The sun was high on the horizon, shining into Armin's office through the windows. The general himself was sitting behind his table, going over one of the many deals with Marley, checking it for details. He had to make sure that there were no hidden articles, legal facts that might be exploited on a future date. It was a week since they came back to Paradis, having negotiated peace no one expected. It was a miracle, really. The greatest threat to their existence banished by a few words from Historia. But the peace meant that Marley diplomats came in. The deals for the raw materials were drafted, checked, and now waited to be signed by him and the queen. His head felt like its going to explode. There were so many phrases and professional terms, the politicians were clearly trying to take advantage of his lack of experience. He would be damned if he let them. Spending most of his waking hours hunched over his desk, he was trying to decipher the words he didn't know. It was hard, tedious work, but he didn't mind. It was certainly better than sending hundreds of his friends to die. Armin groaned, leaning back and rubbing his eyes. There was another reason why he liked being overwhelmed by work. It took his mind off other things. Off Annie.
They buried an empty casket in her name, her body completely destroyed by the Warhammer. On Eren's urging, they did the same for Reiner and Galliard, and even for lady Tybur. Standing over the open grave, looking at the wooden box, Armin felt like his heart was locked in there. Sadness was too weak of a word to describe what he felt. He loved her for such a long time, and the time they spent together was so short. He didn't cry, the tears simply didn't come. But there was a hole in his chest, a hollowness he couldn't fill, didn't know how to. Armin felt Eren's hand on his shoulder, squeezing, offering his support. But he couldn't help him, no one alive could. He appreciated the attempt nonetheless. His musing over the past was interrupted when he heard a knock on the door.
"Come in, ", he called, standing up.
Eren entered, with a smile on his face.
"Hey buddy, how are you doing. "
Armin felt his own moon lighten up, smiling in return and offering his hand. The shifter shook it, taking a seat. The general followed, sitting down himself.
"What can I do for you? ", he asked.
"I came to check on you man, do you realize you haven't left the office for two days? ", said Eren, voice thick with concern.
Armin rubbed his forehead.
"I'm fine, just a lot of work. This peace treaty is something amazing, but we have to make sure its not going to fuck us over. "
"Well, you have to get out of here anyway. "
"And why is that? ", asked the general, curious.
"Well, ", a smile was spreading on his friend's face, "You have a wedding to attend, as my best man. "
"Oh, so you and Mikasa are finally doing it? ", Armin was hardly surprised.
"Yea well, ", the smile died a bit, "You have no idea how much different things you need to do before you can actually have a wedding, would you believe it. I'm actually picking Mikasa up and we have to go and visit Historia, she requested that we talk to her. "
"You have any idea what she wants? "
"No, it's part of the reason why I came to you. ", he looked a bit guilty when he explained, "I know that you are probably covered in work and stuff, but would you come with us? "
"Of course, lets go straight away. ", said Armin, standing up. He wouldn't let his friend in a bind.
Together, they fetched Mikasa from the barracks, where she was once again whipping a group of new recruits into shape. It was hardly a week since the end of the war, but new faces were coming in at a fast pace to sign up. It was necessary, the army was almost non-existent after their losses, they needed to replenish their ranks. And the promise of steady pay and free food was always a strong pull, especially for the families of poor people. Leaving the headquarters, they headed for the royal palace, behind the third wall. Historia was operating from her own office most of the time. She and Armin had the power of the state divided between them, not letting anyone touch it. Yes, it may be interpreted as a dictate, but after saving the lives of their subjects two times in a row, first by winning the war and then by negotiating the peace, they weren't questioned. Reaching the royal chambers, they were admitted in by a pair of guards, clearly veterans.
"Eren, Mikasa, please take a seat. ", Historia said from her place behind the table. Upon seeing Armin, she looked surprised.
"General, I didn't expect you here. "
"I didn't expect myself either, your highness. But Eren asked me to come. "
"Ah, ", she smiled, "Always the cautious one nowadays, aren't you Eren. You used to be different. "
"I was different, your highness. Stupid. I paid for it. "
"Well, since you are all here, we can begin. ", she said, leaning back in her chair. "I am not in a mood for small talk, so I will get straight to the point. Eren, Mikasa, what are your plans after the wedding? "
They looked at each other, surprised. Neither of them told her about it.
"Oh, come now, do you really think I'm that stupid? ", she waved her hand impatiently, "With the war done and our closest threat dealt with, its high time you two finally get on with it. "
"Well, we didn't really talk about our future, we focused on the present, ", said Mikasa, lips pressed into a thin line. She had an uneasy feeling that the queen will not let them off the hook easily.
"All right then. Start talking about it then, because you both are still very important to us. ", Historia's gaze flicked between the pair, "In the meantime, ill have your wedding arranged. "
This time it was Eren who spoke, sounding agitated.
"You don't have to trouble yourself, your highness, we already… "
"Nonsense. ", she interrupted him, "I know that the two of you most likely planned something small, but that will not do. The event will be public, and a big one. "
Chair rattled as Mikasa swiftly stood up, her eyes flaring. She didn't like where this was going.
"I believe that we can plan our own wedding. "
"And you are wrong. ", the queen was regarding her with a cool gaze, unimpressed. "For your information, you are an Ackerman, and he is currently hosting three very important weapons of the state. You both belong to me, partly, whatever you like it or not. Now sit back down. "
Mikasa remained standing, her hands balling into fists. This was getting heated. The last thing they needed was a conflict. I have to cool the atmosphere in the room, thought Armin. He stood up himself, rounding the table and taking a place next to Historia.
