Hello friends! Here I am with a chapter I've quickly fallen in love with, for a number of reasons. A lot of stuff is about to happen, but I think it was really important we went back a bit for this one, and got more of Roy's background. Most of this chapter is a flashback, but it jumps around a lot so if you're not 100% sure on the general sequence of what happened with Roy and Isabella, I'd suggest going alll the way back to Reign chapter 2 where Roy talks about it with Winry. A lot of stuff here was referenced back then and it's clearly been a while if you need the refresher ;) I hope you guys like this as much as I have, and I'll be curious to hear your thoughts about the ending. Enjoy!
*Eight years ago*
Roy straightened his stuffy clothes for the night and heaved another weighted sigh. He could already feel himself sweating in the oppressive summer heat, even though the sun had long since set. He'd only been king for half a year and he already hated these types of gatherings. All the pomp and circumstance for no real purpose. Showings of wealth that meant nothing for the changes he wanted to start in his kingdom.
His mentor cleared his throat decisively from just to the young man's right, signalling that their entrance into the grand hall would be quickly upon them. To anyone else it sounded like a casual reminder, but the young man knew what it really meant. Get your act together and start behaving like a ruler, kid. Lots of eyes are about to be on you.
Roy resisted the urge to tug away the collar of his heavy tunic for the thousandth time as the guards went to ready the guests for the king's arrival.
"Remind me again why we're even doing this," Roy muttered under his breath to the two men at his side. One had to struggle to contain his snort of laughter and the other merely sighed.
"You know why we're here, Roy. The Cretians may not be everyone's favorite group, but a tentative peace means summits like this one are a necessary routine," Lord Grumman spoke in a low and cautious tone.
"Yeah, Roy. Make nice with the neighbors or else they'll kick you from the throne," Maes snickered. Why the king considered him his best friend, he wasn't even sure. The other young man loved to make fun of all the king's new duties. To Maes, Roy was just an old friend. Seeing him on the throne of Amestris was more comedic than exciting.
Grumman sighed. The king knew he hated acting like a glorified babysitter to the two of them. Though king he might be, to the prominent Amestrian lord, Roy would always be a young boy. Even at twenty years old he still wasn't enough of an adult in Grumman's eyes.
Though, to be fair, as the young king fidgeted and griped, he wasn't altogether wrong. Roy had had to grow up fast since first his father, then his mother, passed away. One of the most powerful kingdoms in the world was now under his command, and he still didn't feel even remotely ready for it. He wanted to go back to the days of prodding jokes with his friends and indulgent skirt-chasing of the noblemen's daughters. He certainly didn't want to play nice with old Cretians for an entire evening.
But, as he was beginning to realize more and more with each passing day as the ruler of Amestris, duty was duty. So, as the doors were finally pulled apart and the noble men made their grand entrance into the main hall of the castle, Roy straightened himself up, wiped the bored-to-tears look from his face, and did what he had to do. The nervous feeling still fluttered in his stomach upon getting a glimpse at all the people watching his every move, and he wondered if it would ever subside even years down the line. Would he ever truly feel prepared for any of this? Would he ever feel like he actually knew what he was doing?
Unlikely, he thought with an inward grimace.
Taking his place in the middle of the head table, the elaborate chair setting him apart from the rest, he officially announced the commencement of the festivities for the night, much to the enjoyment of Amestrian and Cretian alike.
The kingdom of Creta had certainly given the Amestrians their fair share of headaches in the past, but ever since the newest king had been coronated years ago, things were beginning to look up with their tentative relations. They certainly couldn't claim the loyalty and allyship that Amestris shared with Aerugo, but perhaps all the neighboring kingdoms could get along well enough.
Said ruler of Creta, King Andres, wasn't in attendance that evening, due to dealings with other nations, but many of the Cretian royal court members were. The purpose of the night was less about creating treaties and more about celebrating this peculiar new "friendship" Andres and (begrudgingly) Roy were trying to create. So, the newly minted King of Amestris sat through the traditional dances and festivities celebrating both kingdom's cultures. He plastered on a fake smile and shook hands with hundreds of wealthy Cretians and Amestrians, tried to get a bite or two of food in as he was being pulled in every direction, and generally attempted to not make a fool out of himself. Though his position was the highest in the room, he knew from every forced pleasantry sent his way that very little of the noblemen actually took him seriously. They were more willing to kiss up to his advisor, Lord Grumman, than they were to him.
Oh well, that meant less bending over backwards for him.
At one point later in the night, as the young man's feet began to ache and his stomach growled angrily, he was told to sit at his majestic spot at the head table so more presentations of noblemen could be conducted. The thought bored him to tears, but the ability to sit back and do nothing for a little while would not be passed up. So, Roy tried not to slouch in his throne-like chair as both Maes and Lord Grumman sat on either side of him, and a handful of Cretian noble families stepped forward.
