Months had passed in the Amestrian countryside, but to the Queen of Aerugo it had only seemed like days. She was surprised at how quickly time passed as they worked and she got used to this new lifestyle. Most of her days were spent planning with King Andres, Matthew, and the other nobles gathered at their main safehouse. Every other week they would make a trip to one of the many camps that had formed along the border. The more they traveled, the more allies they seemed to gather and the more camps that sprouted up. It was still a small fraction of the size of the Republic's projected army numbers, but it would do in the meantime.
Riza initially had her concerns about the many camps, figuring it would only be a matter of time until a Republic or Cretian spy had relayed to their leaders what they were doing, but she had been amazed to find out nothing had changed in the heart of Creta as they planned. They'd formed a team of spies of their own, mostly made up of the few Cretians who pledged loyalty to their cause, and they had been skillful in their work, reporting every so often from the capital city that the Republic leaders had made no moves or shown any other knowledge of their gatherings.
So they continued on with their planning. Riza began feeling more confident in her leadership role, made easier with Andres and Matthew's guidance. And while she still wasn't speaking to him very cordially, Lord Grumman had also proven to be an intelligent strategist. She shouldn't be so surprised, considering he had taught Roy everything he knew.
They mapped out army routes along their line of camps and discussed the most likely angle of attack from the Republic in meticulous detail. Riza still felt a pang of guilt when the others mentioned involving King Roy and the Amestrian army, as they would be the most accessible source of manpower given their current location. It would take time and effort that they didn't have to mobilize the Aerugonians and they would still grossly underperform against the Cretians.
Riza constantly thought of how she would tell the others the difficulty in working directly with the Amestrian army. She knew she was putting them in danger keeping them in the dark, but she wanted to find a way to get back in Roy's good graces for the sake of the inevitable battle. She started a pleading letter to him a hundred different times in a hundred different words, but discarded all of them before they could be sent. She didn't have any idea how to approach this cordially, which terrified her. They would be in deep trouble if the Amestrian army wasn't able to be used for their plans.
But this was the first time in Riza's life she had felt respected and trusted as a leader. Every time she visited a new camp, she was given the same reverence and ceremony she'd had at Sir Cormac's base. She knew it was incredibly selfish, but she didn't want any of them to think less of her for her choices. She just needed to be able to explain herself in a way that didn't make her seem deranged.
As time passed, it was becoming more obvious that it would be an incredibly difficult task.
The harsh winter slowly began to evolve into the early spring. Their gathered allies were able to aggressively train in all types of battle skills. They were a diverse group, with people of multiple nationalities, sex, age, and many more differences, but they came together inspired by their cause. As nervous as Riza was, she had found a home with the others here and was beginning to feel hope they could actually enact positive change.
That hope was abruptly and brutally destroyed on an unsuspecting spring morning.
The main group of leaders remained at their small base of operations in the old safehouse. They were gathered around the table for their breakfast prior to one of their usual morning meetings. As they jovially ate and discussed their plans, the front door was aggressively swung aside and one of the men Riza knew to be on their squad of messengers ran into the main room, out of breath and panicked.
Everyone in the room knew as soon as they got a look at his frightened expression that he was not there to deliver good news. He rushed up to the table and held a communication out to the queen, who took it warily.
"I'm sorry for my sudden entrance, Your Majesty, but a terrible occurrence has happened and Sir Cormac sent me to deliver this at once."
Riza unfolded the small piece of parchment as the others looked on warily. King Andres came around to where she stood and looked over her shoulder. As she continued to read the words hastily scrawled on the parchment, her heart plummeted into her stomach.
Andres was the first to react. "T-This can't be!"
"What is it?" Lord Matthew quickly asked, his brow furrowed in dread.
"'Your Majesty, our plans will have to be accelerated quicker than we want. One of the members of our Cretian spy team stumbled into our camp just now covered in blood and wounded. He relayed to us that the reconnaissance team was attacked by members of the Republic army. They fought valiantly but were overwhelmed and wiped out. The man we have here was allowed to live to give us a decisive message. Contrary to what we believed, the Republic has always known about our gathering…and is on their way to annihilate us. The time for battle is quickly approaching," Riza read in an emotionless voice. Once she was finished, a hush fell upon the group as they each processed her words.
