A/N: Thank you guys so much for the favorites/follows! I apologize for my long hiatus. My muse had left me. By the way, the Royal Court is comprised of mostly military officials. I know that the previous Royal Court was overthrown by the military in the manga. Just wanted to clear that up if people misunderstood me.

Also recall that this is fanfiction. From here on out the story drastically diverges from canon. This is because I wrote these next two chapters actually many months ago before major character deaths, relationship dynamic changes, and Zeke's motivation were revealed in the manga. But I liked the story line I had invented for this so I am sticking with its plot line. However, there will still be references or gradual reveals throughout the story that gives light to recent AOT chapters.

Please continue reviewing! It helps let me know how the story's going. Also in response to the two reviews: Oh ok. Yeah, some fanfictions do have similar story lines. But I promise I have not intentionally tried to copy someone. I am sure our stories are still very different. Anyways, thanks for the reviews. Also, just a friendly reminder: this is rated T so nothing will be too detailed or extreme. Basically, there will be no smut. Now without further ado, here's another chapter!

Chapter Two: Surprise!

The worst thing about unexpected surprises is when you thought you figured out the whole story, only to find you never really knew the whole truth .

The Eldians stared at the parchment hanging far above them, reading the rules on how to go about their intended fates. Fates none of them had ever wanted to be apart of. Mothers were crying and holding their soon-to-be-wedded children, as old aged couples who weren't quite past the point of childbearing stared in dismay at the royal laws just forced upon them. Hundreds and hundreds were suddenly cursing their Queen and her slimy officials.

Her Majesty and the Royal Council, associated with the Eldian Military Force, hereby decrees the following rules to the Eldian survivors of the Titan War, in accordance to the latest birthing Act:

1. All peoples age 15 and older are required to be wedded and have conceived child by the last weekend of this year's upcoming October. Failure to do so will result in the couple, or the spouse of the couple that refused to go along with the ACT, to face severe consequences, including long-term imprisonment or death. All elite who oppose will, in addition to the consequences stated above, be stripped of their title. Whatever wealth they have so far accumulated in society will go towards feeding and supporting the future generation of Eldian children.

2. All people, including those who have already been married and have had children, must at least birth a total of ten children between themselves, unless they die before they manage to do so. All mothers who are barren or risk death at pregnancy are exempt from meeting this standard. Any other children birthed after the ten requirement, however, are still greatly encouraged. If you already have ten children, then you are exempt from this part of the law. You will not be required to participate unless you have not been married.

A forty-two year old woman gaped at the demands listed before her. As her eyes went past the number ten, she gagged and started swaying on her feet. "Ten? Ten children ?" she breathed, feeling light headed. For years she had gotten by without having to give her late husband children. Pregnancy was one of her worst fears since her mother had died while giving childbirth, and the rest of her family line was not known to have successful pregnancies. She had prayed for years for menopause to begin, yet that natural cycle of the female anatomy refused to bless her. The monthly blood of her youth now came to haunt her frighteningly, and realizing what she was expected - no, being forced - to do, she collapsed.

"Ma'am? Ma'am!" came the startled cries of a younger man next to her. The faint of the woman arrived out of nowhere and he hastily went to grab her, but his reaction timing was a little off. His hand missed her head by just a few centimeters and as his fingers laced through her descending hair, her head hit the ground with a jolt. Thankfully, she hadn't died, but her fall surely had been the spectacle.

With her faint arose the complaints of the many spectators around her. "That poor gal is right! How are we expected to meet such demanding issues!"

"Well I, on the contrary, think it's a lovely decree."

"To Marley and beyond with that stupid Act! Someone - anyone - please, help the lad pick up my daughter!"

The crowds' boisterous talk slowly quietened as they went on to read the rest of the decree.

3. Any who try to get out of their marriage and the conceiving of ten children through suicide or by abusing and/or murdering their spouse, will face harsher punishments than described above. If the police or any uniformed officials discover that you are intending to perform any of these atrocious acts, you will be arrested.

