It 's dark. It 's cold. You can 't breathe. You try to scream as your eyes snap open. You feel restraints strapping you down to something cold and hard.

Faces. Who are they? Why are they grinning like that? You 've seen them before, but their names escape you now.

'Don 't worry, ' one of them soothes you. You feel a chilling, clammy hand on your face. 'This won 't take long. '

You see one of them grab something sharp and lift your nightgown. You try to futilely kick him off, but your legs are tied down.

No, not there. That 's not for them to see. That 's only for Levi.

Levi?

You frown. Why Levi?

You have no time to think about it when you feel something digging into your stomach.

'Don 't think too ill of us, ' one of the people tells you.

'Maybe you should wake up now, ' another adds, 'before you forget how to. '

You sit up with a loud gasp, skin prickling and fists clenching your crinkly clean sheets. It takes a moment for your surroundings to come back to you.

Your nightgown is sticking to your body with sweat. Another nightmare.

You 're not surprised when you feel a sharp pair of eyes on you. Levi must have arrived to stand guard before you woke up.

You glance at the drawer of your desk. That 's where the five letters you received this past week are situated, each one more provocative and graphic than the one before.

Whoever 's sending the letters is really trying to get under your skin. And succeeding, by the looks of it, because you 've found it increasingly hard to sleep and your slumber has been plagued by frequent nightmares.

You look around your room, decisively keeping your eyes off Levi, for now. You don 't want him to see the unsettled hue in your eyes.

You took the Czarina up on her offer of modifying your room. There are a few tapestries on the wall, in non-controversial colours as you don 't want to upset your soon-to-be in-laws by choosing bronzes and blues.

The desk, bookshelf and bedside table are filled with books. You haven 't left your room outside of mealtimes (during which the letters arrive in your room). With each passing day, you get more and more paranoid.

As a result, you 've stayed cooped up in your room. You lounge around sitting at your desk, lying on your bed, sitting on the balcony floor with your back resting against the railing. Levi stands guard inside the room in complete silence as you read your days away.

Romance novels, fantasy epics, dystopian horror, you read all you can and immerse yourself in stories of people far greater and braver than you, people who marry the person they love, who travel away from their home to bright and prosperous lands full of promises, people who face adversity head-on and fear nothing.

You wish you could be those people.

You haven 't started

Song of Steel

yet. You 're trying your best to forget the nation you 're currently in.

A task much harder than usual when you dine thrice a day with the Czar and his family.

You move your covers aside and stand up. You finally turn your attention to Levi, who 's standing next to the door with that calm, unreadable expression of his. You meet his grey eyes and steel your own.

'I will go freshen up. If Maid Springer arrives while I 'm bathing, tell her to change my linen, ' you tell Levi. He nods and you can feel his eyes on you as you stagger towards the bathroom.

You close the door after yourself and pump out the bathwater. Back home, one of your maids would have prepared the water and helped you bathe but you insist on doing it alone here. The thought of having Maid Springer wash your naked body makes you uncomfortable.

Your nightgown falls to your feet with a quiet shuffle. You step out of it, discard your underwear, and pause when you see yourself in the reflection of the bathwater, clean and warm in the shiny porcelain bathtub.

You place a hand on your neck, slowly, as if in a trance, and try to imagine it. How it will feel when the person who sent you those letters finally gets to sink their blade into your skin.

You feel a shudder of cold. Pungent, bitter bile rises from your stomach and threatens to bubble into your mouth, but you quickly place a hand over your lips and take a deep breath to force it back down.

You need to stay calm. You know you won 't be able to think clearly if you freak out.

For now, you don 't know who you can trust. Even people like Czar Yeager and Historia, who have been pleasant to you, are not guaranteed to actually be on your side. And Levi '

You glance at the door. You can 't read him. He seems like the type to be open about his loyalties but on the other hand, how can you know for sure?

You slip into the water quietly and lean your cheek into your folded knees.

For now, your best option is to stay quiet and keep your eyes open. See what the sender will do next.

You bathe yourself to get rid of the sweat. You lather your skin with flower-scented soap and wash your hair with rosemary water. When you 're done, you dry yourself in a rough cotton cloth and crack the bathroom door open just a bit to call out.

'Levi, step outside for a moment, please. I 'm indecent. '

You hear the door open and close and when you step out, you see Levi 's gone and Maid Springer is already waiting for you.

'Good morning, your grace, ' Maid Springer greets you. Her grey dress and tight bun are as skilfully fastened as always and she looks as unenthusiastic as always about clothing you.

