'Ethics have no part in politics'

Northern England

4th December, 1012.

The journey had become burdensome as well as tiresome. His feet burnt in his dripping shoes as the mud caked around his ankles, restricting his movement. Blisters clustered on his calloused hands, the grip on the reins loose. Erwin's usual perfect exterior was diminished to a suffering boy, caked in mud and blood, just like the rest of his crew.

He begged to be transported to his castle and be put in a bath but he knew there was no God to grant him his gift. It was him and him alone that could bring him home, blistered and tired as he was.

His horse hit the ground in heavy thuds, the mud splattering upwards, leaving long trails of hoof-prints behind them. The rest of his team were crowded around him, the cold, blistering wind punishing their chapped skin. The journey was silent, the wind whistling through the trees and the rustle of animals barely heard over their own breathing, the comforting lack of words allowing them all to lose themselves to their thoughts. Their minds were a grateful relief from the pain of the physical reality.

The path was beginning to die out, the next camp standing proudly in the Northern wasteland. It was designed to be a stopping point, halfway between the battlefield and the first town over the border, for soldiers to wash themselves down and care for their horses. Nile, for now, remained here for now too, or that was what the messenger had told Erwin, anyway.

The flags were held proudly on their masts, the white and red flag a taunt to the Scottish barely over the border. The tents matched the colours, the white cloth stained brown at their bottom, the rain of the day staining it to a yellowy-beige. Barely fit for a king. But Nile, for all his modesty, was not one to care about the state of his tent, nor his reputation for that matter, as long as those who were important held him above themselves, letting him sit comfortably in his throne, he was happy.

Erwin's horse barely resisted the urge to canter, it's hooves hitting the ground slightly faster at the sight of food and water, Erwin's blisteringly tight grip on the reigns pulling it back from throwing him off.

They gathered where the stablemasters waited for them, standing tall as they saw their approach over the gentle hill. They had placed the camp, for practical purposes, down the left side of the valley, Scotland on their right, allowing them to monitor who was approaching- enemy or friend. Although, without reinforcements, it was clear that Nile was all too afraid about the bombardment that Scottish may have brewing up their sleeves. But at this time, so long after the final act of battle, it was evident that they were likely not going to perform a raid.

Erwin couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped him as he freed his locked hip from the wide saddle of the horse. His feet hit the floor with a heavy thud and he led his team towards the congregation area, an enormous fire raging in the centre, a source for the rest of the warming fires that lay near the tents, barely far enough that the flames did not lick at the flammable cloth.

Erwin, his mask of nonchalance still placed firmly on his face, approached the king's tent, dismissing his team to clean themselves and prepare themselves for the trip home. Here would be where they first split, those heading East and West splitting into two groups. Erwin, heading East, would lead a group of five whilst Nanaba led the other eight to the West and down the week-long journey down to places as far as Cornwall.

Erwin, thankfully, was closer to home than any of them. Levi was waiting barely a day away and he would meet him there tomorrow night, then handing over the group leadership role to the least tired in the group at the time. If he was feeling charitable, he may let them stay in the castle overnight but he wasn't sure if he had the energy to play host, nor would Levi ever be affable enough to do it himself. He was sure that his team would not mind the lack of hospitality but word spread surprisingly quickly between the English noblemen and women.

The guard scurried away as soon as Erwin came into sight, his slightly panicked face sending a gentle, smooth smile onto Erwin's face- enough for him to at least appear capable of emotions. So many people thought he was not nowadays. He was led into the tent by another servant, his robes ill-fitting on his young body, barely in the midst of puberty. Erwin wondered what he was doing here at all. But he'd seen boys far younger lay down their lives on the battlefield; any empathy he would have had years ago had dissipated into residing disappointment with the old king's conscription age, one Nile had never had the effort the change, having barely fought himself. Nile, although doing what he believed was best, was out of touch and a pompous snob, even if he didn't mean it. Nile, for all his shortcomings, made up for it by his lack of knowledge that he had them at all, his confidence glowing brightly until it was dampened by Erwin's damp cloud.

