Thank you so much to everyone who followed, favorited, reviewed, or PM'd me! Nothing makes me happier or motivates me more to keep writing like seeing them! I really appreciate your support.
Hopefully I'll be able to return to one chapter a week (I'm sorry this one took longer).
Enjoy!
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"What do you mean, I'm not authorized to see my father?"
Celeste's hands rested on her hips indignantly as she stared down two palace guards. The two of them, who couldn't be much older than the new Survey Corp cadets, shared an awkward glance before one of them worked up the nerve to speak again.
"Commander Erwin ordered us not to let anyone see the prisoner, Princess."
Celeste snorted, the full force of her outrage turning on him. "And tell me, soldier, just when the Military Police started taking orders from the leader of the Survey Corps?"
The boy's partner finally interjected, standing up straighter at her accusations. "Commander Erwin is King-"
"No he isn't, you idiot. Erwin hasn't been crowned yet, which makes him nothing more than my consort to the Military Police." Celeste cut him off, stepping closer with the unquestionable authority she had seen in her father so many times. "You serve the royal family, not the Survey Corps. I am the royal family, and if I order you to do something then you will do it without question if you value your position!"
"We, umm… Our superiors will be back from their break in only a few minutes, Princess, maybe you can bring this up with them?" The guard on the right replied nervously, and with grim satisfaction Celeste could see that she had already won.
"You'll let me in now, soldier, or so help me I will have you and your entire family thrown in the Underground." Celeste replied calmly, watching the blood drain from the boy's face.
"As you command, Princess." He said hurriedly, and quickly scrambled to unlock the door and allow her in. Celeste shot both of them one last smoldering glare before stepping in the dark hallway.
The haughty air she had put on quickly extinguished, replaced instead by a serious expression as she made her way further into the darkness.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Father?"
Celeste's voice echoed against the damp stone walls, but the only reply was the constant dripping of water from the ceiling onto the floor.
"Father, are you awake?" Celeste tried again, her eyes straining in vain as she tried to find his shape through the darkness. "It's Celeste, I wanted to speak with you."
Once again, there was no response. Celeste was about to turn around to grab a torch when her blue eyes finally feel on a trembling shadow in the corner of the farthest cell. She walked towards it briskly, her hands resting on the metal bars of the prison as she tried to see him better.
"Father, are you okay?" She asked, only to be ignored once more. Celeste opened her mouth to speak again, but was suddenly hit with the memory of the last time she interacted with him.
Or, rather, the lack of interaction with him.
Rod Reiss hadn't spoken a single word to her, had he? The older man had only groveled at Levi's feet when she had first seen him in the cell, and during the wedding ceremony Rod Reiss only did as Levi ordered him to do.
If her father actually did cave under Levi's torture, then she supposed it made sense that he would act like that.
If he didn't break, however- Well, what better excuse to avoid questioning?
Celeste rolled a few ideas around in her head, before a small smile pulled at her lips. She could work past this problem, and if Rod was faking his fear of Levi then he would have no choice but to answer her.
"Father, Levi sent me to speak with you." Celeste called, pausing when she noticed her father's quivering stop for a moment as the man turned to face her. "He has orders for you, and will be very angry if you disobey him. Do you understand?"
Almost a minute passed, with Celeste waiting patiently as Rod finally met her gaze.
"Do…you…understand?" Celeste asked once more, an edge to her voice.
"Yes."
Celeste almost couldn't hear her father's response, it was so faint, but it brought a wave of relief with it.
"Levi wanted to ask you a few questions, Father, and if you lie you'll be in big trouble." Celeste said slowly, almost as if talking to a child. "You won't lie to Levi, right?"
"I would never lie to the Captain." Rod Reiss replied quickly, and Celeste could see him pull at his hair nervously. "I do exactly as the Captain tells me to, I don't disobey him."
"Good." Celeste said softly, leaning further through the bars of the cell. "Levi wants to know how you got the powers of the Founding Titan."
Rod was silent for a moment, and she could almost sense the internal conflict within him. "Don't lie, Father."
Rod Reiss nodded in response, and swallowed deeply. "I injected myself with titan serum and ate my daughter."
Celeste's eyes narrowed. "Which daughter did you eat? I thought everyone died in the attack."
Rod Reiss shook his head quickly, his hands wringing at the hem of his shirt. "I escaped with Frida. She had the powers of the Founding Titan, and so I ate her once we were safe from the other Titans."
