Ratings: R/NC17+
Warnings: Violence/Gore, Sex.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this story, living (or passed) human beings or fictional characters. These events never happened, according to history or as the original author intended them. This is a work of fiction and is not intended to offend. For entertainment purposes only. Thanks.


Chapter 4: March, 15th

Carolina was waiting for him when Levi awoke the next morning. She had been waiting for him to awake each day for the past two days as well, always offering him some small form of food, such as porridge. She would sit by his bed all day, watching him, bringing him food, and keeping him company. The first day they had sat in complete silence for hours on and off, not meeting each other's eyes. The second day, she had begun to tell him small things about Rose Kingdom and her grandson, Eren, who was still a young boy and often got into trouble. He hadn't said much in return, or offered much to the conversation, but from the expression in his eyes Carolina could tell he was glad for her company, and so she continued to make the effort in befriending the young man. Other than their short and often one-sided conversations, and the meals Carolina tried to regulate him to eat, Levi had slept most of the two days away, which she had reasoned was good for his head injury. The second evening she had helped him up and walked him around the room to make sure his blood wasn't clotting and see if his head injuries were clearing up. Levi admitted he was fine but exhausted, before returning to bed and almost instantly falling asleep. Today when he awoke, he was greeted by Carolina with a steaming cup of black tea, some warm buttered toast, and red apple slices. "Just to start small." She had explained with a sweet smile, "We're going to try to get you back onto heartier foods now, dear prince."

He ate gratefully, usually never given the privilege of tea in Sina Castle, and once more - just as with every meal he had - was reminded that he would have to confess to Carolina about his identity soon. However, each time he opened his mouth to speak, she would prompt him to eat rather than speak, and he found himself recalling when Lana had told him that Rose Kingdom had different traditions than theirs – just as they had with the design of the wedding dress. He respectfully followed what he assumed could be their customs and remained silent for the rest of his meal, not wanting to appear disrespectful after all the old lady's hospitality.

"Now," Carolina began, "I think you may be strong enough to get out of bed for a bit today, so I brought you some clothes and my daughter, Carla, drew you up a bath. Let's go get you properly washed up now, no more sponge baths. I think walking bit more today will help you heal faster. And a change of scenery will do you some good."

Levi's eyes widened, he had planned to tell her he wasn't the prince after eating. Taking his alarm for concern of his injuries, Carolina smiled and offered him her arm to lean on. "Come now, up you get. I have your crutches here, and it's not that far to the bath, it's just upstairs. You'll feel better after walking again, it's good for you."

Levi blushed at her touch again, and before he could fully process what was happening, he was handed the crutches and following the old lady to the bath. He bit his lower lip, trying to suppress his feelings of guilt. The castle was beautiful, the people he encountered were kind. Sina Kingdom was nothing like Rose, and he found himself indulging in the privileges given to him. He had never had a warm bath before, and he caught himself planning to hold his tongue about his confession until after he had experienced that as well. After all, 'what's just one more experience?'

Carolina led him down the hallway and into the grande hall, and Levi stopped to gaze around in wonder. The hall was bright and spacious, but he wasn't given the time to fully appreciate it. Carolina guided Levi to stand in between herself and the railing on the stairs and began to help him ascend them. Carla was coming down when they began to head up, and she rushed down to help, taking over for her mother so that she could support Levi's weight as he climbed.

"We should have called Captain Miche." Carla sighed.

"No bother," Levi replied, taking his first step on the top landing. "We made it, thank you."

Carolina chuckled, "He's a strong one." She replied, "Thank you, Carla." she touched her daughter's cheek, "He's building his strength back so it's good for him to walk a bit. Even if it is uphill."

Carolina led Levi down the long hallway but stopped close to the middle, where she parted two mahogany, French-style double doors, and stood aside for Levi to shuffle forwards into the room. The bathtub was in the middle of the room, in it's own shallow slope with a drain directly under it, made of white porcelain, and filled to the brim with clear, steaming water. Levi's eyes widened and his lips curved upwards at the sight, he had always wondered what it would be like to have a warm bath. His baths at home often involved a rough scrubbing brush that resembled the bottom half of a broom and the outdoor water pump. If he was lucky, he was allowed to use an old laundry bucket on the floor of the kitchen in the winter time, and the water was still freezing then.

Besides the tub, there was large windows covered with thin yellow curtains, allowing both privacy and sunlight. There was a large full-body mirror in one corner of the room, and a stack of fluffy towels folded and waiting on a small chair in the opposite corner. The tub - which resembled a shallow pool - and the room were quite large, and he looked around it in wonder.

Carolina's smile faltered as she observed his quirky behaviour, before she gave her head a small shake and came forwards to place a hand on his shoulder and guide him forwards.

"Come on now, my dear. Let's get you all cleaned up."

She took him to stand beside the tub, which he could sit on as she took away his crutches.

"How's your foot?" she asked him, slowly getting to her knees in front of him.

Levi shook his head at her action and took hold of her hand. He didn't want her kneeling for him. "I can undress." he quickly explained, "Please don't kneel on my account."

