A/N: I was so happy about the feedback on the previous chapter that I was super excited to type this one, and though I expected it to not be as long chapter 6, it turned out... longer... 8'D Which may not be a bad thing, in fact, I'm even happier with how this chapter turned out, but my freaking ocd is catching up with me and the uneven chapter lengths ARE KILLING ME. SCREAMSSSS. Gosh, I am so tempted to go back and mess around with the previous chapters, but then it would just mess with people's ability to review... murpity. I think I will just continue as is, and once the story is done, I'll figure out what I want to do with it.

On another note - I'm pretty sure I've replied to all signed reviews, but for those guest/anon reviewers, I want to send a big thank you as well! You guys make my day with your kind words (:

VII

The next morning, Eren was up even before the sun had risen. His anxiety and confusion had kept sleep at bay for the majority of the night, but some time in the wee hours of the morning he had drifted away, only to awaken a few hours later. Groggy and frustrated at the lack of sleep, Eren soaked himself in a bath than the night-and-early-morning shift servants were kind enough to prepare for him. He sat there until his fingers were wrinkled, at which time he dressed himself and sat back on his bed.

The suitcase that Levi provided for him lay on the ground by his feet. With nothing else to do, Eren picked it up and set it on his bed. It was a rectangular case, with metal plated corners and leather casing. He flipped it open, to check what he had packed, though the contents were simple. The majority of the space was filled by clothes that the duke had provided him with, and stuffed away in the corner were the belongings that came from his home. There was, of course, the shoe, tucked between the fabrics, and then his little pack of sewing tools. Eren took that out and unzipped it. How long had it been since he used these? Ever since he started getting closer to the duke, he had neglected his hobby. The most recent stitch he made was perhaps three, four weeks old. He had never gone that long without using the needles, he realized with a sting of guilt - he had really lost himself in the weeks past.

The sun hadn't quite risen yet, but it was getting bright enough to see. Eren estimated that he had another half hour before he would be ushered downstairs for breakfast, and so, setting the rest of the suitcase aside, the brunette took the needle and thread into his hands. On his third try, he threaded the needle, and picked up a half-finished project that he had been working on. Inspecting the previous stitches, he realized that he didn't quite remember the pattern he had it mind, but no matter. One idea was as good as another.

With each stitch, Eren gradually felt more at peace with himself. The small callouses on his fingers - though softened from the period of rest - were in use one more, as he pushed the needle through the fabric again, again. He felt like he was back at the orphanage, back in the life of a peasant. Back in his own self.

Who are you? - Eren Yager.

Where are you from? - Shiganshima.

Who are your most important people? - Jean, my best friend. And Hannes. They saved me.

Where are you now? - At the Duke of Maria's estate.

Why? - I don't know.

What are you doing today? - Going to the castle. I'm meeting the princess.

Eren tied off a knot and cut the string. That's right... he was finally going to see the princess. A once far off figure who was now only a few hours away. It was so surreal, that one twist in his life would bring about so much change. And yes: one twist, because if he just closed his eyes, squeezed them shut until the light no longer shone through, he could pretend that the last one, two months never existed, that he had never spent the time that he did with the duke, that today was just like the first day of arrival, and suddenly - everything was so much simpler.

Everything seemed to fall into place.

The boy put away his things now; the first direct ray of sunlight made its way into his room and it was time to go downstairs. Before he reached the dining room, Eren bumped into the two guards that accompanied Levi the night before.

"We're escorting you there today," Erd said. "You should grab a bite in the mess hall and meet us by the stables when you are ready."

Eren complied, and after finishing a plate of scrambled eggs, headed outside. He noted with a twinge of disappointment that Levi had not bothered to see him off, but he shook off the feeling. After the cold confrontation the night before, it was only to be expected. And besides, there was no reason to dwell on it now.

Arriving at the stables to pick up his horse, Eren found Petra and another man - Auruo - saddling their horses as well. "We're getting a few days off," the lady explained cheerfully. "So we're coming along!"

Auruo turned out to be quite the talker, supplying most of the group's chatter as they travelled. He seemed intent on divulging all his knowledge about the castle to Eren, and though the boy was slightly overwhelmed, he listened carefully, finding it a pleasant alternative to giving into his own nervous mind at the thought of the upcoming event.

