****

A/N: This is one I started during the middle of night while suffering from lack of sleep for a few days already. It seemed like an good idea in that mindset and than I checked it over after an okayish night of sleep and I've got no clue what I was planning or heading with this. 

****

Side Ships: AruAni. Springles. EreJean. EruRiMike.

HOPE YOU ENJOY 

PLEASE VOTE

Side Note: Heads up, this is a bit bad and all over the place. 

https://youtu.be/Z5Tj21qaSYc

Mikasa had known she was lucky to be taken in under the Yeager's care when she found herself without parents or a home. Carla had grown to be a loving and caring auntie towards her. Zeke had stepped up as the man of the house once his father had walked out on his second family, leaving Zeke to stand as a protector for his little brother and adopted sister. 

Eren was as much as her best friend as Armin had grown to be. 

The three of them were a known trio that all had known that if you spotted one of them, the other two would be close by. 

They'd grown to be another family between themselves and would forever be each other's safe space. Protecting one another, encouraging and support each other and always being a home when needed. 

They've all been by each other's during the best and worse parts of their lives. 

Eren and Mikasa practically lived in Armin's new bedroom at a distance cousin who took him in after his grandfathers death. Krtz Woermann was a real bastard who didn't treat Armin well, he may have taken the boy in and gave him a room to call his own, but he despised Armin due to seeing the intelligent boy as a weakling. 

He'd tried to get violent more than once with Armin in the early days. But due to Eren and Mikasa sneaking into their best friend's bedroom by his window, both were close by to step in whenever Krtz even gained the chance to raise a fist at the blonde boy. 

Leaving the man to focus on his own children instead, to raise them how he'd want them to be raised. His eldest son, Mitabi was already moved out with his wife, the couple expecting their first born soon when Armin had been taken in. His second child another son, Wim, who was being taught to be to the same standings as his father expected. His third child, a daughter, Hanna had lost seen been promised to marry a family friend's son, Franz. Leaving Krtz to teach his daughter her place and how to be a good wife once she comes of age. And than his youngest, another son, Floch, who was as cruel to Armin as Krtz would be. 

Zeke had offered to take Armin in but Carla's health been growing worse and while the children weren't told much over the women's condition, all knew she needed rest and wasn't doing so well. Leaving Zeke mostly busy will working to place food on the table and Armin knew an extra mouth to feed would cause problems for his two friends too. 

The three had grown up, taking hits from life and throwing a few hits back as they carried down their own paths. Armin always having his face buried in a book while his older two friends by a few months would always practice sword fighting. 

Neither dared to point out Mikasa's gender when they both knew she was more skilled than some of the knights at the castle even while she was still a child herself. Instead, Mikasa and Eren just carried on training and practicing togehter. Both wanting to sign up to be soldiers and hopefully gain enough recognition and hold proud skills that'd lead them towards standing as a knight for the royals. 

Hannes, a drunk soldier, would often break up any fights the two would get into while defending their smarter friend from bullies. Never scolding them as he knew the two didn't normally start the fights and knew the other children normally deserved being forced to eat dirt. 

He also would give a few old pointers towards the pair. Carving out wooden swords for Mikasa and Eren to use and practice with. Armin being given a small dagger, hoping the boy would learn some defence moves from his friends. 

And as the years path, none of them gained the dreamy ending that Armin had read plenty of times in his book. Armin wanted to open up a bookstore, to encourage others to read or maybe find a job where he could use his brain for good.

But he struggled with daily work for a man and was mostly forced to be a house keeper at his older cousins home instead. 

Eren growing to be a soldier, gaining his rival and boyfriend, Jean. The two having a hate and love relationship that normally meant they'd start insulting each other before making out by the end of it. 

And Mikasa found herself doing deliveries for the town's bakery. Connie and Sasha were young and married even younger but they were the best bakers that the town's ever seen. Always selling their baked goods at a lower price than other towns would. Both offering Mikasa work when she struggled finding work where she wasn't harassed due to her protective nature or her looks. 

"We're going to the ball" Mikasa announced as the three of them worked to keeping Armin's garden to Krtz standards, even if no one but the three of them actual use the garden. Neither Eren or Mikasa would leave Armin to be scolded by the jerk, hence they always helped him with the huge garden. 

"The ball for royals or nobles.. that one?" Eren asked like an idiot, checking she wasn't talking about some other type of ball that may have been happening instead. 

"Yes" Mikasa simply answered.

"We're be punished for even thinking over going" Armin pointed out with a worried frown as he wondered why his strongest friend was talking as she was. She knew this was a crazy dream. 

"King Erwin and King Mike are looking for suitors for their daughter" Mikasa replied as she worked on the crops growing in the garden, still being good at caring for them due to her parents having once been farmers. 

