Fic - Immolation of Man's Pride Ch 10-12
Jun. 5th, 2006 12:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cornerofmadnessThis is it guys, thanks for being patient with me.
Immolation of Man’s Pride
D M Evans
Disclaimer - not mine
Rating FRMAO (Nc-17)
Pairing - Roy/Riza
Time Line - Manga verse Pre-Ishbal, based off revelations of ch 58 but mostly written before 59 came out so we can safely say it contains spoilers for 58 and is totally AU after that
Summary -Riza finds herself caught on the horns of her past and the pride of the powerful men in her life with dire consequences
Chapter Ten
“Thanks for joining me for lunch,” Avaron said, smothering a slice of venison with a sauce made from dried lingonberries.
“The last time I was invited to lunch it didn’t go well,” Riza said, her eyes haunted. She stared at an area of brick red silk wallpaper just to the right of her friend’s shoulder. “Almost put me off coming.”
“I guarantee I’m far better company than your uncle,” Avaron replied tartly. “Have you heard any more about that?”
Riza shook her head, tracing a pattern on the high gloss polish of the cherry wood table. “It’s at a stand still and I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Agreed, no unpleasant talk.” Avaron said, taking a bite of the whipped potatoes laced through with white wine. “So how much fun did you and your major have here yesterday?”
Riza blushed, shifting around on the white damask seat, the one she was always afraid she’d drop something on. “So, right into the sex talk?”
“You said nothing unpleasant…it wasn’t, was it?” Avaron asked with a fox smile.
Riza’s blush deepened as she leaned back on the acanthus flower carving of the seat back. “Far from it. What is it with you and details?”
“Just seeing if you’re ready for one of the books on various ways of doing it…so you don’t get bored.” Avaron’s eyes danced.
“There are books?” Riza blurted out.
“Ah, so naÏve. Let me get them out for your next visit. I’d let you borrow one but planting too many ideas in the heads of soldiers might be a bad thing,” Avaron said, heaving a melodramatic sigh.
“I doubt getting caught with a book like that would help my cause any,” Riza added, thinking that would be the perfect excuse to get her expelled.
Avaron laughed then turned the conversation to picking Riza’s brain about Central where the military base was. Riza gratefully accepted the change of topic, regaling her friend with all there was to do in the big city. Lunch flew by and Riza reluctantly took her leave. She turned down the walk outside of the fence, which was nearly lost in the hedgerow. Riza could barely see the majestic house behind it.
The sounds of a car stopping behind her surprised Riza. She turned and saw Keddrick step out of his vehicle. It seemed to her that he was dressed more for riding than for anything else and the walking stick he carried seemed out of place. She braced herself for what surely would be an unpleasant talk, the words, ‘I’m not permitted to talk to you’ balanced on the tip of her tongue. Riza never got to say them. Unprepared for him to get physical, the blow from the walking stick caught her along the cheek, cracking the ceramic topper to the cane. Keddrick dragged her toward the vehicle, Riza’s split cheek trailing blood on the snow, and he stuffed her into the back seat of the car before pointing it toward the Hawkeye estate.
X X X
Roy slowly opened his eyes, unsure of where he was and why he was so cold. Sun dappled down through the trees, so pretty that he didn’t want to move. It was like the forest was simply illuminated, looking so pristine, so utterly beautiful that he didn’t want to do more than lie where he was and admire it. It was the type of splendor that moved men to poetry.
Bit by bit, it occurred to Roy he shouldn’t be just lying in the woods. The only time he ever went into the woods was on patrol. Why was he on the ground? He couldn’t possibly have fallen asleep on patrol. Gradually it sank in that something was wrong – especially since he couldn’t even remember waking up in the morning, let alone what he had been doing - so he sat up. His vision swam and a drum started in his head. His shoulders twinged and everything felt bruised.
Roy rubbed his head and his gloves came away tacky. “Must have hit my head,” he muttered. That would explain why he couldn’t remember anything. Blood spotted the snow. Roy knew he had to get up and get moving before hypothermia set in. Surely he couldn’t be alone. “Maes?” he called softly. “Riza?”
There was no answer. Roy got up and started down the hill, unsure of where he actually was. He hit a trail and started walking faster. Surely this would take him somewhere. He could see the hoof prints in the snow. Who had the horse? Him? Unfortunately, his head really began to hurt. Roy sat down on a fallen log, stamping his feet trying to warm them. He gave up on that and set another nearby log on fire. That felt better, only he was getting sleepy. Roy barely looked up when he heard a horse approaching. It was taking a lot of effort to keep his attention on the dying fire.
“Roy, what are you doing? Every rebel in the mountain is going to see that!” Maes cried, swinging off his horse. “Where’s your mount?”
Roy squinted at his friend. “Why are we out here? Patrol?”
“What do you mean…” Maes’ eyes fixed on the blood on Roy’s collar. “Roy, you’re hurt.”
Roy touched his head. “I think I fell. Did I fall off a horse?”
“I don’t know, buddy.” Maes examined Roy’s head, his breath hitched. “Son of a …Roy, do you remember anything at all?”
“I remember last night…that was nice but nothing since we left Avaron’s house.” Roy’s brow knit. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t think you fell, Roy. That looks like a bullet hole,” Maes said, his voice shaking as he touched the hole just behind Roy’s ear.
“Can’t be.” Roy’s gloved fingers strayed to his head as Maes went to kick snow on what was left of the fire.
“Let’s get you on my horse.” Maes helped an unsteady Roy up into the saddle and swung on behind him. Roy made an unhappy noise and Maes didn’t know if it was about pain or not wanting to ride double. “We have to get you home, Roy. Just hang on, we’re going as fast as we can manage.”
Roy didn’t say anything. He just grit his teeth as all the jarring made his head hurt so much thinking, even seeing, became impossible.
X X X
Riza’s head hurt more than she would have thought possible. Her hand went to her throbbing cheek even before her eyes opened but she couldn’t really probe the injury; it hurt too much. She pried her eyes open, though the one on the side of pain was barely able to peel open with all the swelling.
“I guess you didn’t kill her, you idiot.” Her uncle’s voice held a note of panic as it rasped along her ears. “I can’t believe you did this.”
Was she actually relieved that her uncle hadn’t known Keddrick was going to attack and kidnap her?
Keddrick spun away from the huge fireplace in the den, his green eyes rolling. “Your way of doing things wasn’t going to work, old man.” He stabbed a finger at Riza. “She was going to convince them that she belongs in the military and negate your guardianship.”
“He’s not my guardian,” Riza said, trying to sit up on the couch, surprised she wasn’t tied down in any way. As much as her head hurt and her stomach churned, her concussion was fetters enough. “Mustang is.”
“I’ve seen how he takes care of you.” Keddrick grabbed her arms, shaking her. “You couldn’t wait to spread your legs for that poor, little Squint.”
Riza got her hand up but couldn’t manage more than an energy-less slap. She wondered if Keddrick had fractured something in her face given the sheer amount of pain. He cocked a hand up to hit her.
“Did your father have any idea about your and his apprentice, Riza?” Bob asked, getting a hand on Keddrick and dragged him off of her.
“He gave me to Mustang for a reason,” Riza growled. Let them think her father knew they were lovers. She needed time to hopefully pull herself together. Not tying her up would prove to be a mistake, just as soon as she got her bearings.
Her uncle shook his head as he settled back into a high-backed chair. “You naÏve little girl, letting that man control you.”
Riza tried to smile, flinching from the pain. “Got it wrong, Uncle Bob. I’m the one in control.”
“Easy to do when you have your mouth wrapped around his cock,” Keddrick growled, grabbing her chin. His fingers dug into the rent in her cheek, bringing tears to her eyes. “You let that freak put his mark on you, that horrible thing on your back.”
Riza kicked him, forcing him back. The effort drained her, making her vision swim. Her concussion had to be severe. “Wrong again. Who do you think taught Roy his alchemy? I am my father’s daughter.” She brought her chin up defiantly. “No matter what else Roy is, at least he’s not a pathetic, rich, little pervert who can only watch others enjoying their lives.”
Riza managed to shield her face as Keddrick swung on her. His fist hit into the meat of her arm. She reached for the gun in her holster but it was gone. A wordless cry of frustration dropped from her lips.
Keddrick unfurled his smuggest grin then produced her gun out of his pocket. “Looking for this? I have your knife, too.”
Riza felt along the small of her back. Her knife was missing as promised. “Bastard.”
He looked utterly amused by her fury. “What language.”
“You really have no idea what you’ve done, do you, you spoiled idiot?” Riza hissed. “Do you think the military will just sit back and let you get away with this?”
“You overestimate your importance to them.” Keddrick waved her off. She saw his pride wasn’t going to allow logic in.
“She might not be when it comes to the alchemist. He’ll come looking for her,” Bob said uneasily, his eyes flickering in between Riza and Keddrick. “This was…impetuous of you at best, Keddrick.”
Thorne struck a pose, leaning on the marble mantle, using his body to convey his disdain. “Oh, I’m not worried about the Squint.”
“You ought to be,” Riza said, finally able to stand up. The room bobbed and weaved and she tried to blink away those effects.
“If they even find the Slant’s body before the predators do, they’ll think the Drachmaians splattered his brains on the snow.” Keddrick chuckled lowly.
Riza folded up, almost missing the couch as she fell. “What?” The word died in her throat.
Bob seemed too taken aback for words for a moment, “What did you do, boy?”
“Nothing…you couldn’t know where Roy was,” Riza asserted weakly. Her voice shook. All she could think about was Roy.
“You’d be surprised how easy it is to bribe a duty roster out of a poor soldier.” Keddrick’s eyes were emerald hard. “It was no hard thing to track him. You remember growing up, Riza. It was your cousin, Bryn, who taught us all how to hunt and track. The hunting parties were the best part of Mesick Academy,” he said, “I’m good at it.”
