Author's Note: Once again, I overestimated myself by a far shot. I'm truly sorry about it. I would have put this out a lot earlier, but I struggled with the ending of this chapter. And yes, this is the final chapter of this fanfiction (at long last, after three years!). This time, I have nothing much to say aside from my apologies for taking this long again (man, it's a repeating thing for the past few chapters. How unfortunate), and this is a very lengthy chapter. I think it's my longest chapter yet. I initially thought of halving this, but 25 is such a sweet number to end on.

Chapter 25
Parting and Reunion

An ear-shattering roar thundered through the chamber. A deafening silence immediately followed. The stench of gunpowder filled the small dank room. Lelouch stared, wide-eyed, at the faintly smoking barrel of the revolver. Disbelief painted his visage - and the same went for everyone else in the room, save for Rolo and Luciano. The former lowered the said weapon slightly, with a heavy frown and loathing written all over his face. The latter had fallen in a crumpled, unmoving heap on the grime-encrusted floor. The Knight of the Round Table's mouth was ajar and a miniature fountain of red fluid spewed forth from a gaping hole between his eyes.

"Agent Haliburton, what do you think you're doing?!" With tremendous effort, Schneizel brushed off his initial bewilderment and reached for his own firearm. Rolo reacted in a blink of an eye. As the Prime Minister pulled out his pistol, his subordinate raised the revolver and squeezed the trigger once more. The bullet slammed against the royal's gun, prompting the blond to hiss and instinctively release it. The weapon clattered loudly on the ground before it went spiralling into the darkness of the dimly lit chamber.

Lelouch's eyebrows were raised so high that it disappeared beneath his fringe. Rolo gunning down Luciano was certainly out of the blue and a shock to the other three remaining occupants of the chamber. Attacking to disarm his master was on another different level. The expression on Schneizel's face mirrored his younger half brother's - it was of utter bewilderment. "Agent Haliburton, what is the meaning of this?" The blond demanded.

"I-I"m not sure," Rolo admitted and lowered his weapon. A shadow of guilt crossed his youthful features, as though he did not believe he had just opened fire on his master. Lelouch and Shirley blinked in unison and shared a confused look. She was dumbfounded that she was even still alive at this point. They redirected their gaze back at the captivating scene unfolding before their flabbergasted eyes.

"What the hell?! Agent Haliburton has been compromised?!" The Second Prince was astonished. Rolo was nothing but absolutely obedient to him for close to a decade. It was true that he did not expect Rolo to be quite the same after his brief period of amnesia. However, the spy had regained his memories long ago and the minister had put him through a test to reaffirm his loyalty and operation capability. The last thing he expected from his subordinate was outright defiance. Schneizel leaned forward, placing both hands on the armrests of his throne-like chair. If the assassin was really turning against him, he had to bolt out of the room. Rolo might be young, but he was certainly much more competent than him in any form of combat. The royal made one last attempt to reassert control over Rolo. "Why did you shoot Sir Bradley, agent? That was not your target. Your target is Shirley Fen-"

"I know who it's supposed to be," Rolo snapped, rendering his master speechless. The youth was usually emotionless when it came to speech, and hearing his words carrying even an iota of anger or irritation was akin to a witnessing a miracle. There was a fleeting look of pain on his visage. "B-but I can't... No." The pain and anger fled from his face and was replaced by determination. "I don't want to do it anymore."

"Wha-" Schneizel blinked. His words died in his throat before he could complete them. He witnessed Rolo levelling the revolver at him. His mind went blank, and he found that he was unable to move from his position. His bright blue orbs were drawn into the barrel of the gun - which he had ironically given his would-be assailant. Reluctance flashed briefly across Rolo's face. The resolve he had shown earlier appeared to have wavered, and he hesitated for a couple of seconds. Regardless of his inaction, Schneizel remained frozen in his seat. Finally, Rolo squeezed the trigger for the third time.

Instead of another resounding boom, the revolver emitted nothing but an empty clicking sound. It was followed by a long moment of awkward staring and silence. Rolo frowned at the gun in consternation, then he noticed that the chambers of the revolver cylinder were empty. "Only two rounds were given. One for Shirley, the other for Lelouch." Rolo thought in dismay. It would appear that Schneizel was too caught up in the shocking turn of events that he had forgotten he had only provided two bullets for Rolo.

While Rolo was looking at the gun, the blond prince seized the opportunity to bolt out of the room. He snatched the mask, which was placed on his lap, and scrambled towards the door. Rolo hesitated again for a split-second before he decided to give pursuit, unsheathing one of the short combat daggers which hung on his waist. Schneizel threw the door wide open and sprinted into the corridor, surprising the two guards he had placed outside the room. The chamber was soundproof, hence what had transpired inside was a mystery to them. "Kill them!" Rolo heard him shout. The two soldiers turned around, facing the chamber and raising their rifles.

The brown-haired teen threw his dagger at the guards with unerring aim. The first one to enter the room was slow to open fire due to confusion since he recognized Rolo as an ally. That cost him his life when the hurled dagger narrowly missed his helmet and plunged into his forehead. The guard stumbled backwards in his death throes, bumping into the comrade who was right behind him. The second trooper cursed loudly and shoved the body aside, only to see the assassin leaping at him, second combat dagger already unsheathed. The hapless soldier had no time to react before the blade was buried in his throat. He fell to the ground, gurgling blood before he joined his partner in death.

Rolo paid them no mind as he resumed sprinting towards the exit. Unfortunately for him, there was no longer any signs of his former master by the time he reached the corridor. Rolo grimaced and considered hunting for his master throughout the base, but quickly abandoned the thought. Schneizel would mobilize the remaining terrorists soon. Rescuing the captives took precedence over everything else. With that in mind, Rolo strode towards Luciano's corpse and rummaged inside his pockets. Within seconds, he retrieved a key and hastened towards Lelouch, who merely stared at him open-mouthed.

"... Um." Lelouch could not be any more stupefied at the sudden turn of events. He mutely watched as Rolo silently began undoing his restraints.

"... We need to move, quickly," Rolo muttered, averting his eyes from meeting Lelouch's. A sudden wave of an unfamiliar sensation filled him. Was it awkwardness? Guilt? He did not know or care - he wanted to be completely in his professional element, except that this time, he was against the Sword of Akasha instead. "It would not be long before my master raises the alarm."

Lelouch scrutinized Rolo warily for any sign of trickery. It was not a simple task - the younger teenager was not particularly hard to read, but believing him to be earnest when he was aiding their torturers barely ten minutes ago hardly seemed wise. "Why should I trust you again, Rolo Haliburton?"

Rolo started and found himself drawn into the intense gaze of the eleventh prince. "...You shouldn't, given what had happened in the past. But I don't think you have any other choices... Your Highness."

Lelouch pondered about the wisdom of depending on Rolo for several seconds, then he sighed. "...Fine." He finally nodded. He wasn't sure why Rolo decided to turn against Schneizel out of the blue, and at the last minute, no less. However, such paranoid thoughts could wait. It was simply too extreme for it to be some sort of scheme, especially now that he killed the Knight of Ten, who was possibly the ace pilot in Schneizel's allies. The lanky teen stood up, wincing. His numerous wounds were stinging sharply. They would definitely be detrimental to their escape. Nonetheless, he knelt down beside Shirley. "Let's go, Shirley." He extended a hand - his right and uninjured one, the other one was a complete mess since it was impaled with a dagger. "Could you stand?"

"I-I think so..." Shirley grabbed her fiance's hand with as much strength she could muster. After much effort from both parties - Lelouch was far from physically fit and she was brutally beaten, she finally got to her feet. Almost instantaneously, she nearly stumbled the moment the prince cautiously released her hand. "Maybe not." She corrected herself as Lelouch draped her arm over his shoulders. "Seems like I have to rely on you for support, Lulu."

"We must hurry." Rolo piped up. He glanced towards the ceiling, and as if on cue, there was a faint but audible wailing of sirens, which originated from beyond the exit of the chamber. While Lelouch was helping Shirley up, Rolo took the time to scrounge equipment from the fallen guards. He was now fitted with a ballistic vest with pockets, an assault rifle slung over his shoulders, ammunition and two pistols in hand. He glanced at Shirley before looking away quickly. "Some of the guards may come here soon. There is only one exit in this room. If we don't leave now, we'll be killed with no chance of success. Also..." He handed over the pistols to the couple. "These guns are loaded with a full magazine. I'll clear a path to the exit while you two stay behind me. If you can still hold a gun and shoot, I have to ask you to watch my back."

The couple shared another look. Shirley shrugged. "Lead the way, Rolo," she said. Like Lelouch, she found his change in allegiance odd and even worrying, but they had no time to question him over it. Besides, they had no other options but to go with the assassin. There would be more opportunities to question him later if they managed to escape.

"Do you have a Knightmare, Rolo?" Lelouch suddenly asked.

Rolo looked surprised for a moment, but he answered promptly. "Yes."

"Is it in this base? Fully operational and ready to move anytime? Does it have a flight system?"

"Yes to all three of them."

"Good. Don't go to the exit of the base. Head towards the Knightmare hangar. We can't possibly hobble all the way on foot to safety. It'll be a bit of a squeeze for all three of us in the cockpit, but it'll have to do."

Rolo furrowed his eyebrows. It was a longer route if they move towards the Knightmare hangars instead of the exit. However, the raven-haired prince's words were sound. "Very well." He turned towards the chamber's exit. "Do your best to keep up. We're easily outnumbered at least fifteen to one, maybe more. Let's go."

Unfortunately, they only started walking less than ten steps before a familiar sound reached Rolo's ears. The sound of multiple booted feet moving at a fast pace, and it was growing louder. Instantly, Rolo held up his hand, signalling the couple to stop. "Enemies." He hissed. He gestured at them to take cover behind the wall. He made sure the three of them had adequate cover before he unclipped his pouches and pulled out a stun grenade. Rolo then twisted the safety ring, pulled it and tossed the former grenade into the corridor.

"Grenade!" There was a hoarse and muffled yell, and an explosion was heard a second later. Rolo's ears were ringing painfully from the close proximity of the detonation, but he ignored it. He charged outside and found himself facing half-a-dozen soldiers, all fully armed but heavily disoriented from the flashbang. This time, Rolo did not hesitate. He began gunning down his former allies mercilessly.

It was hardly a fight - it was more apt to call it a slaughter. If not for the flashbang, the six terrorists would have a chance of overwhelming him with sheer numbers. However, blinded and disoriented as they were, it was akin to shooting fish in a barrel. It did not take long for Rolo to put two bullets in between the eyes of each enemy.

"Quite the bloodbath." Rolo started and turned around. Lelouch was peeking from the doorway. Whatever qualms he previously had about trusting Rolo were somewhat lessened, after bearing witness to him exterminating those who were his comrades a few minutes ago like vermin.

"... You guys need some armour on, too." The assassin muttered. He trudged towards the cadavers of his Sword of Akasha troops and stripped them of their ballistic vests before handing them all to Lelouch and Shirley. "Once you guys put them on, we need to move right away." They wordlessly reached out started putting on the protective equipment. Due to Shirley's extensive injuries, Rolo stepped towards her to assist her with donning it. The redhead shivered a little when Rolo's hand brushed against her bare skin, but she ignored the small discomfort. Instead, she gave the former spy a reluctant nod of silent thanks. Once the vest had fitted on the couple, the trio started their bid for escape, moving as fast as their injuries allowed them to.

Schneizel slammed the steel door to the command centre of his base open, startling the few operatives inside. They could not see him gritting his teeth furiously behind his mask, but they could notice his tense frame and purposeful stride. "What's the status of the prisoners?" He demanded brusquely.

"Echo squad had just been taken out. Additionally, we lost all visual and audio in the room and the corridor nearest to it, my lord." One of the operatives answered. "It was just a few seconds ago. Agent Haliburton destroyed them."

Schneizel rolled his eyes and heaved perhaps the longest sigh of his life. Even after so many losses sustained whenever the terrorists took independent action, there were still imbeciles who never learn and kept seeking personal glory. Does their pride and desire for acclaim really outweigh common sense? This would be the last time he would hear such foolhardy behaviour from his men. He had to put his foot down again.

The Prime Minister snatched up one of the transmitters lying on the consoles. "Calling all forces of the Sword of Akasha. This is your leader, Infinity. I demand your undivided attention." He stopped temporarily to take a deep breath. "Agent Rolo Haliburton has turned against us. From now on, he is to be designated as a hostile. The captives, Lelouch vi Britannia and Shirley Fenette, have escaped and are being accompanied by Haliburton. However, do not engage them. I repeat, do not make any moves to engage them independently. I understand your burning need to kill our longtime adversaries, but Echo squad have been terminated. Ready your weapons and equipment, stay sharp and most importantly, wait for my next instructions." He repeated the message once more, before adding, "All squads, do you copy?"

"Alpha Niner, roger over."

"Bravo Niner, roger over."

"Charlie Niner, roger over."

This went on until the last squad, 'Juliet', replied in the affirmative. The blond royal turned to address the operatives. "Have they been sighted by any of the other cameras?"

"No, my lord. It seems that there is no movement from them at all so far."

"That's strange." Schneizel was surprised. He thought that they would move with all haste, given their dire circumstances. Then again, their sustained wounds would undoubtedly slow them down significantly. The blond proceeded to take a seat and began to ponder. He contemplated breaking his remaining squads into smaller teams and have them patrol the base. The minister quickly dismissed it. Rolo alone was able to single-handedly defeat an entire squad. Splitting his already small handful of troops into pairs or trios would most likely result in them being whittled down. No, he had to put himself in Lelouch's shoes - which are the possible courses of action he might take, and which one was the most likely. "There aren't a lot of options for them. If they want to escape, there are only three routes. The first is simply walking out of the main exit. The second is to obtain a vehicle from the garage. Lastly, the third is to hijack a Knightmare from the Knightmare hangar."

"The first option is downright suicide. Our troops can catch up to them on foot easily since they are injured. The second option is a hardly better alternative - automobiles are easily no match for Knightmares in terms of speed easily. The Knightmare hangar would be the most logical choice." Schneizel thought. He started formulating his strategy. The hangar was the top priority to defend, but he would still send a squad to keep watch of the other locations just in case. "Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta. Take up positions in the Knightmare hangar. Out of all venues, it has the highest likelihood that the prisoners will head towards it. Be sure to spread out to avoid multiple casualties from grenades. Engage the targets on sight." Schneizel waited until the four squads replied in the affirmative. "Foxtrot, you are to be stationed at the main entrance of the base. Upon sighting the hostiles, you are to call for reinforcements at once before engaging.

"This is Foxtrot Niner, roger over."

"Golf and Hotel, take up positions in the garage. Engage the targets on sight."

"Golf Niner, roger over."

"Hotel Niner, roger over."

"India and Juliet, remain in your Knightmares and continue keeping them inactive. The Emperor's troops may sweep through the area soon enough, and your positions will be given away through radar if your craft is active. I will call for you to return if required. In case you spot any imperial troops, report their location to me and avoid all forms of interaction with them."

"India Niner, roger over."

"Juliet Niner, roger over."

"Good, good." Schneizel murmured. "Infinity, out." Beads of sweat were beginning to appear on his brow and he reminded himself to relax. There was no way they could possibly get away from his grasp. He would stamp out their hopes of escape and with it, their lives. The success of his schemes hinged on it since he required no one to know of his true identity save for those loyal to him, such as Earl Kanon. Once the three of them have been slain, all he had left to do was to wait for the suspicion around the royals to die down. Only then he could finally meet with the Toromo Agency and move his base of operations to Cambodia, where the Damocles was waiting for him.

If the Emperor would know of Infinity's identity, he would chase him to the ends of the earth for manipulating his brother to kill the Empress. Additionally, Charles would surely suspect Schneizel if the latter was to suddenly make an overseas trip during these times, which were rife with mistrust and wariness. While the blond would love to think that his tactics far outshone Charles', the difference in numbers was enormous. He had to lay low in Cambodia while quietly and slowly gather support to rebuild his shadow of an army. This was paramount now that his most skilled pilot, Luciano, was dead, thanks to that damned ingrate of a traitor, Rolo. He clenched his fists and unadulterated fury filled every fibre of his being. Fate seemed to be fond of giving him setback after setback whenever he was on the cusp of taking the next step to achieving the grandiose but burdensome goal of unifying the world.