Memories of a dark-haired girl in a straw hat rose in Celeste's mind, and a dozen more questions came up in her mind.
"And why didn't you use the Founding Titan's powers to avoid capture by the Survey Corps?" Celeste pressed, and her curiosity peaked when Rod Reiss didn't immediately answer.
"I…I didn't use it, because…" Rod started, sounding not nearly as sure of himself as he spoke, and Celeste's eyes narrowed. "Don't lie, Father, or Levi will come visit you himself."
Her father quickly waved his hands frantically at the threat. "No, I'll tell you the truth. I promise, I'll do exactly as Levi says. I'll be good, I promise, please don't let him hurt me!"
Celeste nodded slowly, trying to pretend her father's groveling didn't bother her. "Tell me why you didn't use the Founding Titan's powers to avoid capture, and Levi will be happy with you."
"I couldn't control it. I became a normal titan, but none of the powers of the Founding Titan alluded me." Rod's words were halting and stumbled over themselves, and he quickly started shaking again. "I wanted to avenge my family, but Frida refused to. I had to do something, don't you see? I had to eat her and become the Founding Titan. But despite all that I did, I still don't know how to use the Founding Titan's abilities!"
Rod Reiss rocked himself back and forth, Celeste's sharp eyes evaluating him critically.
"You wanted to kill the titans who wiped out the Reiss line?"
"Yes. I wanted to kill all of them, and if that means Historia has to assume to Founding Titan's powers for herself to do it then I would be willing to sacrifice myself."
"If you couldn't control the Founding Titan's powers, what makes you think Historia would be able to?" Celeste asked, her calm voice hiding her true intentions.
"I wasn't able to take a full dosage of the titan serum, which must be why the Founding Titan's powers don't work for me." Rod Reiss said, finally meeting her gaze once more. "But Historia will have a controlled environment, with perfect conditions. She will be able to harness the powers fully, I know she will be able to."
Celeste was silent, watching her father wordlessly.
She saw something shinning in Rod Reiss's eyes, a spark that no broken man would have. Celeste had seen too many people who had cracked under the pressure of fighting titans to forget what it looked like when someone's spirit was crushed, and that wasn't what she saw in her Father's eyes.
His desire to avenge their family only confirmed it for her. Celeste knew that the only person Rod Reiss cared about was himself. He wouldn't have risked anything to avenge his wife and children unless there was something in it for him.
"You're good, Father." Celeste said, and watched as a fabricated relief came over the older man's face.
"Thank you, I promise I would never disobey the Captain-"
"You're a damn good liar, I mean." Celeste cut him off sharply, her eyes narrowing as she watched his expression change from pathetic relief, to shock, to something she couldn't quite identity. "Everyone else is fooled by you, aren't they? You have them all thinking that you're just a shell of a man, subservient to Levi- but it's all an act, isn't it?"
"I don't know what you mean, I would never lie!" Rod quickly slipped back to groveling, disbelief and fear twisting his features. He crept forward, and finally Celeste could see his features well.
After years of watching the man in silence, Celeste knew what he looked like when he was faking something. She had seen him put on an act for many of the visiting nobles, and it seemed just as phony then as it did now.
"It's not that hard to understand, Father. You let yourself get captured, didn't you?" Celeste asked sharply, her knuckles tightening on the metal bars. "You don't have the Founding Titan's powers, but I bet you know who does. That's why you're here, isn't it?"
Rod opened and closed his mouth, and Celeste had to applaud just how well he stayed in character. "My daughter, I would never-"
"Celeste, leave the prisoner alone."
The father and daughter duo both whipped around to see Erwin with a torch in his hand and a handful of soldiers at his side. From the light of the fire, Celeste could see the frighteningly calm gaze hiding an explosive anger she knew Erwin felt.
She swallowed, and turned to face him. Recognizing the two soldiers she had been so harsh with earlier, Celeste gathered herself together and gave them all a smoldering glare.
"Don't presume to tell me what to do, my dear. You're my consort, nothing more, and if I want to speak to my father then I will."
Erwin didn't so much as blink, and made a motion with his hand. Four soldier stepped forward, two grabbing either side of her abrasively. "His highness ordered us to take you back to your chamber, princess."
Celeste didn't respond to him, simply glaring at Erwin as she was pulled forward. "Erwin, you can't trust what Father is telling you. He's a liar, and it's going to get everyone here killed!"
Erwin didn't bother speaking with her, instead turning his calculating gaze to one of the other soldiers. "As you can see, my new wife is tired from the events of today. Make sure she cannot leave her chambers for the rest of the night."
