1 Chapter 1: Prologue

Euphemia I's rise to power came at an especially turbulent time in the Empire's history when the bloody politics of the court well reached its peak, encouraged by her father Charles II in a brutal Darwinian process of selecting an heir. At first the Princess Euphemia showed little interest in this contest of power and many of her siblings and relatives wrote her off as harmless and ineffectual. All who knew the Empress personally however agree that the catalyst for her entry into court politics was the assassination of the Empress Marianne and the reported deaths of her siblings in the aftermath, Lelouch and Nunnally vi Britannia. This event profoundly affected the young girl, destroying the peace and security of her childhood. From this moment on, Euphemia dedicated herself to building a peace that would see no more of her siblings stolen from her. Alas that the Empress succeeded too late for several of them.

-Toward a New Dawn: The Rise of Euphemia I

Prologue: Tertius

2009 A.T.B.

Pendragon was in an uproar. Empress Marianne, favored consort of the Emperor Charles, had been slain by an unknown assassin. Reported to have also fallen in the same attack was her youngest child, the Princess Nunnally. The politics of the court had just undergone a seismic shift, one which Euphemia could barely get a handle on at her age. From the expressions she saw on her sister Cornelia however the situation was grave.

"Sister, what is going to happen to Lelouch?" Euphie asked.

"Don't worry Euphie," Cornelia assured her with a smile. "I'll make sure nothing happens to Lelouch."

The girl nodded, believing with all her heart that if anyone could keep her beloved brother safe, it would be Cornelia. Yet a lingering doubt nagged at her, a doubt fueled by what little she understood of court politics. The Empress Marianne was well loved by not just her own immediate family but also by several of the other children, Euphie included. But that love was not universal and many were the nobles that continued to hold Marianne's commoner origins against her. Many would have only been too glad to see her fall and those same nobles would not hesitate to orchestrate the deaths of her remaining child with Marianne herself out of the way. Euphie prayed that Cornelia would be able to make good on her word. Surely, even if she could not, her brother Schneizel could? As if in answer to those prayers not an hour later Schneizel himself arrived at the place Euphie and Cornelia resided.

"Brother," Cornelia greeted cordially.

"Cornelia," Schneizel responded equally politely.

"Let's drop the pleasantries," Cornelia said as they walked to one of the many sitting rooms. "I've failed my duty as commander of Marianne's guards, but I will not fail her by allowing Lelouch to be taken as well. How do we keep him out of the line of fire?"

"That, may be somewhat difficult," Schneizel said. "At present Lelouch's grief is immense, but it is overshadowed by his rage. He seems intent on finding the perpetrators himself and exacting revenge."

"He's just a boy," Cornelia said in exasperation. "He doesn't have the authority or political backing for some kind of play like that."

"Indeed, and any attempts by us to try to remove him from danger will be seen by him as getting in the way of his desired revenge," Schneizel said, "at least initially. Still, once he calms down he will likely realize what we did was for the best. Having said that, what do you intend to do?"

"I'm going to have him moved here," Cornelia said. "I've already increased security and having him with Euphie will make it easier to protect them both in case this is part of a wider conspiracy."

"A wise precaution," Schneizel agreed. "In the meantime, I will look into determining exactly how the assassins penetrated Aries Villa's security."

Cornelia frowned.

"You object?"

"No," the woman said with a shake of her head. "I'm obviously unfit for such an inquiry since the lapse occurred on my watch. But, there's something you should know. The Empress herself requested that I shut down the Villa's security protocols on the day of her, assassination."

Schneizel raised an eyebrow. "Really."

Cornelia nodded. "I protested, but Marianne was adamant. I should have put my foot down, I don't know what Marianne was thinking."

"That, certainly complicates things," Schneizel said. "This course of action suggests she believed herself to be safe, in some way or another." The prince paused. "We need more information, but the implications of what we already know are disturbing."

"Agreed," Cornelia said. "If there's anything-"

The door burst open as Guilford burst in.

"Your highness!" he cried.

Cornelia tensed, alert for whatever might have alarmed her knight.

"The Prince has gone to the palace for an audience with His Majesty!"

It took all of a second for Cornelia and Schneizel to comprehend those words and they shot towards the door immediately. Suddenly Euphie emerged from hiding, blocking their way.

"I'm going too!"