His outfit more suited to riding, it suddenly sank in that’s what Keddrick was wearing; a Mesick hunting uniform. “You…killed Roy?” Her voice shook. A cold wave washed over her, sucking her down. Keddrick’s eyes no longer held anything sane in them. He wasn’t going to let anything stand in the way of what he wanted and she wasn’t sure she had ever been this afraid before.
“It was surprisingly easy, like shooting a squirrel,” Keddrick said with another self-satisfied chuckle. “That alchemy he was so proud of didn’t even enter the picture.”
Riza launched herself at him. Between the tears and the pain, her punches were wild and ineffective. Keddrick slammed her down to the stone flooring, breaking a lamp in the process. Riza rolled over, trying to get back up and Keddrick’s boot found its way into her stomach, crushing the air out of her.
“Keddrick, that’s enough.” Bob tried to pull Thorne away from his niece. “This is insane.”
Keddrick’s fist caught the older man on the jaw and he crumbled, blood trickling from his lips.
“Not what…you thought you were…getting,” Riza rasped out hatefully to her uncle.
Bob wiped his bloody mouth, his eyes wide with fear. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”
“Just shut up, old man. Our business deals will still go through,” Keddrick promised. “You just have to help me think of a place to keep Riza until she gets used to the idea she’s mine.”
“You’ll have to kill me first,” Riza spat, putting Bob between her and Keddrick just long enough for her to find her feet. “Because the only way I don’t run from you is if I’m dead.”
Keddrick thought about that for a moment, then drew her knife. “If it has to be that way, I can live with that. Everyone already knows you’re mine. My pride will not be tarnished by you running off with some poor man’s son. Just keep in mind, Riza, dear, you haven’t lost everything yet. Before I kill you, I’ll make sure your friends go before you into the dark. I’ll start with that Lagana bitch.”
Riza stared at him, caught between the knife’s edge and her fear for Avaron and Maes and even a little for her weak, greedy uncle. She knew Keddrick meant it. Was she too injured to stop him?
Chapter Eleven
“Avaron, do we pay our maids to do nothing but gossip?” Igrayne asked as the fourteen year old sipped from her cup of tea.
Avaron rolled her eyes at her younger sister, looking up from the article she was finishing for the local paper on the fashions of the ball. She had put it off to do the far more interesting stories on the insurgent attack on Rennsalaer. “Do you have to be so high handed, Igrayne?”
“Well, it just seems to me that as cold as it is out today you wouldn’t think Cynthi would be tarrying to chat with Lucinda across the fence. I should think she’d want to beat the rugs and get inside fast as she could,” Igrayne said, exchanging tea cup for crochet hook. “But I suppose it was too good of gossip to pass up.”
Avaron rummaged in her desk for a blotter. “How so?”
“The Thorne household was in an uproar all night it seems. Keddrick was screaming and being awful…he does that a lot, doesn’t he?” Igrayne’s young face wrinkled.
“Yes, he’s not a very nice man,” Avaron agreed. “Did Lucinda say what he was upset about?”
“Something he saw over here last night.” Igrayne ran a hand through her red hair. “What could he have seen through the windows that upset him? What kind of trouble are you in now, sis?”
“Oh, god.” Avaron’s hand shook as she set her pen down. Her stomach twisted like a leaf in the wind.
“Lucinda said he was making threats against someone he was calling a Squint, that’s really not nice. There’s nothing wrong with the Xing.” The girl sniffed. “And he left really early this morning dressed for hunting. It’s rather the wrong season for that.”
“Oh, my god.” Avaron snatched up the phone and placed a call to the office Riza worked in on base. She was informed Cadet Hawkeye hadn’t returned from her lunch. “Damn, damn, damn.”
Avaron ran outside without proper boots or a coat, ignoring her sister’s shouts. She raced to the end of the walk and turned toward the military base, heading past her manicured hedgerows. She saw the scuffle marks and spots of blood on the snow. Swearing inventively, Avaron plowed through the snow to the Thorne’s front door, slamming the knocker as hard as she could. She rubbed her chilled arms, dancing from foot to foot, her toes numb inside her soaked slippers. Lucinda the maid seemed shocked to see her.
“Miss Lagana, you’ll catch your death! Where is your coat?”
“Never mind that, Lucinda. It’s imperative I speak to Keddrick immediately,” Avaron said even though deep in the pit of her stomach she knew Keddrick wouldn’t be here.
“I’m sorry, Miss. Mr. Thorne went out in his car some time ago.” Lucinda’s eyes betrayed her fear of her employer.
Avaron swore again, apologized to Lucinda then tore off for her own home. Igrayne was waiting for her at the door with a heavy comforter, tossing it over her sister as soon as she came in.
“Avaron what’s wrong?” She tried to pull Avaron towards the parlor and its roaring fire.
Avaron followed simply because that was where her phone was. She sat and let Igrayne take off her ruined slippers and rub her ruby red feet as she made the call. “Can you please put me in touch with General Householder or his secretary or whomever I need to speak to. I think one of his cadets was attacked and taken from in front of my home…yes, I can wait.”
“Avaron, what’s going on?” Igrayne hissed lowly, her green eyes wide.
“I think Keddrick kidnapped Riza because she was doing everything she can to avoid marrying him,” Avaron said, her voice shaking just a bit.
“Marry? When did that happen?” Igrayne asked, going even paler under her sprinkle of freckles.
Avaron waved her off. “Yes, sir, thank you for talking with me. I don’t have much proof of what I’m going to say but I want you to know what little I know and what I think is happening,” she said then explained the situation, leaving out what the boys were doing with her and Riza at the house the night before. “I’m not sure where he’d take her, sir. His maid said he isn’t home. It’s possible he took Riza to her uncle’s…yes, sir, I’ll stay out of it. Thank you, sir.”
Avaron hung up the phone then got up, stamping her feet. “I need to get boots.”
“Avaron, what is going on?” Igrayne asked nervously. “You can’t really mean Keddrick has kidnapped Riza.”
“That’s exactly what I mean. I’m going out, Igrayne. Don’t you or any of the maids open the door to anyone. For today, we’re not here,” Avaron said, clamping her hands on her sister’s shoulders.
“Where are you going?”
“To the Hawkeye residence,” Avaron answered grimly.
“But you told the general you wouldn’t.” Igrayne hung on her arm.
“I lied,” Avaron said, shaking free. “I’ll take the car. If I’m not back in an hour, call the general and tell him where I am.”
Igrayne nodded, fear in her eyes. Avaron got her hunting rifle and headed for the car.
X X X
“Where are we?” Roy mumbled, unable to decide what part of him hurt the most. He bounced off the cage of Maes’ arms and straightened himself up on the horse more.
“Almost out of the woods,” Maes replied distractedly. Roy had been antsy and noisy the whole way out of the woods. “Try to sit still, Roy.”
“I think you can stop worrying. I’m sore but I don’t think I’m really hurt that much,” Roy replied, his eyes narrowing. “I know that lake.” He pointed to the frozen pond. “We’re near Hawkeye’s…I’m not supposed to be there, am I?”
“This was the quickest way out. It’s not like we’ll be going inside,” Maes said, urging their horse to go faster now that the ground was leveling. They skirted around the home then angled toward the front of the house and the drive.
“Hey, that’s Thorne’s car,” Roy said, peeling off the heavy duty, winter gloves. A wicked look fluttered over his wan face.
Maes dropped the reins for a moment and grabbed Roy’s hands still clad in the static gloves. “Don’t even think it. You can’t torch his car. He’ll know it was you.”
“And there’s Avaron’s car.” Roy nodded.
“And Avaron.” Maes spotted the young lady heading to a window. He reined up hard. “With a gun. What the hell is going on?”
“We need to find out.” Roy all but fell off the horse, nearly taking Maes with him. He ignored the dull but nauseating ache in his head as he ran.
“Roy, get back here. You’re in no shape to do anything,” Maes said, swinging off the horse, letting the reins drop.
Roy was glad his friend didn’t remind him of the order banning him from this place. Things like that didn’t matter in situations like this. “Avaron, what are you doing?” he called softly.
She whipped around, her eyes wild. “Riza’s disappeared. There was blood on the walk outside my place. I think Keddrick took her.”
“Son of a bitch!” Roy hissed. “Not that way, Avaron. You’ll have to break glass. This way. There’s a window with a busted lock. I’m betting Bob was too cheap to fix it.”
“What do we plan to do once we get in there?” Maes eyed Avaron’s gun as they sneaked around to the north side of the house.
“I’ve already called the base. General Householder said someone would help but…I’m not sure he believed me entirely. I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting on them,” Avaron said.
“Good thinking,” Maes said, slightly surprised at how level headed she was given the circumstances.
“Why are you bloody, Roy?” Avaron whispered.
“He says he fell. Unless he impaled himself on a stick, I think he was shot in the head,” Maes growled, angry at whoever had hurt his friend and frustrated that he could do nothing, including making Roy listen to reason.
“Should he be walking around?” Avaron said, color draining out of her face. She reached for Roy who shrugged away.
“You try stopping him now,” Maes said scathingly, giving his friend a look that said he was being an idiot for not taking it easy until he saw the doctor.
“Keddrick’s maid said he went out on a hunt early this morning,” Avaron said. “But how…”
“Probably a bird rifle,” Maes said as Roy pried open the window. “Keddrick wouldn’t want to make a lot of noise out there. Low velocity, small caliber, it probably didn’t go through Roy’s thick head.”
“That isn’t funny,” Roy said, climbing in the window. “My head’s killing me.”
“No, not funny at all,” Maes replied caustically as he and Avaron followed him in. She surrendered the rifle to Maes.
“Now where to?” Avaron asked.
A loud scream showed them the way.
X X X
“Keddrick, I don’t know what you’re thinking but this is not the way to go about things,” Bob said, back on his feet, his lip rapidly swelling. “No one will stand for this.”
