Creation began on 01-24-21
Creation ended on 02-01-21
Attack on Titan
The Princess and the Sword: Meeting of the Leaders
Liberio was the place to be tonight. People from the Mid-East Alliance and the ruling party of Marley were gathered to share their views and opinions on what should happen to ensure that everyone could put this war behind them and move on with a clean slate. What most of the Eldians living in the internment zone could see of this was people from other parts of the world looking fancy and full of bravado, despite none of them having ever met them before in their lives. And yet, there had been talk about how those from Paradis were looking to obtain freedom and peace treaties with Marley for every Eldian, not just the ones that came from the island. It made no sense to the Eldians of Liberio on why the Eldians of Paradis were seeking peace and freedom for all Eldians instead of just their own people.
-x-
The gathering was pleasant at best. Representatives from every nation in the Mid-East Alliance and representatives of the Marleyan military were able to converse with one another without conflict until the main event that was the meeting between the head of the Tybur family and the queen of Paradis, something members of the Survey Corps present were anxious about.
"Nervous?" Ymir asked Historia as the young queen was looking at the scene comprised of their Mid-East allies talking to members of the Marleyan military, including the disgraced Warrior Unit, trying to be civil with one another as the queen sat at a table overlooking the large room.
"A little," she answered back. "You?"
"Yeah. It's mostly because of concern. We don't want for there to be unexpected surprises. Peace and freedom for all, not further violence."
"Still, we have to be prepared for every eventuality. But we're not looking to escalate anything, Ymir. In the end, we just want for the hatred to cease."
"If there is a situation, we'll be the first to know."
"Just one question, though, Ymir."
"Hmm?"
"Do you think I'm overdressed?"
Ymir examined the queen's dress; an evening version of the dress Historia wore when she was anointed as the new ruler, complete with a dark green shawl. While Ymir would've been content with the young queen wearing the Survey Corps uniform instead of making herself a target, she had to admit that the woman was very pretty.
"You look fine," she told Historia. "If you had more jewelry on, you'd be overdoing it."
Historia looked down at her right arm and at the Witchblade. As it was the only weapon that was truly in disguise, the living talisman was deceptively beautiful.
"Just a bracelet will suffice," she admitted.
"Yeah," Ymir agreed with her.
-x-
Unlike the other members of the Warrior Unit that had possessed the power of the Titans, Zeke Yeager was kept in isolation due to the possibility that he was still a threat because of his blood and personal connection to Eren. Unless authorized by Erwin or Hange, the former Beast Titan was denied any visitors, and that made it impossible for Eren to meet Zeke, something that might've been necessary for Eren to implement his own agenda.
"…What do you suppose are the chances that Queen Historia and the Survey Corps will have resolved the issues with Marley?" Eren heard one of the four Garrison soldiers assigned to Zeke's prison cell speak to the other three.
"Give them a few more weeks," another soldier uttered. "If she was able to return with every member of the Survey Corps from the Wall Maria operation, and not only return with captured enemies that could turn into Titans and have those powers removed, then she's able to do miracles that make the Survey Corps better than they were six years ago and before the Wall Maria breach. She's like a warrior princess or something. Rumors going around that she's beautiful when she's on the battlefield."
"I heard that when she uses blades of any kind, it's like they come to life in her battles," a third soldier stated, "that living armor covers her like the Armored Titan in a way."
"I heard that she could fly," the fourth soldier revealed.
They might've been conveying rumors and stories they heard from those soldiers that heard from other soldiers, but Eren knew the rumors were based on actual fact. He had seen Historia with the Witchblade do all of those things they were talking about. The girl was like a beauty on the battlefield, even if he hadn't seen her in the following months since she and other members of the Survey Corps left to fight in the war with Marley. But he had no faith in the Mid-East Alliance winning freedom for the people of Paradis.
"What are you doing down here, Yeager?" He heard Hange behind him, questioning his presence in the dungeons.
"Nothing," he responded.
"You do realize that there's nothing down here for you to concern yourself with. The less time you spend down here, the better."
Forced to follow her, Eren had to think of a way to meet with Zeke and obtain his aid in saving the people here. So long as he was locked up and guarded around the clock, there was no way he could just walk in and open the cell door.