'Good morning, ' you nod. She takes out some undergarments from the wardrobe, and you get dressed in silence.

Maid Springer always fastens your dress tighter than maids back home did. She always combs your hair just a bit rougher.

'I 'll clean your room while you eat breakfast, your grace, ' she informs you as always. You nod wordlessly as she nimbly braids two strands of your hair on the front and ties them together to the back of your head.

You like the fact that she never asks you which style you 'd like for the day. You never really cared all that much, and it sometimes irritated you when your maids back in Novaryn kept asking for your opinion.

Maid Springer curtseys at you as you finally step out fully clothed. You walk down the corridor towards the dining hall, Levi 's steady footsteps following you there.

The royal family is already sitting at the table, and you quickly curtsey at the Czar.

'Am I late? I 'm sorry, your grace, ' you wince, but the Czar excuses you with a friendly wave of his hand.

'Don 't worry, ' he smiles. You sit down at your spot next to Eren and start picking at your breakfast. You 're not peckish at all, the nightmare is still fresh in your mind.

You wonder what the dream was trying to tell you. That you 're going to get augmented? Maybe it was a warning from your Creator to stay away from alchemy.

'Eren, ' the Czarina breaks the silence. 'Take Cora out to the city sometime. '

Her eyes are gentle but stern on her son. Eren blinks at her, clearly a little annoyed.

'Why should I? ' he blurts before he can think it through.

'She 's your fianc 'e yet you 've spent hardly any time with her. You should show her around the city, she hasn 't left the castle once since getting here. '

'I don 't need to spend time with her. I 'll just marry her at some point and that 's all I 'm required to do, ' Eren argues. You see Zeke 's eyes flash with amusement.

'Zeke takes Historia out to balls and parties, I think you should at least- '

'I have better things to do than taking some girl I hardly know out for shopping, ' Eren snaps with a frown.

You know Eren isn 't fond of you and that the extent of his affections will be reluctantly tying the silken ribbon around your wrists on your wedding day. That doesn 't mean that the reminder of your to-be loveless marriage doesn 't make your mind a bit bluer.

You 're an unwanted intruder, so you had better get used to it, but it still stings.

The Czar must have caught the way you flinch just a bit and hurry to turn your eyes to your food, your head hanging just a little.

'You 're taking her out this Saturday, ' Czar Yeager says, and it 's the first time you 've heard any kind of authority in his voice. You raise your head and give him one of your hollow smiles.

'Your grace, it is alright, if the czarevich is busy then that can not be helped- '

'He 's not, ' the Czar says decisively and gives Eren one, stern look. Eren, who has opened his mouth to protest, pauses and then mutters something to himself that sounds awfully much like

'meddling old geezer '

.

You feel guilty then but say nothing. You focus on trying to finish your meal and keep the letters off your mind.

For a long moment, no one says anything. You eat in silence and ignore the way you can feel Zeke throw glances at you and the way Eren glares at both of his parents.

Just as you 're about to excuse yourself, the door to the hall slams open.

'Your grace! Good morning! '

Whoever 's at the door is instantly met with half a dozen rifles to their head as the personal guards of the royal family, Levi included, prepare for a potential threat. No one barges into the dining hall like that while the Czar is eating, it 's strictly against protocol.

You turn to see a tall girl. She 's wearing the military uniform and she pauses to blink in confusion when she 's met with a bunch of weapons aimed at her.

'You idiot, I told you not to barge in! ' a boy with a buzzcut hurries in after her. He 's shorter than her, wearing a similar uniform, and he grabs the girl 's ponytail to wrench her head down into a bow.

'I 'm sorry, your grace, she 's new and doesn 't know the etiquette yet! ' the boy apologises on her behalf. As they bow down in front of the Czar, you see that on the back of their uniform is a symbol. It 's not the arsenic symbol on the back of Levi 's cape nor the triangle inside a circle the Wing of Science wears.

On their back is a simplistically drawn bird of some sort, and you instantly conclude these people must be messengers.

'Ah, Connie, good morning, ' the Czar greets calmly and gestures for the guards to stand back. Levi lowers his weapon, but he still looks wary.

'We bring a letter from Novaryn, your grace, it has the royal stamp, ' the girl announces loudly as soon as she straightens her back. She salutes. Connie smacks the back of her head.

'You 're not supposed to disclose that publicly, Sasha, you absolute moron, ' he scolds with an incredulous hiss.