It was mostly the same of what he had already endured throughout the night, only this time the families presented the king with a gift and usually a small showing of their elite upbringing, whether that be through song or dance or some other artistic performance. They were mostly uneventful, as Roy spent his time trying to keep track of all the names presented to him.
In hindsight, the young king would realize that, as the last of the Cretian families came forward, the beginning of one of the best and worst parts of his life had just begun.
"And lastly, Your Majesty, I present one of the highest and most prosperous families in all of Creta, the noble house of Catalina."
A sizeable group stepped forward, dressed in robes of the richest colors, adorned with jewels. Roy paid them no more mind than anyone else as the patriarch began naming off his sons and their combined worth, seemingly in an attempt to impress, despite how little the Amestrian cared in that moment.
It wasn't until the nobleman started naming off his daughters did Roy begin to show some interest, for all the selfish reasons in the book.
"And my two daughters," the head of the Catalina family spoke, his voice losing some of its pride and interest that was present as he introduced his sons. "My eldest, Isabella, and my youngest, Rebecca."
The two girls stepped forward, and bowed respectfully before him. There were plenty of beautiful noblemen's daughters, but what was really peculiar about the Catalina girls were the elaborate masks they wore, concealing most of what Roy knew had to be handsome faces. Isabella had dark, smooth hair that fell down her back like a waterfall, whereas Rebecca's curled up around her face, showing off her youth. Their dresses looked more like costumes, the patterns sewn into the fabric with brilliant colors and jewels making them stand apart from the others.
Being that Roy was a young man used to getting what he wanted in this particular territory, he couldn't help the sly smile that took up residence on his face as he nodded at the two women. He already knew why they appeared so different from the rest of his family. He could almost see Grumman rolling his eyes as he sat up straight in his chair and allowed them to proceed, suddenly taking a more significant interest in the presentation to come from the two girls than he'd had with the others.
"Isabella has a voice unrivaled among all the women in Creta. And my Rebecca is a magnificent dancer. They would love to present a song to you, Your Majesty, on behalf of our family."
Thoroughly invested, especially seeing the way the eldest daughter's eyes kept flickering up to look at him curiously through the holes on her mask, Roy nodded his head. "Of course," he directed.
The rest of the large family moved aside, with a few more women dressed similarly (no doubt lesser ranked members of the Catalina house) coming forward to join the two sisters. The musicians raised their instruments as the girls got in formation, readying their well-practiced performance for their important host.
Without even thinking about it, Roy leaned forward in his chair with interest as the low and sultry tones of the music began to play, the familiar notes of the Cretian style enveloping them. Both Grumman and Maes eyed him from the side, with equally knowing looks, though Grumman was more exasperated with his antics while his friend couldn't help but join in on the appreciation.
The eldest Catalina daughter, Isabella, stood in the center as the other girls began dancing around her, their elaborate gowns swishing from side to side as Rebecca led them, her steps sure. She was silent for a moment, her head lowered as the beginning notes continued to play and the dancers moved. Eventually, her face lifted, her eyes meeting Roy's directly as she began to sing.
And Roy promptly forgot how to breathe.
The Amestrian king had no doubt that the Catalina patriarch's claims that Isabella's voice was unrivaled in Creta were true. As she began the song in her native language, all eyes in the room were instantly on her. Even behind her mask, everyone could tell she was a sight to behold because of her beauty, but her melodic voice was what really drew all the attention to her.
Roy quickly became mesmerized with the way her tongue rolled the 'r's' of the words he didn't even know the meaning of and her face changed with the pacing of the music. Her whole body expressed the meaning of the lyrics to where it didn't even matter that she was singing in Cretian, everyone could understand the passion and the drive of the song.
As the music progressed, Isabella produced a small fan and began dancing in conjunction with her sister and the rest of the dancers, her voice never wavering. She carried the meaning of the performance with every angelic sounding syllable from her mouth. It was breathtaking listening to her, so much so that Roy didn't even need to keep his eyes open to be entranced. Her beauty had nothing to do with the rapidly growing interest festering inside of him. As soon as she and her sister were done, the king wanted nothing more than to approach her and find out everything he could about her. It was strange, the way she instantly overtook his senses. The Amestrian noblewomen were beautiful, but they had nothing on this incredible Cretian creature.
Only just remembering to clap enthusiastically when they finished, Roy had to take a minute to catch his breath, especially seeing the way Isabella's mouth tilted up into a small and knowing smile at his appreciation. She kept her head bowed respectfully, and the king wanted to curse her for it. He wanted to see the deep and dark color of her eyes and all the secrets they held.
He needed to.
Rebecca Catalina, the youngest member of the noble Cretian family and a girl of only sixteen years old, pulled her elder sister to a more secluded side of the Amestrian grand hall with a giggle barely contained behind her lips. Isabella followed her with an exasperated huff and a hint of rouge blooming on her cheeks. She knew what the first words out of her sister's mouth would be before they were even uttered.
