It was only two weeks later that the king passed away. The funeral was filled with nobles from all over the kingdom; men who'd benefitted from years of war and expansion by the king's hand. On the streets, however, life went on. Men and women ran their shops, whispering about the prince soon to take the throne. With the pressure of the public weighing heavily on his shoulders, Roy relied more than ever on his trusted adviser.

"You will be crowned next week." The blonde reminded him. It wasn't as though he could have possibly forgotten, but he'd had so much else on his mind. "The people need you to be strong. They need you focused." She told him.

The prince nodded tiredly, reading over the same page of the newest proposition for law that had landed on his desk. His brows furrowed as he took in the words scribbled along the paper. "Who submitted this?"

"I believe it was the late king's adviser." She wasn't looking toward him, instead Riza was reading over another stack of papers at her end of the desk. She only glanced up at him when she heard his chair slide back against the floor. "My lord?"

"I'd like to discuss this with him personally." He stopped her from standing, raising a hand gently. "I can handle this alone, Milady. Continue working, please." For once he was grateful for her silence, as she turned back to the pages in her hand and he slipped out the door.

The previous adviser, an older noble scholar with long gray hair, hid away in his chambers. Roy's knock on the door was quickly answered with a stumbling man, disheveled in the doorway. "My lord. I was just packing my things. No reason for this old man to stick around anymore, I suppose." The bitterness in his voice was not missed. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Roy stepped forward, inviting himself into the mess of trunks and bags being stuffed full of the finer luxuries that the man had been able to endulge in throughout his years. The other man removed himself from the prince's path as he entered, backing up, almost tripping over his own belongings in the process. "I came to discuss with you the proposal that came to my attention." The younger man explained. "I thought maybe you could help explain this."

There was a smug grin that fell upon the nobleman's lips. "I'm sorry that Lady Hawkeye wasn't able to properly review this with you, your highness. I'd be happy to be of assistance."

"Lady Hawkeye is not of concern." Roy told him, a harsher bite than he meant to expose in the statement. "This is the proposal that a king must have a queen of noble blood. That nobility must marry nobility." His dark eyes were firm on the man before him. "Since when did we allow such a discriminatory class system within the courts?"

The smile dropped from the other's expression. "This wasn't only a proposal of my making, sire." He explained. "It was brought to me by concern of the other members of the court. Your outreach to the common people, making one of them into your advisor at that... it's concerning."

"So you will make a low that effects the affects the entirety of the court because of your concern over my own relationships?"

"Not the entire court, sire, Knights are free to marry as they please."

"This will not come to pass." The prince stated, firmly. "Not by my hand."

"Sire, I must warn you...going against the grain when it comes to members of the court can result in losing their support. The common people may outnumber us, but they don't have the funds to run this country. You need our support." He bowed, leaning low before the future king. "Perhaps a law is too much, but please...consider it my last piece of advice that I offer to the throne."

"He might be right, you know." The bespectacled knight lifted a drink to his lips, setting his glass back down before continuing. "You don't want support from one class over another, anyways, but from the whole country. That's what she's pushing for, too, isn't it?"

Roy nodded, looking into his own glass of ale. "I haven't even told her my feelings and already we're doomed."

"That's assuming she'd even return your affections in the first place." At his friend's glare, Maes couldn't help but laught. "I'm only joking. Who could turn down a king, anyways?"

There was a light chuckle as the prince thought it over. "She could. With ease." He commented. "But there's no point in trying, now."

"Plenty of kings have mistresses."

"No." His voice was firm, almost offended by the proposition. "She'd kill me for even suggesting it."

"You really do love her, don't you? Over all the women you've known?"

"I've known none since she returned." He admitted. There was a gentle smile on his lips he couldn't rid himself of when thinking of her. Since she'd returned, she'd been by his side, faithfully assisting him in anything she could. Even if he didn't ask, she was there. She read him like a book, bringing him water when he didn't even realize he was thirsty, calling for lunch before he knew he was hungry. She knew him better than he even knew himself.

There was a hard slap that landed on the prince's back, causing him to choke on his drink as his friend laughed. "The womanizing prinec has finally grown up and met a woman. I knew it'd happen eventually. Gracia doubted you. Thought you'd end up in an arranged marriage." He teased. Any excuse to bring up his wife, really. Roy was surprised it'd taken so long into their conversation to do so.

"I still might." He reminded his friend. "The court won't stand for my being with her. And she's more valuable than a mistress. I want all of her, or I want her to be with someone who can."

The knight frowned, taking another drink as they fell briefly into silence. After a moment passed, he finally spoke. "Maybe you can get the court to like her. Or approve of her, at least."

Roy shrugged. "I'm not sure how I can do that. They've already made up their minds."

"By following her advice. Let the country see how valuable she is to us."

"I planned to do that anyways. But I could credit her more. Let them realize all she is doing." He nodded him to herself. "She is nobility now. I've given her that place. Her bloodline has nothing to do with that and I'll make sure they realize it."

"Lady Hawkeye has advised me..." These words began one announcement after another. It was days before his coronation, and all he'd been able to tell the court was what Lady Hawkeye had advised. His smile was proud, despite the glare that could have burned holes into the back of his robes. It wasn't until he turned to meet those sharp brown eyes that his heart fell to his stomach.

She was mad. He'd angered her. Roy couldn't imagine just what she was going to do, or say once they were away from the grand hall and the crowd. Nevertheless, he exited, allowing her to fall in step behind him. An apology was ready on his lips before she cut him off.

"What in the hell was that?" She was close, eyes focused on his, nose just inches from his own. Any other time, the proximity would have been welcome. The fire in her eyes, burning him from the inside, however, caused him to recoil from her presence. "What were you trying to accomplish with that performance?"

Roy was taken aback by her aggression. "I was just trying to give you a little more credit for all of your hard work."

"For playing you like a puppet? Because that's how they see me, now."

"No, no. I just wanted them to see how great of a job you're doing, that's all."

"They will know that based on how well you do yours. I don't need you to give me credit on all these ideas. Many of which, mind you, were yours."

He frowned. Roy couldn't recall the last time he'd been scolded, but he'd never felt so small from another's words in his life. "I was just trying to make them see that you are fit for the job. I was trying to get them to like you. Is that so bad?"

Riza sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Why do I care if they like me?" She mumbled. "I'm your adviser. My job is to make you look good. My own reputation is irrelevant."

Roy fell into a chair, deflated by her words more than she could possibly know. Now more than ever he wondered what the point was in even trying. Even if they could be together, she clearly didn't want to. "I'm sorry." He said softly.

"It's okay." Her voice had fallen to a calmer tone, her anger subsiding. "Thank you for your concern, sire."

He laughed. "Most people would never get away with talking to royalty like that."

The blonde gifted him with a smile, infectious as it crept on his own lips. "With all due respect, your highness, I'm not most people."

"You're certainly not." He told her, laughing softly. "People are put on trial for much less."

The playfulness in her eyes caught his breath. "Try me." She teased.

There was a trust between them, he realized. She was allowed to show him all the fire within her. She could scold him without reprimand and he could revel in her warmth. He was able to be weak and foolish with her. They were simply themselves together. Their relationship, in a word, was honest.

"You're too valuable to try." He told her. "I'll just have to deal with getting yelled at." He laughed, once more, still smiling up to her. "You really aren't like most people."

The blonde chuckled softly. "And if I have my way," she told him, "you won't be like most kings."