AN: Here's the update I promised. Enjoy.


...

Historia

I have no idea where I'm going as my feet lead me into the unknown.

After the captain left, I turned completely numb and wandered off into the woods beyond the farmhouse.

I climbed the fence surrounding the farm, despite my sister's warnings when I was little, then found myself amongst the shadows like a lost princess in a fairy tale. Yet I don't flinch when the trees bare terrifying faces.

I just go on, trying to forget.

There is no light, apart from the occasional break in the clouds when the moon reveals itself. My skirt catches on a branch, yet I don't stop. I stumble over a fallen log, but I still continue my aimless direction.

It's not until I find myself knee-deep in ice-cold water when I finally come to my senses, peering down into the murk below.

A lake…

Quickly, I stumble out of the water and climb back to shore shivering, wrapping my arms around my legs. I bury my face into my knees and rock back and forth, keeping the emotions at bay.

No… I won't cry for him... He's long gone now; he made his decision.

He abandoned his duty and left his queen to fend for herself… He's no soldier or knight.

He's just a big coward.

And a thief... because he stole my heart.

I laugh at the irony, wiping my eyes. I have fallen in love with the captain. I really am the most foolish girl in the world.

There was a small moment where I thought he may have felt the same, but it turns out I was wrong.

Who could ever love a girl like me? I never should have been born after all. I just make people miserable.

No matter where I go, I will always be that helpless little girl whose mother shoved her away.

The same little girl who watched as her mother walked out of her life forever. And the same thing happened again tonight.

The captain left me, just like my mother did.

In the end, everyone leaves…

Even Ymir.

I'm not sure how long I stay by the lake. Before long the cold has completely set into my bones, and I can no longer feel my arms and legs.

I should really get back to the farmhouse. The children need me after all. Unlike the captain, I won't abandon them and leave them to fend for themselves.

I won't leave Tilly.

I will write a letter to Nile tomorrow, and ask him to send me a hundred men. They will never replace the strength of the captain, but at least I will be safe.

Time to move on. The captain and I will go back to being professional acquaintances. And all conversations between us from now on will be curt and brusque, and it will be like our kiss never happened.

The time we spent together will all be forgotten.

I squeeze my eyes, choking back a sob.

I will never forget the time we spent together…

A branch snaps in the woods, and I jolt upright.

It's probably just an animal, but I still reach my hand into my boot, pulling out a small knife.

Ever since I got kidnapped during a mission back in the 104th Cadet Corps, I've made it a point of always carrying a weapon on my person.

A girl has to protect herself somehow.

I rise shakily to my feet, breathing steadily as I grip the handle. I hide it amongst the folds of my skirts, staying completely still.

I'm no idiot. Years of training have taught me one thing — always be on your guard.

Someone is definitely watching me through the trees…

A cool breeze drifts through the forest, shaking the leaves of the trees above. A few drop down into the lake, sending ripples across the smooth, glassy surface.

It's too quiet. All I can hear is my pulse, yet I keep my fingers wrapped around the dagger, breathing in a fresh mouthful of cold night air. I blow it back out and watch as that warm mist escapes my lips.

I will not be a victim tonight.

Another snap of wood, and quickly I spin around, plunging my dagger into a dark figure behind me.

A man screams and I yelp, falling back into the shallow lake.

The moon breaks through the clouds at last, and now I catch the face of my attacker. Well, his lack of a face. He's covered head to toe in black and my heart pounds when I realise…

I'm being assassinated...

My dagger pokes out of his right shoulder. Hardly a killing blow, and now I have no means of protecting myself anymore.

Who was I kidding? As if I could harm another living, breathing person. I wasn't even looking when I directed that blow, but subconsciously I still missed an organ.

It's one thing to slay a titan, but another to kill a human being.

It's unthinkable.

Unfortunately, my kindness has just cost me my life. I will never be like Mikasa or the captain. I will always be good little Krista, even though I revoked her name two years ago.

A dark chuckle escapes the mouth of the masked figure, and slowly he pulls out the knife. Blood blossoms his black shirt, and a shiver runs up my spine when that red liquid drips from the blade.

He tosses the knife far into the lake and it plops somewhere behind me. All the while I remain crouched in the icy water, and I can't even feel the cold anymore. My chest heaves as mist flows from my open lips.

Next, he extracts a long, curved blade from his coat pocket, and I freeze when the moon reflects its shiny surface.

I'm… I'm going to die.

He sets his callous gaze on me, and even though I can't see his expression, I know he's smirking. "Nothing personal, Your Majesty, but the reward was too high of a price to resist."

