From Marley, with Love.

Chapter 46: Honour

Rosanna sat in front of the mirror in her dress whites, the rare female uniform existed out of a long beige or white A-line skirt. A white blouse with a beige vest which was worn under a tailored beige coat. Rosanna ordered her coat to be slightly larger in the shoulders and sleeves for more comfort. She roughly combed through her hair to straighten out the wavy strands, she tried to recreate the tight bun she had worn as a teenager but her fingers had forgotten the movements. She sighed deeply and put her comb down, "Loose it is." She mumbled as she picked up two small silver combs. She brushed her long hair back and pinned it place with the two silver combs. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled satisfied with her reflection. She stood up and walked to her standing mirror, she straightened out her tie and smoothed her skirt. "Vanity..." she murmured to herself, she raised an eyebrow at her reflection before grinning and sticking her tongue out to herself. "Oh well... I am allowed to be." She scuffled around her room, looking for her boots. She found them and carefully stepped into them. She grabbed her keys and a small bag before sauntering out the door, locking it behind her.

Reiner stared at himself in the mirror, absentmindedly brushing the peach fuzz on his cheeks and jaws with his palm. He looked out of the small bathroom to the dress whites stalled out on his chair. "I don't wanna go..." He groaned. Reiner had had trouble falling asleep ever since he returned to the island. Images of a black shadow rushing towards him with a spear like object haunted him, the heat, the explosions. He grimaced, "God damnit, why did I have to make it back?" he murmured, staring at himself in the mirror. He hated the man that looked back at him with such hatred, the man that was fragmented and burst into tiny pieces. "Who am I right now?" he stared at his hands, "Am I him? Am I the other one?" he inhaled sharply and felt tears stream down his face. He grinned, "No...no, not now." he wiped the tears away, turning on the tap and washing his face. "You need to be a vice captain now..." he thought about Pieck and Porco, "They depend on you..." he lathered some soap in his hands and spread a generous amount on his cheeks and jaw. Skilfully he shaved, wiping the residue away before combing his hair. He scuffled out of the small bathroom, pulling on his uniform trousers and blouse before plopping down on the chair, looking out the window. He spotted a group of officer's saunter to HQ, Reiner smiled when he saw a familiar silhouette toddle after them. He stood up from his chair and walked to the window. He saw the two silver combs in Rosanna's hair light up in the dim sunlight. He smiled, "I'll see you soon." He whispered before grabbing his vest and coat, he shrugged himself into it. Shivering. He had to get it altered.

"Here you go." Rosanna said to Pieck, handing the girl a cup of coffee. "They really invited all of Liberio to this honouring." Pieck remarked, curiously looking around. "Only the higher officers and honour soldiers and their families." Rosanna said as she spotted Mrs Braun and Mr Leonhart. "Come with me, I'd like to greet them." Rosanna said. Pieck nodded and took her coffee with her to the corner where the two older people were chatting. Karina Braun looked up as soon as she saw Pieck and the doctor approach. She smiled politely and turned towards them, extending her hand to Rosanna. "Miss Bauer, it is a pleasure to see you again!" Rosanna smiled politely, gently shaking her hand before turning to Mr Leonhart. The man had become sterner than before, Rosanna thought back to when she had first heard about Annie's disappearance. But despite his stern demeanour, the man extended his hand. "Doctor. Good to see you returned in one piece." He greeted her. Rosanna smiled in return shaking his hand. "How have you been?" Rosanna asked, feeling concerned for the man. "Fine, fine. Old' leg has been a pain." He tapped his crutch on the floor, staring at his leg with a unplaceable expression. "Come by the clinic if you need." Rosanna wanted to offer, even though she did not work there anymore. "As your daughter's doctor I wouldn't mind helping you." She offered instead. Mr Leonhart grinned, shaking his head. "No, no. That is not necessary." He looked up at her, "Your uncle tried fixing it before, to no avail." He paused, "But thanks to him I can walk." He patted Rosanna's shoulder, "That healing gene probably runs in the family, ey?" Rosanna chuckled, "More or less, sir." Karina mixed into the conversation with a compliment of how well Pieck and Rosanna wore their uniforms. "Such a handsome young woman you have become, miss Bauer." Karina complimented the young woman. Rosanna blushed and felt slightly uncomfortable. She peered around the room, spotting Zeke sipping a cup of coffee. "Oh, excuse me!" She said to Mrs Braun before toddling off to Zeke. "Yeager! You clean up nicely!" Zeke hummed confused as he heard the familiar voice compliment him. He saw Rosanna halt abruptly with a ridiculous, goldfish expression on her face. Zeke sighed and put his cup down. "Close your mouth, you look like an idiot." He groaned. Rosanna chuckled mockingly. "Chief, your beard..." she said, pointing at Zeke's smooth chin. "I miscalculated when I was shaving, so I just took it all off." He reasoned. Rosanna clapped her hand in front of her mouth, her smiling eyes giving away her goofy mood. "Are you sure you're 26, sir?" she grinned. Zeke sighed, "Just say it... get it off your chest." He gave her permission to joke at his expense. "You look 18, Zeke." She snorted before sipping her coffee as a Marleyan officer walked past. "Yes... I know." Zeke murmured, fixing his tie before putting his hand on Rosanna's shoulder, "Be glad you look your age." He grinned at her, "That won't be good when I am 50..." Rosanna groaned. "If you will make it to see 50 that is..." Zeke half-smiled. Rosanna opened her mouth to hit him back with another age-related joke. But she realized it wouldn't make a difference, Zeke had four years left. And... somewhere she would miss him. A person she had known from childhood and she thought, Zeke understood her and she understood him. She looked up when she felt Pieck's hand on her shoulder. She smiled at the teen as she pointed out Zeke's missing beard. "Where's Reiner?" Rosanna thought as she looked around the room, she looked up when she spotted Magath pushing open the door to the great hall. "Rosanna, let's go!" Zeke called out over his shoulder. "But Reiner is late!" Rosanna replied. "He'll be okay! We need you for the ceremony!" he argued back. "Yeah... but..." she looked up when saw Reiner walk into the main hall. "Reiner!" She called out to him. Reiner lifted his hand to greet her, "Where were you? It's starting." Rosanna gently scolded him, she looked at his tie and tidied it. "Don't worry about me, Miss Bauer." He patted her shoulder, "It'll be okay."

