Okay, this piece was just nagging at me while I was trying to do homework. "Write me! Write me!" it demanded, "Before you forget!" So here it is. But first, some analysis of the manga that will rival the length of the actual fic (spoilers, of course):

I love Royai, and Arakawa does have a lot of strong women portrayed in Fullmetal Alchemist (Riza, Maria Ross, Winry, Pinako, Izumi . . .) but I'm not thrilled with this new development (chapter 56) of Winry and Riza being used as blackmail. At first I was like, "Riza's the Fuhrer's hostage! So much angst and shipper potential!" But then Winry became blackmail too, and that got annoying, not so much because Winry was stealing Riza's thunder, but because the repetition brought up the theme of the damsel in distress, or at least where the man has to protect the clueless woman who is his weakness.

I mean, really, Riza is the Fuhrer's personal assistant less because she could potentially help Roy undermine the military than because Roy won't do anything that threatens her. She's not just Roy's pawn anymore (which she chose to be at least), she's the Fuhrer's. She's a piece that they are maneuvering around in an attempt to circumvent each other. I don't know exactly where I'm going with this anymore. I'm done with my rant now. If you've stayed with me this long, you deserve to read the fic. I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

Chess piece

She stood there, in heels and a skirt. She wasn't a field officer anymore. She didn't even feel like that much of a soldier. For once she was very aware of her femininity, her existence as a woman, and she didn't like the feeling.

As she once accompanied the Colonel on his rounds throughout the day, she now accompanied the Fuhrer. As she had never let the Colonel out of her sight, she was never let out of sight of the Fuhrer. Before she had pored over maps and reviewed paperwork. Now she served tea.

Her grandfather had visited the other day, on official business, of course. He had conferred with the Fuhrer and requested that she be transferred back to Eastern.

"Any soldier would jump at the chance to be your personal assistant, Fuhrer, and I'm sure many are qualified. I know it's not exactly protocol but . . . Riza knows me. She can help me in my old age."

"Back to Eastern, eh? Well, if she were to be your personal assistant, always be at your side, helping you along, I suppose I could allow it. I can't deny a loyal General the presence of his granddaughter in his old age."

"I'm not going anywhere," Riza had stated. The two men had looked up at her, one bemused, the other horrified.

"Riza—"

"It's 1st Lieutenant Hawkeye."

And that had been all. She had caught a glimpse of the Colonel on showing General Grumman out. Probably they had planned the thing together: "Come up with a plan to extract poor Riza out of harm's way." God, she had started out as a pawn, and now, in disregard to all the rules, she had suddenly become the king! To be protected always, too feeble to adequately defend herself, or even flee.

But she was not a king. The game ended when the king was captured, and the game would go on even if she was taken off the board. She knew that much.

Of course she was a liability for him, like what Havoc had said (cut me off!). If he could only forget her he would be able to move more freely. But then he was that kind of fool, a fool that was worth having; without his foolishness, what kind of player would he be?

But she would not be maneuvered in this way, not by the Colonel, her grandfather, or the Fuhrer. She had not signed up for this. It was time all three of them learned that this little chess piece had a mind of its own.

Riza stood at attention in the meeting room. No, there was nothing useful for her to do there. All the Generals had their tea. She stood at attention, and took in every little word.

What's problematic is how Riza going to get this information to Roy if she's being watched all the time? Oh well, at least she has access to it. I know the adage is, "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer," but is the Fuhrer really stupid enough to think that it can't be used against him as well? (Actually, the Fuhrer would probably make her stand outside with Storch as a watchdog, but it would be really cool if he didn't.)

For a much better example of how to use chess as a metaphor for Roy Mustang's gang, read The Luzhin Defense by Zauberer S. It's awesome.