The wedding is here!
Enjoy~

"Gosh, how much money have you spent on this so far?"

"Not enough." Levi remained completely unfazed by the beautifully decorated nursery. The fact he was willing to make a start on the resting room of our unborn child despite not knowing the gender proved just how hopelessly panicked he appeared to be. In all honesty, I found the gesture rather sweet. Unlike Levi's sunshine personality. I smiled inwardly to myself, but the stoic King did not take so kindly to my gesture. "Tsk," he scowled. "Smugness does not flatter you." His insult only added to my overpowering amusement over the scenery, and I simply lost all hold on my subtlety.

Levi swiftly lead me outside of the beloved nursery with an evident frown across his face. Seems he dislikes his joyous emotions exposed for all to see. "I'm sure you're aware of what day it is tomorrow." His words were futile of course; for everyone in the entire Kingdom knew the highly anticipated date. The date King Levi was never thought to experience. No amount of sheer brain power could predict the flowers, scenery, and blatant excitement over the most important wedding throughout the entire Kingdom.

The stoic King just so happened to catch my expression, and proceeded to tease the evident blush scattered across the tips of my cheeks. "You idiot," he mused. "Embarrassment suits you best." Despite his claims, Levi remained surprisingly calm over the thought of our wedding; almost as if the topic did not interest him. How strange. Levi sighed loudly, neatly adjusting his pristine cravat with worryingly accurate precision. "Tsk, I have somewhere to be. If you're fully rested, feel free to complete some paperwork. Don't worry about screwing up." Just hearing the word 'paperwork' spiked my interest in a matter of seconds. Levi never permits me to touch his 'taxes of the people.'

In this moment, his stress became painfully clear. His role as King had him mercilessly chained to the beating heart of his Kingdom. How worrying. Could he long for a suitable Queen to lessen the load of troubles and stresses to endure? Surely he is frustrated with me? "Quit the idiotic look. I've already told you embarrassment suits your face the best." Without another word, he disappeared into the morning rays. How troublesome. Fortunately, the hallways surrounding a nearby window distracted my weary eyes for a couple of blissful seconds.

The scenery surrounding the palace danced with colours of red, pink, and blue. A few servants sat resting against trees; unbeknownst to their unforgiving King. The relaxing atmosphere gently lulled me into a deep sense of security. A security only felt amongst the rice fields of Chi. Such tranquility would not last long, and a doubtful part of my heart knew this all too well. Just look at what happened to the rice fields: scorched and lost to a tragic fire.

❥❥❥

"Those white roses need to be more to the left!"

"Ah, where's the cake?"

Petra appeared to be deeply concerned over every little thing regarding the Kingdoms most anticipated wedding of the year. A flurry of servants and platoons of guards surrounded almost every exist. Absolutely no members of the Kingdom were allowed inside the palace until twelve o' clock midday. Sadly, certain nobles who happened to possess large sums of money were permitted to locate their seats before anyone else. Naturally, the poor were not granted such luxury. They fought and cried outside the rose adorned palace for a little under two hours.

Every peasant for miles longed to catch a glimpse of my face. After all, I was the only thief able to steal the King's unforgiving heart. As traditions of Levi's Kingdom were vastly different from my own, he was not permitted to visit me until our beautiful wedding commenced. Multiple giggling servants assisted me in the arts of dressing in truly divine clothing; and applying faint dabs of make-up to enhance the purity of my white dress. In all honesty, I did not recognise the lady who stared back at me in the crystal mirror.

To think I fought valiantly in Chi many years ago, only to be treated like royalty after meeting a lonely King. Who is now my lover. "You look the definition of a Queen, your majesty." Kind servants praised my stunning attire with small reassuring bows here and there. I could only nervously chuckle in response, but the lively servants did not seem to mind. Despite dressed to perfection, separation from Levi was few and far between. We most certainly had not been apart for more than eight hours. I wonder if he's feeling nervous? Surely not. Well, I'm beyond terrified. Nervous is an understatement right now.

Hopefully things are going smoothly for him. He deserves a calm day after such trouble. "My King, you simply cannot enter! It would be terribly unlucky if you were to glance upon her majesty's beauty before the wedding!" A deafening commotion immediately shifted my attention. "Unlucky? Tsk, the fact we're due to marry is the definition of luck. Plus, no such tradition exists within her culture. Let me pass." The loyal servants simply could not reuse their powerful King, and begrudgingly granted him access. Luckily for me, I managed to slip into the next room just in time.

Why on earth is Levi here? We are not due to be married until later! "Are you following traditions?" Levi loudly announced. If he held some strange ideology I would swiftly abandon the beloved traditions of his own Kingdom without a second thought－ he's truly mistaken. "Of course," I replied. "I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise."