"Princess Annie will marry?!" Armin blurted out in pure surprise. 

"Apparently so" Mikasa admitted with a shrug. 

"And how do you know that?" Eren asked his sister, wondering if she's been stalking drunk soldiers at night again to make sure they don't cause any trouble for the town. 

"I spared with Sir Reiner and Sir Bertholdt, both close friends to the princess. They were complaining over the reason for the ball" Mikasa honestly answered him, not seeing it as a big deal that she was still fighting with one of the two lords in secret.  

"How did you befriend the two lords?" Eren asked again as he still didn't know how she befriend the two lords that were known to always be by the princess side in the castle. 

"I sent Sir Reiner through a table when he was making a female costumer uncomfortable when I worked at the bar, the first one. We sometimes meet in secret to spar, he likes a challenge where he knows he'll lose" Mikasa retold the story she told Armin when he came across her sparing with Reiner one evening and feared his friend was about to be punished for it. 

"Why would we even desire to go to the ball?" Armin asked as he returned them to the original conversation they started with. 

"The king is looking for a mastermind with not training as a soldier. He's hoping that his daughter's future husband would be a genius, knowing his daughter as enough knowledge over the military. The duo would be a powerful couple once married. Mentally and physical strength joint together" Mikasa rambled back mindlessly as she cared for the crops before her, being reminded over her own parents a little and always finding herself at peace when she helps with crops. 

"The king would never chose Armin. No offence, buddy. But we're not from money" Eren huffed back as he stood up, gloved fists on his hips as he shook his head. Sending an apologetic look towards his best friend who was nodding along in agreement to Eren's point. 

"King Mike wants his daughter to marry a man she'd like to be in company over. He has holds care if the man comes from money or holds any title or not. The ball was meant to be for all the people of the kingdom but King Erwin had voted against it. Using the argument that the people wouldn't be able to dress or travel for the ball like the rich could" Mikasa explained as she stood up, finished with her section and pointing out that one of the two kings actual did want the kingdom's people to come. 

"I've never even met Princess Annie before. We hold no promise over falling in love during our first meeting" Armin reminded his friend with a frown as he wasn't going to rush to marry a strange. 

"Trust me, she'll be pleased to see you" Mikasa softly says, a knowing glint to her eyes. 

"What do you get out of this?" Armin asked back, crossing his arms over his chest and staring right at his friend. He knew she must be getting something out from this wild plan. 

"I get to start a fight with the knights. Might be thrown in a cell for a few weeks afterwards but I get to show that I'm just as strong as they are. I know I won't gain a knighthood, even if I win the fight, but I'll live without regret at least gaining a chance to spare with a knight. To force them to see me as an equal as we battle once they know I'm an actual threat to them" Mikasa smirked back, wanting just once chance to be seen as enough of a threat by the knights to have a real fight with them. She wanted to prove herself even if she knew she'd never gain a chance to be one. 

"I vote we sneak in. Jean's on guard inside the ballroom that night. Hopefully he'll be the one to reach us first when our arrest is ordered" Eren perked up as he raised his hand, knowing it'd be a bit of fun if everything goes smoothly for them. 

"But we hold no money for clothing. We'll be known as outsiders if we arrive in our Sunday best" Armin sighed as he shook his head, knowing they'd never be allowed inside. 

"Leave that to me. Someone owes me a favour" Mikasa merely replied, already having someone in mind. 

Eren and Armin merely nodded in agreement. Long since given up on questioning Mikasa over the people she "knew" that always held different skills when they're in need of something. Never daring to question the shady people she's bumped into without either of them knowing about it. 

Instead they all returned to their normal daily lives and forgot over Mikasa crazy plan to crash the royal ball at the castle. Assuming that it was one of those randomly thought ideas in the moment that Mikasa blurted out, something that was normally done by Eren, and all assumed she forgot over it. 

Hence, Zeke merely glanced towards his sister who stood with three fancy looking outfits, laid over the recently deep cleaned kitchen table. Having looked to the outfits, found his sister by them and merely nodded in greeting before heading to bed. If he didn't ask any questions, he could still lie straight to any soldiers faces when they came knocking by morning. 

His younger brother, much unlike Zeke, stood in pure shock and questioned everything. Mikasa not giving anything away and merely send him to collect Armin. Planning for them to all change in the Yeager home before heading out. 

Armin being kidnapped directly out of his bed and dragged by Eren to his home. Having Mikasa calmly sipping at her cup of tea as the two arrived. She nodded to each of the two suits, speaking over what one belonged to who and ordered them to dress. 

