Chapter 10: Trial

Roy and Riza got out of H.Q. in silence. She was awfully aware of the way he looked at her. There were two men by the open door of the car, waiting for them.

"We'll go alone, Lieutenant; Sergeant," Roy said to them. "You can follow us."

"Sir," they replied with a salute.

Thankful for the privacy with his wife, Roy drove home as the soldiers went in a separate car close behind them for extra protection. Riza looked out the window with a frown, and turned to Roy only when she heard him sigh.

"There's something going on," he said. "What is it?"

She nodded. "I'll tell you when we get home."

He turned a corner.

"Was it something I said?"

Her features softened and she smiled sweetly. "No, dear. It's not you."

"But it's important."

"Yes."

Roy nodded. "I see." A block ahead, he asked, "Why don't you just tell me?"

She moved a lock of hair out of her face. "You're not really the best driver when you hear shocking news."

He looked at her and raised his eyebrows. "Shocking, huh?"

"Eyes on the road!"

Roy shook his head. "All right, then."

Roy and Riza arrived to their house and were happily welcomed by Black Hayate and his family. Then, Roy left his coat on the hanger. He turned around to see Riza standing in front of him, and she brushed his hair with her fingers so it wouldn't stay slicked back like it had all day. He pulled from her jacket and unbuttoned it as he gave her a peck on the lips.

"Do you need help undressing?"

She giggled. "I can manage. I feel much better after that intense session in your office."

Roy removed her jacket and put it on the hanger; then grabbed her by the waist, held her against his torso and kissed her neck. "We can pretend you still need a hand."

Riza chuckled. "Let's just go change clothes so then I can make dinner."

Roy took Riza's hand and walked to the bedroom bringing her with him. "So, given that you're feeling good again, I guess it's safe to say we're not canceling our plans for tonight?"

Riza rolled her eyes and then smirked. "Oh, of course we're having dinner, if that's what you mean. I wouldn't let you go to bed on an empty stomach."

Roy laughed.

After they removed their uniforms and changed into more comfortable clothes, Riza made dinner and Roy fed the dogs. Then he snapped his fingers and turned on the fireplace and, while it would still take another twenty minutes for the food to be ready, Riza brought two glasses of wine to the living room.

"All right; listen," she said.

She handed a glass to Roy, who was sitting on the sofa, and sat across from him, on the coffee table. She took a sip from her glass.

"I've waited to tell you just so you wouldn't have a reaction in the office. We were already leaving, anyway."

Roy nodded. "That's fine. So what is it?"

Riza frowned and looked into his eyes when she spoke. "I entered Lieutenant Colonel Copper's office today. Second Lieutenant Olmsted and him were kissing."

Roy looked at her dumbfounded. "…What?!" He moved brusquely and splashed a few wine drops on himself.

She pursed her lips. "Yeah. They've been having a thing for a while."

He shook his head in disbelief. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, Roy, I'm sure."

Looking down, he took a deep breath and left the glass next to Riza. He slipped a hand through his hair. "Fuck…"

"Yeah, I'm sure they do, too."

Roy snapped his head up at her.

She blinked and cleared her throat. "Sorry."

He stared at her for two seconds; then chuckled nervously. He stood up and walked a few steps with a hand on his waist before turning back around.

"How dare they break the rules, Riza?! Did they think it wouldn't matter because we got married?"

"Some people think we've been together for years. We might have sent the wrong message when we didn't really give a public explanation."

"I can't believe we have to deal with this."

She took his hand when he walked in front of her. "Sit."

He let himself fall heavily on the sofa. "So what happened? Do they know you saw them?"

She nodded. "They admitted to it. He had gotten a transfer request for her so they could make it official. She wasn't happy about it."

Roy held his chin with his free hand. "So they would have made it, had you not found them."

Riza bit her lip and shook her head. "I wish I hadn't, Roy."

He tightened his grasp on her hand and smiled wryly. "It's not your fault, you know. Don't feel responsible."