Once Rebecca was pleased with the relative privacy, she yanked her sister to a stop and turned her bemused gaze on her. In their native tongue, she spoke excitedly, "Did you see the way he looked at you, Bella? I've never seen a man more entranced than when he watched you. And such attention from a king, no less!"
The light color on the elder Catalina sister's cheeks blossomed into a full rose as she tried to play down her sister's excitement. "While I'm glad he seemed to appreciate my performance, I don't think it's worth getting so excited over, Becca."
"Why not? He'll probably be looking for a dance from you as soon as the presentations are over. I swear he couldn't tear his eyes away from you for a second."
"Rebecca…" Isabella whispered in an admonishing tone. "You know what father would say."
At this, the younger sister's face scrunched up in annoyance and she let out a huff. "I don't care what father has to say. You know as well as I do that we need to stop letting him decide when we get to be happy. We both understand what he wants from us in regards to our future. Why not have a little fun until then? This is a king we're talking about here!"
Isabella's look spoke volumes about what she was thinking. Rebecca was spritely and enthusiastic, but she was still frightfully young. And, especially in situations like these, that immaturity became even more obvious.
Still, the youngest Catalina had spent hours agonizing over both her and her sister's unfortunate fates. They were the two black sheep of the wealthy and influential family, solely because they weren't born male, and it had placed them in unfair positions. Rebecca didn't really want either her or her sister to be thinking about their father's plans to marry them off against their will just so he could get rid of them, she just wanted them to enjoy the night for what it was.
And to the young teenage girl, refusing the rather obvious attention coming from a young and handsome man who also just so happened to be a prosperous king was downright ridiculous.
The young Cretian women didn't have time to argue about it any longer, because a rather imposing presence approached the two of them, and they each promptly froze.
With wide eyes, Rebecca and Isabella Catalina looked upon the handsome Amestrian king himself, who looked amused by their startled appearances. He stood calm and collected, his posture laid back, yet still strong and proud. The kind smile on his face had both young women nearly in puddles at his feet.
"Sorry to interrupt," the king began in Amestrian, a language both girls spoke fluently. "I hope you weren't busy."
"No, Your Majesty," Isabella answered, her voice shockingly collected, all things considered. "My sister and I were just chatting." Neither Rebecca or Isabella could have known the way the king's heart fluttered at the charming accent the eldest spoke with or the kind smile she flashed him.
"A-ah. I see. Well...that's nice," he replied, the sweat starting to drip down his forehead as the nerves began to bubble up.
Instantly picking up on it, Rebecca had to fight hard to not let a giggle bubble up out of her again. "He's so cute," she whispered in Cretian, though it was still not quiet enough for Roy not to notice it. Using her comment as a way to relax himself, Roy's smile grew and he turned bemused eyes on the younger of the two sisters.
"I'm glad you think so," the king responded in perfect Cretian, causing Rebecca's thoroughly pleased face to drain of all color, a mortified expression taking its place.
"Like you, I was raised in wealth. I know many of the neighboring countries' languages," he continued, becoming more at ease with the situation.
Letting the surprise of being so suddenly approached by a teasing king slowly leave her, Isabella smiled and turned her twinkling eyes on him. "I apologize for my sister, Your Majesty. She doesn't always think before she speaks."
Reverting back to Amestrian, Roy replied charmingly. "I think we all have a little bit of that in ourselves. No harm in it."
Isabella's smile widened, and even despite her immense embarrassment, Rebecca still noticed the way the king melted at the sight.
"I wanted to find you both to tell you how much I enjoyed your performance. You're incredibly talented."
Isabella bowed her head demurely. "Thank you, Your Majesty. Such words from such a prestigious host are an honor to hear."
Rebecca watched curiously as her sister and the Amestrian king held what appeared to be an entire conversation using only their eyes. The younger sister had known as soon as they struck their finishing pose at the end of their performance that King Roy was absolutely bewitched by her elder sister. The attention he was giving her know only helped confirm it even more.
After a moment of silent communication, the king's smile grew and he turned to where the bards were playing an Amestrian jig, encouraging the patrons to flock to the dance floor at the center of the hall. "Are you familiar with this one, Lady Catalina?" he asked.
Isabella's shy smile was enough for an entire battalion of men to fall to their knees, so Rebecca was not shocked to see the effect it had on the Amestrian king. "Yes, I am. I quite enjoy the Amestrian dances...and you don't need to be so formal, Your Majesty. Lady Catalina is my mother's title. I'm just Isabella."
King Roy's smile widened, if that was even possible at this point. "Well then for tonight I'm just Roy, as well. Could I have the honor of your presence on the dance floor, then?" he offered, extending his hand in invitation.
