The generator gave me space and fae AU, which just sounds awesome.

Okay but the first vivid mental image I had was Willie, an astronaut floating in space, with a cracking helmet, and this ethereal being coming to him and promising him safety, they're a benevolent species, here to help, how quaint your spaceship is, tell us more about your species and I'll save your life...

Willie is like: dope, aliens are gonna save me, this might as well happen. Not what I expected from the first mission to Mars but okay.

Turns out aliens and fae are really one in the same. They left Earth a while ago, convinced the humans would never progress beyond their own moon, if that. But are very charmed that they're still spoken of in stories and myths.

Caleb delights in taking a human form, albeit a sparkly one. He probes Willie's brain for all kinds of things, like Music and Technology and oh damn, you humans have only gotten more bloodthirsty and destructive since we left.

Willie is Not Too Fond of the cheerful, gleeful way he says it.

After a ridiculous amount of probing (of his brain, not his butt, though Caleb did catch that errant thought and they had a very awkward conversation about Sci-Fi Tropes), Willie is let loose on the spaceship.

He meets Reggie, who has been with the fae since they were actually on Earth. He stepped into a fairy ring somewhere around 900 AD. He is very relieved to hear Dogs are still a thing, and is also fascinated when Willie tells him about life on Earth now and what he missed.

He meets Luke, an alien who seems remarkably human except for the extra pair of arms and the fact that he only communicates in song. (Reggie confesses once that he's not sure if all of his species are like that, or if Luke is just Like That).

He meets Alex, who communicates through taps, who is fascinated with Willie's long hair and his laugh and whose pointy ears make Willie make the 'live long and prosper' sign at him. Which of course he does not understand, but it's still pretty cute when he does it back.

He slowly learns Alex' language, Reggie and Luke translating for him until he has a grasp of it. Willie was always a a quick learner, after all.

Eventually, they manage to escape from Caleb's space ship and they crash land back on what Willie thinks is Earth... until he realises the Molinas are very much Not Human. Still, they seem pretty chill, and their society is willing to help Willie keep the earth safe from the fae, and also, you know, let these four aliens stay.

Reggie is very happy to find that Something That Vaguely Resembles A Dog lives on the Molina's planet.

They all live happily ever after except for Caleb whose plans on world and galaxy domination are thwarted.

🏰👑🐲⚔️🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🙀 DMODT 71 - start... kill me. I chose the death. It ends right here. They all die, or whatever

