The Red String of Fate

Their Wedding and The Red String

Anya sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror. She couldn't believe it - today was the day she had dreamed of since she was a little girl, the day she was going to be marrying her Levi. She was marrying her childhood sweetheart, her first friend, the love of her life. Her everything, which she had spent so long without. She could feel the tears start to form as Annie helped her zip up the rest of the dress, and Mikasa tied the blue ribbon around her waist. She couldn't even deny it - she looked like a princess, she looked stunning, she looked and felt like a bride. She couldn't wait for him to see her like this, his bride.

As stunning as she looked, the other girls looked just as elegant and beautiful -Nathalie wore the blue dress that Anya had picked out for her, a flattering A-line chiffon dress with cap sleeves and a low neckline. Annie stood in the blue knee length lace sleeved dress she had chosen to wear while standing up there with Anya and Nathalie. Historia had brought a makeup and hair artist from Mitras to Marley for the event, and the three of them were ushered into the side room - albeit, the makeup artist didn't do much to any of them.

For Anya, a tinge of pink on her lips, a barely there wash of blush on her cheeks, the smallest amount of mascara. That's all she needed, all she wanted. It took less than five minutes to do the makeup, and arrange her hair just right - pins with small, sparkling jewels that resembled diamonds laced into her hair elegantly. The esthetician nodded and smiled as they finished, and moved on to Nathalie quickly - who also didn't require much at all. Then it was Annie's turn - a natural beauty as well, and within another 5 minutes later, they were ready.

She was ready to walk down the aisle. She was ready to marry her Levi, and she knew that he was ready to marry her too. In truth, they had been ready since they were so young - too young. They had both dreamed of this day, and talked about it, since they were merely children. She sighed again, as she did a twirl in the mirror before Historia placed the simple, elegant tiara on her head with a smile and Mikasa followed behind with the veils that were arranged perfectly. She had waited for this day for so long, and so had he. She had dreamt of this day during so many long, lonely nights when she thought he was dead, when she would imagine that maybe in another life they could be together again.

But she didn't have to wait for another life, she didn't have to wait at all. Her friends were there, putting on those final touches before she would walk down the aisle and see him standing there, waiting for her. He was going to look stunning. Her Levi was perfect with every meaning of the word. She couldn't even calculate how lucky she was to be the Anya who was going to marry Levi. She had heard that in another world he had married Nathalie and that he was different. But no, her Levi was perfect. Perfect and gentle, and kind and loving. And she was going to be the one to marry him. She was the one carrying their precious little children. She was falling in love with the life that he and she had started building as they had spent so many hours talking about it when they were mere teenagers.

And now, all those dreams. All those hopes that had been crushed for so long. Now it was about to become a reality. Now, those dreams were no longer untouchable. They were just a few minutes away.

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"Tch, this is stupid," Levi grumbled as he stood outside the church with Zeke, Armin, Jean, Reiner, Falco, and Connie. The camera's flash caught everyone but Zeke by surprise yet again, and they stayed in the same poses while the photographer took 5, 10, 15 more shots of them before ordering them to switch positions and do the next round

"It's not stupid!" Zeke quipped back, "it's for the memories and it's tradition,"

Levi rolled his eyes, just as the camera flashed again, "tradition for you here in Marley, why can't we just sit for a portrait like normal people,"