You look at the two with a confused blink. You 've never seen the messengers and you always thought they give the Czar his mail when he 's in the privacy of his office or in the throne room.

Levi looks especially annoyed, probably because he 's a military supervisor. Such conduct must irk him.

'Who hired this bumbling idiot? ' he asks Connie calmly.

'She has excellent instincts and she 's a very fast rider, she 's just oblivious to the etiquette inside the castle because she 's a peasant, ' Connie explains with a wince.

You hum absent-mindedly and wonder if you should excuse yourself now. Before you can, however, the messenger girl called Sasha has shot to your seat.

'You must be the Novarynian. I have a letter for you, ' she announces and hands you an envelope. From the handwriting, you can instantly tell it 's from your mother.

You take the letter and nod shortly as thanks. You don 't miss the way her hand subtly inches towards an uneaten loaf of bread on your plate, and the sight puzzles you.

'Are you hungry? ' you ask, confused. Are regular soldiers starving because the war has taken all of their resources? Sasha instantly pulls her hand back and hurries to place it on her shoulder to salute.

'No, ma 'am! I mean, yes ma 'am, I am, but I know I 'm not supposed to take your food! '

'You just tried to take it, ' you point out, unimpressed, and Connie 's face pales. He hurries to grab her.

'My apologies, your grace! ' he exclaims and smacks the back of her head again.

You look around the room, trying to decide how you should act in this situation. The Czar 's eyes are shining with quiet amusement as are Zeke 's. Historia and the Czarina look confused but not hostile. Eren and Levi are both frowning with annoyance, and the rest of the guards look wary.

You look at the tall girl, the way her eyes longingly flicker to your plate. You suddenly feel an odd kinship with her. Being new in the castle and having very little idea of how you 're supposed to survive here.

You calmly take the loaf of bread. You cut it open and slather the insides with some butter. You then put in some meat and cheese and finish it with a slice of tomato. A traditional Novarynian way to eat bread. Varsikovian people tend to eat theirs plain, you 've noticed.

You hand the sandwich to the messenger girl.

'Here. Thanks for the letter, I 've been waiting for my mother to write to me, ' you explain and the smile you give her is not hollow and trained, it 's authentic.

Everyone watches, looking absolutely flabbergasted, but the girl 's eyes instantly widen and she snatches the sandwich.

'Thank you, your grace! ' she exclaims. 'I will savour every bit of this bounty! My stomach will nurture this gift wholeheartedly! '

You snort a small laugh. What an odd girl. You like her.

The two quickly excuse themselves, and you can instantly tell that Levi will give them a piece of his mind if he ever catches them alone.

The Czar blinks at the two but says nothing to reprimand you for handing some of your food to Sasha. Instead, he opens the letter and skims over the contents. When he looks up, his expression is thoughtful and a little taken aback.

'It 's from the king, ' he says, and his eyes stray to you.

You nod, not very interested, but when the Czar 's eyes remain on you, you give him a polite look.

'Is something the matter, your grace? '

'Well, no. It 's just that he, erm ' Doesn 't mention you here at all. I was wondering if he 's written to you personally. '

You shake your head.

'You haven 't heard from your father ever since you got here? ' he asks.

'No. How so, your grace? Are you worried I 'm conversing with him behind your back? I can assure you I have not had any contact with him- '

'That 's not it, ' the Czar hurries to deny it. He frowns and skims over the letter again. He now looks disapproving. You 're thoroughly confused.

'I think he 's just confused that your father isn 't interested in hearing how his daughter is doing when she 's been sent so far away, ' the Czarina explains to you with a soft smile on her face.

'Oh, ' you utter, not sure how to respond to that.

'What kind of person is your father anyway? ' Eren asks and he looks just as taken aback. You didn 't realise it 's such a big deal that your father hasn 't asked about you.

'He is a good leader, I suppose, ' you shrug.

'Not like that. I mean, in person. What 's he like? ' Eren presses. He sounds curious. You look quite lost then.

'I ' Do not know, your grace, ' you admit. 'I have never spoken to him. '

To you, it 's perfectly natural. He has thirteen daughters, you 're the youngest one from the least favoured wife. Of course, the King would have better things to do than getting involved with you. But from the reaction of everyone in the room, you can instantly tell they 're shocked.

Well, they 're monogamous. The Czar is very present in the life of his sons, to the point of dining with them daily. It must be odd to them, that you come from a large royal family where not knowing your immediate relatives is the norm.

'I- I see, ' the Czar says after a prolonged, stunned silence.

