A:N/ Here's the next chapter, thank you to everyone who followed, favorited, or reviewed! I appreciate all of your support!
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
In a brief instant, the entire church fell into a state of complete silence as the people wondered just what was going on. Everyone had heard of Levi, Humanity's Strongest Soldier, and almost everyone had at least a vague notion of who Erwin was.
But the bride- the supposed 'princess'- was an unknown figure to all but a handful in the room. Only a select number of cadets in the Survey Corp had ever even seen her from the brief month that she had been their medic, and thanks to the actions of Levi none of them ever really knew who she was.
Celeste knew this as she meet Erwin's shocked face, the dark resignation shining in her blue eyes the mirror image of what she had seen in his only a few hours before.
Unsurprisingly, it was Levi who broke the silence.
"Celeste, what the fuck are you doing?" He demanded, his grip on her hands tightening to the point that Celeste thought her fingers would break.
She refused to meet his eyes as the crowd started to murmur in confusion, and what started as a whisper between a few soon morphed into the chatter of hundreds.
"Try to calm down, Levi, or the poison will run through you faster." Celeste responded, her voice calm as his gray eyes widened. As if on cue, a coughing fit came over Levi. A small trickle of blood started to flow down his lips, and the soldier started to turn even paler.
"The pin I stuck you with was coated in a deadly toxin." Celeste said, pulling her hands out of his grasp when he sunk to the floor. "Your muscles will start to lock up, and by my guess you've got about 20 minutes to live." She glanced down at him, her heart seizing up as she saw how much pain he was in.
Remember the plan.
Screw the plan! I love this asshole, I can't just let him suffer-
Remember what he did to you. Remember what Historia was going to die for- What Petra and the others did die for. You have to follow through with this, you have no choice.
"I have the cure, Erwin." Celeste stepped towards the man, who had immediately crouched beside his fallen captain in concern. She kept her voice low, as to not be overheard by the hundreds of spectators. "But unless you confess your love for me in front of this crowd you gathered up for today, I swear by the Walls that I'll let him die on the church steps."
Erwin sent a smoldering glare at her as he stood up, the tall man towering over her threateningly.
"Give me the cure now, Lieutenant Kelley, and I'll allow you to continue on the plan I had so carefully laid out." Erwin ordered, his voice low. "Or I will have you stripped bare in front of all these people in order to find a cure, before hanging you for attempted murder and desertion."
"D-don't you dare, Erwin…" Levi spluttered from the ground, but started to cough up more blood as the onlookers shrieked in panic. To Celeste's surprise, he managed to pull himself back up and stared at Erwin with a hatred beyond any Celeste had ever seen in another person.
"If you touch her, I'll kill you." Levi managed to choke out, blocking Celeste from the taller man as best he could. Celeste bit her lip, taking a deep breath before sweeping Levi's legs out from under him.
Ironically enough, it was the same move he had demonstrated with her all those months ago. Only this time, Levi actually fell to the ground. She turned to the crowd, who was in uproar once more to see the strange woman who claimed to be royalty hurt the man they all knew to be their best defense against titans.
"Captain Levi, as you can see, has been hiding his life-threatening illness from Humanity." Celeste announced loudly, keeping her voice as even as she could even as Erwin grabbed her arm. "He is no longer fit to rule, and agrees that Commander Erwin Smith and I would be far better suited as your leaders."
As the crowd started to debate amongst itself, Celeste turned back to Erwin, her hands tightening around her bouquet. "I'm holding nightshade, hemlock, and rosary pea. All are deadly poison, but Levi's only sick on one of them. On me are all three antidotes- but if you give him all three at once, they'll negate the effects of each other and he will still die." Celeste whispered to him, her eyes not leaving the crowd.
"And if I choose to let Levi die?"
"Then you'll lose the only person who has a chance at killing the Founding Titan, should Historia turn on you." Celeste replied, her fingers drumming on the bouquet. "Tick tock, Commander. Levi doesn't have much time left."
"Celeste… You-you can't marry her, she's mine-"
The words were weak as the escaped Levi's lips, but Erwin paid them no heed. After a moment's hesitation, the older man released his grip on her arm in favor of grabbing Celeste's hands.
There was no mistaking the threat behind his tight grip, and Celeste knew right then that her Commander's anger at her disobedience was far deadlier than any poison she gave Levi.
