Chapter 18: The Queen of Cold

As someone who had grown accustomed to accepting the blame for things, Lelouch felt that he had grown into the kind of person that wasn't too dissimilar to how Flügel perceived him. Yet, the words of the captain still rang through his mind; they rang true.

Despite being in a new world, as far removed from everyone he once knew, and only connected to them through a threat he had received by a Witch of all things, Lelouch felt at ease with being the focus of that woman's goals. After taking the animosity of an entire world and playing his part in dragging it to hell with him, he now took the focus of someone who claimed to be capable of accessing that same world he had worked on turning peaceful.

Though he found himself growing attached.

Perhaps, a part of his mind reminded him, the knowledge that he could never return without throwing his sister's world into chaos was enough. He met people that he could call friends. There was no empire to overthrow, no people to manipulate into his bidding. All there was were the enemies of the people, the Witch Cult that was hated by everyone.

"Is it that bad?" Flügel asked, reading his thoughts. "Growing attached, I mean. I don't think it is."

"Perhaps so," Lelouch agreed reluctantly. "Yet it comes with the feeling that every conversation I have is an attempt at making people my pawns. It's been a while since I last began to trust someone as I trust Reinhard now."

"I can't really blame you with him," Flügel said. "There's not one dishonest fiber in his being. If anything, you've become his friend rather than the other way around due to him being that good with people."

"Friendship on false pretenses, I needed him to save the candidates, it helped me along in gaining a foothold with the nobles," Lelouch said, shaking his head. "And I don't regret that. There's other ways I could've gone, but…"

"I told you before, Lelouch," Flügel began, the bird was lying on his bed again, taking the form of a young boy while reading one of the child story books. He lay on his back, holding the book up high. "There's kindness in selflessness. If you killed yourself to achieve that result, I don't think that's a selfish action at all."

"You assume I'd have saved them even if I had nothing to gain from it," Lelouch drawled. "I can assure you that's not true."

"Is it true now?"

Lelouch didn't have an answer. Flügel made a satisfied noise. "You're justifying your every action as something bad to achieve a further goal because you feel guilty, just like Marcos said."

"And you make it sound like I'm actually a good person."

Flügel laughed. It sounded as childish was it was appropriate for that form of his. "No, far from it. If anything, you remind me of Reid."

"Reid?" Lelouch asked.

"The Sword Saint, Reid Astraea, back before they had that fancy 'van' in their name," Flügel answered. "He was the kind of person who took his power for granted, rude yet loyal to a fault. I feel that if he had never married, you might be the one most compatible with his genes."

"This world is volatile and dangerous. Genes, Authorities," Lelouch said. "The worst we had were the Codes. The Geass."

"I disagree," Flügel said. "That's the worst kind of magic you had. I find that in technology, the monstrosity that was our world has far surpassed this world in how dangerous it is."

"I'm not sure," Lelouch disagreed. There wasn't a measuring contest on whose world was less dangerous. For Lelouch, it was thinking about something capable of destroying Pandora, whose authority could stop attacks and words on a worldwide scale. If she wanted to make herself invisible to the strongest bombs, she could, he didn't doubt that. "Things like Pandora and even spirits that could rival Satella enough to survive her insanity might be too much for even us."

"It's a zero sum. In the event that everyone wants to blow each other up, nobody survives," Flügel muttered. "But you're right, these machines in your memories might be capable of fighting knights without a problem, mages might be mowed down by the fast guns, but things like Pandora and spirits such as Puck don't operate on the same principles. They twist the world simply by existing."

"So the only thing that can get rid of her is something that can defeat her magic," Lelouch muttered. "So we're back to square one."

In front of him was the diary. Unyielding. Flügel's memories were about people. About magic. But the details were only in this book. When Lelouch read him the pages, Flügel laughed, sighed and cried. The memories of the cheap copy that was his spirit were in pieces, but he could find solace in the writings of his old self.

"I know you think the spell is in there," Flügel said. "But I think I wouldn't have put it somewhere like that. If you were to design a spell capable of sealing a witch, would you just write it down somewhere and be done with it?"

"You did it with a spell that suppressed Satella's powers, and it worked on Betelgeuse too."

"It shouldn't have worked on him," Flügel waved him off. "Maybe the authorities which she took were somewhat tainted by her mana, so it definitely wouldn't work on Pandora. And just look at you!"

Lelouch didn't need a mirror to know what he meant. Lelouch had been pale, maybe he had grown ill due to the lack of tension in his body that came from the non-stop barrage of attacks on his life. Flügel had another theory.

