A/N: This is a test for the AU story I'm working on. I wanted to test to see if this would get any attention. Please let me know if I should continue or post the rest that I have started writing. Thank you! -Champ
Disclaimer: I in no way own Fullmetal Alchemist. I only own Alyvia.
"Alyvia!"
Shoot.
Father was going to snap her neck if he found out she was still outside, still covered in grime and muck. One false footing and her horse had thrown her into the lake. Her body was bruised from the stones she'd landed on, and a stick had cut along her hairline. Her tunic was torn as she let her horse roam loose in the stables, running barefoot towards the large white mansion shadowed by large oak trees. Her toes hurt from slamming against the mud but she pushed through the pain, rushing towards the kitchen door. A young woman with her hair tied back in three long braids raised her brow at the sight of the torn clothes and muddied feet, before shaking her head. "You've got to stop running around before dinner, dear."
"I wasn't running around, my horse threw me." She grumbled, wiping her filthy hands on a wet rag her lady offered to her. She froze midway, glancing up at the woman as the scents of the kitchen hit her hard. Dough and freshly cut meat were being stuffed into the ovens, while the cooks prepared the finest berries collected fresh from the morning. Red wine was being carried from the cellar by the servants in their best clothing; the ladies' hair pulled up in braids that flowed loosely down their backs while the men had tight buns. "Who's coming to dinner?" She asked as she finished wiping her hands off.
"I wouldn't know, dear. Two men, I heard from the cook's wife, but no more." The young woman offered her shoes with a wink. "I shall draw your bath quickly, I presume." She said, leading the sore girl through the kitchen and into the halls of the castle. Alyvia grumped, wishing men didn't have to constantly come by her home and beg for her hand in marriage, or for a business raffle with her father. Though she loved this lifestyle, it grew boring after a while. There was no interest in adventure amongst her elder brothers; the oldest, Jon, was stoic after being lectured constantly about being the next good lord of the castle while the other two, Mason and Hunter, were more cruel and mischievous. The lack of their mother had helped push them over into a more corrupted attitude.
The handmaiden nearly carried her up the grand staircase, protecting the deep scarlet silk from her muddy feet. Another distaste of guests; they required perfection throughout the house, and if there was one thing wrong, one little bit of mud in their sights, they would deny the beauty of the rest of the house and critique the service of the servants. She silently cursed as the handmaiden carried her past her brother's study. Hurry, she begged, as they reached the end of the hall where her room was. As soon as they were shut behind closed doors, she smiled at the thought of a hot bath. "How much time is there until our guests arrive?"
"You shouldn't talk like that about our guests. Who knows? Maybe you'll find interest in one." Her friend said as she drew the water, steaming from the heat. Alyvia smiled weakly, shaking her head. The young woman had grown up as her handmaiden, eight when she was born. Alyvia had known her longer than she had known her own mother. However there was only so much one lady could teach her, one that wasn't her mother nor who cared as much as a mother would. She felt her heart sinking as she stripped and sank into the clawfoot tub. Her mother was a sore subject in her family, even years later.
"I don't plan on marrying someone my father has offered for me." She retorted, scrubbing her skin with the hot water and the sweetest scented lavender her handmaiden could find. The bubbles soaked around her, washing off the stickiest muck and blood on her brow. Her lady frowned at her, confusing her as she tried so badly to relax. She needed time to relax; she didn't want to deal with guests, nor did she have time to impress any right now.
"So you dream of a knight to hold and caress you like a good man should, not only deal with you for children?" Her handmaiden sounded much more deeply in thought that she would have ever believed the woman could dream. The girl had a pleasant look as she prepared Alyvia's dress in the bedroom, setting the orange silk dress on the featherbed. Alyvia frowned, finishing her pleasant bath as her servant drifted off into the thoughts of marrying another man.
"I don't want a knight, but I do want a good man." Alyvia explained, smiling softly as she slid on soft cotton underclothes, followed by the form fitting dress that hugged her curves tightly. A feature she had heard she gained from her mother, as well as her nose and the color of her eyes. There was hardly any memory of the mother she'd been born too; just that she was a pleasant woman whose marriage to her father had gained the family a higher ranking in the social ladder. She turned towards the vanity, trying to ignore the cut on the edge of her hairline.
The handmaiden simply began to fix a braid along the edge of her hair. Alyvia noticed just how truly exhausted she looked as she stared into the mirror. That exhaustion made small ringlets around her eyes before her maiden began putting on the lightest bit of foundation on her cheeks. "I'm sorry you won't have someone to make you feel like you're the brightest gem on your darkest days, milady. It's just a simple fact that your father will most likely need to marry you off to secure relations with a higher ranked man for his money or his land… just like your mother." The lady continued, adding the lightest tone of pink to Alyvia's cheeks.
But she didn't want that. The thought of it all made her head hurt, and the harder she thought about it, the worse her headache became. With a sigh, she turned from the vanity and stared at her friend. "That was out of line." She said, standing and turning on her heel and picking up the hair clip she always wore around guests. The glint of the silver shone against the wall in the fading sunlight as she struggled to fit it into the layers of her hair. Her father had claimed it to be her mother's before the older woman passed, but Mason had bluntly told her that her beloved clip was brand new. Before she could question her father about it, Mason and Hunter both had been grounded for teasing a maid prior to the gifts, and she had forgotten about it as quickly as she could. She wanted at least a small token of her mother other than her looks.
