Well, here we are! The final chapter of Reign! Goodness, this story has been such a fun journey and you guys have made it all worth it. Every single one of your reviews, comments, and just general good thoughts about this story have been cherished, I assure you. Everytime I read your comments, a little part of me does a happy dance. You have no idea how much I appreciate the feedback I've gotten. I hope you all stick around for the sequel, Sovereign!

Now, without further ado, here's the last chapter. Hope you guys enjoy!

Riza's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open but no sound could be produced. It was as if the knife her trusted bodyguard was twisting inside of her had stolen every word she could've possibly formed.

Claudio's eyes narrowed dangerously and a sadistic smile took up residence on his face. It was a sickening contrast to how Riza was used to seeing him. Calm, docile...loyal.

Blood began to slowly seep from where the knife was still rooted into her side and Claudio leaned closer toward the stunned queen.

"You are far too trusting, Your Majesty," he told her, a cynical edge to his use of her title. "You fail to even consider the ones who are right underneath your nose. That will be your downfall."

Riza continued to gape at the man, not even registering the pain from the wound, too focused on comprehending what had just happened, and the betrayal she was now faced with. Claudio moved to twist the knife in further, seemingly to make sure of her death before loud and desperate voices were heard approaching the room they were in. In the back of the queen's mind, she barely registered the nearly...familiar note to them.

Claudio turned toward the main door with wide eyes, as he too recognized the voices fastly approaching. "Damn!" he exclaimed. "I didn't think they'd figure it out that quickly. And even then how the hell did they make it here so fast?" He turned back to where his knife was still rooted inside of Riza's side, though only just slightly. The look on his face suggested he was having a raging internal debate as he kept glancing from her, to the door, and back. Finally, with a strong tug, he yanked the knife out of her, causing blood to come spurting out across the floor. Riza let out a tiny yelp of pain as he did this, but otherwise remained completely silent in her shock.

"I won't finish the job this time, but let it be known how close I came to killing you. I'm letting you live in order to get away, but I won't be as generous the next time. Try and come after me if you will, Your Majesty, but you won't get very far." He leaned in closer to her and though she wanted to wring her hands around his neck and strangle him, she could hardly move. The last thing he said before dashing away was "Heil the Republic" and it filled Riza's blood with ice.

She just managed to turn to face his retreating form, hating that he was getting away, before the main doors swung open from behind her and a chillingly familiar voice echoed across the room. Riza knew she would never forget her sister's scream of horror.

The queen's eyes opened wide and she released a strangled breath, having dreamed about the terrible betrayal yet again. It had only been a few days and she still couldn't wipe the scene from her subconscious. Her body was covered in sweat and the dull, aching pain coming from her damaged side felt more intense than it had so far. She groaned at the strain and laid back miserably in her bed, the maid assigned to watch over her rushing to her side to try and provide some kind of relief. It was no use though, she knew she would feel the pain of this wound long after it properly healed.

'A miracle' the head medical worker in the Aerugonian castle had called it. The dagger had seemingly missed most of her internal organs and major arteries. The only real challenge now was coming back from the immense loss of blood and allowing the wound to heal. Riza's stomach twisted when she thought about it. Claudio really had 'let' her live. She had no doubt in her mind that his intention was to, in fact, 'finish the job' as he'd said, but her sister's arrival had changed his plans. It made her sick to think about how well Claudio was with a knife that he knew just where to hit her to do damage, but not enough to end her life, and where to twist to take it all away.

She'd had a lot of time lying miserable in her bed to think about what happened. All she had done for the last few days was wake up in agony, promptly exhaust herself from the strain of dealing with her wound, then collapse once it had become too much, only to awake again and repeat the cycle. During the brief times when she wasn't unconscious, the only thing she could think about was how foolish she'd been, not only to put her full and complete trust in anyone, let alone a measly knight like Claudio, but to not have noticed any of the warning signs, which now seemed obvious in hindsight.

Though she knew it made her selfish, the queen wished her sister was at her bedside each time, to help her cope with the terrible act that had been done to her. It wasn't like Riza to rely on Winry for this kind of emotional support, but she felt it was warranted, given everything that had happened. Riza had only caught sight of her younger sister once or twice, and even then they weren't able to talk about much. All the queen knew was that her near murder had ignited a spark in her little sister, and Winry had taken it upon herself to lead not only the search for the traitor, but also the investigation into the workings of the Republic. Riza had purposefully kept Winry uninvolved before, and was only now realizing how foolish that had been of her.

Her thoughts unwillingly shifted to Roy, who she had been horrified to know had also witnessed the scene in the throne room. He'd watched as she experienced the most horrific type of betrayal possible, and had let herself become so weak. She knew him better to think he'd hold it against her, but her heart still ached at what she knew this had done to him. Had done to everyone.

She wished he was here too, as difficult as it was to admit. She had been so, so close to telling him everything at the ball, it almost scared her. She was fairly confident he was going to tell her the same thing before they were interrupted, and now that fact hung over her like a cloud. The first time she had awoken from her sleep after the attack and had talked to Winry, she had made a simple request, that her sister dutifully carried out for her, despite her own objections. Even though she wanted to see him (far more desperately than she'd like to admit), she requested Winry not allow him to visit her, like he'd done when she was ill. She didn't want him to see her like this, didn't want to have the rather massively important discussion they needed to have while she was like this, immobile and in terrible pain. She wanted to make sure she could stand on her two feet and approach her king the way a queen should. If she was going to tell him something as...monumental...as what she had to say, she wanted to make sure she was in good enough health to do it. She was tired of being so sick and wounded all the time. She had been a burden on others for far too long. This was something she knew she had to do for herself, so she went against the pull of her heart and requested he stay away.