First, it was Empress Marianne and her men. They uncovered the secret existence of the Damocles project and confiscated the unique key required to operate it, just when it neared completion. Secondly, it was the unforeseen stubbornness of the Empress's imperial guard, who for reasons unknown, disobeyed the Empress's order to withdraw and elected to stay behind in the villa without her knowledge and consent. While they failed in protecting the Empress, their actions thwarted his attempt to recover the key. Thirdly, the significant, albeit disobedient, army he had managed to build up was reduced to less than one-tenth of its strength after Carine ratted them out, nearly causing Schneizel to be caught in the raids of their base. Lastly, after nearly a decade, just when he obtained the Damocles key at long last, one of his most trusted servants turned against him, killed the best pilot and captain to-be of his Knightmare unit, and was now aiding the people he had been ordered to assassinate to escape instead.

If Schneizel believed in a higher and divine power, he would resent him to the core. How was letting humans continue to fight each other over petty reasons, which continuously led to so much unnecessary bloodshed and suffering for both the guilty and innocent, and ruination of the planet better than stamping out wars entirely by unifying all the nations in the world? Perhaps his methods to achieve it would be seen as ruthless, and he might be recognized as a dictator. However, only he possessed the foresight, power, and wisdom to bear the responsibility to make the world a utopia without war. So why did fate continue to place obstacles in his already onerous but chosen path which would make world peace no longer a dream, but a reality?

The Second Prince of Britannia scoffed and chided himself for allowing his frustration to take over momentarily. He was not, and never a believer, in fate and destiny. Every man has to forge his own path in this world. Besides, this was not the time to moan and gripe about the difficulties of his dream. He had to be composed and reassert control over the chaotic situation, which can only be accomplished by eliminating his younger half-brother, his fiancee and his former servant. He noted that his palms were getting sweaty, and wiped them on his pants. "Indeed, all that's left is for them to die."

"India and Juliet, remain in your Knightmares and continue keeping them inactive. The Emperor's troops may sweep through the area soon enough, and your positions will be given away through radar if your craft is active. I will call for you to return if required. In case you spot any imperial troops, report their location to me and avoid all forms of interaction with them." There was a brief pause, then the radio transmitter crackled again. "Infinity, out."

Lelouch grimaced after he digested Schneizel's orders to the Sword of Akasha. They did not bode well for them in the slightest - their destination was a large and wide room with the most amount of enemy forces. The Prime Minister even had Knightmares deployed outside of the base, ready to catch them if they somehow managed to worm out of their predicament. Evading them would be problematic. The Prime Minister had read their motives and moves all too well. To be fair, it was obvious that his party would try obtaining a Knightmare. Any other option would be too slow and thus, tantamount to suicide. Marching into the hangar would not be much better due to the sheer size of defenders already positioned there. The only consolation they have was that the Knightmares were offline and most likely would stay that way to avoid attention - which hopefully meant that friendly forces were nearing the area.

The lanky prince initially thought of using Rolo's cellular phone to dial Euphemia. If the call went through, it would be easy for her to trace the call to their location. Having a horde of imperial troops descending onto the Sword of Akasha base would undisputedly turn the situation chaotic for the terrorists. If they were lucky, the fanatics would be so occupied with fighting Euphemia's troops that it would be ridiculously effortless for them to escape that they could stroll out of enemy territory. Unfortunately, Schneizel had a cellular phone signal jammer active. He had tried to contact Euphemia, Suzaku, and even his father, which he loathed himself for calling, several times by using Rolo's phone to no avail.

Undeterred by the setback, Lelouch instead attempted to establish contact with his allies by configuring the frequencies on the looted radio transmitters. He was only met with more dismay as they failed to respond after multiple tries. It would appear that his older half-brother was still maintaining the radio frequency jamming as well. Euphemia, aided by her military advisors, should have set up new channels operating on another frequency, but without knowing which frequency she was on, he would not be able to reach her. Frustration was quickly building up within him and he berated himself to devise an alternative strategy as quickly as possible.

"Wait," Rolo murmured, bringing Lelouch out of his cogitation. He brought his assault rifle up, an act which made the hearts of Shirley and Lelouch skip a beat. They wondered if the assassin had noticed signs of approaching foes, in spite of overhearing Schneizel's instructions to his men to stay put at their stations. "If we're still heading towards the hangar, we need to turn left at this section, but there are cameras on either side."

"Shoot to disable them if you'd please, Rolo," Lelouch exhaled in a combination of relief and annoyance. He hated having his train of thought being interrupted at such a crucial moment. Nevertheless, he would rather have the younger male along with him during this escape attempt than not. His knowledge of the layout of the Sword of Akasha layout was essential to their success. It was best that they are not kept under real-time surveillance by their foes after all. Suddenly, an idea dawned upon him, and his amethyst eyes lit up in excitement.

Rolo mutely stepped forward and turned right, firing two shots in quick succession before he spun on his heel and repeated the same. "Both cameras are down, Your Highness." He reported dryly to the eleventh prince. "We should proceed." The pink-eyed youth resumed his creep-like walk.

"Wait." Rolo paused in his tracks as Lelouch stopped him. He glanced at the prince in a mix of mild curiosity and irritation. Time was ticking - they had no time to dawdle at all. He was certain that the royal was aware of it. "Rolo, did you not hear what Schneizel said on the radio channel?"

"I did." The assassin responded calmly. "But there is no other option than to go to the hangar. Escaping on foot makes it a simple task for our pursuers to catch up, and conventional vehicles would only last a little longer against Knightmares."

"Of course. However, walking into an open space filled with soldiers wielding assault rifles while being outnumbered eight to one is guaranteed death too."

Rolo's expression hardened. "Well… I'm ready to fight to the death if it's necessary." Shirley raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"I'm not. We're not," Lelouch retorted sharply. "Throwing our lives away after we have a glimmer of hope of escaping is indisputably idiotic. I'd rather have you shoot us both back in the chamber just now."

"... Your Highness, do you have a better alternative in mind?"

"I have thought of one, yes."

The younger male arched an eyebrow. "I would be eager to hear it."

"...It's a bold one, though. High risk, high reward, they would say."

"Your ideas have always worked so far, Lulu," Shirley assured her fiance. She bolstered her voice, which sounded weak, with as much confidence she could muster.. "I have never doubted them. Let us hear it."

"Very well then." The raven-haired teenager gave Shirley a silent nod of thanks and smiled at her. Even he was not that optimistic this time, as the adversary was a formidable one with the odds stacked against himself. His current plan was arguably more of a gamble, hence her words of encouragement were greatly appreciated. "Allow me to explain in detail, then." Shirley and Rolo leaned in, their expressions shifting from inquisitiveness to surprise, then to determination.

Schneizel stared unblinkingly with incredible intensity at the array of surveillance feeds in front of him. His eyes were constantly darting around from each feed to the next ever since two of them were recently disabled. Despite his constant self-assurance that there was no way the captives could escape, he had to admit that this moment was arguably the most nerve-wracking in his entire lifetime. This was owed to the massive surge of anticipation after obtaining the device which would enable him to realize his decade-long dream combined with the appalling turnaround of his servant betraying him. It was rare of him to display much emotion, let alone allow it to have a say in his decision making. However, right now he wanted nothing more than to wipe the trio out with unbridled fury the second they appeared on any of the screens. The sooner order was restored, the better.

At least the path they appeared to be taking was one which led them towards the hangar. They were able to hear his orders over the looted radio transmitters from the fallen Echo squad, but they seem to be unchanged by it. He suppressed the desire to smirk. They were heading towards their deaths. Twenty-four troopers would be eagerly awaiting them. The blond wondered whether his younger half-brother had overestimated Rolo's abilities or he was that adamant on heading towards the hangar.

There was a sudden movement at one of the top right feeds. The Prime Minister's heart jumped, and he immediately set his sight on the screen. Unfortunately for him, all he could see was an incredibly brief flicker before the screen turned into nothing but static.

Schneizel swore aloud while one of the operatives needlessly announced. "Camera S-Eleven has been taken out, sir!"

"I can see that!" The royal snapped. His eyebrows furrowed into a deep, contemplative frown. S-Eleven was placed in a hallway branching out from the main one to the hangar. The fact that it was taken out meant that they were not heading towards the Knightmares anymore. This was contrary to his expectations. He could not help but wonder what Lelouch had in mind now. Did he have a change of heart, or was he trying to mess with his mind? Schneizel dismissed all of his thoughts and unease. The second prince reasoned that they might be attempting to disable any many security cameras they could before making a more direct move. He simply needed to observe as his foes continued destroying more cameras until their intentions become clear.

It took about half a minute before another of the security feeds was reduced to nothing but static. "Camera S-Ten is out!"

Schneizel knitted his brows in perturbation. If they were indeed disabling all means of surveillance while they travelled along the corridors, their path indeed did not point them towards the hangar at all. In fact, it brought them even further from any of the three exits. The behaviour of his enemies was mind-boggling.

"S-Eight has been destroyed!"

The Prime Minister's frown deepened. He stabbed his finger against a digital map of the base displayed on a console in front of him and traced it along the path Lelouch and his companions were taking. If they continued moving straight, it would not take them to any of the three exit routes. It would only bring them closer to the command centre. A thought struck Schneizel out of the blue, and he paled.

"No connection to S-Seven, sir!"

"No way. They're coming for me. Unbelievable. Can they be really coming for me instead of trying to escape?" The blond's blood froze. He glared at the screen with a burning intensity. Rolo knew about how many troops he had left, and hence Lelouch would be aware of that as well. They knew that he was undefended. Schneizel forced himself to calm down and to think of the reasons why the eleventh prince would opt to go after him instead of escaping. The younger royal's plans might be unnecessarily bold sometimes, but he was not a fool.

"The only explanation is that they must have realized that they have no way out. With that in mind, perhaps they at least want to take me down with them? That would result in mutually assured destruction for both of us!" Such an outcome is impermissible in his eyes. Lelouch never seemed to be the type who would be satisfied with it either. Could the bleakness of his predicament have driven him to such desperate lengths? It was hard to believe that Lelouch threw in the towel so quickly. "Or this some sort of trap? Could they be remotely disabling the cameras? No… they do not possess any of such devices capable of doing so, neither are those lying around in the base. Could Rolo be acting of his own or is he separated from them? It can't be, he must be too attached to Shirley Fenette to leave her unprotected. Why else would he turn on me like that, only after I told him to shoot her?"

"S-Six is down!"

Schneizel clenched his fists. "Or do they intend to take me as a hostage as he last resort? To bargain for their safety?" Regardless of Lelouch's thoughts, the blond would not allow him to throw his lifetime's worth of plotting into disarray again, now that he was so close to victory. He simply had too much to lose. A gloved hand snatched up the radio transmitter once more. "Attention all stations, this is Infinity. Hostile forces are proceeding to the command centre. They are trying to take my life instead of escaping. All squads are to leave your post and return to the command centre via corridor five at once. Engage the hostiles on sight. India and Juliet, stay alert, but do not activate your vehicles yet.." He repeated his instructions twice over, and added, "Do you copy?"

The terrorists replied in the affirmative, and Schneizel permitted himself to relax a little. Forty-two of his best and most trained men would be barreling down the corridor, armed to the teeth and hungry for blood. No matter how skilled Rolo was as a soldier and an assassin, there was no way one man could stand against such odds, much less doing so while attempting to protect two injured personnel. "Yes, this is a good enough plan to counter their movements." The second prince exhaled and waited anxiously for the news of their demise.

Rolo panted while his legs swiftly carried him to the next corridor. His assault rifle was already raised and ready to destroy yet another surveillance camera. He paused at the edge of the corner before taking a quick deep breath and turned around, firing two rounds. The camera only managed to get a split-second glimpse of him before the projectiles tore the electronic device apart. Without a look back at the said appliance, the assassin spun on his heel and sprinted back to where he came from. Time was of the utmost essence at this moment, now that every single terrorist left inside the Sword of Akasha base is charging towards the command centre. If he was too slow, he might run into them, which would not bode well for him at all. Hence, his breakneck speed in backtracking was justified, especially when they would be unable to hear his footsteps over their own booted stomping.

Lelouch's idea was certainly one which relied too much on chance for Rolo's liking. The former reasoned that since one squad of soldiers has been eliminated by Rolo, the rest would not be as rash to go after them without direct orders from Schneizel, and the said minister would be inclined to overestimate the number of troops required to take them down. He garnered that the Prime Minister fully expected them to attempt an escape with the Knightmares in the base. With at least twenty soldiers stationed at the hangar, Lelouch's plan was to draw all of the troops out. However, he required the knowledge of the placement of every surveillance camera in the base. Fortunately for him, Rolo knew all of them, and thus the prince hatched a plan to use the security feeds to bamboozle Schneizel about their movement.

First of all, Rolo was to lead the trio as near to the Knightmare hangar as possible without getting spotted. With two cameras already destroyed, they were able to venture a significant distance to their destination. After that was done, Rolo was to separate from the party and slowly make his way towards the command centre. His pace would be based on an estimation of how slow the trio would travel on foot with their injuries. While he did so, he was to destroy every single camera along the way, creating the illusion that their plan was to head towards Schneizel and either kill him or take him hostage to negotiate safe passage outside of the base. This will cause the Prime Minister to panic and order all of his troops to leave their stations to return to the command post. Once that happens, the spy had to sprint as fast as he could back to where the couple was waiting, and then they would head towards the hangar, now devoid of enemy troops, together.

The idea was met with some scepticism from Rolo. Even with his limited experience and knowledge of strategy and planning, he felt that too much of it depended on Schneizel taking the bait and overreacting. Lelouch argued that it was their best shot at escaping, although he admitted that he had his own doubts, he pointed out that Schneizel's current state of mind might be more volatile than usual. He had just lost his ace pilot and his trusted spy to the enemy in an extremely unexpected fashion. Besides, if they successfully killed him or took him hostage, it would result in his defeat. This meant his decade-long worth of careful plotting and dreaming would end up culminating in nothing.

Moreover, their act of heading towards the command post, which coincidentally has the weakest defence, was against his expectations. Lelouch felt that there was a good chance his adversary may act irrationally in his eagerness and fear and wind up sending all of his forces in one fell swoop to crush them.

In the midst of his sprinting, Rolo noticed that his surroundings pointed that he was close to the rendezvous point. Nonetheless, he did not slow down as he charged across the passageway. He turned sharply and ended up staring down the barrels of two pistols. His instincts told him to return fire, and he nearly did so, until he recognized that the apprehensive and surprised faces of Lelouch and Shirley.

"You're ahead of time," Lelouch commented, lowering his firearm. "That's good. Now we wait until they have reported that none of us is actually at the command centre, then we have to move as fast as we possibly can."

Rolo nodded mutely and allowed himself to relax while he could. He inhaled several times to stabilize his breathing. Shirley watched Rolo gradually catching his breath. She had a burning desire to question him ever since she witnessed him suddenly turning hostile to Schneizel. After several seconds of staring at him, she could not contain herself any longer. "Rolo," she called out. The youth in question blinked and looked at her quizzically. "Why did you choose to help us?"

Rolo was taken aback, and he fell silent for a few seconds. He glanced sideways at Lelouch, who was staring at him expectantly. It seems that the prince, too, would like to know his response. "Why indeed?" He thought. His mind travelled back in time to the moment when he stood over Shirley, clutching his revolver and aiming it at her. A memory had overwhelmed him - one of the slender redhead smiling sheepishly at him while handing him a locket. A lump had formed in his throat, and the perturbation building inside him ever since the torture started reached a critical level.

"I don't know," Rolo answered. He was not being completely dishonest - he still had no clue why he reacted the way he did when the recollection came into his mind. He could tell by Shirley's and Lelouch's frowns that they were unsatisfied with his answer. "I'm sorry, but I can't give a definite answer now. All I know is that I... I saw a memory in my head." He said slowly but surely. "You were in it. Something didn't feel right when I stood there and watched the torture go on. When it came to that moment Schneizel tried to make me kill you, I… my body didn't want to listen to him anymore."

"Your body? It is the mind which governs over it, is it not?" Lelouch inquired skeptically.

"Look, I really don't know." A note of frustration was apparent in Rolo's voice. "I can't provide any other details now."

The couple shared another look. Shirley opened her mouth again, but Lelouch interrupted her. "Fair enough. We'll continue this conversation once we're out of here." While he felt it was important to know Rolo's reasons for suddenly turning against his master of several years, his explanation could wait. His aid alone was more than good enough right now. Besides, he could tell that Rolo was emotionally stunted under Schneizel. Probing him may prove futile and only serve to make him more annoyed. It was not the best course of action especially now that he was the sole person capable of fighting at an acceptable level.

"Alpha Niner to Infinity, we have arrived at corridor S-One with Bravo, Charlie and Delta. No hostiles in sight. I repeat, Alpha, Bravo and Charlie and Delta have arrived at S-One with no hostiles in sight."

"Soon," Lelouch muttered. His entire body tensed, and everyone else mimicked him. "Stay on your toes."

