The Empire of Titans Chapter 69 (An Angel and A Devil) (Patreon)

"...Historia?"

"Eren!" She gleefully holds up a basket of apples as if that explains everything. Bewildered eyes blink back at her.

"What are you doing out here?"

She kind of wants to smack him, too, for reacting this way. "Did something happen?" His eyes get marginally wider. "Or did you get hurt? Did someone-"

"Eren, no!" Heat climbs up her neck. "I'm just dropping by. You know."

If she doesn't feel out of place already, seeing Eren out of his uniform and in his usual shirt is driving it home, she absolutely shouldn't be loitering around here. She feels severely overdressed in her military uniform.

The surprise slowly melts off Eren's features, although traces of that trademark indignant concern remain in the furrow of his brows. The door opens wider with a creak.

As she steps into the comfort of her friend's home, she realizes she's never really been here before. Nearly only a dozen people are allowed to know about the dwellings of the Founding Titan's holder, and she—being his friend—is one of them. She's never had a chance to visit.

She had seen Eren for three years in the Training Corps and many times whenever they were in meetings but never in his house.

Despite that, familiarity with the softwood scent permeates the space. The inside is neat and airy, if a little bare. Eren stands awkwardly at the side, hand rubbing the back of his neck.

He has grown into his features well, she supposes. The ever-present grin that used to grace his lips has transformed into something neutral, at times melancholic. This Eren doesn't quite emanate the same surefire cockiness that he used to. Maybe she likes him like this, too, when his chin is dipped, and he's looking up at her through his lashes, shy and unsure.

She banishes that thought. Immediately.

He'd become much taller in the last year, more muscular, more built. She, however, has retained her cursed stature. More often than not, she finds herself craning her neck to be able to look him in the eyes.

"You have a nice house," she offers. Graceful as ever.

"It's nothing special," he says. "I'm not even here a lot. It's more of a rest stop than anything."

Historia's lungs bubble with laughter. It comes out as a giggle, soft staccato bursts, and it is giddy. Tension deflates from her shoulders, and she feels lightheadedness—the kind that pours hot liquid courage in your gut and makes you believe you can do just about anything.

So she gets up all in his face, looking to the world like a novice ballerina on her tallest tiptoes, and flashes a mischievous grin. "Aren't you just embarrassed that the Captain has so obviously influenced your lifestyle choices?"

Eren doesn't immediately respond. He blinks at her, and she can almost count his lashes from her position. Their noses would touch if she leaned in just a little more. The liquid courage simmers in her gut.

He inhales sharply, but her breathing is slower. Mouth tingling with something she cannot name, anticipation at the tip of her fingers. She feels warm everywhere.

If her eyes dare venture lower, she will recognize the ruby of his li-

Eren is the first to break the gaze, and the weird spell vanishes almost instantly.

"I hear the Captain's voice even when he's not around now," he jokes, though noticeably quieter. "He yells at me to scrape the floor and wipe the windows and threatens to strangle me in my sleep if there's so much as a speck of dust on them. I think I was traumatized."

Historia's grin dissolves into a polite smile. "Ah, that explains the lack of furniture," she teases. "So there's less to clean."

"There's no food too," he quips. "I hope you don't mind settling for those apples. I didn't exactly expect you to visit my humble abode. If I'd known, I would've prepared a feast Sasha would envy."

She rolls her eyes at his dramatics. "Well, you shouldn't throw around empty promises like that. I'm going to expect a feast next time."

He steers her to a spot in the room by the window. She settles the basket on the coffee table and jolts when he suddenly grabs her hand.

"What happened?" He examines the small spider webs on her hair.

"I got lost," she admits, cheeks warm. "Do you know what I went through to get here? I'll have cobwebs in my hair for days."

He pushes her down onto a chair, and the protests die in her throat when she sees the worry on his face. He often looks at her like that when he thinks she doesn't notice.

Eren silently picks out tangles of spider silk from her hair. His fingers are careful not to undo the bun, smoothing out any hair that accidentally gets loose.

