'The castle is large and has most necessities. Aside from the private rooms of the residents and some restricted alchemy laboratories and libraries, feel free to explore as you will, ' Historia explains. The hems of your dresses make a cushy sound as you walk along the barren hallways, nothing but red carpets and curtains accentuating the dull grey.

Historia turns to give you a friendly but well-guarded smile.

'Don 't worry, you 'll get used to life here in no time. It may feel a little weird at first, but this castle is surprisingly comfortable. '

For someone who 's not a bargaining chip sent from a country yours has been at war with for a century, that may be true,

you think to yourself grimly, but you reciprocate Historia 's smile with your own.

Behind you, Levi and Historia 's guard, a blond man by the name of Thomas Wagner, walk quietly. It 's day three in this castle, and Historia decided to at least attempt decency by giving you a tour.

You visit the roof of one of the watchtowers, where grumpy-looking soldiers are lounging around and playing cards while leaning against the heavy cannons situated next to the tiled walls. That is until Levi steps to the roof after you and the soldiers hurry to look like they 're diligently keeping watch.

You notice Levi gives them a very cold glare.

You visit the kitchen, bustling with maids and chefs who prepare dinner to feed not only the royal family but all of the staff and soldiers living here as well.

You briefly peek inside the library, and you make a mental note to ask Levi to bring you there once there 's an opportune moment for a more lengthy visit.

Outside, you walk through the stables and Historia makes sure to introduce you to her horse. She seemed the kind to get overly attached to pets, but when she 's given you a fifteen-minute monologue about her horse 's intelligence and the softness of his gaits, you get a bit bored.

Then, finally, you make your way to the South wing. Historia grows visibly nervous as she opens the door to another grey hallway, this one more dimly lit.

'And here 's ' ' Historia trails off and winces. 'Here 's where we conduct the- '

She 's cut off by the sound of one of the doors in the hallway banging open. Someone slings out with a loud yell and opens the window across from the door.

'This useless lump of scrap metal! This is lead, not mercury! ' she screeches.

That someone rolls her arm back with the full intention of throwing the heavy-looking ingot of metal she has in her grip out of the window with full force, but two other people run out of the room she barged from and pull her back in unison.

'Sir, please reconsider, ' a blond, short boy begs.

'Listen to Armin, Hange, what if you hit someone with that? ' the other person repeats, though he sounds a lot more irritated and assertive.

When the person is pulled back, you take a good look at her. She has brown hair that 's carelessly been pulled on a ponytail. A red scarf is tied over one of her eyes. She 's wearing the same grey military outfit everyone else is, but on the back of her jacket, there 's a symbol of a circle with a triangle inside. The same symbol that 's tattooed on the back of Levi 's hand.

She 's an alchemist, you immediately conclude, and take a wary step back.

The two men forcefully pulling her back from the window have the same kind of uniform with the same symbol.

The person topples back and reluctantly allows the taller and older brunette man to wrench the metal from her hand. Her eyes land on the four of you and she immediately forgets what she was doing. A wide smile instantly spreads on her face.

No longer upset about the metal, she springs to you and shoves you out of the way to get to Levi, giving zero regards to the fact that you 're obviously royalty. You could swear she 's drooling just a little at the sight of him.

'Levi! ' she greets, animated. 'How are you? How are your shards? Are they functioning properly? I still think I got the composition of the metal down just right but I

was

briefly concerned about the amount of mercury in the formula ' '

She mutters to herself as she pats down Levi 's arms and torso with zero concern for his personal space. Levi slaps her hands off with an irritated frown, clearly no stranger to this kind of treatment by her.

You watch the show with a perplexed expression. It 's the first time you see anyone act familiar with Levi. Hell, it 's the first time you 've ever seen anyone act familiar with

anyone

in this castle.

'Captain Levi was Ms Hange 's first augmentation. '

You turn to see that the blond boy has walked up to you. His fair hair has been cut just below his ears, and he has a well-meaning smile on his features. You glance behind him to see the brunette man walk back into the room, examining the stone with an exasperated sigh.