The old woman smile and straightened up. "I can leave if you're shy." she sweetly replied.

"N-no." Levi blushed, "I don't mind. I just...would rather you not have to kneel."

"Oh, bless you, dear Prince." Carolina smiled. "I know I'm aged, but I'm not fragile."

Levi looked away, his cheeks red. He pulled at the tie on his collar and let the nightshirt loosen around him. Then he pulled it off over his head and handed it to Carolina. "Regardless, I'd feel terrible." he confessed.

"I'm surprised indeed." Carolina teased, "We were told the Sina Royals were rather impolite."

Levi chuckled, unable to control himself. He could agree: Len and Lana were impolite, self-centered brats. It wasn't the first time that he caught himself thinking he was glad they hadn't survived the accident, but he kept that to himself. He didn't want to be accused of murder, having been the only one to survive.

He shook his head, refusing Carolina's hand offered to him to assist him into the tub. Instead, he turned to face the tub, then grasped the edges and lifted himself up to sit on the lip of the tub. It made him dizzy to use so much of his own strength, but he refused to close his eyes and as sudden as the dizziness came on it faded away. Slowly, with controlled movements, he lowered himself into the tub, sighing at the warmth that immediately enveloped him.

"Mind your head, I have to take off the bandages so you can wash your hair now. How's your foot?" Carolina asked him again. She was amused with his reactions and responses, and was beginning to find herself watching him with the same level of curious fondness she would watch her grandson - Eren - with, alway eager to see how they uniquely approached the situation compared to the status quo. She had moved to the corner with the chair in it, seating herself a ways away from him to give him some level of privacy.

Levi didn't mind that Carolina had moved to sit in the corner of the bathroom. It wasn't very long ago that he would sit in the corner of Len's bathroom and serve him as he bathed. It was an indescribable feeling to go from the one in the corner chair to the one seated and doted on in the tub. While he did appreciate the experience of the tub, he felt guilty for being served as royalty when he wasn't. But if he didn't play the part now, things would become very messy. At the very least he wanted to have some clothing on before confessing his identity, particularly trousers.

"Much better, Miss Carolina." he replied, "The pain used to be quite strong, like having a big splinter. Now it is much duller, but it still hurts to walk on."

"Oh?" Carolina chuckled, "Well, then it is getting better. Best to take it easy. I assumed you had a few too many splinters before?" she teased.

"Many. From working with the horses. The stables were terrible for them."

Carolina smiled at this information. She had discovered over the days that when given the chance, Prince Levi was quite the chatterbox. If she said only a few choice words, the boy would readily speak some more. "You liked the horses?"

"I loved the horses." Levi replied. He began to gently splash the warm water onto his shoulders and face. "Len and me would race all the time. But I knew more about them than he did. I fed them, brushed them. I had the blacksmith show me how to properly shoe them too."

Carolina was impressed. The prince was no doubt a sponge for knowledge. A lover of animals, a kind-hearted, polite boy. This was nothing like the prince that was described by fellow nobility. Carolina just knew something was off: perhaps the boy was just ill-reputed or scared by a near-death accident, or perhaps even freed from the shadow of his sister's demands? Whatever the case, Carolina wished that Prince Levi would stay in the Rose Kingdom, regardless the circumstance. She had grown used to his company in such a short period of time. But she knew it was unlikely; he would have to return to Sina Kingdom, as that was his home.

"Which horse was your favorite?" she asked.

"A chestnut horse with a black mane. Her name was Eros. She wasn't the fastest, but we bonded really well. She would come to me if she heard me whistle."

Carolina nodded. She decided to see what information she could pry from him about the royal family. "What about your father, did he like the horses?"

"King Zackly is a slob." Levi stated, rolling his eyes. He heard Carolina choke on a laugh in the corner and continued. "It's not polite to say, I know, but he really is. He's not a just leader, and he's behaves stupidly. Rather than do the right thing, he tries too hard to appease his wife and allows her to make all the decisions. The queen always chooses what's best for herself in the immediate moment, with no regard for what consequences that would have. Lana takes after her, so I wouldn't be surprised if she came here trying to get her own way: the same self-centered, narcissistic, greedy path of destruction. They say they rule for the people of the kingdom. The truth is they rule for themselves, staying hidden behind their castle walls, they care nothing for the lives of the people." He glared at his bathwater as he spoke, his voice tinged with malice.

He realized it was the first time he could openly say his opinion about the Sina Royals without being executed for treason. His eyes wavered as he stared at the water and his lower lip began to quiver. He exhaled shakily, causing small ripples on the surface of the water from one end of the tub to the other, and he breathed in deeply, as if a huge weight had just been released from his shoulders.

Carolina's mouth was open in shock. She rose from where she sat, with the folded fluffy towels off to one side, and came to wrap an arm around Prince Levi's shoulders. "There now," she cooed, "You have some strong feelings on government, young man."

Levi gave a weak chuckle. "All system corrupt eventually, Miss Carolina." he replied, "No matter how you try to break it down, there's a hierarchy somewhere. Sometimes all people desire is freedom."

