Chapter 4: Preparations

Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

Previously: Petra and Levi give each other engagement rings. They break the news to Petra's family. They're confused about the newspapers stating Levi's name as Levi Ackerman.


"In...and out... In...and out..."

"This is stupid."

"You're the one who wanted to learn meditation techniques," Nanaba said, sitting cross-legged on the grass.

"Well, I'm sorry I asked," Levi grumbled.

"C'mon, Levi, it's not even your wedding day yet. Stop getting cold feet already!" Hange was standing on her head next to him.

Levi pushed her and she fell her on her face. "Just remember Levi," Mike said, "canceling this wedding means hammering the final nail shut on the coffin. She's a noble leader, she'll have the Survey Corps buried six-feet under faster than you can say shit."

"Now that we have that out of the way, Hange have you picked out a dress yet?"

"Nah, I'm still looking."

"I already bought a suit. I told you my uncle is in the business, he found one for me. I can ask him to find some dresses for you if you'd like."

The trio didn't notice when Levi left, too caught up in their own excitement. He went to the kitchens to grab something to eat and was showered with congratulations. So he quickly fled to his office and Erwin came in. "Levi, good, you're here." He held up the wedding invitation. "I wanted to ask you about—"

"Is there nowhere I can go to get away from this?" Levi complained.

"Most likely no," Erwin said and held up the card again. "Does formal dress code mean tux or suit?"

"Either one is fine." Levi had never realized weddings were such a hassle. He might not have agreed had he known this was what he was getting himself into. He snuck off to the stables for some privacy. Most of the Scouts were having lunch. The stables would be quiet and he could finally have time alone without being questioned left and right about the wedding. Horses are much better company than—

Before he could duck into his horse's stable, someone caught up to him. "Levi!" Dita came up to him. "Can I wear my white bandana to the wedding?"

"No," Levi said just to be an asshole. He knew Dita wore it to hide his bald spot, but he was in a shitty mood.

"So I should wear a black one," he replied and nodded. "Got it. Thanks, Levi!"

The corporal made sure no one was around before sneaking into his horse's stable. Finally, I'm alone. He fed his horse a sugar cube. "At least you won't—"

"Levi!" Hange yelled.

"Why can't I even finish—"

The door flew open and Hange stepped in. "I knew I'd find you here. What does the time on the invite mean? When the guests should arrive or when the wedding actually beings?"

"It's when the bride and groom come." Levi scowled, irritability clear in his tone. "And what are you freaking out over anyway? You, Mike, Nanaba, and Erwin are coming with me."

"Oh yeah!" Hange laughed. "I forgot!"

He took the chance to ditch the scientist, eager to get to his room and lock the door, pretending he wasn't there if anyone knocked. I wonder if Petra's having as much trouble as I am. He certainly hoped so. It would be incredibly unfair for him to suffer through the wedding nonsense by himself.


"Eris, stop that!" Petra scolded.

"What?"

"She doesn't like people eating when she's working. It's distracting."

"I know, Petra, I've met her." Eris quickly finished the sandwich.


"You're going to burn a hole into the ground, cousin," Eris commented lazily, lounging on the couch. "Why are you so nervous anyway?"

"Because." Petra folded her arms. "She's intimidating."

"I can't deny that. This one time, my mom went to pick up her dress and I tagged along with her. I swear if looks could kill, I'd be a pile of ash."

"Knowing you, you probably did something obnoxious."

Eris opened her mouth then closed it. "Yeah, I guess I was being kind of irritating. Anyway, what did you hire the Old Bat and all of her minions for?"

Petra paused before answering. "You'll find out soon enough."

"A mystery." Eris clapped. "I love mysteries."

She'll be here soon enough, Petra thought. It was then the seamstress entered with two assistants. "Lady Petra, it's been a while."

"Thank you for accepting so quickly."

"My husband and I have been serving this family for decades. It would be my honor to make a wedding dress for you, as I did your mother." Libby, a seamstress renowned for her wedding dresses and wildly popular among the nobles, began ordering her assistants.

