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Chapter 4

Riza stared at the mirror, blinked at the reflection of her shown on the glass, before twirling once more in her beautiful, floor-length gown, which was light blue in colour and strapless with a sweetheart neckline.

A tiny grimace appeared when she faced her back toward the mirror and turned her head to see the burnt marks and the tattoo clearly visible on her back where the dress couldn't cover.

She huffed and walked towards her bed, and picked the silky, light blue shawl up, and raised a brow at it as she thought, Good thing I have you with me. She then wrapped the thin shawl around her shoulders and looked back at the mirror.

Frowning slightly when the bold, red tattoo could still be seen (though faintly), she sighed and tiredly sat down on the soft mattress of her bed. Better than nothing.

A sudden knock on her door startled her slightly, and she unwillingly lifted her bottom off the bed and went to the door. She looked through the peephole, and a relieved sigh came out of her when she saw her dearest friend outside.

"Rebecca." She spoke as she opened the door. "I thought you're at the ball."

"Your dear fiancé told me to give you something." The black haired woman stepped into the flat and said as she leaned down to pat the Shiba Inu's head. She then turned to her friend to look at her properly and smiled brightly. "Ooh! You look really nice in that dress, did your grandpa give it to—Riza for god's sake, the ball is going to begin in less than an hour, and you haven't done your hair and makeup yet!?"

"… I took my time trying the dress on." Riza replied with a nervous smile. "You look fabulous in that dress, by the way." She commented as she pointed at Rebecca's boysenberry gown.

Rebecca huffed with her hands on her hips, then sighed and ushered her to sit down next to the mirror. "I'll do your hair for you. You can do your makeup on your own, right?"

"Umm…"

"You've got to be kidding me."

"I can do simple and basic makeup, in my defence." Riza crossed her arms.

Rebecca replied with a snort. "By simple makeup, do you mean just applying some lipstick?"

"Lipstick would be enough, wouldn't it?" Riza argued back as she took a few from her drawer. "Which colour should I use? And before you ask, no, I don't have a makeup counter."

"Not surprised anymore. You know you'll need one when you officially become the First Lady, right? You can't expect the First Lady to not know how to dress properly and present herself appropriately." Rebecca said as she braided the golden threads.

"Geez, Rebecca, I get it. I'm the first ever First Lady who has a terrible fashion sense, and doesn't know how to put on a face full of makeup." Riza grumbled.

"Use the raspberry pink one." Rebecca ignored her comment and gestured at the lipstick, and continued doing her hair. "I'm not saying that you have a terrible fashion sense, it's just that it can be better. Now that your fiancé's the Führer, I doubt that I'll still be the Führer's adjutant. Ah! I should be your stylist when you're the First Lady, what do you say?"

Riza chuckled as she applied the lipstick across her lips. "Sure, you can even be my secretary."

"Ooh, that sounds fun. How much will I be paid then, Ma'am?" Rebecca laughed lightly. Riza scowled, but it was immediately replaced by a surprised smile when her best friend placed her on her shoulders and grinned. "All done, soon-to-be Mrs Mustang."

Her hair was styled to a waterfall braid, and she reached a hand up to touch the wavy ends of her hair. "Did you curl it? How?"

"I didn't curl it, it's probably a bit wavy because it's messy. Did you comb your hair properly?" Rebecca leaned down to her level to look at the mirror properly. "Your hair's at this awkward length right now, so I thought this would be the most suitable hairstyle for the ball."

Ignoring the casually hurled insults, Riza smiled at Rebecca. "Thank you, Rebecca."

Rebecca's grin widened. "No problem, Ri- Ah! I nearly forgot!" She called out abruptly and rushed to the sofa where she placed her bag and took two boxes out. "The Führer told me to give you these. Take those off." She pointed at Riza's pearl earrings.

"What is it?" Riza asked with a confused look and unwillingly took her earring off, and nearly dropped them when Rebecca opened one of the boxes and showed her the content inside.

