Morning was a despicable and evil thing.
Anyone who said differently could switch lives with her and see if they would still think so. They wouldn't. Unless they were one of those annoying perky types, then they might, and Mei would have to… do something horrible to them.
It was hard to come up with a good threat this early.
And, unfortunately for her, evil thoughts in the morning only tended to wake on up faster. Even though she had learned this lesson many times before, it still didn't stop her. The evil thoughts were just so satisfying…
Groaning, Mei pulled the blankets off from over her head and promptly replaced them with her arms. "Xiao Mei, I don't want to get up…" she wined to the ball of fur next to her. Her childhood (and only) friend didn't answer. "If I have to get up you do," Mei told the miniature panda angrily. Then she picked her up in two hands which enticed an angry barrage of chatter and growls.
"Come on, you spend most of the day sleeping anyways. You just nap in my pocket while I'm working, so you have no right to complain."
The panda shut up while Mei got dressed, but the expression on her face spoke clearly of exhaustion and annoyance.
"Come on," Mei said, scooping Xiao Mei into her pocket. "Lan Fan's coming home today. We've got to clean the place from head to toe and make a meal fit for the Empress she's going to be one day." It was a bit of a nasty joke, Mei calling her step-sister "Empress". The two had never gotten along, not since the day Mei's father remarried her step mother. Mei hadn't like the idea of her father remarrying from the moment he suggested it. She didn't want anyone else in their home, but her father had insisted that she have a mother to teach her how to be proper, something he apparently thought a little girl wanting to pursue the art of alkahestry lacked.
She knew what happened to girls who got step-mothers and sisters. They were awful and treated the step-daughter horribly. Her father assured her that that was just in the books she read and things like that didn't actually happen.
Yet it did.
Daiyu Shitang was a proper woman bent on making her way up the social cast to the very top and planned to do so through her only daughter. She had never cared for Mei much, only treating her with civility around her husband. Her heart was set on making her daughter Empress and Lan Fan, a dutiful daughter, wanted nothing more than to make her mother happy. If that meant hours spent relearning how to walk or learning new languages or whatever it may entail, then so be it.
It was after her father's death that Daiyu was finally rid of Mei. Before her father was even buried, she was assigned a position as a servant, given a small box with a roof and a mat for a bed as her room, and given her new set of instructions on how to cook and clean floors.
With one obstacle out of the way, Daiyu began to ruthlessly pursue her ultimate goal. Within a week of her husband's funeral she managed to get Lan Fan sent to the palace as a play mate for the young Prince. He had few compatriots and even fewer friends. Much to Daiyu's delight, the Prince took a liking to her quiet and proper daughter despite his loud boisterous attitude. They became fast childhood friends and he sometimes came over to their house to roll around in the mud with Lan Fan.
Only a year or two ago, Lan Fan had left the providence to pursue studies elsewhere. Both the Prince and Lan Fan were sad upon her departure, and she tried to argue that leaving could not be very helpful in their attempt to have him finally fall in love with and eventually marry her. Daiyu assured her daughter that absence would make the heart grow fonder, and so she left.
And she was coming back today.
Joy.
Mei had spent the past few days making sure the entire home was absolutely sparkling for their "future ruler". She would probably spend the entire day working on her welcoming feast and would probably have to serve it as well. Her step-family seemed to take some sort of pleasure from seeing her act a servant. She had no idea why, but it was normally safer to just follow along with what they said.
Braiding her hair with practiced ease, Mei twisted it up into a pair of buns and slipped a cloth over her head. Cooking time.
"How was it, my dear?"
"It was wonderful," Lan Fan answered happily, biting into Mei's carefully prepared dumplings. "I've learned so much. Oh mother, they have the most wonderful ideas about—"
"That's is good. I think you will be happy to know the Prince has not married or entered a relationship with any women during your absence."
"I heard. I am glad," she said, sounding a little defeated. Then her face brightened. "Perhaps I will be able to see him sometime. It is his birthday soon."
"Good thinking my dear. We will have to invite him over, perhaps. I will look into what celebrations may be happening in celebration. That would probably be a better first meeting. You could show off all your new knowledge by being presented in court, oh, Lan Fan that would be so charming."
"Of course, Mother."
Lan Fan looked down at the table and continued to eat quietly. Mei waited dutifully at the door from the kitchen to the dining room. She would have loved to slip into the kitchen and relax in there while they ate their meal, but if she wasn't there when either of them called her… she would be punished. It really wasn't worth it.
Then again, if was Daiyu's punishments on other servants that allowed Mei to really practice her alkahestric studies. Father had never been approving, but she had managed to learn quite a bit from the books in the library, which she had continued to smuggle. It wasn't like anyone in this house would miss them except the servants who knew what she was doing and supported her as long as she practiced healing on them after punishments.
"Mei!"
She moved forward quickly and poured more juice into Daiyu's cup then took her place back in the doorway.
She sighed as quietly as she could.
