The Butterfly and Flame Alchemists: The Healing Flower

Chapter Two: Reassignment

I've only been gone a few weeks but I really do miss it at home. If dad gets some time to come out here, the rest of you should come visit. Also, Ms Winry says that we should take home one of Den's puppies since they just had another litter. I think it's a really great idea so we should try to convince dad!

Love you all,

Rosie

Aileana continued to sit and read the letter long after the servants had come to clear the table. Rosie was correct; it had only been a few weeks since she had left but it felt like years to Aileana. This was such an important thing for her and though she wanted to pull her daughter back and teach her everything she knew, she also knew that with everything Alphonse had not only learned but had been through he would be a much better teacher for her.

Sighing, she finally stood was the table and walked about the mansion. At the moment she was there on her own, aside from the staff, with Russell being at school and Roy being at work, to put it bluntly she felt bored. The whole transition from former state alchemist to Madam Führer complicated everything she did now. While the country was more or less in a state of peace, she was still not permitted to leave anywhere without some sort of bodyguard in the instance something should happen. She understood why Roy was still enforcing this, but sometimes she really just wanted to walk about the streets, seeing her fellow citizens and talking with them about their day. She also wanted to do something within the government as well. Roy refused to allow her to work after the Promised Day, after everything that had happened and that drove her crazy more than anything else. The only thing she was really allowed was to oversee the yearly State Alchemist exams and even that was a long shot some years.

Deciding she needed to get out of the house, Aileana called for Joshua to bring a car around so she could go to Central Command.

"If I may ask ma'am," he looked a bit shocked, but had called for the car anyway, "why do you need to go to Central Command? Is everything ok?"

"Everything is just fine," she smiled a bit, "to be frank, I'm bored and need to talk with my husband about allowing me to be a part of things again,"

"I do feel sad when you're here alone when master Russell is at lessons and the Führer is working,"

"Thank you Joshua, that means a lot to me. I hopefully shouldn't be long, but in case I am could you let the cook know to let Russell have his usual snack after school?"

"Of course ma'am," he bowed, "I hope things are fruitful for you,"

"Thank you, I hope they are," she slung her bag over her shoulder and met the car at the bottom of the main entrance stairs.

The ride to Central Command was short and Aileana kept thinking to herself that she could have just walked there but knew that Roy would never allow it, but she climbed out of the car and nodded to the soldiers who stood guard outside. Since she technically wasn't 'active duty' anymore, she tended to not salute them back when they saluted her.

There was really no way of knowing just how Roy was going to take this proposition from her, but after seven long years of this, she just couldn't take it anymore. Walking through the halls of Central Command always brought back... memories if you were able to call them that. Riza said that it was more than likely a form of PTSD that she was going to have to work through to move on from it. Even after seven years it was easier to remove the stains of blood off the concrete than it was from behind her eyes.

Once she reached Roy's door, she let out a sigh and mentally prepared herself. She had been married to Roy for so many years now and she should have his behavior figured out by now, but there were still some days that surprised her. Once she felt like she was prepared enough, she put her hand on the knob and pushed it open swiftly.