"I-I don't understand," one of the nobles finally spoke in a shaky tone. "Our spies have relayed no news of army mobilization. How could they have gathered everyone to attack without us knowing?"
"And more importantly…how were we noticed? Our reconnaissance team is highly skilled. We had always assumed we were being discreet," another added.
Lord Grumman shook his head and decided to put in his own word, his voice strangely unfazed. "Yes, we had assumed, but it was just that. An assumption. We always knew there was a risk in gathering here."
Another noble who Riza knew to be of Cretian heritage responded, "There was no indication for months until this very moment that anything was amiss. We must have a traitor among us!"
Everyone looked around as they realized this was likely true, as the Republic would have no way of knowing what they were doing without directly being fed information, but it didn't much change the situation they were now finding themselves in.
"Could it be Lord Hughes? We were just discussing at our last gathering how strange it was he never wrote back after departing for Amestris. We all assumed he had gone to finally get the king involved but we haven't heard anything from them since he left. Perhaps he had gone to Creta instead to spill our secrets?"
Riza knew it wasn't him, but she had also been curious about what the retired nobleman was doing. He had no doubt relayed everything to Roy upon returning to Amestris, but they had heard nothing from either of them in months. They had to be planning something…but what could it be?
"Such speculation at a time like this is pointless," Andres reminded them all in a confident voice. The queen was glad at least one of them was able to remain steady. "The Republic is on their way here and we have to figure out what to do. As it stands right now, we have no chance against their numbers."
"How long do you think it will take for them to get here?" Matthew asked the other man, who was far more familiar with these lands than the rest of them.
"A few days, maybe. It takes a lot to get an army of that size across the kingdom."
"So we might have a chance if we ask King Roy to mobilize the Amestrian army? They'd be the only ones who could get here in such a short time. And they're more formidable than all our armies combined," another nobleman asked.
Riza's entire body went cold at the question. She didn't have the heart to tell them all that that wasn't an option. But she knew something needed to be done…lest they all be slaughtered.
"Riza," Lord Matthew spoke in a warning tone as he appraised her frozen form. She ignored him, mulling over the thousand different ideas that were erupting in her mind. The others waited for her direction for a moment before she straightened, quickly making her decision.
"I will ride to Sir Cormac's camp at once, to discuss everything with him. From there, we can form a plan."
All the other nobles startled at her suggestion. "Why don't you write to King Roy from here? You're wasting valuable time that his army could use," one of them asked in a bewildered tone.
"We need to gather our camps first. Send urgent word to the others about what has happened and tell them to gather at the northwest base. No doubt that's the most easily accessible point and where the Republic will first strike. We're stronger united than apart."
"Reina…" Andres began, his face giving away his concern. He attempted to stop her as she rushed to gather her cloak and a few meager supplies for the journey to Sir Cormac's camp, but she shook him off.
"Tell everyone to gather their armor and weapons. We must all be prepared to fight. I don't care what our chances look like, I refuse to roll over and play dead." She attempted to keep her voice steady and resolved but it was an impossible task. She had never been more terrified in her entire life.
She had done this. She had put every one of these people before her and spread out amongst their camps in this situation. So she would have to be the one to take the brunt of the consequences.
The nobles continued to argue, baffled at her sudden moves but she stopped them once again with a decisive look. "I shall write to the Amestrian king from there. But I must tell Sir Cormac and the other Aerugonians first…after everything they deserve to hear it from me."
"Hear about what?" one of them asked in a confused tone. Instead of answering them, Riza turned her determined eyes on her estranged grandfather, and he met her gaze with one that told her he knew exactly what she was referring to.
"I trust you to inform everyone here. Once you are done, gather all the supplies you can carry and follow after me to the northwest base."
"As you wish, Your Majesty," Grumman responded with a serious look. She did not miss the undercurrents of sarcasm hidden in his voice. He, along with Lord Matthew, had been dropping subtle reminders to her for months to reveal her well-kept secrets. As much as she didn't want to admit it, he had at least been right about that.
"I'll go with you," Andres told her resolutely, not giving her time to argue. She wasn't sure she would've, anyway. She needed a steady presence beside her right now.
"Me too," Matthew added. She figured it didn't make sense for him to stick around for Grumman's explanation, as he was already aware of most of it. The three of them gathered their things as the rest of the group watched with wary eyes. Before they left the house to quickly saddle their horses for the journey, Riza stopped and looked at the group of nobles.
