Levi POV
On the way back home none of the children said a word. Levi urged his stallion on to ride faster, harder and to meet the snow with the merciless brutality of its hard hooves. When they finally arrived in front of the palace' walls, the guards were already there to open the gates for them and let Levi in.
He neither greeted nor acknowledged the young servants coming up to him to take care of his horse and instead helped Ida and the boy hop down on the ground. The boy held his sister close by his side and regarded the people around him with weary glances in all directions.
"Relax, boy.", Levi grumbled. "I told you no one's gonna hurt you." He then turned to address one of the servants: "You. Get me General Hanji. Tell them it's an urgent matter and that I'll meet them in my rooms."
The servant nodded eagerly and was gone the next second. Levi gestured the children to follow him but when the boy wouldn't move, he snarled impatiently and was about to pull the boy on his arm, when a pair of scared eyes met his and the child flinched back.
Levi looked at him puzzled. He sighed and nodded in the direction of the palace. "Come on. We don't have all day."
The boy swallowed and then did as asked. But Levi noticed the limp in his steps, the hesitant gazes towards the great building and the color that had left his face. He clutched his sister's arm like his life depended on it. The girl didn't seem to notice or to care.
They went on like that all the way through the hallways and Levi was glad for once that so many people had kept away from the palace since the events of Grisha's ceremony. It gave him a chance to get the children to his rooms without drawing too much attention.
Only after he closed the door behind them did he allow himself a calming breath. Izzy was still outside, trained to alarm him whenever someone foreign or unwanted made an attempt to get inside his chambers.
He ushered the siblings over to his bed and said firmly: "Stay here. Don't make any noise and you'll be just fine."
The boy swallowed hard but nodded and Levi was grateful to the Gods that the child wasn't rebellious or keen on discussing with him. Not that the child seemed to be brave enough to talk at all.
The sky was dark and Levi felt that rain would be coming soon, washing away the remnants of snow. He paced up and down his room, hands intertwined behind his back and only stopped when he heard a cheerful knock on the door, accompanied with the familiar happy voice.
"Come in.", he said. Hanji's good mood when they entered was gone as soon as they saw the two children behind him. They had noticed their emaciated bodies without a doubt, just like the fright sitting in the boy's eyes and quickly closed the door behind them.
"Levi, what-"
"No time to explain properly.", Levi said, refraining from calling them names for once. "I need them out of the palace. As soon as possible." He pointedly ignored the flinch of the boy at his harsh words. "You still have that old cottage outside of the walls, don't you?"
"Yes, of course but-"
"Take them with you. Keep them away from the palace until..." He exhaled and closed his eyes. "Just...please. They can't stay here."
"Levi, what the hell is going on?", they demanded to know and Levi couldn't blame them for the anxiety pitching their voice. "Where are they from and what are they doing here of all places?"
"They are from Dauper, alright?", he hissed as if someone was out there, eavesdropping. Not that that would be possible with Izzy as his guardian. Hanji's eyes widened in shock and their gaze flickered over to the children.
YOU ARE READING
Coming for your heart
Fanfiction|| Book 1 || Eren Yaeger had to flee from his home when he was only six years old. With his mother and his adopted sister he tries to forget anything related to the King and the secrets they left behind. Many years later war comes for Eldia and Er...