The handmaiden left to finish helping with last minute decorations, much to which Alyvia would take part in in a heartbeat. Instead, opened the balcony doors and stepped out. From her room she could overlook all of her father's property and bask in the last rays of sunlight. The stone was cool beneath her fingers as she stared down the dusty path. Late summer poppies rose at the edges, the bright reds and oranges flowing with the breeze making the entire field look as if it were on fire.
It wasn't until she heard the clopping noise of horses' feet against the stones that littered the dirt road did she realize the smile on her face. Her fingers scrapped along the rock holding her high above the ground. How desperately she wished she'd been born a boy; adventure would much rather suit her every need rather than being forced into tight dresses that didn't flow like they did on her handmaidens. With a sigh, she resisted the desperate desire to put her hand against her cheek. As the horses emerged from the tree line, she cursed to herself. Though they wore no chainmail, they rode the King's horses. Knights. One wore a coat made of red, flowing behind him through the breeze. The other had silver clothes that made his shine like the clip she wore in her hair.
Before she could call out to greet them, her brothers and the servants were already there. Even from up high, she saw the mischief gleaming in Mason's eyes, copied by Hunter with ease. Jon was much more patient and kind, but his voice was sturdy as he ordered the servants to take care of the horses. The knights jumped off with ease, the silver knight undoing his cloak and handing them to the grabbing hands who offered to care for them. Alyvia watched impatiently from the balcony; when would they leave this time? Would they stay for another fortnight like the previous guests did?
She jumped at the sound of a voice. "That's the Knight of Iron, Alphonse." Her handmaiden whispered, and it wasn't until now that she realized the woman was still patiently waiting for orders. "He's excelled in most of the work he and his brother have started." Alyvia tore her gaze from her handmaiden and stared down at the men as they greeted her older brothers. As the conversation turned to slight humor, she noticed that the taller one of the brothers—the older, she assumed—had yet to take off his deep scarlet cloak. "And he…he's the Knight of Fullmetal." Her lady continued as she watched the men move towards the door. With a catch of the breath, she realized that she was still staring at the Knight of Fullmetal. With two simple movements, she watched, holding her breath as the man removed the hood protecting his eyes during the ride through the sunset.
The Knight of Fullmetal's golden hair spilled around his shoulders as he reached to tie up the mess. Alyvia flinched at how surprised she felt seeing his hair. "Come along." She ordered the maiden, storming off of the balcony and walking towards the entrance hall. She'd seen long hair before; it wasn't rare amongst the three brothers she had. But everyone she'd grown up with, even the maidens and servants, had been graced with dark hair. Seeing the Knight of Fullmetal was a hard realization as she reached the top of the stairs. He had such unusual hair.
Standing at the top of the stairs, she glanced down at where her father now welcomed his latest guests. It was even more unusual as she saw the candlelight glinting off the silver of the Iron Knight's clothes. He had a much more flustered color of blonde; not as golden nor as long as his older brother's. Alyvia gulped, feeling her handmaiden nudging her gently against and bringing her back to her senses. Her burly father stared at her, his hand extended in greeting. All eyes were on her; the mischief ones of her two older brothers and the stoic ones of Jon, a glint of brown begging her to say something from her father, the blue in her handmaidens, and the eyes of her guests. "It's an honor to welcome you into our home." She said, rehearsed thousands of times for the multiple guests who had invaded her home.
There was a small inclination of acceptance made by the Knight of Iron as she walked down the steps. The cool stone of the handles against the steps made for a sturdy balance as she tried desperately not to fumble. Her brother seemed deep in conversation with the Knight of Fullmetal; he hadn't even given her a second look since she'd stood at the top of the stairs to welcome them. The Knight of Iron, however, wouldn't let his gaze leave hers, not even for the two boys pestering him. Alyvia wondered if there was such as love at first sight, because it certainly seemed to strike the younger brother.
As rehearsed billions of times, she offered her hand to the boy who couldn't have been three years older than her. He smiled and took it, kissing it with a single touch of his chapped lips, before glancing towards his older brother with expectancy flashing across his golden gaze. Alyvia smirked as he pushed the Knight of Fullmetal in the chest playfully, but the older boy turned to her with a scowl on his face. Alyvia gulped as he lowered his own lips to the back of her hand, as if she were nothing important. He'd probably done it more times than he could count and unfortunately, that made her angry. Why must men always suck up to women? And the other way around as well?
However, when he rose to straighten himself up, she caught sight of his incredibly golden gaze that matched the color of his gorgeous hair. The color was like melted honey, like warm amber or a golden leaf falling in the autumn. She was absorbed by every fleck of darker amber, shown the slightest change in his color. She was absolutely astounded by his eyes that it made her heart lurch when he looked away, his calloused hand falling from hers. What was this feeling? She couldn't even comprehend before her father smiled. "Well, shall we move into the dining hall?" He questioned as she fell in step with her brothers. Mason hit her on the shoulder; annoyed, she hit him back, nearly knocking him to the ground. As he glared at her, she tucked her hands into her lap and moved towards the dining hall with the crowd.