Chapter Twenty-One
An easy smile twists the corner of Queen Historia's lips as Judge Dana Schaeffer and her party finally reach the front of the line. Spreading her arms wide to embrace the older woman warmly, the petite blonde leans forward to brush her lips against the Judge's cheek.
"Oh my Judge Schaeffer, what a pleasant surprise." As soon as her lips are close enough to the Judge's ear, the blonde adds in a hushed voice, "Any luck?"
"I'm afraid she will need some more convincing."
"Walk with me," the Queen states suddenly as she releases the Judge, extending her slender arm with an expectant smile. The Judge moves to accept her Majesty's arm with a reverent bow prompting the crowd of onlookers to swiftly part. A few curious stares trail them as they walk arm in arm further into the garden pausing briefly when they reach the entrance of an elegant hedge maze.
"Won't it seem suspicious, us stealing away like this?" The Queen pretends not to have heard her as she leads them deeper and deeper still. When she feels the Judge's steps become hesitant, she pauses to appraise her with an inquisitively arched eyebrow.
"What's the problem?" The Queen's tone is low and measured as her bright blue eyes latch onto the Judge's plump visage. "Why does she need more convincing?"
"Your Majesty, I did tell you that it would not be easy to persuade her," the Judge reminds her with a low bow. "She is fearful for her life even more so given the recent developments in the—" the Judge abruptly cuts off her own sentence, biting the corner of her lip with a furrowed brow.
"When it comes to people like Dana Schaeffer, you have to be a sheep amongst wolves, wise as a serpent yet as innocent as a dove."
"What recent developments?" Queen Historia asks watching her expectantly. Judge Schaeffer shifts uncomfortably, averting her gaze self-consciously as she wrings her chubby fingers. "What are you talking about?"
"Well, rumor has it that someone has offered a hefty reward for your predecessor's head." The accusatory gleam in her eyes is subtle yet impossible to miss. A shiver runs through the petite Queen's body as she feels a chilling sweat building on her skin.
"Oh? And what qualifies as a hefty reward these days?" The Queen asks feigning innocence as she stalls for time, desperately hoping to glean the Judge's meaning in her response.
"A full and unconditional pardon along with a written permit to live within Wall Sheena."
"That's not possible," the blonde scoffs shaking her head in disbelief. "Only the monarchy can issue permits to live within Wall Sheena and all pardons must be personally approved by me. I can assure you, I would have immediately vetoed that proposal the minute it was revealed."
"I believe you, your Majesty," Judge Schaeffer informs her matter-of-factly. "Your visage betrays a surprisingly genuine warmth and compassion that I recognized the moment we first met. I know that you would never betray your promise to me because you are kind and gentle at heart."
"You think the military is behind this?" The Queen asks narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
"To be honest, I'm not surprised by this move at all. This is classic Ervin Smith," the Judge sighs. "I'm only surprised that it took him this long to act out on it."
"Act out on what?" Queen Historia demands, resisting the urge to cross her arms.
"I'm afraid…it must be seen. Words alone will not do it justice, I assure you, your majesty, if my lips could adequately surmise the barbaric acts of your allies, I would command the words from them—if only to spare you this traumatic encounter."
"What are you talking about?" The blonde asks clenching her fists to keep the frustration from her voice.
"If it pleases you, your grace," Judge Schaeffer pauses to lower her head into a bow once more. "Meet me by the stables in ten minutes and I shall show you what I'm talking about."
Without thinking, Queen Historia feels her head slowly but surely dip and rise in an unmistakable nod. Before she can protest or otherwise revoke her acquiescence, the Judge steals away, disappearing into the throng of giggling guests gathered in the elegant garden.
The drink Moblit Berner had been quietly enjoying beneath the shade of a nearby tree slides down his windpipe at the sight of the Queen approaching the training ground. The blonde pauses to observe the choking lieutenant blinking back tears as her classmate rubs soothing circles along his back. Sinking to her knees with an apologetic smile, the Queen immediately retreats as the pervasive odor of alcohol threatens to overwhelm her. Although Moblit's drinking was already an open secret, she still had difficulty reconciling his alcoholism with his stuffy persona.
