Remember Your Promise - Levi Ackerman

Chapter 39

Dedicated Chapter Song: When They Call My Name - Black Veil Brides

It's a violent world but today I'm still alive. I need you to tell me everything will be alright. To chase away the voices in the night when they call my name. Have I gone insane?
(Anna)

“She’s been outside for an awfully long time,” Ruby noticed, glancing at the door to the ‘brothel’. “Can you see her signature?” Levi questioned. “Not really. I can't see past the wall. I think she's still out on the steps though.” she mumbled. Levi turned his attention to Elizabeth. “You're an Ackerman? How are we related?”

“Well,” Elizabeth leaned against a table. “Anna didn't stay for the whole truth. You see, she only has less than 10% Ackerman blood— if any at all— as somewhere along the lines of our family tree was an adopted child. That's the bloodline I came from, in which Anna inherited. So, technically speaking, she has little to no true Ackerman genes. However, the world does not know this the same way I do. They believe she is like you and therefore they want to kill her.”

“Did you know my mother?” he calmly asked. Elizabeth shook her head. “No, not really. I've heard a bit about her and I know that Anna is responsible for her death. You mustn't blame her. She was only following orders." Levi let out an angry sigh as that topic was brought up again. “So that was real. I wanted to believe it was all a hallucination.”

“What will happen if Anna takes back the throne?” Ruby changed the topic. “Imagine the riots. There'll be hundreds of them in the Capital. In fact, this is so ludacris that we have to pull it off. Our lives are at stake here. Normally that line wouldn't be too serious going up against Titans but none of us ever signed up to rebel against other humans.” Levi exchanged glances with her. “We gave up that life half a decade ago.”

“Right." she nodded. “For Anna, it was even less time. Still, to think that she'd be royalty. That would make you King if you married her.” Ruby killed. “Therein lies the problem.” Elizabeth spoke up. “Anna needs to be married in order to take the throne. Society does not believe in a Queen coexisting without a King. If we're to have any hope of pulling this off, the wedding must happen first.”

Anna happened to step back in at that precise moment. “An arranged marriage...?” she muttered, her eyes staring at the wooden floor. “Ah, you're back.” smiled Elizabeth. “Is there an alternative?" Anna tonelessly asked. “I'm afraid not.” Elizabeth shook her dark head. “Very well.” Anna spoke with an eerie calmness to her voice. Once more Ruby and Levi exchanged worried glances. Something about Anna was different. It was as though she wasn't worried at all. “It's not really an arranged marriage..." Ruby muttered. “You two had been planning a wedding for some time now.”

Anna leaned against a wooden pillar and let some of her hair fall into her face. It took a moment before she was willing to talk to her mother again. “You knew about this since I was a child. You knew damn well that wasn't just a story.” Elizabeth contently smiled. “Neither did your father. Though, I didn't expect you to take the Hysteria name literally.”

“It wasn't just a story then. It was a prophecy.” Anna threw her head back with a sneer. “Tck! I should've figured it out sooner.” then she lowered her head to glare at her mother. “But don't you remember? Hysteria denied the throne.”

“At first, yes," her mother countered. “However, after a few years Hysteria and the Prince took the throne together." Anna slammed her hand down on the table before them. “You expect me to run an entire kingdom?! I could barely run my old vanguard by myself without someone getting killed!”

“Unfortunately, that's the price we all must pay for freedom.” Elizabeth sighed. “If we go through with this plan there might not be anyone left to govern! The population is at its lowest as is! Do you honestly think a wedding, an uprising and a coronation will change that?”

“Well, you could always give the throne up to Hystoria Reiss." Her mother suggested. “If you feel you're incapable.” Anna shut her eyes as she thought for a moment. “...no..." She said with a deep growl. Levi glanced at her with interest. “This is my kingdom. We'll take back the Walls for what they were meant to be and we'll rid this world of vermin. Especially the Titans. Every...last...one.”

“Shall I contact Commander Hanji and begin arranging the wedding?” Levi pondered aloud. “Yes.” Anna ordered. “If this plan has any chance of succeeding then it cannot wait. Three days maximum for optimal arrangements. The wedding itself will take place on the eve of the 9th. Only Survey Corps and specific Garrison members are permitted to attend.” she shot a glare at her mother.

“Anna—”

“Let us retreat back to headquarters.” Anna stepped back. “I doubt any one of us want to stay here longer than we have to." With that, Anna was the first one out, clutching to her Wings of Freedom necklace. “You ready to go?” Ruby quietly asked. Without a sigh, Anna nodded. “Yes. I want to get as far away from that woman as humanly possible.”

“But... she's...” Ruby tried to speak.

“That woman is not my mother.” Anna shook her head. “The woman who birthed me died over a century ago by a gunshot to the head. I don't know who that is or what their ultimate goal is but I'm not a damn noble and I'm sure as hell not Queen. I don't doubt that Hystoria Reiss is the true Queen but there isn't a chance in hell my father would've given up a throne for some random woman. And why wouldn't he have been allowed to marry her AND keep the throne?”

“I must agree,” Levi spoke. “All of it did sound like a load of bullshit. But the plan still remains. We do need a revolution and we do need a new royal.” Anna bit her lip. “I'll never guess how that woman knows about Hysteria's story, but I don't care. If pretending to be royalty is what I must do to save this wretched and pathetic world, then so be it.” she said with a vicious grin.

“Bow down to your new queen, bitches.”

“No, thanks.” Ruby cheerfully smiled. “You’re not Queen yet. However, I think that overthrowing the throne is definitely our best bet whether we do with Historia or Anna as the Queen.” she tucked back a strand of hair. “Here's my suggestion: say we manage to succeed in overthrowing the King. We'll need a stand-in, obviously, for the coronation. I suggest the two of you continue the plan to get married soon. That will aid us all having Levi on the throne. From there we can attack the central rank at their weakest spot, hopefully driving out the Ripper and his rats. This may take some more time than we initially plan out, however. After everything returns to its normal state, Anna will carry out orders for the reclaiming of Wall Maria once more since we weren't able to successfully reclaim it the first time. I have a better strategy to go about doing that, however. When Wall Maria is reclaimed and the Scouting Legion is strong once more, the two of you can then resign and hand the throne over to Historia and the Reiss family.”

Anna bit her lip, checking all the possible outcomes and alternatives in her head. “You know, Rubes, it's a damn well crazy plan but it just might work.” she mused. “I guess a brat like you really is good for something.” Levi said.

“I shall take that as a compliment, Captain. Well, then. Shall we?” she motioned to the 11th Stairwell once more. Oddly enough the ride home was smooth as had no delays. Anna was expecting an ambush but was surprised that one did not happen. All that was left for her to worry about was the wedding in two days.