Chapter Text
It came suddenly. The last surviving member of his crew, Eren Jaeger, found himself stranded and stuck on the shores of an unknown island. It was still daylight, though the sky was cloaked in grey, shielding the sun from view. Eren was always an adventurer at heart, and while he had sought out the land of Hizuru, he didn't anticipate arriving in such a fashion. Moreover, now he had no way back and surely his childhood friend, Armin would question where he was.
But none of that mattered, anymore. The unfamiliar breeze swept his messy hair back, and he let his gaze wander. Having been down for what felt like hours, Eren let himself sit upright to take in the view in front of him. He would have loved to say that his first impression of Hizuru was beautiful, if there wasn’t a giant naginata tucked under his throat the minute he moved. Three men there were, all clothed in armor. Their faces framed by a metal triangular helmet. On their bodies were plates of armor, tightened securely with rope across their waists, gauntlets hugged their forearms. On their calves, were skillfully crafted plates with an auspicious design - three katanas positioned in a triangular shape enclosed by a circle.
“Speak your name and occupation!”, one of them shouted.
“I’m a traveler, sir. My ship crashed an–”
“Your name and occupation!”
Eren went quiet and surveyed his surroundings. Two other men on either side held fiery torches, though they were only dressed in jinbei.
Am I near a village?
The longer he stayed quiet, the more suspicious they would become of him. Hizuru was always his final destination; sooner or later he’d be in this same position.
The young traveler straightened his back, speaking with more confidence, “My name is Eren Jaeger. I’m a traveler from Paradis Island.”
The spear lowered to the sand, emitting a sigh of relief from Eren. The man in front continued, “Eren Jaeger, how old are you?”
“I’m 19, sir.”
“Why are you in Hizuru?”
“My crew and I were passing by, and our ship crashed.” Based on their reactions, if they knew Eren was headed towards Hizuru, he’d raise even more suspicion, he reasoned.
Silence.
“I see.” The soldier turned to his comrades, muttering in a foreign language, as if discussing what to do with him. Eren prayed they wouldn’t see through his facade and leave him alone. But an uninvited foreigner in a territory wouldn’t get that special treatment. It didn’t take long for him to realize, standing in front of him was none other than the royal guard.
Another soldier emerged from the middle, two blades of different lengths hung from his hip; most likely their leader. “Eren Jaeger, stand up, you’re going to come with us.”
And so he did.
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For the time being, he was safe, but the townsfolk he walked by looked at him with weary gazes. Though in spite of his anxiety, the land he stood was nothing but stellar. The stone road he strode through paved the way past oblong buildings, encased in wood with multiple floors. On the fronts bore multiple entrances, some sliding paper doors, others only covered by a short hung cloth with hand painted words on it - most likely the Hizuru alphabet.
But surrounded by it all were tall trees, with endless pink petals cascading over the stone pavement. The breeze ferried the flowers, kissing the cheeks of the structures and children as they played about.
Before he knew it, Eren stood in front of the gates of what could none other be the entrance to the imperial palace.
They’re taking me to the emperor?
He panicked. Eren glanced behind him to see the town nowhere in sight, only a small indication of human civilization in the distance. The guards had escorted him up a steep bridge, into a courtyard, past doors–or gates made of the purest metal. As they continued forward, multiple turns and corners, and there it was, the Chrysanthemum Throne. A man of short stature stood next to a woman seated on a cushioned seat, the color of velvet - the empress of Hizuru. They both had black hair, though the man who stood at her side looked more foreign than he did Hizuran. The women wore the jūnihitoe with grace, the outer kimonos acting as a physical extension of her presence. Patterned on the second to last robe was none other than the symbol Eren bore witness to earlier that day. It was the symbol of the Azumabito clan.
Azumabito. But I thought they were part of the shogunate. Why is the head sitting on the throne?
“On your knees”, one of the men behind him nudged with the hilt of his weapon.
Cautiously, as if afraid to ruin the flawless floor he stood on, Eren complied, not shifting his gaze from the empress once.
At length, the woman spoke warmly, “What is your name, visitor?”
Taken aback by her politeness, he responded quietly, “My name is Eren Jaeger, miss.”
His attempt at being cordial proved to be not enough, as he felt a harsh hand grab him by the hair and slam his head to the ground, “‘YOUR MAJESTY’!”, Eren’s attacker corrected.
“HEY! Let the brat go.” The short man spoke.
The hand assaulting Eren forced his head back up and hurled him forward, stumbling on his knees.
