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↱"It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere."↲
-Voltaire.
✺
the trial
THE INSIDE OF THE COURTROOM WAS DANK AND DUSTY, the disuse obvious with the rusting oak and mildew-filled curtains.
Katerina stood behind a thin wooden barricade, among the witnesses, but not one of them. She had insisted she would stay with Armin and Mikasa during the trial, just in case they needed her.
But Katerina knew that it was the opposite, if she didn't want to completely fall apart she needed them.
Mikasa's foot tapped impatiently against the concrete floor as Armin stood motionless mumbling something to himself.
"Chill out," Katerina said, grabbing Mikasa's leg as she urged her to relax. Eren would be out any second and Katerina needed them to show no fear in order to comfort him.
"Sorry," Mikasa mumbled, yet continued tapping her foot. Katerina rolled her eyes in defeat and turned toward the courtroom.
On the other side of the room, she noticed all the officials lined behind a similar-looking barricade. She could see Captain Woermann, a brigade of Military Police, and members of the Survey Corps.
Katerina averted her gaze before Erwin Smith could make definitive eye contact with her, she was sure he already knew where she was.
Levi stood in between him and Hange, the typical annoyance coating his face as if he had something better to do. He tilted his eyes up for a second, away from his hands, and locked eyes with Katerina across the room. For a second, the room seemed to be filled with silence and Katerina swore that she saw the minuscule captain wink at her. She cursed herself as she was the first one to break eye contact, a sign of submission.
"You alright?" Mikasa asked suspiciously next to her. "Your ribs hurt or something?"
Katerina smiled as she wrapped her arms around her torso. "Something like that."
On the other side of the room, Levi smirked discreetly and triumphantly. Hange took notice and stretched one long finger and poked his cheek.
"What's got you smiling?" she questioned, continuing to poke at him.
Levi snatched her hand and his smirk dropped as he shoved her finger back. "Just thinking about the plan."
Everyone in the courtroom straightened up as Dhalis Zachary entered the room, his presence commandeering respect and fear. Katerina had never seen him in person before but his reputation preceded him. She almost wanted to laugh at the aged old man with grey hair that stood and sat at the judges' chair. He wasn't exactly what she pictured.