Winry had told her it frustrated him immensely, given how deep his worries must have ran, but he held to her wishes and for that she was grateful.

Of course, it only gave her more time to wrestle with her convoluted feelings, but perhaps it would be better for the both of them if she sorted it all out before they were able to discuss it all properly.

Again, she wished her sister was here. She wanted to tell Winry every little detail about the feelings that had nearly erupted in her the night of the ball (and really long before that, even if she wasn't aware of it at the time) and had multiplied at the knowledge that he had ridden dangerously through the mountains overnight in horrifically cold weather for the sole purpose of coming to her rescue.

She wondered what Winry was up to at the moment, and if she was staying safe. She immediately reprimanded herself at even thinking Winry could be in danger. A certain golden-haired knight would die before he'd let anything happen to her. Still, she wondered how far Winry's search had led her…

The dark cloak concealing nearly every part of her billowed around as she weaved in and out of alleyways in the southeastern part of the Aerugonian capital city. Her hood raised, she blended in with the rest of the villagers who were out at this time of the night, no doubt searching for the closest pub to try and warm up from the winter weather. The princess was also looking for a particular pub, but for a very different reason.

Underneath her warm cloak, she absent-mindedly grasped the sword at her hip, instantly feeling slightly better about her safety as she walked. It was a dangerous bet to be out this time of night during this part of the year seemingly all alone, but it had to be done. Plus, she knew her shadow knight following a few steps back, even more concealed than she was, wouldn't let anything happen.

Finally, she noticed the sign of her final destination and sped up her steps in an anxious effort to arrive. She stepped through the door into a fairly calm scene for a village pub at night. Only a few patrons were scattered about, drinks in hand, making light conversation. No one even blinked as she entered, and she used the lack of attention to weave her way to the back of the room and the carefully concealed hallway. She followed the memorized instructions to pass around the hallway and find the third door on the right. She knocked three times in quick succession and was beckoned inside by a strong, growly voice, one she recognized quite well.

She stepped through the door, closed and locked it behind her, and finally removed her hood as she greeted the large and well-made man who was sitting at a lone table, one candle all that was there to illuminate his smiling face. She smiled back warmly.

"Lord Armstrong. How good it is to see you again," she told him fondly as he stood to bow before her respectfully, before wrapping her in a bear hug.

"You as well, Your Highness! My, how you've grown," the large man spoke, as Winry finally managed to twist out of his rather suffocating embrace. She made to sit across from him at the table and he followed her lead.

"Yes, it's been awhile. I hate that we have to be reunited like this."

At this, Armstrong's face twisted from genial delight to grim resignation. He heaved a large sigh and nodded his head. "Yes, I hate it as well. When I heard what happened to your sister, our mighty Queen, I nearly collapsed."

Winry gave a small smile to try and appease him, but she knew it must seem fake. "You weren't the only one. It was a shock to everyone."

"That horrible traitor Claudio should be condemned! I can't believe he would do such a thing."

Winry nodded. "I agree, but we have to find him first. The group he works for is incredibly dangerous, and incredibly difficult to track down, which is why I hope you bring good news," Winry added, getting to the meat of why they had gathered so secretly.

Armstrong immediately pulled out a rolled up piece of parchment and set it down on the table. "I don't know if I'd consider it good news, but I think you'll appreciate it all the same. My sister, upon hearing what happened to Her Majesty, was very giving in the information she had gathered, which I can assure you is not usually the case."

"Please tell Commander Armstrong I'm grateful for her continued loyalty. Right now it seems to be a rare thing in Aerugo, so finding people we trust is something we won't take for granted."

Armstrong smiled and nodded his head. "Mm, yes, Olivier knew you would think so, which is why she tasked me with delivering this to you, along with the information she had found." The large man then proceeded to unroll the parchment, revealing an incredibly well-done drawing of a woman with long, black curly hair and mesmerizing purple eyes. Winry widened her own at the sight, as she leaned in further to inspect the image before her.

"Who is that?"

"If my sister's sources are to be believed, and I suspect they are, this is the 'Lust' woman you've been inquiring after."

The princess's eyes widened in shock at this. "You're certain?"

Armstrong proudly nodded. "Quite. My sister has dealt with her personally on multiple occasions and had a sharp recollection of what she looked like, so I took it upon myself to make up her portrait, in an effort to better track her down."

"Commander Armstrong has seen this woman?" Winry asked in disbelief.

Armstrong made a noise of affirmation. "Talked to her as well. She parades around as a fortune teller, luring men in for diabolical purposes. Apparently a few of Olivier's men fell under her spell and my sister was able to capture her. Olivier does not take lightly to people besting her, so when I tell you she let her get away, I don't say that lightly. My sister has been diligently searching after her ever since."

"How long ago was this?" Winry questioned as she grabbed the drawing of the supposed 'Lust' figure and studied it closer.

"About two months, while you and Her Majesty were still in Amestris. No one believed she was linked with the Republic at the time, which is why Olivier never said anything to Matthew or the Queen about it."

"And what made her believe she was linked now?"

"This woman referred to herself as Lust. Only once, and quite by accident during one of my sister's interrogations. Before she had given her name as Solaris."

"So when my cousin told the commander that Claudio had mentioned a person called Lust she put two and two together," Winry offered.

