Chapter Text
Prince Edward sat on his throne with a fist buried in his cheek. A deep scowl on his face, he watched as a sea of people from all over the kingdom danced in a hypnotic loop along the floor of the castle ballroom. The sheer amount of people blurred together. All but one person, his knight—Sir Roy Mustang. Golden eyes tracked Mustang intently as the knight's deep blue cape—Ed's golden family crest sitting proudly in the center—fluttered about him as he whisked yet another beautiful woman across the dance floor.
A sudden jab to Ed's arm sent his face nearly colliding with the wooden armrest. He shot an even more intense glare at his brother but was only rewarded with a smug curl of the lips and a wiggle of eyebrows. Ed promptly scoffed at his brother and turned his attention back to the dancing patrons. He rested his cheek on the opposite fist this time.
When the prince's eyes caught Roy's form he was with a completely different woman. Ed ground his teeth together at the sight. Mustang had an arm around the woman’s waist and a hand wrapped tightly around hers. She laughed loudly as Mustang spun her in yet another circle to the sound of the live band. It truly astonished him how he was able to move so fluidly with the heavy set of chainmail that he wore. Ed asked him as such once and only received the simple answer “I’ve grown used to it. It’s like it’s not even there,”
Cocky, strong bastard… Ed thought to himself, never taking his eyes off of the laughing pair. He knew it was all for show, it had to be. The debonair, charismatic, lady killer persona Sir Mustang flaunted to the public was all an act. What he was really like—what Roy was really like was that he was a strongly devoted member of his court. Roy was deadly serious about his work and those within his inner circle knew it. The facade he showed to the public was to keep the enemies of the kingdom off-kilter. Make them believe that having such a high-ranking knight who was nothing but a show-offy, womanizer would be easy pickings for an invasion. Ed huffed a laugh to himself. How wrong they were.
Being the prince of a kingdom, Ed had never experienced what many called the ‘thrills of battle.’ He’d never seen Roy truly in his element but he had seen him train. It was how they met. When his mother was still alive, she would take both him and his brother out to the local shops to mingle with the townsfolk while hidden under a cloak and using fake names. His father was strongly against these outings. As a small child, he didn’t understand why it was such a bad thing. They always had so much fun when they went to the various stands. The smell of the multitudes of foods wafting through the air, the shiny things being sold at varying stands, and the nice shopkeepers that would sneak him and his brother different treats when they thought their mom wasn’t looking. One day Ed had asked his mother why they still did the outings if his father was so against them. She looked at him with warm green eyes and said “You will never be a true king if you rule from a distance.” He hadn’t understood what she meant, and after all these years he desperately wished that he had asked her to elaborate. She died not long after that outing. The Great Death, which took many lives, claimed his mother as well. It was highly contagious so he wasn’t even allowed to say goodbye nor was his family able to give her a proper burial. All bodies that had succumbed to The Great Death had to be burned immediately after death to avoid the disease from spreading further. Ed always held a piece of disdain for his father for not allowing him and Al to say their goodbyes. It was childish, and he knew that but the hatred remained regardless. The death of his mother sent a fissure through the entire kingdom. His father grew weak from heartache and hardly had the energy to get out of bed most days. That left the child-rearing to Ed. Sure, many of their servants helped him since he was only a child but it would never compare to being raised by parents.
Even though his father was gravely sick most of the time, he still had his power as King. With that power, he forbade him and his brother from ever leaving the castle. It wasn’t until he was thirteen years old that he had met Roy for the first time. He had been wandering the castle grounds idly when he saw him. His father had mentioned that they had attained some new knights but his hands were full from caring for his brother. New knights just meant there were even more armed guards that made sure he stayed as sheltered from the outside world as possible. Roy had been training in the designated area in the royal courtyard.
Ed was struck speechless as he watched Roy engage in a mock battle. The sweat glistened as it trailed down the exposed skin. Roy moved as fluid as water but struck as harshly as fire. Even though it was clear that the battle was for training purposes only, Roy hardly gave his opponent an inch to avoid the attacks from his broadsword.