She dares not lift a finger or say a word. The weird spell was back, and there was a burning under her skin, one that ached to hold him still and keep him there forever.

Disappointment, of course, is the only thing she's ever known.

"So," Eren starts. "Did you just come here to scold me for my lifestyle choices, Princess?"

He lets go of her hand to stand and sit on the opposite end of the table. Her fingers are cold where he left them.

"I would scold you more," she turns her body towards him in a meek attempt to distract herself.

"But Captain Levi's haunted you enough."

He finally reaches out, plucks an apple out of the woven basket, and peels the skin away.

They make idle talk about Mikasa and Annie, who apparently had started training together often. Annie would be in her Titan form, and Mikasa would try to cut her out; so far, Mikasa had yet to win against Titan Annie with ODM Gear, but the same couldn't be said for Levi, who won every time against Annie in her Titan form.

The place is not dilapidated but certainly aged. Everything is arranged in place; most things are pushed or hung against the wall, and the strange but pleasant mix of rain-soaked soil and pine persists in the air.

The window by the table is open to let the midday breeze in.

Sunshine pours into the room and carries the chirping of the birds with it. She wonders how many people have sat in the very same place she sits.

"Historia." She turned to face him. "There's something you should know." She leaned closer, but he didn't answer right away. Instead, he told her to walk outside with him.

.

"What is that you wanted to talk about?" Historia asked inquisitively, her voice carrying a tinge of curiosity and intrigue. As she walked side by side with Eren through the vast expanse of the emerald green fields, they basked in the mesmerizing scenery that surrounded them. The sun, painting the sky with vibrant hues of red, gradually dipped lower, casting a warm glow upon the mountains in the distance. A gentle breeze rustled through the tall grass. In the midst of this serene landscape, the wall stood tall and imposing, its once pristine white surface transformed into a mosaic of fiery red shades as the sun's rays danced upon its structure.

"You did well today; I'm glad you returned for us when you did. The way you fought for us, you were fearless. I liked that." Eren said with a smile that made her heart beat faster, her face flushed red like the sky above them.

"You're the only one who hated me when I'm being considerate. You told me yourself that you didn't like how I was as Krista." Historia reminded him, remembering when he said that he had found her old personality an annoyance.

"...I don't hate you."

"I know," Historia looks at him funny because she meant it as a joke.

"No, I—I never hated Krista either."

"Wait... really?"

Her eyes shimmer with childlike glee. She leans forward, eager, something wicked in her grin.

Eren looks bothered. "I already told you."

"I mean... you did seem like you hated Krista. Remember when you—"

"If you bring up the dinner incident again—"

"Everyone loved it when I brought them food! You were sneaking around every night to practice with the ODM gear, I thought it'd be nice if I spared you some dinner."

"You were sneaking around too."

"I wasn't! I was being careful in the dark. But you startled so bad when I tapped your shoulder that I spilled the soup all over your gear. You avoided me for a week!"

In the brief moment when she closed her eyes to laugh, she missed the way the corner of Eren's lips quirked upward ever so slightly.

When she opened them again, she found him staring still. "...Eren?"

"You left a portion for me and starved that night. You looked like you'd pass out at training the next morning," he says instead. "That's what got on my nerves."

She sobers. "Oh."

They stopped walking in front of a ranch; near them was a wooden fence. "When blood was injected from you, the way you would get sick. I hated seeing you like that. I wanted to make you feel better and take away whatever made you feel bad."

"I made my own decision." Historia reminded him, but she was touched to hear that Eren cared so much; he looked at her; his green eyes seemed brighter and more beautiful.

"I know, and I would have never taken that from you. You are brave, and I like that about you." Historia didn't know how, but she blushed even more; they had laid with one another, and she had seen him naked, yet, right now, she felt funny, like she was talking with Eren for the first time. He reached out, offering his hand to her; she smiled before accepting his hand, and their fingers intervened.