"How lucky." Rebecca pouted as she picked up an earring of a baby blue sapphire stud with a pearl pendant. She turned her head to face Riza, just to see a light frown settled on her brows, and she said. "C'mon, Riza. It's not that extravagant, and it's just for tonight. Consider them a gift from your dear fiancé."

"It's not like that, Rebecca. The earrings are fine; they're really beautiful. It's just that…" Riza took the pair of earrings and gently rubbed the stems with an alcohol wipe she took from the drawer before putting them on. "I think he's… well, he'll be spending too much on me."

"Of course you'd be worrying about this. Relax, Riza, let him. It took him more than a decade to get together with you." Rebecca ushered, and opened the other box, then commented. "So, is it you or him that likes pearls?"

"…Me, I guess, since the first pair of earrings I've ever owned were those pearl earrings, and it was a gift from him." Riza replied with a tiny smile and turned her back towards Rebecca.

"Hmm… I see. How sweet." Rebecca hummed and took a pearl necklace from the box, and placed it over the blonde's neck and clasped it for her. "There you go. Looks nice, doesn't it?"

"I guess…" Riza spoke softly and touched a pearl with her fingers, then turned to face Rebecca. "We should go now."

"Yep." Rebecca nodded, and the two quickly packed up and left.

Roy froze the instant he saw a smile grace on his fiancé's lips when she noticed him and speed-walked towards his direction with elegant yet lofty steps. His eyes widened, feeling blissful and breath-taken on seeing her wear the accessories he gave.

"Stunning would be an understatement on how you look, Riza." He eyed her gown, resisting the urge to ogle at how the dress compliments her curves, and said with a bashful smile, then caressed the sapphire earring stud and rested the snow-white pearl on his palm. "I'm glad you wore them."

Riza shivered ever so slightly when his gloved fingers brushed across the shell of her ear, and a light blush surfaced on her cheeks. She took the hand in hers, grasping it gently and chuckled lightly. "Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself, sir."

"Sir?" He raised a brow at her and heaved a sigh. "Riza—"

"Führer Mustang!" Someone called out, and the two turned to the source of the sound. A middle-aged man in around his late fifties (A Brigadier General, Riza noted) approached them with a much younger woman.

"Brigadier General… Reyes." Roy greeted while placing a hand on Riza's waist to pull her closer to him. He couldn't help but stare down at the woman right next to him when a faint yet intoxicating, sensual scent of vanilla and sandalwood, with a hint of cinnamon, flowed into his nose. Riza merely knitted her brows in confusion at him when she noticed his stare.

He quickly averted his attention back to the Brigadier General and displayed his usual charming grin as he motioned towards the young woman next to him. "I assume this is your daughter?"

"Oh yes! My daughter, Lillian." Reyes patted his daughter's back lightly.

"Roy Mustang. Pleased to meet you, Miss Reyes." He gave her a polite nod and smile, while she bashfully nodded and greeted back, then he gestured towards Riza as he tightened his hold on her waist. "My fiancé, Riza… Hawkeye."

"How do you do." Riza offered Lillian a smile.

Lillian gaped at her and returned a stiff nod. "You are… Colonel Hawkeye?"

"Former Colonel, but yes." Riza raised a brow at her questioning tone. "Is there something wrong?"

"Ah, no. It's nothing, sorry." Lillian mumbled awkwardly, "Pleased to meet you… Miss Hawkeye."

After having another word or two, the Reyes' left, and Riza asked as she watched them walk away. "Do you remember every General's name? I don't recall meeting him before."

Roy took two glasses of champagne from a waiter who passed by and handed her one before replying. "I don't remember everyone's names yet, but I know him because he either glares at me out of nowhere for being promoted to a higher position than him or keeps telling me to marry his daughter. And he's not the only one."

She hummed a response and took a sip of her champagne.

"By the way, did you put on perfume?" He leaned down so his nose was mere millimetres away from her neck, and inhaled. "Hmm… smells like vanilla and sandalwood."