It was then, for the first time in years that his mother’s words from their final outing together came to him. “You will never be a true king if you rule from a distance.” It had finally made sense to him. There was no way that he could be the future ruler of this kingdom while being held captive, in his own home, like some prisoner. Their enemies knew of his father’s weakened state and had been trying to take advantage of that for years.
He needed to get stronger, to be able to protect his people alongside those who swore their lives to protect him and his brothers.
Ed watched as with a swift bend of his knees and a dodge to the left Roy quickly incapacitated his opponent with the tip of his sword resting lightly against the other man’s heart. They stayed frozen in that position for a moment. Roy waved his weapon to the side and quickly placed it in its sheath, signaling the end of the mock battle. Roy had hardly gotten his long exhale out when Ed, fists clenched tightly together, stormed his way over.
“You!” He called. Both men turned in the direction of the voice. Upon meeting his eyes, Roy’s opponent quickly fell to his knees and bowed low to the floor. Ed ignored him, that man wasn’t who he was after. Roy didn’t fall to his knees like the other man had. Instead, he straightened his spine and looked past Ed. Probably something about not looking royalty in the eyes. Ed didn’t give him the chance to speak. “Train me!”
That outburst is what caused Roy to finally look him in the eyes, a confused look on his face.
“With all due respect, my prince, I believe that is up to your father—the king—to decide. I am also not qualified to teach swordsmanship.”
Ed growled. He was an adult and the crowned prince! “For fucks sake! I do not need my old man’s approval to do anything! I am ordering you to train me! Teach me how to swordfight like you so I can protect my people!” It was a rare occurrence for Ed to use his status as Prince to get what he wanted. He had never seen someone fight like Roy had and he knew he never would again. Desperate times call for desperate measures. There was a look in those coal eyes that Ed simply couldn’t place.
Roy closed his eyes and bowed his head. “My apologies, Prince Edward. I was chosen by the king himself, therefore I report directly to him. If you wish for me to train you in the way of the sword I implore you to take this matter to the king. Only with his approval may I assist you in your endeavors.”
“Fine!” Ed bit back. “Be ready by dawn tomorrow!” He whipped around and stomped his way toward his father’s quarters.
“I am looking forward to it, Your Highness.”
Getting permission from his father, surprisingly, took no effort at all. Ed made sure to phrase it in a way that seemed like he wanted to learn swordsmanship as a hobby and nothing more. A bored prince trying to find something to do instead of wandering the castle halls. The sickness must have truly been affecting him for him to believe such a terrible lie.
He came back to the courtyard just as the sun peaked over the hills. Standing there in the center was Roy, a hand over his mouth and eyes squeezed shut as he let out a jaw-cracking yawn.
“Did you have to pick dawn to start your training?” His manner of speaking was such a far cry from how formally he spoke to him the day before that Ed wondered if Roy’s sleep-addled brain had made him forget all manner of formality.
“This was the best time to do it!” Roy let out another loud yawn. Ed growled at the display. He didn’t like being ignored. He opened his mouth to demand they get started but his attention was soon given to catching the sheathed sword that was idly tossed at him. “Hey!” He wasn’t given the chance to bore his scowl into Roy.
“Too slow.” Roy threw his body and broadsword at Ed. If it weren’t for his fast reflexes he would have been skewered by the knight’s sword.
The mock battle continued like that for hours; Roy not giving Ed an inch to do anything but defend himself but also took great care not to leave a single bruise or cut on him. Ed lay sprawled out and desperately tried to catch his breath.
“What… the hell… asshole…” Ed huffed. “You couldn’t have gone a little easier on me? I’ve never used a sword before!”
“Will you also expect your enemies to go easy on you? How will you protect your people if you expect others to treat you differently because you are the prince?”