"Your Majesty!" Armin Arlert exclaims rising to his feet before lowering himself into a deep bow when he finally notices her. "What are you doing here?" She stretches her lips into a pained outline of a smile as she watches him.
"I need your help, Armin." She pauses, throwing her head back to suck in a deep steadying breath as she desperately tries to calm her trembling fingers. "I c-can't tell what's real anymore."
"What are you talking about?" Armin wonders watching her in bemusement. From the corner of her eyes she notices Section Commander Zoe turn towards them, spectacles gleaming as she appraises them with a confused arch of her thin eyebrows.
The blonde reaches into her dress, pulling out a stack of papers which she dumps on her classmate's lap with trembling hands. Armin's blue eyes twist in suspicion before falling to inspect the documents she had given to him. Armin freezes.
"What's that?" Moblit asks breathlessly, craning his neck to sneak a peek over the cerebral scout's shoulder.
"I got them from Premiere Zachary's office," the Queen informs them. "Did you all really torture those people?"
"Not all of us." Armin's head bows with the weight of his shame as the documents slide from his lap, falling to the floor between them. "Just the Captain…the Lieutenant and the Section Commander."
The weight of his confession elicits a deep rasping gasp from her as she gingerly rises to her feet, only to collapse unto the hard ground. Although she should have suspected as much, the reality was far tougher to stomach than she had ever imagined. Even after all that had happened, part of her had still hoped that their allies had emerged from the melee largely intact. Nausea twists her stomach as she remembers Section Commander's Zoe's horrific report of Pastor Nick's mangled corpse.
She swaggers dangerously once more as she imagines the Captain's shoulders hunched over a screaming prisoner, writhing and convulsing violently against his shackles as his toes splash around an ever-growing pool of his own blood. A pair of strong hands closes around her shoulders, guiding her towards a nearby bench. At first, she doesn't quite register the weight of the other occupant beside her until a dark shadow crosses hers.
"What would you like to know?" Hange Zoe asks holding out the stack of reports in her hands.
"I'm too afraid to ask," the Queen murmurs through trembling lips.
"How did you get those?" Moblit Berner wonders as he reaches up to wipe his eyes.
"It was the only way, you have to understand—"
"Armin!" Mikasa scolds cutting off the blond's words curtly. "You have nothing to apologize for! Captain Levi said it best: If you hadn't done what you did in Trost, Jean would have died. The same goes for everything we did back there. That's just the world that our enemies created five years ago."
"I know but I…"
"I'm sorry." A pregnant pause follows the Queen's words as she slowly but surely shifts to study each face in turn. "If I had been stronger…if I hadn't gotten caught…you all…you all…"
"Historia…" Eren's hand closes over hers. Their eyes meet and the indescribable heat radiating from his palm threatens to overwhelm her. "Remember what you said in Orvud, when Section Commander Hange asked you if you were fine with killing your father?"
She shakes her head truthfully in response as she desperately fights back tears. Eren opens his mouth to speak but his words immediately fade away, drowned out by the ear-splitting wails of her mother's last moments. She watches helplessly from afar as the circle of executioners close in around the frightened woman, forcing her to her knees.
"To be honest, Uri…" Rod Reiss pauses to gently tuck the edges of a thick blanket around his brother's frail form. "I couldn't quite figure out why you spared his life and insisted on keeping him around. But even I can see that a stray dog like Kenny Ackermann has its uses."
"Don't call him that!" The titan-shifter scolds in a raspy voice, eyes ablaze with unbridled anger. Rod Reiss bows his head, blue eyes feigning contrition as his brother's rage slowly but surely subsides. "He must never know. The link between the Founding Titan and our bloodline."
"Why not? I thought you trusted him."
"I do," Uri admits with a rueful smile. "I trust him with my life, I don't trust him with yours."
"Why not?" Rod asks genuinely intrigued.
"Kenny is a bully. It's an inescapable flaw in his character," Uri explains with a heavy sigh. "Pain and weakness excite a dark passion within him. And make no mistake, brother, but you are weak."
"I see." A shadow crosses Rod Reiss' form as he bows his head in understanding. "As you wish."
