Author's Note: I don't own FMA, the Dark Jewels trilogy, or their characters. This was previously posted as part of An Apple a Day. This is a AU fusion with Anne Bishop's Dark Jewel's trilogy. It is set during Jaenelle's reign of Ebon Askavi. Information on the Blood's castes and jewels is below:

Male Castes

• Blood Male: Refers to any Blood male who does not wear Jewels. A Blood Male can perform basic Craft but cannot reach the level of the Jewels.

• Warlord: A Warlord is any Jeweled male who does not belong to the other hierarchical levels, equal in status to a witch.

• Prince: A Jeweled male equal in status with Healers and Priestesses, one step lower than a Black Widow, one step higher than Witches and Warlords.

• Warlord Prince: A Jeweled male higher in status than a Black Widow, but lower than a Queen. Warlord Princes are the highest ranked, and also most rare, male caste. A strong Warlord Prince can rule a territory in the absence of a Queen.

Female Castes

• Blood Female: Mostly refers to any Blood female who doesn't wear Jewels. Blood Females can do all basic Craft but cannot reach the level of the Jewels.

• Witch: A Blood female who wears Jewels but isn't a member of the other hierarchical levels. This can also refer to any Jeweled female.

• Healer: A witch who tends physical wounds and illnesses, born with the instincts to comfort and heal. They are higher in status than a witch or Warlord, equal to Priestesses and Princes.

• Priestess: A witch who cares for altars, Sanctuaries, and Dark Altars; they are the most spiritual of the female castes, leading the celebrations during holidays and ceremonies. Equal in status with Healers and Princes.

• Black Widow: A witch who heals the mind, weaves the tangled webs of dreams and visions, and is trained in illusions and poisons. Black Widows are considered to be the most dangerous and sexual of the Blood female castes. Equal in status to none, Black Widows answer only to Queens, Warlord Princes, and other Black Widows of a darker Jewel rank. A strong Black Widow can rule territory in the absence of a Queen.

• Queen: A witch who rules the Blood. She is considered to be the land's heart and the Blood's moral center; she is the focal point of their society. They are the highest ranked females and most rare of all the castes.

Most members of the Blood are gifted with a Birthright Jewel. Through the Offering to the Darkness, the Blood can earn Jewels up to three levels darker. Tapping into these deeper or darker reservoirs is called "descending", (e.g. Birthright White could descend to Rose) and darker stones allow for more potent magic. The darker a Jewel the more power it holds which in turn can be used by its wearer.

The colours of the Jewels are, in ascending order:

White

Yellow

Tiger Eye

Rose

Summer-sky

Purple Dusk

Opal (Note: Opal is the dividing line between darker and lighter jewels because it can be either.)

Green

Sapphire

Red

Gray

Ebon-gray

Black

Stone Tears

At eight years of age, Roy Mustang understood a lot more than he was given credit for. He knew that Clarisse and Andrea were the Queens in the village, but it was Evie, his third sister, you went to if you needed help. He knew that despite his age, he was stronger than almost any of the other males in the province let alone their village. And he knew that while Clarisse was the queen everyone expected great things from, she wasn't his queen.

No, the most important female in Roy's life was his craft tutor's five year old daughter. Riza Hawkeye was the most fascinating person he had ever met. She was bright, inquisitive, and ballsy. It was her eyes that caught your attention. They were the oddest color, something between amber and crimson. They had met at his first craft lesson, and she had been a near constant companion since.

And today was her Birthright Ceremony. Riza would get her birthright jewel today. Which was why he was putting up with all this fuss. As his was the only family in their village with two Queens, they were basically what passed the aristos in the area, and his mother never let an opportunity to show off. Add to that the fact that Riza was his tutor's daughter, and there was no way that his family wouldn't be present with the rest of the coven at Riza's birthright ceremony.

Riza herself look both nervous and uncomfortable. She was dressed in her best dress and practically clung to her father's hand. She had never liked being the center of attention, and Roy was fairly certain that this reminded her a little too much of her mother's funeral. Elizabeth Hawkeye had been killed just after Riza's fourth birthday. Her father had reacted by pulling himself even deeper in his craft studies. Riza had simply drawn into herself. Roy doubted she had really talked to anyone besides himself. He also knew that her father had great expectations for his daughter.

Roy held his breath as Riza approached the alter and the ceremony began. He waited with the rest for her jewel to appear. And nothing happened. Roy bit his lip. Riza was blood, but apparently she wouldn't wear the jewels. Riza seemed to have figured out the same thing and bolted. She was out the door before anyone else could react.

He didn't think twice about following her. The adults weren't going to be of any help, and he knew where she was headed. There was only one place she went when she was upset: her mother's garden. Elizabeth Hawkeye had been an opal jeweled hearth witch, and her greatest pride and joy after her daughter was her garden. And it was where Riza sought comfort whenever she was upset.

He found her curled up in a shady corner of the gardens, tears silently streaming down her face. Roy crouched down beside her, not really sure what he could do. This wasn't something he could fix. She would have another opportunity to receive a jewel when she was older, but that would not comfort Riza now. He knew her well enough to see that she would see her lack of a birthright jewel as a failure. The worst part was there was nothing he could do for her. He would give her his jewel if he could, but that was impossible.

"Riza?"

"Go away!"

"It's just me, Riza."

She turned slightly. "Roy?"

He suddenly found his arms full of a crying little witch. "Shh. It's okay, witchling."

"I'm not a witch. Everyone saw that."

"It doesn't matter. Not me." He pulled her away slightly, so he could see her eyes. "You're always going to be my witch. No matter what."

He held her until she was cried out. He couldn't do anything about what happened at her birthright ceremony, but she was his witch, and he wasn't going to let anything happen to her.

Theme: Crying; Tears; Unhappiness; Heartbreak