Chapter 63: Nightmare or Dream?
Usually, Charlotte Llewellyn was a woman who could hide her feelings exceptionally good behind her calm, always collected facial expression. Usually, she wouldn't jump up and dance through her office after a phone call. Usually, she let never any feelings be shown on her face. But this time, it was different. She had a huge grin on her face as she jumped up and her face betrayed her happiness. She walked over to the window of her huge office and smiled. A great-granddaughter would have been already great but two great-granddaughters were even better.
She was younger than most women who harassed their granddaughters to get her some great-grandchildren but Charlotte had married very young and she had been very young when she had given birth to Elizabeth, Riza's mother. And Elizabeth had been young too…
The First Lady shook her head to get rid of the unpleasant memories. She had done what had been necessary. She had never known another way for herself. Born and raised as a potential Fuhrer, she had never known a normal life and sometimes she wondered about all the chances she had missed.
Lieutenant Denny Brosh was passing the First Lady's office as he heard the sound of shattering glass and a shot. He took his own gun from his belt and entered the office – to see a terrible scene. The very popular General Llewellyn was on the floor with blood on her white blouse.
His eyes widened as he hurried over to her to turn her on her back. The bullet hadn't hit anything which was absolutely necessary to stay alive but the blood loss could be a problem. He noticed that she was awake and took his jacket. "Press it onto the wound, madam," he said. "I will call help!"
She nodded while her face became a pained mask. "Damn that bastard," she cursed. "I hope he goes to hell. I should have killed him when I had the chance…"
He looked over his shoulder while he dialled. "You know who it was?" he asked.
"Yes…" she glared at the ceiling. "Just one bastard has the nerve to attack someone like me … go to hell, Hakuro, because when I get the change to take my revenge, you would wish that you died before…" Her left hand dropped as she passed out.
The Fuhrer paced around in his wife's hospital room and every now and then he looked at Charlotte who had her eyes closed. The surgery had saved her life and she would be fine again – but that was not what bothered him. He turned around to face Maes Hughes, Maria Ross and Denny Brosh. "So?" he asked while he sat down on a chair.
"It's impossible," Maria said lowly. "No one would be able to make out if General Armstrong or the First Lady stand on that window. I had Captain Catalina analysing it … she said that not even a sniper would have been able to make it a precise attack on someone."
"That means that we don't come to rest," Maes added. "We tracked down some criminals in the East last week … and we are investigating some murders in the South right now but we don't have enough personal … and we would need at least one state alchemist who specialises in investigation. Armstrong is busy in the West these days and Jade is still on her trip. We need someone to help us."
"Hakuro…" Leroy frowned. "I knew that I should have made sure that he wouldn't get away after the Promised Day but I was so busy with other things…" He sighed. "Well, you say that you need a state alchemist which is also an investigator. To tell the truth – we have just three: Armstrong and the Mustang-twins. Alex and Jade aren't available right now … and Phil … well … he is busy…" His hand covered his face. "I would love to give you Phil for this investigation but he is the commander of a whole area. He can't run around that easily … and it's impossible to get him for such a job without breaking the law…" He rubbed his forehead. "I knew that I would regret this decision one day."
"There is a way to get the Brigadier General for this investigation without breaking the law," Maria said while she looked down. "If we charged Hakuro with treason, it is allowed to use every soldier in the whole army to stop him. Hell, we could even get Fullmetal back from the West and Jade from the South if we would deem it as necessary. And I know for sure that it would be possible to get a replacement for Phil as commander of the Eastern Forces." She raised her head. "Major General Simons, sir," she went on. "He is a supporter of you and he would be able to replace Phil on a high level."
"You are keeping tabs on the greatest part of the high-ranking officers," Leroy stated. "You should consider a transfer under my direct command … someone who knows who plays which game in my house can be really valuable, wouldn't you agree, Ross?"
