Dragonstone, AOT World
Year 846
The island has changed since their last visit, Levi thinks to himself as their ship docks at the unoccupied side of the port. It looks properly populated now as opposed to the deserted island they last saw. Levi cannot help but admit that he prefers this to how it once was.
"Woah!" squeals Hange as she leans over the railing, nearly tipping over in her excitement. "Levy, it's a city with people not from Paradis!" she continues while aggressively smacking him on the back, earning a glare from the man.
On Levi's other side, Balalaika lets out an impressive whistle before inhaling from her cigar. "He does not do anything by half." she comments, and Levi cannot help but agree.
Disembarking from the ship, They are greeted by a group of tall men and women wearing gleaming silver armor over flowing blue robes that reach the ground with a matching cape that is just as long, and with winged helms that cover all but their eyes. In their left hands are spears a head taller than them while a sword can be seen sheathed on at their waists.
As they disembark from their ship, one of the soldiers steps from their formation and approaches the group silently despite the armor and with steps so fluid and graceful that it puts Levi on edge. There is something inhuman in how that soldier moves and it reminds him of Aemon, albeit to a lesser extent.
"Welcome to Dragonstone. My soldier and I are to be your escort to his majesty." says the soldier, not looking at any of them in particular and merely staring straight ahead.
"Thank you, and you are?" asks Erwin as he steps past Levi to address the soldier
"A knight of his majesty." replies the knight, neither their head nor their eyes turning to look at Erwin as he addresses him, causing Levi to frown.
After saying so they refrain from answering any question and instead opt to lead them to horses for them to mount.
"Well, they're certainly a welcoming group." comments Hange sarcastically as they leave the dock and make their way towards the city.
Despite agreeing with her, Levi barely acknowledges her statement as his mind replays the encounter.
"They never blinked." comments Levi. It may have been a swift encounter before the knights turned their backs to him in order to lead them to the horses, but in that span of time most humans would have blinked a few times yet not a single one those knights blinked even once throughout the entire time.
"Fascinating." replies Hange, and while she indeed sounds fascinated in a way only she would be, Levi knows that she understands what he means. Either their escorts are highly trained to only blink at a certain time, or there is something inhuman about them.
Before the thought can linger in his mind they enter the city proper and Levi's breath is wrested away from his lungs.
Levi is not one to marvel at the beauty of things, architectural marvels, or anything of the sort. However, the sight of the city built makes him marvel. Unlike the castle of Dragonstone which is built using fused black stone that seems to drink in light, the city is built with beautiful white stones which gleam in the light. It creates an interesting contrast, the city gleaming and almost reflecting light while the castle seems to absorb it.
The buildings themselves are also crafted of the same stone, their facades adorned with intricate carvings constellations, stars, the moon, and snowstorms. Towards spiral upwards, their peaks almost reach half the height of the castle behind the city.
Traversing the streets of the city are the most inhuman beings that Levi has ever seen. Everything from their beauty, grace, and poise is inhuman. The way they carry themselves, walk, speak, and even commit small gestures such as tilting their heads is inhuman; it sets him on edge for it seems as if he's entered a city full of beings like Aemon. Even their disregard for him and his comrades is done with an inhuman grace that makes him uncomfortable.
Soon they reach what seems to be the heart of the city, a vast open space where the denizens gather under the gaze of a statue in Aemon's likeness. The statue is both awe-inspiring and unnerving to look at.
Aemon is depicted in mid-motion, his long, flowing hair carved with such detail that each individual strand can be seen, with the black strands absorbing the light while silver streaks glimmer under it. His face, fair and regal, more pretty than handsome, is set into a cold indifference that is further accented by his right eye shining with a cold blue light that makes one feel as if they are in a blizzard that lays their secrets bare. And resting on his brow is an open circlet of hammered bronze incised with two sets of runes from differing languages that seem to blend seamlessly, surmounted by nine black iron spikes wrought in the shape of longswords.
While the features of the statue itself are more beautiful than Levi thought possible for something made of stone, it is what the statue depicts that truly draws his attention.
Aemon's right arm is raised high, wielding a thin, black longsword with a wave-like rippling pattern; the weapon forever frozen in the act of striking. Beneath him, coiled in its death throes is a massive serpent. Its scarlet scales carved with such detail that Levi feels as if it is truly alive before him. Were it not for Aemon's books on the world beyond Paradis Island he would not even know what to name this beast.
The creature's maw is open in a silent scream, its fangs bared with flames flowing around them, The serpent's body twists and writhes, its tail lashing out in a final, desperate attempt at retaliation, but it is futile. Aemon's booted foot rests firmly on its neck.
