Hi all! S, this is my first SNK fanfic. Please do review and tell me what you think about it!

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin or any of its characers. I only own Alexis, my OC in this story.

Anyways, let's get started!

I'm not going to lie; living the princess life is not easy.

I mean, sure, you get everything you want when you want it, but there are also way too many rules and restrictions to live by. I mean, sit up straight at all times? What sane teenager in my day did that anyway?

Most of you reading this would probably say, "But you should enjoy your relaxed lifestyle." Relaxed? My life is anything but relaxed. It's full of constant diplomatic meetings and then regal galas… don't even get me started on those. Basically you would just sit around and look dignified and do nothing except talk politely. I'm sorry, but boring.

Also, being a princess means that you have no friends except for the butlers, and even that was rare. I always led a lonely life, except for when I talked to my personal maid, Hanji. She was eccentric, and I had been much nicer to her rather than my own mother. I was courteous to my mother, but I was myself around Hanji; there was a major difference. Hanji didn't care about etiquette, and around her I felt… free, like nothing was holding me down.

But when my parents found out about our friendship she was moved to another royal family in another country. I was devastated; we weren't even allowed to say hi if she came back to this palace for a visit. But from that I learned not to make friends and just focus on your studies; or if you do make friends, keep them a secret. This caused me to harden my heart and prevent anyone from entering too easily; I would hurt them more than they would hurt me if I was in their life.

But one day, I was in a gala that celebrated my sixteenth birthday. Needless to say I was bored out of my mind during it; for one who should be enjoying the party, this wasn't really being celebrated in any way, shape, or form. My parents were away on an emergency diplomatic trip, and it was all strangers at the party. So I sat in the throne, listening to the orchestra play. Oh, how I desperately wanted to fly to my room, grab my violin, and join the orchestra in their playing! It seemed so much less boring to be playing music rather than just sitting down with nothing but your thoughts to keep you occupied.

I sighed, and straightened my back, realizing that I had begun slouching in the throne. Then, practically out of nowhere, I heard a voice next to me. "Would you care for a dance, Lady Princess?"

I looked up and stifled a gasp. A handsome boy a year older than me, with gorgeous, ocean-blue eyes and shoulder-length blonde hair, held out his hand, waiting for me to respond.

Smiling, I held my own hand out. "I would love to," I said quietly, and as he grabbed my hand ever so gently I stood up. "But please, sir, do call me simply Alexis," I added.

He looked at me in surprise. "I suppose I could," he said, apparently musing over the matter. "If I call you Alexis then, Lady, you may call me just Armin."

Smiling, I nodded. "Alright then, Armin."

He smiled and pulled me onto the dance floor. Letting go of my hand temporarily, he bowed as the music began. I curtsied, and then we began to dance.

It was a traditional, slow, ballroom dance, as all dances were, but nevertheless I enjoyed myself. It was comforting to hold someone's hand, even if for a dance. It was like I had been missing out on the simple pleasures of life for all of my sixteen years. Waltzing, when not being taught by instructors, actually turned out to be quite fun, and I found myself laughing quietly as Armin and I glided along the dance floor.

When I wasn't laughing, we were chatting politely. "Do you like to read?" I asked, and Armin nodded, his eyes shining brightly.

"I love books on the ocean," he said.

"The ocean?" I asked. "That sounds so cool! Do you know much about it?"

Armin smiled and went on a long rant about the ocean, it's creatures, and the view of it at sunset. As we glided around on the dance floor, I was suddenly transported to the sandy shoreline, and it was just me and Armin dancing on the beach. It was heaven, to say the absolute least. Armin obviously enjoyed talking about the ocean, so I let him continue.

When the song ended, however, Armin thanked me for the dance and left the dance floor immediately. I watched him go sadly, then walked slowly back to the throne, where I knew I would sit for the rest of the night. If any of the servants saw me dancing and chatting with the boy, they would tell my parents when they got back, and my mother would scold me for striking up mild relations with a boy of my own age, even if simply amiable. Praying for the best, I simply sat in the throne and watched the dancing life pass me by for another two hours.

Midnight finally came, and the party was dismissed. As I waved goodbye to the final guest, I noticed a boy standing behind one of the pillars by the doorway. When I looked up, he was gone, and I wondered whether I had just imagined him.

I walked back up to my room. The constant presence of servants in the halls bothered me for some reason; I felt as if something was wrong in the palace. Ignoring the servants, I entered my room and got ready to go to sleep. Letting my hair down from it's annoying up-do, I sighed in relief as the long, brown locks spilled down my back. I slipped out of my formal dress and put on my nightgown. Immediately I felt like I could breathe and I collapsed onto the bed, carefully acting like a lady should; climbing under the covers slowly, then turning off the light from the lamp, and then immediately falling asleep.

Of course, no one immediately falls asleep when they climb into a bed, so I simply lay there, pondering about the boy, Armin. Where had he come from, and why was he so amiable to dancing with me tonight, even though he knew he could be severely punished?

The last thing I remember thinking was his smile while talking about the ocean before sleep overtook me.