It was Carolina's turn to laugh weakly. "How is it that you are so young and know so much already?" she asked hypothetically, brushing a clump of wet hair out of Levi's face. Despite absorbing the water from the bath, the inches closest to his shoulders felt brittle, and handfuls of strands snapped off in her hands. "Your hair...it's burnt!"

Levi smirked, as if he wasn't sure he could care about the burnt hair. He hadn't seen much of his hair recently since it was held back with some of the bandaging. "I suppose I should cut it then."

"How short would you want it?" Carolina asked him.

Levi thought about the length for a moment: he wanted something that allowed him to keep the comfort his hair in his face, but was also easy to maintain, healthy, and clean. Ultimately, he wanted a style that would keep him apart from other boys, especially the boys – like Levi – that had to wear all their hair long because they couldn't afford the maintenance of shaving it every week. "Well," he squirmed, once more conflicted with telling Carolina that he was not really royalty. "I think I'll shave the bottom right off."

Carolina smiled. "You just sit back there, dear. Lean back against the tub, and I'll trim your hair for you."

Levi couldn't keep the smile off his face. His eyes narrowed to hide his emotions. Carolina was motherly, and it made it hard for him to oppose her. At the same time, Levi knew deep down that he was taking advantage of them. It was cruel, but he figured it would be the only time in his life he could experience what it felt like to be on the other side of line, how it felt to be the one served and not be the servant. After being a servant for so long, he wanted to know what it was like to be served - even just once - before he would have to return to earning his own living.

He lean back in the tub and closed his eyes, letting the lukewarm water surround him and resigned himself to his environment. His foot throbbed gently, adding to the natural rhythm in his head. Despite his situation, Levi felt calm. In his defense, he hadn't agreed to being called prince, he only accepted being treated as one. And he had intention to tell them that he wasn't the Sina Prince...just as soon as he had finished his bath. He'd prefer to tell the guard that found him that there had been a mistake made, but he wasn't sure he would encounter him again. He hadn't had the opportunity to meet him again - at least when he was conscious.

Carolina headed to a small set of drawers on a side-table, next to the chair, and returned with a comb, a cut-throat razor, a pair of scissors, three butterfly clips, and a small towel. She brushed through Levi's long wet hair, snapping the burnt, brittle strands off the healthy, un-singed hair, then began to comb it into sections. She parted them and clipped them out of her way with the butterfly clips.

"I'll give you the style most royal men have." She began, "Not that boyish hairstyle they kept you with."

Levi smiled. He wanted to tell her that since he was over the age of fourteen he could have cut it himself anytime he wanted, but then he would have to explain that he wasn't allowed to 'mock royalty,' as Lana had told him once. Instead, he stayed silent, enjoying the gently tugging at the back of his head, listening to the sharp blades of the scissors slice away his long black locks. Afterwards, she shaved the bottom half of his hair with the cut throat razor, and unclipped the longer strands from where she had them piled on his head. Once done, she smoothed his hair into a side-parted comb over that reached the nape of his neck, then handed him a mirror.

"It feels much lighter." Levi commented. "Thank you."

Carolina smiled, "You're welcome."

She placed the mirror on the small silver tray with the rest of the tools she had brought over and took them back to the small table. The bathwater was lukewarm now, and she decided it was time to get Levi out of the bath.

"I'm just going to get you some new clothes." She informed him, before kindly stepping out.

Levi watched her leave, his eyes full of kindness but void of thought. After she had pulled the double-doors shut behind herself, he rose to his feet with some difficulty, and swung his legs over the side of the tub. Wincing, without his crutches nearby, he managed to limp over to the side-table, stepping only on the toes of his right foot. He sighed heavily when he came to stand in front of the small side-table, where he stared at himself in the reflection of the mirror.

His skin was pale and cracked in dry spots despite the bath, which he assumed was due to the fire. The texture of his exposed hair was also dry, with a brittle quality to it that was no doubt because of the fire as well, and only the top few inches from the root onwards seemed to have his jet black quality. He scowled at his reflection, then looked at the various blades lying before him. He took the scissors in one hand, then parted his hair down the middle of his head and began to slice off the bottom length of his dark hair.

When Carolina had returned, Levi had cropped the rest of his hair to reach just above his ears. He angled the cut, styling it so that it could continue to hang in his face, but remain a clean, well-groomed style that wasn't tinged with the essence of the fire. Carolina gasped in shock, watching him comb through his hair and wipe off the strands of hair that clung to his shoulders.

She came up behind him and took the towel, wiping between his shoulder blades and making sure he was clean. It was the first time she had seen a noble taking care of themselves, the first time she had seen one find a means to do something themselves. Even their own prince was rather reliant, prefering to request rather than act when it came to matters of appearance. She said nothing as she had no words to express her surprise.

"How long do I stay at Rose Castle?" Levi asked her again. Apparently she hadn't heard him say it the first time.

"Oh, my dear." she breathed, hanging him a clean shirt and pants. He began to dress himself with some difficulty so she held out a hand to help him keep his balance. "Until you're all healed. The boy Judd has been sent back to Sina Kingdom to inform King Zackly and his queen of what has happened, I expect they will arrive sometime next week."