Erwin strode in, head held high and shoulders pushed back militaristically. Nile sat on his throne, his posture relaxed but noble, his chin resting on his fisted hand, his elbow on the armrest, his legs crossed. The disgruntled look on his face was enough to tell Erwin that he was unwanted but he didn't have the energy to save himself from a bad conversation.

'I have to say, Erwin, you've outdone yourself.' Erwin looked up at Nile's words, his brows furrowed in confusion as Nile's thin-lipped frown lifted into a gentle smile. 'The Thane is gone, executed for treason. Or shall be in the next few hours. I'm here to give you your title, Thane of Cawdor.' Erwin's eyebrows raised imperceptibly, a small smile gracing his lips. The thought that this was all true was yet another thing to ease his tactical mind. He buzzed with possibilities but relaxed at one more loose end tied up.

'Thank you, your majesty. I am honoured.'

'Sometimes I wonder whether there's a time when you are not so polite, Erwin. You never cease to surprise me with your formality.'

'I hope it does not offend you.'

'Oh, it does nothing of the sort. It rather intrigues me.'

'I mean no confusion.'

'And that is what's so intriguing.' Erwin nodded in defeat, his body shifting, unsettled by Nile's words.

'I thank you again, your Majesty.' Nile's face turned sour.

'I do find it strange that I'm suddenly your majesty when we are not alone.'

'I thought it preferable.'

'It is but many slip on their tongues. You seem to do it with such ease.'

'Am I really so much of an enigma?' Erwin asked, his words perfectly formed and controlled. It was understandable that people found him so intriguing when he failed to slip on his words.

'You are. You clearly are a man of power but unlike the others, you seem to have no motive to overthrow me.'

'None of us do. We could not. You are the king.'

'And you are one of the next in line.'

'I do not expect to be king.' Because he already knew he would be.

'You should not, Hitch will take my position. But nevertheless, you are not fighting the decision.'

'There is no need. I am loyal to you and only you. You are the king. This is your country.'

'So loyal, Erwin. I sometimes do wonder if it's all a facade.'

'I pray you not to think so. I am loyal unto my death.'

'I am glad.' Erwin smiled, his perfect mask screaming to release his wicked grin. Ambition boiled within him. Thane now, King next. But what would it take? What would it take to overthrow the boy who held the throne? Just that, a boy. Against a man like him. A man versed in strategy and the rule of the battlefield, both of politics and war. Erwin held the skills whilst Nile held the power. Ethics were no part of politics, now was his chance to play his dirty moves.

Nile was destroying this country, slowly but surely. If not him, then Hitch- spoiled, young Hitch. Erwin would not stand for that, he knew that now. He would be king. He deserved to be king. He did not deserve it for power, nor fame but for the good of his people. He'd seen the slums, the snobbiness of the upper classes. He was from one, his husband from another. It would be effortless to bring the world together; bring England into harmony.

But, 'Thane of Cawdor, I congratulate thee.'

'Your majesty, I cannot receive a higher honour.' King, king, king.

'Dismissed.' Erwin nodded and fled out, his feet controlled as his body pumped blood like blood from a wound, flowing and flowing until he was pale with the exertion.

Erwin scoured the camp with an urgency, finding his own personal tent, a gift from Nile- per what the guard informed him- where there was a small, but relatively comfortable, looking bed and a desk with a few plain pieces of parchment stacked up, a small vial of ink placed next to them. Thankful for the place to stay and the stationary he needed, he stripped himself of his top layers of armour and flung himself into the seat at the desk, in only a white tunic and mud-covered trousers. 

He began to write with fervour, his home-sickness as sudden as he had once lost it. It came as a surprise when his heart ached at the thought of returning to Levi. Maybe he'd just gotten used to having Levi with him, by his side, on these missions. The loneliness in his heart was palpable.
He started from scratch as soon as he looked at the scrawl of his handwriting, realising that the incomprehensible dance of the letters would mean nothing to Levi. With a careful hand, he began to write again, his words as slow and thought-through as his speech.

