Attack on Titan: Beyond Canon

Beyond Duties

As the sun begins to set over the hilltops, pale gold light floods through the window, bathing the luxurious bedroom. The light shimmers across the surfaces you've been cleaning and polishing for the last two hours, and highlighting the smoothness in the freshly cleaned and ironed bedsheets.

The windows gleam with equally freshly applied attention, giving you an exquisite view of the countryside, of the glittering river carrying late travellers back towards Walls Rose and Maria. This has to be one of your favourite views of Wall Sina, the last beautiful moments of daylight over a quiet landscape. You sweep your cloth across the window sill as you allow yourself to admire it all.

"You've done an excellent job today," the voice of Lord Levi Ackerman announces itself from the middle of the room.

You flinch, despite the fact that you should be used to Levi's quiet footsteps and general tendency to enter a room without attracting much attention by now. You pull away from the window, a quick glance over the sill confirming that you've completed the task.

"Thank you, my lord," you lower into a curtsey towards him.

He's stripping off the long, fitted black jacket that signals his presence in meetings of the royal council. His furrowed brow and tired eyes also give this away. But of course, you're well aware of his schedule. As his personal maid, you have to fit your cleaning around it so you don't get in his way. You pocket your rag in your apron and offer your hands as you walk forwards, ready to take his jacket. Your eyes linger on his toned body, accentuated by his snug linen shirt and black vest. The light of sunset lightens the slate of his eyes, bringing out the blue over the grey.

Levi waves you off. "I can manage," he tells you. Although his expression is generally sour, his brows loosen up when he looks at you. His eyes flicker to the sunset. "You can finish for the day," he adds. "If you leave now, the gardens will look exquisite in this light." His mouth, usually thin with pursed lips on a regular basis, begins to twitch upward as his gaze flicks back to you. "You should go and enjoy it."

You feel an ache in your chest when he says that. When he's in a softer mood like this, he's more talkative and you enjoy cleaning around him, letting conversation flow between you that he hasn't normally got time for. Today, however, the promise of enjoying the gardens in this light is too uncommon a prospect to turn down. Besides, there's something about the tiredness in his eyes that suggests that maybe this is Levi asking for some privacy. Maybe he wants a nap.

You gaze back out the window, a tender smile touching your lips. "I will. Thank you, my lord."

"Tch. You worked hard today, You earned this." He answers quietly as he moves towards his wardrobe. "Not sure what you see in all of that but enjoy it."

After another curtsy, you take your leave and return to the servants quarters to change out of your work attire and fetch your book.

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Most of the other servants are at work so you pretty much have the garden that was allocated to the servants to yourself. Although not particularly spacious, what space there is has been filled with various different flowers purchased from the nearest market in Mitras. Most of the staff have brought something to contribute. You've bought some daffodils and bluebells over time along with some snowdrops. You have a soft spot for the sturdy little white flower.

As you step into the courtyard, you notice how the light shimmers most over the paler flowers and makes the darker ones gleam under recently sprinkled water. You breathe in the slightly damp smell of them, walking towards the bench in the heart of the garden. The sunlight falls directly on you as you take a seat and so your eyes seek the welcome sanctuary of the book in your lap.