Ed sat up on his elbow and looked at Roy for a long moment. The asshole was right, as much as he hated to admit it. He slowly got back up to his feet. Widening his stance and placing his borrowed sword firmly in front of him, he smirked. Roy returned the gesture and promptly went into his stance as well.
For the next 6 years, Edward trained with Roy multiple times a week, whenever he was free from his knightly duties for the day. He learned quickly. How to dodge and evade attacks and how to quickly incapacitate your opponent. Ed was sorely against killing even though Roy had told him multiple times that without killing your opponent “there was no chance of you coming out of the battle alive.” Ed rejected that notion and found his own way to subdue his enemies without killing them.
By the time he was 19, the two of them had grown close. Ed’s skills had improved tremendously but there was always room for improvement. There would be times when Roy would stand behind him and tap his foot with his own to correct his foot stance or Roy would place his hands on his to show him the proper way to hold his sword. Those callused fingers atop his always made Ed very aware of his rising body temperature. The pull between them wasn’t one-sided. Ed would catch the fond look in Roy’s eyes whenever he had mastered another lesson. The look went far beyond the ‘I’m proud of you’ look a teacher would give his student. Ed may have been a sheltered prince but he wasn’t an idiot.
A year passed and the light touches on Ed’s hands lingered a few seconds longer than necessary. They would stand in silence until Roy would clear his throat and continue with the lesson. It was clear that something had developed between them and Ed was going to find out what it was. So, he hatched a plan that was guaranteed to give him the answer he’d been searching for.
Ambushing such a skilled knight as Roy shouldn’t have been as easy as it was. Maybe it was the relationship that they had grown to have over the past few years. Ed never knew for certain. In an abandoned hallway, Ed slammed Roy against the stone wall and quickly sealed his lips to Roy’s before the knight could have the chance to refuse. To his luck, Roy kissed him back. Roy wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled their bodies flush together. As soon as the kiss started it ended with Roy breathless and attempting to form some kind of coherent thought.
“Y-your Highness—” Ed cut him off by pressing their lips together again. The taste of Roy was intoxicating and he wanted more! Roy placed his hands firmly on Ed’s shoulders and pushed him back, keeping him at arm's length. “Your Highness, please!” Roy begged.
A fissure ran its way through Ed’s heart. He was so sure that the feeling was mutual. Roy had kissed him back. Ed furrowed his brows.
“What?” He tried his best to keep the hurt from his voice.
“We can’t do this. You’re the prince. Your father would surely have me at the gallows by sundown if he caught us.”
“Good thing he’s bedridden,” Ed mumbled.
“Then what if your brother saw us? Another member of the court?”
“Al would never…” Ed trailed off. Ed loved and trusted his brother dearly but he was not entirely sure if Al would keep quiet about seeing the prince and his knight together. Ed cast his eyes down in thought.
“Exactly.” He felt that familiar warm, calloused hand rest lightly on his cheek. He looked up into soft, coal eyes. “I shouldn’t admit this but as much as I want to, we just can’t.” Roy’s voice was softer now. Almost like a plea.
“No one has to know.”
“I’m sorry, Ed.” A soft press of lips on his forehead and then Roy was gone.
Their lessons grew sparse over time and he saw less and less of Roy with each passing day. Roy was evading him on purpose and he was growing sick of it. The rare day came when they would have their sparring/training session. They both stood before one another, their eyes never leaving the other.
“This will be our final lesson, Your Highness. You have succeeded far past my expectations and there is nothing more for me to teach you. I wish you the best of luck in all your endeavors.” With his hands tucked firmly at his side, Roy bowed to Ed. The display of respect only made Ed even more frustrated.
“I learned everything years ago! What’s different now?”
“Please draw your sword.”
Ed growled under his breath but did as he was told.
