Prologue

Maximilian I

2009 A.T.B

Throne Room, Pendragon Imperial Palace

The Emperor was seated upon his large and gilded throne holding court at the moment where all the various nobles, important officials, princes, and various dignitaries were assembled. This pomp and ceremony served to demonstrate the Emperor's power to all in attendance. Maximilian was here in attendance as well along with his elder brother Prince Schneizel el Britannia who had not too long ago been appointed to the post as the Prime Minister of the Empire. While the appearance of the room showed the appearance of the Empire being business as usual, the great elephant in the room loomed over everyone's heads.

The Empress Marianne vi Britannia had just been murdered last night apparently by terrorists, or at least that was the official story. But Maximilian knew better, as it was likely that she was murdered by the cabal of the various nobles here. After all they hated her for her being of commoner blood rather than being of aristocratic stock. Maximilian scoffed at this idea in his head. This was the Holy Britannian Empire where might made right, and the strong ruled the weak under the heel in accordance with his father's twisted Social Darwinist Ideology. Empress Marianne had after all won her place in the Emblem of Blood where she slew the Emperor's enemies nearly single handedly winning the Civil War on her own merits.

The hushed whispers of these parasitic nobles gossiping about it angered him, and made his blood boil, as it all but confirmed their complicity in this heinous act especially with the way that some of them japed about the late Empress. Empress Marianne after all was kind to him and his brother and he aspired to follow her example just like his elder sister Princess Cornelia li Britannia. But he could never show his frustration, as that would be a sign of weakness, and here in this pit of vipers that was Pendragon, such a display would be political suicide. Glancing at his elder brother, he saw him appear aloof and distant, but knowing his brother, he could see the sadness he felt for Lelouch and Nunnally in his eyes.

The Emperor was speaking to a man dressed in strange black-and gold robes that covered his face. The man had some sort of strange sigil of a bird shaped sigil on his clothing. Maximilian had never seen this man, nor this emblem before, and as he stood relatively close to the Emperor, he tried to make out what they were saying, but it was inscrutable. He did however pick up certain words like directorate and something about an elevator. Maximilian wondered if this was about some sort of new secret government ministry that the Emperor had created.

But Maximilian was interrupted from his thoughts when the doors to the throne room burst open with one of the Royal guards announcing the presence of Prince Lelouch vi Britannia 17th in line to the Imperial Throne.

While he knew his brother was willful, this action was borderline suicide. He knew his brother had wanted answers for his mother's death, but do so openly in the middle of the Imperial Court would be suicide, as all scrutiny would now be on him.

He watched in horror as his brother walked up to the steps of the throne praying in his head that Lelouch would not do anything even more rash.

"Hail your majesty, my mother the Empress is dead," he said

"Old news," the Emperor said curtly, "What of it?"

"What of it?" Lelouch asked in disbelief at his father's dismissal of his mother's death. Indeed Maximilian himself was surprised. The Empress after all was the favorite of all his consorts, and the woman who helped place him on his throne.

The Emperor then turned to one of the Royal Guards who flanked his throne, saying dispassionately, "Send the next one in. I grow tired of these childish games."

Lelouch in desperation, ran up some of the throne's steps exclaiming "Father!"

The Royal guard bared their bayoneted rifles and began running towards Lelouch. Maximilian wanted to run to his brother, but his brother Schniezel grabbed his arm before he could try anything and gave him a disapproving look.

The Emperor then raised his hand waving away the guards who moved back to their original posts standing at attention.

"Why didn't you keep mother out of harm's way?!" Lelouch exclaimed.

Maximilian inwardly winced at Lelouch's world. This was Britannia, and in accordance with its cruel guiding philosophy of Social Darwinism where might made right. Had Lelouch perhaps demanded vengeance he possibly could have gotten a response. Only a showing of strength would get you anything here, any sign of weakness or vulnerability is tantamount suicide in the Imperial Court.

"You are the Emperor, the greatest man in the nation, if not the world! You should have protected her, and now you don't even visit Nunnally!"

"I have no use for that weakling," said the Emperor, which shocked him.