"I will leave the decision to each of you whether or not to follow me. You will understand what is at stake once Grumman is finished. I won't begrudge whatever choice you make." Her words had only left them all even more confused but she couldn't dwell on it much longer. She followed Andres and Matthew to the stables and began to adjust the saddle on one of the fastest horses they had.
As she worked, she turned to look over at Andres. The uncertainty was welling up to unbearable levels within her and she had to say something. "Andres…what if…what if he doesn't…" She couldn't even speak the rest of her terrifying thought. What if Roy refuses to help them? What if she truly had done irreparable damage and he makes the decision to protect his kingdom above her? After all…it's what she had done to him.
Andres stopped his motions and turned to give her a determined glance. "Don't think like that, Reina. If your king refuses to offer his help, we are all as good as dead. From everything you've told me about him, I'd be shocked if he didn't at least do something."
"He's right," Matthew added on as he finished securing the saddle and hopped onto his steed. "Whatever love the king may still have for you…we must rely on that to protect us."
The queen could only nod her head in uncertain affirmation before she too hopped on her horse and the trio set off for Sir Cormac's camp. Contrary to the last time they had all ventured to the base, they rode at a fast pace, encouraging their horses along given the desperation of what lay ahead of them. Within a few hours, they had ridden across the top of the hill that looked down on the collection of tents. Lord Matthew signaled to the ones guarding the perimeter (significantly more than Riza remembered the last time she'd come here), and they were waved along to the entrance.
No doubt expecting them, a crowd greeted the three as they hopped off their horses and made their way to the center of the camp. Everyone looked relieved to see their leaders but there was still a significant amount of fear in their eyes. They all knew what could happen if they weren't able to rally enough help. Hell, even with Roy's army, it would still be a bloody battle. The Republic had already proven what they were capable of, given how they slaughtered an entire group of their spies. If they were coming after them so aggressively, it meant they only intended for bloodshed…not empty promises of peace.
Sir Cormac came out to greet them, a grim expression masking his normally kind and relaxed face. He motioned for them to enter the main tent where a group of people were already gathered deliberating over a map of likely battle positions, trying to form a strategy for the sudden attack.
"I am relieved to see you, Your Majesty. Though I wish it was under better circumstances. We always knew it was risky doing all of this…but we still feel blindsided," Cormac began as they all settled in.
Riza's hands fisted nervously in her cloak as she realized that she was about to have one of the most difficult conversations of her life. But, as she looked around at the group made up mostly of Aerugonians-her people-she knew what needed to be said.
"I wish we had more warning as well, but we can't afford to look back. We have to discuss what we need to do moving forward," the queen responded in a voice devoid of any emotion.
Sir Cormac nodded his head. "Agreed, I have already sent one of my messengers to the capital of Amestris to alert everyone there. I'm sure the king will be willing to offer his help once he sees your letter, but we still have much to plan."
The queen nearly winced at these words. She took a shaky breath before powering through what she needed to say. "I have yet to write to the king."
Cormac, as well as a few of the others gathered with them, looked perplexed by this information. "Why not? The messenger I sent to the safehouse is one of the best we have. I figured you had sent him to deliver your missive to the king."
"I needed to be here with you, and the other Aerugonians, before I could do that. I know we're running on very little time but this needs to be said first."
They were all silent as they allowed their queen the space to talk. "I do intend to write to the Amestrian king and ask for his assistance…and his army. But we must be prepared to fight this battle on our own."
"Why would we do that?" one of the few Amestrians spoke up suddenly. He seemed bewildered that there would even be a doubt of Roy's assistance. Aerugo and Amestris had held the fiercest allyship in all the lands…until recently. "Our king is a good man…he will not let us all die here on our own."
"That may be true," Riza countered. And she hoped it was. She prayed to every one of the gods that Roy would put her betrayal aside and save them all. "But we are working under very different circumstances than you all are used to."
Before anyone could ask questions about that, Riza lifted the small satchel she had brought with her and procured the pieces of parchment that had laid there for months now. She tossed them wordlessly onto the table and let the others put the pieces together on their own.
Sir Cormac reached out to inspect the documents. When he realized what they were, his eyes widened and he stared blankly back at the queen. "W-what is this? Why do you have these? Your Majesty…what has happened?"
