Another chapter is done! Thank you to everyone who favorited, followed, or reviewed on the last one, I love hearing what you guys think!

I'm thinking about putting together a chapter of deleted scenes- I have a handful, as I've changed my mind on the direction of the story more than a few times. If you have any ideas of things you want me to add, let me know!

Thanks again, hope you enjoy!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The fake smile faded from Erwin's face the second Anna left them alone, and Celeste subconsciously wrapped the robe around herself tighter. "Erwin, what are you doing here?" She asked, sitting down across from the older man. The king looked at her critically, as though he was trying to read her thoughts.

"How much do you remember about last night, Celeste?" He asked, his abrasive tone leaving little room for argument. A heavy blush rose to Celeste's cheeks, and she glanced away awkwardly.

"Not much, unsurprisingly." She muttered, picking at the hem of her robe. "I got really drunk, and I can remember bits and pieces of Levi bringing back up here and… well, I suspect you know the rest."

A cold wind blew over her, and Celeste glanced behind in suprise. "Who opened the window- wait, is it broken?"

"Yes. It was broken during the attack last night." Erwin answered, and Celeste's head shot back to face him.

"What do you mean, attack?" She demanded, a wide range of emotions springing up in reaction to Erwin's statement.

"You… you really don't remember?" Erwin asked, the look in his eyes making it clear that he thought she was being ridiculous. "Levi fought off no less than five assassins. Someone wanted you dead, and likely expected to off me as well."

Shock coursed through Celeste's system, and she squinted her eyes in an attempt to remember. "You're telling me that I was so out of it that I forgot an assassination attempt?" She asked, skepticism starting to arise. "Why didn't Anna ask me about it this morning? I would think news like that would spread fast."

"I was counting on you remembering some of it, but it appears you have even less control over yourself then I thought." Erwin grabbed the steaming mug resting on the stand beside him, looking down at it's contents with a dark expression on his face. It was then that Celeste noticed just how tired the older man looked, and she suspected that he hadn't gotten much sleep. When Erwin glanced back at her, the dark bags under his eyes confirmed her suspicions.

"Last night certainly was a test to my capacities at covering up scandal. Not only do you get completely drunk at a public affair, but you also manage to have a lustful rendezvous with Captain Ackerman within earshot of more than a few guards." Erwin's words were biting, and Celeste quickly felt her cheeks coloring in shame. The older man shook his head, a look of annoyance creasing his brow. "Compared to that, hiding an assassination attempt was nothing."

"I suppose it's a good thing Levi was there, or I would have been killed by those assassins." Celeste replied, and Erwin snorted. "Speak for yourself." He muttered, and Celeste looked at him sharply.

Before she could address the morbid comment, the newly-crowned king continued. "As far as the rest of the castle knows, Celeste, you and I were so caught up in our passionate lovemaking last night that the window was broken by accident. You'll stick to that story, should anyone ask." Erwin's words sounded more like an order than a request, and Celeste nodded complacently.

"Fine, although I doubt anyone will ask me about it." She said, standing up from her spot on the chair. "When will Levi be returning?" Celeste asked, anger flaring at questioning look she could see in Erwin's cold blue yes. "Just to thank him. He did save my life, after all." She said indignantly, her hands resting on her hips as she looked at him. Her expression soon softened, however, and her gaze left Erwin's own as she thought about the previous day's events. "And to apologize. I said some…harsh things to him."

Erwin rose himself, and Celeste tried to ignore the way he towered over her intimidatingly even when he wasn't trying to.

"Levi was anxious to find whoever was responsible for the attack last night, as I'm sure you can imagine." Erwin replied, heading towards the door at a leisurely pace. "I don't expect him to return for a week."

As his hand reached the doorknob, the former commander turned back to her with an unreadable expression. "Get a shower and some breakfast, it will help the hangover." His nose wrinkled, and Celeste could detect a note of disgust in Erwin's eyes as he gave her an evaluating look. "It'll also get rid of the smell of sex and alcohol. The last thing the nobles of our court need is more reason to gossip about your immoralities."