"You grew up on a farm like this one," Eren said solemnly as they walked across the wooden fence; they could see an old farmhouse in the distance. Historia nodded; she remembered a few things from her childhood, but not everything was clear yet. But one thing she knew, her mother had hated her existence, but not her sister, Frieda Reiss.

"Yes. My sister was the only good thing about my childhood. I don't remember everything from her, but I remember her visiting; she would get me to ride horses, and she would tell me tales of a girl who lived a long time ago. She would say this girl in the books was a lot like me." Historia answered melancholy; she usually tried to avoid talking about her past, but with Eren, she couldn't help but feel that she didn't need to hide anything, that she could tell him everything, and that he would understand her.

"Your sister was a good person, Historia. I'm sorry for what my father did to her." Eren apologized, but she quickly shook her head, much to his astonishment.

"No. All with Royal Blood that held the Founding Titan were enslaved by the King's will. Frieda died the moment she became the new ruler of the Walls. She was a slave, and I like to believe that she's free now. I know is foolish, but I always like to think that she's watching over me, and taking care of me." Historia said with a dreamy look on her face. Eren looked at her as they kept walking near the fence.

"I like to believe that too; those that are no more are watching over us; as long as we keep living and don't forget who we are, then their sacrifices will mean something," Eren said, melancholy. Historia nodded with a smile, her grip around his hand tightening even more.

"Historia. With Zeke in our custody, the Cart Titan and War Hammer Titan are the only ones that are still on the hands of the enemy. We both know your father will want to take back my Founding Titan. We will need to fight him, but you don't have to be part of this fight."

"Huh?" Historia looked up at him as he stepped forward towards her, his hands cupping her face.

"He is your father, I understand you would want him-" "No!" Historia shook her head as she reached up, gripping his hands that were still cupping her face.

"I would be a liar if I said that I don't want to meet him again; I want to; maybe I could convince him to join us. I don't know, but Eren. I would never choose him over you, Ymir, and Mikasa. You three are very important to me—especially you." Historia added with passion before closing the distance between the two; her lips moved against his. Unlike every other kiss, this one tasted sweet and was gentle, something Historia found herself liking more and more.

As they pulled away from the kiss, their foreheads touched. "Historia, there's something else I need to tell you."

"What is it?" Historia asked, her hand grasping his. She didn't know why but didn't want to let go of his hand.

"When the revolution happens, the Walls will need a new ruler."

"You want me to become Queen?" Historia questioned, not sounding surprised; she had already predicted as much; even Ymir had told her that would be the most likely outcome.

"Tell me. Do you want to become Queen? I want to hear from you. If you don't, then I will make sure to change their minds." Eren promised. Historia couldn't help but be touched once again by his words; it felt good to hear them from him.

"Well, I never saw myself becoming a Queen, but if you are my King, then I wouldn't mind." Eren was a little taken by surprise before smiling adorably, especially the way his emerald eyes glittered; she felt like she could look at them her whole life.

"Are you proposing to me, my Queen?" Eren teased, kissing her cheek lovingly.

"I might be." Historia said with a cute giggle escaping her lips.

"What about the others? Mikasa? Annie? Ymir?"

"I don't want Us to not be with them. I will always want Ymir, Mikasa, and probably Sasha."

"You know about me and Sasha?" Eren questioned; he was sure that no one had heard them.

"You two weren't as quiet as you think," Historia said with a cute giggle. Eren blushed slightly, but he still remembered what she said.

"How do you think this will work?"

"Don't worry, Eren. We will be King and Queen; you can just marry them too." Eren was sure the church wouldn't be too happy about it, but it was not like he ever respected their opinions.

"I see, but there's something else I need to tell you." Historia quickly noticed the change in his tone; he suddenly sounded more serious, and she knew this was important.

"What?"

"When I punched Zeke when we were in our Titan Forms, My Founding Titan's power activated—" Historia's eyes widened as Eren told her a few things that she wasn't expecting, including why he could feel electricity whenever the Semi Titan Shifters transformed, except for her, Mikasa and Armin.

"Not your Spinal Fluid?" Historia questioned, but more like stating the obvious.

