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Chapter 21

"I wonder if the food taster is alright."

Roy turned to his wife, who sat down on the bed and muttered.

He scooted over to the side and wrapped an arm around her waist, and placed a kiss on her cheek. "I'm sure she is. She's trained to be immune to poison, remember?"

"Well, yes..." She muttered and rested her head on his shoulder.

He laid down, bringing her with him before kissing her on the lips, then placed the thin blanket over their body. He wrapped the arm back around her, pulling her to an embrace, resting her head right under his chin, and caressed her hair. "Don't worry, Riza."

"Roy?" She looked up at her husband in slight confusion.

"I won't let anyone lay a finger on you and our child." He said, his voice stern and his onyx eyes were full of sincerity.

She blinked, before letting out a smile. Oh, how she adored this man.

Riza cupped his cheek with a hand as she chuckled, "I'm not even pregnant yet."

He pouted jokingly. "You know what I meant, darling." He then returned the smile and cradled her head to capture her soft lips with his.

She returned the tender kiss and laughed a light-hearted one as he nuzzled his nose against hers when they pulled away.

"I love you." She confessed, a whisper against his lips.

"I love you too." Roy murmured back, his voice low and husky. "Let's sleep now."

She nodded, and they shared one last kiss before she tucked her head under his and closed her eyes.

"There weren't any clouds in the sky just an hour ago..." Roy grumbled under his breath as he watched the rain pour whilst walking around the guest manor Ling had offered them to stay at, and his wife merely chuckled. "But this place is really big; it's twenty times bigger than our whole mansion."

"There are a lot of people living here after all." Riza nodded. "I've only gotten to walk around the centre of this place, and see a few palaces."

Roy hummed, "Now that I think about it, I still haven't been to the imperial harem palaces..."

"...Well, I'm a bit curious too..." She muttered.

He grinned. "Well then, I'll ask Ling if we can visit the harem palaces."

She raised a brow, "Aren't you excited?"

"No worries, my dear." He said, the grin on his lips widening. "I won't adopt the idea of having a harem."

"Of course not." She scowled.

They walked inside a miniature pagoda in a lotus pond and sat down, side by side.

"What are your plans when we get back to Amestris?" Roy asked whilst watching the raindrops hitting the surface of the water and the pink lotus flowers.

"I'm planning to stay at home for five days, to take care of White Fubuki, then I'll be off to the Central trip." She replied, then hesitated slightly before lightly tugging the rolled-up sleeve of his shirt.

"Hmm?" He adverted his full attention on his wife.

"Would it be alright to build a shooting range inside our mansion?" She asked. "I don't want to lose my touch."

He couldn't help but frown slightly but nonetheless nodded.

She offered a tiny smile. "Thank you, Roy."

"Riza."

"Yes?"

"When was the last time you practised sharpshooting or combatting?"

"The last time I held a rifle was when you were at Drachma, I went to the Headquarter's shooting range. Under disguise." She replied, "I practise hand-to-hand combatting with Rebecca once in a while... and sometimes with the bodyguards you assigned."

"Wha– You practise with them!?" Roy nearly exclaimed, flabbergasted.

"Well, yes... I'm used to Rebecca's fighting style so there's no point in fighting her." Slightly startled by his reaction, she placed a hand over his.

He stayed quiet for a while, before saying. "...From now on, I'll be your combat partner."

"Do you have the time to?" She raised a brow. "You have enough work to do."

"Then I'll finish all the work before six-thirty." He crossed his arms with an expression that resembled a fuming child. "By the time I get home you'll be done with yours too, right? Then we can spend half-an-hour practising. Truth be told, I'm starting to get a bit rusty at combat, and I don't like the idea of being useless on rainy days."

She chuckled. "So you're admitting to it."

"Only because my darling wife tells me this way too often." He narrowed his eyes at her.

She let out another chuckle and kissed his cheek, and he peered down at her and blinked, before leaning down to capture her lips with his. "Useless during rainy days, huh?" He murmured against her lips, then moved up to nip her ear. "...At least not impotent."

She felt a light blush crept to her ears, and she placed her hands on his chest to push him away. "...What are you on about!?"

He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in to sit her on his lap, and kissed her nape.

"Roy, wait–" She attempted to push him away again, though was cut off when he took her hands with his unoccupied hand and kissed her soundly on the mouth.

He slipped his tongue inside her mouth when she parted her lips and massaged hers with his whilst moving the hand on her waist to her thigh, caressing the smooth skin and eliciting a muffled protest.

"...What's wrong?" She asked when he finally released her lips and raised a brow when she noticed a pout.

"...You could have told me that you needed a combat partner..."

She blinked at her husband, before letting out a chuckle, and grinned. "Jealous?"