'As such, she can 't help but feel like he was a test or a sample and worry about the quality of his augmentations. '

You look at the boy with a cautious expression. He bows down slightly.

'I 'm Armin. You must be the Novarynian who arrived a few days ago. '

Your eyes glaze over his face to see if there 's any distaste or disgust when he says your country 's name, but you sense none. Either there 's no prejudice from his part, or he 's better at hiding it than most people here.

'I see you 're as reckless as ever, ' Levi, meanwhile, tells Hange dryly. 'Last time I saw you, you at least had both of your eyes still. '

'Oh, this? I 'll augment it eventually and it 'll be better than a normal eye, ' Hange disregards easily. The ease with which she talks about using dark magic and metals to mutilate her body greatly disturbs you.

'So? Why are you here? Do you need me to optimise? I just tried out some new blends of aluminium and zinc that should improve your speed- '

'No, I plan on letting you nowhere near my body, ' Levi announces and takes a step back. 'I 'm just here to guard that little miss. '

Only when he nods towards you does Hange give you a proper once-over. A look of realisation spreads on her face and she smiles brightly.

'Oh, the Novarynian princess, ' she says and hurries to you. She grabs your hand and ushers you towards the room she came from.

'Here for a tour? Don 't be shy, come on in! '

You 're pushed to a dim laboratory. Only some gas lamps illuminate the cluttered space. You look around the walls, filled with shelves. On each shelf, there are lumps of metal, pieces of armour, guns, swords, old and dusty books, all sorts of equipment carelessly scattered around with no rhyme or reason as for how they 're arranged.

In the middle of the room is a large stone table. In the centre is a collection of painted alchemy symbols, and to your utter horror, a dead rabbit placed in the middle of one of them, a symbol in the shape of a crescent moon.

From the corner of your eye, you see Levi giving both the room and the rabbit a grossed out glare.

Outside the alchemy circles are lumps of metal, recently melted together, as well as stacks of parchment paper, each filled to the brim with messy notes.

The man from earlier is checking over one of the papers and when you extend your neck to steal a peek, you see a very complicated mathematical formula scribbled on it. You can tell none of it.

'Here, ' the man tells Hange and points at a number. 'You miscalculated. By halving the amount of lithium, you 'll up your chances of a proper reaction. '

'What are you talking about? You simpleton, I just che- ' she pauses when her eyes land on the numbers and she quickly snatches the paper from him. She 's now completely forgotten you 're even there.

' 'Oops, ' she finally admits. The man sighs deeply.

A couple of minutes later, Armin walks into the room with a tray full of tea.

'Here, Mr Moblit, ' he tells the brunette man. The man in question takes a cup without a word.

You see Levi 's eyes flash when Armin nears him with the tray, and he leans over it to examine each cup carefully. Then, he picks the one he deems to look the best brewed.

So, he likes tea. Or at least, he 's very particular about it.

You take your teacup and turn your attention back to the alchemy table. It 's the first time you 're so close to anything this blasphemous. It 's equal parts intriguing and terrifying.

'Ah, this must be the first time you see an alchemy lab, ' Armin realises as he stows away the now empty tray. 'Ours is a bit messier than most, '

'That 's an understatement, ' comes a mutter from Levi 's general direction.

'-but they 're all more or less like this. '

'Why is it so dim in here? ' you ask with a frown. You 'd imagine good lighting helps with experiments.

'Oh, that 's to check the composition. For example, ' Armin grabs two lumps of metal from one of the shelves. 'Here we have two different metals. When I combine them, ' Armin places them down on one of the symbols. This one has two linked stars inside a square, 'they form something new. '

He lathers his hand with some kind of liquid substance and places it on the square. Instantly, the symbol painted on the table lights up with a dim, purple light. The lumps of metal grow together like two crawling tumours leeching off each other until they 're completely merged and smooth.

'As you can see, it 's impossible to tell that this was made of two different metals. But the dim hue they retain for a couple of minutes afterwards tells us exactly what we 've created, ' Armin explains. He holds the metal close to you and you narrow your eyes.