"Go, priest." Erwin ordered tensely, a dark look shadowing his features. The small clergyman looked at Erwin fearfully, having heard the entire conversation between them. "But, sir-" He squeaked out, before an intimidating look from Erwin shut him up.
"Erwin Smith, do you take Princess Celeste Reiss to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, to honor and protect, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do you part?"
"I do." Erwin said, his voice echoing through the hall as hundreds of eyes watched him.
The priest finally turned to Celeste, who was starting to grow impatient.
"Princess Celeste Reiss, do you take Erwin Smith to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, to honor and obey, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do you part?"
This time, Celeste had no trouble giving her answer.
"I do."
"I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."
Erwin's movements were robotic as he removed Celeste's veil from her face and pressed his lips to hers for a split second, but the commander could still feel the unbridled anger radiating from the sick man on the ground beside him.
Erwin knew the look in Levi's eyes as he pulled him up and half-dragged him into the small room just off the altar, with Celeste in tow. It was the same look in Levi's eyes after his two Underground friends had been slaughtered in front of him.
Levi meant to kill Erwin, and the commander knew he wouldn't be so easily deterred this time around.
"We don't have long before we're supposed to appear at the banquet." Erwin said, his voice monotonous and cold as he laid Levi out on a dusty couch. Had Levi not been so out of it, Celeste knew he would have protested at having to rest on something so unsanitary.
As it was, the man was barely holding on to consciousness.
Celeste pulled a thin tube of lipstick out of her sleeve, wordlessly dropping to Levi's side as Erwin adjusted him into a sitting position. She uncapped the tube, ignoring the incredulous look from Erwin before he realized that it had been hollowed out and filled with a strange white powder.
"Swallow this, Levi." She ordered, holding the vial to Levi's lips and tilting it back. The sick man gagged as soon as it hit his tongue, but he managed to choke some down. Almost instantly, Humanity's Strongest Soldier was passed out on the couch.
"You'd better watch out, Commander." Celeste noted as she watched Levi's sleeping form. "Levi wants you dead, and in my experience Levi gets what he wants."
"I have you as leverage." Erwin replied coolly, sizing her up as he leaned against the wall beside Levi. "He won't try anything if I make it clear to him that any harm that befalls me will befall you doubly." His eyes narrowed, and Celeste got the distinct impression that he was already plotting and planning the future. "I don't know what gave you the impression that being my wife would be any better than being Levi's wife. Unlike Levi, I possess no affections for you. The minute I think you are more of a liability than an asset, I'll have you killed."
Celeste couldn't deny the tremor of fear that ran down her spine- she knew Erwin wasn't going to be happy at her unraveling his plans, but she hadn't quite expected him to threaten her so openly.
She bristled defensively, throwing the poisonous bouquet at the man with impunity. "You knew as well as I did going into this mess that Levi was unstable. You were counting on it, weren't you? Waiting on Levi to derail just a little too much, maybe kill someone he shouldn't have out of anger or jealousy, all so you could swoop in and rule for yourself. I won't have been surprised if you had been planning on killing us outright even if Levi and I went along with your plan." She snorted contemptuously, looking at Erwin over the bridge of her nose.
Erwin seemed entirely unfazed by the accusation. "I only do what is best for Humanity."
"Don't insult my intelligence by implying you're a saint." Celeste snapped, her eyes narrowed. "You have your own ambitions, don't pretend otherwise. The only person with pure intentions in this entire Walls-forsaken building is Historia, and you plan to have her killed."
"Historia, unlike you, has a sense of duty. She is willing to sacrifice her life for Humanity, whereas you couldn't even marry a man who was obviously in love with you."
Outrage burned in Celeste's eyes, and she took a step towards him. "Don't talk about things you don't understand, Commander." She hissed, pressing her finger into his chest. "You don't have any idea what Levi did to me-"
"You didn't seem so unhappy with him only a few hours earlier." Erwin interrupted, a frown causing creases to form in the man's brow as he glanced down at his watch. "We have to leave, the banquet is about to start."
Celeste glanced at Levi, a hint of concern coming to her eyes. "You can't just leave him there." She replied, her hands clenching when she noticed him becoming restless in his state of unconsciousness.
"I don't intend to," Erwin responded, sticking his head out of the door to summon some soldiers.