She stifled a giggle and suppressed the shiver when she felt his warm breath tickle her nape as he spoke, and she replied. "A bit. Rebecca told me to."

He chuckled at her reaction and wrapped his arm around her waist while continue sniffing her neck. "Smells nice. I didn't know that you owned perfume, did she lend it to you?"

She shook her head, "It was a gift from her, but I didn't wear it because I thought the scent was a bit too strong—Sir!" The blush reappeared on her cheeks and her form stiffened when she felt him press his soft pair of lips on her nape, and she placed her hand over his, trying to pry it off her, but her effort was futile. "Sir, please…"

"Please what, my dear?" He smirked teasingly and pressed another kiss.

"Sir, not in here. People can see us." She managed.

He let out another chuckle and loosened his hold on her. "Sorry, you're just too cute." He placed a kiss on her forehead, then said. "By the way, Riza, would you—"

"Führer Mustang!"

Roy groaned and whispered. "The sixth General of the night. Four came to me before you arrived, and it's only been half an hour since the ball started."

Riza chuckled, and patted his back.

"This is more tiring than I thought it would be." Roy huffed as they stood at the balcony, and stared up at the colourful fireworks displayed in the night sky.

"Is that so?" Riza asked, "I thought you're already used to this."

Roy turned his head to face Riza, and pouted as he placed his arm back around her waist, "Do you not feel tired?"

"Surprisingly, no." She rested her head on his shoulder.

He turned his head slightly to give her forehead a kiss, then spoke. "Imagine people who hate, and are always envious of you, suddenly started to treating you nicely."

She let out a light laugh. "Basically me and your fans; the ladies you woo, intentionally or not. They would glare at me so hard as if they were trying to bore holes at the back of my head."

"Really? I never noticed, and you never said a thing." He chuckled.

"That's because they'd never do that in front of you, and it didn't really affect me anyway." She shrugged.

He hummed and asked. "Then did it affect you in any ways when I went on dates?"

Her eyes widened a fraction, before replying as nonchalant as she could. "Who knows?" She let out a gasp when he squeezed her side, "Sir!"

"Are you saying that it didn't affect you seeing me go out on dates with other women?" He placed feather-light kisses on her ear, cheek, then back at her neck. He ignored her embarrassed protest and held her tighter as he murmured huskily, fanning his warm breath on her porcelain skin. "Do you have any idea how crazy it drives me when I see you with other men?"

"I…" She grasped the hand on her waist, unconsciously showing off her gleaming neck as his dark hair tickled her. "It doesn't really matter now, does it? You proposed to me, and I accepted it."

He let out another low hum against her neck, then pulled away just to turn her slightly to face him, and cupped her cheek with his other hand. "Would you have rejected me if I didn't propose in front of everyone?"

She stared at him, wide-eyed, with her hands on his shoulders, then adverted them away from his onyx eyes, and muttered quietly. "I don't know… Do I deserve this, to be able to be with the person I love and have a family with him?"

"Riza."

"You've done… terrible things too, but you've put an effort into atoning your sins, and restored Ishval, allowing the Ishvalans to return to their homeland. I… What have I done, except for just standing next to you and being utterly useless?" She continued, her eyes darkening with a sense of sadness, and her grip on his shoulder tightened as her voice trembled ever so slightly.

"Riza!" Roy lightly tapped her cheek and sighed a relieved one when her eyes widened and stared back at him. He moved his hand from her cheek to the back of her head and pulled her in closer so her head rested on his shoulder.

Stroking her golden locks while embracing her, he spoke softly in her ear. "Why would you think that you're useless? You've been anything but useless, Riza. If it weren't for your assistance, the Ishvalans wouldn't be in the rebuilt Ishval; and if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be standing here right now."

She stayed quiet but nodded, and Roy pulled away to smile warmly at her. "It's not like you to feel insecure."

