COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: Any recognizable elements belong to Attack on Titan, Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, A Song of Ice and Fire
NOTES: WEEEE!!! We're off and running now. Just so you all know, as we get further into the story, things will get more violent. I'll try to keep up on the trigger warnings and tag anything major. We get some pay off finally and some questions answered. And more questions added. I can't tell you everything yet.
TRIGGER WARNING: Murder, gore, discussion of suicide, blood
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: DREAMS UNWIND
“Make sure that tray of lemon cakes makes it to Princess Mikasa’s table!” Niccolo yelled as the servants moved about.
Levi had ducked into the kitchen. “Make sure you eat, Niccolo. The servants too.”
“Yes, Lord Ackerman. I just want to make sure everything is right before. Don’t worry about me!” Niccolo waved Levi off.
Levi sighed as he left the kitchen. He returned to the table taking his seat in between Hange and Zeke.
“I wish your mother was here,” Zeke teased. “She is a wonderful dancer. Do you think she’d want to be queen?”
Hange choked on their wine.
“You are not marrying my mother,” Levi said as he gripped his steak knife. “I will start stabbing you.”
“Oh come on. She’s still young,” Zeke teased him again.
“Zeke, do not push your luck,” Hange said as they sat their drink down.
“Princess Mikasa, can I have this dance?” Armin asked on the other side of Hange.
Annie dropped her fork.
“Of course,” Mikasa said as she rose from the table.
“You’re going to let Armin dance with Mikasa?” Zeke asked Eren.
“Why not? They’re friends,” Eren shrugged as he watched Armin spin Mikasa around the dance floor. “I have two left feet. There’s no one I trust more with her.”
Rhaena landed on the table, looked at Eren’s plate before she stared at him.
“You can’t possibly want squash,” Eren remarked.
The dragon squawked at him.
“Better give it to her before she decides she wants a piece of you instead,” Levi warned.
Eren sighed as he pushed the plate towards Rhaena.
The dragon burnt the squash before immediately stuffing her face with the squash.
Niccolo walked over with a tray of lemon cakes. He stopped for a moment.
“She approves of your cooking, Niccolo,” Sasha grinned.
“Uhh….that is good,” Niccolo said as he watched the dragon finish devouring the squash.
Rhaena looked up and cocked her head to the side.
“I’ll take those!” Sasha said as she stood up and took the tray from Niccolo.
“Great!” Niccolo replied as he backed away from the table.
Rhaena then moved to Levi.
“I have nothing for you,” Levi said as he lifted his cup of tea.
Rhaena growled before flying off.
—---------------
Eren wanted to dance with Mikasa.
Desperately.
But there was a part of him that told him no.
Even once in a while, her eyes would meet his as she switched partners. He raised his wine glass, toasting to her with a smile.
Mikasa would grin in response.
She had already danced with Armin, Connie, Zeke, and Levi. She was now dancing with Falco. The squire was surprisingly light on his feet. Mikasa was laughing at something Falco had said. There was a part of Eren that wished he was the one making her laugh. A bit of jealousy flared up in Eren. He pushed those feelings down.
Porco was still lurking at the table. Things were still tense between him and Pieck. Eren had heard from Reiner that things were still very bad between Pieck and Porco. Pieck was currently dancing with Zeke while Jean was dancing with Sasha. The relationship between Pieck and Jean seemed to be growing stronger from the moments that Eren had witnessed. When Eren asked Jean if they were courting, Jean had scoffed but never written off the idea. They both had strained relationships with their families. Zeke had wanted to get Pieck away from her mother and Eren wanted Jean here. They were friends….most of the time.
Porco signaled a servant over to fill his wine glass and then pointed to Eren’s. The servant filled Eren’s up as well.
“Thanks,” Eren said to Porco.
Porco nodded in response. He was more Zeke’s friend than he ever was Eren’s, even if Porco and Eren were the same age.
“I’m surprised you’re not out there,” Porco said after a moment.
“Like I said earlier, two left feet,” Eren shrugged.
“Oh I know. I remember when you knocked Pieck into the dessert table,” Porco grinned.
“I was fifteen!”
Porco snorted a laugh, “is that supposed to make it better?”
“Yes! I was much shorter.”
“Still taller than Pieck.”
“There is no one shorter than Pieck,” Eren remarked.
“Gabi was…for a while.”
“She was also twelve at the time.”
“You have a point there.”
“Why aren’t you out there?”