Once the others in the room could get a look at the Amestrian deeds lying on the table there was a murmur of collective shock around the room. No one had been expecting this.
"Amestris and Aerugo are no longer allies. Our treaty has been broken ever since the moment I left the kingdom to come here."
Her words were heavy and final. Most of the people gathered could hardly even believe what she was saying. They all stared in shock as she let the reality sink in.
"You suspected something had happened when we first met here, Sir Cormac. You said that it was odd for me to leave Amestris in the middle of so much excitement. You were right…in a sense."
Sir Cormac shook his head in disbelief and Riza tried not to be hurt by the distrust that was arising on his face. "Your Majesty…I have been loyal to the Aerugonian royal family my entire life. While I know something terrible must have happened for you to dissolve our treaty, I still can't understand…this is incredibly brash."
Riza's words were simple as she replied, "You're right. It was completely brash and insane and dangerous. I only realize all those things now. But I can't take back the things that have been done. And the king of Amestris can't take back the things he has said."
"What is the meaning of all of this? What has King Roy done to lead you to an act such as this?" the Amestrian from earlier asked in an accusatory tone.
The queen took a deep breath as she dove into the story of the origin of the conflict with the Homunculi, Roy and his father's role, and the formation of the Republic. Most of the people in the room had assumed the Republic had arisen from Creta's corrupt governing body and were only motivated by a power hungry desire to conquer. Many of them never would've predicted what truly motivated them.
It was silent in the room as she finished. She knew it didn't absolve her decision, but at least they could understand where all of this started.
Sir Cormac shook his head again as he tried to process everything. "I don't understand. I was aware of most of what you're saying. As was King Boden. The thought of dissolving our kingdoms' relationship never occurred to either of us."
Riza could understand his confusion. "Are you aware of what is happening in Ishval?"
The Aerugonian man's face contorted in confusion. "I'm not even sure where Ishval is."
"The Amestrians kept the entire conflict under wraps especially from those in our kingdom. I read King Phillip's journal that he left behind and discovered an unfinished executive order that would've allowed history to repeat itself. The king has been planning on doing to Ishval exactly what his father had done to the Homunculi. I couldn't in good conscience allow something like that to occur while our kingdoms were still linked. Dissolving our relationship was the only thing I could think to do. If I had known what the scale of this entire war was going to be, I would have handled all of this differently."
The queen didn't go into the more personal reasons she had for breaking apart from Roy in the way she had. She hadn't even told Winry half of it, so she wasn't willing to spill out her heart to a group of people who were already losing respect for her as she spoke.
The Amestrian who had been so appalled at her act spoke up again, his voice even more confused than it had been before. "I still don't understand. Ishval hasn't been in 'conflict', as you say, for years. I used to live in the southeast and saw first hand what was happening. Things were tenuous for a long time, especially after King Phillip died and King Roy took over the throne, but things are different now. If anything, King Roy has been the one to help quiet the conflict, giving more land to the Ishvalans to try and establish themselves. I figured his next task after signing the treaty with Xing was to finally establish a more official piece of land for the Isvhallans."
His words caused Riza to pause. She certainly hadn't been privy to any of that and she hadn't allowed Roy the chance to explain himself either. As more of the Amestrians affirmed the first man's words, a wave of nausea hit the queen.
Had she really been so foolish? Had she let herself think of Roy in only one way given the things he had said to her, that she had jumped to an egregious conclusion that wasn't even true?
Had she made such a huge mistake?
"You said the executive order wasn't finished, right, Your Majesty? Perhaps that had been his intention at one point but maybe things are different now…" Sir Cormac offered, as he tried to make sense of everything that had been said. His words made Riza feel like a scolded and stupid little girl. She had never felt so unworthy of her crown.
"I know things are different now. Most of the Amestrians here wouldn't have even come if we didn't have faith in our king and trust that he would make a change. Regardless of whatever mistakes have been made in the past, we believe our kingdom is correcting those mistakes. That's the whole reason we're even here," the Amestrian man spoke with strong conviction. Riza's face paled and she suppressed the urge to vomit.
"Regardless," Sir Cormac began, attempting to get them all back on track. "This revelation changes things. It changes everything."