"Golf Niner to Infinity, we have just reached S-Two. No hostiles sighted either."

"Hotel Niner to Infinity, we have the same situation with Golf. Zero sign of hostiles."

"Infinity to Squad Leaders. Did you scour the entire area and the surrounding corridors?" There was a short pause before all of the squad leaders confirmed their findings.

"That's our cue," Lelouch murmured. He made a beckoning gesture at his two companions. The assassin had already briefed him on the route to the hangar before he went to disable the cameras. "Remember, no breaks. If they catch up to us before we're out of here, we're dead."

"I'll be the rear guard," Rolo volunteered. The enemies would have to come from behind, and he was the only one at the moment who was fit for the job. "The path ahead should be clear. Now go." Shirley and Lelouch lurched forward as one, the latter having to support the former due to her more debilitating wounds. Rolo turned around and started walking backwards at a moderately slow pace. His assault rifle was poised to fire and his pink eyes were darting around for any visible sign of enemies.

It only took them a few seconds before the transmitter crackled to life again. "Attention to all forces! This is Infinity speaking! The hostiles have been sighted in corridor S-Thirteen! They are moving to the Knightmare hangar! All available soldiers are to head towards there at once! I repeat! The hostiles are sighted at S-Thirteen! Return to the Knightmare hangar immediately! Eliminate them! Now!" Schneizel's distorted voice blared. His agitation and fury were apparent to every person who had heard his voice. The trio ignored the transmission and trudged onwards. They did not even bother destroying the surveillance cameras anymore. Every single nanosecond was valuable to them. Besides, Schneizel already knew their true destination. They simply continued slogging onwards to the best of their ability.

"Hostiles are at S-Fourteen! Now at S-Fifteen! All forces, make haste!" The Prime Minister of the Britannian Empire urged his subordinates frantically. "Give pursuit! Run like you've never run before!" Rolo tightened his grip on his rifle. Five more corridors and they would arrive at their destination. He might hear the footsteps of his former allies closing in soon. He could only hope that he was being exceedingly pessimistic with his calculations and that they were slower than he thought.

Apparently, Rolo was either down on his luck or his prediction was too accurate. His well-honed sense of hearing detected the barely audible sound of many booted feet stomping rapidly just as the trio turned into another passageway. "I can hear them. They're closing in." He informed the other members of his party. He glanced at the right wall. An emboldened logo, which read "S-Eighteen", was painted on it. S-Twenty was the last hallway before they reached the hangar. "I can't tell how many of them are they. Maybe all of them at once." His two companions did not reply. Lelouch was gritting his teeth and Shirley was breathing heavily while they tottered together. It was at this moment that his prince wistfully wondered whether he should have invested some time in improving his physical fitness. Supporting an injured Shirley while he himself was wounded was definitely the most physically taxing thing he had done in his life.

The sound of booted footsteps gradually grew louder. Rolo cast a worried glance at his companions, then at the wall again. "S-Nineteen." He groaned. The enemies would be able to see them in a quarter of a minute at most. He turned around and opened fire with his assault rifle at the surveillance camera, startling Shirley and Lelouch in the process. He gave them an apologetic look before he lowered the weapon, letting it hang by the sling around his shoulder and reached into one of his grenade pouches, pulling out another stun grenade. He noted that he had only one flashbang left if he were to use this one. Lean but strong fingers gripped the ring of the grenade and he stared at the passage in front of him while walking backwards. His lips parted, counting down silently before he tugged the ring out and lobbed the grenade with all the strength he could muster at the corner where the current corridor and the previous one met.

The rhythmic series of stomping boots came to an abrupt end, and Lelouch's party could hear a series of shouting before the grenade went off with a tumultuous roar. Shirley winced, her eardrums ringing painfully from the detonation but did not slow her pace. They ignored the clamour of swearing and pressed on, knowing that they were close to their objective.

"Stop running into each other! The hostiles are getting away!" Schneizel bellowed angrily from the radio transmitter. Any semblance of composure he previously had was gone. If the Sword of Akasha soldiers were not disoriented from the flashbang or colliding with their fellow comrades due to the sudden stop, they would be unnerved to hear the sheer amount of rage in his normally calm and detached voice. "Those who still can maintain their sense of balance and aim, do not bother aiding the rest! Give chase at once!"

"... We're almost there. We're almost out of here," Shirley whispered words of encouragement to her fiance. She was aware that it was a difficult task for him to bear some of her body weight while they made their way to their destination. If only her ankle was not twisted by Luciano, she would at least be able to stand on both legs.

"I know. Hang in there." Lelouch tried to smile but ended up groaning from exhaustion instead. They turned around a corner into another passageway. The large steel doors leading to the hangar were left open by the Sword of Akasha soldiers previously occupying it, and they did not close them in their hurry.

"I can hear them moving again!." Rolo warned. He reached up to retrieve his last stun grenade. However, this time he was too slow. The enemies, spurred by their leader's directives, had increased their pace. Two black-clad terrorists emerged from around the corner. In that split second, Rolo knew he lacked the time to throw the flashbang. He immediately abandoned his previous endeavour and brought up his assault rifle instead. He switched his weapon's firing mode to automatic and held down the trigger, spraying half of his magazine in general direction of his enemies. The terrorists' basic instinct of self-preservation took over and managed to retreat without taking any major wounds. The assassin made a tsk-ing sound, acknowledging the need for suppressing fire but annoyed at his unusually poor aim nonetheless. He barely had any time to readjust his aim when a third hostile boldly stepped out of the corner and started opening fire.

A couple of bullets grazed past his kevlar armour but left himself mostly unscathed. However, Rolo heard a shrill outcry behind him and he recognized the voice as one belonging to Shirley. "No!" He heard Lelouch shout and he resisted the urge to turn around. An unfathomable emotion filled the spy and he glared at the offending soldier and he snapped the trigger of his firearm multiple times, putting five bullets into the foe's shoulder, chest and temple, killing him quickly. Rolo risked a peek behind him and managed to get a glimpse of Lelouch dragging a conscious but bleeding Shirley inside the hangar.

"I only have ten rounds left before I need to reload. I can't use a grenade now if the enemies ever decide to come out. I need some breathing room... I need to retreat to the hangar along with them." Rolo thought. He quadrupled his pace, striding backwards as fast as he could while keeping his aim at the terrorists' hiding spot. A Sword of Akasha soldier popped his head out from the corner to assess the situation, only to quickly return to safety after Rolo fired a single shot at where his forehead had been. Momentarily intimidated by the death of one of their comrades and Rolo's swift reflexes, the group of terrorists did not surface for some time.

"What the hell are you guys doing? There's only one of him! Overwhelm him together with your superior numbers at once! Would you rather let our hated enemies escape? Or are you people cowards?!" Schneizel's voice chastised his underlings. They exchanged looks among each other for a moment before all of them rose at once and made to charge out and engage Rolo in combat. However, they only got a glimpse of Rolo sprinting away before he disappeared behind the wall of the hangar. He had immediately taken flight the moment his former master began vocalizing his orders. The twenty-strong group of terrorists charged towards their targets with murderous intent, only to do a complete one-eighty and run the other way as yet another small canister, instantly recognizable as a grenade to their eyes, soared towards them.

Rolo heard his last flashbang activate with the usual thunderous boom. For good measure, he threw one of his two smoke grenades as well and emptied the remaining ten bullets he had in the magazine into the smokescreen. The brown-haired teenager quickly reloaded his rifle and went about destroying the few surveillance cameras inside the hangar. Finally, he turned his attention to Shirley, whom Lelouch was already fussing over. The former was lying on her back while the latter knelt by her side.

"Let me see it," Rolo heard Lelouch say. Shirley did not respond - her teeth were clenched tightly and her shaking hands were gripping her right thigh forcefully with an agonized expression on her face. His gaze dropped towards the floor, where copious amounts of bright red blood were spurting out, forming a puddle below her thigh. "Rolo! Help me turn her around! We need to see the wound!"

"Right." The younger male moved in to assist. Together, they turned Shirley on her left side, and her most recent injury came into view. "A ruptured perforating artery." The assassin grimaced. A torn artery was bad news. She could die from exsanguination in a few minutes at most. With that repulsive thought in mind, Rolo wasted no more time in gawking at the wound. "Excuse me for a moment. Your Highness, please apply some pressure on it!" He instructed, unsheathing his combat knife. He then removed his trousers and placed them on the floor, before using the blade to cut three long strips of cloth from it. Rolo paused for a split second with the cloth in hand. "This will hurt. Please bear with it. Your Highness, hold her right leg still." Without further ado, he hurriedly wrapped the makeshift bandages around the laceration thrice, trying his best to ignore her screeches of pain while making sure they were tight and snug. It only took less than half a minute for him to complete the procedure since Rolo witnessed the wound until he administered emergency first aid. "Continue putting pressure on it, Your Highness. This is all we can do for now, but it will have to do," he called out as he donned his ruined pair of pants.

"Thank you... Rolo." Shirley managed to gasp out hoarsely, obviously still in great pain. She eyed him pensively while trying to ignore the searing sensation in her thigh. The speed at which he administered first aid to her potentially lethal wound was hardly short of excellence. Yet he was the same man killed General Darlton and murdered her father in cold blood. An act which was believable after witnessing his prowess in combat. Nevertheless, while he was bandaging her newest wound, she saw an all-too recognisable emotion in his eyes. Shirley did not want to believe it. It bore a resemblance to the same look Lelouch always gave her when he was trying to shield her. The idea of her father's killer actually feeling concern for her was confounding, to say the least. "Perhaps he truly wants to turn over a new leaf?"

"Don't mention it." Rolo shifted awkwardly in his bloodied dress shoes from Shirley's scrutinizing gaze. He lowered his head, choosing to inspect his handiwork. The bandages seemed fine - but it would take several minutes for the blood to clot. The smoke grenade he had thrown earlier would last thirty more seconds at most. The best course of action was to get her to a medical facility as fast as possible. Under most circumstances, it was not a wise idea to make her move, but it was certain that all of them would be slain by the enemy if they dawdled too long. "We should go while we can. The smokescreen will be running out shortly."

As if on cue, the radio transmitter came into life again, with Schneizel yelling with unbridled fury. "It's just a smoke grenade! He has not even fired upon you for a while now! All of you are to advance forward and kill them! Now! That's an order!" The last sentence was followed by a loud thump, likely from the Second Prince slamming his fist against a solid object. As a response to his former master's rant, Rolo rose to his feet fired a dozen bullets into the smoke.

"He's right. We may be in the Knightmare hangar now, but we still have to make our way towards his vehicle." Lelouch agreed. With some aid from Rolo, they managed to heave Shirley back to a standing position, although she nearly collapsed in the process. The couple began trudging forward in the general direction of the Knightmares slowly, but Rolo did not move in the slightest. He continued glaring at the gradually dissipating smokescreen in the corridor. "Rolo?"

"Six, one, eight, nine, four, zero," Rolo said aloud. His words were delivered clearly and slowly.

"What?"

"That's the password for my Knightmare. You need both a key and password to access it," Rolo replied calmly. He thrust his left hand into his pocket, pulling out a golden key and letting it dangle on its chain from his fingers in front of the royal. "Hopefully, the technicians have yet to change the password. My Knightmare's the third furthest one away. It has a gold and black paint job. The Vincent is its name."

Lelouch stared at the spy. The younger male did not flinch from it and met his gaze evenly. "Are you sure about this?" He asked quietly. Shirley's pained look was now replaced by one of incomprehension.

"Definitely. They're not going to care about how many smoke grenades I can throw anymore. I only have one left anyway, and I'm out of stun grenades. There's no way you two can reach the Vincent at your current pace. We need someone to hold them off, and that person must be none other than me."

"Wait!" Shirley blurted out. Rolo's expression hardened at her outburst. Lelouch wordlessly reached up to take the key and enveloped it in his fist. "You can't be serious!"

"I'm afraid I am. We need more time to escape, and I'll buy you just that."

"No..." Shirley's voice trailed away. "You really mean to stand here all by yourself?"

Rolo gave a small nod. He opened his mouth, then closed it for a second before resolving to speak again. "Your Highness. Shirley. I never got to apologize for everything I did. Pretending to be a normal servant while spying for my mas- Schneizel. My role in your capture and siege of your home." He turned towards Shirley, addressing her personally. "Killing your father because I was ordered to, Shirley. And you tried to befriend me too. It's all for nothing. I.. I'm sorry for all that."

"..." Shirley was rendered speechless after her father was brought up by the one responsible for his death. Conflicting thoughts started forming in her head. Incredulity, sadness, anger and anxiety all rose within her. She swallowed heavily. She had to speak truthfully and rightfully at the same time, without regret. "Rolo... I can't believe I'm saying this. I really can't." She closed her eyes shut, and prayed that her chosen words were right. "It's not your fault. I have no idea what you have gone through, and what Schneizel had put you through when you were young. You didn't choose to become this way. You had no say in it. You were manipulated, deceived and brought up to do those things. But I believe that everyone... everyone deserves a second chance to start afresh." She paused for two seconds and added. "Even you."

Rolo gazed at Shirley mutely for several long seconds in astonishment. Suddenly, wetness came to his pink eyes, which he did not quite understand why. An unrelenting torrent of unidentifiable feelings welled up within him. He raised a hand and quickly wiped them away on his sleeve. Following that, the assassin threw his last smoke grenade into the corridor and accompanied it with more gunfire until the rifle clicked empty. He tossed the spent magazine away and loaded a new one before facing Shirley again. "D-does that m-mean," There was a quiver in his voice. "You forgive me?"

"Well... yes. Definitely, yes."

"But... your father! I murdered him! How could you look past that?"

"Because I choose to." Shirley gave the brown-haired youth a small, sad smile. Rolo had committed grievous wrongdoings which affected her and Lelouch. However, she could not bring herself to hate him for eternity after knowing his story and hearing his sincere apologies. Especially not after he willingly volunteered to sacrifice himself for them. "Let's escape together. The three of us."

As Shirley's words left her lips, Rolo felt crushed. A myriad of emotions flitted across his face - disbelief, remorse, gratitude, and most of all, relief. Even after everything he had done not only to her but her loved ones as well, she still found it in her heart to forgive him. It would have been easier for him if she did not. For the briefest of moments, he was tempted to take up her offer, completely forgetting about the necessity of his self-assigned role. How he longed for the simple days when he lived with them as a servant. Being greeted cheerfully in the morning by Shirley, having her fuss over him over seemingly trivial manners again. He missed having her dragging him along to play volleyball under a sweltering sun with them and celebrating his birthday, just to make him feel included. There were times when he was muddled by her actions and friendly demeanour and had rare moments of wishing that she would leave him alone, especially after he recovered his memory. However, right now, he would give anything to go back to relive the past.

"I hate to interrupt such a tender moment but if we are to leave here alive, we must leave right away, Shirley." Lelouch cut in. His blunt tone brought Rolo back to the harsh reality of their grim predicament, and he shook his head to clear his mind of such inane and fanciful thoughts.

"You guys go on ahead. Now." Rolo stated, trying to imbue his voice with as much firmness as he could.

"We're not leaving you behind!" Shirley persisted adamantly. "You're coming with us!"

Rolo bit down on his lip so hard that it drew blood. He turned towards Lelouch and fixed him with an imploring look. The prince took the hint immediately, and he forced out a chuckle. "Shirley, we don't have to leave Rolo behind. Once we entered the Knightmare, we'll help him drive back the enemies and let him join us onboard. It just happens that someone has to hold them off, and he's the only one who can do it now."

"Yes, Your Highness speaks a sensible plan. Therefore, please leave first. I'll see you in a bit." Rolo tried to sound as nonchalant and upbeat as possible. Lelouch and Rolo glanced at each other. They knew they were both lying. The likelihood of him surviving the onslaught of the remaining Sword of Akasha troops was extremely slim, but they had to persuade Shirley somehow.

"Oh. But it's still dangerous!"

"I think Rolo had made it abundantly clear. We really do require someone to take that role. And I agree with him."

"We can't-"

"Shirley. I appreciate everything you've just said. I'm happy that you're thinking of my well-being... but I've made up my mind and it's my own personal choice." Rolo insisted. His tone, which usually leaned towards monotonous or devoid of feeling, now grew passionate. "Please allow me to carry out the first choice in my life. After nearly a decade, I can finally decide what I want. I do this of my own free will... as a human being."

"Rolo..." Shirley started to cry. She did not want to lose anyone anymore. It was too much of a pain to bear.

"Goodbye, Shirley. I'm really glad that I got to meet you." Rolo smiled. It was his first completely genuine smile in his entire seventeen years of life. "Your Highness. Please do not tarry any longer and take her away."