"Despite being sealed away, she has such an influence on you. She can kill you if she wants, she can probably kill people near you if she wants. And you can't die. If there's someone capable of killing Pandora, it would be Satella, maybe you could use that to your advantage."

"I would never." Lelouch grimaced. "The risk of her escaping and becoming capable of doing what Pandora threatened to do with my world is too high."

"You have no evidence of that," Flügel reminded him. Though it was obvious he wasn't serious in his suggestion, Lelouch felt himself grow irritated with the spirit. Suggestions like that were worse than no suggestions at all.

"I don't need evidence to know why it'd be a bad idea unsealing the monster that killed your wife," Lelouch said, grinding his teeth. Flügel let the book drop into his face, his arms crossing over it.

"Low blow," he said. The muffled voice from beneath the book sounded resigned. "If she's actually capable of accessing your world, and we have no evidence of that because it's very obvious that the conditions which drag someone into this world are very hard to define considering you, me and that knight you were talking about…"

"Yes?"

"I kinda lost myself in thought for a second. What were we talking about?" When he heard Lelouch's irritated sigh echo through the room once more, he was quick to continue. "If she's capable of doing something like that, why hasn't she done so already?"

"You mean 'why hasn't she dragged someone important to me here'?" Lelouch asked. Flügel nodded, though the motion was greatly diminished by the book on his face. "She doesn't seem like the kind of person to make empty threats, though. She'd have to follow up on them if we don't agree on her conditions."

"There might be a hundred reasons. A limitation, perhaps. A bluff, because the only way she could have that power would be by unsealing Satella. Or maybe, she's capable but wishes to avoid that for some reason."

"I can think of a clear reason," Lelouch said, furrowing his brow. "People who come here, they seem to have a big impact, don't they? You became the Sage, that man Aldebaran found himself in the service of a mighty Yang mage and candidate. I have Satella cursing me and you as a spirit. She might be afraid of what the person might be able to do."

"It might be why she didn't face you directly," Flügel said, pushing the book off his face and turning towards Lelouch. "She sent Betelgeuse. When you destroy the diary in the loop you told me about, Betelgeuse had captured you, so you were no threat to her. But now you've killed an Archbishop, she might be worried that you're already capable of casting the great seal."

Lelouch's grin split his face as a predatory gleam entered his eyes. "So she might be capable of attacking the world… but she can't just drag someone in because she's afraid that they could receive a power that can let them equal her?"

Flügel nodded. "Which means that she'll also keep her distance from you, afraid of what you're capable. She'll send more Archbishops. They'll be very obviously aiming to capture you. If one of them is capable of doing exactly that, the entire threat leaves, and she can make true on her promise to you."

Which meant that as long as he didn't lose to an Archbishop, Pandora couldn't touch him.

It also meant that if he relied on someone much more powerful than him to take care of the threat, Pandora might think she overestimated him. Lelouch shook his head. That was unimportant, all he had to do was present a situation in which it looked like he was the one responsible.

The gleeful mood that was shared by Lelouch and Flügel vanished immediately when someone knocked on the door. Rather than worry about opening the door with a sword in his hand, Lelouch called out.

"Who is this?"

"It's a surprise! You got three guesses and the first one doesn't count!" Puck's voice echoed. Flügel transformed into a big bird and floated over to the door, opening the lock with his beak and pulling the door open. One of the earlier blank spots on the early pages turned open in the diary. Lelouch took a brief glance over the description of a spell that could lock and unlock doors based on the mana of a person and closed the book immediately, standing up from his desk and giving a small bow to the arrivals.

"Hello, Emilia, Puck," Lelouch greeted. Puck was standing in his own big form, standing about as tall as Emilia. Not to be outdone, Flügel shrunk slightly to be on eye level with the visitors.

"Ah! I must've gotten the false address! We're looking for a man without a spirit!" Puck said. Emilia pushed forward, moving around her spirit to bow to Flügel and give Lelouch a smile.

"Hello, Lelouch," she greeted. "You found a spirit to contract? That's wonderful!"

She sounded happy for him. Puck, however, looked rather suspicious.

"Who made you?" the ice-spirit asked.

"Ah!" Flügel said. Lelouch blinked. Puck pointed at him, echoing the same noise, though making it sound more like a question. "I am Alchiba, spirit of the starry skies, born of sunlight-"

"I meant who made you," Puck interrupted. "You're like Beatrice, aren't you?"