"You two! Have this man place in one of the dungeons beneath the city. Report back to me his location. It is imperative that he be locked up before he awakens, so be quick about it." Erwin commanded as two young Survey Corp cadets came in, each looking eager to please. "It is also important that no harm comes to him."
"Yes sir!" They saluted, each picking up an end of Humanity's Strongest Soldier as they dragged him out of the dark room.
Isn't it ironic? He had you locked up for so long, and now he's the one who will be imprisoned.
"It will only be temporary, until I have time to explain things to him properly." Erwin noted, misreading the look in Celeste's eyes as she watched Levi disappear behind a turn in the hallway. Celeste turned back to him, her gaze emotionless as she rested a hand on Erwin's arm.
"Come on, then. We have a banquet to attend."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
A raw, aching pain was the first thing Levi was aware of when he finally struggled his eyes open again, and forced himself to a sitting position. His hand instinctually rested on his throat, rubbing the sore area without much thought as he glanced around the dark room he was in.
The only light in the entire area was from a torch resting in the wall. Even still, Levi knew the room well enough to understand where he was.
The prison- the exact same one he had seen Eren in, all those months ago. Unlike Eren, however, whoever but him here didn't have the good sense to tie him down.
Their mistake.
Levi struggled up from the thin cot, bracing an arm against the cold stone wall as he stood. It was then that he noticed the man standing at the far corner of the long hall outside of the cell Levi was trapped in, who was watching him with expressionless blue eyes.
"Erwin." Levi called, his normally abrasive tone weak and hoarse. Levi's throat protested against speaking at all, but the older man pushed through it.
"Levi. We have some things to discuss." Erwin replied, walking towards the cell leisurely before resting against the metal bars. Levi fixed him with a smoldering glare, but Erwin seemed unconcerned.
"Your woman is fine, I haven't done anything to harm her." Erwin said, and watched as the anger in Levi's eyes lessened somewhat. "And if it's any relief to you, I doubt the ceremony we performed was even legal." Erwin continued, a frown pulling at his lips. "We didn't even exchange rings, and so far I haven't signed anything."
"So why am I locked up, then?"
"Because I have the feeling that you want to kill me, and I can't have that happen." Erwin replied, sighing softly as he gazed at Levi. "Whether we like it or not, Celeste made hundreds of the most influential members of Humanity think that the two of us are married. As it stands, I'm stuck pretending to be her husband. Understand, Levi, that if I could find a way to give her back to you I would."
Levi walked towards Erwin, trying his best not to shake as he approached his superior. "Celeste is mine, Erwin. You know that I can't allow you to touch her."
"I have no intention to, Levi. In fact, I have amended the plan in a way I think would be agreeable to both of us." Erwin replied, keeping his voice calm in an obvious attempt to relax the dangerous man. "You're a top notch titan killer, Levi, and I need you to lead a squad to act as a contingency plan of sorts. In case Historia turns on us after becoming the Founding Titan, I need a way to stop her. That's where you come in, along with Eren, Mikasa, and a few others."
Levi's interest was piqued, even if his face didn't show it. "And how would that fix the current problem?"
Erwin leaned closer, his voice low as he continued. "If you do your job correctly, then I will have it reported that you died in the mission. Celeste will also be allegedly killed by assassins-or a freak accident, I haven't decided yet- and I will have it arranged for her to be delivered to you. From there, the two of you will live the rest of your lives undercover."
When Levi didn't respond right away, Erwin pushed forward. "Of course, you could always try to kill me the moment I let you out and then marry Celeste yourself." Erwin noted, and spotted the way Levi's eyes shone when he mentioned the idea. "But she did nearly kill you the last time you tried to marry her, so I'm not entirely certain she wouldn't try to swap you out again with another man- Perhaps it will be Jean or Eren this time, they are a lot closer to her in age." Erwin watched as Levi finally reached the metal bars, the two of them only separated by a foot of space.
"Rest assured, Erwin, she won't ever get away with that again." Levi hissed, his knuckles turning white from grabbing the metal bars too tight.
Erwin shrugged, looking entirely unconvinced. "I wouldn't put it past her. And you know the way the younger soldiers looked at her- do you really think they wouldn't take advantage of the situation?" Erwin pressed, his words a complete lie but delivered convincingly enough for Levi to believe them.
"I would kill them, too."