Breakfast with Willy was more humours than Levi thought possible. Dining in the dining room of the hotel, there was a clear divide between those of Eldia and Draecia, and those of Marley... with Willy being the exception to the rule. Ignoring social etiquette, copies of them slim newspaper of the country had already been printed for the day and now were causing quite the buzz. Eren's statement not front page news, but an abridged and printed copy was in there. From their side of the room, more than a few of the soldiers were ruddy faced as they sported looks of attempting to force a shit while constipated. For some unknown reason, the food tasted amazing that morning. The scrambled eggs were so very yellow... Eren might not have been happy that everyone was so upset over it all, but the truth was out there thanks to Freya. The words in his statement the same as the ones his love intended to say in front of the courts. All in all, it was shaping up to be an excellent morning. Escorted from the hotel to the courthouse, Levi was still quietly laughing to himself over the Marley soldiers at dinner. Eren catching him smirking in the direction of their party, earning him a firm stomping on his foot for it. Entering the courthouse, it wasn't that different from Eldia's. Grey bland walls offered no form of comfort, neither did the dark wooden doors. The whole place designed to throw all those who entered off balance "There's magic here" Whispering to him, Eren seemed to shrink into Levi's side "Magic?" "Mmm. I can feel it.... but I don't know. It feels weird" "Bad weird?" "Off putting" "That's usually how these places are supposed to feel. Even if you're innocent, they make you so uncomfortable that you want to confess to anything and everything in order to get out" "I feel like a place insisting on natural justice and such, should want the truth. Not lies and innocent people suffering" Kissing Eren's hair, Levi smiled against the locks "I know, sweet boy. That's because you're a good person" They'd only made it into the foyer. Historia, Freya, Ymir and Steege were conferring with a stocky well armed and armoured man "What are they saying?" "We have to leave all weapons here. If we don't, we'll be held in the cells until the trial is over" "Do you think we can get an exception? Obsydin's sword isn't safe" "Not by the sounds of it. Marley is having their weapons seized too. Once we've been cleared, we'll be taken downstairs under the court... and once we've spoken we can sit in on the rest of the trial" "What about the one Zeke left for you? Vermil's?" "I don't know. It's proof that his mate died, but it's easy for them to claim that they acquired the sword from elsewhere... Historia, can you ask?" A few moments passed before Eren shook his head "No. Even Obsydin's sword needs to be left here. They'll be locked away until we leave for the day. He also said that if we bring them back tomorrow, we'll be placed in the cells. Today we get our once and only warning because we're not from here" "We can't leave his sword laying around for any fool to find" Just because he'd bonded with the dragon, didn't mean it was necessarily safe for others to be handling Obsydin's sword. Visions of Erwin losing his arm came to mind. Erwin had been fucking lucky Eren had acted so fast... Though more than once Levi had wished he hadn't for the sake of his relationship with his love "I know... we'll have to ask Mikasa's squad to watch over them. I don't like it, but as you said, we can't leave that sword laying around. No offence to Obsydin" The dragon simply huffed in the back of his mind "These humans are stupid. You should take Eren, your children, and leave. None of the others matter" "Don't you think I would if I could?" Eren drew his brow for a moment before getting it "What did Obsydin say?" "That humans are stupid" "He has a point, but not all of them are. Does he have anything else to contribute to the conversation?" Obsydin perked up, Levi could almost feel the dragon rising to his feet and stretching... as if he had an actual body to do so "Tell him he looks good" "I'm not saying that" "What did he say?" "Tell him he looks good. You can see how nervous he looks" Oh... Obsydin was trying to tell him how to reassure Eren before everything went back down hill again "He said you look good" Eren shook his head "Sorry, Obsydin. I really don't think that's the case. And if it is, it's the lack of lighting" "Tell him..." He definitely didn't need Obsydin telling him how wrong Eren was. His mate was perfect "Eren. That's not the case at all. You look beautiful in your robes. More regal than any of those Marley arses... and shit" Moving closer to them, Levi found himself a tad embarrassed when Hanji ended up right behind them "And you look handsome as hell. But those clothes would look better on the floor of our room" In his mind Obsydin roared with laughter, behind him Hanji snorted, but Levi... Levi let out a soft growl "Shut up Shitty Glasses. Eren, you're a little shit" Smiling every so slightly, Eren bumped him with his shoulder "I know. We need to head over now, they're waiting on us" He wasn't even going to give him time to come up with some form of revenge. Well, the last laugh was going to be on Eren... once he figured out a suitable punishment for his lover. At least for now he could take comfort in the fact his teasing had managed to ease some of Eren's nerves. Being without a weapon didn't sit right Levi, nor did it sit right that they'd moved the trial to an adjacent room due to crowd size. The new room meant that rather being called in to give evidence one at a time, everyone was present for each other's statement as they stood in the U-shaped gallery. Seated at a long table running the length of the back room, 8 strangers presided over the court. All seemingly from different countries. In the middle of the room, Dina sat hunched over. Her hair tangled and matted, and a large bruise covered her left eye. When Eren's steps faltered, Levi pushed him forward until they joined Mikasa and Armin in the stands "Dina..." "Eren, don't go feeling sorry for her" "But..." "It's a common tactic. She more than likely paid a guard off to hit her, plus her disheveled appearance, its all a ploy for sympathy" Eren frowned at him, but his gaze was on Dina "Do you really think so?" "From what I've heard, and how she treated you, I think Dina wouldn't stop at anything to have her own way" "But..." "No, Eren. She did the wrong thing. She nearly ruined her whole country with her selfishness. Now she needs to deal with the fall out" "It's just... she still is Zeke's mother... part me..." Eren worried his bottom lip. As far as Levi was concerned, Dina wasn't worth the horseshit on the cobblestones outside "Part of you doesn't want her to be harmed because of Zeke. Look at what she did to him. She treated her son like a faithful dog, then kicked him aside the moment he decided he finally found something he wanted for himself" "It's just..." "Eren, she tried to have you taken. She tried to have you killed. Luca was hurt when you were attacked and you could have lost the baby. You don't owe her a goddamn thing!" Letting his anger get the better of him, he realised he'd fucked up when Eren whimpered away from him. Armin quick to pull him against him "Eren, it's ok. Dina isn't going to get off. She's not going to get away with what she's done. Levi is just being a cranky dick because he doesn't have his swords to make him look cool" No one got to insult him like Eren did, but making a scene wouldn't go over well. Nor could he punish Armin the same ways he would use on Eren. Perhaps he'd wait until they arrived back in Eldia and request Nicollo send more cake up to the young beta "At least I can swing a sword, not run from it like you do" "I can't help it. We need words not weapons" "Sorry to interrupt, but I think they want to start" Interrupting them politely, Historia was right. On the Marley side, there were still whispers, but the tribunal was looking their way, not Marley's. As the charges against Dina were read out, the woman protested each and every charge. When that got her nowhere, the woman changed tactic, starting to sob theatrically loudly, clearly faking in hopes of sympathy. With her face hidden in her hands, he performance faltered from time to time, growing louder each the woman reading the charges paused between them. Showing no sympathy, the same woman didn't skip a beat as she told Dina to "stop her pathetic snivelling as she was doing herself absolutely no favours by attempting to deafen them with her screeching". Levi was forced to bite his lip and stifle a snort. Dina's head shot up, her whole stance changing as she growled towards the woman who'd scolded her. More charges against her were read than Levi had expected there to be. He'd thought war crimes, obviously, and the imprisonment and torture of the battle dragons, but he hadn't thought the court would include the attack on Eren that occurred while his mate was living with Zeke, given there was no firm evidence, and Eren's kidnapping hadn't been included in the list of charges. He also hadn't thought they include the fact she'd racked up debts with countries all over the world and failed to make good on promised resources. Dina didn't help herself by denying everything, the mad woman claiming "she'd done what she needed to do in order to protect her country, and if anyone should be on trial, it should be Eren for murdering her son". She'd actually attempted to claim she'd loved Eren, despite what he was, and how she was hurt that he'd turned against them by murdering Zeke when all Zeke had done was show him love. Eren was shaking beside him. His scent was equal parts anger and sorrow. As his mother in law, Dina was in the position to provide him with a loving family. Eren having lost his mother far too young. If the woman had given the omega a chance, she could have seen how amazing he was. Or perhaps, that was why she felt threatened. Because Eren was better than her. The omega would never have thrown a tantrum in court like she was. In fact, he'd probably yell the truth in all their shitty faces until they needed to physically stop him. He was rather spirited like that. When the list of charges ended, Dina was given an actual chance to protest her charges, and to explain her actions in details. Again, she protested that everything she did was for Marley, and that Eldia had forced her into the current position, attempting to deflect the blame onto absolutely everyone from the royal advisors to the poor beggars in the streets for allowing themselves to fall on hard times. Eren's scent only continued to grow angrier with each of Dina's words. In his hold, Viren grew upset. Apologising, Freya ushered them both out the courtroom. Eren hadn't wanted to leave, but Luca also needed a break from his mother's anger. Their son was happy to go to Freya for a cuddle while Eren trembled "Eren, you need to calm down" Glaring at Freya, Freya simply raised an eyebrow as she placed her hand on Eren's arm "Don't..." "You need to calm down. Dina is playing with your head. You've burned your fingers, or haven't you noticed?" Levi hadn't noticed either. Raising his left hand, Eren sighed at it "When I want my magic, it refuses to come, but the moment I don't, this shit happens" "Your letting your emotions get the better of you" "How could I not? You heard the things she's saying. She makes it sound like I seduced Zeke in between my legs and forced him to marry me to protect his own honour. Zeke fucked plenty of people who weren't me. It wasn't exactly a secret he was a man whore" "And you'll have you chance to explain, but only if you keep your temper in check" Taking a deep breath, Eren then let it out slowly "You're right. Sorry, Freya. She's just acting so unlike herself, it's thrown me completely. In the manor her word was law, she commanded and ruled her people with an iron fist. Everyone was so far beneath her, that they weren't fit to look her in the eye. Now she's crying and doing all of this... I can't figure it out. Why can't she just admit what she did? Why does she have to keep... it's frustrating" "Because she's a bitch. Can you really say you didn't expect her to everything and anything she could to claw onto her crown? It's the only thing she has. Without it, she's just another power-hungry-shit-for-brains-alpha" Freya giggled at Levi's words, while Eren didn't even crack a smile "Levi's right, Eren. Not everyone has the courage to tell the truth. Once you lie once, you are forced to keep lying to protect that first lie. Dina has been lying so long, she doesn't even know who she is anymore. If you don't want to be here, I'm sure we can arrange something" "I'm not letting her stand up there and lie. It's not fair... but the boys..." "I'll watch them, or Levi can if you'd prefer" Eren reached out to rub Luca between his horn nobs "I don't trust her not to have something planned... but we can't have Viren crying through the trial" "I'll watch them. If you both want to stay out here until Eren is called, then I'll watch them while you're in the there" Freya knew full well that Levi didn't wish to be parted from Eren's side, even if he'd upset his mate earlier "I think that may be best. Thank you, Freya" Left outside the courtroom for half an hour or so, Freya relieved them of their sons once it was Eren's turn to speak. In the time they'd been absent, the mood of the room had shifted. Dina stood confidently, smiling even. Armin and Mikasa both looked worried, leaving Levi to wonder what the hell could have shifted people's perception of the Evil Queen.