Levi,
It will only be a day until I see you but I will send this letter out to you before I arrive. I want you to know the news before I arrive so you may think of this in private. I'm afraid to tell you in person in case there may be those who will overhear. Burn this letter once you have read it, I'm afraid I might be called a madman if someone else were to read this. I have chosen the most trust-worthy messenger to send you this.
The battle is won but not without great struggle. Are armies are depleted to nothing and I can't help but blame Nile for such a thing. My team were one of the only groups to survive as a whole; we were slaughtered out there.
But, most prevalent was the events that occurred upon my return. The journey has been arduous but rewarding. I'm afraid to speak that your words may have caused me to believe the impossible. I was approached, alongside Mike, by three women. Odd. Like nothing I'd ever seen before. They chanted rhythmically and told me that I would become Thane of Cawdor and after that, King. I could not believe them but barely a few hours later, I was approached by a messenger.
I have been crowned Thane of Cawdor.
I have spoken to Nile and it is true, I have officially been given the position. The old Thane has been accused of treason and killed and I have taken his place.
I try to show my loyalty to Nile but I can't help but feel ambitious for us. Nile, as kind as he is, is blind to this country's needs. And if these sisters are telling the truth, like they were before, then I could become King.
We could fix this.
I know we've talked about this before, albeit with a lack of sincerity. But now is our chance. I do not wish to kill Nile, I do not have that kind of strength to kill a friend but I cannot feel the guilt when I wish for his death.
The country comes above the king: that is what he is missing. I think you understand, you have felt it yourself; this ambition burns in both of us. We can discuss upon my return but I would like to keep it secret.
A meeting with three strange ladies in the woods would be enough to deem my loony. I know you believe in witches but I do not but to be associated with them, especially by believers, would be my undoing.
I send my best wishes and will see you soon,
Erwin.

He signed the final dot with a pleased smile, glad that the words made it onto the page. Waiting for the wet ink to dry before folding it and placing a seal on it, handing it to his own private messenger- a young lad who barely looked old enough to be on a horse but was loyal enough not to read Erwin's private letters. 

When finished, he collapsed onto his bed. The days' events running through his mind in a blur. Everything suddenly seemed so prevalent and real. Erwin's rationality was still battling his superstition. Those three women, so witch-like in description, had approached him and told him the future. What else could they be? But, of course, their guesses could be pure luck, or the occurrence of having an informant that would tell them before they got to Erwin.

But...they're aura. It was so unlike anything he'd felt before.

He was not superstitious. He did not believe in the unbelievable. And he most certainly didn't believe in auras. But there was something about them that was just so...magnificent. 

Burying his head into the straw-filled pillow and curling up in the unfamiliar warmth of the bed, the fire raging strong just outside, he fell into an exhausted sleep. And for what may have been the final time, he fell into a nightmare-less sleep.

-

Levi grips the letter tightly in his hands, his knuckles burning white in the orange glow of the flames. Red licked at his fingers, the dancing fire begging to cripple the letter and do its purpose but Levi's grip held it just out of harms ways, his eyes darting over the words one final time. A time too many.

Erwin's lack of fervour had Levi on edge. Erwin was ambitious and Levi would follow him to hell if need be; his current reluctance was surprising. Nile was a curse on England, Levi felt no remorse at the idea of ridding the country of him. A sword would do, just one slice, in his sleep. 

That was all it took. Simple. Finished.

Erwin could become king. 

But Hitch was already in the way. Did they kill her too? Do they kill a young girl for her father's terrible actions? Does she deserve the justice and to pay penance for her father's wrongdoing? Levi breathed in, slow and meaningful, finally letting the flames eat away the inky parchment, the black letters turning into molten splats, blood-like in their arrangement. 