"You could try. But if you tried to kill Eren, you'd have to face a titan shifter and Mikasa. I have a lot of faith in your abilities, Levi, but I'm not sure that's a fight you would win." Erwin reasoned evenly, before his expression turned every bit as dark as Levi's was.
"But there is no point thinking about that." He said lowly, his blue eyes flashing with a cold fire as he stared down at his subordinate. "Because I have guards following Celeste at all times, and if any harm comes to me they are instructed to kill her."
Fear gripped Levi, a thousand scenarios playing in his head at once.
Celeste lying in bed, covered in her own blood. Her throat was slashed and still pumping blood down her chest…
A crumpled body at the base of the palace tower, nearly unrecognizable had it not been for the royal sigil stitched into the bodice…
Bloated from hours of lying in the water, Celeste's corpse floated peacefully in the lake beside the palace…
Levi shook his head, trying desperately to put such morose thoughts aside. He leaned closer to Erwin, his voice surprisingly steady for having just ingested poison.
"I'll do whatever you want, Erwin. Just don't kill her."
"Fine." Erwin looked almost disappointed when he finally pulled away. "I never thought I would see you beg, Levi, especially over some girl. I thought you, out of anyone, knew how foolish love was. It nearly got you killed, at any rate."
Levi shrugged, a small smile pulling at the corners of his lips.
"What is it?" Erwin asked, almost doing a double take at unfamiliar expression on his subordinate's face.
But Levi was silent, content in knowing that he would win Celeste back one way or another. He wearily made his way back to the cot, sinking down into a sitting position as he stared at the flicker of torchlight on the cold stone walls.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
A knock on the door startled Celeste awake, and she shot up from the large bed. "Erwin, I thought we agreed not to bother each other tonight." Celeste called, a hint of fear creeping up her spine as she stared at the door through the dim light of the candle beside her.
After the banquet- it had been an awkward affair, and she spend majority of the time keeping to herself at the table. Erwin did most of the talking, and would only occasionally rest a hand on her shoulder in an effort to appear as her lover and not a man who would rather see her hanged than hold her hand.
Afterwards, the two of them had been relocated to a sizable castle in the inner Wall. Despite herself, Celeste couldn't help but gawk at how extravagant the place was. She thought the Reiss manor was big, but this place?
The maid's chamber here was probably bigger than the master bedroom at the Reiss residence. Heavy, ornate furniture garnished every room, and bright golden tapestries showcasing various scenes- sometimes the embroidery it was innocent, like a rabbit or horse, but others portrayed a person being ripped apart by Titans- hung on the long stone hallways.
Celeste hadn't been given long to explore, as Erwin rather forcefully deposited her in the royal chambers before leaving without a word. She had searched the room (the word didn't seem to do it justice, given the size), and was surprised to see how prepared it had been for her and Levi. She had a long walk-in closet full of fancy dresses, shoes, jewelry, or anything else she could ever dream of. It was adjacent to another closet, one with similar finery for a man. Celeste imagined that it must have been for Levi, considering how small most of the clothes had been. She doubted Erwin could have gotten one leg through most of the pants, at any rate.
Part of her wondered if Levi would have liked any of the ornate suits and robes. He didn't seem like the kind of man to enjoy dressing up, and the image of Levi actually wearing some of these frilly things made her physically laugh.
In the back of the walk-in closet, however, Celeste stumbled across a box of Levi's belongings that came from HQ.
Unabashed, Celeste quickly rummaged through it. There wasn't much of note, just a few meticulously folded articles of clothing and other personal items. A wave of disappointment waved over her until she stumbled across a strange lump in one of the coat pockets.
It was a small leather-bound journal, and when Celeste opened it a worn picture fell out. It was dark and blurry, and Celeste could barely make out a much younger Levi with another man and girl.
Perhaps this is the Isabel and Farlan he has nightmares about?
She tucked the image back into the notebook, and quickly skimmed through a few pages. Guilt hit her like a great wave when she saw a few rough sketches in the margins of the paper, and Celeste was almost certain that they were supposed to be the fallen members of his squad.
It wasn't until Celeste had glanced at the one of the first pages more thoroughly did she catch the drawing of an older woman with dark hair and a serious face. Had Levi not labeled it "Mom", she wouldn't have taken a second glance.
Celeste had to close the journal after that, fighting down the unbidden sadness that came with seeing that poorly drawn image. Levi didn't seem much more advanced than stick figures, but it had been clear that he put a lot of effort into it.