'My mother is worried about me, though, ' you add in a futile attempt to mend the awkward atmosphere. You show the letter. 'And my older brother is as well. I 'm not without support from my family. '

'How many siblings did you have again? ' Zeke asks. His tone is lazy but there 's something twinkling in his eyes that promises nothing good. He 's caught something he can give you trouble for.

'Thirteen. '

'So, out of your fifteen close family members, only two give a damn about you, ' he summarises ruthlessly.

'Zeke! ' the Czarina gasps.

'What? ' he challenges. 'I 'm just saying what we 're all thinking. How many wives does the king have again? '

' 'Six, ' you answer reluctantly.

'See, there 's your answer, ' Zeke tells the Czar casually. 'Her father hasn 't asked about her because her mother is nothing but a breeding mare, and she 's an unwanted spawn because she 's a girl. '

Everyone looks shocked, and the Czar shoots to his feet with the clear intention of lashing out at his son.

'That is enough, ' you speak up before you can keep yourself in check. You face Zeke head-on, your eyes shooting daggers at him despite your calm and dignified tone.

'You may insult and belittle me all you want, your grace, but my mother deserves none of your misguided scorn. '

Zeke 's lips twist up to a smirk. He looks exhilarated by your response and you immediately realise you shouldn 't have responded in any way. He 's enjoying the fact he 's gotten under your skin.

'Loyal, calm, protective and willing to wag your tail for anyone. They trained you well. You were bred from a good bitch so I 'm sure you 'll make a nice lapdog for Eren. '

Your hand closes into a fist. You want to punch him. You want to wipe that smirk from his face. How dare he insult your mother? How dare he insult your customs? He 's never seen the beauty of your homeland nor felt the gentle touch of your mother.

You shoot to your feet with the full intention of slapping Zeke.

From the corner of your eye, you see Levi 's hand leap to the handle of his sword and you 're not sure if he 's preparing to draw it to protect you from the aftermath of slapping the crown prince of Varsiko, or if he 's preparing to attack you with the rest of the guards who will without a doubt detain you the moment you lay your hands on Zeke.

Before you can go through with it, however, someone else has marched to Zeke and slapped him in your stead.

'Zeke Yeager! ' the Czar 's voice thunders in the hall, loud and intimidating.

You realize it 's the Czar himself who has set his son straight. He looks legitimately angry and the tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Historia and the Czarina look shocked whereas Eren has an unreadable look on his face. You note he looks kind of approving. You briefly wonder if he approves of Zeke 's words or if it 's the Czar 's action of slapping him that made Eren look so content, but you don 't have much time to ponder upon it.

The room is quiet for a long while. You see soldiers marching past the large windows on their patrols, you see the guards keep their hands on the handles of their weapons. Zeke holds his burning cheek and his light eyes narrow.

For a split second, he looks enraged and dangerous, and you 're afraid he 'll hit his father right back. Then, his eyes turn to you.

'I got carried away. My apologies, ' he says dully. He means none of it, you can tell, but the flare in your eyes dies nonetheless when you 're reminded of your position.

If you act up here, there 's no one who will step up to defend you. Zeke means more to this kingdom than you do. The anger is stifled and replaced with dull apathy.

'It is no issue, your grace. I was at fault for talking back to you, ' you apologise.

Zeke eyes you quietly for a while and then gets up. He walks past you and as he does, you swear you can hear a quiet whisper.

'What a good girl. I see they taught you to roll over as well. '

You close your eyes briefly to hide the surge of anger that reignites inside you. When you open them again, Zeke has already passed to the door.

'Reiner, ' he calls his guard and leaves. The door makes a loud sound behind him, and the dining room is dead quiet for a while.

'Goodness me, ' the Czarina whispers and hurries to face you with large, apologetic eyes.

'I 'm so sorry for his conduct. It was most uncalled for, ' she tells you earnestly. You bite the inside of your cheek to keep your face from showing how upset you are.

'It is no issue, your grace. I 'm sure his grace has a good reason for being so troubled. '

'It 's still no excuse to take it out on you. My deepest apologies, Cora. Try not to think too ill of him, he 's ' Not fond of Novaryn for personal reasons, ' the Czar explains.

'I see. This does not surprise me. Our nations have only recently achieved peace, after all, ' you answer properly with that hollow smile.

'Please forgive him. I 'll have a chat with him later, ' the Czar promises.

Eren has stayed quiet through the whole ordeal, and you give him a glance. You can 't tell what his sentiment is. Does he agree with Zeke or does he sympathise with you? He looks at you with narrowed, stormy eyes, but says nothing.

