Souls Of Sorrow || 𝐸𝑟𝑒𝑛 𝐽𝑎𝑒𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑋 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟

Chapter 31 - Eren

-

"Hey, get back here!" Historia calls out as she chases two boys running through the tall, yellowed grass of the large estate.

I stand with Armin and Jean against the fence as we watch the other three run around. A couple cattle stand in the open field, grazing without a care in the world. It's been two months since Historia's been crowned, and since then she's been putting her status as royalty on the back burner. She used one of the nobles' confiscated properties as an orphanage, which she's been putting all her time into.

The rest of the squad is helping out around the property, carrying crates of food and necessities for the kids while trying to avoid getting roped into playing with them.

"Nice palace," Jean grunts, crossing his arms over his chest, watching as Historia catches up to the boys and grabs their shirts, all three wearing wide smiles.

Armin lets out a breath of amusement as he nods in agreement. "Yeah, she's not exactly regal."

"Well it's only been two months since she was crowned. Still, seems like she'd rather run an orphanage than a kingdom." Jean mutters.

Armin smiles faintly in response. "Have you heard the name people came up with for her? They call her the 'Cattle Farming Goddess.' I think it's a term of endearment."

Jean scoffs lightly. "Ain't the first time she's been called a goddess." He then looks over at me, a stupid, shit-eating grin on his face. "You know, if this keeps up, no one is gonna remember the dolt who plugged up the wall in Trost."

I don't give him the satisfaction of a reaction, my expression staying neutral. "This is part of why Historia decided to become queen in the first place. So she could do all this."

"Do what?" Armin raises a brow, glancing at me.

"She went from the underground to the edge of the walls," I reply, "and saved all the orphans and needy she could find. She even got the Captain into it, since he grew up underground." Saying that, my eyes drift over to where Y/n is standing, holding an impossibly heavy crate above her head like it weighs nothing as she pulls a child tugging at Sasha's ponytail off. She never offers up any information about her past, and I don't pry, yet I've guessed as much that she lied about where she was from.

She's really been leaning into her role as her father's second in command, taking on lots of additional responsibility, even obtaining a new title herself.

"Slacking off, are you?" Historia says, interrupting my thoughts as she approaches us, hands on her hips. "It's getting dark, you know."

She points at some of the supplies needed to be brought and we all move to grab something. Jean and Armin walk ahead, muttering between themselves.

Historia and I walk side by side, a few feet behind the other two. She was right, the sun is starting to set behind the horizon, casting and orange tint over the landscape.

"So, you're practicing your crystal hardening. I hear it's going well," she says, adjusting the crate she's holding.

"It is." I reply evenly. "But we need to hurry, before they come back."

She nods slightly, turning her gaze forward. "What would you do, if you found Reiner and Berthold? Had to face them again."

I don't really have to think about it. Honestly, I hate the fact that I don't. It's not like a have much of a choice in the matter anyway. "I guess I would have to kill them." I reply, my tone level.