She nodded slowly and hummed in reply.

Roy took the glass back and drank from it. "We can't let it pass now, though."

"I know."

He relaxed in his seat. "This hasn't happened since…"

"Over ten years ago, remember?"

He nodded. "Colonel Stone and that Lieutenant of hers, right. They were discharged immediately."

Riza looked down at the red wine for a moment; then stood up to sit down next to Roy. "We'd just come back from Risembool. Do you know what I thought when I heard about them?"

He didn't reply.

"…I thought, how lucky they had been until the day they were caught. I thought, unlike us, they were lucky, Roy."

Roy moved so his torso was facing Riza's, laying an arm over the sofa's back.

"…Because we never had that, and never would."

He raised an eyebrow. "But the risk wasn't worth it in the end. She was sent to jail for a while and they lost their careers."

"I don't think it wasn't worth it for them." She shrugged. "I mean, they knew the consequences, and they still chose to go with it. At that moment at least, it was worth it." She smiled softly. "And they're still together now."

He tilted his head. "Riza, do you regret not starting a relationship sooner?"

She opened her eyes wide. "No! Not at all." She drank from her cup. "Our goal goes before our personal lives. Taking risks was out of the question for us."

Roy nodded and drank the rest of his wine, all the while looking at Riza from over the glass. Roy's hand resting on the sofa's back reached Riza's hair, and he ran his fingers through it.

He prompted, "But?"

She saw him curiously and a corner of her lips turned up. She took a sip of her wine. Of course he knew she wasn't done talking.

"I just wonder," she said. "How bad would a little selfishness be if no harm were done?"

"While still breaking the rules?"

She stared at him, thinking.

Roy took a deep breath and stretched to leave his glass on the table.

"Well, I'm glad we're not in a position where we really have to wonder about that."

"Hmm…"

Riza finished her beverage, and Roy took her glass and put it next to his. She lifted her legs and rested her feet on the sofa, her side against the back of the seat.

"It's such a shame. I really like Olmsted. She was going to help with the organization for the museum, you know?"

"She still can."

Riza lifted her eyebrows and showed him an ironic look.

Roy huffed. "Yeah, she won't. Copper was good, too. It's a big loss."

"They asked me not to tell you."

"They did?"

Riza pulled softly from Roy's shirt. "You're not just the Führer. You're my husband. For them, the worst thing about this is not that someone found them. It's who did it. Anyone else would have probably kept it a secret."

Roy frowned. "But if you hadn't told me… if we didn't do anything about it…"

"That would speak very badly of our marriage, wouldn't it? Like I would keep something from you." She sighed. "It was very insulting that they thought I would lie to you, too."

Roy caressed her wedding ring. "Don't worry about that. I know you never would."

She showed him a serene smile. "Of course, Roy."

"Were there any other witnesses?" he asked.

"Sheska walked past when we were discussing. She heard some of it."

"Good."

Roy stood up and offered his hand to Riza.

"Enough of this for now."

She took his hand and Roy pulled to help her stand up.

He took a deep breath through his nose. "Something smells really good." He smiled at her. "Let's have dinner."

It had been raining since dawn. In the garage, Roy and Riza got in the backseat of the car to be taken to Headquarters. The driver turned around.

"Ma'am. There's a woman by the door who wants to speak with you."

The couple looked at each other, having not expected any visits.

"All right," she said.

The gate was opened and the car moved to the front of the house. Second Lieutenant Olmsted looked small under her umbrella.

Riza took her umbrella from under the seat. "It'll just take a minute." She got out of the car and went to talk to the woman.

Unlike Riza, Olmsted wasn't wearing her uniform. She had bags under her eyes, and her feet were wet. It was pouring heavily so she had to speak loud to be heard.

"Good morning, Lieutenant Colonel."

"Good morning."

She gulped visibly before speaking again. "You told him, didn't you?"

"Yes."

She nodded. "I just want to ask, if it's not too late, if we can make an arrangement about this."