"Did you really enjoy it?" Mei asked Lan Fan later as she helped her get ready for bed. Why were there so many layers to Xingese clothing? No wonder noblemen always hired so many servants. They would need them to get dressed and undressed in less than an hour. And even with help it might take that long.
"I did," she answered back. "It was very… enlightening."
"And did you think of the Prince often?"
"Yes, I did. Why do you ask?" Mei shrugged before realizing that because she was behind Lan Fan, she wouldn't be able to see the gesture.
"Mild curiosity," she answered eventually. "And an attempt to combat the silence."
"Oh. Well yes. I thought of him very often. Do you know… has he ever said anything about me?"
Mei frowned. Why would she think she would know anything about that?
"He stopped by the first week or so after you left and asked where you had gone. He was rather indignant about you having to leave at all. He seemed to think that you were fine as you were." Mei thought that the words would comfort her step-sister, but they only seemed to make her stiffen.
"You talked to him?"
"… No. Step-mother did. She assured him that you would be back as soon as your training was done."
"Oh. Do you think that he will be… less attracted to me because of my training?"
"I don't know." Who knew with Prince types like that? But Mei wasn't very surprised by her sister's questions. Lan Fan was just as obsessed with catching a Prince as Daiyu.
There was silence as Mei finished brushing her hair and laid it down her back.
"I'm finished."
"Very well. Goodnight, Chang."
"Goodnight, Empress."
"And one more thing, my sons."
Prince Alphonse Elric straightened from his low bow, frowning slightly. Next to him, his brother Crown Prince Edward Elric did likewise.
"What, Father?" Al asked King Hohenheim quickly, knowing that if Ed was the one who asked he would probably end up offending Father… again. Which would start a fight that would upset Mother and right before they left…
"While you two are in Xing, I need you both to keep your eyes open."
"For what?" Ed asked.
"A bride."
"… what?"
"You know relations with Xing are… fragile."
"Prince Ling has been our close friend since we were children—"
"Friendships are easily broken. I need you both to be on look out for a young woman that you would consent to marry. You must capture the heart of and marry some young and important Xingese flower. I am giving you the chance to choose a bride among Emperor Feng's court. Obviously it would be preferable if you were to find a bride, Edward, but if you happen to fall madly in love, Alphonse, that would be more than fine."
"And what if we were to not?" Ed asked, golden eyes flashing.
"Then I shall choose a Xingese bride for you."
Both of their jaws dropped. "But Father—"
"That is the end of the discussion. You should be glad I am giving you this chance to choose."
Ed's fist were tightly curled into fists and Al stepped forward and slightly in front of his brother to hold him back. "Father, is this really necessary? Relations with Xing are stronger than they've been in years."
"Exactly. We do not want it to fall apart. If one of you were to marry one of the Xingese royal family, or even a noble, it would show that our ties are strong and here to say. Your children will be evidence of this."
"But what good will it do if we are forced into this marriage? It will hardly show good feelings between our countries if we were to hate each other."
"It is of course preferable for you to find a Xingese maiden yourself."
"But Father—"
"Come on, Al," Ed growled. "It's no good arguing with him. He's not going to listen to anything we have to say anyways."
"Edward—"
"Just shut up, old man."
"Edward!" But Ed completely ignored his father's reprimand, turning around on his heel and stalking out of the room. Al glanced back at his brother, cast his father an apologetic look, and then hurried after him.
Ed was already storming down the hallway towards their carriage.
"Ed!" The blond ignored him. "Ed, will you slow down, I have to go to Xing too!"
He didn't catch up to his brother until they were climbing into the carriage together. "You should at least say goodbye."
"I have nothing to say to him," Ed snapped back. "And I already said goodbye to mom."
"Ed."
"I've said all I intend to, Alphonse." Al snorted and crossed his arms.
"Do you realize how much that made you sound like him?" he muttered under his breath.
"What was that?"
Al sighed. "Nothing, Brother."
They traveled mostly in silence, weaving through the streets of town before they reached the outskirts. Al was fully prepared to lean back and try to take a nap while they made the journey through the desert to Xing, when they slowed down and then stopped.
"Ed?"
Ed didn't answer, just climbing out. Al straightened. There wasn't anything wrong was there…?
He was just about to get out of the carriage and find out what was going on himself when the door opened and Ed climbed back in… with someone else.
"Hi, Al," the blond said happily.
"… Hi, Winry… what are you doing here?"
"She's coming with us," Ed answered, scooting far enough in that Winry would have room to sit next to him and her toolbox.
"Why?"
"Because Winry's always wanted to see Xing and I figured Ling wouldn't mind if I brought her."
"What about… what Dad said…"
Ed turned bright red. "I don't see what Winry has to do with that."
"… right," Al said slowly.
The coachman took off and they once again moved on for Xing.
"What did your father say?" Winry asked curiously.
Ed turned red and looked away, out the window.
Al looked at Winry's open face and Ed's determined one and sighed.
"Apparently, I have to find bride."