Coming for your heart

Chapter 13

Levi POV

"I will take my leave then, strange soldier.", the servant boy said, his dirty-blond hair hiding the upper part of his face, making it hard for Levi to see the expression in those eyes he had only caught a glimpse of a second before.

But just as the servant made to leave the general alone, he clumsily tripped over his own legs and just as he was bound to crash onto the floor, Levi caught him mid-air. He wrapped one arm around the boy's waist – who was taller than him, as he now noticed – and with the other he grabbed the upper arm of the servant.

"Watch where you're going, fucking brat.", he grumbled and didn't waste any time in holding the servant where he was. With a snort he helped the boy up who tumbled away from him, still avoiding his gaze like the plague.

"Thank you, strange soldier." The boy bowed although it seemed awfully forced and unnatural with his clenched fists and the head held much lower than needed. Levi wondered if the boy wanted to hide any ridiculous scar on his face.

Just as the boy was about to head off, going his way or whatever, Levi stopped him with his skeptical words.

"I haven't seen you around here before. Where are you from, servant?"

"I'm from Eldia."

"I fucking knew that, brat. Eldia is a huge, shitty kingdom."

The brat swallowed and Levi frowned when he took in the trembling in the other's fists. He had seen servants and soldiers tremble in fear of him when they knew they fucked up a task or if he hadn't been able to take a shit before training lessons.

But somehow this brat – even if he was just as ordinary as any other brat here – always managed to stand out since Levi had taken notice of him the first time in the throne room.

"I'm from some of the woods. I was raised there. I never got to know the forest's name.", the boy rasped now with Levi facing his back.

Levi was about to ask yet another question when they were interrupted by confident steps on the floor. The steps of a person Levi would know in the dark.

"What do you fucking want, Eyebrows? Still not able to handle your little recruits correctly by now?"

The man chuckled at the impolite way his subordinate was talking with him. Well, he should be familiar with it by now. After all Levi hadn't changed the way he expressed himself since he fucking learned to speak.

"Even though I can't see how it concerns you, I have my recruits under control. They seem to fear your wrath way more. My acquaintance with you should offer the answer to my question why that is."

"Ever thought about the possibility that they are just afraid of those bushy eyebrows over your eyeballs?"

Again, his superior only laughed at the cheeky comment.

"And here I thought the rain would dim your spirits. I have come to inform you of the planned meeting between some advisors of Queen Historia and King Grisha."

"He can't be fucking serious. Why should we invite the enemy to come and visit the one place they would need to destroy to win this god forsaken war?"

Sometimes Levi wondered if the king was plainly stupid and naïve or if he had any plan in that big and empty head of his. A plan he was yet too afraid to share with anyone but his closest advisors – or Erwin on that part.

"It is not our job to question the decisions of the king, Levi.", Eyebrows reminded him and Levi made a tsking noise. Only when he heard the nervous shuffling of feet behind him was he reminded of the brat standing there, listening to their every word.