I've been waiting to write this chapter for literal years. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

The Queen of Aerugo was awoken out of a fitful sleep by the sound of a horn being blown in the distance. The minimal light seeping through the openings of her tent suggested that dawn was just beginning to break. She hadn't gotten much sleep the night before (or really any night since she had first gotten the news of the approaching army's advances). Her limbs were sore and her mind was wired.

Still, she knew what that sound meant.

Today will be my last, was her initial morbid thought. She was surprised at the peace that overtook her after the realization. She wasn't afraid. She wasn't unsure of what was to come. She was simply resigned to her fate.

A commotion arose in the camp as the horn continued to sound, signaling the first sign of the approaching army. Riza slowly got up from her cot and walked to the small satchel she had brought with her. She took out one of the few remaining riding dresses she had hastily stuffed into the bag and quickly changed. Though it hadn't been her intention when she had been haphazardly throwing clothes and supplies into her bag prior to leaving for the northwest camp, she noted how fitting the dress was for the occasion. A plain, grayish-brown smock meant only to be practical in the face of battle.

This is an appropriate death shroud.

She shook her head, reminding herself to stop acting as though she was already buried six feet under ground. Just because the odds were stacked immeasurably against them, didn't mean she wouldn't fight to the death. While she had made many mistakes during her reign, she refused to die anything but a noble death.

She wrapped a large belt around her midsection and hooked her sword to her side. She then grabbed her trusted bow and quiver of arrows, relishing the comfortable feel of them in her hands. She turned toward her pieces of armor before she paused, a thought occurring to her.

No point in protecting myself from the inevitable. Better to let someone else with a chance of living use these.

She took a long, steadying breath, mentally preparing herself for battle before she walked out into the camp. Almost as soon as she had revealed herself, a quiet hush descended upon the area. Everyone seemed to stop and watch as she made her way to the outskirts, intending to walk toward the hill and see what they were truly up against. She said nothing as she sifted through the crowds of people, wondering why so many of them were still here. Surely they knew their best chance of survival was to run. Perhaps they were intending to surrender, though Riza suspected the Republic army wasn't capable of having mercy.

Once she had reached the outskirts, she spotted Lord Matthew and King Andres. They were each fitted in their armor with words at their sides. When they turned and noticed her, they watched her approach with wary eyes. She could no doubt guess what they were thinking.

"Do you intend to keep your heart unprotected, cousin?" Matthew asked, his face masking all emotion.

She looked ahead and replied, "If I am to die by an arrow or a sword through the heart, then so be it."

Andres huffed at that answer, but he said nothing as they continued on toward the top of the hill.

"Why are so many still here?" she asked as they walked.

"I'm not sure," Matthew answered, his eyes quickly glancing toward the camp. "Sir Cormac sat down with a large group last night to discuss their intentions, but they said nothing to us. I suppose they want to surrender rather than flee."

Riza gritted her teeth, having come to the same conclusion. "Let's hope that decision doesn't condemn them."

Andres and Matthew wordlessly agreed as they continued on. Once they rounded the top of the hill and the trio was able to get an unobstructed view of what they were up against, Riza sucked in a large breath.

"It's worse than I imagined," she spoke in a somber tone as she glanced at the slowly approaching ranks of Republic soldiers. They flew the flags of both Creta and the Republic and looked ready to fight. As they neared, they were able to get a better look at the ones who led.

Andres shook his head. "They didn't even bother sending their leader." Riza had also noticed that King Bradley was not leading the force. He must have assumed this battle would be so easily won there was no point in even being there for it.

"I do recognize that one," Riza spoke as she was able to get a clearer look at the frontlines. She noticed the familiar figure atop a white horse, their long hair falling around their face and an evil look in their eyes. "They call themselves 'Envy'. They were there when I met King Bradley."

"So they must be one of the Homunculi. Here to do away with us once and for all," Matthew spoke in a resigned voice.

"We won't make it easy for them," was Riza's simple reply.

"We'd like to help you in that task," a new voice spoke up from behind them. They all turned and Riza was shocked to see Sir Cormac leading almost the entirety of their allies up the hill. Some were on horses, others stood strong with swords and shields in their hands, ready to fight.

"S-Sir Cormac. What are you doing?" she asked in a shocked and confused tone.

The older man smiled gently at her and spoke, "We couldn't possibly let our queen go into battle alone. We will stand and fight behind you."

"But..you see what we're up against. The chances of survival are slim to none!"