Riza lowered her brow. "Arrangement?"

"I'll resign. Right now, I'll go and resign. No need to make a file case over this incident, don't you think?"

Riza shook her head slowly.

"L—look. Copper is an excellent officer. He can't lose his career because of a little mistake."

"You're belittling the situation, Olmsted. As your commanding officer, he'll be tried and punished for the behavior he allowed not only outside, but in the working place as well. And so will you."

"It's just…" She sobbed.

Riza looked at Roy in the car before looking back at her.

"It was my fault, all right? I pursued him. He fought against it for a long time, but I just couldn't give it up."

Riza pursed her lips. "You said it's been going on for only two weeks. I saw his face when you said that. It's been much longer, hasn't it?"

Olmsted stared at Riza in silence for a moment; then looked down. "It's true what I said yesterday, you know? That I was leaving him."

"I'm afraid I can't help you, Olmsted. You'll be held responsible for your actions." A raindrop fell on Riza's face and she flinched. "If you have… pictures, letters, anything from him, you may want to take them out of your house in case they demand a search for proof."

Another raindrop fell on Olmsted's eyes this time, and making her blink. She nodded, and Riza walked toward the car, leaving the brunette behind.

"I got an abortion."

Riza froze; then quickly turned around to face the woman again.

"Two months ago," Olmsted said. She was shaking. The weather wasn't too cold. "He doesn't know," she continued. "He would have asked me to resign and keep the child. I couldn't afford to do that. I couldn't leave him alone. He needs my support, Riza."

By then, Riza was sure the water on the woman's face wasn't just from the rain. She took a deep breath. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I don't know. Sympathy?" She looked down. "I didn't tell this to anyone else. It was my own choice." Her eyes moved from Riza's and were directed to the car. "Surely you've made sacrifices for him." She nodded to herself. "Yes… of course you have, and still will."

Riza sighed. "Expect a notification document delivered in a couple of hours. And get your own lawyer, too."

She looked behind her and nodded at Roy. She saw him speak to the driver, and the man turned on the car again.

She put down her umbrella. "I'm sorry, Lucy."

Riza returned to the car, aware that she was still being watched when it moved away.

It was twenty minutes before the trial began. It would be a private session, with no more than fifteen people in the room. By now, everyone in Headquarters already knew what was going on. It wouldn't be long until the media found out about it, too.

Roy and Riza had stopped their activities of the day to assist the event. Havoc, Breda and Falman would keep up with their work. Someone came looking for the Führer and First Lady to escort them to the court room. When they reached the door, however, someone stood in their way.

"I'm sorry, sir," Havoc said. But we need to speak to the two of you."

Roy and Riza looked at him; then at the other men in the office, who had stood up. They looked at each other, confused, and Roy frowned.

"What is this about?" He asked. "We have to go."

"Sir." Havoc cleared his throat. "We understand Second Lieutenant Olmsted and Lieutenant Colonel Copper might be tried for misbehavior in the working place, besides their fraternizing relationship."

"That is correct."

Havoc nodded and turned to share a look with Breda and Falman; then turned back to Roy and Riza. "I'll go straight to the point. We know you have broken that law as well."

Roy flinched. "What?!"

Havoc blinked and took a step back. "Breda, you tell them."

Heymans jumped in his place. "Uh…" He shrugged. "We heard you having sex in the private office when General Armstrong arrived."

Riza shook her head, disbelievingly. She whispered horrified, "What the hell…"

Roy burst out laughing hysterically. Everyone looked at him. When he calmed down, he touched Riza's shoulder.

"I told you it sounded like that."

Riza looked down, averting everyone's eyes. Her cheeks turned a soft pink. "Oh, no…"

"What you heard, gentlemen," Roy said, "was me helping your First Lady ease the crick in her back because someone…" He jerked his head toward Havoc. "…Hit her with the door, and she went stiff to the point of being unable to move."

