Okay! It's been a long time since I posted anything for the fma fandom, but I'm here with a brand new multi-chap! This particular idea has been stewing in my head for a few years now, but was only written down recently. The entire story is almost finished because, as I have a tendency to not update in a particularly speedy manner, I decided to just up and write the whole thing before posting the first chapter. So, because of that, I'll have a regular update schedule. I haven't decided if I'm going to do it on a weekly or biweekly basis. It'll depend on the demand, I suppose, but it will be regular. No crazy long gaps between chapters because this thing is almost finished!

There are quite a few tidbits about the universe that I've created that I'll be putting in author's notes as we go along. I've spent a very long time thinking up all the details of this particular AU and I want it to make sense without it being just information overload so I'll put them at the beginning or end of each chapter. A few things to note right away are that 1) the motivation and general look/feel of this universe is based on ancient Celtic traditions/fashions/names/etc. So, when you think of the architecture, look of the clothes, and other details, know that's where I'm coming from 2) there are a few noticeably large changes from the overall canon fma structure. For one, Riza and Winry are sisters, as well as Aerugonians. All the parents that I write about (Riza and Winry's, Roy's, etc.) are characters I made up, not the parents alluded to in the fma canon. Those are the most notable differences but I'll let you know about any others, if need be. And finally, 3) This story is broken up into two halves, almost. The first, shorter, half focuses on Winry and her journey dealing with something terrible that has just happened as well as getting to know all the Amestrians (aka, most of the fma characters). The second half will be all about Riza and her dealing with the demons of her past, as well as getting to know Roy and his kingdom. I figured I should go ahead and let that be known in case anyone is looking for a story with an emphasis on either of them, because in the beginning it will be lots of Winry (and subsequently Edwin) time and the second is very heavy on Riza (and subsequently Royai). The story does, of course, feature all of them heavily and in (mostly) equal amounts.

Woo. Sorry about the crazy long author's note. This story has been a long time coming and I'm so happy for everyone to finally read it. I really hope you like it, and fall in love with this universe as much as I have. Now, on with the show!

The princess with the long and beautiful golden hair and the vibrant blue eyes stared gloomily out the small window of her transport carriage. People always used to tell her she was one of the most beautiful girls to ever exist. A goddess come to earth. A shining beacon of feminine perfection.

The tears that seemed to have taken up permanent residence in her cerulean eyes threatened to spill over when she thought of how no one would think such things of her now. She had been tainted. Her smooth, milky white skin exposed and marred. Her purity snatched in an instant. Her innocence shattered. She felt as though she was nothing now. How could she even call herself royalty? A princess surely never let something like this happen to her.

The carriage rumbled on at a snail's pace, trudging through the muddied path. Ever since they had crossed the border into the sprawling kingdom of Amestris a few days ago, the rain had begun pouring and hadn't let up until only a few hours before. Their travel time had been extended significantly. And while her many attendants and guards were rather frustrated with this hiccup in their well-crafted plan, the princess didn't much care about the delay.

She wasn't happy where she had come from, and she knew she wouldn't be happy where she was going. So what was the point of being angry with the skies? Clearly, the goddess of rain was making herself well-known to their little party. And while Princess Winry didn't much care for obeying the gods at all costs, she figured this one was not to be messed with.

The skies had been as gloomy as she felt ever since she'd left home. Ever since she left the kingdom of Aerugo.

Winry clutched the handwritten instructions, courtesy of her sister, the Queen, tightly to her chest. She reminded herself for what seemed like the thousandth time that day that her sister was doing this because she knew what was best for her. Everything about Aerugo would remind Winry of what happened, the Queen was sure of it. Amestris was beautiful and the people were kind. They'd be able to take her mind off of the atrocity that had been done to her, at least for a little while. Then, once the hurt had passed enough for her to function as the princess of Aerugo, she would return, and help her sister rule the kingdom.