“She doesn’t want me? Fine, but I’ll be damned if anyone else gets her.” Keddrick snarled as he paced around the room, undecided as to his next move.
Riza looked around for a weapon. The best she could do was a crystal vase on the mantle. Thoughts of her own safety fled, chased off by the rage and pain caused by this monster killing the man she loved. She tried to slam it against Keddrick’s skull but his own mania fueled his muscles. The blow glanced off an up thrown arm and wasn’t enough to put him down. His blade flashed out, catching the arm she threw up to keep the knife from finding her neck. Riza couldn’t hold back the sharp cry of pain.
The knife arced up and back down like a silvery fish leaping rapids. It tore into her back with Keddrick screaming he’d destroy the freakish symbol tattooed there. Fiery pain washed over her and Riza punched and kicked as hard as she could, feeling the blade twisting through her flesh. She could feel it slipping out of her and back in again with force enough to nearly take her down. Keddrick’s own face was bloodied from her attack but any signs of sanity were gone from his eye. She had heard the mad fought beyond all reason, so very difficult to stop. Now she believed it.
“Get off of her,” Bob said, trying to pull Keddrick back. Keddrick scrabbled for a handhold on her, only managing to tear away her ruined shirt.
Fighting for her was probably the most humane thing Riza had ever seen her wastrel uncle do and Keddrick slashed him for his troubles. Bob fell over, screaming. Riza took advantage of Keddrick’s divided attention and kicked the knife out of his hand. She tried to get her gun out of his pocket before he remembered he had it. Keddrick’s fist slammed into her torn cheek and, for a moment, she was blinded.
Riza wrestled with him, biting into whatever piece of flesh had offered itself but she was weakening. Her wounds took their toll. As Keddrick shoved her back, Riza slipped in her own blood. Keddrick caught her before she hit ground, hauling her across the floor towards the fireplace. She saw the flap of skin dangling from his arm where her teeth had done their work.
”Stupid bitch,” he swore and shoved her down.
Riza tried to stop him, feeling the heat against her back but her limbs were slowly refusing to obey her. Riza shrieked when he pushed her against the hot fire dog in the fireplace. The metal branded her back and Keddrick tried to force her head into the flames. Riza imagined she heard the familiar sound of a cocking gun.
“Get the hell away from her!”
Keddrick let go of her head but didn’t move enough that Riza could get away from the fire dog ruining her back. Avaron’s voice had stunned them both but Riza recovered faster and kicked up between his legs. Keddrick fell back howling and she rolled limply away from the fire. Was that Roy with Avaron? That wasn’t possible.
Keddrick tried to get up then froze, seeing Roy. “You? That’s not possible. I killed you.”
Roy’s response was an inarticulate growl as his fingers came together.
“Roy, no!” Maes shouted.
Riza heard the snap and fire seemed to arch out of the fireplace, over her, to embrace Keddrick. The burn was short and from the screams, excruciating. She was barely aware of Roy hitting his knees next to her and the feel of his hands on her face. “Thought you were dead,” she whispered.
“Not yet.” His hands tugged at his shirt, trying to get it off to hold to the hemorrhaging wounds on her back. “Someone help me, please.”
Riza never heard the response.
Chapter Twelve
Roy wanted badly to hold Riza’s hand until she woke up from sedation. There were any number of reasons he couldn’t; the least of which was they were in a military hospital. He was afraid of falling asleep, fingers interlaced and getting caught. The warm fog of painkillers kept threatening to stitch his eyelids shut, even though the chair he had pulled to her bedside wasn’t comfortable. He wasn’t sure yet how much trouble he was in for burning Thorne but he suspected that Thorne attempting to kill him and both Hawkeyes would spare him the consequences of overreacting.
Riza murmured a bit, lying face down on the narrow hospital bed. He did reach for her hand, stroking the back of it. Her eyes fluttered open then squeezed shut again as she moaned.
”How bad is it?” he asked softly. “I can go get a nurse to give you something.” He wrapped his hand over hers.
A few involuntary tears leaked from the corners of her eyes; some leaking over the bandages where they had fixed her cheek. “It hurts.”
Roy glanced towards the door, seeing no one about, then got up. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. “I love you,” before kissing her cheek. Roy settled back down, not happy with how the room spun as he moved. “Give me a moment and I’ll go get the nurse.”
Riza’s fingers quested after his and he took her hand. “How bad…”
Roy wet his lips. “The doctor told Hughes and Avaron you’d make a full recovery. That’s what they told me…but it was bad.” He reached over and curled the fingers of his other hand through her hair.
“Glad I showed you…before it was destroyed,” she rasped out, involuntary little shudders from the pain racing through her, probably making bigger quakes of agony deeper inside her unless Roy missed his guess.
His fingers tensed then went back to their soothing motion. “It doesn’t matter. All that matters is you’ll recover. That’s what I care about.”
Riza’s eyes fluttered shut for a moment then opened again. “Father would be…disappointed.”
“He’d want you alive, nothing else matters.” Roy assured her, his hand not stilling as it move over her hair. “He shouldn’t have used you anyhow. You’re a person, not a book, should never have left you with something like that to explain all your life.”
“Did …what he thought right,” she defended her father. Riza let her eyes shut. “My uncle?”
He squeezed the hand he held. “Alive but with lots of stitches.”
“Keddrick?” She packed the single word full of hate.
“I didn’t kill him but I wanted to…he’s never going to be the same again.” Roy grimaced. It had been the first time he saw what severe burns looked like and it had sickened him. Even if Keddrick didn’t spend his life institutionalized for being a raving lunatic, Roy had destroyed his life. Hughes told him one arm had to be amputated. “I burned him.”
“I remember.” Her voice stored volumes of pain.
“Let me go get the nurse.” Roy tried to get up but her grip tightened.
“Stay with me,” she begged and he settled back. “Keddrick said he killed you.” Her eyes misted up. “I thought you were dead.”
“He tried…I don’t remember much of it,” Roy admitted. He hated that the trauma had erased half a day from his mind.
“How did he mistake that? Did he hurt you?” Riza rasped, her voice sounding dry. Roy fished an ice chip out of the glass the nurses had left on the night stand, cautioning him that Riza wasn’t allowed water yet.
“He shot your boy in the head,” Maes said, coming into the room with Avaron on his heels.
Riza’s eyes widened as Roy pressed a chip into her mouth. “But…”
“But his head’s too hard and the bullet didn’t go in.” Maes grinned.
“That’s not what the doctor said.” Roy pouted. “He said the angle was just right and the bullet went in and skidded under my scalp all the way around to the other side.” He traced the path on his bandaged-swathed head. “They had to cut the bullet out. They shaved my head,” he said in a very loud whisper to Riza.
“Real shame, too. You had such pretty hair,” Avaron said, coming over to put a hand on Roy’s shoulder.
“Like silk,” Riza put in. “You have to hurt so much.”
“I feel great,” Roy assured her. He really did. Outside of his emotional turmoil over Riza getting hurt, he felt like he could walk on clouds.
“The miracles of pain killers. He’s been absolutely silly ever since they drugged him,” Maes said. “And that’s why I’m here. He wanted to be with you when you woke up. They said no. He has to stay in bed. His nurse went ballistic when she found him gone.”
“Like you didn’t distract her so I could escape,” Roy said, giving his friend a knowing look.
”I was distracting her because she’s incredibly beautiful,” Maes said, a happy expression on his long face.
“Fickle, isn’t he, Avaron?” Roy asked, slumping in the chair sideways as the painkillers worked on his sense of balance. Avaron just smiled at him.
“I like that in a man. Last thing I want is someone who’s already picking out wedding rings,” she laughed. “Now, you go back to bed. I’ll sit with Riza. We heard voices and told the nurse Riza was awake. The doctor will be in any second now and if you don’t want in trouble, you’ll be back in your own room by then.”
Roy sulked but he got up and kissed Riza’s cheek again. “I’ll be back when I can.”
Maes put an arm around his shoulder. “Riza will be sick of all of us doting on her before long. Seriously, anything you need later, Riza, Avaron and I will get it.”
“Thanks,” she mumbled as Maes steered Roy out of the room and towards the elevator.
“Now to return you to your room and I’ll be a hero. Maybe I’ll help your nurse chain you to your bed to keep you out of trouble,” Maes said, his topaz eyes gleaming.
Roy rolled his eyes. “I feel fine.”
“Well, with as much drugs as you have in you, I’m sure you’re flying in the clouds, buddy. Your entire scalp was laid open. Your nurse said they flapped your scalp up over your forehead at one point, gruesome stuff, this medical work.” Maes shuddered.
“I can’t believe you’re flirting with my nurse while I’m lying there with a bullet in my head,” Roy grumbled, deciding that was a better topic than what the surgeons had done to him.
“They dug it out and you’re fine.” Maes waved him off. “Besides, I’m in love. She’s perfect. Only, she lives in Central. She’s just here on a training program. What will I do when she goes back?”
“You say they’re perfect every time,” Roy moaned as the elevator popped them off on his floor.
Maes pushed up his glasses. “I mean it this time.”
Roy looked unimpressed. “You always say that, too.”
Maes propelled Roy down the hall, stopping at the nurses’ station. “Found him for you.”
The honey-haired young nurse eyed them sourly. “You’re not supposed to wander off, Major Mustang.”
“He won’t give you any more troubles, Gracia, now will you, Roy?” Maes said, patting Roy’s back.
“I’ll be good,” he promised without enthusiasm.
Her eyes narrowed. “Well, good. Please go lie back down and I’ll come with your pain killers in a moment.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Roy said and shuffled off toward his room.
“I’ll make sure he stays there until you get there, Gracia,” Hughes said, herding Roy along.
She beamed at him. “Thank you, Maes.”
“Thank you, Maes,” Roy mumbled under his breath. “I should warn the girl how fickle you are.”