Ok. Quick 71 dump before I start working on it today

Breakfast with Willy was more humours than Levi thought possible. Dining in the dining room of the hotel, there was a clear divide between those of Eldia and Draecia, and those of Marley... with Willy being the exception to the rule. Ignoring social etiquette, copies of them slim newspaper of the country had already been printed for the day and now were causing quite the buzz. Eren's statement not front page news, but an abridged and printed copy was in there. From their side of the room, more than a few of the soldiers were ruddy faced as they sported looks of attempting to force a shit while constipated. For some unknown reason, the food tasted amazing that morning. The scrambled eggs were so very yellow... Eren might not have been happy that everyone was so upset over it all, but the truth was out there thanks to Freya. The words in his statement the same as the ones his love intended to say in front of the courts. All in all, it was shaping up to be an excellent morning. Escorted from the hotel to the courthouse, Levi was still quietly laughing to himself over the Marley soldiers at dinner. Eren catching him smirking in the direction of their party, earning him a firm stomping on his foot for it. Entering the courthouse, it wasn't that different from Eldia's. Grey bland walls offered no form of comfort, neither did the dark wooden doors. The whole place designed to throw all those who entered off balance "There's magic here" Whispering to him, Eren seemed to shrink into Levi's side "Magic?" "Mmm. I can feel it.... but I don't know. It feels weird" "Bad weird?" "Off putting" "That's usually how these places are supposed to feel. Even if you're innocent, they make you so uncomfortable that you want to confess to anything and everything in order to get out" "I feel like a place insisting on natural justice and such, should want the truth. Not lies and innocent people suffering" Kissing Eren's hair, Levi smiled against the locks "I know, sweet boy. That's because you're a good person" They'd only made it into the foyer. Historia, Freya, Ymir and Steege were conferring with a stocky well armed and armoured man "What are they saying?" "We have to leave all weapons here. If we don't, we'll be held in the cells until the trial is over" "Do you think we can get an exception? Obsydin's sword isn't safe" "Not by the sounds of it. Marley is having their weapons seized too. Once we've been cleared, we'll be taken downstairs under the court... and once we've spoken we can sit in on the rest of the trial" "What about the one Zeke left for you? Vermil's?" "I don't know. It's proof that his mate died, but it's easy for them to claim that they acquired the sword from elsewhere... Historia, can you ask?" A few moments passed before Eren shook his head "No. Even Obsydin's sword needs to be left here. They'll be locked away until we leave for the day. He also said that if we bring them back tomorrow, we'll be placed in the cells. Today we get our once and only warning because we're not from here" "We can't leave his sword laying around for any fool to find" Just because he'd bonded with the dragon, didn't mean it was necessarily safe for others to be handling Obsydin's sword. Visions of Erwin losing his arm came to mind. Erwin had been fucking lucky Eren had acted so fast... Though more than once Levi had wished he hadn't for the sake of his relationship with his love "I know... we'll have to ask Mikasa's squad to watch over them. I don't like it, but as you said, we can't leave that sword laying around. No offence to Obsydin" The dragon simply huffed in the back of his mind "These humans are stupid. You should take Eren, your children, and leave. None of the others matter" "Don't you think I would if I could?" Eren drew his brow for a moment before getting it "What did Obsydin say?" "That humans are stupid" "He has a point, but not all of them are. Does he have anything else to contribute to the conversation?" Obsydin perked up, Levi could almost feel the dragon rising to his feet and stretching... as if he had an actual body to do so "Tell him he looks good" "I'm not saying that" "What did he say?" "Tell him he looks good. You can see how nervous he looks" Oh... Obsydin was trying to tell him how to reassure Eren before everything went back down hill again "He said you look good" Eren shook his head "Sorry, Obsydin. I really don't think that's the case. And if it is, it's the lack of lighting" "Tell him..." He definitely didn't need Obsydin telling him how wrong Eren was. His mate was perfect "Eren. That's not the case at all. You look beautiful in your robes. More regal than any of those Marley arses... and shit" Moving closer to them, Levi found himself a tad embarrassed when Hanji ended up right behind them "And you look handsome as hell. But those clothes would look better on the floor of our room" In his mind Obsydin roared with laughter, behind him Hanji snorted, but Levi... Levi let out a soft growl "Shut up Shitty Glasses. Eren, you're a little shit" Smiling every so slightly, Eren bumped him with his shoulder "I know. We need to head over now, they're waiting on us" He wasn't even going to give him time to come up with some form of revenge. Well, the last laugh was going to be on Eren... once he figured out a suitable punishment for his lover. At least for now he could take comfort in the fact his teasing had managed to ease some of Eren's nerves. Being without a weapon didn't sit right Levi, nor did it sit right that they'd moved the trial to an adjacent room due to crowd size. The new room meant that rather being called in to give evidence one at a time, everyone was present for each other's statement as they stood in the U-shaped gallery. Seated at a long table running the length of the back room, 8 strangers presided over the court. All seemingly from different countries. In the middle of the room, Dina sat hunched over. Her hair tangled and matted, and a large bruise covered her left eye. When Eren's steps faltered, Levi pushed him forward until they joined Mikasa and Armin in the stands "Dina..." "Eren, don't go feeling sorry for her" "But..." "It's a common tactic. She more than likely paid a guard off to hit her, plus her disheveled appearance, its all a ploy for sympathy" Eren frowned at him, but his gaze was on Dina "Do you really think so?" "From what I've heard, and how she treated you, I think Dina wouldn't stop at anything to have her own way" "But..." "No, Eren. She did the wrong thing. She nearly ruined her whole country with her selfishness. Now she needs to deal with the fall out" "It's just... she still is Zeke's mother... part me..." Eren worried his bottom lip. As far as Levi was concerned, Dina wasn't worth the horseshit on the cobblestones outside "Part of you doesn't want her to be harmed because of Zeke. Look at what she did to him. She treated her son like a faithful dog, then kicked him aside the moment he decided he finally found something he wanted for himself" "It's just..." "Eren, she tried to have you taken. She tried to have you killed. Luca was hurt when you were attacked and you could have lost the baby. You don't owe her a goddamn thing!" Letting his anger get the better of him, he realised he'd fucked up when Eren whimpered away from him. Armin quick to pull him against him "Eren, it's ok. Dina isn't going to get off. She's not going to get away with what she's done. Levi is just being a cranky dick because he doesn't have his swords to make him look cool" No one got to insult him like Eren did, but making a scene wouldn't go over well. Nor could he punish Armin the same ways he would use on Eren. Perhaps he'd wait until they arrived back in Eldia and request Nicollo send more cake up to the young beta "At least I can swing a sword, not run from it like you do" "I can't help it. We need words not weapons" "Sorry to interrupt, but I think they want to start" Interrupting them politely, Historia was right. On the Marley side, there were still whispers, but the tribunal was looking their way, not Marley's. As the charges against Dina were read out, the woman protested each and every charge. When that got her nowhere, the woman changed tactic, starting to sob theatrically loudly, clearly faking in hopes of sympathy. With her face hidden in her hands, he performance faltered from time to time, growing louder each the woman reading the charges paused between them. Showing no sympathy, the same woman didn't skip a beat as she told Dina to "stop her pathetic snivelling as she was doing herself absolutely no favours by attempting to deafen them with her screeching". Levi was forced to bite his lip and stifle a snort. Dina's head shot up, her whole stance changing as she growled towards the woman who'd scolded her. More charges against her were read than Levi had expected there to be. He'd thought war crimes, obviously, and the imprisonment and torture of the battle dragons, but he hadn't thought the court would include the attack on Eren that occurred while his mate was living with Zeke, given there