Ripple of Kindness

Disclaimer: I do not own AoT

Ancient Eldian Historical Discoveries:

The ancient name for the Eldian homelands was actually referred to as "Theudo" or the "Theudon Lands" by the tribes themselves. Even the tribe of Eldia used this term, which simply meant "The People." While wanting to unite the tribes into one cultural identity played a part in all being labeled as Eldians, Marley itself was partially to blame for this. The Eldians were their most frequent contact among the ancient Pre-Ymir tribes and thus they often referred to all tribes as simply being Eldian. Even some Marleyian maps of the Pre-Ymir world use the label of "Eldia" instead of "Theudo" or "Theudon".

Ironically, it's commonly theorized that this helped the fractured tribes unite under the Eldian Empire more easily...

Maria didn't like brooding.

She was very aware of how blessed her life was: She was born the eldest daughter of King Fritz of Eldia and Ymir the Titaness, the two that united the all the tribes within the Lands of Theudo and crushed the accursed Empire of Marley. She lived in a palace with people serving and bowing to her every day. A girl in her position could have or do just about anything she wanted, within reason. And she could probably convince her father to grant a favor or two slightly beyond the normal bounds of reason. It was like a story for most children, a fantasy, but it was her reality.

She also did not have to conform to the strange rules she heard most Marleyian girls had to adhere to- apparently, most teachers only taught boys there. And girls weren't allowed to be warriors. Or have any important jobs like a counselor or advisor.

Eldians weren't sure what Marleyian women were allowed to do, really.

But as a Princess of Eldia, she had more freedom than any other child in the lands, equaled only by her sisters. As such, she often thought it was silly to be unhappy with her life.

Yet seeing her mother appear to be at the doorsteps of death on the day of the failed attempt on her fathe'rs life, she found something swell in the pit of her stomach. She ignored it, waved it off, swallowed it down. But it was a stubborn little thought that wouldn't leave her mind. A dreadful, awful one she didn't want to contemplate, but felt a growing responsibility to consider it.

Her father was the king. She was a princess. The FIRST Princess.

What happens after her father does die?

She didn't know if her mother would rule as Queen or Regent or whatever the title was going to be, but even if she did, the throne would eventually fall to Maria herself. Eldian culture had no issue with women fighting and leading. There had never even been a different term for a female Reik. A Reik was a Reik, as she overheard some of the guards and servants say. True, whoever her future husband turned out to be could be more fit to be a ruler than her, but...

"I've longed to see such an attentive look on your face, my princess."

She startled from her seat on the parapet along a hall facing the palace garden. Looking over, she saw her teacher, Od, standing there and watching her. "Elder Od," she greeted curiously.

"It's just a shame I never find it during my lessons," he remarked with a hum.

Maria didn't respond; which was response enough.

"I hope you don't mind sharing the view, Maria?" he asked patiently. She nodded slowly, watching as he sat on the stonework with her, looking in towards the garden where they often had their lessons. "You seemed quite fond of the lesson today."

"The Helladi are strange, but their history is fantastic. The Ilium War, their bouts with the Scolotian Lords, the Lakonikes raids against the Farisan Empire," Maria mused fondly.

"Yes, well, they spent so many centuries fighting with each other, so they tend to be a tad less biased in their history keeping now," Od agreed idly, waiting a moment before changing the subject. "May an old fool ask what actually has your utmost attention, Princess Maria?" Od asked in interest.

Maria glanced down for a moment, thinking, before sighing. "I'm going to rule Eldia someday."

Od rose a brow at the uncertain tone. "Yes, that is your father's intention. I do not foresee him passing over the birthright of his eldest," Od acknowledged. "What, may I ask, is the issue with that, Princess?"

"I...don't know what kind of Queen I should be. Or even can be," Maria remarked with a grimace. "Father is a warrior. He and Mother united the tribes. So, what kind of Queen will I be? What kind can I be?"

Od looked momentarily surprised before a small smile appeared on his wizened face. "I've always known you to act older than you are, Princess. Your jokes alone sound like they belong to one twice your age. But I was beginning to doubt there was a mature and responsible aspect to that as well," he stated, leaning against a pillar. "Have you spoken with your father about this?"