But Hange… Hange had to consider what she had been told before the commander, captain and queen left the island to join the Mid-East Alliance against Marley, and that was how stubborn Eren Yeager could be from time to time. And worse if there was a reason behind many of his actions. A reason that defied all sense of morality.
It's a good thing Erwin suggested compartmentalization, she thought as she took Eren back up to the surface in Trost District. Eren only knows that Zeke was confined here…and that's all he's going to know. The four soldiers guarding Zeke's cell, all they know is what they've been told: Keep Eren Yeager away from Zeke Yeager. So long as we let him continue to believe this, he'll stay close to Trost District.
-x-
"…Miss Historia Reiss," Historia was greeted by Willy Tybur. "How nice to finally meet you in person."
"Yes," responded Historia, accepting his handshake. "This evening continues to bear great gifts."
Willy looked at Ymir and noticed that the woman seemed rather…too close for comfort for his tastes. If she was the young queen's bodyguard, she was clearly just doing her job.
"Uh, your bodyguard?" He gestured over to Ymir.
"Bodyguard, best friend, the one I trust above all else," Historia answered him, and noticed a woman nearby that, unlike the other people she had met this evening in Liberio, reminded her a little of her mother in only one sense, and that was how she seemed dressed like a servant. "Is she with you?"
Willy looked over to the woman nearby and responded, "My sister. She rarely gets to attend social gatherings."
"That's terrible."
"Please, don't take offense to this, but…you're not as I had expected when I was told you'd be here this evening."
"In what way?"
"Well, uh…age-wise."
"Don't let my age seem like some sort of drawback. It doesn't hinder what I want out of this evening to happen above all else."
"Which is?"
"Peace and freedom for all Eldians across the planet. I've met with people from other parts of the world that have had involvements with Eldians, and it seems like the nation of Hizuru is among the seven smaller countries that actually treat Eldians like regular, something that Marley has…never done, despite using them in their wars with other nations."
"Smaller nations…smaller problems relating to fear and hatred."
"Except that when you let such emotions drive you, in addition to the poisonous emotion that is anger…who is really the one being cruel? Are those being cruel…truly the people that are being constantly reminded of something that happened over two-thousand years ago, a piece of history that has been lost in its entirety so that nobody seems to be able to recall or even concern themselves with on whether or not it even happened the way they've been told by people that weren't even there…or is it the people that are just looking for an excuse, any reason, no matter how small or insignificant, just to justify their bigotry?"
"That is…a pretty heavy accusation, ma'am."
"Which is why I seek peace for all. Senseless violence, spreading propaganda, blaming people alive today for something that happened long before one's grandparents were even thought of…it solves nothing."
"And…what should happen if Marley does not agree with your intentions?"
Historia sighed and expressed, "Let the fates fall where they may, but I can't give up on peace simply because of the actions of a few trying to decide what becomes of the lives of the many. As I've learned recently about any war, history is written, and therefore decided, by whoever the victor is. But history has many shades of gray in its black and white. Just as a doctor must cause some harm to a patient in order to save their life, the person that records history can decide what to add and what to leave out."
"A doctor harming a patient in order to save a patient? That's actually true. I recall a time I had to see a doctor and he told me I had to have my appendix removed. Do you honestly believe that your path to peace and freedom will prevail?"
"It can only fail…if I give up on it. To give up is to fail…and to fail is to give up on the people I fight for. Is there anyone that you fight for?"
Willy looked at her, trying to find a hint of deception in her tone, and not seeing any. This girl was committed to her goal. There was no denying this discovery. If she was this committed to her cause, then there was no doubt that those that followed her were equally committed to seeing Marley defeated.
"I let Marley's military do the fighting," he expressed.
"Which is comprised mainly of Eldians," she stated. "Your people. My people. And the ones that get sent into wars, that manage to come back alive, maimed and scarred by what they either saw or did…have to live with every waking moment of the rest of their lives trying to move on. End Marley's ridiculous need for war. Stop the discrimination against Eldians. The longest this hatred persists, the less likely anything will ever get resolved. The wise go and build bridges…while the foolish went and built walls…and the walls here are no better than anywhere I've visited: They're stagnant, making life rigid and stale, a rut in which everything is the same…and those that strive for change get refused at every turn."