was no firm evidence, and Eren's kidnapping hadn't been included in the list of charges. He also hadn't thought they include the fact she'd racked up debts with countries all over the world and failed to make good on promised resources. Dina didn't help herself by denying everything, the mad woman claiming "she'd done what she needed to do in order to protect her country, and if anyone should be on trial, it should be Eren for murdering her son". She'd actually attempted to claim she'd loved Eren, despite what he was, and how she was hurt that he'd turned against them by murdering Zeke when all Zeke had done was show him love. Eren was shaking beside him. His scent was equal parts anger and sorrow. As his mother in law, Dina was in the position to provide him with a loving family. Eren having lost his mother far too young. If the woman had given the omega a chance, she could have seen how amazing he was. Or perhaps, that was why she felt threatened. Because Eren was better than her. The omega would never have thrown a tantrum in court like she was. In fact, he'd probably yell the truth in all their shitty faces until they needed to physically stop him. He was rather spirited like that. When the list of charges ended, Dina was given an actual chance to protest her charges, and to explain her actions in details. Again, she protested that everything she did was for Marley, and that Eldia had forced her into the current position, attempting to deflect the blame onto absolutely everyone from the royal advisors to the poor beggars in the streets for allowing themselves to fall on hard times. Eren's scent only continued to grow angrier with each of Dina's words. In his hold, Viren grew upset. Apologising, Freya ushered them both out the courtroom. Eren hadn't wanted to leave, but Luca also needed a break from his mother's anger. Their son was happy to go to Freya for a cuddle while Eren trembled "Eren, you need to calm down" Glaring at Freya, Freya simply raised an eyebrow as she placed her hand on Eren's arm "Don't..." "You need to calm down. Dina is playing with your head. You've burned your fingers, or haven't you noticed?" Levi hadn't noticed either. Raising his left hand, Eren sighed at it "When I want my magic, it refuses to come, but the moment I don't, this shit happens" "Your letting your emotions get the better of you" "How could I not? You heard the things she's saying. She makes it sound like I seduced Zeke in between my legs and forced him to marry me to protect his own honour. Zeke fucked plenty of people who weren't me. It wasn't exactly a secret he was a man whore" "And you'll have you chance to explain, but only if you keep your temper in check" Taking a deep breath, Eren then let it out slowly "You're right. Sorry, Freya. She's just acting so unlike herself, it's thrown me completely. In the manor her word was law, she commanded and ruled her people with an iron fist. Everyone was so far beneath her, that they weren't fit to look her in the eye. Now she's crying and doing all of this... I can't figure it out. Why can't she just admit what she did? Why does she have to keep... it's frustrating" "Because she's a bitch. Can you really say you didn't expect her to everything and anything she could to claw onto her crown? It's the only thing she has. Without it, she's just another power-hungry-shit-for-brains-alpha" Freya giggled at Levi's words, while Eren didn't even crack a smile "Levi's right, Eren. Not everyone has the courage to tell the truth. Once you lie once, you are forced to keep lying to protect that first lie. Dina has been lying so long, she doesn't even know who she is anymore. If you don't want to be here, I'm sure we can arrange something" "I'm not letting her stand up there and lie. It's not fair... but the boys..." "I'll watch them, or Levi can if you'd prefer" Eren reached out to rub Luca between his horn nobs "I don't trust her not to have something planned... but we can't have Viren crying through the trial" "I'll watch them. If you both want to stay out here until Eren is called, then I'll watch them while you're in the there" Freya knew full well that Levi didn't wish to be parted from Eren's side, even if he'd upset his mate earlier "I think that may be best. Thank you, Freya" Left outside the courtroom for half an hour or so, Freya relieved them of their sons once it was Eren's turn to speak. In the time they'd been absent, the mood of the room had shifted. Dina stood confidently, smiling even. Armin and Mikasa both looked worried, leaving Levi to wonder what the hell could have shifted people's perception of the Evil Queen. Slipping his hand into Eren's, Eren shook it off, despite the fact the gallery side wall hid the gesture from the rest of the courtroom. Not taking being brushed off, Levi looped his little finger with Eren's, this time his mate accepted the silent gesture of solidarity. Nothing of Eren's life was off limits. Ever single aspect from as far back as Eren could remember was made public. Like how he and Levi became "he and Levi". How Erwin lost his arm, and how Marley had tried to take the sword and egg. Eren's dislike of Zeke to begin with... and parts of Levi's life he'd rather forget having not talked to Eren in depth of his life before becoming "Erwin". Eren's finger didn't leave his, but his mate was in a state of shock. He probably hadn't expected Levi to be a murderer at such a young age, even if he knew that they'd both been street kids at stages of their lives. Levi wasn't given the chance to defend himself, and his past seemed to cast doubt over Eren's character. It didn't matter that for the better part of two decades he was playing false prince by Erwin's side. That his every action and movement was watched and judged. In the underground you wiped your own arse and took what you needed by force. No one was about to give you what you needed, give them one chance to fuck your over and they would. For them to have so much information on his history and Eren's actions since marrying Zeke, Levi could only surmise that the royal advisors had been contacted for information, or that the royal advisors for Marley had complied a comprehensive file on both him and Eren while their spy network was in place. Though that didn't explain how they knew of Levi's history unless not all their spies had been ferreted out. It was possible that someone from his previous life had remembered him, and had sold the information onwards to line their own pockets. Either way, it was a subject Eren had dismissed. His omega had stated "it was in the past", and that if the time came when he wanted to speak of it, or was ready to speak of it, he'd be there to listen, but it didn't actually matter to him given he knew how hard people had to fight to survive, and he loved Levi for who he was now, not who he was when he was young. Of course Eren had been much more eloquent about things, he always was. Given Levi had left that person behind, that he'd had a good life playing the pampered prince even when it got on his nerves, he'd simply disconnected from his past. As it was, he could barely remember much of his mother other than her black hair and the name "Kuchel". He had Isabel and Farlan, more than enough past with them if he ever really wanted to take that trip down memory lane with them. So, it hadn't come up again. Levi would have been happier if it never had. Even if Eren understood, he still didn't want his omega thinking of the things he'd done. Of the people he'd killed. With Eren's questioning and testimony taking most of the day, the omega was given a warning not to leave the city. Levi was sure Eren would have been arrested on the spot if not for their children and the sake Viren was far too small not to be suckling from Eren's breast. While his actions had temporarily brought the war to a standstill long enough for word to go forth that both Erwin and Zeke had been slain in battle, the fact remained that he not only fought three dragons with the intention of killing them, he also turned his dragon breath against human forces, as well as admitting to using his magic to kill. All of Eldia's mages were casting with the intention of killing the Marley troops, yet because Eren was part dragon, he was being "tried" as if he was full dragon. A full dragon who'd gone out of his way to hurt people who couldn't defend themselves. It was a load of shit. The tribunal didn't even blink twice when it was stated that Eren was harpooned from the skies by a Marley battleship, something which was grudgingly confirmed by a member of the Marley military. Silently brimming with anger, Levi was ready to jump over the gallery railing, grab Dina by the throat and snap her fucking her neck simply so Eren wouldn't be treated so pourly. Sure, they wanted the whole truth from the omega, and sure, the didn't know what kind of person Eren was... but it was bullshit that they'd be so blunt towards the omega. They bordered upon cruel, which Levi didn't appreciate at all. Eren still managed to take things better than he was, not letting his distress show in his words.

