The Queen's Guard

Chapter 29

After only a few minutes, around thirty to forty five minutes, a pack of horses had been prepared at the gates of Wall Sina, it was quite a sight to see people on horses, bearing the quite rare and unused wings of freedom emblem on horseback once again. News of the titan had not yet spread but rumors were spiraling around. 

"What's happening?" asked one gentleman to his partner. "Its not everyday we see the old Survey Corps emblem here in Sina." 

"Hm, I'm not sure as well- hold on- what is the prince doing?" she replied as she pointed to the quite dazzling sight of the newly made Prince Eren walking towards the front of the line of horses. 

"Oh, I must say he looks divine," commented the gentleman. 

His partner only hummed in agreement as she was too busy staring at the young prince. She had never seen him up close but based on what her sister in Wall Maria says, he used to be part of the old Levi squad and was quite a looker. 

Eren quickly walked to the front, wearing his old survey corps uniform and cape, which didn't fit him as he had grown larger but still. He did not really noticing the two passerby's as he was lazer focused on the mission at hand. He approached Armin, who was busy fixing his steed. 

"Hey Armin," said Eren. 

"Hm?" hummed Armin, turning towards Eren. "Yes, Eren? What is it?" 

"Are we ready?" asked Eren. 

"Yes, Prince Eren, we're ready," replied Armin, he was supposed to bow but Eren immediately grabbed him up in a firm embrace. "Urkh!" was all the sound he could make as he was in it. 

"Stop it with all the Prince Eren nonsense, I'm still Eren to you and should always be." 

"If only Mikasa was here, if only she'd understand, I wonder where she is," muttered Armin as they broke the embrace. 

"Somewhere safe, I hope," said Eren. "Now, come on, we've got a mission to finish." 

Whispers were heard from the crowd, Eren turned and silently groaned as he saw Historia approach him, wearing a uniform with a horse ready. This time, it had caused a reaction from the people around as they saw their queen in uniform approaching the prince. 

"Historia, no," said Eren firmly. "No, No, definitely not, you will not go and you must not go." 

"I want to go as well, dearest," she cried. "I miss the adrenaline rushing through my veins. The feeling of the wind in my hair, how I miss it." 

"Historia, you are a queen and a monarch of thousands of people here," said Eren. "Losing you would wound the national morale and bring Paradis to ruin, let me remind you that there aren't any royalty left." 

"Please Eren, what about my sake?" 

"No," said Eren firmly. "I cannot, for that reason and one more, I cannot lose you Historia. I've already lost Mikasa and I cannot lose you as well. Please, for my sake, stay, and if not mine, them, your people, they need a queen." 

Historia sighed and looked at the people. She sighed once more, but suddenly, she captured Eren's lips in a deep kiss, much to the shock of the people and the soldiers around them who had not known about this. Eren deepened the kiss, not minding the reactions around them. After a few seconds, they broke it off and looked at each other's eyes, both glimmering like the brightest of stars in the night sky. 

"Now please, Tori, for me," whispered Eren. "Go." 

Historia nodded and moved back and out of Eren's view. Many of the crowd around them were still processing what they had just seen. The queen, one of the greatest bachelorettes, had just kissed Prince Eren of Marley, a wanted bachelor for many females around the walls. Eren took a breath before riding his horse. 

"Soldiers of Paradis!" he cried out to the riders. "Be ready now, we ride to a mission of great importance, the lives of the people within the walls depend on our success and we will succeed!" 

The soldiers screamed, their cries echoing through the streets, the screams were not of pain but of ecstasy, as the feeling of adrenaline flowed through their veins as it did many years ago. The soldiers brought out their blades, the ringing sound feeling of old returning, and raised it to the skies. 

"Ride now! To victory!" he exclaimed. "Forth soldiers of Paradis!" 

He whipped the reins and motioned his steed, and so forth it ran, forwards towards the opening of the gate. The Garrison soldiers, hearing his voice actually felt the adrenaline from there and felt as if even opening the gate was a great honor. The army continued on, the sounds of galloping rising through the streets, people within the walls gathered once more as the familiar sounds of clip-clopping reverberated through the streets. 

"Have the Survey corps returned?" asked an old man walking through the streets. 

"Seems so..." came the soft whisper of a young woman who watched them. The old man looked at the woman, she looked quite familiar. 

"Have I seen you before, madame?" he asked. "You seem familiar. I have seen you before, haven't I?" 

She faced the gentleman, her red scarf on her neck as she smiled. Her eyes were red, red as blood. "No, we haven't sir, I just saw someone of interest in the crowd." 

The horses galloped through Wall Rose easily and soon passed through Wall Maria, making a small pass through Shinganshina, to where they made a pass through the statue of Erwin Smith with his hand in an eternal salute. As they passed, the soldiers nodded and bowed in his honor but did not stop riding. They passed through the walls and exited to the grassy fields. 

"Keep your eyes open!" cried Eren. "The jaw titan is near, I feel it." 

"Groups, break now!" bellowed Eren. "Keep distance, we'll cover all sides to attack, should we find him. Armin, lead the left wing with four and I shall lead the rest." 

They didn't need to as they heard a loud agonizing screech echo through the trees. 

RAAAAAWWWWRRRGGGHHHHH

And so they saw it, the jaw titan, running towards them. It ran on all fours, though it no longer seemed thin as Eren suspected it would be from the starvation. He suspected that he must have eaten the people in the villages or maybe the soldiers. It was large and had a large jaw, it looked as if it was made of bone but it was of titan hardening material, almost unbreakable but still had its weaknesses as Zeke says. While it looked powerful, Eren had a plan, but proper timing was needed. 

"Surround him and do not fear!" screamed Eren, bringing them the flame of hope. 

The screams of the creed echoed through the fields, as one cry rang as one. It echoed like a cannon, bang! The shining sound, like gold in fire. Shinzou wo Sasageyo was the ancient creed of the Scouts and it reverberated once again in the heat of battle. Dedicate your hearts. It seemed like the ghost of Erwin Smith had possessed them, no fear was in their eyes and they did not waver. 

"My soldiers, rage! My soldiers, scream! My soldiers, fight!" came the bellow, though no one knew from who it came from. It seemed that Erwin cried out to them in that very field, he spoke and the soldiers knew it was him, it brought a rare smile to Levi and a brighter one to Hanji in that small moment. 

One loud cry echoed as it begun, the sounds of gas and ropes of gear, mechanical and loud, released the once familiar echoed as history once repeated as the sounds of the maneuver gear was heard once more. And so began another day for the survey corps, the battle against the Jaw Titan. 

Part II coming soon, you know what to do. 

---FINISHED MARCH 28, 2021 WITH 1535 WORDS---