Chapter Text
There was a kingdom that was once ruled by the royal family Fritz.
In their blood was a monster that is bigger than any being in the world. Not only is that it was enormous in size, but these monsters also had special abilities by each form they take.
Because of the power they possessed, the Ackerman Family consisted of knights who also possessed superhuman strength that surpassed that of humans vowed themselves into submission to the royalty.
It was at that point in time that the Kingdom of Sina was feared by the whole world. Ruled by people who had something running in their blood and protected by the great noble Ackermans; no one had the bravery to stand against them.
However, from a forest east from the Kingdom of Sina lived mythical creatures that possessed powers akin to the family. They were witches and sorcerers; magic running in their veins.
The power these creatures possessed was far greater than the royalties and this single fact posed a threat for the Fritz Family to start preparing for war, planning to hog up all the power for themselves.
Completely loyal to the family, the Ackerman obediently obeyed the orders from the King and on that very night, they assassinated every creature they may stumble upon on their journey.
That day, the forest was engulfed in flames.
The witches and the sorcerers who were supposed to be the mightiest of all had fallen to their deaths, completely unaware of the schemes the kingdom had planned for them.
After half a decade of obeying the orders pledged to them, the Ackermans soon decided that they had enough of the greed and extreme lust for power from the King they served.
They turned their backs on the royalty, with oaths and pledge of loyalties shattered into pieces.
This angered the King who was in his deathbed and there sat a young man beside him who was named as next in line for inheriting the crown.
"Those knights... they are cursed..." Started off the King.
The young man stares at his father, clutching on his bony hand, "What are you talking about father?"
"The Ackermans... they have a curse running in their blood..." He mutters lowly, mouth gape open, not even moving as he speaks. "...complete loyalty..."
His son could only look at him, not minding the words his father had spat out as he watched the way his frail father mustered all the strength left to speak.
"...to those they serve."
With that, the King had fallen on an endless slumber, never waking up again.
The young man called for a doctor, tears spilling from his eyes as he held unto his father's hand tighter than ever. The words left hanging was soon forgotten by the young man as grief took over his system.
The piece of information was completely ignored and the new-found King has failed to decipher the exact meaning behind it.
From that day onwards, there was an order coming from the palace for the execution of the Ackermans.
The fact obviously made the noble family agitated and soon enough they inherited another Kingdom who was previously ruled by the Reiss family.
War lasted for a twenty years. Eventually, the Ackermans brought downfall to the Kingdom of Sina, placing the last descendant of the Reiss Family unto the throne of the Kingdom of Sina.
Rod Reiss, the new ruler of the Kingdom of Sina, soon doubted the allegiance of the Ackermans.
Questioning their loyalty, he started to wage war against the Ackermans which caused another set of climaxes and meaningless deaths.
Now, still in the middle of a war against the Kingdom of Sina, a raven-haired man sits on his throne. Boredom was all over his face as he flipped through the pages of the book on his lap. However, the serene looked soon dispersed into a frown upon hearing the words his knight had brought.
"This is Erd, Your Majesty." The knight introduced, bowing on the King before starting, "I've come from the East Forest, surveying the recent phenomena that happened a week ago. Upon my travel, I've stumbled across a woman who demanded to meet you, Your Majesty."
Frowning, he looked at the man in front of him. "Where is she now?"
"I've brought her with me."
The double doors were then pulled open by the guards, revealing a lanky figure in between the frame. She was surrounded by guardians, both wrists chained down. Amusement rose on the raven-haired man as he watched the woman struggling in the hold of his men.
Pulling her with them, the woman says, "You don't have to handcuff me, you know? I'm completely innocent and powerless! These..." She brought her chained wrist up, "...are completely meaningless!"
Erd who had heard of the woman cleared his throat. The action caught the attention of the King as he turned his head on his servant.
"Despite what she says, the woman was from the East Forest, one of the descendants of those mythical creatures. It is clear as day that she is a witch, seeing how she turned one of the guards into a horse to prove a point." He says, glancing at the woman. "However, she fell down after stepping on a slippery rock when she had planned to escape. The action caused her to black-out and the opportunity gave us a chance to seize her up."
It was interesting.
The story caught the interest of the usually bored King of Rose. Pulling out a gesture to Erd for dismissal, the man bowed once again and stepped away from him. He then looked at the woman who's now on her knees on the bottom of his short staircase.
Oddly, she was smiling at him despite the fact that she should've been helpless.
"Oi. Stop shitting around." He warns, eyeing her wearily.
Seeing that the woman did not pay attention to the words of the King, the guards who had surrounded her started to point their spears on her. The action caused the woman to smile nervously, beads of sweat on her forehead.
"Well, hello there, Your Majesty."
"You." He mouths, leaning his elbow on the backrest of his throne, jaw on the top of his palm. "Aren't you supposed to be a witch? Why don't you fuck off from those chains already? Your act of helplessness is an eyesore."
This alerted the guards, watching the brunette now intently as ever.
A fit of laughter soon followed after the words from the raven-haired man. Soon enough, the chains were suddenly broken free and all the men who had surrounded her were washed away by air, flying away from her.