🏰👑🐲⚔️🙀 DMODT 71 full draft

Breakfast with Willy was more humorous than Levi thought possible. Dining in the dining room of the hotel, there was a clear divide between those of Eldia and Draecia, and those of Marley... with Willy being the exception to the rule. Ignoring social etiquette, copies of them slim newspaper of the country had already been printed for the day and now were causing quite the buzz. Eren's statement not front page news, but an abridged and printed copy was in there. From their side of the room, more than a few of the soldiers were ruddy faced as they sported looks of attempting to force a shit while constipated. For some unknown reason, the food tasted amazing that morning. The scrambled eggs were so very yellow... Eren might not have been happy that everyone was so upset over it all, but the truth was out there thanks to Freya. The words in his statement the same as the ones his love intended to say in front of the courts. All in all, it was shaping up to be an excellent morning. Escorted from the hotel to the courthouse, Levi was still quietly laughing to himself over the Marley soldiers at dinner. Eren catching him smirking in the direction of their party, earning him a firm stomping on his foot for it. Entering the courthouse, it wasn't that different from Eldia's. Grey bland walls offered no form of comfort, neither did the dark wooden doors. The whole place designed to throw all those who entered off balance "There's magic here" Whispering to him, Eren seemed to shrink into Levi's side "Magic?" "Mmm. I can feel it.... but I don't know. It feels weird" "Bad weird?" "Off putting" "That's usually how these places are supposed to feel. Even if you're innocent, they make you so uncomfortable that you want to confess to anything and everything in order to get out" "I feel like a place insisting on natural justice and such, should want the truth. Not lies and innocent people suffering" Kissing Eren's hair, Levi smiled against the locks "I know, sweet boy. That's because you're a good person" They'd only made it into the foyer. Historia, Freya, Ymir and Steege were conferring with a stocky well armed and armoured man "What are they saying?" "We have to leave all weapons here. If we don't, we'll be held in the cells until the trial is over" "Do you think we can get an exception? Obsydin's sword isn't safe" "Not by the sounds of it. Marley is having their weapons seized too. Once we've been cleared, we'll be taken downstairs under the court... and once we've spoken we can sit in on the rest of the trial" "What about the one Zeke left for you? Vermil's?" "I don't know. It's proof that his mate died, but it's easy for them to claim that they acquired the sword from elsewhere... Historia, can you ask?" A few moments passed before Eren shook his head "No. Even Obsydin's sword needs to be left here. They'll be locked away until we leave for the day. He also said that if we bring them back tomorrow, we'll be placed in the cells. Today we get our once and only warning because we're not from here" "We can't leave his sword laying around for any fool to find" Just because he'd bonded with the dragon, didn't mean it was necessarily safe for others to be handling Obsydin's sword. Visions of Erwin losing his arm came to mind. Erwin had been fucking lucky Eren had acted so fast... Though more than once Levi had wished he hadn't for the sake of his relationship with his love "I know... we'll have to ask Mikasa's squad to watch over them. I don't like it, but as you said, we can't leave that sword laying around. No offence to Obsydin" The dragon simply huffed in the back of his mind "These humans are stupid. You should take Eren, your children, and leave. None of the others matter" "Don't you think I would if I could?" Eren drew his brow for a moment before getting it "What did Obsydin say?" "That humans are stupid" "He has a point, but not all of them are. Does he have anything else to contribute to the conversation?" Obsydin perked up, Levi could almost feel the dragon rising to his feet and stretching... as if he had an actual body to do so "Tell him he looks good" "I'm not saying that" "What did he say?" "Tell him he looks good. You can see how nervous he looks" Oh... Obsydin was trying to tell him how to reassure Eren before everything went back down hill again "He said you look good" Eren shook his head "Sorry, Obsydin. I really don't think that's the case. And if it is, it's the lack of lighting" "Tell him..." He definitely didn't need Obsydin telling him how wrong Eren was. His mate was perfect "Eren. That's not the case at all. You look beautiful in your robes. More regal than any of those Marley arses... and shit" Moving closer to them, Levi found himself a tad embarrassed when Hanji ended up right behind them "And you look handsome as hell. But those clothes would look better on the floor of our room" In his mind Obsydin roared with laughter, behind him Hanji snorted, but Levi... Levi let out a soft growl "Shut up Shitty Glasses. Eren, you're a little shit" Smiling every so slightly, Eren bumped him with his shoulder "I know. We need to head over now, they're waiting on us" He wasn't even going to give him time to come up with some form of revenge. Well, the last laugh was going to be on Eren... once he figured out a suitable punishment for his lover. At least for now he could take comfort in the fact his teasing had managed to ease some of Eren's nerves. Being without a weapon didn't sit right Levi, nor did it sit right that they'd moved the trial to an adjacent room due to crowd size. The new room meant that rather being called in to give evidence one at a time, everyone was present for each other's statement as they stood in the U-shaped gallery. Seated at a long table running the length of the back room, 8 strangers presided over the court. All seemingly from different countries. In the middle of the room, Dina sat hunched over. Her hair tangled and matted, and a large bruise covered her left eye. When Eren's steps faltered, Levi pushed him forward until they joined Mikasa and Armin in the stands "Dina..." "Eren, don't go feeling sorry for her" "But..." "It's a common tactic. She more than likely paid a guard off to hit her, plus her disheveled appearance, its all a ploy for sympathy" Eren frowned at him, but his gaze was on Dina "Do you really think so?" "From what I've heard, and how she treated you, I think Dina wouldn't stop at anything to have her own way" "But..." "No, Eren. She did the wrong thing. She nearly ruined her whole country with her selfishness. Now she needs to deal with the fall out" "It's just... she still is Zeke's mother... part me..." Eren worried his bottom lip. As far as Levi was concerned, Dina wasn't worth the horseshit on the cobblestones outside "Part of you doesn't want her to be harmed because of Zeke. Look at what she did to him. She treated her son like a faithful dog, then kicked him aside the moment he decided he finally found something he wanted for himself" "It's just..." "Eren, she tried to have you taken. She tried to have you killed. Luca was hurt when you were attacked and you could have lost the baby. You don't owe her a goddamn thing!" Letting his anger get the better of him, he realised he'd fucked up when Eren whimpered away from him. Armin quick to pull him against him "Eren, it's ok. Dina isn't going to get off. She's not going to get away with what she's done. Levi is just being a cranky dick because he doesn't have his swords to make him look cool" No one got to insult him like Eren did, but making a scene wouldn't go over well. Nor could he punish Armin the same ways he would use on Eren. Perhaps he'd wait until they arrived back in Eldia and request Nicollo send more cake up to the young beta "At least I can swing a sword, not run from it like you do" "I can't help it. We need words not weapons" "Sorry to interrupt, but I think they want to start" Interrupting them politely, Historia was right. On the Marley side, there were still whispers, but the tribunal was looking their way, not Marley's. As the charges against Dina were read out, the woman protested each and every charge. When that got her nowhere, the woman changed tactic, starting to sob theatrically loudly, clearly faking in hopes of sympathy. With her face hidden in her hands, he performance faltered from time to time, growing louder each the woman reading the charges paused between them. Showing no sympathy, the same woman didn't skip a beat as she told Dina to "stop her pathetic snivelling as she was doing herself absolutely no favours by attempting to deafen them with her screeching". Levi was forced to bite his lip and stifle a snort. Dina's head shot up, her whole stance changing as she growled towards the woman who'd scolded her. More charges against her were read than Levi had expected there to be. He'd thought war crimes, obviously, and the imprisonment and torture of the battle dragons, but he hadn't thought the court would include the attack on Eren that occurred while his mate was living with Zeke, given there was no