He heaved an exhale and spoke, and she detected irritation in his tone. "I don't exactly appreciate having my wife share excessive body contact with someone else... What do you wear during your combat sessions?"

"Lingerie. Your favourite pair." She said coolly, and heaved a sigh at his dumbfounded and stunned expression. "I don't know what you have in mind, but I wear my black turtleneck and old uniform pants."

"Good..." He muttered, then smirked. "Though I would definitely not mind you wearing babydolls when it's with me."

She scoffed, then crossed her arms and said teasingly. "Are you sure you would be able to put up a fight?"

"Oh?" He raised a brow, his boyish smirk widening. "Is that a challenge I hear?"

"You tell me," She returned the smirk and whispered. "Flame Alchemist."

He let out a low growl, and moved a hand down, slipping it inside the high slit of her pale pink qipao dress and groped her arse, enticing her to stifle a gasp. "Speaking of which, you don't wear those babydolls to sleep anymore."

"...Maybe whenever you win, I'll wear it to bed." She said.

His eyes brightened, and his grin couldn't get any wider. "And what if I lose?"

She hummed, "Then we sleep in different rooms."

"No." The smirk immediately disappeared and was replaced with a scowl as the grip around her tightened.

Riza chuckled and spoke quietly as she touched his forehead with hers. "...I wouldn't like that too."

"No worries then, my dear," Roy said, the grin reappearing on his lips as he rested his forehead against hers. "I wouldn't lose."

"What makes you so sure?" She whispered, her warm breath lingering on his lips.

"I just am." He murmured back. "And don't you think it's a waste for you to not wear those? Rebecca ordered all those for you."

She scoffed. "I never asked her to order them. What am I supposed to wear to sleep in winter?"

"We have heaters in the room. Plus," He spoke huskily. "I'll keep you warm."

She ignored what he said and hummed, "Combatting with you, huh? I'll look forward to it."

"Is the food taster alright?" Riza asked as she and her husband sat down behind the long table in between them and the Emperor.

He nodded. "She just woke up a few hours ago, so no worries, Mrs Mustang."

She offered a smile. "I'm glad."

"By the way, I didn't know that you have a qipao." Ling grinned whilst taking in at the sight of the First Lady in the pink dress, enticing her husband to narrow his eyes.

"Hmm? Oh, Roy bought it for me the last time we came to Xing." She replied.

"Oh? During the honeymoon?" He asked, and commented. "How sweet."

"Yes..." She glanced at her husband with a soft smile, in which he returned.

Roy glimpsed outside the window and said with a defeated sigh. "It's still raining heavily... such wonderful weather."

"You don't like the rain?" Ling asked.

Riza stifled a chuckle and said. "It's because he can't use his flame alchemy in this weather."

"Ah... No wonder Ed refers to you as Colonel Useless sometimes."

"What!?"

Riza sighed as she ran a hand up and down on her husband's back soothingly.

"That shorty..." Roy fumed.

"Well, to be fair, I think I was the one who started it..." She muttered.

Ling laughed, and Roy let out a cough. "Anyways, let's get back to what we were supposed to talk about."

"If memory serves right, it was you who started the conversation about the rain... But yes, the alliance regulations..." Ling spoke.

"One: To not invade, and to defend when invaded by other countries," Riza said, and the two men nodded.

"Two: To share currencies of both countries." She continued, "And three: To expand the trade route. That is what you have come up with so far, anything else to add, gentlemen?"

"Hmm... What do you say, Führer?" Ling said, "Silk for jewellery, weapons for technology, and maybe alkahestry for alchemy?"

"Alkahestry for alchemy?" Roy raised a brow, "I doubt that you need alchemy if you already have the knowledge for alkahestry."

"Really? I find it less practical than alchemy." The Emperor rested his chin on top of a hand, "Or it might be because I'm used to alkahestry."

The older man glanced at the woman beside him with softened eyes. "...It did save my wife, thanks to your sister."

"Ah. The promised day." Ling muttered, then offered another grin. "I heard from Mei that you held her tight enough for the wound to nearly reopen."

"Uh, well..." Roy stuttered, "...I was panicking, couldn't help it."

"I wasn't expecting that either..." Riza let out a chuckle and placed a hand on his knee.

"Back to what we were talking about," Roy said with a cough whilst resting his hand over hers. "Since we are combining our military forces, we should hold military exercises perhaps every year."

Ling nodded in agreement, "That'd be nice... How often does the Amestrian military hold a military exercise?"

"Around once a year." Roy replied, "It's usually the East against the North, and the West against the South, but I'm thinking of changing it to a draw, so it's random every year."

"I see.." The Emperor gave another nod. "By the way, I've heard that it was just two weeks ago when you signed the peace treaty with Drachma?"

"Yes." The older man said, and joked. "Just tried Drachman cuisine for the first time, I'm sure you would like it."

