Levi POV
The morning sun hit Levi's face, who was staring outside the window of the Second Prince's room without really seeing anything.
Behind him there was nothing but silence.
He closed his eyes with a hard sigh and rubbed his temples while thinking about Faris' words.
The brat had claimed to be the traitor. The one they were searching for. And it would have been Levi's duty to bring him to Erwin straight away. So...why did he let him go?
Levi could still see the surprise and something akin to hope glimmering in the servant's eyes when he had barked at him to leave the room. To give him time to think. A part of him had expected the brat to fight back. To beg for forgiveness or something.
But then again, Faris appeared to be quite the stubborn brat. A brave one, if he was willing to admit treason just so his friend wouldn't be the one put at fault anymore.
"Fuck..."
A low rumbling behind him prompted him to turn around.
Izzy was standing there, wagging her tail with a tilted head as if she understood the storm in Levi's mind. He smiled down at her, worry lacing it, nevertheless.
"Come on.", he spoke softly, gesturing her to follow him as he strode out of the room in big steps. "That's not a place for you to be."
That's not a place for anyone to be.
The dog walked by Levi's side, ever the loyal animal with those trustful eyes and big ears. He patted her head with one hand and enjoyed the feeling of soft fur against his palm.
"What am I supposed to do, Iz?"
She met his questioning gaze with a soft snarl, the equivalent of one shrugging their shoulders.
"The brat could be lying.", Levi murmured. "If I talked to Erwin, he would have to take him down to the basement because he committed treason. But he might as well be innocent."
What should he do?
Talk to Erwin and do the right thing?
Or protect the brat in case he was lying?
And what if Faris wasn't lying but telling the truth? If he really knew the Second Prince, then...this information was worth more than anything Levi possessed. The king would kill to get it. So why was he still hesitating to...do something?
- - -
Armin POV
Mikasa had given him the piece of paper a while ago.
The document the Queen of Marley had signed.
"She is willing to meet us.", his friend mumbled and sat down beside him on the mattress, her skin so tight on her bones that Armin worried she might have stopped eating at all. He looked over to Eren.
His best friend was leaning against the wall next to the big window in Erwin's room.
Moonlight filled the floor with eerie shadows, milky and familiar by now. The day had gone by in no time and the palace was asleep, rumbling softly with the resting energies of its inhabitants.
Eren's eyes were directed outside with his skin even paler in the night and his gaze not focused enough to give Armin the feeling that he was listening in to their quiet discussion at all.
Just what had happened in that room?
"Then we should meet her soon.", Armin replied, swallowing down the worry and compassion for the young prince. "No. We have to meet her soon. We won't have endless time for our plan and with every day more people die because of our inactivity."
"I met her advisor a day ago.", Mikasa admitted. "He told me already where to meet the Queen. It is more than risky and if we get caught then we will end up dead on the King's orders."
Armin hummed in understanding and gave her the Queen's letter back.
"Burn it.", he whispered and lowered his eyes. "She is right. No evidence can be found in our hands."
The girl nodded and walked over to the fireplace. Her black hair was tied back into a bun with only a few lose strands daring enough to fall into her face. She sighed and let go of the letter. Both of them watched it burn to crisps.
Armin flinched at the smell that filled the room and closed his eyes while pressing a hand on his head to get rid of the memories that came up as he watched the flames dance around what they had to destroy.
"Eren.", Mikasa addressed her brother softly. "There is something else that we need to discuss."
First, Armin was sure that he wouldn't respond. That he was way too deep in his thoughts. Only when he turned his head a bit to face his sister did Armin inhale deeply in relief.
"What is it?", the boy asked with a raspy voice.
"Come over. No one must hear from this.", Mikasa said and sat down again. Her hands were searching for something in the back of her trousers as Eren followed her lead and fell against the headboard of the bed.
Mikasa took out a piece of parchment and gripped it tightly with her hands.
"Raes came back with this.", she whispered huskily. Eren raised his head at the mention of the graceful animal. He all but lunged forward and ripped it out of her hands. Mikasa let go in time, otherwise it would be in shreds by now.
Eren's widened eyes flew over the few words written down in a language only he would understand. Then a sigh escaped his lips and he gave it back to Mikasa.
"Everything is settled then.", he muttered and massaged his temples. "He will help us from afar, as always. As long as our plans don't change, there won't be any problems."
"That's what he said at least.", Mikasa mumbled and Eren sent her a sharp glance that she ignored. "We will do as you told us. But first we have to meet the Queen. Her advisor told me that they want to meet us tomorrow night, out in the woods where no one dares to go."
Armin listened to her pensively and trained his gaze on the flames in the fireplace as if they held all the answers they needed.
"This has to work.", he whispered. His fists clenched on the sheets he was resting under. "If the Queen decides not to help us..."
A warm hand came to rest on his and Armin turned his head to face Eren, who was looking down on him, a barely noticeable smile on his face.
"You are right.", he said. "We have to make this right. We don't have an alternative anymore."
(Levi has to make a difficult choice, the Queen is ready to meet EMA and the mysterious stranger has given them a message through Raes, whatever that means.
Let's see how everything will turn out....)