Both Catalina girls' eyes widened at the request, even though it was one they both knew was coming. Still, the gravity of the whole situation was beginning to dawn on Isabella, and Rebecca could see the hesitation beginning to form. She was right in that her father probably wouldn't appreciate her gobbling up the king's attention, but the youngest sister knew her sibling-turned-best-friend couldn't pass this once in a lifetime opportunity up. So, while Isabella no doubt continued her inner debate, Rebecca not-so-gently shoved her forward, sending her a quick and decisive look that spoke volumes of her opinions. Isabella startled at the move, but, after seeing her younger sister's assurances, seemed to make up her mind, taking a step toward the king and moving to delicately place her hand in his.
Before she could though, the king surprised them both by pulling back, a thought ocurring to him. "Actually I have one small request before we go," he commented genially.
Isabella tilted her head. "Oh?"
Roy nodded. "While you proved quite expertly that it made no difference, I'm still sure it would be much easier to dance to such a fast-paced song without that mask covering part of your view."
Rebecca held her smile back. A veiled way for the king to request a full look at her face.
Also picking up on the hidden purpose, Isabella smiled again and moved to untie her elaborate mask from her head. She lowered it slowly, unconsciously dragging out the anticipation the king surely felt. When her beautiful face was finally revealed, she shyly raised her eyes to meet the king's shocked gaze. "Is that better...Roy?"
Breathlessly, he replied, "Much."
Without another word, Isabella took the king's hand, not able to look away from his adoring eyes even as they walked out on the dance floor. Rebecca could tell many other patrons, both Amestrian and Cretian alike, took notice of the pair as they began to move along with all the other dancers.
The younger Catalina sister watched them with rapt attention, feeling an air of excitement bubble up inside of her. As if she needed any more confirmation, now it was painfully obvious how much Isabella had enraptured the Amestrian king. The way he was looking at her as they joyously jigged across the floor revealed every bit of what he was thinking. No one, not even their stuffy father, could deny what was quickly brewing between the two of them.
"They're certainly a sight for sore eyes," an unfamiliar voice suddenly spoke from just to the younger girl's right. She gasped and turned to get a look at the stranger who so suddenly brought her attention from her sister and the king. Her eyes widened as they fell upon an admittedly handsome young man, probably around the king's age, with a scruffy mop of dirty blonde hair and a devilish smirk on his face. Despite what would be implied from his statement, Rebecca was shocked to find his attention fixed solely on her.
Picking up on her surprise, the man's smirk widened and he slowly looked back at the dancing pair. "I've never seen His Majesty that taken by someone. I'm still amazed he's even out there on the dance floor. The king hates to dance."
Rebecca instantly became torn between her curiosity about this sudden Amestrian stranger and the words he was speaking. For someone who supposedly hated to dance, the king looked the part of a natural out there with Isabella, guiding her along expertly. For Rebecca, it was even more confirmation of his feelings.
"How do you know?" she curiously asked, her face turned toward the center of the hall, but her eyes catching the stranger's from the side.
The man scoffed at that, his hands casually resting in the pockets of his tunic as he leaned against a nearby pillar. "I know the king better than most people around here. I'm his newest First Knight."
Rebecca had to lift an eyebrow at the way the man's chest puffed out slightly as he relayed this information. She couldn't even figure out why...a move to impress her perhaps? He did seem awfully confident, even despite his younger age.
"I see," she replied quietly, turning her eyes back to the dance floor. "Well then that just means I'm as right about this as always."
She heard rather than saw the way the knight's sly smile widened at her words. "Right about what?"
She turned back toward him with a smirk of her own. "My sister doesn't usually dance at parties either, but you should've seen the way she jumped at the king's offer. I think that should tell you enough."
The knight shook his head. "The king woos lots of ladies. What makes you so sure this is different?"
"I'm not completely sure, but, like you with the king, I also know my sister better than anyone. I'd be willing to bet all my father's money on it."
"That so? Well, I'd take you up on that bet if I didn't agree with you. I guess we'll just have to wait and see." Pushing himself off the pillar, the man extended his hand. "Sir Jean Havoc."
Rebecca eyed his offered hand skeptically, before she simply tilted her head politely. "Rebecca Catalina."
Lowering his hand back down with a smirk, knowing all too well what the move meant, Jean shook his head and crossed his arms. "Something tells me we'll be seeing a lot of each other in the future."
The younger Catalina's smile widened, the elaborate plots already forming in her mind. "Here's hoping."
The air was instantly sucked out of his lungs. His entire body froze as he felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. The dried tear stains he noticed on the paper each felt like a dagger stabbing into his chest. Her hopelessness. Her fears. He could feel each of the emotions like all of this was happening to him.
And in a way...it really was.
His best friend eyed him warily, already knowing the story and knowing how it would affect the king. Still, Hughes wasn't really sure what he could do to comfort him. What could anyone do in a situation like this?