Looking at the statue, Levi wonders if this is how these beings view Aemon. A cold, indifferent king who slays massive beasts as if they are nothing. Though if that is truly how they see him Levi wonders why they look at the statue with such awe and reverence.
Much earlier than they wish, they leave the plaza and continue on their way, their escort not allowing them to linger there for long and herding them to Dragonstone despite the various commanders' attempts at sight seeing. Levi cannot blame them honestly, for something about the city draws one thing and makes them want to become lost in its streets as they endlessly explore and marvel at it all.
Soon they arrive at Dragonstone's entrance where they are met by a tall, well-built, yet fairly slender, woman with free flowing long red hair that reaches down her back donning golden armor, a red scarf around her neck, and a longsword sheathed at her waist.
"Princess." greets the leader of their escort with a bow that their subordinates follow.
"You have done well." compliments the woman, her golden eyes trained on the bowing leader. "You may return to your post." she commands before turning her eyes to Levi's group.
The knight, taking the dismissal for what it is, leaves without another word.
"Welcome to Dragonstone, I am Princess Malenia, Winter Knight of the Unseelie Court, and, in King Aemon's absence, I speak with his voice." she says with a voice that reminds Levi of rustling leaves, causing the commanders to curiously look at her.
"Is Aemon not back yet?" asks Erwin, causing a frown to briefly grace her features before it disappears as quickly as it appears, making Levi think that it was nothing but his imagination or a trick of the light.
"His Majesty has yet to return." replies Malenia. "Though he is expected back any day now. In the meanwhile you may explore the castle and the city below. However, do refrain from exploring beyond; the dragons are want to frolic the rest of the island and it would not do for his majesty to return and find his guests to have been turned to ash, or worse dragon feed." warns Malenia before guiding them into the castle and leaving them to their devices.
For a few seconds they stand there awkwardly, not knowing how to react before Hange finally decides to speak. "It seems that Aemon has been very busy." she says.
"Clearly we're way out of the loop. We need information." remarks Erwin, causing Levi to scoff in annoyance.
Aemon does this a lot and it's beginning to get on his nerves. He disappears for god knows how long and when he returns he brings something new with him that puts them out of their depth. First it was his dragon, then that woman, Balalaika, and his siblings with their dragons, then it was an entire island, and now he becomes king to an inhuman species that Levi has never heard of even in the books that Aemon provided to them. What is he going to do next? Connect Paradis to another dimension?
As these thoughts fly though Levi's mind another one of those inhuman beings walks past his group and Levi makes up his mind.
Marching towards the man(?), Levi pulls him by the arm.
"You. I have some questions." he says.
For a second the man seems bewildered by Levi's actions, as if he didn't expect such an audacious action from such a small man.
"Pardon my friend, he forgets his manners sometimes." says Erwin as he pries Levi's hand from the man's arm. "Would you be kind enough to answer a few questions from us?" he asks.
"And why would I do that?" the man replies with a sneer.
"It's about your king." says Hange, and as if a switch has been flipped in the man's mind, his sneer quickly turns into a smile.
"Ahhh, you wish to learn of His Majesty, King Aemon." the man says, his smile bright and his voice full of cheer. "Come, come, the tale of His Majesty is best told with a cold drink in hand and a warm meal before you. Although at this hour of the day the kitchen will no doubt be preparing for His Majesty's return feast, but I am sure they can spare a platter or two for those interested in His Majesty." rants the man as he beckons them, dragging Erwin with him all the while.
"Fanatics." mutters Levi to himself. "They're all fucking fanatics." he says to himself before following the man.
…
…
…
Unlike Reiner and Bertholdt, Annie is being held within a comfortable room in Dragonstone. She is well fed, allowed to wander the halls, speak to the guards, and even observe the rest of the island from the castle.
The decision was a calculated one made by Aemon with the motive of convincing her to betray Marley. Unlike Reiner, who has a large family in Marley, and Bertholdt, who's motives Aemon does not know and is too lazy to figure out, Annie only cares to reunite with her father. It is the main driving force for much of her actions. Smuggling a single man out of Marley, one who does not even seem to care for the nation or its propaganda, is much easier than smuggling an entire family who subscribes to the propaganda fed to them. Which is why Aemon now stands before the door to Annie's chamber before his meeting with the commanders of Paradis or his meeting with Eren.
"Johan." greets Aemon with a nod at the young man standing near the doorway. It seems that the current shift of guarding her if his
"Lord Commander." replies Johan with a salute.
"I hear that you and your team brought the Attack Titan to Dragonstone peacefully, good work." says Aemon.
"It wasn't really hard to be honest." he replies, causing Aemon to raise an eyebrow. "The boy is obsessed with killing Titans. All I did was convince him that I could get him into the survey corps early and he became excited to follow. Although I did need to bring his two friends along." explains Johan, the last part added in more as an afterthought.