She shook her head. "I am keeping a low profile, so I can't take such an offer," she said, "but you should consider a transfer of Captain Catalina back under your command. She can't work with your son, she says."
"Why not?" the Fuhrer asked. "They are so similar in their characters … they should be a good team!"
"She keeps telling him that he should hurry up and find a wife," Maes chuckled. "She even stole my favourite line!"
"And she is annoyed because he is on the phone with General Armstrong most of the time while he should do his paperwork," Denny added. "They are probably a little bit too similar."
"But he is still grateful because she replaced this Alen-woman," Maria said. "That person wanted to date him … it was scary how blunt she was about it…"
"Oh … that was the reason why Olivier was so grumpy the last few weeks," Leroy smirked. "And I was already wondering who stole her favourite teddy this time … Well, Alen should have known that Olivier would never approve of a woman who tries to get my son…"
"Is the general really that possessive about your son, sir?" Denny wondered.
The old man nodded. "He is the most important and precious person in her life," he said, "and she would never hesitate to eliminate someone who tries to steal him away from her."
"So we should warn all women and tell them that they should stay away from your son when they like the way their faces look like…" Maes grinned. "I would never have thought that she of all people could be jealous … I always thought that she was cooler than that…"
"Don't be so hard on her," Leroy smiled. "She is just human and humans tend to get a little bit jealous when their beloved ones are the target of some strange women who take an unhealthy liking to them. I bet that the only reason why she didn't get jealous when Ben and Jade were dating is that she knew that the two weren't meant to be…" He sighed. "My poor son … he needs to feel the spirit of love!"
"So … let's hook them up as soon as they come back!" Maes exclaimed. "It will be fun!"
"It's always fun as long no one gets killed," Maria muttered under her breath.
The Imperial Summer residence was impressive, Olivier decided as she saw the building for the first time. She sat in the carriage with Bendix and Victoria while Ling, Lan Fan, Cai, Laila and Nick had taken the other one. Olivier didn't mind Victoria's presence. The girl was friendly and smart – and always collected. She was a little bit like the young Olivier: serious with her nose in a book most of the time.
But the building … Olivier wondered if she had been Xingese in a previous life because this building radiated homeliness and peace – but maybe, she decided, it was because Bendix was with her once more and wherever he was, she had found a home.
"That looks really awesome!" Victoria exclaimed while she closed her book. "And do you see the river? Cai said that we can swim in it!"
Olivier smiled. Even though Amestris was locked between four countries (Drachma in the North, Xing in the East, Aerugo in the South and Creta in the West) and it was rare for an Amestrian to see the ocean, most people could swim because there were many lakes and rivers where you could swim. For her, it had been a long time since she had swum but it was something no one could forget. "Yes, Ling told us the same thing," she smiled. "I am sure that we will enjoy it."
"You will have to wait until your back is better," Bendix said. "But on the other hand … Mei said that she would give you a final treatment today, so you should be fine."
"That's a great plan, Lan Fan!" Cai exclaimed. "I mean, we will send them on a trip without us and stalk them as soon as they are gone! That will be so funny!"
His sister-in-law smiled smugly. "I am sure that we will get some answers with that action," she said. "I still don't buy their excuse. There is no way in hell that someone like Olivier would accidentally trip and land on Ben in a way that includes their lips to meet. Sorry, but I am not that gullible."
"And we are not stupid either!" Ling laughed.
"Well, I am not so sure in your case, big brother," Cai smirked. "You did some pretty foolish things…"
"That's because I need to pretend that I am a complete idiot!" the emperor stated.
"You could have fooled me," his wife said before she kissed him. "I know that you are smart – in your own way, Ling. It's hard to understand what you are thinking most of the time … but I am sure that you have a plan, don't you?"
Riza was pale as snow as she let go of the receiver. Roy walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. "What happened?" he asked. "Did something happen to the kids?"