There was a deafening silence in the great hall. All Eldians had seats on the ground floor, above them on the oaken balconies the Marleyan Brass stood. Rosanna stood in between to Pieck and Porco. Rosanna was fascinated by the formality of it all, the bowing, the kneeling and the formal speech. "Warrior Braun, for your good actions for our motherland of Marley, we honour you with the function of Vice captain." Magath said as he pinned the pin onto Reiner's uniform. Rosanna could see Porco's disapproving face, she sighed and gently nudged the boy to cheer up. Porco huffed at her before straightening his posture and shaking his bad demeanour. Pieck beamed proudly as Reiner saluted the commander before turning to Zeke and shaking his hand. Magath looked at Rosanna and gestured for her to come over. Confidently Rosanna stepped closer, Pieck and Porco following her. "Rosanna Bauer, shadow of the beast and healer of our warriors. Will you follow Vice captain Braun in all your honesty?" Rosanna raised her hand to pledge, "I will, to the best of my abilities." Reiner smiled slightly. "Will you heal and protect these warriors in this new budding chapter of our state?" Rosanna nodded, "I will to the best of my abilities." Reiner nodded and the two saluted each other before shaking hands. Magath nodded satisfied.

Zeke peeked from underneath his cap to Rosanna and Reiner. "So, Reiner, you choose that friendship over your good name?" he felt disappointment rise inside his chest. "Is one person worth more than our great nation?" he stopped himself and his raging thoughts. "Hang on... don't work yourself up, Yeager." he looked down at the ground, "Why are you so irritable? You aren't jealous, are you? Ha, jealous over a girl like that? At your age?" His eyes shot back up when he heard Rosanna speak to him. He looked surprised before half-smiling and saluting proudly, Rosanna responded with the same salute before shaking his hand. "Yes... yes maybe I am." He felt bitterness mingle with the faint feeling of warmness in his chest and stomach. Rosanna was the epitome of everything he was not. Warm, healing... honest. "What is honesty anyway? We all turn from it... reject it." Zeke shook himself out of his ruse when he heard the room go empty. He went outside for a smoke. Rosanna, a plague and a blessing. A girl who would taunt him for everything and anything, and on who would spar and heal when needed. "Maybe I was too strict with her back in the east." He reminisced. "Besides... she always worked better when no one was watching her." Zeke stomped out his cigarette. "Why not use that warmth to my benefit?" he thought about his mission. "She surely will find people who think the same..." he looked up when he heard the door open and close and a gangly boy walked out. "Sorry kid, no cigs for you." He deadpanned, he stopped abruptly when he recognized the boy. "Grice." He stood up straight to greet the boy. "Chief Yeager, the commander is asking after you." Zeke nodded, "I'll be right there."

"Don't worry, Bauer. Our time will come for us..."