Glass Heart- Cinderella AU[Ereri/Riren]

~Chapter 10~

(A few hours earlier)

L

As I start riding to the Karanes district I touch my still burning neck. Why did I get so flustered about the talk of Eren... I keep riding until I can't see the village behind me anymore. I managed to get flustered from a boy I met only today. Still, he does give me this weird feeling in my stomach. Levi stop! We are looking for Eren from the ball not the Jaeger boy.

Karanes is so far away.... I can't believe I'm chasing this maiden so far, any normal person would turn around and give up... but I can't. If I'm going to have to wed a maiden in this kingdom I want it to be her. Everyone was acting very weird this morning. I start to think about what Hanji said. 

"So you're saying... you believe... there are two Erens, one female and one male. Twins.... live on opposite sides of the Kingdom.... and she came all the way here for a ball to then head out and leave her birds with her brother"
"Yes? Did you not hear me? Well, I was thinking, I have this"

It did sound very stupid now that I think about it. But I know what I saw. There was a maiden there that night and I fell in love with her. She is the one. But I also think of Eren at the same time. He looked identical to her and the way he acts when I'm around is adorable. I'm conflicted between two people who look uncannily similar. Twins... on the other side of the Kingdom? Why am I even listening to him. I knew he was lying... I just want to see Eren again...

"Nothing I was just thinking, oh, I've been practicing my magic!" 
"You still do that? What have you been able to do?" 
"Oh... I've done... changing animals into other animals, animals into humans, gender changes, clothing changes, etc." 
"You've had your hands full then..?"

Wait... gender potions...I get an image of Eren from the party in my head and a picture of the jaeger boy. Brown hair... green eyes... same height.... it's him....

The jaeger boy is the maiden from the party... but... how? How is it... was it a potion from Hanji? Her magic? It just all makes sense with how he acts.

Eren Jaeger is the maiden I fell in love with that night 

I slow my horse down. It all makes sense. The birds, the running away after I came to his home... it all makes sense now. It's Eren, and to honest... I'm not mad about it. He is very sweet and I find him very attractive... He reminds me of her...

Turning around on my horse I speed up. I'm going to find Eren and tell him I love him. Hopefully he feels the same otherwise this whole fiasco was stupid and highly embarrassing. But... why would he send me away to the Karanes district if he felt the same? Shame? Embarrassment? Did he think I wouldn't have accepted him? Well... I will. I am going to accept him. Hanji was right, I'm really slow, how didn't I see this before? Eren must have been relieved that I didn't see but now I do....

The forest comes into view and I start to think about how Eren acted the night of the ball, why did Hanji give him a spell to be a girl. Could he not go as a boy...? Maybe it was his step mothers doing? I mean it Is technically up to her whether he goes or not but... apparently he works as a maid for his... own family? Weird

As I get closer to the village I see the market. I see Eren! I speed the horse up but he walks away after looking at the clock. Time is really against me is it not? I jump off my horse and run after him. "Levi?" I turn around to see Hanji staring at me with wide eyes. 

"Where is Eren going?" I say in  hurry. She gasps.

"Why?"

"I know now! I need to find Eren, the one from the ball. And I do believe he went that way, now, is he going home?" Hanji looks at me with a huge smile on her face.

"Yes! He went straight home! GO!" I nod and start  running in the direction I walked in when Eren took me to Hanji earlier on today.  I start running. a smile starting to make its way onto my face. She... I mean he... has been with me all day. I carry on running and passing villagers look at me wide eyed. I mean it's not everyday you see the Prince of Trost comes running through your village. I hear footsteps behind me and I look to see Hanji running after me. I raise my eyebrow and she shouts out.

"Pretend I'm not here! I just have to see this!" I sigh as I turn back around, I can't really be mad at her right now and I just keep running. I reach the Jaegers house and I hear the door slam. I hear shouting and then screaming. What is going on?! I hear another door slam and i hide behind a bush. Eren's step mother walks out with a shining object in her hand... It is the slipper! I go to stand up but i hear banging on a window. I look up to see Eren in the attic room banging on the window. It's 100% certain Eren is the girl i met now... Tears start to flow down his face and i feel my heat break. I hear a gasp and see Hanji next to me with wide eyes.

"The other slipper!" She whisper shouts. I pull her down and i see Eren leave the window. I see the woman examine the slipper in her hands and the front door flies open and Eren comes rushing out with a boy holding the key to what I assume was the attic. 

"Please! Don't!" I get up from behind the bush and start slowly making my way over but they don't notice me.
"Why would you care? It's a shoe! How dare you go to the ball?!?" Yup it's him.
"Please! It's all I have left to remind me!"
"Well, it's time to forget it" I see her throw the shoe at the wall next to me. I run and grab they shoe just before it hits the floor. Eren drops to the floor and starts crying. Obviously confused from not hearing a smash he looks up at the area i'm standing with teary eyes and I feel my heart break again. His eyes go wide and he jumps and gasps. His step mother turns around and looks to see why the slipper didn't smash to be met with my angry glare. Her eyes resemble fear. I strut over to Eren after knocking into his step mother not so accidentally. Armin and Mikasa fly next to me as I reach down to Eren, offering a hand.