She had snooped enough for today, Celeste had decided, and quickly tucked the book into the small chest of drawers near the bed.
After changing into a loose green shirt (which she had to borrow from Levi's things, as whoever prepared for her seemed to think she should live entirely in dresses) and some riding pants, she went to sit on the bed for a little while.
That 'little while' quickly turned into her falling asleep, and it wasn't until the loud knock on the door echoed through the room that Celeste awoke.
To her relief, it was neither Erwin nor the guards she feared who entered.
"It's just me, Celeste."
The voice, gentle in a way Celeste knew she could never be, rang through the bedroom as Historia entered.
"Historia!" Celeste exclaimed, immediately jumping down from the bed in order to greet her sister at the doorway. "I didn't know you were here!"
A small smile came to the younger girl's face as she grabbed one of Celeste's hands. "I wanted to surprise you, and maybe talk about home for a little before I… well, you know." Historia said, her bright expression wavering ever so slightly. "But I think you surprised me a lot more than I could surprise you earlier today.
Celeste's excited expression faltered, a wave of guilt washing over her. "I didn't know you were there."
"That's okay, most people don't notice me anyway." Historia said, pressing on before Celeste could interject. "But in all honesty, sister- I thought you and Levi loved each other?"
The cadet's words stung an already raw wound, and Celeste had to fight down the defensive comment that came to her tongue.
"I do, but… but it isn't that simple." Celeste started slowly, unsure of just how she could tell her sister what was wrong when she hardly knew herself. Besides, Celeste knew Historia had her own problems to get through, and didn't need an added burden.
"What isn't that simple?" Historia prodded, gently guiding Celeste to sit beside her on the bed. Celeste hesitated for a second, but the patient look on Historia's face encouraged her to go on.
"What did Erwin tell you about me and Levi, Historia?"
Historia leaned back on the bed, getting comfortable as she looked at her sister in confusion. "Erwin told me you two loved each other. He also told me about an hour ago that Levi wasn't really sick- you poisoned him or something."
Celeste rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "I did. Between you and me, though, it wasn't enough to actually kill him." She admitted, before turning to her sister with a serious look. "Erwin wasn't lying, though. I do love Levi- but I shouldn't. It's… it's not a normal kind of love, I guess. It's twisted, and wrong."
"Is that why you went AWOL?" Historia asked, curiosity shining in her wide blue eyes.
"I didn't leave by choice, Levi kidnapped me. He didn't think I would survive the next mission and wanted to keep me safe, or something like that. Either way, I was locked up in a cabin with him for months. I hated him for it, and a part of me still does."
The curious look in Historia's eyes was replaced by horror, and she immediately shot back up and grabbed Celeste's shoulders. "You're telling me that Levi abducted you?" She exclaimed, looking both angry and aghast. "Commander Erwin told us that you got scared- he even said you left a note in his office explaining why you left!"
"Erwin knew what Levi was doing, apparently. He said that it made Levi better in missions, and it was a sacrifice he was willing to make." All the feelings she had suppressed for weeks finally surfaced.
The fear, the anger, the panic, the confusion- the lingering sense of unfairness that gripped her senses whenever she thought about the situation coursed through her all at once.
The tears didn't come, though. She had cried enough in the last few months.
"Historia, he… Levi…" Celeste tried to speak, but found herself unable to continue. The younger girl didn't press her for answers, however. Instead, she pulled Celeste into a tight hug.
Celeste had no idea that something as simple as a hug could have such a profound impact. For a moment, Celeste felt all her worries wash away as she melted into the embrace.
"I'm sorry, Celeste. That sounds horrible." Historia replied softly when they finally pulled apart. Guilt immediately rose in Celeste's chest as she saw how upset Historia looked.
"I'm the one who should be sorry, Historia. The last thing you need to worry about is me. The things you must have went through on the Reiss's farmland, the things you're going to do, to save Humanity- Walls, I have no right to complain." Celeste pulled back, rested her hands on her lap as she stared at the small candle on her nightstand.
"Stop it, Celeste."
The words were surprisingly firm from the younger girl, and Celeste turned back to her in surprise.