"Yes. The Syringes that Captain Levi, Mike, and Ian took were made from your blood and my Spinal Fluid; that's why I can feel it whenever they transformed. The Attack Titan can create an army of Semi Titan Shifters; the more he creates, the more powerful he becomes, and the chances of controlling them grow the more powerful the holder of the Attack Titan is." Eren explained, remembering the first time Captain Levi attacked them in his Titan Form. He had almost killed Ymir, and Eren remembered himself shouting for him to stop; that had been enough to force Levi into stopping for a few seconds.

Eren hadn't thought much of it back then, but now it all made sense. He had the ability to control them whenever they were in Titan form, but Eren refused to acknowledge that ability. He would never take away the freedom of those he considered friends. It disgusted him, just the thought of using that.

"That's why I don't feel it when you, Mikasa and Armin turn into Semi Titan Shifters. Because the syringes used on you were the three made by my father with his Spinal Fluid."

"But you didn't look any different?"

"Huh?"

"You said that with every Semi Titan Shifter created, your Titan grows a little stronger, but your Titan looks the same." Historia pointed out that for anyone else, it would be concerning to hear that Eren had so much power, but not for Historia; she knew in her heart that he would never try to control his friends and that in his heart. He only wants the best for them.

"The Founder Ymir kept the existence of Semi Titan Shifters a secret. When we were in the Paths, she made contact with me and unlocked the ability for my Titan to grow stronger with each Semi Titan Shifter created." Eren explained, but not bringing up what else she had told him, especially about the existence of the Curse of Ymir and why there were always only three Blessed Eldians for one century. No more, No less. '

Now - Three Days After Capturing Zeke

Shimmering sunlight shone near the headquarters of the Scouts in the late afternoon. It was just another day of cleaning, training, and experimenting. A muscular but short man wearing his usual cleaning necessities was dusting the bookshelves and washing the floor of any grim with a godly speed with the same godly level of quality in one of the larger unused rooms of the headquarters. While the small Captain was tending to shining the floor, Sasha and Jean entered the room after knocking.

"Captain, a message from the commander we are to meet near the entrance in fifteen minutes, Sir," came Jean. Annoyance flashed on Levi's face as this was the tenth time in three days he was interrupted while facing his worst enemy, bacteria. Levi quickly forgot his annoyance as it was odd for Erwin to announce for everyone to meet when the trial for The Monkey Titan would happen four days later, and their plan to install Eren and Historia as King and Queen would start that day.

"Understood, Kristein, oh, and Braus, hand me that bag." Sasha was quick to react. She quickly started shaking her head, terrified as she knew her Captain had found out. It was just then that Sasha's bag began to tear a hole in the bottom corner due to the weight of what was in it. Just that second, loaves of bread and small sacks of potatoes began spilling out of her bag onto the floor, which was still dirty by Levi's standards even after polishing there several times already.

"Gyah! Sasha seriously, you can't keep pulling this crap!" Jean was already done and used to Sasha's antics. Jean would have continued, but a death glare from his corporal sent him quickly picking up the fallen food and dragging a terrified Sasha out the door in a panic. Finally, peace, and only ten more minutes left for Levi to finish cleaning.

After seven minutes of cleaning the room, it was quite satisfying. Every corner gleamed with shine. No grim or dust could be seen. Levi left his room to change into the rest of his uniform, putting on his jacket and cloak with the wings of freedom symbol on the back and adjusting to the straps of his ODM gear. About a minute and a half left, he was nearing the entrance. There, he saw Erwin, Hange, Springer, Braus, Kristein, Historia, Ymir, Leonhart, and the rest of the scouts were there. The only ones missing except for himself were the three brats of Shinganshina, Arlet, Ackerman, and Jeager. When he arrived, he headed straight for Erwin. He could hear the sound of the three brats behind him running to the meeting point.

"Hey Erwin, what's with this meet up?" Erwin glanced up from his discussion with Hange and Mike.