I gasp. "R-reward?"

He regards me carefully now. "Yes… A number of people want you dead after all."

My body becomes numb as his words sink in. A number of people?

A sudden surge of courage runs through me now, and I address my attacker. "Who sent you?!"

He sniggers and steps closer, and I shuffle back into the water. I suppose drowning would be preferable for what he has in store for me.

"A shame. You really are a beauty. I hate to be the one to put those pretty blue eyes out, but we're living in tough times…"

I whimper. "You're… you're sick…"

He marches into the lake, and I crawl back further, creating a splash in a desperate bid to escape. I kick water his way, but he barely even flinches, and soon he's upon me.

"S-stay back!"

"Be a good little queenie now and keep still. I want to make this quick."

He thrusts the blade in my direction, and I dash to one side. My head goes under the water as I try to swim to shore, but then his hand closes around my neck, and now he drags me back up dripping wet.

I shiver under his mercy now, spluttering and coughing up water as I fix my eyes on his masked face.

He sighs. "I'm sorry it has to be this way. I do personally think you made a good queen, but others disagree…"

Tears fall from my eyes. "Please…"

The masked man places the curve of the blade beneath my throat, and now I gaze up at the moon.

It's full tonight. A few stars twinkle in the sky, and I focus my attention on those blinking lights.

At least I got to see something beautiful before I died.

The sound of thundering hooves crashes through the forest and I lift my head.

I recognise that whinny...

S-Silver?

The mare bursts from the trees next, shooting across the lake at an incredible speed, and my heart flutters when I see his face.

Captain Levi.

He… he came back…

His eyes are glowing white-hot with rage as he releases a loud battle cry, and now he extracts his sword in one sweep, slicing the head clean off my attacker.

A fountain of warm blood splatters me in the face, and now I gape in horror when I spy that red stump between the man's shoulders.

His head…

I shriek, scrambling away as fast as I can from that frozen corpse. Its hand is still attached to the back of my neck, but it loosens its hold and finally collapses into the freezing water.

I don't take my eyes off that bloody stump. Blood pours from its gaping hole, turning the lake red.

He's… he's dead… yet I can still feel his hands all over the back of my neck, and the cool chill of his blade against my throat.

My whole body shakes with tremors when my eyes land on that floating head. It bobs silently along the water beside his corpse.

Levi sheaths his sword then leaps down from Silver's back, running straight towards me, and now he seizes hold of my shoulders.

"Historia! Snap out of it! He can't harm you now, he's gone."

Yet I still shiver as I don't look away from that decapitated head. I spot the fleshy bone inside, and a dark prickle runs down the length of my arms.

I will never get use to the sight of death…

"Historia!"

The captain takes my face in his hands now, and he turns my focus away from the carnage. I gaze into his conflicted greys and they don't leave me, not once.

A storm of emotions passes through those piercing orbs. I detect fear and anger, but I also detect relief. Relief that he arrived in the nick of time and that I'm still alive.

Next, his cold, hardened face shatters, and I finally see the human at last.

And now the only emotion that's left is guilt.

"I'm… sorry…" he whispers.

Suddenly, my eyes burn with tears, and now a strangled sob bursts from my lips as I throw my arms around his neck.

I squeeze tight hold, trying to absorb his warmth as the chill settles into my bones — I'm still sopping wet after all. All the while he remains his typical, frozen self, but I don't care.

I won't let him go again.

"P-please... please don't leave me again..."

He doesn't speak for a while as I continue to hang on to him, shaking like a miserable leaf.

But then to my surprise, he loosens his tense shoulders and wraps his strong arms around my body, and now I'm warm.

"I… I won't."


AN: The Rivahisu is strong in this one...

I loved writing this chapter. I enjoy writing action scenes as they get my pulse racing. I have to visualise it first before I get it down on virtual paper, and I like how this turned out.

In the OVA Distress, Historia gets kidnapped by bandits when the Cadets are on a mission, and she's in the woods by a lake similar to this. That's why she carries the knife, the little psycho (but a sweet psycho, like that Ava Max song).

Historia killed her dad, so she is capable of killing. But he wasn't human anymore at that point. It was probably why it was so much easier for her. I think she would be similar to Armin when it comes to killing a human, except when push comes to shove, Armin can actually deliver a killing blow.

Did you feel the horror in Historia after the man lost his head? That's what I was aiming for.

Well, until the next upload. Sometime next week. I think Tuesday or Wednesday.

CartoonPrincessSigningOff.