Maximilian was both baffled and enraged. How would their sister be a weakling? She was crippled and blinded by the work of those cowards responsible for their death.

"That...weakling?" Lelouch asked in disbelief.

"That is what it means to be royalty," the Emperor stated callously disregarding the plight of his own daughter.

"Then I don't want to be your heir!" Lelouch exclaimed in front of the whole court, "I'm sick of the fighting and scheming over who will succeed your father! I've had enough!"

The entire court gasped at his statement. Maximilian looked around as all his other siblings wore similar expressions of horror at the statement. Maximilian was terrified for his brother, being a Prince of Royal Blood was the only meager form of protection you could have in this court. Without it, one would find their enemies rushing to destroy them like sharks circling around their prey after tasting blood in the water.

The Emperor's voice boomed from his throne, silencing everyone in the room. "You are dead!" he said.

Maximilian watched as Lelouch's anger and bravado faded in that instant turning into fear with his eyes widening. He hoped that the Emperor would be lenient on his brother now that he has incurred his wrath.

"You have always been dead to me!" said the Emperor, "Dead from the moment you were born! Who gave you the fine clothes you wear, the comfortable home you live in, the food you eat, and your very life? All of those I have given these things to you! In short, you are nothing to me because you have never existed! Yet you dare to say such foolishness to me!"

Maximilian felt genuine fear, for the first time. He knew of his father's wroth and brutality, but this was the first time he himself had ever seen it on display. In that moment he was thankful he had Schniezel to reign him in, as had he acted on his impulse, he would likely be facing the brunt of the Emperor's wrath.

"Lelouch!" the Emperor bellowed, as he arose from his throne. Maximilian watched as the Emperor's imposing stature caused Lelouch to fall on the floor.

While looking down the Emperor said, "You are dead. Therefore you are not entitled to any rights. I am sending you and Nunnally to Japan, and as Prince and Princess you will serve well as bargaining tools!"

After this incident, Lelouch and Nunnally were swiftly placed on a plane to Japan without the opportunity of saying goodbye to them. He could only look on with sadness as his brother and sister were flown off to their deaths, as he knew that Britannia was already poised to invade Japan regardless of whatever hostages they possessed.

2010 A.T.B

Prince Schnienzel's Private Quarters

"I am sorry Your Highnesses, but Prince Lelouch and Princess Nunnally," are dead, said Kannon Maldini, his brother's aide and shadow in all but name.

Maximilian was deeply saddened by this news, but could not say he wasn't surprised by the news, as he knew the cruelty and tyranny that his father was capable of. He knew that the invasion of Japan would likely have seen the Empire level most of the important centers in the nation like the Kururugi Shrine where his siblings stayed. Britannia in its wars of conquest was always quite swift and brutal in its offensives, preferring to overwhelm and crush its enemies spirit under its heel.

Maximilian's sorrow soon turned to rage at the horrible injustices of this world, and of his father's Empire. He turned to his brother Schneizel, and he saw that Schneizel too was gravely angered by such barbarity. It was one of the rare instances where his brother's carefully constructed mask of politeness and courtesies was broken with the Second Prince now clenching the report of the Battle of Tokyo in his hands.

Silence had permeated throughout the room, with no one daring to speak another word, until Schniezel got up from his seat now towering over Maximilian with a solemn expression of resolution.

"Maximilian, I swear that we will avenge Lelouch and Nunnally, and destroy our Father the Emperor!"

They then shook hands making a compact to end this madness and tyranny once and for all.

Author's Note:

Finally here's the rewrite to my Old Code Geass Fic which was a self-insert. I found it kinda hard to really write out an SI fic for that story. I felt that I didn't really have much to work with, and every time, I tried typing anything out, I was stumped by a massive bout of writer's block. But I found that I had more fun writing Maximilian more as an OC who was born into the Empire and developed naturally into the character presented in the fic.

In regards to Schneizel, he's a bit more mellowed/softened due to him having a full-blooded sibling now who also influences him somewhat. Anyway I hope you guys enjoy this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it.