Partners in Crime

When he first stood among the many men meant to be stationed at the infamous Fort Briggs, Amestris' strongest line of defense, he knew great things were to be expected of him.

But he never expected to be serving under the direct command of the Ice Queen herself.

Olivier Armstrong.

Feared in battle by her enemies, held in high regard by her allies and her men and warned about by many officials claiming to have encountered her once or twice.

Caution was advised when facing one of the Armstrongs, but the Ice Queen proved to be a formidable person even outside of her family name.

Ruthless in battle as she was outside of it, the woman was every bit of the soldier like the hardened veterans that came limping out of the war with a missing limb and a grim expression foretelling of the gruesome scenes they have been forced to witness in their serving time.

Her status as a woman meant little to anybody that knew her, if addressed to her personally, it was rumored her icy gaze could freeze your very heart if one wasn't careful.

Miles knew, the fact she was a woman did not speak of her prowess in battle or her name, so he waited to see how the months at Fort Briggs would play out.

The arctic climate at North was merciless and cruel, Miles had been accustomed to the warm sandy terrain his people were known for, unlike this harsh, unforgiving land of ice.

In his time there, he experienced sides to General Armstrong he never heard of before.

While indeed very merciless toward her men, she never let any of them suffer for naught.

Yes, they worked tirelessly during the bitter winter and the chilling wind, but only if absolutely necessary and General Armstrong was always present to oversee their progress and lend a helping hand as well.

But she never let them die of frostbite or hyperthermia, always issuing her soldiers to enter the Fort and warm up before starting another task, leaving the kitchen to allow them to rest and eat to their hearts content.

A kind gesture, others may say. A strategic move, her enemies would say.

But Miles knew, General Armstrong had much more than the icy exterior she liked to showcase.

He met Captain Buccaneer relatively fast but disliked the man for his boisterous attitude. He had heard of him to be somewhat of a cavalier, but the man never disrespected General Armstrong.

Miles was sure he wouldn't live to tell the tale if he did anyway.

Buccaneer had an automail hand when he first came to Fort Briggs, unfortunately not adequately fitted to survive the harsh cold and Buccaneer nearly suffered from frostbite, until that is, General Armstrong intervened just in time and ordered him to be made new cold climate automail to withstand the weather conditions better.

Or in her words, 'As if I would let one of my men die from something as pathetic as frostbite,'

Being General Armstrong's right hand certainly had its ups, but Miles never took advantage of them.

He would never betray her trust like that and maybe, that was the secret to how their relationship worked.

The mutual trust.

The assurance that if worst came to worst, she would have his back and he would have hers.

For she didn't see the survivor of Ishval whose country has been exterminated and burnt down to ashes, she only saw the hard working and intelligent soldier and comrade.

She didn't care about his past and maybe that was also why her men followed her so.

She didn't care who came into her fortress, as long as they had the mettle to stay.

Maybe the Ice Queen wasn't as cold as she appeared to be.

And maybe the survivor from Ishval wasn't as indifferent as he liked to seem.

Maybe...the camaraderie between them was real and not just a figment of his imagination.

Thank you all for reading! :)