Maria shook her head. "I've tried not to think about it at all, but..."

Od nodded in understanding. "The assassination attempt. So fortunate we were that it failed, "he remarked. "Tell me, Princess? Why does this weigh heavy on you. Are you seeking your father's approval? Your people's prosperity?"

"My own power?" Maria finished, smiling half-heartedly at his confused look. "Father lets me read the Marleyan scriptures taken in the war. Sometimes we help each other read it, since, well...cunt and wedge are almost the same words," she reminded with a small smile.

Od actually look a bit shocked by that. "I did not expect King Fritz to have the patience and time for such things," Od mused.

Maria didn't comment on that. "I read some of the things written by Marleyan...I just call them Thinkers," she answered with a shrug. Od didn't correct her, waiting to see where this was going. "They think about a lot of things over there. Weird ideas about Gods, about how people should live. Even how people should and shouldn't rule."

Od nodded slowly. "And what have you taken from these thoughts you've read?" he asked, stroking his beard with interest.

Maria smiled for a moment. "That Father doesn't like Marleyan Thinkers," she remarked before frowning. "I don't know, Elder. About why I'm so concerned about it. I just...Everyone talks about how much everything has changed in the last thirteen years. And I only remember back to...when I was of four or five? I don't really know what they mean by changed, what it was like before Mother and Father."

"History teaches by example," Od stated, staring out at the garden. "It's an expression that Marley took from the people of Helladi. Preparing for the future means understanding the past, to give context to the present."

"...Then why don't you teach us about Eldia's past in your lessons, Elder Od?" Maria asked with an inquisitive scowl.

"Your father instructed me not to. I believe he wanted to tell you, you and your sisters, his account personally before hearing my version of it," Od answered offhandedly.

"I see," Maria said without really meaning it. "Thank you, Elder Od."

"Passing wisdom to children is both my profession and my privilege, Princess," Od stated with the thinnest hint of humor.

Maria smiled before she slid off and walked away.

Od watched her go with a thoughtful look. The first daughter of the Titaness…how interesting but yet, how bizarre. The blood of a man and what all either called a goddess or a demon. He had seen it once, from a distance, during the Battle of Uvik, at the Lake of Drawde. The poor fools thought that they could trick the Titaness into the lake at night. All that resulted in was the Titaness standing upright instead of all fours; truly a terrifying sight, destroying the ships around her and throwing the vessels onto their own camp.

Never had he seen the like of her before and seeing her human form up close was almost surreal to experience.

It was amazing just how within the realm of ordinary her children were.

Years of experience let him know that he was being watched.

He turned and truly wondered if Ymir was something divine or demonic, standing before him in the flesh after just occupying his thoughts.

She was right there, mere feet away from him, but not looking at him. She was staring down the hall where her daughter had gone.

Despite his surprise, he waited silently, to see if she would speak. He sometimes believed she couldn't.

At last, she turned to meet his gaze. He wondered what she saw? A wise elder, a feeble old man with few years left, or just a fool that too many listened to? He had been called all of those things and had felt like each on occasion.

After a long silence, he ventured to break it. "May I be of some assistance to you, Lady Ymir?" he inquired calmly.

Ymir opened her mouth and he thought she might speak. Yet, she hesitated, closing her mouth and looking away. Just like that, she started to walk away.

Some might feel insulted, but he was...curious. "Lady Ymir," he called, standing to walk a few steps after her until she stopped. She turned back to him with an uncertain look, almost perplexed. "Does something trouble you?" he asked softly.

Ymir shook her head, but remained where she was for now. She looked at the ground and Od knew that face. He had seen it across the faces of so many students of all ages. A desperate desire to ask something, but yet held back by one feeling or another. Was it pride? Did she not want to be seen as less by needing to ask for advice? Did she feel like it was something she should already know yet didn't?

It had been a long time since Od was this curious, since a mystery and its answer laid just before his eyes.

Her eyes widened minutely before she shook her head and left, rapidly, to turn the corner.

He frowned. What had caused that reaction? He hadn't done anything to alarm her, and more, what could possibly make the Titaness flee?

