AN: This fanfiction will contain spoilers to season four, so I highly recommend that you don't read if you are not up to date with the manga.
This will be a Levi x Historia romance and I implore if you are new to it, please give it a chance. I ship these two hard; I always have from season three and maybe even in season one (but only as a crack ship). I took the love for the ship to the next level after Levi helped Historia out with the orphanage in season three... The warmth that filled me after was just so overwhelming. This seemingly heartless, unsmiling guy showing a soft spot for little kids while helping the sweet Queen Historia out. I thought they made a great team. Historia is eighteen and of legal age, so I only ship them post time skip.
This is also a continuation of my other RivaHisu fanfic Her Majesty's Knight, but you don't have to read that in order to read this (Her Majesty's Knight is NSFW as a warning). I will fill in any blanks if necessary in this fanfic. That story was my own plot but this one will revolve around the current events in the manga. For that, it may eventually stray from canon...
I hope you enjoy and welcome to the wonderful world of RivaHisu. We're a nice community of shippers. Small, but welcoming. And the song inspired for this chapter is the beautiful Ariel singing Part of Your World Reprise for that sweet ocean vibe (as Historia wants to be part of Levi's world) 😁
I swing my legs over the pier, breathing in the sharp scent of brine as I cast my eyes over the sea.
I can't believe it's real. Like a lake but enormous, but instead of freshwater, it's filled with salt. The sun is just about to set as it hovers along the horizon, making the sea burn like liquid fire, and it really is beautiful. The colours are magnificent; I spot orange, yellow, and even magenta.
Never would I have dreamed of seeing such vastness. The waves seem to go on and on forever as it's hard to tell where the sky meets the sea, and now I lock my eyes on the horizon again, wondering what lies beyond.
Sure, we all know now that it's Marley, but there has to be more than just our enemy nation. We have other enemy nations too, but still... there has to be more for us.
After all, we deserve a chance just as much as anyone else. I personally don't think I'm a devil, but devils should still be given a fighting chance.
What was it that Eren always used to say... freedom?
Can we still find freedom beyond the sea? Even now that all the titans are gone? And do I still have to become the Beast? Just enough to shake the earth for the next fifty years? The thought of spreading fear in order to keep my people safe just breaks my heart.
I mean, it's simply unthinkable. They are people with hopes and dreams just like us: little children who wish upon stars, mothers who kiss their babies good night, and grandparents who tell their grandchildren sweet bedtime stories...
The last thing I want to do is hurt any of those people.
Armin always believes in the power of communication. Communication stops wars and creates understanding, but best of all it shows how we are all so similar yet different. It's the differences that make this world all the more beautiful and wondrous.
So... if we can show the world that we are like the mighty lion inside the pages of Armin's book— a beast who just wants to drink from the same watering hole with all the other animals for just a moment, then maybe... we can survive...
And I won't have to become the Beast anymore.
But when all is said and done, and we fail to convince the world that we are not a danger... then at least I know that my friends fought for me.
They're doing this all for me, and at times I don't think I deserve any of it and I should just save them the trouble and eat Zeke Jaeger instead...
"You stop with those morose thoughts right now, Historia, or so save me... I will push you off this goddamn pier."
I shut my eyes, counting down to ten as my ever-faithful knight marches down the pier towards me. Not that he would push me off the pier, but he could still be kinder with his words.
He just has an odd way of showing people how he cares... like how he threatened to stop Commander Erwin once from going to Shiganshina by cutting off all his limbs. I wasn't in the room when that conversation took place, but ever since the forging of our Ackerman-Reiss bond, we've been able to jump in and out of each other's minds and hear one another's thoughts, and that goes for memories too.
I see Levi's memories via his emotions now, and vice versa, and as a result, we created our own unique Path.
All Eldian's are connected by invisible Paths somehow, but this one is only accessible to us, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
He's my husband now and I'm his wife... and we should be together always.
Levi stops behind me, glancing briefly over his shoulder at the two Military guards at the other end of the pier, and I release a wistful sigh.
Even though my life is no longer in danger and no one's trying to kill me inside the walls anymore, I still have bodyguards following me wherever I go.
I can't even go to the sea in peace.
I'm here on a state visit after all with Commander-in-chief Darius Zackly. The commander is with the Volunteers right now inside headquarters, finishing up a few things before we leave, so I took the rare opportunity to be alone with the waves.