She shook slowly her head. "Not the children," she said. "That was Jean … grandmother was shot. She will make it through but … well … grandfather is pretty nervous and angry…"
Roy knew how much Riza cared about her family and he gently rubbed her back. "Your grandmother is a strong woman – one of the strongest I have ever met," he said encouraging, "and I bet that she will get up from her hospital bed soon enough to hunt down the bastard that shot her."
"Hakuro," she muttered darkly. "That bastard never liked her … and he waited for a chance to take revenge … and no one was prepared because the last thing we knew about him was that he was on the run … and since grandfather had more important things to deal with…" she held her head before she went on. "Jean said that they will charge it as treason … and they will get Phil to track him down."
"Phil hates Hakuro…" Roy nearly smiled. "I can imagine that the bastard will regret the second he pulled the trigger bitterly as soon as Phil gets him. My little cousin has some issues with him because he harassed Jade more than once and Phil never took something like that kindly." He laughed humourlessly. "And you know what they say: a state alchemist is a terrifying sight – a state alchemist you have no control on is a sight from hell."
"One of Kay's most famous quotes," Riza muttered while she rested her forehead against his chest. "I am just afraid of what will happen to this country should grandmother be murdered. She is popular like no first lady before her … probably because she is more than just a wife who smiles a little bit for the camera and escorts her husband when he has an important meeting…"
"In the West, she is still some kind of heroine because she ripped of the Cretan flag from the tower in Lionnenburg in 1877…" Roy nodded. "Her death could cause another uprising, this time in the West."
"And another uprising would be bad – especially under these circumstances," his wife agreed while her hands cupped her stomach which was already slightly swollen for she was in the third month.
"I will protect you, Laila, Victoria, Nick and the unborn ones," he said and kissed her sweetly. "I mean … twin girls … twins … like Jade and Phil … or Lynn and Serena … that's so cool! They will look exactly like their beautiful mother, I am sure of it! Or maybe one will look like you and the other one like Iz!"
"You still need to call her, Roy," Riza said. "And you could try to get a hold on Phil."
"Phil is working right now – and I would never dare to mess with Major Rodriguez. She never takes it kindly when someone dares to disturb Phil while he is occupied with his paperwork. I mean … he is always in time – unlike me – and he dislikes it even more than I! I really wonder how she makes him do it!" Roy frowned. "Probably she is blackmailing him somehow…"
"It's possible to blackmail your cousin?"
"Yes," he nodded. "Jade is the master when it comes to blackmailing him – she has obviously many very embarrassing photos she could show and many stories Phil rather has untold…"
"Siblings can be hell, right?"
"Our children may want to agree with this statement in some years…" Roy chuckled while they sat down on the couch. "I somehow see Vicky as a strict older sister who keeps the rest in line – and I really think that she inherited a little bit too much of Kay's personality. Laila isn't that much like Kay – she is much more like you…"
Riza started to chuckle. "I just thought about Nick's reaction when he hears that he gets two more sisters," she laughed. "I mean … one boy and four girls? The poor boy!"
"I grew up with many sisters too and I am a true gentleman – he could get it worse, I believe. And the best thing is that he will never be a sexist because Vicky would beat such tendencies out of him in three seconds," he calmed her. "You will see … Nick will be a perfect little gentleman in some years – just like Martin: a little bit clumsy but incredibly smart and loveable. Lynn called Martin her teddy bear and I wouldn't be surprised if Elicia would do the same thing in some years…"
"Elicia is like Lynn in that age," Riza said slowly, "and they say that boys often fall for the same type of girl like their fathers did before…"
"…look, I finished my whole paperwork!" Phil announced proudly as he put down his pen. "I was much faster than usually, so I think I deserve a reward, Bea!"
His girlfriend raised her gaze from the report she had been reading. "And you really think that you will get a reward every time you actually do what you get paid for?" she sighed before she got up and walked over to his desk before she sat down on the edge. "But I will play along for once: your reward will be…" she made a short break to make it more interesting. "Your reward will be this brand new stack of paperwork which just came from Colonel Miles who needs it back until tomorrow," she said.
