They had always wanted to see the ocean. It was hard to believe that there would come a time when they would be sailing on it.

"Look at that, Eren." Armin said, as he stared out over the water. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Yeah." Eren said. He wasn't smiling. Armin turned to look at him.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yes." He said. "You shouldn't worry."

It felt as if he had done nothing but worry. Eren had that same, distant look in his eyes that he always seemed to have these days. Armin wasn't sure whether he was even really looking at the Ocean. At times he doubted that this man even was his childhood friend.

"There you are."

Mikasa came up from behind them, tightening the bright red scarf around her face, and joined them looking out over the water.

"We'll arrive in Gotham within a day."

"So soon?"

"This ship is fast." Armin observed. "Faster than anything that was in Marley…. This world is far more advanced than ours was."

"Not just the ships." Mikasa said. "Their aircraft fly faster than the eye can see. The military in this world would run circles around Marley's."

Armin smiled weakly at her. "Ours, as well."

"It will not come to that." Eren said flatly. "I will not allow it."

Armin and Mikasa gave each other looks.

"What is it?" Eren asked, a little bit coldly.

"Eren…" Mikasa said. "You're not going to live forever."

"You have about four years left." Armin said anxiously. "If we don't find a cure to Ymir's curse, then…"

"Historia, I think, will make a satisfactory replacement."

"Eren." Mikasa said, her voice oddly soft and tender. "No one could replace you."

Eren closed his eyes and let the sea breeze hit his face. For the first time in what felt like a long while, he felt a sense of contentment being alone with his two closest friends.

"This is Gotham's Vicki Vale reporting… the vessel that holds the Eldian Royal Family is about to dock here, in Gotham City!"

"Exciting news, huh Farmboy?" Lois Lane asked, biting her pen deep in thought. Her coworker, the mild mannered, rather boring Clark Kent, looked up at the ship through his thick rimmed glasses. They had come all the way from Metropolis to see the Royal Family in person.

"I'll say." Clark said. "This has to be the story of the year. It'll be nice not having to write about Superman… for once."

"Says you." Lois said, a little amused. "Ooooh, is that the Queen?"

The blonde woman standing at the side of the ship, overlooking the audience, matched the description. Rather short in stature, but brilliant blonde hair and a sweet face.

"She sure does look like a Queen." Clark said. "She's younger than I would have thought."

"And what of Eren Jaeger?" Lois inquired. "Which one is he?"

There were a number of people standing around the Queen. Armed with swords and strange, mechanical devices strapped to their waists, they all wore an emblem made up of two wings on the cloaks across their backs.

Clark pointed them out to her.

"The Wings of Freedom." He explained. "These are the people they've been sending out into the outside world. All of those people around her are soldiers."

"Did he not come?" Lois asked, a little bit annoyed, as she scanned the crowd of people. "Without his wife?"

The gaggle of reporters continued their conversations as the ship moored itself to the dock and the entourage stepped off the dock. Historia came first, followed by her people, and immediately she was swarmed by reporters.

"Oh my…" Historia said. "What a warm welcome!"

And she smiled. Lois could feel Clark making a surprised sound with his tongue. She elbowed him casually, and then shook her head.

"She's out of your league, farmboy." She hissed. Clark chuckled sheepishly, as she turned to the Queen.

"You are journalists, yes?" Historia said, nodding to each of them. "This is my first visit off of my Island…please forgive me… I will do my best to answer all of your questions!"

"Your majesty!" Vicki Vale said, raising her hand. "What made you decide to come to Gotham City?"

"Oh, Bruce Wayne invited us." She said, beaming. There were quite a few loud chuckles at this: One look at Historia was quite enough to see why Bruce Wayne would be so keen on meeting her, married or no. "He was very kind in his letter, and we understand him to a person of some considerable influence. We hope… that we will forge deep ties with the outside world."

She was a charismatic leader, Lois thought, finger on her cheek as she observed how Historia chatted amicably with each reporter, as if she personally knew them. She could certainly see why she was so beloved among her people. She found herself wondering how someone like her would handle Bruce Wayne… a billionaire who had never done much of value with his money.

Clark Kent raised his hand.

"What do you know about Bruce Wayne?"

"Only that which has been explained to us." Historia said. "We understand that he owns a number of companies that develop some of the most advanced technology in the world. We have not had the pleasure of meeting him yet, however."

Perhaps she was well aware of Wayne's reputation, but was simply playing politics. She was a smooth speaker, able to jump from topic to topic at the drop of a hat.

She stood out on that dock for nearly two hours: Lois was shocked that she would entertain them so long. It was not until the sun had already set that Historia apologized to them and suggested that perhaps, they should cut their interview short.

"One last question." Lois said, raising her hand.