4. In order to try and ensure that every eligible person is playing their role in repopulating the Eldian country, bi-weekly check-ups will be occurring throughout the first year of the couple's marriage to make sure that both partners are in a healthy emotional and physical state. Marriage counselors will be provided freely by the government, as well as medical physicians for the months leading up to the birth of each couple's first child. All meetings, including sex classes, are mandatory. Money will also be dispensed to help the couple fund their weddings and to adjust to their new households and growing families.

5. If by September, the couple has yet to be married and has not officially consummated their marriage via honeymoon, government employees will be sent to monitor them. Couples can then be expected to be asked why they have yet to be wedded.

6. If a wife's husband cannot supply her with the means for reproduction, then the wife must contact authorities immediately so that they may pair her with another male candidate who can meet the requirements. The baby, however, will still be seen as the legal child of the wife's husband.

7. After the Matching Ceremony, there will be a one month period where couples may switch their partners. Those who wish to do so will need to have consensual opinions with their current-to-be-spouses and will need to come before the Royal court to explain why they wish to change. However, we sincerely dissuade the exchange because it defeats the purpose of the lottery system, which is to fight against age-old prejudices against various ethnic groups and financial standpoints.

Then there was a brief break in the paper before few words ordered:

Matching Ceremony will commence on June the 20th.

How terrible! That was only tomorrow! The subjects moaned in despair. And wait - what did it mean by a lottery system?

Queen Historia, herself, inwardly groaned at the list, albeit the list her eyes roamed over was the actual document in which the decree was written down on and not a poster copy. She had agreed to the demands, yes; she herself was expected to wed someone and in order to fend off further corruption from power-hungry aristocrats, her name too was going to be placed in a lottery, where the council hoped she would marry someone not of the elite, but hopefully someone of importance to the military. But the startling thought of possibly marrying a man she did not know and having him touch her in a way she was not accustomed to had her...frightened a little.

Not only this, but she wasn't entirely sure how to be with a man. The only relationship she had had in the past was with Ymir, a female, and even that one had fallen too short before it could truly blossom. They had never reached that far in their relationship, though they did share a few passionate kisses and embraces.

She supposed that was what the sexual ed classes were for; educating the oblivious and ignorant on what actually happened between a man and a woman when they fell in love. Her lip trembled at this. She had no idea how that worked. How frightening. She sighed, brushing back her blonde locks. She had given the Survey Corps plenty of time to get back. She hoped that by midnight, or early dawn, they'd be there for the 'great' news.

She knew they would be tired from their journey and probably would not be happy to hear about what transpired while they were gone. But what could she do? They didn't have to face the many dead who passed through their walls during the plague; they didn't have to see the thousands of starving and battered faces of orphans who had just lost their parents to the famine. Gosh, how could so much tragedy occur in 4 years? It was utterly sickening.

She wondered how many of them were left. Who all had died during their mission? Was it Eren, Armin, Connie, Hange, or (although she highly doubted it) Levi? She hoped beyond all hope that all of them would make it back, but was that really possible with their circumstances? Not really, to her dismay. They had only sent out so many soldiers, and she doubted their arsenal was advanced enough to take down the enemy before the enemy could strike first. Unless they had some sort of surprise attack on their side….

She turned over on her bed, yawning. The paper in her hand had kept her up all night as she and the council refined it repeatedly into the early morning. She might just cancel her appointment with Sir Blake and take a nap. It's not like skipping out on her viola lesson would be the end of the world.

It appeared that some of the Survey Corps members, the few that still remained, had forgotten how long it took to cross over the sea, especially when it was by boat instead of an aircraft (one of those new Marleyan techy things they had just learned about). Jean for example, had definitely forgotten, and he ended up vomiting over the ship's railing. His stomach did not handle the tossing and turning of the sea well. Sasha kept his long hair out of his face as he purged up last night's dinner, until all he did left was gag on air. She rubbed his back soothingly, she herself feeling slightly nauseous, albeit for a whole different reason.

She had finally managed to collect herself by the time they got on board, but still, her heartache and bitterness lingered. ' You would have thought after all this time of seeing my comrades die I would be over it by now. ' But that was the thing; she wasn't and she wasn't sure how long it would take before she finally was able to overcome her loss.