You can see a slight, golden light radiating from it, one that would be impossible to see in good lighting.

'That golden light tells me I 've made a nice ingot of semi high-grade copper with an enhancement that makes it invulnerable to anything but platinum and titanium, ' he explains. Your eyes widen.

'That copper is now high-grade armour? ' you ask, taken aback.

'Yes. From here, we send these lumps of metal to blacksmiths and gunsmiths. '

You try not to look too impressed. But if making metal like that is this easy, it 's no wonder Varsiko has fended Novaryn off for so long.

'So, you can turn any piece of junk into that kind of invaluable metal? ' you ask. Armin chuckles.

'Yes, and no. We need certain types of metal and minerals, as well as other chemical compounds to use in the enhancements. '

'Compounds? ' you ask and tilt your head. Armin gestures to the bowl of liquid that he lathered his hand with before performing the ritual.

'Different elements. That 's lithium, but we also use magnesium, plutonium, uranium ' '

Your eyes fly wide open.

'But those are toxic chemicals! ' you point out with a distressed gasp.

'We know, little miss, ' Levi speaks up from where he 's leaning against the doorway with his teacup.

'How can you just sink your hands in lithium unscathed? ' You may not use alchemy at all, but even you know that most chemicals are very dangerous to dally with.

'We don 't. It 's ' Complicated, ' Armin dodges with an avoidant look in his eyes. You narrow your eyes and cross your arms. You turn to give Historia a questioning look.

'Even I don 't know how they can touch those chemicals, ' Historia says apologetically. 'Only the scientists know the details of alchemy. '

'Then, what is this? ' you ask and gesture towards the rabbit. Hange grabs it and shows it to you with a proud grin.

It 's clearly been killed with a clean slit of throat. In addition, its belly has been cut open and, to your utter horror, you see that there 's a thin metal coating going along its intestines. You also see a couple of metal ribs.

'We 're experimenting with animal augmentation! ' she announces. 'Imagine having a horse whose legs are enhanced with steel! Or a hawk whose heart and wings are titanium, making it impossible to shoot down! The possibilities are endless. ' She 's very excited as she rambles, and now there 's certainly some drool on her face. Moblit, however, gives you a suspicious look.

'Is it wise to tell her what we 're researching? She 's a Novarynian, ' he points out, but Hange waves him away like he 's a mosquito flying around her face.

'She 's here to marry Eren, right? Then she 's one of ours now and she would find out either way, ' she disregards. Your mouth purses and you can 't help but voice your discontent.

'To dabble with creatures our Creator has made in all his wisdom is a Damnation-worthy sin- '

'Yeah, yeah, blah-dy-blah, ' Hange laughs, not offended or even bothered, and waves her hand. She then turns back to her work, completely unconcerned about her soul.

'We do not believe in your Creator, ' Armin explains gently. 'His existence hasn 't been proven with science. '

'He knows better than to associate- '

'That 's enough preaching, little miss, ' Levi cuts in and finishes his tea. You close your mouth, though unhappily so, and glance at Historia. She looks a little awkward and gives you a stiff smile.

'A-anyway, this is the Wing of Science, ' she tells you. 'Nothing of note here. Why don 't we go back to the Main Wing, it 's almost dinnertime? '

You nod and give the three scientists a small smile before heading for the door. Levi and Historia 's guard follow you out without a word.

So, they 've decided to start experimenting with animals now that they 've managed to augment humans successfully. The thought is disturbing to you, but for now, you have no choice but to remain silent.

Dinnertime is, as usual, quiet. You 're not very concerned with that, as you grew up having your meals alone with your mother. Sometimes, rarely, your brother would join you.

You look around the table subtly in between bites. Eren and you haven 't as much as spoken after your brief meeting. You ignore the way Zeke glances at you every now and then, and reply politely to the sparse questions from the Czar and Czarina.

'Your grace, ' you start after a minute of silence, having thought of something. You look at Czar Yeager apprehensively, but he gives you a nothing but well-meaning smile.

'What is it? '

'Am I allowed to write home? '

Czar Yeager looks a bit stunned. Then, his face turns into an even wider smile.