“Look who’s talking. Go lie down.” Maes pointed to the hospital bed. “Be a nice patient and roll up your sleeve for her.”
“The shot doesn’t go there,” Roy said, getting back into bed. He kicked off his thin, hospital-issued slippers. “It goes in my butt.”
“Keep that covered until she gets here.” Maes held up his hands to ward off the image of Roy’s backside. “She must be the world’s greatest nurse to find a target that small.”
“I was shot in the head, don’t pick on me.” Roy pouted to mask the smile that was trying to form. Hughes always could lift his spirits.
Hughes snorted. “Your head’s too hard. You’ll be fine.”
Roy laid back, his head twinging. The hint of humor fled as darkness swooped back in. “He almost took her from me, Maes. Even when she heals…everything’s different now.”
Maes sobered. “I know, Roy. Avaron and I will stay with her as much as the hospital will let us. We won’t let anything more happen to her and we’ll do what we can for her. You can trust us with that, Roy. All I want you to do is rest. You were hurt and you need to recover.”
The prospect of doing nothing but lying around didn’t appeal to Roy. “This will bore me stupid.”
“I’ll take a break from the hospital and pack up everything from that room in Hawkeye’s attic. It’s not like there’s anyone there to stop me. I’ll bring you the books and you can read those exciting tomes to your heart’s content.” Maes made a face.
“You kid but they are exciting to me,” Roy assured him. “Thanks, Maes, for everything.”
“That’s what friends are for,” Maes replied.
“Are you going to go out there and coo at my nurse or are you going to wait until she comes in here and I have to see it?” Roy grumbled, trying to find a position that didn’t make his head throb.
“Decisions, decisions.” Maes rubbed his chin. “Why don’t you shut your eyes, Roy and try to rest?”
Roy shut his eyes and the horrors of the day replayed on his lids. Tears leaked out around the dark, thick fringe of his lashes. He felt Maes’ hand on his back. “It’ll be okay, Roy. I know it doesn’t seem like it now but it will be. Riza will get better. She’s not going to go anywhere.”
Roy simply bundled the bedding against his eyes and cried until after his nurse gave him another injection and the drugs sucked him under.
X X X
“Doesn’t he look exotic?” a familiar voice rang through the empty officers’ common room.
Roy glanced up from his journal, blinking owlishly as his eyes adjusted to distance after reading for hours. Riza leaned on Avaron’s arm as she slowly walked into the room, clad in her bright Xing robe; he assumed it was because her usual clothing fit too well and rubbed her bandaged back. Maes was behind the ladies, a dreamy look in his eye. Roy unfurled from the couch where he had been stretched out in front of the fire.
“Hey, you’re wearing the lizard thing,” Maes said, eyeing the red and yellow silk.
“Dragons!” Roy’s lower lip pooched out as he looked at the ladies. “They’re dragons. Riza, I didn’t think you were allowed up yet.”
“I’m bored,” she said, as Avaron helped her to sit gingerly on the couch. It took her a moment to ease down.
“I would have come help you down here,” Roy said, sitting back down, moving some of his alchemic books to give her room.
“And how would you explain that fraternization? Do they allow you to go to female officers’ rooms?” Avaron asked.
“No,” Roy said, his eyes drifting to Maes.
“They found me in the hallway. I was just coming back from seeing Gracia before she went to work. She is the most-” Maes enthused until Roy cut in.
“I do not want every detail, Maes. Save it to bore me to sleep tonight. I want to talk to our guest.” Roy waved a hand at Avaron who had a huge grin on her face. “What’s so funny?”
“Just thinking how good you two look together like that in your Xing outfits.” Avaron waved a hand at the brilliant colored silks. “Though Roy has the black silk slippers, so he wins.”
“He has relatives that keep him well supplied. I have to wait on traders,” Riza replied, eyeing Roy with a strange look in her eye. “You look just like Father surrounded by your books.”
“They’re his books and I’m making the best possible use of my time off,” Roy said, his defensive wall coming up. Why was it every time he tried to study someone acted like it was strange.
“Which one now? That spellbinding book on sulfur?” Maes executed a huge eye roll.
Roy glowered. “Hawkeye’s journal and it is fascinating.”
“Riza, you grew up with an alchemist, I don’t know why you want to sentence yourself to another one,” Avaron said, dropping into a chair next to the fire. “No matter how cute he usually is.”
“Usually?” Petulance edged into Roy’s voice.
“You look stupid bald,” Avaron replied with a dismissive wave.
Roy smoothed a hand over his head. The mass of bandages had been reduced to a single one around his stitches, leaving the dome of his head exposed, dark and fuzzy.
“She has a point,” Riza said, patting the raven fuzz. Her smile made the small bandage on her cheek wrinkle.
”Shallow women.” Roy sulked majestically.
“Better hope you don’t go bald, buddy. They’ll desert you,” Maes laughed, sitting across from Riza.
“Well, at least you have a nicely shaped head,” Riza said. “Minus the big rut that bullet carved into it.”
Roy rubbed his head again. “That’s something, I suppose.”
“Oh good, I’m on the unbandaged side of Riza’s face. Hey you two, look here,” Maes said and something flashed in their eyes when they did.
“What the hell?” Roy growled, rubbing his eyes to clear the spots.
“Smile this time.” Maes clicked the camera again. “Damn it Roy, you never smile.”
“Where did you get that camera?” Roy asked through gritted teeth.
“I needed a new one after the last one got mysteriously destroyed,” Maes said, pointedly, narrowing his eyes at Roy. “But they’re so expensive.”
“So I got him one. I need pictures for the story the Central Tribune wants on you two,” Avaron said, reaching over to pat Maes’ knee. “They loved the story on all the intrigue, which thank you for letting me write, Riza.”
“At least someone should get something out of my pain,” Riza moaned, trying to shift into a comfortable position.
“There’s a story?” Roy looked like a vinegar jar with eyes.
“They’re offering Avaron a job as soon as she graduates,” Riza said, pointing at the camera. “Now smile for Maes.”
“You have no idea what you’re asking,” Roy replied, grimacing at Maes who took the picture anyhow. “You don’t know what he’s like with that camera.”
“I’m suspecting there’s no real mystery as to what happened to his last camera,” Avaron said with a laugh
“Roy claims he knows nothing.” Maes pocketed his new prize before Roy was tempted to show it to the fire. “I pretend to believe him.”
Roy started to say something then stopped as he tried to get to his feet. General Householder came into the common room.
He waved Roy down. “At ease, everyone. It’s nice to see you again Miss Lagana.” The older man inclined his head to her. “I need to speak to you and Cadet Hawkeye, Mustang.”
“We can come to your office right now, sir,” Roy said, hoping he didn’t look too guilty because he was sitting next to Riza.
“No, no, we can talk here, there’s no one here,” Householder stood near the fireplace. “This actually impacts Miss Lagana and Lieutenant Hughes as well, since they were there when it all happened.”
“I would have shot Thorne if I had to,” Avaron assured him.
“Yes, and given that he was trying to murder Hawkeye, the opinion of the town is that you would have been in the right,” Householder said. “There will be no actions taken against you either, Mustang. However, given the severity of Mr. Thorne’s burns and his family’s position in this town, we think it best that you be stationed to another base.”
Roy barely reined in a sigh, utterly relieved. “Understood, sir. Where to?”
“Central for now, under General Gran,” Householder said. “And Cadet Hawkeye, your uncle has withdrawn his objections to remaining at the Academy. I’ll assume that you wish to return once your wounds have fully healed.”
Riza nodded, her body going limp with relief. “Yes, sir, I would.”
“Then once you’re fit to travel, you’ll return to Central as well.” Householder turned to Hughes. “Lieutenant Hughes, seeing how well you work with Hawkeye and Mustang, I’m transferring you back to Central with them. You make a great team and you shouldn’t tinker with things that work.”
Hughes blinked at him in shock. “Oh...thank you, sir. I really appreciate that.”
“I’ll miss having you kids around. I’m sorry things had to come to such a tragic end,” Householder said, going around the couch. He leaned over the back between Roy and Riza adding in a whisper, “You two be very careful not to get caught. Gran isn’t a romantic like me.”
Roy blanched and Riza stammered out a ‘yes, sir.’ They watched as the general left. Roy slumped in his seat.
“It worked out good, right?” Avaron said, not sure why everyone seemed to shaky. “You all look pale.”
“You have to understand, Avaron, Roy could have been in a lot of trouble for attacking Keddrick,” Riza said, squeezing his hand.
“He was trying to kill you. He tried to kill Roy. I don’t see the problem,” Avaron said then frowned. “No, of course I do. Money talks. He might have been able to buy his way out of this and put the trouble on Roy’s shoulders.”
“Exactly. This is the best possible scenario,” Riza said. “But you and I need to be more careful,” she added to Roy who nodded.
“Riza, you look so tired. I’d walk you to your room if Householder hadn’t just yelled at us,” Roy said, touching her undamaged cheek.
“I should get to bed.” Riza looked over at her girlfriend. “Avaron?”
Avaron nodded. “Is that the only door into this place?” She pointed to the egress Householder had departed through.
“Yes, why?” Roy asked.
“Come here, Maes.” Avaron stood at the back of the couch. “Between the two of us, no one can see what’s happening on the couch.”
Roy smiled at her. “Thanks.”
Behind the shield of their friends’ bodies, Roy and Riza shared a soft kiss. “Never want to lose you,” he murmured.
She rested her cheek against his shoulder, the silk soft against her flesh. “You won’t.”
His lips met hers again, the kiss bittersweet but what they both needed. Riza would leave in a moment with her friend. He’d distract himself with his alchemy but at the moment, her returning to her room and his studying felt like they were events to take place weeks away and all there was, was the kiss.