firm evidence, and Eren's kidnapping hadn't been included in the list of charges. He also hadn't thought they include the fact she'd racked up debts with countries all over the world and failed to make good on promised resources. Dina didn't help herself by denying everything, the mad woman claiming "she'd done what she needed to do in order to protect her country, and if anyone should be on trial, it should be Eren for murdering her son". She'd actually attempted to claim she'd loved Eren, despite what he was, and how she was hurt that he'd turned against them by murdering Zeke when all Zeke had done was show him love. Eren was shaking beside him. His scent was equal parts anger and sorrow. As his mother in law, Dina was in the position to provide him with a loving family. Eren having lost his mother far too young. If the woman had given the omega a chance, she could have seen how amazing he was. Or perhaps, that was why she felt threatened. Because Eren was better than her. The omega would never have thrown a tantrum in court like she was. In fact, he'd probably yell the truth in all their shitty faces until they needed to physically stop him. He was rather spirited like that. When the list of charges ended, Dina was given an actual chance to protest her charges, and to explain her actions in details. Again, she protested that everything she did was for Marley, and that Eldia had forced her into the current position, attempting to deflect the blame onto absolutely everyone from the royal advisors to the poor beggars in the streets for allowing themselves to fall on hard times. Eren's scent only continued to grow angrier with each of Dina's words. In his hold, Viren grew upset. Apologising, Freya ushered them both out the courtroom. Eren hadn't wanted to leave, but Luca also needed a break from his mother's anger. Their son was happy to go to Freya for a cuddle while Eren trembled "Eren, you need to calm down" Glaring at Freya, Freya simply raised an eyebrow as she placed her hand on Eren's arm "Don't..." "You need to calm down. Dina is playing with your head. You've burned your fingers, or haven't you noticed?" Levi hadn't noticed either. Raising his left hand, Eren sighed at it "When I want my magic, it refuses to come, but the moment I don't, this shit happens" "Your letting your emotions get the better of you" "How could I not? You heard the things she's saying. She makes it sound like I seduced Zeke in between my legs and forced him to marry me to protect his own honour. Zeke fucked plenty of people who weren't me. It wasn't exactly a secret he was a man whore" "And you'll have you chance to explain, but only if you keep your temper in check" Taking a deep breath, Eren then let it out slowly "You're right. Sorry, Freya. She's just acting so unlike herself, it's thrown me completely. In the manor her word was law, she commanded and ruled her people with an iron fist. Everyone was so far beneath her, that they weren't fit to look her in the eye. Now she's crying and doing all of this... I can't figure it out. Why can't she just admit what she did? Why does she have to keep... it's frustrating" "Because she's a bitch. Can you really say you didn't expect her to everything and anything she could to claw onto her crown? It's the only thing she has. Without it, she's just another power-hungry-shit-for-brains-alpha" Freya giggled at Levi's words, while Eren didn't even crack a smile "Levi's right, Eren. Not everyone has the courage to tell the truth. Once you lie once, you are forced to keep lying to protect that first lie. Dina has been lying so long, she doesn't even know who she is anymore. If you don't want to be here, I'm sure we can arrange something" "I'm not letting her stand up there and lie. It's not fair... but the boys..." "I'll watch them, or Levi can if you'd prefer" Eren reached out to rub Luca between his horn nobs "I don't trust her not to have something planned... but we can't have Viren crying through the trial" "I'll watch them. If you both want to stay out here until Eren is called, then I'll watch them while you're in the there" Freya knew full well that Levi didn't wish to be parted from Eren's side, even if he'd upset his mate earlier "I think that may be best. Thank you, Freya" Left outside the courtroom for half an hour or so, Freya relieved them of their sons once it was Eren's turn to speak. In the time they'd been absent, the mood of the room had shifted. Dina stood confidently, smiling even. Armin and Mikasa both looked worried, leaving Levi to wonder what the hell could have shifted people's perception of the Evil Queen. Slipping his hand into Eren's, Eren shook it off, despite the fact the gallery side wall hid the gesture from the rest of the courtroom. Not taking being brushed off, Levi looped his little finger with Eren's, this time his mate accepted the silent gesture of solidarity. Nothing of Eren's life was off limits. Ever single aspect from as far back as Eren could remember was made public. Like how he and Levi became "he and Levi". How Erwin lost his arm, and how Marley had tried to take the sword and egg. Eren's dislike of Zeke to begin with... and parts of Levi's life he'd rather forget having not talked to Eren in depth of his life before becoming "Erwin". Eren's finger didn't leave his, but his mate was in a state of shock. He probably hadn't expected Levi to be a murderer at such a young age, even if he knew that they'd both been street kids at stages of their lives. Levi wasn't given the chance to defend himself, and his past seemed to cast doubt over Eren's character. It didn't matter that for the better part of two decades he was playing false prince by Erwin's side. That his every action and movement was watched and judged. In the underground you wiped your own arse and took what you needed by force. No one was about to give you what you needed, give them one chance to fuck your over and they would. For them to have so much information on his history and Eren's actions since marrying Zeke, Levi could only surmise that the royal advisors had been contacted for information, or that the royal advisors for Marley had complied a comprehensive file on both him and Eren while their spy network was in place. Though that didn't explain how they knew of Levi's history unless not all their spies had been ferreted out. It was possible that someone from his previous life had remembered him, and had sold the information onwards to line their own pockets. Either way, it was a subject Eren had dismissed. His omega had stated "it was in the past", and that if the time came when he wanted to speak of it, or was ready to speak of it, he'd be there to listen, but it didn't actually matter to him given he knew how hard people had to fight to survive, and he loved Levi for who he was now, not who he was when he was young. Of course Eren had been much more eloquent about things, he always was. Given Levi had left that person behind, that he'd had a good life playing the pampered prince even when it got on his nerves, he'd simply disconnected from his past. As it was, he could barely remember much of his mother other than her black hair and the name "Kuchel". He had Isabel and Farlan, more than enough past with them if he ever really wanted to take that trip down memory lane with them. So, it hadn't come up again. Levi would have been happier if it never had. Even if Eren understood, he still didn't want his omega thinking of the things he'd done. Of the people he'd killed. With Eren's questioning and testimony taking most of the day, the omega was given a warning not to leave the city. Levi was sure Eren would have been arrested on the spot if not for their children and the sake Viren was far too small not to be suckling from Eren's breast. While his actions had temporarily brought the war to a standstill long enough for word to go forth that both Erwin and Zeke had been slain in battle, the fact remained that he not only fought three dragons with the intention of killing them, he also turned his dragon breath against human forces, as well as admitting to using his magic to kill. All of Eldia's mages were casting with the intention of killing the Marley troops, yet because Eren was part dragon, he was being "tried" as if he was full dragon. A full dragon who'd gone out of his way to hurt people who couldn't defend themselves. It was a load of shit. The tribunal didn't even blink twice when it was stated that Eren was harpooned from the skies by a Marley battleship, something which was grudgingly confirmed by a member of the Marley military. Silently brimming with anger, Levi was ready to jump over the gallery railing, grab Dina by the throat and snap her fucking her neck simply so Eren wouldn't be treated so pourly. Sure, they wanted the whole truth from the omega, and sure, the didn't know what kind of person Eren was... but it was bullshit that they'd be so blunt towards the omega. They bordered upon cruel, which Levi didn't appreciate at all. Eren still managed to take things better than he was, not letting his distress show