Gentle Champion
The morning was like any other for the people, some gathering around the table for breakfast, while others quietly left for another day at work. Even the Underground enjoyed its rare moment of peace.
It's broken.
First by the morning programs on the television switching to the news, then the turned on radios fizzing into spokesperson asking for the attention of its surrounding listeners; even the old fuzzy televisions and crackly radios in the Underground were clear this morning. followed by the morning paper and its headline.
People of Paradis, today we have a special announcement from the Throne!
Our beloved Queen is finally ready to take a mate. And has decided on a more traditional approach to finding one. In a year's time, a grand tournament will be held, open to all who wish to participate, of noble birth or not. Participants will fight among each other, showing their strength and proving to the Queen they are worthy of his hand. The winner will also be crowned King, and rule by the Queen's side.
There's more, about information that will come within the week, that sign-up stations have already been set up and will be opening at noon today, and much, much more. But none is heard at the moment, their voices, drowned out by others. Loud in its excitement and disbelief.
Could this be true!?
Why a tournament? And why a year?
Who cares! We could marry the Queen! We could be King!
On and on it went, excitement said to be felt all over the world, truly!
The Underground's King meanwhile, not yet aware that the announcement he had been warned about had finally come, stood before the Commander of the Queen's guards. Elegantly designed tea tin held possessively in his grip. His expression blank as he said yes.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~
A stern expression outlined by a few wrinkles, black and white hair pulled back in a tight bun, and blue eyes that gazed at them with disturbing calculation.
Madame Bellatrix was not one to be messed with, and not who they were expecting.
"They do not look willing."
Erwin shrugged, "I bribed one."
Madame Bellatrix turned back to the three, Levi stared back, quietly sipping his tea, Isabel munched her way through the tin of biscuits Erwin had given her when they had arrived at the building.
Furlan merely stood there, a pouch attached to his pants.
"Just one?" Madame Bellatrix hummed as she turned back to the Alpha.
Erwin smiled serenely.
"Honestly, why does the Queen put up with you, I'll never know." the Madame sighed, before moving to the three, her cane tapping softly.
Levi continued sipping his tea.
"I'm assuming the tiny Alpha is the one who will be mainly doing your bidding?"
"You don't have to make sound that bad," Erwin grumbled.
"He said I get to kill people," Levi told her.
"Might." Erwin stressed, "And only if necessary."
"It's politics." Levi countered.
"He's right." Madame Bellatrix nodded.
".….Let us continue."
With a teasing smile, Madame Bellatrix just that, her calculating eyes looking over as she circled them.
"There is potential, he does hold a regal bearing, expected of the King of the Underground. And there is hope for the other two. All three need a good polish though."
Isabella, now finished with her biscuits, wiped crumbs away from her mouth with the back of her hand, then wiped both hands on her dirty pants; crumbs fell onto the clean floor along with something that might be dirt. Stuffed the tin in her clothes somehow, before bouncing over to the table where the tea was, picked up her cup, and slurping loudly.
"Make that a lot of polish."
The Commander wasn't sure if he sound feel happy or worried for the three.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~
"I think I'm starting to regret this."
"Too late now."
"Very much too late."
All three stared at the mountain upon mountains of applications.
It was only the first week.
"Announcing to neighboring kingdoms and allies might have been a bad idea application-wise," Armin added as he carefully took a sheet from one of the smaller mountains.
Eren felt a headache coming on.
"I'll go get Sasha and Captain Mike," Mikasa said turning around to do just that.
"Get the whole castle staff while you're at it, with them, we might manage to make a dent in this by the end of the year!" Eren called to her.
There is no answer, but he saw that tiny smile.
"Well," Armin was already on his third applicant, the first two crushed and tossed into a corner. Eren winced, he did not want to know who those two were for his friend to do that. "I take left, you take right."
Both nodding, they got to work.
About an hour later, Mikasa returned with not only Captain Mike and Sasha, but Hinge and their assistant, Moblit with a covered bowl in his hands.
"I couldn't get the whole castle, but I think they will do," said Mikasa.