Challenge Prompts Used -
Quote - "The wise learn many things from their enemies." - Aristophanes
Picture - The Color Red and Rays of Reflection
Word - Tutelary
Immolation of Man’s Pride
D M Evans
Disclaimer - not mine
Rating FRMAO (Nc-17)
Pairing - Roy/Riza
Time Line - Manga verse Pre-Ishbal, based off revelations of ch 58 but mostly written before 59 came out so we can safely say it contains spoilers for 58 and is totally AU after that
Summary -Riza finds herself caught on the horns of her past and the pride of the powerful men in her life with dire consequences
Chapter Ten
“Thanks for joining me for lunch,” Avaron said, smothering a slice of venison with a sauce made from dried lingonberries.
“The last time I was invited to lunch it didn’t go well,” Riza said, her eyes haunted. She stared at an area of brick red silk wallpaper just to the right of her friend’s shoulder. “Almost put me off coming.”
“I guarantee I’m far better company than your uncle,” Avaron replied tartly. “Have you heard any more about that?”
Riza shook her head, tracing a pattern on the high gloss polish of the cherry wood table. “It’s at a stand still and I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Agreed, no unpleasant talk.” Avaron said, taking a bite of the whipped potatoes laced through with white wine. “So how much fun did you and your major have here yesterday?”
Riza blushed, shifting around on the white damask seat, the one she was always afraid she’d drop something on. “So, right into the sex talk?”
“You said nothing unpleasant…it wasn’t, was it?” Avaron asked with a fox smile.
Riza’s blush deepened as she leaned back on the acanthus flower carving of the seat back. “Far from it. What is it with you and details?”
“Just seeing if you’re ready for one of the books on various ways of doing it…so you don’t get bored.” Avaron’s eyes danced.
“There are books?” Riza blurted out.
“Ah, so naÏve. Let me get them out for your next visit. I’d let you borrow one but planting too many ideas in the heads of soldiers might be a bad thing,” Avaron said, heaving a melodramatic sigh.
“I doubt getting caught with a book like that would help my cause any,” Riza added, thinking that would be the perfect excuse to get her expelled.
Avaron laughed then turned the conversation to picking Riza’s brain about Central where the military base was. Riza gratefully accepted the change of topic, regaling her friend with all there was to do in the big city. Lunch flew by and Riza reluctantly took her leave. She turned down the walk outside of the fence, which was nearly lost in the hedgerow. Riza could barely see the majestic house behind it.
The sounds of a car stopping behind her surprised Riza. She turned and saw Keddrick step out of his vehicle. It seemed to her that he was dressed more for riding than for anything else and the walking stick he carried seemed out of place. She braced herself for what surely would be an unpleasant talk, the words, ‘I’m not permitted to talk to you’ balanced on the tip of her tongue. Riza never got to say them. Unprepared for him to get physical, the blow from the walking stick caught her along the cheek, cracking the ceramic topper to the cane. Keddrick dragged her toward the vehicle, Riza’s split cheek trailing blood on the snow, and he stuffed her into the back seat of the car before pointing it toward the Hawkeye estate.
X X X
Roy slowly opened his eyes, unsure of where he was and why he was so cold. Sun dappled down through the trees, so pretty that he didn’t want to move. It was like the forest was simply illuminated, looking so pristine, so utterly beautiful that he didn’t want to do more than lie where he was and admire it. It was the type of splendor that moved men to poetry.
Bit by bit, it occurred to Roy he shouldn’t be just lying in the woods. The only time he ever went into the woods was on patrol. Why was he on the ground? He couldn’t possibly have fallen asleep on patrol. Gradually it sank in that something was wrong – especially since he couldn’t even remember waking up in the morning, let alone what he had been doing - so he sat up. His vision swam and a drum started in his head. His shoulders twinged and everything felt bruised.
Roy rubbed his head and his gloves came away tacky. “Must have hit my head,” he muttered. That would explain why he couldn’t remember anything. Blood spotted the snow. Roy knew he had to get up and get moving before hypothermia set in. Surely he couldn’t be alone. “Maes?” he called softly. “Riza?”
There was no answer. Roy got up and started down the hill, unsure of where he actually was. He hit a trail and started walking faster. Surely this would take him somewhere. He could see the hoof prints in the snow. Who had the horse? Him? Unfortunately, his head really began to hurt. Roy sat down on a fallen log, stamping his feet trying to warm them. He gave up on that and set another nearby log on fire. That felt better, only he was getting sleepy. Roy barely looked up when he heard a horse approaching. It was taking a lot of effort to keep his attention on the dying fire.
“Roy, what are you doing? Every rebel in the mountain is going to see that!” Maes cried, swinging off his horse. “Where’s your mount?”
Roy squinted at his friend. “Why are we out here? Patrol?”
“What do you mean…” Maes’ eyes fixed on the blood on Roy’s collar. “Roy, you’re hurt.”
Roy touched his head. “I think I fell. Did I fall off a horse?”
“I don’t know, buddy.” Maes examined Roy’s head, his breath hitched. “Son of a …Roy, do you remember anything at all?”
“I remember last night…that was nice but nothing since we left Avaron’s house.” Roy’s brow knit. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t think you fell, Roy. That looks like a bullet hole,” Maes said, his voice shaking as he touched the hole just behind Roy’s ear.
“Can’t be.” Roy’s gloved fingers strayed to his head as Maes went to kick snow on what was left of the fire.
“Let’s get you on my horse.” Maes helped an unsteady Roy up into the saddle and swung on behind him. Roy made an unhappy noise and Maes didn’t know if it was about pain or not wanting to ride double. “We have to get you home, Roy. Just hang on, we’re going as fast as we can manage.”
Roy didn’t say anything. He just grit his teeth as all the jarring made his head hurt so much thinking, even seeing, became impossible.
X X X
Riza’s head hurt more than she would have thought possible. Her hand went to her throbbing cheek even before her eyes opened but she couldn’t really probe the injury; it hurt too much. She pried her eyes open, though the one on the side of pain was barely able to peel open with all the swelling.
“I guess you didn’t kill her, you idiot.” Her uncle’s voice held a note of panic as it rasped along her ears. “I can’t believe you did this.”
Was she actually relieved that her uncle hadn’t known Keddrick was going to attack and kidnap her?
Keddrick spun away from the huge fireplace in the den, his green eyes rolling. “Your way of doing things wasn’t going to work, old man.” He stabbed a finger at Riza. “She was going to convince them that she belongs in the military and negate your guardianship.”
“He’s not my guardian,” Riza said, trying to sit up on the couch, surprised she wasn’t tied down in any way. As much as her head hurt and her stomach churned, her concussion was fetters enough. “Mustang is.”
“I’ve seen how he takes care of you.” Keddrick grabbed her arms, shaking her. “You couldn’t wait to spread your legs for that poor, little Squint.”
Riza got her hand up but couldn’t manage more than an energy-less slap. She wondered if Keddrick had fractured something in her face given the sheer amount of pain. He cocked a hand up to hit her.
“Did your father have any idea about your and his apprentice, Riza?” Bob asked, getting a hand on Keddrick and dragged him off of her.
“He gave me to Mustang for a reason,” Riza growled. Let them think her father knew they were lovers. She needed time to hopefully pull herself together. Not tying her up would prove to be a mistake, just as soon as she got her bearings.
Her uncle shook his head as he settled back into a high-backed chair. “You naÏve little girl, letting that man control you.”
Riza tried to smile, flinching from the pain. “Got it wrong, Uncle Bob. I’m the one in control.”
“Easy to do when you have your mouth wrapped around his cock,” Keddrick growled, grabbing her chin. His fingers dug into the rent in her cheek, bringing tears to her eyes. “You let that freak put his mark on you, that horrible thing on your back.”
Riza kicked him, forcing him back. The effort drained her, making her vision swim. Her concussion had to be severe. “Wrong again. Who do you think taught Roy his alchemy? I am my father’s daughter.” She brought her chin up defiantly. “No matter what else Roy is, at least he’s not a pathetic, rich, little pervert who can only watch others enjoying their lives.”
Riza managed to shield her face as Keddrick swung on her. His fist hit into the meat of her arm. She reached for the gun in her holster but it was gone. A wordless cry of frustration dropped from her lips.
Keddrick unfurled his smuggest grin then produced her gun out of his pocket. “Looking for this? I have your knife, too.”
Riza felt along the small of her back. Her knife was missing as promised. “Bastard.”
He looked utterly amused by her fury. “What language.”
“You really have no idea what you’ve done, do you, you spoiled idiot?” Riza hissed. “Do you think the military will just sit back and let you get away with this?”
“You overestimate your importance to them.” Keddrick waved her off. She saw his pride wasn’t going to allow logic in.
“She might not be when it comes to the alchemist. He’ll come looking for her,” Bob said uneasily, his eyes flickering in between Riza and Keddrick. “This was…impetuous of you at best, Keddrick.”
Thorne struck a pose, leaning on the marble mantle, using his body to convey his disdain. “Oh, I’m not worried about the Squint.”
“You ought to be,” Riza said, finally able to stand up. The room bobbed and weaved and she tried to blink away those effects.
“If they even find the Slant’s body before the predators do, they’ll think the Drachmaians splattered his brains on the snow.” Keddrick chuckled lowly.
Riza folded up, almost missing the couch as she fell. “What?” The word died in her throat.
Bob seemed too taken aback for words for a moment, “What did you do, boy?”
“Nothing…you couldn’t know where Roy was,” Riza asserted weakly. Her voice shook. All she could think about was Roy.
“You’d be surprised how easy it is to bribe a duty roster out of a poor soldier.” Keddrick’s eyes were emerald hard. “It was no hard thing to track him. You remember growing up, Riza. It was your cousin, Bryn, who taught us all how to hunt and track. The hunting parties were the best part of Mesick Academy,” he said, “I’m good at it.”
