The Red String of Fate

What Can Never Be

2 weeks had gone by of everyone staying at the palace, and everyone was preparing for the quickly approaching wedding. Anya let out a heavy sigh as she looked at herself in the mirror, the sunflower yellow dress seeming to squeeze her in all the wrong places. "Are you guys sure this is my size?" she asked, examining how her breasts seemed to be on full display.

"Positive, I gave them your exact measurements when we got here." Sarina piped up, sitting next to Hitch and taking a sip of the juice and champagne blend that Historia had brought down for them. Hitch already had her dress ready, and for that matter so did the majority of Annie's bridal party - which she insisted Anya join. Only two weeks had gone by, but the younger girls quickly attached themselves to Anya in much the same way as the boys had to Levi in the days since leaving the military.

Everyone was decked out in a different style of the same shade, a brilliant yellow to complement the bright green the boys would be wearing. Sarina was in a tea length halter with a jacket, Pieck in a trumpet style dress to elongate her torso, Hitch in a strapless mini dress, Mikasa in an empire waist cap sleeve floor length chiffon dress, Gabi wore a short A Line strapless dress, and Historia in a trumpet gown to make her look taller. For Anya, they chose a A-line dress with sheer sleeves and a sweetheart neckline that came to her mid-calf. The boys would all be wearing the same suit with a green vest and ties of different styles.

Annie was being tended to by the Queen's tailors, her wedding dress being prepared at a record pace with her wedding coming up a little more quickly than she, and Armin for that matter, would have preferred.

Anya pressed her breasts together and turned to Sarina. "Do my boobs look bigger to you?" she asked, a discontent look on her face. Maybe eating all this food at the palace is getting to me... She thought, as she heard Hitch let out a small chuckle.

"Yeah, they do look a little bigger," Sarina said as she examined her sister's form. Her usually flat stomach seemed only slightly bloated, her breasts appeared a size bigger, and there was a glow on her skin. No, It can't be... Sarina thought to herself. "But you've also been happier recently."

Annie sighed with joy as she looked at herself in the mirror, taking in every fine detail of her wedding dress before the tailors stripped it off her to make their final adjustments, only two weeks to go until she would be walking down the aisle. She sat in a thin white underdress, taking a place next to Anya as she attempted to squeeze herself out of the beautiful gown Annie had chosen for her.

"This definitely isn't my size!" Anya complained as the dress wouldn't slip over her chest. Annie helped her pull it off, practically ripping the delicate fabric away from her skin. Anya sighed, and looked at Annie. "Hey Annie, What is Marley like?"

Annie looked down, staring at the floor as if it was some unknown creature. "It's... different than here. Sometimes it's better. It's better now than it used to be. It's better than Paradis with the damn Yeagerist's running around - that's for sure. Why?" She asked, letting out a long sigh.

Anya shifted in her seat, leaning on the couch's arm. "I guess I'm just nervous is all."

"I mean, it's better now. Our people have - not quite gotten their rights back, but we're working on it. Other countries are more accepting of us Eldians now. We can travel freely." She smiled, looking at Anya's nervous face before averting her gaze. "Don't worry, you and Levi will be able to make a good life there. Marley regards him and the Alliance as heroes," Annie looked at the older woman with dreamy eyes, and recognized how Anya was smiling again. "Say Anya... What was it like growing up in the underground? Getting to grow up with Levi?"

Anya smiled at the memories of her and Levi, and Furlan, growing up together in that god-forsaken damn little misty, dirty place. No matter how terrible most of it was, she couldn't deny that there were times when she felt nostalgia rushing over her thinking about the days that she had spent falling helplessly for her Levi. There were so many times that to her, were priceless and cherished memories. Anya's face changed as all the memories that used to haunt her nightmares came pouring in right after.