"It's okay to feel bad for yourself, and whatever I or anyone else has dealt with doesn't change that fact." Historia chastised, sitting crisscross as she gazed at Celeste. "Because of the Titans, almost everyone has went through some kind of tragedy- but that doesn't mean that you have to pretend that what you've gone through wasn't horrible. Just because someone had it worse than you doesn't mean that you delude yourself into thinking you had it easy, or that you should be grateful for your lot in life."
Celeste blinked, floored by the words of wisdom coming for the sister six years her junior. "Historia…"
Her sister cut her off, a determined expression on her face. "What happened to you was messed up. What happened to me was messed up. We shouldn't waste time trying to measure who had it worse, Celeste."
"You're a lot smarter than people give you credit for, Historia." Celeste replied, the awe in her voice causing her sister to blush.
"I'm just pointing out the truth." Historia mumbled, and Celeste clapped a hand over the girl's shoulder with a bright smile on her face.
"Thank you, anyway. I think I needed to hear that." Celeste said, before taking a deep breath.
"So, Historia, here's the problem…"
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Hours must have passed as Celeste talked to Historia, telling the girl absolutely everything that had been going on in her life.
Historia listened as Celeste discussed the messed up things Levi had done-
"That jerk! I'll kill him myself!"
-and nodded along as Celeste described how she came about falling in love with him.
"I don't understand it fully myself," Celeste had said, looking down at her hands as she tried to figure out just what about Levi drew her to him. "I know what you're thinking: He hurt me, abducted me, and drugged me. Why should I care about him at all?"
Historia tried not to look too skeptical as she stared at her sister. "I don't know. It's probably the result of only seeing Levi for the last few months."
"I know, but I still love him. He can be really sweet, sometimes. He just wants a family, Historia, and people to love him. I think he just doesn't know how to show it right."
"If you say so."
By the time Celeste had finished talking to Historia, she felt much better. It was the first time she could really let everything off her chest, and spending time with her sister made her feel happier than she had been in a long time. She was disappointed when Historia had to leave, but knew that it was getting late.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Historia. Have a good night!" Celeste called as the younger girl opened the door to leave. Historia smiled brightly back at her, having enjoyed their talk almost as much. It was nice, hearing about someone else's drama.
"Good night, Sister!"
As soon as Historia had gotten out of Celeste's sight, however, the bright smile on her face fell to a much more serious expression. She practically stomped all the way to the dungeons in the depths of the castle, a rising anger towards the man who had treated her sister like she was nothing more than a pretty bird to be locked up and admired.
She was going to make Levi pay for twisting up Celeste's mine, regardless of the man's rank or power. There was nothing that could stop an angry Historia from reaching her goals, and right now her targets were set on her sick Captain.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Levi?"
The soft voice cut through the nightmare plaguing Levi's sleep, and the older man stirred briefly. He was caught in haunting images of the last mission, and had tossed and turned restlessly that night. The residual pain in his body from the nightshade didn't help in the slightest.
"Levi, wake up!"
The voice called again, this time a little louder. Levi's eyes blinked open slowly, and he stared at a small form leaning against the metal bars of the cell.
"Is that you, Celeste?" He asked, his mind still hazy from sleep. "How did you get here?"
"Historia, actually." The small girl said in response, her words immediately snapping Levi awake. The older man pulled himself into a sitting position, his eyes adjusting in the dull light to see a very unhappy cadet staring back at him with a very familiar fire in her blue eyes.
"Tch. What're you doing here, Reiss?" Levi asked, immediately reverting to the rough way he spoke to his subordinates. Historia crossed her arms, glaring at him from the other side of the cage.
"Just what are your intentions with my sister?" She asked, her tone accusatory. "Celeste told me what you did to her, and if Commander Erwin didn't insist that we keep you alive I would kill you myself."
Levi was not impressed in the slightest, pulling himself up to a sitting position as he gazed at the angry girl. "I care about Celeste, and she loves me. Anything beyond that isn't your concern, brat."
Historia lifted her chin defiantly, and Levi could almost laugh at how much the girl looked like her sister in that moment.
"It is my concern because- unlike some people-I actually care about Celeste's wellbeing!" Historia snapped, her hands on her hips as she leaned closer to the cell bars. "How can you claim to love her after what you did, Captain? Celeste deserves better than a man who would beat her up or drug her for weeks on end!"
Levi's eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm not discussing my relationships with you, Cadet."
"I wouldn't call it a relationship, Captain." Historia replied coolly, ignoring the scoff from Levi. "I would call in mental and physical abuse. If it was really a relationship than Celeste wouldn't have tried to kill you on more than one occasion."