"Yes, sir."
Gathering what remained of her dignity, Celeste gave Erwin her harshest glare as she was practically dragged out of the small prison. Erwin returned her anger with a cold look, before turning to face Rod Reiss himself.
Before the door slammed shut behind her, Celeste could just make out Erwin's words.
"Tell me everything you told her."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
The walk back to the royal chambers sucked out the remainder of Celeste's energy, and her legs shook with fatigue by the time she was tossed back into bedroom.
If she wasn't so worried about her father's deception and weary from the day's events, she might have laughed over how bitter the two younger soldiers were. They had seemed all too happy to slam the door behind her and lock the door loudly, but Celeste could say she blamed them.
If she was in their position, she was sure she would have done the same. She had threatened their job and their family, after all.
Celeste was slow to pull herself up, and even slower to grab one of the few candles that was still lit and start lighting some of the other candelabras. She almost hadn't needed to, the full moon shining brightly through the sheer window curtains illuminated the room in a soft ivory glow.
Celeste walked over to the window, her mind racing with the different plots her father might have concocted as she unlatched the lock and pushed the glass open.
A cold wind almost immediately swept in, and Celeste was suddenly reminded just how close winter was. Goosebumps prickled at her skin, and she wrapped her arms around herself as she breathed in the cold air.
"Step away from the window, dove, or you'll catch a cold."
Celeste whipped around her eyes searching frantically through the room for the man she knew so well. "Levi, where are you?" She demanded, her heart racing as she couldn't find him. "How did you even escape from your cell?"
"Look behind you, Celeste."
Celeste turned back towards the window, her eyes widening when she spotted Levi casually resting against the open windowsill. His expression was blank, but Celeste could almost sense the smug satisfaction he got from seeing her shocked expression. The man had somehow managed to get his hands on 3DMG, and by the looks of it he changed into one of his spare uniforms that was set out in the closet.
"What are you doing, Levi?" Celeste asked, the smallest inkling of fear starting to rise within her as he started to walk closer.
"Returning something, darling." Levi replied, and before Celeste could draw back he grabbed a strand of hair that hung in her face. With deft hands, he twisted it back into place and pressed it down with her hair pin. "I hope you don't mind that I borrowed it."
Realization dawned on the young woman, but she quickly pushed back the wave of guilt that went with it and stared back at Levi evenly.
"You'll never be able to escape alive, Levi, especially not with me." Celeste replied, trying to ignore how close Levi was as she drew away further. "This place is crawling with guards, and all of Humanity would be out looking for us if you managed to leave the castle."
Her legs hit the edge of the bed, and Celeste swallowed nervously when she recognized the dark look in Levi's eyes.
"Levi, are you listening to me?" She demanded, perturbed by his silence almost as much as she was afraid of his presence. "You have to go back before they realize that you're gone."
"It's too late for that, my dove." Levi said, only inches away from her. She felt him rest a hand against her hip, the action more possessive than affectionate. "You disobeyed me, poisoned me, married Erwin- did you really think I would take that sitting down? I thought you knew me better."
Celeste steeled her nerves, pressing a hand against his chest. "I wouldn't have done it if you hadn't have kidnapped me, beat me, and drugged me. I told you when I first arrived that I would never forgive you for holding me prisoner, Levi, so I don't think you should be too surprised that I did it."
Levi snorted, contempt clear in his gray eyes as he gazed down at her. "You traded one cage for another, Celeste. Don't expect me to be impressed by how cleverly you think you managed it- Erwin will have a much tighter grip on you than I ever did, Celeste, and you'll find that out soon enough."
Levi grabbed her braid, his gentle movements doing nothing to hide the violent thoughts she knew was lingering inside him. "Your hair looks better down." He noted, pulling on it hard enough to make Celeste wince.
Still, she fought the urge to swat his hand away. The last thing Celeste wanted to do was provoke him in this state, at least until she found a way to get him to switch back to his less abrasive side.
"I thought you said that you weren't mad at me for poisoning you, Levi." She said, careful to keep from sounding too accusatory as Levi finally dropped her braid. "You said you wanted to change."
"I lied, dove. A concept you're familiar with." Levi replied, his thumb running across her cheek before coming to rest at the corner of her lips. "But part of what I said was true. I do love you, and I know you love me. And I'll find a way to keep you safe from Erwin, Celeste."