Erwin would be back soon and that was enough to send some comfort to Levi. The days since Marie had left had been filled with isolation and boredom. He was no friend of the servants here, these were Erwin's subjects.

Marie.

The name sparked a pang in his heart, her smile flooding his thoughts like a virus. Marie, imagine that smile once her husband was gone. Marie didn't suit a frown; Marie suited nothing but happiness. Her husband deserved to live only to keep her happy. Marie and Hitch were innocent in this: mother and daughter, ignorant of their man's mess. 

Levi still couldn't muster a remorse, though. Despite the pain, he knew it would cause them, and for that he empathised, it was worth it. His patriotism didn't run far but the knowledge that there was a chance to redeem this corrupted country excited his darkened mind.

He'd seen the slums, he'd lived in them. He'd seen what the rich stole, hidden away in their castles- just like him. But what were they doing to help? Whilst Levi was trying to save the people below him, they were trying to rid themselves of them. 

But that would never work. To get rid of the poor would only cause the poorest of the rich to take their place.

Levi sighed, his fingertips burning at the sensation of the fire's anger. Drawing himself away from the glow, he stood up, placing the chair back in its place and pacing the room, his feet hitting the floor with heavy stomps as he let his anger flow. His mind reeled, thoughts spinning and tangling. 

He needed to talk to Erwin, that would solve his problems for the meantime. But what was he supposed to do now? Erwin was not expected for another twelve hours and even in good time, it would still be a few.

He couldn't help but string the chain of events together. He could see it all before him; he could see Erwin's disapproval, disappointment, when Levi told him. But Nile was with Erwin was he not? That meant he wasn't far and what would it be to him if they invited him to the castle. It would only shorten his journey home to Marie and would allow him to talk more to Erwin about the new position. Everything was set in place effortlessly.

And when night fell and darkness plagued the sky with stars, Levi- or Erwin- could simply push a dagger into his chest before he could even scream out. Once the deed had been done, Levi could be the one to convince his family that they were in danger. To flee to Ireland, they could be sheltered there. 

Leaving the throne wide open.

It was not his intention for the wicked smile to grace his lips like a witch's blood-thirsty grimace. 'God, forgive me.' Levi whispered up at the sky, sighing, forcing the smile back and replacing it with his usual nonchalant frown- the perfect mask. 

Levi, in spite of his plan, found himself pacing again. It wasn't long until night bled into day and then another sunrise sent searing light into his blood-shot irises, the circles under his eyes more prominent than ever. The trampling of the horses was a grateful reprieve from his worries, the idea of being able to talk to Erwin a comfort.

The clatter became a faint murmur as the rest of Erwin's group headed onwards whilst he gave the reins over the stable-master and came in, ragged and tired, his usually pristine condition tarnished by mud and gore. 'Levi.' He smiled, letting out a sigh of relief and wrapping Levi into a gentle embrace, Levi's head resting gently against his thudding heart.

'We should get out the way of prying eyes.' Levi whispered just below his ears, in no way sensual, the exhaustion in both of them making any waking moments fleeting. He simply wanted the privacy to be able to open up; he was still unusually scared of servant's gossip. Unnaturally so.

Erwin nodded and took Levi's hand, leading him down the winding corridors and up two flights of stairs to their large bedroom. Erwin's own private bedroom resided in the left-most tower, where he used to spend his days and nights mulling over letters and trivial matters and although he'd kept the room, he preferred this one. Not only was it larger, and grander at that, but it felt even more private than the last. Even if he was sharing. Even if it resided in the centre of the castle.

Levi, for all his faults and mannerisms, had the capability to make Erwin feel alone in his presence. In no way wrong, they both respected each other's needs for privacy as well as the wish to be together, the silence between them strong but comforting, allowing them to dwell in their own thoughts.

Passing through the large oak door, both of them- without a word to each other- began their nightly routine. Erwin stripped himself of his stained clothes, Levi quickly picking them and throwing them in the basket, reading to be taken to be washed by him later on. Levi still refused to let the servant's clean their clothes and still helped them in cleaning the castle- he would have taken the task all for himself if the castle were not so huge. The job would take him days and by the time he had finished, the place he had started in would already be in a dire state, at least according to his standards.

