Rags and Riches ~ Levi x OC

1. Lace Shoes

 "Can you believe this?" howled Theodora Aetos, with a letter in hand.

"It's okay, my dear," Tobias wrapped his arms around Theodora's tightly wrapped waist. "We can still have a party without food from the Heisman's."

"A party without the Heisman's food?" scoffed Theodora. "We're ruined! Everyone knows that the King does not show up to coming of age parties unless it's to his specifications!"

Fourteen-year-old Enyo sat with her lips glued shut in a pressed frown. She stared at her parents bickering back and forth for the party tomorrow, and wondered what she could do to escape the room. Her blond hair was tied back in a proper, tight braid.

"Dora, we can substitute with the Klingston's."

"No! I told you I would never be doing service there again. They refused to give me a dozen scones! The Heisman's have really disgraced us."

Enyo pressed her lips even tighter. She wanted to point out that the Heisman's were the best people in the Royal Capital, but now was not the time.

"There's no question of the affections everyone has for Enyo," said Tobias. "If not the King, then another high-ranking official will barter for her."

 "No! Enyo is destined to be the King's third mistress!" Theodora walked around the polished grand table and lifted Enyo's long, tidy hair. "That's the only place fitting for my daughter."

"May...maybe I can speak with Trisha and Klause?" Enyo gently pulled her hair from her mother's hands. "They might help me because of the work I did for them last summer."

Theodora tapped the diamond earring on Enyo's ear and hummed. "Fine."

Enyo stood with her golden eyes on the ground and quietly excused herself. Her green silk dress blew lightly in the evening breeze when she walked down the street. Enyo turned down the corner to the main street and headed toward the polished metal sign that read, Heisman's Pastry Shop.

The Military Police Center's door clattered open and Captain Nile Dawk stumbled out. His gaze landed triumphantly on Enyo and she bowed slightly and took a large gulp. In the golden shadows of the evening, Enyo seemed aflame with nerves.

 "Enyo!" barked Nile.

Like a squirrel, Enyo froze. Nile's boney hand gripped onto Enyo's weak arm and spun her to face him, layers of her navy silk dress in his grip. He had a dark, wolf like gaze.

"Ca...captain Dawk," Enyo meekly said with her eyes pointed at her white lace shoes in the dirt.

"One more day," Nile lifted her rounded chin. When Enyo's wide and worried and...pleasurable eyes met his, a smirk grew on his mouth.

Enyo tried to pull away. Nile's grip tightened and pulled Enyo in closer. "Tomorrow night's going to be amazing."

"You're hurting me, Captain," whispered Enyo. "Please let go."

He gripped her tighter and Enyo turned her head to the Heisman's bakery. Her breaths were uneven and her cheeks flushed and she wondered if anyone was going to leave the Heisman's. She wanted someone to walk out and force Captain Dawk off of her.

Enyo's elegant shoes tripped over each other as she pulled away from Nile. "Cicely is expecting me."

Nile sighed and dropped Enyo. She rubbed her wrist, curtsied politely, and darted down the street. Every heavy gulp was like trying to breathe through smoke and her mind soared with the heavy weight: Would Captain Dawk be the one who bought her tomorrow? Was that even possible?

Tomorrow was her coming of age party. Which meant at the end of the day, her parents could sell her for a huge chunk of change. Tomorrow. Enyo sprinted down an alleyway. Tomorrow. She turned down a street and ran up to the creek. Tomorrow.

Enyo's breaths were loud and ugly when her feet slammed against mud and her steps slowed. There was one mystery Enyo had the privilege to keep to herself. In her world of jewelry, dresses, diplomacy, and rules, the empty field of Wall Sheena was the only mystery of defiance. This field, about the size of one street block with two, tall righteous trees in the center, was the only place that Enyo could forget her status and breathe. 

 "Take that!" Enyo rallied and reeled her leg backward. She kicked her expensive dainty shoe off her foot and watched it soar across the field. She grinned and kicked her other shoe off. Enyo collapsed back onto the grass and welcomed the sun's final rays before it sank beyond the walls. Her breaths evened and her back slowly itched and Enyo decided the night would be hers. The moon loomed as gently as a shadow above and she let her worries seep into the roots of the ground.

Tonight, Enyo lapped up her last moments of freedom as free as they were. Every itch reminded her that she was indeed, a fourteen-year-old girl who didn't need taming. Her arms rested against the ground and soon, the mud soothed the ache in her wrist and was gladly welcomed as she forgot about Captain Nile Dawk and his menacing words.

Enyo laid for what felt like hours. The stars blazed bright way too soon and Enyo grumbled her way to her feet. Her eyes strained against the grass as she began a shoe hunt. Enyo couldn't help but smile to herself, because if she were to ever fall in love, it would be as grand as this shoe hunt. It would be difficult and as bare as her naked feet against the mud of the only field in the Royal Capital and it would be just as satisfactory as finding her tiny, lace shoes.

"Now where's the other one?" Enyo murmured and scanned the dark ground.

"Whoa!" Enyo's intake was loud as she backpedaled from the edge of the hole. How did she manage to get this far in the field? No way her shoe had soared this far!

Everyone knew about the hole. The one-way ticket to the Underground, a place that no one wanted to be. The rumor was, if you fell in, you'd never be granted access back out, even if you could pay the fees. Enyo had never heard of anyone actually falling in, of course, but still, it was enough to make anyone's skin crawl. The people from the Underground were barbarians and criminals who didn't even know about hygiene or health—at least, that's what Enyo was taught at the academy.

Enyo crawled on her hands and knees to the edge of the hole and peered in. Her mother would kill her if she lost yet another pair of shoes! And if her mother ever found out her shoe was lost in the hole? Enyo would be killed twice over!

Calm, steel eyes bore into Enyo's golden ones. She gasped and jumped and squeezed her eyes shut. Shivers ran down Enyo's spine when she took a big gulp and slowly looked back over the edge. Starlight framed his paper white and sickly skin. His hair was dark and messy. In fact, most of him was messy. A raggedy shirt was wrinkled and tucked into pants that were praying they could stay on his boney frame. His boots were dark and had clear holey patches and still, his gaze was unwavering. Silent. Like he had a thoughtless mind.

But his hands?

Cradled a pristine white lace shoe.

Enyo jumped to her feet and ran. What her mother never found out wouldn't hurt her! She'd just say that her shoe was lost like countless others and yeah, Enyo would get hit, but it was better than anyone finding out that Enyo had been near the hole. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

I'm excited to publish this story! the initial thought for it came years ago but I never dedicated much time to it, so I'm grateful I finally get to share it!

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