His lips were soft when they met hers, and all at once the anger she felt boiling inside him seemed to dissipate. His arm drew her against him by the waist, and for a moment Celeste had forgotten the mess they were in together. She could almost imagine they were back in their old home together, not stuck in a castle as the final battle with the titans drew closer.
Levi drew back for a second their noses still brushing against each other. In the pale moonlight, Celeste could see an unreadable expression pass through Levi's gray eyes.
"I didn't want to do this, dove." He whispered, his voice low as he pressed his lips against her forehead. Celeste's eyes narrowed in confusion as she looked up at him, fear coursing through her as his arms tightened around her.
"Levi, what are you-"
Crack
Sharp pain coursed through Celeste's head, but she didn't have long to linger on it as her vision quickly faded to black.
Levi returned the pistol to his back pocket and picked up Celeste, his eyes falling on the large door.
He had a lot of work to do before Erwin returned.
OOOOOOOOOO
Erwin opened the door to the royal chambers wordlessly, glancing around the dark room in silence. He quickly spotted Celeste's sleeping form in the large four poster bed, the moonlight streaming in from the window illuminating her basic outline.
The spies he had following her had reported that Celeste did visit Levi after all and the two made up, something Erwin had been counting on. It was better Levi see her and remember just why he had to follow Erwin's wishes, after all.
What he hadn't planned on was her visiting Rod Reiss. He had thought he made it very clear to the palace guards that no one, especially the Princess, was supposed to visit the man. Luckily, however, Erwin didn't think she discovered anything of note. If she had, he was sure she wouldn't be sleeping now.
The older man approached the bed, not so much as glancing at the form huddled under the covers as he grabbed a few pillows and blankets and made his way to the couch. Erwin pulled off his boots slowly, fatigue finally catching up to him.
This was not how he planned the day to go. He imagined he would have a lot of sleepless nights coming up trying to deal with this mess Celeste had caused. Erwin sighed, taking a deep breath as he pulled his military jacket off and hung it carefully on the back of the sofa before laying back on the soft cushions.
"You really should be more aware of your surroundings, Erwin."
The Commander's eyes shot open, and he sat up with a start. His cold blue eyes scanned the room, but couldn't see anyone but Celeste in the dark chambers.
"Over here, Erwin."
The sudden blaze of a match caught Erwin's attention, and he felt an involuntary shiver run down his spine as he finally spotted Levi.
All traces of fatigue had left Erwin's body, and the man quickly stood up to face his subordinate. His hands crept towards the knife in his back pocket, but even then Erwin knew the two of them were evenly matched. Had Erwin not been aware of just how much damage Celeste's poison had done, the older man would have took his chances running.
"Levi. Who let you out?" Erwin asked, his voice as commanding as it ever was.
"I let myself out. I figured we could discuss amending my living arrangements." The match flickered out, and once again Erwin lost sight of him.
"And what would that be? I would also remind you that any harm that comes to me will be mirrored on Celeste. If I shout, soldiers will run in here and apprehend her in seconds." Erwin responded, his eyes darting to his left as Levi lit another match.
He was only a few feet away from Erwin now, and the older man could see the dark look in his eyes. "Celeste isn't here, Erwin."
Erwin's eyes narrowed, and he turned back to the sleeping form in the moonlight. Surprise coursed through him when he analyzed the figure closer.
"Just some pillows, Erwin. Besides, I'm not here to hurt you." Levi said, finally lighting a candle on one of the end tables.
It was then that Erwin noticed that the man had gotten his hands on 3DMG, complete with the sharp metal swords. Levi noticed the look, and shrugged unapologetically.
"I relieved one of the palace guards."
"How did you even get out in the first place?"
"It doesn't matter now. What I want is simple, Erwin." Levi replied, leaning back against the wall. "Make me Celeste's personal guard. That way I can keep an eye on her as you plan the attack."
A considerate look crossed Erwin's face. "I need you and the others in top form for the upcoming battle, Levi. If you want to be Celeste's guard, then you won't be able to lead training."
A moment of silence passed as Levi considered his options, but soon an idea came to mind. "Then have Celeste attend training. I'll have time to practice, and having the Queen attend will boost morale."
"Fine. I'll notify the staff of this new arrangement." Erwin said, his eyes narrowed as he glanced over Levi. "If I assign you as her guard, Levi, then you need to keep her from asking too many questions about her father or visiting him in person. Keep her under control, Levi. For her sake."
"OF course, Erwin."