Armstrong nodded. "Indeed. I'm afraid that's all I can offer you for now. The woman hasn't been seen since she was captured, and we have no knowledge of any of the other leaders, if they are supposedly all referred to by the sins. Olivier promises, however, that she will do her best from her northern station to relate any information she finds as quickly as possible."

"Thank you for this, my Lord. And please, once again, relate my thanks to your sister when you see her. This is immensely helpful, truthfully."

Armstrong smiled. "I'm glad I can be of service to you, Your Highness. The Armstrong family has been loyal to the Aerugonian royal line for generations, and we don't plan on stopping."

"Good. We're lucky to have allies like you."

Winry said a final goodbye to the large noble and exited the pub, the portrait of this supposed 'Lust' person tucked underneath her cloak. She walked back behind the building into a dark alleyway and approached the figure she knew would be waiting there for her.

"Anything good?" Ed asked as she walked up to him.

Winry nodded. "It's a start, at least. Come on, we should get back to the castle."

*3 Weeks Later*

"Another dead end?" Winry asked with an exasperated sigh.

Ed nodded grimly. "Afraid so."

A frustrated growl escaped the princess as her hands itched toward her head, wanting to pull out her hair from the disappointment. "Gods, I can't stand it anymore! We haven't gotten a solid lead since Lord Armstrong told us about Lust."

Ed eyed his pseudo-fiance warily, noticing not for the first time the dark circles under eyes and her general frayed appearance. "Maybe we're not looking in the right places," he tried to offer helpfully.

Winry crossed her arms and began pacing back and forth across the small courtyard they had gathered in. "Where else are we supposed to look? Everything we've had any possible hope for has turned into nothing. What do we even do now?"

Ed sighed. "I know it's frustrating, Win, but we have to keep trying. We never know who might be able to give us something. Just keep searching and eventually you'll turn up something."

Winry groaned but nodded her head in resignation anyway. "I suppose."

"How much sleep did you get last night?" he inquired, finally asking the question he'd been meaning to ask ever since he'd first seen her that day.

She turned narrowed eyes on him immediately but, for once, he didn't back down at her menacing glance. "You know very well I haven't been sleeping much lately and I already told you it's not from a lack of trying. I just can't fall asleep as easily as I used to be able to."

"Winry, this is driving you just as insane as taking care of Riza did when she was sick. Take some time for yourself. Leads aren't going to slip away because you're not looking into them at all hours of the day and night. I'm starting to get really worried about you."

The tone in Ed's voice was sincere, though no less forceful. She knew she couldn't hold his concern against him though. She told herself she would always trust him when he saw that she was harming herself. It was difficult given how headstrong of a person she was, but she knew she had to remain rational if she were to get anywhere with her investigations into the Republic.

Not allowing her to say no, Ed quickly weaved her arm through his own and began leading her around the perimeter of the courtyard and through the castle. "Come on," he spoke by way of explanation. "You need something to take your mind of things. Walks are good at that."

Winry couldn't help the side-eye she directed toward him as they walked. "Since when did you become the expert at reading human emotions?" she asked.

"Since I fell in love with you, I guess." The nonchalance and ease with which he said that caused a smile to quickly appear on Winry's face. He was such an idiot sometimes, he didn't even realize the things he did to her. Proclaiming their love like it was an obvious fact, though if he stopped to realize what his words sounded like, he'd be blushing like a fool.

They fell into a comfortable silence as they walked and Winry had to at least give Ed credit for his good advice. Leisurely walks like this really were good for the soul. She had been moving almost constantly since Riza had been attacked and hadn't taken any time to just sit and pause and breathe.

"I got a letter from Al," Ed finally said as they moved through Winry's home castle.

That caught her immediate attention. "Oh? Has he written to you at all since you've been here."

"No, I think he was waiting for me to tell him what had happened before he sent a letter."

Winry narrowed her eyes at him. "Let me guess, you didn't get around to it until recently."

Ed's face took on a sheepish look and he pointedly avoided her stare. "Maybe."

The princess let out a long sigh and continued. "So what did he have to say?"

"Nothing really. He and everyone else in Amestris continue to send their wishes for Riza's health. They haven't had any excitement on their end, which is good."

"That is good," Winry affirmed thoughtfully.

"He says everyone misses us."

A soft smile flashed across Winry's face as she leaned further into her golden knight. "I miss them too. Have you ever been apart from Alphonse this long?"

"No...not really. We've been pretty much inseparable for as long as I can remember."

A strange sense of sadness overtook Winry's thoughts as they continued and she pondered what Ed had just told her. Ed had agreed to stay until Riza was back to full health and Winry wasn't working herself ragged all the time, but the princess wasn't naive enough to assume he'd stay forever. He had a job and a family back in Amestris. And, even though it pained her to come to the decision, she knew she had to stay in Aerugo, for at least much of the foreseeable future.

Riza had already related that she had no intention of going back to Amestris. This attack had opened her eyes to the duties she knew she had been neglecting here at home. Letting someone get that close and nearly murder her affected her terribly, so her decision to take on her roles as queen again was an easy one.

And, as much as she loved Ed and the entire country of Amestris, Winry knew her place, at least for the moment, was at home with Riza. They needed to protect each other throughout all of this. If they were to find Claudio and bring down the rest of the Republic, they needed to work together.

"I suspect you're getting antsy waiting to go back home, huh?" Winry finally offered, knowing that, as difficult as it was, they'd have to have this conversation eventually.