Levi merely scoffed behind the golden door known as 'separation', and collectively gathered his thoughts for a moment. "I see... now you decide to follow the rules." An untrue statement. How smug of him! I was forced into a whirlwind of demands a long time ago. Our first meeting remained the embodiment of rules. "I was hoping to speak to you face-to-face, but I suppose that shit is no longer possible." He grumbled.

I smiled inwardly towards a small turquoise mirror located to the left of a variety of navy wallpapers. Not too bad for a thief. "We can still hear each-other, can't we?" Levi muttered his sheer dissatisfaction over the arrangement under his breath, but proceeded to inform me of the news regardless. I must admit, the gentle vision of his unruly handsomeness was truly missed. "I think this will be of use to you. Do not open it until I leave. Also, I happened to hear an abundance of rumours." Rumours? How odd.

Since the palace offered no room to slide objects under the floorboards, I presumed the door would have to open a crack in order to make the exchange. I wonder what Levi is gifting at such a time? Our wedding is due to occur within the hour. My assumption was instantly proved correct upon seeing a faint white jacket with a midnight black shirt protruding out from under the sleeve. His pale skin and intimidating presence unnerved me for a split second. If Levi were to demand to see me all of a sudden, the surprise would be completely ruined.

"Tsk, hurry up and take it." A small part of me remained heart-clinchingly nervous. Levi was dressed in the finery the two of us would eventually marry in just a few centimes away from me. Curiosity churned within my soul, and I'm sure the feeling was reciprocated for the King as well. "Is it a gift?" I murmured to no one in particular, lightly grazing my fingertips over the protective layer of tissue. Levi remained quiet for a second before revealing his answer. "Yes. Keep it safe."

"I treasure everything you give me, Levi. Thank you for this." He scoffed again, merely muttering a faint curse word under his breath. All in all, his behaviour hinted genuine embarrassment. "Nice gloves, (Y/N)." He mused before a trail of footsteps briskly disappeared in the other direction of the elegant dress-room. What about the rumours? Did he decide not to mention them? I clutched the item extremely close to my chest, studying the neatly wrapped gift for a moment of reflection. How sweet of Levi to do such a thing. I'll be sure to return his kindness. With a swift tug of a faint red ribbon, a flurry of purple paper fell to the burgundy carpet below my angelic heels.

In all its glory lay an old, practicality lifeless leather book. The title－ although slightly hard to read－ shone sporadic speckles of gold under the warm afternoon sun. As I carefully turned the front page, vibrant watercolours filled every corner of the novel. Rice fields; and a shaggy lurcher hound awoke a memory deep within my heart. The book I read as a child amongst the rice fields. How on earth did Levi find this? Impossible. I discussed the book briefly with him when attending Hanji's experiment laboratory.

"Your majesty, we have much to finish!" Very little time was provided for my overwhelming levels of emotions, and in a matter of minutes, I was forcibly given a variety of 'touch-ups.' From thick white lace, to a light wedding veil decorated with delicately placed roses, my attire was finally complete. All that awaited was the grand wedding. To my dismay, the poor began to chant and cry for a better view; only prompting the servants to usher me out into the hallway.

A large formation of silver guards rudely replaced the loyal handmaids, carefully escorting me towards the main reception area of the palace. Hundreds of white roses littered a soft red carpet draped across the marble flooring. The hall is huge! Oh gosh, I'm terribly nervous. Look how many people are watching from above! Not to mention the poor down below! The entire Kingdom appeared to be staring intently for any potential sighting of their future King and Queen. Just my name alone held giant speculation, although the situation would drastically change after claiming Levi's infamous surname.

Only an half an hour until the wedding begins...

In the midst of a variety of silver shields, I could almost make out a ravenette figure standing at the very top of a circular marble platform. Levi... he looks truly magnificent. He must have slipped away in order to speak with me. My King stood adjacent from his adoring crowd, carefully neatening his signature cravat. Atop of his head sat his beautiful crimson crown. Shimmers of red and gold alerted the sea of onlookers just how important his position remained.

I bashfully patted my abdomen, almost for some form of encouragement over the suddenly surreal scene. I'm about to marry a King! Gosh, I hope everything runs smoothly! Four silver guards began to slowly lower their gleaming shields. I could feel the entire Kingdom fall silent upon hearing the steady march of iron armour. My parents fell presumably long before the fire, so no such family member walked me down the isle. A shame. Well, I suppose the guards are here.

Past my head.

Past my shoulders.

Past my heels.

The Kingdom remained engulfed in nothingness. To me, the scenery felt as though time itself had stopped. I could no longer focus on the joy of the occasion, nor the shock that resonated within Levi's silver orbs upon witnessing my pure appearance. What a divine room, atmosphere, and decorations. My heart could burst right here and now. Levi and I are to be joined together through the act of marriage at long last. The poor remained quiet out of respect for their King, and a loud piano organ sung notes of mesmerising beauty.

The red carpet began to lessen after each careful step.