"Definitely." Ling grinned, "And speaking of which, I'm sure you have heard of the Empire of Yamato?"

The two nodded, and Riza spoke. "The island nation near the east of Xing?"

"Mm-hmm. I visited there a few months ago to discuss the trade route." Ling said, "The food there is wonderful. The way they handle seafood is quite different than how we do, I recommend you to go there. Since it's an island nation, they have a lot of resources, hence their development in technology is... quite something."

"Are you planning to form an alliance with Yamato?" Roy asked.

"Eventually, I suppose." The younger man said, "And you? How are you dealing with your neighbour countries?"

"Führer Grumman has ended the conflict with the Milosians as he returned Table City to them, so now I'm planning to settle things with Aerugo and hope to sign a peace treaty with them." Roy heaved a stressed sigh, "Thank goodness Führer Grumman stopped the war, but the tension is still there."

Riza knitted her brows as she muttered, "And the last time the Aerugonian officials visited, it didn't exactly end well."

"...Right. I remember that; Sorry for what... Greed did." Ling said apologetically. "I'm glad you are alright. I assume it was Führer Mustang who came to the rescue?"

She let out a chuckle, "Yes, it was... He burnt the whole tower down."

"Woah." The Xingese young man's eyes widened, "The whole tower!? To ashes!?"

"I didn't have any other choice," Roy said nonchalantly, then muttered in a lower tone. "Those bastards had the guts to try getting rid of Riza..."

"But how did you find out?" Ling asked curiously.

"I was coincidentally at the same room and overheard Greed and Bradley's conversation," Roy replied, then glanced at his wife with knitted brows. "I tried to stop her from doing it, but she shot me."

"I–" Riza started, feeling slightly embarrassed. "You know that if I didn't follow Bradley's orders, they would have done something to you."

"...You even helped to frame me for assassinating Claudio." Roy crossed his arms at her in a jokingly manner. "Hated those cells; they were so small, dark and they smell weird."

"Roy..." She narrowed her eyes at her husband, "Maybe I should have kept you there."

Maybe I shouldn't have brought this up... Ling thought to himself and waved at the couple. "My, my, let's stop with this conversation for now."

"A peace treaty with Aerugo, huh?" Riza hummed to herself and turned to her husband who was sitting on the bed.

"I can't risk having another war start again," Roy said as he ruffled his bangs to let them down. "I'll prevent it at all cost."

She frowned slightly as she watched him heave a sigh, his expression tired and she noticed light wrinkles and dark circles under his eyes. She knew how stressed he was with the international relations with the border countries, and she was relieved that the powerful, Eastern country was their ally. She headed towards him and bent down to plant a kiss on the crown of his head before wrapping her arms around his neck.

He sighed against her and returned the warm embrace, and looked up at her as he spoke softly. "Take a bath with me?"

She nodded.

...

"Do you have an exact plan?"

"About the peace treaty with Aerugo?" Roy asked his wife who settled comfortably on his chest, her head leant back and rested on his shoulder. "...I don't know. Even though it wasn't the real prince who appeared in Amestris, it still left a bad impression on both Amestrians and Aerugonians."

"...To think that it was the head of the mafia who played the prince." Riza uttered, "Though I wonder how Elena is right now. She seemed to have like Ametris."

"She'd probably be heart-broken if she finds out that Alphonse has a girlfriend." He said jokingly.

The blonde ignored what he said, and spoke. "But I suppose it's reassuring that there's someone we know from Aerugo."

He pouted at her reaction and nodded in agreement. "I hope that makes things easier."

She turned her head to kiss his cheek. "I'm sure it'll succeed. Do you know when you'll contact the Aerugonian officials and offer the peace treaty?"

"As soon as I finish dealing with certain cases, I will propose the peace treaty to them." He replied.

"Cases?"

"Hmm." He hummed a response, "Apparently there were witnesses of Brigadier General Reyes having shady tradings with anti-Amestris Aerugonian organisations, according to Breda's report."

"Is he in charge of the Southern Headquarters?" Riza asked as she knitted her brows.

"Yes, but not for long." Her husband replied and rested his cheek on the top of her head. "Did you know that he was one of the people who made up rumours about me when I was still a Colonel?"

"I can imagine." She said. "He's the one who wanted you to marry his daughter right?"

"Yes."

She let out a chuckle, "I wonder if he was also one of the people who spread rumours of me sleeping with you to get promoted."

He laughed. "Ah, those."

"How rude of them." She crossed her arms, "I would never do that just for a promotion."

"We all know that you wouldn't, darling. But," He wrapped his arms around her tightly and leant down to nip her ear. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea."

"...What are you on about now?" She scowled, prying his hands off her.