"Your Highness," went Ymir to Historia, getting her attention. "Over there. It's the ambassador of Hizuru. We should really meet her."
"Yes, Ymir. Thank you. Farewell, Mr. Tybur."
The ladies walked away, leaving Willy to wonder how to go about Marley's next phase of attack against the Mid-East Alliance. If this war continued to persist, not only would Marley be deprived of a military, but they'd be reduced to a laughingstock for other nations, and Eldian sympathy would rise astronomically.
"What have you heard about their plans to use the Rumbling?" He recalled asking Calvi when they met prior to this evening.
"The Eldians of Paradis have spoke very little about the Rumbling," Calvi had revealed to him. "Sources from other parts of the world reveal that they're keeping it as a deterrent in case of an invasion on their island by anyone looking to cause them trouble. This queen, the current ruler, this Historia Reiss, has hopes that the Rumbling is implemented. She and her followers are trying to seek peace with Marley and other nations, managing to get into the good graces of their Mid-East Allied compatriots."
"Do you suppose that she may be the Founding Titan that you've been fighting for?"
"Maybe, but to leave the island, making herself vulnerable to attack, it makes no sense. If she wanted to, she could destroy right now. Why hasn't she?"
"Maybe she really seeks peace?"
"From what we could ascertain, they already have five out of our six Titans. There's no indication that they have control of the Female Titan, but there has been talk that Ms. Leonhart isn't dead…and that Paradis has no intention of killing her. There's also been rumors that there are other Marleyan soldiers that were captured, but we don't know anything beyond this. If they were captured, we don't know where they were taken."
"The Beast, the Armor, the Jaw, the Cart and the Colossal? How many Titans were seen working with the Mid-East Alliance?"
"We're not sure; eyewitness accounts are varied. We know that the Armored Titan has been encountered in at least eight of the battles, along with another Titan that people claim is the Jaw, but one thing doesn't add up about it?"
"Which is?"
"It was said to be fifteen meters, not five meters like the others had always been. It has to be another Titan."
"What about the Beast Titan?"
"No, it would've been much bigger. What's more, there's been rumors about a Titan in the Mid-East Alliance's battles with Marley that have me concerned."
"Go on."
"The rumors were that this Titan could fly."
Willy was actually surprised to hear of this. A flying Titan. He wouldn't have believed it unless he saw a picture of it or with his own eyes. Still, knowing that the Armored Titan was seen… The majority of Marley's power depended upon the Titans they usurped from Eldia after the Great Titan War, and now that there was only one Titan left, it was anyone's guess as to how the end for Marley could go.
She's of the ruling body of Paradis, he thought as he continued to watch Historia Reiss converse with the Hizuru ambassador. If anything happened to her, it's possible that they may implement the Rumbling. But if she's the Founding Titan, she could turn the Eldians in the internment zone into Titans at will. Instead, she's trying to obtain peace and freedom for the Eldians, ending Marley's militarism before it can escalate further. Who are you, Historia Reiss?
Meanwhile, Historia had learned something critical during her conversation with Willy Tybur, complements of the Witchblade. She had discovered that she had been mere feet away from the War Hammer Titan, but the fact that they were trying to be civil was what kept the power of this Titan from being unleashed.
Your restraint is a blessing, Historia, the Witchblade told her.
I just don't want to use violence unless there's no other alternative, she responded.
And it is because you seek alternatives…that you are capable of possessing such restraint.
Thank you.
The rest of the evening went on without any measure of disgust. Even the other guests that were being served by Eldians were treated like regular people, not monsters or less than animals. All in all, it was really something Historia could appreciate.
Even Armin had a quiet time among those in the Survey Corps watching from the sidelines, on the watch in case something went wrong.
-x-
Kept in the darkness, Zeke wasn't sure how much time had gone by. Even as he had a sack over his head, he had no clue as to where he was. Everything was quiet. No birds, no crickets, just utter silence.
"The less information distributed around you, the better it will be for everyone, Mr. Yeager," he heard from this Erwin Smith, the new Beast Titan before he was sedated.
If the plan was to keep him isolated, he wasn't sure if it was going to be permanent or at least until they decided to kill him. Another thing he was aware of was how Erwin Smith and this Historia Reiss were both among those aware of what he had initially come to Paradis to do…and would ensure that his plan never came to pass.