Lelouch gave the cat a glance before moving to the door. "Please, come in. I don't have a lot of furniture yet, but please make yourself at home."

Puck floated, turning small again. When Flügel did the same and settled on Lelouch's shoulder, Puck mirrored him and sat on Emilia's. The candidate took a seat on his bed, the book that Flügel was reading sitting on it. The page that was open described the atrocities of the Witch of Envy.

Coughing slightly, he quickly took the book, closing it and putting it on his desk. He knew Emilia had seen it, but if she was bothered by it, she didn't show it.

"Made him?" Lelouch asked. "I didn't know spirits could be made."

Sitting down in the chair he was in while he was holding his conversation with Flügel, Lelouch did his best to sound oblivious. Emilia nodded.

"I was surprised when I heard about it too," Emilia said. "Apparently some people are capable of creating spirits by giving them a piece of their soul and mana! Spirit contracts with your own mana are impossible to keep up, though."

"So one can't just force themselves into the role of the spirit mage," Lelouch concluded. Emilia nodded. "I apologize for my abrupt exit when we arrived in the capital. I had to set this place up first before I met with the castle to discuss the spell being distributed. The day after that I met with Anastasia Hoshin."

"It's alright!" Emilia said. "I understand! And, Hoshin was it? I haven't really heard a lot about her. I know she's from Kararagi and I'm acquaintances with her knight, Julius. I heard she took over the company when she was young and renamed it after her."

"She's quite the character." Lelouch nodded. "Though I didn't know the company had a different name before. I always thought she renamed herself after the company when she took over."

Though now that he has met her, it made more sense. Someone that prideful wouldn't make herself into 'Hoshin'. Instead, she'd take Hoshin and make it 'hers'.

"Who made you?" Puck repeated. "I felt your presence when we took Lelouch here to the capital. Did you have your contract then already?"

"I sealed the contract while I was unconscious," Lelouch said. Spirits were capable of entering people's bodies, he knew. Though unless one was willing or the spirit was strong, it might have negative effects on them. "Alchiba said he has lived near the Sanctuary."

"That'd explain it," Puck said, sounding convinced for once. "I don't really have much to do there. They're a rowdy bunch."

Flügel simply nodded, not saying anything, as if afraid that he'd be found out if he said the wrong thing. Puck was an old spirit, Lelouch knew. One of the oldest, if Julius was to be believed.

"I wanted to invite you," Emilia said. Lelouch nodded for her to continue. "There is a big event today in the castle. The five candidates will meet for the first time and proclaim their intention to become the next ruler."

She looked down, fidgeting with her fingers. Lelouch nodded again, speaking up this time. "I don't mind, though I'm not sure if my presence as a commoner and servant of no candidate would be welcome there."

"Sir Marcos gave the okay," Emilia said. Lady Felt wanted to invite you herself, but Sir Reinhard and her had something coming up. Sir Reinhard asked me to go in his stead because he felt that such an invitation should be given in person."

"I understand." Flügel transformed into the hairpin and attached himself to Lelouch's hair when Lelouch bowed, obviously uncomfortable with Puck's presence for some reason, in spite of his previously boisterous attitude. Deciding to question the Yang spirit later, Lelouch smiled at the half-elf. "I accept the invitation. Though I do wonder what my place there would be."

"The captain said that someone who had a duty to fulfil should be well acquainted with the Royal Guard, nobility and possible rulers," Emilia repeated the words of the captain, subconsciously copying his rather stern tone. "I don't really understand what he meant by that, but I was told you were invited to join the Royal Guard?"

Lelouch nodded. "Yes, yet I cannot join in good conscience right now, due to other duties."

Captain Marcos thought he wanted to destroy the witch cult due to regretting his past actions. Loyal as the man was to the country, he understood that giving Lelouch some help in presenting him to everyone, perhaps even call him by the title that was granted to him after the fight inside the Geis was beneficial to that plan.

The Witch Cult were a blight that had to be exterminated.

"I believe that we should not arrive at the same time, however," Lelouch said. Emilia nodded, understanding.

"We couldn't give them the wrong impression," Emilia agreed. Worry was etched on her voice. "They're not going to like me, are they? The stigma of my appearance…"

"It is in times like these that we surprise ourselves the most, Emilia," Lelouch said. "Stand proud and proclaim your intentions to them as you did to me, and no one will doubt that you're worthy of standing next to the others. If anything, I have the feeling that Lady Felt might be the one who faces an uphill struggle like yours."

"Are you sure?"