Levi's face paled. Carolina caressed his cheek once again. Something struck her as off, this was not at all how a boy would react to seeing his parents again. "Do you not want to return to Sina Kingdom?" She asked, concern in her voice.

Levi was startled by this information: if King Zackly were to arrive, they would be able to call out Levi's lie. Or more than likely accuse Levi of murdering their children in the accident. Whichever way, they would no doubt take him back to Sina Kingdom, then throw him on the road – if he were lucky. Regardless of the outcome of that accident, for a servant to live when the royals had die was seen as treason, and he would most likely be given a royal execution. But at Carolina's concern, Levi's eyes narrowed and he found himself using his false identity to hide his fear.

"I believe that was out of line, Miss Carolina."

Carolina inhaled sharply, surprised by how much authority the slender boy had when he wanted to. Perhaps this was the Prince-side of him that he had kept hidden from her over the last few days?

"My apologies, your highness." She humbly corrected herself, "That was bold of me to say. But I won't lie to you: you have the authority of a natural-born leader."

Levi felt his head tip up at her words, a tingle of pride ran through his body. He was nothing but a common boy, found on the brink of death and spared from starvation. There was nothing leader-like about him. He only possessed a drive for survival and the skills he gained to live. It was comforting to hear he was worth something more than a servant, even if it was under a false identity.

"Thank you, Miss Carolina." He mumbled, humble once more.

She helped him sit so that she could lace up his left boot; his right foot would just have to go without a shoe until the bandages were no longer needed. The boots were made of grey leather, his trousers were dyed black. He had on a crisp, white button-up shirt, a white fitted vest, and a fluffy black cravat at his throat. The cravat had thin, black chains sewn to the fabric, adorning his chest with sparkles whenever they caught the light. Lastly she helped place a royal blue coat around his shoulders, with silver buttons and a black-trimmed collar.

"Why, you clean up like a pretty penny, don't you?" she praised, brushing her aged fingers through his silky hair. "Really, I should dress you in black and white for mourning, but I can't help but add that splash of colour to celebrate your life. You look much more fitting for a young man now." she explained.

Levi smiled. The clothing was well-made and comfortable. He was given black to wear – he had never worn black before, as the dye was deemed expensive – but it thrilled him to finally see himself in it. Carolina was right, for once his appearance matched his age.

Carolina handed him a single crutch, having added a black bow to the fork where it parted from the base leg to create the rung for him to lean on. Levi thought the whole thing was comical and unnecessary, but he knew how royalty viewed it as more of a requirement than pointless extra lavishness.

"Come on now, I'll take you to lunch." She informed him.

Levi nodded. Up until this point he wasn't sure what exactly was going to happen, but he knew he couldn't hide in the medical ward for much longer. Eventually he would have to meet the soldier that saved him and the royal Rose family. He only hoped he could have told Carolina the truth before all of this began to spiral out of control: if he were to tell them now, he wasn't sure how any of them would take it. Given the amount of time it would take for the Sina Royalty to arrive, he figured he would have to modify his plans and instead slip out before their arrival to Rose Kingdom. It was the only chance he had of escaping with what little life he had left, and it was better than being called out on his deceit, then trialed for treason, if not murder. He shrugged off the guilt he felt whenever he thought about it: he only stayed a servant for Lana and Len because he was being provided for. The most important thing to him in this life was survival, and with nobility, survival was only possible if you played along with their ridiculous, scripted games.

Carolina led Levi to stairs, where he leaned heavily on the banister to aid his descent. He was tired just from the effort of having to hop down the stairs to avoid putting too much weight on his foot. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, leaning on his crutch to catch his breath. Carolina only smiled, and once he straightened up and waved them onwards to continue, she led him through the main floor of the castle.

Levi broke their silence. "Rose Castle is enormous!" he spoke in awe, pausing to glance around the grand entrance hall once more.

Carolina laughed. "This is just the front. There's also the north-east and north-west wings, and then there are the towers at the back that border the castle gardens. The mountains to the north are actually not so far back, but we do have a lengthy backyard – so to speak. And then there's also the shipyard and docks."

Levi's eyes widened. "A dock?" he asked in surprise, and once more offered up more information than was asked of him. "Sina Castle had a royal section of the city port, but not our own harbour."

Carolina laughed at Levi's reaction again. "Yes, a private harbour." she replied. "Rose Kingdom enjoys to be indulgent." she smirked.

"That's quite impressive." he replied.

They moved forwards, Levi falling silent as speaking caused him to be short of breath, and they headed out to the back gardens. He paused in the doorway and looked out past the sheltered patio, to the vast array of flowers, bushes, and fountains that made up the backyard. She swore she heard Levi murmur under his breath the words "Not bad."

"You'll be enjoying lunch with Prince Erwin," she informed him, leading him to a small table set in the garden, under a small canopy. "He's very excited to meet you."

Levi's eyes widened, but he forced himself to smile. "What an honour!" he exclaimed, hoping his voice didn't betray his panic, and he hoped it was passed of believable excitement. "Likewise!"

