(The Next Day)

(Arte's POV)

It's cold in here.

Arte shifted, her legs sore from sitting on the cold, hard prison floor for more than a day. There was obviously a draft somewhere in the walls, as the cool autumn wind had found its way into the cell. The maid could barely focus - the prison was dark, but so frigid and sterile and uncomfortable that she had failed to get over a few hours of sleep last night.

The royal dress that had looked so beautiful yesterday was now dull, stained, and had several tears running along the petticoat. Arte picked at the rich fabric for a second, thinking with amusement at how furious Queen Charlotte might be to see one of her outfits in this sorry state.

The girl realized she had, unwittingly, begun to hum to herself. Listening to the melody, she recognized that it was "Lacie", the song that had always represented her and Xerxes's childhood.

"Oi, shut up." A gruff voice from outside her cell snapped. Arte looked up to see a man with raven black hair styled in an undercut and sharp steel-gray eyes. Said eyes were fixed on her at that very moment, glaring. Despite his short stature - he was about 5'3, only slightly taller than Arte herself, who had always been called 'petite' - his stare was rather intimidating. Or at least, it would have been. But Arte was sitting in this jail cell to be executed. At this point, pretty much nothing could faze her anymore, except if she heard that Xerxes had been caught.

Something about him attracted the maid's attention. Not in a romantic way, more in...interest of the being standing in front of her. Aside from the one similarity they shared - a short stature, everything about this man reminded her of everything she wasn't. The perpetual tightness about his countenance that suggested a hard life full of crime, filth, and blood. The harsh, disciplined way he carried himself, so different from Arte's own relaxed, cat-like spring.

"Such insolence." Arte commented coolly, showing no emotion to his rude remark. The man snorted. "Don't think you're fooling me with that story you told about being the real villain, brat. That's not true, is it?" he turned toward her fully.

The maid smiled with a resigned air. "Truthfully, it's not." she admitted. "But it is as real as the truth if people believe it."

Narrowing his eyes, the man took a key that swung on a belt at his waist the unlocked the cell door, stepping fully in. His gray orbs studied her intently, as if trying to read her mind. "Why are you doing this?" he spat, drawing his sword in a flourish and tucking the point under Arte's chin. "Do you really owe that brat of a prince this much?"

Arte gave him an amused smile, unflinching at the blade just a millimeter away from slicing her throat open. "Do you want to know that badly?" she asked. "I don't owe Xerxes anything."

The sword was moved forward just a little bit more, its razor-sharp point touching her skin and drawing the slightest bit of blood. "Then why?" the man growled. "That Xerxes you speak so fondly of has oppressed his people, sent hundreds to death on a random whim, and he..." his steely orbs bored into Arte's blue hues. "He even ordered you to kill King Gilbert, isn't that right?"

"Correct."

"You have as much right to kill him as anyone else. To hate him."

The "Princess of Evil" laughed. "True, I do have many reasons to wish him dead. But in the end, he is the prince and I am the maid. There is nothing I will not do to protect him."

The guard gritted his teeth at her apathetic response, then his face relaxed, as if understanding had dawned. To Arte's surprise, his features settled into a look of respect. "I see..." he murmured, looking down at her, hunched in the corner, about to be executed for someone else's sins. "From where does such strength derive?"

He earned a bitter smile in response. "Strength?" Arte murmured. "I...do not need strength. I just want to see him smile. Does one really need a single ounce of strength for something as petty as that?"

"I can't believe that pride of yours." the man remarked. "He's forced you through so much, but you're still willing to fight for him? To die for him?"

"That's right."

He raised a thin eyebrow. "You do know that you're going to be executed, right?"

Arte smiled. "Naturally. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Her response seemed to surprise the man. "Do you want to die, brat?"

"No."

"Then why would you prefer to be executed?"

"Because with my lies, saying that I manipulated Xerxes to the end, saying that everything he did was my fault, all the hatred directed at him has now been passed onto my shoulders." Arte replied. "It's such all-consuming loathing that fueled the citizens to overthrow him...loathing like that can be quenched only with death. Therefore, with my execution, all the fury directed at me will be satisfied. And that means Xerxes will no longer be in danger."

"Are you insane?" snarled the guard. "That's your reasoning?"

"Maybe I am." the maid replied. "But if it's for Xerxes's sake, I would gladly be insane."

"Tch." The man swung back around, his sword leaving Arte's throat, and stalked back towards the cell door. Arte watched him for a second before calling, "At least tell me your name."

He stopped. "You want my name, Princess of Evil?" Turning around, the guard pinned her with a glare. "It's Levi."

"I see. Well, I'm glad I met you, Levi."

"Why is that, brat?"

"Maybe because you're the first person who bothered to hear my reasons behind protecting Xerxes. Most peope never bother - as soon as you do something they consider unethical, you earn the title of "evil" in their minds. Or because...rather, I truly don't know." Arte answered honestly. "Maybe because you remind me of myself."

Levi turned away from Arte's gaze, his bangs of his raven black hair falling down and shadowing his steely gray eyes. The maid watched him curiously, surprised at the sudden show of emotion from the emotionless man. What's with him?

The guard looked back up, eyes boring into hers. "Maybe that's because I know what it's like to be misunderstood, brat."

Arte blinked.

Maybe that's because I know what it's like to be understood, brat.

And then, without so much as another word, Levi stormed from the cell, slamming and locking its door behind him, and resumed his post at its side, face stoic and emotionless once again. As if nothing had ever happened. As if Arte hadn't caught the brief flash of pained emotion in his eyes, on his face, at that moment.

The maid smiled to herself.

Maybe she and Levi weren't quite so different, after all.

_

I want to mention that there is nothing romantic between Arte and Levi (who is, yes, Levi Ackerman from AoT) - I just wanted to find a way to get Arte to explain her reasoning for protecting Xerxes.

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you guys soon!