They really are refreshing. They splash against the columns of the pier below, sending sprays up towards my feet, and I savour the sensation of that fresh, salty water.
So heavenly... If only I could live here.
The Scouts get to be by the sea all the time now, and not for the first time I wish I was still a member.
Levi's attention falls back on me, so I turn to meet his eyes. He doesn't even look at the beautiful water; he just watches me.
So I take a rare moment to appreciate how the setting sun reflects off his sharp grey eyes, and they almost burn like lava. In fact, he's red all over, and it really is strange to see the sunset on the other side of the walls.
I can see he's still mad at me for giving up and deciding to eat Zeke Jaeger instead of trying to convince the world that we're the good guys.
"Not that I wouldn't love anything more than to see that bearded asshole meet his demise... don't let me hear you thinking about giving up ever again, Historia... Got it?"
I blow a frustrated sigh, looking away from him as I glance at the horizon. It's just hard. When you have a million enemies whose faces you can't even see, and your nation's whole survival depends on your being able to maintain an ability to rumble the earth for fifty years... How can you not want to give up?
I feel Levi's eyes boring into my back. "Historia...?"
I roll my eyes, glancing back up at him again. "Stop peering into my thoughts and leave me be, Captain. After all, they're private. You should know better."
He narrows those cutting greys even further, but I hold his gaze this time. For the last few months, we have learnt how to control our special bond when we're in each other's presence, and thank goodness. I love Levi with all my heart, but I don't want to be hearing him thinking the word "Shit" every second of the day.
So now that we have better control of our bond, Levi's delving into my thoughts on purpose. But no need to worry... two can play at that game...
I tune in to his thoughts, but Levi just gives me his classic, deadpan stare. Fudge... It looks like he has finally become a master at controlling his thoughts around me, yet I can't help but overhear how he thinks the setting sun makes my hair glow like woven gold...
I decide not to tell him though, because I bet he just heard me thinking about how he looked handsome beneath the red light of the setting sun, the one that casts shadows inside the contours of his chiselled face.
Levi's been eating a lot better now since he's moved in with me at the orphanage, so he doesn't have that gaunt look of a skeleton anymore. Now he's chubby and lovable.
Levi growls. "Chubby? You little..."
I stifle a snort, patting the empty space beside me on the pier. "Well, now that you're here... you may as well watch the sunset with me."
His skin blanches when a wave splashes up from the depths below, spraying water all over me, and now he takes another step back. "No. I'm good here."
I giggle loudly as I'm sopping wet. A little bit of seawater even got into my mouth, and Jean was right; the sea does taste salty.
The two guards at the other end of the pier turn our way, but it's all good. I'm just a queen having fun with her humble knight after all.
Not that we've not had plenty of fun before...
"You really are scared of the sea aren't you, Captain?"
He grinds his teeth, muttering, "Tch".
I wipe a bit of seawater from my eyes, then say more gently, "It's fine... don't be scared. If you fall... I will jump in and rescue you. I'm quite the swimmer after all. Frieda taught me."
He throws me a scathing look. "I don't need rescuing... I can swim just fine by myself."
He can't since there wasn't much water in the underground, save for a sewer (but you don't want to go swimming in that). So when it comes to water... Levi is pretty useless. And I can see he truly is at a loss when it comes to the magnificence of the sea.
There could be all kinds of creatures living under the surface after all, like the mighty Kracken, and I shiver.
I peer back up at him and smile again. "So come and sit then if you're oh so brave, and don't worry... there haven't been any shark sightings so far. Just one dolphin, but they like people, so you're safe."
Levi scowls once more as I laugh out loud, and for a moment I forget all about the Rumbling, Marley, and Zeke Jaeger.
After all... that was why we had come south to meet with the Volunteers. Yelena is planning to bring Zeke to the island for the first time, and my nerves are a jitter.
Levi breathes a heavy sigh as he sits down beside me, and now he dangles his legs above the waves. I like to think that he gave up resisting in the end just to comfort me. After all, he must have heard me thinking about Zeke.
I don't even know what the man looks like. In my head, he's just Eren. Well, a blond, bearded Eren (Levi is forever calling Zeke a bearded piece of shit after all). I've only ever seen a picture of Zeke as a child, sitting on the lap of his mother Dina Fritz, and I really do see the semblance. He's my distant cousin as we're both descended from the first king Karl Fritz. Well, no, the 145th king — the one who brought his people to the island of Paradis and erected three walls.
