The Empire's Sun (Attack on Titan Royal AU) |HIATUS|

Chapter 16: The Trial

"I believe we do not have the right to decide without Duke Sterling. They are his people after all." the Duke of House Auclair said.

"Are you saying we are too inadequate to decide for ourselves?" Duke Heroux said as he raised an eyebrow.

"That is not what I am implying."

"Well, it sounds like that. Do you have any idea how heavily injured those two men are?" Duke Heroux asked "They fought a beast. A monster. And it is my duty to kill him, to eliminate any threat to the empire. I do believe that Duke Sterling's opinion of this issue is the same as me. It's what we do after all."

"The meeting is about to start. Please settle to your respective seats everyone, we are to begin shortly." the emperor's aide announced.

The council made up of the most powerful families in the empire are all present. They were told of the situation, and each give an opinion on what they should do.

Some says kill them right away.

Others said to try to study this beast.

Some voiced their concerns for Duke Sterling saying what if the girl is a beast as well?

The meeting went for quite some time. And they have come to a unanimous decision that this animal alongside the other two who came from the Kingdom of Eldia be given the death penalty. At once.

Clyde woke up midday with his body sore all over. It was his first time experiencing this kind of injuries and his first time seeing someone like Eren. How long did Eren have that ability? Where they trying to trick them? Who would send them anyway? Were they hired or was it their own volition? Armin and Mikasa. What about them?

He then rebuked himself. This is Eren he is talking about, they are the people he was been with for the last two years, he built friendship with them. There is no point of having these useless thoughts its not like he can answer them by himself. He'll just have to ask them directly once they meet again. That's right.

WAIT?!

Where the heck are they?

It all happened in broad daylight, on an incredibly crowded place there is no way the news would not reach the Imperial Palace. And if it did reach the palace then the trio is as good as dead, he had to quickly send a letter to the Duke. He is the only one who can save them,

but will he do it?

It was already sundown when the trio were called back to the throne room. They were met with the Emperor sitting on his throne, the council standing on either side of the room while knights formed a circle around them as they were led in the center of the throne room. This is definitely what it looks like. We are doomed, Armin thought.

These people have already made a decision, Eren was seen as a threat and so are the two of them. He knows he had to step up. After spending hours in the library trying to study their ways of living in here he should be able to do something to not let them get killed, or to buy some time for them. He trusts Clyde and Curtis as well, they are probably planning something. He feels ashamed to keep on relying to them for help but there is no other way.

As soon as the Emperor's aide finished reading the decision made by the council, Armin knelt down to the emperor.

"Your Majesty, I am Armin Arlert, I beg of you to grant me permission to defend ourselves."

"Why should I?" the Emperor said, "Isn't it enough proof that you and your friends are nothing more than dangerous existence."

"Indeed it is true that my friend Eren was the one who attacked several people at the festival and among them are Clyde and Curtis from House Sterling. But our immediate execution is not the right course of action for you to do." Armin replied.