He groaned. "That man steals my precious free time!" he complained. "I would have liked to sit in my chair while I watch you. You look so beautiful when you review the reports…"
She blushed faintly. "I am sorry but these files require your signature," she said calmly.
He was silent for a second before his face lit up. "Hey – Bea, how good are you at forging my signature? I know that you forged it at least once in the last four years…"
Her head was crimson. "That was a total exception because you would have gotten demoted if this report wouldn't have been at Llewellyn's office in time!" she exclaimed.
"I know that you aren't forging my signature frequently, don't worry!" he said and took her hand. "But you would really, really help me if you could sign at least some of the reports. My wrist is acting up a little bit…"
"You don't use the left hand to sign the reports," she said, "so you can't blame your laziness on your shiny little automail, Phil."
"If we get out of here in time, we could go out for dinner," he smiled, "and you could always forge my signature the way Jade does it: cripple the B at the beginning that bad that it looks like a P."
"My family name is Rodriguez – not Mustang," she said with a little sigh.
"That may change…" he muttered under his breath before he noticed her staring at him. "Did you hear me?" he asked while he blushed.
"It was kind of hard not to hear you," she replied. "Did you just say what I think you said?"
He ruffled his hair. "Yes," he said darkly. "Crap – I wanted to do it all romantically … in the restaurant … I even got a table for tonight … but I had to mess it up. Honestly, since Jade is gone, I have started to sabotage myself every day, more and more!"
She sighed deeply. "So … it … eh … was a … proposal?" she asked.
"It was the worst proposal in the whole world!" he said. "I worked on it. I practiced in front of the mirror … I even made a script to avoid any problems … and yet I succeeded on sabotaging myself!"
She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "Sometimes, you make the things more complicated than they should be," she said. "Well, Phil, why don't you try again?"
He nodded while he inhaled. "Beatrice Carolina Rodriguez," he said while he held both of her hands, "it has been four years since you started to work with me and in these years my heart grew to love you so much, I could never imagine to live without you. I know that we are just dating for a month, so it is pretty early but … will you marry me?"
Her hands covered her mouth as she nodded. "Yes, of course!" she exclaimed before she ran around the desk to hug him. He kissed her sweetly before she pulled back. "But you still need to do your paperwork," she said darkly.
Lan Fan entered the dining room with a pained face which was slightly green and she groaned as she sat down next to her husband. "I won't be able to join you today on your boat trip," she said while she rubbed her belly. "I feel terrible and I am sure that it would worsen on a boat. I am sorry."
Ling smiled gently at her while he wrapped one arm around her shoulders. "And since you don't feel good, I will stay with you," he said before he kissed her nose.
"We won't go on that trip either," Cai said quickly. "I wanted to show Laila, Nick and Vicky the town and I am sure that we will have lots of fun."
Mei raised her gaze from her plate while she frowned. "Well, Al and I are still in," she said before she got a hard kick against her shin from Ling who glared at her.
"You can't leave me alone with Ling!" Lan Fan exclaimed. "Mei, I am not sure if you are aware that Ling won't be a help with my stomach aches. He will comfort me while eating!"
"Really," Cai nodded. "I can't stay in the residence because I have guests. You can stay, Mei."
"And Big Brother Alphonse can come with us!" Laila clapped her hands. Her rating had always been like that: Big Sister Lan Fan, Big Brother Ling, Big Brother Alphonse, Big Brother Kain, Big Sister Winry, Little Sister Elicia and then, after Big Sister Sheska: Little Big Brother Edward.
"Of course, Laila," Alphonse said while Mei glared at him. "I am sure that it will be interesting."
"So, we are terribly sorry that you will have to go on the trip without us," Ling said as he looked at Bendix and Olivier. "We will give you some guards but no one will be able to come with you."