"Thank you, Rolo. I'll remember you for this." Lelouch promised, purposely keeping his words succinct. He started to walk, an act which pulled the much weakened Shirley along with him. She had no option other than to follow her fiance, looking back at the former spy with tearful eyes the entire time.

Rolo finally tore his gaze away from the couple. Shirley's final words to him will be ingrained in his memory forever. However, it was not the time for him to dwell on such sentimental issues, lest he became swayed by them. He needed to be completely in his professional element again. "Let's see..." He muttered, checking his magazine pouches. He had four more fully loaded magazines, and if he were to include the one he had just loaded in his assault rifle, that meant the had a hundred and fifty rounds remaining. A quick search in his grenade pouches only revealed two fragmentation grenades. They were not as good as smoke or stun grenades in terms of delaying the enemy infantry, but it was ideal for causing plenty of damage to them. The looted sidearms were left discarded on the floor by Lelouch and Shirley after the latter was shot. Not that they required them anymore since the hangar contained no enemies. Yet.

Rolo walked over, picked up the two pistols and checked their magazines. Both were fully loaded - the couple did not fire a shot. He placed the sidearms in the holsters on his mangled trousers. A hundred and fifty assault rifle bullets, sixteen pistol rounds, two fragmentation grenades and a combat knife were all he had to keep the depleted but significant numbers of terrorists at bay. He doubted that he would last for long. He specialized in information gathering, covert assassinations and one-on-one fights. He can only hope that his current lack of desire to survive this conflict would compensate.

Rolo pressed his back against the wall next to the doorway and warily observed the fading smokescreen. He was honestly surprised that his adversaries had not decided to rush him together yet. Maybe the terrorist organization had lost too many members to Lelouch's schemes. This may explain why they preferred to err on the side of caution and wait out the smoke this time out. His hand gravitated to a fragmentation grenade. The weapon would be perfect for causing disorder in their ranks once they charge towards him. Intimidating and disorienting the enemies was far more important than killing them.

"Go already! They're getting away! Attack now, you bunch of spineless wretches!" The Second Prince's irate voice blasted from the radio transmitter. Rolo started, distracted by the sudden transmission. At the same time, all of the remaining Sword of Akasha troops, now gathered together and numbering thirty strong, sprinted out from their cover and towards the hangar. Rolo instantly recognized the sound of many boots stomping forward hurriedly. He yanked the safety ring out of his frag grenade, passed it to his left hand and flicked his wrist, lobbing the grenade towards his enemies. While the terrorist's eyes were distracted by the flying ordnance, he stepped out from his hiding spot, mindful of how long it took for the grenade to explode, and opened fire on his former comrades ruthlessly.

The front rows of terrorists did not even have time to react before a stream of bullets struck them. Some of the rounds struck their armour, but while they did not pierce the kevlar entirely in a few cases, the sheer velocity of them impacting against their body was enough to shatter bones and throw them back into their hapless allies behind them.

As the Sword of Akasha soldiers at the forefront fell, the others behind them were caught in between the choices of retreating from the grenade or taking down Rolo, who stood right in front of them. Some of them chose the latter and raised their firearms, aiming for the pink-eyed assassin. However, he easily anticipated such a move and withdrew. He discarded his now vacant rifle magazine and inserted in a new one, just in time to hear a resounding boom behind him, which confirmed the detonation of his grenade. Rolo stepped out again and aimed at the opposite end of the corridor before expending his entire magazine again, taking down several foes in the process.

If this was an open area, Rolo would have already been surrounded and shot to death. Fortunately for him, the narrow passageway served as a good choke point and thus advantageous for a smaller force to hold back a much larger one. Alas, he was only one man, and his foes were not so foolish to not adapt to his tactics after some time.

Just as Rolo completed reloading his rifle again, a small dark green spherical object came rolling from the corridor and stopped mere inches from his feet. The seasoned assassin immediately recognized it as a fragmentation grenade. His instincts took over and he sprinted forward towards the nearest Knightmare, which was at least twelve metres away. He managed to dive behind the vehicle just before it blew up.

Rolo winced, not because he was caught by the ball bearings contained in the weapon but from the volume of the detonation. His eardrums, already ringing from the constant gunfire, now throbbed painfully. His senses were muddled from the combination of the breakneck pace of his scrambling for cover and nearly obliterated hearing. Nonetheless, he forced himself to pick himself up from the floor to re-engage the terrorists. He had to keep them busy. Just as he cautiously stepped aside from the Knightmare's feet, he sighted a trio of them who had managed to enter the hangar. The Sword of Akasha soldiers in question had not noticed him yet. Apparently, something - or someone else caught their eye. Their rifles started to rise, and Rolo's' heart skipped a beat. There were only two other targets other than him - and he could not fail in defending them.

The assassin let out a roar at the top of his lungs in an attempt to revert his foes' attention back to himself. He could hardly hear his incomprehensible yelling despite the strain in his vocal cords, but it was enough to distract the three troopers. As they turned to face him, Rolo's last fragmentation grenade was already soaring through the air towards the corridor behind them. There was no point killing all three of them if more terrorists entered the room right after. His move was calculated to attack the three terrorists while deterring their reinforcements at the same time. Just as the grenade left his hand, he brought up his assault rifle once more and fired as quickly as he could.

Two of the soldiers were caught unaware by Rolo's sudden reappearance. They did not even manage to adjust their aim before a barrage of precise shots came flying, ripping through their lower jaws and throats. However, the third soldier reacted swifter than his hapless comrades, and he snapped his trigger twice before a bullet came smashing through his helmet and blowing his brain apart. One of the shots whizzed past the assassin harmlessly by a fraction of an inch, but the following one struck his left shoulder head on. The assault rifle bullet punched through his kevlar before tearing into his deltoid.

Rolo cried out instinctively as dark crimson fluid trickled from his left shoulder. Agony rippled through his every nerve. However, he had no time to look at his wound as he had to duck once more to protect himself from the explosion of his last grenade. His breathing was starting to grow heavier and he grimaced. The pain from his torn shoulder was excruciating, and it was a struggle to not let it overwhelm him. He quickly took multiple gulps of air and prepared himself to re-engage.

Rolo rolled sideways from behind the Knightmare, his left deltoid screaming as he raised his rifle. His adversaries were nearly out of the passageway, and expecting him this time. He held down the trigger, delivering a stream of rounds at them. Four more Sword of Akasha troopers went down with bullets to their midsections, but their comrades behind them were quick to retaliate. As Rolo's rifle clicked empty, they returned fire at their former ally, half a dozen guns blazing at the source of their frustration. While Rolo was nimble, the fatigue and pain slowed him down slightly. A trio of bullets hit him - one grazed past his sides, the kevlar providing sufficient protection from that one. The second one score a direct hit on his left elbow, shattering the joint, and the last one shredded the wrist of the same arm.

The wounded spy staggered backwards before falling on his behind, being thrown off balance by the calamitous damage to his left arm. The unbelievable agony evoked a pained outcry from him. He knew that counting on his left arm for the remainder of this skirmish was out of the question, and that meant he could not utilize his rifle any longer. The firearm had run out of ammunition, and it would take too long for him to insert a fresh magazine into the weapon with one functioning arm. Even if it magically reloaded by itself, operating an assault rifle with one arm was impossible for him.

"I got him! He got hit somewhere!" Rolo could make out the words coming from one of his enemies despite his severely impaired hearing. He clenched his jaw. They would be upon him within seconds. He had to keep going as long as he could and use the element of surprise whenever available. His right hand drew a loaded handgun and he picked himself up from the floor for the second time in less than a minute, nearly stumbling in the process.

Rolo found himself face to face with two rows of his former allies about to enter the hangar mid-sprint. He tightened the grip of his pistol, knowing that he would have the luck of the devil if he lasted twenty more seconds. His years of repressed emotions came boiling to the surface and he screamed incoherently, slamming the trigger of the firearm as fast as he could. Despite the agony and his near-berserk state, his shots were still fairly accurate. Three of the terrorists leading the ranks slumped backwards as his bullets found their way to their chests and foreheads, colliding with their friendlies behind them. They swore loudly and shoved the cadavers away from them hastily, not wanting to risk having their view obstructed before being another victim of Rolo's marksmanship.

It turned out that they did not need to be overly concerned about Rolo's skill with the gun - for the pistol could only hold eight rounds of ammunition. The assassin in question dropped the sidearm before whipping out his second and last pistol and firing as fast as he could. As soon as that clicked empty too, Rolo tossed the weapon at the terrorists, and it ricocheted off their kevlar harmlessly. It would have been almost amusing for them, but he had not thrown in the towel yet. Rolo unsheathed his last weapon - his combat knife and leapt at the encroaching terrorists with a snarl. He crashed into a Sword of Akasha soldier and pinned the unfortunate man to the floor using his legs and bodyweight. In a smooth movement, he slashed at the gullet of his victim, the sharpened dagger parting flesh like it was mere butter. He raised his head and lunged towards a second target, the dagger slicing through his armour and sinking in deep in his midsection. The second trooper fell with a scream, and Rolo quickly followed with several more stabs to his chest and lungs. It was only after he finished slaying him that he realized that he had just jumped right into the middle of more than a dozen gun-wielding foes.

Rolo managed to look up to wind up staring into an array of gun barrels before his entire world went white. The terrorists fired wave after wave of bullets at the youth, peppering his torso and thighs with bullets. His dagger dropped from his limp fingers and clattered against the metallic floor before he fell with a thump. "Agent Haliburton is down!" The terrorists glared at the source of their frustration and the one who betrayed them. "They're getting away! Let's go!" The remaining dozen or so soldiers hurried away. If they were not rushing to try to prevent Lelouch and Shirley from escaping, Rolo knew that they would make his last moments of life a lot more excruciating and prolonged.

The assassin exhaled. It was beginning to get extremely cold for him. He gazed at the ceiling with a glassy-eyed stare. Blood pooled around his body, but strangely he did not feel the pain anymore. Another unfamiliar emotion was ballooning within him. He did not mind. It was not an unpleasant one. Was it satisfaction? Fulfilment? Rolo sighed again. He tried to shift his neck around so that he could see what was happening behind him. He glimpsed a Knightmare which was starting to move. It was his, the Vincent. That meant he had achieved his objective. Lelouch and Shirley had made it into his Knightmare.

Rolo smiled. His first voluntary assignment as a human being with independent thought and action was an undeniable success. He was on cloud nine. A recognizable object on his right, in the corner of his eye, caught his attention, and he slowly adjusted his gradually deteriorating sight towards it. It was his cell phone. Perhaps it flew out of his pocket the moment he was shot multiple times. He extended his right arm - which was miraculously unharmed, towards the object. His fist closed around it, and he brought it to his chest. Now that it was closer to him, he saw the white heart-shaped locket attached to it. His smile grew wider, but now it was tinged with sadness as well. He thumbed the locket, which was his first ever birthday gift, given to him by Shirley.

A multitude of memories flashed through the mind of the expiring youth. His childhood at the orphanage. His short but abuse-filled months as an adopted child. Years of training and honing his skills under Schneizel. However, the ones that stood out to him the most was a constantly beaming orange-haired teenage girl who simply wanted to make him feel at home. Another recollection replayed itself in his mind. "When you love someone, that has incredible power. You think about them all day long. You write poetry that rhymes, you feel that you can fly, and you would jump off a waterfall screaming his name. What you would do for that person may seem silly, but that doesn't matter because you want to do it for him." There was a pause. "How about you, Rolo? Haven't you ever felt something like that before?"

"I guess I can say that I have felt something like that before now," Rolo's voice was weak but solemn as he spoke. His vision was turning dark, and he could not feel anything in any of his body any longer. The only thing he could see now was a firmly imprinted image of his first and only friend in his mind. "Thank you, Shirley."

After one last sigh, Rolo departed the world of the living with a contented smile.

"Everything seems to be operational," Lelouch muttered, eyeing the user interface of the Knightmare with a mix of apprehension and hope. "Systems all green." He clutched the controls and tested moving the vehicle. His anxiety vanished, and a smile was brought to his face. "The Vincent is ready to go. This model may be a little old, but it will have to do."

"We need to get Rolo!" Shirley insisted. She was lying on Lelouch's lap face up, with her hands gripping her left thigh according to his directions. They had to The cockpits of most Knightmares were built to only hold its pilot, and the Vincent was no exception. This resulted in rather cramped conditions for the couple. "He's fighting for us!"

Lelouch grimaced. He doubted that the spy was still alive after the few but long minutes they had to take to reach the Vincent. Nonetheless, there was no harm checking on him. "I'm on it." The royal replied curtly, steering the Knightmare with mild difficulty. The mecha turned around and took three large strides before coming to a standstill.

"What's wrong, Lulu?" Shirley asked his fiance. He did not reply. He was staring at something on the screen. There was a hint of steely anger in his amethyst orbs, and his mouth was drawn into a thin line. She followed his gaze and her peridot green eyes widened. There was a legion of bodies splayed near the entrance of the hangar. However, only one was them was not clad with black armour from head to toe, and they recognized him immediately. Rolo Haliburton lay motionless in a spreading puddle of his own life fluids. "No..." She whispered, aghast.

Lelouch eyed the Rolo's lifeless body. He was not sure about how he was supposed to feel about his passing. On one hand, Lelouch did not expect him to survive, and Rolo had caused much damage and harm to them through his actions, manipulated by Schneizel or not. On the other, his desire to turn over a new leaf and aid them in their escape was nothing less but genuine, as his death had proved his intentions to be so. A series of movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention and jolted him out of his musings. The surviving Sword of Akasha soldiers successfully entered the hangar. A few were scrambling to enter their Knightmares, and the rest who did not possess one was firing futilely at the Vincent, their rounds only managing to either ricochet off the plated armour or scratch its paint.

The eleventh prince glowered at the terrorists. His face hardened into an expression of abhorrence. Regardless of his thoughts on Rolo's demise, his killers were people who willingly joined an organization which tortured and killed people in the name of blood purity. Individuals who wholeheartedly held such fanatical beliefs and are willing to spill the blood of innocents because of it. They were the cause of the murders of Crown Prince Odysseus, Joseph Fenette and his mother, Empress Marianne. They killed Rolo and now are trying to do the same to not only him, but Shirley too. The Vincent unsheathed its twin Maser Vibration Swords, and within milliseconds they were glowing bright red. Without further hesitation, the gold and black Knightmare launched itself at the hapless troopers.

"Bravo Niner to Infinity! The targets have successfully boarded the Vincent! They're destroying the Knightmares in the hangar! We can't do anything to-" The frantic voice of Bravo's squad leader was cut off mid-speech.

The silence in the command centre was heavy. All of the operators stared at Schneizel blankly. At this moment, the Prime Minister was beyond the point of rage. Now that Lelouch and Shirley managed to obtain Rolo's Knightmare, no amount of shouting, berating and belittling his inept underlings would do anything. There was only one way to prevent them from eluding his grasp, although he hated being forced to use it. He picked up his transmitter. "Infinity to India and Juliet, comms check, over."

"India Niner, I hear you loud and clear, over."

"Juliet Niner, I hear you loud and clear, over."

"India and Juliet, hostiles succeeded in entering and operating the Vincent. Return to the base immediately and eliminate them by any means necessary. Do you copy?"

The two Knightmare squad leaders replied in the affirmative. Schneizel ended his transmission, his brows knitting themselves into a troubled and dissatisfied frown. He knew that Lelouch was far from an exemplary Knightmare pilot - much like himself. A dozen Knightmares was more than a match for him, However, he could not shake off his sense of unease. He turned his head slightly and gestured at Kanon, who was standing a few feet away from him. The noble hastened over to his side, and Schneizel began to whisper a set of instructions. A good tactician always had a backup plan, unsavoury or not.

The Vincent eviscerated the last Knightmare in the hangar with its twin blades. The surviving Sword of Akasha members retreated swiftly into the passageway. No mere infantry could stand up to a mecha unless he wanted to forfeit his life. Lelouch did not pursue. Instead, he seized a hacked-off leg of a torn-apart Knightmare and placed it at the doorway of the hangar to obstruct it. He glanced at the gates of the hangar. It was firmly shut, as he had expected. Swords still raised, the Vincent turned around and marched towards the gates.

"Wait!" Shirley blurted out suddenly. Lelouch shot her a quizzical look. "We can't leave Rolo behind!"

"He's dead, Shirley," Lelouch replied curtly. The Vincent continued its path towards the exit without slowing down.

