After thanking the King of Marley in her heart, Grandma's face lit with excitement. "You two… oh! You're a couple now, aren't you? I shouldn't get in the way—this time belongs to you!"
She nudged Grandfather aside with a grin, her eyes darting back often, watching the young pair with joy. The moment seemed suspended in time, space left entirely to Zeke and Anna.
Without hesitation, Zeke drew her into his arms, uncaring of the eyes around them. Their closeness drew whispers among the onlookers.
"They're so loving…" murmured a few young soldiers, who momentarily forgot their own farewells, watching the two with envy.
Reiner Braun's gaze lingered longer than the rest. His fists clenched, and tears welled in his golden eyes. Hope flickered there, fragile but real.
His own story rose painfully in his mind. Twelve years ago, his Marleyan father and Eldian mother had fEren in love. They married, and he was born of that union. Yet when his father discovered the truth—that his wife carried Eldian blood—he turned his back on them without hesitation.
Reiner had struggled ever since, pushing himself through the brutal path of becoming a Warrior, all in the hopes of earning the title of "honorary Marleyan." He believed that once he gained that pride, his father would finally acknowledge him, finally accept him.
But the day came when he received the armband, and his father looked him in the eye—not with pride, but with disgust. He had been scolded, told he was a demon just like his mother, and ordered never to appear again.
Those words had burned into his heart. Are Eldians truly unworthy of standing with Marleyans? Were his parents wrong to be together?
He had sought an answer ever since, but every corner of Marley's society denied him.
Now, watching Zeke—the Warrior Captain, royal-blooded Eldian—hold Princess Anna in plain sight, Reiner's heart finally seized upon the answer he had longed for.
Yes… it's possible.
Eldians and Marleyans could love. They could live together. They could exist side by side.
"Father… Mother…" Reiner whispered hoarsely, his voice cracking, "do you see? Warrior Captain Zeke and Princess Anna—they're together, openly. They love each other. You could have, too."
Beside him, Bertolt Hoover gave a wary glance. His voice was low, cautious. "Don't fool yourself, Reiner. That's Zeke. He has royal blood. The King himself granted him this marriage. People like us… commoners… we don't get that chance. We can't even think about it."
But Reiner only wiped his tears roughly with the back of his hand, his eyes shining now with fervent loyalty. "You're right… the Captain is special. He's our king. He'll be the one to change everything!"
Alarm shot through Bertolt. He clapped a hand over Reiner's mouth, glancing frantically around to ensure no one else had heard. When the danger passed, he pulled his hand away, his whisper sharp. "Never say such things again, Reiner. Not aloud."
"…Yeah." Reiner fell silent, but his heart kept the thought locked away, burning brightly in the dark.
…
"When I come back," Zeke murmured to Anna, his voice softer now, "I'll take you to see the scenery. We'll walk through the markets, go on dates… even watch a film together."
Anna smiled, her eyes warm. "I'll wait."
From the harbor, the call rang out: "The ship departs in five minutes! All passengers, board now!"
Zeke exhaled. "It's time."
Anna reached up, cupping his face. She kissed him gently, lingering as though to etch the moment into her memory. "Come back to me."
Nearby, Reiner's emotions burst forth again. "The Warrior Captain and the Princess—they're so perfect together!" His tears streamed freely now.
"That's enough!" Bertolt muttered, tugging at him, his own handkerchief blotting his nose. Still, Reiner twisted, his eyes locked on Zeke and Anna as though unwilling to blink.
"The Captain and the Princess… they must be happy together…!"
The young Warriors boarded the ship one after another. Zeke prepared to follow, but Anna clung tightly, her kisses raining upon him in a desperate flurry.
So reluctant? Zeke thought grimly. His scalp prickled under the intensity of her devotion.
If not for politics, perhaps he could have loved her freely. But between them loomed the tangled web of control, duty, and the weight of Marley's eyes. His affection for her was there, but restrained; hers burned openly, consuming.
"That's enough," he said at last, steadying her shoulders. "I truly have to go. When I return, we'll have time again."
Anna's lips trembled as she drew close one last time. She pressed a lingering kiss upon him, whispering, "Once you depart, don't look back. Goodbye, my Titan… my King of Eldia."