There was a light blue orb in her hands, igniting like flames. The raven-haired man could only stare at her with a neutral look.
Standing up, the brunette tilts her head on the other side, "My, you're such a sharp man, Your Majesty. You are indeed not to be underestimated."
"So are you," He mouths dryly, "Tell me your name, witch."
"Hange Zoe." She then followed it with a bow, crossing her foot in the process and her hand flew on her waist area, "Your Majesty."
"I am quite sure you have come here for a reason."
Hange nodded, beaming at him. She was about to open her mouth to leave some words however the King gestured his hand up for the brunette to stop.
"However, whatever reason it may be, I have no intention of lending you a hand."
"Eh?" The brunette asks, confused. "Why?"
He gave her a sharp look, "Why would I help someone like you? You're nothing but a mere witch who had survived your forest's destruction." Raising an eyebrow at her, the King looked at the woman in mock-filled eyes. "Well, I'd have to say you sure are lucky to not die back then."
"Oh?" The brunette mused, "May I ask how a mere murderer like you have known how many years I've endured in this hell just to live?"
"No."
"Huh?"
The raven-haired held up his hand, dismissing her, "Let's drop the idle talk. Hurry and tell me what you've come here for so that I can finally send you out of my castle."
"Eager, aren't we?" She smiles sheepishly.
The King only looked at her blankly.
The brunette laughed, "Fine! Fine!" Soon, the laugh dispersed into a grimace with a face void of any trace that her laughter had left. "As you can see, I am a descendant of the witches and sorcerers. Hatred is the only thing I feel for those wrenches. Your Kingdom has been in bad blood with that boisterous Kingdom of them who lives in nothing but blind peace. With that fact, I am willing to give you a hand in your conquest, Your Majesty."
"A hand?" The King chuckled sarcastically, finding the whole thing funny. "Why would a victim help those who had murdered them? Are you perhaps not right in the head, witch?"
"That's easy," Hange smirked, eyes radiating a rare glint and the King feared that it might be some hideous magic that the witch has cast for him to see such a thing. "Wouldn't a victim learn to help others who've been victimized as well?"
The amusement faded away from the young king's face. He looked at her, silver eyes sending daggers at her hazel-brown ones and his lips in a thin line.
"What are you implying?"
Hange tilted her head to another side, "What could it be?"
The raven-haired man glanced at the guards around them. Turning to his loyal right hand, he gestured for the whole army to get out of the place, wishing for some privacy. Without further ado, the smirk on the brunette's face only went wider as all the guards left their post, walking out from the vicinity.
"Oh? Scandalous!" The brunette exclaimed, eyes teasing.
Once the double doors had been closed, the raven-haired man patted the crown off his head away, making it fall on the ground, echoing in the process. The cape on his back was then removed swiftly as it slumped on the back of his feet.
It was too fast, really too fast.
Blinking, the brunette was beyond surprised to find the young King in front of her.
The former slicked-back bangs went falling down on his face, letting the raven strands hang loosely on his forehead. His face was menacing, as his hand immediately flew on the collar of her shirt, clutching it tightly.
Their faces were perimeters away as the King muttered, "What are you fucking talking about you fucking witch?"
Despite quietly taken aback by the sudden change of demeanor, Hange still managed to bite back a sly smirk.
"Bad manners for a King—"
The words were caught off as the raven-haired man tightened his grip on her collar more.
"Enough." He says firmly. "I'm ordering you to hurry and tell me what the fuck you know."
"Your Majesty—"
"Stop calling me that."
Hange held his hand who's now clutching on the shirt of her collar, "It is hard to speak like this you know?"
He furrowed his eyes at her at the realization, letting her go and the brunette immediately fell to the ground on her back. Her head thumped on the floor making it ache and the witch could only bring up a hand on it, caressing it softly.
"Ouch, that hurts."
Suddenly, the King's right foot was then pressed against her stomach and the brunette could only gasp at the ache it brought.
"I am ordering you now to speak up." The King says in a low and threatening tone.
"Well then..." Hange sighs, as she tried to rise up using her elbows as leverage. She then flashed a smirk at the raven-haired up as she spoke, "Aren't you cursed, mister Ackerman?"
"Such atrocity. That's a fucking lie."
"You think so?" The way the brunette smiled mockingly at him only made the raven-haired man's blood boil. The right foot on her stomach was suddenly heavier, pushing her down and the action only made the brunette gasp out in pain. "O-ouch..."
"Where the hell have you heard of such bullshit?"
Hang chuckled at this, enduring the searing pain on her stomach, "Why wouldn't I... the one who had cast the spell not know of it, Ackerman?"
She trailed off, staring at him straight in the eye.
"No..." she adds, "Or should I say, Levi Ackerman?"
Suddenly, the heavyweight on her stomach was lifted off. Hange could only sigh in relief, standing up from the misery she just encountered as the raven-haired man steps back, obviously surprised.
"Y-you..." He was in shock, thoughts getting hay-wired.
"According to the myth, the great noble Ackermans who served the King had ordered them to destroy the East Forest where the witches and sorcerers lived. That story wasn't exactly wrong..." The brunette says in a nonchalant way, observing the way the raven-haired man's eyes flew into her. "But there was a missing part in the story. A story on how the Ackermans were cursed."