"Elder Od."

He turned, stoicism returned, as he saw a rather frazzled Syn. "Yes?" he answered neutrally.

"Have you seen Lady Ymir? I haven't been able to find her in hours," Syn said with a worried look about her.

Now, was this a second mystery or the same one? "I fear I have not, but I have only now awoken from a short nap. I cannot be certain if she passed by," he lied expertly. If Lady Ymir was trying to avoid her own guard and servant, he wasn't about to sabotage that. After all, it was her children he was teaching.

"Skeldmawi give me strength," Syn muttered in frustrated prayer before moving on.

He watched her idly, almost smirking when she didn't make the turn. Well, whatever Lady Ymir's reasons were, that at least gave her a little time.

Meanwhile

Ymir kept walking with no real aim of where she was going.

She had sat in her room with Syn standing nearby for an hour before she decided she wanted to be by herself. She had been by herself often in the past. If not for servants that would leave as soon as their tasks were complete, she was only ever with her master and their daughters for more than a short time. Being around them was fine. Being around them didn't feel...unnerving. But it did with Syn.

She wasn't sure if it was Syn herself or if she didn't like having someone around her like that all the time. She just knew that she wanted to be alone.

It took her a while to get away without Syn realizing it.

Then she had seen her eldest daughter with Od. Maria hadn't noticed her, but Ymir had seen that look in her eye: doubt, worry, maybe even a bit of fear? What put that look in her daughter's eyes? How did mothers normally confront troubled children? How did a good mother help children at times like this?

Maria left and Ymir could only watch. What happened next, Ymir had been entirely unprepared for.

Od offered to help her.

Whenever someone offered to help her, it was a servant with something expected. Clothing, bathing, getting food, finding her children. It wasn't...the kind of help Od was offering, genuine and in general.

If there had ever been a moment she wished she didn't have an issue talking with strangers, it was right then. There were so many things she wanted to ask, to know. But just because she had a tongue and a voice didn't mean she could bring the words forth.

Was she even...allowed to ask the things she wanted to know? She didn't really need to know them. Even if she felt like she did sometimes.

So deep in her mind, she didn't notice running into someone as she rounded a corner, bumping into them- and she grunted as something hard fell on her head and stayed there.

"How dare you, w-!" the familiar and angry voice died off after she flinched, knowing the voice by heart. "Ymir?"

She cautiously looked up and saw the confused face of Fritz. But something was wrong, missing. Where was his crown?

She realized it before reaching up to grasp it. His crown had fallen off and onto her head from the collision, landing a bit lopsided. "I am. Sorry," she said softly. So softly, he barely heart it as she took the crown off, carefully reaching up to place in back on his own head.

Fritz seemed even further confused by this, looking to the two guards flanking him, waving to them to stand back. The two nodded, having caught the meaning. This was a private conversation and he was safer with Ymir than a hundred of them.

As the footsteps fell away several steps, he turned his full attention on his concubine. "What is wrong, Ymir?" he asked, leading her over to the wall to be more out of the way.

"I...don't know," she admitted, to him and herself, as she stared down at the floor. "Master? Do you. Love. Your. Daughters?"

Fritz scowled a bit. His first instinct was that she was accusing him of something horrid and unnatural, but he knew she wasn't. "Yes?" he answered curiously, getting no further reaction. "Maria is clever and intelligent and not afraid to speak her mind. Sheena is somehow the kindest girl I've ever known, yet more headstrong than any boy can hope to be. Rose? She's a mystery to me, I'll be honest. So quiet and worried. I sometimes wondered if I did something to scare her, but she seems that way with most. But I love her all the same," he elaborated. "What brought this on?"

"You said. You didn't Think. That you. Could. Love. Like that," she reminded quietly.

It took him a moment to remember what she was referring to, his mind reaching back to that fateful day. It felt so long ago already. "You...misunderstand," He said with a sigh. "Damn. Why did the gods curse our language by lumping all forms of love into one word?" he murmured before shaking his head. "I meant I don't think I could be genuinely "in love," Ymir. I love them as a father should. I don't show it the best, but I do. They are our legacy and Eldia's future. That much is certain."