Cornelia's eyes widened as she realized her sister had heard everything she and Schneizel had said. "Euphie, this is not something you should get involved with."

"Lelouch is my brother too!" Euphie cried, fists clenched. "I have to be there for him!"

"Euphie," Schneizel began gently, but the girl would not be interrupted.

"You're talking me with you, or I'll follow you there myself!"

Her elder siblings exchanged looks before Schneizel lowered his head ever so slightly. With a resigned sigh Cornelia too nodded but she looked at her younger sister sternly.

"Stay by Gilbert, stay quiet, and do as we say," she ordered.

Euphie nodded solemnly. She was old enough to understand at least the gravity of the current situation. The three siblings wasted little time traveling to the palace but they were already playing catchup. By the time they arrived Lelouch was already in his audience and if the yelling was any indication it was going very, very poorly.

"Then I don't want to be your heir, I renounce my claim to the throne!"

Euphie felt her stomach twist. Had that voice been Lelouch? Had he really done what she think he had?

"I'm sick of the fighting and scheming over who will succeed you Father, I've had enough!"

The three entered the throne room in time to see Charles' face contort with rage.

"You are dead. You were always been dead to me, dead from the moment you were born. Who gave you the fine clothes you wear and comfortable home? The food you eat and your very life? All of those, I have given to you, in short you are not nothing to me because you have never existed. Yet you dare to speak such foolishness to me?!" The emperor stood and Lelouch stumbled back. "Lelouch, you are dead, therefore you are not entitled to any rights. I am sending you to Japan, as a prince, you will serve well as bargaining tools."

Cornelia blanched and Euphie felt her heart seize. Schneizel frowned as he stepped next to another of their siblings.

"Odysseus."

The older prince glanced over at his younger brother. "Schneizel."

"Odysseus, why didn't you stop Lelouch!?" Cornelia hissed.

"What was I to do? Lelouch began spouting that nonsense without any warning."

The look Cornelia shot her brother made clear that was no excuse as far as she was concerned. The situation was however falling completely apart, Lelouch giving his father one last glare before storming out of the audience hall. Euphie could no longer restrain herself.

"Lelouch!" she cried out.

The boy hesitated for the barest of moments and the courts' eyes fell upon him, all wondering what the boy would do. Would he come back, bend his knees and plea for forgiveness? And then the moment passed as he passed through the threshold. Euphie felt her knees give out but Cornelia quickly caught her. The girl's eyes were already starting to cloud as tears streaked down her cheek. She did not even notice her sister cradling her and carrying her away from the room, all she could think about was the sight of her brother's back. If only she had known that was the last she would ever see of him, she might have given chase. In her darkest nightmares she would have never conceived of what came next.

Evening fell and Euphie hugging her sister and her stuffed animal, one given to her by the Empress Marianne herself. The murmurings about her were too much for the little girl and she tried to block them all out. One such hushed conversation however caught her attention for the name she picked out amongst the words. She looked up, straining to hear more.

"…the poor dear, what will we tell the princess?"

"Nothing, not until Princess Cornelia clears it."

"Is it true though? Did he really commit suicide?"

Euphie's face paled. Young as she was the girl was a diligent student and many foresaw her becoming a most erudite scholar. Thus the words that she now heard were crystal clear to her, as was their implications. Suicide. Death. Lelouch was dead? Not just her beloved Aunt Marianne and little sister Nunnally, but now her dear brother as well? Euphie remained frozen in her chair, not stirring until Cornelia returned who knew how much later. When the elder princess saw her sister, she immediately came to the girl's side.

"Euphie, are you okay?"

Euphie's mouth opened and closed wordlessly. Cornelia gently stroked the girl's head.

"Euphie?"

"You…you promised," the girl said with a husky voice.

Cornelia stiffened. Her little sister knew. Somehow, and Cornelia vowed to find out who had been insensitive enough to reveal this to her dear Euphemia, she knew.

"I'm sorry," Cornelia said softly.

Cheeks still stained by tears shed mere hours ago were now awash with them once more. Cornelia pulled the girl into a tender hug.

"You promised," Euphie repeated in between her sobs.

Cornelia tightened her grip. She needed to do something, anything, to try to soothe Euphie's pain, but the Second Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire knew that with all her power in this she was utterly powerless. Thus she simply held onto her sister, stroking her hair.

"I'm sorry," Cornelia said. "I couldn't keep this promise. I don't know if you'll ever believe my word again Euphie, but I'm sorry."

