The Art of War and Love

Chapter 7: What is the Next Step?

We arrived back to the keep that night, after an all-day flight; as soon as we changed back into human form, everyone rushed away to explain to everyone what had taken place. Jean rushed to the troops to see what plans were put on hold just in case everything went fine and there was to be peace over our lands, Mikasa went to talk to mom and report to her everything that happen. Leaving only me and Armin standing together in my room.

"Armin," I sighed taking a step towards my little sitting area in my room, "tell me what you really think of the plan the tigers presented us." I looked at the window trying to replay the events in my head over and over to see if this is something that might really work, or just throw our people into another rift of hate and dark times.

Armin cleared his throat, "Well I would have to say what they are saying is true, with everything in place, with both strangers looking for peace that might be the best place to start. It is to show that our two kinds can live together and that the head of the houses are not to afraid to try make amends even after everything that has happened. It also helps that both of you are unmated," I flinched when he said that thinking of Thomas again.

For my kind our parents pick our mates, shortly after we are born, this is so we can grow up with one another and to be raised as ones guide, protector, and the trust between the two is strong. Thomas was a sparrow from a nice family, he had a few siblings he was close with and a proud mother and father. He had given me everything a mate was supposed to give to one another, he was closer to me than my friends and family sometimes. I shook my head pulling me from my dark thoughts of losing my first love.

I looked back up at Armin to see that he had realized his mistake, "It's alright Ar, I'm fine, that is all in the past the only thing we need to do is look towards the future." I said before he could even apologize.

Armin gave me a grim look before nodding, "if you say so..." He wasn't interlay convinced, but before he could continue with talking there was a knock on my door. I sighed not wanting to get up, "Come in," I called too tired to check who it was.

I thought it would have been Mikasa coming down to talk with us about what had happened that night but instead there in the door way stood my mother. She had on a simple green dress and her hazelnut hair dropping down around her shoulders, her eyes and face smiling at as she entered my room.

"Good afternoon boys," She greeted, closing the door behind her as she made her way deeper into my room, "I thought I would drop by to see how things are going with you two." She explained.

Both Armin and I were on our feet in an instant to greet my mother our face in confusion as to why she would come down to my room.

"Good afternoon, mom, and what do we own the pleasure to, with you visiting my room?" I said calmly, and try not to bother her about her health, and tell her to go back to laying down.

She took a seat in one of my open chairs across from us her green dress pooling around her, "Well I heard about what has happened on your trip to the mountains from Mikasa, but I haven't heard it from you, so I thought instead of waiting for you to come to me, that I would come down here to talk." She said with a smile, but a dangerous glint in her eye kind of set me on edge knowing that this talk could change at in an instant.

I tried to swallow past a lump in my throat that was forming and put on a smile for my mother, "Well Mikasa always loves adding extra details then there should be. What was it that she told you?"

"Well she told me there was a snake in my son's room, a cobra at that, and that he didn't try to bring attention to the matter till the last second." She smiled sweetly back, but her tone was a dangerous one.

I rubbed the back on my neck absent-mindedly and I mumbled back in a reply, "Yeah I guess that is kind of what happened." In an instant she was on her feet.

"EREN JAEGER! WHY DIDN'T YOU REPORT THIS TO ME WHEN YOU GOT BACK!" my mother said, her face with worry and anger mixed together.

Both Armin and I shrunk back at her outraged as she began to pace the length of my room, yelling and scolding at me for not telling her anything sooner, and leaving it to Mikasa to report everything back to her.

"M-Mom, it wasn't that I wasn't going to tell you," I started but quickly stopped when she turned to face me with fury in her eyes.

"It wasn't? Because it seems that way to me, something happened that put your life in jeopardy, but I had to hear it from Mikasa and not from you!" She said with a huff, her face turned soft as she made her way towards me and pulled me in for a hug, "I was worried when she said that there was a cobra in your room, I thought the worse since you didn't come and greet me." Her voice was soft but filled with pain and sorrow.

I returned her warm embraced, guilt setting after what she had said. She was only worried for her only son had was taken away from her just like her mate, "I'm sorry mom, I wasn't really thinking, I was weary from the long flight back, that I went straight to my room." I said pulling away from her embrace a little bit to look at my mother face, even though I was taller than her, I felt most of the time she was the tallest being ever with, and sometimes(Like right now) she was just as fragile as everyone else. I smiled at her, "There is nothing to worry about, I'll tell you what I told Mikasa, he just came to my room to talk with me about what had happened today, and why he wanted peace nothing more, nothing less." I gave her a peck on the cheek, "Now will you please return to your bed and rest for the day? We are worried about you."

"Eren." Her voice was sterner, "Now don't go treating me like a chick here, I am your mother as well as your queen, but I will return to my bed, one condition." She looked at me, "That you will give me a proper report on what you are going to do, and about what happened on the mountains."

I nodded, "Yes mother I will do that in the next few days when I know what is going to be happening."

She studied me for a moment to make sure I wasn't telling her a lie, "Alright Eren, I'm holding it to you, if you skip out on this I'm sending Jean and Mikasa for you pinfeathers." I nodded my face paling a little, "good boy, I'll head back now and let you two boys talk," She left, giving Armin and I a kiss on our cheeks.

I sighed sitting down once again relaxing as soon as my mom left the room, "Thanks for everything Ar, might as well hit the hay ourselves seeing as we are going to have a few hectic days ahead of us," I said casting him a look.

Armin himself look as tired as I felt he had dark circles underneath his baby blue eyes, making him look paler than usual. "We might as well try to catch some sleep while we still can, have a good day, and try not to stay up to much longer reading." I said with a smirk knowing the little blond will read any given time.

He blushed at what I said, "Yeah I think you are right, I'll try to come up with something that might help us, but end it here soon," He said, "Good day to you as well prince Eren, and have safe dreams." He walked out leaving me to my own peace, thinking over what had happened in my room, and what I have to tell my mother in the next few days.