His outfit more suited to riding, it suddenly sank in that’s what Keddrick was wearing; a Mesick hunting uniform. “You…killed Roy?” Her voice shook. A cold wave washed over her, sucking her down. Keddrick’s eyes no longer held anything sane in them. He wasn’t going to let anything stand in the way of what he wanted and she wasn’t sure she had ever been this afraid before.
“It was surprisingly easy, like shooting a squirrel,” Keddrick said with another self-satisfied chuckle. “That alchemy he was so proud of didn’t even enter the picture.”
Riza launched herself at him. Between the tears and the pain, her punches were wild and ineffective. Keddrick slammed her down to the stone flooring, breaking a lamp in the process. Riza rolled over, trying to get back up and Keddrick’s boot found its way into her stomach, crushing the air out of her.
“Keddrick, that’s enough.” Bob tried to pull Thorne away from his niece. “This is insane.”
Keddrick’s fist caught the older man on the jaw and he crumbled, blood trickling from his lips.
“Not what…you thought you were…getting,” Riza rasped out hatefully to her uncle.
Bob wiped his bloody mouth, his eyes wide with fear. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”
“Just shut up, old man. Our business deals will still go through,” Keddrick promised. “You just have to help me think of a place to keep Riza until she gets used to the idea she’s mine.”
“You’ll have to kill me first,” Riza spat, putting Bob between her and Keddrick just long enough for her to find her feet. “Because the only way I don’t run from you is if I’m dead.”
Keddrick thought about that for a moment, then drew her knife. “If it has to be that way, I can live with that. Everyone already knows you’re mine. My pride will not be tarnished by you running off with some poor man’s son. Just keep in mind, Riza, dear, you haven’t lost everything yet. Before I kill you, I’ll make sure your friends go before you into the dark. I’ll start with that Lagana bitch.”
Riza stared at him, caught between the knife’s edge and her fear for Avaron and Maes and even a little for her weak, greedy uncle. She knew Keddrick meant it. Was she too injured to stop him?
Chapter Eleven
“Avaron, do we pay our maids to do nothing but gossip?” Igrayne asked as the fourteen year old sipped from her cup of tea.
Avaron rolled her eyes at her younger sister, looking up from the article she was finishing for the local paper on the fashions of the ball. She had put it off to do the far more interesting stories on the insurgent attack on Rennsalaer. “Do you have to be so high handed, Igrayne?”
“Well, it just seems to me that as cold as it is out today you wouldn’t think Cynthi would be tarrying to chat with Lucinda across the fence. I should think she’d want to beat the rugs and get inside fast as she could,” Igrayne said, exchanging tea cup for crochet hook. “But I suppose it was too good of gossip to pass up.”
Avaron rummaged in her desk for a blotter. “How so?”
“The Thorne household was in an uproar all night it seems. Keddrick was screaming and being awful…he does that a lot, doesn’t he?” Igrayne’s young face wrinkled.
“Yes, he’s not a very nice man,” Avaron agreed. “Did Lucinda say what he was upset about?”
“Something he saw over here last night.” Igrayne ran a hand through her red hair. “What could he have seen through the windows that upset him? What kind of trouble are you in now, sis?”
“Oh, god.” Avaron’s hand shook as she set her pen down. Her stomach twisted like a leaf in the wind.
“Lucinda said he was making threats against someone he was calling a Squint, that’s really not nice. There’s nothing wrong with the Xing.” The girl sniffed. “And he left really early this morning dressed for hunting. It’s rather the wrong season for that.”
“Oh, my god.” Avaron snatched up the phone and placed a call to the office Riza worked in on base. She was informed Cadet Hawkeye hadn’t returned from her lunch. “Damn, damn, damn.”
Avaron ran outside without proper boots or a coat, ignoring her sister’s shouts. She raced to the end of the walk and turned toward the military base, heading past her manicured hedgerows. She saw the scuffle marks and spots of blood on the snow. Swearing inventively, Avaron plowed through the snow to the Thorne’s front door, slamming the knocker as hard as she could. She rubbed her chilled arms, dancing from foot to foot, her toes numb inside her soaked slippers. Lucinda the maid seemed shocked to see her.
“Miss Lagana, you’ll catch your death! Where is your coat?”
“Never mind that, Lucinda. It’s imperative I speak to Keddrick immediately,” Avaron said even though deep in the pit of her stomach she knew Keddrick wouldn’t be here.
“I’m sorry, Miss. Mr. Thorne went out in his car some time ago.” Lucinda’s eyes betrayed her fear of her employer.
Avaron swore again, apologized to Lucinda then tore off for her own home. Igrayne was waiting for her at the door with a heavy comforter, tossing it over her sister as soon as she came in.
“Avaron what’s wrong?” She tried to pull Avaron towards the parlor and its roaring fire.
Avaron followed simply because that was where her phone was. She sat and let Igrayne take off her ruined slippers and rub her ruby red feet as she made the call. “Can you please put me in touch with General Householder or his secretary or whomever I need to speak to. I think one of his cadets was attacked and taken from in front of my home…yes, I can wait.”
“Avaron, what’s going on?” Igrayne hissed lowly, her green eyes wide.
“I think Keddrick kidnapped Riza because she was doing everything she can to avoid marrying him,” Avaron said, her voice shaking just a bit.
“Marry? When did that happen?” Igrayne asked, going even paler under her sprinkle of freckles.
Avaron waved her off. “Yes, sir, thank you for talking with me. I don’t have much proof of what I’m going to say but I want you to know what little I know and what I think is happening,” she said then explained the situation, leaving out what the boys were doing with her and Riza at the house the night before. “I’m not sure where he’d take her, sir. His maid said he isn’t home. It’s possible he took Riza to her uncle’s…yes, sir, I’ll stay out of it. Thank you, sir.”
Avaron hung up the phone then got up, stamping her feet. “I need to get boots.”
“Avaron, what is going on?” Igrayne asked nervously. “You can’t really mean Keddrick has kidnapped Riza.”
“That’s exactly what I mean. I’m going out, Igrayne. Don’t you or any of the maids open the door to anyone. For today, we’re not here,” Avaron said, clamping her hands on her sister’s shoulders.
“Where are you going?”
“To the Hawkeye residence,” Avaron answered grimly.
“But you told the general you wouldn’t.” Igrayne hung on her arm.
“I lied,” Avaron said, shaking free. “I’ll take the car. If I’m not back in an hour, call the general and tell him where I am.”
Igrayne nodded, fear in her eyes. Avaron got her hunting rifle and headed for the car.
X X X
“Where are we?” Roy mumbled, unable to decide what part of him hurt the most. He bounced off the cage of Maes’ arms and straightened himself up on the horse more.
“Almost out of the woods,” Maes replied distractedly. Roy had been antsy and noisy the whole way out of the woods. “Try to sit still, Roy.”
“I think you can stop worrying. I’m sore but I don’t think I’m really hurt that much,” Roy replied, his eyes narrowing. “I know that lake.” He pointed to the frozen pond. “We’re near Hawkeye’s…I’m not supposed to be there, am I?”
“This was the quickest way out. It’s not like we’ll be going inside,” Maes said, urging their horse to go faster now that the ground was leveling. They skirted around the home then angled toward the front of the house and the drive.
“Hey, that’s Thorne’s car,” Roy said, peeling off the heavy duty, winter gloves. A wicked look fluttered over his wan face.
Maes dropped the reins for a moment and grabbed Roy’s hands still clad in the static gloves. “Don’t even think it. You can’t torch his car. He’ll know it was you.”
“And there’s Avaron’s car.” Roy nodded.
“And Avaron.” Maes spotted the young lady heading to a window. He reined up hard. “With a gun. What the hell is going on?”
“We need to find out.” Roy all but fell off the horse, nearly taking Maes with him. He ignored the dull but nauseating ache in his head as he ran.
“Roy, get back here. You’re in no shape to do anything,” Maes said, swinging off the horse, letting the reins drop.
Roy was glad his friend didn’t remind him of the order banning him from this place. Things like that didn’t matter in situations like this. “Avaron, what are you doing?” he called softly.
She whipped around, her eyes wild. “Riza’s disappeared. There was blood on the walk outside my place. I think Keddrick took her.”
“Son of a bitch!” Roy hissed. “Not that way, Avaron. You’ll have to break glass. This way. There’s a window with a busted lock. I’m betting Bob was too cheap to fix it.”
“What do we plan to do once we get in there?” Maes eyed Avaron’s gun as they sneaked around to the north side of the house.
“I’ve already called the base. General Householder said someone would help but…I’m not sure he believed me entirely. I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting on them,” Avaron said.
“Good thinking,” Maes said, slightly surprised at how level headed she was given the circumstances.
“Why are you bloody, Roy?” Avaron whispered.
“He says he fell. Unless he impaled himself on a stick, I think he was shot in the head,” Maes growled, angry at whoever had hurt his friend and frustrated that he could do nothing, including making Roy listen to reason.
“Should he be walking around?” Avaron said, color draining out of her face. She reached for Roy who shrugged away.
“You try stopping him now,” Maes said scathingly, giving his friend a look that said he was being an idiot for not taking it easy until he saw the doctor.
“Keddrick’s maid said he went out on a hunt early this morning,” Avaron said. “But how…”
“Probably a bird rifle,” Maes said as Roy pried open the window. “Keddrick wouldn’t want to make a lot of noise out there. Low velocity, small caliber, it probably didn’t go through Roy’s thick head.”
“That isn’t funny,” Roy said, climbing in the window. “My head’s killing me.”
“No, not funny at all,” Maes replied caustically as he and Avaron followed him in. She surrendered the rifle to Maes.
“Now where to?” Avaron asked.
A loud scream showed them the way.
X X X
“Keddrick, I don’t know what you’re thinking but this is not the way to go about things,” Bob said, back on his feet, his lip rapidly swelling. “No one will stand for this.”
“She doesn’t want me? Fine, but I’ll be damned if anyone else gets her.” Keddrick snarled as he paced around the room, undecided as to his next move.
