Sister Goldeneyes
By Bashfulglowfly
Chapter Four
It wasn't until they reached Briggs that they found out what happened.
Lieutenant General Armstrong stared at them over her desk. Her eyes lingered on Stasia. "It's too bad that it wasn't Boris who died in that battle. Your uncle Viktor was a brave man."
Stasia inclined her head. "Thank you, General Armstrong."
Armstrong leaned back. "Messages from our people situated in Drachma were coming in every 30 minutes there for a while. But my people managed to pull everything together with a good assessment. And it was confirmed by an official announcement from the Tsar's people earlier this morning."
Roy leaned forward. "All we heard was speculation and rumor. So what happened?"
Armstrong snorted. "Boris discovered the fast one the old man pulled on him, then discovered that his oh so beloved niece was gone. He put out the word that she'd been kidnapped and was being held for ransom by some terrible people. He was rather vague as to who exactly these terrible people were.
"You were lucky that you were ahead of them and changed your looks. People may not have liked Boris, but Lady Anastasia is well thought of." Stasia blushed while Armstrong continued. "Boris figured out that the Tsar was the only one who was going to save his sorry hide, so he went to the Capital to try and get out of his huge little problem. He managed to get an audience with the Tsar but the Tsar just didn't care. The Tsar, being a long-time friend of the old man, knew everything that Boris had gotten up to. Every evil little detail, so he wasn't going forgive Boris a damn thing let alone a mortgage of that size. Told Boris that if he couldn't pay off his debt then the land would just have to revert to the Crown.
"That's when Boris apparently lost his mind. He began shouting about how the land belonged to his family for hundreds of years when the Tsar's family had been…" she coughed, glancing at Stasia, "…been peasants who were rather passionate about goats."
The three men choked.
Stasia looked at them in bewilderment. "I don't understand? Passionate about goats? What does that…" Stasia knew that she wasn't the brilliant prodigy that her brothers were but she figured out what Lieutenant General Armstrong meant. And turned bright red. "Oh…never mind!"
Armstrong continued. "At that point, he grabbed a rifle from the hands of one of the guards. What exactly he was going to do with it, no one knows because he was promptly shot by snipers and a few of the quicker guards."
"What happened to his body? What is going to happen to the land? The people still there don't deserved lose everything they have worked for." Said Stasia.
"The Tsar ordered the body to be thrown into the garbage. Said it was the perfect place for someone like him." Said Armstrong. "As for the land, there already is a new Count of Volograd. The third son of the Count of Mumansk. And the Tsar has erased the mortgage."
Stasia sat straight up. "OH! Oh! That would be Sergei! He saved the life of the Tsar's heir Sacha twice now! Once from drowning when they were boys and a few months ago, Sergei shoved Sacha out of the way and took an assassin's bullet for him."
"Sounds like an impressive young man." Said Roy.
Stasia nodded. "Very nice, very kind. He should be a good master for the people of Volograd. The Count of Mumansk is known for being a good leader of his people so he should have taught Sergei quite well."
"You seem to like him a lot." Said Roy.
Stasia smiled, laid her hand on his cheek and whispered in his ear.
"So, do you need to know anything else?" asked Armstrong.
Roy stood up and the others followed suit. "No, thank you for the information. It was appreciated. We'll be out of your hair in the morning. Oh, would you be able to arrange for someone to deliver a message to the Tsar?" He nodded significantly to Stasia.
"Yes. Now get out of here. I have work that I actually do, unlike other people."
Roy grinned, saluted and herded his small group out of the room.
888888
The trip to Central was enjoyable for everyone. This one wasn't fill with the tension of being discovered and not knowing what had happened in regards to Stasia's uncle. Roy had been surprised when he read the morning paper; the Tsar had been quite open, to a point, about what had happened in regards to Boris, Stasia and her grandfather's trickery. The amount of money that Stasia now had wasn't mentioned nor was the fact that Boris forced Stasia to perform human transmutation. That became "attempts at vile abuse."
Ed and Al were a bit amused with Stasia's disappointment that Amestris, in some ways, wasn't that much different than her home.
Ed managed to pull Roy aside and ask him about his intentions towards Stasia. Roy thought that Ed's protectiveness of the sister he'd only known about for a short while was funny, but he told the younger man what he had planned.
"You hurt her, I gut you."
When they arrived at Central, Hawkeye and Havoc were waiting for them.
"Miss Riza!" cried out Stasia. She rushed towards the Captain with her hands extended.
Hawkeye took them with a smile. "Lady Anastasia, it's a pleasure to see you again."
Stasia beamed. "It's good to see you as well! And we don't have to be secretive about it." She grinned. "Does Roy have a lot of paperwork waiting?"
"Stacks." Both Stasia and Hawkeye grinned at Roy's theatrical groan.
Havoc saluted. "I've gotten all of the bags in the car, sir."
"Good, let's go."
Havoc drove while Hawkeye filled in Roy with what had been happening while he was gone. He listened intently and asked questions after she was done. "Looks like things are holding together."
"Yes, sir. Although Fuhrer Grumman is making noises about retiring within three years or so."
Roy snorted. "There will be a lot of jockeying for position then."
Hawkeye smiled. "They don't realize it's already futile."
"Some might." Roy said.
"Then, we'll just have to keep a close watch on your back, sir."
"Thank you."
"We're here." Announced Havoc.
Everyone peered through the windows as Havoc turned into a driveway and through a massive pair of gates. The discrete sign on the wall next to the gates read "Rosemont." Impressive oak trees lined the drive but vast lawns and gardens were seen beyond them.
Stasia gasped at the first glimpse of the house. It was massive. "Three stories. Forty bedrooms and just as many full baths. I don't know how many half baths there are."
"Twenty." Murmured Hawkeye.
"Ballrooms, music rooms, parlors of all sorts, the kitchen has been modernized which thrilled your chef." Continued Roy. "Servants quarters are better than the Army's dorms if I must say. Gardens galore and there is even a stable in the back."
Tears ran down Stasia's face. "Oh, Roy, it looks so beautiful! I wish Grandfather could see this."
Roy held her hand. "He did. Every inch was photographed and he personally dictated what needed to be remodeled to suit you." He pointed ahead. "Look."
"Oh! OH!" Havoc couldn't pull the car to a stop quick enough to suit Stasia. Because, lined up waiting at the steps, was the staff. The people who had helped take care of her all of her life.
A footman opened the door and Roy exited. He held out his hand to Stasia and helped her out of the car.
"WELCOME HOME, MY LADY!"