Ed quickly turned wide eyes on her, but didn't disagree with her statement. He let out a loaded sigh, and nodded his head. "Yeah, I guess so. Don't get me wrong, I love being here with you but…" he trailed off.

"But you belong in Amestris, with your brother," the princess resignedly finished for him. At her words, he stopped both of them in their walk and turned to face her head on.

"It's not that I belong anywhere, Win. If anything, as dumb as it sounds, I belong wherever you are. But...I can't really explain it…"

Winry decided to brush past the incredibly adorable comment about belonging with her and focus on helping out his clear struggle to find the right words, especially since she had a pretty good idea of what he was trying to say.

"But you have a duty to your country and to your only family. I get it. It's the same reason I feel I should stay here."

Ed raised his beautiful golden eyes to her at this. "So you've made your decision then?"

Winry sighed, reached down to grab his hand, and met his eyes again. "Yeah, I have. Riza needs me here. She won't always, so I will try and make it back to Amestris sooner rather than later, but for now, I should be here. And you should be in Amestris."

"So we'll have to say goodbye," he finished for her, a blank look on his face.

"Seems so."

The sadness that had flared up in Winry earlier was now reflected in Ed's gaze. "I see. Ugh, I hate saying goodbye."

The princess couldn't help but smile at him. "Me too. But at least we know this isn't a forever kind of goodbye."

Ed's face scrunched up in confusion and the princess would have let out a giggle at the sight if it weren't for the gravity of the conversation.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"We have a saying here in Aerugo: 'Ends are not truly ends. They're different kinds of beginnings'. We will have to 'end' our time together for the moment, but it's not really an end. Because, as soon as we're reunited, we get to begin the rest of our lives together."

A breathless kind of smile graced the knight's face as he considered her wise words. "That's...a really good way of looking at it, actually."

"See? I'm not always so pessimistic," she responded with a twinkle in her eyes and a light shove against his chest.

Ed couldn't help but laugh. "You're not pessimistic, you're just...passionate."

"Passionate about things going wrong," Winry replied with a laugh.

Ed couldn't help but roll his eyes at her before he stared deep into her cerulean gaze and heaved a long sigh. "Gods, I'm going to miss you," he lamented confidently, even though the red on his cheeks was practically blooming.

She let out a blush of her own before wrapping her arms around his waist and taking a step closer so their mouths were mere inches apart. "I'm going to miss you too. But this isn't the end. And, when I finally make it back to Amestris, we can be officially engaged, plan our wedding, and live the rest of our lives happy together."

"Sounds like a plan," he offered before his impatience got the better of him and he closed the gap between their lips. A small gasp escaped Winry's mouth before she practically melted against him, one of her hands moving from his waist to the side of his neck as she leaned into the kiss.

It probably wasn't the smartest idea to start making out in the middle of the castle corridor, especially since very few people even knew of the extent of their relationship, but at the moment, Winry didn't really care. She wasn't sure how long they would be apart (for all she knew it could be years) but she was ready for the inevitable reunion. It meant they could finally be together in the way they always wanted to be.

The sound of footsteps approaching from nearby caused them to quickly break apart and look for the source. Around the corner, they could see two well-dressed figures leisurely approaching.

Winry let out a sigh of relief when she noticed they hadn't seen them. "Oh, good, it's just Roy and Matthew."

Ed turned his eyes toward them and observed the pair, who merely strolled past the hallway where they stood completely unaware of their presence, locked in an apparently deep conversation. "They seem to get along well," he noted.

"Yeah," Winry offered with a smile. "Ever since they agreed to work together to track down leads on the Republic, they've been getting along splendidly. I guess Roy got over his initial mistrust."

"Easy enough to do once we all realized it was Claudio behind everything."

Winry leaned against the nearby wall and crossed her arms with a sigh, her lips still practically tingling from their kiss. She really needed to learn to get more used to that. "I still can't even believe it," she spoke with a shake of her head.

"Yeah," Ed added before he offered up his arm for them to resume their walk and Winry took it gladly. "How is Riza, by the way."

Happy for the change in subject, Winry responded enthusiastically. "Oh, much better. She doesn't think it will be too long before she can leave her room and go about her regular duties again."

"Don't you mean, before she can speak to the king finally?"

Winry snickered at that addition, but shook her head and continued anyway. "Oh, gods, don't even get me started on that. Just mentioning his name in her vicinity sends her into a tizzy. She's so nervous."

"You think they will get engaged before we leave?" Though it sounded teasing, it really was a legitimate question. Unlike the two of them, the nature of Roy and Riza's relationship was a mystery to just about everyone. Even Winry wasn't quite sure what would come of it, though she was certain they were in love as fiercely as she and Ed were, maybe even more so.

"I'm not so sure about that. Riza has always hated the idea of marriage. I don't think it will be easy to convince her, especially since she has so many qualms about leaving the kingdom to anyone but herself."

"But I thought you said they love each other. I think it's pretty damn obvious how the king feels about her at least."

"I'd say the same about Riza's feelings, but the concept of marriage is a bit more complicated. Will they confess their love to each other before you and Roy go back to Amestris? They goddamn better! But will that lead to a marriage? Only time will tell."

Ed shook his head. "Something must have been in the water at the Amestrian castle. You Aerugonian women are dropping like flies," he teased and she promptly rolled her eyes at him.

"Well, then you should be glad you snatched one up when you did!"