"So the Ackerman's, that's the royal family. King's a Aryan man, married one of the last Orientals - a true beauty. Of course, that means that the Princess is mixed and got the best of both worlds. The king and queen are widely known to love travel so I doubt you'll see either of them on your stay here. The princess can hold her own though; whether in politics or fistfights. She's a genius. She used to be such a lively child, but now she's very serious; rumor has it that the castle raid seven years ago left a mark on her since one of her favorite servants died, but personally I think she's just grown up, and into a formidable lady, at that. You better watch yourself around her. She's a lot like Master Levi since the two grew up together, though honestly she's much more outwardly appe-augh!" Auruo stopped abruptly as he accidentally bit his tongue.

Eren's eyes were wide with concern at the man, but Petra turned towards him with a disciplining look. "Stop talking so much, Auruo, and pay attention to the road!"

By and by, the group reached a withdrawn drawbridge that led to the castletown. A sentry stood at the gate, granting them access after Erd spoke a few words with him and presented a note. The drawbridge was let down, and the five entered.

Eren forgot all of his potential anxiety the moment their horses stepped into the castletown, and instead, his face was rewritten with intrigue at the people and buildings around him. All his life, he had lived in small, rural villages; never before had he seen so many houses in such close proximity, built so tall, and with so many people walking the streets around them.

Auruo found this as another opportunity to share his knowledge. "There are three entrances to this castletown and we came in from the east. Lots of merchants like to line those entryways. More traffic flow. As we keep going, we get into a richer part of town, so you'll see those formal storefronts and whatnot. Clothes, weaponry - it's all there. If you go down these smaller passageways to the sides, you'll get to the residential areas, but don't go there at night 'cause it can get shady. Better have some form of protection on you if you do go. The better-off people live in the northern district, closer to the castle. That's where you want to be if you're ever out wandering, especially for a scrawny brat like you. The town square is just ahead an- ow! -d... yeah… you'll see."

Eren narrowed his eyes a bit at the remark, but he nodded, taking in the information. Everything was so new; so different. He wondered if his parents had ever seen anything like this... He wondered if Jean had ever seen anything like this. He couldn't have, Eren knew, seeing as the other also grew up in a small village and had not traveled since being taken into the orphanage. I'll definitely bring him here someday, Eren decided.

They reached the town square that Auruo mentioned, and Eren saw that merchants had stalls set up all around, and the air buzzed of a lively marketplace. They happened to pass very closely by a certain stall, where the owner called out, "Free samples! Steamed potatoes! Hey you - young master! Would you care for a sample?"

Eren turned around, surprised that he was being addressed. "Me?"

"Yes, you!" A brown haired girl peered up at him from behind her produce. "Would you like to try a bite?"

The teenager glanced at his escorts. "Go ahead," Gunter said.

Eren turned back to the lady and held out a hand. "Thank you very much," he said, as she placed a piece of potato wrapped in paper in his hand. Eren straightened up on his horse and unrolled the wrap, but before he could take a bite, she called out to him again.

"Hey - you look familiar!"

Eren stopped and looked to her with a confused expression. "...Me?" He asked again.

"Yeah!" She focused her sandy colored eyes at him, craning her neck out further from behind the stall. "You look like this nice lady from the castle I used to see."

The boy raised his hand in denial. "No, you must be mistaken. I'm not from around here."

"Oh... is that so?" The girl looked disappointed. "But you really do look just like her - Unless... No, no. You're right. I must be mistaken. I apologize!"

"It's not a problem." Eren waved it off. "Good day to you, miss."

Finally, after weaving through the crowd, the group arrived at the gates to the castle. Standing at the foot of the massive wooden door, Eren suddenly felt his body give into nervous tension.

Erd approached the two soldiers who were standing guard. "We are guests of the princess," he stated. "We are escorts for Eren Yager." The soldiers nodded, and one of them headed inside the gate. A minute later he returned, and the doors were heaved open to allow entrance.

Eren licked his lips that had suddenly gone dry as they crossed the threshold onto castle grounds. Servants had been sent out to meet them; from far away, Eren could already spot the raven-haired princess, standing at the doorway of the castle on the other side of the front courtyard and his heart skipped a beat. The brunette almost stumbled as he dismounted, anxious and distracted as he was from Mikasa's presence. Their horses were led away, and Eren, in the middle of the other four, approached where the princess stood.

She's here, Eren thought as they advanced closer. He couldn't believe his eyes. The princess... the princess! His head spun at the thought that this person - this woman - whom he had yearned to meet for so long was now standing before him, grandly, magnificently, beautifully.

"Your highness," the others addressed in unison, descending to one knee. Eren followed suit, though his mouth was too dry to utter a greeting. He lowered his eyes to the ground.