Riza looked around for a weapon. The best she could do was a crystal vase on the mantle. Thoughts of her own safety fled, chased off by the rage and pain caused by this monster killing the man she loved. She tried to slam it against Keddrick’s skull but his own mania fueled his muscles. The blow glanced off an up thrown arm and wasn’t enough to put him down. His blade flashed out, catching the arm she threw up to keep the knife from finding her neck. Riza couldn’t hold back the sharp cry of pain.
The knife arced up and back down like a silvery fish leaping rapids. It tore into her back with Keddrick screaming he’d destroy the freakish symbol tattooed there. Fiery pain washed over her and Riza punched and kicked as hard as she could, feeling the blade twisting through her flesh. She could feel it slipping out of her and back in again with force enough to nearly take her down. Keddrick’s own face was bloodied from her attack but any signs of sanity were gone from his eye. She had heard the mad fought beyond all reason, so very difficult to stop. Now she believed it.
“Get off of her,” Bob said, trying to pull Keddrick back. Keddrick scrabbled for a handhold on her, only managing to tear away her ruined shirt.
Fighting for her was probably the most humane thing Riza had ever seen her wastrel uncle do and Keddrick slashed him for his troubles. Bob fell over, screaming. Riza took advantage of Keddrick’s divided attention and kicked the knife out of his hand. She tried to get her gun out of his pocket before he remembered he had it. Keddrick’s fist slammed into her torn cheek and, for a moment, she was blinded.
Riza wrestled with him, biting into whatever piece of flesh had offered itself but she was weakening. Her wounds took their toll. As Keddrick shoved her back, Riza slipped in her own blood. Keddrick caught her before she hit ground, hauling her across the floor towards the fireplace. She saw the flap of skin dangling from his arm where her teeth had done their work.
”Stupid bitch,” he swore and shoved her down.
Riza tried to stop him, feeling the heat against her back but her limbs were slowly refusing to obey her. Riza shrieked when he pushed her against the hot fire dog in the fireplace. The metal branded her back and Keddrick tried to force her head into the flames. Riza imagined she heard the familiar sound of a cocking gun.
“Get the hell away from her!”
Keddrick let go of her head but didn’t move enough that Riza could get away from the fire dog ruining her back. Avaron’s voice had stunned them both but Riza recovered faster and kicked up between his legs. Keddrick fell back howling and she rolled limply away from the fire. Was that Roy with Avaron? That wasn’t possible.
Keddrick tried to get up then froze, seeing Roy. “You? That’s not possible. I killed you.”
Roy’s response was an inarticulate growl as his fingers came together.
“Roy, no!” Maes shouted.
Riza heard the snap and fire seemed to arch out of the fireplace, over her, to embrace Keddrick. The burn was short and from the screams, excruciating. She was barely aware of Roy hitting his knees next to her and the feel of his hands on her face. “Thought you were dead,” she whispered.
“Not yet.” His hands tugged at his shirt, trying to get it off to hold to the hemorrhaging wounds on her back. “Someone help me, please.”
Riza never heard the response.
Chapter Twelve
Roy wanted badly to hold Riza’s hand until she woke up from sedation. There were any number of reasons he couldn’t; the least of which was they were in a military hospital. He was afraid of falling asleep, fingers interlaced and getting caught. The warm fog of painkillers kept threatening to stitch his eyelids shut, even though the chair he had pulled to her bedside wasn’t comfortable. He wasn’t sure yet how much trouble he was in for burning Thorne but he suspected that Thorne attempting to kill him and both Hawkeyes would spare him the consequences of overreacting.
Riza murmured a bit, lying face down on the narrow hospital bed. He did reach for her hand, stroking the back of it. Her eyes fluttered open then squeezed shut again as she moaned.
”How bad is it?” he asked softly. “I can go get a nurse to give you something.” He wrapped his hand over hers.
A few involuntary tears leaked from the corners of her eyes; some leaking over the bandages where they had fixed her cheek. “It hurts.”
Roy glanced towards the door, seeing no one about, then got up. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. “I love you,” before kissing her cheek. Roy settled back down, not happy with how the room spun as he moved. “Give me a moment and I’ll go get the nurse.”
Riza’s fingers quested after his and he took her hand. “How bad…”
Roy wet his lips. “The doctor told Hughes and Avaron you’d make a full recovery. That’s what they told me…but it was bad.” He reached over and curled the fingers of his other hand through her hair.
“Glad I showed you…before it was destroyed,” she rasped out, involuntary little shudders from the pain racing through her, probably making bigger quakes of agony deeper inside her unless Roy missed his guess.
His fingers tensed then went back to their soothing motion. “It doesn’t matter. All that matters is you’ll recover. That’s what I care about.”
Riza’s eyes fluttered shut for a moment then opened again. “Father would be…disappointed.”
“He’d want you alive, nothing else matters.” Roy assured her, his hand not stilling as it move over her hair. “He shouldn’t have used you anyhow. You’re a person, not a book, should never have left you with something like that to explain all your life.”
“Did …what he thought right,” she defended her father. Riza let her eyes shut. “My uncle?”
He squeezed the hand he held. “Alive but with lots of stitches.”
“Keddrick?” She packed the single word full of hate.
“I didn’t kill him but I wanted to…he’s never going to be the same again.” Roy grimaced. It had been the first time he saw what severe burns looked like and it had sickened him. Even if Keddrick didn’t spend his life institutionalized for being a raving lunatic, Roy had destroyed his life. Hughes told him one arm had to be amputated. “I burned him.”
“I remember.” Her voice stored volumes of pain.
“Let me go get the nurse.” Roy tried to get up but her grip tightened.
“Stay with me,” she begged and he settled back. “Keddrick said he killed you.” Her eyes misted up. “I thought you were dead.”
“He tried…I don’t remember much of it,” Roy admitted. He hated that the trauma had erased half a day from his mind.
“How did he mistake that? Did he hurt you?” Riza rasped, her voice sounding dry. Roy fished an ice chip out of the glass the nurses had left on the night stand, cautioning him that Riza wasn’t allowed water yet.
“He shot your boy in the head,” Maes said, coming into the room with Avaron on his heels.
Riza’s eyes widened as Roy pressed a chip into her mouth. “But…”
“But his head’s too hard and the bullet didn’t go in.” Maes grinned.
“That’s not what the doctor said.” Roy pouted. “He said the angle was just right and the bullet went in and skidded under my scalp all the way around to the other side.” He traced the path on his bandaged-swathed head. “They had to cut the bullet out. They shaved my head,” he said in a very loud whisper to Riza.
“Real shame, too. You had such pretty hair,” Avaron said, coming over to put a hand on Roy’s shoulder.
“Like silk,” Riza put in. “You have to hurt so much.”
“I feel great,” Roy assured her. He really did. Outside of his emotional turmoil over Riza getting hurt, he felt like he could walk on clouds.
“The miracles of pain killers. He’s been absolutely silly ever since they drugged him,” Maes said. “And that’s why I’m here. He wanted to be with you when you woke up. They said no. He has to stay in bed. His nurse went ballistic when she found him gone.”
“Like you didn’t distract her so I could escape,” Roy said, giving his friend a knowing look.
”I was distracting her because she’s incredibly beautiful,” Maes said, a happy expression on his long face.
“Fickle, isn’t he, Avaron?” Roy asked, slumping in the chair sideways as the painkillers worked on his sense of balance. Avaron just smiled at him.
“I like that in a man. Last thing I want is someone who’s already picking out wedding rings,” she laughed. “Now, you go back to bed. I’ll sit with Riza. We heard voices and told the nurse Riza was awake. The doctor will be in any second now and if you don’t want in trouble, you’ll be back in your own room by then.”
Roy sulked but he got up and kissed Riza’s cheek again. “I’ll be back when I can.”
Maes put an arm around his shoulder. “Riza will be sick of all of us doting on her before long. Seriously, anything you need later, Riza, Avaron and I will get it.”
“Thanks,” she mumbled as Maes steered Roy out of the room and towards the elevator.
“Now to return you to your room and I’ll be a hero. Maybe I’ll help your nurse chain you to your bed to keep you out of trouble,” Maes said, his topaz eyes gleaming.
Roy rolled his eyes. “I feel fine.”
“Well, with as much drugs as you have in you, I’m sure you’re flying in the clouds, buddy. Your entire scalp was laid open. Your nurse said they flapped your scalp up over your forehead at one point, gruesome stuff, this medical work.” Maes shuddered.
“I can’t believe you’re flirting with my nurse while I’m lying there with a bullet in my head,” Roy grumbled, deciding that was a better topic than what the surgeons had done to him.
“They dug it out and you’re fine.” Maes waved him off. “Besides, I’m in love. She’s perfect. Only, she lives in Central. She’s just here on a training program. What will I do when she goes back?”
“You say they’re perfect every time,” Roy moaned as the elevator popped them off on his floor.
Maes pushed up his glasses. “I mean it this time.”
Roy looked unimpressed. “You always say that, too.”
Maes propelled Roy down the hall, stopping at the nurses’ station. “Found him for you.”
The honey-haired young nurse eyed them sourly. “You’re not supposed to wander off, Major Mustang.”
“He won’t give you any more troubles, Gracia, now will you, Roy?” Maes said, patting Roy’s back.
“I’ll be good,” he promised without enthusiasm.
Her eyes narrowed. “Well, good. Please go lie back down and I’ll come with your pain killers in a moment.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Roy said and shuffled off toward his room.
“I’ll make sure he stays there until you get there, Gracia,” Hughes said, herding Roy along.
She beamed at him. “Thank you, Maes.”
“Thank you, Maes,” Roy mumbled under his breath. “I should warn the girl how fickle you are.”
“Look who’s talking. Go lie down.” Maes pointed to the hospital bed. “Be a nice patient and roll up your sleeve for her.”