"Eh, I suppose so." Eren grinned from his portion on the floor, surrounded by applications.
Sasha gasped dramatically, while Hinge pouted. "And here I am, coming to help out of the goodness of my heart. I even managed to steal a little present from the kitchen."
"You mean I stole it." said their assistant.
There were gasps, and ohs of admiration.
The Chief who ran the kitchen was a strict and scary Omega, not even the Queen dared face her wrath.
Hinge ignored him.
"Ta-dah!" The covers were gone and there was a very delirious familiar smell "Chief's famous cheddar garlic biscuits!"
There is a scrambled for the food, Eren even got shoved.
Chef's biscuits were just that serious.
"Brought tea too."
Once everyone had settled down, and there was a discovery of more biscuits on the way, it was back to work.
"Oh, she's cute!"
Sasha leaned over to show Eren.
Eren agreed, she definitely was middle nobility from her last name. Her education was very good, top of her classes, athletic, eyes fell on her gender.
Omega.
Well then, unexpected.
He never expected an Omega to put in their bid. Alpha diffidently, Beta maybe, but Omega?
The council would surely disapprove.
Eren grinned, "Yes."
With gleaming eyes that told the Queen that she had diffidently seen what he did, Sasha dutifully put it in the yes pile, a pile that even with the piles from the others was rather pitiful compared to the no.
"Wasn't there a scandal about him?"
Mike shrugged at Hinge's question, humming they looked back at the resume, with a shrug of their own they started a maybe pile.
About an hour later, the group was more than ready for a break.
"The yes pile doesn't inspire confidence," said Mikasa
"Honestly, this would be so much easier if Erwin would grow some balls." Hinge grumbled quietly, "preferably before this whole thing gets messy."
Both looked over at their queen who was talking with Mike and Armin.
"Yes," Mikasa nodded, "preferably."
~.~.~.~.~
"Your scent reeks."
"One of these days, you're going to find a door or window you can't get into."
"Sounds like a boring-ass day."
Chuckling, Erwin finished up signing off on the last of the paperwork and called for a butler. Stretching far back in his chair he managed to see Levi subtly straighten out his tucked-in shirt and wondered what had been swiped this time.
"How have the lessons been going?" the Alpha asked, handing the documents off when the butler came.
"She's a hard-ass."
Which meant, he liked her.
"Considering her track record, that's not surprising."
"And that track record is?"
"And spoil the surprise?"
"Fuck surprises."
Snickering, Erwin stood, "Join me for a drink?"
Levi hummed, which was a yes.
Their drinks arrived, a rum that was just the right amount of sweet for both of them. In the comfortable quiet between them, Erwin wondered if Levi will stay the night this time. Most likely not, the man was too protective of his Pack and Underground. And in all honesty, he was surprised the Alpha agreed to this, seeing as this wasn't the usual one-and-done job. This was permanent. Yes, there was that one percent of Levi wanting to use whatever status he would gain from his union with Eren to better the Underground and those who lived there. However, it was clear that the other Alpha hated politics.
Basically, Erwin got lucky with Levi saying yes.
"Tell me about the Queen?"
Eren took a sip of his rum, then answered. "Kind, stubborn. Headstrong, though not as bad as when he was younger. Far too cute for his own damn good, and the ass of a god."
".…Sounds hot."
Erwin grunted in agreement, he doesn't think too hard about the fact that Levi's statement doesn't bother him like he's sure it should.
~.~.~.~.~
"My brain hurts!" Isabel whined.
"Yeah, mine too." Furlan groaned as he closed the book on dinner etiquette.
"Why is there so much tableware for food?!"
The funny thing about this was that he and Isabel weren't even going to be in the tournament, that was all Levi's job. They were to be his entourage, or servants if you will. Not that much different than what they were in the Underground, however, because this was Royalty; they themselves had to have their own lessons in etiquette. Something you'd think wouldn't be as bad as compared to Levi who was the main attraction of this plan.
Apparently not.
"Why does fighting have to have a proper form?!" Isabel continued on, "the goal's to win. Just kick whoever in the nuts and be done with it."