"Regardless, good work." compliments Aemon as he opens the door to the chamber. "Remain here." he commands the Royal Guard as he enters, Grendell and Johan being the only ones to follow him in.
As he enters the room he finds Annie sitting on the bed with her legs crossed, her face set into an impassive stare as she watches them enter.
Like all chambers of Dragonstone, the ones for the servants included, it is large with a bed big enough for two grown men, a closet, a hearth, and a desk with a chair.
"I hope that our accommodations have been to your liking." comments Aemon as he takes the chair from the desk and positions it in front of Annie before sitting, one leg crossed over the other.
"I don't know if she's mute or not, but she never speaks, Lord Commander." says Johan.
"Hmmm." hums Aemon thoughtfully before replying. "She is no mute, and while I would wish for this to be a conversation, it is not required for my object to be accomplished." he says, speaking to Johan and Annie both.
For a moment Aemon remains silent, as if waiting for her to answer him only for the girl to remain silent and stare at him with the same dead eyes. After a few minutes of silence Aemon cannot help but sigh.
"Very well." he says. "I shall speak and you will listen."
"When I was a lad, no older than six years of age mind you, my father's wife gave birth to her second daughter, Arya." he begins, his voice soothing and enticing with a smile so beautiful that the sun seems to shine in the room despite the cloudy day.
"She came into the world ugly, screaming, and wailing as if in defiance of the world itself. Dark of hair, grey eyes, and long faced, she possessed all the features of a member of House Stark and for that she was beloved by all. Her mother for it proved that she was capable of birthing a child that resembles the House she married into, her father for she was his daughter and that was enough, and most importantly by me for she was proof that I too had the blood of House Stark running through my veins." explains Aemon as Annie ever but slightly leans forward despite her emotionless face.
"Of course you must be wondering why I, at the young age of six, would have such thoughts. The truth of the matter is that I was, am, a bastard; and in Westerosi society there are only two things worse than a bastard, a kinslayer and one who breaks guest rights. And despite possessing the same features as my father, Lord Stark, I struggled to believe that I possessed the blood of the Winter Kings; for you see, my features were too fair by half. Aye I had the dark hair, long face, and grey eyes, but that is where the similarities ended." continues Aemon. By now Annie has long since uncrossed her legs.
"As such when Arya was born, possessing the same features as father yer fairer than him, for she was a girl, she quickly became my favorite sibling. And when she grew into the spitfire of a girl who refused her mother's sothron customs and opted to follow me as a shadow instead, I swore that I would protect her no matter the cost." Aemon says, the smile slowly disappearing from his face to be replaced by a ruthless cold glint in his eye.
"Did you?" asks Annie, her eyes open wide as opposed to previously lidded nature. "Did you protect her?"
"No. Throughout my life that is the only promise I have not been able to keep, and no matter how much I listened to the tortured screams of her killers I could never soothe my soul of that failure." Aemon replies with a frown that Annie matches.
"I tell you this so that you may know that I understand your motives. For me it was my sister, for you it is your father." Aemon says. "I can reunite you with your father and free you both from Marley's oppressive grasp. I only require one thing of you." says Aemon.
For a moment Annie remains silent, her eyes moving across Aemon's face as if searching for something. After a while she stands from the bed and paces the room, her brows set into a deep frown.
"What do you want from me?" she asks, stopping in front of Aemon.
"Loyalty." he says.
"Loyalty." she says with a scoff. "That's it?"
"Do not scoff." replies Aemon. "If you accept that means that you become my soldier and no one else's."
"And how do I know you can keep your promise, or even will keep it and not backstab me?" Annie asks, causing Aemon to smirk.
"Hassan." he says, seemingly speaking to the air.
Next to Aemon a shadowy figure materialises seemingly out of nowhere and places an object into Aemon's hand before disappearing just as he arrived.
"Baseball." says Aemon as he presents the object to Annie, a used baseball with a signature on it. "A fascinating sport don't you think?" he asks as Annie takes the ball, her eyes widening as she reads the name on the ball.
"As for whether or not I will keep my promise instead of backstabbing you? Well, we fair folk cannot lie." says Aemon, causing Annie to look at him questioningly.
"The Fair Folk, that is the name of my people." explains Aemon as moves his long hair away from his ears, showing her their pointed nature.
Dumbstruck by the revelation that it takes Annie to come to her senses.
"Fine." she says. "You have a deal."
Author's Note: Here's the latest chapter. As usual, tell me what you guys think. If you want to support me or read ahead, you at my patreon: patreon.com/servantambrosius