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breezeob · 7 years

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Kingdom of Maria

Rating: Teen & Up Pairing: Levi Ackerman and Eren Jaeger Tags: Alternate Universe, Ereri Spring Weekend 2017, Bad Language, Day 2: Overcast Written for ererispringweekend - Ao3 link The Kingdom of Maria : Chapter Two : Overcast

It was mid morning when they first spotted the capital, but the sun did not shine brightly upon the walls of the city. Instead the sky was covered with clouds, looming above the earth in a dismal fashion. Eren felt as though his mood reflected the weather. Levi had awoken him at first light, forcing the half-asleep prince to redress and mount his horse again. Now, with just a few hours travel, they could see the home Eren feared from atop the hill they climbed.

Though the prince himself was not happy, Levi was relieved. They managed to evade any potential pursuers which, unfortunately, was a real threat. The catalyst of this hasty journey to capital was itself credible threat on the young Prince’s life, an indication the enemy had finally found the location of the Jaeger Estate.

Eren’s fears and grief aside, he had to admit the walled-in city was quite the wonder, especially from a distance. The towering stone blocked the city from attack and prying eyes, and its prince could not imagine anything more extravagant. Not even the Estate he had grown up in, secluded and far away from the grand capital, could compare to this level of workmanship and construction. He’d not set foot in the city since he was a young child and an attempt on his life frightened his parents so terribly that they forced him to grow up at their summer home.

“Eren... Eren?” Levi pauses, trying to get the attention of the prince, rolling his eyes. “Eren!”

“W-what?” The boy breaths out, finally snapping out of his thoughts and turning to face his companion.

“Pay attention, keep your head here on earth. We approach. I don’t find it likely, but there could be killers lying in wait. Stay close to me, and keep that useless fucking sword of yours at the ready.” Levi urges his steed forward as Eren replies to him affirmatively and follows. The boy quietly undoes a few of the straps attaching his great sword to his horse’s side, so he could pull it free with ease if need be. Levi had always hated the damn thing, usually asking Eren why he didn’t just settle for a battleaxe if such a large weapon was what he sought to master. Truth be told, the prince found the battleaxe much too heavy, but at risk of looking weak, settled for the two-handed sword instead.

“What will happen when we get to the gates?” Eren asks the knight after another moment of silence between them.

“I suppose you’ll be greeted and paraded off to the palace,” Levi surmises, taking a chance to glance back at his lover. He was sure the boy would be offended at the thought, but the man didn’t think Eren looked very princely at all, or noble for that matter. His chocolate brown hair was mussed from sleep, and though Levi could have fixed it when he’d woken the prince up, he couldn’t bring himself to. The messy bed head simply suited the boy’s features too well. Under Eren’s eyes were purple tones, on his cheeks and nose were reds and pinks. “I love you, Eren.” He says, voice flat, before he turns back ahead.

Eren finds himself laughing a bit at the sudden sentiment, smile now over taking his face. “I love you too,” he responds brightly, and picks up his pace slightly to ride beside Levi rather than behind him. “So what excuse are we going to use to get you to sleep in my chambers with me?” he asks, now with a flirtatious tone.

“I’m sure you’ll come up with something,” the older man assures him, shaking his head with a softness in his eyes, amused.

“What about when I get married? Will I have to have a room with her?” Eren goes on, flirtation falling out of his tone and turning to annoyance and worry.

“You will.”

“Ugh!” The boy groans dramatically, “I don’t want to.”

“Stop being so ridiculous Eren. You are going to be nice to this woman and she is going to bear your children-” Eren makes a face, “whether you like it or not. After you pop a couple of the brats out and they grow up, you can retire early.”

“Aren’t you jealous? Something? You’re so blasé about the whole thing.”

“Jealous? Why the fuck would I be jealous? I always knew this was going to happen. Unlike you, I don’t have little fantasies about escaping fate.”

“But I have to have sex with her and stuff, she’ll be my wife.”

“Eren, I’m not really worried about it. You like getting fucked in the ass too much t-”

“Shut up!” The brunette interrupts, his whole face a tone redder. This only causes Levi to let a quick laugh fall from his lips. Eren is about to say something else, but the older man’s face turns stoic again as he spies a figure not too far a distance in front of them. He holds up one hand to the prince, indicating that he should remain silent, while his other hand reached for the hilt of his sword, resting in wait.

After a minute more of walking, Levi recognizes the man’s garb. Thin steel plating, what seemed to be blue fastenings, a helmet with cloth covering the neck. From this distance it was difficult to tell, but the shield on his arm depicted the two winged symbol he knows well. “It’s a city guard.” He tells Eren, despite looking just as ready for combat as the moment before.

