Chapter I

A young man named Al, known to most as a Curtis, stepped up to a frost-covered stand outside Dublith's local community center, Dublith Royal. Dublith Royals's stand was just one of the many vendors lining the town square, but while others sold steaming-hot drinks or simple toys for children, this one sold magic items – Mr. Cornello said so himself.

Over the fiddler's festive ditty, Al asked, "Do you have anything that can reunite me with my birth family yet?"

Cornello smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I know you're from one of the richer peasant families, but magic that powerful is very expensive. Are you sure you'd rather not just buy a measure of luck? I've got plenty of these cards."

The government worker tried to interest Al in images of Amestris' deceased queen, a soft-faced woman who was said to have been a kind soul. It was said that the queen could now ward off clouds of bad luck from the other side of the Gate, but Al shook his head. "I've been saving up. I want to see if I can pay for something that will let me meet them. I mean, the Curtises swear some of my blood relatives are still alive, that they're just looking after me for the time being."

"I see." Cornello pulled out a carved block of wood from under the stand. "It's almost a shame to part with this – it was blessed by the prince himself. It's a little less expensive than the ones blessed by the king, the prince only being half-sorcerer and all, but it should still work just fine for your wish."

Al looked at the little wooden block. It was thin – it wouldn't be noticeable if he carried it under his tunic. It was small too – about a thumb-width across and two thumb-widths tall. But it was beautifully carved, its edges rounded off.

"It grants one wish," Cornello explained. "It uses your belief in the prince's magic to influence things in your wish's favor once you find someone the royals gifted with magic to write it down for you. I must warn you that it will take time."

"How much?" Al asked, but when the government worker named his price, his eyebrows shot up. "It's that expensive?"

Cornello chuckled. "It was blessed by the prince himself, after all." On seeing Al's crestfallen face, he reached across his stand to put a hand on the young man's shoulder. "I'll tell you what – since you've helped out a lot at Dublith Royal, I'll give it to you for half price and pay the rest myself."

"Really?" Al's golden eyes caught a gleam of the late-morning sun. "Thank you!" He pulled his money pouch out from around his neck and emptied his coins into his hand and handed them to Cornello. On receiving the wooden wish, Al placed it into his much lighter money bag and put it back where it was concealed underneath his thick woolen clothing.

As Al bounced away from the stand, Cornello waved goodbye. "Enjoy the rest of the festival, and remember that you have to believe in the magic."

Al waved goodbye and ran to join in a snowball fight some other young people were having. He ducked behind a low wall made of snow and started making some snowballs.

When he could get Sir Mustang to write his wish on his new charm, he would be on the way to finding his family. But for now, Al would enjoy himself at the festival to celebrate Amestris' only prince's coming-of-age. It wasn't like the knight would be around his hometown at a time like this anyway – Al was sure security was extra-important for the royal birthday.

Al quickly fled from behind the wall as a girl with a good aim leaped over it, carrying a stash of snowballs in one arm. He dodged a flying white shape and laughed at the near-hit.

For half an hour he played and enjoyed the merry atmosphere. He was perfectly at ease when a hand was placed on his shoulder. Al looked up at a smirking, well-groomed man. A smile found its way back onto Al's face. "Sir Mustang! Are you not needed at Central Castle?"

Mustang took his hand off Al's shoulder and gestured for the young man to follow him. "I've got something to discuss with you. Your parents are waiting for us at their home."

Al tried to keep a conversation going while he and the knight slipped through the crowd in the town's center and through the icy streets. "Are you going to stay for the festival?"

"Can't," Mustang said tersely. All traces of his earlier smirk had left in favor of a more serious expression. "Not at a time like this."

Al nodded. "I guess there must be something important if you're here the day the prince turns sixteen. Is something wrong with Amestris?"

"You mean other than everything?" Mustang and Al were away from the festival now and in the less crowded streets approaching the edge of town. "It's Prince Edward's coming-of-age. He's old enough that he could rule if he chose to take the throne away from King Van."

Al clutched at the spot of his tunic that concealed the money bag with the charm in it and wrapped his hand around the shape of the small wooden block. All he'd ever wanted was to know his own family, and he hears hints that the royals may be having problems within their family, tensions over power. And they were supposed to set the example as the most magical family in Amestris too, having the only two people in Amestris born with their magic.

Al and Mustang slowed their steps as they approached a stick and straw structure with some chickens strutting about in front of it. The two were greeted by smoke and a crackling fire. The Curtis couple looked up from stools on the side of the room and stood to pay respects to the knight entering their home. "For goodness sake, sit down!" said Mustang, taking his own seat on the end of the row of stools, leaving a spot open for Al between him and Izumi. "It's just me, and this may be a long discussion."

Al took a seat next to his adoptive mother, releasing his grip on the charm under layers of fabric. He'd hate to ask Mustang for such a favor at such a bad time. He'd ask before the knight left Dublith, if he could, just not now.