"Yes, we know. But all of us made a decision when we joined this cause. We can't let this corruption continue. As long as the victims keep turning into the abusers, this cycle of violence will never stop. We want to do everything we can before our time is up."

The queen was shell shocked at his confident words. She looked around at the others behind him and saw similar confident expressions. They were all dead serious about this.

"I-I don't-" the queen stammered out as she tried to grasp what their decision meant.

"You speak of your mistakes, Your Majesty, but deep down they were all motivated by your loyalty to your kingdom and its people. We know you want to do the right thing by all of us. You are our queen and we will follow you even into death."

Sir Cormac's words floored the queen. She couldn't fathom what she had done to deserve such loyalty but there was no convincing them otherwise, it seemed. They would all go into battle as one.

"You are all good men and women," she spoke in an emotional tone. "I am more honored than I can even begin to describe to lead you."

At that, Sir Cormac gave her another smile and turned to where one of the Aerugonians was leading a few horses up the hill.

"Your steed, Your Majesty," he simply spoke as Riza took the lead of her horse and mounted it with sure steps. She turned back toward the Republic army and watched as they began their advance. She took a steadying breath before unsheathing her sword and raising it above her head, the others following her lead.

"For our kingdoms, for the ones we love, and to create a future where we can all live in peace…we fight!" she shouted before kicking her horse into motion and dashing to meet the encroaching Republic cavalry. The others followed after her with shouts of their own, knowing these moments could be their last, but that they had joined this cause for something greater than themselves. And they were willing to die for it.

As the enemy soldiers grew closer, Riza thought of all that had happened in the last few years, and really her entire life. She thought of her coronation and how terrified she had been to step into the role of her kingdom's leader. She thought of the night she had found Winry sobbing in her bedroom, her sheets covered in blood after she had been assaulted by Andres's young son. She thought of the day Winry had been born, and her mother had died. She thought about the day she had made her return to Amestris, much in the same way she was doing now, valiantly riding into battle for the sake of her sister.

She thought about Roy, and the moment she realized her feelings had grown far deeper than she could have ever imagined.

Her heart still ached as she thought of Roy leaving them to die on this battlefield, but she supposed she couldn't fault him too much. She had made her choices, and he had made his. As she lived her last moments, she silently granted him her forgiveness, and she hoped he would her grant his own…even in death.

With her hand gripped tightly around her sword and the sight of Envy and the other approaching Republic soldiers, she braced herself for the inevitable clash.

Before she could even complete a swing of her sword, a large explosion of red smoke and flashing lights erupted between their group and the approaching army.

Almost immediately, her horse came to an abrupt stop. Spooked, the steed raised its front legs and neighed loudly, nearly knocking Riza to the ground. She struggled to control the animal as fear and confusion erupted within her. The others riding behind her made similar motions at the sudden stop and looked wildly around. The red smoke seemed to completely envelop them, blocking their view of the Republic soldiers.

The queen's first thought was that this was one of the Homunculi's magic tricks. She knew they were more familiar with the more mystical arts than any group, so she wouldn't put it past them to trap the group in a cloud of smoke. But still, they had immeasurably more soldiers and stronger equipment than her own group could ever manage. They wouldn't need to resort to such tactics to win this battle.

More flashes of bright light erupted before them and Riza had to cover her eyes at the sight. She kept her sword at her side but didn't see any enemies to strike at. Her heart beated wildly in her chest and she and the rest of her followers could do nothing more than wait for the smoke to dissipate.

Before it could, a handful of riders on horses dashed past them into the fog. She heard the distinctive clang of steel hitting steel and the shouts of Republic soldiers being attacked and falling. She looked back at Andres, Matthew, Sir Cormac, and the others and noticed nearly everyone was accounted for. She had no idea who would be so aggressively attacking their enemies, especially with vision so limited.

She could only watch in awe as more riders dashed past them and more enemies fell.

The smoke finally began to clear and Riza watched with shocked eyes as the Republic army retreated against the unseen onslaught, thoroughly taken aback by the distraction of the smoke and flashing lights.

A small sliver of hope began to form deep within the queen as realization dawned on her.

"Fancy meeting you here, Your Majesty!" a jovial and distinctly familiar voice said behind her. She turned wildly toward the sound and widened her eyes in disbelief.

"E-Emperor Ling!?" she exclaimed in shock as the young man rode up to her, his trusty bodyguard at his side, looking out for blood.

He stopped beside her as more riders (who the queen came to realize were Xingese warriors) dove into the cloud of smoke and slowly pushed back the Republic army. "Sorry to sneak up on you like that. Those Xingese smoke and flash bombs can be quite the shock if you're not ready for them."

