Chapter 1: Precarious balance.

Pendragon, 2 November 2030, 8:14 am

A cloak of gray clouds obscured the sky over the imperial capital, which was also shrouded in mist; as if that was not enough light rain made the landscape even more somber.

What a disgusting time ...

Esdeath thought, as she watched the view from the window of her office, located on the top floor of the Ministry of Defence.

She sighed, turned and walked to her desk, where she sat down. She was bored, so she decided to turn on the TV; the morning news was broadcast, directed by Milly Ashford.

"Separatist protests have affected the cities of Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul and Mumbai; protesters are clamoring for independence from the empire. There are clashes between police forces and demonstrators, which have caused numerous injuries on both sides. "

Liberal movements in Europe were not enough ... They too are brought to us!

That situation irritated her, and not a little. To correct the violence would have been enough to introduce reasonable reforms, but Empress Cornelia opposed any initiative of Prime Minister Leila Breisgau, arguing that the imperial system does not require changes. Result: the government was in fact paralyzed, due to the obstructionism of the sovereign, and meanwhile Leila, having her hands tied and incapacitated to carry out her duties, spent entire weeks in Weiswolf Fortress, in the old continent. The situation was increasingly unstable, and someone was beginning to regret the old emperor, Lelouch Vi Britannia.

I knew this pseudo-truce could not last long ... But then we had to free humanity from Lelouch's geass, and it took time to do it. It was not the time to slaughter each other. Now humanity is free, and tensions increase with each passing day.

She looked up at the ceiling.

And it's not the only problem ... For about three years the moon base Eowyn has stopped sending news. As if it had been destroyed. The problem is that it was not possible to send a space expedition, since we were committed to freeing as many people as possible from the influence of geass, to convert the temples dedicated to Lelouch into churches, mosques, synagogues, etc., to dismantle the extermination camps. and so on. I have no idea what happened up there, I have no way of finding out.

She snorted.

Last but not least ... Do I really have to wear this shitty purple uniform? I miss the blue uniform of the European army!

"And now let's move on to sports news: in about a week ..."

8.30 am

Cornelia, sitting on the imperial throne, sneezed. Dried, she wiped her nose with a handkerchief, thinking:

Damned cold ... One of the most irritating ailments that exists!

"Majesty?" A female voice called her.

She looked up and saw Yaeko Minegasaki, her secretary, staring at her anxiously.

"What is it?" Asked.

"Do you really mean going to the cemetery?"

"When it will stop raining. I have to pay homage to my sister Euphemia's grave. "

"The princess of the massacre?"

Cornelia glared at her.

"Never dare to boil it again ... If he did what he did it was because of Lelouch's geass!"

"Excuse me."

"My sister was a good girl, sweet and caring ... She would not hurt a fly!"

"Forgive me, your highness. But not having known her ... "

"I knew her! And keep your tongue in check in the future! "

"Yes, your majesty!"

Why did not I die in her place? I have committed atrocities of all kinds during the occupation of Japan ... I am the true princess of the massacre, now become empress!

"Changing the subject ... She heard riots in the east, right?"

"Yes, on the news."

"Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Indians are clamoring for independence from the empire. First the Lelouch geass was enough to keep them good, but now they have raised their heads. The most serious riots occurred in Japan, whose inhabitants have certainly not forgotten the crimes committed by you when you were governor-general of Area 11."

"I will never grant them independence. If I did, other peoples would rise up (like the Arabs or the Africans) and this would lead to the dissolution of the empire. The consequences would be disastrous ... Wars, anarchy, chronic instability. And I can not allow it, not now that humanity is united under one flag, for the first time in its history. The only good thing my brother Lelouch did. "

"I understand your point of view. But, if you approved the reforms of Prime Minister Leila Breisgau ... "

"Leila is a fool! Full of ideals and stubborn! Absolutism is an indispensable choice for the empire! I will never allow the establishment of a parliamentary system, it's disastrous! "

"I see…"

The French revolution taught her nothing.

"Where's Sayoko?"

"I saw her a few minutes ago in the corridor."

"Tell her to bring me a aspirin."

"Yes, your majesty."

The woman walked.

Weiswolf Fortress, province of Germany, 4.45 pm

Leila was writing in her diary.

I've been staying here at the castle for three weeks ... theoretically I should be in Pendragon, playing my role as prime minister, but in practice I can not do it. Cornelia, the empress of the world, is strenuously opposed to a federal and liberal reform of the empire, which would serve to make it more cohesive and stable and to temper the tensions that are affecting global stability. As if this were not enough Marianne, president of the United Federation of Nations, is dissatisfied with her current position, considering it marginal and asks for a greater role in the affairs of government. There was a hard word exchange between her and Cornelia recently. As for Esdeath ... Although She has obtained the defense ministry She is dissatisfied with the current situation, and I do not think She has renounced her plan to take power. However, I have not spoken to her for years, so I can not know what her thought is.

She snorted, annoyed. Years ago she had accepted that task to make the empire a parliamentary monarchy (the compromise was reached thanks to the mediation of CC, which had explained to the four women that it was necessary to free the world population from the influence of geass, it was not the moment to quarrel), but clashed with the empress, who wanted to keep the absolute monarchy at all costs, without realizing that it was obsolete and unwanted by anyone: not by the Europeans, used to the parliamentary system; not from the Asian and African peoples, who did not feel represented by a foreign sovereign; even some British citizens demanded reforms in a democratic sense. The empress, however, did not feel any reason and was pushing her way.

At this rate, it is more than likely that a civil war will occur ... Perhaps I should agree with Esdeath and carry out a coup d'état against Cornelia to establish a republic founded on democratic principles?

She shook her head.

No, I cannot trust her ... She could do the same trick of Smilas, to become the mistress of the world. After all, she despises me.

Suddenly she sensed a presence behind her. She turned and saw a girl with short black hair and pink eyes, the same one she had met in a kind of dream 13 years before; she was standing and staring at her seriously. Her appearance left her stunned.

"You?"

"There are dark forces, Leila ... A plague that can put an end to your civilization is about to hit Earth." She said gloomy.