Roy and Riza quickly slipped into their respective military uniforms, knowing that it would be best to appear formal and respectful during the trials. As Riza pulled on her shirt Roy got a glimpse of her back and winced. Even after all this time, the sight of the marred skin gave him chills. He would never forgive himself.
Roy hastily pulled on his own shirt and shrugged into his jacket. Just before they headed to the door, the pair faced each other. Riza reached up to Roy and cupped his face gently.
"It will all be okay."
Roy sighed and closed his eyes as he kissed her gently. "I hope so, Lieutenant."
Riza stepped back and saluted her Colonel. Roy thought he saw tears in her eyes. He stood and saluted her back. It might have seemed a strange gesture, but the couple knew that they had fought as soldiers, and so they were now to face their fate as soldiers.
Roy opened the door into the hallway and stepped back. "After you," he said. But as they walked down the hallway from the clinic to the nearby courthouse, he kept in step with her. About halfway across the lawn to the other side of Central command, he reached for Riza's hand and did not let go. He didn't care if everyone knew that he and this woman were in love. She looked into his eyes gratefully.
A couple of steps from the courthouse door, one of Edison's guards grabbed Riza's arm and yanked on it, wrenching her grip from Roy's ungloved hand. The other guard grabbed Roy and forced the two apart. Riza was knocked into a wall and grunted. She swayed unsteadily on her feet as she heard two clicks and her hands were swiftly handcuffed in front of her.
"What in the hell do you think you're doing?" Roy asked, his voice low and threatening. The guard responded by punching him hard in the stomach. As Roy doubled over in pain, his wrists were also manacled. Lieutenant and Colonel looked at each other with dismay.
"This is how you'll treat us?" Riza asked. Her eyes bore into her captor. "As though we're common criminals? We don't deserve this, after everything—"
"Oh trust us; we know that this man here used to be the 'Hero of Ishval'. Unfortunately, he's about to be stripped of his title, and probably demoted a couple of rankings."
"If he's lucky." The second guard said. He dragged the Colonel through the doors of the courtroom and the Lieutenant was brought in immediately after.
Seeing the courtroom, Riza's heart sank. It seemed that Edison would not be acting as judge of this particular trial. Edison stood to the side and General Hakuro—Major General Hakuro—was in the seat of power directly in front of the 'criminals' he would be prosecuting. Riza was lead to sit on a hard bench next to Roy. On Roy's right was Alex Armstrong. His hands were also bound, though in thick black chains. When he turned to give a shy smile to Riza, she saw his black eye and knew that injury was not the result of the Promised Day but him being roughed up before testifying. She smiled back, hoping to provide some encouragement. They were in this together. She looked at Hakuro and he sneered down at her. Hawkeye quickly looked away.
"Well, if everyone's here we ought to start the trial immediately," Major General Hakuro announced.
Riza looked around. They were completely alone in the courtroom, aside from fuhrer Bradley's former supporters. No witnesses, no jury. So this was how it was going to be. She looked over to Roy, who was sitting up straight. There was genuine fear in his eyes. This was not a fair trial, and Riza knew that they would all be found guilty. She wondered who the 'others' were, the state alchemists and other military personnel that Brigadier General Edison mentioned.
"So we have the Strong Arm Alchemist here. Alex Louis Armstrong. You were the one responsible for tearing apart the limbs of a thousand innocent civilians. You punched the ground, causing earthquakes and leaving destruction in your wake."
"They were children... I killed them all," Armstrong held his head in his bonded hands. Tears were flowing freely down his face. Riza's heart went out to him. Armstrong sniffled, wiped his nose, and then looked up at Hakuro. The Major General seemed amused by his anguish.
"The man has PTSD if you haven't noticed," Riza said loudly. Roy elbowed her gently in the side but she wouldn't heed his warning. She would speak up for her comrades. "He has had to live with what he did in Ishval for the rest of his life! Isn't that enough of a punishment? At the very least give him the chance to work to better the nation from now on."
"You're the Hawk's Eye, am I right? You need to learn respect. This is a court. No more interruptions"
"Don't talk to her like that," Roy spoke though clenched teeth.
The Major General shrugged. "Now we'll address the sins of First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye. A sniper, so you must have been stealthy. It's a very anonymous way of killing people isn't it?"
Riza did not say anything. She was fighting back tears.
"How many people do you think you've killed? Scores? Hundreds? Thousands? How many of them were civilians?"
"That's enough!" Roy cried.
"I won't deny what I did," Riza said, silencing her old comrade with a look. She didn't need to be defended. Hakuro's accusations were not unreasonable. She knew she would never be able to atone for the suffering she had caused.
"And finally, we must examine your transgressions as well. "The Hero of Ishval" Colonel Roy Mustang. You were responsible for quite a few explosions and charred bodies, no?"
Roy said nothing.
"You aren't defending yourself, so I'll assume it is because you are guilty." Hakuro stood, his expression triumphant. "In summary, you all admit that you are indeed guilty of killing unnecessarily in Ishval."
None of the three chose to speak.
"Have you nothing to say before I decide your fates? If you're lucky, each of you might escape capital punishment. But it depends on how forgiving our jury is feeling today." Hakuro gestured to the empty seats, to prove his power.
Roy looked up at Hakuro with contempt. "I do not deny what my comrades and I did, but you have to understand. We were fighting blind. The military told us what to do and we did it. We were their dogs, forced to do tricks. And people died because of our orders, because of us. We killed them."
"Well then, there's nothing more to be said. I hereby declare that all three of you are guilty of crimes in Ishval. You are each to be stripped four whole rankings before you face your final punishment..."
"Wait. I have something else to say," Riza spoke up.
"Oh? Let her speak then." Brigadier General Edison seemed to be more good-natured than Hakuro.
"What are you doing?" Roy muttered under his breath.
Riza stood, ignoring Roy. "Yes it is true that this man to my right, Colonel—"
"You mean First Lieutenant," Hakuro sneered.
Riza swallowed. "First Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang may have burned those people in Ishval. But he did not use his flame alchemy until after I, Sergeant Major Riza Hawkeye, shot and killed them."
"No! That's a lie," Roy shouted, standing up also. "She's lying I am the guilty one here. Punish me instead."
Hakuro looked at Riza. "Were you lying?"
"No, sir. Colonel Mustang is more of a hero than I will ever be. He helped me cover my crimes."
Hakuro waved for his henchmen to restrain Mustang, who looked ready to kill again. "Think about what you're saying. Are you absolutely sure?"
Riza nodded, unable to speak.
"Take her to the jail. She and the Strong Arm Alchemist will be executed at dusk tomorrow."
"No!" Roy bellowed. Riza stood as two men approached her. She would go without putting up a fight. Roy on the other hand was struggling with at least four armed guards. She was vaguely reminded about what had happened with the Gold-toothed doctor.
Roy ceased struggling for a moment. His eyes found hers and they looked twice as haunted as they had appeared in Ishval.
"Why?" he asked.
Riza couldn't answer that. At the same time, he had to have known why. A queen protects her King. She fights to prevent his capture. Now hopefully the whole country wasn't in checkmate, at least not yet.