“It’s ‘Your Majesty’ to you.” The short man repeated.
The empress sighed, as if this had happened before, “He is a guest, please treat him with respect.”
“But, Your Majesty–”, the soldier began.
“Mr. Jaeger is a foreigner. Let’s not demonize our guests. You may leave now.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
As the sound of the door shut, Eren once again made eye contact with the empress, who gently smiled.
“I’m terribly sorry. I am Yukiko Azumabito, the young man next to me is Levi Ackerman. Welcome to Hizuru. What is it that brings you here?”
“I’m a traveler from Paradis Island, mis–Your Majesty. We were passing by the shores of Hizuru when our ship crashed in the storm.”
“I see, is your crew with you?”
“No, Your Majesty. I’m afraid I’m the only survivor.”
The empress adjusted her position, “I see. That’s rather unfortunate. You have my condolences for your loss. Tell me, Mr. Jaeger, how old are you?”
“I just turned 19 this past March, Your Majesty.”
“I see, happy birthday.” She grinned.
Eren was speechless needless to say, only a few hours ago he was met with the threat of death, yet now the ruler of the land he stood on was talking to him as if they were old friends.
“Levi, why don’t you escort him to a guest room and explain our bathing procedures?”
“You sure we can trust this kid?” Levi questioned.
“Well it’s a good thing you’re escorting him, right?”
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“Alright, here’s your room. This is your change of clothes. Bathing is simple: wash all that crap off your body before you get in the water. What the hell is she thinking?” Levi muttered the last part.
Eren surveyed the room he was led to. It was a simple design with tatami mats complimenting the wooden flooring. Paper screen doors made from bamboo hugged the entrance. In the middle was a folded futon, ready for use by the next guest. The dusk sky glimmered through the open balcony illuminating the waters of the koi pond below it. His shoes were long since confiscated by the attendants of the castle - most likely to avoid staining or damaging the delicate wooden floors of the estate.
Eren turned to Levi, only to realize he was no longer there next to him. He was on his own now. The brunette tentatively took a small deep into the room to see a Yukata laying in the corner of the room.
Is this what I'm supposed to change into?
The Yukata was soft to the touch, despite the plain color, it was a better alternative to his still dirty clothing. Luckily, the bathing area was right around the corner from where Levi led Eren, so he wouldn't look like a walking disaster for long. Changing into the linens in his hands, he walked around the corridor to the bathing area.
Separated by a screen, there stood two wooden stools, a water basin next to them, and assortments of fragrances and soaps he had never heard of. He could hear the sound of a bamboo tube from the next area over, most likely where the hot springs themselves were. He was alone, but even so, the open area unnerved him. Surely Eren was in much need of a bath, but upon observation, Hizuru had less reservations about open nudity.
In a cubbie by the entrance, Eren left his Yukata and sat bare on a wooden stool. It was at this time he realized just how sore his body was. The brunette was never out of shape, in fact he was quite lean and muscular, toned in all the right replaces, but even he was still susceptible to fatigue.
He started by scrubbing at his body, watching the dirtied water seep down the drain. To reach every nook and cranny of his body, Eren didn't realize how dirty he was, but yet he felt like a new person the more he washed. He continued with his hair, massaging the treatment into his scalp, but a tinge of pain made him realize he had scratched off the scabs on his head. With bloodied hands, Eren filled the basin with more water to rinse both the soapy studs and blood from his hair.
Great.
To Eren’s luck however, right by the entrance to the hot spring itself, there was a towel which he used to wipe and dry his hair.
This feels so weird. I shouldn't be here, but at the same time I'm grateful. How long am I supposed to stay, though?
Before he could conjure up an answer, a cat’s cry followed by a loud splash assaulted his eardrums. In panic, without moving the towel to his waist, Eren hurriedly slid the door open and gaped at the sight.
A girl soaked from head to toe in the clear waters, sat on her knees, holding a white cat in both hands. Her black hair stuck to her face and torso, as water dripped down her body. She too was wearing a Yukata, but the water left nothing to the imagination as it stuck to her bare skin. The girl’s skin was pearl white, a contrast to his sun kissed bronze, and big beautiful grey blue eyes stared at him with curiosity.
With shame, Eren let his gaze trail down her body. She was well endowed, perhaps more than average. Though as inexperienced as Eren was, she was a rarity in itself. She was definitely Hizuran, but her features were similar to those from his home island. The girl was of mixed blood. But what was she doing there?
“You're naked”, she muttered.