"I-I…how did you-...what is-," the queen barely managed to stammer out. The Emperor of Xing could merely laugh at her befuddlement before he spoke with a cheeky tone.

"The Xingese have a way of appearing when you least expect them. It's one of our many strengths. But I heard from a reliable source that a certain Aerugonian queen had had much success using the element of surprise in battle before."

Riza's eyes widened even further, if that was possible. She couldn't think up a response to the Xingese emperor, too taken aback by this turn of events.

Ling's smile turned coy as he tilted his head behind them, in the direction they had no doubt come from. "Speaking of, you might want to head over there. I brought some friends with me that have just been dying to see you. I think we have everything handled here."

His words caused an electric thrill of excitement to run throughout her. What he was implying gave the queen an immeasurable amount of hope that she hadn't been prepared to ever experience again. She almost didn't want to believe it, given everything she had been through.

Shouts of victory and joy were heard in the distance and Riza turned her horse around to face the direction of the camp. The other members of their group had seemed to notice something and were flashing smiles and looks of sheer relief to her as she led her horse toward the noise.

Her body seemed to be in a fog as she passed her people. She motioned her horse into a gallop and sped past the camp, to the east side. More Xingese calvary ran past her, but she couldn't even begin to focus on them, too intent on rounding the hill that protected their eastern side. She couldn't see anything or anyone yet but she knew. She knew what she would find.

And the sensation of relief was unlike anything she had ever experienced.

As she got closer to the top of the eastern hill, the mud soaked ground slowed her horse down significantly, which just wouldn't do for the desperate queen. She stopped the animal and hopped off its back, running toward the apex of the large green hill, slipping a few times in the mud.

When she finally, blessedly, made it to the top, her eyes fell on a magnificent sight and the Queen of Aerugo had to stop herself from weeping.

The encroaching army held the flags of Xing as well as another kingdom's. The closer they got, the better she could make out the distinctive green pattern.

The representation of the monarchy of Amestris.

The queen could only watch in shock as the Amestrians and Xingese made their way toward their camp. She couldn't even make out the entirety of the group, but she could already tell they grossly outnumbered whatever soldiers the Republic had put together. The calvary rode past the camp and joined the Xingese force. She watched as the Republic began their retreat, not having expected such a large backing to the small group that had gathered along the Amestrian-Cretian border.

But then again, they hadn't expected them either.

The closer they came, the more the queen was able to make out familiar faces. She noticed Sir Havoc and his trusted squad first, standing tall and true. They locked eyes with her and smiled, knowing how shell-shocked she must be at the surprise. Other faces began to stick out. Sir Breda and the reconnaissance team. Lord Falman. Sir Fuery.

The tears nearly threatened to spill forth at the sight of the golden blond heads of Sir Alphonse and Edward Elric, side by side, ready to defend her and her causes.

A choked sound erupted from her when she recognized the long blond locks of the woman sat confidently upon Riza's trusted white steed next to the brothers.

Winry.

Her sister met her shocked gaze with the same self-assured glance the rest of them were flashing her. If Riza had been present when they decided to make the journey here to fight, she would've opposed her sister's presence on the battlefield. But in that moment, she had never been more elated to see her younger sibling.

Then, as if drawn by an otherworldly force, Riza's eyes found the one at the head of the formidable army. Who led, front and center, with such grace. Such confidence. As if there wasn't anything else in the world they were meant to do.

Riza couldn't even begin to form a coherent thought as she recognized the shock of dark hair and piercing eyes of the man she thought would never love her again. He was here. He was here to defend her. To defend her soldiers. To fight for the justice she had believed in.

He hadn't abandoned them. He hadn't abandoned her. He was here and they would win this battle.

Possibly even this war.

The sound of footsteps approaching barely even registered in the queen's mind as she stood, fixated on the form of her king at the head of his army.

"In the end, Reina, I was right," came Andres's self-assured voice. "He will never be afraid to fight for you."

Andres's words, harkening back to their earlier conversation at the safehouse, along with the appearance of everyone she had come to love and had lived with at the Amestrian castle there to save them from certain death, became too much for the frazzled queen. Her knees grew weak and her breathing hastened. She felt the world spinning around her and knew she needed to get away, fast.

Without another word, she turned and ran back to her horse. She mounted the steed and kicked it into motion, riding past her people, the Xingese, and the head of the Amestrian army. She still couldn't manage to tear her gaze away from Roy's. He was giving her a look not even she could understand, and it unnerved her more than anything. She swallowed heavily and rode away, toward the nearby river they had relied upon for months here in the countryside.

