#reikuriweek

Reiner walked down the palace hall, keenly aware of the glares and stares he stirred in his wake. Everyone wanted a chance to see the presumed new King Consort, the Titan Shifter and Great Traitor. He was surprised no one had spit at his feet, but he supposed Historia had already put her foot down about that one. So instead, he waded through livid, passive aggressive servants and advisors, each one clearly wishing the Curse of Ymir wasn’t still five years off.

Secretly, Reiner was certain that had something to do with their agreeing. They could humor the young queen now, pray that she doesn’t produce any children with him, and then marry her off to a suitable noble to act as the true King Consort. Of course they were too late. They were fools if they thought they would win against him- scum though he was. He had one thing they didn’t have. He had her.

With a heavy shove, Reiner pushed through their chamber doors, letting them swing heavily closed behind him. Historia was propped up in bed, dressed for the day but clearly exhausted. She grinned when he entered and started to pull herself up.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Reiner rushed to her side and prevented her from rising. “You should be resting!”

“Reiner, I’m pregnant, not dying,” she huffed, but sank gratefully back into the pillows instead. Her crown had been removed and carefully placed on her bedside table, allowing her golden strands to fan out over the pillow like a halo. Reiner glanced around the room, anxiously scanning for anyone listening, but she waved him off. “There’s no one here. I sent them all away after breakfast.”

“Couldn’t make it through?” Reiner felt his brow drawn in worry. Historia shook her head and looked up at the beds velvet canopy in irritation.

“Of course not. I was nauseous the minute they started setting the table, so I had them clear out once it was laid. It’s all still in there, in case you’re hungry.”

“Always,” Reiner replied smartly and left her side. Their suite was composed of two bedrooms (as though they didn’t share a bed), two baths, and a sitting area with a dining table. It was small by the palace’s standards, only able to seat eight people if they squeezed, and it was currently laden with breakfast foods. Reiner made himself a breakfast sandwich using what was available and wandered back into her bedroom with it. “I can’t get used to seeing this much food go to waste,” he said in explanation, and ate by the door so as not to upset her stomach.

“I know what you mean. After all those years of rationing and starving, it’s hard to feel comfortable with it. I already have any excess food redistributed at the end of the week, but I doubt it will ever feel normal. At least not for us,” she sighed.

Reiner nodded, and took another bite of his fast dwindling breakfast. “What’s your schedule like for today?”

“A meeting hall with the citizens and then an advisor meeting,” Historia listed, ticking them off on her fingers one by one, calm as you please. “And I plan on letting them know my condition this time.”

Reiner paused, the last bite of sandwich raised to his mouth. With deliberate slowness, he put the bite back on the plate. Gently, he sat the plate down on a side table as he made his way over to the bed.

“Reiner,” she said warningly. Reiner paused and sat down on the bed, grasping her hand firmly in his. Pleading.

“…Historia, please. You can’t tell them yet.” She knew he would ask this of her. They’d only had this conversation every other day since they’d found out about her pregnancy only a few weeks before. She crossed her arms.

“Why not?”

“It will not end well,” he warned, squeezing her hand. She had to understand. He had to make her understand it.

“I am their queen. They will accept it.”

“You don’t see the looks I get in the halls, still.” She needed to grasp this. He was still a criminal in their eyes. He deserved death a thousand times over. He could not be the father of their future king. He watched as her face scrunched up in frustration. She tended to lose her regal bearing when they discussed this- it was too deeply felt.

“I will order them to stop. You are betrothed to the Queen. I will-“ Reiner leaned forward quickly, and cut her off, cupping her face between his hands. He pressed their foreheads together in exasperation and endearment. This wonderful person would change the entire world if she could, all on her own. But he needed her to understand this. She needed to learn these lessons now while he was still here to help her through them. He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent.

“You can’t change what’s in people’s hearts,” he murmured and allowed his thumb to trace back and forth gently. “And to them, I am evil.”

“But you’re not!” Her voice broke at the end, and he felt his heart crack along with it. He was trying to spare her pain, not cause it. She was too stubborn to listen to anyone who insisted he was a bad choice- even him. He’d given up on changing her mind, but others had not.

“But I am. I am evil. I lied. I stole. I killed all those people,” he continued through clenched teeth, eyes squeezed shut with the onslaught of memories.

“That wasn’t your fault,” she whispered, and he felt her hands mirror his, dainty fingers tracing the ridges of his cheek bones as she reassured him.

“It doesn’t change the fact that it still falls at my feet. They haven’t even fully agreed to the marriage yet. Give them some more time before we tell them,” he pleaded softly. Clear blue eyes searched his, gauging the wisdom of his words. Finally she nodded. He sighed in relief, sagging against her hands. Gently, she maneuvered herself so he could curl up on the bed with her, head pillowed on her still flat abdomen. Proximity to his tiny, growing child helped calm him down, and he was addicted to the feeling.

“Do you think it’s a boy or girl?” Large hands rubbed gentle circles on her sides.

“There’s no way of knowing. Maybe it’s a baby titan in there,” she teased, and he felt her lean back into the pillows. Carefully, he rotated his position so he could see her. A gentle hand stroked his cheek as she grew quiet. “I hope they look like you.”

Reiner felt his throat constrict. The ticking clock that swung above his head loomed large in the room as the star crossed couple held each other. He would be gone so soon after they were born, ripped from the only time in his life he’d experienced happiness and peace. His penance. His punishment. His Curse.

“Do you think they will remember me?” he asked, voice hushed. It was still taboo to discuss his dwindling hourglass of a life together. Krista exhaled sharply, blinking back the beginning of tears.

“Of course they will,” she promised harshly. “They will remember their father, the hero. And they will love you. I promise you that.” She squeezed his hand tightly for emphasis, and a small part of him registered how strong she was. Everyone underestimated her- including him. She was all strength.

“You can’t lie to them.”

“Where is the lie? You are a hero to me,” she reminded him. A single, perfect tear ran down her pale cheek. The air in the room shifted as she drew her chin upward, blinking away the rest and assuming the mantle of royalty. “I am your Queen. My word should be enough.”

Reiner smiled softly. “I love you, my Queen.”

She returned the smile, regal and commanding. The only evidence that she’d cried was a slight flush in her cheeks. She was so strong. She would survive his passing. She would bring peace to Eldia. She would do it all, and leave a legacy of deliberate choices and empathetic actions. She would be a great Queen- she already was. All he could do was enjoy the gift he’d been given of a few years by her side. Years he could treasure as he burned in hell. She was his saving grace, at least while he stalked these halls.  Angel on earth. And as forgiving as any heavenly being, she didn’t hesitate before gracing him with an answer.