A cigarette hit the floor. Slowly, Riza lifted her head and looked at the men again. Breda was staring at the roof, Falman was scratching his head, and Havoc had his mouth open in shock.

Under his breath, the Captain said, "Shit…" He bent down to grab the cigarette and stood back up. "I'm so sorry, ma'am."

Riza shrugged. "It's not like you did it on purpose."

"Now, all of you…" Roy said, bringing back the attention to him. He folded his arms. "Has any of you ever seen me kiss my wife, even on the cheek, inside this building?"

"No, sir," Havoc, Breda and Falman replied together.

"Has anyone heard me call her by her first name during working hours?"

"No, sir."

Roy nodded. "Of course not. And the reason you haven't, is because we don't do that. There's a time and a place for that, and the Lieutenant Colonel and I know perfectly well to control our behavior."

"That's right," Falman said. "The Lieutenant Colonel would never allow for that to happen."

"Right," Breda agreed.

Roy rolled his eyes. "Now, if you'll excuse us…" He opened the door and Riza got out of the office. He turned back to his old friends and sighed. "Although I'm not happy with you thinking I would abuse my position and break Military rules, I'm glad you pointed it out."

The men smiled at him with relief.

Riza sat behind the podium. The lawyer, Robert Kuhn, didn't take his eyes off of her even as he reached the end of the aisle and turned to keep walking toward the opposite end.

"Lieutenant Colonel Mustang," he called. "You were the one to find and report Second Lieutenant Olmsted and Lieutenant Colonel Copper; is that correct?"

Both officers were looking at her from the left half of the room. Copper stared with venom in his eyes, but Olmsted only looked disappointed.

"Yes, it's correct."

"Can you point at them?"

Riza pointed at each of the accused with her index finger.

Kuhn nodded. "What did you see?"

"I saw them kissing inside the office."

A clang stole her attention. A woman by the judge's right was typewriting every uttered word.

"Führer Mustang reported that Second Lieutenant Olmsted met you outside your house the morning of November fourth. Do you confirm this?"

Roy had his arms crossed in front of his chest. He sat right in front of Riza. The lawyer blocked her view from him for a moment as he walked past.

"Yes. She talked to me."

"What did you talk about?"

"She asked me not to report them."

"Is that all you talked about, under the pouring rain of that morning, before the witnessing eyes of the Führer and Sergeant David Mills, the designated driver of the time?"

Riza raised an eyebrow. She didn't see the need of making it such a long question. "No. She proposed her own resignation, asking for Copper to be allowed to keep his position."

"What?!"

Riza and the lawyer turned to see Copper speaking to Olmsted.

"Why would you do that?" he asked her.

She rolled her eyes. "If they had let you stay, I wouldn't have minded leaving. You have a higher rank and are more useful here than me, after all."

He shook his head. "That's not true."

"Silence!" The judge shouted at the couple.

"Lieutenant Colonel," the lawyer called. "Do you know whether the accused officers are involved in a romantic relationship that started before the day you witnessed the kiss they shared?"

Riza forced away the need to roll her eyes. "I'm positive they are."

"And was there any indication, perhaps during the meeting you had with Olmsted on November fourth, perhaps under different circumstances, of how long they had been keeping their forbidden relationship behind the Amestrian Military's back?"

The question dropped a heavy weight on Riza's shoulders. She felt Lucy's eyes on her. Sure, she didn't know when the relationship had started, but she did have certain knowledge that would be valuable for the judge's decision. A piece of information that Lucy shared with her but wanted to keep from Copper.

Riza never lied to Roy, and it was hard to look at him at the moment. She had already fulfilled her duty by bringing the trial upon the couple. It was not her place to make public a private issue and possibly destroy a relationship in the process. If Copper ever found out about the pregnancy that Lucy had terminated, it wouldn't be her decision.

"For all I know," Riza said, "it wasn't for longer than a week or two."