Mei looked at him in absolute confusion.
"It's okay," Olivier said. "I am sure that we will be able to make the best out of it. I can understand that you don't want to leave Lan Fan's side as long as she feels unwell. My father did the same for my mother when she was pregnant with my little sister…"
"Thanks for your understanding, Olivier," Lan Fan said with a bright smile.
"After the Qiang-incident you deserve a little break," Alphonse went on. He laughed inwardly since he had gotten behind the plan of the others. "And I will enjoy my trip with the children as well."
"The town is wonderful," Lan Fan said and nodded at him. "I am sure that you will see many interesting things on your trip, Alphonse."
"I think so too," he chuckled while Mei looked at him in utter confusion.
"Goodbye!" Ling waved enthusiastically at Bendix and Olivier as they boarded the boat. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"
Mei who stood next to him frowned up at him. "Ling – what the hell is going on today?"
Lan Fan appeared behind them as soon as the boat was out of sight. "Ling, I feel suddenly much better!" she chuckled while she wrapped her automail around him. "And I am in the mood for a walk."
Her sister-in-law stared at her. "Wait a second – you never felt unwell in first place, did you?" she asked. "When I think of it … you didn't seem to feel any pain at the table this morning…"
"Congratulation," Ling said. "We are going out to stalk Olivier and Ben today!"
"And Alphonse?"
"He is doing the same with the children. I have to say, he picked it up much faster than you…"
"Alright, we have dark hair now and we wear typical Xingese clothes," Laila said as she checked her reflection. "Hell, I look exactly like Aunty Jade when she had my age…"
"And she was surely very pretty," Cai said while he grinned widely at her. "Well – let's go."
"And you are really sure that you will be able to track them down, Cai?" Alphonse asked as they got into a smaller and faster boat. "And are you sure that we will survive it?"
"We are much smarter than Qiang and even if they would suspect someone to follow us, they would look out for two girls with bright hair," Nick said calmly. "And Laila and Vicky have dark hair now."
"That's true," the alchemist stated. "Well, let's start to follow them."
Riza was packing her suitcase. Roy and she had decided to interrupt their honeymoon to return to Central City because Charlotte's constitution had worsened overnight and Riza couldn't leave her grandfather alone with the fear to lose his beloved wife. She didn't take it easy either. Charlotte had ever seemed like a woman who was untouchable and yet she had been hit by a bullet.
"You are worrying too much," Roy said. "Everyone knows that Charlotte Riza Llewellyn was shot more than once before. I mean not even Kay got shot that often and she got shot nine times before she died."
Riza turned around and smiled at him. "Thank you for being there for me," she said. "I really don't know what I would have done without you."
"You would have done the same thing you did when Kay was shot in Ishbal and no one allowed you to get to her. You would have paced around in your flat until you would have collapsed on the couch, cursing the person who had dare to attack someone that close to you," he said. "Well, let's head back to Central City. Your grandfather will need you – especially since Charlotte didn't allow anyone to contact Olivier and Bendix in Xing." He kissed her forehead. "And when we are in Central, we can design the room for the babies. Did I already mention how happy I am to become a father once more?"
"Just about twenty times while you talked with me, twelve times when you called Maes, eight more times when you finally got a hold on Phil who wasn't happy about being woken up at three in the morning, five times when you called your mother … and I think two times when you talked to Izumi."
"Oh…"
"Yeah, that is exactly what you should say now," she smiled. "C'mon, let's hurry up. I don't want to miss the train."
He rolled his eyes. "You are too much like Kay these days," he complained. "Maybe she possessed you."
She sighed. "I knew that nothing good would come out if I let you read these strange books," she said.
"It's highly impolite to stalk guests!" Mei scolded while Ling and Lan Fan dragged her down a dusty street. They wore commoner's clothes and Lan Fan hid her automail because it would give away that she was the Empress. Ling wore his hair down and Lan Fan had made sure that Mei wore just a single braid instead of her usual two.