Erwin nodded, walking back towards the door with resignation. "In the meantime, Levi, retrieve Celeste and bring her back here." Erwin ordered, and Levi nodded once more.
Erwin sighed as he left the room once more, coming to grips with the fact that this was going to be a much longer night than he anticipated.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Celeste struggled to open her eyes, a hand immediately going to rub a sore spot on her head.
"You pistol whipped her? I'm surprised, Levi."
"It worked, didn't it?"
Celeste blinked, her vision finally coming to focus on the two men watching her with impassive eyes. Her mind was fuzzy, memories of the night not quite coming together yet.
"What…what happened?" She groaned, aware of very little else besides the painful throbbing in her head.
Erwin looked at Levi expectantly, but the younger man opted towards silence. Celeste's mind was clouded with confusion and pain, but a sudden burst of memories came crashing through all at once.
Celeste stood from the couch she had been sprawled out on with a start, her eyes blazing as she met Levi's calm expression.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Levi?!" She snapped, trying not to wobble as she stormed over to him.
"You…you knocked me out!" Celeste stood toe to toe with the man, who was leaning back on an armchair as though nothing out of the ordinary happened. Levi looked at her nonchalantly, entirely unapologetic.
It was then that she noticed how damp her clothes were, and confusion quickly pulled at her features. "And why am I wet? Levi, what in the Walls' name did you do?!"
"I knocked you out and hide you so Erwin and I could have a chat without you getting in the way." Levi said bluntly, and Celeste's attention turned to Erwin. "Commander Smith, do you mind explaining to me why am I not authorized to see my father?" Celeste demanded, her cheeks flushed as she stared him down. "You're hiding something, I know it. Father isn't like other nobles, Erwin. He never sat around eating cake, he was always plotting and planning some scheme. I promise you, the man has something planned that can't be good!"
"Your father was tortured by me personally, Celeste. Stronger men have broken before." Levi interjected. Celeste whipped around, about to say something harsh until she realized just what situation she was in.
"Erwin, are you not at all bothered by how Levi managed to escape his cell?" Celeste asked slowly, and Erwin's eye twitched in impatience.
"Levi is to be your new guard personal guard, Celeste. He'll be going with you everywhere."
Time seemed to stand still as Celeste slowly turned to Levi, the outrage of earlier replaced by something unreadable. She could almost see the smug success he felt, and for a moment part of her thought about simply running away from this entire mess.
But what would the point be? Levi would catch up to her.
"I don't approve of it, Erwin." Celeste finally said, setting her jaw. "And I don't know why you think this could be a good idea. Levi would kill you if he had the chance." She glanced back at Erwin, her accusations cutting as she crossed her arms across her chest. "You wanted us to be separated so you could use me as leverage against Levi, didn't you? To keep him from doing anything too stupid? Tell me, Erwin, just how you plan to keep him under your control if he has almost constant access to me?"
"Because Levi understands that he would never be able to successfully kidnap you, or he would have tried it tonight. Not only will I have soldiers tailing you both, but anything that even resembles an escape attempt will result in both of you being shot with impunity." Erwin reasoned, finally sitting back down on the couch. He seemed entirely unconcerned with Celeste's words, having already decided on the matter. "Besides, he would only guard you during the day. You understand that I can't have you in here at night, right? Especially if I'm absent myself. We must keep up appearances as a married couple, after all."
Levi's expression grew darker. "If I catch you so much as touching her-"
"I have no such interest, believe me." Erwin responded dismissively. "Now go, Levi. You'll be staying in one of the neighboring chambers for the night, there is a maid waiting to show you your room."
Levi seemed content with this, and Celeste shakily moved out of the way as the two of them approached the door.
As Levi drew closer to her, Celeste felt her breath catch in her throat.
"I'll see you tomorrow, dove." He whispered, reaching out towards her. Celeste quickly pulled away, anger still simmering inside her. "Don't touch me, you jerk." She snapped, but Levi grabbed her arm sharply and pulled her into a violent kiss. His hand pressed against the bruised part of her head, and Celeste had to hold back a gasp of pain when she finally shoved him away.
Levi left without another word.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
As soon as Levi left, Celeste turned to Erwin with a serious expression.
"Erwin. We have something much more important to discuss than Levi and myself." Celeste said, clasping her hands together. She was calm and collected on the outside, but Erwin's sharp eyes could detect the fatigue and terror that laid just beneath her bright blue eyes. "I meant what I said earlier. Rod Reiss is dangerous, and I don't think you understand that. This story has too many holes, there's something off." Celeste said, and Erwin looked skeptical.
