♥︎ 𝑩𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚 ♥︎

Chapter eleven

Y/N determined that as long as she was in the castle, she would make the most of her time, which meant first and foremost assisting the Titan in his recovery.

Y/N sat in the chair next to the Titan's bed, adjusting her dress around her thighs. The beast's eyes were closed, allowing Y/N to examine his neck wound. It had been a few days since he'd rescued her from the wolves, and his wound had remained bandaged thanks to his relentless attention. It would take longer to recover, and it would almost certainly leave a scar. Y/N felt a wave of sorrow for the creature as she looked at him. Since growing up without a mother to shield him from a cruel father, he still had a lot of unseen wounds. It seemed inequitable that he now had a physical counterpart.

Y/N let out a sigh. It wouldn't help the Titan if she sat there feeling sorry for him. When Y/N looked around for something to do while he slept, she wasn't surprised to find so little in the way of entertainment. On the bedside table, there were no books. The art was all ripped up, and the furniture was in bad shape as well. "It looks like this? Well, I might have to make my own entertainment," Y/N thought.

She recited a few of her favorite lines from one of her favorite works softly. A midsummer's night dream. "Love can transpose to form and dignity. Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind."

The beast's deep voice joined hers, and they finished the verse in unison, much to her surprise. "And therefore is winged cupid painted blind."

With big eyes, Y/N looked over. The Titan didn't seem to be resting. He was looking back at her with an amused look on his face.

"You know, Pieck finger?" Y/N asked. She blushed when she realized her voice was full of disbelief. She now realized Eren had once been a human child, thanks to what Levi had told her. A prince from the human race. Even, she couldn't get over the fact that the creature on the bed in front of her seemed to have more distinction than the vast majority of the people in her village.

The titan shrugged his shoulders. He replied, "I had an expensive education."

An uncomfortable pause ensued. "Actually, my favorite play is Romeo and Juliet," Y/N eventually admitted.

"Why is it not surprising?" Eren answered, his eyes glinting with a smile.

"Sorry?" Y/N said, feigning offense.

"All the agony and longing and - " the titan shook dramatically. "There are far more interesting things to read."

"Like what?" Y/N said, raising an eyebrow. She threw down the challenge by crossing her arms.

Eren smiled. Then he began to push himself up. "Oh, no you don't!" Y/N said, reaching out to stop him.

Despite being wounded, the titan was much more powerful than Y/N. He swept her aside and climbed out of bed. He then slowly walked out of the room without saying anything. Y/N couldn't help but pursue.

Y/N was nearly overflowing with curiosity by the time they made it down the west wing's long corridor, around several corners, and up to one smaller staircase. The Titan had said nothing and had given no indication of where they were headed. He simply walked slowly, pausing to catch his breath now and then.

They finally came to a halt in front of a pair of grand doors that stood at least two stories tall and were intricately decorated with reliefs depicting different scenes. Y/N tried to make out some of the larger ones while standing next to Eren, but the Titan threw open the doors before she could. "You can start with a couple of things in here," he said.

Y/N gasped.

The most amazing thing she had ever seen was right in front of her. It was a library, after all. This wasn't just any library, though. This had to be France's largest and most opulent library. The ceiling soared over her, with shelves stacked high with books all the way to the top. One wall was dominated by a huge fireplace, with books strewn around the mantel. A wide window on another wall provided enough light for reading, but candles were lit throughout the chamber. Despite its enormous scale, the space was warm and inviting. Y/N took a look around at the several deep-cushioned chairs and imagined how relaxing it would be to curl up in one with a good book.