With that, Erwin stepped out of the room. In just a few moments, Anna stepped back in with a bright smile on her face.

"I already drew a bath for you, Your Highness. The water should be cool enough for you now." She said cheerfully, her happiness immediately awakening Celeste's headache.

Gritting her teeth, Celeste nodded in return. "That sounds wonderful, Anna." She said, forcing herself to give the girl a fake smile.

"And it's just Celeste, remember?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Slow down, please. This dress wasn't exactly made for speed walking." Celeste asked the guard breathlessly, to which the older woman nodded curtly. The queen sighed in resignation as the woman only lowered her brisk pace by a small fraction, and picked her dress up higher.

The shining emerald dress had seemed so pretty on its hanger that Celeste had insisted on wearing it despite the carefully expressed concern of Anna when the maid recognized it.

Trains are pretty, I said. Full skirts are fun, I said. Not so fun now, is it?

Celeste grumbled internally, wondering just how much further the walk to Erwin's office was. The man had a guard sent to retrieve her as soon as she finished breakfast, and the curt older woman acted as though the king had something very important to tell her.

She hoped that he would finally divulge the identity of the real Founding Titan-

"Mikasa, is that you?" Celeste exclaimed, halting in her footsteps when she spotted the young woman walking briskly on the other side of the wide hallway. The cadet didn't so much as glance back at her, only adjusting her red scarf further up her face as she kept walking.

"Hey, Mikasa!" She called once more, confusion twisting her features at her friend's lack of response. "Mikasa, it's me- hey, can you hear me?"

Just as Mikasa started to pass her (carefully avoiding eye contact, Celeste noted), she reached out and grabbed her wrist.

Finally, Celeste's eyes meet Mikasa's own. The minute their gazes connected, Celeste released her as if she was burned.

An irrational panic stirred within her, and Celeste backed up from the Ackerman as quickly as she could before the reasonable side of her stopped her.

A flash of shame tugged at Celeste's features, and she approached her friend once more

"Mikasa, I'm sorry…"

"I'm needed elsewhere, You Majesty."

The dark-haired girl's words were curt, and yanked her arm out of Celeste's grasp with a painfully familiar strength. Celeste opened her mouth, wanting so desperately to question Mikasa's cold attitude and figure out the reason behind her instantaneous fear at the girl who had only ever been kind to her.

"Are you alright, my queen?" The questioning look of Celeste's guard snapped her out of it, and Celeste gave the woman a polite nod. As they continued on their journey through the castle, however, her mind was running with questions.

What was it about Mikasa that stirred such a fear in her?

And why did Mikasa's eyes seem so guilty?

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"You look considerably better now, Celeste. Less like a common whore, at any rate." Erwin said as a greeting, hardly glancing up from his writing as she entered the office. Celeste's eye twitched in annoyance.

"And your eyebrows are looking considerably better as well, Erwin. Less like a pair of hairy caterpillars, at any rate." She shot back as she approached his extravagant mahogany desk, gaining a small degree of satisfaction when he looked up at her sharply.

"I think we have more important things to discuss. So tell me, Erwin, who among us is actually the Founding Titan?" Celeste asked pointedly, dragging a plush chair to the other side of his desk before plopping down in it unceremoniously. "That's why you called me, right?"

Erwin wasted no time, setting down his pen as he stared at her seriously.

"Eren Jaeger, the titan-shifter."

Celeste blinked, confusion knotting her brow together. "How? Eren didn't even live in the same Wall as we did, and I seriously doubt he has any Reiss blood in him."

Erwin leaned forward, his voice low as he continued. "That's why the power hasn't manifested itself in Eren fully- or at least to the point he could control it. My source claims that Eren got it by eating his own father, who was the titan who slaughtered the Reiss family a decade ago."

Celeste stood up from her chair, striding over to Erwin's desk with a fiery expression in her eyes.

"You're telling me that Eren's father is the reason that all those people died?" She asked sharply, careful not to raise her voice above a whisper. "Who is your source, Erwin?"