"Good day to you. Please, stand up." Her voice was smooth and controlled as she spoke, just like a princess ought to sound.

Eren's eyes were still cast downwards as he straightened himself; it wasn't that he didn't want to look, but rather, he was afraid. She was so close, only a few feet in front of him, and Eren's breath hitched in his throat because even though he wasn't looking at her, she was most definitely staring straight at him.

"It's good to see you again - Gunter, Erd, Auruo, Petra," Mikasa said, nodding at each of them. "...And, it is very nice to meet you… Eren."

The brunette's head finally jerked up at the sound of his own name. "Y-yes!" He stammered, green eyes meeting the princess's, though his vision did not focus immediately. "It's a pleasure to meet you, your Highness!"

Mikasa's cherry lips curved into a small smile, and it was then that Eren finally found the will to look, to really look, at her. She was every bit as beautiful - or more - as Eren had heard her to be and as he had imagined based on the far-off view he'd caught that one time, so many weeks ago. She was like a doll, or maybe an idol would be a better comparison, because at that moment, that was what she seemed like - a human manifestation of a goddess, with flawless porcelain skin, midnight black locks that hung to her shoulders, a delicate yet defined nose that came to a point right above a pair of small, red lips that were now moving as she spoke: "I hope you had a peaceful journey over. Please come in."

She led the visitors inside, occasionally glancing backwards with those full, feathered eyelashes that shadowed her dark eyes. Eren couldn't tell how much of her appearance was make-up or how much was natural, but in the end it really didn't matter because even with no regard to her outward beauty, there was something more that made her feel like a higher being - it was in the way carried herself, the way she walked with her head high and her back straight, the way her expression was so calm and serene throughout it call, and the way she held her hands in front of her, interlaced at waist level, as her heels clicked and echoed against the marble floors. Eren realized, with a dry swallow, that she was someone who grew up like this, raised under the standards of nobility, and that in comparison, his hastily developed manners could never match up, and he just hoped with a firm squeeze of his eyes, that he would not make a fool of himself.

Along the way to wherever they were headed, the other four members of the party split and went their own ways; Eren was curious but figured that, since the others had been here before, knew what they were doing. They were in an empty hallway (people-wise, because though it was a hallway, the walls were still lavishly decorated with wallpapers and paintings, and the sides lined by the occasional flower arrangement atop intricately carved stands), when Mikasa came to a sudden halt. Eren stopped behind her, wondering what the matter was until the princess turned around, looking at him with an expression somewhere between happiness and wistfulness.

"I am so happy that you're here," were the words she said, softly.

"I..." For a moment, Eren forgot to breathe as he stared back at her eyes. They glistened as they fluttered from one angle to another, as if she were tracing his face, his every feature. "I'm happy to be here too," he said, and she smiled, wider than last time when there were others around. The corners of her eyes were red, Eren realized, and he thought that maybe there was something pooling at the bottom, but before he could take a closer look, she had turned away.

"I bet you're hungry!" Mikasa said, voice suddenly a shade brighter than before.

Eren, so focused on the prospect of finally coming to the castle, had failed to notice that he was ready for some food after the trip. "Y-yes!"

"Let's have lunch then," the girl replied. She faced Eren once more, and any traces of tears that had been in her eyes were fully gone, making Eren wonder if he had just imagined the whole thing.

~ o ~

Lunch was grand, even grander than they had been at Levi's place. Petra and the others did not join them, so inside the extravagant dining hall was just Mikasa and Eren, seated at the end of the table and one seat to the left, respectively. The meal passed largely in silence, mainly because Mikasa would only speak after dabbing the corners of her mouth with her napkin, and Eren, as the guest, was too intimidated to initiate conversation. In some ways, Eren suspected Mikasa to be just as nervous as him, with all the evidence pointing towards the fact that she had wanted to make his acquaintance just as much as he wanted to make hers. For what reason, Eren still could not fathom, but he figured that everything would clear up eventually.

"Your Highness-"

"Mikasa," she interjected hastily, almost surprising herself, even. "You can call me Mikasa."

"A-ah… Okay." Eren gulped before he began again. "Mi...Mikasa," he started slowly and he saw the girl nod encouragingly out of the corner of his eye.

"Yes?"

But the unexpected request to switch to such a familiar form of address wrecked Eren's train of thought. "I- augh, I uh… I forgot."