Carolina smiled sweetly at him, but wasn't convinced by his performance. Rather than confront him, she smiled and play along, pulling out his chair and seating him at the table. She bit her lower lip, trying to decide on how best to pry him for his opinion of Prince Erwin, when the blonde prince appeared over the horizon. He appeared to be laughing at something one of the guards had said, and when he took sight of her he reached a hand up and waved.

"Carolina!" he called in a smooth, tenor voice. "Good to see you again finally!"

Carolina raised a hand in reply and chuckled lowly, but didn't call out to him.

"Speaking of," she turned to face Levi, "That's Prince Erwin there. He must be on his way. He enjoys to hang around with the guards and patrol the walls. Most days he enjoys to check out the port. Spends most of his time out-doors."

Levi nodded, attempting to make out his features. Even from the distance they were at, Levi could tell he was a tall man. His voice was calm and seductive, and his golden hair was light and soft. Levi felt his mouth dry and licked his lips, Erwin was undeniably handsome and he immediately wondered what it would be like to kiss him.

Startled by his thoughts, Levi gave his head a small shake. Considering the man was previously engaged to his deceased-master-turned-sister, Levi was sure this lunch would be awkward enough without him becoming as infatuated with Prince Erwin as Lana had been. He looked away as the Prince made his way over, forcing himself to catch his breath and calm down his racing heart: once again, he was grateful Lana had died. He would rather not have arrived here and been forced to be supportive of her engagement to this devilishly handsome man whom he started to envision kissing himself.

Erwin arrived and Levi attempted to rise to his feet. Instead of bowing to the Prince as he would have under his original title, he would have to firmly grasp his hand and shake it. He recalled from the time Len was learning how to give a firm handshake several key points: do not under or over grasp their hand, do not over shake their hand, and do not hold onto their hand awkwardly afterwards. As expected Erwin reached out a hand and gave Levi a winning smile, all flashy and seductive, as if they just enjoyed some private joke.

"You must be Prince Levi!" he stated easily, "I'm Erwin Smith, Prince of Rose Castle. Welcome to my home!"

Levi couldn't help but smile back at the blonde, his cheerfulness was contagious. He was grateful that Erwin seemed the easy-going type. He took his hand and shook it, maintaining eye contact as he had practice with Len many times.

"My sincerest thanks, Prince Smith."

"My, what an interesting accent! Please, call me Erwin."

Levi nodded, "Erwin." he repeated, trying to ignore the thrill that raced through him saying his name. His smile wavered at the prince's comment of an accent; he had thought the whole time that it was the Rose people that spoke oddly.

They released hands, having reached the appropriate amount of time to shake hands, and Levi internally sighed. He was beginning to feel paranoid that his royal-act wouldn't keep up to their standards, and his conscious tried to reason with him that it was because of Lana had mentioned being tested as Erwin's potential bride that kept mixing with his false-identity in his mind, giving him the anxiety that he was also being put through a test to verify he was authentically royal.

Erwin waved off Carolina and pulled out his chair at the opposite end of the small table. "Thank god they used this square one, those rectangular tables are just horrible. Having to shout at each other to even be heard, barely being able to reach your food. It's annoying!" he teased.

Levi couldn't help but chuckle; he always thought the rectangular tables were a silly idea when it was less than a large group dining together.

"At least this way we can maintain a proper conversation." He replied, smiling at the prince.

Erwin smiled too, "Exactly!" he agreed.

Their food had yet to be delivered, and Carolina had retired to sit on the patio to give them some privacy, so the two princes were left alone at the table. Levi looked over at the gardens, trying to think of something to start a conversation with. Erwin took the opportunity to check out the young prince: he was slender, and fair, with dark features that gave him a mysterious flare. Beneath his blue coat, Erwin was sure his body was fit and toned, having had the energy to survive the accident that killed his sister. He realized it was rude to simply stare, so he spoke of the first topic on his mind:

"My...condolences, on the loss of your sister."

Levi didn't move but his silver eyes met Erwin's. "Thank you." he replied coolly. Before he could stop himself, more words flowed from his mouth than he originally meant to speak, "But I'm rather relieve actually. Lana was hard for me to get along with."

Erwin's eyes widened in surprise. It wasn't something he would have expected the prince to so openly disclose to him. Having been raised as nobility, he was well-aware that most royal families had tension from person-to-person, however it was commonly something that went known-but-unsaid. "Oh. Um, yes, I'd...imagine." he murmured, unsure of how to properly reply. He wanted to be honest but he also wanted to keep his reputation clear of all ill-conceived notions towards his late-fiancee.

Levi knew his words were too harsh and he quickly apologized. "That was...uncalled for me to say." he admitted, "I shouldn't speak ill of your bride-to-be."

"Of the dead." Erwin corrected him, tilting his head and narrowing his eyes to give Levi a look of suspicion. "She's dead, Prince Levi. She's no longer my bride. And quite arguable, never was."

Levi nodded, letting the correction wash over him. Erwin seemed too calm with the fact that his bride-to-be was no longer alive. It seemed to be a mutual feeling between the two men. "I see."

