Her Majesty's Knight

Chapter 3 - Historia

Song inspired for this chapter: Hurt By Christina Aquilera. Historia feels that she hurt Levi after everything he did for her, and now she's hurting herself as a result. Beware... it is a sad song. I can't listen to it without crying 😥

They found the shooter in the end, dead, with a blade wedged deep into his throat.

The reports say he'd committed suicide, but it doesn't make me feel better. In fact, it makes me feel worse. It just goes to show how prepared he was to carry out his attempt at killing me and preserving his secrets, and I turn cold all over.

We're still none the wiser. I'm no idiot; I know he won't be the only one out there.

These things take more than one person after all.

I sit in the council room of the palace of Mitras, staring blankly at the report Nile Dok handed me. Two military guards stand like sentries beside me; they follow me everywhere now.

I choke back a sob as I read the gritty descriptions. His gunshots may not have got me in the end, but they still got several civilians, and the tears threaten to escape. Somehow, I feel responsible for their deaths.

If only I could have been a better queen, truly devoted myself to the role, then maybe I could have saved those souls.

Maybe it's best I give up my own life and inherit Zeke Jaeger's Beast Titan after all. Hopefully, that should be enough to show the people I truly do care about them. That I'll do whatever it takes to protect them.

An image of Eren's burning green eyes flashes up before me, and I put the dark thoughts away. He'd promised we would find another way. That I wouldn't have to give up my life and become a monster.

The most chilling part of the report — the shooter had used modern firearms that the Marleyan volunteers had given us. Weapons that were supposed to develop our small island and bring us closer together.

But instead, we've used them on each other.

It's funny, really... When I first found out about Marley and the rest of the world, I thought the walls would unite as one great civilisation, and we'd finally stop hurting each other just like it used to be back in the old days of when we used to fight titans. When the world was still black and white.

Now the world is a miserable cloud of perpetual grey. A place where we will never see the blue of sky again...

Although we lived in constant dread and fear in those humbler days, things were so much simpler. It's so much easier to stomach an enemy that you view as a monster, not a fellow human being with hopes, dreams, and fears.

I shake, dropping the report, and it flutters to the ground.

Despite the sunshine pouring in through the window, I'm cold. I have been for some time now.

I pull my white coat around my shoulders, trying to keep warm. I've ditched the royal robes and mantle now for a ceremonial, dark-green coat, baring the military crest.

To be honest, I'd be much more comfortable in my casual shawl and skirts. The way I dress when I'm at the farm. I haven't been back to the orphanage since the day of the shooting; I bet the children are missing me.

Nile stops, looking up from his own report. "Queen Historia? Are you all right?"

I give another shiver, pouring myself tea from the beverages the serving girl brought in earlier. "I'm... I'm fine, Commander. You may continue."

I bring the teacup to my lips but it shakes upon its small saucer, and the Commander regards me with nothing but sympathy now. I hate it when people look at me like I'm some fragile china doll. It's like everyone has forgotten that I was once a soldier. I have two titan kills to my name.

Plus, I flipped my father over my shoulder and broke his back, so I'm tougher than I look.

"We will find them, Your Majesty..."

I meet the Commander's dark eyes, and I can see he's sincere. But I also hear his uncertainty.

"I promise, under my command, you will be safe. I will have my men watching over you twenty-four seven."

My heart sinks.

I will never know privacy again.

I take a deep, shuddery breath as I pick up the report, folding it back into a neat pile. "Do... do you think I would be able to go back to the orphanage any time soon, Commander? I do miss the children."

Nile closes his eyes, shaking his head. "It would be far too dangerous, Your Majesty. If you were targeted again, there's no way we could guarantee the safety of the children. I say this with the best of intentions, but... it's best you leave them out of the picture for now. At least until we know more."

The weight of his words sinks in, and I feel like I've swallowed lead. My eyes sting, but as always I soldier on, keeping the tears at bay. The last thing I want to do is bring the children into this. That would be terribly selfish. Those poor little things have been through enough.

Nile's right. It's what's best.

I will see the children again. When all this is over and everything returns to normal.

The commander continues, "You're very lucky the captain was there, Your Grace. I've never seen a man move quite the way he does... He really is the best."

My heart tugs when I think back to the last time I saw the captain. I'd been so rude to him, and I really am the worst girl who ever lived if that's how I treat the man who saved my life.

One of those bullets could have easily gotten him too. Okay, I know how stupid that last sentence sounds, but there's still a one in a million chance.

He's still human.

In fact, I haven't seen Captain Levi since the day of the shooting, and I need to make it up to him somehow. Just... how? I know nothing about him. I know he likes black tea and all things clean, but what else could I do?

He definitely deserves an award of some kind. Something to showcase him as the hero he is (always has been).

My eyes bulge suddenly, and Nile looks over at me curiously, folding his notes away. "Your Majesty?"

I come back to myself, rattling my head. "Sorry... I got a little distracted..."

He raises a brow, rising to his feet. He tucks his report under his arm. "I will let you know of any new developments, Your Grace. Just hang tight. We will find who's responsible."

I smile again, standing to my own feet. The Commander offers me a bow of respect and leaves through the door, his men flanking his sides.

Just before he goes, I call out, "Wait... Commander?"

The man stops, turning back.

I fiddle with my thumbs, and it's really not how a queen should act, but I can't figure out how to ask the question.

"What do you know about... knighthoods?"

Finally... now the name of this story may actually make sense. Not that it wasn't already self-explanatory I guess.

So, a knight, hey? We all know Levi would make a fantastic one. The whole Ackerman-Reiss relationship was what inspired this ship. The queen and her knight. It just... works... and I get so excited just thinking about it.

Please read on to find out how Levi will react to the news. Will he be happy or will he be mad?