in his words. It didn't come to him at first, but the fact the tribunal judges weren't holding their punches with an omega, was a sign of equal treatment despite the differences in dynamics. Eren was silent as they walked back to their hotel room. Holding Luca up against him, their son seemed content to hide his face up against Eren's neck, needing his mother as much as Eren needed him. Levi wasn't sure if Luca had heard, but Eren had had to explain how Luca became his adoptive son. It was possible their boy was distressed over the details of his biological parents death. Or maybe their son simply knew Eren wanted to hold him close and never let him go again. Either way, it was bittersweet scene. Holding the door open, Levi closed it before their friends could pry into whatever Eren was thinking. His omega needed a safe place to deal with what had happened. Walking over to their bed, Eren climbed awkwardly under the covers with Luca, peppering kisses to their son's face "Eren?" "Give me a bit... just... give me a bit" "Alright. Viren is probably hungry" Their pup was asleep when they'd come out, and slept during the walk. With how long they were in the courtroom, he could wake to demand a feed any moment "I need to calm down. That was... more than I thought it'd be. Someone's been in our room again" Levi had had a word with the guard on the floor about not letting the cleaning staff in their room. Apparently asking nicely got you nowhere. Their scent was probably lingering upon the clean sheets, making it hard for Eren to relax. Walking over, Levi sank down atop the sheets on Luca's other side. Eren looking up to him sadly "You don't have to talk yet. I thought my scent might help calm you" "It does. I know they were doing their jobs, and I respect them for it. I wish i didn't have to... be so detailed in front of everyone. In front of Mikasa and Armin... and in front of you" "Eren..." "No. I... no. Let me... think" "Are you mad at me?" "Not mad... you said I could think" "Sorry. You're right. I don't like seeing you so upset" "It's just... why didn't you tell me?" "Tell you what?" "How it was for you on the streets? How you grew up before meeting Erwin... I... I knew you'd been on the streets but all that other stuff, did you not trust me?" "No. No, it wasn't that" Eren's eyes were filling with tears, his mate hiding his face to mumble against Luca "Then why didn't you tell me? All those nights we used to talk... standing there, I felt like... I felt like I didn't know you at all" "I'm not that person anymore. You know how the streets are. You know there's fucked up pieces of shit, those kind of men who... go after children. The kinds of people who don't deserve to walk the Earth. I wasn't killing for fun. I didn't know any better at the time. I didn't want you... to look at me differently" "Did you really think I wouldn't understand? I've seen it too" "I know you have. Eren, ever since you came into my life, and we... became an us, I wanted to be better. The kind of alpha you deserve" "What a load of shit! I love you. I accepted you when you were lying. When you were playing prince. I accepted everything, but you couldn't... couldn't trust me... I felt like a fool up there. You. Luca. Me. Zeke... They pulled my life to pieces in front of everyone, and I still have to take the stand again. Did you see them? I can't, Levi. I can't right now" "Eren..." "Don't. I might end up saying I can't take back. So don't" An awkward and heavy mood filled the space between them. Levi couldn't explain it better than he had. It was all in the past. Eren had things in his past that he hadn't disclosed, and he hadn't pushed. Was it so wrong to for him to want to be the kind of alpha Eren deserved? For slowly identifying his own faults and wishing to address them, for both of them and the sake of their sons. It wasn't fair for Eren to be shutting him out, even in despite of what he'd been through on the stand. When Viren woke, Eren fed their son. It was now that he finally chose to break his silence "I'm not mad at you" That was something, but Eren being mad he could understand to a degree. If he wasn't mad, then what was going through his head "I felt hurt. That you hadn't told me, and I had to find out in court what you'd been through. You're my alpha, that means there shouldn't be secrets between us. Or at least, not big secrets. I understand the past is probably hard for you to talk about, the streets isn't some romantic dream, but I would have liked to hear your past from you in your own words. Did you ever plan on telling me?" It took Levi a moment to reply, picking his words carefully "I don't want to hide things from you. It's simply that the past is in the past. I've done some things that I'm not proud of" "You said you'd fallen back to old ways to make money before you returned to Eldia. Was that...?" "Somewhat. Never people who didn't deserve it..." Eren nodded slowly "Is there anything else I need to know? Anything else they may use against me?" There was probably a hundred and one things that could be used against Eren, provided the tribunal was petty enough to go there "I don't know. I didn't know they'd know so much about my past" "Marley probably looked into you. From what was said, it was chaos in the castle during the war with refugees and rounding up Marley supporters..." With no clear idea of who was coming and going there was no way to confirm who was were, doing what "... so I'm going to ask you again, what do I need to know?" "I don't know. I don't know what they're going to ask. You know I never intended to wed Petra. I've also never slept with anyone other than you. I'd never kissed anyone before you. Luca and Viren are my only children. You are my mate. Isabel and Farlan have been my friends and family for nearly as long as I can remember. Farlan's friends betrayed him, Isabel had no one. So I made a deal with Erwin. I wouldn't kill him, I'd take his place, then Isabel and Farlan would be able to live within Mitras. They'd have a stable job, a place to live and food... I came from the underground Eren. I know you were on the streets, but the underground... it's worse than words can describe. Bodies left to rot in the waterways. Children starving to death... you could taste the sewerage in the air... So when Erwin promised to let us live above ground, it didn't matter what it cost. I didn't want them ending up being just another body down there" "I can understand that... if it was Mikasa and Armin, I would have done anything for them" "You're a better person than I am" "I don't think people would agree... I killed people. Bandits. Soldiers... I took their lives" "And you saved hundreds more. I know it hurts you, but the first time was by accident, and I know you wouldn't have intentionally..." "I killed Pieck and Porco. I killed them intentionally. They knew that. That's why they asked me about it today. About how Zeke died... and... I don't know anymore. I don't even know what they asked me anymore. There were so many questions... so many things... They haven't even seen the papers I need to submit. I don't know how I can do this... Did you see the way they looked at me when I said I was basically raised in a sanctuary. It's like they thought I was dirty for having two children and not being married. As if I should be better than this... I like this. I like you. I like Viren and Luca. I like most of my life... but..." "Eren, it doesn't matter what they think. What matters is what you think and feel. They don't know you. This is about Dina, and I was proud you didn't blow the room up with your magic" "Only because it hasn't come back completely. It was supposed to have. I hate not having it. I hate... a lot right now" "Me?" "No. Don't be stupid. You're my mate, and while I was hurt, I still love you. I needed to calm down. I know they wanted me off balance, and they got it" Levi growled out a huff "That was more than throwing you off balance. I don't see why the fuck they went after you like that" "Because Marley's got a prince they don't want. They needed to know what I'm like, with none of the pompous pretence" "They should have shown you far more respect than they did. You didn't have any warning they were going to be so thorough. You weren't prepared at all" "Maybe I was a little prepared" "Eren, you weren't prepared. I wasn't prepared and I've sat in on trials before. I don't approve you accepting treatment like that" Eren glared at him "What was I supposed to do, Levi? I couldn't say anything. If I had, it would have been even worse" "I know that. I simply... I simply wish that you didn't have to go through all of this" "Do you regret not running away with me?" Yes. A million times yes. But if they'd run, then been forced back to face the tribunal things would have been so much worse "Yes. All I want is for you to be happy... but we're going to get through this together" Leaning over Luca, Eren dropped his head against Levi's shoulder "I don't know about that... but I know I wouldn't want to be going through any of this without you by my side"