"Thank you, Eren." Her tone is low and monotonous as she rises to her feet. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you."
"That's alright," Eren smiles as he releases her hand. She nods silently before turning to take her leave.
In thirty days, on the eve of the longest day of the year, your bastard pawn must be lowered from Wall Rose in the Trost District bound and chained.
"Do you think they're bluffing?"She remembered asking her lover as she had fought back tears.
"No," had been his honest response. Her thoughts wander once more to that late afternoon conversation she had shared with the Captain in the cottage hours before learning of Pastor Nick's fate.
"It was you who killed her. You don't seem surprised." She had observed when his back betrayed no emotion at the thought of killing Ymir.
"Should I be? Sounds exactly like something I would do. When the time comes, I need you to understand that." Even then, even though it had been just a dream and his response was perfectly understandable given all that had happened in the space of a few weeks, she had balked at his words.
"You sound so certain we're going to meet them again." She had scoffed, half hopeful, half afraid. She remembers how easily he had seen through her.
"Anyone who thinks otherwise has either not been paying attention or ought to stop kidding themselves."
"That simple huh? If only it was that simple for me too."
"Your majesty." She feels the Section Commander's eyes trailing her petite frame as she prepares to mount her horse. She blinks slowly in confusion as she takes in the familiar stench of horse droppings. Realizing that her legs must have carried her back to the stables without her knowledge, she turns to face the Section Commander. Their eyes meet briefly before the eccentric scout's gaze lowers to study her flowing salmon-pink dress. "Why did you really come here? I mean, you had to have known or at least guessed the horrors we had to endure and inflict in order to rescue you and Eren."
"Captain Levi. It was his idea to offer the reward for Queen Portia's head, wasn't it?" When the eccentric scout arches her eyebrow in confusion without responding, the Queen scoffs lightly as she continues with a mild shake of her head. "Of course it was. That was the exact same deal he made with Lovof, wasn't it?" A sympathetic sigh escapes Hange Zoe as she removes her glasses, lowering them unto a waiting cloth nestled between her thumb and index finger.
"You seem to know all the answers to the questions you keep asking, so tell me, why are you really here, your majesty?"
"How do I call it off?" A lump begins to form in her throat as she watches the Section Commander cleaning her glasses with unseeing eyes. "I don't want him to kill her."
"I'm afraid it's not up to him anymore," Section Commander Hange Zoe offers with a shrug.
"You're wrong!" The lump in her throat tightens painfully as tears sting her eyes. "There's still time—"
"To what?" Annoyance shines fiercely in the Section Commander's eyes as she returns her glasses to the bride of her nose. "Why do you think he's doing this?"
"To protect me—I mean the crown," the Queen reveals through firmly clenched teeth suddenly beside herself.
"One hundred and forty-six," Hange sighs quietly. "One hundred and forty-six survivors out of the two hundred thousand we were sent to reclaim the Wall."
"What are you talking about?" She wonders with a confused frown.
"Roughly a year after the fall of Wall Maria, the Scouts were approached to lead the doomed expedition to seal the walls."
Queen Historia's eyes widen as she notes the first signs of regret she had ever seen on the Section Commander's visage. A low rattling gasp escapes her lips as she remembers the rumors of the ill-fated expedition to reclaim the walls four years ago.
"One hundred and forty-six." Hange repeats with a grave sigh, eyes heavy with remorse. The petite Queen bows her head respectfully. "Hope is a lot harder to kill than fear," the eccentric scout muses with a cynical frown. "Back then we all knew the expedition's true purpose. How could we not? The evidence was very overwhelming. Too overwhelming. We knew what had to happen, everyone did. And yet…we foolishly allowed ourselves a glimmer of hope. Even when they sent us starving refugees who could barely stand and frightened farmhands masquerading as soldiers, we blindly did as we were told. Because in the end, their deaths would serve the greater good. It had to. All those lives that would carry on had to be worth the few sacrificed in that senseless struggle. So we told ourselves. Tell ourselves each and every day. It's how we justify it, how we move on."
