Orders | Levi Ackerman

75• A hidden tree and word

Mia marched down the halls. Her breath as heavy as each passing step. She clenched her fists, eyes narrowed on the door where the queen laid behind.

Her throat shook with an intensity to yell out every thought she possessed. Mia's mind failed to wrap around why Historia would lie about something as vital as the father of her baby. Especially when she said it was Eren's.

Mia brought her hand up to knock, scoffing when she realized just who stood behind the door she chose to be so civil towards.

With one raise of her leg, she kicked it back. Historia turned her cheek, having heard the footsteps of her dear sister from afar.

"Mia, is there something wrong?"

She narrowed her eyes, scowling at the nineteen year old who sat down — crown and all — with a pregnant stomach.

"Oh please, don't give me that bullshit-" Mia glanced at desk beside her, using one sweep of her arm to clear it off and act as a chair for her,"- You lied to me. Now spill it."

Leaning against the smooth wooden table, she glared at Historia. The queens lips quivered, if only her lie had been told to a naive child rather than to the woman before her.

She dropped her head, sighing. And when her eyes gazed upon Mia's, tears grazed her lashes.

"I know you don't care for me but...but," Her soft voice stopped when her attention flickered to the still, open door, "Can we talk somewhere else?"

Mia raised an eyebrow, her chest tight and uneasy from the anguish Historia displayed. She nodded, walking out the door as her sister waddles behind.

The hall never ended as the two caught the eyes of every person in the castle. It was a rare sight for them to be so near one another.

Historia, still, smiled at everyone, while Mia merely groaned. She prayed that they'd get to the outside gates soon, perhaps then she'd be able to laugh at the poor excuse she knew Historia would give her.

That's what she wished to believe. That whatever caused her sister a tear and anxiety of just who would listen, was nothing but Historia being her same old sensitive self.

As the sun bared down on their skin, Historia breathed in the warmth, grinning at how Mia failed to even notice the mornings light.

She was focused on a spot ahead of them. A spot she knew no one would hear them. The spot where she and Levi would run off to, in the days before they returned to wall Maria.

And as the memory flooded her head, the warmth was felt on her cheeks in the shade of pinks and reds.

Deep in a cavern of seven trees, sat one shorter tree. Mia looked up to the branches above, pointing upwards to Historia.

"Climb."

The queen sighed but knew her complaints to be worthless. Following after Mia, she sat upon a branch; three meters from the ground.

"Are you sure it's safe here?" She asked, fearing the vastness of the forest.

Mia turned to the trunk next to her, smiling at the words carved onto its bark.

L + M

And her grin only deepened as she read the words underneath it.

I, Levi Ackerman, did not condone Mia to carve that.

Mia nodded to Historia, allowing her smile to fall as her sisters shoulders dropped once more.

"I didn't want to lie, Mia, but I did it to protect you. I swear."

She raised an eyebrow, scoffing at her words, "Protect me from what?" Mia laughed,"If you can seriously tell me one thing that can legitimately hurt me, I'll believe you. How's that?"

Historia didn't tear her eyes away from Mia, though. But her voice strayed, as if the words she knew she needed to speak was as hurtful as the pain that would be caused by it.

"Eren, Mia. I wanted to protect you from Eren."

The girls smile crumbled, leaving only an uncertain stare behind. Mia shook her head, scoffing at Historia's words, but it wasn't as if she hadn't feared it herself.

"He's planning something, Mia. If you get involved with it...I don't know what will happen." Historia muttered, dropping her sorrowful gaze to the ground below.

Mia rolled her eyes, as if what Historia spoke was pure fiction. Even if her thoughts had dwelled on that prospect, Mia would never succumb. Eren was her best friend. She knew all there was to him and as did he.

"He's not planning anything. I would know, Historia. He's my best friend after all. I've known him since we could crawl."

But Historia was far from convinced. She shook her head, "Mia, you haven't seen him in four years. He's changed...everything has."

She shook her head, folding her arms against her chest. Mia groaned at her sisters attempt to waver her thoughts on Eren.

"Even if he has changed...he's not doing anything wrong...nor is he planning to. He wouldn't change that much."

But both of them could easily hear the disbelief in her own shrunken voice. Historia placed her hand on Mia's shoulder, squeezing it gently.

"Are you sure about that?"

Mia's stomach dropped at the question, fearing she couldn't answer it as confidently as she'd want. She narrowed her eyes at Historia, "Why would you even care what he does to me, Historia? You went as far as to lie about the father of your kid...so tell me. Tell me why."

She refused to remove her glare from her sisters face. Mia only narrowed her stare more as Historia's face fell.

Historia's eyes flickered to ground and back again. Her chest tightened but she calmed herself with a single, deep breath. She looked to Mia, brows furrowed and stern.

"Because you are the only person that can go against him, Mia, maybe even Armin too."

Historia turned her gaze away, and instead found her eyes pinned to the castle behind them. The castle that stood in the middle of Paradis island. Their home.

" but if he takes you...then we are all doomed."