"I am," Lelouch said. "Though I've heard of this situation be described as both selection and election interchangeably, I'm not sure just how the next queen will be decided. If I had to guess, however, you'd have to prove yourself to be the one that will do her best for the kingdom."

No matter what the nobles or the sages will say, if she can't stand up for herself, she had no place in this selection. If she was only to be used as a stepping stone by the other candidates to surpass themselves, Lelouch wouldn't help her.

But he was impressed by her conviction. By her demand of equality. It was the same fire burning in her eyes that Euphemia had when she pushed for the special administration.

"It is impressive," Lelouch said. "That you have a contract with one of the six great spirits."

"Six?" Emilia asked. Puck blinked. "There are only four-"

"No, he's right," Puck said. "There are six. The other two aren't really common knowledge. I recall that they were both spirits of someone that the world would rather forget."

That was news, again. Julius obviously should know, his blessing, as Flügel described it, allowed him to talk with spirits and understand them in a way that nobody else could. Puck didn't tell Emilia for a reason. That reason could only be one thing. He didn't want her to find out who had those two spirits as contracts.

"Who was it?" Emilia asked. Lelouch grimaced, deciding to answer for the spirit that looked unhappy with the conversation.

"The Witch," Lelouch said. Flügel hummed, as if the memory was just returning to him. Emilia flinched. "So the four great spirits are what is public knowledge, and the six are only known to the few who have spirits themselves?"

Puck nodded. "It's not really something we like to talk about. Alchiba probably didn't know, being an artificial spirit. Most of them were created after the great catastrophe."

"Perhaps we should speak about this topic another time," Lelouch said, glancing at Emilia who suddenly looked resigned again. "I apologize for bringing it up. When Julius revealed to me that Puck was one of those great six, I was wondering just how anyone could doubt your presence in the castle."

"You're right," Emilia said. She looked up again, slapping her cheeks twice. "I'll not let anyone doubt me!"

She would either show that she was capable of standing on the same ground as the other four…

Or she would crash and burn. Lelouch couldn't tell which it would be, but he knew that the meeting would be very interesting either way.

Puck was nodding at Lelouch, appreciating the pep talk. Flügel was humming more.

'You still pretend that you did this to further your own goals,' his voice rang out in Lelouch's head. 'I don't think that's true at all.'

Lelouch ignored him.

###

Lelouch arrived at the castle and was led towards the throne room. He arrived early enough to see most of the nobles and knights arrive after him. Most of them didn't pay him much attention, though he could see Tristan's face among the nobles, greeting him with a smile, yet not approaching him.

Lelouch was given a place among the knights to the left of the room, while the nobles stood on the right. When all of them turned to face each other, and then turned towards the doors, Lelouch followed suit, watching as Crusch Karsten arrived with Felix in tow.

She gave him a glance as she passed him, stopping in front of the platform that held three thrones. Miklotov was sitting in one, a younger bald man sat in another, while the third was occupied by an elderly man that looked somewhere between the ages of Miklotov an the bald one. The Sages of the council, Lelouch assumed, would lead the proceedings. Crusch bowed to the Sages while Felix took a place next to Lelouch.

"Oh my, I didn't think we'd meet each other so soon," Felix said. "The hero who fought an Archbishop and won, what an honor."

Though Felix tried to sound teasing, the young man's feminine voice made it sound… different. The kind of voice that made some of the knights turn red in the face. Lelouch shrugged, giving Felix a smile.

"What can I say, I like the decor here too much," Lelouch said. "I understand that your mistress is rather unhappy with me."

"Well, considering what you did, you just made her suspicions grow," Felix admitted. "But right now I think she's just seeing you as a puzzle she wants to solve. Ah, my dear Lady Karsten so taken by a man~"

Lelouch chuckled. The doors opened again and Anastasia walked in, followed by Julius. She gave Lelouch a small nod as she passed, and Julius took his place next to them. Instead of striking up a conversation with them, Julius simply glanced towards the door again, and Emilia walked in a second afterwards.

The one that accompanied her was Mathers. Roswaal was dressed in his usual outfit, with the usual makeup, and Emilia didn't even glance at Lelouch as she walked up to the Sages, bowing to them. She had steel in her eyes and posture. Roswaal had a carefully crafted facade on him, but something was going on with him.

"This isn't good," Felix muttered. Emilia's appearance made the room explode into mutters, the nobles especially loud in their vicious conversations. Though some people seemed to complain about Anastasia as much as they did about Emilia.

"No, look," Julius said, smiling at the silver-haired girl. "She has something planned."