“That makes sense, you know, since we’re near the city and all.” Eren quips back, wishing Levi wouldn’t worry quite so much. He squeezes his horse’s flanks with his legs to encourage him to move quicker, and heads at the figure, leaving Levi behind.

“Fucking brat.” Levi grumbled, watching him for a brief moment before picking up his own pace.

“Hello!” Eren greets the man, steering his horse to trot around him in circles, since he was now close enough. The animal seems to have a much fun as its rider, shaking its mane and nickering at the stranger. The guardsman looks up at the young man in annoyance, not wishing to pestered by a kid. Then he looks back ahead to see the boy’s companion coming closer as well. Something about that man seemed familiar to him, the steelness of his gaze, and in that instant, he realized who he was dealing with.

“Prince Eren!” He gasps, before immediately bowing deep. “It is an honor! And Sir Ackerman, an honor as well!”

Eren smiles and stops his horse, tilting his head down briefly in greeting. “Please rise,” He asks first before continuing, “were you warned of our coming?”

The man nods quickly and rises, looking up to the prince. “I was, your royal highness. All of the outlying guardsmen were.” He waves his arm back slowly, gesturing to the many watch towers. “I am to lead you into the city. If you would follow me.” He turns and heads straight for gates, his posture impecable.

“Of course,” Eren says, before setting his animal to follow after the stranger.

Levi follows them at a slower pace, his eyes watching the wind brush through the grass that surrounded the city. He was relatively assured there would be no issues between here and the gate, he had no anxiousness about it in his stomach, and elected to trust his gut. It didn’t often fail him. As a result he relaxes quite easily and removes his hand from the hilt of his left sword.

They arrived first at a grand watch tower, towering above the earth. Eren stared up at in wonder before he began to hear the hollering and cheering of the other guardsmen, “The Prince has returned!”

“His Royal Highness is here!”

“All grown up now, eh Prince Eren?”

With a grin, Eren sets his horse into a gallop, riding in circles near the tower, and waving at the men to encourage them. It’s not very long before he stands up in his saddle, showing off as the horse continues at a quick speed. The men hoot louder for the prince, and after a few circles Eren leans down deep in his saddle before speeding off straight to the capital, going as fast as his horse will take him. The guardsman that was supposed to be leading them to the gate watches in horror, mouth falling open. “Prince Eren!” He calls out as Levi’s horse walks up beside him. “Wait!”

“Don’t bother. He’s hopeless. He doesn’t listen.” The knight states with a shrug, before then continuing towards the gate, still following at that slower pace. At least Eren wasn’t going to be hit with any arrows at that speed, he figured.

The hooves of Eren’s mount clomped onto cobblestone, for now they were only a few yards away from the main gate. It seemed to grow in size as he rode closer, and Eren found himself in awe of the sheer mass. He is forced to stop before long, at risk of running right into the wooden door. Two men stood on either side of the gate, and more, he assumed, stood at their posts within the walls. Both were dressed in much the same armour as the other men Eren had seen thus far: the uniform of the City Guard. But he recognized some minor differences. Their weapons for example. Rather than swords and shields, these men had long spears. Gatekeepers then, Eren figures, though he supposes he could have deduced that simply on the fact they were standing in front of the gate.

“State your name and business, ser,” The man on the right ordered idly, flask in one hand, spear in the other. Eren just grins, dismounting from his steed and doing his best to look princely, strong, and cool for lack of a better term.

“I am the Crown Prince, and I’m returning home.” He announces.

The gatekeeper drops his flask.

The city was larger than any of Eren’s books could accurately describe, and much larger than Eren had ever imagined. He felt like like an ant in a colony, hundreds of them weaving in and out of each other’s paths to go about their daily tasks in relative harmony. Until the announcement was made, that is, interrupting the rhythm of the populace. It began with the long call of a trumpet horn. The deafening clear tone bounced off the stone walls and throughout the main square. It was followed immediately by a piercing silence. All attention was directed to the source of the sound, and then onto the boy on his horse. Quite suddenly, Eren found himself with hundreds of eyes directed at him. He had never seen this many people before and stared back at them like a corned deer.

“Hear ye! Men and women of Capitol City!” There was a poignant pause, “Your Prince has returned!”

Even on a dreary day like this, the city was so alive.

The cheering erupted, and the citizens swarmed at Eren. If he’d not been atop his horse, he’d have been trampled. Levi quickly moves his own horse in step with prince’s, to offer him some more protection in the sea of citizens. When Eren turns to look at him, seemingly overwhelmed, Levi just lays his hand on Eren’s leg.

“Welcome home, my prince.”

“Mother! Father!” Eren calls as he finally arrives at the courtyard of the palace. His two parents are standing there in all of their regalia, waiting for their son to reach them. On his father’s side stood Kenny Ackerman, Levi’s uncle and sworn sword to the King. On the other stood Mikasa Ackerman, sworn to the Queen.