The knight was clasping his hands together and leaning onto his elbows, setting them on his knees and ignoring propriety. Speaking to the Curtis parents, he asked, "Do you think your young prince is ready?"

"He may never be, but now's as good a time as any," Izumi answered.

Al looked between the knight and Izumi. "Ready for what? And what does this have to do with us?"

The adults exchanged looks. Izumi wrapped an arm around Al, and the males looked at Al with unusually soft expressions on their faces.

Al's eyes widened. "Is Prince Edward going to try to take the throne from his father? Have you come to get our support?" He lowered his gaze. "Is this why you helped Mom and Dad teach me to fight?"

"I know how you must feel," said Mustang, "but please forgive Prince Edward –he is not being disloyal to his family. It's that if he waits much longer to claim the throne, his life will be endangered by the one who currently possesses it. If you were part of his family, who would you be more worried about?"

Al wrapped his left arm around his chest, his right arm returning to grip the charm under his clothes. "I don't know – two members of my family would be trying to kill each other."

"The prince loves his father," Sig said.

Mustang nodded. "Prince Edward is doing as his father advised him to do – the one who sits on the Amestrian throne is not King Van."

Al gripped his charm a little more firmly than necessary and looked around at all the adults on the table. Not a one held a hint of amusement on their face as though they were trying to pull his leg. "It's not King Van…?" Al sat there for a moment, then shook his head. He spewed forth a question just as Mustang was opening his mouth to say something: "What makes you think it's not King Van?"

"The true king is locked in his dungeon, and an impostor sits on the throne."

"But the king's magic! Only two people in this country were born with magic."

Mustang shook his head. "The impostor was too. He came in secret from outside this country and took King Van's place. Fourteen years ago, I warned King Van myself that the nobles were coming to replace him with an immortal lookalike – an enemy of his called Father. I'd overheard the nobles' plan and knew the entire family was in immediate danger, except for the older prince, who they'd made plans for. King Van allowed himself to be captured to ensure his younger son's safety."

Al looked at his mother. "King Van has another son? What happened to him? Was he born with magic too? Does Prince Edward even know about his brother?"

"The younger prince is safe," his mother said. "And it's a good thing he wasn't born with magic – he's lucky he hasn't aroused suspicion as it is with his looks."

Mustang cleared his throat. "Alphonse," he asked, "didn't you ever wonder why the Curtises never told you about your birth family?"

Al released his charm and stared at the knight. He watched with wide eyes as the knight stood and bowed to him. He glanced momentarily toward his parents as Mustang straightened up, and his parents just smiled at him.

Mustang was already starting to explain his action by the time Al looked back at him. "You are the second son of Van Hohenheim, and Prince Edward's younger brother, Prince Alphonse of Amestris."

Al could only gape at the knight for a moment. "Me?" He blinked hard and looked back over at his parents, who were also starting to stand and bow. "Please, don't." The newly revealed prince got to his feet. "It's too weird. There's no way I'm a prince."

"I rescued you from Central Castle and delivered you to the Curtises myself," said Mustang. "Your father, and for some time, your older brother, has been trusting me with your safety, Your Highness."

Al slowly sank back down to the bench, staring at nothing in particular. He didn't even notice Mustang walk around behind him until the knight put a hand on his shoulder. "Your brother wanted me to tell you. We don't know when I'll be able to check up on you again – I've got to stay with him to protect him as he takes the kingdom back from Father, and he wants you to remain in hiding."

The younger prince looked up at the knight, face almost creepily devoid of expression. "Prince Edward and King Van – are they really my family?"

Mustang wore a smile and gazed off in the distance, seemingly toward Central Castle. "They really do love you, you know. King Van gave everything to keep you and your brother safe, and Prince Edward... Well, ever since he was old enough to keep your survival a secret, I've been telling him stories about you whenever I come back from a trip to Dublith. He's looking forward to being able to meet you one day."

Al's eyes crinkled in the corners and a smile crept onto his face. "I don't really believe I'm a prince, but I'm glad you told me – I've been wanting to know about my birth family too for the longest time."

"I can tell you some stories about your family if you wish. Not the ones you'd get in those sticky-fingered community centers either."

Al frowned at the description and slowly lifted his gold eyes until they met Mustang's coal ones. "They're just trying to help connect regular Amestrians with the king."

Mustang shrugged. "They're run by people, who don't always do what your family wants them to. Your brother, as much as he enjoys attention, was raised to feel awkward actually being made out as superior to regular humans."

Izumi squeezed her adoptive son's shoulder. "This guy does know your family personally. Why don't you listen to a few stories?"

Al mulled it over for a moment and agreed. He listened as Mustang started telling a story about Prince Edward teaming up with some sword-smith's blue-eyed daughter to get some unruly knights away from the unfinished goods one time when she'd come to Central Castle to help her dad with business.

Mustang stayed as long as he could, but after an hour or so, he had to leave. The knight froze on the way out the door. "That's right! I have a message for you from your brother. He says, 'When Amestris is safe again, I'll send for you. I'll be sure to succeed, so look forward to it.'"