Lelouch nodded. She was unyielding. Unwavering. The only thing that made her turn was the loud steps of the next candidate arriving. Priscilla walked in, her head held high, dressed in the finest red dress that showed off an impressive amount of cleavage as she took her place next to the others, not giving the Sages a bow.

Aldebaran stepped next to Lelouch. "Yo, Lelouch."

Lelouch gave him a nod, not trusting himself to speak just yet. He gathered his thoughts for a moment and turned his head up, glancing at the man who hid his head with the helmet. "Is that outfit appropriate for such a setting?"

"Eh, it's not like I care," Aldebaran said. "Nor does the lady. I want to apologize."

"For what?"

"I upset you the last time we spoke," Aldebaran said. "Someone that someone like me should never do, out of respect to your mother."

"You're upsetting me once more by bringing her up," Lelouch said, narrowing his eyes. The man knew things, but he didn't know everything. If he gave him the right kind of information, Priscilla wouldn't be as effective if she ever decided to threaten him with what she knew. "My mother has died. My father was responsible."

Aldebaran made a choked noise. Lelouch didn't mind bringing it up here. Aldebaran would tell Priscilla, while the other knights would tell their own mistresses. It gave them 'something'. Information, however sparse, kept people wondering. He wasn't sure what Crusch would do with it, but he knew that with what Anastasia knew of him, the trading company's owner wouldn't bother him with it.

"Ah," Aldebaran said. "Typical."

The masked man sounded bitter. Lelouch just ignored him. Eventually, Felt arrived.

Her arrival was accompanied by her incredibly distinct scowling expression. If there was ever a face that clearly said 'I don't want to be here', then that was it. Reinhard, the knight and servant, trailed behind her dutifully. Just like Priscilla before her, she put herself in front of the Sages and gave not a sign of acknowledgment to them. The whispers grew louder.

"Though the information is not widespread, the rumors are true, as you are all aware," Sir Marcos stepped forward, silencing the entire hall as Reinhard took his spot in the front row of the knights, rather than near Lelouch and the others. "Half a year ago, all of the royal family died, succumbing to the same disease. It is in times like these, when Lugnica is threatened to fall into ruin, that the Dragon aids us. The Dragon prophecy stone that was left behind by it gave us the instructions to turn pieces of it into five emblems. All of them have eventually found themselves in the hands of the candidates."

Prophecy stone? Lelouch would have to ask about that later on. The candidates stood in the front, raising the emblems. The shining red light illuminated the Sages for a moment before Miklotov nodded.

"All five of them pass the requirement to be the next Dragon shrine maiden," he said. "And thus are capable of continuing the covenant with the Dragon by taking up the mantle of the queen. The topic of our discussion today is simple. It is the proclamation of ideologies. I wish for all candidates to step forward and give us their reason to stand here."

"I will go first." Crusch announced. She did, with raised head and deliberate steps, she put herself in the front of the room, turning on her heel to face the assembled knights and nobles. In that motion, she pulled the sword she had on her back off and planted it on the ground in front of her, both of her hands on the hilt. "Ferris!"

Felix stepped forward, taking his place next to his candidate.

"Very well," Marcos said, raising his voice. "The first candidate to make their speech will be Crusch Karsten, and her knight Felix Argyle!"

Crusch stared at them. Her eyes were calculative. Piercing. Her gaze lingered not one second over the other candidates, and instead hung over the head of the nobles as if she was staring at insects.

"As introduced," Crusch began. "I am the Duchess Karsten, head of the House Karsten, the oldest family of this kingdom as cousins to the royal family."

Without a doubt the favorite. Lelouch could see the nobles cower in front of her gaze.

"My family influenced the politics of this kingdom and has aided the royal family in their every need," Crush said. "And I know you think nothing will change. You are wrong. Though not many know this, I will proclaim it here and now, for the world to hear."

Felix grinned when Crusch took a deeper breath.

"Are you not embarrassed?!" she shouted, her voice carried through the room. Lelouch could feel wind mana around her aid her speech, letting her question ring through the room longer than it had any right while the nobles were muffled. "Do you feel no shame?!"

Lelouch could feel the pressure in the room increase steadily.

"What is the meaning of this, Lady Karsten?" one of the nobles stepped up. She silenced him with a glare.

"The kingdom that has prospered under the Dragon has grown weak!" she said, the words she had told him a while ago coming up again. The elderly man on the left of Miklotov stood up.