The princess laughed lightly, raising a slender hand to cover her lips. "Alright then." Even though her smile was hidden, mirth could still be seen in the way that her her eyes crinkled into little lines at the corners, making Eren flush just ever so slightly and turn away. It was still too surreal for him.

After lunch, they took a walk around the castle courtyards. It was another work of art, with the intricately designed brushes and wide array of flowers; it was reminiscent of the one at Levi's estate but Eren tried not to think of it. Mikasa, at this time, asked about Eren's childhood, and so he started relating his story. He came from a lower-middle class family, he told her. His father was a local doctor and his mother and seamstress. They lived comfortably until he was ten, when his mother was taken away.

"Taken away…?" Mikasa's expression seemed to darken. "How… how was she taken away?"

"Well," Eren thought back, "I was out playing at the time so I'm not sure what happened in the beginning. But when I got home, there were soldiers standing inside the house, and two were right behind my mom as she was packing her bags. I remember being very confused and angered by the sight of unfamiliar people in our house, and I ran towards my mom, yelling for an explanation, but I was blocked by a soldier. He didn't let me get close to her. I started crying, and I'm pretty sure my mom was too. She said to me, 'I love you, Eren. Be good.' And then they took her away."

"Is that so…" Mikasa looked away, so that Eren could not see either of her eyes. "That's horrible… I'm very sorry."

"It's okay, your High-ah- Mikasa…" Eren was still jumpy about using her name. "There's no need to apologize. It's not your fault."

Mikasa turned to him sharply, eyes wide and lips slightly apart as if she wanted to say something.

"Mi- Mikasa? Is something wrong?"

There was another moment of silence before Mikasa finally closed her lips. She swallowed, before replying: "Nothing. It's nothing."

Eren nodded slowly. He didn't know enough about the princess to judge her actions - he knew barely anything, really, except the fact that she was the same age as him, same height (but taller in heels, and he took this as a hit to his own ego), and right next to him, as unbelievable as it still was. Perhaps she had had bad experiences with soldiers too, he reasoned, but then it made little sense because she was the princess and the soldiers were under her command. Wait - that must be the reason then.

"Could it be that… you feel guilty that those with power would abuse it?" Mikasa said nothing. "But it had nothing to do with you, so it's not your fault, really."

Mikasa turned to him, with a strange and unreadable expression at first, but then it softened. "Yeah. You're right. Thank you."

Eren returned the notion with the best smile he could manage, and the topic was dropped. A few moments later, Mikasa suddenly stated, "What do you think of going into town today?"

Eren perked up at the idea. Earlier, as they had been making their way to the castle, he had wished that he had more time to explore the area, and now he would have the chance to do so. He nodded eagerly. "I'd love to!"

"Then that's set." They had made a full round at this point, and arrived back at the castle's interior. "Please excuse me as I get ready. Meet me in the front, alright?"

~ o ~

Half an hour later, the two had left the castle and found themselves in the middle of the town square. Mikasa was dressed in a simple gown, pink with a square neckline and cropped sleeves, but the sash at the waist and the patterns that decorated the skirt clearly marked her for who she was. Eren had half expected her to go in a disguise (isn't that what all the princesses in those stories usually did when going out in public?), but this made sense too.

"The townspeople are nice, for the most part," Mikasa had explained. "And besides, this is a free ticket to the front of the line. Things can get crowded in the afternoon, you know." Eren himself was dressed in a very casual button-down shirt with suspenders and brown slacks, with nothing to denote his position in society (which he didn't have in the first place, so it was probably suiting,) but when he asked Mikasa whether he should switch to something more noblemanly, she waved it off. "It's fine."

And it was; though the townspeople bowed and made way for their princess, there was no slander or insult or (god forbid) rotten fruit thrown at the fact that she was walking with a commoner, and Eren breathed out a sigh of relief. The people really were nice. And then, with a laugh - I hope there's no madman in the crowd trying to attack us! But Eren thought back to when Auruo told him how the princess was skilled at fighting. I wonder what that's like, he thought, scanning Mikasa's build. She was slim, but it didn't mean that she couldn't be well-built. He wanted to find out, but of course, he didn't wish for her to be involved in a fight either. Maybe he'd ask her to demonstrate later - if that was at all appropriate.

Soon, they arrived in front of a stand that seemed all too familiar. Ah, it's the potato girl! Eren remembered, as he caught sight of the girl behind the stand.

"Your Highness! Princess Mikasa!" The girl waved eagerly from where she stood, surprising Eren.

"Sasha!" Mikasa greeted, walking up to the other. Now in front of the stand, the girl - Sasha - saw Eren.