Yes, Riza realized that with startling clarity. If only she hadn't been so selfish. If only she hadn't waited to tell them everything…she might have been able to avoid the worst of what was to come.
"It shouldn't. King Roy wouldn't let us all die here, even if we are no longer allies. He's a better man than that," the Amestrians defended.
"I will write to him…I will plead for our lives…but I can't make any promises. Not anymore," the queen spoke in a small voice, completely unfit for a leader. She didn't feel much like a leader. Not after her decisions had foolishly placed all of her people in danger.
"Then we will start there. But we must be quick. We've lost enough time as is. In the meantime, we will form a strategy for our groups here," Cormac offered. His voice was not certain but he knew that if the queen wasn't able to lead, someone would have to.
Having stayed silent throughout the entire conversation, Andres placed a reassuring hand on Riza's knee where it rested next to his. He knew, at least partially, the thoughts that were running through her mind. She didn't know why he even bothered to show his support. She had placed all of them in danger because of her mistakes. She wouldn't fault any of them for abandoning her.
She was offered a piece of parchment and a quill to write her letter. Having attempted to craft this exact message so many times over the last few months and not knowing what to say, her hand moved quickly now. She kept her tone factual as she wrote their plea. She wouldn't mention anything about what had happened between her and Roy. She wouldn't mention stealing his deeds or dissolving their treaty. She would simply suck up her pride and ask for his help. If she didn't, they would all die…and it would be solely her own fault.
She folded the letter with numb motions, removing her sigil ring to press it into the hot wax, sealing the letter. She said nothing as she handed it over to one of the messengers and he rushed out of the tent to his horse, riding to the capital as if his life depended on it. And, she supposed, it truly did.
The others were silent toward her as they continued their planning. She didn't offer suggestions or attempt to keep them on track. She simply sat and listened, thinking of Roy's reaction to her letter. Thinking about the impending battle.
Nearly two more days had passed, a nervous energy bubbling throughout the camp. The group of nobles from the safehouse had arrived with Lord Grumman not long after her group had. She had noticed they were missing a few of the familiar faces she had been surrounded by for months. She didn't fault them for leaving her. It was honestly the safest decision at this point.
The other camps arrived in quick succession and the northwest base grew into a battle preparation site. What Riza had relayed to the initial group spread throughout the newcomers. She was surprised as most of them remained, nervously awaiting word about the Amestrian army movements. They had deemed it too unsafe to send teams out to track movements of either the Amestrians or the Republic, so they simply waited and prepared. The queen spent most of her time walking along the perimeter of the large camp, scanning the hills for signs of an army…whether they held the flags of Creta, the Republic, or Amestris.
Late in the afternoon of the second day, a shout echoed across the camp. Riza walked into the commotion and noted what the others had seen. Instead of a large army coming down the hill near their camp, it was the messenger who had originally been sent to Amestris with her letter for Roy. She swallowed nervously as she watched him approach.
His face gave away no emotion as he slowed his horse and weaved his way through the crowd. Riza and the other leaders followed him into the main tent, and the rest gathered with baited breath outside. She couldn't even attempt to guess what news the messenger held but she became worried when she realized Roy had written a response…instead of letting the presence of his army be his answer.
She wordlessly took the letter the messenger held. If she had been alone, she would have taken the time to reverently run her hand across the parchment and the seal of the Amestrian monarchy decorating the front…the same seal she had worn around her neck for so long. This was the first time she had communicated with Roy in months. And his words literally meant life or death. However, with the others staring at her in anticipation, she quickly tore open the seal and read over the familiar scrawl.
Once she got to the end of the short letter, her legs gave out and she collapsed to the floor of the tent, her head spinning.
"Reina!" King Andres shouted as he and a few of the others worriedly leaned down to assess her. She stared blankly ahead and swallowed the bile rising in her throat.
"What? What is it?" someone asked her desperately as she tried to wrap her mind around Roy's words.
As everyone became more and more panicked, Riza answered them in a voice devoid of any life at all, "He has refused us."
The simple statement rolled over everyone gathered in the tent and they were all silent for a beat as they processed her words.
"What!?" King Andres finally exclaimed in disbelief. Others shouted their shock and dismay as well, knowing what the Amestrian king's refusal to offer aid meant.
Lord Matthew quickly leaned down and plucked the letter from where it still rested in Riza's stone cold hands, the outrage filling his body. He read over the letter for everyone else to hear.