'Of course you are, dear child. You 're not a prisoner, you 're a guest. I would not dare to keep a person from her family, ' he tells you gently. You nod.

'Normally, our letters are delivered by carriages, but for quick and uninterrupted exchange of letters, hawks may be used. I 'll see to it that you 'll get a hawk of your own, ' the Czar promises.

'Thank you, your grace. '

'Are you sure it 's a good idea? ' Zeke asks and lazily points his fork at you. 'If she has a hawk, she can send letters unsupervised. What if she discovers something sensitive and tells her father about it? '

'As a future member of our family, we need to place our trust in her, ' the Czar replies steadily. He seems to be the only person in the room who has any faith in those words. You even see Eren 's guard uncomfortably shift her weight from one foot to another.

You glance at Eren, whose face is unreadable. He keeps eating calmly and seemingly has no temptation to look your way.

'I 'm sure your parents will be happy if you write them, ' the Czarina breaks the awkward silence and gives you a small smile.

'Without a doubt, your grace, ' you reply and offer her that impersonal smile you 've spent your whole life perfecting. You wonder if you should tell your mother and brother all that 's going on in the castle, especially how these people seem to have no sense of holiness or decency. The image of that mutilated rabbit flashes in your mind, and you have to set down your wine glass. It 's repugnant.

'I heard Historia showed you around the castle, ' the Czarina keeps the idle chit-chat going. 'How was it? '

'Rather interesting. I 'm glad I know where the library is situated. I 'm planning on visiting after dinner to get some books to read, ' you reply.

'Ah, how lovely. I especially recommend

The Song of Steel

, our national epic. It depicts the history of our nation from thousands of years back to this day, ' the Czar says. You nod and quietly decide to do as he says. Not only to have something to discuss with him but also to better understand their image of Novaryn. In a history book, surely there is a lot about the strained relations between your country and theirs.

You wonder what kind of literature they like in this country. You recall seeing many war novels in Eren 's room and alchemy books in the lab, but that 's all so far. You doubt you 'll find many religious texts or holy stories. It 's a shame, you used to consume quite a bit of those back home. Then again, this country is filled with people who have embraced Damnation. What use would they have for books about the Creator?

You briefly wonder about what you learnt. About alchemy, its use of chemicals and how Hange and the rest can handle them unharmed.

'Are there any books about alchemy I could read? ' you ask. The Czar, who was in the middle of swallowing a bite, starts coughing.

'A-alchemy? ' he asks, clearly astonished. 'I didn 't think you 'd have any interest in it. '

'That sure didn 't take long, ' Zeke comments with a small smirk. Eren looks at you, for the first time during this dinner.

'Not to try anything myself. I 'm just interested in the principles with which it works, ' you explain awkwardly.

'You can find some basic information from the library, but I doubt there 's anything there you don 't already know, ' Eren answers. 'Any deeper knowledge is barred behind a test. '

'Test? ' you tilt your head.

'A bar exam. Only those who pass it and are accepted to study alchemy gain access to those books. Things like the underlying physics, history of experimentation, rituals, they 're all restricted. '

It seems suspicious, but you take the knowledge with a calm nod.

'I see. So, not even you know how alchemy works exactly? '

Another awkward silence.

'Members of the royal family have access, as well as certain high-ranking military officials, ' Czar Yeager explains. Unwillingly, your eyes flicker to Levi and Mikasa.

'Only four people in the military have access, and none of them is your guard, ' Zeke reads your expression. You flinch and resist the urge to wince. Were you that obvious? Furthermore, you doubt Levi would spill military secrets to you even if he had access to them.

'But if you 're that interested in figuring out the secrets behind alchemy, you have a fool-proof way of getting that information, ' Zeke continues with a hum. You eye him warily.

'Is that so? ' you ask, voice neutral but hardly very enthusiastic. You 're always on high alert around Zeke, anyone would be after the encounter you had outside your room.

'Yeah. Just marry Eren as soon as possible and you 'll become a member of the royal family, ' he announces with a shrug. Eren pauses to give his brother a glare. You see his guard stiffen just a little.