Levi could only watch her, remembering all the pieces of information his ancestors had told him.
"A long, long time ago. When the Kingdom of Sina was yet to assassinate the Forest from the East, there was a noble Ackerman who had fallen for a maiden who was a sorcerer. It was mutual. There was love—and that love was by-far the greatest emotion that could trigger the power of a creature like us."
Her tone suddenly went serious, expression now not having even a single hint of amusement.
"Love brought her doom. The product of her love had brought our forest doom. Asking the man to live with her, it was an utter failure. The Ackerman who was supposed to love her was chained by his duties and therefore could not abandon the nobility in his blood. With that, the sorcerer was filled with rage and the love that the man possessed for her was soon replaced by fear. The fear made the man abandon his loyalty to the woman and thus, our existence was known to the world."
Noticing the surprised look on the young King, Hange smirked wider.
"Oh? Did your books not cover the whole story, Levi?" She mocked.
Levi furrowed his eyebrows at her, "What do you want now? Revenge?"
The brunette suddenly burst into laughter once again. In all honesty, it was the first time the King had seen such a lively person in his whole life.
"Why wouldn't I? That woman was my sister."
Sighing, Levi adds, "So what now? You're gonna kill me for your petty ass revenge?"
"Of course not!" Hange blabbers, shaking her head. "I told you already. I am here to lend you a helping hand in defeating the Kingdom of Sina. Past grudges should be kept in the past. I am here now to fight for the freedom of my people, Your Majesty."
"Huh." He eyed her head to foot. "A filthy person like you had people following you around? Quit shitting me."
"I am not."
"Tch. Get the hell out of here." He says firmly, now turning his back at her. "I am not accepting anything from a mere witch like you."
"You are rejecting my marriage proposal, is that so?"
All the gears inside Levi's mind suddenly halted as he turned his head fast as fast as lightning towards the brunette, surprise etched on his face.
"What the fuck?"
Hange snorted at the priceless look on his face, "I see no Queen sitting on that throne beside you, Your Majesty." She answers, pondering a little bit then asks again, "...or am I perhaps misreading things?"
"Get the hell out of here!" He shouts at her, irritated.
"But—"
"I said, get the fuck out!" He repeats, pointing towards the double doors.
One look at the man in front of her, Hange had concluded that persuading the man had no chance at all. There was only one alternative for this and she couldn't believe that she really had to switch to plan B.
She ducks her head down, whispering, "I have no choice left."
Not exactly hearing the words from the witch, Levi looked at her, "What?"
In a swift move, Hange pulled on the wrist of the young King. Seeing that the woman was taller in height, the brunette had no problem in caging both her hands on each side of his cheeks as she leaned down pressing her lips on his.
Levi could only widen his eyes in the whole ordeal, completely mindblown from what the woman just did. As he felt the tenderness of her lips, a sudden heat rushed into his veins and he could feel something inside him tingling, moving and changing.
There was a surging power inside him that had woken up from deep, deep slumber.
Pulling back, Hange smiled at him sheepishly.
Anger immediately washed over Levi. There were disgust, shame, and pride overrunning his mind.
"You fucking bitch—"
Before he could continue a word, the brunette suddenly shouts, "Kneel!"
It was enough to bring the young man on his knees, a look of bewilderment on his face. He was completely exasperated, eyes blown wide in the whole situation. Like something was chained on each corner of his body, forcing him to obey the order.
He glared at her, rage seething in his silver-colored irises, "What did you do to me, you fucking bitch?"
"That is the curse running in your blood, Ackerman." Hange answers, serious and eyes looking down at him.
The whole position made the poor raven-haired man powerless as he continued to glare at her, clenching his jaw in frustration.
"An Ackerman who is cursed to obey and have the utmost loyalty to his host." Hange says, tilting her head to the side. Pity evident on her face. "You sure are an unlucky one, Levi."
"Turn me back!" He demands, struggling on his knees.
"I can't do that. No power on earth can lift the curse." The brunette answers, stepping closer to him. "Even mine."
The echo of her footsteps was the only thing the young man could hear tingling in his ears. Appearing out of thin air, a ball of blue gas ignited and swirled around the brunette.
In a blink of an eye, the rusty clothes she wore turned into a dark maroon dress. The woman now had her hair down and spectacles on her eyes.
"Tch." Levi clicked his tongue, taking in her appearance. "Now, you've shown your true form, witch."
"Not at all, Levi." Hange shook her head once again, bending down to meet his line of sight. "I did not do anything besides activating the curse."
He did not speak. This brought a sly smirk on the brunette's face.
Insulted, Levi turned his head to the other side, not wanting to maintain any eye contact any longer in fear that the witch might eat his conscience alive seeing how her hazel eyes had started hypnotizing him since the first time she stepped foot on his palace.
Hange slid her fingers on the jaw of the young man. Gripping it, the brunette forcefully turned his head, facing her as she took in his pale white skin.
Smiling evilly, she then looks at him straight in the eye.
"Now, make me your Queen."