"We wouldn't know that! He might still live if we get him to a medic in time-"

"Listen!" Lelouch hissed angrily. His fiance abruptly fell silent. He instantly felt a pang of guilt at her stricken face. It was exceedingly rare for him to speak to her belligerently, but they could not afford any more delays. "Even if he somehow survived getting shot multiple times, he would have bled to death in a matter of seconds. There isn't anyone who can help him in here now. There's nothing we can do for him! He died for us, so let us honour his sacrifice by getting out of here alive. Do you understand?"

"...I-I know," Shirley said quietly, her voice trembling from a mix of shock and grief. "Sorry, Lulu. I just... why did we have to lose someone again...?"

"He will be the last. I'll make sure of it," Lelouch vowed. The Vincent halted in its tracks. The radio transmitter they had looted from one of the dead guards was still in the cockpit - and judging by the new set of instructions Schneizel sent out, there were already enemies waiting for them beyond the gate. The Prime Minister's words were quickly confirmed by the sudden appearances of a dozen Gareths on the Vincent's radar. All of them were marked as friendlies due to their IFFs and they were closing in. His fingers dashed over the controls as quickly as they could, trying his best to ignore the stabbing pangs of pain from his wounded left hand. A digital map appeared on the screen, and he began charting a route to Pendragon within seconds.

The Vincent drew its arms back before thrusting its swords forward, impaling the reinforced steel doors blocking its path. The Knightmare proceeded to hack off a huge portion of the obstruction. A chunk of steel fell out, forming a sizeable exit and Lelouch accelerated out of the hangar at maximum speed. The landspinners roared into life for a brief duration of six seconds before they folded back into the legs as the float system was activated. The black-and-gold mecha went airborne, soaring into the mid-afternoon sky before making a beeline towards Pendragon.

Unfortunately for the eleventh prince, his smooth flight barely lasted for a moment before the warning sirens started wailing about being locked on. Lelouch reacted by jerking the controls to the left. A dark red blast of energy, which would have turned their craft into a flaming wreck, missed them by a few feet. Lelouch did not even bother to turn around to see the source of the attack. He knew that the second prince's Gareths were right behind him, and that fighting them would be a death wish. Their foes, much like before, had superior numbers, better range and piloting ability to boot. He kept his amethyst orbs firmly fixed on the screen as he wrenched at the controls again. The Vincent took a dip and changed its course to the forest below, employing as many evasive manoeuvres its pilot knew. The Knightmare looked like it was half dancing while it zipped towards the trees below for cover of the trees.

The enemies gave pursuit, firing salvo after salvo of missiles and cannon blasts at their sole target. Some of their attacks came close to striking the Vincent, but none of them managed to score a direct hit. Lelouch did not know whether it was due to an unforeseen improvement in his piloting skills or sheer dumb luck. Either way, he did not care and was grateful for that. The Vincent dropped towards the ground, maintaining a distance as close to the forest floor as possible. The metallic feet of the mecha hovered a few inches from the soil while it zig-zagged around the trees. His teeth were clenched tightly - the confined room of the cockpit plus Shirley laying on his lap proved to be a difficulty when it came to piloting the Knightmare effectively. Said redhead was deathly silent, with her lips pressed tightly together and her green eyes as wide as saucers. She had never been on a Knightmare before. She was beginning to feel fainter by the second, and she wondered whether it was because of the high-speed movements of the vehicle.

A missile streaked past the Vincent by mere inches and struck a tree to its right before detonating into a fireball. Another hit the ground right in front of it and exploded. The couple winced and Lelouch furrowed his brows. The explosion temporarily obscured his vision for a few nanoseconds, but the Vincent was travelling at such a high speed that it was sufficient enough to be impactful. As the smoke cleared, a huge tree suddenly materialized in front of the Knightmare. He tried to guide the vehicle to the right, but it was too late to steer clear of it. The Vincent's right side smashed against the tree trunk, sending the multi-ton craft crashing to the ground on its left side.

A string of expletives escaped from the eleventh prince's mouth. Shirley emitted a small squeak, her face turning pale. The warning sirens came shrieking again, notifying the couple that their craft was being locked on. "Lulu!" Shirley needlessly blurted out in spite of her mounting vertigo. Lelouch managed to upright the Vincent and pushed the accelerator to its maximum, evading a Hadron cannon blast which would have been fatal if they were a fraction of a second too slow.

"All units, regroup! Cut off their path! Surround them!" A gruff voice barked from the radio transmitter. A chorus of replies in the affirmative was heard, and Lelouch scowled. He temporarily took his eyes off the screen to catch a glimpse of the radar. It did not bode well for them - the dozen Gareths were no longer chasing after them like lunatics. Instead, they took advantage of the short but significant pause in his flight to start forming a circular formation around his area. Lelouch's expression turned grim. Now that half of them had already passed him and the Vincent had not reached its maximum speed, outflying them was doubtful. Breaking out of the formation outnumbered twelve to one while only possessing short-range weaponry and carrying an additional passenger in the cockpit was well beyond his capabilities. That would be the stuff of legend even among the Knights of the Round Table.

Undeterred by his increasingly grave situation, Lelouch refused to give up just yet. He felt Shirley's bright green orbs on him, and he allowed himself to shift his gaze to meet hers. Their eyes met, and he nodded. He could already understand what she wanted to express without exchanging a single word. She still had faith in him. And he would not disappoint her. They had surmounted perilous trials one after another, and this one might be their last challenge for a long time if they survive. "We didn't make it this far, through all that nonsense, just to die here and now." Lelouch mentally growled. His fingers went flying again, setting the Vincent's communication channels to a different frequency. This one was not used by any military personnel as far as he knew, which meant it was unlikely to be jammed by Schneizel.

"Shirley, there's no time to explain," Lelouch began. His words were delivered in rapid-fire quickness and with gravity. Shirley blinked and cocked her head slightly to one side, staring at her fiance attentively. His expression was steely and he was not looking at her - his purple eyes were fixed on the screen, scrutinizing their last obstacles to their freedom. "I'm going to open a duplex communication channel. When I say 'start', begin speaking. Mention who we are, that we're under attack and we need help ASAP. Repeat that until you hear a reply.." He waited for her to nod before he jabbed at one of the buttons along the top of the controls. "Start!" Lelouch immediately resumed piloting the Knightmare as their enemies commenced their salvo of cannon fire and missiles at them.

Shirley took a deep breath and tried to think of what to say. Her vertigo worsened, which only made it arduous for her. The redhead glanced at Lelouch, who was wearing a countenance of utmost focus and concentration while the Vincent weaved around projectiles and blasts. She had done nothing during their escape attempt, and this was her chance to change that. She shook her head to clear her mind and started to speak. "This is Shirley Fenette. Can anyone hear me? I'm with Lelouch vi Britannia, the eleventh prince of the Empire! We're under attack by the Sword of Akasha and we need reinforcements as soon as possible!"

There was no response even after ten solid seconds. Shirley felt downcast, but she remembered that Lelouch told her to repeat her distress message continuously. There was another nearby explosion, and the Knightmare shuddered violently but did not slow down. She closed her eyes and raised her voice, almost yelling. "This is Shirley Fenette and Lelouch vi Britannia! We're under attack by the Sword of Akasha and we need reinforcements as soon as possible!"

A torrent of reddish purple beams rained down at the Vincent. Lelouch yanked at the levers in an attempt to dodge the coordinated attack by their enemies. He was successful in his attempts in doing so - that is until the last two shots struck the feet of the black-and-gold mecha. The dark-haired prince winced while sirens wailed, indicating that both of the Vincent's feet were blown off. This meant that their land propulsion system would definitely not be operable for the rest of the skirmish. He ignored the screaming red signs on the screen. It was inconsequential as long as they remained airborne - their landing without the landspinners would be rough, but that was trivial. He just had to ensure their flight capabilities would not be crippled as well.

"This is Shirley Fenette and Lelouch vi Britannia! We need help! We're under attack!" Shirley half screamed. The ominous forms of the Sword of Akasha's Gareths appeared to be drawing closer towards him, their arm-mounted cannons following his every movement. He frowned. At the start of their pursuit, they were blasting away at him with zero coordination and teamwork. However, their latest assault was more calculated and synchronized. Have they decided to wait for all twelve of their targeting systems to lock on before unleashing their attacks?

Lelouch groaned. He had hoped that his adversaries would be the typical Sword of Akasha terrorist. Poorly organized and unintelligent glory seekers. If he remained using the same movements and tactics, it was almost guaranteed that their following volley would hit them again. He glanced at the Gareths again. It would not take long for them to lock on to him once more. His bloodied hands tugged at the joysticks, sending his craft ascending towards the heavens instead of trying to find more cover under the foliage. Such a move took the pilots of the Gareths aback, stunning them for a split second. The Vincent abruptly ceased ascending and charged towards the direction of Pendragon again.

In their surprise and panic that the Vincent might have a chance to break out of the encirclement, most of the Gareths began firing swiftly without aiming carefully. A deluge of swear words was heard from the Sword of Akasha's communication channel, some of the blasts nearly committed fratricide due to the enclosed circular formation. Lelouch was disappointed that there was not even a single friendly fire incident, but let it slide. If a few of them were taken out, he might have tried to make a break for it. Unfortunately, the situation became too dire for him to try such a risky manoeuvre, and hence, the Vincent descended towards the forest again.

The sirens started shrieking madly again, with the bold red words "Locked On" flashing on the Vincent's screen. It was Lelouch's turn to curse aloud and he tried to weave in between the trees to evade the incoming onslaught of hadron cannon fire and missiles. The woods around them burst into hungry flames as they came under another heavy blitz. "This is Shirley Fenette and Lelouch vi Britannia! We need-" Shirley was cut-off mid-speech. Their fortune finally ran out - a missile flew straight at their back and struck their Float System. There was a screeching sound of shredding metal and the Vincent lurched forward from the initial detonation before spiralling downwards out of control, a plume of heavy smoke coming from their back. The mecha hit the forest floor with an almighty crash and skidded for a good distance before it slammed into a blackened tree trunk.

Lelouch seized the controls and jostled them wildly to get the Vincent up into the air to no avail. "Damn it!" In a final desperate move, he pulled the switch meant for the cockpit ejection system. Nothing happened. His frown deepened and he pulled it again, with the same results. The missile which destroyed the Float System had rendered the ejection system malfunctioning as well. "You stupid piece of junk!" He snarled at the screen, which was now filled with warnings and danger reports. He brought his uninjured fist against it repeatedly, expletives spilling from his mouth. The reinforced glass cracked from his relentless pummelling, and his right hand started to bleed. A series of menacing whirs caught his attention, and he looked up to see the twelve Gareths descending towards him in unison. His shoulders slumped in defeat. Even after Rolo's noble sacrifice and managing to obtain a Knightmare for their escape, they still could not succeed.

"This is Shirley Fenette. I'm with Lelouch vi Britannia, the eleventh prince of Britannia. We're under attack by the Sword of Akasha and we need reinforcements as soon as possible," Shirley whispered faintly.

"Juliet Niner to Infinity. The Vincent has been disabled and is incapable of any sort of movement. Permission to commence termination?" A male voice asked on the Sword of Akasha's channel.

"You heard my orders from earlier, Juliet Niner. Proceed." Schneizel's distorted voice replied with a hint of relief and irritation.

"Roger tha- Wait. Enemies detected on the radar! It's fas-" The transmission was terminated before the speaker could complete his sentence. A light green energy blast had ripped through the cockpit of one of the Gareths, turning it into exploding scrap in front of Lelouch and Shirley's scarcely believing eyes.

The remaining eleven Gareth pilots swivelled around in consternation to see a white-and-gold Knightmare charging towards them. "It's the Lancelot!" One pilot shouted before said Knightmare fired a series of accurate shots from its VARIS rifle, blowing apart three of the terrorists' mecha before closing into melee distance. The Lancelot let its rifle fall to the ground before unsheathing its Maser Vibration Swords and utilizing its superior speed and manoeuvrability to engage the Gareths in closed ranged combat.

Two more of the dark-coloured Knightmares joined their vanquished comrades in death as the Lancelot's glowing red blades bisected them with ease. In less than five seconds, half of the Gareths were eliminated and the Knightmare responsible for it was not damaged in the least. The remaining six of them followed their self-preservation instincts and darted backwards, forgetting about the crashed Vincent within their firing range. They regrouped before spreading out into three pairs, each at different altitudes. However, their new strategy fell apart seconds later - their radar detected more incoming Knightmare Frames - a mix of Gareths and Vincent Wards with IFFs identifying them as troops belonging to the Second Princess of Britannia.

"Just who gave you the permission to engage the enemies on your own, Kururugi?" A grumpy male voice belonging to a senior Knight chastised the honorary Britannian.

"Silence, Sir Albert," Euphemia ordered. Her Vincent Commander Model floated to a stop beside the Lancelot. Both Cornelia and Suzaku had objected to her deploying in the field, but she stubbornly refused to listen. She wanted nothing less than being on the ground during her older half-brother's rescue and turned a deaf ear to her older sister's disapproval. Her troops had arrived before her, and they already surrounded the Gareths. The imperial forces outnumbered them twenty to one. "Our objective here is to rescue Prince Lelouch. Eliminate all those who pose a threat to him."

"Yes, Your Highness!" A resounding chorus of agreement echoed before the six score strong of Knightmares moved to engage them, with the Lancelot in the lead.

"Juliet Niner to Infinity! We've been ambushed! Please advise! We need backup immediately! I repeat, we need backup at once!" The Knightmare squad leader shouted. His eyes bulged with fear as the Lancelot suddenly appeared in front of him with raised swords. His fingers were scant inches away from the lever to activate the ejection system when the Lancelot sliced the mecha in twain. The entire confrontation took less than half a minute, and the terrorists were slaughtered mercilessly. Not a single of them managed to escape the fate that had befallen their comrades.

"Shirley... we made it. We're safe," Lelouch whispered. He was staring at the Lancelot with awe. He could not believe that they pulled off their escape. His last plan depended on whether their rescuers were carrying a spectrum analyzer to detect any transmissions of a given frequency range, and a directional antenna to pinpoint the direction they were in. If they had, the unusual frequency Shirley was broadcasting on might catch their attention, and they would tune the frequencies of their radios to match it in order to hear her message. Lastly, the directional antenna could point their allies in the direction of the transmission. He was not sure whether they would carry both items, but there was truly no other option.

"Yes. We made it," Shirley said softly. She reached out to take hold of Lelouch's hand weakly. "Thank you, Lulu... thank you."

Lelouch turned to face his fiancee with a radiant smile that was more commonly seen on the latter's face, just in time to see her eyelids fluttering and closing. "I still can't believe it." He murmured, overjoyed. "Let's go home, Shirley." He waited for her to reply, but she did not reply for a long time. "Shirley?" He asked. His frown returned, and he noticed her grip on his hand was nonexistent.

Dread seized hold of his heart, and Lelouch instantly reached out to feel for her pulse on her wrist. He went white - almost as pale as her when he discovered that her pulse was extremely weak. Her skin was cool and clammy to the touch. He went on to check her breathing and found that it was rapid and shallow.

"Oh no..." He recalled that she had a ruptured artery. They had administered emergency first aid, but it was unlikely to be satisfactory due to the lack of time. She did put pressure on the area throughout the flight, but he doubted that she possessed sufficient strength after being tortured. Now that his adrenaline and euphoria of being rescued had faded away, he grew aware of a wet sensation on his thighs. Using whatever remaining strength available to him, he cautiously turned her to the side. Her bandages were thoroughly soaked with bright red blood, and was dripping onto his legs for the duration of the scuffle with the Gareths. She had lost an incredible amount of blood and was in immediate danger of exsanguination.

Fear took control of the lanky prince, and he punched a button to open the Knightmare cockpit. The doors swung out, almost colliding with a wide-eyed Suzaku Kururugi in his white body-fitting pilot suit. His best friend of a decade broke into an enormous smile upon seeing the royal and Shirley. "Lelouch! We've finally found you! I've been so worri-"

"Get the medic!" Lelouch screamed at Suzaku, staggering clumsily towards the honorary Britannian while carrying Shirley in his arms. The girl proved to be too heavy for the exhausted and unfit prince, and the couple tumbled down to the forest floor. Even so, Lelouch was careful not to let her hit the ground - cradling her even during the fall.

"What?" Suzaku blinked, gaping at Lelouch in astonishment.

"Shirley's wounded! She lost a lot of blood! Get the medic!"

The Japanese teenager did not need his friend to repeat another time. He immediately pivoted on his heel and started yelling at the top of his lungs into his radio transmitter. "We need a medic here! It's an emergency! There's a casualty and she needs treatment right now! Medic!" He turned back around to see Shirley reopen her eyes while Lelouch resumed putting pressure on her injured thigh.