Well, he 's not wrong. You 'll become a member of the royal family once you marry Eren.

'I 'm afraid it is not up to me when I marry him, ' you remind Zeke calmly, never pausing your eating.

'Do you wish for it to be soon? ' Zeke protrudes. You pause your fork halfway to your lips and wonder how to respond to that. If you seem too enthusiastic, you might come across as just wanting to snoop around the alchemy texts. If you say no, you 'll obviously seem rude.

'I wish to marry his grace when the timing is most optimal for both of our countries, ' you finally answer.

'What a diplomatic reply, ' Zeke chuckles with a tone that 's openly quite patronising.

'Zeke, ' the Czarina tries. 'She 's just being mindful of- '

'I know, ' Zeke cuts in, rather rudely at that. He gets up, leaving his half-finished meal.

'Reiner, ' he calls to his guard and they walk to the door. Zeke pauses to give you one last look.

'That good girl act of yours will not carry you far, ' he informs you dully. 'If you want something, you 'll have to elbow your way to it. '

You meet his gaze serenely, not a muscle on your face twitches.

Always remain calm.

Keep your cards close to your chest.

Conduct yourself with dignity.

Zeke is wrong if he thinks he can make you break the rules you were brought up by this easily.

'Thank you for your advice, your grace, ' you respond. 'I will take it to heart. '

Zeke rolls his eyes and leaves.

'Forgive him, ' the Czar hurries to say. 'He 's a very troubled boy. '

'It is not an issue, your grace, ' you respond with that well-mannered but hollow smile. 'He was merely looking out for me. ' A statement none of the people present believe, but you say it anyway, to be courteous.

After dinner, Levi takes you to the library. As you step through the doors and are greeted by the sight of the musty room, filled with books from floor to ceiling, with wooden shelves occupying every little inch of the walls, you instantly feel more at ease.

You look around the large space. The library is not as big as the one back home, but it 's still impressive by anyone 's standards. You can 't help the enamoured sigh you release. This is what you 've been craving.

You walk right into the maze of stuffed shelves and cushy satin armchairs. Levi follows you quietly.

'Do you know where they keep the one the Czar mentioned? ' you ask him. Levi shakes his head. With a sigh, you start sorting through the countless books in the hopes of finding it.

Every time you see an interesting-looking book, you take it out and hook it under your elbow. Then, when there 's too many to keep there, you balance them on the palm of your left hand. When it gets too heavy, you start piling them on your head as well and when they all finally clatter down with a loud noise, Levi steps in with an irritated sigh.

'Just pile them on that table, ' he says and gestures towards an empty coffee table by one of the armchairs. You do as you 're told, and by the time you finally spot a large, ancient-looking book with leather covers and the golden words

The Song of Steel

embroidered on the spine, you already have an impressive collection of other books at the table.

You grab one of the steel ladders that are scattered here and there around the library and steady it against the shelf. The book is high up, almost at the ceiling. Not discouraged by the fact, you gather the hem of your dress in one hand and take support from the ladder with the other.

'Just let me do it. I don 't trust your balance, ' Levi calls, but you ignore him. Your heels make climbing a bit more difficult, but you 're no stranger to ascending ladders to make your way to interesting-looking books in inconvenient places.

You make it up and grab the heavy book with both hands.

You did not count in the added weight of the book nor the fact that you 'll have to use both hands to hold it since it 's so large.

'Hey-! '

Levi doesn 't get any further. You take one, shaky step down and slip. The book falls to the floor with a heavy sound and you feel the ladder skipping backwards. You lose your footing and fall back with a surprised squeak.

Levi 's reflexes turn out to be top-notch. He snatches you without as much as making a sound, and when you open your tightly shut eyes, you meet his irked, unimpressed gaze. You 're locked in his arms, and he didn 't as much as topple back as he caught you.

'I told you to leave it to me to get the book, ' Levi points out and places you back down. You 're no stranger to bodyguards touching you when they deem your safety compromised, but you still feel a little awkward about having Levi catch your whole weight like that.