"Mei," Ling sighed. "Many things are considered as impolite and yet you are doing them. And it's not like we would want to blackmail them or something. We are just curious, right, Lan-Lan?"
His wife nodded. "I believe that it is time for us to search them," she said as she looked at the peaceful little town in front of them. "Does one of you remember what Olivier wore today?"
"You made her wear a green kimono," Mei sighed. "And if I see correctly, they are over there!"
"Finally it gets interesting again," Ling stated. "I was missing the time when I had true adventures. These days, my only adventure is running away from my stupid advisers who are still trying to talk me into divorcing Lan Fan. The next time they say something like that, I will have them banished."
His wife smiled lovingly at him before she kissed him lightly.
"This is the town where you come from, right?" Mei asked as she frowned slightly.
"Yes," Ling nodded in agreement. "We grew up right here, well, Lan Fan in the Wei-estate and I in the Yao-palace but all in all, yeah, you can say that we were raised here."
"They are heading for the Wei-district," Lan Fan interrupted smoothly as she crossed her arms before she frowned slightly. "What would they want there?"
"You guys make the best swords after all," Ling shrugged. "Maybe Olivier wants one … and the food is good there as well…"
"For someone like you, emperor, it's pretty reckless to hang around in our district," a calm voice said as a male version of Jun Li stepped into the bright daylight. "Lan Fan, I expected more of you but I take it that being pregnant made your brain lose some useful cells."
"Long time no see, cousin," the empress huffed. "I wonder how long it has been since Jun Li scolded you for being so insulting. I believe that she gave you orders before she ran away…"
"Jun Li is still the same goddamn fool she used to be, huh?" the man called Chao sighed. "Anyway, I was on my way to another mission. You could check in with the elders you love to annoy, Lan-Lan. Tell them that Jun Li is coming for them to scare them a little bit, will you?"
"You are still as bipolar as you used to be before I left," she sighed. "Anyway, Jun Li told me to greet you the next time I see you … I think she regrets."
"You don't have to lie to make me feel better," he replied as he shook his head. "I adore my cousin, I seriously do … but I know that she won't return to check on me and the others she left behind. I even think that she forgot about me as she was busy becoming the next big star."
"How could she ever forget about you, Chao?" Lan Fan asked tiredly. "She could never forget about you but the pain, you know? The pain makes her stay away and I understand this."
"My cousin is a proud woman, maybe too proud," Chao said. "And I can understand that she won't come home … maybe we should start hoping that she might return one day. We have to move on. I mean … look around, will you? The village still stands … even after she ran away. She isn't as important as we thought her to be … maybe we should let go of her. She isn't the type of woman you can keep in a place when her heart screams that she should leave. The family keeps her memory alive … but I feel like they are only putting her into the same old golden cage again … the cage she left on her own accord."
"So we agree on this as well, Chao," Lan Fan said quietly. "Jun Li should lose her last attachment to this village for it is not her home right now. I don't like to say this but … we have to let go of her and to make the elders stop believing that she might come home one day."
"Guys, we should never talk about her like we actually know what she is thinking or planning," Ling snapped. "The thing about Jun Li is that no one can actually understand how she is thinking. She is currently the most influential member of the Wei-clan and to take her power might end up painful for a lot of people … especially since she is the heiress … we need to keep an eye on her."
"We have been keeping tabs on her ever since she went away," Chao said softly. "I love her, I still do … but I really think that we have to let her go … because it would only hurt to lose her."
"He is right there, Ling," Lan Fan said. "I love my sister but Xing isn't where she belongs. She is better off in Amestris where she is the star of her own show if you ask me."
"No matter what you think, chances are high that she will return one day," Ling warned calmly. "I also believe her to be better off in Amestris … but as long as you live, she will have a connection to this place. What did we call you when we were younger? Mirrors, yes, because you reflect each other … if you ask me, there cannot be Chao if there isn't Jun Li and Jun Li cannot be if there isn't Chao. We shouldn't forget about this one, Chao."