"If she really wanted me dead, she could have let the poison do it's job earlier today." Levi replied, resting his hands behind his head. "But Celeste could never do that. She loves me, she doesn't want to see me too hurt."
"She's confused."
"How would you know? From my understanding, she didn't even recognize you before today-"
"I figured the nightshade would have knocked you out a little longer than this, Levi." Celeste interjected pointedly, leaning against the doorframe of the dungeon with an unreadable expression. She had her hair tied back in a French braid, similar to the one she wore almost every day while back in the Survey Corps.
Historia turned bright red when she realized Celeste was there, and quickly drew away from Levi's cell.
"Celeste, I didn't know you were coming to see the Captain too." Historia said, sheepishly rubbing her neck as she looked at her. Celeste, however, didn't seem angry at her younger sister.
"It's alright, Historia. And I appreciate that you care enough about me to stand up to this jerk." Celeste gave her sister a small smile as she drew closer, before turning her gaze back on the man in bars. "I just wanted to talk to Levi myself. I had no idea you would beat me here."
Celeste's younger sister nodded, patting her shoulder comfortingly. "I'll let you two talk, then." Historia replied, her voice getting softer. "Just remember, Celeste- you deserve better than this."
With that, Historia left the dungeon. When the door slammed shut behind her, Celeste turned her attention back to Levi.
"It's rather ironic, isn't it?" Celeste said, glancing around Levi's small cell. "You're the one who is locked up now."
Levi pulled himself up, his movements slow and painful as he walked to the front of the cell. "It will be back to normal soon, dove." Levi said, his eyes never leaving Celeste's still form by the door. "All I have to do is kill Historia after she becomes the Founding Titan, and Erwin will return you to me. We can go back to our home, or even start new somewhere else." He reached a hand out towards her through one of the gaps in the cage, his eyes softening as he met her gaze. "Come here, Celeste."
Celeste didn't move, choosing instead to watch him wordlessly. "I'm not going anywhere with you, Levi." She said softly, her hands clenching at her sides. "Erwin should know that I'm not a pawn in his schemes anymore, and that I refused to be used as a bargaining chip in order for him to control you."
"Darling, don't be like this." Levi responded, forcing down the angry retort at her disobedience. Whether he liked it or not, Celeste was right. She didn't have to do as he said anymore, because she wasn't under his control.
For now.
"You know I love you, and I know that you love me." Levi's voice was soft, and he could see some of the rigidness in Celeste's expression start to relax. "I've made mistakes, but I promise that things will be different in the future."
"You won't change, Levi." Celeste shot back, but Levi could see that her interest was piqued.
"I will if it means getting you back, Celeste." Levi started, before being cut off by a coughing fit. His throat burned so much that tears started to prickle at his eyes, but he tried to force it down. Celeste rushed towards him before her rational side could stop her, and quickly reached through the bars to feel his forehead.
"Levi, you need to sleep. You've still got a fever." Celeste said worriedly, forgetting her anger at the man for a second. To her relief, Levi was able to get it under control almost as quickly as it started. A few beads of sweat had started to form at the base of Levi's neck, and Celeste could see the faint was his arms shook as he held himself up by the metal bars of the cell.
"Did they get you anything to eat or drink?" Celeste asked, raising up on her toes to look around him and inspect the cell. "How about any medicine for the pain? Are there any blankets in here-?"
Levi grabbed Celeste's hands through the bars, the gesture more to calm her than anything else. "I'm fine, dove. Erwin still needs me in good health." He gently rubbed his thumbs across the skin of her palms, and Celeste finally lowered herself and met his gaze.
"I… I didn't want to poison you, Levi." Celeste confessed, her mind starting to get lost in his intense gray eyes. "It was never enough to kill you. But I had to do it- our relationship isn't healthy, and I couldn't risk all of Humanity."
"I'm not angry with you."
Lie. If Levi wasn't locked up, he would have made her severely regret even thinking of the idea. But she couldn't know that, yet, because he needed her to trust him right now.
"Really? You-you aren't mad at me?" Celeste questioned, leaning closer to him. Levi released her hands in order to brush a few stray hairs out of her face. His touch was soft and his eyes forgiving, and Celeste felt guilt rise at what she did.