Porco sighed, “I don’t know. It’s more…Marcel’s thing. He was the one who was good at this shit. I’m just….not.”
Eren nodded, “I’m sorry about….”
“Don’t waste your breath. He was always going to die doing something stupidly heroic. Now I’m to suffer through you fucking up your marriage alone.”
Eren raised an eyebrow, “you won’t return with Zeke?”
Porco shook his head. “Everyone who came is staying. Didn’t your father tell you?”
“When does my father tell me anything?”
Porco nodded in response. A comfortable silence fell over them as they watched their friends dance.
—------
The air in the hall was hot.
Mikasa stepped out into the castle grounds. She was strapped with her daggers, a sword along her spine, and Rhaena on her shoulder. She hadn’t bothered to change out of her leather armor before the feast. Levi didn’t care, neither did the princes. There was no one to report back to her aunt about her behavior. Did it make her a horrible person because she felt relief from her every move being watched and reported?
She touched her daggers at her side as she walked back towards the bonfire.
When she unwrapped them in her room, she was shocked. The pommels were dragons. A wolf ran one side of the blade and a peacock feather was on the other. A phrase was etched on the blades, zaldrīzo ānogar. Blood of the dragon, her title from Levi to replace her old titles from Kiyomi. Sasha had blended her future and her past together in metal. She feared what the sword would look like.
“You shouldn’t be out here alone,” Annie said as she walked up to her, standing at her side.
“I’m not. I have a dragon,” Mikasa answered. “And you’re here now.”
“I saw you left and followed you. I might have been escaping my father as well,” Annie muttered the last part under her breath.
“Your dress is beautiful,” Mikasa remarked.
Annie had changed from her armor into a red dress that the top was made of metal. It reminded Mikasa of a different sort of armor.
“Thank you.”
“Did Sasha make the metal?”
Annie shook her head. “It’s from the capital.”
Mikasa raised an eyebrow. “Is it from someone?”
“It’s not from Bertolt or Armin, if that’s what you’re worried about. I bought it when we were there.”
“I’m not worried.”
“You’ve become rather good friends with Armin.”
“Is that what this is about?”
“No, it’s about how you don’t trust me!” Annie lashed out.
Mikasa stepped back a step.
“Nevermind. This was a bad idea. Enjoy the rest of your night,” Annie turned and returned to the castle, leaving Mikasa alone by the bonfire.
Mikassa stared into the flames, as if they would give her some answers to her questions. The flames danced, as they took form, Mikasa saw blue eyes staring back at her. She jumped back but it was as if she was being sucked into the very fire itself.
The images swirled around her and suddenly, she was standing in daylight.
“Rose! Sina! Maria! Do not run up to dragons!” A woman yelled as she ran past Mikasa. The woman had long hair that was so blonde it was white.
Mikasa felt the pull to follow her.
There were three girls, the same blonde hair as the woman.
A black dragon that was twice as large as Seaflames stood in front of the girls.
“Ymir, it’s fine. I know how excited they get to see Rhaenys,” the female rider smiled as she jumped down. She hugged the blonde woman, who Mikasa reasoned was Ymir.
“Lady Ackerman, you are too kind,” Ymir said as she returned the hug.
The flames surged, melting the memory away. Now Mikasa was outside the keep in the capitol.
“Are we Fritz bastards?” the eldest of the girls asked.
Ymir kneeled down. “What? No? Who said that?” Ymir brushed a strand of hair out of her daughter’s eyes.
“Everyone. I hear them whisper it every time we pass. I don’t want to be here, Mother. I hate it here. Why can we not go home?”
Ymir hugged her daughter, holding her close. “Because we’re needed here, Maria.”
“I don’t want to be needed here. We should go back to the North,” the girl whined.
Once again, the memory was burned away.
There was blood everywhere.
A man wearing a crown and dressed in all white was kneeling in the blood. Mikasa gasped when she saw the body in front of the king. Ymir had been….it looked like she had been eaten. Her stomach was ripped open, bones were sticking out of her body. Her heart was ripped out. Whatever had done this was not human.
“Bring her back now!” he screamed.
“She’s gone, Your Grace,” a man dressed in brown.
“She is Valyrian! She is not gone! Do they not command bloodmagic?” the king kneeling in the blood asked. “I need her to rise! I need her alive! Do you not understand what courses through her veins?”
“Your Grace, there are no bloodmages here,” the man in the brown repeated.
“Then bring me the girls.”
The memory burned hotter.
Screams pierced Mikasa’s ears. She covered her ears.
