A Choice with Regrets [Levi Ackerman]

34

[Sina's POV]

It has been thirty days since I have heard from Levi. And thirty days feels like an eternity, and I'm afraid I will forget what his voice sounds like. I stared at this one book for a long time and had no interest in reading it because Levi would always reappear in my head. My heart still aches for him and everyone else, wondering how they are handling the expeditions in Wall Maria. There is no set date for the wedding between King Fritz and myself, but I just know it is right around the corner. Knowing how unfortunate I have become, there is no telling how certain my future will turn out, and all that certainty can be washed away in an instant.

"Lady Sina." Freya's voice comes to my attention, assuming she has been calling out to me for a while. She is standing in front of me with a worried look. I blink twice.

"Oh, my apologies." I put a hand over my face to rub my eyes awake, not feeling my best right now.

"Are you alright? You've been zoning out lately."

"Have I really?" I started to believe her because lately, I have been feeling tired and sluggish, no matter how long I have slept. Perhaps the reason why I feel this way is because of taking the role of the future queen. "Sorry for making you worry, Freya."

"You don't have to keep apologizing." Freya sounds a bit annoyed. "Why don't we go for a walk?"

"I can go alone," I say lowly. "Don't worry, I won't be long."

"Take all the time you need, ma'am," Freya tells me. Even though she has been on duty because of me, I feel like we need a break from each other. There is no conflict between us, but there are times when we need some time alone. I also want to know Freya on a personal level, but she is hesitant to open up about herself. Up to this point, she remains a mystery to me.

Knowing that Freya's duty is to protect me from any intruders or anything life-threatening, I pray she will understand once Levi comes to save me.

As much as I want to go outside to take a breather, I am forbidden to go without any supervision. My only option is to stroll around the castle now that I am familiar with it and walk through the marble halls in a purple gown with a hint of green, almost like a lilac. I do not intend to step into the throne room, but as I walk past it, I hear two voices behind the closed doors.

"Do you think she will find out about the truth?" King Fritz sounds worrisome, which also made my ears perk up at what he just said.

"She will not find out, because of course she's not really looking." That was Marcel, and what are they talking about even? Who is she? Am I the subject of their conversation?

King Fritz sighs with a little frustration. "She was a scout, and you know how the Survey Corps always stick their noses into our business."

Marcel was noted for his continued hatred of the Survey Corps and sighed. "Do not worry. All you need to do is to keep low and play as the puppet king. That's an order."

My mouth hangs open at what Marcel just said and I slowly back away from the doors, trying to engrave all the secret information into my head. So King Fritz is a false king with no true authority. No wonder the laws pretend to fix reality and nature. Since he is not a real member of the Fritz bloodline, the real question is... where is the real king?

With all the questions building up in my head, the doors in front of me slowly open and at a hurried pace, I silently leap over to a pillar and keep myself hidden from Marcel who is exiting the throne room. As he walks down to the opposite end of the hallway, I finally exhale and make a run for it.

I cannot believe I am finding out the truth in this cruel government. Now, what should I do? As much as I want to call off this wedding between me and King Fritz, his power as the fake king will still overtake me. That also means there is nobody here with royal blood who can take over this corrupt government. I need to keep this information to myself for now, and I think I have no reason to be here anymore. But attempting to escape will be life or death.

As I roam the halls some more, I pray that I do not run into Marcel but instead, I find Freya through a tall window that faces the garden. I watch her tend to two young servants; they are children. She hands them bread and pats them on the head with a soft smile. Unlike the other Military Police officers, Freya is the only one who treats them nicely, which puts my heart at ease a little.

When the children run away with the bread, Freya straightens up from kneeling and turns to find me staring at her from the window, which surprises her. Now that I am supervised, I step out through a door that leads me to the garden and approach her, and then she salutes. "Lady Sina."

My presence takes her by surprise and I let out a smile, hoping it will melt the ice between us. "Like I said before, there's no need to be formal with me. And those children—"

"They were hungry, so I gave them some bread from the kitchen." Freya suddenly confessed, knowing that stealing from the castle leads to heavy consequences and she took that risk for the sake of those children. "Please understand..."

"Of course I do." I put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. "You're the only person I respect in this castle, and your action was reasonable."

Freya is relieved to hear that from me and glances down at her feet. "Those children... they're from a village close to mine, and they were sold as slaves. I recently found out their older brother was beaten to death within this castle over some damn bread and of course, I took on the role to look after his siblings." She explains with clenched fists, her knuckles turning white. "I knew I had to become a Military Police just to protect these innocent lives, but of course, that is not the only reason why I am here."

My heart sank when I learned about the servant who was killed by the Military Police and Marcel, the one who died in my arms. Freya then relaxes her fingers, not wanting to look up since she feels distressed by the government as a soldier. "Just so you know, I'm only doing this for survival and for the ones I care about." Just hearing that from her convinces me that we are not enemies because that is also my duty.

"I see the value of your work, but I also see you endeavoring to help humanity," I tell her. "I believe you will continue to fulfill your duties."

"Thank you." Her eyes are now on me, feeling a bit hopeful. Well, it is good that we both managed to clear the air between us.

I squeeze her shoulder. "Whatever your purpose is as a soldier, I just hope you will live a peaceful life."