Roy set down the letter from his friend and heaved a long sigh. Things were as calm as ever back home in Amestris, but he had a feeling they wouldn't stay that way. Already, Hughes was having difficulty handling all the more mundane daily tasks of running the kingdom, while also flying head first into his Republic investigation. Everyone mentioned how badly they missed him, and Margaret asked for him nearly constantly. It had been barely a month and already the effects of being gone from his home kingdom were starting to pile up.

He rubbed his temples to try and abate the oncoming headache. He didn't know if he could wait around much longer. All the leads they had found had stalled, so there was nothing keeping him here in Aerugo on the information-gathering front. Really all that truly kept him was waiting for Riza to recover. He knew he couldn't leave without saying a proper goodbye (and having that conversation they so desperately needed to have), especially since he didn't know how long they would have to be apart, but if she didn't come to him soon, he wasn't sure he had a choice.

"Everything alright back home, I hope?" Lord Matthew asked curiously, a hint of worry in his tone.

Roy smiled back at the man who had quickly become something of a friend these past few weeks in Aerugo. "Oh, yes, things are fine. I'm just not sure how much longer I can stay away."

Immediately, Matthew's face flashed in understanding and he nodded his head. "Ah, I see."

"I don't really have someone as competent as you are in day-to-day politics, though my friend Lord Hughes comes close. It still doesn't seem to be enough to keep people happy. Plus, I have a young daughter asking for me."

Matthew made a noise of affirmation. "Yes, I can see why it's not as easy for you to be away from home as it was for Riza."

Roy nodded and fiddled with the letter in his hands, too many thoughts swirling around in his mind.

"I don't think my cousin will be confined much longer. She won't let herself."

A ghost of a smile crossed the king's face when he thought about the woman who had been plaguing his thoughts almost constantly for months. Her decision to not see him as she recovered was one he understood, even if it infuriated him more than anything. Not being able to see her, to help her, or to say all the things he so desperately needed to say was taking its toll, but he would respect her wishes. He had to.

"Mm, yes, she's much too strong for that, but she does need to hurry."

"Don't you know it's bad manners to rush a queen?" a new, and oh so blessedly familiar voice spoke from the doorway of the sitting room he and Matthew had deemed their control center as they investigated. Roy was out of his chair and swiveling toward the source in a split second, not even caring to register Matthew's not-so-well contained snickers from behind him.

Riza stood there, in all her royal grace and the king nearly fell over at the sight. She was giving him a teasing and self-assured smile and it was the most blessedly welcome thing he'd ever seen. Watching her bleed out on the floor of her throne room had been one of the most terrifying experiences of his life. Knowing there was nothing he could do aside from hold her wound close as her crimson blood spilled all over him gripped him with a fear he hadn't ever known before. Then, not being allowed to see her as she no doubt lay in bed, fighting aching pains and overcome with the nightmares of what happened to her, made his ever growing feelings for the woman become more clear than they ever had been before.

And now, she stood in a simple red dress, only slightly favoring the side she had been injured, looking full of life and color. She was practically stealing away all his remaining breath the longer he looked at her.

"Hi," he managed to breath out, as he watched a near twinkle appear in her gorgeous hazel brown eyes.

"Hello, there."

The pair continued to stare at each other without exchanging words until the sound of Matthew's throat being cleared from behind the two brought them back from their little world, but only slightly.

"I should really be going," Matthew said, somewhat awkwardly, as he made an attempt to dash away from the room he suddenly felt very unwelcome in. Riza stopped him before he could leave, however.

"No, no you can stay. I actually came to ask if His Majesty would like to go on a walk with me." Riza's eyes turned expectantly toward Roy and he knew in that moment she could ask the whole world from him and he'd give it to her.

"O-Of course," he stuttered out, as he sprang into motion and immediately walked over to where she stood in the doorway, his arm stretched out to accept her own. She flashed him a sincere smile, looped her arm with his, and the pair were off down the corridor, not a single thought given to the noble shaking his head at them as they left.

They walked in companionable silence for a moment, the hallways mysteriously absent of the normal servants and guards milling about, which Roy had to wonder at. Eventually, Riza cleared her throat and began to speak, her voice a soft melody to the king's ears.

"I trust you weren't too mad at me for my decision to keep you away while I recovered."

Roy couldn't help the small smile that appeared on his face. She sounded legitimately worried that he would be angry with her. He wasn't sure he was even capable of such at thing at this point.

"No, not at all. I understood why you did it, even if it was frustrating beyond belief to keep myself away."

"I had to. What I need to tell you shouldn't be told at a bedside."

"And what is it that you need to tell me?" Roy asked, the impatience seeping into his voice. Riza couldn't help but smile at his eagerness.

"We'll get to that soon. I wanted to wait until I could show you something."

"Show me what?"

"We're almost there. It's my favorite spot in the entire kingdom of Aerugo."

Roy waited in silence as she led him through a convoluted series of corridors and up a set of stairs before they came upon a gorgeous rooftop garden set on the side of one of the castle's tiers. Ornate stone pillars created an arching walkway that, even in the dead of winter, still housed a whole host of various shrubs and greeneries. The king could only imagine how beautiful the place must look in the spring, though the snow covering the ground did make the garden seem near magical.

"Wow," he breathed out, not even noticing the queen's expectant look in his direction.

"It was my mother's private garden. Every spring she'd come out here and meticulously groom almost every branch you see. I only wish you could see it in it's full glory. It's a sight to behold."

"I can imagine," he agreed.

"It's one of the few places in the entire world that feels like home to me. I can almost hear my mother singing as she worked."