The match went on as it had been the past 6 years, Roy not giving him an inch and Ed spending the duration of it dodging and blocking. He was pissed. He was upset. He was disappointed. He didn’t want to stop his lessons with Roy. He would never tell the man but he enjoyed spending time with him. He couldn’t understand Roy’s logic. He didn’t understand why the other man was distancing himself from him when they both wanted to give… whatever it was between them a shot. Returning from his musings Ed saw it—a rare opening. He crouched low to the floor and swept a leg at Roy's feet. It was a dirty trick, sure, but it needed to be done.
Just as he predicted, Roy seamlessly hopped over his leg but he was still caught off balance and landed hard on the ground, the wind knocked out of him. Ed took advantage of Roy trying to catch his breath and quickly straddled him, holding his sword high above his head, the tip of the blade pointing directly at Roy's heart.
Both men were breathing heavily.
“I win.”
Ed threw his sword lackadaisically off to the side. He ignored the clattering of steel against stone and focused on Roy instead. Roy’s eyes were wide and looked surprised that someone had actually beaten him. That wasn't the look he wanted. He wasn't sure what he wanted from Roy at that moment but the look of surprise wasn't it.
He huffed as he started to force his way to his feet but a strong grip on his sleeve prevented him from doing so. It all happened so quickly. There was a pull on his arm, a hand firm at the base of his ponytail, and sweet lips on his. The kiss was much fiercer than the last time. It tasted almost… desperate. Like a plea.
Ed pulled away just enough that they were still in each other's space but the tips of their noses still touched.
“What the fuck, Mustang? You can't tell me no and then—and just—”
“I know… I know, I'm sorry.” Roy closed his eyes and sighed. “I tried, I really did. You were going to leave…” Roy looked like he was fighting with himself to figure out what to say next. “I don't want to know what my life will look like without you in it.”
Ed closed his eyes and sighed. This man was exhausting. He knew being with Roy was going to be difficult, but deep in his chest, he knew it would all be worth it.
“I don't want that either.” He whispered. “Whatever this is—I can't keep going on as teacher and student, Roy.”
Roy didn't respond for a long moment.
“Ok,” Roy whispered to him. It sounded almost shaky. Roy shifted his hand from Ed's hair to his cheek. The contact forced Ed's eyes open. “No one can know, Your Highness.”
Ed rolled his eyes playfully. It was taking all of his willpower to not start jumping up and down like a kid who was just handed their first puppy.
“Yeah, yeah, I know—and it's ’Ed’.” Ed huffed when Roy's eyebrows scrunched together. “At least when we're alone.” He leaned in slightly, ready to taste those lips until the end of time.
Just before their lips met, Roy whispered, “Ok.”
The effort they put into keeping their relationship secret seemed to be working. To keep up appearances, they would still spar on occasion but that was all. Roy had been telling the truth that he had taught Ed everything he knew.
They would try to see one another in a private setting as often as they could. This would typically lead to Ed leading Roy through a secret pathway to his chambers to indulge in stolen kisses and the occasional heavy petting, but nothing more. That was a line Roy refused to cross.
The thought of being caught in bed with the prince would lead to Roy's death faster than he could blink. He had no choice but to accept Roy's terms.
Their secret rendezvouses were just that; a secret. They were positive no one knew, not even Alphonse. Well, that was until one day.
Edward was walking through the halls of his home, arms folded behind his back, and allowed his mind the rare opportunity to wander idly. He almost didn’t notice his brother when he slinked up beside him. Ed didn’t look at him but he could see the sly smirk on his face out of the corner of his eye. That was never a good thing.
“Soooooo, you and Sir Mustang spend an awful lot of time together.”
“He’s my instructor, it would only make sense for us to be seen together,” Ed replied dryly.
Al hummed thoughtfully for a moment, his footsteps syncing with his brother’s. “Maybe so—but him being your instructor doesn’t explain the trysts you’ve been having.” Ed stopped dead in his tracks.
He could have easily denied the allegations, but one look at his brother told him that he was well past that point.
“I won’t tell Dad—or anyone else for that matter—so you can stop looking like I just kicked your dog, now.”
