25 Chapter Twenty-Five: Fallout in Britannia

The Britannian Homeland, at one point it was the envy of the world. The efforts of the previous Emperor had led to advances in their society that aimed to become the pillar for all humanity to look up to and emulate. A nation of supermen who had shown strength without corruption. The strength they had used not to conquer others but to conquer themselves and the evils that plagued men.

But those days were gone. All science, all knowledge, all advancements had been reserved for the Emperor and his Eden Elite. The common people were left to work in fear and in misery. Given only scraps of food and almost no medicine, the commoners of Britannia were left sick, weak, and hungry.

But a considerable number were angry and choose to do what they could to fight back.

More often than not they were met with painful, agonizing failure.

But then there came the reports of the defeats of the Eden Elite in Europe. Despite the efforts of V.V's censors, the word still got out, and the riots began. Riots and increased activity from what were considered terrorists by the Eden Elite. But the Eden Elite were reserved for the orders of the Emperor. As such he delegated these 'terrorists' to his various nieces and nephews whom he had allowed to live.

Schneizel el Britannia, the Prime Minister who tried to keep the day to day operations of the Empire afloat while the Emperor occupied his time with other matters.

Guinevere de Britannia, the Chief Treasurer who was engaged to V.V's close ally Amadeus Bludbierd.

Carine ne Britannia, whose sadistic nature earned her the position of chief interrogator.

And Marrybell mel Britannia, head of the anti-terrorist group known as the Glinda Knights.

Marrybell, craving oxygen, poked her head out of the hot bath water. The first thing she saw was her knight Oldrin Zevon, standing at the edge of the tub. She had a towel placed at the edge. The expression on Oldrin's face was a sad one, and looking over her shoulder, Marrybell could see why. Her uncle V.V had chose to come visit. Were it any other man who had come to interrupt her bath she knew Oldrin would have struck them down for daring to look at her princess nude. But V.V was no mere man and not just because of his status as emperor.

"Uncle," said Marrybell, moving for the towel, "how nice to see you."

"Oh dear Marrybell, please don't get out on my account," said V.V, placing his hand on the towel. "I plan to make this a brief visit."

"Oh," said Marrybell, straightening herself.

Her uncle's eyes lingered upon her nude body but made no effort to cover herself.

"I take it you've heard by now what happened in Europe not long after you left Marrybell?" asked V.V, turning to Oldrin.

"I did," said Marrybell.

"And what would you have done?" asked V.V. "If you were not ordered to return right away?"

"The operations of the Eden Elite are to be respected and obeyed," said Marrybell. "I would have done nothing."

"Oh yeah?" said V.V, looking back at Marrybell as he took some of Oldrin's hair in his fingers.

"I am loyal uncle," said Marrybell, the mark of Geass shining in her left eye, a sign of her contract with her uncle.

"I'm sure," said V.V. "Although, I must wonder given the reports it would appear your sisters Cornelia and Euphemia have turned to treason. Siding with the whore Marianne. And you can be safe to assume that Lelouch and Nunnally are there as well dear niece. You know what I will do when I have them all in my clutches don't you?"

"I can guess uncle," said Marrybell.

"And this doesn't disturb you?" asked V.V.

"I believe the world can only be at peace when the world is united under Britannia," said Marrybell.

V.V moved like a snaked and grabbed Marrybell by the throat when she finished that sentence.

"Under what?" asked V.V.

"Under...you uncle," Marrybell chocked, "and the Eden Elite."

V.V released Marrybell, allowing her to fall to the edge of the tub to catch her breath. As he straightened himself V.V noticed Oldrin with her hand on her sword.

"I do hope you were not thinking of striking at your Emperor?" asked V.V, getting in close to Oldrin.

"Of course not your majesty," said Oldrin straightening herself.

V.V then walked up to Oldrin and began undoing her uniform.

"I've not forgotten your request my niece," said V.V opening Oldrin's blouse, revealing her breasts.

As he said that V.V. placed his hands in Oldrin's pants and pulled them down, leaving the female knight nude before the Emperor. Marrybell summoned all the will she had in her body to control herself as her beautiful knight was being molested by her uncle right in front of her.

"But you are denied," said V.V, turning back to Marrybell. "Use this doll as you will but you may never call her your bride. It is only for your loyalty and the loyalty displayed by your uncle that I do not condemn her to a brothel where she belongs."

V.V turned back to Oldrin and grabbed her womanhood in his hand.

"All you are is Marrybell's whore, I order you to say that," said V.V.

"All I am is Marrybell's wore," said Oldrin.

"Never forget that, either of you," said V.V.