There was blood everywhere.
There were children…not Ymir’s daughters but nonetheless…..their hearts were gone. Their bodies littered the floor of whatever this room was. Blood splattered onto every surface.
The screaming stopped.
Ymir stood there, her eyes were a brighter blue, the blue that Mikasa had seen in the fire. All life was drained from her skin, it was as pale as snow.
“What have you done?” Ymir demanded of the king who kneeled in front of her.
“What was needed.”
Ymir let out a scream that sounded like it belonged to an animal. Mikasa clasped her hands over her ears again.
The memory burnt away.
—---------------------------------------
“Māzīs,” a deep rumbling voice called to Eren.
Eren stood up. He looked around, there was no one besides Porco and Gabi at the table.
“Māzīs, zokla,” the voice called to him again.
Come, wolf. It was the same voice Eren had heard by the bonfire.
Eren walked out of the castle, Fenrir trailed behind him.
The ground shook as Meadow landed in front of him.
“Māzīs,” the deep voice said again.
Was….
“Are you speaking to me?” Eren asked the dragon.
“Māzīs,” the voice repeated.
Meadow walked along the ground. Eren saw no choice but to follow. The dragon led Eren to the bonfire.
Mikasa was standing there, staring into it. Kayda stood next to her ride, clearly trying to get her attention.
Fire was licking up one side of her body while ice was coating the other.
“Mikasa,” Eren called out to her.
She did not respond.
“Embrot!” the voice yelled.
Eren had no idea what that meant.
But Mikasa erupted, screaming in pain.
Ice and fire shot out in multiple directions.
Eren threw his arm out to try to protect himself.
Ice, darkness, and lighting formed a large shield connected to his arm. The shield reached the ground protecting Eren and Fenrir behind it.
Just as quickly as it was there, it was gone.
Mikasa toppled to the ground, still screaming in pain.
Eren and Fenrir rushed to her side. Her leather armor was melted in some spots, the cloth tunic she wore under was gone. Her lips were blue, her body was shaking. Blood was leaking from her nose.
“Mikasa, can you hear me?” Eren asked as he ripped his cape from his clothes. He wrapped her in it.
Mikasa nodded.
“I’m going to pick you up, is that alright?”
Still shaking, her teeth chattering, Mikasa nodded again.
Rhaena squawked from her spot on the ground.
“Come on,” Eren called as he took Mikasa into his arms.
Rhaena landed on his shoulder, blowing smoke out of her nose. She was clearly not happy with having to ride on Eren’s shoulder.
Before walking in, Eren turned to Meadow.
“Kirimvose, Meadow,” Eren thanked the dragon.
The dragon nodded.
Had Meadow just spoken to him? Why would Meadow speak to him? Either way, it did not matter right now. What mattered was the woman in his arms. It was clear that she was freezing. Deciding to immediately take Mikasa to her room, Eren made his way into the castle. Thankfully, they ran into no one as they went to Mikasa’s rooms. Everyone was busy with the feast and dancing. Eren was thankful for that because he didn’t want to explain what had happened, he doubted that Mikasa wanted to either.
Finally managing to open the door, Eren went through the sitting room and into her open bedroom. He put Mikasa on the bed. First, he took a cloth and whipped the blood out from under her nose. He sat the cloth onto Mikasa’s dresser.
“I’m going to remove my cape, alright? I need to see if the leather melted to your skin. Is that…fine?”
Mikasa nodded as she rolled onto her side.
Gently, Eren unwrapped the cape from Mikasa. He then removed the belts holding the sword to her spine and the daggers to her hips. The armor was melted together on part of her back where some of the laces should be at the top. Tossing the belts to the side, Eren pulled his own dagger, cutting the armor along the seam. It was going to take more than one cut to get it off of her.
Mikasa grabbed one of her fur blankets and pressed it to her front while Eren worked on her armor.Her teeth chattered but she tried to hold her body as still as possible.
Rhaena had decided to perch on Mikasa’s bed side table, keeping a watchful eye on Eren.
Finally, Eren managed to get through a bit of the armor. Mikasa’s skin was unharmed.
“You’ll need new armor but it’s not melted to your skin,” Eren said as he stood up and walked around to the other side of the bed. His cheeks were red.
Mikasa nodded.
“I’ll…umm…you should change,” he looked down, not willing to meet her eye. Eren was trying very hard right now. It was only part of her upper back he had seen but that had been enough to start thinking thoughts he shouldn’t be thinking. He imagined ripping a bodice instead of armor under very different circumstances.