"Of course not, darling." Levi's voice was low, his nose gently brushing against hers. His hands ran across her hair, and his lips inched closer to hers.
Celeste pulled back quickly, her senses finally returning as she tried to force down the blush that came to her cheeks. She hastily pushed a stray clump of hair out of her eyes, and turned her attention to the knapsack she had carried here.
"I brought you some clothes, and a few other things." She mumbled, passing him a set of clothing along with a toothbrush and comb. Levi accepted it wordlessly, placing it on his bed before returning to the front of the cell.
"Thank you, darling- wait, are you wearing one of my shirts?"
Celeste turned bright red and couldn't meet his eyes. "I wasn't given any, and I figured you wouldn't really care."
Levi's gray eyes shone in amusement as he leaned against the bars, his lips curling into a small smirk. "You're right, I don't mind. If we were in a more private setting, however, I might have insisted that give it back to me for a few minutes."
Celeste's eyes wrinkled in confusion. "That doesn't make any sense, why would you want it for only-" Realization dawned on her, and her cheeks turned even redder. "Levi!"
Levi's amusement only seemed to grow. "I wish I could capture that look on your face, dove."
The memory of Levi's journal flashed through Celeste's mind, and she turned serious once more.
"Levi, I came here to talk to you about something serious." The same unruly piece of blonde hair fell into her face, and Celeste hastily tucked it behind her ear. "You can't kill Historia. I know Erwin ordered you to, but I think that there is more to the story than Erwin is telling you."
Levi shrugged, looking entirely unconcerned with the life of her sister. "I don't have a choice, dove. Erwin doesn't want any loose ends. He knows what is best, anyway."
"What about Eren? Is Erwin going to kill him too?" Celeste questioned, and Levi's eyes narrowed slightly. "He hasn't said anything about Eren."
"Eren's a titan shifter too. Is Historia going to kill him, or will you? And has anyone told Mikasa yet, because the girl is nearly as good as you are when it comes to killing titans and I know she wouldn't simply sit down and watch her adopted brother die." Celeste's hard tone softened slightly, and she looked at Levi sympathetically. "And I know that you're fond of Eren and his friends, even if you don't admit it."
A cold anger washed through Levi as he realized just how similar her thought process was to Erwin's- Can you really take on the titan shifter and Mikasa?- but he was quick to make sure his face didn't show it.
"I don't care about that brat at all." Levi said, and the skeptical look on Celeste's face only served to annoy him more.
"Whatever you say, Levi. But I still don't see why it would matter either way. It's not like Eren or Historia can magically make more titans, and if it's just the two of them we have to worry about than I don't see why they can't stay alive. You and Mikasa could continue guarding them, in case they turn."
Levi opened his mouth to respond, but a thoughtful look crossed his face.
"I'll think on it, dove." He said, and Celeste nodded in relief. "Please do. I'll try and convince Erwin as well."
She turned to leave, but before she reached the door she glanced back at Levi from over her shoulder.
"Levi, I…" She stared, but trailed off. A resigned expression came over her face, and she turned back. "Good night. I hope you feel better."
"Good night, Celeste."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Levi watched the door close behind his dove, allowing a few seconds to pass before he slowly approached the lock to the cell.
In his hands was a hair pin, similar to the one Celeste had stabbed him with. Levi was almost surprised she didn't noticed him pulling it out of her braid as he nearly kissed her. Either way, it was the perfect size to pick the lock on with.
Levi wasn't really sure why Erwin thought it would be a good idea to allow Celeste to see him- maybe to remind him of why he was being obedient?- but it would be the man's greatest mistake.
The lock opened with a click, and Levi silently stepped out. He ignored the discomfort as he made his way to the door, a plan already formulating in his mind.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo
Celeste's brow was creased as she made her way back to her room, her mind running over what Erwin had told her.
Historia had to eat their father if she wanted to gain the powers of the Founding Titan, according to the Commander. Her father was currently the one in possession of them, which is why he must die.
So why, if her father had this great power, had he not used it?
Celeste knew her father far more than anyone else did, even if she had hardly spoken to the man. She knew that Rod Reiss was cold and calculating, and she also knew that he would never allow himself to be captured by the Survey Corps if he had such powers.
Celeste's hand rested on the handle to her chambers, a number of thoughts running through her mind as she slowly released it.
She had one more prisoner to visit that night.
"It's about time I talked with Father, it seems."