He turned back to Marrybell and licked his hands in front of her face.

"Those rats I send you after have begun to be more troublesome," said V.V. "No doubt thanks to that little trouble in Europe filling them with piss. They're beginning to bother my interests and my Eden Elite. Exterminate them."

"Of course uncle," said Marrybell.

"Good dear niece," said V.V. "Enjoy your bath."

Oldrin had broken down not long after V.V had left. Having his hands run up and down her naked body, while his eyes roamed over her beloved princess. Of course Marrybell did all she could to comfort her knight. As she held her sweet Oldrin in her arms she cut a furious glare at the door through with her uncle had departed.

V.V left the bath and exited Marrybell's villa where Bludbierd sat waiting in his private limo.

"Well?" asked Bludbierd.

"She says what she knows I want to hear," said V.V.

"She is the one, I am sure of it," said Bludbierd. "But I don't think she's working alone. She could have help from a sibling."

"Keep looking into it," said V.V. "Although I believe she won't be sending any correspondence to Marianne any time soon. She'll be busy licking her wounds and those of her children. Of course it wouldn't be an issue at all if you had simply brought her to me in the first place."

"Recall Vincent, I serve you at my convenience," said Bludbierd. "Our interests merely align but my loyalty is as always to myself. Never forget that boy."

V.V grumbled but didn't push the matter any further. Bludbierd was indeed his senior and too valuable of an asset to make an enemy of now. He had made himself incredibly useful, especially in rooting out enemies, and other issues that needed dealing with in the Eden Elite.

His skill at finding enemies had earned him something of a nickname, the Demon's Detective they called him at times. V.V believed Bludbierd actually enjoyed that title.

"We may have suffered a loss and the rabble may get out of hand," said V.V. "And we cannot risk the spy giving information to Marianne if we attempt to make a move on her for the foreseeable future. For now we will focus on domestic issues. I intend to denounce Euphemia and Cornelia and the sheep in Area 11 will be revoked of their Britannian citizenship. Let the anger of the Elevens offer a nice distraction."

"I could help with that," said Bludbierd.

"I want you focusing on Marrybell," said V.V. "Whether she makes contact with Marianne or if he tries to offer some sort of aid to the new rats that pop up I want to know everything. No matter how long it takes keep an eye on her."

"And just what will you be doing your majesty," said Bludbierd.

"I'm going to get the boy ready," said V.V.

Bludbierd's raised an eyebrow of interest. The boy, it had finally come to that. The car phone suddenly went off and V.V answered. The news was not to his liking.

One of the great aspects of Britannia had been the great structures built in the cities. Made strong and made swiftly with a revolutionary development in the making of steel and concrete, Britannia housed marvels of architecture.

One such was a statue of V.V standing proud in armor holding in his hands chains which were placed around the necks of statues bearing the images of Marianne placed outside the Aries Villa's ruins.

It was considered V.V's most prized piece. It made a nice heap of rubble once the bomb went off. It was a small act of rebellion but V.V was sure to get the message. At least that was what Gino hoped.

It wasn't easy sneaking onto the forbidden structure, but it wasn't too hard either. Thanks to the wise advice of the informant the bomb was strong enough and he had been able to get the right credentials to sneak in and sneak out.

'I hope V.V knows that we're serious,' thought Gino, walking down the streets.

He had ditched the garb of an Eden Elite soldier and assumed the clothes of a common worker. He blended in with the crowd of miserable workers heading to their jobs. The biggest jobs there were in Britannia were in the munitions factories. Many of them had been made so large that they took up entire city blocks, former residents forced into cramped ghettos. Several families could often be forced into one lone room where you would be lucky if you had indoor plumbing at best. This was where Gino Weinberg found himself living nowadays. Not because he had been forced to but because he could no longer stay in the manor of his family.

Not only had they sold out to legitimize V.V. but when he had fallen in love with the maid, a young beauty from Japan, she had been whipped to death before Gino's own eyes. Under the order of V.V mingling with other races was strictly forbidden. He had said it was to preserve the genetic superiority of Britannia. But to Gino, he had simply lost his first love and he thus abandoned the family. He had even forsaken his term in the Britannian military academy despite his high marks. He did not want to risk getting drafted into the Eden Elite. He had heard the rumors of what happens to ensure complete obedience to the Emperor. Horrible things about inhumane experimentation among other monstrosities.

It was difficult completely abandoning the nobility for the working class. Gino had to get used to getting his hands dirty. To the grime and the shoot and the dangerous conditions of the factories. But he managed none the less. But that didn't mean the workers were any more peaceful. The frustration, the fear, and the anger caused by their working and living conditions made the ghettos a lawless place. One particular evening Gino had come across a young woman set upon by a gang of workers, all from the same factory he worked in. The men were drunken from V.V's branded 'Imperial Gin' and had made their intentions to work of their frustrations all over the young woman.