Copper was serious, but oblivious to how the Lieutenant next to him was feeling. Lucy locked eyes with Riza and gave a tiny nod; a thank-you. She had bit her lip so hard it was swollen, but now the worry in her face barely, but surely, lessened.

"All right," Kuhn said. "That's it for now, Lieutenant Colonel. Thank you for your cooperation. You may go back to your seat."

Riza sat down next to Roy, and he took her hand. She evaded eye contact with him, instead choosing to look forward at the podium. What she wasn't telling him did not affect him in any way, but she felt uncomfortable, and wished she wouldn't have to hide something from him again. She knew though, that sometimes, some things just needed to be left unsaid.

The trial ended hours after it had started. Sheska was asked to give her version shortly after Riza. The accused officers had brought their own witnesses as well; a pair of coworkers who spoke in their defense. Olmsted and Copper both denied being in a relationship, but they admitted to having feelings for each other and having kissed a few times during the last couple of weeks before they were caught.

They were found guilty of fraternization. Führer Mustang was a member of the jury and he participated in the decision of the punishment. Lieutenant Colonel Copper was permanently expelled from the Military, for he was the superior officer, and therefore, the main responsible. Lieutenant Olmsted, on the other hand, was only suspended for two years.

The last time this sort of trial had taken place, the punishment was more severe. This time, though, the couple was free to walk away and continue their lives as they pleased. No longer would fraternization be punished with incarceration, but it would still not be allowed between officers in the same chain of command. The message was spread throughout the entire Central H.Q., and soon reached the rest of the Amestrian force.

Riza was returning to the office after a break when she came across General Armstrong in the hallway, steps away from the door.

She saluted her. "General."

"Ah, Lieutenant Colonel. I'm glad I got to see you. I'm heading back North immediately."

"I see. Have a safe trip, General. I'm sorry the meetings with the Führer got delayed. We certainly were not expecting the inconveniences we had."

Olivier flipped her long hair away from her face and behind her shoulder. "It wasn't your fault." She cleared her throat. "And about that… I understand you could have let the incident pass if so you wanted to."

"I simply did my duty as a State Officer."

"Hmm. I knew Olmsted; she was stationed in Briggs for some time."

"I know. We graduated the same year."

"It's an honor to have soldiers like you. Your loyalty is admirable. Almost as that of my most trusted Bears'."

Riza lifted an eyebrow. "Almost, huh?"

Olivier looked behind Riza. There was no one nearby. "I have the feeling your loyalty is not to Amestris, but to one man."

Riza jerked her head to one side as she watched the General. Olivier was giving her a knowing look; she was the smartest woman Riza had met. There was no point in denying it. She frowned, and the tone of her voice turned defiant.

"A man who loves, and is devoted to Amestris."

Olivier smirked. "One day you'll learn the difference matters."

She looked at the end of the hallway and took a step forward; but then stopped abruptly. She scanned Riza's figure down to her boots. Then all the way up again, taking longer at the curves of her legs, her waist, and even her chest.

Riza felt exposed. She wondered if it was the outfit. On rare occasions, she wore the regulatory knee-length skirt to work instead of pants.

Within Headquarters, only Douglas had dared to look at her that way. Although this time she didn't feel disrespected; just observed.

"I wish I had met you before he did."

Blinking, Riza's attention went back to the taller woman.

"He wouldn't have made it to Führer without you."

Riza pursed her lips. "I wouldn't be sure about that."

"Oh, but I am. I'd be sitting on that chair instead of his sorry ass."

"It's a fine ass."

Olivier's eye twitched. "...You would know."

General Armstrong walked past Riza and lifted her hand in a greeting gesture.

"I'll see you, Lieutenant Colonel Mustang."

Riza saluted as she watched her go. "Sir."

Riza opened the door to the office and Roy immediately fixed his eyes on her. The afternoon sunlight on his back and a side of his face looked charming. It seemed like he was writing some document. Interrupting his activity, he followed her with his gaze as she walked to her desk. Feeling confident, she winked at him, and the pen fell off his hand.