She glanced off to the right of her as Jean continued with his dry heaves, and noticed that Eren's older brother was staring off towards the north, where Paradis lay. She involuntarily shuddered. The man creeped her out, just as he had Connie. He was ten years older than her yet he appeared much older with his furry beard and mustache. Despite his apparent change of sides, she still felt something was amiss about him. She hadn't forgotten about all the deaths he had caused back in Shiganshina. But what was really infuriating was the stunning reveal that he enjoyed eating more than her. Any slim chance he had of earning a possible friendship with her had sunk the night he stole the last bag of beef jerky from the ship's kitchen. She had marked that bag as her territory. Her stomach was still growling from not being able to snack on it!

She glowered. She was now bound and determined to keep away from him as much as possible, and hoped that Eren and Hange knew what they were doing when they allowed him to return with them. Apparently Zeke had felt her eyes on him, because he suddenly shifted and locked his gaze on her. Not expecting this, Sasha jumped back, startled, and with a panicked expression on her face, stepped on the other side of Jean to hide herself from his stare.

Zeke quirked an eyebrow at her action before shaking his head and turning away. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, but it vanished quickly, being replaced by a frown. The people aboard this ship were still wary of him, as he anticipated them to be. This would not be good. Not for his plans.

The Ackerman fellow was busy cleaning his blades a few feet to the left of him. He knew the older man was silently keeping an eye on him through his peripheral vision. He also knew what the man had promised his fallen friend and previous commander of the Survey Corps. Yet that man had been willing to set aside his promise in order to ensure the well-being of Eldia's future. A very admiring thing to do, since he knew from his initial meeting with the Captain that he wanted nothing but to disarm and maim Zeke in many ways as possible. Hm...the pleasantries of war.

He frowned. This was why he was going to make sure war never broke out between the two countries again. And hopefully through their alliance, they would start dealing with other enemy territories…

The ship jostled again against an upcoming tidal wave and the young man he came to know as Jean nearly fell out of the boat, right before the flabbergasted - what was her name again?- woman leapt forwards and caught him, dragging him back onto the ship's hard flooring. This appeared to grab the Captain's attention.

"Kirstien! Blouse!" Ah, so that was her name. "Get away from that edge!"

The two soldiers hurriedly did as their barking Heichou ordered, Sasha looking sympathetic towards her comrade's paler face as he struggled to push himself towards the center of the deck. 'What a weak horse. ' Zeke thought, unknowingly sharing the same view of the man's physical appearance as his younger brother did. He drew in his cigarette for one last intake before realizing that it was his last one on board. He sighed. Dear gods, he needed to get off this ship.

Jean scrambled up the shore and collapsed onto the moist earth in relief, panting heavily. After a long journey they finally managed to make it back to Paradis. "I've waited for this moment for so long." he breathed, inhaling in the strong, sweet aroma of fresh pine. The rest of the Survey Corps stepped past him, pulling luggage and weapons from the ship to head for the station not too far away from them.

They had built the station 4 years ago when they met the ocean for the first time. Its primary purpose was to scope out enemy ships and to be a recuperating place once the war blew over. The military posted there were paid to feed, bandage, and protect the overseas soldiers whenever they returned. The men and women at the station were currently helping to load things off of the ship.

"Commander Hange. When do we leave for Wall Sheena?" asked a newer recruit. She had been one of the luckier ones to make it back. No serious injuries. "In four days time if we don't stop a lot."

And she was right, more or less. 107 hours later the Corps was situated in front of Wall Sheena's gates. During their traveling they noticed with unease that the Walls' cities seemed far too quiet. Hardly any day-to-day life could be seen as they passed empty buildings and homes, and Hange was starting to wonder if something had attacked Eldia right beneath their noses while they were scheming abroad.

The Corps's anxiety lessened some, however, when the gates were finally opened to Wall Sheena and thousands of people greeted them. Banners and fireworks greeted them from all sides as the subjects cheered them for their victory over Marley. Zeke was quick to notice that part of the festivities and jovial faces appeared forced. He tucked away this observation for later musing.