The atmosphere seemed to darken between them, making Levi feel like they were suddenly more intimate than they expected to be. It was as if they had shared a deep secret in their small verbal exchange.

All too soon, their bubble was broken by the servants of Rose Castle bringing them their lunch: turbot in red-chili curry with spinach, carrots, orange slices, and wild rice, lobster with crepes, puits d'amour filled with raspberry jam, and a side of julienne soup. To drink they were served a fine red wine, made with Rose Kingdom's own finely made Royal Winery from locally harvested grapes. Levi forced himself to remain indifferent with the arrival of the food, he couldn't let Prince Erwin know that he wasn't used to be served such lavish dishes. Usually, he would be sitting where Carolina was now, watching the feast going on from a distance (or the floor if he was unfortunate enough), and wishing that they would feel pity enough on him to give him their leftovers on a plate on the floor for after-meal entertainment, (should there be any). Now, he would have to attempt to make sure he didn't make it obvious that he was foreign to the multitude of food before them.

"Thank you." Erwin mumbled, meeting the eyes of each servant that came to place a dish on the table. "Thanks. Thank you." Levi noted that he thanked every waiter at least once.

'Polite,' he thought to himself, 'or compassionate.'

Erwin smiled at Levi, breaking his thoughts and stunning him temporarily. Levi gave his head a small shake and followed Erwin's actions: when he picked up his fork, so did Levi. He would just have to trust that copying Erwin wouldn't seem out of the ordinary and would be enough to get him through their meal. They began eating the turbot-curry dish first, waiting until the servants had all reached a safe distance from them to continue speaking.

"Since you said something so bold, I hope you would excuse me for returning the confidence when admitting I am quite relieved with the fact that your sister is no longer my proposed fiancée." Erwin confessed.

Levi's eyes widened and he paused in lifting his fork to his mouth. "I-I do excuse you, but I am...confused as to the reason why?" Between wondering if his responses sounded over-exaggerated for nobility and being stricken by how seductive Erwin could be even when he was admitting to something so politically incorrect, Levi was curious as to why Erwin was relieved. Did he perhaps have a lover that he wished to marry? Did he even want to marry? Lana's question of Levi's own marriage turned over in Levi's mind; did he himself want to get married?

Erwin's voice cut through his thoughts again. "I won't burden you with the details of politics, Levi, but I would want my marriage to be one that I would look forwards for something more meaningful than political necessity."

Levi nodded and quickly took a bite of food to keep from having to talk so soon. Erwin took it as a sign to continue,

"It's not that I wasn't ready to be married, or that I don't find the marriage as a way to unite our Kingdoms. I just felt, personally, that if something other could have been done to unite the kingdoms, it should have been tried. If it was the only option left, then maybe I wouldn't have felt as if I was marrying a total stranger just for the sake of my people. It is my life, after all. And I feel like I would be living it out solely for the people's sake. Wouldn't you agree?"

Levi's eyes narrowed and he placed his fork down. The nobility always felt it was their right to live their lives exactly the way they wanted, without thought to how the underclass felt.

"A lot of people, your people, live like that." he remarked, "That's our duty as royalty, no? To set examples and represent our people? Many of them marry total strangers just as a means to bring in enough income to survive. I'm sure no father wants to sell off his daughter for the price of the next fortnight's dinner, but it happens. At least a marriage between Kingdoms does more than bring bread to the table."

Erwin's eyes widened and the smile fell from his lips. He also placed down his fork. "You're correct: we are a representation of our people."

Levi broke eye contact and picked up his fork again. He began to eat the lobster, tearing small pieces of crepe with the prongs of his fork before eating it. Erwin watched him with interest, a look of respect in his seablue eyes.

"And you speak about it so passionately." he murmured, almost as if he were speaking to himself.

Levi shrugged, "I...have reason to empathize with the people." he stated, trying to keep the subject from directly turning to him.

Erwin nodded, seeming to understand. He took a different approach instead, "Is it because of Lady Lana?" He maintained his gaze on Levi for several seconds, before following his example and switching to eating lobster.

Levi smirked, surprised by the turn of the conversation and of authority. He embraced this change with ease, glad to have made Prince Erwin subservient to him. "I suppose you could say that. Perhaps you would enjoy to learn that my sister was quite the narcissist. Things were quite oppressive around her, which only fueled my friendship with our servant."

Erwin nodded in understanding. Levi expected him to pry more, but he simply replied, "I heard you like horses."

He smiled in response, holding back a laugh. Vaguely he wondered where Erwin had heard such talk from, and acknowledged Carolina as the only source. "Very much so. Maybe because Lana would never come to the stables? But animals in general, I think. I believe everything has a right to live and enjoy the earth as much as we do."

Erwin's lips twisted up in a genuine smile. "I do too." he softly replied.

They fell silent as they continued eating, before they moved onto their next course, the puit d'amour. Erwin made no attempt at conversation, so Levi felt he had left the dominance to him. He decided to spark their conversation again, but instead steer them to a safer topic than the heavy politics they seemed to be trudging in.