"Help me reach him. Help me call it off." She falls to her knees, clasping her small hands before her as if in prayer. "Please. Killing Queen Portia is not only the way."
"True, however, Mikasa's right. It is the only way our enemies left us," Hange returns without missing a beat. "Anyone who thinks otherwise is deceiving themselves."
"That's not true," the Queen snaps trembling slightly as she fights the urge to shake her by the shoulders. "We can be better than them. We can show our enemies the mercy they denied us. Can't you see? In order for humanity to survive—truly survive—we have to break this vicious cycle!"
"You're afraid you'll lose him down there." The Queen freezes at this but offers no response or protest. "You see shades of Kenny in him—more so than you did before you knew that they were related."
"I keep having this dream…about the night my mother died." She pauses and manages to swallow past the lump in her throat with some difficulty. "Only this time instead of my mother it is me Kenny is holding against the floor—"
"—and Levi's your executioner?" Hange finishes prompting the petite Queen to nod with a small whimper. "You remember the time Levi beat Eren up in the courtroom?"
"I wasn't there but I remember hearing about it from Mikasa and the others when we were in hiding."
"He knew what had to be done and yet it took the Military Police holding Eren at gunpoint for him to finally bring himself to do it."
"What are you trying to say?" Queen Historia snaps shaking her head in anger.
"I'm saying that instead of focusing on the similarities between them, look at how they are different instead." A sharp breath escapes the petite monarch as the meaning behind the Section Commander's words finally resonates within her.
Of course! How could I have been so blind? She scoffs running a hand through her elegantly coiffed blonde locks, blue eyes brimming with tears of relief. They're nothing alike! Nothing!
Captivity had revealed far more of Kenny Ackermann and his many quirks than she would have ever cared to know. She remembers the unbridled glee reflected in his deep, gray eyes as he watched the life drain from her mother's twitching corpse. She remembered how those very same eyes had taunted her more recently, silently daring her to avenge her fallen comrades. The sinister sneer that always tugged at the corner of his lips whenever he caught her watching him. Even though he feigned deference and contrition around her and her father, he could never quite conceal his delight and contempt whenever he glimpsed the deep fear and resentment hidden within her.
In contrast, the Captain's dark blue eyes were typically muted and reserved. Eyelids heavy with caution and indifference. Although his words were often harsh and uncouth, they were seldom unkind without reason. His cruelty was controlled and unselfish while Kenny's was overwhelmingly gratuitous and excessive. Violence for Captain Levi was merely a means to an end. For Kenny Ackermann, it had been both.
"Thank you." Judging by the Section Commander's bemusement, she had not been expecting the Queen's response so soon. Barely managing a nod in response, Hange Zoe watches as the petite blonde finally mounts her horse, digging her legs into the beast's side before taking off, fingers clasping tightly around the reins as she forges a path onwards.
It's not too late, there's still time. I can still end this before things get out of control.
"Captain Levi!" Connie Springer pauses to shut the door behind him as the Captain turns to acknowledge him with his trademark scowl. "There's someone here to see you about the reward you offered."
"Perfect, that's got to be the fiftieth person today claiming to know where the former queen is," Jean grumbles beneath his breath as the foul-tempered Captain continues watching Connie expectantly. "I knew it was a bad idea putting the word of that reward out like th—"
"He's the real deal Captain," Connie assures Captain Levi. "He came here with the same maneuvering gear Kenny's squad used in the Reiss Cavern." Jean sputters at this as the Captain rises to his feet.
"Lead the way!" Levi Ackermann orders.
"Well, why didn't you lead with that, dumbass?" Jean scolds as he follows his classmate.
"I couldn't just tell the Captain that I'd seen someone with that gear flying around," Connie shoots back hotly, clenching his fists defensively. "I had to explain that he came in peace."
"For all we know, he could be here to off us for good."
"Trust me, I'm not." The pair of squabbling cadets jumps at the sudden intrusion as they turn to find a trio of thugs watching them from the bottom of the stairs. Dark blue eyes narrow menacingly as they fall on the familiar pewter barrels of the anti-personnel maneuvering gear. The man who had just spoken lowers his gun marginally as he tilts his head ever so slightly to the side, brown eyes narrowed into deadly slits as he stares from Connie to Jean before finally falling on Levi.
