Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass characters; I just like to play with them. I wrote this story for my amusement only (and yours too) I hope you like it. Up until now, all my stories have been one-shots; this is my first attempt at a longer story so please review and go easy on me. I welcome ideas and constructive criticism but only if inquired respectively. Thank you, enjoy, and please review!

On a note: To those of you who are new to my story, I recently got a new cover art for it drawn by Miss Jessica Prando. The larger version can be found on DeviantArt: #/art/The-Empress-and-her-Knight-384508866?_sid=7855e72c

Prologue: The Girl Who Would Be Empress

It was well past midnight in the Britannian homeland, long past bedtime for the citizens who had to be up early the next morning for work; very few people were up and about unless they were working the graveyard shift. In the imperial palace, huddled in her chamber, Princess Nunnally vi Britannia sat in bed, her arms folded over her knees as she gazed out the moonlit window in an empty stare. It had only been a few days since her brother's assassination and she had not yet recovered from the shock. For now, she could not shed any more tears, having shed all she physically could for the day but her heart still wept for the brother she would never see again.

Lelouch was dead. The loving brother who had protected and provided for her these past eight years was gone forever. Never again would she hear his words of love and reassurance or feel the gentle touch of his hand. Even though it was only briefly, she was grateful that she was at least able to see his face again one last time before he met his violent end as the supposed tyrannical 'Mad Emperor' as he was called.

Nunnally was snapped out of her trance when she heard someone knock at the door. She was not in the mood to see anyone today, even though she had not left her chamber or spoken to anyone in over half a week; she still wanted to be left alone with her grief. Yet she was curious to see who would come to her chamber at such a late hour.

"Who is it?" She called out softly.

Instead of answering, the person on the other side of the door opened it slowly and entered the room with quiet footsteps. It was a masked man in a dark suit that she recognized all too well.

"Zero!" she gasped. Fear and alarm made her forget her grief briefly as she braced herself for danger. Grabbing a dagger from her wall, she brandished it at the masked man. "You bastard, you murdered my brother!" she spat "Have you come for me now as well?"

Nunnally tried her best not to let the fear show on her face but her voice gave her away. She knew the man could easily dispatch her but that doesn't mean she'd let him do so without a fight.

"Have no fear, Princess, I will not harm you" the man said softy "I only wished to speak with you."

Nunnally lowered the dagger in her hand a little, her curiosity peaked. "If you are not here for my life, then what do you want?" she asked.

The man known as Zero slowly reached up and removed the mask from his face. Even in the dimly moonlit room, Nunnally could make out his smooth refined features, chestnut-brown hair and emerald-green eyes.

"Who are you?"

Suzaku was not surprised. Of course, she wouldn't recognize him by his looks, having only just regained her vision recently. "Its me…" he said simply. Without the voice modifier of the mask, Nunnally thought she recognized his natural voice but still wasn't sure. Sensing her doubt, Suzaku reached for her hand which she quickly jerked back in alarm. "It's alright" he gently assured her "I promise I will not harm you. Please trust me."

Nunnally was still a little fearful at first but finally gave in since she felt no ill intent from the man. From what she could see, he was a youth about the same age as Lelouch.

When he touched her hand in that familiar way, it finally dawned on her.

"Suzaku?" she gasped as she stared at him in shock. Her surprise did not come of just discovering his true identity. In all the years Nunnally had known him, she knew Suzaku only by the sound of his voice and gentle touch of his hand upon hers. When she finally saw his face for the first time, she was stunned speechless for she didn't think there was any man out there as handsome as her late brother until now.

Even so, the princess still hadn't forgotten what he had done. After she had recovered from her shock, her anger returned. "Why?" she shrieked "You were his best friend!" She already knew why but she wanted to hear it from Suzaku himself as if to confirm what she saw when she touched her dying brother's hand.

The dark knight was silent for a moment. He wasn't sure how to explain. It was times like these that he sorely envied Lelouch's intellect and way with words. His friend always knew how to handle and what to say in every situation, especially where Nunnally was concerned. He tried to think of a softer way to say it but couldn't so he thought simplicity would work best for now.

"Because he asked me to…" Suzaku answered softly, lowering his head and avoiding her eyes as if he were ashamed to look her in the face. He was afraid of what he would see, what he didn't want to see; the look of a woman betrayed. He wanted to explain everything to her, how all this was Lelouch's own plan; that was one of the reasons he came to see her tonight. But he hesitated because he wasn't sure how she would take it. He shifted uncomfortably, trying to think of what to say. Luckily, he didn't have to say anything since she already knew.

Nunnally's expression softened. "So its true…" she whispered. "Not only did he know, he actually planned his own assassination."

Now it was Suzaku's turn to be shocked. "Yes, how did you know?"

"I saw everything when he touched my hand, must have been due to the geass, no doubt."

Nunnally felt the tears welling up in her eyes again. Knowing doesn't necessarily make things easier. Suzaku sat down on the bed next to her and took her in his arms, letting her rest her head on his shoulder in comfort. Stroking her hair gently, he leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Don't be sad, Nunnally. This is what he wanted; Lelouch gave his life for you as well as the peace of the world. Please don't let it be a needless sacrifice; you must be strong for what lies ahead."

Nunnally looked up at him, puzzled. "I don't understand, what do you mean?"

The Knight smiled down at her. "I promised Lelouch I would protect you. He has named you his sole heir and successor so please be strong, for you will soon be empress, empress of all Britannia..."

A/N: Ok, this is only a prologue and the plot might not unfold for another chapter or two so please be patient and bear with me. Since I see so few of them, I have decided to write a fic centered mostly on Nunnally and Suzaku. So basically, in this story, Suzaku becomes her chief protector as Zero when she becomes empress and her life becomes threatened and somewhere along the line, they fall in love. : )