Historia turned to her, smiling patiently. Lois could see why Clark was so taken with her… she truly was stunning.

"Where is Eren Jaeger?"

She gave a surprised start, and then laughed.

"Oh." She said. "I suppose-"

She turned around, and Lois was surprised when one of the cloaked figures stepped forward. His bright green eyes shone with a fierce intensity.

"My apologies." The man said. He bent his head. "I consider myself a part of the Survey Corps. I did not mean to mislead you."

There was a brief bit of hubbub among the crowd: No one had thought to ask any of the Survey Corps any questions. Historia smiled lightly and wrapped her arm around his.

"I'm sorry too." She said. "I got a little bit carried away."

"A little bit?" He asked.

"Just a little bit." She told him. She turned back around to the reporters and laughed.

"We'll see you again tomorrow, I'm sure." She said. "After I have had the opportunity to see your fair city."

As they departed, Lois and Clark stood around the dock, discussing the events in depth.

"She's a very personable girl." Lois said. "Do you think she seemed keen to keep Eren out of the public eye?"

"He's not known for making public appearances in general, I believe." Clark said, scrunching his eyes to get a better look at his notes. "She probably handles a lot of the public events and speaking…. He's known for military expeditions and conquest."

"Conquest?" She repeated. "Of what?"

"No one knows." He answered. "No one from the island will talk about it."

"Hm." Lois said. "Is that we should focus on, do you think? The history of their island?"

"I think most people will want to learn about the Queen." Clark said. "She's going to be really popular…"

"You have an eye for that kind of thing, do you?" Lois huffed.

Some distance away Gotham's Vicki Vale was having a similar conversation with her editor.

"I definitely want to interview her after she gets the chance to meet Bruce… Do you think she's going to like him, or no?"

They had brought a rather small entourage of people with them to Gotham City. Eren had of course wanted to bring along Armin and Mikasa, who were of course glad to come. Sasha, had at first been anxious to come to Gotham City to try the food. But upon being presented with an engagement ring from the chef at her favorite restaurant, had decided that it was perhaps time for her retire from active duty. Hange, although excited at the prospect of visiting other lands, had recently found herself falling back into her titan research… a field that Eren thought suited her far better. Levi had chosen to stay behind out of a sense of duty to Paradise.

And she it was mostly fresh faces that surrounded her on this day. The city put them up in a rather luxurious, fancy hotel with an entire floor all to themselves.

In an emergency. Historia thought, as she gazed out at the city lights flickering below her. They could use the ODM gear they had brought with them to escape into the city below.

"It's a lot like Marley."

She felt her face turn white. She turned around to look at him. His eyes were closed, his head tilting up at the ceiling.

"You mean they want to kill us?"

"No." He said. "But there's something unpleasant under the surface here. I can feel it. I just don't know what it is…. yet."

She pursed her lip and looked away from him.

"Comparing it to the Enemy is a little bit harsh." She said. "You make it sound like you might… fear them."

"I would be a fool not to." Eren said quietly. "We know nothing of these people. Their culture, their technology. We had some idea with Marley, but here…."

He trailed off. He was more like the Eren she remembered in the 104th than the man she had married, she thought. Perhaps the time spent with Armin and Mikasa made him reconnect with who he used to be.

"Marley would never host us like this." She said. "I would never be invited to Marley and put on a… put on a pedestal. These people are different."

"They don't know." Eren said. "What we are."

Historia felt her lip tremble.

"And what are we?" She asked. "Eldians?"

"We." He said. "Are free."

She broke her gaze on him and stared at the window. Her hand was shaking.

The Queen Of Eldia

By Lois Lane

Last Night I had the very distinct pleasure of being among the first of us to notice the ship carrying the Eldian Royal Family. My subordinate Clark was the first to notice the Queen herself. She is the very essence of elegance and grace: I could feel all of those around me becoming taken with her as she spoke. Yet I could not help but think… what secrets could the Queen of Eldia be hiding?

At this stage, I can not say for certain. Very little is known about the new island nation of Eldia, after all. But upon hearing her speak, and listening to her words, I found myself very pleasantly surprised by her keen insights and personable nature… in spite of her rather naïve understanding of the world outside her island. To be perfectly honest I felt almost as if she were learning about us, while we were trying to learn more about her.

In this modern age, where the entire world is within reach with a journey to the nearest airport, it is not often we find ourselves exposed to a completely alien culture and country. I found myself thinking a lot while hearing Historia speak about how far society has come, that something so strange and unexpected can be welcomed, rather than feared or hated. I'm ashamed to admit that I still know very little about Queen Historia, and even less about her husband, Eren Jaeger… but as I write this I find myself fancying meeting them over coffee, or perhaps tea. I want to know them, I want to understand them. And I think in time, I absolutely will.