"Lulu," Shirley mumbled. Her voice was exceedingly frail and hardly audible. Only her fiance, who was at her side, managed to hear her speak.

"Shirley! Hang in there! The medic's on his way!"

Shirley slowly raised her right hand. "Lulu? Are you there? It's getting... so blurry..."

"I'm here! I won't leave your side!" Lelouch grabbed hold of her hand with his mauled left one, ignoring the stabs of pain from using it. "You're fine. You're going to be fine."

"Thank you, Lulu." Shirley smiled weakly. "But I'm not sure whether I'm going to make it..."

"You will!" Lelouch tightened his grip on her hand. He would accept nothing less than her survival. "I'll make sure of that!"

Shirley shuddered. Her fingers tried to squeeze Lelouch's hand, but she found that she no longer had the strength to perform such a simple movement. "I'm sorry. Promise me that you'll be happy, Lulu."

Lelouch stared at Shirley incredulously. How could she expect him to be happy if she really passed away? The mere thought of her no longer being among the living already brought tears into his eyes. He would not allow her to die just after they got away from Schneizel's grasp.

"Promise me," Shirley whispered again. A tear fell from Lelouch's eyes and landed on her cheek.

"... I promise." Lelouch croaked hoarsely. He paused for a long moment. "Only if you live."

If the redhead was in the condition to chuckle, she would have. "You're impossible, Lulu."

"I know. But you vowed to always stay with me, did you not?" Lelouch reminded her. "So… how could you… don't you die on me right now!" He swallowed heavily. "Please don't die! I order you to live!"

"I'm... sorry." Shirley sighed resignedly. She did not want to perish. They were going to be married, her mother was trying to reconcile with her and the Sword of Akasha was truly defeated now. It would be a fresh start, and she could not ask for anything more. She would give anything to continue living. However, she could feel whatever little strength and vision she had left leaving her. She would be at death's door soon. Shirley focused on attempting to squeeze the prince's hand again. The digits of her hand only managed to grip his hand weakly. "I love you, Lulu." As those words left her mouth, her hand went limp in Lelouch's and everything went black for her.

"No! You can't! Shirley!" Lelouch lost all semblance of self-control and seized Shirley by her shoulders. He started shaking her vigorously, trying to get her to be conscious again, but to no avail. His bloodied knuckles were white from his intense grip and his body shook uncontrollably from sobbing. The eleventh prince of the Holy Britannian Empire raised his head and howled his resentment and anguish at the skies. He was still screaming when the paramedics arrived at the scene seconds later.

-Twenty three weeks later-

Autumn had passed long ago, and the freezing winter had just ended a few weeks ago. The snow that had coated Pendragon had melted away, and the height of spring was fast approaching. The blossoming flowers and milder temperatures were welcome among all of its citizens, but even the blooming beauty of spring did not make them forget what happened almost half a year ago at a royal's place of residence.

Nearly six months have passed since the siege of the Aries Villa and the defendants' shocking defeat. The entire Britannian royalty and nobility were even more astounded that its resident, Eleventh Prince Lelouch Vi Britannia, succeeded in escaping from his captors, the Sword of Akasha, who had instigated the attack on the villa. Said terrorist organization was officially declared to be completely eradicated by the Emperor a month afterwards. Many aristocrats clamoured to hear the story, but the young prince was tight-lipped about it. The other royals, who were thought to be involved in Lelouch's rescue, such as Euphemia li Britannia, were silent about it as well, requested the nobility and the general populace not to bother him until he himself was willing to divulge about his tale.

Another topic which rumours were rife about was the disappearance of the Empire's charismatic prime minister, Second Prince Schneizel el Britannia and his aide, Earl Kanon Maldini. The pair seemed to have vanished into thin air following the fall of the Aries Villa. The Emperor had issued a warrant for their arrest for questioning but never disclosed that he was Infinity to the other royals and nobles. That had led many a noble to speculate his involvement in the battle. Some claimed that he was a supporter of Lelouch, and thus had been abducted or assassinated by a separate terrorist force during the villa's siege since his renown as a battle strategist had placed him high on the hit list of many enemies of the empire. Others suggested that he was the mastermind behind the Sword of Akasha, which led to much debate where naysayers pointed out that their ideology was a terrible mismatch with the brilliant blond. Either way, the vanishment of Britannia's Prime Minister was a pressing issue which called for an immediate solution.

Unfortunately for the Holy Britannian Empire, the recent infighting among the upper echelons resulted in the deaths of several prominent royals. Crown Prince Odysseus, First Princess Guinevere de Britannia and Fifth Princess Carine ne Britannia were killed as a result from the conflict, although the princesses would not be missed as it was revealed that they were conspiring with the Sword of Akasha against the Emperor. Among the aristocracy, they only felt that the two of the royal family could take over the mantle of Prime Minister.

The first option was Second Princess Cornelia li Britannia, the chief general of the Imperial Army. An accomplished woman who had secured many victories for the Empire, she established a reputation for herself as the "Goddess of Victory". However, as impressive as her battlefield records had seemed, she never took up the role of a Viceroy for an extended period of time and hence lacked experience in governing a colony, let alone the entire empire. The second option was Clovis la Britannia, who was more or less the complete opposite of Cornelia. He ruled Area Eleven, one of the Empire's most treasured colonies, for several years, but had never taken part in a major battle before. Moreover, whispers about him being an ineffective ruler who needlessly wasted money on a lifestyle for extravagance has made both the aristocracy and the public wary of him becoming the new Prime Minister. Lelouch himself had been away from Britannia for too long. That combined with his young age and inexperience in ruling made him not an ideal candidate in the eyes of the nobles.

The Emperor was well aware of the concerns of the nobles and, after weighing his options, had decided to appoint Cornelia li Britannia as the Deputy Prime Minister - a role which was nearly unheard throughout Britannia's history. However, the princess was still in Area Eleven with her men, as she had agreed with Lelouch to guard his younger sister, Nunnally, until the Sword of Akasha was defeated. The terrorist organization might have collapsed, but after the siege of Aries Villa, Lelouch's paranoia grew so great that he insisted that Nunnally was to stay in Area Eleven until he was "personally sure not a single organism sympathetic to their cause exists." This led to the Emperor, Cornelia and Lelouch becoming embroiled in a dispute.

Finally, after a few days of debate and persuasion from Cornelia, the Emperor grudgingly assigned the role of Deputy Prime Minister to Euphemia li Britannia, Cornelia's younger sister. The second princess saw it as an incredible opportunity for her younger sister to be acquainted with politics and the Britannian people. It was a decision that shocked even Euphemia herself, let alone the nobles. However, it was clear that her role was only temporary - upon Cornelia's return, she would hand over the position to her older sister and would become her aide instead. Moreover, her powers were relatively much more limited and she was often surrounded by a contingent of advisors. Some were personally chosen by the Emperor, while the rest were acquaintances of Euphemia as they belonged in Cornelia's inner circle - a handful of them were recalled to Pendragon from the European war front. The conquest of Europe was halted due to the unrest within Britannia, hence their absence would not be missed. Therefore, Euphemia spent much of her time engulfed in a mountain of paperwork and meetings, much to her lament.

The only thing Euphemia could find solace in about after taking on such a huge responsibility was that she had to choose her own knight. Cornelia had sent her a full list of young but promising knights whom she had handpicked among her army. Euphemia disregarded it and appointed Suzaku as her own knight instead, much to her older sister's disgruntlement. The pink-haired princess did not see anything wrong in her decision. She felt that Suzaku could be trusted - not only was he Lelouch's best friend, they had worked together on multiple occasions as well. Besides, she could tell that he was a kind and virtuous man.

Not everyone agreed with Euphemia's choice of her personal knight. There were a significant number of nobles who were vocal about their discontentment since Suzaku was an Honorary Britannian. They were ruffled by the fact that he was chosen over a dozen other candidates, all of whom were young and full-blooded Britannians. To make matters worse, by appointing Suzaku as her knight, it meant that he had to be knighted - and hence becoming the first ever Honorary Britannian to receive such an honour by a member of the Britannian royalty. Predictably, the knighting ceremony was only attended by a few outside his circle of friends and acquaintances.

However, Earl Lloyd Asplund was openly supportive of Suzaku, and soon the budding Knightmare pilot's acts came into the limelight, especially his feats against the Sword of Akasha and his friendship with the eleventh prince. Since a sizeable portion of the more conservative nobles was arrested for being associated with the Sword of Akasha after Carine's confession, the hubbub died down to a simmer over a few days due to fear of being marked by the Emperor as renegades or potential threats. Nonetheless, Euphemia hoped, somewhat naively, that they would grow to accept him over time.

It took a few weeks before the commotion about the Sword of Akasha's destruction, Lelouch's escape and Euphemia's unexpected posting finally faded away. Things eventually returned to a relatively peaceful state for Britannia's aristocracy. However, the same cannot be said for Lelouch. Even before he fully recuperated from his injuries, he decided to devote his time and attention to locating Schneizel. After his confrontation with the ex-Prime Minister, he concluded that Schneizel was never a follower of the Sword of Akasha's ideology. He merely manipulated them to do his bidding, and the organisation itself did not engineer the Damocles. The flying fortress was most likely a machination by Schneizel. This could only mean that he was influencing their actions since years ago, and his mother's murder was one such event. There were too many coincidences. Marianne was holding onto key before shortly her death, after all.

Lelouch could not help but wonder what the Prime Minister had witnessed or underwent for him to start taking the darker path of constructing the Damocles. He supposed that Schneizel's inner thoughts would forever be an enigma to him, as the Sword of Akasha base self-destructed minutes after he was rescued by Euphemia's soldiers. The only way Lelouch would be able to comprehend Schneizel was for them to have an encounter once more. Knowing the Second Prince's talent, the dark-haired royal had a sneaking suspicion that he was well and alive, and he wondered if they would meet again in the future.

Lelouch studied the screen of his personal laptop carefully for a few seconds before making an irritated face at it. His fingers flew across the keyboard, typing in another set of words in a search engine before slamming on the 'enter' button. He absent-mindedly reached towards his chest to undo the top button of his white collared shirt. His eyes scanned the results of the search engine, and he let out a frustrated sigh.

This was the prince's ritual ever since twenty-two weeks ago. Every morning, he would wake before dawn, prepare a large number of caffeinated drinks and head into his study. He would then start up his laptop and spend hours on it scouring news websites and forums for articles concerning Cambodia and its surrounding areas. As the Toromo Agency was located in Cambodia, it was only logical for him to do so when looking for clues on Schneizel's whereabouts. He was getting desperate for any sort of lead - any suspicious characters or mysterious activities occurring would be ideal.

Lelouch glanced sideways at a cup beside his computer. It was filled with nothing but coffee residue, but it was accompanied by a kettle containing the unsweetened beverage, which was already three-quarters empty. He was contemplating whether to take another cup of coffee when someone knocked on the door solidly. Lelouch frowned. The royal had made it clear to his servants - both the surviving and new ones, that he did not wish to be disturbed unless he clearly stated otherwise. "Who is it?"

The uninvited individual did not voice a reply. Instead, he responded by simply opening the door and marching boldly inside the room. Lelouch's annoyance turned into anger, and he turned around to glare at the intruder. His glower did not lessen when he laid his eyes on the source of his vexation.

"Even today, you're still working hard searching for Schneizel, Lelouch?" Charles zi Britannia inquired while he took slow but large steps inside the dimly lit room. The Emperor came to a stop a few feet away from him.

"Do you expect me to do otherwise?" Lelouch growled. "He has to answer for his crimes. You of all people have no right to question me over it. He's the one responsible for my mother's death!"

Charles's expression darkened for a nanosecond before it returned to a deadpan mask. It was so brief that Lelouch thought he had imagined it. When Lelouch recovered from his injuries many weeks ago, he told the Emperor about Infinity's true identity. Charles did not express any surprise, anger or disappointment when he learned that Schneizel was the mastermind. He, like Lelouch, had his suspicions but had no evidence to convict the ex-Prime Minister. Nonetheless, he had ordered Britannia's intelligence agency to infiltrate Cambodia and investigate the Toromo Agency.

Lelouch, ever distrustful of the Emperor's agents, predictably did not sit idle - he would rather take matters into his own hands. However, as he was severely lacking in manpower especially after the siege of Aries Villa, he was merely restricted to searching for clues on the internet. After five months of work, neither the Britannian Intelligence Agency nor Lelouch managed to find any trace of Schneizel and the Toromo Agency.

"Schneizel is aware that we know the agency was based in Cambodia. There was never any information about the actual location of the Damocles. It might be in another country in the region. Five months is plenty of time for him to relocate elsewhere." Charles pointed out. "Furthermore, when he was Infinity, we never managed to find any trace of him before. The Sword of Akasha was mostly destroyed when you managed to bait Carine out. Now that he has next to no underlings left, the chances of him acting carelessly would be extremely minimal."

"Are you suggesting that I give up and let him off, Your Majesty?" Lelouch's last spoken words dripped with sarcasm. "The man who manipulated your own brother into killing Empress Marianne?"

"Of course not. I'm saying that you shouldn't be spending every waking moment on something which may very well turn out to be futile. The Intelligence agencies are doing everything they can to hunt him down. Your own efforts are meaningless."

Lelouch sighed. He turned to look towards the direction of the window. The young prince had designed his study so that it was overlooking the gardens of his villa. He permitted himself to spend a few seconds staring at his blossoming garden and the light blue sky. It was tranquil for now, but he could never forget what happened in this place six months ago. "What if Schneizel returns one day with the Damocles? None of the world powers would want to sit idle. Thousands, or even millions, of people, might die in the ensuing war. I cannot simply do nothing while such a threat exists. My conscience will not allow it."

"It matters not. The weak would perish, and the strong would survive and flourish."

The eleventh prince glared at his father again. He opened his mouth, then closed it when a thought struck him. "You're not practising what you preach. Why did you exile Nunnally and I to Japan, then? You said it was to protect us, but doesn't it contradict your ideology of Darwinism?"

Charles stared at Lelouch wordlessly, then his lips curved up into a small smirk. Lelouch was taken aback. During his twenty years of life, he had never seen the Emperor smile at all. "You're right. But as the Emperor, I can do anything I want. Such is the privilege of the strong. I assume you don't have any complaints about that." The ruler of the Holy Britannian Empire turned sideways before adding. "Whether you like it or not, it would do you good if you follow in my footsteps. And…" Charles lowered his voice so that his next few sentences would be whispered. "Your work in bringing down the Sword of Akasha and exposing Schneizel is greatly appreciated. Marianne would be proud. Regardless of whether we find Schneizel or not, he needs time to build up his army from scratch again. Britannia will be well-prepared to deal with him. I will see to that personally." The larger male turned again so that he was facing the exit of the room. He cleared his throat loudly. "Good luck for later." He walked out of the room and closed the door without another word.

"I don't need you to tell me that," Lelouch muttered. In spite of that, the Emperor's words weighed heavily on his mind. Did that mean that Charles was hoping that he would be his successor? He began drumming his fingers against the mahogany carved table in deep thought. An Emperor favouring one of his sons was not unheard of in Britannia's history, but it was not common either. He barely had time to mull over what his father said when he heard the door open and footsteps approaching him again. Lelouch groaned. How many unanticipated companions was he supposed to have today? The heavy footsteps halted. There was a soft but distinct thud and an uncomfortable silence ensued.

"Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald, completely restored to an optimal level of functionality, Your Highness." A deep voice uttered solemnly. Out of the corner of Lelouch's eye, he saw the cyborg kneeling with his head bowed.

"Good to see you back, Margrave Gottwald," Lelouch drawled. He absent-mindedly drew a circle with his finger on the table. "Did you enjoy your holiday?"

Jeremiah did not rise and spoke while kneeling. "Holiday, Your Highness?" He sounded confused. "You know I wouldn't want to be out of order if I had the choice."

Lelouch scowled. "I don't know what's more annoying. You not understanding that I was being sarcastic, the fact that you're referring to yourself as a device, or that you're still kneeling."

"My apologies for vexing you, Your Highness." Jeremiah expeditiously rose and stood upright. He took a step forward and turned so that he was facing his liege, who simply continued looking straight. "And I would like to sincerely apologize again."

"For kneeling for too long?"

"For failing to protect you and Miss Fenette during the siege," The nobleman bowed his head. "I was supposed to be your bodyguard. My defeat has brought you two a great deal of unwarranted suffering at the hands of those perverted terrorists."

"Don't mention it, Margrave Gottwald." The prince's fingers ceased their incessant tapping. His face remained stony. "I did not anticipate them to orchestrate such a well-planned attack after all. Let this bygone remain a bygone."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Jeremiah paused for a moment. He inhaled before muttering his next words aloud. "I must say this. I don't deserve to be your bodyguard. I've let your mother, Empress Marianne, down before. I swore to defend you to my last breath as redemption, but I failed in that as well."