"Lady Karsten, the-"

She didn't let him speak one word, instead raising her sword and slamming it down, creating a gust of wind that made him fall back into his chair. This was her show, and she wouldn't let anyone interrupt her.

"You're stagnant. Confident under the wing of the dragon. Yet in the darkness that befell our country forty years ago, in the uprising of the rebels, the Dragon did rear its head! I tell you here and now that under my rule, the covenant with the dragon will be abolished! If the serpent will not protect our country, then we must become the serpent! Dragon or not, Lugnica is the kingdom of the people!"

The last sentence was met with deafening silence. Felix's grin threatened to split his face. Even Marcos looked impressed by the display, though uncowed. The nobles, however, were shaking.

"Do you wish to add anything to that, Felix?" Marcos asked. Felix nodded.

"Please, call me Ferris," he said to the assembled people. Marcos just shook his head. "There is certainly a place for people like my lady, and that is a place to rule over others. Someone like her brings out the strength of people. There is nobody that would lead this kingdom into a more prosperous golden age than her - not even the Dragon."

"Very well," Marcos said. "Thank you, Lady Karsten."

She stepped off the platform, and Priscilla stepped forward, not giving anyone else the chance to make the first step. Aldebaran followed after her and took his place a step behind her to her right.

"Priscilla Barielle and her… servant, Aldebaran," Marcos said, unsure about what title he should give the man. "Could you take off your helmet?"

"No," Aldebaran said. "It's not a pretty sight."

He lifted the helmet slightly, showing off an impressive collection of scars on his chin before putting it down again. Some people shuddered at the sight. Marcos simply nodded, and left him be. Priscilla took a step forward towards the edge of the platform.

"This," she said, spreading her arms. "Is my show. The world revolves around me, and everything that happens will always happen in my favor. There is no doubt that I will become the queen of this country!"

She was certainly confident. Prideful. The fact that she wasn't even paying attention to the reactions of the people made it clear that there was not a bit of worry or doubt in her words. She honestly believed what she was saying.

"There are no ifs in my vocabulary," Priscilla announced. "There is no hesitation. If I see something and I want it, it will be mine. Therefore, the heavens have already declared me the ruler! Therefore, there is nobody as qualified as me to become queen! All you need to do is be obedient!"

The speech ended abruptly. And Aldebaran took the stand in her place, not waiting for Marcos to ask if he had anything to say.

"She's strong," Aldebaran said. "Impressively so, and whenever she makes a guess, it will come true. Though her words might sound arrogant and prideful, I have no doubt that they are true, because I've seen it with my own eyes. When she becomes queen, there will be prosperity."

Not if. When.

There are no ifs in her vocabulary after all.

"Bloodstained Bride!" one man shouted. "There's nothing that the heavens bring when it is hell that follows after you! Every husband you married died!"

Priscilla ignored the man. Aldebaran, however, did not.

"Under her care, the land of her late husband has grown to prosperity," he said. "If it is not heaven that follows her every step, then heaven must be jealous of whatever granted her this gift."

They stepped off, and the third one was Anastasia Hoshin. The girl gave the crowd the most innocent smile and waited for Julius to join her. The noble who shouted at Priscilla was one of those that shook the most after Crusch's speech.

"The foreigner, hm?" Miklotov said. "Marcos?"

"Anastasia Hoshin and her knight Julius Juukulius," Marcos announced.

"Yo!" Anastasia greeted them all with a wave. Her appearance was the same as yesterday when they had dinner, the overdressed presentation of her expensive bright clothes were in stark contrast to the darker colors of the throne room. "I don't think we need to introduce us, because that's not what this is about. My ideology is simple."

She clapped her hands together.

"I want an empire, I want this kingdom" she said. "When I took over the Hoshin trading company, I realized that I wanted more. And more and more and more. I took more and more until there was nothing left to take. If you want me to put it into words, I'm a pretty greedy gal. When I got really rich, I felt even poorer than before."

She pointed at her cheeks with a bright smile that was only betrayed by the impressive glint in her eyes.

"Because the more I have, the more I want to own. I want to take care of all of you, and make the world mine," she proclaimed. "So you don't need to worry about anything. Everyone will benefit from me! So just smile like I do, and become mine."

The impression he got from her wasn't wrong.

She wasn't just 'greedy'. She was beyond avaricious. Lelouch felt himself shiver when she glanced at him as she stressed the last word.

"I don't care about your Dragons. I don't care about your past," she continued. "So don't worry about anything! Just hand me the crown."