As the king processed through Isabella's terrible letter, he found he couldn't pinpoint one emotion to express. Was he sad? Was he angry? Was he shocked? Was he depressed? Did his heart ache? Did he want to ride all the way to Creta and start murdering anyone he could find? He didn't know what to feel. He didn't know what to think. He read the words and reread them until his mind became numb. Finally he let the parchment fall from his hands before collapsing on the chair in his study, Hughes and Havoc both exchanging worried glances at the sight of him.
"How could this be…" he whispered after an eternity, his dark eyes vacant and his body stiff. "H-How...gods, I knew everyone in that family was the scum of the earth but I didn't think...I didn't expect…"
The other men stayed silent, knowing any placating words would be meaningless. The king mumbled more meaningless nothings, the gravity of what had happened dawning on him more and more the longer he thought about it. It was deathly silent for a few minutes before Roy suddenly stood to his feet, his eyes lighting up in barely contained fury.
"Those bastards deserve a punishment worse than anything in this realm," he spoke in a frightfully lethal tone, his fists clenching and beginning to shake with anger.
Knowing he had to do something before the king let his emotions force him into a situation he would regret, Hughes stepped forward. "You're right, but I think you need to take a minute to think more about this. If you went off and did something dangerous, you'd risk destroying everything."
The words had barely left his mouth before Roy was turning on him. "Everything should be destroyed!" he exclaimed in a charged voice. "The Cretians have always toyed the line of friend or foe and this pushes them completely over the edge. I have half a mind to go stomping up to King Andres himself and dissolve all our relations!"
"Roy...you have to think rationally."
"Rationally!? Nothing about this is rational, Hughes. You know what they did to her! They were her family members...her brothers...they deserve to burn in hell. The whole kingdom does!" Roy shouted, barely able to form the words as the reality came crashing down. Unable to contain his anger any longer, he took it out physically on whatever he could find, punching walls and tossing meaningless items to the ground just to watch them shatter like his heart. Hughes and Havoc stayed away, knowing he needed to get some of this out in whatever way he could.
Eventually, with his study now a complete mess, the king stilled, his body leaned over his desk and his breaths coming out in heavy pants. He hung his head as the images of what had transpired began rushing through his mind's eye. They had hurt her, in the worst possible way. They'd beat down the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. They'd taken so much from her right before he was going to give her everything. He felt so lost...so empty.
He couldn't even imagine how she must feel. And that realization hurt more than anything else.
"She thinks I won't want her anymore," he managed to get out, his voice cracking with emotion. "She thinks she's nothing now."
The silence passed agonizingly long before Hughes eventually spoke up again. "So what are you going to do now?"
The king took a deep breath, and with a shocking amount of resolve given his current emotional state, he answered, "I'm going to find her."
Both the other men turned shocked gazes on their friend before he continued. "She says she and her sister are with people they feel safe around. I'm going to find her and I'm going to bring them back here. If she'll let me, I'm going to make her my queen. Her and Rebecca will be happy here, I'm sure of it."
Hughes and Havoc widened their eyes, knowing the likelihood of all those things actually happening was low, but also knowing there was nothing they could say that would dampen the king's resolve. He could enact his revenge on the Catalina family and the entire kingdom of Creta...or he could love Isabella like he was fully planning to the moment they said 'I do'.
Roy continued. "I know what people will say when they hear what happened, but I don't care. She will never be unworthy of me. If anything, I feel more and more unworthy of her. But I will make her my queen. We will rule Amestris and be happy together and we will damn everyone who caused her harm for the rest of their sad lives. We will experience joy...and they will have none."
Pleased with the way his friend had decided to handle the situation, Hughes nodded his head. "Alright then. We'll get the horses ready. Creta is a long way from here and we got to get you back to the wedding hall in time."
At this, Roy turned gratefully toward the other men, his eyes still frightfully sad, but thankful nonetheless that they would be with him on this. The king stood to his full height and nodded his head. "Let's go find my bride."
Lady Helena leaned against the doorway of the nursery in the Amestrian castle, looking upon the scene before her with a strange mixture of love and apprehension. With soft steps, she walked up to the quiet form of the Amestrian queen, too busy being entranced by the sight of her sleeping daughter to even acknowledge the older woman.
They both watched the young baby slumbering in her crib, dried tears still evident on her cheeks. She was wrapped in the blanket her Aunt Rebecca had made for her, lulled to sleep by the soft swaying of the trees outside the window.
"I'm surprised you finally managed to get her to stop crying," Helena commented in a whisper, her eyes never leaving the princess.
Isabella smiled softly at that, the exhaustion evident in her eyes. "It wasn't easy, I assure you. My voice is getting sore from singing so many lullaby's."
Helena returned the smile. "Welcome to motherhood."
"It is a beautiful burden," Isabella spoke quietly, placing her arms on the edge of the crib and leaning her head against them to get a better look at her daughter. The love nearly pouring out of the queen's gaze tugged on Helena's heart...
Until the reminder that it was quickly coming to an end stabbed through her like a sword. Her smile falling, she began the conversation she hoped she'd never have. "I just spoke to Marcoh."