The Eldians parted along the cobblestone streets to allow the Corps to navigate smoothly towards the castle, where their Queen and friend awaited them eagerly. Historia was dressed in her finest for the occasion; she wore crystal clear slippers and a gorgeous ivory silk gown that reached to her toes. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and a white sash stretched across her back and shoulders, laying across her chest in a limp manner. The royal crown was also nestled atop of her head, gleaming in the sunlight.

Her gloved hands waved frantically at the returning regime before her, and tears swelled up into her eyes. They had all...changed so much. Mikasa had cut her hair, while Jean had grown his out into a mullet. Both were looking exceptionally muscular than they had been the last time she had seen them, and the gained muscle mass suited them well. Sasha's hairstyle, too, was different. It was much shorter, but unlike Mikasa's, Sasha's bangs framed her face in a very cute, feminine way. She had also grown a little taller. Her baby features had retracted to unveil an attractive woman, who had the trained eye of a hawk when it came to marksmanship.

Eren was -

She immediately stopped her train of thought, zeroing in on the man who was barely recognizable to her. She knew it was Eren from his jawline and high cheekbones, but there was something about him that was different. Besides the obvious alterations such as the new mustache and shoulder length hair, his eyes had become duller and his expression was far more mature and collected than the boy she remembered from her Scouting days. His body language, the grim aura wafting around him...it all displayed nothingness. He looked empty and devoid of emotion. This was startling to say the least. It was bringing her back to memories of another time...

Shaking her head, she moved on to see that beside him stood Hange and Levi. Not much had changed about them, although she was shocked to see that Levi hadn't even aged a wrinkle. How old was he now? In his 40s? To the left of Levi was a man who she was not familiar with. He was a taller specimen with blonde hair like her, and he wore circular glasses. A scruffy beard was attached to a thick mustache on the lower half of his face, and even with his attire on, Historia could see that the man was well toned underneath.

Yet something about him made her think she should know him. He resembled somebody she had been acquainted with, she was certain of it. She was not the only one thoroughly analyzing persons. He was sizing her up too, with a calculated expression on his features. He was standing up straight with his feet a few inches apart, hands placed firmly behind his back. His stance reminded her of the Scout salute.

She reverted her attention to the Corps at large and saw how many of their uniforms had changed from the standard Survey Corps green cape to black clothes. The anti-personnel vertical maneuvering equipment aligned their torsos and legs, and she saw they had followed through on the use of thunder blades. Her eyes traced again for any person she had missed in her up-close observations, and realized that she couldn't see Connie or Floch. Her heart skipped a beat. 'No. I-it can't be!'

Frantically examining the crowd of faces to see if she had mistakenly skipped over them, she came across three other persons, two of which made her being rack with shivers. Armin had chopped off his bangs and had become more broad shouldered. He still carried the physical characteristics of a woman, and with his face having become more defined, he was more beautiful than ever. She was happy to see he was well. But it was the other two blondes who stood next to him that brought Historia's pounding heart into her throat. Reiner and Annie.

Bitterness swept through her as the man she still partially blamed for Ymir's absence swept her vision. She gritted her teeth and her hands clenched into fists. Why in bloody Rose's name were they there? And not restrained? She zoomed in on the lack of chains over their wrists. Had the Commander become insane? Why had she not handled them properly? And Eren? Why was he not worried? Did he forget what they did those 5 years ago?

Well, shecertainly hadn't. She held back her anger to address the rest of the Corps, who she had no doubt, been waiting for her to speak to them since their arrival. "Friends! Comrades! Eldia is happy to celebrate with you on your victorious win against Marley! We thank you and commend you all for your hard work and bravery against the Titans!" This is what she and her council had been rehearsing since daybreak. She was happy that the subjects were actually cheering; the Royal Court had to do a bit of persuading since the reveal of the Matching Ceremony. Food never went wrong.

"A feast will be held tonight, along with some festivities, in honor of your name. But please! Let us first welcome you home by taking your personal items and leading you down to the Royal baths. We urge you to freshen up and to rest from your long travels." On this note, Historia heard the audience applaud once again their heroes before the palace servants and the military police escorted the Corps and (un)invited guests to the castle's entrance.