'Eren, take her out this Saturday. That 's an order, ' the Czarina hurries to order him. Eren nods, albeit very reluctantly.

You clutch the letter in your hand and get on your feet. You curtsey at the rest of the royal family.

'I must be going now. '

Historia seems worried when she looks at your stony face, but she says nothing as you walk to the door and out of it.

You hear Levi 's familiar footsteps behind you as you walk back to your chambers.

You see Maid Springer is already done with cleaning your quarters by the time you get there. You walk in and flop down on your bed.

You 're aware that Levi 's standing guard by the door and thus, you can 't let the tears of frustration out just yet. You 'll have to wait until the nightfall.

You take a couple of deep breaths to steel your nerves and then sit up.

The anger is still there. How dare Zeke call your mother a bitch and you a lapdog? How dare he disrespect your mother that way when you 've done nothing to agitate him?

But you know you need to play smarter than just punching him in the face. He 's egging you on purposefully. He wants you to fail. Maybe his hatred of Novaryn runs so deep he intends on smoking you out of the castle.

You grab a book from the bedside table and open it. Your eyes slide over the war novel, the fictional biography of a brave major who dies leading a siege against insurmountable odds.

Levi 's unreadable eyes stay on you, a fact that unnerves you.

'What, Levi? ' you sigh after a few heavy minutes. You stop pretending like you 're reading the book. 'If you want to scold me and preach to me about the importance of not losing your cool, get it over with. '

'No, ' Levi replies steadily. 'I was just thinking that you handled it well and that for such a spoiled little brat with no experience with politics, you 're dealing with all this better than expected. '

Your gaze is suspicious as you look at him, but he doesn 't seem to be lying.

'I wanted to sock the czarevich in the face, ' you tell him honestly.

'I noticed. Not that I can blame you, he was out of line. '

'I saw you reaching for your sword. Were you prepared to defend me or to gang up on me with the other guards in case I went ahead and punched him? ' you ask calmly.

'No one, aside from Reiner Braun, would have stepped in. I was preparing to deal with him, ' Levi answers straightforwardly. 'Not that I advise you to punch members of the royal family. It 's more trouble than it 's worth. '

Reiner Braun. Zeke 's guard, if you recall correctly. He 's a tall, sturdy guard with fair hair and a serious expression.

'You are oddly calm about the fact that I was about to punch your future Czar. '

Levi scoffs and walks to stand in front of you next to the bed. He crosses his arms and gives you a long, evaluating look as if measuring your trustworthiness.

'This is between you and me, ' he says heavily, 'but just because he 's my future Czar doesn 't mean I have to think he 's a good person. '

You 're surprised at his openness.

'So, are you saying you would have fought Reiner Braun had I gone through with punching him? '

'Why is that so weird to you? ' Levi asks coolly.

'You are a Varsikovian, I 'm a Novarynian. And by the looks of it, you have spent a lot of time fighting my kind. '

You 're nonchalant, but there 's a small twinge to your voice that reveals how alone you are. How insecure you are, how cornered and lonely and hopeless this environment makes you feel.

Levi sighs and squats down in front of you so he can properly meet your eyes.

'My job is guarding you, little miss, not participating in the Czarevich 's childish harassment campaign of you. '

You look at him warily from under your brows. You feel a sudden urge to tell him about the letters but decide against it. Levi could be lying. You can 't trust him. At least not yet.

You give him that well-trained, empty smile.

His eyes turn a little harder and his mouth pulls to an unhappy line as he stands back up and walks to the door.

'Are you planning on reading here until lunchtime? ' he asks. You wonder why Levi suddenly turned colder but think nothing much of it. He 's always cold towards you.

'I guess so. '

'You are allowed to do things outside you know, ' Levi starts awkwardly. 'Why don 't you go out today? '

You instantly narrow your eyes. It 's not like him to comment on your activities.

'The Czar has told you to drag me out and do something other than reading, ' you instantly read him. He doesn 't see the merit in trying to deny it, so he merely nods.

'He told me to take you out riding before I started my shift this morning, ' Levi admits with a sour face. You tilt your head.

'Riding? I have a horse? '

'You were appointed one. '

'I cannot ride. '

'What kind of royal can 't ride a horse? ' Levi asks.