"I can't tell you." He said, holding up a hand to silence her protest. "Yet. But to answer your question- Yes. It was Jaeger's father behind that, for reasons still unknown. But I do know this- only the Reiss bloodline can fully control the abilities of the Founding Titan, which includes controlling all other titans. You, your father, and Historia are the only Reiss descendants left. As I'm sure you can understand, there is no way I would ever trust Rod with such power."

"Which leaves just me and Historia." Celeste said, her eyes narrow as she considered what Erwin was telling her. "So you're using Rod as a ruse, then? Inject Historia with the titan serum, but have her eat Eren instead of my father."

"Not quite." Erwin replied, leaning back into his chair. " My source also tells me that only a person's spinal fluid is necessary for the transfer of power. Eren will be fine."

A flash of relief came to Celeste's eyes, and she leaned back into her chair. "Does Historia know?"

"No, and I don't plan on telling her until it's absolutely necessary. The less people who know, the better. I don't want Eren becoming a target for the remaining titan shifters if they learned the truth."

Celeste nodded, before a sudden idea sparked in her mind. "If the power is transferred through spinal fluid, then we can take it from Historia once she finishes her job. We could inject it in someone else, and then have them immediately kill."

Erwin's eyebrows raised, a note of surprise in his eyes. "I didn't expect you to be so ruthless. Would you really be willing to allow someone else to die because of your own feelings for your sister?"

Celeste scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not saying to snatch an innocent civilian off the streets. There are plenty of criminals to chose from, people who deserve a lot worse than a clean death. In case you were wondering, I would happily trade the life of a child killer or rapist for Historia."

Erwin nodded appraisingly, the hint of a smirk pulling at his lips. "I agree completely. In fact, you and I have a very similar thought process."

Celeste's head tilted in curiosity. "What do you mean?" She asked, and Erwin leaned forward in his chair.

"How do you think we will kill all the Titans, Celeste? Historia will control them, but how do you think she can have them all killed?"

Celeste's nose crinkled as she thought. "I don't know. Maybe order them all off a cliff, or drown them in a lake?"

"Close," Erwin replied, before pulling a map out of his desk and pointing to a small lake near Ragako. "Do you know what this is?"

"No. Isn't it just a regular lake?" She asked, and Erwin shook his head. "On the surface, it would seem that way. But underneath this portion of land is the Underground. At the center of the lake is the thinnest point between the Underground and the Surface- In fact, the Underground gains most of it's water supply from the lake above them."

Celeste blinked, trying to follow what Erwin was implying. "Which means what, exactly?"

"There is already worry that a cave-in will happen. The lake water is heavy, and the stone ceiling has been eroded over the years. Even a small crack will send it all crashing down- a plummet of over 150 feet. Anything that falls from that high will be utterly flattened, if not crushed by a rock or drowned under the lake water."

Celeste's eyes widened, and she nodded as she looked closer at the map.

"I understand. So you will have Historia direct the Titans in through the Underground's opening, and then set off explosives to cause a cave-in." She replied, looking impressed with the idea. "Evacuating the Underground shouldn't take too long, either. Depending on how long it took to get the explosives together, you could wipe out all of the titans in just a few weeks!"

"Not quite so soon. I have a team of experts deciding on what kind of bombs to use, and how to disguise them as reinforcement pillars."

"Right, that will help hide your purpose from any of the rogue titan shifters. Preventing a cave-in would be a very good excuse to evacuate the Underground."

Erwin's expression turned somber. "There will be no evacuation."

Celeste's eyes narrowed in confusion, and she leaned forward in her chair. "How will you keep the people in the Underground from being crushed as well?" She asked.

Erwin said nothing in response, which was all the answer Celeste needed.

Standing sharply, Celeste looked at Erwin with an aghast expression. "Erwin, there are thousands of people down there."

Erwin didn't so much as blink. "They're criminals, and the ultimate disguise. No one will suspect our plans, not even the titan shifters. You would let a criminal die in order to save your sister, and I would let a few hundred criminals die for the rest of Humanity."