"Wedding dress?" Eris raised an eyebrow. "Who're you marrying?"

"You'll find out when the time's right. In the meantime, please keep this a secret."

"Like you even need to ask. Just remember to be careful. Uncle Doros is making a big move in the near future."

"I know." Petra wasn't worried, though. Levi had agreed to her proposal the other day. She needed to marry him soon after breaking the news to her family. She didn't want to give her uncle time to collect his wits.

"What kind of dress do you have in mind?" Libby asked. "What kind of material would you like? We have satin, silk, chiffon, velvet—"

"Chiffon," Petra said quickly. The first two wouldn't do much against the weather if it turned chilly and she preferred chiffon over velvet.

"Chiffon." Libby nodded. "Good choice. What about the silhouette, the neckline, and the veil? Would you like a train? How long should it be?"

"Why don't you whip out some sketches and we'll see which one Petra likes?" Eris asked, eating.

"Stand up," Libby ordered and Petra shot up. The old lady had quite the commanding voice. "Hmm." She began circling her, making notes in her notebook.

"You should get a strapless neckline," Eris suggested.

Libby made a sound of approval. "We're going to start a trend with this!" A few more notes and she was done. "I'll be back with sketches in three days. We'll start your first fitting then and create a sample gown out of muslin fabric."

"Sounds good," Petra replied.

"And don't worry, we'll keep this a secret. You have my word." Libby looked at Eris. "Next time, please refrain from eating when I'm working. I find it very distracting."

"That woman's scary," Petra muttered after the dressmaker left.

"Told you so."


Libby came in, followed by a group of women. "This is your third fitting, Lady Petra. We'll perfect and fine tune your gown. And the next time we meet, we'll do the finishing touches and that's it."

Petra nodded and they got to work. Soon she lost track of time. It would be worth, she told herself. She couldn't have imagined how exhausting the whole thing could be. How did people deal with this? Maybe it's more fun when it's a real marriage instead of a business deal. Her shoulders drooped in relief when her seamstress finally said those beautiful words.

Libby nodded in satisfaction. "I believe we are done for today."

A few minutes of discussing minor details and they packed and took their leave. Petra exhaled loudly when they were out of earshot, collapsing on the sofa. She and Eris took a small break before moving on.

"According to this schedule my mom made." Eris scanned the sheet of paper. "Next is shoes. But you're going to be stuck with flats or small-heeled sandals unless we stick Levi in heels, too." A mischievous grin began to stretch across her face. "Come to think of it, not a bad idea."

"There is no way in hell he'll agree."

"He can just buy one of those heels lifts. They're inside the shoes so it's not like anyone will notice, except for people who know him."

"Maybe." Petra considered her cousin's words. She did want to wear heels. It'll look so much cuter. But first, she had to get Levi to agree.

The shoemaker came in and displayed his finest in the parlor. "As requested by my lady," he made a flourish with his arm. Petra bit her lip, unknown to Johan, Eris was mock imitating him behind his back.

Petra eyed the many different designs skeptically. "How am I going to pick a pair of shoes when we don't know what the finalized dress looks like?"

"Petra, they'll be hidden under the gown anyway. Just pick three or four different pairs."

After an hour of selection and rejection, Petra finally settled on her final three and the shoemaker left. "What's next on the list?" She relaxed on the couch, hoping the next task required her to stay seated. Weddings are so exhausting.

"Forget the list, according to my stomach, it's lunchtime." Eris dragged her to the kitchen.


"Why the hell did I think this was a good idea?" Levi sighed, trying to ignore the crowd watching through the window. Did they not have anything better to do with their time than watch him?

"Arms out, please," the elderly man requested.

"Don't worry, Levi, we'll take care of it," Mike said before he disappeared with Nanaba.

"Looks good." Hange nodded in approval. "What about—no wait, you'll wear a cravat, right?"