Ed wasn’t sure what to say to his little brother other than a soft “Thank you.” He should have never doubted him.
“Of course,” Alphonse replied with a small smile.
The brothers continued their walk down the corridor in comfortable silence.
“How long?” Al asked.
“O-only a few months.” Ed flushed.
“Hmm…” There was that sly look again. The walk was silent once more before his brother spoke again. “You love him, don’t you?”
Ed sputtered as he shoved his hands into his pockets and refused all eye contact with his brother, his face a bright shade of red. “I-it’s way too soon for that!”
But Al was right, wasn’t he? Ed did love him. In those few months, they had grown closer than in the past six years. The nights of laying in his bed curled around one another and just talking. Expressing their hopes, dreams, and fears. Why Roy had joined the royal guard and why Ed had approached him so fiercely that day. They talked about his mother and brother as well as Roy’s personal life. It was all the more terrifying when he told Roy that Al knew about them. He didn’t want Roy to end what they had. To his surprise, they were still together by the end of the night. Roy was, understandably, upset. He had only asked if Ed was completely sure that Al would keep their secret and Ed responded with an assuring nod.
“Ok,” Roy said softly, resting his forehead on Ed’s. “I trust you, Ed.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The sight of Roy flowing about on the ballroom floor was becoming too much for him to bear. Why were they even having the damn thing in the first place? Stupid old man. They had far too many enemies to be having such an open event. Ed quickly got up from his throne and stomped his way to the balcony, ignoring his brother's cries to come back. As he stormed through the crowd, the guests made quick work of stepping out of the way, bowing their heads, and averting their eyes, respectfully. Good; He didn’t want anyone trying to talk to him. Ed noted to himself that he would have to make a formal apology to everyone later when his emotions had calmed down. When he reached the large balcony he made sure to shut the doors behind him. In a huff, he folded his arms on the curved, marble railing and dropped his head into them. The balcony overlooked an enormous garden that his mother had insisted on having before he was born. He hadn’t intended to come here, he just let his feet carry him away from that nauseating sight as soon as possible. The garden being the only thing he had left of his mother, it always gave him comfort when he needed it the most.
Ed lost track of time watching the flowers in his mother’s garden sway with the gentle breeze. The copious colors now washed pale from the moonlight above. A familiar, deep voice sounded behind him. It took all he had not to jump.
“I knew I’d find you here.”
Ed didn’t turn around and continued to gaze at the horizon.
“It’s dangerous for you to be out here by yourself, Your Highness.”
“I can take care of myself,” Ed mumbled into his forearm. “I beat you, didn’t I?”
“A mere fluke—I was distracted.” That remark caused Ed to whirl around and face Roy with a sour look. He stomped his way over to his secret lover and jabbed a finger into his chest.
“I beat you fair and square!”
“You cheated.”
“I still beat you! And what do you mean you were distracted? What could possibly distract you?”
Roy held his gaze, unmoving, as he punctuated each statement by jabbing his finger into Roy's chest. Roy lifted a hand and slowly brought Ed’s hand to his lips, never breaking eye contact. Just before his lips touched Ed’s knuckles, he spoke. “You.” A light kiss. “You’re breathtaking when you’re angry.” Another kiss.
Ed stared wide-eyed as Roy’s lips lingered on his skin. The summer sun had long since retired for the night, and yet Ed felt like he was standing directly beneath its rays.
“And when you’re jealous,” Roy smirked. Ed ripped his hand away from Roy’s grasp and took several steps back.
“Asshole! I’m not jealous!”
“Of course not, Your Highness. My apologies.” The smug nature of Roy’s tone was making Ed see red but he was still too flustered from the compliment and the accompanying kisses that he struggled to get out a proper retort. Ah, yes! A deflection that always worked!
Ed grabbed Roy’s cape and pulled it to the side. “W-what’s up with this color anyway? Red is so much better!”