"Your Majesty, I acknowledge the dangerous situation you and the others are in. Lord Hughes informed me of your group and what you all have been planning without my knowledge. I know my army would give you the greatest chance of success against the Republic but I must refuse to offer it for your assistance. As my kingdom no longer has an allegiance with Aerugo I am under no obligation to step into this situation unless directly attacked by the Republic. I will not put the lives of my countrymen at risk to aid in a task that is not mine to accomplish. You have the manpower of the former Cretian king, Lord Grumman, as well as your own Aerugonians to use as you please. I trust you will know what to do without my help," Matthew read, his voice growing more angry the more he spoke.
"No! This must be a trick, I refuse to believe he would do something like this," one of the Amestrians exclaimed.
"Perhaps your king isn't as noble as you had assumed," one of the Aerugonians countered in a bitter tone.
"At least my king hasn't placed all of us in a place to die!" was the vehement response.
"Enough!" Andres interjected in a voice full of more anger than Riza had ever heard from him. "We do nothing for our cause by making such accusations. The Republic army could be here any moment, we must focus on the battle."
"But how are we to win? Even if they've sent only a portion of their army, we're still grossly outnumbered…and very few of us are even trained soldiers. We'll only be slaughtered."
The harsh reality continued hitting the downtrodden queen in waves. She couldn't even begin to form words as she realized the situation they were in.
It's my fault. It's all my fault. Everyone will die because of me. Because of the foolish choices I've made.
Then, suddenly, the worst thought of them all came to the forefront of her mind.
Roy must truly hate me. If he would let all of us die…he will never again love me.
Shocked, overwhelmed, and trying her best to prevent the impending meltdown, the Queen of Aerugo shakily rose to her feet and placed her hand on her stomach as if that would stop the waves of nausea as they hit her. King Andres and Matthew watched her warily as she walked resolutely out of the main tent, facing the rest of their gathered troops with dread. She couldn't even make eye contact with them as they all began to realize what was going to happen without the help of Roy's army.
With mechanical movements she turned and walked away from the group toward the edges of the camp. She heard multiple different voices calling out to her in an attempt to get her to stop but she couldn't even recognize who they belonged to…too focused on her and her people's inevitable death at the hands of the Republic.
Once she was closer to the outskirts of the camp, she broke out into a sprint heaving her heavy limbs across the hills, desperate to get away…desperate to forget.
All that they had been through. All the love they had shared. It was nothing now. There would never be a salvage. They would fall to the Republic, who would no doubt go after Amestris once the blood was cleaned off their swords. All the ones she loved at the Amestrian castle would probably also perish. Sir Havoc and Lady Rebecca. Lady Helena. Margaret. Sir Alphonse and Edward.
Winry.
Once she was sure she was far enough away and her lungs refused to take in any more air, she abruptly came to a stop and hunched over. This time she allowed the bile to spew from her mouth as she gagged and heaved. Her breathing came out in harsh, ragged breaths. The world spun around her and she struggled just to remain on her feet.
Everyone will die because of me. I am so unworthy. Father should have never chosen me to lead Aerugo.
The self-doubt and loathing overwhelmed the queen and she let loose a harsh sob. The cries wracked her body and she didn't even attempt to hold them back. Not caring for her surroundings, she screamed and cried for the loss of what could have been. What she had chosen to give up.
She barely registered the sound of approaching footsteps as she continued to sob. When she turned and saw King Andres watching her with a pained expression, she cried harder. He did not make a move to comfort her, but he also refused to admonish her.
"A-Andres…" she finally got out in a shaky voice, tears streaming down her face. "Y-you were wrong. You were so wrong! He has abandoned us…he has abandoned me. I loved him…I love him and he has forsaken me. Everyone will die now…because of my mistakes."
"Reina," the Cretian king croaked out. "You must not blame yourself. Everyone here made their choice knowing what could happen."
"No!" she screamed. "None of them knew this would happen. They trusted us, they trusted me and I've put them all in danger. I don't deserve to ever be called a queen."
Another thought abruptly occurred to her and her cries quickly died down, a blank resignation filling her. "I should be the one to die. I deserve to. All of you should flee. You still have time!" she turned back toward Andres who gave her a shocked look.
"R-reina. How could you even suggest such a thing?"
