The Royal Guard | A.A

11

The pair of them had sat out on the balcony all night, Y/n curled up in her cozy blanket, completely engrossed in Armin's book. Her eyes followed the words on the page as if under a spell, oblivious to everything else around her. Meanwhile, Armin leaned back against the cushions, his own book held loosely in one hand as he stared off into the distance. They completely lost track of time and before they knew it, the first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon. They weren't awake to see the sunrise, they hadn't even realised they had fallen asleep, still sitting there on the balcony, lost in their own worlds of literature until sleep crept up on them.

The warmth of the sun spread across their faces, pulling them out of slumber. In the distance, they could hear the familiar voices of Jean and Connie, exchanging hushed whispers as they plotted how best to rouse the two sleeping in front of them. The golden light flooded their eyes as they blinked them open, illuminating their surroundings in a soft glow.

Y/n's eyes darted towards the balcony door, noticing the figures of Jean and Connie standing there. Her mind filled with questions as to why they were here, but before she could voice them, Armin looked towards them and asked about their unexpected appearance in their room. The morning breeze carrying the scent of freshly cut grass, mingling with the sound of distant chatter from the city below. Y/n took a deep breath, her heart beating faster with anticipation for what was to come. The guards never came into her room, what was so important they actually entered?

"We apologise, Princess Y/n. We did knock, a few times actually, but when there was no answer, we got worried. Especially after last night" Jean started, feeling awkward for welcoming himself into the Princesses chambers uninvited.

"yeah, we were worried. But it's nice to see you were just ignoring us so you could sleep some more" Connie adds, laughing at the way hes found one of his best friends and the Princess.

Armin blushes at Connie's comment, before saying "Okay... but that doesn't explain why you are actually both here?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot" Connie laughs, before being cut of to Jean.

"Connie, that's enough. This is supposed to be serious. The king told us to come and get you Armin, there is a meeting scheduled and he wants you to join" Jean informs the group.

For the past 6 weeks since Armin had joined the ranks of the Royal Guard, there hadn't been a single meeting. The silence was between the four of them was deafening, and Armin couldn't help but wonder why the sudden meeting. But his thoughts were interrupted quickly by the events of last night, how could he even forget that? The peaceful distraction he set up for the two of them last night clearly worked, a little to well. The attempted abduction must have caused this sudden change in routine. As he stands up from his position on the sofa, he begins to talk to Jean and Connie. "Okay, well I just need to get dressed then I can meet you guys down there. But I assume the Princess isn't supposed to be left alone right now, what has been put in place if I'm not here?" He asks the two. Even the thought of her being alone in her chambers for a short while fills him with anxiety.

When the first two trespassers had come for Y/n, but he had not been there to witness it. Now, as he saw it happen right before his eyes, a rush of primal, protective energy surged through him. His muscles had tensed and his jaw clenched as he watched the threat unfold. In that moment, he felt possessive of the Princess, as if whoever was attempting to take her was doing it specifically to spite him. But deep down, he knew it was not true. This was just one more attempt on her life by those who wanted to abduct her for god knows what reason.

"Mikasa will be standing in for you, there's no need to worry. She will be here shortly to keep the Princess company whilst you're in the meeting with us."

Armin gives a curt nod of acknowledgment before heading into his room to prepare for the upcoming meeting. He carefully selects his outfit, wanting to make a good impression on the important attendees. As he finishes getting ready, he glances out onto the balcony and sees Y/n still sitting there, lost in thought with an anxious expression on her face. Armin can sense her nerves from across the room and lets out a small sigh before walking over to join her. He takes a seat beside her and places a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"There's no need to be scared, Princess," he says gently. "Mikasa is more than capable of protecting you should anything happen." Armin knows firsthand just how skilled Mikasa is at defending someone, having witnessed her fierce determination in protecting Eren during the trios time together. In fact, she may even be more capable than Armin himself, if he were being honest.

Y/n wasn't doubting Mikasa's abilities to protect her. That was never the issue. It was the fact that Y/n had always struggled with placing too much trust in the Royal Guards. That is, until Armin came into her life. In the last 6 weeks, they had become inseparable, attached at the hip like two halves of a whole. As she prepared for him to leave for the pressumably lengthy meeting, Y/n couldn't help but wonder how long Armin would be gone this time. It wasn't Mikasa's ability to protect her that concerned her - it was the thought of trusting someone other than Armin. Her trust issues ran deep and plagued her every day. After recent events where even her own father had betrayed her trust in him, Y/n found it difficult to fully rely on anyone else. So, it was no surprise that the thought of Armin leaving for an extended period of time left her feeling anxious and unsettled. She couldn't quite understand where this newfound trust in Armin had come from, but it probably was due to the 6 weeks full of forced proximity and him saving her single-handedly last night. He had placed his own head infront of the gun when it was pointed at her, how could she ever doubt him? As soon as Levi and Jean interveened, Armin's sole focus shifted on Y/n's well being, he didn't even care what happened to he man after they arriveed. He didn't hesitate to return to her side once the initial threat had passed, showing just how much he cared about her well-being above all else. And now she was to be without him for god knows how long the meeting was to last. It could be hours.

A sudden knock at the door jolted her out of her thoughts. She assumed it was Mikasa, coming to take over Armin's position so he could leave for the meeting. Armin stood up and gently rubbed her shoulder, his touch providing a sense of comfort in the midst of her chaotic racing thoughts. "I'll be back as soon as I can, Princess. I promise," he reassured her before dropping his hand and heading towards the door. His footsteps echoed on the wooden floor as he made his way out of the room, leaving behind a faint scent of sandalwood. As he closed the door behind him, she could hear the muffled sounds of voices and bustling activity outside. The room suddenly felt empty without his presence, and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of longing for his company. But she knew he had important duties to attend to, and she trusted that he would return to her side soon enough.