MY LOVELY WAR DOLL

THE PRINCESS'S LETTER

Leidenschaftlich

Department of the Army

"Excuse me." One man's voice could be heard. A man who looked of superiority turned in his leather chair, and wore a kind expression. Of course, this was out of respect. "Would you like a drink?" The man in the chair asked. Now, this was more than a man in a chair. This was Darius Zackley. He was a slightly pudgy man, with white hair and a beard, and glasses worn over his eyes. He was age stricken, hence his wrinkles around his eyes. Just as he picked up a drinking glass, the other man's voice spoke. "No, thank you." "Oho, alright." Darius put the glass down and sat back in his seat. "So, you're no longer in the military anymore and you're actually a civilian business owner for now, I see. I hear business is thriving for you." Erwin sat in the seat in front of the him, looking worn out. "Yes, it is. Thank you." "But..." Darius began. "What will happen if another war were to break out?" "You mean with the North?" Erwin asked. "Precisely. Amoung some of the Northern alliance countries that are lead by the Gardarik Empire, there are forces who oppose to the peace agreement." Darius finished. Erwin's expression grew grim as he let this information run through his head. "I'm sure you're familiar with Drossel's published love letters?" Darius asked. "Drossel was one of us if I recall, a member of the Southern Union." "That's right, Drossel and Fluegel. A happy marriage between two forces who were once enemies. It was basically a symbolic gesture to tell the surrounding countries that the war was over." Erwin understood where Darius was going with this. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"President, I'll be going now." "{Y/n}, I know this is going to be a difficult job, but you've gained a lot of experience in the past few months. So have confidence in yourself."

In the Kingdom of Drossel

{Y/n} walked through the busy and bustling kingdom that would be very well known as Drossel, whilst being escorted to the palace by the royal guards who met with her earlier at a small dock, where a ferry man boated her to. "This is the royal palace." The guard adressed, as they both reached the gate. He saluted to the other guard, and the other did the same.  {Y/n} instinctively bowed, but felt she should correct herself and salute. "Good luck." "Huh?" "On writing your letter." The blonde said to her. She nodded and walked through a garden path, which eventually led her to the entrance of the gargantuan castle like building before her, though it was really just a mansion for the royals. 