"That's not saving anyone," Historia had told him upon discovering his agenda, "that's just condemning an entire race of people to die faster than what Karl Fritz engineered over a century ago, but on a scale that's just as unforgivable. You will never have access to the Founding Titan. You understand us? Never."
He didn't think that the leader of the Survey Corps would be able to access his memories that quick after taking the Beast Titan from him, but something else was up with that girl. It was something about that armor she wore, those weapons that formed on command, the power she wielded against him as she and the Survey Corps were able to defeat his horde of Titans before he could implement his attack on them in Shiganshina. If Marley had something like that, whether it was a Titan power or not, it would've made them close to invincible. But only if they possessed it for themselves.
What is it about you, Historia Reiss? He wondered, reflecting on that memory of the girl during his time in Shiganshina, her body covered in armor. How did you come to possess such power?
-x-
Not even Calvi could've predicted this happening. Not only had this Historia Reiss had gotten the attention of the Eldians within the internment zone, but she had revealed many things that got their attention, including the discovery the Eldian survivors from the battles between Marley and the Mid-East Alliance were still in one piece, being detained and would be released to their families once the war was officially over. He wanted to claim that she was merely deceiving the Eldians that had to send their loved ones off to war, but one of the Eldians had asked if her son was alive and identified him by name, to which the young queen responded that he was listed among the survivors. Another woman had asked if her daughter was alive and gave her name, to which the queen that the girl was also among the survivors that had been captured in the aftermath. Not only that, but the people asked about were from the Warrior Unit, making Calvi wonder why the Paradis Eldians didn't exterminate the survivors.
Even the Hizuru ambassador and other representatives from the Mid-East Alliance vouched for Historia's claim that the survivors would be returned and hadn't been harmed.
"Then Marley has to admit defeat," an Eldian man had declared.
But Calvi… Calvi refused to admit defeat just yet. If Marley admitted defeat, it would just reflect badly on Marleyans. So Marley had to defeat the Mid-East Alliance.
"Well," went Willy to the Marleyan, "what do you intend to do?"
"Kill them," he answered back. "Prove that they're the monsters they've always been. Their desire for peace and freedom for all Eldians is just smoke and mirrors."
Willy sighed and asked if Calvi knew where the representatives of the alliance were currently; since it was still night, most people would be asleep, including the representatives from the countries at war against Marley, leaving them vulnerable without any information about what was likely to happen.
"They're checked into a hotel within the internment zone," Calvi revealed to him. "Like having a member of the royal family living for a few hours in the slums changes their viewpoint on the Eldians of that small island?"
"She's having a positive effect on garnering Eldian sympathy. In the other internment zones, Eldians refused to exit their homes unless it was to shop for food. Several ships from the other nations were spread across the coast showing their support of Eldian coexistence with other nations that see them as monsters. People starting to use common sense on how Eldians need to be injected with Titan spinal fluid to turn them into mindless Titans. Keep them away from Titan spinal fluid, they're just as ordinary as people from other parts of the world. And a question was raised earlier this evening by one of the other representatives that none of the Marleyans seemed willing to answer: 'If all that's needed for an Eldian designated a Subject of Ymir to turn into a Titan is a spinal fluid injection, then what's wrong with just never injecting them with any spinal fluid? I must've met over a dozen Eldians…and not a single one in the years I've seen them have ever turned into a Titan, either at will or after being injured. They're as human as you and I are, and yet they're treated no better than a stray dog'. And…for a while, that question really did stick out for others to hear. If only things had been less complicated."
"So long as they wield the power of the Titans, we will never be free of their malice."
To be continued…
A/N: The next chapter will begin in violence, but the outcome will be as promised by the poll results. I keep stressing with Marley's hatred with Eldians, but I'm adding that there are other countries that are either sympathetic to them or are starting to come around after seeing that Marley is no longer the powerhouse that it used to be due to possessing the majority of the Nine Titans and having met Historia. Eren made an attempt to meet with Zeke, but the others were smarter than he was, and have to be one step ahead of him to keep him in check. Also, I want to know what you thought of the conversation between Historia and Willy and what you would've done differently if you were either of them.