Al had been smiling, but his smile vanished, being replaced by a hollow feeling inside his chest. "Sir Mustang, I know you need to get going soon, but could you carry a reply message? Could you tell my brother to be safe?"

"Of course." Mustang gazed down at Alphonse and said, "You're the next in line to try taking the kingdom back if anything happens to him, but I'll do everything in my power to make sure it doesn't come to that. Rest assured, I will guard him with my life."

With a final bow, the knight left to find his horse.

Ed stood in a stone hallway, at the doorway of the servants' quarters, watching some of the servants put the possessions of a deceased little girl and her dog into a crate. He was caught off-guard by someone putting an arm behind his back. "She was just a servant's girl."

Ed looked to his side. "Father," he greeted.

The prince looked incredibly like the immortal monster standing beside him, and he was secretly glad they were not related. Still, ever since Mustang had first taken him to visit his real father in the dungeons, being near Amestris' current ruler was unnerving. Especially recently - only an inch or two stopped them for looking similar enough that the immortal could impersonate him immediately to extend his reign. And Mustang was sure that the prince was not done growing.

"Perhaps common servants should not have been entrusted with magic," Father said, frowning at the look on Ed's face.

The prince shook his head. "I don't think he abused power because he was a servant. People of higher status abuse it as well." Ed wriggled out of Father's grasp. "Anyways, weren't you the one who lent him your magic in the first place? You'd heard that Shou Tucker had an unhealthy fascination with magical creatures. You could have prevented him from trying to make a talking dog."

The prince's eyes held fire like a flaming sword, immersed in the sunlight streaming from a nearby window, as he glared at the current king of the land.

Father looked away. "You're too sympathetic to lower castes. Anyway, I didn't particularly care if Tucker tried to make magical creatures, but he did overstep what we'd authorized him to do with my magic when he used it without checking with us first. We should prevent this from happening again by taking our magic back from the servants – Shou Tucker is not the only one with questionable interests."

Ed snorted. "Should we take our magic from the knights while we're at it? Some of them have questionable interests as well. I quite enjoy having servants capable of making magically strengthening food and stuff."

Father was no longer averting his gaze from the angry prince. His lips were turning downward, almost starting to point toward the dungeons. "Spell the food yourself. I want you to take the magic from all the servants you gifted it to – from now on, for a servant to possess magic is a capital crime."

Ed crossed his arms and looked back into the servants' quarters. The royal servants had finished packing up the little girl's things and were putting a lid on the crate. "Fine, I will."

"By the way, what did you do with Shou Tucker? He was your personal servant."

A casual observer could have felt the atmosphere darken at the question. "I don't know what type of person could do that to own child," the prince started, "but I don't want them near me. Now, I'm not king – I can't judge crimes committed inside the castle walls – but I did fire Shou. I had him thrown in the dungeons for you to deal with."

Father nodded. "You need a new servant then. I can make a few suggestions."

Ed turned his back on Father, crossing his arms across his chest once again. "You got me my last servant, and look how well that turned out. I've asked the knights to keep an eye out for potential servants. I'd rather choose from among the ones they recommend."

Father silently surveyed him for a moment. "Very well, I'll allow it. Where's Mustang? I want his opinion on the Tucker incident. Shou may simply have not gotten authorization rather than doing prohibited magic, but it wouldn't look good for us to let him off leniently if it resulted in a death."

"I sent him on an errand to his hometown a few days ago, but he should be back sometime today. I'll have him look into it then."

Having finished speaking to Father, Ed returned to his own chambers and glared at a shelf of books built into the wall by his bed. Books on sorcery of all kinds – including, yes, talking animals. Was it from them that Shou had learned how to change his daughter?

The prince grabbed the nearest sorcery books and threw them onto the floor. Books fell open and pages rustled during the prince's fit of rage.

"That is your first line of defense, isn't it?" a voice came from Ed's chamber door.

Ed turned toward a knight who was currently out of his armor and instead wearing a cloak decorated with a fireball in front of the Amestrian dragon. "Mustang." Tears remained in the prince's golden eyes as they traveled upwards to meet the older man's coal-black ones.

As though the prince had just noticed, he hastily wiped the tears with his fingers. "I'm glad not everyone who works for me is a monster." The prince lowered himself onto the deerskin blanket that covered his bed. "How'd it go?"

The knight turned and placed a magical seal over the door. "It's a lot for him to wrap his head around, but I'm sure he'll manage. He said to tell you to be safe."

Ed nodded. "He'll be safe himself, won't he?"

"I don't see why he wouldn't." Mustang took a few steps forward into the prince's chambers and squatted down in front of the young man, frowning. "What happened while I was away?"

Mustang could almost feel the anger radiating out of Ed's face as the prince said, "Shou Tucker attempted to fuse his daughter and her dog to make a talking animal. He killed them both in the process, so nothing can be done for them." Ed's head snapped up and he fixed his knight a look. "You'll help me find a better servant, won't you? You've always been looking after me."

Mustang smirked. "What do you want me to do?"