To Neema Amiry: Updates are slow on this story (sorry!) because my other story takes precedence, as well as me working on them through work and life in general. Sorry for the wait!

Hope you guys don't mind how short this chapter is. I thought it was worth it!

Four people shared a delicious breakfast at the small kitchen table, all enjoying the meal and the conversation, save for the uncharacteristically quiet Auren who was half-heartedly eating and listening to the conversation.

"Come on General," Roy said jokingly; "Celebrate! You survived!"

"I am glad for yesterday and today," he admitted, "I am only concerned for tomorrow. Now that our presence and intentions have been announced twice in Amestris, we will have to begin action here from Drachma."

"Ahhh, let the games begin!" Roy said jokingly.

"Political affairs always were more fun for you than me," Auren said with a rare sheepish grin. "The future will be rocky. I hope that my Amestrian friends can help pave it smoothly."

"We'll do our best," Riza said with a smile. "It will be interesting to finally meet your President as relations move forward."

Auren choked on a bite that he'd finally taken, even Gregor looking a bit uncertain.

"...Edward, is there something you're not telling us?" Roy challenged, catching the hint of a smile from Gregor. "Don't tell me you're the-"

"Emil," Auren corrected, "and my ambitions do not reach as high as yours! Though I would attain them faster if I desired so, Colonel!"

Riza rolled her eyes as she sipped at her coffee, ignoring Auren's raucous laughter and Roy's spluttering.

"I have no desire to run a country," he continued, setting his coffee cup down and leaning back lazily in his seat. "However our mutual friend does and he has the abilities and brains to reach his goal very quickly."

"A mutual friend?"

"Yes, Colonel." Auren grinned, golden eyes sparkling mischievously through his glasses. "You remember Bernie, don't you?"

Riza nearly spit her coffee back into its cup as she recognized the name-

"Bernard?!" Roy cried in shock. "He's your President? He runs your country?!"

"It has been five years, Colonel. Progress has been made on both sides of Briggs."

"But he's too young for that-"

"He is 36 and fully capable."

"The Drachman population doesn't mind a young leader?" Riza asked diplomatically.

"Nye. They know that youth brings change, and is what they need for a change in relations. Bernie is very optimistic and charismatic and almost whole country loves him."

"Well, Bernard is in charge, hum. President Ustor..." Roy sat back in his seat much as Emil had done. "He was once your subordinate, wasn't he?"

"Yes. He has learned much since then."

"I suppose one man can only look down at you for so long before wanting to look down on everyone," Roy joked again about his blond friend's height.

"You call me small, yet I outrank you by far. I can understand your jealousy, though."

"Jealousy?! I-"

"I was the youngest State Alchemist in Amestris and the youngest General in Drachma. You are merely the youngest idiot to be promoted to Colonel."

"Hey!"

Gregor snickered, dodging the retaliating swipe from Roy easily.

"Careful Colonel, you do not want to start a war."

"You Drachmans are terrible," Roy muttered in annoyance. "I'll tell everyone in Amestris that you're all buttheads."

"Eloquent and mature as always, sir," Riza said with an astounding amount of seriousness.

"Well I'm just getting abused here," Roy said with mock hurt, putting down his fork as he'd finally finished his meal. "I'm going back to Amestris."

"A fine idea," Auren agreed. "The longer you are in Drachma, the more suspicion you may raise for absence at home."

"Yeah, you're right," Roy muttered. "Briggs men will probably be stationed around the border..."

"You will have to travel West to Voldun and cross the border there," Auren advised, earning a nod of agreement from Gregor.

"Voldun?! That's ten miles away, and abandoned!"

"Yes Colonel, I know. I can have you escorted quickly by dog sled. As for abandoned, it was, thanks to Amestrian interference...but several people trust my goals and call it home now. It is small and quiet town, but in time, it will grow."

"Under you and Bernie, I have no doubt," Riza said with a smile. "I suppose we had better get moving if we're to cross the border by sundown."

"The pass is thicker near Voldun," Roy groaned disagreeably. "And the trip to an Amestrian town is another five miles through the snow."

"This is why they will not suspect you to cross there," Gregor pointed out. "You are sturdy Amestrians! You will be fine! Especially with such a fine strong woman at your side."

"Thank you, Gregor," Riza said with a smile as Roy blushed despite his best attempts not to.

"Yes yes we are all friends. Let's get moving, the more we move before sunrise the better your chances. You do not want to stay a night in Voldun, you will lose valuable time in Amestris."

"Yeah. Besides, we'll be seeing more of you soon, Ambassador Van Auren," Roy teased as he pulled his layers on.

"Iyach," Auren grumbled, though there was less apprehension and more humor to his voice than the last time they were on the subject.

True to their word, Emil and Gregor had a paw-powered escort ready for them, complete with supplies of food to last for a day and a half for both the Amestrians and their driver.

The communication after parting was entirely in Drachman, as their driver was friendly but only knew a few words of Amestrian-just enough to be polite to Riza and flatter her for being a beautiful woman.

"I may just start a war here and now," Roy muttered as he sat in the sled with Riza, deflecting the occasional bit of snow kicked up by the dogs. "If I catch him flirting with you..."

"Leave the man alone. Clearly he's a smart man to recognize a lady when he sees one."

"I can't argue with that," Roy agreed with a smile, despite his face being almost numb from the cold wind. "I'm lucky to have you by my side."

Riza indulged her Colonel and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his middle as they rode through the frozen landscape together.

Roy and Riza had arrived in Voldun and stopped to stay inside a welcoming stranger's home long enough to warm up and share a hot meal before they had to depart for the border again.

By judging the sun in the sky, they knew they could make it through the mountain by sundown, especially if they used careful alchemy to speed their trip.

And darn if luck wasn't on their side and gave them a safe passage through the foot of the hundreds of tons of rock, proving to Riza again that Roy could use that brain inside of his skull if he really needed to.

"I miss the dogsled," Roy muttered as he walked with Riza. "Another five miles before we get any warmth...ugh. first place I'm going is to a pub."

"We are boarding a train immediately and heading for Rush Valley," Riza corrected him. "We'll contact Havoc and have him speak with Grumman in private and set up a reason for us to be out of town, so we're not suspected out of the country."

"I love you Riza," Roy said in mock seriousness. "Why aren't you the Colonel? Your ideas are just as good as mine."

"Someone has to lead you in the right direction, sir."

"And you've done a marvelous job of it. Even if I am still just a Colonel while Edward is a General," he joked.

"Yes, that's one thing I was curious about," Riza replied thoughtfully. "We were just speaking with Bernard on the phone a few weeks ago, and wasn't he still Auren's subordinate at the time?"

"Either we're getting the butt end of a joke from Emil, which wouldn't surprise me given his base personality, or Bernard was only pretending for the sake of communication and his General's sanity."

"I would bet it's the latter," Riza decided. "Bernie is a good man, and a good friend. He must have known how hard everything was going to be on the General, so he remained in the role until we made full contact."

"Yeah." Roy sighed, gazing at the setting sun across the horizon as he hugged his coat to his chest. "I only wish Edward would return home to Amestris after peace was made."

"Who knows, perhaps trade will reopen and he can make enough frequent visits that the lines dissolve. Edward Van Auren doesn't sound too bad," she said with a smile.

"Nah, I think Emil Van Elric is more appropriate. Emil is way more familiar to him now...and besides, he is still an Elric, Alphonse's older brother."

"Yeah. Again sir, you're correct."