"What if they don't have nuts?" came the question from Levi.
The man had long since finished doing the task Madame Bellatrix and her lessons team assigned to him and had been just watching them suffer, like the dirty bastard he was.
"Then in the stomach, throat, or bite them. Anything to win!"
Levi almost had a smile on his face….or it could be constipation, it was hard to tell.
"While that certainly is logical, that is, unfortunately, isn't how things are done in the world of nobility."
Madame Bellatrix walked in, and a few of her servants followed, their hands filled with trays of food.
"That is enough for today. Here, dinner, and then you can be on your way."
Another few servants appeared, scaring the crap out of Furlan, and the table is quickly cleared of books, papers, and the such. Replaced by food.
"This smells so good!"
And that was all from Isabel as she dug in, making pleasing noises. Much more quietly, Furlan tucked in, making a soft please sound himself.
This was delirious.
"Judging from the sounds, this is to your liking?" asked the Madame.
Furlan nodded, and there was a confirmation from Isabel.
"And how is it on the stomach?"
"No tummy troubles here!"
"I'm good."
Levi grunted, which was basically meant, he was good.
"Excellent, I will have the chef informed."
"For all of her sternness, she's really nice." Furlan thought.
Their first dinner here was a disaster. Erwin had been with them and the conversation had been pleasantly nice despite Levi more or less glaring at the Commander for who knows what reason (It might have something to do with the scent that was wafting off the man, even Furlan wanted to roll in it.)
Then suddenly Isabel had thrown up all over the nice clean floor. Furlan had panicked, Erwin called for a doctor and Madame Bellatrix was staring down the barrel of Levi's gun. Eventually, everything calmed down, if you call Erwin picking Levi up by the back of his shirt like some grumpy kitten and taking the gun away calming down. And it was discovered that Isabel got sick because the food had been too rich for her stomach as she was used to the plainest of food on the best day and borderline rotten on the worst.
Madame Bellatrix had gone still, and her scent went everywhere before leaving the room. She didn't return for the rest of the day, and it was Erwin who escorted them out.
A few days later, another dinner, food a lot plainer but just as delicious.
No one threw up.
Months Later
"Welcome home Commander."
Erwin sighed, "Where is he?" He asked Sasha.
Sasha bounced on her feet, "Well, I did leave him in the study, but we both know how our Queen can be."
Unfortunately, he did.
Shooing Sasha away, but knowing better, Erwin headed up to his room, where he found most of his staff crowding his door, whispering and giggling among themselves. Including the Head of staff.
He cleared his throat.
"Commander!"
Huh, he didn't think a man of the Head of Staff's age could jump that high.
"Sir, we-"
While the Beta stuttered through an excuse, the rest of the staff, scattered looking not a little bit ashamed, especially Mary, the head maid. Erwin narrowed his eyes as she passed him. The older woman rolled her own, she had been here before the Alpha became who he was now. She had cleaned his bum and everything, he was nothing but a Pup in her eyes, the same Pup that would often come crying to his Mother. His….situation with the Queen did nothing to help matters.
"Thank you, Martin." Erwin interrupted, "I'll take it from here."
"Y-Yes Commander."
Finally alone, and taking a very deep breath he opened the door, and let out a soft squeak.
Thereupon his bed was the Queen curled up with one of his many pillows, sound asleep, and wearing his shirt; a shirt that had ridden up far too much for the Alpha's self-control. Erwin stood there, gripping the door handle tightly.
It was not the first time the Queen had shown up unannounced or was even found asleep in his bed, no the problem was….other things.
"Erwin?"
Oh, he was awake.
Still clinging to the pillow, Eren sat up, with a yawn he rubbed his eyes. The sleeve of the too-big shirt had slipped off, showing smooth skin.
The Alpha wanted to mark it.
After another yawn, Eren reached for him, demand very much obvious.
"Eren," He started, stopping abruptly when the Queen's scent turned soar and lips pouted. "This is not appropriate." He tried again, strengthening his resolve and powering through, "when you were a Pup, yes. However, you're older now. You are the Queen, please think of your status."