"You said I hand an interesting accent." he started, "Do you have another language?"

Erwin's look of surprise amused Levi and he took the opportunity to eat while the blonde prince fumbled for an answer; clearly he was taken off-guard by the smaller man's question. "No...not that I think would be anything official. I speak five languages myself, as any nobility would, I assume. But Rose Kingdom doesn't have any official languages that are different than the common tongue spoke in the tri-Kingdoms. I mean, we do but it's very old and really just reduced to tradition. It's nothing you would probably hear us speak here now."

Levi nodded, having already known this information about the tri-kingdom's common tongue. His eyebrows knit together and he frowned at the answer regardless, "Then how come my words sound funny to you?" He asked. "I admit, I thought this whole time the people of Rose were the ones talking oddly."

Erwin chuckled at Levi's confession. "No, we all speak the same." he laughed, "But I think we all twisted the common tongue so that we pronounce differently regardless. Perhaps its because of the languages that we mostly translate between - with Rose kingdom dealing with the island-folks across the seas and Sina kingdom making deals with...wherever you mostly deal with."

Levi nodded, finding the prince's answer rational. "That makes sense to me." he agreed. He realised that the topic of languages was quickly exhausted, as well as challenging for him to maintain his cover as a noble. He hurried to push the topic further so that the discussion of anything political was kept unopened.

"What are the traditions of Rose Kingdom then?" he asked, pausing in his meal to look up at Erwin. "Lana told me that your mother would choose her dress, and Miss Carolina informed me that Rose is a city of indulgence."

"Indulgence?" Erwin repeated with a chuckle, "I'm sure we are. Being so close to the mountains, the sea, and the fields, it's a small paradise that gets many fine staple products; gems, and fish, and lumber, and fruits. I suppose we are a little showy in regards to having so many fine resources on our doorstep."

Levi laughed at Erwin's attempt at modesty, then blushed as he spoke his name again. "You, prince Erwin, are a fine show-off indeed."

Erwin's eyes twinkled with amusement. "I'll admit it, I am. But Rose isn't that far in tradition from other Kingdoms. We only set in place some key social expectations to preserve our unique culture."

Levi smirked. "What's the reason behind the dress then?"

"Modesty." Erwin replied with amusement, "My mother doesn't want my bride-to-be to wear something scandalous, which we admittedly feared from your sister. And arguably any brides that would try to seduce their way to the throne. I mean, the bride does get some choice. It's just going to have to fit...our choice too."

Levi laughed in amusement. "Alright, I can agree to that. What other traditions do you have?"

"Do you mean culturally or socially?"

"I mean whatever you mean."

The atmosphere between them once more seemed to burn with an energy unknown to them, a reaction to their magnetic attraction towards each other. Unconsciously the pair had even begun to lean across the table towards the other, intently wrapped up in their own conversation.

"Socially, just few as I mentioned to keep the nobility modest. We don't want to turn into a society where the rich get richer and the poor have nothing but us to live for. We're the example, as you've said. But culturally, we're diligent workers. We have festivals to celebrate the changing of the seasons, superstitions that follow the calendar-year, and of course we love to be indulgent with the things the earth blessed us with."

Levi smirked, amused with how religious it sounded. "So you worship the earth and all its offerings?" he teased.

"Almost. In a way. There are many religions but Rose Kingdom believes in individuality. Just like the mountains are to the north and the sea is to the west. Some Kingdoms oppress the diversity of their citizens, we choose to celebrate ours."

"I can see the political turmoil." Levi murmured, pushing his plate away. "Sina thrives by exploiting its people and maintaining tight control over them. Some days of the month even call for a strict diet pertaining to social class."

Erwin nodded in understanding. They had come full circle, and yet he wanted to hear so much more about the young Prince's Kingdom and his life within it. Yet he found that Levi seemed to withdraw from the topic. "How are your injuries?" he asked instead, "I'd like to go sailing tomorrow and would be more than grateful if you were to join me."

Levi opened his mouth to reply when Erwin dropped the invitation on him. "Oh. Yes, I would enjoy that very much." He thought to tell Erwin he had never been on a ship before, but he wasn't sure if that was something he should admit. In his defense, Len had never been on one either, but it didn't sound right to have never been on the water; it wouldn't sound believable. "I am still sore, but I am feeling better than before." he answered in honesty.

"I'm glad to hear that." Erwin replied, "I was worried that your concussion would become life-threatening. We have no way of telling if you were internally bleeding inside your skull. Since there was no great swelling we refrained from bleeding you by the scalp; it would just injure you more if it was unnecessary."

Levi bit his lower lip, unsure of how much Erwin had been told about his condition or the causes of death for the others. And now he was worried that the prince had been to see him when he was asleep in the medical ward. He worried how many others in the castle had come to check in on him as he rested. "I-" he paused, trying to find a logical explanation as to how he even survived, let alone heal remarkably well, without arousing suspicion. "I think it was the way I collapsed that saved my life. I had managed to get my upper body out of the carriage so besides not having to suffocate on smoke, I probably had my head elevated."