"I'm the one you're looking for," Captain Levi informs him quietly as he makes a point to lower his hands towards the hilt of his flesh-paring blade.
"So, you must be Levi—Kenny's legacy huh? Funny, you're exactly as he described you."
"Legacy?" The Captain repeats not bothering to keep the irritation from his voice.
"Yeah, the man would go on and on about you for days. Wouldn't shut up about the little bastard he left down here years ago." The stranger explains with a bitter scoff. "Kept yammering on and on about how you were the best thing he had ever created."
"As much as I'm enjoying this little trip down memory lane," the Captain sneers sarcastically. "I was under the impression that you were here to talk business."
"We are," the stranger admits pausing briefly to motion for his men to lower their weapons. "We heard that you're offering a reward for anyone who kills Queen Portia and her minions."
"For obvious reasons, payment will only be due upon your successful completion of the job."
"Naturally," the stranger chuckles in agreement. His footsteps echo loudly as he climbs the stairs, arm extended expectantly as he watches the Captain. "I'm Isaac Kidd. And these are my guards Gregory and Mason." Connie and Jean return back to the Captain's side as the stranger and his team continues their ascent.
"I knew it, you guys must have it made on the surface." Levi Ackermann narrows his eyes suspiciously at this as one of the stranger's guards observes with a disheartened sigh. Although a deep shadow obscures both eyes, the bitter edge in his tone is impossible to miss. "We were both the same age and yet you haven't aged a day since you ran off to become a scout."
"Do I know you?" Captain Levi asks quirking an eyebrow as he shifts ever so slightly to face him.
"Good to see you again," Mason greets watching the Captain expectantly.
"Sorry, you have me confused for someone el—"
"You're Levi. You used to run a small crew down here that trained with and used omnidirectional gear to steal from the merchants." Jean and Connie let out sharp gasps as the Captain reaches for his blade once more. "Farlan Church and Isabelle Magnolia were your little sidekicks. They followed you everywhere. You three were practically inseparable."
"Alright, who the fuck are you?" The Captain growls beneath his breath.
"Relax," Isaac Kidd chuckles. "Don't you recognize him? He's a former member of your crew. The one you used to run all those stickups with."
"It's alright if you don't remember me," Mason sighs once more. "Like I said, the years haven't exactly been very kind to me. Unlike for you."
"Okay?" Levi's scowl deepens.
"You remember Yan?" The Captain's breath catches in the back of his throat at this as a cold sweat suddenly slides down his face. "I thought you might. Whatever happened to him? My younger sister and him used to be a thing. She was devastated when he vanished one night, never to be seen again."
"How many of you are there?" Captain Levi blurts out abruptly changing the subject as he turns to eye the strangers' chest plates.
"Enough to storm Mitras and overwhelm the MPs when the time comes," Isaac Kidd supplies.
"You're going to have to be a lot more specific than that. We'll need to know just how many pardons and permits to make out once this is through," Captain Levi states matter-of-factly.
"You know…it's funny—in a sick and twisted way—you offering the exact same deal to us that you received all those years ago."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Jean barks narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
"Oh, he didn't tell you?" Kidd chortles. "Your precious captain was a gun for hire back in the old days. Back then, he would kill, steal and maim for the right price. Rumor has it that he assassinated some elite member of the Survey Corps in exchange for citizenship on the surface and membership in the military."
"Okay? And what has that got to do with anything?" Connie asks dismissively.
"It has everything to do with this," Isaac Kidd hisses beneath his breath. "How are we so sure that we won't all end up like poor Yan if we switch sides now and help you kill Queen Portia?"
"Because we have bigger fish to fry," Levi assures him dryly. "The quicker we get this resolved the quicker we can return our attention to more important matters. Like reclaiming Wall Maria for instance."
"Come to think of it, why didn't you guys make an appearance during the coronation ceremony?" Jean wonders with a deep frown. "Even with the place crawling with guards, it would have been easier to sneak a couple of men into the crowd to raise hell. Heck, you guys could have killed the Queen on stage before the crown ever touched her head."