"Hey! It's you too!"

"You know him?" Mikasa asked quickly, eyes darting to the boy.

"Yeah, I saw him this morning. I didn't expect that he'd be a guest of yours!" Sasha shot a big grin at him and stuck out a hand. "Sasha Braus! Nice to make your acquaintance!"

"I'm Er-"

"That's Eren," Mikasa cut in. "He's from the Shiganshima district, so he's coming along with Armin and me when we go there tomorrow."

"I see! That's great!"

Eren however, was stuck on Mikasa's words. "We're going to Shiganshima...?" He did not know they were travelling.

"Yes - I apologize, I forgot to tell you earlier. Remind me to give you the details later, okay?" Mikasa said this in a hushed whisper, and Eren nodded.

At this time, Sasha pulled Mikasa in for a word. "Hey, your Highness, I noticed this the first time I saw him, but don't you think he looks really familiar? He said - and you said -that he's not from around here, but really, he looks so… hm..."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mikasa replied flatly, not even bothering to look back at the boy.

"Are you sure? But Eren-"

Eren perked up at the sound of his name. The girls had been talking softly, so he hadn't heard their words over the crowd. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Mikasa answered, with a sudden air of calmness. "Sasha was just asking me if I could deliver a love letter to one of our castle guards, and when I said no, she asked if you would."

"W-What! Your Highness!" Sasha was visibly flustered at this statement. "Connie and I are friends! Friends!"

Mikasa smirked at the fact that Sasha had taken the initiative to supply the name. "Yes. Sure."

Eren broke into a laugh, nervously on Sasha's behalf, but genuinely inside; he didn't know that Mikasa had such a teasing side to her, but he liked it.

They left Sasha's stand after that, and Eren, in an attempt to make more conversation as well as satisfy his own curiosity, asked, "So what's this deal with Connie?"

"Connie's a castle guard, as you heard," Mikasa explained. "See, Sasha's family provides a lot of the potatoes that we eat at the castle. She comes to deliver them every week, and that's how they - how all of us - met."

"So that's how it is." That would explain Sasha's boldness in addressing Mikasa in a crowd. "Are you playing matchmaker with them?"

"Of course."

Eren laughed again, although Mikasa kept a straight face with her reply. "What about you? Do you get set up a lot? I mean, you're a princess, and I don't really know how it works…" Eren trailed off, realizing that he may or may not have introduced a touchy subject.

"More like, someone refuses to set me up…" Mikasa mumbled. "That damned Levi… I don't even want to think of him."

Eren hardly caught her words, but heard the familiar name in her sentence and tensed up. Mikasa said she didn't want to think of him, and neither did Eren.

They hung around the town square for another while, before the sun started to set. "I know of a place for dinner," Mikasa said. "I hope you do not mind that we are eating out?"

Eren, of course, shook his head. "Not at all!"

The place they went to - to Eren's surprise - was not rich and uppity, though that was not to say that it wasn't fancy. A singer sang to live piano backing while the lights were just a little dim, providing a relaxing and - dare he think it? - romantic atmosphere.

"Look who's here!" Their waitress exclaimed, as they were seated. She was a tall, lanky female, with freckles scattered across her cheeks and black hair tied in a ponytail. "Welcome, my lovely princess."

"Good to see you too, Ymir." Then, feeling the taller female's gaze on her partner, Mikasa introduced, "This is Eren. A guest at the castle."

"He's a cutie." Ymir winked at Mikasa. Mikasa glared at her, and Eren flushed at the comment. "Not as cute as my Christa though."

Their table was off to one side, but close enough to the window that they could see outside. The restaurant was on the second story, and it overlooked the town square, which, though it was nighttime, was lit up by lights from lanterns around it. Conversation was sparse as they ate, mainly because it was hard to hear over the music and the buzz of the others in the restaurant, but Eren was able to ask about the trip to Shiganshima Mikasa had mentioned earlier.

"Ah - that. One of our cartographers, Armin, wants to make a trip there to flesh out his maps. I've been wanting to take a break from the castle, so I thought it to be a good opportunity. And you - you're a native there; surely you wouldn't mind accompanying us? I apologize that I did not ask you sooner."

"That's okay," Eren replied. But then he blurted out, "How do you know that about me though? Where I'm from?"

Mikasa looked as if she did not except that question, and averted her gaze when she answered. "Levi told me."

Eren frowned. He didn't want to hear Levi's name, first of all. And second, it felt like the princess was hiding secrets too - secrets that she wasn't willing to spill.