Roy turned his eyes affectionately toward his queen and smiled warmly at her. Finally meeting his gaze, she returned the smile and he could tell she was being completely truthful. Already he noticed her carrying herself with a sense of comfort and familiarity. He knew it had to be the work of the garden.

"When I thought about where I wanted to have this discussion, this was the only place I deemed fit. It's part of the reason I asked not to see you until now."

"It's becoming a lot clearer to me, then. I promise I don't hold it against you."

"Good," the queen said before she offered her hand for him to take. "Shall we?" she added with a quick nod toward the other end of the garden, where a simple stone bench was set beneath an archway. Trying his best to combat his nerves, Roy took her hand and they walked toward the bench, before settling down onto it. Riza lowered herself somewhat precariously, still favoring her side, but she never let him see any grimace or other sign of pain. She was ready to do this, clearly, and she wasn't going to let anything stop her.

"Roy," she finally began after a few minutes of silent contemplation, "Part of the reason I brought you here was because I feel safe in this space talking about things I haven't told anyone else."

He remained silent, though no less gripped by her every word.

"At the party, you said we shouldn't lie to each other about how we felt. That we had been through too much to keep it hidden and brushed away. You were right, but there's something I need to tell you before I can reveal what it is I truly feel. I wasn't prepared to do it the night of the Solstice ball...but I am now."

Roy hadn't really expected something like this from her, but he placed his hand reassuringly on where her own lay on the bench for reassurance. She smiled at his gesture, took a deep breath to steady herself, and began.

"My heart...has been through a lot, especially lately. You should know that when I met you, I mean really met you as something other than a young boy, I was in a...terrible place."

He nodded his head in affirmation. "Because of Winry?" he assumed.

"Yes," she confirmed. "But also more than just that. Let's just say Winry wasn't the only one who was dazzled by a Cretian royal."

The king's face took on a look of confusion at her words. "What do you mean?"

She took another deep breath, her voice taking on a trace of emotion he wasn't used to hearing her speak with. "I've only ever been in love once. I wasn't able to recognize it at the time as I was too busy denying it, but now looking back it's plainly obvious."

Well, this wasn't entirely expected. A strange feeling akin to jealousy flared up inside of Roy, but he kept it wrangled in. Clearly, this person she had been in love with had done a lot to change who she was as a person before they met, so he needed to listen to her full story.

"I never told anyone this...not even Winry. But before I came to Amestris, before Winry came to Amestris, I had been fiercely and deeply in love with the old Cretian king."

Roy's eyes widened and he struggled to keep his shock under control. "Sergio's father?" he asked in disbelief.

Riza nodded. "Yes, King Andres."

Roy struggled to process the information in his brain as he began picturing the two together.

"I know it seems unlikely. It wasn't something I had entirely expected either. Andres is older than me, true, but not by a lot. His first wife gave birth to Sergio when he was only seventeen. He had over ten years on me, but it never felt like that." A far-off look appeared on the queen's face and Roy watched her diligently...and curiously. "He was...kind. More so than I've ever seen any other Cretian be. He was handsome, to be sure, and intelligent. He treated me like I was his equal. It was the first time in my reign anyone had done so.

"When the negotiations between Creta and Aerugo started, he listened to me intently. We worked together so well. Everyone now thinks our attempt at peace was laughable, but we really did believe we could make it happen. He thought he could quiet the ones in his court who would object and we'd be able to live as allies. Until, of course…" Riza trailed off.

Roy finished for her in a voice filled with tightly contained fury. "Sergio happened."

The queen nodded grimly. "Yes. Andres's only downfall was his son. He admitted to me that he always had difficulty keeping Sergio 'contained', so to speak. He had been worried since the beginning that his son would go off and do something stupid without him being able to stop it. Of course, hearing him say these things didn't help my growing apprehension toward Sergio and Winry's flirtation."

More emotion thickened her voice and Roy wanted so desperately to wrap his arms around her to steady her, but he knew he couldn't. She would have to get through this if they were to even begin to talk about their own relationship. This was as much a part of his past as it was hers, given how they had entwined. "All the same, I did the worst thing I possibly could have done and ignored my suspicions. I let myself fall madly in love with Andres, all behind closed doors. I ignored all the warning signs of Sergio's aggression, for my own selfish reasons. I was afraid if I ended Sergio and Winry's relationship...Andres would end ours.

"That night...when Winry was attacked...we had a terrible argument, her and I. She told me I wasn't allowing myself to see what it was the king felt for me, too busy wrapped up in doing my job as a queen. I couldn't even begin to relay to her everything I had let Andres do to me.

"When I was told what happened to my sister, after I went to her and saw how...hopeless and broken she seemed, my only thought was to blame it on the king. I called him into my throne room immediately. He was so confused...he had no idea what had even happened. By that point, Sergio had been long gone from the castle.

"I screamed at him. I unleashed all of my frustrations, all of my hurt, not only about Winry, but about my parents, the throne I had taken on...everything. I threw it all back at him. Without even letting him speak, I banished him and his son. I still remember sitting on my throne watching him leave, tears falling down my cheeks as I watched what I had considered to be my only shot of happiness turn its back to me. I'll never forget it."

Here, Riza took the time to pause, as the memories of that night no doubt washed over her again. Roy's grip on her hand increased and she met his eyes. She nearly gasped when she saw the comfort in his dark gaze. He may not have understood everything she had felt, but he had also been in love with a Cretian. He had also had to watch his love be taken away from him. He couldn't understand the betrayal she must have felt, but he could at least sympathize with a part of her hurt.