"No one would suspect it because it's absolutely madness!" Celeste exclaimed, her mind racing as she started pacing in an attempt to calm herself. "The Underground isn't made up of just criminals. There are innocent people-children.".

"The children of the whores, perhaps. And you see how well Levi turned out." Erwin responded coolly, leaning forward to grab his pen once more. His attitude was dismissive, something that grated on Celeste's nerves greatly.

"You have no right to insult Levi's mother, Erwin. She chose to care for him, despite how much adversity she must have faced." Celeste snapped, trying to ignore the guilt that rose up inside her. She had thrown Kuchel's occupation in Levi's face just a day ago, after all. "She wasn't a criminal, and she wouldn't deserve to die any more than the people who live in the Underground today."

"And yet the son she supposedly loved so much grew up to be an abusive kidnapper. By your own account, anyway." Erwin shot back, looking increasingly annoyed at her belligerence.

"Why don't you return to your chambers for the day. I wouldn't want anyone to see you hungover." He said dismissively, leaning back on his chair. Celeste bristled, but was quick to control the annoyance that flared up at his words.

"Give me a week to think of a better plan than this, Erwin. That's all I ask." Celeste replied, not cowed by her former commander's scrutinizing gaze. Finally, Erwin's dark expression broke just long enough for a smirk to tug at his lips. "Fine. Find a better plan than this, and I will consider changing my mind. But the number one goal is killing the titans, not minimalizing casualties, and you will be hard-pressed to think of a better solution."

"Understood." Celeste replied curtly, not offering so much as a goodbye as she stormed out of the office.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Celeste painted with a ferocity she didn't know was in her, practically attacking the canvas with a wide array of bright colors. She was making a happy scene of a grassy meadow near a small brook, wildflowers springing to life in the great green fields.

Celeste was confident that, if she had been watched, that her observer would think she was painting a particularly grisly titan attack.

"Come on, Celeste." She muttered to herself, adding a few violent brushstrokes of a vivid crimson. "There has to be another way."

For the last few days, she had desperately searched for an alternative course to Erwin's plan. All she discovered was just how flat and safe the landscape of Humanity's land was. There was no tall cliffs to speak of, and there was no place barren enough foliage-wise to risk a bonfire for the titans.

Deciding that she needed a break, Celeste put away her brushes and palate carefully and went to the bathroom to wash the paint from her hands.

"Perhaps we could dig a large pit, and bury the titans alive? No, they might be able to dig themselves out- oh!"

Celeste's musings were interrupted when her wedding ring slide off her finger, set loose by the hot water and soap. She just barely caught it in time, and breathed a sigh of relief when she placed it and her engagement ring on the sink's counter.

After she was done, Celeste grabbed them carefully and started to return them to their finger. However, a strange glimmer inside the plain gold band that Levi gave her caught Celeste's attention..

"Is that writing?" She asked in wonderment, holding the ring back up to the sunlight. Sure enough, there was a short message inscribed in careful calligraphy on the inside of the ring.

My love is eternal-L

Celeste's heart seized up, and she slide the ring back on her finger shakily. "My love is eternal…" She said, a strange sensation coursing through her.

And all of a sudden, it clicked.

She remembered. She remembered it all.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Levi was staring down at her, and despite the haze of alcohol Celeste could sense the intense feeling behind his shining gray eyes. A small smile tugged at his lips, and she had to restrain herself from cooing at just how adorable he was when he was this happy.

"I love you, dove." His voice was hardly above a whisper, but it still made Celeste's heart beat just a little faster. The part of her that said Levi was dangerous was long gone, and any anger she held towards him had dissipated along with her sobriety. All she knew right now was that she was in the arms of a man she loved.

"Say it again, my love." She asked, splaying a hand across his bare chest as she snuggled closer to him. Levi's grip on her tightened as he brushed a few hairs out of her face, the smile increasing as he grabbed her hand and pressed his lips to her hand.

"My love is eternal." Levi said, trailing kisses down her wrist. "I want to be with you forever, Celeste. I want you by my side, always. You are my reason for living."