While the girl had appeared to be skilled enough to hold her own she was still out numbered. Thus Gino, recalling what true nobility was supposed to be about, rushed in and offered aid.

The girl, Monica Krushevski, impressed by the skill Gino had displayed, made covert efforts from then on to gain Gino's attention. While at first Gino thought she was trying to proposition him for a sexual relationship. Especially when she handed him a note asking to meet her in a private place.

But that was far from the case as when Gino met with Monica he was beset with men and was blindfolded. Back then he had thought he had been caught by some covert version of the Eden Elite hiding in the workers of Britannia.

But when the hood came off he had found himself in a room filled with people close to his own age.

'Best day of my life,' thought Gino as he retraced his way back that ally.

That was the day Gino had been drafted into the Knights Underground. Their leader was none other than a former candidate for the Knights of the Round, Nonette Enneagram. Although there was apparently a benefactor whom none but Nonette had seen. Calling himself Zugzwang, he had supplied all the tactical information they ever needed. While they never did anything as full scale or as flashy as what Zero had done with the Black Knights, the Knights Underground made sure they were a thorn in the side of the Eden Elite. They forced V.V to keep their existence silent.

Covert acts of thievery and sabotage, and a well played game of cat and mouse with Princess Marrybell's Glinda Knights. They were sure to make their work as quiet as possible, but that the message was loud and clear.

But now, after the defeat of the Eden Elite in Europe and Euro Britannia's separation, the Knights Underground were getting ready for even bigger acts of rebellion.

'I just wish Zugzwang would show himself,' thought Gino. 'He could be a powerful symbol for Britannia. If only we knew who he was.'

Schneizel tended to his garden, the news of the recent events playing in his head. It was quite impressive to see what had been accomplished so far. He agreed Marianne's plan was brilliant. Breaking off half of the empire sent a powerful message and his uncle was sure to work him well to quell the situation. But there was no controlling the fire that had been lit.

'Dear Stepmother, your intelligence has always been one worthy of my respect and adoration,' thought Schneizel.

"Your highness," said the voice of Kanon Maldini, Schneizel's personal assistant.

"I'm guessing it has something to do with my dear uncle isn't it?" asked Schneizel, rising to his feet.

"Indeed," said Kanon. "His majesty is greatly troubled by the vandalism of his statue at the Aries Villa."

"My uncle's ego has suffered a blow. Surely we must launch all out legions," said Schneizel. "Cry Havoc and unleash the dogs of war."

Kanon laughed lightly as both he and Schneizel walked back to the villa.

"His majesty would like you to commission a replacement," Kanon continued. "As well as find a way to replace the losses of profits we are to expect now that Euro Britannia has declared independence."

"No small feat but I have anticipated something like this happening," said Schneizel. "And what does his majesty intend to do about this?"

"The Emperor said he plans to focus on domestic defenses," said Kanon.

"How noble," said Schneizel. "I believe we are in for a long game Kanon, and we're all pieces on the board."

V.V, furious at he loss of his statue, returned to his palace. He took out his fury on a few of his servants. But as soon as they were dead and he was alone, V.V suddenly felt a sense of exhaustion. No physical exhaustion but perhaps a mental exhaustion.

He decided to take a constitutional to a place he often went to when he wanted to be alone. A lone church on the outskirts of the city of Pendragon. V.V had long banned religion in Britannia, and even Charles before him really had no care for it.

But both of them made to sure that this church remained. It was rundown and abandoned, but yet it still stood. Both emperors had kept the building standing. It meant something to the both of them.

"So many years, yet this place still lingers," said V.V.

His mind went back, back to a time when he and Charles had first entered this church. When they both needed sanctuary. When they both realized God was utterly worthless.

"I come here to be alone," said V.V, hearing light steps.

He knew who it was of course, damn Bludbierd, whenever he does obey it does usually come in a way meant to annoy V.V.

"We came here Charles and I," said V.V. "It was a long time ago. Even then this place was a dump. But he and I both just couldn't help but come back here from time to time."

V.V looked up at the image of Jesus on the cross and scowled before rising to meet his summoned guest.

"My Eden Elite have suffered their first great defeat," said V.V. "It's difficult to admit but it is true. This is beginning to get serious. I need to stall for time until my plans can come into fruition. I will need your help very soon my boy. Without a doubt you will be my greatest weapon against Marianne, and especially against Lelouch."