The Royal Decree (Erwin x Levi)

Chapter 1

By the Decree of His Royal Majesty, the King,

to restore the balance of lives lost in relation to lives given,

by expanding the human population within the Walls,

all unmarried individuals over the age of eighteen

are to be wed within the next month to their partner of choice.

If they fail to find a suitable partner, such a partner will be assigned to them by the government.

Those who have not yet reached the age of eighteen may marry voluntarily

or expect to be married by the end of the first month after they reach maturity.

Divorce is henceforth outlawed and punishable by death
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A week had passed since the fateful Royal Decree had been delivered to every soldier in the Corps who was of age, and ever since that day, things had not been going well. Hanji had been hysterical the entire time, more concerned for Levi's well-being than they're impending fate of being married to some Garrison Corps idiot. Jaeger had just walked around looking miserably relieved that he still had some time before he would have to drag either Ackerman or Arlert to the altar. Kirschtein had spent three days punching walls and grunting at people; and overall, the entire castle had been a mess. Levi himself had isolated the thought of the Decree in the darkest recesses of his mind and tried to return to normal life. However, when summons had arrived from Erwin to see him at the headquarters, he had felt a short burst of elation at the idea of getting away from the chaos that was now Squad Levi.

He was now questioning his sanity, having thought that summons from Erwin meant something good. Levi stared at his Commander, his mouth half-open in a gape, as his mind tried to process what the man had just said.

“You want me to do what?”

“Marry me,” Erwin said, looking unruffled by the tone of disbelief and slight disgust in Levi’s voice. “You know this is the best way out, we both know it.

“The fuck it is!”

"You can't marry a girl, you're a bearer; which means they will give you to some Military Police captain, or worse yet, some royal cousin, and you would never see the light of day again," Erwin said grimly, and Levi shuddered inwardly. His so-called biological capabilities had been a secret since day one to everyone but a few select people in the know. The fact that now the Royal Family was sticking its noses in all of their records was troublesome. If they found out, Levi would either be sent off to a breeding house or forced to marry some vile official – and considering the fact that the Survey Corps had been gaining popularity among the people, those close to the government in Sina ached to get their hands on either of the two of them.

“So, you’re saying this is for my own good?”

“Exactly. Mine, too, really. I don’t fancy myself being married off someone who… who has no idea what it is like,” Erwin finished lamely. Levi understood, though – there was no way Erwin would be able to share his experience in the Survey Corps with some ignorant little girl from Wall Sina. Erwin was a very vocal person, he tended to over-share, and therefore he needed someone who would get what he was talking about.

Levi shook his head.

"This is absolutely insane. The King will never sanction our marriage. He is not a total idiot. He knows we don't like him. And he doesn't like us either."

"That would be an understatement. At this point, I believe the entire Survey Corps is ready to take a blade to the whole Royal family. And, probably, vice-versa. Alas, there is nothing we can do, until we gain sufficient power, our hands are tied." Erwin sighed, leaning forward onto the tabletop. "Look, if the idea is so repulsive to you, then forget about it. For some reason, I thought that you would agree to this. I was clearly wrong. You are dismissed, Corporal."