Levi refused to avert his gaze away from me, yet his face remained unreadable. How typical of him. His overwhelming beauty radiated that of a true, powerful ruler. I'm almost there... Levi is waiting for me. The Kingdom has yet to cheer or throw confetti. I wonder if the nobles are shocked; and the poor overjoyed. At last, we finally stood opposite. Levi looked as though he longed to whisper something loving against the shell of my ear, but managed to compose himself in time for the announcement of the religious noble that would marry our souls together.

In this very moment our love became evident to all who lay eyes upon our ceremony. Believe it or not, Petra sat wiping her eyes on the first pew. Seems Levi kept his promise all that time ago. Naturally, all are welcome to our wedding. Expect a few enemies of course. Eren currently residing at the top of the list. As the elegant music began to quieten into a gentle hymn, the religious noble invited every guest present to bear witness to our joyous reunion. A few tear-jerking poems created by Levi's parents were read aloud, carefully followed by soft cheering from surrounding rich individuals. All that remained was the vocal act of our vows.

"In the Name of God, I, Levi, take you, (Y/N), to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow." The audience appeared stunned into silence upon hearing Levi's blissful deceleration of affection. Some, mostly women, sobbed loudly amongst the pews. Nobles sat infatuated by the scene before them. It was rumoured King Levi would never marry due to his cruel tendencies.

Now look at him.

"In the Name of God, I, (Y/N), take you, Levi, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death." The sound of my own voice greatly unnerved me, but I managed to recite the exact vow meant solely for Levi.

He appeared truly elated to hear the words aloud, and gingerly took ahold of my hand for the crowd to admire. He smirked softly upon witnessing a flurry of pink flush my pristine cheeks. Now of all times he has the audacity to smile! As King, Levi must appease the thirst of his people. To do this, he raised our tightly entwined hands high into the air. The gesture non-verbally signalled our eternal bond.

An eruption of cheering and clapping commenced around the palace. The loudest cries, ahem, screams of approval were delivered from Hanji herself, who stood clapping like a madwoman. As if to taunt the crowd, the final stage of our wedding was softly spoken by an overjoyed noble. "You may now kiss the bride." We sealed our newly promised bonds through a physical action. A soft kiss unlike no other. Possibly one of the most loving moments of my entire life. Levi murmured a faint whisper of praise as we separated for the crowd.

"Vous êtes belle." (You look beautiful.) Although he spoke French to masquerade his words from potential embarrassment, his voice resonated deep emotion. Showers of confetti rained from above, kindly thrown by cheerful nobles. Strands of pink, white, and blue danced from the golden balconies and eventually landed in a few loose strands of my hair. Levi was quick to affectionately brush them away, and the two of us proceeded to walk down the marble steps leading onto three luxury carpets.

As we past eleven rose covered pews, nobles (and Petra) frantically congratulated our wedding. Despite so many people talking at once, a slightly deeper voice overpowered them all. "Reiner knew me very well. He even attended your courthouse trial all that time ago." The voice was extremely hard to make out; but I could hear the stranger's announcement all the same. I pivoted rather sharply, resulting in the tassels of my dress tangling against my feet. The voice felt oddly familiar, but not a single thug could be seen. Where on earth is the voice coming from?

The mention of beloved Reiner sent violent shivers of anger down my spine. Just the satisfactory twinge in the provocateur's voice drastically affected my breathing rate.

But there was no time to dawdle.

At the end of the room stood a beautifully decorated cake, iced in a variety of stunning flowers. I had no choice but to dismiss the voice as petty words amongst jealous nobles. Levi did say there were rumours circling. I presumed that was our end destination. The fabulous cake shone vibrantly throughout the hall, and the juicy strawberries looked good enough to swallow whole. A small part of me wondered why such a fruit was placed at the top; and then it hit me. Petra deigned the cake. Maybe the largest strawberry at the top had a double meaning.

She had finally let go.

With a soft laugh, Levi and I sliced a large piece of the creamy cake with a pre-prepared knife. Inside revealed layers of thick cream and delectable jam. Even though Levi had a known displeasure against sweet things, he ate a small piece beside me. "Tsk, who let Petra put strawberries on this thing." Levi muttered with a faint glare. I smiled brightly in response, gleefully biting into a particularly plump berry. "It tastes amazing. Fruit is truly a spectacle to eat and admire." He smirked softly, brashly taking ahold of my lacy chin. "Is that so?" He mused. "Let me taste."

With a slightly sinful kiss, he was able to swipe a piece of fruit from within my mouth. He merely adjusted his ruffled cravat with a smug wink. "Come," he demanded. "We have much more to do." The gentle piano music from earlier returned late into the afternoon. How lovely. What a beautiful song. Levi remained incredibly familiar with my inability to dance, hence why we stuck to simple moves.

Finally, I was (Y/N) Ackerman.

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