Celeste's heart sang at his confession, and she reached up to trace her hands against his cheek. "I love you too, Levi. I want you, and no one else." She replied, and without another word Levi was on top of her once more. They were both already naked, and Levi now touched her body with a familiarity. He kissed her passionately, and Celeste was already moaning for him when the man paused suddenly.

"Levi?" She asked, confusion crossing her features as he suddenly drew away from her and slide out of the bed. He slipped his shirt and boxers on with haste, tucking a pistol into his waistband before grabbing the dual swords from his 3DMG.

"Stay there, Celeste-" He started, just as the door opened.

In stepped Erwin, his calm expression not hiding the dangerous look underneath. "Levi. I was hoping I could find you here." He said, closing the door behind him sharply. Levi's eyes narrowed, and he held up his swords threateningly.

"What do you want, Erwin?" Levi asked, not bothering to mask the threat in his words. He held the sword higher, not missing the very familiar position from the night before.

"I want subordinates who follow orders, Captain Ackerman." Erwin replied, stepping closer to Levi without any fear of the dangerous weapons the younger man held. "I thought I told you that you weren't to be alone with Celeste overnight? She's my wife, remember."

Celeste could see the anger and tension rising in Levi, who took a step closer to Erwin. "She's not your anything, Smith." He said, his grip tightening on the dual swords. Erwin noticed this and snorted, side-stepping to his left in order to pick up a candle stick.

"Commander Smith to you, Levi." Erwin corrected, his words harsh as he took another step left that Levi quickly mirrored. "What're you planning to do with those things, Levi? Kill me and make a run for it with Celeste?" He asked skeptically, before snuffing out the flame with his finger.

Levi stepped over as well, his silhouette illuminated by the open window behind him.

"I haven't decided yet." He admitted, although the cold conviction of his eyes said otherwise. "But I have decided it isn't safe for Celeste to be around you alone anymore. Perhaps I will kill you, given that most of the guards are either asleep or intoxicated from the party. It wouldn't be that hard, escaping with her."

"Kill me, and there will be someone else to take my place." Erwin promised, taking another step to the side that Levi quickly mirrored. "Even if you managed to escape with Celeste, you would be on the run from nearly all of Humanity. There would be nowhere safe for you to hide, not with the Titans still around. As capable a soldier as you are, Levi, not even you can pull food and supplies out of thin air."

"I'll make it work." The gun lowered just a hair, and Levi looked at his commander with renewed interest. "Unless you have any better solutions, Erwin."

"I do have a solution, Levi." Erwin said, moving his hands up as though to appease the younger man. "You don't want me near Celeste, I understand that. You love her, and want her for yourself."

Levi nodded, and Erwin could see the madness slowly started to drain from him. "Yeah?" Levi drawled, looking at his commander critically. "So what's your answer?"

Erwin dropped his hands, the emotionless mask he wore quickly dropping. "The answer is that I don't care about what you want."

Before Levi could so much as blink, a loud blast echoed in the room as the window shattered open. A sharp pain dug into Levi's left shoulder, causing him to drop his weapons out of reflex.

Celeste, who had been in a hazed shock through the duration of the conversation, turned towards the source of the noise in panic.

Her wide blue eyes connected with the dark gray of a familiar figure.

"Mikasa?" She gasped, but the soldier quickly looked away.

"Good shot, cadet." Erwin noted, nodding at the figure who stood outside the window. "Continue on."

Before Celeste could run to Levi's side, she felt a strong hand hold a coppery-smelling cloth to her mouth and nose. She tried pushing away Mikasa fruitlessly, her limbs already uncoordinated due to the alcohol still in her system.

The last thing she was aware of was the sound of Levi shouting her name.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Pain. Constant pain, hunger, and fear- that was all Levi had known the last week and a half. His legs and arms were shackled tightly to the wall of the dark cell, and it was only by the light of a small window that he could tell the time at all.

The only way Levi could escape the sheer agony of his bruised ribs, broken bones, body back, and a thousand other injuries was when he passed out.

Then, of course, he was attacked by memories of that night. One that was so perfect, if only for a few fleeting moments, before turning into something Levi was sure he would never forget.