"That makes a lot of sense." Erwin replied, touching his chin thoughtfully. "Your blood wouldn't be able to pool in your head and cause you any swelling because you were kept in a position that was more vertical than them."

Levi nodded. Speaking of his injuries was making him focus on the dull throbbing in his head. He placed a hand to his forehead and Erwin came around to help him to his feet.

"Are you tired, Prince Levi? I could escort you to bed."

Levi nodded. In the distance he could see Carolina rise and begin to approach them. Erwin placed a hand in between his shoulder blades and took hold of his right hand in the other. Levi felt a spark of energy travel through him from where they skin touched.

"Perhaps you can help me walk around a bit instead?" he asked. The words had left his lips without his brain processing them. All he knew was in this moment he didn't want to have to part from the Prince just yet. "The air might be of some help, rather than returning to the castle."

Erwin turned to wave at Carolina, then handed Levi his crutch. "Yes, of course. Perhaps moving around some would help your head. I always find it soothing to walk when I'm sick or injured, cycles the blood more."

He wrapped an arm around Levi's shoulders and turned them around and began to guide him towards the gardens. They moved slowly with Levi setting their pace with his crutch, and pausing every so often to exchange words on how beautiful the scenery was or how their Kingdoms differed. Despite the various benches and ledges they passed, they never stopped to rest, choosing to stand side-by-side with the blonde's arm around the shorter man. The sun had just begun to sink after they circled the gardens twice, turning the sky a bright golden colour. A soft breeze blew in from the harbour, gently kissing their skin with the scent of the sea.

Levi sighed in happiness. "Castle Sina is located inland – as the center of Sina Kingdom is – so we never get to feel the breeze or smell the salt." He explained. "It never climbs over the tall wall around the grounds."

Erwin wrinkled his nose in distaste and then smirked proudly, "That doesn't sound very pleasant."

Levi laughed, "The more I tell you about Sina, the more happy you appear to not marry into it."

Erwin gave Levi a devilish grin, "Married or not, I'm just glad I wouldn't have to rule it."

Levi nodded, falling into silence. If he said anything, it would turn the conversation back to him and his connection to Sina Kingdom.

Erwin leaned against an ornately carved garden pillar, designed to help the climbing vegetation while also appearing an elegant art piece. He crossed his arms across his chest. "If you dislike Sina Kingdom so much, how do you plan on ruling it?"

Levi looked at the ground. Erwin had taken the initiative to bring it up himself to keep their conversations continuously returning to Levi in relation to Sina Kingdom. Being so directly asked, he wondered if a false answer would satisfy the prince, but something told him otherwise.

"I-" he began.

"Don't tell me you plan on running away from your responsibilities." Erwin cut him off, sounding mockingly rebuking, returning to points that Levi had made over their lunch. "The Prince Levi, the prince of his people, just walking away? Especially since there are no other heirs left. And you - the sole representation of your people's legacy."

"No, I- I wasn't thinking of that exactly." Levi replied, surprised that his anger with being accused of deserting his entire life was so controlled. And because he had come to respect Erwin, and maybe even trust him, he found himself desiring to explain just enough for him to understand. "It's just...complicated, Prince Erwin."

"Tell me how. Maybe I can help you?"

Levi smirked but inside he felt like sinking into the ground. The lies he told the last few days were beginning to catch up with him; once again he felt like it was a mistake to allow this image of himself to get so out of control. But at this point, confessing to the prince would more than likely result in misunderstanding and charges. This realization caused him to lose his voice and stop his explanation.

Erwin moved away from the pillar and wrapped an arm around Levi's shoulders, pulling him close to his own body.

Levi shook his head. "Maybe tomorrow." he found himself saying, "I...should probably rest."

Erwin nodded, taking Levi's rejection as playing coy. He had dropped several hints to Levi already about a secret of his own, although he wasn't entirely sure if he had understood them. He was sure, however, that the Prince of Sina was hiding a secret himself. Their interactions had been quite intimate all afternoon, and now that it was evening, Erwin was sure he felt a connection between them that he hadn't experience with others before. Although he wanted to trust Levi, he didn't want to rush them, and so he exhaled heavily and made the decision to let him retire and hope that they would grow closer tomorrow.

"Right." He agreed with Levi, "I'll walk you back to your room then. Tomorrow we'll go sailing, so you will need some energy for that."

Levi smiled, relieved that Erwin had let the topic of Sina die. "I look forward to that." He replied.

They fell into a silence that both wanted to fill but made no effort to. As they re-entered the castle, Carolina followed behind them, having been sitting with her daughter and watching them from afar. The women had had their own conversation regarding the two Princes, observing how they interacted and speaking about the oddities of the Sina Prince. He was nothing like they had been described him to be and try as Carla did, they couldn't locate the letters sent with the information on the family.

"It's his first day back up and about." Carla had reasoned, "Perhaps he's just seeing things in a different light, afraid because he's alone in a new Kingdom and he knows he might not get his way here."

Carolina nodded as she listened to her daughter. But both women continued to feel that it was not the case.