"Naturally." Levi observed his reflection in the full-length mirror.

"Normally you look like an asshole, now you look like a rich asshole."

"Thanks, that was exactly the look I was going for."

"Crowd's gone," Nanaba declared, re-entering the shop with Mike. "You look very handsome, Levi."

"I'm more excited about Lady Petra," Mike said. "She'll be a real eye-turner in a dress."

Fuck, here it comes. Levi prepared himself at Mike's tone.

Hange grinned impishly, catching on. "Now, now, Mike, that's Levi's bride you're talking about."

"The future wife of Humanity's Strongest Soldier." Nanaba smirked, getting in on the teasing. "You wouldn't want to piss him off now, would you?"

"You're right." Mike's eyes widened. "Forgive me, my lord."

"Shut up, you dicks." Levi glared, refusing to show his embarrassment, and they burst into laughter.

"It's just so much fun getting a rise out of you," Hange giggled.

The doorbell chimed and Nanaba immediately walked up to Eris, blocking her way. "I'm sorry, but you can't—"

"It's alright," Levi interrupted, "that's Petra's cousin Eris."

"Aren't you happy to see me?" The redhead grinned, sauntering over. "Don't tell me you're still angry about that chicken-egg thing? No, I bet it was the mastru—"

Levi gritted out. "Isn't there something you have to do?"

"Miss Russo, I believe you're here for this?" The shopkeeper handed her a package. "My wife said to give it to you. She'll stop by later today for the final fitting for Lady Petra's dress and make any changes if necessary."

"Thank you." Eris accepted her dress. "When will Petra's dress be ready?"

"Five to seven days before the wedding."

"Well," Eris said to the others, "I guess I'll see you at the wedding, cousin-in-law-to-be and cousin-in-law-to-be's friends." They nodded and she left.

"I wonder what Petra's dress looks like," Hange said. "She—"

"Oh hey, by the way, Levi." Eris poked her head back in. "I convinced Petra to wear heels so if you don't want to end up being dwarfed by your bride, I suggest you invest in some heels as well. Bye!"

Three seconds later, rambunctious laughter and profanities filled the air.


"I have the transportation taken care of." Alastor glanced down to the papers in his hand. "All the guests have replied and I've drawn up which driver is picking up who and where as well as the best routes to take." He handed the stack to her.

Petra scanned the papers and smiled. "This is very efficient and organized. Thank you."

Accepting the praise with a nod, he took the papers and left. Petra yawned and stretched. Luna will be here tomorrow with an update. The wedding was a farce but she was excited about parts of it, like the dress—now that all the work was done, anyway. The event itself was to take place behind the manor. The backyard had a garden and past it was an open, grassy space. She and Levi would be married near the old oak tree.

The engagement ring caught her eye. Come Saturday, I'll be Petra Ackerman. Her smiled slipped into a frown and that was how Levi found her, spacing-out.

He cleared his throat. "What's on your mind?" Levi sank ungracefully next to her, legs crossed and one arm on the back of the sofa.

"I was thinking about the mix-up with your name. I sent someone to find out where the newspapers received that information and both them and the people making the wedding invitations were visited by a tall, dark-haired, middle-aged man with a beard. He was well-dressed and they assumed he was a representative from my family."

The confusion with the name had not been discovered until after the news was printed and the wedding invites already sent. Beyond it being a minor annoyance, Levi didn't care either way, but Petra did. Unfortunately, it was too late now. Everyone believed him to be Levi Ackerman.

"Proof your theory about the perpetrator being a competitor of yours might be right," Levi said. "But we have a bigger issue at hand." He scowled fiercely.

"What might that be?" Petra could not think of anything that might put such a sour look on his face. Suddenly, it came to her and she began to laugh.

"I refuse to wear heels."

"Oh, c'mon." She shuffled closer. "You want me to look taller than you? Because it's really not a problem for me."

"I would rather you not wear those things."

"But I have to! It makes me feel complete!"