For some reason, Levi has blocked out all thoughts about Zeke Jaeger whenever he's around me so I can't see his face. Is he doing it to protect me? If I can't see the face of the man I am going to consume one day, then maybe it will hurt less when the time finally comes for me to inherit his titan.
I give an involuntary shudder, wrapping my white jacket around my green military coat. Levi still wears his blue one. The same one he donned when I dubbed him my knight. He has seldom taken it off. Well, only to wash it.
He also has his sword attached to his belt, tucked away safely inside its sheath. As a matter of fact, it's been some time since he's handled Ultrasteel, and I know he misses being on the frontlines with his fellow Scouts, just like I do.
But he sacrificed it all just to be with me... and for that, I am grateful.
I need him after all, and I know the feeling is mutual. Tough times are ahead, and I certainly feel safer with him around.
Levi has always preferred blades as his weapon of choice. Even as a child in the underground, he never went without one, and he has even shown me a few tricks like how to spin one around and catch it in your hand.
I almost took my toe off.
I peer down at my toes and see that they're still intact. Then I glance at Levi's boots. "Take your boots off. The waves feel fantastic on your feet."
"No. My feet are quite fine inside my boots, thank you."
I grumble, glancing at the horizon once again. The sun has almost set and now a few stars twinkle in the sky. "You're impossible at times."
"And you're annoying. So shut up and leave my feet alone."
I button my lips and now silence falls between us. There comes the sound of voices, and both Levi and I turn towards HQ.
Darius Zackly walks out from the front foyer with the tall, gangly Yelena and the dark-skinned Onyankopon, and my heart sinks when I realise...
Time to return to the walls.
I will miss my brief moment of freedom.
"Not just yet..." Levi says, sensing my thoughts. "I told Darius you can stay another night. I'll be with you after all. There's no need for you to go back."
My heart pounds, and without thinking, I throw my arms around him and give him the biggest bear hug. He's all solid muscle, but I don't care. I still squeeze him tight.
"Thank you, thank you!" I practically squeal, and I'm even louder than the gulls above.
To outsiders, we just look like a pair of platonic friends, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. There's nothing platonic here at all.
Captain Levi and I fell in love. A classic tale of a knight and his queen...
Levi pushes me away, then turns to look at the commander-in-chief. I follow his gaze, and my stomach drops when I see that he's staring at us.
His solemn, bearded face is focused only on me and Levi now, and you wouldn't even think there was a beautiful ocean just the other side of us.
We're the only thing in his sights now.
Ah, poo... what have I done? Did I blow our cover? After all... our relationship is supposed to be secret.
Only Hange, Jean, Mikasa, Armin, Connie, Sasha, and Eren know. Yet only Levi and I know that we are Levi Ackerman-Reiss and Historia Reiss-Ackerman now. As it says so on our marriage certificate; the one we got from the underground...
Thankfully, Yelena helps to distract the commander and waves her hand at us. So I wave back, and now the two volunteers escort the commander-in-chief to his carriage. The two guards at the end of the pier leave with him too, and now it's just me and Levi.
Finally.
When they're out of earshot, Levi turns to me. "Nice going... you almost blew our cover."
I hold my head down guiltily, but I try to focus on the brighter side; I get to spend another day at the seaside.
Levi mutters his infamous "tch" and that's the moment when a friendly seagull flies above our heads and poops on his jacket. It even cackles a little as it flaps away on its wings, and now Levi grits his teeth, rising to his feet. "That's enough sea for the today. Come on, we're going inside."
Levi marches back to HQ, and I wonder if it is safe for me to be under the same roof with Yelena.
After all, she scares me. It's those big eyes. So bottomless... like she's gazing into your soul...
She also seems to be pretty close with Zeke, and I wonder how far she would go to stop me from eating her beloved master.
It is a part of our contract with Kiyomi Azumabito that I should eat Zeke when his time comes in order to maintain the Rumbling, but there's just something not right with that woman.
Onyankopon comes to greet Levi at the end of the pier as the two men shake hands, and now I rise to my feet to join his side.
All the while, Yelena keeps her bottomless eyes on me, and I shiver.
I won't let her ruin my seaside vacation with my knight.
No one can come between us after all.
AN: Thank you for reading! I would love to hear your thoughts. I intend to update regularly but I wanted to see how things went first.
CartoonPrincessSigningOfff.