With only his tunic and trousers left, Erwin fell into bed, his back resting against the headboard of the bed as he watched Levi tidy up after them, quickly running a broom over the floor to brush away the flakes of mud from the pristine wood. 

When he finally joined him, it was still in silence, their wordless conversation telling each other far more than any words ever could. Levi saw the flash of pain in Erwin's eyes and from what he'd already read in the letter, he could see the guilt fester behind the icy blue. 

Erwin's eyes dropped closed, Levi's body flush against his, listening to the beat of his heart like it was music, the regular rhythm a comfort after days of Erwin being away, fighting for his life. Levi looked up, pressing his palm against Erwin's cheek, gaining his attention, watching his eyes flutter open- his body still stuck in a hypnogogic state. 

With just a gaze, Erwin could hear Levi's words as clear as day. But, blame gathered nonetheless, sending his stomach rolling nauseatingly. Erwin couldn't save everyone but with his teams one of the only one's left whole, he felt the guilt that had been tailing him finally catch up.

'I'm fine.' He muttered, his words slurred with sleep. Levi shook his head, words never his forte, moving his hand down to Erwin's shoulder. Levi showed comfort in actions, not words.

'I am, just give me a night. You know how it is.' Levi nodded, he understood. He had been a soldier too. Had been. Levi kept his gaze, his eyebrows folding inwards, his eyes glistening questioningly. 

'I don't want to talk about it now. Tomorrow.' Levi nodded again, his lips still in the consistent frown, never opening. With Erwin, there was no need to. He was an open book. Trust was what they relied on. It had taken them years to realise it but words never got them anywhere. Levi was too dumb with them whilst Erwin too clever. So, a new system was introduced.

They both fell asleep with ease, slowly making their way downwards until their heads rested against the same pillow, Erwin's arm draped lazily over Levi's crowded body, to be lost somewhere in the night, only their toes brushing under the covers.

The morning rose with a dreadful cry of a bird, Levi groaning at the incessant squeaking. Peering through the edge of the curtained window, he saw a crow just outside, it's black beak opening with a painful cry. Erwin, much to Levi's own envy, remained asleep, gentle snores filling the silence of the room whilst his tousled, blonde hair flooded the pillow.

Levi, his insomnia as bad as ever- thankful that he had not woken for a nightmare this time- placed his feet on the floor, flinching at the icy touch, and made his way to the large window, pushing himself onto the other side of it, quickly closing it behind him as to not wake Erwin with the early sunrise. 

Alone with the heavy cloth of the curtain itching at his back, Levi stared at the crows dark gaze. A warning sign, his mother had always said. A warning that something bad was coming. Maybe to you, maybe to someone close to you. Levi resisted the urge to glance back at Erwin and wake him up, his heart pumping with unfamiliar dread. No fear made it to his face, only the slight widening of his eyes any indication of Levi's emotions. 

Tapping at the window aggressively, the bird fluttered away in fright, Levi glad to still hear Erwin's gentle snores. After the weeks of no sleep he'd undoubtedly had, Levi wanted to let him sleep until after dawn. 

He remained on the other side of the curtain, staring down at the gardens of the castle, the large, overgrown plants in need of care. The urge to do something bit at him but he remained planted on the ground, letting the sunlight caress his skin as it peered over the hazy, blue horizon. 

Levi, for the first time in a while, let himself feel at peace, wallowing in the relative silence as the sunlight danced playfully across his skin. 

It was only when Erwin's snores turned into painful groans that Levi let himself push himself out of stupor and return to the darkness of his room, stumbling as his eyes adjusted. 'How long have you been up?' Erwin asked, trying to straighten his mussed hair, watching Levi cross the room and return to his side.