The look on Roy’s face made clear that he wasn’t buying Ed’s diversion tactics but he played along nonetheless. “It helps me blend in more when I’m out in the field. If I were to wear red I might as well have “Shoot Me" written on my back.” Roy eyed him with exasperated amusement over the familiar argument.
“My darling prince, what is your fascination with the color red?” Ed’s face reddened at the endearment.
“It gets the blood flowing! I would think you would appreciate that.” A deep, hardy laugh left Roy’s lips.
“You are truly one of a kind, Your Highness.”
Ed frowned. “We’re alone.”
“Not true.” Ed watched as Roy gestured with his eyes to the line of glass windows lining the side of the castle. The entire guest list is entirely visible and so are they. He had forgotten all about it. Why was it that being in Roy’s company for more than a few moments caused his world to grow fuzzy around the edges—leaving only them. When he looked back, Roy was smirking at him.
“You say that we’re not alone yet you kissed my hand. So much for being discreet.”
“They can’t see me, Your Highness.”
“Why are you such an asshole?”
“I thought you loved that about me?” There goes that stupid, sexy smirk again.
Ed turned away. “I never said anything of the sort.” He mumbled.
Roy chuckled. “Of course, forgive me. “ He replied softly.
Ed turned back to his knight with a stern look on his face. “Shouldn’t you be making sure that my father isn’t in harm's way?”
“I trust Sir Hawkeye to keep an eye on things while I’m… preoccupied. Besides, your father isn’t the only one I pledged my life to when I became a knight. I took a sacred oath to protect the royal family, my homeland—” Roy held Ed’s hand in his once more as he lowered himself to one knee and bowed his head. “And you, Prince Edward. My life means nothing if I am unable to keep you, your family, and my land safe. I give you my word that I will always protect you.”
Ed stared down at the mop of black locks for a long moment. Roy remained unmoving.
“Get up.” There was no room for arguments in the commanding voice Ed used. Roy did as he was told and a silence hung in the air as the boisterous music was mere background noise. Ed’s stern voice took on a softer edge. “Your life means far more than serving this kingdom. You mean far more than that.”
“Thank you, Edward,” Roy replied softly.
At that moment, there was a deep ache in his chest that screamed for him to kiss Roy. The soft look of appreciation in dark eyes made him want to do nothing else. He was unaware that he had moved half a step closer until Roy had put a hand out to stop him.
“Later, my darling.” The soft smile on his lips was genuine. “For now, how about a dance?” Roy offered his hand to him.
“Whatever.” He scoffs, too enthralled with being in Roy’s presence. Others may see the leader of the king's guard dancing with the crowned prince, alone on the balcony but that was easy to write off as Roy simply doing his job and staying close to the one he had sworn to protect.
His fingertips had barely graced Roy’s palm when the music abruptly ceased and the crowd within the ballroom began to scream and run about frantically. They both quickly turned their attention towards the chaos. Ed didn’t hesitate to burst through the balcony doors, Roy hot on his heels. His status didn’t seem to matter when he pushed his way through the frantic crowd. Everyone was much more concerned with getting out of harm's way. Ed stopped in, what he believed to be, the middle of the ballroom. The erratic shoving from the mob ceased when Roy threw himself in front of him. Roy’s presence alone created a sort of eye of the storm around them. Before he could ask what the hell was going on, Roy shouted for his second-in-command.
“Hawkeye!” Within seconds a shout of a reply was heard. Roy lifted his arm high above his head and his sword—still in its sheath—collided with his hand. Ed watched as a blonde blur cut through the eye of the crowd and weaved herself back into it like a snake gliding through the grass.
Everything was happening far too fast for his liking. He was hardly able to comprehend Roy ripping off the sheath and carelessly throwing it to the ground before grabbing onto his wrist tightly and pulling them through the crowd. He didn’t like being pulled around like he was helpless. He tried to pull his wrist from Roy but there was no give.
