always been a bleeding heart, but I only speak truth, do I not?” She asked. Euphemia looked increasingly angry as no one spoke, not Cornelia, not Guilford. With that done, she got back to the Eleven boy. “Anyway, I hope you continue to prove yourself,  Kururugi. Your efforts have already yielded fruit.”

At his lost look, Guilford gave the details: "The A.S.E.E.C. unit has been ordered to create for the Glinda Knights a unit based on Lancelot's combat data."

"Which means all the funding I could ever use, as we need to get this done as soon as possible!" Lloyd marched up, happy as he could be about the news. “Thank you, Princess Marrybell, for this lovely gift." He thanked Marrybell, who nodded at him, a smile on her face.

“Like with Suzaku, I have great things about the Lancelot, it's a shame its last performance was so…underwhelming." She twisted her glass around, watching the wine inside swirl and twist as Lloyd tried to figure out how to explain that.

"Yes, well, you see-"

“I jest, I jest!” Marrybell laughed again, waving at Lloyd. “Have no fear, Earl Asplund. I’m not going to punish you for that. It was clear from the data that Zero’s forces had been prepared. But now that we know they can adapt, we can plan around that.”

Something seemed to catch her interest, and she turned to walk off. "Oh, pardon me, but there is an official I would like to speak to." As she left, she kept smiling even as she heard Cornelia quietly lay into Euphemia for her absence and for picking fights with her. It was a shame Euphie turned out to have such a bleeding heart; it made her blind, it made her weak.

“Oldrin?” But her little escapade and late arrival did help her. She was able to use that to her advantage, and because she had kept the pressure on Cornelia since she landed, she didn't think it weird when Marrybell explained that her knight of honour wasn't on the same flight as her and only appeared roughly 20 minutes ago.

"I followed Euphemia as you ordered, my lady. She was escorted by the Eleven to Ashford, and they spent the afternoon there." Oldrin, her most trusted knight and best friend, informed her. As she had arrived in Area 11 a day ahead, travelling as a civilian, she had been tasked with watching her sisters and how they were handling things, and had been surprised when Euphemia left with the number.

Marrybell's expressions remained perfect, as big brother Schneizel had taught her, but Oldrin could hear the interest in her voice. “Ashford? Oh yes, they were supporters of Lady Marriane, weren’t they? It would make sense they’ll be close.” Still, why now, she wondered? Was it a regular thing? But then why hide it? She'll need to look into that. “Anything else?”

Oldrin nodded as she leaned close to whisper the next part. “Well, it would seem they’re closer than we expected. The Number was far too informal and close to her.”

Marrybell turned that over, sipping her wine. “Unbelievable, she should know better than to entertain such.” She sighed.

As she walked, she handled guests who wished to gain favour with her. Handling one who all but requested she marry his cousin, she smiled, gave a non-committal answer, dressed up nice and pretty, and continued on her way.

"It could just be a flight of fancy, my lady," Oldrin suggested, but Marrybell didn’t buy it.

“Oh no, it’s far more. Did you not see how she flinched when I spoke about her Eleven boy? She looked so angry, close to trying to fight me.” She replied, as she had a feeling and acted on it, prodding Suzaku to see how he would react. It had been a surprise when Euphemia, who would keep her opinions private, spoke up. "Lust wouldn't do that. She cares for him; why she does, I can't understand, but she does."

“It would explain her soft approach to the Elevens.” Oldin theorised.

"Maybe…but something else was off," Marrybell added, a frown appearing on her beautiful face.

“My Lady?” Marrybell shook off the question.

"It's probably nothing, Oldrin. I can't prove it, and it would be dangerous to speak it." Marrybell replied, as if it were insane. Still, she could have sworn that Euphemia's reaction to her presence implied that the mission implied she was scared for Zero.

No, that was insane. Bleeding heart she might be, she must want Zero dead as much as she does. After all, she was closer to Clovis, and he had nearly captured, if not killed, Cornelia at Narita. That was ample reason to want that bastard dead, his rebellion stomped out, and its members paid with reminders of what befalls all those who dared believe they could undermine imperial law and order.

Line Break

Another chapter, and the story continues. This comes after the big change to things, with Euphemia meeting Nunnally much earlier than canon, including the counter-terrorist Marrybell, who has been sent to handle things. And oh man, I have some plans for this crazy woman, though, because this story has fully gone off the rails. If the chapter didn't give the game away, well, this chapter dives deeper into that.

Why is that? Because I've been interested in pitting Lelouch and Marybell against each other for a good while now, years even, because of how similar they are, the only real change being that Britannia was able to weaponize her hatred by aiming it squarely at terrorists. So, I just had to put it into this story, to the point I've name-dropped her three times so far, and added implications to those mentions. Sadly, no action this time around, but I like to view this chapter as more character than death-driven, but don't worry, Marrybell will get her time to show off her 'expertise' at counter-terrorism.