"I think that you are misunderstanding my position towards my cousin, emperor," the warrior said darkly. "As long as she is out there, doing whatever she is doing, I cannot lead the family. I am the knight and she is my queen … and I won't betray her as long as there is another way."
Once upon a time, Lan Fan had failed to understand what drove him forward. He had lost so much in his life. He had lost the position as heir to the clan to Jun Li who was three months younger than him. He had lost nearly the complete influence he once had had inside the family when he had stood up for a weaker member, one of the youngest members of the family and as a warrior, he had to take gruesome missions. She knew about those things, had always known but now, she finally started to understand why he refused to let others down … because he knew just too well how it felt to be abandoned.
Phil felt once more that he was a truly lucky man because he had a fiancée who could deal with him, three suitcases and annoying reporters at the same time. Being a member of the Aerugian royalty, Bea had experience on many fields and since she naturally energetic, it was easy for her to scare the reporter off. She held a great knowledge on historical events – especially in the relationship between Amestris and Aerugo, could organise the paperwork of a whole military base, was gifted when it came to languages and understood the principles of alchemy even though she had never had any interest in learning it. Her favourite weapon was a knife which had been in the possession of her family for many centuries and her sharp mind. She was an average gunwoman and preferred hand-to-hand combat over a shooting.
"Alright," the future Mrs Mustang said as she sat down on her place in the train. "I already looked over the reports. It seems like Hakuro is still in the capital. That means that we have to be careful."
"Thanks, Bea," he said with a frown. "I just wonder why he attacked her now, after so much time…"
"Hakuro was never the smartest guy in the army," Bea said, "and it took him surely some months to accept that his era is over. And furthermore … he needed to make sure that his other enemies are far, far away from Central City. I don't agree with the theory that Hakuro confused Llewellyn with our very own Ice Queen. The Queen of Awesomeness was supposed to die this time around, I am sure."
She came from the investigation department – something which explained her low experience on the field. She had seen death and she had been under fire before but for her, it was always something new and even though she was a soldier, she had still a hint of innocence.
Home. Technically, she was home but it didn't feel right to her. The silence and the eternal loneliness was everywhere in the huge compound and she was sitting right in the middle of the silence. She sat in the Meditation Chamber, trying to figure out why she was even there while other members of her clan were there as well. She didn't recognise their nameless faces – partially because she hadn't been here in so long and partially because she didn't care for them. They were simple pawns, to be used by the elders at the right moment so she hadn't to know them because until she would have gained their trust, they'd be gone anyway – sacrificed for the sake of the village and the clan … either as warriors or as brides and grooms.
The Meditation Chamber was surely beautiful but the air felt wrong to her. The looming atmosphere of the elders, only a few metres away from this place of silence and serenity, was all too real for her to relax completely. She felt them even now, watching her, judging her every step. Maybe she had really grown paranoid or maybe it was the truth because the elders were everywhere in the Wei-compound because here was where they resided.
She had always been careful and mistrusting around them because they only cared about themselves and maybe the clan's glory – but never the happiness of the other members of the family. She disliked them greatly for other reasons as well – and only one of them was that they had basically suggested that she should kill herself after the loss of her arm.
She rested her hands – one flesh and one steel – on her knees and breathed deeply before she rose from her place on the ground and left the Chamber with her head held high as it was befitting for Xing's only empress. She walked slowly to empathise that she was calm and reached the Inner Yard of the MainBuilding where her cousin Chao was training the younger members of the clan. She watched for a few moments before she approached him.
"Lan Fan," he nodded as he sent the children to drink something.
"Chao," she stated extraordinarily sweetly. "How are you?"
"Fine," he shrugged. "What about you, empress?"
"I am okay … but you aren't," she replied sternly as she glared up at him.