"Don't get me wrong, while the thought did cross my mind, we had explicit orders to wait for a signal that never came," Isaac Kidd responds with a bemused shrug.
"We were more than a little surprised when we found out that Kenny and his men had been wiped out by your squad," the guard known as Mason adds quietly, disbelief evident in his eyes. "We figured that the powers-that-be were scrambling to get word to us but the order never came."
"We never expected him to go down so easily," Isaac Kidd chuckles.
"If it's any comfort, it wasn't easy," Captain Levi states bluntly.
"I gathered as much," Kidd scoffs as he crosses his arms over his chest with a smirk. "Although if you ask me, I'd say Kenny was getting a little long in the tooth."
"I take it you know where the former queen is holed up?" Levi asks. Isaac shakes his head.
"Nope, but we know how to find her."
"I see," Connie blurts out, breaking his silence. "So even though they trust you to do your part when you receive the signal, they don't trust you enough to fill you in on the important details?" Levi's shoulders stiffen as the trio nod.
"So what now? How does this all work? I assume you have a plan for how we set things in motion?"
"I do," Captain Levi admits as he crosses his arms. "But how do I know that we can trust you?"
"Look, we're here aren't we?" Mason shoots back, rolling his eyes with an exasperated sigh. "Do you honestly think we give a shit about which ugly bitch sits on the throne? We're mercenaries."
"How do we know you won't stab us in the back once you've gotten what you want?" Connie presses, hazel eyes wide with alarm and distrust. Mason and Gregory balk at this before turning to give Kidd identically annoyed looks. "If you're willing to betray Kenny's side so easily, what's stopping you from betraying us when it suits you?"
"What do you want us to sing a song for you or something?!" Gregory snaps finally breaking his silence. "You either take our word that we're here to help, or you leave it."
"Look, man, I'll be honest," Mason begins with a deep sigh. "It hurt a lot when you, Farlan, and Isabelle left us to become scouts—"
"They're dead," Levi blurts cutting him off as their eyes meet. "Died during their first expedition beyond the walls. The only reason we agreed to carry out the assassination was because we had no choice. Yan was their prisoner and they would have killed him if we didn't cooperate."
"So how come he ended up dying anyway?" Mason asks in a low voice.
"Because we fucked up. Our target knew our plan from the get-go and outsmarted us." The trio of strangers stiffens visibly at this and averts their gazes. "I would say that the stakes are similar to the ones we faced back then but, then I'd be lying. The stakes are much higher than before. Failure is not an option—if we fuck up, people won't just die, humanity itself could perish completely."
"What are you trying to say?"
"What he's trying to say is that if you're going to switch sides and join us you'd better be sure about it and be in it for the long haul," Jean supplies with a determined scowl of his own. "You can either continue to rot down here waiting for a signal that may very well never come or you can join us. It's up to you. Whatever you choose, you'd better be sure about it because from here on out, there's no going back."
The Captain suddenly turns and disappears into his sleeping quarters. He feels Jean and Connie stiffen the moment he turns his back on the thugs and continues past them. When he reaches the writing desk at the center of his room, he immediately snatches the map he had been examining before returning to the stairwell. The trio of thugs exchanges confused looks as he holds out the map with an expectant scowl.
"This doesn't look like a map of the Capital," Kidd observes as he finally accepts it with a small frown of his own.
"It's not. It's a map of the Queen's current tour of the kingdom." A stunned silence falls over the group as they return their gazes to the map. "In a few days, the Queen will be arriving in Stohess District, this is going to be the second stop of her tour but she's scheduled to remain there a little longer. On account of the disaster."
"That's right," Gregory mumbles distractedly. "I heard you scouts goofed up some secret operation and reduced the city to rubble."
"The Queen will be overseeing the opening of several orphanages and shelters in the district so she should be there for about a week. That will be your opportunity to strike."
"Wait a minute, you want them to attack Queen Historia?!" Jean asks through grit teeth, fists clenched tightly at his sides. The Captain nods as he holds Kidd's gaze.
"If you accept our terms be at the designated location armed and ready to raise hell."