Bringing up status was a risky move in this situation, especially since the man knew full well the Queen's thoughts on the matter, and on their relationship regarding it. However, he needed the Queen to fold, and quickly.
Eyes narrowing, Eren set his pillow aside, and out of bed. Footsteps soft on the large rug as he made his way over and fuck, his shirt was way too big, it might as well just fall to the floor, he could see a nipple peeking out!
Far quicker than he would like, the Queen was pressing up against him, gently he took his arms-and Erwin didn't even realize his grip had gone lax- and wrapped them around him.
The Queen, like most nobles never had to worry about food. It was always in abundance, combined with an Omega's natural curves and you have what could only be described as a full figure. A figure that Erwin had to remind himself not to think about, remind his eyes to not linger on plush thighs when he saw them (Eren was so ungraded around him, and it made his teeth itch), and right now it was taking all he had to stop his twitchy hands from sliding down to grip the Omega's bubbly butt.
"Sasha is here, as well as your staff. Not to mention, it's you. So not alone, and not with some strange Alpha."
"True, however-"
"I just want to cuddle."
There would be more than just cuddling if they got in that bed.
Eren buried his face into the man's chest, inhaling deeply, pausing curiously for a moment then inhaling again. Erwin worried that the other could smell how much he wanted to bury his face between his Queen's legs.
".…Tomorrow the day of the tournament."
Oh. Oh.
"He's nervous."
"Also I know you got something planned."
Erwin's mouth dropped in playful offense, "Me, planning something? Never!"
Eren laughed.
And he wanted tomorrow to never come.
Welcome to Lore Time!
Meant to do this last time, but forgot lol, so it's going to be pretty long.
Anyway. Eren's parents were doctors until Dad died and Mom ended up having to leave the house and into the Underground while pregnant. There she ended up living with Levi and his mother, and after having to patch up Levi and some other kids. Others started coming to her, and she helped to the best of her abilities. Her knowledge became quickly known in the Underground which gain her some protection and respect. It skyrocketed after punching a gang member in the mouth then tending to his wounds and scolding him for not only threatening people and one even pregnant, but children too. Went up even higher when she started tutoring those who wanted to learn.
Levi and his mom loved her.
Somehow or another, she became the unofficial Queen of the Underground.
Then Eren was born.
Born an Omega.
However, since there are "no Omegas" in the Underground, that was quickly handled and hidden.
Mom dies when Eren is about three, and then he's under the care of Levi and his Mom. There was a problem or two, but it was quickly handled thanks in part to the love the Underground had for their Queen. And because even as a kid, Levi was a little hellion lol.
When Eren was around five, he was in the market, the same day as the King was on one of his secret walks, and the two happened to bump into each other. Lonely, King took him in, the council weren't sure what to think of it, and some thought the Alpha King was either going to keep the Omegas as a lover when he became of age or marry the Omega to produce an heir since he didn't have one at the time and didn't seem interested in marriage.
Preferring the former to the latter.
King does end up marrying Eren, only because it would ensure that the boy would be cared for, especially in case the council or a relative tried to do something when he was gone.
Enter Erwin.
Erwin was of the lower nobility, so low that it barely could be called that, however, it was enough to get him into the King's guard, and steadily climb up the ranks. It's how the King heard of him and after some thought assigned him as Eren's personal guard. Naturally, he instantly fell in love with little Eren. Becoming loving and protective over him like an older brother.
When Eren was around ten, he was kidnapped and almost killed.
It was the first time Erwin killed a person, and thus the birth of the Queen's Guards.
Approved by the King, the Queen's guard doesn't answer to the throne, but to Eren. And unlike the Royal guards that were heavily made up of those in nobility. The Queen's Guards is made up people of from all walks of life. Carefully chosen by Erwin himself, and occasionally Eren.
On paper, their numbers are not many. On paper at least.
Also Eren, he's a sweetheart, however, he was also raised by Erwin and in an environment where everyone was waiting for you to slip up. Do with information what you will.