She needed to process everything. She needed to come to terms with the fact that today wouldn't be her last. And there might actually be a chance to salvage the most precious thing in her life. It was a difficult thought to wrap her mind around and, despite how cowardly she knew it made her look, she needed to get far, far away from everyone and everything.

The Amestrians watched her go in silence.

Princess Winry watched her sister flee with a resigned calm. She couldn't even imagine what emotions were whooshing through her at the moment.

When Roy had relayed his plans to her, she hadn't exactly been excited about them. She knew how heartbroken Riza would be if she thought he'd abandoned her. She knew the guilt and the self-blame she would experience would be substantial and part of her never wanted to subject her sister to such jarring emotions.

But she also knew how much better this would all work if she and the others didn't know they were coming. Emperor Ling's army held newer advances in war technology that would greatly benefit their side, but they had to be brought out at the most opportune time. She remained ever grateful the Xingese decided to follow their cause, understanding what their victory would mean for the future of all their kingdoms. She was grateful for their support.

"Where is she going?" Edward asked from Winry's side. In any other instance she would've rolled her eyes and admonished her fiance for being so daft, but she couldn't fault his reaction. No one knew her sister better than she did.

"She needs some space. Riza has always had a hard time dealing with her emotions. I can only imagine how overwhelmed she must feel now."

"Can't be helped, I suppose," Alphonse added. "The king's plan worked to perfection. They're saying the Xingese have already driven the Republic back into a retreat. Now we'll have time to regroup and figure out our next move."

"Which will be to drive them all the way back to the capital of Creta. We're not stopping until those bastards are dealt with," Edward vehemently responded, a hardened look taking over his handsome golden features.

"And it will be up to the kings to decide on that. For now, we wait," Winry wisely responded. The brothers knew that when Winry referred to 'kings' she included her sister and King Andres, as well. There were four kingdom leaders in one place now, ready to take on this formidable foe, and bring reform to all their lands.

Her eyes turned toward King Roy, who watched the place Riza had quickly run from with wistful eyes, no doubt weighing his next move. He knew he had to stay and lead his army until they were certain the Republic was retreating.

But she also knew how much he ached to see Riza again.

It wouldn't be long now.

Riza pulled her horse to a screeching stop as the first glimpse of the nearby river finally came into view. The winds blew strongly across the water, but the queen paid no mind to the way her golden locks flew every which way and her simple dress billowed out. She leaped from the horse without a care and struggled to keep herself upright, the desperation making her movements frantic.

With sure motions she yanked the bow and quiver of arrows off her back and tossed them to the ground beside her horse. She did the same with the belt holding her sword in place as well as her cloak. Having lightened the load, so to speak, she motioned for her horse to stay before breaking off into a sprint toward the water.

She had to keep moving, otherwise the flood of emotion threatening to completely break her would finally take hold. She ran past the area of marshy grass surrounding the river bank, fighting against the tears wanting to sprout forth as she went.

She reached the muddy river bank and slowed her movements slightly. Once she eventually had to come to a stop (lest she jump straight into the dangerously fast-moving water), her chest heaved as tried to take in much needed oxygen. She leaned over and tried to prevent the vomit that wanted to arise out of her stomach. She felt sick, she felt overwhelmed, she felt anxious…

She felt relieved.

He's here. He's actually here. They're all here. They didn't abandon us. They can help us win.

Before she could prevent it, the scariest thought of all leaped out at her.

I've done nothing to deserve to be saved.

It was the strangest mixture of relief and self-loathing. Of elation and disgust. She had expected her life to end. She literally felt as though she was walking toward her end as she approached Envy and the rest of the Cretians and Republic soldiers. When she first saw Emperor Ling coming to her rescue, followed by Roy and the Amestrian army, it had taken everything within her to not collapse in shock.

To think that they'd still be here. To think that after everything...after her betrayal...he would still come for her.

"In the end, Reina, I was right. He will never be afraid to fight for you."

Andres's words rang through her head on repeat. When he had first relayed his thoughts on how Roy would act, she thought he was being his usual idealistic self. To think that he'd been right...all along he had known...it overwhelmed her in ways she couldn't describe.

She continued to heavily breathe before the exhaustion wore out and she collapsed to her knees on the muddy ground. She hunched over before dry heaving a few times as the nausea grew.

She should be dead by now. She had accepted her sentence. She had deserved it. She had placed all of her people in danger because of her own choices...it was only right. But now...but now…

Her thoughts were harshly interrupted as she heard the faint sound of an approaching horse.