Winry had never been to Amestris, despite the kingdom having been long-time allies of Aerugo. Her father, King Boden, had been friends with the late Amestrian King Phillip since they were children. They had created, together, two of the most successful, fearsome kingdoms history had ever known. Winry's sister used to say (only after multiple pleas for information from Winry) that their family had made regular trips to the Amestrian countryside before she was born. Her sister remembers the land well. A beautiful country, she'd always say.

It's a shame what ended up happening there.

When the current Queen of Aerugo was only seven years old, the then queen and King Boden had taken her to visit Amestris in the summer like they had done every year. Winry's mother was pregnant with her at the time, but she wasn't nearly far enough along to prevent the trip. So, even though everyone told the royal couple it wouldn't be wise, they traveled. Even though they were there to visit their friends like they always had, there was another, more important, reason for the voyage and it had to be done, despite the risks.

King Phillip of Amestris and King Boden of Aerugo were to discuss, finally, the proposition of arranging a marriage for their children. The two allied kingdoms would benefit immensely from such a union. The kingdoms could join, and be the strongest anyone had seen in millennia.

King Phillip was to present his eldest son, and only child, who, when of age, would marry King Boden's eldest daughter. The magicians and fortune tellers had warned the paranoid Aerugonian king that the child his wife was pregnant with would be his last. And it, too, would be a daughter. And while the king saw no problem with handing his throne over to a woman, it was his advisers who claimed his people would be unable to follow such a leader.

A convenient marriage with the long-time allies of Amestris would be the most beneficial. It was a good enough plan for everyone involved, and that summer it was to be finally set in stone. Official in writing until it, upon the eighteenth birthday of King Phillip's son, would be official in act as well.

Winry had never met King Phillip's only son. She had heard stories, of course, but had never seen his face. She was told he was a handsome man, with striking velvet black hair and piercing obsidian eyes. When his father had died ten years ago, he had taken over the kingdom of Amestris with hardly a concern. It had thrived under the new ruler, some even claiming the sometimes boisterous and over-confident (though still fair) King Roy of Amestris was the best the monarchy had ever seen.

Of course, the plan his father and her own had set out to put into place over seventeen years ago never panned out. The marriage between Roy and Winry's elder sister never came to be.

That summer in Amestris, the one in which she was born, would turn out to be one of the darkest in Aerugonian recent history, and the bereaved King Boden had left the country without signing any deals, never to return.

Her mother, the one people said was the most beautiful woman to have ever stood as Queen, who had golden hair much like her own and hazel eyes that, despite their common color, mesmerized and captured any man who looked upon them, died that summer, under the Amestrian sun.

She had died doing the one thing Winry could never repay her for: giving her life.

Despite all the warnings, the pregnant queen had traveled the long distance to Amestris, much like Winry was doing now, and, within a few weeks of arrival, had prematurely gone into labor and died giving birth to her second daughter, Princess Winry of Aerugo.

Both kingdoms mourned her death. She was such a kind queen and so many people looked up to her and trusted her to rule fairly alongside her husband. Winry's eldest sister had apparently been distraught, refusing to speak to anyone there until they returned home. Though she knew her sister would never admit to it, Winry had heard stories that the current Queen of Aerugo, a young seven-year-old girl at the time, had, upon being told the horrible news, screamed her vicious hate for the sister that had killed her beautiful mother. Winry never knew a time when her sister hadn't treated her like a sister should, but she nevertheless wondered if there was still some residual animosity held against her.

Winry was the person responsible for the beautiful, golden-haired queen's death, and, even though she never knew her, she still hadn't forgiven herself for it.

Then, as if losing the queen wasn't enough for the poor, grieving young princess and King Boden to handle, Queen Cordelia of Aerugo had been buried in the Amestrian castle grounds instead of the Aerugonian royal cemetery, her monument erected among the multitude of Amestrian royals. Despite her recent homeland being the kingdom of Aerugo, King Boden couldn't stop the burial of his wife in the land she had died.

Because Cordelia had been an Amestrian by birth. Only Aerugonian by marriage.