At this, Isabella's smile also left her face, but her eyes never strayed from Margaret's snoozing form.
"He told me everything."
It was silent for awhile, as the queen processed what the older woman had told her. Finally, a sarcastic scoff escaped her lips and she shook her head in disbelief. "After all that I've been through...after all the enemies I created...in the end it's my body that betrays me."
The hopeless tone of her voice nearly made the tears itching to spring from Helena's eyes escape and roll down her cheeks. But she held them back. She had to stay strong. Someone needed to.
"Why haven't you told the king?"
Finally sitting up straight, Isabella answered in a discouraged voice. "I don't even begin to know how to tell him. What am I supposed to say? 'You've loved me when no one else would, we've finally found true happiness, and now I'm dying.' I still don't even know what to tell myself, let alone Roy."
"He needs to know Isabella," Helena spoke in a harsh tone, trying to remain the voice of reason she had always been expected to be.
"I know that!" Isabella exclaimed in a rare outburst of anger. Not giving a thought to the tone of her voice, her eyes widened as Margaret quickly awoke, her all too familiar cries sounding across the nursery. With tears threatening to fall down her own cheeks, the queen rose to her feet and leaned down to pick up her daughter, holding her close and bouncing her in her arms.
With desperate words, Isabella turned back to Helena. "I don't want to leave this, Helena. I don't want to say my goodbyes. I'm just getting to know her, getting glimpses of her personality. She's still so so young and I just...I want more time," the queen lamented, her hand gently cradling Margaret's head as she cried out, her mother joining in as the tears finally leaked from her eyes. Helena fought harder than ever to keep her own at bay. "And I don't want to leave him. We'd finally done it! After all our troubles and all our mistakes, we were finally settling down. We'd found happiness. Never have I experienced the joy I felt on the day Margaret was born, the moment I showed her to Roy and I saw the wonder in his eyes. Why does it have to go away? Why do I have to go away?"
Helena remained speechless as Isabella attempted to calm herself down long enough to calm Margaret. She shushed and cooed and rocked like an expert, the young princess's cries finally dying down into soft sniffles as the baby found comfort in her mother's arms. Finally, the Amestrian queen closed her eyes and whispered, "Mi hija bonita...Mi amor...I can't leave them all alone. I don't want to."
The elder woman's shoulders slumped and she remained silent. She knew what the rational thing to do was, but...there was nothing rational about a long-standing illness taking a young mother from her husband and child after they finally found happiness. It was cruel, everything the former Cretian had been through. For being the least deserving person on the planet, Isabella had been through it all.
And now her time was quickly coming to a close. There was nothing Helena knew to say.
Isabella buried her nose in Margaret's tiny hairs and breathed in deeply, taking in all the sensations she could. "I just want a little longer. Just a little while where I can pretend everything's fine. Then I will tell him."
All the older woman could do was nod her head in agreement. She really couldn't argue with that.
The King of Amestris had always despised the rain.
He couldn't even quite describe it, but he'd always been averse to the sensation, even when he was a young boy. The fact that it was raining today of all day's only helped reaffirm his hatred.
The young man stared blankly at the small plot in the ground meant to signify his queen's final resting place. He couldn't feel sadness or anger or any other emotion. He was numb to everything...save the rain pelting against his skin, soaking his black clothes.
He didn't even register the sound of footsteps approaching where he stood, his eyes still fixated on Isabella's grave. He didn't notice as Rebecca came to stand beside him, her own empty expression plastered on her face. The pair simply stood under the onslaught, wallowing in their shared misery.
In the distance, Roy could hear Helena making her way back inside, the young Princess Margaret wrapped in a dark blanket to keep her warm and dry, her cries echoing across the castle grounds. Just his luck, she'd spent the entire funeral screaming as loud as her little lungs would allow. No one, not even Helena, attempted to stop her. It was as if the young child knew her mother had finally left her, her cries echoing the general sentiments of the melancholy day.
Rebecca and Roy stood in silence for what felt like hours, simply watching the rain falling on the newly carved stone, reading the simple words over and over. The realization that Isabella was gone dawned on them both more and more the longer they stood there.
It was Rebecca who broke the depressing silence first.
"She would have hated this," were her simple words. The king didn't even attempt to answer her in any way, so she continued. "She would have hated us sitting here and moping. If she were here, she'd already be dragging us back inside to get something done...anything."
"But she's not here," Roy spoke in a dead tone after another bout of silence.
Rebecca didn't bother with a reply.
"She's not here...she never will be again. That part of all of us she shared is gone. It won't ever come back."
At this, Rebecca turned toward her brother-in-law, eyeing him warily. She thought she would take Isabella's death hard, but really she could only imagine the grief Roy was dealing with. Still, it angered her to see him so downtrodden. Isabella had made her sister promise to keep Roy in line...to keep him happy and living. Already the young woman could see it would be a difficult task.