'I didn 't think the book would be that heavy, ' you defend yourself as you saunter to the book in question and pick it up. Thankfully, it didn 't get too battered in the collision.

'Thank you for catching me. '

'Don 't thank me for doing my job, ' Levi disregards immediately and grabs the tall pile of books from the coffee table. 'Do you think you can get started with these? ' he asks dryly, sizing up the pile in his hands with his eyes. It reaches far above his head.

'You don 't have to carry them for me, ' you hurry to say. Levi gives you a bland look.

'I don 't want to spend the rest of the evening following you back and forth as you carry these back to your room. So just let me carry them, little miss. '

'Do you have to call me little miss? ' you ask with a sigh.

'You are a little miss, ' Levi points out with a lazy hum. 'Or would you prefer pipsqueak? Princess? Your excellency? '

'Nevermind. Forget I brought it up, ' you give up instantly. You 'll put up with little miss until it 's time for Levi to leave. 'But anytime you just feel like calling me Cora or Reader, feel free to. '

'That would indicate close relations or familiarity. I have no intention of achieving either, ' Levi tells you bluntly. You open the library door and roll your eyes.

'Alright, then. But for the record, I will keep calling you Levi. '

'You 're royalty, I 'm a soldier. You 're entitled to calling me whatever you want, ' Levi replies, not bothered, as you start walking back.

In your room, Levi dumps the books on the floor in front of the bookshelf. You give him a disapproving look, treating your precious collection in such a crude manner, and start arranging them in the bookshelf.

Levi watches your work without a word, still adhering to the Czar 's orders to keep you company as much as possible. Thus, he doesn 't go stand outside.

You finish stocking the books and are just about to start wondering which one you 'll begin your reading quest with when Levi speaks up.

'Hey, what 's that? '

You turn to see he 's looking at your bed. On your recently dusted, puffy pillow, rests a letter.

'Did someone send me a letter? ' you frown.

'The mail is delivered to the main hall, they wouldn 't just place it here. And a hawk wouldn 't be able to get in since the windows and doors were closed all day, ' Levi points out. 'It 's likely that someone within the castle brought it here while you were away. '

You walk to the sealed envelope cautiously. You take it and go to your desk to grab a letter knife. What is this, a love letter?

You turn out to be very, very far from the truth.

Dear Princess,

it starts.

Do you know what fear feels like? Have you ever felt the dread of a knife on your neck or a gun to your head?

Does your rotten country relish in the blood of our kind? Do you enjoy when you sacrifice our children for the sake of your violent hypocrite of a Creator?

Worry not, our honoured guest. I will teach you.

I will teach you what it feels like to have a blade pressed to your throat. Your pulse thundering in your ears, your eyes wide and begging as I cut into your skin. Just a little at first, making the tiniest nick, just a couple of pearls of your blood trickling down your neck.

You 'll feel a sense of hopefulness as you think that 's all I plan to do to you. Then, I cut the dagger in deeper, little by little. You 'll feel the blade slice through your meat, past your arteries and veins until I reach your lungs. You 'll make animalistic, gurgling noises as I puncture your lungs and your blood goes pouring in.

You will feel your body hit the floor as you struggle to take a breath, to no avail. You 'll bleed out slowly onto your pretty little gown, eyes teary with fear as you know you will go straight to hell. Your Creator doesn 't take nicely to those who spread their legs to spawns of Damnation, after all.

Don 't worry, dear princess. You won 't have to suffer in this castle for long.

I 'm looking forward to slicing my blade into your elegant neck and ending your life. In my head, I can already see you shivering like a lost lamb. I 'm sure you will taste delicious.

With Love,

Your Secret Admirer

A thick cloud of shock settles over you as you read the letter. Once, then again and again. Each time your eyes slide over the graphic description of how you 'll be slaughtered, you feel the urge to place a hand on your throat.

You feel the tug of anxiety, tears welling in your eyes, but before you can spill them, you become hyperaware of Levi 's presence.

'What 's the letter about? ' Levi asks.