"Did she mug someone?" Armin whispered with clear concern over what their friend had been doing behind their backs for the past three weeks. 

"I think she might have actual murdered a lord or lady since she's stubbornly not answering any of my questions" Eren confessed his own fears over the matter as he knew the the fabric wasn't anything cheap. 

Mikasa moved to dress in Carla's room. Having her auntie watch her transform from a mere nobody to a somebody. Sitting on the edge of the bed as the older women helped to tie the dress from the back and work on Mikasa's hair. Leaving it mostly down with the sides prettily put up to keep out of her eyes and face. 

Mikasa's mother's pin added to her hair, having always planned to wear it for her wedding but deciding to wear it tonight. Having grown to dread over never gaining a chance to marry a man who'd respect and cherish her as her own father did to her mother. 

Carla teared up, have grown to see Mikasa as her own daughter and finding her to stand as if she was a princess. Asking for Mikasa to help her to the main living space to see her son and her semi adopted son in their suits. 

Eren and Armin growing more confidence over Carla tearing up over how much they've grown into such handsome gentlemen. Praising them in their suits and making it known how proud she was over them both. 

Zeke stepping out to help his sickly mother back to bed, complimenting all three of them and merely begging that none of them are labelled as a traitor by the end of the night. Mikasa being more silent while Eren and Armin laughed over the oldest Yeager silly concerns.  

Armin and Eren bubbling with conversation as they grew closer and closer towards the castle. Growing excited and looking forward towards a magical night. Both knowing it'd be a one night only experience and they'd be bragging over such a night for years to come. 

Both losing their smiles as they reached a different entrance to the castle, finding guards standing by the door and clearly not going to let them pass so easily. Mikasa placing a finger to her lips as she turned to the pair before vanishing from their sights. 

Eren and Armin only spotting her once two bodies fell to the ground by Mikasa's hands and she waved them both over now the cost was clear. She wasn't joking when she mentioned that she'd be breaking them into the ballroom.

"How can you fight in that dress?" Eren asked as they all started heading inside, knowing that the ball would have already started two hours ago. 

"I had some requests to make the dress much lighter than it looks"  Mikasa answered as she glanced over her shoulder, checking that both were going to follow after her. 

"You planned to fight in that dress?!" Armin cried out horrified over the news, chasing after her with Eren. 

"I wasn't kidding about picking a fight with a knight tonight" Mikasa admitted as she lead the way for the other two, not thinking it was a big feal to commit treason by laying hands on the kings blessed knights as it was a sign as laying a hand on the royals themselves. 

"Mum's going to scold us big time" Eren whined back, already shivering in fear from his mother's future scolding and lectures. 

Slipping into the actual ballroom was actual really easy. Enough guests were already inside and every guard just assumed the casually walking pace three were more guest entering. No one questioned them, merely glanced at them before carrying on with their night. 

Mikasa escorting her friends to the side of the room, giving a kind nod towards Jean who stood by one of the two balcony doors. Surprised to see them but not even planning to expose them. 

"Eren, don't make Jean jealous tonight. Armin, be the leading role of your story tonight" Mikasa ordered as she turned to face them both, wanting tonight to be magically for them both.

Eren simply nodded, wished them both well before hurrying away to enjoy his night while everyone else assumes he's a lord or prince from another kingdom. Not thinking twice over his dull life and not planning to act single as he knew his boyfriend was currently in the same room, with a sword to kill him with.  

Armin was more nervous and shied up. Leaving Mikasa to comfort her friend before pressing a kiss to his hand as the song came to an end, making it seem he just escorted her from the finished dance. Losing herself in the parting crowd and leaving him on his on. Well, he won't be alone for long, merely a minute since her leaving him. 

"Brat" Levi

"Shorty" Mikasa

"Did you.. marry someone with better standing?" Levi

"I have not" Mikasa 

"Did you kidnap a royal or lady? I'll give you the nicest cell we hold if you tell me where you've stashed their bodies right now" Levi

"I didn't kidnap anyone nor did I murder anyone. I'm a guest" Mikasa

"I'm rather certain that a street rat who's been sending the kings men home black and blue almost daily for the past five years.. would be warmly welcomed here as a guest" Levi

"I won't be here if I wasn't a guest. You have bragged over how skilled the castle's guards are, after all. I couldn't be let pass without being welcomed first" Mikasa 

"How many have you knocked out?" Levi

"Not all" Mikasa 

"Why must you earn me more paperwork?" Levi

"Tell what knight you hate must and I'll make some of the paperwork worth it and entertaining for you" Mikasa 

"Flagon. Hated me since I was knighted. Purposely makes my life hell at any chance he gains" Levi

"Just remember that you promised me the nicest cell" Mikasa