Riza responded with a sheepish smile, and he leaned forward to kiss her nose, then moved down to her lips, but was stopped as she placed a finger on his lips. He looked up at her with a pout, and she bashfully spoke. "People can see us, and I have lipstick on."

"Let them see, then. Tell the whole world that you're mine, and that I'm yours." He whispered, and held her hand in his, then pressed his lips against hers for a light kiss.

"Sir…" She murmured against his lips while her cheeks started to heat up.

He peered at the door behind him. Closing the door roughly, he let out a low, husky growl before moulding his lips back against hers. "Call me Roy."

Her honey hazel eyes widened in surprise, but she soon closed them and kissed him back, while wrapping her arms around him. He gently cradled her head in his hand, and the hand on her waist tightened as he pressed her body flush against his.

He slipped his tongue out to give her lower lip a lick, and she opened her mouth, allowing him to plunge his tongue into her mouth. Their tongues danced fiercely for dominance, entangling each other's. He deepened the kiss, and her hand travelled upwards, slipping her fingers in his soft hair.

Pulling away unwillingly, they panted with flushed cheeks as they rested their foreheads against each other's, and her shawl fell from her shoulders to her elbows. "Riza…" He sighed against her lips and claimed her lips again. The hand on her waist crawled to her arse, and he squeezed it lightly, making her gasp.

He leaned away just to kiss her jaw and neck while she bit her lip and closed her eyes, enjoying the blissful feeling of his lips pressed against the flesh, and his tongue trailing and swirling on certain spots; her sweet spots.

Her eyes opened abruptly when she felt him suck on the flesh, and she placed her hands on his broad chest in an attempt to push him away as she mewled weakly. "Sir… Not there, people will notice it— Ah!"

She let out a cry as he bit down on her shoulder, and he immediately caressed the teeth mark with his tongue. "Say again, my dear?"

She peered down at him with an embarrassed glare and uttered. "R-Roy…"

He chuckled and continued kissing and licking her shoulder. "They won't notice it if you can hide it with your shawl, right?"

"Roy!"

He laughed lightly, and let go of her shoulder. She huffed as she fixed her shawl, but couldn't help but smile when he grinned cheekily at her. She placed a hand on his cheek, and brushed her thumb across his lips as she murmured. "You have lipstick on your lips."

"It's not that obvious, is it?" He asked, his arms encircling her slim waist, then rested his forehead on her shoulder and inhaled. "You ought to wear this perfume more often."

"I didn't know that you had a liking for vanilla, sir… Roy." She said in a soft and mildly surprised tone as she gently patted his head, careful to not mess his hair up.

"I didn't, but now I think I do, after having to smell you in this perfume." His lips curve up to a smirk as he purred in her ear. "Makes me want to kiss you over and over again."

She mentally cursed at her jelly legs that threatened to collapse at his sweet and alluring murmurs in her sensitive ear, but she managed to pull away from him, and she crossed her arms, the blush still on her cheeks. "So are you saying that you wouldn't want to kiss me if I didn't wear this perfume?"

His eyes widened, and he shook his head frantically as he explained desperately. "No, of course that's not what I meant, love. I—"

He was interrupted by her laughter, soft yet sweet and hearty, and he pouted. "Did you have to tease me?"

She waved it off casually and pulled him as she held his hands. "Come on, let's go back. I haven't gotten a chance to dance with you yet."

"Since when did you like dancing?" He asked as he followed her back in, delighted and surprised.

"I don't, but I just want to dance with you, it's not like we get to attend grand balls like this every now and then." She replied.

He blinked at his fiancé, before grinning a wide and broad one as he took her in his arms and placed an endearing kiss on her forehead. "Aren't I supposed to be the one to ask you to dance?"

A merry smile hung on her pink lips, and her twinkling eyes were saying, well, what are you waiting for?

His heart fluttered, and he pulled her close to him again. "May I have this dance, my lady?"

Her smile widened and brightened, and she whispered. "It'd be my pleasure to."

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Reviews are much appreciated :)