"You're right...but that doesn't mean we have to stop living. I know what Bella told you before she died. She wanted you to press on. She didn't want you wallowing within yourself."
"I know that," the king answered, with the most force he'd been able to manage since Isabella died. "I know what she said. And maybe someday I'll have the strength to follow her wishes, but today...today the emptiness is the only thing I can think about. I'm terrified it will never go away."
Rebecca tilted her head, able to relate to his feelings scarily well. "Me too," she finally admitted. "I don't know how to even keep going but...I can't let myself forget her. Forget what she meant to me. What she meant to you." Taking a deep, though still shaky, breath, Rebecca continued on, speaking the words she had been thinking since the day Bella passed. "I know it will be the hardest thing I've ever done...but I know I have to keep moving. Bella will never leave us. She's a part of you, she's a part of me...she's a part of Margaret. That part will never go away. All we can hope to do is form new, brighter parts around it. We move on...keep living...keep loving."
And with that, Rebecca heaved a sigh and managed to rip her eyes from her sister's tombstone, leaving the king alone in the rain. She hoped some part of what she said would stick with him. She couldn't even predict the effect it would eventually have…
But she couldn't dwell on it. As she looked up and saw her knight in shining armor, waiting patiently for her in the rain, she knew she had to keep living. She practically ran into Jean's arms, letting him provide whatever measly bit of comfort was possible. A part of her heart ached at the thought that the king didn't even get this anymore. She could find solace in the arms of the man she loved...but Roy...Roy had lost the one he loved.
And Rebecca had to wonder...would he ever be able to find that again?
*Years later*
Roy walked into the sacred shrine room, a single candle lighting only a small portion of what was in front of him. It didn't matter though. He had memorized this path a long time ago.
The nerves grew as he made his way to Isabella's familiar shrine, the last in a long line of them. While he had visited this room countless times in the years since Isabella's death, this time was particularly important. He knew that his deceased wife wasn't really behind the small stone shrine, listening to his every word attentively, but he knew he had to tell her what he had been agonizing over for months. It was a big transition, and whether or not he believed her spirit was still around, she should still be the first to know.
So he kneeled down in front of the shrine and lit the candle, letting the smell of the incense fill the room. A small smile found its way onto his face as he looked at the shriveled up remains of the flower crown Margaret had made for Riza, that she had nervously left there months ago. He had no intent to get rid of them, even as they dried up and died. He remembered the sincerity of the gesture clearly, and it still filled his heart with love.
An even more important reason he was here doing this.
"Hey, there, love...it's been awhile since I've talked to you like this." He always felt silly when he spoke to her shrine, but he still felt it necessary.
"I don't think I've been this scared about talking to you in a long time...probably not since you scolded me in the pond for not moving on all those years ago." He scoffed at that memory. He had never told anyone what Isabella had said to him when he'd went under those mysterious waters, but he could figure most would be able to piece it together. She'd wanted him to continue on with his life. She wanted him to hold on to her, sure, but to not let that stop him from finding happiness and love even after she'd left. It'd taken him years to finally follow her advice, but he figured it was better late than never.
"You will always be a part of me, Isabella. For awhile I thought that meant I could never love if you weren't around. I thought it was selfish of me to ignore your memory for someone else or to hold on to you while only giving someone half of me. I've realized I was wrong about both of those things."
Roy sighed and fished the tiny piece of metal from his tunic pocket. He presented it to the shrine, a soft smile on his face. "I finally bought this today. I don't know exactly what I'm going to do with it yet, but I know I needed to have it."
The engagement ring sparkled in the light from the candle, as Roy turned it over in his hands. "I never thought I could love again after you...but Riza changed that. She's everything I could have ever ask for. She's strong, but kind. Beautiful, yet fierce. I love her like I loved you."
The king curled the ring up in his hand and let it fall to his side. "I have so many plans for us. They might be selfish...I don't even know. But I want to make her my queen. I want to rule this kingdom the right way for a change...together. Even though I've never been more sure about anything in my life than how I feel about her...part of me still hesitates.
"I won't ever stop loving you, Isabella. I only hope that Riza understands that. I only hope you do too…"
Roy heaved a long sigh and closed his eyes. "I know you kept telling me to move on and find happiness, so why am I still so unsure? Is it even possible to give what I have to Riza while still holding on to you?"
He opened his eyes, faced only with the sight of an engraved stone slab. He felt even more foolish.
"I still have plans to make...logistics to work out, but I know I want to marry her. I want her to become my queen. I hope this is what you want too…"
Without agonizing over it any longer, Roy sighed one last time, blew out the candle, and stood to his feet, pocketing the ring again. It filled him with a fear unlike any other to think about finally asking Riza to be his wife, to think about telling her the story of how he met and fell in love with Isabella, which he knew would have to happen first. But still...the excitement of leading Amestris with her, not as his token wife, but as his equal, put an extra spring in his step. He'd made heinous mistakes in his time as Amestris' king, stemming from the mess his father had left him, but he'd hoped with someone as kind and fair as Riza on the throne with him...the kingdom could finally be what it had always been destined to be.
