Paradise compiled of a beautiful, hidden away place. Paradise, to her, had shown its stunning face with the storm rising around her. It was a safe haven to her. No one she knew understood where exactly she went when she disappeared for the afternoon, not even Jon. It was her place to get away from the world when she needed it most.

The entire piece of paradise was hidden in an entanglement of blooming vines and tangled branches. Petals off of flowers hid the forest floor with their bright faces smiling up at her, the multitude of color something she didn't want to bother. A fresh water pool that remained clean and untouched glittered in the sunlight that peaked past the canopy leaves. Tadpoles and minnows shared the spring in harmony, their movements scurried as her shadow fell across the stream. Alyvia smiled, finding her favorite crook in the rock and pulling at the bread she'd brought with her. Though it was late summer, the sourest blackberries and raspberries waited to be picked and eaten in simple bites.

Her horse nickered and nibbled at the greenest grass she'd ever seen. Though no animals appeared for her like they did for the princesses in the storybooks, she could hear them around her. Deer hopping over tangles of vines, birds singing their routine song in the air; there was a multitude of life surrounding her. The footsteps of a small animal to her left, probably trying to reach between the surrounding thorns to grab at the berries, the slow splashes that frogs made going for the insects circling the pond. There wasn't anything she couldn't do in her piece of heaven.

Full from her midmorning meal of bread and a few of the sweetest, fresh picked fall raspberries, she settled in the heat of the sun spreading around her, breaking past the canopy of thick summer leaves as the world awakened around her. She yawned, still tired from her midnight excursion, still sore from running through the moonlight and only stopping when she couldn't breathe anymore. The laziness she felt was beginning to take over her, as much as she didn't want to admit it. She wasn't much for sloth, just a tired lady who had spent her night roaming through the plains under the stars rather than sitting by the candlelight and sewing until her fingers bled.

She slid off of the crooked rock and onto the soft green grass beside it. Her fingers tangled in the strands of grass, smelling the deep, earthy scent under her head. It was an automatic lull, she found, as her thoughts betrayed her into staying away and turning to that of full sleep. She didn't want to nap for most of the day, to waste the little time she got in her paradise by sleeping, but it was something she knew she would need if she were to entertain those idiotic guests of hers.

Alyvia felt slightly bad because of them. Edward paid no attention to her other than his support in her limited knowledge of warfare, and he was the one she wanted to know more about. Why was he so incredibly intriguing? What was hidden behind his tough shell? Why was he called the Knight of Fullmetal, and what had he and his brother done to gain knighthood? Why did she want to talk to him more than she should have?

Then there was Alphonse, who made her feel incredibly guilty. He was irrevocably head over heels for her, as was even obvious to her. He had the boyish charm, the innocence, a goofy grin that made him look like he was a child. He was chivalrous in the conversations she'd had with him, but he was like everyone else she met. Fake. As much as she wanted to believe that the boyish charm was his true personality, she had seen cracks in his façade in his utter exhaustion.

Her eyes were growing heavier by the second. She heard her horse neighing by the pond, sipping at the water. She heard footsteps of scurrying animals, for whatever reason. Spooked by a predator most likely. She heard the clank of boots, his boots, but ignored her imagination. Now her mind was playing tricks on itself—it was trying to play a game with her heart and emotions, a game she was unwilling to play. She needed to sleep so that she could rationalize her ideas once more and return to solitude. Maybe she should just become a silent sister—obviously men weren't what she needed in her life.

She woke to the sound of splashing. Drool covered her cheek, her hair sprawled out around her. The sun had moved from beating against her back to shining through the leaves and hitting the pond. Her muscles were stiff, her legs frozen by her side as she yawned, blinking away the sleep that was desperately trying to drag her back into the world of darkness. She shifted, letting her feet regain the most of their feeling before stretching. Her neck popped and she yawned once more, glancing across of the grass and seeing her black mare rubbing noses with a thickly built white stallion, almost an inch taller than the horse. Her body instantly went rigid.

Her mind was a whirl as she glanced towards the pond. There, where the sun caught the water almost perfectly, sat the Knight of Fullmetal with his long blonde hair falling past his shoulders. He continuously splashed water across his face, the millions of dazzling droplets shining against his tanned skin. Alyvia's jaw dropped in surprise and fury, but her expressiveness was lackluster. His cheek was cut, the scarlet blood dripping down his skin. Before it could fall into the pool of water, he splashed another heap of water across his face, the process repeating.

When her awe broke, the rage exploded from her. "What are you doing here?!" She snarled, throwing a pebble at him. He jerked, surprised, as the tiny stone hit him in the temple. His golden eyes went rigid immediately, his jaw clenching. "This is my safe haven! You're not supposed to be here!" She shouted, still furious. She stood from behind the crag, her brows furrowed deep into her forehead.

Almost instantly he recognized her, and if she hadn't been so angry, she would have cared. It wasn't hard to identify her with such a narrow face and button nose, but she had figured the leather tunic would give her a more masculine physique. He stood, stepping forward as if to comfort her, but she screeched in frustration. "Look, I'm sorry I invaded your…safe haven, or whatever. I needed—"

"I don't care what you needed!" Alyvia shrieked, storming to where her horse was. Oh, Father and Jon would kill her if they found her yelling at their guest, but for another time in the night she gave no care. Slinging her saddlebag over the horse's back, she launched herself onto the back on her precious Temptress. A gruff hand grabbed onto her boot and she snarled angrily, kicking his hand away. "You're a fool to think I actually accepted you into my home." She hissed, before yanking the reins and forcing her horse into her canter, leaving him behind in the place she used to think impermeable.

She wasn't even half way back to the castle before she felt hot tears streaming down her face. Unable to focus on the sights ahead of her she pulled her horse to a stop, burying her face into the mare's mane and sobbing uncontrollably. Her back shuddered as the dry heaves raced through her body, her mind failing to comprehend what she'd said to the great Knight of Fullmetal. She didn't care anymore that he was her guest; he could rot in whatever he called Hell for all she cared. Her fingers dug into the coarse mane, until she realized she was flustering her horse and she stopped. The tears no longer spilled, even though she still felt as emotionally drained as she had when her mother had died. Slowly, she pulled her horse's reins and pushed her forward.

Whatever he was doing, she hoped he wouldn't be at dinner tonight.