🏰👑🐲⚔️ DMODT - 71 start

Breakfast with Willy was more humours than Levi thought possible. Dining in the dining room of the hotel, there was a clear divide between those of Eldia and Draecia, and those of Marley... with Willy being the exception to the rule. Ignoring social etiquette, copies of them slim newspaper of the country had already been printed for the day and now were causing quite the buzz. Eren's statement not front page news, but an abridged and printed copy was in there. From their side of the room, more than a few of the soldiers were ruddy faced as they sported looks of attempting to force a shit while constipated. For some unknown reason, the food tasted amazing that morning. The scrambled eggs were so very yellow... Eren might not have been happy that everyone was so upset over it all, but the truth was out there thanks to Freya. The words in his statement the same as the ones his love intended to say in front of the courts. All in all, it was shaping up to be an excellent morning. Escorted from the hotel to the courthouse, Levi was still quietly laughing to himself over the Marley soldiers at dinner. Eren catching him smirking in the direction of their party, earning him a firm stomping on his foot for it. Entering the courthouse, it wasn't that different from Eldia's. Grey bland walls offered no form of comfort, neither did the dark wooden doors. The whole place designed to throw all those who entered off balance "There's magic here" Whispering to him, Eren seemed to shrink into Levi's side "Magic?" "Mmm. I can feel it.... but I don't know. It feels weird" "Bad weird?" "Off putting" "That's usually how these places are supposed to feel. Even if you're innocent, they make you so uncomfortable that you want to confess to anything and everything in order to get out" "I feel like a place insisting on natural justice and such, should want the truth. Not lies and innocent people suffering" Kissing Eren's hair, Levi smiled against the locks "I know, sweet boy. That's because you're a good person" They'd only made it into the foyer. Historia, Freya, Ymir and Steege were conferring with a stocky well armed and armoured man "What are they saying?" "We have to leave all weapons here. If we don't, we'll be held in the cells until the trial is over" "Do you think we can get an exception? Obsydin's sword isn't safe" "Not by the sounds of it. Marley is having their weapons seized too. Once we've been cleared, we'll be taken downstairs under the court... and once we've spoken we can sit in on the rest of the trial" "What about the one Zeke left for you? Vermil's?" "I don't know. It's proof that his mate died, but it's easy for them to claim that they acquired the sword from elsewhere... Historia, can you ask?" A few moments passed before Eren shook his head "No. Even Obsydin's sword needs to be left here. They'll be locked away until we leave for the day. He also said that if we bring them back tomorrow, we'll be placed in the cells. Today we get our once and only warning because we're not from here" "We can't leave his sword laying around for any fool to find" Just because he'd bonded with the dragon, didn't mean it was necessarily safe for others to be handling Obsydin's sword. Visions of Erwin losing his arm came to mind. Erwin had been fucking lucky Eren had acted so fast... Though more than once Levi had wished he hadn't for the sake of his relationship with his love "I know... we'll have to ask Mikasa's squad to watch over them. I don't like it, but as you said, we can't leave that sword laying around. No offence to Obsydin" The dragon simply huffed in the back of his mind "These humans are stupid. You should take Eren, your children, and leave. None of the others matter" "Don't you think I would if I could?" Eren drew his brow for a moment before getting it "What did Obsydin say?" "That humans are stupid" "He has a point, but not all of them are. Does he have anything else to contribute to the conversation?" Obsydin perked up, Levi could almost feel the dragon rising to his feet and stretching... as if he had an actual body to do so "Tell him he looks good" "I'm not saying that" "What did he say?" "Tell him he looks good. You can see how nervous he looks" Oh... Obsydin was trying to tell him how to reassure Eren before everything went back down hill again "He said you look good" Eren shook his head "Sorry, Obsydin. I really don't think that's the case. And if it is, it's the lack of lighting" "Tell him..." He definitely didn't need Obsydin telling him how wrong Eren was. His mate was perfect "Eren. That's not the case at all. You look beautiful in your robes. More regal than any of those Marley arses... and shit" Moving closer to them, Levi found himself a tad embarrassed when Hanji ended up right behind them "And you look handsome as hell. But those clothes would look better on the floor of our room" In his mind Obsydin roared with laughter, behind him Hanji snorted, but Levi... Levi let out a soft growl "Shut up Shitty Glasses. Eren, you're a little shit" Smiling every so slightly, Eren bumped him with his shoulder "I know. We need to head over now, they're waiting on us" He wasn't even going to give him time to come up with some form of revenge. Well, the last laugh was going to be on Eren... once he figured out a suitable punishment for his lover. At least for now he could take comfort in the fact his teasing had managed to ease some of Eren's nerves. Being without a weapon didn't sit right Levi, nor did it sit right that they'd moved the trial to an adjacent room due to crowd size. The new room meant that rather being called in to give evidence one at a time, everyone was present for each other's statement as they stood in the U-shaped gallery. Seated at a long table running the length of the back room, 8 strangers presided over the court. All seemingly from different countries. In the middle of the room, Dina sat hunched over. Her hair tangled and matted, and a large bruise covered her left eye. When Eren's steps faltered, Levi pushed him forward until they joined Mikasa and Armin in the stands "Dina..." "Eren, don't go feeling sorry for her" "But..." "It's a common tactic. She more than likely paid a guard off to hit her, plus her disheveled appearance, its all a ploy for sympathy" Eren frowned at him, but his gaze was on Dina "Do you really think so?" "From what I've heard, and how she treated you, I think Dina wouldn't stop at anything to have her own way" "But..." "No, Eren. She did the wrong thing. She nearly ruined her whole country with her selfishness. Now she needs to deal with the fall out" "It's just... she still is Zeke's mother... part me..." Eren worried his bottom lip. As far as Levi was concerned, Dina wasn't worth the horseshit on the cobblestones outside "Part of you doesn't want her to be harmed because of Zeke. Look at what she did to him. She treated her son like a faithful dog, then kicked him aside the moment he decided he finally found something he wanted for himself" "It's just..." "Eren, she tried to have you taken. She tried to have you killed. Luca was hurt when you were attacked and you could have lost the baby. You don't owe her a goddamn thing!" Letting his anger get the better of him, he realised he'd fucked up when Eren whimpered away from him. Armin quick to pull him against him "Eren, it's ok. Dina isn't going to get off. She's not going to get away with what she's done. Levi is just being a cranky dick because he doesn't have his swords to make him look cool" No one got to insult him like Eren did, but making a scene wouldn't go over well. Nor could he punish Armin the same ways he would use on Eren. Perhaps he'd wait until they arrived back in Eldia and request Nicollo send more cake up to the young beta "At least I can swing a sword, not run from it like you do" "I can't help it. We need words not weapons" "Sorry to interrupt, but I think they want to start" Interrupting them politely, Historia was right. On the Marley side, there were still whispers, but the tribunal was looking their way, not Marley's. As the charges against Dina were read out, the woman protested each and every charge. When that got her nowhere, the woman changed tactic, starting to sob theatrically loudly, clearly faking in hopes of sympathy. With her face hidden in her hands, he performance faltered from time to time, growing louder each the woman reading the charges paused between them. Showing no sympathy, the same woman didn't skip a beat as she told Dina to "stop her pathetic snivelling as she was doing herself absolutely no favours by attempting to deafen them with her screeching". Levi was forced to bite his lip and stifle a snort. Dina's head shot up, her whole stance changing as she growled towards the woman who'd scolded her. More charges against her were read than Levi had expected there to be. He'd thought war crimes, obviously, and the imprisonment and torture of the battle dragons, but he hadn't thought the court would include the attack on Eren that occurred while his mate was living with Zeke, given there was no firm evidence, and Eren's kidnapping hadn't been included in the list of charges. He also hadn't thought they include the fact she'd racked up debts with countries all over the world and failed to make good on promised resources. Dina didn't help herself by denying everything, the mad woman claiming "she'd done what she needed to do in order to protect her country, and if anyone should be on trial, it should be Eren for murdering her son". She'd actually attempted to claim she'd loved Eren, despite what he was, and how she was hurt that he'd turned against them by murdering Zeke when all Zeke had done was show him love. Eren was shaking beside him. His scent was equal parts anger and sorrow. As his mother in law, Dina was in the position to provide him with a loving family. Eren having lost his mother far too young. If the woman had given the omega a chance, she could have seen how amazing he was. Or perhaps, that was why she felt threatened. Because Eren was better than her. The omega would never have thrown a tantrum in court like she was. In fact, he'd probably yell the truth in all their shitty faces until they needed to physically stop him. He was rather spirited like that.