The Tyrant of my Heart

The royal winter ball

in this chapter, 4 years have passed, forgive me if I slipped and put Eren as a "she".

The royal winter ball

4 years later

Early morning of a cold December day rose, no light was able to glisten through the finest golden silk drapes that decorated the window. A king sized bed stood against the wall with thick turquoise sheets with golden designs and a silk canopy closing in on the bed. A shima no older than 16 lay sleeping soundly after an exhausting christmas eve dinner the night before. His brown locks stretched elegantly passed to lay at his curved hips.

A light knock sounded at the door, but fell on deaf ears. A young hera came in dressed in princely white clothes with white gloves and black dress shoes. His black hair was short and his eyes a dark gray. He neared the bed a smirk at his lips as he went to lean in to the shima's ear., and sucking in a breath yelled, "EREN! WAKE UP!!!" Eren shrieked sitting up and shifting suddenly falling on the wooden floor. "Ow, ow, ow, ow!" Eren groaned standing up from the floor groaning and at seeing the one who woke him up, he frowned and ran to him angrily.

Eren jumped at him, hitting his chest as the Hera laughed and picked him up. "Stupid Mika! That wasn't funny!!! Let me down!!!" Eren yelled as he took the moment to pull on Mika as they both fell on the bed laughing. "After these 4 years you still don't wake up early", Mika laughed. "Oh shut up!" Eren laughed chucking a pillow at him. Mika stood as Eren stretched. "Hey, get out will you, can't you see a lady has to change?!" Eren yelled throwing yet another pillow at her adoptive brother. "You're anything, but lady like, Eren", Mika snorted as one of the shima maids came in to help Eren before he could retort back at Mika's comment.

Eren wore a red gown with a red bow keeping his hair together that had been curled from the ends. A long hooded robe was places on his shoulders to keep him warm from the winter weather. During winter, Eren always felt the most nostalgic. He remembered spending christmas at the orphanage and how sometimes the most you got for a present was a new toothbrush or blanket. He wondered if the kids were better off with the amount of money they had paid for him. He shook his head willing the memories away of such dark times as he descended towards the living room where his family waited. "Eren, my child, you finally join us", her father grinned as he grinned sheepishly guilty.

"My dear, it's time for you to open you gifts",his mother Yuki smiled sweetly. Eren leaned down first to a small red box with a white bow. "That's mine", Mika smiled as Eren began to unwrap it to see a necklace with a heart shaped locket and a matching ring all made of gold and encrusted in diamonds. "Mika...we've talked about this..." Eren sighed. "Gosh Eren. I know you don't like these sort of lavish gifts, but I want you to take them as a reminder that I love you", Mika smiled. Eren gave a sigh of defeat as Mika grinned helping her put the necklace and ring on. "I love them", Eren smiled hugging him. Eren then pulled his next gift that was from her parents, and it was a relatively large box.

Eren unwrapped it with care, and pulled out a gown that was as expensive as it looked. It was a gown in red with golden designs decorating the dress and rubies sprinkling the corset. Eren was shocked at such a beauty. "Mom...dad...it's breathtaking. Seriously, I can't take this", Eren looked down. "Eren, please take it as a gift for tonight", Yuki told him. He perked up. "What's tonight?" Eren asked. "My jewel, tonight is the royal prince's birthday ball. Since he will be 19 it will now be time for him to choose a bride. As the daughter of the Ackerman family who is the crown's right hand, if the prince is unable to choose a maiden of his liking you shall be his bride by the king's orders. He may even chose you before he realizes it", Damian grinned. "What?!" Both Eren and Mika yelled outraged.

"But father...m-marriage!? I'm not...suited to be an Ackerman much less a queen!!!" Eren tried persuading her father. It wasn't just that Eren didn't feel suited, but he was a hopeless romantic that believed in true love. Maybe this whole new life charade finally was coming with its consequences. Eren finally understood the cruelty of the world. The free were condemned to poverty, the rich condemned to be slaves to the crown. "Eren, it is of the greatest and highest honor that the king is offering us to have you set off to be with the prince", her father explained.