Ymir blinked, looking up at him in surprise. "Our legacy?" she repeated.

"That's what children usually are," he answered with a snort, missing the emphasis. "Was that what had you in a hurry?"

She shook her head. "I wanted. To Be. Alone."

Fritz didn't understand. Then the norns decided to explain for her.

"King Fritz?"

He knew that voice by now. "Stay behind me," he muttered quietly, turning to face Syn, who was approaching with his two guards. From the initial distance and the way he turned, she hadn't been able to realize that Ymir was right behind his back. He put forth an annoyed scowl with a hint of tiredness. "Yes? What is it?" he asked gruffly.

Syn didn't react to the tone, as she had already been scowling for another reason. Likely worry. "Pardon the interruption, but have you seen Lady Ymir?"

Fritz raised an eyebrow and made sure not to move. "You've lost your Lady?" he asked in a tone just short of condescending.

Syn might be scowling at him now. "Forgive me, King Fritz. I went to check on Princess Sheena. When I returned, Lady Ymir was already gone," she said, obviously concerned that something nefarious was going on.

Fritz chuckled. "Well, you may rest easy, I saw Ymir heading after Maria not more than a few minutes ago," he said, not entirely lying. He had seen Maria, and Ymir had been going the same direction as her, but that appeared to have been coincidence.

Syn visibly relaxed. "That is a joy to hear," she said before looking suspicious. "May I ask why you are just...standing here, King Fritz?"

The King of Eldia smirked a bit. "Oh, I was just savoring the moment after I...enjoyed myself with a servant girl," he answered brazenly.

"I see," Syn said with forced neutrality. "Well, I shall leave you to your...satisfaction, King Fritz," she said with a small bow of the head before turning around and walking away.

All three men watched her leave, one of the guards snickering. "And what is so amusing, Baugi?" Fritz asked dryly.

"Oh, nothing. Just funny to realize that the Titaness is indeed still a woman," Baugi answered. "Reminds me of my woman wanting to avoid this insufferable wench living near us."

Fritz snorted, giving the other guard, who was trying not to laugh but looked amused none the less, a look. "I will never understand how your brother here survives without you around, Suttungr."

"He doesn't, King Fritz," Suttungr answered wryly, getting a glare from his sibling.

Fritz shook his head, turning around to see Ymir, who was staring up at him in confusion. "Now what was that about?" he asked idly.

"I wanted. To be. Alone," she repeated, surprise and curiosity still on her face.

"You could have just ordered her to leave." Fritz reminded. Ymir didn't say anything to that. He hummed before coming to a decision. "Come with me."

Ymir obeyed without hesitation, the guards following after them, but she remained perplexed. Why had he done that? Hid her from Syn, lying about where she had went even? Why not just order herself to return to her room, to stop avoiding the guard he had placed to watch over her?

All these questions, and she didn't say a word.

It didn't take her long to realize where they were going. She had memorized the palace layout since it had been built a few years ago, with some help on her part…some. The Titaness was a bit too big to be used inside the city too much.

So, she was not surprised at all when they entered Fritz's royal bedroom with the guards waiting outside.

Strange. The only time she had been in his bedroom was when he took her to bed. But he wasn't? He did say he wanted to avoid more children for a short time. Did he change his mind?

Should she...disrobe?

She looked to her master and decided not to do so, as he was not undressing either. "Remain here for as long as you desire. None will bother you while you are here," he offered casually.

Ymir's confusion returned, greater than before. And she voiced it. "Why?"

He shrugged. "You wish to be alone. Most days recently, this room is empty until I turn in for sleep myself. Besides, it's hardly strange for a concubine to be in her king's chamber," he pointed out wryly. She nodded as a silence built over them. "Was there anything else, Ymir?" he inquired.

She was about to answer with a no, but she hesitated as her short meeting with Od returned to her mind. She didn't know if she was allowed to ask these things. But...she faltered. "When will. We leave. To make. The. Defenses?" she asked instead.

Fritz looked unconvinced, but answered anyway. "The true ones? In some weeks, as we hope to complete it before the Vetr month begins. We'll be setting out within a few more days, however, to test some ideas for the shape and size of them."