“The shot doesn’t go there,” Roy said, getting back into bed. He kicked off his thin, hospital-issued slippers. “It goes in my butt.”
“Keep that covered until she gets here.” Maes held up his hands to ward off the image of Roy’s backside. “She must be the world’s greatest nurse to find a target that small.”
“I was shot in the head, don’t pick on me.” Roy pouted to mask the smile that was trying to form. Hughes always could lift his spirits.
Hughes snorted. “Your head’s too hard. You’ll be fine.”
Roy laid back, his head twinging. The hint of humor fled as darkness swooped back in. “He almost took her from me, Maes. Even when she heals…everything’s different now.”
Maes sobered. “I know, Roy. Avaron and I will stay with her as much as the hospital will let us. We won’t let anything more happen to her and we’ll do what we can for her. You can trust us with that, Roy. All I want you to do is rest. You were hurt and you need to recover.”
The prospect of doing nothing but lying around didn’t appeal to Roy. “This will bore me stupid.”
“I’ll take a break from the hospital and pack up everything from that room in Hawkeye’s attic. It’s not like there’s anyone there to stop me. I’ll bring you the books and you can read those exciting tomes to your heart’s content.” Maes made a face.
“You kid but they are exciting to me,” Roy assured him. “Thanks, Maes, for everything.”
“That’s what friends are for,” Maes replied.
“Are you going to go out there and coo at my nurse or are you going to wait until she comes in here and I have to see it?” Roy grumbled, trying to find a position that didn’t make his head throb.
“Decisions, decisions.” Maes rubbed his chin. “Why don’t you shut your eyes, Roy and try to rest?”
Roy shut his eyes and the horrors of the day replayed on his lids. Tears leaked out around the dark, thick fringe of his lashes. He felt Maes’ hand on his back. “It’ll be okay, Roy. I know it doesn’t seem like it now but it will be. Riza will get better. She’s not going to go anywhere.”
Roy simply bundled the bedding against his eyes and cried until after his nurse gave him another injection and the drugs sucked him under.
X X X
“Doesn’t he look exotic?” a familiar voice rang through the empty officers’ common room.
Roy glanced up from his journal, blinking owlishly as his eyes adjusted to distance after reading for hours. Riza leaned on Avaron’s arm as she slowly walked into the room, clad in her bright Xing robe; he assumed it was because her usual clothing fit too well and rubbed her bandaged back. Maes was behind the ladies, a dreamy look in his eye. Roy unfurled from the couch where he had been stretched out in front of the fire.
“Hey, you’re wearing the lizard thing,” Maes said, eyeing the red and yellow silk.
“Dragons!” Roy’s lower lip pooched out as he looked at the ladies. “They’re dragons. Riza, I didn’t think you were allowed up yet.”
“I’m bored,” she said, as Avaron helped her to sit gingerly on the couch. It took her a moment to ease down.
“I would have come help you down here,” Roy said, sitting back down, moving some of his alchemic books to give her room.
“And how would you explain that fraternization? Do they allow you to go to female officers’ rooms?” Avaron asked.
“No,” Roy said, his eyes drifting to Maes.
“They found me in the hallway. I was just coming back from seeing Gracia before she went to work. She is the most-” Maes enthused until Roy cut in.
“I do not want every detail, Maes. Save it to bore me to sleep tonight. I want to talk to our guest.” Roy waved a hand at Avaron who had a huge grin on her face. “What’s so funny?”
“Just thinking how good you two look together like that in your Xing outfits.” Avaron waved a hand at the brilliant colored silks. “Though Roy has the black silk slippers, so he wins.”
“He has relatives that keep him well supplied. I have to wait on traders,” Riza replied, eyeing Roy with a strange look in her eye. “You look just like Father surrounded by your books.”
“They’re his books and I’m making the best possible use of my time off,” Roy said, his defensive wall coming up. Why was it every time he tried to study someone acted like it was strange.
“Which one now? That spellbinding book on sulfur?” Maes executed a huge eye roll.
Roy glowered. “Hawkeye’s journal and it is fascinating.”
“Riza, you grew up with an alchemist, I don’t know why you want to sentence yourself to another one,” Avaron said, dropping into a chair next to the fire. “No matter how cute he usually is.”
“Usually?” Petulance edged into Roy’s voice.
“You look stupid bald,” Avaron replied with a dismissive wave.
Roy smoothed a hand over his head. The mass of bandages had been reduced to a single one around his stitches, leaving the dome of his head exposed, dark and fuzzy.
“She has a point,” Riza said, patting the raven fuzz. Her smile made the small bandage on her cheek wrinkle.
”Shallow women.” Roy sulked majestically.
“Better hope you don’t go bald, buddy. They’ll desert you,” Maes laughed, sitting across from Riza.
“Well, at least you have a nicely shaped head,” Riza said. “Minus the big rut that bullet carved into it.”
Roy rubbed his head again. “That’s something, I suppose.”
“Oh good, I’m on the unbandaged side of Riza’s face. Hey you two, look here,” Maes said and something flashed in their eyes when they did.
“What the hell?” Roy growled, rubbing his eyes to clear the spots.
“Smile this time.” Maes clicked the camera again. “Damn it Roy, you never smile.”
“Where did you get that camera?” Roy asked through gritted teeth.
“I needed a new one after the last one got mysteriously destroyed,” Maes said, pointedly, narrowing his eyes at Roy. “But they’re so expensive.”
“So I got him one. I need pictures for the story the Central Tribune wants on you two,” Avaron said, reaching over to pat Maes’ knee. “They loved the story on all the intrigue, which thank you for letting me write, Riza.”
“At least someone should get something out of my pain,” Riza moaned, trying to shift into a comfortable position.
“There’s a story?” Roy looked like a vinegar jar with eyes.
“They’re offering Avaron a job as soon as she graduates,” Riza said, pointing at the camera. “Now smile for Maes.”
“You have no idea what you’re asking,” Roy replied, grimacing at Maes who took the picture anyhow. “You don’t know what he’s like with that camera.”
“I’m suspecting there’s no real mystery as to what happened to his last camera,” Avaron said with a laugh
“Roy claims he knows nothing.” Maes pocketed his new prize before Roy was tempted to show it to the fire. “I pretend to believe him.”
Roy started to say something then stopped as he tried to get to his feet. General Householder came into the common room.
He waved Roy down. “At ease, everyone. It’s nice to see you again Miss Lagana.” The older man inclined his head to her. “I need to speak to you and Cadet Hawkeye, Mustang.”
“We can come to your office right now, sir,” Roy said, hoping he didn’t look too guilty because he was sitting next to Riza.
“No, no, we can talk here, there’s no one here,” Householder stood near the fireplace. “This actually impacts Miss Lagana and Lieutenant Hughes as well, since they were there when it all happened.”
“I would have shot Thorne if I had to,” Avaron assured him.
“Yes, and given that he was trying to murder Hawkeye, the opinion of the town is that you would have been in the right,” Householder said. “There will be no actions taken against you either, Mustang. However, given the severity of Mr. Thorne’s burns and his family’s position in this town, we think it best that you be stationed to another base.”
Roy barely reined in a sigh, utterly relieved. “Understood, sir. Where to?”
“Central for now, under General Gran,” Householder said. “And Cadet Hawkeye, your uncle has withdrawn his objections to remaining at the Academy. I’ll assume that you wish to return once your wounds have fully healed.”
Riza nodded, her body going limp with relief. “Yes, sir, I would.”
“Then once you’re fit to travel, you’ll return to Central as well.” Householder turned to Hughes. “Lieutenant Hughes, seeing how well you work with Hawkeye and Mustang, I’m transferring you back to Central with them. You make a great team and you shouldn’t tinker with things that work.”
Hughes blinked at him in shock. “Oh...thank you, sir. I really appreciate that.”
“I’ll miss having you kids around. I’m sorry things had to come to such a tragic end,” Householder said, going around the couch. He leaned over the back between Roy and Riza adding in a whisper, “You two be very careful not to get caught. Gran isn’t a romantic like me.”
Roy blanched and Riza stammered out a ‘yes, sir.’ They watched as the general left. Roy slumped in his seat.
“It worked out good, right?” Avaron said, not sure why everyone seemed to shaky. “You all look pale.”
“You have to understand, Avaron, Roy could have been in a lot of trouble for attacking Keddrick,” Riza said, squeezing his hand.
“He was trying to kill you. He tried to kill Roy. I don’t see the problem,” Avaron said then frowned. “No, of course I do. Money talks. He might have been able to buy his way out of this and put the trouble on Roy’s shoulders.”
“Exactly. This is the best possible scenario,” Riza said. “But you and I need to be more careful,” she added to Roy who nodded.
“Riza, you look so tired. I’d walk you to your room if Householder hadn’t just yelled at us,” Roy said, touching her undamaged cheek.
“I should get to bed.” Riza looked over at her girlfriend. “Avaron?”
Avaron nodded. “Is that the only door into this place?” She pointed to the egress Householder had departed through.
“Yes, why?” Roy asked.
“Come here, Maes.” Avaron stood at the back of the couch. “Between the two of us, no one can see what’s happening on the couch.”
Roy smiled at her. “Thanks.”
Behind the shield of their friends’ bodies, Roy and Riza shared a soft kiss. “Never want to lose you,” he murmured.
She rested her cheek against his shoulder, the silk soft against her flesh. “You won’t.”
His lips met hers again, the kiss bittersweet but what they both needed. Riza would leave in a moment with her friend. He’d distract himself with his alchemy but at the moment, her returning to her room and his studying felt like they were events to take place weeks away and all there was, was the kiss.
Challenge Prompts Used -
Quote - "The wise learn many things from their enemies." - Aristophanes
Picture - The Color Red and Rays of Reflection
Word - Tutelary
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Date: 2006-06-24 11:15 pm (UTC)