This was not where his brain needed to be right now. Mikasa clearly wasn’t well enough to get out of this armor by herself.
“I’ll cut off the rest of the cuirass first,” he said motioning to the top piece of armor.
Mikasa nodded.
Eren went back to work cutting the top completely off. The dragons that were etched into it no longer looked like dragons. There was ice in between her skin and the armor as he cut the leather more. No wonder she was shivering and her lips were blue.
“I’ll work on the pants after this. I think if I cut the laces in front, you should be able to just slip out.” He was just speaking at this point to not think about how more and more skin of Mikasa was showing.
Honestly, he’d give anything to know what was going through her head.
—-----------------------------
Mikasa’s head was elsewhere.
All that blood.
Ymir….poor Ymir.
She had become the Night’s Queen because King Fritz couldn’t allow her Valyrian blood to die.
What was so important about that line of Valyrian blood? And what did that mean for the stories Mikasa had been told? They all had been told that Ymir Fritz made allies with the Ackermans and was the first Queen. From what Mikasa had seen, Ymir hadn’t sat on the Iron Throne. Did her children? Was their whole history a lie?
Did Levi know everything he had been taught was a lie? Is that why things had been ripped out of the book?
Cold air hit Mikasa’s back as Eren had cut away more of the melted armor.
The fireplace had logs in it but hadn’t been lit yet.
“Rhaena,” Mikasa commanded as she pointed to the fireplace. The dragon flew over to the fireplace. “Dracarys.” Rhaena released a stream of dragon fire into the fireplace, lighting it. Mikasa immediately felt the warmth from it.
Rhaena flew and landed back on the dresser, back to watching Eren.
Mikasa knew she should be more concerned about the fact that Eren, her future husband, was cutting her armor off while they were alone in her room. It was a scandal waiting to happen.
“We’re going to have to marry,” Mikasa muttered as she pulled the fur closer.
“We already are going to,” Eren reassured her.
“If anyone finds out about this…”
“I’ll take their tongues. I’m the Prince, remember?”
“You should take their tongues for saying I’m with child as well then,” Mikasa scoffed.
“Say the word and I will.” Eren ripped the last part of the leather armor.
Mikasa’s breath hitched.
“Do you want me to grab you some sort of top?” he muttered.
Mikasa nodded. “Please. There’s a tunic in the top drawer there.” She motioned to the dresser across the room.
Eren went over to the dresser and pulled a tunic out, handing it to her. He turned his back to her.
Mikasa pulled the melt armor top off of her and chucked it aside before quickly pulling on the tunic. “I’m covered,” she told him.
Eren nodded as he turned around and faced her.
She stayed sitting up, though she could feel herself getting light headed.
“I think I can get my pants off. If you want to turn around for a moment, I can change into breeches and small clothes.”
“Yes,” Eren turned around.
As quickly as she could, Mikasa ripped the leather breeches and pulled them off. Then she stood and stumbled to her dresser. She pulled out her small clothes first, putting them on before pulling the new breeches on.
She stumbled into the dresser, her vision darkening.
Eren was there in a flash, one hand holding her arm, another on her waist. He kept her steady as he led her back to bed.
“Your lips aren’t blue anymore,” he remarked.
Mikasa maneuvered into the bed while Eren grabbed a chair, pulling it beside her bed.
Fenrir stumbled into the bedroom, making himself at home on the floor.
“How did you find me?” Mikasa asked.
“I’m not entirely sure. I think….Meadow called for me. I’m not mad. I swear I could understand him. Though not all of it. I think I’m going to need more Valyrian lessons.”
“Is it bad that I’m not even surprised right now? Everything is just a mess. I think…I think I saw memories in the flames.”
Eren slid back in his chair with a yawn. “Truly?”
Mikasa nodded. “I’m still trying to make sense of it all.”
“You don’t have to make sense of it today. I still don’t understand the war hammer. Part of me has given up on ever understanding it.”
“I wish I could feel that way about my mother. I keep trying to make peace with it but I can’t. She took lives. For what? To give me this power? A power I have no idea how to wield?”
“About that,” Eren leaned forward. “You erupted again and I…I made a shield.”
Mikasas’s eyes widened. “What?”
Eren nodded, “it was strange. It was as if it was made of shadows, lightning, and ice. Then it faded.”
“My mother said you have raw magic.”
Eren snorted, “would have been useful all the times someone tried to kill me.”
“I don’t understand why they want you dead so badly,” Mikasa shook her head.