Her entire body froze as she realized there was only one person who would've come after her.

With slow and mechanical movements, she leaned back before shakily standing to her feet. She continued to stare ahead at the river as the familiar clacking of hooves against the ground grew louder. After gathering enough strength, she slowly turned to face the sound. It was difficult to see given their distance and the light mist that hung around the area, but she knew...oh how she knew.

The closer he got, the more she was able to make out his figure. A dark figure on a dark horse. Fighting for her. Running after her. She had once thought such a possibility would only happen in her wildest dreams.

Her face was flat and she said nothing as Roy rode his horse right up to the edge of the river bank. His own expression was equally emotionless as he slowed his horse to a stop before slowly dismounting, his dark eyes hardly ever leaving her. He trudged across the mud before stopping a few feet away from her. Not close, yet not too far.

They said nothing for longer than they both knew.

Gods...he's here.

The emotion became more overwhelming the longer they held each other's gazes. The wind continued to whip around them but it was as if they were in a completely different world. She knew she needed to say something...anything...but finding words was impossible in that moment. She blinked a few times as the moisture collected but she knew she couldn't let it spill forth. Not now. She had to be strong.

She took a deep, steadying breath before saying the only thing she could think of in a voice cracked with emotion.

"You lied to me."

It was silent for a moment as Roy contemplated this statement. It wasn't necessarily accusatory, but certainly not kind. She watched in wonder as he finally looked away from her, the smallest inkling of a smile appearing on his handsome face.

"No," he countered in a confident tone, meeting her shocked gaze once more. "I surprised you."

A beat passed between them as his words washed over her. Before she even knew what had happened, the tension practically drained from her body and she let out a huff of exasperation.

I'm in love with a complete fool.

A smile began to form on her own face at his confident and slightly cocky expression. Before she could stop herself, she ran the short distance between them as if pulled by an unseen force. As naturally as ever, he wrapped his strong arms around her, hugging her tightly against his chest.

The sensations rushing over her were otherworldly. The feel of his arms and the scratchy fabric of his cloak as he surrounded her. The erratic pace of his heart. His familiar scent. His messy black hair between her fingers as she clutched at him. It was far too much for her to handle.

Overcome with all the emotion of such a long awaited reunion, Roy let loose a joyous noise before lifting her clear off her feet and spinning her around with the happiness of a child. She couldn't keep in the small laugh that burst forth at the act. Part of her wondered if she'd ever see him again...let alone feel him...and feel happy with them.

They had a long and rocky road ahead of them and there was much to do...but they still had this moment.

Roy eventually placed her back on her feet and pulled away slightly. The look he flashed her nearly had her collapsing into a puddle at his feet. Had they not been about to face what would likely be the most difficult battle of their lives and had they not just gone through a horrific parting caused by things that still needed to be addressed, Riza might have actually given into the look of pure adoration on his face.

But...despite all the happiness and the relief of this moment...she still had an emphatic point to make.

Her face abruptly shifted as she leaned away from him far enough to land a rather jarring punch to his upper arm. He stepped back in surprise, clutching his upper arm, yet still able to let out a befuddled laugh. "What the hell was that for?"

"Because you're infuriating!"

He watched in amusement as she balled her fists up angrily and huffed at him. "Honestly, I can't even believe you sometimes. I thought I was leading myself and my men to our deaths, Roy. How you could not even tell...how can you just show up out of nowhere...hoping to come swoop in and save the day when I...ugh, I really hate the way your mind works sometimes."

"I'm sorry," he told her, not even having the decency to gather up even a small fraction of sincerity.

"No, you're not," she countered, placing her hands on her hips.

"You're right...I'm not," he returned simplistically before reaching for her again. She tried to side-step away from him but he was far too fast (and far too desperate) for her to avoid him. She grumbled, but still relaxed in his arms, curling up against his chest as he placed his chin confidently atop her head.

It was strange, the way their relationship worked sometimes. They still had beliefs that they held to. They both had made mistakes that had yet to be addressed. They had a menacing foe to face together and there was plenty of uncertainty of the future. But they were drawn to each other so well...their feelings so secure...that even this didn't feel foreign or unwanted. They knew it was temporary, but they needed to be here with each other.

Then they could face the future side by side, rather than apart.

If yall want to know the soundtrack of this fic, play "Ard Ui Chuain/Sadhbh Ni Bhruinneallaigh" by the Celtic Woman live show from 2017 for that last scene because that is the MOOD