Eren POV
Kou had told them the truth.
After Eren let go of Jean, wiping away the tears that had gathered in his eyes at the sight of his friends, he expected the horseface to laugh at him for being such a whiny baby but when Eren looked up at him, he was surprised to see silver lining his eyes too.
Kou led them deeper into the mountain and gestured for them to lower their heads as they ducked under sharp stones to the opening of what turned out to be a cave, greater than one would have expected.
Lit torches threw dark shadows on the ground and underlined the fear and curiosity of the people moving in the back of it, scared by the noises at the opening of their hideout.
Eren took Mikasa's hand, squeezing it softly. She squeezed back and neither of them looked away from the rebels that threw suspicious glances at them. Eren inspected their height. Their strength.
He was shocked to detect some kids at the back of the small crowd that came to stand in front of them. All of them were clad in soft fur, warming them in the midst of the cave's low temperatures that filled every part of their small home.
"How long have they been here?", Eren asked quietly.
"Years.", Kou said, swallowing softly at the regret lacing Eren's voice. The sound of small steps prompted her attention to move onto a young girl, covered in a coat much too big for her fragile body. Her cheeks lacked the healthy fat she would have needed.
"Wer ist das, Kou? [Who is that, Kou?]", the girl inquired with a wide smile on her mouth. Eren gasped quietly in surprise and stared at the little one. Then he looked questioning over at Kou, who met his gaze with a small nod.
Eren let go of his sister's hand, who stepped back to Armin, who was watching the scene unfold with curious eyes and something akin to hope shifting on his face.
Eren knelt on one knee, one arm resting on it while he inspected the thin child. He had a thousand questions. Where the girl had come from or how she knew to speak a language she wasn't supposed to know.
"Woher kommst du? [Where do you come from?]"
The child's smile widened when she listened to the familiar language and said: "Aus einem Wald. Da haben wir gewohnt. [From a forest. That's where we lived.]" She took another step forward and reached forward until her cold hand touched his face. "Bist du ein Freund? [Are you a friend?]"
He nodded and gave her a soft smile, cradling her hand in his own.
Kou addressed the rest of the people, who were watching them with realization dawning on their features: "You were all waiting for a sign. A sign that it is our time to ambush the king and to give our kingdom the ruler it rightfully deserves!"
"Is he the one?", one of the elder men asked, almost as if he didn't dare to hope. Kou's eyes softened and waited for Eren to stand up. He rose to his feet, not letting go of the girl's hand yet.
The silence in the cave could have been grabbed by his hand. It was choking him. All the desperate hope and the longing for someone to rescue them...what if he disappointed them? What if he wasn't strong enough to face his father, no matter how strong this thing inside him might be.
It hadn't succeeded in scaring his father, even if he hadn't planned on showing it off. He still heard his father's laughter. This crazy, satisfied sound as if he had known something like that would happen. As if he knew what was inside his son.
The son he had abandoned.
Maybe he would have let him live by his side, had he known any sooner what slept underneath his skin, in his soul and heart.
"I am sorry.", he whispered, his eyes focused on the girl; on the crowd waiting for his words. "You waited for years. And I can't promise you that it was worth it."
Kou came up to him and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it firmly. Eren looked at her, sure that the doubt and exhaustion weren't hidden from her intelligent eyes.
"We believe in you.", she said and gestured around the cave. "We all do. Because you are the only hope we have left. Otherwise Grisha's reign will end when there is no one left to feel joyous about it."
A couple stepped out of the crowd, their arms intertwined and bodies hidden by dark furs. They both had a smile on their faces, tainted by small scars a fire had probably left behind. The man only had one eye left, his wife only one arm.
When they were close enough, they bowed to Eren.
"Your Highness.", the man greeted him. "It is our pleasure to finally meet the man Kou told us so much about."
Eren hastily helped them regain their upright stance again, not liking how they were submissive to someone like him. Someone who hadn't achieved anything but anger the man who was responsible for those people's fate.
"Please, I don't deserve it.", he said kindly. The crowd was silent when the couple stepped back, their brows drawn up in surprise. Eren inhaled deeply and glanced at Kou, who was apparently waiting for something.
"How do you think I will be able to help you?"
"I helped you escape the palace, didn't I?", Kou asked sweetly. "Don't you think I know who you met out there? Don't you think I'm not aware of who your great ally is?"
"How would you know who was out there?", Mikasa snarled, her voice a threat on its own. Eren furrowed his brows as he watched his sister stalk forward and stare Kou down, who met her gaze with something akin to...regret.