"Because I must! I must die. Perhaps if the Republic kills me, they will count their revenge enacted and save the rest of you." It was a foolish thought, especially given everything that they had discovered about the Republic, but she needed something to hold onto right now. Perhaps if the others fled now they could avoid the worst of it all and live in hiding during the Republic's inevitable rule.
The idea became so solidified in Riza's mind that she completely ignored Andres's protests and resolutely made her way back to the camp. She would encourage everyone to leave while she was left to die as was fit. This way she could escape at least some of the guilt.
Here again, she was being selfish.
She was only able to make it a few steps before she felt steady arms grabbing her and turning her around. She tried to struggle out of Andres's grip, but he was too strong. He enveloped her shaking body and hugged her tight to his chest. This only caused more tears to spill forth.
"Riza," he spoke softly, rubbing a reassuring hand across her back. "You are not to blame. The Republic…the Homunculi purposefully deceived you. They were the ones who brought you here. In the end, you chose your kingdom over love and that is not a decision that should condemn you to death."
His words were reassuring and strong but the battered queen could hardly listen to them. She shook her head and pulled back from the older man, though he still kept her close. "You're wrong, Andres. You're so wrong. Your idealism has always been admirable, but I can't run from this reality any longer."
At her words, Andres's hands went from around her waist up to her cheeks to cup her face and force her to look him in the eyes. He wiped away her tears as he spoke. "What reality? Even if we are to die, we will die together…fighting for a cause we believe is right."
"No," she croaked out, trying not to cherish his comforting words and motions. She didn't deserve them. "You should save yourself. You all should!"
"I will not make the decision for everyone else, but I refuse to turn away now. I will die beside you, Reina, if I must. If anyone has mistakes to atone for…it's me. If I had led my kingdom better…if I had changed all the corruption…we wouldn't even be standing here today."
Riza said nothing in response to that. They didn't have time to argue over who was the worst ruler. It seemed as though Andres had made his decision, but the others could still be spared. She wiped away her tears as best she could and straightened her shoulders.
"Then we should go, and give that decision to everyone else…while we still have time," she spoke in a resigned voice before she turned and walked back toward the camp without letting Andres offer a pointless rebuttal. He watched her leave with heartbroken eyes, but he seemed to know there was nothing else either of them could do.
Upon her return, she was surprised to see everyone bustling about, sharpening weapons or gathering supplies and armor. Some stopped to give her uncertain glances, but most went about their tasks as if nothing had changed. This confused the queen, but she continued along to the center of the camp to gather Lord Matthew, Sir Cormac, and the other leaders. Once the noblemen were standing together outside the main tent, awaiting her commands, the others slowed to stop and listen.
"My fellow Aerugonians," she began in a shaky voice, loud enough for everyone to hear. "As well as the noble Amestrians and Cretians who have gathered here for a righteous cause…I am truly sorry to have failed all of you. I have no words that will absolve what I have done. I have led you all into danger, but know I never had any intention of causing harm to anyone. I wanted what I thought was best for my kingdom…for all our kingdoms. I was wrong, and now we are all facing the reality of a battle we might not win."
She took a breath to gather her thoughts and the entire camp remained silent. "We don't know when the Republic will descend upon us, but I'm certain you still have time, if you wish, to save yourselves and flee. Return to your friends…your families. I have no guarantee of what your lives will be like once our enemies win, but I want you to know that you have the opportunity to turn back…and no one shall pass judgment if you do."
She waited another moment as she let everyone process this idea. They all looked around, wondering if anyone would take the queen up on her offer. For now, they remained frozen in place.
"If you do choose to ride into battle, I shall lead you from the front. I have already accepted my fate, as is deserving, but I will not back down. If I even take down a single member of the Republic, I shall count that as a victory.
"As we wait, think amongst yourselves and make your choice. For those of you who stay, I shall meet you at the battleground."
Without another word, the queen turned and retreated back to her small tent. She didn't have the heart to watch as everyone fled. She knew she had wronged her people, and they would likely make the best decision for themselves and their futures, but that didn't stop her from lamenting the loss of her reign. The loss of everything she had taken pride in as the Queen of Aerugo.
The moment the Republic army descended upon them, it would all be over.
The end is approaching, my friends. Though it might not be quite as terrible as Riza has imagined ;)