Eren hops down from his horse and hurries up to them, his mother embracing him first, and then his father following close behind. Grisha keeps his son tightly in his arms for a long moment, glad to see him brought home safely. He looks over Eren’s shoulder to Levi as the knight had also dismounted and approached, following behind his liege and nodding at his uncle and cousin. “Thank you Levi.” Eren’s father tells him, voice genuine. The stoic man only nods in response.

The King then wraps his arm around his son’s shoulder and leads him up the steps of the palace, chatting quietly as their shoes click against the stone. The Ackermans fall not far behind them.

“You’ve grown so much since we saw you last, Eren,” the King begins, his wife nodding and smiling at the boy before she pitches in herself;

“You must have gone through quite the growth spurt, oh, I remember when you were just a toddler, running around with Mikasa. Happier times.” Her voice is sweet, like song birds. Eren doesn’t mention that perhaps she wouldn’t be so surprised by his growth if she had visited him more often. His father was busy sure, but the Queen? Why didn’t she move to the estate to live with her only child?

“Happier times indeed.” The King agrees, voice becoming a bit solemn.

Eren has vague memories of the palace, and they bubble to the surface as he enters through the doors. The inhabitants of the palace bustled a bit themselves, but more quietly, and with much more flair than the city outside. Each time they pass a servant, they are bowed to deeply, but Eren quickly asks the people to rise each time, a bit embarrassed and thinking it was unnecessary. This was their home too after all, they had better things to do than follow him around, or to be bowing and curtsying at the mere sight of him.

The walls were familiar, and so was the large center staircase that gleamed in the light of the main hall. He stepped away from his father’s embrace to approach it. “Our rooms are up here, aren’t they?” He turns to meet his father’s gaze before looking back up.” I remember something like that…” Eren furrows his brows a bit as he speaks, thinking.

“They are, son. I’m happy you remember,” his father acknowledges, a warmth to his words. Mikasa steps past the King then to approach Eren and pulls him into her own embrace.

“I missed you very much Eren. I’m glad you’re home.” She mumbles softly, her voice had always been rather soft, especially in comparison to Eren’s boisterous one. The brunette smiles and squeezes her against him.

“Yeah, me too. It’s pretty lame having no friends other than grumpy pants over there.” He jokes, gesturing to Levi, who just rolls his eyes in response.

The rest of the family seems a bit surprised at his casual manner and language, his mother speaking up as he lets go of Mikasa. “Eren, dear, mind your manners.”

“Oh please, Levi doesn’t care. He talks way worse than I do half the time, he-”

“Eren.” Grisha interrupts him, tone final and effective at shutting up his son. A moment of silence passes, and Eren doesn’t feel very much at home.

“Ah, whatever...” He just mumbles before heading up the stairs at a brisk pace.

Levi bows slightly to both the King and the Queen before following after Eren, only pausing once to pat Mikasa’s back gently, since he didn’t have the opportunity to greet her properly. Once the two men are a good distance down the hall, and Levi has caught up to Eren a fair bit, he speaks.

“Going to have a temper tantrum over such a stupid thing?” Levi inquires.

“No. No! Shut up Levi, leave me alone.” The prince huffs, trying to remember his way outside to the back of the palace where the gardens were. The way out was down this hallway, he was sure.

“I’m sorry my prince, but I cannot leave you alone,” he tells him, in a matter of fact tone. “Where are you going? Do you have any clue?”

The brunette groans this time and stops, turning to glare at Levi with fierce turquoise eyes. “I don’t know. I don’t remember how to get to the garden. Show me.”

“With pleasure,” Levi says simply before beginning to walk again at a leisurely pace, guiding Eren to the palace gardens. As the prince follows his lover, he takes the time to gaze at the paintings, sculptures, and other works of art that adorned the halls. The Jaeger Estate itself was rather extravagant, sure, but this was truly something to behold. Still, Eren’s downturned mood didn’t allow for much amazement, and he isn’t too impressed in his current state as a result.

“Here, Eren.” Levi points out, before stopping in front of a large glass paned door and swinging it open for him. Eren steps through and is once again greeted by the same gray but rainless sky. “A shame it won't brighten up, your skin looks pretty in the sunlight.” The knight adds.

“Pretty?”

“Yes. I’m trying to cheer you up. You look a lot better when you’re all smiley,” The older man explains with a shrug, having since stepped outside with him, now leaning on the door they had come through. Eren appreciates the attempt and gives his lover a weak smile.

“Thanks for trying, but I feel about as terrible as the sky looks.”

“That’s alright. The sky will change, and I’m betting on sun tomorrow.”

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