Ymir nodded before looking concerned. "Who will. Watch. The children?" she asked curiously. Syn? Eir and the other healers? Od perhaps?

"Hm? Ah, I was planning on bringing them with us," he answered idly.

"You...are?" Ymir asked in surprise.

Fritz nodded. "As this is not a battle, it'll prove the perfect opportunity for them to see the power of their mother without any risk to them," he pointed out calmly.

Ymir nodded quickly and in the dim lighting, Fritz didn't notice that Ymir had paled noticeably.

With that, Fritz left Ymir to her thoughts.

And her fears.

Her daughters were going to see her? Like that? The thought bothered her immensely. How would they react? By all accounts she had heard, her Titaness form was terrifying to behold. They said she didn't even have eyes in that form, despite herself being able to see fine as the Titaness.

Would those girls, who smiled so lovingly up at her, that cried in joy when she survived...would they fear her now? Would they scurry away from her instead of running towards her, to hug her? Would she be in their nightmares now?

...Who was she to complain of such things though? She had been prepared to give up on life, to abandon them to whatever fate they fell to without her around. What right did she have to such precious things?

Her shoulders fell in resignation, knowing there was nothing to be done. She would obey and her daughters would react however they would.

Taking her mind off such inevitable things, she looked around the room. She had only been in this room a few times- mainly before she was pregnant with Sheena. And she had never taken the time to make note of the room.

It was...much like her own room, she realized; A large bed, a few luxury items and trophies on the walls. Fritz was a bit more selective with his own collection than he was with hers. She supposed the days associated with these items were important to him in some way. Those victories meant something to him, more than rest, but only Fritz himself knew what.

The room was actually a bit bigger than hers, but looked smaller. Fritz had several desks and shelves filled with parchment and scrolls, giving less open space than hers.

She stood at the desk, glancing over the papers idly. Unless she was wrong, these were all her master's drafts of the message to Marley and its Emperor. There were many of them, all decrying their attempt on his life after claiming to surrender. She supposed the one he decided to send in the end had less cursing in it, because there was a lot of foul words in these papers.

She glanced over to one of the parchments sitting in the shelves, sticking out slightly. She didn't know what these were. She probably shouldn't look. She wasn't given permission to look.

And she wouldn't have ever tried. But one word she could make out instinctually caught her attention:

Ymir.

Fritz had things written about her. That was...expected, she supposed. She was the Titaness. She was their main weapon. The wisemen and wisewomen had been studying her since she emerged from the Ash Tree. And she was his concubine and the one who bore his children.

And first and foremost, she was his slave. The slave he offered to free, but his slave none the less. The slave he pleaded to stay, the slave whose voice he was growing fond of, the slave he let hide in his room because she just wanted to be alone.

The slave that fought, built and almost died for him.

Her life felt like it had gotten better in some ways than it was not so long ago, but it was far more confusing now.

Ancient Eldian Historical Discoveries:

Though cruelty was common throughout the ancient world, all cultures had crimes they felt truly heinous. The Eldians of old had a hatred that put them at odds with Marley as a culture: Across every tribe, it was considered inhumane and irredeemable to sexual abuse a child- no matter if the child was Eldian or foreign, free or slave. While this is nothing unexpected in modern times, the Marlayans and Helladians by the time of Ymir had gone through a culture degradation, where it was seen as normal and even expected for adult men to 'love' young boys.

This virtue was likely born out of a number of things including protectiveness over the next generation, dreaded tales of Marlayans taking the sons of tribal leaders to "raise" as hostages, and the interesting idea among ancient Eldian cultures that it was a disgrace to have sex before the age of twenty. The third point was less of a moral ideal and more of a folk-belief that keeping abstinent until that age, for men and women, was believed to increase one's potential as a warrior and even their fertility.

End of Chapter

Well, there we go...I really love writing thise story for some reason, and building up this ancient, cruel world with its beuatiful aspects.

So, yeah, Maria is having her own anxiety over being the one to inherit her father's throne and Ymir is, as always, a bundle of issues and confused by how things are changing around her. And also terrified that her daughters will be terrified of her other form.