Julius stepped forward when she finished and bowed to the assembled people. "Though she called it greed, I disagree." He righted himself up from the bow. "Perhaps it would be better to call it ambition and passion. The one most worthy to become the ruler of this country should be the one who doesn't aim for the stars, but for the sun itself to become their possession."

Three candidates of five. Lelouch felt confused. The proclamation of ideologies they called it. "It feels strange."

"What does?" Felix asked.

"In how simple it seems, but yet how their words shake the bodies and hearts of the assempled nobles," Lelouch said. "Even some knights seem…"

"Yeah," Aldebaran said. "The Dragon didn't choose them for no reason. They have a certain presence. You give off the same feeling."

Lelouch glanced at the man. The presence of a king? Even Priscilla's rather weak and short speech had a certain force behind it. Someone who didn't have to choose her words carefully to achieve the desired effect.

Reinhard stepped forward next, taking the lead when it became obvious that Emilia wanted to go last. Helping Felt onto the platform, he stood to her left, bowing to the assembled people.

"Ideology, huh?" Felt asked. The people grimaced at her appearance, and Felt just grinned at the nobles. "Alright, then let me talk. It'll be really simple. My name is Felt. By the looks of it, I'm a bastard from when one of the royals couldn't keep it in their pants. Big surprise, isn't it?"

Lelouch couldn't say it was. His father was proof of that. When the nobles gave a cry of outrage, she just smiled wider.

"Now shut up," she said, raising her hand towards them. "Or I will order Reinhard to shut you up. I'll make it quick. I hate you. Knights?"

She lifted her other hand, waving it towards them.

"You disgust me. Nobles?"

She opened her left hand like the right and made the pointing into another wave.

"The gallows would be too good for you."

Reinhard didn't look too happy with her words, but it was less about her ideology, and more about the fact that she was making everyone in the room her enemy.

"I grew up among mud and feces, even the scraps of you nobles were too good to ever reach us," she said. "I hate you! All of you! Because you don't care about the people, you only care about yourselves! Dragons? Who cares?! Land disputes? Go fuck yourself! If I become queen, I'll crush you! Your illusions of grandeur and superiority will be shattered like glass under my feet! And I'll use my blood to write the messages on the tombs where you will bury your titles! Your gold will be given to the poor, and you'll be given rags, until you realize just how well you have it being born with a silver spoon in your mouths!"

Reinhard stepped up when she was done, and gave a soft smile to everyone. They were shaking like with Crusch, only this time in anger rather than in fear.

"Though her words might be crude, heed them," Reinhard said. "As the last living member of the Royal family, her claim is the strongest, and her actions will speak for themselves. With a conviction like that, I have no doubt that Lady Felt would make a splendid queen."

"I'll even allow guys to marry," Felt decided. Aldebaran laughed. Reinhard and Lelouch just nodded, expecting something like that.

###

It took a while for the assembly to go quiet again. The moment that Emilia stepped forward, they exploded again, and one stare towards them silenced them immediately. The frigid cold that seemed to follow after her was creating crystals in the air.

Lelouch resisted the smile that was about to creep up on his face. He gave her the idea that the presentation and first impression was important, and she seemed to have taken it to heart. While she lacked the presence the other four had, she had an entirely different one. When Mathers stepped forward with her, the people paid attention.

"I will not stand for this," the bald Sage said. "Roswaal! How dare you bring her here?"

The people turned to him, and Miklotov frowned at his fellow Sage. "Sir Bordeaux, you have no right to disagree."

"Are you kidding me?" the now named Bordeaux said. "The devil's appearance mirrors that of the Witch that brought ruin on this world! There is no way-"

Despite the ill will that was aimed at her, Emilia didn't flinch. It was like her heart had turned to ice. Lelouch could barely recognize the girl that had stuttered her way through a conversation the first time he met her at Roswaal's mansion.

"I am sure you understand," Roswaal said. "It'd be inappropriate to call her a scapegoat, but would you rather think of her like that?"

Bordeaux looked confused for a moment. "Surely you don't mean…"

"Roswaal," Emilia said, her voice sending shivers down everyone's spine. "Please, take your place next to the nobles."

Roswaal obviously didn't expect that reaction, something on his face just shouted 'this went wrong'. When the air around Emilia froze, Puck appeared, his form turning into that of a predator. He took the size of half the platform. That was him. Emilia's knight.

"The… the beast?!" Bordeaux asked.

"The beast at the end of the eternally frozen lands," Miklotov muttered. "It is you who has contracted him?"

