Chapter Twelve: A Better Life
"So she's left? She's really gone?" Anthony questioned Doctor Rockbell for the hundredth time that day in The Black Bear. Having found Riza gone that evening, the doctor had read the note carefully, then went to the inn to announce the situation.
"Yes, Master Briggs." Doctor Rockbell sighed. "I've told you, she must have had a big shock after that near-death experience. And," he added, holding up a hand to forestall Anthony's next words, "in anticipation of your next question, no, I have no idea where she went. She didn't say."
"She must be with her parents," Anthony said, starting to pace up and down the floor in The Black Bear. "I'll go back to London and find her. Then I'll bring her back and –"
"Forget it, Tony," Gracia adviced coolly from her seat next to Maes in the corner of the inn. "If she's frightened, you hunting her down won't help things."
"No!" Anthony yelled, shaking his head with much conviction. "Elizabeth can't be scared by such a small thing! It must be that vampire! That filthy killer…"
"You've no right to call him a killer, you know," Maes said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Not after you yourself tried to kill him, and ended up almost killing Riza. And that, by the way, is no 'small thing'. If it were me, I'd have left too."
"And if it was the vampire that whisked her away," Winry added quietly, "then it just means you've lost to him. So give Riza up and accept it like a man!"
The villagers nodded in general agreement. "Yes, that vampire is rather handsome, after all," someone muttered from the back of the crowd, and several other girls giggled and tittered their approval. Anthony scowled, glaring in their direction.
"Say all you want, persuade me all you want," Anthony snarled, standing up so quickly the bench he'd been sitting on fell onto its side with a crash. "But I will never, never, give up on Elizabeth!" With this, he pushed through the stunned crowd and stormed through the entrance of the inn, slamming the door shut behind him.
Back in Sulvari Castle, Roy lounged on the couch, right hand holding a wine glass, and the left hooked around Riza, playing with her hair. "I'll have to introduce you to Mother soon, but before that, I think I should teach you some etiquettes of the vampires," he told her, tickling her cheek.
"Well, I've already told you quite a lot about our Family system, so there's not much else to teach you. One thing that you must know, however, is that ever House has its own insignia. For House Narya, it's the very symbol on my gloves. You once asked me what that was, remember?"
Roy stretched out his gloved left hand, surveying the symbol with affection. "Most vampire Families choose symbols related to the element Fire, because we are born fiery creatures: our passionate natures, our love for blood, and some vampires even go so far as to learn some flashy pyrotechniques."
"Like those you used at the mid-summer Dance?" Riza asked. "And… that time I dropped my lamp and nearly set the whole plains on fire, you were controlling the flames too right?" Roy nodded, clicking his gloved fingers. A flame sprang to the tip of his index finger immediately. "Show off," Riza muttered, giving him a mock scowl.
"Well," Roy protested, "I can't help it if you light my fire, can I?" He winked at Riza, who rolled her eyes at him.
"Gosh, am I really going to spend the rest of my very long life with you?" Riza asked, half exasperated, half amused.
"Yeah, get used to it."
Riza grinned. "You know what?" she said, curling up against Roy. "I think I already have…"
At twilight, darkness descended like heavy stage curtains over the little village. Unnoticed by the carefree villagers, who were once again indulging in their favourite night activities of drinking and gossip-swapping, a horse-driven carriage slipped out of the village and headed for the industrial town beyond the hills.
Anthony Briggs had been in such a hurry to leave Gieseborough that he had not the time to engage a carriage driver, but that was no bother to him; better to leave quickly, than to face further humiliation concerning his runaway wife.
He goaded his horse into a faster pace, his back firmly set towards the direction of Sulvari Castle. Elizabeth Heinswen, he thought grimly, and that bride-stealing vampire, you two will soon find out what happens to those who cross a banker, especially if that banker's name is Anthony Briggs!
That very same twilight, for the first time in many years, Roy Mustang packed his clothes into a small suitcase, and locked the doors of Sulvari Castle. Taking his one love Riza Hawkeye by the hand, he led her through the shadowy heart of England's forests to Romania to pay their respects to the matriarch of the vampire House Narya. By now, Riza had become accustomed to the light, easy feel of her body, and her lack of need for oxygen. As they travelled, Riza smiled at Roy.
"Many lovers would give anything to have what we have," she mused aloud. "They can only spend one lifetime together, but we have eternity ahead of us, to live together and love each other."
Roy smiled. Indeed, a vampire's years may be long and dreary, but with love at his side, things were set to get better.