Euphie clung onto her sister, almost afraid that if she let go Cornelia would disappear too. Her world had been torn apart. That peaceful, happy world that she thought she could remain safely in forever. At the age of seven Euphie had learned a cold, hard lesson about not just life but also about family. Her father did not care about them. Her siblings were powerless in the face of his authority. A day may yet come when she herself would be caught in the crossfire of court politics. If she wanted to survive, if she wanted to learn the truth behind the events of this brutal day, she needed to come to terms with that loss of innocence. No, she needed to embrace it. Only then could she hope to survive, only then could she possibly carve out an oasis in all this madness. And maybe, just maybe, she could find some of the happiness stolen away today.

2016 A.T.B.

The dining hall was opulently appointed from the embroidered silken red curtains framing giant windows that let in the ambient evening light to the crystalline chandeliers that sparkled if one gazed upon them. Then there was the spread on the tables, dishes crafted by some of the finest chefs in the Empire that provided a fair sampling of the lands under Britannia's domain. That few of those lands were willing components was a side note, an afterthought to the men and women attending tonight. After all, the fact that they were part of the Empire now meant that they were worthy of nothing besides being subjects of Britannia.

The guests tonight were each in their own way distinguished personages of the Empire, nobles, magnates, or more often than not both considering the social hierarchy of the nation. Their presence was not only a testament of their own individual wealth and power but also a measure of the prestige of their host tonight, for few would dare scorn an invitation from the Duke of Toronto. Even ignoring the man's own considerable wealth and stature, one slighted a cousin of the Britannian Imperial family at one's own great peril. Besides, the Duke could be quite magnanimous to those of use to him.

The ring of a wineglass sounded through the hall, bringing a halt to the small talk as all turned their attentions to the duke. He smiled, lowering the silver spoon but raising the glass. The guests all reciprocated.

"A toast!" his voice boomed. "To the glory of the Empire, to the honor of the Emperor, and to the greatness of our blood!"

"Here here!"

After nearly draining his glass the duke set it aside, a servant appearing almost instantly to refill it. The duke hardly noticed, instead continuing to address his guests.

"My lords and ladies, ladies and gentlemen," he said. "I thank you all for coming to this little soiree of mine. The past year has been a most glorious one, for not just the Empire but also for my humble self."

That was quite the understatement. The Duke was not only a prominent noble, he also controlled a very lucrative arms conglomerate that served as one of the Britannian military's primary suppliers for munitions. He was a canny businessman, noting that while selling guns and cannons might seem more glamorous, what the military really consumed in prodigious amounts were the bullets and shells fired by those weapons. And with every conflict the Empire found itself embroiled in the need for those bullets and shells only increased, ultimately taking the Toronto fortune to almost unimaginable heights a mere decade after the Duke first established himself in the industry. The rapid growth of his company raised a few eyebrows and rumors continued to swirl about just how he managed to land such lucrative contracts to supply the military, but few dared to do more than whisper such possibilities, for the Duke's business prowess was easily matched by his skill with a blade and any that he deemed to have slandered him tended to meet very messy ends. After all, who dared face the social fallout of declining a challenge to a duel of honor issued by a Duke?

"I expect that the New Year will be equally rewarding, not just for myself but for all of my good friends here today," the duke continued. "I had hoped to share with you news of the dawning of a new era today, but alas it was not to be. Still, I have full confidence that within the next month we will all have further cause to celebrate."

All attending knew to what the duke referred to. The contract to supply the military was up for renewal but unlike in past terms negotiations surrounding it had dragged on for surprisingly long. Other parties were obviously making a play for the lucrative business, which was exceedingly foolish considering whom they were contending with. As such no one here doubted that the duke's proclamation would become truth in due time. For many their own fortunes were intertwined with that of the duke's after all and any alternative was beyond unthinkable. That was perhaps why no one present ever foresaw how the evening would end.

The soldiers that stormed into the hall wore the combat dress of the Britannian Army, padded head to toe in black armor with weapons raised. Cries and screams of surprise filled the hall as the guests scrambled away from this sudden intrusion. The duke looked about in confusion, seemingly unable to decide between outrage and fear.

"What is the meaning of this!?" he demanded, finally settling on outrage. After all, he was a Britannian duke. What out there did he have to fear?