"We have a visitor." The Court Lady of the mansion announced. "From the CH Postal Company." She stopped with {Y/n} before the majesty's bedroom door. "She's here to request your audience, Princess Mina Carolina Drossel, Miss {Y/n} {L/n}." As though on cue, {Y/n} curtsied. "I am please to make your acquaintance. If it is your wish, I will travel anywhere to meet you. Automemoires Doll, {Y/n} {L/n} at your service, ma'am." {Y/n} finished introducing herself. However, the door to the majesty's room remained shut. The Court Lady's patience grew thin, and ordered the door by the guard to be opened. "Princess?" She called for her, entering the room. She looked around and eventually laid her eyes on the butler at the end of the room, seemingly guarding the door to the sleeping quarters of where the Princess resided in. That didn't stop the madam. The door was abruptly opened, and the Court Lady's booming heels entered the room, along with {Y/n}'s more graceful steps. "Princess, I'm sure that I told you about this meeting the other day." The madam spoke towards the closed red satin curtains of the queen sized canopy bed. "What...? Is it the Doll?" A groggy, yet clear and feminine, voice could be heard from behind the curtains of the bed. {Y/n}, again, introduced herself with a curtsy. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance. Automemoires Doll, {Y/n} {L/n}, at your service." Just as she finished, the maid drew back the curtains, revealing the Princess who was in fetal position hugging one out of many pillows. Her black pigtail braids were drawn over her shoulders, and her gray eyes looked over to the two for only a second before looking away shyly. "I'm Princess Mina Carolina Drossel. I'm set to marry the prince of Fluegel, Marco Bott Fluegel, from our neighboring country. You'll be writing the public love letter for me." Princess Mina introduced. "Princess." The madam called out to her. Princess Mina, with a slight head movement, looked at the Court Lady. "Your elegant speech is completely ruined by that appearance." The madam clapped and suddenly five maids walked in with clothes for her royalty. {Y/n} stood there, unphased and emotionless to the scene of the maids dressing the princess before her. If anything, she was in slight awe at the speed of their work. They also did her hair and make-up, and sprayed her chest once with perfume. To finish it all off, they slipped on the Princess's heels swiftly yet elegantly. She had a slender figure with light, fair skin. She was of average height for a girl her age, which was in her early teens. She also had thick black hair that extended past her shoulders, and was parted in the middle. The dress the five maids had put her in went all the way down to her feet, and the outer layer of her dress was a pastel blue, whilst the inner layer was white. The torso of the dress hugged her just right, allowing the sleeves to rolls off her shoulders. "The public love letters purpose is to express your love for one another as beautifully as possible. You need to convince the public how extraordinary your marriage is." The Court Lady told the Princess. Once the Princess was finished being groomed, they stepped outside of her sleeping quarters and the princess sat on the pastel yellow leather couch in the outer room. "Doll, it all depends on your ability to write a letter." Princess Mina said to {Y/n}. "Yes, I am fully aware, I will not betray your expectations, your highness." Mina's brows creased together and she looked towards the ground. "It feels as though I'm not speaking to a human..." She brought her closed fan to her face. "You...really are a Doll." There was a pause. "T-Tell me, Doll. How old are you?" She asked. "I apologize, ma'am. Since I'm an orphan, I do not know my exact age. However, I have been told I am around 14 years of age." Mina looked regretful. "I'm sorry to hear that..." She apologized. "Will you accept my apology, Doll?" "Please, don't apologize. But, is there an issue with my age?" {Y/n} asked Mina. "N-No! I was only curious to know how others my age felt..." Mina was growing shy and flustered, and opened her fan to partially cover her face. "Um, how much of an age difference is suitable...do you think?" Mina asked. The Court Lady looked over to {Y/n}, curious as to what she'd say. "Suitable?" {Y/n} repeated questionably. "The Princess is asking whether you would feel romantically interested in him or not." {Y/n} looked back to the Princess, arms still neatly folded in front of her person. "I've never experienced romance before, but I have analyzed statistics based on literature from different places and eras. And, based on that knowledge, there have been many marriages with large age differences. It seems that in general, age is unable to determine love." "E-Even if he's 10 years older?" Mina asked. "She is wondering if that would be an issue for you." The madam addressed. "No, that will not be a problem." {Y/n} reassured the princess. "Even if there's no love?" Mina asked. The Court Lady peered over at Mina, with concern laced in her charcoal hues. "W-Well, what do you think?" Mina ushered. "Of love? It is also something I have been thinking about lately. Well, love and loveless marriages is a subject I lack understanding of, so I am unable to provide an answer for you." Mina visibly trembled from her seat. She shot up and pointed her fan at {Y/n}. "Then, what is the point of all this?! What life have you lived anyways?!" Mina asked out of a blown fuse. "We can barely have a decent conversation...at this rate, I'm more worried about your future than mine! Also, can you please change your facial expressions when you speak?!" "Please, wait just a moment, Princess." Faint clinking of metal was heard as {Y/n} raised her hands to her face and pulled at her cheeks, then cupped her cheeks and pushed them upwards to make a smile. Mina dropped her outstretched arm which held her fan in confusion, and defeat. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the Gazebo that resided in the middle of the lake garden, the Princess, the Court Lady, and {Y/n} had been working on the very first letter. "I finished writing it." {Y/n} said, handing the letter to Mina with both of her metal hands, who in turn gave the letter to the Court Lady. "To my dear Prince Marco Bott Fluegel. How would you feel if I told you, just simply saying your name out loud or even spelling it out on paper, has the ability to make my heart ache?" The madam read aloud. As she did so, Mina took a cookie off the triple platter snack tray. Mina glanced at {Y/n} curiously, who remained still as stone as she stared off into the distance. "In this kingdom of flowers, everything makes me think about you. And the more that I long for you, the more that I sigh. Like when I look up at the moon floating in the night sky, the crescent moon looks like a vibrant flower petal that is slowly falling to the ground. And then I think to myself, what do you think about when you see the same moon?" Once the Court Lady finished reading, she looked to Mina. "As instructed, she incorporated the Moon and the Flower." Mina found herself blushing at the letter, flustered by it's romanticism. "W-Wow, you're really good at writing love letters." Mina complimented {Y/n}. However, {Y/n} didn't respond. She had found herself deep in thought. "Helloooo?" Mina called out to her, breaking {Y/n} out of her trance. "Yes?" Mina deflatingly sighed at her. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back at the CH Postal Company, Erwin, Mikasa, Jean, and Connie where looking at the first published love letter written by {Y/n}. "Impressive...The two countries will be united soon. I'd say it's looking pretty good so far." Erwin said with a smile. "That's amazing...{Y/n} really wrote that?" Connie asked. "I almost can't believe it." Jean commented. "You got to admit though, this is great improvement. I can't believe she's made it this far." Erwin nodded in agreement. "I'm proud of her. Oh, that reminds me....please excuse me, I just remembered that I needed to make a phone call." He left the group of young adults and traveled all the way up to his office, took his seat, and dialed on the rotary phone. It rang on for long, he was sure no one was going to answer. Just as he was about to hang up, he heard a voice. "Hello?" Erwin spoke into the phone. "You called?" Levi's voice spoke through. "Yes, I wanted to talk you abo-" "About {Y/n}'s recent letter? I read it, and I have to say, I'm incredibly impressed." Erwin exhaled a short chuckle through his nose. "You're always a step ahead of me, I see." "As the one who is responsible for {Y/n}, I make sure to gather as much intel on her as possible." Levi said. "Say, Levi..." "What is it?" "When do you plan on seeing her? Or contacting her at least?" Levi paused for a moment. "I'm currently working out some things on my end specifically for her. Until then, I need her fostered there still. I know she can be a handful-" "Oh, no she's been very well behaved." Erwin interjected. "It's just...it's apparent that she misses you. There hasn't been a day where she hasn't asked about you. I think being away for this long without a visit, or a letter at least, will give her the impression that you're avoiding her." A sigh could be heard on Levi's end. "I know...but it'd be too soon. I mean...look at her work." In Levi's office at the Ackerman estate, he looked over the newspaper with the published love letter. He was truly in awe at how far {Y/n} had come. He couldn't help but give a small smile when reading it. "I can't intervene now. Just a little longer. That, or let her lose patience and come to me." Erwin's brows shot up. "You'd want that?" "Yes, and it'll be up to her to understand why I send her back if she does. I just hope she comes to the conclusion that I'm doing all this...out of love."