And he could find the happiness he'd had with Isabella once more...a task he once thought impossible.
No point in dwelling on it further...he had work to do.
*Present day*
The king's hands nearly shook as he finished pouring out his heart, swaying on a boat in the middle of East Lake. He'd been putting off this conversation for almost as long as he and Riza'd been reunited, so to finally have it off his chest was world-changing. Mustering up his last bit of courage, he managed to lift his eyes to the queen, curious what her thoughts were on...all of this.
He found her looking at him with a shockingly unreadable expression. He couldn't quite tell if the story gave her sympathy for him...or just plain upset her. She was silent as he finished, seemingly mulling over what he had told her with great thought. To try and steady himself, he reached forward and gently grasped her hand, attempting to convey the last of his sincerity through his eyes and his actions.
"I know it's a lot to take in...it's something I've struggled to come to terms with for years. Really, I hadn't started moving on right up until you came rushing back into my life. It was perfect timing."
Again, Riza remained quiet, her mouth in a thin line and her expression unchanging. Roy had yet to figure out whether that was a good thing or not.
"I wanted to tell you all of this for a number of reasons...but really the most important one is that...Isabella was an incredibly large part of my life for so long. She changed everything, both in life and in death. To love you like I do without telling you about her seemed wrong."
Her face softening a bit, Riza managed a small nod, her eyes meeting his once more. It gave the king enough encouragement to continue on. If he thought telling her that story was hard...he couldn't even imagine how difficult this next part would be.
Reaching forward, his fingers slipped underneath the neckline of the queen's dress, grasping at the familiar silver chain. He pulled the necklace out from where it always rested, hidden beneath the fabric of her expensive dresses, and let it rest naturally on her chest. Her eyes widened slightly at the move, but he continued on nonetheless. "I didn't give you this lightly, Riza. I'm sure you already could guess that it was once worn by Isabella, as proudly as you wear it now."
The king picked up on the way she tensed at that knowledge, her eyes leaving his as she pondered this. "When I gave this to you, I meant it that I thought we could have a future together. We've had a rough go at it, but I feel now is the best time for this…"
Roy's nerves increased, especially as he watched realization come across the queen, her eyes widening in surprise. "You asked me why I would give Aerugo such a small portion of the treaty, and I told you there was a reason, but I couldn't explain it to you just yet. Well, now is the time for that explanation.
"It was wrong of me to make assumptions, and I'm glad we came to an agreement about that, but I still stand by my original intentions. I never wanted to make you feel less than me, or dishonor your kingdom and what you and your family have built. My mind at the time was only thinking ahead. It wasn't that I didn't want you to have success in Aerugo...it was that I wanted you to look forward to the success you could have here in Amestris."
Riza's eyes widened further, and the king knew she was beginning to understand what was happening. Still, apart from the shock, she gave no indication what her thoughts were, and that scared Roy more than anything. Still, he continued on.
"You are a formidable and passionate ruler, Riza. I love you for a million reasons that don't involve your abilities as a queen, but my admiration for you is still there, nevertheless. We've always been great together, and I can see us being great for years and years to come."
"R-Roy…" she finally voiced shakily. The king was too overcome with what he had to say to pick up on the way she was seemingly trying to slow down the words coming from his mouth.
The king was far from over, though.
"I've made some mistakes in my time as Amestris' ruler. Even with a queen by my side, I was young and foolish and really could have hurt the kingdom my ancestors worked so hard to build. But with you, I have no fear of that. In fact, I get excited thinking of what we could be.
"You make me happy, Riza. A part of me will always belong to Isabella, but I hope you know that a part of me now always rests with you. That won't ever change. And with your strength and wisdom, we could have a future unlike any other. So with that...I have one question for you."
The queen's entire body froze and her eyes stayed wide in shock as Roy grabbed the ring in his pocket and presented it to her. Riza made no moves at the sight of it, already knowing this was his intention as he spoke in a shaky voice, "I want to make you my queen, not just with my love, but with a title too. I think you and I could rule Amestris unlike any others, and I truly can't imagine my future without you. Will you do me the incredible honor of becoming my wife?"
Silence enveloped the both of them as the boat continued to rock along the small waves. Roy held his breath as Riza's wide eyes alternated between his unsure gaze and the ring he was holding out to her. In his excitement, he was blinded by the uncertainty overtaking her, of the scared look in her eyes and the way her mouth opened and closed, struggling to find the right words.
But he didn't care about any of that...he only needed her answer.
Finally, after an agonizingly long time and an internal debate Roy couldn't have even guessed the true nature of, Riza's body stilled and her eyes stayed on his own before she whispered in a terrified voice…
"Y-Yes."
And they all lived happily ever after!...right?