"So … you heard?" he said slowly as he looked around, obviously scared of being overheard.
"I assumed as much from minor differences in your reports. You are working yourself too hard lately and while this cannot be healthy for you, I also assume that you fear that your time is running out," she said with as sigh.
He looked at the kunai in his hand before he threw it at the target. "How is Junnie?"
Lan Fan's eyebrow shot up before she could control it. She had spent years behind a mask that had covered up her emotions rather nicely and so she had lost any control about her facial expression but she quickly realised that Ling had been right: Chao was bipolar when it came to Jun Li. Sometimes he cursed her into the deepest depths of hell and on other days, he wanted her to return so badly that he was mere seconds from walking to Amestris to get her home.
"Fine," she finally said after a moment of complementation. "She is … happy, I guess. I think that she misses what you had before she left in that hurry but … you know her. She's proud enough to deny this even on her deathbed. I fear that you will have to deal with the madness on your own."
"I will never be completely alone," he said as he watched how a girl in a yellow dress hurried down the stairs of the dojo to join the four young warriors who had been waiting at the gate. "I may have lost Jun Li and therefore a second part of me but I am still here – with sixty-six percent of my being. I am not defeated that easily, Lan Fan."
She nodded at him. "I hope you are aware of the ticking bomb inside your chest," she warned calmly as she looked at him with a strange expression of worry written all over her face.
"I will die in battle one day anyway. It won't be the illness that will finish me off. I … I promise."
Ling's jaw dropped.
Lan Fan's grey eyes widened.
Mei went silent in seconds.
Alphonse attempted to cover the children's eyes.
Laila blushed.
Victoria didn't know what to say for once and resolutely covered her brother's eyes with her hands.
Nick slapped his sister's hands away.
Cai was speechless.
"In Dragon's name!" Mei exclaimed suddenly as she remembered how to speak.
"I think that we should give them more time alone," Ling said slowly.
"Hello?" Alphonse asked. "They are kissing each other in public!"
"You are kissing Little Sister Mei in the library," Victoria smirked. "So … where is the difference?"
"What the hell?" Ling exclaimed as Mei and Alphonse blushed.
Riza and Roy were hurrying through the train station as Roy collided with a familiar dark-haired man. Phil stabilised his cousin before he frowned. "Shouldn't you two be on your honeymoon?" he asked.
"We came back because of the attack on grandmother," Riza said while she put down her suitcase for a second. "What are you doing in the capital? You should be in East City."
"Special orders," Breeze Heart muttered. "Someone had the brilliant idea that I could go and hunt Hakuro while someone else replaces me in East City." He smiled at his female escort. "I don't believe that you have met each other before," he said. "Bea, my cousin Roy and his wife Riza. Riza and Roy , my fiancée Beatrice."
Roy grinned widely. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Beatrice," he said with a bow before he looked at his cousin. "Jade will throw a fit as soon as she hears it, dearest Phil. She will yell at you … and I will laugh at the both of you. Sometimes, you are so … predictable, the both of you…"
Riza interrupted him. "So, they chose you to go for Hakuro, Phil?" she asked.
"Yeah," he replied. "They said that I had nearly no personal issues with him. That this disgusting guy tried to molest Jade more than once isn't in his files, so no one knows about it. I am happy about the chance to take my revenge without breaking the law…"
"I bet that Gran would get up from her hospital bed to hunt him down personally if she was allowed to," Riza sighed. "I just wonder why she wants to keep it a secret from Bendix and Olivier…"
"It's because no one wants to see Olivier Armstrong taking revenge on Hakuro," Phil said. "She is still in trouble for the sudden disappearance of Lieutenant General Raven who was a friend of Hakuro and a known enemy of the Generals Armstrong and Llewellyn…"
"It's not like anyone would really miss Hakuro…" Roy muttered under his breath.
"I agree," Bea said calmly. "The world would be better with him in prison."
