{-Alfonse-}

He really didn't want to be doing this. He already regretted it and he'd only been sitting here for five minutes. The amount of time it took Henriette to decide if she wanted another sugar cube or not was excruciatingly long.

Alfonse had spent a couple hours at the library looking through the records. It seemed like all Emblian activity suddenly stopped about nineteen years ago, besides merchants (which, not surprising but definitely interesting, half were marked as "Anna" under the name column; though the name disappeared entirely around eight years ago). There was also the possibility Zacharias's mother had used an alias and claimed herself a merchant, or that she got smuggled in somehow. But, having gotten everything he could from the records, he'd resorted to his, regrettably, second best bet.

Though at the moment he was beginning to think he'd had better luck speaking with his father.

Henriette sipped a bit of her tea, flashing him a smile. "You've got perfect timing. I don't even think I remember the last time we had tea together. Wouldn't it be lovely if Sharena could've been here, too? She's doing well, right? Oh, and what was with her lack of letters a few months ago? I was beginning to think the two of you thought you were getting too old to be associated with your mother anymore. I tried asking her about it but she completely ignored me. That's not like her at all." She took another sip. Then she kept talking. "Also, I'm still waiting to meet Fauna. I want to make sure my kids have good company. Really I'm starting to wonder if maybe you don't want me to meet her? Are you friends with a bad girl, Alfonse? It's okay if you are, but I'd like an answer. I won't be mad, promise."

It took him several moments to evaluate her questions and then a few more to find a way to answer them all. "Yes, Sharena's fine. We got really busy for a while so she didn't really have much time to write and send letters, that's all." He knew the exact timeframe she was referring to, but he kept it vague to honor their general agreement of let's-pretend-like-it-never-happened. Not to mention Henriette would probably not like what happened in the slightest. "And no. Fauna is pretty much the exact opposite of a 'bad girl.' She's been waiting for an opportunity to meet you, things just keep getting in the way."

"You know I've seen her coming out of the castle a couple of times," Henriette pointed out. "It wouldn't be too hard to pop by our room, would it?"

It would, actually, because their father would be in there. But Alfonse didn't say that. He chose to continue on with the reason he was here. "I didn't actually come here to have an idle chat and tea with you, Mother," he admitted. "I came with a question."

"Just like your father," she sighed. "You only come to me when there's something you want. Yes, dear? I'm listening and I'll try to help the best I can."

"You…wouldn't happen to remember a visitor that came here over eight years ago, would you?" He almost wished he hadn't been studying at all the possible times a guest could've come. Then this whole afternoon could've been over by now. Alfonse realized he didn't actually know the exact time. "May or may not have come across the border..?"

Henriette thought for a moment, sipping up more of her tea. "There was, actually. An old friend of ours." That couldn't be the same person he was hoping it would be. "Your father wasn't very happy to see her in Askr, though. I didn't have time to ask her how her son was doing before she left." Okay, now this might be the same person. "Why? Are you doing some kind of report?"

"Er…I guess you could say that," Alfonse said. "Can you tell me a bit more about her?" If he could just make sure this was the right person, he could get to the question he really wanted to ask. At least this gave him enough time to figure out how he was going to say it.

"She'd always been interested in her family," Henriette continued wistfully. "They meant the world to her. She had a son not much older than you, actually. And, well, I think you've met her daughter." She frowned a little, like what she normally did when she was reminded of something she did't like. "The Emblian Princess, I mean."

Alfonse's moment of victory was extinguished by confusion. "Wait, you used to personally know the Emblian royal family?" It made sense, but the idea of them being close and then raging war anyway didn't make much sense.

Henriette smiled. "Of course! We'd go on double dates all the time before you were born. When we found out I was pregnant with you, we joked a bit about if the two kids would fall in love with each other. Then you turned out to be a boy, too." Wow, she was making him very confident that she wouldn't disown him when he finally actually told her. "You know, I didn't think we'd ever not be friends. But then, well…your grandfather died in the hands of…ahem…her…after a lengthy battle with death. To put salt on the wound, Embla turned out to be lying about the portals. You should know what happened after that."

He didn't think he'd ever seen his mother try so hard to avoid something. She didn't look at him until she'd finished. And he had a feeling from the way she said it "battle with death" meant more than it might seem. It only left him more confused and mildly curious as to what it really was.

"So, when you saw her again, do you remember what she told you?" He really hoped she'd know something.

She shook her head. "That's something you'll have to ask your father. I wasn't there—Sharena needed me and by the time I got back I'd just missed her. I'm sorry."

"Dammit," he sighed. Alfonse then realized what he said, and the unhappy look his mother was giving him. "I didn't say what you thought I did..?"

"No, I'm pretty sure of what I heard," Henriette remarked dully. "But you're an adult now."

Alfonse got up, knowing it was his time to leave. "Thank you for your time, Mother."

Henriette waved goodbye. "It might not exactly help, but remember where we went for that new year's party? I know they know a lot about that kind of stuff; maybe one of them might be able to help you a bit more."

He nodded.

(A/N: HENRIETTE, STOP MAKING ALFONSE WISH HE WASN'T GAY. Just stop.

Also, what a fine time to mention that, in this AU, only Book I is 100% canon. Part of Book III probably will, but I'm not quite sure as of writing this.)