“I’m a bastard, Mikasa. That’s the whole reason I ran away from you after I confessed to wanting to marry you. I am well aware that you are far too good for me. Not just in title. From what I’ve heard, what I’ve seen, you’re a good person. I’m going to bring that hell to you. I already have. I know they attacked you because of me. I just…I don’t want that to happen again.”
“But did you have to be so awful to me? You made me look like a fool, Eren.”
Eren sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. “I know.”
“Nothing we can do about it now besides move on. I can fight my own battles so don’t worry about protecting me. Not to mention I have three dragons listening to my commands.”
“I just don’t like the idea of you being hurt.”
Mikasa rolled her eyes, “I’ve been hurt before I ever met you.”
“Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
“Do you ever let anyone in or do you keep everyone at arms’ length? I am to be your wife, you know.”
“I am well aware.”
“Then what else is going through your head right now?”
Eren sighed as he leaned back in the chair. “I’m worried about what all this means.”
Mikasa swallowed. “I saw a woman named Ymir. She was friends with an Ackerman. There were flashes of Ymir’s life. She had three daughters and there was a king. I think he may have been the father of her daughters. Then she was murdered. The king used….I don’t know what he did but there were dead children and Ymir wasn’t dead anymore. Her skin was so pale….her voice changed. Then I was cold. It was so cold.”
“That’s when I found you then,” Eren scooted forward in the chair.
Mikasa nodded. “I don’t know what it means.”
“We’ll talk to Levi and Hange in the morning.”
Mikasa nodded again in agreement.
“I should…it’s getting late. I should go,” he rose from his chair.
Mikasa didn’t want him to leave. She didn’t want to be alone but it was more than that. Eren had been a great comfort to her lately. She enjoyed her time she spent with him. Yet here she was watching him cross to the door. Fenrir did not move from his spot on the floor.
“You don’t have to,” she whispered under her breath.
Eren froze. “But I should. Someone…it’s not like me falling asleep in your sitting room.”
“Didn’t seem so concerned when you were cutting my armor away,” Mikasa scoffed as she sat up more, crossing her arms across her chest. “They already think I’m with child.”
“You’re too skinny to be with child.”
Mikasa scoffed, “weight doesn’t just pack on you know.”
“I know. I’m just worried about you…your reputation.”
Mikasa rose from her bed. “My reputation is that I have three dragons under my command.”
“And mine is I’m a bastard who gets everyone killed. You know Erwin lost an arm because of me and then he lost his life! Those around me do not get out unscathed!”
“My mother, father, brother, and aunt all died to unleash this awful power that I can’t even control!”
“I didn’t realize we were having a contest of who had it worse!” Eren stepped towards her.
“When I marry you, your burdens become mine, do they not?” Mikasa asked as she stepped towards him, her legs shaking. The magic had drained her.
“We don’t need to give them any more reasons to talk. I don’t want to damage your reputation more than it already is.”
Mikasa reached up and touched his cheek. “I want you to stay. You can sleep in the sitting room if you’re more comfortable. I just…I don’t want to be alone. I know the nightmares will come again. I don’t want to wake up alone.”
“Are you going to run away to the library again?”
Mikasa shook her head.
“Will Levi kill me?”
Mikasa snorted, “no.”
He placed his hand over hers. “You’re shaking.”
“I think the magic drains me.”
“That makes sense. Come on. Get in bed before you fall onto the floor.” Eren said as he led her back to bed.
—----------------------------------------------------
Something was calling to Levi. There was this tugging feeling in his heart, leading him.
It was late.
It was cold.
The bonfire was still burning.
He knew better than to let voices drag him around but he wasn’t alone. There were footsteps behind him in the tunnels under the Ackerman keep. He turned, holding his torch to see Hange walking towards him, carrying their own torch.
“What are you doing here?” Levi asked.
“I wanted to see the dragon skulls. I thought now would be the perfect time to slip away and see them.”
Levi sighed.
The dragons who died and were found were kept under the castle.
“Why are you down here?” Hange asked.
“I felt a pull.”
“You know better.”
“Yes, I do but I’m already down here. Come on, I’m headed in the direction of the crypts.”
Levi kept walking, following the tunnels. There was something comfortable about silence that they fell into them. There was something tugging Levi around the next corner. He couldn’t explain it anyway. He kept going forward, further and further into the tunnels.
“Is your father buried down here?” Hange asked as they passed a few vaults.