"I had decided, after that night, never to let myself be charmed like that again. I had allowed something so awful to happen to my only family, and I had decided any other form of love like that would only lead to my ruin...then I met you."

Here, Riza turned her entire body to face him and flashed her own determined and meaningful gaze on him.

"I had so many misconceptions about you, your kingdom, and all of your people. I was sure I could never love Amestris, since it carried so many bad memories. I was sure I would never see my sister happy again. I was sure I would never find people I could learn to trust. And, above all, I was sure I would never fall in love ever again.

"But Amestris changed me. In ways I can't even fully describe, it changed me. It changed Winry. I have never in my life seen her as happy as she is now. We've never been this close. Your lands are beautiful, and where I once was scared of the mysteries they held, I am entranced by them. I find comfort in them."

Roy's heart continued to flutter expectantly at her words, but he still remained quiet, even though he was bursting with all the ways she had changed him for the better. He watched as she placed her other hand atop of where their hands were already linked. She looked back into his eyes and did something that confirmed everything he knew he felt about her.

She smiled. Beautifully. Fully. He had never seen her do such a thing until now.

"And you. I thought for sure I would find nothing from you. You were just a boy from my childhood who reminded me of a simpler time, who had witnessed one of the worst days of my life, all those years ago. I thought nothing of you. But you stayed there by my side throughout all of my soul-searching, all of my heartache, even when it nearly cost you your life. You were there. You never strayed. I had believed I could never find a man I could trust as fully and completely as I trust you. You have made me happier than I think I've ever been."

Her hand lifted and rubbed across his cheek, looking into his nearly stunned obsidian eyes, she said the words he hadn't even realized he had been waiting to hear for ages. "You told me to stop lying to myself, and I've decided to take your advice. I love you, Roy. More than I can even express to you."

A breath the king hadn't even realized he'd been holding in was released as a relieved smile passed across his face. Riza continued to smile beautifully at him as a single tear rolled its way down her soft cheek. Not wasting a second, Roy moved to wipe it away, not remembering the last time he'd been this content.

"You speak of being changed, but you don't even know the ways in which you changed me. I never thought I'd love again after Bella. I didn't think I was allowed to. But in you come one day, leading your army, all the way into my life. My entire kingdom adores you. Margaret adores you." Taking a pause to steal himself, Roy then continued. "I adore you. You can't even know the ways in which my love for you has plagued me these last few months."

Letting out a choked smile, Riza replied, "I think I can imagine."

Delicately moving a part of her bangs out of the way so he could better see her gorgeous hazel eyes, Roy leaned in ever closer. "I love you, my queen," he whispered before he did the one thing he had fantasized about almost constantly since he'd reunited with her all those months ago.

She rose to meet his descending mouth and their lips met for the first time, soft and unyielding. Roy's hand continued to caress her cheek as her arms wove around his midsection, pulling him closer to where she sat. It was a bit of an awkward angle, given the way they were sitting, and it had been awhile since either of them had had this kind of contact with another person, but it was perfect, in its own fumbled and messy way.

Another tear followed the previous one down Riza's cheek and Roy finally took the time to pull apart from her at the feeling of it. A mildly confused look passed across his face and he asked, "Why are you crying, my love?". He then wiped it away like he had done before.

Shaking her head at her own emotions, Riza let out a breathless laugh at his question. "Happiness," was her self-assured answer. "True happiness."

Not able to even try to stop himself, Roy leaned back in for another kiss, and another, and another. It was addicting tasting her like this. Her lips were soft, yet sure against his own. His hand moved to her neck to tilt her head more into the embrace and her own moved to clutch the front of his tunic, desperate for contact. Desperate to feel after being numb for so long.

They stayed that way awhile, testing each other's taste, thoroughly engrossed by the new sensation. They alternated between fluttering pecks on anything but the lips to full, ferocious kisses that nearly took both their breaths away. Eventually, once a particularly windy gust blew through the garden and Riza shivered at the cold, they stopped.

A thought seemed to occur to her as her face went from one of perfect contentment and joy to sadness. Roy immediately noticed the switch. "What's wrong?" he quickly asked, lifting her chin so she would meet his gaze once again.

She decidedly looked away, however, as she bit her freshly kissed lip and heaved a long sigh. "You have to go now," was her simple statement, and it successfully managed to deflate a little bit of the king's high.

His shoulders sagged and he nodded his head. "Yes, I do. I was just reading a letter from Maes when you showed up in the sitting room. I can't stay away much longer. Plus Margaret has been asking-," Riza quickly cut him off.

"I know why you have to leave, Roy, I wouldn't expect anything less. That's the difficult thing with us, you know. We both have very important jobs."

Roy nodded. "Indeed we do."

"I completely understand why you must leave, just like I know you completely understand why I must stay, but…" she trailed off, again avoiding his stare.

"But what?" he prodded.

Her eyes, despite wanting to avoid his knowing gaze, quickly locked back on his own and Roy had to suppress a gasp at the vulnerability behind them. This mighty, mighty queen who had already done so much to prove herself worthy of the title, looked almost small before him now. He wasn't sure he liked it all that much.

"But I find I don't want you to leave," she eventually whispered. "Is that selfish?"

Understanding filled Roy's mind as he realized what had caused the sudden switch. He almost wanted to shake his head at her thoughts, but he knew that wouldn't be well received.