Levi shrugged: not long. Erwin nodded understandingly and placed an arm around his shoulder and pulling him close, relishing in the closeness they had been deprived of.

Levi looked up at him, just as he had the night before, with a question in his eyes. Erwin sighed, the heavy noise filling the void silence. 'Levi, I'm not sure whether we should even-' Levi raised an eyebrow. 'Sorry, I don't expect you to forget what I wrote.'

'What the fuck happened out there, Erwin?' Levi whispered into the emptiness of the room, his eyes drifting around the grandeur of their furniture- still finding it surprising that this was all, well, his. 

'I wrote it down.'

'That's not the fucking same.'

'Fine.' Erwin sighed, shutting his eyes slowly before peeling them open and staring at the ceiling like he was in prayer. 'The battle was won, from what I saw about half our army dead. Maybe more, maybe less. We were on our way back, exhausted but I couldn't sleep. I never can out there.' Levi nodded again, empathising with the feeling of no control as he failed to succumb to sleep. 'Neither could Mike, we went into the woods and-' Erwin continued the story until the very end where the hooves of his horse clattered outside their castle, Levi still wrapped warmly in his arms.

'And you still don't fucking believe?' Levi asked disbelievingly. 

'Believe what?'

'In God, in the supernatural. Any of it? Some higher power out there.'

'I still find the idea impossible.' Erwin stated honestly, logically, ignoring the insistent nagging in his brain that that was no longer entirely true.

'I can't deny you your shitty rationality but after all that, is there not even...' Levi trailed off, tongue-tied and vulnerable. He hated words but found that there were no actions to portray his words.

'I admit, I'm confounded but that does not change my belief. I have faith just as you have faith in a higher power. It's no different.' Levi nodded, trying to understand it but never quite wrapping his head around it. Levi, having grown up outside the hierarchy of Lords and their castles, wasn't a believer in God. And in a land like this, that was a dangerous belief but he could not deny that he found the pagan beliefs much more poignant. Or, most specifically, the legend of Hecate.
Erwin laughed sometimes when he told this story. He said he'd met a woman called Hecate once. The first time Levi had heard that he'd been tempted to pry but Erwin was a solid wall. The man was nothing if not stubborn.

'What about Nile?' Levi scowled at the name on his lips but found the question unable to remain veiled.

'King Nile.'

'Fuck you, you know what I mean.'

Erwin chuckled. 'Yes, I do.'

'So...'

'So, what?'

'Nile. King Nile.' The word king felt like a stain on his red lips, spitting like his name was poison. 

'What about him?'

'You were promised to become king. Nile's king.'

'So?' Levi knew Erwin was taunting him, or evading him, the same outcome either way.

'He's in the way.'

'Of what?' Now he simply being facetious.

'The throne. Nile has to go. You deserve that throne.' Levi sat up, drawing himself out of Erwin's arms, spitting with anger contorting his face.

'I am not a king, Levi. I am heir to no one.' 

'But that's exactly the fucking point!' Levi threw his arms up in the air, failing to keep his calm. 'You aren't a snobby shit-head who doesn't know fuck-all. You're you. You could be fair. You could help people. There are people dying out there and Nile doesn't give a single shit! He treats me like dirt and we know it's just because he doesn't like where I came from. He treats his people like shit unless he believes they are rich enough to deserve his respect.' He paused for breath. The words like fire, burning his normally mute tongue. 'I've thought this through. Marie and Hitch, they'll be scared. They'll flee to Ireland, I can persuade them if they're stubborn, you know Marie. Nile's close by, we invite him here. You now hold the highest title in England besides the king himself, you'll be the first option for the throne.' Levi stated it like it was obvious but Erwin could barely mask his disgust.

'Send his wife and child to Ireland just so I can take the throne? That makes us no better.'
'This isn't the time for morals. Nile's destroyed this country, his father was barely any better. This is our chance. One bad deed will be fixed by the good.' Levi's low voice was like a growl, fierce and warning.

'I won't Levi. Nile is my friend. And Marie is a friend of us both.'