OOOOOOOOOOO

"I knew you were a mad dog, Levi, but I always thought you were smart enough to keep from biting your master." Erwin said, his voice condescending as he crouched beside the fallen man. "Did you really think I would allow you to threaten me again? I'm almost offended."

"I'll kill you, Erwin." Levi hissed, his eyes fighting to stay open. Whatever Mikasa had shot him with was laced with something, and Levi had fallen to the ground only seconds after being hit.

Erwin smirked, pulling Levi up by the hair and turning him towards the unconscious woman in the bed.

"No you won't. From now on, you'll be a good little soldier. You'll go where I tell you to go, and do what I tell you to do. Because I'll keep Celeste with me at all times, now." Erwin's soft voice did nothing to mask the threat in his voice.

"I lied earlier, Levi." Erwin noted darkly, his eyes fixing on Celeste intently. "When I said I wasn't attracted to her. And she's not exactly in a position to fight back, now is she?" Erwin glanced back at Levi, a smirk pulling at his lips.

"Don't you fucking dare-"

"Do you really think you can stop me?" Erwin asked, throwing Levi back down once more. The older man stepped over his struggling subordinate, walking purposefully towards the bed.

"Celeste! Get away from him, Celeste, don't let him touch you!" Levi shouted from his spot on the floor, shakily pulling himself up. Celeste's eyes remained closed, the sleeping girl unaware of the threatening man drawing ever closer.

Crouching down beside her, Erwin grabbed her chin and kissed her aggressively. His hands touched her in places that belonged only to Levi, and the younger man was torn apart as he watched them helplessly.

After what felt like an eternity to Levi, Erwin let go of Celeste in favor of knocking on the wall. In seconds, the two guards he had stationed outside the royal chambers came in.

"Apprehend that man, and take him to the cells. This time, shackle him down so he can't move."

The soldiers nodded obediently, each one grabbing one of Levi's shoulders and hauling him up.

"Erwin, please- Do whatever you want to me, just don't touch her." Levi begged, his vision starting to fade as he stared at his commander. In response, Erwin rested his hand on Celeste's side.

"Celeste's my wife, Levi, and I've missed her sweet company so much." He said, his tone mocking as he rested a hand against Celeste's side. "Tonight I will have her, Levi. And any time you so much as think of , I'll have her again. Perhaps I'll even beat her, and make you watch."

Levi's eyes widened, an unfathomable mix of pain and fury running through him.

"Commander, please." He begged, his hand reaching out towards them fruitlessly just as the door was closed. "Celeste!" He cried out, wishing more than anything that the weight in his limbs would go away so he could go in there and kill the man who dared to touch his dove.

Against his will, the prickle of tears started to sting at the corner of his eyes.

"Celeste, I promise I'll save you!" He screamed, his chest shuddering from barely-contained sobs.

"CELESTE!"

Before Levi could speak anything more, the guard to his right knocked him out cold.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Worry about Celeste consumed Levi's thoughts, even when he was being beaten himself. Regret at not being able to protect her haunted his being, the crushing guilt almost too much to bear.

As of yet, Levi had only been visited by Erwin once. The man wanted Levi to give him intel on the the anger burning in his stomach whenever he saw Erwin's smug face, Levi obeyed him. Celeste's safety was more important than revenge.(Not that Levi would have stood a chance against Erwin, being both shackled and half-starved. It still gave him comfort, however, thinking of Erwin bleeding on the floor.)

Erwin didn't seem content with leaving Levi nearly shattered with shame. No, the older man's games dug even deeper, as he found the only man capable of attempting to crush Levi's spirit and then assigned him to be his personal torturer.

"How are you this morning, brat? Not well, I should think."

The sinister words of Kenny Ackerman barely registered in Levi's ears, but the younger man forced himself to meet the eyes of his uncle. Kenny insisted upon it, and the last thing Levi wanted to do that morning was to give him any incentive to be extra cruel.