"What kind of conspiracy would inspire him to suggest that we should feed him to Historia? If he's as clever as you think he is, Celeste, than he wouldn't advocate for his own death."
"I don't know, Erwin, but you have to let me speak to him more. There's something off about this whole situation, and all of Humanity could die unless we find out what." Celeste stressed, standing from her chair as she started to pace. Erwin watched her apprehensively, but made no comment about her behavior. "He's putting on a show, I know it. Today he called me 'my daughter'-"
"I don't see what's so strange about that, Celeste." Erwin said, looking increasingly skeptical. Celeste sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "He has never called me that, Erwin. I'm not his daughter, I'm his bastard. He wouldn't acknowledge me like that, it's too out of character."
Erwin sat down, his expression making it obvious that he didn't want to discuss it any longer. "It's classified, Celeste. The less people who know, the better- and I think that after the events of the wedding it is safe to say I don't trust you."
Celeste's eyes narrowed, a mixture of frustration and worry causing creases in her brow to form. "Erwin, there is no one who knows Father as well as I do. You could at least use that to your advantage-"
"I have a source who is closer to him than an estranged bastard child, Celeste." Erwin said offhandedly, his eyes closing as he rested his head against his hands. "We have a coronation to attend tomorrow, get some rest. Every noble in Humanity will be watching, and looking for flaws to use against me. You can't be tired or distracted over this, Celeste."
A shocked silence fell over Celeste, her mouth nearly dropping open as she became caught up in one of his offhanded statement. "Who did you find that knew Father better than me? Historia saw him even less than I did."
"It's not Historia, nor is it someone you knew from your time in the Reiss manor. That's all I will say, for now." Erwin finally pulled himself back on his feet, and started to blow out the different candles strewn about the room. "I'm going to sleep. A handmaiden will attend to you at dawn. Do not resist against her administrations, or I will have soldiers force you to do as she says."
Erwin turned to face her, one of the few remaining candles in his hands. The small flame reflected in his cold blue eyes, and Celeste had to steel her resolve as she met his gaze evenly.
"You seem to think you're the one in power here, Erwin." She replied tensely, her chin lifting as she glared back at him. "I'm the one with royal blood, not you. As my husband, you are a consort and nothing more. You are second to me- or, at least, that is how the Military Police will likely see it."
Erwin didn't so much as blink as he blew out the candle. "And did the Military Police do as you ordered today when you demanded to keep questioning Rod Reiss?" The tense pause that followed Erwin's question was all he needed as an answer, and he continued. "Don't get into a power struggle with me, Celeste. You'll lose."
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Celeste stared out the window, her eyes watching the moon's slow journey across the horizon. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, but she wasn't able to follow any of them to completion.
Fatigue weighed heavily on her eyes, but Celeste fought against it well enough. She hadn't pulled off that mad scheme at the royal wedding just to be transferred from one man's power to another. Erwin told her to sleep?
Well, she would sleep only if she wanted to. And right now, she had more important things to be concerned with.
Just who could possibly be closer to her father than Celeste was? All of the other Reiss descendants were dead, beside herself and Historia. Perhaps it was another servant? Or maybe it was another noble that Rod Reiss interacted a lot with.
The list had endless possibilities, each seeming more plausible than the last. Her father could have taken another lover when he was in hiding, worried about his legacy. Or maybe the person closest to Rod Reiss was Erwin himself. Celeste knew Levi well enough to know how sadistic the man could be when provoked. The only thing that kept Levi from killing her on more than one occasion was the sick, obsessive love he felt for her. If Levi had taken his frustrations out on her father, for nearly a month… Celeste knew her father was strong, but even the thought of Levi being in charge of torture sent shivers down her spine.
She could see it now- Levi beat down Rod, and Erwin stops it before Levi completely kills him. Rod would begin to trust Erwin, and over time Erwin would be able to extract his secrets.
Right?
It made sense, in theory. She knew firsthand how dependent a person can get on someone, no matter how terrible they are, if they believe that person is all they have to depend on.
Celeste sighed, finally falling back on her pillow and closing her eyes. It made sense, yes, but nothing about these last few months had made sense to her, and Rod Reiss wasn't the kind of person to break that streak. She knew that look in his eyes, because it was one she herself had for so many weeks. The man was not broken, not in the slightest.
He was planning something big, and no matter what Erwin tried she would find out about it one way or another.
OOOOOO