Chapter Text
“They never wanted a child… they wanted a Queen.”
Tesla murmured to herself, a self-deprecating smile playing across her lips. In her right hand she brought the small cup of tea to her glossed lips, while her left hand mindlessly twirled a strand of her platinum blonde curls.
Her protruding, green eyes glazed over in silent agony and worthlessness, speaking things in which cannot be formed by her own tongue.
What she spoke was the unfortunate truth, and it left a bitter taste to her lips, as she remained pondering in solitude within her dimly lit bedroom.
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“There was a time, once, when people actually loved you… cared about you.”
Those chilling words came from none other than Historia Reiss ╴the distant, estranged cousin of Tesla Vitale. Her worst enemy. Hence, why she took those words with extra bitterness. Because it was true; things have changed. So drastically, one chaos after another ╴and all of which was caused by Tesla herself.
Yet... There was once a time when they two got along and saw eye to eye. A time when they would whisper secrets and dreams into each other's ears. A time when they believed in each other, and shared the same hope of freedom and peace. Yes…
When they were like sisters.
But that has all changed now.
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“Why would I want to help you? Do you even deserve it?”
In front of her laid a helpless man, crippled and dirtied, begging for help. From the looks of it, it seemed as though he hadn't eaten nor showered in days. It was a pitiful sight, one which would move anyone's heart into helping the poor man.
That is ╴anyone with a conscience.
Tesla sneered at the man with a look of utter disgust, in her hands she carried a basket of fresh warm bread. The smell filled the man's senses and nearly caused him to drool, it took everything in his power to not beg then and there. But the pure emotion of desperation in his eyes was too strong not to miss, and it only added to the young woman's self pride and bitterness.
And so ╴she gingerly tore off a piece of the soft bread and bit into it, humming in contentment at the fine taste.
All the while, keeping eye contact with the poor, starving man.
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“You'll never be like her. Not even close. She is a Queen, you're just a bitch.”
Now, these harsh words belonged to Levi Ackerman; the man who met her only a month ago, but already held resentment towards her. He was leaning against the clean white walls of her room, arms crossed over his chest. His splenetic raven eyes were fixated on the woman who was currently sprawled carelessly on her bed, wearing only her scanty nightgown.
Despite him barging into her room to spit such spiteful words to her, Tesla paid little to no concern over his presence and instead smiled haughtily at him, prompting herself on her elbow and peering at him through her thick eyelashes with an almost seductive and strongly mocking gesture.
"You're a bold man, Captain, barging into a woman's room like this~.. Are you sure you came here just to be rude to me? I might get the wrong idea~."
"...Tch."
Without saying a single word to continue this pointless conversation, Levi pushed himself off the wall and left the room, slamming the door behind him.
How he loathed that woman…
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“Isn't there anything good left inside of you?”
Her breath caught in her throat as those words played over and over again in her head, freezing her on the spot. Her lips parted slightly but no words came out. She was speechless.
What she didn't expect, in a million years, was for those words to come out of the one person she even cared about in the least. The one person who ever cared about her and her wellbeing, who saw her as the woman she was and protected her. Guarding her with his own life and obeying her every command.
Alessio Nicia Conte; her personal 'bodyguard' that her family assigned to protect and guide her since the day she was born. All these years, he had been like an older brother to her. Enduring pain and suffering, torture and degradation…
All by her own hands.
And she never even cared
But now ╴
“You lost me. But before you lost me… you lost yourself.”
His sapphire colored eyes were shrouded with ineffable sadness, illuminated by the moonlight shining through the cracks of her curtains. His long golden hair laid limp on his shoulder, differing from the usual ponytail. The mature man sat on a wooden chair in one side of the room, facing her. However,
He kept his head low and never once met her eyes.
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“They warned me about this.”
Tesla tore her eyes away from the river and looked up to see Eren standing there behind her. She frowned skeptically and narrowed her eyes, questioning him.
“About what?”
Silence settled between them for a short while, listening to the quiet whistle of the wind and the distant chirping of the birds around them. Eren was looking past her and into the distance, his sea green colored eyes shrouded in various indescribable emotions, before he opened his mouth.
"You."
"..."
Tesla froze in her place on the grass, her eyes wavering slightly at his words, but she remained reticent. The gravity and meaning behind his words were heavy, only in which they understood. After everything that had transpired between them, because of her selfishness and heartlessness, it was no wonder that even Eren himself would become weighed with burden and affliction.
“I really thought you were going to change.”
Eren was now looking at her, staring into the back of her head, waiting for a response from her. Anything. Even though he knew full well what she was thinking right now…
The connection between them was hard for one to decipher, and the strong passion they felt for one another was neither love or hate ╴or perhaps it was both. Either way, it was almost toxic, and neither one could be in the other's presence without the urge to make each other feel like utter shit at any given opportunity.
But most of which was because of Tesla; who apparently had a habit of provoking the young man, finding enjoyment in belittling and degrading him. On said occasions it was easy to despise her and abandon her. But yet…
There were also the rare instances where she was uncharacteristically sweet and attentive, that made it unbelievably hard to walk away from her side.
It was hard to tell whether she was serious, or simply toying around with him.
“I guess... you really are weak.”
After a long moment of silence, the porcelain blonde clicked her tongue and shook her head in a disapproving manner. The movement causes her wavy curls to swoosh gently side to side, making her look more breathtaking in the blinding sunlight. Her words and tone leaked with callous and disappointment, and her eyes gazed at the still waters of the rivers for several more moments before shutting her eyes with a sigh.
Everything he said, everything he was thinking right now… was all the truth. So much so to the point she could no longer deny or run away from it. More than anybody ╴more than even Alessio, no one saw through her more than Eren Yeager; which gave him all the credibility to both adore and despise her with reason.
There was no longer anything to be said or done between them. As the feelings have gone dry, she has lost all interest in him, and wanted to.. finally.. be free. As he was the chains holding her back, restraining her. As such, she was his blindfold, drowning him. Thus,
It was time to be finally free of one another, once and for all…
With a soft, resigned breath, Tesla rose to her feet and dusted off her velvet dress of dirt and wrinkles. She walked passed the boy, stopping briefly at his side and opening her mouth.
"Just leave. I don't want to see your face anymore."
Neither one of them made eye contact, with Eren's gaze refocused on the rivers, Tesla smiled furtively over her shoulder at him before slowly disappearing into the distance.
Yes, neither one of them looking back.