Kenny walked leisurely over to his nephew, twirling the knife in his hand as he got closer. A sick smile adorned his face as he pressed the tip of the sharp blade against Levi's bare chest, enjoying the flash of pain that flared in Levi's dull gray eyes.

"I'm so happy our new King called me in for this, you little runt." Kenny said softly, drawing the knife downward. "I was so close to nabbing Eren for myself, you know. If your bitch hadn't tipped you off about the true nature of the Reiss family, I would have been the Founding Titan by now." A slow trickle of blood ran down Levi's chest, but the stoic man concealed his distress well.

"Catching Jaeger wouldn't have done you any good, Kenny." Levi replied sharply, his eyes narrowed in hatred for the man in front of him. "Only the Reiss family can control the power."

The knife dug a little deeper. "I know, I know. So I'll have to gain power another way, I suppose." Kenny intoned, before finally drawing away from Levi to walk towards the window. "Not until I'm finished with you, of course. Erwin ordered me not to kill you, but the man should know that I don't follow orders unless they suite me. And I think I want to kill you, brat. Not immediately, of course- we've had so much fun these last few days, I wouldn't want to end it prematurely."

Kenny's lips twisted up in a dark smile as he leaned closer to the window, his eyes spotting a small figure walking across the path beneath the tower.

"What is that I see?" He exclaimed, watching as the figure glanced around the castle grounds. "I think your woman is looking for you, nephew." The older man whirled around, sick excitement on his face as he returned to Levi's side.

"We'll have to make sure you shout loud enough for her to hear!"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Has it really been a month, Levi?"

Kenny's loud voice echoed in the cell, but the man who was huddled in the corner didn't so much as glance up. The older man frowned, annoyance crossing his features as he watched Levi.

"Come on, Levi, I know you aren't feeling that bad. Erwin's been having you lead training again, hasn't he?"

Levi didn't respond, staring vacantly at the stone walls of the cell. It was true, Levi had been out with the other cadets these last two weeks. It was excruciating, pretending that everything was normal. Even worse was when Levi was forced to walk back to his cell on his own, willingly having himself locked up in order to keep Erwin from hurting Celeste for his disobedience.

The physical torture had been lessened- Erwin needed him in top form for the big mission, according to Kenny- but his uncle had more than a few creative ways to put Levi in a world of agony without causing him too much noticeable damage.

"Hey, brat, you should be grateful I let you live this long. The least you could do is keep me entertained." Kenny said, and Levi finally turned to face him. "What do you want?" Levi finally asked, weary of his uncle's dangerous aurora.

Kenny shrugged, crouching down beside Levi. "I want some of your spirit to return. It's no fun, hitting a broken man." His dark eyes flashed, an idea forming.

"Say, what if I let you see Celeste? She walks by this tower every day, glancing around for something that Erwin and I have yet to discover. What do you say, would that make you well enough for me to enjoy my time with you again?"

Before Levi could respond, Kenny had already unfastened the shackles and was pulling him towards the window.

"Look, she's coming this way now!" Kenny exclaimed, shoving Levi's face against the glass. Ignoring his discomfort, Levi searched the grounds desperately.

Sure enough, there she was.

His dove wore a blue dress as she walked in the thin pathway at the tower's base, her movements slow as she looked around carefully. Her long hair was loose, and shone brightly in the morning sun. Levi felt his heart stop as her eyes drifted higher, part of him hoping that she somehow knew he was here. For a moment, the soldier thought she was looking straight at him.

In a moment, though, she started to walk back again. Levi's heart dropped, and he wished he could call out to her and make her stay just a few minutes longer.

Simply seeing Celeste, every bit as beautiful as the sunrise blossoming on the horizon behind her, was enough to make Levi feel as though all of the pain in his body was gone. He watched her, memorizing her figure once more, memories of the time they spent together enrapturing him in a fleeting moment of happiness…

Levi's eyes narrowed, and by his own volition he pressed closer to the glass window. Something was different about her, he could tell.

Something about her body language seemed…off. She walked differently, and Levi watched as she rested a hand against her stomach unconsciously as she saw a bird fly by.

It took Levi less than a moment to understand.

His sweet dove was with child.