There they were sent to their respective corridors, the girls filling little of the East Wing's chambers while the men occupied the lower West Wing. Historia and the court gave them five hours to recoup before she sent several servants to fetch them from their slumbers. They had much to discuss.

They had met inside one of the palace's cabinets, a small room where the Royal Court tended to host their private meetings. Historia silently wondered if they should have moved elsewhere, for the room quickly became cramped. It would be something she discussed later with her council.

Hange and Levi sat to the left of her, while Eldia's duke, Sir Schmidt, sat on her right. After a fair amount of hugs, tears, and words of the past, they swiftly got down to business: what had happened during the Corps disappearance overseas and what was its official standing in concerns with Marley.

"We were able to infiltrate the enemy with ease through an Eldian warrior program Marley held for the wounded. Eren, disguised as a soldier successfully convinced a boy to lead him right underneath the enemy until a trap was set. With the element of surprise we kidnapped the Warhammer Titan, and with its power and the help of our own underground spies, we were able to tackle the Marley kingdom and establish a peace treaty between our nations." As Hange finished her sentence, she nodded at the blonde man who Historia did not know of from before, and he retrieved out a piece of parchment that held a few signatures.

Historia picked up the paper and examined it. "You mentioned spies?" she asked. Hange nodded. "I don't suppose you recognize the man who gave that to you." Historia shook her head, as she peered curiously at the eldest Yeager, confirming Hange's assumption. "He is the holder of the Beast Titan. But-" she quickly went to explain herself further at the look of utter horror that creased the court's faces. "He had been willing to aid us in our fight for humanity, in exchange for his own conditions."

"Conditions? What conditions?" came a court member. Hange continued. "Me and my men have already accomplished some of it. We scooped out Marley's corrupted officials and overthrew their government. This man, Zeke Yeager, the older half brother of Eren Yeager-" several gasps emitted throughout the room "-has recently become the newly appointed king of Marley. He promises to have peace with Eldia for as long as both nations are standing, that is, if we agree to his terms that all Titan powers are to be contained, and that with each current Titan holder's death, their titan ability will die with them. There will be no more passing of Ymir's curse."

The room went quiet with this revelation, the Court digesting what they had just been told. Their feelings were mixed. Was this not the same kingdom who had cost them countless of lives and misfortune? Hundreds of kids had been abandoned by the dead for servitude or prostitution, trying anyway to make a coin just to feed their starving bellies through the war. Houses, markets, and schools had been stomped on by smiley giants. Blood still littered the streets in various places within their Walls. Why should they trust this Marley kingdom after making them suffer so much heartache and brutality? But then again - should they really pass up such an opportunity?

Eldia was unstable, and it had been for ages. Their only defenses were old-fashioned weaponry and their two Titan users. Even if Eldia refused to give up its Titan power, what use would it be to them? Marley already had six of the 9 Titans, and Eldia's main strength, Eren, could only use the Coordinate when he was around someone of Royal blood. Those were not good numbers.

More so, what if other foreign nations, ones they had never encountered before, decided to come crashing through their walls, not by Titans, but through other technological means? What if their firepower and war tactics were so far more advanced than the Eldians's that they could kill the Titans within a blink of an eye? The Eldians would be undoubtedly slaughtered.

But if they were to accept Marley's truce...then that could change a whole lot of things. With trading and representatives, they could gain technological innovations, have more medicine for the sick, and earn a sense of protection. From what the Court had learned from the Corps' letters, Marley was a rather prosperous nation and it had plenty of men and women to fight off other countries. Albeit that was mostly due to the Titans…

Historia appeared thoughtful and, glancing at her Court, said "We will definitely be taking this into consideration Commander Hange and…"

Zeke tilted his head in respect. "Please, call me Zeke, your highness. I hope you will find my peace offering to be genuine. I know of the bloodshed that has been done on both ends of our kingdoms. I no longer wish to continue fighting against my own flesh and blood."

Historia became confused at this. "Flesh and blood?" Was he referring to the Eldian internment zones Eren had told her about from his memories? She supposed it would make sense for King Yeager to be an Eldian. He had been part of the Warrior program that enlisted Reiner, Annie, and Bertolt.