You swallow thickly and make up your mind. You trust no one in this castle, and that includes Levi.

'It is from the czarevich. Its contents are between me and him, ' you make up a lie. You force your face unreadable and fold the letter. You slip it in the drawer of your desk and sit down.

You feel Levi 's eyes on you, probably having caught something off with you, but you make yourself calm down and think it over.

What does the sender of this letter want?

Probably for you to freak out, you muse. You nod in agreement with yourself, deep in thought. You conclude that the best course of action is to not give the sender the satisfaction of knowing they have unsettled you.

You take out some parchment and a fountain pen. With steady hands, you dip it in the ink and start writing with ornate cursive. Mostly to keep your mind occupied through the shock and looming fear.

Dear Mother and Brother,

How are you? It feels like it has been years since I last woke up to the sound of our monks ' morning chime and prayer. Life here is different. I miss the feeling of warm rays of sunshine on my skin as I bask outside, a book shielding my face from the bright daylight. I miss the taste of oatmeal cookies and redcurrant juice. I miss riding in the woods with Brother. I miss drinking afternoon tea with Mother and discussing the latest novels popular with ladies of the court.

You take a deep breath. You miss home. You miss your Mother and Sirius. You miss falling asleep to the crinkling of your fireplace, to your maids ' hushed whispers as they exchange gossip thinking you 're already asleep. The threatening letter is still fresh in your mind and it makes the castle around you seem colder and less safe.

Anyone here could be inches from sinking a blade in your throat. Even Levi.

Despite the crippling fear and sense of alienation, your hand is steady as you write out lie after lie.

But, despite that, things are great here. I have been treated courteously by everyone. The Czar and Czarina are generous and good. The crown prince and his fianc 'e are both helpful and do their utmost to make me feel at ease. My guards and maids are warm and treat me with dignity. I expected to face a lot of scorn, but to my astonishment, everyone in this castle seems to want to make a good first impression and make me feel at home.

My fianc ' is also wonderful. (Brother, if you feel uncomfortable with such feminine gushing, feel free to skip this paragraph.) I think I am falling for him. He is handsome and every bit a gentleman. I feel like I can connect with him. We spend hours discussing everything, from literature to fashion to architecture. He wants to be a good husband to me, and he says he will place my safety and comfort as his utmost priority.

There is no need to be worried about me, for I am fine, as much as I miss

hom

Novaryn.

I 'm aching to hear news from your side of things.

Please write to me as soon as an opportunity arises,

Love Always,

Cora

You read over the letter. It 's convincing enough, you think.

You don 't notice the way Levi has moved to subtly stand behind you, nor the way he inconspicuously glances over the contents of the letter. The Czar might trust that you won 't babble anything sensitive, but Levi sure as hell doesn 't.

His expression shifts from wary to thoughtful as he reads over the blatant lies, but he says nothing as you roll up the letter and seal it shut with hot wax.

Then, you saunter to the balcony and sit down on the railing. Ever since you got to this castle, you 've been spending hours of your evenings on the balcony, just idly staring out to the West.

And as always, Levi walks to the door to guard you. Whether it 's from outside forces or yourself, you haven 't figured out. Not that you particularly care.

A castle where you can trust no one and where someone is just aching to make a show out of violently massacring you. A castle where they openly defy the Creator by conducting dark magic in the form of alchemy. Such is your home for the rest of your life.

You have no allies and you know better than worrying your mother and brother. They can do very little aside from pestering your father about it, and you know he will not adhere to their demands of bringing you back.

But it 's alright. You will shoulder it all. Your life, your death, your marriage, your soul, your country. You will carry the responsibilities on your back and you will do so alone.

You wonder if the Creator has already forsaken you. If you get killed before the wedding, will your lifetime of obedient prayer save you from Damnation? Or has solely traversing here doomed you?

Knowing it will probably be in vain, you still place a gentle hand on your forehead, and another over your heart. You start murmuring a prayer under your breath. Not because you believe it will help, but because you don 't know what else to do to ease the ache in your chest.

Levi watches and says nothing.