Eren didn't push the conversation further, and once dinner was finished, they left the restaurant. The streets had gotten a little chilly at this point. He wanted to ask Mikasa if she was okay, but he stopped when he realized that he didn't have anything on him to offer to her. To his relief, she stretched her arms out and said, "Ah… feels nice out here." Then she looked to him. "Hey, there's one more shop I want to go to, before we head back. Is that okay?"

Eren's answer was the same as always. "Of course."

The place turned out to be a fabric shop, hidden away in one of the darker streets that (Eren remembered with a hint of guilt,) Auruo warned not to go to at night. He wondered why Mikasa would come to a fabric shop, and more so, why it was in such a neighborhood. However, Mikasa seemed to know what she was doing, and Eren didn't ask. He did, however, ask her about why they were there.

"Do you sew…?"

"Yes." She answered it easily, although Eren was a bit surprised at the answer.

"What do you sew?"

"Shoes."

This one completely caught him off guard. "I do too," He said, amazed at the coincidence. But then Eren wondered, suddenly, if Mikasa had said that just because he also sewed shoes; he didn't even know if she knew, but he suspected that he did, but then again, why would she in the first place? - and then it got too confusing again and Eren decided to just let it go. As Mikasa was thumbing through the fabrics, Eren caught sight of the thread section. "I'll be looking over here."

By the time Eren got what he wanted - he had been running low on a few colors, and he had to admit that the things he saw were very nice quality - he noticed that Mikasa had already left the shop. "Mikasa?" He called out, taking a step outside into the dark. Auruo was right, he realized with a shiver; in these parts of town, it was very shady; not only in the fact that there were hardly any streetlights, but the ground was littered, too, with the can that clanked as it rolled in the wind, and the paper bag that crinkled and masked the sounds of footsteps, if there were any.

"Mikasa?" Again, no answer. Eren took another step, and another, until faintly, in the distance, he heard the sound of fists, and grunting. He inhaled sharply. "Mikasa!" Suddenly filled with panic, Eren dashed towards the source of the sound and found himself facing down an alleyway, where he saw a silhouette just as it threw a punch towards another figure. "Hey-!"

"Ah... Eren." The silhouette in the center - the only one still standing - approached him, and took his hand. "Sorry you had to see that. I couldn't help but notice them when we were in the shop…"

But Eren was hardly listening. His mouth was fully agape. He had wanted to witness Mikasa's strength, and here was the proof. He hardly knew what to say. Did you really just take them on? How did you notice them in the first place? You weren't scared to fight them? And you only used your fists? Eren could have said any number of things, but instead, all that came out was, "A-are you okay?"

Mikasa smiled at him. She didn't answer; she didn't need to. The answer was more than obvious, with her hair and dress that were still in perfect condition and the four unconscious bodies that lay on the ground.

~ o ~

It was late when Eren and Mikasa returned to the castle; and while Eren used to have a curfew as a child and would get scolded by his mother when he stumbled home past the dictated time, he did not expect, in the slightest, that the moment he stepped foot inside the castle's salon, an angry Petra would come and grab him by the shoulders, nearly screaming in his face as she scolded him.

"Eren! Why were you out so late?! Gunter and Erd - they were out in town - said they saw you and Mikasa go into that dangerous part of town, and we tried to go find you and we searched and searched but couldn't-! Oh but thank goodness the both of you are okay - you look fine, I really hope you're fine - otherwise Levi would have our heads..."

...What? Have their heads? Eren looked at the other three people who had accompanied him, and who were currently sitting in the salon, but their faces said nothing. He wanted to ask, but Mikasa beat him to it.

"What is the meaning of that?" She spat, and immediately Petra loosened her grip, eyes turning to the princess as she recoiled a bit. "Did… did Levi send you all here under orders to keep an eye on Eren?"

Eren's mouth dropped slightly. "But Petra - you said you were on vacation..."

Petra, realizing that she was caught, smiled back meekly. "...Paid vacation…?"

But Mikasa would not have it. "That's bullshit." Eren felt himself flinch at the princess's usage of profanity. She paced a few steps, before stopping at the doorway, back turned to the room. "You four are all dismissed. You may stay the night, but in the morning, I expect your bags to be packed."

Petra let out a small gasp. "But your Highness-"

"That is all!" Mikasa declared. She looked back at the group, and no one said a word. "Good night."

~ o ~

A/N: because badass!Mikasa is a must. Always.

Thanks for reading! xoxo