“No. We burn most of our dead. My father wasn’t an Ackerman but my mother was allowed to burn him as well.” Levi came to a gate which he pushed on. The gate did not move but there was no lock.
“Magic,” Hange whispered.
Levi rolled his eyes.
“What’s behind there?” Hange asked.
“I….I don’t know.” Levi ran his hand over the gate.
Hange stepped up beside him, moving their torch. “Look, there’s writing here,” Hange illuminated a carving in the bars.
“Drāmmagon ānogar,” Levi read.
“Open blood?” Hange asked as Levi handed them his torch.
Levi pulled the Valyrian dagger from his belt and cut across his hand. Blood bubbled up and he placed his hand on the bar.
The metal gate opened with a whine. Levi and Hange just stared at it for a moment before Levi took his torch from Hange.
They walked forward.
There was a large dragon skull that they passed. It was three times the size of Seaflames.
“What dragon was that?” Hange asked.
“If I had to guess either Aegon, Visenya, or Rhaenys. I haven’t seen their skulls before down here.”
“Those were the first dragons of the Ackerman family here?”
Levi nodded as they continued down the long tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, there was a large bookshelf with a desk next to it. It was all covered in layer and layer of dust.
“Is this a study?” Hange asked.
Levi placed the torch in the holder on the wall. “I don’t know. No one has been down here in years. Running a hand across the front of the book on the desk, Levi read the title. “A Song of Ice and Fire.” He opened the book, dust went into the air, causing Hange to cough. The pages had been completely ripped out. Nothing was left in the book but blank pages.
“Well that’s not helpful at all,” Hange frowned.
“No, it’s not. Someone is purposely erasing things, destroying them.”
“Why?”
“That’s the real question.”
—--------------------------
There was a large pile of books and pages in front of Eren.
“Meadow, drakarys,” a man ordered Eren.
Eren roared in response.
“Drakarys, Meadow,” the man ordered again.
“Daor,” Eren spoke but he did not open his mouth. It was as if his very thought was communicated with this man.
“These cannot be found. This information cannot be found. I have to protect my daughter. You must understand that.”
Eren huffed.
“I beg you to understand. I know it’s precious knowledge, if it gets into Kiyomi’s hands….”
Eren released a stream of fire, incinerating the books and papers.
Falling out of the chair and onto the floor, Eren landed with a thud. Mikasa shot up, looking over at him.
“Are you alright?” Mikasa asked.
Eren nodded. “I just had the strangest dream. I never remember my dreams but this one……”
“Was it a nightmare?”
Eren shook his head, “no. It was…it was as if I was a dragon.”
Mikasa frowned.
“I suppose I’ll add that to the list of things to tell Levi in the morning,” Eren sighed as he climbed back into the chair. “Go back to sleep. You need your rest.”
“You can sleep with me, you know. Annie and Sasha did it all the time.”
“Annie and Sasha are women. Your cousin would rip out my spine and wear it as a cape. I’m not risking it. The chair is fine.”
Mikasa rolled her eyes before closing them.
—---------------
There were a number of things Levi enjoyed in the morning.
Tea, oatcakes.
His cousin and her soon to be husband burst into his room, speaking of dragons talking, a woman named Ymir, and dreams where Eren was a dragon was not one of things that Levi enjoyed.
It was bad enough he had followed that tugging feeling.
He sat there as Lord of the North and listened. They told him everything. No detail was spared.
So he called upon Hange to hear them explain everything again.
He wished this was the worst thing he had heard of this morning.
No, that was not.
Just as Hange was about to respond to Mikasa and Eren’s information, Niccolo bursted into Levi’s office.
“There was a lion in the castle last night and it mauled someone!” Niccolo panted as he tried to catch his breath.
Levi dropped his tea cup.
“I beg your pardon, Lord Ackerman. I was just informed by one of the cooks. The man is with the Maester,” Niccolo informed.
Levi pinched the bridge of his nose. “Where is the lion?”
“It’s the strangest thing. The lion just disappeared. It was chasing after Lord Leonhart when the knight stepped in between them.”
“Who was the knight?” Eren asked as he stood.
“I don’t know. I couldn’t get in to see,” Niccolo said as he faced Eren.
“I’ll go find out. We’ll continue this later,” Levi said as he stood up and strode from the room.
—------------
There was something sticky on Annie’s hands as she awoke. There was this strange taste in her mouth. It tasted almost like metal.
As she sat up in bed, she realized she was completely nude. That wasn’t the worst part.
Annie was covered in blood that wasn’t hers.