Chapter Text
Levi's mother, Kuchel, was a prostitute. She had been getting barely enough money for herself when she was alone but after getting pregnant and giving birth to Levi, she had to take on more customers to provide for them both. In the end, she overworked herself, got badly sick and died when Levi was barely ten years old.
After Kuchel’s death, Levi lived on the streets, stealing and killing to survive for five years. He gained himself quite a reputation as a criminal on Paradis Island so he had to move around between towns and cities to avoid getting caught.
It was when he was in Shiganshina that his life changed.
He heard that there was someone very rich visiting the small town and never being someone to give up such a huge opportunity, he decided to try and steal from them. He had stolen from the rich in Sina before and in such a small town it would be even easier. Or at least it should’ve been easier.
Levi found the house where the person was staying easily. It was guarded by quite a few soldiers but he had handled enough guards in his day to find an opening and slip inside without being noticed, his presence hidden by the darkness.
The house wasn't anything extravagant. It was actually quite small which made Levi wonder if the person really was all that rich and worth the effort. However, the amount of soldiers guarding and patrolling outside the house implied otherwise.
As expected, there were guards inside as well but as far as he could tell, there were only two. They were both quite big men, alphas based on their potent scent. One of them had a clean look to him with his shaved face and slick, blond hair while the other, slightly taller one, had a more gruff look to him with his short beard and mustache and slightly tousled, dark blond hair.
They were discussing something quietly so Levi took the opportunity to head for the stairs leading up. However, he didn't get far until the taller man sudden turned to face him.
“How did you get here!?”, the other alpha asked as he too noticed the teen.
Levi cursed before he darted up the stairs, the guards hot on his heels. He hadn't made a sound. How did the man notice him so easily?
Despite his short stature, Levi was actually quite fast; faster than most adults even. However, going up stairs was a whole lot different from just running on the streets and these alphas seemed faster than the average person.
When he reached the top of the stairs, his ankle was caught in a firm grip, making him fall to the floor with a loud thud. Before he could kick the gruff man who had caught him, he was pinned to the floor by the other.
He was struggling to get out of their hands but there was no way he could move the big man probably twice his weight.
“Stop struggling, kid. You will only hurt-"
“What's going on here?”, a gentle female voice asked, interrupting the slightly shorter of the two men.
When Levi looked up from the floor, he could see a pregnant woman with brown hair and tanned skin staring at them with a frown.
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. We don't know how this kid managed to slip in”, the blond said. The other alpha wasn't really talkative, was he?
Wait! ‘Majesty’!? This woman is a royalty!?
Levi made a mistake. He should've made sure he knew who exactly he was dealing with. He should’ve known there was something bigger here than just the average rich pig. He should’ve turned around when he saw the amount of soldiers around the small house.
The woman looked down at him in thought for a moment before a kind smile rose onto her lips and she knelt down on the floor in front of Levi.
“Your Majesty-?”
“What's your name?”, she asked, still smiling kindly at him. Something about her made him answer.
“Levi. Levi Ackerman”, he said.
He could see the smile on the woman's face falter and felt the man on top of him tense.
“So you're the one that's been causing trouble here?”, the blond asked.
Levi didn't answer but he knew it was enough of an answer. Tonight was full of mistakes, wasn’t it? His crimes were grave enough to deserve a life imprisonment or even an execution.
The woman hummed as she looked at him before raising her eyes to the one keeping him down.
“Erwin, let him go", she said.
“He might escape, Your Majesty”, the blond, ‘Erwin’, replied.
“I’m sure Mike can catch him", the brunette assured.
The gruff man, ‘Mike', gave a hum in reply.
Erwin and Mike? Why do those names sound familiar?
Erwin let him go hesitantly and stood up. Both of the men looked ready to spring at the teen if he so much as took one step in the wrong direction. The wrong direction in this situation seemed to be any direction.
Levi got up onto his knees, dusting himself off and rolling his shoulders to get rid of the ache. Before he could do more, the woman offered her hand to him.
“I am Carla Yeager. It’s nice to meet you, Levi”, the brunette, ‘Carla', said, her smile back. Levi could now smell the sweet but subdued scent wafting off her. A mated omega.
Levi shook the hand hesitantly as his brow furrowed.
Carla Yeager? Where have I heard that before?
His eyes widened as it sunk in. Carla Yeager. Royalty. The queen!
“You’re the queen", he said. He would be executed. There was no doubt about it. He had snuck in and tried to steal from the queen , after all. No, it might even seem like he was here to assassinate the queen. Fuck. He was fucked .
However, Carla didn't seem mad at him, but Levi refused to be fooled by her friendly smile. He knew the fake smiles the rich and famous put up to placate and charm the crowds. He wouldn’t be fooled. Never again. It had cost him his friends once already.
But her smile looked...genuine, though?
“I am", she answered, snapping him out of his thoughts.
“What shall we do with him? He’s a thief and a murderer. The wisest thing would be to execute him", Erwin advised, his hand on the hilt of his sword in case Levi tried to run.
But now the names made sense. Erwin Smith, the fearsome commander of Marley’s army, and Mike Zacharias, Marley’s strongest soldier. He was up against strong opponents but he could still try to-
“Would you like to come back to Liberio with me?”, Carla asked suddenly, causing Levi to do a double take.
“But, Your Majesty, he is a criminal”, Erwin reminded, Mike giving a nod in agreement.
“If you were a teenager trying to survive on the streets, wouldn't you be too?”, the omega said, silencing any further protests with a sharp look. Her eyes softened as she looked back to Levi. She placed a hand on her swollen belly, an affectionate smile forming on her lips. “I am pregnant, you see, and I would love to have a young pair of hands around to help and keep me and my baby safe.”
“But we're here to make sure nothing happens to Your Majesty or the child”, Erwin insisted, Mike once again giving his silent agreement.
“But you have other duties. You can't be with me all the time", she said. “Even now, taking you two this far away from Liberio could be dangerous.”
“But to take in a criminal as your personal guard?”, Mike spoke up finally.
“I’m sure it will be fine. Trust a pregnant woman’s instincts!”, Carla said with a bright smile that left no room for discussion. She then stood up and turned to Levi, offering her hand to him. “So, Levi, will you help me out? Would you become my guard?”
Levi didn't know what it was about this woman that drew him in. He didn’t trust her but there was something that made him accept the hand that helped him up as he nodded.
When he thinks about it years later, it might've been because she reminded him of Kuchel. Or maybe he somehow knew this would be the mother of the love of his life.