"You can't blame Kou.", Ymir interfered. All of them looked over to the girl, who was leaning against the wall of the cave, her arms crossed and her face as bored as ever. "Stop getting on her nerves, Kasa. It was me. She sent me a message so I would be ready to help you, should something happen."
While Eren couldn't care less whom of them had listened in on his talk with the queen, it did worry him that he hadn't noticed any other presence back then. Who else could have been there? Ready to attack at any time?
"We live in a time of war.", he said with a dark voice and sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. "Mikasa. We would use the same methods if it were the other way around. Morality and dignity are irrelevant in times of bloodshed and death."
Armin pressed his lips together. Eren knew that his friend would defy this statement but he would never discuss such things with him in front of those who trusted Eren to lead them back to their freedom. Their peace.
What am I to do? This was my fight, my danger – if those people die, their blood will be all on my hands.
Suddenly Kou was on her knees.
And with her everyone else in the cave.
Eren's eyes widened at that and even Mikasa's hard stare softened a bit. Kou glanced up at them, her hair a curtain of night.
"Eren Yaeger. As the Second Son, the second-born child of King Grisha and our last hope to regain freedom, will you join us in our fight in exchange for our unwavering loyalty and trust?"
- - -
Armin POV
Eren sat in the corner of the cave, his face illuminated by shadows and light of the torches that were lit near by his face.
His eyes were looking at everything and nothing at all, his thoughts reflecting in the storm of his narrowed eyes and clenched fists. Thankfully he had stopped the pacing minutes ago. After Kou's statement it had been clear, that he wouldn't answer as quickly and willingly as they had hoped.
"What about the general?", Armin asked softly and knelt down in front of him, his fists on his freezing legs. "What about...Erwin?"
Eren closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall behind his back.
"What about them?"
"Those people won't care that their hearts aren't as black as your father's. They will want to kill them as well." Armin watched the small groups that had gathered in every part of the cave that offered much more space than Armin had expected. A small path led back to a second part. "Those people have lost so much to your father. I've talked to some of them. Most of them have lost their families, their homes and parts of their bodies and souls to the cruel deeds of the king."
"We all have." Eren sounded so defeated. Tired, for once. The young prince rubbed his eyes and kept his hand there as if he could shield himself from one of the first tough decisions he would have to make. "But to send those people to war?"
"They will fight anyway. If not with your help, then they will find a way without it."
"I dragged the both of you into this mess."
Armin looked over at Mikasa, who sat there like a beautiful stone statue, surrounded by the few children of maybe six years. She had a small smile on her lips.
"We came willingly.", Armin whispered, returning his attention to his best friend. He put a hand on Eren's clenched fist. His hair was no longer in a ponytail and locks of hair framed his sharp features. "And we will follow you until all of this ends."
"But who will meet his end in this bloody fight?"
"We won't find an answer to this question unless we challenge Eldia's devil."
Eren chuckled lowly at that, the sound capturing the attention of Jean, who was standing nearby. Not close enough to hear them but close enough to see that Eren was slowly awakening from his trance.
"Still too scared of those royal bastards, Yaeger?", he teased and Eren rose to the challenge with a glare that would send a shiver down most people's spine. But Jean was used to this already and grinned at his friend, offering a hand.
Eren stared at it. Considering it.
Armin held his breath.
And released it softly as Eren took the hand and rose to his feet with Armin following the example.
"We aren't some stupid farmers without any knowledge of fighting or defending ourselves.", Jean said firmly. He didn't let go of Eren's hand but grasped it tighter. "We have your backs and I don't care if you want our help or not, stubborn."
Eren's mouth was a thin line as his gaze wandered over to all of the people waiting for his answer. In total there were probably twenty or thirty people as the children didn't count.
Armin knew that Eren would never send children to war.
"Then we will fight side by side."
Jean grinned at that. As did Kou and Ymir, who came over to them. The rebels cheered at that, their faces lit with something that warmed Armin's stomach and heart. Armin looked at Mikasa. The girl nodded, dedication flickering on her face.
Maybe. Maybe we will find a solution...
"Long live the Prince!", Kou shouted, holding up her clenched fist against her chest at that. "And dedicate your hearts!"
"Long live the Prince!", echoed the crowd. "Dedicate your hearts!"
Eren stared at Kou as he listened to them.
And without any warning, any sign of the horrors that had yet to come, the cheers stopped. And the screaming began.
(I don't even know where to start. I guess that's one of the longest chapters so far, hope it wasn't too boring at that. I have planned out some parts of the story already so I can already tell you that at one point - not anytime soon, we still have a long way to go - I will start the second part of this story as a seperate part.
Don't be anxious, I'll inform you soon enough!
So, what is happening here? Is it the King? Or that third party we don't know yet? And is Eren doing the right thing?)