In the kitchen Wei worked quickly to fix Peizhi's mistake. The Dowager Empress specifically requested a croquembouche. He refused to disappoint Lady Xue. Wei cracked six eggs into the mixture of water, flour, butter, sugar, and salt, using a wooden spoon to fold the them into the mixture. The chef didn't have the time to properly reprimand the hapless server. Instead the chef relegated Peizhi to dish duty. Wei warned him if he broke so much as a teacup he was out of a job.

He transferred the dough into a piping bag. While Wei took care of the puff pastries his sous chef whipped up a new batch of the cream filling at his station. Wei garnished the first tower of pastries with primroses crystallized in white sugar. Thanks to a misfortune of his own making he didn't have enough candied flowers left for another one.

Wei used the remainder of the edible flowers to make primrose water. At the time he thought the out of season blossoms would otherwise go to waste. Nothing turned Wei's stomach like letting good food go to waste. Everyday people in the Imperial City went hungry. Wei survived the better part of his woebegone childhood by eating out the garbage.

He wasn't ashamed of it.

Not anymore.

Turning a blind eye while your the most vulnerable citizens starved in the streets? Now that was worthy of shame. He thanked the gods Ling Yao valued the welfare of his people over his own opulence.

Wei would hate to have to poison him.


"No one cares about your little vanity project."

"That's it! Let's take this outside!" Edward challenged.

"Sit down, Ed," Al said.

"I'm going to knock those glasses right off your smug face," Edward snarled.

Alphonse stood from his seat, got right in his face, and declared, "If you don't sit down and shut up right now I'll throw you out of here myself."

"You're seriously going to let him talk to you like that?" Ed balked.

"I wanted to hear what he has to say. I'm not going to let you make any more of a scene than you already have. I don't need you to fight my battles for me," Alphonse insisted.

"I don't want to fight either of you," said Sebastian.

"Nobody asked you!" Edward snapped.

"I want to get your idea off the ground!"

Edward and Alphonse both looked at him in surprise.

"I've worked on election campaigns. I know how to fundraise. I'm not very good with people, but I know how to organize them," Sebastian continued.

The Elric brothers took their seats. Edward Elric crossed his arms over his chest; Alphonse Elric folded his hands on the table before him.

"I'm listening," said Alphonse.

"Everyone seated at that table today has an agenda. General Mustang is here to establish a resident embassy. I'm here to ensure your proposal is a success. If you still want to take this outside that's fine, but I'd prefer to take this to the library."

Alphonse Elric didn't need to think twice about his answer.

"Library."


"Where is your guard detail?" Lan Fan demanded.

"Lieutenant Gao," Ling summoned. The bodyguard stepped into view from his vantage point on the other side of the pillar. Ling placed the fork on the empty plate. "Would you please take care of this for me?" Their secret keeper took the plate off the emperor's hands and made himself scarce.

"As you can see I'm well protected," Ling eliminated the space between them. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Lady Lan Fan Liu Zhang, you are beautiful."

Lan Fan's heart fluttered.

"The dress is beautiful," Lan Fan demurred.

"It's beautiful on you," Ling corrected. He leaned down again to kiss her. Lan Fan pressed her gloved fingertips against his lips.

"Remember where we are," Lan Fan warned.

His Lordship took her hand.

"Forgive me," Ling implored, and kissed the back of her hand.

Lan Fan scowled at him.

"Don't be mad," he cajoled.

"You invited my mother."


Sebastian Schuyler.

Xiang repeated his name silently. He searched for his sister with a smile on his face. He hoped Edward didn't punch his own country's diplomat. Truth be told, Xiang hoped to have a sparring match of his own with the Fullmetal Alchemist. Maybe Ed could give him advice on how to outsmart his sister the next time they went toe to toe.

He passed by the dessert table and stopped for another serving of strawberries. Out of the corner of his eye Xiang saw Lieutenant Gao emerge from the shadows. Xiang turned his head, watched the bodyguard approach a server collecting empty glasses, then returned his attention to the alcove.