“Damnit—Roy! Al!” Where the hell was Roy taking him? He needed to make sure that his brother was ok!
“Hawkeye’s taking care of it!” Roy didn’t bother to turn his head around to look at him. He continued to pull him through the swarm of people until they reached a doorway leading to one of the many halls in the castle. Only a few stragglers littered the hallway, obvious that they had gotten lost on their way to the main exit. Roy paid them no mind. The clattering of swords faded the farther Roy pulled him along.
He wasn’t sure how long they had been running but he was starting to get out of breath. Roy, the bastard, hadn’t even broken a sweat! Even with all the years he had trained with Roy, Ed was man enough to admit that he would never be on the same level as someone who had kept himself in peak physical condition since he was a child. With how fast they were weaving through hall after hall, Ed had begun to lose track of the layout of the home he had lived in his entire life. Ed couldn’t remember the last time he had seen another human wandering the halls, looking for a way out. The sound of panicked screams didn’t exist here, only their heavy footsteps. A door to his left was ripped open by Roy and he was quickly shoved inside with Roy close behind.
The room was small and dark, except for what shone through the crack below the door. Ed slid to the floor and desperately tried to be as quiet as he could while taking sharp breaths through his nose. There was a pause before he heard the soft shifting sound of chainmail followed by a light thud as Roy sunk to the ground.
“I’m sorry,” Roy apologizes. “I’m not sure what is going on but I have a hunch that The West decided to use tonight to plan their attack—I had to get you somewhere safe.” Roy’s voice was soft but stern.
He swallowed the fear that rose in his throat. This was all his old man’s fault! He kept trying to tell him that having such an open event would leave them wide open for an attack. The West have been biding their time for years and everyone in the kingdom knew it but his father was far more concerned about having open relations with neighboring ruling states than protecting his own people. Now, those people were in danger—they were being killed because of that…bastard! Ed released the death grip he held his fingers in when a sudden realization hit him, Al!
“Roy! We have to go back! Al is still—”
“I swear to you that your family is safe.” Roy calmly interrupted him. “They are much easier to protect than a certain someone.”
Ed bristled at the implication but he was halted from speaking when Roy continued speaking.
“That is exactly why I need you to promise me this, Ed.” The joking tone from just a few seconds ago was replaced with a softer tone. “Promise me that you will stay hidden until one of my men come for you. I will have to leave momentarily to ensure they don't harm any more people.” Roy paused for a moment then he felt Roy's palm caressing his cheek. “I won't be able to fight—to protect this kingdom—if I can't be sure that you're safe. So, I'm begging you, promise me that you will stay safe until I return. Please, love.”
Ed was stunned. The desperation in Roy's voice… That word. Being blindsided had drained all the adrenaline from his body and all he could do was nod in response. Roy's hand still on his cheek.
“Thank you.” Roy whispered.
Suddenly, the side of his face was far too cold. The shifting sound of chainmail filled the room. Roy was leaving, to protect the kingdom, to protect his family, to keep his promise to him. That didn't mean Roy would come back to him. The thought of never seeing Roy again, to no longer feel those intoxicating lips against his, no longer having those stolen nights together chilled him to his core.
He reached up in hopes that he could cling to something—anything! He held tightly onto Roy's sleeve. He saw Roy freeze and turn his head to him. Ed wished that he was able to see whatever face he knew Roy was making.
Roy kneeled back down and placed his forehead on Ed’s. Ed’s eyes instinctively closed with the touch.
“I swear to you, Ed,” Roy whispered. “I will come back.”
Roy's lingering touch was all he had left of his lover. He would have to have faith that Roy would keep his promise. In exchange, he would keep his.
He'd never been a religious person but for the first time in his life, he could see the appeal. The idea of some divine intelligence guiding everything, the thought that some higher power might exist and their whims might be swayed in your favor if only you begged prettily enough. He knew it wasn't true, but waiting in that dark room, worried for his kingdom and his people, he could understand why some men prayed.