Yesterday's Enemy [AoT]

NINETY-ONE

'One of the greatest conflicts of our small world is near. Aksel Briggs, the enraged anarchist, against Lorelai Bervik, the pretentious politician. The word 'showdown' is most often reserved for storybooks. However, their's, I believe, is one that will go down in history.'

-An extract from a recent newspaper article detailing current events.

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NINETY-ONE

Wall Maria, South Region, Port Noaks, Noaks Survey Corps Base of Operations

"What?" Levi demanded. "He's coming here? When?"

Erwin sighed, beckoning the both of them to take a seat at his desk. He looked to Lorelai, she barely even seemed afraid; whatever was happening, she had expected it.

"What happened, Erwin?" she asked.

He handed her a newspaper. It had arrived from the North this afternoon; the news was currently circulating all across the Walls.

Briggs' face was plastered on the front page; it was the same wrinkled sneer that haunted Lorelai's dreams. His stare bore into her from the page. It was just ink— and yet she couldn't stop her hands from shaking.

The headline stole Lorelai's attention. Emboldened at the top of the page, it read: 'Briggs makes declaration of war. One thousand Anti-Havasians to march on Port Noaks.'

He'd given a grand speech upon the steps of his manor in Islet earlier. Thousands upon thousands of his supporters had been in attendance. They had all rallied under one goal: eradicate Havas and all remnants of it. It was a frightening threat.

"What do we do?" Levi looked down.

The worst-case scenario has come to light. Those angry Anti-Havasians would march here and engage all-out war with Lorelai's people.

Those she loved would be slaughtered, put to the gallows, or strung up as a symbol. Peace would be lost; Lorelai must play her hand now or forever live with the consequences.

This was it— the final problem. Briggs had created an ultimatum, a way to force her to face him.

There would be no sneaking about or strategising now. This was it. Every piece on the board had surrounded her, Lorelai was mere moments away from defeat.

Her only move was to play right into Briggs' hands. It was the only way. Levi and Erwin might suggest a dozen ways to avoid this conflict, but Lorelai's mind was resolved.

Only one question remained.

Did she have the courage to relinquish a lifetime of lies for one final stand?

There was only one answer: she must.

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Levi watched Lorelai over the next few days, and he was sure of just one thing: he had no idea what was going through her head.

It was like a switch had turned in Lorelai, she was no longer the over-the-top and cheery woman he had come to know. Lorelai, in the next few days, thought only of the coming conflict.

She would spend long nights planning, writing hundreds of pages, and engaging in ceaseless correspondence.

Levi could tell the end was nigh. He could also tell Lorelai had some sort of plan. But whatever it was, she seemed to discard the necessity to share it with him.