"Mikasa please, don't do anything rash, lets talk about this. "
Just when he thought that she will jump over the table and punch him square in the jaw, Eren reached up, putting his palm on her arm. The simple touch was enough for her to loosen her muscles, instead folding her hands on her chest, gaze not leaving the queen. Still standing, she nodded on Armin to continue, willing to listen to his part. He took a deep breath.
"I know that you both didn't like what you heard, but it's the truth. Eren does have the titans inside him, and they are very important to us. As long as our technology is so far behind the rest of the world, the shifters are our best weapon. He was already our strongest, and now with the strength of the Warhammer, he is a menace to whole nations. We need him if we are to appear strong. And well, I guess I don't need to say that you are our strongest soldier, especially now with Levi's allegiances being investigated. You both are simply required if Eldia is to remain independent. "
Mikasa sighed, sitting down. Eren put his hand on her thigh and she covered his palm with hers, their fingers intertwining. They were both listening intently. Armin knew that hearing this, it must be painful for them. Sure, their life together will be far longer then either of them expected but leaving the army as they planned to was simply impossible. He felt for his friends, he really did, but the nation can't simply fold their strongest weapons, especially when it was a weak one, like Paradis.
"I know that both of you wanted a simple wedding, with just a few friends, but try to see the bigger picture. The people needs something happy in their lives, now that they only felt strife and sorrow for such a long time. The war has left many families torn, hundreds of people died. The union between the shifter and a war hero is exactly the thing to lift their spirits. We need to show them what we fought for. For our future. For the freedom to do what we want to do, like marrying the person we love. "
They looked at each other, some kind of wordless conversation happening between them. After just a few seconds, Mikasa looked back at Armin, surrender written on her face.
"All right, we accept. The wedding will be a public one. "
"Marvelous. ", Historia clapped, smiling, "All I need is to know who your best man and maid of honor will be. I'll have my people take care of the rest. "
"Armin and Sasha ", she said without a moment of thought.
The queen nodded, waving her hand and releasing them from her grasp. Armin watched them stand up and leave, hand in hand. Historia was already calling for the guards, to have the experts needed to prepare the wedding brought to her. She seemed right in her element. Bowing, Armin took his own leave, heading back to the office. He still had a lot of work to do. And a suit to find.
Eren and Mikasa walked slowly, taking their time. After all, they had nowhere to be at the moment. She felt him stop and pull her closer, palm reaching up to caress her cheek. She leaned into the touch, smiling. The happiness of just being together, knowing that their time will not be rudely interrupted by the curse, it warmed them both inside and out.
"I guess that leaving the military was always just a pipe dream. ", he chuckled, thumb tracing the scar under her eye.
"We will have our time together, Historia can go to hell for all I care. ", she murmured, stubborn.
"Being in the army won't prevent us from that, I still want to build a house with you. "
"Another one? ", she laughed, opening her eyes into his.
"Yea, one outside of the walls. We might need additional space you know, if our family would grow in the future. "
"Ooh, don't get ahead of yourself mister. "
"Wouldn't dream of it. ", he whispered as he closed the short distance between them and kissed her.
"As much as I hate to break the mood, ", she said when they parted, "I think its perfect time to go see him. "
He frowned.
"You sure? "
"Positive. "
Taking his hand, she led them down the street, rounding a few corners until they reached the prison. Going down the stairs, they arrived at the dungeon, finding the one prisoner they were looking for.
"Hey Levi. "
The former commander looked up from the bed, frowning. The scar across his head was clearly visible, massive cut that parted his face from the corner of his chin all the way to the opposite corner of the forehead. He ditched his bandages as soon as he could, wearing the healing flesh like a badge of honor.
"What are you two shitheads doing here? "
"Just came to see how you are doing. What, can't we visit? "
He groaned, pushing himself off the mattress and crossing the short distance to the bars, leaning on them.
"I just thought that maybe you had better things to do. ", his eyes found Mikasa's, and he grimaced.
"Ackerman, I want to apologize for the cut, again. I couldn't control myself. "
"Yeah, we guessed as much. ", she responded, hand pressing on the wound on her abdomen, "How is Hange doing with the research? "
Levi shook his head.
"I don't know, I'm a prisoner here, they don't really tell me things. She just comes, takes what she needs and leaves. But the pain was pretty terrible, let me tell you that. "
"When you got injected? ", asked Eren.
"No. When the fucker died. I could feel it when I woke up. I just felt so empty. It was similar to the way I felt when Erwin died. "
His hands squeezed the bars, knuckles bleeding white.
"That bastard soiled my memory of the greatest man I ever knew with his fucking self-insertion. You can't possibly imagine how much I hate him. "
"He's dead you know. "
"I do, it doesn't make me hate him any less. "
Perhaps it was time to shift the conversation towards lighter things, thought Eren, seeing the bars slightly bend in Levi's grasp.
"Listen, we came here to ask you something. Would you attend our wedding? "
The short man looked up, disgusted.
"You really think I want to see you two kissing in public? I had trouble not throwing up when I caught you the few times back in the army. "
They both at least had some dignity to look embarrassed. They didn't get walked on too many times, but their record wasn't clean either.
Levi watched them for a time, before a very rare smile cracked on his face.
"Off course I'll go to your damned wedding. "