It looked like the sort of place he might find his sister. Besides Edward had shoved him in this direction. Worst case scenario he could hideout while he finished his food. Xiang wandered over with the snack and strolled into the shadows. There he found the emperor in hushed conversation with his sister. He froze at the sight of them. Lan Fan looked upset.

It looked like a lover's quarrel.


"I wanted to apologize to your mother in person," Ling explained.

Lan Fan shut her eyes, pinched the bridge of her nose, and sighed.

"Bad idea," she declared.

"Lan Fan-"

"She doesn't listen!" Lan Fan interrupted.

"You're not listening to me," Ling pointed out.

Lan Fan looked up at him with a frown.

"I'll make it right," he promised.

Ling gave her a reassuring smile and tugged on a lock of her hair. The show of affection transformed her frown into a diminutive smile. Not knowing when he might have another moment alone with her he took a chance and stole a kiss.


Xiang dropped the bamboo skewer in his candy coated strawberries hit the floor with a crack. Crystallized sugar shattered at Xiang's feet. He looked down at the mess in dismay. Fragments stuck to the tops of his brogues. Sugar crunched under his shoe as he took a step back. He lifted his gaze from the floor and locked eyes with his sister.

"I'm sorry!" Xiang panicked.


Edward walked himself straight to the bar and took a seat. He had orders from Al to get a cup of coffee and sober up. Ed didn't think he was that drunk but he decided not to argue. While Ed waited he loosened the stupid tie Al coerced him into wearing. He tapped the fingers of his right hand on the bar top in agitation. The bartender who served him amaretto coffee instead of espresso pulled a bottle of champagne from an ice bucket.

Ed watched the man peel gold foil away from the neck of the bottle and twist off the wire cage around the cork. The bartender covered the cork with a white linen napkin, put one hand securely over the cloth, and twisted the the bottle with the other. Ed barely heard the cork pop over the noise of the party. He made a mental note to give the technique a try sometime. The last time Ed opened a bottle of champagne the cork went flying. Not to mention a good fourth of the carbonated alcohol spilled over the side.

Then he noticed the guy sitting next to him had an empty espresso cup in front of him. "Hey," Ed pointed at the cup and saucer, and asked in Xingese, "How do you order that?" As luck would have it the person next to him turned out to be Lan Fan's cousin. He didn't answer. It didn't look like he was all there.

Is he drunk?

The crystal tumbler in his hand slipped from his fingers and his head dropped forward. Edward caught the glass of water.

"Whoa!"He set it on the bar top then gingerly placed his hand on the guy's shoulder. "Hey, are you okay?" After a few seconds Lan Fan's cousin lifted his head. He looked confused and his pallor concerned Edward. "Hey," Ed snapped his fingers in front of the guy's face. The pale young man pressed the heel of his hand to his right eye.

"Hm?"

"What's your name?" Ed asked.

"Junjie," he mumbled.

The name rang a bell.

This must be the prince of the Zhang Clan.

"Hi Junjie. I'm Edward." Ed fished his pocketwatch out of his waistcoat and took Junjie's pulse. "You feeling dizzy?"

"A little," he replied.

"Well, your pulse is normal. That's good. Want me to get you some more water?"

The prince nodded.

Edward waved down the bartender.

"Can we get some water and two more of these?" Ed asked one of the bartenders and pointed to the espresso cup in front of Lan Fan and Xiang's imperial cousin.

Which makes him Ling and Mei's brother, Ed thought.

He regarded Prince Junjie more closely. Ed could sort of see a resemblance between the former and current prince. Princess Mei didn't look much like either of them. Speaking of Mei, the theoretical alchemist wondered if he should go find his brother's alkahestry teacher. Junjie seriously did not look well.

The bartender served them two single shots of espresso, refilled Junjie's depleted tumbler, and poured a second glass of water. Edward thanked the gentleman behind the bar. Meanwhile, Prince Junjie's head dropped forward again and jerked back up. Ed snapped his fingers in front of his face again.

"Stay with me."

"I think perhaps I should retire for the evening," The Ninth Prince responded.

"How about you sit and drink your water?"

Edward's suggestion came too late. The prince ragdolled to the floor, hitting his head against the edge of the bar on the way down, and the alchemist swore loud enough to draw attention.