'Then that makes you no better than him.' Levi spat, throwing himself from the bed and onto the floor, scouring for any sign of decent clothing before fleeing the room, slamming the door behind him. In the meantime, Erwin watched him, his eyes solemn and dark, noticing the absent cleaning supplies. At least that meant that Levi would remain here. If Levi were to flee like the villages like he often did when his temper broke, Erwin would never be able to find him.

Erwin let him be for an hour, slowly getting ready, ordering one of the servants to run a bath, generously placing a few coins in their hand and giving them the day off. He felt riddled with guilt, dirtied by Levi's words. Erwin was so conflicted that he could barely grasp a coherent thought. Ideas tumbled down and added the festering pile of junk in his mind, only one thing glimmering throughout it all. Guilt, guilt, guilt. Always guilt. Erwin thought he'd grown past it by now. He had been so paranoid when he was younger, always taking the blame for others mistakes, so wary of others because their mistakes were his.

He'd been empathetic to a fault.

So he'd built walls, so tight that even he couldn't escape. He became he the man he was now. Emotionally silent.

Absconding the room, uncaring of the unmade bed that he'd left behind him- ignorant of the thing that would leave yet another nuisance on the pile crushing over their relationship. 'Levi?' He called out, as if it would ever be simple but when he obtained no answer, it didn't take long to follow the clean trails of the floor until he found Levi scrubbing at the glistening window with fervour. 

Levi shook his head: I don't want to talk. But, Erwin ignored him, approaching him with a steady gait, exuding false confidence. 'Sorry, Levi. I do not mean to be a coward.'

Levi nodded: I know.

'But I can't go through with this. Whether I'm a coward or not. Those three women could have been lying or we simply have to wait, it will come in time.' Levi turned, his scowl gentle but confused. 'Don't let someone else lead your life.'

'I'm not. But I don't have it in me to kill a friend.' 

Levi nodded again: I understand. 'Truce, for now?' Levi nodded, throwing the wet rag onto the floor and facing Erwin. Even with no words, the sincerity in his eyes told Erwin that he was forgiven. For now.

'If you want to talk, I'll be in the parlour.' Erwin gave him his space, or just the time to finish his cleaning routine- at least until he'd let the last sparks of his anger out- and walked down to the parlour with a controlled tempo, reaching it only a few minutes before Levi did. 

Erwin, sitting relaxed on the wooden chair in the corner of the room, read his book distractedly, peering at Levi out of the corner of his eyes. Levi rolled his eyes, it was the best he could do: I'm sorry for losing my temper.

They both fell into a comfortable silence, Levi pulling up a stool to sit next to Erwin, peering over his arm to read sections of the book, which made no logical sense. Levi couldn't help but scoff at the long words and the pointless message of what he'd made out to be a book about the myths of the sea-women- mermaids, were they called? Levi gave Erwin a pointed stare: for someone who doesn't believe, you sure like to read mythical books. Erwin only shrugged.There was a knock on the door only when the sun was beginning to slip away from view, hidden by the bland walls of the castle as they were led into the afternoon. 

'Come in.' Erwin called, placing his book on the table and straightening up, Levi following suit.

His messenger opened the door, scrambling and panting, a letter in his hands- or rather a slip of paper, looking torn. 'The king will be here tonight. He told me to inform you as quickly as possible.' Erwin nodded, a flicker of uncertainty passing over him and dismissed the messenger quickly, relaxing into the chair as soon as the door closed behind him.

Levi looked at Erwin, a single glimpse of hope in his eyes: this is our chance. Erwin shook his head but Levi was constant, his gaze unwavering. It was like a spell when Erwin found himself considering Levi's words. The setup seemed so effortless; it was as if it was meant to happen. Maybe, just maybe this was what the three women had meant.

He returned Levi's gaze, worry furrowing his eyebrows whilst a gentle smirk took over Levi's face: the plan was being set into motion.  

word count: 5780

published: 19.03.18