Perhaps that was why Winry's sister, Queen Riza of Aerugo, was sending her off to Amestris to grieve and deal with what had happened to her. Winry had been born in Amestris and her mother had been buried there. Maybe she always had an unknown connection to the foreign country, and the spirit of her mother would help her as only a mother could. Riza had made no effort to return to Amestris after her mother had died, but she still wanted Winry to make the journey.

There was certainly more to all of this than she was being told, Winry believed, but she loved her sister Riza, and she would do whatever she asked, especially now. Especially after disobeying and going against her sister's warnings had found her in such a terrible situation in the first place.

The rain began to fall again in a light drizzle as the carriage driver called down to inform her they were only a few hours from their destination: the Amestrian capital.

The memories of the past few weeks came flooding back, washing over her much like she wished the Amestrian rains would do.

"What are you talking about, Riza!?" Winry screamed, her shining pink and gold ballgown swishing as she stepped further up to where her sister stood in the middle of the room, as cold and firm as a marble statue. Winry's anger was clouding her senses, but she couldn't hold herself back. "The Cretian prince is a wonderful man. Yes, he's young, but so am I! Why are you so afraid of him becoming close to me?"

"Winry, this is no time for you to indulge in whatever love affair you fancy for the week. Our negotiations with Creta are of vital importance. They've been our enemies for too long. I'm afraid if you continue this...whatever you want to call it with the prince, it'll change the decisions his father makes regarding our kingdom."

"Ugh, you're so damn paranoid! What I feel toward the prince has nothing to do with what the Cretian king decides regarding the treaty. Once again, you and your uptight duty to our kingdom are getting in the way of my happiness."

"Your happiness!?" Riza exclaimed, her own deep blue ballgown along with her gold and sapphire jewels shining in the dim candlelight. "You mean to tell me that this little flirtation you have with Prince Sergio is the only thing making you happy? Once again, you prove your immaturity. You're only a girl, Winry! You know nothing of love."

Winry's anger skyrocketed at that. "Like you do!? You've been pushing down what you know you feel toward the King because you're so afraid to love anyone. The King is not going to betray you and the Prince is not going to betray me. He loves me!"

Riza's reply was spoken in a low voice. "You have no idea what you speak of."

"No, I don't think you do. I'm going to go back to the ball, now. I'm going to dance with Sergio and I am going to have a good time. And, if he wants, I'm going to let him court me, with or without your permission," Winry said angrily before storming off, not letting her sister speak another word to her.

Winry couldn't possibly have known how wrong she was, when she was lying in her bed, her blood staining her sheets and her limbs shaking as she clutched a blanket around her naked skin. She couldn't possibly have been able to fathom how guilty she would feel, as Riza screamed her name in what could only be considered the purest form of fear, as the tears fell down her face.

Winry couldn't have possibly known the sadness she would feel as her carriage left through the gate of the castle, her sister watching with tear-filled eyes as she rolled away, to her refuge in Amestris.

She couldn't have possibly known…anything.

So, what do you think? Please leave a review to let me know! Your comments are going to be the only way I know this story is well-received enough to keep going, plus I always love hearing from you guys. Another quick note about this universe that you might have already picked up on: Creta are the bad guys. We weren't given anything in fma to suggest either Creta or Aerugo are good or bad, so nothing against that country I just picked them to be the neighboring nation who was always getting in the way of Aerugo and Amestris. Also, Creta (aesthetically) in my mind, and in this story, is similar to old medieval Spain while, as I mentioned before, both Aerugo and Amestris have a more ancient Celtic vibe. Once again, I have absolutely nothing against the Spanish, I just loved the idea of the Cretians having that old "conquistador" Spanish vibe so I went with it. (I'm also going to take the time to mention here as a blanket statement for the rest of the story that I am in no way a history expert, so even though I say these countries resemble old Celtic or Spanish nations that's just for you guys to have a general feel for things. I'm not going to go out of my way to be historically accurate with things since Aerugo/Amestris/Creta are still their own countries and this universe is something I just made up) Once again, let me know what you think!