He watched his wife inch away from him, and moved towards her with a grin, wrapping his arm back around her. "The office sex, the scandal, the thrill."

"And the risk of getting fired." She snorted and raised a brow. "Or do you imagine it?"

He hummed, kissing her neck.

She sighed, "But I don't understand where they get the idea from. What made them think that you were my type?"

"Oh?" He pulled away and said with a challenging tone as he crossed his arms childishly. "Then pray tell, what was your ideal man like, Mrs Mustang?"

"Hmm... I fancy a man who doesn't slack off, does his paperwork properly without complaining and only focuses on one person." She stated in a mockingly serious tone.

"Well I hate to break it to you, love, but that sounds awfully a lot like me." He retorted.

"Really," She rested her chin on his shoulder and peered up at him with a glint of mischief in her honey hazel eyes. "Mister Playboy?"

"Just for your information, the dates I went out on was just to–" He opened his mouth to protest but was cut off when she let out a light-hearted laugh, and he pouted before giving a chuckle of his own and lightly bumped his head against her forehead. He smirked, "So you were jealous."

She scoffed. "Was not."

He pulled her by her arm and settled her on his lap, and secured his arms around her waist. "Hmm?"

"Fine." She admitted bitterly, her brows knitted to a light frown though her cheeks were painted in a light shade of red. "I understand if you went on dates to collect information, but was there a point in wooing every female in town?"

"Had to keep up my reputation." He smiled sheepishly, trying not to boast. Seeing his wife's slightly irked expression, he chuckled and pulled her down for a kiss.

She groaned against his lips, but complied to his request when he cradled her head, and responded to the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and moved a hand up to the back of his head, threading her fingers in his damp, raven hair. Deepening the kiss, he slipped his tongue inside her mouth to entangle with hers, and she let out a muffled mewl of his name before pulling away from his lips.

She lowered her lips down to his neck, placing light kisses and nips on the flesh. She released her arms that were around his neck and moved them down to his back, her hands roaming on the smooth skin as she suckled on his neck, leaving dark red marks. Her hands moved to his toned stomach, her fingers caressing his muscles. "It's not fair." She murmured against his skin. "All you do is sit on your chair and do paperwork. Do you have any idea how hard I work to keep fit?"

"For your information, Riza," He grunted, tightening his hold on her waist. "I do workout once in a while."

"Oh? How surprising." She said and bit her lip to withhold a gasp when he cupped and squeezed her arse. She shot him a glare before pressing her lips against his skin, placing kisses down from his jaw to his shoulder, then suddenly bit down on the muscle, eliciting a pained yelp from the raven-haired man.

"Ow." He pouted at his wife as he felt her run her tongue across the teeth mark.

She stifled a chuckle and said. "Sorry. Couldn't help it." She leant away an stood up, and stepped out of the large wooden bath tub. "Where were we up to? The alliance terms? Was there anything you wanted to suggest?"

He followed her out and handed her a towel. "Hmm…" He grinned, "Maybe—"

She sighed, "No, never mind, shouldn't have asked."

"You didn't even let me finish." He moued.

"Though," She squeezed her hair with the towel before wrapping it around her torso and turned back to him. "But what he said about alkahestry for alchemy, wouldn't it be good for developing in the medical field?"

"You're not wrong, but... how exactly do we trade the knowledge?"

"Books and scrolls?" She suggested but knitted her brows. "But there's a certain risk that it could fall to ill-minded people's hands if we allow the knowledge to be easily accessible."

He nodded in agreement, then said. "Maybe if it's restricted within the military and government-related field."

"But speaking of technology," She said whilst putting on her underwear and tying the belt of the bathrobe loosely around her waist. "I am curious about the Empire of Yamato. Emperor Ling did say that their technology is quite advanced, so I wonder what it's like, though it must be very far away."

"Since they're still building the railway, I think it'll take around thirty-six hours of horse-carriage from here to the East of Xing, and an extra three hours of boat journey from there to Yamato."

She hummed, "Then it'll take more than two days from Central City then."

He offered his wife a smile. "We can ask him more about it tomorrow."

Riza headed towards the bed and sat down, letting a sight out. "...How stressful."

He too heaved a sigh and sat next to her, his brows knitted and his expression tired. "Can't help it; It's being the Führer, after all."

She placed a hand over his, her fair features wearing a worried expression as she gazed at the dark circles under his eyes, and she kissed his cheek. Her heart fluttered as he flashed her another smile.

A/N: Sorry for not updating for a month! I just finished my finals, and boy did I screw up bad.

This chapter is kinda... random (as always). Sorry. Now that I have the whole month off, I will try to upload more often!

Still hope you enjoyed the chapter! Reviews are much appreciated:)

P.S: Re-uploading this because I forgot to say Happy new year!

Hope you'll have a wonderful year in 2019:)