'Levi, you just learned that I was not important enough to even have a single conversation with my father, what makes you think they thought wasting resources on teaching me how to ride was a worthwhile endeavour? I have spent most of my life reading books and drinking tea with my mother, ' you inform him, unimpressed. Your brother walked you around on his horse a few times when you were a baby but in Novaryn, riding is something only soldiers know how to do.

You, like the rest of your sisters, were hauled around in carriages.

You think it over. You don 't know how to ride, but you 'd like to know. If you 've been appointed a horse, you 'd at least like to see it.

'Alright. Let us go to the stables, ' you decide and dive your hand inside the folds of your dress to take out the letter you got at breakfast. You place it on the desk to wait for the evening. You want to fall asleep to your mother 's words.

As you step out, you see Zeke. He 's leaning against the hallway wall a few meters away. Instantly, the hair on the back of your neck stands up and you stop dead in your tracks.

You trust no one in this castle, but when it comes to who you trust the least, Zeke easily takes the cake.

'Your grace, ' you greet tensely. You see Levi 's hand place on the handle of his rifle. Zeke 's guard mirrors the movement and for a second the two stare each other down.

'My father sent me here to apologise, ' Zeke informs you lightly.

You meet his eyes, calm and collected. You were close to punching him in the dining hall but now, you 're well aware of your circumstances again and know better than getting agitated.

'There is no need to apologise, your grace, ' you tell him with your trained smile.

'You don 't really think that, ' Zeke says easily and walks up to you. 'I 'm not blind. You were just aching to sock me in the face. '

You stay quiet and meet his intrusive gaze calmly. You refuse to cower.

'If I were you, I would hurry up my wedding with Eren as much as possible, ' Zeke tells you nonchalantly.

'And why is that, your grace? '

'Once the battling reignites, it might just be the only thing that can keep you alive, ' he informs you. You frown lightly.

'You seem very convinced that the battling will resume, ' you point out.

'A century of warfare can 't be overwritten with these measures, ' Zeke answers, his voice absolute. He looks at you, and his eyes flash behind his round glasses.

'I feel sorry for you, ' he tells you and reaches a hand to gently grab a lock of your hair that has escaped the braids Maid Springer weaved this morning. You tense at the touch and feel a strong urge to move away, one that you forcefully push down.

'An eager little lapdog who 's only been trained to wag her tail and roll over obediently. You stand no chance here. '

You see his eyes flicker to your throat, and you narrow your eyes. Now that you think about it, he was very preoccupied with your neck the last time you were alone.

If he 's behind the letters, that would make a lot of sense. But it also tells you nothing of importance. What you need to know is what the sender is after.

Though, you wouldn 't put it past someone like Zeke to send those letters just because he likes to imagine you trembling in fear.

'As a loyal lapdog, I shall gladly give my life and soul for my master, ' you reply steadily. 'If you think you can unsettle me with tales of my impending doom, I advise you to find a more worthwhile pastime. '

In a split second, Zeke 's expression changes and he looks dangerous. His eyes darken, his hand moves fast to grab your hair and yank your head back.

'We 'll see how brave you are when things go south, pet, ' he hisses into your ear. You wince, your head pulled back and neck exposed to him.

'Let go. '

Levi 's order is resolute and steady, and when you look to the side you see he 's drawn his sword.

Zeke smirks and shoves you away just as suddenly as he grabbed you. You stumble back into Levi, and he easily catches you and moves you behind him.

'A guard dog and a lap dog. You make a good pair, ' Zeke observes with a chuckle. He then shrugs. 'I shouldn 't be too surprised, given that you 're augmented. '

'Whatever do you mean? ' you ask with narrowed eyes. Zeke smirks and steps closer, just to be cut off by Levi moving between you.

'I could tell you, but where 's the fun in that? You 'll find out sooner or later. This will be exciting, ' he hums. He gives Levi a small grin and turns to walk off.

'I 'll see you around, pet. '

Reiner gives Levi a tense look but follows Zeke without a word. Levi 's eyes stay on their backs and only after they 've been out of sight for a dozen seconds does he sheathe his sword.

You mull over Zeke 's words but ultimately decide to disregard them. If he 's truly behind the letters, then he 's probably just trying to unsettle you as much as possible.

'Let us get to the stables, ' you tell Levi lightly and start walking off as if nothing happened.

A silence falls between you, broken only by the clacking of your heels and the sound of his boots.

'Thank you, ' you finally say. 'For stepping in and getting him off me. '

'Don 't thank me for doing my job, ' comes the expected reply.

Maybe one of these days, you 'll learn to trust Levi. But that day is not yet.

Despite that, even the simple step makes you feel less alone.