"It's not selfish, love. The thought of leaving you now, after we finally settled all this between us kills me probably more than it kills you. We're allowed to be selfish now and again."

A soft smile reappeared on her face and for that he was glad. "So long as we don't let it cloud our judgement."

Roy returned her smile with one of his own. "Right."

"I'll still miss you," she admitted.

"And I believe I'll miss you more." Suddenly, as he was looking into her mesmerizing eyes and thinking about how badly he didn't want to part from them, a thought occurred to him. It was probably too soon, and might scare her off, but for whatever reason, he felt at that moment it was...strangely appropriate. "Perhaps I can give you something to help tide you over while we're apart?" he offered.

A curious look took up residence on his queen's face and she tilted her head. "Oh?"

Before he could talk himself out of it, Roy reached underneath the collar of his tunic up to the back of his neck where a small, silver necklace was clasped. He undid it and and presented the piece of jewelry to Riza, whose eyes progressively widened as he moved, knowing what he was going to give her.

"A-are you...sure?" she asked.

With a self-assured voice, he answered her. "I don't mean to presume anything by giving you this. It can mean what you want it to mean. All I want to say is that...it's pretty clear no one else will make us feel the way we do about each other. Our lives are forever entwined now. We have a lot of work to do, but I like to think...once it's all settled, we can have a future together."

Riza's eyes remained wide as she stared at the necklace holding the Amestrian royal crest, the one specifically designated for the royal line.

"Will you take it?" he eventually asked, only slightly nervously. It was a lot to give a woman one's letters. That was a universal fact across both their cultures, but Roy still felt it was warranted, especially because they both didn't know how long they would be apart from each other. If anything, these last few weeks had taught him to live without regrets. He wanted to be promised to her, because he didn't know when she could be taken away from him.

After seeming to struggle with her own internal debate, that Roy was fairly certain mimicked his, she finally raised her eyes back to him, and nodded her head, much to the king's relief. "Yes, I will."

A warm, contented joy spread throughout his body right to his toes as he watched her turn around and pull aside her hair for him to lay the piece of jewelry across her neck and clasp it assuredly, which he did with hands that nearly shook from the effort. Once it was in place, she turned back around and he had to steady himself from the sight of her wearing his letters.

Finally, she was his queen, and he her king.

The next day found the two newly dubbed couples out by the front entrance of the Aerugonian castle. It was a dreary day, which certainly mirrored the moods of nearly everyone gathered to see Roy and Ed off to Amestris.

"You promise you'll write to me? You won't just half-ass it like you did with your brother?" Winry pointedly asked as she adjusted Ed's outer cloak for probably the hundredth time, not in a mood to break any kind of contact.

Ed nervously fidgeted before her, knowing he was terrible at keeping up written correspondences, but also knowing he'd never be able to deny Winry anything. "I promise," he assured, as he leaned in for their goodbye kiss, not for the first time. And, like she had done the other times, she denied him by leaning back, still giving him that reprimanding look.

"You're sure?" she asked again.

"Yes, Winry, I promise, okay? I'll write to you as often as I can."

"I'll hold you to that. Idiot," she spoke affectionately before yanking him down by the ends of his cloak and pressing her lips to his insistently. Ed broke away quickly remembering their audience and the pair exchanged equally fierce blushes.

Roy and Riza watched them off to the side, amused grins on both their faces. Eventually, Riza turned back to her king and flashed him a fake reprimanding look. "I trust I don't have to ask the same from you, right?"

Puffing out his chest and letting loose a scoff, Roy answered, "Of course not. Unlike Elric, I know how to keep a woman in my good graces."

This time it was Ed's turn to scoff. "Yeah right," he replied, to which Roy answered with a glare. Riza laughed at the two of them and, after taking a quick around to make sure they weren't being watched, pressed one last, quick kiss to his lips.

Before Roy could even respond to that, the guard that was tasked with leading them back through the city to the outer gate approached on his horse and told them everything was ready for their departure. Reluctantly, both Ed and Roy said one last goodbye to their loves before mounting their horses and readying to leave.

"Remember!" Winry exclaimed as the pair took one last longing look at the sisters ready to see them off. "Ends are not ends."

Ed smiled at this and returned the rest back, "They're just different kinds of beginnings."

"We'll be back in Amestris soon, I have no doubt," Riza offered. "You both be careful."

"We will be. Until next time," Roy returned with a tilt of his head toward the guard and Ed, indicating their embarkment.

The men left through the gate as the sisters watched them longingly. Even as the sight of their retreating backs long faded, they stood there. Finally, as the reality of their departure started to hit the younger of the two, Winry wrapped her arm around Riza's and leaned her head on her shoulder. With a tear-filled voice she spoke, "This is a lot harder than I thought it would be."

Riza smiled knowingly at her younger sister before moving her eyes back to where the king and his knight had exited. "Yes, I know. But, as you said, this is not truly an end." Stealing herself for the time ahead, Riza untangled herself from Winry's embrace and turned toward her castle.

"We have a very exciting beginning to look forward to."

A very exciting beginning indeed! I can't believe it's actually over! This has been my longest story I've ever written and honestly my favorite. It has been such an awesome journey and I can't wait to continue. Please let me know your thoughts on the end! I've been meaning to show it to you guys for ages so I'm glad you can finally see :) There's obviously lots more to come since we didn't answer all the questions about the republic, our favorite otps, and more. Sovereign will be a wild ride, I assure you, so stick around! Thanks as always for all the love. You guys make writing these stories so worth it :)

Much love,

sarabethloves