"Then wear smaller ones."

Petra pouted. "It doesn't look good and there's no fun in it."

"They'll be hidden by the dress. And exactly how is wearing those uncomfortable looking monstrosities fun?" Levi asked incredulously. His feet ached just thinking about wearing those things for hours at a time.

"You wouldn't understand, you're a man."

"Exactly, which is why I will not wear those ugly, girly things."

"Fine." Petra imitated his body posture by crossing her arms. "Then you'll just have to accept the fact your bride will be taller than you."

Levi could accept that fact he was forever going to be shorter than the vast majority of the people around him. But it stung his pride to think his wife, who was actually shorter than him, would be one of those people and on their wedding day on all days, too.

"At least try it," Petra begged. "It'll stay between the two of us, I promise."

"No." He stood up and walked away. Unfortunately for him, Petra wasn't one to give up so easily.


Levi stared at the ceiling, letting his thoughts drift, waiting for the sun to come up. As much as he hated to admit, being rich had its perks. Big, comfy bed, good food, a hot bath, and of course, lots of money. But what he loved best was how efficient the servants were. There was not a speck of dirt or grime or any of that shit that made him want to smack someone around anywhere to be found. When sunlight finally shone through the window, he slipped out of bed and went through his usual morning routine.

He found Petra waiting for him when he stepped out of the bathroom. "Good morning," she said, sitting on his bed.

"What are you doing in my room?" Before the wedding, they had decided to stay in separate rooms. Once they were married, he'd move into hers. Her room was ridiculous. He couldn't stop comparing her things to his experiences and her room was easily twice the size of the entire apartment he had shared with Isabel and Farlan.

"Waiting for you, we're having breakfast together. Luna's here," she explained before he could protest.

Levi pulled on his shoes, unable to understand why they felt so strange until he stood up and looked into Petra's triumphant face. "You didn't."

"Stop being so overdramatic. It's not so bad, is it?"

"Why the hell are you so damn intent on making me wear heels?" Levi sat, ready to take the boots off.

"Because I want to wear heels to my wedding," Petra whined.

"Our fake wedding you mean," he corrected warily.

"I know," she said exasperatedly. "I was the one who came up with the idea, remember? And fake or not, people will be looking at me more than anyone else, you included. It's supposed to be one of the 'happiest' days of my life."

"No."

Petra wanted to argue but knew he was too stubborn. "Then just wear them for twenty minutes. If you still don't want them, I'll stop annoying you." He looked unsure. "Please? I promise I won't ask for anything else."

Levi sighed, answering defeatedly. "If it'll get you to shut up, twenty minutes."

He had no doubt she could argue with him until the day of the wedding if she wanted. It was either twenty minutes of annoyance or hours and hours of nagging. The choice was easy. Mercifully, she didn't say anything other than "thank you" and changed the subject.

Luna was waiting for them and after some pleasantries, she opened up her notebook and began. "The vendors have all been confirmed and paid by Stephan. Eris will go pick up your wedding dress tomorrow. Alastor has the transportation covered. Doros has taken care of the marriage license." She gave a small nod at the look on Petra's face, indicating she'd made sure there was no funny business with the legal paperwork. "Leo and his wife have taken care of alcohol." They owned a winery and had volunteered to cater the drinks. Luna smiled. "And the rest of the children helped take care of the gift baskets under adult supervision."

"Sounds like everything is going well," Petra said.

"Yes, despite the small time constraint, we've had no problems, thankfully. Now about the honeymoon…"

Levi almost choked on his juice. The marriage would not be considered legal unless they consummated. Petra had never mentioned if she was a virgin or not. It's not like anyone's gonna check to see if we did it. The wedding night was a subject they had yet to address, but considering the terms of their agreement about not having sexual relations with each other, he figured it was unnecessary.

"It's already taken care of," Petra told her aunt. "We've decided to say here at the manor."

"Then we're all set for the wedding this Saturday."


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