"Evil seeks evil!" Boredaux said. "Of course the beast would accompany someone who had the image of the Witch."

"You have a big mouth for a powerless man," Puck said, his voice sounding menacing. Lelouch blinked. He made a mistake. A huge one at that.

While he wasn't wrong in underestimating Emilia to a certain point, he made a mistake in what kind of person she was. In what kind of character. Emilia wasn't the side-character in a Britannian play. Far from it.

She was the antagonist.

Flügel's voice echoed through his mind. 'Puck is coating her. She's using him as a medium to present herself differently. It's incredibly hard to do while also keeping your own body.'

Lelouch nodded. Of course she couldn't simply change like that within a few hours. Instead, the push that Lelouch gave her made her go for a measure that he couldn't have predicted. It was fascinating. The other four candidates, even Priscilla, paid attention to her.

"My name is Emilia," she said, the cold melting slightly as she bowed to the assembly. "Though I have no family, and bear no other names, I've come to stand here because I've been chosen, and I have my goals. The reason I want this kingdom is simple."

She spread her arms not unlike Anastasia before her. "I want equality. Demi-humans and humans, the commoners and the nobles. I want a kingdom in which everyone is given the same rights. Though you'd claim it is so, I have seen for a fact that it is not. I do not care if you call me devil or monster. I do not care if the people tremble due to my appearance. What I care about is the change I will bring to this place, and whether you like it or not, you will call me queen. If it is the Dragon who has chosen me as candidate, one of the three that have sealed the Witch of Envy, then who are you to decline me? Who are you to question my presence here?"

The magical effect around her shattered as Puck vanished and she stepped off, taking her place next to the other candidates. Crusch looked at Emilia more seriously now, recognizing the threat the young woman presented now. Emilia turned slightly red as her normal personality bled through the spirit posession.

"Okay," Felix said. "I didn't expect that."

Julius nodded, wide-eyed. "I've never seen a spirit and their contractor to be so in sync."

Of course Julius would notice it. Felix, however, nodded as well.

"Very well, we have heard all five of them," Miklotov said, nodding. He was the only one obviously not shaken by the display before him. Even Roswaal looked like he had swallowed something sour. "We will continue discussions in private, and reveal the ideologies to the public tomorrow morning. Thank you for coming today."

The people walked out, while Emilia approached Lelouch quickly, looking slightly flushed and out of breath, obviously from the display she had put on. When they were in relative privacy, she bowed to him deeply.

"Thank you for your advice," she said. Lelouch waved her off.

"It's nothing," Lelouch said. "I didn't expect you do something that impressive, I admit. It was a rather stunning display of your magic."

"Thank you," Emilia said. "Puck will need to sleep for a while now, but he was really happy I decided to do something like this."

"I can imagine," Lelouch said. "It's like a friend of mine once said. All you need to have is guts…"

Lelouch trailed off. Something felt wrong. Giving her his best smile, Lelouch bowed slightly.

"You have others matters to attend, and I have to go as well, good luck, Lady Emilia," Lelouch said. Emilia smiled at him and turned to follow the candidates towards a more private room.

###

When Lelouch was out of the castle, he immediately summoned Flügel. The cold headache from before returned.

"Something is wrong," Lelouch said. Flügel was already huge enough to carry him and did so without much trouble. Their destination was his home.

"What is?" Flügel asked. "I can't feel anything weird going on." "It's not that there is something," Lelouch muttered. "It's like there's something missing."

The expenditure of mana and quick movement to his home left Lelouch stumbling through the door after unlocking it. He hit the side of his head with his middle finger. There was something. Grabbing a book where he kept his notes inside from the shelf, Lelouch opened it and grabbed a pen.

"Names," Lelouch said. Flügel closed the door behind them and turned into a human form, standing behind Lelouch as the man began to scribble them down. He knew them all. His friends back in the school. Back before everything. The council members.

Nunnally. Suzaku. Kallen. Rivalz. Shirley. Nina. /

A line. Lelouch stared at it as if it were an eternity. The pen dug a hole into the paper. What letter did this line become? A P? An N? He couldn't tell, the cold headache growing worse by the minute. He did it again.

Nunnally. Suzaku. Kallen. Rivalz. Shirley. Nina. The pen shattered in his hands, the ink staining the pages of the empty book. Standing up, his hands shaking, Lelouch turned around and grabbed Flügel by the collar.

"FLÜGEL!" he shouted. "Why can't I remember their name?"

Their. Him? Her?

The cold headache became like a tight embrace, making him breathless. Satella giggled.