There was another moment of prolonged silence. Lelouch finally turned to look at the cyborg. His non-cybernetic eye was filled with genuine remorse. "You say you don't deserve being my bodyguard, Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald?" He asked quietly. Jeremiah nodded slowly. "You're absolutely correct. You don't."

"You have every right to think so, Your High-."

"However, I ask you this. When Shirley and I became hostages of the Japan Liberation Front during a concert, who liberated us?"

"... I've only helped, Your Highness. There were many others who aided in that operation."

"Stubborn, aren't you? Fine. When Shirley was abducted by Mao, who saved her from being dipped in a pool of corrosive acid when he became a sore loser after I beat him at chess?"

Jeremiah was quiet for some time before he answered uncomfortably. "That would be me, Your Highness."

"When I carried out the plan to ensnare a high-ranking member of the Sword of Akasha, who was the one that took care of the assassination team and pressured their leader to disclose the name of one responsible?" Lelouch waited patiently for Jeremiah to answer.

"It was me as well, Your Highness."

"There you go. Don't you get it, Margrave Gottwald? You don't deserve to be my bodyguard because such a position is beneath you," Lelouch pointed out. Jeremiah's human eye blinked in surprise. "You've proven that you're more than just a guard. You were integral to some of my plans. Shirley and I might have died long ago without your assistance. You were my partner, and you were indispensable."

Jeremiah stood mutely for a full minute, goggling at Lelouch during its entirety. Lelouch merely returned the stare with one of his own, albeit without much emotion. Finally, the cyborg's knees trembled and his rigid posture wavered for a fleeting moment, so overcome with emotion was he. "I-I'm honoured, Your Highness. And deeply moved that you view of me as such. Thank you."

"Hmm. Don't mention it," Lelouch shrugged off Jeremiah's expressions of gratitude with a half-hearted wave of his now healed left hand. "I know that I can be quite the rampant liar, but I spoke nothing but the truth just now." There was a couple of solid knocks on the oaken door, bringing his private conversation with Jeremiah to an end. He glanced at the source of the sound before turning back to address the aristocrat. "I expect to see you back for duty at the villa tonight, Margrave Gottwald. You may take your leave now."

"I hear you and will obey, Your Highness," Jeremiah almost bowed again before stopping. He settled for a quick yet formal salute before turning sharply to march onwards to depart from the study. His recently repaired and now more machine-than-man body whirred slightly with every single stride.

Lelouch's fingers hovered over the keyboard subconsciously. He resumed his lonely brooding while Jeremiah took his leave from the study. Much to his incredulity, the sound of more footsteps reached his ears. Surely he was not going to be visited by a third guest in a row.

The prince heard a muffled exclamation of surprise and joy from Jeremiah, which was followed by a quick exchange of words in low, murmured tones. He cast a curious look at the door but did not catch a glimpse of the people on the other side of it. The voices faded away as abruptly as they came, and the door swung open with such force that the prince leapt to his feet in alarm. His anxiety and exasperation melted away in an instant to be replaced by an enormous grin on his face, for he laid his eyes for the supposed intruders. One of them was a young Japanese man with chestnut brown hair. The other was unmistakably a girl of patrician origin - for everything from her clothing, her shoes to her wheelchair were flamboyant. "Nunnally!" He cried out and hurried over without a second thought. The princess smiled widely and spread her arms open, and the siblings were reunited in an affectionate embrace. "I've missed you! It felt like it's been forever."

"Oh, brother! I missed you a lot as well," Nunnally returned, giggling while hugging her older brother of three years. After Lelouch's return to Britannia, the siblings were separated for close to two years. As they were often at each other's side ever since Nunnally was born, they felt the absence of each other very keenly. At long last, the vi Britannia siblings were finally together again. Suzaku quietly observed them respectfully, not wanting to interrupt their tender moment of reunion. It took them quite a while before they finally broke apart. Nunnally instantly pouted. "I was told that I could have gone to Pendragon a few months ago, but some prince forbade me to go until now." She said in a half-accusing, half-jesting tone.

"... Right. Sorry," Lelouch admitted sheepishly. His hand went up to scratch his head, inadvertently making his carefully combed hair a mess. "I've been... really busy. I couldn't confirm whether it was safe enough for you to come over, Nunnally. A lot of things have happened while you were in Ashford Academy."

"So I've heard," Nunnally's smile faded, and her tone no longer carried hints of banter. "Suzaku and Euphie told me everything." She reached out towards the face of her elder sibling. Lelouch blinked slowly as her fingers brushed against his cheeks softly before cupping them. "You have suffered so much. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to help you, Brother."

Lelouch shook his head, gently dislodging himself from his younger sister's grasp. "No. The only thing you could have done to help was to stay in Area Eleven, and you did just that. I don't expect anything more. Thank you." He smiled again, but both she and Suzaku could sense that it was somewhat forced. "Besides, it was all in the past. I'm fine now." He stepped to one side and gestured towards the interior of the study. "Come on in. Tell me about your days in Area Eleven and Ashford Academy. I'll be happy to hear of them."

"Um..." Nunnally looked up at the man in charge of pushing her wheelchair. Suzaku looked no less befuddled than her by the sudden change in subjects and only returned a bashful shrug as a response to her questioning stare. She riveted her gaze back to Lelouch and cocked her head to one side, her long light brown locks swaying lightly. He still had the strained beam on his face. "Alright. If you insist, brother." She hesitantly wheeled herself forward further into the room. "Where should I begin?"

"From when I've departed from Area Eleven," Lelouch said as he followed his sister into the study. He pulled out a couple of cushioned chairs for himself and the Honorary Britannian. While carrying out that action, the bright rays of sunlight from the window briefly illuminated his features. Nunnally suppressed a gasp as she noticed a few scars - mostly small, but easily eye-catching for her. The one which was the most noteworthy was the thin, long line in the middle of his left hand which spanned approximately an inch long. If Lelouch had noticed her reaction, he did not show it.

"Very well." Nunnally waited until both males have seated down before she started filling Lelouch in on her life in Ashford Academy for the past twenty months. The prince showed keenness in her tale and chortled when she talked about Rivalz's encounter with Cornelia. The Second Princess mistook him for an intruder and thus tackled him and held him down until Nunnally quickly intervened. As the princess continued telling her story, she began to notice that Lelouch's attention was waning, and she caught him spacing out numerous times and jolting himself back to present. Nunnally frowned. "Brother, are you feeling okay?"

"Hmm?" Lelouch started and blinked multiple times.

"Nevermind. That's enough for today. I'll tell you more about it some other day." Nunnally sighed. "I think you're too nervous, and I would be as well if I were you. Speaking of which, shouldn't you be preparing for later?"

Lelouch twirled one of his locks of dark hair. "It's mostly done. I've been up since four in the morning to make sure it would go well." He admitted. While it was expected of him to be paranoid, it was a rare sight for his companions to see him looking so anxious. He always carried himself so confidently that it bordered on arrogance. "Everything should be in place by now, just according to the plan. I'm just waiting for the next event on the timetable here... which should be starting in about half an hour from now."

"I see." Nunnally exchanged a look with Suzaku. "We'll take our leave then. See you later, brother. And good luck!"

"Just relax, Lelouch," Suzaku added as he took hold of the handles of Nunnally's wheelchair. "It'll be fine."

The Eleventh Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire gave his companions a sincere and warm grin. They were right - he was turning into a nervous wreck as time passed. Their words of encouragement did little to alleviate his rampant thoughts, but he appreciated their efforts nevertheless. "Thank you. I look forward to seeing you two later." They returned his smile with one of their own and they slowly left the study, leaving Lelouch alone by himself in the dim but gradually brightening room.

-Four hours later-

Euphemia nearly tripped over the hem of her pure white dress as she trotted around the grounds of the palace. The pink-haired princess scowled in annoyance at her elegant wear and simply tugged at her clothes so that they would be a notch higher to avoid further stumbles before quickly resuming her walk. She craned her neck and scanned her surrounding areas. Her brows knitted themselves into a perturbed frown and she exhaled loudly. She ignored her growing weariness and started moving off into another area, her bright blue eyes constantly on the lookout for something - or someone.

The Third Princess of Britannia paused in her tracks as her gaze fell on a distant and large structure. Its white and silver marble exterior was shining resplendently in the afternoon sun. It was the royal mausoleum - only the royals of Britannia and those venerated by them who had passed away would be entombed there. It has housed generations of the previous Emperors and their relatives - save for those whom they have disowned for various reasons. Guinevere, Carine and the many other nobles who were executed for colluding with the Sword of Akasha had no place there. She pursed her lips and cocked her head to the side in deep thought. Euphemia took a deep breath and started striding towards the building, her heels clacking against the pavement. She paused before entering the crypt and took slower and gentler steps as a sign of respect while she entered.

Euphemia quietly navigated around the mausoleum so that her ivory heeled shoes barely producing any noise. Her feet moved of their own accord, steering her towards a sepulchre which she had visited and paid respects to several times in the past. The words "vi Britannia" were carved into the stone archway of the room in cursive, and she peered into the recess. It was empty except for a slender woman with orange hair which fell to the middle of her back. Like Euphemia, she was wearing a white dress as well, albeit slightly more exquisite. She appeared to not have noticed the presence of the princess yet - her peridot green eyes were fixated on one of the four graves in the room. Out of curiosity, Euphemia took a sidestep to catch a glimpse of whom it belonged to and she recognized his name as Shirley's father.

The royal wanted to step forward and speak to Shirley, but it seemed that the redhead's attention was occupied. She was murmuring several words in such a low volume that Euphemia couldn't make them out - not that she wanted to, anyway. The princess waited patiently until Shirley was done speaking and she placed a hand on the tomb before slowly making her way over to her. She hesitated before calling out to her. "Um. Hello, Shirley."

Shirley jumped a little and turned her head towards Euphemia. A mix of relief and guilt appeared on her visage. "Oh, hello, Your Highness." She bowed slightly before giving a small sheepish smile. "How long have you been there?"

"For the last time, Shirley, just call me Euphie. We're going to be sisters in a few more hours. No more formalities please," Euphemia beamed at Shirley. She joined the other woman at her side. "I've only been here for a minute. The photographers will be arriving in forty minutes, though. The maids are in a frenzy. They're looking all over the castle for you. No one really expects the bride to disappear even for a few minutes on her wedding, it seems."

"Oh. I'm sorry for causing so much trouble."

"It's fine. There must be a reason why you came here." Euphemia said quietly. Shirley nodded but remained silent. The princess decided to prompt her. "A penny for your thoughts?"

Shirley shifted slightly and directed her eyes at the graves around them. There were four graves in the sepulchre - the biggest was for Empress Marianne vi Britannia. The other three belonged to her father, Joseph Fenette, General Andreas Darlton, and Rolo Haliburton. "I'm just reflecting, Prin- Euphie." She corrected herself mid-sentence. "I feel like I need to do so before the wedding started."

"On what?"

"On how much blood was spilt before this day could happen," Shirley answered sombrely. She caressed her father's tombstone again. They had exhumed his body to move it to the mausoleum recently with her mother's consent. "So much unnecessary suffering. So much needless death." She paused for a moment and appeared to be contemplating something before adding. "Even Lulu and I nearly died."

Euphemia knew what Shirley was referring to in her last sentence. Just after her forces have found them, Shirley had lost consciousness and was in a critical state due to excessive blood loss. The medics hastily evacuated her to the princess's G-1 Base. After a prompt examination, the doctors deduced that she required an immediate blood transfusion. Lelouch did not hesitate when the medical staff informed him about it - they shared the same blood type and he was more than willing to supply it. However, due to the amount of blood she had already lost, he was required to donate a lot more blood than the safety threshold. The doctors tried to discourage him out of worry that a royal might die on their watch, but he ignored them. When the procedure was completed, Lelouch was hardly in a much better state than her. It was only through the efforts of the frantic doctors and advanced medical technology that they both lived in the end. "Shirley, surely you're not regretting your decisions right now?"

The redhead shook her head with vigour. "Of course not. I'm just wondering why can't everyone just get along in peace. Why is there a need for some to feel so conceited that they harm others just to establish their superiority? It's... sad, Euphie. These four graves shouldn't exist at all."

"I know. It is tragic indeed," Euphemia agreed. Shirley exhaled and turned to face Rolo's gravestone. She stared at it in absolute quietude for nearly a minute, then her lower lip quivered. Her expression morphed into one on the verge of breaking down. "Shirley? What's wrong?"

Shirley sniffed. "I've been thinking about something for the past few months. Rolo could have lived. He could have come with us in time." She choked back a sob and fought the coming tears back. "If only I didn't try to talk him out of staying behind for us! I've wasted so much time doing so. Time which we could have used to move towards the Knightmare instead. If only I did that, we would have reached it earlier and came to his rescue. But instead, I kept delaying things and we didn't make it in time... and he's dead." A tear finally escaped from her eyes and rolled past her cheek.

Euphemia was stunned. She had heard about the details of their escape from her older half-brother, of course, but she did not know Shirley was feeling guilty over Rolo's death. She pulled Shirley into an embrace. Shirley hugged the princess tightly as she started to cry. "It's alright, Shirley. It's alright."

"It's not alright, Euphie." The redhead sniffed again. "He was young. And troubled. He did a lot of wrongdoings, but he was trying to turn over a new leaf. He was an orphan. He was abused, mistreated and manipulated since he was born. He had the opportunity to finally become free and live a normal life, but I destroyed that chance. Sometimes, I feel like I killed him, Euphie."

"Don't be silly, Shirley. It can't be your fault." Euphemia patted the other woman's back soothingly in an attempt to comfort her. Her eyebrows furrowed again, and she felt compelled to pose a question which was nagging at the back of her mind ever since Shirley's confession. "Does Lelouch know about this?"

"Lulu? Yes, I did tell him about it." Shirley slowly nodded. "He pointed out even if we did manage to squeeze Rolo on board the Knightmare, nothing would have changed except that all three of us would have died. There wouldn't be sufficient space for Lulu to pilot it with three people in the cockpit." Her grip on the princess loosened. "He also says that carrying him in the palm of the Knightmare while flying around is not an option too. It's too dangerous for that. And we couldn't let him stay in the base either - he would have perished when it self-destructed. I didn't want to bother him about this any more after that. He's busy with finding Schneizel."

"That's a valid point. There's no way all three of you could have survived together then."

"He still could have walked out after we cut open the gate," Shirley pointed out. "Their troops would most likely follow us instead of trying to hunt him down."

"Well, yes, he could have," Euphemia said slowly. "But there's no way you can guarantee that things would turn out the way you wanted it to, even if you could go back in time to change things, Shirley."

"I know. But it's also because of that that makes me feel like I ruined all possibilities of him being able to continue living," Shirley countered, her tone utterly miserable. "At least he still would have a chance if I didn't try to dissuade him."

The pink-haired princess shook her head. She took a step back and locked eyes with Shirley, her hands still encircling her waist. "Lelouch told me about what happened," Euphemia replied quietly. "I think it's clear that he did not expect to survive at all when he volunteered to stall the terrorists. It was ultimately his decision. He was prepared for such an outcome and therefore he should not have any qualms in accepting such a fate. If he wouldn't blame you, who else would dare to do so?"

Shirley sighed and withdrew from the embrace. Her eyes were slightly puffy, and her makeup was marred by her tears. Euphemia winced inwardly, imagining the amount of shrieking the make-up artist in charge of the wedding would make if she learned of this. She pushed such trivial thoughts aside - after all, Lelouch had planned the wedding, which meant there was nearly a ridiculous amount of spare time which can be used when contingencies like this arose. "Thank you, Euphie," Shirley said, wiping her eyes with her fingertips. "You have a point. I feel better now."

"It was nothing. You're welcome," Euphemia told the other female with a wide smile. She patted her again, this time on her arm. "Don't dwell on it anymore. There's no sense in beating yourself up over something you cannot change."

"Yes... I'm sorry. It must have looked very silly of me, especially after I've advised Lulu against doing so before. It's unlike me to linger over the past."

Euphemia waved off Shirley's apology. "There's nothing you should be sorry about, Shirley. It's alright to feel that way." As the conversation grew less emotional, her foremost priority switched from consoling the bride to getting her back inside the castle and getting her makeup fixed. "If you're done with your pondering, shall we return to the castle now? I'd imagine that you wouldn't want to be late on your big day."

Shirley blinked and glanced around her surroundings again. "Oh, yes. Am I going to be late? Have I spent too much time in here?"