"My father was a Yeager. But my mother was a Fritz." Historia's mouth dropped a little at this information, her lips forming a polite 'o'. Her advisors shared her reaction. "Then you are of royal blood?" she inquired, trying to confirm her conclusion.

"I am of Royal Blood, yes. This was why I could control the titans in our earlier warring days. But if you wish, we can go into the specifics later. I was informed that a new announcement had been made prior to our arrival? One of my men had overheard something quite interesting, and, if you and the Court do accept Marley's truce, this announcement could be of great importance to the alliance of our countries's futures."

The rest of the Survey Corps then looked questioningly at Historia, curious as to what the newfound king of Marley was talking about. Historia kept her eyes controlled on the wooden floor below, hands clamped together. This was a que for her Court to step in. The Duke cleared his throat. "Ah, yes. The announcement. You were not misinformed...King Yeager. We have recently released a decree for our subjects, a decree that the Survey Corps is also ordered to follow." Hange's eyebrows furrowed. "And what would this decree exactly be, sir?"

Hange did not fail to notice the queen's sharp intake of breath. Whatever the Court announced, Historia was hesitant for them to hear it. As Zeke did, Hange too noticed the subjects's earlier semi-forced praises. Was their wariness stemmed from what they were about to be informed?

The Duke paused. "I believe it would be best if we speak with you and the captain personally, Commander, before revealing the details to the rest of the Corps." He glanced at the rest of the others to see if they agreed with this. When they all took a second to nod their heads, he gestured towards the entrance of the room. "May we speak in the hallway?" He then titled his head at Queen Historia. She faintly smiled and went to lead Hange and Levi out into the corridor. A few of the Court members followed.

"My Queen." Hange began. Historia waved away the formality. The Court didn't appear pleased with this, but didn't say anything. Hange continued. "What is this decree?" Levi stared dully at Historia with the exception of a glint in his eyes. He stood behind Hange leaning against a wall, listening to what the Court had to say. Historia gulped in attempt to settle her nerves. She motioned for a servant to bring her the document that had all of Eldia on edge. She handed it to Hange.

"While the Corps was gone, we faced extreme conditions. There was a plague and a famine." Hange's face suddenly became one of alarm, and Historia saw from the corner of her eye that Levi had straightened himself against the wall. Hange's voice took on a lower note. "How many?" Historia knew what she was asking without even going into clarity what she meant.

"Thousands. There are very few of us left." The Commander nudged her glasses at these words, mind already swirling beneath her eyes. Historia knew that the plague and its origins would be the next scientific mystery for Hange. She could see it now. She resumed her speech. "That is why we have made this decree. With so few of us left, I am afraid we have no other choice." She gave the paper to Hange, who read it eagerly. Historia wasn't sure how she expected the Commander to act. Perhaps angry objections or fanatic giggles. Something over dramatic. But instead her countenance was one of great concentration, that eventually morphed into a slight grimace, and then into nothing at all. Just a complete blank face. Levi's reaction wasn't much better. It was completely blank.

After a short while, the Commander finally nodded her head, meeting with Historia's gaze again. "Understood. Is there a copy of this so I may tell my squad what is to be expected of them….tonight?" Maybe she was more upset about the whole ordeal than she let on. Or maybe it was just due to the last minute notice.

"You may keep that one."

"Thank you."

The two Survey Corps members then went to head back inside of the room. Levi felt an aneurysm emerge from the back of his head when he discovered that Sasha had not so discreetly had an ear pressed to the door. "Eavesdropping now, Blouse?" he uttered.

Sasha sweatdropped at the dark shadow hovering over the Captain's face. She jumped back as he entered the room. But who could blame her for what she did? It wasn't like any of the rest of the Court seemed to care. And she knew that if Connie were there, he would be doing the exact same thing. The Goofball…

Zeke was now looking at her again. He appeared amused. Ugh.

Hange had now entered the room as well and demanded attention from her subordinates. "Men we have fought long and hard to get where we are today. We've been through hell and we've been hell. Our country thanks us today for our selfless service. But now its asks us for one last favor."

"And what is that, Commander?" Jean asked.

"You are all to be wedded and have conceived child…." her voice suddenly went grave. "...By this October." All hell broke loose.