"Levi, you just on time. I had just received a letter from Nile that there is a special squad the MPs have formed, and they want to introduce them to us; they'll be staying here for a few days." This left Levi to scoff at what an obviously stupid idea this was, and a special squad of MPs that's new MPs are usually lazy pigs feeding off on tax. Everyone thought the same when they heard about this and thought this was a total waste of time.

Right then, on time, sounds of horses galloping could be heard. At the front was Nile Dokk leading a small group of weirdly dressed people who weren't in uniform but in odd armor. It was weird. Nile was the first to stop and greet Erwin. He started introducing the people behind him. Two stood out to Levi the most: a woman with blonde hair and a tall man with his hat hiding his face, which seemed very familiar to Levi. Instead of the normal ODM gear, they were armed with guns, useless against Titans but perfect for humans; who were these people? Nile introduced them as the Anti-personnel Control Squad, the blonde woman's name being Traute Caven.

"And this is Kenny; he is the squad leader he will be," was all Nile got to say before he was interrupted by Levi himself and Kenny engaging in a battle where Levi's own ODM gear was drawn and was being blocked by Kenny's.

"KENNY!" was all Levi shouted before retreating back where the shocked faces of the 104th cadets, although blades drawn. They wore confused expressions directed towards their Captain. Erwin commanded Levi to stop while Nile did the same to Kenny. Both commanders were shocked and confused over what had just happened. Levi wore a dark expression, directing it toward the Military Police Commander.

"Oi! Commander of the MP idiots! What possessed you to recruit this guy? Were you that desperate to recruit a serial killer? The infamous Kenny the Ripper, the one who has slit the throats of you unicorned bimbo-wed idiots!" Letting Levi's insults slide, Nile sighed while everyone had faces of realization of why their Captain was acting so strange; this man was dangerous. Hange did a background whistle to applaud Levi's chosen language.

"This was not a decision from me but the King himself, so if you have a problem, talk to the king," Nile spoke aloud.

"Tch, i see you MPs are as lazy as always," muttered Levi as he cursed his life.

"Fine," Levi finally gave in. He began to make his way towards Erwin, blades still drawn. That was when Kenny chose to speak.

"You've sure grown up, Levi, but too bad you still act like the same brat I meant all those years ago; your height says that, too." Oh God, all the others were thinking this would quickly turn into a blood bath. Everyone was ready to act, but no one dared to yet before observing their corporal's next course of action to this guy.

Levi slowly approached Kenny with a murderous glint in his eyes. His ODM blades had already retreated into his gear, and Levi began running towards Kenny. Out of his sleeve, a small knife appeared on each of Levi's arms, which helped block both of the guns aimed at him from Kenny. Metal scraped metal. Levi suddenly brought his knee up to kick Kenny in the place where every man was surely hurt. A large sound of metal shattering could be heard, and Kenny cursed at how much the kick hurt.

"And to think that this time I am wearing a metal shield there so it would protect me from your kicks, Levi!" was all Kenny said, wincing from the pain.

"But didn't I ever teach you not to let your guard down even if your opponent is hurt, BRAT!" Kenny screamed while he aimed a shot at Levi with his gun. However, before the trigger was pulled, Erwin used his 3D Manoeuvre gear's claw to push away the gun out of Kenny's hand.

"Stand down the both of you! I will not tolerate such violence right now!"

"I'm sorry. This is just the way we like to introduce ourselves, isn't that right, Levi?" Kenny questioned with a wide grin.

And it is not like my gun would activate harm him, Kenny wanted to say but kept his words to himself. He didn't want to make it clear that he knew Levi could turn into an ugly motherfucker Titan; his gun was aimed at Levi's arm, and while it would hurt like a bitch, he knew it wouldn't kill the brat, and he would just grow back the bloody thing like a lizard.

"Yes, last time you broke my finger." Levi said with a murderous look. Kenny grinned in triumph before his eyes landed briefly on Eren Yeager's eyes.

Well, I'm doing my part, Eren Yeager; let's see if you are truly a man of your word, Kenny thought with a growing grin, knowing soon he would have what he wanted.