"I think we have plenty of time to burn if there's an emergency. However, if word reaches Lelouch that his precious bride has disappeared, I think the entire castle will be in an uproar if you don't show up soon." Shirley's face turned pale at the thought of being the one responsible for creating mass panic and inconveniencing every staff in the imperial castle. "It would be for the best if we can leave now." The lithe female inclined her head and muttered an agreement before dashing out of the tomb without any warning, causing the surprised and much less fit female to scurry after her. The pair returned to the castle just in time - the staff were at their wits' end and about to inform Lelouch of her disappearance. The only thing that kept them from doing so earlier was fear. Euphemia's prediction came true as well, the team of makeup artists screeched in alarm after witnessing the bride's ruined makeup. As a result, a rueful Shirley spent the next hour, which should have been a break for her, sitting down and having the grumpy artists apply her makeup.

Amethyst eyes found themselves swivelling towards the double polished mahogany doors again. Lelouch had entered the hall a mere two or three minutes ago as part of the wedding procession, but he has been glancing at the doors apprehensively for an innumerable number of times. He had been nothing but a bundle of nerves since last night, and it only grew worse as the wedding neared. It was about to commence anytime. All that was left was for Shirley to enter the hall and walk down the aisle.

Lelouch was standing before the altar and the officiant, who was an elderly balding priest. His best man, who was none other than Suzaku, stood a few feet away from him. The Honorary Britannian was considerably more composed, and he gave his childhood friend a small supportive nod when the royal looked at his direction. In his nervousness, Lelouch failed to notice it. He took several deep breaths to calm himself down, and when that did not succeed, he chose to observe his surroundings instead.

The hall where the wedding was held was the same ballroom where Lelouch revealed his true identity as a prince of the empire to Shirley. Now that he thought about it, it was a rather cruel, albeit comical, way of doing so. The room itself was already majestic to begin with, but the palace staff had insisted on embellishing it further. Palatial fabrics with red and gold intricate designs hung as the backdrop and on the walls. A combination of roses, gardenias and hydrangeas were lined together with them and covered the altar. The crystalline chandeliers seemed to be brighter than usual and increased in numbers. While Lelouch greatly appreciated the length which the staff had went to furnish the room for the wedding, it only served to remind him of its imminence. Thus, the prince redirected his attention elsewhere.

Lelouch's gaze fell on the occupants of the ballroom. The venue was packed to the brim. Being the first among the Emperor's children to be wed, there was much publicity for the event. That meant that he could not simply invite people he was familiar with - nobles whose support Lelouch desired in the future, such as Earl Lloyd Asplund, were included as well. He was filled by a sense of relief when he scanned the crowd briefly. There were none who rejected his invitation, nor were there any unwelcome guests. He spotted Clovis, Jeremiah, and Cornelia, who were seated together. The Second Princess of Britannia smirked at him when she noticed his discomfort.

Other than Suzaku and the officiant, there were three other individuals who had taken their places next to the altar as well. The most prominent of the three was Euphemia, who happily took up the role of the maid of honour, an action which irked the few remaining conservative nobles. The other two were Nunnally and Milly Ashford. The latter was a bridesmaid while the former was a junior one since she was just a year too young to be a normal one. Milly was visibly trying to contain her excitement as she grinned widely at everyone. Shirley had tried to get more bridesmaids and invited the former student council members, but Milly was the only one who had accepted. Nina had declined, which led her to guess that she was probably too shy to take up such a role in front of the Empire's royalty. However, Kallen did not respond at all. It was almost as though she simply disappeared or cut off all contact with everyone ever since they graduated from Ashford.

With three bridesmaids standing in front of the ballroom, there was a conspicuous lack of groomsmen. Lelouch did not mind. He did not have many male friends which he was close to anyway. He had asked Rivalz whether he would like to be part of the wedding procession, but predictably, he turned it down. Nonetheless, Lelouch sent him an invitation to his wedding and offered to pay for his flight and accommodation. Finally, Rivalz accepted and somehow managed to get Nina to attend the wedding along with him. The taciturn girl only relented to attend as a guest after Lelouch went the extra mile of promising to introduce her to a 'top military scientist', who was none other than Lloyd. She always had a fascination with science, and he knew she would not pass up such an opportunity.

A small handful of the attendees were Shirley's extended family - uncles, aunts, cousins and more. Judging from their outward appearance, they had tried their utmost in appearing as dignified as possible. However, some of them looked intimidated by the sheer presence of the Britannian ruling class. Hence, they huddled together, shooting covert and uneasy glances at the people around them and only spoke amongst themselves. Lelouch felt sorry for them. No one had to look that anxious on their relative's wedding. His thoughts were interrupted when the double doors finally opened, and the prince suddenly forgot how to breathe.

The crowd turned their heads collectively as Shirley entered the ballroom, her wedding gown trailing behind her. Her lithe hands grasped a bouquet of flowers - a combination of the same flowers which adorned the entire ballroom. Her mother was right beside her and they had locked their arms together while they walked down the aisle. After Shirley had recovered from her injuries, she paid her mother a visit and they have reconciled. Mary still felt that her daughter's relationship with a royal might spell more danger in the future, but she was now willing to give them her blessing. After hearing of how he nearly killed himself trying to save her, there was certainly no one better to entrust her safety and well-being to.

The band started to play a classical and traditional tune upon their entrance. The redhead felt everyone's eyes on her but she dismissed the uncomfortable sensation. She smiled at the throng of guests, her grin growing wider with every individual she recognized. Shirley directed her gaze to the altar, and her heart performed a somersault when they rested on Lelouch. Her smile became a full-fledged beam, and moisture came to her eyes for the second time today - except that it was tears of joy this time. He had always been ridiculously dashing to her since the first day she met him, and he was no less so on this day. In fact, he seemed even more striking than usual.

Lelouch stared at Shirley, with his mouth slightly agape while she closed the distance between them gradually. A white, translucent veil obscured her features a little, but he was already awestruck not only by her beauty but by the very fact that they were finally getting wed. The two women came to a halt before him, and Mary inclined her head towards the prince with a polite smile. Lelouch returned the gesture, and she released her daughter's arm and moved towards the front row of cushioned chairs to be seated.

The couple smiled at each other, affection radiating from each other's eyes. Shirley joined Lelouch's side before they turned to face the altar and the officiant. They clasped hands together while the priest stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"Good evening and a very warm welcome to Your Majesty, Your Highnesses, Lords, Ladies and other distinguished guests. We gather here on this day to bear witness to these two souls uniting in marriage." The priest spoke loudly in a clear tone. "Their decision to marry has not been made lightly. As we all know, their path towards this day was a difficult one. However, that has only strengthened their devotion to each other. They have vanquished countless obstacles and challenges, made by misguided and erroneous men, together. They have shown that they are capable of growing together, lovingly and selflessly, in the face of hardship. Today, they will publicly declare their undying dedication and love to each other." He paused for five seconds before resuming his speech.

"Do you both pledge to continue sharing your strength, love, joys and sorrows with one another through triumphs and adversity? Do you promise to cherish and honour one another, trust in each other for all days of your lives?"

Shirley felt Lelouch squeezing her hand, and she repeated the gesture, albeit with more strength than she intended to due to her overwhelming elation. "We do." They said earnestly in unison.

The priest's lips curved into a smile. "Please look at one another now, and etch this moment in time into your memory." He waited until the couple did so. "Lelouch vi Britannia, will you have this woman to be your wedded wife? Do you pledge to protect and love her, be faithful to her, honour and nurture her, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, as long as both of you shall live?"

"I do," Lelouch replied solemnly.

"Shirley Fenette, will you have this man to be your wedded husband? Do you promise to respect and tenderly care for him, not to forsake him, comfort and love him, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and health, as long as both of you shall live?"

"I do." The redhead's smile could not grow any wider as the words left her mouth.

The priest gave a slight nod. He produced a pair of wedding rings - both diamond, but one had a peridot in its centre while the other had an amethyst. "Your wedding rings are a symbol of your unconditional and undying love and commitment for one another." He said as he handed over the jewellery to the couple. "Prince Lelouch, please place the ring on Shirley's finger and repeat after me. I take you now, forever and always. For my love is wholehearted and everlasting."

Lelouch carried out the priest's instructions, and he almost stuttered in his eagerness. He was well aware that this was the last segment before they were pronounced as husband and wife, and he grinned sheepishly after his mishap.

"Shirley, please place the ring on Prince Lelouch's finger and repeat after me. I take you now, forever and always. For my love is wholehearted and everlasting."

Shirley repeated after the priest slowly, infusing every word with of sincerity and affection. Her eyes never left Lelouch's while she did so, and her heart was beating with exhilaration just as she ended her sentence, for she knew what was coming next.

"It is now my honour and greatest delight to declare you husband and wife. You may now seal your vows with a kiss."

The raven-haired royal's smile faded away, but the adoration in his amethyst orbs did not diminish at all. Shirley met his affectionate gaze with one of her own, and at that moment, they were the only two people in the world - in spite of the audience watching them with bated breath. Whatever anxiety Lelouch had prior to the ceremony was long gone. The pair gradually leaned towards each other, closing their eyes as they neared.

Lelouch and Shirley's lips finally met as they kissed. The action was not overly passionate as they were in full view of the crowd, but it was more than intimate enough. Shirley was reminded of their first kiss in the courtyard of Ashford Academy - it was gentle but tender and heartfelt, and witnessed by a large, silent crowd. It took a few seconds for the couple to part, and the priest announced his final words of the ceremony. "Your Majesty, Your Highnesses, Lords, Ladies and family members and friends, I now present to you the newly married couple. Let us congratulate them with a round of applause."

The audience began clapping - some of them even rose to their feet and applauded loudly while a handful just brought their hands together several times politely. The band resumed play as Lelouch locked his arm with Shirley's at their elbows and they started walking down the aisle, beaming and exchanging respectful glances as they did so. The redhead glimpsed many of her family members amongst the crowd. She instantly perked up and she waved at them animatedly.

Unlike Shirley, Lelouch did not display the same enthusiasm when he locked eyes with his extended family. Other than Euphemia, Cornelia, and Nunnally, he merely gave the same courteous look at the rest of them. Regardless of the Sword of Akasha's defeat, the fact remained that the royal family is a den of vipers in general - especially amongst the emperor's children. That he managed to establish close ties with Euphemia and Cornelia, and to much a lesser extent, Clovis, was a miracle of its own. The prince turned his head to the left and found the Emperor staring at him. His smile vanished. His father did not show any outward signs of happiness for him - not that he expected him to. Charles simply stood and observed the couple making their way out coolly. Lelouch suddenly became a lot more conscious that Shirley's arm was interlocked with his. A voice inside his head started whispering negative thoughts, but he quelled them and forced a grin back on his face while they left the ballroom.

Bleary green eyes blinked slowly while they watched a lanky figure swing his legs onto the polished maple wooden floor of the bedroom. Said figure, who was clad in a dark tank top and maroon shorts, paused for two seconds. Lelouch moved forward and pulled the silver curtains to the side, letting the moonlight illuminate the bedroom. He reached out to unlock the sliding door behind the curtains and pushed it to the side as quietly as he could before stepping onto the balcony.

Shirley continued observing her new husband silently. He slowly lowered himself onto one of the two grey cushioned seats on the balcony. The prince simply looked up towards the night sky wordlessly. After a few minutes, she could no longer reign back her curiosity. The lithe female gently pushed herself up on the mattress and adjusted her white nightdress absent-mindedly. If Lelouch could sense her stirring behind him, he showed no indication of it.

"Lulu," Shirley pouted. In the quietude of the night, her voice was audible enough despite her mumbling. "It's the middle of the night."

Lelouch started. Shirley wondered if he was in deep thought since he could not hear her movements in the tranquil surroundings. He turned his head to the side to look at her. "Did I wake you up? I'm sorry." He apologized. "I can't sleep."

"Hmm? What's the matter? Didn't spend enough energy just now?" Shirley teased, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

A weak chuckle escaped from Lelouch's mouth and he shrugged. "Not really. I was just... thinking."

Shirley's brows furrowed and her demeanour became more serious. "Is it about Schneizel again?"

"No. It's… something else entirely."

Shirley sighed and got off the bed. In several small steps, she closed the distance between them. Shirley leaned down and draped her arms over his neck. Her fingers poked at Lelouch's abdomen, eliciting a small grunt from him. "Alright, spill. What's on your mind, Lulu?"

Lelouch remained mum. Shirley waited patiently - she knew that he would eventually talk, but he needed some time to choose his words. He was always like that after a session of contemplation. True enough, he spoke after a few moments. "I'm grateful. And could not be any happier in my life," he began. "The Sword of Akasha is truly vanquished, we're married and Nunnally can finally live with us."

"But…?"

It was Lelouch's turn to sigh. "The path ahead of us is guaranteed to be even more arduous and treacherous than before, with Schneizel or not." He murmured quickly, his rapid rate of speech an indicator of his agitation. "Prior to a new emperor ascending the throne, royals often conspire to murder those whom they view as competitors and threats. Even nobles will pick sides in an attempt to curry favour with them or further their standing. With my father getting on in age, I fear that this will occur sooner than I hoped. Blood will spill, and the culprits will be none other than the people who are supposed to be my family."

There was a prolonged silence. The only sounds were from the couple breathing, and the prince's fingers, which were still slowly drumming on the furniture. Shirley encircled her arms around his torso, hugging him gently from behind. "I know. You informed me all about the possible risks and scenarios of being your partner, long before you proposed to me. I have not forgotten it, Lulu." She could feel his body tensing up.

"It's definitely going to be the most gruelling time of my life. Our lives," Lelouch resumed in a rather dispirited tone. Shirley frowned and mentally prepared herself for him to say the usual mollycoddling words. She tightened her embrace, her lithe arms pressing against his body. "Allow me to be selfish, Shirley. Promise me that you won't ever leave me, no matter what might happen in the future. No matter what I might do. Promise me that."

Shirley's frown vanished, to be replaced with a wide-eyed look of pleasant surprise. The redhead fully expected him to attempt to cosset her again, but instead, she received words she had never heard from Lelouch before. "You can be such an idiot sometimes, Lulu." She giggled. She swooped down and planted an affectionate kiss on his right cheek. "We just had our vows a few hours ago. Of course, I'd promise you that. You will always be you, and therefore I will always love you."

Lelouch smiled. It was a far wider and uncontrolled one than his grins during his wedding ceremony. He did not reply to Shirley - nor did she require one. One look at his smirking face was the answer she needed from him. She rested her head on his shoulder, and the couple stared up at the stars of the night sky.

Further trials and tribulations awaited the Eleventh Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire and his wife in the future - but they were inseparable. To them, they only needed each other. The saga of the black prince and his forbidden love has finally come to an end.

Author's Note: That's it. Fin. The End. Twenty Five chapters, three years and over 210K words... this is the last chapter of The Black Prince and His Forbidden Love.

A huge and warm thank you to all my readers, especially the ones who stuck with me since the start. Even though I haven't been hearing much activity from some of you, I am still incredibly grateful. Shoutout to HalFF, Shadow of Midnight, Sabersonic, BlackTyrantValvatorez, Haru17 and Jadasimone16 for the constant reviews and messaging. Of course, the other readers and reviewers are no less precious. I admit that there are many times which I've picked up the pen only to drop it within a few minutes. Without the support from you people, this fanfic might have taken even longer, or might not even be completed. Your reviews and discussion have spurred me, an amateur writer, on and motivated me many times to continue writing. Words cannot describe my gratitude towards you guys.

To all the Shirlulu shippers, I pray that my fanfic has been satisfactory for you guys since I am one of you. I even dare to hope that you might even find it more than just decent, but if I recall correctly, there was an influx of pretty good Shirlulu fics a year or two back as well. Besides, I don't think I think a stellar job - I tried my best, but I don't think my best is excellent. Nonetheless, I had fun writing this fic and I hope you guys had as much entertainment reading it. If you guys have anything to point out or critique, please do not hold back and drop me a message.

Anyway, moving on to what I plan on doing next. I'll probably do a rewrite of some of the earlier chapters over the next few weeks. No worries, the content/plot will be largely unchanged so no one will be missing out on anything if they do not reread from the start. Until then, I will not set the status of this fic to 'complete'.

I have entertained the idea of an epilogue too. Not quite sure what to write if there would be one. If you desire an epilogue and/or have any suggestions about what it should contain, please contact me. As for a sequel... I don't really have ideas yet, honestly. Likewise, if you got any ideas in mind, just drop me a private message.

This shall be my first completed story as an amateur writer, and I sincerely hope that everyone had enjoyed the read. As usual, reviews in form of praise or constructive criticism will be most welcome. Thanks everyone! You've been a great audience.