Daisy II | Levi Ackerman

Chapter 49 - A Home By the Sea

857

[Naomi]

Sometimes I still could not believe that it had been seven years since I became a scout, six years since Levi and I married, five years since Lily and Cole were born, and three years since we started working on ceasefires after the horrendous turn of events in humanity's history. While we were living those battering years, they sure did seem excruciatingly long, but now that they're all in hindsight... It all seemed like a flash.

After their fifth birthday that March, the twins with Levi, Jean and Connie bade their see-you-again to me before taking the voyage back to Paradis. Gabi and Falco decided to stay with the Ackerman family and study at Paradis, which was ridiculous considering how young they were to be so far away from family or supervisors; but my husband and I agreed after a talk with their guardians. My two friends had to go back there to settle their personal futures as we neared the end of our toil for peace; and Levi and I decided that while I dealt with the last of my responsibilities to Marley, he would bring the kids back home to enrol them to school and also get our plans started.

Get our plans started... It all felt like a dream. We only used to talk about these things and viewed them as faraway fancies which may or may not come to life. Now we were beginning to make them happen. I knew very well we earned this, but I still could not bring myself to know it's real.

Towards the first half of 857, after the Declaration of the Treaty of Peace and the Union of States, we had to fix some internal issues within the Marleyan government. The office's term was ending and I needed to ascertain that when I leave my post, there would be no threat of my country flinging itself into needless pursuits once again.

The amendments to the Constitution that we had proposed had been ratified around May, when I was attending all those functions, fundraisers, afternoon ribbon cuttings and evening soirees that world leaders threw; just to maintain proper face for Marley, especially Marley's government and military. Since Reagan and I were thrown together in those events quite often, we sort of learned to form a much more robust foundation of respect.

After further amendments, we had an oath-taking, which involved all of Marley's government officials vowing to never engage in militancy unless heard and allowed by the International Court (which we have also formed as a pillar of the Union of States), and perpetuating the peace and order within the country and among other fellow states.

While this was happening, Historia was also in the works rebuilding Paradis, establishing different modern institutions which would further broaden Paradisian citizens' contribution to the rest of the world. I read the Papers every morning with my coffee, and every issue there was always an article about how both sophisticated and cozy our nation was becoming, thanks to the sterling Queen and her equally brilliant Premier, Armin Arlert.

Around the summertime, when my governmental work was lessening, Armin informed me before the news did that he was stepping down as Premier and Historia had approved of it already.

He said that though he was glad and ardent about what he had done for our people, it wasn't really a profession he could imagine himself doing for the rest of his life. He had a far more distinct idea of what he wanted to do now, inspired by his childhood dreams, and that empty book which I gave him long ago after my first visit to Alemagne. I was so happy for him. I would be happier if Annie was involved in this 'idea', but any delight of his is mine.

I told him that I wish I knew what I wanted after achieving peace. I had been Corporal of the Fourth Squad already, Commander Hanji's successor- as I had always dreamed to be. I had been the commander of an entire nation's army. I had already patented an invention. What was next for me?