The last soldier to enter wore no helmet and the insignia on his collar marked him to hold the rank of colonel. His expression was a simple sneer as his gaze fell upon the guests, contempt dripping from his eyes. Here was a man that had little use for the pomp and circumstances of blue bloods.

"You! Are you in charge of this farce!?" the duke screamed. "I will have your head for interrupting my dinner in so insolent a manner!"

The colonel gave the duke a dismissive look as an aide stepped forth with a very thick packet of paper. The colonel accepted the packet and glanced at the cover, seemingly ignoring the duke. His actions were however not nearly as benign as that.

"Duke Constantine of Toronto," the colonel said. "The Imperial Munitorum has completed an audit of the services rendered by companies under your control and the compensation provided. The conclusion of this audit, of which I hold a copy of, is that substandard products provided by Toronto Arms has been directly responsible for twelve thousand six hundred twenty-two casualties amongst the Britannian military over the past decade. The number of fatalities confirmed to have been caused by substandard munitions provided by Toronto Arms stands at three thousand nine hundred sixteen. The Munitorum further estimates that an additional thirty thousand casualties were likely caused by these same substandard munitions though there is not sufficient evidence for a definitive conclusion."

The colonel looked up from the report to meet the eyes of the quickly paling duke.

"In light of these severe transgressions, the Munitorum has ordered the immediate termination of all contracts with Toronto Arms and the seizure of assets to compensate the Empire for these grievous losses. The Duke of Toronto himself is hereby ordered to be taken into custody pending the carrying out of his sentence."

The white of shock was giving way to scarlet rage as Constantine glared at the colonel. "What insolence! How dare you slander my august person such! Who is the craven bastard that has the balls to deface me so!? I demand to know their identity so that I may have satisfaction!"

The colonel held out the packet toward the duke. "The auditor that verified the conclusions is signed on the last page of the report."

The duke snatched the papers and immediately flipped to the last page, which was merely the latest in a series of life mistakes the man had committed, for there were actually two pieces of documentation in the packet. The audit and its various numbers formed the bulk of it, but attached to the end was a simple sheet of paper authorizing the sentence for the duke's crimes. A death sentence. The man's face paled once more as his eyes fell upon the signature at the bottom. Cornelia li Britannia, marshal of the Imperial Army.

"This-this is impossible!" the duke exclaimed, the packet falling from his hands.

"Take him away," the colonel ordered.

"No! Wait! Please stop!"

His cries fell on deaf ears as two soldiers seized the duke and hauled him out. He continued screaming, pleading for his life and offering to richly reward any that came to his aid. The dozens of weapons trained upon the guests ensured all turned a deaf ear to those pleas. The colonel picked up the packet, noting with some bemusement that it had opened up to the actual last page of the audit. There at the bottom was the name that had actually consigned the duke to his fate, the auditor that meticulously tracked down and documented every bribe, pinched penny, and otherwise misdeed that had allowed the duke to remain as the heart of this rot within Britannia's military-industrial complex. A name that still seemed innocuous to the masses of the Empire. A name signed and sealed as Euphemia li Britannia, Third Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire.

End Prologue

Mandatory disclaimer, I don't own Code Geass, etc, etc.

This is, as should be pretty obvious, a what-if story. One that will have lots and lots of threads spinning off and coming back together as the story unfolds. As a character I found Euphemia interesting, though from a purely practical perspective I didn't entirely sympathize with her. Sure her intentions were good, but they also felt naïve in a lot of respects. I suppose that might have been inevitable, Code Geass' geopolitics were highly unrealistic in many places to the point of feeling sloppy at various points.

Conversely regardless of my lack of, sympathy, for Euphie, I did feel she was rather underutilized. The girl had conviction if nothing else, and I thought it might be interesting if she actually had, you know, the political capital to actually back up said conviction. Thus this little story where Euphie gets to take center stage. That said, in the Code Geass universe death tends to be rather impermanent, a truism that applies as much to my in-fic universe as it does to the canon. So unless you're shown a body, don't assume anything. Even if you're shown a body don't assume anything. Anyway, I think that about sums up what I want my readers to know about now without dropping too many spoilers. Drop me a review with what all of you think.

Sidenote: To any readers of my other fic In Tune that stumble upon this one, no, this fic should not result in significant delays to that one. That one is winding down anyway and I needed to get at least the prologue for this fic out of my head.